Feature: Medical Marijuana at the Statehouse -- Stalled in St. Paul, Progress in Providence, Coming Out in Columbus
State legislatures are once again proving a formidable hurdle for the medical marijuana movement. In the last two weeks, legislation died for lack of action in the Minnesota Senate, and while the Rhode Island Senate passed a dispensary bill, it is unclear whether it will make it to the House floor. But hope springs eternal, as evidenced this week in Ohio, where the first medical marijuana bill in years was introduced.
Rhode Island Senate chamber
But it never got to a floor vote in the House before the session ran out. Supporters blamed the House leadership and the opposition of some sectors of law enforcement, which could not be pleased no matter how many changes to the bill -- 19 -- supporters made to assuage their fears. The bill also faced a likely veto from Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty.
"We're disappointed that the Minnesota legislature failed to enact a medical marijuana bill this year," said Bruce Mirken, director of communications for the Marijuana Policy Project, the parent group for Minnesotans for Compassionate Care, which led the lobbying fight to pass the bill. "But we've seen in other states that the legislative process often takes several years, and we picked up incredible support this year, including the endorsements of the state's two largest newspapers. The dozens of brave patients who came forward to tell their stories in recent months aren't giving up, and neither are we."
Meanwhile, in Rhode Island, the state Senate approved legislation May 15 that would create "compassion centers" or dispensaries where patients enrolled in the state's medical marijuana program could legally obtain their medicine. Under the bill, S. 2693,the dispensaries could legally grow and sell marijuana to the 359 patients in the state medical marijuana registry. The dispensaries would be regulated by the state Department of Health.
The legislation would create licensed marijuana dispensaries, or "compassion centers," that would legally grow and sell the drug at affordable prices to the 359 patients in the state's program. The centers would be regulated by the state Health Department.
But despite strong popular support and a 29-6 vote in the Senate, the bill is not expected to get through the House this year, the Providence Journal reported. It cited opposition in the House.
"I would really have to have a sock over my head if I didn't know that," said the bill's sponsor, Sen. Rhoda E. Perry (D-Providence). "What I think is important is to show movement," Perry said of the Senate vote. "I think getting it out of a chamber is movement. It's showing that there is a level of understanding and a level of acceptance," she told the Journal.
How patients would get their medicine was "the unasked question" when the state's medical marijuana law was passed, House Majority Leader Gordon Fox told the Journal. "Do you send someone that may be suffering from cancer or whatnot out into the streets to procure it? I don't know if that's necessarily a good solution. I think the natural extension of that is that we provide some sort of safe place to obtain it for those who are legally authorized."
But Fox declined to support the bill just yet. "I'm not saying that the leadership's going to support it," he said. "I'd like to read the bill. I haven't looked at what the bill does."
While the Journal has pronounced the bill dead, that's a bit premature, said Jesse Stout, spokesman for the Rhode Island Patient Advocacy Coalition (RIPAC). "The House leadership hasn't said they're not going to vote on it, so we're working with them to try to schedule it," he said. "We still have another month left in the session."
Stout was confident the measure would pass if it got to a floor vote. "We have a lot of rank and file support from House members who favor this common sense expansion of the law, and we have a new poll that shows popular support for this measure at 69%. We have lots of support, so this is by no means over," he said.
While the legislative process has been long and torturous in Minnesota and Rhode Island, it is just getting underway in Ohio. On Wednesday, state Sen. Tom Roberts (D-Trotwood) announced details of his proposed Ohio Medical Compassion Act during a press conference at the state capitol in Columbus. Under Roberts' bill, the state Health and Agriculture Departments would be authorized to set up an advisory board to:
- Consider granting medicinal use of cannabis in cases of debilitated medical conditions.
- Consider applications for and renewals of registry identification cards for qualified patients and primary caregivers.
- Provide recommendations for the safe use and efficient growing of medicinal cannabis.
"Our laws should reflect the latest in medical research, which has shown that medical cannabis has a variety of benefits for treating pain, nausea and other symptoms related to a wide range of disease," Roberts said in a prepared statement. "In an era of scientific breakthroughs and medical advances, patients should not be put in the position of choosing between living a normal life and living a healthy life," Roberts said.
"We took what we thought was the best of other medical marijuana laws and created this bill," said Tonya Davis, director of advocacy for the Ohio Patient Network. Davis, a chronic pain sufferer who is unable to walk, was optimistic about the bill's prospects. "This time around we have a cosponsor and more support in the Senate than ever before," she said.
For Davis, access to medical marijuana is a quality of life issue. With medical marijuana, she can reduce her reliance on other medications, she told the Wednesday press conference. "I require medical marijuana to maintain a lifestyle with dignity," Davis said.
The Ohio bill will likely face the same long and twisting legislative path that medical marijuana has followed in any number of statehouses. Whether it becomes law this year seems unlikely, but experience has shown that getting bills through is typically a multi-year process.
And that's something to remember in Minnesota and Rhode Island, too, not to mention other states, such as Illinois, New Jersey, and New York, where bills are active this year, said MPP's Mirken. "I understand the frustration, but we've seen before that it typically takes several years to get medical marijuana passed. Elected officials by and large still think medical marijuana is more controversial than it is. It's never easy," he said.
Still, said Mirken, time and the angels are on the side of the movement. "There is no question the historical tide is with us. It's just that sometimes it moves more slowly than we would like."
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Comment posted by David Borden on Fri, 05/23/2008 - 11:16pmDear GOPher:
Almost all of the Minnesota portion of the article was about how the House and Senate didn't move on the bill. Only one sentence of it was about the Republican governor, and that sentence was based on factual information. If you're implying that the article should have pointed out that Democrats are in the majority in the House and Senate, that's something we'll consider for future articles. But the article clearly did not lay things solely at the feet of the governor, nor did it say anything about Republican legislators. Also, I think the likelihood of a veto is critically important, because it creates a real disincentive to move a bill along when one has other bills on which one can focus.
Lastly, a review of our archives shows that we have on many occasions pointed out the bad things Democrats have done in drug policy or the good things they have failed to do. (But Democratic readers don't seem to complain when we do that, interestingly.)
David Borden, Executive Director
StoptheDrugWar.org: the Drug Reform Coordination Network
Washington, DC
http://stopthedrugwar.org
Who Are the People In Your Neighborhood?
Comment posted by Anonymous on Fri, 05/23/2008 - 2:15pmIf Minnesota's law enforcement lobby is deciding such vital public health policy (medical marijuana), are doctors now in charge of law enforcement?
They protect our streets, so they have a say
Comment posted by Anonymous on Sat, 05/24/2008 - 8:51pmThey are the ones who have to deal with on a daily basis the violent cancer patients under the influence of medical marijuana. They see the destructive impact this has had on families in our communities. So they have a say as expert witnesses.
what happened?
Comment posted by Anonymous on Fri, 05/23/2008 - 3:27pmWas it really the Dems who killed it in the end? It is difficult getting any sense of what happened, as the MN media is, of course, not covering the bill's death.
It seemed like this bill was damned from the beginning, for less than honest reasons, and all the players and decision-makers knew it. Was it just a dress rehearsal?
But of course, I don't really have a clue, because MN's media hasn't said anything about why/how this bill was side-lined.
Plenty of Pawlenty
Comment posted by Anonymous on Fri, 05/23/2008 - 5:19pmEven if the Senate and House had passed a MMJ bill, Governor Tool would have vetoed it anyways, and I don't think there's enough votes to override the veto. It's blatantly obvious that Pawlenty is owned lock, stock, and barrel by Big Pharma. The only way we'll get MMJ in Minnesota is to vote that damned corporate sock puppet out of office...
CIA is SELLING DRUGS on MY BLOCK
Comment posted by Malo on Sat, 05/24/2008 - 10:35amThe Hells Angels are selling drugs 2 houses over from Me, and the CIA is backing them up across the street. IT IS TIME TO BRING SANITY TO THE WAR ON DRUGS, and LEGALIZE Marijuana and DECRIMINALIZE ALL OTHER DRUGS.
Yeah right
Comment posted by Anonymous on Sat, 05/24/2008 - 8:54pm"LEGALIZE Marijuana and DECRIMINALIZE ALL OTHER DRUGS."
I think keeping heroin and other drugs in the hands of criminal gangs is at least as dangerous as allowing them to control the marijuana market.
KILL MARIJUANA NOW & ALWAYS OR IT WILL KILLYOU!!!
Comment posted by Anonymous on Mon, 05/26/2008 - 4:09amPosted by Anon 8:51pm/
"They are the ones who have to deal with on a daily basis the violent cancer patients under the influence of medical marijuana. They see the destructive impact this has had on families in our communities. So they have a say as expert witnesses.’ "
No DOUBT!!! -Solid on that expreshun.-/ My brother was a cop in Jersey for 64 years and he has seen some %%bleeped up%%{violent even homacidal} "medical" marijuna pashints. Hes told me that cancer patients are bad)( but the worst are one whith eliplepsia and the guadrapuleegics( Most people dont' no that most of the marijuana-smoking crippelds are always **"Poley Substance Abusing"/ on things like crak and meth to contour the affects of marijuna) and most are packing heat like glokcuses and Akay47s somewhere in the wheel chair. No lie.Craezy what they will go to get their weed. The Cost on the COMMUNEITY AND ARE CHILDRIN IS ENORMIS. The eliplepsia guys will throw themselves on the ground and spaz about, sorda like the Brazillun Jujitsue guy when they go into the gard; moreover they have hope that police officers will get close: and then they "choke out" the policeman to get key to the evidence rooom for marijuna; My bro said thats what the tazers our for so as to not fall pray & overcoment to the eliplepsia guys; becuase they'' will put you in a sleeper fast, you just like an "Anokcondu. "its' craezy Minnesoda was actually thinking about giving this poyson to peeple alredy so messed up by God and the system, America; and doctors - and friends and family and neighbors once loved ones. Wake up and take care of yourselve's {don't kill youserlf with POT} if your our already a sickie or crippeld!
Love in Jesus, the Holy Spirut 8 and America,
--SatanInAPlant – SIAP - ;(fighting the murderus weed for 16 years) & responsubull for all the lobbeeing to kill Minnesoda Legal marijuana [IE EG MEDICAL] for every ones, once and for all: Line em' up: STake em' and torch em; getting "salum' is the only way)
sataninaplant.com
FRIEnds’
' Medical marijuana is a crule farse. " John Waters
Govuner ‘I dare you to send me the marijuana bill” Pulendi
William Bentit
Dr. Gaebreeul Nou.s.house – Worlds 1st best sientist in the world on the how marijuna can kill you in bleeding of the brain, lungs, and so many of your reproductiv organs shrink back to nothing
Garth Brooks
Cyndie Crawford
Most of minnesoda news channels and media – comrads in making sure marijuna informaeshun is killed ALWAYS ) with extreem pregudis. Bad pot bad.
Govuner Terminaetor – %%bleep up any politishun in the world, including Jewdo KBG ASSASSAN Puetun
Beelzebub’s favorite plant – brother in the war against marijuna
you are a joke!!!
Comment posted by Anonymous on Mon, 05/26/2008 - 3:52pmits people like you ,with your ignorance and bad grammer,that give me hope for the wonderful plant marijuana. Keep on with your ignorance ,but watch out,because if you read like you spell youre going to take a left when you should really take a right,idiot!!! ive been in law enforcement in jersey for 20 years and worked vice for 15 of those years and all i can say is that you and your brother are ignorant liars. explaine to me how a quadrapalegic or a parapeligic can overpower a group of officers. also in my 15 years experience ive never seen an epileptic fit look anything like a brazilian jujitsu fighter. ha ha ha ha! you are such a fool. god will take care of the likes of you.
do you believe what you submit?
Comment posted by Anonymous on Fri, 05/30/2008 - 8:42pmI refuse to believe that you are so blatantly ignorant that you believe people that want marijuana legal for medical purposes and are crippled up in wheel chairs have guns concealed in them waiting to use them if raided. You need to smoke some and mellow out. medical marijuana is just that medical Is it posible that a smile can be on their faces as the medicine works its magic . certainly but we are not looking for a gun fight that distinction goes to the DEA.
I don't usually post
Comment posted by Anonymous on Wed, 05/28/2008 - 11:22amI love coming here and reading from all over this site. As I am sure the site owner loves to see us comment on posts and such. Though if we took half the energy that was put in here and actually went out and talked to people I think reform and change could possibly come faster.
Here is to no more special interest groups! I'm off to fight for everyones liberties, not just my own.
-Wyofire
NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!YOUR A JOKE;FJC/ KILL MEDICAMARIJUNA ALWAYS!!!
Comment posted by Anonymous on Wed, 05/28/2008 - 10:54pmDear Lyar/{faik jersey "cop' FJC}";.
Furthirmoore, I will have you no that SatanInaPlant is a pre-memanint /firstmost; expirt' in medical marijuna, mixed marital art's, and has worked for years with peeple with eliplepsia going into their violent spreze on top of his under the cover vice "copbrother' working with druged 'out" violent "MEDICAL666' weedheads in the stretes of Jersey &comptin) for over 60 years; Mooreover" ; "his brother and SIAP has " worked for the Drug Watchers Nashunal and Internashunal Organuzashuns for 21 years and giving 234 lectures to elimenturee stewdints woldwied.) about the dangers of ("MEDICAL ha ha') marijuna eg ie CAN YOU SAY 'FARSE?-- " including in Eejipped" and Tojeekcuh -"Stan," eg; ie ,ETC -- 2 places faik Jersey cop coudint finde on a map. SATANin aplant has been the Drug Watchers' chair-men to the "kill " MEDICAL HAHA' MARIJUNA now and always commidy for the last 13 years.
"AND FAIK JERSEY COP/ HERE IS ANOTHER THEISI FOR YOU/
"did you ever reed a bioligee book and subsiqwently arrived across the cellulur expreshun" known to a few as "ARENULING? Evin ("MEDICAL H AHA') MARIJUNA peeples with parallusis AND ELIPLEPSIA have takun down hole "vice1" sqawds all by them-selves with adrenuling levels reaching close to what happinned to the world renound adrenuling expert Dr. David Banner. Most of the kemical imbalunsis has to do with the sickies and the crippelds always PoleeSubstinse abusing tendincyeese; --" and PCB makes them supirhumun on top of frituning levels of gamma & adrenuling'. I wouldint expekt you to understand all of this, FJC fjc
** SIAP has receeved numerus awards world/ in addishun" including the "Peeples Award for the BEST fighter aginst the ("MEDICAL HA HA') Marijuna'/ that you coudnl't evin imagin in your sleep."
"Lyar bumb"fried out dead hedd killer faik jersey copFJC" Yule definately birn in hell some day for trying to kill my childrin and my family-and my neyghbors once loved ones and the COMMUNEITY with drugs. I reebueke thee George Soros in thee! In the love the holy spirit 8 and in the name of a 'MEDICAL" MARIJUNA free world, and America, the amazing;
**Beelzebubs' Favorite Plant^^^ kill it now and ALWAYS!
THIER IS NO SUCH THING AS ("MEDICAL' HAHA)/ MARIJUNA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
LYAR SCIEUNS TIPES LYE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Comment posted by Anonymous on Thu, 05/29/2008 - 4:26amMany lyar Scieuns tipes will tell you that marijuna has medical vailue ; which by all certiantee a bold face in the lie. In reealudee "MEDICAL HA HA" marijuna leads to 1 thing ! ; criminalidee (insanudee_ ; and DEATH. -- the late grate Dr. Elaina Marks
OH/ AND FJC Chek this out if you want to lern about adrenuling and the potenshul dangurs that "MEDICAL haha') marijuna pozes for the hole communeity becuase of the marijunas "affect' on bleeding of most of the orgins and ekcsplosiv homaecidal deadley strentgh; do not be a round a marijuna pashunt turned green monster666 at the wrong time " like when they are joensing for thier dope OR ELS SEE this video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=55nFsKUSK9M
Alls Im saying is listun to the little voyce in yur hed that nose how wrong the lyar Scieunse tipes really are NONE OF JESUSIS APOSULLS WERE SCIEUNTISTS YOU EVER WONDIR WHIY?NO PEEPLES WANT THIER CHILDRIN AND COMMUNEITY POYSONED AND WE DEFINATELY WLL NOT BE ABULE TO SUSTAYN THE DIVERSHUN OF MEDICAL MARIJUANA EKCWIPMENT INTO THE COMMUNEITY AS SOYUL LITES AND DURT IS A PLAYG. ON OUR COMMUNEITYS.
SIAP
Drug war chronicle
Comment posted by Anonymous on Thu, 05/29/2008 - 6:12amThis article deals with the world leading drug article news letter. It has a various drug treatment method.
====
helen
Addiction treatment and recovery resources for the addict and their families.
I don't know why I'm
Comment posted by Anonymous on Sun, 06/01/2008 - 1:37pmI don't know why I'm E-mailing to you we've tried everything and no one will listen.We have begged for help around here but no one seems to care.We live in a small town called McDermott,Ohio where if you want drugs name it,you want someone to come up missing or killed just say it.And nothing is done about it. Our law enforcement is worse than the little peeons doing the job as they call it .You'll never know how many people we have missing and like I said no one CARES. I wish God would just come back and take us all out of here.It's ashamed that we should have to think that way .But no one cares about any one anymore.Just stop and think if it was your child what would be done? Thank You so much for at least reading this.
Democrats Kill Med MJ in MN
Comment posted by Anonymous on Fri, 05/23/2008 - 2:14pmIt's unfortunate that you point out that a Republican governor in MN would 'likely' have vetoed a bill that the majority party (read Democratic) failed to put on his desk in spite of the overwhelming support among their base voters. Time and again Republicans are blamed for their opposition, and Democrats are given a pass, as in the article above. GOPher