RI Senate Overwhelmingly Backs Medical Marijuana Stores

[Stuart G]

Source: Raw Story

By Stephen C. Webster

Published: June 9, 2009
Updated 26 minutes ago

Whether the Republican Governor of Rhode Island likes it or not, medical marijuana patients in his state will likely soon be able to purchase their medicine from retail shops that specialize in cannabis and cannabis-infused medicinal products.

Tuesday night, the Rhode Island State Senate approved the legislation by a vote of 30 - 2. Rhode Island has already approved medical marijuana and has licensed about 680 patients, according to local news station WPRI, but never actually legalized the plant’s sale.

State lawmakers approved the use of medical marijuana in 2006, however they never legalized the sale of the drug. Under the current bill, Rhode Island would be the third state in the country and the first on the East Coast to approve marijuana dispensaries for medical patients,” the station reported.


Read more: http://rawstory.com/08/news/2009/06/09/rhode-island-senate-backs-medical-marijuana-stores/

[flyboyscotty68]

1. it's about time

it is about time someone started treating it like medicine. Letting people have the medicine dose nothing unless you give them someplace to get their medicine. Great job RI.

[farmboxer]

2. Yes, it's about time!

It's time people meant something for a change.

[burning rain]

3. Surely the Dems have such a punishing margin in the lege there....

that they can just roll the governor on a lot of things. And, Little Rhodey being an enlightened New England state, some of the Republicans there are probably human, too.

[fascisthunter]

4. its a medicine and should treated as so

like all other medicines, people can abuse them. If they do, treat them like patients and not criminals.

[Fly by night]

5. This story misrepresents the Rhode Island law.

I have consulted on the Rhode Island law and it does not provide for "retail stores". What it does provide for is the licensure of as many as three medical marijuana production facilities whose production is tied directly to specific patients. These facilities cannot sell mmj to just anyone -- they can provide to those patients who have been approved and who are connected to the production facility as their acknowledged supplier.

Having said that, the Rhode Island law is a major step forward and should be applauded. I have only two problems with it:

a) These production facilities should be able to produce much larger quantities of mmj than the law will allow so that they can serve new patients as soon as they are diagnosed. (It does not do that.)

b) They should not be restricted to indoor grow operations only. (The best mmj is grown with the help of Mother Nature, not General Electric.)

FBN
www.saveberniesfarm.com

[Bluenorthwest]

8. Ah, so it forces folks to buy from a contracted profit maker

and does not allow for one to one's supplier freely. Does the RI law at least allow patients the choice of growing for themselves?

[Fly by night]

19. Yes, RI patients can grow for themselves or find a traditional caregiver to grow for them.

In that respect, they are like most state mmj programs.

But in all states, caregivers are restricted to a small number of patients and cannot start growing for patients until they have been approved.

That is akin to telling someone with a massive infection that they need penicillin right away, and then giving them a loaf of bread and a booklet on how to grow their own antibiotic.

I agree with President Obama. Patients should be able to access medical cannabis via a phhysician's prescription in the same way (and with the same controls) as all other prescription medicines.

Yes we can. If we only will.

[Rebubula]

6. Slowly...

...the wall is falling. Too many friends lost to this stupid war.

Too bad Mom is in town and I will not be able to celebrate this properly.

[Vidar]

7. Well done. New England could be a decent country If they could discard the rest of us.

[harun]

9. We have plenty of problems here but I bet we would have

a more just Health Care system if we could jettison a few states.

[Vidar]

11. I think you would too. I meant it as a compliment.

[harun]

13. I know and thank you. I live near Philly where it is about 2/3's Dem's

and like that very much.

[shadowknows69]

10. Another story from the "What the fuck am I still doing in NY?" file

[bdamomma]

12. Good for RI we may not recognize same sex marriage but

will give medical marijuana for those patients who need it.

[Lena inRI]

14. Hey, hey. . .way to go Little Rhody!

Rhode Island has a mean streak of INDEPENDENCE starting way back in 1635 when Roger Williams practiced and preached the progressive notion that the native tribes should be PAID for their lands that white settlers wanted, not massacred.

Course, sometimes RI progressive change evolves ass-backwards. . .as in Providence Mayor David Cicilline is the first openly gay mayor of a U.S. state capital in the only New England state NOT allowing same-sex marriages. Go figure!

All in all, I'm glad to be with the sensible, fair-minded RI people . . .must be something in the drinking water.

:toast: :toast: :toast: :toast: :toast:


Independent Man
A bronze statue created by the artist George Brewster, the Independent Man has been standing atop the State House Dome for over one hundred years. Over eleven feet tall and over five hundred pounds, he stands as a symbol of freedom and independence, holding a spear in one hand and having an anchor (a Rhode Island symbol) at his feet.


The Biggest Little State in the Union

[Joey Liberal]

15. Proud to be from R.I. !

Although I don't live there anymore, I am proud to have been born and raised there! YES!

[bdamomma]

21. yea, me too, but I visit often.

[Joey Liberal]

33. I was there last summer nt

[cslinger59]

16. I don't see what the big deal is about MJ in general much less as a medicinal

I have never smoked a joint or taken any other non prescribed drug for recreational purposes. I have no desire to do so. That is just where I am coming from.

Now with the above in mind I don't see what gets everybody's panties in a wad over Marijuana ESPECIALLY as a prescribed drug that is controlled for crying out loud. OxyCodine is way worse in terms of addiction etc.

I have never seen a bunch of guys smoking weed start a fight or go for a 120 MPH joy ride. I have seen these things with Bourbon though (which I like very much :D)

Just legalized it. Tax it, regulate it and you basically cut the legs out of a lot of drug violence as well as pick up some revenue all with a completely natural product that, at least in my experience, seems to be much much less dangerous then liquor.

[Locrian]

18. I agree

How can this ever be considered an "illegal" medicine? Makes NO (logical) sense with the MUCH more powerful stuff that is legal to prescribe.

[happygoluckytoyou]

17. AHA GOP!!!!! PUT THAT IN YOUR PAPERS AND SMOKE IT ! ! !

[onehandle]

20. Doesn't the term "Medical Marijuana" just enforce the drug label?

If you ask me, this decreases the chance of pot being legalized for public consumption.

Be happy for the patients, but be aware that legalization is unlikely.

[Uncle Joe]

22. I don't know about that, would aspirin be considered medical? n/t

[onehandle]

24. Yes, but it doesn't require a prescription. nt

[Uncle Joe]

25. I suspect eventually eliminating the requirement for a prescription

would become within the realm of possibility, particulary as I believe that time will mellow the powers that bes' knee jerk reaction to the political cost/reward of supporting the peoples' will.

[Piewhacket]

23. Bravo RI.

[pleah]

26. K&R Well done!

[nichomachus]

27. Why Oh Why

did I ever leave New England?

Oh, yeah, February.



Now I remember

[Wednesdays]

28. K&R

:kick:

[orleans]

29. i'm confused. i thought federal law outranks state law and if federal

law says marijuana is illegal then regardless of what any state says marijuana remains illegal.
am i wrong? (i wish i was but...)

[druidity33]

31. Holder has inferred

that he won't enforce those laws if a State has deemed it legal.

But DEA has busted a few clinics in CA since then so who knows...

:shrug:

[EndersDame]

30. would give a new meaning to WalGREENS

[jimnasium]

32. Can't wait till I can go to the store and say...

I'd like a pack of Marlboro Joints...


In a box.