This Just In

Advocates push for a legal source in RI

Medical Marijuana

By IAN DONNIS | February 20, 2008

Medical marijuana proponents plan to seek General Assembly support this session to create an establishment, known as the Compassion Center, which, as the theory goes, would have state Department of Health backing to grow and distribute medical marijuana to approved patients.

While the outlook for such a measure remains uncertain — at minimum, it would likely have to overcome a gubernatorial veto — it would address the glaring shortcoming in Rhode Island’s medical marijuana law.

As it stands, registered medical marijuana users in Rhode Island have legal approval to smoke marijuana, but they are left on their own when it comes to obtaining what re¬mains an illegal narcotic.

The Phoenix recounted last spring (see “Who’s afraid of medical marijuana?” News, May 2, 2007) how this poses a danger for state-approved marijuana users, such as Bobby Ebert, who says he was assaulted in downtown Providence one night while trying to obtain marijuana. Faced with a debilitating illness, he nonetheless saw the quest as being well worth it. “After all,” he says, “I’ve got a disease that could kill me tomorrow.”

Jesse Stout, of the Rhode Island Patient Advocacy Coalition, says state Representative Thomas Slater (D-Providence) and state Senator Rhoda Perry (D-Providence) are expected to introduce the legislation, during the last week in February, to establish a distribution method for registered users of medical marijuana.

As he put in a recent e-mail, “The patients we represent have been asking us the same question — ‘Now that I can legally possess medical marijuana, where am I supposed to go get it?’ ”

The concept, Stout says, is for “a nonprofit Compassion Center to be licensed by the De¬partment of Health to grow and distribute marijuana to patients. The bill provides specific rules for how this independent Compassion Center will be regulated by the Department. Here at Rhode Island Patient Advocacy Coalition, we think this bill is a good solution for patients who need safe access to this medicine, but don’t want to have to go to the criminal black market, and cannot grow it themselves because they are too sick or too poor.”

Considering the Ocean State’s status as a somewhat socially conservative state with a predominantly Catholic population, the General Assembly’s January 2006 approval of the state’s medical marijuana law, over a gubernatorial veto, may have seemed counter-intuitive.

Then again, it was the experiences of people such as Slater, who saw acquaintances facing illnesses as potential beneficiaries of medical marijuana, which helped to underscore support for the measure.

Stout is hopeful, pointing to public opinion surveys in support of medical marijuana in Rhode Island.

Yet approving the actual distribution of the drug — as opposed to just the concept — is a bolder step, and it remains to be seen if it will enjoy sufficient support.

Parts of this report were first posted February 11 at thephoenix.com/notfornothing.

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Topics: This Just In , Jesse Stout , Medical Marijuana , Health and Fitness , More

Comments

Advocates push for a legal source in RI

Anyone know how to contact an Advocacy group for Medical pot as well as any group advocating for either the decriminalization of, or, even better...legalization of ??? Seems to me anyone who truly knows the medicinal value of pot would be standing together to work for these issues. Headaches, muscle pulls/ tightness, backaches...cramps. Not to even mention those folks with real debilitating chronic problems and/or pain. I have a friend who SHOULD be using it to help fight an eyesight issue (inoperable and worsening), BUT she doesn't want her name on any list.>< ..In California where there are storefronts for medical pot, the FBI comes in on occasion, confiscates records and the medical marijuana. Now that's a big help to the folks who expect their medicine. WE need to start changing what is not right... My reasons for feeling strongly...like many other Boomers, I used pot as a young adult. I suffer no repercussions unlike many of my age group who instead chose booze to party back then. Man, there are a lot of alcoholics out there. I dispute any addictive nature of pot. But, here is the clincher for me. My mother had a radical masectomy at age 60. She was in post operative pain that was overwhelming to her. Since I worked during the day I asked a friend to stop in and see her. Unbeknownst to me, my friend saw my mothers pain and uncomfortability, left and returned with a joint. They smoked together for 4 days. It was a first for my mother...and she was thankful to have help in getting through those first few days after having her breasts cut off. > Why is pot illegal anyway? Instead of "a chicken in every pot...we should have a pot plant in every yard. Oh, but the Big Drug Companies wouldn't like that huh? > So, where do we go to assist in changing some of these laws?

By GR8lsbn on 02/21/2008 at 3:42:13

Advocates push for a legal source in RI

Hi Gr8lsbn. Rhode Island Patient Advocacy Coalition is an advocacy group for medical marijuana. You can visit www.RIpatients.org to contact us.

By RIPAC on 02/22/2008 at 4:15:39

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