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Big Week for States and Marijuana Reform

By Jeralyn, Section Legislation
Posted on Thu Apr 30, 2009 at 11:45:41 AM EST
Tags: marijuana reform (all tags)
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It's been a busy and productive week in state legislatures for marijuana reform. Just yesterday:

  • New Hampshire: The Senate voted 14 to 10 yesterday in favor of HB 648, which would allow qualified patients to possess up to two ounces of cannabis and/or six plants for medical purposes.
  • Minnesota: Members of the State Senate gave preliminary approval to Senate File 97, an act to exempt qualified medical cannabis patients from state arrest and prosecution.
  • Rhode Island: Members of the Rhode Island Senate voted 35 to 2 yesterday in favor of SB 185, an act to allow for the distribution of medical cannabis by state-licensed compassion centers.
  • Pennsylvania: Rep. Mark Cohen D-Philadelphia), along with six co-sponsors, introduced legislation to make Pennsylvania the fourteenth state to legalize the physician-supervised use of cannabis.

[More...]

The Marijuana Policy Project has more here. Efforts at medical marijuana reform legislation are also underway in Alabama, Connecticut, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maryland, Missouri, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Tennessee, and Texas.

You can learn more about them at NORML’s Legislative Action Alerts page or MPP's state legislation page.

< ABC-WaPo Poll: Increased Support for Legalizing Pot, and Social Justice | Chrysler to File For Bankruptcy >

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    Big Week for States and Marijuana Reform | 9 comments (9 topical)

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    What should the marijuana reform movement do next? (none / 0) (#1)
    by randy80302 on Thu Apr 30, 2009 at 01:12:07 PM EST
    Marijuana as a political issue has simmered at the fringes for decades. 13 years ago that started to change with the involvement of George Soros, Peter Lewis, and John Spurling and their checkbooks.  MPP and NORML have grown to be effective lobby organizations.

    I post the question as to learn how I can focus on being a more effective activist.

    Wisconsin (none / 0) (#2)
    by Ben Masel on Thu Apr 30, 2009 at 02:06:38 PM EST
    The Jacki Rickert Medical Marijuana Act is awaiting technical drafting at the Legislative Reference Bureau, stuck in a backlog behind the Governor's budget. My whip counts suggests  it'll eventually pass, and Governor Doyle long ago committed to signing. Meanwhile, we're collecting commitments to co-sponsor.

    South Dakota (none / 0) (#3)
    by Ben Masel on Thu Apr 30, 2009 at 02:09:44 PM EST
    Committee chairs have indicated they'll bottle up medical marijuana legislation for the duration, so activists are preparing  another ballot initiative for 2010. In 2006 an Initiative garnered 46%, the only statewide medical marijuana measure ever defeated by the voters.

    red herrings (none / 0) (#4)
    by diogenes on Thu Apr 30, 2009 at 02:43:27 PM EST
    I have two patients who swore that they smoked pot for nausea and medicinal uses.  They did superbly on Marinol pills.  If these laws restrict medical marijuana to very well documented Marinol failures, fine.
    As it is, this is a system that leads to medical lying to justify legalizing pot for the lying few.  Just legalize pot for everyone, then.

    Well, FYI, I tried Marinol ... (5.00 / 1) (#5)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Thu Apr 30, 2009 at 04:11:06 PM EST
    ... when I was receiving radiation & chemotherapy for Hodgkin's Disease -- but it kept clogging up the bowl of my bong.

    ;-)

    [ Parent ]

    for everyone then (none / 0) (#6)
    by Capt Howdy on Thu Apr 30, 2009 at 04:12:49 PM EST
    cause I can tell you that anyone who wants it can get it in CA.

    viva everyone.

    [ Parent ]

    One of my clients found (none / 0) (#8)
    by Jeralyn on Thu Apr 30, 2009 at 07:02:38 PM EST
    Marinol ineffective for him, particularly because tolerance built up so quickly. He didn't have the same problem with marijuana.

    [ Parent ]
    A start, I suppose... (none / 0) (#7)
    by lentinel on Thu Apr 30, 2009 at 06:41:52 PM EST
    but it is so hypocritical.
    Marijuana is pleasurable.

    So now we have to line up at the clinic.
    Hey, doc. I don't feel so good.

    Federalism (none / 0) (#9)
    by Wile ECoyote on Fri May 01, 2009 at 09:43:57 AM EST
    anyone?

    Big Week for States and Marijuana Reform | 9 comments (9 topical)

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