For the second time, the Rhode Island Senate has approved a bill that would allow dispensaries to provide marijuana to patients qualified under the state's existing medical marijuana law. The bill now heads to the House, where a committee vote was scheduled for Thursday.
Some 681 people are already registered with the Rhode Island Department of Health under the state's medical marijuana program.
The Senate approval of the compassion center program came on a 35-2 vote Wednesday. The vote came after bill sponsor Sen. Rhoda Perry (D-Providence) told her colleagues support for the bill was growing and it appeared the state police had dropped their opposition.
The Rhode Island Patient Advocacy Coalition, which has lobbied hard for medical marijuana, praised the Senate for passing the bill. Spokesman Jesse Stout said it would make Rhode Island the second state after New Mexico to authorize nonprofit dispensaries for patients.
The Rhode Island Senate passed a similar bill last year, but it didn't make it through the House. Gov. Donald Carcieri (R) has vetoed medical marijuana bills twice, but was overriden by the legislature. A spokesman for the governor told the Providence Journal he continued to have "serious concerns with how the compassion centers would be set up and regulated."
Dealers on the street
What would Gov. Carcieri have the people that can't produce there own medical marijuana do, keep getting it from thugs on the street? If he truly wanted to stop drugs, getting these people of the street would be a very good start. After all people buying drugs off the street is doing nothing but perpetuate the problem of drugs on the streets were kids can get at them.
i think not
when u have the poor that cant get perscribed drugs then the only way is to get from the thugs on the street and i dont think its our falt as people when u raise prices and wont help the poor then think about it how else will we survive under the power of the white and the want to be white who do drugs themselves in the privacey of their own home so go bust there doors down and show them that we are not only messing with the lower class we go everywhere just think some of the best drugs come from the rich and middle class where do think the week as u call us get our drugs from to sell to others dont do if u cant think
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