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State & Local Legislatures

Further Regulation of Medical Marijuana in Rhode Island Opposed

Medical marijuana patients and the caregivers who provide the drug for them came out in large numbers to a hearing at the State House in opposition to a bill that would further regulate the industry. They said the proposal, introduced by state Rep. John M. Carnevale, would raise the prices for medical marijuana and potentially limit patients’ access.
"Nonprofit medical cannabis organizations" would provide marijuana to patients under the Illinois bill. (Image via Wikimedia)
"Nonprofit medical cannabis organizations" would provide marijuana to patients under the Illinois bill. (Image via Wikimedia)

Illinois Medical Marijuana Bill Advances

An Illinois medical marijuana bill is heading for a House floor vote. Last year, it passed the Senate, only to fail in the House. Let's hope we get a better outcome this year.

Medical Marijuana Study Bill Passes Maryland House (Press Release)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                 March 28, 2011

Medical Marijuana Study Bill Passes Maryland House

Panel of Experts to Advise Legislature on State Medical Marijuana Policy

CONTACT: Morgan Fox, communications manager………………………….202-905-2031 or [email protected]

ANNAPOLIS – By a vote of 105-29, the Maryland House of Delegates passed HB 291 today, a bill that would create an 18-member panel to advise the legislature on the best way to create a medical marijuana program in 2012. HB 291was amended from an earlier version of the bill, which would have set up a comprehensive medical marijuana program, protecting state-registered patients from arrest and allowing pharmacies and state-regulated dispensing centers to provide patients with medical marijuana. The bill, sponsored by the only physician in the General Assembly, Del. Dan Morhaim, was amended after Health Secretary Josh Sharfstein advocated a “yellow light” approach to medical marijuana.

The panel would be comprised of doctors, patients, law enforcement officials, and experts on medical marijuana policy. They will make recommendations to the legislature on how to safely and effectively implement a well-regulated medical marijuana program. Last Thursday, the Maryland Senate passed SB 308, which included the study language, as well as immediate protections for patients. SB 308 would allow patients who use marijuana to treat medical conditions to use a medical necessity defense in court. The Senate approved the bill by a 41-6 vote, which included a majority of both Democrat and Republican senators.

"While we had hoped to see a comprehensive medical marijuana law on par with those in 15 other states, it’s encouraging that the legislature will at least make measured but real progress toward the goal of protecting patients from arrest and providing legal access to doctor-recommended medicine,” said Dan Riffle, legislative analyst for the Marijuana Policy Project. “We're also relieved to see that the Senate has decided to remove criminal penalties from patients who are currently using medical marijuana while they wait for a comprehensive program to be put in place. It’s imperative that the House do the same."

Medical marijuana is permitted in 15 states and the District of Columbia, and many more are currently considering legislation to allow its use under tightly controlled conditions, including Delaware and Connecticut. Such laws already exist in Rhode Island and New Jersey, where medical marijuana distribution centers were recently licensed by the states and should be up and running later this year.

With more than 124,000 members and supporters nationwide, the Marijuana Policy Project is the largest marijuana policy reform organization in the United States. For more information, please visit www.mpp.org.

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Patients could still be arrested, but not convicted, under the proposed law. (Image via Wikimedia.org)
Patients could still be arrested, but not convicted, under the proposed law. (Image via Wikimedia.org)

Maryland Senate Passes Medical Marijuana Bill

A bill that would allow medical marijuana patients to present an affirmative defense in court has passed the Maryland Senate.
No new legal drugs for you, Kentucky! (Image via Wikimedia.org)
No new legal drugs for you, Kentucky! (Image via Wikimedia.org)

Mephedrone ("Bath Salts") Banned in Kentucky

Add Kentucky to the short list of states that have banned the synthetic stimulant mephedrone, typically marketed as "bath salts."
From Dover to Olympia, medical marijuana is on the move. (Image via Wikimedia.org)
From Dover to Olympia, medical marijuana is on the move. (Image via Wikimedia.org)

Medical Marijuana Bills Advance in Delaware, Washington

Bills that would allow state-licensed medical marijuana dispensaries are moving in Washington, which already has a medical marijuana law, and Delaware, which doesn't.
Common sense at the statehouse in Little Rock (Image via Wikimedia.org)
Common sense at the statehouse in Little Rock (Image via Wikimedia.org)

Arkansas Unemployment Drug Testing Bill Dies

The perennial legislative impulse to drug test people receiving public benefits has petered out this year in Little Rock.

Rhode Island Looks at Legalizing Marijuana for Recreational Use

Rhode Island would become the first U.S. state to legalize marijuana for recreational use under legislation that would replace criminal penalties for possession with alcohol-style regulation and taxes on America's most widely used illicit drug. Cash-strapped Rhode Island would stand to make tens of millions of dollars off the deal. The legislation would allow individuals to grow up to three marijuana plants, but only if they've paid $100 per plant. Wholesalers would have to pay a $50-per-ounce excise tax, retail licenses would cost $5,000 annually, and all retail marijuana sales would be subject to sales taxes.

Washington State Marijuana Bill Should Reflect Shift in Culture (Editorial)

The Spokesman-Review opines that because Congress refuses to update the absurd Controlled Substances Act, states are trying to figure out the best ways to implement the sane and popular wish that marijuana be made available for medicinal purposes. The newspaper says Washington's bill should put patients first by not erecting barriers that make it more difficult to legally obtain medical marijuana, and that the House should strip the bill of these excessive limitations. It says the bill represents a cultural shift in attitudes toward marijuana, and that regulation and enforcement ought to reflect that reality.
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