State & Local Legislatures

MEDIA ADVISORY                                                                                                                                               

APRIL 13, 2010

Bill to Decriminalize Marijuana Gets Hearing in Rhode Island Tomorrow

Bipartisan H 7317 Would Remove Criminal Penalties for Possession of Less Than One Ounce of Marijuana, Replace With $150 Fine

CONTACT: Mike Meno, MPP director of communications …………… 202-905-2030 or [email protected]

PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND — Tomorrow, Wednesday, April 14, the Rhode Island House Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing on H 7317, a bill that would remove criminal penalties for adults found possessing less than one ounce of marijuana and replace them with a $150 civil violation. Under current law, those found possessing small amounts of marijuana face up to a year in prison and a $500 fine.

         Introduced by Rep. John Edwards (D-Portsmouth, Tiverton), H 7317 is co-sponsored by 48 percent of the House of Representatives. In 2008, 65 percent of voters in neighboring Massachusetts voted to decriminalize marijuana. Last month, a bipartisan state Senate commission tasked with studying the effects of marijuana prohibition in Rhode Island voted 11-2 to recommend removing criminal penalties for the possession of small amounts of marijuana. In February, the editorial board of the Providence Journal endorsed decriminalizing marijuana as a way to relieve strain on the judicial system.

         WHAT: House Judiciary Committee hearing on H 7317, a bill to decriminalize marijuana in Rhode Island   

         WHO: Experts will testify in favor

         WHERE: House Lounge

         WHEN: Rise of the House

         With more than 124,000 members and supporters nationwide, the Marijuana Policy Project is the largest marijuana policy reform organization in the United States. MPP believes that the best way to minimize the harm associated with marijuana is to regulate marijuana in a manner similar to alcohol. For more information, please visit www.mpp.org.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                                                                 

APRIL 12, 2010

Rhode Island To Hold Hearing on Bill to Tax and Regulate Marijuana

H 7838 Would Create Regulated Marijuana Market Similar to Alcohol, Allow Adults to Purchase Marijuana From Licensed Retailers

CONTACT: Mike Meno, MPP director of communications …………… 202-905-2030 or [email protected]

PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND — Tomorrow, Tuesday April 13, the Rhode Island House Judiciary Committee will receive testimony on H7838, a bill that would tax and regulate marijuana similar to alcohol, allowing adults 21 and older to purchase up to an ounce of marijuana from registered retailers.

         Sponsored by Rep. Edith Ajello (D-Providence) and Rep. Rod Driver (D-Charlestown, Exeter, Richmond), H 7838 would prohibit advertising marijuana or using it in public places. It would also create a $50 an ounce excise tax on all marijuana sold by wholesalers. Revenue produced from the tax would go toward maintaining regulations, into the state General Fund, and also be used to fund drug and alcohol abuse treatment and prevention programs.

         WHAT: Hearing for H 7838, a bill to tax and regulate marijuana in Rhode Island

         WHO: Rep. Edith Ajello, the bill’s sponsor, and others will testify

         WHERE: House Lounge

         WHEN: Tuesday, April 13, Rise of the House

            With more than 124,000 members and supporters nationwide, the Marijuana Policy Project is the largest marijuana policy reform organization in the United States. MPP believes that the best way to minimize the harm associated with marijuana is to regulate marijuana in a manner similar to alcohol. For more information, please visit www.mpp.org.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                                                                 

APRIL 10, 2010

Maryland Senate Passes Medical Marijuana Bill

Measure to Provide Patients With Safe Access Now Moves to House

CONTACT: Mike Meno, MPP director of communications …………… 202-905-2030 or [email protected]

ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND — Today, with no discussion or objections, the Maryland Senate voted 35-12 to pass SB 627, a bill that would allow qualified patients to be recommended medical marijuana by their doctor and receive safe access to their medicine through state-licensed distribution centers. The bill now moves to the House. The General Assembly’s session ends Monday night.

         “I’m very proud of my Senate colleagues today for voting to provide some of our most vulnerable residents with the compassion and care that they deserve,” said Sen. David Brinkley (R-Frederick), the bill’s sponsor and a two-time cancer survivor. “Anyone who has watched a loved one suffer from a debilitating illness would agree that we should not stand between doctors and patients, or deprive seriously ill people safe access to a legitimate medicine if it can help them cope with their illness.”

         “We think this bill offers the most carefully crafted medical marijuana law in the country,” said Sen. Jamie Raskin (D-Silver Spring), one of the bill’s co-sponsors. “It offers legal protection and safe medical access to patients who are desperately in need and takes every possible measure to prevent abuse. I’m hopeful that our colleagues in the House will give this proposal serious consideration, and make Maryland’s medical marijuana law a national model for how to promote medical privacy, social compassion, and security in administration.”

         Fourteen other states, including New Jersey, Rhode Island, and Maine, have effective medical marijuana laws. This year, more than a dozen other states, including New York, Illinois, Delaware, South Dakota, Arizona, and Kansas, are considering medical marijuana laws. The District Council of Washington, D.C. is working on a medical marijuana law expected to be implemented by the end of this year. 

         Under current Maryland law, medical marijuana patients are provided with a limited affirmative defense in court, no protection from arrest, and no safe means of access to their medicine. Patients can still be given a $100 fine that results in a criminal conviction.

         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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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                                                                 

APRIL 10, 2010

Maryland Senate Passes Medical Marijuana Bill

Measure to Provide Patients With Safe Access Now Moves to House

CONTACT: Mike Meno, MPP director of communications …………… 202-905-2030 or [email protected]

ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND — Today, with no discussion or objections, the Maryland Senate voted 35-12 to pass SB 627, a bill that would allow qualified patients to be recommended medical marijuana by their doctor and receive safe access to their medicine through state-licensed distribution centers. The bill now moves to the House. The General Assembly’s session ends Monday night.

         “I’m very proud of my Senate colleagues today for voting to provide some of our most vulnerable residents with the compassion and care that they deserve,” said Sen. David Brinkley (R-Frederick), the bill’s sponsor and a two-time cancer survivor. “Anyone who has watched a loved one suffer from a debilitating illness would agree that we should not stand between doctors and patients, or deprive seriously ill people safe access to a legitimate medicine if it can help them cope with their illness.”

         “We think this bill offers the most carefully crafted medical marijuana law in the country,” said Sen. Jamie Raskin (D-Silver Spring), one of the bill’s co-sponsors. “It offers legal protection and safe medical access to patients who are desperately in need and takes every possible measure to prevent abuse. I’m hopeful that our colleagues in the House will give this proposal serious consideration, and make Maryland’s medical marijuana law a national model for how to promote medical privacy, social compassion, and security in administration.”

         Fourteen other states, including New Jersey, Rhode Island, and Maine, have effective medical marijuana laws. This year, more than a dozen other states, including New York, Illinois, Delaware, South Dakota, Arizona, and Kansas, are considering medical marijuana laws. The District Council of Washington, D.C. is working on a medical marijuana law expected to be implemented by the end of this year. 

         Under current Maryland law, medical marijuana patients are provided with a limited affirmative defense in court, no protection from arrest, and no safe means of access to their medicine. Patients can still be given a $100 fine that results in a criminal conviction.

         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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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                                                                 

APRIL 6, 2010

Speakers Make Case for Decriminalizing Marijuana to New Hampshire Senate Committee

HB 1653 Would Remove Criminal Penalties for Possession of Quarter-Ounce of Marijuana, Replace with a Fine of Up to $200

CONTACT: Matt Simon, NH Coalition for Common Sense Marijuana Policy…………………(603) 391-7450

CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE – Today, a panel of witnesses told the New Hampshire Senate Judiciary Committee how a proposed bill to decriminalize marijuana in the state would save law enforcement costs, allow police to focus on more serious crimes, and stop wasting resources arresting otherwise law-abiding citizens who choose to use a substance that is safer than alcohol. 

            Sponsored by Rep. Steve Lindsey (D-Keene), HB 1653 would remove criminal penalties for possession of up to a quarter-ounce of marijuana and replace them with a fine of up to $200. Last month, the bill passed the House of Representatives by a bipartisan 214-137 vote.

            “Even though most offenders in New Hampshire don’t actually get sentenced to jail for possessing one or two marijuana cigarettes, our state still goes through the expensive process of arresting these people, prosecuting them, and branding them with criminal records—all for using a substance that by any objective standard is safer than alcohol,” said Matt Simon, executive director of the New Hampshire Coalition for Common Sense Marijuana Policy. “The conclusion reached by every study I’ve ever read on this subject is that the harshness of penalties has little or nothing to do with an individual’s choice to use or not use marijuana.”

            “I believe passage of this bill would simply mean we’ve gotten smarter,” said Rep. Joel Winters (D-Manchester). “That police would be able to waste less time dealing with marijuana users and have more time and resources freed up for dealing with serious crimes.” 

            In 2008, 65 percent of voters in neighboring Massachusetts voted to remove criminal penalties for possession of small amounts of marijuana and replace them with a $100 fine. Twelve states across the country, including Ohio, Mississippi, and North Carolina, have passed marijuana decriminalization laws. 

Under current New Hampshire law, possession of any amount of marijuana is a misdemeanor offense, carrying a potential penalty of up to one year in jail, a $2,000 fine, and a criminal conviction that could damage someone’s ability to find employment, secure government benefits, or qualify for student financial aid.

The bill would also require parents of offenders younger than 18 to be informed of the offense, and underage offenders would have to complete a drug awareness program within one year of the violation, or face a $1,000 fine.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                                                                 

APRIL 6, 2010

Maryland Senate Committee Approves Medical Marijuana Bill

By 7-4 vote, Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee OKs Bill to Provide Qualified Patients With Safe Access to Medical Marijuana

CONTACT: Mike Meno, MPP director of communications …………… 202-905-2030 or [email protected]

ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND — Last night, Maryland’s Judicial Proceedings Committee voted 7-4 to pass SB 627, a bill that would provide qualified patients with safe access to medical marijuana and protection from arrest for using the medicine that works best for them. The bill now moves to the full Senate for consideration.

         “This vote represents the biggest victory to date for supporters of an effective medical marijuana law in Maryland,” said Dan Riffle, a legislative analyst with the Marijuana Policy Project. “I look forward to a productive discussion on the Senate floor, and I sincerely hope Maryland legislators do all in their power to get this bill passed and ensure Maryland’s most vulnerable citizens don’t have to spend another year living without effective medicine or in fear of arrest.”  

         Sponsored by Sen. David Brinkley (R-Frederick), a two-time cancer survivor, and co-sponsored by Sen. Jamie Raskin (D-Takoma Park) and key members of the Senate leadership, including Senate President Thomas V. “Mike” Miller (D-Clinton), SB 267 would not only protect patients from arrest but also allow pharmacies or other similar dispensing entities to distribute marijuana to patients.

       Currently 14 other states, including New Jersey, Rhode Island, and Maine, have medical marijuana laws that provide qualified patients with safe access and protection from arrest. The District Council of Washington, D.C. is working on a medical marijuana law expected to be implemented by the end of 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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MEDIA ADVISORY                                                                                                                                               

APRIL 5, 2010

New Hampshire Marijuana Decriminalization Bill Gets Senate Committee Hearing on Tuesday

Bill Has Already Been Passed By House, Would Reduce Penalty for Possession of Quarter-Ounce of Marijuana to a Fine of Up to $200

CONTACT: Matt Simon, NH Coalition for Common Sense Marijuana Policy…………………(603) 391-7450

CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE – Tomorrow, Tuesday, April 6, New Hampshire’s Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing on HB 1653, a bill that would remove criminal penalties for possession of up to one-quarter ounce of marijuana, and replace them with a fine of up to $200.

Under current law, possession of any amount of marijuana is a misdemeanor offense, carrying a potential penalty of up to one year in jail, a $2,000 fine, and a criminal conviction that could damage someone’s ability to find employment, secure government benefits, or qualify for student financial aid.

Sponsored by Rep. Steve Lindsey (D-Keene) HB 1653 would also require parents of offenders younger than 18 to be informed of the offense, and underage offenders would have to complete a drug awareness program within one year of the violation, or face a $1,000 fine.

            Last month, the bill passed the House of Representatives by a bipartisan 214 to 137 vote.

WHAT: Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on marijuana decriminalization bill

WHO: Witnesses will testify in favor of the bill

WHERE: State House Room 103

WHEN: Tuesday, April 6, at 2:30 p.m.

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MEDIA ADVISORY                                                                                                                                               

MARCH 17, 2010                                                                                                                                                     

Medical Marijuana Bill to Be Debated by Senate Committee on Thursday

SB 627 Would Allow Seriously Ill Patients to Use Medical Marijuana With Doctor’s Recommendation

CONTACT: Mike Meno, MPP assistant director of communications …… 202-905-2030 or [email protected]

ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND— Tomorrow, on Thursday, March 18, the state Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee will receive testimony on SB 627, a bill that would make Maryland the 15^th state in the nation to have an effective medical marijuana law. Sponsored by Frederick County Republican Sen. David Brinkley, the bill would allow pharmacies or other state-regulated outlets to dispense medical marijuana to patients who receive a recommendation from their doctor. The bipartisan bill is cosponsored by Senate President Mike Miller, Minority Leader Allan Kittleman, Minority Whip Nancy Jacobs, and Deputy Majority Leader Robert Garigiola, among others.

         WHAT: Hearing on SB 627, a medical marijuana bill in Maryland

         WHERE: 2 East, Miller Senate Building, 11 Bladen Street, Annapolis, MD

WHEN: Thursday, March 18, at 1 p.m. (Please note that 11 bills are scheduled for the 1:00 p.m. hearing and we don’t know what order they will be called in.)

         WHO: Patients, advocates and others will testify

         The House Judiciary and Health and Government Operations committees heard testimony Feb. 26 on HB 712, companion legislation sponsored by Del. Dan Morhaim (D-Baltimore County), an E.R. physician, and cosponsored by 47 other delegates. Several doctors, patients and advocates spoke in support of the bill during the previous hearing, and a similar turnout is expected Thursday.

         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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