Pubdate: Fri, 18 Mar 2005
Source: Providence Phoenix (RI)
Copyright: 2005 The Phoenix Media/Communications Group
Contact:  http://www.providencephoenix.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/648
Author: Ian Donnis
Cited: Marijuana Policy Project ( www.mpp.org )
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmj.htm (Cannabis - Medicinal)

MEDICAL MARIJUANA

An Uphill Battle, Despite Legislative Support

Proponents of an effort to make medical marijuana available to seriously 
ill patients in Rhode Island are heartened by a strong level of legislative 
support -- bills introduced by Senator Rhoda Perry (D-Providence) and 
Representative Thomas Slater (D-Providence) have respectively attracted 18 
and 50 cosponsors. The greatest stumbling block appears to be Governor 
Donald L. Carcieri, who, as something of a traditional Republican, seems 
unlikely to back a measure opposed by the federal government.

Bruce Mirken, a spokesman for the Washington, DC-based Marijuana Policy 
Project (MPP), points to the high degree of General Assembly backing in 
saying, "There really is no reason that this should not reach the 
governor's desk this year." Carcieri spokesman Jeff Neal was noncommittal 
about the outlook, saying, "The governor hasn't had an opportunity to 
review the bill, and right now, we're not prepared to express a position, 
one way or another." Still, support for the measure from Carcieri, an 
enthusiastic supporter of President George W. Bush, appears unlikely.

The medical marijuana bill has made steady progress since Perry introduced 
it in a different format in 1997. Groups backing the current measure 
include AIDS Project Rhode Island, the Rhode Island Medical Society, the 
Rhode Island chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, the Rhode 
Island State Nurses Association, and more than 100 local physicians. 
According to the MPP, a March 2004 Zogby poll of Rhode Island voters showed 
69 percent favored legislation allowing seriously ill patients "to use and 
grow their own medical marijuana for medical purposes, so long as their 
physician approves."

MPP says 10 states -- the closest are Maine and Vermont -- have medical 
marijuana laws protecting patients and their caregivers from arrest and 
imprisonment. In general, though, says Mirken, it remains akin to pulling 
teeth to pass similar measures in more states -- in large part because of 
the lingering effects of the drug war and politicians' subsequent 
disinclination to be labeled as being "soft on drugs."

A growing level of public support augurs well for the eventual passage of a 
medical marijuana law in Rhode Island, but, given prevailing political 
trends, that day seems likely to remain off in the future.
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MAP posted-by: Beth