Pubdate: Fri, 04 May 2007
Source: Kent County Daily Times (RI)
Copyright: 2005 Kent County Daily Times
Contact:  http://www.kentcountytimes.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3802
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmj.htm (Cannabis - Medicinal)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/decrim.htm (Decrim/Legalization)

HALFWAY DOESN'T COUNT

This certainly is a blue state.

Only somewhere so liberal - or progressive, whichever one prefers - 
as Rhode Island could a legislature buck the political wisdom that 
traditionally says being soft on drugs is bad in every scenario. 
There's something very bold about a General Assembly that would put 
aside decades of scare-mongering propaganda and acknowledge marijuana 
- - long demonized as a scourge of the youth and unmotivated - might 
actually have legitimate and supportable uses.

So we'll pass along our kudos to the General Assembly for making 
permanent its legalization of medical marijuana for certain patients 
suffering pain that can't truly be mitigated in any other way. That 
the common recreational use of the drug has attached to it such a 
pervasive stigma as to make even doctors reluctant to acknowledge its 
medical benefits is simply sad; that legislators could look past the 
stigma is wholeheartedly encouraging.

Here's a drug that even in its unregulated form is often far less 
potentially hazardous than many of the others doctors and pharmacists 
are free to dole out as they see fit. Yet the idea of applying its 
benefits to those most in need of pain relief has for so long fallen 
victim to the War on Drugs that we've almost forgotten how 
comparatively benign marijuana can be.

Yet still, Rhode Island's legislature falls short of truly 
legitimizing what its members acknowledge is a legitimate use for the 
drug - because the law provides no legal mechanism for distribution 
or regulation. It tells patients in pain it's OK if they're caught 
with a manageable amount of marijuana on their person, but they'll 
need to traverse the seedier side of society to actually obtain the 
stuff. Forget regulation or testing that's absolutely key to drug 
safety - the black market isn't known for its rigorous quality 
control standards. The neighbor's punk kid might be able to tell you 
who has the hook-up, but don't expect your dime bag to include a nice 
federally mandated label with appropriate warnings and an honest 
breakdown of what's inside.

Legislators say they're afraid of running afoul of federal law, and 
that by legalizing distribution they'd draw the attention of the 
heavy-handed federal government. But "wink-wink, nod-nod" doesn't 
make for good medicine, and it certainly doesn't make for good public 
policy. If Rhode Island's legislators truly believe medical marijuana 
can be valuable to the people of the Ocean State, they've got to 
stand up to the federal government and demand a change. Until then, 
we're dealing with half-measures that might help some, but put others 
at unnecessary risk - and that's simply unacceptable.
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman