PROVIDENCE, R.I. - Gov. Don Carcieri vetoed a bill Wednesday that would have made Rhode Island the 11th state to allow the medical use of marijuana. Legislators said they believed they have enough votes to override the governor. In his veto message, Carcieri said the bill is flawed and could encourage marijuana abuse. ``This bill will increase the availability of marijuana on the streets of our state,'' he said. The Republican also noted that medical marijuana use would remain illegal under federal statues. [continues 52 words]
And as the clock ticked toward a new fiscal year, the Senate also releases the state's $6.35-billion budget that was signed by Governor Carcieri. PROVIDENCE -- Working late into the night, weary lawmakers slogged on toward adjournment yesterday, battling over whether to institute new controls on prostitution and wine sales, confirming a new director of the state Department of Environmental Management and holding a Senate vote to override Governor Carcieri's veto of medical marijuana legislation. In voting 28 to 6 in favor of the override, senators rejected objections of Senate Minority Leader Dennis L. Algiere, R-Westerly, who said that while the governor supports "effective pain management techniques," marijuana is "an addictive drug" and the override would mean that "nearly anyone" in the state could grow the plant. [continues 1162 words]
Providence -- The governor on Wednesday vetoed a medical marijuana bill that enjoyed strong support in both chambers of the General Assembly. The bill would protect from prosecution seriously ill people who had a doctor's recommendation that marijuana could help them. Gov. Don Carcieri said the bill is flawed and could encourage marijuana abuse. He also said it would give Rhode Islanders a false sense of security, since medical marijuana use would remain illegal under federal statutes. Legislators believe they have the votes to override a veto. Bill supporters said while medical marijuana would still be illegal under federal law, most marijuana possession prosecutions happen under state law. [end]
PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Republican Gov. Don Carcieri vetoed a bill Wednesday that would have made Rhode Island the 11th state to allow the medical use of marijuana. Legislators said they believed they had enough votes to override the governor. Carcieri said the bill was flawed and could encourage marijuana abuse. The bill passed 52-10 in the House and 34-2 in the Senate. An override would require votes from three-fifths of the lawmakers in each body. "The governor has shown no compassion for the people who really need it," said Rep. Thomas Slater, the bill's House sponsor. The bill would protect from prosecution seriously ill people who had a doctor's recommendation for marijuana. [end]
Boston -- Hearing that the Rhode Island legislature approved the use of medical marijuana Tuesday night, Rhonda O'Donnell sat in her Warwick, R.I., living room and giddily thought about legally sauteing the drug in some butter and putting it into a cake mix. Ms. O'Donnell, 42, who has multiple sclerosis, hopes ingesting marijuana will ease the stiffness and numbness in her legs that leave her unable to work or move without pain. "It's not going to cure me, and it's not going to let me walk normally, but hopefully it can make me a little less uncomfortable and allow me to relax a little more and enjoy life a little more," Ms. O'Donnell, whose disease was diagnosed in 1994, said in a telephone interview. [continues 743 words]
PROVIDENCE -- Saying he believes it will encourage more marijuana use, Gov. Donald Carcieri made good Wednesday on his threat to veto the medical marijuana bill. At the same time, Carcieri also struck down a bill that would have increased the state's minimum wage by just under 10 percent in two years. "This bill will make marijuana more available to children in Rhode Island," the governor said in a three-page veto message. "The amount of marijuana this bill authorizes is staggering." [continues 908 words]
Sponsors of the Medical Marijuana Legislation Say They Will Try for an Override, and Believe It Will Prevail. PROVIDENCE -- Governor Carcieri yesterday vetoed legislation to legalize the medical use of marijuana in Rhode Island, saying the proposal's "noble goals cannot mask its serious safety flaws." "Our desire as public servants to be compassionate must be balanced by our obligation to ensure public safety," he said. "The flaws inherent in this bill will place our children at an increased risk of abusing marijuana . . . [and] give our citizens a false sense of security against criminal prosecution." [continues 643 words]
The Rhode Island legislature passed a bill yesterday allowing the use of medical marijuana, three weeks after the Supreme Court ruled that federal authorities could prosecute those who use the drug for medicinal purposes, even in states with laws allowing it. The bill passed the State Senate by a vote of 33 to 1 last evening and will head to the desk of Gov. Donald L. Carcieri, who is likely to reject it. Supporters of the bill, which passed the House 52 to 10 last week, are confident they have the necessary three-fifths majority to override a veto and make Rhode Island the 11th state to authorize patients to use the drug. [continues 100 words]
PROVIDENCE - Rhode Island soon could be the 11th state to legalize the use of marijuana by people with debilitating or chronic diseases. The Senate on Tuesday voted 33-1 to send identical House and Senate medical marijuana bills to Gov. Donald L. Carcieri. Although the governor has vowed to veto the legislation, the Senate and House approved it by large enough margins to override him. Last week, the House approved the bills 51-10. The General Assembly needs a 60 percent vote to override a gubernatorial veto. [continues 372 words]
Rhode Island is poised to become the 11th state in the nation to permit the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes, with the divisive proposal expected to win final passage today and reach the governor's desk tomorrow. Governor Donald L. Carcieri has said he will probably veto the bill, but supporters say they have the votes needed to override his veto. The legislation advance at a critical juncture in the battle over the issue. Three weeks ago, the Supreme Court ruled that medicinal marijuana users can be prosecuted under federal law, even if their home states allow use of the drug. Last week, federal drug agents raided medicinal marijuana dispensaries in Northern California and arrested nearly two-dozen people. In Rhode Island, the legislative fight has been propelled by deeply personal stories. The bill is named for state Senator Rhoda Perry's nephew, who died last year from complications of AIDS and lymphoma and whose doctors had recommended marijuana to ease his nausea. On the House side, the bill's sponsor is Representative Thomas Slater, who has undergone treatment for both lung and prostate cancer. [continues 525 words]
PROVIDENCE -- Legislation that would make an abortion illegal unless the pregnant woman receives information at least 24 hours beforehand about the risks and possible alternatives passed the Senate 27-9 on Tuesday. West Warwick Sen. Stephen Alves, the bill's sponsor, said the Women's Right to Know Act, "simply provides a woman contemplating an abortion with unbiased, scientific, accurate information about an unborn child's development, the risk of abortion and the alternatives that are available within a 24-hour period to think about that information." [continues 908 words]
PROVIDENCE -- Legislation that would make an abortion illegal unless the pregnant woman receives information at least 24 hours beforehand about the risks and possible alternatives passed the Senate 27-9 on Tuesday. West Warwick Sen. Stephen Alves, the bill's sponsor, said the Women's Right to Know Act, "simply provides a woman contemplating an abortion with unbiased, scientific, accurate information about an unborn child's development, the risk of abortion and the alternatives that are available within a 24-hour period to think about that information." [continues 909 words]
Here are the highlights from news and events that took place in the General Assembly last week. For more information on any of these items visit www.rilin.state.ri.us/News. House Approves Medical Marijuana Bill The House approved legislation sponsored by Rep. Thomas C. Slater (D-Dist. 10, Providence) to allow the medicinal use of marijuana in Rhode Island. The House was also scheduled to take up the Senate version of the bill, sponsored by Sen. Rhoda E. Perry (D-Dist. 3, Providence), Friday. The Edward O. Hawkins and Thomas C. Slater Medical Marijuana Act (2005-H 6052Aaa and 2005-S 0710Aaa) would protect patients with debilitating medical conditions, and their physicians and primary caregivers from arrest and prosecution under state law if they engage in the medical use of marijuana. [end]
PROVIDENCE -- Batterers under restraining orders could lose their guns, the very sick could use marijuana, and women seeking abortions may have to wait 24 hours before undergoing the procedure. These were some of the biggest issues of the late afternoon session of the full Senate yesterday, and so far, two of the big three are headed for the desk of Governor Carcieri. The third, on abortion, under the bill called "Women's Right to Know," will go to the House, where it appears to have a shaky future. [continues 1020 words]
Someday, marijuana will probably be legal, and people will look back and laugh at those times when a benign backyard weed caused heavily armed men in black jumpsuits to leap from police vans and arrest local pot farmers and burn their crops. But not yet. Marijuana is still illegal, still shrouded in well-tended myth and still reason enough to get a person sent to the slammer. So there is a wonderful opportunity this week for state government in Rhode Island to come down on the side of compassion and common sense. [continues 535 words]
Carcieri Plans Veto, But Votes May Be There To Override It Rhode Island is poised to become the 11th state in the nation to permit the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes, with the divisive proposal expected to win final passage today and reach the governor's desk Wednesday. Governor Donald L. Carcieri has said he will probably veto the bill, but supporters say they have the votes needed to override his veto. The legislation comes at a critical juncture in the battle over the issue. Three weeks ago, the Supreme Court ruled that medicinal marijuana users can be prosecuted under federal law even if their home states allow use of the drug. Last week, federal drug agents raided more than 20 medicinal marijuana dispensaries in California and charged two people. [continues 336 words]
Providence A bill that would allow patients with serious diseases to smoke and grow marijuana continued its advance through the General Assembly, winning overwhelming support from House lawmakers Wednesday. Qualifying patients suffering from diseases like cancer, AIDS and Hepatitis C would be shielded from arrest and prosecution under the bill, which passed 52-10. Their doctors and physicians also would be protected. Rhode Island would become the 11th state to authorize the medical use of marijuana, according to the legislation. If approved, the bill could put the state at odds with the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled earlier this month that medical marijuana users can be prosecuted under federal law even if their home states allow use of the drug. [continues 269 words]
PROVIDENCE -- With legislation to allow seriously ill people to use marijuana as medicine having passed both chambers of the General Assembly by veto-proof margins, Rep. Thomas Slater is calling on Gov. Donald Carcieri to withdraw his threat to veto the bill. The House of Representatives passed a medical marijuana bill Wednesday by a 52-10 margin - after amending it to add Slater's name to the title. A slightly different version of the bill passed the Senate two weeks ago on a 34-2 vote. [continues 699 words]
Legislation is also passed by the House that lets judges force batterers who are under restraining orders to give up their firearms. Legislation to allow the medical use of marijuana by seriously ill people with AIDS, cancer and other chronic and debilitating conditions cleared the Rhode Island House of Representatives for the first time yesterday. On a busy night in the week before they hope to adjourn this year's legislative session, the lawmakers also approved their own version of a Senate-passed bill to allow judges to take away guns from accused batterers who have been placed under domestic-violence restraining orders. [continues 1018 words]
PROVIDENCE -- A bill that would allow patients with serious diseases to grow and smoke marijuana continued its advance through the General Assembly, winning overwhelming support from House lawmakers yesterday. Qualifying patients suffering from such diseases as cancer, AIDS and Hepatitis C would be shielded from arrest and prosecution under the bill, which passed 52-10. Their doctors and physicians also would be protected. Rhode Island would become the 11th state to authorize the medical use of marijuana, according to the legislation. [continues 104 words]
One Change to the House Bill Yesterday Was the Addition of a Sunset Provision, Repealing the Law on June 30, 07. PROVIDENCE -- The push to legalize the use of marijuana for medical reasons is heating up. As a House committee yesterday voted 10-2 in favor of the legalization, a national advocacy group started airing ads on network and cable TV urging Governor Carcieri to back away from his threat to veto the legislation. The Senate passed a version of the measure 34 to 2 last Tuesday, and after last night's vote in the House Health, Education and Welfare Committee, the full House could be voting by tomorrow. [continues 640 words]
Pro-Medical Marijuana Group Asks R.I. Governor to Reconsider Veto Threat Last week, a Supreme Court ruling thrust the medical marijuana issue back into the nation's spotlight, and this week one group is taking advantage of the spotlight to open a state-level dialogue on the topic. On Wednesday, the Marijuana Policy Project debuted two 30-second television ads starring Rhonda O'Donnell, a registered nurse suffering from multiple sclerosis. In one spot, O'Donnell describes her ten-and-a-half-year struggle with the disease and says any further delay of legislation allowing the use of medical marijuana "makes people suffer needlessly." [continues 162 words]
PROVIDENCE - The House Health, Education and Welfare Committee gave a ringing endorsement to medical marijuana legislation Wednesday, providing hope that the General Assembly has enough votes to override an expected gubernatorial veto. Buoyed by the 10-2 committee vote, the bill's sponsor, Rep. Thomas C. Slater, D-Providence, predicted he would get more than 60 votes on the House floor, or about 80 percent of the chamber. Last week, the Senate passed a nearly identical bill 34-2. Both chambers need 60 percent approval to override a veto. But Slater said he hoped the override vote wouldn't be necessary. [continues 306 words]
PROVIDENCE -- Legislation to allow the medical use of marijuana cleared a large hurdle Wednesday when a House committee passed it 10-2 and sent it to the full House of Representatives. A spokesman for Gov. Donald Carcieri renewed the governor's threat to veto the measure, but the bill's sponsor, Rep. Thomas Slater predicted it would pass the full House with more than enough votes to override a veto, as a companion bill did in the Senate. The House Health, Education and Welfare (HEW) Committee amended the bill before passing it, so it now goes to the Senate. The Senate bill that passed last week, sponsored by Sen. Rhoda Perry, must now be amended to match Slater's and be passed by both the Senate and House before it goes to Carcieri's desk. [continues 574 words]
A spokesman for the governor says the hang-ups should not have occurred and are being investigated. At least two supporters of easing state laws to allow the use of marijuana for medical purposes say they got the cold shoulder when they tried to express their views to staff at the governor's office last week. The callers, both women, had been contacted by the Marijuana Policy Project, a Washington-based advocacy group pushing the Rhode Island legislation, which Governor Carcieri has said he would veto. [continues 497 words]
PROVIDENCE - In a powerful show of support, the Senate Tuesday voted 34-2 to allow Rhode Islanders to smoke marijuana to ease the symptoms of debilitating illnesses. The vote came a day after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that federal laws against marijuana use trump states' medical marijuana laws. The decision overturned a 2003 federal appeal court ruling that California's medical marijuana law prevented federal law enforcement officials from prosecuting those with marijuana prescriptions. Sponsored by Sen. Rhoda E. Perry, D-Providence, the legislation would direct the Department of Health to issue licenses to patients diagnosed with "a debilitating medical condition," including cancer, glaucoma, AIDS, Hepatitis C, multiple sclerosis, Crohn's disease and Alzheimer's disease. [continues 530 words]
The U.S. Supreme Court rules that the federal government can prosecute sick people for using marijuana even though their doctors prescribe it and their states allow it. An unfortunate ruling. I've never tried marijuana. I don't romanticize it or want it to be widely available. But I do seek relief for people suffering from cancer, MS and other insidious diseases. In reading about the court decision, I'm dismayed that the legal debate focuses so much on things like the Interstate Commerce Clause. What about compassion for human beings? [continues 534 words]
It is inhumane to deny the seriously ill use of marijuana to ease their suffering. That's why 10 states, including Maine and Vermont, have legalized medical marijuana, and Rhode Island is mulling doing so. Unfortunately, though, on Monday the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6 to 3 that federal drug-law supersedes state law, so suffering people seeking relief through marijuana may be prosecuted. A government that would prosecute ill citizens harming no one -- especially when so many pressing problems need attention -- is committing an injustice. [continues 384 words]
Backers Defeat an Attempt to Restore Police Officers' Power to Arrest Sick People Who Drive With Traces of Pot in Their Bodies. PROVIDENCE -- Despite the threat of a veto by the governor - and a pointed reminder this week from the nation's highest court that federal authorities can still prosecute sick people who smoke pot - the state Senate yesterday approved a bill to legalize the medical use of marijuana. In sharp contrast to neighboring Connecticut, where deeply divided lawmakers debated the same issue for hours last week, the bill cleared the Rhode Island Senate by a 34-to-2 vote after little debate. [continues 985 words]
PROVIDENCE - If legislation to allow sick and dying people to use marijuana as medicine became law, "marijuana farms could sprout up anywhere in Rhode Island" and state efforts to stop children from using pot "and other narcotics" might be "seriously undercut," so Gov. Donald Carcieri would veto the bill in its current form, his spokesman said Monday. The Carcieri administration made its stance known on the day before a scheduled Senate vote on the medical marijuana bill and on the same day the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the right of the federal government to enforce federal anti-marijuana statutes in states that have adopted laws permitting the medical use of marijuana. [continues 838 words]
The Rhode Island Senate is set to vote on a bill today that would allow the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes. The vote comes only a day after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that federal authorities may prosecute people for using medical marijuana even if state law protects them from prosecution. In spite of the ruling, the Senate plans to vote on the bill. "We've had it [the ruling] checked out by various lawyers as well as the ACLU at the national level the case today is solely the courts telling the Federal government they have a right to enforce the law," Senate Press Secretary Greg Pare said. "It provides states an even more compelling reason to enact laws to protect those suffering from chronic illnesses." [continues 650 words]
I have multiple sclerosis. I smoke marijuana. I am a divorced mother trying to raise responsible kids. I am also a proud Rhode Islander, by luck of both history and attitude. At least three of those things cause me trouble every day. On behalf of those of us who use marijuana or will in the future, I thank the General Assembly and all those who have supported accepting the truth of its assistance to us. I look forward to being able to hold my head proud, even high, again. [continues 729 words]
The use of marijuana for medicinal purposes continues to be a subject of great debate. This topic has become a salient one for our state since introduction of the Medical Marijuana Act, currently under consideration in Rhode Island. As chief judge of Family Court, founder and past president of the New England Association for Drug Court Professionals and current board member of the National Association for Drug Court Professionals, I am concerned over the lack of clarity in this act as it is currently written. [continues 582 words]
I have a confession to make: I'm currently considered a criminal under Rhode Island law. My crime? Functioning as a productive member of society. Marijuana is the only drug that controls my chronic pain and motor tics. But using it -- and writing about it in these pages -- puts me in danger of arrest and imprisonment. My medical history is long. At age 12, I was diagnosed with Tourette's syndrome and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Tourette's causes severe, involuntary movements and vocal outbursts. By age 19, the twitching was so bad I had dislocated joints all over my body. And several motorcycle accidents -- and subsequent knee replacements -- gave me chronic, debilitating pain. [continues 581 words]
PROVIDENCE -- The number of drug courts in the country increased by 37 percent last year, and has nearly doubled since 2001, according to a report that the National Drug Court Institute released here last week. C. West Huddleston III, director of the National Drug Court Institute, was in Rhode Island on Thursday and Friday to do a Family Court training session, meet with state officials and speak at a banquet marking national Drug Court Month. During the visit, he also released a report titled "Painting the Current Picture: A National Report Card on Drug Courts and Other Problem-Solving Court Programs in the United States." [continues 500 words]
PROVIDENCE -- Bills to allow seriously ill patients to use marijuana medically and to take guns away from domestic abusers who are the subject of restraining orders both easily passed the Senate Judiciary Committee yesterday. The so-called "Homicide Prevention Act" was voted out of committee unanimously and the medical marijuana bill was sent to the Senate floor on a 9-2 vote. Under the medical marijuana bill, sponsored by Sen. Rhoda Perry, patients with chronic or debilitating diseases like cancer, glaucoma, AIDS and multiple sclerosis and two primary caregivers would be allowed to have 2.5 ounces of useable marijuana or 12 marijuana plants without the risk of arrest or prosecution. The patient must be diagnosed by a licensed physician as having a debilitating medical condition. [continues 575 words]
PROVIDENCE -- Coventry's senatorial delegation has a few misgiving about the proposal to legalize the use of marijuna for medical purposes. Sens. Leo Blais (R-Dist 24) and Leonidas "Lou" Raptakis (D-Dist. 33) cast the sole dissenting votes against a medical marijuana bill in the Senate Judiciary Committee last week. The bill, which would protect patients suffering from diseases such as AIDS and cancer from prosecution, was passed by the committee 7-2. The bill now moves to the full Senate for a vote. [continues 366 words]
Marijuana Is Justified As Medicine OK. Right up front, full disclosure: I have inhaled. Considering I came of age in the 1960s, this shouldn't come as any surprise. Those of my generation can understand. Those younger need to know that the vast majority (and that is no exaggeration) of my peers also inhaled. Pot was so prevalent in the late 1960s and early 1970s that if a cop busted you and you had less than an ounce, he would just confiscate it and send you on your way. And you can be sure that pot would never see its way to the evidence room. [continues 563 words]
PROVIDENCE -- Bills to allow seriously ill patients to use marijuana for medicine and to take guns away from domestic abusers who are subject to restraining orders both easily passed the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday. The so-called "Homicide Prevention Act" was voted out of committee unanimously and the medical marijuana bill was sent to the Senate floor on a 9-2 vote. Under the medical marijuana bill, sponsored by Sen. Rhoda Perry, patients with chronic or debilitating diseases like cancer, glaucoma, AIDS and multiple sclerosis would be allowed to have 2.5 ounces of useable marijuana or 12 marijuana plants without the risk of arrest or prosecution. Two primary caregivers for each patient would also be exempt. [continues 587 words]
PROVIDENCE -- Bills to allow seriously ill patients to use marijuana medically and to take guns away from domestic abusers who are the subject of restraining orders both easily passed the Senate Judiciary Committee Thursday. The so-called "Homicide Prevention Act" was voted out of committee unanimously and the medical marijuana bill was sent to the Senate floor on a 9-2 vote. Under the medical marijuana bill, sponsored by Sen. Rhoda Perry, patients with chronic or debilitating diseases like cancer, glaucoma, AIDS and multiple sclerosis and two primary caregivers would be allowed to have 2.5 ounces of useable marijuana or 12 marijuana plants without the risk of arrest or prosecution. [continues 598 words]
The Legislation Goes to the Full Senate; the House Has Yet to Schedule a Vote. PROVIDENCE -- Rhode Islanders with cancer, AIDS and other serious illnesses would be allowed to use marijuana to alleviate their pain under a bill that cleared a key Senate committee last night. Besides approving the medical marijuana legislation, the Senate Judiciary Committee also sent to the Senate floor bills that would expand neighborhood notification of sex offenders to include "moderate" offenders and requiring the police to record interrogations in capital crimes. [continues 897 words]
PROVIDENCE - When he was 10 years old, Irving Rosenfeld was diagnosed with multiple congenital cartilaginous exostosis, a long description for a condition that means painful tumors grow on his bones. The tumors cause severe muscle spasm and tears. Doctors told him he'd be lucky to make it through his teenage years. But on Wednesday, Rosenfeld, now 52 and a successful stockbroker, was in Rhode Island to share his success story. Testifying before the House Health, Education and Welfare Committee, Rosenfeld held up a round aluminum tin containing the drug he claims has allowed him to lead a normal life. [continues 780 words]
Providence -- Patients suffering from debilitating medical conditions would be able to grow and use marijuana without risking arrest under a bill up for debate before a legislative committee on Wednesday. The House Committee on Health, Education & Welfare heard testimony Wednesday evening on the Rhode Island Medical Marijuana Act, which would shield patients with diseases such as cancer and AIDS from being prosecuted for using marijuana. Their doctors and caregivers also would be protected. "We can all agree that there are people out there who are very sick and are using marijuana because it's the only thing that gives them relief," Rep. Thomas C. Slater, D-Providence, sponsor of the House bill, told the committee. [continues 414 words]
PROVIDENCE -- After listening to nearly two hours of often-impassioned testimony about the medical use of marijuana, the chairman of the House Health, Education and Welfare Committee said that "philosophically, it is something the committee would look at," if the proper controls could be put in place. "That's our challenge," Chairman Joseph McNamara said after the hearing. "Distribution, control and regulation are major issues that have to be addressed." McNamara said he expects to work with the state Department of Health on some of those details in the coming weeks. [continues 664 words]
PROVIDENCE -- After listening to nearly two hours of often-impassioned testimony about the medical use of marijuana, the chairman of the House Health, Education and Welfare Committee said that "philosophically, it is something the committee would look at," if the proper controls could be put in place. "That's our challenge," Chairman Joseph McNamara said after the hearing. "Distribution, control and regulation are major issues that have to be addressed." McNamara said he expects to work with the state Department of Health on some of those details in the coming weeks. [continues 579 words]
THE USE of marijuana for medicinal purposes continues to be a subject of great debate. This topic has become a salient one for Rhode Island because a state Medical Marijuana Act is under consideration. As chief judge of the Family Court, founder and past president of the New England Association for Drug Court Professionals, and a board member of the National Association for Drug Court Professionals, I am concerned about the lack of clarity in this proposed act. Although there is still much dissension over the scientific findings on the medical use of marijuana, there is little dispute that stringent regulations are required in this matter. [continues 865 words]
No Vote Is Taken on a Bill That Would Make Rhode Island the 11th State to Protect Patients, Their Caregivers and Doctors From Arrest Under State Drug Laws. PROVIDENCE -- Lawmakers with their own family stories of cancer treatments and patients who have suffered the agony of debilitating diseases stepped forward last night to urge a House committee to legalize the use of marijuana for medical reasons. But the bill, which appears to be gaining steam in both chambers of the Assembly, also drew opposition from both the Carcieri administration and state police, and concerns from a chief state court judge. [continues 1019 words]
The Girl Was Removed From School In November, After Marijuana Was Found In Her Pocketbook. JOHNSTON -- A high school senior who was barred from graduation has been given a second chance. The state education commissioner last week overturned the School Committee's decision to bar the student, who was expelled in November for having marijuana at school, from participating in commencement next month. In the May 6 ruling, Paul Pontarelli, a hearing officer appointed by the commissioner, said that although it wasn't unreasonable to give the girl a substantial punishment, the substance-abuse policy in the student handbook didn't give school officials enough latitude to make an appropriate decision. [continues 708 words]
Inside Rhode Island
