LEGISLATORS, STUDENTS SEEK TO MAKE MEDICAL MARIJUANA PERMANENT

Legislators, Students Seek To Make Medical Marijuana Permanent

The war is not over for supporters of the Edward O. Hawkins and Thomas
C. Slater Medical Marijuana Act in Rhode Island, as legislators and
the University of Rhode Island Students for Sensible Drug Policy now
call for the bill to remain permanent.

In 2006, the Rhode Island General Assembly overrode Gov. Donald
Carcieri's veto on the bill, and agreed to implement it on a trial
basis. The law protects patients with debilitating medical conditions
who opt marijuana as medical treatment.

R.I. Rep. Thomas Slater (D-Dist. 10, Providence), who has spearheaded
the campaign for the initial medical marijuana bill along with state
Sen. Rhoda Perry (D-Dist. 3, Providence), said the bill that passed
last year was only meant as a trial run. Slater and Perry are now
asking that the sunset clause, which states the medical marijuana
program will expire on June 30 - one year from the date in which it
began - be removed.

"This is my third year involved with this bill," Slater said. "The
first year we didn't really get anywhere. The second year we were very
successful. It was overridden by the governor's veto but we were able
to get the final vote. Now what we're trying to do is keep the
marijuana bill alive to relieve patients' vomit [and] nausea, and to
help people with cancer and muscular dystrophy."

Slater said he is confident the bill will pass, though he expects Gov.
Donald Carcieri will veto the legislation as he has did before.

"Right now we have 52 signatures, so I don't think we'll have any
trouble passing it," he said. "If the governor vetoes, we're hoping to
override that decision."

Slater said he also believes the Rhode Island Department of Health
will not show support for the new legislation because of the
governor's position on the bill.

"But there've been very few problems with [the program]," Slater
said.

Despite "virtually no incidents" involving the medical marijuana bill,
the program was not given federal authorization, though Slater said
those receiving the alternative medical treatment are protected by
state and local police.

"We will not be able to get federal approval because they are against
it and the FDA is against it," he said. "They do not recognize that
marijuana can relieve pain."

One incident in October involving an Exeter resident served as an
example of how the medical marijuana law could be abused. Under the
law, 48-year-old Steven Trimarco was allowed to grow marijuana plants.
He was accused of growing 72 plants and soliciting teenage girls in
North Kingstown over the Internet to smoke marijuana, according to a
Providence Journal article.

"Relief wasn't one of his agendas," Slater said, insisting it was an
isolated incident. "That's one thing that's happened."

In addition to the removal of the sunset provision, legislators are
seeking to issue caregivers and patients registration cards that are
valid for two years instead of one. Legislators are also pushing for
more "restrictive language," which will reinforce their option to grow
marijuana in limited qualities.

Currently, individual caretakers or patients are allowed 12 marijuana
plants, or the equivalent to 2.5 ounces of usable marijuana, Slater
said. Caregivers may not possess more than 24 plants at a time under
any circumstances. This includes caregivers who have more than two
patients under their care.

About 300 to 400 people have received marijuana as a form of medical
treatment after June 30, Slater said. He added, "any doctor can give a
recommendation to someone with a debilitating disease."

After patients or caregivers receive approval from a doctor, Slater
said each patient must go through an extensive screening process
developed by the state health department.

"The Health Department screens [the patient] to make sure [his or her]
condition exists," he said. "They make sure there's no problems with
the individual patient."

He added that patients with a criminal record who are more likely to
sell marijuana than use it for treatment will not be granted access to
marijuana plants.

Patients who pass are given a registration card, which is valid for
one year.

Slater, who currently suffers from cancer, said the issue of making
the law permanent hit close to home.

"I've seen members of my family who've had cancer have nothing to
relieve their nausea and their pain," he said. "Why not let them take
it in their dying days. If they really feel it does help relieve their
pain, then why deny them that?"

Slater said researchers are still studying the effects of marijuana on
pain but that shouldn't stop others from listening to patients who
have received treatment, which he said he considers to be one of the
most important aspects in making his case.

"Cannabis has been around for a long time and studies have shown in
the past that it's helped people," he said.

Both Slater and URI SSDP President Noel Marandola agreed the
legislation was a "compassionate issue."

Marandola said the next few months will help determine the fate of the
program.

"It's a very compassionate bill," she said. "The state showed it
through their votes with agreeing to approach the needs of people who
have a lower quality of life right now."

Last year, the URI SSDP had a postcard signing in conjunction with the
Brown University and Rhode Island College chapters. Students who chose
to support the initial bill, which includes the sunset clause,
proclaimed their support through the signing of a postcard.

"The director of the union signed one. The president of the student
body signed one. Robert Carothers even signed one," Marandola said,
explaining that there was a lot of support for the initial bill. "The
postcards are just a reminder to the governor that these are [his]
constituents."

She added that SSDP has been working with organizations like RIPAC to
"really make a difference." Members of URI SSDP talked to doctors,
educators and legislators to gain support for the cause of the coalition.

"We definitely have our work cut out for us," she said. "But we're
really looking forward to doing this."