HOUSE TO CONSIDER MEDICAL MARIJUANA BILL

The Senate recently voted 29-6 to pass legislation allowing the
establishment of marijuana dispensaries in order to provide a safe
venue for patients prescribed medical marijuana to obtain the drug.

Sponsored by Senator Rhoda Perry (D-Dist. 3), the bill would fill a
hole in current law whereby patients prescribed medical marijuana are
unable to safely obtain it.

Perry sponsored the bill that created Rhode Island's medical
marijuana program two years ago along with House sponsor Rep. Thomas
C. Slater (D-Dist. 10). He is also sponsoring the dispensary
legislation this year in the House version of the bill, H-7888. The
House Health, Education and Welfare Committee held that bill for
further study in early April.

The legislation creates nonprofit "compassion centers" that would
house and dispense medical marijuana to patients throughout the state.

There are currently 375 Rhode Island citizens enrolled in the medical
marijuana program, according to Senator Perry. "They shouldn't have
to turn to the streets to get their medicine, and doing so puts them
in danger. They shouldn't have to sneak around and deal with
criminals to get something that we recognize as effective, legitimate
medication. It's time to start treating medical marijuana like the
medicine that it is and allowing patients to get it in a way that is
safe and regulated," said Senator Perry in a press release.

An earlier attempt to pass the legislation in the Senate was met with
concern by some Senators over the possibly harmful effects on others
around someone smoking the drug, and especially children. The bill
was amended with provisions that require using the drug in ways that
do not adversely affect the health, safety or welfare of others.

The bill was also amended to reflect that medical marijuana
recipients would be disqualified from being organ donors.

So far, patients of serious illnesses, who are the beneficiaries of
the treatment program, have had to take to the streets to procure the
drug. One patient who testified at an earlier committee hearing
disclosed that the drug dealer he was attempting to purchase the drug
from mugged him.

California legalized marijuana for medicinal use in 1996 and allows
the dispensing of the drug through similar centers. New Mexico has
also recently set up a distribution system.

The compassion centers would be run by a nonprofit organization that
would receive no funding from the state.

"We recognized the legitimate value of medical marijuana in 2006 when
we created the program. It's not really logical to say we think it is
okay for patients to be treated with this drug but we're not going to
allow any legal way for them to get it," said Senator Perry in a
press release. "Compassion centers are a safe, effective answer to
this situation because they would help patients without creating
opportunities for illegitimate use of the drug."

The bill would have to receive recommendation from the House Health,
Education and Welfare committee and win a vote on the House floor
before being considered by Governor Donald Carcieri for passage.