DOCTORS GROUP EXHORT CHAFEE TO OK MARIJUANA DISPENSARIES

PROVIDENCE -- The Rhode Island Medical Society, an early supporter of
the state's medical-marijuana program, is urging Governor Chafee to
issue operating licenses to the three marijuana dispensaries that the
Health Department selected in the spring.

Dr. Gary Bubly, society president, sent the four-paragraph letter to
Chafee and Michael Fine, director of the state Health Department, and
said that the establishment of dispensaries, also known as compassion
centers, is critical to providing "a source of mechanism for patients
to obtain their marijuana in a safe and legal manner."

"It requires appropriate security and oversight allowing patients to
obtain their marijuana in a controlled environment," he wrote.
"Further delay in implementing this law only serves to deny relief to
patients suffering from the qualifying medical conditions."

Christine Hunsinger, Chafee's spokeswoman, said that her office
received a copy of the letter last week, but that the governor has
not had a chance to review it. She said that Chafee's staff continues
to review what other states across the country are doing in terms of
issuing dispensary licenses, and his decision to place the three
Rhode Island licenses "on hold" remains in effect.

Rhode Island is among 16 states and the District of Columbia that
have legalized the use of medical marijuana. In March, following two
years of review and public hearings, the state selected the three
dispensaries to cultivate and sell marijuana to 3,906 licensed patients.

About 200 new patients are entering the program each month.

The patients get their marijuana from 2,445 caregivers who are
licensed to grow up to 24 plants for up to five patients.

The number of caregivers continues to grow, but supporters of the
medical-marijuana program say that the dispensaries are still
desperately needed.

JoAnne Leppanen, executive director of the Rhode Island Patient
Advocacy Coalition, said that patients often have disputes with their
caregivers over pricing, delivery and quality of the marijuana. As a
result, the relationship frequently falls apart and the patients have
to turn to the street, buying marijuana illegally.

She has said that the dispensaries would give patients a safe place
to buy a quality product.

The three dispensaries selected are: Thomas C. Slater Compassion
Center in Providence, Summit Medical Compassion Center in Warwick and
Greenleaf Compassionate Care Center in Portsmouth.

In April, Rhode Island's U.S. Attorney Peter F. Neronhadelivered a
letter to Chafee warning him that those involved in the dispensaries
could be subject to criminal and civil prosecution if they engaged in
large-scale drug-production operations. Summit projected revenues of
more than $24 million after three years, while Slater and Greenleaf
set three-year targets of nearly $4 million and $1.2 million.

Neronha was alarmed with the size of the three dispensaries. As a
result, Chafee and his staff placed the issuance of licenses on hold,
pending clarification from Neronha and the U.S. Justice Department.

Last month, advocates of the state's medical-marijuana program were
hopeful that Chafee would have a change of heart after New Jersey
Gov. Christopher J. Christie gave the OK to open six marijuana
dispensaries in that state. Christie, a Republican and a former U.S.
attorney for New Jersey, felt that issuing the licenses was a risk
worth taking.

Other states in the Northeast, including Maine, Vermont and Delaware,
have ignored the federal government's threat and licensed or plan on
issuing licenses to dispensaries.

So far, Chafee has not followed the lead of those states, much to the
chagrin of Leppanen and the operators of the three dispensaries in Rhode Island.