SENATE OVERRIDES MEDICAL POT VOTE

PROVIDENCE - The Senate voted Thursday to override the governor's
veto of a bill allowing the seriously ill to use marijuana.

If the House overrides the veto as well, Rhode Island would become
the 11th state to permit medical marijuana use.

The proposed legislation protects from prosecution those advised by a
doctor that marijuana could help them with chronic pain or other
medical problems.

Patients licensed by the state would be permitted to have up to 12
marijuana plants or 2 1/2 ounces of usable marijuana.

Gov. Don Carcieri vetoed the bill Wednesday, saying it could promote
marijuana abuse.

Before the vote, Senate Minority Leader Dennis Algiere argued the
bill did not include enough safeguards.

"Nearly anyone would be allowed to grown marijuana in nearly any
private location across the state under this piece of legislation,"
said Algiere, R-Westerly.

But bill supporters argued passing the override was an act of
compassion for the chronically ill.

Sen. Joseph Polisena, D-Johnston, said in his work as a nurse he had
seen many patients die in pain. The only difference between giving
them marijuana and prescription pharmaceuticals is that the latter
mean profits for drug companies, he said.

The Senate approved the override 28-to-6, as compared with the
34-to-2 vote on the original bill.