Rhode Island Legalizes Medical Marijuana

January 4, 2006

By M.L. JOHNSON, AP

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (Jan. 3) - Rhode Island on Tuesday became the 11th state to

legalize medical marijuana and the first since the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in

June that patients who use the drug can still be prosecuted under federal

law.

Rhode Island state representatives confer moments before they voted to

override the governor's veto of medical marijuana legislation.

The House overrode a veto by Gov. Don Carcieri, 59-13, allowing people with

illnesses such as cancer and AIDS to grow up to 12 marijuana plants or buy 2.5

ounces of marijuana to relieve their symptoms. Those who do are required to

register with the state and get an identification card.

Federal law prohibits any use of marijuana, but Maine, Vermont, Alaska,

California, Colorado, Hawaii, Montana, Nevada, Oregon and Washington allow it to

be

grown and used for medicinal purposes.

The U.S. high court ruled June 6 that people who smoke marijuana because

their doctors recommend it can still be prosecuted under federal drug laws, even

if their states allow it.

Federal authorities, however, have conceded they are unlikely to prosecute

many medicinal marijuana users.

" I'm sure everybody in this room knows at least one person who would have

benefited from medical marijuana, " Rep. Slater, who has cancer, told

fellow lawmakers before the vote. Slater said he does not use marijuana now, but

it

could become part of his treatment in the future.

Carcieri, unhappy with the override, said the law fails to provide ways for

users to buy marijuana legally and leaves Rhode Islanders open to federal

prosecution.

" Users will be forced to purchase marijuana in the illegal street market,

putting them at risk and complicating the difficult jobs that our law

enforcement

personnel must do every day, " the governor said.

Tom Riley, a spokesman for the Office of National Drug Control Policy in

Washington, said the vote showed " misguided and out-of-touch " views on the harms

of marijuana.

" There's this notion from the '60s or the '70s that marijuana is a harmless

drug, " Riley said. " It's not. "

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