Pubdate: Thu, 16 Jun 2005
Source: National Journal (US)
Copyright: 2005 National Journal Group Inc
Contact: http://nationaljournal.com/help/feedback.htm
Website: http://nationaljournal.com/njweekly/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1172
Author: Meg Kinnard
Cited: Marijuana Policy Project ( www.mpp.org )
Cited: Gonzales v. Raich ( www.angeljustice.org/ )
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmj.htm (Cannabis - Medicinal)

PUT THAT IN YOUR PIPE AND SMOKE IT

Pro-Medical Marijuana Group Asks R.I. Governor to Reconsider Veto Threat

Last week, a Supreme Court ruling thrust the medical marijuana issue
back into the nation's spotlight, and this week one group is taking
advantage of the spotlight to open a state-level dialogue on the topic.

On Wednesday, the Marijuana Policy Project debuted two 30-second
television ads starring Rhonda O'Donnell, a registered nurse suffering
from multiple sclerosis. In one spot, O'Donnell describes her
ten-and-a-half-year struggle with the disease and says any further
delay of legislation allowing the use of medical marijuana "makes
people suffer needlessly."

O'Donnell lays out how marijuana helped her cancer-stricken father
fight off nausea when other medications "simply didn't work" in the
other ad and says that "people shouldn't have to fear arrest for
trying to alleviate their pain."

Both spots encourage Rhode Islanders to call Gov. Don Carcieri (R) and
ask him to sign medical marijuana legislation, which he has threatened
to veto. Two bills -- S.B. 710 and H.B. 6052 -- are pending in the
Ocean State's Senate and House chambers.

In a 6-3 decision, the high court ruled June 6 that "the federal
government can prosecute sick patients who grow and use marijuana to
alleviate their symptoms, despite state laws allowing its use,"
according to the Wall Street Journal. The court said that federal laws
concerning the drug "took precedence over laws in California and nine
other states authorizing seriously ill patients to use the drug under
a physician's supervision." 
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake