Pubdate: Thu, 28 Feb 2013
Source: Tucson Weekly (AZ)
Copyright: 2013 Tucson Weekly
Contact:  http://www.tucsonweekly.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/462
Author: J.M. Smith

CANNABIS NEWS, COLLATED

Our Columnist Checks in on Developments From New Hampshire to Bullhead City

You can't throw a rock these days without hitting an interesting 
medical cannabis development somewhere in this great nation of ours. 
 From coast to coast, a rising tide of legislatures, lawyers and 
patients is washing up against a sea wall of cock-blockers and 
naysayers. It's fun to watch, and interesting to muse upon.

To wit:

New Hampshire

In the bucolic state that nestles up beside Vermont, medical 
marijuana is crashing on the rocks. Advocates there are trying for 
the fourth time in six years to pass an MMJ law, facing an apparent 
uphill climb since the previous governor, Democrat John Lynch, vetoed 
previous attempts. This time around, with a bill pending in the 
Legislature, Gov. Maggie Hassan, also a Democrat, is hinting she 
might also strike down the current attempt. It's about homegrown.

"The governor believes any measure permitting the use of medically 
prescribed marijuana must ensure that the method of distribution is 
safe and tightly regulated and has concerns about the ability to 
properly regulate a home-grow option, but she will continue to listen 
to the concerns of advocates, law enforcement and legislators as the 
process moves forward," Hassan's spokesman, Mark Goldberg, told The 
Associated Press.

The law, pending in a New Hampshire House of Representatives 
committee, would allow patients to grow up to four plants and 12 
seedlings. That provision-aimed at easing access for rural and 
low-income patients-could endanger the law because it would be tough 
for law enforcement and regulators to monitor and would encourage 
patients to take the easy road to wellness and not to consider 
(potentially more harmful) alternatives, a doctor said.

"As written, this bill does not appear to be aimed at making herbal 
marijuana available for the rare patients who truly need it, but more 
for making an infrastructure to distribute marijuana to many people 
who might feel better using marijuana," former New Hampshire Medical 
Society president Seddon Savage told AP.

Hmmmm. Isn't that the point? Making patients feel better? That's 
pretty much why I use cannabis-to feel better. And using a less 
harmful medicine in lieu of prescribed medications seems to fit right 
in with the oath Seddon took. According to Hippocrates:

"I will give no deadly medicine to any one if asked, nor suggest any 
such counsel."

Yup.

North Carolina

Lawmakers killed an MMJ bill in the House of Representatives here 
after a bunch of pesky constituents kept calling and emailing 
lawmakers, urging them to support the bill. The Rules Committee 
squished the bill out of existence after supporters "harassed" 
lawmakers with a barrage of support, one lawmaker told WRAL, a radio 
station in the state capital.

"We did it to be done with it, so people could move on for the 
session," said Rep. Paul "Skip" Stam, a proud Republican.

When the bill came up for debate in the Rules Committee, dozens of 
supporters came to speak. The committee limited their comments to 20 
collective minutes, then raised the cock-blocker in the form of an 
"unfavorable report." This ensures not only that the bill won't move 
forward, but that it can't be considered again.

Fuckers.

Bullhead City

A couple of apparent dumbasses were arrested here last week for 
apparently pushing the envelope of acceptable medical cannabis 
behavior, according to TV station KPHO in Phoenix.

The couple converted their home into a cannabis shop, complete with a 
sign showing business hours, a menu and prices. Not cool, Todd 
Leavitt, 45, and Erin McHarg, 36. Um, selling cannabis is illegal, 
and having 7 pounds each of the stuff is highly illegal, considering 
that it's 22 times the amount two patients are allowed to have. They 
also had several gallons of cannabis oil, which is probably enough to 
ease the pain of several herds of elephants and certainly enough to 
raise the hackles and arm the arguments of cannabis naysayers.

More fuckers.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom