Rhode Island Votes for Medical Marijuana

Rhode Island has made the use of medical marijuana legal after a vote by the state's House of Representatives a few days ago.

The House voted 59 to 13 to overturn a veto by Governor Don Carcieri to make marijuana available to patients who suffer from chronic and pain-causing diseases such as cancer and AIDS. The patients will be able to legally grow up to 12 marijuana plants on their property. Qualified patients will also be able to purchase marijuana legally from a marijuana clinic, but only after signing up with an official from the state and obtaining a special identification card.

The state's decision makes it the eleventh state in the US to make marijuana legal. Medical marijuana is also legal in:

• Alaska
• California
• Colorado
• Hawaii
• Maine
• Montana
• Nevada
• Oregon
• Vermont
• Washington

The marijuana laws do not, however, supercede federal laws that still have not made marijuana legal for any purpose. The disharmony between laws has caused several high profile legal battles, including the recent closing of a medical marijuana facility by federal DEA agents in San Francisco.

The Rhode Island bill was spearheaded in part by people like Democratic House Representative Thomas Slater, who suffers from cancer. The bill is named the Edward O. Hawkins Medical/Thomas C. Slater Medical Marijuana Act.

Edward Hawkins was a nephew of Senator Perry of Rhode Island, the sponsor of the Senate version of the bill. Hawkins died last year after a long battle with AIDS. He had refused any marijuana during his illness for fear of being arrested or entangled with the law.

The US Supreme Court recently ruled that marijuana laws were enforceable by federal authorities though the majority of drug related arrests still occur at the state level. The DEA recently made a statement implying that it would put medical marijuana cases involving individuals at a low priority.