« Update: Legislature overrides Carcieri's budget veto | Today | Bill to ease fire code hits some snags »

June 21, 2007

House completes override of medical-marijuana veto

PROVIDENCE -- The House and Senate have made permanent the state's medical marijuana program by overriding Governor Carcieri's veto and giving final approval to the legislation.

The medical marijuana law, which had been due to expire this month, allows seriously ill patients to use marijuana to ease their symptoms for a range of debilitating medical conditions.

The Senate overrode the veto yesterday 29 to 4. The House followed suit this evening in a 58-to-11 vote.

Democrats hold large majorities in the House and the Senate. Carcieri, a Republican, was against the law because he said it could allow federal prosecution of those who use it and encourages them to buy drugs from illicit dealers. He vetoed it on June 5, but Democratic legislative leaders expected an override to follow.

A patient diagnosed as having a debilitating medical condition would be allowed to possess up to 12 marijuana plants and 2.5 ounces of marijuana. An adult who has agreed to help an ill person’s medical use of marijuana — a caregiver — could have 12 plants and 2.5 ounces of marijuana for each of up to five qualified patients.

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with reports from Steve Peoples of the Journal State House Bureau

Posted by Mike McKinney  at 6:17 PM | Permalink

Comments

RI Patient Advocacy Coalition | June 23, 2007 8:00 PM link

Post a comment

Please be civil. Vicious comments, personal attacks and profanity won't be published. Name and email are required; email address will not publish.

Name:

Email Address:

URL:
Remember Me? YesNo

Comments: (you may use HTML tags for style)