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Rhode Island Votes to Make the State Medical Marijuana Law Permanent
05-14-07|BBS News

The Rhode Island Senate passed a bill on 3 May that would make the state's medical cannabis law permanent. The bill passed with a margin of 28-5, wide enough to sustain a possible veto from Governor Donald Carcieri, who vetoed the original bill in 2005. Lawmakers of the House of Representatives passed an identical measure on 2 May by a similarly large margin (50- 12).

Rhode Island became the eleventh state in the USA last year to begin a medical cannabis program. It expires on 30 June 2007 unless lawmakers renew it. Under the program, patients suffering from HIV or AIDS, cancer, glaucoma, severe nausea, seizures or other debilitating illnesses can get state permission to possess up to 12 cannabis plants and 2.5 ounces (1 ounce = about 28.5 grams) of cannabis in a usable form. Caregivers of patients may possess up to 5 ounces of cannabis. More than 250 patients and about the same number of caregivers are registered in the program.

Governor Carcieri hasn't decided whether he would veto the bill or let it become law without his signature, said his spokesman, Jeff Neal. If he vetoes the bill lawmakers of the Senate and the House of Representatives can overrule the veto by a three-fifths vote.