FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
JUNE 27, 2002
GOV. DEAN QUIETLY SIGNS COMPROMISE
MEDICAL MARIJUANA BILL
Advocates Expect Study to Lead to Legal Protection
in 2003
MONTPELIER, VERMONT -- Without comment or
fanfare, on June 21 Gov. Howard Dean (D) signed legislation setting
up a state task force to study how Vermont should go about protecting
medical marijuana patients from arrest. While the measure provides
no immediate protection to seriously ill Vermonters who need marijuana
to relieve their symptoms, the new law sets the wheels in motion
for solid patient protection next year.
Text of the bill is available in PDF format:
http://www.mpp.org/pdf/vermontbill02.pdf
(need Adobe Reader)
The compromise measure was agreed to by
a House-Senate conference committee after a strong bill, modeled
on the medical marijuana laws now on the books in Alaska, California,
Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington, passed
the House of Representatives on March 15 and a much weaker bill
passed the Senate on May 14. "The General Assembly finds
that state law should make a distinction between the medical and
non-medical use of marijuana," the conference report declared.
The measure, S. 193, establishes a task force "to investigate
and assess options for legal protections which will allow seriously
ill Vermonters to use medical marijuana without facing criminal
prosecution under Vermont law."
This committee, which will include representatives
from law enforcement, the medical community, and seriously ill
patients, must report its findings to the governor and the General
Assembly by Jan. 15, 2003, in time for legislators to take up
the matter next year.
"This is a mixed bag," said Billy
Rogers, director of state policies for the Marijuana Policy Project.
"We had hoped that Governor Dean and the Senate leadership
would accept the House bill, which would have spared patients
fighting cancer, AIDS, and multiple sclerosis from the possibility
of arrest simply for trying to relieve their suffering. They had
an opportunity to protect Vermont's most vulnerable citizens,
and they failed.
"Still, the committee this bill sets
up isn't studying whether to protect patients, but how to protect
them," Rogers added. "After they review the success
of the eight state laws now on the books, we believe they will
conclude that in 2003, Vermont should become the ninth state to
protect seriously ill people who need medical marijuana. Chances
are excellent for passage of a solid bill next year, but it's
frustrating that people in real need have to spend another year
living in fear."
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The Marijuana Policy Project works to minimize
the harm associated with marijuana -- both the consumption of
marijuana and the laws that are intended to prohibit such use.
MPP believes that the greatest harm associated with marijuana
is imprisonment. To this end, MPP focuses on removing criminal
penalties for marijuana use, with a particular emphasis on making
marijuana medically available to seriously ill people who have
the approval of their doctors. For more information,
please visit http://www.mpp.org
.
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