Brian Doherty | April 30, 2009
The live free or die, Free State Project state of New Hampshire's Senate passes a decent medical marijuana bill. Details from the Marijuana Policy Project:
Critically and terminally ill patients would be able to use marijuana to ease their pain under a bill the Senate passed today.
By a 14-10 vote, the Senate approved House Bill 648, which allows patients with approval from both their doctors and the state to have up to two ounces and six plants of marijuana. The law allows a patient to designate one caregiver to grow or possess marijuana for them. They can also obtain the drug from another certified patient.
The bill also sets up a commission to study whether the state should create a system for distributing medicinal marijuana, and the issues that state involvement would raise....
If the bill becomes law, New Hampshire would become the 14th state to legalize medicinal use of marijuana, joining Maine, Rhode Island and Vermont among others.
Still, our president, no stranger to the bong, remains dismissive of the natural next step: full legalization.
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The news is even better. Our Free Stater friend reports; NH scores a hat trick. In addition to Med Pot, they passed Gay Marriage and rejected the seat belt bill.
Great news, and Warren's addition makes it even better.
Full legalization is a laudable goal, but I'm (depressingly)
convinced that it's not feasible. I'd settle for the feds just
leaving the states alone, which is the one slight hope I had for
Obama, until he broke his promise.
After a week of running GM and Chrysler, Obama will be begging for the bong. In fact, he'll fire them all and put them to work harvesting weed.
Hell, Obama isn't just dismissive of full legalization, he's also dismissive of allowing states to legalize medical marijuana. They're still raiding in CA on any pretext, aren't they?
i just LOVE the Feds. that makes 14 states approved for med use, a few more are decrimed. close to if not over half of the pop now has access to legal medical MJ, or live where it is decrimed., and yet the feds still stand pat against the will of the people.
After a week of running GM and Chrysler, Obama will be
begging for the bong. In fact, he'll fire them all and put them to
work harvesting weed.
Can't do that. Union rules and all...
Baby steps...
Congratulations to the people who worked to get this passed in NH.
It's better than nothing.
-jcr
So does anyone know if the feds raid dispensaries in other
states, or just the 'uppity' ones in California?
Also, have any more raids happened since the San Francisco bust a
month or so ago?
This bill is better than what a lot of states have, but it's
still pretty wimpy. You need permission from your doctor AND the
state government?
Pass a state law saying that any federal law enforcement officer
who arrests someone in NH for a non-violent "crime" will be
prosecuted for felony assault, and I'll be impressed.
Better yet, don't let federal law enforcement officers enter your
state without an invitation.
Yeah dude, what a bunch of pussies making it so terminally ill
patients don't get arrested.
Call me when you have a plan to end the war on drugs all at once,
I'm all ears.
Still, our president, no stranger to the bong, remains dismissive of the natural next step: full legalization.
Hell, his actions show that he's dismissive of all previous steps.
It wouldn't surprise me if he wants to back to the days when drug
laws were explicitly racist.
Enough...recognize the value of half a loaf. It took over 70
years to get the 2nd Amendment enforced as its meant, and that's
crystal-clear and written down!
Purity Libertarians, especially those who probably haven't done
anything themselves, criticizing this bill can shove it.
Actually, I can sympathize with the disappointment about the limited scope of the bill. However, given the close Senate vote, it's likely that a broader one wouldn't have passed.
This does appear to be a step in the right direction, however timid. So congratulations to NH, the home of libertarian former state legislator and current local school board member, Don Gorman. That said, I still think NH should stamp all new license plates with "Live a little less fully oppressed than other states or die." The current motto seems just a bit too bold for them.
More good news! This guy is not a libertarian as I first suspected.
According to a Field Poll released today, 56% of California
voters support legalizing marijuana and taxing the proceeds.
If you live in California and favor legalizing marijuana for
adults, YOU can make it happen. Tell your state
representatives to support California Assembly Bill 390. It's easy.
Visit yes390.org
Better yet, don't let federal law enforcement officers enter
your state without an invitation.
Uh, what about the ones who live there?
Randolph Carter:
Yeah dude, what a bunch of pussies making it so terminally ill patients don't get arrested.
Call me when you have a plan to end the war on drugs all at once, I'm all ears.
Hey, baby steps man. Baby steps. Our freedoms have been taken away
a little at a time. We're gonna have to regain them the same
way.
John C. Randolph | April 30, 2009, 6:13pm | #
Baby steps...
Congratulations to the people who worked to get this passed in NH. It's better than nothing.
-jcr
Agreed
Gee, I wonder if there was any pattern to the vote in terms of
political party. Certainly SIV's freedom loving conservatives were
well represented?
"Sen. John Gallus, R-Berlin, also a co-sponsor, joined 13 Democrats
in passing the bill, while Sen. Betsi DeVries, D-Manchester, voted
with Republicans against it."
Whoops! Looks like the Dems do the heavy lifting for liberty in
this area AGAIN!
http://www.theunionleader.com/article.aspx?headline=Senate+OK's+medical+marijuana%3B+Lynch+has+'reservations'&articleId=da50ac5a-4d0a-42da-af7c-7085306b9337
Hey, here is the political party affiliation of the NH House
members voting for the bill, looks like again its the Dems doing
the heavy lifting:
http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/bill_status/Roll_calls/rc_yeahnay.aspx?yn=1&sy=2009&vs=65&lb=H&eb=HB0648&sortoption=&txtsessionyear=2009&txtbillnumber=HB648&ddlsponsors=&lsr=343
And here were the nays in the house. My, my how did so many freedom
loving small government conservatives get in there?
http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/bill_status/Roll_calls/rc_yeahnay.aspx?yn=2&sy=2009&vs=65&lb=H&eb=HB0648&sortoption=&txtsessionyear=2009&txtbillnumber=HB648&ddlsponsors=&lsr=343
Nix the seatbelts, good.
OK the pot, good.
OK homosexual marriage, jury is out on that.
But they passed a smoking ban a while back, rather inconsistent
those free staters.
Better yet, don't let federal law enforcement officers enter
your state without an invitation.
Uh, what about the ones who live there?
Them, too. Its the only way to be sure.
No question, MNG, as a team player, your team is better on this
issue in NH. Still waiting to see if they are really better in
DC.
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