Title:
Mixed news on marijuana bills in Maine
Message:
Two
bills relating to marijuana policy reform were recently voted on in their
respective committees, and there’s good and bad news to report.
First the bad news. LD
1453, Rep. Diane Russell’s bill to tax and regulate marijuana, was defeated
in an 8-3 vote. Still, there’s reason for optimism. Representative Russell was happy
with the hearing, and many were expecting the bill to be defeated
unanimously, so the fact that three members of the relatively conservative
committee were willing to “just say no” to marijuana prohibition was a small
but important step in the right direction.
Now the good news. A second bill that would make
registration with the state optional for medical marijuana patients received
unanimous approval from the Health and Human Services Committee. LD
1296, which, in addition to making registration optional, would also expand
the list of qualifying conditions and streamline the process for adding additional
conditions to the list, now heads to the full House where a vote is expected
soon.
Patient privacy is important, as is the need for
honest science in determining who should have access to marijuana, so we hope
to see LD 1296 approved soon.
Thanks, and we’ll keep you posted.
