Medical Marijuana, Child Seat, Breastfeeding Laws Take
October 2, 2003
Frederick News Post
ANNAPOLIS—Medical marijuana smokers can breathe a little easier. Parents have to put their children in booster seats at least until they turn 6. And breastfeeding moms no longer have to skulk to a bathroom stall to feed their babies.
Those were a few of the nearly 300 new Maryland laws that took effect Wednesday.
Under the new medical marijuana law, smoking a joint is still a crime, but if a defendant can prove to a judge that they had a medical necessity to smoke the weed, the maximum penalty is a $100 fine. Critics of the law say it will encourage illegal drug use. But backers say that marijuana can relieve nausea and pain, and that it makes no sense to arrest cancer patients or those with chronic illnesses who are trying to alleviate their suffering.
Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. (R) signed the law and long has backed legalization of medical marijuana, setting him apart from the national Republican Party and the Bush administration, which lobbied hard for a veto.
© 2003 Randall Family, LLC.
 Newshawked-by: End Marijuana Prohibition: www.mpp.org
Posted-by: Jay Bergstrom
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