Compassion centers legislation passes in Rhode Island!
Continuing its trend of being the most compassionate legislature in the country, the Rhode Island General Assembly overrode Governor Donald Carcieri's (R) veto of compassion centers legislation yesterday, with only 3 of 113 legislators casting a heartless vote with the governor. Rhode Island has now officially modified its original medical marijuana law to include the creation of state-licensed compassion centers, which will provide safe and consistent access for seriously ill patients to the medicine they need. Rhode Island is the first state in the nation to make such a modification.
Last Friday, Governor Carcieri demonstrated his heart of stone when he again vetoed H. 5359 and S. 0185, in a final, fruitless attempt to deny safe access to patients. But the legislature took up the override votes yesterday. The House unanimously voted to override the veto, and gave Rep. Thomas Slater a standing ovation. The Senate voted 35-3 on the twin bills. Compassion centers are now legal under state law! This means that within 90 days of yesterday the Rhode Island Department of Health must release regulations for compassion center applications and begin accepting such applications, and within 190 days of yesterday, the Department of Health must license one compassion center (provided that an application meets the regulation standards). The legislation also provides that there should be three compassion centers within three years.
There are many important people who have made this amazing day possible who we would like to thank from the bottom of our hearts. Our sponsors have been tireless, working for the passage of this bill, and gaining more and more support in each vote. This is personal for both of them. Rep. Thomas C. Slater (D-Providence) is in treatment for advanced-stage cancer and expects to use marijuana soon with his doctor's recommendation, which makes his tireless advocacy that much more impressive. The Providence Journal recently did a very moving profile of Rep. Slater and his years of fighting on behalf of seriously ill patients and other disadvantaged Rhode Island residents. Sen. Rhoda Perry (D-Providence) also has personal knowledge of the need for this bill. Her nephew, Edward Hawkins, died five years ago after a long, painful battle with AIDS, and refused to use marijuana to ease his pain and relieve his nausea because of fear of arrest.
This legislation never would have passed without the tireless efforts of Jesse Stout and his organization, MPP grant recipient Rhode Island Patient Advocacy Coalition. Jesse, RIPAC's outgoing executive director, effectively organized patients, doctors, and advocates, secured key endorsements, and coordinated riveting testimony for committee hearings and advocacy. Many thanks are due to Jesse, Stephen Hogan, Jr., incoming executive director, and Anne Leppanen, associate director, as well as the Bradford Group, our excellent lobbying firm.
Patients' and doctors' testimony made the human cost of legislators' votes clear. Thanks to their decision to speak out, almost all Rhode Island legislators realized they had to do the right thing. Thank you to to all the physicians, including Dr. David Lewis and Dr. Todd Handel, who offered the medical perspective at the committee hearings; and many thanks to all the brave patients who shared their stories, including Bobbie Ebert, Bobbi Brady-Cataldo, Dan Rivera, George Des Roches, and Polly Reynolds. You made it happen.
A big thank you also to all of you citizen-activists for your advocacy and support on behalf of this bill, the Marijuana Policy Project, the Rhode Island Patient Advocacy Coalition, and Rhode Island's seriously ill patients. Savor this victory, it is sweet; and please check out our news page for continuing great press coverage. |
