R.I. House floor vote on compassion centers tomorrow — make your voice heard

Tomorrow, for the first time, the Rhode Island House of Representatives will vote on H. 5359, our compassion centers bill. We need to make sure that all representatives hear from their constituents on the importance of this legislation. Please call your representative to urge her or him to stand up for patients and vote for H. 5359 on the House floor. Then ask your friends and family to do the same. Constituent calls and e-mails were key to passing Rhode Island's medical marijuana law in 2006, and they are vital to this effort as well.

The Senate has already overwhelmingly voted to pass H. 5359's Senate version, S. 0185, so the bill could head to Gov. Donald Carcieri (R) soon. Last year, the governor demonstrated his opposition to progress by vetoing a bill that would only have studied the compassion centers issue, so it's important that H. 5359 pass with a veto-proof margin. Over 92% of the senators voted for the bill, which far exceeds the 60% threshold needed to override a possible governor's veto.

Sen. Rhoda Perry's S. 0185 and Rep. Thomas Slater's H. 5359 would give the state's more than 600 medical marijuana patients safe and consistent access to the medicine they need. Some of Rhode Island's medical marijuana patients are too ill or lack the financial resources or physical ability to grow their own medical marijuana, and do not have a trusted friend or family member to act as a caregiver and cultivate on their behalf. This lack of safe access has forced some seriously ill patients to turn to the underground market, which can be dangerous. This much-needed legislation will create non-profit compassion centers that can distribute medical marijuana to these qualified patients.

As always, thank you to the Rhode Island Patient Advocacy Coalition and its hardworking director, Jesse Stout, who did great work coordinating riveting testimony from patients, doctors, and advocates in the House and Senate committees and lobbying to secure extra votes in both chambers.

Thank you for supporting the Marijuana Policy Project, the Rhode Island Patient Advocacy Coalition, and Rhode Island's seriously ill patients.