R.I. Legislature passes compassion center study commission bill

Compassion center legislation made terrific progress this year, but sadly, the proposal did not become law. The General Assembly recessed on Saturday. Instead of passing legislation to allow nonprofit organizations to dispense medical marijuana, the House passed a bill establishing a 13-member study commission to make recommendations on the issue.

The study commission will include a doctor, a nurse, six legislators, two patients, a caregiver, a patient advocate, and a member of law enforcement. Next January, it will issue its report on patients' access to medical marijuana, the efficacy of compassion centers, qualifying conditions, medical marijuana research, and doctors' participation in the medical marijuana program. We are hopeful that after the legislature has had time to study the issue, it will decide to enact a compassion center law.

For its first year, the compassion center proposal made a great deal of progress. The Senate approved a bill to establish compassion centers in a 29-5 vote in May. The proposal  garnered the support of 69% of Rhode Islanders and the state's most prestigious health and medical organizations.

Patients, organizations, supporters, and legislators deserve a hearty "thank you" for all they did to move the compassion center proposal this far. Sen. Rhoda Perry and Rep. Thomas Slater, who sponsored the medical marijuana law, also sponsored this compassionate legislation. You may want to thank your own state senator if he or she voted to allow compassion centers. You can find out who your state senator is here, and see how he or she voted here.

The Rhode Island Patient Advocacy Coalition (an MPP grant recipient) did a terrific job organizing testimony, generating endorsements, and organizing a grassroots effort. Dozens of patients raised their voice, despite battling their medical conditions. Many attended a lobby day, wrote letters to the editor, testified at legislative hearings, and talked to the media. They include Bobbie Brady-Cataldo, Buddy Coolen, George Des Roches Jr. (who also appeared in a radio ad),  Bobby Ebert, Chrissy Neves, Rhonda O'Donnell, Kelly Powers, and Dan Rivera. We are also grateful to the state's nurses association, medical society, and ACLU chapter; as well as AIDS Project Rhode Island and CHAMP for taking the time to testify in favor of the bill; and all of the other organizational and individual supporters.

Thank you also to the hundreds of individual Rhode Islanders who called or e-mailed your legislators in support of compassion centers. A special thanks to everyone who has donated to help make the ads, the polls, and the grassroots calls possible.

Stay tuned for next year's alerts on the study commission's results and what you can do to help turn this compassionate proposal into law.