Marijuana Policy Project

PROVIDENCE — Governor Carcieri yesterday vetoed legislation to legalize the medical use of marijuana in Rhode Island, saying the proposal's "noble goals cannot mask its serious safety flaws."

"Our desire as public servants to be compassionate must be balanced by our obligation to ensure public safety," he said. "The flaws inherent in this bill will place our children at an increased risk of abusing marijuana... [and] give our citizens a false sense of security against criminal prosecution."

Carcieri also rejected legislation that would have raised the state's hourly minimum wage from $6.75 to $7.10 in January, and $7.40 a year after that.

The governor said the change would "do nothing but exact another cost on Rhode Island businesses, especially small businesses."

Sponsors of the medical marijuana bill said they would seek a veto override, and believe it would prevail. The House approved the legislation by a vote of 52 to 10 last week and the Senate approved it 33 to 1 on Tuesday.

The bill proposes to protect patients from arrest under state law for using marijuana to treat symptoms of certain serious and chronic illnesses, including multiple sclerosis and cancer. Patients whose doctors recommended the treatment would receive registration cards from the state to allow them, or their caregivers, to possess up to 12 plants, or 2.5 ounces of marijuana.

Two representatives from the White House's drug policy office spent most of yesterday and Tuesday urging lawmakers and Carcieri's staff to oppose the bill, reiterating that it would violate federal law and noting that the Food and Drug Administration does not consider the drug a safe and effective medicine for pain relief.

Carcieri, in his veto message, called marijuana an "addictive narcotic" and said the bill would increase its availability in the state. He said "nearly anyone" would be able to grow the drug "in nearly any private location," and called the amount people would be authorized to possess "staggering."

He said the bill was "full of other loopholes," including making no provision for how people obtain the seeds to grow the plants. The governor also said the debate over whether marijuana can help patients is "by no means settled."

The bill carried the name of Edward O. Hawkins, the nephew of state Sen. Rhoda Perry, D-Providence, who died of AIDS.

Carcieri's concerns have "all already been answered" in testimony on the bill, Perry said. "I don't think there's one thing in his veto message that would change my mind . . . and I'm pretty certain it won't change anybody else's mind easily."

Perry said suggestions that the drug would become more accessible to teens were "totally wrong." She said that in the 10 other states that have set up similar programs, "it just has not happened."

Rep. Thomas Slater, D-Providence, the House sponsor, said: "Apparently the governor doesn't want to listen to the House, he doesn't want to listen to the Senate, and he doesn't want to listen to 70 percent of the people of Rhode Island.

"He wants to listen to the people that come in from Washington, D.C., to push against this bill."

Neal Levine, director of state policies for the Marijuana Policy Project in Washington, D.C., which has lobbied heavily in favor of the bill, said it was fortunate "the Rhode Island General Assembly seems to have more compassion than the governor."

Carcieri's rejection of the minimum-wage bill drew a rebuke from House Speaker Pro Tempore Charlene Lima, D-Cranston, its House sponsor, who said she was "surprised at the governor's insensitivity to the working men and women of this state."

"I don't know how he can justify giving big tax breaks to GTECH and Fidelity and at the same time not allow the working men and women of this state to earn a decent wage—not a living wage—a decent wage so they'd be able to afford the increased cost of utilities and gasoline and to put food on their table," she said.

The governor yesterday also vetoed a bill that would have exempted prepaid wireless telephone cards from the state's gift-card laws. Carcieri said the bill appeared to be "special-interest legislation."

© 2005 The Providence Journal Company

Newshawked-by: Richard Lake

Posted-by: Richard Lake