Lawmakers consider medical marijuana

BOSTON â?? Massachusetts could become the fourth New England state to legalize medical marijuana under a plan before state lawmakers.

On the heels of Rhode Island's approval last week of medical marijuana use, lawmakers here are pushing a measure, with the support of some North of Boston legislators, that would allow doctors to treat patients with marijuana. Backers say people who suffer from debilitating pain and chronic diseases should be able to gain relief without fear of arrest, something 11 states have approved.

But the initiative faces high hurdles. It is opposed by the Romney administration. Local lawmakers, aware of the plague of opiate addiction in the Merrimack Valley, want to ensure access to medical marijuana is airtight. Also, marijuana use â?? even under a doctor's care â?? is illegal under federal law, and the Supreme Court holds that permissive state laws are trumped by the federal prohibition.

Under the Massachusetts proposal, authored by Brookline Democrat Rep. Frank I. Smizik, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health would certify patients using or growing marijuana, also called cannabis, for medicinal purposes. The state would issue identification cards to patients and also would designate a single caretaker who could handle or grow marijuana for a disabled patient.
http://www.ecnnews.com/cgi-bin/15/et...08-20060108-fn

Well prove me wrong I guess...never thought I'd ever see anything good come out of Massachusetts! :thumbsup:

EVEN authored by a Democrat! :eek:

Funny, I thought Romney was a republican. Aren't they supposed to favor getting the government out of peoples lives? Actually, this is the libertarian posisition, I dought you would disagree. The problem is that neither party offers anything more than "we ain't them". I'm still a reasonably young man, perhaps in my lifetime a candidate will offer me a reason to actually vote for THEM, rather than simply against their opponent. Or not.