GOVERNOR’S OFFICE STATEMENT ON MEDICAL MARIJUANA

01-03-2006

Governor Donald L. Carcieri’s press secretary, Jeff Neal, issued the following statement today regarding the passage of legislation to authorize the use of medical marijuana.

“Governor Carcieri continues to oppose this bill for the same reasons he enumerated in his veto message last year.”

“First, this bill will encourage criminal activity because it does not provide any means for the legal purchase of medical marijuana. Users will be forced to purchase marijuana in the illegal street market, putting them at risk and complicating the difficult jobs that our law enforcement personnel must do every day.”

“Second, this bill has few safeguards to protect the community. The bill places no restriction over where marijuana will be cultivated and stored. Marijuana operations would be permitted in any neighborhood in the state. In addition, there are few qualifications for the “caregivers” who would be allowed to provide marijuana to users. Additionally, the definition of which medical conditions qualify one for use of marijuana is so broad that it would allow nearly any Rhode Islander to be a user.”

“Finally, this bill appears to violate federal law. Consequently, it will subject Rhode Islanders to prosecution by the federal government. The United States Supreme Court has ruled that state laws permitting the medicinal use of marijuana do not trump federal laws criminalizing marijuana. The consequence is that Rhode Islanders who rely on state law can still be prosecuted criminally by the federal government.”

“As a result of these serious flaws, the Governor continues to share the opposition of the Rhode Island State Police, the Rhode Island Department of Health, and the Chief Judge of the Rhode Island Family Court, Jeremiah S. Jeremiah.”