4/5/06 - Medical Marijuana Growing

Yet another state has just changed its laws to legalize the medical use of marijuana. Rhode Island has become the 11th state to do so. Beginning April 1st, 2006, residents in the smallest state of our country can register under Rhode Island's Medical Marijuana Program if they have delibitating diseases such as cancer, or HIV disease, for photo ID's allowing them to grow up to a dozen marijuanna plants or possess up to 2 and 1/2 ounces of the herb. Patients often use the plant to relieve pain, nausea, and lack of appetite. It is still illegal there to sell pot, or for the general population to use it.

Rhode Island joins some of the largest states, including California and Alaska, which have decriminalized marijuana or legalized medical use.

The federal government continues to stonewall on its position, however, and lists marijuana as one of its top most dangerous drugs. In fact, the feds continue to focus on pot with the lion's share of its drug fighting resources, while failing to deal adequately with the growing and very serious problems created by meth, a drug with dangerous effects to users, families, and society. The Bush administration is being criticized severely for ignoring the epidemic of meth use, which is ironically a disasterous problem in many of the heartland "red" states such as Iowa, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Nebraska, and Utah.

The voters in the City of Ferndale, Michigan, voted overwhelmingly in November 2005 to decriminalize medical marijuana. Despite dire warnings from law enforcement, there is no evidence that pot use has increased in any jurisdiction where this action has been taken.