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Medical Marijuana on the March

Mar 05, 2009

legislation, Medical Marijuana, Obama


Has the dam finally broken on medical marijuana? It sure seems like efforts to protect medical marijuana patients are on the march across the U.S.

In Illinois, where medical marijuana legislation has failed to pass for several years running, this year's bill just got out of committee in the state House of Representatives for the first time ever. Medical marijuana bills are also steadily advancing in Minnesota and New Jersey.

Meanwhile, in Rhode Island, which has had a medical marijuana law since 2006, legislators are looking seriously at expanding the law to allow patients to obtain their medicine from licensed dispensaries, called "compassion centers" -- and the proposal is proving remarkably uncontroversial.

Why so much progress now? Maybe it was the massive, 63% "yes" vote for medical marijuana in Michigan last November. Maybe it was the blessed sanity of the Obama administration saying it will stop raiding medical marijuana patients and providers who are following state law. Or maybe it's just science, compassion, and common sense finally winning out over ideology and superstition.

Whatever it is, we'll take it.