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Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
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US CO: Medical-Pot Law Passes First Test
ccguide Friday 30 Mar 2001 Pubdate: Wed, 28 Mar 2001 Source: Denver Post (CO) Copyright: 2001 The Denver Post Corp Contact: Address: 1560 Broadway, Denver, CO 80202 Fax: (303) 820.1502 Website: http://www.denverpost.com/ Forum: http://www.denverpost.com/voice/voice.htm Author: Fred Brown, Denver Post Capitol Bureau Chief Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?161 (Amendment 20 (CO)) MEDICAL-POT LAW PASSES FIRST TEST The "troublesome" medical marijuana amendment, a dilemma for Colorado lawmakers, passed its first legislative test Tuesday in a House committee. The dilemma is this: Marijuana users and providers, even if the drug is for medicinal purposes, are violating federal law. But the legislature needs to pass a medical marijuana law by April 30 to uphold the Colorado Constitution. "We need to do something, or we set ourselves up as a state to be sued," said Rep. Mark Cloer, R-Colorado Springs, who introduced HB 1371 to implement Amendment 20, a ballot issue approved by Colorado voters last November. Rep. Andrew Romanoff, D-Denver, suggested it might be more prudent for the legislature to wait until the U.S. Supreme Court rules on the legality of medical marijuana laws, which have passed in Colorado, Oregon and other states. "I'm uncomfortable passing a law that subjects the people who follow it to prosecution," Romanoff said. Still, he voted for it, saying, "We have no choice but to pass this bill." Dr. Richard Hoffman, chief medical officer in the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, said state health officials have taken several steps to implement the law. The department has adopted rules for the confidentiality of patients applying and issued cards enabling them to get the drug. The bill would subject anyone violating the confidentiality of those records to fines and jail time. Applicants claiming debilitating medical conditions also could be subject to penalties if they're not telling the truth. The state would allow authorized users to grow a limited number of marijuana plants and issue identification cards at a cost of $150 a year. A registry and distribution system would be in place by June 1, with two full-time employees and a cost of $103,000, Hoffman said. The House Criminal Justice Committee approved HB 1371 on a vote of 10-1, sending it to the full House for consideration. It had an easier time approving one amendment - changing the "marihuana" spelling in Colorado's long-standing drug laws to "marijuana." The "h" to "j" change won unanimous approval. - --- MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart
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