Rhode Island

Mon
20
Jun

Rhode Island Legislature Approves Medical Marijuana for PTSD; Gov. Expected to Sign

Good news out of Rhode Island:

Following approval from the Rhode Island House and Senate, a bill that would add post-traumatic stress disorder to the list of qualifying conditions for medical marijuana is headed to Gov. Gina Raimondo who is expected to sign the legislation into law. This is a huge victory for patients!

Veterans and others who suffer from psychological trauma have fought for years to addPTSD to the list of state-approved criteria for medical marijuana. Once this bill becomes law, these patients will no longer be forced into an illegal market to access the medicine that relieves their symptoms.

Tue
12
Apr

Rhode Island Lawmakers to Consider 10 Marijuana-Related Bills Today

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — The House Judiciary Committee will meet at the State House Tuesday to consider 10 marijuana-related bills.

Among them, a bill that would legalize marijuana for anyone 21 and older.

Other bills being considered:

Mon
04
Apr

A Closer Look at States Trying to Legalize Marijuana in 2016

By the end of this year, several more states in the U.S. could be among those who have legalized cannabis for medical and recreational purposes. Of course, their success is up to the activists and voters in each state. If you’re in one of these states, here is what you need to know.

States where recreational legalization is on the ballot: Nevada

States where medical legalization is on the ballot: Florida

States where activists are going through the legislature or attempting to make the ballot for recreational or medical legalization: California, Vermont, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Ohio, Michigan, Rhode Island, Maine, Missouri, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Utah, Arkansas

Long Shots

Mon
28
Mar

The 10 Most Marijuana-Friendly States in the USA

Does your state make the list?

Which are the marijuana-friendliest states in the nation? Where would a pot person want to buy a home and settle down?

The online national real estate search site Estately has taken a crack at answering those burning questions. The site's blog's Ultimate Lists cranks out all sorts of creative comparative data—cities with the most romantic homes for sale, states with the most pizza—and now it's done the same with weed

Tue
22
Mar

Veterans Using Marijuana To Ease PTSD

A growing number of states are weighing whether to legalize marijuana to treat post-traumatic stress disorder. But for many veterans, the debate is already over.

They’re increasingly using cannabis even though it remains illegal in most states and is unapproved by the Department of Veterans Affairs because major studies have yet to show it is effective against PTSD.

While the research has been contradictory and limited, some former members of the military say pot helps them manage their anxiety, insomnia and nightmares. Prescription drugs such as Klonopin and Zoloft weren’t effective or left them feeling like zombies, some say.

Wed
24
Feb

Rhode Island fight for recreational weed gains a heavyweight backer

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — A push to legalize recreational marijuana in Rhode Island has won the support of a top lawmaker.

Senate Majority Leader Dominick Ruggerio, a North Providence Democrat, has signed on as co-sponsor of a bill to treat marijuana like alcohol by legalizing, regulating and taxing it.

“It is an important conversation to have,” Ruggerio said in a statement. “I have listened to the debate regarding legalization of marijuana over the years and watched the experience in states such as Colorado,” which legalized the commercial sale of the drug.

Tue
23
Feb

When Will Rhode Island Legalize Marijuana?

Officials in Rhode Island seem to agree: The state is likely to legalize marijuana. But, so far, they haven’t reached a consensus on when that will happen.

Earlier this month, State Sen. Josh Miller introduced a bill that would end prohibition and regulate and tax the cannabis industry. Among the 15 co-sponsors joining him are powerful names like Senate Majority Leader Dominick Ruggerio and Judiciary Committee Chairman Michael McCaffrey.

On the House side, Rep. Scott Slater is expected to introduce companion legislation this week with a sizable number of co-sponsors, including with Republican Minority Leader Brian Newberry.

Sat
20
Feb

Ruggerio co-sponsors bill to regulate marijuana in R.I.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — A push to legalize recreational marijuana in Rhode Island has won support from a top lawmaker.

Senate Majority Leader Dominick Ruggerio, a North Providence Democrat, has signed on as co-sponsor of a bill to treat marijuana like alcohol by legalizing, regulating and taxing it.

Ruggerio says it’s an important conversation to have after watching the experience of states that legalized the drug, such as Colorado.

The bill’s main Senate sponsor, Democratic Sen. Joshua Miller, of Cranston, had introduced his long-shot legislation for several years without success but says there’s more momentum this year. He points to Vermont, where lawmakers are advancing a bill, and Massachusetts, which might ask voters in the November election.

Wed
17
Feb

Rhode Island: Senate committee mulling bill to treat PTSD with marijuana

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) - The Senate Health and Human Services Committee is mulling legislation that would allow post-traumatic stress disorder to be treated with medical marijuana.

Democratic Sen. Stephen Archambault, of Smithfield, introduced the legislation.

The bill would add PTSD to the list of debilitating medical conditions that qualify for medical marijuana treatment. It would also accelerate the issuance of an approved medical marijuana use application if the patient is eligible for hospice care.

Archambault says PTSD is especially prevalent among military veterans and lawmakers have a responsibility to provide them with treatment options.

Tue
16
Feb

Drugs America's Marijuana Legalization Hotbed Ain't on the West Coast, It's in ... New England?

No state east of the Mississippi has legalized marijuana, but the land of Yankees has several states that could free the weed this year.

No state east of the Mississippi has legalized marijuana, but that's very likely to change this year, and New England will be leading the way. Two of the six New England states will likely let the voters make the call in November, while the others all have legalization bills pending.

So far, with the exception of Washington, DC, where voters elected to legalize the possession and cultivation, but not the sale of marijuana in 2014, all of the legalization action has been in the West. The four states that have legalized it so far—Alaska, Colorado, Oregon, and Washington—are all Western states.

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