Connecticut introduces medical marijuana and decriminalization bills

[Jahlot]

Dont know if this has been posted yet but great news in CT
http://www.mapinc.org/norml/v09/n100/a03.htm

and


http://stash.norml.org/connecticut-i...ization-bills/

CONTACT YOUR REPS

SUBJECT: Please Support Senate Bill 349
I’m writing to urge your support for Senate Bill 349, which seeks to reclassify the possession of minor amounts of marijuana from a misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail and a $1000 fine to a fine-only infraction.
According to a report published by the Connecticut Law Review Commission, ”The legislature should review and further consider as a strategy option establishing the offense of infraction for adults twenty-one years of age or older who possess one ounce or less of marijuana.” The Commission stated that enacting this policy would greatly reduce state expenses, and would have “virtually no effect” on the use of marijuana, alcohol, or other drugs in Connecticut.
Senate Bill 349 is strongly supported by the public. In November, 65 percent of voters in Massachusetts endorsed a similar statewide initiative reclassifying marijuana possession as a fine-only offense under state law. To date, thirteen states — including Nebraska, Ohio, Maine, and Mississippi – have enacted marijuana decriminalziation laws. Passage of this legislation in these states has not led to increased marijuana use or altered the public’s perceptions regarding the potential harms of drug use.
In fact, the only U.S. government study ever commissioned to assess whether the enforcement of strict legal penalties positively impacts marijuana use found, “Overall, the preponderance of the evidence which we have gathered and examined points to the conclusion that decriminalization has had virtually no effect either on the marijuana use or on related attitudes and beliefs about marijuana use among American young people.”
Senate Bill 349 is a common sense, fiscally responsible proposal that will cut costs without altering the publics’ attitudes or use of marijuana. I urge you to vote yes on SB 349.




And

SUBJECT: Please support our patients: Yes on House Bill 5175
I’m writing to urge your support for House Bill 5175.
This bill seeks to enact statewide legal protections shielding those seriously ill patients who use cannabis therapeutically with a doctor’s recommendation from criminal prosecution. At the same time, it will not alter or interfere with already existing state laws discouraging the non-medical, recreational use of marijuana.
The use of marijuana as medicine is a public health issue; it should not be part of the war on drugs. According to a recent national survey of U.S. physicians conducted for the American Society of Addiction Medicine, nearly half of all doctors with opinions support legalizing cannabis as a medicine. Some 80 state and national health care organizations, including the American Nurses Association, American Public Health Association and The New England Journal of Medicine, support immediate, legal patient access to medical cannabis.
Most recently, the largest association of doctors of internal medicine and the second largest medical association in the country, the American College of Physicians, released a policy paper in support of medical cannabis, stating, “The ACP strongly urges protection from criminal or civil penalties for patients who use medical marijuana as permitted under state laws.”
Locally, the Connecticut State Nurses Association has gone on record supporting patients’ “safe access to therapeutic marijuana.” In 2007, the Connecticut legislature also backed the medical use of marijuana under appropriate supervision, only to have this measure vetoed by the Governor.
Thirteen states - Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington - have enacted laws protecting medical marijuana patients from state prosecution. These laws are operating primarily as lawmakers intended and have not led to widespread abuses among adolescents or adult recreational users.
I believe it is unconscionable to deny this effective medicine to sick and dying patients. I strongly urge you to support the medical use of marijuana in Connecticut and to vote ‘yes’ on HB 5175.

[Big L]

Yea boi!!!!!

[mimomontalvo]

thats awesome. one state at a time! pretty soon everyones going to be on board.

[p9ot]

i hope new hampshire is next!

[burnttwaffle]

Finally!

-bw

[MagnusRune]

Woohoo

Let's see some national bills now, damnit.

[Big L]

I hope are shity gov doesn't veto it again

[burnttwaffle]

CONTACT YOUR REPS

SUBJECT: Please Support Senate Bill 349
I’m writing to urge your support for Senate Bill 349, which seeks to reclassify the possession of minor amounts of marijuana from a misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail and a $1000 fine to a fine-only infraction.
According to a report published by the Connecticut Law Review Commission, ”The legislature should review and further consider as a strategy option establishing the offense of infraction for adults twenty-one years of age or older who possess one ounce or less of marijuana.” The Commission stated that enacting this policy would greatly reduce state expenses, and would have “virtually no effect” on the use of marijuana, alcohol, or other drugs in Connecticut.
Senate Bill 349 is strongly supported by the public. In November, 65 percent of voters in Massachusetts endorsed a similar statewide initiative reclassifying marijuana possession as a fine-only offense under state law. To date, thirteen states — including Nebraska, Ohio, Maine, and Mississippi – have enacted marijuana decriminalziation laws. Passage of this legislation in these states has not led to increased marijuana use or altered the public’s perceptions regarding the potential harms of drug use.
In fact, the only U.S. government study ever commissioned to assess whether the enforcement of strict legal penalties positively impacts marijuana use found, “Overall, the preponderance of the evidence which we have gathered and examined points to the conclusion that decriminalization has had virtually no effect either on the marijuana use or on related attitudes and beliefs about marijuana use among American young people.”
Senate Bill 349 is a common sense, fiscally responsible proposal that will cut costs without altering the publics’ attitudes or use of marijuana. I urge you to vote yes on SB 349.




And

SUBJECT: Please support our patients: Yes on House Bill 5175
I’m writing to urge your support for House Bill 5175.
This bill seeks to enact statewide legal protections shielding those seriously ill patients who use cannabis therapeutically with a doctor’s recommendation from criminal prosecution. At the same time, it will not alter or interfere with already existing state laws discouraging the non-medical, recreational use of marijuana.
The use of marijuana as medicine is a public health issue; it should not be part of the war on drugs. According to a recent national survey of U.S. physicians conducted for the American Society of Addiction Medicine, nearly half of all doctors with opinions support legalizing cannabis as a medicine. Some 80 state and national health care organizations, including the American Nurses Association, American Public Health Association and The New England Journal of Medicine, support immediate, legal patient access to medical cannabis.
Most recently, the largest association of doctors of internal medicine and the second largest medical association in the country, the American College of Physicians, released a policy paper in support of medical cannabis, stating, “The ACP strongly urges protection from criminal or civil penalties for patients who use medical marijuana as permitted under state laws.”
Locally, the Connecticut State Nurses Association has gone on record supporting patients’ “safe access to therapeutic marijuana.” In 2007, the Connecticut legislature also backed the medical use of marijuana under appropriate supervision, only to have this measure vetoed by the Governor.
Thirteen states - Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington - have enacted laws protecting medical marijuana patients from state prosecution. These laws are operating primarily as lawmakers intended and have not led to widespread abuses among adolescents or adult recreational users.
I believe it is unconscionable to deny this effective medicine to sick and dying patients. I strongly urge you to support the medical use of marijuana in Connecticut and to vote ‘yes’ on HB 5175.


-BW

[Big L]

^ Already did that

[burnttwaffle]

I can't find there email addresses. I would prefer to email them from my own email not what they have set up.
any1 wanna help?

-BW

[Big L]

Originally Posted by burnttwaffle

I can't find there email addresses. I would prefer to email them from my own email not what they have set up.
any1 wanna help?

-BW

Same problem i had but i ended up sending it from norml.

[superredneck98]

"NORML is also pleased to announce that House Bill 5175, an act to exempt qualified medical cannabis patients from state arrest and prosecution, has been referred to the Joint Committee on Judiciary as well." lol joint committee. Sorry im super blazed lol

[Yero]

fuck yea Im from norwalk and go to school in Boston, its been so dumb its decrimalized in college but not when i go back home

[wraughbit]

This is awesome.

Hell so now that the DEA isn't(won't be) raiding medical marijuana ops, that just means MM is basically federally legal now. Unless you happen to get pulled over by some sort of detective or secret service agent. hahah

[SlipperyPete]

Man, I can only hope one day to say the same about Florida. The laws around here are just too harsh and they keep making them harsher.