Editorial: Legislative Malpractice

[User]

The nine Republicans and one Democrat in the state Senate who voted last week against overriding Gov. John Lynch’s veto of a bill to legalize medicinal marijuana have sent a clear message to people with glaucoma or undergoing chemotherapy who would benefit from smoking a bit of herb now and then: Just tough it out.

The bill would have made New Hampshire the 14th state to legalize marijuana use by severely ill people, establishing three nonprofit “compassion centers’’ to dispense 2 ounces of marijuana every 10 days to severely ill patients who have a doctor’s approval.

There were some legitimate concerns about the proposal. Indeed, Lynch, in his veto, listed some, such as questions about cultivation and distribution, but they were nothing that couldn’t have been dealt with.

The senators who voted against overriding the veto, however, just didn’t seem to understand that real people – their constituents – could be helped by allowing them to use some marijuana.

“We have an opportunity to send a very clear message that we have not forgotten our citizens with long, suffering pain,” said Lancaster Rep. Evelyn Merrick, who helped the state House of Representatives override the veto.

She was right, but the Gang of 10 in the Senate thought they knew better. Now a perfectly reasonable way of easing suffering will still not be permitted in New Hampshire.

How else can one explain GOP Sen. Robert Letourneau of Derry, who believes that legalizing marijuana to ease suffering in cases of clear medical necessity goes against society’s push to convince the nation’s young not to experiment?

In supporting the veto, he said this: “This is a terrible message to send to our children.”

Really? So the message he wants to send is, what? That suffering is good for your soul? Take an aspirin?

This was a vote against people, a vote against reason.


NewsHawk: User: http://www.420magazine.com/
Source: cabinet.com
Copyright: 2009 The Cabinet
Contact: Contact - The Cabinet Press, Inc.
Website: Legislative malpractice - Cabinet.com

[Cherma]

Really? So the message he wants to send is, what? That suffering is good for your soul? Take an aspirin?

or

“Storefronts selling Valium and Vicodin—some of the drugs most abused by adolescents—are springing up across San Diego County, often within the vicinity of schools and other places kids congregate

gee let's spring these up allover for the kiddies. Seem like the big drug makers are fighting back?

[michaelkaer]

everyone knows it is the kids that are spending the bucks, when the old folks are holding on to their cash...

[rosalyvera]

Thanks for sharing