Well 2010 is three quarters gone. With the election a little less than a month away it is time to start thinking about 2011. Medical marijuana activist are all ready gearing up for the 2011 Maryland General Assembly Session. What will happen when the legislature returns in January? What we are hearing is there will be a new old bill put in the hopper. Early this year I told you about HB 712 & SB 627. SB 627 made it through the Maryland Senate but HB 712 died in the House of Delegates. What was not talked about was HB 1388, a second medical marijuana before the House of Delegates. It was allowed to go by the wayside in favor of HB 712 because 712 had more sponsors and certain provisions that made it more palatable. Here's the deal - we were wrong to let that happen. If all goes as planned currently HB 1388 will be re-introduced this year, with possibly a few improvements.

There were two main flaws in HB 712 and we knew it. One there was no provision for personal cultivation. Second was the basic premise of the bill which was to set up state licensed large operations to grow cannabis. Here is the problem with that. It is not likely DEA will allow large grows to spring up in Maryland. How would that look, an acre of pot, or a large greenhouse growing marijuana just over the boarder from the nations capital.

HB 712 was modeled after New Jersey's recently passed medical marijuana law. NJ's law is still not finalized. Rules have not been agreed upon. The deadline for those rules is being pushed back at the request of first year governor of Gov. Christie (R). I spoke to the NJ Dept of Health and Senior Services back in late March of this year. At that point not one person had applied to become a grower. I’m sure that when this bill was before the New Jersey legislature the lawmakers were told that people will flock to become legal marijuana growers. According to the person I spoke to people aren't even calling to ask what the process will be. Actually the person I spoke to made it clear that she and many of her co-workers oppose having to implement the law. This is what we told Maryland lawmakers would happen if we enacted HB 712.

This is what you can expect if we pass a newly resurrected HB 1388. You can expect to be able to live without fear if you choose all natural cannabis over the narcotics of Big Pharm. You will be issued an ID card that lets every police office know that in Maryland it is legal for you to be in possession of marijuana for medicinal purposes.  You will be allowed to grow your own. How much is under discussion whether it would be a certain number of plants or the preferred “canopy” method of measuring. Under a “canopy” provision you will be allowed to designate a certain area, measured in square feet of your property to grow your own medicine. You will be allowed to designate a “caregiver.” A “caregiver” is a person you can designate to obtain cannabis for you because you are unable to say travel. This person may be someone who allows you to medicate in their residence because you have children present and don’t want to expose them to you breaking federal law. There are many other provisions; to read them all go to: <a href="http://mlis.state.md.us/2010rs/bills/hb/hb1388f.pdf">http://mlis.state.md.us/2010rs/bills/hb/hb1388f.pdf</a>
For now there will be a series of conference calls to begin the organizing process. If you would like to participate just send your e-mail address to me at caseyscannabisdream@comcast.net I’ll make sure it gets added to the mailing list. As always you can learn more about what’s happening in Maryland and all the other states by visiting the Americans for Safe Access (ASA) website at: http://www.safeaccessnow.org/ Remember it is your right “to be as pain free as possible.” It is time for Marylanders to stand up for their rights. Please join us this year to protect the right of Marylanders facing terrible illnesses to use cannabis to alleviate the debilitating disease symptoms and or side effects of the medicine they have to take for them.