Welcome to RIPAC!
Download RIPAC's pamphlet about the Rhode Island Medical Marijuana ActPlease call your Senator and email your state legislators to support non-profit Compassion Centers to grow and distribute medical marijuana for patients!
Our Recent News:
May 2008: On 5/13/08 the Senate will vote on S2693! Also, a new poll has found that 69% of Rhode Islanders support this Compassion Center bill.April 2008: 4 patients, 4 doctors, and 4 advocacy orgs testified for H7888 at HEW hearing--and for S2693 at HHS hearing, where it passed unanimously! Click here to ask your state legislators to support these bills! The Newport Daily News editorialized FOR Compassion Centers, too.
March 2008: RI's Dr. Jody Rich interviewed by Internal Medicine News on mmj.
February 2008: This year's bill intro'ed by Rep. Tom Slater and Sen. Rhoda Perry.
January 2008: New monthly sustainer program, click RIpatients.org/donate.
November 2007: RIPAC ED Jesse Stout's speech at NORML 2007 is on YouTube.
June 2007: The Medical Marijuana Act is now permanent!
RIPAC and medical marijuana in the media!
April 8, after our bill's House hearing, patients spoke with ABC6 News: video here! We were also featured by WPRI-12/FOX News in this story and this video, and on the cover of the Providence Journal's Rhode Island section. On April 14, the Newport Daily News editorialized in favor as well, read it here.On April 2, after the bill's Senate hearing, 3 patients appeared on NBC WJAR Ch10 News, we talked to WRNI Public Radio, and the Providence Journal came out with an April 3rd cover story.
On Valentine's Day, 2/14/08, the Providence Journal published a lovely lead editorial asking, "How are medical users to legally acquire marijuana?" Hey, we get that question all the time! Read the editorial. More editorials here. The Providence Phoenix for the week of Feb 21 includes RIPAC's answer to the Journal's question, right here. And US Rep. Barney Frank's answer is here.
On November 17 & 18 respectively, RIPAC members Chris Neves and Bobbie Ebert publicly asked Presidential candidate Senator John McCain (R-AZ) not to arrest medical marijuana patients if elected; watch the Q-and-A here and here.
On September 9, the Sunday Providence Journal featured a major article about RIPAC members Kelly Powers, Rhonda O'Donnell, Denis Dubois, Emelie Archibald, and Bobbie Ebert. This story is a turning point for medical marijuana in RI, read it here! A follow-up letter-to-the-editor by RIPAC member Bill Cotton appeared in the Sunday Providence Journal on September 16; here it is.
For more stories on medical marijuana in Rhode Island, visit our NEWS page.
Rhode Island Medical Marijuana Act
On January 3, 2006, the Rhode Island General Assembly overrode Governor Carcieri’s veto, protecting patients and passing the RI Medical Marijuana Act, or:
The Edward O. Hawkins and Thomas C. Slater Medical Marijuana Act
“to protect patients with debilitating medical conditions, and their physicians and primary caregivers, from arrest and prosecution, criminal and other penalties ... if such patients engage in the medical use of marijuana.”
The Edward O. Hawkins and Thomas C. Slater Medical Marijuana Act
“to protect patients with debilitating medical conditions, and their physicians and primary caregivers, from arrest and prosecution, criminal and other penalties ... if such patients engage in the medical use of marijuana.”
You can start exploring our website from our Legal Overview page.