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Out-of-State Doctors

Any medical practitioner who can prescribe medications in Rhode Island can also legally recommend medical marijuana: this means all Medical Doctors, Nurse Practitioners, and Physician Assistants. As of 2009, doctors -- only physicians -- in Massachusetts or Connecticut can also recommend medical marijuana. This means that Rhode Island patients can have the Medical Marijuana Program application form signed by their MA or CT doctor, even though our state law will only protect their medical use of marijuana within RI.

Out-of-State Patients

The reciprocity clause of the Rhode Island Medical Marijuana Act protects patients from any medical marijuana state who are in Rhode Island and have their documentation with them. This means that patients from Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington, who are in possession of a medical marijuana license, may possess up to 2.5 ounces of medical marijuana in the state of Rhode Island. However, to participate in the RI Medical Marijuana Program by appointing a caregiver, these patients would need to become RI patients by obtaining a RI medical marijuana license from the RI Department of Health.

Michigan and Montana also both have this reciprocity clause, so Rhode Island's patients are legally protected for possessing and using medical marijuana in those states. In November 2009 Maine will vote on adding reciprocity to their law, which would protect Rhode Island patients within the state of Maine.

FOR MORE INFO on the laws of all 13 medical marijuana states, please see Americans for Safe Access.

Other States' Organizations

Here is a list of links to groups in other states working for medical marijuana patients. Contact them through their websites to get involved!
FEDERAL USA: Americans for Safe Access
ALABAMA: Alabamians for Compassionate Care
ALASKA: Regulate Marijuana in Alaska
ARIZONA: Arizona Medical Marijuana Policy Project
ARKANSAS: Alliance for Reform of Drug Policy in Arkansas
CALIFORNIA: Americans for Safe Access
COLORADO: Sensible Colorado
CONNECTICUT: Efficacy
DELAWARE: Marijuana Policy Project
FLORIDA: People United for Medical Marijuana
GEORGIA: got nothing...
HAWAII: Drug Policy Forum of Hawaii
IDAHO: Marijuana Policy Project
ILLINOIS: Marijuana Policy Project
INDIANA: Indiana NORML
IOWA: Iowans for Medical Marijuana
KANSAS: Marijuana Policy Project
KENTUCKY: Marijuana Policy Project
LOUISIANA: got nothing...
MAINE: Maine Medical Marijuana Resource Center
MARYLAND: University of Maryland Students for Sensible Drug Policy
MASSACHUSETTS: Massachusetts Patient Advocacy Alliance
MICHIGAN: Michigan Medical Marijuana Alliance
MINNESOTA: Minnesotans for Compassionate Care
MISSISSIPPI: got nothing...
MISSOURI: Missouri University NORML/SSDP
MONTANA: Patients and Families United
NEBRASKA: got nothing...
NEVADA: Nevada NORML
NEW HAMPSHIRE: New Hampshire Compassion
NEW JERSEY: Coalition for Medical Marijuana New Jersey
NEW MEXICO: Drug Policy Alliance New Mexico
NEW YORK: New Yorkers for Compassionate Care
NORTH CAROLINA: North Carolina Cannabis Patients Network
NORTH DAKOTA: got nothing...
OHIO: Ohio Patient Network
OKLAHOMA: Oklahoma Compassionate Care Campaign
OREGON: Oregon NORML
PENNSYLVANIA: Pennsylvanians for Medical Marijuana
RHODE ISLAND!: Rhode Island Patient Advocacy Coalition
SOUTH CAROLINA: got nothing...
SOUTH DAKOTA: South Dakotans for Medical Marijuana
TENNESSEE: Marijuana Policy Project
TEXAS: Texas Coalition for Compassionate Care
UTAH: got nothing...
VERMONT: Vermont Alliance for Intelligent Drug Laws
VIRGINIA: Patients Out of Time
WASHINGTON: ACLU of Washington
WEST VIRGINIA: got nothing...
WISCONSIN: Is My Medicine Legal Yet?