The Rhode Island Patient Advocacy Coalition (RIPAC) is Rhode Island's non-profit grassroots medical marijuana community. Patients, caregivers, doctors, nurses, health care providers, advocates, lawyers, organizations, and residents all make up a part of the coalition. RIPAC advances discourse, research, and policy related to medical marijuana in four main areas: patient advocacy, professional education, research, and policy development. RIPAC works to protect the medical use of marijuana under state law by facilitating dialogue among patients, medical professionals, law enforcement, and policymakers.
RIPAC began organizing in 2003 to protect Rhode Island citizens who were using cannabis for medical reasons. In 2006, the General Assembly overwhelmingly approved the Medical Marijuana Act and established the Rhode Island Medical Marijuana Program.
The Edward O. Hawkins and Thomas C. Slater Medical Marijuana Actedit
The Edward O. Hawkins and Thomas C. Slater Medical Marijuana Act allows licensed patients to legally possess up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana and 12 plants and 12 seedlings. The Act also allows licensed patients to appoint up to two caregivers to assist them in obtaining and cultivating medical cannabis within the limits set forth in law. In 2009, the law was amended to include the licensing of compassion centers to provide patients with increased access to medical marijuana.
The Act allows any Rhode Island citizen/resident who suffers from one of the qualifying conditions and whose physician is supportive of their use of cannabis to treat that condition. The qualifying conditions include cancer, glaucoma, positive status for human immunodeficiency virus, acquired immune deficiency syndrome, and hepatitis C, as well as the treatment of a chronic or debilitating disease or medical condition or its treatment that produces one or more of the following:
seizures, including but not limited to those characteristic of epilepsy
severe and persistent muscle spasms, including but not limited to those characteristic of multiple sclerosis or Crohn's disease; or agitation related to Alzheimer's disease.
On March 28, 2017, the "Legislative Oversight Commission of the Edward O. Hawkins and Thomas C. Slater Medical Marijuana Act" met for the first time, to have six meetings a year.[1]
Current membersedit
Current organizational members of the coalition include:
^Bogdan, Jennifer (March 19, 2017), "Political Scene: At long last, R.I.'s medical marijuana oversight panel will meet", Providence Journal, retrieved May 26, 2017
External linksedit
Official website
April 17, 2024
rhode, island, patient, advocacy, coalition, this, article, relies, excessively, references, primary, sources, please, improve, this, article, adding, secondary, tertiary, sources, find, sources, news, newspapers, books, scholar, jstor, november, 2016, learn, . This article relies excessively on references to primary sources Please improve this article by adding secondary or tertiary sources Find sources Rhode Island Patient Advocacy Coalition news newspapers books scholar JSTOR November 2016 Learn how and when to remove this template message The Rhode Island Patient Advocacy Coalition RIPAC is Rhode Island s non profit grassroots medical marijuana community Patients caregivers doctors nurses health care providers advocates lawyers organizations and residents all make up a part of the coalition RIPAC advances discourse research and policy related to medical marijuana in four main areas patient advocacy professional education research and policy development RIPAC works to protect the medical use of marijuana under state law by facilitating dialogue among patients medical professionals law enforcement and policymakers Contents 1 History 1 1 The Edward O Hawkins and Thomas C Slater Medical Marijuana Act 2 Current members 3 See also 4 References 5 External linksHistory editRIPAC began organizing in 2003 to protect Rhode Island citizens who were using cannabis for medical reasons In 2006 the General Assembly overwhelmingly approved the Medical Marijuana Act and established the Rhode Island Medical Marijuana Program The Edward O Hawkins and Thomas C Slater Medical Marijuana Act edit The Edward O Hawkins and Thomas C Slater Medical Marijuana Act allows licensed patients to legally possess up to 2 5 ounces of marijuana and 12 plants and 12 seedlings The Act also allows licensed patients to appoint up to two caregivers to assist them in obtaining and cultivating medical cannabis within the limits set forth in law In 2009 the law was amended to include the licensing of compassion centers to provide patients with increased access to medical marijuana The Act allows any Rhode Island citizen resident who suffers from one of the qualifying conditions and whose physician is supportive of their use of cannabis to treat that condition The qualifying conditions include cancer glaucoma positive status for human immunodeficiency virus acquired immune deficiency syndrome and hepatitis C as well as the treatment of a chronic or debilitating disease or medical condition or its treatment that produces one or more of the following cachexia or wasting syndrome severe debilitating chronic pain severe nausea seizures including but not limited to those characteristic of epilepsy severe and persistent muscle spasms including but not limited to those characteristic of multiple sclerosis or Crohn s disease or agitation related to Alzheimer s disease On March 28 2017 the Legislative Oversight Commission of the Edward O Hawkins and Thomas C Slater Medical Marijuana Act met for the first time to have six meetings a year 1 Current members editCurrent organizational members of the coalition include Rhode Island Medical Society Rhode Island State Nurses Association Students for Sensible Drug Policy chapters at Brown University Rhode Island College and the University of Rhode Island URI See also editThomas C SlaterReferences edit Bogdan Jennifer March 19 2017 Political Scene At long last R I s medical marijuana oversight panel will meet Providence Journal retrieved May 26 2017External links editOfficial website Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Rhode Island Patient Advocacy Coalition amp oldid 850636829, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
