Connecticut Governor Vetoes Medical Marijuana Bill

Governor Rell: “While we all want to relieve pain and suffering, other effective treatments are available and this bill would require illegal activity”

(HARTFORD, Conn. ) - Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell has vetoed a bill approved by the General Assembly that would have allowed the medical use of marijuana.

The Governor said that while “the bill seeks to provide relief to patients suffering from severe and persistent pain, the bill also requires that patients or primary caregivers engage in illegal activity to use marijuana.”

The Governor noted in her veto message that the “medical profession, as well as public and private biotechnology researchers, have made great strides in both pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic modalities for pain management and they continue their search to find effective pain relieving drugs.”

“I am not unfamiliar with the incredible pain and heartbreak associated with battling cancer and I have struggled with the decision about signing or vetoing this bill,” Governor Rell said. “I completely sympathize with the well-intentioned goal of alleviating pain and suffering, but legal alternatives are available, the bill forces law abiding citizens to seek out drug dealers to make a purchase, and there is no provision for monitoring use or proof of its effectiveness.

Governor Rell said that she has spoken and met with dozens of people on the issue, including members of the medical profession.

“Smoked marijuana as medicine has been rejected by the American Medical Association, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, the American Glaucoma Society, the American Academy of Ophthalmolgy and the American Cancer Society,” Governor Rell stated in her veto message.

“There should be no doubt that all of us would want to relieve the pain of a suffering patient,” Governor Rell said. “But few physicians have prescribed marijuana because doing so would be a violation of federal law. I am also concerned that this bill would send the wrong message to our youth. I have carefully weighed all of the issues associated with this issue. In the end, I believe it is most appropriate for me to veto this bill.”

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Dear Gov Rell April 3, 2010 12:42 pm (Pacific time)

Im gald you said no cus the pain med that cancer patients take is what all r youth is hooked on oxy,percocet, fentanyl, morphine and more then that leds to herion when they cant get that so lets keep r kids on opiates that so much better then smoking marijuana... cant wait for you to get outa office and approve the budget already. You sure ur pets are not running the state cus id be embarrassed if i was you

alcohol_is_worse April 3, 2010 12:34 pm (Pacific time)

alcohol is so much worse the weed.. Did you ever hear of some1 dying from smoking weed ??? nope but i kno alot who did from alcohol. liver failure, AA . You cant get withdrawals from weed so just legalize it already and crime will drop and so will alcohol and hard drug use... But we all kno that the Alcohol companies dont want that and they probably give money to the government to make it illegal ... and the government makes so much money off it rite now

Anonymous October 31, 2009 12:35 pm (Pacific time)

Dear Governor Rell: I'm so glad that you realized that there are plenty of effective medications control pain and improve appetite. How could we dare allow these people to use so dangerous of a drug? After all, conventional pain relievers only destroy your digestive system and you're liver. I agree completely that livers and stomachs are a small price to pay, indeed, to keep our Great American People from smoking such a vile and addictive substance...

jessica douglass February 28, 2009 9:14 pm (Pacific time)

compare the streets of amsterdam to the streets of nyc or l.a. or even new london, ct. where would you rather live?

DESMOND December 31, 2007 1:07 pm (Pacific time)

it comes to my concern that you vetoed the bill for marijuana, just what to tell you the bill is notthing but your opinion outher ppl can choose right from wrong or walk on ther own feet and not yours so just to tell you you to cloesed minded open up a little

Jean December 17, 2007 8:59 pm (Pacific time)

Why is it that people always think of medical cannabis as having to be smoked? It can be very effectively vapourised (no smoke and no burnt plant material). It can be made into cookies, or sprinkled on food, or made into a tea and all are very effective. Using smoking as a reason for keeping it illegal and denying medical cannabis users their rights to choose, is a very poor excuse. And by the way, Cannabis does not have to be made 'legal', it just needs to be re-instated. It was perfectly legal for thousands of years and can be again.

kirrardo November 29, 2007 10:38 am (Pacific time)

I am a 38 old male with chronic pain. The traditional doctors prescribed all kinds of drugs with who knows what side effects. A particular strain that my medical marijuana dispesary carries does so well that I have been able to eliminate the use of Tramadol. (I also recently eliminated blood pressure meds by use of a sleep apnea device.) What was my primary doctors' advice on the CPAP machine? Just keeping using the drugs, compliance is so low. I digress; it just goes to show who these so called professional organizations have a vested interest in perpetuating their brand of relief/profit. Further, I would like to note that contrary to many conceptions of a medical marijuana user would look like, I have also given up alcohol, all nightshade vegetables (you try giving up tomatos, it sux), added sugars. I treat my body well and I am happy to say that medical marijuana is a preferable choice. You will not convince me otherwise.

Neal Feldman June 23, 2007 8:43 am (Pacific time)

There are many to whom the most effective medication is marijuana. I realize the drug war warriors hate that fact but it remains. Another little fact is it is stupid to ban marijuana while cocaine, heroin etc can still be prescribed. It is also stupid to ignore the fact that no person has ever died from marijuana use but tobacco and alcohol, both entirely legal, cause hundreds of thousands of deaths each year. This closed-minded attitude is just further evidence that Prohibition, regardless on the topic it is applied to, is an utter, complete and abysmal failure and should no longer be practiced in any context especially in an allegedly 'free country'.

James June 21, 2007 11:13 am (Pacific time)

Why don't people just tell the truth, "I like to smoke weed and I want it to be legal". Stop hiding behind the old "It's the only thing that can manage my pain" routine. Modern medice had created drugs that can prevent you from feeling your own body, much less pain!

Anonymous June 20, 2007 10:49 pm (Pacific time)

Dear Governor Rell: I live in another state and know nothiing about you. From your picture, you seem like a kind and caring human being. I'm so sorry you didn't decide differently on this issue. With the stroke of your pen, you could have brought relief to many people who are suffering. You and I are approximately the same age. I hope neither of us has to endure chronic, unrelenting pain at some point in our lives, but there are many who do. I wish you had thought about them when you made your decision. It's really sort of cruel to tell people who are suffering, "The medical profession, as well as public and private biotechnology researchers, have made great strides in both pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic modalities for pain management and they continue their search to find effective pain relieving drugs.” That's really going to make people who are suffering feel better, using fancy words like modalities and biotechnologies and promising future strides in pain management when they need relief now. How quickly even the best of us can be seduced by our own inhumanity.

Vic June 20, 2007 10:17 pm (Pacific time)

This from the state that gave us Joe Lieberman....I guess drugs are bad,but dopes are OK

S.LaMarche June 20, 2007 4:47 pm (Pacific time)

thanks gov!, your accumulated wisdom is to keep your job. The documented facts of this herbs medical value is the opposite of your sought out "dozens" of opinions and I think you missed the train.

Jeff June 20, 2007 4:46 pm (Pacific time)

If the bill did not suit her she should challenge congress to come up with one that does, so relief can legally come to those who are forced by archaic laws to break the law itself simply to achieve an acceptable comfort level in living. The argument that it would encouage the young towards the recreational use of marijuana is old, outdated and proven to be inaccurate. We need to get medical marijuana approved on the federal level. Which means investgations and prosecution of senators accepting some sort of financial reward for keeping it illegal. I don't mean to be cynical but there has to be something deep and undercover in Washington to keep marijuana illegal for so long inspite of the judgement of it's own Chief Administratve Law Judge for the DEA Francis Young, in the latter 1980's who stated, "One must reasonably conclude that there is accepted safety for the use of marijuana under medical supervision. To conclude otherwise, on this record, would be unreasonable, arbitrary, and capricious." The economic benefits from industrial hemp is kept illegal for fear that the youth would think that means it's ok to use cannabis for simple R and R (rest and relaxation)while it would be a financial boom to farmers. There are 5,000 uses from the hemp plant ranging from gasoline to clothing to medicine. Wake up people only public opinion will chase out the chains and ghost's of the extremely ignorant. Write your senator, congresswoman/man, Dear Abbey, whatever but lets use the power of public opinion to change government.

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Connecticut Governor Vetoes Medical Marijuana Bill

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