PDD Meeting Liveblog
The Progressive Democrats for Delaware are holding their will meeting at 7 pm, and I will be liveblogging our speakers below. Check below in the comments. Good turnout so far.
State Senator Margaret Rose Henry will discuss Senate Bill 17 (SB17), the Delaware Medical Marijuana Act. Emily Knearl from Planned Parenthood of Delaware will speak on recent attacks on women’s reproductive freedom and health. Leaders from Delaware Equality and ACLU-Delaware will discuss the Delaware civil union bill which will be introduced to the Legislature in March.
Senator Henry has arrived.
Bill Dunn and the group are discussing the New Castle County Council, and the PDD will have a response to the criticisms shortly.
Senator Henry is talking about the medical marijuana bill being a compassionate bill for pain relief.
You have to have a delibitating disease, and a doctor has to prescribe it. You can’t just decide to start smoking pot and get your family doctor to prescribe it.
There will only be three stores in the states, one in each county.
No more than 6 oz a month.
Montell Williams says this is the strictest bill in the country.
The stores will not be state run. The state will license the stores.
Senator Henry has heard from lots of people who want to run the stores, and that got a laugh.
Senator Henry says the federal government would look the other way. It took two years to research and craft this bill. She and others in Delaware met with Homeland Security, the DEA and the FDA on this.
The Hemp guy, and I did not catch his name, says that there is proof that oils in the cannibus plant do cure cancer and he thinks this bill is way too restrictive. Henry says she wants something to get passed. Too much too soon will not be passed.
There will be an advisory board with police, physicians and growers to develop rules for growing the strains
A very good question and answer session with our audience and Senator Henry. Great turnout tonight.
Progressive target to get this legislation passed: Senator Katz. He is a good maybe. He is a good progressive, so we have to call him up.
Thanks as always for doing this, DD.
Just one small request… I think the group is Equality Delaware. I believe there’s a separate group called Delaware Marriage Equality. Different groups, (slightly) different goals. It’s easy to get them mixed up.
Dudes, I really wanted to be there, man. But I totally spaced out. I was watching a Gilligan’s Island marathon. That Ginger chick was like ooh la-la, but Mary Anne is probably more my speed. Oh WOW! I bet she could bake some far-out hash brownies, man!
TSS, right on.
http://www.delawarerighttomarry.com/, http://www.facebook.com/pages/Delaware-Right-to-Marry-PAC/172058239482434 is the marriage equality group
http://equalitydelaware.org/, http://www.facebook.com/pages/Equality-Delaware/179534325416330 is the coalition working on the civil union bill
Skippertee, we’ll try to get Tina Louise or Dawn Wells (if she’s out of jail from her possession of non-medical marijuana–http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-03/12/content_7770695.htm) for next month’s PDD meeting on April 6th.
If they are both busy, we expect to get Lt. Gov Matt Denn
Thanks for doing this because I never get out to your meeting because it always conflicts with my Delaware Friends of Folk board at Sheridan’s in Smyrna. Dang it.