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 veggie
Registered: 07/25/04
Posts: 6,494
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 New Mexico Bars Drug Charge When Overdose Is Reported
#6748792 - 04/04/07 11:17 PM (1 year, 7 months ago) |
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New Mexico Bars Drug Charge When Overdose Is Reported
April 5, 2007 - nytimes.com
Struggling with an epidemic of drug fatalities, New Mexico has enacted a groundbreaking law providing immunity from prosecution for people who come forward to help drug users suffering overdoses.
The act, signed into law Tuesday by Gov. Bill Richardson, prevents the authorities from prosecuting on the basis of evidence “gained as a result of the seeking of medical assistance.”
It also protects drug users themselves from prosecution if the process of seeking help for an overdose provides the only evidence against them.
The legislation, which was popularly known as the 911 Good Samaritan bill, is the first of its kind in the nation, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
In a statement yesterday, Mr. Richardson, who is running for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2008, said: “I have always been committed to prevention and rehabilitation of drug users. If we can encourage people to save themselves or others from a drug-related death or trauma, then we should do that. This bill will encourage families and friends of addicts to seek medical care and prevent their loved one from dying.”
The action was praised by the Drug Policy Alliance, which works to ease drug penalties. The group said New Mexico had the worst overdose problem in the country, with about one death a day.
“Whatever it takes to get people to call 911 to save lives,” said Tommy McDonald, a spokesman for the group in Washington.
It was the second drug measure signed in two days by Mr. Richardson. On Monday, he signed a medical marijuana bill that allows patients who are H.I.V. positive or who have diseases including AIDS, cancer, glaucoma or multiple sclerosis to relieve pain with marijuana, under a doctor’s supervision.
The governor lobbied strongly for the medical marijuana bill, which he said could hurt his presidential prospects but was “the right thing to do.”
The Samaritan bill, introduced by State Senator Richard C. Martinez, a Democrat and a retired magistrate judge from Espanola, also provides that in the event of a drug prosecution based on outside evidence, the act of seeking aid for someone suffering an overdose “may be used as a mitigating factor” in a defense.
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 StreetFreak
smellin' like a plant
Registered: 02/10/07
Posts: 890
Loc: locked in a place where n...
Last seen: 20 hours, 22 minutes
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Re: New Mexico Bars Drug Charge When Overdose Is Reported [Re: veggie]
#6749053 - 04/05/07 12:38 AM (1 year, 7 months ago) |
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I'm liking this governor more and more every day! He goes against the norm to help better peoples lives.
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Seuss
Error: divide byzero
Registered: 04/27/01
Posts: 16,810
Loc: Caribbean
Last seen: 1 hour, 37 minutes
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Re: New Mexico Bars Drug Charge When Overdose Is Reported [Re: veggie]
#6749508 - 04/05/07 06:11 AM (1 year, 7 months ago) |
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Quote:
New Mexico has enacted a groundbreaking law providing immunity from prosecution for people who come forward to help drug users suffering overdoses.
Woah... a government that cares more about helping it's citizens than it does about damning a drug... something is wrong here... time to call in the fundamentalists to set things straight...
Quote:
In a statement yesterday, Gov. Richardson, who is running for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2008 ... The governor lobbied strongly for the medical marijuana bill, which he said could hurt his presidential prospects but was “the right thing to do.”
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Just another spore in the wind.
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FoURtWeNTy420
Star Child
 
Registered: 03/07/07
Posts: 468
Loc: Palm Beach, Florida Niigg...
Last seen: 7 months, 16 days
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Re: New Mexico Bars Drug Charge When Overdose Is Reported [Re: Seuss]
#6749840 - 04/05/07 08:57 AM (1 year, 7 months ago) |
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Didnt this same governor also make medical marijuana legal in New Mexico? If so good guy......if he really wants to introduce a medical marijuana for the whole country as president, he's got my vote
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I support drug testing, which drug should i test today?
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CUBErt
Connoisseur ofHallucination
Registered: 08/24/05
Posts: 1,067
Loc: Southern CA
Last seen: 16 days, 15 hours
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Re: New Mexico Bars Drug Charge When Overdose Is Reported [Re: veggie]
#6750021 - 04/05/07 10:13 AM (1 year, 7 months ago) |
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And now America's leaders will tell us how corrupt that guy is, and probably threaten to cut financial ties with him if he makes too many more laws like this
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-CUBErt
 
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dedjam
Electro Penguin
Registered: 12/14/05
Posts: 2,138
Loc: Moralton, Statesota
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Re: New Mexico Bars Drug Charge When Overdose Is Reported [Re: CUBErt]
#6750408 - 04/05/07 12:04 PM (1 year, 7 months ago) |
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Quote:
CUBErt said:
And now America's leaders will tell us how corrupt that guy is, and probably threaten to cut financial ties with him if he makes too many more laws like this
I could care less what America's "leaders" say in response to this guy, we all know they are full of shit.
The real point will be to see how the American PEOPLE react to such a law. Although you would think most would be in favor of legislation like this, the propaganda machine has done a wonderful job at turning the majority of Americans into drug user hating drones.
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pokermush
Waterboardingmyself toprotect America!
Registered: 09/17/06
Posts: 475
Loc: Utah
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Re: New Mexico Bars Drug Charge When Overdose Is Reported [Re: dedjam]
#6750984 - 04/05/07 02:54 PM (1 year, 7 months ago) |
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This is a good bill, hopefully more states will follow suit.
I was excited about Bill Richardson running for pres, thinking that maybe he would be friendly to the harmless drugs. But as I read up on him, I found that he is adamantly opposed to any "recreational decriminalization" of any drugs that are currently illegal, even going so far as saying it is irresponsible for anyone holding any public position to support it.
So the best we can hope for if he is president is medical marijuana, which I guess is a good start.
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ToiletDuk
Party Pants
Registered: 05/16/03
Posts: 38,341
Loc: EarthFarm 1
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Re: New Mexico Bars Drug Charge When Overdose Is Reported [Re: FoURtWeNTy420]
#6751741 - 04/05/07 06:29 PM (1 year, 7 months ago) |
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Quote:
FoURtWeNTy420 said:
Didnt this same governor also make medical marijuana legal in New Mexico? If so good guy......if he really wants to introduce a medical marijuana for the whole country as president, he's got my vote
Yes, they just passed a medical marijuana bill in New Mexico. NM is now the 12th state to allow this. It's nice to see some states have some sanity.
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Noviseer
Percussion isFree
Registered: 03/18/03
Posts: 3,716
Last seen: 7 days, 3 hours
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Re: New Mexico Bars Drug Charge When Overdose Is Reported [Re: ToiletDuk]
#6751913 - 04/05/07 07:20 PM (1 year, 7 months ago) |
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thank god for a ray of sanity in the place where government meets drugs.
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namaste said:
no flamz in da ODD, if you got nothing to contribute then keep yo lips zipped
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 b0red5tiff
i deliver the news
Registered: 09/16/06
Posts: 9,324
Loc: \m/
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Re: New Mexico Bars Drug Charge When Overdose Is Reported [Re: Noviseer]
#6752900 - 04/06/07 12:17 AM (1 year, 7 months ago) |
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i can see the U.S. making opposite laws, like "OD in our state plz and we'll pay for the cremation of your pagan soul. die, druggie."
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there is no pill, piece, puzzle, solution
pulse, reaction, inhilation, exhale, gag
fall out, retarding, pussyhole theory
you fucking dumb fuck
Get killed
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You know... I've been lying awake at night. I feel... like I'm sleeping... but I'm awake. That's when I hear him. And lately, when I hear him... all at once... I understand. Everything. John, do you remember the last time you were happy?
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