Possession of small amounts of marijuana for medical purposes is now legal under Rhode Island law, but users have no legal way to obtain the drug. Some lawmakers want to change that by establishing dispensaries for medical marijuana, the Providence Journal reported April 7.

Rhode Island legalized medical marijuana last year, but while patients can legally grow the drug for personal use, they can't buy it legally. Recently, a medical-marijuana user was robbed at gunpoint while trying to buy the drug from a dealer.

Under legislation proposed by Rep. Thomas Slater and Sen. Rhoda Perry, "compassion centers" would be established to sell marijuana at affordable prices to patients registered as medical users with the state. The centers would be regulated by the state health department.

If approved, the legislation would put Rhode Island at the forefront of medical-marijuana distribution. Of the dozen states that have legalized medical use of marijuana, only California and New Mexico allow dispensaries, and California's are not regulated by the state.

Rhode Island Gov. Don Carcieri and some state lawmakers oppose medical marijuana and the dispensary plan, and state health officials said they have no expertise in licensing or regulating medical marijuana.