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[Courtesy of Marijuana Policy Project] 

In case you’re wondering, MPP's medical marijuana bill in New York probably isn’t in jeopardy because of the resignation today of Gov. Eliot Spitzer (D). (As you've probably seen in the news, the FBI recently discovered he was spending large amounts of money on prostitutes.)

Back in June, Gov. Spitzer indicated he was open to signing our medical marijuana legislation into law, telling reporters, “We've taken a hard look at it over the past number of months, and I'm open to signing a bill that is properly structured for appropriate use based upon the evidence that has been presented to me.”

I'm told that incoming Gov. David Paterson (D) is also likely to be supportive of our legislation, which passed the New York Assembly in June by a 95-52 vote. Our sights are focused on the Republican-controlled Senate, where our legislation has been pending for quite some time.

This spring, MPP will continue to push hard in New York — as well as in the other states detailed below. Would you please consider automatically donating $5 or more on your credit card each month to support our long-term state legislative efforts?

• In Illinois, our medical marijuana bill passed its first test when it cleared the Senate Public Health Committee by a 6-4 vote last week. And we’re also pursuing action in the Illinois House in the wake of a new poll MPP released yesterday, which shows that Illinois voters support MPP’s medical marijuana legislation in Springfield by a 67% to 27% margin.
  
  
• In California, MPP’s professional lobbyists in Sacramento are working with a respected state senator to pass legislation to provide tax amnesty for medical marijuana dispensaries; the bill is slated for a Senate committee hearing within the next few weeks. And we’re also supporting a bill — which was recently introduced in the state Assembly — to prohibit state and local government officials from cooperating with federal agents in a way that would subvert California's medical marijuana law.
  
  
• In Vermont, a bill to decriminalize the possession of a small amount of marijuana passed the state Senate with a bipartisan 22-7 vote last month. The bill is now awaiting a hearing in the House Judiciary Committee.
  
  
• In New Hampshire, a similar decriminalization bill received an unfavorable recommendation from a House committee but will nonetheless receive a vote on the floor of the New Hampshire House within two weeks. An MPP grantee, the New Hampshire Coalition for Common Sense Marijuana Policy, is leading the fight for this bill.
  
  
• In Kansas, for the first time in history, a medical marijuana bill introduced in the state Senate received a full committee hearing and was supported by the state's former four-term attorney general, Bob Stephan (R) — but the bill is now dead for this session. An MPP grantee, Kansas Compassionate Care Coalition, was instrumental in getting the bill introduced and heard in committee.
  
  
• In Rhode Island, legislation promoted by an MPP grantee, the Rhode Island Patient Advocacy Coalition, will allow for "compassion centers" to distribute medical marijuana. Twin bills have been introduced in both chambers of the Rhode Island Legislature.
  
  
• And in Tennessee, a medical marijuana bill received two hearings in a House committee. The bill is unlikely to pass this year, but the bill’s sponsor has vowed to re-introduce it next year. MPP is considering committing resources (a lobbyist) next year to assist with passing medical marijuana legislation there.

As you can see, MPP and MPP grantees have been extremely busy — and making progress — so far this legislative session. I hope you’ll become a monthly pledger to support our efforts in the months to come. Thank you ...

Sincerely,

Rob Kampia
Executive Director
Marijuana Policy Project
Washington, D.C.

P.S. As I've mentioned in previous alerts, a major philanthropist has committed to match the first $3.0 million that MPP can raise from the rest of the planet in 2008. This means that your monthly pledge will be doubled.

[Courtesy of The Sentencing Project]

[Courtesy of HaRdCOREhARMREdUCER]

[Courtesy of Drug Policy Forum of Kansas]

Action Alert

March 10, 2008

Committee Chair, Senator John Vraitl, R-Overland Park, 785-296-7361

Vice Chair, Senator Terry Bruce,  R-Hutchinson, 785-296-7300

Senator Barbara Allen,  R-Overland Park,  785-296-7353

Senator Les Donovan,  R-Wichita, 785-296-7385 

Senator Phil Journey, R-Wichita, 785-296-7367

Senator Julia Lynn, R-Olathe, 785-296-7382

Senator Derek Schmidt, R-Independence, 785-296-2497

Senator Duane Umbarger, R-Thayer, 785-296-7389

Senator Greta Goodwin,R-Winfield, 785-296-7381

Senator Donald Betts, R-Wichita, 785-296-7387

Senator David Haley, D- Kansas City, 785-296-7376     

Sample letter or phone call:

Dear Senator, I am opposed to HB 2545, a bill to make the second-time possession of ecstasy a felony in Kansas.

This bill will not reduce drug abuse in Kansas in will only put more drug offenders in our prisons.

Reducing drug abuse can only be accomplished through some of the following; spending more on drug treatment programs in our prisons, providing effective drug education in our schools and early childhood education programs.

According to the governor's budget director, this bill will add an additional one million dollars to the corrections budget this year alone. This money could be better used to expand re-entry programs across the state.

Please support effective programs to reduce drug abuse in Kansas, not legislation designed to put more people in prison.

Please help us promote innovative drug policies by sending your tax-deductible donation today.

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