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[Courtesy of Americans for Safe Access]

Dear ASA Supporter,

Next week, thousands of citizens nationwide will line up to vote in one of more than 20 presidential primaries held on Super Tuesday. Click here to send an e-mail and fax to the presidential candidates to commit to ending DEA raids on medical marijuana providers.

Over the past several months, the medical marijuana community has interacted with many of the candidates in both the Republican and Democratic parties. While ASA has not endorsed a candidate, ASA activists, chapters, and affiliates participated in bird-dogging events throughout the country, asking the candidates tough questions about medical marijuana, ending DEA raids, and prioritizing research. Granite Staters for Medical Marijuana, in New Hampshire, questioned all of the candidates about their positions on DEA raids on medical marijuana patients and providers. Ultimately, several candidates stated that they would end the DEA raids, and four of them are still in the presidential race!

With Super Tuesday on the horizon, it is time to challenge the presidential candidates who have publicly supported medical marijuana to take their commitment to safe access one step further by pledging to end federal raids if elected. We are calling on these candidates to commit to issue an Executive Order that would end federal interference in medical marijuana states. Click here to send an e-mail and fax to the candidates right away!

We are calling on Senator Clinton, Senator Obama, Senator Edwards, and Congressman Ron Paul to pledge that they will issue an Executive Order that says:

No funds made available to the Department of Justice shall be used to prevent States from implementing adopted laws that authorize the use, distribution, possession, or cultivation of medical marijuana. In particular, no funds shall be used to investigate, seize, arrest or prosecute in association with the distribution of medical marijuana, unless such distribution has been found by adjudication to violate state or local law.

Click here to e-mail and fax the candidates, challenging them to stand up for medical marijuana patients and to protect taxpayers’ dollars. It is time for the candidates to show that their campaigns are not about rhetoric, but about protecting the rights of Americans.

Sincerely,

Sonnet Seeborg-Gabbard
Field Coordinator
Americans for Safe Access

P.S. Please enable more actions like these in the future. Sending faxes costs ASA ten cents per fax, and as you know, that can add up! Click here to donate to ASA and ensure future actions such as these.

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Americans for Safe Access is the nation's largest organization of patients, medical professionals, scientists and concerned citizens promoting safe and legal access to cannabis for therapeutic use and research.

[Courtesy of the Kansas Compassionate Care Coalition] An historic first step was taken today toward obtaining legal protections for patients who use, and physicians who recommend marijuana as part of a treatment program for debilitating medical conditions! The Senate Healthcare Strategies committee voted to introduce The Medical Marijuana Defense Act which allows for a “defense to prosecution” for legitimate medical marijuana patients charged with possession of marijuana. This means a person who is charged with possession of marijuana can obtain a written certification from a physician to use in their defense to the charge. Under current Kansas law, legitimate medical marijuana patients can not raise the issue of their medical use to a judge or jury. The bill includes protections for physicians who recommend the use of marijuana to their patients. The bill also would reject out-of-state medical marijuana cards and registrations from being used as a defense in Kansas courts. Laura A. Green, the Director of the Kansas Compassionate Care Coalition requested the committee introduce the bill, and it was approved on voice vote. Only Senator Vicki Schmidt (R-Topeka) was opposed to allowing the bill to be introduced. The bill is now in the State Revisor’s office. They will put it into bill format and forward it for bill number assignment. This process should take about 7 days. A hearing on the bill is expected in the next few weeks. We will let you know when the bill number and committee hearing date have been assigned! Please voice your support for The Medical Marijuana Defense Act by signing our statement of principles on our website or by contacting your legislator and asking them to support medical marijuana legislation in Kansas. Use the online system at our website, http://www.ksccc.org, to send your message directly to their email inbox. We would like to thank everyone who has signed the statement and sent us letter of support. Together we can ensure that medical decisions remain between a doctor and their patient! Laura A. Green Coalition Director