BREAKING: A Legal Victory for Patients
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Announcement
ASA Fresno Chapter Patients and Caregivers Monthly Meeting
ASA Fresno Chapter Patients and Caregivers Monthly Meeting
Tuesday, November 10th at 6:00 pm
Last chance to buy tickets for DPA conference
Dear friends:
It's not too late to join MPP staff at the 2009 International Drug Policy Reform Conference in Albuquerque on November 12-14. The conference â hosted by the Drug Policy Alliance and co-sponsored by MPP and other organizations â will bring together leading drug policy experts to weigh in on issues such as medical marijuana legislative efforts, marijuana arrests, and quite a few other drug policy reform topics.
MPP staffers will be on hand to discuss topics like messaging, effective activism, and medical marijuana patients' rights.
Here are a few examples of sessions featuring MPP staff:
* Aaron Houston, MPP's director of government relations, will talk about Congress, President Obama, and the drug czar.
* Karen O'Keefe, director of state policies, will talk about medical marijuana patients' rights and safe access to medical marijuana.Â
* I'll speak on a panel about how to leverage this crucial moment in the fight to end marijuana prohibition.
This conference happens only once every two years, so if you miss this one, you'll have to wait two years for the next one. You can find more information and register by visiting http://www.reformconference.org today.
Will you join MPP at the one of the most important drug policy events of 2009? We hope to see you there.
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 $2.35 million that MPP can raise from the rest of the planet in 2009. This means that your donation today will be doubled.
Bound for Albuquerque
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     and     Reform Conference Co-Hosts |
Medical marijuana override falls short in New Hampshire
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Marijuana Policy Project Alert | October 28, 2009 | |||||
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Dear friends: Today, the New Hampshire legislature came just shy of voting to override Gov. John Lynch (D)'s veto of the state's proposed medical marijuana law. Two-thirds of the votes were needed. Although we cleared the House with 67.6% of the vote (240-115), it lost in the Senate, 14-10. The bill had passed the legislature in June, by 232-108 in the House and 14-10 in the Senate. But on July 10, Gov. Lynch vetoed the bill, after refusing to meet with 15 patients and after failing to give input to the legislative conference committee, which amended the bill to address each of the eight concerns he had voiced in April. To override the veto and pass the bill into law, we needed supportive votes from two-thirds of voting members of the House and 16 votes in the Senate. Coming so close to victory makes losing more painful. Yet the support of MPPâs 29,000 dues-paying members allowed us to wage a fierce fight: We retained a top lobbying firm in the state and funded an outstanding organizer, Matt Simon, who leads the New Hampshire Coalition for Common Sense Marijuana Policy. We also ran tens of thousands of dollars of TV, radio, and print ads featuring patients who were counting on the governor and legislature to do the right thing and generated hundreds of e-mails, calls, and faxes and postcards to the governor and key legislators. But the bill faced strong opposition from the state's attorney general and chiefs of police. However, weâre determined to see New Hampshire medical marijuana patients protected from arrest and jail. 71% of New Hampshire voters support allowing seriously and terminally ill patients to use and grow medical marijuana for personal use if their doctors recommend it, according to a 2008 Mason-Dixon poll. Would you help us come back even stronger? Please donât let the New Hampshire patients who spoke out publicly in support of this bill be ignored. Donate what you can today. Need one more reason? Do it for the memory of Scott Turner, a New Hampshire medical marijuana patient and activist who died August 4 after a long and painful battle with degenerative joint disease and degenerative disc disease. Together, we're going to win this fight. Thank you,
Rob Kampia P.S. As I've mentioned in previous alerts, a major philanthropist has committed to match the first $2.35 million that MPP can raise from the rest of the planet in 2009. This means that your donation today will be doubled. Â |
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We are required by federal law to tell you that any donations you make to MPP may be used for political purposes, such as supporting or opposing candidates for federal office. | ||||||
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Exploring the Role of the Medical Community in Shaping Drug Policy
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Contact: Tony Newman 646-335-5384
October 26, 2009Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Gabriel Sayegh 646-335-2264
Town Hall Forum Tuesday at Columbia Medical School: Exploring the Role of the Medical Community in Shaping Drug Policy
Topics to be Discussed: Marijuana Policy, Heroin Maintenance Programs and Other Health Strategies to Reduce the Death, Disease and Suffering Associated with both Drug Use and Drug Policies
Nationally and locally, a shift in the 40-year-old drug war is underway. President Obama has stated he wants to advance a public health approach to drug policy, and Gil Kerlikowske, director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, has called for an end to the term âwar on drugsâ because it signifies a war on people. Congress is close to removing the sentencing disparity between crack and powder cocaine and ending the federal ban on funding syringe exchanges, which reduce the spread of blood-borne diseases. U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder instructed federal agencies not to target patients who comply with state medical marijuana laws, raising new questions about federal marijuana policies. In New York, Governor Paterson enacted reform of the Rockefeller Drug Laws, signifying a shift away from a criminal justice-oriented approach to drug policy in favor of a health-oriented approach.
What is the role of the medical community in shaping health-oriented approaches to drug policy? This town hall-style seminar will explore the role of the medical and research community in shaping a more evidenced-based drug policy. Drs. H. Westley Clark and Ethan Nadelmann will give presentations on what components an evidenced-based drug policy should include, and discuss the role the medical community can play in their development.
Speakers:
H. Westley Clark, M.D., J.D., M.P.H.
Director of the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment under the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Ethan Nadelmann, Ph.D., J.D.
Founder and Executive Director of the Drug Policy Alliance, the nation's leading organization promoting policy alternatives to the drug war that are grounded in science, compassion, health and human rights.
Moderated by Dr. Carl Hart, Departments of Psychiatry and Psychology of Columbia University
Time:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Tuesday, October 27th 2009 from 11:00 am - 1:00 pm
Place: Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â First Floor Hellman Auditorium
                      New York State Psychiatric Institute
1051 Riverside Drive, New York, NY 10032
This event is free and open to the public.
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Coalition for Medical Marijuana--New Jersey, Inc. October Minutes and DOJ Memo
Monthly Public Meeting Minutes
Lawrence Township Library
Tuesday, October 13, 2009; 7:00 PM â 9:00 PM
7:15 PM:  Meeting called to order. September 2009 minutes approved. Discussion:
àAssemblyman and doctors support medical marijuana in New Jersey. All three gubernatorial candidates said they support medical marijuana during their recent debate. Libertarian candidate for governor also supports the bill. See the excellent article in Inside New Jersey, âMedical marijuana bill gains momentum in New Jersey.âÂ
àThe New Jersey Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Act, which was approved by the state Senate in February, is due for a vote by the Assembly this fall. Tell your legislators that you want the Senate version of the bill to pass into law. This version does not contain the very restrictive changes to the bill that was released by the Assembly Health Committee. See CMMNJâs recent blog for talking pointsâbut tell your story in your own words. Donât let a possibly unworkable bill pass into law. CMMNJ working on postcard project.
àSupport multiple sclerosis (MS) patient John Wilson, who faces 20 years in prison for growing marijuana to treat his MS. Wilson was forbidden by the judge to even mention his medical condition during the upcoming trial. Wilsonâs next pre-trial hearing will be on 10/30 at 9AM. Also, a Warren County NJ mother, day care operator, and Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) president faces many years in prison after her September arrest for medical marijuana that she used to treat severe anxiety.
ÃÂ CMMNJ is scheduled to appear at the following upcoming events (volunteers needed):
·        10/17 & 11/21, 11:30 AM, Medical Marijuana Info Seminar, Collingswood, NJ Public Library (free);
·        10/19, 6:00 PM, Ocean Co. Community College Medical Marijuana Debate, SGA Room 100;
·        Tues., 10/20, 7 PM, NORML NJ Open Mtng., Dog House Saloon, 270 Pascack Rd., Wash. Twp, NJ 07676;
·        11/17 â 19, League of Municipalities Conference at Atlantic City Convention Center (set-up is 11/16).
àCMMNJ representatives recently appeared at the following events: 9/13, Hamilton Septemberfest, Hamilton Twp., NJ; 9/19, Boston Freedom Rally, Boston, Mass.; 9/24-26, NORML Conference, San Francisco, CA.; 10/4 Lawrence Community Day, Lawrence Twp., NJ.; NY State Harvest Festival; 10/10, Ewing Community Fest, TCNJ, Ewing Twp., NJ.; Wisconsin
àCMMNJ raised $178 as a cause on Facebook! See Kenâs Facebook page & Facebook Friends of CMMNJ!
àTreasury report: Current balances: Checking: $4974.21; PayPal: $436.19. Please consider a tax-deductible donation to CMMNJ, a 501(c)(3) organization, to fund public education about medical marijuana. Donations may be made securely through Paypal or checks made out to âCMMNJâ and sent to the address below. Get a free t-shirt for a donation above $15âspecify size. Thank you for your support.
Scheduled meetings are Nov. 10, & Dec. 8, 2009. CMMNJ meetings are held on the second Tuesday of the month at the Lawrence Twp. Library from 7:00 PM until 9:00 PM. All are welcome. Snacks are served. The library is at 2751 Brunswick Pike, Lawrence Twp., Tel. #609.882.9246.   (Meeting at the library does not imply their endorsement of our issue.) For more info, contact:
Ken Wolski, RN, MPA
Executive Director, Coalition for Medical Marijuana--New Jersey, Inc. www.cmmnj.org
844 Spruce St., Trenton, NJ 08648Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â
(609) 394-2137
DOJ Memo: Hands off medical marijuana users and caregivers
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 20, 2009
CONTACT: Ken Wolski at (609) 394-2137
DOJ Memo: Hands off medical marijuana users
WHO: Attorney General Eric Holder
WHAT: Announced formal guidelines for federal prosecutors in states that have enacted laws authorizing the use of marijuana for medical purposes
WHEN: October 19, 2009
WHERE: Washington, D.C.
WHY: For clarification and guidance to federal prosecutors in medical marijuana states.
For the first time federal authorities have been instructed not to arrest or prosecute medical marijuana patients or caregivers in the 13 states with legalized access.
In a major reversal from Bush Administration policy, the Department of Justice issued a memo today to prosecutors that stated: âAs a general matter, pursuit of these priorities should not focus federal resources in your States on individuals whose actions are in clear and unambiguous compliance with existing state laws providing for the medical use of marijuana. For example, prosecution of individuals with cancer or other serious illnesses who use marijuana as part of a recommended treatment regimen consistent with applicable state law, or those caregivers in clear and unambiguous compliance with existing state law who provide such individuals with marijuana, is unlikely to be an efficient use of limited federal resources.â
Full text of the memo is available on the Department of Justice Blog:
http://blogs.usdoj.gov/blog/archives/192
CMMNJ welcomes this announcement from federal authorities recognizing the medical benefits of marijuana and upholding the rights of Americans to safely use marijuana under a doctorâs supervision. With New Jersey in the final legislative phase for The Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Act A804/S119 this memo may serve to alleviate any outstanding concern of federal interference with our proposed state law.
While the DOJ memo puts in writing statements made by Attorney General Eric Holder in March, it does not change federal law in any way. The memo is targeted to federal prosecutors in the states that have passed ballot initiatives or legislation allowing safe medical marijuana access. It urges them to use their discretion and allocate their resources appropriately, taking into consideration an individualâs full compliance with their state law. The memo was copied to all United States Attorneys, as well as administrators in the DEA and the FBI.
Current legislation:
The New Jersey Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Act A804/S119 has passed the Assembly and Senate Health committees and a Senate floor vote. The issue has received favorable editorials from most newspapers in the state. Now it must see an Assembly floor vote and may require an additional concurrence vote in the Senate. Recent polls show between 70% - 86% of New Jerseyans favor medical marijuana access. There is certainty bi-partisan political support for the bill, but passage this year remains far from assured. New Jersey would become the 14th state in the nation to legalize medical marijuana if it passes this legislation into law in the near future.
More information at www.cmmnj.org
CMMNJ, a 501(c)(3) public charity, is a non-profit organization whose mission is to educate the public about the benefits of safe and legal access to medical marijuana. For more info, contact:
Ken Wolski, RN, MPA,
Executive Director, Coalition for Medical Marijuana--New Jersey, Inc. www.cmmnj.org
844 Spruce St., Trenton, NJ 08648
609.394.2137 [email protected]
[email protected]
Save the Date! SSDP's drug policy conference in San Francisco
Friends,
In the spring of 1932, Al Capone sat in his cell at Alcatraz, gazing across the San Francisco bay at a city filled with illegal speakeasies. One year later, alcohol prohibition would be repealed, leaving Capone's criminal empire in ruins. Violence and corruption decreased... until the U.S. declared a "War on Drugs."
In the spring of 2010, hundreds of members, alumni, and supporters of Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) will convene at San Francisco's beautiful Fort Mason Center to discuss modern day prohibition -- drug prohibition -- and its disastrous effects on our society. During the weekend of March 12-14, we will plot a course toward reform, make connections with fellow advocates, and experience a vibrant city on the forefront of sensible drug policy.
Will you join us?
To RSVP for SSDP's International Conference, please visit http://www.ssdp.org/conference/rsvp
While we haven't launched our official registration page yet, RSVPing will ensure that you are at the front of the line for our reduced-price tickets once they are available. We will also be offering travel/lodging scholarships to those who RSVP early. And by RSVPing, you can help us select our conference theme!
With the public and the media embracing reform like never before, this is an exciting time to be involved in changing drug laws. We hope you'll join us in San Francisco for a weekend of education, skills training, and fun!
http://www.ssdp.org/conference/rsvp
Stay Sensible!
Amber, Jon, Micah, Stacia, and Tyler
Students for Sensible Drug Policy
P.S. If you'd like to help us make this the biggest, best SSDP conference yet, please make a donation today.
Stay in touch with SSDP on...
Press Release: Landmark International Drug Policy Reform Conference in NM
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 13, 2009
CONTACT: Tony Newman at (646) 335-5384 or Tommy McDonald at (646) 335-2242
Drug Policy Alliance Co-Hosts Landmark 2009 International Drug Policy Reform Conference in Albuquerque, November 12-14
Unprecedented International Delegation, Two New Mexico Governors, Former Foreign Minister of Mexico Join Key Activists, Law Enforcement and Top Researchers at Leading World Forum to Chart Pivotal Shifts in Drug Policy and Sharpen Strategies for Cutting-Edge Reforms
ALBUQUERQUE-- Why are elected officials from across the political spectrum starting to talk openly about ending marijuana prohibition in the United States? Can cash-starved state and local governments conserve funds by cutting ineffective drug war programs and emphasizing treatment over incarceration? What drove three former Latin American presidents this year to release an influential report that called for "breaking the taboo" on open and honest discussion of alternatives to prohibition, decriminalizing marijuana and treating drug use as a health issue rather than a criminal justice matter?
Learn the answers to these questions, pose your own and participate in the cutting edge of drug policy at the International Drug Policy Reform Conference in Albuquerque, November 12-14. The conference, organized by the Drug Policy Alliance and dozens of other organizations (see list of groups below) will play host to nearly 1,000 leaders in international drug policy - including elected officials, law enforcement, health care and drug treatment professionals, researchers, religious leaders, formerly incarcerated Americans and reform advocates from around the world. The Drug Policy Alliance is the nation's leading organization working to end the war on drugs and promote new drug policies based on science, compassion, health and human rights.
In the past decade, U.S. voters and legislators have enacted more than 150 drug policy reforms on issues ranging from medical marijuana to overdose prevention to bans on racial profiling. Building on the momentum from these victories, conference participants will survey the current drug policy landscape and strategize the next steps. Topics to be discussed include:
⢠Taxing and Regulating Marijuana - California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger caused a stir this year when he said it's "time for a debate" on whether to tax and regulate marijuana. Now advocates for ending marijuana prohibition are gathering signatures to place a tax-and-regulate measure on the 2010 ballot in California, and in the state legislature, CA Assemblyman Tom Ammiano has introduced his own tax-and-regulate bill. Ammiano and the ballot measure backers will be at the conference in Albuquerque.
⢠International Drug Policy Reform - Argentina and Mexico took major steps this summer to decriminalize personal drug use, on the heels of a groundbreaking report by three former Latin American presidents calling for a "paradigm shift" in international drug policy. The report calls for "breaking the taboo" on open and honest discussion of alternatives to prohibition, decriminalizing marijuana and treating drug use as a health issue rather than a criminal justice matter. Former Mexico Foreign Minister Jorge Castaneda highlights a panel examining the impact of these moves on the drug war violence in Mexico, as well as the intersection of U.S. drug policy and immigration laws.
⢠Veterans and the War at Home - Returning veterans, facing high rates of post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental health challenges, also suffer from high rates of drug addiction. At the conference, leading experts on treatment and harm reduction will take the first in-depth look at a new report detailing treatment options for veterans and recommendations for optimal care.
⢠Pushing the Envelope: The Next Stage in Harm Reduction - Harm reduction has come a long way since syringe exchange was first introduced to stem the transmission of disease among people who use IV drugs. Now advocates and treatment professionals are building support for additional life-saving measures, such as prescription heroin for people suffering from addiction and supervised injection facilities to reduce the risk of disease and overdose.
⢠New Mexico: Leading the Way - New Mexico stands at the forefront of U.S. drug policy reform, buoyed by the support of current Gov. Bill Richardson and former Governor Gary Johnsonâboth of whom are scheduled to attend this year's conference. We'll examine New Mexico's unique state-run system for medical marijuana distribution and the state's pioneering Good Samaritan 911 law that protects individuals from drug possession charges when they seek medical help for an overdose victim.
The Drug Policy Alliance is co-hosting the 2009 International Drug Policy Reform Conference with the ACLU, the Harm Reduction Coalition, Law Enforcement Against Prohibition, Marijuana Policy Project, Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies, the Open Society Institute and Students for Sensible Policy. For a full list of partners and more information on the conference: Visit http://www.reformconference.org/