State & Local Legislatures

PUBLIC STRATEGIES, LLC

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE           

JUNE 29, 2010

Montel Williams to NY Legislators: Pass Medical Marijuana Now

Former Talk Show Host, MS Patient Urges Albany Lawmakers to Act Without Delay

CONTACT: Vince Marrone ……… 914-912-0526 or [email protected]

ALBANY, NEW YORK — At a press conference in Albany on Tuesday, former talk show host, U.S. Navy officer and New York City resident Montel Williams urged New York Governor David Paterson and members of the Legislature to act quickly in order to pass New York’s medical marijuana bill. 

            The New York bill would create one of the best-regulated systems in the country for providing seriously ill patients with safe and effective access to medical marijuana. Mr. Williams suffers from multiple sclerosis, and uses medical marijuana to help ease the effects of his condition.

            “New York needs to act now to make marijuana legally available for medical use. Every day that we delay is another day of needless suffering for patients like me all across the state,” Williams said.

            “Thousands of New Yorkers suffer from serious medical conditions that could benefit from the medical use of marijuana,” said Assembly Member Richard N. Gottfried, Chair of the Assembly Health Committee and sponsor of the Assembly medical marijuana bill. “If the patient and the doctor agree that the most effective medicine is marijuana, the government should not stand in the way.  It is cruel to turn suffering patients into criminals when they are following what their doctor recommends.”

            “Medical use of marijuana for patients with acute conditions like HIV/AIDS, cancer, multiple sclerosis, and glaucoma relieves chronic pain and nausea and increases appetite,” said Sen. Eric Adams (D-Brooklyn), a former New York City police captain. “When our fellow humans are burdened by the dire effects of life-threatening illnesses, we must not allow insubstantial ideological arguments to increase their suffering. The proposed medical marijuana legislation contains the critical safeguards needed to guard against diversion or abuse and establish access for patients in need.  It is our moral and ethical duty to alleviate misery in our fellow human beings. Any other substance shown to have such beneficial effect would already be in the arsenal of medical practitioners. I wholeheartedly urge passage of this legislation.”

            Also joining Mr. Williams was Craig Burridge, executive director of the Pharmacists Society of the State of New York (PSSNY). PSSNY recently came out in support of New York’s medical marijuana bill.

            “New York has the opportunity to provide a model on how to mainstream medical marijuana to those patients who so desperately need it,” Burridge said. “For those of us who have seen the suffering of a loved one, passage is long overdue.”

The New York bill would:

 * Allow patients facing serious, life-threatening or debilitating illnesses to get marijuana upon the recommendation of their physician.

 * Limit patient possession to no more than 2.5 ounces.

 * Grant the Department of Health the authority to license medical marijuana producers and dispensers, consistent with rules mirroring the state Controlled Substances Act.

 * Allow the Department of Health to establish fees sufficient to cover the cost of administering the program.

 * Allow state-licensed organizations, including pharmacies, to dispense medical marijuana to qualified patients.

 * Allow state-licensed organizations to produce marijuana for sale to dispensers only.

            Since 1996, 14 states and the District of Columbia have passed medical marijuana laws. More than a dozen state legislatures considered the issue this year, and in November, citizens of Arizona and South Dakota will vote on medical marijuana ballot initiatives. Under New York’s bill, the state department of health would play an active role in regulating pharmacies and dispensaries that would be licensed to provide medical marijuana to qualified patients.

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PUBLIC STRATEGIES, LLC

www.publicstrategiesllc.net

MEDIA ADVISORY

JUNE 28, 2010

Montel Williams to NY Legislators: Pass Medical Marijuana Now

Former Talk Show Host, MS Patient Will Urge Lawmakers in Albany Tuesday to Pass Medical Marijuana Bill Without Delay

CONTACT: Vince Marrone ……… 914-912-0526 or [email protected]

ALBANY, NEW YORK — At a press conference in Albany on Tuesday, former talk show host, U.S. veteran and New York resident Montel Williams will urge New York Governor David Paterson and members of the state legislature to act quickly in order to finally pass New York’s medical marijuana bill, which would create one of the best regulated systems in the country for providing seriously ill patients with safe and effective access to medical marijuana, if they receive a recommendation from their doctor. Williams suffers from multiple sclerosis, and uses medical marijuana to help ease the effects of his condition.

WHAT: Press conference with Montel Williams

WHEN: Tuesday, June 29. 11:30 a.m.

WHERE: Common area outside Senate Lobby, near the stairs, 3^rd floor of the Capitol

         Since 1996, 14 states and the District of Columbia have passed medical marijuana laws. More than a dozen state legislatures considered the issue this year, and in November, citizens of Arizona and South Dakota will vote on medical marijuana ballot initiatives. Under New York’s bill, the state department of health would play an active role in regulating pharmacies and dispensaries that would be licensed to provide medical marijuana to qualified patients.

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CONTACT: [email protected] or 215 586 3483

Philadelphia: Details of the new marijuana procedure
by Chris Goldstein 6/9/2010

The DA’s office reports that six marijuana consumers entered the new diversion program for minor pot possession yesterday, the first time it was available.  Here are the main points of the new procedure:

-         No criminal prosecution in court

-         No bail money required for release: Previously all minor marijuana offenders had a bail amount set. If they could not come up with bail money they were held until arraignment. Today, those who enter into the diversion program are released after processing.

-         No drug conviction on record: By entering the new diversion program an individual pleads to a lesser offense. This means: Students will not lose loans; teachers and others will not face losing employment; public record searches will not reveal a marijuana related conviction

-         Offense is automatically expunged: Entering the new diversion program also means the arrest is expunged from the individual’s permanent record, without having to hire an attorney.

The change in marijuana possession procedures was announced by District Attorney Seth Williams in April and vocally backed by Pennsylvania State Supreme Court.

Philadelphia is the only jurisdiction in Pennsylvania that cannot issue the summary violations on the street to the offender.  Thus, officers will still be required to take marijuana consumers briefly into custody to process them into the new diversion program.

Still, the possibility of taking over 4,700 small pot possession cases out of the criminal court system should have a tangible impact on court efficiency. The new diversion program, if employed in a majority of these type of cases, could save the Public Safety budget hundreds of thousands of tax dollars this year alone.

The cost savings would be closer to $3million every year if Philadelphia Police were given the same power as their peers around the state to issue the marijuana possession summary violations on the street.

PhillyNORML conducts annual reports on the local marijuana arrests. More info:

Philly: Marijuana mug shots cost city $3million annually

Philly: White women rarely arrested for pot

PhillyNORML is the local chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws. The group meets twice each month to plan reform activities.

 

Original blog link: http://www.examiner.com/x-29881-Philadelphia-NORML-Examiner~y2010m6d9-Philadelphia-Details-of-the-new-marijuana-procedure