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Minnesota Medical Marijuana Bill Under Attack

[Courtesy of Marijuana Policy Project] 

Dear friends:

Some members of Minnesota's law enforcement community are lying in order to kill MPP’s medical marijuana bill in the state — in other words, in order to keep patients in pain. This small but vocal contingent is claiming that marijuana has no medical value, that “every prosecutor in every medical marijuana state” opposes its use, that you can “overdose” on marijuana, and more than a dozen other outrageous lies.

We’re fighting back. Yesterday, MPP held a news conference at the Minnesota statehouse to refute the outright false testimony that law enforcement officials have been providing the legislature and the news media. And we distributed to reporters and legislators an 18-page booklet cataloguing the opposition’s litany of mistruths — along with facts and proof to the contrary — and we’re releasing to the public, legislators, and media one video clip each day showing law enforcement's lies about medical marijuana.

But we're relying on the generosity of supporters to ensure we have the resources to combat our opposition. Would you please give whatever you can today so we can fight back?

MPP's bill, which passed out of the Senate last year, is currently awaiting an historic vote on the House floor. The vote could happen any day now, so it is urgent that supporters like you donate what you can today.

Our campaign has generated an enormous amount of media coverage in Minnesota, which you can read here. And the two largest papers in the state — the Minneapolis Star-Tribune and the St. Paul Pioneer Press — have editorialized in favor of the bill, which also has the support of the Minnesota Nurses Association, the Minnesota Public Health Association, the Minnesota AIDS Project, the Minnesota Senior Federation, and 2-to-1 support among Minnesota voters.

Also yesterday, MPP debuted the second in a series of hard-hitting TV ads featuring seriously ill Minnesotans who are pleading with Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) not to veto MPP’s medical marijuana bill. The new TV ad features Ely resident K.K. Forss, who suffers from excruciating, debilitating pain after a disc in his neck exploded, causing extensive nerve damage. "This doesn't have anything to do with culture wars," Forss says in the ad, noting that he is a registered Republican and a born-again Christian. "We have people suffering in horrible pain, and we talk politics — it doesn't have to be that way."

If you agree that K.K. and others like him shouldn't face the threat of arrest and jail for trying to alleviate their pain, would you please consider donating $10 or more today so that we can keep these ads on the air at this critical moment?

Thank you,

Kampia signature (e-mail sized)

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 donation today will be doubled.

Important news about the Rockefeller Drug Laws

[Courtesy of Drug Policy Alliance] Dear Friends: Back in February, I wrote you about our efforts to create a new paradigm in New York, an approach to drug policy that is centered in public health, not prison politics. Many of us have worked together in this effort. We agreed that getting rid of the failed Rockefeller Drug Laws is not enough—New York needs a coordinated drug policy guided by public health principles that will save taxpayer dollars while enhancing safety in our communities. I write you now to let you know about an important development in this effort: The New York State Assembly has taken the first step towards heeding our call. On Monday, the Assembly announced an unprecedented joint hearing on Rockefeller Drug Laws and the future of drug policy in New York. The joint hearing is being convened by six Assembly Committees: Codes, Corrections, Judiciary, Health, Alcoholism and Drug Abuse, and Social Services. We know of no other time that this has ever happened in New York, making this an unprecedented opportunity for us to advance our cause. The hearing announcement is enclosed. There are two hearings: the first on May 8th – the 35th anniversary of the Rockefeller Drug Laws – in New York City, and a second one on May 15th in Rochester. This is a remarkable opportunity to let the Assembly know that we want not only reform of the Rockefeller Drug Laws, but to shift the discussion of drug use and abuse from a criminal justice framework to one of public health. The Assembly hearing announcement states that “Drug addiction is a treatable disease, so among issues raised is whether a system that focuses on preventing and treating drug addiction rather than simply incarcerating individuals will result in a reduction in the use and sale of drugs – something mandatory imprisonment laws have failed to accomplish.” There are four things you can do now to get involved: 1. Sign up to testify at the hearings in New York City or Rochester. Can you testify at one of the hearings in New York or in Rochester? If you would like to testify at the hearing, please contact us and we will help you apply to testify and make your voice heard. Not everyone will be able to testify, which is why we are going to hold a rally outside the hearings on May 8 in NYC (see below). 2. If you are in NYC on May 8, join us at a rally for Public Health, not Prison Politics. Please join us and hundreds of other New Yorkers on May 8th for a rally outside 250 Broadway, the location of the hearing in New York City. We will call on the Assembly to go beyond Rockefeller and treat drug use and abuse in New York State as a public health issue. Details to follow next week. 3. Send this message to three other people. Let your friends, family, and co-workers know about the hearings. 4. Join our Legislator Education Teams: Drug Policy Alliance is spearheading a project to meet with every New York State Legislator from the New York City area. Want to talk with your elected representatives about the Rockefeller Drug Laws? Come join us on May 5, 2008, from 6 – 7:30 for the training to learn how to be part of the Education Teams. The training is free and there will be food. After the training, you can join one of our education teams in New York City. For more info, please email Jill Battagline at [email protected], or call 212-613-8053. That’s it. If you have any questions, please email me directly. Thanks for all you do. Onward, Gabriel ----------------------------------------------------------------- Gabriel Sayegh Director, State Organizing and Policy Project Drug Policy Alliance 70 West 36th Street, 16th Fl. New York, NY 10018 (212) 613-8048 ph. (212) 613-8021 fax www.drugpolicy.org

Press Release: Medical Marijuana Bill Lead Sponsor Announces Law Enforcement Requested Changes to Bill

[Courtesy of Illinois Compassion Access Network] 

MEDIA ADVISORY: APRIL 30, 2008

Medical Marijuana Bill Lead Sponsor Announces Law Enforcement Requested Changes to Bill

CONTACT: John Walker, Illinois Compassion Access Network, (847) 769-1772

SPRINGFIELD, IL. – In a press conference today, Sen. John Cullerton (D-Chicago), lead sponsor of a bill to protect from arrest seriously ill Illinoisans who use medical marijuana with a doctor's recommendation, announced significant changes to the legislation based on input from law enforcement.

    Although members of the law enforcement community have been among the most vocal opponents of the bill, Cullerton said the recent amendments reflected specific objections law enforcement officers raised in good faith in a meeting with bill proponents last month.

    "I'm grateful to the members of the law enforcement community who sat down with us to help us craft this improved medical marijuana bill," he said. "Thanks to their help, I'm confident we have legislation here that protects our most suffering patients while ensuring law officers are able to do their jobs and keep our streets safe."

    A comprehensive list of the amendments made at the request of law enforcement representatives can be viewed online here: http://www.mpp.org/states/illinois/ChangesToSB2865.html

    Also at the press conference, medical marijuana activist and Chicago multiple sclerosis patient Julie Falco announced a new campaign to reach out to representatives by sending personal video appeals by seriously ill patients asking for support on the medical marijuana bill.

    Many of the videos are available online here: www.illinoiscan.com/videos.html

    "I think it's important for people like me – who are counting on compassion to prevail – to let legislators know who we are and why we need this law, especially those whose conditions prevent them from appearing in person," Falco said. "It's very easy for hysteria and fear to take over the debate, but this medical cannabis bill is about only one thing: easing the suffering of seriously ill people with a medicine that is proven safe and effective."

    Despite opposition from some elements of the law enforcement community, medical marijuana enjoys great support among the medical community and among Illinois voters. In February, the American College of Physicians – the second largest physician organization in the country with 124,000 members – became the latest major medical association to endorse laws protecting patients and doctors from arrest for using medical marijuana.

    Also in February, a Mason-Dixon telephone poll of 625 randomly selected Illinois voters – commissioned by the Marijuana Policy Project in Washington, D.C. – found that 68 percent of respondents agreed that "seriously and terminally ill patients should be allowed to use and grow medical marijuana for personal use if their doctors recommended it." Full poll results are available here: http://www.mpp.org/states/illinois/2008poll

    SB 2865 – the medical marijuana bill – is expected to reach the Senate floor within weeks.

###

Press Release: Law Enforcement Objections to Medical Marijuana Bill at Odds With Reality, Advocates Say

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   
APRIL 29, 2008

Law Enforcement Objections to Medical Marijuana Bill at Odds With Reality, Advocates Say
Bill Supporters Refute Demonstrably False Statements, Unveil New Ad 

CONTACT: Neal Levine, MPP director of state campaigns, (612) 424-7001

    MINNEAPOLIS — In a press conference held today at the statehouse, advocates offered a point-by-point refutation of misleading-to-outright false statements made by some law enforcement officials during testimony before the legislature and in the media regarding the medical marijuana bill pending on the House floor.

    Proponents of S.F. 345, the bill to protect from arrest seriously ill Minnesotans who use medical marijuana with a doctor's recommendation, said certain aspects of the law enforcement community were relying on misstatements and untruths to derail the bill.

    "Some legislators, as well as the governor, have indicated they may not be willing to support this sensible and compassionate legislation, based on the words of certain aspects of the law enforcement community," said Neal Levine, director of state campaigns for the Marijuana Policy Project. "Therefore, we feel it’s important to look at those words."

    For example, Dakota County Attorney James C. Backstrom stated in legislative testimony that "there is no proven medicinal value in using marijuana to treat illnesses or disease.” In fact, the 124,000-member American College of Physicians has noted "marijuana's proven efficacy at treating certain symptoms and its relatively low toxicity."

    For a detailed list of false and misleading statements made by Minnesota law enforcement officials, along with sourced refutations of each one, visit: http://www.minnesotacares.org/media/law_enforcement.pdf.

    Also during the press conference, Levine announced the latest in a series of TV ads airing statewide, featuring Minnesota medical marijuana patients urging Gov. Tim Pawlenty not to veto the medical marijuana bill as he has threatened to do if the House passes it.

    The new ad features K.K. Forss of Ely, who suffers constant debilitating pain caused by a ruptured disk in his neck and nerve damage from subsequent surgeries. The ad is available online here: http://minnesotacares.org/Ads_video.html.

    "This doesn't have anything to do with culture wars," Forss says in the ad, noting that he is a registered Republican and a born-again Christian. "We have people suffering in horrible pain, and we talk politics – it doesn't have to be that way."

    With more than 23,000 members and 180,000 e-mail subscribers nationwide, the Marijuana Policy Project is the largest marijuana policy reform organization in the United States. For more information, please visit www.MarijuanaPolicy.org.

####

Media Advisory: Medical Marijuana Advocates to Announce Significant Changes to Bill

[Courtesy of Illinois Compassion Access Network] 

MEDIA ADVISORY   
APRIL 29, 2008

Law Enforcement Input Means Significant Changes to Medical Marijuana Bill, Advocates to Announce
Press Conference Scheduled to Explain Bill Amendments

CONTACT: John Walker, Illinois Compassion Access Network, (847) 769-1772

SPRINGFIELD, IL. – After a meeting with law enforcement officials to address their specific objections to Illinois' medical marijuana bill, advocates will announce significant changes to the legislation in a Wednesday press conference at the statehouse.

    The amendments, adopted earlier this month, reflect what bill proponents said they hope is a shared goal: to allow safe, legal access to medical marijuana for suffering Illinoisans who have a doctor's recommendation while ensuring police and prosecutors aren't hindered in enforcing laws involving illicit marijuana use.

    At the press conference, patients will also unveil their latest effort to convince legislators to support the medical marijuana bill under consideration in both chambers of the General Assembly: personal online video testimonies. For the past month, seriously ill Illinoisans – many of whom cannot travel to Springfield – have been sending the videos to their elected representatives so that they can explain the urgency of passing a sensible medical marijuana law in their own words.

    Examples of these videos – which average about 2 minutes each – are available online here: www.illinoiscan.com/videos.html

                    -    WHAT: Press conference explaining changes to the medical marijuana bill requested by law enforcement officials

                    -    WHO: The following people are scheduled to appear at the press conference:
                                o    Zale Glauberman, veteran Springfield lobbyist
                                o    Julie Falco of Chicago, a multiple sclerosis patient who uses medical marijuana with a doctor's recommendation

                    -    WHEN: Wednesday, April 30 at 9:15 a.m.

                    -    WHERE: State Capitol Press Blue Room

    The Senate medical marijuana bill is expected to reach the Senate floor within weeks.

    Copies of some of the patient video testimonies will be available on CD for members of the press.

    ###

Press Release: NH Senate Judiciary Committee to Consider Marijuana Penalty Reforms Tuesday

[Courtesy of NH Coalition for Common Sense Marijuana Policy] MEDIA ADVISORY: APRIL 21, 2008 NH Senate Judiciary Committee to Consider Marijuana Penalty Reforms Tuesday Bill Would Reduce Penalties for Possession of Small Quantities of Marijuana for Personal Use CONTACT: Matt Simon, NH Coalition for Common Sense Marijuana Policy, (603) 391-7450 CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE — The New Hampshire Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing Tuesday to consider a bill – already passed by the House – to reduce penalties for smalltime marijuana violations. HB 1623 would eliminate the possibility of jail time for possessing less than one-quarter of an ounce of marijuana, reducing the penalty to a maximum fine of $200. Current penalties for such a violation in New Hampshire include up to one year in jail and a maximum $2,000 fine, in addition to carrying a conviction that can bar people from opportunities including student financial aid, employment and housing assistance. The proposed change would reduce the conduct from a serious misdemeanor to a violation, which carries few collateral sanctions. - WHAT: Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on HB 1623 - WHO: House bill sponsor Rep. Andrew Edwards (D-Nashua), NH Coalition for Common Sense Marijuana Policy's Matt Simon, and Cheshire County Dept. of Corrections Superintendent Richard Van Wickler are scheduled to testify. - WHEN: Tuesday, April 22, 3 p.m. - WHERE: Legislative Office Building, Concord The legislation received a boost recently with the release of a Mason-Dixon Polling & Research Inc., telephone survey of 625 registered New Hampshire voters showing that 53 percent of Granite Staters favor similar reform. In fact, the poll asked voters to consider an even higher threshold amount of one ounce of marijuana and a lower fine of $100. Only 34 percent of those polled opposed such reforms. The poll was conducted April 7 to 8 and commissioned by the Marijuana Policy Project in Washington, D.C., and the New Hampshire Coalition for Common Sense Marijuana Policy. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percent. ####

Press Release: NH Voters Support Easing Marijuana Penalties

[Courtesy of NH Coalition for Common Sense Marijuana Policy] FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: APRIL 15, 2008 CONTACT: Matt Simon, NH Coalition for Common Sense Marijuana Policy, (603) 391-7450 NH Voters Support Easing Marijuana Penalties CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE — A clear majority of New Hampshire voters favor legislation to reduce the penalties for the possession of small amounts of marijuana for personal use, according to a recent poll. The poll of 625 registered voters was conducted by telephone April 7 to 8 by Mason-Dixon Research for the Marijuana Policy Project and NH Coalition for Common Sense Marijuana Policy. By a resounding 53-34 percent margin, New Hampshire voters support "a change in the law to provide for a $100 fine without jail time for those who possess an ounce or less of marijuana for personal use." Current New Hampshire law is one of the harshest in the nation, carrying the potential for a year in jail and a $2,000 fine for small quantities of marijuana. By contrast, driving under the influence of alcohol in New Hampshire does not carry the possibility of jail or prison time for the first offense. A bill to reduce penalties for possessing one-quarter ounce or less of marijuana passed the New Hampshire House but faces uncertainty in the Senate, based partially on the opposition of Gov. John Lynch. Eleven states – including neighboring Maine and New York, and conservative bastions Nebraska and Mississippi – have already removed jail or prison time as a penalty for possessing small amounts of marijuana for personal use. A bill to do so in Vermont has passed the state Senate and is before the state House. Supporters of the reform effort cite the poll as evidence that politicians, including Gov. Lynch, may be misreading public opinion on the issue. They hope the poll will encourage the governor and state senators to take a serious look at the issue when the bill's hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee takes place April 22. "Voters are saying they've had enough with marijuana penalties that ruin the lives of young people and clog the courts," said Matt Simon of NH Coalition for Common Sense Marijuana Policy. "This isn't about legalization. It's about making the punishment fit the offense and focusing resources on more serious matters." The poll shows that support for reducing penalties cuts across the state's demographics. Democrats and Independents strongly favored eliminating jail time for possessing small amounts of marijuana, while Republicans were evenly split (within the margin of error). Women favor reduced penalties by a whopping 28 percent margin (58-30 percent) while men support it by a smaller but significant 10 percent margin. "Critics of HB 1623 may believe they are speaking for a majority of New Hampshire voters," said Simon. "However, this poll shows that most voters would support not only HB 1623, but a higher threshold amount of one ounce and a smaller fine of only $100." The complete poll, including results showing overwhelming support for allowing the medical use of marijuana is online here: http://nhcommonsense.org/poll. The link also contains a chart showing New Hampshire penalties for possessing small amounts of marijuana compared to other states. ####

Press Release: Medical Marijuana Bill Passes Final Committee -- House Floor Next

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: APRIL 9, 2008 CONTACT: Neal Levine, MPP director of state campaigns, tel: 612-326-6690 ext.802 Medical Marijuana Bill Passes Final Committee Measure Clears Last Hurdle Before House Floor ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA -- Minnesota's bill to protect seriously ill patients from arrest for using medical marijuana with a doctor's recommendation cleared its final committee hurdle today, passing the House Ways and Means Committee, 13-4. The next stop for the bill, SF 345, is the House floor. The Senate version of the bill was approved by the full Senate last year. Preston resident Neil Haugerud, former sheriff of Fillmore County and a former state representative who suffers chronic pain from arachnoiditis (inflammation of the lining that surrounds the spinal cord), said, "I'm grateful to the committee for passing the medical marijuana bill, and I hope the full House and the governor will go ahead and make it law as soon as possible. Patients who are in pain shouldn't have to risk arrest and jail to get relief." "Medical marijuana is a conservative issue," said Rep. Chris DeLaForest (R-Andover), a co-sponsor of the bill. "It's about the right of doctors and patients to make the best treatment decisions to relieve suffering, without interference from politicians and bureaucrats." "I hope the House follows the Senate's lead and, for the sake of Minnesota's seriously ill patients, passes this compassionate bill quickly," said bill sponsor Rep. Tom Huntley (DFL-Duluth). The bill's chances were recently boosted by a strong statement of support for medical marijuana from the 124,000-member American College of Physicians, the largest medical specialty society and second largest physician group in the U.S. The ACP statement is available online at http://www.acponline.org/advocacy/where_we_stand/other_issues/medmarijuana.pdf Twelve states -- Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington -- presently allow medical use of marijuana. Medical marijuana bills are now under consideration in Illinois and New York, and an initiative is expected to appear on Michigan's November ballot. With more than 23,000 members and 180,000 e-mail subscribers nationwide, the Marijuana Policy Project is the largest marijuana policy reform organization in the United States. MPP believes that the best way to minimize the harm associated with marijuana is to regulate marijuana in a manner similar to alcohol. For more information, please visit http://MarijuanaPolicy.org.

Kansas: Ecstasy Possession now Felony

Action Alert: March 31, 2008 On Friday, the Senate passed a bill to make the second-time possession of ecstasy (MDMA) a felony in the state of Kansas by a vote of 40-0. This bill passed the House earlier by a vote of 117-2. The bill has been sent to the governor for her signature. Currently, a conviction for possession of ecstasy is a misdemeanor, no matter the number of convictions. Ecstasy now joins marijuana as a second-conviction felony, meaning the person will be sentenced under SB 123 to mandatory treatment - whether they need it or not - fines and possible jail time. Implementing this bill is expected to cost between $700,000 and $1,300,000 this year alone. Money that could be used for re-entry programs in the state. More information on HB 2545 can be found here, http://www.kslegislature.org/legsrv-bills/searchBillNumber.do It is fully expected that the KBI will ask next year to add LSD and mushrooms to this list - further criminalizing drug use, while not expending any additional tax-dollars on effective drug education. (Kansas school children in the majority of districts are still subjected to the research-proven ineffective DARE program.) In other drug policy-related legislation, Salvia divinorum or salvinorum, and Datura stramonium, commonly known as gypsum weed or jimson weed was moved to Schedule 1, thereby criminalizing the possession and sale of the drug. Read more about these new laws and all the drug control policy-related legislation on our website, http://www.dpfks.org/KSLeg.html. Sincerely, Laura A. Green, Executiver Director Please help us promote innovative drug policies by sending your tax-deductible donation today. Become a member: Add yourself to our mailing list by going to our web site www.dpfks.org. To unsubscribe, reply to this message with the word unsubscribe. Our mailing address is DPFKS, PO Box 357, Lawrence, Kansas 66044

Press Release: State Bill Protects Employment Rights of Medical Marijuana Patients

[Courtesy of Americans for Safe Access] For Immediate Release: February 21, 2008 Contact: ASA Media Liaison Kris Hermes (510) 681-6361 or ASA Chief of Staff Rebecca Saltzman (510) 251-1856 x308 State Bill Introduced Yesterday Protects Employment Rights of Medical Marijuana Patients AB 2279 would reverse the State Supreme Court in Ross v. Raging Wire Sacramento, CA -- Assemblymember Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) and several co-authors introduced a bill yesterday that would protect the rights of hundreds of thousands of medical marijuana patients in California from employment discrimination. The bill leaves intact existing state law prohibiting medical marijuana consumption at the workplace and protects employers from liability by carving out an exception for safety-sensitive positions. The employment rights bill, which is being co-authored by Assemblymembers Patty Berg (D-Eureka), Loni Hancock (D-Berkeley) and Lori Saldaña (D-San Diego), is in response to a January decision by the California Supreme Court in Ross v. RagingWire. National medical marijuana advocacy group Americans for Safe Access (ASA) argued the case before the court and is now a sponsor of the bill. "The California Supreme Court decision said that an employer may fire someone solely because they use medical marijuana outside the workplace," said Assemblymember Leno. "Long ago, the legislature prohibited patient use of medical cannabis in the workplace or during working hours," continued Leno. "AB 2279 is merely an affirmation of the intent of the voters and the legislature that medical marijuana patents need not be unemployed to benefit from their medicine." On January 24, in a 5-2 decision, the California Supreme Court upheld the lower court's ruling that denied qualified patients a remedy from employment discrimination, based either on their status as a patient or a positive test for marijuana. The plaintiff in the case, Gary Ross, is a 46-year old disabled veteran who was a systems engineer living Carmichael, California, when he was fired from his job in 2001 at RagingWire Telecommunications for testing positive for marijuana. "It's important that we not allow wholesale employment discrimination in California," said former plaintiff Gary Ross. "If the court is going to ignore the need for protection, then it's up to the legislature to ensure that productive workers like me are free from discrimination." The decision in Ross v. RagingWire closed the door on redress through the courts, shifting the debate to the state legislature. California is not alone in its attempt to affirm employment protections for medical marijuana patients. Both Oregon and Hawaii have introduced similar legislation aimed at clarifying the intent of the state legislatures. This recent multi-state effort builds on existing legislation adopted in ten out of twelve medical marijuana states, including California, which already sought to protect patients from employment discrimination. "We welcome and strongly endorse this clarification from the legislature," said ASA spokesperson Kris Hermes. "Despite the ill-conceived ruling by the California Supreme Court, the intent of state legislatures has been to recognize the civil rights of patients and to offer them reasonable protections." Before the court made its final decision, Ross enjoyed the support of ten state and national medical organizations, all of the original co-authors of the Medical Marijuana Program Act (SB 420), and disability rights groups. Since it began recording instances of employment discrimination in 2005, ASA has received hundreds of such reports from all across California. Employers that have either fired patients from their job, threatened them with termination, or denied them employment because of patient status or because of a positive test for marijuana, include Costco Wholesale, UPS, Foster Farms Dairy, DirecTV, the San Joaquin Courier, Power Auto Group, as well as several construction companies, hospitals, and various trade union employers. Further information: Employment rights legislation introduced yesterday: http://safeaccessnow.org/downloads/AB2279.pdf California Supreme Court decision in Ross v. RagingWire: http://www.safeaccessnow.org/downloads/Ross_Ruling.pdf Review legal briefs and more about the Ross v. RagingWire case here: http://www.safeaccessnow.org/Ross # # #
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