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Medical Marijuana

PRESS CONFERENCE RESCHEDULED: Medical Marijuana Advocates Refute Law Enforcement


MEDIA ADVISORY
APRIL 28, 2008

UPDATE: TIME CHANGE FOR PRESS CONFERENCE
Medical Marijuana Advocates Offer Point-by-Point Refutations of Law Enforcement
Press Conference at 1 p.m. Tues. Will Also Feature Latest TV Ad Urging Governor to Allow Passage of the Medical Marijuana Bill 

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

MINNEAPOLIS -- A press conference Tuesday will highlight false and misleading statements made by certain aspects of the law enforcement community during testimony before the legislature, as well as to the press, in an attempt to derail a bill that would protect seriously ill Minnesotans from arrest who use medical marijuana with a doctor's recommendation.

    Advocates will also unveil their latest TV ad urging the governor not to veto the bill as he has threatened to if it passes in the House.

    WHAT: Press conference refuting misleading-to-outright false statements made by certain aspects of the law enforcement community who oppose Minnesota's medical marijuana bill.

    WHO: Scheduled press conference participants include:

        * Neal Levine, Marijuana Policy Project director of state campaigns

        * KK Forss, an Ely photographer who suffers constant debilitating pain caused by a ruptured disk in his neck and nerve damage from subsequent surgeries and who is featured in the TV ad.

    WHEN: Tuesday, April 29, 1 p.m. Note: This is a change from the prior advisory.

    WHERE: State Office Building, Room 181

    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.

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Medical Marijuana: Watch this lying TV ad in Michigan

[Courtesy of Marijuana Policy Project] 

MPP’s medical marijuana initiative in Michigan is under attack by out-of-state prohibitionists, who have purchased thousands of dollars' worth of airtime on major TV stations in Michigan to run this outrageously false ad that claims “every major health organization rejects” medical marijuana.

This is a flat-out lie, of course. To the contrary, numerous major health organizations support medical marijuana access and even call on the government to change the law and stop arresting medical marijuana patients — including the American College of Physicians, American Nurses Association, American Public Health Association, American Academy of HIV Medicine, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Lymphoma Foundation of America, AIDS Action Council, American Academy of HIV Medicine, National Association of People With AIDS, and many others.

We can’t let the drug warriors lie to the public and jeopardize our ability to pass the medical marijuana ballot initiative in Michigan. Would you please help us fight back with the truth by donating to our campaign today?

We know from past successes that we can pass state medical marijuana initiatives, and we can do it again in Michigan this November — if we have the financial resources to make sure voters hear the truth. Since our well-financed opposition is swarming the airwaves with false and fear-mongering ads, it's crucial that we have the funds to fully execute our campaign plan.
 
Would you give what you can today? If you help us respond, you’ll be able to tell your friends and family that you helped pay for the campaign that succeeded in making medical marijuana legal in Michigan.

Thank you in advance,
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.

Press Release: Medical Marijuana Patient Protection Act Introduced Yesterday in Congress

[Courtesy of Americans for Safe Access] For Immediate Release: April 18, 2008 Contact: ASA Government Affairs Director Caren Woodson (510) 388-0546 Medical Marijuana Patient Protection Act Introduced Yesterday in Congress HR 5842 would reschedule marijuana for medical use, end federal interference in state laws Washington, D.C. -- Congressional Representative Barney Frank (D-MA) introduced the "Medical Marijuana Patient Protection Act," HR 5842, yesterday, a bill co-sponsored by Representatives Maurice Hinchey (D-NY), Sam Farr (D-CA), Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA), and Ron Paul (R-TX). The act would change federal policy on medical marijuana in a number of ways. Specifically, HR 5842 would reclassify marijuana from a Schedule I drug, which cannot be prescribed, to a Schedule II drug, which would recognize the medical value of marijuana and create a regulatory framework for the FDA to begin a drug approval process for marijuana. The act would also prevent interference by the federal government in any local or state run medical marijuana program. Similar versions of HR 5842 have been introduced in prior Congressional terms, but have never made it out of committee. "It's time that the federal government take this issue seriously," said Caren Woodson, Government Affairs Director with Americans for Safe Access (ASA), a nationwide medical marijuana advocacy group working with Mr. Frank and other Members of Congress to change federal policy. "By disregarding marijuana's medical efficacy, and undermining efforts to implement state laws, the federal government is willfully placing hundreds of thousands of sick Americans in harms way." In addition to rescheduling marijuana under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), HR 5842 would provide protection from the CSA and the federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDCA) for qualified patients and caregivers in states that have legalized the use of medical marijuana. Specifically, the act prevents the CSA and FDCA from prohibiting or restricting: (1) a physician from prescribing or recommending marijuana for medical use, (2) an individual from obtaining, possessing, transporting within their state, manufacturing, or using marijuana in accordance with their state law, (3) an individual authorized under State law from obtaining, possessing, transporting within their state, or manufacturing marijuana on behalf of an authorized patient, or (4) an entity authorized under local or State law to distribute medical marijuana to authorized patients from obtaining, possessing, or distributing marijuana to such authorized patients. In December, U.S. House Judiciary Chair John Conyers stated publicly his concern about the tactics being used by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and promised oversight hearings. Since then, several California mayors have written to Conyers expressing their support for hearings, including the mayors of San Francisco, Oakland, West Hollywood, and Santa Cruz. Opposition to federal interference in state medical marijuana laws has also come from multiple city councils, members of the California Board of Equalization and the state legislature, as well as New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson. Further information: Medical Marijuana Patient Protection Act, HR 5842: http://americansforsafeaccess.org/downloads/HR5842.pdf ASA Fact Sheet on the Escalation of Harmful DEA Tactics: http://americansforsafeaccessnow.org/downloads/dea_escalation.pdf December 2007 Statement by House Judiciary Chair John Conyers: http://judiciary.house.gov/newscenter.aspx?A=889 Letter from San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom to Conyers: http://www.americansforsafeaccessnow.org/downloads/Newsom_Letter_to_Conyers.pdf Letter from NM Governor Richardson to President GW Bush: http://safeaccessnow.org/downloads/richardson_letter.pdf # # #

Press Release: Study Confirms Medical Marijuana Pain Relief

[Courtesy of Marijuana Policy Project] 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: APRIL 17, 2008

Study Confirms Medical Marijuana Pain Relief
University of California Clinical Trial Shows Relief of Neuropathic Pain, Mild Side Effects

CONTACT: Bruce Mirken, MPP director of communications, 202-215-4205

DAVIS, CALIFORNIA -- A clinical trial conducted at the University of California at Davis and just published online by the Journal of Pain has demonstrated significant relief of neuropathic pain (pain caused by damage to nerves) stemming from a variety of causes. This is the second study in just over a year to show that marijuana relieves neuropathic pain, which is notoriously resistant to treatment with conventional pain drugs, including opioid narcotics. A UC San Francisco study published last year showed relief of HIV/AIDS-related neuropathy.


    In the new study, 38 patients experiencing neuropathic pain from diabetes, spinal injury, multiple sclerosis and other causes were given marijuana cigarettes of three different strengths: Zero percent THC (placebo), 3.5 percent THC or 7 percent THC. In each session, patients took the same number of puffs, following a standardized procedure to ensure uniformity of the dose received at each strength.


    Both doses of marijuana reduced pain significantly, producing marked declines in pain intensity that lasted over five hours. Researchers Barth Wilsey and colleagues wrote that side effects "were relatively inconsequential," and "psychoactive effects were minimal and well-tolerated." Although the scientists did express caution about the neurocognitive effects of the higher dose -- reflected in lower scores on some tests of memory and problem solving, the study was not designed to examine the potential for marijuana to allow reduced doses of narcotic painkillers that also cause cognitive impairment, a benefit widely reported by patients. For a copy of the complete study, contact MPP director of communications Bruce Mirken at 202-215-4205.


    "This is yet more proof that the American College of Physicians was right that U.S. government policy on medical marijuana is totally divorced from scientific reality," said Rob Kampia, executive director of the Marijuana Policy Project in Washington, D.C. "Congress needs to act to end the federal war on medical marijuana, but in the meantime states should act on their own to protect medical marijuana patients from arrest, as several states are considering right now."


    States where legislators are presently considering medical marijuana legislation include Illinois, New York and Minnesota. A medical marijuana initiative has qualified for 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.

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Groundbreaking Chronic Pain Study Needs Participants: Find Out What You Can Do to Help

[Courtesy of Americans for Safe Access]

Dear ASA Supporter,

Dr. Donald Abrams of University of California, San Francisco needs individuals who are currently using Oxycontin or MS Contin to join an important medical cannabis study! This research could potentially provide clinical proof that when added to conventional narcotic pain drugs, marijuana can provide added relief and often allow much-reduced doses of these dangerous narcotics.

Dr. Abrams has conducted numerous groundbreaking medical marijuana studies and you could be involved in his next historic project! Time is of the essence, be one of two dozen people to impact medical marijuana research for the future.

In order to ensure that this necessary research continues and is a success, Dr. Abrams is seeking out individuals who meet the following qualifications:

To qualify, you must:
  • Be taking either OxyContin or MS Contin (or Kadian) twice daily;
  • Have smoked marijuana at least 6 times in the past;
  • Be willing NOT to smoke marijuana for a month prior to screening for the study;
  • Be willing not to smoke cigarettes at least 2 weeks prior to screening and through the study;
  • Be 18 years or older;
  • Meet some additional criteria;

    And you cannot:
  • Be pregnant, trying to become pregnant, or breastfeeding;
  • Be on chemo, radiation, or other cancer therapy;
  • Be currently using alcohol or recreational drugs;
  • Have kidney or liver failure, severe heart problems, high blood pressure, lung disease or a severe psychiatric disorder.

    • The study takes place at San Francisco General Hospital, in the clinical research center, and is a 5-day inpatient stay. Participants may be eligible to receive up to $520.00 for travel reimbursements. You can read more about the study here: www.AmericansforSafeAccess.org/AbramsPainStudy

    How to Get Involved:
    If you meet the qualifications above and are interested in participating in this historical research please contact Paul Couey at: 415-476-9554 ext 315 or e-mail at: [email protected]. Let Paul know you found out about this study from ASA.

    If you do not meet the criteria above, there is still an important role for you to play! Please forward this message on to any lists you belong to, any community members you know might be interested, and your family and friends!

    If you have questions about the study or need more information, please contact [email protected]

    Sincerely,

    Sonnet Seeborg Gabbard
    Field Coordinator
    Americans for Safe Access

    Watch Our New Medical Marijuana TV Ad

    [Courtesy of Marijuana Policy Project] 

    This week, the Marijuana Policy Project begins blanketing Minnesota airwaves with this TV ad, which urges Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) not to veto the medical marijuana bill that the Minnesota House will soon be voting on and — hopefully — passing.

    The ad features Lynn Rubenstein Nicholson of Minneapolis, who suffers from disabling pain after enduring 10 surgeries for a serious back injury. She gives an emotional plea for lawmakers to pass the bill into law, explaining, “I’m in more and more pain all the time ... I’m tired of being a criminal.”

    The ad is generating enormous press coverage, and we urgently need to keep it on the air as we make the final push to pass the medical marijuana bill into law. Would you please help by making a donation of $50 or more today?

    We’re very close to making Minnesota the 13th medical marijuana state — and the first such state in the Midwest — but danger lurks ahead: Although the bill passed its final Minnesota House committee last week and already passed the Senate last year — and although it is supported by hundreds of doctors, thousands of nurses, and a multitude of medical associations — the governor has threatened to veto it. We have overcome vetoes and veto threats before in other states, and we can do the same in Minnesota, but we’re going to need to ramp up the pressure to succeed.

    We're spending tens of thousands of dollars to keep this ad running, so we’re counting on your support to keep the pressure on. A one-time donation of $50 or more would go a long way toward pushing this bill through into law.  For example, a $100 donation would ensure that approximately 2,000 Minnesotans will see the ad.

    In sum, your donation will help ensure that medical marijuana patients like Lynn and so many others will no longer have to face arrest and jail simply for using medical marijuana on their doctors’ advice.  Thank you in advance for anything you can give.

    Sincerely,
    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.

    Medical Marijuana Advocates Announce TV Ad Campaign Featuring Seriously Ill Patients

    [Courtesy of MPP] 

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
    APRIL 14, 2008

    Medical Marijuana Advocates Announce TV Ad Campaign Featuring Seriously Ill Patients

    CONTACT: Neal Levine, MPP director of state campaigns, 612-326-6690 ext.802

    MINNEAPOLIS — Advocates announced the first in a new series of TV ads today featuring seriously ill patients asking Minnesotans to urge Gov. Tim Pawlenty not to veto a bill to protect suffering Minnesotans from arrest for using medical marijuana with a doctor's recommendation.

        The ad, which will begin running on broadcast and cable stations throughout Minnesota later this week, can be viewed online here: http://www.minnesotacares.org/Ads_video.html.

        The ad features Lynn Rubenstein Nicholson of Minneapolis, who suffers intractable pain after enduring 10 surgeries following a back injury.

        "Really, the only thing that gave me relief was marijuana," Nicholson says in the ad of her struggle to find relief from the constant pain that keeps her bedridden most of the time. "It's not ok to break the law ... I'm tired of being a criminal."

        SF 345, which is sponsored in the House by Rep. Thomas Huntley (DFL-Duluth), passed in the Senate last year, and the House Ways and Means Committee, 13-4, April 9. The bill is heading to the House floor for a vote soon, but Gov. Tim Pawlenty has threatened to veto it if it passes.

        "The governor has threatened a veto after hearing from certain aspects of the law enforcement community," said Neal Levine, director of state campaigns for the Marijuana Policy Project. "Hopefully, before he finalizes his decision, he will also consider the opinions of the hundreds of doctors, thousands of nurses, multitude of medical associations, the vast majority of Minnesotans and suffering patients like Lynn, who all support this bill."

        The bill's chances were recently boosted by a strong statement supporting medical marijuana from the 124,000-member American College of Physicians, the second largest physician group in the U.S. Their statement is available 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. For more information, please visit www.MarijuanaPolicy.org.

    ####

    Amazing progress on medical marijuana in Minnesota and Illinois

    [Courtesy of MPP] 

    MPP surprised all the political pundits when the final Minnesota House committee passed our medical marijuana bill with a 13-4 vote yesterday! The bill — which would protect Minnesota’s medical marijuana patients from arrest and jail — now heads to the House floor for the final battle ... meaning that Minnesota could be just two or three weeks away from becoming the 13th medical marijuana state.
     
    We’re also making historic progress in Illinois, where our medical marijuana bill — which Illinois voters support by a whopping 67% to 27% margin — has cleared a major hurdle, passing the Senate Public Health Committee by a 6-4 vote last month, and is now slated for the Senate floor.

    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.

    Americans for Safe Access: April 2008 Activist Newsletter

    California Cannabis Dispensaries Testify at Tax Hearing

    Medical Cannabis Generates More than $100 Million in Sales Tax

    On Tuesday, March 18, medical cannabis advocates and dispensary operators from around California went to the state capital to testify about the sales tax medical cannabis generates. The group urged the Board of Equalization (BOE) to help protect an important source of revenue for the state—$100 million in sales tax collected annually by medical marijuana dispensaries.

    The BOE testimony The patients, advocates, and operators who testified.

    ASA's Chief of Staff Rebecca Saltzman testified first. She told the BOE that the tax revenue the state receives from licensed medical cannabis dispensaries is in danger, due to increased federal interference in the state medical marijuana program.

    "The sales tax collected by medical marijuana dispensaries in one year could fund the construction of two large schools or 2,000 elementary and high school teachers," said ASA Chief of Staff Rebecca Saltzman. "By robbing California of this much needed revenue, the federal government is not only harming thousands of patients that rely on this medicine, it is also impeding the state's ability to fund critical aspects of its infrastructure."

    Others who testified included Dale Geiringer, Ph.D., the head of California NORML, who outlined the millions of dollars of tax revenue dispensaries produce for the BOE, and several dispensary operators and former operators from Berkeley, Los Angeles, Santa Rosa, San Francisco, Sacramento and Santa Cruz, who all testified to their problems with the DEA.

    Among those dispensary operators was Lisa Sawoya, the tax-paying former director of Hollywood Compassionate Care in Los Angeles, who was forced to close her dispensary because the DEA intimidated her landlord by threatening to seize the property. Her collective still suffered a raid at the hands of the DEA, even though her landlord had notified the DEA that the dispensary was closing in a matter of days.

    Bill Pearce, former director of River City Patients' Center in Sacramento, described the $700,000 he had paid to the BOE over the past three years, as well as a quarter of a million to the IRS and Franchise Tax Board. The DEA shut him down in September.

    All those testifying urged the BOE to do everything possible to help protect safe access and state tax revenues. ASA's Rebecca Saltzman also pointed out that the DEA would soon face oversight hearings before Congress on their tactics, and State Senator Carole Migden is introducing a resolution calling for an end to federal interference and urging Congress and the President to establish policy consistent with the compassionate use laws of California.

    In 2007 alone, the DEA raided more than 50 medical marijuana providers, and they embarked on a new strategy, sending more than 300 letters to landlords of dispensaries, threatening property owners with criminal prosecution and asset forfeiture.

    Read more in Rebecca Saltzman's report on the hearing on ASA's blog. Also, see the ASA Fact Sheet on sales tax on the website here.

    ASA Mounts Strong Response to Latest LA Raids

    Patients, Activists and Victims of DEA Raids Rally, Speak to City Council

    ASA organized a quick response to DEA raids on six locations of a medical cannabis collective in Los Angeles on March 20.

    Activists were at the locations quickly to protest the raids, thanks to ASA's Raid Response Emergency Text Messaging system. One of the activists onsite even overheard a DEA agent tell the others that "the alert has gone out" and "they're on the way."

    Within days, operators of several dispensaries that have been targeted testified before the Los Angeles City Council, then joined 60 medical cannabis patients and advocates for a protest in front of the DEA offices downtown.

    "It's very difficult to comply with state law with the DEA continuing to raid legally-sanctioned dispensaries," said Virgil Grant, who had multiple dispensary locations raided. "It's time for the Los Angeles City Council and other local governments to end DEA interference."

    The city council was asked to re-convene the city working group that is developing regulations for collectives, and Council Member Janice Hahn said she would.

    Next Wednesday, April 2, the council will vote on a resolution endorsing state Senator Carole Migden's Senate Joint Resolution 20 calling on the President and US Congress to end the raids. See below in the City and County Hearings section for more details.

    No arrests were made and the collectives, which took only minor losses due to careful precautions, are expected to reopen today.

    Sign up for ASA's Emergency Response Text Messaging System to receive instant alerts about raids in your area. Visit ASA online at www.AmericansforSafeAccess.org/RaidAlert.

    ASA Fact Sheet on Senate Joint Resolution 20, calling for an end to DEA interference is at www.AmericansforSafeAccess.org/downloads/SJR_20_Fact_Sheet.pdf.

    Maryland Patients Get ASA Rights Training

    As part of a campaign to raise awareness about Maryland's medical cannabis law and improve it, patients throughout Maryland received trainings on their rights this month as part of in an education partnership between ASA and the Drug Policy Alliance.

    ASA's first Medical Marijuana Teach-In and Know Your Rights Training in the state drew a diverse crowd to hear about the state's medical marijuana law. A few attendees were not even aware that Maryland has a medical marijuana law.

    Unlike most states with medical cannabis laws, Maryland still considers patients criminals, even when they can prove that their marijuana use is a medical necessity. A successful medical defense will leave a patient with a misdemeanor criminal record that poses barriers to financial aid, housing, employment, and more.

    Those attending the training all signed ASA's petition to protect Maryland medical marijuana patients, and many also signed up to participate in a field trip to meet with state legislators next month.

    ASA conducted similar teach-ins throughout the month of March, including trainings in Salisbury, Maryland (Eastern Shore), Silver Spring, MD (Montgomery County) and Western Maryland. The campaign is designed to build grassroots support and identify potential leadership to support future legislative reform efforts.

    For more information about how to help improve Maryland's medical marijuana law see ASA’s website at: AmericansForSafeAccess.org/maryland.

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