N.Y.: Identical Medical Marijuana Bills Introduced in Assembly & Senate.

April 28, 2009.

Dear fellow American:

Last Tuesday, April 21, Assembly Health Committee Chair Richard Gottfried and Senate Health Committee Chair Tom Duane joined MPP's lobbyist Vince Marrone and two patients for a very successful press conference on the introduction of their identical medical marijuana bills, A. 7542 and S. 4041-A, in Albany. The press conference generated lots of positive media coverage across New York State.

The media is paying attention to this important issue. Now, patients need your help to make sure that state senators hear how much their constituents care about protecting patients.

Please call to urge your state senator to support Sen. Duane's bill. Then ask your friends and family to do the same. Don't forget to fill out the feedback form so you can let us know about your senator's response. While the Assembly has passed similar bills the past two years, the Senate has never had a floor vote on an effective medical marijuana bill. Every senator's vote is key and your feedback will help us determine where to focus our efforts.

At the press conference, two patients — Joel Peacock, a Buffalo chronic pain patient and Conservative party member, and Joe Gamble, a Syracuse-area Army veteran and former commercial pilot who suffers from multiple sclerosis — had the opportunity to share their stories with the media. Joel explained, "As a registered Conservative Party member, I believe in strong conservative values like compassion for the sick and dying. Seriously ill people have enough hardship — they shouldn't be arrested for easing their suffering." Later this week, the Syracuse Post-Standard published Joe's opinion piece.

Please call your state senator today. Then ask your friends and family to do the same. Also, if you are a patient, a loved one, a medical professional, or a member of law enforcement or clergy who might be interested in speaking out please contact us at state@mpp.org to see how you can be of special help in passing this legislation. Please include your nine-digit zip code so we can identify your legislators, and please share your connection with medical marijuana.

The twin bills have a real chance of becoming law this year, but in order for that to happen it is crucial that senators realize this is an issue their constituents support. Today, the Assembly bill is already scheduled for its first committee vote of the year, and it has 49 co-sponsors. The Senate bill has 14 co-sponsors.

Thank you for supporting the Marijuana Policy Project. With your help, this can be the year that New York stops the cruel and senseless policy of arresting the seriously ill.

Sincerely,

Noah Mamber
Legislative Analyst
Marijuana Policy Project

LET THE REVOLUTION BEGIN!

Thanks for all you do!
Live your values. Love your country.
And, remember: TOGETHER, We can make a DIFFERENCE!

FAIR USE NOTICE: This blog may contain copyrighted material. Such material is made available for educational purposes, to advance understanding of human rights, democracy, scientific, moral, ethical, and social justice issues, etc. This constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in Title 17 U.S.C. section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond ‘fair use’, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

MPP Update: Ushering in a NEW Era.

March 24, 2009.

Dear fellow Americans:

We're in a new era! Last week, Attorney General Eric Holder announced that the federal government will now defer to state governments on medical marijuana — a 180-degree reversal of the Bush administration's anti-democratic policies.

The impact was immediate. On the day of Holder's announcement, New Mexico announced that it had issued the first license that any state government has ever issued to a medical marijuana producer in any state. That first nonprofit provider will be able to grow and sell medical marijuana to card-carrying patients without being harassed or raided by local, state, or federal law enforcement officials.

Additionally:

• Rhode Island is poised to expand its existing medical marijuana law to allow for three nonprofits to dispense medical marijuana to registered patients.
• This November, Maine voters will consider a ballot initiative similar to what Rhode Island envisions. MPP's polling shows the initiative is supported by 66% of likely voters.
• The Illinois, Iowa and Minnesota legislatures are debating bills to create new medical marijuana laws that allow for licensed dispensing from day one.
• In Arizona, MPP's campaign committee will be placing a similar proposal on the statewide ballot in November 2010. That initiative is supported by 65% of likely voters.
• In California, medical marijuana is dispensed at approximately 400 collectives that are generating approximately $100 million annually in state tax revenues. They operate under a state law that allows their activity but doesn't provide for state licensing. With federal policy improved and clarified, we expect the California Legislature to pass legislation similar to our Arizona proposal.

To fully appreciate the changes we're seeing, compare the Obama administration's policy to the Bush administration's policy. In the fall of 2001, after executing the first of what would be dozens of medical marijuana dispensary raids over eight years, a spokesperson for Bush's Justice Department said, "The recent enforcement is indicative that we have not lost our priorities in other areas since September 11. The attorney general and the administration have been very clear: we will be aggressive."

As the World Trade Center was still literally smoldering and our country was about to launch two foreign wars, the Bush administration was crowing about how it was arresting medical marijuana patients. That policy was not only cruel, but stupid. Good riddance.

Now that the Obama administration has taken the Drug Enforcement Administration out of the business of busting pharmacy-like establishments, MPP will be lobbying the federal government to also do the following:

• Congress should remove the federal ban on the District of Columbia enacting a local medical marijuana law. In November 1998, 69% of D.C. voters passed a medical marijuana ballot initiative, but every year since then Congress has attached a rider to its D.C. spending bill that prevents this law from taking effect. Even former Republican Congressman Bob Barr, the author of the federal ban, now supports lifting it — and has lobbied on MPP's behalf to do exactly that.
• The DEA should stop preventing the University of Massachusetts from growing medical marijuana for research purposes. A privately grown, regulated supply of marijuana is a prerequisite to getting marijuana approved by the Food and Drug Administration as a prescription medicine.
• The Obama administration should reopen the existing federal program that currently provides medical marijuana to only three patients nationwide but that was closed to new enrollment in 1992. This could be a huge boon to patients in states without medical marijuana laws.

As you can see, it's an exciting time, with some of the best possibilities for change that I've seen since I cofounded MPP 14 years ago. But we're 100% dependent on supporters like you to help us fund our lobbying efforts ... so would you please help us take advantage of this newly receptive political atmosphere by making the most generous donation you can afford today? I personally appreciate anything you can give to help our work.

Thank you,

Rob Kampia
Executive Director
Marijuana Policy Project
Washington, D.C.

LET THE REVOLUTION BEGIN!

Thanks for all you do!
Live your values. Love your country.
And, remember: TOGETHER, We can make a DIFFERENCE!

FAIR USE NOTICE: This blog may contain copyrighted material. Such material is made available for educational purposes, to advance understanding of human rights, democracy, scientific, moral, ethical, and social justice issues, etc. This constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in Title 17 U.S.C. section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond ‘fair use’, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

N.Y.: Ask your state senator to co-sponsor groundbreaking medical marijuana bill.

N.Y.: Ask your state senator to co-sponsor groundbreaking medical marijuana bill!

Dear New Yorker:

For the first time, "same as" (or identical) medical marijuana bills are being introduced by members of the majority party in both the Assembly, by Health Committee chair and longtime sponsor Asm. Richard Gottfried (D), and the Senate, by Health Committee chair Sen. Tom Duane (D). While the New York Assembly has passed medical marijuana legislation twice in the last two years, the bills died in the Senate. With new Senate leadership, this could finally be the year New York protects medical marijuana patients. Help us make sure this opportunity doesn't slip away.

Please call to urge your state senator to co-sponsor Sen. Duane's bill. Then, ask your friends and family to do the same. The bill will be introduced by the middle of next week, so don't delay!

If you are a patient with a serious medical condition, a physician, or a clergy member, please e-mail me at NMamber@mpp.org if you would be willing to speak out.

Numerous studies show that medical marijuana can be an effective treatment for patients with serious illnesses like cancer, multiple sclerosis, and AIDS. 76% of New Yorkers support allowing medical marijuana, as does the vast majority of the state's medical community. Yet, thousands of patients continue to suffer, living in fear of arrest, and sometimes facing prosecution and conviction. Others will not break state law and suffer needlessly because the medicine they know would work best is not allowed in their state. You can read and, in some cases, watch 17 New York patients' stories.

In this year of change, please call to urge your senator to join the growing national consensus and co-sponsor this legislation so that medical marijuana patients from Buffalo to Montauk can live their lives without fear of prison.

Thank you for supporting the Marijuana Policy Project. And please pass this on to friends and family in New York so that even more voices for compassion can be heard.

Sincerely,

Noah Mamber
Legislative Analyst
Marijuana Policy Project

LET THE REVOLUTION BEGIN!

Thanks for all you do! Live your values. Love your country. And, remember: TOGETHER, We can make a DIFFERENCE!

FAIR USE NOTICE: This blog may contain copyrighted material. Such material is made available for educational purposes, to advance understanding of human rights, democracy, scientific, moral, ethical, and social justice issues, etc. This constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in Title 17 U.S.C. section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond ‘fair use’, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.