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Last Updated February 1st,  2012

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Archive of Marijuana Information

Legalize, labelize, and Taxalize all current illegal drugs. Than.., Terrorist and Drug Lords are out of money!!!

For those who lie to the world and say Marijuana is dangerous? Read what beer, wine, or hard liquor will do long term.

Alcohol "is" the Gate Way drug...

 New News will be down below, so scroll on down to the Legalization of our Nation!

Louisiana: Stand up against benefits discrimination and marijuana penalty-increasing legislation

Dear Tom Sutor:

The Louisiana legislature doesn’t seem to get it. As the rest of the country moves toward a more sensible marijuana policy, Louisiana’s legislature is ratcheting up its failed war on marijuana users. Two obnoxious pieces of legislation — a drug testing bill for welfare recipients and a marijuana penalty enhancement bill — have easily passed one chamber and will be awaiting their final floor vote soon.

H.B. 617 mandates drug testing for those who receive cash assistance benefits and suspend the benefits after two failed tests. This bill will hurt patients who use marijuana for medical purposes as well as occasional recreational marijuana users and add more fear and shame to their lives. Using marijuana should not be something that the state can use to deny a family the living stipend it desperately needs.

Please e-mail your senator to let her or him know that marijuana users and their families also deserve welfare benefits This bill is unacceptable and discriminatory. Ask your senator to refocus his or her priorities on exploring money-saving legislation that reduces penalties for marijuana offenses.

H.B. 617 passed the House 61-27, and is awaiting consideration in the Senate Judiciary C before moving to the Senate floor.  

The second bill, S.B. 576, would increase the penalty for second-offense marijuana possession while the rest of the country moves to reduce penalties. Please call your representative today and ask her or him to oppose this absurd legislation.

S.B. 576, introduced by Sen. Dan Claitor (R–Baton Rouge), would require an individual convicted a second time of simple marijuana possession to pay a mandatory fine of at least $250 — at most $2,000! — while retaining the provision that could also land the offender in prison with hard labor for five years. Additionally, the legislation would mandate that the offender spend at least 48 hours in jail unless the offender attends mandatory drug abuse treatment and completes 48 hours of community service. S.B. 576 passed the Senate 36-0 and was reported favorably out of the House Administration of Criminal Justice Committee on May 25, and now it awaits its final floor vote.

Please let your lawmakers know that the money wasted on incarcerating men and women across Louisiana for simply possessing marijuana could be better spent on any of the vital services that have been hit hard, including working on rebuilding New Orleans and dealing with the effects of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

Thank you for supporting the Marijuana Policy Project. Please pass this on so that even more Louisianans can participate in reform.

Sincerely,

Noah Mamber
Legislative Analyst
Marijuana Policy Project

Senate Judiciary Committee tackles decriminalization

Dear Tom Sutor:

On Tuesday, May 4, the Rhode Island Senate Judiciary Committee met to hear testimony on a bill introduced by Sen. Joshua Miller (D-Cranston) that would remove the current criminal penalty imposed on individuals found in possession of up to an ounce of marijuana and replace that criminal penalty with a simple civil fine of $150. If enacted, this bill would make Rhode Island the 14th state to decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana, Massachusetts being the most recent to do so. Please e-mail your state senator today and ask him or her to support this legislation and lobby Senate leadership to bring the bill to a vote.  

Senator Miller’s bill, co-sponsored by Republican Senator Leo Blais, would replace the current criminal penalty — up to a year in jail and a $500 fine — with a more sensible and simple $150 civil violation. The fine will escalate if unpaid, and multiple offenses could result in more severe consequences. In addition to saving up to $11 million annually in law enforcement costs, this sensible legislation would end the draconian practice of labeling first-time marijuana offenders as “criminals” — a label which carries heavy life consequences such as denial of federal student aid. MPP, our lobbyists, and our grantees are working hard in support of both this bill and a House version of decriminalization legislation authored by Rep. Edwards, but we need your help. It is crucial that legislators hear that their constituents support these reforms. Please ask your senator to support this bill and lobby for a vote. Also, take an additional minute and e-mail your representative and seek his or her support for Rep. Edwards bill!

Our lobbyists and grant-funded organizer, in conjunction with Open Doors, did a fantastic job of organizing witnesses to testify in support of Senator Miller’s bill. The committee heard supportive testimony from numerous individuals, including Senator Miller and MPP grantee Henry Harrison from the Rhode Island Campaign for Informed Marijuana Policy. Meanwhile, opposition testimony focused on the same old tired and discredited propaganda, unable to refute the effective arguments of those testifying in favor. Read about the hearing by visiting the Providence Journal.   

Although we had wonderful testifiers, constituent contact makes the biggest difference. Legislators want and need to hear from you. These e-mails are free and take only a minute of your time. Please e-mail your senator and state representative and request that they help to usher in new and more sensible marijuana reforms for the state of Rhode Island!

As always, thank you for all the hard and good work that you do.

Sincerely,

Robert J. Capecchi
Legislative Analyst
Marijuana Policy Project

FINALLY: District Council unanimously approves medical marijuana legislation

Passage of bill implements medical marijuana program 11 years in the making.

Dear Tom Sutor:

In yet another sign of the growing acceptance and support of medical marijuana, the Council of the District of Columbia yesterday gave unanimous, final approval to legislation that would place our nation’s capital alongside 14 other states in allowing doctors to recommend medical marijuana for seriously ill residents suffering from cancer, HIV/AIDS, multiple sclerosis, and other debilitating illnesses. The measure would also create a government-regulated distribution system to provide marijuana to qualifying patients though 5-8 dispensaries located throughout the District. The bill now goes to the mayor’s office for approval and, once signed, will be transmitted to Congress for a mandatory 30-legislative-day review period. If approved as expected, the effective date for the legislation would be mid-July.

Not only did the Council give its approval to the bill, but the amount of marijuana patients can purchase could also be raised. Previously, the maximum potential amount was 2.5 ounces. Under an amendment offered by Councilmember Phil Mendelson, the mayor will now be able to raise that limit to 4 ounces. Unfortunately, several other amendments offered by Councilmember Jim Graham that would have improved upon the bill by allowing Virginia and Maryland physicians to make recommendations and providing for civil discrimination protections for patients were defeated with Councilmember Mendelson and Councilmember David Catania leading the opposition.

Nonetheless, yesterday’s vote represents a victory 11 years in the making. District voters approved Initiative 59 with nearly 70% support in 1998, but Congress quickly put the measure on hold by including a rider preventing the initiative from taking effect in the appropriations bill that provides funding to the District. MPP succeeded in removing the "Barr amendment" (after then-Rep. Bob Barr) late last year, and immediately went to work lobbying the Council to implement the initiative.

Now that members of Congress from around the country will have an opportunity to see a properly regulated medical marijuana program in person, perhaps we’re closer than ever to seeing federal legislation to protect medical marijuana patients. MPP would like to express appreciation to Teresa Skipper, the D.C. Patients Advocacy Coalition, and countless other patients and activists who help make this day possible. Congratulations to D.C. voters and patients who’ve been waiting 11 years for this victory, and, as always, thank you for your continued support of the Marijuana Policy Project.

Sincerely,

Dan Riffle
Legislative Analyst
Marijuana Policy Project

Dear Tom Sutor:

Today, in a historic win, the D.C. Council has approved medical marijuana in the District!

Nearly twelve years after 69 percent of voters passed a medical marijuana initiative, federal obstructions have been lifted and the D.C. Council has passed legislation that will protect patients in Washington, D.C.

We need your help to take this law from a win to a major success!  Please consider donating $10 or more to our campaign to convince the mayor's office and the Department of Health to improve this law!

Though a win for patients in the District, the new law leaves many critical details to the discretion of both the mayor's office and the Department of Health.  Issues such as limits on the number of grow houses, qualifying medical conditions, and patient access can still be improved before this law goes into effect!  We need to raise upwards of $7,500 to have a chance to effectively lobby for these improved provisions.

Additionally, bringing an effective medical marijuana law to our nation's capital creates an amazing opportunity to advance federal legislation in a way that's never been done before.

Please, take a moment right now and help us make sure that Washington, D.C. improves this new law while there is still time.

Together, we can end marijuana prohibition in the United States once and for all.

Sincerely,

Rob Kampia

Executive Director
Marijuana Policy Project
Washington, D.C.

Iowa: Free medical marijuana documentary screening April 27 in Iowa City

Dear Tom Sutor:

On Tuesday, April 27, at 7:30 p.m., a free screening of the award-winning medical marijuana documentary "Waiting to Inhale" will be held in the Shambaugh Auditorium on the campus of the University of Iowa in Iowa City. The screening will be followed by a discussion with patients and advocates involved in efforts to make Iowa the 15th state to protect medical marijuana patients from arrest.

This screening, which will be co-hosted by the University of Iowa Students for Sensible Drug Policy, takes place in preparation for working to move medical marijuana legislation through the legislature next year. The introduction of S.F. 293 and H.F. 2179 by Sen. Joe Bolkcom (D-Iowa City) and Rep. Mary Mascher (D-Iowa City) last session represented the first time since 2005 that medical marijuana legislation has been introduced in the state, and the first time an effective bill has ever had a subcommittee meeting. Although the 2009-2010 legislative session is over, we are building momentum for 2011, particularly after the Iowa Board of Pharmacy’s unanimous recommendation in February that the legislature reschedule marijuana to acknowledge its medical value.

What: "Waiting to Inhale" screening, followed by a discussion with Jimmy Morrison, Iowa grassroots organizer, Lisa Jackson, a fibromyalgia patient, and Jacob Orr, a severe chronic pain patient. Rep. Mary Mascher (D-Iowa City) will also be in attendance.

Where: Shambaugh Auditorium, University Library, University of Iowa, 100 Main Library, Iowa City, IA 52242

When: Tuesday, April 27, at 7:30 p.m.

"Waiting to Inhale" was produced and directed by Jed Riffe and was partially funded by the Marijuana Policy Project's grants program. The film examines the medical marijuana debate up close by taking you inside the lives of patients, doctors, and activists, while seeking to understand why opponents support the continued criminalization of our sick and dying.

"Waiting to Inhale" has already played to critical acclaim, having won the 2005 CINE Golden Eagle Award, the Gold Special Jury Remi Award at the 38th Annual WorldFest-Houston, and the 2005 Best Documentary Film/Video at the New Jersey International Film Festival.

If you suffer from a serious illness or injury, or if you are a medical professional, please e-mail state@mpp.org to see how you can be of special help.

Thank you for supporting the Marijuana Policy Project. Please pass this alert along to anyone you know who might be interested in attending this event.

Sincerely,

Noah Mamber
Legislative Analyst
Marijuana Policy Project

Colorado: Vote tomorrow: Ask your representative to improve flawed dispensary regulation bill

Dear Tom Sutor:

Cities and towns across the state have been enacting temporary bans and struggling to regulate Colorado's marijuana dispensaries. Local Drug Enforcement Administration actions have been causing widespread anxiety and confusion. Colorado lawmakers need to step into the gap and enact sensible, fair dispensary regulations. The dispensary regulation bill sponsored by Rep. Tom Massey (R-Poncha Springs), HB 1284, is scheduled for a final House vote tomorrow. If it passes, it would then be sent to the Senate.

We need you to tell your representative that patients and the medical marijuana community support dispensary regulations, but oppose several sections of this bill in its current form. 

Thanks to the efforts of activists and lobbyists, such as MPP grantee Brian Vicente of Sensible Colorado, the House Judiciary Committee removed a section prohibiting patients and caregivers from possessing their medicine within 1,000 feet of a school (effectively banning them from living in that zone). The bill still has problems that should be addressed before it becomes law, though. Some of the problematic sections of the version the House is considering include: 

• Allowing cities and towns to ban dispensaries completely, potentially forcing patients to return to the underground illegal market to get their medicine.
• Prohibiting caregivers from serving more than five patients, unless “exceptional circumstances” exist.
• Banning people with past misdemeanor drug convictions from being associated with dispensaries — even if the conviction was for violating federal law and was for medical marijuana-related activities that are legal under the Colorado Constitution.

While dispensary regulations are necessary to safeguard providers under state law and to make it easier for providers to be in “clear and unambiguous” compliance with state law as required by the U.S. Department of Justice’s new enforcement guidelines, HB 1284 remains a flawed bill. Your representatives need to hear that while you support clear and reasonable regulations of Colorado’s medical marijuana dispensaries, patients’ needs should come first. Unnecessarily hampering dispensaries will only hurt patients in the long run.

Please write to your representative and tell him or her to amend this bill to better serve patients.

Thank you for supporting the Marijuana Policy Project and our grantee Sensible Colorado. Please pass this alert on to friends, family, and neighbors so they can help keep Colorado’s medical marijuana law focused on protecting patients.

Sincerely,

Eric M. McDaniel
Legislative Analyst
Marijuana Policy Project

Louisiana: Take action to reduce the incarceration time for paroled marijuana users

Dear Tom Sutor:

While many states are looking at reducing their marijuana penalties during these tight economic times, the Louisiana Legislature is considering several bills to make marijuana users' lives even more difficult. However, in one bright spot, the legislature is considering a parole revocation bill that would slightly improve the plight of marijuana users. H.B. 117 would give certain offenders who make a mistake and are convicted of simple possession of marijuana while on parole slightly better treatment. H.B. 117 passed the House on April 7 and is now in the Senate Judiciary Committee C.

Please take action to let your senators know that it is the right thing to do to include simple possession of marijuana as a technical parole violation.     

Currently, if an offender is charged with most types of crimes while on parole, parole will be revoked, and the offender will have to serve the remainder of his or her sentence in jail. However, if the offender only commits one "technical violation," the offender will only be required to serve up to 90 days in jail before being able to return to active parole supervision. Previously, "technical violations" excluded all marijuana-related crimes. Thus if an offender was convicted of larceny and received a sentence of five years and then was charged with a marijuana-related offense while on parole, he or she would have to return to prison to complete the whole original sentence. If H.B. 117 passes, if the parolee is charged with misdemeanor simple possession of marijuana as a parole violation, he or she will not have to go back to jail for more than 90 days before being returned back to parole. While this is a small change, any leniency demonstrated for marijuana users in Louisiana is important, and if even one marijuana user spends less time imprisoned, we can consider it a victory.  

Unfortunately, the rest of the news in Louisiana is bad. The legislature is considering several bills that would discriminate against marijuana users and add even more fear and shame to their lives. Two welfare discrimination bills, H.B. 611 and H.B. 617, are under consideration in the House. These bills would require drug testing of some or all recipients of cash assistance.

Additionally, the House is considering H.B. 139, a ridiculous bill that would brand repeat drug offenders with a "scarlet letter", mandating that they carry special driver’s licenses that say "DRUG OFFENDER" on them.

Finally, the Senate continues to consider S.B. 576, which would actually increase the penalty for second-offense marijuana possession, even while many other states are considering reducing penalties in order to save time and money. This bill exacerbates an already harsh penalty by including a mandatory minimum fine of at least $250 and 48 hours in jail.

We will keep you updated on the progress of these wrong-headed, wasteful bills, and also of the parole reform legislation. Thank you for supporting the Marijuana Policy Project. Please pass this on so that even more Louisianans can participate in reform.

Sincerely,

Noah Mamber
Legislative Analyst
Marijuana Policy Project

Illinois: Medical marijuana bill could get a vote very soon — act now!

Dear Tom Sutor:

Did you know that 81% of Americans now favor allowing the medical use of cannabis? Don’t you think it’s about time that Illinois joined 14 other states in taking a stand against arresting and prosecuting medical cannabis patients? If so, we need your help! SB 1381, the Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Pilot Program Act, still needs more representatives’ support to get to the 60 votes it needs to pass. This is a popular measure, with a 2008 Mason-Dixon poll showing 68% support among Illinois voters. A recent Washington Post and ABC News nationwide poll shows that support for safeguarding patients is on the rise, with 81% of Americans in favor of protecting medical cannabis patients.

But your representative still needs to hear that from constituents like you, so send your representative an e-mail urging him or her to vote "yes" on SB 1381 when the time comes. After you've written your representative, please follow up with a call.

It’s not too late for you to join our effort and to remind legislators how important this measure is to patients and their families in Illinois. If you are a patient, medical professional, or supportive clergy member and would like to know how you can get involved with some of our efforts — like writing supportive letters to the editor, or meeting with representatives to encourage their support — please contact our legislative analyst for Illinois, Eric McDaniel, at emcdaniel@mpp.org.

With your help, Illinois can enact an effective medical marijuana law. Please act now and help us to make this a reality. 

Your support of the Marijuana Policy Project’s efforts in Illinois is always appreciated. Please pass this alert on to your friends and family, and post our action link to your social networking sites. We need your help to make this the year that Illinois lawmakers tell patients how much they matter — by protecting them like 14 other states have done already.

Sincerely,

Eric M. McDaniel
Legislative Analyst
Marijuana Policy Project

Help fix California’s drug paraphernalia laws!

Dear Tom:

I'm writing because your representative in the state Assembly is expected to vote on important legislation affecting California's medical marijuana patients. A.B. 1811, authored by Asm. Tom Ammiano (D-San Francisco), would amend the state's drug paraphernalia laws to allow the sale of products used by patients to legally ingest medical marijuana.

Many items used for medical marijuana, such as vaporizers and water pipes, are currently sold as tobacco products, and retailers are not permitted to supply information about how these products work with marijuana.

A.B. 1811 was approved by the Assembly Public Safety Committee on Mach 23 and is now awaiting a vote from the entire Assembly before it can move to the Senate.

Please take a few minutes to call your state assemblymember and urge him or her to support of A.B. 1811.

Calling is easy if you use MPP's online action center. Just enter the requested information and your legislator's name and contact details will be provided along with a script to help guide you through your call. You can read the entire text of the bill here.

Thank you for helping to bring our state's outdated paraphernalia statutes in line with the compassionate medical marijuana law.

Sincerely,

F. Aaron Smith
California Policy Director
Marijuana Policy Project

Dear Tom:

Today, California Secretary of State Debra Bowen certified the Regulate, Control, and Tax Cannabis Act of 2010 for the November ballot. This means that on November 2, Californians will finally be able to vote to end marijuana prohibition.

The groundbreaking initiative would make personal possession and cultivation of marijuana legal for adults over 21 in California. It would also allow cash-strapped cities and counties to tax and regulate marijuana sales in order to reap millions in new tax revenues.

This historic proposition will finally allow California to move away from the destructive policy of prohibition and toward a more rational approach to marijuana. With talk of marijuana policy reform already resonating through the halls of the state capitol, today's announcement will certainly heat up the debate.

We're looking forward to educating the public about the benefits of taxing and regulating marijuana in the months leading up to November - hopefully you are too.

Please show your support by pledging to vote "yes" on California's Regulate, Control, and Tax Cannabis Act on November 2! 

Thanks for supporting MPP and sensible marijuana policy in California.

Sincerely,

F. Aaron Smith
California Policy Director
Marijuana Policy Project 

Drug testing discrimination bill pending in Ga.; write your legislators NOW!

Dear Tom Sutor:

A bill is pending in the Georgia legislature that would require drug testing of people receiving unemployment and other state assistance and deny them benefits if they test positive. This bill, HB 1389, hurts patients who use marijuana for medical purposes, as well as occasional recreational marijuana users. Using marijuana should not be something that the state can use to deny a family the living stipend it so desperately needs.

Please let your thoughts on this legislation be known to your state senator and representative. This legislation is unacceptable and discriminatory and should not advance beyond committee. Ask him or her instead to refocus their priorities on exploring money-saving legislation that further reduces penalties for marijuana offenses.

This bill is pending in the House rules committee and may advance to the House floor as soon as tomorrow. Please e-mail your legislators today and ask them to do the right thing.

If enacted into law, HB 1389 would require the Department of Human Services to test all adult recipients of "state public assistance and state-administered federal public assistance" once a year. Testing positive for illegal drug consumption would result in revocation of the recipient’s unemployment benefits and public assistance benefits. If an individual fails two drug tests in two consecutive years, they are ineligible for these benefits for two years and must submit to, and pass, a drug screening before they are deemed eligible.

This bill will severely impact seriously ill patients who use marijuana for medical purposes for their serious conditions. Georgia is already punishing such patients by not having a law protecting them from arrest and prosecution for using their medicine. This bill adds insult to injury by taking away what for many of these low-income patients is their only income, especially given that seriously ill people are more likely to be low-income and unemployed than the general population.

With some bad timing luck, even a recipient of these benefits who uses marijuana — which is safer than alcohol — only once or twice a year could lose his or her safety net. Georgia legislators need to defeat this bill, and, barring that, need to remove marijuana from it or create an exception for those who use marijuana for medical purposes.

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 and you know someone that might be affected by the passage of this bill, please contact us at state@mpp.org to see how you can be of special help. Please include your nine-digit ZIP code so we can identify your legislators, and please share your connection with the legislation.

Thank you for supporting the Marijuana Policy Project. Please pass this on so that even more Georgians can participate in reform.

Thank you so much for your time and energy.

Sincerely,

 Robert J. Capecchi
Legislative Analyst
Marijuana Policy Project

N.Y.: Medical marijuana passes Senate Codes Committee!

Dear Tom Sutor:

Yesterday, the New York State Senate Codes Committee passed S. 4041-B in a bipartisan vote, 11-5, the farthest that medical marijuana legislation has ever gotten in the New York Senate. Along with the Democrats, the bill was approved with the support of Sen. Andrew Lanza (R-Staten Island) and Sen. John Bonacic (R-Middletown). On February 23, S. 4041-B passed out of the Senate Health Committee with two Republican votes, further demonstrating the broad appeal of this legislation. Help us keep building momentum so that this can be the year that New York patients are finally protected.

Will you please e-mail your senator to ask him or her to commit to supporting this compassionate medical marijuana legislation? It is crucial that senators continue to hear that their constituents want medical marijuana legislation to be a priority this year. 

S. 4041-B will now head to the Senate Finance Committee, which is likely the last committee to hear it before it goes to the floor. It is important not to let up now, and to continue to let our legislators know that they must make protecting seriously ill patients a priority this year. Additionally, legalization of medical marijuana also appeared in the Senate’s proposed budget resolution released on Monday. That means our proposal may be included in the budget bill, which will likely be voted on within the next month.  We will keep you updated as events unfold . . .

Thank you for supporting the Marijuana Policy Project. Please also pass this message on to your friends and family so that they too can speak out to protect patients who could benefit from medical marijuana. 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

Dear Tom Sutor: 1 20 2010

Last night, Gov. Jon Corzine (D) signed New Jersey's medical marijuana legislation into law. As a result, New Jersey is now the 14th state to protect seriously ill patients from arrest and jail for using medical marijuana with their doctors' approval.

The bill had been passed by the New Jersey Legislature on January 11, passing by 48-14 in the Assembly and 25-13 in the Senate.

The new law will not only protect medical marijuana patients from arrest and jail but also allows for the regulated dispensing of medical marijuana. When the law is implemented, it's likely that there will be at least six dispensaries for patients to obtain their medicine, two in each part of the state. Doctors will be able to recommend up to two ounces of marijuana to patients within a 30-day period.

The Drug Policy Alliance New Jersey and the Coalition for Medical Marijuana-New Jersey led the lobbying efforts to pass this important legislation, which will go into effect this summer.

We're hoping that the decisive victory in New Jersey will convince neighboring state New York to do the right thing and protect patients who continue to live in fear. MPP has been pushing a medical marijuana bill forward there for seven years, and this year looks like the year that it may finally become law.

With the help of MPP's 29,000 dues-paying members, we'll continue to roll back the government's war on the sick and dying. We're working hard in Arizona, New York, Delaware, Illinois, Maryland, and Massachusetts to make these states the 15th, 16th, 17th, 18th, 19th, and 20th to pass medical marijuana legislation. Would you please consider making a donation today to support our efforts?

Thank you,

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

Dear Tom Sutor: 1 14 2010

Today marked a significant milestone for marijuana policy reform: In California, legislation that would remove penalties for adult marijuana use was approved by a major committee in the state legislature.

This is the first time in U.S. history that a bill to tax and regulate marijuana ever made it to a state legislative committee, and it passed with a majority of the vote!

After hearing testimony from advocates — including MPP's California policy director Aaron Smith — the Assembly Public Safety Committee voted 4-3 in support of A.B. 390, the landmark legislation authored by Assemblymember Tom Ammiano (D-San Francisco).

Unfortunately, legislative rules and deadlines are preventing the bill from progressing further, but the groundbreaking success in the Public Safety Committee is a signal that we're making big strides. For the first time, state lawmakers were forced to seriously consider replacing marijuana prohibition with legal regulation -- and they said yes.

California has a reputation for leading the nation in bold policy changes, and we've only seen the beginning of marijuana policy reform there.

We'll continue to work toward ending the war on responsible marijuana users in California and elsewhere, but we need your help. Would you please donate today so that we can continue to tear down marijuana prohibition in California and across the nation?

Thank you,

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

Dear Tom Sutor: 1 12 2010

MPP had a big day in Nevada on Wednesday. Our ballot advocacy group, Nevadans for Sensible Marijuana Laws, submitted language to the secretary of state for a ballot initiative to tax and regulate marijuana in the state. When this initiative passes in November 2012, adults in Nevada will be able to possess up to an ounce of marijuana and will be able to purchase it from approximately 120 safe, legal retail stores spread throughout the state.

Judging by the media coverage of the announcement, there's going to be a tremendous interest in the campaign over the next three years. Within 24 hours, there were articles in major newspapers throughout the state, news reports on many local TV stations, and an Associated Press story, which appeared on the Web sites of dozens of media outlets around the country.

Of course, our opponents are geared up for battle. Within hours of the campaign launch, Washoe County district attorney Richard Gammick held his own press conference where he pretended to take a hit of marijuana and made a comparison between Sodom and Gomorrah and the drive to regulate marijuana in Nevada.

His attack wont go unanswered: The campaign is preparing an ad calling him out for this ludicrious behavior and his unhealthy addiction to demonizing and punishing people who simply choose to use marijuana instead of alcohol for recreation and relaxation.

Will you help air this ad by making a contribution today? If just a small fraction of the people receiving this alert give $5 or $10, the campaign will be able to make a splash in the state. So please make a donation — large or small.

If they want a fight, we'll give them a fight. Thanks in advance for having our backs.

Sincerely,

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

Dear Tom Sutor:

Our accomplishments in 2009 were made possible by the generous support of our 29,000 members. Please help us kick off 2010 with a bang by making a donation today. 

Sincerely,

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

Dear Tom Sutor:

Ready for some great news?

The Obama administration is directing federal prosecutors not to arrest medical marijuana patients and caregivers who are complying with state laws.

On Monday, federal prosecutors, as well as top officials at the FBI and DEA, will reportedly be told that it isn’t a good use of their time to arrest people who use or provide medical marijuana, if they are complying with state law.

This is the most significant, positive policy development on the federal level for medical marijuana since 1978.

Under the Bush administration, the feds had continued to raid, arrest, and otherwise terrorize medical marijuana and their caregivers in the 13 states that have passed medical marijuana laws. This new policy is a major change.

MPP was instrumental in obtaining a promise from President Obama during the presidential campaign that, if elected, he would halt these arrests. MPP was the only reform organization to testify on Capitol Hill urging the issuance of the guidelines and, later, was the only group to work with leaders in Congress to get a House committee to urge the administration to adopt the written guidelines. Our lobbyists have also been in contact with top officials at the Justice Department about the guidelines.

(In fact, you can watch a one-minute video clip of Obama responding to one of our campaign volunteers in New Hampshire on August 21, 2007, in the heat of the presidential primary campaign here, and a clip of MPP's lobbyist following his testimony on the Hill here.)

We're thrilled to see this promise come to fruition, and I hope you’ll join me in celebrating this news -- some of the best we’ve had for medical marijuana patients in years.

Thank you for helping to make this momentous change happen. And if you’d like to help keep pushing, please:

1. Use MPP's easy online action center to tell your members of Congress that you support this new policy.

2. Donate to MPP’s federal lobbying work here.

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.

Medical marijuana is right for Wisconsin

Dear Tom Sutor:

Can you believe that in this day and age the state of Wisconsin continues to make criminals out of the seriously ill simply for adhering to a treatment plan recommended by their doctor? 

I can't either, which is why I need your help. At this moment, a comprehensive medical marijuana bill is being circulated in Madison for co-sponsors. Please contact your legislators today to ask them to add their names to this compassionate bill.

The Jacki Rickert Medical Marijuana Act, sponsored by Sen. Jon Erpenbach (D-27) and Rep. Mark Pocan (D-78), would remove penalties for possession of marijuana for an individual diagnosed with a debilitating medical condition if it is recommend by their doctor. The bill also protects licensed caregivers and dispensaries. Modeled after Michigan's medical marijuana act, the Wisconsin bill adds Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) to the list of conditions that medical marijuana could be used to treat. It's time to make sure that seriously ill patients have safe and well-regulated access to the medicine they need.

Unfortunately, we've seen law enforcement pressure legislators in other states to keep our uninformed medical marijuana policy locked into the status quo. MPP needs your help to combat this type of pressure. Please write or call your state senator and representative now. Urge them to co-sign the Jacki Rickert Medical Marijuana Act and lobby their colleagues to do the same. And if you are a medical professional or a patient who would benefit from the passage of the Jacki Rickert Medical Marijuana Act please e-mail state@mpp.org to see how else you can help. 

Thank you very much for your time and energy.

Sincerely,

Robert J. Capecchi
Legislative Analyst
Marijuana Policy Project

P.S. Please pass this alert on to friends and family so that they, too, can speak out for the seriously ill.

Illinois: We need 60 votes for medical marijuana

Dear Tom Sutor:

We need 60 votes for medical marijuana in the Illinois House of Representatives. Illinois' seriously ill patients need your help to make sure your representative is one of them.

In May, the Senate passed the Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Pilot Program Act. The legislature recessed four days later and the House has not yet voted on the bill.

Tomorrow on October 14, the Illinois House will meet for a veto session, giving MPP's local lobbyists a chance to talk to representatives about protecting patients. Before they do so, it's vital that constituents let their representatives know that passing a medical marijuana bill in Illinois is the right thing to do.

Please send your representative an e-mail urging him or her to protect patients by voting "yes" on SB 1381 when the time comes. The measure could be brought to the House floor for a vote sometime after the legislature reconvenes for the second half of the 2009-2010 session in January. 

Though polls show that 68% of Illinois citizens support medical marijuana, many representatives still believe it is controversial. It is up to us to show them otherwise.

After you've written your representative, please follow up with a call.

Thank you for supporting the Marijuana Policy Project and all of our allies. Please subscribe to our free legislative alert service to help make this the last year Illinois threatens the sick and dying with arrest.

Sincerely,

Eric M. McDaniel
Legislative Analyst
Marijuana Policy Project

You can vote NOW for Maine's medical marijuana initiative

Dear Tom:

You have probably heard by now that there will be a medical marijuana initiative on the ballot in Maine on November 3.  What you may not know is that you can cast your vote for this initiative now!  We hope you will, as it will likely be a close election and every vote counts.

To vote by absentee ballot, you do not need to fill out any form or mail a request to the state.  You simply need to visit your municipal clerk's office and fill out a ballot.  It is just like voting on Election Day — but without the lines!

Just click here to find the address of the municipal clerk in your town:

http://www.maine.gov/sos/cec/elec/clerk.htm

For more information about absentee voting in Maine, including the option of having a ballot sent to your home, click on this link:

http://www.maine.gov/sos/cec/elec/absenteeguide.html

The passage of Question 5 is extremely important to current and future medical marijuana patients in the state.  Under current law, there is no safe and reliable way for patients to get marijuana.  They must either grow their own, find someone to procure it for them, or buy it on the streets. 

Question 5 would allow the formation of non-profit dispensaries to provide patients with safe access to the medicine they need.  In addition, it would expand the number of conditions covered under the law and protect patients from discrimination in employment, housing, education, and child custody.

If you are interested in volunteering your time to the campaign over the next three weeks or would simply like to know how you can encourage your friends and family to vote, please send a quick e-mail to info@mainecommonsense.org or call 207-272-1800.  At the very least, please forward this e-mail to anyone interested in voting for Question 5.

This is an opportunity to help patients in the state, and we cannot let it slip away.

Thanks in advance for voting and for encouraging others to vote.

Best,

Steve Fox
Director of State Campaigns
Marijuana Policy Project

125,000 signatures so far! Can you help us with five more?

Dear Tom Sutor:

We are happy to report we have reached a major milestone in our signature drive. We have now collected more than 125,000 signatures — more than half way to our goal! As we move into the second half of the drive, we are starting to think about ways to expand our e-mail list for the campaign ahead.

So we have a challenge for you. Collect five “signatures” of your own by getting five of your friends to sign up for our campaign e-mail alerts. Just encourage them to visit our website at www.stoparrestingpatients.org and click the link to sign up for our campaign email alerts. If all of our subscribers can get five friends to sign up, we can add thousands of e-mail addresses to our list, greatly expanding our ability to spread our message of compassionate care throughout Arizona.

Thank you in advance for helping out. We can't win this campaign without you.

Sincerely,

Andrew Myers
Campaign Manager

New poll shows Bay Staters overwhelmingly support medical marijuana

Dear Tom Sutor:

A new poll shows that Bay Staters overwhelmingly support protecting medical marijuana patients. The poll, released by Suffolk University on September 23, shows that 81% of Massachusetts voters support changing state law to allow seriously or terminally ill patients to use medical marijuana with a recommendation from their doctors. Only 17% of respondents were opposed, and only 2% were undecided.

In other words, you are not alone. Medical marijuana is an issue with broad support among voters and patient advocates in the Bay State, including the Massachusetts chapter of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, the Massachusetts Breast Cancer Coalition, the AIDS Action Committee, and the AIDS Support Group of Cape Cod.

But we need your help! Some state legislators in Boston may not realize how strong support is for medical marijuana in their districts and communities; they often mistakenly believe this is a controversial issue which will hurt them at the polls. In fact, medical marijuana enjoys diverse support in Massachusetts, including 70% of Republicans and 86% of voters over 65.

Please use our free and automated system to write your legislators in support of Massachusetts' medical marijuana bill, HB 2160. Let them know that they have nothing to fear from allowing seriously ill patients to treat their debilitating symptoms with a safe, effective medicine that is already legal in 13 other states, including Vermont, Maine, and Rhode Island.

Thank you for supporting the Marijuana Policy Project and our allies. Seriously ill patients are counting on you to speak up and help make Massachusetts the 14th medical marijuana state!

Sincerely,

Tim Hemphill
Legislative Coordinator
Marijuana Policy Project

Dear Tom:

The California Legislature is convening from summer recess this week and one hot item on their agenda is making mandatory reductions to prison spending. The state’s recently adopted budget relies on $1.2 billion in unspecified cuts to corrections spending and the governor and legislature will be deciding just where to cut in the days ahead.

Please tell Gov. Schwarzenegger and the legislature that nonviolent marijuana offenders shouldn’t be taking up space in our prisons!

A federal court recently declared that conditions in California’s overcrowded prisons constitute “cruel and unusual punishment.” In fact, the state is under court order to reduce the prison population by 27%. I trust that you agree that the more than 1,500 marijuana prisoners should be first in line for release.

In July, Governor Schwarzenegger outlined a spending reduction plan that would downgrade penalties for several property crimes including certain vehicular and grand theft offenses. Shockingly, the governor’s plan makes no changes to marijuana penalties.

If you find it morally objectionable to consider going soft on car thieves before easing up on victimless marijuana offenses, please take action today!

Growing even a single marijuana plant or selling one joint are still felonies under California law, which could land an offender behind bars alongside murderers, thieves, and sex offenders. Amending our marijuana laws would be a safe and sensible part of the upcoming overhaul of the prison system.

Writing the legislature and the governor is easy using MPP’s online action center. Just enter the requested information and send a pre-written or custom message to your representatives in Sacramento.

Thank you for supporting MPP and humane marijuana policy. Please be sure to pass this message along to other Californians who support reform, so that they too can take action.

Sincerely,

F. Aaron Smith
California Policy Director
Marijuana Policy Project

Tell Congress to protect medical marijuana patients 

Dear Tom Sutor:

With the monsoon season upon us and signature gathering for a medical marijuana initiative in full swing in Arizona, it is the perfect time to hit our elected officials in Washington with a storm of e-mails showing their constituents' support for allowing patients to have access to much-needed medicine.

Please take one minute to send an e-mail urging your U.S. representative to co-sponsor medical marijuana legislation in Congress. The Marijuana Policy Project (which is providing much of the funding for the Arizona initiative) has an online action center  that makes it simple — just enter your name and contact information, and MPP does the rest.

More importantly, as we need these elected officials to hear from as many Arizonans as possible, please be sure to forward this e-mail along to friends and family in the state or use the "tell-a-friend" option that appears after you send your e-mail to Congress.

The Medical Marijuana Patient Protection Act pending in Congress, H.R. 2835, would allow states to protect medical marijuana patients from arrest and jail without federal interference, as well as allow pharmacies to dispense marijuana to patients with a doctor's recommendation. Arizona patients will benefit from these provisions as soon as the state ballot initiative passes next November, so it is imperative that you send an e-mail today in order to get Arizona elected officials on board.

And, please, don't forget to forward this alert along to anyone else in Arizona who might be interested in demonstrating his or her support for medical marijuana.

Thanks for taking action!

Andrew Myers
Campaign Manager
Arizona Medical Marijuana Policy Project

P.S. Did a friend or family member send this to you? Sign up for Arizona Medical Marijuana Policy Project alerts and stay informed. Interested in doing more? Please visit our Arizona Web site  to find out more ways to help.

Are you attending Seattle Hempfest? Sign up to volunteer with MPP!

Dear Tom Sutor:

MPP is excited to be sponsoring the 2009 Seattle Hempfest on Saturday, August 15 and Sunday, August 16, and we're looking for volunteers to help us out!

We need people to help us staff our table, as well as people to sign Hempfest attendees up for our free e-mail alerts.  Everyone who volunteers will receive a free MPP t-shirt and get to meet lots of great supporters, all while enjoying the world's largest marijuana-policy-related event!

Would you please volunteer a few hours of your time on Saturday, August 15 or Sunday, August 16, to help us spread the word about the important work MPP is doing to reform marijuana laws across the country?

If you would like to help, please e-mail me at SCannon@mpp.org with the following info:

• Your name
• Your phone (home and/or cell)
• Days you're willing to volunteer (Saturday and/or Sunday)
• Time slots you are available

Available shifts each day are:

• 10:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. (3.5 hours)
• 1:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. (3.5 hours)
• 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. (3 hours)

(Feel free to sign up for more than one shift!)

For more information on Hempfest, visit http://www.hempfest.org/.

Thank you for your interest, and we hope to see you there!

Sincerely,

Sara Cannon
Assistant Manager of Grants and Outreach

Dear Tom:

Last week, one of the state’s most universally respected opinion research firms, Field Poll, released data indicating that 56% of registered voters in California believe marijuana should be legal and taxed.

The poll asked voters their opinion of various policies that would bring in new revenue for California. Legalizing and taxing marijuana turned out to be among the most popular of the dozen proposals, garnering more that twice the support expressed for increasing gas or sales taxes.

Please call your legislators today to let them know that public opinion favors taxing and regulating marijuana and ask them to co-sponsor A.B. 390, Assembly Member Tom Ammiano’s legislation that would do just that!

Just follow the simple directions at MPP’s online action center to find contact information for your state assembly member and senator. A sample script for each will be provided for your convenience.

Once on the phone with a capitol staffer, politely let them know that you want your representative to sign on as a co-sponsor to A.B. 390 — the Marijuana Control, Regulation, and Education Act. After your call, be sure to let us know what kind of response you receive through our online feedback form.

Thank you for supporting MPP and sensible marijuana policy in California. Please don’t forget to ask your friends, family, and co-workers in California to follow your lead by taking action in support of A.B. 390!

Sincerely,

F. Aaron Smith
California Policy Director
Marijuana Policy Project

Nevada: Bad bill would make it nearly impossible to place voter initiatives on the ballot

Dear Tom Sutor:

Here we go again. Some Nevada lawmakers are pushing a bill that would make it nearly impossible for citizens like you to place voter initiatives on the ballot. Please send your legislators an e-mail today in opposition to this legislation — SB 212. After you have e-mailed your legislators, please follow up with a call to your legislators and let them know that you oppose SB 212.

The bill has already passed the Senate Committee on Legislative Operations and Elections and was subsequently assigned to the Senate Committee on Finance, where it was granted an extension for applicable deadlines. This means that SB 212 could be resurrected and brought to the floor for a vote any day now.

MPP has already sued the state twice over two similar restrictions on voter initiatives, and both times they have been declared unconstitutional. Some Nevada legislators are apparently determined to create a monopoly on the legislative process, and they just won't give up. This time, the tactic is to require ballot initiative proponents to gather signatures in all 42 Assembly districts. Not only does this make it harder for you to take part in the legislative process, it will create more work for county clerks whose counties overlap with Assembly districts.

Even worse, this bill mandates that your signature on a petition will not even be counted unless you know and write in your Assembly district at the time you sign the petition! This potential requirement will make it virtually impossible for a ballot initiative like Question 7, the campaign to tax and regulate marijuana that was on the ballot in 2006, to be placed on the ballot again. It makes it impossible for just about anything to be placed on the ballot ever again.

This is transparently undemocratic, and an outrage. Please be sure to e-mail and call your legislators and remind them that state ballot initiatives are one of this country's most democratic processes. Let your legislators know that when elected officials try to make it harder for voters to take part in this unique method of lawmaking it reflects poorly on them, whose very job it is to ensure that the lawmaking process is honest, transparent, and open to all who wish to participate.

Please be sure to forward this alert to everyone you know in Nevada who supports the initiative process. Thank you for supporting the Marijuana Policy Project and all of our allies.

Sincerely,

Heather Azzi
Campaigns Analyst
Marijuana Policy Project

"It shouldn't be a crime to treat my pain"

Dear Tom Sutor:

Earlier today, MPP announced the launch of a TV ad campaign in New Hampshire.  The ad features Sandy Drew, a retired nurse and multiple sclerosis sufferer, and calls on Gov. John Lynch (D) to sign the medical marijuana bill, HB 648.

The Senate passed the bill yesterday by a 14-10 vote. It now heads back to the House (which easily passed it last month) to accept the minor changes the Senate made to the bill. It then goes to Gov. Lynch, who can either sign it, veto it, or let it become law without his signature.

The ad is airing on WMUR and major cable stations including CNN, Fox, and MSNBC throughout the state. You can watch Sandy's ad now:

Gov. Lynch has expressed concerns about the bill, but has not said what he will do once the bill reaches his desk. Please join with the courageous patients like Sandy and urge Gov. Lynch to sign the medical marijuana bill. Then ask everyone you know in New Hampshire to do so, too.

Please help us keep the pressure on Gov. Lynch by making a donation today. Thank you for supporting MPP and our New Hampshire allies.

Sincerely,

Zane Hurst
Legislative Analyst
Marijuana Policy Project

Dear Tom Sutor:

Thanks to MPP's lobbying efforts, yesterday three state senates approved three medical marijuana bills, all on the same day.

The Minnesota Senate yesterday voted to approve MPP's medical marijuana bill by a 36-28 vote. The House will vote on the bill within the next few weeks. The bill would protect the state's medical marijuana patients from arrest and jail.
 

Can you help push this bill to passage, to make Minnesota the 14^th medical marijuana state? The Minnesota legislative session ends for the year in two and a half weeks, so it's crucial that we “empty the clip” to get the bill passed now.

Additionally:

• Yesterday, the New Hampshire Senate passed a medical marijuana bill, 14-10. The bill soon heads to Gov. John Lynch (D), who has indicated he may not sign it. Within hours of the Senate victory, MPP began airing a multiple sclerosis patient's plea to the governor to sign the bill. You can watch our TV ad here — and you can help us keep the pressure up here.
   
• Also yesterday, the Rhode Island Senate voted 35-2 to pass our bill allowing nonprofit centers to dispense medical marijuana, improving the state's existing medical marijuana law (which MPP and our longtime grantee, the Rhode Island Patient Advocacy Coalition, successfully lobbied to pass in 2006).

This is amazing progress. We're incredibly close to passing all three bills, but we need help from supporters like you to fund the final push.

Make a one-time donation to our work
Become a monthly pledger to provide us with ongoing funding for our work

Imagine the impact we'll have across the nation if we pass three medical marijuana bills in one month. Would you please help today?

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.

Hawaii: Act today to advance medical marijuana study bill

Dear Tom Sutor:

Numerous marijuana policy bills were introduced this year in Hawaii. Although most of them are currently on hold, lawmakers are now considering more than 10 marijuana-related resolutions and a study bill — SB 1058 — that would establish a task force to examine crucial issues surrounding Hawaii's medical marijuana law. This bill passed the Senate 25-0 and is ready for its third reading in the House, so please send your representative an e-mail in support of SB 1058.

If established, the task force would: (1) Examine current state statutes, state administrative rules, and all county policies and procedures relating to the medical marijuana program; (2) Examine all issues and obstacles that qualifying patients have encountered with the medical marijuana program; (3) Examine all issue and obstacles that state and county law enforcement agencies have encountered with the medical marijuana program; (4) Compare and contrast Hawaii's medical marijuana program with all other state medical marijuana programs; and (5) Address other issues and perform any other function necessary as the task force deems appropriate, relating to the medical marijuana program.

After you've taken action on the study bill, please call your state senator in support of the marijuana-related resolutions currently making their way through the Senate.

If you want to do even more to stand up for sensible policy, you can also call your representative and ask him or her to vote "yes" on the task force bill — SB 1058 — as well as support the resolutions currently in the House.

Resolutions do not have the force and effect of law. They may request that an agency study a proposal or problem and report back to the legislature. They may also request action by the president of the United States, Hawaii's congressional delegation, the governor, or officials or agencies of other governmental jurisdictions.

Thank you for supporting the Marijuana Policy Project and all of our allies. Please forward this alert along to others so they too can take action.

Sincerely,

Nathan Miller
Legislative Analyst
Marijuana Policy Project

Iowa: Free medical marijuana documentary screening April 25 in Des Moines

Dear Tom Sutor:

On Saturday, April 25 at 7:00 p.m., a free screening of the award-winning medical marijuana documentary "Waiting to Inhale" will be held at Olin Hall on the campus of Drake University in Des Moines. The screening will be followed by a discussion with patients, a doctor, and advocates involved in this year's efforts to make Iowa the 14th state to protect medical marijuana patients from arrest.

This screening takes place on the heels of the introduction of S.F. 293 by Senator Joe Bolkcom (D-Iowa City).  This is the first time since 2005 that medical marijuana legislation has been introduced in the state, and the first time an effective bill has ever had a subcommittee meeting. Please help us change history by urging your senator to support this comprehensive medical marijuana bill and asking your representative to sponsor similar legislation.

What: "Waiting to Inhale" screening, followed by a discussion with Jimmy Morrison, Iowa grassroots organizer; Jeff Elton, diabetic neuropathic gastroparesis patient; Lisa Jackson, fibromyalgia patient; Jacob Orr, severe chronic pain patient; Dr. Ed Hertko, retired internist; and others.

Where: Olin Hall at Drake University, Room 101, 1344 27th St, Des Moines, Iowa

When: Saturday, April 25 from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

"Waiting to Inhale" was produced and directed by Jed Riffe and was partially funded by the Marijuana Policy Project's grants program. The film examines the medical marijuana debate up close by taking you inside the lives of patients, doctors, and activists, while seeking to understand why opponents support the continued criminalization of our sick and dying.

"Waiting to Inhale" has already played to critical acclaim, having won the 2005 CINE Golden Eagle Award, the Gold Special Jury Remi Award at the 38th Annual WorldFest-Houston, and the 2005 Best Documentary Film/Video at the New Jersey International Film Festival.

If you suffer from a serious illness or injury, or if you are a medical professional, please e-mail state@mpp.org to see how you can be of special help.

Thank you for supporting the Marijuana Policy Project. Please pass this alert along to anyone you know who might be interested in attending this event.

Sincerely,

Noah Mamber
Legislative Analyst
Marijuana Policy Project

Marijuana penalty-changing bill passes Maine Legislature

Dear Tom Sutor:

The Maine Legislature has easily passed LD 250, a bill that will make possession of less than 2.5 ounces of marijuana a civil penalty, punishable by only a $700-$1,000  fine. Currently, possession of less than 1.25 ounces is already simply a civil violation. But possession of between 1.25-2.5 ounces of marijuana is a misdemeanor punishable by up to 6 months in jail and/or a $1,000 fine, and the individual could be charged with the sale of marijuana.

The bill will also increase penalties for possession of more than 8 ounces of marijuana, although this change may have little practical effect. Currently, possession of more than 8 ounces is considered a Class E crime, which is punishable by up to 6 months in jail, a $1,000 fine, or both. If enacted possession of more than 8 ounces would be a Class D crime, which is punishable by up to 1 year in jail and/or a $2,000 fine. In practice, prosecutors often charge individuals with intent to distribute if they possess 8 ounces or more.

This bill makes both positive and negative changes to Maine's marijuana laws. It eliminates the threat of jail time for possession of less than 2.5 ounces of marijuana, but will make it easier for prosecutors in Maine to seek harsher penalties for those who possess higher quantities of marijuana.

If you would like to contact Gov. John Baldacci (D) about the bill, you can call his office at (207) 287-3531.

Thank you for supporting MPP.

Sincerely,

Zane Hurst
Legislative Analyst
Marijuana Policy Project

Neb.: Tell your senator marijuana possession shouldn't be considered racketeering

Dear Tom Sutor:

Currently, a racketeering prevention bill is pending in Nebraska, L.B. 155, which would create extra penalties for defendants who invest the proceeds of certain crimes in property or businesses. Unfortunately, the authors of this bill have wrongly included marijuana offenses in the definition of racketeering even if they have nothing to do with organized crime. We must act swiftly to let legislators know that possession and cultivation of marijuana should not be included with first-degree murder, child rape, and extortion in Nebraska's definition of racketeering activity.

Please contact your senator and urge her or him to not to support L.B. 155 unless language referring to marijuana offenses is removed. Ask him or her instead to refocus their priorities on exploring money-saving legislation that reduces penalties for marijuana offenses. L.B. 155 is still in the Judiciary Committee, but could receive a floor vote quickly if it passes a committee vote, so it's important that you don't delay. It has been designated a speaker's priority bill. 

If L.B. 155 passes without being amended, prosecutors would be able to charge an individual with this new racketeering felony if they did two or more of the following and invested any proceeds from these activities in a business or real estate: possessed more than 16 oz. of marijuana; possessed a single joint with an intent to sell; or cultivated one marijuana plant. Currently, a Nebraskan convicted of possession of more than 16 oz. of marijuana can already be sent to prison for up to five years, fined up to $10,000, or both. Individuals charged with this additional racketeering charge would face another 1 to 20 years in prison, or up to $25,000 in fines, or both.

It is unconscionable that a Nebraska seriously ill patient who cultivates marijuana for medical use and provides medical marijuana to other seriously ill patients would be eligible for this racketeering charge and treated like mobsters.  Legislators would do better to focus their energies on reducing marijuana penalties, as opposed to creating new ways to penalize those who grow a plant that has never killed anyone.

Thank you for supporting the Marijuana Policy Project. Don't forget to take action now and let your Nebraska legislators know that you think they should not be wasting your hard-earned taxes to lock away nonviolent marijuana offenders for even longer. And please pass this on so that even more Nebraskans can participate in reform.

Sincerely,

Noah Mamber
Legislative Analyst
Marijuana Policy Project

Mich.: Medical marijuana registry identification card applications now available!

Dear Tom Sutor:

On April 4, Michigan's medical marijuana rules went into full effect. Although seriously ill patients have been able to raise a defense in court since December 4, the defense doesn't include protection from being arrested. Now, administrative rules have been finalized and the Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH) is accepting applications for registry identification cards, which will protect patients and their caregivers who are in compliance with the law from arrest.

The law, which MPP's campaign committee spearheaded, and which thousands of supporters helped make a reality, passed on November 4, 2008 with a resounding 63% of the vote. Patients can find application forms, which include written certification forms for physicians, here. The MDCH is required to issue an ID card within 20 days of receiving a completed application and registry fee from a qualifying patient. For more information, check out the MDCH's site on the Medical Marihuana Program.

Patients can use this educational brochure that MPP created to assist them in educating their doctors about Initiated Law 1 of 2008 and doctors' protections for writing recommendations. MPP has also created a handout with medical marijuana research about each qualifying condition: check out www.mpp.org/research.

Please share the exciting news that Michigan's compassionate medical marijuana law is now in full effect. Thank you for supporting the Marijuana Policy Project.

Sincerely,

Noah Mamber
Legislative Analyst
Marijuana Policy Project

Dear Tom Sutor:

MPP is moving medical marijuana bills forward in Illinois, Minnesota, New Hampshire, and New York, with very real chances of each passing this year. This would be the most progress we've ever made in state legislatures in a single year … and if all four bills pass, a full 38% of Americans would live in states with medical marijuana laws (up from 25% currently).

This spring, MPP needs to keep pushing hard to propel these bills to passage. Would you please consider automatically donating $5 or more on your credit card each month to support our long-term state legislative efforts?

• In Minnesota, MPP's medical marijuana bill has made significant progress: The bill was recently passed by the toughest committee it had to face in the Minnesota House, despite local law enforcement's efforts to stop it. The bill is now on the brink of being sent to the full House for consideration — and on the Senate side, it's heading for a vote from the full Senate, where its chances of passing are strong.
  
   
• In Illinois, for the first time ever, a medical marijuana bill passed out of the House committee, and we expect the full Senate to vote on the bill within weeks. We have legislative leadership on our side: Last year's Senate sponsor is now the Senate president, the current Senate sponsor is a former prosecutor, and the primary House sponsor is the deputy majority leader.
  
  We have a real shot of enacting the law this year, but we don't yet have all the votes we need. We've generated more than 1,500 calls from supporters, put up hundreds of yard signs, and generated more than 1,300 e-mails to legislators. We need to ramp up the pressure with TV ads and even more grassroots support, but we need to raise the funds to do it. You can watch a video of some of the patients who are counting on our help here.
  
   
• In New Hampshire, for the first time ever, a medical marijuana bill has passed the House. The bill, sponsored by a legislator who is a former medical marijuana patient herself, passed with 63% of the vote. MPP has retained a top lobbying firm and funded a skilled grassroots organizer who has debated the attorney general's office, generated compelling patient testimony, and mobilized hundreds of supporters. Now, the bill will make its way through the Senate.
  
   
• In New York, in both 2007 and 2008, the state Assembly overwhelmingly passed MPP's medical marijuana bill, but the Senate's then-Republican leadership refused to bring it to a vote. However, control of the Senate has shifted to the Democrats, who overwhelmingly support the bill, so we're pushing hard to get it passed. Additionally, virtually the entire state medical community, including the state medical society, nurses' association, and the deans of the state's medical schools, support medical marijuana access. And 76% of New Yorkers also support the bill, including 55% of Conservative Party members (the state party to the right of Republicans).

As you can see, MPP has been extremely busy — and making progress — this legislative session. Our lobbying efforts in Minnesota, Illinois, New Hampshire, and New York are costing quite a bit of money, but it's all paying off. Would you please donate today so we can continue pushing hard in these states?

Make a one-time donation to our work

Dear Tom Sutor:

Yesterday, MPP's Aaron Houston testified before Congress, urging lawmakers to rein in the DEA. You can read his testimony (posted on the House Appropriations Committee's Web site) here, or watch him discuss it below.
 

Each year, Congress passes a spending bill that funds the Justice Department, including the DEA. At yesterday's hearing about next year's budget, MPP asked Congress to tell the DEA to:

• Stop interfering with state and local law enforcement in California and other medical marijuana states;
• Immediately stop the practice of sending letters to landlords of state-legal medical marijuana dispensaries, threatening to seize their assets; and
• Stop blocking medical marijuana research and approve the application for a medical marijuana research facility at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst.

MPP was the only reform organization to provide expert testimony at the hearing yesterday. In fact, MPP is the only marijuana policy reform organization with a full-time lobbyist on Capitol Hill. Would you please support this important work by making a contribution today? We appreciate anything you can give.

Thank you,

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.

Dear Tom Sutor:

Last week, Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.) introduced the National Criminal Justice Act of 2009. The bill will create a commission to study America's rising prison population (which is now the largest in the world per capita) and take a broad look at how to improve law enforcement in the U.S. The commission will report its findings to Congress, and these recommendations will serve as a template for coming reform legislation.

Sen. Webb's legislation calls for, among other things, a close look into America's war on drugs. The commission will study the effects of our current drug policies and determine if any improvements can be made.

Please take a moment to e-mail Sen. Webb. Ask him to consider taxing and regulating marijuana as part of the solution.

According to the most recent data, more than 800,000 marijuana arrests are made every year - that's one arrest every 36 seconds. A whopping 89% of marijuana arrests are for simple possession, not sale or distribution. These arrests come at a huge cost to the American taxpayer and represent billions of law enforcement dollars that could be better spent pursuing violent criminals.

Please visit mpp.org/federal-action and e-mail Sen. Webb today. Thank him for introducing this important legislation and ask him to make marijuana policy reform part of any legislation that may result from the commission's work.

Sincerely,

Ben Morris
Assistant Manager of Government Relations
Marijuana Policy Project

Dear Tom Sutor:

A record 7.3 million people — or one in every 31 American adults — were behind bars, on probation, or on parole at the start of last year, according to a new report from the Pew Center on the States' Public Safety Performance Project.

Of these 7.3 million people, an astounding 2.3 million are actually in prison or jail. That's 1 in every 99 adults.

The report also highlights how the U.S. criminal justice system inordinately penalizes people who are not white. Black adults are four times as likely as whites and nearly 2.5 times as likely as Hispanics to be under correctional control. While one in 30 men between the ages of 20 and 34 is behind bars, the figure is one in nine for black males in that age group.

Who are our nation's drug laws helping by locking up so many young black men — or by forcing so many people into the criminal justice system? True drug addicts? Nonviolent drug offenders? Their families?

If you're as outraged by these statistics as I am, please turn your anger into action by helping MPP restore some sense to our nation's laws by ending marijuana prohibition. With the help of our 26,000 dues-paying members, MPP has already achieved or funded significant progress — see www.mpp.org/history for some of our victories — but we need your help to continue making progress.

And if you have a few minutes, please watch this MPP documentary about the human costs of this war, told by those who have been caught in the crossfire. In just the time it takes you to watch the video, 28 more Americans will be arrested for marijuana.

Will you please join with MPP in working to end the persecution and destruction of people just like you? We can end our government's cruel war on its own citizens — but we must stand and fight.

Thank you,

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.

Dear Tom Sutor:

Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley (R) criticized the Obama administration and Attorney General Eric Holder today for their decision to stop raiding medical marijuana patients in states with medical marijuana laws. Senator Grassley told the media that this is a bad idea because marijuana leads to harder drug use. Click here for more information on Grassley's statement.

This “gateway” theory has been debunked time and time again by every major study on the subject. For Sen. Grassley to use this line of attack against medical marijuana patients, who often find that marijuana allows them to stop using more dangerous pharmaceuticals, is ridiculous.

Senator Grassley's remarks need an immediate response from sensible Iowans. Please call Senator Grassley's office today and voice your displeasure with his remarks. You can reach his office at (202) 224-3744. Here is an example phone script to get you started.

Hello, my name is [your name], and I'm calling from [your town], Iowa. I heard that Senator Grassley spoke out against President Obama's decision to end the medical marijuana raids today. I wanted to let you know that I disapprove of the senator's comments.

Medical marijuana helps people use fewer pharmaceutical drugs like painkillers and appetite stimulants. It mitigates the side effects that the pharmaceuticals have on the seriously ill. I hope the senator will rethink his position and have some compassion for the sick.

In addition, please use MPP's online action center to send a quick and easy e-mail to Senator Grassley, voicing your disapproval of his attack on medical marijuana patients.

Sincerely,

Ben Morris
Assistant Manager of Government Relations
Marijuana Policy Project

Dear Tom Sutor:

Ten years ago yesterday, the National Academy of Sciences' Institute of Medicine (IOM) released its landmark report that forever changed the public debate on medical marijuana.

In November 1996, California became the first state to pass a medical marijuana ballot initiative. The following month, the Clinton administration struck back, threatening doctors if they recommended medical marijuana to patients. But the American Medical Association and the American public responded with outrage and condemnation, throwing the Clinton administration off-balance. The next month, in January 1997, the White House drug czar's office attempted to deflect attention by awarding $1 million in taxpayer money to the Institute of Medicine to conduct a two-year study of medical marijuana.

In 1997 and 1998, MPP brought dozens of patients to a series of IOM hearings to testify about their fear of being arrested. Indeed, many of the patients had already been arrested and/or incarcerated for using medical marijuana.

Then, on March 17, 1999, the Institute of Medicine finally released a report that was not at all what the drug czar's office had hoped for. The report contradicted the claims of the drug czar and other federals officials on a number of fronts:

1. It showed there is scientific evidence indicating that marijuana has medical uses.

2. It recommended that people with AIDS, cancer, and chronic pain who have an urgent need for marijuana be provided with immediate legal protection while further research is done on marijuana's medical uses.

3. It debunked the "gateway theory," saying that there is no evidence that using marijuana will "lead" someone to use cocaine and other drugs.

4. It said there is no evidence that allowing sick people to use medical marijuana will cause an increase in the recreational use of marijuana.

That report has been used as the intellectual foundation of most medical marijuana efforts in the decade since.
 

MPP co-founder Chuck Thomas with IOM investigators in 1998

The release of that report was the first time that MPP received a barrage of national media coverage, all over the course of just two weeks. But that media coverage pales in comparison to the coverage that MPP and the broader marijuana policy reform movement has been receiving over the last four months.

This is now a lesson in "be careful what you wish for." As the marijuana issue continues to explode across the political landscape in nearly all 50 states, MPP and our allies are getting stretched more and more thin ... as we attempt to capitalize on the opportunities that are presenting themselves in the news, in state legislatures, in Congress, and at the ballot box.

Anything you can give to help fund these exploding efforts would be greatly apprecated.

Thank you,

 

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.

With a new presidential administration freshly inaugurated, the Marijuana Policy Project is calling on President Obama to fix America's marijuana laws.

And we have reason to hope he'll listen. MPP's connections within the Obama administration and on Capitol Hill tell us that our 14 years on the Hill have earned us a reputation as a credible and influential force.

We've presented the following requests to the Obama transition team:

• Make medical marijuana legally available to seriously ill patients through an FDA-controlled program.
• End the DEA's raids on patients in the 13 states that permit medical marijuana use, and end the DEA's practice of threatening landlords who lease to state-legal medical marijuana dispensaries.
• Repeal the Barr Amendment, the 1999 law that vetoed the medical marijuana ballot initiative passed by Washington, D.C. voters.
• Direct the Department of Veterans Affairs to stop denying benefits to medical marijuana users who comply with state laws.
• Direct all federal agencies to stop denying that marijuana has medical value.
• Request funding for the National Institutes of Health to study the medical uses of marijuana.
• Direct the White House drug czar to stop interfering in state elections and legislative matters.
• Request zero funding for the drug czar's ineffective media campaign, which consists largely of absurd TV ads featuring outrageous scenarios like stoned teenagers driving over a little girl on a bicycle, a stoned teenager shooting another in his parents' den, and so forth.
• Sign legislation repealing the federal laws that deny benefits like food stamps, housing assistance, and education assistance to people convicted of minor marijuana offenses.

If you agree with the agenda above, you can help make it happen by helping to fund our aggressive White House lobbying push. By making a donation of $10 or more to our work today, you'll be part of this exciting chance to change history.

You can also read our full memo to the Obama transition team here, and you can watch our video letter to the president here.

Thank you in advance for any help you can give.

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.

Today, the campaign to pass a marijuana decriminalization initiative in Massachusetts began airing two new TV ads.

In the ads, retired police officers urge voters to pass the initiative next month.

In one ad, Sergeant Howard Donahue, a 33-year veteran of the Boston Police Department, says, “Take it from a cop who walked the beat. Please vote yes on Question 2.”

In the other ad, Lieutenant Tom Nolan, a Boston police officer for 27 years, says, “I entered law enforcement to catch bad guys, not to deny someone an education for life just because they made a mistake.” (This is a reference to current law in Massachusetts, where simply getting arrested — not even convicted — for possessing a small amount of marijuana generates a permanent record in a database that employers, landlords, and schools can search and use to preclude offenders from getting jobs, housing, and school loans.)

Would you please help the Committee for Sensible Marijuana Policy keep these ads on the air between now and Election Day? Airing TV ads in major markets like Boston is always expensive — but even more so during a presidential campaign. With only 14 days remaining until Election Day, the campaign urgently needs supporters like you to chip in to push the initiative to victory.

Thank you so much for anything you can do to help.

Sincerely,

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

P.S. You can opt out of receiving fundraising mentions in the e-mail alerts I send you in 2008 by visiting www.mpp.org/2008optoutpreference at your convenience.

Hawaii County: Vote today for marijuana policy reform!

Dear Tom:

Early voting starts today, giving Hawaii County voters the opportunity to cast an early ballot in favor of making the cultivation and possession of small amounts of marijuana intended for adult personal use the lowest law enforcement priority on the Big Island.

If voters approve Question 1, local law enforcement will be directed to make the investigation, enforcement, and prosecution of certain adult marijuana offenses involving fewer than 24 plants or less than 24 ounces their lowest priority. An oversight committee will be set up to monitor the implementation of the new ordinance.

Ballot Question 1 comes with the appropriate safeguards, and it will remain illegal to sell marijuana on the criminal market, cultivate marijuana on public property, drive while under the influence of marijuana, or be in possession of more than 24 plants or 24 ounces.

To read more about Ballot Question 1 and learn how you can become more involved in the effort to pass it, please click here.

Voters in the cities of Hailey, Idaho; Denver, Colorado; Seattle, Washington; Columbia, Missouri; Eureka Springs, Arkansas; Missoula County, Montana; and Santa Barbara, Oakland, Santa Monica, and Santa Cruz in California, have approved similar measures in an attempt to free up police resources, clear court dockets, and save the taxpayers money.

Please get out and vote "FOR" Ballot Question 1 at one of these early voting locations today, or remember to vote "FOR" Ballot Question 1 on November 4.

You can help spread the word about Ballot Question 1 and ensure that Hawaii County adds its name to the growing list of localities that are enacting sensible marijuana policies across the country by passing this alert along to voters on the Big Island.

Sincerely,

Nathan Miller
Legislative Analyst
Marijuana Policy Project

Help me out and please donate to this organization! Webmaster T.

According to our records, you have not donated to MPP this year. Would you please donate to MPP's campaign committee to pass a medical marijuana initiative in Michigan on November 4?

Once again, the White House drug czar is using taxpayer money to lie and interfere in an MPP state ballot initiative campaign. Earlier this week, drug czar John Walters and deputy drug czar Scott Burns appeared in Michigan to campaign against MPP's medical marijuana initiative there.

Walters pulled out his usual despicable lies. His claims in Michigan this week included:

• Medical marijuana laws lead to “people who are dependent on this drug using the medical excuse to acquire the drug, to use the drug, to remain dependent, to get more teenagers and pre-teenagers to use.” (In fact, teen marijuana use has consistently declined in states with medical marijuana laws.)
• Marijuana has no legitimate medical use. (In fact, the American Nurses Association, American Public Health Association, American Academy of HIV Medicine, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Lymphoma Foundation of America, American Academy of HIV Medicine, and dozens of other medical organizations recognize marijuana's medical value.)

While the drug czar spends taxpayer money to lie to voters, MPP's campaign committee is running out of funds to fight back and badly needs your help. Would you please consider donating $10 or more today?

This isn't the first time that the drug czar's office has campaigned against a state initiative. In fact, the drug czar makes a habit of targeting MPP. He campaigned against the medical marijuana laws that MPP successfully passed in Rhode Island in January of 2006 and in Montana and Vermont in 2004. And he has a history of swarming the airwaves with misleading and fear-mongering TV ads during the last two weeks of MPP's campaigns, so we expect the lies to escalate.

But we're fighting back. Just this week, MPP filed a complaint against the drug czar's office in the form of a Data Quality Act petition. The federal Data Quality Act requires federal agencies, like the drug czar's office, to ensure the quality, objectivity, and integrity of information it distributes. In other words, it mandates that the drug czar's information about marijuana rely on sound science — not twisted propaganda.

MPP's filing is the first of its kind. No organization has ever formally requested that the drug czar redact his lies. If we win, drug czar propaganda about marijuana will have to be corrected.

But there are only 19 days left until Election Day. MPP's campaign committee needs your help now. Won't you be part of making Michigan the 13th medical marijuana state — and the first in the Midwest?

Thank you in advance for anything you can give to help.

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 $3.0 million that MPP can raise from the rest of the planet in 2008. This means that your donation today will be doubled.

P.P.S. You can opt out of receiving fundraising mentions in the e-mail alerts I send you in 2008 by visiting www.mpp.org/2008optoutpreference at your convenience.

This message from the Committee for Sensible Marijuana Policy is being forwarded to MPP subscribers on the Yes on Question 2 campaign's behalf:

It has come to our attention from an impeccable source that opponents of Question 2 — specifically Billy Breault, head of the Main South Alliance for Public Safety, and likely other individuals — will be attending the Freedom Rally with the expressed intent of making sure people who break the law are arrested.

This is being done as an attempt to generate negative press about the Question 2 campaign — even though we are not affiliated with this event in any way and we do not promote or condone marijuana use — and we urge all attendees to bear this in mind.

If you are attending the Freedom Rally, please be mindful that there will be a heavy police presence, both in uniform and undercover, and opponents in the crowd actively working to get people arrested. Please do not break any laws and be safe. Please circulate this message to everyone you know who plans on attending this event.

CSMP is not affiliated with this event and we do not promote or condone marijuana use. We are sending this message simply to pass on important information of which we have become aware as a service to our supporters.

Montana medical marijuana patient Scott Day passed away

Dear Tom:

I have some very sad news to report: Yesterday, Scott Day unexpectedly passed away. Scott suffered from a terminal degenerative disease called muccopolysaccharidosis. He used medical marijuana to get relief from his constant pain and muscle spasms. Our thoughts and condolences are with Scott's family.

Earlier this year, Scott and his wife Summer were raided, arrested, and charged with manufacturing marijuana. Despite the fact that Scott was clearly growing and using marijuana to treat the symptoms of his terminal illness, the county moved forward with their prosecution. Although Scott is dead, the charges are still pending against Summer, and her case is scheduled to go to trial in February. Please take a moment to contact the county attorney in Beaverhead, Jed Fitch, and urge him not to prosecute Summer Day. Please also include his administrative assistant, Amy Walker, on your e-mail.

Jed Fitch — county attorney — jfitch@co.beaverhead.mt.us
Amy Walker — administrative assistant — awalker@co.beaverhead.mt.us
 
It is important to be very polite in your letter to the county attorney and his assistant. Here are some points you can use:

• Summer Day has already suffered too much.
• This is a poor use of county resources because she will almost surely be acquitted under Montana's medical marijuana law.
• Mr. Finch should have some compassion and use the discretion he has to drop charges.
• It is cruel to prosecute Summer Day for trying to help her husband relieve his suffering in the final months of his life.

It would also be helpful to send letters to the editor of the local newspapers. If you would like to send a letter to the editor, please contact me by e-mailing Zane@mpp.org.

Those close to Scott noted that his final six months of life were plagued with constant fear and anxiety due to the government's unwillingness to show compassion. The least Beaverhead County can do now is not force Summer to live with the same fear and anxiety as she deals with the grief of losing her husband.

Sincerely,

Zane Hurst
Legislative Analyst
Marijuana Policy Project

Illinois patient hopes he won't need to use medical marijuana again, but will if necessary

Dear Tom:

While many medical marijuana patients eagerly wait on Illinois legislators to pass a law that will protect them from arrest, some hope they will not need the protection of such a law so soon.

Greg James of Dunlap hasn't had to use medical marijuana in years, and isn't looking forward to the day he will need to again. However, if and when that day comes, he would like to be assured that he will not go to jail for using a medicine that has worked for him in the past.

Greg explains his situation:

I haven't needed to use medical marijuana for several years, and that's a good thing. Unfortunately, it's only a matter of time before my kidneys begin to fail again. The last time I used medical marijuana was to help to control pain, to sleep, and to stimulate my appetite. At that time, my son was too young to remember anything. However, he's a teenager now, so I've had to explain to him that I may need to resume using medical marijuana. At first, I was nervous about having this discussion with him, but after I took the time to educate myself on the issues, I realized that talking to him about my use of medical marijuana was no different that talking to him about the proper and improper use of prescription drugs — except you can overdose on prescription drugs, and you can't on marijuana.

Three ways you can help today

1) Please share Greg's video with your legislators, local officials, friends, family, and co-workers.

2) A 2008 poll shows that Illinois residents favor allowing seriously and terminally ill patients to use marijuana for medical purposes by a 68% to 27% margin. Please share this poll with your legislators and ask them to support the medical marijuana bill — SB 2865.

3) Download our medical marijuana brochures and hand them out at events you attend. Another way to distribute them is to leave stacks at friendly retail outlets or simply place them on the windshields of cars. These are also handy for legislators, local leaders, physicians, or law enforcement officials who might need a little educating on the subject.

Thank you for supporting the Marijuana Policy Project and all of our allies. If you are a patient, nurse, doctor, attorney, law enforcement official, or community leader who would like to become more involved, please send a short e-mail to Nathan@mpp.org describing why you support medical marijuana and where you are located in the state.

Sincerely,

Nathan Miller
Legislative Analyst
Marijuana Policy Project

If you only watch one video from the Marijuana Policy Project in your lifetime, let it be this one.

This new documentary from MPP is about the human costs of that war, told by those who have been caught in the crossfire: people like Bernie Ellis, who is fighting to keep the farm he has loved for 40 years after giving medical marijuana to terminal cancer patients ... people like the Naulls family, whose children and property were seized by law enforcement officers even though, as medical marijuana dispensary operators, they had broken no state laws ... and people like Marisa Garcia, who lost her student financial aid because of an arrest for a minor marijuana violation.

And then there are those like Jonathan Magbie, a quadriplegic who died in jail as a result of inadequate medical care after being convicted of possessing a small amount of marijuana, who will never be able to tell their stories.

Every week, we at the Marijuana Policy Project confront extreme government abuses like these, as the war on marijuana users rages on, with the government arresting law-abiding citizens, seizing their property, locking them up for decades, and even killing them.

With the help of our 25,000 dues-paying members, MPP is working to end the persecution and destruction of people just like you. You can help us bring sense to our nation's marijuana policies by making a financial contribution to our work.

Your help is desperately needed. In the time it takes you to watch this video, 28 more Americans will be arrested for marijuana.

We can end our government's cruel war on its own citizens — but we must stand and fight.

Sincerely,

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

New poll shows 71% in favor of Massachusetts decriminalization initiative!

According to a new statewide poll just released by Boston's Suffolk University and WHDH Ch. 7, an overwhelming majority of Bay Staters support the passage of Question 2 — the marijuana decriminalization initiative sponsored by MPP’s allies the Committee for Sensible Marijuana Policy (CSMP) — this November 4! Drawing on a 400-person sample from across the commonwealth, a full 71% of respondents indicated that they would vote to replace criminal penalties for the possession of an ounce or less of marijuana with a simple fine. This whopping level of support eclipses all numbers we’ve seen previously, which have generally been around 60% in favor, and so should be taken with a grain of salt. Nevertheless, this clearly points to Bay Staters' support for the crucial reform proposed by Question 2 and bodes well for the initiative’s chances at the polls this November!

If Massachusetts voters pass Question 2, it will eliminate the possibility of jail for the possession of less than an ounce of marijuana. And by treating such minor offenses as civil, rather than criminal, infractions, Question 2 will also get rid of the disastrous system of collateral sanctions — like the suspension of driver's licenses, a lifetime ban on adoption, and the creation of a Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) report, a black mark on an individual’s record that jeopardizes the possibility of obtaining jobs, housing, and school loans — that cripple otherwise law-abiding citizens' abilities to lead happy and productive lives.

But this landmark reform — which marks the first time in history that a binding marijuana decriminalization initiative will appear on any statewide ballot — did not materialize out of nowhere. In fact, through the efforts of numerous dedicated local activists, 30 non-binding public policy questions (PPQs) calling for civil penalties for marijuana possession have passed in districts across Massachusetts since 2000 — with an average of 62% of the vote in favor.

Question 2 simply marks the logical next step: a binding statewide vote on a policy that Bay Staters have supported by wide margins again and again. Would you please consider donating $10 or more to CSMP today to help them make the most of this groundswell of grassroots support for a sensible marijuana policy?

These successful PPQs were scattered across the commonwealth, and it's clear from the map below that the obvious and overwhelming support for reform isn't restricted to any one region. What's more, no PPQ arguing for such a sensible policy has ever failed at the polls in Massachusetts ... and some passed with 70% of the vote or more:
 

Clearly, this history of stated support bodes well for Question 2's chances this November, but CSMP will need your help to win. Would you please donate $10 today to help ensure that CSMP run the most robust campaign possible and make the most of this impressive history of local successes?

Thank you for supporting CSMP's efforts. With your continued help and support, the campaign will build on these local wins and institute a sensible marijuana policy for all Massachusetts residents this November 4th 2008!

We've just unveiled two exciting new features at mpp.org:

• MPP TV, where you can watch entertaining and educational videos about marijuana policy issues, including interviews and expert news analysis.
• MPP's new blog, featuring some of the nation's most insightful writing on marijuana policy reform. We expect to post news and analysis you're unlikely to see anywhere else, including little-reported events and research studies that deserve notice but escape the attention of the mass media.

We really want you to check these out, leave comments, subscribe to updates, create your own video responses, and generally join the conversation.

Good Read from Scientific America Magazine

Archive of past Reports 2006

Medical News on Marijuana 2007

Massachusetts decriminalization initiative now officially Ballot Question 2!

Dear Tom:

MPP is pleased to announce that the marijuana decriminalization initiative proposed by the Massachusetts-based Committee for Sensible Marijuana Policy (CSMP) has been officially given a ballot question number by the secretary of the commonwealth. This critical initiative — which will create a civil, rather than criminal, penalty system for possession of an ounce or less of marijuana — will appear on the November 4, 2008 Massachusetts ballot as Question 2!

Now that this measure has been certified and given its ballot number, CSMP's campaign can begin in earnest — and they need your help. Would you please consider donating $10 or more today to help CSMP run the most robust campaign possible to ensure Question 2's victory at the polls in November?

MPP has worked closely with the Massachusetts campaign operation to ensure the initiative's placement on the ballot. CSMP turned in more than 100,000 signatures last November and another 20,000 last month to qualify the initiative for the ballot.

And Massachusetts is clearly ripe for reform: Polling conducted among voters in February 2007 on this question found that the initiative was supported by a 60% to 30% margin (with 10% undecided). Additionally, since 2000, 30 nonbinding public policy questions advocating marijuana decriminalization have passed in the commonwealth with an average of 65% of the vote.

Nevertheless, Question 2 will mark the first time in history that a binding initiative to decriminalize marijuana possession will appear on any statewide ballot, and there is every reason to expect well-funded opposition to arise. Will you please donate $10 or more today so that CSMP has the resources necessary to get their message out?

In addition, there are a number of other ways you can help this landmark effort. To kick off the Yes on 2 campaign, CSMP is asking all supporters to help organize three major volunteer committees:

• Events Committee: Help identify and attend local events to educate the public;

• Letters Committee: Be part of a response team to local media; and

• House Party Committee: Hold a get-together to educate family and friends about the importance of voting Yes on Question 2.

To learn more about these volunteer committees, please e-mail Jesse Sullivan, CSMP field coordinator, or call (617) 901-7715. 

Thank you for supporting the Marijuana Policy Project and all of our allies. With your help and support, CSMP will make history in Massachusetts this November!

Sincerely,

Rick Kelley
Assistant Director of State Campaigns
Marijuana Policy Project

Ask. Gov. Carcieri to end life sentences for R.I. marijuana offenders

Dear Tom:

Can you imagine spending the rest of your life in prison for possessing marijuana — a substance that has never been shown to cause an overdose death? Some Rhode Islanders can. Possessing more than five kilograms of a substance containing any amount of marijuana can result in life in state prison. And possessing between one and five kilograms of a substance containing any amount of marijuana will land a Rhode Islander in prison for up to 50 years.

For the second year in a row, the Rhode Island General Assembly overwhelmingly voted to give judges more discretion and to reduce these draconian sentences. This year's twin bills — S 2232 and H 8025 — were transmitted to Gov. Donald Carcieri (R) on Wednesday. Last year, the governor vetoed similar bills. If you think nonviolent marijuana offenders shouldn't be locked up for longer than many murderers and child molesters, please raise your voice now:

S 2232 and H 8025 would reduce the maximum sentence for possessing or delivering one to five kilograms with a detectable amount of marijuana from 50 years in prison to 20 years. The maximum sentence for possessing or delivering more than five kilograms with a detectable amount of marijuana would be reduced from life in prison to 30 years.

Under current law, a judge must sentence the defendant to at least 10 years in prison for possessing or delivering one to five kilograms of a substance with marijuana, and to at least 20 years for more than five kilograms. The only exception is if the judge specifies "substantial and compelling circumstances" which justify the "imposition of an alternative sentence." S 2232 and H 8025 would also eliminate these excessive mandatory minimum sentences.

The legislation, sponsored by Sen. Harold Metts and Rep. Joseph Almeida received votes of 27-5 in the Senate and 52-13 in the House. The sentencing reductions would also apply to other drug offenses.

Thank you for supporting the Marijuana Policy Project. Please pass this on to your friends and family, to help improve Rhode Island's marijuana policies.

Sincerely,

Karen O'Keefe
Assistant Director of State Policies
Marijuana Policy Project

Medical marijuana bill introduced in Ohio Senate

Dear Tom,

Last week, Sen. Tom Roberts (D-Trotwood) introduced S.B. 343, the Ohio Medical Compassion Act. This compassionate legislation would allow patients and their caregivers to possess and cultivate marijuana to treat the patients' serious illnesses. Please take a moment now to contact your state senator and urge him or her to support S.B. 343.

The introduction of the bill has already received significant media coverage. This is an excellent opportunity to show the widespread support that exists for this legislation. Please take a moment to respond by writing a letter to the editor of your local paper. If you would like help with your letter, please e-mail Zane@mpp.org.

If you are, or you know, a patient who might benefit from medical marijuana, or a supportive medical professional, social service worker, law enforcement officer, or clergy member, we would like to hear from you. Please contact me at (202) 462-5747, ext. 119, or at Zane@mpp.org.

Communication with constituents is one of the most decisive factors for legislators when considering an issue. Your e-mail could help alleviate the suffering of many Ohio patients suffering from cancer, AIDS, and other debilitating conditions. Please take action today and pass this message along to friends, family, neighbors, and e-mail lists so that others can stand up for Ohio's most vulnerable residents.

Sincerely,

Zane Hurst
Legislative Analyst
Marijuana Policy Project

Dear Tom Sutor:

On the verge of becoming the presumptive Democratic nominee for president, Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) has renewed his commitment to protecting medical marijuana patients from arrest and jail.

Here is a quote from Obama campaign spokesman Ben LaBolt from an article in today's San Francisco Chronicle:

"Voters and legislators in the states — from California to Nevada to Maine — have decided to provide their residents suffering from chronic diseases and serious illnesses like AIDS and cancer with medical marijuana to relieve their pain and suffering. Obama supports the rights of states and local governments to make this choice — though he believes medical marijuana should be subject to (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) regulation like other drugs.”

With Sen. Obama now widely expected to win the Democratic nomination and in a year when Democrats are favored to win the White House, this means we might be only eight months away from having a White House that stands with us on medical marijuana access.

You can also watch a video of Sen. Obama talking about medical marijuana here.

In the months leading up to the New Hampshire Democratic primary election, MPP helped persuade all of the Democratic presidential candidates and three of the Republican candidates to pledge to end the arrest of patients in states with medical marijuana laws.

In response to questions from MPP on the campaign trail, Sen. Obama stated that arresting medical marijuana patients is not a good use of resources and promised to end the federal raids on state medical marijuana patients and their caregivers.

Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) has also promised MPP that she would end the raids.

Unfortunately, the Republican presidential nominee, Sen. John McCain (Ariz.), earned a grade of “F” from MPP for his inhumane stance on medical marijuana. In response to repeated questions from MPP on the campaign trail, Sen. McCain incorrectly stated that a majority of medical experts oppose medical marijuana, and he also gave a patient who was politely questioning him a glimpse of McCain's famous temper.

Congressman Ron Paul (R-Tex.), who also remains in the Republican race, has been an outspoken opponent of marijuana prohibition and has consistently voted in favor of legislation to end the DEA's raids on patients.

Please visit MPP's campaign site, www.GraniteStaters.com/candidates, for statements from each of the candidates.

MPP is the only drug policy reform organization that's systematically influencing the presidential candidates to take positive positions on medical marijuana — and punishing those who don't. Would you please consider making a donation to support our work today?

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 $3.0 million that MPP can raise from the rest of the planet in 2008. This means that your donation today will be doubled.

P.P.S. You can opt out of receiving fundraising mentions in the e-mail alerts I send you in 2008 by visiting www.mpp.org/2008optoutpreference at your convenience.

Former Minnesota sheriff and legislator urges passage of medical marijuana bill in new television ad!

Dear Tom,

In MPP's newest TV ad — which hits the airwaves today — former Fillmore County sheriff, former Minnesota state representative, and current intractable pain patient Neil Haugerud makes a powerful case for S.F. 345, the medical marijuana bill. Haugerud suffers from arachnoiditis — a  debilitating condition caused by inflammation of the linings that surround the brain and spinal cord — and argues that medical marijuana should be an option for the seriously ill. You can watch the ad here.

We have only been able to produce and air this television spot — as well as the two which preceded it — through the generous donations of supporters like you. Would you please consider giving $10 or more today so we have the resources to continue to set the record straight about the medical marijuana bill?

S.F. 345, which has already passed the Senate, is expected to come up for an historic vote on the floor of the Minnesota House any day. And given the fact that a small but vocal group within the Minnesota law enforcement community has been waging a campaign of misinformation against the bill's passage, Mr. Haugerud's law enforcement credentials carry additional weight. As the former sheriff notes, "Law enforcement ... is stepping out of bounds. Law enforcement is there to enforce the laws in relation to what the law is — they really don't need to influence ... what the law should be."

Your donation to MPP will also help us continue to combat the false and misleading claims — and occasional outright lies — that some current law enforcement officials like Dakota County Attorney James Backstrom have been spreading about the bill. In a series of Web videos circulated among the legislature and press, we've exposed some of the most egregious examples of this pattern of bad faith by using law enforcement's own words.

But Mr. Haugerud's powerful testimony reveals that not all Minnesotans with law enforcement backgrounds agree with James Backstrom that seriously ill patients who use medical marijuana on the recommendation of their physicians should face the threat of arrest and jail. In fact — like 64% of Minnesotans, according to a recent SurveyUSA poll commissioned by the ABC affiliate in Minneapolis — some do support a compassionate medical marijuana law.

Thank you for supporting the Marijuana Policy Project. Please pass this message along to your friends, family, and neighbors in Minnesota and encourage them to contact their elected officials, as well.

If you'd also like to volunteer in these final days of MPP's lobbying efforts, please contact Matt Witemyre, MPP's Minnesota organizer, at (612) 424-7004 or mwitemyre@mpp.org.

Sincerely,

Matt Witemyre
Minnesota Organizer
Marijuana Policy Project

Minnesota law enforcement lie of the day

Dear Tom,

Over the course of the legislative session, a small but vocal group within the Minnesota law enforcement community has misled legislators, the governor, and the public with persistent inaccuracies, exaggerations, and outright lies. In response, MPP has created a series of video installments debunking their claims one by one.

Today's claim: The 1999 Institute of Medicine (IOM) study discounted smoked marijuana for medicine

Click here to watch the rebuttal.

Outraged?

Please consider donating $10 or more today so we have the resources to continue to expose these false claims and set the record straight on Minnesota's medical marijuana bill.

If you'd like to be more involved at this critical moment for Minnesota's medical marijuana patients, please contact MPP's Minnesota organizer, Matt Witemyre, at (612) 424-7004 or mwitemyre@mpp.org. We are on the verge of making Minnesota the 13th medical marijuana state, but we need your support  today!

Sincerely,

Matt Witemyre
Minnesota Organizer
Marijuana Policy Project

TO: Tom Sutor
FROM: Karen O'Keefe, MPP assistant director of state policies

Event April 30: New York City's Marijuana Arrest Policy 30 Years After Decriminalization

MPP is passing along the below information from a New York City Bar Association Drugs and the Law Committee flyer. We hope you can make this important event.

In 1977, New York State decriminalized possession of personal use amounts of marijuana. Nonetheless, researchers report that New York City is now the national leader in detaining individuals for possession of personal use amounts of marijuana.

Beginning with the advent of quality of life policing, the New York City Police Department dramatically increased the number of arrests for marijuana possession: from 1997 to 2006, the department arrested 362,000 people for possessing marijuana; in 2006 alone, it arrested 33,000 people for marijuana possession. The department also commonly holds marijuana possession arrestees in detention for up to 24 hours pending arraignment.

Published research indicates that the marijuana possession arrests are not in central business districts, and that the police primarily make the arrests in black and Hispanic neighborhoods.

Join us for a discussion of the costs and benefits of New York City's marijuana possession arrest policy.

Moderator:
John H. McWhorter
Senior fellow, The Manhattan Institute; Columnist, New York Sun

Speakers:
John A. Eterno, Ph.D.
Chairperson and graduate program director, Department of Criminal Justice, Molloy College; managing editor, Police Practice and Research; NYPD captain (Ret.)

Bruce D. Johnson, Ph.D.
Director, Institute for Special Populations Research, National Development and Research Institutes, Inc.

Harry G. Levine, Ph.D.
Professor of Sociology, Queens College and the Graduate Center, City University of New York

Edward D. McCarthy, JD
Criminal Defense Division, Legal Aid Society of New York

Co-sponsored by the Corrections Committee

FROM: Krystal Martinez, MPP campaigns analyst

New poll shows 67% support for Michigan's medical marijuana initiative!

According to a new independent poll published in a prominent Michigan political newsletter, 67% of voters favor the passage of MPP's medical marijuana initiative in the state. This is a significant increase in support from polls conducted in previous years. It also cuts across all demographics, which bodes very well for making Michigan the 13th medical marijuana state this November.

The poll, conducted by the Lansing-based consulting firm Marketing Resource Group (MRC) and published in Inside Michigan Politics, surveyed 600 registered Michigan voters. And the numbers speak for themselves: 67% of Michiganders support a compassionate medical marijuana law, with 28% opposed and only 5% undecided.

Momentum is clearly on the side of reform, but we still need the resources to mount an effective campaign as we move forward. Would you please make a small donation to MPP's campaign committee, the Michigan Coalition for Compassionate Care (MCCC), today?

After the nearly half a million signatures MCCC handed in to the state last November came back with a whopping 80.2% validity rate, the medical marijuana initiative advanced to the Michigan Legislature. If, as expected, the legislature chooses not to act on the initiative after 40 days, Michigan voters will decide the issue at the polls in November.

The overwhelming amount of support reflected in this newest poll is not altogether surprising: Five Michigan cities — Ann Arbor, Detroit, Ferndale, Flint, and Traverse City — have already passed local ordinances to protect seriously ill patients who use medical marijuana with their doctors' recommendations, and have done so by wide margins every time. And previous polling — such as a 2005 survey, which found 61% in favor of a compassionate medical marijuana law — has always indicated that a majority of Michiganders support reform.

But the MRC poll demonstrates that this support is surging statewide as voters hear more about the issue — 2 out of 3 Michigan residents would now vote to protect patients from the threat of arrest and jail for simply using their medicine.

This is testimony to the compassion and common sense of Michiganders, who clearly favor ending the cruel and unnecessary policy of arresting Michigan's seriously ill for simply treating the symptoms of debilitating illnesses.

Despite this encouraging poll, the fact remains that the campaign still has a long way to go, and we'll need substantial resources to maintain this momentum. Would you please consider donating to MCCC today to help ensure a victory in November? Thank you for supporting MPP and our allies.

FROM: Nathan Miller, MPP legislative analyst

Illinois lawmakers heading back to their home districts

Both medical marijuana bills are alive and well. The House bill is still being held in committee. The Senate bill has passed committee and is heading to the floor.

Over the next week and a half, when legislators are in their home districts, we need you to call and set up meetings with them so they know that their constituency supports patient access to medical marijuana.

If you are directed to voicemail, or asked to leave a massage, it can be as simple as "Hello, my name is ____________, and I am a constituent from ____________. Please support the medical marijuana bills currently being considered by the General Assembly. I would like to set up a meeting to discuss this issue with you while you are back in our district. Please call me at _________ at your earliest convenience if you are available. Thank you."

Here is an overview of the bills to help you discuss this issue with your legislators.

Here are some handouts and brochures to take with you to your meetings.

Also, check out a recent poll conducted by Mason-Dixon Polling and Research, which shows that Illinois residents favor allowing seriously and terminally ill patients to use marijuana for medical purposes by a 68% to 27% margin.

If you have any questions about setting up meetings with your legislators, please send an email to Nathan@mpp.org for assistance.

Thank you for supporting the Marijuana Policy Project and all of our allies, including the Illinois Compassion Action Network.

Please pass this alert on to others in Illinois who might be interested in helping patients get the protection they need.

Dear Tom Sutor,

I am one of the hundreds of people with severe illnesses in Massachusetts who is depending on the state legislature to pass H. 2247. Lupus has changed my life and that of my family in ways that I could not have imagined. My daughter draws pictures showing me resting in the bedroom while she plays outside or goes on trips with dad and her siblings.

It need not be this way. Science has shown that medical marijuana could alleviate my symptoms, and I know from other patients that it might allow me to live a semblance of normal life. But medical marijuana is illegal in our state.

On December 12, I joined other patients and advocates and testified in the Joint Committee on Public Health to change that. The committee hasn't voted yet, though, and I need your help to inspire its members to move the bill.

Would you please use MPP's automated system to urge committee members to support this bill and to call a vote on it? You can click here to see if one of your legislators is on the committee and, if so, to write them. If they aren't, would you please write the committee chairs here?

As I told the committee, I've never tried marijuana. I have four children and am a preschool teacher. I feel that I can't be an effective role model and break the rules. But I have been watching and waiting for years.

The fact is, no one has created a drug for lupus patients within the last 40 years — and all of the drugs that they currently use to treat the many problems caused by lupus have so many side effects, they could pretty much kill you themselves. I've been allergic to some of them, and the costs have been a terrible burden on our family.

The state is basically causing me a life of severe pain, cruelty, and disability. I have committed no crime, and no judge in this country would be able to give a convicted murderer this sentence; it would be ruled cruel and unusual punishment.

It is ridiculous that some person in a suit, without a medical degree, should decide my medical treatment, decide if I should be in pain or not, decide if I should suffer or not, decide how much of a mother my kids should have. It's just not right.
 
Can I count on you to write the committee, so that medical decisions will be between me and my doctor? And, will you ask your friends to do the same?

If you are a patient, like me, and would like to speak out please email karen@mpp.org.

Thank you for caring,

Lori-ann Mayotte

FROM: Nathan Miller, MPP legislative analyst

House medical marijuana bill needs to be assigned to committee this week so it can receive a hearing in time to make it to the House floor — call your representative today!

Although the Senate medical marijuana bill received a favorable 6-4 vote in committee last week, the House bill has yet to be assigned to a committee where it can receive a hearing and, hopefully, move forward.

Here are some talking points to help you discuss this bill should you have the opportunity to speak with your representative on the telephone. If you are directed to leave a message, it can be as simple as "Hello, my name is ____________, and I am from ____________. Please assign the medical marijuana bill, HB 5938, to committee today before it is too late. Thank you."

After you have called, follow up with an e-mail.

Thank you for supporting the Marijuana Policy Project and helping us put an end to the barbaric policy of arresting and jailing the seriously ill. Please pass this alert on to others in Illinois who might be interested in helping patients get the protection they need. With both Republicans and Democrats sponsoring this year's legislation, Illinois is poised to become the 13th medical marijuana state — let's make it happen.

FROM: Nathan Miller, MPP legislative analyst

URGENT: Tell your Hawaii legislators to support medical marijuana improvement legislation

While several bills have been introduced in the Hawaii Legislature that would improve Hawaii's medical marijuana program, one needs your help right away.

HB 2675 increases possession limits from 7 plants and 3 ounces to 14 plants and one ounce per plant, as well as removes the confusing distinction between mature and immature plants. This legislation also creates a medical marijuana task force to study the value of constructing secure growing facilities for medical marijuana as well as inter-island transport issues related to medical marijuana. Reciprocity is also provided for, which means a patient from another medical marijuana state would be protected under Hawaii law while visiting. This is a good move for Hawaii because many patients from west coast medical marijuana states choose to vacation and spend their tourist dollars in Hawaii.

After passing the Health Committee 9-1, HB 2675 has now been referred to the House Committee on Public Safety & Military Affairs and is scheduled for a hearing today at 2:15 p.m. in House Conference Room 309. If you would like to attend, please show up by 2:00 p.m., dress professionally, and remember to be polite to everyone, even opponents. It is important that activists leave legislators with the best impression possible.

After sending your e-mail, please take a moment to see if any of the committee members represent your district. If so, then place a telephone call to their office and let them know that you are a constituent and that you would like them to support HB 2675 and make sure that it makes it to the Senate floor for consideration.

Click here and enter your zip code to find out if any of the committee members represent you.

Thank you for supporting the Marijuana Policy Project and all of our allies. If you have any questions about marijuana policy reform in Hawaii, please send an e-mail to Nathan@mpp.org along with any inquiries you may have.

Dear Tom Sutor:

Our nation is currently incarcerating a record one in 99 adults, according to a new report by the Pew Center on the States. You can read The New York Times' article on the U.S. government’s war on the American people here.

This horrifying statistic was calculated by adding the number of people in federal and state prisons (almost 1,600,000) to the number of people in local jails (723,000). With American adults numbering about 230,000,000, the report concluded that one in 99 adults is currently behind bars.

This is madness. As previous studies have found, our nation imposes harsher sentences for nonviolent drug offenses than for many violent crimes, creating a steady, unconscionable increase in the prison population. Visit www.mpp.org/victims to read stories of nonviolent marijuana prisoners.

The Pew report points to the urgent need to tax and regulate marijuana, as fully 3% of our nation’s 2,323,000 prisoners are incarcerated because of marijuana offenses. Indeed, Pew’s recommendations included diverting nonviolent offenders away from prison.

The report also highlights how the U.S. criminal justice system inordinately penalizes people who are not white. Appallingly, one in 36 Hispanic adults is behind bars, as are one in 15 black adults, not to mention one in nine black men between the ages of 20 and 34. And these numbers don’t include people on parole or probation, which means even more than one in nine black men aged 20 to 34 is caught up in the criminal justice system.

Who are our nation’s drug laws helping by locking up so many young black men — or by forcing so many adults into jails and prisons? True drug addicts? Nonviolent drug offenders? Their families?

If you're as outraged by these statistics as I am, please turn your anger into action by helping MPP restore some sense to our nation's laws by ending marijuana prohibition: Become a monthly pledger today.

MPP is the largest organization focused solely on releasing from jail/prison the 3% of inmates who are marijuana offenders. In 1995, we helped to reduce the federal sentencing guidelines for marijuana cultivation, resulting in the release of hundreds of federal prisoners. Every time we pass a medical marijuana law — as we did in Maryland, Vermont, Montana, and Rhode Island, and as we hope to do in Michigan this November — we protect seriously ill marijuana users from jail. We’re assisting a campaign in Massachusetts to decriminalize marijuana via a ballot initiative in November, which would end the arrest of marijuana users (and therefore 6% of all arrests) in the state. And we’re supporting bills that are currently moving in Vermont and New Hampshire that would eliminate the threat of jail for marijuana possession.

We face a long battle in rolling back the entrenched tradition of using incarceration as the solution to our nation’s woes. Please join MPP for the long haul by signing up for our monthly pledge program today.

Thank you for standing with us in this worthy fight.

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 $3.0 million that MPP can raise from the rest of the planet in 2008. This means that your monthly pledge will be doubled.

New Hampshire House vote on reducing marijuana penalties

On Wednesday, March 5, the New Hampshire House of Representatives will likely vote on HB 1623, a bill that will remove the possibility of jail for possessing a small amount of marijuana. Please contact your representatives now and urge them to support this sensible bill.

We'd love to have as many people as possible at the Statehouse to show support for the bill by wearing "Reduce Penalties!" stickers. If we are able to show the legislators that respectable people of all ages support this bill, it will make an important impression on the representatives. If you can make it on Wednesday, March 5, please e-mail Zane@mpp.org. The session will begin at 10:00 a.m., so we'll want to be there and visible by 9:00 a.m.

WHAT: House debate on HB 1623, a bill to reduce penalties for marijuana possession
WHERE: New Hampshire Statehouse, 107 North Main St., Concord
WHEN: Wednesday, March 5, 9:00 a.m.

Please dress and act professionally while at the Statehouse. It's important that supporters of this bill do not look like our opponents hope they would.

Unfortunately, the House Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee ignored a subcommittee's vote to pass the bill and recommended the bill "inexpedient to legislate." Despite this negative recommendation, the full House can still pass HB 1623. However, we will need to make it clear to the representatives that there is a lot of support for this bill from their constituents. After sending a letter to your representatives, please take a moment to call your representatives too.

Dear Rhode Island Voters,

My name is Bobby Ebert. I may look fine on the outside, but inside I am often burning in pain. The daily nerve pains I live with are called AIDS neuropathy, for which there is no FDA- approved treatment. Luckily, the state legislature passed and overwhelmingly renewed a law so I can legally use a medicine that does work, and that doesn't leave me in a drugged fog: medical marijuana. For that, I am extremely grateful.

But there's still one problem: The only access the medical marijuana law provides is home cultivation. Our tireless champions, Rep. Thomas Slater and Sen. Rhoda Perry, are now circulating a bill to allow a nonprofit compassion center to provide medical marijuana to Rhode Island's patients. Would you ask your state legislators to add their name to these new bills that would allow legal, regulated access to medical marijuana?

Some patients are able to grow their own medicine or have loved ones who are happy to do so. But some of us have struggled to get the medicine our health depends on. Trying to acquire my medicine after I got my medical marijuana card, I was mugged and beaten up buying my medicine on the streets. Since then, I've had trouble finding a reliable caregiver to grow my medicine for me.

Growing medicine takes a lot of skill and time. If a backyard tomato plant dies or doesn't produce much, you can always buy food at the supermarket. Medical marijuana patients don't have that option: They have to risk the streets or suffer without their painkiller.

Plus, marijuana doesn't grow immediately, and patients suffer while they wait for months, hoping seeds will turn into healthy female plants that produce desperately needed medicine. Compassion centers would be able to immediately give patients the medicine we need.

For the next day or two, Slater and Perry will be asking colleagues to sign on to the bill. So please don't forget to ask your legislators to sign on to the bill.

Thank you very much for listening to me and for all you have done for compassion.

Warmly,

Bobby Ebert

Dear Tom Sutor:

One of the country's most elite and prestigious physician organizations — with a membership of 124,000 internists, the second largest physician group and the largest medical specialty organization in the U.S. — just threw its support behind medical marijuana access.

Click here to find out which organization made this exciting move and to read the details of its report.

To date, this is the most significant organizational endorsement of medical marijuana access in the field of medicine and science. To discover the organization’s identity, please visit MPP’s home page now.

In its landmark report — which now comprises the organization's official position — the group calls for (1) full legal protection for medical marijuana patients, (2) changing marijuana's federal classification as a Schedule I drug (which currently puts it in the same category as heroin and LSD), and (3) increased funding for medical marijuana research.

The position paper says quite simply that the organization "strongly urges protection from criminal or civil penalties for patients who use medical marijuana as permitted under state laws." Visit http://www.mpp.org/ to read the organization's full position paper.

In the months leading up to this enormously important release, MPP supplied the organization's physician members with studies, research, and position papers from other organizations. This is a major step in our work to build a powerful coalition of national organizations that endorse medical marijuana access.

Click here to read an article in the Los Angeles Times about the organization's new position.

This important victory is exactly the kind of result that the MPP staff works toward every day. Would you please consider making a monthly pledge of $5 or more on your credit card, in recognition of our efforts in this area?

I am grateful for your support.

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 $3.0 million that MPP can raise from the rest of the planet in 2008. This means that your monthly pledge will be doubled.

P.P.S. You can opt out of receiving fundraising mentions in the e-mail alerts I send you in 2008 by visiting www.mpp.org/2008optoutpreference at your convenience.

Vermont committee approves bill to eliminate jail for marijuana possession

On February 7, the Vermont Senate Judiciary Committee passed a bill that will eliminate the possibility of jail for possession of an ounce or less of marijuana. Instead, all first- and second-time offenders will be offered court diversion, which will allow them to clear the charge from their record. The full Vermont Senate is expected to vote on the bill sometime next week.

Here's how you can help pass this bill:

Contact your state senator now

Please take a moment to urge your state senator to vote in favor of S.238. We have several prewritten letters available for you to use, but feel free to personalize your letter.

Write a letter to the editor

It is very important that we continue the discussion on marijuana policy reform in the media. While passing this bill will be a positive reform, clearly there is more progress to be made. We need to make sure our legislators understand that their constituents don't want them to stop with this modest reform. If you would like talking points or other assistance with your letter, please e-mail Zane@mpp.org.

Encourage others to contact their senators

Please forward this message to your friends, family, and e-mail lists in Vermont so they too can take action to help reform Vermont's marijuana laws.

You can read some of the media coverage on this legislation here and here. Although the committee significantly amended the bill, it will still be a positive step forward for marijuana policy reform in Vermont. Please urge your senators to support S.238. Thank you for supporting the Marijuana Policy Project.

History made in Kansas!

First medical marijuana bill in Kansas' history introduced

On Monday, February 11 at 1:30 p.m. in Room 136-N of the Kansas Legislature, the Senate Health Care Strategies Committee will hold hearings on a bill that would create an affirmative defense for medical marijuana patients and protect doctors who make medical marijuana recommendations.

SB 556

Also known as the Medical Marijuana Defense Act, this act would allow physicians to make written recommendations that using marijuana would likely be of benefit to their patients. If arrested for possession of marijuana, a patient holding a recommendation from his or her physician would be able to assert an affirmative defense to any charges arising from his or her medical use of marijuana. If a court accepts the affirmative defense, it would mean that a patient could avoid criminal charges. The bill would not, however, protect patients from the initial arrest.

Only seriously ill patients would be able to assert the affirmative defense. Qualifying conditions include: cancer, glaucoma, HIV/AIDS, hepatitis C, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and Crohn's disease.

Certain chronic or debilitating diseases that produce one or more of the following would also be covered: cachexia or wasting syndrome; severe pain; severe nausea; seizures (epilepsy); Alzheimer's disease; or severe and persistent muscle spasms (multiple sclerosis).

One of the main reasons that medical marijuana is finally an issue being discussed in Topeka is because of the hard work of the Kansas Compassionate Care Coalition. KSCCC has secured support from the medical community, numerous patients, as well as current and former state officials such as former Kansas Attorney General Robert Stephan. Click here to find out how you can become involved with KSCCC's efforts to move this year's bill forward.

If you are interested in attending the hearing, remember to arrive early (at least 30 minutes), dress appropriately (no shirts with marijuana leaves on them), and be respectful to everyone in attendance, including opponents. It is very important that Kansas legislators are left with a favorable first impression from the activist community, so please do everything you can to make this happen.

Thank you for supporting the Marijuana Policy Project and all of our allies. Please pass this alert on to others in Kansas who might be interested in making sure SB 556 receives the attention it deserves this year.
 

Medical marijuana bill introduced in Missouri with record number of sponsors!

New referendum provision may garner additional support — act today to move this legislation forward!

Two things are special about this year's medical marijuana bill. One is the record number of sponsors. This year, four new legislators have signed on to the medical marijuana bill — HB 1830 — for a total of eleven sponsors. The other aspect is a compromise provision that would put the matter to the voters once the legislature approves.

We already know that the majority of Missourians support safe access for sick and dying patients. The voter referendum provision, however, will give wavering legislators comfort and assurance. This may change the entire context of the issue by making it easier for some legislators to support the bill.

HB 1830 is similar to the medical marijuana laws that have been passed by other states in recent years. As in MPP's model bill, patients would be required to obtain a written recommendation from their doctor before they can apply for an ID card from the state. Registered organizations would also be allowed to provide patients with medical marijuana.

Below is a breakdown of bill specifics. After learning about the bill, keep reading to find out what you can do to help.

Possession limits

Three mature and four immature plants, which are defined, and one ounce of marijuana.

If a patient is found to be in possession of more than these amounts, but not more than is reasonably necessary to ensure the uninterrupted availability of marijuana for the purpose of alleviating the symptoms or effects of the person's medical condition, an affirmative defense is available.

Qualifying conditions

Qualifying conditions include: cancer, glaucoma, HIV/AIDS, hepatitis C, Alzheimer's disease, rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, severe migraines, and multiple sclerosis.

Patients could also qualify for the state's medical marijuana program if they are engaged in treatment that produces one or more of the following: cachexia or wasting syndrome; severe pain; severe nausea; anorexia; seizures, including those characteristic of epilepsy; or severe and persistent muscle spasms, including those characteristic of multiple sclerosis (MS), Lou Gehrig's disease (ALS), or Crohn's disease.

Protections

The bill protects patients, caregivers, and doctors from arrest, prosecution, and other penalties.

Caregivers are only protected if it is impracticable for a patient to obtain their medicine and the caregiver's help is necessary.

Patients who have not registered with the state as a medical marijuana patient, but could qualify, have a medical necessity defense available.

A patient's right to be employed is also protected.

Search and seizure

Protects patients' medical marijuana property from seizure, and if property is seized, then law enforcement must maintain it until it is returned to the patient.

How you can help

Below are several ways you can help make this year's medical marijuana bill a success. Please take a few minutes to do everything you can, then pass this on to others so they can do the same.

#1

The medical marijuana bill stalled last year because Speaker of the House Rod Jetton (R-Marble Hill) never assigned it to committee, where it could receive a proper hearing. Please send Rep. Jetton an e-mail today kindly asking him to assign the medical marijuana bill to committee this year.

#2 

After you have emailed Rep. Jetton, please send your state legislators an e-mail asking them to support HB 1830.

#3 

You can also write an LTE in support of medical marijuana, which is an excellent way to draw attention to this issue. Please use the talking points that we have provided as a starting point for your own letter, keep it short, and check you spelling before sending. If you would like help composing your letter, please e-mail MPP Legislative Analyst Nathan Miller at Nathan@mpp.org

#4

Another good way to open up the discussion about medical marijuana in Jefferson City is to utilize the airwaves. Please download and share MPP's public service announcements with radio stations that might be interested in airing these educational and entertaining messages.

#5

If you or anyone you know needs help understanding the issues involved with medical marijuana, please download some of our brochures and handouts. These are great materials to leave with your lawmaker, physician, or law enforcement official who might need a little educating on the subject.

Thank you for supporting the Marijuana Policy Project and all of our allies. Be sure to pass this message to your friends, family, and neighbors in Missouri. For news about marijuana policy reform in Missouri, please visit www.mpp.org/states/missouri or e-mail Nathan@mpp.org.
 

During the last two weeks, the Senate Judiciary Committee has heard testimony from the public and law enforcement officials on reducing marijuana penalties. On Thursday, February 7, the committee will continue discussing S.238. This bill would make the penalty for possession of less than two ounces of marijuana a civil violation punishable by a maximum fine of $250. It will also make possession of less than four ounces of marijuana a civil violation, punishable only by a fine. These important changes might save students and others from criminal records.

Please take a moment now to send a letter to the members of the Senate Judiciary Committee in support of S.238. We have several letters available for you to send, but you can also take a moment to personalize your letter. Unfortunately, several members of the committee recently said that they don't think there is any reason to change Vermont's marijuana policy. So, please take action now to let them know that possessing small amounts of marijuana should not be a criminal offense.

It's also important that Vermont's legislators see support for this bill in the press. If you are willing to submit a letter to the editor in support of marijuana policy reform, please e-mail Zane Hurst at Zane@mpp.org. We can provide you with talking points and other information to use in your letter.

It is time for Vermont to catch up to states like Mississippi, Ohio, and North Carolina and stop jailing people for low-level marijuana possession. Please pass this alert on to your friends, family, and e-mail lists in Vermont. Thank you for supporting the Marijuana Policy Project.
 

The DEA is waging war on California. 

Dear Tom Sutor:

The DEA is continuing to terrorize medical marijuana patients and their caregivers. On November 20, DEA agents raided the Long Beach Compassionate Cooperative (L.B.C.C.), a medical marijuana dispensary in Los Angeles County. In addition to seizing assets, federal agents arrested the owner and warned that other area dispensaries could face the same fate. Read the news coverage here.

In recent months, MPP has raised $150,000 of the $180,000 that’s needed to launch our new project in California to fend off these raids. Please donate now to help close the $30,000 gap.

Since the beginning of the year, the DEA has executed dozens of raids in California, including:

• January 11: 11 dispensaries in West Hollywood
• March 29: Central Coast Compassionate Caregivers in Morro Bay
• May 1 and July 16: Nature's Medicinal Cooperative in Bakersfield
• June 13: Farm Assist Caregivers in Pomona
• July 17: Healing Nations Collective in Inland Valley
• July 25: 10 dispensaries in Los Angeles County
• August 29: 3 dispensaries in San Mateo
• October 11: Arts District Healing Center in Los Angeles
• October 30: Compassionate Caregivers of Alameda County
• November 1: C-3 Collective in Garden Grove
• November 2: 105/405 in North Hills

The DEA has also instituted a chilling new form of interference in California’s medical marijuana law: In July, the DEA began threatening landlords who lease space to medical marijuana dispensaries with prison time and forfeiture of their property — a move that was condemned in a Los Angeles Times editorial as a “deplorable new bullying tactic.” The L.B.C.C.’s landlord was a recipient of one of these letters.

Please fight for the will of California voters and for safe access to medical marijuana by donating to MPP’s California plan today.

In the coming year, MPP will be working with a coalition of reform organizations, dispensary owners, health care professionals, patients, activists, and state legislators to protect patients and dispensaries operating legally under state law, but we need your help. Would you please help fund a lobbyist in Sacramento to represent the medical marijuana community against the DEA’s reign of terror?

The situation in California is critical, and what happens in California matters to all of us: Just as California launched the modern era of the medical marijuana movement with the passage of Prop. 215 in November 1996, so, too, will it pave the way for state-recognized dispensaries with the legislation we will help pass next year. And, with your help, MPP and our allies will end state and local cooperation with federal law enforcement — which regularly utilizes local police for assistance during the DEA’s raids. Please join us in making sure that California resources will no longer be used to subvert the state’s own laws. This is important not only to Californians but to residents of every state seeking to enact compassionate medical marijuana laws.

We’re going to make medical marijuana access safe for seriously ill patients. Can I count on your help by making a donation to our California efforts today?

Thank you for your generosity during this critical time.

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 $3.0 million that MPP can raise from the rest of the planet in 2007. This means that your donation today will be doubled.

P.P.S. You can opt out of receiving fundraising mentions in the e-mail alerts I send you in 2007 by visiting www.mpp.org/2007optoutpreference at your convenience.

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