Medical Marijuana Heading for Big Win in Michigan

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   
NOVEMBER 4, 2008

CONTACT: Bruce Mirken, MPP director of communications ............... 415-668-6403 or 202-215-4205
                   Dan Bernath, MPP assistant director of communications ..........................202-462-5747 x2030

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Medical marijuana supporters hailed apparent passage of Michigan's medical marijuana initiative, Proposal 1, as an important harbinger of a national shift on the issue. With Michigan becoming the 13th medical marijuana state, one in four Americans now live in a state where medical marijuana patients with a physician's recommendation are protected by law.

    AP called the race at just after 9 p.m. EST, and with eight percent of precincts reporting, Proposal 1, the Marijuana Policy Project's Michigan medical marijuana initiative, was leading, 60 percent to 40 percent. Outgoing White House drug czar John Walters personally campaigned against the measure.

    "Michigan voters just dealt a fatal blow to the federal government's cruel, dishonest war on medical marijuana and sent a stunning message to the new presidential administration and Congress," said MPP executive director Rob Kampia. "One in four Americans now live in a medical marijuana state, and the federal government has no business fighting a war against a quarter of our citizens. It may take a year or two, but the federal war on medical marijuana is dead. Finished. Over."

    With more than 25,000 members and 100,000 e-mail subscribers nationwide, the Marijuana Policy Project is the largest marijuana policy reform organization in the United States. MPP believes that the best way to minimize the harm associated with marijuana is to regulate marijuana in a manner similar to alcohol. For more information, please visit http://MarijuanaPolicy.org.