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Bulletin from the cause: SAFER

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Posted By: Mason Tvert

To: Members in SAFER

The Women's Marijuana Movement

Please take a second to become a fan of the Women's Marijuana Movement on Facebook -- http://www.Facebook.com/womensmovement -- and encourage your friends to do so, as well. The WMM will be launched next week, so the more fans it has, the bigger the launch will be.

The WMM will work to change the perception of marijuana in our society and help all Americans understand that marijuana is a safer recreational alternative to alcohol.

We hope you'll support this effort by signing on and encouraging others to do the same.

Sincerely,

The SAFER Team

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In The Trenches

Last chance to act: D.C. medical marijuana law likely to be finalized Tuesday

Marijuana Policy Project

Marijuana Policy Project Alert

April 28, 2010

 

Last chance to act: D.C. medical marijuana law likely to be finalized Tuesday

Please contact your councilmembers and ask them to offer needed amendments to the bill

Dear friends:

The wait is nearly over. Eleven years after D.C. voters demanded it, medical marijuana is finally coming to the District. And while we’re all excited to see the program finally approved, the bill now being considered includes a few areas of concern for patients who could benefit from medical marijuana and voters who approved a program now being altered by the Council. Please get in touch with your councilmembers and urge them to offer an amendment to address one or more of these potential pitfalls:

  • Unlike patients who use more dangerous medicines like Oxycontin, medical marijuana patients will only be allowed to medicate in their homes or approved medical facilities. A simple ban on public smoking would be a better alternative.
  • Patients can only use marijuana or paraphernalia obtained from a licensed dispensary. Since no one can predict when, or even if, the program will be able to produce enough medical marijuana to meet demand, patients should not be criminalized for acquiring marijuana through a caregiver or other means. Further, there’s no rational reason to force patients who already own a vaporizer or other working device to purchase a new, unnecessary one from a dispensary.
  • Cultivation centers are limited to 95 plants. This limitation has been a proven policy failure in New Mexico, where patients continue to report an inability to procure medicine at a reasonable price, if at all. This limitation will discourage responsible investors while simultaneously creating a need for dozens of cultivation centers in order to meet demand.
  • Severe and/or chronic pain is not a qualified medical condition. All but one of the 14 existing and functional medical marijuana laws covers severe and/or chronic pain. The consensus among the scientific community is that marijuana can be effective in pain treatment, so there’s no reason to criminalize patients who need marijuana to treat severe, chronic pain.
  • The original "Initiative 59" also allowed patients to cultivate their own medicine, but under this bill home cultivation won’t be allowed until at least 2012, if at all.

It will only take you a minute to use our simple automated program to send a message to your councilmembers, but please don’t stop there. Call their offices and have a conversation – you can even request a meeting to discuss the bill in person. There are only a few days left for you to make a difference, so please take the time to get in touch with your councilmembers. At-large members Kwame Brown, David Catania, Phil Mendelson, Michael Brown, and Chairman Vincent Gray represent all D.C. residents. You can find your ward-specific member here.

We expect the Council to take a final vote on the measure Tuesday, May 4. That means you have less than one week to make a difference. We have to get this right. A medical marijuana program in our nation’s capital will influence the future of medical marijuana around the country. Legislators from all 36 states yet to enact an effective medical marijuana law will likely point to elements of D.C.’s program when considering legislation in their home states.
Thanks for your time and all your support. After you’ve talked with your councilmembers, forward this e-mail to friends in the District and ask them to do the same.

Thanks again,

Dan Riffle's signature

Dan Riffle
Legislative Analyst
Marijuana Policy Project

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D.C.'s Medical Marijuana Law Needs Your Support Now

If you live in D.C. or know anyone who does, we need your help to ensure that the D.C. Council passes sensible medical marijuana regulations. The current bill is a good effort, but we need to educate the Council about a few issues before the vote next Tuesday. Here are a few of the problems we hope to address:

1. The bill prohibits patients from cultivating their own medicine. Personal cultivation is essential to ensuring that patients have affordable and reliable access to their medicine.

2. The bill invades patient privacy by requiring detailed records of every purchase. This information puts patients at risk under federal law. Purchase records must be kept anonymous.

3. The bill states that patients may only medicate at their own residence or in a hospice. No other medicine is treated this way, and such a rule will create constant hardship for sick people. Patients should be allowed to medicate in any appropriate private residence if they have permission to do so.

4. The bill establishes a monthly purchase/possession limit of 2 ounces. Some patients will need more medicine than this. The limit should be 4-8 ounces, which has worked well in other states.

5. The bill only allows doctors in D.C. to issue valid recommendations. Patients with doctors outside the District should not have to change their medical care to qualify for the program.

Please contact your Council Member as well as the At-Large Members this week to make sure our concerns are addressed in the final bill. Click here for more info, including contact information for the Council. It only takes a few minutes and every call makes a difference. Thanks!
Blog

Will Medical Marijuana Lead to Full Legalization?

Robert Dupont is a liar and drug war profiteer who'll say anything to protect his racket. So there was nothing surprising about this Washington Post editorial, except the accidental admission that medical marijuana is awesome and everyone loves it:

Medical marijuana is a stalking-horse for legalization. This can be seen in California, where medical marijuana advocates have had great success and are pushing for full legalization.

Why have medical marijuana advocates been so successful? Because after more than a decade, the predictions of numbskulls like Robert Dupont never came true. Public support for marijuana reform has increased steadily following the emergence of dispensaries. Everyone can plainly see that nothing bad happened, and our current political climate now stands as a powerful testament to how wrong Robert Dupont has been about everything for many years.

If Robert Dupont thinks it serves his agenda to point out the success of medical marijuana, I'll be the last to complain about a major news outlet giving him space to do so.
Blog

At long last

Finally I've found like minds to converse with. The war on drugs is costly and futile.
In The Trenches

Tell the DC City Council: Patients Deserve Better!

 

Dear friends,

In a preliminary vote last week, the D.C. City Council unanimously approved a bill to control and regulate medical marijuana in accordance with a 1998 ballot initiative adopted by 69% of D.C. voters. However, ASA is concerned the legislation may fall short of meeting patients' needs.

Take Action Now: Tell your Councilmember that medical cannabis patients deserve better!

The City Council has an opportunity to make important changes to the legislation before they are required to vote again next month. Local patients and advocates are leading the call for sensible and responsible changes to the legislation and they need your help.

Take Action Now: Phone and email your Councilmember today!

http://safeaccessnow.org/dc_email_action
http://safeaccessnow.org/dc_phone_action

Phone calls and e-mails make a difference! Please forward this action request to your friends, family and networks across the District.

Americans for Safe Access

Please support ASA!

On The Web:

ASA's Mission

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"Gear up" for medical cannabis activism with ASA's new T-shirts, hats, stickers, bags and more! All proceeds go to ASA advocacy

In The Trenches

ACTION ALERT: Help Protect Patient Access in Colorado

Forward this message to a friend

 
 

Crucial Hearing on Statewide Dispensary Bill

Make Your Voice Heard.

ACTION ALERT

On Tuesday, April 27,  HB 1284-- the bill to regulate medical marijuana dispensaries-- will be heard in front of the Colorado Senate "Local Government" Committee.  While HB 1284 would firmly establish dispensaries in state law, it also contains some damaging provisions to safe patient access.

This may be your last chance to publicly comment on the bill.  Please attend this Hearing or contact the target Senators listed below as soon as possible.

 What:  Attend the Hearing to discuss HB 1284

When:  Tuesday, April 27 at 2pm

Where:  Old Supreme Court Chambers, 200 E. Colfax Avenue (State Capitol), Denver.   

If you can't attend, please send a personal message or paste the following message in an email to the target Senators (pasted below)

-----------------**SAMPLE EMAIL**------------------------

Dear Senator,

While there are many positive provisions in HB 1284, I urge you to amend this bill to help protect Colorado's vulnerable medical marijuana patients.  Please consider amending this bill to:

(1)  Prevent local governments from banning dispensaries.  Patients need to be able to access medicine in their communities.

(2)  Establish Advisory Boards within both the Health Department and the Department of Revenue to help implement this law.  A diverse Panel of patients, law enforcement, medical professionals, and others can help safeguard both patients and communities   

I hope you will strongly consider the needs of patients as you vote on this law.

Respectfully,

NAME

--------------**END SAMPLE EMAIL**----------------------

*Senate Local Government Committee Members*
Sen. Gail Schwartz (D-Snowmass), Chair
District 5 (Alamosa, Chaffee, Conejos, Costilla, Delta, Gunnison, Hinsdale,
Mineral, Pitkin, Rio Grande and Saguache Counties)
Capitol Phone: 303-866-4871
E-mail: [email protected]
 

Sen. Joyce Foster (D), Vice-Chair
District 35 (Arapahoe and Denver Counties)
Capitol Phone: 303-866-4875
E-Mail: [email protected]
 

Sen. Bill Cadman (R)
District 10 (El Paso County)
Capitol Phone: 303-866-2737
E-mail: [email protected]
 

Sen. Mary Hodge (D)
District 25 (Adams County)
Capitol Phone: 303-866-4855
E-Mail: [email protected]
 

Sen. Ken Kester (R)
District 2 (Baca, Bent, Crowley, Custer, Fremont, Huerfano, Las Animas,
Otero and Pueblo Counties)
Capitol Phone: 303-866-4877
E-Mail: [email protected]
 

Sen. Kevin Lundberg (R)
District 15 (Larimer County)
Office Location: 200 E. Colfax
Denver, CO 80203
Capitol Phone: (303)866-4853
E-Mail: [email protected]
 

Sen. Linda Newell (D)
District 26 (Arapahoe and Jefferson County)
Capitol Phone: 303-866-4846
E-mail: [email protected]
 

COPY AND PASTE EMAILS:
[email protected],
[email protected],
[email protected],
[email protected],
[email protected],
[email protected],
[email protected]

Sensible Colorado | PO Box 18768 | Denver CO 80218

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In The Trenches

Disenfranchisement News: VA Essay Proposal Still Receiving Flack

Disenfranchisement News

Sentencing Project

In this issue

·         Virginia: Essay Proposal Still Receiving Flack » GO

·         National: NAACP Publishes Disenfranchisement Report » GO

·         National: Jewish Voice Commentary » GO

 

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April 26, 2010

Disenfranchisement News

Virginia

Essay Proposal Still Receiving Flack

An article in the Springfield Connection reviewed the continuing debate surrounding Virginia Governor McDonnell and potential plans to add a written component to the voting restoration process for nonviolent offenders. Coming under fire from the Democratic Party of Virginia and advocates and organizations like the American Civil Liberties Union, opponents said McDonnell's plan would discourage low-income residents and people who are not literate from applying.

The State Column reported that the recent movement has stirred up many advocates and sparked an ongoing debate.

A statement from David Mills, the Executive Director of the Democratic Party of Virginia, was published online. An excerpt of the statement reads:

"Governor McDonnell should immediately remove this costly and burdensome barrier for non-violent offenders to renew their voting and 2nd Amendment rights. It's mind-boggling that Governor McDonnell would choose to bury the Secretary of the Commonwealth's office in unnecessary paperwork during a time of belt-tightening and budget cuts. Surely the Secretary's valuable time could be used in more productive ways than grading essays for Governor McDonnell.

"If Governor McDonnell wants to improve Virginia's prisoner reentry efforts, he should make it easier for those who have completed their sentence to fully integrate back into society … Virginia now may have surpassed Kentucky as the state with the most obstacles to reintegration for non-violent offenders who have served their sentence. Virginians should not be subjected to more bureaucracy getting in the way of their rights to vote, hunt, or exercise any other Constitutional rights."

National

LDF Publishes Disenfranchisement Report

The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund (LDF) recently released "Free the Vote: Unlocking Democracy in the Cells and on the Streets," which details the national impact of disfranchisement laws on communities of color.
"Regrettably, more than a century after emancipation, and in the 45th anniversary year of the Voting Rights Act, increasing numbers of Blacks and Latinos nationwide are actually losing their right to vote each day, rather than experiencing greater access to political participation," said Ryan P. Haygood, Co-Director of LDF's Political Participation Group.
The report found the following:

•    Nearly 2 million, or 38%, of the disfranchised are African Americans;
•    One in three of the next generation of Black men will be disfranchised at some point during their lifetime; and
•    In New York, though Blacks and Latinos collectively comprise only 30% of the State's overall population, they represent an astonishing 87% of those denied the right to vote because of a felony conviction.

The report can be downloaded by clicking here.

National

Jewish Voice Commentary

The Philadelphia Jewish Voice featured an opinion-editorial column on depoliticizing the criminal justice system that included a critique of disenfranchising laws.

"It is hard to imagine that the loss of one's vote would deter anyone from a life of crime," writes Dr. Daniel E. Loeb. "Furthermore, permanently barring someone from voting means that these citizens will never fully reenter society even after doing their time. If someone feels down and out and wants to implement change in society, don't we want them to do so with their vote …"

For more national news, click here.

Back to top ^

The Sentencing Project is a national organization working for a fair and effective criminal justice system by promoting reforms in sentencing law and practice, and alternatives to incarceration.

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Will DEA Help States Implement Medical Marijuana Laws?

I like the way Eric Sterling frames his concerns about Michele Leonhart's nomination to head the DEA:

Aside from the Mexican drug trafficking organizations, the big challenge for the next DEA administrator is to help the states and D.C. implement their medical marijuana laws. President Obama’s nominee, Michele M. Leonhart, has been at the top of DEA for seven years as deputy and acting administrator. Previously she was DEA special agent-in-charge in both San Francisco and Los Angeles. Since 1997, she has led DEA in resisting state medical marijuana laws. She lacks an essential qualification: a commitment to working with the states to implement these compassionate laws. The Senate Judiciary Committee should look closely at her record and her willingness to carry out that mission. [Washington Post]

Medical marijuana is indeed the most volatile political issue the DEA deals with. Any questionable move on their part is guaranteed to ignite an immediate firestorm of protests and bad press. But Eric isn't just asking DEA not to attack people for medical marijuana activities. He's suggesting that DEA could actually help with the implementation of new laws, for example by providing regulators at the state level with a realistic assessment of what their enforcement priorities will be.  

It's an idea so crazy it just might work. But in order for it to happen, the White House will have to improve on its position that medical marijuana raids are a poor use of resources and acknowledge instead that the government actually has a responsibility for making this medicine readily and safely available to the people who need it.
In The Trenches

Drug Truth 04/26/10

Cultural Baggage * Century of Lies * 4:20 Drug War NEWS Cultural Baggage for 04/25/10 29:00 Pat Lykos, district attorney of Harris County/Houston sees need for continuity and to change drug laws LINK: http://www.drugtruth.net/cms/node/2880 TRANSCRIPT: Tues Century of Lies for 04/25/10 29:00 John H. Richardson of Esquire, Dr. Steve Beyer's "Singing to the Plants" + US Govt LSD archive & surprise, surprise: marijuana backstage at Houston's International Fest LINK: http://www.drugtruth.net/cms/node/2873 TRANSCRIPT: Wed 4:20 Drug War NEWS, 04/26 to 05/02/10 Link at www.drugtruth.net on the right margin - Sun - John H. Richardson reporter for Esquire discusses marijuana law/drug war Sat - Dr. Steve Beyer, author "Singing to the Plants" Fri - Pat Lykos, district attorney of Harris County 2/2 Thu - Pat Lykos, the district attorney of Harris County 1/2 Wed - Dr. Vanda Felbab-Brown testifies before Congressional sub committee on drug war Tue - Dr. Ethan Nadelmann, Dir of Drug Policy Alliance testifies before Congressional sub committee on drug war Mon - Marijuana smoke at Houston's "International Fest" Programs produced at Pacifica Radio Station KPFT in Houston, 90.1 FM. You can Listen Live Online at www.kpft.org - Cultural Baggage Sun, 7:30 PM ET, 6:30 PM CT, 5:30 PM MT, 4:30 PM PT - Century of Lies, SUN, 8 PM ET, 7 PM CT, 6 PM MT & 5 PM PT Who's Next?": El Paso Councilman Beto O'Rourke + Houston Councilman & former police chief Clarence Bradford Hundreds of our programs are available online at www.drugtruth.net, www.audioport.org We have potcasts, searchability, CMS, XML, sorts by guest name and by organization. We provide the "unvarnished truth about the drug war" to scores of broadcast affiliates. You can tune into both our 1/2 hour programs, live, at 6:30 central time on Pacifica's KPFT at http://www.kpft.org and call in your questions and concerns toll free at 1-877-9-420 420. The two, 29:00 shows appear along with the seven, daily, 3:00 "4:20 Drug War NEWS" reports each Monday morning at http://www.drugtruth.net . We currently have 72 affiliated, yet independent broadcast stations. With a simple email request to [email protected] , your station can join the Drug Truth Network, free of charge. Check out our latest videos via www.youtube.com/fdbecker Please become part of the solution, visit our website: www.endprohibition.org for links to the best of reform. "Prohibition is evil." - Reverend Dean Becker, DTN Producer, 713-462-7981, www.drugtruth.net
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