FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE JANUARY 24, 2011
MONTEL WILLIAMS URGES PASSAGE OF MARYLAND MEDICAL MARIJUANA BILL
Multiple Sclerosis Patient and Baltimore Native to Speak at Press Conference to Announce Medical Marijuana Legislation in Maryland
CONTACTS: Morgan Fox, MPP Communications Manager …………… 202-905-2031 or [email protected]
Dan Riffle, MPP Legislative Analyst …………………….. 202-905-2026 or [email protected]
ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND — Montel Williams, multiple sclerosis patient and popular former talk show host, will attend a press conference today to urge General Assembly members to support legislation that would make Maryland the 16th state in the nation to allow the medical use of marijuana. Williams and other patients will be joined by Deputy Majority Leader and physician Dan Morhaim (D-Baltimore County), Sen. Jamie Raskin (D-Montgomery County), and Sen. David Brinkley (R-Frederick & Carroll Counties) for a press conference at 4:00 pm, Monday, January 24, in room 302 of the House Office Building.
“I grew up in Maryland, graduated from the Naval Academy, and my family still lives in Baltimore today, so I’m excited about the prospect of helping my home state put in place a policy that’s more compassionate toward our most vulnerable residents,” said Williams, whose father was Baltimore’s first African-American fire chief. Prior to beginning his television career, Williams retired from the U.S. Navy as Lieutenant Commander after more than two decades of service. He was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis a decade ago and has sought treatment at Maryland’s Johns Hopkins Hospital.
The Maryland Senate passed similar legislation last year by an overwhelming margin of 35-12, and this week, Del. Morhaim plans to file a new medical marijuana bill.
“As a physician, I see this as just another tool in the toolbox,” said Morhaim. “This isn’t about ending the war on drugs – it’s about getting the sick and dying off the battlefield.”
Sen. Raskin, who is currently undergoing chemotherapy for colon cancer, noted that Maryland law already provides reduced penalties for marijuana possession to anyone who can show a medical necessity, but that patients have no legal way to obtain it and are still given a criminal conviction even if they are successful in showing a medical need.
“Maryland law already recognizes the medical benefits of marijuana but, bizarrely, sends very sick people into the streets and alleys to find medical relief and then exposes them to criminal arrest and prosecution for seeking relief from pain and nausea,” says Sen. Raskin. “We need to put the doctor-patient relationship at the heart of our policy and we have done that with the most carefully regulated and defined proposal in the country.”
Sen. David Brinkley, a two-time cancer survivor, sponsored the Senate version of last year’s bill and joined with Raskin in leading the bi-partisan effort to pass it.
Says Sen. Brinkley, “This is a bi-partisan bill because compassion is a bi-partisan issue. If it were my loved one suffering from a devastating disease, I would want every treatment option that could relieve their suffering to be on the table. There should be nothing controversial about that.”
####
Public Hearing on Medical Marijuana Rules This Thursday and Friday
|
Friends,
Go to http://www.youtube.com/askobama and use the search box on the right side to find the question below and then vote it up! Or choose "sorted by popularity," as we're currently at number one!
Q: "As a police officer, I saw how waging the war on drugs has cost a trillion dollars and thousands of lives but does nothing to reduce drug use. Should we discuss legalizing marijuana and other drugs, which would eliminate the violent criminal market?"
We'd really appreciate it if you could activate your Facebook, Twitter and e-mail followers behind this effort. This is a huge opportunity to get our message in front of the nation, and we have until this Wednesday at midnight EST to get as many votes as it takes to stay on top.
Thanks!
Tom
--
Tom Angell, Media Relations Director
Law Enforcement Against Prohibition
Cultural Baggage * Century of Lies * 4:20 Drug War NEWS * Time 4 Hemp
Cultural Baggage for 01/23/11 29:00 Terry Nelson, after a year in Iraq rejoins the Drug Truth Network + Kathy Bates from Harry's Law the new NBC show + DTN Editorial: Outrage? Not strong enough word!
LINK: http://www.drugtruth.net/cms/node/3248
TRANSCRIPT: MONDAY
Century of Lies for 01/23/11 29:00 Washington Post reporter Pamela Constable, fresh from another junket to Afghanistan + Mary Jane Borden asks: "What are Entheogens?" & Abolitionist's Moment
LINK: http://www.drugtruth.net/cms/node/3240
TRANSCRIPT: Mon Late
4:20 Drug War NEWS, 01/24 to 01/30/11 Link at www.drugtruth.net on the right margin -
Sun - DTN Editorial: Outrage? Not strong enough word!
Sat - Abolitionist's Moment
Fri - Pamela Constable, Washinton Post Reporter just returned from junket to Afghanistan, 2/2 Thu - Pamela Constable, Washinton Post Reporter just returned from junket to Afghanistan, 1/2 Wed - Mary Jane Borden of Drug War Facts asks: "What are Entheogens?"
Tue - Actress Kathy Bates, from the new NBC program Harry's Law Mon - Terry Nelson Returns! Fresh from another tour in Iraq, Terry files the first of many reports on DTN for Law Enforcement Against Prohibition
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
- Time 4 Hemp, NEW TIME: Fri 12:45 PM ET, 11:45 AM CT, 10:45 AM MT, 9:45 AM PT at www.americanfreedomradio.com
Who's Next?": Steven DeAngelo of Harborside Health Center, worlds largest cannabis dispensary
Hundreds of our programs are available online at www.drugtruth.net, www.audioport.org and now at James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy at Rice University. http://www.bakerinstitute.org/dtn
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 95 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
Multiple sclerosis patient and popular former talk show host Montel Williams will speak at a press conference in Annapolis in support of legislation that would make Maryland the nation’s 16th state allowing physician-approved use of medical marijuana.
Williams grew up in Baltimore where his father was the city’s first African-American fire chief. Williams is a graduate of the Naval Academy in Annapolis and retired from the U.S. Navy as a decorated naval intelligence officer after more than two decades of service before embarking on his second career as a national television talk show host. In 1999, he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, and has sought treatment at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Following his diagnosis, he created the Montel Williams MS Foundation, which is committed to raising awareness of the disease and providing inspiration to those who live with MS. Williams has served as an advocate for the compassionate use of medical marijuana in a variety of states that have approved new laws.
Montel will be joined at the Maryland press conference by the chief sponsors of the state’s medical marijuana legislation: physician and Delegate Dan Morhaim, and Senators Jamie Raskin and David Brinkley, both cancer survivors.
A National Call to Action!
Activist Boot Camp, February 19-20, 2011
The National Call to Action is the nation's first medical cannabis virtual skill-building conference. Re-pledge your commitment to safe and legal access by joining thousands of your fellow activists for two days of community-building, skill-sharing, and strategic planning.
For nearly a decade ASA has been hosting trainings and workshops to build capacity among our base and mobilize our activists. When we began this work, ASA focused on the battles in California. Today our scope is national, and we get pleas from almost every state asking us to help them activate their base and build a strategy to ensure safe access.
ASA's success over the years has been a combination of strategic efforts from a knowledgeable staff, and an ability to empower and mobilize a grassroots base for medical cannabis issues. We have always known the path to victory will be a patient-led movement, and through years of outreach, education and training, ASA has laid the foundation for that path.
ASA is hosting this conference virtually to better reach the thousands and thousands of patients and activists who need our trainings - we know that in these tough economic times we'll train with more breadth and depth if we're able to bring ASA to the masses, rather than the masses to ASA.
Local hosts will receive a DVD of trainings, workshops, and speeches from key leaders and allied politicians, and will join in direct community-building interactivity opportunities with ASA. These DVDs will allow us to memorialize our trainings, making these resources available for chapters to use over and over again as new activists join the movement. The ripple effect of hosting this conference through DVD is tremendous - we know that the benefits of the valuable information organized within will well outlast the two-day event.
FAQ:
Why should I participate?
There is no easier or more effective way to learn the skills you need SPECIFICALLY to become a leading advocate for medical cannabis policy. ASA has the knowledge, resources and history for protecting patients' rights to safe medical cannabis access. At ASA we realize that patients must lead this cause from the grassroots up. These virtual conferences will give you the tools you need to make meaningful change within your own community.
What does it cost?
$75 for the weekend ($50 for current ASA members)
Can I still participate if there is not an event in my area?
Yes, DVDs and workbooks will be available to order online. Simply go to the Activist Boot Camp Registration page and click "My own home" on the drop-down menu under "Location". ASA will send you your own copy of materials the week of the February 19th & 20th.
Why now?
We are currently in the midst of a political climate that we are unlikely to see again for years to come. If we want to capitalize on this moment to the fullest, we must make sure our movement has the tools and training they need immediately! ASA's success over the years has largely been based in our ability to act quickly to current political situations and to mold our public response in a way that is both meaningful and effective. But this historical success is only a foundation, and we must stay vigilant to the turning tide. Fortunately, the tide is turning more in our favor than ever before - and that's why NOW is such a crucial time to be pushing our cause.
How does it work?
ASA chapters and affiliates across the country will act as regional hosts for the virtual conferences. ASA National will provide posters and handouts to help with marketing and promotion, along with DVDs and accompanying workshop materials. ASA staff will also provide one-on-one assistance, working with you directly to help pull off a successful event.
When is it?
The National Call to Action Activist Boot Camp will launch on February 19th and 20th and will be held simultaneously in communities across the nation.
How do I get involved?
If you are interested in hosting, assisting or even just attending a virtual Activist Boot Camp, please contact [email protected].
http://safeaccessnow.org/downloads/boot_camp_intro_letter.pdf
Sponsorship opportunities
If you are interested in sponsorship, please download these materials and contact [email protected]
http://safeaccessnow.org/downloads/ASA_Membership.pdf
http://safeaccessnow.org/downloads/ASA_Boot_Camp.pdf