MEDIA ADVISORY: March 22, 2007 Contact: Lorenzo Jones 860-270-9586 or Gabriel Sayegh 646-335-2264 Special Guest Montel Williams Joins Legislators, Patients, Caregivers and Advocates to Support Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Act Press Conference Scheduled for Friday, 23 March 2007, 11:00 a.m. Momentum Builds as Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Legislation, HB 6715, Passes Judiciary Committee Hartford—Connecticut’s Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana legislation, House Bill 6715, cleared its first hurdle yesterday when it passed the Joint Committee on Judiciary. The bill would allow seriously ill patients access to medical marijuana with a doctor’s recommendation. A 2004 UCONN poll found that 83% of Connecticut residents support allowing patients to access medical marijuana for relief of symptoms associated with debilitating and deadly conditions such as HIV/AIDS, cancer and multiple sclerosis. Special guest Montel Williams, Emmy Award-winning talk show host and New York Times bestselling author, will join supporters to discuss his use of medical marijuana to relieve multiple sclerosis symptoms and his support of the Connecticut legislation. Also speaking will be families of Connecticut medical marijuana patients whose suffering and symptoms were relieved by medical marijuana and the sponsors of the Connecticut Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Act. The Senate Health, Senior Services and Human Services Committee will hold informational hearings on Senate Bill No. 88, The Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Act, on Thursday, 8 June at 1p.m. What: A press conference to release poll results on New Jersey voters’ attitudes about medical marijuana Who: -Montel Williams, Emmy Award-winning talk show host and New York Times bestselling author -Rep. Penny Bacchiochi: 52nd District: Sommers, Stratford, Union -Rep. Mike Christ: 11th District: East Hartford and South Windsor -Deputy Speaker of the House Representatives Marie Kirkley-Bey: 5th District: Hartford -Mark Braunstein, patient, paraplegic with a spinal cord injury -Andrea Comer, Hartford resident and former president of African American Alliance -Tim Black, Ph.D., caregiver and Hartford Resident -Dawn Marie Fuller Ball, caregiver and A Better Way Foundation Board President -other Connecticut State Legislators, advocates, and patients When: Friday, March 23, 2007, 11:00 a.m. Where: Connecticut Legislative Office Building, Room 2D