Medical Marijuana

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

Marijuana Policy Project

Marijuana Policy Project Alert

AprilÂ 28,Â 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 weâre 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, thereâs 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 thereâs 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 wonât 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 donât stop there. Call their offices and have a conversation â 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 nationâs 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.âs program when considering legislation in their home states.
Thanks for your time and all your support. After youâve 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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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!

Send an email
Make a phone call

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.

ACTION ALERT: Help Protect Patient Access in Colorado

Crucial Hearing on Statewide Dispensary Bill

Make Your Voice Heard.

ACTION ALERT

On Tuesday, April 27,Â HB 1284-- the bill to regulate medical marijuana dispensaries-- will be heard in front of the Colorado Senate "Local Government" Committee.Â 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.Â Please attend this Hearing or contact the target Senators listed below as soon as possible.

Â What:Â Attend the Hearing to discuss HB 1284

When:Â Tuesday, April 27 at 2pm

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

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.Â Please consider amending this bill to:

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

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

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]
Â

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

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

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

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]
Â

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]
Â

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

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

Your input needed: D.C. Council expected to vote on medical marijuana today

Marijuana Policy Project

Marijuana Policy Project Alert

AprilÂ 20,Â 2010

Your input needed: D.C. Council expected to vote on medical marijuana today

Draft amendments to legislation answer some patient concerns, leave others unresolved.

Dear friends:

The D.C. Council may vote today on legislation to amend Initiative 59. The proposal would get a second vote in May. Please share your thoughts on implementation of medical marijuana with your councilmembers now.

Tell your DC councilmembers to put patients and voters first â tell them you want to see a medical marijuana program that resembles the one voters approved in Initiative 59.

Those of you in attendance at Februaryâs hearing before the committees on Public Safety and the Judiciary as well as Health will be happy to know that this latest incarnation addresses many of the concerns you helped bring to the councilâs attention. For instance, the bill no longer requires patients to seek recommendations from "primary care physicians," ensuring access for those too poor to see the same doctor regularly or, like many veterans, whose doctors are federal employees. The amended bill also reduces the minimum distance from which dispensaries must be located from schools â down to 300 feet from 1,000 feet â easing zoning and location concerns.

Still, several aspects of the bill now being considered raise concerns over the ability of patients to have safe, reliable access to medicine. For instance, the list of conditions for which medical marijuana could be utilized is needlessly restrictive. This would be only the second law in the country to completely exclude severe or chronic pain as a symptom or condition for which medical marijuana could be used as treatment. The bill would also mandate that patients use only marijuana or paraphernalia obtained from a District dispensary, and that they do so only in their own homes. A simple ban on smoking in public would be a much better and easier way to address legitimate concerns. Additionally, the bill limits the amount of marijuana that cultivation centers could grow to 95 plants, which would drive up costs and raise serious concerns about the ability of program supply to meet patient demand. Other concerns include:

The right of patients to cultivate their own medicine will not be addressed until at least 2012, and is not guaranteed even then.
Only physicians licensed in D.C. can make recommendations; a concern for the many District residents who see physicians in Maryland or Virginia.
Patients would be limited to acquiring only 2 ounces of medical marijuana in any 30-day period. Patients in the federal governmentâs own âInvestigational New Drugâ program receive upwards of 9 ounces in that same time span.
Dispensary transaction records identify patients by name rather than registry ID number, compromising patient privacy.

If you havenât already, please do take just a minute or two to use our automated system to send your councilmembers a quick e-mail. When youâre done, go ahead and forward this on to a friend.

Thanks for all your help in shaping this legislation. Weâll be sure to keep you posted as the process moves forward.

Sincerely,

Dan Riffle's signature

Dan Riffle
Legislative Analyst
Marijuana Policy Project

MPP depends on the support of you and our other allies to fund our work. Together we
will change marijuana laws.

Popular Links:

Â·Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â MPP's home page

Â·Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â MPP blog

Â·Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â MPP TV

Â·Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â MPP merchandise

Â·Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â FAQ

Â·Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â State-by-state medical marijuana laws

Â·Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â MPP news releases

Â·Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 2010 strategic plan

Â·Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Download hand-outs

Â·Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â About the Marijuana Policy Project

Â·Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Why donate?

We are required by federal law to tell you that any donations you make to MPP may be used for political purposes, such as supporting or opposing candidates for federal office.

Join ASA Online Sunday!

Dear friends,

This Sunday, find us online for ASA's "Preparing for Victory" workshop. Join us to enhance your political skills for securing safe access. ASA will be webcasting live from the National Clinical Conference on Cannabis Therapeutics in Rhode Island where this workshop will be the final event! Join with other activists to gain skills to help achieve safe access for every American.

View the workshop binder at: http://www.americansforSafeAccess.org/victorybinder.

Leading the workshop are:

Steph Sherer - ASA Executive Director and the foremost medical cannabis leader in the USA.
Caren Woodson - ASA Director of Government Affairs and the leading activist in the Washington DC and Maryland campaigns for safe access.
Lauren Payne - ASA Legal Coordinator and a national medical cannabis legal expert.

To watch the workshop on Sunday go to: http://AmericansForSafeAccess.org/workshop. This link will take you to the UStream website where you will need to sign in to view the workshop. There is no charge and you may join the workshop at any time on Sunday, April 18, 9:00 am to 3:00 pm EST.

The workshop agenda is below. Don't miss ASA's first national webcast training!

Thanks -

The ASA Team

ASA's Preparing For Victory National Workshop
9:00 am - 10:00 am	Welcome / Introductions / Overview & Special Reports from the Field
10:00 am - 11:30 am	Strategic planning: Audience-driven cases, participatory solutions
11:30 am - 1:00 pm	Citizen Lobbying and Smart Coalition Building
1:00 pm - 1:45 pm	Lunch on your own.
1:45 pm - 3:00 pm	Message Training: Audience-driven cases.
3:00 pm - 3:30 pm	Open discussion / questions.

Americans for Safe Access

Please support ASA!

On The Web:

ASA's Mission

ASA Forums

ASA Blog

Take Action

ASA's Online Store

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

Press Release: Medical Marijuana Expected to Qualify for Arizona Ballot

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â

APRIL 14, 2010

Medical Marijuana Expected to Qualify for Arizona Ballot

Arizona Medical Marijuana Policy Project will turn in more than 250,000 signatures today to place initiative on November ballot

CONTACT: Mike Meno, MPP director of communications â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦ 202-905-2030 or [email protected]

PHOENIX, ARIZONA â Today, the Arizona Medical Marijuana Policy Project will submit more than 250,000 signatures to the Arizona Secretary of Stateâs office in order to place medical marijuana on the November ballot in Arizona. The initiative requires 153,365 signatures to qualify for the ballot. Once the initiative qualifies, Arizona voters will be asked on November 2 to vote yes on the Arizona Medical Marijuana Act, which would allow terminally and seriously ill patients who find relief from marijuana to use it with their doctorâs approval.

Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â âWe are proud to turn in these signatures today on behalf of the thousands of patients in Arizona who will benefit from this law once it is enacted,â said Andrew Myers, campaign manager for the Arizona Medical Marijuana Policy Project. âPeople suffering from multiple sclerosis, cancer, AIDS, and other serious illnesses should not be forced to seek on the streets the medicine they and their doctors know they need. This initiative proposes instead a dispensary system that will give patients safe and reliable access to medical marijuana if they possess a doctorâs recommendation to use it. We look forward to qualifying for the ballot and bringing our message to voters over the coming months.âÂ

Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Upon its passage, medical marijuana will be regulated by the Arizona Department of Health Services and will permit qualifying patients or their caregivers to legally purchase their medicine from tightly regulated clinics, as they would any other medicine â they need not purchase it from the criminal market. It will protect seriously ill patients from arrest and prosecution for the simple act of taking doctor-recommended medicine.

Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â If the initiative qualifies, Arizona will join South Dakota in having medical marijuana initiatives on the ballot this November. Currently 14 states have effective medical marijuana laws, and more than a dozen other states, including New York, Illinois, and Delaware, are considering medical marijuana laws this year.

Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â AMMPP receives significant support and funding from the Marijuana Policy Project. With more than 124,000 members and supporters nationwide, the Marijuana Policy Project is the largest marijuana policy reform organization in the United States. For more information, please visit www.mpp.org.

####

Update on "Preparing for Victory"

Dear friends,We wanted to give you an update on Preparing for Victory, ASA's workshops next weekend in Rhode Island (April 17-18).

http://www.AmericansforSafeAccess.org/PreparingforVictory

We have updated our registration so that those who may be on a limited budget can still attend.Â The official registration fee is now on a sliding scale of up to $60 per person, and no one will be turned away for lack of funds.Â One caveat:Â we only have room for 50 attendees at the event.The ASA workshops will follow the National Clinical Conference on Cannabis Therapeutics (4/15-4/17), which is organized by Patients Out of Time.Â If you are already attending the National Clinical Conference, add an extra day for Preparing for Victory.

At the National Clinical Conference, you will learn the science behind medical marijuana.Â At ASA's Preparing for Victory, you will build the political skills for securing safe access.

Click here to register or read additional details on the workshops:

http://www.AmericansforSafeAccess.org/PreparingforVictory

Thanks - The ASA Team

Americans for Safe Access

Please support ASA!

On The Web:

ASA's Mission

ASA Forums

ASA Blog

Take Action

ASA's Online Store

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

Press Release: Maryland Senate Passes Medical Marijuana Bill

APRIL 10, 2010

Maryland Senate Passes Medical Marijuana Bill

Measure to Provide Patients With Safe Access Now Moves to House

CONTACT: Mike Meno, MPP director of communications â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦ 202-905-2030 or [email protected]

ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND â Today, with no discussion or objections, the Maryland Senate voted 35-12 to pass SB 627, a bill that would allow qualified patients to be recommended medical marijuana by their doctor and receive safe access to their medicine through state-licensed distribution centers. The bill now moves to the House. The General Assemblyâs session ends Monday night.

Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â âIâm very proud of my Senate colleagues today for voting to provide some of our most vulnerable residents with the compassion and care that they deserve,â said Sen. David Brinkley (R-Frederick), the billâs sponsor and a two-time cancer survivor. âAnyone who has watched a loved one suffer from a debilitating illness would agree that we should not stand between doctors and patients, or deprive seriously ill people safe access to a legitimate medicine if it can help them cope with their illness.â

Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â âWe think this bill offers the most carefully crafted medical marijuana law in the country,â said Sen. Jamie Raskin (D-Silver Spring), one of the billâs co-sponsors. âIt offers legal protection and safe medical access to patients who are desperately in need and takes every possible measure to prevent abuse. Iâm hopeful that our colleagues in the House will give this proposal serious consideration, and make Marylandâs medical marijuana law a national model for how to promote medical privacy, social compassion, and security in administration.â

Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Fourteen other states, including New Jersey, Rhode Island, and Maine, have effective medical marijuana laws. This year, more than a dozen other states, including New York, Illinois, Delaware, South Dakota, Arizona, and Kansas, are considering medical marijuana laws. The District Council of Washington, D.C. is working on a medical marijuana law expected to be implemented by the end of this year.Â

Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Under current Maryland law, medical marijuana patients are provided with a limited affirmative defense in court, no protection from arrest, and no safe means of access to their medicine. Patients can still be given a $100 fine that results in a criminal conviction.

Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â With more than 124,000 members and supporters nationwide, the Marijuana Policy Project is the largest marijuana policy reform organization in the United States. For more information, please visit www.mpp.org.

####

Press Release: Maryland Senate Passes Medical Marijuana Bill

APRIL 10, 2010

Maryland Senate Passes Medical Marijuana Bill

Measure to Provide Patients With Safe Access Now Moves to House

CONTACT: Mike Meno, MPP director of communications â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦ 202-905-2030 or [email protected]

####

Americans for Safe Access: Choose Victory

Last week, when we began to unveil our strategy to win, we told you that we are committed to a 2013 victory-ensuring the framework for all Americans to have safe access to medical cannabis. We told you that we are going on the offensive; that we are through with putting out fires, responding to one narrow minded and misguided attack after another. We told you that this ends now and we are focused where we need to be on winning safe access, and winning it federally.
Â
We wrote that over the course of this month, each week we would outline a different part of the strategy-our road map to win is divided into a series of core goals, and this week I want to tell you about our top three national goals to assure safe access for every American.
Â
1. Move the federal government to recognize the medical properties of marijuana.
Â
2.Â Create new federal polices to protect patients' rights by changing current federal policies for veterans and patients who live in government subsidized housing who legally use medical cannabis in their state. Â
Â
3. Dramatically increase our grassroots base of activists in key states, and across the nation, to compel federal action on the previous two goals.
Â
We know that we have a 3 year window with this Administration (maybe longer, but we must be prepared for any political landscape).Â While 14 states and the District of Columbia have passed medical cannabis laws there is still no safe access until federal law changes.Â Our elected officials will not act unless we pressure them to do so. Together we can make this happen!

Last week, we told you that in order for ASA to begin fully working towards a 2013 victory we needed to raise an additional $20,000-many of you responded so generously to that need and if you did, we thank you. It is because of your commitment to this movement that we are able to make these inroads, and it is your support that will catapult our movement to victory.

If you haven't given yet, it is my hope that you'll make a contribution today. We have raised a third of our budget for the year, but we still need to raise another $1.6 million to implement our strategy. Without your support, we will not see a 2013 victory. Our opponents are better funded than ever before, and we must match them dollar for dollar in this fight if we have any chance of winning. Your support will be what makes the difference between our movement forced into a defensive, reactionary position or a victory in 2013. Choose victory.
Â
I'll be back next week with more of ASA's roadmap to win. Until then, thank you as always for your incredibly meaningful support.
Â
In Solidarity,
Â
Steph Sherer
Executive Director
Â
PS
To thank those that gave last week, I'll be sending out an invitation to a private conference call with me where I'll discuss the strategic plan and answer any questions you may have. If you give before the end of today, we'll make sure you have a chance to be on that call.

Americans for Safe Access

Please support ASA!

On The Web:

ASA's Mission

ASA Forums

ASA Blog

Take Action

ASA's Online Store

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

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