Medical Marijuana

Dear ASA Supporters, My name is Toby. In 2005, my partner David Harde, a patient and caregiver, and I were raided by local authorities in an investigation. In light of the fact that case could not successfully be prosecuted given California state law, our case was turned over to the federal government. The reason I am sharing my story with you now is because the U.S. House of Representatives will soon debate the Hinchey-Rohrabacher Amendment. This amendment could have prevented the devastating story I want to share with you. A few days prior to July 4, 2006, eight federal agents arrived at our door. We were handcuffed and carted off to the Federal Court House in Sacramento. The only thing this experience has taught me is that the federal government will use fear and intimidation to tear families apart. The details of this experience are still overwhelming. We are not dangerous people, or are we a threat to anyone. It's estimated that the federal government spent nearly $200,000 on the eight agents and other resources used to conduct this “sting” operation. This is why the Hinchey-Rohrabacher Amendment is so important to both taxpayers and patients alike. Knowing that the federal government does not recognize state protection of medical marijuana patients and providers, David and I, like so many others made the difficult decision to resolve the case against him as quickly as possible. We chose to take a plea bargain. To my devastated surprise, David was sentenced to years of prison time, will have to serve a lengthy probation, pay astronomical fines. It feels like an eternity will pass before we will have our lives back. To David’s credit, his friends, relatives and local community members sent letters to the judge, appealing for a more lenient sentence. As a result, the judge issued a sentence for David well below the minimum sentencing guideline - the first time the judge had taken such action during his tenure on the federal bench. Still, 30 months is a long time to be away from those you love. Sadly, our story is only one of dozens of cases (http://www.safeaccessnow.org/section.php?id=184) that could have been prevented by the passage of the Hinchey-Rohrabacher Amendment. It is up to compassionate people like you to educate your representatives on this amendment. On behalf of David, myself and all the victims of the federal attack on medical cannabis, I ask you to contact your representative today. We are under a time constraint so I am asking you to take action now. Here are two ways to contact your representative: 1. E-mail Your Member of Congress. Visit ASA’s action page (http://www.safeaccessnow.org/article.php?id=3471) to send your Congressional Representative an e-mail urging him/her to support the Hinchey-Rohrabacher Amendment. 2) Call Your Member of Congress. Every single phone call counts! Call your Congressional Representative and tell them if adopted this amendment will do two things: (a) Conserve taxpayers’ money by blocking funding for DEA raids in legal medical cannabis states against state certified medical cannabis patients and caregivers. (b) Protect legal medical cannabis patients from having their homes and workspaces unnecessarily raided by the DEA. For phone numbers of your representatives, visit www.house.gov or call the congressional switchboard at (202) 224-3121. Give the operator your zip code and ask to be connected to your U.S. Representative. This experience has changed our lives, broken our hearts, mended our love and taught us to be open with our needs and know that family, friends, and community will respond with abundance and love. Please help prevent further stories like mine from happening to other patients and providers. Please do the compassionate thing and contact your representative today (http://www.safeaccessnow.org/article.php?id=3471). Thank you, Toby

COLORADO: Limits on Medical Marijuana Program Challenged NEW MEXICO: Medical Marijuana Law Takes Effect July 1 CONNECTICUT: Medical Marijuana Bill Vetoed But Issue Not Closed FEDERAL: Rosenthal Refuses to Accept Defeat TENNESSEE: No State Law, but Much Discussion FEDERAL: Opinion-Makers Weigh in on Medical Marijuana NEW YORK: State Lawmaker Explains Support for Bill OREGON: Doctor Discusses his Education in Medical Marijuana -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- COLORADO: Limits on Medical Marijuana Program Challenged The Colorado Campaign for Safe Access, a joint project of ASA and Sensible Colorado, is leading the legal challenge to the state’s arbitrary limit of five patients per caregiver. Campaign director Brian Vicente is representing an HIV-positive medical marijuana patient who has had difficulty finding a caregiver to provide the medicine for which he is registered with the state. The amendment passed by voters that created the program does not limit the number of patients a caregiver may server, but the state health department created the five-patient limit in a closed door meeting that Vicente says violates both state rules and the Colorado constitution. Medical pot user, 47, with AIDS sues state by Katie Kerwin McCrimmon, Rocky Mountain News An AIDS patient who says he needs to smoke marijuana every day to ease nausea from his medications is suing the state of Colorado to expand access to marijuana providers. Medical marijuana user sues over Colorado state policy KJCT Channel 8 (CO) A Denver man who is registered to use marijuana for medical reasons is challenging a limit on how many people medical marijuana providers can serve. ______________________________________ NEW MEXICO: Medical Marijuana Law Takes Effect July 1 Thanks to the intervention of Governor and Presidential hopeful Bill Richardson – who has said it was just the right thing to do -- patients in New Mexico will be able to join a state medical marijuana program beginning next week. The state is the first to mandate a government-operated production and distribution system for medical marijuana, but that system is not yet in place, so the state Health Department has just modified the rules to allow patients and caregivers to also grow their own. State to let patients grow their own pot by Diana Del Mauro, The New Mexican When lobbyists rallied this year at the Roundhouse to legalize medical marijuana, they distinctly said patients wouldn’t be growing this mind-altering herb. Rather, the state Health Department would create a secure production and distribution system — the first state to do so. But in a surprise move Thursday, the Health Department unveiled a provision that allows patients to grow a limited number of marijuana plants with protection from state prosecution. Medical marijuana to be legal next week in N.M. Associated Press New Mexicans with HIV-AIDS and certain other diseases will be able to apply for a new medical marijuana program as of July 1st. New Mexico patients may apply for medical marijuana on July 1 by Donald Jaramillo, Cibola Beacon (NM) The New Mexico Department of Health will begin accepting applications for the medical marijuana program starting July 1. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CONNECTICUT: Medical Marijuana Bill Vetoed But Issue Not Closed With a University of Connecticut poll showing 83% of voters supporting medical marijuana legislation in the state, the governor’s decision to veto has left the public sorting out what happened. In Rhode Island, where the governor also vetoed a state measure this session, lawmakers quickly voted to override. If Connecticut’s lawmakers voted in line with their constituents, the same would happen there. Legislators fall on two sides of the medical marijuana fence by Jordan Fenster, Fairfield Minuteman (CT) Last week, Gov. Jodi Rell vetoed a bill that would have legalized the use of marijuana for some medical purposes. The bill, which passed both houses of the Connecticut state legislature, was particularly divisive in Fairfield, where local legislators came down strongly on both sides of the issue. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- FEDERAL: Rosenthal Refuses to Accept Defeat The retrial of author and medical marijuana advocate Ed Rosenthal may have ended with his being found guilty again, but he is not about to go quietly. He has filed a motion for a new trial saying that the court should have allowed him to present a defense that explained that he was growing marijuana as an officer of a city of Oakland program, as well as information about the medical benefits for patients. 'Guru of Ganja' wants new trial by Henry K. Lee, San Francisco Chronicle Ed Rosenthal, the self-described "Guru of Ganja" convicted for a second time last month of violating federal drug laws by growing marijuana for medical patients, wants a new trial.

[Courtesy of the Marijuana Policy Project] At least 10 of the 18 Democratic and Republican presidential candidates are now on the record in favor of ending the DEA's raids on medical marijuana and/or the federal government's prohibition on medical marijuana. Thanks to MPP's work, seven candidates have publicly pledged to end the DEA's raids in states where medical marijuana is legal — Sen. Joe Biden (D-DE), Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT), former Sen. John Edwards (D-NC), Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX), Gov. Bill Richardson (D-NM), and former Gov. Tommy Thompson (R-WI). In addition, Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-CO) has voted in favor of medical marijuana legislation on the House floor four out of four times, former Sen. Mike Gravel (D-AK) said on C-SPAN, "That one is real simple. I would legalize marijuana," and Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) said, "I will let states decide that issue." That's right: Even Sen. McCain, when given the opportunity to comment on medical marijuana publicly, said something positive, not negative. It has been only two months since MPP began lobbying the presidential candidates to take strong, public, positive positions on medical marijuana during the presidential primary race in New Hampshire, which is the first state to hold a primary (on January 22, 2008). One particular success story involves Sen. Edwards. In 2003, we trailed him around the state, relentlessly questioning him about medical marijuana access. At the time, Sen. Edwards insisted it would be "irresponsible" to end the DEA's raids on sick and dying people. Now, four years later, his position has changed from vowing to continue the raids to vowing to end them. A majority of the Republican and Democratic presidential candidates are supportive of medical marijuana access. Our favorite quote so far is from former Gov. Thompson, who told MPP's Stuart Cooper in Manchester, "No, they should not be arrested. They should not be arrested. They should not be arrested. I would do away with the DEA raids!" And this doesn't even count the support that other candidates — including every Libertarian Party candidate, as well as potential candidate Ralph Nader — have expressed for ending marijuana prohibition entirely. Of the two Democratic candidates I haven't yet mentioned, Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) is studying the issue, and we haven't yet spoken with Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) this year, although he told me personally in the fall of 2004 that he supports medical marijuana. Of the six remaining Republican candidates, they're all bad so far, but we'll keep working on them: Sen. Sam Brownback (R-KS), former Gov. Jim Gilmore (R-VA), former Mayor Rudy Guiliani (New York City), former Gov. Mike Huckabee (R-AR), Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA), and former Gov. Mitt Romney (R-MA). Again, you can read about the specifics of their comments by visiting our Web site at www.mpp.org.

[Courtesy of NORML] Cannabis Has "Clear Medical Benefits" For HIV Patients, Study Says Smoked marijuana produces "substantial and comparable increases in food intake...with little evidence of discomfort and no impairment of cognitive performance" New York, NY: Inhaling cannabis significantly increases daily caloric intake and body weight in HIV-positive patients, is well tolerated, and does not impair subjects’ cognitive performance, according to clinical trial data to be published in the Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes (JAIDS). Investigators at Columbia University in New York assessed the efficacy of inhaled cannabis and oral THC (Marinol) in a group of ten HIV-positive patients in a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. All of the subjects participating in the study had prior experience using marijuana therapeutically and were taking at least two antiretroviral medications. Researchers reported that smoking cannabis (2.0 or 3.9 percent THC) four times daily "produced substantial … increases in food intake … with little evidence of discomfort and no impairment of cognitive performance." On average, patients who smoked higher-grade cannabis (3.9 percent) increased their body weight by 1.1 kg over a four-day period. Researchers reported that inhaling cannabis increased the number of times subjects ate during the study, but did not alter the average number of calories consumed during each meal. Investigators said that the administration of oral THC produced similar weight gains in patients, but only at doses that were "eight times current recommendations." The US Food and Drug Administration approved the prescription use of Marinol (a gelatin capsule containing synthetic THC in sesame oil) to treat HIV/AIDS-related cachexia in 1992. Subjects in the study reported feeling intoxicated after using either cannabis or oral THC, but remarked that these effects were "positive" and "well tolerated." Although not a primary outcome measure of the trial, authors reported that patients made far fewer requests for over-the-counter medications while taking either cannabis or oral THC than they did when administered placebo. Most of these requests were to treat patients’ gastrointestinal complaints (nausea, diarrhea, and upset stomach), investigators said. Patients in the study also reported that smoking higher-strength marijuana subjectively improved their sleep better than oral THC. "The data demonstrate that over four days of administration, smoked marijuana and oral [THC] produced a similar range of positive effects: increasing food intake and body weight and producing a ‘good [drug] effect’ without producing uncomfortable levels of intoxication or impairing cognitive function," authors wrote. They added, "Smoked marijuana … has a clear medical benefit in HIV-positive [subjects] by increasing food intake and improving mood and objective and subjective sleep measures." A previous preliminary trial by Columbia investigators published in the journal Psychopharmacology in 2005 also reported that inhaling cannabis "produce[s] substantial … increases in food intake [in HIV+ positive patients] without producing adverse effects." Survey data indicates that an estimated one out of three HIV/AIDS patients in North America use cannabis therapeutically to combat symptoms of the disease or the side-effects of antiretroviral medications. Clinical trial data published in the Annals of Internal Medicine in 2003 reported that cannabis use by HIV patients is associated with increased CD4/T-cell counts compared to non-users. A separate study published in JAIDS in 2005 found that HIV/AIDS patients who report using medical marijuana are 3.3 times more likely to adhere to their antiretroviral therapy regimens than non-cannabis users. Most recently, investigators at San Francisco General Hospital and the University of California's Pain Clinical Research Center reported this year in the journal Neurology that inhaling cannabis significantly reduced HIV-associated neuropathy (nerve pain) compared to placebo. The Columbia University study is one of the first US-led clinical trials to evaluate the efficacy of smoked cannabis to take place in nearly two decades, and it is the first to compare the tolerability and efficacy of smoked marijuana and oral THC in HIV patients. For more information, please contact Paul Armentano, NORML Senior Policy Analyst, at: [email protected]. Full text of the study, "Dronabinol and marijuana in HIV-positive marijuana smokers: caloric intake, mood, and sleep," will appear in the Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes. Further discussion of this trial is available on the Thursday, June 28 edition of the NORML Daily Audio Stash, online at: http://www.normlaudiostash.com.

Best Medipot Dispensary: Mellowest practitioners of the good work Named after the military spy plane, SR-71 offers high-grade to the low-key in Downtown Oakland. Like many of the dispensaries of the bay, the caregivers are compassionate, attentive, and concerned. Unlike many, SR-71 captures the look, feel, and attitude of the coffeeshops of Amsterdam. To walk in the front door is to step thousands of miles east into a black-lit tavern replete with a timeless atmosphere that demands you to order a cappuccino, pull out a copy of Fanon, your journal, and contemplate the big questions of life, art, and love to the music of John Coltrane, Gil Scott-Heron, and some Cypress Hill for good measure. Even if you don't smoke, SR-71 is a great old-school coffeeshop. Link to East Bay Express article: http://bestof.eastbayexpress.com/bestof/award.php?award=424024 SR-71 is found at 377 17th St., Oakland, CA, T: 510-251-0690

RHODE ISLAND: Medical Marijuana Law Made Permanent NEW YORK: Limited Medical Marijuana Bill Debated MICHIGAN: Initiative Proponents Gather Signatures CONNECTICUT: Governor Defies Public Support, Vetoes FEDERAL: More Prison Time Possible for Patient CALIFORNIA: Implementation Still a Struggle DISPENSARIES: Regulation at Issue in California CANADA: Health Officials Try to Sway Doctors -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- RHODE ISLAND: Medical Marijuana Law Made Permanent State lawmakers overrode the Rhode Island governor’s veto this week by an overwhelming margin, making permanent the state law protecting patients there. The current law was set to expire at the end of the month due to a “sunset provision,” but the success of the program convinced nearly everyone but the governor that it should be extended. R.I. adopts permanent medical marijuana program Associated Press Rhode Island lawmakers voted Thursday to permanently extend a program allowing the chronically ill to possess and smoke marijuana for pain relief. Senate overrides medical marijuana veto Associated Press The state Senate overrides Governor Carcieri's veto of a medical marijuana program. A spokesman for Senate President Joseph Montalbano says the vote was 29 to four. House lawmakers are planning a similar vote later this week. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NEW YORK: Limited Medical Marijuana Bill Debated The medical marijuana measure currently being considered by New York lawmakers would remove state criminal penalties for a few of their most seriously ill constituents. But the limitations on those covered mean that many patients using marijuana on their doctors’ advice would still be considered criminals. The public supports letting doctors decide what is appropriate treatment for their patients, but some politicians continue to think they know better than doctors, voters or patients. Medical Marijuana: New York is Waiting to Inhale by Tom Precious, Buffalo News (NY) Joel Peacock, a registered member of the Conservative Party, has little use for liberal politicians. Yet he is adding his voice to those of physicians, nurses, home care and hospice workers, and patient advocates who are pushing for New York to become the 13th state in the nation to permit the medical use of marijuana. Pot war in Brooklyn! by Matthew Lysiak, The Brooklyn Paper Two Brooklyn lawmakers — one a former Soviet engineer, the other a former police officer — are hashing it out over a bill to make marijuana legal for medicinal use. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MICHIGAN: Initiative Proponents Gather Signatures Voters in Michigan have been doing all they can to be heard at the state Capitol. So far five cities – Ann Arbor, Detroit, Flint, Ferndale, and Traverse City – have passed local initiatives supporting medical marijuana. Now advocates are trying to place a statewide measure on the ballot. If passed, it would go to the legislature for consideration. Since local initiatives have all passed by margins between 60 and 74%, approval of the statewide measure looks likely. Activists petition for medical marijuana in Michigan by Eric Czarnik , Lansing City Pulse (MI) Rochelle Lampkin of Detroit doesn’t drink alcohol, smoke tobacco or use drugs for recreation. But about once a month, she takes in a substance that she says benefits her quality of life — even though it’s against the law. She uses marijuana for medicinal purposes. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 19, 2007 CONTACT: Lorenzo Jones, T: (860) 270-9586 or Gabriel Sayegh, T: (646) 335-2264 Governor Rell Vetoes Medical Marijuana Bill, Changing Her Reasons for Opposition to Issue Yet Again Compassionate Use Bill Would Have Protected Patients With Debilitating Illnesses From Arrest, Prosecution Patients, Community Members Ask: Governor Rell, As a Cancer Survivor, How Do You Sleep At Night While Patients In Our State Continue to Be Criminalized for Seeking Relief? HARTFORD, CT—Today, Governor M. Jodi Rell vetoed HB 6715, the Compassionate Use Act. The bill would have allowed certain patients with debilitating illnesses to use marijuana for medical purposes as recommended by their physician. The bill passed the Senate by a vote of 23-13 after clearing the House of Representatives by an 89-58 vote weeks earlier, both of which were wide margins. By passing HB 6715, the Legislature ended a five-year legislative battle to win medical marijuana in a state that has overwhelming public support for the issue. A 2004 University of Connecticut poll found that 83 percent of Connecticut residents support the medical use of marijuana. Dozens of community organizations, including the CT Nurses Association, support allowing patients to access medical marijuana when recommended by their physician. “I am just 32 years old and yet due to my medical condition I feel as if, at times, I am 92,” said Joshua Warren, a patient in Wilton, CT, who suffers from chronic neurological Lyme disease. “I did not ask for this condition nor would I wish any of my pain and other symptoms on anyone else. If Gov. Rell had any compassion for people like me who are suffering with horrible pain and other debilitating illnesses, she would have signed this bill.” After the bill’s passage, patients, doctors, family members and advocates mounted a massive letter and phone call campaign urging the Governor to sign the bill. The Governor was receiving hundreds of phone calls and letters every day in support of medical marijuana, including from medical, legal, and health experts from across the country. “The Governor’s veto message shows that she’s grasping for straws,” said Lorenzo Jones, executive director of A Better Way Foundation. “She said previously that she’d support the bill if it was only for terminally ill patients, because clearly other treatments are not sufficient. Now she says she’s vetoing the bill because it’s still illegal under federal law, even though over 99% of all marijuana arrests are under state law. She has been so evasive on this that it makes one wonder if she hasn’t gotten a call from Washington. Is she taking the advice from the worst administration in history over the demands of 83% of Connecticut residents?” Thousands of Connecticut residents live with crippling pain, are suffering with cancer and HIV/AIDS, or other debilitating ailments. HB 6715 would have allowed Connecticut residents with certain debilitating medical conditions to cultivate and use marijuana for medical purposes when recommended by a practicing physician. “It’s unconscionable that Rell would ignore all the science to veto this bill,” said Gabriel Sayegh, project director at the Drug Policy Alliance. “The medical efficacy of marijuana is unassailable pain and suffering and are, as a result of this veto, still considered criminals?” Currently, there are 12 states with medical marijuana laws. New Mexico passed its medical marijuana bill in March. Last month, the Rhode Island legislature voted to make their state law permanent, and last week Vermont’s legislature voted to expand their medical marijuana law. Other medical marijuana bills are currently under consideration in New Jersey, New York and Alabama. Dawn Fuller Ball, President of A Better Way Foundation said, “In Governor Rell’s veto letter, she admits that the current legal pharmacology alternatives to medical marijuana are insufficient and that the State law enacted in 1981 is unworkable, yet the Governor continues to choose politics over patients.” Background Info: Governor Rell is Saying NO to Medical Marijuana When Connecticut Says YES: - CT's voters voted YES (83% approval rating in polls from UCONN polls to media polls) - Five Separate Legislative Committees voted YES - The House of Representatives voted YES (89-58) - The Senate voted YES (23-13) - This is a Republican sponsored bill (By some of most respected Republicans in the House and Senate) - The Black and Latino Caucus supports this bill (The President and Treasurer met with Rell's staff) - Faith Based Institutions voted YES (National and local pastors and Bishops have contacted Governor Rell) - Doctors, nurses, patients, and caregivers testified, wrote letters and called the Governor’s office on behalf of medical marijuana. ###

RESEARCH: Marijuana May Be Topical Allergy Cure ASA IN THE NEWS: Patients’ Right to Grow as Groups Tested in Court NEW YORK: Advocates Change Governor’s Mind on Medical Marijuana MICHIGAN: Advocates Seek Signatures for Medical Marijuana Initiative CONNECTICUT: Medical Marijuana Bill on Governor’s Desk COLORADO: Limits on Plant Numbers Challenged DISPENSARIES: Federal and Local Action in California -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- RESEARCH: Marijuana May Be Topical Allergy Cure Few remember that cannabis was a popular remedy in the early twentieth century, commonly prescribed by doctors and widely available at pharmacies in several forms, including oral tinctures and topical salves. Scientists are rediscovering the potential of cannabis preparations for treating skin problems. Cannabis helps treat allergic reactions New Zealand Herald A cannabis folk remedy has been resurrected by scientists who found that active ingredients in the drug reduce allergic reactions. Extracts from the hemp plant were traditionally used to treat inflammation and could be bought from chemists in the early part of the 20th century. New frontier for medical cannabis -- topical pot by Kavita Mishra, San Francisco Chronicle Skin allergies may be the next reason to use marijuana -- a topical form, at least. Scientists have long suspected that marijuana, used for recreational purposes and to help fight chronic pain, nausea and even some mental disorders like anxiety and depression, also had anti-inflammatory effects in the body. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ASA IN THE NEWS: Patients’ Right to Grow as Groups Tested in Court The most seriously ill patients must rely on others to grow medical marijuana, something California’s law recognizes with a “caregiver” provision. But many patients have also organized as cultivation collectives to help each other, which the state legislature expressly made legal in 2003. A new court case may help better define the responsibilities of law enforcement when dealing with those patient collectives. Medical marijuana suit could break new ground by Heather Hacking, Oroville Mercury-Register A Superior Court case heard in Chico is raising the question whether a medicinal marijuana case can be tried in civil court — a step that would open up law enforcement to fighting lawsuits from people who have plants confiscated or destroyed. Collectives were OK'd in March 2002 by the Legislature, said Joe Elford, a lawyer for Americans For Safe Access, an advocacy group for medical marijuana. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NEW YORK: Advocates Change Governor’s Mind on Medical Marijuana Ten years of tireless work by medical marijuana patients and advocates has made a difference in New York. The Governor himself has had his mind changed by the education he has gotten from patients and doctors. Myths and misinformation are the biggest barriers standing between many patients and a safe, effective treatment option. Legislators Grapple Over How to Legalize Medical Marijuana Use by Danny Hakim and Michael Grynbaum, New York Times Gov. Eliot Spitzer and legislative leaders said this week that the use of marijuana for medical purposes should be made legal in New York State. But whether all involved can come to an agreement on how that should be done with one week left in the legislative session remains in significant doubt. NY Pols consider 'medical marijuana' by James T. Madore, NewsDay (NY) Legalizing marijuana for medical use appeared Wednesday to gain momentum here with lawmakers and then lose it as the legislature's two houses disagreed over implementation. Medical Marijuana Legislation Passes State Assembly by John Abraham, Long Island Press A new measure which would allow patients experiencing pain to ingest and grow marijuana cleared the state Assembly Wednesday in a 92-52 vote. The controversial measure is currently being debated between Democrats and Republicans in the state Senate. Spitzer is open to New York legalizing medicinal marijuana by Tom Precious, Buffalo News (NY) Gov. Eliot L. Spitzer, in a reversal of a campaign position, said Tuesday he could support legislation legalizing the use of marijuana for certain medicinal purposes. In a debate last summer, Spitzer said he opposed medical marijuana. Now he said he is “open” to the idea after being swayed by advocates in the past couple of months. Medical marijuana bill passed in Assembly Capital News 9 (NY) The state Assembly passed a bill legalizing medical use of marijuana Wednesday, after about a decade of attempts to approve similar legislation in the state. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

VERMONT: Expanded Medical Marijuana Law Enacted RHODE ISLAND: Bill Vetoed, Override Certain CONNECTICUT: Medical Marijuana Bill Goes to Governor MICHIGAN: Initiative Language Approved TEXAS: State Considers Medical Marijuana COLORADO: One Case Dismissed, Another Pending CALIFORNIA: Some Cities Regulating, Some Not FEDERAL: California Crackdown Continues -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- VERMONT: Expanded Medical Marijuana Law Enacted The two-year-old medical marijuana law in Vermont has now been expanded to include more medical conditions. Instead of letting doctors make the determination as to appropriate patients and conditions for medical marijuana treatment, many state lawmakers are prescribing which patients should be protected from prosecution. Medical marijuana expansion becomes law by Associated Press, Rutland Herald (VT) Vermont's medical marijuana law — which lets people with life-threatening conditions use the illegal drug without fear of prosecution — now covers people with chronic, debilitating conditions. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- RHODE ISLAND: Bill Vetoed, Override Certain A veto by the governor was expected in Rhode Island, since he had attempted to block the bill the legislature passed a year ago. But the success of the state program was undeniable, and the margin of support was even more overwhelming this year. Part of the reason is the advocacy of lawmakers such as Tom Slater, who championed the cause of medical marijuana patients. Medical marijuana: His name’s on the law by M. Charles Bakst, Providence Journal (RI) Decades from now, folks may notice Tom Slater’s name on a Rhode Island law allowing use of marijuana to ease the pain of cancer and other serious diseases. And they’ll wonder, admiringly I think, “Who was this guy? What was he about?” Carcieri vetoes medical marijuana by Michael McKinney, Providence Journal (RI) As expected, Governor Carcieri yesterday vetoed medical marijuana legislation. And Democratic House leader Gordon Fox said he believes state lawmakers will override that veto. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CONNECTICUT: Medical Marijuana Bill Goes to Governor With a University of Connecticut poll showing 83% of voters support a medical marijuana law, legislators there have passed one, after five years of consideration. Passage was helped by a lawmaker’s account of buying marijuana illegally for her cancer-stricken husband. Cannabis Measure Passes Senate by Colin Poitras, Hartford Courant (CT) After five years of on-again, off-again debate, Connecticut lawmakers Friday passed landmark legislation allowing seriously ill people to grow marijuana at home to ease their pain or reduce unpleasant side effects of treatment. Medical marijuana bill in Rell's hand by Keith M. Phaneuf, Journal Inquirer (CT) For the last five years, state Rep. Penny Bacchiochi, R-Somers, and legislative allies from both parties have fought to legalize marijuana use for medicinal purposes. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 4, 2007 CONTACT: Lorenzo Jones (860) 270-9586 or Gabriel Sayegh (646) 335-2264 Connecticut Set to Become 13th State to Legalize Use of Medical Marijuana Compassionate Use Bill Passes Legislature by Wide Margins, Heads to Governor’s Desk Patients, Doctors, Caregivers Call Upon Gov. Rell to Have Compassion, Support Patients by Signing HB 6715 HARTFORD, CT—Connecticut is on the verge of becoming the thirteenth state to allow the use of medical marijuana. The Connecticut State Senate passed HB 6715, the Compassionate Use Act late last Friday. The bill passed by a 23-13 margin after clearing the House of Representatives by an 89-58 margin weeks earlier. The bill now goes to Gov. M. Jodi Rell for her signature. If Rell neither signs nor vetoes the bill, it will automatically become law. Thousands of Connecticut residents live with crippling pain, are suffering with cancer and HIV/AIDS, or other debilitating ailments. HB 6715 allows Connecticut residents with certain debilitating medical conditions to cultivate and use marijuana for medical purposes when recommended by a practicing physician. “This bill will help alleviate the feelings of helplessness that families face when their loved ones suffer,” said Lorenzo Jones, executive director of A Better Way Foundation. “We’ve believed all along that compassion and fairness would bring this bill to final passage. Now we need the Governor to sign the bill so families and patients can have some relief. We know she’ll do the right thing.” By passing HB 6715, the Legislature ended a five-year Legislative battle to win medical marijuana in a state that has overwhelming public support for the issue. A 2004 University of Connecticut poll found that 84 percent of Connecticut residents support the medical use of marijuana. Dozens of community organizations, including the CT Nurses Association, support medical marijuana. “Allowing for the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes is the right thing to do for the State of Connecticut,” said bill sponsor, Rep. Penny Bacchiochi, R-District 52. “This issue is not about legalizing drugs. It's about keeping those who seek compassionate care for treating crippling diseases out of jail.” Currently, there are 12 states with medical marijuana laws. New Mexico passed its medical marijuana bill in March. Last month, the Rhode Island legislature voted to make their state law permanent, and last week Vermont’s legislature voted to expand their medical marijuana law. Other medical marijuana bills are currently under consideration in New Jersey, New York and Alabama. “I am just 32 years old and yet due to my medical condition I feel as if, at times, I am 92,” said Joshua Warren, a patient in Wilton, CT, who suffers from chronic neurological Lyme disease. “I did not ask for this condition nor would I wish any of my pain and other symptoms on anyone else. I hope Gov. Rell will have compassion for me and for others and signs this bill.” ###