Yesterday was a hard day for medical marijuana advocates across the country. We defeated several local initiatives banning dispensaries in California and Colorado and (fingers crossed) our "NotCooley" campaign provided the narrow margin necessary to ensure victory for California Attorney General-Elect Kamala Harris. But voters rejected statewide medical marijuana initiatives in Arizona, Oregon and South Dakota, while measures to increase taxes on medicine in California won. And of course, the US House of Representatives is now in the hands of dangerous politicians who do not share our vision of safe access.
We have never had so much to lose and our fight begins today! It is more important than ever that we work together to protect the gains we've made and fight even harder for what we know is possible. Americans for Safe Access (ASA) needs your support now more than ever.
The national landscape for medical marijuana has changed, but our course remains the same. Since 2006, Americans for Safe Access (ASA) has been working full time in Washington, DC to: 1) Put an end to federal interference with state medical marijuana laws, 2) End the ban on clinical research, and 3) Create a plan to guarantee safe access for the entire nation. That work is ongoing and we will not stop until all Americans have safe and legal access.
But we cannot do this alone. This year, I traveled all over the country to meet patients and advocates and I am deeply moved by your commitment to safe access. Unfortunately, I am also shocked by how few of you engage regularly with your federal representatives. If you are not meeting with them, then they are only hearing about medical cannabis from our opposition.
These election results mean we need to fight harder! With your help, ASA can be ready for new challenges and bigger victories. Together we can stand up to our opponents in Congress and prepare for 2012 and beyond. Can you make a contribution to ASA today, so that we can keep fighting?
We must be our own liberators; no one is going to do our work for us.
Republican Party control of the House of Representatives may make our work more difficult, and that’s why it is more important than ever that ASA bring an educated and empowered constituency with real solutions to the table. We have to show the new Congress that patients’ voices cannot be ignored! That is the only way we will get policymakers to bridge the divide between federal and state laws regarding medical marijuana.
ASA will continue to work on Capitol Hill and with the Administration to improve the federal government's understanding about medical marijuana, as well as both the immediate and long term needs of our members. We may have lost several battles yesterday, but we have not lost the fight by any means. We’ve become used to working hard to defy the odds, but we need your supportright now to keep making a positive difference in the lives of patients.
Join the fight today and help us make that difference!
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