Press Release
05/09/2012
.. .
U.S. House to Vote on Bipartisan Amendment Blocking Funding for Obama’s Attack on Medical Marijuana Patients Protected Under State Law


Conflict Coming to a Head as More States Pass and Implement Medical Marijuana Laws While Obama Administration Escalates Assault on Patients and Providers

Drug Policy Alliance: Obama Will Continue to Suffer Politically for Ignoring Public Opinion on Medical Marijuana


The U.S. House is expected to vote soon – possibly today – on a bipartisan amendment to the Commerce-Justice-Science spending bill that would prohibit the Department of Justice from undermining state medical marijuana laws. The amendment, co-sponsored by Rep. Rohrabacher (R-CA), Rep. Hinchey (D-NY), Rep. McClintock (R-CA) and Rep. Farr (D-CA), is a rebuke of President Obama’s aggressive assault on medical marijuana patients and providers.

“Both Democrats and Republicans are telling the Obama administration: enough is enough, stop wasting taxpayer money to undermine state medical marijuana laws,” said Bill Piper, director of national affairs of the Drug Policy Alliance. “President Obama needs to realize his assault on patient access is not just immoral – but a serious political miscalculation. For more than a decade, polling has consistently shown that 70 to 80 percent of Americans support medical marijuana.”

On the presidential campaign trail in 2008, then-Senator Obama said his administration would not waste resources undermining state medical marijuana laws, especially if people were following their state’s law. Shortly after Obama was elected president, the Department of Justice issued a memorandum to U.S. Attorneys urging them not to waste taxpayer dollars and law enforcement resources arresting and prosecuting people following their state’s medical marijuana law. In the last year, however, the administration has reversed course and launched an attack on state medical marijuana laws that is far more aggressive than the Bush Administration's medical marijuana policy.

The DEA is raiding many licensed and regulated medical marijuana providers that are legal under state law. The ATF is discriminating against medical marijuana patients by prohibiting them from owning firearms. The IRS is rejecting standard tax deductions from legitimate medical marijuana businesses operating in full compliance with state law. And federal threats have intimidated banks and landlords into refusing to do business with the medical marijuana industry. Even free speech is under attack – at least one federal prosecutor is threatening to target newspapers that accept medical marijuana advertising.

Sixteen states and the District of Columbia have legalized marijuana for medical use. Additionally, the Connecticut and New Hampshire legislatures recently passed medical marijuana bills that are awaiting their governor’s signature.

“History is calling on President Obama to protect terminally ill patients from suffering, and he is dangerously close to falling on the wrong side,” said Piper. “He will continue to pay a political price as long as his administration continues to waste taxpayer money undermining state law.”


DPA

Tony Newman 646-335-5384 or Bill Piper 202-669-6430

Dear Friend,

The U.S. House of Representatives will be voting soon -- possibly today -- on an amendment that could finally end the federal assault on medical marijuana!

We have no time to waste -- urge your representatives to end the attack on medical marijuana today.

http://dpa.convio.net/site/R?i=qMfjLgmCFJ-mK0ghznQAMQ

This amendment would prohibit the Drug Enforcement Administration and Department of Justice from spending taxpayer money to undermine state medical marijuana laws that allow patients to safely access their medicine.

This promising legislation has a real chance of passing. That's why we're teaming up with our allies and launching a campaign to put pressure on Congress. We need as many people as possible to do the same in these final days leading up to the vote! Medical marijuana patients are counting on you to help protect them from these cruel federal attacks.

Tell your representatives to support this amendment that will ban the federal government from using taxpayer money to shut down voter-approved medical marijuana programs!

http://dpa.convio.net/site/R?i=JZVs74-cobnKgTEZNZcLeg

Over the past two years, federal prosecutors and police agencies have dramatically escalated their assault on medical marijuana. Legal medical marijuana dispensaries are being raided and threatened.
Medical marijuana patients are needlessly suffering without their medicine. State laws are being trampled by the federal government.

But now we have a real opportunity to stop the ruthless federal attacks on medical marijuana. If this legislation passes, it will hopefully end the medical marijuana raids and ensure that patients have safe access to their medicine.

Join us and demand your representatives to end the federal assault on medical marijuana now.

http://dpa.convio.net/site/R?i=sMX9xRrVr27jBoVyred6Wg

Sincerely,

Bill Piper
Director, Office of National Affairs
Drug Policy Alliance

House To Vote On Blocking Funding For Crackdown On Medical Marijuana

By Steve Elliott
Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Bipartisan Amendment Would Block Funding for Obama's Attack on Medical Marijuana Patients Protected Under State Law

Conflict Coming to a Head as More States Pass and Implement Medical Marijuana Laws While Obama Administration Escalates Assault on Patients and Providers


Drug Policy Alliance: Obama Will Continue to Suffer Politically for Ignoring Public Opinion on Medical Marijuana


The U.S. House is expected to vote soon - possibly on Wednesday - on a bipartisan amendment to the Commerce-Justice-Science spending bill that would prohibit the Department of Justice from undermining state medical marijuana laws. The amendment, co-sponsored by Rep. Rohrabacher (R-CA), Rep. Hinchey (D-NY), Rep. McClintock (R-CA) and Rep. Farr (D-CA), is a rebuke of President Obama's aggressive assault on medical marijuana patients and providers.

Bill Piper, DPA: "History is calling on President Obama to protect terminally ill patients from suffering, and he is dangerously close to falling on the wrong side"

"Both Democrats and Republicans are telling the Obama administration: enough is enough, stop wasting taxpayer money to undermine state medical marijuana laws," said Bill Piper, director of national affairs of the Drug Policy Alliance. "President Obama needs to realize his assault on patient access is not just immoral - but a serious political miscalculation. For more than a decade, polling has consistently shown that 70 to 80 percent of Americans support medical marijuana."

"I'm tired of seeing friends who stood up to help patients lose their livelihoods after federal raids, some even prosecuted and imprisoned," said David Borden, executive director of StoptheDrugWar.org. "I'm tired of watching DEA officials continue to obstruct FDA-approved research on medical marijuana, research that could have resolved things through that official process long ago."

On the presidential campaign trail in 2008, then-Senator Obama said his administration would not waste resources undermining state medical marijuana laws, especially if people were following their state's law. Shortly after Obama was elected president, the Department of Justice issued a memorandum to U.S. Attorneys urging them not to waste taxpayer dollars and law enforcement resources arresting and prosecuting people following their state's medical marijuana law.

In the last year, however, the administration has reversed course and launched an attack on state medical marijuana laws that is far more aggressive than the Bush Administration's medical marijuana policy.

The DEA is raiding many licensed and regulated medical marijuana providers that are legal under state law. The ATF is discriminating against medical marijuana patients by prohibiting them from owning firearms. The IRS is rejecting standard tax deductions from legitimate medical marijuana businesses operating in full compliance with state law. And federal threats have intimidated banks and landlords into refusing to do business with the medical marijuana industry.


Even free speech is under attack - at least one federal prosecutor is threatening to target newspapers that accept medical marijuana advertising.


Sixteen states and the District of Columbia have legalized marijuana for medical use. Additionally, the Connecticut and New Hampshire legislatures recently passed medical marijuana bills that are awaiting their governors' signatures.

"History is calling on President Obama to protect terminally ill patients from suffering, and he is dangerously close to falling on the wrong side," said Piper. "He will continue to pay a political price as long as his administration continues to waste taxpayer money undermining state law."

If you'd like to make a phone call today to your U.S. Representative's office, asking for a YES vote on the Rohrabacher-Hinchey-McClintock-Farr medical marijuana amendment to the Commerce, Justice, Science appropriations bill, H.R. 5326, tell your Rep it's time to respect state medical marijuana laws and patients' rights.


You can reach your Rep's office (or find our who your Rep is) by calling the Congressional Switchboard at (202) 224-3121, or you can look up the contact info through StoptheDrugWar.org's online Legislative Center. (Use the "search by zip code" box.)

tokeofthetown

I'll not only call my rep. but e-mail links to everyone I know.

Oh well - didn't pass; raid funding continues.
Status quo

Expected! I didn't think it would pass but had my hopes. As I have always said Fed. won't change until almost half the states have M/M then it will change if just to insure their power.