cannabisnews.com: Medical Marijuana Initiative Accepted for Election Medical Marijuana Initiative Accepted for Election Posted by CN Staff on September 17, 2002 at 12:22:28 PT Breaking News Source: Marijuana Policy Project Washington, D.C. -- The District of Columbia Board of Elections and Ethics (BOEE) today notified proponents of Initiative 63, the medical marijuana initiative, that the initiative would appear on the November general election ballot. The written notice from BOEE wraps up an arduous, 14-month battle that included several lawsuits and hundreds of wrongfully invalidated signatures. Initiative 63 would protect from arrest seriously ill people who use marijuana under the advice of their physicians. In July 2001, the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP), a D.C.-based non-profit advocacy group, filed with the BOEE a request to circulate petitions for the initiative. The BOEE denied that request in December 2001, because the so-called "Barr Amendment," a rider to the D.C. Appropriations bill named after its sponsor, U.S. Rep. Bob Barr (R-GA), prevented the city from spending any money to process the initiative. MPP then filed suit against the federal and District governments in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, on the grounds that the Barr Amendment was an unconstitutional abridgment of political speech. On March 28, 2002, federal judge Emmet G. Sullivan ruled in favor of MPP. In May, a group of local, former medical marijuana activists filed a frivolous lawsuit to prevent MPP from gathering signatures in support of the initiative. Though MPP won with a quick, decisive ruling in D.C. Superior Court in June, the setback left MPP only 25 days to gather the over 17,000 signatures necessary to place the initiative on the November ballot. Despite having turned in more than 38,000 signatures -- more than twice the required number -- the BOEE claimed that MPP came up short in one of the city's wards. An extensive recount by MPP showed that the BOEE had failed to count literally hundreds of valid signatures. Today's ruling is the result of a Motion to Reconsider filed with the BOEE on August 16, based on MPP's recount. It allows MPP to move forward with posting campaign posters and educating voters. "We faced incredible odds to put this initiative on the November ballot," said Robert Kampia, MPP's executive director. "Because a vast majority of voters approved a similar initiative in 1998, we never imagined that this campaign would turn into a journey reminiscent of Homer's Odyssey. The real winners, though, are the seriously ill people who will now have legal access to medical marijuana." The Marijuana Policy Project works to minimize the harm associated with marijuana -- both the consumption of marijuana and the laws that are intended to prohibit such use. In association with Students for Sensible Drug Policy -- http://www.ssdp.org/ -- MPP will hold its first national conference -- featuring a special appearance by comedian Bill Maher -- on Nov. 8-10 in Anaheim, California.Note: Supporters Conclude 14-Month Struggle to Put Initiative 63 on BallotComplete Title: Medical Marijuana Initiative Accepted for November ElectionSource: Marijuana Policy Project (DC)Published: September 17, 2002Contact: info mpp.orgWebsite: http://www.mpp.org/Related Articles & Web Site:Marijuana Policy Projecthttp://www.mpp.org/Medical Pot May Again Go To Voters http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13336.shtmlMarijuana Advocates Submit Signatures http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13333.shtmlGroup Wants Marijuana Issue on Ballothttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13139.shtmlMedical Marijuana Ban Overturned in D.C. http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread12422.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #8 posted by mayan on September 17, 2002 at 17:37:15 PT YIPEEE!!! This is terrific news! IMHO, this will pass by an even greater margin than last time. Once the debate starts, the miraculous cannabis plant will expose decades of government lies & corruption! Don't mess with mother nature!!! Thanks for the poll i420. It's still holding at 86/14. SHADOW OF THE SWASTIKA:The Real Reason the Government Won't Debate Medical Cannabis and Industrial Hemp Re-legalization http://www.sumeria.net/politics/shadv3.html [ Post Comment ] Comment #7 posted by Sam Adams on September 17, 2002 at 16:02:18 PT Congratulations to MPP! What a great job those guys are doing. Finally, some reformers who fully understand the workings of the political machine. It's like David vs. 10 Goliaths at once. When you think about how the country was founded and the values of freedom, courage, and, above all, determination to see it through, those guys are what America stands for. We should all be sending any extra $$ we have to the advertising campaign in Nevada. The fun's really going to start when this initiative passes by over 2 to 1 again. Then Congress will have 2 choices: tacitly approve Medical MJ, or face an embarrassing public spectacle of killing the law. MPP's already lined up a significant group of Congressmen willing to fight to enact the law. Anyone who steps forward to kill it will know with 100% certainty that they will be hit with medical MJ ads at home in their next campaign. They'll also have to expend some political capital to add any amendment. I can't wait for the fun to begin! [ Post Comment ] Comment #6 posted by i420 on September 17, 2002 at 14:00:51 PT POLL !!! Should it be legal to smoke marijuana for medical reasons? Yes 86% No 14% Click the link below to vote... http://www.cnn.com/HLN/ [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by idbsne1 on September 17, 2002 at 13:56:26 PT Look at all the evil ways.... How many bastards tried to block this legislation?... Illegally even....damn snakes....Well, right back at you!!! Say goodbye to Bob Barr and hello to MMJ!!!!Truth and good triumph!!!!idbsne1 [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by FoM on September 17, 2002 at 12:55:21 PT TecHnoCult Thank You. I didn't know about that. Maybe it's in an article and I missed it. [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by TecHnoCult on September 17, 2002 at 12:44:20 PT My Understanding... Is that some MMJ advocates were unhappy with the restrictive way the proposal was worded. I guess some illnesses do not qualify, or something along those lines. Anyway, they sued because they wanted the law to reflect thier needs. At any rate, I believe the otherside kind of influenced and helped this lawsuit. I think these misguided activists are unaware of how this one measure will affect the national campaign.THC [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by FoM on September 17, 2002 at 12:32:42 PT Windminstrel No I don't know what that means. I'd like to know too. [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by Windminstrel on September 17, 2002 at 12:28:39 PT Huh?? "In May, a group of local, former medical marijuana activists filed a frivolous lawsuit to prevent MPP from gathering signatures in support of the initiative"Anyone know what that's all about? [ Post Comment ] Post Comment