cannabisnews.com: Veto of Medical Pot Bill Urged 





Veto of Medical Pot Bill Urged 
Posted by CN Staff on March 30, 2003 at 22:45:30 PT
By S.A. Miller, The Washington Times
Source: Washington Times 
Annapolis — The Montgomery County grandmother leading a national antidrug crusade said the opposition paid top dollar to win passage of a medical-marijuana bill in the Maryland General Assembly but that she's hoping her low-budget lobby can persuade the governor to veto the legislation.   "I think their money won out over our facts," said Joyce Nalepka, whose small group of volunteers faced a $50,000 lobbying effort by the District-based Marijuana Policy Project, a group dedicated to decriminalizing marijuana use.
"The Maryland legislators sold out Maryland's kids for $50,000," she said. "They should hang their heads in shame. None of these legislators should be re-elected."   Bruce Mirken of the Marijuana Policy Project disagrees that the $50,000 spent in Annapolis and the group's annual $1.8 million budget compares to the $150 million advertising budget of White House drug czar John Walters, who personally intervened to oppose the Maryland legislation.   "How dare they claim that we are such a well-funded machine," he said. "We are tiny compared to this huge government drug-war machine."   The pro-marijuana group spent $40,000 pushing for the bill in Annapolis, including hiring lobbyist Gilbert J. Genn and conducting a direct-mail campaign. The group also donated $10,000 to legislative candidates in Maryland in the last election cycle, Mr. Mirken said.   Mrs. Nalepka said a little more than lunch money was spent by her group, Drug-Free Kids, which has thousands of volunteer members across the country, and alliances with Elks clubs and the National District Attorneys Association.   She says Drug-Free Kids received help from Mr. Walters and the district attorneys association but that the group's effort was strictly a grass-roots operation.   The bill advocating a "medical necessity" defense in marijuana-possession trials passed the Maryland Senate last week by a 29-17 vote. The House passed the same legislation last month 73-62.   Mr. Mirken said the bill is weak because it does not allow people to grow marijuana for medical use. However, he said, the win is an important step toward national decriminalization.   "While we have a war on drugs, can we please remove the sick and wounded from the battlefield?" he asked.   Debate on the Senate floor illustrated how convincing the pro-marijuana lobby had been, with lawmaker after lawmaker testifying that smoking marijuana helps people with AIDS, cancer and other illnesses because it restores their appetites and relieves nausea from chemotherapy or cancer radiation treatment.   Opponents of the bill say that softening the law sends the wrong message to children, medical marijuana doesn't have U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval and federal law still classifies marijuana as a dangerous and illegal narcotic.   If Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. signs the bill, defendants who prove a medicinal need to possess marijuana will face a misdemeanor conviction, a maximum $100 fine and no jail time. The existing law prescribes sentences of up to a year in prison and a $1,000 fine for possession.   Mr. Ehrlich, a Republican, supports the concept of medical marijuana but has yet to take a position on the legislation passed by the Democrat-controlled General Assembly.   "We are going to continue to try to convince the governor not to sign this bill," Mrs. Nalepka said.   She also said that three requests to meet with the governor had been turned down and that she is challenging Mr. Ehrlich to a debate if he plans to sign the bill into law. The administration has not responded, she said.   "If he signs it, I will do everything I can to make sure he is a one-term governor," Mrs. Nalepka said. "No governor is going to come into my state and sign this kind of legislation and not get a hard time from our group."Source: Washington Times (DC)Author: S.A. Miller, The Washington TimesPublished: March 31, 2003Copyright: 2003 News World Communications, Inc. Website: http://www.washtimes.com/Contact: letters washingtontimes.comRelated Articles & Web Site:Marijuana Policy Projecthttp://www.mpp.org/Marijuana Debate Becomes Personalhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread15803.shtmlMaryland Governor Gets Medical Marijuana Bill http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread15800.shtmlMoney Talks in Drug Bill Tusslehttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread15796.shtml 
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Comment #9 posted by observer on March 31, 2003 at 11:15:04 PT
W.W.J.D. ?
What Would Joyce (Nalepka) Do?Let's be glad that "good" Americans like Joyce aren't ALWAYS able to impose their witch-trials and scarlet-letters on us cannabis-using "deviants." (Why is it they need to have scapegoats to hate?)Here is some background on the "concerned" Joyce Nalepka, from a 1985 alarmist screed called "Marijuana Alert!" by the late rabid prohibitionist and anti-marijuana fellow-bigot, Peggy Mann.
http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/7/thread7357.shtml#5Note this $100 fine and penalty on sick people (we call that progress, relative to what preceeded it) is described as "decriminalizing marijuana use," sending the "wrong message to children" or 'legalizing', etc.William White had Joyce's ilk well-pegged in his 1979 monograph, Themes in Chemical Prohibition:
''As bills are introduced to lower criminal penalties for various illicit drugs, one can anticipate any number of [prohibitionists] standing to attack reduced penalties as an invitation for use and a first step toward legalization of drug X.''
http://drugwarpropaganda.gotdns.org/t.cgi?7 
Mapinc.org's drug news bot
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Comment #8 posted by John Tyler on March 31, 2003 at 09:59:56 PT
Joyce, a nattering nabob of negativism
Joyce's comments are profoundly wrong in light of the recently announced success of Colorado's medicinal marijuana law.
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Comment #7 posted by mayan on March 31, 2003 at 08:55:42 PT
Desperation
"Bruce Mirken of the Marijuana Policy Project disagrees that the $50,000 spent in Annapolis and the group's annual $1.8 million budget compares to the $150 million advertising budget of White House drug czar John Walters, who personally intervened to oppose the Maryland legislation."It makes me gag when these zealots portray us as Goliath. We have been swimming against the stream for a very long time. We will never forget our uphill struggle. Joyce has always viewed the battle from her ivory tower, but she'd better enjoy the view while she can. Although this bill is far from perfect, it is a positive step. Anything in the current atmosphere of war and hate is welcome. This is a pivotal moment for medical marijuana law reform. If we can recapture the momentum that we had prior to the 9/11 hoax, the war on cannabis is lost. Can't you just hear the dam creaking? It may give at any time...and the more it bows, the more desperate the antis' bleat becomes. Changing the mj laws through ballot initiatives may or may not be a thing of the past, but legislatures and governors,for the sake of their political survival, may just concede some long overdue representation to their constituents. We are definitley due some representation. The kind you can't just buy. Good luck, Joyce. You'll need it!The way out is the way in...9/11 was a hoax - The American government killed its own people:
http://onlinejournal.com/Commentary/032403Kaminski/032403kaminski.htmlKaminski's Best 9/11 Sites — 4th Edition:
http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0302/S00024.htm
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Comment #6 posted by MikeEEEEE on March 31, 2003 at 07:03:51 PT
Old Fart
She's just an old fart that needs something to prove.She should volunteer her time at a hosiptal and see the sick people she's trying to hurt.
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Comment #5 posted by The GCW on March 31, 2003 at 05:19:38 PT
Joyce and Her sick sin.
Nothing is more grass roots than the fight to stop the extermination of cannabis and cannabis users. For those wishing to NOT keep off the grass...Joyce would like the public to consider the urge and practice of caging humans as a small grass roots effort... nothing could be further from the truth. The opponent of cannabis (chiefly the U.S. Fed. gov.) circumnavigates what Hitler taught and takes discredited war to a new level.The level of the deluding influence with in the spirit of Joyce is self-condemning. All We have to do is expose it. Her tongue slashes Her own throat.And if there is one thing I want to hear from Joyce it is: -Mrs. Nalepka said. "No governor is going to come into my state and sign this kind of legislation and not get a hard time from our group."Makes Me recall when Gov. Owens said about the vote on Amendment 20 (vote 4-20) in Colorado, “not on My watch”, and guess what?Owens ran His mouth and so does Joyce.It is very important to Joyce for Her to cage humans for using a plant. Sick sin.Expose Joyce.Come to think of it. Don't just pray for Joyce, pray for Her whole family.The Green Collar worker
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Comment #4 posted by Kegan on March 31, 2003 at 02:56:57 PT
Forgive...?
I can't forgive stupid people. She is stupid, and using her efforts to hurt my wounded brothers.
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Comment #3 posted by freedom fighter on March 31, 2003 at 02:23:05 PT
Correction
I meant to say how much help?PAZff
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Comment #2 posted by freedom fighter on March 31, 2003 at 01:42:33 PT
Gasp!
"She says Drug-Free Kids received help from Mr. Walters and the district attorneys association but that the group's effort was strictly a grass-roots operation."Gasp! Ms. Joycie has been getting funds from Mr. Walters? From a creature who declared that all illegal drugs must be impure?I would love to hate that joyce but hey, I recalled a comment made by one of the poster, HOPE...JOYCE, I FORGIVE YOU FOR WHAT YOU HAVE DONE AS YOU TAKE YOUR LAST STAND... EVEN SO,it is so repugant that one sick person have to prove to a judge and a pr(o)secutor that they are sick so the state can fine 100 dollars.Joyce, again, I forgive you. I know you meant well about children.Pray, can Joyce announce on CannabisNews how much money, $$$$, did you get from Mr. Walters?? and from those "lawyers"??Just so we can send a proper message.I forgive you and how much?ff
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Comment #1 posted by Mike on March 31, 2003 at 00:39:02 PT
Joyce again....
I think this time she's surpassed even herself.
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