cannabisnews.com: Legalize Medical Pot in N.Y. 





Legalize Medical Pot in N.Y. 
Posted by CN Staff on July 21, 2003 at 11:36:19 PT
By Richard Brookhiser 
Source: New York Daily News 
Earlier this year, the New York State Association of County Health Officials - as cautious a bunch as you will find in the medical community - urged New York lawmakers to pass legislation to legalize the medical use of marijuana. Unfortunately, the legislative clock ran out on the measure, despite three overwhelmingly positive committee votes. That must not happen again. It is past time to remove patients fighting cancer, AIDS and other scourges from the battlefield of the war on drugs.
"The legalization of medical marijuana would be a step forward for the health of all New Yorkers," the association declared. "Marijuana has proven to be effective in the treatment of people with HIV/AIDS, multiple sclerosis, cancer and those suffering from severe pain or nausea."I discovered marijuana's benefits while receiving chemotherapy for testicular cancer in 1992. Part way through my treatment, the conventional anti-nausea drugs prescribed by my doctors stopped working. Marijuana was the only thing that kept my head out of the toilet.Snipped: Complete Article: http://www.nydailynews.com/07-20-2003/news/story/102193p-92506c.htmlSource: New York Daily News (NY)Author: Richard Brookhiser Published: July 20, 2003Copyright: 2003 Daily News, L.P.Contact: voicers edit.nydailynews.comWebsite: http://www.nydailynews.com/CannabisNews Medical Marijuana Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/medical.shtml
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Comment #17 posted by afterburner on July 22, 2003 at 22:31:59 PT:
Thank you, FoM
I sent my fax.
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Comment #16 posted by FoM on July 22, 2003 at 21:44:30 PT
DPFCA: House Medical Marijuana Debate 
CC: norml norml.org 
    
 The House staged a great debate on Rep. Hinchey's amendment to stop the Justice Dept from interfering in state medical marijuana laws. The final vote will be tomorrow (Wed) morning, so there is still time for last-minute calls/FAXes. Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Orange Co) delivered a powerful speech for "compassion and freedom," calling it "immoral" to put people in jail for medical marijuana and accusing opponents of "living in a bygone era." On a more radical note he continued, "the drug war is a miserable failure." He said that he was not calling for legalization, but we "need to take a second look at drugs in general." On a slanderous note, Rep. John Shadegg (R-AZ) wrongly claimed that there is a certain "doctor in California" (presumably Dr Tod Mikuriya) who has taken advantage of the law to write 7.500 recommendations, and "has conducted not a single examination." Drug warrior Rep. Mark Souder wound up the debate with the observation that this is a "cultural issue" - the cultures presumably being those who believe in medical freedom of choice, and those who don't. The final House vote will be telling. - D. Gieringer, Cal NORMLBill Piper reports from DC:The amendment failed by a voice vote (which we expected) after a full 60-minutes of debate. The actual roll call vote will be tomorrow morning (Wed), however. Thus, THERE IS STILL SOME TIME FOR LAST MINUTE CALLS. So, keep those calls rolling!!!!It was a very good debate and I think we are at the tipping point on this issue. Rep. Rohrabacher (R-Ca) broke down in tears while he was speaking about his mother who suffered from cancer and the thought that the federal government would throw her in jail if she used marijuana to relieve her pain. Also speaking in support of the amendment were Rep. Hinchey (D-NY), Rep. Sam Farr (D-CA), Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX), Rep. Kucinich (D-OH), Rep. Woolsey (D-CA), Rep. Nadler (D-NY), and Rep. Jackson Lee (D-TX). Speaking against the amendment were Rep. Frank Wolf (R-VA), Rep. Souder (R-IN), Rep. Shadeg (R-AZ), Rep. Mica (R-FL),and Rep. Burgess (R-TX). -- ---- Dale Gieringer (415) 563-5858 // canorml igc.org 2215-R Market St. #278, San Francisco CA 94114
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Comment #15 posted by FoM on July 22, 2003 at 20:53:15 PT
An Update
Hi Everyone,I've been looking for news about the vote but haven't found any. I didn't find anything earlier on C-Span either. I read my mail and the vote has been put off until tomorrow! I hope it goes well! Thought I'd pass it on!http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread16916.shtml#4
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Comment #14 posted by afterburner on July 22, 2003 at 11:39:00 PT:
Re- Comment #13
Now we get to see if Jury Nullification works, if Prop. 215, Compassionate Use Act, works, if California justice works. This is a state court and medical cannabis is being allowed in the testimony.ego transcendence follows ego destruction, the truth will out.
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Comment #13 posted by FoM on July 22, 2003 at 11:21:09 PT
News Article from Snipped Source
Medical Pot Case Headed for The JuryThe DA calls it 'simple dope dealing,' but defendants say they were taking care of ill patients.By Ramon Coronado -- Bee Staff WriterPublished: Tuesday, July 22, 2003Two people who operated a Citrus Heights "cannabis club" manipulated the state medicinal marijuana law and raked in $3,000 a day in pot sales, a prosecutor said Monday in Sacramento Superior Court."This was simple dope dealing," Deputy District Attorney Caroline Park said in closing arguments of the three-month trial.  
Defense attorneys for Susan B. Rodger and Michael Urziceanu accused the prosecutor and her office of having an agenda that is opposed to the state's Compassionate Use Act, which decriminalized marijuana use for medical purposes.
"They just don't want marijuana in the community," said Urziceanu's lawyer, Victor S. Haltom.Rodger, a former state computer specialist with internal organ problems, and Urziceanu, a former state correctional officer who complained of a neck injury, are charged with multiple charges of drug possession and sales.If convicted, they could be sent to prison. The jury begins its first full day of deliberation this morning.Snipped:Complete Article: http://www.sacbee.com/content/news/crime/story/7080114p-8028029c.html
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Comment #12 posted by FoM on July 21, 2003 at 17:02:02 PT
Thanks JR
I went to the CC Forum and read where he was released. If you find an article later please let me know and I'll get it posted. I read where one will be up a little later on tonight.
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Comment #11 posted by JR Bob Dobbs on July 21, 2003 at 16:49:41 PT
Marc now 3 for 5
Marc Emery arrested in Moncton: http://www.pot-tv.net/archive/shows/pottvshowse-2078.html
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Comment #10 posted by FoM on July 21, 2003 at 15:33:39 PT
cloud7
You're welcome. If links don't work on CNews please let me know. I hope it was the comma. 
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Comment #9 posted by cloud7 on July 21, 2003 at 15:22:46 PT
Thank you FoM
It works now. This has been a problem the last few times.
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Comment #8 posted by FoM on July 21, 2003 at 14:17:12 PT
cloud7
I see a comma at the end of the url you posted. That will cause it to break. I saw that when I was posting the press release and removed them first.
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Comment #7 posted by FoM on July 21, 2003 at 14:14:41 PT
cloud7
I tried the link and after it hesitated for a few seconds it redirected to this url.http://mpp.org/DD/action.html
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Comment #6 posted by cloud7 on July 21, 2003 at 14:08:31 PT
problem
This link, http://www.mpp.org/DefundDEA, just brings me to a blank page. Does anyone else have this problem or know what is causing it? Thanks
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Comment #5 posted by FoM on July 21, 2003 at 12:51:14 PT
Important E-Mail News from Sanho Tree
Friends, If you have a moment right now, please visit: http://usfumigation.org/stree/index.htm and take a quick look at the photos and respond to the urgent action alert below. I took these pictures of fumigated fields last month in southern Colombia -- ground zero for the civil war and the drug war. It's the rainy season in Putumayo province and the countryside should have more shades of green than all the crayons in Crayola's inventory, but our aerial fumigation policy has created vast stretches of brown, scorched earth. The US has indeed "succeeded" in reducing the coca crop in this province, but the fumigation is merely moving the coca to neighboring provinces and other countries in the region. This futile exercise is like shovelling water while costing taxpayers billions of dollars and creating countless new enemies for the US. You will see among the photos a 60-year-old woman who, along with her husband, has grown nothing but legal alternative development crops for the past three years. Their food crops have been fumigated directly THREE times and they have had spray drift affect their farm on a FOURTH occasion! Many farmers who grow no coca at all often get fumigated. Out of more than 8,000 complaints filed by wrongfully sprayed farmers, only TWO have received any compensation from the US Embassy (the rest are accused of hyping their claims). This elderly couple have few options left, but many of the younger, able-bodied farmers are joining the guerillas or right-wing paramilitary death-squads once their livelihoods are destroyed. More than 2/3 of all Colombians live below the poverty line (about $2/day) while these illegal groups -- designated as "terrorists" by our State Department -- can pay these campesinos hundreds of dollars per month to fight. Thus, instead of winning "hearts and minds" our drug war helps "terrorist" organizations to recruit. Instead of bring these people into the fold of the state, our policies drive them into the arms of declared enemies of the US. The Bush Administration, in return, then asks for more money to fight the growing insurgency. As Senator Fritz Hollings said last year about global terrorism, "We seem to be creating terrorists faster than we can kill them." Bogota now has the largest US embassy in the world (remember Saigon?). Please help stop this madness before we get stuck in yet another military quagmire. Thanks, Sanho Tree
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Comment #4 posted by FoM on July 21, 2003 at 12:45:08 PT
Important E-Mail News
DPFCA: *** Congress To Vote This Week on Protecting Medical Marijuana Patients from Arrest*** 
    
 Californians who live in districts with Republican or conservative Democratic representatives are especially urged to call in support of the Hinchey amendment to stop DEA interference in state medical marijuana laws. - D. Gieringer, Cal NORML***Congress To Vote This Week on Protecting Medical Marijuana Patients from Arrest***IMPORTANT THAT YOU ACT NOWAs early as Wednesday, the House will be voting on an amendment to the Justice-Commerce-State appropriations bill that would prevent the DEA from undermining state medical marijuana laws. If approved, it will put an end to the DEA arresting medical marijuana patients and their care-givers in states that have approved marijuana for medical use. It will be the first Congressional vote on the controversial raids, and as a result will force Representatives, many of them from states that have enacted medical marijuana, to take a stand on the issue. PLEASE act now!ACTIONS TO TAKE1) CALL YOUR REPRESENTATIVE TODAY! To reach your representative by phone, call the US Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121, or call your representative's office directly by looking up the phone number on: http://actioncenter.drugpolicy.org/ctt.asp?u=2157&l=2841 To find your representative's fax number so that you can fax them a letter, see: http://actioncenter.drugpolicy.org/ctt.asp?u=2157&l=2841 If you don't know who your representative is, see: http://actioncenter.drugpolicy.org/ctt.asp?u=2157&l=2842** Tell your Representative: --I'm calling to urge my representative to support the Hinchey/Rohrabacher (pronounced HINCH-E/ROY-BOCKER) amendment to the Justice-Commerce-State appropriation bill. This amendment protects states' rights and medical privacy by preventing the federal government from undermining state medical marijuana laws. I'm a federal taxpayer and I'm upset that my money is being used to arrest patients and caregivers.2) FORWARD THIS ALERT TO YOUR FRIENDS, URGE THEM TO CALL!************************************************************************* Background on medical marijuana, DEA raids, and the Hinchey/Rohrabacher amendment:National polls show that over 70% of voters support allowing doctors to prescribe medical marijuana, including substantial majorities of Republicans, Democrats, and independents. As many as two-thirds of voters say they prefer candidates that support medical marijuana over those that don't. Since 1996, ten states have enacted medical marijuana laws that confer various state legal protections on persons whom use medical marijuana. Most of the laws have been enacted by the voters. Over the last couple of years, however, the federal Drug Enforcement Administration has ignored the will of the voters in these states and increasingly engaged in controversial raids on medical marijuana patients and their caregivers.Earlier this year the California legislature passed a resolution urging Congress to pass federal legislation securing a state's right to regulate medical marijuana, allowing individual patients to possess and consume medical marijuana, and allowing individuals deputized by states and localities to cultivate and distribute medical marijuana appropriately.Responding to increased tension between state and federal officials, Rep. Hinchey (D-NY) and Rep. Rohrabacher (R-CA) will offer an amendment to the Commerce-Justice-State Appropriations bill that would prevent the DEA from spending tax dollars to undermine state medical marijuana laws. The amendment would not prevent the DEA from arresting people using, growing, or selling marijuana for recreational use. Nor would it prevent the DEA from arresting patients for medical marijuana in states that have not approved it. It would simply put a stop to the DEA arresting medical marijuana patients and their care-givers in states that have approved marijuana for medical use.************************************************Background on the Foreign Aid Bill, Colombia Military Aid & HIV/AIDS Funds Taken from an action alert by the Latin America Working Group.The 2004 foreign aid bill contains almost $600 million in aid to Colombia, the vast majority of which is military and police aid. Since last year, military aid to Colombia can be used for both counter-drug efforts - mostly the aerial fumigation of drug crops - and counter-terrorism/counterinsurgency. Since 2000, the United States has given over $2.5 billion to Colombia. Fumigation is not an effective drug policy. When we spray the fields of small farmers with herbicide and then don't give them resources to grow alternative crops, farming families are forced to move and plant coca again. Coca cultivation in the Andes has actually increased since we began massively fumigating in 2000 - and families have lost their food crops and livelihoods in the spraying. Fumigation hurts people in Colombia, and it doesn't help stop drug abuse in the United States. Military aid is also fueling civil conflict. By sending counter-drug and now counter-terrorism aid directly to the Colombian military, we are providing finance for a conflict that takes thousands of civilian lives every year. The Colombian military has documented ties to brutal paramilitary groups who are on the US terrorist list and regularly massacre civilians. It makes no sense to send anti-terrorism aid to a military that collaborates with a terrorist group. The billions of dollars flowing to the Colombian military has not made Colombia safer: in 2000, 14 people a day died violently in Colombia, and that figure has now grown to 19 a day, as brutal guerrilla groups and paramilitary forces continue to attack civilians.This U.S. aid could instead be used for global health. Funding for HIV/AIDS prevention is badly needed. Some 42 million people live with HIV/AIDS. During 2002, 3.1 million people died of AIDS and an additional five million were infected. In his State of the Union message, President Bush committed the United States to spend $15 billion over the next five years--an average of $3 billion per year--on global HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment. Yet his budget for this year requested only $2 billion. This transfer is only one part of the additional funds needed for HIV/AIDS--but it is certainly money better spent.Hilary McQuie
Political DirectorAmericans for Safe Access1678 Shattuck Ave. #317Berkeley, CA 94709Phone: 510-486-8083Fax: 510-486-8090http://www.safeaccessnow.orgJoin the fight for medical marijuana rights!
To receive ASA alerts, send a blank email to
mailto:asa-subscribe lists.riseup.net----
Dale Gieringer (415) 563-5858 // canorml igc.org
2215-R Market St. #278, San Francisco CA 94114 
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Comment #3 posted by FoM on July 21, 2003 at 12:34:11 PT
Press Release from The Marijuana Policy Project
Congress To Hold Second Vote Ever on Medical Marijuana Date: Mon, 21 Jul 2003 15:07:11 -0400 (EDT) 
    
 TO:   Marijuana policy reform advocatesFROM:  Alexis Baden-Mayer, MPP national field directorDATE:  Monday, July 21, 2003SUBJECT: Act now to defund government's war on medical marijuana======================================================================If you take two minutes now to contact your U.S. House member, you will play an important part in ending the DEA's raids and the federal government's war on medical marijuana patients and providers. Like never before, the Marijuana Policy Project needs you to take action now.On Wednesday or Thursday of this week, the full U.S. House of Representatives is scheduled to vote on the issue of medical marijuana the first time in five years!U.S. Reps. Maurice Hinchey (D-NY) and Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA), with the support of Reps. Ron Paul (R-TX), Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), and many other House members, are planning to propose a medical marijuana amendment to the Commerce-Justice-State Appropriations bill. Quite simply, the amendment would prevent the DEA and the Justice Department from spending any money to investigate or raid medical marijuana patients and providers in the states where medical marijuana is legal. It is urgent that you let your U.S. representative know -- today or Tuesday -- that you want him or her to vote for the Hinchey/ Rohrabacher amendment. Here's how:FAX ...The easiest thing to do is to fax your U.S. representative a pre- written letter from our Web site at http://www.mpp.org/DefundDEA The entire process takes only two minutes. After you enter your address, you will see links to a selection of sample letters; please choose a letter, edit it if you like, and then fax it to your U.S. representative with one final click.If you are feeling inspired, we strongly encourage you to personalize your letter. (But whatever you do, please make sure that the letter clearly asks your U.S. representative to vote for the Hinchey/ Rohrabacher medical marijuana amendment to the Commerce-Justice-State Appropriations bill on the House floor.)PHONE ...You can also call your U.S. representative's office through the Capitol switchboard. If you don't know the name of your U.S. representative, you can give the switchboard operator your city or zip code and he or she will connect you to your U.S. representative's office:877-762-8762 (toll-free) 800-648-3516 (toll-free) 202-225-3121Sample phone script:"Hi, my name is ____________, and I vote in _____________ (city). I'm calling to ask Representative _________________ to vote for the Hinchey/Rohrabacher amendment to the Commerce-Justice-State Appropriations bill. This amendment would stop the federal government's raids on medical marijuana patients and providers in California and the other eight states where medical marijuana is legal."AND SPREAD THE WORD ...Please forward this e-mail message to your friends and family, ideally with a short introduction from you that personally asks them to take action. Or, if you prefer, you can use the "Tell a Friend" function on our Web site at http://www.mpp.org/DefundDEA/friend The importance of the pending vote on the House floor cannot be overstated. It is literally the most important vote on marijuana policy in Congress in decades. Please help us achieve victory by visiting http://www.mpp.org/DefundDEA immediately. Thank you in advance for contacting your U.S. representative on this urgent matter.======================================================================Please visit http://www.mpp.org/USA/donate.html or write to MPP,P.O. Box 77492, Washington, D.C. 20013 to donate to our lobbying work on Capitol Hill.
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Comment #2 posted by E_Johnson on July 21, 2003 at 12:10:27 PT
I'm almost glad that I am ill
It's a very special and wonderful thing to be in the middle of positive social change. Even if it takes some suffering, to see the human social machine learn and change is really amazing.
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Comment #1 posted by FoM on July 21, 2003 at 11:58:04 PT
Here's The Same Article
This is the same article as above but I didn't have to snip it. I archived it since it is the same.http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread16917.shtml
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