cannabisnews.com: Patients Rally for Marijuana's Legal Use 





Patients Rally for Marijuana's Legal Use 
Posted by CN Staff on June 03, 2004 at 07:59:02 PT
By Josh Richman, Staff Writer
Source: Tri-Valley Herald 
A Northern California congressman is among 150 lawmakers nationwide who will be pressured by protesters Friday to change their votes on an amendment which would halt federal raids on medical marijuana patients, caregivers and cooperatives. Patients and caregivers plan to gather at 11:15 a.m. Friday outside Rep. Dennis Cardoza's district office at 445 West Weber Ave. in Stockton. A spokesman for Cardoza, D-Atwater, didn't return an e-mail Wednesday.
Charles Pringle, Cardoza's Republican challenger in November's election, said Wednesday he supports the amendment, and called Cardoza's vote against it "an assault on the doctor-patient privilege." Voters in California and other states have decided doctors and patients should be able to consider marijuana as an option for treating debilitating illnesses, Pringle said, and "it is an abomination for the federal government to spend millions of tax dollars raiding the homes of terminally ill patients. "While I support the greater war on drugs, the doctors of patients suffering from AIDS, cancer, multiple sclerosis, glaucoma and chronic pain -- among other maladies -- must be given the legal autonomy to consider every possible treatment option," he said, adding he'll attend Friday's protest. This and scores of other, similar protests from coast to coast Friday -- a date chosen because it's the first anniversary of the sentencing of self-proclaimed "Guru of Ganja" Ed Rosenthal of Oakland -- are being mounted by the Drug Policy Alliance, the Marijuana Policy Project, NORML and other groups. The targets are those who voted against an appropriations amendment last July which would have forbidden the Justice Department from spending any money on medical marijuana raids in states with laws allowing the drug's medical use. The amendment was defeated on a 273-152 vote, although California's delegation voted 33-19 in its favor and most of the Bay Area's delegation supported it. Rep. Richard Pombo, R-Tracy, opposed it, and Rep. George Miller, D-Martinez, was among nine who didn't vote. Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Huntington Beach, and Rep. Maurice Hinchey, D-N.Y., intend to reintroduce their amendment this summer, and activists hope to get more votes this time by pressuring lawmakers in advance. "This is only the beginning," said Bill Piper, the Drug Policy Alliance's national affairs director. "If a member of Congress votes to send cancer and AIDS patients to jail we're going to make sure that voters in his or her district know that by November. This is a life and death issue and voters understand that." Rosenthal, already an internationally renowned marijuana cultivation expert, became a hero of the medical marijuana movement when he was sentenced one year ago Friday to one day in prison, time already served. He had been convicted of federal marijuana cultivation charges by a jury which wasn't allowed to hear any testimony or evidence about Rosenthal's medical motives and local authorization.Note: Cardoza targeted for medical pot vote.Source: Tri-Valley Herald (CA)Author: Josh Richman, Staff WriterPublished: Thursday, June 03, 2004 Copyright: 2004 MediaNews Group, Inc.Website: http://www.trivalleyherald.com/Contact: apacciorini angnewspapers.comRelated Articles & Web Sites:Marijuana Policy Projecthttp://www.mpp.org/NORMLhttp://www.norml.org/Drug Policy Alliancehttp://www.drugpolicy.org/Americans For Safe Accesshttp://www.safeaccessnow.org/Ed Rosenthal's Trial Pictures & Newshttp://freedomtoexhale.com/trialpics.htmMedical Pot Group Targets Membershttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread18938.shtmlAn Anniversary That Calls for Actionhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread18937.shtml
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Comment #7 posted by FoM on June 03, 2004 at 22:24:52 PT
Protest Schedule for June 4th, 2004
KEY LOCAL MEDICAL MARIJUANA PROTESTS SCHEDULED FOR JUNE 4, 2004For further information, or to determine if an event is scheduled in your area, please contact Aaron Houston, MPP national field director, at 202-462-5747 x114.Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Protest at U.S. Rep. Joe Hoeffel's (D-PA) Senate campaign headquarters in Philadelphia. Rep. Hoeffel will face U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA) in the November general election. When: Friday, June 4, 2004, at 11:15 a.m. Where: U.S. Rep. Joe Hoeffel's Senate campaign headquarters 1528 Walnut St., PhiladelphiaBellevue, Washington: Protest at U.S. Rep. George Nethercutt's (R-WA) Senate campaign office in the Seattle suburb of Bellevue. Rep. Nethercutt will face U.S. Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) in the November general election. When: Friday, June 4, 2004, at 11:15 a.m. Where: U.S. Rep. George Nethercutt's Senate campaign headquarters, 330 112th Ave. NE, BellevuePortland, Oregon: Protest at U.S. Rep. David Wu's (D-OR) district office in Portlan. Rep. Wu will face Republican challenger Goli Ameri in what observers expect will be a hotly contested November election. When: Friday, June 4, 2004, at 11:15 a.m. Where: U.S. Rep. David Wu's district office 620 SW Main St., PortlandAlbuquerque, New Mexico: Protest at U.S. Rep. Heather Wilson's (R-NM) district office in downtown Albuquerque. Rep. Wilson is expected to face a close reelection battle in November. When: Friday, June 4, 2004, at 11:15 a.m. Where: U.S. Rep. Heather Wilson's district office 20 First Plaza NW, AlbuquerqueStockton, California: Protest at U.S. Rep. Dennis Cardoza's (D-CA) district office in Stockton. Rep. Cardoza will face Republican challenger Charles Pringle in the November election. When: Friday, June 4, 2004, at 11:15 a.m. Where: U.S. Rep. Dennis Cardoza's district office 445 West Weber Ave., Stockton Norwich, Connecticut: Protest at U.S. Rep. Robert Simmons' (R-CT) district office in Norwich. Observers expect that Rep. Simmons may have a tough November re-election campaign. When: Friday, June 4, 2004, at 11:15 a.m. Where: U.S. Rep. Robert Simmons' district office, 2 Courthouse Square, Norwichhttp://www.commondreams.org/news2004/0603-06.htm
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Comment #6 posted by Richard Paul Zuckerm on June 03, 2004 at 17:57:33 PT:
NEW BRUNSWICK, NEW JERSEY!
There will be pamphleteering around the office of Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr., 67 Church Street, New Brunswick, New Jersey. He has opposed the States Rights To Medical Marihuana Bill because the F.D.A. has not approved Cannabis for medicine. Yet, the military industrialists had FLUORIDE rushed through approval. Fluoride is the waste product of the Atom Bomb production! In addition, when Donald Rumsfeld was a consultant, he was successful in rushing F.D.A. approval of certain pharmeceutical drugs!F.D.A. approval should not be the basis for denying States their own approval policies!A medical marihuana Bill will be submitted in New Jersey Assembly, soon, according to Jim Miller.
 
I wonder what Dr. Ethan Russo thinks about this?I SHALL VOTE FOR DENNIS KUCINICH AT THE PRIMARY ELECTION!! www.kucinich.usRichard Paul Zuckerman, Box 159, Metuchen, New Jersey, 08840-0159, (Cell telephone number)(908) 403-6990.
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Comment #5 posted by global_warming on June 03, 2004 at 14:46:09 PT
On The Radio
I sure hope that this time the vote is in favor for those people that need this the most, the sick and dieing, maybe this time the cruel hoax that the system has been perpetuating will fall on dumb ears.On a side note, I heard Mr Ed Forchion speak on a local radio station this morning, he sounded clear and sharp, he has been denied the right to change his name to NJWEEDMAN.COM, apparently NJ has a peoblem with the NJ part, so now he is looking to chane his name to JUSTANIGGER, again he is meeting resistence, I admire this mans courage, I hope he pervails, from NJ-GW
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Comment #4 posted by kaptinemo on June 03, 2004 at 10:23:30 PT:
Notice the use of language
Which would you raher have: a tender, juicy steak cooked to medium perfection, or partly bloody muscle tissue cut from a castrated bull?It's the exact same thing, but with the words having different emotional connotations. When powerful special interest groups use their clout to threaten or cajole legislators, they're 'lobbying'.But when the citizens and their groups attempt to assert their rights in the political arena, they are 'pressuring'.Notice the difference in language? 'Lobby' has such an emotionally neutral connotation, 'pressure' has such a negative one. Yet the intent is the same thing.But one thing on our side helps; the language fits the intent:* "This is only the beginning," said Bill Piper, the Drug Policy Alliance's national affairs director. "If a member of Congress votes to send cancer and AIDS patients to jail we're going to make sure that voters in his or her district know that by November. This is a life and death issue and voters understand that."*Mr. Piper's statement says it all. This is exactly how this matter must be presented, for that's exactly what's happening. Quality of life remaining, or abject misery. Pain, or its's surcease. Life...or death.Like I keep saying: language is important. VERY important.
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Comment #3 posted by dididadadidit on June 03, 2004 at 09:12:36 PT
Rohrabacher-Hinchey Revisited
I'm joining a teachin at my representatives office tomorrow to suggest she (Heather Wilson) consider changing her vote this year on Rohrabacher-Hinchey, the bill to force the DEA to leave medical folks alone in states that have carved out their exemptions. Don't expect it to do any good as the Repugs were a solid 13 to 1 against any compassion in their conservativism (fascism) and that's not bloody likely to change unless they are handed their heads this fall and lose control of the congress as well as the presidency. The Dems were starting to read the polls and were over 2 to 1 (135 to 65) in favor last summer.Here's hoping for some serious incumbant loses, especially Repugs, but Dems as well when a rare honorable Rep challenges them as incumbants wrong on this issue. Although voting over 200 no, there were 16 Reps said yes last summer, including Ron Paul (Libertarian in a Rep suit) and strangely enough, Dennis Hassert (did somebody close to him suffer and cause him to see the light?).?
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Comment #2 posted by Virgil on June 03, 2004 at 08:13:00 PT
Speaking of northern California
Dan Gardner had some articles published by the Anderson Valley Advertiser that is out of Booneville in Mendocino County where they do not prosecute the growers with local resources. There was a nice piece on it yesterday at CounterPunch by Alexander Cockburn- http://www.counterpunch.org/cockburn06022004.html
phrases that came from the 1500.s
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Comment #1 posted by E_Johnson on June 03, 2004 at 08:08:58 PT
My head just spun around
A Republican supports MMJ and a Democrat is against it? My head is spinning around.Maybe God invented the miracle plant to mess with our politics. ;-)
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