cannabisnews.com: Please Tell Congress Not To Veto Initiative 59 Please Tell Congress Not To Veto Initiative 59 Posted by FoM on September 25, 1999 at 12:06:11 PT Robert D. Kampia, MPP Executive Director Source: Marijuana Policy Project On Monday, September 20, the D.C. government finally released the results of Initiative 59, the medical marijuana initiative in Washington, D.C. The initiative, which D.C. residents voted on in November 1998, was shown to have passed by a 69-31 margin. (In October 1998, Congress passed a law that prohibited the D.C. city government from spending any money to count the votes on Initiative 59. On Friday, September 17, a federal judge overruled this congressional action, ordering the local D.C. government to release the initiative results.) Congress now has 30 working days to kill the new medical marijuana law, as per its usual authority to review all new D.C. laws. If the House and Senate pass legislation to overturn the initiative -- and President Clinton signs the legislation -- then Initiative 59 will be prevented from taking effect. If no such federal legislation passes, however, then Initiative 59 will take effect at the end of the 30-day review period. Only three times in history has the federal government overturned a new D.C. law, and each time it involved a law passed by the D.C. city council. The federal government has never overturned an initiative that was passed by the voters of Washington, D.C.BACKGROUND: Excerpt from article in The Washington Post on September 23 Rep. Robert L. Barr (R-Georgia) said yesterday that he will introduce legislation to nullify Initiative 59, the District referendum to legalize the medical use of marijuana. ... "It would be a travesty for Congress to stand by and allow a handful of activists to overturn federal narcotics laws with an argument that is, medically speaking, the worst kind of quackery," Barr said. District voters approved the initiative in November, 69 percent to 31 percent, but the votes were not tallied until Monday after a federal judge rejected Congress's attempt to seal the results.Please contact your three members of CongressTO CALL: To call the offices of your U.S. representative and two U.S. senators, please call the congressional switchboard operator at 202-225-3121.Please ask each of them to "vote against any congressional legislation that would overturn the results of the medical marijuana initiative in Washington, D.C." Please remember to provide your name and address in order to show that you are a constituent who lives in their district or state. sample letter for fax, mail, or e-mail Dear ______________: I am writing to ask that you please vote NO on any legislation that would overturn the District of Columbia's new medical marijuana law. As you probably know, on September 20, the D.C. city government released the results of Initiative 59, the medical marijuana initiative that D.C. residents voted on in November 1998. On September 20, initiative was shown to have passed by a 69-31 margin. If Congress allows the initiative to stand, then seriously ill people in the District of Columbia will be allowed to use medical marijuana legally if they have their doctors' approval. Patients shouldn't be arrested and sent to prison for using medical marijuana, and D.C. voters have the right to give patients in the District that protection. Already, certain members of Congress are saying that they want to overturn the initiative during the 30-day period that Congress has to review all new D.C. laws. Would you please write back to let me know if you will be voting NO on legislation that would overturn the District of Columbia's new medical marijuana law? Thank you. I look forward to receiving your response. TO FAX: To fax, please call the offices of your U.S. representative and two U.S. senators to get their fax numbers. TO WRITE: U.S. Rep. __________, U.S. House of Representatives, Washington, D.C. 20515U.S. Senator __________, U.S. Senate, Washington, D.C. 20510 TO E-MAIL: You can e-mail your U.S. representative by clicking here.The e-mail addresses of your two U.S. senators are available here. Don't Let Congress Undermine Democracy in DC - 9/25/99 http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread3022.shtmlD.C. Voters Passed Medicinal Marijuana Initiative - 9/21/99http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread2967.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #1 posted by yoohoo on September 25, 1999 at 14:32:53 PT cannabis Cannabis is not the worst thing around.all it does is get you a little happier. Whats wrong with that? why dont cops look for real crimes that hurt other people? Cannabis doesnt really hurt anybody. It doesnt make your vision, senses ect. meesed up like other drugs (and drinking ).Let cannabis at least be legalized for medical reasons1 [ Post Comment ] Post Comment Name: Optional Password: E-Mail: Subject: Comment: [Please refrain from using profanity in your message] Link URL: Link Title: