--- Christopher Rhoades Dÿkema <crdbronx at erols.com> wrote:
> This is what the FRC thinks about medical mj.
> Christopher Rhoades Dÿkema
> FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 14, 2001
> CONTACT: Heather Cirmo, (202) 393-2100
> FOR RADIO: Kelly Green
>
> U.S. SUPREME COURT SEES THROUGH SMOKESCREEN
> OF MEDICAL MARIJUANA ADVOCATES
>
. . . "Today's unanimous Supreme
> Court
> decision is a major strike against legalizers'
> crusade to
> skirt federal drug laws."
http://www.stopthedrugwar.org/medicalmarijuana/
This bulletin from the Drug Reform Coordination Network is issued today (5/16/01) for two purposes. First, in the wake of the recent Supreme Court ruling, which was not favorable to the medical marijuana cause, it is more important now than ever that individuals contact their Representatives and Senators in Congress and demand that medical marijuana be made legal under federal law, or that at a minimum the federal government step out of the way in states that have passed pro-medical marijuana laws.
Please visit our medical marijuana lobbying web site at http://www.stopthedrugwar.org/medicalmarijuana/ to send free e-mail or faxes to your US Representative, your two US Senators and the President, asking their support for H.R. 1344, the "States' Rights for Medical Marijuana Act." When you are done with that, please use our web site's tell-a- friend form or forward this bulletin to individuals and appropriate online forums. Last but not least, please call or visit your US Representative to ask him or her to cosponsor H.R. 1344, as this will make more impact than just sending an e-mail; you can reach your Reps via the Congressional Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 or look up their direct DC and local numbers at http://www.house.gov.
Secondly, we wish to assure our supporters that despite the highly negative spin that the media has put on the recent US Supreme Court ruling, this ruling in no way sets back the enormous progress that has been made on the medical marijuana issue over the last several years. Though unfavorable, the ruling is limited to one narrow legal issue, whether providers of medical marijuana may raise a medical necessity defense to the Controlled Substances Act if charged in federal court.
The ruling has no effect on the numerous state laws that have been passed to provide practical protection to medical marijuana patients. All it means is that the federal government can still move against medical marijuana providers under federal law, if it chooses to do so. However, the vast majority of drug enforcement occurs at the state level, so the protections currently existing for medical marijuana patients in states that have enacted them are still in place, albeit incomplete without federal legalization of medical marijuana.
Again, please contact your US Representative and your two US Senators to ask their support on H.R. 1344 and medical marijuana. Call (202) 224-3121 to reach them and visit http://www.stopthedrugwar.org/medicalmarijuana/ online.
If you are extra motivated, we suggest also writing a letter to the editor pointing out how limited the ramifications of the Supreme Court ruling really are. We will be publishing information on this topic in the Week Online this Friday morning, or visit the links page at http://www.stopthedrugwar.org/medicalmarijuana/ to find other sources of information on this issue.
Thank you for standing up for justice and sanity.
http://www.stopthedrugwar.org/medicalmarijuana/
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