NATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR THE REFORM OF
MARIJUANA LAWS
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... a weekly service for the media on news items related to Marijuana Prohibition.
March 28, 1996
Federal Medical Marijuana Attracts
Bi-Partisan Support
First Two Republicans Sign On To Bill
March 29, 1996, Washington, DC: Four
additional members of Congress, including one member of the House
Judiciary Committee, Subcommittee on Crime, and two Republicans,
have recently signed on to a federal bill (H.R. 2618) that would
permit physicians to prescribe marijuana as a therapeutic agent
for seriously ill patients. The recent signees, U.S Reps.
Joseph Kennedy (D-Mass.), Steven Gunderson (R-Wis.), Zoe Lofgren
(D-Calif.), and Tom Campbell (R-Calif.) bring the total number of
co-sponsors to thirteen.
The support of the recent co-sponsors is critical for a variety
of reasons. The addition of Reps. Gunderson and Campbell
gives the bill its first taste of bi-partisan support and could
potentially persuade several other Republicans -- including House
Speaker and former co-sponsor of medical marijuana legislation
Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) -- to sign on to H.R. 2618. In
addition, the support of Republicans is necessary if the bill is
to move forward in a Republican controlled Congress.
Rep. Lofgren's support is also crucial. Currently, H.R.
2618 is pending before the Subcommittee on Crime. As a
member of this committee, Lofgren can encourage Chairman and former
two-time co-sponsor of medical marijuana legislation, Bill
McCollum (R-Fla.), to hold additional hearings on medical
marijuana and possibly bring the bill to a vote.
H.R. 2618 was introduced in Congress last fall by Rep. Barney
Frank (D-Mass.) to amend federal law to allow seriously ill
patients to have legal access to marijuana for medicinal
purposes. If passed, the bill would allow doctors to
prescribe marijuana to individuals suffering from "glaucoma,
AIDS wasting syndrome, muscle spasms from certain spastic
disorders, including multiple sclerosis, paraplegia, and
quadriplegia, or the nausea associated with cancer chemotherapy
or radiology." Currently, only eight patients are
allowed to receive medical marijuana legally from the federal
government.
For more information about H.R. 2618 or medical marijuana,
please contact either Allen St. Pierre or Paul Armentano of NORML
@ (202) 483-5500.
Funding For Study On Medical Marijuana Allocated In Washington State Budget
March, 1996, Olympia, WA: Washington
State University and the state Department of Health will start
looking for ways to make medicinal marijuana available to the
seriously ill, under strict controls, though two appropriations
provided in this year's operating budget.
The funding for the study came through the efforts of state
Senators Jeanne Kohl (D-Seattle) and Bob McCaslin
(R-Spokane). The two senators co-sponsored a bill (SB-6744)
that was used as a model for the appropriations provided in this
year's budget.
The funds will be used by Washington State University, in
conjunction with the state Board of Pharmacy, and the state
Department of Health to conduct research on cultivating marijuana
in a tamper-free environment. The study will also determine
the appropriate organization to manufacture and distribute the
drug for medical use.
The second appropriation will be used to fund a clinical study
administered by the state Department of Health under the
controlled substance abuse therapeutic program, in statute since 1979.
The study will be limited to patients under a physician's
care. Only patients receiving chemotherapy and/or radiation
treatments, or suffering from glaucoma, AIDS or HIV related illnesses,
multiple sclerosis, or other life threatening illnesses would
qualify for the study.
Results of a statewide public-opinion poll directed by local
political consultant Sharon Gilpin the weekend of March 2nd-3rd
indicated that the public supports the use of marijuana for
medicinal purposes. The statewide survey of 400 voters
found that 75 percent favored making marijuana available for
patients if prescribed by a doctor.
Gilpin said the results were a complete surprise. "I
know the people in the Northwest tend to be compassionate, but
the high number was totally unexpected," she said.
Gilpin said people who are concerned about the rising cost of
health care are willing to look at alternatives to the high cost of
fighting diseases such as AIDS and cancer.
"This is a great start that will lead to what we hope is a
promising finish," said Dr. David Edwards, an Olympia
physician and medical coordinator for the Washington Hemp
Education Network (WHEN), an agency working on informing the
public of the potential benefits of medicinal marijuana.
"I expect the results to have a positive effect in our
effort to provide organic marijuana to patients under strict
medical guidelines."
Medical marijuana activist and founder of the Green Cross
Cannabis Buyers Club, Joanna McKee, said she is confident the
study will confirm what other tests have shown: the positive effects
of medicinal marijuana. "The medical community is so
focused on using chemicals to combat illness, they ignore a
simple, organic solution that's readily available," she
said. "This test will provide the answer to those who
still question the effectiveness of THC."
Sen. McCaslin said if the results of the state study on THC is
similar to others conducted, organic marijuana could be a boon
for the seriously ill. "It will not only aid them in
their physical recovery, it could prove to be a psychological
boost as well," he said.
Kohl said the study is the first step towards getting needed
medicine to those who desperately need it. "If the
synthetic drug is not working for a patient, it only makes sense
they should be able to have access to organic marijuana."
Activists should be advised that the medicinal marijuana
appropriations could potentially fall victim to a section-item
veto by the governor. However, Sen. Kohl's office tells NORML
that she has been assured by the governor's staff that he will
not take such action.
For more information or for the latest status on the
Washington state medical marijuana appropriations, please contact
Sen. Jeanne Kohl's office @ (206) 285-1869 or the office of Sen.
Bob McCaslin @ (360) 786-7606.
Domestic Hemp Cultivation Bill Heads To Colorado Senate
March 22, 1996, Denver, CO:
Legislation (SB 67) introduced by Sen. Lloyd Casey (D-Northglenn)
to allow Colorado to become the first state to grow industrial
hemp in almost 40 years is heading for the Senate floor.
In a move that stunned both proponents and opponents alike, the
Senate Appropriations Committee voted 5-4 to send the bill to the
full Senate for debate. A similar bill was introduced by Casey
in 1995, but only received one vote of support in its first
committee.
"We're talking about not just growing, but about the textile
mills, the paper mills, [and] the food-processing products.
We're talking about all the value-added things that can result
from this," explained Casey.
The Colorado Industrial Hemp Production Act permits the planting
of no more than 40 acres of industrial hemp (defined by the bill
as marijuana containing no more than 0.5% THC) in Colorado in
1996 for agricultural, commercial, and scientific research.
The legislation allows for full scale hemp production to begin in
1998 and has been endorsed by the Colorado Farm Bureau, the Colorado
State Grange, and the National Federation of Farm Bureaus.
The bill has also received support from Hollywood actor and hemp
businessman Woody Harrelson.
Working diligently over the past year to gather support for this
bill is the Colorado Hemp Initiative Project (CO-HIP), a
grassroots organization of activists who have donated their time
to volunteer on this campaign. CO-HIP notes that the bill
currently has support in the Senate, but is probably three to
five votes shy of a majority. Nevertheless, the group
remains confident that the bill will pass the Senate and is
actively pursuing the help of farm organizations and professional lobbyists
to drum up support among legislators.
Colorado's legislative session ends on May 8, 1996.
For more information on this bill, please contact the office
of Senator Lloyd Casey @ (303) 866-4865 or CO-HIP @ (303)
784-5632. For more information on the value of industrial
hemp, please contact either Allen St. Pierre or Paul Armentano of NORML
@ (202) 483-5500.
Washington State Medical Marijuana User Found Guilty Of Drug Possession And Manufacture Charges
March, 1996, Tacoma, WA: A Pierce
County resident who used marijuana to alleviate pain and seizures
stemming from head injuries he suffered in a 1988 motorcycle
accident was found guilty of charges that he possessed and
manufactured marijuana. His sentencing is set for April 10.
Jess Williams, aka Fat Freddy, claims that he grew marijuana to
combat the symptoms of his injury after discovering that cannabis
worked more effectively than any conventional prescription drugs.
Law enforcement agents who raided Williams home maintained that
Williams possessed more plants than necessary for personal
use. Williams attorney, NORML Legal Committee member
Jeffrey Steinborn, asserts that he will appeal the
decision. "This case is a long way from over," he
says.
William's case had risen to the forefront of the battle for
medical access to marijuana in Washington State. While
Steinborn admits that an acquittal would not have invalidated the
law, he maintains that a "not guilty" verdict might
have made prosecutors wary of bringing similar cases to trial.
Previously, medical marijuana user Ralph Seeley won a declaratory
judgment from Pierce County Superior Court Judge Rosanne Buckner
affirming that a cancer patient's need to use marijuana as a
medicine overrides the state's interest in outlawing its
prescription.
Some activists who attended William's trial noted that they felt
the jury might have ruled differently had the defendant suffered
from cancer or glaucoma. Williams was the "Freedom Fighter"
of the month for the May issue of High Times magazine.
For more information on William's case, please contact
Attorney Jeffrey Steinborn of Seattle @ (206) 622-5117.
Rally For Medical Marijuana To Be Held This Saturday
March 28, 1996, Sacramento, CA: A
rally to bring awareness to the medical efficacy of marijuana and
gather support for an initiative to allow doctors to prescribe
marijuana as a therapeutic agent will take place on March 30 on
the north steps of the Capitol in Sacramento.
Coordinated by activist Peter Keyes -- an independent organizer
for Californians for Compassionate Use (CCU) -- the rally will be
held from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. and will feature a variety of bands,
disc jockeys, and speakers. Tentatively scheduled to appear
include hemp activist and author of "Hemp: Lifeline to
the Future," Chris Conrad and San Francisco Cannabis Buyer's
Club Director, Dennis Peron.
For more information on this event, please contact Peter Keyes
of Speed Up The Process @ (916) 484-4176. For more
information on the California medical marijuana initiative, please
contact Dennis Peron of Californians for Compassionate Use @
(415) 621-3986.
-END-
MORE THAN 10 MILLION MARIJUANA ARRESTS SINCE 1965 ... ANOTHER EVERY 65 SECONDS!