House Votes to Continue Attacks on Patients

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http://mpp.org/releases/nr072303.htmlFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE JULY 23, 2003House Votes to Continue Attacks on PatientsAmendment to End DEA Medical Marijuana Raids Defeated, 152-273WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The U.S. House of Representatives voted today to allowthe Bush administration's Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to continueraiding and arresting seriously ill medical marijuana patients andcaregivers in states that allow the medical use of marijuana. Nevertheless,patients and advocates were cheered by the growth in the number ofcongressional allies since the last House vote on medical marijuana in1998 -- and by the fact that more than two thirds of House Democrats votedto protect patients. The overall vote was 152 in favor, 273 opposed, and 10not voting. Today's vote came on an amendment to the Commerce-Justice-StateAppropriations bill introduced by U.S. Reps. Maurice Hinchey (D-NY) and DanaRohrabacher (R-CA). The amendment would have barred the Justice Department,including the DEA, from spending any money to raid or arrest medicalmarijuana patients and providers in states that have eliminated or reducedpenalties for medical use of marijuana: Alaska, California, Colorado,Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington. "By defeating this amendment, the House today guaranteed that patientsbattling cancer, AIDS, MS, and other terrible illnesses who find relief frommedical marijuana will continue to be rousted out of their beds by armed DEAagents, arrested, handcuffed, and jailed," said Steve Fox, director ofgovernment relations for the Marijuana Policy Project in Washington, D.C."This will happen even in states where the voters or state legislators haveacted to protect patients from just this sort of cruelty and violence. "It is particularly shocking that only 15 Republicans -- who regularlyadvocate for states' rights and reduced federal power -- voted to end theDEA's attacks on the sick," Fox continued. "Nevertheless, the 152 votes infavor or protecting patients represent a 62% increase over the last Housevote on medical marijuana, so we've made major progress. We are encouragedthat more than two thirds of Democrats voted to protect patients." In 1998, the House passed a resolution condemning state medicalmarijuana laws by a vote of 311-94. With nearly 13,000 members nationwide, the Marijuana Policy Project isthe largest marijuana policy reform organization in the United States. MPPworks to minimize the harm associated with marijuana -- both the consumptionof marijuana and the laws that are intended to prohibit such use. MPPbelieves that the greatest harm associated with marijuana is imprisonment.To this end, MPP focuses on removing criminal penalties for marijuana use,with a particular emphasis on making marijuana medically available toseriously ill people who have the approval of their doctors. For moreinformation, please visit MarijuanaPolicy.org********If this email is cut short, changingplanet/messagesYou can help us make a difference. Click here for details:http://changingplanet.supremalex.org/help.htmChanging Planet News - Where Ethics, Science and Spirituality BlendCOLLECTIVE CONSCIOUSNESS PROJECT: If this email sparked emotions in you, positive or negative, please pray, meditate, visualize or concentrate on the best possible outcome for Humanity and Earth for AT LEAST 10 seconds. On the web at http://changingplanet.supremalex.org