Please forward to any person - or list where there may be folks who may respond.
National Day of Action
for Medical Marijuana Patients
STOP the RAIDs!
End the Abuse, Halt the Waste. Communicate With Your Legislators TODAY!
Portland area (Wu, Dem., OR, 1st District) action items:
Friday, June 4
620 SW Main
Portland
11am - 2pm
There will be a group of Patients and Concerned Citizens going to the Portland office on US Representative Congressman David Wu to present him with information and testimonials in response to his continued refusal to support Oregonians who overwhelmingly approved marijuana for medical purposes.
Our esteemed congressman also opposed the Hinchet-Rohrabach amendment as mentioned in the message below. His office is located at 620 SW Main, Suite 606, in beautiful downtown Portland. They'll assemble outside starting at 11am and then go on up to his office. He will most likely not be there, but his staff will receive the communiques on his behalf.
Last visit his aide stated he (Wu) needed stories from patients, so let's let him have it with both barrels.
CONTACT:
Hal Ballard
Patient/Caregiver OMMA2 Advocate
phone: 503.617.9501
email:
Join together to stop federal agents from arresting AIDS and cancer patients who use marijuana to relieve their pain and suffering. MERCY, Voter Power and other Patient Advocates have chosen Friday, June 4th for a National Day of Action on Medical Marijuana. We need you to distribute brochures outside the district offices of Members of Congress who oppose medical marijuana and to contact them - this day on until elections - with your testimony and stories.
Drug policy reform groups have been working hard to get medical marijuana legislation passed through Congress. Last year 152 Members of Congress voted to prohibit the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) from spending any money to undermine state medical marijuana laws. This vote was more than expected but still 66 votes short of what we needed to win. We need to persuade Members of Congress who voted no last year to vote yes this year. This is where you come in.
Will you join hundreds of volunteers across the country in contacting their legislators and distributing flyers Friday, June 4? We need to let Members of Congress know that if they vote to send AIDS and cancer patients to jail, we’re going to take the fight to their backyard!
POLITELY - But Firmly - Write, Call, Email -and/or- Visit your representatives on this issue.
The STORY:
Since 1996, voters in eight states have enacted laws that confer various state legal protections on persons who need medical marijuana along with their physicians and caregivers). Hawaii became the first state legislature to enact medical marijuana legislation in 2001 and Maryland followed suit in 2003. Residents of Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington - roughly 20% of the U.S. population - live in states where public opinion and the will of the voters on medical marijuana has been transformed into meaningful law.Federal law still treats the use of marijuana, even for medical reasons, as a criminal offense. Instead of changing federal law to reflect the reforms occurring in the states, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has increased enforcement efforts against Americans who use or grow marijuana for medicinal use, even in cases where such use is legal under state law. California has become the focus of the DEA’s efforts.
In 2001 DEA agents raided and closed the West Hollywood-based Los Angeles Cannabis Resource Center, a non-profit co-op that provided marijuana to approximately 1,000 patients with AIDS, cancer and terminal illnesses. Although the co-op was operating legally under state law with the full support of local law enforcement and elected officials, 30 armed federal agents stormed the center, seizing marijuana plants, business documents, bank accounts and more than 3,000 confidential medical records. The West Hollywood Sheriff’s Department refused to cooperate with the DEA in this raid.
Other raids have been made more recently, prompting the California legislature to pass a resolution urging Congress to respect state law, stop the DEA raids, and re-schedule marijuana to allow doctors to prescribe it. The city and county of Santa Cruz, California have initiated a lawsuit against the federal government arguing that the federal government does not have the constitutional authority to arrest and imprison medical marijuana patients following state law.
These raids use precious resources, cost money, and are needlessly cruel.
Responding to growing outrage, Rep. Maurice Hinchey (D-NY) and Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) will, for the second year in a row, likely offer an amendment later this year that would prevent the DEA from spending money to undermine state medical marijuana laws. Once introduced, this amendment would force Congress to deal with the medical marijuana issue, particularly the raids.
How OREGON Voted:
YEAS (3)
for the Patients.REPUBLICANS (0)
DEMOCRATS (3)
Hooley (OR-05)
Blumenauer (OR-03)
DeFazio (OR-04)
Contact them and say "Thank You".
NAYS (2) against the Patients.
Contact these Reps with your testimony and/or visit on June 4!
REPUBLICANS (1)
Walden (OR-02)
DEMOCRATS (1)
Wu (OR-01)
Congressman Wu's District Office
620 SW Main
Portland
11am - 2pm
ACTIONS YOU CAN TAKE:
Meet With Your Representative!
If your Representative voted against medical marijuana last year, set up a meeting with his or her office. Contact them in any case and Give them stories from patients to use as testimony.BUT DON'T STOP THERE! While this action item is focusing on the federal laws take this opportunity to express your opinion to public servants at all levels. It is past time State, County and Municipal officials recognized and followed the will and law of the people on this issue and stop aiding and abetting this war on sick and dying Americans.
Join With Others and start a Letter to the Editor campaign as well. Have an LTE Party of friends, family and other supporter where everybody sits down and writes a letter to their congress-person, or to the local newspaper.
THEY need to hear testimony form Patients. Write it down where possible so they will be able to take it and show others. Hand deliver it, email, fax. Put your stories forth.
Spread the Word. Recruit other Orgs and Biz. Survey and share the results. To congress, to the editors of all the local media, to the organizations and businesses who support the war. This is the time to speak out, for your selfs and your loved ones - for the now and the future.
Register, Vote and get Everyone You Know to Do So Also! Check out the initiatives and campaigns available and affecting you in your area. Publicize and support voter registration events and awareness-raising action items such as Petition signature gathering.
Thank you for your participation. With your help we can put an end to the senseless raids of medical marijuana patients and providers, and assure that sick and dying patients have safe and legal access to their medicine. ALSO, Check Out OMMA/2 and take Direct Action TODAY, TOMORROW and On Until Victory!
The ToolShed, of by and for the People!
These organizations offer resources and action items to assist in this effort. This is an ongoing action item, so CHECK THEM OUT! , Spread the Word and save for future reference. Americans for Safe Access (ASA) . is an aggressive grassroots campaign working to push the Bush administration off its anti-medical marijuana crusade and allow states the right to choose and govern medical marijuana laws. They serve as a catalyst for committed grassroots activists to work effectively with drug policy reform groups and supportive local officials, and to unify medical marijuana advocates, patients, and caregivers around a focused national strategy. They aim to draw national attention to the struggle and build a nationwide network of local activists committed to pushing back destructive DEA policies through action. ASA uses a variety of tactics including citizen lobbying, community outreach, phone-in days, petition drives, public protest, media events and nonviolent direct action in order to raise awareness and demand political change. Contact info: 1678 Shattuck Ave. #317, Berkeley, CA 94709 USA * Phone: 510-486-8083 * Fax: 510-486-8090 * or visit: www.safeaccessnow.orgWhere you'll find the ASA Activist Tool Kit, Everything you need to be an effective activist:
http://www.safeaccessnow.org/article.php?list=type&type=17
To receive ASA alerts, send a blank email to:
asa-subscribe@lists.riseup.net
Drug Policy Aliance (DPA): If you distribute flyers Friday, June 4, please e-mail DPA's National Field Coordinator,
Naomi Long. Please tell her the city and state you live in, as well as the U.S. Representative who represents you. (You can find out who your Representative is by visiting: http://www.house.gov/ or clicking here.)You can find out how your Representative voted visiting: http://www.drugpolicy.org/docUploads/med mj vote.pdf or clicking
here. They're asking supporters whose Representatives voted "no" to set up meetings with their Members of Congress or their staffs. Learn how to set up a meeting by visiting: http://www.drugpolicy.org/donate/involved/hill/visit/index.cfm or by clicking here. Once you set up a meeting, e-mail Caren Woodson, DPA's Legislative Analyst, and she will send you materials to take along. For more info, visit: http://www.drugpolicy.org/news/05 12 04dayofaction.cfm#more
NORML: This coming June 4, the one year anniversary of medical marijuana activist Ed Rosenthal's historic sentencing, The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) will be teaming up with others in the activist community to coordinate a national day of action on medical marijuana.
Last year, members of Congress were asked to vote on an amendment that would have prevented the federal government from spending any money to interfere with state medical marijuana laws. If passed, this amendment would have put a stop to the federal raids on medical marijuana buyers clubs and cultivators such as Ed Rosenthal who were operating legally under state law. While the vote failed 273 - 152, that represents more votes in favor of medical marijuana than we've ever before received in Congress.
The amendment, introduced by Rep. Maurice Hinchey (D-NY), could come up for a vote as early as June. We want to build on the momentum from last year by holding local actions at key Congressional district offices on June 4 and start a letter campaign to follow up. NORML hopes to encourage enough members of Congress to switch their votes so that the Hinchey Amendment becomes law.
NORML is currently looking for volunteers who are willing to distribute flyers in front of Congressional district offices around the country and patients to contact them with their stories. If your Representative voted "no" last year, chances are directing volunteers to help distribute flyers on June 4. To find out how your Representative voted last year, please visit:
http://capwiz.com/norml2/issues/votes/?votenum=420&chamber=H&congress=1081If you are willing to distribute flyers or take other action they want to hear from you. Please contact Kris Krane, Associate Director, NORML at:
kris@norml.org to volunteer for this and/or future actions. Be sure to include your name, state and the name of your member of Congress.Marijuana Policy Project (MPP): in conjunction with others, is coordinating a major day of action on Friday, June 4. They realistically expect 500 or more volunteers to be protesting at over 100 locations -- mostly the district offices of U.S. representatives who voted against the Hinchey-Rohrabacher amendment last year. At each location, volunteers will be distributing personalized flyers that say, "Congressman XXXX thinks cancer, AIDS, and MS patients should be sent to federal prison," on the front. On the back, there is information about the Hinchey-Rohrabacher amendment.
We want this day of action to be as big as possible. If you are interested in participating, or think that you would be able to encourage other people to attend a local action, please contact Aaron Houston in MPP's office at
For more links to orgs and action items see the MERCY Links page.
How They Voted, the full List:
By Party, Name
YEAS (152)
REPUBLICANS (15)
Beauprez (CO-07)
Gilchrest (MD-01) Porter (NV-03)Bereuter (NE-01)
Johnson, N. (CT-05) Rohrabacher (CA-46)Bono (CA-45)
Johnson, Timothy (IL-15) Simpson (ID-02)Flake (AZ-06)
Otter (ID-01) Tancredo (CO-06)Garrett (NJ-05)
Paul (TX-14) Thomas, B. (CA-22)DEMOCRATS (136)
Abercrombie (HI-01)
Honda (CA-15) Pascrell (NJ-08)Ackerman (NY-05)
Hooley (OR-05) Pastor (AZ-04)Allen, T. (ME-01)
Inslee (WA-01) Payne (NJ-10)Andrews (NJ-01)
Israel (NY-02) Pelosi (CA-08)Baird (WA-03)
Jackson, J. (IL-02) Price, D. (NC-04)Baldwin (WI-02)
Jackson-Lee, S. (TX-18) Rahall (WV-03)Ballance (NC-01)
Jefferson (LA-02) Rangel (NY-15)Becerra (CA-31)
Johnson, E.B. (TX-30) Rodriguez (TX-28)Berman (CA-28)
Jones, S. (OH-11) Roybal-Allard (CA-34)Bishop, S. (GA-02)
Kanjorski (PA-11) Ruppersberger (MD-02)Bishop, T. (NY-01)
Kaptur (OH-09) Rush (IL-01)Blumenauer (OR-03)
Kennedy, P. (RI-01) Ryan, T. (OH-17)Brady, R. (PA-01)
Kilpatrick (MI-13) Sabo (MN-05)Brown, C. (FL-03)
Kind, R. (WI-03) Sanchez, Linda (CA-39)Brown, S. (OH-13)
Kleczka (WI-04) Sanchez, Loretta (CA-47)Capps (CA-23)
Kucinich (OH-10) Schakowsky (IL-09)Capuano (MA-08)
Lantos (CA-12) Schiff (CA-29)Carson, J. (IN-07)
Larsen, R. (WA-02) Scott, D. (GA-13)Case (HI-02)
Larson, J. (CT-01) Scott, R. (VA-03)Clay (MO-01)
Lee (CA-09) Serrano (NY-16)Conyers (MI-14)
Lewis, John (GA-05) Sherman (CA-27)Crowley (NY-07)
Lofgren (CA-16) Slaughter (NY-28)Davis, D. (IL-07)
Lowey (NY-18) Smith, A. (WA-09)Davis, S. (CA-53)
Majette (GA-04) Solis (CA-32)DeFazio (OR-04)
Maloney, C. (NY-14) Stark (CA-13)DeGette (CO-01)
Markey (MA-07) Strickland (OH-06)Delahunt (MA-10)
Matsui (CA-05) Stupak (MI-01)DeLauro (CT-03)
McCarthy, C. (NY-04) Tauscher (CA-10)Deutsch (FL-20)
McCarthy, K. (MO-05) Thompson, B. (MS-02)Dicks (WA-06)
McCollum (MN-04) Thompson, M. (CA-01)Doggett (TX-10)
McDermott (WA-07) Tierney (MA-06)Dooley (CA-20)
McGovern (MA-03) Towns (NY-10)Doyle (PA-14)
Meehan (MA-05) Udall, M. (CO-02)Engel (NY-17)
Meek, K. (FL-17) Udall, T. (NM-03)Eshoo (CA-14)
Meeks, G. (NY-06) Van Hollen (MD-08)Farr (CA-17)
Michaud (ME-02) Velazquez (NY-12)Fattah (PA-02)
Millender-McDonald (CA-37) Waters (CA-35)Filner (CA-51)
Moran, James (VA-08) Watson (CA-33)Frank, B. (MA-04)
Murtha (PA-12) Watt (NC-12)Gonzalez (TX-20)
Nadler (NY-08) Waxman (CA-30)Grijalva (AZ-07)
Napolitano (CA-38) Weiner (NY-09)Gutierrez (IL-04)
Neal (MA-02) Wexler (FL-19)Harman (CA-36)
Oberstar (MN-08) Woolsey (CA-06)Hastings, A. (FL-23)
Obey (WI-07) Wynn (MD-04)Hinchey (NY-22)
Olver (MA-01)Holt (NJ-12)
Owens (NY-11)INDEPENDENTS (1)
Sanders (VT-AL)
NAYS (273)
REPUBLICANS (208)
Aderholt (AL-04)
Gillmor (OH-05) Nussle (IA-01)Akin (MO-02)
Gingrey (GA-11) Osborne (NE-03)Bachus, S. (AL-06)
Goode (VA-05) Ose (CA-03)Baker (LA-06)
Goodlatte (VA-06) Oxley (OH-04)Ballenger (NC-10)
Goss (FL-14) Pence (IN-06)Barrett (SC-03)
Granger (TX-12) Peterson, J. (PA-05)Bartlett (MD-06)
Graves (MO-06) Petri (WI-06)Barton (TX-06)
Green, M. (WI-08) Pickering (MS-03)Bass (NH-02)
Greenwood (PA-08) Pitts (PA-16)Biggert (IL-13)
Gutknecht (MN-01) Platts (PA-19)Bilirakis (FL-09)
Harris (FL-13) Pombo (CA-11)Blackburn (TN-07)
Hart (PA-04) Portman (OH-02)Blunt (MO-07)
Hastings, D. (WA-04) Pryce, D. (OH-15)Boehlert (NY-24)
Hayes (NC-08) Putnam (FL-12)Boehner (OH-08)
Hayworth (AZ-05) Quinn (NY-27)Bonilla (TX-23)
Hefley (CO-05) Radanovich (CA-19)Bonner (AL-01)
Hensarling (TX-05) Ramstad (MN-03)Boozman (AR-03)
Herger (CA-02) Regula (OH-16)Bradley (NH-01)
Hobson (OH-07) Rehberg (MT-AL)Brady, K. (TX-08)
Hoekstra (MI-02) Renzi (AZ-01)Brown, H. (SC-01)
Hostettler (IN-08) Reynolds (NY-26)Brown-Waite (FL-05)
Houghton (NY-29) Rogers, H. (KY-05)Burgess (TX-26)
Hulshof (MO-09) Rogers, Mike (MI-08)Burns, M. (GA-12)
Hunter (CA-52) Rogers, Mike D. (AL-03)Burr (NC-05)
Hyde (IL-06) Ros-Lehtinen (FL-18)Burton (IN-05)
Isakson (GA-06) Royce (CA-40)Buyer (IN-04)
Issa (CA-49) Ryan, P. (WI-01)Calvert (CA-44)
Istook (OK-05) Ryun, J. (KS-02)Camp (MI-04)
Janklow (SD-AL) Saxton (NJ-03)Cannon (UT-03)
Jenkins (TN-01) Schrock (VA-02)Cantor (VA-07)
Johnson, Sam (TX-03) Sensenbrenner (WI-05)Capito (WV-02)
Jones, W. (NC-03) Sessions, P. (TX-32)Carter (TX-31)
Keller (FL-08) Shadegg (AZ-03)Castle (DE-AL)
Kelly (NY-19) Shaw (FL-22)Chabot (OH-01)
Kennedy, M. (MN-06) Shays (CT-04)Chocola (IN-02)
King, P. (NY-03) Sherwood (PA-10)Coble (NC-06)
King, S. (IA-05) Shimkus (IL-19)Cole (OK-04)
Kingston (GA-01) Shuster, Bill (PA-09)Collins, M. (GA-08)
Kirk (IL-10) Simmons (CT-02)Cox (CA-48)
Kline (MN-02) Smith, C. (NJ-04)Crane (IL-08)
Knollenberg (MI-09) Smith, L. (TX-21)Crenshaw (FL-04)
Kolbe (AZ-08) Smith, N. (MI-07)Cubin (WY-AL)
LaHood (IL-18) Souder (IN-03)Culberson (TX-07)
Latham (IA-04) Stearns (FL-06)Cunningham (CA-50)
LaTourette (OH-14) Sweeney (NY-20)Davis, Jo Ann (VA-01)
Leach (IA-02) Tauzin (LA-03)Davis, T. (VA-11)
Lewis, Jerry (CA-41) Taylor, C. (NC-11)Deal (GA-10)
Lewis, R. (KY-02) Terry (NE-02)DeLay (TX-22)
Linder (GA-07) Thornberry (TX-13)DeMint (SC-04)
LoBiondo (NJ-02) Tiahrt (KS-04)Diaz-Balart, M. (FL-25)
Lucas, F. (OK-03) Tiberi (OH-12)Diaz-Balart, L. (FL-21)
Manzullo (IL-16) Toomey (PA-15)Doolittle (CA-04)
McCotter (MI-11) Turner, M. (OH-03)Dreier (CA-26)
McCrery (LA-04) Upton (MI-06)Duncan (TN-02)
McHugh (NY-23) Vitter (LA-01)Dunn (WA-08)
McInnis (CO-03) Walden (OR-02)Ehlers (MI-03)
McKeon (CA-25) Walsh (NY-25)Emerson (MO-08)
Mica (FL-07) Wamp (TN-03)English (PA-03)
Miller, C. (MI-10) Weldon, C. (PA-07)Everett (AL-02)
Miller, Gary (CA-42) Weldon, D. (FL-15)Feeney (FL-24)
Miller, J. (FL-01) Weller (IL-11)Fletcher (KY-06)
Moran, Jerry (KS-01) Whitfield (KY-01)Foley (FL-16)
Murphy (PA-18) Wicker (MS-01)Forbes (VA-04)
Musgrave (CO-04) Wilson, H. (NM-01)Fossella (NY-13)
Myrick (NC-09) Wilson, J. (SC-02)Franks, T. (AZ-02)
Nethercutt (WA-05) Wolf (VA-10)Frelinghuysen (NJ-11)
Ney (OH-18) Young, C.W. (FL-10)Gallegly (CA-24)
Northup (KY-03) Young, D. (AK-AL)Gerlach (PA-06)
Norwood (GA-09)Gibbons (NV-02)
Nunes (CA-21)DEMOCRATS (65)
Alexander, R. (LA-05)
Evans (IL-17) Menendez (NJ-13)Baca (CA-43)
Frost (TX-24) Miller, B. (NC-13)Bell (TX-25)
Gordon, B. (TN-06) Mollohan (WV-01)Berry (AR-01)
Green, G. (TX-29) Moore (KS-03)Boswell (IA-03)
Hall, R. (TX-04) Ortiz (TX-27)Boucher (VA-09)
Hill (IN-09) Pallone (NJ-06)Boyd (FL-02)
Hinojosa (TX-15) Peterson, C. (MN-07)Cardin (MD-03)
Hoeffel (PA-13) Pomeroy (ND-AL)Cardoza (CA-18)
Holden (PA-17) Reyes (TX-16)Carson, B. (OK-02)
Hoyer (MD-05) Ross (AR-04)Clyburn (SC-06)
John (LA-07) Rothman (NJ-09)Cooper (TN-05)
Kildee (MI-05) Sandlin (TX-01)Costello (IL-12)
Lampson (TX-09) Skelton (MO-04)Cramer (AL-05)
Langevin (RI-02) Snyder (AR-02)Cummings (MD-07)
Levin, S. (MI-12) Spratt (SC-05)Davis, A. (AL-07)
Lipinski (IL-03) Stenholm (TX-17)Davis, Jim (FL-11)
Lucas, K. (KY-04) Tanner (TN-08)Davis, L. (TN-04)
Lynch (MA-09) Taylor, G. (MS-04)Dingell (MI-15)
Marshall (GA-03) Turner, J. (TX-02)Edwards, C. (TX-11)
Matheson (UT-02) Visclosky (IN-01)Emanuel (IL-05)
McIntyre (NC-07) Wu (OR-01)Etheridge (NC-02)
McNulty (NY-21)INDEPENDENTS (0)
NOT VOTING (10)
REPUBLICANS (6)
Bishop, R. (UT-01) ?
Hastert (IL-14) S Pearce (NM-02) ?Ferguson (NJ-07) ?
Neugebauer (TX-19) ? Sullivan (OK-01) ?DEMOCRATS (4)
Berkley (NV-01) ?
Gephardt (MO-03) ?Ford (TN-09) ?
Miller, George (CA-07) ?INDEPENDENTS (0)