Flyinghigh
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U.S. House votes 262-165 to continue funding DEA's war on medical marijuana patients
On July 25, 2007, the U.S. House of Representatives defeated by a vote of 165-262 an amendment that would have prevented the DEA and the U.S. Justice Department from arresting or prosecuting medical marijuana patients and providers in the 12 states where medical marijuana is legal.
Congressmen Maurice Hinchey (D-NY) and Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.) sponsored the amendment.
Although we lost, the vote was a record showing of congressional support, in part because of the more than 24,000 letters that MPP members and allies sent to their U.S. representatives in the weeks leading up to the vote.
Speaking on the House floor in favor of the amendment, Congressman Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.) told an emotional story about his close friend, a former Navy SEAL, who died of pancreatic cancer but used medical marijuana to ease his final months.
Congressman Rohrabacher spoke of the deaths of his mother and brother from cancer, stating, "If marijuana would have helped them, it would have been a horrible thing to think that federal agents would have come in and interfered with that, if their doctor had recommended it."
Speaking in opposition to the amendment, Congressman Dave Weldon (R-Fla.) falsely claimed that marijuana "does cause cancer. I've seen it." He added, "Most people who want to use [medical marijuana] want to get high."
This is only the fifth time in history that the full House has voted on binding legislation to end the federal government's war on medical marijuana patients. (The U.S. Senate never has.)
Leading up to the vote, the MPP staff and our lobbyists had dozens of meetings with House members. The addition of former Congressman Bob Barr (R-Ga.) to our lobbying ranks this year gave a boost to our efforts.
MPP also generated a record amount of grassroots support for the amendment, delivering hundreds of patient anecdotes and testimony to members of Congress. MPP coordinated an open letter to Congress from health and medical organizations and helped draft the text of the amendment.
Now that the amendment has received 165 votes, in the next year we'll be targeting a smaller number of districts to pick up the remaining 53 votes we need to reach a 218-vote majority.
The momentum is on our side, and we'll keep fighting until Congress listens to the American people and ends the government's cruel and needless war on sick people. We are hopeful for change, as our campaign in New Hampshire has already gotten the majority 10 out of 17, including U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) of the presidential candidates to pledge to end the federal governments war on medical marijuana users. The days of DEA raids on seriously ill people are numbered.
When is the congress going to Give it Up and just let it be that there NO END to using MJ......Put it on the market like alchoul!!!!!! I rather smoke my pot in public, then drink in public!!!
On July 25, 2007, the U.S. House of Representatives defeated by a vote of 165-262 an amendment that would have prevented the DEA and the U.S. Justice Department from arresting or prosecuting medical marijuana patients and providers in the 12 states where medical marijuana is legal.
Congressmen Maurice Hinchey (D-NY) and Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.) sponsored the amendment.
Although we lost, the vote was a record showing of congressional support, in part because of the more than 24,000 letters that MPP members and allies sent to their U.S. representatives in the weeks leading up to the vote.
Speaking on the House floor in favor of the amendment, Congressman Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.) told an emotional story about his close friend, a former Navy SEAL, who died of pancreatic cancer but used medical marijuana to ease his final months.
Congressman Rohrabacher spoke of the deaths of his mother and brother from cancer, stating, "If marijuana would have helped them, it would have been a horrible thing to think that federal agents would have come in and interfered with that, if their doctor had recommended it."
Speaking in opposition to the amendment, Congressman Dave Weldon (R-Fla.) falsely claimed that marijuana "does cause cancer. I've seen it." He added, "Most people who want to use [medical marijuana] want to get high."
This is only the fifth time in history that the full House has voted on binding legislation to end the federal government's war on medical marijuana patients. (The U.S. Senate never has.)
Leading up to the vote, the MPP staff and our lobbyists had dozens of meetings with House members. The addition of former Congressman Bob Barr (R-Ga.) to our lobbying ranks this year gave a boost to our efforts.
MPP also generated a record amount of grassroots support for the amendment, delivering hundreds of patient anecdotes and testimony to members of Congress. MPP coordinated an open letter to Congress from health and medical organizations and helped draft the text of the amendment.
Now that the amendment has received 165 votes, in the next year we'll be targeting a smaller number of districts to pick up the remaining 53 votes we need to reach a 218-vote majority.
The momentum is on our side, and we'll keep fighting until Congress listens to the American people and ends the government's cruel and needless war on sick people. We are hopeful for change, as our campaign in New Hampshire has already gotten the majority 10 out of 17, including U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) of the presidential candidates to pledge to end the federal governments war on medical marijuana users. The days of DEA raids on seriously ill people are numbered.
When is the congress going to Give it Up and just let it be that there NO END to using MJ......Put it on the market like alchoul!!!!!! I rather smoke my pot in public, then drink in public!!!
