Reschedule Cannabis

It is important that the patient’s side of the story be presented and not just the drug war media distortions.

SEATTLE _ Martin Martinez says the small, private collective and outreach group he runs from a storefront are legal, a place for medical-marijuana patients to get help growing the medicine they need to manage their pain.

One of the earliest advocates for what became a voter-approved state medical-marijuana law 10 years ago, Martinez says he hasn’t handed out pot, nor grown any in his cramped office.

But Tuesday afternoon, Seattle police, armed with a search warrant, carted away marijuana and hundreds of private patient files, and tore down a wall in search of a marijuana patch that didn’t exist.

King County prosecutors say the raid was justified. Martinez’s neighbors have been complaining about a pervasive smell of pot, they said, so authorities need to figure out whether Martinez has been breaking the law.

But the episode has Martinez frustrated and his attorney furious. They accuse the police and prosecutors of being overzealous and refusing to honor the law that is supposed to let sick people use pot in peace. At a minimum, Martinez says, the authorities should let the whole thing blow over _ and return his stuff.

I’ve posted about this already, but feel there should be a little more emphasis put on some of the facts, and at least present more quotes from the victim and his attorney.

“We’re trying desperately to be legal, to stay alive and not have these conflicts,” Martinez said. “Science and law have to come to terms, because the doctors are recommending cannabis and the police have got to get on the same page.”

Martinez, 48, suffered severe neurological damage in a motorcycle accident in 1986. He later became one of the first people in King County to use medical necessity as a defense against prosecution for using marijuana.

In 1998, he helped promote the medical-marijuana initiative that voters approved overwhelmingly. It allows people with certain serious ailments to use marijuana if authorized by a physician.

For the past four years or so, he has operated Lifevine _ a private collective of patients who work together to grow their own medical marijuana _ and Cascadia NORML, a public-outreach organization that provides ID cards to medical-marijuana patients so they can show police that they have a legal right. He said the groups used three different locations in the U District on Northeast 55th Street and never had any problems.

I would like to thank Martinez for his effort.

“I’m just hopping mad,” said Douglas Hiatt, Martinez’s attorney, who arrived at the office during the search and called a deputy prosecutor to try to talk her out of executing the warrant. “It’s stupid and was totally preventable.”

Hiatt said Martinez is “super responsible” and makes sure he follows the letter of the law.

“I’d like for them to give him his stuff back and compensate him for anything they broke,” Hiatt said. “If they decide to go forward with this (and file charges), we’re going to have a real fight.”

Most of the time patients are not breaking any law when they have their doors kicked in, property seized, and harrassed in this manner.

But Mark Larson, the chief criminal deputy for the King County Prosecutor’s Office, said an investigation is warranted to determine whether Martinez was operating within the bounds of the state law.

“We’re certainly aware people have a right to use medical marijuana,” Larson said. “But that doesn’t include dispensing, and it doesn’t include possessing unlimited quantities.”

It has already been stated he was in fact not dispensing marijuana at the facilities, nor did he have “unlimited quantities.” He was within state law. At least the chief criminal deputy acknowledges awareness of “the right to use medical marijuana.”

State laws don’t specify legal amounts or ways medical marijuana can be dispensed to others, he said. The state Legislature last year ordered the Health Department to establish maximum amounts each patient may possess, but the department’s proposals are still being debated.

“We’d love to have these issues clarified so that people who need it get it, and people who operate outside the rules risk prosecution,” Larson said.

So again, how was he breaking laws if state law does not specify his allowance? This is exactly why I have recently begun discussing how much a patient should be allowed to grow. I have personally found that 71 ounces for 2 months is barely enough if you use it in the cooked form, which many prefer because of negative side effects of smoking.

Having 12 ounces of marijuana may last the guy 3-4 weeks depending on how often he uses?

The business owner who complained about the smell said she didn’t know until after Tuesday’s bust that Martinez’s office was being used by medical-marijuana patients.

She said she suspected someone was growing pot in the three-story building, which houses a mix of businesses and apartments.

Isn’t that convenient…

“I’m really sorry. We didn’t want to bother anyone,” he said. “We’re a very private group, which is why it doesn’t say ‘medical marijuana’ on the door.

“We’ve tried to keep to ourselves.” said Martinez

No doubt brother, keep up the good work and stand strong.

Never relent.

The Seattle police who illegally seized files recently have returned the files, but refused to return the patient’s medicine, which is within the legal amount he can possess. Again, he is a legal patient, who can legally carry medical marijuana. These cops should not be able to take his medicine away, which helps him cope with daily pain from motorcycle accident.

Seattle police returned hundreds of patient files and a computer hard drive to Martin Martinez Thursday evening, two days after they raided his University District storefront where he runs a collective and outreach group for medical-marijuana patients.

Prosecutors have told Martinez he won’t face any charges and the investigation is now closed.

“Nothing is going to happen. It’s done,” said Douglas Hiatt, Martinez’s lawyer, who went to the Seattle Police Department Thursday to pick up the files and other belongings.

But police have so far refused to return about 12 ounces of marijuana and two bongs seized during Tuesday’s bust, Hiatt said.

According to Hiatt, a police-department attorney has promised that the drugs and water pipes won’t be destroyed until Hiatt can raise the issue with King County Prosecuting Attorney Dan Satterberg or take the matter to court.

Let me get this straight, a citizen who is breaking no laws, can have their doors kicked in, have their medicine taken away illegally, computers seized, and then they are the ones who have to fight it in court? This police department should brace itelf for the lawsuit about to come its way. The items should never have been seized in the first place, considering no crime was committed, no one has been charged with a crime, and there is no evidence of any crime taking place. To demand sick and dying patients “take the matter to court” is another way of hurting patients while trying to continue to further the Drug War Policy in the minds of law enforcement and much of the public despite the fact medical marijuana has been voted on, approved, and legalized.

“It’s really the principle — if you have the legal right to have something, the police shouldn’t be able to take it away from you and not give it back,” Hiatt said.

We must fight to stop this abuse of patients by our law enforcement. The police are here to protect and serve us, not abuse us.

Dan Donohoe, a spokesman for Satterberg, confirmed the files’ return and that Martinez would not face criminal charges but referred questions about the seized marijuana to Seattle police, who couldn’t be reached Thursday.

The Police Department couldn’t be reached for comment? They at least confirm no charges will be filed. So again, why seize property and medicine?

Officers (paid for with tax dollars) come in destroy property, steal things and we have to sit back and take it?

But the statement also acknowledges that Martinez, who suffered severe neurological damage in a motorcycle accident in 1986, “is authorized to possess marijuana for medical purposes,” and that the amount of pot seized by police was arguably within the 60-day supply limit the state medical-marijuana law provides.

Seattle police searched Martinez’s office on Northeast 50th Street after neighbors complained of a strong odor of pot in the building. After obtaining a search warrant, they carted off the pot and the files, which included detailed medical histories and medical-marijuana prescriptions. They also broke down part of a wall in search of marijuana plants. They didn’t find any.

Lawsuit time. He is legal under state law, protected under state law. These cops break down walls, take what they want and never have to answer to anyone even though no crime was committed or reported. This is again, based on a cops nose being used to initiate the arrest, harassment, and prosecution of sick and dying patients.

Looks like the police are not protecting and serving in Seattle.

Seattle police seized files on nearly 600 medical marijuana patients when officers searched the headquarters of a patient support group, activists said Wednesday.

The search occurred Tuesday after a nearby police bicycle officer reported the smell of marijuana. Martin Martinez, who runs the Lifevine cooperative as well as Cascadia NORML, the local chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, said no one was arrested but officers seized about 12 ounces of marijuana in addition to the patient files and a computer.

Another case of a cop using his nose to initiate arrests of completely innocent people. If no one was arrested, why did they seize property?

There were no marijuana plants growing there, Martinez said. He is a longtime advocate of legalizing the medical use of marijuana, following a severe motorcycle crash that left him with nerve damage in 1986. Three other patients authorized to use pot under Washington’s medical marijuana law were also present when officers arrived at the office, which does not dispense marijuana, he said.

Again, these patients are authorized for medical marijuana and are breaking no laws.

Cascadia NORML has been issuing identity cards to medical marijuana patients, but before doing so, it requires the patients to provide their medical authorizations for verification. That’s why the patient files were in the office, Martinez said. The cards are not issued pursuant to the state’s medical marijuana law, but are designed to help identify the patient as legitimate if confronted by police.

Some of the nearly 600 patients are now dead, and some others are no longer actively using marijuana, he said.

This fact cannot be overlooked, many of the patient files they illegally seized are in fact for patients who have died. What do they need this for? This is a good program helping sick and dying people, why are the police seizing computer files on these patients? Do cops kick in the doors of dentists and steal their computers and go through their confidential patient file history? This is illegal, to do so under the guise of “eradicating marijuana” is misleading and malicious.

The police “have a heck of a lot of patient records I don’t think they should have,” said Douglas Hiatt, a Seattle attorney who specializes in medical marijuana cases. “For one thing, those records are protected under federal privacy laws. If you’re a medical marijuana patient, you don’t want the police to know who you are or where you live, and this is why - because you don’t get treated very well.”

Nice, a lawyer speaking the truth about how patients are treated, and the fact these records should remain private. Again, not to mention the fact these patients were not breaking any state laws. No plants were being grown there.

Under Washington’s medical marijuana law, doctors can authorize patients to have as much as a 60-day supply of marijuana to treat symptoms of AIDS, cancer and other debilitating or chronic conditions. The law doesn’t define what a 60-day supply is, but the state Health Department proposed this month that it be defined as 24 ounces of usable pot, along with six mature plants and 18 immature plants. Marijuana remains illegal under federal law.

According to Hiatt, the seized documents included patient authorizations, full medical histories, and the names of doctors who authorized the marijuana use.

This is why it is important to learn how California & New York are trying to put an end to this practice - Hault To Prosecuting Patients - by denying tax dollars be used for prosecuting patients and doing this type of illegal activity. Again, they did not arrest anyone because there were no laws being broken, this should not be tolerated or accepted in our society.

These are sick and dying people suffering daily pain, just trying to live a better life - have these police no compassion? Why should tax dollars go to pay cops to arrest the very people that laws were enacted to allow medical marijuana use?

Alison Chinn Holcomb, who follows marijuana issues for the Washington state chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, said there doesn’t appear to be any evidence that the group was providing or growing marijuana, and no information that has been revealed thus far would seem to justify seizing the patient files.

“These are very sick people with very serious conditions, and we’re sure none of them want the nature of those conditions made available to the public or to anyone who doesn’t have a valid need for it,” she said.

Many patients are dying, and to have them being treated this way is a mockery of what America is supposed to stand for.

This is not freedom. When a people vote for laws, and the cops themselves fight against those laws - who can win? They are the ones with the guns, the patients have doctor bills, not weapons.

Do not think the drug companies or “Big Pharma,” short for Big Pharmaceutical companies, do not support the use of Cannabis as Medicine - as many find, you’d be surprised.

Watson has released a generic form of the brand name “Marinol” which is a cannabis/marijuana based medication under the name Dronabinol.

This shows that although many believe the drug companies do not “want” marijuana legalized as a medicine, that perception may indeed be false - as I show there are already over 100 million Americans taking cannabis-based pills, and a legion of others who grow and process their own through organic gardening and hydroponics.

Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a leading specialty pharmaceutical company, announced today that, under a supply agreement with Solvay Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Watson has launched the authorized generic version of dronabinol in the 2.5, 5 and 10 mg once daily dosage strengths. Dronabinol is the generic version of Solvay Pharmaceuticals’ MARINOL (dronabinol) CIII Capsules, indicated to treat nausea and vomiting associated with cancer chemotherapy in patients who have failed to respond adequately to conventional antiemetic treatments. Dronabinol is also indicated to treat anorexia associated with weight loss in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). For the 12-months ending December 2007, Solvay reported MARINOL sales of 105 million.

Wow, 105 Million are on pills that cost an average of over $1000 a month for a supply. No way the drug companies will pass up a chance like this to make more money. Watson, leading generic pill maker is famous for its generic Vicodin and by releasing a generic form of Marinol (Drobabinol) you can see the wheels turning to bring this medication to as many patients as possible.

Under the terms of the supply agreement, Solvay Pharmaceuticals will supply the dronabinol capsules to the Company’s subsidiary, Watson Pharma, which will market, sell and distribute the product in the United States. Solvay Pharmaceuticals will receive a share of the profits from Watson’s sales of the generic product in the U.S. market. Further details on the agreement have not been disclosed.

“Marinol” is a brand name for “dronabinol” - here is a little info about it.

Dronabinol should not be used by any patient who has a history of hypersensitivity to any cannabinoid or to sesame oil. Patients should not drive, operate machinery, or engage in hazardous activity until they establish that they can tolerate dronabinol and perform such tasks safely. Dronabinol should be used with caution in patients with a history of seizure disorder; patients with cardiac disorders; patients with a history of substance abuse (including alcohol abuse or dependence); patients with mania, depression, or schizophrenia (along with careful psychiatric monitoring); patients taking sedatives, hypnotics, or other psychoactive drugs; and in elderly patients, pregnant patients, nursing mothers, or pediatric patients. The most common side effects probably related to dronabinol are dizziness, feelings of exaggerated happiness, paranoid reaction, drowsiness, thinking abnormal, abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting.

While I applaud the science behind this, I also encourage the allowance of patients and caregivers to grow their own and remain as independent of Big Pharma as they can. Obviously, pill-form cannabis is needed, and now Watson has released a generic form more sick and dying patients will be relieved of pain, hopefully at a cheaper price.

Regarding Dronabinol and its effectiveness:

Dronabinaol does not contain the other significant chemical constituents present in cannabis. While it is made of synthetic THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) there are dozens of other “cannabinoids” present in cannabis that work together (science still does not even know how exactly) to produce the medicinal feeling and relief associated with medical marijuana.

The cost of these pills are so much higher than the black market street price for marijuana it is insane. Reportedly it costs more than the expensive male performance pill Viagra, ranging from $20-$25 a pill - and taking three a day would cost a patient $75 a day - street cannabis is cheaper than that, and growing your own is virtually free of charge.

The idea that we should “synthesize” something that grows naturally on this planet is somewhat an awkward approach to medicine in my mind. Synthetic THC is not the same as the natural organic combination of cannabinoids found in cannabis, and it never will be.

About Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc., headquartered in Corona, CA, is a leading specialty pharmaceutical company that develops, manufactures, markets, sells and distributes brand and generic pharmaceutical products. Watson pursues a growth strategy combining internal product development, strategic alliances and collaborations and synergistic acquisitions of products and businesses.

To help highlight the reason I started this web site as my personal medical cannabis support site - I show you everyday web sites we use are active in squashing public discourse regarding certain things - my only concern of course, “medical marijuana.”

Why would a social network site like Digg, bother wasting time trying to quell discussion on a topic such as medical marijuana, I have no idea, but one thing for sure - it does.

Here is a screenshot of the error message I just got trying to submit an article on our favorite topic, medical marijuana…

I can understand blocking certain topics that may encourage illegal activity or the breaking of laws, but considering medical marijuana is in fact legal in many of the United States of America, I find it embarrassing that sites like Digg are actively discouraging the sharing of info related to the medicinal use of marijuana.

This is exactly the reason I launched this site - if it was up to those controlling the air waves this topic would have went away a long time ago. Either way, I just got this error and felt like sharing this find with you.

What article was I trying to share?

I was expanding my previous thoughts on how many plants a patient is allowed, as well as daily cannabis amount allowance on this page called: 71 Ounces Of Medical Marijuana Barely Enough.

Never relent.

The latest in medical marijuana research… or is it “selling pills” in disguise?

Research exploring new ways of exploiting the full medicinal uses of cannabis while avoiding unwanted side-effects will be presented to pharmacologists on July 15 by scientists attending the Federation of European Pharmacological Societies Congress, EPHAR 2008.

A big part of “avoiding side effects” is using a vaporizer, and I really hope these doctors go into how effective vaporizers are at delivering the active ingredient THC (plus many other cannabinoids) without the bad side effects of “smoking.” Part of the negative campaign against medical marijuana touts the effects of “smoking cannabis.” By using a vaporizer you minimize all of the carcinogenic effects of burning the plant matter. As medical marijuana supporter, I support the use of vaporizers over smoking the cannabis.

Cannabis is a source of compounds known as cannabinoids, one of which, THC — the main chemical responsible for the ‘high’ — has long been licensed as a medicine for suppressing nausea produced by chemotherapy and for stimulating appetite, for instance, in AIDS patients.

Don’t forget Migraine

More recently, the cannabis-based medicine Sativex was licensed both for the symptomatic relief of neuropathic pain in adults with multiple sclerosis and as an adjunctive analgesic treatment for adult patients with advanced cancer. Sativex contains approximately equal amounts of THC and the non-psychoactive plant cannabinoid, cannabidiol.

While a company putting out pills that use THC to relieve pain is good in a way in that it will help people. The problem with much of this research is that it seems as if instead of just promoting the use of cannabis as medicine, these doctors are actually aiming to fund “drugs” made from marijuana, so they can patent, market, advertise, and profit from the sales. However, medical marijuana goes much deeper than that.

One of the best things about medical marijuana is it can be grown relatively free of charge - no need to pay extremely high costs of THC-based pills from the drug store. Some of these pills costs $20 and up a piece! Patients need to take at least 5 a day, and a prescription of twenty pills would be $500+ - for a 4 day supply? Sorry, but you can by a bag of legal medical cannabis for cheaper than that. At that price you can see why the drug companies want in on this “cannabis medicine” so bad.

Allowing a person to grow their own medical marijuana will eliminate this huge profit-driven pouncing on sick patients. This strikes at the heart of this debate regarding “how many plants a patient can grow?” In order to get the same amount of THC as a prescription of Sativex or Marinol, a patient needs 71 ounces for 2 months. This has been discussed already, this proves that states or counties only allowing six plants is not enough - a patient needs at least 10g a day - a patient who uses daily can easily go through 20g of medicine in a day. Not to mention many cancer patients choose to “cook” the cannabis into brownies or something edible to help them eat or fight off nausea. This easily consumes 10g-20g in a day.

These companies want to push their own agenda which is actually selling medications for the pharmaceutical companies that fund this research.

I do not aim to detract from the research, but one must note how the “brand names” of these “marijuana pills” constantly come up in the research vs all-natural medicinally grown Humboldt, California pot. Pills created in a lab made from synthetic THC do not contain the “many other cannabinoids” that actually work together in combination with each other to provide the pain relief associated with medicinal cannabis. THC is not the only active ingredient in cannabis, and the drug companies cannot synthesize them all for pill-form. The cost of these medicines make them not readily available when compared to the low cost of growing for yourself, or even just buying from a medical marijuana dispensary.

“THC works by targeting molecules in our bodies called cannabinoid receptors” said Roger Pertwee, Professor of Neuropharmacology at the University of Aberdeen, who is co-chairing the cannabis symposium.

“So some current research is focused on designing drugs that only target cannabinoid receptors in the part of the body relevant to the disease in question and not the receptors in the central nervous system involved in the unwanted effects of cannabis.”

(more…)

This image can be used as a “Desktop Background” - just right click and choose “Set As Desktop Background” if you are using Firefox - or “Set As Background” for Internet Explorer users. Either way, what this does is place the image as your background on your computer’s Desktop.

This is the first of more to come “marijuana or cannabis related backgrounds” and desktop images created by the RescheduleCannabis.com Design Team.

The backgrounds on this page are free to use, but please do not alter the image in a way to remove our web site name from the graphic. Otherwise, have fun and Happy 4:20.

The idea that the cancer patient behind California Proposition 215 would spend a single day in jail suffering from a rare form of adrenal cancer for over 25 years, is so absurd frankly - I find it hard to even believe.

VANCOUVER — An American medical marijuana advocate who tried to claim refugee status in Canada is out of jail in California and says he wants to come back here - at least for a visit.

Steve Kubby served a total of 40 days of a 120-day sentence for possessing drugs found in a police raid almost a decade ago.

Last week, California Superior Court essentially erased the conviction under legislation that allows the move when defendants have fulfilled the terms of their probation.

“This was such a tempest in a teapot,” Kubby, a 61-year-old former ski magazine publisher and pot activist, said in an interview from his home in Mendocino, Calif. “This whole thing was so absurd. It’s finally gotten straightened out.”

He is not just a “medical marijuana advocate” - he deserves a bit more recognition than that…

Steven “Steve” Wynn Kubby (born December 28, 1946) is a Libertarian Party activist who played a key role in the drafting and passage of California Proposition 215. The proposition was a ballot initiative to legalize medical marijuana which was approved by voters in 1996. Kubby himself is well-known as a cancer patient who relies on medical cannabis.

I’d like to thank him personally should he ever read this.

Kubby suffers from a rare form of adrenal cancer that he says can only be kept in check by using marijuana. Without it, he says his body over-produces adrenaline, which can spike blood pressure, causing heart attacks and strokes.

Not only has the medical marijuana kept his cancer in check - as his doctor has claimed it has stopped its growth!

All other patients with this diagnosis have had a 100% mortality rate within five years. His physician, Dr. Vincent DeQuattro, a specialist from the USC School of Medicine, monitored his condition and treated him with conventional therapies, including chemotherapy, until referring him to the Mayo Clinic in 1981 for yet another surgery and radiation.

For the next 25 years, Kubby claimed to control the symptoms of his disease solely by smoking medical marijuana and by maintaining a healthy diet. His original doctor, an expert on this condition shocked to learn he was still alive, said, “In some amazing fashion, this medication has not only controlled the symptoms of the pheochromocytoma, but in my view, has arrested its growth.”

Wow, a 100% mortality rate in under 5 years thwarted by the natural medical marijuana use. (more…)

For those looking for info regarding Rhode Island’s Medical Marijuana Program, here are the details.

The Rhode Island General Assembly directed the Department of Health to create a medical marijuana program (MMP). The “Edward O. Hawkins and Thomas C. Slater Medical Marijuana Act” was enacted on January 3, 2006 (Public Laws 05-442 and 05-443. To see the law click on the following link: Rhode Island Medical Marijuana Law

The MMP will permit persons with debilitating medical condition(s) to use marijuana if a physician certifies in writing that the marijuana may mitigate the symptoms of the condition(s) and that the potential benefits of using medical marijuana would likely outweigh the health risks to the patients. The Medical Marijuana Act provides registered patients and caregivers with authority, under certain circumstances, to possess a limited amount of marijuana without violating state law. The Medical Marijuana Act does not alter federal statutes and regulations prohibiting the possession and use of marijuana.

Registration Requirements:

To access the Rules and Regulations for registration please click on the link below:

Rhode Island Medical Marijuana Program Restrictions & Requirements (.pdf file)

Anyone in this state who qualifies for medical marijuana should immediately get involved in your area. Become a medical marijuana patient today.

More and more politicians, whether it be Senators or Representatives, are changing their mind after meeting with patients who live with daily pain. Many politicians are caught up in the “drug war” mind-frame and have never sat down with patients and really examined the issue from a compassion point of view. As time moves on though, we see compassion and understanding regarding medical marijuana and those who need it daily.

Rep. Jerry McNerney is now willing to vote for an amendment he’d opposed last year that would bar the federal government from spending money to arrest or prosecute medical-marijuana patients in the states — including California — where medical marijuana is legal.

“In the past year, the congressman has met several patients with debilitating illnesses that use doctor-prescribed medical marijuana,” McNerney spokesman Andy Stone said Friday. “Hearing their stories, he feels that he cannot in good conscience deny doctor-prescribed treatment to a person that experiences excruciating pain on a daily basis.”

Asked whether this means McNerney, D-Pleasanton, will vote for the Hinchey-Rohrabacher amendment when it’s brought forward again in the next few weeks, Stone replied, “That’s a fair assumption.”

This is a sign of compassion and we applaud McNerney for taking this stance on this highly controversial topic. Once you get past the propaganda and cops vs drug dealers rhetoric, you will find medical cannabis is a very simple and easily discussed topic, that clearly has pros and cons - but when someone’s daily pain is in question, you have to be willing to look past your own prejudices and consider others. Again, a round of applause for Rep. Jerry McNerney.

“The support for medical marijuana and for the idea that states ought to be able to make these decisions for themselves … has grown every year” since 2004, Bernath said Friday. “So it’s very encouraging that Congressman McNerney has decided to support patients in his area, but I wouldn’t say it’s surprising.”

Public support as well as congress support seems to be growing and we hope it continues. Many people think the Civil War was fought over slavery, but it was actually “state rights” and there are Republicans as well as Democrats and Libertarians who regard state rights as Holy. This debate regarding state rights strikes at the heart of how laws are formed in this country. States have the right to make their own laws, despite Federal Law - it has been that way for a very long time.

A series of judicial defeats — including the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2005 ruling in a case brought by Oakland activist Angel Raich — has had medical-marijuana advocates pinning most of their hopes on Congress. The bipartisan amendment to the Science-State-Justice-Commerce Appropriations bill has been introduced in each year since 2003, and takes its name from sponsors Maurice Hinchey, D-N.Y., and Dana Rohrabacher, R-Huntington Beach. The amendment was defeated in 2007 on a 165-262 vote; it got 163 votes in 2006, 161 votes in 2005, 148 in 2004 and 152 in 2003.

Half of the House’s freshmen Democrats, including McNerney, opposed it last year. But with polls showing Democratic strength in this November’s House elections, it’s possible some now feel they have a bit more cover if they choose to displease a few conservative constituents this year.

Encourage and support those who vote for this.

McNerney last year had issued a statement saying his vote against the amendment was based on his conversations with law enforcement officials about the effect of drug use on his district’s communities, particularly in San Joaquin County. “We are facing a drug crisis with meth and other drug use on the rise. Until we get a handle on the crippling drug use in our society, I cannot support the relaxation of current drug policy,” he said at that time.

Glad to see McNerney has changed his position and has willfully came over to the compassion side of this debate instead of remaining on the side of the irrational. Medical marijuana is gaining support in the government and in the public.

Keep the topic on the minds of our leaders, and never stop pushing for legal and safe access to cannabis in America.