Action Item! Call Barbara Boxer and get her support for MMJ Bill

Discussion
1

Take Action Now!
http://capwiz.com/norml2/issues/alert/?alertid=3669116&type=TA&id=358

Dear NORML Supporter:

On May 22, 2003, HR 2233, the States' Rights to Medical Marijuana Act, was
reintroduced in the US House of Representatives by a bi-partisan coalition,
led by Republicans Ron Paul (TX) and Dana Rohrabacher (CA) and Democrats
Barney Frank (MA) and Jane Schakowski (IL). Currently 38 members of Congress
have signed-on as cosponsors to HR 2233.

HR 2233 would amend federal law so those states that wish to legalize the
medical use of marijuana could do so without federal interference. If this
bill were approved by Congress, federal prosecution of patients and
caregivers who qualify for medical use under state law would end.

As you know, the Bush administration has arrested and prosecuted in federal
court more than 40 Californians who were acting legally under the provisions
of Proposition 215, the state's medical marijuana initiative approved by the
voters in 1996. It is imperative that we advance HR 2233 in the Congress to
stop these misguided and heavy-handed federal prosecutions.

- What is needed now? A companion medical marijuana bill in the U.S.
Senate!
Although this proposed amendment to federal law has been introduced in the
House of Representatives in each of the last several sessions of Congress,
gaining additional cosponsors each time, no similar bill has been introduced
in the US Senate. Despite the strong support for medical use among
California voters, neither of the two US senators from California have been
willing to introduce a companion bill in the Senate.

We need your help to end this logjam and begin the long-overdue debate over
the medical use of marijuana in the US Senate.

We are asking NORML supporters in California to write Senator Barbara Boxer
to ask her to introduce a Senate companion bill to HR 2233.

Senator Boxer takes pride in being one of the more progressive members in
the United States Senate. Yet to date she has said or done virtually nothing
to defend the medical marijuana patients and caregivers in California. It is
time that Sen. Boxer took a stand for medical marijuana.

With Sen. Boxer's re-election looming next year, it is important that she
hear from her constituents who support the medical use of marijuana. Please
take two minutes to send a pre-written letter urging Sen. Boxer to introduce
a companion bill to HR 2233, and let her know that you will not support her
bid for re-election unless she stands up for the rights of California's
medical marijuana patients, by visiting:
http://capwiz.com/norml2/issues/alert/?alertid=3669116&type=TA&id=358

Thanks in advance for your help. 80% of the American public support the
medical use of marijuana. It's time Sen. Boxer reflected the views of her
constituents.

Regards,

Kris Krane
Associate Director
NORML

2

Dear Everyone;

For Barbara Boxer to succeed in introducing a MMJ bill in the Senate she would absolutely have to have bipartisan support on the companion bill. This means getting Republicans to support the bill and to co-introduce the bill. With Bush and Ashcroft freaking out over Canada's recent marijuana decision you are not going to get any substantial Republican support for what is basically a California initiative. In other words you have a pipe dream.

Sending an e-mail to Barbara Boxer stating unless she supports and/or introduces such a bill or she won't get your vote - get real. She can blow off those voters who say this and still have enough votes to win. The other problem is Tom McClintock. Based on the way he conducted himself in the governors race Tom McClintock is very stongly in posiiton to get the Republican nod and support to run against Boxer. She can not appear to be any more flakier than she already is and is actually vulnerable in a re-election bid if she had to face down McClintock.

There are more important local/state issues for Libertarians to get involved in which are winnable - like getting local/state taxes cut and getting local Libertarians elected to office.

Marijuana is a vice not a crime but until the collective idiots in Congress grasp this and Bush and Ashcroft aren't in charge - there will be no changes in the Drug Wars.

Ron Getty
SF Libertarian

Bruce Cohen <brucedcohen@...> wrote:
Take Action Now!
http://capwiz.com/norml2/issues/alert/?alertid=3669116&type=TA&id=358

Dear NORML Supporter:

On May 22, 2003, HR 2233, the States' Rights to Medical Marijuana Act, was
reintroduced in the US House of Representatives by a bi-partisan coalition,
led by Republicans Ron Paul (TX) and Dana Rohrabacher (CA) and Democrats
Barney Frank (MA) and Jane Schakowski (IL). Currently 38 members of Congress
have signed-on as cosponsors to HR 2233.

HR 2233 would amend federal law so those states that wish to legalize the
medical use of marijuana could do so without federal interference. If this
bill were approved by Congress, federal prosecution of patients and
caregivers who qualify for medical use under state law would end.

As you know, the Bush administration has arrested and prosecuted in federal
court more than 40 Californians who were acting legally under the provisions
of Proposition 215, the state's medical marijuana initiative approved by the
voters in 1996. It is imperative that we advance HR 2233 in the Congress to
stop these misguided and heavy-handed federal prosecutions.

- What is needed now? A companion medical marijuana bill in the U.S.
Senate!
Although this proposed amendment to federal law has been introduced in the
House of Representatives in each of the last several sessions of Congress,
gaining additional cosponsors each time, no similar bill has been introduced
in the US Senate. Despite the strong support for medical use among
California voters, neither of the two US senators from California have been
willing to introduce a companion bill in the Senate.

We need your help to end this logjam and begin the long-overdue debate over
the medical use of marijuana in the US Senate.

We are asking NORML supporters in California to write Senator Barbara Boxer
to ask her to introduce a Senate companion bill to HR 2233.

Senator Boxer takes pride in being one of the more progressive members in
the United States Senate. Yet to date she has said or done virtually nothing
to defend the medical marijuana patients and caregivers in California. It is
time that Sen. Boxer took a stand for medical marijuana.

With Sen. Boxer's re-election looming next year, it is important that she
hear from her constituents who support the medical use of marijuana. Please
take two minutes to send a pre-written letter urging Sen. Boxer to introduce
a companion bill to HR 2233, and let her know that you will not support her
bid for re-election unless she stands up for the rights of California's
medical marijuana patients, by visiting:
http://capwiz.com/norml2/issues/alert/?alertid=3669116&type=TA&id=358

Thanks in advance for your help. 80% of the American public support the
medical use of marijuana. It's time Sen. Boxer reflected the views of her
constituents.

Regards,

Kris Krane
Associate Director
NORML

3

It's an email. It doesn't cost a penny. Send it, anyway. I certainly hope
anyone on this list will vote for the Libertarian candidate, even if Boxer
single-handedly gets this bill through the Senate. But she doesn't need to
know that. Use NORML's free email thingy. I did. It certainly couldn't
hurt.