The Little Brown Reader

MPP "most active and most visible" in presidential primary

(Received via e-mail)

Dear Friend:

The Marijuana Policy Project's campaign to pressure the Democratic
presidential candidates on the medical marijuana issue in New
Hampshire is continuing to pay off. (To receive weekly updates on this
project until the New Hampshire primary takes place in January 2004,
please see http://www.granitestaters.com/action/updates.html .)

Representatives of Granite Staters for Medical Marijuana (GSMM) --
MPP's New Hampshire project -- continue to generate positive press
coverage as they confront the candidates. Voters are learning where
the candidates stand on medical marijuana, and the campaigns are
learning that they cannot get away with waffling and inconsistent
answers. Candidates who support the Bush administration's attacks on
patients are learning that they will face intense scrutiny.

Here are the latest developments:

* On July 15, Sen. John Edwards (D-NC) reaffirmed his support for the
DEA's raids on California patients, telling a town hall meeting,
"The government has a responsibility to enforce the laws."

* On July 17, GSMM's efforts were praised in John DiStaso's closely
watched column in Manchester's Union Leader, the largest newspaper
in the state. "Of all the special interest groups so far involved
in the primary campaign," he wrote, "advocates of medical marijuana
('MM' for short) have been the most active and most visible to this
point."

* On July 20, in response to a question from GSMM member and patient
Linda Macia, Rep. Richard Gephardt (D-MO) took a major step
forward. Gephardt, who voted for a bad 1998 House resolution that
condemned state medical marijuana laws, told Macia and GSMM
Campaign Coordinator Aaron Houston that he now supports "states'
rights" on the issue. Asked if he would sign legislation to allow
seriously ill people to use medical marijuana with their doctors'
approval, Gephardt said, "Sure."

* On July 24, Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) followed up on his
supportive rhetoric with a vote in favor of an MPP-sponsored
amendment on the House floor to stop the DEA from raiding patients
in states with medical marijuana laws.

* During an August 4 appearance on CNN's Larry King Live, Howard Dean
answered a question about medical marijuana with his standard "we
need a study" waffle which, in turn, was devastatingly parodied on
Comedy Central's The Daily Show.

* On August 6, questioned at a campaign forum by GSMM members,
Sen. John Kerry retreated from his previous support of medical
marijuana. Broadcast live on C-SPAN, Linda Macia thanked Kerry for
his July 2 statement of support, provoking audience applause. She
then asked him, "On the day you take office, will you stop the DEA
raids?" Kerry offered to "clarify" his position, saying, "My
personal disposition is open to the issue of medical marijuana.
I believe there is a study underway analyzing what the science is.
I want to get that scientific review" before making any decisions.
He said he would "put a moratorium on the raids" pending this
review but didn't commit to long-term protection for patients. As
the forum ended, GSMM's Aaron Houston asked Kerry what study he was
referring to, and he replied, "I am trying to find out. I don't
know" -- and again refused to pledge a permanent end to arrests of
patients "until that analysis is done." GSMM showed up at a Kerry
forum the following day with picket signs reading "Stop the DEA
Raids," "Stop Arresting Patients," and "Protect Seriously Ill
Medical Marijuana Patients from Arrest and Prison," and Kerry's
staff cut the question-and-answer session short to avoid taking
another question from Houston.

* GSMM's encounter with Kerry was reported in detail on August 8 in
The Washington Times. It was also covered by the Associated Press,
Manchester's Union Leader, and the Concord Monitor. Separately,
Union Leader columnist John DiStaso discussed GSMM's recent mailing
to thousands of Granite Staters, which was signed by six state
legislators.

The pressure on the presidential candidates will continue. Already,
more than 110 New Hampshire residents have volunteered to assist our
efforts. With this level of grassroots support and -- hopefully -- a
similar outpouring of financial support, the medical marijuana issue
will remain one of the premier issues throughout the campaign.

Sincerely,

Rob Kampia
Executive Director
Marijuana Policy Project
Washington, D.C.

P.S. Would you please visit http://www.GraniteStaters.com/donate to
donate to our effort to inject the marijuana issue into
presidential politics? Thank you in advance for your support.

(I donated.)