***URGENT*** PLEASE support the Hinchey-Rohrabacher amendment (MMJ)

[Sapphire Blue]

An email from The Marijuana Policy Project...

Supreme Court rules on medical marijuana — tell Congress to act!

Dear MPP supporter:

In an historic decision today, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6 - 3 that the federal government can continue arresting patients who are using medical marijuana legally under state law. However, the decision did not overturn the medical marijuana laws in 10 states, which still protect patients from arrest by state and local police.

The Marijuana Policy Project's grants program provided the majority of the funding for this litigation, which is only the second medical marijuana case ever to reach the Supreme Court.

TAKE ACTION

Now that the Court has ruled, we need you to spring into action. Please click here (https://www.kintera.org/site/c.ijJZJfMOIoE/b.712385/k.2314/Support_the_HincheyRohrbacher_Amendment.htm?kntaw9130=3D914F673AA14911B48548B4FDE8DEA6) to send a free fax or e-mail to your U.S. representative to ask him or her to protect medical marijuana patients, since the ball is now in Congress' court. In fact, a medical marijuana amendment is scheduled to come to the House floor for a vote next week. Our goal is to send 10,000 letters to Congress by the time of the vote, but we won't be able to achieve that goal without your help.

Then, please visit www.RaichAction.org to participate in a demonstration outside of your U.S. representative's local district office at noon on Wednesday, June 8.

BACKGROUND

In its ruling in Ashcroft v. Raich ,the Supreme Court said that Congress — not the Court — must be the institution to change federal law to protect medical marijuana patients from arrest.

Writing for the majority, Justice John Paul Stevens said that there are other legal options for patients, "but perhaps even more important than these legal avenues is the democratic process, in which the voices of voters allied with these respondents may one day be heard in the halls of Congress."

By stressing the need for plaintiffs to use the democratic process, the Supreme Court has clearly put the ball in Congress' court. This makes next week's vote in the U.S. House of Representatives (https://www.kintera.org/site/c.ijJZJfMOIoE/b.712385/k.2314/Support_the_HincheyRohrbacher_Amendment.htm) all the more significant.

STATE LAWS UNAFFECTED

The ruling does not affect states' ability to pass new medical marijuana laws; states are free to continue enacting laws that protect medical marijuana patients and their providers from arrest and prosecution by state and local law enforcement officials.

What the Supreme Court has done is continue the status quo: Patients in the 10 states with medical marijuana laws are protected under state law but will continue to risk prosecution under federal law. In other words, the Court's decision means that nothing has changed. Click here (http://www.mpp.org/raich /)for more background on the case.

WE NEED YOUR HELP TO PROTECT PATIENTS!

Since it's now clear that patients cannot count on the federal courts for protection, we must push harder than ever for Congress to change federal law.

We need you to lobby Congress to end the federal government's attacks on medical marijuana patients and caregivers. Please visit www.RaichAction.org to learn how you can help pressure Congress to protect medical marijuana patients.

Then — if you agree that sick and suffering patients should not have to live in fear of armed federal agents breaking down the patients' doors to take away their medicine — please ensure that MPP has the necessary funds to push hard (https://secure.mpp.org/donate/ann_index.php?ref=3015) this week and next for Congress to pass an amendment that would prevent the DEA from arresting medical marijuana patients or providers who are acting legally under state law.


Thank you,


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

http://www.mpp.org/

[WillowTree]

1. I hadn't heard about this yet.

The Hinchey-Rohrabacher amendment is an amendment to what? I'm assuming that it's an amendment which they're trying to attach to a current piece of legislation, but which piece of legislation would that be?

[calimary]

2. Is that Dana Rohrabacher? EEEEUUUUWWW!!

Man, I never thought I'd want to get behind anything with his name attached...

[sweetheart]

3. This thread title sucks rocks

I'm an MPP supporter and i was not sure what this was about.

It is good news that the supreme court decision is not really relevant,
and that, given that they are bankrupt from wars and murder, that the
federal criminals are not in a position to go shaking down sick people.

Yet the decision is a clear call to action for us to get the congress
criminals to answer to the people's "MAJORITY" that wants medicinal
marijuana available.