Medical Marijuana Week – Day 2: Congress can Protect Patients and Safe Access with HR 1983
February 14th, 2012Posted by Mike Liszewski
On May 25, 2011, Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA) introduced HR 1983, a bill that in many respects would end the federal government’s assault on safe access for patients. Known as the States’ Medical Marijuana Patient Protection Act, the legislation would force the executive branch to stop dragging their feet on reclassifying marijuana under the Controlled Substances Act. It would also prevent the federal government from imposing penalties on anyone legitimately participating in a state medical marijuana program. The bill would further prevent the federal government from interfering with state medical marijuana through the Food, Drug and Cosmetics Act. While this fantastic bill was able to attract 21 cosponsors - several of whom signed a letter to Obama in support of HR 1983 - it has since languished after being referred to committee.
The seemingly permanent classification of marijuana in Schedule I has got to be one of the most notable examples of the federal government sticking its head in the sand in recent US history. To keep marijuana under Schedule I, the federal government is literally saying that:
- Marijuana has a high potential for abuse.
- Marijuana has no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States.
- There is a lack of accepted safety for use of marijuana under medical supervision.
Really? Given that 16 states and the District of Columbia have passed medical marijuana laws, with at least another 16 states considering new legislation, it is patently absurd for the federal government to maintain that marijuana “has no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States.” Indeed, countless doctors in these states have recommended marijuana as a treatment to their patients because they are confident in its safety and efficacy. In terms of potential for abuse, not a single medical marijuana patient has died as a result of using marijuana for medical purposes. What’s more is that several apparently safe drugs under Schedule III or lower have caused fatalities in patients, such as hydrocodone, vicodon or benzodiazepines. This situation might be laughable if not for all of the patients who must suffer at the mercy of a federal government which refuses to listen to reason and ever-mounting scientific evidence in favor of medical marijuana
Congress should be embarrassed by its failure to protect safe access for patients. For Day 2 of Medical Marijuana Week, ASA is asking you to remind your members of Congress about this absurdity, so please take a moment to call Congress and demand your member’s support for HR 1983. Americans for Safe Access is moving forward with the decade-long court battle with the federal government to marijuana rescheduling, but passage of HR 1983 would mean the government would have to complete the rescheduling process in 12 months. The election year presents a wonderful opportunity to put pressure on members of Congress, so please take time today to call, demand passage of HR 1983, and remind them that your vote is not to be taken for granted.
ASA Fact Sheet on HR 1983: http://www.safeaccessnow.org/downloads/1983FactSheet.pdf
National Action Alert – Urge Congress to Co-Sponsor HR1983: http://americansforsafeaccess.org/article.php?id=7066
Medical Marijuana Week: http://www.safeaccessnow.org/article.php?id=7061
February 14th, 2012 at 9:24 am
Hay Whitny would still be alive! If it wasn’t for this failed anti drug culture.
Lett’s get over it and move on.
Thank you.
February 14th, 2012 at 9:30 am
It’s not the politicians. It’s not the elected official’s. It’s the brain dead bureaucrat’s that no one will fire that stand in the way. And I will bet they get money “under the table” for obstructing change!
February 14th, 2012 at 10:27 am
Cannabis is about as close to harmless as you can get- no liver or kidney toxicity like with Tylenol or Motrin; no peptic ulcers as one gets with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory meds, no physiologic basis for addiction. I’ve only seen a couple of patients who are allergic to it. It is versatile and benefits a broad range of conditions. We need to get over our cultural warp about this plant as it helps so many. In 35 years of working in emergency rooms, I have NEVER seen anyone even get admitted for an overdose of cannabis. Alcohol, on the other hand, sends many to the operating room, the ICU, the morgue.
February 14th, 2012 at 11:00 am
“Can’t we start suing the federal government? They have a patent for medical cannabis and they are denying access to our medicine.
Dan”
Good question, Dan. ASA is in fact suing the federal government right now in two separate cases, one case is our petition to reschedule marijuana and another other case based on 10th Amendment violations stemming from the attack on safe access by the Dept. of Justice. There are links to both of these cases in yesterday’s blog. Thanks for reading! -Mike
February 14th, 2012 at 11:08 am
For medically-challenged seniors, like me, we need this help.
February 14th, 2012 at 11:21 am
[...] Today is day two of medical marijuana week and the Americans for Safe Access (ASA) are encouraging you to contact congress. They are urging everyone to reach out to congress encouraging them to sign HR 1983, medical marijuana patients protection act. Read more about the act at the ASA blog. [...]
February 14th, 2012 at 12:20 pm
[...] Urge Congress to Co-Sponsor HR1983: The States’ Medical Marijuana Patient Protection Act! Posted on February 14, 2012 Today is the second day of Medical Marijuana Week, and ASA’s National Week of Actions continues by targeting congress. Help stop attacks on medical cannabis by urging your representative to sign onto HR1983. Because of the increase in DEA raids and other tactics used by the federal government to interfere with medical cannabis across the country, our allies in Congress have introduced critical bipartisan legislation to protect medical cannabis patients and providers. But they need your help to get it passed. Take a minute to urge your Representative in the House to cosponsor the HR1983, the States’ Medical Marijuana Patient Protection Act today! To read ASA’s blog about the need for HR 1983, click here. [...]
February 14th, 2012 at 12:33 pm
Please come out of the dark ages and allow for safe, effective, and humane use of cannabis for medical purposes.
February 14th, 2012 at 3:02 pm
Kindly allow medical usage of Marijuana in CA.
February 14th, 2012 at 3:39 pm
Please, study the FACTS. For pete’s sake. Why deny people access to PROVEN medicine for a myriad of things? Is EVERYTHING about control, greed and money??? What about humanity? Cannibis was made illegal in 1943 for the sole purpose of misinforming the masses to gain political votes. Are we STILL attempting the prohibition era? Does history have to repeat itself?? Education is key. And so many cancer patients, survivors, epilepsy patients, adhd patients have tried EVERYTHING that modern western medicine has to offer and have found a natural medicine that works for them. WHY CONTINUE TO DENY ACCESS FOR THIS, WHEN NEARLY HALF THE UNITED STATES HAS LEGALIZED FOR MEDICINAL USE????? We need to keep up with the latest SCIENTIFICALLY PROVEN methods of medicine that have PROVEN TO WORK FOR PEOPLE!!! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE join the fight and get with the times!
February 14th, 2012 at 4:54 pm
[...] Today is the second day of Medical Marijuana Week, and ASA’s National Week of Actions continues by targeting congress. Help stop attacks on medical cannabis by urging your representative to sign onto HR1983. Because of the increase in DEA raids and other tactics used by the federal government to interfere with medical cannabis across the country, our allies in Congress have introduced critical bipartisan legislation to protect medical cannabis patients and providers. But they need your help to get it passed. Take a minute to urge your Representative in the House to cosponsor the HR1983, the States’ Medical Marijuana Patient Protection Act today! To read ASA’s blog about the need for HR 1983, click here. [...]
February 14th, 2012 at 5:09 pm
Any thing that opens the mind as well as doing much good in so many ways, is contrary to those that want to keep the people brainwashed and under control. No more!
February 14th, 2012 at 5:52 pm
this whole prohibition of marijuana is such a waste of tax dollars that could be used to protect our citizens from real crime like gangs murderers pedophiles rapist drug dealers stop arresting providers of natural healing herbs put on this earth by god for man to use you cannot make a plant illegal its against gods laws please stop
February 15th, 2012 at 1:27 am
I’m a 100 percent disabled vet. Instead of getting ‘drugged’ up at the V.A. clinic, I just smoke a few tokes at night to let me sleep. It turns off all the ‘noise’ in my head and calms me down. I get up in the morning feeling fine. But with the V.A. drugs, I’m a zombie for days.
Thank you to all of you that help support this progressive movement to legalize marijuana.
Dylan
February 15th, 2012 at 11:27 am
You have to KNOW that this natural herb has been a life saver for so many. Please spend your time on real problems, like world hunger, aids, cancer, rape and abuse victims, true drug abuse, graft, corruption, medical help for the poor, and the list goes on and on. Get real, please.
February 16th, 2012 at 1:30 pm
If these people havea turminal desease let them have all that,s needed, give them a brake thy are leaving the world
February 16th, 2012 at 6:45 pm
[...] Medical Marijuana Week – Day 2: Congress can Protect Patients and Safe Access with HR 1983 Stand in Solidarity for Safe Access: Day 4 of Medical Marijuana Week [...]
February 16th, 2012 at 6:45 pm
[...] Medical Marijuana Week – Day 2: Congress can Protect Patients and Safe Access with HR 1983 Stand in Solidarity for Safe Access: Day 4 of Medical Marijuana Week [...]
February 20th, 2012 at 1:21 pm
I just emailed my rep/senators in Vermont with this text:
Please support anything in the Senate similar to:
HR1983 has an eye toward ending the current conflict between federal and state laws respect to medical cannabis by providing a comprehensive system of protections for medical cannabis patients, providers, and their physicians. It would also reschedule cannabis to the appropriate schedule that upholds its medical value and open the door for medical research. These protections are absolutely necessary to ensure safe access, and would allow states the autonomy envisioned by the Constitution. HR1983 will bring us one step closer to ending the federal conflict with state-sanctioned medical cannabis programs. Your support will help ensure the rights of medical cannabis patients and providers, and help create policies that work.
I am a disabled veteran and a medical cannabis patient since 2005. I recently moved to Vermont to be closer to my family from California.
I would be happy to discuss this issue with you or a member of your staff. There are many misconceptions about medical cannabis and California. There is also a large stigma against medical cannabis among those in the legislature, because supporting medical cannabis will lose valuable reelection votes.
I am a cannabis expert, I have worked at a dispensary for 1.5 years. I have worked with the medical cannabis industry since leaving that dispensary in 2009. I spent two years living in an area of California known as the Emerald Triangle. This is the medicine that works best for me and my ailments.
Sick & dying people should not have to drive to another state for medicine (IE Maine). Vermont is in the process of opening dispensaries, but even this is misguided to say the least. The Department of Public Safety should not be handling this issue at the State level. It should be handled by the Health Department, as this is a medical issue, not something needing police administration. When enforcement is needed, then the police can play their role.
What we don’t need is the federal government dictating this medicine for the public. The FDA is working with GW Pharmaceuticals with the product Sativex, which is whole plant cannabis. Why should there be a monopoly on a PLANT that has been in use since 5000 BC? Monopoly spells profit for one company. A mom & pop, husband and wife, could easily produce 10 pounds of medical cannabis per year themselves on a secluded farm in Vermont. This excess medicine can go to benefit people like myself in a dispensary.
There is also many industry related jobs that can be created by medical cannabis. Testing facilities for purity/safety/contaminants/pesticides. Doctors with a staff specializing in cannabis therapeutics. Processing waste into some of the most useful cannabis available is also very lucrative for those who know its use, manufacture, and distribution to legal dispensaries. There is also a potential for growers specializing in genetics, selling baby plants or seeds to patients needing specific strain types to help them.
You staff helped me get into the VA here, as I was turned away for not having my DD-214. I’ve been disabled since 2008, and have been in the VA system since 1998. I want to help other veterans, especially those coming back from Iraq/Afghanistan with this medicine. With such a high suicide rate amongst those returning, finding therapeutics that are less harmful than alcohol and pharmaceuticals, is dire. Nobody has ever died from smoking too much cannabis.
Please help me, help them.
February 22nd, 2012 at 4:26 pm
[...] Article source: http://safeaccessnow.org/blog/?p=2279 [...]
April 3rd, 2012 at 2:55 am
cannabis seed…
[...]Medical Cannabis: Voices from the Frontlines » Blog Archive » Medical Marijuana Week – Day 2: Congress can Protect Patients and Safe Access with HR 1983[...]…
May 23rd, 2012 at 5:49 pm
Representative ___________Zoe Lofgren__________________
HR1983 has an eye toward ending the current conflict between federal and state laws respect to medical cannabis by providing a comprehensive system of protections for medical cannabis patients, providers, and their physicians. It would also reschedule cannabis to the appropriate schedule that upholds its medical value and open the door for medical research. These protections are absolutely necessary to ensure safe access, and would allow states the autonomy envisioned by the Constitution. HR1983 will bring us one step closer to ending the federal conflict with state-sanctioned medical cannabis programs. Your support will help ensure the rights of medical cannabis patients and providers, and help create policies that work.
Thank you.
Please share our action alert from our blog page by clicking here. Encourage your friends and family to take action today and all week long. To find out more actions medical cannabis patients around the country are taking this week, click here.
Thank you.