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Medical Marijuana Continues to Advance Despite Narrow S. Dakota Loss
New Congress Seen as Much More Supportive
11-08-06 l MPP

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The narrow, 48 percent to 52 percent defeat of South Dakota's medical marijuana initiative will not affect steady progress toward nationwide protection for medical marijuana patients, officials of the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP) in Washington, D.C. said today. They pointed to other results showing strong support for medical marijuana, polls showing strong support for the 11 existing state medical marijuana laws, a growing consensus in the medical community that marijuana does have therapeutic value, and a new Congress that will be much more receptive to legislation to protect patients.

"For the first time since states began passing medical marijuana laws in 1996, we will have a speaker of the House who supports protecting medical marijuana patients," said MPP Director of Government Relations Aaron Houston. New Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) has been a strong supporter of the Hinchey-Rohrabacher amendment, aimed at ending federal attacks on medical marijuana patients in states where medical use of marijuana is permitted. She also was a cosponsor of the States͇ Rights to Medical Marijuana Act, introduced by Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA).

In addition, Houston noted, at least 20 medical marijuana opponents were defeated, while several new House members are expected to be supporters. Notably, the House seat formerly held by Harold Ford (D-TN), a consistent "no" vote on Hinchey-Rohrabacher, now goes to Stephen Cohen, who introduced medical marijuana legislation as a Tennessee state senator. Cohen was attacked for that position during the Democratic primary, but won both the primary and yesterday͇s general election easily.

The South Dakota initiative, Initiated Measure 4 faced intense opposition from the White House and much of South Dakota͇s political establishment, including Attorney General Larry Long. Supporters, however, say they aren't giving up.

"We knew from the early polling that this would be an uphill fight, particularly on a ballot filled with hot-button issues, and with the White House and the whole state establishment, including the attorney general, against us," said MPP Executive Director Rob Kampia. "The fact that we came this close against such powerful opposition is remarkable. Working with the local activists who started this effort, we plan to try again with another medical marijuana initiative in South Dakota in November 2008 or 2010.

"Every day, science continues to prove the medical value of marijuana. In just the last two months we͇ve seen evidence of remarkable benefit against hepatitis C and even potential against Alzheimer’s disease. It͇s tragic that brave patients like Val Hannah, who spoke out for the initiative, will continue to face arrest and jail for simply trying to preserve their health, but in the long run, science and common sense will triumph over ignorance and fear."

A study published in the September European Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology found that hepatitis C patients who used medical marijuana were three times more likely than those who didn͇t use marijuana to successfully clear the deadly virus from their bloodstream.

The opposition campaign claimed that Measure 4 would increase teen drug use and would legalize marijuana even for non-patients. Such claims were raised when California passed the first effective medical marijuana law in 1996, but have not been borne out by experience in any medical marijuana state, including Montana, which passed a proposal nearly identical to Measure 4 in 2004. Recent polling in California and the 10 other medical marijuana states found strong support for the laws. For details, see www.mpp.org/prop215.

In other results Tuesday, voters in two Massachusetts legislative districted expressed support for medical marijuana by two-to-one margins, and voters in Albany, California, voted to permit a medical marijuana dispensary in their city.

With more than 20,000 members and 100,000 e-mail subscribers nationwide, the Marijuana Policy Project is the largest marijuana policy reform organization in the United States. MPP believes that the best way to minimize the harm associated with marijuana is to regulate marijuana in a manner similar to alcohol. For more information, please visit www.MarijuanaPolicy.org