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Medical Marijuana Raids
The DEA should stop wasting scarce law-enforcement resources victimizing patients and their loved ones.
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Subject: DEA Medical Marijuana Raids
Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,
I'm outraged by the DEA's February 12th medical marijuana raids in San Francisco. On the very day that the U.S. Justice Department urged all law-enforcement agencies "to be on the highest alert" for impending terrorist attacks, the DEA was wasting scarce law-enforcement resources victimizing patients and their loved ones. The raids come not even six months after similar raids in Los Angeles. These actions disregard the will of California voters and the ability of the state of California to handle its internal affairs relating to health care. I urge you to stand up for patients and democracy by opposing these raids.
Sadly, the DEA's actions have left thousands of patients without access to their medication - many suffering from AIDS wasting syndrome, nausea associated with cancer chemotherapy, and multiple sclerosis. Besides the cruelty of depriving these seriously ill and dying patients of their medicine, the DEA has terrified them by seizing medical records and leaving open the possibility of prosecuting individual patients.
Medical marijuana laws have been enacted in nine states in recent years. Hawaii passed a law through the state legislature in 2000. Prior to that, medical marijuana initiatives were approved in Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Maine, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington. A recent Gallup poll shows that 73% of Americans support allowing seriously ill patients access to medical marijuana.
I'm sure these raids cost at least a million dollars. The DEA's budget should be cut by how much these raids cost. The money could be spent more wisely on drug treatment.
The federal government's unconscionable targeting of seriously ill and dying patients raises profound questions about patients' rights, states' rights, and the enforcement priorities of federal agencies during a time when America is at war. This is a time to build unity in our nation rather than to pursue divisive policies against our own citizens. Please do everything in your power to oppose these raids.
Sincerely,
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Campaign Launched:
February 13, 2002
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On the same day DEA chief Asa Hutchinson was scheduled to give a speech at the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco to discuss U.S. drug policy and its effect on the state of California (February 12), DEA agents made several medical marijuana raids around the city. This comes on the very day that the U.S. Justice Department urged all law-enforcement agencies "to be on the highest alert" for impending terrorist attacks.
The raids come not even six months after similar raids in Los Angeles. These actions disregard the will of California voters and the ability of the state of California to handle its internal affairs relating to health care.
Sadly, the DEA's actions have left thousands of patients without access to their medication - many suffering from AIDS wasting syndrome, nausea associated with cancer chemotherapy, and multiple sclerosis. Besides the cruelty of depriving these seriously ill and dying patients of their medicine, the DEA has terrified them by seizing medical records and leaving open the possibility of prosecuting individual patients.
Medical marijuana laws have been enacted in nine states in recent years. Hawaii passed a law through the state legislature in 2000. Prior to that, medical marijuana initiatives were approved in Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Maine, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington. A recent Gallup poll shows that 73% of Americans support allowing seriously ill patients access to medical marijuana.
Members of Congress need to know that these raids are unacceptable.
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