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Allow Health Care Patients Access to Therapy - Not Time Behind Bars

Target: U.S. Congress
Sponsored by: Marijuana Policy Project

For thousands of years, marijuana has reduced symptoms for the seriously ill effectively, and has helped improve their quality of life. Dozens of medical and health organizations endorse or allow patients access to medical marijuana with their physicians’ approval. Marijuana has been used therapeutically to control pain, alleviate nausea and vomiting in cancer patients due to chemotherapy, treat wasting due to HIV/AIDS, combat muscle spasms associated with multiple sclerosis and more.

To date, 12 states have passed medical marijuana laws. While the laws differ from state to state, they all work to protect patients and caregivers from criminal charges associated with their medicine.

The bipartisan Hinchey-Rohrabacher amendment to the Commerce, Justice and Science appropriations bill would stop the U.S. Department of Justice from spending taxpayer money to arrest or prosecute legitimate patients -- and their caregivers -- in states where medical marijuana is legal.

Seriously ill patients have the right to effective therapies. To deny patients access to such a therapy is to deny them dignity and respect as persons.

Urge Congress to pass the Hinchey-Rohrabacher amendment and allow health care patients the medicine they need!

deadline: 6-25-2008
goal: 20,000

17,467
signatures!

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Dear Representative [Last Name],

Please vote for the Hinchey medical marijuana amendment to the Commerce, Justice, Science Appropriations bill when it comes to the House floor for a vote.

The Hinchey amendment would prohibit the Justice Department -- including the DEA -- from spending funds to interfere with state medical marijuana laws.

Your support for this amendment would be consistent with the views of most Americans. Seventy eight percent of Americans support "making marijuana legally available for doctors to prescribe in order to reduce pain and suffering." (Gallup poll, 2005)

Since 1996, 12 states have enacted laws to protect patients afflicted with HIV/AIDS, cancer, multiple sclerosis and other serious diseases from arrest and prison. In fact, just last month the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS), America’s second largest cancer charity and the world's largest voluntary health organization dedicated to funding blood cancer research, education, and patient services, endorsed medical marijuana access. In their June 2007 statement, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society “strongly urge[s] that in a state where patients are permitted to use marijuana medicinally for serious and/or chronic illnesses and a patient's physician has recommended its use in accordance with that state's law and that state’s medical practice standards, the patient should not be subject to federal criminal penalties for such medical use.”

The American Nurses Association has consistently supported protections for patients who use marijuana for medical purposes under their physicians’ supervision. They are joined by many other health care organizations, as well as thousands of doctors and health care professionals who are on record as supporting medical marijuana and opposing the arrest of patients who use medical marijuana.

[Your Comments Here]

I urge you to support the Hinchey amendment. Your vote of support will benefit tens of thousands of patients, and I will be immensely grateful. Thank you.

Sincerely,

[Your Name]
[Your Address]

We signed the “Allow Health Care Patients Access to Therapy - Not Time Behind Bars” petition!

# 17,350:

10:00 pm PDT, Jul 30, Ira Gerard, Illinois

# 17,349:

9:58 pm PDT, Jul 30, Teresa Jaeger, California

# 17,348:

9:31 pm PDT, Jul 30, Stephanie Sedore, Canada
Marijuana is a plant, which can be used medically. I know people who have severe issues such as cyatica, and the smoking of pot helps it.

# 17,347:

8:56 pm PDT, Jul 30, Name not displayed, California
any drug that alleviates pain should be legal and available to all chronic pain sufferers.

# 17,346:

8:49 pm PDT, Jul 30, Maura Lusk, Texas

# 17,345:

8:41 pm PDT, Jul 30, Jordan Yeatts, Michigan

# 17,344:

8:26 pm PDT, Jul 30, Bobbi Curtis, Nevada

# 17,343:

8:25 pm PDT, Jul 30, DORIS GAGNON, Rhode Island
HEALTH CARE IS NOT A CRIME SO IT SHOULD NEVER BE CONSIDERED A CRIME

# 17,342:

8:13 pm PDT, Jul 30, Carol Wassell, Florida

# 17,341:

7:20 pm PDT, Jul 30, Judy Donivan, Florida
so many times there is a drug that will help some one and the goverment has to regulate it . if you want stop something stop cocaine mor harm comes from that drug and if i had cancer i would want to have something to ease my pain so let the patience have the marijuanna... what are you afraid of ?????????????????

# 17,340:

7:03 pm PDT, Jul 30, Rosemary Herrmann, Tennessee
I have known many people over the years that do smoke the stuff & I have never had a problem with them. These people are usually quite mellow. Also they do not suffer side effects from the use of marijuana, except an increased appetite. Which for many sickly folk could be a plus ! However I have seen horrible side effects both mental & physical due to prescription drugs including violent behaviour, and destroyed kidney &/or liver functions, etc. I think marijuana would be a kinder, healthier alternative to many of the manufactured chemical compounds prescribed today.

# 17,339:

6:40 pm PDT, Jul 30, Alexa Brown, Washington

# 17,338:

6:16 pm PDT, Jul 30, Dave Kane, New York
Aspirin is actually more dangerous than marijuana. Big Pharma doesn't make any money off of it however, but they would not like to compete with it on an even playing field. Protect the rights of people, not corporations. Medical marijuana is good for people, but bad for the corporate interrests. So whose side are you on???

# 17,337:

5:59 pm PDT, Jul 30, Stacey Tatum, Missouri
Marijuana, while obviously a mind-altering chemical, doesn't pose the physically damaging and addictive risks that the opiates do and those are given out like candy and destroying lives everyday. There needs to be an alternative for chronic pain relief.

# 17,336:

5:52 pm PDT, Jul 30, Christina Ferreri, Virginia

# 17,335:

5:37 pm PDT, Jul 30, Rebecca Ferrell, Washington

# 17,334:

5:31 pm PDT, Jul 30, Henry Levkoff, Alabama

# 17,333:

4:56 pm PDT, Jul 30, J.D Mang, Pennsylvania

# 17,332:

4:52 pm PDT, Jul 30, BC Hall, Kentucky

# 17,331:

4:52 pm PDT, Jul 30, Mario Rivas, California

# 17,330:

4:24 pm PDT, Jul 30, Monica Tafoya, Nevada

# 17,329:

4:01 pm PDT, Jul 30, Carol Bischoff, Netherlands

# 17,328:

3:50 pm PDT, Jul 30, Yvonne White, Illinois

# 17,327:

3:46 pm PDT, Jul 30, Louise E. Rothstein, Ohio
Dear Representative: The "war on drugs" works no better than Prohibition did. Please get off it. Thank you.

# 17,326:

3:43 pm PDT, Jul 30, Alan Langrall, Illinois
Drugs are medicine for sick people. The enforcement of draconian laws and perpetual ignorance causes more damage than any drug ever did. Truth through education and tolerence of personal rights, responsibilities, and choices are the cornerstones of a free society.

# 17,325:

3:29 pm PDT, Jul 30, Brad King, Florida

# 17,324:

3:22 pm PDT, Jul 30, John Kozub, Tennessee
This is common sense- much more dangerous drugs are allowed for treatment of medical conditions- why not one that's safe?

# 17,323:

2:34 pm PDT, Jul 30, Teresa Del Castillo, Mexico

# 17,322:

2:18 pm PDT, Jul 30, Jourdan Goldstein, Colorado

# 17,321:

2:00 pm PDT, Jul 30, Linda Thompson, Kansas

# 17,320:

1:57 pm PDT, Jul 30, Skiter C., California
The fact that pumping yourself full of pills, chemicals, and synthesised products (made by our trusty government) is a-ok but u can't take something that grows naturaly and works BETTER because our government (NOT the people, which is far from what our constitution stands for) decides they wont allow it, well that's rediculous.

# 17,319:

1:16 pm PDT, Jul 30, Charlene Harden, Canada

# 17,318:

1:11 pm PDT, Jul 30, Ashley Abbey, Georgia

# 17,317:

1:11 pm PDT, Jul 30, Nancie Chalmers-Herbst, Arizona

# 17,316:

1:08 pm PDT, Jul 30, Melaine Philpot, Kentucky

# 17,315:

12:31 pm PDT, Jul 30, Brianna Reynolds, New Jersey
to me to make it legal,,,,,,,,,,,less people in jails,,they r over crowded,,,,,,and they r talkin about lettin more serious criminals out ,,,,just make it legal and u will have alot less criminals and kids will stay in school,less fights ,stealins

# 17,314:

12:22 pm PDT, Jul 30, Name not displayed, Florida

# 17,313:

12:11 pm PDT, Jul 30, Stacy Shamblin, West Virginia

# 17,312:

12:08 pm PDT, Jul 30, Joann Kohli, Oregon

# 17,311:

12:06 pm PDT, Jul 30, Charles Steinmetz, Missouri

# 17,310:

11:51 am PDT, Jul 30, Joy Ruth, Texas
It is and should be a personal decision if a patient decides herbal medicine would be better for him/her. The government shouldn't intervene in cases where medical marijuana can positively effect a patient and his/her illness.Show some compassion! How is it that tobacco is legal and not marijauna? If someone you loves needs marijuana to quell pain or other symptoms, you'll be gald it's legal!

# 17,309:

11:48 am PDT, Jul 30, Dan Dobson, Florida

# 17,308:

11:18 am PDT, Jul 30, Nicole Turner, Delaware

# 17,307:

10:43 am PDT, Jul 30, Barbara Stratton, New York

# 17,306:

10:39 am PDT, Jul 30, Angie Crotto, Washington

# 17,305:

10:13 am PDT, Jul 30, Megaera Kuny, Maryland

# 17,304:

10:12 am PDT, Jul 30, Angela Jackson, Indiana

# 17,303:

9:55 am PDT, Jul 30, Juanita Gray, Kentucky

# 17,302:

9:45 am PDT, Jul 30, Name not displayed, California
My wife suffers from daily chronic headaches...this medicine should be available to her!

# 17,301:

9:42 am PDT, Jul 30, Celine Dawant, Belgium

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Allow Health Care Patients Access to Therapy - Not Time Behind Bars

This petition has been closed.