Subject: Fwd: Action Alert - Liberate Dance, Unshackle Med Mj Date: Sun, 24 Aug 2003 14:12:01 -0400 To: From: Bob Armstrong --- Original Message --- From: "DPAlliance" To: =A0 Cc: Sent: Thu, 21 Aug 2003 19:08:34 -0400 (EDT) Subject: Action Alert - Liberate Dance, Unshackle Med Mj > >=A0STOP RAVE ACT II > >=A0Your Right to Dance Is Under Attack - Again! > >=A0Take Action= at:=A0http://actioncenter.drugpolicy.org/action/index.asp?step=3D2&i= tem=3D11060 > >=A0Earlier this year, backdoor politics led to the passage of the= RAVE Act, a law that makes it easier for law enforcement to= arrest event holders for the drug offenses of their patrons.= Now, Congress is at it again. Under the Ecstasy Awareness Act= live entertainment will receive another threatening blow. Your= rights are in danger, take action now!! > >=A0Already the RAVE Act has been used to intimidate promoters of= festivals and political fundraisers into calling off their= events. Like the RAVE Act, the Ecstasy Awareness Act, could= effectively ban live music and dancing while throwing innocent= people like you in jail. In light of the fact that drug use is a= probable occurrence at any musical event, HR 2962 opens the door= for any concert promoter, event organizer, or nightclub owner to= be fined and jailed. It doesn=19t matter if they tried to prevent= people from using drugs. Nor does it matter if the vast majority= of people attending the event are law-abiding citizens that want= to listen to music and not do drugs. > >=A0The Ecstasy Awareness Act of 2003 is another dangerous piece of= legislation that could prevent you from seeing your favorite= band or DJ live! It is vital that voters contact their= Representatives and tell them not to co-sponsor this bill. > >=A0Actions to Take: > >=A0** Fax your Representative today. To find our more go to=A0 >=A0=A0=A0=A0http://actioncenter.drugpolicy.org/action/index.asp?step=3D2&i= tem=3D11060 . > >=A0** Forward this alert to your friends, family, and co-workers. > >=A0For more information on this bill, go= to=A0http://thomas.loc.gov/=A0and under "bill number" search for= HR2962. > >=A0HELP UNSHACKLE MEDICAL MARIJUANA NOW > >=A0Take= Action:=A0http://actioncenter.drugpolicy.org/action/index.asp?step= =3D2&item=3D11290 > >=A0One of the drug warriors' favorite arguments against state= medical marijuana laws and initiatives is that the medical use= of marijuana has not been approved by the FDA and that more= scientific research must be conducted. What they don't say is= that marijuana is treated differently than all other drugs. > >=A0The federal government, through the National Institute on Drug= Abuse (NIDA), retains a monopoly on the supply of marijuana that= can be used in FDA-approved research and has twice refuse to= supply it to privately-funded FDA-approved studies. Over two= years ago the Medicinal Plant Program at UMass Amherst applied= for a license to produce marijuana for research purposes only to= be given the run around by the DEA. Finally, in July this year= the DEA officially announced the program's application. A= decision is expected shortly after the end of the public comment= period on September 22, 2003. > >=A0The DEA has indicated that it probably won't approve the= application so we have to act now to stop the cycle keeping= medical marijuana from sick and dying patients. > >=A0Fax Dr. Andrea Barthwell, Deputy Director for Demand Reduction,= Office of National Drug Control Policy, urging her to recommend= that the DEA approve the UMass= license:=A0http://actioncenter.drugpolicy.org/action/index.asp?ste= p=3D2&item=3D11290. > >=A0As a doctor and senior member of the Office of National Drug= Control Policy, Barthwell holds authority over this issue.= Through news articles she has become a vocal part of the Drug= Czar's campaign against medical marijuana. Her most recent= article explicitly says that "If a substance has the proven= capacity to serve a medical purpose, then it will be accepted."= Yet, Dr Barthwell, along with the Drug Czar, continues to= support the governmental stranglehold on marijuana production= hindering such research. See Dr Barthwell's article= here:=A0http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/news/oped3/062203.html= > >=A0NIDA produces only low-potency material with stems included= meaning that patients have to inhale more smoke to get any of= the beneficial effects, decreasing the chance FDA will approve= it. The UMass team wants to produce a small quantity of= high-potency marijuana. As long as NIDA retains its monopoly on= the supply of marijuana that can be used in research, no= rational sponsor will invest money in the research required to= get marijuana approved as a medicine. Your help is needed to= break the government's monopoly on the supply of marijuana in= order to unshackle medical marijuana research. > >=A0Fax Dr. Andrea Barthwell, Deputy Director for Demand Reduction,= Office of National Drug Control Policy, urging her to recommend= that the DEA approve the UMass= license:=A0http://actioncenter.drugpolicy.org/action/index.asp?ste= p=3D2&item=3D11290. > >=A0+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++= +++++++ > >=A0You received this message because jirwin@drugpolicy.org is a= member of the mailing list originating from= alerts@actioncenter.drugpolicy.org. > >=A0Please visit http://actioncenter.drugpolicy.org/unsubscribe to= unsubscribe from all lists.=A0=A0Visit= http://actioncenter.drugpolicy.org/managesubscription.asp to= learn about other lists you can subscribe to. > >=A0For problems, please contact Jeanette Irwin at= jirwin@drugpolicy.org. > >=A0Please consider joining the Drug Policy Alliance:= http://www.drugpolicy.org/join --=A0 =A0Bob Armstrong -- http://CoSy.com -- 212-285-1864 Pix of Armstrong CO miniRanch : http://cosy.com/home.htm Liberty : http://cosy.com/Liberty.htm =A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A08/24/2003 2:10:20 PM