ACTION ALERT: Help Get Medical Marijuana Bill Through the House

From the Drug Policy Alliance NM:

Medical Marijuana Bill Passes the Senate! Your Help is Crucial for Success in the House:

Congratulations everyone! This week we reached our half-way mark: the Senate! Thanks to your calls and emails, Senate Bill 258 passed the Senate with an incredible vote of 34-6! Many thanks to the patient advocates who have helped us every step of the way. We couldn't have done it without you. A lot happened on the Senate floor, so be sure to read the stories that ran in The New Mexican and The Albuquerque Journal.

Now, we move on to the House of Representatives. In 2003, a similar bill failed in the House 46-20. We need to show the Representatives that their own constituents support this bill. It takes substantial resources to effectively mobilize our community members, and we need all the help that we can get. With less than two weeks to go until the end of the legislative session, we are pulling out all of the stops. We want to organize a phone campaign that will get at least 60 supportive calls to each targeted Representative from his/her own district. This campaign will cost us an estimated $5,000, but is worth every penny!

Please donate today so that we can target these swing districts and win this battle for reform!

https://secure3.ctsg.com/dpa/donation/index.asp?Item=18&MS=NMMedMj020206-aa

And now for the bad news: we've just learned that SB 258 has been assigned to the House Agriculture and Water Resources Committee. This will be a huge hurdle: this committee has never heard this bill before and we are not sure that we have enough support to get out of the committee. Let's work hard to convince every single one of these Representatives that standing up for patients' rights and compassion is the right thing to do. We have to put pressure on this committee to pass Senate Bill 258, and to do this, we need your help - please call these committee members right away!

Again, this new committee assignment means that your phone calls are more important than ever. Please make your voice heard to the Agriculture and Water Resources Committee by noon on Monday, February 6th. Committee members act on behalf of all of us when they vote on bills, so everyone can contact each member - regardless of whose district you live in. However, if you live in one of the districts below, please be sure to let the office know that when you call.

House Agriculture and Water Resources Committee

Please ask these committee members to support SB 258:

Representative Joe M. Stell
(Eddy and Otero Counties)
505-986-4423

Representative Ray Begaye
(San Juan County)
505-986-4436

Representative Joseph Cervantes
(Dona Ana County)
505-986-4411

Representative Richard P. Cheney
(San Juan County)
505-986-4227

Representative Andy Nunez
(Dona Ana County)
505-986-4233

Representative Sandra L. Townsend
(San Juan County)
505-986-4214

Representative Don L. Tripp
(Catron, Socorro, and Valencia Counties)
505-986-4220

Tips on Making a Call:
Most legislators' staff answer their phones during the session and log all of the messages. Each call only takes a minute, so you can call all of them in about 10 minutes.

Be courteous, positive, and brief.

Identify yourself and mention if you are a constituent.

Ask the legislator to support Senate Bill 258, to be heard by the House Agriculture and Water Resources Committee.

Feel free to briefly tell them why you personally support the bill.

Here is how your support will make a difference:

This bill would allow qualified patients suffering from certain serious illnesses such as cancer, HIV/AIDS and epilepsy--to use marijuana for relief from their symptoms. Feel free to refer to our fact sheet or talking points before you call.

Thanks so much for calling - and please feel free to forward this information to other individuals and email lists that might be interested. The more voices that speak up for this legislation, the more likely it is to become law. If you are interested in attending the hearing, please call us at (505) 983-3277. We are coordinating attendees and speakers.

Sincerely,
Reena Szczepanski
Director, Drug Policy Alliance New Mexico
https://www.improveNewMexico.org

Learn More About the Bill:
The Lynn and Erin Compassionate Use Act would allow qualified patients suffering from certain serious illnesses - such as cancer, HIV/AIDS, and epilepsy - to use marijuana for relief of their symptoms. The law would require a patient to receive a recommendation for cannabis (i.e., medical marijuana) from his/her medical provider. The patient could then apply to participate in the program through the Department of Health, and an independent review board of doctors would consider each application. Upon approval by the board, the patient would receive a registry identification card from the New Mexico Department of Health, certifying that he/she was a participant in the Lynn Pierson program. By registering in this way, the patient and the patient - primary caregiver would be allowed to possess only enough cannabis to treat the patient. Only providers who already can prescribe controlled substances could recommend patients for the program. The Department of Health will develop regulations for licensed producers within the state, identifying standards for safety, security, and distribution.

The new law would not allow medical marijuana use in public, and would penalize lying to a law enforcement officer regarding the medical use of marijuana. The Department of Health would keep a registry of participants so that law enforcement officers could confirm the validity of a patient's registration card. Patients under 18 years old could only participate with parental consent.

Learn More
Contact the Drug Policy Alliance:
Drug Policy Alliance
70 West 36th Street, 16th Floor
New York, NY 10018