2/18/02 8:35:44 AM P, state [at] mpp.org writes:

<< Dear Friend,

At a time when our nation is concerned about the war on terrorism, the
DEA is waging an all-out war on medical marijuana patients.

The Bush administration warned that there was a high likelihood of a
terrorist attack last Tuesday. They were right: That day, DEA thugs
raided a medical marijuana clinic in San Francisco, charging four
activists in the Bay Area with the "crime" of providing medical
marijuana to patients who are legally authorized to use it under state
law. Each of the four defendants now faces between five years and life
in prison.

Significantly, the clinic was authorized by the local prosecutor's
office, who expressed his outrage that the DEA is trampling the will
of California voters in its sick crusade against sick people.

Please visit http://www.mpp.org/USA today to fax a pre-written letter
of outrage to your U.S. representative and two U.S. senators. The
whole process takes less than two minutes.

(You might have previously used this Web page to fax a pre-written
letter to your U.S. representative. If so, thank you. But please visit
the page again, because we did not have the Web page set up at the
time for faxing your two U.S. senators.)

In an incredible show of arrogance, DEA Administrator Asa Hutchinson
scheduled a speech in San Francisco for that night. He tried to claim
that the DEA is merely enforcing federal drug laws -- and that medical
marijuana isn't really a priority. But the crowd didn't buy it, catcalling
him and shouting "Liar!" when he said science has shown that
smoking marijuana has no medical benefit. (News articles are
available at http://www.mpp.org/USA .)

He got a taste of the ridicule he deserves. And MPP wants to add to
his disgrace by overwhelming congressional offices with letters of
protest.
Please visit http://www.mpp.org/USA right now to ask your
three members of Congress to (1) rein in the DEA, and
(2) pass H.R. 2592, which would allow states to determine their own
medical marijuana policies without federal interference -- or raids.

As you may know, the Bush administration ran two TV ads during the
Super Bowl and newspaper ads in the week that followed, claiming that
people who buy drugs are really funding terrorism. If that were true,
why would the Bush administration's DEA shut down a medical marijuana
clinic, thereby forcing hundreds of patients to buy marijuana from
illegal dealers on the streets instead of a locally sanctioned clinic?

And this isn't the first time. Let's not forget that in October, the
DEA pushed 1,000 patients into the streets of Los Angeles after
shutting down a clinic in West Hollywood.

The Bush administration is pursuing a harm-maximization, hate-filled,
destructive policy. It's time to "just say no" to the DEA. Please
visit http://www.mpp.org/USA to tell the DEA's funders -- the United
States Congress -- to come down hard on the DEA. The DEA doesn't
answer to you -- or the voters of California, apparently -- but it
must answer to Congress. Please act now.

Sincerely,

Rob Kampia
Executive Director
Marijuana Policy Project

P.S. Please ask your family and friends to visit
http://www.mpp.org/USA so they can send their own letters of
protest, too. MPP is trying to generate enough pressure to force
Congress to hold hearings on the DEA's abuses.

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>>