Supreme Court rules on medical marijuana - tell Congress to act

Dear MPP supporter:

In an historic decision today, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6 - 3 that the federal
government can continue arresting patients who are using medical marijuana legally
under state law. However, the decision did not overturn the medical marijuana laws
in 10 states, which still protect patients from arrest by state and local police.

The Marijuana Policy Project's grants program provided the majority of the funding
for this litigation, which is only the second medical marijuana case ever to reach
the Supreme Court.

TAKE ACTION

Now that the Court has ruled, we need you to spring into action. Please visit
http://hinchey.kintera.org to send a free fax or e-mail to your U.S. representative
to ask him or her to protect medical marijuana patients, since the ball is now in
Congress' court. In fact, a medical marijuana amendment is scheduled to come to the
House floor for a vote next week. Our goal is to send 10,000 letters to Congress by
the time of the vote, but we won't be able to achieve that goal without your help.

Then, please visit http://www.RaichAction.org to participate in a demonstration
outside of your U.S. representative's local district office at noon on Wednesday,
June 8.

BACKGROUND

In its ruling in Ashcroft v. Raich, the Supreme Court said that Congress -- not the
Court -- must be the institution to change federal law to protect medical marijuana
patients from arrest.

Writing for the majority, Justice John Paul Stevens said that there are other legal
options for patients, "but perhaps even more important than these legal avenues is
the democratic process, in which the voices of voters allied with these respondents
may one day be heard in the halls of Congress."

By stressing the need for plaintiffs to use the democratic process, the Supreme
Court has clearly put the ball in Congress' court. This makes next week's vote in
the U.S. House of Representatives all the more significant.

STATE LAWS UNAFFECTED

The ruling does not affect states' ability to pass new medical marijuana laws;
states are free to continue enacting laws that protect medical marijuana patients
and their providers from arrest and prosecution by state and local law enforcement
officials.

What the Supreme Court has done is continue the status quo: Patients in the 10
states with medical marijuana laws are protected under state law but will continue
to risk prosecution under federal law. In other words, the Court's decision means
that nothing has changed. Visit http://www.mpp.org/raich for background on the case.

WE NEED YOUR HELP TO PROTECT PATIENTS

Since it's now clear that patients cannot count on the federal courts for
protection, we must push harder than ever for Congress to change federal law.

We need you to lobby Congress to end the federal government's attacks on medical
marijuana patients and caregivers. Please visit http://www.RaichAction.org to learn
how you can help pressure Congress to protect medical marijuana patients.

Then -- if you agree that sick and suffering patients should not have to live in
fear of armed federal agents breaking down the patients' doors to take away their
medicine -- please visit http://www.mpp.org/donate3015 to ensure that MPP has the
necessary funds to push hard this week and next for Congress to pass an amendment
that would prevent the DEA from arresting medical marijuana patients or providers
who are acting legally under state law.

Thank you,

Rob Kampia
Executive Director
Marijuana Policy Project
Washington, D.C.

====================================================================The Marijuana
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