Spank or Thank Your Member of Congress

ASA Supporters, Friends and Colleagues,

On June 15, 2005, following the Supreme Court's recent decision in Raich,
which urged Congressional leadership on medical marijuana, the U.S. House of
Representatives failed to pass an amendment that would have prohibited DEA
and other agents of the Department of Justice from raiding and prosecuting
medical marijuana patients and their caregivers in states with medical
marijuana laws.

Although the amendment was defeated, we managed to pick up 13 votes
including eleven Democrats and 2 Republicans, no doubt due to the vigorous
support of activists like you! Ultimately, 161 members voted to protect
patients from federal prosecution and general harassment including 145
Democrats, 15 Republicans and 1 Independent.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA, San Francisco) urged her
colleagues to pass the amendment, noting that "compassion is a bipartisan
value". Ten other spirited and courageous Members voiced their support for
the amendment including Representatives Hinchey (D-NY), Frank (D-MA),
Rohrabacher (R-CA), Farr (D-CA), Woolsey (D-CA), Blumenauer (D-OR), Kucinich
(D-OH), DeFazio (D-OR), Lofgren (D-CA), and Jackson-Lee (D-TX).
Regrettably, we lost a few supporters including Representatives Mary Bono
(R-CA), Norm Dicks (D-WA), and Rick Larsen (D-WA) all of whom represent
medical marijuana patients in their home districts. One of the most
offensive votes came from California Congressman Dennis Cardoza. He was the
only Democrat from the state of California to vote against protecting the
patients in his own community from federal arrest, prosecution and
imprisonment. Other losses include Congressmen John Dingell (D-MI), Bart
Stupak (D-MI), Sam Graves (R-MO), Sherwood Boehlert (R-NY), Steven
LaTourette (R-OH), John Murtha (D-PA), Bennie Thompson (D-MS) and Nick
Rahall (D-WV).
So how did your Member of Congress vote? Find out at
http://www.safeaccessnow.org/article.php?id=2284. Then, call your
Representative at 202-224-3121 and give 'em thanks or a spank.
If you don't know who your U.S. Representative is, you can quickly locate
that information using your zip code at http://www.house.gov/.
THANK Members who voted YES: Tell them "Thanks for your support on the
Hinchey-Rohrabacher amendment. I just want to remind you that you can
continue supporting patients' rights by adding your name as a cosponsor to
HR2087 - The States' Rights to Medical Marijuana Act."
SPANK Members who voted NO: Tell them " I am extremely disappointed by your
vote on the Hinchey-Rohrabacher amendment. It is outrageous that you would
vote to allow the Federal government to interfere with the rights of
sovereign States. Even the Supreme Court noted that just because the
Federal government has the power to do something doesn't mean it is always
wise to do so. Maybe you will have the opportunity to show some compassion
next year."
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Caren Woodson
Campaign Director
Americans For Safe Access

1322 Webster St., Ste 208
Oakland, CA 94612
888.929.4367
510.251.1856

http://www.SafeAccessNow.org