This week, the Hinchey-Rohrabacher Medical Marijuana Amendment to the Justice Appropriations bill was voted down in Congress, but it did gain more votes in favor of it than ever before. Americans for Safe Access reports that it held a successful campaign to conduct outreach to Congressional offices. ASA trained patients and activists to lobby Congress, and introduced patients, physicians, and researchers to Congresspeople and staff. Drug Policy Alliance focused in its report on the fact that 259 people voted against the amendment. This is two more "yes" votes than last year and a sign that support is slowly growing. The organization is encouraging people to "thank or spank" their Representative for how he or she voted on this amendment. Read more

The Hinchey-Rohrabacher Amendment would prohibit the U.S. Department of Justice -- including the Drug Enforcement Administration -- from using any appropriated funds to interfere with the implementation of medical cannabis laws in the 10 states that have approved such use. At least 20 California dispensaries and collectives have been raided by the feds since the Supreme Court gave the DEA a green light with its decision in the Raich case last year.

More than three out of four Americans think medical use of marijuana should be legal, according to polls, and eleven states -- Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Vermont, Rhode Island, and Washington -- have enacted medical marijuana laws in recent years. In spite of such strong support, the federal government has continued to block research to determine marijuana's medical benefits. Stop the Drug War encouraged people to tell Congresspeople that "Blocking patients from receiving needed medicine... is senseless and cruel," and that "Congress should ... not use armed federal agents to threaten patients and providers who are in compliance with state law." Read more from DRC Net

Stop the Drug War's Medical Marijuana Page | DRC Net: "Move to Block DEA Medical Marijuana Raids Heads for House Floor Vote Next Week" | ASA's Hinchey Page