Minnesota medical marijuana bill under attack

Some members of Minnesota's law enforcement community are lying in order to kill
MPP's medical marijuana bill in the state -- in other words, in order to keep
patients in pain. This small but vocal contingent is claiming that marijuana has no
medical value, that "every prosecutor in every medical marijuana state" opposes its
use, that you can "overdose" on marijuana, and more than a dozen other outrageous
lies.

We're fighting back. Yesterday, MPP held a news conference at the Minnesota
statehouse to refute the outright false testimony that law enforcement officials
have been providing the legislature and the news media. And we distributed to
reporters and legislators an 18-page booklet cataloguing the opposition's litany of
mistruths -- along with facts and proof to the contrary -- and we're releasing to
the public, legislators, and media one video clip each day showing law enforcement's
lies about medical marijuana. You can view the booklet at
http://control.mpp.org/site/R?i=oF9fS9il4sUbTR4n4rmwEg.. and see the first video
installment at http://control.mpp.org/site/R?i=y2FbAqH3Yu_rRhPLzj-Sqg.. .

But we're relying on the generosity of supporters to ensure we have the resources to
combat our opposition. Would you please visit
http://control.mpp.org/site/R?i=uw-iFRwRNvCvrYI_Eme6WA.. to give whatever you can
today so we can fight back?

MPP's bill, which passed out of the Senate last year, is currently awaiting an
historic vote on the House floor. The vote could happen any day now, so it is urgent
that supporters like you donate what you can today.

Our campaign has generated an enormous amount of media coverage in Minnesota, which
you can read at http://control.mpp.org/site/R?i=doa6opdMlve2ZCQVElnu9A.. . And the
two largest papers in the state -- the Minneapolis Star-Tribune and the St. Paul
Pioneer Press -- have editorialized in favor of the bill, which also has the support
of the Minnesota Nurses Association, the Minnesota Public Health Association, the
Minnesota AIDS Project, the Minnesota Senior Federation, and 2-to-1 support among
Minnesota voters.

Also yesterday, MPP debuted the second in a series of hard-hitting TV ads featuring
seriously ill Minnesotans who are pleading with Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) not to veto
MPP's medical marijuana bill. The new TV ad -- which you can see at
http://control.mpp.org/site/R?i=Gojt1wtcYciXH3xwAhiYiA.. -- features Ely resident
K.K. Forss, who suffers from excruciating, debilitating pain after a disc in his
neck exploded, causing extensive nerve damage. "This doesn't have anything to do
with culture wars," Forss says in the ad, noting that he is a registered Republican
and a born-again Christian. "We have people suffering in horrible pain, and we talk
politics -- it doesn't have to be that way."

If you agree that K.K. and others like him shouldn't face the threat of arrest and
jail for trying to alleviate their pain, would you please consider visiting
http://control.mpp.org/site/R?i=nL-zne3H34hIecejF2aWxg.. to donate $10 or more today
so that we can keep these ads on the air at this critical moment?

Thank you,

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

P.S. As I've mentioned in previous alerts, a major philanthropist has committed to
match the first $3.0 million that MPP can raise from the rest of the planet in 2008.
This means that your donation today will be doubled.

P.P.S. You can opt out of receiving fundraising mentions in the e-mail alerts I send
you in 2008 by visiting http://control.mpp.org/site/R?i=PROK6hvqEkU9_nODkYsgHg.. at
your convenience.

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The Marijuana Policy Project hopes that each of the 180,000 subscribers on our
national e-mail list will make at least one financial donation to MPP's work in
2008. Please visit http://control.mpp.org/site/R?i=9FnBWcdrd7NfxbcHoYn8MA.. to
donate now.

MPP will be able to tackle all of the projects in its 2008 strategic plan ---
http://control.mpp.org/site/R?i=ARPgz-0EUPjDnwT_dcuzUA.. --- if you and other allies
are able to fund our work.

Raised in 2008: $915,935
Goal in 2008: $3,000,000