From Colorado Citizens for Compassionate Cannabis

March 26, 1998

On March 18, four California mayors wrote a letter to President Clinton asking him to stop the federal prosecution of “buyers clubs” in California which dispense medicinal cannabis to patients.  The mayors of San Francisco, Oakland, Santa Cruz and West Hollywood wrote "If the centers are shut down, many of these individuals will be compelled to search back alleys and street corners for their medicine… This will not only endanger their lives, but place an unnecessary burden on our local police departments."

The California Supreme Court recently upheld a lower federal court ruling that ruled certain “buyers’ clubs” were not allowed under Prop. 215.  In the lower court ruling, Justice J. Clinton Peterson wrote for the majority, “If the drafters of the initiative wanted to legalize the sale of small amounts of marijuana for approved medical purposes, they could have easily done so,” he said.  In the dissenting opinion, Justice J. Anthony Kline wrote, “The right to obtain marijuana is .... meaningless if it cannot legally be satisfied.”

This statement expresses the concern of patients in the five states (Alaska, Colorado, Maine, Nevada, Oregon) and in Washington, D.C., that have been targeted for ballot initiatives in 1998 by Americans for Medical Rights (AMR), a group funded primarily by billionaire George Soros.

Patients in these states are opposing the AMR initiatives because they believe the proposed laws will make it even more dangerous for patients to obtain an adequate supply of medicine.  Unlike the Compassionate Use Act, the AMR-style law sets limits on cultivation and possession of cannabis that would not allow patients to maintain a steady or adequate supply.  The AMR initiatives make no allowance for obtaining cannabis from any legitimate source and will continue to put patients and police officers lives in danger by perpetuating the black market in marijuana.

Dave Fratello, spokesperson for AMR was quoted in High Times (May 1998), “The change in consciousness caused by voter support is going to do a lot more than the actual text of the bills.  …our overriding priority is winning elections.”

Patients and advocates in Colorado would like to see the needs of patients put before the need to win an election. Colorado Citizens for Compassionate Cannabis (CCCC) believe they have fixed the problem of distribution and have filed an alternative ballot initiative.

The Colorado Therapeutic Cannabis Act (CTCA) creates an agency, the Therapeutic Cannabis Commission, to issue state licenses to therapeutic cannabis dispensaries. Joe Vigorito, co-author of the CTCA, says, “In light of the case law developing in California, it is imperative to include provisions for patients to obtain cannabis outside of the black market.  Our initiative creates an independent commission, comprised of patients, physicians, law enforcement and other citizens, that will be empowered to issue licenses to therapeutic cannabis dispensaries.  The state dispensaries would still have to comply with all federal regulations regarding distribution of a controlled substance.  Obtaining a state license is the first step in that process.  Our initiative accomplishes that and will allow patients to obtain a safe and adequate supply of medicine.”

For text of the initiative, see: http://www.levellers.org/ctca.htm

“It doesn’t make any sense to pass a law that allows doctors to recommend the medicinal use of cannabis and does not allow for a legal way for patients to adequately and safely fulfill that recommendation,” says Skip Vena, co-sponsor of the CTCA.
 
“We need to protect the patients first and foremost.  Any new law needs to have compassion as well as common sense.  We can’t repeat the same mistakes made in California,” says Kathleen Chippi, medicinal cannabis patient.

ACT UP/D.C.
409 H Street, NE Suite 1
Washington, D.C. 20002-4335
Phone: (202) 547-9404
Email: voteyes57@aol.com
Web: www.actupdc.org

Alaskans for Cannabis Therapeutics
Box 55616
North Pole, Alaska 99705
Phone: (907) 488-9030
Email: chuck@mosquitonet.com

American Medical Marijuana Organization
ammo@levellers.org

Colorado Citizens for Compassionate Cannabis
P.O. Box 729
Nederland, CO 80466
Vmail: (303) 784-5632
Email: cohip@levellers.org
Web: http://www.levellers.org/cannabis.html

Maine Citizens for Medical Marijuana
PO Box 189
Anson, Maine 04911
Phone: (207) 696-8167
E-mail: mevocals@somtel.com