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| Ed Thompson Joins Call for Medical Marijuana |
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Posted by FoM on May 01, 2002 at 10:59:37 PT For Immediate Release Source: Common Dreams 
Ed Thompson, brother of Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson, joined the call for compassionate access to medical marijuana today, asking his brother to meet with representatives of the Coalition for Compassionate Access. Thompson, a candidate for governor of Wisconsin, is the newest member of the Coalition, whose full-page ad in the March 6 New York Times -- signed by such prominent citizens as Walter Cronkite, Hugh Downs, and former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Joycelyn Elders, as well as the American Public Health Association, other medical and public health organizations, and more than 300 elected officials -- called on the Bush administration to allow legal access to medical marijuana for seriously ill individuals. He presented his letter to Sec. Thompson at the conclusion of the secretary's National Press Club luncheon talk, titled "A Little Prevention Won't Kill You." The Coalition has been trying to arrange a meeting with administration officials since the ad ran. "After nearly two months the White House drug czar's office finally agreed to sit down with us, but we've heard nothing from their health officials," said Jason Young, director of special projects for the Marijuana Policy Project. "While we appreciate the opportunity to meet with people on the enforcement side, this is first and foremost a health issue, and the administration's health officials have been missing in action. We've been trying to talk to Secretary Thompson, to Ann Phelps, the president's domestic advisor on health issues, and to AIDS czar Scott Evertz, but they've been like deer caught in the headlights." Since the Coalition's ad first appeared, the list of signatories has grown. Recent additions include noted conservative writer William F. Buckley Jr. and a host of celebrities, including Sharon Stone, Lily Tomlin, and Patricia Arquette. The full list of signatories is available at: http://www.compassionateaccess.org The Coalition for Compassionate Access is an ad hoc group of concerned citizens and organizations seeking compassionate access to medical marijuana for seriously ill individuals. MPP has given financial and staff support to the Coalition. The Marijuana Policy Project works to minimize the harm associated with marijuana -- both the consumption of marijuana and the laws that are intended to prohibit such use. MPP believes that the greatest harm associated with marijuana is imprisonment. To this end, MPP focuses on removing criminal penalties for marijuana use, with a particular emphasis on making marijuana medically available to seriously ill people who have the approval of their doctors. For more information, please visit: http://www.mpp.org Complete Title: Brother of HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson Joins Call for Medical Marijuana Contact: Marijuana Policy Project Newshawk: dddd Coalition for Compassionate Access Medical Marijuana Information Links Medical Marijuana Information Links Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help |
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