cannabisnews.com: Barney Frank Gets Help from Former Reagan Aide Barney Frank Gets Help from Former Reagan Aide Posted by CN Staff on July 24, 2002 at 16:24:47 PT By Melissa B. Robinson, Associated Press Writer Source: Associated Press Rep. Barney Frank, a liberal Massachusetts Democrat, has an unlikely conservative ally, former Reagan aide Lyn Nofziger, in his campaign to lift the federal ban on medicinal marijuana. Nofziger, Reagan's White House political director, said Wednesday that he became a supporter of medicinal marijuana when his daughter was dying of cancer. Marijuana was the only drug that helped alleviate her nausea and the other side effects of chemotherapy, he said. "It is not a cure, but it made that part of her life more bearable," said Nofziger, who joined Frank and other medicinal marijuana supporters at a Capitol news conference. "And that meant a great deal to her, and to her parents." Cultivating, possessing or distributing marijuana is illegal under federal law. Last year, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that federal anti-drug laws supersede state laws allowing medicinal marijuana in Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Nevada, Oregon and Washington. Frank's bill would lift the federal prohibition so states could decide the issue. "Even the most vocal opponents of marijuana reform laws should support the bill, because it presents them an opportunity to enact strict laws in their own state legislatures," said Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, a doctor and co-sponsor of Frank's bill. The bill has little chance of passing Congress this year. Still, more debate may result in fewer federal arrests and prosecutions of those growing, distributing or using marijuana for medical reasons, Frank said. President Bush's anti-drug policy links casual drug use to terrorism and objects to the state laws allowing medicinal marijuana use. Federal agents have raided cannabis clubs in California, seizing a garden of marijuana grown for sick people in Hollywood and taking away the records of 5,000 medical marijuana users from a doctor's office near Sacramento. Complete Title: Rep. Barney Frank Gets Help from Former Reagan Aide Nofziger on Medicinal Marijuana Source: Associated Press Author: Melissa B. Robinson, Associated Press Writer Published: Wednesday, July 24, 2002 Copyright: 2002 Associated Press Related Article & Web Sites:NORMLhttp://www.norml.org/Congressman Barney Frankhttp://www.house.gov/frank/Pictures from The Press Conference Today http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=5359 Congressional Alert on Medical Marijuana http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13439.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #9 posted by John Tyler on July 24, 2002 at 19:21:56 PT Crossfire Keith Stroup comes across really well on discussions like that. He has his facts down cold. Even James Carvelle was asking Asa why should the feds care if a cancer suffer had a few tokes to make them feel better. All Asa could say was that it was dangerous and against the law. The media is very slowly coming around. [ Post Comment ] Comment #8 posted by xxdr_zombiexx on July 24, 2002 at 18:48:09 PT POT-TV already apears to have the Hutchinson-Stroup episode of Crossfire ready to go!I have been reduced to the slug-like pace of 28.8K and cannot get Realplayer to let me see... but some of you folks can probably make it work. Crossfire Video on POT-TV.net [ Post Comment ] Comment #7 posted by mayan on July 24, 2002 at 18:38:13 PT More on NORML Conference... NORML Joins Members Of Congress, Patients At Historic H.R. 2592 Press Conference: http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=5360 [ Post Comment ] Comment #6 posted by The GCW on July 24, 2002 at 18:10:20 PT The gastapo government DOES burglarize cannabis... Maybe the dork was indicating it was like burglary, in that the U.S. Government, will burglarize all facets of You if YOu are found with the plant material in question.[I don't get TV, and I think You would have caught that if that is what they're saying.] [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by mayan on July 24, 2002 at 17:34:15 PT Ron Paul "Even the most vocal opponents of marijuana reform laws should support the bill, because it presents them an opportunity to enact strict laws in their own state legislatures," said Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, a doctor and co-sponsor of Frank's bill. Ron Paul is awesome! He appears in Mike Ruppert's video,"The Truth and Lies of 9-11". I stongly advise everyone to see it. It will blow your mind! Rep. Paul is a very enlightened individual.Here's some info on how to order the video: http://www.fromthewilderness.com/store/videos.html [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by FoM on July 24, 2002 at 17:29:35 PT freedom fighter I have the transcript page bookmarked and I have the copyright info set up and all I need is for them to be posted and I will get it up quick. Or as quick as I can. LOL! [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by freedom fighter on July 24, 2002 at 17:22:24 PT FoM,, if you can get transcripit on that crossfire... I don't even have cable and do not know if it's closed-capitioned but I supposed some of us don't have cable. If you can't do so, that's kewl...ff [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by FoM on July 24, 2002 at 16:57:01 PT Crossfire: Good Show! Keith Stroup really did a good job on Crossfire and Asa tried to compare marijuana with bank robbery. I couldn't believe it! There is No VICTIM when someone uses marijuana but there are victims in a bank robbery. Duh!!!! [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by E_Johnson on July 24, 2002 at 16:50:38 PT Casual drug use exists again? Reagan-Bush era: make war on casual users to stop the damage done by addictsClinton era: there are no casual users, everyone is either a pre-addict or an addict and everyone should be treated as an addictBush era: make war on casual users to prevent terrorists but still treat everyone like an addictGosh what if we had a contest to decide which was more ridiculous? We could spend years arguing over the winner. [ Post Comment ] Post Comment