cannabisnews.com: GOP Leaders Press Ehrlich To Veto Med. Marijuana










  GOP Leaders Press Ehrlich To Veto Med. Marijuana

Posted by CN Staff on April 04, 2003 at 07:44:47 PT
By Tim Craig, Sun Staff 
Source: Baltimore Sun  

The Bush administration and other top national Republicans are heavily pressuring Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. to veto a proposal that would drastically reduce penalties for terminally ill patients who smoke marijuana to ease pain.In recent days, several Republican officials have urged Ehrlich to reconsider his longtime support of medical marijuana, which has become one of the few issues that divide the state GOP.
Though Ehrlich, a Republican, has indicated a willingness to consider the bill, some of his advisers are worried about a public split with the White House.There are signs that Ehrlich is trying to avoid the issue. Former Education Secretary William J. Bennett, a prominent Republican, is having trouble getting his phone calls to the governor returned.Yesterday, John P. Walters, the White House drug policy coordinator, used a speech in Baltimore to criticize proponents of medical marijuana, saying they had "conned" the Maryland General Assembly into supporting the measure.He warned of the risk of subjecting the state to lawsuits and increased drug abuse if the bill becomes law."We stand in the city that I believe has suffered more from drug abuse and addiction than any city in the United States," Walters said while attending a drug-prevention conference downtown. "It is an outrage that, in this state, the legalizers would come here to try to put additional people in harm's way."Ehrlich, who co-sponsored medical marijuana legislation in Congress, is unfazed by Walters' warnings."I have always taken pride in my independent streak," Ehrlich said. "I respect those guys. They have a legitimate point of view, but we have a point of view too. ... I can take some pressure."The state House and Senate have approved identical bills that would establish a maximum $100 fine for the very sick who are arrested for possessing marijuana. The current penalty is up to a year in prison and a $1,000 fine. The legislation will go to the governor once one chamber passes the other's bill.Medical marijuana advocates, who spent more than $40,000 to lobby for the bill's approval, argue that smoking marijuana can be a dying patient's last hope of curbing pain.Opponents, who counter that there is little scientific evidence to back the claims of pain relief, hope Ehrlich will help quash the medical marijuana movement before it spreads further. Eight states offer some form of legal protection to terminally ill patients who use marijuana, though federal drug laws still apply.Bennett, who held the same post under former President George Bush, tried unsuccessfully last week to call Ehrlich and Lt. Gov. Michael S. Steele to urge them to oppose the legislation. He plans to write to Ehrlich and Steele to express his opposition."This isn't about compassion," Bennett said in an interview yesterday. "This is about making marijuana more available. This is softening the public's image of marijuana."Several Republican congressmen peppered Ehrlich with questions about his stance when the governor was on Capitol Hill last week.Ehrlich spokesman Greg Massoni said the congressmen asked, "Are you really going to sign a marijuana bill?"In the past, Ehrlich has indicated that his position transcends party politics because he watched his brother-in-law die of cancer two years ago."I think most people can discern a clear difference between legalizing substances that wreck lives as opposed to a life situation where someone is doing something because of severe pain," Ehrlich said.It appears that the governor is inching closer to supporting the bill, but some members of his administration say it is by no means a certainty.Administration officials say some top Ehrlich advisers might try to persuade the governor to veto the proposal to avoid a dispute with White House allies."I hope anybody who can help to explain the legalities here and the dangers of this bill will contact the governor," said Walters, who added that his office is making an unprecedented push to persuade Ehrlich to veto it.Walters is urging the governor to wait for further research on ways to turn marijuana into a safe, federally approved prescription drug.If Maryland doesn't wait, Walters said, it could face lawsuits from those injured by marijuana, such as victims of car accidents caused by users of the drug."If the state puts the taxpayer and the government on the hook, it will probably risk the consequences from those who are harmed who say you are a party to that," Walters said during the Dr. Lonnie E. Mitchell National Historic Black Colleges and Universities Substance Abuse Conference.Some Maryland Republicans are outraged that the White House is trying to derail the legislation, calling it a slap at Bush's promise of "compassionate conservatism.""In this war on Iraq, you see all this concern for civilians," said former Republican Del. Donald H. Murphy of Baltimore County. "Why in this war on drugs doesn't the drug czar have this same concern for the innocent and sick."Murphy, who lobbied heavily to get medical marijuana approved, noted that several Republicans in the General Assembly cast the deciding votes in support of the measure this year."It cuts across party; it cuts across race and gender," Murphy said. "Pick a demographic and it cuts across it because so does cancer."Other GOP lawmakers say some of their conservative constituents are furious that Ehrlich is considering signing the legislation."They wanted me to get to Ehrlich and talk to him and have him veto it," said Sen. Alex X. Mooney, a Frederick County Republican who voted against the proposal.John Kane, Maryland Republican Party chairman, said the state party will back whatever Ehrlich decides."If the governor feels justified in supporting it, that is his prerogative, and we stand firmly behind him," Kane said.Walters said such blase attitudes are what drug legalization advocates want to hear so that they can "sneak" their agenda past the public."They don't care about the health and welfare of Baltimore or any other city or state. They care about smoking weed," Walters said.Note: Rethink longtime support, White House, others urge. Complete Title: GOP Leaders Press Ehrlich To Veto Medical MarijuanaSource: Baltimore Sun (MD)Author: Tim Craig, Sun StaffPublished: April 4, 2003Copyright: 2003 The Baltimore SunContact: letters baltsun.comWebsite: http://www.sunspot.net/Related Articles & Web Site:Medical Marijuana Information Linkshttp://freedomtoexhale.com/medical.htmDrug Czar Calls Marijuana Bill Immoralhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread15791.shtml Senate Panel OKs Marijuana Measurehttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread15765.shtmlHouse Approves Medical Marijuana Billhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread15751.shtml

Home    Comment    Email    Register    Recent Comments    Help





Comment #11 posted by afterburner on April 07, 2003 at 19:24:34 PT:
There Is No Sneaking around Here.
Walters said such blase attitudes are what drug legalization advocates want to hear so that they can "sneak" their agenda past the public.If any "sneaking" is going on, it's not because cannabis activists are supporting legislation in a hidden way, but because the media often ignores what is happening and refuses to report it.ego destruction or ego transcendence, that is the question.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #10 posted by freedom fighter on April 06, 2003 at 23:02:35 PT
This drug war monster
 ya know if you hop on a plane and go for a ride around the world, for most part of the trip you would not see much out of the window but when you get to a certain part, a country called America, you will see this brilliant lights everywhere. Just a blot of energy draining parasite.. This blot consume life giving energy 100 times more than the entire world. Everytime, it sucks up the images of Barry McCaffery with his dunce cap, Elvis all drugged with his new DEAth badge, and this johnny who's nose seemed red everytime I see him in public..   So bloated that Harry is right on the bottom screaming he wished he never even mention the word..cannabis...pazff
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #9 posted by afterburner on April 05, 2003 at 11:00:16 PT:
Sam Adams 
60% rendered too docile even to vote, 98% of the others brainwashed for Democrat and Republican...Looks like its time for a voter registration drive, like the Freedom Riders down South. If these disaffected voters share our dissatisfation with federal government micromanagement, usurpation of the Constitution, and maybe even the War on Some Plants, then a third party governmnt could actually win the election and begin to restore "the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity."Preamble to The Constitution of the United States of America http://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/constitution.preamble.htmlU.S. Marijuana Party http://usmjparty.com/Libertarian Party: Medical Marijuana Ads http://www.lp.org/issues/MedicalMarijuanaAd.htmlIn the words of Michelle Kubby, "Log in, tune in, and take over."ego destruction or ego transcendence, that is the question.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #8 posted by afterburner on April 05, 2003 at 10:27:10 PT:
malleus2: Great Poetic Imagery!
dragon's lair, the drug war monster ... blackened and shrivelled heart.Great images, which can focus the attention and energy of the reformers.ego destruction or ego transcendence, that is the question.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #7 posted by malleus2 on April 05, 2003 at 05:53:58 PT
Close to the eye of the storm
Before anybody criticizes the Maryland legislature, you should consider something.I used to live in the DC suburbs, northeast of DC just over the borderline. Being so close to DC, Maryland has a huge number of fed employees. It's a safe bet that the vast majority of them are part and parcel of the military industrial complex and the drug war. Not to count all those companies whoring for fed dollars to support both.So, for all intent and purposes, Maryland is practically an extension of DC...they just have 'taxation WITH representation'...which isn't all that great either. Up 'til now, the feds called the tunes, and the Guvnuh danced. It was always : Fedz: "Jump!"MD Governor: "Yessuh, massah, how high?"So what's the significance of this? The push for this originally came from the distant western areas of the state which have become pricey bedroom communities. Full of aging Boomers who know the truth. And they are politically active...CONSERVATIVELY active.Politically active conservatives are pushing for this...against supposedly politically conservative fed politicians. This is just like Canada is doing to 'ol John Pee and his policies; this is the only way to give the finger to the feds for their continual interference in local politics.And it's catching on. For this to be happening so close to the dragon's lair, the drug war monster is now aware that he has holes in his armor plating. Big ones. And a huge one is right next to its' blackened and shrivelled heart.Sure, the measure doesn't go far enough, but with so much daily interference from the feds a 'given' in daily operations, this is big news.And it's a REPUBLICAN who is the Guv, this time. Opposing a Republican controlled fed government.Yeah, the politicians in Maryland are starting to listen to their own constituents again, rather than the minority of fed employees that have called the tune for so long. The bad economic times have states scrambling to make up for the vanished 'surplus'. This is the first, halting baby steps towards reducing the number of people locked up for cannabis because the money to incarcerate has disappeared.I have no illusions concerning their seeming altruism; this is being done partly as a cost cutting measure. But it's a step in the right direction. And happening so close to Insanity Central of the drug war, the drug warriors are getting real nervous.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #6 posted by John Tyler on April 04, 2003 at 09:54:04 PT
Cannabis will still be totally illegal
What a pile of prohibitionist crap. Cannabis will still be illegal even for the "very sick", only the penalty has been reduced to a $100. If you are not sick then it is still $1,000 and a year in jail. In a lot of states it is much less than that sick or well. The White House is making way too much fuss about this. You can bet Gov. Ehrlich is getting "his arm twisted" real hard on this issue even to the point of having his political career ended. This law is not that much of an improvement, but I hope he can stand up to them, and tell them to "jump into the lake".    
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #5 posted by Sam Adams on April 04, 2003 at 09:18:29 PT
Fascinating
This is it - this is the true War on Drugs revealing itself, in all its fascist glory.  This is American government, American society. These are the tyrants who have come to enslave us over the last 100 years. Like roaches that come out when the lights go off, the true controllers of our lives are revealing themselves.There is no freedom here. The corporate elite control every aspect of your lives. We're all serfs on the corporate plantation. THEY decide how much we suffer and when we die.The saddest thing is, we've thrust out our hands so they could put the chains on. Our dual-income, 70-hour work week families working furiously to get the McMansion and SUVs have snapped the collars onto their own necks.  Ironclad mind control...childhood lost in a sea of 20,000 commercials....60% rendered too docile even to vote, 98% of the others brainwashed for Democrat and Republican, Democrat and Republican, Democrat and Republican, until we have no freedom left.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #4 posted by Truth on April 04, 2003 at 09:11:15 PT
John Pee
When the Truth is on our side, and John Walters says we "conned", we are being slandered. I'm waiting for someone to sue Mr. "pee" for his slanderous comments about us. If we go to court we could present the Truth and show what a liar he is. Or...He could sue me for printing: John Walters is a liar.Come on John, sue me. See who wins.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #3 posted by Virgil on April 04, 2003 at 08:41:37 PT
It is much bigger than that, liar
"They don't care about the health and welfare of Baltimore or any other city or state. They care about smoking weed," Walters said.This is just another Walters' lie. The issue is much broader than that. It includes repealing the CSA and dismantling the DEA and firing Walters and educating people with information like that in the recent Report to the 108th Congress from the Cato Institute- http://www.cato.org/pubs/handbook/hb108/hb108-17.pdf
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #2 posted by ekim on April 04, 2003 at 08:28:44 PT
which is it
we are fighting a war to free a people to make there own way.while here the same gov't will not let the people here make there own minds up. who will stand up for the people here ----listen to your heart Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. 
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #1 posted by aocp on April 04, 2003 at 08:26:36 PT
i won't use profanity (i "swear")
There are signs that Ehrlich is trying to avoid the issue. Former Education Secretary William J. Bennett, a prominent Republican, is having trouble getting his phone calls to the governor returned.It will be a grand ole day when the nine-headed bennett-beast goes the way of the dinosaur. So sorry to hear that the governor doesn't really kowtow to your call of "Toad!" benny. I wouldn't want to talk to you, either.Yesterday, John P. Walters, the White House drug policy coordinator, used a speech in Baltimore to criticize proponents of medical marijuana, saying they had "conned" the Maryland General Assembly into supporting the measure.You know what that really says? We, the appointed feds, do hereby bestow the title of "Intellectual Midget in Need of Federal Micromanagement" to each and every "pro-DRUG" member of the Maryland General Assembly. This makes me mad enough to spit venom. The legislature they're passing is the most half-a***d attempt at fence-sitting so far, but at least they're doing it without need of a voter initiative. It gives a small feeling of rationality to our more localized representatives. I'm sorry for the governor's lost brother and hope he does the right thing ... until the next step.
[ Post Comment ]




  Post Comment