cannabisnews.com: MMJ Use Advocates Stage Protest at Barr's Office MMJ Use Advocates Stage Protest at Barr's Office Posted by FoM on October 21, 1999 at 12:54:20 PT By David Pace, Associated Press Writer Source: Star Tribune Supporters of medical marijuana usage blocked the door to Georgia Rep. Bob Barr' s office Thursday to protest his efforts to overturn a District of Columbia referendum that would permit seriously ill people to use marijuana legally if their doctors recommend it. Capitol police arrested Jim Miller of Silverton, N.J., after he lifted his wife, Cheryl Miller, from a wheelchair and placed her on a sleeping bag in the doorway to Barr' s office. He was charged with demonstrating within a Capitol building, a misdemeanor. Two other admitted medical marijuana users, Jacki Rickert of Mondovi, Wis., and Gary Storck of Madison, Wis., joined Mrs. Miller on either side of the door. Another half dozen protesters entered Barr' s office and began chanting, " Stop arresting patients, " and " Bob Barr you' ve gone too far." Police then broke up the demonstration, arresting Miller and allowing the others to leave the Longworth office building. Mrs. Miller, 52, who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1971, said she eats marijuana in salads to relieve her pain and spasticity. Police called medical personnel from the Capitol' s attending physician' s office to place her back in the wheelchair before she was taken out of the building by supporters. Mrs. Miller said she risked arrest by participating in the civil disobedience because " I' m already in prison in my body. It' s deteriorating and I can' t do anything. At least the marijuana relieves my pain." Barr was targeted by the protesters because he got an amendment included in the District of Columbia spending bill for next year that would block implementation of the medical marijuana referendum, which 69 percent of the District' s voters approved last year. President Clinton vetoed the bill in part because of Barr' s amendment. He said that provision and another would have prevented District residents from " making their own decisions about local matters." Barr, a Republican from Marietta, was not in his office during the protest. He said in a statement later that " it is truly sad to see marijuana legalization activists using seriously ill patients as props in their campaigns to make dangerous, mind-altering drugs legally available." Published Thursday, October 21, 1999 Copyright 1999 Associated PressRelated Articles & Web Sites:Gary StorckDrug Policy Forum of Wisconsin:http://www.drugsense.org/dpfwi/Marijuana Policy Project:http://www.mpp.org/Cheryl Heart Foundation:http://www.cherylheart.org/Jim Busted, Cheryl Put Back in Chair!http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread3364.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #3 posted by Helga on October 23, 1999 at 06:35:34 PT: In full support of Marijuana. I am a 67 year old Grandmother who has never used drugs.I do suffer from glaucoma and have endured 9 surgeries without results. I am allergic to 90% of medications available. I have only been able to tolerate previous eye drops for a maximum of 4 to 5 years. Since I do not want to lose my sight I will be forced to use herbal medications such as marijuana. I am a retired Pharmacist and have long been aware of the herbal benefit. We need to have marijuana available by prescription. Helga [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by FoM on October 22, 1999 at 12:32:44 PT: Cheryl & Jim Photos Taken October 21, 1999 - MPP Marijuana Policy Projecthttp://www.mpp.org/MPP's News Release:http://www.mpp.org/nr102199.html"We concluded that there are some limited circumstances in which we recommend smoking marijuana for medical uses."http://www.mpp.org/science.html Cheryl & Jim Photos Taken October 21, 1999 - MPP [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by observer on October 21, 1999 at 13:29:27 PT Bar Barr! Barr: "it is truly sad to see marijuana legalization activists using seriously ill patients as props "These are people who are ill: the "activists" and the "ill" are the same people. Barr is confused again.Barr: "in their campaigns to make dangerous, mind-altering drugs legally available." Note the habitual conflation from "marijuana" to "dangerous, mind-altering drugs". The lying is continual and takes no more concious thought for persecutors like Barr to make, then it does for you and I to breathe air. Lying is second-nature to men like Barr.And how typical. This ex-prosecutor mistakenly thinks he can win an election on the backs of marijuana smokers who want returned to them the traditional American freedom to consume whatever plants they choose. But even his constituents will awaken to his lies eventually. Let's pray it is soon.(Note also that Barr never mentions anything about inprisoning adults... I wonder why?) www.november.org [ Post Comment ] Post Comment Name: Optional Password: E-Mail: Subject: Comment: [Please refrain from using profanity in your message] Link URL: Link Title: