Major Media Ignores - National Protest Against DEA BLAST THE PRESS - WAKE UP AMERICA! PLEASE COPY AND DISTRIBUTE DrugSense FOCUS Alert #245 9 Jun, 2002 Thursday, June 6th was a nation-wide day of action to push back DEA attempts to re-criminalize medical cannabis. On or after June 6th, 2002 the DEA will attempt to shut down dispensaries now legally providing medical cannabis to patients in western states. Protests were held in 60 cities, and there were arrests in both Washington, D.C. and San Francisco. The Media Awareness Project of DrugSense joined California NORML, Cannabis Action Network, Common Sense Drug Policy, Drug Policy Alliance, Drug Policy Forum of Texas, Marijuana Policy Project, NORML, Students for Sensible Drug Policy, Unitarian Universalists for Drug Policy Reform and other organizations in supporting this direct action called by Americans for Safe Access http://www.safeaccessnow.org/ Despite efforts of local protest organizers and the protest being covered by two wire service stories, newspapers carried only 17 items (list of links below) directly related to the action as newshawked to MAP or Americans for Safe Access. No major newspapers, with the exception of the Washington Times and Washington Post provided coverage on this important national event! Please write Letters to the Editor to tell your local, state, and particularly major national newspapers that medical marijuana and these protests are important news to you and that this type of event should be covered. Even if your letter is not published, newspaper editors and publishers need to know what you, their readers, think is important! By using this webpage http://www.mapinc.org/media.htm and the 'List by Area' dropdown you can select newspapers in your state, click on the word 'Contact" and obtain the email address or webform for sending Letters to the Editor to your newspaper. Reports of where local actions were held, and many result reports, are on the Americans for Safe Access website http://www.safeaccessnow.org/ that may allow you to add some local protest information to your letter. Other resources with superb information about medical cannabis include: http://www.drugwarfacts.org/medicalm.htm - facts referencing respected sources. http://marijuanainfo.com/ presents the conflicting views and opinions of different sides of the medical marijuana debate. http://www.ohiopatient.net/Poll_Analysis.htm 66 separate public opinion studies, plus this: An estimated nine million people in the United States use cannabis medicinally and over the last ten years, nearly one-quarter of a million people in the United States have been arrested on medical-marijuana-related offenses. Thanks for your effort and support. WRITE A LETTER TODAY It's not what others do it's what YOU do PLEASE SEND US A COPY OF YOUR LETTER OR TELL US WHAT YOU DID (Letter, Phone, fax etc.) Please post a copy your letter or report your action to the sent letter list () if you are subscribed, or by E-mailing a copy directly to if you are not subscribed. Your letter will then be forwarded to the list with so others can learn from your efforts and be motivated to follow suit. Subscribing to the Sent LTE list () will help you to review other sent LTEs and perhaps come up with new ideas or approaches as well as keeping others aware of your important writing efforts. To subscribe to the Sent LTE mailing list see http://www.mapinc.org/lists/index.htm#form This is VERY IMPORTANT as it is one very effective way of gauging our impact and effectiveness. SAMPLE LETTER that was sent to USA Today Dear Editor, Reading today's USA Today I thought I would find articles about yesterday's medical marijuana protests in over 50 cities throughout the US? I find your paper to be one of the better in existence but do not understand why there is no mention about this important event. As you must well know, the DEA will close/are closing medical cannabis clubs in California in defiance of the will of the California voter and possibly 80% of the American voter. When polled, the American people are clearly behind marijuana for the sick, and to a slightly lesser degree, the American people want some sense to our War On Drugs and a re-evaluation of our government's war on marijuana as started by and with no revisions since the Nixon era. The time is long overdue to bring science and sanity together on this issue. The current government scheme to combine drugs and terrorism and place the American recreational and medical drug user at the forefront of our recent terrorist woes is unconscionable. I hope you will continue to service the American people by your good work in the media and not forget the heart of our domestic problems - the failed War On Drugs. Patients and their caregivers are now subject to arrest and imprisonment. If this is not front-page news I don't know what is. Respectfully, Peter Christopher IMPORTANT Always include your address and telephone number Please note. If you choose to use this letter as a model please modify it at least somewhat so that the paper does not receive numerous copies of the same letter and so that the original author receives credit for his/her work. ADDITIONAL INFO to help you in your letter writing efforts Writer's Resources http://www.mapinc.org/resource/ Extra Credit. Please consider writing to some or all of the newspapers that did publish something. Just click on the URL to see the article - and the contact for your letter. CA: OPED: Medical Marijuana Feds Should Stop Their Attack URL http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v02/n1064/a06.html CA: Protesters Ask DEA to Change Drug Law URL http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v02/n1061/a11.html WI: Rally Backs Medical Marijuana URL http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v02/n1056/a03.html DC: PUB LTE: Medicinal Marijuana Is Up In Smoke URL http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v02/n1059/a07.html US: OPED Why I Am Willing to Go to Jail For Medical Marijuana URL http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v02/n1057/a08.html CA: 200 Join Santa Rosa Protest of Federal Pot Laws URL http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v02/n1057/a09.html CA: Medicinal Marijuana Advocates Prepare For 'Day of Direct Action' URL http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v02/n1057/a10.html CA: Protesters Target DEA Offices Over Medical Pot URL http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v02/n1057/a05.html CA: Medical-Pot Backers Protest To Feds URL http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v02/n1056/a10.html DC: 10 Arrested In Protest Against DEA URL http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v02/n1055/a05.html DC: Hill Protests Target Marijuana, Oil Policies URL http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v02/n1053/a06.html AZ: OPED: Stop The War On Medical Marijuana URL http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v02/n1052/a09.html CA: Medical Marijuana Activists Plan Massive Protest URL http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v02/n1050/a05.html CA: OPED: Stop The Federal War On Medical Marijuana URL http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v02/n1049/a07.html AZ: OPED: We Must Stop The War On Medical Marijuana URL http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v02/n1043/a05.html TX: Making Case For Marijuana URL http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v02/n1060/a05.html CA: Inland Rallies For Medical Pot OK http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v02/n1056/a11.html Prepared by Richard Lake http://www.mapinc.org/rlake/ Focus Alert Specialist

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