Pubdate: Sat, 11 Aug 2001
Source: Capital Times, The  (WI)
Copyright: 2001 The Capital Times
Contact:  http://www.thecapitaltimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/73
Author: Gary Storck
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmj.htm (Cannabis - Medicinal)

OBEY SHOULD DISCUSS MEDICINAL MARIJUANA

Regarding the column by John Nichols, "Obey lays out his credo and 
lives it," of August 9. There is one issue that Rep. Obey will not 
lay out his credo on, and that is his stance on the federal medicinal 
marijuana bills, Hr 1344 and the new bipartisan version, HR 2592, 
both sponsored by Rep. Barney Frank, (D-MA).

While Rep. Obey's office did meet with Wisconsin patients last April, 
his staff has not responded to letters and phone calls asking for his 
position on these bills and this issue.

This is puzzling. To his credit, Rep. Obey voted against the infamous 
1998 H. Res. 117, "Expressing the Sense of Congress that Marijuana is 
a Dangerous and Addictive Drug and Should not be Legalized for 
Medicinal Use."

But in 2001, his office will neither respond to correspondence, nor 
even call back with his position on medical marijuana.

Rep. Obey owes not only the patients who made the painful journey to 
Washington D.C. to meet with his office, as well as the people of 
Wisconsin, a straight answer. Or better yet, he should join Rep. 
Frank and the 12 current co-sponsors of HR 2592: our own Rep. Tammy 
Baldwin, and Reps. Jan Schakowsky, Jerrold Nadler, David Bonior, Pete 
Stark, Patsy Mink, Nancy Pelosi, Lynn Woolsey, Earl Blumenauer, Mike 
Thompson, Ron Paul and Robert Ehrlich, Jr., and help push this long 
overdue legislation forward.

Gary Storck
Madison
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