[Vision2020] Call to Action

[David M. Budge]

I'm damned disappointed as well.  The good news is that Denny Rehberg 
(R-Mont) and your Butch Otter both voted aye, but it is telling about 
the faux federalist in the GOP as only 15 Republicans voted aye while 54 
Dems voted no.  Some drug law reformers were actually rather encouraged 
that there was 161 ayes and we really are only 52 votes away from 
getting the bill passed.  I guess that's progress but little help to 
assuage the pain of chronic illness for those in need.

You can find the complete roll call (activist's hit list) here:
http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2005/roll255.xml

Of course the usual suspects were out claiming victory for "a drug free 
america" - a country finely tuned with prozac, viagra, oxycontin, and 
diazapam.  As for the entire notion of "gateway drugs", no one ever
seems to mention Budweiser, Jack Daniel's, gasoline or airplane glue all 
of which are probably the substances used first by adolescents before pot.

It boggles the mind that the minority opinion in Raich v Gonzales 
included O'Connor, Renquist and Thomas and the GOP walks in almost lock 
step to block this good legislation.   The staff at the National Review 
have lobbied hard for medical marijuana for years, led by Buckley 
himself, as well as Cato and Heritage but it seems the GOP no longer has 
the ability listen to its own intellectual core.

Seems like the best move is to get more states to put this up as ballot 
initiative.

I second what Joan said.

db



joanopyr at earthlink.net wrote:

>David M. Budge wrote:
>
>"Anyone who wants to support the Hinchey-Rohrabacher bill allowing states
>to permit medical use of marijuana should call his congressman."
>
>I'm damned sorry that this vote failed, but the battle is far from over. 
>The jury on the efficacy of medical marijuana is no longer out; it is
>firmly in.  Medical marijuana helps with glaucoma, the nausea caused by
>cancer treatment, pain associated with arthritis, lupus, and a host of
>other diseases, and it ought to be readily available to those who need it
>and who have a prescription.  Let's dispense with the "gateway drug"
>horse-crap, the political grandstanding among the hypocritical jackasses of
>Congress, and let's get a move on with easing pain and suffering.
>
>Joan Opyr/Auntie Establishment
>www.auntie-establishment.com
>   
>
>
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