Medical Marijuana Ad Campaign Urges New York State Senators To Protect Patients

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With the state Legislature expected to return to session sometime in September or October, New Yorkers for Compassionate Care and the Marijuana Policy Project are running ads asking voters to urge their senators to pass a bill allowing the seriously ill to use and grow medical marijuana with their doctors’ recommendations. The Assembly passed Assemblyman Dick Gottfried’s medical marijuana bill, A4867, in a 95-52 vote on June 13. The Senate has not yet voted on the bill.

The ads begin on Sept. 5 and feature Buffalo resident and Conservative Party member Joel Peacock, a construction project manager who could benefit from medical marijuana if it were legal to alleviate chronic pain from a 2001 car accident. "Suffering New Yorkers have waited far too long for relief," said Peacock, who currently relies on $36,000-a-year's worth of prescription pain medication. "It’s time for voters to let their senators know we want a compassionate, commonsense medical marijuana law now."

Print advertisements will appear in newspapers in the following senators' districts: Sen. Martin Golden (R–Brooklyn), Sen. Kemp Hannon (R–Nassau County), Sen. Serphin Maltese (R–Queens), Sen. Thomas Morahan (R–Rockland County), Sen. Carl Marcellino (R-Nassau County, Suffolk County), Sen. Frank Padavan (R-Queens), Sen. Dean Skelos (R-Nassau County), Sen. Dale Volker (R–Wyoming County and parts of Erie, Livingston and Ontario counties). In addition, radio ads will air in Volker's district. The print ads and the radio ad are all available at Marijuana Policy Project - New York Medical Marijuana Advocacy Ads.

Organizations representing the state’s physicians, nurses, and medical schools all support allowing medical marijuana. Mason-Dixon polls were recently conducted in six of the districts in which ads will run. They all revealed voter support for medical marijuana laws, ranging between 61 and 76 percent. Another Mason-Dixon poll showed 55 percent support among New York Conservative Party voters. Statewide, a June 2005 Siena Research Institute poll found that 76 percent of New York voters support allowing medical marijuana. Poll results are available at Marijuana Policy Project - New York Poll Results and Siena Research Institute.

"It's insane that using medical marijuana with my doctor's recommendation makes me a criminal," said Fred McLaughlin, a patient from Long Island battling multiple sclerosis. "New Yorkers clearly realize this; I only hope our senators are paying attention to their constituents."



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Source: Marijuana Policy Project
Contact: Marijuana Policy Project - Contact Us
Copyright: 2007 Marijuana Policy Project
Website: Marijuana Policy Project - Press Releases