Med Marijuana Backers Hit WH 2004 Dems

T

The420Guy

Guest
The Marijuana Policy Project's political arm is on the air in New
Hampshire, hitting the four Democratic presidential candidates for not
helping medical marijuana users.

"There was a time when the federal government was arresting very sick
people, and some Democrats running for president refused to say they would
stop it," an announcer says in MPP Political Fund's 30-second spot. Grainy
photographs of former Gov. Howard Dean, D-Vt., Sens. John Edwards, D-N.C.,
and Joseph Lieberman, D-Conn., and Rep. Richard Gephardt, D-Mo., appear on
screen as the announcer says that cancer and AIDS patients, "just trying
to relieve their pain, were being arrested" while "these Democrats refused
to say they would stop it."

The commercial also points viewers to the Granite Staters for Medical
Marijuana's Web site, which, according to a Jan. 19 press release, "is a
grassroots coalition of patients and activists" that "is organizing during
the New Hampshire presidential primary campaign to raise awareness of the
need for federal action to protect medical marijuana patients."

The site notes that GSMM's campaign "is staffed and funded by the
Marijuana Policy Project."

MPP communications director Bruce Mirken said that "Once Upon A Time" was
produced in-house and goes on the air today in the parts of New Hampshire
serviced by Adelphia Communications. Mirken described the buy, which runs
through next Tuesday's New Hampshire primary, as "meaningful."

GSMM originally tried to buy air time from the Comcast Corporation in
December, the Jan. 19 release notes, but the network "refused the spot
without even seeing it, based solely on the political viewpoint MPP and
GSMM intended to express."

Last February, MPP ran a TV ad in Washington spoofing the White House
Office of National Drug Control Policy's "Nick and Norm" ads.

Ad Spotlight has the latest commercials from the 2004 campaigns,
issue/advocacy groups and searchable archives dating back to 1997.

Script of "Once Upon A Time" (TV)

(On screen: Once Upon a Time...)

ANNOUNCER [v/o]: There was a time when the federal government was
arresting very sick people, and some Democrats running for president
refused to say they would stop it.

(On screen: Paid for by MPP Political Fund)

Cancer patients, AIDS patients, following state medical marijuana laws,
just trying to relieve their pain, were being arrested. Arrested for
following the law.

And these Democrats refused to say they would stop it. There was a time.

(On screen: 2004; Joe Lieberman, John Edwards, Richard Gephardt, Howard
Dean; audio of sharp clanging sounds; www.GraniteStaters.com)

MPP Political Fund is responsible for the content of this advertising.


Author: Meg Kinnard
Source: National Journal
Website: National Journal
Pubdate: Tuesday, January 20, 2004
 
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