Does it seem like everybody is talking about marijuana these days? Following yesterday’s announcement of the new Obama Administration DOJ memo outlining a “hands off” approach to states with medical marijuana laws, every local news reporter in a medical marijuana state scrambled to get interviews with local NORML activists for reaction. Even I was contacted by local radio station KPAM when it couldn’t get through to Oregon NORML’s Madeline Martinez, because she was already on the phone with another local radio station!
Mel from Southern Oregon NORML send me this video where their local TV station visited their headquarters for reaction:
Madeline from Oregon NORML was also featured in this Bloomberg coverage:
Madeline Martinez is in constant pain from a disease that is destroying her joints and the discs in her back. Marijuana relieves her discomfort, she said, and the Obama administration has ended her worries that she may someday be jailed for using the drug.
Martinez, 58, of Portland, Oregon, had previously been given Abbott Laboratories’ Vicodin and codeine for her pain. Use of those drugs led to stomach problems, and now she takes marijuana prescribed for her by a doctor. Medicinal marijuana is legal in Oregon, one of 14 states to allow so-called compassionate-care use.
The U.S. Department of Justice yesterday advised federal prosecutors not to seek criminal charges against those who use medical marijuana in accordance with state laws, reversing a Bush administration approach. Along with chronic pain, the American College of Physicians, the second-largest U.S. doctors group, has said marijuana can be used to treat glaucoma, multiple sclerosis and nausea.
“Having disabled people jailed for no reason, that’s terrifying,” said Martinez, who mostly uses a tincture of the drug rather than smoking it. “As a medical marijuana patient, it’s always good to have some stress and anxiety alleviated.”
Martinez, who struggles with chronic pain from degenerative disc and joint disease, grows her own marijuana because Oregon doesn’t have official dispensaries, she said. She also participates in a collective to give away cuttings and medicine.
“We struggle with access,” Martinez said. “The black market mostly controls the marijuana in the country, and we need to grab it away from him and use it for our own economy, and to make it a priority for patients.”
If you’ve gotten local newspaper, radio, or television coverage of yesterday’s news where a local NORML chapter is prominently featured, please send it my way at stash@norml.org.
By the way, NORML’s Allen St. Pierre will be on MSNBC around 12:10PM today debating former GOP congressman Ernest Istook, and NORML’s Keith Stroup will be on CNN around the same time. According to St. Pierre, “I think NORML’s staff did 25-35 interviews yesterday with national and large regional media outlets yesterday, from 5AM to 1AM….and starting again today at 6AM with, so far, 5 more live radio shows…”
On the news here in GA they predicted that more states will legalize MMJ now that they know they won’t get in trouble.
That’s a great thing!! Let’s make it happen!
I live in CT which isn’t even a medical mj state (governor vetoed) and I saw something just like this on my local news station as well.
It’s great isn’t it!
But now I think we need a letter writing campaign to every influential person in society – doctors, lawyers, businessmen, preachers, senators, newspapers and dignitaries.
Tell them how safe marijuana is, tell them how many people the prohibition is killing (6,000 last year) and tell them why they should be doing everything in their power to help those less fortunate than themselves!
We need to get that 44% way over 50!!
It ain’t over ’til the fat lady (can walk into a store in any state, county or municipality, show ID proving they are of legal age, purchase marijuana for recreational use, goes home, rolls a joint (fills a pipe, bong, vaporizer) fires it up, relaxes and then) sings.
Congratulations to NORML, LEAP, MPP, etc., and everyone that has ever contributed to their efforts.
It aint over, but it’s begun
Well, it only took him ten months, but he did it!
President Obama kicked loose the first brick in the wall…now we all need to enable him to follow through; pressure on our local, state and federal representatives will seal the deal…
Come on ladies, get behind Madeline and help her (and thus US) to push it through. Just like with the original prohibition on alcohol, the ladies can now come out proudly and make this happen a lot faster than just we dudes ever could.
The wall will fall. Hopefully soon; there’s soooo many patients that need this wonderful medicine YESTERDAY!
sounds like you all have earned your pay