September, 19 2012, 03:41pm EDT
Medical Marijuana Patients Rally Nationwide Thursday Against Obama's Aggressive Enforcement Policy
Advocates argue DOJ attacks unnecessarily harm over 1 million patients and may endanger Obama's re-election effort
WASHINGTON
Hundreds of patients will hold rallies Thursday at 5pm at local "Obama for America" campaign offices and other key locations in at least 15 cities in 8 states across the country in an effort to draw attention to the Obama Administration's aggressive efforts to shut down legal medical marijuana dispensaries and obstruct the passage of laws that would regulate such activity. In addition to a lively rally in the nation's capitol, demonstrations organized by Americans for Safe Access (ASA) are planned in the States of Arizona, California, Colorado, Montana, Missouri, New Mexico, Oregon, and Washington.
What: Coordinated rallies across the country to protest the Obama Administration's attacks in medical states
When: Thursday, September 20th (mostly) at 5pm Local Time - check below for accurate times of events
Where: Local "Obama for America" campaign offices and other key locations in cities like Denver (CO), Oakland (CA), Phoenix (AZ), San Diego (CA), Seattle (WA), Tucson (AZ), and Washington, D.C. (see below for a list of addresses)
In Seattle, medical marijuana advocates are holding a press conference at City Hall on Thursday at 10:30am local time, featuring Mayor Mike McGinn, City Council member Nick Lacata, State Rep. Roger Goodman, State Senator Jeanna Kohl-Welles and Congressman Jim McDermott. The press conference, which will be a united call for the suspension of Justice Department enforcement actions in medical marijuana states, will be followed by a 2pm rally at the federal building at 700 Stewart St. Times and locations for other rallies can be found below.
The national coordinated day of actions against the Obama Administration's medical marijuana policies is part of ASA's campaign "Camp WakeUpObama," which was launched this summer in an effort to draw attention to the Justice Department (DOJ) attacks and the disconnect between public statements made by President Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder, and the actions of U.S. Attorneys in medical marijuana states. Another motivation for the rallies being held Thursday is to stand in solidarity with the over one million medical marijuana patients across the country who have been negatively affected by the Obama Administration's policies
Over the past three years, the DOJ has conducted more than 200 SWAT-style federal Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) raids on legitimate medical marijuana businesses in at least 6 states -- at twice the rate under the Bush Administration -- and indicted more than 70 related to medical marijuana. In addition, U.S. Attorneys have threatened public officials who attempt to pass laws regulating local distribution and, at the same time, have threatened hundreds of landlords with seizure of their property if they didn't promptly evict the medical marijuana businesses renting from them.
"President Obama must tell the more than one million patients in this country how he intends to move this issue forward in his next administration," said Steph Sherer, ASA's Executive Director. "We are sick and tired of being told to vote against our health," continued Sherer. "Thursday's rallies are aimed at conveying that patients and their families are voters who may be influenced this November by the president's broken promises on this issue." As a campaigning senator and after taking office, Obama said he was "not going to be using Justice Department resources to try to circumvent state [medical marijuana] laws."
Patient advocates are also awaiting oral arguments before the federal D.C. Circuit on October 16th in Americans for Safe Access v. Drug Enforcement Administration, a case that is expected to see vigorous debate over the science of medical marijuana and its therapeutic efficacy.
Sample times and locations for planned nationwide rallies (local times apply):
Washington, D.C.
430 South Capitol Street, SE - 5pm rally
Denver, CO
3100 Downing St. - 5pm rally
Oakland, CA
Frank Ogawa Plaza - 5pm rally
Phoenix, AZ
103 West Highland - 5pm rally
San Diego, CA
4660 El Cajon Boulevard - 5pm rally
Seattle, WA
City Hall - 10:30am press conference
700 Stewart St. - 2pm rally
Tucson, AZ
4639 East 1st St. - 5pm rally
Further information:
ASA's September 20th Rally page: https://www.safeaccessnow.org/sept20-rally
ASA's Camp WakeUpObama page: https://www.CampWakeUpObama.com
Americans for Safe Access is the nation's largest organization of patients, medical professionals, scientists and concerned citizens promoting safe and legal access to cannabis for therapeutic use and research.
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