Medical Marijuana Proposition opposition New York, USA

[OccularFantasm]

http://www.nycompassionatecare.org/ny_bill_info.html

^---Medical Marijuana in New York

It seems this some variation of this bill has been proposed annually for 10 years, each time getting shut down. After contacting ny assemlyman Dave R Townsend Jr.-R of the 115th district, swim received a response.
(note swims name is changed from real name to swim in all these emails for this forum)

The original email swim sent out was prewritten all nice a politelly explaining everything about it like that it provides marijuana for the sicka nd elderly with a doctors note and that marijuana would still be illegal otherwise. Swim can't seem to find a copy of it, but swim is sure you have all read things pretty much identical from other states ie: california. Here is the email swim received in response to the polite email.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Dave Townsend <townsed@assembly.state.ny.us>
Date: Apr 18, 2007 11:12 AM
Subject: Re: Please support compassionate legislation
To: SWIM <alexxxthearab@gmail.com>

Dear SWIM:



Thank you for your recent e-mail regarding Assembly Bill
4867 which provides for medical use of marijuana. I appreciate your
taking the time to write and keep in informed of your views.



Being a former law enforcement officer I am opposed to any
use of marijuana.



If I can assist you in any other way, please do not hesitate
to contact me.



Sincerely,



David R. Townsend, Jr.

Member of Assembly
====================================
Swim sent this assemblyman another response.

Dear Assemblyman Townsend,

This is in response to your response about my concern over Assembly Bill 4867. You said "Being a former law enforcement officer I am opposed to any use of marijuana." I can see two possibilities here. Either you don't have anyone in your family with glaucoma or dying of terminal cancer, or you believe that as a former law enforcement officer you somehow have the right to torture the sick and elderly. I would like to inform you that perhaps rethinking your position would be helpful in your future political career. The demographic of Central New York State is comprised of a majority of elderly people. The options of prescription pain relief for these people have too many side effects such as nausea, constipation, and confusion. This does not enter into the fact that without your support for this bill you are encouraging addiction to class A substances to the elderly. Marijuana would provide much better pain relief without other such side effects, as well as helping the sick with the anxiety of their terminal condition.
This bill is not for the legalization of marijuana. Citizens whom are not deemed in need of this by their primary care practitioner would still be subject to all the current laws today. This is only for the sick and elderly, the majority of this great state. I guarantee you will not hold down an elected job for very long if you continue down this path without thinking.

Sincerely,
SWIM, New York resident
====================================
You may wonder what his response to this is. Here it is.
Dear SWIM:

Thank you for your response.

Sincerely,

David R. Townsend, Jr.
Member of Assembly
===================================
Now is it just Swim, or does it seem as though this man never even so much as reads his emails. Swim thought it would be positive for fellow swimmers to know specifically who is standing in the way of certain parts of the drug war. Swim hopes any other new york residents will help persuade him. happy swimming.

[OccularFantasm]

Swim found a copy of the original letter

Assemblymember _________________________
Room ______ Legislative Office Building
Albany, NY 12248
Dear Assemblymember ___________________,

I am writing to express my support for A4867, which would make marijuana legally available to seriously ill patients in New York. As you may know, marijuana has proven medical benefits for the treatment of a host of illnesses. Persons with HIV/AIDS, multiple sclerosis, and cancer are among those who most commonly use marijuana to treat their illness. These patients use marijuana to treat the symptoms of their disease—such as pain, wasting syndrome or spasticity-- but unfortunately risk arrest in doing so.
The efficacy of marijuana for medical purposes was documented in a 1999 report from the Institute of Medicine, an arm of the National Academy of Sciences. In their report, marijuana was found to be of use to certain classes of patients—including those outlined above—especially when traditional therapies had proven ineffective, and at terminal stages of their illness. The Institute also found that using marijuana for medicinal purposes is no different than using cocaine, morphine or methamphetamines to treat illness, all of which may be legally prescribed--even though they are considered more harmful and more addictive.
Providing seriously ill New Yorkers with a legal avenue to marijuana to treat their illness is a strategy that is supported by common sense and science. I urge your support for this important legislation, and would appreciate learning your perspective on the issue. Thank you for your time and careful consideration.

Sincerely,

Sign & print your name
Include the address where you are registered to vote.

[OccularFantasm]

Swim has also just recently contacted Senator Joeseph Griffo, the other person that gets to vote on it. swim sent this literally 2 minutes ago and will let you happy swimmers know when a response has been sent. A copy of the email is as follows:

"Dear Senator Griffo,
I am writing on behalf of Assembly Bill 4867 for the legalization of Medical Marijuana. Please remember that if this legislation passes, doctors will be able to give out marijuana for pain instead of class A opiates which are shown to be a huge problem in today's world. Your help in the fight against addiction would be most appreciated. Thank you."

[OccularFantasm]

Not accepting defeat, swim sent another email to Assemblyman Townsend.

Dear Assemblyman Townsend,

I am writing in regards to the huge opiate addiction problem with todays youth. Every time one of your kids get in too much pain, doctors are forced to look into the arsenal of medicine, where they find opiates. Opiate are proven to be effective at pain control for the majority of people, however with these drugs also comes the daunting challenge of addiction. Even patients without substance abuse problems can become addicted to these substances with recommended use. These opiates are class a narcotics and are highly addictive and destructive. There is an answer however. There is a medical marijuana proposal up right now that would enable doctors to prescribe a non-narcotic non-addictive pain control medicine to its patients. If you vote against this bill, you will be putting narcotics in the hands of our children, and I will personally make sure you are publicly known for your drug pushing tactics. If you vote for this bill, I will personally promote you to the highest extent humanly possible. All I want is to help the youth.

SWIM, Oneida County, New York State Resident

[OccularFantasm]

Senator Griffo sent a response that he is in favor of this bill and will pass it if it makes it to the senate. The letter is as follows.

SWIY:
Please let me know if a Senate verison of this bill is proposed. If so, I
will give it serious consideration.

Sen. Joe Griffo

[darawk]

Heh, "serious consideratoin". That sounds like a blanket non-commital reply that sounds positive but means nothing.

[OccularFantasm]

Spitzer changed from no and voted yes on the propasition. The bill passes through the first phase even with douchbag townsend voting no. Will keep posted on updates as swim finds out and/or remembers.

[SuprSonik]

What an asshat. Perfect example of why medical marijuana and marijuana in general are still illegal (in many places); they are so ignorant of the facts that their predisposition toward how "evil" marijuana is, based on stupid propaganda no doubt, is so strong that they won't even consider hearing out anything that goes against their opinion. SWIM seriously doubts he even read SWIY's emails, or if he did, he seems like such a pompous dunce that he'd probably just laugh at it as everything flies over his head without giving it even the slightest bit of consideration.

There's nothing that will change this idiot's mind (aside from him getting sick and needing it for himself, of course), it's a lost cause. The only way marijuana laws will see reform is as the younger generation grows older and the older generation dies off.