IMMLY June 4, 2002 Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE JUNE 4, 2002
WISCONSINITES RALLY AGAINST DEA AND FEDERAL POLICIES ON MEDICAL MARIJUANA THURSDAY JUNE 6 IN MADISON
Madison - On June 6, 2002 at 12 noon, an emerging coalition of medical marijuana patients, advocates, health care professionals, local and state elected officials and supporters will gather in downtown Madison to rally and protest against federal medical marijuana policies and moves by the DEA to shut down dispensaries now legally providing medical cannabis to patients in California and other states. The Madison action is part of a National Day of Action being sponsored by the group Americans for Safe Access (http://www.safeaccessnow.org/) in over 50 U.S. Cities.
"While nine states have passed laws legalizing the medicinal use of marijuana, and other localities across the nation including Madison have passed ordinances, laws and resolutions recognizing this therapy, the federal government continues to try to thwart local control and states rights", said Gary Storck, communications director of Is My Medicine Legal YET?, one of the Wisconsin groups organizing the Madison action. "In California, where medical marijuana has been legal since November 1996, four dispensaries serving medical marijuana patients have been raided by the DEA since September 11, the most recent on May 29. With polls showing 73% of Americans and over 80% of Wisconsinites supporting safe and legal access, it is time for the DEA to cease and desist waging this cruel war on sick and dying Americans," Storck said.
The Madison event will begin outside the City County Building at 210 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. in Madison, at 12 Noon on Thursday June 6, with an acoustic performance of the song, "Legal Medicine Blues," written and performed by Rick Harris of the Avalons. Following speeches by one of the sponsors of the Wisconsin medicinal marijuana bill introduced in January, Rep. Mark Pocan, (D-Madison), Madison City Alder Brenda Konkel, Stephanie Rearick, Chair of the Progressive Dane Drug Policy Task Force, and others, the event will move by foot and wheelchair to the Federal Court Building at 120 N. Henry St. After another rendition of "Legal Medicine Blues," by Rick Harris, Wisconsin patient-activist and IMMLY Founder, Jacki Rickert, Libertarian candidate for Governor, Ed Thompson, and representatives from the AIDS Resource Center of Wisconsin and the November Coalition will all speak.
The event is being coordinated by the group Is My Medicine Legal YET?, the UW-Madison Students for Sensible Drug Policy, Progressive Dane Drug Policy Task Force, Wisconsin NORML, the Libertarian Party of Dane County and the Drug Policy Forum of Wisconsin.
For more information contact Gary Storck, 608.241.8922/608.217.4136 or Jacki Rickert 715.926.4950, of Is My Medicine Legal YET?, or visit the IMMLY website at www.immly.org. You can listen to the Rick Harris/Avalons song, "Legal Medicine Blues," in streaming audio at www.immly.org/legal_medicine_blues.htm.
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