Date: Fri, 6 Apr 2001 08:04:55 EDT From: LVNORML420@aol.com Subject: MPP Influences Supreme Court Media Coverage To: undisclosed-recipients:;
Subj: MPP Influences Supreme Court Media Coverage Date: 4/5/2001 12:57:35 PM Pacific Daylight Time From: mpp@mpp.org (Marijuana Policy Project) Reply-to: <A HREF="mailto:mpp@mpp.org">mpp@mpp.org</A> To: mppupdates@igc.topica.com
SUMMARY
* For articles about the U.S. Supreme Court case on medical marijuana, please see http://www.mpp.org/suprem.html
* To submit a pre-written letter-to-the-editor to your local newspaper, please see the very bottom of this message.
On March 28, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the medical marijuana case, U.S. v. Oakland Cannabis Buyers' Cooperative (OCBC).
MPP worked to ensure that the media accurately reported that no matter what the court rules, favorable state medical marijuana laws are not in danger of being "overturned." (See MPP's news release for explanation.) The case will be decided by June. If state legislators misunderstand the scope of the case, they may be less likely to pass good medical marijuana laws in more states.
MPP spent weeks preparing for the big day, drafting and distributing news releases and calling reporters and television producers nationwide. On the morning of the case, MPP hosted a briefing for reporters, which featured the OCBC director and several patients it serves, as well as an Oakland city attorney who praised the OCBC. Later, MPP hosted a call-in news conference, which also featured the OCBC's attorneys and other patient-advocates.
In addition, immediately after the attorneys concluded their arguments, MPP's Robert Kampia addressed a group of dozens of reporters and TV cameras on the Supreme Court steps. (Kampia had also testified before a congressional subcommittee on this same topic the day before.)
MPP's efforts paid off: The vast majority of news reports accurately conveyed the narrow scope of the case. (See below.) MPP spokespersons were quoted in several major articles and also appeared on numerous television and radio programs:
* MPP's Chuck Thomas debated Congressman Bob Barr (R-GA) on CNN Financial News (3/28). Thomas said, "The Supreme Court is not challenging the right of a state to remove criminal penalties on the state level for patients who are growing or using their own medical marijuana. ... Nothing will change in terms of individual patients being able to grow and use medical marijuana without going to prison. This will only deal with the federal law, and with the narrow issue of the medical necessity defense for distribution."
* MPP's Robert Kampia was the featured guest on Oliver North's nationally syndicated radio show (3/28), as well as radio shows in Maryland and Utah.
* Chuck Thomas was interviewed on National Public Rdio in Wisconsin, as well as radio shows in Louisiana and Utah.
* Kampia appeared on WJLA, the ABC TV affiliate in Washington, D.C. (3/28).
* Kampia's congressional testimony was covered in an Associated Press article that ran in The New York Times and other major newspapers nationwide (3/28). In response to Rep. Barr's harsh personal attacks, Kampia is quoted as responding, "I'll be cordial with Congressman Barr, but I don't respect him either because he's supportive of a policy that criminalizes seriously ill people who have their doctors' approval to use what is a legitimate medicine." The dispute between Kampia and members of Congress was also covered by The Journal Gazette in Ft. Wayne, Indiana (3/28).
* Thomas was quoted in a Los Angeles Times article (3/28) explaining that no matter what the federal government does, the California medical marijuana law is "protecting 99% of the medical marijuana users who otherwise would have to worry about being prosecuted and thrown in prison," since only 1% of the marijuana arrests nationwide are made by federal officials.
* Thomas was quoted in the Christian Science Monitor (3/28) explaining, "Even if the Supreme Court issues an unfavorable ruling, it will not overturn any of these state medical marijuana laws. The federal government doesn't have the resources or the mandate to go into the states and pick up the slack. There are still going to be tens f thousands of patients in these states growing and using their own marijuana at home -- and little chance of federal agents finding out about it."
* MPP was also quoted and/or mentioned in articles that ran in The Washington Times (3/29), Hartford Courant (3/29), as well as several radio stations nationwide.
THE FULL TEXT OF MOST OF THE AFOREMENTIONED ARTICLES CAN BE FOUND AT http://www.mpp.org/supreme.html
Las Vegas NORML P.O. Box 34473 Las Vegas, NV 89133 Ph: (702) 380-7869 www.lvnorml.com
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