Conservative Party Slams Medical Marijuana Ads Despite Members’ Support

ALBANY, NEW YORK — Ads asking New York voters to urge their senators to pass a medical marijuana bill, set to begin appearing in newspapers and on the radio today, have already elicited a response from the New York Conservative Party. The party’s Sept. 4 press release (reprinted in full below) devotes its entire first paragraph to a sweeping attack on all pain medication, not just medical marijuana.

The ads, sponsored by New Yorkers for Compassionate Care and MPP, feature Buffalo resident and Conservative Party member Joel Peacock, a construction project manager who could benefit from medical marijuana if it were legal to alleviate chronic pain from a 2001 car accident.

A Sept. 4 press release from Conservative Party leaders asserted, “‘medical’ marijuana will not offer the relief [Peacock] seeks,” and described the party as “adamantly opposed” to medical marijuana legislation. However, a recent Mason-Dixon poll showed 55 percent approval among Conservative Party members for a medical marijuana law and only 35 percent of members opposed to such a law.

“Perhaps Joel Peacock and his doctors should be the judges of whether medical marijuana will give him the relief he seeks,” replied noted conservative author and National Review senior editor Richard Brookhiser.

The state Legislature is expected to return to session sometime in September or October, and the Senate could take up medical marijuana legislation at that time. The Assembly passed Assemblyman Dick Gottfried’s medical marijuana bill, A4867, in a 95-52 vote on June 13.

“Suffering New Yorkers have waited far too long for relief,” said Peacock, who currently relies on $36,000-a-year’s worth of prescription pain medication. “It’s time for voters to let their senators know we want a compassionate, commonsense medical marijuana law now.”

Organizations representing the state’s physicians, nurses, and medical schools all support allowing medical marijuana, and none have opposed it. Recent Mason-Dixon polls conducted in six districts in which ads will run revealed voter support for medical marijuana laws, ranging between 61 and 76 percent. A June 2005 Siena Research Institute poll found that 76 percent of New York voters support allowing medical marijuana. Results are online at www.mpp.org/nypoll2007 andhttp://lw.siena.edu/sri/results/2005/05_June_NYPoll.htm .

Print advertisements will appear in newspapers in the following senators’ districts: Sen. Martin Golden (R–Brooklyn), Sen. Kemp Hannon (R–Nassau County), Sen. Serphin Maltese (R–Queens), Sen. Thomas Morahan (R–Rockland County), Sen. Carl Marcellino (R-Nassau County, Suffolk County), Sen. Frank Padavan (R-Queens), Sen. Dean Skelos (R-Nassau County), Sen. Dale Volker (R–Wyoming County and parts of Erie, Livingston and Ontario counties). In addition, radio ads will air in Volker’s district. The print ads and the radio ad are all available at www.mpp.org/medicalmarijuanaads/ny .

With more than 23,000 members and 100,000 e-mail subscribers nationwide, the Marijuana Policy Project is the largest marijuana policy reform organization in the United States. MPP believes that the best way to minimize the harm associated with marijuana is to regulate marijuana in a manner similar to alcohol. For more information, please visit www.MarijuanaPolicy.org .

Full text of Sept. 4 Conservative Party of New York press release:

News from Conservative Party of New York State - For more information contact: Shaun-Marie Levine, 518-356-7882

Buffalo’s Conservative Peacock Misguided, Strong Traditional Values Do Not Encourage Drug Use

FORT HAMILTON STATION, NY (09/04/2007; 1621)(readMedia)– Every major study indicates that substance abuse is, unfortunately, increasing in the United States. Legally prescribed medicine is a major cause and health care cost escalate as people demand more and more prescriptions to alleviate pain and suffering while becoming addicted to all types of “pain-killers”. The sad realization is that the more one takes of a “pain-killer” the more “pain-killers” are needed to “kill the pain.”

Today, a registered conservative, Joel Peacock, injured in a 2001 car accident, is calling upon the State Senate to pass “medical” marijuana as the Assembly did in June of this year. Unfortunately, Mr. Peacock is only looking at the situation through his belief that “medical” marijuana will help him with his serious illness. Despite his belief, and the urging of the Marijuana Policy Project, the organization making a concerted effort to legalize “medical” marijuana throughout the United States, “medical” marijuana will not offer the relief he seeks.

According to the Marijuana Policy Project’s news release, it is seeking to minimize the harm associated with marijuana by regulating marijuana “in a manner similar to alcohol.” Perhaps MPP should look at the hundreds of bills the legislature introduces each year to keep our roads safe from drunk drivers. Alcohol and drugs are responsible for the majority of automotive accidents that take our loved ones from us.

The New York State Conservative Party is adamantly opposed to adding marijuana, a known mind altering drug, as a medicine. The latest research shows just how dangerous cannabis is and even the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled (March 15, 2007) that Angel Raich can face federal prosecution on drug charges despite the fact that California has “medical” marijuana laws.

Conservative Party State Chairman, Michael R. Long, acknowledges that Mr. Peacock has chosen to register in the Conservative Party, but stated that he does not speak for the Conservative Party. “Those of us who keep this political organization together, the leaders of the party, the everyday people who carry Conservative petitions that keep this Party on the ballot, know that “medical” marijuana is an oxymoron introduced by those who, like George Soros, seek to make illegal drugs acceptable,” said Long.

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MEDIA CONTACTS:
Marijuana Policy Project
Bruce Mirken,
MPP director of communications,
415-668-6403