New Year’s Resolution: Pass Delaware medical marijuana bill in 2011!

Published: January 25, 2011

Make it your resolution too — E-mail your legislators now!

Most Americans’ New Year’s resolutions are already fading by the end of January, but MPP is just beginning to kick into high gear on ours: to pass a medical marijuana bill in Delaware this year. Today, in the Senate, Sen. Margaret Rose Henry (D-Wilmington) introduced S.B. 17, a bill that would allow the compassionate use of medical marijuana for chronically ill Delaware patients with the recommendations of their doctors. Sen. Henry begins the session with an impressive lineup of three co-sponsors in the Senate, and eight in the House, in addition to prime House sponsor, Rep. Helene Keeley (D-Wilmington). Montel Williams, multiple sclerosis patient and popular former talk show host, gave our efforts a huge boost by joining legislators and Delaware patient advocates today for a press conference lauding the introduction of the bill.

In order to join in making the bill’s passage your New Year’s resolution too, we need you to contact your legislators and let them know how important this issue is to you. Especially in a small state like Delaware, you and your friends and family are the ones that can make a difference, and you have been for the past two years. Please e-mail your legislators and urge them to co-sponsor medical marijuana legislation and support it when it comes to the floor. Please also pass this alert on so that we can continue to grow our base of Delaware patients and activists taking action.

If you are a patient with a serious medical condition, a loved one, a medical professional, or a member of law enforcement or the clergy and are willing to meet with your senator and representative about the issue of allowing medical marijuana for the seriously ill, please contact me at NMamber@mpp.org. Please include your nine-digit ZIP code or your address so that we can identify your legislators. Please also share your connection to medical marijuana. For this bill to pass, lawmakers need to hear from patients and their allies, and we would like to help set up one-on-one meetings between you and your legislators.

Mr. Williams attended today’s legislative session and met with members of the legislature and the Governor to urge them to vote in favor of S.B. 17. He was joined at the press conference today by longtime HIV/AIDS advocate and patient Joe Scarborough, and Don Brill, a cancer survivor who created a patient advocacy website, Delawareans for Medical Marijuana, to help keep patients informed and allow them to share their experiences.

Together, we can make Delaware the 16th state to allow the doctor-advised medical use of marijuana. Thank you for your support. Again, please pass this on to any patients you know who might be interested in getting involved.