White House pressure on Governor Ehrlich intensifies

Maryland's medical marijuana bill is ready to arrive at Governor Robert Ehrlich's (R) desk. While Gov. Ehrlich has supported medical marijuana in the past, the battle is not over yet.

On Thursday, White House "Drug Czar" John Walters traveled to Annapolis to further campaign against the Darrell Putman Medical Marijuana Research Act. His vitriol against this bill was an attempt to step up pressure on Gov. Ehrlich.

In a Baltimore Sun article today, he declared that medical marijuana 'would put more people in harm's way.' Unfortunately, Walters does not recognize that it is the threat of prison that harms medical marijuana patients.

In response, Gov. Ehrlich said that he "can take some pressure." The governor is considering this bill, but he needs to be convinced that signing it is the right thing to do.

MPP needs your help to ensure that the bill becomes law. If Gov. Ehrlich knows that Maryland residents are behind him on this issue, he will be able to stand up to the pressure from federal bureaucrats. We must assure him of the widespread support for medical marijuana in Maryland.

Please take a few moments to Take Action. After you choose your favorite pre-written letter and type in your address, our site will automatically e-mail Gov. Ehrlich … all with the click of a few buttons. The whole process takes less than two minutes, but it makes a world of difference.

Alternatively, you can call Governor Ehrlich at (410) 974-3591. Please tell Gov. Ehrlich: "My name is _. I understand that the Darrell Putman Medical Marijuana Research Act has passed out of the legislature. Please sign this bill into law. We need to protect our seriously ill residents whose doctors recommend marijuana."

This bill, H.B. 702, was required to pass the Senate even though its companion bill, S.B. 502, had passed the Senate on March 25, by a vote of 29-17. On April 4, H.B. 702 passed the Senate by an even larger margin: 30-16.

Please pass this information on so that the governor can hear from even more concerned Maryland residents. Thank you for supporting the Marijuana Policy Project.