Title:
Former Minnesota sheriff and legislator urges passage of medical marijuana bill in new television ad!
Message:
In MPP's newest TV ad — which hits the airwaves today — former Fillmore County sheriff, former Minnesota state representative, and current intractable pain patient Neil Haugerud makes a powerful case for S.F. 345, the medical marijuana bill. Haugerud suffers from arachnoiditis — a debilitating condition caused by inflammation of the linings that surround the brain and spinal cord — and argues that medical marijuana should be an option for the seriously ill. You can watch the ad here.
We have only been able to produce and air this television spot — as well as the two which preceded it — through the generous donations of supporters like you. Would you please consider giving $10 or more today so we have the resources to continue to set the record straight about the medical marijuana bill?
S.F. 345, which has already passed the Senate, is expected to come up for an historic vote on the floor of the Minnesota House any day. And given the fact that a small but vocal group within the Minnesota law enforcement community has been waging a campaign of misinformation against the bill's passage, Mr. Haugerud's law enforcement credentials carry additional weight. As the former sheriff notes, "Law enforcement ... is stepping out of bounds. Law enforcement is there to enforce the laws in relation to what the law is — they really don't need to influence ... what the law should be."
Your donation to MPP will also help us continue to combat the false and misleading claims — and occasional outright lies — that some current law enforcement officials like Dakota County Attorney James Backstrom have been spreading about the bill. In a series of Web videos circulated among the legislature and press, we've exposed some of the most egregious examples of this pattern of bad faith by using law enforcement's own words.
But Mr. Haugerud's powerful testimony reveals that not all Minnesotans with law enforcement backgrounds agree with James Backstrom that seriously ill patients who use medical marijuana on the recommendation of their physicians should face the threat of arrest and jail. In fact — like 64% of Minnesotans, according to a recent SurveyUSA poll commissioned by the ABC affiliate in Minneapolis — some do support a compassionate medical marijuana law.
Thank you for supporting the Marijuana Policy Project. Please pass this message along to your friends, family, and neighbors in Minnesota and encourage them to contact their elected officials, as well.
If you'd also like to volunteer in these final days of MPP's lobbying efforts, please contact Matt Witemyre, MPP's Minnesota organizer, at (612) 424-7004 or mwitemyre@mpp.org.
