Only one step left until Minnesota Senate floor vote on medical marijuana

Following triumphant victories in two committees last month, the Minnesota Senate Finance Committee is poised to vote on Sen. Steve Kelley’s (DFL-Hopkins) bipartisan medical marijuana bill, S.F. 1973, as early as this week. This will mark the final hurdle that the bill needs to clear before reaching the Senate floor. If you have already taken action, thank you; but please don’t forget that we still need your help to ensure that the bill passes.

Please click here to send a letter-to-the-editor of your local papers, expressing your hope that lawmakers will end Minnesota’s cruel policy of criminalizing the seriously ill. Our automated system will allow you to easily send a letter to newspapers in Minnesota. It takes only a few moments, but it can make a world of difference. Feel free to draw from the talking points that we have provided, but remember that a personalized letter is more likely to be published than a form letter.

Then, please write a letter to your state senator, urging him or her to support Kelley’s medical marijuana bill. With just a few clicks, our automated system will allow you to send a pre-written letter to your senator, or you can compose the letter yourself.

One dirty little secret of politics — especially true at the state level — is that legislators really do listen to constituents who write and call in. According to former U.S. Congressman Billy Evans (D-GA), "Legislators estimate that 10 letters from constituents represent the concerns of 10,000 citizens. Anybody who will take the time to write is voicing the fears and desires of thousands more." So please write to your senator today.

S.F. 1973 — which would protect people with cancer, multiple sclerosis, and other serious illnesses from criminal penalties for using medical marijuana upon their doctors' advice — has already passed through three Senate policy committees since its introduction in 2005. Please do your part to help maintain this momentum, so that seriously ill Minnesotans can finally get the protection they deserve.

Thank you for supporting the Marijuana Policy Project. Please pass this message along to your friends and family in Minnesota so that others can stand up for the state’s most vulnerable residents.