TV ad urges N.Y. Senate to protect medical marijuana patients; your help needed

This morning, MPP began airing a TV ad to urge the state Senate to pass a medical marijuana bill. The ad features one of the thousands of New York patients who are counting on the Senate to act. Burton Aldrich, a quadriplegic who finds that marijuana best relieves his excruciating pain and spasms, explains, "I don't know if I would be around if it wasn't for marijuana. It shouldn't be a crime to treat pain and suffering."

You can watch the ad here.

Burton's ad will bring attention to New York medical marijuana patients' cruel predicament. But we need your help to give the Senate the political will to act. There are less than three weeks left in the legislative session, so there is no time to lose. Here's what you can do:

1) Write and call your own state senator. Please be sure to send any feedback you get to me at Karen@mpp.org. 2) Post this alert to listservs and send it to New York friends and family to urge them to urge the Senate to protect patients this year. 3) Write a letter to the editor of your local paper. 4) If you're a member of Digg, Digg the ad here. If you're on social networking sites, please post the ad and ask your friends and family to visit NYpatients.org to ask their state senators to protect patients. 5) Contact me at Karen@mpp.org if you are a patient, the loved one of a patient, or a medical professional who would like to get more involved.

Last June, the Assembly passed Assemblyman Richard Gottfried's medical marijuana bill, A.4867A, in a 95-52 vote. The Assembly bill, now A.4867B, is carefully crafted. It would allow patients to use marijuana only if they have life-threatening or debilitating conditions and if their doctors believe it would be the most effective treatment. Patients would register with the state to be allowed to grow up to 12 plants and to possess up to 2.5 ounces of their medicine. State-regulated distribution would replace home cultivation when the federal government grants the state permission to do so. 

Allowing medical marijuana has the support of 76% of the public, 55% of Conservative Party members, and virtually the entire state medical community, including the nurses' association and the state's medical schools. But so far the Senate has failed to bring the issue to a vote. So, please don't forget to urge them to do so. This is an election year, when the Senate Republicans are afraid of losing their majority, so it's especially important that they know how much voters want the majority to act on this issue. 

Thank you for your support. Together, we can make New York the 13th state to stop the cruel and senseless policy of criminalizing medical marijuana patients for relieving their suffering.