Ohio lobby day on April 26

Published: April 18, 2007

The Ohio Patient Action Network (OPAN) an MPP grantee has been educating Ohio legislators on medical marijuana over the last several months. Many legislators have expressed interest in, and even support for, medical marijuana legislation. However, they are asking to hear from you on this issue. So, on Thursday, April 26, OPAN will hold a lobby day to generate support for medical marijuana legislation. Please join medical marijuana patients and health care advocates at the Statehouse in Columbus on April 26 to urge your legislators to sponsor medical marijuana legislation.

If you are interested in participating in this vital lobbying effort, please contact Zane Hurst by e-mailing zane@mpp.org for details. If you or someone you know is suffering from a debilitating condition or if you are a medical professional, a member of law enforcement, or a public official, your presence during the lobby day could be tremendously influential. Please remember to dress and act professionally; we want to engage legislators, not alienate them.

If you are unable to come to the Statehouse on April 26, you can still take action by sending a letter to your legislators urging them to sponsor medical marijuana legislation this year. We've provided sample letters to get you started, but please take a moment to personalize your letter before sending it to your legislator.

That's not all you can do to help. If you haven't done so already, please submit a supportive letter to the editor of your local paper. The opinion page is one of the most read parts of the newspaper. Please click here to send a letter through our automated system. Please be sure to personalize your letter; newspapers do not print form letters.

Last session, then-Sen. Robert Hagan (D-Youngstown) now an Ohio House representative sponsored legislation that would permit the medical use of marijuana by patients with qualified medical conditions under a doctor's supervision. This legislation would have protected patients, their caregivers, and their doctors from the threat of arrest and prosecution for using or possessing medical marijuana.

MPP is working closely with OPAN to ensure that Rep. Hagan introduces this legislation in the House this year. But before he introduces it, he wants to have more co-sponsors on the bill with him. That's why you need to visit your legislators and let them know that this is an important issue. We hope that you will be able to attend the lobby day on April 26.

Thank you for supporting the Marijuana Policy Project. Please pass this message along to your friends, family, neighbors, and e-mail lists in Ohio so that others can stand up for the state's most vulnerable residents.