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Federal Medical Marijuana Patient to Speak at Lost Harvest Fest |
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CHICAGO - Elvy Musika, one of seven patients in the US to receive medical marijuana from the Federal government, will be speaking this weekend (September 21-22) at the Windy City Lost Harvest Fest, Arvey Field, Chicago. Musika suffers from glaucoma and receives 300 pre-rolled marijuana cigarettes every month from the US government. She was initially part of a short-lived federal compassionate-use program that was ended in 1992 because of political pressure.
"Eight States and DC have voted to legalize medical marijuana," explained Caren Thomas, organizer of the festival, "yet in these troubled times the DEA continues to spend millions of our tax dollars arresting medical marijuana providers in California who are suppose to be protected by state law."
This week in California, openly defying the federal government, a host of Santa Cruz officials stood witness Tuesday as medical marijuana advocates distributed cannabis products in the courtyard of Santa Cruz City Hall. The mayor and five of six City Council members, three former mayors and the city's representative on the county Board of Supervisors joined with an estimated 1,000 citizens to show support for medical pot.
A March 2001 Pew Research Center poll reported that 73 percent of Americans support making marijuana legally available for doctors to prescribe, as did a 1999 Gallup poll. The medical community is also unified in support of medicinal access to marijuana. A 1999 review by the National Academy of Sciences' Institute of Medicine (IOM) concluded that marijuana has therapeutic value as a pain reliever, anti-emetic and appetite stimulant. Currently, more than 70 US and international health organizations, including the American Public Health Association, Health Canada and the Federation of American Scientists, support granting patients immediate legal access to medicinal marijuana under a physician's supervision.
Representatives Barney Frank (D-MA) and Ron Paul (R-TX) have sponsored bi-partisan legislation: H.R. 2592, the "States' Rights to Medical Marijuana Act," to provide for the medical use of marijuana. The bill has 36 co-sponsors, including Illinois Representative Janice Schakowsky (D-9th). This legislation would reclassify marijuana under federal law to properly recognize its medical utility and enable physicians to legally prescribe it under controlled circumstances while maintaining restrictions on recreational use. Most importantly, this legislation would afford patients legal protection under federal law by rescheduling marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule II, and permit those states that wish to establish medical marijuana distribution systems the legal authority to do so.
To schedule an interview with Elvy Musika, please contact Bryan Brickner at 773-395-9708 or Caren Thomas at 847-344-9394. |
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Last Updated ( Friday, 26 May 2006 )
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