Home  Medical Use Organization Endorsements Medical Cannabis: Rudy Giuliani Just Says No
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Medical Cannabis: Rudy Giuliani Just Says No |
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Republican presidential hopeful Rudy Giuliani rejected medical cannabis when asked about it at a campaign stop in July, saying its supporters really just want to legalize the weed. The comment was not a major surprise, given the former New York City mayor's previous pronouncements on the subject.
"I believe the effort to try and make marijuana available for medical uses is really a way to legalize it. There's no reason for it," Giuliani said during a town hall-style meeting at New Hampshire Technical Institute. He added that there was no need for it. "You can accomplish everything you want to accomplish with things other than marijuana, probably better. There are pain medications much superior to marijuana," he said.
According to Granite Staters for Medical Marijuana (GSMM), an advocacy group sponsored by the Marijuana Policy Project that seeks to take advantage of New Hampshire's key role in the presidential primary process to get the candidates on the record on medical cannabis, Giuliani has never said anything favorable about medical cannabis. That would put him right beside the other first-tier Republican contenders, among whom only Sen. John McCain has made the most tepid remarks about "states' rights" when asked about the issue. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney simply starts talking about marijuana as a gateway drug when asked about it.
The Democratic field has been much friendlier to medical cannabis, with no candidate rejecting it outright and several going on the record saying they would end federal raids on medical cannabis patients and providers in states where it is legal. Rep. Dennis Kucinich is on the record as strongly supporting medical cannabis, while former Sen. Mike Gravel simply wants to legalize drugs. In the Republican pack, Rep. Ron Paul is a strong supporter, and, somewhat surprisingly, Rep. Tom Tancredo, mostly known for his anti-illegal immigration stance, has consistently voted for the Hinchey-Rohrabacher amendment, which would bar the use of federal funds to raid patients and providers.
Source: Drug War Chronicle, Issue #493, 7/13/07 - http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/493/rudy_giuliani_just_says_no_to_medical_marijuana GSMM: http://granitestaters.com/candidates/ |
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