FreeMaryJane
05-16-2008, 07:43 AM
NORML has literally hundreds of ‘reply to constituent’ (RTC) letters from hundreds of members of Congress. A quick assessment will find that about 70-80% of all RTCs re cannabis are negative to hostile, about 10% are ponderous and under 10% are supportive.
One of the major projects NORML is working on for this election year is called the ‘Political Accountability Project’, and a major component of it to A] encourage as many supporters of mj law reform to contact their two senators (to co-sponsor the Frank/Paul decrim bill) and their single Representative (to either co-sponsor the Frank/Paul decrim bill or to simply vote for it), B] Send any and all responses to NORML, and C] NORML will post the results on the Internet.
So again, thank you Cher, and I encourage all NORML chapters to make the aptly named ‘Political Accountability Project’ a mini-project for state/local chapters, as the benefits of publicly identifying elected officials’ positions on decriminalizing or medicalizing cannabis are multi-fold.**
Regards,
-Allen
NORML
**Creating a searchable dbase of these RTCs is likely the best way for us reformers to know who support reforms and who does not as there are very few votes in Congress (virtually none) that create a legislative track record on whether or not the elected official supports or opposes mj law reforms. The only vote Congress has taken in the last few years is the annual Hinchey-Rohrabacher spending amendment, which 1) is a poor voting vehicle to measure genuine law reform sentiments and 2) the spending amendment is limited to stopping federal law enforcement from enforcing federal law in states with med mj laws.
One of the major projects NORML is working on for this election year is called the ‘Political Accountability Project’, and a major component of it to A] encourage as many supporters of mj law reform to contact their two senators (to co-sponsor the Frank/Paul decrim bill) and their single Representative (to either co-sponsor the Frank/Paul decrim bill or to simply vote for it), B] Send any and all responses to NORML, and C] NORML will post the results on the Internet.
So again, thank you Cher, and I encourage all NORML chapters to make the aptly named ‘Political Accountability Project’ a mini-project for state/local chapters, as the benefits of publicly identifying elected officials’ positions on decriminalizing or medicalizing cannabis are multi-fold.**
Regards,
-Allen
NORML
**Creating a searchable dbase of these RTCs is likely the best way for us reformers to know who support reforms and who does not as there are very few votes in Congress (virtually none) that create a legislative track record on whether or not the elected official supports or opposes mj law reforms. The only vote Congress has taken in the last few years is the annual Hinchey-Rohrabacher spending amendment, which 1) is a poor voting vehicle to measure genuine law reform sentiments and 2) the spending amendment is limited to stopping federal law enforcement from enforcing federal law in states with med mj laws.