Patients Ask Future President to Order End of DEA Raids

Patients Ask Future President to Order End of DEA Raids
Nationwide campaign to stop federal prosecutions of medical marijuana
As Republican and Democratic presidential candidates vie for their party's
nomination, Americans for Safe Access has launched a nationwide campaign
urging whoever is elected come November to end federal raids in states with
medical marijuana laws.

The campaign reminds candidates that, if elected, they can order an
immediate stop to federal interference in state medical marijuana programs.
The proposed Executive Order would cut off federal funds currently being
used to prosecute patients and providers in states where medical marijuana
is legal.

"To counter the increased level of federal interference in states with
medical marijuana laws, we're asking candidates to clearly state their
opposition by pledging to issue an Executive Order, if elected." said Caren
Woodson, ASA's Director of Government Affairs. "We're spending millions of
dollars on law enforcement actions that harm our most vulnerable citizens,
but the President has the power to stop it at any time."

Over the past two years, federal raids and prosecutions of medical marijuana
patients and providers have been escalating. While federal interference with
state medical marijuana programs has been widespread, some have been hit
harder than others.

In California, the federal Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has
conducted more than 100 raids and threatened more than 300 landlords with
criminal prosecution and asset forfeiture for renting space to patient
collectives. Federal prosecutors are currently pursuing more than 100
medical marijuana-related cases, all of which carry the threat of long
prison sentences.

ASA's Executive Order campaign focuses on Presidential candidates that have
already made supportive statements on medical marijuana: Senators Hillary
Clinton and Barack Obama and Representative Ron Paul. All are being asked to
pledge to end the raids by Executive Order, if elected. ASA's proposed order
reads, in part:

"No funds made available to the Department of Justice shall be used to
prevent States from implementing adopted laws that authorize the use,
distribution, possession, or cultivation of medical marijuana. In
particular, no funds shall be used to investigate, seize, arrest or
prosecute in association with the distribution of medical marijuana, unless
such distribution has been found by adjudication to violate state or local
law."

DEA interference is drawing increasing opposition from lawmakers, including
Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums, who has condemned the DEA tactics, and House
Judiciary Chair John Conyers. The Berkeley City Council has passed a
resolution condemning the raids, and San Francisco Supervisors are expected
to do the same this week. Chairman Conyers has said he will hold oversight
hearings on the DEA's "efforts to undermine California state law."

Further information: www.americansforsafeaccess.org/ExecutiveOrder
<hjttp://www.americansforsafeaccess.org/ExecutiveOrder> .