Tuesday: Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ), Rand Paul (R-KY), and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) to Introduce Historic Medical Marijuana Legislation

Press Release March 8, 2015
Media Contact

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Contact:</h2>
<p>Tony Newman (646) 335-5384 or Michael Collins (404) 539-6437</p>

Washington, D.C. – On Tuesday, March 10, at 12:30pm EST, Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ), Rand Paul (R-KY) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) will host a press conference to announce sweeping bipartisan legislation that will end federal prohibition of medical marijuana, and allow patients, doctors and businesses in states with medical marijuana laws to participate in those programs without fear of prosecution. The press conference to announce the details of this wide-reaching bill will take place in the Senate and will be attended by patients and advocates, as well as the Senators.

The Drug Policy Alliance will subsequently host a teleconference on Tuesday, March 10, at 3pm EST for reporters from state and local media officials who cannot make the in-person press conference. Journalists are invited to dial in and speak to policy experts, patients, and advocates.

“Almost half the states have legalized marijuana for medical use; it’s long past time to end the federal ban,” said Michael Collins, policy manager for the Drug Policy Alliance. “This bipartisan legislation allows states to set their own medical marijuana policies and ends the criminalization of patients, their families, and the caregivers and dispensary owners and employees who provide them their medicine.”

Twenty-three states and the District of Columbia have laws that legalize and regulate marijuana for medicinal purposes. Twelve more states have laws on the books or are about to be signed into law by their governors regulating cannabidiol (CBD) oils, a non-psychotropic component of medical marijuana which some parents are utilizing to treat their children’s seizures. Four states and the District of Columbia have legalized marijuana for non-medical use.

Senate Press Conference:

What: Announcement of Sweeping Medical Marijuana Bill
Who: Senators Paul, Booker, and Gillibrand, advocates and patients from New York, New Jersey, Virginia, and Washington D.C.
Where: SVC 203
When: Tuesday, March 10, 2015 at 12:30pm EST

Drug Policy Alliance (DPA) Teleconference:

What: Teleconference on Medical Marijuana Bill
Who: Policy experts, advocates, and patients from New York, Kentucky, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.
Where: Call Tony Newman for call-in information.
When: Tuesday, March 10, 2015 at 3pm EST

A young woman holds a sign that says "End the Drug War."

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