DOPE, WITCHES AND BLOGGING

Congress rejected a proposal June 29 to ban federal prosecutions of
medical marijuana patients in the 11 states where medical marijuana is
legal. But the 259-163 vote contained some good news, according to
Bruce Mirken, spokesman for the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP). The
vote included 18 "yes" votes from Republicans, up from 15 last year.

"Although the measure failed to pass ... medical marijuana advocates
hailed the record vote as the result of a growing groundswell of
support for medical marijuana from across the political spectrum,"
Mirken said. "Last summer the amendment received 161 votes, which was
the previous record until today's vote."

Equally surprising are some of the supporters who came out in favor of
the bill before it went up for a vote. The conservative organization
Citizens Against Government Waste and the USA Presbyterian Church
spoke in favor of the proposal. The Presbyterian resolution affirmed
"the use of cannabis sativa or marijuana for legitimate medical
purposes as recommended by a physician" and urges "federal legislation
that allows for its use and that provides for the production and
distribution of the plant for those purposes."

Maybe, as more groups and citizens recognize the legitimate use of
drugs that were once legal in this country, the witch hunt that
victimizes people who are already struggling with medical issues can
end.

If you are one of the millions of people victimized by the witch hunt
- -- er, Drug War -- the Ohio Justice and Policy Center (OJPC) might be
of help. Each week OJPC holds free legal clinics for former offenders.
The clinics started in 2004 in an effort to help former offenders get
back on their feet after receiving criminal convictions. Since then,
OJPC has consulted with over 650 men and women in need of help. The
clinic helps ex-offenders with record expungements for those who
qualify; child support cases for people who owe support; unfair
parole, probation and post-release control conditions that interfere
with employment; and terminations from educational programs due to
criminal records.

"I am energized to be reaching out to low-income ex-offenders in
Cincinnati who are struggling to get back on their feet and become
productive members of the community," says Stephen JohnsonGrove, the
primary attorney in charge of the Second Chance clinics. "Everyone in
our community wins when former offenders are given opportunities to
succeed."

OJPC holds clinics each Tuesday from 10 a.m.-noon at Our Daily Bread,
a soup kitchen in Over-the-Rhine. More information is available at
513-421-1108 or sjohnsongrove@ohiojpc.org.