WALT COULD SPEND HIS FINAL DAYS IN PRISON INSTEAD OF A HOSPITAL.

Please join the effort to protect patients who need medical marijuana for
serious illnesses.

Over 400 legislators, medical professionals, religious leaders,
celebrities, and organizations on the local, state and national levels have
signed a letter to President Bush asking him to allow people with AIDS,
cancer, and other serious illnesses to use medical marijuana if they have
the approval of their physicians ...

Dear President Bush:

Like most Americans, we believe that seriously ill people should not be
subject to arrest and imprisonment for using medical marijuana with their
doctors' approval.

Indeed, on March 17, 1999, the National Academy of Sciences' Institute of
Medicine released its landmark report on marijuana, concluding that "there
are some limited circumstances in which we recommend smoking marijuana for
medical uses."1 The IOM report urged the federal government to give
seriously ill people immediate legal access to medical marijuana on a
case-by-case basis.2

Currently, federal law confers a one-year prison sentence for possessing a
small amount of marijuana for any reason -- and no exception is made for
medical use.

Countless seriously ill people are already using marijuana because they and
their doctors believe that it is the best medicine for them.

These patients should not be treated like criminals.

Consequently, we encourage you to allow people suffering from serious
illnesses like AIDS, cancer, and multiple sclerosis to apply to the federal
government for special permission to use marijuana to treat their symptoms.

Thank you.

NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

Addiction Treatment Alternatives

AIDS Treatment News

American Civil Liberties Union

American Preventive Medicine Association

American Public Health Association

Americans for Democratic Action

Center for Women Policy Studies

Commission on Social Action of Reform Judaism

Gay and Lesbian Medical Association

Gray Panthers

Harm Reduction Coalition

Hepatitis C Action and Advisory Coalition

Justice Policy Institute

Libertarian Party

Life Extension Foundation

Moderation Management

National Association for Public Health Policy

National Association of People with AIDS

National Black Police Association

National Center on Institutions and Alternatives

National Women's Health Network

POZ magazine

Project Safe

Radio Bilingue

The Regas Institute

Women of Reform Judaism

STATE ORGANIZATIONS

California Legislative Council for Older Americans

California Nurses Association

California Pharmacists Association

Hawaii Nurses Association

Life Foundation (Hawaii)

Maine AIDS Alliance

Minnesota Nurses Association

Mississippi Nurses Association

Nebraska AIDS Project

New Mexico Nurses Association

New York State Nurses Association

Physicians for Social Responsibility - Oregon

Virginia Nurses Association

Wisconsin Nurses Association

LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS

AIDS Survival Project (Atlanta)

AIDS Treatment Initiatives (Atlanta)

Bay Area Physicians for Human Rights (San Francisco)

Being Alive HIV/AIDS Services (San Diego)

Boulder County AIDS Project (Boulder)

Connecticut Peace Coalition/New Haven

Embrace Life (Santa Cruz)

New York City AIDS Housing Network

Okaloosa AIDS Support and Information Services (FL)

San Francisco AIDS Foundation

Tri-County AIDS Consortium (Provincetown, MA)

The Village Well; Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Initiative of the
Harlem United Community AIDS Center

Whitman-Walker AIDS Clinic (Washington, DC)

DOCTORS

J. Thomas Ungerleider, M.D., presidential appointee (Nixon), National
Commission on Marijuana and Drug Abuse

Paul Consroe, Ph.D., Arizona pharmacologist trying to get permission to
study medical marijuana

James Cruse, M.D.

Brian Edlin, M.D., director of the Urban Health Study at UC San Francisco

David Edwards, M.D.

David S. Ettinger, M.D., testified against medical marijuana at a DEA
hearing in 1987; now supports compassionate access

Robert Killian, M.D., sponsor of 1998 medical marijuana initiative in
Washington state

Gilbert Ross, M.D.

Ethan R. Russo, M.D., Montana neurologist trying to get permission to study
medical marijuana

Michael S. Saag, M.D., University of Alabama at Birmingham

Juan R. Sanchez-Ramos, M.D., Florida neurologist who treats one of the
seven legal medical marijuana users

Ivan Silverberg, M.D., San Francisco AIDS specialist

PATIENTS

Richard Brookhiser, senior editor of National Review who had used marijuana
during cancer chemotherapy

Stephen Jay Gould, Ph.D., Harvard University scientist who had used
marijuana during cancer chemotherapy

Barbara Douglass, one of the seven patients in the U.S. who legally use
marijuana

George McMahon, one of the seven patients in the U.S. who legally use
marijuana

Elvy Musikka, one of the seven patients in the U.S. who legally use marijuana

Irvin Rosenfeld, one of the seven patients in the U.S. who legally use
marijuana

Greg Scott, featured in the Institute of Medicine's March 1999 report

Keith B. Vines, assistant district attorney of San Francisco, who needs
marijuana to treat AIDS wasting syndrome

NURSES

Edward Glick, R.N.

Derian Kilgore, R.N.

Ruby J. Martinez, R.N., Ph.D., C.S.

Mary Lynn Mathre, R.N.

Linda Ray, R.N., P.H.N.

Nora Roman, R.N.

Jeanne Sears, M.S., R.N.

Susan Skipton, R.N.

Richard Wolfe, R.N.

CELEBRITIES AND PROMINENT CITIZENS

Walter Cronkite

Alan Dershowitz

Hugh Downs

Joycelyn Elders, M.D.

Mike Farrell

Milton Friedman

Hootie & The Blowfish

Anjelica Huston

Gov. Gary E. Johnson (NM)

Bill Maher

Charles Murray

Lyn Nofziger

Michelle Phillips

Richard Pryor

Tim Robbins

Tom Robbins

Susan Sarandon

Frank Serpico

Oliver Stone

Andrew T. Weil, M.D.

RELIGIOUS LEADERS

Reverend David J. DeSmith, Interim Rector, St. Stephen's Parish

Reverend Peter T. Elvin, St. John's Episcopal Church

Reverend Allen J. Hinand, American Baptist Churches

Dr. Michael L. Holland, Minister/Pastor, Church of the Foothills

Val Hymes, Coordinator, Prison Ministry Task Force Episcopal Diocese of
Maryland

Suzanne D. Jones, Coordinator of Ministerial Services, Diocese of Rockville
Centre, Office of Prison Ministry

Reverend Mary Marguerite Kohn, St. Stephen's Parish

James M. Matarazzo, Jr., Project Director, Lifespan/Tufts/Brown Center for
AIDS Research

Reverend Jackie Means, Director of Prison Ministry, Episcopal Church

Mark Miller-McLemore, Assistant Professor, Vanderbilt Divinity School

Eric Mount, Jr., Professor, Centre College

Reverend Sala Nolan, Minister for Criminal Justice and Human Rights, United
Church of Christ

Reverend Troy D. Perry, Board of Elders, Universal Fellowship of
Metropolitan Community Churches

Carl Rehling, Episcopal Diocese of Maryland

Reverend Meg A. Riley, Director, Washington Office for Faith in Action,
Unitarian Universalist Association

Reverend Rita Root, Director, Wesley Foundation

Reverend Dr. Huston Smith, Professor Emeritus, Syracuse University

Robert B. Tapp, Professor, University of Minnesota

Emilie M. Townes, Professor, Union Theology Seminary

Reverend Richard Walker, Minister, The Food Church

Reverend Dr. Walter Wink, Auburn Theological Seminary

John L. Young, Minister, Unitarian Universalist Church of Jacksonville,
Florida

STATE LEGISLATORS

ALABAMA

Rep. Thomas E. Jackson

Rep. Bryant Melton

Rep. John W. Rogers

ARIZONA

Rep. Gabrielle Giffords

Rep. Linda J. Lopez

ARKANSAS

Rep. Joyce Elliot

Rep. Jim Lendall

Sen. John A. Riggs IV

CALIFORNIA

Assem. Elaine Alquist

Assem. Dion Aroner

Assem. Jackie Goldberg

Assem. Fred Keeley

Assem. Christine Kehoe

Assem. Paul Koretz

Assem. John Longville

Assem. Joe Nation

Assem. Fran Pavley

Assem. Virginia Strom-Martin

Assem. Patricia Wiggins

Sen. John Burton

Sen. Sheila James Kuehl

Sen. John Vasconcellos

COLORADO

Rep. Tom Plant

Sen. Sue Windels

CONNECTICUT

Rep. Jim W. Abrams

Rep. Nancy Beals

Rep. Richard O. Belden

Rep. G. Kenneth Bernhard

Rep. Jacqueline M. Cocco

Rep. Raymond V. Collins

Rep. Jefferson B. Davis

Rep. Kevin M. DelGobbo

Rep. Patrick J. Flaherty

Rep. Terry Gerratana

Rep. Demetrios S. Giannaros

Rep. Denise W. Merrill

Rep. Peter F. Villano

Rep. Patricia M. Widlitz

Sen. Toni Nathaniel Harp

Sen. Gary D. LeBeau

Sen. Brian McDermott

Sen. Edith G. Prague

DELAWARE

Rep. Bruce C. Ennis

Rep. Helene M. Keeley

Rep. George Robert Quillen

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Councilmember David Catania

Councilmember Jack Evans

Councilmember Jim Graham

Councilmember Phil Mendelson

GEORGIA

Rep. Nan G. Orrock

Rep. Carl Rogers

HAWAII

Rep. Lei Ahu Isa

Rep. Dennis A. Arakaki

Rep. Ed Case

Rep. William C. Espero

Rep. Helene H. Hale

Rep. Michael P. Kahikina

Rep. Nathan Suzuki

Rep. Roy Takumi

Sen. Avery B. Chumbley

Sen. Matthew Matsunaga

Sen. Suzanne Chun Oakland

Sen. Sam Slom

IDAHO

Rep. Donna H. Boe

Rep. Ken Robinson

INDIANA

Rep. Charlie Brown

IOWA

Rep. Marcie Frevert

Rep. Jane Greimann

Rep. Betty Grundberg

Rep. Mary Mascher

Rep. Pat Murphy

Sen. Bob Dvorsky

Sen. Mary A. Lundby

KENTUCKY

Rep. Thomas J. Burch

Rep. Perry B. Clark

LOUISIANA

Sen. Lynn Dean

MAINE

Rep. Thomas D. Bull

Rep. Scott W. Cowger

Rep. Robert W. Duplessie

Rep. Stephen C. Estes

Rep. Elaine Fuller

Rep. Christopher G.L. Hall

Rep. Susan M. Hawes

Rep. Janice E. Labrecque

Rep. Charles E. Mitchell

Rep. Lois Snowe-Mello

Rep. Paul Volenik

Sen. Mary R. Cathcart

Sen. Anne M. Rand

Sen. Karl W. Turner

MARYLAND

Del. Robert C. Baldwin

Del. Gail Bates

Del. Elizabeth Bobo

Del. Clarence Davis

Del. Dana Lee Dembrow

Del. Joseph M. Getty

Del. Sharon Grosfeld

Del. Wade Kach

Del. Carolyn J. Krysiak

Del. Salima Siler Marriott

Del. Pauline H. Menes

Del. Kenneth C. Montague, Jr.

Del. Donald E. Murphy

Del. Shane E. Pendergrass

Del. Joan B. Pitkin

Del. Daniel Riley

Del. Samuel I. Rosenberg

Del. James E. Rzepkowski

Sen. Richard F. Colburn

Sen. Joan Carter Conway

Sen. Jennie M. Forehand

Sen. Barbara A. Hoffman

Sen. Paula C. Hollinger

Sen. Delores G. Kelley

Sen. Paul G. Pinsky

MASSACHUSETTS

Rep. Ruth B. Balser

Rep. Paul C. Demakis

Rep. Patricia D. Jehlen

Rep. Stephen Kulik

Rep. Byron Rushing

Rep. Ellen Story

Sen. Frederick E. Berry

Sen. Pamela P. Resor

Sen. Stan Rosenberg

MICHIGAN

Rep. Gilda Z. Jacobs

Rep. Chris Kolb

Rep. LaMar Lemmons

Rep. Michael C. Murphy

Rep. Gretchen Whitmer

MINNESOTA

Rep. Len Biernat

Rep. Karen Clark

Rep. Andy Dawkins

Rep. Scott Dibble

Rep. Alice Hausman

Rep. Mike Jaros

Rep. Phyllis Kahn

Rep. Rob Leighton

Rep. Darlene Luther

Rep. Michael Paymar

Rep. Dale Swapinski

Rep. Neva Walker

Sen. Ellen R. Anderson

Sen. Linda Berglin

Sen. John Marty

Sen. Sandra L. Pappas

MISSISSIPPI

Rep. Erik R. Fleming

MISSOURI

Rep. Joan Bray

Rep. Vicky Riback Wilson

MONTANA

Rep. Norma Bixby

Rep. Tim Callahan

Rep. Joan Hurdle

Rep. Butch Waddill

Sen. John C. Bohlinger

Sen. Jon Ellingson

Sen. Linda Nelson

Sen. Jerry O'Neil

NEVADA

Assem. Douglas Bache

Assem. Bob Beers

Assem. Marcia de Braga

Assem. Christina R. Giunchigliani

Assem. Harry Mortenson

Assem. David R. Parks

Sen. Dean A. Rhoads

Sen. Mike A. Schneider

NEW HAMPSHIRE

Rep. Peter H. Allen

Rep. Susan W. Almy

Rep. Thomas I. Arnold, Jr.

Rep. Bob Batchelder

Rep. Bernard Benn

Rep. Daniel M. Burnham

Rep. Kevin R. Chalbeck

Rep. Martha Fuller Clark

Rep. Jane A. Clemons

Rep. Mary R. Cooney

Rep. Barbara C. French

Rep. Ruth Ginsburg

Rep. Michael Harrington

Rep. Naida Kaen

Rep. Cecelia D. Kane

Rep. Christine M. Konys

Rep. Dana Landers

Rep. Roland Lefebvre

Rep. Don Lent

Rep. Harold V. Lynde

Rep. Paul A. McGuirk

Rep. Edgar Mears

Rep. McKim W. Mitchell

Rep. Derek Owen

Rep. Randy J. Perkins

Rep. Irene A. Pratt

Rep. Barbara Hull Richardson

Rep. Beth Rodd

Rep. Frank V. Sapareto

Rep. Nancy Scovner

Rep. Elizabeth C. Shultis

Rep. Hilda Weyl Sokol

Rep. Judith Spang

Rep. Jim Splaine

Rep. Steve Vaillancourt

Rep. Chuck Weed

Rep. John M. White

Rep. Steven J. Winter

Rep. Jane Wood

Sen. Burton J. Cohen

NEW JERSEY

Assem. Reed Gusciora

Assem. William D. Payne

NEW MEXICO

Rep. Gail Chasey Beam

Rep. Ray Begaye

Rep. Roman M. Maes

Rep. Gloria C. Vaughn

Rep. Avon W. Wilson

Sen. Richard C. Martinez

NEW YORK

Assem. Joan K. Christensen

Assem. Sam Colman

Assem. Jeffrey Dinowitz

Assem. Deborah J. Glick

Assem. Richard N. Gottfried

Assem. Pete Grannis

Assem. Martin A. Luster

Assem. Felix W. Ortiz

Assem. Frances T. Sullivan

Assem. Harvey Weisenberg

Sen. Thomas K. Duane

Sen. Velmanette Montgomery

Sen. Suzi Oppenheimer

Sen. Eric T. Schneiderman

NORTH CAROLINA

Rep. Stanley Fox

Rep. Gene Rogers

Sen. Ellie Kinnaird

OHIO

Rep. Catherine L. Barrett

Rep. Peter Lawson Jones

Rep. Dale Miller

Rep. Sylvester Patton

OREGON

Rep. Steve March

Rep. Diane Rosenbaum

Rep. Vicki L. Walker

Sen. Susan Castillo

Sen. Verne A. Duncan

Sen. Cliff Trow

PENNSYLVANIA

Rep. Linda Bebko-Jones

RHODE ISLAND

Rep. Edith H. Ajello

Rep. David N. Cicilline

Rep. Nancy Hetherington

Rep. Charles J. Levesque

Sen. J. Clement Cicilline

Sen. Rhoda E. Perry

Sen. John M. Roney

SOUTH CAROLINA

Rep. Gilda Cobb-Hunter

Rep. Walter P. Lloyd

Sen. John R. Kuhn

Sen. Linda H. Short

SOUTH DAKOTA

Rep. Sam Nachtigal

Rep. Paul Valandra

Rep. Tom Van Norman

Sen. Gil Koetzle

Sen. John R. McIntyre

TENNESSEE

Sen. Stephen I. Cohen

TEXAS

Rep. Glen Maxey

UTAH

Rep. David Litvack

Sen. Ron Allen

VERMONT

Rep. Elaine R. Alfano

Rep. Kinny P. Connell

Rep. David L. Deen

Rep. Johannah Leddy Donovan

Rep. Robert Dostis

Rep. Carina Driscoll

Rep. Steve R. Hingtgen

Rep. Henrietta B. Jordan

Rep. Michael Kainen

Rep. Robert Kiss

Rep. Kathleen C. Keenan

Rep. Joseph F. Larose

Rep. Mark Larson

Rep. Fred A. Maslack

Rep. Virginia A. Milkey

Rep. Neil O. Randall

Rep. David Rogers

Rep. Henry G. Schaefer

Rep. Malcolm Severance

Rep. Gene Sweetser

Rep. Don Webster

Rep. David E. Zuckerman

VIRGINIA

Del. James Frederick Almand

Del. Viola O. Baskerville

Del. James M. Shuler

Sen. Patricia S. Ticer

WASHINGTON

Rep. Jeannie Darneille

Rep. Kathryn M. Haigh

Rep. Ruth Kagi

Rep. Jim McIntire

Rep. Edward B. Murray

Rep. Val Ogden

Rep. Erik Poulsen

Rep. Laura Ruderman

Rep. Shay Schual-Berke

Rep. Helen Sommers

Rep. Velma Rosete Veloria

Sen. Darlene Fairley

Sen. Adam Kline

Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles

Sen. Bob McCaslin

Sen. Julia Patterson

Sen. Margarita Prentice

Sen. Pat Thibaudeau

Sen. Shirley Winsley

WISCONSIN

Rep. Terese Berceau

Rep. Peter E. Bock

Rep. Frank Boyle

Rep. Timothy Carpenter

Rep. Mark Miller

Rep. Mark Pocan

Rep. Jon Richards

Rep. Marlin D. Schneider

Rep. Robert L. Turner

WYOMING

Rep. Jane Warren

Sen. Keith Goodenough

Coalition for Compassionate Access

visit www.compassionateaccess.org or call 202-546-8185

Notes:

1 From IOM Principal Investigator Dr. John Benson's prepared statement
presented at IOM's 3/17/1999 news conference in Washington, D.C.

2 Marijuana and Medicine: Assessing the Science Base, Janet Joy, Ph.D.,
Stanley Watson, M.D., and John Benson, M.D. (eds.), Institute of Medicine;
Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press, 1999; page 8.