ABA Opposes House Resolution
Attacking Medical Marijuana

Editor's Note: Posting of this article should not be construed as an endorsement of all positions of NORML.

May 7, 1998, Washington, D.C.: The American Bar Association (ABA) voiced strong opposition this week to an effort by House Republicans to pass a "sense of the House Resolution" stating that "marijuana is a dangerous and addictive drug ... [that] should not be legalized for medical use."

"American Bar Association policy 'recognizes that persons who suffer from serious illnesses for which marijuana has a medically recognized therapeutic value have a right to be treated with marijuana under the supervision of a physician,'" stated ABA Government Affairs Director Robert Evans in a letter to Congress. "We urge the House to defeat H. Res. 372."

House Resolution 372 -- spearheaded by Rep. Bill McCollum (R-Fla.), chair of the Crime Subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee -- awaits action by the House. The measure declares that "the United States House of Representatives is unequivocally opposed to legalizing marijuana for medical use, and urges the defeat of state initiatives which would seek to legalize marijuana [as a medicine.]"

NORML Executive Director R. Keith Stroup, Esq. praised the ABA's stance against H. Res. 372. "The ABA has a long history of fighting for the rights of seriously ill patients who benefit from the therapeutic use of marijuana," he said. "Their support is crucial if we are to derail this ignorant and mean-spirited bill."

The ABA has been a supporter of legalizing prescriptive access to medical marijuana since 1984.

For more information on House Resolution 372, please contact either Keith Stroup or Paul Armentano of NORML @ (202) 483-5500.