Free Medicine

Over the past 25 years,the Illinois General Assembly has enacted nearly 20 laws that have created harsher penalties for drug offenses.

I have some unfortunate news to report. On the evening of May 16, Governor O'Malley ignored the call for reform and formally vetoed HB 992, Maryland's sentencing reform bill.

The bill would have increased the discretion of judges during sentencing, making second-time nonviolent drug offenders who are assigned to mandatory sentences eligible for parole. Under current state law, mandatory minimums cannot be paroled or suspended, and people who are serving a mandatory minimum sentence cannot have access to treatment.

While HB 992 would have been a small change, it became the most controversial bill of the legislative session. DPA and our allies garnered support from across the state, including editorials in the area's largest papers, but the governor failed to take the opportunity to be a leader in sensible drug sentencing reform.

However, there is some good news: Our message of support for reform was heard by the governor! As late as the day of the veto, Gov. O'Malley's staff asked us to stop the fax campaign because your faxes had shut down their system. Way to go! I cannot say it enough: Thank you for all your calls, letters and support.

In his veto message, the governor said he shares most of the policy goals of the bill, and his staff has indicated that he might be willing to work on a new set of legislation in the next session.

While we regret the veto, we can't lose sight of what we achieved this year. This is the furthest a sentencing reform bill has gotten in Maryland in quite some time, and we will keep working in the months ahead to advance reform. DPA and our partners have helped move the debate in Maryland forward, and we have built the base to enact lasting legislative change in the future.

Stay tuned this summer and fall as we work to develop our plans for 2008.

Sincerely,

Naomi Long
Drug Policy Alliance

Chris Mulligan! We knew you when you were but a wee intern. Look at you all grown up now and professional - and lookin' good, dude! I have no idea why the Washington Post is featuring you in this video, but I'm so glad for the opportunity to hear a pro marijuana reform message there.

Posted by Jeanette Irwin.

I'll keep this short, because Connecticut patients need your help right now.

Last week, the Connecticut Compassionate Use Bill, HB 6715, passed the House of Representatives on a vote of 89 - 58. The bill is now headed to the Senate for a full vote--and we'll need your help to get it passed.

Legislators are telling us that they've received hundreds of faxes and phone calls--but we can't let up now! The Senate needs to hear from you. Please send a message to your Senator right now!

Please help get HB 6715, Compassionate Use, through the State Senate: Here are three things you can do in three minutes to push HB 6715 to passage.

1. Send a fax to your State Senator;

2. After faxing, take two minutes to call your Senator and tell him or her you support HB 6715, Compassionate Use. Calls make a big impression on legislators.

You can call the House Clerk's Office at (860) 240-0400 and then tell the person who answers the phone what district you live in in order to be connected to your Senator. Look up your district here.

3. Forward this alert to five people you know in Connecticut, and ask them to take action.

Also, join us tomorrow, May 30, 2007, at the Capitol in Hartford at a Racial Justice Day Rally to support medical marijuana. The rally will take place at the Capitol Building, 210 Capitol Avenue, Hartford, CT  06106. The Rally will take place from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. on the 1st floor, in the Atrium. Please join us if you can make it!

We're almost at the finish line; please take action today so that Compassionate Use finally passes in Connecticut.

Thanks for all you do. 

Gabriel Sayegh
Drug Policy Alliance

This comprehensive CBC web report chronicles “a study conducted by Dr. Mark Tarnopolsky, director of the neuromuscular and neurometabolic clinic at McMaster University in Hamilton and Simon Melov of the Buck Institute for Age Research in Novato, Calif., wherein they compared tissue samples from 25 healthy older men and women who did six months of weight training and a similar group of 26 younger people.”

 

“Exercise was linked to a reversal back to levels similar to those of younger adults.”

 “Melov said the researchers were surprised at the extent of the results in humans.

‘The fact that their 'genetic fingerprints' so dramatically reversed course gives credence to the value of exercise, not only as a means of improving health, but of reversing the aging process itself, which is an additional incentive to exercise as you get older.’"

This study shows that it is never too late to start an exercise program.  Check with your doctor if you are starting from scratch.

 

There is no way to reverse the aging process, but a regular exercise program may be the closest thing there is.