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Minnesota Family Council
For Immediate Release Wednesday, February 14, 2007 Contact: Tom Prichard 612-600-3136 MINNEAPOLIS – The Senate Health, Housing and Family Security Committee is scheduled to hear bill seeking to legalize medical marijuana, Wednesday, February 14th at 12:30 pm in Room 15 of state Capitol. Tom Prichard, president of the Minnesota Family Council (MFC), will testify that the bill is being pushed by an organization seeking to decriminalize marijuana in general and will open the door to additional crime, drug abuse and greater acceptance of drug by kids. “The bill is being pushed by the Marijuana Policy Project a national organization which has targeted Minnesota as a state where it wants to weaken the laws against marijuana use. Their stated goal is decriminalization of marijuana in general. Medical marijuana is merely the camels nose under the tent,” said Prichard. “All one has to do is look at the bill to see that it authorizes the establishment of businesses on main street to dispense marijuana, in addition, to allowing 18 year olds to grow upwards of 60 to 300 of pounds of marijuana. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realize what they’re up to,” added Prichard. “California authorized the use of marijuana for medical purposes and they have a royal mess on their hands. They have an estimated 200,000 Californians authorized to use marijuana for medical purposes. One county has noticed a sharp rise in juvenile arrests related to marijuana use since they legalized the use of crude marijuana for medical purposes,” noted Prichard. Advocates argue that medical use of marijuana is critical to alleviate the pain and suffering of various illnesses. However, the FDA has not found smoking marijuana as safe and effective though it has authorized the use of THC, the active ingredient in marijuana in pill form. Organizations which have rejected the use of marijuana as medicine include the American Medical Association, National Multiple Sclerosis Society, The American Glaucoma Society, the American Academy of Opthamology, and the American Cancer Society. The Minnesota Family Council is Minnesota’s largest nonprofit, non-partisan pro-family organization. 2855 Anthony Lane South, Suite 150 i Minneapolis, MN 55418-3265 i 612-789-8811 i Fax 612-789-8858 i www.mfc.org Minnesota Family Council, 2855 Anthony Lane S, Suite 150,Minneapolis, MN 55418 1-612-789-8811 www.mfc.org |
The Minnesota Family Council is Minnesota's largest nonprofit, non-partisan pro-family organization.
Minnesota Family Council / Minnesota Family Institute
2855 Anthony Lane South, Minneapolis MN, 55418-3265
phone 612.789.8811, fax 612.789.8858, www.mfc.org