For Immediate Release Source: Common Dreams Washington -- At the beginning of February, AARP posted the findings of a poll they had commissioned on medical marijuana on their website. The poll found that 72% of older Americans (45 and over) support an adult's right to use medical marijuana with a physician's recommendation. A December 18th Associated Press article discussing the poll mentioned that AARP The Magazine was scheduled to release an article about medical marijuana in its March/April issue. But when the March/April issue reached subscribers in late January, the article was conspicuously absent. The editors had apparently pulled the article in response to malicious attacks by a "media watchdog" organization, Accuracy in Media, and a pressure campaign by fanatical anti-drug groups with a long history of engaging in malicious and dishonest attacks. "We urge the editors of AARP The Magazine not to cave in to such attacks and to publish the medical marijuana article soon," said Ethan Nadelmann, executive director of the Drug Policy Alliance. -- http://www.drugpolicy.org/ "Ultimately this issue is not about medical marijuana but whether or not free and open discussion of issues that matter to AARP members will be censored and abandoned in the face of coarse attacks by disreputable forces." The Drug Policy Alliance is encouraging its supporters (many of whom are also members of AARP), and all believers in freedom of the press, to send letters to AARP urging its leadership to stand firm. Complete Title: Drug War Zealots Pressure AARP The Magazine to Kill Medical Marijuana Story; Latest Censorship Campaign Initiated After AARP-Commissioned Poll Finds 72% of Older Americans Support Medical Marijuana Note: Supporters Rally in Defense of AARP's Freedom of the Press: "Don't Give in to Intimidation" Contact: Drug Policy Alliance Tony Newman, 646-335-5384 Elizabeth Méndez Contact: aarpmagazine@aarp.org Source: Common Dreams (ME) Published: February 25, 2005 Copyright: 2005 Common Dreams Contact: editor@commondreams.org Website: http://www.commondreams.org/ Link to article: http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread20292.shtml
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="450"> <tbody><tr><td colspan="2" align="left">Take Action! Send a Message </td> </tr> <tr> <td width="25"></td> <td width="425"> Urge AARP to Stand Up to Smear Attacks <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="380"> <tbody><tr> <td> AARP pulled an article on medical marijuana that was supposed to run in its magazine this month, reportedly due to attacks from a so-called "media watchdog" organization and fanatical anti-drug groups. Help AARP stand up to this pressure by sending a letter of support! </td> </tr> </tbody></table> </td> </tr> <tr> <td></td> <td align="center" valign="top"> </td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right"> </td> <td></td> </tr> <form method="post" name="actionform" action="index.asp?step=1" onsubmit="return checkForm(this)"></form> <tr> <td align="right" valign="top"></td> <td valign="top"></td> </tr> <tr> <td></td> <td valign="top"> <table border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" width="390"> <tbody><tr> <td> February 26, 2005 Mr. Bill Novelli, CEO, AARP<input name="messageoption_3290" value="fax" type="hidden"> <input name="subject" value="I Support AARP's Right to Discuss Issues Important to its Members" type="hidden"> Dear Mr. Novelli, <textarea name="none" cols="35" rows="15" wrap="soft" style="width: 380px;" onfocus="javascript:this.blur();" readonly="readonly">I am writing first to thank you for your consideration of the medical marijuana issue, as it is clearly of great relevance to your membership. The illuminating poll you commissioned on the subject indicated that 72% of older Americans think medical marijuana should be legal if recommended by a doctor, a number consistent with national polling on the issue. Second, I urge you not to stop reporting on this issue because of undue pressures from extremist groups. Marijuana is now legal for medicinal purposes in almost a dozen states, and many more are considering following suit. Publications ranging from the New England Journal of Medicine and Lancet Neurology to American Legion Magazine have published articles on the subject. Smear attacks from groups outside the mainstream should not overshadow the right of your members to engage in open discussion about this or other issues that matter to them. Please uphold your right to serve your members by publishing information they will find useful. Please run your medical marijuana article.</textarea> <input name="textChange" value="0" type="hidden"> <input name="requireCustomization" value="0" type="hidden"> Sincerely, Your signature will be added from the information you provide below. </td></tr> </tbody></table> </td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2"></td> </tr> <tr><td align="right" valign="top"></td> <td valign="top"></td> </tr> <tr> <td></td> <td align="left" valign="top"> Already a supporter? All you need to enter is your email address and send the letter. If not, all fields are required. <table border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="6" width="100%"> <tbody><tr valign="top"> <td class="formText" align="right" valign="middle" width="28%">Email</td> <td class="formField" width="69%"> <input maxlength="99" name="email" size="20" style="width: 200px;" value="" type="text"> </td> </tr> <tr valign="top"> <td colspan="2" valign="middle"></td> </tr> <tr> <td class="formText" align="right" valign="middle" width="28%">Prefix</td> <td class="formField" valign="top" width="69%"> <select name="prefix" size="1"><option value="">Select: </option><option value="Miss">Miss</option><option value="Mr.">Mr.</option><option value="Mrs.">Mrs.</option><option value="Ms.">Ms.</option><option value="Mr. & Mrs.">Mr. & Mrs.</option><option value="Dr.">Dr.</option><option value="Hon.">Hon.</option><option value="Messrs.">Messrs.</option><option value="Mses.">Mses.</option><option value="Rabbi">Rabbi</option><option value="Fr.">Fr.</option><option value="Rev.">Rev.</option><option value="The Rev.">The Rev.</option><option value="Rev. Dr.">Rev. Dr.</option><option value="Br.">Br.</option><option value="Sr.">Sr.</option><option value="Msr.">Msr.</option></select> </td> </tr> <tr valign="top"> <td class="formText" align="right" valign="middle" width="31%">First Name</td> <td class="formField" width="69%"> <input name="first_name" maxlength="40" size="20" style="width: 200px;" value="" type="text"> </td></tr> <tr valign="top"> <td class="formText" align="right" valign="middle" width="31%">Last Name</td> <td class="formField" width="69%"> <input name="last_name" maxlength="40" size="20" style="width: 200px;" value="" type="text"> </td> </tr> <tr valign="top"> <td colspan="2" class="formText"></td> </tr> <tr valign="top"> <td class="formText" align="right" width="31%">Address</td> <td class="formField" width="69%"> <input name="address" maxlength="80" size="20" style="width: 200px;" value="" type="text"> <input name="address2" maxlength="80" size="20" style="width: 200px;" value="" type="text"> </td> </tr> <tr valign="top"> <td class="formText" align="right" valign="middle" width="31%">City</td> <td class="formField" width="69%"> <input name="city" size="20" maxlength="40" style="width: 200px;" value="" type="text"> </td> </tr> <tr valign="top"> <td class="formText" align="right" valign="middle" width="31%">State</td> <td class="formField" width="69%"> <select name="state" size="1"><option value="">Select:</option><option value="AL">Alabama</option><option value="AK">Alaska</option><option value="AB">Alberta</option><option value="AS">American Samoa</option><option value="AZ">Arizona</option><option value="AR">Arkansas</option><option value="BC">British Columbia</option><option value="CA">California</option><option value="CO">Colorado</option><option value="CT">Connecticut</option><option value="DE">Delaware</option><option value="DC">D.C.</option><option value="FL">Florida</option><option value="GA">Georgia</option><option value="GU">Guam</option><option value="HI">Hawaii</option><option value="ID">Idaho</option><option value="IL">Illinois</option><option value="IN">Indiana</option><option value="IA">Iowa</option><option value="KS">Kansas</option><option value="KY">Kentucky</option><option value="LA">Louisiana</option><option value="ME">Maine</option><option value="MB">Manitoba</option><option value="MD">Maryland</option><option value="MA">Massachusetts</option><option value="MI">Michigan</option><option value="MN">Minnesota</option><option value="MS">Mississippi</option><option value="MO">Missouri</option><option value="MT">Montana</option><option value="NE">Nebraska</option><option value="NV">Nevada</option><option value="NB">New Brunswick</option><option value="NF">Newfoundland</option><option value="NH">New Hampshire</option><option value="NJ">New Jersey</option><option value="NM">New Mexico</option><option value="NY">New York</option><option value="NC">North Carolina</option><option value="ND">North Dakota</option><option value="NT">Northwest Terr.</option><option value="NS">Nova Scotia</option><option value="NU">Nunavut</option><option value="OH">Ohio</option><option value="OK">Oklahoma</option><option value="ON">Ontario</option><option value="OR">Oregon</option><option value="PA">Pennsylvania</option><option value="PE">Prince Edward Is.</option><option value="PR">Puerto Rico</option><option value="QC">Quebec</option><option value="RI">Rhode Island</option><option value="SK">Saskatchewan</option><option value="SC">South Carolina</option><option value="SD">South Dakota</option><option value="TN">Tennessee</option><option value="TX">Texas</option><option value="UT">Utah</option><option value="VT">Vermont</option><option value="VI">Virgin Islands</option><option value="VA">Virginia</option><option value="WA">Washington</option><option value="WV">West Virginia</option><option value="WI">Wisconsin</option><option value="WY">Wyoming</option><option value="YT">Yukon Territory</option></select> </td> </tr> <tr valign="top"> <td class="formText" align="right" valign="middle" width="31%">Zip Code</td> <td class="formField" width="69%"> <input name="zip" size="10" maxlength="10" style="width: 100px;" value="" type="text"> </td> </tr> <tr valign="top"> <td class="formText" align="right" valign="middle" width="31%">Country</td> <td class="formField" width="69%"> <select name="country" size="1"><option value="">Select:</option><option value="USA" selected="selected">USA</option><option value="Canada">Canada</option><option value="Mexico">Mexico</option><option value="Afghanistan">Afghanistan</option><option value="Albania">Albania</option><option value="Algeria">Algeria</option><option value="Andorra">Andorra</option><option value="Angola">Angola</option><option value="Anguilla">Anguilla</option><option value="Antigua">Antigua</option><option value="Argentina">Argentina</option><option value="Armenia">Armenia</option><option value="Aruba">Aruba</option><option value="Australia">Australia</option><option value="Austria">Austria</option><option value="Azerbaijan">Azerbaijan</option><option value="Bahamas">Bahamas</option><option value="Bahrain">Bahrain</option><option value="Bangladesh">Bangladesh</option><option value="Barbados">Barbados</option><option value="Belarus">Belarus</option><option value="Belgium">Belgium</option><option value="Belize">Belize</option><option value="Benin">Benin</option><option value="Bermuda">Bermuda</option><option value="Bhutan">Bhutan</option><option value="Bolivia">Bolivia</option><option value="Bosnia and Herzegovina">Bosnia and Herzegovina</option><option value="Botswana">Botswana</option><option value="Brazil">Brazil</option><option value="British Virgin Islands">British Virgin Islands</option><option value="Brunei">Brunei</option><option value="Bulgaria">Bulgaria</option><option value="Burkina Faso">Burkina Faso</option><option value="Burma">Burma</option><option value="Burundi">Burundi</option><option value="Cambodia">Cambodia</option><option value="Cameroon">Cameroon</option><option value="Cape Verde">Cape Verde</option><option value="Cayman Islands">Cayman Islands</option><option value="Central African Republic">Central African Republic</option><option value="Chad">Chad</option><option value="Chile">Chile</option><option value="China">China</option><option value="Colombia">Colombia</option><option value="Comoros">Comoros</option><option value="Congo (Zaire)">Congo (Zaire)</option><option value="Congo">Congo</option><option value="Cook Islands">Cook Islands</option><option value="Costa Rica">Costa Rica</option><option value="Cote d'Ivoire">Cote d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast)</option><option value="Croatia">Croatia</option><option value="Cuba">Cuba</option><option value="Cyprus">Cyprus</option><option value="Czech Republic">Czech Republic</option><option value="Denmark">Denmark</option><option value="Djibouti">Djibouti</option><option value="Dominica">Dominica</option><option value="Dominican Republic">Dominican Republic</option><option value="Ecuador">Ecuador</option><option value="Egypt">Egypt</option><option value="El Salvador">El Salvador</option><option value="Equatorial Guinea">Equatorial Guinea</option><option value="Eritrea">Eritrea</option><option value="Estonia">Estonia</option><option value="Ethiopia">Ethiopia</option><option value="Falkland Islands">Falkland Islands</option><option value="Fiji">Fiji</option><option value="Finland">Finland</option><option value="France">France</option><option value="French Guiana">French Guiana</option><option value="French Polynesia">French Polynesia</option><option value="Gabon">Gabon</option><option value="Gambia">Gambia</option><option value="Georgia">Georgia</option><option value="Germany">Germany</option><option value="Ghana">Ghana</option><option value="Gibraltar">Gibraltar</option><option value="Greece">Greece</option><option value="Greenland">Greenland</option><option value="Grenada">Grenada</option><option value="Guadeloupe">Guadeloupe</option><option value="Guam">Guam</option><option value="Guatemala">Guatemala</option><option value="Guinea">Guinea</option><option value="Guinea-Bissau">Guinea-Bissau</option><option value="Guyana">Guyana</option><option value="Haiti">Haiti</option><option value="Honduras">Honduras</option><option value="Hong Kong">Hong Kong</option><option value="Hungary">Hungary</option><option value="Iceland">Iceland</option><option value="India">India</option><option value="Indonesia">Indonesia</option><option value="Iran">Iran</option><option value="Iraq">Iraq</option><option value="Ireland">Ireland</option><option value="Israel">Israel</option><option value="Italy">Italy</option><option value="Jamaica">Jamaica</option><option value="Japan">Japan</option><option value="Jordan">Jordan</option><option value="Kazakhstan">Kazakhstan</option><option value="Kenya">Kenya</option><option value="Kiribati">Kiribati</option><option value="Kuwait">Kuwait</option><option value="Kyrgyzstan">Kyrgyzstan</option><option value="Laos">Laos</option><option value="Latvia">Latvia</option><option value="Lebanon">Lebanon</option><option value="Lesotho">Lesotho</option><option value="Liberia">Liberia</option><option value="Libya">Libya</option><option value="Liechtenstein">Liechtenstein</option><option value="Lithuania">Lithuania</option><option value="Luxembourg">Luxembourg</option><option value="Macau">Macau</option><option value="Macedonia">Macedonia</option><option value="Madagascar">Madagascar</option><option value="Malawi">Malawi</option><option value="Malaysia">Malaysia</option><option value="Maldives">Maldives</option><option value="Mali">Mali</option><option value="Malta">Malta</option><option value="Marshall Islands">Marshall Islands</option><option value="Martinique">Martinique</option><option value="Mauritania">Mauritania</option><option value="Mauritius">Mauritius</option><option value="Mayotte">Mayotte</option><option value="Micronesia">Micronesia</option><option value="Moldova">Moldova</option><option value="Monaco">Monaco</option><option value="Mongolia">Mongolia</option><option value="Montserrat">Montserrat</option><option value="Morocco">Morocco</option><option value="Mozambique">Mozambique</option><option value="Namibia">Namibia</option><option value="Nauru">Nauru</option><option value="Nepal">Nepal</option><option value="Netherlands">Netherlands</option><option value="Netherlands Antilles">Netherlands Antilles</option><option value="New Caledonia">New Caledonia</option><option value="New Zealand">New Zealand</option><option value="Nicaragua">Nicaragua</option><option value="Niger">Niger</option><option value="Nigeria">Nigeria</option><option value="North Korea">North Korea</option><option value="Northern Mariana Islands">Northern Mariana Islands</option><option value="Norway">Norway</option><option value="Oman">Oman</option><option value="Pakistan">Pakistan</option><option value="Palau">Palau</option><option value="Palestinian Authority">Palestinian Authority</option><option value="Panama">Panama</option><option value="Papua New Guinea">Papua New Guinea</option><option value="Paraguay">Paraguay</option><option value="Peru">Peru</option><option value="Philippines">Philippines</option><option value="Pitcairn Islands">Pitcairn Islands</option><option value="Poland">Poland</option><option value="Portugal">Portugal</option><option value="Puerto Rico">Puerto Rico</option><option value="Qatar">Qatar</option><option value="Reunion">Reunion</option><option value="Romania">Romania</option><option value="Russia">Russia</option><option value="Rwanda">Rwanda</option><option value="Saint Kitts and Nevis">St. Kitts and Nevis</option><option value="Saint Lucia">Ste. Lucia</option><option value="Saint Pierre and Miquelon">St. Pierre and Miquelon</option><option value="Saint Vincent and the Grenadines">St. Vincent & Grenadines</option><option value="Samoa">Samoa</option><option value="San Marino">San Marino</option><option value="Sao Tome and Principe">Sao Tome and Principe</option><option value="Saudi Arabia">Saudi Arabia</option><option value="Senegal">Senegal</option><option value="Seychelles">Seychelles</option><option value="Sierra Leone">Sierra Leone</option><option value="Singapore">Singapore</option><option value="Slovakia">Slovakia</option><option value="Slovenia">Slovenia</option><option value="Solomon Islands">Solomon Islands</option><option value="Somalia">Somalia</option><option value="South Africa">South Africa</option><option value="South Korea">South Korea</option><option value="Spain">Spain</option><option value="Sri Lanka">Sri Lanka</option><option value="Sudan">Sudan</option><option value="Suriname">Suriname</option><option value="Swaziland">Swaziland</option><option value="Sweden">Sweden</option><option value="Switzerland">Switzerland</option><option value="Syria">Syria</option><option value="Taiwan">Taiwan</option><option value="Tajikistan">Tajikistan</option><option value="Tanzania">Tanzania</option><option value="Thailand">Thailand</option><option value="Togo">Togo</option><option value="Tonga">Tonga</option><option value="Trinidad and Tobago">Trinidad and Tobago</option><option value="Tunisia">Tunisia</option><option value="Turkey">Turkey</option><option value="Turkmenistan">Turkmenistan</option><option value="Turks and Caicos Islands">Turks and Caicos Islands</option><option value="Tuvalu">Tuvalu</option><option value="Uganda">Uganda</option><option value="Ukraine">Ukraine</option><option value="United Arab Emirates">United Arab Emirates</option><option value="United Kingdom">United Kingdom</option><option value="Uruguay">Uruguay</option><option value="Uzbekistan">Uzbekistan</option><option value="Vanuatu">Vanuatu</option><option value="Vatican City">Vatican City</option><option value="Venezuela">Venezuela</option><option value="Vietnam">Vietnam</option><option value="Western Sahara">Western Sahara</option><option value="Yemen">Yemen</option><option value="Yugoslavia">Yugoslavia</option><option value="Zambia">Zambia</option></select> </td> </tr> <tr valign="top"> <td colspan="2" class="formText" valign="middle"></td> </tr> <tr> <td class="formText" align="right" valign="middle" width="31%"> </td> <td class="formField" width="69%"> <input value="true" name="join_action_network" checked="checked" type="checkbox"> Join the Alliance Action Center. </td> </tr> </tbody></table> </td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2"></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2"></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right" valign="top"></td> <td valign="top"></td> </tr> <tr> <td></td> <td align="left" valign="top"> <input name="Submit" value="Send My Letter" class="formText" type="submit"> </td> </tr> <tr> <td></td> <td class="bodyText" valign="top"> Some recipients now require that correspondents include their prefix when contacting them online. </td> </tr> <tr> <td></td> <td class="bodyText" valign="top"> If you have questions about how we use your contact information, please review our privacy policy. </td> </tr> <tr> <td></td> <td class="bodyText" valign="top">Comments on this page? Problems? Click here to send us feedback Provided by the Drug Policy Alliance Action Center: http://actioncenter.drugpolicy.org/action/index.asp?step=2&item=24647&ms=AARP-hp </td></tr></tbody> </table>