MPP to Giuliani, McCain, Romney: Prove It, or Stop Lying

I know some here do not like Ron Paul but a vote for him would end all this war on drugs BS.. This is a cannabis site and I assume why we are all here to begin with. Since this article involves presidential candidates I thought politics was the appropriate place to post this. Move it if I am wrong.

MPP to Giuliani, McCain, Romney: Prove It, or Stop Lying

December 6, 2007
MANCHESTER, NEW HAMPSHIRE -- At a press conference in front of Rudy Giuliani's Manchester headquarters this morning with a massive mobile truck billboard in tow, a representative of the Marijuana Policy Project joined two New Hampshire patients to challenge presidential candidates Rudy Giuliani, John McCain and Mitt Romney to back up their statements regarding medical marijuana with scientific evidence, offering the legal maximum $10,000 campaign contribution to any of the three who can prove that their statements are true.

"In response to questions from patients who have benefited from medical marijuana, these candidates have made claims that are flat-out false," said MPP executive director Rob Kampia. "Since appeals to science, compassion and common sense haven't worked, we're talking to them in a language we know they understand -- campaign contributions. If Giuliani, Romney or McCain can back up their claims that medical marijuana isn't needed or is too dangerous, we'll give their campaign $10,000, but if they can't, they need to stop lying."

Any responses from the campaigns will be evaluated by an independent panel of medical experts. An image of the billboard along with full details of the challenge and relevant scientific data are posted at The $10,000 Medical Marijuana Challenge.

"I'm sick of the lies," said Clayton Holton, who is disabled by muscular dystrophy and who was snubbed by Romney in video footage widely seen on CNN and YouTube. "If our politicians are going to withhold my medical treatment from me, something that's considered torture to do to our enemies in battle, then for the sake of all sick Americans, they better be able to prove that it's necessary, with evidence and not just with words."

In responses to questions posed by New Hampshire voters at campaign events, all three leading Republicans have claimed that marijuana is either too dangerous for medical use or not needed because adequate substitutes exist -- claims that are contradicted by published scientific data. In letters being delivered today to each of the three candidates, Kampia cited their specific statements and challenged them to supply proof. In his letter to Giuliani, Kampia wrote:

"We find it notable that you dismiss marijuana as too dangerous for medical use, while your law firm represented Purdue Pharma -- the makers of the highly addictive and toxic opioid OxyContin -- given that the company paid $634.5 million in fines and penalties for misleading doctors and patients about the drug's abuse potential, and given that a growing body of evidence suggests that medical marijuana can reduce the use of such highly addictive opioid painkillers."

Complete copies of all three letters and a photo of the mobile billboard are available from MPP director of communications Bruce Mirken, at 202-215-4205.

The billboard will accompany MPP's Stuart Cooper this afternoon as he delivers letters from Kampia to the McCain and Romney headquarters in Manchester. A visit to Romney's national headquarters in Boston is planned for Friday. Further events with the Pinocchio billboard in New Hampshire and other primary or caucus states are expected.

With more than 23,000 members and 100,000 e-mail subscribers nationwide, the Marijuana Policy Project is the largest marijuana policy reform organization in the United States. MPP believes that the best way to minimize the harm associated with marijuana is to regulate marijuana in a manner similar to alcohol. For more information, please visit http://MarijuanaPolicy.org.

that's what I'm talking about...it's about time something like this happened...why not go to where they speak and call them out straight up...if any of those fuckers came to my state to a place other than somewhere I have to pay $1,000 just to get in, I would certainly go tell them just why they're wrong...and they wouldn't have a damn thing to say to me, because their lies cannot justify what is actually going on...medical marijuana obviously works...at least in 12 states..but that's most definitely not simply because the laws say it does...it works no matter if the law or government says it does or not..

that is just an outstanding article, and MPP had it right, when they offered $$$ to a politician ... that must be like bleeding in front of a vampire :wtf: ... now, if the damned news organizations would present it up front to the people, instead of ignoring the truth ... :smokin:

They won't do it, especially for $10,000. :D These men are backed by men of big corporations. A lot is on the line when it comes to business and cannabis.

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Originally Posted by Innominate

They won't do it, especially for $10,000. :D These men are backed by men of big corporations. A lot is on the line when it comes to business and cannabis.

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but remember, the main point of this is to call them out on their lies, and ask them to prove it, if they deny to do so, they obviously have no factual background to what they're pulling right out of their asses and putting into their mouths to spit back out...

Ultimately, though, it's a thoroughly worthless endeavor. That money would be better spent on a candidate who actually will decriminalize or legalize cannabis entirely. Viz. Ron Paul. I realize he's not the most awesome candidate we could have, what with some of his weirdo views, but he's the best shot we've got.

I wish people would get real and see that a vote for Ron Paul--or a win for Ron Paul--wouldn't by any means guarantee the decriminalization or legalization of cannabis or end the war on drugs. He personally believes cannabis should be legalized, but if he occupied the Executive Branch, he'd have to work with the Legislative Branch to get any new laws passed. That would be a HUGE uphill battle. There's still far too much propaganda out there and far too much stagnant thinking, particularly among legislators and conservative state governments. I don't believe for a second that a President who's pro-cannabis means the laws would change. The President doesn't enact or revise legislation by himself. With luck, perhaps he could begin changing ideas and attitudes, but even that would be a long, tough process.

Birdgirl makes a valid point, however anyone that stands up and fights for legalization must be applauded, we who use cannabis, need to come "out of the closet" and join in the fight for our rights, nothing in this country changes without struggle or pain. The pharmacudical companys have sway over politicions and until that influence is squelched it is unlikely that things would change. That said I do believe we will prevail by&by and that as the number of advocates increase, and facts about cannabis are being made available things are bound to improve.

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Originally Posted by birdgirl73

I wish people would get real and see that a vote for Ron Paul--or a win for Ron Paul--wouldn't by any means guarantee the decriminalization or legalization of cannabis or end the war on drugs... With luck, perhaps he could begin changing ideas and attitudes, but even that would be a long, tough process.

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That's all I really meant. I was, by no means, asserting that Ron Paul's presidency would put an end to this debate. Merely that his presidency could be a step in the right direction. Regardless, this defeatist attitude that is so prevalent among cannabis smokers is not going to help us, either. At the very least, were a pro-legalization President to occupy the Oval Office, we might have an easier time, as a culture, pushing our views through Congress.

I remember hearing one of the candidates say something to the tune of "we don't need it, we have all these other drugs which work better/safer/faster...."
shouldn't it be the other way around?