Write to your damn legislators

[GotWake88]

I'll start a draft if you guys want.

[GotWake88]

Dear Senator/Congressman __________,

My name is ______, and I would like to express to you my concern for what I consider to be a very important issue. The issue of which I speak is the reform of cannabis legislation. I believe that decriminalization/legalization of cannabis would be very beneficial to our society. Firstly, it would tremendously benefit potential medical cannabis patients. Cannabis offers a safe, natural, and effective form of medication for people who suffer from countless medical conditions, from AIDS and multiple sclerosis to migraines and backpain. Secondly, cannabis legislation reform would take the cannabis market out of the hands of criminals, and instead introduce a strictly regulated, taxed market. The taxes collected from cannabis could be used to help fund education and alcohol/drug awareness. Legalization of cannabis would actually better prevent child cannabis use than criminalization of cannabis currently does. Currently, it is easier for children and teens to obtain cannabis than alcohol. This is because alcohol is regulated, while cannabis is not; drug dealers do not verify the age of their customers. It is also important to note that, according to scientific studies, cannabis use is actually less dangerous than alcohol or tobacco use. Dr Leslie Iversen, of Oxford University's department of pharmacology, in recent years has stated that cannabis is even "safer than aspirin" and other over the counter medications. I find it counteractive to use billions of dollars of the taxpayers' money in order to imprison and criminally punish users of cannabis, who, in the process of using cannabis, cause no harm or disturbance to other citizens.
Overall, I believe that reform of cannabis laws would benefit our community, socially and economically. I encourage you to consider the several benefits of cannabis legislation reform and to shed publicity on this very crucial issue. Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

____________

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If anybody has any corrections or suggestions, please add.

[40oz]

Thats not bad but its got to be longer and writen in a higher diction to be more effective.

[Skrappie]

I've decided to join the fight. I'm emailing my states legislators, one county a day, a page about the tax benefits of decriminalization from the norml website. Won't do a thing, but maybe one of them will look and it will rattle a few brain cells for the briefest of moments.

[BwiseLegalize]

That is one hell of a letter, good work.

[GreenLadyOfDankDowns]

I email my representatives bimonthly and send snail mail to them every six months. (Two letters for each rep, one for general decriminalization, and one begging to support immediate medical marijuana legislation.) I always get the same form letters in response but I keep at it and keep enlisting my friends to do the same. In fact I've actually managed to get eight people to register to vote this past year. It may help that I offer especially tasty brownies as a reward afterwards. Hey I'm not above the bribery of my stoney friends if it'll help further the cause. What is sad and greatly annoying to me is that I have to keep after them to stay involved. They love MJ but don't seem to want to actually put forth an effort to help effect change in the laws prohibiting its use. Oh well, I care, and I keep trying, and I'll poke them with sticks until they take more of an interest. :weedpoke:

[MVP]

Yeah, I know what you mean. I email the Governator and my reps in Congress all of the time to get them to help stop the Feds (DEA) from messing with our MMJ laws in Cali. I don't know what else to do to get others involved, except to mention at every possible opportunity that poeple should join and support ASA - they fight for safe access for MMJ patients and are active in DC... BTW the brownies idea is a good one. Maybe I can bribe some friends to write letters and join the ASA with the batch I just baked up.........

[MVP]

Here's an example of something everyone can do. Keep in mind the ASA is dealing specifically with MMJ, and not complete legalization (yet). We need to take this one step at a time to be successful. This excerpt is from the ASA website.

Call your Member of Congress today! Ask for his/her co-signature on the Olver/Rohrabacher letter to DEA Administrator Karen Tandy.

SAMPLE PHONE SCRIPT

"Hello, my name is (YOUR NAME) and I live in (YOUR CITY and STATE). I am calling today to ask Representative (YOUR CONGRESSPERSON'S LAST NAME) to co-sign the Olver/Rohrabacher letter to DEA Administrator, Karen Tandy, urging her agency to follow the recommendation of Administrative Law Judge Mary Ellen Bittner and grant a license to Prof. Lyle Craker of UMass Amherst to grow marijuana exclusively for federally-approved research. To join the letter, contact Brendan Boundy in Rep. Olver's office at 202-225-5335. Please let me know what you plan on doing. Thank you."

Don't forget to leave your name and number

For phone numbers of your representatives go to: United States House of Representatives, 110th Congress, 1st Session or call the congressional switchboard at: (202) 224-3121

[TryptamineScape]

I have written a letter to a representative about a Salvia ban. I know we're not supposed to talk about other substances here, but it deals alot more with marijuana than salvia to me. I have the actual Salvia article posted on here in the news section, but the main idea is that they want to ban salvia here in Alabama because it "is similar to LSD, PCP, and Marijuana, and should be banned accordingly". This makes me feel like the fight for medical marijuana is going backwards. My senators and the majority of people in this state actually believe that Marijuana is similar to PCP and LSD, hell they actually believe LSD and PCP are similar. It really makes me feel like we're going backwards. I wrote a letter about it and I'm not expecting a response. My question is, what if I continue sending the letter until someone finally responds? Or should I just constantly write different letters?

[GreenLadyOfDankDowns]

I received a reply via snail mail today from one of my state's senators. It wasn't the usual form reply I've gotten in the past. So either she actually read my letter and decided to reply, one of her lackeys read it and decided to reply in her name, or (and this is the most likely scenario) she has just implemented a newly drafted form letter for this topic. I've scanned it and am going to try to post it here for everyone to see. If you can't make out what it says I'll just type it out for you. Please note I've intentionally blocked out my name and address.

Edit: Ok it worked, let me know what you think. -GLODD

2nd Edit: I also want to note my letters to her were for decrim and legalization for med use, not complete legalization as her letter would suggest.