FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June
15, 2004
Major Religious Denominations Urge Congress to End the White House’s
Persecution of Medical Marijuana Patients
Bryan Epis’s Appeal of His Federal Sentence for Growing Medical Marijuana
Highlights the Urgency to Pass Crucial Legislation This Summer
United Methodists, Reform Jews, Progressive National Baptists, Episcopalians,
Unitarians, and
United Church of Christ all call for legal access to medical marijuana!
CONTACT: Charles Thomas, Interfaith Drug Policy Initiative executive director,
301-938-1577
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Several major religious denominations have joined
the national movement for compassionate medical marijuana legislation. Their
supportive positions are being distributed to Congress this week. The Interfaith
Drug Policy Initiative (IDPI) is targeting U.S. House members who belong
to these denominations, including the United Methodist Church – the
nation’s third-largest denomination – which recently passed
a medical marijuana resolution.
“The politicians who oppose medical marijuana often make ‘morality’
arguments,” said Charles Thomas, executive director of the Interfaith
Drug Policy Initiative. “Yet six major denominations advocate legal
medical marijuana, and no denominations have taken a position against it.
Where did these politicians get their concepts of morality?”
IDPI is urging Congress to pass an amendment to the Commerce-Justice-State
Appropriations bill to prohibit the use of federal funds to arrest and punish
medical marijuana patients and providers in those states that allow it.
[This amendment was first proposed by Rep. Hinchey (D-NY) and Rep. Rohrabacher
(R-CA) last session, but it did not receive a sufficient number of votes
for passage.]
A statement proclaiming that “seriously ill people should not be subject
to criminal sanctions for using marijuana if the patient’s physician
has told the patient that such use is likely to be beneficial,” has
been signed by the United Methodist Church’s General Board
of Church and Society, Progressive National Baptist Convention, and Unitarian
Universalist Association. Similar positions have been adopted by
the Union for Reform Judaism, Episcopal Church, and United Church
of Christ. More than 120 U.S. Representatives belong to these denominations.
Since 1996, ten states have enacted laws allowing the medical use of marijuana.
The Bush Administration has responded by imprisoning medical marijuana patients
and providers in these states. A timely example of this injustice
is Bryan Epis, who on Wednesday will be in federal court to appeal his 10-year
prison sentence for growing medical marijuana for himself and other patients
in compliance with California state law.
“Medical marijuana is an issue of mercy,” said Thomas. “Being
seriously ill is stressful enough already. Patients who follow their doctors’
advice to use marijuana shouldn’t have to live in constant fear of
arrest and jail. It is the duty of religious denominations to stand up for
vulnerable people who are being wronged. We pray that Congress will have
the compassion to stop the Bush Administration’s War on Patients.”
The denominations’ full positions, a list of states that allow
medical marijuana, and other details are available from IDPI.