Sample letters

The following letter is in response to an e-mail that I sent to Senator John Gleason 27th district. Unfortunately I forgot to save the email that I sent him so I can't post it.

"Thank you for your e-mail. I am always interested in hearing my constituents' about the work we do in Lansing.

I appreciate your comments on Senate Bills 616-618 regarding the determination of medical marihuana by doctors an pharmacies. I also agree this issue is very important and should be given careful consideration by all serious-minded legislators as it affects many citizens in our great state. It is very apparent you have given this issue a great deal of thought and I thank you for sharing your insight on the matter.

Although I cannot promise you anything at this point, you may be sure I will keep your comments in mind when this issue comes before me for review.

Thank you for your e-mail. I also agree it is very important to keep the minds of the citizens as a first priority, If you have any other concerns regarding these or any other issues, please feel free to contact me.

Sincerely,

John J. Gleason
State Senator
27th District."

If anybody is in his district they should definitely contact him. It sounds like he could be swayed to our side, especially if he receives a bunch of e-mails and letters that show his constituents oppose SB 616-618. Here is a link that shows what areas his district covers. http://www.senate.michigan.gov/gleason/district.php

Editor Holland Sentinel:

In fact it is Senator Kuipers and the Holland Sentinel who are in error when they blithely dismiss 63% of Michigan voters as, making “a mistake.” Three million, six thousand, eight hundred and twenty voters approved proposal 1, the Michigan Medical Marijuana Act; more than President Obama garnered, more than any other ballot initiative in state history.

Proposal 1 passed in every single Michigan House and Senate district, including Kuipers’ own district 30. Numbers like that are no mistake. They are a clear indication of the will of the citizens of this state. A state that is much larger and more diverse than just the City of Holland.

Senator Kuipers’ bills purport to “clarify” and “regulate” medical marijuana. They do nothing of the sort. By use of clever wording and smoke and mirrors, SB’s 616, 617 & 618 create a situation where, while it would still be technically legal for terminally ill patients to use medical marijuana, it would be illegal to obtain or possess it. And it provides powerful incentives for patients to drop out of the program since proposed penalties for attempting to obtain and possess any amount of marijuana will be many times more severe for registered patients than are the penalties for non-medical users. Why does Senator Kuipers want to stimulate the black market?

Lastly, SB’s 616, 617 & 618 would move the cultivation of medical marijuana from small, not for profit caregivers and instead hand over a potential cash cow to a select group of large, for profit plant nurseries. Large for profit plant nurseries such as Senator Kuiper’s family just happens to own and operate.

Yes, Initiated Law 1 of 2008, the Michigan Medical Marijuana Act, does have some holes that should be plugged. Setting up a legal, regulated distribution system being one. If Senator Kuipers truly cares about protecting MI patients, he should work on legislation enabling not for profit, community based cooperatives and collectives. SB 616, 617 & 618 instead try to kill the entire program and failing that, to set up a few of Kuipers' friends and family members as exclusive for profit producers and distributors of medical marijuana. Where is the compassion in that?

For more information on where to find a medical marijuana Compassion Club, including the Holland chapter, please visit our website at www.MichiganMedicalMarijuana.org

Greg Francisco, M.A.
Executive Director, Michigan Medical Marijuana Association

Excellent.

Sent to 648 Michigan media outlets.

June 4, 2009
For immediate release

Bills to roll back voter approved ballot initiative introduced
into Michigan Senate

A three bill package has been introduced into the Michigan Senate that will effectively nullify Initiated Law 1 of 2008, the Michigan Medical Marijuana Act. Michigan voters approved the Act by a nearly 2 to 1 margin and in every single Michigan House & Senate district across the state when it appeared on the Nov ’08 ballot as Proposal 1.

Sponsor Wayne Kuipers (R), Holland and co-sponsors Senators Ron Jelinek (R), Three Oaks; Mark Jansen (R), Cutlerville; Valde Garcia (R), Livingston County; Alan Cropsey (R), Clinton County; Gerald Van Woerkom (R), Mason County; and Roger Kahn, Saginaw (R), in a blatant attempt to thwart the clear will of the voters, are backing SB 616, 617 & 618 which would:

Require doctors to write prescriptions rather than recommendations for medical marijuana. Doctors may only write prescriptions for FDA approved drugs lest they imperil their license. This will have the practical effect of rendering patients unable to obtain doctor authorization to use the medicine.

Require medical marijuana to be dispensed only by pharmacies. Pharmacies may only dispense FDA approved drugs lest they imperil their own business license. This will have the practical effect of barring patient access to the medicine.

Prohibit any patient or caregiver from engaging in not for profit cultivation of medicine, instead handing over a cash cow monopoly to 10 large plant nurseries. Coincidentally Senator Kuiper’s family is in the nursery business. This amendment completely re-writes the cultivation provisions in Initiated Law 1 of 2008 as approved by the voters and calls into question Senator Kuiper’s true motivations.

Moves medical marijuana to Schedule 2 under MI law. It will however remain at Schedule 1 at the Federal level making this an entirely meaningless provision, essentially smoke & mirrors.

Patients will only be allowed to possess medicine dispensed from a pharmacy. Since pharmacies are barred by federal law from dispensing medical marijuana this effectively means it will be illegal to possess any medical marijuana at all.

Sets a $25,000 fine for any registered medical marijuana patient who obtains medical marijuana from a source other than a pharmacy despite the fact pharmacies will not be able to dispense the medicine. This creates a powerful incentive for patients not to register for the program but to instead take their chances in the black market where the penalties are much less severe.

SB 616, 617 & 618 backers have a high hurdle to clear to get these bills enacted. Article 2, section 9 of the Michigan Constitution requires a ¾ super majority of both the Michigan House and Senate to amend or repeal voter approved initiatives. Proposal 1 passed in every single Michigan House and Senate district. It is anticipated that it will be difficult to convince ¾ of the members of each chamber to turn their backs on the voters and pass bills to undo the will of the constituents in their home districts.

“This is clearly an attempt to eviscerate the Michigan Medical Marijuana Act,” said Greg Francisco, Executive Director of the Michigan Medical Marijuana Association. “If SB’s 616, 617 & 618 are enacted into law it will result in a situation where, while it is technically still legal to use medical marijuana, it will be illegal to either obtain or possess it. Returning to the bad old days of jailing cancer and AIDS patients may serve the interests of powerful pharmaceutical companies, law enforcement unions and those who profit handsomely by locking up terminally ill patients. But it is not in the best interest of the most vulnerable people in our state.”

Contact: Greg Francisco, Executive Director, Michigan Medical Marijuana Association, 248 961-9906

Hope no one minds but I used bits of letters from others to send this to Cameron Brown, District 16's State Senator :

My name is Bob and I would like to express my opinion to the proposal of BILLS 616, 617, and 618. I am a resident of the great State of Michigan, and I along with 64% of our population voted in favor of the Michigan Medical Marijuana Act of 2008.
The voters voted for this measure to help the sick, and those that qualify under the current conditions of the Act. The above stated bills go against EVERYTHING the public voted for last year, and undermines every aspect of the law as it stands.
I am both one of your constituents and a member of the Michigan Medical Marijuana Association, the leading medical marijuana patient advocacy group in the state. I've already written you to express my concerns about SB 616, 617 & 618. But am writing once again, in fact several times this day.
I urge you to NOT support this measure, and spread the word to the other delegates in our State that the People are NOT going to stand for such a move to render their new law useless.
Over 60% of the Michigan voters approved this law, and you find it necessary to go against the majority by voting for this bill then Good luck with that, sir.

Dear Senator Whitmer,

My name is __________ and I would like to express my opinion to the proposal of BILLS 616, 617, and 618. I am a resident of the great State of Michigan and a constituent, and I along with 64% of our population voted in favor of the Michigan Medical Marijuana Act of 2008. These bills undermine every aspect of the law as it stands.

I see this as nothing more than a way for a specific subgroup of people (the 10 that would be allowed under these Bills to operate growing facilities) to create and monopolize the medical marihuana market, all the while making it rather impossible under federal law to distribute marihuana to patients with a debilitating disease.

Marihuana is labeled a schedule 1 narcotic drug by the United States Drug Enforcement Agency, a government agency enacted to regulate the supply of prescription drugs. All recommendations on the scheduling of drug are made by the Food and Drug Administration. Michigan law follows the Federal Drug code currently, labeling Marihuana as a Schedule 1 drug as it should. For doctors are required to be federally licensed by the DEA to prescribe drugs. As such, doctors are not allowed federally to write a prescription for Marihuana.

Senator Kupier’s intends to modify the current Michigan Medical Marihuana Act requiring the state to deviate from Federal Drug laws and reschedule Marihuana as a Schedule 2 drug. He also would require doctors to deviate from their current writen recommendation for Marihuana and have them write a prescription. This requires the doctors to violate their DEA licenses in order to "prescribe" a schedule 1 narcotic. This Michigan Medical Marihuana act was designed to protect doctors from DEA Licensing Restrictions by writing in the wording of recommendation instead of prescription.

Furthermore, Pharmacies are Federally regulated entities as well, and require a license from the DEA to administer prescription drugs. As such, requiring pharmacies to distribute Marijuana for these 10 monopoly farms would cause them to violate federal laws that they are licensed to obey.

Furthermore Senator Kuiper’s family owns several nurseries. It is easy to see that he intends to have his family profit directly from this legislation. As a constituent I will not put up with corruption from my elected officials. By signing onto this legislation, you are making a huge risk. Let me remind you that 3,006,820 of Michigan residents overwhelmingly passed the Michigan Medical Marihuana Act. That is more votes than any Michigan Proposal in history to date, and also more votes than President Barak Obama. Please allow the will of the people and vote against Bills 616, 617 and 618.

Regards,
____________
Constituent

Can someone here type up a letter than everyone can use. I would just like to be able to copy and paste the same letter to All the MI senate.

If someone could do this it would benefit all of us!

please do so and post in this thread!

CONSTITUTION OF MICHIGAN OF 1963

Article II § 9 says:

No law initiated or adopted by the people shall be subject to the veto power of the governor, and no law adopted by the people at the polls under the initiative provisions of this section shall be amended or repealed, except by a vote of the electors unless otherwise provided in the initiative measure or by three-fourths of the members elected to and serving in each house of the legislature.

This short link will point folks to Article II § 9:

http://legislature.mi.gov/doc.aspx?mcl-Article-II-9

In my opinion the sooner members of the legislature and the media understand the above sentence from the Constitution the sooner we will be able to move on to other issues like legalizing marijuana and hemp.

Richard Lake
richard@norml.net
http://www.minorml.org/
http://www.norml.ca//norml_advisory.php
richard@ohiopatient.net
http://www.ohiopatient.net

While I certainly felt like telling Senator Jelinek what I thought of him, I kept remembering what one of my bosses told me many years ago; instead of confronting a donkey directly, instead ask them why they are being an ass.

My letter reflected this approach by first asking him why he was sponsoring SB' 616, 617, and 618. Only then did I express my opinion.

While I wouldn't be surprised to receive a 'canned' reply, I will simply repeat my question (why are you sponsoring this bill) until he either gives me a definitive answer or evades enough I can ask why he won't.

mike@michaelmoore.com

Mike,

I've been a long time fan of yours. I want to thank you for all the things you have done for the common man.
I'm a disabled auto worker in Michigan. My back was crushed by an industrial accident at a GM plant back in 1998. My life was destroyed. It has been a long climb back out of the abyss. First, the surgeries, then the life ending hard drugs for pain. I got off all the hard drugs a few years back with the help of medical cannabis.
The good Lord above gave me/us a gift last fall, legal medical cannabis in Michigan. Now I can grow it myself and save thousands of dollars a year and always have access to the best pain relieving strains that I need. I jumped through all the hoops set up by the law. I had to compile all my medical information since the accident. Then I took all the records to a cannabis specialist that recommended it for 3 different medical problems I have. After that, I got registered with the state to grow and possess medical cannabis. I'm 100 % legal and above board.

Then enters Senator Wayne Kuipers. Senator Kuipers is proposing a bill that will squash all the good out of our new law that was passed with a 63% majority. There was a majority in every single county in Michigan. Kuipers wants to take away our right to grow. He wants to make it so only ten major farms grow medical cannabis in Michigan. And he proposes a $25000 fine for any legal medical patient in Michigan caught growing. Take a guess what Kuiper's family business is.... Yup, his family runs a plant nursery!! Man Mike, we could really use your help here in Michigan again.... I hope you can help us.

Senator Jelinek:

I am both one of your constituents and the Executive Director of the Michigan Medical Marijuana Association, the leading medical marijuana patient advocacy group in the state. I've already written you to express my concerns about SB 616, 617 & 618. It was only last night however that I learned that you are in fact a co-sponsor of these bills. I can’t say that I am particularly surprised, given your opposition to Proposal 1, but I am deeply disappointed.

SB 616, 617 & 618 are blatant attempts to thwart the clear will of the people of this state. Proposal 1 passed by an overwhelming margin and it passed in every single state House and Senate district, including our own District 21. Additionally, a Compassionate Use Act was only put on the ballot after you and your fellow legislators failed to act to protect patients. It is a true slap in the face of Democracy for you to now attempt to change the Michigan Medical Marijuana program in a manner that will effectively make our medicine either unavailable or illegal again.

Among other things SB 616, 617 & 618 would:

Require doctors to write prescriptions rather than recommendations for medical marijuana. Doctors may only write prescriptions for FDA approved drugs lest they imperil their license. This will have the practical effect of no patient being able to obtain doctor authorization to use the medicine.

Require medical marijuana to be dispensed only by pharmacies. Pharmacies may only dispense FDA approved drugs lest they imperil their own business license. This will have the practical effect of barring patient access to the medicine.

Prohibit any patient or caregiver from engaging in not for profit cultivation of medicine, instead handing over a cash cow to a few mega plant nurseries. Mega plant nurseries such as your co-sponsor Senator Kuiper’s owns. This completely re-writes the cultivation provisions in Initiated Law 1 of 2008 as approved by the voters.

Moves medical marijuana to Schedule 2 under MI law. It will however remain at Schedule 1 at the Federal level making this an entirely meaningless provision, essentially smoke & mirrors.

Patients will only be allowed to possess medicine dispensed from a pharmacy. Since pharmacies are barred by federal law from dispensing medical marijuana this effectively means it will be illegal to possess any medical marijuana at all.

It is just barely possible that you were unaware of these specific issues. Just barely. But now you no longer can say that. These bills in fact do a) radically re-write the Initiated Law 1 of 2008, and b) have the practical effect of, for all intents and purposes, making medical marijuana while technically still legal to use, essentially illegal to obtain or possess.

Senator Jelinek, I have just one question for you. Please give me a clear yes or no answer although I also hope you will expand on the reasoning behind the yes or no.

Given the particulars outlined above, will you remain as a co-sponsor of this bill or will you withdraw? Yes or no.

Would it be possible to schedule a face-to-face meeting? I expect to next be in Lansing on Tuesday, June 9th.

I very much look forward to your reply.

Respectfully,

Greg Franciso, M.A.
Michigan Medical Marijuana Association
www.MichiganMedicalMarijuana.org
269 321-5051 (office)
248 961-9906 (cell)

Took 1082's great letter and added a bit.

Dear Senator Kuipers,

How dare you attempt to introduce legislation that thwarts the will of the people of Michigan. Nearly 7 out of 10 voters in Michigan voted in favor of Medical Marijuana. Your bill completely destroys all that we have worked so long and hard for. I'm really curious as to what your motivation is behind this. Which special interest group's pocket are you in? The Pharmaceutical companies? The beer and liquor industry? Do you take some sick pleasure in watching people suffer and die in pain? Or does it make you feel powerful to put them at risk of dying in a prison cell and losing everything they worked their entire lives for, simply because you do not agree with their choice of pain management? Or is it just so you can give your family members who own the nurseries these 10 special growing licenses that you are proposing?

We see through your ruse to take away our rights just for your own personal profit, or is it just your fear of change or people having control of their own lives that scares you so much? You know nothing about medical marijuana, and are completely out of touch with the people that you are supposed to represent. Rest assured that when your time for re-election comes up, we will not make that mistake a second time. You and all your colleges that use your positions for nothing more than self-serving personal gain and as a platform to promote your own personal agendas will be left out in the cold unemployment line. You have made countless enemies with this proposal, and spitting in the face of 63% of this state's population will be the end of your political career. Thousands of us will be banding together to stand up against you and we will do everything we can to ensure that you and politicians like you are voted out of office.

YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELF FOR TRYING TO FORCE PEOPLE IN PAIN TO CONTINUE TO SUFFER AND DIE IN A JAIL CELL.

Genesis 1:12
And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

Thumb
Michigan Resident
Medical Marijuana Patient
Registered Voter.

I did not sign the letter thumb by the way, just not putting my personal info up on here.

Senator Jelinek,

I was disappointed to learn you were sponsoring bills that will prevent patients with serious and debilitating conditions the right to produce, possess, and find relief from Medical Marijuana as supported by 2/3rds of Michigan’s voters including a clear majority in the District you represent.

I would like to understand your motivation for endorsing this action. Your explanation would be appreciated.

Your bills 616, 617, and 618 will simply ensure the failed policy of prohibition and punishment will continue to wreak havoc on a sizeable percentage of the state’s population while benefiting a small minority with a vested interest in continuing a failed policy.

Sincerely,

Senator Kuipers,

Though I doubt this email will find you, I feel extremely motivated to express my anger and disappointment regarding your current legislation to reform the Medical Marijuana Law us voters "overwhelmingly" approved.

It is not uncommon for public servants such as yourself to forget who indeed they work for. Let me remind you, sir. You work for us. I understand your inability to educate yourself accordingly about the benefits of medical marijuana and the relief it brings to its respective users, and I feel sorry for you. Many people watch loved ones suffer and would quite literally do anything to increase their quality of life. You, on the other hand, seem to think it necessary to regulate a freedom we chose as a majority. Is it the pharmaceutical companies pulling these strings? Is it your ignorance blinding you to the changes we are making as a state, as a people? Or are you so uptight that you cannot even fathom such a "liberal" freedom being enjoyed by so many in pain? Either way, you are a dying breed.

You do not deserve the office you occupy. I will do everything I can to make sure you are not elected into office again. I will educate everyone in my community about your ignorance and lack of compassion. I will post fliers, write emails, and do everything within my legal rights to see to it that you are held responsible for your actions.

Over 60% of the Michigan voters approved this law, and you find it necessary to go against the majority? Good luck with that, sir.

With respect,

Submitted by 1082 on Thu, 06/04/2009 - 06:49.

I know we're supposed to be nice and polite, but fuck that guy..

sent to Kuipers and cc'd Senator Patty Birkholz.

Dear Senator Kuipers,

How dare you attempt to introduce legislation that thwarts the will of the people of Michigan. Nearly 7 out of 10 voters in Michigan voted in favor of Medical Marijuana. Your bill completely destroys all that we have worked so long and hard for. I'm really curious as to what your motivation is behind this. Which special interest group's pocket are you in? The Pharmaceutical companies? The beer and liquor industry? Or is it just so you can give your family members who own the nurseries these 10 special growing licenses that you are proposing?

I'm just writing to let you know that "We the People" are not going to stand for this crap. You have made countless enemies with this proposal. Thousands of us will be banding together to stand up against you and we will do everything we can to ensure that you and politicians of your ilk are voted out of office.

Tony Gwinn

NOTE: Its best to get your point across in one page, rather than more - so format this when writing to send out a ONE page letter to these representatives.

Date: June 4, 2008
RE: Bills 616, 617, 618

Dear ,

My name is Elizabeth and I would like to express my opinion to the proposal of BILLS 616, 617, and 618. I am a resident of the great State of Michigan, and I along with 64% of our population voted in favor of the Michigan Medical Marijuana Act of 2008. The voters voted for this measure to help the sick, and those that qualify under the current conditions of the Act. The above stated bills go against EVERYTHING the public voted for last year, and undermines every aspect of the law as it stands.

I see this as nothing more than a way for a specific subgroup of people ( the 10 that would be allowed under these Bills to operate growing facilities ) to make a lot of money, and take the power back from the patients. Do you have any idea how liberating it is to someone who experiences chronic pain to be able to choose NOT to take pills pushed by every physician out there? This is a natural and proven method of therapy for the ailments spelled out by the law, and taking this law and decimating it the way it has been taken apart by these bills is an affront to the very people that elect leaders like you into office.

No one thought the Big Three would fall apart as it has, but so too can anyone be brought down from their pedestal. I am making it my duty to inform EVERY voter I can speak to as to the positions each and every representative holds in this matter, when elections come again, it may be likely that the public will voice their desires again by NOT re-electing these individuals who look to take our rights away.

An interesting note, I am told that Senator Kuiper’s family owns several nurseries – I find that interesting, and more interesting would be whether say HALF of the 10 licenses that are proposed are ear-marked for his very family. Sounds like conspiracy, but I would rather say these things in an effort for transparency. The people of the State of Michigan WILL NOT be snowed over by people attempting to make a profit from the patients that are in need.

I urge you to NOT support this measure, and spread the word to the other delegates in our State that the People are NOT going to stand for such a move to render their new law useless.

Regards,

Please feel free to use this letter, and make sure you put your name in where mine is when you write it up, lets keep this information moving.