Last month, the DEA launched a series of attacks on medical marijuana patients and providers in California. In addition to raiding a medical marijuana garden in Ventura County and a medical marijuana clinic in Cool, 30 DEA agents also shut down the largest medical marijuana distribution center in southern California, the Los Angeles Cannabis Resource Center. As a result, nearly 1,000 patients suffering from AIDS, cancer, and other serious illnesses are now being denied access to the only medication that has brought them relief from pain, nausea, vomiting, and other symptoms of their illnesses. These suffering patients have also been left in fear of imminent prosecution, as the DEA confiscated all the medical records from the LA clinic and is contemplating bringing criminal charges.

Local political leaders, newspaper editorial boards, the California Medical Association, and concerned citizens across the country are raising an outcry over the DEA's actions. And this continuing effort to challenge the DEA's attempt to shut down medical marijuana providers in California just gained a new recruit: David Broder, a moderate columnist who is one of the most respected political commentators in the United States, has written a column condemning the DEA's actions (see "In The News" at http://www.mpp.org/USA/ ).

The publication of Broder's opinion piece in numerous newspapers across the country, ratchets up the pressure on the DEA in the face of its unconscionable attack on medical marijuana patients. There is no better time than now to persuade Congress of the need to change federal law so that the long-standing conflict between state and federal governments over medical marijuana will finally be ended.

Please visit http://www.mpp.org/USA/ to send a pre-written letter of protest to your US representative, asking him or her to cosponsor HR 2592, the "States' Rights to Medical Marijuana" bill currently pending in the US House of Representatives. This bill would change federal law so that the DEA would no longer be able to prosecute patients in states that authorize medical marijuana.

It only takes a couple of minutes to make your voice heard in Congress. If you have a little more time, please also choose a pre- written letter-to-the-editor at http://www.mpp.org/USA/ to send to your local newspaper.

Note: There is not yet a medical marijuana bill in the US Senate. A separate alert if and when such a bill is finally introduced.