Larry Long, not a fan of ‘Getting Mongolian’ when dying of Cancer

Bob Newland brings us up to date on his fight with AG Larry Long. Though I support Newland’s measure, it doesn’t surprise me Long opposed it, he is our Attorney General and responsible for upholding the law. Marijuana is still illegal by Federal standards, no matter what you use it for. I don’t think you will get him to budge on it.

There is some irony here though. Long had no problem helping the anti-choicers write an abortion measure that was unconstitutional, so why the refusal to help with this measure?

It’s all about priorities I guess. The wrong priorities.

Listen to the program below;

Jan. 6, 2009

Today I engaged in a discussion for an hour with Larry Long, the Attorney General of South Dakota on So. Dak. Public Radio’s Midday Show, on the issue of SDSA’s proposed medical cannabis law.

You can listen to the archived show at 

http://www.sdpb.org/Archives/ProgramDetail.asp?ProgID=7583

After several mentions by the A-G of sections of our proposal with which he disagreed, during which I mentioned several times that I had tried to engage him in working on a bill that we could all live with, I finally asked him if he would work with me to come up with a bill that would work for the patients who need it.

“No,” he said. 

Even though he did not deny that some patients benefited from cannabis therapy, nor that sometimes cannabis is the only therapy that works, he simply, throughout the entire show, continued to denigrate our motives, saying that we were only after general legalization of marijuana. 

And then, “No, I will not try to help draft a law that will protect sick people from arrest for trying to save their own lives.” (not his actual words, but that’s the essence of what he said)

Read the letter we sent General Long on Dec. 9, 2008. 

http://www.sodaknorml.org/sdsa_files/campaign/081209AttyGenl.htm

Six days left until the legislative session starts. We’re down to seeds and stems in the finances dept. 

Please go to http://www.sodaksafeaccess.net/ and hit the “Donate” button, or send a check to the address on that page.

Best regards,

Bob