Laptop Lobbying for Medical Marijuana in West Virginia HB4498 2012

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Next step towards passage of HB 4498 for Compassionate Use of Medical Marijuana in West Virginia would be a public hearing in the Health and Human Resources Committee, whose members’ email addresses and phone numbers are posted below.

Meanwhile per WSAZ in Charleston: 63 percent support medical marijuana in poll taken soon after introduction of HB4498 to the West Virginia State Legislature last week.

A public hearing will be “an opportunity for individuals to come and offer their opinion on the bill,” said Dave Dawson of West Virginia NORML in Charleston.

“At a public hearing we can present witnesses and experts to offer opinions and findings of studies to the committee.

“If a public hearing has a strong showing the committee may be more inclined to put the bill onto the agenda.

“HB 4498 is still in the Health and Human Resources Committee and is still not on the committee agenda to be discussed. If HB 4498 does not make it onto the committee agenda it will not be voted on by the committee and will not go to the house floor for a vote this session.

“However we still have time to request a Public Hearing. They have been hearing your calls so keep them up!”

LOBBY FROM YOUR LAPTOPS: Below is contact information for members of the Health and Human Resources Committee of the West Virginia State Legislature. Email or call them and ask for a Public Hearing, with at least three days notice, for House Bill 4498, Compassionate Use Act for Medical Cannabis

Don Perdue Committee Chair don.perdue@wvhouse.gov (304) 340-3269
Barbara Hatfield (D – Kanawha) Committee Vice Chair bobbie.hatfield@wvhouse.gov (304) 340-3140
Joe Ellington (R – Mercer) Committee Minority Chair joe.ellington@wvhouse.gov (304) 340-3172
Jonathan Miller (R – Berkeley) Committee jonathan@delegatejmiller.com Minority Chair (304) 340-3147
Anthony Barill (D – Monongalia) Anthony.barill@wvhouse.gov (304) 340-3173
Denise L. Campbell (D – Randolph) denise.campbell@wvhouse.gov (304) 340-3145
Thomas W. Campbell (D – Greenbrier) tcampbell@grcs.com (304) 340-3280
Ryan Ferns (D – Ohio) ryan.ferns@wvhouse.gov (304) 340-3270
Barbara Evans Fleischauer (D – Monongalia) barbaraf@wvhouse.gov (304)340-3169
Tiffany Elizabeth Lawrence (D – Jefferson) lawrencefordelegate@hotmail.com (304) 340-3152
Charlene Marshall (D – Monongalia) charlene.marshall@wvhouse.gov (304) 340-3900
Clif Moore (D – McDowell) clif.moore@wvhouse.gov (304) 340-3189
Ruth Rowan (R – Hampshire) ruth.rowan@wvhouse.gov (304) 340-3157
Amanda Pasdon (R – Monongalia) amanda.pasdon@wvhouse.gov (304) 340-3153
Carol Miller (R – Cabell) carol.miller@wvhouse.gov (304) 340-3176
Patrick Lane (R – Kanawha) patrick.lane@wvhouse.gov (304) 340-3275
Eric L. Householder (R – Berkeley) eric.householder@wvhouse.gov (304) 340-3274
Anna Border (R – Wood) anna.border@wvhouse.gov (304) 340-3136
Troy Andes (R – Putnam) troy.andes@wvhouse.gov (304) 340-3121
Margaret Anne Staggers (D – Fayette) margaret.staggers@wvhouse.gov (304) 340-3197
Ralph Rodighiero (D – Logan) ralph.rodighiero@wvhouse.gov (304) 340-3154
Meshea Poore (D – Kanawha) meshea.poore@wvhouse.gov (304) 340-3248
Linda Goode Phillips (D – Wyoming) linda.phillips@wvhouse.gov (304) 340-3163
David G. Perry (D – Fayette) d.perry@wvhouse.gov (304) 340-3117
Ricky Moye (D – Raleigh) rickymoye@wvhouse.gov (304) 340-3162

HB4498:http://www.legis.state.wv.us/Bill_Status/Bills_history.cfm?input=4498&year=2012&sessiontype=RS&btype=bill

Health and Human Resources Committee: http://www.legis.state.wv.us/committees/house/HouseCommittee.cfm?Chart=hhr

STATS & RESOURCES AT WV NORML

If you want to engage your delegate or a delegate member of the committee about why HB 4498 should be enacted you can cite research and reports we have accumulated and uploaded to http://wvnorml.org/resources/facts-and-stats .

WVNORML will continue to update and add to this resource bank but for now there is plenty of information in the links and downloads.

VIDEO: Charleston WV news report on introduction of HB4498

Posted by Kay Ebeling, reporting from Appalachia

Here is the email I’m sending them:

Dear Delegate: Hold Hearings on HB4498 Compassionate Use of Medical Marijuana Act 2012 for West Virginia

Posted by Kay Ebeling who is currently traveling the country producing City of Angels Blog, which started at http://cityofangels3.blogspot.com/ in 2007.
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This post originally went up at AlterNet yesterday
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