Earlier this week, while more than 200 citizen lobbyists were meeting face-to-face with their Congressional legislators in Washington, D.C. to change federal policy on medical cannabis, a series of events occurred in Florida, making that state the next political battleground on this issue.

On Monday, a Miami Herald

Most Americans see the battle of medical cannabis (marijuana) from a distance as a ping-pong game of excuses from the federal government to deny patients and doctors access to cannabis for therapeutic use. Eighty-three percent of Americans say the federal government should move past its archaic rhetoric about...

Thank you to the show Parenthood for your portrayal of someone becoming a medical marijuana patient.

During the Thanksgiving holiday, my procrastination on home projects led me to getting caught up on the fall season of a few shows, including NBC's Parenthood. I was moved to watch the...

As the Executive Director of Americans for Safe Access, it's my privilege to meet and facilitate the work of medical cannabis advocates throughout the nation. In the week before yesterday's election, I drove all over Arkansas, visiting counties to drop off signs and connect with activists. This is...

You've read pundits on the impact of the tight presidential race on the budget, on taxes, even on the weather. One important issue that could be decided by Tuesday's election is medical marijuana. With federal and state policy in conflict and in flux, medical marijuana is one of America's highest-profile...

In a little over a week, we the voters will elect representatives who will make momentous, sometimes life-or-death decisions on our behalf. As a patient and advocate of medical marijuana, I am motivated this election by strong, bipartisan support for this medicine -- up to 80 percent in...

When Obama's supporters come to volunteer this evening, they will be greeted by a crowd holding political signs. It's not an Occupy protest or a Republican rally -0 it's a rally in support of medical marijuana access, organized by voters who feel left out of the electoral debate....

Without Democrats standing up for progressive values and reversing the Obama administration's unpopular anti-medical marijuana policy, a spoiler candidate in a Western state is an increasingly likely outcome. The Democratic Party may not talk much about the impact of the year-long campaign of stepped-up enforcement in medical cannabis...

This week, as the average American begins to pay close attention to the Presidential race during the party conventions, my organization, Americans for Safe Access, is preparing to flood America -- and especially swing states -- with a poster that asks the question, "Can Broken Promises Lose an...

This is a photo of me at the 2008 Democratic National Convention. I had just heard one of the most politically motivating speeches of my life from a candidate for president. I was moved to tears, joyous, and inspired. This candidate not only...

After working on medical cannabis issues for 10 years, I am rarely shocked by developments in our battle for truth, freedom and compassion. But the unusual public statement just released from Northern California U.S. Attorney Melinda Haag has absolutely floored me. Regarding asset forfeiture proceedings undertaken against the commercial landlord...

On June 7, Eric Holder testified before the House Judiciary Committee that his Justice Department will only undertake enforcement action against medical marijuana organizations operating "out of conformity with state law." I didn't believe his statement at the time, but recent events made clear the enormous gap between...

Thursday morning, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder was questioned in a House Judiciary Committee hearing about the Obama Administration's policy on medical marijuana. What he said to our Congressional representatives should be alarming not only to medical cannabis patients, but also to policy makers and the general public,...

As a medical marijuana patient advocate, I see the world through the eyes of a patient. Patient advocacy means integrating the patient into every part of society. Achieving this for medical cannabis patients requires addressing legal issues, creating criminal and civil protections and creating safe distribution models and regulations --...

Last night, the medical cannabis advocate community defeated a second anti-medical marijuana candidate in a state Attorney General race. In Oregon, Dwight Holton, a former US attorney, lost in a landslide after medical cannabis became a campaign issue. In 2010, we defeated Steve Cooley in a...

One month ago I traveled to California for an event in San Francisco. The morning before the event, I awoke to the news that the DEA was raiding Blue Sky, a dispensary in Oakland. It was heartening to see an outpouring of support for medical marijuana patients, but the dispensary...

In February, Oakland City Attorney John Russo asked the Obama Justice Department whether his city's plan to regulate large-scale medical marijuana cultivation would get the approval of the federal government. As expected, U.S. Attorney Melinda Haag responded to Russo with a declarative "No!" Little did patient advocates realize,...

The federal government has maintained for decades, even over the objections of its own Administrative Law Judges, that marijuana (cannabis) is a dangerous drug with no medical value. However, something happened in March to draw attention not only to evidence of marijuana's beneficial effect on people living with...

This past November, Arizona became the 15th state to adopt a medical marijuana law. Even with medical marijuana laws in nearly a third of the country, ever-increasing scientific evidence of efficacy, and popular American support at over 80 percent, patients' rights are still threatened. As long as medical marijuana remains...

The most important race for medical marijuana patients in California on November 2nd is for the State Attorney General's office. The Republican candidate Steve Cooley is just "Not Cool" for patients and those who support medical marijuana. In fact, Cooley's not just bad for patients, he's also bad for the...