Madison NORML

While Kind has joined fellow WI Democratic Reps. Tammy Baldwin, David Obey and Gwen Moore in voting for the Hinchey Amendment, which would defund federal raids on medical cannabis patients and providers in states where it is legal, he has never cosponsored federal medical cannabis legislation despite repeated requests. Kind’s never-changing written response cites his past experience as a prosecutor and the need to satisfy law enforcement concerns, while ignoring his own votes defunding law enforcement while refusing to cosponsor a bill that would instead change federal law. Kind’s response not only blew off his constituent’s plea, but the wording also seemed a bit too familiar. Soon, I had fished out a nearly 5-year-old letter I’d received from Congressman Kind that was mostly word for word the same as the letter his constituent received just recently.

I told my friend, then he found his own 5-year old letter from Kind with mostly identical wording as the one from 2008.

2008 Letter: Of the 365 words in the body of the letter, three paragraphs containing 197 words were identical to a section from Kind’s 2003 letters (repeated section in bold text below).

Dear redacted:

Thank you for contacting me about the legalization of marijuana. I appreciate hearing from you.

While I appreciate the points you make regarding legalization, I do not believe that marijuana should be legalized. As a former prosecutor, I have seen firsthand the detrimental effects of marijuana use and how it often escalates to the use of more serious drugs such as heroin and cocaine. Studies show that the harmful effects of long-term marijuana use are many and varied. Effects include lung and asthma problems, loss of ability to set long-term goals, and a propensity to graduate to other, more powerful drugs.

The use of marijuana for medical purposes is a contentious issue filled with conflicting scientific evidence, and I remain willing to listen to both sides of the debate. I understand that marijuana was once popularly recommended for various illnesses, although in recent years its medical use has declined. This decline is due to the increased availability of alternative medicines and the federal government's increasing role in curbing international drug importation and fighting domestic substance abuse.

I have heard from several medical professionals and citizens that, in a controlled environment, the benefits of the drug outweigh the possible risks to the patient. They present evidence that marijuana's chemical properties increase the quality of comfort and care afforded to patients suffering from illnesses such as cancer and AIDS.

Data from the Office of National Drug Control Policy, however, raises legitimate concerns as well. While illegal substance use has declined since the 1970s, marijuana has remained the most common drug among illicit users. If marijuana is to become a legal form of medication, further research and consideration must be given to both sides of the issue and a consensus must be reached between the health care and law enforcement professions. Please be assured that should legislation regarding this issue be introduced, I will keep your views in mind.

Again, thank you for contacting me. Should you have further questions or comments, I hope you will not hesitate to be in touch with my office. Also, I encourage you to visit my website, www.house.gov/kind, where you kind find updated information, send me e-mail, and signup for my e-newsletter.

Sincerely,

Ron Kind Member of Congress

(snip)

Kind’s failure to update a medical marijuana position that seems right out of 1997 or worse to begin with, is mystifying. Another of Kind’s constituents is Jacki Rickert, whom Kind has excelled at ignoring and breaking appointments with at his DC offices. Jacki, myself and Jim Miller had a meeting with a Kind staffer in 2004 that ended up with the staffer crying in empathy with Jacki’s plight, and then first Jim, then myself and Jacki walking out. In 2004, we found it easier to talk to Congressman Kind at a Madison fundraiser than his Washington DC offices.

When is Kind going to wake up and really stand behind patients and their loved ones who need medical cannabis, or at the very least, devise some new wording for his medical marijuana form letter gone so stale it’s downright moldy?

Urge Your Representative to Support the federal medical cannabis bill H.R. 5842! click here. If that happens to be Congressman Ron Kind, while you've probably already seen his response above, please try anyway.