Please do your part by passing this on everywhere!!! This is Texas' 4th attempt. Not enough people knew about the others to get behind them and get them passed. January 6, 2009 Medical marijuana bill introduced A bill has been introduced that would allow seriously ill patients to raise a medical necessity defense to charges of possessing marijuana for medical use. This legislation was introduced during the 2007 legislative session, however, despite the fact that a 2004 poll showed 75% of Texans support medical marijuana, the bill died in committee. Please send your state legislators an e-mail today letting them know that you hope to see more of an effort made during the 2009 session to provide medical marijuana patients with the protection they need. You can also help support HB 164 by submitting a letter to the editor of any Texas newspaper, online or via U.S. mail. HB 164 would permit physicians to make written or oral recommendations that, in the physician's medical opinion, the potential benefits of marijuana would likely outweigh the health risks for a particular patient. If arrested for possession of marijuana, a patient with a recommendation from his or her physician would be able to assert an affirmative defense to charges arising from his or her medical use of marijuana. If a court accepts the affirmative defense, it would mean that a patient could avoid jail time and fines. The bill would not, however, protect patients from the initial arrest. This bill is authored by a long-tiime champion for our cause, Elliot Naishtat. Please take a minute to send him an e-mail thanking him for his efforts and encouraging him not to ever stop. It's real easy. Just go to his web page at: http://www.house.state.tx.us/members/email.php?dist=49&rep=elliott.naishtat "Our side" has two major problems- lack of action and lack of communication. So, please, at least take the time to cross post this. That will fix both of the above mentioned problems. Thanks for fighting the good fight!