The Texas Democratic State Convention Drug Policy - have any updates?

[cannabis_flower]

I was at the convention and attended some of both the Platform and Resolutions committees. The platform committee seemed to run pretty smoothly but it was my understanding (correct me if I am wrong) that the platform should be written with the resolutions passed at the previous convention and the previous platform in mind.

Last year the Democrats passed a resolution supporting medical marijuana. This was not in the platform at all. Not only that, language in the platform that implied medical marijuana support was removed. It was in a paragraph that was titled "A Patient's Bill of Right". The paragraph was:

A Patient’s Bill of Rights

Texas Democrats passed a Patient’s Bill of Rights to ensure that all Texas families have the right to choose the doctor they want for the care they need. Medical decisions regarding all effective treatment options should be made by medical doctors in consultation with their patients, not insurance company accountants or government bureaucrats. Families have the right to know all of their medical options, not just the cheapest. Democrats worked to pass legislation that guaranteed Texans the right to choose their own doctor, secured a woman’s right to choose her own OB-GYN, and gave consumers the right to sue HMO’s for denying necessary care. Democrats also opened the doors of MD Anderson and other premier cancer care facilities to all Texans.

The line that was included which implied medical marijuana was:

Medical decisions regarding all effective treatment options should be made by medical doctors in consultation with their patients, not insurance company accountants or government bureaucrats.

I pointed this out to committee members, Bill Crozier, Tom Rowen and Suzi Wills, members of Progressive Action Alliance, Texas Progressive Populist Caucus and Drug Policy Forum of Texas respectively and Tom moved to have the Patient's Bill of Rights put back in. Garnet Coleman who was chairing the platform committee said that the reason that it was taken out was because we passed a Patient's Bill of Rights law. However, this law that was passed did not include the line implying medical marijuana. So it was defeated to add the Patient's Bill of Rights. I would have talked to the committee people to ask them to move to add just the medical marijuana implying language back in but before I could say anything someone moved to pass the whole Health Care section as written in the draft platform and that passed. That is the last I heard about what went on in the platform committee.

On the Resolutions committee my contact was Barbara Ashley. At the first part of the meeting the chairman was trying to pass all kinds of memorial resolutions for people who had died - one at a time. Barbara Ashley tried to make a motion that these be passed en masse and was told that he would not accept her motion. He also wanted to discuss each resolution that had been passed by more than seven Senate Districts and pick each of them apart and argue against some of them. Barbara again tried to make a motion that they be voted on as a group and she was again told that her motion was not accepted. Other people on the committee were getting mad at her but the real person doing the obstructing and slowing down was the committee chairman and not Barbara. Without getting a whole lot done they recessed to elect the party chair. Sometime after this the Resolutions Committee chairman left the convention and didn't return. I heard that stuff was done and that my Drug Policy Reform and a Medical Marijuana Resolution were apparently passed by the committee but somehow not accepted by the convention chair (or something - this is where what Barbara Ashley didn't quite sink in) and that they (and maybe other resolutions) had been referred to SDEC for consideration. What exactly happened? I was on the bus that the Harris County Democratic Party chartered and we had to leave around 6:30 or 7pm.

[endarkenment]

1. If the Democratic Party had cojones they would back this

nationally. They don't. They don't want to look 'irresponsible' on drugs. Same with censorship - instead of trying to out smut-warrior the theocrats, we should be standing for individual freedom.

[cannabis_flower]

2. You are of course right...

but we can all only do individually what we can do. The party platforms and resolutions we passed this year only go as far as the state. As much as possible we will try to get them accepted nationally. But since I know that the Democrats in Texas are doing what they can I will continue to work with them and in 2008 I will try to go to the National Convention to attempt to get the resolutions we passed in Texas passed nationally. I will support the most progressive candidate - hopefully we will have one as progressive as Dennis Kucinich (who supported medical marijuana) - and get a progressive candidate nominated in 2008. Individually, that's all I can do. If others from other states join me, get on the committees or lobby to get people who will vote correctly on the committees we could change the party. That's the democratic process and that's how it works.

[cannabis_flower]

3. So I guess

you don't have any answers to my question and just wanted to bitch!

[endarkenment]

4. yes exactly nt