Pubdate: Sat, 11 Feb 2006
Source: New Mexican, The (Santa Fe, NM)
Copyright: 2006 The Santa Fe New Mexican
Contact: http://www.freenewmexican.com/emailforms/letters.php
Website: http://www.freenewmexican.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/695
Author: Steve Terrell, The New Mexican
Note: From MAP: The Agriculture and Water Resources Committee tabled 
the measure on a 4-3 vote Saturday.
Note: From MAP: It appears that perhaps DAMMADD may not be filing 
required IRS forms. See: 
http://www.guidestar.org/pqShowGsReport.do?npoId=100132990 and 
http://www.guidestar.org/FinDocuments/2003/161/603/2003-161603055-1-9.pdf
Note: The text of the bill, SB 258 
http://legis.state.nm.us/Sessions/06%20Regular/bills/senate/SB0258.html
Cited: Dads and Moms Against Drug Dealers http://www.dammadd.org
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmj.htm (Cannabis - Medicinal)

ANTI-DRUG GROUP FIGHTS MEDICAL-MARIJUANA BILL

The founder of a New York based anti-drug group came to the Capitol 
on Friday to persuade legislators to vote against a bill that would 
make marijuana legal for patients suffering from some serious medical 
conditions.

Steven Steiner of Dads and Moms Against Drug Dealers said that 
passage of SB258 -- which is scheduled to be considered today by the 
House Agriculture and Water Resources Committee -- would lead to more 
drug abuse in the state.

Ironically, Steiner's group is partly funded by the company that 
makes the drug that killed his teenage son.

"Five years ago, I lost my 19-year-old son," Steiner told a reporter.

The drug that killed Steven Steiner Jr. was OxyContin, a prescription 
narcotic that is legal. "But marijuana played a major part in his 
death," Steiner said. "There's no doubt in my mind that marijuana is 
a gateway drug."

He repeated a common claim by medical-marijuana opponents that 
drug-liberalization advocates are using cancer and AIDS sufferers to 
pass medical laws, which, opponents say, is a first step to 
legalization of marijuana.

Backers of SB258, including Gov. Bill Richardson and senators from 
both political parties, have argued the bill provides sufficient 
safeguards to prevent widespread abuse and would help only people who 
are in serious pain.

According to DAMADD's Web site, Perdue Pharma, the manufacturer of 
OxyContin, is a sponsor of the organization.

Several other large pharmaceutical companies, including Jannsen, 
Bristol-Meyers, Roche, Alpharma, UCB, Endo, Cephalon, Teva and 
Boehringer Ingelheim, also support DAMADD. "Big (pharmaceuticals), 
they see what's happening," Steiner said. "They gave us funding unrestricted."

Steiner said his son wasn't using OxyContin correctly. "My son 
crushed it up and snorted it," he said.

The pharmaceutical industry never has been visibly active in opposing 
medical-marijuana legislation in New Mexico.

But the industry -- which contributed more than $97,000 to New Mexico 
political campaigns in 2002 and more than $56,000 in 2004 -- stands 
to lose money if marijuana became a free and legal treatment.

Prescription drugs to combat nausea and other symptoms, as some 
supporters say marijuana can do, may cost hundreds or even thousands 
of dollars a month.

Steiner appeared at a news conference with Rep Bill Rehm, 
R-Albuquerque. Rehm, a former narcotics detective with the Bernalillo 
County Sheriff's Department, said he believes the medical-marijuana 
bill would result in more marijuana users driving vehicles.

"There's no requirement in the bill about having (marijuana-growing 
facilities) in close proximity to daycare centers or schools," he 
said. "There's nothing in the bill about smoking marijuana and 
driving a school bus or teaching school." 
- ---
MAP posted-by: Richard Lake