Marijuana and Cannabis News

Legislator Accuses Medical Marijuana Group Of 'Harassment'

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ in Legislation, Medical, News

Thursday, October 25, 2012 at 2:00 pm

CLUELESS! Rep. Jim McClendon, chairman of the Alabama House Health Committee, called constituent emails "harassment"

Health Committee Chairman Unwilling To Read Citizen Emails

Ah, representative democracy. When citizens have concerns, they contact their elected representatives, right? Right?? One Alabama legislator apparently could use a basic civics lesson; it seems Republican Rep. Jim McClendon has forgotten for whom he works. On Thursday morning, he sent an email message to constituents, colleagues and newspapers statewide accusing medical marijuana lobbyists of "harassment."

McClendon, chairman of the Alabama House Committee on Health, apparently felt quite put upon by the emails sent by members and supporters of the Alabama Medical Marijuana Coalition, a group fighting for safe access for medicinal cannabis patients in the Heart of Dixie.

"The inundation of emails to members of the Health Committee is no more than harassment and does not advance your cause," McClendon huffily (and cluelessly) emailed at 11:36 Central Time on Thursday. The email, in addition to AMMJC member Aaron Carswell and AMMJC co-president Ron Crumpton, also went out to the members of the press and McClendon's colleagues in the Alabama House.

Ron Crumpton 2014/Facebook

Ron Crumpton, Alabama Medical Marijuana Coalition: "This is not the kind of person that should be representing the people"

"What am I supposed to do, Mr. Chairman?" Crumpton answered. "I have been trying to get you to respond to me since the end of the session. During the session, I treated you like a man and it got our bill absolutely nowhere.

"I represent over 10,000 Alabamians who want to see this bill passed," Crumpton emailed. "Even with that kind of support we were not able to get a hearing last year.

"However, for you to say that emails to members of the Health Committee are harassment, Mr. Chairman, it is their job and your job to listen to the people," Crumpton wrote.

"This is not the kind of person that should be representing the people," Crumpton told Toke of the Town in an exclusive interview Thursday afternoon. "I think it is safe to say that I will be running for the District 50 House seat in 2014."

According to Crumpton, his campaign for the Legislature will focus on patients' rights, LGBT rights, Alabama Constitution reform, prison reform and other crucial political issues.

If you'd like to "harass," I mean remind Rep. McClendon that he does, in fact, work for the people, and it is, in fact, his job to listen to their concerns, you can school him, I mean email him, at jimmcc@windstream.net.

Tags: alabama, harassment, medical

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CoreyDonahue topcommenter

October 25, 2012 Crazy For Justice International

Contact Corey Donahue mmedcora@hotmail.com

Please vote NO on A64 don´t let big business and big government write Colorado´s constitutional amendments. Today in Mexico City, Corey Donahue, founder of Crazy for Justice International entered the Embassy of Bolivia in order to seek asylum from the political persecution he faced at the hands of the governments of the United States of America. Corey has been a lifelong cannabis and human rights activist. He has faced arrest many times due to his political belief that the US government’s drug prohibition is a crime against humanity. When reached for comment Corey had this to say, "I have been persecuted many times by the governments of the United States, be it being arrested in the Governor´s office for no offense or being put in jail for possession of less than 1oz of cannabis even though I have a constitutional right to possess 2oz or having a restraining order take out against me not once but four times by members of the government of the State of Colorado and I have had enough I will no longer be persecuted for my political beliefs.¨ In an attached video statement Corey spells out more of his quest for asylum.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgWDWARZnAQ&list=HL1351226253&feature=mh_lolz

The Bolivian Embassy is working with Corey Donahue on his asylum claim. The government of Bolivia asked for as much detailed proof of political repression at the hands of the Governments of the United States America. If anyone has pictures, videos or verifiable stories of political persecution at the hands of the US governments, especially regarding drug related issues, please email them to Crazy for Justice International at mmedcora@hotmail.com. Upon receiving these reports the staff at Crazy for Justice will relay the evidence to the Government of Bolivia as well as other governments and peoples around the world.

Also to confirm this story you can call Ricardo Olmos, he speaks English, Encargado De Asuntos Consulares Enbajada De Boliva Phone 5255363020 Ext. 13 Email embahada-consular@embol.org.mx

ruger22com

YOU WERE THE REASON, AND ALSO THE REASON THE ENTIRE SOUTHERN ALABAMA SECTION OF THE STATE LIBERTARIAN PARTY SPLIT AWAY FROM THE STATE PARTY. WALK AWAY LORRETTA AND MAYBE WE CAN GET A BILL PASSED IN THIS STATE.

BOB MARTIN - FORMER STATE CHAIR ALABAMA LIBERTARIAN PARTY.

LorettaNall

@ruger22com If by "the entire South Alabama Libertarian Party" you mean you and that other long winded guy then I'd hardly call it a loss Bob. And if I'm the reason McClendon won't schedule the bill then how come he still won't do it even for your group? You, unfortunately, are apparently happy playing his divisive games. And I'm not going anywhere. If you haven't figured that out yet then I don't know what to tell you.

RonCrumpton

@LorettaNall @ruger22com

We have a presession hearing on November the 14th. Try keeping up.

LorettaNall

2 Like

Well well....some things never change. Two years ago McClendon used divide and conquer techniques to drive a wedge between the members of Alabama Compassionate Care. He said that I, personally, was the reason he would never give the bill a hearing. That he didnt like my "tactics", which incidentally are identical to the tactics that AMMJC has employed since their formation. Our group split, the offshoot group drafted a new bill, found a new sponsor, a Republican no less, and have still been unable to get their bill on McClendons calendar. Now McClendon pulls this. Instead of giving this bill a fair hearing he attacks the members of the group. Sound familiar? McClendon has got to be dropped a few notches and reminded who he works for. Together we stand. Divided we fall.

RonCrumpton

@LorettaNall http://www.tokeofthetown.com/2012/10/al_house_health_committee_calls_nov_med_marijuana.php

RonCrumpton

@LorettaNall

Hearing nov. 14. Imagine that, a bill with a committee date early enough to actually get the bill passed. Don't let it bother you though. I am sure that if you had another 10 or 15 years you would have gotten to where we have gotten in 16 months.

AnonymousObserver

@RonCrumpton @LorettaNall Your infighting is not furthering the cause. Stop it.

sixstring

1 Like

I too received McClendon's "this is harassment" email in response to an email not even asscoiated with AMMJC. I guess he just deletes evrything he thinks he might not like even without reading it.

I responded to him that I had only sent three emails and two were not associated with AMMJC. No response.

syninthecity

4 Like

if he's feeling harassed then they're doing a hell of a job.