Hinchey-Rohrabacher Amendment Vote Results

This just in from the Media Awareness Project.

The Hinchey-Rohrabacher Amendment received 161 votes for, 264 against. When voted on last, the amendment had 148 votes. The vote today is a gain of 13 votes.

Voting for: 15 Republicans, 145 Democrats and 1 Independent.

This is a better gain than was expected. MPP was predicting only a 10 vote increase so clearly, we are making progress and the issue will come up again. We only need to swing another 50 or so votes to win next time.

I join MAP in thanking you all for contacting your congresscritters to urge their vote to stop the federal government from arresting medical cannabis patients in those states where the use of medical cannabis is authorized by law. Keep their contact info handy as you'll need it again. This fight is far from over.

Update: Drug Policy Alliance has an action center up where you can find out how your Congresscreature voted and either thank or spank them.

Marijuana Policy Project also sends out a release that says in part,

"While we're disappointed that the amendment did not pass, a record 161 House members voted today to stop arresting medical marijuana patients," said Rob Kampia, executive director of the Marijuana Policy Project in Washington, D.C. "There have been only four House floor votes on medical marijuana in the history of the country, and this one was our best ever.

..."The next step is to pass the medical marijuana bills pending in New York and Rhode Island, enact medical marijuana laws in several other states early next year, and then win on Capitol Hill next summer when the House votes on medical marijuana again," said Kampia. "The momentum is clearly on our side, and we'll keep fighting until Congress listens to the American people and ends this cruel and needless war on the sick."

We did good folks, but in the immortal words of my favorite sage, Yogi Berra, "It ain't over till it's over."