Dr. Dana Copp of Springdale has called his Congressman and written letters to his Senators and now he’s ready to go to Ft. Smith. He’ll be among those present to answer questions and talk about marijuana as medicine at a public meeting this Saturday, May 26, scheduled for 11 am at the Ft. Smith Public Library community meeting room, 3201 Rogers Avenue.

"As a physician, I am aware of the great number of individuals with AIDS, cancer, multiple sclerosis and other chronic neuromuscular conditions whose suffering would be greatly relieved with its use.

"Folks may wonder why a gray-haired, law-abiding physician who's never been in jail or abused drugs himself would be supporting this effort. But if you think about it, it makes sense. As doctors, we prescribe a great many drugs that are much more dangerous, more addictive and less effective than marijuana. We need to get past the notion that marijuana is somehow an 'evil' substance and appreciate that for many people it offers uniquely effective relief for their physical conditions."

Saturday’s program will also feature the award-winning 18-minute video, "Marijuana as Medicine," which tells the stories of five patients currently receiving 300 marijuana cigarettes each per month from the federal government. Denele Campbell, Executive Director of Drug Policy Education Group, will provide a brief overview of medical marijuana laws passed in other states and two efforts underway in Arkansas – a House bill introduced in the Legislature by Rep. Jim Lendall and a citizens’ initiated act, The Arkansas Medical Marijuana Act.

This free program is sponsored by the Drug Policy Education Group, Inc., a nonprofit organization working in Arkansas to address the harm caused by the war on drugs. The meeting is one in a series of such events in cities statewide in an effort to educate the public on the facts behind the medical marijuana movement.