2003 Union for Reform Judaism resolution on the medicinal use of marijuana

In November 2003, the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) passed a resolution concerning medical cannabis at its general assembly in Minneapolis. The resolution became the first endorsement of medical cannabis by any religious body.Plenty of Jews on board California's bid to legalize marijuana October 26, 2010 Sue Fishkoff JTA https://www.jta.org/2010/10/26/news-opinion/united-states/plenty-of-jews-on-board-with-californias-bid-to-legalize-marijuanaAnother source says Unitarian Universalist Association became "the first religious denomination to adopt a statement of conscience" in 2002, calling for legalization and regulation of marijuana but not legalized medical marijuana specifically.Clergy join push to legalize marijuana in mission of social justice – Protestant pastors and Jewish rabbis are lobbying lawmakers in Illinois and elsewhere to legalize marijuana Manya Brachear Pashman Chicago Tribune 2 June 2015 http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-clergy-for-new-drug-policy-met-20150602-story.html Two other Jewish organizations passed resolutions before then: Women for Reform Judaism passed a resolution in support of making it legal for physicians to prescribe marijuana to critically ill patients in 1999, and the Central Conference of American Rabbis passed a similar resolution in 2001. Roots The measure was preceded by a 1999 resolution adopted by Women of Reform Judaism, under the leadership of board member Jane Marcus.Le'Or aims to put marijuana legalization on the Jewish agenda Rebecca Spence February 9, 2015 Jewish Telegraphic Agency https://www.jta.org/2015/02/09/news-opinion/united-states/leor-aims-to-put-marijuana-legalization-on-the-jewish-agenda Thomas 2007 271 Marcus, who contributed to the passage of the 2003 resolution by the full denomination and became a founding board member of the Interfaith Drug Policy Initiative,http://theleafonline.com/c/activism/2017/12/interfaith-activist-marcus-played-role-passing-prop-215/ Interfaith activist Marcus played role in passing Prop. 215 Mikki Norris 2017-12-08 described her motivation: "A beloved friend from my synagogue contracted HIV from a blood transfusion. She was down to 85 pounds and had no desire for food. Marijuana brought back her appetite and extended her life for three years. That’s when I started asking myself, why is this illegal?"http://www.hadassahmagazine.org/2017/01/18/new-old-cannabis-consumer/ The New (Old) Cannabis Consumer Carol Saline Hadassah Magazine 2017-01-18 The Women of Reform Judaism resolution was possibly influenced by Beth Am Women of Los Altos Hills, California who successfully introduced a resolution at Pacific District of Women of Reform Judaism's San Jose, California convention in 1999 preceding the 1999 national convention.Oral history project Jane Marcus: Beth Am Women President 2005-07, 2009-10 Congregation Beth Am Los Altos Hills, California https://www.betham.org/jane-marcus-beth-am-women-president-2005-07-2009-10 2018-04-04 2018-04-06 https://web.archive.org/web/20180406101839/https://www.betham.org/jane-marcus-beth-am-women-president-2005-07-2009-10 dead Commentary According to Carol Saline, "Jews have been in the forefront of the effort to legalize medical marijuana, perhaps because of what Rabbi Dayle Friedman attributes to the 'strong mandate about healing in Judaism.'"Hadassah Hadassah Women's Zionist Organization of America The New (Old) Cannabis Consumer Carol Saline Carol Saline January 2017 http://www.hadassahmagazine.org/2017/01/18/new-old-cannabis-consumer/ Footnotes References Sources Earleywine M. Pot Politics: Marijuana and the Costs of Prohibition Detailed analysis of religious groups' divergent positions on marijuana Charles Thomas 247–279 Oxford University Press 2007 978-0-19-518802-8 https://books.google.com/books?id=fgASDAAAQBAJ&pg=PA271 External links Resolution: "The Medicinal Use of Marijuana", Union for Reform Judaism Cannabis Judaism Medicine Category:2003 in cannabis Category:Cannabis and Judaism Category:Medicinal use of cannabis Category:Union for Reform Judaism