Kyoshi Kuromiya, et. al., Plaintiffs
vs.
The United States of America, Defendant
Civil Action No. 98-3439
In the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania

The Class Action for Freedom of Therapeutic Cannabis is aimed at freeing the use of therapeutic cannabis/medical marijuana in the treatment of many health conditions. The lawsuit was filed July 1998 with nearly 200 plaintiffs from all over the United States. Since March 1999, the number of plaintiffs has doubled and many more are being added. This lawsuit will have major implications for the estimated 97 million Americans that could benefit from the use of cannabis for their health conditions and symptoms.

Since 1978, the United States federal government has been providing 300 government-grown cannabis cigarettes per month to only a few Americans for the treatment of their illness—beginning with Robert Randall receiving marijuana to treat his glaucoma—through their "compassionate use" Investigative New Drug (IND) program. There are only 8 surviving patients in the IND program that can testify to the fact that the federal government is very aware of cannabis’ therapeutic value and how their use of this medicine has prolonged their lives, stopped them from going blind, and relieved their chronic pain. Three plaintiffs in the class action were accepted into the IND program before it was closed in 1992, but they have never received their medicine.

During the March 3^rd hearing at the U.S. District Court in Philadelphia, PA, Honorable Marvin Katz ruled that the lawsuit will move forward on the grounds of equal protection. When this case goes to trial, the United States federal government will have to explain why it

provides therapeutic cannabis/medical marijuana to only a few ill patients and protects them from criminal prosecutions, yet denies this medicine to other ill Americans and incarcerates them—they will have to explain their rational behind its policies of hypocrisy.

On May 17, 1999, Judge Katz signed the order to allow each side an additional 90 days to prepare its case and to extend the "discovery cutoff". A court date has not been set, but expected to be mid-October of 1999.

The class action is now accepting inquiries from all health care professionals that approve of cannabis/marijuana as medicine and who would sign an affidavit that they would recommend it if they were legally able to do so. Interested health care professionals may direct

their inquiries to: MAILTO:affidavit@actionclass.org or contact Lori

Martz at (507) 333-2536

Patients interested in the lawsuit may direct their inquiries to joan@actionclass.org
or call Joan Bello at (561) 750-0554

Contributions to support the class action and its fight for freedom may be directed to:

Lifeservices
PO Box 4314
Boca Raton, FL 33429
(561) 750-0554