For Immediate Release:  July 1, 2003

American Nurses Association Calls for Patient Access to Medical
Cannabis/Marijuana.

Patients Out of Time, represented by the non-profit's President, Mary Lynn
Mathre, RN, MSN, CARN, testified on Thursday, June 26 at the American Nurses
Association's 2003 House of Delegates Meeting.  Held at the Omni Shoreham
Hotel in Washington, DC from June 24-27, Nurse Mathre had come a long way
when she stood and addressed the Delegates.

        In 1994 "ML" met with District Presidents of the Virginia Nurses
Association (VNA) and presented a science based introduction on the merits
of therapeutic cannabis. They asked Mathre to draft a position paper on the
subject that was approved by the association in 1994 and 1995. Follow up
letters from Patients Out of Time to other state nursing associations has
resulted in those of HI, MS and NM among a total of 11 issuing similar
documents. The American Public Health Association and the National Nurses
Society on Addictions, among dozens of professional health care groups  (see
list at <www.medicalcannabis.com>) have issued similar "white papers."

In 1995 the influential New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) adopted
VNA's position paper and petitioned the ANA to adopt VNA policy. In 1996 ANA
declined to adopt the VNA position but did agree that Registered Nurses
should receive science-based education about therapeutic cannabis and that
it should to be continuously studied in "controlled clinical trials."

This year the NYSNA again submitted a resolution concerning medical cannabis
and they asked Mathre to speak on behalf of the proposed policy change.
"Nurses provide direct care to patients and we are above all else patient
advocates. This resolution is not a policy change that is in any form a
departure from our professional goals and ethics. This resolution in fact
validates our commitment to the patient and our communal commitment to
providing the most appropriate care."

The resolution passed overwhelmingly.
Providing Patients Safe Access to Therapeutic Marijuana/Cannabis

                                June 2003

Therefore Be It Resolved That the American Nurses Association will:
1.      Support research in controlled investigational trials on the
therapeutic efficacy of marijuana/cannabis, including alternative methods of
administration.

2.      Support the right of patients to have safe access to therapeutic
marijuana/cannabis under appropriate prescriber supervision.

3.      Support the ability of health care providers to discuss and/or
recommend the medicinal use of marijuana without the threat of intimidation
or penalization.

4.      Support legislation to remove criminal penalties including arrest
and imprisonment for bona fide patients and prescribers of therapeutic
marijuana/cannabis.

5.      Support federal and state legislation to exclude marijuana/cannabis
from classification as a Schedule I drug.

6.      Support and encourage the education of registered nurse regarding
current, evidence-based therapeutic use of marijuana/cannabis.

Contact:
        Al Byrne
        Patients Out of Time
        al@medicalcannabis.com
        (434) 263-4484
        (434) 263-6753  fax

Fish Pond Plantation
        1472 Fish Pond Rd.
        Howardsville, VA 24562