President Clinton announced that he will nominate Gov. William Weld as ambassador to Mexico despite criticism from Sen. Jesse Helms (R-N.C.) that the governor is not “ambassador quality” because he supports legal access to medical marijuana.
“The president is going to stand up and fight for Gov. Weld,” White House spokesman Mike McCurry told reporters on Wednesday. “He intends to proceed with the nomination of Gov. Weld as U.S. ambassador to Mexico.”
Sources close to Helms responded that the senator would block Weld’s appointment. Helms, whose Foreign Relations Committee must approve all ambassadorial nominees, has openly criticized Weld for his support of the use of marijuana as a medicine. Tolerance toward the use of medical marijuana could make Weld unsuitable to be an ambassador of a major drug producing and trafficking nation like Mexico, Helms told reporters in June. Helms is a co-sponsor of federal legislation that would sentence physicians who recommend the medical use of marijuana up to eight years in prison.
Weld signed legislation last year reinvigorating a statewide program that would distribute marijuana to certified patients who suffer from serious illnesses like glaucoma and cancer. The bill also creates an “affirmative defense” of medical necessity for some patients who use medical marijuana. Earlier this year, Weld publicly stated that he has “no problem” with the use of marijuana for medical purposes.
For more information, please contact either Allen St. Pierre of The NORML Foundation at (202) 483-8751 or NORML Mass/Cann at (617) 944-2266.