CONTACT: [email protected] or 215 586 3483

Philadelphia: Details of the new marijuana procedure
by Chris Goldstein 6/9/2010

The DA’s office reports that six marijuana consumers entered the new diversion program for minor pot possession yesterday, the first time it was available.  Here are the main points of the new procedure:

-         No criminal prosecution in court

-         No bail money required for release: Previously all minor marijuana offenders had a bail amount set. If they could not come up with bail money they were held until arraignment. Today, those who enter into the diversion program are released after processing.

-         No drug conviction on record: By entering the new diversion program an individual pleads to a lesser offense. This means: Students will not lose loans; teachers and others will not face losing employment; public record searches will not reveal a marijuana related conviction

-         Offense is automatically expunged: Entering the new diversion program also means the arrest is expunged from the individual’s permanent record, without having to hire an attorney.

The change in marijuana possession procedures was announced by District Attorney Seth Williams in April and vocally backed by Pennsylvania State Supreme Court.

Philadelphia is the only jurisdiction in Pennsylvania that cannot issue the summary violations on the street to the offender.  Thus, officers will still be required to take marijuana consumers briefly into custody to process them into the new diversion program.

Still, the possibility of taking over 4,700 small pot possession cases out of the criminal court system should have a tangible impact on court efficiency. The new diversion program, if employed in a majority of these type of cases, could save the Public Safety budget hundreds of thousands of tax dollars this year alone.

The cost savings would be closer to $3million every year if Philadelphia Police were given the same power as their peers around the state to issue the marijuana possession summary violations on the street.

PhillyNORML conducts annual reports on the local marijuana arrests. More info:

Philly: Marijuana mug shots cost city $3million annually

Philly: White women rarely arrested for pot

PhillyNORML is the local chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws. The group meets twice each month to plan reform activities.

 

Original blog link: http://www.examiner.com/x-29881-Philadelphia-NORML-Examiner~y2010m6d9-Philadelphia-Details-of-the-new-marijuana-procedure 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                                                                 

JUNE 9, 2010

MPP Kicks Off Summer Tour with Launch of Mobile Giving Campaign

Supporters Will Be Able to Text Donations as Part of ‘Give by Cell’ Campaign in Conjunction with Upcoming Slightly Stoopid Tour

CONTACT: Mike Meno, MPP director of communications …………… 202-905-2030 or [email protected]

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Marijuana Policy Project today announced a new partnership with Guide by Cell, Inc. that will enable supporters to donate to MPP through the convenience of their cell phones. As part of the “Give by Cell” campaign, supporters can text “MPP” to 20222 to make a one-time donation of $5 to MPP, the nation’s leading marijuana policy reform organization.

         “This new mobile giving campaign will make donating to MPP easier than ever before,” said Andrea Farnum, MPP director of Grants and VIP Outreach. “We are very excited about this opportunity to provide supporters with an easy and efficient method of helping to end marijuana prohibition in the United States.”

         Give by Cell is the mobile division of Guide by Cell, Inc., is the world’s largest provider of cell phone audio tours, text messaging interactions and Apple iPhone downloadable applications. For more information, visit www.guidebycell.com or www.givebycell.com.

         MPP’s text-giving campaign is being launched as the MPP partners with renowned San Diego-based band Slightly Stoopid for their upcoming U.S. tour, “Cauzin Vapors … Legalize It,” on which they’ll be accompanied by hip-hop superstars, Cypress Hill, The Expendables, Collie Buddz, and reggae legends, Steel Pulse on select dates.

         Starting in mid-July, the tour will wind across the country, from California to New York, with stops at this year’s acclaimed Lollapalooza festival in Chicago and the Mile High Music Festival in Colorado. MPP will be tabling at performances and have representatives at each show to answer questions and provide information about the ongoing campaigns to end marijuana prohibition in the U.S. For more information, and a complete list of tour dates, visit www.slightlystoopid.com.   

         With more than 124,000 members and supporters nationwide, the Marijuana Policy Project is the largest marijuana policy reform organization in the United States. MPP believes that the best way to minimize the harm associated with marijuana is to regulate marijuana in a manner similar to alcohol. For more information, please visit www.mpp.org. For more information about MPP’s Give by Cell campaign, visit http://www.mpp.org/donating/give-by-cell.html

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                                                                 

MAY 28, 2010

Mayor Rybak, Let’s Be Honest About Marijuana

Marijuana’s Prohibition—and the Elected Officials Who Support It—Is to Blame For Fueling Gang Violence, Not Marijuana’s Consumers

CONTACT: Mike Meno, MPP director of communications …………… 202-905-2030 or [email protected]

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA —Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak has recently taken to Minnesota’s airwaves in a misguided attempt to blame violence at the hands of criminal gangs on consumers of marijuana. “When you pay for marijuana, you are paying for the bullet that goes into the head of someone on the streets,” he told the Star Tribune, in one instance. But the mayor’s logic is tragically flawed. By trying to blame violence entirely on marijuana’s consumers, Mayor Rybak is conveniently ignoring the central role in gang violence played by marijuana prohibition and the politicians who support it.

         “The only reason criminals make their money from marijuana is because our current policies allow them to,” said Steve Fox, director of state campaigns for the Marijuana Policy Project. “Like alcohol prohibition in the last century, marijuana prohibition has helped to fuel violent crime in Minnesota and across the country. Mayor Rybak is out of touch with reality if he does not recognize that prohibition—and any elected official who supports it—is to blame for giving criminals a virtual monopoly on marijuana’s lucrative trade. It is unrealistic to assume we can somehow magically remove the demand for marijuana. The only true solution is to regulate marijuana, and bring its sale under the rule of law, the same way we ended the criminal violence that stemmed from alcohol prohibition.”

         Even Mayor Rybak’s own deputy police chief, Rob Allen, stated that violence in the marijuana trade is caused by its prohibition. “It is illegal to distribute marijuana, so the people distributing marijuana are criminal syndicates that are engaged in very violent activity to protect their turf,” Allen told station KARE 11. 

         In a recent statement about this topic on a CityPages comment thread, Mayor Rybak wrote that “it’s time we finally got honest with each other.”

         The Marijuana Policy Project couldn’t agree more. “If the mayor wants to end violence associated with marijuana, he too needs to be honest, and join the growing ranks of those calling for an end to prohibition and the failed policies that drive money into the hands of criminals, and yes, bullets into people’s heads,” Fox said.   

         With more than 124,000 members and supporters nationwide, the Marijuana Policy Project is the largest marijuana policy reform organization in the United States. MPP believes that the best way to minimize the harm associated with marijuana is to regulate marijuana in a manner similar to alcohol. For more information, please visit www.mpp.org.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                                                                 

MAY 13, 2010

MPP Partners with Slightly Stoopid, Cypress Hill for Upcoming U.S. Tour

Activist Artists Kick Off ‘Cauzin Vapors … Legalize It’ Tour in July

CONTACT: Mike Meno, MPP director of communications …………… 202-905-2030 or [email protected]

WASHINGTON, D.C. — As the debate over ending marijuana prohibition heats up across the country, the Marijuana Policy Project is partnering with renowned San Diego-based band Slightly Stoopid for their upcoming U.S. tour, “Cauzin Vapors … Legalize It,” on which they’ll be accompanied by hip-hop superstars, Cypress Hill, The Expendables, Collie Buddz, and reggae legends Steel Pulse on select dates.

         Starting in mid-July, the tour will wind across the country, from California to New York, with stops at this year’s acclaimed Lollapalooza festival in Chicago and the Mile High Music Festival in Colorado. MPP will be tabling at performances and have representatives at each show to answer questions and provide information about the ongoing campaigns to end marijuana prohibition in the U.S.   

         “We are delighted to be included in this opportunity to expand awareness about the need to change our country’s marijuana policies,” said Mary Patton, Director of VIP Relations at the Marijuana Policy Project. “Slightly Stoopid, Cypress Hill and all the acts on this tour are vocal, well-known supporters of ending marijuana prohibition, and we look forward to joining them in this effort to change attitudes and inspire activism on marijuana-related issues across the U.S.”  

         For more information, and a complete list of tour dates, visit www.slightlystoopid.com.

         For videos of Slightly Stoopid from Amsterdam’s Cannabis Cup, visit:

                        This Joint:  http://vimeo.com/10595970

Babylon Is Falling: http://vimeo.com/10646744

                        Collie Man: http://vimeo.com/10658401

         For press inquiries about Slightly Stoopid, contact Solid PR at www.solidpr.com, [email protected], or [email protected].

         With more than 124,000 members and supporters nationwide, the Marijuana Policy Project is the largest marijuana policy reform organization in the United States. For more information, please visit www.mpp.org.

[more]

With Steel Pulse & The Expendables

6/18  Jacksonville, OR - Britt Pavilion

6/19  Seattle, WA - Marymoor Amphitheater

6/20  Spokane, WA - Riverfront Park Amphitheater

6/22  Missoula, MT - Ryan Creek Meadows

6/23  Boise, ID - Idaho Center Amphitheater

With The Expendables

6/24  Salt Lake City, UT - The Depot

6/25  Las Vegas, NV - Hard Rock Pool

6/26  Phoenix, AZ - Celebrity Theatre

With Cypress Hill

7/16  Irvine, CA - Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre

7/17  San Diego, CA - Cricket Pavilion

With Cypress Hill & Collie Buddz

7/22  Boston, MA - Bank Of America Pavilion

7/23  Boston, MA - Bank Of America Pavilion

7/24  Danbury, CT - Ives Concert Park

7/25  Asbury Park, NJ - TBA

7/28  Raleigh, NC - Raleigh Amphitheatre

7/29  Baltimore, MD - Pier Six Pavilion

7/30  Portsmouth, VA - nTelos Pavilion

7/31  Philadelphia, PA - Penn's Landing

8/01  Buffalo, NY - Rocks The Harbor

8/04  Detroit, MI - Fillmore Detroit

8/06  Columbus, OH - LC Outdoor Pavilion

8/07  Chicago, IL - Lollapalooza

8/08  Minneapolis, MN - Cabooze Outdoors (no Cypress Hill)

8/12  Kansas City, MO - Crossroads

8/13  Omaha, NE - Anchor Inn

8/14  Commerce City, CO - Mile High Music Festival

8/18  Myrtle Beach, SC - House Of Blues

8/19  Atlanta, GA - The Tabernacle

8/20  Orlando, FL - Hard Rock Live

8/21  West Boca Raton, FL - Sunset Cove Amphitheatre

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                                                                 

MAY 7, 2010

Reformers to Call for New Approach at Annual Marijuana Eradication Conference Monday

At Monday Press Conference, Former Law Enforcement Officers, Clergy Members, and Other Advocates Will Call for an End to Ineffective, Wasteful Eradication Campaigns

CONTACT: Aaron Smith, MPP California policy director …………… [email protected] or 707-291-0076

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA — From May 10 to May 13, local, state, and federal law enforcement officers will gather at the U.S. Grant Hotel in San Diego to begin organizing this year’s Campaign Against Marijuana Planting (CAMP), which, since 1983, has inarguably failed to achieve its stated goal: reducing marijuana use and availability by eradicating illegal grow sites. On Monday, at a press conference at the same hotel, advocates will call on officials to end this wasteful policy, the wisdom of which is being increasingly called into question as Californians prepare to vote on a November ballot initiative that would end the state’s prohibition on adult marijuana use.

         “These so-called ‘eradication’ efforts have had zero effect on marijuana use, availability, or price, but once again, California law enforcement agencies are perfectly content to throw more tax money down the CAMP rabbit hole. It’s time to stop this insanity of repeating the futile exercise of CAMP and instead replace marijuana prohibition with a system of taxation and regulation,” said Aaron Smith, California policy director for MPP, who is leading Monday’s press conference. “Only then will we be able to eliminate the clandestine marijuana plantations — just as the repeal of alcohol prohibition did away with the bootleggers of that era. It’s no coincidence that drug cartels don’t plant vineyards or hops fields in our national forests.”

         WHAT: Press conference to call for an effective marijuana policy and an end to an eradication campaigns

         WHEN: Monday, May 10, at 11:00 a.m.

         WHERE: U.S. Grant Hotel, Sycuan Parlor, 326 Broadway, San Diego, CA 92101

         WHO: Speakers who will question the wisdom behind CAMP will include:

Leo Laurence, a retired deputy sheriff and former legal researcher for the San Diego County District Attorney’s office, now a speaker for Law Enforcement Against Prohibition.

The Rev. Canon Mary Moreno-Richardson, an Episcopal priest and coordinator for Hispanic Ministries at St. Paul’s Cathedral in San Diego, who has worked extensively to prevent violence in the community and help at risk youth.

         With more than 124,000 members and supporters nationwide, the Marijuana Policy Project is the largest marijuana policy reform organization in the United States. MPP believes that the best way to minimize the harm associated with marijuana is to regulate marijuana in a manner similar to alcohol. For more information, please visit www.mpp.org.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                                                                 

MAY 4, 2010

Rhode Island Committee Holds Hearing Today on Marijuana Decriminalization Bill

S 2786 Would Remove Criminal Penalties for Adult Possession of One Ounce or Less of Marijuana and Replace with a $150 Fine

CONTACT: Mike Meno, MPP director of communications …………… 202-905-2030 or [email protected]

PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND — Today, May 4, the Rhode Island Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing on S 2786, a bill that would remove the state’s current criminal penalties for adult possession of up to one ounce of marijuana and instead replace them with a civil fine of $150.

         In March, a Senate commission tasked with studying the effects of marijuana prohibition in Rhode Island voted 11-2 to recommend that the state decriminalize marijuana possession in order to free up law enforcement and reduce costs. Decriminalizing marijuana could save the state up to $11 million annually in law enforcement, judicial and corrections costs, according to Harvard economist Jeffrey Miron, who testified before the commission.

         Last month, the state House Judiciary Committee held a hearing on a similar marijuana decriminalization bill.

WHAT: Rhode Island Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on S 2786, a bill to decriminalize marijuana possession in Rhode Island

WHEN: Rise of the Senate, Tuesday, May 4.

         WHERE: State House

WHO: Several speakers will testify in support of the bill, including Sen. Josh Miller (D-Cranston), the bill’s sponsor, who chaired the Special Senate Commission to Study the Prohibition of Marijuana.

The entire text of S 2786 can be read at http://www.rilin.state.ri.us/BillText10/SenateText10/S2786.htm

         With more than 124,000 members and supporters nationwide, the Marijuana Policy Project is the largest marijuana policy reform organization in the United States. MPP believes that the best way to minimize the harm associated with marijuana is to regulate marijuana in a manner similar to alcohol. For more information, please visit www.mpp.org.

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