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McCain, Palin & Pot

 

Election 2008

Dear friends,

Last week I wrote to you from the Democratic National Convention. This week I’d like to share some insights regarding the Republican National Convention.
 
It's hard to know what to make of Senator McCain's selection of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate. She's admitted to smoking marijuana -- but then again that's also true of every Democratic nominee for president since 1992, as well as Newt Gingrich, Clarence Thomas and lots of other prominent Republicans.  As for the current president, he never admitted it but others did so on his behalf.  We've practically reached the stage where smoking a joint at some point in one's life seems a prerequisite for anyone under the age of 65 aspiring to national office.

Alaska has legalized marijuana for medical use. So have 11 other states. Yet, the federal government continues to persecute patients and caregivers in those states.  I don't think Governor Palin has made clear what she thinks of this, notwithstanding the fact that she represents a state and a political party that believe strongly in the rights of states to regulate their own affairs.  It would be nice if some journalist posed this question to her.

I've yet to find much information about Governor Palin's views and record on drug policy. She  has said that marijuana should be illegal -- although presumably she's glad she never was arrested for her own use.  But she's also made clear that marijuana should not be a top law enforcement priority. That's good -- and probably politically wise given that close to 50 percent of Alaskans think marijuana should be legal.

As for Senator McCain, it's hard to be optimistic that he'll do much good on drug policy.  He has publicly mocked medical marijuana patients.  Back in 1999, he introduced a bill that would have banned methadone maintenance as an approved treatment for heroin addiction, notwithstanding the scientific consensus that it is by far the most effective treatment available. The only good news was his recent speech at the Urban League where he spoke in favor of diverting more nonviolent drug law offenders to treatment instead of prison.

What I find most interesting this week -- from a drug policy perspective -- has nothing to do with what's on the main stage.  Just down the road in Minneapolis, Republican Congressman Ron Paul is holding a shadow convention with 10,000 of his supporters.   No one ever stirred up the libertarian wing of the Republican Party the way he did during the primaries.  It was good to have him holding forth on ending drug prohibition the way that William Buckley, Milton Friedman, former Secretary of State George Shultz and former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson have in years and decades past.   

And then there's the campaign of Libertarian Presidential Candidate Bob Barr, a former Republican Congressman.  He used to be one of the Republican Party’s biggest cheerleaders for the war on drugs but he’s now embraced drug policy reform in a big way.  He and I were invited to debate one another at Fordham Law School last year but Bob Barr couldn't find enough ways to agree with me.    

There's no question the Republican Party is evolving as its libertarian wing gains strength.  And it's our job at the Drug Policy Alliance to meld the libertarian sentiments on the right with the social justice passions on the left into an ever more powerful movement for ending the nation's longest and most costly war -- the war on drugs.   

Sincerely,

Ethan Nadelmann

 

 

Ethan Nadelmann
Executive Director
Drug Policy Alliance Network

(This message was reprinted by StoptheDrugWar.org's lobbying arm, the Drug Reform Coordination Network, which also shares the cost of maintaining this web site. DRCNet Foundation takes no positions on candidates for public office, in compliance with section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, and does not pay for reporting that could be interpreted or misinterpreted as doing so.)

Obama speaks out on medical marijuana

[Courtesy of Marijuana Policy Project] 

Dear friends:

On the verge of becoming the presumptive Democratic nominee for president, Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) has renewed his commitment to protecting medical marijuana patients from arrest and jail.

Here is a quote from Obama campaign spokesman Ben LaBolt from an article in today's San Francisco Chronicle:

"Voters and legislators in the states — from California to Nevada to Maine — have decided to provide their residents suffering from chronic diseases and serious illnesses like AIDS and cancer with medical marijuana to relieve their pain and suffering. Obama supports the rights of states and local governments to make this choice — though he believes medical marijuana should be subject to (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) regulation like other drugs.”

With Sen. Obama now widely expected to win the Democratic nomination and in a year when Democrats are favored to win the White House, this means we might be only eight months away from having a White House that stands with us on medical marijuana access.

You can also watch a video of Sen. Obama talking about medical marijuana here.

In the months leading up to the New Hampshire Democratic primary election, MPP helped persuade all of the Democratic presidential candidates and three of the Republican candidates to pledge to end the arrest of patients in states with medical marijuana laws.

In response to questions from MPP on the campaign trail, Sen. Obama stated that arresting medical marijuana patients is not a good use of resources and promised to end the federal raids on state medical marijuana patients and their caregivers.

Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) has also promised MPP that she would end the raids.

Unfortunately, the Republican presidential nominee, Sen. John McCain (Ariz.), earned a grade of “F” from MPP for his inhumane stance on medical marijuana. In response to repeated questions from MPP on the campaign trail, Sen. McCain incorrectly stated that a majority of medical experts oppose medical marijuana, and he also gave a patient who was politely questioning him a glimpse of McCain's famous temper.

Congressman Ron Paul (R-Tex.), who also remains in the Republican race, has been an outspoken opponent of marijuana prohibition and has consistently voted in favor of legislation to end the DEA's raids on patients.

Please visit MPP's campaign site, www.GraniteStaters.com/candidates, for statements from each of the candidates.

MPP is the only drug policy reform organization that's systematically influencing the presidential candidates to take positive positions on medical marijuana — and punishing those who don't. Would you please consider making a donation to support our work today?

Sincerely,
Kampia signature (e-mail sized)

Rob Kampia
Executive Director
Marijuana Policy Project
Washington, D.C.

P.S. As I've mentioned in previous alerts, a major philanthropist has committed to match the first $3.0 million that MPP can raise from the rest of the planet in 2008. This means that your donation today will be doubled.

3 of 8 Democratic candidates would end criminal penalties for marijuana

[Courtesy of MPP]

Marijuana policy reform made a brief appearance during last week's televised debate among the Democratic presidential candidates. When moderator Tim Russert asked for a show of hands to indicate which candidates disagreed with Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd's support for marijuana decriminalization, all the candidates except Ohio Rep. Dennis Kucinich raised their hands. (Former Alaska Sen. Mike Gravel — who supports legalizing marijuana — was excluded from the debate.)

When asked why he wouldn’t support decriminalization, former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards pulled out an old saw: “Because I think it sends the wrong signal to young people. And I think the president of the United States has a responsibility to ensure that we're sending the right signals to young people.”

You can watch the short exchange here.

While the candidates are behind the curve on that aspect of marijuana policy, the good news is that they're with us (and the majority of Americans) on medical marijuana.

MPP has secured promises from all eight Democratic candidates — as well as two of the eight Republican candidates — to end the federal raids on medical marijuana patients in the 12 states where medical marijuana is legal.

Please check out our report card on the presidential candidates here.

Reps. Kucinich, Ron Paul (R-Texas), and Tom Tancredo (R-Colo.), as well as former U.S. Sen. Mike Gravel (D-Alaska) and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson (D), have all garnered “A+” grades for their excellent positions on medical marijuana.

For more information on these candidates, visit their campaign sites:

• Mike Gravel for President 2008
• Kucinich for President 2008
• Ron Paul 2008 — Hope for America
• Richardson for President
• Tancredo for a Secure America

Thank you for your support of MPP’s efforts to make medical marijuana a major campaign issue in 2008. Together we will end the federal government’s war on the seriously ill.

Sincerely,

Rob Kampia
Executive Director
Marijuana Policy Project
Washington, D.C.

All 8 Democratic presidential candidates support medical marijuana!

[Courtesy of MPP]

U.S. Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) just became the last of the eight Democratic presidential candidates to pledge to end the DEA’s raids on medical marijuana patients and providers who act legally under state law.

This means that all eight Democratic presidential candidates — including U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) — have now taken public positions in support of protecting patients in the 12 states with medical marijuana laws.

In regard to Sen. Obama, it took MPP’s campaign in New Hampshire, Granite Staters for Medical Marijuana (GSMM), five separate encounters over the last few months — and two back-to-back encounters earlier this week — but on Tuesday in Nashua, Sen. Obama told a GSMM volunteer, “I would not have the Justice Department prosecuting and raiding medical marijuana users. It's not a good use of our resources." You can watch the encounter here and read some news coverage of this coup here.

MPP/GSMM has had one full-time staffer — Stuart Cooper — working in New Hampshire since March, and I’m thrilled that our persistence has paid off. Stuart and his cadre of volunteers and patients have been dogging the Democratic and Republican candidates at almost every appearance in the state, urging them to take strong, public, positive positions on medical marijuana in advance of the New Hampshire primary — currently the first in the nation — on January 22.

In addition to the eight Democratic candidates, two Republican candidates — U.S. Reps. Ron Paul (Texas) and Tom Tancredo (Colo.) — have also vowed to end the medical marijuana raids as well. In fact, these two members of Congress recently voted for the Hinchey-Rohrabacher medical marijuana amendment on the House floor ... for the fifth year in a row.

You can see or hear the good guys in their own words here.

Can you imagine if all the presidential candidates publicly supported protecting patients? Please make a donation so we can keep up the pressure on the six Republicans who still haven’t taken positive positions.

The 10 good candidates are to be commended for their common sense and compassion, especially as federal intrusion into medical marijuana states has been on the rise this summer, with DEA raids taking place in several counties in California and Oregon. Recently, the DEA also began threatening landlords who lease space to medical marijuana dispensaries — activity that’s legal under state law — with forfeiture of their property, a move condemned in a Los Angeles Times editorial as "a deplorable new bullying tactic."

And last week, presidential candidate and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson (D), who signed legislation in April making his the 12th medical marijuana state, wrote to President Bush asking him to end the federal raids in medical marijuana states: "Respected physicians and government officials should not fear going to jail for acting compassionately and caring for our most vulnerable citizens. Nor should those most vulnerable of citizens fear their government because they take the medicine they need."

We still have work to do in New Hampshire: Will you consider making a donation today to ensure that in January 2009 we inaugurate a president who is committed to ending federal interference in the states that have medical marijuana laws? Thank you for your support.

DPA Press Release: Drug Czar Campaigned for GOP While Bush Increased Budget for Failed Programs

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 17, 2007 CONTACT: Tony Newman (646) 335-5384 or Bill Piper (202) 669-6430 House Government Reform Chairman Finds Evidence White House Used Taxpayer Money to Boost Votes for Republicans in November 2006 U.S. Drug Czar Campaigned on Behalf of Vulnerable Republicans, While Bush Increased Funding for the Agency’s Controversial Anti-Marijuana Ad Campaign and Ineffective Student Drug Testing Program Leading Drug Policy Organization Calls for Prohibition on Using Taxpayer Money to Influence Voters The Chair of the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform has found evidence that the nation’s drug czar and his deputies traveled to almost two dozen events with vulnerable Republican members of Congress in the months prior to the 2006 elections. The taxpayer-financed trips were orchestrated by President George W. Bush’s political advisors and often combined with the announcement of federal grants or actions that benefited the districts of the Republican members. A November 20, 2006 memo from Sara Taylor, the former White House Director of Political Affairs, summarizes the travel Drug Czar John Walters took at her request. Of the 26 events, all were with Republicans in close races. An agency e-mail sent the following day describes how Karl Rove commended his agency (and three cabinet departments – Commerce, Transportation, and Agriculture) for “going above and beyond the call of duty” in making “surrogate appearances” at locations the e-mail described as “the god awful places we sent them.” That e-mail, as well as e-mails that followed, show that ONDCP officials were proud of the commendation they received from Mr. Rove and the political travel they took using taxpayer dollars. According to ONDCP’s liaison to the White House, Douglas Simon, “…our hard work…in preparing the Director and Deputies for their trips and events” allowed them to travel “thousands of miles to attend numerous events all across the country.” The Committee on Oversight and Government Reform is expected to have hearings on the matter later this month. “This is shocking evidence that the Drug Czar, John Walters, and President Bush were scratching each other’s backs,” said Bill Piper, director of national affairs for the Drug Policy Alliance, the nation’s leading organization working for alternatives to the war on drugs. “Walters used taxpayer money to campaign for Republicans, while President Bush ignored the agency’s failures and increased funding for programs his own analysts determined were ineffective.” Numerous government-funded studies found that the government’s anti-marijuana ad campaign and student drug testing program are ineffective, yet the Bush Administration continues to request funding increases for those programs. The recently released memos and e-mails are only the latest evidence that the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) uses taxpayer money to influence voters. During a 2000 federal lawsuit evidence surfaced showing that ONDCP created its billion dollar anti-marijuana TV ad campaign to influence voters to reject state medical marijuana ballot measures. The drug czar and his staff are also routinely accused of using taxpayer money to travel to states in order to convince voters and legislators to reject drug policy reform. During the 2002 election, for instance, ONDCP’s campaigning on a Nevada ballot initiative was so intense that the state’s Attorney General complained in a letter to the Nevada Secretary of State that, “it is unfortunate that a representative of the federal government substantially intervened in a matter that was clearly a State of Nevada issue. The excessive federal intervention that was exhibited in this instance is particularly disturbing because it sought to influence the outcome of a Nevada election.” “How long will the drug czar use taxpayer money to influence voters before Congress takes action,” asked Piper.

Most presidential candidates support medical marijuana access

[Courtesy of the Marijuana Policy Project] At least 10 of the 18 Democratic and Republican presidential candidates are now on the record in favor of ending the DEA's raids on medical marijuana and/or the federal government's prohibition on medical marijuana. Thanks to MPP's work, seven candidates have publicly pledged to end the DEA's raids in states where medical marijuana is legal — Sen. Joe Biden (D-DE), Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT), former Sen. John Edwards (D-NC), Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX), Gov. Bill Richardson (D-NM), and former Gov. Tommy Thompson (R-WI). In addition, Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-CO) has voted in favor of medical marijuana legislation on the House floor four out of four times, former Sen. Mike Gravel (D-AK) said on C-SPAN, "That one is real simple. I would legalize marijuana," and Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) said, "I will let states decide that issue." That's right: Even Sen. McCain, when given the opportunity to comment on medical marijuana publicly, said something positive, not negative. It has been only two months since MPP began lobbying the presidential candidates to take strong, public, positive positions on medical marijuana during the presidential primary race in New Hampshire, which is the first state to hold a primary (on January 22, 2008). One particular success story involves Sen. Edwards. In 2003, we trailed him around the state, relentlessly questioning him about medical marijuana access. At the time, Sen. Edwards insisted it would be "irresponsible" to end the DEA's raids on sick and dying people. Now, four years later, his position has changed from vowing to continue the raids to vowing to end them. A majority of the Republican and Democratic presidential candidates are supportive of medical marijuana access. Our favorite quote so far is from former Gov. Thompson, who told MPP's Stuart Cooper in Manchester, "No, they should not be arrested. They should not be arrested. They should not be arrested. I would do away with the DEA raids!" And this doesn't even count the support that other candidates — including every Libertarian Party candidate, as well as potential candidate Ralph Nader — have expressed for ending marijuana prohibition entirely. Of the two Democratic candidates I haven't yet mentioned, Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) is studying the issue, and we haven't yet spoken with Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) this year, although he told me personally in the fall of 2004 that he supports medical marijuana. Of the six remaining Republican candidates, they're all bad so far, but we'll keep working on them: Sen. Sam Brownback (R-KS), former Gov. Jim Gilmore (R-VA), former Mayor Rudy Guiliani (New York City), former Gov. Mike Huckabee (R-AR), Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA), and former Gov. Mitt Romney (R-MA). Again, you can read about the specifics of their comments by visiting our Web site at www.mpp.org.

Media Advisory: Medical marijuana protest to return to Green campaign (Wisconsin)

Media Advisory: Medical marijuana protest to return to Green campaign office Wednesday WHAT? Protest at Mark Green's Campaign Office WHERE? Mark Green's campaign office 1915 S. Webster, Allouez, Wi. WHEN? Wednesday, October 18 @ 10:00am Background: (WHO? and WHY?) Jacki Rickert, founder of Is My Medicine Legal Yet?, (www.immly.org) suffers from two incurable medical conditions, Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, and Advanced Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy. Jacki has found that marijuana helps treat these painful and debilitating illnesses, and with assistance from her physician, now deceased, she was approved to receive medical marijuana from the federal government's Compassionate IND program. However, the program was closed to new patients, and the 8 medical marijuana patients already in the program were grandfathered in. The program's 5 surviving patients continue to receive marijuana from the government to this day. Congressman Mark Green has been asked about his stance on medical marijuana, and he has written, "I believe current medical options are superior to legalizing an addictive and dangerous illegal drug". Jacki wants to know what medical options he's speaking of to treat her incurable conditions, since she has yet to find these superior medical options that he speaks of. Jacki Rickert went to Mark Green's office on October 10 with a letter, (http://www.immly.org/jacki2green.htm) asking him to tell her about these "superior medical options". He has yet to respond. The staffer in Mark Green's office said they would give this issue some thought, but when WGBA NBC 26 television asked for their stance, Mark Green's Campaign manager Mark Graul laughed and said that he didn't believe "the majority of Wisconsinites would want to legalize drugs". Mark Green's office figured they could just ignore Jacki since she came from far away, and is in a wheelchair. However, Jacki's supporters, including other medical marijuana patients, are coming back to his office to find out what these "superior medical options" are. For more information contact: Eric Tatera (920) 713-0230 (event coordinator in Green Bay) Jacki Rickert (715) 926-4950 (Mondovi) Gary Storck (608) 241-8922 (Madison) - 30 - (This blog post was published by StoptheDrugWar.org's lobbying arm, the Drug Reform Coordination Network, which also shares the cost of maintaining this web site. DRCNet Foundation takes no positions on candidates for public office, in compliance with section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, and does not pay for reporting that could be interpreted or misinterpreted as doing so.)

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