Ballot Measures

Dear friends:

Sometimes it seems like the prohibitionists just can't help themselves.

In what has become a predictable routine, our opposition is once again openly lying to voters. This time, it's the members of the Massachusetts District Attorneys Association (MDAA), who have posted on their Web site a statement of opposition to the Massachusetts marijuana decriminalization initiative so riddled with misleading claims, inaccuracies, and outright lies that it almost defies belief.

Among other outrageous claims, the DAs allege:

* That currently, first-time marijuana offenders are placed on probation and their records are sealed. In reality, simply getting arrested — not even convicted — for possessing a small amount of marijuana in Massachusetts generates a permanent record in a database that employers, landlords, and schools can search and use to preclude offenders from getting jobs, housing, and school loans.

* That “decriminalization of marijuana will increase its availability and use.”  In reality, both the National Research Council (in 2001) and the World Health Organization (just this year) have published studies explicitly debunking this myth.
 
* And that “there is a direct link between marijuana use and criminal activity” because a “significant number of male arrestees test positive.” In reality, this is literally a meaningless claim that doesn't show any causal relationship ... and is, in any case, entirely irrelevant to the policy change that the initiative proposes.

If you are outraged by these lies and bad faith arguments, would you please consider donating $10 or more today to the Committee for Sensible Marijuana Policy (CSMP), which is running the campaign?

As demonstrably false as these claims are, they are being made by a prominent and respected organization with a bully pulpit, so the campaign will need substantial resources to counter the lies.

It's not hard to understand why the opposition has been reduced to these tactics. According to an independent poll released earlier this month, a whopping 71% of Massachusetts residents support the initiative to replace the state's current criminal penalties for possession of an ounce or less of marijuana with a system of civil fines. And Massachusetts voters have passed 30 out of 30 non-binding public policy questions (PPQs) calling for such a reform since 2000 — with an average of 62% of the vote in favor.

But this public support is not in itself enough to win. Between now and November 4, we expect well-financed and powerful groups to attempt to sway voter opinion with these sorts of exaggerations, scare tactics, and lies. Would you please consider donating what you can today to CSMP, so it has the funds to fight back and pass the initiative into law on Election Day?

As always, thank you in advance for your generous support.

Sincerely,

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

Dear friends:

Wow.

We just got some encouraging news from Massachusetts: 71% of Massachusetts residents support a landmark ballot initiative to decriminalize marijuana possession in the state, according to a new statewide poll from Boston's Suffolk University and the local NBC affiliate.

The initiative will be on Massachusetts' ballot this November 4. If it passes, it would remove the threat of arrest or jail for possessing an ounce or less of marijuana, replacing it with a $100 fine — which could be paid through the mail without lawyers or court appearances, just like a speeding ticket.

71% support eclipses what we've seen in all previous polling — support has generally remained in the 60% range — and so these newest numbers should be taken with a grain of salt. Nevertheless, these results clearly point to widespread support for marijuana law reform in Massachusetts and bode well for the initiative's chances this November.

Can you help capitalize on this unprecedented level of support? If you want the chance to help pass a historic marijuana policy, here's your chance.

Your help really matters, because victory is by no means assured. Powerful, well-financed organizations within the state — including the Massachusetts District Attorneys Association and the Massachusetts Family Institute — have publicly announced their plans to work against the initiative, and both are already marshalling their forces to prevent it from passing. So this encouraging poll is a double-edged sword: While it reveals the initiative to be enormously popular in Massachusetts, it will also motivate prohibitionist opponents to an even greater degree.

Would you please consider donating $10 or more to the campaign today, to help provide the resources to counter the coming attacks?

Thank you in advance for anything you can do to help the campaign capitalize on the groundswell of public support and fight back hard against those who want to continue jailing marijuana users. 

Sincerely,

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

[Courtesy of Marijuana Policy Project] 

Dear friends:

The Massachusetts government has announced that it has certified a landmark marijuana decriminalization initiative for the November 4 ballot — which is the first time in history that an initiative to decriminalize marijuana possession will appear on any statewide ballot.*

When MPP polled Massachusetts voters in February 2007 on this question, we found that the initiative was supported by a 60% to 30% margin (with 10% undecided).

The initiative would reduce the penalties in Massachusetts so that the possession of up to one ounce of marijuana will be punishable only by a ticket and a $100 fine — similar to a speeding ticket — with no arrest, no jail or other penalties, no lawyer's fees, and no court appearances. Please visit http://www.sensiblemarijuanapolicy.org/ to learn more about the initiative.

MPP has been working closely with the Massachusetts campaign operation, the Committee for Sensible Marijuana Policy (CSMP), to ensure the initiative's placement on the ballot. CSMP turned in more than 100,000 signatures last November and another 20,000 last month to qualify the initiative for the ballot.

Your help is now needed to wage a strong campaign between now and Election Day to ensure that this groundbreaking initiative passes. Would you please visit www.SensibleMarijuanaPolicy.org/donate.html to donate $10 or more today?

CSMP — led by campaign manager and long-time Massachusetts activist Whitney A. Taylor — is well-positioned to make history this November: In addition to completing both parts of the intensive signature drive, the campaign successfully lobbied the Massachusetts Legislature not to take any action that would harm the campaign, in addition to building a statewide coalition of opinion leaders who support the initiative and volunteers who will be working to pass the initiative.

Would you please visit www.SensibleMarijuanaPolicy.org/donate.html to make your most generous donation to the campaign today? I want to thank you in advance for anything you can do to help.

Sincerely,

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

* Seven out of seven statewide initiatives to end various aspects of marijuana prohibition have failed over the course of our nation's history — in California (1972), Oregon (1986), Alaska (2000 and 2004), Nevada (2002 and 2006), and Colorado (2006). At a minimum, all seven initiatives would have removed all penalties for marijuana possession.  The Massachusetts initiative is polling much better than any of these seven initiatives because it seeks a more modest change — to treat marijuana possession like a speeding ticket, rather than imposing no penalty at all.

From the Desk of Ethan Nadelmann

Dear friends,

I have been traveling back and forth to California this year, working on a ballot initiative that represents the most significant reform of prisons and sentencing in the history of the United States. We’re calling it the Nonviolent Offender Rehabilitation Act or “NORA” for short and we’ve just heard from the California Secretary of State that it has officially qualified for the ballot.

We wrote this measure and we are spearheading the campaign. I’m telling you about it because, as with past campaigns, our success in California, the most populous state, will have a national impact.

Now I need you to make a donation to help us build our fund for voter education and television advertising in the days leading up to the election.

Our research shows a substantial majority of Californians really like what’s in NORA. It provides a solution to the state’s prison overcrowding crisis through a combination of measures that will simultaneously and safely reduce the size of the prison population, provide effective treatment and rehabilitation, reduce recidivism and crime, and save taxpayers billions of dollars.

It would be great if NORA could be enacted into law by the State Legislature, but our friends in Sacramento tell us the only way to get it done is through the ballot initiative process. That’s why I need your help. I’ve raised millions from wealthy folks -- including some who live outside California and regard this as a fundamental issue of human rights, smart public policy and/or fiscal responsibility -- but we can’t get to the finish line without lots of support from people across the country who care. Please make a donation now.

I should tell you that NORA isn’t just about solving California’s prison overcrowding crisis and saving taxpayers billions of dollars. It’s also about reforming California’s prison industrial complex in ways that will transform the state into a leader in sensible drug and sentencing policy, and serve as a model for other states.

California used to be known as the State of Higher Education. Now it’s known as the State of Higher Incarceration. NORA can change that with your help.

You might also be interested to know that NORA includes a provision that changes the penalty for marijuana possession from a misdemeanor to an infraction -- like a traffic ticket. This single change will protect some 40,000 people a year convicted of simple marijuana possession from the serious and life-long collateral consequences of a criminal record.

So, if you want to know more about the details of NORA, click here, but please also take the opportunity to make a generous donation to ensure NORA wins on Election Day. There are still millions of people in California and across the country who think the best solution to every problem is to lock people up. Don’t let them win the day.

And after you’ve made your donation, please forward this email to everyone you know and encourage them to support NORA as well. There’s never been an opportunity like this to accomplish so much good for so many people.

One in eight Americans lives in California, and a victory in November will send a clear message to policy makers across the country that the American people want a public health approach to drug problems, not more wasteful prison spending. Your support of this California initiative will mean similar reforms will be more likely to pass across the country.

We’re talking about freedom, compassion and responsibility. Smart drug policy. Smart crime policy. And good government for a change.

Many thanks,

Ethan Nadelmann
Executive Director
Drug Policy Alliance Network

P.S. I need to raise the remaining money to run a powerful campaign through Election Day. Please give now to help me build a war chest for NORA.

[Courtesy of Marijuana Policy Project]

The Committee for Sensible Marijuana Policy (CSMP) has just begun the second and final stage of the signature drive to place a marijuana decriminalization initiative on the Massachusetts ballot ... giving voters the chance to decriminalize the possession of up to one ounce of marijuana for personal use in the state.

Last November, after two months of petitioning, CSMP turned in more than 105,000 signatures to qualify the initiative for the November 2008 ballot. State law then required the state legislature to consider the initiative between January 2 and May 6. That period is now over, and CSMP began the second stage of the signature drive, which requires another 11,099 valid signatures by June 18. To ensure a place on the ballot, the campaign must collect approximately 20,000 raw signatures — at a cost of about $65,000.

Would you please consider making a contribution to the campaign to ensure that voters have the chance to decriminalize marijuana this fall?

This is the first time in history that an initiative to decriminalize marijuana will be placed on any statewide ballot. And winning in Massachusetts could dramatically advance marijuana policy reform elsewhere in the country.

So far, the campaign has done everything right, including successfully completing the first part of the signature drive and lobbying the legislature not to take any actions that would harm the campaign.

But now the campaign must raise the money that's needed to complete the second phase of the signature drive. Will you please visit www.SensibleMarijuanaPolicy.org/donate to donate $10 or more today?

Thank you,

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

[Courtesy of Marijuana Policy Project] 

MPP’s medical marijuana initiative in Michigan is under attack by out-of-state prohibitionists, who have purchased thousands of dollars' worth of airtime on major TV stations in Michigan to run this outrageously false ad that claims “every major health organization rejects” medical marijuana.

This is a flat-out lie, of course. To the contrary, numerous major health organizations support medical marijuana access and even call on the government to change the law and stop arresting medical marijuana patients — including the American College of Physicians, American Nurses Association, American Public Health Association, American Academy of HIV Medicine, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Lymphoma Foundation of America, AIDS Action Council, American Academy of HIV Medicine, National Association of People With AIDS, and many others.

We can’t let the drug warriors lie to the public and jeopardize our ability to pass the medical marijuana ballot initiative in Michigan. Would you please help us fight back with the truth by donating to our campaign today?

We know from past successes that we can pass state medical marijuana initiatives, and we can do it again in Michigan this November — if we have the financial resources to make sure voters hear the truth. Since our well-financed opposition is swarming the airwaves with false and fear-mongering ads, it's crucial that we have the funds to fully execute our campaign plan.
 
Would you give what you can today? If you help us respond, you’ll be able to tell your friends and family that you helped pay for the campaign that succeeded in making medical marijuana legal in Michigan.

Thank you in advance,

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.