Announcement

Save the Date

Dear friends,

In many ways, it feels like this country is turning a corner. 

The sweeping victory last Tuesday of Obama/Biden and the Democrats in Congress signals the dawn of a new day in American politics. And we're determined that drug policy now move to the fore in our country's new era of change.

For this reason and many more, please join us at the next Reform Conference, to be held one year from now in New Mexico, where so many exciting victories have taken place.

Reform 2009: The International Drug Policy Reform Conference
November 11-14, 2009
Albuquerque Convention Center | Map

The Reform Conference is the largest and most important gathering of people who believe the war on drugs is doing more harm than good. It brings together representatives from every corner of the drug policy reform movement -- activists and students, drug users and those in recovery, harm reduction and treatment professionals, law enforcers and the formerly incarcerated -- for three days of stimulating learning, debate, strategizing and fun. 

It's the only meeting that connects the dots between and among the full spectrum of drug policy issues within our communities and around the world.  This is where you'll learn the latest about alternatives to incarceration and harm reduction innovations; jump into debates about law enforcement and treatment; hear from leading writers and thinkers about the history and future of psychoactive drugs; and find out what's going in drug policy reform locally, nationally and globally.

We last convened in Albuquerque in 2001, when the former governor of New Mexico, Gary Johnson, was generating national attention for his bold statements against the drug war.  We're returning now because New Mexico has truly emerged as a model for enacting and implementing pragmatic drug policy reforms -- including cutting-edge medical marijuana legislation and a 911 Good Samaritan immunity law to reduce overdose fatalities.
 
There's no better three-day crash course on issues involving drugs and drug policy than this biennial conference.

For more information, contact Stefanie Jones at [email protected].  You can sign up for regular conference updates by visiting the 2009 Reform Conference website.

So please mark your calendars, and plan on joining us in Albuquerque from November 11-14, 2009. It's time to add your voice -- again, or for the first time -- to the growing movement calling for an end to the failed drug war.

See you there.

Sincerely,

Ethan Nadelmann
Executive Director
Drug Policy Alliance

P.S. After each conference I get a flood of emails from people whose perspective opened up just a little bit more, who met an important ally previously unknown to them, and yes, even those whose lives have been changed. I hope to hear your story in 2009.

Election 2008

Dear friends,

Maybe you’re delighted by yesterday's election results; maybe you’re disappointed. Either way, you hold the key to overturning our country’s punitive drug policies. Part of what makes the Drug Policy Alliance special is the fact that our members span the political spectrum and sometimes agree on nothing more than a shared commitment to ending the disastrous drug war.

While President-elect Obama is not going to make ending the drug war his #1 priority, he has said that America should start treating drug use as a health issue instead of a criminal justice issue. He supports repealing the federal syringe ban and ending the DEA's raids on medical marijuana patients. He is also co-sponsor of Senator Biden's bill to eliminate the 100-to-1 crack/powder cocaine sentencing disparity.
 
Moreover, many Democrats in leadership positions in Congress support drug policy reform, ranging from Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Representative Dana Rohrabacher.

In the months ahead, President-elect Obama will choose a new Drug Czar for our nation, and members of Congress will put together legislation to overhaul his agency. We have an opportunity to re-shape drug policy for a generation.

My enthusiasm is tempered, though, by the defeat of Proposition 5 in California.  We knew from early polling that a substantial majority of Californians favored this major reform of the state's prisons and drug sentencing policies. But a sordid coalition of the prison guards' union, the beer distributors' association, gambling interests, fanatical anti-drug groups and craven politicians raised $3.5 million in the last few weeks of the campaign to run deceitful TV ads across the state. Ultimately we could not compete with their lies and scare tactics.

But I know from experience that there’s opportunity to be found in every defeat.  We built new coalitions and found new allies, injected new perspectives into the public debate, and increased our stature and ability to shape future policies.  We also won respect throughout the state and the nation for taking on the Goliath of the prison-industrial complex.

I feel energized like never before, and so do my colleagues at the Drug Policy Alliance and our many allies in the growing movement to end the drug war. I hope you do, too.

Ethan Nadelmann
Executive Director
Drug Policy Alliance

 

Election 2008

Dear friends,

President Bush’s Drug Czar and the powerful California prison guards' union are both turning their guns on the biggest U.S. drug policy reform since alcohol Prohibition was repealed 75 years ago. 

Don’t let them get away with it. Tell everyone you know in California to vote YES on Prop. 5!

Proposition 5 on the California ballot would dramatically reduce the role of prison in dealing with drug offenders.

It’s also the only measure on the ballot in California that will save taxpayers billions.  (That’s not just our opinion.  It’s the conclusion of the California Legislative Analyst’s Office.)
 
But the Drug Czar and the prison guards' union don’t give a damn about soaking taxpayers to pay for a failed drug war.  And they could care less about giving people with drug problems a chance to get treatment and rehabilitation instead of a prison cell. 

Now we just found out that the “lock ‘em all up” lobby is raising big bucks to defeat Prop. 5 from the casinos, beer distributors and drug war fanatics.

All that money is going for TV ads using the same old scare tactics that fueled the war on drugs in the first place. But on Election Day, we can show them how wrong they are -- if we get voters to the polls in support of Prop. 5.
 
No matter where you live, we bet you know at least a few Californians (or at least someone who does)! Will you help get out the vote for Prop. 5? Do it the easy way -- forward this email! 
 
Check out our TV ads and then share the link with your friends in California so they hear the truth about Prop. 5. Coming from you, the message will carry a lot of weight. You can help us counter the millions of dollars the prison guards’ union and their friends are spending on dishonest and scare tactic ads.
 
You’ll be in good company. Everyone from the League of Women Voters of California to the California Nurses Association to the California Federation of Teachers to the Consumer Federation of California supports Prop. 5.  So does former Secretary of State George Shultz.  They all know Prop. 5 will save money and save lives.

Sincerely,
 
Ethan Nadelmann
Executive Director
Drug Policy Alliance Network
 
P.S. Even if you don’t live in California, you can help put ads on TV! Check them out here and support the Prop. 5 ad campaign with a donation!

 

Election 2008

Dear friends,

In less than two weeks I will walk into a polling booth and vote my conscience. I’m one of the lucky ones.

On Election Day (November 4th), an estimated 5.3 million Americans will be barred from voting because of a felony conviction (in many cases for a simple drug law violation). I’ll be voting on their behalf.  And on behalf of the thousands of Americans, like my Uncle Tommy, who died last year because the government blocks access to sterile syringes. And for all the people who died from a drug overdose because their friends were too afraid of being arrested to call 911 for help. And for the 775,000 Americans who were arrested last year for nothing more than marijuana possession.

Where does your member of Congress stand on these issues? Check out our new voter guide to find out.

If there could be a ballot question that asked, “Should we end the war on drugs?” I would vote yes. I’m fed up with the mass incarceration of my fellow citizens, the reckless drug raids that leave innocent people dead, the rampant racial disparities, the wasted tax dollars, and the demonization of good people. There won’t be such a question on the November 4th ballot, although some ballots will have drug policy reform measures on them. And there will be the names of a lot of candidates seeking our vote. Some of the candidates support punitive drug policies; many others advocate common sense and reform.

I can’t tell you where every candidate in your area stands on drug policy reform, but I can tell you where your Representative in Congress stands on marijuana, syringe exchange, drug treatment, drug war funding and other issues.

It’s all in our 2008 Congressional Voter Guide. I hope you find it useful and interesting. You can find out your state’s election rules, registration information and voting process here.

If, like me, you’re one of the lucky ones and have a vote to cast, then stand up and vote on November 4th. If you’re barred from voting, make sure your friends and family vote. Let’s bring this drug war crashing down.

Sincerely,

Bill Piper
Director of National Affairs
Drug Policy Alliance Network

P.S. If you have friends or family members living in California, tell them to vote YES on Proposition 5, the biggest U.S. prison and sentencing reform since the repeal of alcohol Prohibition 75 years ago! Learn more at Prop5Yes.com.