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Marijuana policy at the International Drug Policy Reform Conference

[Courtesy of MPP] 

I hope I’ll see you at the 2007 International Drug Policy Reform Conference in New Orleans next week! MPP is a co-host of the conference, which is run by the Drug Policy Alliance.

Following is a brief listing of marijuana policy reform sessions at the conference. Please visit the conference Web site for detailed descriptions and presenters.

Thursday, December 6
1:30 - 3:00 p.m.
Reefer Madness: Cannabis Law Enforcement Around the U.S.

Friday, December 7
9:30 - 11:00 a.m.
Marijuana & Health

2:30 - 4:00 pm
Medical Marijuana Implementation State-to-State

4:30 - 6:00 pm
National Marijuana Policy: New Directions

Saturday, December 8
10:00 - 11:30 am
Northern Exposure: Cutting-Edge Medical Cannabis Research and Legal Reform in Canada

12:00 - 1:30 pm
The DEA War on Medical Marijuana

I and many others from the MPP staff will be in attendance, and we are looking forward to seeing you there.

Sincerely,

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

ASA Victory: The End of Medical Cannabis Seizures in California

[Courtesy of Americans for Safe Access] 

Court rules that police must enforce state, not federal law

Dear ASA Supporter,

Yesterday, a California Appeals Court ruled that “it is not the job of the local police to enforce the federal drug laws.” Ending years of dispute, the court ruled in favor of Felix Kha, a medical marijuana patient seeking the return of his medical marijuana that was seized by police. “It should now be abundantly clear to law enforcement across the state that it is not acceptable to seize the medicine of seriously ill patients,” said Joe Elford, who represented Kha as Chief Counsel with Americans for Safe Access (ASA).

Yesterday’s victory marks the culmination of two years of litigation led by ASA. This important decision would not have been possible without the generous contributions of ASA supporters.

To help ASA continue the fight for patients’ rights, donate today!

"The ruling can help someone else that is in really bad need of access to their medicine." Felix Kha said after hearing of the victory. Felix is not alone: Americans for Safe Access (ASA) has compiled reports from nearly eight hundred patient encounters with local or state police during a period of more than two years. These reports show a glaring trend: more than 90% of all encounters result in medicine seizure by police regardless of any probable cause. According to reports received by ASA, rampant seizure of medical marijuana from qualified patients and primary caregivers has taken place in 53 of California's 58 counties.

As of yesterday, California law enforcement will be “fulfilling their more traditional duty to administer the laws of this state,” according to the court’s ruling. This precedent-setting victory was achieved through years of meticulous planning by ASA’s Legal Affairs Department, none of which would have been possible without our members and supporters, whose donations fund the $200,000 annual budget of our Legal Affairs Department.

Donate today! Support ASA’s Legal Affairs Department and help set precedents to ensure patients’ rights!

With your help we can fund several other important legal challenges to achieve the lasting victory we seek: Truly safe and legal access to medical cannabis for every patient who needs it. Thank you for your continuing generous support!

Warmly,

Steph Sherer
Executive Director
Americans for Safe Access

P.S.: To learn more, please refer to Felix Kha's return of property case and the Decision by the California Fourth Appellate District Court.

The DEA is waging war on California

[Courtesy of MPP] 

The DEA is continuing to terrorize medical marijuana patients and their caregivers. On November 20, DEA agents raided the Long Beach Compassionate Cooperative (L.B.C.C.), a medical marijuana dispensary in Los Angeles County. In addition to seizing assets, federal agents arrested the owner and warned that other area dispensaries could face the same fate. Read the news coverage here.

In recent months, MPP has raised $150,000 of the $180,000 that’s needed to launch our new project in California to fend off these raids. Please donate now to help close the $30,000 gap.

Since the beginning of the year, the DEA has executed dozens of raids in California, including:

• January 11: 11 dispensaries in West Hollywood
• March 29: Central Coast Compassionate Caregivers in Morro Bay
• May 1 and July 16: Nature's Medicinal Cooperative in Bakersfield
• June 13: Farm Assist Caregivers in Pomona
• July 17: Healing Nations Collective in Inland Valley
• July 25: 10 dispensaries in Los Angeles County
• August 29: 3 dispensaries in San Mateo
• October 11: Arts District Healing Center in Los Angeles
• October 30: Compassionate Caregivers of Alameda County
• November 1: C-3 Collective in Garden Grove
• November 2: 105/405 in North Hills

The DEA has also instituted a chilling new form of interference in California’s medical marijuana law: In July, the DEA began threatening landlords who lease space to medical marijuana dispensaries with prison time and forfeiture of their property — a move that was condemned in a Los Angeles Times editorial as a “deplorable new bullying tactic.” The L.B.C.C.’s landlord was a recipient of one of these letters.

Please fight for the will of California voters and for safe access to medical marijuana by donating to MPP’s California plan today.

In the coming year, MPP will be working with a coalition of reform organizations, dispensary owners, health care professionals, patients, activists, and state legislators to protect patients and dispensaries operating legally under state law, but we need your help. Would you please help fund a lobbyist in Sacramento to represent the medical marijuana community against the DEA’s reign of terror?

The situation in California is critical, and what happens in California matters to all of us: Just as California launched the modern era of the medical marijuana movement with the passage of Prop. 215 in November 1996, so, too, will it pave the way for state-recognized dispensaries with the legislation we will help pass next year. And, with your help, MPP and our allies will end state and local cooperation with federal law enforcement — which regularly utilizes local police for assistance during the DEA’s raids. Please join us in making sure that California resources will no longer be used to subvert the state’s own laws. This is important not only to Californians but to residents of every state seeking to enact compassionate medical marijuana laws.

We’re going to make medical marijuana access safe for seriously ill patients. Can I count on your help by making a donation to our California efforts today?

Thank you for your generosity during this critical time.

Sincerely,

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 2007. This means that your donation today will be doubled.

Signature drives completed in Massachusetts and Michigan!

[Courtesy of MPP] 

Last week, the Committee for Sensible Marijuana Policy (CSMP) and MPP's Michigan Coalition for Compassionate Care (MCCC) both completed their signature drives to place marijuana-related initiatives on the November 2008 ballot in Massachusetts and Michigan, respectively.

On Tuesday — after six months of petitioning — MCCC turned in nearly 500,000 signatures to qualify a medical marijuana measure for the November 2008 ballot in Michigan. On the same day — after only two months of petitioning — CSMP turned in more than 100,000 signatures to qualify a marijuana decriminalization initiative for the November 2008 ballot in Massachusetts.

I'd like to thank all the hard-working petitioners in Michigan and Massachusetts who helped MCCC and CSMP realize these achievements.

Would you please consider making a contribution to the campaigns in Michigan and Massachusetts to ensure passage of both measures next year?

Both initiatives are crucial to advancing marijuana policy reform in this country. Passage of MPP's Michigan initiative would mean that almost one-quarter of the nation would live in states with medical marijuana laws. Michigan would become the 13th medical marijuana state — joining Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington — and the first medical marijuana state in the Midwest.

In Massachusetts, turning in this first round of signatures means we are one step closer to the first time in history that an initiative to decriminalize marijuana will be placed on any statewide ballot. In the spring, if the state legislature does not enact the initiative into law itself, CSMP will have to collect an additional 11,099 valid signatures in order to place the decriminalization initiative on the November 2008 ballot. But that will be relatively easy compared to the first — much larger — round of signature-gathering that was just completed in Massachusetts.

MPP is currently working closely with MCCC and CSMP to pass both ballot initiatives, and we need your help. Will you please visit www.StopArrestingPatients.org or www.SensibleMarijuanaPolicy.org to donate $10 or more today?

Thanks for your help in making these exciting initiatives a reality.

Sincerely,

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

TV Report on Over-Incarceration in America Features Prison Art Gallery

[Courtesy of Prison Art Gallery] See the 2-minute segment now at http://prisonsfoundation.org/Prison.wmv. And, don't forget our Pre-Christmas Sale -- PRISON ART PRINTS ONLY $10 each. They are in stock and available for immediate shipment anywhere. The Prison Art Gallery in downtown Washington, DC (three blocks from the White House) has sold hundreds of paintings, drawings and crafts made by prison inmates from across America, and sent thousands of dollars to their commissary accounts and their families. At the same time we've supported victim assistance and justice advocacy groups with our share of the proceeds from these sales. Thank you for helping to make this success possible. To celebrate during this joyous season, we are placing ALL our numbered limited edition Prison Art prints (48 of them, each one 11" by 17" inches) on sale for the low price of only $10 each. Or for just a little more, we will frame them for you. You can purchase by phone, email, or at the Prison Art Gallery or our outdoor exhibit. They can be shipped anywhere in the world. To see these beautiful works of art, please see our November Art for Justice prison art catalog at http://prisonsfoundation.org/novafj.pdf . If you have any questions, please call 202-393-1511 anytime.

Over 100 beautiful socially-concious gifts from the Prison Art Gallery at affordable prices!

[Courtesy of Prison Art Gallery] Beautiful prison art clothing, cups, teddy bears, totes, hoodies, tank tops, hats, notecards, calendars, and much more for immediate shipment. Over 100 beautiful socially-concious gifts from the Prison Art Gallery at affordable prices! Imprisoned artists are among the most talented artists in the world. Now we've put their beautiful work on cups, clothing, and much more so you can give gifts this year that are unique, stunning, affordable and socially concious. We have partnered with Cafe Press to bring these gorgeous items to your door. They are available in a variety of colors and styles for immediate shipment! You can order online or by phone. Take a deep breath, prepare yourself for something very special and then visit our online store at https://www.cafepress.com/jail

Sign-on letter to San Francisco officials in Support of a Safer Injection Facility

[Courtesy of the Harm Reduction Coalition] By changing San Francisco, we change the world A major part of addressing the expanding HIV/AIDS and overdose mortality rates in the United States is good public policy. The legacy of democracy is that when elected officials falter on implementing public policies that save lives, the public itself must step forward and urge those officials to take a stand. We need 200 signatures by December from organizations and individuals living or working in San Francisco on a petition that will be delivered to the desk of Mayor Gavin Newsom, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, and the San Francisco Department of Health Director Mitchell Katz demanding that our city create a legal safer injection facility to reduce the number of deaths by overdose and to curb the transmission of HIV and Hepatitis C. Your activism does make a difference. With your support we were able to beat back an amendment in Congress by conservative South Carolina senator Jim DeMint that sought to ban all federal funding from any city that chose to slow the spread of HIV/AIDS and save lives through the creation of a safe injection center. Join our petition to Mayor Newsom and help to save lives. Visit our website and sign our online petition today. http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizations/HRC/petition.jsp?petition_KEY=763 Other nations around the world have built 65-safer injection facilities in twenty-seven cities and eight nation, let's make San Francisco the first city in the U.S. to create one and begin a national trend that starts putting lives above politics. Hilary McQuie, Western Regional Director Harm Reduction Coalition www.harmreduction.org [email protected]

Not one but TWO Prison Art Gallery calendars

[Courtesy of Prison Art Gallery] You asked for them, so here they are. Not one but TWO Prison Art Gallery calendars. Choose justice themes or general themes. Throughout the past year we've been planning our beautiful new 2008 calendar, selecting the finest art we've received from prison artists from across America. Trouble is, some of you wanted Justice Themes (jails, cells, prisoners, guardtowers, etc) while others requested non-justice themes (seascapes, landscapes, portraits, abstracts, etc). So we decided to publish two calendars with the help of Cafe Press, premium publishers of quality full-color calendars (and quite reasonably priced). View and order them now while they're still available. Perfect holiday gifts for you, your office, your loved ones, and your favorite judge. See and order them now at https://www.cafepress.com/jail.

FAMM Says: Make crack changes retroactive!

FAMM urges Sentencing Commission to make crack cocaine guideline amendment retroactive

Families Against Mandatory Minimums (FAMM), the nation's leading sentencing reform organization with 13,000 members, today calls on the U.S. Sentencing Commission to make retroactive the crack cocaine guideline amendment that went into effect on November 1. FAMM has spearheaded the effort to make the crack cocaine guideline change apply to people already in prison, helping generate over 30,000 letters to the Sentencing Commission in support of retroactivity.

On November 13, FAMM members from across the country will attend the Commission's public hearing on retroactivity in Washington, D.C., bearing photographs of their incarcerated loved ones. FAMM president Julie Stewart will also testify at the hearing at 3:30 p.m. "Retroactivity of the crack guideline will not only affect the lives of nearly 20,000 individuals in prison but that of thousands more - mothers, fathers, daughters and sons - who anxiously wait for them to return home." said Stewart.  Click here to read Stewart's testimony to the Commission. 

Since 1995, the U.S. Sentencing Commission has repeatedly advised Congress that there is no rational, scientific basis for the 100-to-1 ratio between crack and powder cocaine sentences. The Commission has also identified the disparity as the "single most important" factor in longer sentences for African Americans compared to other racial groups. The criminal law committee of the Judicial Conference of the United States, which represents the federal judges who would administer the application of the amendment to people in prison, has written the Commission in favor of retroactivity. Click here to read the letter.

"Nearly 80 percent of defendants convicted of federal crack cocaine offenses after Nov. 1 now face sentences 16 months shorter on average, thanks to sentencing guideline reforms approved by the U.S. Sentencing Commission," said Julie Stewart, president and founder of Families Against Mandatory Minimums (FAMM). "The Sentencing Commission must now make the change retroactive. If a sentence is sufficient to serve the purposes of punishment for defendants in the future, it is sufficient for those who were sentenced under unjust rules in the past. Clearly, justice should not turn on the date an individual is sentenced."

Many FAMM members, including Lamont and Lawrence Garrison, would benefit if the changes are made retroactive. Arrested just months after graduating from Howard University, Lamont received 19 years and Lawrence received 15 years, respectively, after being accused of conspiring to distribute crack and powder cocaine. Both brothers would receive sentence reductions between three and four years.

However, neither the new guideline nor making it retroactive will impact the statutory 100-to-1 quantity disparity between crack and powder cocaine. "Congress must act to address the mandatory minimums that created the cocaine sentencing disparity in 1986 in order to ensure equal justice for all defendants," said Stewart.

Families Against Mandatory Minimums (FAMM) is the national voice for fair and proportionate sentencing laws. FAMM shines a light on the human face of sentencing, advocate for state and federal sentencing reform, and mobilize thousands of individuals and families whose lives are adversely affected by unjust sentences.

For more information, visit www.famm.org or email [email protected].

New Community Action Group Forms to Resist Harper Anti-Drug Strategy

[Courtesy of the Canadian Harm Reduction Network] History On 26th July 2007, NDP MP Peggy Nash organized a community meeting at Toronto's Parkdale Community Health Centre with a panel of speakers including NDP Drug Policy critic Libby Davies, MP, the Toronto Drug Secretariat’s Susan Shepherd, Dr. Joanne Csete, from the Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network, Chantal Desgranges from the Toronto Harm Reduction Task Force, Parkdale-High Park MPP Cheri DiNovo and community activist Mark Dukes . It was an evening full of energy and lively debate, and a call went out at the end of the meeting for the community to take action against the regressive “Anti-Drug Strategy” being proposed by Stephen Harper’s Conservative government. Then on 4th October, Libby Davies again visited Toronto, this time for an appearance at the Toronto Harm Reduction Task Force’s Speakers’ Series – on the very day that Canada's Anti-Drug Strategy was being announced – see Stephen Harper’s speech at http://pm.gc.ca/eng/media.asp?id=1837 With about 40 people in attendance, there was much dismay around health minister Tony Clement’s comment that “the party’s over” – like life’s ever been a party for poor people, who are the main targets of drug criminalization. A group of people signed up to meet and strategize, and on October 18th, we formed the Harm Reduction Action Group. Next Steps Our next meeting will be held at 1.00pm on Thursday November 15th, at John Howard Society, 60 Wellesley St. West, in Toronto. We agreed that our first priority is to develop an “ideal world” harm reduction strategy for ourselves, and then reach out to community action groups in other centres across Canada for buy-in, and present the Harper Conservatives with OUR vision for a strategy that reduces harm – including the harm that comes from the enforcement of prohibition that just isn’t working. Take Action – NOW! Interested? Visit our website, http://www.harmreductionactiongroup.wordpress.com and post a comment on our forum, come to our next meeting, or email Sarah Prowse at [email protected].
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