MPP calls for Obama to withdraw nomination of DEA head

The Marijuana Policy Project, along with a coalition of allies, has called for President Obama to withdraw the nomination of Michele Leonhart as DEA Administrator. Under Leonhart's leadership the DEA has staged medical marijuana raids in direct defiance of Attorney General Eric Holder's directive to respect state medical marijuana laws. Read more...

Maine licenses its first dispensaries as New Mexico approves more

Maine's medical marijuana law has taken a great stride in the right direction as the state issues the first licenses to dispensaries there. This is the implementation of a law passed last November when residents voted on an MPP-drafted initiative to add dispensaries to the state's existing medical marijuana legislation. Read more...

DEA violates federal medical marijuana policy!

The DEA, under Michele Leonhart, has once again thumbed its nose at the Obama administration's directive to not interfere with medical marijuana providers legally operating within state laws. Raids conducted in California last week on state-legal medical marijuana operations have yet to be explained by the DEA. Read more...

Marijuana use has little association with emergency room visits

University of Michigan researchers have come to the conclusion that marijuana use is associated with the lowest rate of drug-related emergency room visits. Though unlikely to change the minds of drug-warriors across America, this data is a valuable tool in countering their rhetoric. Read more...

Tweet much?

We do! Make sure you're following MPP on Twitter! It's fast, easy, and free to sign-up so what are you waiting for? MPP's Twitter page is a great way to get up-to-date stories related to marijuana prohibition, interact with other supporters, and stay current on all the latest in marijuana policy reform. Join us today!

 

To contact MPP, please click here or reply to this e-mail. Our mailing address is Marijuana Policy Project, 236 Massachusetts Ave. NE, Suite 400, Washington, D.C. 20002. Any donations you make to MPP may be used for political purposes, such as supporting or opposing candidates for federal office.

 

Tell Congress To Vote Yes for Crack Cocaine Sentencing Reform

This week, the House of Representatives may vote on legislation, recently passed by the Senate, to reduce the 100 to 1 sentencing disparity between crack and powder cocaine to 18 to 1. The Fair Sentencing Act of 2010, S. 1789, would also eliminate the simple possession mandatory minimum (5 years for 5 grams without intent to distribute), limit the excessive penalties served by people convicted of low-level crack cocaine offenses, and increase penalties for high-level traffickers. The U.S. Sentencing Commission estimates the changes could reduce the federal prison population by 3,800 over 10 years.

Champions for sentencing fairness are urged to contact their representative in the House today to ask them to vote yes for the Fair Sentencing Act. Call the U.S. Capitol Switch Board at 202-224-3121 and ask for your representative. They will patch you through to the correct office.

Once you reach your representative, tell them you support the Fair Sentencing Act of 2010, S. 1789 because:

•    The current 100 to 1 cocaine sentencing disparity is unfair. The five-year penalty for possessing as little as five grams of crack cocaine is the same for selling 500 grams of powder cocaine. The law imposes excessive prison sentences for low-level crack cocaine offenses that often exceed penalties for offenses involving powder cocaine trafficking.
•    The current 100 to 1 cocaine sentencing disparity exacerbates racial disparity in federal prisons. Over 80% of those serving time for a crack cocaine offense are African American, despite the fact that two-thirds of users are white or Hispanic.
•    The Fair Sentencing Act, S. 1789, is an historic opportunity to advance justice and restore faith in the criminal justice system. A broad consensus among criminal justice experts, law enforcement organizations, and policymakers has emerged that concludes the current 100 to 1 disparity cannot be justified. Organizations endorsing reform include: the NAACP; Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights; American Bar Association, American Civil Liberties Union; the National District Attorneys Association; and the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association.
•    The Fair Sentencing Act will also save taxpayers money. Replacing the irrational 100:1 ratio with a new 18:1 ratio will save $42 million over five years, according to Congressional Budget Office.

When you have completed your call to your representative, please email [email protected] and say how it went.  Also, please consider forwarding this email to a friend.

Thank you for joining the effort to reduce the crack cocaine sentencing disparity.

Dear friends,


Here's another quick video you'll like, the second in Law Enforcement Against Prohibition's series of MAC - PC parody ads.  This time, "representatives" of LEAP and the drug war have a look at the dilemma that occurs when "good people" break bad laws.  We hope you'll like it, and that you'll pass it along to your friends.  The first video in this series has been viewed over 10,000 times. 

Your donation puts LEAP speakers in front of audiences. To support LEAP's work by making a contribution, please click here.

           

121 Mystic Ave. Suites 8&9
Medford, MA 01255
(781) 393-6985 [email protected]


We need help growing our all-encompassing movement of citizens who want to end the failed "war on drugs," so please invite your family and friends to learn about LEAP.

 

July 1, 2010

 

Dear Friends,

This past year saw the United States take important steps toward a criminal justice system that is fair and equitable in its sentencing laws and practices, and that uses incarceration only as a last resort in ensuring public safety.

It's a big vision, but one that is coming into view. Every day. In substantive, measurable ways. See how in The Sentencing Project's new 2009 Annual Report. 

Whether the issue was crack cocaine sentencing reform, ending the practice of sentencing juveniles to prison for the rest of their lives, helping policymakers understand the unsustainable social and economic costs of imprisoning over 2 million Americans, or capturing media attention for analyzing how current policies create difficulties for people returning home from prison, The Sentencing Project was at the forefront of change.

We know we did not achieve these victories on our own. But we feel confident that our special contributions to each of these issues were, and will continue to be, uniquely important.

We also recognize that The Sentencing Project's success is possible only with the commitment of people like you. After you have looked through our 2009 Annual Report, we hope you will make a donation to changing the way Americans think about crime and punishment.

If this will be your first contribution to The Sentencing Project, a generous donor has promised to match the full amount. And if you have given in the past, every dollar you give above the amount of your most recent contribution will be matched as well.

Marc Mauer
Executive Director

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Dear friends,

For a change of pace, check out our latest YouTube video, a LEAP parody of the Mac/PC ads featuring two up and coming Hollywood comedians and filmed by the writer of The China Syndrome.  This is the first in a series of public service announcements we'll be releasing over the next few weeks.  We hope to get them on television in the near future.  Enjoy, and please share with your friends!

Your donation puts LEAP speakers in front of audiences. To support LEAP's work by making a contribution, please click here.

           

121 Mystic Ave. Suites 8&9
Medford, MA 01255
(781) 393-6985 [email protected]

We need help growing our all-encompassing movement of citizens who want to end the failed "war on drugs," so please invite your family and friends to learn about LEAP.