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Changing Minds 2009
Changing Minds 2010
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Press Release: Hemp Seizure in Capitol Underscores Confusion Over Cannabis

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 12, 2009 CONTACT: Benjamin Droz at 412-805-0087 or [email protected], Adam Eidinger at 202-744-2671 or [email protected] Hemp Seizure in Capitol Underscores Confusion Over Cannabis Hemp Industry Seeks Beer Summit with Capitol Police WASHINGTON, DC – Vote Hemp legislative assistant Ben Droz was shocked when Capitol Police seized his samples of industrial hemp fiber that he needed for a scheduled presentation to congressional staffers. Police refused to release the fiber after the search, while saying they knew it had no drug value and was “just hemp.” The group of officers decided they needed to confiscate all the hemp seeds because no food was allowed, but the hemp fiber was also seized even though it is not food. “I just want to throw this out,” said one officer, who ultimately did. Mr. Droz explained to police that the items were being used to illustrate the environmental properties of hemp. “This is just another example of the confusion between Industrial Hemp, an important crop for farmers across the country, and marijuana, a distant cousin also from the Cannabis family.” The United States is the only developed country that does not recognize the distinction between the two varieties. Mr. Droz admits, “I gave up the hemp to police, fearing arrest at the time, and now feel compelled to raise this issue so it does happen again because I carry hemp every time I visit the U.S. Capitol.” “The fact that this level of confusion among law enforcement still exists today is exactly why federal policy on hemp needs to change,” says Vote Hemp President Eric Steenstra. “We hope for the return of Vote Hemp’s property, an apology, and perhaps, a Capitol Hill beer summit or Congressional hearings to discuss our differences with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).” Hemp products have been subject to confusion in the past. In 2002, the DEA attempted to ban imports on hemp foods, despite the growing recognition of its value to farmers and consumers. Vote Hemp, the Hemp Industries Association, and several U.S. and Canadian companies, successfully challenged the DEA in a lawsuit calling the ban unwarranted and illegal. Since this ban was lifted, the hemp industry has grown substantially every year. Last year alone, grocery store sales of hemp food products grew over 40%. Since 2005, the Industrial Hemp Farming Act (H.R. 1866) and its predecessors have waiting for a hearing in the House, but it’s been tabled the entire time. The bill has a dozen bi-partisan cosponsors, and allows states like Oregon (as of Jan. 2010), Maine, Vermont, North Dakota, Montana (and many others) to grow hemp based on State laws. Sixteen states have already passed legislation, and many, like the ones listed above, are simply waiting for the federal ban to be lifted once again. Mr. Droz has been working with Vote Hemp in order to raise congressional awareness about this marginalized issue. The growing market proves the case of hemp. Food sales have grown every year since the ban was lifted. Other parts of the hemp plant, such as those confiscated from Droz, can be used to make any number of consumer products, while all jobs generate from the industry could be as green collar jobs. Despite a growing global industry, U.S. farmers are still unable to grow hemp. All hemp in the U.S. must be imported from other countries to be either processed or sold here. “It’s ironic that the very items I was using to clear up confusion, became the subject of contraband and were confiscated,” Mr. Droz comments after the incident. # # # Vote Hemp is a national, single-issue, non-profit organization dedicated to the acceptance of and a free market for low-THC industrial hemp and to changes in current law to allow U.S. farmers to once again grow this agricultural crop. More information about hemp legislation and the crop's many uses may be found at www.VoteHemp.com or www.HempIndustries.org. BETA SP or DVD Video News Releases featuring footage of hemp farming in other countries are available upon request from Adam Eidinger at 202-744-2671.

LEAP's Dispatches from the Front Line... August 2009

Dear friends: LEAP's speakers deliver our message to audiences all over the world through a variety of avenues, and one of the most gratifying is attending conferences. In July, LEAP Executive Director Jack Cole and retired Chief of Police Tim Datig attended the National Conference of State Legislators in Philadelphia. The NCSL is a bipartisan organization that serves all United States legislators and their staffs, and holds an annual summit which about twenty percent of the nation's state legislators attend. Speakers at the 2009 conference included Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates, economist David Wyss, and our own Jack Cole, who spoke on the panel "Drug Demand and Diversion," where he emphasized the need to end prohibition. The LEAP booth, staffed by Jack, Tim, new LEAP Speakers Bureau Director Shaleen Aghi Title, and volunteer Project Coordinator Ethel Rowland, was one of the busiest, talking to dozens of legislators each day and signing up over one hundred new members. And, as usual, well over seventy percent of those who talked to the booth staffers stated that they agreed with LEAP's mission. A few days before the NCSL, LEAP attended DemocracyFest in Burlington, Vermont, where Department of Corrections Superintendent Richard Van Wickler and retired Deputy Chief of Police Joseph Brooks staffed the LEAP booth. Rick also gave a presentation, which was chosen as one of the sessions to be taped by CCTV Channel 17. Speaking of conferences, LEAP is co-sponsoring the 2009 International Drug Policy Reform Conference November 12-14… so save the date! Here are just a few of the issues our speakers addressed in July. We hope you'll share "Dispatches from the Front Line…" with a friend. -LEAP Staff ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Walter Cronkite Recognized the Drug War Failure and the Ending Prohibition Solution Walter Cronkite, America's trusted broadcaster and father figure to a nation for decades, died in New York at the age of 92 on July 17. To the last, Cronkite was perceptive and engaged in the well-being of his country and the world. In the final four years of his life, he publicly recognized what is perhaps America's greatest and most perverse, if as yet unclaimed, nemesis - the failed war on drugs. Cronkite on LEAP's End Prohibition Now DVD: "Anyone concerned about the failure of our $69 billion-a-year War on Drugs should watch this 12-minute program. You will meet front line, ranking police officers who give us a devastating report on why it cannot work. It is a must-see for any journalist or public official dealing with this issue." For more on Walter Cronkite, please view the complete article by James Gierach, and Jim Doherty's letter to the Seattle Times. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Tobacco Precedent Any law disobeyed by more than 100 million Americans, the number who've tried marijuana at least once, is bad public policy. As a 34-year police veteran, I've seen how marijuana prohibition breeds disrespect for the law, and contempt for those who enforce it. Let's examine arguments against legalizing marijuana: use and abuse would skyrocket; the increased potency of today's marijuana would exacerbate social and medical problems; and legalization would send the wrong message to our children. It's reasonable to expect a certain percentage of adults, respectful or fearful of the current prohibition, would give pot a first try if it were made legal. But, given that the U.S. is already the world's leading per capita marijuana consumer (despite our relatively harsh penalties), it's hard to imagine a large and lasting surge in consumption. Further, under a system of regulated legalization and taxation, the government would be in a position to offer both prevention programs and medical treatment and counseling for those currently abusing the drug. It's even possible we'd see an actual reduction in use and abuse, just as we've halved tobacco consumption through public education - without a single arrest… ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ LEAP Speakers in the News Our speakers were especially busy with radio, television and print interviews in July, helping to shape the emerging national debate about drug policy. Neill Franklin was on the air in Utah, Judge Jim Gray on NBC4 in Los Angeles, Mike Gilbert spoke on the radio in El Paso, Texas and Ann Arbor, Michigan, James Anthony in Santa Cruz, California, Tony Ryan (pictured) and LEAP were the main focus of a TV story in Missouri, Peter Christ was all over the radio in Houston, Santa Fe, and Las Vegas, and Jack Cole and Jerry Paradis also contributed some radio in Houston. LEAP is certainly gaining interest among talk radio hosts, due in large part to great work by Whitney Garlinghouse, a volunteer of the highest regard who pursues the producers of these shows and doggedly gets LEAP speakers on the air. With Norm Stamper now a guest columnist on "The Huffington Post", which is read by media around the world, we're getting numerous Stamper interview requests - at least 8 interviews in July alone! Norm also appeared in The Economist, the Washington Post, NYTimes.com, and CBSNews.com (with fellow LEAP speaker Carol Ruth Silver, former director of prison legal services for the San Francisco Sheriff's Department). This month we made presentations in fourteen states, two countries and were featured in at least four national stories including the Associated Press. Want to make a difference? Help book these presentations or support, financially, our efforts to do this. Contact Shaleen Title, speakers bureau director, to participate in this vital effort to book presentations. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Harm Reduction and the War on Drugs A report released on September 15, 2008 by U.N. special envoy on extra-judicial killings, Philip Alston, shows that Brazilian police carried out a significant proportion of the 48,000 murders that swept Brazil in 2007. According to the report, police murder three people a day on average in Rio de Janeiro, making them responsible for one in five killings in the city, which is plagued by drug-gang violence and roving militias of off-duty police. I live in Rio de Janeiro, and I worked here as a judge for almost twenty years. I can say that unfortunately these tragic data are not something exceptional that happened only in 2007. In fact, at least in the last ten years, 20% of all murders in Rio de Janeiro have been summary executions that happen during police operations against drug dealers in the "favelas". This is Brazil's own war on drugs… ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Police Officer Supports Drug Legalization Darcey McLaughlin made a strong argument in favour of legalizing marijuana in his July 1 column, but he didn't go far enough. I'm a Canadian police officer who supports gradually legalizing and regulating all drugs. This includes marijuana as well as ecstasy, heroin and other substances. The argument in favour of legalizing these drugs is not that they are beneficial or fun, but rather that drugs are so dangerous they need to be regulated and controlled by the government. Under prohibition the government has no control. It is the drug dealer who chooses price, purity, cutting agents as well as business location and operating hours. And these dealers certainly are not asking minors for ID, nor are they encouraging their customers to get addiction treatment. As a member of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition, I recognize that Canadian drug laws consume enormous police resources while paying few, if any, dividends… ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A special thanks to LEAP volunteer Bill Dake, organizer of the annual Freedom Road 5k and Jefferson Mile to benefit Law Enforcement Against Prohibition. Held on July 4 in San Francisco, 2009 marked the race's third year, and it was so well-organized and well-attended that it brought in $850 for LEAP. Bill is an excellent example of how valuable the contributions of our volunteers are. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ All of this work happens because of generous donations from our supporters. Your gift to LEAP is tax-deductible. Donate now to show your commitment to ending the war on drugs. 121 Mystic Ave. Suites 8&9 Medford, MA 01255 (781) 393-6985 [email protected] Law Enforcement Against Prohibition is an ever-expanding group of criminal justice professionals and civilian supporters calling for an end to the war on drugs. Trained criminal justice professionals are available to speak to your club or association about their experiences in the drug war and the need to create drug policies that stand the test of reason. Invite a speaker to your town today.

Coalition for Medical Marijuana--New Jersey, Inc. August Agenda and Rally Info

Monthly Public Meeting Agenda Held at the Lawrence Township Library Tuesday, August 11, 2009; 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM 7:00 PM: Call meeting to order. Approve minutes. Discuss: ? Multiple sclerosis (MS) patient John Wilson, who faces 20 years in prison for growing marijuana to treat his disease, was forbidden by the judge to even mention his medical condition during the upcoming trial. Attend a rally to support John Wilson at the court house in Somerville on Fri., 8/21 from 11AM to 2PM. ? CMMNJ will appear at the following upcoming events: • Wed., 8/19 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM; Northeast Regional Library, 2228 Cottman Avenue, Philadelphia, PA; • Fri., 8/21, 11 AM to 2 PM; Somerset Co. Court House rally for John Wilson, 20 N. Bridge Street, Somerville, NJ; • Wed., 8/26, 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM, Levittown Regional Library, 7311 New Falls Road, Levittown, PA; • “Vasagrass” Music Festival; 8/29, 1:00 to 9:30 PM in Hackettstown, NJ; http://tickets.createavibe.com/; • Boston Freedom Rally, Sept. 19, 2009 & NORML Conference, San Francisco, Sept. 24-26, 2009. ? The NJ Assembly Health Committee passed along the New Jersey Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Act to the full Assembly for a vote this fall. The committee inserted last minute "substitutions" making significant changes to the bill, such as eliminating home cultivation, restricting physicians who can recommend marijuana, and nearly eliminating Chronic Pain as a qualifying condition. Tell your legislators that you want the Senate version of the bill that does not contain these restrictions, to pass into law. See CMMNJ’s recent Op Ed for talking points—but tell your story in your own words. Speak out now! Don’t let an overly restrictive and possibly unworkable bill pass into law. ? CMMNJ has new photos, etc. on Facebook and Facebook Friends of CMMNJ. ? Treasury report: Current account balances: Checking: $4129.89; PayPal: $133.23. Please consider a tax-deductible donation to CMMNJ, a 501(c)(3) organization. All funds received go towards public education about medical marijuana. Donations may be made securely through Paypal or checks made out to “CMMNJ” and sent to corporate headquarters at the address below. Get a free t-shirt for a donation above $15—specify size. Thank you for your support. 9:00 PM Adjourn meeting. Scheduled meetings are August 11, Sept. 8, & Oct. 13, 2009. CMMNJ meetings are held on the second Tuesday of the month at the Lawrence Twp. Library from 7:00 PM until 9:00 PM. All are welcome. Snacks are served. The library is at 2751 Brunswick Pike, Lawrence Twp., Tel. #609.882.9246. (Meeting at the library does not imply their endorsement of our issue.) For more info, contact: Ken Wolski, RN, MPA Executive Director, Coalition for Medical Marijuana--New Jersey, Inc. www.cmmnj.org 844 Spruce St., Trenton, NJ 08648 (609) 394-2137 [email protected]

Americans for Safe Access: August 2009 Activist Newsletter

Americans for Safe Access
Monthly Activist Newsletter

August 2009

Volume 4, Issue 8

Calif. Senate Committee Urges New Federal Policy on Medical Marijuana

Resolution calls for comprehensive federal approach

Some California state senators are pushing for comprehensive changes in federal policy on medical cannabis.

After hearing testimony from Americans for Safe Access and other patient advocates, the California Senate Health Committee last month passed a resolution urging an end to federal interference in state medical marijuana programs, as well as a new national approach that supports research and makes the drug available in all states.

Introduced in June by State Senator Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) and sponsored by ASA, the resolution is now before the Senate Judiciary Committee. If passed there, it will go before the full Senate.

"Patients and providers in California remain at risk of arrest and prosecution by federal law enforcement, and legally established medical marijuana cooperatives continue to be the subjects of federal raids," said Sen. Leno in a statement.

Senate Joint Resolution 14 asks the federal government to both curtail raids in the state and "create a comprehensive federal medical marijuana policy that ensures safe and legal access to any patient that would benefit from it."

The resolution also urges President Obama and Congress to establish "an affirmative defense to medical marijuana charges in federal court and establish federal legal protection for individuals authorized by state and local law."

Don Duncan, ASA's California Director, and Lanette Davies, a Sacramento patient and activist were among those who explained to the senators why this is so important.

"With more than two dozen medical marijuana defendants currently being prosecuted by the Justice Department, each of them facing many years in prison, such a policy change would be timely, relevant and critically important," said Duncan. "The entire country needs a sensible, comprehensive medical marijuana policy."

While the Obama Administration has stated that it has a new policy on medical cannabis, federal raids on patients and providers have continued.
Currently, medical marijuana patients and providers charged under federal law cannot introduce evidence about their medical condition, their doctor's advice, or state medical marijuana laws.

The California Senate resolution also seeks expanded research into the medical benefits of marijuana. More research was a recommendation of the 1999 Institute of Medicine report on medical marijuana, a report commissioned by the White House but never acted on.

An administrative law judge ruled two years ago that the federal monopoly on the cultivation of marijuana for research purposes has unnecessarily limited FDA-approved scientific studies, but the Drug Enforcement Administration rejected the judge's recommendations.

Further information:
Senate Joint Resolution on medical marijuana
ASA fact sheet on SJR 14

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ASA Wins Landmark Calif. Ruling on Cultivation of Medical Marijuana

Appellate court protects patient collectives and affirms civil rights

A case Americans for Safe Access has been fighting for three years resulted last month in an appellate court ruling that protects California patients who grow marijuana collectively.

The California Third District Court of Appeal issued a 2-1 decision affirming a superior court ruling that state and local law enforcement must respect the right of medical marijuana patients to cultivate their medicine collectively.

The court also found that law enforcement must obtain a warrant to search a patient's property and seize any marijuana found there. The judges wrote that to rule otherwise would "surely shock the sensibilities of the voters" who approved the state's medical marijuana initiative in 1996.

"In addition to protecting patients' right to collectively cultivate, the Court has reaffirmed that medical marijuana patients enjoy the same constitutional rights as everyone else, including the ability to file civil rights actions when those rights are violated," said Joe Elford, ASA Chief Counsel and the attorney who litigated the case.

ASA took the case in 2006 after receiving repeated reports that Butte County law enforcement and other police agencies throughout the state were refusing to recognize the legitimacy of patient collectives.
The landmark appellate decision in County of Butte v. Superior Court concerns the 2005 warrant-less search of a patient's home in Paradise, California.

During the search, the Butte County Sheriff ordered the homeowner, David Williams, 56, to uproot more than two-dozen plants being grown for a small collective of seven medical marijuana patients. Though state law allows for collective cultivation, the sheriff told Williams it is not lawful to grow marijuana for multiple patients.

A superior court judge in Butte County ruled otherwise in 2007, saying medical marijuana patients "should not be required to risk criminal penalties and the stress and expense of a criminal trial in order to assert their rights."

The appeals court last month agreed, finding that patients have "the same constitutional guarantee of due process available to all individuals, no matter what their status, under the state Constitution." The appeals panel noted that "[t]he fact that this case involves medical marijuana and a qualified medical marijuana patient does not change these fundamental constitutional rights or an individual's right to assert them."

"This ruling by the California courts sends yet another strong message to state law enforcement that they must abide by the medical marijuana laws of the state and not the competing federal laws," said ASA's Elford.

Even the dissenting opinion in the case contained a plea for new federal law on medical marijuana. Court of Appeal Judge James Morrison wrote that, "[t]he United States Congress should reconsider its refusal to amend the federal drug laws to make reasonable accommodation for the 13 states that have enacted some form of compassionate use exception to their penal codes."

Further information:
The ruling by the California Third District Court of Appeal
Information on ASA's work on the Butte Case

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Colorado Rejects Restrictions on Medical Cannabis Distribution

Grassroots Organizing Floods Hearing with Advocates

On July 20, patients and advocates convinced the Colorado Board of Health to reject a proposal that would have sharply restricted the ability of the state's citizens to access medical marijuana.

Nearly 1,000 medical cannabis patients and supporters -- including lawyers, doctors, care providers, veterans, and numerous health-care and religious organizations -- attended the 12-hour hearing, and nearly 200 supporters of safe access testified, thanks to months of coordinated efforts by Sensible Colorado, an ASA affiliate.

As a result, the Board of Health voted 5-4 to table a proposal that would have limited caregivers to assisting no more than five patients. The proposal would have also restricted who can qualify as a caregiver under Colorado law, requiring medical marijuana providers to assist patients in ways that would be impractical for many -- including providing patients with food, transportation, and housekeeping services.

When these changes were first proposed in January, Sensible Colorado mounted a grassroots campaign that delayed the hearing until July so patient advocates could organize a response. The successful outreach efforts among patients that ensured the large turnout at the hearing were just part of Sensible Colorado's campaign.

Director Brian Vicente also convinced such prominent state organizations as the Northern Colorado AIDS Project, the ACLU of Colorado and the Colorado Criminal Defense Bar to publicly oppose the changes, and he persuaded one of the state's Congressional delegation, Rep. Jared Polis, to write a personal letter of opposition to the board.

The success of Sensible Colorado's organizing paves the way for increased access to medical marijuana through safe and affordable distribution, an issue that many of the 13 states with medical cannabis laws are confronting.

With only one exception, state medical marijuana laws failed to address how qualified patients are to obtain their medicine. The legislatures of several states have now amended their laws to establish rules for centralized distribution of marijuana to patients.

In the past few years, California, Washington and Oregon have created provisions for regulating distribution. This year, both Maine and Rhode Island have taken up the issue, with Rhode Island changing its law in June to license three "Compassion Centers" to provide medical marijuana to patients. Voters in Maine will also have the chance to approve a ballot initiative in November that would implement a distribution mechanism for patients.

One state that has tried to deal with this issue from the beginning is New Mexico. When the legislature adopted a medical marijuana law in 2007, lawmakers not only established protections for patients who use medical marijuana, but directed state officials to find ways of distributing it. In March, the New Mexico Department of Health issued its first license for non-profit medical marijuana production.

Distribution questions are also shaping new medical marijuana laws coming before state legislatures. Lawmakers in New Jersey and Iowa have been debating measures that incorporate plans for distributing medical marijuana to patients, not just protect them from prosecution once they have it.

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Disenfranchisement News: Democracy Restoration Act of 2009 Introduced

National: Democracy Restoration Act of 2009 Introduced The Democracy Restoration Act of 2009 was introduced last week, a measure that would restore voting rights to millions of Americans with felony convictions. House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI) and Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution Chairman Russ Feingold (D-WI) introduced the bills in both chambers of Congress. An estimated 5.3 million citizens cannot vote as a result of felony convictions, and nearly 4 million of those individuals are living and working in their communities. The Democracy Restoration Act of 2009 would establish a uniform standard restoring voting rights in federal elections to anyone who is not incarcerated. Rhode Island: Rhode Island Study Shows Probation/Parolee Electoral Participation A new analysis released by the Family Life Center of Rhode Island demonstrates a high level of interest in the electoral process by persons on probation or parole. Following a 2006 ballot change in the state law, 6,330 probationers and parolees - representing more than a third of the 17,600 state total - registered to vote during the 2008 election cycle. Of these, 3,001 voted during that time. The Family Life Center has since initiated a broad outreach campaign to inform the community of the reform and to register people with felony convictions. In addition, the Department of Corrections now acts as a voter registration agency and offers all inmates the opportunity to register following their discharge. The results of the outreach campaign in Rhode Island demonstrate that substantial numbers of people who have come through the criminal justice system have an interest in becoming involved in the electoral process. Marc Mauer, executive director of The Sentencing Project, spoke on the Family Life Center's efforts at the organization's annual meeting. "What the Family Life Center has done is an inspiration to all of us on the national stage," Mauer was quoted a saying in the Providence Journal. "We haven't had the numbers before to make the case," he said. "It sends a message. This is a real accomplishment; something we can all learn from." The Family Life Center this week has changed its name to OPENDOORS, but will still continue its mission to aid formerly incarcerated people in their transition to the community. Washington State: "Modern-day Poll Tax" No Longer Keeps Residents from the Poll The state of Washington recently eliminated the ban on voting for individuals with felony convictions who had not paid all financial obligations associated with their sentence. The ACLU of Washington will now launch "Promote the Vote" in Seattle and Tacoma to celebrate the new law and educate newly enfranchised Washingtonians about their rights. Pennsylvania: ACLU Wins Lawsuit Over Bus Ads The ACLU of Pennsylvania is "thrilled" that a federal judge ruled in its favor in a lawsuit that claimed the removal of voting rights ads created for public buses was discriminatory, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported. The ACLU said the Port Authority unlawfully refused to accept its advertisements designed to inform the public that residents with felony convictions have the right to vote. "The testimony and evidence presented at trial clearly demonstrated that the defendants accepted numerous advertisements for display on Port Authority vehicles which had content similar to plaintiffs' proposed advertisement and which were not truly commercial in nature," Judge Terrence McVerry wrote. An op-ed column published in the Patriot-News supported a bill that would require prisons to provide voter registration forms to inmates prior to release. Kathryn Boockvar, senior attorney with the Advancement Project, stated that the bill instills "knowledge about and encouragement of voting." community and become productive members of society. "I also believe that assisting the formerly incarcerated with voting is the right thing to do from an ethical perspective," she wrote. "This is a nation that believes in redemption. If you commit a crime, pay your penance, and do your time, ours is a society that generally says: your past wrongs will be forgiven. This bill builds on this notion, by giving individuals some tools and incentives to take a path of rehabilitation, rather than the path of recidivism." The Pennsylvania House State Government Committee passed HB 1072 out of committee by a 20-3 vote, clearing the way for the bill to go to the House floor for a vote. Wisconsin: Proposed Legislation Gains Conservative Support Well-known Wisconsin conservative, James Wigderson, has publicly taken a stance in support of vote restoration in an editorial published in the Waukesha Freeman. Noting that disenfranchisement affects about 42,000 state residents - Black and white - Wigderson suggests that restoring rights upon leaving prison benefits the state budget, and the individuals hoping to reintegrate into society. "By releasing them from prison our society is already making the statement that these felons should be re-integrated into society, and that there is some social good in doing so," he writes. "That re-integration process should include voting. Again, according to the ACLU, felons who vote are half as likely to re-offend as felons who do not vote. We may argue which is the cause and which is the effect, but the relationship is there, and it's not hard to understand why." Florida: ACLU Workshop Helps Residents Restore Civil Rights The Florida ACLU hosted a civil rights restoration workshop in an effort to reintegrate residents with felony offenses back into their communities. Since Governor Charlie Crist streamlined the process for individuals to regain their civil rights, more than 145,000 people are now able to vote, WESH2 reported. One workshop attendee, Sean Johnson, left the gathering with his civil rights restored. "The process is very tedious," he said. "I have applied, but until today, I haven't had any luck." There remain, however, 60,000 applications that are still pending due to Florida Parole Commission budget cuts that have reduced its staff from 13 to five, the Orlando Sentinel reported. - - - - - - Help The Sentencing Project continue to bring you news and updates on disenfranchisement! Make a contribution today. Contact Information -- e-mail: [email protected], web: http://www.sentencingproject.org

ENCOD Bulletin on Drug Policies in Europe -- August 2009

ENCOD BULLETIN ON DRUG POLICIES IN EUROPE -- NR. 54 AUGUST 2009 THE TRUTH OF DECRIMINALISATION Portugal simply became a more human and fair country. The situation in Portugal has developed very positively since 2000, when Law 30 was approved, decriminalising the use of drugs. Of course, as a comprehensive settlement of the whole drug issue, decriminalisation is far from being acceptable, since drugs continue to be distributed by traffickers who inflate the price, impose criminal marketing methods and have minimal concern for product quality or the safety of consumers. Now the State does not consider drug use as a crime, but as a simple violation that is countered with an administrative sanction. People who get caught with a quantity of a certain drug that meets their personal needs are either considered as a sporadic consumer and sanctioned with a fine of several hundred euros. Or they are consided a regular consumer and directed to Commission for the Discouragement of Drug Use, formed by a judge, a psychologist and a social worker. Under these proceedings, drug users are saved from police brutality and omnipotence, and are instead put under the responsibility of social specialists who direct them to specialized health services called CAT (Addiction Treatment Centers). Instead of being considered a criminal this person is seen as a patient. The truth is that this practice leads the problem drug consumer to approach health and social services. Once feeling that someone cares and supports and is willing to help reconstructing life, the consumers will start responding. Initially they will care most for their own health and after realizing that they are part of the "social whole", they will realise that in this way, society is no longer the enemy but something of which they are a part of and in which they may be able to win if they follow certain rules. Obviously the Portuguese Government installed mechanisms that are meant to supplement the law, which on its own would not have had great results. Therefore in all regions, provinces and cities with administrative competences, a CAT (Addiction Treatment Center) has been set up, staffed by physicians, psychiatrists, psychologists, nurses and social workers. The staff of these services are psychologically and socially trained to deal with all cases, especially the most difficult. They have learned that treating the drug user as a human being who deserves respect produces almost immediate and amazing results. Someone who has been damaged, connected to a life of violence and crime, yet suddenly becomes a respected and respectful person, polite, and even civilized afterwards! This is one very important way to limit the escalation of violence and start socialization instead. Someone who has nothing and only sees the contempt of society and therefore transforms frustration and pain into social revenge, is given the opportunity to realize the importance of getting social respect and will not afford to loose it again. Under the prohibitionist regime, the system chooses to discredit, stigmatize and criminalize people who use drugs that are considered illicit (the only accepted drug, alcohol, is produced in Europe, North America etc). But human beings have always used drugs. Recent scientific evidence demonstrates the use of drugs in the Ice Age. While life becomes simpler for people, drug consumption will probably continue to rise. Among people using drugs are some of the biggest human talents in art and humanity. Prohibition has never prevented and will never prevent that. In stead it has created martyrs on a par with many other historical persecutions. Ruin the lives of drug users, arrest them, torture them, infect them with all kinds of diseases, kill them all and the State will wash its hands saying: they have only themselves to blame! However as the relationship between supply and demand has been carefully studied by traffickers and economic vultures, everyone can figure out that only under prohibition can drugs be a lucrative business. So while it is being kept forbidden, what we lack now is to find out why people in the XXI century are so naive to believe that drugs are criminalised because of a health issue? The worst of dictatorships is the one in which we are not aware that we are being manipulated. Are Mr. Costa, the United Nations and all the governments and officials who support prohibition the Hitler and Stalin and Caligula of our days? Are they simply suffering from some unknown intellectual deficiency? We do not know the answer, but the result is the same: millions of human lives continue to be sentenced to death and suffering because of them! The Truth is already clear: the example of Portugal shows that it is a Lie to Criminalize! The question now is to whom prohibition matters? Who has the power to kill millions around the world? The State assumes that drugs are bad and therefore should be avoided, but people still want the alterations of consciousness that drugs offer and will not stop consuming. The issue is that no one wishes to give up a life and the responsibility in work and family matters just to enjoy a feeling. It is here that the state fails because it transforms a responsible consumption into a disastrous situation of crime, disease, imprisonment, suffering and death. But the lie begins to die, whereas finally all lies turn out to be deceits. Society is beginning to react, and starting to consider and require measures that are opposed to the current ones. These measures are seeking the most minimal of changes, always within the same boundaries. States are opting for modest, but definitive changes, like the case of Portugal and its decriminalisation of drug consumption. But also in Switzerland, Germany and elsewhere, the controlled distribution of heroin is helping the recovery of many people who are living in the worst conditions surviving only through petty criminality. Now, having their drugs made available by the state, they recover their health, their family life, they start working and paying taxes, and have become useful citizens in what we call society! Due to the success of the decriminalisation of drug use, which was implemented without causing social alarm (read the report of the Cato Institute), Portugal is now preparing to move again. The Parliament is considering a bill for the legalization of cannabis, following an initiative of a small party called "Left Block" (Bloco de Esquerda), which recently has been on the rise and (according to the latest polls) may become a significant political force in the future. The drafting of the law on cannabis occurred with the collaboration of Encod, thanks to regular contacts with the Block until today. The text of the bill can always be improved, but in my personal opinion it has been very well prepared and even provides ways to prevent abuse and contribute to the overall functioning of the state. As last-minute news indicates, the Socialist Party (currently in government) will not obtain an absolute majority after parliamentary elections next September, so it will invite the Left Block to participate in the government! This would become the best opportunity we have had so far for the complete legalization of cannabis, including production, distribution and consumption. The truth is that when news of the decriminalization of drug use in Portugal came out, the mainly North American prophets of doom announced chaos, predicting that the Portuguese beaches would be filled with misery and drug dealers . But nothing of the kind happened, the state of law is strongly in place, the beaches are clean and beautiful. Portugal simply became a more human and fair country. All diseases related to drug consumption were sharply reduced. If this is the real and final proof that legalization of drugs does work, then who is behind criminalization? By: Jorge Roque, with the help of Peter Webster --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- EUROPEAN COALITION FOR JUST AND EFFECTIVE DRUG POLICIES Lange Lozanastraat 14 – 2018 Antwerpen - Belgium Tel. + 32 (0)3 293 0886 / Mob. + 32 (0)495 122644 E-mail: [email protected]

Tear It Down, friends!

You Can Make a Difference

 

 

Dear friends,

The drug war’s foundation is beginning to crumble thanks to your hard work.

By just four votes, the House last week voted down an amendment that would have upheld the ban on federal funding for syringe exchange programs.  The ban has been in place since the 1980s and is one of the pillars of the drug war. 

With such a close vote, it’s clear that every single email, letter and phone call to Congress played a part in defeating the amendment.  In addition to your emails, we had staff calling congressional offices for days leading up to the vote, and our offices in California, New York, New Jersey and New Mexico organized grassroots efforts to persuade legislators from those states to end the ban. 

You and I are closer than ever to tearing down some of the worst drug war policies.  It’s time for Congress to own up to its mistakes and stop putting politics before public health and sound science.  Help us hold them accountable by making a donation today. 

While this recent victory is exciting, we’re not done yet.  Now we need your support to prepare for upcoming opportunities to dismantle failed drug war policies.

Discriminatory sentencing and mandatory minimums for nonviolent drug offenses could soon be reformed. Congress is also on the verge of repealing both the Barr Amendment, which prevents the District of Columbia from setting its own marijuana policy, and the Higher Education Act drug provision, which excludes students with drug convictions from financial aid.

We need your help to make sure we have the resources to keep the momentum going and win more victories against bad drug war policies.  Your donation will help us keep up the fight to end the drug war.

Sincerely,

Bill Piper
Director, Office of National Affairs
Drug Policy Alliance Network

 

Marijuana in the mainstream? Read all about it in MPP's latest newsletter...

Dear friends:

I hope you've had a chance to review MPP's most recent newsletter that I sent you last week. (If you didn't receive it, donate $25 now to get MPP's newsletter and other information about MPP's campaigns sent to your mailbox.)

You can also find it online here:

MPR #2

The theme of this issue is “marijuana in the mainstream.” Inside you'll read all about how marijuana policy reform is advancing more rapidly than ever — from Rhode Island's new medical marijuana law to a U.S. Supreme Court victory to MPP's unprecedented recent successes in the media, as well as new data on marijuana and cancer, and much more.

If you haven't already donated to MPP in 2009, I hope you'll update your membership now, by giving $25 or more. (You can see your giving history in the sidebar to the right.)

Thank you so much — we couldn't do what we do without your help.

Sincerely,
Rob's signature
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 $2.35 million that MPP can raise from the rest of the planet in 2009. This means that your donation today will be doubled.

Press Release: Critics Call California Efforts to 'Eradicate' Marijuana Costly, Futile

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   
JULY 28, 2009

Critics Call California Efforts to 'Eradicate' Marijuana Costly, Futile

Reformers Say Time to Tax, Regulate Marijuana Is Now

CONTACT: Aaron Smith, MPP California policy director ……………………………………… 707-575-9870
                    Dan Bernath, MPP assistant director of communications ……………… 202-462-5747 ext. *2030

SANTA ROSA, Calif. — Law enforcement efforts to "eradicate" outdoor marijuana growing operations currently underway in California fail to make any impact on the availability or price of marijuana in the state, officials at the Marijuana Policy Project charged today.

     The annual Campaign Against Marijuana Growing, or CAMP, has produced increasingly gaudy results in terms of numbers of plants destroyed by law enforcement each summer – for example, police recently reported that they had seized $1.26 billion worth of marijuana from illegal farms in Fresno County. But critics argue that the sheer volume of marijuana illegally grown, often in public parks, makes it impossible to identify and destroy enough marijuana to reduce the available supply or hinder drug cartels' profits in any way.

     "Law enforcement officers point to a 2,000 percent increase in plants seized in the past decade and hold that as a sign of success," said Aaron Smith, MPP's California policy director. "But these efforts have had no effect on the widespread prevalence of marijuana in our society. Just like the days of alcohol Prohibition, we have ceded control of a popular product to criminals – making them rich in the process."

     Although eradication programs rarely receive much public scrutiny, the Department of Justice acknowledged in its 2008 National Drug Threat Assessment that such operations do little more than drive growers to indoor sites, often in residential neighborhoods.

     "At a time when California is facing drastic budget cuts, it's beyond irresponsible to continue this costly and ineffective policy," Smith said. "The only way to get these illegal grows out of our parks and neighborhoods is by ending marijuana prohibition and regulating the drug's production. After all, you don't see wine producers sneaking into forests and setting up covert vineyards."

     With more than 27,000 members and 100,000 e-mail subscribers nationwide, the Marijuana Policy Project is the largest marijuana policy reform organization in the United States. MPP believes that the best way to minimize the harm associated with marijuana is to regulate marijuana in a manner similar to alcohol. For more information, please visit http://MarijuanaPolicy.org.

####

Coming soon to a country near you...

The following ACTION has been approved for ALL AUDIENCES by Safer Alternative For Enjoyable Recreation (SAFER).

At a press conference in California last week, President Obama's new drug czar claimed, "Marijuana is dangerous and has no medicinal benefit."  Meanwhile, President Obama was at the White House, trying to defuse the situation surrounding the controversial and highly publicized arrest of his friend, Harvard Professor Henry Lewis Gates, by inviting him and the arresting officer to the White House for a beer.

Yes, that's right. Just after President Obama's top drug policy official declared marijuana "dangerous," the President himself was touting the calming and beneficial effect of consuming alcohol, a substance that is far more dangerous than marijuana that -- unlike marijuana -- actually contributes to violent and aggressive behavior. 

CLICK HERE to TAKE ACTION and send a quick message to President Obama, letting him know you are appalled by the anti-marijuana, pro-alcohol message his administration is sending to Americans of all ages, and urging him to offer Professor Gates and the arresting officer a safer alternative to alcohol at their White House meeting. Then forward this alert to anyone you know who might be interested in doing so, as well. (This action is also available at http://tinyurl.com/mjvtma)

The following BOOK has been rated "IMPORTANT" by several prominent individuals and organizations:

As a SAFER supporter, you probably detect the absurdity and irony of the situation with Obama mentioned above. Yet much of the media has failed to pick up on it, and many Americans are still oblivious to the fact that marijuana is far safer than alcohol both for the user and for society. Our efforts to change all that and spread the truth about marijuana are about to get a major boost.

Next week, SAFER will launch Marijuana Is Safer: So why are we driving people to drink?, the highly acclaimed new book that promises to change the way people think -- and talk -- about marijuana. The book is co-authored by leaders of three of the most effective organizations working to reform marijuana laws -- SAFER Executive Director Mason Tvert, MPP Director of State Initiatives (and SAFER Co-founder) Steve Fox, and NORML Deputy Director Paul Armentano -- and it features a foreword by former Seattle Police Chief Norm Stamper. It has received advance praise from a variety of prominent individuals, and it is already beginning to cause a stir in the media -- check out the recent Reuters newswire column, "Driven to drink by marijuana laws?"

Marijuana Is Safer is already shooting up the Amazon.com rankings, and SAFER will be doing a whole lot to promote it over the next couple months. We hope you will help us spread the word and make this important book -- and the truth it contains -- a wildly popular best-seller read by millions across the nation. You can do so now by forwarding this e-mail to anyone you think might be interested -- or by simply posting the book's URL (www.MarijuanaIsSafer.com) to your Facebook, Twitter, or MySpace page -- otherwise we will be in touch again soon to let you know of other ways you can help.

Get an advanced copy and help us celebrate!

Marijuana Is Safer will premiere next week on Tuesday, August 4, at the Oaksterdam University Student Union in Oakland, California. Along with OU, the event is being co-hosted by SAFER, NORML and the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP), and co-authors Mason Tvert and Paul Armentano will be at the event to discuss the book and sign the first copies to be made available to the public. The book will then be made available to the crowd of 200,000+ at the world's largest pro-marijuana rally and festival, Seattle Hempfest, from August 15-16. Rounding out August will be SAFER's Launch Party on Sunday, August 23rd, in Denver, Colorado -- ground zero of the "Marijuana Is Safer" movement.

Check out our initial tour schedule below and be sure to check back to http://www.MarijuanaIsSafer.com for more event dates and information.

 



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