Fundraising Appeal

Dear friends:

The Playboy Mansion is the stuff of legends — and by attending the Marijuana Policy Project's upcoming party there, you can be one of the few people in the world who have visited it.

But if you're planning to reserve tickets to the party, you should probably do so now — since the ticket price will increase soon.

Guests will be able to explore the Playboy Mansion's famous grounds. Playmates will give personal tours as partiers enjoy the pool area, with its lagoon-shaped swimming pool, waterfalls, and the legendary grotto.

        

This might be the perfect holiday present for someone on your list.

Keep in mind that this is an exclusive event with limited capacity, so if you want to attend, reserve your tickets now. You'll get a tax deduction, and all proceeds will benefit MPP's efforts to end marijuana prohibition in the U.S.

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 2008. This means that your donation today will be doubled.

Dear friends:

Seventy-five years ago today, Alcohol Prohibition was repealed in the U.S.

And today, no one is calling for its reinstatement, because of the widespread understanding that Prohibition didn't reduce alcohol use, increased violence, put profits in the hands of the wrong people, and didn't tax those profits.

Of course, we see same thing now with the government's 71-year-long experiment with marijuana prohibition.

MPP's new video marking the anniversary of the repeal of Alcohol Prohibition examines these parallels:

Prohibition ended once, and we can end it again. In fact — unlike the repeal of Alcohol Prohibition, which required a constitutional amendment, a two-thirds vote in Congress, and ratification by three-quarters of the states — we just need to win simple majorities. And the tide is turning our way.

Will you help? Your donation to MPP will fund our aggressive and  successful campaigns to pass laws via state legislatures and ballot initiatives, lobby Congress, and more. We are winning this fight, but we rely 100% on contributions from supporters like you to keep up our work.

If you value what MPP is doing, would you please donate $10 or more to our work today?

Thank you,

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.

Dear friends:

With the new presidential administration just two months away, MPP is calling on President-elect Obama to inject some common sense into America's marijuana laws.

Please watch MPP's new video letter to Obama to see what we're asking him to do:

As you know, we emptied our coffers in order to win our successful ballot initiative campaigns to legalize medical marijuana in Michigan and decriminalize marijuana possession in Massachusetts. In order to hit the ground running with the new administration and the new Congress, we need your help to make sure our work in the new year is fully funded. Would you please consider donating $10 or more to our work today? 

We really appreciate anything you can give.

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 2008. This means that your donation today will be doubled.

Dear friends:

Want to party with the Marijuana Policy Project at the Playboy Mansion?

This is your invitation to the best party of the year — MPP's fourth annual party at the Playboy Mansion in Los Angeles on June 4, 2009.

Come celebrate MPP's Election Day wins and mingle with other MPP supporters, all on the Mansion's legendary grounds. Last year's party featured a live performance by Jane's Addiction's Perry Farrell and was hosted by reality TV superstar Adrianne Curry.

We'll be announcing celebrity performers in the coming weeks.

MPP's last three parties at the Playboy Mansion sold out, so make sure to get your tickets early. You'll also save money by getting tickets now, since the price will increase later on.

Tickets make a great holiday gift, as well.

Please reserve your tickets today. I hope we'll see you there.

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 2008. This means that your donation today will be doubled.

Dear friends:

We get a lot of requests for MPP-themed shirts, mugs, and other products, and we've just unveiled an entirely new product line at our new online MPP Store.

Come check out our new t-shirts, tote bags, mugs, and much more. Our gear is designed to help you send a message to the world that it's time to end marijuana prohibition ... and you'll find some great holiday gifts there as well.

Your purchase will support MPP's work to change marijuana laws, while spreading the word at the same 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 2008. This means that your donation today will be doubled.

Dear friends:

Not only did Tuesday's election produce two major marijuana policy victories — MPP's sweeping wins in Michigan and Massachusetts — but we also saw signs of progress in Congress and the White House.

President-elect Barack Obama has said — often in response to questioning from MPP — that he does not support the federal government arresting medical marijuana patients in states where medical marijuana is legal.

As recently as Monday of this week, his campaign said: "Many states have laws that condone medical marijuana, but the Bush Administration is using federal drug enforcement agents to raid these facilities and arrest seriously ill people. Focusing scarce law enforcement resources on these patients who pose no threat while many violent and highly dangerous drug traffickers are at large makes no sense. Senator Obama will not continue the Bush policy when he is president."

The congressional landscape also changed for the better. With several contests still undecided, the Democrats are likely to pick up at least 23 new seats in the House of Representatives — 21 of which belonged to medical marijuana opponents in the last Congress. And three senators who opposed medical marijuana were replaced with newcomers who have already voted or spoken out in favor of protecting medical marijuana patients. 

Some of Congress' most outspoken medical marijuana opponents lost their seats, like Congressman Tom Feeney (R-Fla.), Congressman Ric Keller (R-Fla.), and Congresswoman Marilyn Musgrave (R-Colo.). In fact, on the Democratic side, every single incumbent who lost Tuesday consistently opposed protecting medical marijuana patients from arrest and jail.

And candidates who are close allies of MPP won spots in the House of Representatives, like Nevada state Sen. Dina Titus (D), a strong supporter of medical marijuana access.

There is still more work to do in coming election cycles, of course. MPP's team on Capitol Hill will be working to ensure that presidential appointees (like the head of the DEA and the drug czar) are aligned with the commitment to marijuana policy reform that President-elect Obama expressed on the campaign trail. And we expect that medical marijuana legislation will be introduced in 2009, presenting an enormous opportunity to protect medical marijuana patients at the federal level.

You can help make the most of this changing dynamic in Congress and the White House. Any donation you can make today will help MPP push for the change that conditions are so ripe for.

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 2008. This means that your donation today will be doubled.

Dear friends:

With just one day to go until Massachusetts voters vote on an historic initiative to decriminalize marijuana possession, more than 50 religious leaders and a slew of other prominent figures have come out in favor of the measure. The list of endorsers includes:

• Steve Buscemi, actor;
• Roseanne Barr, actress;
• Lewis Black, comedian;
• Noam Chomsky, MIT professor and noted scholar;
• Ray Benson, musician;
• Carly Simon, musican;
• Doug Stanhope, comedian;
• Jackie "The Joke Man" Martling, comedian;
• Michelle Phillips, musican;
• Rick Steves, author; and
• More than 50 Massachusetts religious leaders from diverse faiths — Baptist, Buddhist, Catholic, Church of Christ, Congregationalist, Episcopal, Jewish, Lutheran, Methodist, and Unitarian Universalist.

This outpouring of support comes as the campaign is fighting hard to win tomorrow — fighting back against dirty tricks by the state's district attorneys, who have resorted to outright lies about the measure ... such as claiming that marijuana causes violent crime and that marijuana is more dangerous than alcohol or tobacco.

It's been a long and hard-fought road, and tomorrow the voters will finally get to decide. As you might imagine, MPP's coffers have been depleted by this campaign and the medical marijuana initiative campaign in Michigan. If you're able to help out, we'd really appreciate any donation you can make to help us replenish — because no matter what tomorrow's results, the fight doesn't end. Thank you for anything you can give.

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 2008. This means that your donation today will be doubled.

Dear friends:

Michigan's medical marijuana initiative is under attack.

With just five days remaining until Election Day, prohibitionists are running this fear-mongering TV ad, which shows “footage” of a child trying to go in a medical marijuana dispensary and “patients” assaulting an elderly woman.

Attacking medical marijuana patients is a truly despicable tactic. Medical marijuana patients aren't thugs. They're seriously ill doctors, teachers, nurses, plumbers, and other upstanding Americans — who don't want to fear arrest and jail for using the medicine their physicians have recommended.

Here's a look at one of them:

Will you please help protect people like Dr. Wagoner and his wife from arrest and jail?

Not only is the opposition lying to voters about the face of medical marijuana, but they're lying about the initiative too. Michigan's initiative wouldn't even allow dispensaries; it simply permits private marijuana use by patients with a doctor's approval.

If this turns your stomach like it does mine, please turn your anger into action: Help the campaign win here.

Time is running short. Even a donation of $10 to the campaign committee will help ensure that sick and dying patients no longer must fear arrest.

Thank you,

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.