Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                                                                 

MAY 28, 2010

Mayor Rybak, Let’s Be Honest About Marijuana

Marijuana’s Prohibition—and the Elected Officials Who Support It—Is to Blame For Fueling Gang Violence, Not Marijuana’s Consumers

CONTACT: Mike Meno, MPP director of communications …………… 202-905-2030 or [email protected]

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA —Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak has recently taken to Minnesota’s airwaves in a misguided attempt to blame violence at the hands of criminal gangs on consumers of marijuana. “When you pay for marijuana, you are paying for the bullet that goes into the head of someone on the streets,” he told the Star Tribune, in one instance. But the mayor’s logic is tragically flawed. By trying to blame violence entirely on marijuana’s consumers, Mayor Rybak is conveniently ignoring the central role in gang violence played by marijuana prohibition and the politicians who support it.

         “The only reason criminals make their money from marijuana is because our current policies allow them to,” said Steve Fox, director of state campaigns for the Marijuana Policy Project. “Like alcohol prohibition in the last century, marijuana prohibition has helped to fuel violent crime in Minnesota and across the country. Mayor Rybak is out of touch with reality if he does not recognize that prohibition—and any elected official who supports it—is to blame for giving criminals a virtual monopoly on marijuana’s lucrative trade. It is unrealistic to assume we can somehow magically remove the demand for marijuana. The only true solution is to regulate marijuana, and bring its sale under the rule of law, the same way we ended the criminal violence that stemmed from alcohol prohibition.”

         Even Mayor Rybak’s own deputy police chief, Rob Allen, stated that violence in the marijuana trade is caused by its prohibition. “It is illegal to distribute marijuana, so the people distributing marijuana are criminal syndicates that are engaged in very violent activity to protect their turf,” Allen told station KARE 11. 

         In a recent statement about this topic on a CityPages comment thread, Mayor Rybak wrote that “it’s time we finally got honest with each other.”

         The Marijuana Policy Project couldn’t agree more. “If the mayor wants to end violence associated with marijuana, he too needs to be honest, and join the growing ranks of those calling for an end to prohibition and the failed policies that drive money into the hands of criminals, and yes, bullets into people’s heads,” Fox said.   

         With more than 124,000 members and supporters 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 www.mpp.org.

####

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact for comment: Chris Goldstein [email protected]


New poll shows 8 in 10 support medical marijuana in PA

Medical cannabis legislation is active in PA and residents continue to show strong support. New polling conducted by Franklin & Marshall College saw a full 80% respondents either ‘Strongly Favor’ (53%) and ‘Somewhat Favor’ (27%) legal medical marijuana in Pennsylvania.

The F&M poll was released this week and showed an increase in support from 2006.

Medical marijuana is active in both the House (HB 1393) and the Senate (SB 1350) of PA.

The same poll also saw a full 11% jump in support for overall marijuana legalization.

The full F&M release can be found at : http://edisk.fandm.edu/FLI/keystone/pdf/keymay10_1.pdf


READ MORE

www.pa4mmj.org

MEDIA CONTACT: Chris Goldstein [email protected]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                                                                 

MAY 13, 2010

MPP Partners with Slightly Stoopid, Cypress Hill for Upcoming U.S. Tour

Activist Artists Kick Off ‘Cauzin Vapors … Legalize It’ Tour in July

CONTACT: Mike Meno, MPP director of communications …………… 202-905-2030 or [email protected]

WASHINGTON, D.C. — As the debate over ending marijuana prohibition heats up across the country, the Marijuana Policy Project is partnering with renowned San Diego-based band Slightly Stoopid for their upcoming U.S. tour, “Cauzin Vapors … Legalize It,” on which they’ll be accompanied by hip-hop superstars, Cypress Hill, The Expendables, Collie Buddz, and reggae legends Steel Pulse on select dates.

         Starting in mid-July, the tour will wind across the country, from California to New York, with stops at this year’s acclaimed Lollapalooza festival in Chicago and the Mile High Music Festival in Colorado. MPP will be tabling at performances and have representatives at each show to answer questions and provide information about the ongoing campaigns to end marijuana prohibition in the U.S.   

         “We are delighted to be included in this opportunity to expand awareness about the need to change our country’s marijuana policies,” said Mary Patton, Director of VIP Relations at the Marijuana Policy Project. “Slightly Stoopid, Cypress Hill and all the acts on this tour are vocal, well-known supporters of ending marijuana prohibition, and we look forward to joining them in this effort to change attitudes and inspire activism on marijuana-related issues across the U.S.”  

         For more information, and a complete list of tour dates, visit www.slightlystoopid.com.

         For videos of Slightly Stoopid from Amsterdam’s Cannabis Cup, visit:

                        This Joint:  http://vimeo.com/10595970

Babylon Is Falling: http://vimeo.com/10646744

                        Collie Man: http://vimeo.com/10658401

         For press inquiries about Slightly Stoopid, contact Solid PR at www.solidpr.com, [email protected], or [email protected].

         With more than 124,000 members and supporters nationwide, the Marijuana Policy Project is the largest marijuana policy reform organization in the United States. For more information, please visit www.mpp.org.

[more]

With Steel Pulse & The Expendables

6/18  Jacksonville, OR - Britt Pavilion

6/19  Seattle, WA - Marymoor Amphitheater

6/20  Spokane, WA - Riverfront Park Amphitheater

6/22  Missoula, MT - Ryan Creek Meadows

6/23  Boise, ID - Idaho Center Amphitheater

With The Expendables

6/24  Salt Lake City, UT - The Depot

6/25  Las Vegas, NV - Hard Rock Pool

6/26  Phoenix, AZ - Celebrity Theatre

With Cypress Hill

7/16  Irvine, CA - Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre

7/17  San Diego, CA - Cricket Pavilion

With Cypress Hill & Collie Buddz

7/22  Boston, MA - Bank Of America Pavilion

7/23  Boston, MA - Bank Of America Pavilion

7/24  Danbury, CT - Ives Concert Park

7/25  Asbury Park, NJ - TBA

7/28  Raleigh, NC - Raleigh Amphitheatre

7/29  Baltimore, MD - Pier Six Pavilion

7/30  Portsmouth, VA - nTelos Pavilion

7/31  Philadelphia, PA - Penn's Landing

8/01  Buffalo, NY - Rocks The Harbor

8/04  Detroit, MI - Fillmore Detroit

8/06  Columbus, OH - LC Outdoor Pavilion

8/07  Chicago, IL - Lollapalooza

8/08  Minneapolis, MN - Cabooze Outdoors (no Cypress Hill)

8/12  Kansas City, MO - Crossroads

8/13  Omaha, NE - Anchor Inn

8/14  Commerce City, CO - Mile High Music Festival

8/18  Myrtle Beach, SC - House Of Blues

8/19  Atlanta, GA - The Tabernacle

8/20  Orlando, FL - Hard Rock Live

8/21  West Boca Raton, FL - Sunset Cove Amphitheatre

####

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                                                                 

MAY 10, 2010

Reformers to Call for New Approach TODAY at Marijuana Eradication Conference

Location Changed for Today’s Press Conference; Former Law Enforcement, Clergy Members, Other Advocates Will Call for End to Wasteful, Ineffective Eradication Campaigns

CONTACT: Aaron Smith, MPP California policy director …………… [email protected] or 707-291-0076

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA — At a press conference today, reform-minded advocates will make the case for ending the Campaign Against Marijuana Planting (CAMP), which, since 1983, has inarguably failed to achieve its stated goal: reducing marijuana use and availability by eradicating illegal grow sites.

            Today through Wednesday, local, state, and federal law enforcement officers will gather at the U.S. Grant Hotel in San Diego to begin organizing this year’s eradication campaign, the wisdom of which has been increasingly called into question as Californians prepare to vote on a November ballot initiative that would end the state’s prohibition on adult marijuana use.

         “It’s time to stop this insanity of repeating the futile exercise of CAMP and instead replace marijuana prohibition with a system of taxation and regulation,” said Aaron Smith, California policy director for MPP, who is leading Monday’s press conference.

         Today’s press conference was originally planned to be held in the same hotel as the CAMP conference, but organizers were informed at the last minute and without explanation that they would not be able to hold the event in the same hotel. 

         NEW LOCATION: Westin Gas Lamp Quarter Hotel, Coronado Room, (3^rd floor), 910 Broadway Circle, San Diego, CA 92101

         WHAT: Press conference to call for an effective marijuana policy and an end to eradication campaigns

         WHEN: Monday, May 10, at 11:00 a.m.

         WHO: Speakers who will question the wisdom behind CAMP will include:

Leo Laurence, a retired deputy sheriff and former legal researcher for the San Diego County District Attorney’s office, now a speaker for Law Enforcement Against Prohibition.

The Rev. Canon Mary Moreno-Richardson, an Episcopal priest and coordinator for Hispanic Ministries at St. Paul’s Cathedral in San Diego, who has worked extensively to prevent violence in the community and help at risk youth.

         With more than 124,000 members and supporters 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 www.mpp.org.

####

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                                                                 

MAY 7, 2010

Reformers to Call for New Approach at Annual Marijuana Eradication Conference Monday

At Monday Press Conference, Former Law Enforcement Officers, Clergy Members, and Other Advocates Will Call for an End to Ineffective, Wasteful Eradication Campaigns

CONTACT: Aaron Smith, MPP California policy director …………… [email protected] or 707-291-0076

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA — From May 10 to May 13, local, state, and federal law enforcement officers will gather at the U.S. Grant Hotel in San Diego to begin organizing this year’s Campaign Against Marijuana Planting (CAMP), which, since 1983, has inarguably failed to achieve its stated goal: reducing marijuana use and availability by eradicating illegal grow sites. On Monday, at a press conference at the same hotel, advocates will call on officials to end this wasteful policy, the wisdom of which is being increasingly called into question as Californians prepare to vote on a November ballot initiative that would end the state’s prohibition on adult marijuana use.

         “These so-called ‘eradication’ efforts have had zero effect on marijuana use, availability, or price, but once again, California law enforcement agencies are perfectly content to throw more tax money down the CAMP rabbit hole. It’s time to stop this insanity of repeating the futile exercise of CAMP and instead replace marijuana prohibition with a system of taxation and regulation,” said Aaron Smith, California policy director for MPP, who is leading Monday’s press conference. “Only then will we be able to eliminate the clandestine marijuana plantations — just as the repeal of alcohol prohibition did away with the bootleggers of that era. It’s no coincidence that drug cartels don’t plant vineyards or hops fields in our national forests.”

         WHAT: Press conference to call for an effective marijuana policy and an end to an eradication campaigns

         WHEN: Monday, May 10, at 11:00 a.m.

         WHERE: U.S. Grant Hotel, Sycuan Parlor, 326 Broadway, San Diego, CA 92101

         WHO: Speakers who will question the wisdom behind CAMP will include:

Leo Laurence, a retired deputy sheriff and former legal researcher for the San Diego County District Attorney’s office, now a speaker for Law Enforcement Against Prohibition.

The Rev. Canon Mary Moreno-Richardson, an Episcopal priest and coordinator for Hispanic Ministries at St. Paul’s Cathedral in San Diego, who has worked extensively to prevent violence in the community and help at risk youth.

         With more than 124,000 members and supporters 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 www.mpp.org.

####

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                                                                 

MAY 4, 2010

D.C. Council Approves Medical Marijuana Law

Measure Finally Implements 1998 Initiative Supported by 69 Percent of District Voters; Adds D.C. to List of Medical Marijuana Jurisdictions

CONTACT: Mike Meno, MPP director of communications …………… 202-905-2030 or [email protected]

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, by a unanimous vote, the D.C. Council approved amendments to a medical marijuana law first passed in 1998 by 69 percent of District voters. Congress had blocked implementation of Initiative 59 for more than a decade, until it lifted its ban last year. With today’s vote, the District of Columbia joins 14 states across the country in allowing qualified patients to use medical marijuana without fear of arrest.  

         “Today marks a long overdue victory for D.C. voters and potentially thousands of chronically ill residents who will benefit from legal access to medical marijuana,” said Karen O’Keefe, director of state policies for the Marijuana Policy Project. “It has taken nearly 12 years, but the District will at last have a law that recognizes the mounting scientific consensus that, for many conditions, marijuana can be safe and effective medicine.

         “A well-working medical marijuana program in the nation’s capital will also provide members of Congress who have never seen such programs up close with a unique opportunity to do so,” O’Keefe said. “Once they see for themselves that these laws do nothing but provide compassionate care for seriously ill patients, hopefully they will understand the need to create a federal policy that no longer criminalizes patients in any state who could benefit from this legitimate treatment option.”

         Under the District’s law, physicians will be able to give medical marijuana recommendations to patients suffering from HIV/AIDS, cancer, multiple sclerosis, glaucoma, and other serious conditions that can be alleviated through marijuana. Qualified patients will have safe access to their medicine through a limited number of dispensaries within the District.

         Currently, 14 states have effective medical marijuana laws and more than a dozen others are considering them. In November, South Dakotans will vote on a medical marijuana ballot initiative, and Arizona is expected to have one on the ballot as well. Eighty-one percent of Americans support medical marijuana laws, according to a January ABC News/Washington Post poll.    

         With more than 124,000 members and supporters nationwide, the Marijuana Policy Project is the largest marijuana policy reform organization in the United States. For more information, please visit www.mpp.org.

####

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                                                                 

MAY 4, 2010

Rhode Island Committee Holds Hearing Today on Marijuana Decriminalization Bill

S 2786 Would Remove Criminal Penalties for Adult Possession of One Ounce or Less of Marijuana and Replace with a $150 Fine

CONTACT: Mike Meno, MPP director of communications …………… 202-905-2030 or [email protected]

PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND — Today, May 4, the Rhode Island Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing on S 2786, a bill that would remove the state’s current criminal penalties for adult possession of up to one ounce of marijuana and instead replace them with a civil fine of $150.

         In March, a Senate commission tasked with studying the effects of marijuana prohibition in Rhode Island voted 11-2 to recommend that the state decriminalize marijuana possession in order to free up law enforcement and reduce costs. Decriminalizing marijuana could save the state up to $11 million annually in law enforcement, judicial and corrections costs, according to Harvard economist Jeffrey Miron, who testified before the commission.

         Last month, the state House Judiciary Committee held a hearing on a similar marijuana decriminalization bill.

WHAT: Rhode Island Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on S 2786, a bill to decriminalize marijuana possession in Rhode Island

WHEN: Rise of the Senate, Tuesday, May 4.

         WHERE: State House

WHO: Several speakers will testify in support of the bill, including Sen. Josh Miller (D-Cranston), the bill’s sponsor, who chaired the Special Senate Commission to Study the Prohibition of Marijuana.

The entire text of S 2786 can be read at http://www.rilin.state.ri.us/BillText10/SenateText10/S2786.htm

         With more than 124,000 members and supporters 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 www.mpp.org.

####

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                                                                 

APRIL 30, 2010

D.C. Council Expected to Vote on Medical Marijuana Law Early Next Week

Vote Will Finally Implement 1998 Initiative Passed By Nearly 70 Percent of District Voters; Advocates Still Concerned Over Details

CONTACT: Mike Meno, MPP director of communications …………… 202-905-2030 or [email protected]

WASHINGTON, D.C. — As the D.C. Council prepares to approve and enact amendments to a medical marijuana law first passed in 1998 by 69 percent of District voters, advocates for sensible, compassionate, and responsible medical marijuana programs remain concerned with several components of the current proposal.  

         “In crafting this legislation, the Council has been responsive to many concerns raised by the community, so we thank and congratulate them for their work thus far. Still, a few amendments are needed in order to create a medical marijuana program that reflects the will of District voters,” said Dan Riffle, a legislative analyst with the Marijuana Policy Project. “By adding these proposed amendments, the District would implement one of the best medical marijuana laws in the country, balancing the needs of patients with the safeguards necessary to prevent abuse.” 

         MPP believes the District’s law would be greatly improved by the following changes:

Remove the language prohibiting patients from using marijuana or paraphernalia not obtained from a licensed dispensary. The law should not criminalize use of items patients might already own, nor should it criminalize patients for using medicine not obtained at a dispensary, since it could take several months for dispensaries to begin distribution.  

Remove the limitation to home consumption in favor of a simple public smoking ban. Obviously, no one should be permitted to use marijuana in the workplace or undertake sensitive or dangerous tasks while under the influence. But those who take Oxycontin, Ambien, or any number of more dangerous drugs are allowed to do so at a friend, relative, or caregiver’s home, and there’s no legitimate reason to saddle medical marijuana patients with more onerous restrictions.

Include severe, chronic pain as a qualifying condition for patients. Thirteen out of the 14 current medical marijuana states include chronic pain among qualifying conditions. Given the strong scientific consensus in support of marijuana’s efficacy in pain relief, this legislation cannot be truly evidence-based if it criminalizes patients seeking relief from debilitating pain.

Do not limit cultivation centers to 95 plants. Such a low cap could make operating a cultivation center impracticable, drive up the cost of medical marijuana, and likely result in an inadequate supply, as has been the case in New Mexico, which has an identical restriction.

Increased possession/purchasing limits. Two ounces per month will not be enough medicine for some patients with chronic conditions, or those who choose to ingest medical marijuana through edible means such as baked goods. It is less than ¼ the amount of marijuana the federal government sends four patients each month pursuant to a program that is closed to new patients.

Include home cultivation. Nearly 70% of District voters approved Initiative 59, which included home cultivation. Allowing patients to cultivate their own medicine would not only respect the democratic process, but would help alleviate pressure on the program to produce enough supply to meet patient demand. All but one of the 14 medical marijuana states allow patient cultivation.

         With more than 124,000 members and supporters nationwide, the Marijuana Policy Project is the largest marijuana policy reform organization in the United States. For more information, please visit www.mpp.org.

####

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                                                                 

APRIL 28, 2010

Senate Committee Considers Testimony on Bill to Study Drug Policies

After rejecting a marijuana decriminalization bill, senators contemplate proposal to study effects of current state and federal laws

CONTACT: Matt Simon, NH Coalition for Common Sense Marijuana Policy…………………(603) 391-7450

CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE – Today, one week after the Senate voted to defeat a marijuana decriminalization bill, the Senate Judiciary Committee considered public testimony on a bill that would permit a deeper study of drug policy questions by the New Hampshire legislature.  HB 1373, which passed the House in an uncontested voice vote Feb. 17, would create a study committee of three House members and two senators “to study the effects of current state and federal laws on illegal drugs and the possession and use of such drugs.”

Advocates cited growing support for marijuana policy reforms as a reason the bill should pass.  Matt Simon, executive director for the NH Coalition for Common Sense Marijuana Policy, touted the bill as an opportunity for the legislature to learn about successful reforms in other states and countries.  “Today, there is an enormous amount of data out there that suggests we need to reevaluate our current policies,” he said.  

“New Hampshire legislators have considered some important criminal justice and marijuana policy reforms this year, but we can’t stop there,” said Rep. Joel Winters (D-Manchester), prime sponsor of the bill. “As lawmakers, if we want to create smart, effective drug policies, we must not be afraid to ask the right questions, like who is being arrested and prosecuted, for what, and why. HB 1373 will help us get answers to those questions, and ultimately lead to better policies that will benefit our state’s residents.”

###