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Press Release: San Bernardino Supervisors Broke Open-Meetings Law in Medical Marijuana Case, MPP Charges

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE    
JANUARY 21, 2009

San Bernardino Supervisors Broke Open-Meetings Law in Medical Marijuana Case, MPP Charges

CONTACT: Aaron Smith, MPP California policy director ................................. 707-575-9870

SAN BERNARDINO, CALIFORNIA -- San Bernardino County supervisors appear to have violated the Brown Act, California's open-meetings law, in deciding to take their lawsuit aimed at overturning part of the state's medical marijuana law to the U.S. Supreme Court, the Marijuana Policy Project charged today.

    San Bernardino and San Diego counties first challenged the state's ability to force them to issue identification cards to state-legal medical marijuana patients in the San Diego County Superior Court in December 2005. After losing in the trial court, both counties took their case to the 4th District Court of Appeals, which unanimously rejected the challenge on July 31, 2008.

    Turning down pleas from local patients and advocates, San Bernardino County supervisors voted to take the case to the California Supreme Court during their Aug. 26 closed session. In violation of the Brown Act, the board failed to notify the public of the decision during the open session that followed the vote. Advocates do not know when the decision to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court was made, because the public was never notified as required by the Brown Act.

    "I have never seen such utter disdain for voters and the rule of law as has been demonstrated by San Bernardino County's supervisors on this issue," said Aaron Smith, California policy director for the Marijuana Policy Project. "The board is so embarrassed by their decision to waste public funds fighting a popular law that they are trying to hide it from the public, in clear violation of another well-established law."

    Outraged by this failure to follow the law, Fontana resident and medical marijuana patient Craig Johnson filed a written complaint with the Public Integrity Unit at the county district attorney's office. MPP director of state policies Karen O'Keefe and Smith co-signed the letter, which was sent via certified mail on Sept. 15.

    Four months have elapsed and the county has not only failed to respond to the letter but have also formally taken their challenge to the United States Supreme Court.     

    "These supervisors work for the people and must be held accountable for breaking the law," Smith said.

    With more than 26,000 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.

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Press Release: Sacramento Becomes 48th California County to Adopt Medical Marijuana ID Card Program

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   
DECEMBER 16, 2008

Sacramento Becomes 48th California County to Adopt Medical Marijuana ID Card Program
County Was Third Largest Without State-Mandated System

CONTACT: Aaron Smith, MPP California policy director, 707-291-0076

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The Sacramento County Board of Supervisors decided today to adopt a medical marijuana identification card system, 4 to 1, making it the 48th county to adopt plans to comply with a requirement of a 2003 state law.

    By giving patients the option of obtaining cards identifying them as qualified medical marijuana patients, law enforcement officers will be able to quickly discern whether they are operating within the law, sparing taxpayers the burden of costly, time-consuming false arrests, advocates said.

    The only counties larger than Sacramento that have yet to obey the law requiring a medical marijuana I.D. card program are San Diego and San Bernardino. Those two counties have challenged the program in court three times, all of which have failed. The San Diego County Board of Supervisors has announced its intention to make a final appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.

    Meanwhile, Ventura County became the last in Southern California – other than San Diego and San Bernardino – to implement a medical marijuana I.D. card program Monday.

    "The decision today signals the beginning of a new an era for California's medical marijuana law,” said Aaron Smith, California policy director for the Marijuana Policy Project. "It should now be crystal clear to all state and local officials that it's their duty to carry out state law and the will of the voters – regardless of their personal opinion on this issue."

    Patients hailed the Sacramento board's vote as a boon for medical marijuana patients and law enforcement alike.

    "By choosing to offer medical marijuana I.D. cards, the supervisors aren't just demonstrating their respect for the law and the will of the voters," said Candice Works, a Sacramento medical marijuana patient and former substance abuse counselor with Kienböck's disease, a rare and painful bone condition. "They're also showing they care about protecting patients from false arrest and saving our police from wasting time investigating law abiding patients. It's in everybody's interest to ensure our medical marijuana program functions as smoothly as possible, and that's what the I.D. card program does."

    With more than 26,000 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 www.MarijuanaPolicy.org.

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Press Release: Presidential Commutations Urged for Prisoners Serving Long Crack Cocaine Sentences

For Immediate Release: December 16, 2008 Contact: Jasmine L. Tyler at 202-294-8292 PRESIDENTIAL COMMUTATIONS URGED FOR PRISONERS SERVING LONG CRACK COCAINE SENTENCES WASHINGTON, DC- As the holiday season approaches, and President George Bush's term comes to a close, a broad coalition of 29 civil rights, religious, academic and justice organizations have asked the president today to commute excessive sentences for low-level crack cocaine offenses. "Scripture reminds us that justice in the courts is a means of healing to society and families," said Bishop Jane Allen Middleton from the Central Pennsylvania Conference of the United Methodist Church. "Yet the disparity on sentences currently being handed down between crack and powder cocaine has unfairly targeted African-Americans and the poor," she said. "While legislation is needed to equalize these sentences, granting clemency to some of those serving unusually long sentences will send a much needed signal that our criminal justice system can and should be a means of healing to society and reunifying families separated by excessive incarceration." Prior to taking office in 2001, President Bush signaled support for reforming the controversial sentencing disparity for cocaine offenses. In a CNN interview, he said the crack-powder disparity "ought to be addressed by making sure the powder-cocaine and the crack-cocaine penalties are the same." Under current law, defendants convicted with as little as five grams, the weight of two sugar packets, are subject to a federal mandatory minimum sentence of five years. Offenses involving the pharmacologically identical powder cocaine do not trigger a five year mandatory minimum until a defendant sells 500 grams of the substance, 100 times the quantity of crack cocaine. In 2007, the U.S. Sentencing Commission lowered the sentencing guideline range for crack cocaine offenses because the penalties were considered excessive. They also voted to apply the guideline reductions to people currently incarcerated for crack cocaine offenses but the sentence reductions were limited by the mandatory minimum sentences that only Congress can amend. According to today's letter to Bush, the president's "clemency power is the only opportunity to advance immediate reform. By granting commutations to people who have already served long sentences for low-level crack offenses, [the president can] bring deserving citizens home for the holidays." Former U.S. Pardon Attorney Margaret Love has noted that "the president's personal intervention in a case through the pardon power not only benefits a particular individual, it reassures the public that the legal system is capable of just and moral application." And, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy has urged that the pardon process be "reinvigorated" to respond to "unwise and unjust" federal sentencing laws, stating that "A people confident in its laws and institutions should not be ashamed of mercy." Today's letter to the president was also joined by a petition urging clemency for crack cocaine offenses signed by over 700 people.

Press Release: Year in Review - 2008 a Huge Year for Marijuana Reform

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   
DECEMBER 16, 2008


Year in Review: 2008 a Huge Year for Marijuana Reform

CONTACT: Bruce Mirken, MPP director of communications ............... 415-668-6403 or 202-215-4205

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- In this annual season of year-end reviews, marijuana policy reformers are counting 2008 as one of their most successful years ever. 2008 saw major progress on legal reforms plus a raft of new data that validated reformers' critiques of current marijuana laws. Some highlights:

    MARIJUANA DECRIMINALIZED IN MASSACHUSETTS: A measure to replace criminal penalties for possession of up to an ounce of marijuana with a $100 fine similar to a traffic ticket passed with a whopping 65 percent majority in the Bay State.

    MICHIGAN BECOMES 13TH MEDICAL MARIJUANA STATE: The 63 percent majority racked up by Proposal 1 was the largest ever for a medical marijuana initiative and exceeded Barack Obama's vote total in the state by six points.

    A NEW PRESIDENT PLEDGES TO END FEDERAL RAIDS IN MEDICAL MARIJUANA STATES: During the campaign, president-elect Barack Obama repeatedly promised to end federal attacks on individuals obeying state medical marijuana laws. Strikingly, of the 13 medical marijuana states (including Michigan), Obama carried 11 -- including such traditionally red states as Nevada, Colorado and New Mexico.

    NEW RESEARCH VERIFIES MARIJUANA PAIN RELIEF: For the third time in less than two years, a published, peer-reviewed clinical trial demonstrated that marijuana safely and effectively relieves neuropathic pain, a notoriously hard to treat type of pain related to nerve damage, and often seen in illnesses such as multiple sclerosis, HIV/AIDS and diabetes. The new study, from the University of California, was published online by the Journal of Pain in mid-April.

    FEDERAL REPORTS DOCUMENT FAILURE OF CURRENT POLICIES: The Monitoring the Future survey, released Dec. 11, found that more 10th-graders now smoke marijuana than cigarettes, with teen marijuana use rising while teen use of cigarettes (which are legally regulated for adults) has dropped. The National Drug Threat Assessment, released Dec. 15, reported that despite record seizures, "marijuana availability is high throughout the United States."

    With more than 26,000 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.

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Press Release: NJ Moves One Step Closer to Allowing Medical Marijuana

[Courtesy of Drug Policy Alliance] FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Monday, December 15, 2008 NJ Moves One Step Closer to Becoming the Fourteenth State to Allow Access to Medical Marijuana Bill Voted Out of Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens, Heads to Full Senate Vote Next Patients, Doctors and Advocates Applaud Compassionate Use Legislation Trenton, NJ — New Jersey moved one step closer today to becoming the fourteenth state in the nation that allows access to medical marijuana. The Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee held a hearing today on Senate Bill 119 and voted the bill out of committee with six affirmative votes, one negative, and two abstentions. Senate Bill 119 would allow patients suffering from certain debilitating and life-threatening illnesses such as cancer, HIV/AIDS, glaucoma and multiple sclerosis to use and possess medical marijuana with a doctor's recommendation. The bill would also allow for the licensing of centers where qualifying patients could safely access medical marijuana. The program would be administered by the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services. Patients, doctors, and advocates applauded the committee's action on Senate Bill 119. The bill now moves to the full senate for a vote. "We want to thank the senators on the committee for voting for the New Jersey Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Act," said Roseanne Scotti, director of Drug Policy Alliance New Jersey. "The bottom line is about compassion. If you or someone you love is seriously ill and none of the available medications relieved the suffering, wouldn't you want access to medical marijuana if a doctor recommended it? New Jerseyans overwhelmingly support this legislation and we are grateful to the committee for hearing their voices." Senate Bill 119 is sponsored by Senators Nicholas P. Scutari (D-Middlesex, Somerset, Union), Jim Whelan (D-Atlantic), Sandra B. Cunningham (D-Hudson), Raymond J. Lesniak (D-Union), Brian P. Stack (D-Hudson), Stephen M. Sweeney (D-Salem, Cumberland, Gloucester), Loretta Weinberg (D-Bergen), and Joseph F. Vitale (D-Middlesex). Senator Scutari, prime sponsor of the legislation, testified before his colleagues on the health committee. Dr. Denis Petro, internationally known expert on medical marijuana, who testified regarding the scientific support for medical marijuana, praised the committee for voting in support of the legislation. "I am pleased to see the support of the committee for Senate Bill 119," said Petro, a board-certified neurologist in Pennsylvania with more than 25 years experience in neurology, clinical pharmacology and marijuana research. "With passage of the legislation, patients with serious and life-threatening disorders can be offered a safe and effective alternative when conventional therapy is inadequate. The bill represents a positive step toward a rational policy regarding medical marijuana". Thirteen states now have laws allowing seriously ill patients access to medical marijuana—Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington State. The New Jersey Academy of Family Physicians, the New Jersey League for Nursing, the New Jersey chapters of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, and the New Jersey Hospice and Palliative Care Organization all submitted testimony today at the hearing in support of Senate Bill 119. "I am thrilled that today members of the Senate Health Committee supported the common sense and compassionate response to suffering.'' said Nora Bertocci, a registered nurse and chair of the New Jersey Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, which works with sick and dying patients on a daily basis. "Medical marijuana is used very successfully in other states and in other countries. We should not be asking 'why should we legalize marijuana for medicinal purposes?' but rather 'why shouldn't we?' '' Scott Ward, a 24-year-old diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in November 2006 while training for the Marine Corps Marathon, tried every legally prescribed medicine his doctors suggested while searching for relief from his symptoms, before he decided to try medical marijuana which has drastically improved his quality of life. Ward was excited by the committee's action and hopeful that the legislation would continue to progress to passage. "To say that I am happy and grateful that the majority of the Senate Health Committee voted in favor of S119 would be an understatement. I came here today to fight for the basic right to live a pain-free life; to be able to get out of bed in the morning not feeling terrible. To use marijuana, my medicine, which works for me," said Ward. "The Senate Health Committee's vote is incredibly encouraging and I urge the rest of the legislature to follow their lead quickly so that other New Jerseyans suffering like myself may find some relief." # # #

Press Release: NJ Moves One Step Closer to Allowing Medical Marijuana

[Courtesy of Drug Policy Alliance] FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Monday, December 15, 2008 NJ Moves One Step Closer to Becoming the Fourteenth State to Allow Access to Medical Marijuana Bill Voted Out of Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens, Heads to Full Senate Vote Next Patients, Doctors and Advocates Applaud Compassionate Use Legislation Trenton, NJ — New Jersey moved one step closer today to becoming the fourteenth state in the nation that allows access to medical marijuana. The Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee held a hearing today on Senate Bill 119 and voted the bill out of committee with six affirmative votes, one negative, and two abstentions. Senate Bill 119 would allow patients suffering from certain debilitating and life-threatening illnesses such as cancer, HIV/AIDS, glaucoma and multiple sclerosis to use and possess medical marijuana with a doctor's recommendation. The bill would also allow for the licensing of centers where qualifying patients could safely access medical marijuana. The program would be administered by the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services. Patients, doctors, and advocates applauded the committee's action on Senate Bill 119. The bill now moves to the full senate for a vote. "We want to thank the senators on the committee for voting for the New Jersey Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Act," said Roseanne Scotti, director of Drug Policy Alliance New Jersey. "The bottom line is about compassion. If you or someone you love is seriously ill and none of the available medications relieved the suffering, wouldn't you want access to medical marijuana if a doctor recommended it? New Jerseyans overwhelmingly support this legislation and we are grateful to the committee for hearing their voices." Senate Bill 119 is sponsored by Senators Nicholas P. Scutari (D-Middlesex, Somerset, Union), Jim Whelan (D-Atlantic), Sandra B. Cunningham (D-Hudson), Raymond J. Lesniak (D-Union), Brian P. Stack (D-Hudson), Stephen M. Sweeney (D-Salem, Cumberland, Gloucester), Loretta Weinberg (D-Bergen), and Joseph F. Vitale (D-Middlesex). Senator Scutari, prime sponsor of the legislation, testified before his colleagues on the health committee. Dr. Denis Petro, internationally known expert on medical marijuana, who testified regarding the scientific support for medical marijuana, praised the committee for voting in support of the legislation. "I am pleased to see the support of the committee for Senate Bill 119," said Petro, a board-certified neurologist in Pennsylvania with more than 25 years experience in neurology, clinical pharmacology and marijuana research. "With passage of the legislation, patients with serious and life-threatening disorders can be offered a safe and effective alternative when conventional therapy is inadequate. The bill represents a positive step toward a rational policy regarding medical marijuana". Thirteen states now have laws allowing seriously ill patients access to medical marijuana—Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington State. The New Jersey Academy of Family Physicians, the New Jersey League for Nursing, the New Jersey chapters of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, and the New Jersey Hospice and Palliative Care Organization all submitted testimony today at the hearing in support of Senate Bill 119. "I am thrilled that today members of the Senate Health Committee supported the common sense and compassionate response to suffering.'' said Nora Bertocci, a registered nurse and chair of the New Jersey Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, which works with sick and dying patients on a daily basis. "Medical marijuana is used very successfully in other states and in other countries. We should not be asking 'why should we legalize marijuana for medicinal purposes?' but rather 'why shouldn't we?' '' Scott Ward, a 24-year-old diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in November 2006 while training for the Marine Corps Marathon, tried every legally prescribed medicine his doctors suggested while searching for relief from his symptoms, before he decided to try medical marijuana which has drastically improved his quality of life. Ward was excited by the committee's action and hopeful that the legislation would continue to progress to passage. "To say that I am happy and grateful that the majority of the Senate Health Committee voted in favor of S119 would be an understatement. I came here today to fight for the basic right to live a pain-free life; to be able to get out of bed in the morning not feeling terrible. To use marijuana, my medicine, which works for me," said Ward. "The Senate Health Committee's vote is incredibly encouraging and I urge the rest of the legislature to follow their lead quickly so that other New Jerseyans suffering like myself may find some relief." # # #

Press Release: New Justice Department Report finds 1 in 31 Americans in Prison, Jail, on Parole or Probation

[Courtesy of Drug Policy Alliance] FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 11, 2008 Contact: Tony Newman at 646-335-5384 or Bill Piper at 202-669-6430 New Justice Department Report: 1 in 31 Americans in Prison, Jail, on Parole or Probation More than Half of Federal Prisoners Incarcerated for Drug Law Offenses President-elect Obama, Vice President-elect Biden, and Secretary of State Nominee Clinton Favor Major Sentencing Reform A government report released today by the U.S. Justice Department found that 1 in 31 Americans were in prison or jail or on parole or probation last year. The U.S. has less than five percent of the world’s population but almost 25 percent of the world’s prison population, incarcerating more of its citizens per-capita than any other country in the world. The total incarcerated population of 2.3 million far exceeds China’s, which ranks second but whose overall population is four times that of the United States. More than 53 percent of federal prisoners are there for drug law violations. “Alcohol Prohibition was repealed 75 years ago because it wasted taxpayer money, increased violence, and fueled corruption; drug prohibition is doing all that and filling our prisons with hundreds of thousands of nonviolent offenders,” said Bill Piper, director of national affairs for the Drug Policy Alliance. “Policymakers need to start treating drug use as a public health issue instead of a criminal justice issue.” A recent Justice Department report found that the number of people in federal prison for drug law offenses increased from 74,276 in 2000 to 95,446 in 2007. Nationally, an estimated 500,000 people are behind bars for a drug law violation. That is ten times the total in 1980, and more than all of western Europe (with a much larger population) incarcerates for all offenses. It costs billions of taxpayer dollars to incarcerate them, and many policymakers are supporting efforts to reduce drug sentences and divert nonviolent drug law offenders to treatment instead of incarceration to save money. Earlier this year, President-elect Barack Obama, Vice President-elect Joe Biden, and Secretary of State nominee, Hillary Clinton, supported legislation in Congress to reform federal cocaine sentencing laws. Obama’s official web site states that “Obama and Biden believe the disparity between sentencing crack and powder-based cocaine is wrong and should be completely eliminated.” Under current federal law, crack cocaine offenders are punished 100 times more severely than powder cocaine offenders. “America desperately needs a coherent and compassionate national drug policy that reduces the problems associated with both drugs and drug prohibition,” Piper said. “Eliminating the crack/powder sentencing disparity is a great place for the Obama Administration to start.” ###

Press Release: Massachusetts Marijuana Penalty Reform to Begin Jan. 2

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   
DECEMBER 10, 2008

Marijuana Penalty Reform to Begin Jan. 2
Election Day Ballot Initiative to End Criminal Penalties for Small Marijuana Possession Was Supported by 65 Percent of Mass. Voters

CONTACT: Dan Bernath, MPP assistant director of communications, 202-462-5747 ext 2030

BOSTON — The Massachusetts voter initiative to replace criminal penalties for possession of an ounce or less of marijuana with a simple fine was officially certified Dec. 3, clearing the way to implement the new system by Jan. 2.

    Question 2, passed by 65 percent of Bay Staters, removes the threat of arrest for personal possession of 1 ounce or less of marijuana, which included up to a $500 fine and six months in jail. After Election Day, Gov. Deval Patrick and leaders in the state Legislature announced their commitment to implementing Question 2.

    "The people have spoken and the election is certified. The campaign is over, and now it is time to implement the will of the voters," said Whitney A. Taylor, campaign manager for the Committee for Sensible Marijuana Policy, which backed the initiative. "Possession of small amounts of marijuana is now a civil offense and not in the purview of the district attorneys."

    Under Question 2, persons caught possessing less than an ounce of marijuana will have the drug confiscated and be given a $100 citation. This process will be handled by the clerk magistrate system like any civil penalty in the commonwealth. Minors caught possessing marijuana will also have to complete community service and a drug awareness course, which will be authorized by the Department of Youth Services.

    "Claims by some that Question 2 will be difficult to implement are simply not true. As long as public and elected officials remain true to the will of the voters, Question 2 will be a success," Taylor said. "Eleven other states have implemented this law with no difficulty, and we are confident that Massachusetts can implement this sensible policy successfully as well."

    The Secretary of Public Safety’s office will spearhead implementation of Question 2. Proponents of the initiative said they are working diligently to support the secretary and his staff to ensure a smooth transition to the new system, which was designed to fit easily into current civil offense procedures.

    Under the old law, an arrest for even a single marijuana cigarette used to generate a Criminal Offender Record Information report (CORI), bringing lifelong punishment to 7,500 offenders a year. These often-unintended punishments included losing access to student loans and creating barriers to employment, housing and other basic needs. In addition, under the old system, Massachusetts taxpayers spent $29.5 million a year on arrest, booking and preliminary court costs for these small marijuana offenders.

    With more than 25,000 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 www.MarijuanaPolicy.org.

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Press Release: UN Drug Czar Embarrassed Again by Fredrick Polak

EMBARRASSMENT FOR UNITED NATIONS DRUG-CZAR COSTA Amsterdam – Antonio Maria Costa, the Italian Executive Director of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, is seriously embarrassed because of a solo-action by Amsterdam psychiatrist Fredrick Polak. In an open letter published today, Polak demands an answer to a simple question. Despite earlier promises the global drug czar has been dodging the question for exactly one year. “How do you explain the low level of cannabis use in the Netherlands compared to surrounding countries, despite its free availability in coffeeshops?” On the internet two YouTube-videos show Costa avoiding the question time after time. To Polak the issue is of crucial importance as if falsifies the basic assumptions underlying drug prohibition. Therefore he continues to harass Costa with it. Polak, board-member of ENCOD (European Coalition for Just and Effective Drug Policies): “The primary objective of drug prohibition is reduction of consumption and addiction. However, the Dutch experience with coffeeshops of over thirty years has proved convincingly that without enforcement of this prohibition levels of use won’t skyrocket – which is what the drug warriors want us to believe. No wonder Costa is at a loss how to respond to the question.” Reprimand One year ago Polak first posed the question on a drug policy conference in New Orleans. Costa ignored it, but used the occasion to scold the Dutch government for “poisoning Europe” with amphetamines. That remark got Costa a reprimand from the Dutch government, at which he had to bite the dust and offer a letter of apology. Nonetheless, at a second occasion in March 2008 in Vienna, Costa again avoided the question. This time he claimed that more than 2000 coffeeshops had already been closed, and that the city of Amsterdam had decided to move all coffeeshops “from the red light district to the borders with France, Belgium and Germany”. Polak: “Apparently Mr. Costa thought Holland (or Amsterdam) borders on France. And that figure was totally unfounded.” Waste Shortly thereafter, Costa checked in with the authorities in Amsterdam and The Hague for a “study mission” including a visit to coffeeshop De Dampkring (The Atmosphere). At the next conference in Barcelona Polak asked him about his findings. Polak: “This time Costa really went too far, claiming that Amsterdam has three times more cannabis addicts than anywhere else in Europe.” Costa promised a discussion paper with the scientific basis for this claim, to be published on his website “very soon”. Until today Costa hasn’t lived up to this promise nor has he answered Polak’s initial question. Reason for Polak to draw media attention to the affair. Holland consistently scores low to average in Europe in drug consumption surveys. To Polak this justifies a call for the abolition of drug prohibition: “That will save us a lot of misery, and a huge waste of taxpayers’ money. What is the use of all the effort to enforce prohibition, when clearly it doesn’t diminish consumption?” Polak concludes his open letter on a positive note, suggesting Costa (67) not to wait until after his retirement to acknowledge the failure of drug prohibition. “Doing so now would earn him eternal fame.” + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + NOTICE to the EDITORS Enclosed is the Open Letter of 8 December 2008 to Antonio Maria Costa, Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime in Vienna For more information you may contact the undersigned. The previous history to this open letter is shown in two short videos on the internet. Silenced NGO Partner: http:nl.youtube.comwatch?v=GjgzgRvHHwI Polaks’ Question Round 3 (with comments by dr. Alex Wodak, Sydney, Australia): http:nl.youtube.comwatch?v=xdOzi2ou2ZY Reactions from other NGOs: http:nl.youtube.comwatch?v=UaO7IvlUhro Yours sincerely, Fredrick Polak Stichting Drugsbeleid Netherlands Drug Policy Foundation /member of the board/ ENCOD (European Coalition for Just and Effective Drug Policies) /member of steering committee/ Vossiusstraat 31 1071 AG Amsterdam The Netherlands T +31 (0)20 6624 024 M +31 (0)6 3018 2408 E [email protected] __ Joep Oomen 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 [email protected] www.encod.org 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 / +31 (0)6 30210357 E-mail: [email protected] / www.encod.org

Press Release: Cannabis Tribunal Recommends End of Cannabis Prohibition

[Courtesy of ENCOD] THE HAGUE, 3 December 2008 - Yesterday the Cannabis Tribunal in The Hague ended with the final conclusion that a ban on cannabis does indeed have more disadvantages than advantages. Representatives of the Christian Democrat Party (CDA) failed to convince an independent judge of the opposite. On behalf of the organisers, Joep Oomen, spokesperson, launched a call to the Members of the Dutch Parliament to request the Dutch government to abolish this ban as soon as possible. An amount of 200.000 euro had been offered to the political party that would be able to convince an independent court of the positive effects of a ban on cannabis. The organisers had difficulties in finding people in favour of the ban. Oomen: “There is no doctor in the Netherlands who is willing to maintain that cannabis is a major public health danger and a ban has any positive effect at all.” Of all political parties only the CDA was willing to accept the challenge. Both mayor Leonard Geluk of Rotterdam as well as Member of Parliament Cisca Joldersma have proposed to further limit the number of coffeeshops. Argumentation expert and law philosopher Hendrik Kaptein, chairman of the court that was created for this purpose, demolished the defense of the Christian Democrats. Before an audience of scientists, former policemen, coffeeshop owners and cannabis activists he called their arguments ‘fallacies’ and ‘absolutely worthless’. The court could not find any argument against the plea for legalisation of the cannabis market proposed by Hans van Duijn, former president of the Dutch Police Association and a member of LEAP. According to Van Duijn, the CDA ­ due to the continuation of the ban on cannabis - is responsible for 50% of the criminality in the Netherlands, and every year, one and a half billion euro of tax money is wasted on a useless war on drugs. No attempt to contradict either argument was made by Joldersma. Soon a DVD will be produced of the Tribunal’s proceedings that were broadcast live on the Internet. The final declaration that was offered to the Members of the Dutch Parliament can be read at www.cannabistribunaal.nl. The Cannabis Tribunal was organised by Cannabis College, the Stichting Drugsbeleid and Encod.
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