FRESH AIR IN MOVEMENT

Something is going on. A refreshing breeze is cleansing the dusty atmosphere of the debate on drugs. They say that periods of crisis stimulate the earth to elaborate new forms of social organisation... or to refresh the organisation of forms that were invisible during centuries. Are we passing from protest to proposal? Definitively yes.

From 21 to 23 November the workshop on "Drugs and Diplomacy" took place in Murguía, Basque Country, on the subject of the participation of organisations of drug users in the debate on drug policies. This workshop, under the leadership of Xabier Arana of Ekimen, an association of prestigious researchers from the Basque Country, forms part of a study on this issue that ENCOD is carrying out with the support of the Drugs Policy Department of the Basque Country. 24 representatives of 17 different organisations and networks such as GANJAZZ, LA REGADERA, AI LAKET, PANNANGH, COMISIÓN CIUDADANA ANTISIDA DE ÁLAVA, GANJAZZ ART CLUB, PAOTXA, INPUD, LCA, PIC, MDHG, AKZEPT, FAC, FAUDAS, FEDERACIÓN ENLACE and ENERGY CONTROL, met together in an idyllic place to analyse the weaknesses and strengths of user organisations to intervene in the design and application of drug policies, as well as the threats and opportunities that we can be confronted with when doing this. The report, with the conclusions of the research, as well as a videoreport will be presented in the coming months.

Apart from analysing in a very transparent way the situation of the movements for drug policy reform and the strategies to improve our effectiveness, we elaborated in Murguía concrete recommendations for the coming drugs plan of the Basque government and an alternative drugs action plan for the European Union that should replace the current draft elaborated by the European Commission. The recommendations of the Basque Government will be presented in a report at a meeting that will be organised for this purpose, and the alternative action plan will be presented during the coming Civil Society Forum on Drug Policies in the EU.

The workshop in Murguía represents a qualitative improvement in the movement for drug policy reform. On one hand, it is a historic moment for the social movements, especially for those that are formed by people at the grass roots level: we are passing from protest to proposal, and not a theoretical one, but a proposal that has materialised through a process of profound common reflection. On the other hand, the fact that we enjoyed such amenities as simultaneous translation, a comfortable room for the meeting etc., has facilitated the work in large degree.

We are also starting to see that the global objective is transcending local problems (egos, protagonisms, internal struggles, etc.) and global problems as well (sacred and stigmatised substances, urgency versus importance etc.). We are seeing the emergence of a commonly agreed project that becomes more and more clear and necessary.

Although this objective has always been present in the outlook of ENCOD, a coalition that has grown from 20 organisations in 1994 to 150 in 26 different countries today, in Murguía we have been able to conclude that we are all ENCOD, that we all have something to contribute to ENCOD, that there is a true feeling of belonging to the network and collaborating with each other. Something that is obvious but important to remember once in a while.

All this would not have been possible without the concrete help of two persons: Iker Val (of Ganjazz Art Club) and Iker Giraldo Cuadrado (La Regadera), who assumed the idea that was launched in the assembly and have proved able to convert this idea in reality in just 4 months.

The synergies are also coming together in the world of the Cannabis Social Clubs. during the past months the Federation of Cannabis Associations in Spain is working on a consensus document with recommendations on how to create a cannabis consumers club that would dispose of the most fundamental norms (statutes, rules for registering an association, etc.) as well as broader issues such as legal resolutions that are currently in place. This was the first step towards the elaboration of a second document that will be directed at the Spanish government with recommendations on how to regulate the clubs. The third step will be the internal reglementation for the functioning of the clubs, which will facilitate common standards of operation for all associated clubs.

This is not an isolated process, it takes place at a moment when from the other side of the Atlantic Ocean lines are thrown to us in order to maintain the link to the other extreme end of a chain that is more and more diffuse (consumers become growers and in producing countries, growers have been consuming traditionally since remote times). ENCOD is on the brink of signing an agreement with coca grower organisations in Bolivia which will promote initiatives of coca grower communities to obtain economic self-sufficiency in a framework of integrated and sustainable development, legal commercialisation channels for the traditional derivates of the coca leaf will be explored and acts of citizens’ diplomacy will be organised to propose the international depenalization of the coca leaf for international organizations.

For these projects, in early March we will organise a conference in the European Parliament, in collaboration with MEPs, on the issue of the revalorisation of the coca leaf through the legal commercialisation of its derivates in Europe.

We hope to count on the presence of representatives of coca grower organisations in order to present publicly the agreement, which we hope will be signed before that date.

Just as the twinkling of the wings of a butterfly can produce a hurricane, we hope that this fresh air in movement will cross the physical and ideological frontiers and obtain the necessary force [that might] break the wall of prohibition.

By: Virginia Montañés Sánchez (with the help of Peter Webster)

Thanks to José Afuera Gómez, of FAC, for the information on cannabis social clubs in Spain.
P.S.

ENCOD NEEDS YOUR SUPPORT:

Account: 001- 3470861-83 Att. ENCOD vzw - Belgium
Bank: FORTIS, Warandeberg 3, 1000 Brussels
IBAN: BE 14 0013 4708 6183
SWIFT: GEBABEBB

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.

Buoyed by this month's election results and jazzed by the prospects for change with a new administration in Washington, some 450 student activists converged on the University of Maryland campus in

We will be letter writing to our representatives encouraging medical marijuana legislation to be introduced in the MO House this next session. Come and make an impact!

[Courtesy of The Sentencing Project] 

Dear Friends,
 
We're pleased to call your attention to a newly released report, Compact for Racial Justice: An Agenda for Fairness and Unity.  The publication was produced by the Applied Research Center as a proactive agenda for fairness and unity in communities, politics, and the law. 
 
The Sentencing Project was the lead author of the chapter promoting criminal justice reforms (beginning at page 17). In this chapter, we discuss the failed crime policies of the past 30 years, marked by the six-fold increase in the prison population since 1972.  Much of this increase can be attributed to the War on Drugs and the consequent sentencing disparities it imposed.   In addition to calling for reforms of current policies, we caution policymakers in the new administration against repeating the mistakes of the past through enacting policies and practices that impose harsh penalties that produce disproportionate effects on minorities, youth, and immigrants. 
 
Finally, we offer four specific recommendations for immediate action: implement racial impact statements, abolish the mandatory detention of immigrants, support people in reentry and the communities where they return, and make racial equity a standard for all criminal justice policy and practice.
 
You can obtain this publication here.   
 
We hope you find this report useful in your work.
 
                                             
           
-The Sentencing Project

Our Plan

First, we’re going to build on the momentum from this year and work to push several issues across the finish line in Congress. With some of our strongest congressional allies now holding positions of leadership, we’re already mobilizing to eliminate the crack/powder sentencing disparity, repeal the federal syringe ban and undo the Bush administration’s Reefer Madness.

> Click to Continue

A Good Day for Marijuana Laws

Election Day was a success for marijuana initiatives across the country, thanks to the work of the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP), the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) and numerous state and local groups.

> Click to Continue

Canada's West Coast Leads the Americas in Drug Policy Reform

British Columbia has been leading the hemisphere in drug policy reform for years. The most recent civic elections confirm this point, and demonstrate the power of effective policy advocacy and public education.

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Report-Back from the HRC Conference

Drug Policy Alliance staff and allies recently gathered at the annual Harm Reduction Coalition conference in Miami, FL. The forum served as an exciting exchange of cutting-edge information, empowering ideas and successful strategies for incorporating harm reduction into direct community services, public policy and individual life choices.

> Click to Continue

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.

[Courtesy of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition]

LEAP in Action November 2008

This issue…

· From the Desk of the Executive Director
· Did you Know?
· State by State
· Volunteer of the Month
· Campus Communities
· Make the LEAP

From the Desk of the Executive Director

Thank you to our members in Massachusetts and Michigan for their significant work in bringing about the decriminalization of marijuana and reducing some of the harms of this horrible war.

Here in Massachusetts, we brought decriminalization in, with 65 percent of the vote in favor of Question 2. And we did it while doing what we do best: convincing people that we must create a system of legalized regulation for all drugs. Leading up to Election Day, I made this addition to my usual LEAP plea: “Legalized regulation must be conducted at a federal and international level, but there is something you can do right now, right here in Massachusetts to reduce some of the harms of the war on drugs: You can vote yes on Question 2, which will remove possession of an ounce or less of marijuana from any criminal sanction and make that possession punishable by a civil fine of $100.” In all the live presentations and all the radio talk shows I gave in Massachusetts during the last two months, there was not one person who publicly disagreed with voting yes on Question 2.

LEAP can take a bit of the credit for Massachusetts’ decriminalization of marijuana, and being able to take that credit elevates LEAP even more in the minds of other drug, prison and harm reduction transformers.

Again, thank you to all of our members for your continued support.

-Jack A. Cole, Executive Director

Did You Know?

Whether you are talking about State initiatives, working on Capitol Hill, reaching out to opinion leaders in college, government and business or impacting the international community, LEAP was there leading the conversation.

Speakers Eric Sterling and Norm Stamper spoke to the New Hampshire Association of Counties about the economics of prohibition, influencing decision makers in local government.

Speaker Russ Jones and Dr. Sally Jones shared the stage at the 54th Annual Social Work Educators conference in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where they helped shape what the next generation of social workers will think about the current drug policy.

State By State

Here at LEAP we’re still celebrating the victories in Michigan and Massachusetts. Jack Cole, Norm Stamper, Rick Van Wickler and Greg Francisco hit the streets and airwaves to educate the public about the effects of those state ballot initiatives. It was all hands on decks as our media team, speakers bureau and volunteers worked together to give voters a clear picture of the impact of these initiatives on law enforcement and the criminal justice system.

Volunteer of the Month

This month we’d like to spotlight Whitney Garlinghouse. Whitney could be doing a lot of things with his time, but after careful consideration he decided LEAP was the place to invest. Whitney joined the media team with an eye on radio. Whitney has been beating the digital highway reaching out to radio programs that previously featured LEAP speakers. Radio is a great way to get our message out to a wide audience.

Much of our media this month was radio. Whitney placed Earl Barnett on the air in Baltimore, Maryland and David Doddridge on the air in Slidell, Louisiana in addition to the outstanding efforts he made in Michigan and Massachusetts.

Campus Communities

Our Campus Communities outreach is affecting classrooms, students and educators alike. In Illinois, James Gierach spoke to criminal justice students at Blackburn College, while to the east Rick Van Wickler spoke to Keene College in New Hampshire and Manchester College in Connecticut, and to the north, Alison Myrden appeared at the University of Guelph in Ontario.

International Overtures

The newest documentary featuring LEAP, “THE UNION: THE BUSINESS BEHIND GETTING HIGH” is now available online. This documentary on the "B.C. Bud" industry features interviews with Jack Cole, Larry Campbell and Norm Stamper of LEAP. BC's illegal marijuana trade industry has evolved into a business giant, dubbed by some involved as 'The Union', commanding upwards of $7 billion Canadian annually. You can view the documentary at http://blip.tv/file/1356143/.

Make the LEAP

Around the world, organizations are struggling with how to make an impact on the 44th President and the 111th Congress, but opportunity and preparation have already made the way for LEAP. A struggling economy, deficit state budgets and a booming unregulated drug market give our speakers the perfect backdrop to talk about repeating repeal. The 75th anniversary of the repeal of alcohol prohibition is December 5, 2008. Around the country, our speakers are submitting letters to the editor, scheduling radio interviews and brushing up on the comparison between that prohibition and this one. In Washington, DC our team is preparing to storm the newly elected leaders with the mantra “We can do it again”.

LEAP membership is an important aspect of the Repeat Repeal project. Take a minute to invite your family and friends to add their voices to ours by joining LEAP today. Your donation takes us one step closer to making history with the 111th Congress.

We need YOUR help to continue doing all that we do.

If you aren’t already, please consider volunteering your time or donating to LEAP. Together we can End Prohibition Now!

Alabama: Voting for the First Time in Almost 40 Years

Alabama resident Ussery Knight cast his vote for the first time since 1970, according to a blog posted on The Ordinary People's Society Web site. "The last time Knight, 62, had the right to vote, gas was 36 cents per gallon, the Dow sat at 839, 'Patton' was the big movie at the box office and 'The Mary Tyler Moore Show' was beginning a seven-year run on television," the article stated. Knight, who served probation for a felony offense, recently registered
to vote after learning about the state's felony voting rights laws with help from TOPS.

Florida: Editorial Supports Democracy for All

A Miami Herald editorial focused on the significance of the election for those elected into office, and those who cast votes. Many Florida citizens with felony offense records were able to vote for the first time as a result of Gov. Charles Crist's efforts to restore voting rights and speed up the application process for that population. "Democracy is strengthened by encouraging every eligible American to vote," the editorial stated. "This is how America stays strong and free."

Pennsylvania: Is Disenfranchising Voters Really the "Right Thing to Do?"

A letter to the editor was featured in The Mercury questioning the rationale for disenfranchisement laws. "I suggest that the people of the United States take a good long look at the true scales of justice in our nation," the author stated. "Look closely at where taking away a convicted felon's right to vote falls in being the right thing to do when measured against the actions of so many other perpetrators of hate, brutality, unethical behaviors, and the destruction of innocence. I believe the scales would tip greatly in favor of the felon's right to vote when pit against so many other weightier issues of our country."

- - - - - -

Help The Sentencing Project continue to bring you news and updates on disenfranchisement! Make a contribution today.

Contact Information -- e-mail: zjennings@sentencingproject.org, web: http://www.sentencingproject.org

For Immediate Release: November 19, 2008

Medical marijuana lawsuit filed against Department of Motor Vehicles

Americans for Safe Access fights baseless revocation of patient's driver's license

Merced, CA -- A lawsuit was filed today by medical marijuana advocacy organization Americans for Safe Access (ASA) against the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) on behalf of Rose Johnson, a 53-year-old patient from Atwater. Despite Ms. Johnson's clean driving record, not having caused an accident in 37 years of driving, the DMV revoked her license on July 26, 2008 because of her status as a medical marijuana patient. The DMV refused to renew Ms. Johnson's license only after obtaining her medical records and finding out that she was a qualified medical marijuana patient. According to the DMV, Ms. Johnson's license was revoked "because of...[an] addiction to, or habitual use of, [a] drug," thereby rendering her unable to safely operate a motor vehicle, even though no evidence existed to substantiate this claim.

"The DMV cannot simply disregard California's medical marijuana law," said ASA Chief Counsel Joe Elford, who is representing Ms. Johnson in her claim against the DMV. "When the voters of California enacted the Compassionate Use Act, they never intended to authorize the DMV to strip medical marijuana patients of their drivers' licenses," continued Elford. "The DMV should not be in the business of revoking the licenses of drivers like Ms. Johnson simply because she is a medical marijuana patient."

Advocates assert that the DMV policy of suspending and revoking the licenses of medical marijuana patients is widespread, occurring in at at least 8 California counties, including Alameda, Butte, Contra Costa, Glenn, Merced, Placer, Sacramento, and Sonoma. License revocations by the DMV, which have been based on a person's status as a medical marijuana patient, are often rationalized by calling the drivers "drug abusers" despite no evidence of the claim.

In 2007, Merced -- the county in which Ms. Johnson lives -- implemented a police policy that instructed its Sheriff deputies to respect state law and not to cite medical marijuana patients or seize their medicine. "The DMV is not under a different set of requirements than local police in California," said Elford. "The failure to uphold California's medical marijuana law is entirely inappropriate for any local or state agency."

The lawsuit filed today by ASA is expected to be heard in Merced Superior Court in the next few months. The lawsuit against the DMV is part of a campaign by ASA to fully implement California's medical marijuana laws.

Further information:
ASA's lawsuit against the DMV: http://AmericansForSafeAccess.org/downloads/DMV_Writ.pdf

# # #

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.

Dennis Sobin's "Letter from Jail #1"

November 2008

Dear Friends,

Well, here I am back in jail. Again put here by my adult lawyer son and sister in an effort to silence me. The discord between us began in 2001 when my mother died. She was to leave a substantial part of her large fortune to the Prisons Foundation, a non-profit arts advocacy group which I had recently co-founded. The arraignment was to be handled by my attorney son with my sister's involvement and cooperation. A substantial share was also to go to each of them.In the end they got greedy and wanted it all; so they cut me and Prisons Foundation out.

Over the years I have tried to find answers as to how such a thing could happen. My mother and I were close. She, a retired union organizer and former public school principal, was very supportive of the then infant Prisons Foundation.
My son and sister reacted to my inquiries about the inheritance by getting repeated stay-away orders against me. This is the third time I've been charged with violating them. Previous stays in jail for such violations ranged from ten days to three months. This time the sentence has been harsher due to the influence and contacts my son and sister have.

Due to their money and ambition, they have both risen to positions of power over the years. My sister Judy Sobin is a regional director of the United Way in Salt Lake City. My son Dennis Sobin is a D.C. assistant Attorney General working at City Hall here in Washington.

The previous violation that my son had me prosecuted and jailed for was my attempt to resolve our differences by talking to his attorney. My sister put me in the slammer when I sent her an email on her birthday; sincerely wishing her happy returns and expressing hope that we could settle our "misunderstandings." I had forgotten that in Utah a stay-away order last three years, not one year as in Washington D.C.

Meanwhile, my son has his stay-away order against me renewed year after year. This year he really lowered the boom when he learned that I was to testify at City Hall on behalf of the Prisons Foundation. He charged me with three violations for going or attempting to go to City Hall to give such testimony. That's why I am in jail now. The judge agreed with my son that the stay-away order called for me to keep away from his "place of work," and that City Hall was just that. My fine lawyer James Butler's impassioned argument that Darrin's "place of work" was in fact an office in City Hall that I had scrupulously avoided, that I came and left without incident, and that I never saw my son or attempted to see him, fell on unresponsive ears.

The verdict of guilty on two counts hit me so badly both as a father and as a citizen that I collapsed, falling onto the defense table, and then taken to jail in an ambulance with a stop along the way at an area hospital that tested me and diagnosed me as having an anxiety attack. When I told my doctor and my nurses what had happened, they nearly fainted too.

Now I'm sitting on a bunk in my jail cell, wearing my orange jumpsuit and writing several "Sobin's Letter's from the Jail" communiqués. I was sentenced to six months in jail, a half year. Given my son and sister's influence, coupled with their strong motivation to bury me even before my death, I expected it to be more severe.
I will use my time to read and write books and work on my music. Of the two books I intend to write, one will be called Mentoring to Artists in Prison. It will be used in workshops to train mentors for imprisoned artists conducted by the Prisons Foundation (a program supported by the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanity).

If you care to help me I can use some blank paper. Please send me some loose sheets (up to 50) and I'll share any excess with other inmates (my roommate Michael is 18 and likes to write too). Also, I would appreciate a book or two. Any books sent to this institution must be paperback and sent directly by a bookseller (like Amazon.com). My favorite reading is American history, novelized or not, and music; particularly biographies of composers and songwriters, sheet music and song collections.

I also ask that you support the Prison Art Gallery located at 1600 K Street NW, Suite 501, Washington, D.C. 20006. Telephone: 202-393-1511. It's currently being most ably run by Donovan Berry, Kevin Horrocks, Anita Winston and Jahi Foster-Bey. Except for Anita, the entire staff has all been to prison, and Anita is on her way there (to visit her son). Thank you deeply for your support.

Yours for Justice,

Dennis Sobin
#206757
Central Detention Facility
1901 D Street S.E.
Washington, D.C.
20003

*Note the views in this letter are those of the author alone. Please send your comments directly to him.

11/18/08 - We will be discussing the election results and what that means for marijuana law reform, regional events, and other chapter business.

[Courtesy of Ohio Patient Network]

SPONSOR AND PROPONENT TESTIMONY HEARING SCHEDULED FOR NOVEMBER 19

A Sponsor and Proponent Testimony Hearing for SB 343 has been scheduled by the Ohio Senate Criminal Justice Committee for 10:00 am on Wednesday, November 19, 2008 in the North Hearing Room at the Ohio Statehouse. Known as the Ohio Medical Compassion Act, SB 343 would allow patients and their caregivers to possess and cultivate marijuana to treat the patients' serious illness. The Proponent component of this hearing will be grounded in testimony from seasoned medical professionals. If you would like to encourage your state Senator to vote for this important legislation, please visit https://ssl.capwiz.com/mpp/issues/alert/?alertid=11445816. It is hoped that this bill will be accorded swift passage in consideration of the highly successful Michigan Initiative.

MICHIGAN LEGALIZES MEDICAL MARIJUANA

Before the statewide initiative was started in five citywide medical marijuana votes, medical marijuana won in a landslide (with 62% in Flint in February 2007; with 63% in Traverse City and 61% in Ferndale in November 2005; with 74% in Ann Arbor in November 2004; and with 60% in Detroit in August 2004). All these efforts were spearheaded by Michigan NORML http://www.minorml.org/ and it's affiliated chapters. Based on these efforts Tim Beck wrote 'Taking the Initiative; A Reformer's Guide to Direct Democracy' online at http://www.drugsense.org/caip#take.

When the Michigan Coalition for Compassionate Care http://stoparrestingpatients.org/ launched it's statewide signature drive they sought the help of Michigan NORML. The NORML members gathered a substantial share of the signatures, and then went on to support the initiative in every way possible. They wrote letters to the editor and OPEDs, which were published. They placed thousands of Yes on 1 yard signs.

What they did not do was connect their effort in any way at with NORML to preclude any perception that they were really working to legalize marijuana. Thus they set a standard of professionalism for other NORML chapters to emulate.

On Election Day, the initiative, on the ballot as Proposal 1, passed by 63% with 3,005,678 Yes votes. It passed in every county in the state. The new Michigan law, now known as The Michigan Medical Marijuana Act, will be certified and go into effect later this year. However, implementing regulations to include the patient and caregiver I.D. Card system may take until May of next year to go into effect. Unique among the 13 states with medicinal marijuana laws, covering a quarter of the U.S. population, Michigan's law recognizes the patient identifying documents of the 12 other states.

The Ohio Patient Network salutes Michigan activists for their success with the hope that it will catch not only the attention of Congress but also the Ohio State Legislature.

MEETING WITH OHIO SENATOR TOM ROBERTS

The meeting of Ohio medical marijuana activists, called by Ohio Senator Tom Roberts (D-5), was held on November 6, 2008, in the Senate Minority Conference Room on the Southeast corner of the Ohio Statehouse. Excluding the Senator and his staff, around fifteen people participated in this meeting, including Ohio Patient Network officers Jeff Horvath, Nikki Plassenthal, and Mary Jane Borden, each of whom introduced themselves by their respective titles (Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer) and were recognized by the Senator as such.

Others in attendance included Eleanor Ahrens, Christy Becker, Jim Cowen, Tonya Davis, Dennis Day and Dawn Dunlap (Ohio Patient Action Network); Damien Hardy (Senator Roberts' aide), Brian McCann, Cher Neufer, Ed Orlett (Drug Policy Alliance), and Penny Tipps (State street Consultants).

Topics covered included LTEs; meetings with editorial boards; consumption (the Senator wanted to know how much patients typically consumed); Marinol and Sativex; possible pharmaceutical industry resistance; and opposition to the bill from government agencies. Medical marijuana advocates should be inspired by the harmony and unified purpose displayed at this meeting.

OPN ANNUAL MEETING HELD ON MAY 31, 2008

The Ohio Patient Network held its Annual Meeting on Saturday, May 31, 2008, at the offices of the Columbus Free Press at 1000 East Broad Street, Columbus, OH. Forty-three people participated in this meeting to elect the organization's officers for the coming year.

After the meeting, OPN Past President, Mary Jane Borden commented, "This is a very special board. Well over half of the original co-founders came together to seat this board, which includes three of them in the positions of President, Vice President, and Treasurer." Board President Brandy Zink said that she looks forward to setting the organization on a course to better achieve its goals and be of service to patients. "With the introduction of the Ohio Medical Compassion Act, there is a greater need for educational resources from a credible, professional organization such as the Ohio Patient Network.

The OPN Board Members are listed at http://www.ohiopatient.net/v2/content/view/16/34/

RIGHT, MORAL AND GOOD

It has been said that we are living in a time of great change. There are new voices in Washington, the legislature, and even in the world of activism. If we could offer leadership advice at this pivotal moment, we wish that change, which has been given so much lip service, would be based on the principle of right, moral, and good. We encourage leadership to weigh decision making and subsequent action using this three-legged principle. Right, moral, and good means:

Right: Right refers to the information on which decisions are made and asks if that fact base is correct. What are the holes in it and where might it be potentially wrong? Is the information on which actions are planned logical? Does it pass the smell or common sense test? Can it be substantiated by independent, third party sources? Right is not a feeling; it is the truth and cold hard facts that withstand repeated tests to discredit them.

Moral: Morality concerns principles of conduct. For moral teachings, we often look to the Golden Rule or the 10 Commandments. The Golden Rule quite simply states, "Do unto others as you would have others do unto you." As most people don't seek harm, we should behave toward others as we would want them behave toward us. The 10 Commandments also provide a moral compass. "Do not bear false witness against your neighbor" - don't lie. "Do not steal" - don't take things that aren't yours. "Do not covet." - don't desire or scheme to obtain that which belongs to another. Morality doesn't equate to any specific religion or doctrine; all religions have their tests of moral conduct. Still, moral conduct pivots on the query: does action find its roots in lies, harm, theft, or greed? Would I want to be treated this way?

Good: Good is actually a two-part test. There is the definition of good as beneficial and also good as of high quality. The beneficial test of good deals with well being. Good draws a direct line to positivity, prosperity, health, and vitality. It easily bridges to its benefits to others through the greater good. Good being of high quality equates to functional excellence. When something is good, all parts work, all pieces fit together, beauty radiates, and intended results are achieved. In both definitions, good refers to a plural or to the larger whole. As a two-part test, good asks, is action both beneficial to and functional for the larger whole and for the greater good?

The right, moral, and good paradigm of decision making is a three legged stool that will topple when one leg becomes compromised. Actions cannot be moral or good if their fact base is lacking. They are neither right nor good if based in lies, theft, or greed. They can't be right or moral, if they function improperly or harm overall well being.

We encourage leadership both nationally and locally to weigh these three tenets in the decision making process and as it considers actions based on this process. If we are to engender change at this pivotal time, then change should mend the rips and tears in our culture. Engaging in thinking that is right, moral, and good - holistically - gives all of us the best chance of achieving the results that we all want and for which we chanted change in the first place.

You may wish to read another essay on this topic, "On Harmony," http://www.ohiopatient.net/v2/content/view/817/2/

You can also participate in an online discussion about it on our forum at http://www.ohiopatientnetwork.org/zot/viewtopic.php?t=535.

Come join the celebration! There will be hors d'oeuvres, a cash bar, a silent auction, and friends...

For more information, including a printable ticket, see http://ripatients.org/.

LEGISLATIVE ANALYST

Kentucky: Formerly Disenfranchised Voters Chronicle their Election Day Experience

Kentuckians for the Commonwealth currently features on its Web site a host of stories of first-time voters who participated in Election Day after having been disenfranchised. Chronicling his experience, Carl Matthews wrote: "Yes, for the first time in my entire life I felt empowered. I voted to make better lives for myself and others. I have never voted anywhere in these United States. Today was my day. And what a great start to a new life!" Tayna Fogle, who voted for the first time after the state revoked her voting rights in 2004, joined her 26-year-old son who registered this year. "I was the 11th person in line at 6am," she stated. " ... All the way up until I saw my name on the list, I was afraid that they'd turn me away for some reason, and I can't explain why. My heart was beating fast and I got a little teary-eyed."

International: Government is Warned that Inmate Voting Must Be Allowed

The British government must take action in reforming legislation which will allow the country's 84,000 incarcerated individuals to vote in the next election, the Guardian reported. Parliament's Joint Committee on Human Rights warned the government that the next election will pose a "constitutional crisis" that needs to be addressed immediately. The challenge comes in response to a 2005 ruling by the European Court of Human Rights that a blanket denial of voting rights to people in prison is unlawful. The Ministry of Justice stated that: "A legislative solution can and should be introduced during the next parliamentary session. If the government fails to meet this timetable, there is a significant risk that the next general election will take place in a way that fails to comply with the convention and at least part of the prison population will be unlawfully disenfranchised. Commenting on the legislation delay, the Prison Reform Trust, which campaigns on behalf of prisoners, stated, 'This mean-minded, foot-dragging approach... calls into question the government's commitment to social inclusion, citizenship and human rights."

Florida: Voting for the First time in at Least 30 Years

Before this month, Florida resident Joe Walker last voted 30 years ago. He was sent to prison for two years in 1979 and lost his voting rights, the Fernandina Beach News Leader reported. Now 71, Walker was able to participate in the election this year due to Florida's recent change allowing citizens with non-violent offenses to vote.

National: Familial Disenfranchisement

Voter disenfranchisement was featured in an article entitled the "Barriers of Democracy," highlighted on the Evangelicals for Social Action Web site. The article stated that many formerly incarcerated citizens are raising families and working and deserve a chance to cast their vote. "Like most parents, they want to be able to vote to improve schools, infrastructure, and government. The myriad and complex disenfranchisement laws make this impossible for many. Imagine what generational effect this has on a convict's children when they see their father or mother excluded from voting."

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[Courtesy of Safer Alternative For Enjoyable Recreation (SAFER) and Sensible Colorado]

For Immediate Release: November 13, 2008

More Than 250 Citizens From Across Colorado to Attend "Marijuana Boot Camp" at Regis University in Denver This Saturday (11/15)

Current and future activists from every region -- Durango to Greeley, Gunnison to Aurora -- expected to converge on "Ground Zero for Marijuana Policy Reform" for massive grassroots training

Denver groups coordinating the event to offer panels featuring elected officials, policy wonks, journalists, and professional advocates

DENVER -- This Saturday, November 15, hundreds of current and future marijuana activists from across Colorado will gather in the Main Dining Hall of the Regis University Student Center for a first-of-its-kind "Marijuana Boot Camp." The free daylong training event is open to the public and will serve as a launching pad for citizen activism and reform efforts throughout the state in 2009.

Denver-based groups Safer Alternative For Enjoyable Recreation (SAFER) and Sensible Colorado are co-hosting the event -- officially titled the "2008 Colorado Marijuana Reform Seminar & Activist Boot Camp" -- and will provide attendees with grassroots training and materials they can take home and implement in their communities. Sessions and panels will focus on strategy, communications, citizen lobbying, grassroots outreach, the media, and the nature of state and local marijuana laws. Panelists from around Colorado will include state and local elected officials, policy analysts from "left-" and "right-wing" organizations, print and on-line journalists, advocacy and communications professionals, and a biology professor/researcher.

"The 2008 campaign season only just ended for most people," said SAFER Executive Director Mason Tvert. "But for the growing number of Coloradans committed to reforming state and local marijuana laws, the 2009 campaign season has already begun. Our first goal -- to disprove the myth that marijuana makes people less motivated -- has clearly already been accomplished."

The event will build on the 630,000-plus Colorado voters who supported a 2006 initiative to remove all state penalties for private adult marijuana possession, as well as the growing majorities that approved two similar initiatives in the state's capitol. Several Colorado organizations have also become more vocal in their support for reform, and some -- such as the ACLU of Colorado -- are participating in Saturday's Marijuana Boot Camp.

"A coalition of Colorado citizens, organizations, businesses, and elected officials has begun to emerge," Tvert said, "and an army of supporters is forming around the state. Its mission: educate Colorado communities about the fact that marijuana is safer than alcohol, and build support for laws that reflect that fact."

"Colorado is already far ahead of the national curve when it comes to our citizens' attitudes and efforts surrounding marijuana law reform," Tvert said. "This event will expand on those positive attitudes, fuel even more efforts across the state, and quicken the pace toward safer, more sensible marijuana laws in Colorado and beyond."

WHAT: 2008 Colorado Marijuana Reform Seminar & Activist Boot Camp
WHEN: This Saturday, November 15, official welcome at 9:45 a.m., culmination at 5 p.m.
WHERE: The Main Dining Hall in the Student Center, Regis University, 3333 Regis Blvd., Denver (Student Center is on west edge of campus -- See Building "N" at: http://www.regis.edu/regis.asp?sctn=loc&p1=lc&p2=parking )
WHO: More than 250 current and future activists from across Colorado have registered to attend

The political landscape in Washington, DC, is undergoing a dramatic shift as the Democratic tide rolls in, and, after eight years of drug war status quo under the Republicans, drug reformers are no