Dear David Guard:

“Saying that marijuana is harmless is like saying that a dog is a cat.”

“Scientific research does not indicate marijuana is medicine.”

“All major national medical associations have rejected it.”

Sound wrong to you? It is. Blatantly so. But these lies, and others like them, are being spread by the Drug Free America Foundation, in a cynical campaign to undermine the enormous progress that marijuana policy reform has made. As we rack up more and more victories, our opposition gets more and more willing to lie outright.

Watch MPP's new video fact-checking these lies — and send it to your friends:

And as always, we need the help of people like you to continue fighting lies with the truth. If what you see in this video angers you, would you fight back against it, by making a donation of $10 or more to MPP's work today?

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.

The Unvarnished Truth About the Drug War From the Drug Truth Network:

NOTE: On Tuesday, October 14 from noon to 1 PM (CT) DTN's Dean Becker will host a debate between the DA candidates in Houston. (Democrat and former Houston Police Chief Clarence Bradford Vs. Republican and former judge Pat Lykos.) You can tune in live at www.kpft.org or listen later that day at www.drugtruth.net This debate is happening in the Gulag city of the world, moderated by Dean Becker, DTN reporter and speaker for Law Enforcement Against Prohibition. (This program will immediately follow the Century of Lies program as described below, featuring a working judge and a former police chief of Seattle.:)

(To downlad these 29:00 files, click on links below. To simply listen, go to www.drugtruth.net and select the arrow below the shows description.)

NOTE: On Tuesday, October 14 from noon to 1 PM (CT) DTN's Dean Becker will host a debate between the DA candidates in Houston. You can tune in live at www.kpft.org or Listen later that day at www.drugtruth.net This debate is happening in the Gulag city of the world, moderated by Dean Becker, DTN broadcaster and speaker for Law Enforcement Against Prohibition.

Cultural Baggage for 10/08/08 Ryan King of Sentencing Project on voter disenfrancisement + Phil Jackson with black perspective on drug war & Terry Nelson's report for Law Enforcement Against Prohibition
MP3 LINK: http://www.drugtruth.net/cms/?q=audio/download/2083/FDBCB_100808.mp3
TRANSCRIPT: (By weekend)

Century of Lies for 10/07/08 Susan Boyd, author "From Witches to Crack Moms" + Fritz Wenzel of Zogby on poll: :"76% of Americans see drug war as failure"
MP3 LINK: http://www.drugtruth.net/cms/?q=audio/download/2082/COL_100708.mp3
TRANSCRIPT: (By the weekend)

PLEASE NOTE: Our Transcripts have been delayed. All back transcripts will be posted by this weekend. We also have besides transcripts, potcasts, searchability, CMS, XML, sorts by guest name and by organization or word search.

Next - Century of Lies on Tues, Cutural Baggage on Wed, listen online at www.kpft.org:

- Cultural Baggage 12:30 PM ET, 11:30 AM CT, 10:30 AM MT & 9:30 AM PT: Martine Ehrenclou M.A., author of Critical Conditions
- Century of Lies 12:30 PM ET, 11:30 AM CT, 10:30 AM MT & 9:30 AM PT: Judge James P Gray & Norm Stamper former police cheif of Seattle

Hundreds of our programs are available online at www.drugtruth.net, www.audioport.org and at www.radio4all.net.

We provide the "unvarnished truth about the drug war" to scores of broadcast affiliates in the US, Canada and Now Australia!!!

Programs produced at Pacifica Radio Station KPFT in Houston. www.kpft.org

Check out our latest videos via www.youtube.com/fdbecker: More than 55 Drug Policy Videos online)

Please become part of the solution, visit our website: www.endprohibition.org for links to the best of reform.

"Prohibition is evil." - Reverend Dean Becker, Drug Truth Network Producer

Dean Becker
713-849-6869
www.drugtruth.net

Dear friends:

I get a lot of questions about what the presidential candidates have said or done on marijuana policy.

There are a lot of rumors about what Sen. Barack Obama, Sen. John McCain, and the other candidates may or may not have said about marijuana — and MPP specializes in that.

In fact, during the presidential primary campaign, MPP helped persuade all of the Democratic candidates and three of the Republican candidates to pledge to end the arrest of patients in states with medical marijuana laws.

If you're interested in knowing what the candidates have said and done, please watch our new video:

MPP is the only organization that's systematically influencing the presidential candidates to take positive positions on medical marijuana — and punishing those who don't. Would you please consider making a donation to support our work today?

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.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 8, 2008
Contact: Monica Hubert at 312-573-8214

Blagojevich signs law requiring new commission to study racial impact of IL drug laws

Illinois incarcerates African-Americans at a rate 9 times greater than that of whites

(Springfield)--On Friday, Gov. Rod Blagojevich approved legislation to create a new state commission that will study the impact of Illinois drug laws on minority communities.

This measure addresses the findings of a 2007 study that showed African-Americans in Illinois were 9 times more likely to be incarcerated than whites, ranking Illinois 14th worst in the nation.

"No legislature sets out to make a law that disproportionately imprisons a particular racial community, but I believe our laws here in Illinois do just that," said State Senator Mattie Hunter, chief sponsor of the bill creating the commission, Senate Bill 2476. "Now that there's a commission dedicated to examining the problem, legislators will have the opportunity to examine and right the wrong."

The new commission--composed of legislators, members of the criminal justice system, social service agencies, and representatives from minority communities--is charged with examining the nature and extent of the harm caused to minority communities by disproportionate incarceration rates, and offering recommendations for legislation and policy changes to address the impact.

"We now have the opportunity to render an informed judgment based on an empirical data analysis and not just intuition," said Pamela Rodriguez of the Center on Criminal Justice at TASC, who will assist the commission's study. "This study will thoroughly examine drug laws from the ground up and open doors for the creation of effective, fair drug policies."

Creasie Finney Hairston, dean and professor at the Jane Addams College of Social Work at the University of Illinois at Chicago, who will also assist the commission's study, agrees with Rodriguez.

"Illinois' policies have to change. Our legislators need a different, informed perspective. This study will provide the perspective needed to help establish laws that not only positively affect the well-being of minority families but address community safety as well."

The Commission's report must be submitted to the Illinois General Assembly on or before December 31, 2009.

The initial appointments to the commission included:

- Judge Timothy Evans, chief judge of the Circuit Court of Cook County

- Ed Burnett, Cook County Public Defender

- Lori Levin, executive director of the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority

- Terry Solomon, executive director of the Illinois African-American Family

Commission SB2476 was co-sponsored in the Illinois House by State Representative Art Turner. The commission's operations will be managed by the Center on Criminal Justice at TASC and the Jane Addams College of Social Work at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

[Courtesy of the European Coalition for Just and Effective Drug Policies]

We are happy to inform you that with the support of the regional Government of the Basque Country in Spain, we are able to start a new project.

This project will consist of a research and training workshop on the opportunities and capacities of associations of users of illiicit drugs to participate in the design of policies that directly concern them: drug policies.

We will focus on two levels of policy making: the regional (Basque Country) and the European. The regional experience will be related to the drafting of a new regional action plan on drugs that is currently in process in the Basque Country. The European on the evaluation of the former EU Action Plan (2005-2008) and the planning of the new AP (2009-2012).

The project in the Basque Country will be coordinated together with two members from there: Ganjazz and La Regadera. National coordination in Spain is in the hands of Virginia Montañes and Joep Oomen will co-ordinate the European project.

In the coming week we will publish a summarised version of the European project online on the page that is dedicated to this project: http://www.encod.org/info/DRUGS-AND-DIPLOMACY.html

Concerning the European project: one part of the research will consist of a questionnaire to ENCOD members that will be sent out on 20 October. Another part will be a series of interviews to drug user activists who will participate in the International Drug User day event hosted by the Danish Drug Users Union in Copenhagen (31 October to 2 November). The final part will be the organisation of a workshop with 20 representatives of drug users associations that will be held from 21 to 23 November in Vitoria, Spain. After that meeting, we will write a report with suggestions and recommendations.

We are currently starting the invitation process for the workshop in Vitoria. We will invite the representatives of 21 organisations: 12 from the Basque Country, 3 from Spain and 6 from the rest of Europe. Of these six, 3 will represent (mainly) cannabis user organisations and 3 (mainly) other drug user organisations.

If you have any questions at this moment please feel free to ask.

Best wishes

Joep (e-mail: joep@encod.org)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   
OCTOBER 8, 2008

ONDCP Has Failed to Cut Marijuana Use, Misused Treatment Stats, New Report Shows

CONTACT: Bruce Mirken, MPP director of communications ............... 415-668-6403 or 202-215-4205
                   Jon Gettman, Ph.D. ..........................................................540-822-5739

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The major U.S. government study of drug use shows that the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy has badly failed to meet its own goals for reducing use of marijuana and other illegal drugs, according to a pair of new reports by George Mason University senior fellow Jon Gettman, Ph.D. In addition, ONDCP and its chief, "Drug Czar" John Walters, have misused treatment statistics to suggest that marijuana is dangerously addictive when the government's own data suggest that arrest-driven treatment admissions have wasted tax dollars by treating thousands who were not truly drug-dependent.

    Both reports and a summary of all the findings are available at http://www.drugscience.org/Archive/bcr5/bcr5_index.html.

    "The government's own statistics demolish the White House drug czar's claims of success in his obsessive war on marijuana," said Rob Kampia, executive director of the Marijuana Policy Project in Washington, D.C.  Kampia noted that during Walters' tenure, ONDCP has released at least 127 separate anti-marijuana TV, radio and print ads and 34 press releases focused mainly on marijuana, in addition to 50 reports from ONDCP and other federal agencies on marijuana or anti-marijuana campaigns. "The most intense war on marijuana since 'Reefer Madness,' including record numbers of arrests every year since 2003, has wasted billions of dollars and produced nothing except pain and ruined lives."

    Gettman, who made international headlines in December 2006 with an analysis showing that marijuana is the top cash crop in the United States, noted the following in his new report:

    **In 2007 there were 14.5 million current users of marijuana in the United States, compared with 14.6 million in 2002, while the number of Americans who have ever used marijuana actually increased.

    **ONDCP has not come close to meeting its goal of reducing illegal drug use by 25 percent by 2007.

    **There was a marked jump in the percentage of marijuana treatment admissions referred by the criminal justice system from 1992 to 2006, while just 45 percent of marijuana admissions met the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) criteria for marijuana dependence.

    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 http://MarijuanaPolicy.org.

####

[Courtesy of Drop the Rock]

Dear Friend of Drop the Rock,

On Saturday, Drop the Rock took to the streets to build political leverage in twenty communities that are negatively affected by the Rockefeller Drug Laws. With over 150 volunteers statewide, we exceeded our own expectations on Empowerment Day, gathering approximately 5,000 signatures calling for the repeal of the Rockefeller Drug Laws, and registering over 400 new voters.

In addition to the stories on various news channels and radio stations, Drop the Rock Empowerment Day was covered in the New York Times and Albany Times Union. Both articles are below.

On behalf of the Correctional Association of New York, I would like to thank all of you for working tirelessly to organize Empowerment Day.

Whether you were a first time volunteer or a long-time activist, a neighborhood participant or captain, we thank you for picking up a clipboard on Saturday, and pitching in to support an event which touched thousands of New Yorkers.

Empowerment Day will bolster our coalition, and build the momentum we need to pressure Governor David Paterson and other state policymakers to repeal the Rockefeller Drug Laws in 2009.

Please mark your calendars and join us for the next Drop the Rock Coalition meeting on Tuesday, October 14th at 6PM at the Correctional Association of NY located at 2090 Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvd., Suite 200. And bring a member of your neighborhood's team!

Please contact Caitlin Dunklee, Drop the Rock Coordinator, at 212-254-5700 x 339 or cdunklee@correctionalassociation.org with any questions.

Drop the Rock!
Caitlin Dunklee
Drop the Rock Coordinator

news link: http://www.timesunion.com/TUNews/author/AuthorPage.aspx?AuthorNum=132

Last-minute Registration Efforts

Across the nation, advocates in many states have been working feverishly to educate individuals with felony convictions about their right to vote and assist them in registering. As many states' registration deadlines approach this week, national, local and grassroots efforts have registered scores of individuals who were unaware of their voting rights status.

Georgia
Texas
Ohio
Illinois
New Jersey
Kentucky (Courier Journal)
Kentucky (Herald-Leader)

Inmate Voting

Numerous jails and prisons across the U.S. were filled with voter registration applications and absentee ballots as various local campaigns promoting voting for persons in prison, where legal, neared a close. Organization volunteers visited jail and prison facilities to distribute registration applications and absentee ballots to individuals awaiting trail or otherwise eligible to vote.

Massachusetts
Louisiana
Georgia

Alabama: Registration Suit Ensues

The U.S. District Court has been brought in to decide whether Alabama can prohibit inmate voter registration efforts by visitors. Alabama law permits those incarcerated and formerly incarcerated to vote unless they were convicted of a crime of "moral turpitude," according to Ballot Access, but the definition of moral turpitude remains unclear. The governor's office reports that 480 of the state's 575 felony crimes are crimes of moral turpitude, according to the Birmingham News, which include murder, robbery, rape, and certain other offenses. In the wake of Corrections Commissioner Richard Allen terminating a voter registration drive in the state prison that had aimed at assisting people who had not been convicted of a disenfranchising crime, the issue has once again taken center-stage in Alabama. The state's Administrative Office of the Courts, which argues that only 70 state crimes should result in the loss of voting rights, claims thousands of people convicted of crimes are illegally being kept from casting ballots, the Huntsville Times reported. For more coverage, read editorials from the Tuscaloosa News and the Huntsville Times.

National: The Sentencing Project, ACLU, Brennan Center for Justice Publish Disenfranchisement Reports

The Sentencing Project released a report that found that since 1997, 19 states have amended felony disenfranchisement policies in an effort to reduce their restrictiveness and expand voter eligibility. The report, Expanding the Vote: State Felony Disenfranchisement Reform, 1997- 2008, documents a reform movement over the past eleven years that has resulted in more than 760,000 citizens having regained their right to vote. The report's release coincides with the introduction of new legislation in Congress to secure federal voting rights for nonincarcerated citizens. Last week, the American Civil Liberties Union and the Brennan Center for Justice released a joint report, De Facto Disenfranchisement, which documents that felony disenfranchisement laws are only half the story: untold hundreds of thousands of eligible voters are discouraged from registering and voting because they receive incorrect or misleading information - or no information at all - from elections and criminal justice officials and voter registration forms. The ACLU also released Voting with a Criminal Record, which reports on the variety and complexity of various states' disfranchisement policies that have effectively barred countless eligible Americans from the ballot box.

The New York Times featured a blog posted by editorial staff writer, Brent Staples, on the three recently released reports that stated: "We tend to shun people who commit crimes - not just while they do time, but quite often for the rest of their lives. We bar them from housing, jobs, and yes, we strip them of the right to vote. Through these policies, we have created a large and growing felon class that is permanently cut off from the mainstream and stuck on a treadmill that often leads right back to the prison door. Rules that bar former inmates from the polls are excessively punitive, socially alienating and inconsistent with the core principles of American democracy."

National: Federal Voting Rights Legislation Introduced

Sens. Russ Feingold (D-WI), Benjamin Cardin (D-MD) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) introduced SB 3640 Friday, a bill that would secure the Federal voting rights of persons who have been released from incarceration. Sen. Feingold stated the following with the bill's introduction: "Mr. President, in a democracy, no right is more important than the right to vote; in our democracy, no right has been so dearly won. This country was founded on the idea that a just government derives its power from the consent of the governed, a principle codified in the very first words of our Constitution: 'We the People of the United States.'' From the Civil War through the women's suffrage movement through the Voting Rights Act of 1965 through the 26th Amendment, the continuing expansion of the franchise, a broadening of who 'we the people' are, is one of our great American stories. So today I will introduce the Democracy Restoration Act of 2008. This bill will guarantee that citizens who are not incarcerated have the right to vote in Federal elections.

National: Reader's Digest 'Rocks the Vote'

Reader's Digest featured an article headlined "Jailhouse Rock (the Vote)" which stated the need to release disenfranchisement laws in an effort to reintegrate individuals back into society. "That reasoning goes like this: After paying their 'debt to society,' in the old parlance, government's goal for these individuals-unless we want to see them back behind bars-should be nothing less than having them take their places in the fabric of American life. This entails reconnecting with their families, securing gainful employment, and becoming productive members in the social lives of their community and their nation. In the United States, implicit in this social contract is the right to vote."

Illinois: For the Record, They Can Vote

Following a training session for election judges that prompted eligibility questions, Journal-Star columnist Pam Adams makes an effort to clear any confusion about vote restoration laws in Illinois. She writes, "[o]nce more, for the record, the forgetful, the unknowledgeable and the ethically impaired, convicted felons can vote in Illinois. Banning felons from voting serves little purpose, especially after they've completed the sentence. They are still citizens."

New Jersey: Voting is a Must

State Senator Ronald L. Rice writes about confusion among many residents regarding New Jersey's disenfranchisement laws and underscores the importance of educating formerly incarcerated individuals in the Record. "[T]oday, too many people do not understand or exercise their voting rights, and as a result, entire segments of our population - and especially formerly incarcerated individuals - are being underrepresented at the polls on Election Day." He noted the significance of voting as part of the reintegration process for people who have been incarcerated and may feel alienated from the communities to which they return. "Voting is extremely important because it provides citizens with opportunities to make a differences in their own lives. Individuals can influence government decision-making through voting. The act of voting is the single greatest thing individual cans do to take part in government and in public discussion of important policy decisions."

Oklahoma: Confusing Law Keeps Individuals Away from Polls

"These unfortunate misinterpretations on a county-by-county basis, this just has to stop. We can't afford to disenfranchise people," ACLU of Oklahoma Legal Director C.S. Thornton was quoted as saying in the Tahlequah Daily Press. The ACLU of Oklahoma stated that individuals with felony convictions in one county were unable to register because both the applicant and the election board are unclear about the state's laws. The article explains: "A person convicted of a felony may not register to vote for a period of time equal to the time prescribed in the judgment and sentence of the felony. In other words, someone sentenced to a five-year, suspended sentence may not register for the five years spent serving that sentence. Someone convicted of a felony and sentenced to 10 years, but paroled after serving only three, still may not register for those 10 years originally sentenced. Those who have been convicted of a felony, but who have received a deferred sentence, may register to vote, as long as they are otherwise qualified. Those who have received a full pardon - restoring them to full citizenship - may also register to vote."

Maryland: State Attorney Agrees with Year-old Reenfranchisement Law

Sentinel columnist Mike Sarzo agrees with Prince George's County State's Attorney Glenn Ivey that voting rights should be restored to individuals with felony convictions. "Giving people a second chance is a bedrock principle of American society," Sarzo stated. "Allowing people to fully integrate back into the community after serving their sentences is an important way of letting people know they still have rights when they leave prison." Ivey expressed his support at a recent voting rights forum. In 2007, Maryland passed a law restoring voting rights to formerly incarcerated individuals who have completed their sentence.

Virginia: Governor Believes in Vote Restoration

Virginia Governor Tim Kaine has restored voting rights to nearly 1,500 individuals with a felony conviction this year, the Washington Times reported. Virginia, which is one of only two states that permanently disenfranchises all persons with a felony conviction, has a process by which interested parties can apply to the governor's office to have their voting rights restored. Gov. Kaine expedited the review process for petitioners with non-violent criminal records this summer, promising that all eligible persons who had submitted a restoration application by August 1st would be processed in time to register for this November's presidential election.

Florida: State Fails to Restore Rights Accurately

Of the 115,000 individuals with felony offenses who regained their civil rights since clemency rules were changed last year, only 9,000 have registered, according to a Tallahassee Democrat op-ed. Failures in notification efforts and appropriate follow up are to blame, Mark Schlakman states. He argues that recent efforts by Governor Charlie Crist to address the backlog are insufficient and, in order to implement sustainable reform, the state should readopt a 1975 clemency rule that made restoration virtually automatic, rather than relying on a cumbersome three-tier system.

- - - - - -

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   
OCTOBER 6, 2008

Protest Supporting Convicted Medical Marijuana Dispensary Owner Draws 350Patients and Advocates Call for an End to Federal Obstruction of State Law

CONTACT: Aaron Smith, MPP California organizer, (707) 291-0076

LOS ANGELES — The California organizer for the Marijuana Policy Project, Aaron Smith, joined approximately 350 medical marijuana supporters at a rally outside the U.S. District Courthouse in Los Angeles today.

    The rally was organized to support Charles C. Lynch, a former operator of a Morro Bay medical marijuana collective who was recently convicted on federal drug charges. Lynch opened Central Coast Compassionate Caregivers in 2006 but was raided by federal and San Luis Obispo County law enforcement agents in March 2007. A respected member of the community who operated with the support of local officials and the chamber of commerce, Lynch was known to refuse payment from patients who could not afford it.

    "He was just a compassionate kind of guy," Steve Beck, the father of a cancer patient who relied on Lynch's dispensary to relieve the pain caused by his treatment – which included an amputated leg – told Reason magazine this summer.

    The raid and subsequent prosecution was conducted at the request of San Luis Obispo County Sheriff Patrick Hedges, who was unable to use his office to close the facility since it was in full compliance with state and local laws.

    The jury that convicted Lynch was barred from hearing any evidence about medical marijuana or his compliance with state law. Rally participants hope that a judge will grant Lynch a retrial. A hearing to consider Lynch’s retrial request is slated for Nov. 4.

    "Only a small minority of extremists still support imprisoning Americans for medical marijuana," Smith said. "That's why it's no surprise the federal drug warriors didn't allow jurors to hear all the facts in Charles' case."

    Smith encouraged the crowd to engage in the public process by urging Congress to lift the federal ban on medical marijuana. "With your help we can bring federal policy in line with the public sentiment," added Smith.

    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.

####

Issue V, Volume II- LEAP in Action- October 2008

This issue…

· Did You Know…?

· LEAP on Capitol Hill

· Volunteer of the Month

· Making Media

· State by State

· Campus Communities

· International Overtures

Did You Know?

U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) stated in February 2007, “The war on drugs is an abomination.” in response to a question asked by Howard Wooldridge, LEAP’s D.C. education specialist.

U.S. Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA) said, “To Jack Cole, I want to say: You are exactly right: We must end this war on drugs,” in response to LEAP Executive Director Jack Cole’s presentation September 25, 2008 at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Conference.

LEAP on Capitol Hill

Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Conference - contributed by D.C. Education Specialist Howard Wooldridge

One hundred participants listened as four speakers discussed several of the evils and unintended consequences of modern prohibition; loss of voting rights, 100:1 disparity in sentencing between crack and powdered cocaine, which disproportionately impacted people of color, mandatory minimums and such. LEAP’s own Jack A. Cole was the final speaker. The screen lit up the LEAP badge and Jack launched into his presentation.

I was in the audience and can report that every person in the room (which included two members of Congress and several staff aides) was held in rapt attention as the audience absorbed Jack’s slides and measured words. At the conclusion of the presentation, Congresswoman Maxine Waters spoke directly to Jack, voicing her support for our mission. After the session ended, Jack spent a solid hour speaking privately to over a dozen persons. LEAP’s Media Relations Director Tom Angell and I also spoke to another dozen or so attendees. Jack has certainly made my job in D.C. easier.

Volunteer of the Month

“You can blow and blow but you can’t blow the house down”-- Third Little Piggy

Hurricane Ike blew and blew but the storm couldn’t stop our Volunteer of the Month. Dean Becker of Houston, Texas wears more than one hat when it comes to his passion. As the director and producer of the nationally syndicated Drug War News and Century of Lies radio shows, Dean has collected an incredible body of interviews with heads of state, drug warriors, political leaders and grassroots heroes alike. As a LEAP volunteer, Dean gives his time as a speaker and regularly features other LEAP speakers on his show.

Dean has continued to produce his show since the passing of Ike in spite of being without power, going out of his way to travel to a local shopping center for WiFi access. We honor all of our speakers who give their time and talents to promote LEAP’s message, but this month, with the wolf blowing at the door and in the face of much adversity, Dean has truly earned the Volunteer of the Month award.

Making Media

The staff would like to welcome Tom Angell to the LEAP team as our new media relations director. Tom comes to us after four successful years with our ally Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP). Tom’s experience with SSDP and as co-founder of the Rhode Island Patient Advocacy Coalition (that state’s medical marijuana organization) will serve him well as he takes on this new role.

Thanks to the continuing contributions of our supporters, we were able to add this crucial staff position. Prior to hiring Tom, the Speakers Bureau fielded an increase in radio show and print interviews. Calls came in from Calgary, Alberta; Paris, France; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; then from across the United States we appeared on shows in Albany, New York; Traverse City, Michigan; Taos & Carlsbad, New Mexico; Ocala, Florida and managed to get a recurring interview spot in New Orleans.

Louisiana radio host Bernie Cyrus of WGSO in New Orleans, is a local legend and very connected to the music scene. He has a criminal justice background and after speaking with Peter Christ, decided to have us on every week to discuss the futile efforts of American Drug Prohibition. He even joined LEAP while on the air.

State by State

Walking the halls of Congress talking about ending prohibition can seem like a lonely job. This month Howard Wooldridge took a brief respite to wow audiences in Sunbury, Pennsylvania while Greg Francisco took on audiences in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Across the U.S. we continue to get speakers in front of civic club audiences… Michigan, Massachusetts, Florida and Texas are just a few of the states where LEAP speakers were active.

Volunteers do much of the work booking LEAP speakers. If you’d like to see more LEAP work in your state, please email Kristin or call her at 781-393-6985 for details on volunteering.

Campus Communities

It is with mixed emotions we say goodbye to our campus coordinator, Jon Perri. He has left LEAP for a full time position with Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) in the Bay Area of CA, where we wish him well. College event planning really came together under Jon. Our September surge included presentations at Georgia Southern University, University of Michigan, Florida University and Towson State University. We had a different speaker every time, too, which shows our diversity.

Jon left behind a strong campus outreach program, with 20 pending events and another 10 in the works for this semester. Jon also left the program in good hands!

Matt Potter, our new campus coordinator, is up for the task of juggling 30 college appearances this semester. He graduated this past May from NC State University with degrees in both political science and nonprofits. While earning a double degree, he revived and led the school’s SSDP chapter. His activism didn’t stop there: while in college he served two years in the Student Senate and was chair of the Campus Community Committee, where he was instrumental in forging a strong and official relationship with local businesses and helped create a safe ride program. Matt continues to consult with SSDP as a member of their Board of Directors.

International Overtures

Travelin’ man…Jerry Paradis wowed the Kiwis* for 3 weeks, doing media interviews, speaking to members of parliament, presenting at civic clubs and addressing conferences while down under.

* The nickname used internationally for people from New Zealand

Jack Cole put another UK stamp on his passport with his trip to Cambridge. Jack addressed the 26th Annual Economic Crime Symposium. While in England, Transform, the outstanding UK drug policy reform organization, coordinated several interviews, including the Guardian, the Economist and a BBC morning show called “Today.” “Today” is the highest rated morning show in the UK, and we received many comments about the interview.

MEDIA ADVISORY   
OCTOBER 6, 2008

Marijuana Policy Project to Participate in Medical Marijuana Rally Today California Spokesperson to Join Advocates in Demanding an End to Federal War on Patients

CONTACT: Aaron Smith, MPP California organizer, Mobile (707) 291-0076

LOS ANGELES — MPP’s California organizer, Aaron Smith, will be speaking at a rally which is expected to be attended by hundreds of medical marijuana patients and advocates on Monday morning in downtown Los Angeles.

    The rally has been organized by local patients and advocates supporting Charles C. Lynch, a Central Coast man who was recently convicted on federal drug charges for operating a medical marijuana collective in Morrow Bay. Lynch complied with state law and obtained a permit to operate the facility. The jury in his trial was denied any information about the state’s medical marijuana law.

    - WHAT: “Free Charles C. Lynch” rally

    - WHEN: Monday, Oct. 6, 2008, 11 a.m.

    - WHERE: U.S. District Courthouse, 312 North Spring St. (at Temple St.), Downtown Los Angeles

    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.

####

[Courtesy of Prisons Foundation]

October is turning into a busy month for our director, Dennis Sobin, but he will get a much-needed rest at the end of it if all goes...wrong.

Dennis will perform classical guitar at the The 6th Annual Foggy Bottom Festival on Sunday, October 19, 2008 at the Eye Street Mall (At the Foggy Bottom Metro, between 23rd and 24th Streets, NW), Washington, DC. (*Rain Date, October 26, 2008 - same time.) Dennis will be performing the works of Mozart, Beethoven, Bach, Chopin, Scott Joplin, and a unique classical guitar arrangement of the modern classic "Stairway to Heaven." Don't miss this riveting and possibly farewell concert.

The 29th is Dennis Sobin's second important date in October, when he will be put on trial for entering City Hall on three occasions at the invitation of City Council member Phil Mendelson to testify at public hearings. His arrest was the result of actions by Dennis's son Darrin, a political adversary who is employed at City Hall as an assistant attorney general. He used his position and influence to get a stay away order against his father, which he asked the arresting officer and now the judge to interpret as not just staying away from him personally but away from all of city hall. You are welcome to attend Dennis's bench trial as he faces one and half years in jail if convicted of all three counts. It will be held in Judge Turner's courtroom, ground floor, DC Superior Court, 500 Indiana Ave. NW, Washington, DC, Wednesday, Oct. 29, 10 am.

Drug Truth Network Update: 4:20 Drug War NEWS from 90.1 FM in Houston and dozens of radio affiliates in the US, Canada and Australis & on the web at www.kpft.org.

We provide the "unvarnished truth about the drug war" to scores of broadcast affiliates in the US, Canada and Australia.

4:20 Drug War NEWS 10/06/08 to 10/12/08 now online (3:00 ea:) Select online at www.drugtruth.net

Sun - David Bratzer, Victoria BC cop 4/4

Sat - David Bratzer, Victoria BC cop 3/4

Fri - David Bratzer, Victoria BC cop 2/4

Thu - David Bratzer, Victoria BC cop discusses drug war & good policing 1/4

Wed - Zogby: "76% of Americans see drug war as failure" + Happy B'Day to DTN & FDB

Tue - Terry Nelson for Law Enforcement Against Prohibition

Mon - Eternal War, country version, Happy Birthday DTN!

Next - Century of Lies on Tues, Cutural Baggage on Wed (Now With Transcripts):

- Cultural Baggage 12:30 PM ET, 11:30 AM CT, 10:30 AM MT & 9:30 AM PT: Ryan King of Sentencing Project on disenfranchisement
- Century of Lies 12:30 PM ET, 11:30 AM CT, 10:30 AM MT & 9:30 AM PT: Susan Boyd, author "From Witches to Crack Moms:

Hundreds of our programs are available online at www.drugtruth.net, and www.audioport.org

Check out our latest videos via www.youtube.com/fdbecker:

Please become part of the solution, visit our website: www.endprohibition.org for links to the best of reform.

"Prohibition is evil." - Reverend Dean Becker, Drug Truth Network Producer

Dean Becker
713-849-6869
www.drugtruth.net

“I did not know.” I had a 75 minute presentation & chat with my state of Maryland House Delegate. She said she voted against a bill in Annapolis this year to reduce mandatory minimums for small-time crack cocaine dealers. I explained how the amount of crack they were talking about was like me buying a 12 pack of beer. I could have 1-2 friends drink the 12 beers with me or I might drink the whole pack myself. ‘I wish I had had someone explain it to me like that before I voted.’ She responded. There is always work for an education specialist.

Train the educator: Thanks to our new Media Director, Tom Angell, I learned that George Washington University was putting on a two hour seminar on How To Communicate with Congress. I went. Suffice to say, I learned lots. Thanks Tom.

As the headlines scream of America heading back to the Depression of the 1930s, we in reform know that the lack of money to conduct the prohibition policy/war on drugs will help move legislation. The more people suffer economically, the faster we end prohibition. This is part of the use of the German word Schadenfreude. It is bitter sweet. That tens of millions of citizens have suffered being a crime victim due to prohibition or from being arrested for drug crimes has not been enough. How sad.

I wrote to Ethan Nadelman of the Drug Policy Alliance and suggested his organization write to the 50 state budget finance directors about how expensive the prohibition approach is. In 2009 I will increase the % of my presentations dealing with the tens of billions wasted every year.

For Immediate Release: October 3, 2008
For More Info: Tony Newman (646)335-5384 or Ethan Nadelmann (646)335-2240

Mexican President Proposes Decriminalizing Small Amounts of Some Drugs, Including Marijuana and Cocaine despite U.S. Opposition

New Law Would Prioritize Going after Major Drug Dealers and Violent Crime, not People who Use Drugs

International Drug Policy Expert Ethan Nadelmann Available for Comment on Significance and Impact of Proposal

President Felipe Calderon on Thursday proposed decriminalizing small amounts of some drugs, including cocaine and marijuana. The legislation would offer treatment instead of incarceration for people who are struggling with drug addiction. A recent survey found that the number of Mexicans addicted to drugs doubled in the past six years to more than 300,000.

President Calderon has made a crackdown on Mexico’s drug cartels a cornerstone of his administration since taking office. He has sent 30,000 troops around the country to try to stop the violence. But armed attacks and executions have only increased with more than 3,000 people dying from violence related to drug prohibition this year alone.

The United States is already criticizing the new proposal. One official who did not want to be identified said they oppose the policy because it “rewards the drug traffickers and doesn’t make children’s lives safer.” Mexico’s Congress passed a similar decriminalization bill in 2006, but the bill was eventually dropped because of U.S. opposition and pressure.

Statement from Ethan Nadelmann, executive director of the Drug Policy Alliance (see description below).

“President Calderon’s proposal to decriminalize personal possession of illicit drugs is consistent with the broader trend throughout Western Europe, Canada and other parts of Latin America to stop treating drug use and possession as a criminal problem. But it contrasts sharply with the United States, where arrests for marijuana possession hit a record high last year – roughly 800,000 annually – and now represent nearly half of all drug arrests nationwide.

“Mexico is trying to make the right choices on law enforcement priorities; it’s time for the United States to do the same,” said Ethan Nadelmann, executive director of the Drug Policy Alliance.

“The White House Drug Czar John P. Walters should think twice before criticizing a foreign government for its drug policy, much less holding the United States out as a model. Looking to the United States as a role model for drug control is like looking to apartheid South Africa for how to deal with race. This country leads the world in per-capita incarceration rates, with less than five percent of the world’s population but almost 25 percent of the world’s prisoners. About 500,000 people are in U.S. prisons and jails today simply for violating a drug law; that's almost 10 times the total in 1980,” said Nadelmann.

Press Release: October 1, 2008
CONTACT: Tom Murphy 207-542-4998 or tom@thehia.org, or Adam Eidinger 202-744-2671 or adam@votehemp.com

Hemp Industries Association Gathers in Boston October 19-20 for Annual Meeting

New Data on Growth of Hemp Food and Body Care Markets to be Released Conference Explores All Aspects of Versatile Hemp Plant

Boston, MA – Even though it has been over 50 years since the last commercial hemp crop was grown in the United States, a financially viable and environmentally sustainable hemp industry not only exists here today, but is thriving. Business leaders of the worldwide hemp industry will meet in Boston, Massachusetts on October 19-20 to map out plans for bringing back hemp farming in the United States, to present updates on current industry developments, and to share new data about expanding markets. The Hemp Industries Association (HIA) Annual General Meeting will be held at the Best Western Roundhouse Suites, located at 891 Massachusetts Avenue in Boston.

The HIA annual meeting comes on the tail-end of the Natural Products Expo East, taking place October 15-18 also in Boston. Hemp companies are regular exhibitors at the Natural Products Expo, an event attended by thousands of retail buyers for natural food stores, distributors and brokers.

Featured speakers at this year’s HIA Annual General Meeting include:

Mario Machnicki, Managing Director, American Limetec: “Hemcrete® and the Potential Market for Hemp in Building Construction”

Alex White Plume, Pine Ridge Hemp Project: “The Lakota Hemp Building Project & Efforts to Grow Hemp at Pine Ridge”

Amy Shollenberger, Executive Director, Rural Vermont: “The ‘Hemp for Vermont’ Bill: How to Successfully Pass State Hemp Legislation”

Anndrea Hermann, Executive Director, Canadian Hemp Trade Alliance: “Canadian Update”

Barbara Filippone, EnviroTextiles: “Hemp Textiles Update”

Bernd Frank, Managing Director, BaFa GmbH: “Industrial Hemp in the EU: Experiences and Future Prospects”

Carl Hedberg, Consultant & Editor: “The Entrepreneurial Mindset in Mission-Driven Enterprises” (based on the top-selling book on entrepreneurship)

Christina Volgyesi, Living Harvest: “The Hemp Foods Market & Consumer Studies Update”

Gero Leson, Leson & Associates: “Nutritional Assessment of Hemp Foods and the TestPledge Program”

David Bronner, President, Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps: “Hemp Industry and Legal Update”

# # #

More information can be found online at www.thehia.org. An embargoed sneak preview of sales data to be released is available upon request by contacting Adam Eidinger at 202-744-2671 or adam@votehemp.com.

[Courtesy of the Crack the Disparity Coalition]

Secure Fairness in Crack Cocaine Sentencing -- Join Lobby Day this Spring

Plans are underway for the second national lobby day for crack cocaine sentencing reform in Washington, DC, hosted by the Crack the Disparity Coalition. An exact date has not yet been set but we invite advocates from around the country to attend the Capitol Hill event this spring. As a participant, you will speak with Members of Congress and their staff about the unjust sentencing disparity between crack and powder cocaine and the need to eliminate it. Training and materials will be provided to you. Look for more details in the December issue of the Crack the Disparity Newsletter.

Home for the Holidays

By Karen Garrison

Karen Garrison is the mother of twin sons sentenced to nearly two decades for a first-time nonviolent crack cocaine offense. Her son Lawrence will soon be released due to the U.S. Sentencing Commission's recent changes to the sentencing guidelines for crack cocaine offenses.

The dream will be a reality for one of my sons who will be home this December. It has been 10 years and Lawrence and Lamont's room has hardly been touched. I covered the beds with heavy plastic. Long ago I gave away their clothes and shoes to shelters and halfway houses, not only because of their weight loss, but clothing goes out of style in a period of ten years. I must now begin to prepare a place for one of my twins, never forgetting that one will remain behind unjust bars. I am buying sheets, towels, and gathering healthy recipes he will enjoy preparing. I will try to purchase new furniture and have already bought the paint for his room. Coming home to those same bunk beds would just make it harder on both of us. Those are the beds he shared with his twin brother Lamont. Click here to read more.

Commute Crack Cocaine Sentences in Time for the Holidays

By Jasmine Tyler

This month the Crack the Disparity Coalition launched the "Home for the Holidays" campaign to rally support for individuals serving excessive penalties for crack cocaine offenses who have filed commutation requests with President George W. Bush. The President expressed concern for the crack cocaine sentencing disparity in the early days of his administration. The sentencing disparity "ought to be addressed by making sure the powder-cocaine and the crack-cocaine penalties are the same," he said in 2001. "I don't believe we ought to be discriminatory." Advocates are hoping to capitalize on these sympathies to expedite applications for crack cocaine cases and increase recommendations for clemency.

The campaign is promoting support for clemency applicants seeking relief from the uniquely severe penalties for low-level crack cocaine offenses that subject defendants possessing as little as 5 grams of crack cocaine to a mandatory minimum sentence of five years. A powder cocaine defendant must be convicted of selling 100 times that amount to trigger the same sentence. Since Congress has yet to act to alleviate this disparity, advocates' focus this fall is to ensure that those who are seeking clemency do not go unheard.

Teen Profiles Crack Cocaine Reformer: Pamela Alexander - A Profile in Courage

By Laura S., Cincinatti, OH

This article was reprinted courtesy of TeenInk.com, a nonprofit, national teen magazine, book series, and website devoted entirely to teenage writing and art.

On December 11, 2007, members of the United States Sentencing Commission voted unanimously to make a groundbreaking change in one of their policies. They decided that the disparity between sentences for crack cocaine crimes and those involving powder cocaine was exceedingly unjust and prejudiced. With crack users being predominantly black and powder cocaine users predominantly white, the Sentencing Commission judged the much harsher sentences for crack users to be racially biased at their core. The Commission therefore has allowed thousands currently imprisoned for crack cocaine violations to appeal their sentences before federal judges, in an effort to shorten these sentences where feasible. While this represents a major step toward racial equality and justice, one uncelebrated, independent woman put her career on the line for this same issue - seventeen years ago.

Petition President Bush

Join citizens concerned about the harsh mandatory minimum sentences for low-level crack cocaine offenses by telling President George Bush and Pardon Attorney Ronald Rodgers to expedite and give special consideration to commutation applicants serving excessive sentences for crack cocaine.

Save the Date

September 24-27, 2008: Congressional Black Caucus Foundation 38th Annual Legislative Conference, Washington, D.C.

September 26-September 28, 2008: Critical Resistance 10th Anniversary Celebration and International Conference and Strategy Session, Oakland, CA

October 19-22, 2008: International Community Corrections Association 16th Annual International Research Conference, "Risk, Resilience and Reentry," St. Louis, MO

Spring 2009: Crack the Disparity Lobby Day, Washington, D.C.

Media Attention

Daily Press Editorial on Equalization of Crack and Powder Cocaine

Sun-Sentinel Coverage on Prison Term Reductions for Cocaine Cases

Kansas City Star Coverage on Former Kansas City Royal Baseball Player Willie Mays Aikens

The Crack the Disparity Coalition includes the American Bar Association, American Civil Liberties Union, Break the Chains, Drug Policy Alliance, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Open Society Policy Center, Restoring Dignity, Inc., Students for Sensible Drug Policy, The Sentencing Project, and United Methodist Church, General Board of Church and Society.

No Prison for Cannabis Edible Maker

A federal judge has refused to impose prison time on a California man who had produced and distributed edible medical cannabis products throughout the state.

Michael Martin addresses supporters at his sentencing

Despite sentencing guidelines calling for at least two and a half years in jail, U.S. District Court Judge Claudia Wilkin exercised her discretion to sentence Michael Martin, 34, to five years probation, with one year to be served in a halfway house and one year to be served in home confinement. The dramatic sentence caused the courtroom full of patients and activists to erupt in applause.

Faced with the threat of more serious charges and the specter of a federal trial in which no information about state law or medical use could be introduced, Martin pled guilty in federal court to manufacturing marijuana edibles and did not contest the government finding of more than 400 plants seized in the September 2007 DEA raid.

In a speech to the court that had observers in tears, Martin spoke eloquently about why he had acted on behalf of patients, describing the cancer patients he was proud to have helped, the support of his loving family, and how he had only acted on behalf of others, never for profit.

That speech, the enormous volume of letters of support for Martin the judge received, and the lack of any evidence that any edible produced by Mickey was diverted to recreational use, all helped the judge declare that this was a unique case that did not call for a normal sentence, and certainly not the more than three years of federal prison that the law mandates.

Comments from the bench about the tensions between state and federal laws also made clear that the judge understood medical cannabis cases to be different from other federal drug cases, and she joined several other members of the federal judiciary in departing from the government's sentencing guidelines.

"The prosecution of good people like Michael Martin, who are trying to give patients the choice of an edible, non-smoked medicine, is a travesty," said Rebecca Saltzman, ASA Chief of Staff. "The government says smoking is a bad delivery method then prosecutes those who provide an alternative -- ridiculous."

ASA played a key role in providing support for Martin and his family after he surrendered to authorities. ASA staff helped organize the grassroots response of local patients and activists who filled the courtroom during Martin's hearings and assisted him with managing the media response in the wake of DEA attempts to portray him as a dangerous drug dealer.

Martin was the state's largest producer of medical cannabis baked goods and other edibles, products that offer an alternative to smoking cannabis that is preferred by many patients. The products were available only through licensed dispensaries and carried prominent labels warning that they were cannabis products for medical use only. A majority of the more than 300 medical cannabis dispensaries in California provide edible products to their patients.

Calif. Job Rights Bill Vetoed, ASA Vows Fight

Late September 30, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed AB 2279, a bill to ensure job rights for the state's medical cannabis patients.

AB 2279 would have stopped workplace discrimination against hundreds of thousands of legal patients, whose right to work was compromised by a California Supreme Court decision earlier this year. The governor's veto means that California employers can still fire patients who follow state law - even those who only use medical cannabis in the privacy of their homes. The veto is a setback for fairness and non-discrimination, but ASA will fight on in the state courts and capitol to protect and expand cannabis patients' rights.

"The governor's veto is disappointing," said Don Duncan, ASA's California Director. "But we have seen that persistent and strategic work by ASA - supported by our robust grassroots effort - can get results. In a different political climate, we would have gotten the governor's signature. But our strategy got it through the legislature, so we're hopeful for the future."

Medical cannabis patients were caught with other constituencies in the crossfire between Gov. Schwarzenegger and state lawmakers over the state's budget. The governor vetoed a record number of bills this year, including some that passed both houses unanimously and had no registered opposition, in apparent retaliation for the legislature's reluctance to adopt his controversial budget.

Patient Gets Cannabis Back from Police, Finally

In another victory for ASA's return of property campaign, a California medical cannabis patient got his cannabis back from police after a nearly three-year wait.

Jim Spray, 52, finally got Huntington Beach police to return the property they had seized from him in November 2005, but not without going through the legal wringer.

Jim Spray sports an ASA cap as he retrieves his property from police.

With the help of ASA Chief Counsel Joe Elford, Spray went to court three years ago, asking for the return of approximately five ounces of marijuana, twelve immature plants, a jar of concentrated cannabis, and marijuana cultivation equipment valued at $1,000. But the court denied the motion.

The ruling hinged on another case, Chavez v. Superior Court, which had said that a patient-caregiver was not entitled to the return of his medical marijuana because not all was for his personal medical use. Courts and prosecutors used this to claim that there was no circumstance under which medical marijuana could be returned.
"We had been fighting this misunderstanding in a number of cases," said Joe Elford, ASA's Chief Counsel. "But because you can only appeal the denial of a motion for return of property through a procedure known as a writ, the appellate courts could elect to ignore us, which is what they did."

But Spray was not alone. Felix Kha was fighting a similar battle with Garden Grove police, also with ASA's help. Police had already been ordered to return patient Kha's property, but the city refused, and the appeal languished for months - until Spray's case came along.

ASA Chief Counsel Joe Elford

"With Jim Spray's case filed," said Elford, "I could remind the court of appeal that the Garden Grove case was pending and that this was an issue that needed to be resolved. James Spray's case pushed the issue along."

The appeals court consolidated the cases for oral argument, with Elford arguing both. Three months later, decisions came down in favor of both patients. But the difficulties continued for Spray.

Despite being directed by the court of appeal to issue an order for the return of Spray's property, the trial court refused. So Spray and Elford had to file yet more paperwork, finally resulting in an order to police, nine months after ASA's court win.

On September 17, Spray took the order to the Huntington Beach Police Department to get his property back. Although much of the cultivation equipment had been mysteriously destroyed and the dried marijuana and plants were beyond salvage, one jar contained several grams of concentrated cannabis that is still usable, much to Spray's delight.

Congress Urges Oversight of DEA Tactics on Medical Cannabis

Several U.S. Representatives used the waning days of 110th Congress to record their continued opposition to federal enforcement raids on individuals who use or provide medical cannabis in accordance with their state law.

ASA's lobbying efforts helped convince more than a dozen members of the U.S. House of Representatives to sign a bi-partisan letter asking the Judiciary Committee to investigate DEA enforcement activity against medical cannabis dispensing collectives and their landlords. The lawmakers have asked to Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers to convene an oversight hearing on whether the DEA is using federal resources wisely and efficiently, what impact the increased level of enforcement is having on the ability of state and local governments to effectively implement their state law, and what changes to federal law are necessary.

The letter, which was spearheaded by ASA and sponsored by U.S. Representatives Sam Farr (D-CA), Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA), Barney Frank (D-MA), Maurice Hinchey (D-NY), and Dr. Ron Paul (R-TX), echoes the concerns raised by local officials across California and acknowledges the Chairman's pervious endeavors to provide oversight.

"We had hoped that oversight would have occurred by now," said Caren Woodson, ASA's Director of Government Affairs, "But given the Bush Administration's systematic obstruction of Congressional oversight the past few years, particularly of officials in the Justice Department, we expect oversight hearings to have generous support next year with a new Congress and new Administration open to change."

As a result of ASA efforts on Capitol Hill and in California this year, Chairman Conyers earlier sent a letter to DEA Acting Administrator Michelle Leonhart which questioned the Department of Justice about the enforcement tactics being used against medical cannabis patients and state programs.

Dear friends:

Opponents of Massachusetts' marijuana decriminalization ballot initiative just can't stop lying.

Here are some the lies they're flooding the media with, in a cynical attempt to scare voters into defeating the measure on November 4:

• Marijuana is more dangerous than alcohol or tobacco — because tobacco takes a long time to kill you and alcohol has health benefits. (Yes, you read that right.) That's according to Bristol County District Attorney Sam Sutter.

And here are four gems from the Massachusetts District Attorneys Association:

• “By empowering drug dealers with decriminalization of marijuana, we would be empowering them to continue their violent ways: carrying and brandishing weapons; ripping off kids who get in over their heads; engaging in bloody turf wars; and indiscriminately assaulting or murdering when things don't go the way they want.”
• “Marijuana arrests are strongly associated with violent crime — dangerous criminals who make the wrong choice time and time again.” (In reality, research shows unmistakably that marijuana — unlike alcohol — is almost never the cause of aggression or violence.)
• “Very few arrests involving marijuana charges are for simple possession.” (In reality, according to FBI statistics, a full 89% of marijuana arrests are for simple possession.)
• The initiative “will allow drug dealers to operate with impunity and make it easier for them to do business with your children.”

You and I know this is outrageous. Don't sit by and let law enforcement officials get away with this blatant lying and fear-mongering — help the campaign fund an aggressive response.

This is the first time in history that an initiative to decriminalize marijuana will be on any statewide ballot, and the campaign needs our help to fight back hard in the little time that remains. Will you please visit www.SensibleMarijuanaPolicy.org/donate to donate $10 or more today?

As always, thank you for your generous support of MPP and our allies.

Sincerely,

Rob Kampia
Executive Director
Marijuana Policy Project
Washington, D.C.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 1, 2008
Contact: Reena Szczepanski (505) 699-0798 or Jeanne Block (505) 983-3277

Innovative Drug Prevention DVD, Just4Teens, Now Available to Teachers, Counselors, and Prevention Specialists in New Mexico

Community Comes Together to Address Methamphetamine and Other Drugs at Santa Fe DVD Premiere Event on October 8

Video, Facilitator’s Guide, and Upcoming Statewide Trainings to Focus on Effective Drug Prevention Strategies for New Mexico

Santa Fe - Drug Policy Alliance New Mexico (DPANM) is proud to announce the release of Just4Teens: Let’s Talk about Meth and Other Drugs, an innovative drug education DVD that serves as a tool for teachers, counselors, prevention specialists, and parents to initiate an open, honest discussion with young people about drugs and drug use. The video will premiere October 8 at Warehouse 21 in Santa Fe. Doors open at 6 p.m. Following the video screening, a panel of DPANM staff, local youth, and adults working with young people will discuss drugs, drug prevention, and resources available in Santa Fe.

“DPANM is offering educators and teens an innovative drug prevention resource with the Just4Teens video and Facilitator’s Guide,” said Reena Szczepanski, director of DPANM. “For over 25 years drug prevention has meant using scare tactics and ‘just say no’ messages. These strategies are failing our young people, and it is time for our community to embrace effective drug prevention.”

The Just4Teens DVD includes a 15-minute video and a 14-page Facilitator’s Guide. The DVD and Guide can be used to supplement current prevention programs. Teachers and other adults can use this tool to start in-depth conversations about drugs and drug use in their after school program, classroom, or other youth group.

In addition to providing the video for free to residents in New Mexico, DPANM will be conducting free train-the-trainer drug education workshops in 2008 and 2009 around the state.

“Effective drug prevention is more than just showing a video,” said Jeanne Block, Methamphetamine Project coordinator with DPANM. “The trainings will provide people who work with youth the tools, resources, and strategies they need to make a difference in the lives of young people.”

DPANM will be hosting Just4Teens video premiere events in communities around New Mexico, including Albuquerque, Alamogordo, and Farmington. The educational DVD was produced through the support of a U.S. Department of Justice grant championed by Sen. Jeff Bingaman.