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ALERT: Make Phone Calls to Pass Marijuana Legalization Now!

by David Borden, October 31, 2012, 12:28pm, (Issue #757)

The news cycle is awash with polls and news about the close race for president. But the most important votes happening next month may be historic initiatives to legalize and regulate marijuana -- and these are also going to be close.

You can help these and other initiatives we're supporting, and I hope that between now and Election Day you'll be able to. First, we have partnered with FireDogLake and the "Just Say Now" campaign to do phonebanking in support of Colorado's Amendment 64 and Oregon's Measure 80. (Other initiatives may be added to the site too.) Visit http://fdl.platform.webstrong.com/dna/network/groups/ to open an account -- select StoptheDrugWar.org as your "group," if you're willing to help us in that way -- and make phone calls from your home or anywhere for legalization! There are two options for Colorado, by the way -- one of them general, the other for women to call other women voters in the state.

There are other state initiatives that need your support, including marijuana legalization in Washington, medical marijuana in Arkansas and Montana and Massachusetts, and an important initiative in California to reform the state's draconian "three-strikes" law. Please visit our Election 2012 Resource Page at http://stopthedrugwar.org/election2012 for links to the campaign web sites where you can find volunteer information; the audio recording of our 9/27/12 teleconference with representatives of the legalization initiatives; and a link to our full election coverage archive page, where you can find feature stories we've published in Drug War Chronicle on almost all of these initiatives, Phil's weekly "Initiative Watch" feature, and more.

Please donate to help StoptheDrugWar.org to continue to grow and support the movement, to continue the press for legalization, and to prepare for the next stage after one or more of these measures passes in November. For donations of $35 or more, you can receive one of the two new books or the video that we're offering --  -- donate $95 or more for all three -- click here for all the details.

Thank you for standing with drug policy reform at this amazing and critical time. I believe that something big will happen this November -- with your help.

Volunteer to Pass Marijuana Legalization This Election

by David Borden, October 25, 2012, 04:08pm

The news cycle is awash with polls and news about the close race for president. But the most important votes happening next month may be historic initiatives to legalize and regulate marijuana -- and these are also going to be close.

You can help these and other initiatives we're supporting, and I hope that between now and Election Day you'll be able to. First, we have partnered with FireDogLake and the "Just Say Now" campaign to do phonebanking in support of Colorado's Amendment 64 and Oregon's Measure 80. (Other initiatives may be added to the site too.) Visit http://fdl.platform.webstrong.com/dna/network/groups/ to open an account -- select StoptheDrugWar.org as your "group," if you're willing to help us in that way -- and make phone calls for legalization! There are two options for Colorado, by the way -- one of them general, the other for women to call other women voters in the state.

There are other state initiatives that need your support, including marijuana legalization in Washington, medical marijuana in Arkansas and Montana and Massachusetts, and an important initiative in California to reform the state's draconian "three-strikes" law. Please visit our Election 2012 Resource Page at http://stopthedrugwar.org/election2012 for links to the campaign web sites where you can find volunteer information; the audio recording of our 9/27/12 teleconference with representatives of the legalization initiatives; and a link to our full election coverage archive page, where you can find feature stories we've published in Drug War Chronicle on almost all of these initiatives, Phil's weekly "Initiative Watch" feature, and more.

Please donate to help StoptheDrugWar.org to continue to grow and support the movement, to continue the press for legalization, and to prepare for the next stage after one or more of these measures passes in November. For donations of $35 or more, you can receive one of the two new books or the video that we're offering --  -- donate $95 or more for all three -- click here for all the details.

Thank you for standing with drug policy reform at this amazing and critical time. I believe that something big will happen this November -- with your help.

Congress Voting on Medical Marijuana THIS WEEK!

by David Borden, May 09, 2012, 08:57pm

protest against federal medical marijuana crackdown, San Francisco, April 2012
Dear reformer:

For the past 16 years states have called for safe access to medical marijuana. But Congress has failed to act, to the detriment of patients and providers.

That could change this week. Supporters of medical marijuana in Congress are offering an Appropriations amendment that would forbid the Dept. of Justice from interfering with state medical marijuana laws. The amendment comes at a time when pressure has been mounting on Pres. Obama to explain his administration's crackdown, the latest criticism from House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi.

I'm tired of seeing friends who stood up to help patients lose their livelihoods after federal raids, some even prosecuted and imprisoned. I'm tired of watching DEA officials continue to obstruct FDA-approved research on medical marijuana, research that could have resolved things through that official process long ago. But things will only change if people like you who care about the issue and see through those deceptions speak up.

And so I'm asking for your help. Would you make a phone call today to your US Representative's office, asking for a YES vote on the Rohrabacher-Hinchey-McClintock-Farr medical marijuana amendment to the Commerce, Justice, Science appropriations bill, H.R. 5326? Tell your Rep it's time to respect state medical marijuana laws and patients' rights! You can reach your Rep's office (or find our who your Rep is) by calling the Congressional Switchboard at (202) 224-3121, or you can look up the contact info through our online Legislative Center. (Use the "search by zip code" box.)

It couldn't be a more important time. Please call Congress to turn this challenging time in drug policy into a pivotal time for reform instead -- thank you for taking action.

Sincerely,

David Borden, Executive Director
StoptheDrugWar.org
Washington, DC
http://stopthedrugwar.org

P.S. You can help StoptheDrugWar.org by letting us know you've taken action and what your Representative's staffs had to say. You can also help by forwarding this alert and by urging people to sign up for our email list, our Facebook and Twitter pages and our RSS feeds. We also gratefully welcome donations.

Dismayed But Unbowed -- Take Action Today to Save Medical Marijuana

by David Borden, April 09, 2012, 12:43pm, (Issue #729)

http://stopthedrugwar.org/files/oaksterdam-raid-changedotorg.jpg
DEA agents raiding
Dear StoptheDrugWar.org supporter:

In 2008, candidate Barack Obama pledged to respect the right of state and local governments to provide access to medical marijuana for patients, a policy the Dept. of Justice under President Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder later put in writing. As you likely know by now, the Dept. of Justice under Obama and Holder has not lived up to that promise, but instead has engaged in a campaign of raids, intimidation and misinformation. Last week, rogue US Attorney Melinda Haag went even further over the top, not only raiding alleged medical marijuana locations in the famous "Oaksterdam" neighborhood, but even attacking institutions like Oaksterdam University and the Oaksterdam Cannabis Museum that don't distribute marijuana.

I'm writing today to ask you three small things:

  1. Sign Oaksterdam founder Richard Lee's change.org petition.
  2. Send a letter to President Obama through StoptheDrugWar.org. This is important so we know who on our list is motivated to help save medical marijuana and what Congressional and state legislative districts you live in.
  3. Pledge to stay tuned to our web site and email list for further actions needed in the campaign to save medical marijuana.

We are dismayed that the Justice Department has flouted the promise President Obama and Attorney General Holder made to patients and their states and cities. But we are unbowed, and we are fighting back -- because time and the truth are on our side. Thank you for your support at this critical moment.

Sincerely,

David Borden, Executive Director
StoptheDrugWar.org
Washington, DC
http://stopthedrugwar.org

P.S. Help StoptheDrugwar.org fight to save medical marijuana with a generous donation for our work. Feel free to select one of the books, videos or StoptheDrugWar.org gift items that we currently offer when you do.

Protest in San Francisco TODAY (Tuesday 4/3 11:00am) to Stop Federal Medical Marijuana Raids!

by David Borden, April 03, 2012, 10:44am

(formatted PDF copy at http://www.canorml.org/SFUnited.pdf)

SF United Protest Rally & Press Conference at 11:00am on Tuesday, April 3rd 2012!

We are going to send a clear message to the Federal government: Stop interfering with State and local laws for safe access to our medicine! We must unite as an organized and vocal community to push back against this senseless attack on our permitted dispensaries in San Francisco.

-The Details-

Protest Rally starts promptly at 11:00 a.m. Press Conference is from 11:30 a.m. to Noon. We march from City Hall to the Federal Building at 450 Golden Gate Avenue at 12:30 p.m.

Confirmed Guest Speakers:

  • San Francisco Board of Supervisors
  • Assemblymember Tom Ammiano
  • San Francisco City Attorney Dennis Herrera
  • Patient Advocates
  • Landlords
  • Permitted MCD Operators
  • Dale Gieringer - CANORML
  • Steph Sherer - ASA
  • More speakers are confirming their support now!
Please join SF United and City Hall Officials on the Polk street steps of City Hall to stand in support of the San Francisco Medical Cannabis Program. We would love to see you all there. If you can, please bring water, snacks and sunscreen to share with your fellow activists.
Location: 
1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place
San Francisco, CA 94102
United States
See map: Google Maps

ALERT: Don't Let Congress Backslide on Needle Exchange

by David Borden, December 13, 2011, 02:04pm, (Issue #713)

Dear drug policy reformer:

One of the most important actions taken by Congress in recent years was the lifting of a ban on the use of federal AIDS grants to support needle exchange programs. We have just learned that as part of the end-of-year Congressional spending package, Republicans are pushing hard to reinstate the ban. If they succeed, it won't reduce federal spending -- this is entirely about the choices state and local officials get to make with the funds that they have -- but it will kill people by promoting syringe sharing by injection drug users and the resulting spread of deadly diseases like Hepatitis and HIV, in turn driving up health care costs related to those diseases.

Please call the White House to urge President Obama to stand firm on this issue and not allow the needle exchange funding ban to be reinstated. The White House comment line number is (202) 456-1414. Here is a sample script for your phone call: "My name is _______. I live in <CITY, STATE>. Thank you for your past support of syringe exchange. I support maintaining current language that allows local officials to make their own decisions to use federal and local Washington DC funds for Syringe Exchange. Please do not allow the Senate or House to change the current law in the Fiscal Year 2012 Appropriations negotiations. Thank you."

Please also make the following calls to Congress:

  1. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV): (202) 224-3542
  2. Senate Assistant Majority Leader Richard Durbin (D-IL): (202) 224-2152
  3. Charles Schumer, chair of Senate Democratic Policy Committee (D-NY): (202) 224-6542
  4. Your Own Two Senators: (202) 224-3121 for the Congressional Switchboard or look up your Senator's numbers at senate.gov

    Sample script for phone calls to the Senate: "My name is _______. I live in <CITY, STATE>. I support maintaining current language that allows local officials to make their own decisions to use federal and local Washington DC funds for Syringe Exchange. Please do not change the current law in the Fiscal Year 2012 Appropriations negotiations. Thank you."
  5. House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA): (202) 225-4965

    "Thank you for your past support of syringe exchange. "My name is _______. I live in <CITY, STATE>. I support maintaining current language that allows local officials to make their own decisions to use federal and local Washington DC funds for Syringe Exchange. Please do not change the current law in the Fiscal Year 2012 Appropriations negotiations. Thank you."

Please email us to let us know what phone calls you've made -- especially if the staffers who take your phone calls offer any indication as to what their bosses' intentions are. Thank you for your taking action.

Email Congress for the National Criminal Justice Commission Act!

by David Borden, October 12, 2011, 09:35pm, (Issue #704)

Sen. Jim Webb (D-VA) has reintroduced the National Criminal Justice Commission Act, legisation to "create a blue-ribbon commission to look at every aspect of our criminal justice system with an eye toward reshaping the criminal justice system from top to bottom." The NCJCA, S. 306 in the current Congress, had broad and bipartisan support and passed the House of Representatives in 2010, but did not make the Senate calendar before the end of the year.

Please use our web form to urge your US Representative and your two US Senators to pass S. 306 so the commission can get started! Please follow-up by calling their offices too -- if you don't know their numbers (or aren't sure who they are), you can reach them by calling the Congressional Switchboard at (202) 224-3121. And please use our tell-a-friend form to spread the word.

The need for S. 306 is urgent. As Sen. Webb's web site notes:

  • With 5% of the world's population, our country now houses 25% of the world's reported prisoners.
  • The number of incarcerated drug offenders has soared 1200% since 1980.
  • Four times as many mentally ill people are in prisons than in mental health hospitals.
  • Approximately 1 million gang members reside in the US, many of them foreign-based, and Mexican cartels operate in 230+ communities across the country.
  • Post-incarceration re-entry programs are haphazard and often nonexistent, undermining public safety and making it extremely difficult for ex-offenders to become full, contributing members of society.

Every day that passes without criminal justice reform is a day that thousands of people who don't need to be in prison, who may have never deserved to go there, continue to languish needlessly behind bars, separated from their friends and families who want them back. Thank you for taking action.

Call-In: The National Criminal Justice Commission Act

by David Borden, October 05, 2011, 03:42pm, (Issue #703)

Today is the National Call-In Day to pass a very important bill, Sen. Jim Webb's National Criminal Justice Commission Act. Read more about the NCJCA here.

Last year the Act passed the House of Representatives with strong bipartisan support, but despite having similar support in the Senate did not make the calendar. Please call the US Senate leadership today (or on the first possible business day when you see this) and ask them to prioritize and pass the National Criminal Justice Commission Act, S. 306:

  • US Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), 202-224-3542
  • US Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), 202-224-3135

When you are done, please use our web site to email your own US Representative and your two US Senators in support of the National Criminal Justice Commission Act. You can also use our web site to look up who your members of Congress are and their phone numbers. Please forward this email to spread the word too.

Following are some taking points to assist you with your call:

  • I am calling to ask the senator to support immediate Senate passage of S. 306, the National Criminal Justice Commission Act.
  • The proposed commission would review the criminal justice system, identify programs and policies that promote public safety, and urge but not mandate reform of policies and practices that aren't working.
  • One policy that needs review is mandatory minimum sentencing. Thousands of offenders receive lengthy mandatory terms. These sentences have filled prisons across the country well beyond capacity.
  • The current incarceration rate comes at a high cost to taxpayers, families and communities.
  • Passage of S. 306 will lead to a more effective and just system. Please pass the bill.

Thank you for supporting this important effort -- send us an email to let us know you took action and how it went!

ALERT: Congress Must Pass Sentencing Reform

by David Borden, September 11, 2011, 08:57pm, (Issue #700)

Twenty-five years ago Congress enacted severe mandatory minimum sentences, condemning thousands of mostly low-level, mostly nonviolent drug offenders to years, sometimes decades in prison. In part because of these and similar "sentencing guideline" penalties, the United States now suffers from an incarceration rate unprecedented in the history of our own country or any other.

Last year Congress took a modest step in the right direction, unanimously passing the Fair Sentencing Act -- raising the quantities of crack cocaine needed to trigger certain infamous five- and ten-year sentences, and eliminating mandatory minimums for crack possession. But much, much more is needed to address these unjust and exorbitantly expensive sentencing laws.

Please write Congress today to call for passage of the following important bills:

  • H.R. 2303, the "Major Drug Trafficking Prosecution Act," sponsored by Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) -- eliminates mandatory minimums to reduce the incentive prosecutors have to go after large numbers of low-level offenders.
  • H.R. 2316 and H.R. 2242, sponsored by Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA), bills to make last year's crack sentencing reforms retroactive; and to continue the reform by eliminating "cocaine base" from the federal code entirely, thereby reducing penalties further to reach the same level as powder cocaine offenses.

When you are done, please make a call, send a letter or pay a visit to your US Representative and your two US Senators to urge them to pass sentencing reform -- you can reach them via the Congressional Switchboard at (202) 224-3121, or look them up on our web site. Please use our tell-a-friend form to spread the word about this important legislation too.

Every day that passes without sentencing reform is a day that thousands of people who don't need to be in prison, who may have never deserved to go there, continue to languish needlessly behind bars, separated from their friends and families who want them back. Thank you for taking action.

Ongoing reporting on drug sentencing is available on our web site here, or by RSS feed here.

Keep the Promise, President Obama -- Respect State Medical Marijuana Laws

by David Borden, July 10, 2011, 09:44pm
URL: 
http://capwiz.com/drcnet/issues/alert/?alertid=51250501
summary: 
President Obama has backtracked on a campaign promise to respect state medical marijuana laws. Please use our web site to tell him you're unhappy about that.
Location: 
Washington, DC
United States
See map: Google Maps

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