• Events - What You Can Do

    International Overdose Awareness Day

    DPA Coordinating Events for International Overdose Awareness Day (August 31) to Remember Lives Lost and to Educate About Solutions to Overdose Crisis

    Accidental Overdose Deaths Have Quadrupled Since 1990 — More than 26,000 Americans Die Every Year

    Radio Stations and Supporters Urged to Play Music by Artists who Died of Drug Overdose

    The Drug Policy Alliance (DPA) will be joining dozens of organizations in the U.S. and abroad who are participating in International Overdose Awareness Day on August 31. The day honors and remembers those who have lost their lives to an overdose. The occasion is also an opportunity to educate policymakers and the public about the growing overdose crisis in the United States and abroad – and to offer concrete solutions that save lives.

  • Cannabis & Hemp - What You Can Do

    Dispensaries are Indispensable

    As you may be aware, Health Canada last month announced some proposed amendment to the MMAR and are engaging in a consultation period this month. More information can be found on their website: http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/dhp-mps/marihuana/index-eng.php.

    The Canadian Association of Medical Cannabis Dispensaries has launched a “Dispensaries are Indispensable” National Endorsement Campaign. The Campaign is aimed at collecting endorsements from medical cannabis patients who access their medicine at dispensaries across Canada. We want to send a message to Health Canada that dispensaries are providing patients with valuable and valued services and should be included in the legal framework of medical cannabis in Canada.

    Please sign an endorsement online if you access your cannabis at a dispensary in Canada, and please feel free to put a link to this campaign on your various websites: http://thecompassionclub.org/endorsementcampaign

  • Hot Off The 'Net - What You Can Do

    On 40th Anniversary of “War on Drugs,” Cops Release Report Showing its Failure

    Obama’s Drug Czar Says He Ended “War on Drugs” Two Years Ago

    Cops Hand-Deliver Report to Drug Czar’s Office While Czar Refuses to Meet

    WASHINGTON, DC — In conjunction with this week’s 40th anniversary of President Nixon declaring “war on drugs,” a group of police, judges and jailers who support legalization released a report today showing how the Obama administration is ramping up a war it disingenuously claims that it ended two years ago.

    Following the report’s release at a press conference this morning, the pro-legalization law enforcers attempted to hand-deliver a copy to Obama administration drug czar Gil Kerlikowske, who is a former Seattle chief of police. Instead of making time to listen to the concerns of fellow law enforcers who have dedicated their careers to protecting public safety, he simply sent a staffer to the lobby to receive a copy of the cops’ report.

  • What You Can Do

    Petition to End the War on Drugs

    We call on you to end the war on drugs and the prohibition regime, and move towards a system based on decriminalisation, regulation, public health and education. This 50 year old policy has failed, fuels violent organised crime, devastates lives and is costing billions. It is time for a humane and effective approach.

  • Focus Alerts

    ALERT: 468 Now There Are 16 States

    NOW THERE ARE 16 STATES

    **********************************************************************

    DrugSense FOCUS Alert #468 – Saturday, May 14th, 2011

    Today the front page of The News Journal, Delaware’s major newspaper,
    printed the article below. Will this, the most restrictive law any
    state has, ever actually help patients? Will the federal government
    allow the state to have three not-for-profit dispensaries?

    You may read the law at
    http://legis.delaware.gov/LIS/LIS146.nsf/vwLegislation/SB+17

    If you have been following the news at http://www.mapinc.org/find?253
    you know that the feds are continuing to attack medicinal marijuana
    providers in various ways. Until Congress passes a law supporting
    medical cannabis that is not likely to change.

    Please consider House vote tallies for the Hinchey/Rohrabacher
    medical marijuana amendment at http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2007/roll733.xml

    You will notice which party tends to give medical marijuana the most
    support. The vote also shows that much needs to be done before
    federal laws will be changed.

    Please contact your Members of Congress. Please write letters to the
    editor of newspapers. It Is Not What Others Do, It Is What You Do.

    If you need medicinal cannabis facts please visit
    http://www.drugwarfacts.org/cms/node/54

    **********************************************************************

    DELAWARE GOV. JACK MARKELL SIGNS LAW ALLOWING MEDICAL MARIJUANA

    Regulatory, Licensing Process Begins for Three Dispensaries

    Gov. Jack Markell signed legislation Friday legalizing marijuana
    growing, distribution and use in Delaware for limited medical purposes.

    The General Assembly sent Markell the medical-marijuana legislation
    on Wednesday.

    The governor signed the bill Friday morning without the usual
    ceremony in order to initiate a one-year regulatory and licensing
    process for three not-for-profit dispensaries that will be authorized
    to sell marijuana to qualified patients, according to his office.

    Under Senate Bill 17, physicians could recommend marijuana for
    patients suffering from cancer, HIV/AIDS, multiple sclerosis,
    amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Alzheimer’s disease and
    post-traumatic stress disorder.

    People with other chronic disease or debilitating medical conditions
    could qualify if other medicines or surgical procedures have failed
    to relieve their pain or caused seizures, severe or persistent muscle
    spasms and intractable nausea.

    Physicians and patients would have to have a “bona fide
    physician-patient relationship” and other medical treatments would
    have to be exhausted before marijuana is recommended, according to
    the bill and its legislative sponsors.

    Qualified patients who get a doctor’s recommendation and a
    state-issued identification card will be able to purchase up to six
    ounces of marijuana at one of the dispensaries.

    Marijuana growing and purchases will be limited to the dispensaries.
    Patients will not be allowed to grow their own cannabis.

    “We made clear that this would need to be very limited in scope and
    actively targeted to only Delawareans with profound and chronic
    illness like cancer and ALS. It is. This bill needed to be about
    giving targeted help to the most sick in a way that made medical
    sense, and it is,” Markell said in a written statement.

    **********************************************************************

    Prepared by: Richard Lake, Focus Alert Specialist www.mapinc.org

    ===
    .
    DrugSense provides many services at no charge, but they are not
    free to produce. Your contributions make DrugSense and its Media
    Awareness Project (MAP) happen. Please donate today. Our secure Web
    server at http://www.drugsense.org/donate.htm accepts credit cards
    and Paypal. Or, mail your check or money order to:
    .
    DrugSense
    14252 Culver Drive #328
    Irvine, CA 92604-0326.
    (800) 266 5759
    .
    DrugSense is a 501c(3) non-profit organization dedicated to raising
    awareness about the expensive, ineffective, and destructive “War on
    Drugs.” Donations are tax deductible to the extent provided by law.

  • What You Can Do

    Tell Attorney General Holder: Stop Raiding Medical Marijuana Dispensaries

    28 raids in 24 hours. That’s the unfortunate reality for medical marijuana patients in Montana and California.

    Federal agents shutdown 26 dispensaries across Montana and 2 in the medical marijuana sanctuary city of West Hollywood, California this month in their latest attack on patients and legitimate businesses.

    But back in 2009, Attorney General Eric Holder issued a memo ordering an end to federal raids of medical marijuana dispensaries. Despite his memo, federal agents have continued these operations sporadically for years, without regard for patients’, states’ or business’ rights.

    Attorney General Eric Holder clearly doesn’t have control of his own cavalry. This assault on patients rights has to stop now.

    Sign our letter telling Attorney General Holder to enforce his memo and prohibit federal raids on medical marijuana dispensaries.

  • Focus Alerts

    ALERT: #467 Michigan Marihuana Act Under Attack

    MICHIGAN MARIHUANA ACT UNDER ATTACK

    **********************************************************************

    DrugSense FOCUS Alert #467 – Sunday, April 3rd, 2011

    More than 1.3 million adults read the Sunday Detroit Free Press so
    what it prints is influential.

    Today two items focused on medicinal marijuana.

    The first, an in depth editorial, is at
    http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v11/n218/a09.html

    The second, a detailed article, is at
    http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v11.n219.a01.html

    Please consider writing LTEs to the Michigan newspapers shown here
    http://www.drugsense.org/cms/geoview/n-us-mi

    To follow press clippings about Michigan cannabis use this link
    http://www.mapinc.org/find?275

    And please send this Alert to others who may be interested. You may
    also send it as a link to this Alert from the DrugSense Blog
    http://drugsense.org/blog/category/wycd/alerts

    It Is Not What Others Do, It Is What You Do.

    **********************************************************************

    Prepared by: Richard Lake, Focus Alert Specialist www.mapinc.org

    ===
    .
    DrugSense provides many services at no charge, but they are not
    free to produce. Your contributions make DrugSense and its Media
    Awareness Project (MAP) happen. Please donate today. Our secure Web
    server at http://www.drugsense.org/donate.htm accepts credit cards
    and Paypal. Or, mail your check or money order to:
    .
    DrugSense
    14252 Culver Drive #328
    Irvine, CA 92604-0326.
    (800) 266 5759
    .
    DrugSense is a 501c(3) non-profit organization dedicated to raising
    awareness about the expensive, ineffective, and destructive “War on
    Drugs.” Donations are tax deductible to the extent provided by law.

  • What You Can Do

    Help Return Marc Emery to Canada

    As many of you know, Marc Emery has been jailed in the United States for the last year serving out a five year sentence for distributing millions of cannabis seeds in an effort to raise money to support cannabis law reform.

    For the last several months he has been in Folkstown, GA, at the D Ray James correctional facility. His jail blogs are at http://www.cannabisculture.com/ and further information is available at http://www.freemarc.ca/.

    Marc is now being transferred to another facility, currently unknown. He continues to await a decision from the United States on his request to transfer back to Canada to serve out his sentence at home.

    We are seeking support for his request to serve his sentence in Canada. He meets all the relevant treaty criteria and suggests that US taxpayers need not be burdened with the cost of his incarceration, particularly when he never physically entered the US while engaging in the admittedly criminal conduct.

    If you are able to assist with building support from US officials, either at the state or federal level, please either contact me ([email protected]) or his wife Jodie ([email protected]). Information on how to contact the DOJ representative with conduct of his file is at the www.freemarc.ca website. Please note
    that a decision could come at any time, so we are racing the clock in some sense.

    Thank you in advance for your consideration.

    Kirk Tousaw,
    Barrister