• What You Can Do

    Better Living Through Chemistry: the documentary

    Project by Connie Littlefield

    Conceptafilm is making a feature length documentary called “Better Living Through Chemistry.” This film will tell the story of underground psychedelic chemistry: the people who made the drugs; their adventures evading the law; and society’s mixed emotions about the experiences they produced.

    Beginning with the prohibition against LSD in 1966 and lasting until Sand’s final capture in 1996, a large amount of the underground LSD available in North America was made by

    Nicholas Sand: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicholas_Sand and Tim Scully: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Scully , initially in partnership with Owsley Stanley: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Owsley_Stanley .

    This film tells the story of ‘Orange Sunshine,’ ‘White Lightening,’ ‘Purple Monterey’ and other incarnations of LSD. Sand & Scully made the finest, purest LSD ever created, & evaded the law for a really long time.

    We are currently raising development money for what will be a feature-length documentary. With the funds we raise through Kickstarter, we will shoot & edit a short demo, and write a treatment for the film. A budget and marketing plan will complete the development package. With these tools, we will have no trouble finding completion financing.

    All donations will result in eternal gratitude & enhanced karma. Patrons who donate more than $250 will receive a DVD copy of the feature film signed by the filmmaker and a ‘thanks to’ on the website. As well, donors of over $1000 will receive a screen credit in the film. Silent blessings and smiles also appreciated.

  • Focus Alerts

    ALERT: #466 Will Michigan’s Local Reform Laws Be Repealed?

    WILL MICHIGAN’S LOCAL REFORM LAWS BE REPEALED?

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

    DrugSense FOCUS Alert #466 – Thursday, March 10th, 2011

    In the months ahead the following local Michigan laws could be repealed:

    Ferndale Medical Marijuana Ordinance http://www.drugsense.org/cms/node/49

    Flint Code Amendment-Medical Marihuana http://www.drugsense.org/cms/node/42

    Traverse City Medical Marijuana Ordinance http://www.drugsense.org/cms/node/50

    Ann Arbor Medical Marijuana Ordinance http://www.drugsense.org/cms/node/52

    Plus Detroit’s needle exchange and medicinal marijuana laws as well
    as other progressive drug policy reform laws in other cities.

    Please read Michigan House Bills 4216, 4217, and 4218 at
    http://www.legislature.mi.gov/

    If these bills become law all that is needed is for the Michigan
    executive branch to make “a finding of probable financial stress” for
    any local government unit within the state. The very large majority
    are now suffering financial stress. Once the finding is made an
    “emergency manager” appointed by the executive branch takes over
    that government and has unbelievable powers to change anything that
    may have a financial impact. Thus if our reform laws have a
    financial impact in one person’s opinion they can be struck down.

    We were alerted to this possibility by folks who watched these two TV
    shows – http://drugsense.org/url/wXxPawCG and http://drugsense.org/url/gz0evdaG

    What can you do? If you live close enough you could join the tens of
    thousands protesting this power grab at the state capitol.

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

    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.
    .
    Unsubscribe: http://drugsense.org/unsub.htm

  • Focus Alerts

    ALERT: #465 Will New Mexico Repeal Its Medical Marijuana Law?

    WILL NEW MEXICO REPEAL ITS MEDICAL MARIJUANA LAW?

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

    DrugSense FOCUS Alert #465 – Saturday, February 26th, 2011

    It seems more likely than not that the New Mexico Legislature
    http://www.nmlegis.gov/lcs/ will repeal the state’s medical marijuana law.

    New Mexico became the 12th state in the country to allow legal access
    to medical cannabis. The bill, the Lynn and Erin Compassionate Use
    Act, passed the New Mexico State Legislature and was signed into law
    in the spring of 2007.

    News clippings about this effort to repeal the law will be found at
    http://www.mapinc.org/states/NM/

    If the law is repealed it will encourage similar efforts in other
    medical marijuana states.

    Please do whatever you can to help stop this effort. Tell your
    friends. Forward this alert or send links to it. Support
    organizations opposing the repeal effort.

    Below is an Associated Press wire authored by Sue Major Holmes which
    provides details.

    Please note that the alert “Will Montana Repeal Its Medical Marijuana
    Law?” is still valid as there has been no final decision by their
    legislature. http://www.mapinc.org/alert/0464.html

    Verified facts about medicinal cannabis are found at
    http://www.drugwarfacts.org/cms/node/54

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

    MEDICAL MARIJUANA REPEAL POSSIBILITY

    NM Lawmaker Wants to Repeal Medical Marijuana

    ALBUQUERQUE (AP) – A freshman New Mexico lawmaker who’s a high school
    teacher in civilian life is trying to repeal the state’s medical marijuana law.

    The law “sends a bad message to kids, that somehow marijuana is good
    for you,” said Republican Rep. Jim Smith of Sandia Park, who teaches
    at East Mountain Charter High School east of Albuquerque.

    Gov. Susana Martinez said during her campaign last year the state’s
    medical marijuana law put state employees in the position of
    violating federal law. The federal government classifies marijuana as
    a Schedule 1 drug, a category reserved for drugs that have “no
    currently accepted medical use.”

    But after taking office Jan. 1, the Republican governor focused on
    New Mexico’s pressing budget issues and said repeal was not a
    priority in the 2011 legislative session.

    Smith said, however, he was encouraged by an effort in Montana to
    repeal that state’s medical marijuana law. Montana House Speaker Mike
    Milburn argues the multimillion dollar marijuana industry has gone
    far beyond what voters envisioned when they voted for it in 2004.

    Martinez spokesman Scott Darnell said she would sign a repeal of New
    Mexico’s medical marijuana law if it reached her desk.

    Some legislators who voted for the law originally said earlier this
    month they were troubled by the expansion in medical conditions that
    qualify for the program and the growing number of people using it.

    Only patients with conditions approved by the health secretary can
    legally use medical marijuana. When New Mexico’s law went into effect
    in July 2007, the state had seven approved conditions, including
    cancer, glaucoma, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy and HIV-AIDS. Now
    there are 16, plus some people in hospice care can qualify. The
    program is overseen by the state Department of Health.

    As of Feb. 16, the day before Smith introduced his bill, New Mexico
    had 3,218 active patients.

    Smith’s measure is expected to be heard next week by the House
    Consumer and Public Affairs Committee, whose vice chairman is
    Democratic Rep. Antonio Maestas of Albuquerque, who sponsored the
    medical marijuana law in the House.

    Maestas said the program has proved to be more valuable than
    expected, with soldiers returning from war using it to treat post
    traumatic stress disorder.

    “Moving medical marijuana out of the criminal justice realm is
    difficult for many people to accept, but I believe the vast majority
    are in agreement it was a great decision and should not be rolled
    back,” he said.

    Smith said it’s hard to argue against people in pain who say medical
    marijuana makes them feel better, but he believes there are medical
    alternatives.

    He said he’s encouraged by the 27 co-sponsors, both Republicans and
    Democrats, who signed onto the one-page bill when it was introduced
    earlier this month.

    “The people I got to sign the bill were very passionate about wanting
    to get rid of medical marijuana,” Smith said.

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

    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.
    .
    Unsubscribe: http://drugsense.org/unsub.htm

  • Focus Alerts

    ALERT: #464 Will Montana Repeal Its Medical Marijuana Law?

    WILL MONTANA REPEAL ITS MEDICAL MARIJUANA LAW?

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

    DrugSense FOCUS Alert #464 – Thursday , February 17th, 2011

    It seems more likely than not that the Montana Legislature
    http://leg.mt.gov/ will repeal the state’s medical marijuana law.

    In November 2004, Montana passed Initiative 148
    http://www.dphhs.mt.gov/medicalmarijuana/i148text.pdf , allowing
    certain patients with specific medical conditions to alleviate their
    symptoms through the limited use of marijuana under medical
    supervision. Montanans overwhelmingly endorsed the 2004 initiative by
    62 percent to 38 percent.

    News clippings about this effort to repeal are at
    http://www.mapinc.org/states/MT/

    If Montana’s law is repealed it will encourage similar efforts in
    other medical marijuana states.

    Please do whatever you can to help stop this effort. Tell your
    friends. Forward this alert or send links to it. Support
    organizations opposing the repeal effort.

    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.
    .
    Unsubscribe: http://drugsense.org/unsub.htm

  • What You Can Do

    Cut Drug War Spending

    President Obama said it is time for the federal government to tighten its belt and stop wasting money on needless expenses. The failed war on drugs is one expense we could do without.

    Write President Obama and ask him to stop wasting your tax dollars on failed drug policies.

  • What You Can Do

    Your Interview with the President

    On Tuesday January 25 at 9 p.m. ET, President Obama will deliver his 2011 State of the Union Address, which will be streamed live at http://www.youtube.com/worldview

    You can submit your questions for the President for an exclusive YouTube Interview that will take place just two days later, on January 27.

    What would you like to ask the President about the most important issues our country faces? You have until Wednesday January 26 at midnight ET to submit your question.

  • Cannabis & Hemp - What You Can Do

    A National Call to Action!

    Activist Boot Camp, February 19-20, 2011

    The National Call to Action is the nation’s first medical cannabis virtual skill-building conference. Re-pledge your commitment to safe and legal access by joining thousands of your fellow activists for two days of community-building, skill-sharing, and strategic planning.

    For nearly a decade ASA has been hosting trainings and workshops to build capacity among our base and mobilize our activists. When we began this work, ASA focused on the battles in California. Today our scope is national, and we get pleas from almost every state asking us to help them activate their base and build a strategy to ensure safe access.

    ASA is hosting this conference virtually to better reach the thousands and thousands of patients and activists who need our trainings – we know that in these tough economic times we’ll train with more breadth and depth if we’re able to bring ASA to the masses, rather than the masses to ASA.

  • Focus Alerts

    ALERT: #463 Our Letter Writing Heroes

    OUR LETTER WRITING HEROES

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    DrugSense FOCUS Alert #463 – Tuesday, January 4th, 2011

    Since the Media Awareness Project was started as an email list over a
    decade and a half ago a major goal has been to empower folks who
    write letters to the editor in support of drug policy reform.

    It is with great pleasure that we announce today that Robert Sharpe
    is our Letter Writer of the Year for 2010. Robert had 176 letters
    and three OPEDs published during the year, bringing the total letters
    published that we know of to 2, 414. He writes to newspapers all
    over the world from his home. Robert writes as a volunteer for Common
    Sense for Drug Policy. His published letters often have versions of
    the title “Policy Analyst for Common Sense for Drug Policy,
    Washington, D.C.” and sometimes a link to their website http://www.csdp.org/

    You may read his published letters at
    http://www.mapinc.org/writers/Robert+Sharpe

    Robert has provided his tips for letter writing success on this
    webpage http://www.mapinc.org/resource/tips.htm