Date: Thu, 29 Apr 2004
Subject: #290 Your Tax Dollars At Work – Against You

YOUR TAX DOLLARS AT WORK – AGAINST YOU

*********************PLEASE COPY AND DISTRIBUTE*************************

DrugSense FOCUS Alert #290 Thursday, 29 April 2004

Each day the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) spends
about a half million dollars on advertising, advertising bought under
a law that requires the ads be purchased at half the going price, so
their actual market value is about a million dollars a day. See
http://www.mapinc.org/lte/

The majority of this advertising is spent on demonizing cannabis, and
cannabis users. When either medical or recreational cannabis use
becomes an issue – in legislatures or by ballot initiatives – within
any state, these advertising dollars are focused on undermining the
political debate within those states.

To counter this advertising, the drug policy reform community – at
best – is able to spend less than a million dollars a year on
advertising.

This is the primary reason all the reform organizations place such a
great emphasis on having folks like you write Letters to the Editor of
newspapers and magazines – which costs you only time but contributes
to redressing the 360 to 1 imbalance in the advertising playing field.

Not content with the clear imbalance against us, Congress has passed a
law – the Istook Amendment – which will withhold federal funds from
any public transit system that accepts ads that promote the
legalization or medical use of cannabis, which is what the OPED below
is about.

The drug war cheerleaders at ONDCP and in congress now push censorship
because they fear that public opinion is turning against them. Open
and honest debate, public forums, your LTEs, and even advertising that
does not agree with their opinion is to be feared.

“Never doubt that a small, group of thoughtful, committed citizens can
change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” –
Margaret Mead (1901-78), American anthropologist, “Coming of Age in
Samoa”

Your letters to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution thanking them for
printing the OPED will, even if not printed, let their editorial page
editors, and their editorial board, know that printing the truth about
this un-American government action is not popular.

Need More Facts for Your Letters?

Change the Climate’s ads are the direct reason for the Istook
Amendment. See

http://www.changetheclimate.org/campaigns/02_18_04/

Other webpages about the efforts to overturn this amendment:

http://www.aclu.org/DrugPolicy/DrugPolicy.cfm?ID=14974&c=19

http://www.mpp.org/releases/nr042804wdc.html

http://www.drugpolicy.org/news/02_28_04istook.cfm

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

ACTIONS YOU CAN TAKE:

Write a LTEs to the papers in your state about this issue. This is a
good example of a topic that may result in a printed letter without
the need to tie it to any other specific item the papers may have printed.

To find your state/local newspapers, go to MAP’s media links page
at:

http://www.mapinc.org/media.htm

Using the ‘List by Area” dropdown find and bring up the list of
newspapers in your state and their LTE contact. Note those with the
higher numbers of Clippings or Excerpts as this tends to indicate a
higher interest by the paper in our issues, and thus should be your
first targets.

Also consider sending the OPED to your local newspapers. Ask your
papers to please print similar editorial page items exposing this
attempt at government censorship.

Let your members of congress know about how you feel about this issue.
If you can, visit with the members, or visit their state/local
offices, as telling them or their staff directly always shows a deep
concern, stronger than any other message. Or give them a phone call.

Last, but not least, cannabis is a topic before the legislators, or an
initiative issue, in a number of states and cities. Please make the
appropriate contacts for your states. It does not take many folks like you
to make a real difference! See:

http://actioncenter.drugpolicy.org/action/moreactions.asp

http://capwiz.com/norml2/issues/

http://www.mpp.org/campaigns/index.html

Thanks for your effort and support.

It’s not what others do it’s what YOU do

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

PLEASE SEND US A COPY OF YOUR LETTER OR TELL US WHAT YOU DID (Letter,
email messages, etc.)

Please post a copy of your letter or report your action to the sent
letter list ([email protected]) if you are subscribed, or by
E-mailing a copy directly to [email protected] if you are not
subscribed. Your letter will then be forwarded to the list so others
can learn from your efforts and be motivated to follow suit.

This is _Very_ Important as it is one very effective way of gauging
our impact and effectiveness.

Subscribing to the Sent LTE list ([email protected]) will help you to
review other sent LTEs and perhaps come up with new ideas or
approaches as well as keeping others aware of your important writing
efforts.

To subscribe to the Sent LTE mailing list see http://www.mapinc.org/lists/index.htm
and/or http://www.mapinc.org/lists/index.htm#form

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

The OPED:

Pubdate: Thu, 29 Apr 2004
Source: Atlanta Journal-Constitution (GA)
Copyright: 2004 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Contact: http://www.ajc.com/opinion/content/opinion/letters/sendletter.html
Author: Bill Piper

MOVE TO PENALIZE PRO-DRUG VIEWS AMOUNTS TO CENSORSHIP

In building his case for liberating Iraq, President Bush told Congress
and the American people, “America will always stand firm for the
non-negotiable demands of human dignity: the rule of law, limits on
the power of the state, respect for women, private property, free
speech, equal justice and religious tolerance.”

These principles continue to comfort and motivate both our soldiers
making the ultimate sacrifice for America and the Iraqi people
struggling to build a free society of their own.

Yet, at the very time our soldiers are risking their lives to bring
democracy to Iraq, certain members of Congress are undermining it at
home.

This year, U.S. Rep. Ernest Istook (R-Okla.) slipped a provision into
a federal spending bill that takes transportation grants away from any
city that displays ads on its buses and subways from groups advocating
“the legalization or medical use of” marijuana.

The provision is already having a chilling effect on free speech.
Afraid of losing at least $85 million in transportation funding, the
Washington transportation authority rejected an advertisement this
year submitted by a coalition of drug policy reform groups.

The ad shows a group of ordinary people standing behind prison bars
under the headline, “Marijuana Laws Waste Billions of Taxpayer Dollars
to Lock Up Non-Violent Americans.”

The goal of the Istook Amendment is to prevent residents from
educating their neighbors on why we need to reform our nation’s
marijuana laws.

Of course, it won’t be long before other members of Congress try to
censor viewpoints they disagree with. Abortion-rights groups could
lobby Congress to ban anti-abortion ads and vice versa.

This is censorship, plain and simple.

With $3 billion in federal transportation dollars at stake, this is a
serious issue. Courts have generally ruled that public transportation
authorities cannot discriminate against any political viewpoint.

If local and state transit authorities are forced to run drug policy
reform ads, they could lose federal grants. Istook’s provision could
end up costing cities in many congressional districts tens of millions
of dollars. That means not only less service, but also fewer jobs.

The same federal spending bill also gave the federal government $145
million in taxpayer money to run ads in support of a war on marijuana,
including ads on buses and subways around the country.

At the same time members of Congress are spending taxpayer money to
promote their view on an issue, they’re prohibiting taxpayers from
using their own money to pay for ads offering a different
perspective.

Right now it’s marijuana policy; tomorrow it could be tax or gun
policy. Imagine a President Kerry prohibiting ads in support of the
right to keep and bear arms while spending taxpayer money to run ads
in support of gun control. Congress has paved the way.

The free exchange of ideas without government censorship is essential
to the preservation of a free society. There is still a chance,
however, that free speech will prevail in the end.

The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on Wednesday
heard arguments in a case brought by the Drug Policy Alliance and
other groups, challenging the Istook Amendment on free-speech grounds.

Additionally, with enough pressure from voters, Congress could be
persuaded to repeal the Istook provision this year. Our sons and
daughters are dying to promote democracy. Congress needs to stop
undermining it.

—–

Bill Piper is director of national affairs for the Drug Policy
Alliance, an organization that promotes drug policies “grounded in
science, compassion, health and human rights.”

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

ADDITIONAL INFO to help you in your letter writing efforts, Please See:

Writer’s Resources http://www.mapinc.org/resource/

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

TO SUBSCRIBE, UNSUBSCRIBE, OR UPDATE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS:

Please utilize the following URLs

http://www.drugsense.org/hurry.htm

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

We wish to thank all our contributors, editors, Newshawks and letter
writing activists.

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

Prepared by: Richard Lake, Focus Alert Specialist

Date: Sun, 25 Apr 2004
Subject: #289 Cultivating Compassion

CULTIVATING COMPASSION

*********************PLEASE COPY AND DISTRIBUTE*************************

DrugSense FOCUS Alert #289 Sunday, 25 April 2004

Today the Salt Lake Tribune printed the editorial, below, ‘Cultivating
Compassion’ which slams the U.S. Justice Department over last week’s
round of medical cannabis legal actions. The editorial, and others
like it, are worthy of your letters to the editor.

Friday, the Honolulu Star-Bulletin printed a similar editorial, ‘Let
Patients Grow Their Own Pakalolo’ on line at http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v04/n619/a08.html

And there have been a number of other articles published about Judge
Jeremy Fogel’s decision, all worthy of letters to the editor, which
can be found at http://www.mapinc.org/people/Jeremy+Fogel

Need More Facts for Your Letters? See:

Medical Marijuana http://www.drugwarfacts.org/medicalm.htm

Distortion 9: Cannabis As Medicine http://www.drugwardistortions.org/distortion9.htm

Making Medical Marijuana Legally Available http://www.mpp.org/med_mj.html

Medical Use http://www.norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=3376

Medical Marijuana http://www.drugpolicy.org/marijuana/medical/

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

ACTIONS YOU CAN TAKE:

Write a LTEs to the papers in your state about this issue. This is a
good example of a topic that may result in a printed letter without
the need to tie it to any other specific item the papers may have printed.

To find your state/local newspapers, go to MAP’s media links page
at:

http://www.mapinc.org/media.htm

Using the ‘List by Area” dropdown find and bring up the list of
newspapers in your state and their LTE contact. Note those with the
higher numbers of Clippings or Excerpts as this tends to indicate a
higher interest by the paper in our issues, and thus should be your
first targets.

Also consider sending the editorials to your local newspapers. Ask
your papers to please print similar editorial page items.

Let your members of congress know about how you feel about this issue.
If you can, visit with the members, or visit their state/local
offices, as telling them or their staff directly always shows a deep
concern, stronger than any other message. Or give them a phone call.

You can use MPP’s Take Action page to send your concern to your
Senators. Just go to this link, personalize the message with your own
thoughts and facts, and send. It is easy and fast:

http://www.mpp.org/USA/index.html

NORML also has related action pages at:

http://capwiz.com/norml2/issues/alert/?alertid=2204601&type=CO

Last, but not least, cannabis is a topic before the legislators, or an
initiative issue, in a number of states and cities. Please make the
appropriate contacts for your states. It does not take many folks like you
to make a real difference! See:

http://actioncenter.drugpolicy.org/action/moreactions.asp

http://capwiz.com/norml2/issues/

http://www.mpp.org/campaigns/index.html

Thanks for your effort and support.

It’s not what others do it’s what YOU do

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

PLEASE SEND US A COPY OF YOUR LETTER OR TELL US WHAT YOU DID (Letter,
email messages, etc.)

Please post a copy of your letter or report your action to the sent
letter list ([email protected]) if you are subscribed, or by
E-mailing a copy directly to [email protected] if you are not
subscribed. Your letter will then be forwarded to the list so others
can learn from your efforts and be motivated to follow suit.

This is _Very_ Important as it is one very effective way of gauging
our impact and effectiveness.

Subscribing to the Sent LTE list ([email protected]) will help you to
review other sent LTEs and perhaps come up with new ideas or
approaches as well as keeping others aware of your important writing
efforts.

To subscribe to the Sent LTE mailing list see http://www.mapinc.org/lists/index.htm
and/or http://www.mapinc.org/lists/index.htm#form

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

The Editorial:

Pubdate: Tue, 20 Apr 2004
Source: Salt Lake Tribune (UT)
Copyright: 2004 The Salt Lake Tribune
Contact: [email protected]
Website: http://www.sltrib.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/383

CULTIVATING COMPASSION

Whenever folks over at the U.S. Justice Department were feeling blue
about anti-American terrorists, uppity librarians or naked statues
standing behind the attorney general, they could always take a deep
drag on the anti-drug drug by busting a few terminal cancer patients
in California.

But now some derned activist federal judge has taken that simple
pleasure away from them. Some days it just doesn’t pay to be a
jack-booted thug.

It will be of great comfort to a few people, at least for awhile, to
be members of the Wo/Men’s Alliance for Medical Marijuana in Santa
Cruz, Calif. That’s because a federal judge Wednesday ordered the feds
to stay away while the dispute over California’s medical marijuana law
plays out in the courts.

The co-op’s garden was shut down 18 months ago by a federal raid,
surely one of the ugliest acts of governmental bullying on record.

But U.S. District Judge Jeremy Fogel, echoing an earlier appeals court
ruling, found that the Wo/Men’s Alliance was protected by a state law
that allows people with a doctor’s recommendation to use marijuana to
ease the suffering attendant to cancer, cancer treatment, glaucoma or
other ills that, many believe, are eased by the drug.

The case is wending its way up to the Supreme Court. But, for now,
California co-ops run on volunteer labor and donated funds that do not
engage in anything resembling interstate commerce, may grow and
distribute free pot to suffering people.

Even if the medicinal benefits are oversold, medical marijuana laws in
California and eight other states are clearly motivated by the desire
to ease human suffering.

The administration’s actions seem motivated by baser instincts
including, perhaps, fear that someone might win relief from a
substance they can grow themselves rather than being at the mercy of
the price-gouging pharmaceutical industry.

The Wo/Men’s Alliance grows the marijuana, but the Justice Department
is full of weeds.

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

ADDITIONAL INFO to help you in your letter writing efforts, Please See:

Writer’s Resources http://www.mapinc.org/resource/

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

TO SUBSCRIBE, UNSUBSCRIBE, OR UPDATE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS:

Please utilize the following URLs

http://www.drugsense.org/hurry.htm

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

We wish to thank all our contributors, editors, Newshawks and letter
writing activists.

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

Prepared by: Richard Lake, Focus Alert Specialist

Date: Wed, 21 Apr 2004
Subject: #288 Please Tell Congress To Identify Impaired Drivers

PLEASE TELL CONGRESS TO IDENTIFY IMPAIRED DRIVERS

*********************PLEASE COPY AND DISTRIBUTE*************************

DrugSense FOCUS Alert #288 Wednesday, 21 April 2004

Yesterday the Cincinnati Post published an OPED and an Editorial,
below, about a new bill before Congress. The NORML website describes
the bill as follows:

H.R. 3922, sponsored by a bipartisan coalition of legislators
including Reps. Robert Portman (R-OH), Sander Levin (D-MI), Steven
LaTourette (R-OH), Mark Souder (R-IN) and Jim Ramstad (R-MN), seeks to
impose so-called “model” DUID legislation upon all 50 states –
demanding they enact statutes sanctioning anyone who operates a motor
vehicle “while any detectable amount of a controlled substance is
present in the person’s body, as measured in the person’s blood,
urine, saliva, or other bodily substance.”

And another is a bill aimed at the same target, also as described by
NORML:

H.R. 3907, sponsored by Rep. Jon Porter (R-NV), demands that state
legislatures amend their DUID (driving under the influence of drugs)
to enact mandatory minimum penalties for anyone convicted of driving
under the influence of illegal drugs. Under the proposal, states have
until 2006 to pass and enforce DUID laws “approved by the
Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration,”
or lose portions of their federal highway funding.

The OPED below clearly points out the problem with these bills, and
the Editorial gives additional reasons for taking action.

Need More Facts? See:

Cannabis and Driving http://www.drugwardistortions.org/distortion12.htm

and

References on Drugs and Driving http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/Misc/driving/contents.htm

Related news clippings may be found at

http://www.mapinc.org/topics/impaired+driving

and

http://www.mapinc.org/find?224 (Cannabis and Driving)

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

ACTIONS YOU CAN TAKE:

Write a LTEs to the papers in your state about this issue. This is a
good example of a topic that may result in a printed letter without
the need to tie it to any other specific item the papers may have printed.

To find your state/local newspapers, go to MAP’s media links page
at:

http://www.mapinc.org/media.htm

Using the ‘List by Area” dropdown find and bring up the list of
newspapers in your state and their LTE contact. Note those with the
higher numbers of Clippings or Excerpts as this tends to indicate a
higher interest by the paper in our issues, and thus should be your
first targets.

Also consider sending them both the OPED and the Editorial. Ask your
papers to please print similar editorial page items about these bills.

And last, but not least, let your members of congress know about how
you feel about this issue. If you can, visit with the members, or
visit their state/local offices as telling them or their staff
directly always shows a deep concern, stronger than any other message.

You can use NORML’s Take Action page to send your concern to your
Member of Congress. Just go to this link, personalize the message with
your own thoughts and facts, and send. It is easy and fast:

http://capwiz.com/norml2/issues/alert/?alertid=5384696

Thanks for your effort and support.

It’s not what others do it’s what YOU do

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

PLEASE SEND US A COPY OF YOUR LETTER OR TELL US WHAT YOU DID (Letter,
email messages, etc.)

Please post a copy of your letter or report your action to the sent
letter list ([email protected]) if you are subscribed, or by
E-mailing a copy directly to [email protected] if you are not
subscribed. Your letter will then be forwarded to the list so others
can learn from your efforts and be motivated to follow suit.

This is _Very_ Important as it is one very effective way of gauging
our impact and effectiveness.

Subscribing to the Sent LTE list ([email protected]) will help you to
review other sent LTEs and perhaps come up with new ideas or
approaches as well as keeping others aware of your important writing
efforts.

To subscribe to the Sent LTE mailing list see http://www.mapinc.org/lists/index.htm
and/or http://www.mapinc.org/lists/index.htm#form

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

The OPED:

Pubdate: Tue, 20 Apr 2004
Source: Cincinnati Post (OH)
Copyright: 2004 The Cincinnati Post
Contact: [email protected]
Website: http://www.cincypost.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/87
Author: Paul Armentano
Note: Paul Armentano is the senior policy analyst for the NORML Foundation
in Washington, DC.

PORTMAN BILL IS EXCESSIVE

Imagine if it was against the law to drive home after consuming a
single glass of wine at dinner. Now imagine it was against the law to
do so after having consumed a single glass of wine two weeks ago.

Sound absurd? No more so than newly proposed Congressional legislation
by Ohio Rep. Rob Portman mandating that each state enact laws
sanctioning anyone who operates a motor vehicle “while any detectable
amount of a controlled substance is present in the person’s body, as
measured in the person’s blood, urine, saliva, or other bodily substance.”

While the expressed purpose of this legislation, the “Drug Impaired
Driving Enforcement Act of 2004,” is to target and remove
drug-impaired drivers from our nation’s roadways, the reality is that
this poorly worded proposal would do little to improve public safety.
Rather, it would falsely categorize sober drivers as “intoxicated”
simply if they had consumed an illicit substance, particularly
marijuana, some days or weeks earlier.

A case in point. John and Jane Doe attend a party. John enjoys a glass
of wine while Jane takes a puff from a marijuana cigarette. The next
day, John and Jane are pulled over. John is given a breathalyzer test
and tests negative for alcohol. Jane is asked to submit to a urine
test and tests positive for marijuana. Jane is then arrested for
“driving under the influence of drugs,” despite the fact that any
impairment she experienced from smoking marijuana would have worn off
hours earlier.

That’s because Portman’s proposal, so-called “zero tolerance” per se
legislation, presumes individuals guilty of driving while intoxicated
simply if trace levels of a controlled substances or even drug
metabolites (inactive compounds indicative of past drug use) are
detected in their bodily fluids — even if the individual is neither
under the influence nor impaired to drive. For anyone who enjoys an
occasional toke from a marijuana cigarette, this news ought to be
especially unsettling, as marijuana metabolites are often detectable
in a person’s urine for days or even weeks after the drug is consumed.

Aside from being poorly drafted, this unfunded federal mandate from
Congress is unnecessary. All states already have DUID (driving under
the influence of drugs) statutes on the books. Most are “effect-based”
laws that forbid drivers to operate a motor vehicle if they are either
“under the influence” of a controlled substance, or if they have been
rendered “incapable of driving safely” because of their use of an
illicit drug. This is a multidisciplinary standard that focuses on the
totality of circumstances and rightly punishes motorists who drive
while impaired from having recently used illicit drugs.

There is no need for additional legislation, especially from the
federal government.

While driving under the influence of illicit and licit substances is
obviously a serious issue, Portman’s proposal neither addresses the
problem nor offers a legitimate solution. “Zero tolerance” laws are
neither a safe nor sensible way to identify impaired drivers; they are
an attempt to misuse the traffic safety laws in order to identify and
prosecute recreational drug users.

At a minimum, laws targeting drug drivers should identify “parent
drugs” (in other words, cocaine or THC), not simply inactive drug
metabolites. Further, these laws must have scientifically sound
cut-off levels that correlate drug concentration to impairment of
performance, similar to the 0.08 BAC standard that now exists for
drunk driving. There must also be assurances that the laws mandate any
and all drug testing to be performed and confirmed by accredited state
labs using uniform procedures and standards.

Until these measures are in place, it is premature and illogical for
Congress to strong-arm states to adopt this unnecessary and unsound
“zero tolerance” drugged driving policy.

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

The Editorial:

Pubdate: Tue, 20 Apr 2004
Source: Cincinnati Post (OH)
Copyright: 2004 The Cincinnati Post
Contact: [email protected]
Website: http://www.cincypost.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/87

A NEW FRONTIER

U.S. Rep. Rob Portman, who has established himself as a national
leader in the war on drugs, recently opened a new frontier. He and
several others in the U.S. House introduced legislation aimed at
boosting state enforcement of laws against drug impaired driving.

The broad goal of getting drug-impaired drivers off the road is
obviously one that should command broad support. And this is a
generally restrained push in that direction.

But there are legitimate objections to certain of the bill’s
assumptions — and every reason in the world to suspect that what’s
being touted today as a carrot to help states will eventually turn
into a stick used to punish those that don’t climb onto the wagon.

Proponents of the bill cites statistics by the National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration which suggest that illegal drugs (often
in conjunction with alcohol) are used by between 10 percent and 22
percent of drivers involved in crashes. Portman says that nearly 11
million people drove under the influence of illegal drugs in 2002. And
there is no shortage of horrific local examples about what can happen
when motorists drive under the influence of marijuana, cocaine and
alcohol.

In nine states, the mere presence of illegal drug residues in the body
is regarded as evidence of drug-impaired driving, regardless of
concentration or whether there’s evidence the motorists ability to
control a vehicle really was compromised. The bill acknowledges,
however, that the technology for identifying illegal drugs in the body
is inadequate, and authorizes federal grants to develop it.

The bill would also:

. Authorize grants to train police officers and prosecutors about drug
impaired driving.

. Require the U.S. Secretary of Transportation to develop model
legislation for use by states.

. Support research into impaired driving — and the dissemination of
results to judges, prosecutors, policymakers and others.

. Require annual reports to Congress on what states are doing about
drug-impaired driving.

The bill proposes a modest boost in funding for such purposes, to $2
million annually from the $1.2 million being spent now.

Some advocacy groups (see the guest column on the opposite page)
complain the bill promotes a double standard by criminalizing trace
amounts that can stay in the body for days after any incapacitating
effect has worn off.

The bigger concern, we submit, is Washington’s intention over the long
haul.

State motor vehicle laws are not properly a federal issue. You don’t
see federal prosecutors handling drunken driving cases before federal
judges, and Washington isn’t picking up the cost to incarcerate or
treat folks convicted of DUI. But that didn’t stop Congress from
threatening to withhold federal highway funds from states that refused
to lower their DUI blood-alcohol levels to .08 percent. Nor has
Washington seen fit to reimburse state and local governments for the
costs of what was functionally a mandate.

There is every reason to expect the same pattern will eventually play
out with drug-impaired driving. At a time when most states, for
financial and policy reasons, have decided that drug abusers don’t
belong in prison, and when casual marijuana use has effectively been
decriminalized, we might well see Congress turning the screws to get
more people into the criminal justice system via driving laws — and
sticking state and local governments with the tab.

If the states want to put drunken and drug-impaired driving on equal
footing — genuinely equal footing — fine. Punish behavior — that
is, those who drive while impaired — and direct most resources at the
alcoholics and addicts who are by far the greatest risk to the
motoring public. But the federal role here ought to be quite limited.
Besides, a government as hideously indebted as this one doesn’t need
to be looking for new spending agendas.

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

ADDITIONAL INFO to help you in your letter writing efforts, Please See:

Writer’s Resources http://www.mapinc.org/resource/

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

TO SUBSCRIBE, UNSUBSCRIBE, OR UPDATE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS:

Please utilize the following URLs

http://www.drugsense.org/hurry.htm

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

We wish to thank all our contributors, editors, Newshawks and letter
writing activists.

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

Prepared by: Richard Lake, Focus Alert Specialist

Date: Tue, 30 Mar 2004
Subject: #287 College Rehabilitates

COLLEGE REHABILITATES

*********************PLEASE COPY AND DISTRIBUTE*************************

DrugSense FOCUS Alert #287 Tue, 30 Mar 2004

The New York Times says it as it is in the editorial
below:

“Researchers Have Discovered and Rediscovered That Inmates Who Earn
College Degrees Tend to Stay Out of Jail.”

Thus your letters to the editor in praise of the editorial, along with
additional supportive facts, will be appreciated.

You may find facts worthy of including in your letters at or linked
from these websites or pages:

Students for Sensible Drug Policy

http://www.november.org/

http://www.drugwarfacts.org/prison.htm

There is much more you can do to support this issue, if you
will.

Write a LTEs to the papers in your state about this issue. This is a
good example of a topic that may result in a printed letter without
the need to tie it to any other specific item the papers may have printed.

To find your state/local newspapers, go to MAP’s media links page
at:

http://www.mapinc.org/media.htm

Using the ‘List by Area” dropdown find and bring up the list of
newspapers in your state and their LTE contact. Note those with the
higher numbers of Clippings or Excerpts as this tends to indicate a
higher interest by the paper in our issues, and thus should be your
first targets.

Also consider sending them the New York Times editorial and asking the
papers when they will print a similar editorial.

And last, but not least, let your members of congress know about how
you feel about this issue. If you can, visit with the members, or
visit their state/local offices as telling them or their staff
directly always shows a deep concern, stronger than any other message.

You can use the drug policy action center easily to send a message to
Restore Student Financial Aid. Just go to this link, personalize the
message with your own thoughts and facts, and send. It is easy and
fast:

http://actioncenter.drugpolicy.org/action/index.asp?step=2&item=14997

Thanks for your effort and support.

It’s not what others do it’s what YOU do

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

PLEASE SEND US A COPY OF YOUR LETTER OR TELL US WHAT YOU DID (Letter,
email messages, etc.)

Please post a copy of your letter or report your action to the sent
letter list ([email protected]) if you are subscribed, or by
E-mailing a copy directly to [email protected] if you are not
subscribed. Your letter will then be forwarded to the list so others
can learn from your efforts and be motivated to follow suit.

This is _Very_ Important as it is one very effective way of gauging
our impact and effectiveness.

Subscribing to the Sent LTE list ([email protected]) will help you to
review other sent LTEs and perhaps come up with new ideas or
approaches as well as keeping others aware of your important writing
efforts.

To subscribe to the Sent LTE mailing list see http://www.mapinc.org/lists/index.htm
and/or http://www.mapinc.org/lists/index.htm#form

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

The New York Times EDITORIAL:

Pubdate: Tue, 30 Mar 2004
Source: New York Times (NY)
Copyright: 2004 The New York Times Company
Contact: [email protected]

OILING THE REVOLVING DOOR

The American prison system will release more than 600,000 prisoners
this year – and half will commit new crimes and be back in prison
three years from now. There is at least one proven way to break the
cycle. Researchers have discovered and rediscovered that inmates who
earn college degrees tend to stay out of jail. But former offenders
have found it increasingly hard to educate themselves and gear up for
productive lives since Congress began to cut them off from federal
education aid in the 1990’s.

Congress may be ready to consider at least a half-step back from that
mistake. Lawmakers may not be prepared to revisit the federal ban that
made convicted felons ineligible for Pell grants, the federal tuition
aid aimed primarily at poor and middle-income students. But the House
of Representatives is at least talking about changing the 1998 law
under which more than 140,000 students have been turned down for
federal student loans because of drug offenses, some of which are
minor and a decade old.

The law was not supposed to work this way. According to Representative
Mark Souder, the Indiana Republican who wrote the measure, it was
aimed only at students who committed drug crimes while receiving
federal loans. But the law has instead been applied to every applicant
with a drug conviction, even if the conviction was so minor as to
carry no jail time, and even if it occurred long before the student
ever envisioned going to college. Mr. Souder has put forth a revised
version of the law that would return to his original intent. That
would be an improvement, but student aid should still not be turned
into a law enforcement weapon, particularly for those convicted of
minor offenses that a court would appropriately dismiss with a fine or
probation. Congress should repeal this law instead of just tinkering
with it. Beyond that, the country needs to back away from all policies
that prevent ex-convicts from attending college, because college is
the one sure way to get them back into the mainstream and keep them
out of jail.

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

ADDITIONAL INFO to help you in your letter writing efforts, Please See:

Writer’s Resources http://www.mapinc.org/resource/

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

TO SUBSCRIBE, UNSUBSCRIBE, OR UPDATE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS:

Please utilize the following URLs

http://www.drugsense.org/hurry.htm

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

We wish to thank all our contributors, editors, Newshawks and letter
writing activists.

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

Prepared by: Richard Lake, Focus Alert Specialist

Date: Sun, 28 Mar 2004
Subject: #286 Dr. Joycelyn Elders Destroys Medical Marijuana Myths

DR. JOYCELYN ELDERS DESTROYS MEDICAL MARIJUANA MYTHS

*********************PLEASE COPY AND DISTRIBUTE*************************

DrugSense FOCUS Alert #286 Sunday, 28 Mar 2004

There is little doubt that the printing of the OPED by Dr. Elders,
below, in Rhode Island’s largest newspaper will further the efforts to
pass a medical cannabis bill there.

Rhode Island residents should consider sending a LTE to The Providence
Journal thanking them for printing the OPED, and adding an additional
fact or two supporting medical cannabis. LTEs may be sent to
[email protected]

Sending a message with a copy of the OPED and your supporting opinions
to your legislators is also a good idea. If you are not sure who your
legislators are, you can obtain the info and modify a pre-written
letter from the Take Action link on the Alert page at
http://www.mpp.org/RI/alerts_395.html

So you don’t live in Rhode Island? Here are actions you can consider
taking:

Let your Rhode Island friends know about this alert, and ask them to
take the actions suggested above.

Email your local and state newspapers asking that they either reprint
the OPED – or at least the myths and facts section, or contact Dr.
Elders to ask if she will write one for their paper (newspapers know
how to find the contacts for Dr. Elders).

Tell your newspapers they can obtain reprint permission by emailing
Pat Welker, managing editor/administration for The Providence Journal
at [email protected] It is probably best to simply send the link to
the OPED on the Journal’s website, so your newspaper(s) can see it for
themselves:

http://www.projo.com/opinion/contributors/content/projo_20040326_26ctelder.22fed4.html

To find your state/local newspapers, go to MAP’s media links page
at:

http://www.mapinc.org/media.htm

Using the ‘List by Area” dropdown find and bring up the list of
newspapers in your state. Note those with the higher numbers of
Clippings or Excerpts as this tends to indicate a higher interest by
the paper in our issues, and thus should be your first targets. Using
the email address or webform found by clicking the Contact link will
reach editorial page folks who would consider reprinting the OPED or
asking Dr. Elders to write one for them.

And, finally, of course, let your elected officials at all levels know
that you support making medical cannabis available to patients. Send a
copy of the OPED along with additional facts and your message of
support for the issue.

Need more medical cannabis facts? Click these links:

http://www.mpp.org/med_mj.html

http://www.drugwarfacts.org/medicalm.htm

Thanks for your effort and support.

It’s not what others do it’s what YOU do

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

PLEASE SEND US A COPY OF YOUR LETTER OR TELL US WHAT YOU DID (Letter,
email messages, etc.)

Please post a copy of your letter or report your action to the sent
letter list ([email protected]) if you are subscribed, or by
E-mailing a copy directly to [email protected] if you are not
subscribed. Your letter will then be forwarded to the list so others
can learn from your efforts and be motivated to follow suit.

This is _Very_ Important as it is one very effective way of gauging
our impact and effectiveness.

Subscribing to the Sent LTE list ([email protected]) will help you to
review other sent LTEs and perhaps come up with new ideas or
approaches as well as keeping others aware of your important writing
efforts.

To subscribe to the Sent LTE mailing list see http://www.mapinc.org/lists/index.htm
and/or http://www.mapinc.org/lists/index.htm#form

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

Source: Providence Journal, The (RI)
Copyright: 2004 The Providence Journal Company
Contact: [email protected]
Website: http://www.projo.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/352
Author: Joycelyn Elders

MYTHS ABOUT MEDICAL MARIJUANA

THE RHODE ISLAND General Assembly is now considering legislation to
permit the medical use of marijuana by seriously ill patients whose
physicians have recommended it.

This sensible, humane bill deserves swift passage. The evidence is
overwhelming that marijuana can relieve certain types of pain, nausea,
vomiting and other symptoms caused by such illnesses as multiple
sclerosis, cancer and AIDS — or by the harsh drugs sometimes used to
treat them. And it can do so with remarkable safety. Indeed, marijuana
is less toxic than many of the drugs that physicians prescribe every
day.

But right now, Rhode Island law subjects seriously ill patients to the
threat of arrest and jail for simply trying to relieve some of their
misery. There is no good reason that sick people should face such treatment.

Still, foes of the medical-marijuana bill keep raising objections. So
let’s look at their arguments, one by one:

“There is no evidence that marijuana is a medicine.” The truth: The
medical literature on marijuana goes back 5,000 years. In a 1999 study
commissioned by the White House, the Institute of Medicine reported,
“nausea, appetite loss, pain and anxiety . . . all can be mitigated by
marijuana.” In its April 2003 issue, the British medical journal The
Lancet reported that marijuana relieves pain in virtually every test
that scientists use to measure pain relief.

“The medical community doesn’t support this; just a bunch of drug
legalizers do.” The truth: Numerous medical and public-health
organizations support legal access to medical marijuana. National
groups include the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American
Public Health Association and the American Nurses Association.
Regional groups include the New York State Association of County
Health Officials, the California Medical Association and the Rhode
Island Medical Society.

I know of no medical group that believes that jailing sick and dying
people is good for them.

“Marijuana is too dangerous to be medicine; it’s bad for the immune
system, endangering AIDS and cancer patients.” The truth: Unlike many
of the drugs we prescribe every day, marijuana has never been proven
to cause a fatal overdose. Research on AIDS patients has debunked the
claim of harm to the immune system: In a study at San Francisco
General Hospital, AIDS patients using medical marijuana gained
immune-system cells and kept their virus under control as well as
patients who received a placebo. They also gained more needed weight.

“There are other drugs that work as well as marijuana, including
Marinol, the pill containing THC (the main psychoactive chemical in
marijuana).” The truth: These other drugs don’t work for everyone. The
Institute of Medicine noted: “It is well recognized that Marinol’s
oral route of administration hampers its effectiveness, because of
slow absorption and patients’ desire for more control over dosing.”
Inhalation gives a more rapid response and better results. For some
very sick people, marijuana simply works better.

“Smoke is not medicine; no real medicine is smoked.” The truth:
Marijuana does not need to be smoked. Some patients prefer to eat it,
while those who need the fast action and dose control provided by
inhalation can avoid the hazards of smoke through simple devices
called vaporizers. For many who need only a small amount — such as
cancer patients trying to get through a few months of chemotherapy —
the risks of smoking are minor.

“Medical-marijuana laws send the wrong message to kids, encouraging
teen marijuana use.” The truth: That fear, raised in 1996, when
California passed the first effective medical-marijuana law, has not
come true. According to the official California Student Survey, teen
marijuana use in California rose steadily from 1990 to 1996, but began
falling immediately after the medical-marijuana law was passed. Among
ninth graders, marijuana use in the last six months fell by more than
40 percent from 1995-96 to 2001-02 (the most recent available figures).

It is simply wrong for the sick and suffering to be casualties in the
war on drugs. Let’s get rid of the myths and institute sound
public-health policy. The Rhode Island General Assembly should pass
the medical-marijuana bill immediately.

——

Dr. Joycelyn Elders was U.S. surgeon general in 1993-94 and is
Distinguished Professor of Public Health at the University of Arkansas
School of Medicine.

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

ADDITIONAL INFO to help you in your letter writing efforts, Please See:

Writer’s Resources http://www.mapinc.org/resource/

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

TO SUBSCRIBE, UNSUBSCRIBE, OR UPDATE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS:

Please utilize the following URLs

http://www.drugsense.org/hurry.htm

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

We wish to thank all our contributors, editors, Newshawks and letter
writing activists.

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

Prepared by: Richard Lake, Focus Alert Specialist

Date: Mon, 09 Feb 2004
Subject: #285 Drug War Prosecutor Defames Reformers

DRUG WAR PROSECUTOR DEFAMES REFORMERS

*********************PLEASE COPY AND DISTRIBUTE*************************

DrugSense FOCUS Alert #285 Tue, 10 Feb 2004

Our last Focus Alert in January was targeted at Ocean County New
Jersey Special Prosecutor Terrance Farley and his column in the
Ashbury Park Press where he lambastes a retired circuit court judge
who called for an end to the drug war. See http://www.mapinc.org/alert/0284.html

SP Farley has also logged a fair number of column inches in another
New Jersey paper – The Ocean County Observer – during the past year
in which he criticizes drug policy reform efforts of any kind. And in
rebuttal, the OC Observer has provided a very fair amount of space to
letter writers who disagree with Farley’s support Prohibition.

On Feb 1, Farley let loose with his most venomous attack on drug
policy reform ideas with a column length letter in the Observer. In
this one, he notes the large amount of criticism his writings have
received. He attributes all such criticism to be from ‘dope smoking
legalizers’ and cites several organizations.

The voluminous response of rebuttals to Farley’s writings in
particular is a direct result of his mean spirited attacks on Cheryl
Miller in this newspaper for using cannabis as medicine and being
public about it – attacks going back over a year. See
http://www.mapinc.org/source/Ocean+County+Observer

Thanks to newshawk Gary Storck – and to Jim Miller for those letters
which the newspaper does not put on line, for providing us with the
letter below.

And, of course, to all the letter to the editor writers. This drug
warrior has been made to look as foolish and mean spirited as he is on
the pages of his home town newspaper because you wrote.

That’s what the Media Awareness Project is all about, in my opinion –
empowering activists so that we may win the hearts and minds of the
public through the press.

Oh, of course all of the PUB LTE writers are not “minions” of any
organization – not paid by anyone to write the letters to the editor
they write. Nor is their salary dependent upon feeding at the public
trough, unlike our SP.

Please write a letter to the Ocean County Observer telling them why
you disagree with Farley’s drug war views. If you match any of the
descriptions for people he claims, “…never write to criticize
me…”, please make note of that as well.

Letters should be 200 words or less for best chance of publication.
Please note that unlike major newspapers which print only very prompt
responses, this newspaper has printed letters sent in many days after
the item you are responding to was published.

Thanks for your effort and support.

It’s not what others do it’s what YOU do

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

PLEASE SEND US A COPY OF YOUR LETTER OR TELL US WHAT YOU DID (Letter,
email messages, etc.)

Please post a copy of your letter or report your action to the sent
letter list ([email protected]) if you are subscribed, or by
E-mailing a copy directly to [email protected] if you are not
subscribed. Your letter will then be forwarded to the list so others
can learn from your efforts and be motivated to follow suit.

This is _Very_ Important as it is one very effective way of gauging
our impact and effectiveness.

Subscribing to the Sent LTE list ([email protected]) will help you to
review other sent LTEs and perhaps come up with new ideas or
approaches as well as keeping others aware of your important writing
efforts.

To subscribe to the Sent LTE mailing list see http://www.mapinc.org/lists/index.htm
and/or http://www.mapinc.org/lists/index.htm#form

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

CONTACT INFO

Source: The Ocean County Observer

Contact: [email protected]

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

Pubdate: Sun, 01 Feb 2004
Source: Ocean County Observer (NJ)
Section: Page 10, Opinion page
Contact: [email protected]
Website: http://www.injersey.com/observer/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1212
Author: Terrence P. Farley

FARLEY RESPONDS TO HIS NATIONAL CRITICS ON DRUGS

For the regular readers of the Observer, it must be apparent that
either it has become a national publication or I have become the
target of the dope-smoking drug legalizers across the nation. They are
represented by groups like the National Organization to Reform
Marijuana Laws, the Drug Policy Alliance, the Ohio Marijuana Party
Political Action Committee and others with Web sites that spew out
garbage trying to change the minds and mores of our legislators and
the general public.

Quite frankly, I am pleased and somewhat flattered that these people
are so concerned about my articles and presentations that they have
their minions from places like Northhampton, Ma., Washington D.C.,
Green Bay, Wisc., Baton Rogue, La., Denton, Texas and other places
take the time to write to the Observer to attack me personally and the
facts and studies upon which I rely. One of the recent letters
indicated that I have spent my life putting people in jail, neglecting
to note that I was a fairly successful criminal defense lawyer for 20
years; they also indicate that I have taken my anti-drug stances
because I need to keep my job and make a living, neglecting to note
that I left a very lucrative partnership in the largest law firm in
the county at the height of my income-producing years, or that I paid
more in taxes while in private practice than I made as a prosecutor.

It should not surprise anyone that we don’t see these letters coming
from the families of drug-addicted individuals who have to live with
this problem or, worse, have lost a child to drugs. Nor do we hear
this type of diatribe from the addicts themselves. In fact, quite to
the contrary, we hear them extol the benefits of our actions such as
our Drug Court, how it helped them overcome the scourge of addiction
to again become productive family members, parents and members of
society; all I might add through the coercion of the criminal justice
system.

I only hope that those pro-legalization forces continue to direct
their venom at me while we work with school authorities, prevention
specialists, treatment providers and law enforcement officers in an
effort to rid our nation of our drug problems rather than making them
incredibly worse through legalization, as they propose.

Terrence P. Farley

First Assistant Prosecutor

Director, Ocean County Narcotics Strike Force

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

ADDITIONAL INFO to help you in your letter writing efforts, Please See:

Writer’s Resources http://www.mapinc.org/resource/

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

TO SUBSCRIBE, UNSUBSCRIBE, OR UPDATE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS:

Please utilize the following URLs

http://www.drugsense.org/hurry.htm

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

We wish to thank all our contributors, editors, Newshawks and letter
writing activists.

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

Prepared by: Stephen Heath, Focus Alert Specialist – Law Enforcement

Date: Tue, 20 Jan 2004
Subject: #284 New Jersey Drug Prosecutor Defends Drug War

NEW JERSEY DRUG PROSECUTOR DEFENDS DRUG WAR

*********************PLEASE COPY AND DISTRIBUTE*************************

DrugSense FOCUS Alert #284 Tue, 20 Jan 2004

On Wednesday, Jan 14, one of the few strident defenders of the drug
war – Orange County, NJ’s Terrence Farley – got loose with a lengthy
diatribe criticizing former Superior Court Judge Martin Haines’
criticism of the failed war on some drugs.

It’s understandable that Farley would defend the war. After all his
pay depends on it because of his dual role as assistant prosecutor for
the county and Director of the county’s Narcotics Strike Force.

Without exception, every point that Farley uses to defend the war has
its basis in the policy of prohibition, rather than in the drugs
themselves. He seems very concerned about the so-called ‘social
costs’ to society, but seems to have no problem with our governments –
federal and state – spending over 40 billion dollars annually just to
run it’s war on some drugs.

He smoothly begins his discussion talking about ‘illegal drugs’ than
quotes a ream of statistics that include alcohol use and abuse. If
Farley truly believed the statistics he quotes as justification for
criminalizing drugs, he should be the first in line to introduce laws
prohibiting the distribution of alcohol and tobacco since they are the
most harmful commonly abused legal drugs in America.

His paragraph on the perceived risks of marijuana fails to acknowledge
that none of these risks are as detrimental to a person’s health as a
sentence in a prison cage or the damage of a lifetime criminal record
simply for possessing marijuana. Further, he endorses putting cancer,
AIDS and other medical patients in prison if they elect, with the
advice of their doctor, to use more harmful legal drugs or narcotics.

Finally, his comment about ‘one third of those in treatment are there
because the criminal justice system put them there’ implies that drug
users must be coerced into treatment with threats of prison or they
will not participate. The experiences of over 100 million former
tobacco addicts and tens of millions of former alcoholics show this
statement to be without merit.

Please consider writing a letter today to the Asbury Park Press to let
them know that the alternative ideas presented by Martin Haines are
not as crazy as Terrence Farley suggests with his derogatory commentary.

Thanks for your effort and support.

It’s not what others do it’s what YOU do

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

PLEASE SEND US A COPY OF YOUR LETTER OR TELL US WHAT YOU DID (Letter,
email messages, etc.)

Please post a copy of your letter or report your action to the sent
letter list ([email protected]) if you are subscribed, or by
E-mailing a copy directly to [email protected] if you are not
subscribed. Your letter will then be forwarded to the list so others
can learn from your efforts and be motivated to follow suit.

This is _Very_ Important as it is one very effective way of gauging
our impact and effectiveness.

Subscribing to the Sent LTE list ([email protected]) will help you to
review other sent LTEs and perhaps come up with new ideas or
approaches as well as keeping others aware of your important writing
efforts.

To subscribe to the Sent LTE mailing list see http://www.mapinc.org/lists/index.htm
and/or http://www.mapinc.org/lists/index.htm#form

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

CONTACT INFO

ASBURY PARK PRESS (NJ)

Contact: [email protected]

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

ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Notes: This original article is also on line at the newspaper’s website,
which notes “Terrence P. Farley is first assistant Ocean County prosecutor
and director of the Ocean County Narcotics Strike Force.”

http://www.app.com/app/story/0,21625,887721,00.html

The referenced column of Superior Court Judge Martin Haines is
at

http://www.app.com/app/story/0,21625,883486,00.html

Pubdate: Wed, 14 Jan 2004
Source: Asbury Park Press (NJ)
Copyright: 2004 Asbury Park Press
Contact: [email protected]
Author: Terrence P. Farley

ATTACK AGAINST THE DRUG WAR IGNORES SOCIAL COSTS

In his Jan. 8 column, former Superior Court Judge Martin Haines
attacked the so-called “war on drugs.” It is hard to figure out
whether his philosophy is leftist, libertarian or simply nonsensical.
His ignorance of the facts and his lack of logic is so evident one
might believe that he was a paid lobbyist for the Drug Policy
Alliance, the goal of which is to legalize all drugs.

Haines begins his diatribe quoting statistics for drug arrests and the
numbers of people in state and federal jails and prisons ( a common
ploy of the Drug Policy Alliance ), but never cites the number of drug
overdose hospitalizations, deaths or murders — figures which are of
more interest to the families affected by drug abuse — or even the
enormous costs to society when these drug users and dealers are out on
the street.

He then cites financial figures for the costs of fighting the “war” on
drug and alcohol abuse. He neglects, however, to recite that it costs
the taxpayers of this country about $143 billion annually in
preventable health care costs, absenteeism, premature deaths,
increased insurance and health care costs, accidents, crime and lost
productivity. Alcohol and drug abusers are late for work three times
more often than fellow employees; have absences of eight days or
longer 2.5 times more often than other employees; are five times more
likely to file a worker’s compensation claim and are 3.6 times more
likely to cause a workplace accident.

Haines then accuses “our governments” of misleading the public about
the dangers of drug abuse so that we can have “harsh criminal laws,
tough prosecutions and stiff penalties.” He wants judges to have more
discretion in sentencing, and to reduce penalties for marijuana, as it
is “mostly harmless.” He also boldly states that marijuana has
beneficial medical uses.

The pro-legalization rhetoric about the government wanting harsher
laws, tougher prosecutions and stiffer penalties is not backed up by
any statements or reasoning because it’s pure nonsense. As to the
reason for mandatory minimum sentences, it was brought about by judges
who failed to fulfill the duties of the job to which they were
appointed or elected. There was a twofold reason for their
introduction:

( The public was fed up with criminals not going to jail. Former Sen.
Phil Gramm, R-Texas, once noted that “mandatory minimum sentencing is
a massive no-confidence vote by the American people in the
discretionary powers of our judges.”

( The very nature of the drug trade requires that prosecutors have a
tool with which to deal with drug traffickers. Without drug dealers
facing stiff penalties, there would be no incentive for them to
cooperate with law enforcement.

Haines’ statements regarding the “harmless” drug marijuana fail to
take into account any of the relevant medical studies of marijuana
that have found, among other things, that marijuana contains much more
tar, carbon monoxide and other dangerous chemicals than tobacco; that
marijuana smoking affects fertility in both men and women; that it has
led to increases in cancers of the head, mouth and neck; that it
affects school and work performance more than any other drug; that the
Food and Drug Administration has ruled that “smoked marijuana is
neither safe nor effective as a medicine for any ailment; and that the
National Institutes of Health have stated “patients with HIV or any
diseases of the immune system should avoid marijuana.” There are many
more adverse studies on marijuana.

Haines also promotes the use of needle exchange programs without
looking at, or ignoring, the facts. He should look at the 1995
Montreal study, which found that 78 percent of needle exchange program
users and 72 percent of non-needle exchange program users shared
needles. In the Vancouver study, the rate of HIV infections for
intravenous drug users rose from 2 percent prior to the needle
exchange program to 27 percent after — despite the fact that 92
percent of the intravenous drug users used the needle exchange program.

While I agree that we need more prevention, education and treatment
efforts, we must remember that about one-third of all people in
treatment are there only because the criminal justice system put them
there. Drug courts are but one of the new programs available.

I agree with Haines that we need more public discussion on these
issues. (I do approximately 100 lectures per year.) I hope, however,
that the people who have these discussions are more informed and
willing to discuss the real issues than Haines, who merely brought a
knife to a gunfight.

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

PLEASE NOTE When writing your own letter: While you may consider many
of the talking points expressed above, please be sure that your own
letter is in your own words to avoid suggestions of plagiarism.
Additionally, be sure and keep your word count to 250 words or less
for better chance of publication.

Thank you again for taking the time to write an LTE on in response to
this Focus Alert.

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

ADDITIONAL INFO to help you in your letter writing efforts, Please See:

Writer’s Resources http://www.mapinc.org/resource/

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

TO SUBSCRIBE, UNSUBSCRIBE, OR UPDATE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS:

Please utilize the following URLs

http://www.drugsense.org/hurry.htm

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

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

Prepared by: Stephen Heath, MAP Focus Alert Specialist
http://leap.cc/tbay

Date: Fri, 02 Jan 2004
Subject: # 283 Please Support Our LTE Writing Efforts

PLEASE SUPPORT OUR LETTER TO THE EDITOR WRITING EFFORTS

*********************PLEASE COPY AND DISTRIBUTE*************************

DrugSense FOCUS Alert #283 2 Jan 2004

As we enter our ninth year at The Media Awareness Project, we thank
the thousands of letter writers who have used our website and letter
writing resources. We also thank the many people who volunteer their
time to identify printed Letters to the Editor on the topic of drug
policy reform and who then ‘newshawk’ the items. Thanks to this
latter group, we are more able to accurately archive as many PUB LTEs
as possible from newspapers throughout the U.S. and Canada and also
from other countries around the world.

“PUB” LTEs are what MAP describes as letters which PUB-licize the
idea(s) of drug policy reform in one or may ways. This is in contrast
to a simple “LTE” which is a letter discussing drug policies but that
endorses continuation of the drug war status quo. It is our intent to
accurately archive ALL drug policy related Letters to the Editor, so
that anyone who visits our site can see clearly how the sentiment of
the public is moving strongly in favor of reform ideas. In the past
three years, the ratio of PUB LTEs to those LTEs which support the
drug war has been over 3 to 1 – a percentage that accurately reflects
other polling on this topic, which is that over 70% of Americans view
the drug war as an utter boondoggle in urgent need of new and workable
ideas.

Over the past eight years, MAP has archived over 14,000 PUB LTEs, with
over two thirds – about 9,500 – of them being published in just the
past three years. Research done by MAP’s founders in 1997 suggests
that the average printed LTE is worth $1,000 if the same space were
to be used for commercial advertising. How better can activists
without deep pockets contribute to the reform efforts from their home
computer?

Our data shows that in the past three years, well over three fourths
of the PUB LTEs have come from the pens and keyboards of MAP-aware
readers. During 2003 MAP’s news archives was visited by an average of
over a quarter million people – unique visitors – from about 125
countries – each month.

By going to our home page and using the LETTERS link at the bottom of
the page, you can easily see the names of our most prolific letter
writing friends and supporters. A dropdown menu will permit you to
see all of the PUB LTE authors, even those with just one printed
letter to their credit. Each and every name in that list has made a
significant contribution to making the Media more Aware of smart
alternatives to the failed policies of the drug war and to each of
these writers we say THANK YOU.

We challenge everyone to make the effort of writing more LTEs,
especially to those papers in your home state.

An election year in the United States will provide increased
opportunities for writing those letters.

Nor is MAP alone in encouraging the writing of letters to the editor.
We can not think of any drug policy reform organization that does not
also encourage writing LTEs.

Data provided by our most successful letter writers suggests that for
at least every eight letters submitted, one or more will be printed!
Thus, if you were to take the time needed to submit just two letters
per week, you would likely find yourself being published at least once
a month. Oh, and even if a letter you send is not printed, the
newspaper’s editorial page editor is made aware that there is strong
public interest in our issues.

Everyone likely realizes that submitting just two letters weekly is
not a huge time investment. It’s ‘easy’ to do, but so many of us
don’t take those few minutes due to our otherwise busy and demanding
schedules. However, please consider joining us in this effort over
the coming 12 months.

In case you think getting printed once a month is overly difficult or
not possible for you, please read below for a list of people who had
at least 12 PUB LTEs in just one year. We think you’ll agree that you
could join this group in 2004 and help us continue the success of
MAP’s campaign to educate and make the Media more Aware of how
right-minded people worldwide feel about the failed drug war and how
we can best reform said policies in the months and years ahead.

Thanks for your effort and support.

It’s not what others do it’s what YOU do

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

PLEASE SEND US A COPY OF YOUR LETTERS OR TELL US WHAT YOU DID (Letter,
email messages, etc.)

Please post a copy of your letter or report your action to the sent
letter list ([email protected]) if you are subscribed, or by
E-mailing a copy directly to [email protected] if you are not
subscribed. Your letter will then be forwarded to the list so others
can learn from your efforts and be motivated to follow suit.

This is _Very_ Important as it is one very effective way of gauging
our impact and effectiveness.

Subscribing to the Sent LTE list ([email protected]) will help you to
review other sent LTEs and perhaps come up with new ideas or
approaches as well as keeping others aware of your important writing
efforts.

To subscribe to the Sent LTE mailing list see http://www.mapinc.org/lists/index.htm
and/or http://www.mapinc.org/lists/index.htm#form

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

LETTER WRITERS WITH AT LEAST 12 PUB LTEs in JUST ONE
YEAR

Kevin Allan, British Columbia

Thomas Angell, Rhode Island

Mett Ausley, North Carolina

Don Barnard, United Kingdom

Dean Becker, Texas

Paul Bischke, Minnesota

Chuck Beyer, British Columbia

Allan Buffry, United Kingdom

Chris Buors, Manitoba

Scott Burke, Nova Scotia

Ray Carlson, California

John Chase, Florida

Sandy Cote, Ohio

Pat Dolan, British Columbia

Chris Donald, Nova Scotia

Duncan Eddy, New Zealand

Lee Eisenstein, Hawaii

Matthew Elrod, British Columbia

Jerry Epstein, Texas

Allan Erickson, Oregon

Redford Givens, California

Chris Hagglund, Ontario

Tom Hawkins, Washington

Kim Hanna, Massachusetts

Stephen Heath, Florida

Steve Helms, Texas

M V Hollingsworth, Texas

Jay Hunter, Pennsylvania

Christopher Joseph, Ohio

Christopher Largen, Texas

Anthony Lorenzo, Florida

Jason Marrs, New York

B. McConnell, Australia

Tim Meehan, Ontario

Dave Michon, Wisconsin

Bruce Mirken, Washington, DC

Kirk Muse, Arizona

Loretta Nall, Alabama

Thomas O’Connell, California

Wayne Phillips, Ontario

Mike Plylar, Colorado

Alan Randell, British Columbia

Richard Rawlings, Illinois

Scott Russ, Louisiana

Clifford Schaffer, California

Larry Seguin, New York

Robert Sharpe, Washington, DC

Richard Sinnott, Florida

Larry Stevens, Illinois

Gary Storck, Wisconsin

Gerald Sutliff, California

Bruce Symington, Alberta

Danny Terwey, California

Jim White, Ohio

Stan White, Colorado

Adam Wiggins, California

Walter Wouk, New York

Stephen Young, Illinois

Plus probably a dozen or two more folks we missed simply because not
all newspapers carry their letters to the editor on line, or a
specific newspaper among the almost three thousand in MAPs source
database didn’t get newshawked on the day a letter was printed.

In addition, there are 40 other writers who have been printed at least
a dozen times, though over multiple years.

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

ADDITIONAL INFO to help you in your letter writing efforts, Please See:

Writer’s Resources http://www.mapinc.org/resource/

Stephen Heath of DPF Florida has kindly offered to review draft
letters, if you would like his advice. Please send your drafts to him
at this address, if you wish:

[email protected]

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

TO SUBSCRIBE, UNSUBSCRIBE, OR UPDATE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS:

Please utilize the following URLs

http://www.drugsense.org/hurry.htm

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

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

Prepared by: Stephen Heath, Drug Policy Forum of Florida
http://www.dpffl.org

= Please help us help reform. Send drug-related news to
[email protected]

Date: Thu, 11 Dec 2003
Subject: #282 Please Write Today To Save Steve Kubby’s Life

STEVE’S HEALTH IS DETERIORATING — YOUR HELP IS URGENTLY NEEDED!

*********************PLEASE COPY AND DISTRIBUTE*************************

DrugSense FOCUS Alert #282 Wed, 10 Dec 2003

Monday, upon hearing the news that Canada had denied Steve Kubby’s
refugee application, we wrote:

It is with great sadness that we at MAP read of this incomprehensible
decision. Steve Kubby has been an active MAP supporter since it’s
early days. The fact is, without question, that if Steve Kubby is sent
back to California he will most likely be jailed. When he was
originally jailed in California, and again when he was jailed once in
Canada, he came very close, within hours, of death. Local California
officials have stated, repeatedly, that he will be denied his life
saving medicine, which he now grows with the approval of Health
Canada, when he is jailed.

Today we received the following message. As Michele Kubby asks, please
write letters to the editors of the listed papers as soon as possible.
Thank you!

Dear friends,

I’m very concerned that the continual harassment by government
officials is killing my husband. This entire Refugee process has put
Steve’s health into a terrifying tailspin.

Yesterday, I was shocked to see Steve so sick that he could barely
walk. When he did walk, he had great difficulty with his balance. He
is suffering from extremely elevated high blood pressures. He is
nauseous, has diarrhea, he’s weak, shaky, has difficulty urinating
from kidney damage and soaking his sheets from night sweats.

All of this is the direct result of the Refugee Protection Board
Ajudicator, Pauhla Dauns’ dishonest, shameful and cowardly decision.
She denies that returning Steve to the States will cause him harm, but
her very decision has put his life at risk.

It wasn’t easy for Dr. Connors to find the time or the courage to
testify on Steve’s behalf, but he did it because he clearly feels, as
we all do, that Steve’s life is at risk. Dr. Connors explained in
very graphic frightening details how my husband is a walking time bomb.

For the first time in my marriage with Steve I am truly frightened
about his welfare. He’s still struggling from the radiation he
subjected himself to to prove that there are no other therapies but
cannabis. Steve has never hurt a fly. It’s always the government
that accuses him of criminal behavior. This woman, Pauhla Dauns is a
criminal for putting my husband’s life in danger.

Steve saw by the third day of our hearings, in March, that Pauhla
Dauns and the Refugee Protection Officer were dyed in the wool
prohibitionists and could never provide a fair hearing. This is in
the transcripts. However, when Steve officially objected and asked
for a new hearing with the full Refugee Board, as is his right, Pauhla
Dauns assured him that she would look solely at the facts. Now with
this decision, we know that Ms. Dauns deliberately excluded key
evidence and testimony or completely misrepresented testimony by Dr.
Connors and Judge James Gray.

This is murder, happening before our eyes, and I need your help now.
I know that with cannabis and some peace, Steve can recover, but not
with this continual and criminal harassment by government officials.

I beg you, please write a letter today to any of the major newspapers
that have published articles about this decision and help us expose
this murder in progress. Please, I don’t want my husband to become
another Peter McWilliams, but that is exactly what is going to happen
if we don’t act together as a community to help one of our own.

Gratefully,

Michele Kubby

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

Below is a list of newspapers for which we have verified that the
linked article was in print (not just posted to their website as part
of their news feeds), along with the contact for sending letters to
the editor:

Canada No Pot Haven, Refugee Ruling Shows

URL: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v03/n1895/a04.html

Pubdate: Tue, 09 Dec 2003

Source: Globe and Mail (Canada) Page: A14

Contact: [email protected]

***

Medical Marijuana Activist Loses Bid for Refugee Status

URL: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v03/n1895/a03.html

Pubdate: Tue, 09 Dec 2003

Source: Province, The (CN BC)

Contact: [email protected]

***

Pot User’s Refugee Bid Is Rejected

URL: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v03/n1894/a09.html

Pubdate: Tue, 09 Dec 2003

Source: Los Angeles Times (CA)

Contact: [email protected]

***

Canada Rejects Medical Pot Asylum

URL: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v03/n1895/a01.html

Pubdate: Tue, 09 Dec 2003

Source: Press Democrat, The (CA)

Contact: [email protected]

***

Board Denies Refuge to Marijuana Smoker

URL: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v03.n1904.a06.html

Pubdate: Wed, 10 Dec 2003

Source: Olympian, The (WA)

Section: Briefs Across the Northwest

Contact: http://www.theolympian.com/forms/lettrfrm.shtml

***

Note: The Associated Press sent out a story today, Wednesday, so it is
possible that other newspapers may print it. MAP will add the verified
printed articles at this link:

http://www.mapinc.org/people/Steve+Kubby

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

Additional Background:

Michele has accurately characterized bias exhibited by the Refugee
Protection Board Adjudicator, Pauhla Dauns. Even reporters noted it,
as can be seen in the two articles at the following links:

http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v03/n521/a06.html

http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v03/n517/a05.html

The case is on line at http://www.irb.gc.ca/en/decisions/kubby/va2_01374_e.htm
and the actual Determination at http://www.irb.gc.ca/en/decisions/kubby/va2_01374_e.htm#determination

The bottom line is that there is an outstanding warrant for Steve
Kubby to be returned to Placer County, California to serve his 120 day
sentence. No prisoner has ever been allowed to have medical cannabis
in any jail in the United States. The county has made it very clear
that when they jail Mr. Kubby, he will not be the first exception.

Pauhla Dauns stated in her finding “I also find that the claimant is
not a person in need of protection in that his removal to the United
States would not subject him personally to a risk to his life or to a
risk of cruel and unusual treatment or punishment….”

Being denied life saving medicine and allowed to die is not cruel and
unusual treatment?

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

ADDITIONAL INFO to help you in your letter writing efforts, Please See:

Writer’s Resources http://www.mapinc.org/resource/

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

PLEASE SEND US A COPY OF YOUR LETTER OR TELL US WHAT YOU DID (Letter,
email messages, etc.)

Please post a copy of your letter or report your action to the sent
letter list ([email protected]) if you are subscribed, or by
E-mailing a copy directly to [email protected] if you are not
subscribed. Your letter will then be forwarded to the list so others
can learn from your efforts and be motivated to follow suit.

This is _Very_ Important as it is one very effective way of gauging
our impact and effectiveness.

Subscribing to the Sent LTE list ([email protected]) will help you to
review other sent LTEs and perhaps come up with new ideas or
approaches as well as keeping others aware of your important writing
efforts.

To subscribe to the Sent LTE mailing list see http://www.mapinc.org/lists/index.htm
and/or http://www.mapinc.org/lists/index.htm#form

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

TO SUBSCRIBE, UNSUBSCRIBE, OR UPDATE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS:

Please utilize the following URLs

http://www.drugsense.org/hurry.htm

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

We wish to thank all our contributors, editors, Newshawks and letter
writing activists.

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

Prepared by: Richard Lake

= Please help us help reform. Send drug-related news to
[email protected]