I have three copies of Transform's outstanding book titled, After the War on Drugs: Blueprints for Regulation. This is the third book in a trilogy form the Transform Drug Policy Foundation. It provides specific proposals for how drugs could be regulated in the real world.
The book is available for free online if you would like to read it. The problem, of course, is that many of the people who should be reading this book are not reading it, even when it is available free of charge on the Internet.
Here's my challenge for LEAP supporters: please suggest the names of three people who might benefit from reading this book. Ideally these folks would be in law enforcement or politics. They should be open minded (I don't want to send the book to someone who is just going to chuck it in the trash). I'll pick the top three names and send a hardcopy of the book to those people, along with an invitation to join LEAP.
Now, which officials in your home state or province do you think should read this book?
Hmmm, home state, huh? Let's see if I can come up with three North Carolina names for you:
ReplyDelete1) Senator Richard Burr -- I've written to Senator Burr personally before on the issue of marijuana legalization. He responded to me with a form letter detailing some of the most common prohibitionist misconceptions -- the gateway theory, the old "increasing potency" hand-waving, and some stuff about how legalizing would increase crime.
Burr has also failed to endorse Senator Jim Webb's bill for a review of the criminal justice system.
2) Governer Bev Purdue -- A typical "southern democrat". Her press releases are consistently deferential to the "get tough on crime" rhetoric from the state's law enforcement officials. Purdue has fought against the repeal of mandatory minimum sentencing, and has sought to grant probation officers the power to search people on probation and parole without a warrant or probable cause.
3) Ernie Seneca -- Spokesman for the Alcohol Law Enforcement division of the NC Dept. of Crime Control and Public Safety. ALE officials recently raided Willie Nelson's bus with questionable probable cause, citing band members for possession of marijuana and unlicensed alcohol. While Seneca insists that the officers were merely performing their normal duties, the nickname given by ALE to the concert activities -- "Operation On the Road Again" -- seems to suggest that they were looking to bust Nelson all along.
Thanks Rhayader, great suggestions. I guess I should clarify that the suggestions can be anywhere, they don't have to be in your home state. This is my first time doing a contest (or something that vaguely resembles a contest) on the LEAP blog and it works out well I would like to do more in the future.
ReplyDeleteAre you back David? Never heard what happened once you were told to stop giving speaking engagements. I don't do face book anymore, this is my only connection to you.
ReplyDeleteHi Lea, don't worry I'm still blogging. I don't want to talk about what's going on in terms of my Charter right to freedom of expression because there is a formal process initiated by the BC Civil Liberties Association and they will ensure the matter is looked into. That said I can still do my regular activities with LEAP including blogging.
ReplyDeleteDo you have any suggestions re: who we should send a copy of the Transform book? Any police chiefs, mayors etc in your area?'
Leon Frazier, a conservative Libertarian and a strong candidate for a seat on the Utah County Commission stated, "I think people should have the right to smoke pot if they want, particularly medical marijuana. I think it would create freedom and a minor economic boom if people were suddenly allowed to cultivate and sell medical marijuana products".
ReplyDeleteFrazier is running a popular campaign, based on less government intrusion on small businesses and lower property taxes. He wrote about the medical marijuana issue in his statement, "It's not my major issue, but I want to prepare myself on it and just about anything could be better than what currently is being enforced as law".
There is a group in Utah at httpp://legalizeutah.net/
There's some good information on there although the site is still a work in progress in my opinion, but I do believe that's where I got the above information on Frazier. (sorry as I copy and print a great deal of information on drug reform and often forget where I found it).
Also the print out I have said other candidates who have spoken favorably for cannabis law reform like former American Fork Mayor Ted Barrett and incumbent Steven Davis also seeking a seat. Another political candidate, Joel Wright, in his campaign for Utah County Commissioner is the first Utah County candidate to publicly admit his support for medical marijuana in Utah.
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There is also the anti-cannabis caucus member in Congress, Jason Chaffetz (R-UT).
http://chaffetz.house.gov/
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My aim is not so much Medical Marijuana David as I've come to the conclusion that poorly written legislation has far too many restrictions and hoops to jump through, that is, unless you have one foot in the grave.
My aim and goal is for complete Legalization.
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Please keep in mind too that Utah sent money to California to squash the gay marriage vote. And Utah was successful, it caused quite an uproar in the gay community here, but has since calmed down.
The church is powerful, far too powerful.
We're all rooting for you David!
ReplyDeleteI know I already voted, but on a national scale here would be my picks: Gil Kerlikowske, Michele Leonhart, and Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Arnold might read the book Rhayader but he's probably getting out of politics and could care less. He backed off from his "conversation about marijuana" almost right after he said it. Probably the booze producing family he's connected to put their two cents in or Calvina Fay opened up her big (and incorrect) mouth.
ReplyDeleteAs far as Leonhart, nope, she's mean and loves the power bestowed on her self. Her salary depends on prohibition.
Gil, The Drug Czar is Required by Law to Lie
http://www.drugwarrant.com/articles/drug-czar-required/
If anyone would know of any politicians who are on the fence with this issue it would be Detective/Officer Howard Wooldridge (retired), a LEAP member who is on Capital Hill talking to politicians.
The website is:
www.CitizensOpposingProhibition.org
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As an aside David. There is no way I'm going to approach anyone in Law Enforcement in Utah about ending Prohibition. If I were a retired officer, judge, or politician then it'd be another story. We're basically small town with an hour and a half drive to the big town. Small towns in the U.S. are no place to be talking to Police Chiefs or red neck cops and sheriffs about drug laws.
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I have no problem finding people, actually strangers for the most part, to talk to about LEAP, COPS, and ending prohibition. That's the most I'll do, aside from donations, as I avoid the law like the plague.
Hi David,
ReplyDeleteGreat initiative!
If you get more good suggestions than you have copies of 'Blueprint' do let us know, and we'll send you some more, or even send some direct to key people if you prefer.
Best regards,
Martin Powell
Campaigns Manager
Transform Drug Policy Foundation
http://tdpf.org.uk/
David, Martin, what is the difference between Blueprint and Options for Control?
ReplyDeleteIs Blueprint a from-the-ground-up rewrite? I've been linking to Options, oops, I guess I should immediately replace it with a link to Blueprints.
I have a hard copy of the executive summary of Blueprint but it doesn't mention the Options version.
I want to feature it more prominently at my website.
(The last time I tried reading Blueprints as PDF I couldn't scroll past one of the opening pages without my low end system having problems. Hm, just looking at Blueprints again in OS X 10.5 and it appears my PDF viewer isn't going to crash.)