Press Release: SIX HUNDRED CHURCHES CALL FOR END TO DRUG WAR

Contact: Darby Beck                                  For Immediate Release:

darby.beck@leap.cc                           Tuesday, June 23, 2015

415.823.5496

SIX HUNDRED CHURCHES CALL FOR END TO DRUG WAR

Conference Uses Christian Ideals to Argue for New System

MANCHESTER, NH – Last Saturday the New England Conference of United Methodist

Churches, a group representing 600 congregations in six Northeastern states, voted in

favor of Resolution 15-203, which uses Christian principles to call for an end to the War

on Drugs and endorse the work of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition.

The resolution begins:



“In the love of Christ, who came to save those who are lost and vulnerable, we urge the creation of

a genuinely new system for the care and restoration of victims, offenders, criminal justice

officials, and the community as a whole. Restorative justice grows out of biblical authority, which

emphasizes a right relationship with God, self and community. When such relationships are

violated or broken through crime, opportunities are created to make things right.”



It goes on to detail how the drug war has failed to achieve its intended goal of reducing

drug abuse and has resulted in numerous unintended consequences such as the creation of

violent and dangerous underground markets, countless lost lives from gang violence and

unregulated products, increased dangers posed to law enforcement, prison overcrowding,

the rapid spread of needle-borne illnesses due to a lack of sterile syringes, and the

disparate impact that these laws have had on poor communities of color.

Law Enforcement Against Prohibition Co-founder Lt. Jack Cole (Ret.), who, along

with the group Christians Against Prohibition, worked with the assembly to pass the

resolution, recounted his experience as one of warm support and appreciation,

particularly from families who have been directly affected by drug prohibition.

“When I came off the stage I was met by many assembly members telling me how

important the resolution was,” said Lt. Cole. “One said that…I had described his family.

His daughter died ten years ago of a drug overdose and he and his wife were left to raise

her two children. That gentleman was sure that if drugs had been legal his daughter

would not have died.”

“Jesus concerned himself with the plight of the poor and marginalized in his society. In

our society, the story of the poor and marginalized is one of mass incarceration, racial

injustice, and the breakdown of families caused by the War on Drugs,” said Major Neill

Franklin (Ret.), executive director of LEAP.    

The statement ends with a declaration of support for LEAP and a commitment to work to

regulate drugs from a public health perspective:

“Be it Resolved: That the New England Annual Conference supports seeking means other than

prohibition to address the problem of substance abuse; and is further resolved to support the

mission of the international educational organization Law Enforcement Against Prohibition

(LEAP) to reduce the multitude of unintended harmful consequences resulting from fighting the

war on drugs and to lessen the incidence of death, disease, crime, and addiction by ending drug

prohibition.”

The resolution can be found here: http://www.leap.cc/united_methodist_res/

LEAP is committed to ending decades of failed policy that have wreaked havoc on public

safety, damaged community relations with police, fostered corruption and racism, and

largely ignored the public health crisis of addiction. The War on Drugs has cost more

than $1 trillion dollars, yielded no positive outcomes, and has ultimately diverted the

penal system’s attention away from more important crimes.

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Press Release: HOUSE VOTES TO PROTECT STATES WITH MEDICAL MARIJUANA LAWS, CUTS DEA BUDGET, ENDS DATA COLLECTION PROGRAM

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:                       Contact: Darby Beck:darby.beck@leap.cc
June 3, 2015                                                       415.823.5496

HOUSE VOTES TO PROTECT STATES WITH MEDICAL MARIJUANA LAWS, CUTS DEA BUDGET, ENDS DATA COLLECTION PROGRAM

Amendments to Spending Bill Prioritize Fighting Violent Crime, End DEA Bulk Collection Program

WASHINGTON, DC – A bipartisan amendment to the Fiscal Year 2016 Commerce, Justice, and Science Appropriations spending bill that prohibits DEA and Department of Justice funds from being used to interfere in states that have legalized medical marijuana passed the House today by a margin of 242-186. The amendment is a renewal of the one that passed in May of last year and was reintroduced by Representatives Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) and Sam Farr (D-CA). A similar amendment was also passed protecting states that have allowed industrial hemp. Yesterday, the House passed an amendment to ban the DEA’s bulk data collection program and slashed the DEA budget by $23 million. Instead, that money will now go to combat child abuse, improve the testing of rape kits, expand the use of body cameras on police officers, and reduce the deficit.

“Even Congress is now acknowledging the failures of the drug war and of the DEA and its invasive methods,” said Major Neill Franklin (Ret.), executive director of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition. “Conservatives believe states have the right to decide their own rules, libertarians understand prohibition infringes upon civil liberties, and liberals know the effect prohibition has had on racial minorities, families, and communities.”

A separate amendment introduced by Representatives Tom McClintock (R-CA) and Jared Polis (D-CO) that would have prevented the DEA from undermining state rights in places that have legalized marijuana narrowly failed by a vote of 206-222.

“Continued protection for medical marijuana patients is something most politicians now agree upon, and we can expect that states’ recreational marijuana laws will soon have the same level of protection against federal interference,” said Lieutenant Commander Diane Goldstein (Ret.)

In August 2013, the Justice Department released a memorandum stating that the DOJ would no longer go after states that chose to legalize and regulate marijuana, as long as those states prohibited access to children, limited the involvement of organized criminal activity in the industry, and abided by other reasonable standards.

Currently, 23 states and the District of Columbia have legalized medical marijuana and four states along with D.C. have legalized marijuana outright. According to the centrist think tank Third Way, 67% of Americans believe Congress should pass a bill to protect states from federal interference if they choose to legalize marijuana, so long as a strong regulatory system is in place.

Law Enforcement Against Prohibition is a group of law enforcement officers opposed to the War on Drugs.

Please contact Darby Beck at darby.beck@leap.cc to arrange an interview.

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Press Release: House Oversight Committee Condemns DEA Administrator Michele Leonhart

Contact: Darby Beck                                                                       For Immediate Release:

darby.beck@leap.cc                                                                        Wednesday April 15, 2015

415.823.5496

HOUSE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE CONDEMNS DEA ADMIN’S TRACK RECORD OF INCOMPETENCE

Official Bipartisan Statement Declares “No Confidence” in DEA Administrator Michele Leonhart

Washington D.C. – Today, twenty two members of the US House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform issued a statement of ‘No Confidence” in Drug Enforcement Administrator Michele Leonhart for continued failed leadership during numerous scandals and direct conflicts with the Obama Administration. The bipartisan statement was issued in the wake of congressional hearings investigating a sex scandal involving DEA agents in South America who purchased sex workers with American tax dollars.

“There’s simply no excuse for the outrageous behavior of the DEA’s so-called leadership,” said Maj. Neill Franklin (Ret.), executive director for Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP), a criminal justice group working to end the drug war. “Leonhart just helps us add to the list of reasons of why we need to rethink our entire approach to drug policy.”

The Justice Department’s Office of the Inspector General currently has six open investigations into scandals perpetrated by the DEA involving murder and torture, covert data collection of Americans used for evidence fabrication, and a massacre in Honduras. In addition, Leonhart has repeatedly flaunted administration policy and opposed policies based on scientific evidence and best practices.

LEAP is committed to ending decades of failed policy that have created underground markets and gang violence, fostered corruption and racism, and largely ignored the public health crisis of addiction. The war on drugs has cost more than one trillion dollars, yielded only disastrous outcomes, and ultimately diverted the penal system’s attention away from more important crimes.

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Press Release: Livestream of Major Neill Franklin (Ret.) Explaining Benefits of Marijuana Legalization Today

Contact: Darby Beck                                                   For Immediate Release:

darby.beck@leap.cc                                                    Wednesday April 15, 2015

415.823.5496

LIVESTREAM OF MAJOR NEILL FRANKLIN (RET.) EXPLAINING BENEFITS OF MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION TODAY

Law Enforcement Against Prohibition Executive Director to Address 2015 Cannabis Symposium at University of Colorado Boulder

University of Colorado-Boulder is hosting the 2015 Cannabis Symposium to educate students and raise awareness about successful marijuana legalization policies, and to set a new standard for drug and policy education around the country. The closing plenary speaker is Maj. Neill Franklin (Ret.), executive director of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP), a group of criminal justice professionals opposed to the drug war. Maj. Franklin has more than 30 years of experience in law enforcement, and can attest to the failures of drug prohibition. He will explain why legalizing marijuana has had a positive impact on reducing violence caused by the drug war, and improving public safety overall. His speech will be live streamed to campuses throughout the country. You can watch it here: http://www.colorado.edu/law/live.

What: 2015 Cannabis Symposium: A Teach-In on Ancient Medicinal Plant and Current Drug Policy

Who: Maj. Neill Franklin (Ret.), executive director for Law Enforcement Against Prohibition. Other LEAP speakers presenting at this event include former corrections officer Carrie Roberts, and former judge and practicing attorney, Leonard Frieling.

When: Wednesday April 15^th from 10am-730pm MST. Closing plenary is from 6-730pm MST.

Where: Wittemyer Courtroom of Wolf Law Building, CU-Boulder Campus. Wolf Law Bldg, Kittredge Loop Dr, Boulder, CO 80305 or at http://www.colorado.edu/law/live

This event is free and open to the public.

LEAP is committed to ending decades of failed policy that have created underground markets and gang violence, fostered corruption and racism, and largely ignored the public health crisis of addiction. The war on drugs has cost more than one trillion dollars, yielded only disastrous outcomes, and ultimately diverted the penal system’s attention away from more important crimes.

Press Release: BIPARTISAN MEDICAL MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION INTRODUCED TO HOUSE

Contact: Darby Beck                                                 For Immediate Release:

darby.beck@leap.cc                                                  March 24, 2015

415.823.5496

BIPARTISAN MEDICAL MARIJUANA LEGISLATION INTRODUCED TO 

HOUSE

 Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN) and Rep. Don Young (R-AK) Submit Companion Bill to 

CARERS Act to Allow States to Legalize Medical Marijuana 

Today a comprehensive bipartisan medical marijuana legalization bill was introduced to

the House of Representatives. The bill serves as a companion to the Compassionate

Access, Research Expansion, and Respect States (CARERS) Act, which would allow

states to set their own medical marijuana policies without fear of federal prosecution.

Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ), Rand Paul (R-KY), and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)

originally introduced the CARERS Act to the Senate earlier this month. Senators Dean

Heller (R-NV) and Barbara Boxer (D-CA) co-sponsored the bill most recently. Reps.

Steve Cohen (D-TN) and Don Young (R-AK) introduced today’s companion bill, which

marks yet another significant leap of progress in bipartisan support for compassionate

medical marijuana legislation.

“Police have as much business telling patients whether they should use medical

marijuana as they do performing eye surgery - and with a similar rate of success,” said

Maj. Neill Franklin (Ret.), executive director of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition, a

criminal justice group opposed to the drug war. “When you treat a health problem like a

matter for law enforcement, you only endanger the patient, who has no assurance of the

quality or purity of what he's consuming and must enter the illegal market to obtain it,

and undermine respect for and effectiveness of law enforcement in our society.”

The CARERS Act would foremost allow states to decide their own regulatory policies. It

would also reschedule marijuana from the federal scheduling category I to II, which

unlike schedule I, recognizes medical efficacy and allows more extensive research for

drugs within that schedule, though it is still very restrictive. If passed, the bill would also

permit interstate commerce of CBD (cannabidiol) products. CBD is a non-psychoactive

seizure suppressant found in marijuana that has shown to be effective in reducing the

severity and intensity of seizures, particularly in pediatric epileptic patients.

The bill would also allow banks to work with the legal marijuana industry without fear of

prosecution. Currently, state-legal marijuana businesses and any banks that work with

them might be charged with violating federal marijuana prohibition laws, and could be

accused of laundering money for a criminal organization. The CARERS Act would also

allow doctors within the Department of Veterans Affairs network to recommend

marijuana to their patients, many of whom suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder

(PTSD), which many believe can be alleviated by marijuana. Finally, the bill would also

expand permissions for marijuana to be researched more thoroughly. What little research

has been conducted domestically - and significant anecdotal evidence - both clearly

support the efficacy of marijuana as a medicine, but obstacles to research have remained

a problem for scientists to accurately measure marijuana’s effectiveness in treating

specific conditions in controlled settings. The National Institute on Drug Abuse is the

only institution presently permitted to research marijuana.

“No one should ever have to be considered a criminal to get medicine they need,” said

Major Franklin. “There are many patients who need medicine who are foregoing their

preferred treatment for fear of arrest. This is a public health problem that affects people

from across the political spectrum. Prioritizing proper health care for the sick and

disabled is not a partisan issue; it’s a question of basic human rights.”

Last year, President Obama signed into law the federal “Cromnibus” spending bill, which

includes a provision that prevents the Department of Justice from using its money to

create barriers for medical marijuana laws and legally operating dispensaries in those

states. Twenty three states and the District of Columbia all have some degree of medical

marijuana access, and many more state legislatures are considering such measures as

well.

Law Enforcement Against Prohibition is committed to ending decades of failed policy

that have fueled dangerous underground markets and gang violence, fostered corruption

and racism, and largely ignored the public health crisis of addiction. The drug war has

cost more than one trillion dollars and has distracted the penal system’s attention away

from far more important crimes.

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Press Release: Comprehensive, Bipartisan Medical Marijuana Bill Introduced to Congress

Contact: Darby Beck                                                                      For Immediate Release:

darby.beck@leap.cc                                                                                     March 10, 2015

415.823.5496

COMPREHENSIVE MEDICAL MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION BILL INTRODUCED TO CONGRESS

Senators Rand Paul (R-KY), Cory Booker (D-NJ), and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) Introduce Bipartisan CARERS Act

Today, a comprehensive bipartisan medical marijuana legalization bill was introduced to Congress that would prevent federal law enforcement agencies from interfering in state medical marijuana laws. The Compassionate Access, Research Expansion, and Respect States (CARERS) Act would recognize marijuana’s medical validity by rescheduling it from Schedule I (no accepted medical use and high potential for abuse) into Schedule II (some medical value and high potential for abuse). This would allow banks greater freedom to provide financial services to state-legal medical dispensaries, improve transportability of the drug, and open doors for scientific research. Currently, medical marijuana patients, dispensary owners and cultivators are still in violation of federal law, and could be subject to federal prosecution. This has remained an obstacle for many other states that would otherwise be considering similar policies.

“Whether patients have safe access to medicine is a public health issue, not a criminal justice one,” said Maj. Neill Franklin (Ret.), executive director of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition, a law enforcement group opposed to the war on drugs. “If this bill passes many patients who could benefit from medical marijuana will no longer have to forego treatment for fear of arrest, be considered criminals for obtaining necessary medication, or put themselves in danger by accessing a dangerous unregulated market. We would never put underground drug dealers in charge of selling chemotherapy drugs or antidepressants, and we shouldn’t be putting them in control of marijuana either.”

If passed, the CARERS Act would adjust banking regulations so that financial institutions could provide banking services to marijuana businesses operating in accordance with state law. This has been a major obstacle, forcing dispensaries to operate as cash-only businesses, creating serious logistical problems and opening them up to all sorts of security concerns.

The bill would also remove a requirement that the Department of Health and Human Services do a public health service review before approving studies and end the National Institute on Drug Abuse’s current monopoly on marijuana research by allowing for at least three more research licenses to be granted. Overwhelming anecdotal evidence - and what little domestic research that has been approved - clearly support the medical efficacy of marijuana, but because research is rarely permitted for Schedule I substances, the scientific community has been unable to fully and accurately assess its effectiveness for specific conditions in controlled settings. If passed, the bill would also permit VA doctors to recommend marijuana to their patients who often suffer from combat related depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. The State of Colorado recently awarded $2 million dollars to the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies for research into the effects of marijuana use on veterans with PTSD.

Finally, it would allow states to import CBD products, which contain a powerful compound found in marijuana that reduces the incidence and severity of seizures in epileptic patients. Twelve states currently have laws allowing for some form of access to CBD, though these laws are not generally considered full “medical marijuana laws” because CBD as an extracted substance has fewer applications than medications using the whole plant. They remain attractive to some policymakers, however, because they exclude THC, a psychoactive but medically useful cannabinoid.

Last year, President Obama signed into law the federal “Cromnibus” spending bill, which includes a provision that prevents the Department of Justice from using its money to create barriers for medical marijuana laws and legally operating dispensaries in those states where it is legal. In addition to the dozen states that allow CBD use, twenty three states and the District of Columbia allow some degree of medical marijuana access, and many more state legislatures are considering such measures as well.

Law Enforcement Against Prohibition is committed to ending decades of failed policy that have fueled dangerous underground markets and gang violence, fostered corruption and racism, and largely ignored the public health crisis of addiction, all while spending more than a trillion dollars diverting the penal system's attention away from more important violent crimes.

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