It was all over the news: on January 22, the DEA raided a California Medical Cannabis Clinic in Lake Tahoe, and two medical cannabis grow houses in Colorado. This was two days after Barack Obama's inauguration, and several months after the President vowed on the campaign trail, to stop Federal raids on medical cannabis providers.
In spite of those promises, the raids and harassment continue. Back in August of last year Nancy Pelosi spoke on CNN about the medical cannabis and Federal policy. She said their just were not enough support in Congress to get the laws changed, and she called on the public to contact their representatives, and make a lot of noise.
OK Nancy: how's this for noise? No funding of Democratic initiatives, or candidates until your start representing the interests of a majority of the voting public who believe our drug policies are punitive, unfair, and simply designed to pack as many people into prison as possible (with great success, I might add, since the United States, with 5% of the world's population, incarcerates 25% of the world's prison population.)
So, dear reader, if you're happy having 1 out of every 100 adults in the US in prison, and 1 out out every 32 adults in prison, jail, on probation or paroled, then keep on sending your hard earned dollars to the Dems.
But if you think drug use should be primarily a public health issue, and feel that nearly 1,000,000 arrests each year for cannabis offenses is just plain wrong, there here is a solution for you:
Do what I have been doing since I heard about the January raids. I have been answering all phone calls and returning all fundraising mail I get from the Democratic Party with this response:
“I will not give another cent to the Democratic Party until they support a complete overhaul of our Federal drug policy; stop the Federal persecution of medical cannabis users, providers and caregivers; and remove Cannabis from it present Schedule I classification.”
If you are willing to rise to this challenge and you do speak with fundraisers on the phone, be polite, but tell them in no uncertain terms what your position is, that you will no longer be donating until the party's policies change, and ask them to please give this feedback to their supervisors.
Money talks volumes, and it seems to be the language politicians understand. Let's put that unfortunate reality to work for us, and stop this abuse of civil and human rights.
••••••••••••••
Update: per M Todd's suggestion: a little marketing
TIP:
Enter the amount, and click "Tip" to submit!
Gwool
Will Someone Feed The Cat?
Sunil Aggarwal
Anne Cameron Cutri
Dr. Susanne Freeborn
Writing Raven
Salon.com
Comments
I hadn't heard about these raids ..post Obama .
Thanks for the heads up and I agree with you Brinna
( and let the poor potheads out of freaking jail )
Personally I do not expect Obama or the Democrats to do much about this issue, because it is political land mine. Everyone knows the system if broken. But the loudest cheerleaders for the current policies are the law enforcement community.
If people want to change the system they must first understand what they are up against. Law enforcement does not want to change the system because it represents federally funded budgets. Those budgets pay overtime and increased wages for police. Also, if you are going to go after a drug, marijuana is the easiest to go after. Marijuana represents a slam dunk for the police. They can arrest pot smokers, look tough on crime, and "cleaning up the streets" to keep our kids safe. Since in most states it takes very little pot to constitute trafficking, the police can say look at how many dealers we have gotten off the street and protected your kids. Everyone wants to protect kids, right?
In my opinion to change the policies those who wish to change the current laws must approach it as a PR campaign.
To win you have to change the current image of marijuana smokers as a bunch of stoners who don't work, don't pay taxes and are supplying their drug use with petty crime.
Second you have to change the relationship with law enforcement. The storm trooper under the iron book jack of the man language must be turned into showing support and empathy for those who are charged with protect and serve.
The marijuana lobbyist should look even tougher on drugs, by showing how removing marijuana from the mix will free up their resources for more dangerous crime and drugs. Yes, there are dangerous drugs out their. Those working for change in the marijuana laws need to really separate themselves from all other drugs.
To often when someone from the MPP or NORML are on a talk show, the host talks about the war on drugs and protecting our children. The represent needs to agree and state that the objective is to free up law enforcement so they can focus on the real danger, other drugs. The objective should be for wise, controlled use the same as alcohol. You have to keep talking about protecting kids making the streets safer for citizens and tie this into changing the current laws.
To much of the language and rhetoric has been preaching to the choir and not reaching those groups who support the current laws and the politicians who make them.
Not enough of that has been done by a long shot, though MPP does a lot of great YouTube videos, and LEAP puts up billboards. (I actually designed a "protect your children" ad. I'll attach it to the bottom of this post.)
The problem has been, of course, lack of access to mainstream media, and so the characterizations of cannabis users available to the general public were written by the enemy, so to speak. The internet is changing all that, and in fact, has delivered great power to the people.
The problem I have with throwing the other drug issues to the wolves, is that there is plenty of corruption around it in the area of law enforcement, politics and the prison industry. And there are very good people working towards Prison Reform who need to be a part of this alliance.
Divide and conquer is ever the methodology of those in power when they wish to retain or increase it. Therefore, it is crucial to gather an maintain an alliance — a coalition of all of those whose interests lie in removing this form of oppression, and, without question, the War on Drugs (all drugs) is a finely honed tool of oppression.
These are real concerns and will not just go away. I have watched the U-Tube ads put out by the MPP. They are still pretty much slanted towards the person already willing to legalize marijuana instead of the target group that needs to change their minds.
I think if the media and republicans start throwing Obama's past drug use at him, he will do the same.
I remember talking to someone who thought anyone who did marijuana should be locked up for life, I pointed out that if that was the case the last three presidents would be in prison right now. The only difference is they were not caught.
When you get people to think beyond the slogans and rhetoric most start to think about what the war on drugs is not working.
I refuse to be either pessimistic nor optimistic about this issue. I just know I have to be the change I want to see.
M Todd, I'm curious, what was the response of the person you made that comment to. Did it cause them to reflect a bit?
When something becomes personal you tend to think about the issue instead of trying to apply slogans or rhetoric. As long as an issue is just images and words on TV most people do not really question the way things are. If you can engage people on a personal level they tend to soften their views and can see the need for change.
Most of the war on drugs is based on myth. Millions are spent each year reinforcing this myth, but the most effective means of persuasion is one on one. The more personal the more impact.
For example if you did talk to a church group, you would have to demonstrate how the current laws could effect their loved ones. Now, if the particular church has belief in abstaining from alcohol, tobacco, and even coffee you will not be heard because the only wise use is no use. And that would go especially for drugs. But, even with that group the idea of medical marijuana and doctors working with sick patients could be heard. But legalization for recreational use would not be.
If you spoke to a group of concerned parents, they would be receptive to how the current laws could really hurt their children's future. And how current marijuana laws can actually expose their kids to much more harmful drugs like meth and cocaine.
Captain, If the Republicans are sending you funding requests, I would say, send them back politely, with the statement that you will not give another dime until they support bringing the failed (and expensive) War on Drugs to a swift end.