For Immediate Release: May 12, 2008

Religious Leaders Urge Minnesota House, Governor to Pass Medical Marijuana BillFifty Clergypersons from Nine Denominations Take Action for Compassion

Contact:  Charles Thomas, IDPI executive director, 301-938-1577

    Fifty religious leaders throughout the state are urging the Minnesota House to pass a bill to allow seriously ill patients to use medical marijuana with a doctor’s recommendation.

    Denominations with official positions supporting medical marijuana include the United Methodist Church, Presbyterian Church (USA), Union for Reform Judaism, Episcopal Church, and United Church of Christ.  In addition to clergy from these denominations, medical marijuana supporters in Minnesota include clergy from Catholic, Evangelical Lutheran, and Baptist congregations.

    Clergy from these nine denominations endorsed the Interfaith Drug Policy Initiative’s statement of principle reading, “Licensed medical doctors should not be punished for recommending the medical use of marijuana to seriously ill patients, and seriously ill patients should not be subject to criminal sanctions for using marijuana if the patient’s physician has told the patient that such use is likely to be beneficial.”

    This is precisely what S.F. 345, Minnesota’s medical marijuana bill, would accomplish.  Similar laws have been enacted in 12 other states.  Patients in Minnesota suffering from cancer, AIDS, multiple sclerosis, and other serious illnesses who find marijuana to be helpful currently face a terrible choice: Either continue to suffer needlessly or risk arrest and jail. Although the Senate has already passed the bill, and polls show an overwhelming majority of Minnesotans in favor of it, Gov. Tim Pawlenty has threatened to veto is as long as members of the law enforcement community oppose it.

    “Medical marijuana is an issue of mercy and compassion,” said the Rev. Mark Stenberg from Mercy Seat Lutheran Church in Minneapolis.  “It's immoral to punish people for making an earnest attempt at healing.  As people of faith, we are called to stand up for humans who are suffering needlessly.”

    A letter featuring the statement signed by fifty Minnesota religious leaders was sent to all members of the state House.  Many of the clergypersons followed up by making phone calls to their representatives.

    “The moral choice on this issue is clear,” said Charles Thomas, executive director of IDPI, which is coordinating the religious lobbying efforts in Minnesota.  “We pray that the House, the law enforcement community, and Governor Pawlenty will heed this call for compassion.”

-------------------------------

Yes, the rumors you have heard are true! Our beautiful prison art has a new 22 million dollar home. Announcing the opening of the National Museum of Crime and Punishment on May 23 featuring many of our most striking and gorgeous pieces.

Long in the planning, and generous in the funding, a new museum opens in Washington, DC, on May 23, 2008. Located on 7th Street NW (a half block from the popular Verizon Center and one block form the famous International Spy Museum), the National Museum of Crime and Punishment is destined to become the "must" place to visit in the Nation's capital. We are proud that many of the most beautiful and unusual pieces of prison art from our Prison Art Gallery are featured at the museum. In addition, the museum's large and innovative gift shop carries many of our prison art prints.

You'll want to be among the first to visit this extraordinary museum. With exhibits such as a recreation of Al Capone's plush jail cell and John Dillinger's actual getaway car, and with equipment that will allow you to get your own authentic mug shots and test your skills at outsmarting a lie detector test, your visit will be both interesting and educational. For more information, please visit CrimeMuseum.org.

National: 'What If' Disenfranchisement was No More?

Erika Wood, Director of the Democracy Program at the Brennan Center for Justice, published "What if 5.3 Million More Americans Could Vote?," an opinion editorial featured on AlterNet. Listing the collateral consequences of disenfranchisement, Wood emphasized the Jim Crow roots of barring voters and the ongoing disproportionate impact of felony disenfranchisement laws on people of color. She also described the "ripple effect" caused by disenfranchisement. "Felony disenfranchisement laws do not only impact those who lose their voting rights," Wood writes. "Entire communities lose their political capital when their citizens cannot vote. Denying the vote to one person has a ripple effect, dramatically decreasing the political power of urban and minority communities."

Despite setbacks in some states, there are reform efforts in Congress, she reported. Sen. Russ Feingold and Rep. John Conyers are expected to soon introduce the Democracy Restoration Act, a bill that seeks to restore voting rights in federal elections to all Americans who have been released from prison and are living in the community. "The promise of our democracy will never be realized if 4 million Americans remain disenfranchised. It is time to end this last blanket barrier to the ballot box," Wood concluded.

Tennessee: Arrest for Voting Further Disenfranchises Woman

Carla Thomas Smith was arrested last month for registering to vote and casting ballots in November 2004 and November 2006, according to the Leaf Chronicle. The Tennessee resident, who was released on bond, was charged with "accessory after the fact" in 1995 - a felony conviction - which disqualified her from voting in the state. Currently, Tennessee law bans those convicted of a felony with a maximum sentence of more than a year, with the possibility of reinstatement. Those convicted of murder, some sexual offenses, treason and voting fraud permanently lose their right to vote. Further, the law disenfranchises those with felony offenses who have outstanding legal financial obligations, restitution or child support fees.

Massachusetts: 'The More We Imprison, the Less We Vote'

Two citizenship students at Amherst College - one on the 'inside,' the other on the 'outside,' rally for disenfranchisement reform in a co-authored opinion editorial published in the Boston Globe. They write: "We all write the same papers, read the same material by John Locke and Alexis de Tocqueville, and are all equally engaged in debating and discussing everything from the role of the good citizen to America's role in the world. There is no reason to think inmates are uniquely unqualified to wield a vote, and no reason to think they can't."

The class, which meets at the Hampshire County Correctional Facility, combines college students with inmates at the prison. In regard to the more than 25,000 inmates in Massachusetts prisons and jails, the students state that in an effort to better integrate formerly incarcerated individuals in society, voting rights are a key component.

- - - - - -

Help The Sentencing Project continue to bring you news and updates on disenfranchisement! Make a contribution today.

Contact Information -- e-mail: zjennings@sentencingproject.org, web: http://www.sentencingproject.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   
MAY 8, 2008

Former Sheriff, Legislator Speaks Out for Medical Marijuana in New Ad Advocates Address Most Recent Mistruths from Dakota County Attorney

CONTACT: Neal Levine, MPP director of state campaigns, (612) 424-7001

MINNEAPOLIS — Proponents of a bill to protect seriously ill patients from arrest for using medical marijuana with a doctor's recommendation released their latest TV ad today featuring former Fillmore County sheriff and state representative Neil Haugerud, who suffers from severe, intractable pain due to inflammation of the spine.

    Opposition to the bill, which according to a new KSTP poll has the support of 64 percent of Minnesotans and has already passed the Senate, has been largely confined to a handful of members of the law enforcement community. Gov. Tim Pawlenty has threatened to veto the bill as long as law enforcement opposes it, but advocates and patients maintain that that opposition relies on false, misleading arguments.

    "Law enforcement I think is stepping out of bounds," Haugerud says in the ad. "Law enforcement is there to enforce the laws in relation to what the law is – they really don't need to influence ... what the law should be." The new ad is online at http://minnesotacares.org/Ads_video.html.

    "Neil Haugerud knows this issue from both sides – as a longtime sheriff, and now as a patient suffering severe pain every day, who might benefit from medical marijuana," said Neal Levine, director of state campaigns for the Marijuana Policy Project. "We urge the House to quickly send this to the governor’s desk, and hope that Governor Pawlenty will reject the misinformation coming from a few in law enforcement and sign this compassionate, tightly crafted bill into law."

    The most egregious misinformation came from Dakota County Attorney James Backstrom, who in a May 1 e-mail to legislators accused medical marijuana supporters of making "inflammatory, slanderous and extremely offensive" charges – for calling him on his misstatements, which included objections to portions of the bill that were removed or amended at law enforcement's request over a year ago. Backstrom's statements are available at http://minnesotacares.org/backstrom_email_mn_house.html and http://minnesotacares.org/mm_email_mn_house.html. Detailed, sourced refutations of 32 false claims in these statements are available here: http://minnesotacares.org/32_false_law_claims_mm.html, and video responses to the most blatant falsehoods are at http://minnesotacares.org/Videos.html.

    With more than 23,000 members and 180,000 e-mail subscribers nationwide, the Marijuana Policy Project is the largest marijuana policy reform organization in the United States. For more information, please visit www.MarijuanaPolicy.org.

####

California Medical Marijuana Employment Rights Bill Advances

Legislation Moves to Assembly with Committee Approvals, Union support

An ASA-sponsored bill that would establish employment rights for medical marijuana patients in California advanced through the state Assembly last month. With support from three unions representing nearly 1 million workers in California, AB 2279 passed through both the Assembly's Labor and Employment and Judiciary committees on party-line votes. The bill will be voted on next by the Assembly, before passing to the state senate and then the governor's desk.

The new employment rights bill prohibits discrimination against patients but leaves intact existing state law prohibiting medical marijuana consumption at the workplace and protects employers from liability by allowing exceptions for jobs where physical safety could be a concern.

California joins Oregon and Hawaii in considering laws to protect medical marijuana patients from employment discrimination.

ASA Chief Counsel Joe Elford

"We're grateful for the support of the state legislature in preserving the rights of patients to work and be productive members of society," said ASA Chief Counsel Joe Elford. "With the jobs of thousands of sick Californians hanging in the balance, we are hopeful that the full Assembly will act in similar fashion to the Labor and Judiciary Committees."

ASA lobbying for the bill helped garner the endorsement last month of the statewide California Labor Federation, Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), all powerful unions whose voices in defense of workers are listened to in California's capital. ASA also secured support from the National Lawyers Guild and several HIV/AIDS advocacy organizations.

Introduced in February by Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) and sponsored by ASA, AB 2279 is designed to rectify a January ruling by the California Supreme Court that found employers can fire patients for using medical marijuana, even when they are entitled to do so under state law. That landmark case, Ross v. RagingWire, was argued before the supreme court by ASA's Elford.

Gary Ross, speaking to the media

Assemblymember Leno and the other authors of California's Medical Marijuana Program Act (SB 420) had filed a 'friend of the court' brief in support of Gary Ross, the engineer who lost his job at RagingWire Telecommunications in 2001 after failing a drug test. Ross had told his employer that he used medical cannabis on his doctor's advice to treat injuries sustained during his military service, but RagingWire terminated him anyway.

The legislation that would reverse the Ross decision has moved quickly because Assemblymember Leno and ASA were prepared for an adverse ruling by the court, having begun drafting the bill last year. In addition to Assemblymember Leno, the bill's co-authors are Patty Berg (D-Eureka), Loni Hancock (D-Berkeley) and Lori Saldaña (D-San Diego). More about the bill can be seen at www.AmericansForSafeAccess.org/AB2279.

ASA has received hundreds of reports of employment discrimination in California since 2005. Employers that have been accused of discriminating against patients include Costco Wholesale, UPS, Foster Farms Dairy, DirecTV, the San Joaquin Courier, Power Auto Group, as well as several construction companies, hospitals, and various trade union employers.

New Patient Bill in Congress

In other legislative news, a new bill to protect medical marijuana patients is also being considered in Washington, DC.

Representative Barney Frank (D-MA) introduced the "Medical Marijuana Patient Protection Act," HR 5842 last month. The act would change federal policy on medical marijuana in a number of ways.

It would reclassify marijuana to make it available by prescription and create a regulatory framework for the FDA to begin a drug approval process for marijuana. The act would also prevent interference by the federal government in any local or state run medical marijuana program.

The bill is co-sponsored by Representatives Maurice Hinchey (D-NY), Sam Farr (D-CA), Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA), and Ron Paul (R-TX).

[Courtesy of The Sentencing Project]

Friends:

The Sentencing Project's new study, Disparity by Geography: The War on Drugs in America's Cities, is the first city-level analysis of drug arrests, examining data from 43 of the nation's largest cities between 1980-2003. The study found that since 1980, the rate of drug arrests in American cities for African Americans increased by 225%, compared to 70% among whites. Black arrest rates grew by more than 500% in 11 cities during this period and in nearly half of the cities, the odds of arrest for a drug offense among African Americans relative to whites more than doubled.

Among The Sentencing Project report's key findings:

- Six cities experienced more than a 500% rise in overall drug arrests between 1980 and 2003: Tucson (887%), Buffalo (809%), Kansas City (736%), Toledo (701%), Newark (663%), and Sacramento (597%).

- Extreme city variations in drug arrests point to local enforcement decisions as prime contributor to racial disparity.

- African American drug arrests increased 3.4 times the rate of whites despite similar rates of drug use.

The report was released in conjunction with Human Rights Watch's Targeting Blacks: Drug Law Enforcement and Race in the United States, which documents that in 34 states the persistent racial disparities among drug offenders sent to prison. Both organizations urge public officials to restore fairness, racial justice and credibility to drug control efforts. They recommend public officials take a number of concrete steps, including:

Eliminating mandatory minimum sentences and restoring judicial discretion to sentencing of drug offenders;
Increasing public funding of substance abuse treatment and prevention outreach to make these readily available in communities of color in particular;
Enhancing public health-based strategies to reduce harms associated with drug abuse and reallocating public resources accordingly.

Both reports follow in the wake of the March 2008 recommendations of the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. The Committee urged that U.S. criminal justice policies and practices address the unwarranted racial disparities that have been documented at all levels of the system.

-The Sentencing Project

[Courtesy of Prison Art Gallery]

Free workshop by ex-prisoner artists and officials from Washington area jails and prisons on May 17 to train you to become a mentor to prison artists. Call 202-393-1511 to reserve your spot.

Thanks to a grant we received from the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, you can attend a free workshop to become a mentor to imprisoned artists. Work either as a volunteer or paid staff member in a jail or prison.

Attend this free workshop on Saturday, May 17, 10 am to 4 pm. You'll learn what it takes to work in a jail or prison to foster artistic development among inmates. You'll receive this valuable training from experienced correctional officials (from both public and private jails) while also benefiting from the insights and knowledge of ex-prisoner artists who will also serve as workshop leaders. These knowledgeable people will share their experiences with you in a relaxed and fun setting at the Prison Art Gallery in downtown Washington, DC. Everything you need for a productive and nourishing day (including an authentic jail meal) will be provided free.

This is a rare opportunity to make contacts and obtain valuable information. Plus, we have received word that the workshop will be covered by major media. You can be part of it all.

Whether you're looking for a one afternoon per month volunteer opportunity or a full-time paid career position, you will find this workshop very worthwhile. Meet the people who make hiring decisions while finding out what it takes to be effective in the challenging setting of a jail or prison.

Please call us at 202-393-1511 or email staff@PrisonsFoundation.org for more information. We are also setting up a schedule of additional workshops to accommodate everyone who may be interested. Thank you.

America's drug laws do not reference race, but the way they are enforced has a gravely disproportionate impact on African Americans, according to two reports released this week.

For Immediate Release: May 7, 2008

IS IT ALLOWED OR IS IT NOT?

In the past days, Trekt Uw Plant has again tried to obtain a clear answer on the question if the possession of cannabis for personal use in Belgium is allowed or not. Again, the authorities refuse to give this answer.

According to a ministerial guideline issued by the Belgian minister of Justice and the 5 Head Attorneys in January 2005, the registration by the authorities of the possession of an amount of cannabis for personal use (established at max. 3 grammes and one cannabis plant) by an adult, without the presence of aggravating circumstances or public disorder, will only lead to a Simplified Police Record (VPV). There will be no actions that lead to persecution and the cannabis will not be confiscated.

On Saturday May 3d, during the Worldwide Marijuana March on the Vrijdagmarkt in Antwerp, three board members of Trekt Uw Plant were arrested after they had planted a cannabis seed in a flower pot. After six hours in a police cell, they were informed that they would be accused of "growing drugs in the possible presence of minors". There were some children on the Vrijdagmarkt indeed, yet at the moment the seed plant action took place, no minors were present. Besides, the cannabis seed itself is not a drug. A seed itself does not contain THC (active element of cannabis) nor is it sure that there will grow a THC containing plant out of it.

On Monday 5 May the president of Trekt Uw Plant, Philippe De Craene, planted again a cannabis seed in an empty ruin on the "Konijnenwei" in Antwerp, where there is no possibility to create public disorder and without the presence of minors. Again he was arrested, and released after two hours. The accusation will probably be “privatisation of the public space”. Before the action we had involved the ruin in white clothes, so that no minor could see what was going on inside. Apparently this act can be described as privatisation, which is forbidden by law.

Interesting detail is that one of the persons who attended the event was later searched by the police and appeared to have one gram of cannabis on him. When he refused to refrain from this, he was allowed to keep it. On the same place, possibly by the same police officer, the ministerial guideline was applied in one case, and in another not.

The actions of Trekt Uw Plant have shown that there is an enormous lack of legal security and judicial arbitrarity concerning cannabis in Belgium. That is something which many young people, especially from non-Western origin, are confronted with every day. But in principle this legal insecurity affects all cannabis consuming Belgians (between 300.000 and 500.000 people) and millions of Europeans....

Trekt Uw Plant does not let itself be scared by police operations that are steered from up above. Next year on the first saturday in May we will again organise a Marijuana March in Antwerp. Thanks to the support of many sympathisers the event of last saturday was, also without us, a big success. That the intervention of the police created an atmosphere in which cannabis was publically used, also in the presence of minors, is not our fault. We had done everything to avoid this.

Trekt Uw Plant maintains its objective. The association facilitates assistance to its members in growing their personal cannabisplant. The Antwerp judge declared on April 25, 2007 that the right to associate is guaranteed by the Constitution, and that the existence of the association is legal. People can associate themselves anonymously, although we should be able to establish that they fulfill the rules. Members of Trekt Uw Plant have to be adult, live in Belgium, aware of the risks of cannabis use and must adress themselves voluntarily. Everybody who fulfills these conditions is welcome.

After the events of 3 and 5 May we look forward with great confidence to the coming courtcase in appeal on June 12 in Antwerp. We have appealed against the fine of 15 euro that some of our members have been condemned to (the sanction of the other members has been suspended) for establishing a collective plantation on December 12, 2006.

Our case has only become stronger. Also the judges of the Court of Appeal must have noticed that the non-application of the ministerial guideline concerning the possession of cannabis for personal use is violating the principle of legality. This principle states that if the individual citizen cannot consult a clear piece of legislation which describes his act as illegal, this act cannot be punished.

The final purpose of Trekt Uw Plant is to anchor the principle of the ministerial guieline, which is the respect for the cultivation of cannabis for personal use, in the Belgian legislation. This will create a legal alternative for 500.000 Belgians who regularly consume cannabis and who are now forced to smuggle the product into the Netherlands or to provide themselves at the illegal market. This illegal market does not apply public health norms or age limits.

Trekt Uw Plant wants to be a signal. A signal of respect for Mother Nature. Of resistance against them who use fear as a political weapon in order to safeguard economic and other interests. Of hope on a world in which democratic decisions are being respected by legal authorities.

Finally one thing: we need to conclude that indeed, the use of cannabis can truely lead to serious psychotic reactions, squizofrenia and loss of memory. But not in the user.

On behalf of Trekt Uw Plant,

Philippe De Craene, Kris Verdonck and Joep Oomen
Lange Lozanastraat 14
2018 Antwerp
Belgium
info@encod.org
Tel. +32 3 293 0886 / +32 495 122 644 (Joep) / +32 494 807 350
(Philippe) / +32 486 - 357595 (Kris)

[Courtesy of Marijuana Policy Project] 

Dear friends:

If you've ever wanted to go to the Playboy Mansion, here's what could be a once-in-a-lifetime chance.

MPP will be holding a star-studded party at the Playboy Mansion in L.A. on June 12 — and we're offering you the chance to buy tickets at a discounted rate of $850. That rate is only good through May 12 — then tickets go up to $1,000 apiece ... so buy now to lock in the lower rate.

The party will be hosted by reality TV superstar and model Adrianne Curry. Party-goers will get to mingle with celebrities, Playboy Playmates, and marijuana policy reformers while exploring the Playboy Mansion's grotto, grounds, and exotic zoo. Only a lucky few have seen the inside of the grotto, which includes three hot tubs and love seats built into the stone walls. You'll also be able to bid on auction items, including vintage photographs of James Dean, Frank Sinatra, and Jimmy Hendrix.

Be a part of MPP's biggest charity event and help us raise much-needed funds for our work. Please reserve your tickets today.

Sincerely,

Rob Kampia
Executive Director
Marijuana Policy Project
Washington, D.C.

P.S. As I've mentioned in previous alerts, a major philanthropist has committed to match the first $3.0 million that MPP can raise from the rest of the planet in 2008. This means that your donation today will be doubled.

TREKT UW PLANT TESTS THE LAW FOR THE THIRD TIME

PRESS RELEASE OF TREKT UW PLANT

Is an adult Belgian allowed to grow one cannabis plant, yes or no?

Three times is ship right. On Monday 5 May 2008, Trekt Uw Plant will for the third time test a ministerial guideline on cannabis in Belgium. At 15.30 uur the president of the association Trekt Uw Plant, Philippe De Craene, will again plant a cannabis seed, from which his personal plant will grow. According to the guideline, the possession of this personal plant is not persecuted. This plant will grow on a place where no public disorder is being caused and which is not accessible to minors. The lord mayor of Antwerp, Patrick Janssens, will be informed of the address of this place.

The planting of the seed will happen during a press conference that will take place in the Paviljoen, at the Konijnewei, a 100 meters of the Palace of Justice in Antwerp. This place is publically accessible, but the conference will be organised in such a way that minors will not be present.

On Saturday 3 May 2008, the Antwerp police intervened brutally in the Worldwide Marijuana March, that took place in 240 cities in the world. Only in Rio de Janeiro and Antwerp the authorities intervened in this March. You can read a report on these events (in Dutch) at Indymedia http://indymedia.be/nl/node/27343.

Trekt Uw Plant organised the event to give the startsign for the new growing season. The members of the of the association received their start package, consisting of three cannabis seeds, a flower pot and a manual on how to grow cannabis. With this package, in principle one plant can be grown. In the presence of the press, the three board members of the association planted a cannabis seed for their own personal plant.

The purpose of the plant seeding action was to test the Belgian ministerial guideline, according to which the possession by an adult of max. 3 grammes and 1 cannabisplant, without the presence of any aggravating circumstances will not be persecuted.

Legal insecurity and legal disequality are the greatest danger for a state of law. Every citizen has the right to know clear- and concretely what is allowed and what not. If this is not clear, the citizen can not be punished.

The question is: is there a tolerant policy on cannabis in Belgium or not? Is an adult Belgian allowed to grow one cannabisplant, yes or no? If not, then 8 years of parliamentary working groups, scientific research, circulars and governmental policy papers (elaborated with tax money) have had no value. The ministerial guideline of 2005, which has been the result of this process, can then be definitively put in the garbage.

We have not yet received an answer on this question. On Saturday 3 May, the police arrested the three board members who had planted their seed and accused them of growing cannabis with as aggravating circumstance the possible presence of minors and the causing of public disorder.

By presenting this “aggravating circumstance” and “public disorder” argument the ministerial guideline was not applied. There has been made an official record, the planted seed and a small quantity of cannabis (less than 3 grammes), the personal possession of some members, were confiscated, as well as information material such as books, flyers and T-shirts.

During the action no minors were present. The organisers consumed no cannabis themselves in public and had done everything to ask the public to refrain from doing this as well. Until the police intervened the event was peaceful and quiet, after the police had arrested the organisers the Vrijdagmarkt became an open air cannabis consumption room. The action of the police led also to various people throwing their cannabis away in panic, so this became very easily accessible to minors.

On 5 May, actually the Belgian state of law is tested. After years of parliamentary debate the agreement has been made to respect the principle of cultivation of cannabis for personal use. Any disturbance of the seed planting, by the legal authorities or by others, in fact violates this principle. This can only benefit those who have no interest at all in this principle: the criminal organisations.

On behalf of Trekt Uw Plant,

Kris Verdonck, Philippe De Craene and Joep Oomen
Lange Lozanastraat 14
2018 Antwerpen
info@encod.org
Tel. +32 3 293 0886 / +32 495 122 644 (Joep) / +32 494 807 350 (Philippe) / +32 486 - 357595 (Kris)

[Courtesy of HempRock Productions]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: MAY 2, 2008

CINCINNATI POLICE'S REGIONAL ENFORCEMENT NARCOTICS UNIT, (RENU) WARNS VENUE RENTING TO MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION EVENT!

Organizers make it a Marijuana Smoke-Free Event!

On Monday, RENU, called Riverfront West Sports Park, on the edge of Miamitown, to warn them that Saturday night, May 3rd, undercover cops and alcohol agents would be there for the HempRock Hempfest and if anyone is caught smoking marijuana, the State would revoke the ball field*s beer license. Alcohol license rules state that the license can be fined or revoked if illegal drug activity is found on the premises.

HempRock's Hempfests, which are fundraisers that help finance the Global Marijuana Marches, have been held at Riverfront since 1995. They both question why now, after all these years, law enforcement is focusing on this event when there is so much crime out there to focus on.

These types of actions are taking place around the Country to discourage venue owners from renting to groups for events that advocate legalizing cannabis. It*s an around about way of abridging freedom of speech and has been known to scare some property owners into canceling such events.

That*s not happening in this case. The Hempfest is still scheduled and HempRock is asking that everyone come out and support the idea of ending the War on Marijuana and the people who choose to use it in spite of the
situation. The event will be free of marijuana smoking to insure that the venue's beer license stays intact.

Cincinnati Attorney Tim Smith will be on hand at the event to monitor the situation and to make sure no ones rights are violated. That night and at the Sunday event on Fountain Square, he will also be speaking about recent court rulings and the Cincinnati Marijuana Ordinance.

For more information, please contact:

Tim Smith, Attorney, 513-293-8666 or Lynne Wilson, Dir, HempRock Prods. 513-476-9283

Thanx & have A Hempy Day,

Lynne Wilson, Dir.
The Happy Hemptress
HempRock Productions
513-68-4-HEMP vm
513-684-1086 fax
www.hemprock.com

Recently OCNORML was contacted  by  two  students, Lindsay and Erica, and asked to participate in their senior class project.  We are excited to share the YouTube presentation that resulted.  Please be sure to give positive YouTube feedback to the work of Lindsay and Erica, and forward this email widely.  They did an excellent  job. 

Lindsay may be emailed at  lfudge@hightechhigh.org

part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ashAPL94QQ

part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvR2Kr5ucjk

For still photos of Orange County Norml March and April rally events:

April 08 rally photos 1    April 08 rally photos 2   March 08 photos

Next Rally May 24th – Join us  - at the Pier in Huntington Beach 1-5pm.

Americans for Safe Access (ASA) is the largest national member-based organization of patients, medical professionals, scientists and concerned citizens promoting safe and legal access to cannabis f

[Courtesy of Prison Art Gallery]

Our wholesale fundraising catalog has arrived! Use it to advance your social issues and make a 300% plus profit for your organization or business. Choose from prison art prints, postcards, justice jewelry, prison music CDs, books, and more. All items are fully refundable, so there's no risk whatsoever!

Thanks to the generosity of our grantmakers, printers and manufacturers, we are able to offer our most popular prison art-related gift items at wholesale prices (up to 75% off) for fundraising resale by non-profit organizations and socially-minded entrepreneurs. Please call 202-393-1511 or email Staff@PrisonsFoundation.org for further information.

Pick and choose what you want for your fundraising and revenue enhancing needs. To access our new full-color catalog, please visit http://prisonsfoundation.org/afj/mayafj.pdf.

Wholesale prices below (of items in our catalog):

1. Prison Art Prints matted at $8 each (retail $20 each)
2. Prison Art Prints framed at $16 each (retail $40 each)
3. Prison Art Postcards at 50 cents each (retail $1.50 each)
4. Sterling Silver Justice Jewelry at $ 10 each (retail $30 each)
5. Prison Music CDs at $4 each (retail $13 each)
6. Handcuff Key Ring Greeting Cards at $1.25 each (retail $4 each)
7. Prison Poetry Books at $4 each (retail $12 each)
8. Jailer Whistle Key Ring at $1 each (retail $3 each)
9. Mug-Shots-of-the-Famous Playing Cards at $2 each (retail $5 each)

Become one our authorized outlets and get all the great items in our catalog and more at discounts of up to 75% off. That means a profit for you of 300%. Plus you'll generate the excitement of having reasonably priced prison art gifts at your location. Whether you're planning a one time fundraiser or an ongoing enterprise, you need look no further for fun and high profitability than these unique gift items. We even include free signs and free consultation to unlock very high the earning potential. Ideal for churches, schools, and nonprofit organizations and businesses of all types. For further information, please call 202-393-1511 or email Dennis@ PrisonsFoundation.org.

[Courtesy of INPUD]

Dear fellow activists,

This is a call to register for all DU Activists who want to attend the 3rd INPUD Congress. The 3rd annual INPUD Congress takes place in Barcelona on Sunday May 11, 2008. You don't need to be registered for the IHRA Conference to be able to attend the INPUD Congress.

Registration for the INPUD Congress is free of charge. The registration is needed to be able to estimate the needed translation equipment and to order some food and drinks.

If you plan to attend the congress, please send an email to Stijn@inpud.org

Your name:

Country:

Are you registered for the IHRA conference? O Yes O No

Are you presenting in one of the sessions during the IHRA conference? If yes, please provide the name and time/date of the session

Session title:
Time and date of the session:

Please copy and paste the above and email to Stijn@inpud.org

Hope to see you all in Barcelona!

Stijn Goossens
Executive Director

International Network Of People Who Use Drugs
INPUD vzw
GuldensporenStraat 88/2
2140 Borgerhout
Belgium

Phone: +32 3 297 8451
Mobile: +32 479 982 271
--
DrugUsersNeverQuit

www.Inpud.org
www.HarmReduction.be (DrugWarLog)
www.HarmReduction.eu (ArtCoreFromTheHardCore)
www.HaRdCOREhARMREdUCER.be

Pennsylvania: Voter Education Still Necessary on 8-year-old Reform

A re-entry group focused on voter education held a class this week to teach 40 formerly incarcerated individuals about their voting rights, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported. Malissa Gamble, founder of A Time for Change, clarified the Commonwealth's felon voting laws. Formerly, Pennsylvania law stipulated that some individuals with felony records had to wait five years after their release before regaining the right to vote. In 2000, civil rights groups challenged the law and the restriction was ended. Organizers believe that many ex-offenders in the Commonwealth don't know they are able to vote.

North Carolina: "Proud to Vote"

In its election coverage, the Fayetteville Observer interviewed a formerly incarcerated 25-year-old who voted for the first time. Wearing a "Proud to Vote" sticker at the polls, Tyrone Jenkins said of the experience: "It empowers you a lot. You feel like you got a little say in what's going on."

Virginia: Legislators, Community Gather to Discuss Right to Vote

A panel of Virginian legislators, clergy and formerly incarcerated individuals addressed disenfranchisement this week. "The governor is committed to restoring these rights" and already has done so for 1,340 people so far," said Rev. Adam J. Richardson, bishop of the Second Episcopal District. Nearly 380,000 are disenfranchised in Virginia. The Commonwealth has among the harshest laws nationwide, the Richmond Times-Dispatch reported, and those with felony offenses automatically lose the right to vote. To apply for restoration of rights, those with non-violent offenses must satisfy all court obligations and wait three years before asking the governor for restoration. Others must wait five years to apply.

National: Disenfranchisement Reform in Need of More Advocacy

Georgetown University freshman Julia Lovett expressed support for felon voting rights in the student publication, The Hoya. Advocacy is needed in an effort to reform voting rights laws and educate individuals about the many under-publicized and confusing laws that do, in fact, grant voting rights in some states. "Without an outlet for civic participation, felons are cast to the fringes of society," Lovett writes. "Democratic rights are a necessary bridge of reintroduction to and rehabilitation within society, fostering a sense of inclusion and responsibility for an individual's community. These ties help counter alienation that encourages crime or repeat offenses."

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Help The Sentencing Project continue to bring you news and updates on disenfranchisement! Make a contribution today.

Contact Information -- e-mail: zjennings@sentencingproject.org, web: http://www.sentencingproject.org

Oregon: State Diminishes 'More Liberal than Most'

In March, a law was passed further disenfranchising Oregon residents. Thousands of individuals in Oregon's county jails are now ineligible to vote due to a new provision of House Bill 3638. Oregon law does not allow those incarcerated individuals to vote, but does restore voting rights to those on probation. "Previously, it was just individuals in the Department of Corrections" who couldn't vote, said Brenda Bayes, the deputy director of the state Elections Division in a Statesman Journal article. "This bill in the 2008 legislative session expanded that to also include felons in the custody of county jails. You can still register to vote, you just can't vote while you're incarcerated." According to the article, 35,000 formerly incarcerated individuals and probationers are allowed to vote, in addition to about 600 psychiatric and forensic patients at Oregon State Hospital who were charged with felony offenses.

National: Thousands Forced to Leave Voting Rights by the Wayside

PBS's News Hour dedicated a segment to disenfranchisement in its "Vote 2008: The Primaries" coverage. Interviews with disenfranchised citizens and individuals whose rights have recently been restored, delved into the emotional, political and legal issues surrounding felon voting rights. "People participate in the voting process when they feel like they are one of the stakeholders," said New Jersey resident Omar Shabazz who is on lifetime parole. Individuals on parole in New Jersey are banned from voting.. "Felon disfranchisement affects not only the individual whose vote has been taken away, it's not just what voting rights lawyers call a vote-denial claim. It's also a vote- dilution claim," said Juan Cartagena. "That relative political power is taken away from the neighbors of persons who come back home, from their family members. Their relative collective voting strength is wiped off the map almost."

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Help The Sentencing Project continue to bring you news and updates on disenfranchisement! Make a contribution today.

Contact Information: e-mail: zjennings@sentencingproject.org, web: http://www.sentencingproject.org

[Courtesy of Marijuana Policy Project] 

This week, the Marijuana Policy Project begins blanketing Minnesota airwaves with this TV ad, which urges Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) not to veto the medical marijuana bill that the Minnesota House will soon be voting on and — hopefully — passing.

The ad features Lynn Rubenstein Nicholson of Minneapolis, who suffers from disabling pain after enduring 10 surgeries for a serious back injury. She gives an emotional plea for lawmakers to pass the bill into law, explaining, “I’m in more and more pain all the time ... I’m tired of being a criminal.”

The ad is generating enormous press coverage, and we urgently need to keep it on the air as we make the final push to pass the medical marijuana bill into law. Would you please help by making a donation of $50 or more today?

We’re very close to making Minnesota the 13th medical marijuana state — and the first such state in the Midwest — but danger lurks ahead: Although the bill passed its final Minnesota House committee last week and already passed the Senate last year — and although it is supported by hundreds of doctors, thousands of nurses, and a multitude of medical associations — the governor has threatened to veto it. We have overcome vetoes and veto threats before in other states, and we can do the same in Minnesota, but we’re going to need to ramp up the pressure to succeed.

We're spending tens of thousands of dollars to keep this ad running, so we’re counting on your support to keep the pressure on. A one-time donation of $50 or more would go a long way toward pushing this bill through into law.  For example, a $100 donation would ensure that approximately 2,000 Minnesotans will see the ad.

In sum, your donation will help ensure that medical marijuana patients like Lynn and so many others will no longer have to face arrest and jail simply for using medical marijuana on their doctors’ advice.  Thank you in advance for anything you can give.

Sincerely,

Rob Kampia
Executive Director
Marijuana Policy Project
Washington, D.C.

P.S. As I've mentioned in previous alerts, a major philanthropist has committed to match the first $3.0 million that MPP can raise from the rest of the planet in 2008. This means that your donation today will be doubled.

Free Super Bowl Ticket: I was drinking my coffee and reading my daily dose of bad news (newspaper), when a Senate staffer greeted me and asked to join me to wolf down his breakfast. I described my education campaign on why spending ‘free’ fed money to arrest drug dealers was harming state budgets (after the arrest the states must spend hundreds of thousands of tax dollars to lock up the drug dealer for XX years). Bill (not his real name) offered a super bowl ticket analogy. …your best friend gives you a Super Bowl ticket worth 400 dollars & you jump for joy. Wow!! You love football & decide to go. You buy a plane ticket, book a hotel, add in misc. extra monies & suddenly the ‘free’ ticket will cost you 1200 dollars out of your pocket…..

I used this pitch during 7 presentations & urged the staffer to have the boss (MOC) call their governor (as a courtesy) and ask privately if the State can afford to be given ‘free’ federal money. I was very pleased with the reaction (all non-verbal = seen on their faces). Thanks Bill.

Let me tell you why it did not work: Riding the train home, a fellow traveler asked how my campaign was going. I talked about reading a report in the US Army War College that stated that 70% of al Qaeda’s operating budget came from drug trade sources. Suddenly, an Army major plopped down in the seat next to me. He had over heard our conversation and wanted to share his direct experience.

In the next 10 minutes we listened intently as he described how he had in 2006 participated in an eradication (Ausrottung) effort in southern Afghanistan. A long story short…after they paid the tractor drivers to plow under the poppy plants, our troops would go out to the edge of the river flood plain to provide security…the Taliban would come in and pay the drivers more NOT to plow under the poppies. At the end of the 6 weeks campaign almost no poppies had been plowed under.

We exchanged business cards before he hopped off the train. As a doctor, he had a professional curiosity to learn more of the Swiss Treatment Program which I sent him. His actions were symptomatic of how many citizens are with us on this. Almost every time someone engages me on the train or metro subway, a passenger nearby will, on their way out, say how they agree with me and wish me luck.

After I missed the #$%!@ Party of the decade: Just before I was about to join the celebration of the first victory in years (2nd Chance Act) at the Capitol at 5 PM on Wednesday, Aaron Houston (MPP lobbyist) said don’t bother. The room was entirely too small, packed with people and hotter than hell. Chatting on the sidewalk, several other reformers stopped to chat. The chief lobbyist for the ONDCP (Drug Czar) strolled on by without stopping (LOL). I was disappointed not to attend but I took Aaron’s advice.

I called Jodi James the new Big Boss of our Speaker’s Bureau and asked her to email me the details of another event that started in 30 minutes. (I now carry a Blackberry aka Crackberry+ by staffers. Every Staffer has one & several offices have signs above the exit door “Do you have your Blackberry?”)

So yes, you may call me a High-Tech, Red-Neck++ cowboy. LOL

Anyway, I attended a 100 person reception nearby & being bold, had 1 minute conversations with one US Senator & 3 Congressmen. Afterwards, I got all excited at such wonderful turn of events. +++ I called Jodi and thanked her profusely for her initiative and turning the evening into the best & in some ways most productive two hours I have spent in DC. WTG Jodi!! We do have a great team at LEAP.

Apropos important persons…if you know of a VIP (elected state-wide or fed official) who has stated publicly that the WOD is a failure or ineffective, let me know please. If possible, provide the source of the quote. I am putting together a list.