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Denver Voters Make Marijuana the Lowest Law-Enforcement Priority

It's always exciting to see the drug war lose at the ballot box. In 2005, the citizens of Denver, CO voted to legalize possession of up to an ounce of marijuana. Rather than respecting the will of the people they serve, Denver police continued performing marijuana arrests, relying on state laws that remain unchanged.

Yesterday, Denver voters spoke out against the war on marijuana users once again, making marijuana enforcement the city's lowest law-enforcement priority. The measure, which passed with a solid 55% 57% of the vote, reads as follows:
The Denver Police Department and the City Attorney’s Office shall make the investigation, arrest and prosecution of marijuana offenses, where the marijuana was intended for adult personal use, the City’s lowest law enforcement priority.
Congratulations to our friends at SAFER who've now successfully mobilized the citizens of Denver to challenge marijuana prohibition in their city not once but twice.

The measure won't end marijuana arrests in Denver, but it demonstrates that Denver voters truly are committed to reigning in police who still believe they're serving the community by arresting people for America's pettiest crime. It shows that 2005's victorious legalization vote was not an anomaly. And it sticks a finger in the eye of the Denver City Council, which insanely claimed the measure sent the wrong message, while simultaneously courting Coors Brewing Company to sponsor city facilities.

So long as protecting and serving remains the top law-enforcement priority, arresting marijuana users must be the lowest. That is, until the glorious day when busting people for marijuana ceases to be a law-enforcement priority at all.
In The Trenches

Press Release: North Dakota Farmers in Court Nov. 14 for Oral Arguments in Hemp Lawsuit

[Courtesy of Vote Hemp] NEWS ADVISORY: November 7, 2007 CONTACT: Adam Eidinger, T: 202-744-2671, E: [email protected] or Tom Murphy T: 207-542-4998, E: [email protected] North Dakota Farmers in Court Nov. 14 for Oral Arguments in Hemp Lawsuit BISMARCK, ND – Two North Dakota farmers, who filed a lawsuit in June to end the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) ban on commercial hemp farming in the United States, will have their day in court on Wednesday, November 14, 2007 in Bismarck, North Dakota. Oral arguments begin at 10:00 am CST in the William L. Guy Federal Building, 220 E Rosser Ave Bismarck, ND and will immediately be followed by a press conference on the courthouse steps. The farmers – State Rep. David Monson of Osnabrock and Wayne Hauge of Ray – will appear in court to observe oral arguments made on their behalf by attorneys Tim Purdon and Joe Sandler. If successful, the landmark lawsuit will lead to the first state–regulated cultivation of commercial industrial hemp farming in fifty years. WHO: Rep. David Monson, North Dakota House assistant majority leader, farmer Wayne Hauge, licensed hemp farmer Tim Purdon, Vogel Law Firm, Bismarck, attorney for the plaintiffs Joe Sandler, co-counsel for plaintiffs and legal counsel for VoteHemp.com Eric Steenstra, president, VoteHemp.com WHAT: Oral Arguments Media Availability and Teleconference on New Lawsuit to Grow Hemp WHERE: William Guy Federal Building, 220 E. Rosser Ave., Bismarck, ND 58501 WHEN: Monday, November 14, 10:00 am CDT, Oral Arguments, Media Availability Afterwards The North Dakota Legislature recently removed the requirement that state-licensed industrial hemp farmers first obtain DEA permits before growing hemp. The question before the U.S. district court will be whether or not federal authorities can prosecute state-licensed farmers who grow non-drug oilseed and fiber hemp pursuant to North Dakota state law. Vote Hemp, the nation's leading industrial hemp advocacy group, and it’s supporters are providing financial support for the lawsuit. If successful, states across the nation will be free to implement hemp farming laws without fear of federal interference. More on the case can be found at http://www.votehemp.com/legal_cases_ND.html.
In The Trenches

Prison Art Holiday Cards Ready to Be Shipped

[Courtesy of Prison Art Gallery] The holidays as a time of caring and compassion take on new meaning when you send our unique prison art Holiday cards featuring the work of talented prison inmate artists. Four colorful cards, printed and distributed by the Prisons Foundation, spotlight the work of some of our best incarcerated artists. They are sold in packs of eight for only $12 per pack. These large cards (5 ½ by 8 inches) come with matching envelopes. The backs of the cards have short profiles of the inmate artists who created them. The inside of the cards is blank. To view and order these beautiful cards online with Paypal, check or credit card , please visit http://prisonsfoundation.org/holidaycards.html. Or for telephone orders, please call 202-393-1511. Ending soon! FIRST ANNIVERSARY SALE OF PRISON ART PRINTS The Prison Art Gallery in downtown Washington, DC (three blocks from the White House) has now been in existence for a full year. We've sold hundreds of paintings, drawings and crafts made by prison inmates from across America, and sent thousands of dollars to their commissary accounts and their families. At the same time we've supported victim assistance and justice advocacy groups with our share of the proceeds from these sales. Thank you for helping to make this success possible. To celebrate our first anniversary, we are placing ALL our numbered limited edition Prison Art prints (more than 40 of them, each one 11" by 17" inches) on sale for the low low price of only $10 each. Or for just a little more, we will frame them for you. You can purchase by phone, email, or at the Prison Art Gallery or our outdoor exhibit. They can be shipped anywhere in the world. To see 40 of these beautiful works of art, please visit our November Art for Justice prison art catalog at http://prisonsfoundation.org/novafj.pdf . If you have any questions, please call 202-393-1511 anytime.
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