Skip to main content

Latest

Chronicle
Latest News

Drug Dealer's Bill of Choice Boosts the Euro Zone

Gangsters, drug dealers and money launderers are playing their part in helping shore up the financial stability of the euro zone. Willem Buiter, chief economist at Citigroup, says that high-denomination euro bank notes, in particular the €200 and €500 bills, are increasingly "making the euro the currency of choice for underground and black economies, and for all those who value anonymity in their financial transactions and investments."
Latest News

Parents: End the War on Drugs -- for Your Kids (Opinion)

Julia Negron, a recovering addict, mother and grandmother with 15 years in the addiction treatment field, argues that it's time for parents to say enough is enough when it comes to the war on drugs. She says that we are smarter and more educated than we used to be with regard to drugs, that we've seen what works and what doesn't - and the war on drugs just doesn't work.
Blog
Latest News

How Would Legalizing Pot Affect Calif. Budget, Communities? (Radio Broadcast)

Proposition 19 on California's November ballot would legalize marijuana possession and allow regulated sales of marijuana to adults. It would be the first such law in the country. Listen in to a debate between Stephen Gutwillig, California State Director of the Drug Policy Alliance, and Roger Morgan, chairman and executive director, Coalition For A Drug-Free California.
Latest News
Blog
Chronicle
Latest News

If Calif. legalizes marijuana, not clear what Obama administration would do

Is the Obama Administration hinting at a change in federal marijuana policy? Speaking in Fresno, Drug Czar Kerlikowske pointed to how state and local jurisdictions have dealt with the state's legalization of medical marijuana, saying they are "doing a really good job of licensing, land use, those kind of regulations."
Event

Medical Marijuana Stakeholders Meeting

The Coalition for Medical Marijuana--New Jersey (CMMNJ) is proud to announce that a medical marijuana stakeholders meeting will be held in conjunction with the national patient advocacy organization, Americans for Safe Access (ASA).  Medical marijuana patients, their families, advocates, potential alternative treatment center owners, and health care professionals should attend the meeting.

Steph Sherer, Executive Director of ASA, will be the featured presenter at the stakeholders meeting.  Steph is an international leader and expert in medical cannabis advocacy who aids in drafting legislation and advises governments around the globe. She has been a guest lecturer at University of California, Berkeley and George Washington University, DC.

CMMNJ has worked with ASA as a resource throughout the medical marijuana legislative effort in New Jersey.  Now that the Garden State has passed a compassionate use law it is vital for local advocates to learn from seasoned experts how to proceed forward. New Jersey’s medical cannabis patients and volunteers can also be an important part of the national discussion about safe access.

ASA has ambitious national, regional and local Goals and Objectives for providing medical marijuana to patients. The stakeholders meeting will look at the following topics:


1. Creating the political playing field necessary to pass federal, state, and local legislation.
2. Implementing medical cannabis laws with methods that meet the needs of patients.
3. Passing meaningful legislation that creates safe and legal access in additional states.

Also presenting on the status and details of New Jersey’s medical marijuana law will be CMMNJ’s Ken Wolski RN and Chris Goldstein.  Jahan Marcu, a cannabinoid researcher from Temple University School of Medicine will discuss his work on cannabinoids eliminating cancer tumors.

The cost to attend the all-day conference is $20. There is limited seating. To secure a place at this important meeting, send a check made out to "CMMNJ" to 219 Woodside Ave, Trenton, NJ 08618. Or, pay through PayPal at www.cmmnj.org make sure to put “Stakeholders Meeting” in the note.

A benefit dinner with CMMNJ’s volunteers, Board members and ASA’s Steph Sherer will also take place on Friday night, 8/20/10 at 7:00 PM for $100.00. A separate payment is required for dinner reservations.

Media passes are available. A brief press conference will be held.

Latest News

Four Journalists Kidnapped in Mexican Drug Violence

Four journalists were kidnapped after publishing a story earlier this week about prison officials in northern Mexico who had allegedly let drug-gang assassins out repeatedly and supplied them with weapons and trucks to massacre 35 people. The gunmen who took the journalists demanded that videos they had made accusing the police of collaborating with another drug gang, the Zetas, be aired on TV networks. The videos were aired on a midday newscast, but the men were not released, and remain in captivity.
Latest News

Medical Marijuana Groups Oppose Michele Leonhart for DEA

Medical marijuana advocacy groups have called on President Barack Obama to withdraw his nomination of Michele Leonhart to be DEA administrator. The coalition feels that Leonhart, who is currently the DEA’s acting-administrator, has not demonstrated that she is capable of leading the agency in a thoughtful manner at a time when 14 states have enacted medical marijuana laws, and science is increasingly confirming the therapeutic benefits of the substance. Under Leonhart’s leadership, the DEA has staged medical marijuana raids in complete disregard of Attorney General Eric Holder’s directive to the Justice Department to respect state medical marijuana laws.
Event

MAPS/WAMM Day @ Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing

Join MAPS (http://www.maps.org/) and WAMM (http://www.wamm.org/) at the Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing (http://www.santacruzmountainbrewing.com/).

SCMB will be donating $1 for every beer sold to our organizations, so this is a great way to enjoy a local, organic beer while supporting two great organizations at the same time!

Meet your favorite staff members!
...
Come for the beer, stay for the good feeling of helping. Don't forget to tell your friends and bring them along too!

In The Trenches

Congratulations! Big anti-prohibition wins on Capitol Hill this week

Dear friends,

Congratulations!

The U.S. House of Representatives just reduced the grotesque disparity in sentencing for crack vs. powder cocaine. And last night, the "Webb Commission" to study criminal justice reform was approved unanimously.

This didn't happen in a vacuum. And it wasn't inevitable.

You, and many others like you, made this happen, through your support of drug reform in general and LEAP in particular.

The more exposure LEAP gets, the more we expose the cracks in the Drug War. And it's paying off-taboos are falling, fear tactics are failing, and folks are able to talk openly about our nation's failed drug policies.

In this case, that translates directly to thousands of people literally regaining their freedom-walking out of jail and to their families -- because of your support.

In the future, it will result in literally hundreds of thousands of non-violent citizens regaining their freedom, and America regaining its soul, as we end drug prohibition.

I have become executive director of LEAP at a time of intensified progress, where we are transforming the unthinkable into the commonplace at a rate none of us dared dream just a few short years ago.

Hang on, the ride is going to accelerate-our momentum is unstoppable-and the race is to the swift.

Again, thank you so much for your support of LEAP.

Sincerely,



Neill Franklin
Executive Director
Law Enforcement Against Prohibition

Your donation puts LEAP speakers in front of audiences. To support LEAP's work by making a contribution, please click here.





           

121 Mystic Ave. Suites 8&9
Medford, MA 01255
(781) 393-6985 [email protected]


 We need help growing our all-encompassing movement of citizens who want to end the failed "war on drugs," so please invite your family and friends to learn about LEAP.
 

 

 

Chronicle
DEA "wanted" poster with members of Arellano Felix cartel
DEA "wanted" poster with members of Arellano Felix cartel

Mexico Drug War Update

It seems like there's a new atrocity every week in Mexico's unending prohibition-related violence. How about guards letting prisoners out of their cells so they can go murder people, then go back to the safety of prison?
Chronicle
the scales of justice tip slightly closer to sanity
the scales of justice tip slightly closer to sanity

Congress Acts to Reduce Crack/Powder Cocaine Sentencing Disparity (FEATURE)

The House of Representatives Wednesday approved a bill that would reduce, but not eliminate, the sentencing disparity for federal crack and powder cocaine offenses. The measure had already passed the Senate, and it has the support of the White House, which means the bill will soon be a law.
Blog
stopsign.png
stopsign.png

Welcome to Our New Site

As you can see, we've made some changes around here, which we hope will make the site more enjoyable for everyone. We're still getting used to some of the new functionality, so please be patient if you see any little screw ups and let us know if you spot anything crazy.

Blog
Latest News

Sacramento cannabis kumbaya: Marijuana shops get reprieve

Good news for Sacramento's patients! After long tumultuous debate, the Sacramento City Council voted to pursue the most liberal of three options for permitting and governing dispensaries. In the end, all 39 dispensaries that registered with the city by last summer have a chance to obtain special permits to stay in operation.
Latest News

Expert calls for civil drug punishments

Professor David J. Nutt, past chairman of the UK's Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, believes a radical new approach to drug policy that may include the regulated sale of some drugs is in order. He thinks drug users should face civil sanctions such as fines or the loss of their driver's license instead of criminal penalties. Nutt says the criminal approach to drugs has failed but there was a reluctance to change because most politicians were scared of losing votes if they were to tell the truth about the failed drug policy.