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JANUARY 5, 2010

Comedy Icons Cheech & Chong to Highlight Marijuana Policy Project’s 15^th Anniversary Gala

Celebrity guests and politicians will help celebrate MPP’s remarkable passage of improved marijuana laws in ‘15 states in 15 years’

CONTACT: Mike Meno, MPP assistant director of communications …… 202-905-2030 or [email protected]

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Marijuana Policy Project’s 15^th anniversary gala will be held Wednesday, January 13^th in Washington, D.C.  The event will celebrate past achievements and announce the organization’s new national strategy, including a congressional bill to end marijuana prohibition on the federal level.  This year’s gala features guest speakers such as former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson, U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN), actor Hal Sparks, and legendary comedians Cheech & Chong.

         “2009 was the best year for marijuana policy reform in U.S. history, and the future has never looked brighter,” said Rob Kampia, MPP’s executive director and co-founder. “Perhaps 2010 will be the year our politicians finally get on board with the rest of America and once and for all end our country’s failed marijuana policies.” 

         When MPP was founded in 1995, medical marijuana was illegal in all 50 states.  Since then, 13 states have passed medical marijuana laws, with Michigan becoming the 13th state in November 2008.  By the end of 2010, MPP is hopeful that medical marijuana will be legal in 15 states (with passage in New York and New Jersey) and the District of Columbia. MPP also remains hopeful that the number of states with decriminalization laws will jump from 13 to 15 in 2010 (with Rhode Island and Vermont becoming the 14th and 15th states).  

         WHAT: The Marijuana Policy Project’s 15th Anniversary Gala

         WHEN: January 13, 2010. Reception from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Dinner from 7:30 to 10:00 p.m.

         WHERE: Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill, 400 New Jersey Avenue, NW, 20001

         Tickets cost $250 each, or $2,000 for a table. 

         With more than 29,000 members and 100,000 e-mail subscribers nationwide, the Marijuana Policy Project is the largest marijuana policy reform organization in the United States. MPP believes that the best way to minimize the harm associated with marijuana is to regulate marijuana in a manner similar to alcohol. For more information, please visit www.mpp.org.

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Dear friends:

By any measure, 2009 was the best year for marijuana policy reform in U.S. history. Check out these 10 signs of progress, most of which have been spearheaded by MPP:

1.     The governments of Massachusetts and Michigan implemented the ballot initiatives we passed in these two states on November 4, 2008. As a result, marijuana possession is now a $100 ticketable offense in Massachusetts, and the possession and cultivation of medical marijuana is now legal in Michigan.

2.     On October 19, the Obama administration announced that the DEA and the Justice Department would de-prioritize any new raids of medical marijuana establishments in California and elsewhere that are abiding by state law. This is the most significant, positive change in federal marijuana policy in 31 years!

3.     On November 10, the American Medical Association rescinded its previous support of classifying marijuana alongside LSD, PCP, and heroin under federal law.

4.     MPP has made significant progress on medical marijuana bills in Delaware, Illinois, Iowa, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, and New York. If we succeed in seven states between now and the summer of 2011 — which is actually looking likely at this point — the number of medical marijuana states will jump from 13 to 20.

5.     We've already collected 200,000 of the 250,000 signatures that are needed in Arizona to place on the November 2010 ballot an initiative to legalize medical marijuana, including authorizing 120 dispensaries statewide, which would give Arizona the best medical marijuana law in the country. Fully 65% of Arizona voters support this initiative.

6.     In California, a bill to tax and regulate marijuana like alcohol is pending in the state Assembly, the introduction of which generated a huge wave of positive news coverage nationwide, which we followed up with a TV ad that generated an even bigger wave of news coverage. We're working to build support for this landmark piece of legislation, which has a chance to pass out of committee in January.

7.     MPP opened an office in Las Vegas, for the purpose of building a statewide coalition to pass a ballot initiative to tax and regulate marijuana like alcohol. We plan to pass this initiative in November 2012, which would give Nevada the best marijuana law in the world.

8.     Other than California and Nevada, there are at least four other states that are now in play for being the first to end marijuana prohibition entirely: (1) Colorado, which has seen an explosion of medical marijuana dispensaries since January and is now polling at 48% in favor of regulating marijuana like alcohol; (2) Rhode Island, which recently overrode its governor's veto in order to legalize medical marijuana dispensaries in the state, and which has since launched a study commission to draft a bill to regulate marijuana like alcohol; (3) New Hampshire, where a bill to regulate and tax marijuana has been introduced for the 2010 session; and (4) Washington state, where six representatives have prefiled a bill to tax and regulate marijuana.

9.     After 11 years of MPP's congressional lobbying efforts, the U.S. Congress finally removed the federal ban on implementing Washington, D.C.'s medical marijuana law. Medical marijuana could be available in our nation's capital starting this spring.

10.   And it looks like, finally, we'll soon have a bill introduced in Congress that would wipe out marijuana prohibition entirely on the federal level, which is our ultimate goal in Washington, D.C. This will take years to pass, so we might as well get started now.

Our accomplishments in 2009 were made possible by the generous support of our 29,000 members. Please help us kick off 2010 with a bang by making a donation today. 

Sincerely,