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Dear friends,

We’re nearly halfway through what is shaping up to be the most exciting year I’ve seen in all my years fighting for drug policy reform.  We’ve had some major breakthroughs in Congress and in state legislatures throughout the country, but our toughest battles are still on the horizon.  We can’t lose momentum now.

Will you make a donation and help us raise $10,000 by June 30th?  We need to be relentless in our fight to dismantle the war on drugs, and your support is essential as we face new challenges in the months ahead.

The White House has abandoned some of the old drug war rhetoric, but the decision to nominate Michele Leonhart to head the DEA raises serious questions about the administration’s commitment to reform.  Leonhart is responsible for obstructing scientific research and overseeing raids on medical marijuana patients and caregivers.  She’s the worst imaginable choice, and we need to show our political leaders that we won’t tolerate her backwards ideas.

It’s clear that despite the many gains we’ve made this year, we still have far to go.  It’s more important than ever that we keep our focus because in the coming months we’ll have the opportunity to turn the drug war on its head.   With your support, we can win our biggest victories to date.

California could become the first state to end marijuana prohibition, and DPA is right there on the front lines.  We’re working with legislators in New Jersey, Maine and Washington, DC as they implement new medical marijuana legislation. And we’re closer than ever to reforming the draconian and racially biased sentencing laws enacted during the drug war hysteria of the 1980s.

The momentum is on our side.  This year DPA has been winning more unprecedented reforms than ever.  The Senate voted unanimously to reform unjust federal sentencing laws that disproportionately impact communities of color. Meanwhile, New Jersey became the fourteenth state to legalize medical marijuana, and the first state to reform its harsh and ineffective “drug free zone” laws.

We’ve had great success, but in so many ways our work has just begun.  That’s why I hope I can depend on you to contribute and help us raise $10,000 by the end of June.

It’s your support that makes our work possible.  Together, we are the Drug Policy Alliance.

Sincerely,

Ethan Nadelmann
Executive Director
Drug Policy Alliance