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[Courtesy of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition] 

Dear friends,

When I learned that the mayor of El Paso vetoed a resolution calling for a national discussion on drug legalization after it was passed unanimously by his city council, I was ready to help my neighbors. The city council had shown the good sense to vote 8-0 to show support for their sister city of Juarez, Mexico, which is overrun with drug war violence.  By calling for an open debate on ending drug prohibition, the El Paso city council took a big step in the right direction, and I knew they could use the support of cops who've been on the front lines of the failed "war on drugs."

Emboldened by their research and public comments, the city council members called for an override of the veto, spurring a week-long debate on whether there should be a national discussion about drug legalization.  A debate about debating, if you will.

On the southern side of the border, lawmakers are talking about the El Paso debate as well.  Juarez lawmaker Victor Quintana, who proposed the Chihuahua State Congress initiate a similar debate in 2008, said, "I don't think it hurts anyone to initiate this debate, because the drug war has failed all over the world."

You can be part of the debate by sending a strong message to your member of Congress in support of a national discussion on drug policy.

Unfortunately, the El Paso city council's override vote ended in a tie, and Mayor John Cook's veto of the unanimously-passed resolution was upheld.  It wasn't as if the city council members changed their minds on calling for a national debate; rather, four of the eight council members who originally supported the resolution ultimately reversed their votes under significant federal pressure, with three council members specifically citing two letters: one from U.S. Congressman Silvestre Reyes, and one from the El Paso's state legislative delegation.  The letters threatened El Paso with the loss of state and federal dollars if the council voted to override the veto and pass the resolution.

I attended the meeting, and you can view my testimony before the council here.  Also in attendance was an aide to Congressman Reyes, who articulated the threats to the council should the resolution pass.

City Rep. Beto O'Rourke, who championed the council resolution, summed it up best: "It's a sad day in America when you are threatened for wanting to have an open debate on an issue that is affecting our country and our region."

As you know, prohibition will never curb border violence related to the illegal drug trade, nor will it ever reduce any of the devastating consequences associated with illegal drugs.  The only way to reduce illegal drug-market violence is to legalize and regulate drugs, putting the cartels out of business.

I'm outraged at this blatant use of federal pressure to silence an open discussion, and I hope you are too.  Drug prohibition is an issue that profoundly affects our country, and for our elected officials to resort to threats in order to prevent such a necessary debate contradicts the very core of democracy.

When confronted by the Huffington Post, Congressman Reyes said that he is not opposed to a debate on legalization; he only opposed the 'timing,' as it would coincide with President Barack Obama's meeting with Mexican President Felipe Calderon and Congress's debate of the economic stimulus package.  Reyes said, "If it's still an issue [after the stimulus passes], I'm not opposed to perhaps even entertaining a hearing.  I can look at that if they want to pursue it."

Take action now!  Visit http://www.DrugWarDebate.com to ask YOUR federal and state representatives to support a blue ribbon commission reviewing the efficacy of drug prohibition.  Please help us hold Congressman Reyes to his pledge!

You know you can trust LEAP to make sure the failed "war on drugs" is "still an issue" until the day it ends. Please support LEAP by making a tax-deductible contribution.  Your generosity is what sustains LEAP, allowing our speakers to further extend our mission of education and outreach on the failure of drug prohibition.

Thanks for your support,
Terry Nelson
Law Enforcement Against Prohibition

P.S. Please help LEAP with a monthly pledge or as generous of a donation as you can afford if you want to see us continue our efforts to get policymakers to take this issue seriously.

Hello Everyone,

Happy New Year and more importantly, happy new Administration! This is an exciting and challenging time for us. The actions we take in the next few months will help shape President Obama’s medical cannabis policies for the next four to eight years. I hope you all feel the excitement of the possibilities that are before us, and are prepared to meet the challenges that this opportunity will present.

But remember that opportunity is not the same as change…It is going to take a commitment from every one of us to make real change at the Federal level. That is why I am inviting you to renew that commitment by pledging to become an ASA Ambassador and to join ASA in our new campaign for 2009: MAKE IT SAFE. MAKE IT LEGAL. MAKE IT HAPPEN!

By becoming an ASA Ambassador, you are pledging to work with other ASA members to do your part in educating and engaging your elected officials and community. To sign up, contact ASA’s Field Coordinator George Pappas ([email protected]). If we want to succeed, every one of us has a role to play. Every meeting, every call, and every conversation about medical cannabis is part of our plan; a part that you must carry out. As an Ambassador, you will be joining a network of committed activists across the country who share your commitment to our mission.

We start 2009 and the 111th Congress with momentum, optimism, and hope. Since the founding of ASA in 2002, together we have created a patient-led movement with an amazing list of accomplishments under our belt. So, unlike the dark days of the second term of the Bush regime, today we begin new relationships in a very different political climate! Just take a look:

• Today we have almost 60 ASA chapters and affiliates across the nation, all working to improve their local and state laws, educate legislators and the public, and to create a coordinated national movement for medical cannabis.
• In just two years, ASA’s Washington, DC Office has become a powerful and influential lobbying force for federal medical cannabis laws. 
• There are now 13 medical cannabis states, and many more considering legislation and building support and awareness throughout the US.
• We drove numerous successful court cases in California, improving California’s law and setting the stage for the expansion of other laws across the US., including the U.S. Supreme Court upholding Garden Grove v. Superior Court, ruling that California law enforcement must follow California, not federal, law.
• We’ve worked side by side with top government agencies to improve state medical cannabis laws and to protect access centers throughout the country that provide safe access to patients who need it.
• We’ve built unique relationships with top Congressional and Senate leadership, including those tasked with Congressional oversight of the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Department of Justice.
• We elicited supportive statements from President Barack Obama to end federal interference in state medical cannabis laws.
• We’ve reframed the public discussion of access to medical cannabis as a fundamental human right.

And most importantly … WE HAVE A PLAN! Take a minute to look at the materials ASA has been sharing with the Obama administration and Congress at www.AmericansForSafeAccess.org/PresidentialRecommendations

I know the last six years have been hard. We saw little to no movement at the federal level while our loved ones faced lack of access to the treatment they needed, were targeted with threats and intimidation from our own DEA, and were sent to prisons and jails to serve unjust sentences, all for providing treatment to people living with serious illnesses.

But we did not sit back and wait for the tide to turn. Over the years, each action you took, each Representative you called, and each letter you wrote has created an atmosphere of hope across the nation. We’ve seen success at the state and local levels and have built more powerful alliances in Congress than ever before since ASA opened our Washington, DC office in 2006.

I am very proud of the hard work each of you has put into this shared vision. And now I hope we can all provide the leadership necessary to move the nation in the direction of compassion and scientific integrity.

Keep up the great work. I look forward to working with all of you during this exciting time… Let’s Make it safe. Make it Legal. Make it happen!

Sincerely,

Steph Sherer
Executive Director
Americans for Safe Access