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[Courtesy of NH Coalition for Common Sense Marijuana Policy] FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: APRIL 15, 2008 CONTACT: Matt Simon, NH Coalition for Common Sense Marijuana Policy, (603) 391-7450 NH Voters Support Easing Marijuana Penalties CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE — A clear majority of New Hampshire voters favor legislation to reduce the penalties for the possession of small amounts of marijuana for personal use, according to a recent poll. The poll of 625 registered voters was conducted by telephone April 7 to 8 by Mason-Dixon Research for the Marijuana Policy Project and NH Coalition for Common Sense Marijuana Policy. By a resounding 53-34 percent margin, New Hampshire voters support "a change in the law to provide for a $100 fine without jail time for those who possess an ounce or less of marijuana for personal use." Current New Hampshire law is one of the harshest in the nation, carrying the potential for a year in jail and a $2,000 fine for small quantities of marijuana. By contrast, driving under the influence of alcohol in New Hampshire does not carry the possibility of jail or prison time for the first offense. A bill to reduce penalties for possessing one-quarter ounce or less of marijuana passed the New Hampshire House but faces uncertainty in the Senate, based partially on the opposition of Gov. John Lynch. Eleven states – including neighboring Maine and New York, and conservative bastions Nebraska and Mississippi – have already removed jail or prison time as a penalty for possessing small amounts of marijuana for personal use. A bill to do so in Vermont has passed the state Senate and is before the state House. Supporters of the reform effort cite the poll as evidence that politicians, including Gov. Lynch, may be misreading public opinion on the issue. They hope the poll will encourage the governor and state senators to take a serious look at the issue when the bill's hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee takes place April 22. "Voters are saying they've had enough with marijuana penalties that ruin the lives of young people and clog the courts," said Matt Simon of NH Coalition for Common Sense Marijuana Policy. "This isn't about legalization. It's about making the punishment fit the offense and focusing resources on more serious matters." The poll shows that support for reducing penalties cuts across the state's demographics. Democrats and Independents strongly favored eliminating jail time for possessing small amounts of marijuana, while Republicans were evenly split (within the margin of error). Women favor reduced penalties by a whopping 28 percent margin (58-30 percent) while men support it by a smaller but significant 10 percent margin. "Critics of HB 1623 may believe they are speaking for a majority of New Hampshire voters," said Simon. "However, this poll shows that most voters would support not only HB 1623, but a higher threshold amount of one ounce and a smaller fine of only $100." The complete poll, including results showing overwhelming support for allowing the medical use of marijuana is online here: http://nhcommonsense.org/poll. The link also contains a chart showing New Hampshire penalties for possessing small amounts of marijuana compared to other states. ####

Free Super Bowl Ticket: I was drinking my coffee and reading my daily dose of bad news (newspaper), when a Senate staffer greeted me and asked to join me to wolf down his breakfast. I described my education campaign on why spending ‘free’ fed money to arrest drug dealers was harming state budgets (after the arrest the states must spend hundreds of thousands of tax dollars to lock up the drug dealer for XX years). Bill (not his real name) offered a super bowl ticket analogy. …your best friend gives you a Super Bowl ticket worth 400 dollars & you jump for joy. Wow!! You love football & decide to go. You buy a plane ticket, book a hotel, add in misc. extra monies & suddenly the ‘free’ ticket will cost you 1200 dollars out of your pocket….. I used this pitch during 7 presentations & urged the staffer to have the boss (MOC) call their governor (as a courtesy) and ask privately if the State can afford to be given ‘free’ federal money. I was very pleased with the reaction (all non-verbal = seen on their faces). Thanks Bill. Let me tell you why it did not work: Riding the train home, a fellow traveler asked how my campaign was going. I talked about reading a report in the US Army War College that stated that 70% of al Qaeda’s operating budget came from drug trade sources. Suddenly, an Army major plopped down in the seat next to me. He had over heard our conversation and wanted to share his direct experience. In the next 10 minutes we listened intently as he described how he had in 2006 participated in an eradication (Ausrottung) effort in southern Afghanistan. A long story short…after they paid the tractor drivers to plow under the poppy plants, our troops would go out to the edge of the river flood plain to provide security…the Taliban would come in and pay the drivers more NOT to plow under the poppies. At the end of the 6 weeks campaign almost no poppies had been plowed under. We exchanged business cards before he hopped off the train. As a doctor, he had a professional curiosity to learn more of the Swiss Treatment Program which I sent him. His actions were symptomatic of how many citizens are with us on this. Almost every time someone engages me on the train or metro subway, a passenger nearby will, on their way out, say how they agree with me and wish me luck. After I missed the #$%!@ Party of the decade: Just before I was about to join the celebration of the first victory in years (2nd Chance Act) at the Capitol at 5 PM on Wednesday, Aaron Houston (MPP lobbyist) said don’t bother. The room was entirely too small, packed with people and hotter than hell. Chatting on the sidewalk, several other reformers stopped to chat. The chief lobbyist for the ONDCP (Drug Czar) strolled on by without stopping (LOL). I was disappointed not to attend but I took Aaron’s advice. I called Jodi James the new Big Boss of our Speaker’s Bureau and asked her to email me the details of another event that started in 30 minutes. (I now carry a Blackberry aka Crackberry+ by staffers. Every Staffer has one & several offices have signs above the exit door “Do you have your Blackberry?”) So yes, you may call me a High-Tech, Red-Neck++ cowboy. LOL Anyway, I attended a 100 person reception nearby & being bold, had 1 minute conversations with one US Senator & 3 Congressmen. Afterwards, I got all excited at such wonderful turn of events. +++ I called Jodi and thanked her profusely for her initiative and turning the evening into the best & in some ways most productive two hours I have spent in DC. WTG Jodi!! We do have a great team at LEAP. Apropos important persons…if you know of a VIP (elected state-wide or fed official) who has stated publicly that the WOD is a failure or ineffective, let me know please. If possible, provide the source of the quote. I am putting together a list.

[Courtesy of Prison Art Gallery] 1. Lamont Carey--You know him from HBO where you've seen and applauded him for his riveting work on The Wire and DEF Jam. See Lamont in person on Tuesday, April 15, 7:30PM at My Place Sports Bar and Grill, 12150 Central Avenue, Mitchellville,, MD 20721. You'll get a whole new perspective on the devastating effects of spending years in prison by this incredible spoken word artist and actor extraordinaire. For further information, please call 301-249-5477. 2. Dennis Sobin--He learned to play classical and jazz guitar in prison and now performs in concert at colleges, universities and the Kennedy Center, songs ranging from Scot Joplin rags to Chopin waltzes to Cole Porter ballads. Come meet and hear Dennis on Saturday, April 19, at 2pm at the Prison Art Gallery, 1600 K Street NW, Washington, DC 20006. For further information, please call 202-393-1511. 3. Jahi Daoud L. Foster-Bey--A visual artist of extraordinary talent and ability, he creates art that is both beautiful and meaningful, depicting themes that relate to social justice and the hardships he has personally experienced. You can meet Jahi and view his work on Sunday, April 20, at 3pm at the Prisons Foundation mobile art display and information center at the corner of 7th and G Sts, Washington, DC (across from the National Portrait Gallery). For further information, please call 202-393-1511.

[Courtesy of Justice Policy Institute] Clinton Crime Agenda Ignores Proven Methods for Reducing Crime Advocates say plan will increase incarceration rates and negatively impact the poor and minorities For Immediate Release: Monday, April 14, 2008 Contact: LaWanda Johnson (202)-558-7974 x308, cell 202-320-1029 Washington, D.C.--The Justice Policy Institute (JPI) announced today that Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton's anti-crime package ignores critical research that finds that investments in employment, education, housing and treatment for those who need it is the most effective and fiscally-responsible way to improve public safety. Research shows that Clinton's proposal to revive former President Clinton's COPS initiative, which called for investments in policing, would increase prison populations, and may have a negative impact on the nation's poor and minorities, without significantly reducing crime. The Clinton Administration's "tough on crime" policies resulted in the largest increases in federal and state prison inmates of any president in American history. Advocates say re-implementing this agenda would be a return to bad policies. "The first COPS was found to be costly and ineffective in reducing crime rates and COPS 2.0 is not an improved version of the first one," says JPI executive director Sheila Bedi. "COPS was only successful in filling our prisons and jails with people who research shows can be better served with treatment, evidence-based practices, and community-based alternatives that also promote public safety." According to research, adding police to the streets is not the most effective method for reducing crime. Delaware received $19.6 million in COPS grants and during that same time, the number of violent crimes increased 35.9 percent. In contrast, Oklahoma City, which did not receive any COPS grants, decreased its police force by 16 percent and during that same period saw a dramatic 32.5 percent decrease in the number of violent crimes reported. Furthermore, advocates say law enforcement professionals don't support policing as being the most effective method of reducing crime. In a 2002 poll, 71.1 percent of surveyed chief of police, sheriffs and prosecutors agreed that providing more educational and after-school programs would make the greatest impact in reducing youth crime and violence. Only 14.9 percent said that hiring more police would have the greatest impact. "We've tried to win the war on gangs with law enforcement alone, but we have little to show for it," says National Black Police Association Executive Director Ronald Hampton. "Rather than engaging in endless battles, we need to target the problem behavior that hurts communities. We should support the kinds of prevention and proven programs that we already know reduce violence and crime." Research supports investments in communities as a more cost effective and beneficial way of reducing crime. Research shows that when there is a reduction in crimes rates, it coincides with increased employment. When more people have jobs, fewer crimes are committed. A study by the Heritage Foundation found that "For every 1 percent increase in civilian labor force participation, violent crime is expected to decrease by 8.8 incidents per 100,000" people. "Not only does the Clinton crime plan lack innovation and forward thinking, it ignores all we know about crime prevention. When people are employed, violent crime decreases," says Lisa Kung, Director of the Southern Center for Human Rights. "One in every one hundred Americans is incarcerated. It is clear that Clinton intends to continue a legacy of policies that will keep Americans paying for more police, more prisons and more punitive measures." Advocates also believe that Clinton's opposition to the U.S. Sentencing Commission's decision to make retroactive the changes to sentencing for the thousands of people who had received disproportionately long sentences for crack-cocaine, most of whom are African American, is concerning. Nationwide, from 1995 to 2004, drug abuse violations were the only crime that saw an increase in arrests following the COPS grant. However, a report by JPI release last year, found that while African Americans and whites use and sell drugs at similar rates, African Americans are ten times more likely than whites to be imprisoned for drug offenses mainly due to disparate policing practices, disparate treatment before the courts, mandatory minimum drug sentencing laws, and differences in the availability of drug treatment for African Americans. According to Families Against Mandatory Minimums, "it would be a cruel injustice to base the crack cocaine reduction on an assessment that these people have suffered under an unjust structure and then deny the benefit of the amendment to the very people whose experiences led the Commission to lower the sentences in the first place." "If any of the candidates really wants to do something about crime, then they should invest in policies that increase employment, educational attainment and treatment for people who need it," says Bedi. "These are proven approaches that reduce crime and recidivism--evidence-based practices, which have undergone rigorous experimental inquiry, and have been shown to have proven public safety benefits." For more information contact LaWanda Johnson at 202-558-7974, ext. 308. #######

(This blog post was published by StoptheDrugWar.org's lobbying arm, the Drug Reform Coordination Network, which also shares the cost of maintaining this web site. DRCNet Foundation takes no positions on candidates for public office, and does not pay for reporting that could be interpreted or misinterpreted as doing so.)