Join The Wire's Sonja Sohn, the Reverend Al Sharpton (tentative) and elected officials at an unprecedented press conference to call attention to the failures of the drug war and to propose new solutions.

This week marks the 40th Anniversary of President Nixon declaring a war on drugs. A trillion dollars and millions of ruined lives later, the war on drugs has proven to be a catastrophic failure. It’s time for a new direction.

When: June 16, 2011
12:30pm Registration, Check-in, and Lunch
1:00pm Press Conference

Who: Ethan Nadelmann, founder and executive director, Drug Policy Alliance
Jared Polis, Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Colorado's 2nd district
Rev. Al Sharpton, founder of the National Action Network*
Peter Shumlin, Governor of Vermont
Sonja Sohn, actress from acclaimed HBO Series "The Wire"
Maxine Waters, Member of U.S. House of Representatives from California’s 35th district

Guests should arrive at the 6th Street entrance of the Newseum. There will be a table with a Drug Policy Alliance tablecloth just inside where someone will greet you and check you in. There is an elevator nearby that will take you to the 3rd Level, where the studio is located. Someone will be just outside the elevator to help direct you to the studio space. We are using the Knight Studio that is on the C Street side of the building, not the Pennsylvania Ave side.

*Tentatively confirmed either in person or live via videoconference.

Event Location:
The Newseum, Knight Studio A, 555 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W.

Event City and State:
Washington, DC

Date and Time:
Thu, 06/16/2011 - 12:30pm

Event Website:
Drug Policy Alliance Press Conference