Drug Policy Forum of Kansas: Useful Election Information and More

October 25, 2006

· Drug Policy on the Ballot

· DEA and ONDCP Use Federal Tax Dollars to Oppose Ballot Initiatives

· Volunteers Needed!Next Meeting Scheduled for Oct. 28th

The Drug Policy Forum of Kansas is a 501(c)(3) organization. Donations aretax-deductible.

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Drug Policy & Election 2006

Several states have ballot initiatives this year on drug policy issues. Colorado, Nevada, and South Dakota will vote on marijuana-related referendums. In Arizona theywill consider a law to put meth-users behind bars, rather than in treatment. Cities considering making marijuana the lowest priority for law-enforcement include Eureka Springs, Arkansas, Missoula, Montana, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz and Santa Monica, California.

Former Kansan, Mike Glover, is on the ballot in California, and several candidates for governor across the country have drug-reform platforms.

Read our state-by-state guide, with all the state and local ballot initiatives and details on the candidates with drug-law reform platforms.

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FederalTax Dollars Used to Lobby Against Drug-Law Reform Initiatives

Should the Office of National Drug Control Policy and the DEA spend tax-payer monies to oppose state ballot initiatives for drug law reform? Is this a conflict of interest on the part of the government?

Scott Burns, Office of National Drug Control Policy's (ONDCP) deputy director of state and local affairs, visited Rapid City South Dakota on Thursday and Sioux Falls on Friday of last week to oppose the medical marijuana initiative that will be on the South Dakota ballot on November 7. READ MORE.

ONDCP Director John Walters visited Nevada earlier this month and gave taxpayer money to organizations that ballot measure to tax and regulate marijuana like alcohol in Nevada.

In 2003, then-Nevada Attorney General Brian Sandoval (R) criticized Walters’ interference with a 2002 marijuana initiative in the state. "It is unfortunate that a representative of the federal government substantially intervened in a matter that was clearly a State of Nevada issue,” Sandoval wrote in an opinion. “The excessive federal intervention that was exhibited in this instance is particularly disturbing because it sought to influence the outcome of a Nevada election." The Associated Press covered the story yesterday in the Las Vegas Sun.

The DEA have been busy in Colorado opposing the state-wide ballot initiative there. An editorial in the Rocky Mountain News asks the DEA to keep out of local politics.

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KNOW YOUR RIGHTS

Busted: Surviving Police Encounters narrated by Ira Glasser retired ACLU Director is now available on the Internet a YouTube. DPFKS KNOW YOUR RIGHTS Brochures are available in pdf format on our web site, and will be distributed free to the public at our events. If you would like copies of the brochure for your organization, contact us.

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Volunteers Needed!

Volunteers Needed for Campus Outreach, Database maintenance and Event Planning. Please write if you would like to be a part of our on-going activities.

Next volunteer meeting: Saturday, October 28, 2006, 1pm at the DPFKS offices, 941 Kentucky Street, first floor, Lawrence Kansas.

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Contribute to Drug Policy Reform Education in Kansas

We believe our community can be safer and healthier through effective drug education, investing in treatment for offenders, and prosecuting in a drug court setting.

Won't you help us promote innovative drug policies by sending your tax-deductible donation today?

Become a member

Add yourself to our mailing list by going to our web site www.dpfks.org.

To unsubscribe, reply to this message with the word unsubscribe and we will take you off our mailing list. Our mailing address is DPFKS, 941 Kentucky, Lawrence, KS 66044.