You Can Make a Difference |
Dear friends,
President Obama is saying all the right things when it comes to drug policy reform, but not enough has changed since he took office. You and I need to show President Obama that we won't stand for the status quo on drug policy. After a promising start on drug policy issues, the Obama administration has gone astray. The presidentâs proposed drug war budget looks a whole lot like the Bush administrationâs drug war budget, with funding for failed enforcement policies far outweighing funding for treatment. Last month, President Obama nominated an anti-reform Bush holdover to head the DEA. Under the Bush administration, nominee Michele Leonhart coordinated numerous medical marijuana raids and stood in the way of scientific research. A new drug policy requires new leadership, especially when the nominee was so closely associated with the failed policies of the past. The president has repeatedly said that science, not politics, should guide drug policy, and his drug czar called for an end to the war on drugs. The Obama administration isnât spouting drug war rhetoric, but it hasnât abandoned drug war policies either. Write to the president and urge him to deliver on his promise to improve U.S. drug policy. Sincerely, Bill Piper  |