Marijuana stats 2006

The Events that shaped Marijuana in 2006

Join us to explore a Massachusetts decriminalization initiative

The Marijuana Policy Project will be working with other groups in Massachusetts to explore the possibility of placing a "decriminalization" initiative on the November 2008 ballot. To kick everything off, MPP executive director Rob Kampia will be meeting with supportive groups and individuals at a fundraising party in Boston on Thursday, February 22.

This will be an opportunity for supporters of marijuana policy reform to meet other supporters and local VIPs — as well as to make a financial donation that would go toward polling.

What: Fundraiser to explore the possibility of a statewide decriminalization initiative
Who: MPP executive director Rob Kampia, New England Policy Advocates (NEPA), the ACLU of Massachusetts, Unitarian Universalists for Drug Policy Reform, other supporters — and you
Where: 101 Tremont Street, Fourth Floor, Boston, Massachusetts 02108
When: Thursday, February 22, 6:00 – 9:00 p.m.

Please contact NEPA’s Whitney Taylor at 617-451-1907 or at wataylor@mac.com to RSVP.

Supporters of decriminalization will also be holding a forum to discuss plans for a proposed initiative, and why such a thing should be supported, on the Sunday after the Boston event. MPP’s Rob Kampia will be the guest speaker for this event. There will be a cash bar.

What: Forum on the decriminalization of marijuana
Who: Hosted by Joseph White of left bank consulting, Rob Cohn of Winterland Country Club, Attorney Ed Berlin, E. Joseph McCarthy, Bill Magee, and others
Where: Winterland Country Club, Hope Street (across from Armory), Greenfield, Massachusetts
When: Sunday, February 25, 12:00 p.m. (noon)

The Boston and Greenfield dates will be exploratory events to determine if activists and donors in Massachusetts are willing to invest the necessary time and money to put a possible initiative on the November 2008 ballot. Such a measure would eliminate the threat of arrest and jail for adults in possession of up to one ounce of marijuana. Instead, this offense would be punishable by a citation and a $100 fine.

We hope to see you all at the receptions, and please tell your family and friends about the events. Thank you for your ongoing support of the Marijuana Policy Project and reform in Massachusetts.

New research confirms marijuana's medical benefits

Dear Tom Sutor:

On Tuesday, a research team led by Dr. Donald Abrams of the University of California at San Francisco published a landmark study showing that marijuana provides unique medicinal benefits.

The report, which was published in the journal Neurology, found that smoking marijuana significantly reduced a specific type of pain that often afflicts patients with HIV/AIDS. Patients suffering from peripheral neuropathy can feel as if their hands and feet are on fire, or as if they're being stabbed with a knife. Neuropathic pain — that is, pain caused by damage to the nerves — is also common in several other illnesses, including multiple sclerosis.

In response, David Murray, the top "scientist" at the White House drug czar's office, said, "People who smoke marijuana are subject to bacterial infections in the lungs. Is this really what a physician who is treating someone with a compromised immune system wants to prescribe?" The White House never disappoints us with its firm commitment to avoiding reality.

In any case, Dr. Abrams' study has been generating widespread media coverage. Articles appeared in the Boston Globe, Chicago Tribune, Houston Chronicle, Miami Herald, Seattle Times, Wall Street Journal, and Washington Post. And Bruce Mirken, MPP's communications director, was interviewed on ABC TV's Bay Area affiliate station, as well as on several radio stations across the country, and was quoted in an article in the San Francisco Chronicle, which you can read here.

Since the advent of AIDS, medical practitioners have been able to do very little to ease the suffering caused by neuropathy. Indeed, there are no FDA-approved treatments for peripheral neuropathy in HIV patients. Even powerful, dangerous, and highly addictive narcotic painkillers are often ineffective in mitigating this pain.

Yet in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (the "gold standard" of scientific research), a majority of HIV/AIDS patients participating in the study experienced more than 30% pain reduction after smoking marijuana. By some measures, the pain relief was even greater. Considering that the study used government-supplied marijuana of notoriously poor quality, the benefits of medical marijuana could easily be greater than the study results indicate.

The study further underscores the need to change laws to allow for legal access to medical marijuana for seriously ill patients. MPP is currently working to pass such laws in Illinois, Minnesota, New Hampshire, and New York, as well as pursuing legislation on the federal level to protect patients in the 11 states that have already passed medical marijuana laws. Please visit www.mpp.org/2007plan for more information.

This study, the medical marijuana lawsuit victory that I told you about yesterday, and our progress in the states and in Congress show that the momentum is on our side for ending the government's war on sick people. Would you please consider making a donation to MPP today, so that we can continue pushing hard? I am grateful for anything that you can give.

Sincerely,

Rob Kampia
Executive Director
Marijuana Policy Project
Washington, D.C.

Minnesota Senate committee passes medical marijuana bill

Earlier today, the Minnesota Senate Health, Housing and Family Security Committee — in an overwhelming, bipartisan voice vote — passed S.F. 345, a medical marijuana bill sponsored by Sen. Steve Murphy (DFL-Red Wing). This compassionate legislation will protect seriously ill patients from arrest for using marijuana with their doctors’ recommendations. This is an excellent first step toward making Minnesota the 12^th state to end the cruel policy of criminalizing the seriously ill. S.F. 345 now heads to the Judiciary Committee.

Although the momentum is clearly on our side, letters unfairly attacking Sen. Murphy for sponsoring S.F. 345 were recently published in the Winona Daily News and the Rochester Post-Bulletin. If you live in the areas around Winona or Rochester, please write a letter to the editor of these papers thanking Sen. Murphy for sponsoring this humane and sensible bill. Even if you don’t live in southeastern Minnesota, take a moment to write a letter to the editor of your local papers. We've provided you some basic talking points that you can use in your letter, but a personally crafted letter is much more likely to get published. It's vital for state legislators to see examples of the widespread, statewide support this sensible legislation enjoys.

If you have not already done so, please also write a letter to your legislators urging them to support Sen. Murphy's medical marijuana bill. We already have several pre-written letters available for you to use, and with our automated system it will take just a couple of moments to send a letter to your state senator and representative.

In the House, Rep. Tom Huntley (DFL-Duluth) is leading a bipartisan coalition of 18 co-sponsors — including former speaker of the House, Rep. Steve Sviggum (R-Kenyon) — on H.F. 655, the House companion bill to S.F. 345. Hearings will be scheduled on H.F. 655 soon.

With massive public support — a statewide poll conducted by Zogby International in February 2005 showed that Minnesotans support medical marijuana by a 2-1 margin — and with reputable organizations such as the Minnesota Nurses Association endorsing S.F. 345, MPP is hopeful that this is the year that seriously ill Minnesotans will get the protection they deserve. Please do your part to change this irrational public policy and help maintain the bill’s momentum; take action now.

Thank you for supporting the Marijuana Policy Project. Please pass this message along to friends, family, neighbors, and e-mail lists so that others can stand up for Minnesota's most vulnerable residents.

Medical marijuana advocates win lawsuit against DEA!

Dear Tom Sutor:

Medical marijuana advocates won a major victory against the federal government yesterday: In a stinging 87-page opinion, the DEA’s own administrative law judge (ALJ) ruled that the DEA has been improperly blocking medical marijuana research.

The MPP grants program provided money for the lawsuit. News of the lawsuit victory was covered by more than 100 media outlets, including the Boston Globe, Boston Herald, San Francisco Chronicle, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, and Seattle Post-Intelligencer. You can read the Associated Press story here.

Right now, any researcher who wants to study the therapeutic effects of marijuana must obtain permission from the DEA and a supply of government-grown marijuana from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). This has proven to be incredibly difficult, as NIDA’s mission is to investigate marijuana’s potential harms, not medicinal benefits, and the DEA is outright hostile to medical marijuana research.

Professor Lyle Craker of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, working in conjunction with the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies, has been trying for years to solve this problem. Back in 2001, he applied to the DEA for permission to grow a private supply of marijuana for use in clinical research. The DEA delayed making a decision for nearly three and a half years and then finally rejected Dr. Craker’s application, fallaciously claiming that international treaty obligations prevented it from granting permission.

But yesterday, DEA ALJ Ellen Bittner ruled that the DEA had no basis to reject Dr. Craker’s application.

Unfortunately, the decision to authorize the clinical trials needed to persuade the FDA to approve marijuana as a prescription medicine is now in the hands of America's top drug cop, DEA chief Karen Tandy.

Unlike in other areas of U.S. jurisprudence, the DEA administrator can ignore the ruling of the DEA’s ALJ. Indeed, this happened in 1988, when the DEA’s ALJ ruled that marijuana has medical value and should therefore be rescheduled from Schedule I to Schedule II under federal law. The DEA administrator refused to do so and, as a result, federal law still incorrectly asserts that marijuana is as dangerous as heroin and LSD — and that cocaine and methamphetamine have more medicinal value than marijuana.

Prohibitionists have long argued that the 11 states that have legalized medical marijuana in the last 11 years should not have done so, claiming that the decision to allow for the medical use of a drug should be determined through FDA-approved clinical trials.

If Tandy refuses to authorize clinical trials or — more likely — she delays, this will provide MPP with an additional incentive — and a strong public justification — for spending a few million dollars to pass additional state-level medical marijuana laws through state legislatures and ballot initiatives.

To help MPP continue to fight the federal government, please consider making a financial donation today. Thank you ...

Sincerely,

Rob Kampia
Executive Director
Marijuana Policy Project
Washington, D.C.

Act now to stop bills that would restrict South Dakota’s initiative process

Two bills are currently steamrolling through the South Dakota Legislature that would place restrictions on the signature-gathering process for ballot initiatives. S.B. 137 and H.B. 1156 both would make it illegal to pay petitioner circulators per signature gathered. (Instead, circulators would have to be paid a fixed hourly wage or salary.) H.B. 1156 also creates further restrictions for the people who qualify to be petition circulators.

Having to pay petitioners a fixed wage or salary, instead of per signature, removes the incentive to work hard and to collect as many signatures as possible. If these bills become law, it will be more difficult to qualify initiatives for the ballot.

S.B. 137 has already passed the Senate State Affairs Committee, and awaits a full Senate vote. On the other hand, H.B. 1156 has already passed through the full House. It has now been sent to the Senate, where it awaits a hearing, also in the Senate State Affairs Committee.

South Dakota was the first state to adopt the initiative and referendum process in 1898. This is a voters’ rights issue. These bills would make it more difficult for citizens to have a voice. Please call your state senator and representative today, and urge them not to support bills that restrict South Dakota’s initiative process.

You can find out who your legislators are by visiting this page. Please take a few moments to call them, and encourage them not to support these restrictive bills.

You may also call the Senate State Affairs Committee chairs and urge them not to hold a hearing on H.B. 1156. Encourage them not to enact laws that restrict the initiative process:

Sen. Thomas A. Dempster — committee chair — 605-359-6387
Sen. Bob Gray — vice-chair — 605-773-3821

These two bills would make it more difficult for citizens to get initiatives on the ballot.

Thank you for supporting the Marijuana Policy Project. Please forward this message along to your concerned friends and family in South Dakota, so that they, too, may become involved.

Hawaii medical marijuana reform bill gets hearing on Tuesday — take action today!

One of the bills introduced in the Hawaii Legislature this session to improve the state’s medical marijuana program, S.B. 905, was recently scheduled for a public hearing. Now is the time for medical marijuana patients and supporters to take action, as this bill has a good chance of passing through committee if it has enough support.

S.B. 905 would transfer the medical marijuana program from the Narcotics Enforcement Division (NED) of the Department of Public Safety to the Department of Health. This would be a significant change toward protecting patients. The bill would also open the door for additional medical conditions to be considered for medical marijuana use. And it proposes to make a physician’s written certification valid for two years instead of one.

Currently, many patients with qualifying debilitating medical conditions are frightened or intimidated by the idea of dealing with the NED. Many patients are therefore not registering as patients, and still face the threat of arrest and prison. Likewise, many physicians are reluctant to certify patients. They fear being identified and targeted under narcotics enforcement laws. The fact that the NED currently handles the medical marijuana program has been identified as the principal obstacle for patients seeking medical certification.

You can read the full text of the bill here.

The hearing details are as follows:

What: S.B. 905, medical marijuana reform bill
Who: The bill will be heard at a joint Senate hearing consisting of the Health; Public Safety; and the Judiciary and Labor committees
When: Tuesday, February 13, at 9:00 a.m.
Where: Conference Room 229, State Capitol, 415 South Beretania St.

Please consider submitting testimony in support of S.B. 905, especially if you are a patient registered with the current program. Click here to see the official hearing notice, which explains how to submit testimony and lists the information needed.

1. Testimony must be submitted at least 24 hours prior to the hearing. 9 a.m. Monday is therefore the latest you can send testimony in … so fax or e-mail it this weekend!

2. Testimony can be faxed to the Senate sergeant-at-arms at 808-586-6659 if you’re in Oahu, or 1-800-586-6659 if you’re in the neighboring islands.

3. Testimony can also be e-mailed to the Public Access Room at testimony@capitol.hawaii.gov.

4. The Public Access Room will make the appropriate number of copies needed, and deliver your testimony. You can reach them at 808 587-0478 or par@capitol.hawaii.gov.

Here is a summary of the information you must remember to include with your testimony:

1. Your name, position or title, organization, and contact information.

2. The bill number: S.B. 905.

3. Your position on the bill: SUPPORT.

4. The hearing date, room number, and time: Tuesday, February 13, Conference Room 229, 9 a.m.

5. The committee to which your testimony is being referred: Senate Health; Public Safety; Judiciary and Labor (HTH/PBS/JDL).

6. Please remember to also list the chairs and vice-chairs of these Senate committees. They are, respectively: David Y. Ige and Carol Fukunaga, Will Espero and Clarence K. Nishihara, Clayton Hee and Russell S. Kokubun.

7. The number of copies needed: 35.

Please remember to follow all these guidelines when submitting your testimony. Remember also to be polite, as this is very important in getting our argument heard.

Thank you for supporting the Marijuana Policy Project. Please forward this message along to your family and friends in Hawaii, so that they, too, may become involved in reform.

Act now to defeat bad marijuana bills in Mississippi

On January 16, I told you about H.B. 421, the medical marijuana bill that was introduced in the Mississippi Legislature. That bill still awaits a hearing in the House Judiciary A Committee, so please click here to urge the committee members to consider this compassionate legislation.

Today, I’m writing to tell you about a few bad bills that are being considered in the state legislature.

As you may know, Mississippi is currently a "decriminalization" state — meaning that first-offense possession of a small amount of marijuana is punishable only by a fine, not jail time. H.B. 492 would change this sensible law. The bill would sentence people to jail for five days if convicted of first-offense possession of up to 30 grams of marijuana. H.B. 1147 would go one step further: It proposes drastic increases in fines for marijuana possession, and even more outrageously, it would send low-level offenders to prison for six months!

These two bills have been referred to the House Judiciary A Committee, like the medical marijuana bill. Please take some time to call the committee members and urge them to vote for sensible marijuana policy, and against these two bad bills. Remind them that police, judicial, and correctional resources are already stretched thin enough — and that they should vote against wasting more of Mississippi’s resources. Remember to be polite, as we want to appeal to legislators, not alienate them. The committee members are:

Rep. Edward Blackmon Jr. (D-57) — committee chairman — (601) 859-1567

Rep. James C. Simpson Jr. (R-120) — vice chairman — (228) 863-6534

Rep. Mark Baker (R-74) — (601) 824-7455

Rep. Earle S. Banks (D-67) — (601) 969-2221

Rep. Gary Chism (R-37) — (662) 327-0777

Rep. Bryant W. Clark (D-47) — (662) 834-6133

Rep. Linda Coleman (D-29) — (662) 843-5253

Rep. J. P. Compretta (D-122) — (228) 467-1010

Rep. Bill Denny (R-64) — (601) 956-6807

Rep. Tyrone Ellis (D-38) — (662) 324-5433

Rep. Jamie Franks (D-19) — (662) 842-0380

Rep. Frances Fredericks (D-119) — (228) 864-9319

Rep. D. Stephen Holland (D-16) — (662) 840-5000

Rep. Robert L. Johnson III (D-94) — (601) 442-9371

Rep. John Mayo (D-25) — (662) 902-8633

Rep. Bobby Moak (D-53) — (800) 595-6244

Rep. Harvey Moss (D-2) — (662) 287-6590

Rep. Willie J. Perkins Sr. (D-32) — (662) 455-1211

Rep. John R. Reeves (R-71) — (601) 355-9600

Rep. Thomas U. Reynolds (D-33) — (662) 647-3203

Rep. Walter L. Robinson Jr. (D-63) — (601) 866-7011

Rep. Margaret Rogers (D-14) — number unlisted

Rep. Clayton Smith (R-59) — (601) 992-1635

Rep. Mary Ann Stevens (D-48) — (601) 359-9473

Rep. Percy W. Watson (D-103) — (601) 545-1051

Additionally, Judiciary A will be considering two bad bills that have been introduced in the past but never made it out of committee. H.B. 210 would make it a felony to bring any controlled substance (including marijuana) into any state, county, or municipal building. And H.B. 486 would require a $1,000 fine and three days in jail for anyone convicted of any level of marijuana possession within 1,500 feet of a school.

These bills have failed in the past, but we don't want them to pass this time around. So, when speaking with the committee members, remember to urge them to vote against anything that would needlessly increase penalties and waste the state's resources. Please do put some time aside to call these legislators, as your voice will help ensure victory.

Finally, if you are a medical marijuana patient or a medical professional, and could testify in favor of the medical marijuana bill, please e-mail Anthony@mpp.org. Thank you to everyone who has already gotten in touch with us; unfortunately at this time we have not been able to translate your support into legislative results. We are working with various people in Mississippi to bring the issue of medical marijuana forward, so stay tuned for future developments.

Thank you for supporting the Marijuana Policy Project. Please forward this message along to your family and friends in Mississippi, so that they, too, may become involved in reform.

Save the date: February 22 in Boston

Massachusetts has too long trailed behind other New England states when it comes to marijuana policy reform. The Marijuana Policy Project is therefore pleased to announce its intention to place a statewide "decriminalization" initiative on the November 2008 ballot. (The proposed measure would eliminate the threat of arrest and jail for the possession of up to one ounce of marijuana, which would instead be punishable by a citation and a $100 fine.)

To kick things off, MPP will be holding a fundraising reception in Boston on the evening of February 22 ... and you’re invited. Please expect to see another email alert when the logistics are finalized. In the meantime, please save the date on your calendar.

The reception will be an opportunity for supporters of marijuana policy reform to meet other supporters and local VIPs -- as well as to make a financial donation to the ballot drive.

Please tell your family and friends about the February 22 reception, as well. Thank you for supporting the Marijuana Policy Project.

Calling on all medical marijuana advocates in Texas: Attend a lobby day on February 21

Although 11 states currently protect medical marijuana patients from arrest and prison, Texas still treats these patients like criminals – but that could change this year, with your help. A medical marijuana bill is soon to be filed in the Texas Legislature. Now is the time for supporters to voice their support for this compassionate legislation.

Texans for Medical Marijuana (TMM) – an MPP grant recipient – is currently organizing a "lobby day" for February 21. This will be a great opportunity for medical marijuana patients and advocates to speak with their legislators and urge them to support this critical issue.

All those interested in participating in the lobby day must register with TMM beforehand. TMM will be holding regional meetings to discuss plans and bring everyone up to speed before February 21, and you’re invited to attend:

Austin Meeting
When: Thursday, January 18, 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Where: ACLU of Texas, 1210 Rosewood Ave.

Dallas Meeting
When: Tuesday, January 23, 6:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Where: Lakewood Branch Library, 6121 Worth St. 75214

San Antonio Meeting
When: Thursday, January 25, 6:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Where: Landa Branch Library, 233 Bushnell Ave

The discussion will revolve around the events planned for the lobby day and effective ways that people can lobby for the passage of a medical marijuana bill in Texas. If you are unable to attend one of the regional meetings, but would like to attend the lobby day, please contact TMM’s public relations director Karen Heikkala at Karen@texansformedicalmarijuana.org, and she will send you the relevant information.

Please do all that you can to participate! Medical marijuana will move forward this year if we demonstrate to legislators that this issue is vital to Texas’ residents. Legislators truly do listen to their constituents, so be sure not to miss this great opportunity.

Thank you for supporting the Marijuana Policy Project and Texans for Medical Marijuana. Please pass this alert on to your family and friends in Texas, so that they, too, may become involved in reform.

1 in 32 American adults caught in criminal justice system

Dear Tom Sutor:

Last Wednesday, the U.S. Justice Department released a report showing that a record seven million people — or one in every 32 American adults — were behind bars, on probation, or on parole at the end of last year.

Of those, an astounding 2.2 million people were actually in prison or jail, which is an increase of 2.7% over the previous year, according to the Justice Department’s annual Bureau of Justice Statistics report.

What’s more, the report found that from 1995 to 2003, inmates in federal prison for drug offenses have accounted for 49% of the growth in the total federal prison population.

This is madness. Our nation imposes harsher sentences for nonviolent drug offenses than for many violent crimes, creating a steady, unconscionable increase in the prison population. Please visit www.mpp.org/victims to read some of the stories of nonviolent marijuana prisoners.

The Justice Department's report also highlights how the U.S. criminal justice system inordinately penalizes people who are not white. In the 25-29 age group, 8.1% of black men — about one in 13 — are incarcerated (and even more are on probation or parole), compared with 2.6% of Hispanic men and 1.1% of white men.

The overall incarceration rate for black men — 3.1% — is triple that of white men. And it's not much different among women: By the end of 2005, black women were more than twice as likely as Hispanic women and over three times as likely as white women to be in prison.

Who are our nation’s drug laws helping by locking up so many young black men — or by forcing so many people into the criminal justice system? True drug addicts? Nonviolent drug offenders? Their families?

If you're as outraged by these statistics as I am, please turn your anger into action by helping MPP restore some sense to our nation's laws by ending marijuana prohibition.

Would you please support our work today? With the help of our 21,000 dues-paying members, MPP has already achieved or funded significant progress — see www.mpp.org/history for some of our victories — but we need your help to continue making progress.

Thank you for standing with us in this important fight.

Sincerely,

Rob Kampia
Executive Director
Marijuana Policy Project
Washington, D.C.

P.S. As I've mentioned in previous alerts, a major philanthropist has committed to match the first $3.5 million that MPP can raise from the rest of the planet in 2006. This means that your donation today will be doubled.

Man to serve 55 years in prison for marijuana

Dear Tom Sutor:

Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court let stand the mandatory 55-year prison sentence that a lower court imposed on a man who was convicted of carrying a handgun during three marijuana deals in Utah.

By refusing to hear the case, the U.S. Supreme Court ensured that 27-year-old Weldon Angelos will spend just about the rest of his life behind bars for selling three eight-ounce bags of marijuana to an undercover informant.

As his attorneys noted, the sentence he will serve is harsher than the sentence for raping a child — or the sentence for detonating a bomb aboard an aircraft.

Even the federal judge who was required to issue the mandatory minimum sentence called it “unjust, cruel, and even irrational.” Yet, the U.S. Supreme Court let the sentence stand without comment. You can read more about this abrogation of justice here.

If this outrages you like it does me, do something about it. Please help the Marijuana Policy Project continue lobbying Congress to change these cruel and unjust laws by making a financial contribution to our work. We cannot keep up the fight without funding from people like you.

If you haven't yet decided whether to support MPP financially, here are 10 reasons you should donate $10 or more to MPP by the end of the year.

1. Mitchell Lawrence: This 17-year-old high school student with no prior record received a two-year prison sentence for selling $20 worth of marijuana to a Massachusetts undercover police officer.
2. Unnamed Florida college student: The 19-year-old was raped by his cellmate — a violent sexual offender — as he served the first of four weekend sentences for delivering marijuana, a felony offense.
3. Ryan Wilson: The 22-year-old died after being shot with a Taser stun gun by Colorado police, who were investigating whether Wilson was cultivating marijuana plants.
4. Anthony Diotaiuto: The 23-year-old was shot 10 times in the head, chest, and limbs by a Florida SWAT team that later found a little over an ounce of marijuana in his home.
5. Clayton Helriggle: The 23-year-old died in the arms of his roommate after being shot in a “no knock” raid by Ohio police, who later found a small amount of marijuana in his house.
6. Jonathan Magbie: The 27-year-old quadriplegic died in a Washington, D.C., jail while serving a 10-day sentence for marijuana possession because the facility could not provide the medical care he needed.
7. Tyrone Brown: The 33-year-old received a life sentence from a Texas judge for testing positive for marijuana while on probation for a $2 stickup committed when he was 17.
8. Lester Siler: The 44-year-old was brutalized by five rogue Tennessee police officers who suspected him of selling drugs. Siler was beaten and held at gunpoint, had his head held underwater in a toilet, and was threatened with shooting and electrocution.
9. Accelyne Williams: The 75-year-old retired minister died from a heart attack that was induced by the stress of a Massachusetts SWAT team entering his apartment during a “no knock” raid. No drugs were found.
10. Kathryn Johnston: The 88-year-old was shot and killed in a “no knock” raid by Georgia police, who allegedly later attempted to pay an informant to lie about the circumstances of the drug raid.

And these individuals are not rare examples. Rather, they are simply 11 examples of the hundreds of thousands of Americans who are detained, beaten, harassed, tortured, arrested, prosecuted, jailed, imprisoned, and/or killed each year by the government in the name of marijuana prohibition.

Would you please stand with me in MPP’s fight to end the government’s war on (actual and imagined) marijuana users?

Sincerely,

Rob Kampia
Executive Director
Marijuana Policy Project
Washington, D.C.

15 ways you can help end marijuana prohibition

Many of MPP's e-mail alerts include requests for donations, because MPP is 100% dependent on the generosity of our dues-paying members to continue with our work.

But there are many other ways you can help to end marijuana prohibition. Here are 15 of them:

1. Tell your friends to sign up for MPP's free e-mail alerts. Send them to www.mpp.org/subscribe today.

2. Send letters to your three members of Congress using MPP's free and easy automated system.

3. Spread the word. Volunteer to circulate sign-up sheets to subscribe others to MPP's free e-mail list. E-mail membership@mpp.org for more information on how to get started.

4. Get published. Write letters to the editor of your local newspaper about the need for marijuana policy reform. Feel free to use any of the information in MPP's e-mail alerts and on our Web site in your letters.

5. Ask your local radio stations to run MPP's radio ads as public service announcements.

6. Download MPP's printer-friendly handouts and brochures and distribute our literature in your community.

7. If you listen to talk radio, call in and express your support for reforming our nation's marijuana laws. Even if the subject being discussed isn't explicitly about marijuana, many related issues can be used as a springboard for advocating marijuana policy reform. For example, if the issue is crime, you can point out that law enforcement resources would be better spent going after violent criminals than on arresting adults who use marijuana responsibly.

8. Contact MPP for help in arranging meetings with your state legislators and members of Congress. Face-to-face visits with policymakers and their staffs can be enormously effective if you're sufficiently prepared for such meetings.

9. Link to MPP's Web site, by downloading MPP's banner ads to post on your own Web site, and encourage your Web site's visitors to get involved with marijuana policy reform by clicking on our ad.

10. If you're a medical professional, lawyer, elected official, medical marijuana patient (or have a loved one who is), or member of the clergy or law enforcement, contact MPP about special ways you can help.

11. If you're a student, choose a marijuana-related issue for your research projects or papers. Students in your class will be exposed to the issue, and professors sometimes even use student ideas for their own research projects.

12. Work to get your city council to pass an ordinance making marijuana offenses your city's lowest law enforcement priority. MPP's grants program may be able to help with funding.

13. When you shop at major online retailers, such as amazon.com, gap.com, and many others, you can have a portion of the cost of your purchase automatically donated to MPP — without adding to the cost of your purchase. To get started, simply register with www.iGive.com, enter MPP as your cause (cause ID = 2564), and then shop through the www.iGive.com portal in the future.

14. If you're a MySpace user, help MPP increase its supporter network by befriending the "Marijuana Policy Project" on MySpace and putting us in your "Top 8" friends. Our MySpace site features videos, a blog, and other content that's updated regularly.

15. Encourage your friends to visit www.mpp.org/donate to become dues-paying members of MPP. MPP does not have an endowment or any revenue-generating investments, so we are 100% dependent upon the donations that people willingly give. This means that the cost of our campaigns is limited to the amount of money that MPP can raise from our 21,000 dues-paying members and a handful of major philanthropists.

Together, one person at a time, our work is paying off. On behalf of all of us at MPP, thank you for standing with us in the fight.

Sincerely,

Rob Kampia
Executive Director
Marijuana Policy Project
Washington, D.C.

P.S. Please visit www.mpp.org/vote and spend five minutes to complete MPP's supporter survey. In so doing, you will be entered into a drawing to win a free ticket to MPP's party at the Playboy Mansion. (The event will be held in Los Angeles in May 2007; more details will be released in the next two weeks.) Five runners-up will win MPP T-shirts.

P.P.S. As I've mentioned in previous alerts, a major philanthropist has committed to match the first $3.5 million that MPP can raise from the rest of the planet in 2006. This means that your donation today will be doubled.

Tomorrow: Michigan House committee hearing on medical marijuana bill

For the first time in years, the medical use of marijuana is getting serious consideration in the Michigan Legislature. Tomorrow at 10:30 a.m., the House Government Operations Committee will hear testimony about whether seriously ill patients should be arrested for the doctor-advised, medical use of marijuana.

This is the perfect time to let legislators know that Michigan voters care passionately about protecting sick and dying patients. Please urge your legislators to support Michigan’s medical marijuana bill — H.B. 5470.

If you live in one of the committee members’ districts, your help is especially critical. If the committee votes in favor of the bill, the next step would be the House floor. Please take just a few minutes to look up your House member here to see if he or she is on the committee (listed below). If your legislator is on the committee, please call and politely urge him or her to vote in favor of H.B. 5470 if it is brought to a vote. Simply let your representative know that seriously ill patients should not face arrest for using a doctor-recommended medicine. You can also note that the 11 state medical marijuana laws are working well and protecting patients. If your representative is already a cosponsor of the bill, please be sure to thank him or her!

Here are the House Government Operations Committee members and their numbers:

Rep. John Garfield (R-45th District) — 517-373-1773
Rep. Judy Emmons (R-70th District) — 517-373-0834
Rep. Robert Gosselin (R-41st District) — 517-373-1783
Rep. Jacob Hoogendyk (R-61st District) — 517-373-1774
Rep. Fulton Sheen (R-88th District) — 517-373-0836
Rep. Alexander Lipsey (D-60th District)) — 517-373-1785
Rep. Steve Tobocman (D-12th District) — 517-373-0823 — co-sponsor
Rep. LaMar Lemmons III (D-3rd District) — 517-373-1776 — sponsor
Chair Leon Drolet (R-33rd District) — 517-373-0820 — co-sponsor

A cancer survivor, a multiple sclerosis patient, and one of the five surviving patients who receive medical marijuana from the federal government will speak at tomorrow’s hearing. Their testimony will show that seriously ill patients are counting on H.B. 5470’s passage. But it is equally important that legislators hear that their constituents care about medical marijuana patients, so please take action now.

If you are a medical professional, a law enforcement officer, or a patient who could benefit from the medical use of marijuana, please e-mail Karen@mpp.org to see what else you can do to move this compassionate bill forward.

Thank you for supporting the Marijuana Policy Project. Please pass this on to your friends, family, and neighbors.

San Francisco votes to make marijuana offenses "lowest law enforcement priority"

Dear Tom Sutor:

Yesterday, in a groundbreaking development for marijuana policy in California, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted 7-3 to make most adult marijuana offenses the city's lowest law enforcement priority — making San Francisco the largest city in the country to effectively end adult marijuana arrests.

This vote comes on the heels of the three victories in California on November 7, when the voters of Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, and Santa Monica passed similar measures by large margins. (That same day, the voters of Missoula County, Montana also passed a similar measure.) The MPP grants program provided almost all of the funding for these campaigns.

As a result of yesterday's vote in San Francisco, nearly 1.4 million Californians will now live in cities that have de-prioritized marijuana offenses — the four listed above, plus Oakland in 2004 and West Hollywood earlier this year.

This is one of MPP's most important roles — to assist local activists in creating homegrown campaigns that bring about constructive change in their communities. Would you please support our work by making a financial contribution today? According to our records, you haven't donated this year, and we could really use your help.

San Francisco's new ordinance makes marijuana offenses by adults 18 and older the lowest priority for the city's police, with exceptions for marijuana offenses that occur in public or involve minors, a threat of violence, or driving while intoxicated. The law also directs the San Francisco city clerk to send letters to state and federal elected officials noting that the ordinance passed and stating that the city supports the taxation and regulation of marijuana. Mayor Gavin Newsom is expected to sign the ordinance shortly.

MPP's support helped to catalyze a broad coalition whose advocacy made this victory possible; that coalition included the local offices of the Drug Policy Alliance and NORML, as well as numerous extraordinary local activists.

With record numbers of Americans calling for an end to marijuana prohibition, these kinds of aggressive lobbying and initiative campaigns are more important than ever. If you want to help hammer the nails into prohibition's coffin, please click here to make your most generous donation today.

Thank you in advance for anything you can give to help.

Sincerely,

Rob Kampia
Executive Director
Marijuana Policy Project
Washington, D.C.

Dear Thomas Sutor:

As expected, the White House drug czar is once again using taxpayer money to lie and interfere with the Marijuana Policy Project's ballot initiative campaigns.

Just this week, White House Drug Czar John Walters traveled to Nevada, where he held a news conference to attack MPP's initiative to tax and regulate marijuana similarly to alcohol. Walters called marijuana an "addictive, accident causing, dependence-producing substance" and urged Nevadans to vote against MPP's initiative on November 7.

As soon as MPP heard Walters was coming to Nevada, we were ready -- we organized a crowd of supporters to hold signs outside his Tuesday news conference, and we went head-to-head with him on all three major TV networks in Reno. Visit http://nv.mpp.org/news to read some of the news coverage.

While the White House drug czar is spending taxpayer money to arrest marijuana users and campaign against MPP's initiatives to end the government's war on marijuana users, we're running out of money to fight back. According to MPP's records, you have already made a financial donation to MPP (or the tax-deductible MPP Foundation) in 2006, and I want to thank you for that. If you would like make another donation to fund our work, please visit http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?ID=M719274917863960033811665&af=y now.

This isn't the first time Drug Czar John Walters has attempted to scare and mislead voters. He campaigned against the medical marijuana laws that MPP successfully passed in Rhode Island in January of this year and in Montana and Vermont in 2004, and he has a history of barraging the TV airwaves with inaccurate and fear-mongering ads during the last few weeks of MPP's initiative campaigns.

Walters was also rebuked by Nevada's then attorney general for "excessive" and "disturbing" interference in the state's vote on MPP's first initiative in Nevada in 2002 ... and Walters has refused to file with the state government any campaign finance reports detailing the amount of taxpayer money that he spent attacking MPP's 2002 initiative -- even in response to a written request from the Nevada secretary of state to do so.

Will you please oppose the White House's lies by helping MPP to run a good, solid, well-funded campaign? We need financial help from supporters like you to fight back against the White House drug czar's mean-spirited and unethical tactics.

Please visit http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?ID=M719274917863960033811665&af=y to do what you can today to help ensure that every time the drug czar spreads misinformation about marijuana, MPP can counter his lies with the truth.

Thank you,

Rob Kampia
Executive Director
Marijuana Policy Project
Washington, D.C.

P.S. As I've mentioned in previous alerts, a major philanthropist has committed to match the first $3.5 million that MPP can raise from the rest of the planet in 2006. This means that your donation today will be doubled.

P.P.S. If you've decided you don't want to donate anything today -- and you're also sure you don't want to donate any more money during the remainder of this year -- you can opt out of receiving fundraising mentions in the e-mail alerts I send you by visiting http://www.mpp.org/2006optoutpreference at your convenience.

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The Marijuana Policy Project hopes that each of the 101,000 subscribers on our national e-mail list will make at least one financial donation to MPP's work in 2006. Please visit http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?ID=M719274917863960033811665&af=y to donate now.

MPP will be able to tackle all of the projects in its 2006 strategic plan -- http://www.mpp.org/2006plan -- if you and other allies are generous enough to fund our work.

======================================================================
You are receiving this e-mail because you subscribed to MPP's e-mail alerts. To contact MPP, please visit http://www.mpp.org/contact or reply to this e-mail. Our mailing address is MPP, P.O. Box 77492, Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C. 20013.

Your help is needed to improve Vermont’s medical marijuana law

Vermont’s 2007-2008 legislative session begins in less than a month and we need your help to protect even more seriously ill patients from the threat of arrest and imprisonment.

In 2004, Vermont took a big step forward by passing a medical marijuana law that protects patients from arrest if they suffer from cancer, HIV/AIDS, and multiple sclerosis. However, this is the most limited law of the 11 states with effective medical marijuana programs. Many seriously ill Vermonters still risk arrest and imprisonment simply for using their medicine.

It’s time that Vermont legislators finish what they started! Please take a moment to write a letter to your state legislators urging them to support improving Vermont’s medical marijuana law to add serious conditions that cause nausea, wasting, chronic pain, or seizures and to allow patients to possess an adequate supply of their medicine. Vermont legislators need to hear from their constituents that this issue is vital to them.

If you are a medical marijuana patient who does not currently qualify under the medical marijuana law or who finds the plant limits insufficient and you are interested in helping to expand the law, please contact Zane Hurst by calling (202) 462-5747, ext. 119, or e-mailing zane@mpp.org. Your help could be especially influential.

Legislators truly do listen to their constituents’ opinions on important issues like this. With your help, many more sick and dying patients will get the peace of mind they need and deserve. Please take action now.

Thank you for supporting the Marijuana Policy Project. Please pass this alert on to your friends and family, so that even more Vermonters can join the call for reform.

Great news! On Friday, a judge rejected the South Dakota attorney general's inaccurate and biased summary of the medical marijuana initiative that will be on the South Dakota ballot this November -- and chastised him for his bias.

Judge Max Gors disagreed with Attorney General Larry Long on almost every point and ruled that Long's summary "conjures up images of dope dealers preying on children ... and is an impermissible attempt to advocate against the ballot issue."

The judge ordered Long to rewrite the ballot summary -- which will appear on the ballot and in voter guides -- to make it objective.

Would you please help the South Dakota activists pass this initiative on November 7 by visiting http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?ID=M719124397863960033445865&af=y to make a donation to their work today? Any help you can provide will be greatly appreciated.

South Dakotans for Medical Marijuana and medical marijuana patient Valerie Hannah sued after Long issued a ballot summary that, among other things, raised the specter of children using marijuana and claimed that "physicians who provide written certifications may be subject to losing their federal license to dispense prescription drugs." This is flat wrong, in addition to being biased: A federal court of appeals has ruled that physicians cannot be prosecuted or have their licenses stripped from them just for recommending the medical use of marijuana.

In rejecting Long's summary, the judge noted that -- by the attorney general's reasoning -- he could describe the initiative as "an act to legalize the demon weed and allow drug-crazed adults and children to run rampant" or "an act to unleash reefer madness on South Dakota."

"The whole impression leads one to believe that the attorney general wants voters to reject the initiative," wrote Judge Gors. "The attorney general should confine his politicking to the stump and leave his bias out of the ballot statement that is supposed to be objective."

The ruling is a victory for medical marijuana patients and the voters of South Dakota. Now, with only 71 days remaining until Election Day, would you please help deliver an even bigger victory by visiting http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?ID=M719124397863960033445865&af=y to donate to the campaign today?

A win on November 7 would make South Dakota the 12th medical marijuana state in the country. Thank you in advance for anything you can do to help.

Sincerely,

Rob Kampia
Executive Director
Marijuana Policy Project
Washington, D.C.

P.S. As I've mentioned in previous alerts, a major philanthropist has committed to match the first $3.5 million that MPP can raise from the rest of the planet in 2006. This means that your donation today will be doubled.

P.P.S. If you've decided you don't want to donate anything today -- and you're also sure you don't want to donate any money during the remainder of this year -- you can opt out of receiving fundraising mentions in the e-mail alerts I send you by visiting http://www.mpp.org/2006optoutpreference at your convenience.

======================================================================

The Marijuana Policy Project hopes that each of the 101,000 subscribers on our national e-mail list will make at least one financial donation to MPP's work in 2006. Please visit http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?ID=M719124397863960033445865&af=y to donate now.

MPP will be able to tackle all of the projects in its 2006 strategic plan -- http://www.mpp.org/2006plan -- if you and other allies are generous enough to fund our work.

======================================================================
You are receiving this e-mail because you subscribed to MPP's e-mail alerts. To contact MPP, please visit http://www.mpp.org/contact or reply to this e-mail. Our mailing address is MPP, P.O. Box 77492, Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C. 20013.

End Stage Alcoholism

Chronic heavy use of alcohol results in severe physical withdrawal symptoms and often in serious medical complications. In the advanced stage, damage to the liver, heart, brain and other body tissues may be irreversible. Severe physical damage often leads to life-threatening illnesses that result in premature death.

Brain damage from years of excessive drinking or drug use may be permanent. As brain cells die from chronic alcohol intake, they are generally not regenerated, and the tissue of the brain itself begins to deteriorate. Even if sobriety is achieved in this advanced state of alcoholism, the quality of life may be significantly impacted and the physical damage may be so great that it becomes difficult to treat.

It is however, never too late to start recovery from alcohol addiction. Persons suffering from irreversible damage caused by chronic drinking can still begin and successfully continue recovery. Obviously, the earlier, the better.

Physiological Effects of End-Stage Alcoholism
End-stage alcoholism is a horrible way to die. Alcohol is a cumulative poison that damages the skin, brain, liver, heart, and other parts of the body. As the damage to these organs progresses with continued use, the body systems needed for life begin to fail. The heart weakens and becomes enlarged. The liver becomes scarred, shrunken, and hardened (cirrhosis). It stops functioning, causing blood dysfunctions and esophageal varices, and hemorrhoids that can rupture suddenly, causing the person to bleed to death. The brain's internal spaces are enlarged, and the fissures in the cortex are widened.

This general loss of brain tissue is associated with alcoholic dementia (wet brain), a decline in the capacity for thinking or learning. Other symptoms of organic brain disorders are mental confusion, impaired coordination while walking, impaired vision, and memory loss. The skin's vascular systems are damaged. The skin's ability to retain heat is compromised. Abnormally enlarged capillary groups, with blue and red spider-like capillaries, appear primarily on the upper body. Unexplained bruising, redness of the skin especially on the face, fluid retention under the eyes, and a "whiskey nose" can develop. Direct tissue irritation and/or induction of enzymes that activate other carcinogens can cause cancers of the mouth, tongue, pharynx, larynx, esophagus, stomach, liver, lung, pancreas, colon and rectum.

Now, what is the real Gateway to death? Pot or Drink???

Maybe we could use Marijuana to treat Acoholism...

Dear Thomas Sutor:

The Marijuana Policy Project is about to release an ad on radio stations across the country that begins this way:

"Warning! The government doesn't want you to hear this ad ... Because they're embarrassed they funded research indicating marijuana doesn't cause lung cancer, and might even prevent cancer. Government research also found medical uses for marijuana, and no one has ever died of a marijuana overdose. The more research the government conducts, the more they undermine their own war on marijuana users."

The ad -- which you can hear at http://www.mpp.org/psas -- will begin airing on 141 stations nationwide on September 5. But we need your help to keep it on the air.

According to our records, you have already made a financial donation to MPP this year, and I want to thank you for that. If you would like to make an additional donation -- even if it's just $10 -- to help fund this ad campaign, visit http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?ID=M719075617863960033364065&af=y to donate what you can.

As the ad points out, the federal government's own research directly contradicts the false information about marijuana that the government has been issuing for the last three decades. The White House drug czar's office is still publishing ads and "fact sheets" suggesting that marijuana causes cancer, even though new research financed by the National Institute on Drug Abuse shows no link between marijuana use and cancer. In fact, the marijuana smokers in the study had a lower rate of lung cancer than the non-smokers.

Helping put this ad on the air is an easy way to educate the public about the hypocrisy of marijuana prohibition. The campaign is also generating free news coverage about the ads themselves, thereby further educating the American people. For instance, an MPP radio ad earlier this summer was covered by CNN Radio, the New York Daily News, and influential blogs such as TalkLeft, Hammer of Truth, and CommonDreams.

Would you please consider making a tax-deductible donation to this campaign today -- at http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?ID=M719075617863960033364065&af=y -- so that we can keep this provocative ad and others like it on the radio? Keeping them on the air costs MPP only $320 per day -- for the whole nationwide run of ads -- for a total of only $2,773 per month.

Thank you in advance for anything you can do to help.

Sincerely,

Rob Kampia
Executive Director
Marijuana Policy Project
Washington, D.C.

P.S. As I've mentioned in previous alerts, a major philanthropist has committed to match the first $3.5 million that MPP can raise from the rest of the planet in 2006. This means that your donation today will be doubled.

P.P.S. If you've decided you don't want to donate anything today -- and you're also sure you don't want to donate any more money during the remainder of this year -- you can opt out of receiving fundraising mentions in the e-mail alerts I send you by visiting http://www.mpp.org/2006optoutpreference at your convenience.

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The Marijuana Policy Project hopes that each of the 101,000 subscribers on our national e-mail list will make at least one financial donation to MPP's work in 2006. Please visit http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?ID=M719075617863960033364065&af=y to donate now.

MPP will be able to tackle all of the projects in its 2006 strategic plan -- http://www.mpp.org/2006plan -- if you and other allies are generous enough to fund our work.

======================================================================
You are receiving this e-mail because you subscribed to MPP's e-mail alerts. To contact MPP, please visit http://www.mpp.org/contact or reply to this e-mail. Our mailing address is MPP, P.O. Box 77492, Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C. 20013.

Dear Thomas Sutor:

If you have Showtime, you'll be excited to know that MPP will appear briefly on the next episode of the Emmy-nominated TV show "Weeds." Starring Mary-Louise Parker as a recent widow who begins to sell marijuana after her husband's death, the Showtime series has won critical acclaim for its dark comedy and thought-provoking content.

On Monday, August 21, MPP's own Francis DellaVecchia staffs a booth -- complete with an MPP banner -- at an event in the show's second episode. The episode will air at 10:00 p.m. EDT, and will be replayed at 10:30 p.m. and midnight the same evening, as well as on August 23 at 10:00 p.m. and August 25 at 9:00 p.m.

And while I have your attention, I want to tell you about a few Web sites that I think will be of interest to you. I hope you'll consider visiting one or more of them today and, if you like what you see, forwarding this message to your friends and family.

1. http://www.MedicalMarijuanaProCon.org
One of the most truthful online sources of marijuana-related information, the site features credible, objective pros and cons in answer to the question, "Should marijuana be a medical option now?"

2. http://www.iGive.com
Did you know that when you shop at major online retailers, such as amazon.com, gap.com, and many others, you can have a portion of the cost of your purchase automatically donated to MPP - without adding to the cost of your purchase? To get started, simply register at http://www.iGive.com, and then enter MPP as your cause (cause ID = 2564). Then, shop with any of the hundreds of merchants participating with www.iGive.com and a portion of the purchase price will be sent to MPP. This won't increase the costs of your purchases by even one cent.

3. http://www.myspace.com/marijuanapolicyproject
If you're a MySpace user, please help MPP increase its supporter network by befriending the "Marijuana Policy Posse" on MySpace and putting us in your "Top 8" friends. Our site features videos, a blog, and other content that's updated regularly. We already have more than 14,500 friends, and that number is growing every day.

4. http://www.geraldoatlarge.com/video-archive.php?searchText=marijuana&do=1
On June 14, the national TV show "Geraldo At Large" ran a segment on medical marijuana that featured Rhonda O'Donnell, who was instrumental in passing MPP's medical marijuana bill in Rhode Island earlier this year, as well as Montel Williams. The interview with Montel was conducted at MPP's New York gala on June 12.

5. http://www.mpp.org
And, finally, MPP's own Web site was recently revamped to bring you more user-friendly content than ever before. I hope you'll explore it and tell us what you think.

Sincerely,

Rob Kampia
Executive Director
Marijuana Policy Project
Washington, D.C.

P.S. According to our records, you have already donated to MPP or the tax-deductible MPP Foundation this year -- and I want to thank you for your generosity. If, by any chance, you want to donate again or join MPP's monthly credit card pledge program, please visit our Web site at http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?ID=M718865027863960033010165&af=y at your convenience. (If you're sure you don't want to donate any more money this year, and you don't want me to continue raising this question with you, you can opt out of receiving such fundraising mentions for the rest of the year -- while still receiving our campaign updates -- by visiting http://www.mpp.org/2006optoutpreference at your convenience.)

As I've mentioned in previous alerts, a major philanthropist has committed to match the first $3.5 million that MPP can raise from the rest of the planet in 2006. This means that your donation today will be doubled.

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The Marijuana Policy Project hopes that each of the 100,000 subscribers on our national e-mail list will make at least one financial donation to MPP's work in 2006. Please visit http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?ID=M718865027863960033010165&af=y to donate now.

MPP will be able to tackle all of the projects in its 2006 strategic plan -- http://www.mpp.org/2006plan -- if you and other allies are generous enough to fund our work.

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You are receiving this e-mail because you subscribed to MPP's e-mail alerts. To contact MPP, please visit http://www.mpp.org/contact or reply to this e-mail. Our mailing address is MPP, P.O. Box 77492, Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C. 20013.

Dear Thomas Sutor: 8 11 2006

Good news! Last week in Tennessee, state Sen. Steve Cohen (D) became the Democratic nominee for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. As a state legislator, Sen. Cohen introduced a bill that would have protected medical marijuana patients from arrest and prison, and during the recent primary, one of his opponents attacked him with misleading TV ads, claiming that Sen. Cohen "wants to legalize marijuana."

However, with support from MPP's Medical Marijuana Political Action Committee (PAC), Sen. Cohen handily won a Democratic primary that was crowded with well funded candidates. If you donated to our PAC, you helped make this success possible, and I want to thank you for that.

If you have not yet given to MPP's PAC, please consider donating $10 or more at http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?ID=M718754197863960032733765&af=y today. Election Day is less than 90 days away, and we need your help to elect pro-medical marijuana candidates to public office.

After I wrote you on July 27 about Sen. Cohen's fight in the primary, subscribers to this e-mail list contributed $650 to our PAC and -- as a consequence -- we were able to give Sen. Cohen $1,000 during the crucial final days of his campaign.

Sen. Cohen's district votes overwhelmingly for Democrats, so he will almost certainly win the general election on November 7 and therefore become a new member of Congress in January. This means that the "Hinchey-Rohrabacher" medical marijuana amendment will gain another "yes" vote next summer when the U.S. House considers the legislation.

Would you please contribute to MPP's Medical Marijuana PAC today at http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?ID=M718754237863960032733765&af=y to help elect more principled representatives like Sen. Cohen?

MPP's PAC, which is nonpartisan, works to reward members of Congress who vote with us and punish those who do not. The PAC's goal is to tip the balance in closely contested elections in which one candidate has demonstrated his or her support for medical marijuana.

Under federal election law, I'm only allowed to ask people who have donated money to MPP -- not MPP Foundation -- in the last year to donate to our PAC. To say the least, this greatly limits my ability to raise money for the PAC.

Thankfully, you have donated to MPP within the past 12 months, which is why I'm allowed to write to you about this. (Thank you very, very much for keeping your MPP membership current.)

Thank you in advance for anything you can give at http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?ID=M718754337863960032733765&af=y to help.

Sincerely,

Rob Kampia
Executive Director
Marijuana Policy Project
Washington, D.C.

P.S. As I have mentioned in previous alerts, a major philanthropist has committed to matching the first $3.5 million that MPP can raise from the rest of the planet in 2006. Thus, your donation today at http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?ID=M718754337863960032733765&af=y will be doubled. Thank you for your generosity.

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The Marijuana Policy Project hopes that each of the 100,000 subscribers on our national e-mail list will make at least one financial donation to MPP's work in 2006. Please visit http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?ID=M718754447863960032733765&af=y) to donate now.

MPP will be able to tackle all of the projects in its 2006 strategic plan -- http://www.mpp.org/2006plan -- if you and other allies are generous enough to fund our work.

======================================================================
You are receiving this e-mail because you subscribed to MPP's e-mail alerts. To contact MPP, please visit http://www.mpp.org/contact or reply to this e-mail. Our mailing address is MPP, P.O. Box 77492, Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C. 20013.

Dear Thomas Sutor:

Great news! The Marijuana Policy Project recently commissioned a survey of 5,000 registered voters in Nevada which revealed that voters are split precisely 50% to 50% on our ballot initiative.

Our initiative -- which the Nevada government has already certified for the November 7 ballot -- would end marijuana prohibition entirely for adults aged 21 and older ... if the initiative receives over 50% of the vote.

Only five times in the history of the country has a state voted on such a ballot initiative. The best showing so far was the 44.5% vote in Alaska in November 2004, so the fact that our survey shows the Nevada initiative is polling at 50% to 50% is significant.

According to our records, you have already donated to MPP or the tax-deductible MPP Foundation this year -- and I want to thank you for your generosity. If, by any chance, you want to donate again or join MPP's monthly credit card pledge program, please visit our Web site at http://www.mpp.org/donate at your convenience. (If you're sure you don't want to donate any money this year, and you don't want me to continue raising this question with you, you can opt out of receiving such fundraising mentions for the rest of the year -- while still receiving our campaign updates -- by visiting http://www.mpp.org/2006optoutpreference at your convenience.)

We used Nevada's voter rolls to make our calls, which means we know we were surveying 5,000 actual registered voters. (In typical public opinion polling, a polling firm will call random phone numbers and "screen out" people who say they're not registered to vote or unlikely to vote, and end up with 500 completed interviews.)

Interestingly, we discovered that regular voters are just as likely to support our initiative as voters who vote irregularly -- both groups of voters are split 50% to 50% on our initiative. So we need every supportive Nevadan to vote in this election, which could end up nearly tying at 300,000 to 300,000 votes.

When a race is split 50% to 50%, the side with the most money wins. So will you help us win by donating $10 or more to our campaign at http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?ID=M718633987863960032473465&af=y today?

If we succeed in passing the initiative, Nevada would be the only place in the world to permit the cultivation, distribution, and sale of marijuana to adults aged 21 and older.

Please visit the campaign's Web site at http://www.regulatemarijuana.org/ for more information about the campaign, breaking news, the staff's blog, merchandise, ways you can get involved -- from anywhere in the country -- and much more.

Please get involved by visiting http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?ID=M718633997863960032473465&af=y today. Winning this campaign will be the beginning of the end of marijuana prohibition.

Sincerely,

Rob Kampia
Executive Director
Marijuana Policy Project
Washington, D.C.

P.S. As I have mentioned in previous alerts, a major philanthropist has committed to match the first $3.5 million that MPP can raise from the rest of the planet in 2006. Thus, your donation today at http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?ID=M718634007863960032473465&af=y will be doubled! Thank you in advance for your generosity.

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The Marijuana Policy Project hopes that each of the 101,000 subscribers on our national e-mail list will make at least one financial donation to MPP's work in 2006. Please visit http://www.RegulateMarijuana.org/home/donate?id=5064 to donate now.

MPP will be able to tackle all of the projects in its 2006 strategic plan -- http://www.mpp.org/2006plan -- if you and other allies are generous enough to fund our work.

======================================================================
You are receiving this e-mail because you subscribed to MPP's e-mail alerts. To contact MPP, please visit http://www.mpp.org/contact or reply to this e-mail. Our mailing address is MPP, P.O. Box 77492, Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C. 20013.

Dear Thomas Sutor: 8 7 2006

On July 18, I e-mailed you the news about a major philanthropist's commitment to match the first $3.5 million that the Marijuana Policy Project can raise from the rest of the planet in 2006. Incredibly, we raised $7,647 from that e-mail alert alone, which is the most money we've raised from any national e-mail alert since 2004.

According to our records, you have already donated to MPP or the tax-deductible MPP Foundation this year -- and I want to thank you for your generosity. If, by any chance, you want to donate again or join MPP's monthly credit card pledge program, please visit our Web site at http://www.mpp.org/donate at your convenience. (If you're sure you don't want to donate any more money this year, and you don't want me to continue raising this question with you, you can opt out of receiving such fundraising mentions for the rest of the year -- while still receiving our campaign updates -- by visiting http://www.mpp.org/2006optoutpreference today.)

Now, on to Nevada, where MPP is in a feverish battle to pass our initiative to tax and regulate marijuana similarly to alcohol.

If a majority of voters passes MPP's initiative on November 7, Nevada will become the first place in the world to permit the legal cultivation, distribution, and sale of marijuana to adults aged 21 and older -- and not just for medical use.

Our campaign manager, Neal Levine, just finished a weeklong tour of nonstop media interviews in northern Nevada. Our campaign was covered by the Sparks Tribune, "The Bill Manders Show" on KOH radio in Reno, and the "Nevada Newsmakers" program on the local NBC TV affiliate, among other shows. In addition, Neal met with editors from five newspapers to pitch the case for the initiative.

On "Nevada Newsmakers," he faced off against a contentious and avowed prohibitionist, Washoe County District Attorney Dick Gammick, who, of course, relied on misinformation to make his "arguments." For example, Gammick claimed the campaign is working to legalize hard drugs, that today's marijuana contains 20 times more THC than marijuana did in the 1970s, and that marijuana is a "gateway" to harder drugs. Neal held his own and set the record straight about why taxing and regulating marijuana makes sense for Nevada. Please visit the campaign's Web site at http://www.regulatemarijuana.org/home/nnm_07_27_06 to view the TV debate for yourself.

By donating to the campaign, you're not only allowing us to pay for the staff time that's necessary to educate Nevada voters through news coverage like this, but you're also allowing us to buy TV and radio ads -- where the message to the voters will be 100% ours.

And remember, because of the $3.5 million matching donation I announced on July 18 and mentioned again in this message, every dollar you donate at http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?ID=M718584897863960032331065&af=y will be doubled.

In addition to our successful media coverage, the grassroots is really heating up. During the month of July, campaign volunteers across the country exceeded our goal of making 5,000 calls to Nevada voters -- which is part of our massive project to identify supportive and undecided Nevadans among the 600,000 who will be voting this fall.

This month, the goal is for volunteers to make 7,500 calls to Nevada voters, so we could really use your help. To volunteer to make calls from the privacy and comfort of your own home, please sign up at http://www.regulatemarijuana.org/home/vac/register today.

And throughout Nevada, people are helping in their own creative ways. Visit http://www.regulatemarijuana.org/home/node/413 to watch a cool one-minute music video about the initiative, which was put together for free -- and without anyone even asking us -- by a popular Reno-based band.

Won't you please help also? Together, we're going to win at the polls on November 7.

Sincerely,

Rob Kampia
Executive Director
Marijuana Policy Project
Washington, D.C.

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The Marijuana Policy Project hopes that each of the 100,000 subscribers on our national e-mail list will make at least one financial donation to MPP's work in 2006. Please visit http://www.RegulateMarijuana.org/home/donate?id=5063 to donate now.

MPP will be able to tackle all of the projects in its 2006 strategic plan -- http://www.mpp.org/2006plan -- if you and other allies are generous enough to fund our work.

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You are receiving this e-mail because you subscribed to MPP's e-mail alerts. To contact MPP, please visit http://www.mpp.org/contact or reply to this e-mail. Our mailing address is MPP, P.O. Box 77492, Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C. 20013.

Dear Thomas Sutor: August 1st 2006

For the first time ever, a congressional candidate in a Democratic primary is under attack for supporting medical marijuana.

Last year, state Sen. Steve Cohen (D) introduced a bill in the Tennessee Legislature that would have protected medical marijuana patients from arrest and prison. Now, Sen. Cohen is running for Congress, and one of his opponents in the crowded Democratic primary field is attacking him with misleading television ads.

By donating to MPP's Medical Marijuana Political Action Committee at http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?ID=M718444337863960031952365&af=y today, you can help Sen. Cohen stand up to these attacks and win the election that will be held one week from today -- on Thursday, August 3.

A couple weeks ago, one of Sen. Cohen's opponents released a TV ad that distorted his support for medical marijuana, claiming Cohen "wants to legalize marijuana."

Here is the relevant portion of the fear-mongering ad:

"Steve Cohen's record suggests that he favors same-sex marriage. Moreover, he supports legalized marijuana, gambling, and has even objected to a prayer opening the General Assembly. Is this the type of man we need to represent the people of the 9th district?"

With over a dozen candidates in the race, Cohen is considered the front-runner, but we need your help to ensure he wins the primary. (The district votes overwhelmingly for Democrats, so the victor of the Democratic primary election next week will almost certainly also win the general election on November 7 and therefore become a new member of Congress in January.)

This is only the second time that a congressional candidate's support for medical marijuana has been attacked by an opponent ...

The first time was back in 2004, when former Congressman Bob Dornan (R-CA) attacked Congressman Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) -- the lead Republican co-sponsor of the Hinchey-Rohrabacher medical marijuana amendment in Congress -- in the Republican primary. Among other attacks, Dornan was quoted in a local newspaper as saying that "[a]nybody who wants to legalize marijuana or any other illegal substance is the enemy of this country."

Fortunately, Congressman Rohrabacher trounced Dornan, winning more than 83% of the vote in the primary. But we need your help to ensure that another friend of medical marijuana patients wins election to Congress.

Please contribute to MPP's Medical Marijuana PAC at http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?ID=M718445047863960031952365&af=y and help Sen. Cohen beat back those who are attacking him.

Our PAC, which is nonpartisan, works to reward members of Congress who vote with us and punish those who do not. The PAC's goal is to tip the balance in closely contested elections in which one candidate has demonstrated his or her support for medical marijuana.

Under federal election law, I'm only allowed to ask people who have donated money to MPP -- not MPP Foundation -- in the last year to donate to our PAC. To say the least, this greatly limits my ability to raise money for the PAC.

Thankfully, you have donated to MPP within the past 12 months, which is why I'm allowed to write to you about this. (Thank you very, very much for keeping your MPP membership current.)

Can you help Sen. Cohen stand up to the despicable attacks against him for protecting medical marijuana patients by visiting http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?ID=M718445147863960031952365&af=y today? Thank you in advance for anything you can give to help.

Sincerely,

Rob Kampia
Executive Director
Marijuana Policy Project
Washington, D.C.
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The Marijuana Policy Project hopes that each of the 100,000 subscribers on our national e-mail list will make at least one financial donation to MPP's work in 2006. Please visit http://www.mpp.org/site/lookup.asp?c=glKZLeMQIsG&b=1141093 to donate now.

MPP will be able to tackle all of the projects in its 2006 strategic plan -- http://www.mpp.org/2006plan -- if you and other allies are generous enough to fund our work.

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You are receiving this e-mail because you subscribed to MPP's e-mail alerts. To contact MPP, please visit http://www.mpp.org/contact or reply to this e-mail. Our mailing address is MPP, P.O. Box 77492, Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C. 20013.

Dear Thomas Sutor:

South Dakota's top prosecutor -- Attorney General Larry Long -- apparently wants to continue prosecuting medical marijuana patients.

His office just issued a terrible -- and terribly biased -- summary of the medical marijuana initiative that will be on the South Dakota ballot this November.

This initiative is the only medical marijuana initiative to appear on any statewide ballot this year, so please help sue Attorney General Larry Long by visiting http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?ID=M718384477863960031816965&af=y to block his terrible summary from appearing on the South Dakota ballot (and in voter guides).

Long's summary of the initiative is biased and flat-out inaccurate. Among other things, his summary raises the specter of children using marijuana and warns, "Even if this initiative passes, possession, use, or distribution of marijuana is still a federal crime. Persons covered by the proposed law would still be subject to federal prosecution for violation of federal drug control laws. Physicians who provide written certifications may be subject to losing their federal license to dispense prescription drugs."

Well, actually, the last sentence above is flat wrong, in addition to being biased. The federal courts have already ruled that physicians cannot be prosecuted or have their licenses stripped from them just for recommending the medical use of marijuana.

Please donate today at http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?ID=M718384877863960031816965&af=y so that South Dakotans for Medical Marijuana can take the South Dakota government to court for the purpose of putting better, fairer language on the ballot this November.

Visit http://www.mpp.org/BiasedSDBallotLanguage if you'd like to read the full text of what Long wants to print on the ballot (and in the voter guides that are mailed to voters' homes).

MPP's polling shows that South Dakota voters support medical marijuana generally -- and the pending initiative in particular -- if the voters are presented with a clear description of the issue. But the margin of victory is slim enough that the state government's biased language could turn a slight majority win into a loss.

Eight out of eight statewide ballot initiatives to make medical marijuana legal have passed since 1996. (And an additional three states have passed similar laws via their legislatures.) Let's not risk seeing South Dakota become the first state to vote to continue arresting medical marijuana patients.

Will you please help sue the South Dakota government in court by visiting http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?ID=M718385027863960031816965&af=y today? The lawsuit will likely cost about $15,000. Thanks in advance for anything you can do to help.

Sincerely,

Rob Kampia
Executive Director
Marijuana Policy Project
Washington, D.C.

P.S. On July 18, I told you about the $3.5 million a philanthropist has agreed to donate to MPP if we can raise an equivalent amount from other sources. I want to thank the subscribers to this e-mail list who have already donated more than $7,000 in response to that appeal -- all of that money will be matched dollar-for-dollar, as will any additional money you provide by visiting http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?ID=M718385167863960031816965&af=y this year.

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The Marijuana Policy Project hopes that each of the 100,000 subscribers on our national e-mail list will make at least one financial donation to MPP's work in 2006. Please visit http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?ID=M718385167863960031816965&af=y to donate now.

MPP will be able to tackle all of the projects in its 2006 strategic plan -- http://www.mpp.org/2006plan -- if you and other allies are generous enough to fund our work.

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You are receiving this e-mail because you subscribed to MPP's e-mail alerts. To contact MPP, please visit http://www.mpp.org/contact or reply to this e-mail. Our mailing address is MPP, P.O. Box 77492, Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C. 20013.

Trigger Points
Have you ever felt tiny tight lumps in your neck or shoulder muscles? Chances are these persistent little knots are trigger points, a common problem in the musculoskeletal system.

Old Pain Barometer Tracking of Webmaster T. Back in 2000 to 2001

Dear EXODICE: 7 20 2006

The Marijuana Policy Project has received a commitment from a major philanthropist to match the first $3.5 million we can raise from the rest of the planet.

This is a huge opportunity for MPP and all of us who are working to end marijuana prohibition. If we succeed at securing $3.5 million + $3.5 million = $7.0 million in revenues this year, all of the projects mentioned below will be fully funded this year ... and into next year.

Would you please help make this financial windfall a reality by visiting http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?ID=M718212917863960031393365&af=y to make your own contribution today?

The matching funding comes in two stages. The first $2.3 million that you and other MPP allies donate will be matched by $2.3 million from the philanthropist. Then, if we can raise an additional $1.2 million from you and other allies, the philanthropist will again match that with $1.2 million of his own.

We've already raised $2,026,479 this year. If each of the 101,000 subscribers on this e-mail list were to donate just $5 each, we would immediately jump over the $2.3 million hurdle.

But not everyone on this e-mail list will donate $5 -- or even read this e-mail message -- so please consider visiting http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?ID=M718212937863960031393365&af=y to donate $10, $50, $250 (you'll receive a DVD of MPP's TV debates and other highlights), or $1,000 (you'll become a Lifetime Member of MPP).

Does money really make a difference? In a word, "Yes." Please consider these two thoughts:

- Because 78% of the American people already support allowing patients to use marijuana "to reduce pain and suffering," according to the latest Gallup poll, the only thing that's preventing us from making medical marijuana legal in Michigan, Ohio, Florida, and all 50 states is our ability to hire lobbyists and/or to put medical marijuana initiatives on the ballot.

- Because 36% of the American people say "the use of marijuana should be made legal," according to Gallup, we need to continue dedicating resources to educating the public on the harms of marijuana prohibition ... until a majority of voters agree.

In short, money is one of the most critical factors that will determine how quickly we -- which includes you -- can end marijuana prohibition.

It's not the academic commitment of the people who agree with MPP ... or the righteousness of our cause ... or our willpower, or our intelligence. These elements are all important, but it's money that translates good ideas into good laws.

If you're able to help us reach the $3.5 million milestone -- preferably by October 1, so that we can actually use the money to pass key ballot initiatives this November 7 -- we'll be able to fully fund the following:

- MPP's ballot initiative in Nevada to end marijuana prohibition entirely, which Nevadans will be voting on this November.

- The ad campaign we recently launched on Jim Hightower's national radio show.

- Local ballot initiatives to make adult marijuana offenses the lowest law enforcement priority for local police in Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, Santa Monica, Missoula County (Montana), and Portland (Oregon) ... which all five communities are voting on this November.

- The medical marijuana initiative in South Dakota that -- if passed by a majority of the voters this November -- would make South Dakota the 12th medical marijuana state ... and the first medical marijuana state in the midwest.

- Public opinion polling to help us determine where to run similar statewide medical marijuana initiatives in 2007 and 2008.

Will you please help achieve what you believe in by voting with your dollars by visiting http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?ID=M718212937863960031393365&af=y today? MPP is doing everything it can to end the government's war on marijuana users, but we need the financial means to achieve the goal.

I want to thank you in advance for any help you can provide. Financial support from supporters like you is literally the only thing that makes our work possible.

Sincerely,

Rob Kampia
Executive Director
Marijuana Policy Project
Washington, D.C.

P.S. If you join MPP's pledge program at http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?ID=M718212967863960031393365&af=y at a level of $5 or more per month, you'll receive your choice of MPP's colorful "Stop Arresting Patients" t-shirt, a DVD of the award-winning medical marijuana documentary Waiting to Inhale, or the DVD BUSTED: The Citizen's Guide to Surviving Police Encounters. And if you donate $250 or more (or sign up for a monthly pledge of at least $50), we'll also mail you a compilation DVD featuring the TV and radio ads, TV news coverage, and raw video coverage from MPP's campaigns last year.

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The Marijuana Policy Project hopes that each of the 101,000 subscribers on our national e-mail list will make at least one financial donation to MPP's work in 2006. Please visit http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?ID=M718212937863960031393365&af=y to donate now.

MPP will be able to tackle all of the projects in its 2006 strategic plan -- http://www.mpp.org/2006plan -- if you and other allies are generous enough to fund our work.

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You are receiving this e-mail because you subscribed to MPP's e-mail alerts. To contact MPP, please visit http://www.mpp.org/contact or reply to this e-mail. Our mailing address is MPP, P.O. Box 77492, Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C. 20013.

Dear EXODICE: 7 17 2006

Please visit http://www.changetheclimate.com/tv/imagine.html to watch this powerful new video from Change the Climate, one of MPP's many allies in the fight to end marijuana prohibition.

Then, if you're as moved as I was by what you saw in the video, please visi