When Howard received, "Misty at Liberty" he said to McCool, "I am deeply touched. I look forward to looking at it everyday. You captured the essence of the ride."

Your Voice in the United States Congress

COP's Stories from the weeks of February 24, 2012- March 23, 2012

Oppenheimer Show: I spent the whole week prepping for the show. I had to drive to southern New Jersey (160 miles/275KM) for the taping. Jeff’s camera was of the TV quality needed + we spent three hours taping some short segments to answer FAQs in English and Spanish for the COP website.

I was able to express all my main talking points. My speaking ability was good. I was frustrated only being able to understand Oppenheimer and one other panelist. When the others spoke, my oral comprehension was around 30% = terrible. So, I have decided to only improve my Spanish. This means spending zero time on French and German in which I will always remain fluent, just not sharp. On a personal level this is a huge change. I love German über alles.

The program with the President of Guatemala, a member of the United Nations Drug Czar Office, a Florida professor (Continue)

Restore justice in America; construct science based drug policies about saving and rehabilitating instead of ruining lives. Support for the federal war on drugs is inconsistent with support for individual freedom, constitutional government and the teachings of Jesus.

James Madison, the primary author of the Constitution of the United States, said this: "We have staked the whole future of all our political constitutions upon the capacity of each of ourselves to govern ourselves according to the moral principles of the Ten Commandments."

"In the end, however, no constitution can be self enforcing....For the Constitution will live only if it is alive in the hearts and minds of the American people." Roger Pilon, senior fellow and director of CATO's Center for Constitutional Studies.

The Cato Institute offers copies of its popular Constitution booklet. Phone Order: 1-800-767-1241

Howard is Your Voice in the United States Congress educating; stamping out ignorance about this nightmare policy. He speaks all over the country with a program to end prohibition and the “War on Drugs.” Many other former law enforcement speakers against the war are available at LEAP. If you have a drug horror story or situation in your community, please email Howard or McCool so we may bring your story to the nation.

View Comments

SWISS HEROIN-ASSISTED TREATMENT 1994- 2008: SUMMARY

Overview: Due to the severe drug problem in Switzerland in the early 1990s, (rising number of injection drug users, visibility of open drug scenes, AIDS epidemic, rising number of drug related deaths, poor physical health, high criminality) the Swiss made a fundamental shift in approaching the problems caused by heroin addiction. The Swiss offer treatment-on-demand. Of an estimated 22,000 addicts, 16,500 are in treatment and 92% are given daily doses of methadone at conventional clinics. The Swiss treat about 1300 addicts with maintenance doses of heroin via 23 special clinics operating in cities and two prisons. The Swiss approach has resulted in lower rates of crime, death, disease, a drop in expected new users as well as an improvement in mental and physical health, employment and housing. The program has been copied by six countries: Germany, Holland, Belgium, England, Spain and Canada.

* To qualify for a heroin prescription: 1) at least 18 years old; 2) been addicted (daily use) for at least two years; 3) present signs of poor health; 4) two or more failed attempts of conventional treatment (methadone or other); 5) (Continue below)

(SWISS HEROIN-ASSISTED TREATMENT continues)

Surrender drivers license; 6) Heroin can only be obtained at the clinic and must be consumed on site (oral or injection). (Note: Under strict control and specific criteria [for example full employment] a few are allowed to take one oral dose daily away)

Patients can receive up to three doses of heroin per day. 60% take the heroin via needle injection, the rest via pill. The use of the oral pill is increasing.
Patients average about three (3) years in this plan. However, they may stay in treatment indefinitely. 20% of original patients are still in the program.
The vast majority of patients are satisfied or very satisfied with the program.
Average age of patient: 38 years.

*Crime Issues: 60% drop in felony crimes by patients. 82% drop in patients selling heroin.

*Death Rates: No one has died from a heroin overdose since the inception of the program. The heroin used is inspected for purity and strength by technicians.

*Disease Rates: New infections of Hepatitis and HIV have been reduced for patients in the program.

*New Use Rates: Lower than expected. 1) As reported in the Lancet June 3, 2006, the medicalisation of using heroin has tarnished the image of heroin and made it unattractive to young people. 2) Most new users are introduced to heroin by members of their social group and 50% of users also deal to support their habit. Therefore, with so many users/sellers in treatment, non-users have fewer opportunities to be exposed to heroin, especially in the rural areas.

*Cost Issues: 48 dollars/day: Patients pay from zero to 12 per day depending on their ability. Note: About 30% of patients work for a living and pay part of the costs. Note: The Swiss save about 30 dollars per day per patient mostly in lowered costs for court and police time, due to less crime committed by the patients.

** This summary was taken from five published reports. The Swiss Federal Office of Public Health reviewed and approved its release. Additional questions should be directed to Dr. Dora Fitzli, the science and health advisor to the Swiss Ambassador at the Embassy. Her English is near native fluency. Tel: 202-745-7954

NOTE: This summary was researched and written by Howard J. Wooldridge of LEAP.

Who Supports the Drug War?

Ossama Bin Laden, President George Bush, The Ochoa Brothers, Congressman Mark Souder, Mexican Drug Cartels, DEA, FARC, National Association of Narcotics Officers, Canadian Cannabis Growers Association, Pharmaceutical Industry, Al Qaeda, Private Prison Association, Meth Makers of Mexico Association, John Walters (USA’s Drug Czar), MS-13 drug gang, California Narcotic Officers’ Association, Crips & Bloods, Deputy Chief Thomas Gorman of California, Pablo Escobars’ Amigos, Congressman Duncan Hunter, Columbian Coca Growers Association, Senator John McCain et al, Fundamentalist Christian Association, The Washington Post, The New York Times, Newsweek, Time

See a pattern here? Ever wondered why it has been so difficult to make even small changes in our policy of prohibition AKA War on People? The 10 major organizations which are trying to end the New Prohibition have a total budget of about 25 million dollars. The drug companies which fear God’s medicine, AKA marijuana, put that much in the freezers of politicians to stifle competition. Does Al Qaeda contribute to the Republican Party? If opposition to the Drug War continues to grow, Al Qaeda would be advised to funnel cash to prohibition politicians. Prohibition puts 3 billion in OBL’s hands every year. Putting 100,000 into a freezer is chump change compared to losing billions.

The California Narcotic Officers Association fears the loss of their paychecks, knowing that the sensible People of California would legalize, regulate and tax marijuana the day after the feds end the National Prohibition. Even if they did not lose their paychecks, they would be reassigned to go after drunk drivers, child predators and other public safety threats. That type of work is boring compared to kicking in a few doors a week, waving their guns around and arresting people. Heaven forbid they would have to take a stolen bicycle report!

MS-13 gang makes billions selling illegal drugs in the USA. They would not be happy to see the end of Prohibition. They would have to go back to landscape jobs! President Bush supports the Drug War to keep his Pharma Industry lobbyists happy. He views the weekly deaths of young teens who die selling these drugs on the sidewalk as ‘God’s Will.’ So no problem there. Mexican drug cartels enjoy the finest tequila and tacos in Mexico on the money they are making. As a bonus, their narco-dollars buy them influence at the Presidential Palace in Mexico City. The private prisons in the USA lobby for more mandatory drug sentences in order to keep their cash flow coming. The Meth Makers of Mexico make billions exporting their product into the US and Canada.

Congressman Mark Souder supports the Drug War because he uses it to get re-elected. “I am getting tough on drugs!” He has convinced the voters in Indiana that the 2nd trillion dollars spent on this policy will result in drugs being slightly less available to their kids. Ditto Congressman Duncan Hunter who has convinced his California constituents of the same thing. Our Drug Czar John Walters simply likes his government job with all the perks of flying around the world saying how much progress was made this year. He reminds me of General Westmoreland during the Vietnam War and body counts.

The growers of BC Bud are making billions exporting to the US the most potent pot on the continent. That industry now employs more people in British Colombia than mining or forestry. The Crips and Bloods make billions as a vertical monopoly buying in bulk and employing their members for the retail sales. Experts say that the economy of several large cities would collapse without the cash that the dealers generate for their home neighborhoods. FARC (guerrillas of Colombia) have been making billions protecting the Coca Growers of Colombia Association. FARC uses their profits to wage war on the Bogotá government.

Fundamentalist Christians are adamant that God believes the Drug War is just and righteous and that Jesus would also support it. Right. Jesus would put a cocaine user in the hell hole of a Texas prison for two years. NOT. ‘But it is immoral to use these drugs’ they say with indignation. When confronted with the fact that young teens die every week because the policy employs a million teens, they usually blame the parents for the deaths, not their support for the policy. Native Americans have used mind-altering substances for centuries. Is the Christian religion superior to their beliefs to the point that Indians should go to jail? NOT! WWJD?

The Washington Post, the New York Times, Newsweek, Time and US News & World Report all support prohibition. Could it be they do not want to upset the drug makers who take out 3-4 full page ads for their drugs? Money talks.

As you can see, the supporters of Prohibition Two are numerous and well-funded. Nonetheless, I will use my one-eyed horse Misty and my Stetson to promote the end of the most dysfunctional, immoral policy since slavery until it is in the history books, or I draw my last breath.

written by Howard J. Wooldridge

If you have 47 minutes: go to PRESSTV.

Click on ‘Programs’ located on the left side of the homepage near the top.

Click on ‘American Dream’

Click on 21 February: Human Rights in the US

US Representative Barney Frank has reintroduced a bipartisan federal bill to legalize "small amounts" of marijuana (cannabis) and make room for serious criminals. Representative Ron Paul is a cosponsor. This Texas straight talker says we are "politicizing pain." "The Personal Use of Marijuana by Responsible Adults Act of 2009"- H.R. 2943.

“Medical Marijuana Patient Protection Act”- H.R. 2835 which would allow the medical use of marijuana in states that have chosen to make its use for medical purposes legal with a doctor's recommendation. The debate over medical marijuana or cannabis is really a scandalous controversy over whether this very safe, effective, easy-to-grow herb should be allowed to compete with expensive dangerous pharmaceuticals

Harassing the sick and dying is an un-American activity.

Commissioned Art - Paintings and Sketches

"Once upon a time you or someone you love was a shining star! Commission a painting or sketch to commemorate that occasion! You can rest assured, it will not be forgotten! "

Dear Colleen:

We are witnessing a truly pivotal moment in drug policy reform. In just a few short weeks, California voters will have the opportunity to vote for Proposition 19: The Regulate, Tax and Control Cannabis Act of 2010. Prop 19 will put police priorities back where they belong by allowing law enforcers to do their jobs more effectively, ending the arrest of nonviolent marijuana users and making the streets safer for everyone. Whether you are a resident of California or not, Prop 19 affects all of us. The passage of this initiative would be a major victory for the drug policy movement and will impact every state, laying the groundwork for future reform and serving as a model for legalized regulation.

LEAP’s speakers, particularly those based in California, have been hard at work to support Prop 19. On September 13, LEAP held a press conference, which received significant media coverage, to announce our endorsement of the initiative. Since then, our speakers have been in high demand in the national and local California press to discuss Prop 19 from a law enforcement perspective. LEAP has also partnered with the Just Say Now campaign calling on President (Continue)

To make a contribution to LEAP, please click here. Read on for more about what our speakers have been doing in support of Proposition 19…

Sincerely,
LEAP Staff

Please view “The New Slavery”a video created by

LEAP Administrative Director Bill Fried which makes a dramatic link between

slavery and the war on drugs. The video is featured on our website and on You Tube.

 

 

Neill Franklin, Kyle Kazan and Judge Jim Gray on CNN

Retired Maryland State Police Major and executive director of LEAP Neill Franklin, former Torrance, CA police officer Kyle Kazan, and retired Orange County Superior Court Judge James Gray appeared on CNN to discuss the urgent need for legalization and regulation.

 

Joseph McNamara and Norm Stamper on CBS Evening News and Fox News Channel

Former San Jose, California Police Chief Joseph McNamara and former Seattle Police Chief Norm Stamper – who spent 28 years of his law enforcement career with the San Diego Police Department – appeared on CBS Evening News in support of Proposition 19.

Chief McNamara also appeared on Fox News Channel’s Fox and Friends to talk about why it’s time to legalize marijuana.

Stephen Downing on MSNBC

Retired Los Angeles Police Department Deputy Chief Stephen Downing presents the case for legalization on MSNBC.please click here.

 

LEAP in the News in California

Retired Our speakers have been making waves in the local California media, and as election day approaches, LEAP's visibility continues to increase. Among the many news features on LEAP were Leo Laurence, a former deputy sheriff, recently featured on NBC News 11 as he spoke to students at Imperial Valley College in Imperial, CA, and former Sutter County, CA deputy sheriff Nate Bradley appearing on CBS 5 News.

To view more videos featuring LEAP speakers, please visit our YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/copssaylegalizedrugs

 

LEAP Speakers Blog.

LEAP promotional DVD

LEAP website

Our host Drug Sense

Powered by MAP

Questions or comments?

E-mail us at kristin.daley@leap.cc

LEAP is a nonprofit educational organization with Tax Exempt Status under United States tax code 501(c)3, Federal EIN: 16- 1645758.

Dispatches from the Front-line Continues

COP ON THE HILL (continues)

 

and a rabid prohibitionist should aire this Friday…there are no subtitles in English:

CANAL VME TV – VIERNES 10 PM ET. / REPETICION DOMINGO 2PM ET.

Back to Washington next week. A CPAC interview popped up in a newspaper in Portugal.

I also had a letter to the editor published 3 times by a newspaper chain in Canada. I am asking the editor of the chain if they will publish my 750 word oped.

Very slow week: I was in the halls of Congress (House side) this week and despite putting almost 4 miles on my pedometer, I only had three meetings. The 100 offices left to do represent staffers who avoid me, ignore my email & phone requests for meetings etc.

About a dozen have told their receptionists that when you see a tall guy in a cowboy hat asking for a few minutes, always tell him I am in a meeting. After 6 years I am familiar with this…the majority of receptionists will go to the desk of the person I want & physically check.

The time is not a total loss. Upon seeing me (the hat), brand identification kicks in and our issue pops back in the mind of the staffers. This occurs in the hallways, in the lunch room, etc. One staffer and I chatted for 5 minutes about my latest 2306 informational email (sent to all staffers..see below). While speaking to the receptionist about 2306, the Congressman from Arizona was exiting his office. He took over. He said his office is aware of the bill & had made no decision yet. This does not count as a presentation, but it was something.

The Oppenheimer Show I did is still not on their website. (Continue)

Very first day with signs in San Jose, CA

Leaving home: note new signs on back of pick up.

Leaving Maryland: the trailer generated a solid 100 honks and thumbs up across America

Restore Sanity Rally

Karen and I got away for a week to Puerto Rico.

The Insanity of Marijuana Prohibition in one foto!

COP sent this to all House judiciary staffers

Estimates of consumption of marijuana & its tax potential in post-prohibition setting.

Per the 2007 National Survey of Drugs and Health about 10% of adults are now & will be users of marijuana. (45,000 per Congressional District) On average, those adults are expected to consume 4.8 ounces (134 grams) per year. If taxed at a dollar/gram, a state would realize $134 per consumer or 6+ million per Cong. District..($900,000 per 100,000 population) A federal excise tax of 15 cents per gram would yield $20 per consumer per year or just over 1 billion dollars for the US Treasury.

· Formerly called the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse (NHSDA). Conducted by SAMHSA.

NOTE: A 20 pack -containing 20 grams- of marijuana cigarettes would sell for about $30/pack which includes taxes. Current black market price for a gram of non-medicinal grade marijuana is 4 dollars or $80/pack. The illicit market will be hard-pressed to compete with legal marijuana, as people value quality control & consistent product. Moonshine whiskey can be bought for about half of the cheapest bottle in a store. Few people risk buying black market whiskey due to lack of quality control.

Federal and state expenditures to enforce Marijuana Prohibition

Per a study done by Harvard economic Professor Jeffrey Miron state and local costs to enforce prohibition run about 5.3 billion. Federal costs are about 2.4 billion. Total: circa 8 billion dollars

NOTE: The Miron study did not take into account the police time spent on enforcement but no arrests were made i.e. cutting down a field of marijuana and no arrests made or searching 10 cars to find a baggie in one of them. Factoring this, enforcement costs rise to about 13 billion.

NOTE: What cannot be measured in dollars is the clogging of the nation’s courts with 800,000 marijuana arrests per year.

Another point that is difficult to measure is the economic impact on families of earning potential lost for having a conviction. See Pew study

Early Bird gets the Worm: First Wednesday of month always means catching the 0558 train to attend the monthly Leadership Institute’s breakfast (LI trains young elephants-- 100,000 so far). The speaker was the chairman of the Republican Study Committee, Congressman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio). Being in the front row, he took my question on the failure and the cost $$ of drug prohibition. Jordan acknowledged too many in prison costing too much money & “we need to re-think the policy.” I enjoyed Swiss chocolate and a shot of Crown that night. His aide Wes Goodman was there. He attends Grover’s brunch every week.

After the meeting, I had chats with 4 of those young elephants and 2 guys my age…all thanking me for my courage to bring up the topic.

Letter to the editor: After 15 years I finally figured out an LTE for when drug dogs search a school.. Thanks to Jerry Epstein for the stat of 23 million w/ a drug problem = 19 million it is alcohol. Very useful.

Grover’s ‘cattle call’ pays dividends: I was able to chat with several of the men and women who are running for Congress. One chat started in the elevator with my jacket. Below is my follow-up note to him. Name and state changed per Grover’s rules of the Brunch. (note: Dr. Broun voted YES on states’ rights for medical marijuana)

‘Bill’ - good to meet and chat drug policy at Grover's brunch. I hope/trust you found the fact sheet on the Gateway Theory/Myth useful. When you are a Congressman, please follow the wise pillars that guide/control the vote of Dr. Paul Broun (R-GA, 10th); namely

1. Right/Moral 2. Constitutional 3. Needed 4. Affordable

These pillars are as important as the Tax Pledge to give voters confidence in your 'brand.'

Keep in mind that all I want to do in Congress is return to MS the ability to make its own decisions regarding marijuana. i.e. apply the 10th Amendment.

Bread & Water: Peanut Butter & Honey: After much soul-searching I have decided to strike off one of my two bucket list items; namely riding a bicycle from Oregon to Georgia-Virginia. My world-class bicycle brother Frosty and I will leave Newport Beach, Oregon on April 22. We will follow the Misty Trail of 2003. Making 50-60 miles/day & all things being equal we should be on the East Coast by July 1. Back to work the next day.

Yes, my body will be 90% bread, honey and peanut butter by July 1. Know that riding a bike will be much, much easier than riding a horse 3100 miles. My cardiologist gave me the okay, after a treadmill stress test.

We expect some publicity. I will wear my t-shirt and Frosty will wear one saying: DADS SAY LEGALIZE POT.

Solid Week: The House was in recess (AKA ‘the Members are working in District’), so I was in the hallways all five days. This yielded a solid 27 presentations.

Oppenheimer Presenta: The show aired into 20 million homes in Latin America but I did not have the station on my cable plan.

Guests on the panel were: the current President of Guatemala Perez; ANTONIO MAZZITELI – United Nations Drug Czar office; Bruce Bagley – Univ. of Miami; Eladio Paez-retired police officer; Felix Jimenez, former DEA top official in Caribbean area; Howard Wooldridge- they have me as from New Jersey because I had to go there for the proper camera.

This just in for the run-up to a Latin American conference in April where legalization of all drugs will be discussed openly for the first time. "The secretary general of the Organization of American States, José Miguel Insulza, said that "we need to try something else" in the fight against drugs.

Bucket List: Several of you asked what (besides ride a bicycle coast to coast) was the 2nd and last item on the list. Answer >> end all drug prohibition. As I said in an interview in 05: “I will donate my time and Misty’s as much as we can handle, until Drug Prohibition is in the history books, or I draw my last breath.”

Road Trip: David Young of Lewisburg and his friends at the ACLU invited me up for 3 days of speaking in central Pennsylvania. They planned well, had me running & it paid off with excellent coverage in the media + spoke to a total of about 350 persons at five (5) venues. Front page foto and positive article of the Williamsport Sun-Gazette (metro area of 250,000) capped the week. Thank you David & the ACLU.

Some newspapers care: I was blown away with an editorial written by a widely read daily paper IN ADVANCE of my arrival. Check out this excellent analysis of where we are after 40 years.

The radio show had back to back calls and was a fun hour. Though a bit exhausting (damn those birthdays!), it was great to leave DC and chat with ‘real’ people.

I finished the week speaking to a group of 25 at the local Unitarian Church on Sunday.

Here is a link to the fine article by Joe Stender, after he interviewed me for 90 minutes + attended the college gig.

Stats for COP's third year, started on August 1, 2011:

287 presentations to Congressional staffers: 00 this week

· 9 Letter to the Editor: this week (at bottom)

· 3 Major Television appearances (Univision, BBC): this week

· 20 Other media (newspaper articles, blogs, cable TV, etc): 4 this week

· 13 radio shows: 1 this week

· 13 (Member of Congress or VIP) contacts: 1 this week

· Permanent invitation to Grover Norquist’s Wednesday brunch attended by 150 conservative VIPs. Named the “Grand Central Station of the Conservative Movement.”

· 3 Major conferences attended: Drug Policy Alliance International, the Congressional Black Caucus September conference & CPAC – Conservative Political Action Conference

Consider being a member of COP at $30.00 or more per year. All contributions are tax-deductible. Law Enforcement’s voice in opposition to current policy is vital on the Hill to achieve a repeal of federal prohibition. COP provides that voice. If you agree that Modern Prohibition/War on Drugs is the most destructive, dysfunctional and immoral policy since slavery & Jim Crow… Go to:

www.CitizensOpposingProhibition.org and click on Donate/Join – by credit card or send a check to:

COP

POB 2902

Washington, DC 20013

If you have questions or comments, please send an email to: howard@citizensopposingprohibition.org

COP total stats in first two years: August 1, 2009 thru July 31, 2011)

649 Presentations to Congressional staffers

22 Appearances on major TV networks

10 published interviews in newspapers

12 interviews and reports in minor media = blogs, cable TV, etc

57 published letters to the editor (value per MAPINC in free publicity: $56,000)

19 brief chats with Members of Congress

13 chats with other elected officials, state reps, senators, etc.

6 major conferences attended (CPAC, LULAC, NRA, etc)

Permanent invitation to Grover Norquist’s Wednesday brunch attended by 140 conservative VIPs.

Annual Report: Citizens Opposing Prohibition – 2009/2010

The House Crime Subcommittee adjourned and I made contact with the Member who is the presumptive chairman, when the Republicans take control of the House in 2011. This was our sixth (6th) chat in three years. He had already agreed that current policy was ineffective but he asked, “What do we do? Just give up on these (addicts) people?” “No.” I replied, “But arresting them wastes precious police time. The government can not fix stupid. Only family and friends might have a chance.” He nodded and we chatted another minute. I knew his Chief of Staff was on board to end marijuana prohibition from a chat earlier this year.

This type of ‘Grass Tops’ contact is what COPs is all about. In our first year you kept an anti-prohibition, law enforcement voice on Capitol Hill and in the DC area, a voice which generates instant credibility. The transition from carrying a LEAP card to a COPs card was a smooth one. My cowboy hat and politics are what staffers and Members remember, not my card. COPs had ‘sit-down’ conversations with 443 Congressional staffers and chats with seven more Members. This steady contact reminded all of them that solid, law enforcement professionals oppose the current prohibition approach to some drugs.

Since 2005 I have been educating/advocating to Members and their staff for a drug policy commission, even before Senator Webb (D-VA) was elected in November 2006. These efforts bore fruit in 2009, when Webb introduced the National Criminal Justice Commission bill which cleared the Senate’s Judiciary Committee with a unanimous vote in early 2010. In the summer of 2010 the House passed the bill on a voice vote. Though it died during the lame duck session, it will be introduced again in 11. Through educational efforts these past five years, I have prepared the ground for the passage of the Webb bill. As members of Citizens Opposing Prohibition, you can take credit for the progress made in 2009 and 2010.

Moving forward into its second year, COPs is in poised to add to the progress already made and enter new areas. We will educate the Congress on the advantages of allowing the several States to set their own couse for drug policy, starting with marijuana. I will attend two, new national conferences in 2011: the LULAC (League of United Latin American Citizens- similar to NAACP) and the NRA (National Rifle Association). As I have done the past five years, I will attend the CPAC (Conservative Political Action Conference) and the three day conference in DC sponsored by the Congressional Black Caucus. Weekly, I attend the Grover Norquist brunch (120 conservative VIPs attending) and monthly I attend the Leadership Institutes’ breakfast which features conservative speakers, including Members of Congress. I will seek out and go to the groups who do not yet agree with our position on drug policy. We are adding speaking engagements to service clubs, churches and other community groups to our list of activities as well.

The ‘bread and butter’ of COPs will continue to be spending time in the Congress, meeting staff and Members. Ending federal drug prohibition is a crucial part of the national strategy. The prohibition crowd delights in repeating that federal law trumps any state law. I hope and trust you will continue to support these efforts.

 

Polyglot – short story: at 19 spent 3 months in Europe in 70…felt like illiterate ‘cause only spoke English. Came back to U and began German – became my minor. After 6 more months (2 trips) to mostly Germany = fluent German: Before starting LIFE, I wanted to be an average European which means 3 languages…so after graduation from Mich. State, made bunch of $$ driving a semi for United Van Lines, in Switzerland took intensive 3 month course in French and poof…tri-lingual…..police work needed Spanish = took junior college courses at night and then 3 months in Spain…poof…4 languages.

My 3 months of Arabic studies in Egypt resulted in being semi-fluent but have lost nearly all of it.. I could still piss off a terrorist on an airplane but not really carry on a conversation.

BTW, I also speak ‘horse.’…for that I needed to ride my pony across North America twice…13 months in the saddle. Okay- now I am bragging. LOL

Howard attended the 912 march on DC.

Citizens Opposing Prohibition

PO Box 772, Buckeystown MD 21717-0772 also POB 2902, Washington, DC 20013

One Lone Ranger Rides Again To Legalize Dope

by Howard "Cowboy" Wooldridge

Obama to join the debate about legalizing and regulating marijuana. To make your voice heard, please sign the petition here.

As Election Day draws closer, Proposition 19 has a majority of support in the polls, but the vote will be close. If you are a resident of California, please VOTE, and remind everyone you know to vote. Today, October 18, is the deadline for voter registration in California.

LEAP is at the forefront of drug policy reform, and our speakers have a credibility that cannot be ignored. Your genorosity sustains our work.

LEAP’s first-ever billboard, unveiled on July 15, 2008 in Omaha, Nebraska

To view Jack Cole’s blog on the United Nations Conference in its entirety, including photos from the conference, please click here.

Ask the DOJ to release more current stats: askdoj@usdoj.gov

Snap, Crackle, Pot

By Kathleen Parker

Friday, February 13, 2009

Drink and drive and it's grrrrrrrr-eat! Smoke pot and your flakes are frosted, dude. So seems the message from Kellogg's, which has decided not to renew its sponsorship contract with Michael Phelps after the Olympian was photographed smoking marijuana at a party in South Carolina.

That's showbiz, of course, but the cereal and munchie company had no problem signing Phelps despite an alcohol-related arrest. In 2004, Phelps was fined and sentenced to 18 months probation and community service after pleading guilty to driving while impaired. The silliness of our laws -- and the hypocrisy of our selective attitudes toward mood enhancers -- needs no further elaboration. Even so, things are getting sillier by the minute.

Sheriff Leon Lott in South Carolina's Richland County has now made eight pot-related arrests based on the snap that shot around the world. Seven were for possession and one for distribution, after deputies used warrants to enter the house where Phelps allegedly was photographed.

Phelps may be next.

In an earlier column, I gave Lott the benefit of the doubt, suggesting that his hands were tied given the laws of the land and South Carolina's political climate. I retract the benefit.

Sheriffs, though elected and therefore political, have great latitude as to what crimes they pursue. In a state that recently ranked among the most dangerous in the nation, one would think South Carolina's law enforcement officials have better things to do.

Indeed, they do. In our peculiar obsession to track down the Willie Nelsons, the Rush Limbaughs and now the Michael Phelpses of society -- nonviolent, victimless imbibers of drugs -- we've actually made society less safe. That's the conclusion of 10,000 cops, prosecutors, judges and others who make up the membership of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition.

Howard Wooldridge, LEAP's Washington representative, is a former cop and detective who lectures civic clubs and congressional staffers on the futility of drug laws that reduce public safety by wasting time and money. He points to child pornography as just one example.

As of last April, he says, law enforcement had identified 623,000 computers containing child pornography, including downloadable video of child rape. Only a fraction of those have been pursued with search warrants, thanks to limited resources and staff shortages. What's worse, Wooldridge says, is that three times out of five a search warrant also produces a child victim on the premises.

Another example: Last year, Human Rights Watch reported that as many as 400,000 rape kits containing evidence were sitting unopened in criminal labs and storage facilities. Between the Los Angeles Police Department and the L.A. County sheriff's office, nearly 12,000 kits were unopened, according to an NPR report in December.

Arguments against prohibition should be obvious. When you eliminate the victimless "crime" of drug use, you disempower the criminal element. Neutering drug gangs and cartels, not to mention the Taliban, would be no small byproduct of decriminalization. Not only would state regulation minimize toxic concoctions common on the black market, but also taxation would be a windfall in a hurting economy.

No one's saying that drugs aren't dangerous. Alcohol and tobacco are also dangerous.

And no one thinks children should have access to harmful substances, though they already do. Parents who recoil because their child became an addict should note that prohibition didn't help.

What prohibition did was criminalize what is essentially a health problem -- and overcrowd prisons. In 2007, there were 872,720 marijuana arrests in the United States. Of those, 775,137 were for possession. South Carolina just added eight to this year's roster.

The greatest obstacle to drug law reform is public fear and politics, says Wooldridge, as he set off to give eight presentations on Capitol Hill yesterday. "I've had staffers tell me that to even call a hearing will get you un-elected."

Which, perhaps, explains why Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.) -- the only member of Congress to even approach the subject recently -- has tackled the drug problem through the issue of prison overcrowding. Webb has held two hearings before the Joint Economic Committee on U.S. drug policy and incarceration costs. This year, he has promised to push for a blue-ribbon commission to study why the United States has more people in jail than any other country. The answer -- and the solution -- seems clear.

I'm not convinced that all drugs should be legalized, but we should at least put prohibition on the table to take another look. In the meantime, Sheriff Lott has some 'splainin' do to.

 

Testimony for the Joint Economic Committee

June 19, 2008 - Assessing U.S. drug policy and providing a base for future decision

Bath Township, MI Police Detective Howard J. Wooldridge, (retired)

At the hearing of the Joint Economic Committee which Senator Webb chaired on June 19, 2008 two questions asked by the Members were not fully answered. Therefore, I would like the following information be included as part of the record for that hearing.

Regarding Senator Webb’s question on how the expenditure of time to arrest some 845,000 persons per year on marijuana charges impacts other areas of law enforcement: During my fifteen (15) years of police service I learned that my profession often searches and does not find anything illegal. Thus, one can not simply extrapolate the number of arrests times X hours of time per arrest. An average of ten (10) vehicle searches must be conducted in order to find one containing marijuana. Conservatively, 7-8 million hours of patrol time are spent enforcing marijuana prohibition laws. This results in less time for effective DUI, reckless driving and other traffic enforcement priorities.

Regarding Congressman Hinchey’s question of the percentage of prisoners whose crime touches in someway drug prohibition laws: My experience as a detective and in speaking with colleagues show 70-75 % of felony crime touches drug prohibition policy.

Whether crimes committed go up or down, drug prohibition continues to be the engine driving the vast majority of felony crime in America.

Your Voice in the United States Congress