COP on the Hill: Stories from the week of October 10 & 17, 2014

Stories from the week of October 10 & 17, 2014

Lies, Damned Lies and Statistics: A rep from the conservative Heritage Foundation made a presentation about the disaster, ‘calamity’ of Colorado, urging the group to stop legalization efforts in other states. His ‘fact’ sheet used a report from the Rocky Mountain High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area i.e. the folks whose very paycheck depends on the policy of prohibition.

Let’s just say that at the end of the meeting a VIP asked me to prepare a rebuttal to the stats Heritage used. The following week I presented oral & written rebuttal to the Heritage. (see below).

Back in the saddle again: As a LEAP event, I spoke to a total of 50 students at George Washington and American Universities. Always grand to see/feel the energy of where I was 40 years ago.

Bunch of VIPs here: On Wednesday the 15^th I was part of a 30 person gathering of who’s who of Drug Reform. The organizer would be known to most of you. Can’t say much about it, except there could be some solid coordination for legislation in 2015.

Feel like a student again, as I study my Spanish constantly/several hours per day. It paid off on Wednesday, when I was in a debate with a police colleague on the radio in Miami. I promoted Amendment Two (florida medical cannabis) and was able to inject all the key points.

As a LEAP project (because I do speak Spanish), I will spend the next two weeks in the Sunshine State, leaving on election day.

My one hour radio interview with the law professor last week (in English)

is here:

http://ywc.podomatic.com/entry/2014-10-11T07_01_14-07_00.

This week’s raw data:

1686 Presentations to Congressional staffers..  01 this week

6 meetings this week

50 Radio Interviews..  01 this week     (Spanish station in Miami…for MMJ)

38 Appearances on major TV networks..this week (Fox, ABC, CBS, NBC, Univision, BBC)…01 this week (BBC)

·         COP stats since inception: August 2009

101 chats with other elected officials, state reps, senators, VIPs, etc.     00 this week

54 brief chats with Members of Congress..   00 this week

10 Conversations (five minutes or longer) with Member of Congress..  0  this week

• 19 major conferences attended..  this week (United Nations drug conf, CPAC, LULAC, NRA, CBC, ASA, DPA, Dem & Repub. Presidential conventions.  etc)   this week
• 28 published interviews in major (daily) newspapers or magazine…this week

• 81 interviews and reports in minor media = blogs, cable TV, weekly papers, etc..    this week

79 published letters to the editor (value per MAPINC in free publicity: $78,000).. 00 this week

      *   2 editorials in daily papers mentioning Howard’s efforts & in support of COP position

• Weekly attendance at Grover Norquist’s Wednesday brunch attended by 150 conservative leaders.   Named the “Grand Central Station of the Conservative Movement.”
• Consider being a member of COP at $30.00 or more per year.   All contributions are tax-deductible.  30 dollars buys all the copy paper COP uses in one year.   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.    …  Go to: ·       www.CitizensOpposingProhibition.org and click on Donate/Join – by credit card or send a check to:
• Citizens Opposing Prohibition

POB 543

• Buckeystown, MD 21717

Lies, Damned Lies & Statistics* attributed to Mark Twain

Overview:   Marijuana is a mind-altering, intoxicating, addictive drug which is much stronger than 30 years ago. The Lancet determined it was the 8^th most dangerous drug in the world. It is certainly too dangerous to leave its production in the hands of cartel and criminals and its retail sale mostly in the hands of teenagers.

He said: Last week you heard from Heritage that the # of drivers of fatal accidents high on marijuana rose from 39 in 2009 to 78 last year. Almost True.

Analysis: Study did not know if the driver was at fault or level of intoxication..drivers were tested for mere presence of MJ metabolites…even weeks after consumption they can show up on a test.

What is important?: Chicken Littles like Kevin Sabet and orgs like Heritage predicted a major increase in fatal accidents. That has proven false.

INDISPUTABLE: the number of fatal accidents in Colorado has dropped slightly since legalization in December 2012

Prohibition crowd: young people are using more marijuana than the rest of the country. Could be true.

Prohibition crowd predicted that with legalization, young people would smoke a lot more than before (wrong message to kids, etc)

INDISPUTABLE: youth use of marijuana has dropped in Colorado since legalization per the CDC YRBS (Center for Disease Control: Youth Risky Behavior Survey)

Experts predicted with legalization there would be drug substitution. The numbers reported by Heritage & others do not examine this aspect. Certainly per medical studies anyone who switches from alcohol or heroin to marijuana reduces risky behavior.

Prohibition crowd: Crime of all types will increase with legalization was the mantra of cops in Colorado.

INDISPUTABLE:   Both violent, felony and misdemeanor crimes have dropped since the stores opened in January.

BEST INFO: per the Colorado Marijuana Enforcement Division the total marijuana market is about 130 tons. Regulated and taxed stores now are selling 77 (59%) of those tons.

Unprovable: The Colorado police have hundreds of thousands of ‘new’ hours to pursue other crimes, now that marijuana is treated like beer. They may arrest more pedophiles, intoxicated drivers, or whatever the problem exists. Or they may spend more time in the coffee shops. There are now fewer teens employed in selling marijuana.

Between enactment of its medical marijuana law in 1996 and 2010, California saw a 31% drop in traffic fatalities. And one can buy medical MJ for having foot pain caused by high heels (or cowboy boots).