COP on the Hill: Stories from the week of March 30, 2018

COP on the Hill:

Stories from the week of March 30, 2018

Bottle of Water: Solid week, opening 126 doors in Longworth to deliver Updates for 2018 (below). I kept my mouth well-hydrated and I finished the week w/o issues. Felt great to be back in the saddle.

Time for a Question: As with all these office visits, I spoke to a legislative assistant for 2-3 minutes. An hour later an aide to Minority Whip Hoyer saw me in the café and stopped by. He has a degree in criminal justice and had more questions. We ended up having a 10-minute chat. That stuff makes my day.

Estoy rojo (made me blush): Stopping by the office for Puerto Rico, I had an excellent chat with their Legislative Director and his assistant for judiciary joined us. “Jose” made me blush, as he described me to his colleague. He met me in my first year (2006), when he was just a pup. After business, the two peppered me with questions about the Misty Ride for nearly a half hour = great way to end my day.

This week’s stats:

2750 Presentations to Congressional staffers… 41 this week

Meetings – 2

COP stats since inception: August 2009
254 personal chats with a Member of Congress… 0 this week
241 chats with other elected officials, state reps, senators, VIPs, etc. 0 this week (candidates running for Congress)
152 interviews and reports in minor media = 0 this week.
Weekly attendance at Grover Norquist’s Wednesday brunch attended by 150 conservative leaders. Named the “Grand Central Station of the Conservative Movement.”
* 2 editorials in daily papers mentioning Howard’s efforts & in support of COP position
84 published letters to the editor (value per MAPINC in free publicity: $83,000) 0 this week
43 published interviews/foto in major (daily) newspapers or magazine… 0 this week
75 Appearances/Interviews on major TV/Radio/Print media. This week (Fox, ABC, CBS, NBC, Univision, BBC, CNN, NPR, German, Swiss. French TV and radio) 0 this week
28 major conferences attended – (United Nations drug conference, CPAC, LULAC, NRA, CBC, ASA, DPA, Dem & Repub. Presidential conventions., National Review, Republican Annual Retreat etc.) 00 this week
83 Radio Interviews. 0 this week

* Consider being a member of COP at $40.00 or more per year. All contributions are tax-deductible. 40 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. www.citizensopposingprohibition.org

Drug War – Updates for 2018
In 2017, the American Legion endorsed HR 2020 which would re-schedule marijuana to 3 – the same as Marinol (a synthetic pill of pure THC). R-FL Gaetz is author.

The Congress has denied the DEA monies in FY 15, 16, 17 and 18 to take action against state-legal, medical marijuana operations. Patients in 30 (46 when CBD oil is considered) states are protected.

The legal marijuana industry across 30 states employs some 140,000 full-time people (twice as many as coal).

Canada is on track to legalize, regulate, tax marijuana on July 1, 2018.

The Taliban in Afghanistan continues to fund their battles with money made from the flow heroin & hashish. http://www.military.com/daily-news/2017/04/03/follow-the-money-the-talibans-growing-criminal-empire.html. Hezbollah making a billion a year from South American drug trade. F/ a House hearing in Mar. 18

In Nov. 2018, MO & UT will vote on a robust medical MJ program; Oks vote is this June. MI will legalize via the ballot in Nov. The US Senate race will be affected by increased turnout in MO by those wanting to vote (primarily Democrats) for the MJ part of the ballot.

MJ is legal in nine (9) states & DC; 30 states have robust, state-legal medical MJ programs; 46 states have legal CBD oil for children with grand mal seizures (Dravet’s Syndrome). VT legalized adult use in January and NJ will also legalize adult use in the spring of 18.

Ohio in 2016 and West Virginia in 2017 became the first Republican-controlled states to pass a full, medical marijuana law. His people are now benefiting from His medicine.

In 2016 voters (57%) in OK voted to de-felonize simple possession of hard drugs. Max penalty now 1 year in jail. CA & OR have the same law.

A 2017 report from the U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. Department of Education shows that youth marijuana use is NOT rising in the age of legalization.

Since legalization in Colorado, the vehicle search rate of African American drivers 21 and over dropped by nearly half, while the search rate of Hispanic drivers fell by 58 percent. White drivers faced almost two-thirds fewer searches after recreational marijuana was legalized. http://www.businessinsider.com/police-are-searching-far-fewer-cars-in-states-that-have-legalized-marijuana-2017-6

In 2017, National Academies of Sciences released a marijuana and health report found “insufficient evidence” to support an association between cannabis use and occupational accidents or injuries.
Understand & accept the police are helpless to slow down the Tsunami of drugs coming f/ Mexico. The police have never made a real dent in supply. Heroin is readily available in all small towns in the USA.