Posted December 4th, 2009 by hiwayhowie
Howard on the Hill
Stories from the week of November 20, 2009
I have seen this film before: This week began my fourth trip to the Senate. It should take me about two months to meet with 100 offices. Returning from the DPA conference in New Mexico, I had already set up 21 meetings from Tuesday till Friday. The seven on Tuesday wore me out. I am just about getting too old to handle that many in one day.
Existential Crisis: At the end of a 25 minute meeting with two staffers from a top Dem office on the judiciary committee, she pro-offered that drug reform will come from the States, not originate at the federal level. The next day I asked four staffers with whom I have 2-3 year relationships, if they agreed. They all agreed. BOOM. My brain went into overdrive thinking of the concept that what I am doing was not worthy of my time.
“Hello Eric. Do you have sometime this afternoon? You do. Great. I will see you at 3PM.” I poured my heart out to Eric. I reminded him of his words to me shortly after my arrival in DC, “Howard, you have no idea how much good work you are doing.” Fill in the blanks for me Eric.
30 minutes later Eric Sterling had put the Howard train back on the tracks. Thank goodness for mentors. Major concept – since the staffers I present to meet hundreds of VIPs from the Congressional Districts & States, their exposure to the COP message does influence their conversations. I could not be more effective, if I went to every Rotary & Kiwnais Club in every state.
When the bell rings:* My last appointment the next day was with a woman I had met in 2007 & 2008. She said she enjoyed our little chats. Just before departing, she said, ‘when changes begin to happen at the federal level, you will be my “go to guy.”
Like a fireman, I need to be ready, to know my craft, to know the Member Offices, have long-term relationships – so when the time comes, we in reform can move the federal level quickly.
*when the bell rings = wenn ein Ereignis fängt an.
Consider being a member of COP at $30.00 per year. Add your voice to those who agree that Modern Prohibition/War on Drugs is the most destructive, dysfunctional and immoral policy since slavery & Jim Crow.
Howard
Posted December 2nd, 2009 by hiwayhowie
Store-Bought Pills vs. Grow-Your-Own Meds
Once upon a time in America a citizen had complete freedom (along with the personal responsibility) to discover and use anything they believed might help them with a medical problem. One such discovery was the medicinal use of cannabis. By the late 19th century its use had been widely accepted for both human and animal applications. Cannabis was virtually cost-free to grow (it is classified a weed), highly effective, low side-effect and low, nearly zero addictive properties. Cannabis was sold legally and in harmony with its more powerful shelf mates like heroin, morphine and cocaine. For religious reason Utah in 1914 became the first of many states to prohibit its sale. In the 21st century its re-introduction as a medicine is being blocked, not by religion but rather by possibly the most powerful, well-financed lobby in Washington, Big Pharma.
Why does Big Pharma spend millions to block cannabis? Simple, the money. According to industry figures, the world spends roughly 640 billion on pills. If cannabis were legally obtainable, Big Pharma would lose somewhere between 1-5% of the store-bought pill market; some 6.4 to 30 billion dollars. The Industry knows that to make a campaign contribution (aka a bribe — put money in the freezer) to a politician is much more cost-effective than to face God’s medicine on the shelf at the local pharmacy. The Industry also contributes massively to groups like Partnership for a Drug-Free America. PDFA’s title is deceptive. They take money from Big Pharma to make you very afraid of cannabis (it is xx stronger than 30 years ago, yikes!!) so use Tylenol instead (which actually kills people every year — the Washington Post just printed several, full-page ads warning consumers that too much Tylenol can lead to injury and death). Cannabis of course has never caused a death and its medicinal use has yet to cause a recorded injury. PDFA’s purpose is to force you to use the pills of Big Pharma, NOT actually drug-free.
While many across North America know the varied problems which cannabis can provide relief from, scientific research is blocked by the DEA which by law cannot provide any cannabis for a researcher who wants to see if cannabis is medically useful. In this manner Big Pharma can direct its mouthpieces to say there is no USA research to show the efficacy of cannabis (recall then Vice President Gore in the 2000 debate saying he could not support medical cannabis because of the lack of research). Nine months into the Obama administration the DEA is still not allowing medical doctors the cannabis they need to do research and double blind studies.
The four million horse owners and the million or so who raise cattle in this country might be more interested in this topic, if they knew how widely cannabis used to be applied to animals. My first rodeo as a lobbyist was in the winter of 2003 in Austin, Texas. I had the original 1919 bill which prohibited cannabis use pull and copied. The bill contained an exception for both human and animal needs. A veterinarian had to fill out a form which described the equine or bovine, the medical problem and the course of the treatment employing cannabis. As all horse owners know, an equine stomach can tolerate only small amounts of painkiller for a relatively short time (6-8 weeks of Bute). Cannabis on the other hand whether applied externally as a poultice (like on an ankle) or taken internally could be taken in massive amounts for long periods without adverse problems.
In 2007 the Swiss government called upon its farmers to stop giving cannabis to milk-producing cows. The reason was image, not safety. The Swiss farmers had learned that cows were happier and mellower when fed cannabis & thus produced more milk. As studies show about 70% of the humans use cannabis as pain medicine, others with depression, bi-polar, PTSD and other mental conditions use it effectively to treat their situation. No doubt high strung horses would probably benefit from cannabis but studies can not be done, yet. On a personal note my wife has spent over 800 dollars for doggie Prozac between the exams, blood workups and the expensive meds. Probably cannabis would have chilled out her little poodle for much, much less.
The pharmaceutical industry will continue its stranglehold on consumers as long as we allow it. When police officers resist laws allowing medical marijuana, we know they are protecting jobs and good overtime checks. When doctors testify against it, we know that some people will say anything for enough money. Big Pharma will fight this effective alternative to store-bought pills until the bitter end. It is all about money. Grow your own meds in your back yard like President Jefferson did? Forget about it!!
Copyright © 2009 Campaign for Liberty
Posted November 29th, 2009 by hiwayhowie
Albany Herald (GA): November 27, 2009
As a retired police detective, I know how futile all the efforts of the ADDU are and I pray they never get hurt. My colleague Bill Berry and all officers know that every drug dealer arrested is quickly replaced. Despite 40 years of drug war, drugs are cheaper, stronger and easier to buy. When I was a student at Dougherty High School in 1969, marijuana was very hard to find. Now, anyone in Albany can easily buy heroin, coke and all illegal drugs with one or two phone calls. I would dispute Berry’s claim about the unit being self-funded. His unit does not seize enough money to pay for the prison time of those he arrests. That heavy burden is borne by the taxpayers of Georgia.
Will we ever become as wise as our grandparents and end this modern prohibition?
Howard Woolridge
EDITOR’S NOTE: Howard Wooldridge is a retired police officer from Michigan and a 1969 graduate of Dougherty High School who is a drug policy specialist with Citizens Opposing Prohibition in Buckeystown, Md.
Posted November 29th, 2009 by hiwayhowie
Howard on the Hill
Stories from the week of November 13, 2009
The Empire Strikes Back: On Tuesday I attended a strategy meeting on the Webb Commission Bill (S-714). The rebels led by Princess Jennifer Stitt of FAMM (www.famm.org) informed us that the storm troopers of the Empire had forced the good King Webb to accept substantial changes to his bill or face ruin.
Typical of the storm troopers demands, this in the section on ‘changes in oversight, policies and laws designed to:’ (2) – reduce the overall incarceration rate through effective enforcement and prevention strategies.- In other words the more effective storm troopers are, the fewer citizens would go to jail. The Rebels will urge Webb to insert the word ‘punishment’ after the phrase ‘effective enforcement.’ And that boys and girls, is how sausage* is made.
Band of Brothers: On Wednesday Karen and I flew out early to the Drug Policy Alliance (www.drugpolicy.org) bi-ennial*, international conference in Albuquerque, NM. This was my fifth conference and Karen’s second. About 1000 committed reformers received excellent information in the many sessions, renewed old friendships and created a few new ones.
Why we fight: Enjoying an offsite Mexican lunch with our friends Bob & Rita Wiley of Colorado the raison d’être of our efforts & the pain of current policy revealed itself.
We were wearing our MOMS say, DADS say, COPS say legalize pot t-shirts. A mature woman approached and asked how we could legalize pot. Her story – she had a crippling, painful back condition for which she had discovered that marijuana was the perfect medicine. I responded she was in luck because New Mexico was a state that had legal medical MJ. She shook her head. ‘My husband has a top secret clearance. He is already outside because he does not want to be seen with you and the shirts. He feels his clearance would be revoked, if his wife took MJ, even legally.’
Our hearts screamed at the injustice and pain this woman suffered everyday. I told her I was working hard at the federal level to allow God’s medicine to be as normal as aspirin for all US citizens. She thanked us for our efforts and disappeared from our lives.
*sausage > hier = Gesetze *
biennial = jeder zwei Jahre
Consider being a member of COP at $30.00 per year. Add your voice to those who agree that Modern Prohibition/War on Drugs is the most destructive, dysfunctional and immoral policy since slavery & Jim Crow.
Thank you, Howard
Make checks payable to:
Citizens Opposing Prohibition Inc
PO Box 772 Buckeystown, MD 21717-0772
817-975-1110 Modern Prohibition/The War on Drugs is the most destructive, dysfunctional & immoral domestic policy since slavery & Jim Crow.
Posted November 29th, 2009 by hiwayhowie
Howard on the Hill
Stories from the week of November 6, 2009
The ostrich from Iowa: 5 term senator from Iowa – Republica Chuck Grassley this week offered the following amendment to the Webb Commission Bill (a comprehensive review of all criminal justice laws and procedures):
‘RESTRICTIONS ON AUTHORITY.
The Commission shall have no authority to make findings related to current Federal, State, and local criminal justice policies and practices or reform recommendations that involve, support, or otherwise discuss the decriminalization of any offense under the Controlled Substances Act or the legalization of any controlled substance listed under the Controlled Substances Act.’
In other words let the Commission do everything except discuss the primary reason (drug prohibition) for 70% of felony crime in America. Here you see the power of the lobbyists for law enforcement. As I said, now it gets ugly…. And despicable.
NOTE: by asking legislative aides who are friendly, they have confirmed that the police lobby blocks any movement away from prohibition…more than any other pressure group.
Box of chocolates: I love my job for a lot of reasons, not the least of which is not knowing what will happen when I sit down with a legislative aide. (like making a traffic stop as a cop & never knowing how the citizen will act/react). This week I was finishing my 10 months of work in the House, dropping off 5 minutes of reading to those aides who refused to meet.
I was happily surprised when one aide asked me to come back in 10 minutes, in order to have a full presentation. Wow! We ended up chatting for one hour, during which we were joined by another staffer. This office wants to take the lead in sponsoring a decriminalization program like Portugal and Mexico. I have supplied her with the list of friendly offices.
Previously, this aide had canceled a scheduled appointment and then did not respond to a phone call and two emails. She was busy but then made time. Like a box of chocoloates, you never know what you are going to get.
Consider being a member of COP at $30.00 per year. Add your voice to those who agree that Modern Prohibition/War on Drugs is the most destructive, dysfunctional and immoral policy since slavery & Jim Crow.
