Countries need to set their own drug policies

Alberni Valley Times

 Published: Friday, October 02, 2009

 As a Michigan police officer who fought in the trenches of the Drug War, I can only add this to the observations of Shayne Morrow: namely, public safety in Canada is significantly reduced by this Modern Prohibition.

 Every hour RCMP members chase cannabis and other drugs, they have less time for the deadly DUI, the child molesters and other public safety threats. Drug gangs cause significant violent crime, reducing the time to chase regular bad guys.

 Recently, Mexico took the bold and enlightened step to decriminalize personal amounts of all drugs. The Obama administration sent the signal that any country in this hemisphere is now allowed to set its own approach to drugs. Canada, what are you waiting for?

 Howard Wooldridge

 Citizens Opposing Prohibition

 Washington, DC

IMPROVE PUBLIC SAFETY BY LEGALIZING MARIJUANA

COP on the Hill: Stories from the week of September 25, 2009

Howard on the Hill

Stories from the week of September 25, 2009

Small steps: My third appearance at the annual Congressional Black Caucus three day conference filled my week.  Wearing  the COP shirt over my dress shirt, tie and largest cowboy hat, I was able to engage many in conversations.  I am thrilled to report that for the first time, a majority of the 50 odd conversations I had ended with the person agreeing with the COP position: i.e. legalize/regulate/tax.

Be afraid, be very afraid: stopping by the  Dept. of Justice booth at the CBC, I picked up their pamphlet on marijuana.  It states that marijuana use causes cancer…and (love this)…”It has not yet been proven that using marijuana leads to other drugs, but….”  LOL.  Our government has tried for 40 years to prove a causal link between marijuana use and harder drugs, without success.   Apparently they are still spending tax dollars trying to prove it.

Sweetest sound to your ear: I read once that hearing your name generates the greatest pleasure of any words spoken.   At the CBC conference I was invited to be a guest on the Bev Smith radio show out of Pittsburgh, PA.  We had great 30 minute chat.  Towards the end, on the air, Bev said, “We need to legalize all drugs.”

To this old cowboys’ ears, THOSE are the sweetest words I can hear.

PS – the COP website is complete:  please take a look at:  www.citizensopposingprohibition.org

Consider being a member of COP at $30.00 per year.  Add your voice to those agree that Modern Prohibition/War on Drugs is the most destructive, dysfunctional and immoral policy since slavery & Jim Crow.

Make checks payable to:

Citizens Opposing Prohibition Inc

PO Box 772

Buckeystown, MD  21717-0772

howard

Officer Howard  Wooldridge (retired)

Drug Policy Specialist, COP – www.CitizensOpposingProhibition.org

Washington, DC

817-975-1110 Cell

howard@citizensopposingprohibition.org

Modern Prohibition and Individual Liberty: Are they compatible?

If you can drink a beer, why can’t I toke on the bong?  If you can sip scotch, why can’t I snort coke?   Sound familiar?   This simple, easy-to-understand conversation has occurred a million times since the 1960s, and it strikes at the heart of the issue of personal freedom which used to be a hallmark of American democracy and history.   As the debate has been engaged on whether to repeal Modern Prohibition or at least change some of it, the liberty issue has been all but forgotten, as the prohibition crowd has raised a blizzard of other questions.   How unfortunate.  And what can one do to move public policy?

Self-proclaimed conservatives scream the loudest about liberty being an American value they cherish, EXCEPT when it comes to drug prohibition.   Or should I say that is what conservatives say in public?  As Congressman Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) is reported to have said earlier in 2009, ‘if Congress could take a secret vote, federal marijuana prohibition would end.’    Without getting into the conspiracy theories of why card-carrying conservatives support the nanny-state liberal policy of drug prohibition, the fact is they do.  Just because a conservative supports a policy does not mean their support is derived from their principles.  No more so than with drug prohibition.

Modern Prohibition is a policy whereby the government threatens its citizens with punishment, if they dare step outside the box of drugs like alcohol, tobacco, Prozac, Valium and Tylenol.  That punishment threat is backed up by government police, prosecutors and prisons.    Add to that government informants, property confiscation without benefit of trial or finding of guilt, cops threatening politicians with a ‘soft on drugs’ label, unless the elected official supports the police cash cow & job security also known as drug policy. 

To date 40 million Americans have been arrested on drug charges, damaging or destroying their lives.  Ask yourself, how many people do you know who used drugs and went on to become productive and contributing members of our society?  From Newt Gingrich to Presidents Obama, Bush 43 & Clinton, from Governor Gary Johnson of New Mexico to Willie Nelson and Michael Phelps to the man writing these words – 100 million of us have used an illegal drug and done well.  However, all of the above careers (minus Nelson and Phelps) would have never happened, if we had been busted for a prohibited drug.  Our ‘freedom’ to succeed would have been severely curtailed.   As many have correctly stated, the most dangerous & damaging property about marijuana is being busted for it.

The long sad story of how America came to and continues its drug prohibition is a tale left for another day.  What is ironic is that citizens are still allowed many, many dangerous and even deadly activities and choices.  Many states allow motorcycle riders to go 70 MPH without a helmet.  Bungee jumping kills a few every year, as does white-water rafting & snow skiing.   We can eat ourselves into a heart attack or smoke tobacco until we are dead or incapacitated.  We can take aspirin & Tylenol to our heart’s content and can’t sue anyone when those drugs kill us from long-term overuse.  Those freedoms we still have.  But then the biker who goes 70 without a helmet is later arrested for toking up with Willie on the back porch.   That is an example of how inconsistent, illogical the laws are today.

All is not lost.  Indeed, I have seen a sea change amongst the young conservatives at CPAC (Conservative Political Action Conference) They ALL seem to be smitten with the Ron Paul – Libertarian Revolution.  Wearing the LEAP t-shirt (COPS SAY LEGALIZE DRUGS: ASK ME WHY) at their at 2009 gathering, I had many dozens of conversations about Modern Prohibition.  Without exception the college age students were ready to repeal this 21^st century Prohibition.   A 2008 Zogby poll showed that 76% of Americans admit that the War on Drugs has been an ineffective, failed policy.    This recognition of failure keeps the prohibition crowd up at night.

The road to freedom of drug choice will be long and there are many tough battles ahead.  The faux conservative Republicans and many squishy liberal Democrats are not ready to repeal, as they set aside their principles in fear of the wrath of the voters and the police / drug industries which want their cash cow Drug War to continue.  NOTE:  the police love the overtime and job security from arresting 1.9 million citizens on drug charges each year.  Big Pharma fears cannabis as a low cost (nearly free), low side-effect, highly effective and low addiction property medicine.  Big surprise.   God didn’t make no junk.

As Peter Christ, a retired New York police captain and Co-Founder of LEAP likes to remark: ‘In America an adult should be free to be as stupid as they wish in the privacy of their own castle.’    Moreover, as my wife Karen articulates so well, ‘the government thru its police department can not stop personal stupidity.’    ‘Individual freedom and personal responsibility are two sides of the same coin,’ quipped retired Florida police Chief Jerry Cameron.   Modern Prohibition is completely incompatible with the principles of Individual liberty, personal responsibility, property rights, limited government, cost-effective government and States’ Rights.  Work for those who would repeal it.

Published July 31, 2009:   Campaign for Liberty website published article: http://www.campaignforliberty.com/article.php?view=150

COP on the Hill: Stories from the week of September 18, 2009

Howard on the Hill

Stories from the week of September 18, 2009

Going fishing: How many times does a fisherman throw his line in the water before he catches a fish?   I don’t know because I don’t fish.    I do know that having thrown my hook out some 1200 times now, I have found/caught some fish (Congressional offices)  drug reform did not know existed.

This week I received a response back from my ‘thank you for your time’ note I send to all legislative aides.  This R aide asked how I am became such a polyglot (answer I sent below).   Perhaps when I need him to ask his boss to consider a repeal prohibition bill, he will step up to the plate* just because he was impressed with my language skills.   Whatever sticks to the wall = hat, boots, buckle, Long Rides or languages.

One step back: This week Georgia State Republican lawmaker Tommy Benton (31st House District) stated he favors “caning”* minor marijuana offenders and “executing” those who sell the drug, according to a recent correspondence sent by the representative to a constituent.    I wrote him a letter asking if he understood that 900,000 teens are employed as drug dealers.  Would he really put a 14 year old to death?  No response yet.

One step forward: An aide to a Blue Dog Democrat* whom I had met a year before spent the last 10 minutes of our meeting giving me a step by step map on how best to end federal involvement in state drug policy.  Essentially it would be to insert a one paragraph amendment into an appropriations bill stating that no federal funds may be used directly or indirectly to enforce federal law, where the State had nullifed federal law by choosing a different policy. (think medical marijuana in 13 states).

He was a 10 year police veteran turned legislative aide.  His passion showed, as he made sure I understood what to do.  He wants at least marijuana prohibition to be ended ASAP.*

*step up to the plate = der Mut und Begeisterung finden, etwas schwierig und hart zu tun

*caning = jemand mit einem Stab schlagen

*Blue Dog Democrat = im Demokratischenpartei aber conservatif mit Geld

*ASAP = so bald wie möglich

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

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