Posted March 20th, 2015 by hiwayhowie
Stories from the week of March 6 & 13, 2015
Activity of the week: UN annual conference on dangerous drugs
Rockstar? After a 10 hour flight from DC & a short train ride to the middle of Vienna, I emerged from the tunnel into daylight. I was orienting myself, when a voice called out, “Are you with LEAP?” Naturally I was wearing my COPS SAY LEGALIZE POT windbreaker. The 25 year old made sure I bought the weekly subway ticket guided me to the right level. Good start to my stay.
We are not crazy! First day – a guy who remembered me from last year engages me in a chat. He is essentially a detective/police specialist employed by the United Nations. I asked if when he is amongst his colleagues, if they chat about the stupidity of the world-wide prohibition of a few drugs. “Sure.” He elaborated. Any chance he and his buddies might mention to others with more authority at the UN? He started to laugh and I joined in. He wants to keep his cushy job.
No Frontal Assault: I had several, serious folks advise me on how to change the world. As I made contacts on the main floor – handing out the “Cheerful News from Colorado” in 4 languages – I used this strategy/verbal argument: ‘We are 54 years into a grand experiment in WW drug prohibition. We hear speaker after speaker, nation after nation, detail the problems they are having caused by the policy. I believe the UN should – for the first time – do an analysis to see if prohibition is reducing the pain, suffering and death around the world.’
Eyebrows go up and non-verbal behaviors hint that this might be a solid approach to take..the frontal assault = amending the treaty, an admittedly heavy lift
Alice in the UN: Speaker after speaker uses the term “this controlled substance,” to talk about a prohibited drug. I have to believe that many truly believe these drugs are actually controlled due to the UN treaties vs. controlled by the Cartels, criminals and terrorists. Their language strikes one as almost creepy – so out of touch to reality.
This week’s raw data:
137 chats with other elected officials, state reps, senators, VIPs, etc. 26 this week (delegates to UN meeting)
- 22 major conferences attended.. (United Nations drug conf, CPAC, LULAC, NRA, CBC, ASA, DPA, Dem & Repub. Presidential conventions., National Review, etc) 01 this week
01 meetings this week (Center Right Meeting in Vienna, Austria)
- COP stats since inception: August 2009
1759 Presentations to Congressional staffers.. this week
61 brief chats with Members of Congress.. 0 this week
- 36 published interviews in major (daily) newspapers or magazine… this week
55 Radio Interviews.. 0 this week
- 87 interviews and reports in minor media = blogs, cable TV, weekly papers, etc.. 0 this week
38 Appearances on major TV networks..this week (Fox, ABC, CBS, NBC, Univision, BBC)…0 this week (BBC)
12 Conversations (five minutes or longer) with Member of Congress.. 0 this week
81 published letters to the editor (value per MAPINC in free publicity: $80,000).. 0 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. www.citizensopposingprohibition.org
Posted March 2nd, 2015 by hiwayhowie
Stories from the week of February 27, 2015
Give thanks: My dear wife Karen had only a pillow to hold onto for three nights this week, as I galloped off to CPAC. Home for two nights and now off again for 17days in Vienna as part of the LEAP team to attend the UN’s conference on dangerous drugs and more ‘save the world’ stuff. Karen is the wind under my wings. Je t’aime.
Is the COP message more popular than new Sarah Palin of CPAC?: After back to back fotos & captions in the New York Times and the Washington Post, plus another bunch of stories, mentions and fotos in major media, this CPAC was a thundering success for the legalization message. The report on Gary Johnson debating legalization used my foto talking to two uniformed officers, instead of the former two term governor of New Mexico, etc, etc.
Silly me. I was thinking of a new message for next year’s CPAC t-shirt. !Not!
Special moments at CPAC: Active duty Army Sgt made a beeline to me and thanked me for the shirt/activism. Due to Iraq combat, he suffers PTSD and knows how much God’s meds work.
Last hour of last day the police Lieutenant and Sgt who were supervising the 20 or so deputies at the conference asked me why. We had a super 20 M chat in the main hallway. The Lt. had been on the scene, when Neill Franklin’s best friend was shot dead on a dope arrestl gone bad.
The near constant expressions of thanks from the young, “Go LEAP” type shouts, hand signals, “can I get a foto with you?” etc….all made this a wild, wonderful & exhausting 3 ½ days.
COPs Mission: The primary goal of COP is to repeal the federal prohibition of drugs (starting with marijuana). A lesser mission is to further, in the macro, the end of prohibition in all 50 states.
To that end, COP partnered at CPAC (Conservative Political Action Conference) with LEAP and a new org RAMP (Republicans Against Marijuana Prohibition). COP provided half of the $4,000 fee for a booth. LEAP donated their booth display and materials. RAMP and LEAP provided the people to talk to attendees at the booth. I was in reserve for lunches and such.
This level of collaboration is what keeps reform going forward and ever closer to fulfilling our mission statements. Next week I will partner with LEAP at the United Nations in Vienna, Austria. Your $$ support makes such projects possible. Thank you.
This week’s raw data:
1759 Presentations to Congressional staffers.. 04 this week
61 brief chats with Members of Congress.. 01 this week (Jeb Hensarling TX – R)
111 chats with other elected officials, state reps, senators, VIPs, etc. 03 this week (Gov Perry of Texas = most VIP)
- 21 major conferences attended.. (United Nations drug conf, CPAC, LULAC, NRA, CBC, ASA, DPA, Dem & Repub. Presidential conventions., National Review, etc) 01 this week
- 36 published interviews in major (daily) newspapers or magazine…08 this week
55 Radio Interviews.. 02 this week (20 M live on Serius Radio + NPR )
- 87 interviews and reports in minor media = blogs, cable TV, weekly papers, etc.. 06 this week
02 meetings this week ( Grover’s, Wilson Center – Uruguay topic)
- COP stats since inception: August 2009
38 Appearances on major TV networks..this week (Fox, ABC, CBS, NBC, Univision, BBC)…0 this week (BBC)
12 Conversations (five minutes or longer) with Member of Congress.. 0 this week
81 published letters to the editor (value per MAPINC in free publicity: $80,000).. 0 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. www.citizensopposingprohibition.org
I am #10 in photo essay
http://www.nationaljournal.com/politics/cpac-conservatives-to-millennials-blah-blah-blah-20150226
Republicans Warn Washington to Think Twice About Legalizing Marijuana
By JENNIFER STEINHAUERFEB. 26, 2015 ..New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/27/us/as-marijuana-becomes-legal-in-washington-congressional-republicans-warn-city-to-think-twice.html?smprod=nytcore-iphone&smid=nytcore-iphone-share
Bloomberg News…9th foto
http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/photo-essays/2015-02-26/inside-cpac-2015
Cruz now supports 10th amendment; http://www.ibtimes.com/cpac-2015-cruz-marijuana-policy-shifts-1830142
Recall two years ago at CPAC, he read my t-shirt saying, “I like what your shirt says.”
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/thousands-flock-to-cpac/2015/02/27/b0758a42-bebd-11e4-b274-e5209a3bc9a9_gallery.html ( I take my cowboy hat off to be polite to those behind me)
Posted February 23rd, 2015 by hiwayhowie
COP on the Hill
Stories from the week of February 20, 2015
Please, arrest me: On Friday I was chatting with two Capitol police officers at a door checkpoint. I started by informing them they had missed the chance for a big bust this morning. I had had my briefcase full of free, MJ samples for Congressional staff but at 1500 they were all gone.
They countered with the story of a guy earlier this week. They asked what is in the 303 shell casing (fairly large rifle bullet)…the guy extracted a small bud of MJ. He then demanded the police arrest him, putting his hands together to be cuffed. My colleague didn’t miss a beat. “You wanted to be arrested for that much marijuana? Take it outside and give it to a Metro DC officer.” And escorted him out of the building. Times are a changin.
Two weeks ago recall I asked the Drug Czar a question…did not know CSpan covered it…my question starts around 1:07 & 45 seconds…the non-reply is a few minutes later. CSPAN: http://www.c-span.org/video/?324232-1/discussion-us-domestic-foreign-drug-policy
It’s working: It is worth noting I heard my first full-throated defense in six months for drug prohibition this week. The WV office and his staffer were absolutely convinced that current policies are working to reduce crime, death, disease and drug use. !Yikes! Still having two out of 435 offices clueless. The Senate is worse with about 20 out of 100 being clueless.
My colleague from MPP Don Murphy gave me an excellent tip at lunch…if Congress allows states to legalize, there will be more money for states that don’t…i.e. if you are a vegetarian, that leaves more meat for me…I will try next time… thanks Don.
Published LTE in Baltimore Sun: At very bottom “Heroin Prohibition is the Problem.”
This week’s raw data:
1755 Presentations to Congressional staffers.. 16 this week
81 published letters to the editor (value per MAPINC in free publicity: $80,000).. 01 this week
02 meetings this week
- COP stats since inception: August 2009
60 brief chats with Members of Congress.. 0 this week
108 chats with other elected officials, state reps, senators, VIPs, etc. 0 this week
12 Conversations (five minutes or longer) with Member of Congress.. 0 this week
- 20 major conferences attended.. (United Nations drug conf, CPAC, LULAC, NRA, CBC, ASA, DPA, Dem & Repub. Presidential conventions., National Review, etc) 0 this week
- 81 interviews and reports in minor media = blogs, cable TV, weekly papers, etc.. 0 this week
53 Radio Interviews.. 0 this week
38 Appearances on major TV networks..this week (Fox, ABC, CBS, NBC, Univision, BBC)…0 this week (BBC)
- 28published interviews in major (daily) newspapers or magazine…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. www.citizensopposingprohibition.org
URL: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v15/n103/a02.html
Newshawk: http://www.drugsense.org/donate.htm
Votes: 0
Pubdate: Tue, 17 Feb 2015
Source: Baltimore Sun (MD)
Copyright: 2015 The Baltimore Sun Company
Contact: talkback@baltimoresun.com
Website: http://www.baltimoresun.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/37
Author: Howard J. Wooldridge
HEROIN PROHIBITION IS THE PROBLEM
Tsunamis of drugs have rolled into and around Maryland since the 1960s. As a retired detective, I worked the trenches of our drug war. Polls show 80 percent of the people recognize the total failure of policy.
Indeed, the police are a mosquito on the butt of an elephant. We have never, ever been able to make more than a dent in drug availability. Attorney General Brian Frosh needs to come clean to Maryland residents and admit that heroin prohibition is more the cause of deaths than a way to reduce them ( “Maryland joins multistate task force to combat heroin,” Feb. 12 ).
Howard J. Wooldridge, Buckeystown
The writer, a retired police detective, is co-founder of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition.
Posted February 16th, 2015 by hiwayhowie
Stories from the week of February 13, 2015
Wink, wink – nod, nod: Making the rounds this week at House offices, I had a staffer inform me his boss was never going to let go of the drug war. He then whispered that several in the office were not in agreement with the boss and gave me a big wink. Just made my day.
Sir Walter Raleigh II: Finishing the day, I was in the back of the elevator, when it stopped on 4. Freshman Congresswoman Barbara Comstock (R-VA) was there with an aide. She said she would wait for the next one. I cried out, “Will no one give up their place for the new Congresswoman from Virginia?”
Sure enough, one gentleman stepped out, insisted she take the spot. She did and the aide used the stairs. I was able to introduce myself and the mission. She is a regular at Grover Norquist meetings = I certainly don’t learn/recognize many Members.
New Allies: www.ThirdWay.org hosted a breakfast of all the major players in the MJ reform movement. 17 of us showed up. May I say it was an impressive group of trouble-makers. Third Way is a center left think tank of moderate size/influence that just added marijuana as one of their issues. They will be a force going forward.
This week’s raw data:
1739 Presentations to Congressional staffers.. 13 this week
60 brief chats with Members of Congress.. 02 this week (Barbara Comstock – R/VA & Juan Vargas – D/CA)
02 meetings this week
- COP stats since inception: August 2009
108 chats with other elected officials, state reps, senators, VIPs, etc. 0 this week
12 Conversations (five minutes or longer) with Member of Congress.. 0 this week
- 20 major conferences attended.. (United Nations drug conf, CPAC, LULAC, NRA, CBC, ASA, DPA, Dem & Repub. Presidential conventions., National Review, etc) 0 this week
- 81 interviews and reports in minor media = blogs, cable TV, weekly papers, etc.. 0 this week
53 Radio Interviews.. 0 this week
80 published letters to the editor (value per MAPINC in free publicity: $79,000).. 0 this week
38 Appearances on major TV networks..this week (Fox, ABC, CBS, NBC, Univision, BBC)…0 this week (BBC)
- 28published interviews in major (daily) newspapers or magazine…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. www.citizensopposingprohibition.org
Posted February 15th, 2015 by hiwayhowie
Stories from the week of February 6, 2015
No longer a wild & crazy guy: A Capitol police officer has been interested in my issue since I arrived nearly 10 years ago. He remarked this week that whereas upon my arrival I was considered close to a lunatic (promoting legalization of all drugs), now I am close to mainstream and winning votes. After only 10 years, I/the message is an overnight success.
From a staffer where the Member voted no: “Thanks for the email this morning, Howard! I’ll do what I can to preach the good word in this office.” ….Nice to know the message is being spread, even when I am not there.
The word is ‘Prohibition:’ On Friday 100 gathered at the CSIS (Center for Strategic & International Studies: http://csis.org/ to hear the Drug Czar and the US’s chief delegate on drug issues at the United Nations (William Brownfield). Brownfield thundered that the world faced two choices: Legalization or Prohibition.
It was gratifying to hear the word ‘prohibition’ employed to describe current policies. He later stated these four pillars of US policy. A Summary of his total remarks at the bottom.
- Respect the integrity of the existing UN Drug Control Conventions…
- Accept flexible interpretation of those conventions.
- Tolerate different national drug policies…accept the fact that some countries will have very strict drug approaches; other countries will legalize entire categories of drugs…
- Combat and resist criminal organizations
I met both after the presentation and had a brief chat.
This week’s raw data:
1726 Presentations to Congressional staffers.. 20 this week
03 meetings this week
108 chats with other elected officials, state reps, senators, VIPs, etc. 02 this week
Drug Czar Botticelli & Ambassador Brownfield
- COP stats since inception: August 2009
58 brief chats with Members of Congress.. 0 this week
12 Conversations (five minutes or longer) with Member of Congress.. 0 this week
- 20 major conferences attended.. (United Nations drug conf, CPAC, LULAC, NRA, CBC, ASA, DPA, Dem & Repub. Presidential conventions., National Review, etc) 0 this week
- 81 interviews and reports in minor media = blogs, cable TV, weekly papers, etc.. 0 this week
53 Radio Interviews.. 0 this week
80 published letters to the editor (value per MAPINC in free publicity: $79,000).. 0 this week
38 Appearances on major TV networks..this week (Fox, ABC, CBS, NBC, Univision, BBC)…0 this week (BBC)
- 28published interviews in major (daily) newspapers or magazine…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. www.citizensopposingprohibition.org
Brownfield’s remarks & analysis by a reporter
:
State-level cannabis reforms, which gathered steam this month, have exposed the inability of the United States to abide by the terms of the legal bedrock of the global drug control system; the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs. This is something that should force a much-needed conversation about reform to long-standing international agreements. But while ostensibly ‘welcoming’ the international drug policy reform debate, it is a conversation the US federal government actually wishes to avoid. The result is a new official position on the UN drugs treaties that, despite its seductively progressive tone, serves only to sustain the status quo and may cause damage beyond drug policy.
The 1961 Single Convention has been massively influential. Almost every state in the world is bound to prohibit cultivation, trade and possession of cannabis and a range of other substances such as coca and opium for anything but medical and scientific purposes. Wherever you are, your drugs laws are probably modeled on this agreement.
The United States has been a staunch defender of this legal regime. The treaties are central to its foreign policy on drugs, including in Latin America. But at home the government has been clear that it will not trample on the will of voters with regard to cannabis, even though this places it in breach of the 1961 Convention. So the US faces a predicament; a treaty breach it does not wish to admit within a system it wishes to protect.
The response is the new ‘four pillars’ approach, set out by Ambassador William Brownfield (Assistant Secretary of State for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement):
Respect the integrity of the existing UN Drug Control Conventions…
Accept flexible interpretation of those conventions…
Tolerate different national drug policies…accept the fact that some countries will have very strict drug approaches; other countries will legalize entire categories of drugs…
Combat and resist criminal organizations
Brownfield’s statement received some positive responses, welcoming it as a breakthrough in drug policy reform. However, its attractiveness is superficial and there are important reasons to be cautious.
For US foreign policy on drugs the four pillars make sense in the short term. Through these pillars, the US can appear to embrace reform discussions while changing nothing of substance. US approaches to Latin America that have dominated US attentions can carry on as before. The US gets to continue to have presence in places it has no business being other than to fight the drug trade – the fourth pillar of this ‘new’ approach.
In addition, in defending the ‘integrity of the treaties’, the US can go on using those treaties as a disciplinary tool against producer and transit nations in the region. Under the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, when a country does not fulfill the requirements of the international drugs conventions, the President determines that the country has ‘failed demonstrably’ to meet its obligations, which can lead to sanctions.
Bolivia received such a determination again only a few weeks ago. While explaining the rationale for a more ‘flexible interpretation’ Brownfield said, ‘Things have changed since 1961’. However, the Presidential Determination on Bolivia stressed that the ‘frameworks established by the U.N. conventions are as applicable to the contemporary world as when they were negotiated and signed by the vast majority of U.N. member states’.
