Posted March 25th, 2014 by hiwayhowie
Stories from the week of March 7, 2014
CPAC 2014: It was 3 long days of non-stop talking/listening to the roughly 5,000 rabid conservatives. I had 3 knock-down chats w/ lovers of prohibition…the other 150 chats were a love fest.’Zillions’ took a foto of the shirt. For the first time ever CPAC did a straw poll on legalize/regulate marijuana. A plurality 41% said YES to legalize, 27% more said only MMJ, 20% keep all illegal, 10% undecided. Not too bad.
I am in a great hurry to pack for two weeks in Vienna to battle the UN and its drug czar.
Major change: I promoted LEAP all weekend, not COP…more on this later.
One story: Sarah Palin and I had a 20 second chat in 2012. As she was walking out on Saturday, we made eye contact. She waved and winked. I waved.
The media was tremendous…21 interviews..5 already published. See below…
From Buzz Feed: http://www.buzzfeed.com/bennyjohnson/25-glorious-things-you-only-find-at-cpac?s=mobile20. The postcard Republican family…
…and their crazy uncle.
From The Atlantic: a cowboy-hatted former policeman in a “Cops Say Legalize Pot” T-shirt asked Beach, “How do you justify morally the deaths of dozens and dozens of kids (killed while selling marijuana) on your altar of prohibition?”
From Huffington Post: http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/4931557?utm_hp_ref=tw
Howard Wooldridge
Do you support decriminalization? “Yes, because we can arrest more pedophiles and other threats to our kids if we don’t waste time on a green plant. And we want to eliminate the job option that teenagers have — to sell marijuana and other drugs — so that they aren’t shot, six to seven of them every day in America. It’s shameful, it’s immoral that this country has a job option for kids which gets them shot, killed or at a minimum sucked into a gang and a lifetime of crime.”
Have you ever smoked weed? “I have smoked pot. The last time I smoked illegal pot was 35 years ago at Michigan State.”
From Al Jazeera:
And then there were those who were impatient for the Republican Party to get with the times and modernize.
Howard ‘Cowboy’ Wooldridge wandered the convention center sporting a cowboy hat and a T-shirt reading “Cops Say Legalize Pot” — once a heresy among conservative voters but one that is starting to gain more traction.
“Conservatives and libertarian-leaning folks understand that prohibition is a liberal nanny state policy,” said Wooldridge, a former police detective. “Young kids get it — they believe in personal freedom.”
He added that Republicans were at risk of once again alienating those voters if they were unwilling to at least adopt the stance that the decision should be left up to the states.
“You’re going to annoy 25 million young people,” he said. “They’re going to think we’re the same old dinosaurs, the same tired old people who are stuck in the last century.”
Retired Police Detective Howard “Cowboy” Wooldridge, co-founder of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition, uses the legalization of pot as a conversation starter for personal liberties on March 7.
From Politico (Major Capitol Hill paper: http://www.politico.com/gallery/2014/03/cpac-2014/001677-023873.html
Huffington Post:
- 58 chats with other elected officials, state reps, senators, VIPs, etc. 08 this week
- 81 interviews and reports in minor media = blogs, cable TV, weekly papers, etc.. 16 this week
- 36 Appearances on major TV networks..this week (Fox, ABC, CBS, NBC, Univision)…02 this week
- 18 major conferences attended.. this week (CPAC, LULAC, NRA, CBC, ASA, DPA, Dem & Repub. Presidential conventions. etc) 01 this week
- 26 published interviews in major (daily)newspapers or magazine… 03 this week
COP stats since inception: August 2009
1490 Presentations to Congressional staffers.. 01 this week
- 77 published letters to the editor (value per MAPINC in free publicity: $75,000).. this week
- 55 brief chats with Members of Congress.. this week
40 Radio Interviews.. 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. If you agree that Modern Prohibition/War on Drugs is the most destructive, dysfunctional and immoral policy since slavery & Jim Crow and want to be a part of the solution… 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
URL: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v14/n219/a01.html
Newshawk: Kirk
Votes: 0
Pubdate: Tue, 04 Mar 2014
Source: Baltimore Sun (MD)
Copyright: 2014 The Baltimore Sun Company
Contact: talkback@baltimoresun.com
Website: http://www.baltimoresun.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/37
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v14/n206/a05.html
Author: Howard J. Wooldridge
WHY POLICE OPPOSE LEGALIZED POT
Speaking as a retired detective, I heartily agree with Dan Rodricks’ observation that Maryland police officers want – a little too much – to maintain marijuana prohibition ( “The social fears behind the pot wars,” Feb. 27 ). Based on my 17 years of involvement in reform, the last eight on Capitol Hill as a lobbyist and advocate, my profession has three reasons to keep marijuana illegal: money, money and emotion.
Police make lots of money in the easy overtime for the minor bust and drug squads and receive lots of “free” money from the federal and state governments to chase a green plant. Civil asset forfeiture is an important and growing factor in police budgets. Drug cases actually bring money into the department, whereas arresting a pedophile is a drain on the budget.
But here’s where emotion comes into play: It will be traumatic for many officers to accept the reality that their colleagues who have been hurt or killed in drug cases suffered for an evil, ineffective and failed social policy. Officers in Colorado and Washington already know this pain.
Howard J. Wooldridge,
Posted March 24th, 2014 by hiwayhowie
Stories from the week of February 28, 2014
Preparing for the United Nations conference in Austria: With the help of several friends/native speakers my materials are correctly translated into my three foreign languages. I am feeling confident to hit the streets of Vienna running. Outside of attending the Norquist brunch and my meeting at the Swiss embassy, I was focused like a laser on preparing for the trip.
Meeting went long, really long: I met with two attachés to the Swiss ambassador – the police and health. She spoke German, he spoke French, and so we conducted the meeting in English. At the end of planned meeting they were still asking questions and we kept going. After 90 minutes I put my hat back on and said auf Wiedersehen to Frau Fontana. As Philippe guided me out to the door, we broke into French and had a wonderful, cop-to-cop chat in the foyer the next 15 minutes. I believe he might be in the process of re-evaluating his beliefs. Either way, it was an excellent start to our relationship.
During the meeting I emphasized the extent of the US Oxycodone problem combined with the doubling of heroin use in the past two years. The Swiss HAT (heroin assisted treatment) is something America needs to look at and adopt…yesterday. I urged them to speak to the ambassador & perhaps inform America of the Swiss success.
- 1490 Presentations to Congressional staffers.. 01 this week
COP stats since inception: August 2009
- 50 chats with other elected officials, state reps, senators, VIPs, etc. this week
- 77 published letters to the editor (value per MAPINC in free publicity: $75,000).. this week
- 55 brief chats with Members of Congress.. this week
40 Radio Interviews.. this week
- 65 interviews and reports in minor media = blogs, cable TV, weekly papers, etc.. this week
- 23 published interviews in major (daily)newspapers or magazine… 00 this week
- 17 major conferences attended.. this week (CPAC, LULAC, NRA, CBC, ASA, DPA, Dem & Repub. Presidential conventions. etc) this week
- 34 Appearances on major TV networks..this week (Fox, ABC, CBS, NBC, Univision)
- 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. If you agree that Modern Prohibition/War on Drugs is the most destructive, dysfunctional and immoral policy since slavery & Jim Crow and want to be a part of the solution… 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
Posted March 24th, 2014 by hiwayhowie
Stories from the week of March 14, 2014
Down the Rabbit Hole at the UN Drug Conference in Vienna: At the end of a first day of 100 speeches which focused on how much drugs hurt our children & nothing on the status of the prohibition approach after 53 years…I was a bit of ‘where in the hell am I?’ Are these people just clones with different names?
Towards evening, I asked the UK gentleman to explain & help me understand what I was missing. Simply put, ‘nothing is said here which does not have 5 layers of complexity far beyond drug policy.’ In other words; this is an Alice in Wonderland community.
The UK guy gave me his translation of the days speeches based on his 20 years of attending this conference: the tone away from ‘get tough’ – War on Drugs is a good thing — to one of human rights, treatment vs. jail and decrim are important changes to make — for him this was a sea change for this gathering. Having put six weeks of preparation into this project, I DID feel much better after he put it all in perspective.
Fortune favors the bold: The Queen of Sweden has been the chairwoman of the NGO (Non-Government Organization) meeting for many years and a harsh & fierce drug warrior. She said over and over that drugs hurt children. When the 3 hour meeting ended, I walked down to the front to attempt a contact. Just before she reached the exit door, we made eye contact (maybe she liked my Stetson??) and I said, ‘Your majesty. We all care about children. As a police officer I know that drug prohibition means kids sell drugs and are shot and killed every day as a result. This is terrible. Prohibition is causing the death and suffering of our children. This government report shows the problem.’ I extended the document and she took it. Woohoo. Document is at the bottom which was discovered by COP Board Member Jerry Epstein.
Having an edge: The next day I was in the corridor looking for contacts. An attendee said, ‘hello.’ I responded ‘Bonjour’ because I had heard him speaking French to the guy next to him. We began a nice chat en français naturellement. The third person in this group turned out to be the head of the INCB (International Narcotics Control Board) and a fierce drug warrior.
An English speaker was given about a minute to make his pitch for a change in policy. My new friend told Monsieur Raymond Yans (Mr. INCB) that this American speaks very good French. He gave 2-3 minutes to make my pitch. It was able to make a full ‘mini-pitch,’ & we had a good ‘give and take.’
Oh yeah…when I am not working, I am non-stop improving my Spanish, German and French.
- 61 chats with other elected officials, state reps, senators, VIPs, etc. 03 this week
COP stats since inception: August 2009
1490 Presentations to Congressional staffers.. this week
- 81 interviews and reports in minor media = blogs, cable TV, weekly papers, etc.. this week
- 36 Appearances on major TV networks..this week (Fox, ABC, CBS, NBC, Univision)… this week
- 18 major conferences attended.. this week (CPAC, LULAC, NRA, CBC, ASA, DPA, Dem & Repub. Presidential conventions. etc) this week
- 26 published interviews in major (daily)newspapers or magazine… this week
- 77 published letters to the editor (value per MAPINC in free publicity: $75,000).. this week
- 55 brief chats with Members of Congress.. this week
40 Radio Interviews.. 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. If you agree that Modern Prohibition/War on Drugs is the most destructive, dysfunctional and immoral policy since slavery & Jim Crow and want to be a part of the solution… 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
Why do more than 900,000 teenagers sell drugs1 but not alcohol or cigarettes?
Because alcohol and tobacco are regulated and sold through stores
Notes:
1) “Alcohol Use and Delinquent Behaviors among Youths,” April 2005, SAMHSA Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration (www.SAMHSA.gov), USDHHS. (www.hhs.gov)
In 2003, nearly 9 million (36.1 percent) youths aged 12 to 17 had engaged in at least one delinquent behavior during the past year. Almost 6 million (23.8 percent) youths took part in a serious fight at school or work, 4.5 million (18.1 percent) youths took part in a group-against-group fight, 2.1 million (8.3 percent) youths attacked someone with the intent to seriously hurt them, 1.1 million (4.5 percent) youths stole or tried to steal anything worth more than $50, more than 900,000 (3.6 percent) youths sold illegal drugs, and more than 900,000 (3.6 percent) youths carried a handgun during the past year.
Posted March 3rd, 2014 by hiwayhowie
Stories from the week of February 21, 2014
The Hat: At Grover Norquist’s brunch Republican National Committee head Reince Priebus was the VIP of the day. Though in a hurry to leave, he stopped to shake my hand saying, “I always enjoy seeing the hat.” (he has seen the hat 4-5 times in the past couple of years). He gave me 90 seconds to make my pitch that he should urge party leaders to flush the marijuana issue by repealing the federal prohibition…before the start of the debates in 15.
Republican governor of Texas Rick Perry and I had breakfast on Wednesday (along with 150 others). During Q & A I was able to thank him for being a man of principle and his endorsement of the 10th Amendment approach to marijuana. Politicians, like all of us, appreciate positive feedback. Later we shook hands and exchanged a few words.
It is a big deal: Late last year I was approached by a group which attends the bi-annual United Nations conference on drugs. They have me on a break-out panel during this 10 day conference where I will speak Spanish. All the details are now worked out, plane ticket is bought, hotel room reserved and I am working on all my languages to make sure I am at the top of my game. Note: panel is in Spanish, world press is often in French and of course they speak German in Vienna.
One published LTE this week at the bottom.
- 1489 Presentations to Congressional staffers.. 02 this week
- 50 chats with other elected officials, state reps, senators, VIPs, etc. 2 this week
- 77 published letters to the editor (value per MAPINC in free publicity: $75,000).. 01 this week
COP stats since inception: August 2009
55 brief chats with Members of Congress.. this week
40 Radio Interviews.. this week
- 65 interviews and reports in minor media = blogs, cable TV, weekly papers, etc.. this week
- 23 published interviews in major (daily)newspapers or magazine… 00 this week
- 17 major conferences attended.. this week (CPAC, LULAC, NRA, CBC, ASA, DPA, Dem & Repub. Presidential conventions. etc) this week
- 34 Appearances on major TV networks..this week(Fox, ABC, CBS, NBC, Univision)
- 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. If you agree that Modern Prohibition/War on Drugs is the most destructive, dysfunctional and immoral policy since slavery & Jim Crow and want to be a part of the solution… 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
WHY DOES SEN. BROWER HATE FREEDOM?
Re “Don’t be a dick, Senator Brower” ( Editorial, Jan. 30 ):
Big Pharma is already losing north of $2 billion a year in lost sales to God’s medicine, the green plant. Somebody has to look for the poor drug companies, so why not Sen. Brower? The other possibility is his ego would be shattered, if he had to admit he was wrong on the issue of medical marijuana.
Some senators like Brower want to continue to stick their nose in my doctor’s office and tell him what is or is not good for me. Brower is obviously neither a lover of liberty nor less government intrusion in the lives of the citizens of Nevada.
Howard Wooldridge
Pubdate: Thu, 13 Feb 2014
Source: Reno News & Review (NV)
Copyright: 2014, Chico Community Publishing, Inc.
Contact: renoletters@newsreview.com
Website: http://www.newsreview.com/issues/reno/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2524
Author: Howard Wooldridge
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v14/n115/a02.html
Adamstown, Maryland
Posted February 24th, 2014 by hiwayhowie
COP on the Hill
Stories from the week of February 14, 2014
Good week to be sick: Snow did shut down the government for a day and a half. My cold turned into bronchitis…
Karen shaking her head: I did go in on Wednesday for Grover’s meeting and I really wanted to meet with John Conyers’ chief legal counsel. Karen could not stop me. And of course I came home and spent the next two days flat on my back.
Police abuse: I was headed into the House Office Bldg, when the Capitol Police officer motioned me over. He had many questions about marijuana policy around the country and locally. As he inspected the cars for bombs & bad guys, we chatted…And chatted in the sharp wind and 20 degree temperature.
I made eye contact with two aides I knew and at least one Congressman, as they drove by in their cars. Always good to be seen talking to a Good Guy with a gun.
Elevator chat: Congressman Pierluisi of Puerto Rico was chatting with his aide before we entered the elevator. In the elevator I asked her in Spanish to help with a translation. In English I said, “How does one best translate: 5-6-7 teens are shot everyday because of their employment as drug dealers?” She gave me the translation and the crowded elevator knew my politics. BTW, Puerto Rico has been experiencing massive, new violence in drug prohibition cases.
Oh and I did catch Conyer’s staffer and he promised to talk to the Congressman. As this goes out, I am back to almost healthy. Karen is still shaking her head.
- 1487 Presentations to Congressional staffers.. 01 this week
COP stats since inception: August 2009
55 brief chats with Members of Congress.. this week
76 published letters to the editor (value per MAPINC in free publicity: $75,000).. this week
40 Radio Interviews.. this week
- 48 chats with other elected officials, state reps, senators, VIPs, etc. 0
- 65 interviews and reports in minor media = blogs, cable TV, weekly papers, etc.. this week
- 23 published interviews in major (daily)newspapers or magazine… 00 this week
- 17 major conferences attended.. this week (CPAC, LULAC, NRA, CBC, ASA, DPA, Dem & Repub. Presidential conventions. etc) this week
- 34 Appearances on major TV networks..this week(Fox, ABC, CBS, NBC, Univision)
- 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. If you agree that Modern Prohibition/War on Drugs is the most destructive, dysfunctional and immoral policy since slavery & Jim Crow and want to be a part of the solution… 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
