Posted January 25th, 2016 by hiwayhowie
Stories from the week of January 22, 2016
Effective? You betcha (channeling Sarah Palin): Almost done on Thursday an aide who knew of me, stopped me to chat in the hallway. He almost whispered, ‘The marijuana dealers of DC sent some guy up to Harris’ office (R-MD who blocked the opening of MJ stores in the District) and thanked the Congressman for blocking the stores – stating really helps the current MJ dealers in DC.’ He was grinning like the cat that just ate the mouse.
I played dumb and we went our ways.. NOTE: in 2015 recall I went to Harris’ office and did deliver that message. Extrapolating that an aide in another building knew of the visit, I would bet my ‘thank you Dr. Harris’ message’ is all over the entire House. Woohoo!!! I’ll go again just before the vote this spring.
Junk Mail?..: I continued the task of hand delivery to 535 offices and follow up with emails to 535 health legislative assistants, hoping for 2% to read them and one or two might act on it….yikes!! I emphasize (this in my follow up email): “Given 44,000 dead last year, perhaps we should abandon our 19th century approach to drug abuse.”
I did another 81 offices this week on the Swiss HAT program + 4 normal presentations
This week’s stats:
2110 Presentations to Congressional staffers.. 31 this week
160 chats with other elected officials, state reps, senators, VIPs, etc. 03 this week – besides two running for Congress, xcl chat with Speaker of Utah House, Gregg Hughes
1 meeting this week
COP stats since inception: August 2009
114 personal chats with a Member of Congress.. 0 this week
92 interviews and reports in minor media = blogs, cable TV, weekly papers, etc.. 0 this week.
23 major conferences attended – (United Nations drug conf, CPAC, LULAC, NRA, CBC, ASA, DPA, Dem & Repub. Presidential conventions., National Review, etc) this week
60 Radio Interviews.. 0 this week
82 published letters to the editor (value per MAPINC in free publicity: $80,000).. 0 this week
39 published interviews in major (daily) newspapers or magazine… 00 this week
38 Appearances on major TV networks..this week (Fox, ABC, CBS, NBC, Univision, BBC)…0 this week (BBC)
* 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 January 19th, 2016 by hiwayhowie
Stories from the week of January 15, 2016
New/Old Tactic : I spent most of the week hand-delivering the latest, approved edition of the Swiss HAT (heroin assisted treatment) program.** America suffered some 44,000 deaths last year to drug overdose, almost all via heroin or Oxycodone. The information has nothing to do with my main task of drug prohibition. However, since no one on the Hill or the country is even thinking outside the box of more money for law enforcement, I decided to deliver a 3 minute mini presentation to all 535 Members’ offices. This in between my normal presentations to staff.
Note: for stat purposes, I am counting 3 mini-presentations as one normal one. Personal note to self – don’t do this again…after 40 in one day, the mind goes to mush.
Captive audience: A Subway shop just opened in the Rayburn bldg and is very popular. When I got in line the first time, Lady Luck struck hard. Three Congressmen were right behind me, when VT state senator Jeanette White called me regarding coming to her state to testify on a legalize/regulate MJ bill. I made a point of saying why MJ should be treated like beer with all the Congressmen able to hear the words.
I also put my jacket over the chair and all who enter have to pass by it…all good passive advertising. For many reasons, I will be eating more Subway sandwiches.
This week’s stats :
114 personal chats with a Member of Congress.. 03 this week
2079 Presentations to Congressional staffers.. 68 this week
157 chats with other elected officials, state reps, senators, VIPs, etc. 03 this week
1 meeting this week
COP stats since inception: August 2009
92 interviews and reports in minor media = blogs, cable TV, weekly papers, etc.. 0 this week.
23 major conferences attended – (United Nations drug conf, CPAC, LULAC, NRA, CBC, ASA, DPA, Dem & Repub. Presidential conventions., National Review, etc) this week
60 Radio Interviews.. 0 this week
82 published letters to the editor (value per MAPINC in free publicity: $80,000).. 0 this week
39 published interviews in major (daily) newspapers or magazine… 00 this week
38 Appearances on major TV networks..this week (Fox, ABC, CBS, NBC, Univision, BBC)…0 this week (BBC)
* 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
**
SWISS HEROIN-ASSISTED TREATMENT 1994 – 2016: SUMMARY
This summary was taken from six published reports and updated every year. The Swiss Federal Office of Public Health reviewed and approved its release. Additional questions should be directed to Catherine Ritter in Bern – (41) 58-469-18-13– Email Catherine.Ritter@bag.admin.ch – NOTE: This summary was researched and written by Howard J. Wooldridge, a Co-Founder of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition…LEAP
Overview: Due to the severe drug problem in Switzerland in the early 1990s,(rising number of injection drug users, visibility of open drug scenes, AIDS epidemic, rising number of drug related deaths, poor physical health, high criminality) the Swiss made a fundamental shift in approaching the problems caused by heroin addiction. The Swiss offer treatment-on-demand. A variety of different treatments is available, in order to treat a broad range of dependent people. Of an estimated 22-24,000 addicts (dropping 4% per year) 17,500 are in treatment. 92% are given daily doses of primarily methadone at conventional clinics or by general practitioners (the majority). The Swiss treat about 1400 addicts with maintenance doses of heroin via 23 special clinics operating in cities and two prisons. Opioid based treatments are part of a broader therapy that includes social, educational and psychological measures. The Swiss approach has resulted in lower rates of crime, death, disease, a slight drop in expected new users as well as an improvement in mental and physical health, employment and housing. Similar programs have been developed in seven countries: Germany, Denmark, Holland, Belgium, England, Spain and Canada.
* To qualify for a heroin prescription: 1) at least 18 years old; 2) been addicted (daily use) for at least two years; 3) present signs of poor health; 4) two or more failed attempts of conventional treatment (methadone or other); 5) Surrender drivers license; 6) Heroin can only be obtained at the clinic and must be consumed on site (oral or injection). (Note: Under strict control and specific criteria [for example full employment] a few are allowed to take away one oral dose daily)
-
Patients can receive up to three doses of heroin per day. 66% take the heroin via needle injection, the rest via pill or liquid heroin mixed with juice.
B. Patients average about three (3) years in this plan. However, they may stay in treatment indefinitely. 20% of original patients are still in the program.
C. The vast majority of patients are satisfied or very satisfied with the program.
D. Average age of patient: 42 years.
*Crime Issues: 60% drop in felony crimes by patients (80% drop after one year in the program). 82% drop in patients selling heroin.
*Death Rates: No participant has died from a heroin overdose since the inception of the program
*Disease Rates: New infections of Hepatitis and HIV have been reduced for patients.
*New Use Rates: Slightly lower than expected. 1) As reported in the Lancet June 3, 2006, the medicalisation of using heroin has tarnished the image of heroin and made it less attractive to young people. 2) Most new users are introduced to heroin by members of their social group and 50% of users also deal to support their habit. Therefore, with so many users/sellers in treatment, non-users have fewer opportunities to be exposed to heroin, especially in the rural areas.
*Cost Issues: 48 dollars/day: Patient costs are covered by national health insurance agency. Patients pay annually 700 dollars for the compulsory insurance. Note: The Swiss save about 38 dollars per day per patient mostly in lowered costs for court and police time, due to less crime committed by the patients.
*The Swiss purchase about 60 kilos of heroin for treatments ($130,000, black market price: 3.7 million).
*In December 2008 the Swiss voted (68%-32%) to make the program part of their body of laws. HAT is controlled by federal health authorities. * The Swiss approach gives us a glimpse of a context in which drug issues are handled by the medical community.
Reader: What the Swiss Program is not:
1. It has not eliminated street sales of heroin. Dealers still exist in cities with clinics.
2. It is not a ‘free’ drugs program. Patients must purchase health care insurance and receive their methadone or heroin as part of their comprehensive drug treatment therapy.
3. A non-heroin using adult cannot walk into a clinic and receive heroin.
4. Simply put, the Swiss are using a comprehensive public health approach (treatment on demand) to heroin addiction whose unique feature is to allow a small minority of patients to receive pure, maintenance doses of heroin.
5. Heroin is not a legal, regulated and or taxed product in Switzerland.
6. The Swiss have never calculated how many fewer people have taken heroin during the life of the program because of the HAT (heroin assisted treatment) program. They have calculated there was an annual drop of users of about 1% between 1992 and 2002. The Swiss attribute any progress to their Four Pillar’s Approach, not any isolated component.
Posted January 11th, 2016 by hiwayhowie
COP on the Hill: Stories from the week of January 8, 2016
Bunny Hills: I happened to step on the escalator right behind Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL). She and two aides were chatting about skiing and how dangerous it was. She said her aide had real courage to go on even the bunny slopes in Colorado. I chimed in (in Spanish) and she asked why I spoke her first language. I replied, stating my position. She said how she had voted SI to applying the 10th Amendment to all MJ votes in 2016 ( a change for her). I heartily thanked her for the votes and we parted ways. I bumped into three other Members that day + one on Wednesday….woohoo.
Slow & Steady wins the race: On Friday the main six horses that are pulling the anti-prohibition wagon met for two hours to discuss which House Members we could win over this year and how to message in general. Personal Note: it feels so damn good to be one of six instead of one of two. We all feel good going into this year and believe we have a solid chance to win the House vote to essentially repeal the 1937 law on marijuana. I am not taking a vacation day until September.
Best Moment of 2015: 2015 was an extraordinary year of many good advances/victories…this was the best of the best moment.
This is the letter I received from the supervisor of the French teams which toured CO, WA & DC. We had met at their embassy last spring. I choked up, when I read the 3rd line..’Your line of reasonings/arguments are very strong.’
Many, many hours went into that project, not counting 38 years of keeping my French fluent.
Merci Howard,
C’était un plaisir de te rencontrer
Je viens de lire le document que tu m’a donné …. Tes arguments sont très forts.
Je vais contacter Eric des que je rentre à Paris et il est possible que je revienne a DC en juillet pour un autre sujet mais j’essayerai de rencontrer Eric
Cordialement
xxxxx
Envoyé de mon iPhone
This week’s stats :
112 personal chats with a Member of Congress.. 05 this week
2011 Presentations to Congressional staffers.. 08 this week
4 meetings this week
COP stats since inception: August 2009
154chats with other elected officials, state reps, senators, VIPs, etc. 0 this week
92 interviews and reports in minor media = blogs, cable TV, weekly papers, etc.. 0 this week.
23 major conferences attended – (United Nations drug conf, CPAC, LULAC, NRA, CBC, ASA, DPA, Dem & Repub. Presidential conventions., National Review, etc) this week
60 Radio Interviews.. 0 this week
82 published letters to the editor (value per MAPINC in free publicity: $80,000).. 0 this week
39 published interviews in major (daily) newspapers or magazine… 00 this week
38 Appearances on major TV networks..this week (Fox, ABC, CBS, NBC, Univision, BBC)…0 this week (BBC)
* 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 December 18th, 2015 by hiwayhowie
COP on the Hill
Stories from the week of December 17, 2015
Evolving: The most common response in 2015 to: What are the views of the Senator on drug prohibition? – was ‘his/her position is evolving.’ This is a wonderful verb. On Monday I was able to ask (in Spanish, natch) the new Mexican foreign minister, Senora Ruiz-Massieu, why after 100,000 Mexican dead her government still supports marijuana prohibition. She replied, ‘the position of my govt. is evolving on that issue.’ Sweet music to my ears, it was.
Oops: My meeting with Ted, a new aide to Senator Rubio, started by him telling me his dad from Mexico and his mom was from Canada where he was born…I responded, ‘kind of like the story of Ted Cruz.’ Oops….those two presidential candidates are not exactly nice to each other. We quickly moved on to the topic at hand.
Letters to Germany & France: I took out time this week to send letters to my contacts at the French and German embassies… In the age of ISIS & the attacks in France and the USA can we agree that drug prohibition is a luxury the world can no longer afford? This was the theme of the letters. We need all police/federal agents ‘hands on deck’ to reduce the number of attacks. I urged them to have their governments modify the UN Drug Treaty of 1961 to at least end the world prohibition of marijuana.
Why I fight: Of all the harms associated with drug prohibition, my primary concern has always been the teenagers hurt or killed because of their job dealing drugs. The irony does not escape me that non-teen dealers do not like the COP mission, as it will eliminate their lucrative income source.
Last newsletter of 2015…next week most of the offices are closed till 2016
If you are looking for a Christmas gift, see bottom for an idea
107 personal chats with a Member of Congress.. 02 this week
2003 Presentations to Congressional staffers.. 13 this week
154chats with other elected officials, state reps, senators, VIPs, etc. 02 this week
2 meetings this week
COP stats since inception: August 2009
92 interviews and reports in minor media = blogs, cable TV, weekly papers, etc.. 0 this week.
23 major conferences attended – (United Nations drug conf, CPAC, LULAC, NRA, CBC, ASA, DPA, Dem & Repub. Presidential conventions., National Review, etc) this week
60 Radio Interviews.. 0 this week
82 published letters to the editor (value per MAPINC in free publicity: $80,000).. 0 this week
39 published interviews in major (daily) newspapers or magazine… 00 this week
38 Appearances on major TV networks..this week (Fox, ABC, CBS, NBC, Univision, BBC)…0 this week (BBC)
* 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 December 11th, 2015 by hiwayhowie
COP on the Hill
Stories from the week of December 4 & 11, 2015
Guess who’s coming to lunch: Grover Norquist had a lunch special featuring the chief of a center-right think tank, AEI (AEI.org). I was already at the main table. On my left a state rep from Georgia introduced herself. On my right it turned out to be a former SEAL, Rhodes Scholar and founder of ‘The Mission Continues’, Eric Greitens, who has an excellent chance to be the next governor of Missouri.
I had good five minute chats with both of them. With Greitens I focused on him remembering one thing: Cops like MJ prohibition because of the money – wages and asset forfeiture… With the GA rep I spoke only of the need to pass a bill to allow the kids with Dravet’s Syndrome to obtain God’s medicine.
Has the time come?:Making my rounds in the Senate, I made the case to 7 staffers that, ‘in light of the massacre in San Bernardino the prohibition of marijuana is a luxury we can no longer afford.’ I asked them to see if the Member would come out forcefully to end the federal, MJ prohibition. I became quite emotional each time I made the pitch. The lunacy of thousands of my colleagues chasing a green plant, while ISIS fighters plan another massacre is driving me crazy.
Thank you: It is with deep appreciation and gratitude that with your verbal and financial support I finish another year on the Hill. A profound sense of responsibility propels me to the offices of Members of the Congress. Speaking bluntly, there are only four of us who wear out shoes and boot leather to end MJ prohibition ( for contrast – the drug companies have some 650 lobbyists ).
Bottom is a 750 word oped that was published last month in the largest newspaper in Scotland. Perhaps my best effort. They asked me to submit it.
1990 Presentations to Congressional staffers.. 07 this week
152 chats with other elected officials, state reps, senators, VIPs, etc. 03 this week
39 published interviews in major (daily) newspapers or magazine… 01 this week
5 meetings
COP stats since inception: August 2009
105 personal chats with a Member of Congress.. 0 this week
92 interviews and reports in minor media = blogs, cable TV, weekly papers, etc.. 0 this week.
23 major conferences attended – (United Nations drug conf, CPAC, LULAC, NRA, CBC, ASA, DPA, Dem & Repub. Presidential conventions., National Review, etc) this week
60 Radio Interviews.. 0 this week
82 published letters to the editor (value per MAPINC in free publicity: $80,000).. 0 this week
38 Appearances on major TV networks..this week (Fox, ABC, CBS, NBC, Univision, BBC)…0 this week (BBC)
* 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
http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/14032539._The_lives_and_trillions_of_dollars_sacrificed_on_the_altar_of_this_futile_modern_prohibition_/
‘The lives and trillions of dollars sacrificed
on the altar of futile modern prohibition’
SINCE the official beginning
of the drug war in 1971, the
law-enforcement community
in the United States has spent
just over $1 trillion. Tens of
thousands of citizens have died, sacrificed
on the altar of this modern prohibition.
Millions have suffered from a
drug arrest, which haunts them forever
– and the difference on the streets?
Federal research shows drugs are
cheaper, stronger and more “readily
available” to America’s youth.
As a street cop and detective in the
1970s, 80s and 90s, I had a ringside seat
to this unfolding social disaster.
Like most wars, the drug war began
with a high moral purpose – to save
people from some harmful drugs – and
a modest budget. As drugs remained
readily available, government’s response
ratcheted up in the 80s – mandatory
minimums, hundreds of prisons
built, civil asset forfeiture, no-knock
drug raids, drug war exceptions to rules
of search and seizure. We received any
and all laws we asked for to make this
prohibition effective. All for naught.
As an officer, I witnessed a large
number of officers spend much of their
patrol time searching car after car for
an arrest mostly involving cannabis.
Back at the donut shop, they said they
found personal amounts of cannabis
in every tenth car. These officers knew
that command liked pot busts due to
good headlines, as well as the money
and vehicle seizures related to a drug
arrest. The motto “Protect and Serve”
became a quaint, meaningless phrase.
Informally, we became a profession of
“Search and Arrest”.
A chat over a beer with a friend in
1987 illustrates well the failure of this
strategy/policy. Christine had become
a narcotics officer the year before. Excitedly,
she recounted some war stories
of good busts, lots of dope confiscated,
over 100 drug houses shut down,
etc. Into the second beer, she became
a bit quiet. She said it was so discouraging.
Despite all the team’s efforts,
the number of drug houses in the city
had increased and the street prices
of all drugs had dropped – indicating
over-supply.
Police officers learned quickly the absolute
futility of our efforts. Drug dealers
accepted, as a condition of their employment,
death and long prison terms.
Thus, the massive punishment – mandatory
minimums – had zero impact on
the drug trade. Every dealer arrested,
shot or killed was quickly replaced.
AS WE saw the uselessness
of our actions, many narcotics
officers became ever
more aggressive, to compensate
for no tangible
gains. They approached citizens in
large cities, almost demanding they be
allowed to buy drugs. Confrontations
often led to violence and the death of
citizens. Now, in 2015, we watch in
horror as officers shoot and kill someone
suspected of selling a few grams of
cannabis.
To maintain the public’s interest and
financial support, $80 billion in 2015,
we put on a dog and pony show for the
cameras. Every couple of weeks we laid
out a table full of guns, a table covered
in drugs and another overflowing with
money. This to demonstrate yet another
“victory” in our efforts. In the background,
we would show a dozen people
arrested during the drug bust. As the
new century started, we stopped doing
this, as the public accepted the fact that
all drug busts were without meaning.
In the 21st century, the ground is
fertile in Scotland and elsewhere to begin
the debate on how to treat dangerous
drugs. The public knows that this
drug prohibition is an abject failure.
As reported in the 2010 Lancet report,
these prohibited drugs are dangerous,
even deadly. That is not the issue. The
fundamental question is how does the
involvement of the police and prisons
improve anything?
Luckily, the creator of the Drug War
– the USA – is experiencing a fundamental
shift in the public’s attitude
towards drug abuse. Why? Starting in
the 2000s with methamphetamine, and
more recently with heroin, white people
are now the vast majority of citizens
using and abusing illegal, hard drugs.
When mostly people of colour were being
arrested and/or dying from illegal
drugs, the establishment did not care
or passed laws to lock them up. The hypocrisy
stinks.
As a lobbyist in the US Congress
since 2005, I have challenged each
member to state one benefit, one advantage,
of drug prohibition. Not one
has ever been able to. Their silence is
deafening.
Howard Wooldridge is a retired
Michigan police detective who has
campaigned for an end to the war on drugs
