Posted July 16th, 2015 by hiwayhowie
Stories from the week of July 10, 2015
Transition: On Thursday I attended a reception at the German embassy to say farewell to my contact/friend and meet his replacement. 35 cops were on hand to share stories, wine, beer and world-class hors-doeuvres.
I had a pleasant chat with the local head of the DEA. He informed me that my departing friend had told the group all about me and LEAP! I was elated, as my German friend and I share the belief that all drugs should be legal. I had a nice 5 minute chat in French with the cop from Switzerland; the rest of the two hours was all German (I did speak English with the DEA guy).
On the Wings of Personal Pain: At Grover’s this week a gentleman from Missouri told us about a massive change in the system of how local govts fund themselves…in the aftermath of Ferguson..pretty great changes….I met him afterwards to thank him for the vote in Jefferson City to legalize the Charlotte’s Web – CBD strain of medical marijuana. He replied he was the author of the bill and that his daughter has Dravet’s Syndrome. I was nearly speechless, as I mumbled, “Bless you sir.”
I know he must have spoken to Congressman Luetkemeyer and US Senator Roy Blunt ( both from MO) about this, as both switched their votes in favor of states’ rights for all medical marijuana this year.
Only counted as one: My radio interview with Bill Frezza has been heard around the country. I have received dozens of notices of its broadcast and people re-tweeting it. It officially only counts as one radio gig, even as probably many 6 figures of people listened to it.
1876 Presentations to Congressional staffers.. 02 this week
75 brief chats with Members of Congress.. 03 this week
146 chats with other elected officials, state reps, senators, VIPs, etc. 01 this week
02 meetings this week
COP stats since inception: August 2009
16 Conversations (five minutes or longer) with Member of Congress.. this week
38 published interviews in major (daily) newspapers or magazine… 00 this week
59 Radio Interviews.. 0 this week
88 interviews and reports in minor media = blogs, cable TV, weekly papers, etc.. this week
22 major conferences attended.. (United Nations drug conf, CPAC, LULAC, NRA, CBC, ASA, DPA, Dem & Repub. Presidential conventions., National Review, etc) 0 this week
38 Appearances on major TV networks..this week (Fox, ABC, CBS, NBC, Univision, BBC)…0 this week (BBC)
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 July 3rd, 2015 by hiwayhowie
Stories from the week of July 3, 2015
Limited Window — I was sitting at the Chipotle’s at Union Station, sitting where every customer would be able to read the shirt, when the young lady said, “10 seconds. GO!”
“We can arrest more pedophiles, if we don’t waste time on a green plant. Kids should not have a job selling, which gets them shot.” (my standard response). Hearing that she engaged me in a 1 minute of chat, before she had to order her food.
TV Producer calls: COP was honored on Monday with email from the associate producer of an HBO TV program now in its xth season. She liked the website, made contact – asking for names and contacts of current LE who had changed their minds on the Drug War and were still carrying a badge, are a judge, a prosecutor etc.
I carved out some time to send her 4 names with brief CVs and will provide the rest this weekend. I was crazy busy this week.
Forgot he was black, oops: Making a point with an Ohio staffer, my dialog is: ‘During the time when the speed limit was 55, I enforced that. The feds provided my dept. with many thousands of dollars for the OT pay. Bad law, as 20 years of kids doing this: “Daddy, what is that on the dash?” It is a radar detector son and tells me when the cops are around (with the voice inflection of anger). Daddy, I thought the police were our friends {at this point I stopped, realized the staffer was black and I said, “this story probably won’t work for you,..can you pretend? sure]…the cops are our friends except for this stupid speed limit.’
I make the point that when the law is really bad, citizens find a way to go around the law or simply break the law (MJ laws). Either way, such laws are not good for society.
The awkwardness of the moment was just that ‘a moment.’ We had a solid chat after my presentation. What my profession has been doing the last 12 months makes me want to cry.
On the radio: Tomorrow, July 4th at 1 PM EDT and again 7 EDT my interview with Bill be aired.
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REAL CLEAR Radio Hour with Bill Frezza
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Tune in Saturday for our Fourth of July Special!
Not sure if I posted this earlier this year: newspaper article w/ foto:
http://www.dailyitem.com/news/ex-cop-drug-war-a-disaster/article_2197ccde-d698-11e4-88e0-cb5585dead82.html
1874 Presentations to Congressional staffers.. 20 this week
02 meetings this week
COP stats since inception: August 2009
16 Conversations (five minutes or longer) with Member of Congress.. this week
72 brief chats with Members of Congress.. 00 this week
38 published interviews in major (daily) newspapers or magazine… 00 this week
59 Radio Interviews.. 0 this week
145 chats with other elected officials, state reps, senators, VIPs, etc. 00 this week
88 interviews and reports in minor media = blogs, cable TV, weekly papers, etc.. this week
22 major conferences attended.. (United Nations drug conf, CPAC, LULAC, NRA, CBC, ASA, DPA, Dem & Repub. Presidential conventions., National Review, etc) 0 this week
38 Appearances on major TV networks..this week (Fox, ABC, CBS, NBC, Univision, BBC)…0 this week (BBC)
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 July 1st, 2015 by hiwayhowie
Stories from the week of June 26, 2015
Almost out of a job: While hugging a Redwood tree in California, the House came within 12 votes of repealing the 1937 federal prohibition of marijuana law. 45 Repubs voted 10th Amendment. Sadly 24 Dems voted to keep federal officers crashing thru your front door.
On states’ rights for medical MJ, the House voted 242-186 to return to the States the decision of how to handle the medical use….67 Repubs voted our way..
In the Senate’s first ever vote on the issue the committee voted 21-9 to approve state’s rights for medical MJ. Wow!! 6 Repubs voted our way.
What it all means: I wanted to see a concrete example of the fruits of our labor. Near Colorado Springs we visited an MJ store. I had the ‘clerk’ show me child-proof containers ( 3 types were used), edibles, joints, loose bud, etc. All very educational. I did become a bit emotional. THIS is what I have worked towards for 18 years.
Long and short = we, the MJ team of dedicated professionals will be working very hard in the coming months to convert 12+ offices to see the light.
New Player/Partner: I attended a Monday morning meeting at the National Press Club. Third Way sponsored the event titled, “How to win a marijuana vote.” I learned a bunch and most importantly what sales to the public. FYI, when discussing policing, lead first with that officers should focus on serious, public safety crimes, not a green plant. That cops want the money for the budgets, OT is all true but the experts say lead with the miss-use of precious, limited police time.
It will slow you down: I was careless last Sunday. Long story short…my foot somehow was on the same space as Misty’s rear right hoof, hers being on top = 300 or so pounds for one second. Nothing broken but I could only go to work starting on Friday.
1854 Presentations to Congressional staffers.. 06 this week
59 Radio Interviews.. 01 this week
03 meetings this week
COP stats since inception: August 2009
16 Conversations (five minutes or longer) with Member of Congress.. this week
72 brief chats with Members of Congress.. 00 this week
38 published interviews in major (daily) newspapers or magazine… 00 this week
145 chats with other elected officials, state reps, senators, VIPs, etc. 00 this week
88 interviews and reports in minor media = blogs, cable TV, weekly papers, etc.. this week
22 major conferences attended.. (United Nations drug conf, CPAC, LULAC, NRA, CBC, ASA, DPA, Dem & Repub. Presidential conventions., National Review, etc) 0 this week
38 Appearances on major TV networks..this week (Fox, ABC, CBS, NBC, Univision, BBC)…0 this week (BBC)
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 May 22nd, 2015 by hiwayhowie
COP on the Hill
Stories from the week of May 22, 2015
Really?: I was able to ask a NC Republican why he voted against the 10th Amendment last year on MJ. He replied he was all in favor of 10th but was concerned the feds had to pay the treatment costs for those who become addicted to MJ.
I left him a note the next day asking for how much Congress spends to help such a problem. I am not holding my breath waiting for his office to respond.
Arnie’s Army: (if you are too young to know what that was –Golfing great Arnold Palmer attracted spectators like Tiger Woods)…..On Thursday the Capitol was swarming with NORML members for their annual lobby day. I needed to finish passing out a sheet on HR 1940 to all House members.
After lunch 5 from Georgia wanted to see the Cowboy do his work. Russ filmed us going from office to office. After 25 minutes or so the Army wanted to try it on their own…I gave each of them a floor in the Longworth building…
After we met again to debrief, I said what they had just done was just part of the routine, mundane, boring part of the job. My Army was adamant I was wrong! They were energized and close to thrilled to be part of what it takes to change the world. No doubt after doing this for 10 years, I needed to be reminded by the rookies of how important the work is.
Serious work: I had a brain burp. I went to Dr. Harris’ office in my professional clothes. I told the aide that a couple of DC-based MJ dealers wanted to thank Congressman Harris for his leadership in blocking MJ stores opening in the District. I described how the dealers had nearly doubled their sales and profits in 2015 ( the Washington Post ran a story this week titled: “the drug dealer protection act” and mentioned how Harris was a leader in protecting drug dealers)..
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/how-dc-pot-legalization-has-become-the-dealer-protection-act-of-2015/2015/05/17/5cbcd730-f28d-11e4-b2f3-af5479e6bbdd_story.html
The aide took down the info, as she asked for my business card which I supplied. I acted like I do such things all the time. I was quite convincing I believe. Oscar time?
Au Canada: Karen and I leave tomorrow for San Francisco, going on US 50 all the way on our motorcycle. Then we turn right to Vancouver and right again on Canada One & back home.
I am mentally and physically in need of this extended time off. Please know that the professionals I work with in DC will be pulling the wagon hard during my absence.
72 brief chats with Members of Congress.. 04 this week
1848 Presentations to Congressional staffers.. 08 this week
58 Radio Interviews.. 01 this week
01 meetings this week
COP stats since inception: August 2009
16 Conversations (five minutes or longer) with Member of Congress.. this week
38 published interviews in major (daily) newspapers or magazine… 00 this week
145 chats with other elected officials, state reps, senators, VIPs, etc. 00 this week
88 interviews and reports in minor media = blogs, cable TV, weekly papers, etc.. this week
22 major conferences attended.. (United Nations drug conf, CPAC, LULAC, NRA, CBC, ASA, DPA, Dem & Repub. Presidential conventions., National Review, etc) 0 this week
38 Appearances on major TV networks..this week (Fox, ABC, CBS, NBC, Univision, BBC)…0 this week (BBC)
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 May 21st, 2015 by hiwayhowie
Stories from the week of May 15, 2015
Marijuana and the Brain: On Tuesday I attended a luncheon/briefing sponsored by a Congressional office that was a balanced assessment of the potential medical benefits and the known dangers associated with MJ use. I was able to ask the head of NIDA, Dr. Volkow why her agency had not studied the federal patients like Irv Rosenfeld who has been smoking 10 government-supplied joints per day for some 30 years. Her lame (my opinion) excuse was NIDA does not do original research, rather they fund doctors who want to. Pitiful.
Il vaut la peine: I had a brain burp on Monday regarding the French teams which were spending the week talking to almost exclusively police orgs in Denver, Seattle and DC…Yes, the country I could not mention a month ago was France. Due to the positive reports sent to Paris in November of 14 and February of 15 (the visits COP helped to arrange in CO and WA), the French sent teams from Paris to explore the issue more thoroughly.
Alarmed at the imbalance of the meetings, I called my contact at the embassy and asked to meet with the DC team in order to present ideas of why the police orgs oppose legalization. He agreed. I was able to recruit retired MD State Police Officer, Captain Leigh Maddow (also a LEAP board member) at the last moment.
The one hour meeting at the embassy stretched to 90 minutes, as we answered their questions and presented our side of favoring legalize/regulate. The chief of the French team and I had a chance to chat en français for 10 minutes in the parking lot. As you know, always good to speak French with a decent accent (not like Spanish cow – as the saying goes).
The Four Reasons we gave were:
Money for wages, OT, grants from DC and state govt
Money from Civil Asset Forfeiture
Emotion – buddies who died and legalize/regulate means they died in vain
Blue Wall of Silence – cops are intimidated by command and fellow officers/fellow prosecutors, etc into staying silent
As you can imagine, I have been polishing my French several hours per day the last four weeks. I am confident it paid off. I received a nice note from the team leader, thanking Leigh and me for the information. Leadership at LEAP, DPA and MPP received a copy of the results of the meeting and the fact that they can pass on any info to the French and German govts thru me. PS. I know more than I can tell you but……
Double Crown and double chocolate this week!!
1848 Presentations to Congressional staffers.. 10 this week
02 meetings this week
COP stats since inception: August 2009
16 Conversations (five minutes or longer) with Member of Congress.. this week
68 brief chats with Members of Congress.. this week
38 published interviews in major (daily) newspapers or magazine… 00 this week
145 chats with other elected officials, state reps, senators, VIPs, etc. 00 this week
88 interviews and reports in minor media = blogs, cable TV, weekly papers, etc.. this week
57 Radio Interviews.. this week
22 major conferences attended.. (United Nations drug conf, CPAC, LULAC, NRA, CBC, ASA, DPA, Dem & Repub. Presidential conventions., National Review, etc) 0 this week
38 Appearances on major TV networks..this week (Fox, ABC, CBS, NBC, Univision, BBC)…0 this week (BBC)
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
