Citizens Opposing Prohibition:  2020 Annual Report

Citizens Opposing Prohibition:  2020 Annual Report (Covid Year)

The Covid Year of 2020 started well.   January was average as I made numerous presentations to staffers on the Hill.  February brought me to the primary in New Hampshire with my MPP partner in trouble-making, Don Murphy.  Like we did in 2016 in NH, we had dozens of media interviews, many published with our fotos.  I spoke personally with 6 of the candidates, regarding applying the 10th Amendment to God’s green plant.

CPAC 2020 was another 4 days of fun and work, as I had about 150 conversations plus a dozen interviews.

I was working closely with the JD staffer for Tulsi Gabbard, as that office planned to introduce either a resolution or bill, calling for total drug decrim at the federal level.  Launch date was early March and hello,  Mr. Covid  took all the oxygen out of the room and locked me out of Congress.  My staffer friends informed me that no offices would hear any info or ideas outside of Covid related issues.

I did make a decision in late summer to abandon the issue of marijuana and focus on the single largest part of the Drug War post marijuana; the 1.4 million arrests my colleagues make every year for simple possession of all drugs.  Moreover, during the five years of Obama and four of Trump administrations, federal agents had not bothered state-legal operations.  Thus, Drug Decrim became the focus of COP.

Those same staffers informed me around Labor Day that the Congress was ready to hear ideas for 2021.  I engaged by telephone.  After an adjustment period, I was back in the saddle, enjoying my work as I also got the message out.  I was able to do about 150 presentations the remainder of 2020.  The message was well-received by staffers of all persuasions, as I focused on the madness, the damage of Mass Incarceration and its impact on voter suppression.

International:  No meetings abroad due to Covid.  I was in email communication with the Swiss Federal Health Ministry who reviewed, updated and approved the 2021 version of the HAT (Heroin Assisted Treatment) program for distribution to Congress.  All things being equal I will have lunch with her and her staffer in September 2021 in Bern.

166 presentations

6 chats with Democrats running for President

10 chats with Members of Congress

5 radio interviews

40  Minor press interviews (most from New Hampshire primary work)

7 TV interviews, major press comments

5 radio interviews

2 major conferences, events attended

09 Chats with minor officials, VIPs