COP Annual Report: 2016

COP stats for 2016

257 Presentations to Congressional Staffers
27 chats with a Member of Congress
51 chats with other elected officials, state reps/senators, VIPs, etc
22 interviews and reports in media
7 radio interviews
2 published letter to the editor
3 published interviews/foto in major (daily) newspaper (NY Times, example)
2 major conferences attended (United Nations drug conference and CPAC)
A week in New Hampshire and a week in South Carolina attending 26 presidential rallies
535 Congressional offices visited at least twice

Weekly attendance at Grover Norquist Wednesday ‘Center-Right’ group attended by 150 conservatives

Cost / Expenses:

3050 – transportation – mileage, parking, train, metro,
1540 – meals
4600 – UN & CPAC conferences
400 – office supplies
840 – internet, phone costs
0000 – webmaster, 990 preparation, Howard’s time (all donated)

Spent: $ 10,400 – Total amount raised in 2016…circa $13,000

Work Done in 2016 by Citizens Opposing Prohibition (COP)

Congress – COP continued to focus on educating the Congress which resulted in steady progress to our goal of applying the 10th Amendment to prohibited drugs, starting with marijuana. We came within 10 votes of that goal in the House. All the ‘small steps’ of the past ten years are bearing fruit. As a COP member, be proud of the part you have played in making this happen.
Nationally – COP spoke truth to power in NH and SC. I and Don Murphy were able to speak to all candidates (except Bernie and Trump) and asked if they would apply the 10th to marijuana.

Internationally – COP continued to play a role. A two-hour coffee chat in central Germany with a member of the German Parliament (Frank Tempel) has solidified the bonds between USA and German police orgs (LEAP). He asked for and I have been supplying his office with a steady stream of USA reports on developments in the marijuana industry/law. I made him aware of the report on Colorado and Washington prepared by the German embassy in 2015. Frank introduced a bill in late 2016 to allow the 16 German states to choose their own path on marijuana.

COP was there in Vienna this spring for the annual UN conference on dangerous drugs. Asking two UN employees the fastest route to end the world-wide marijuana prohibition, both answered, “legalize it in California.” Thus 2016 will be the last Howard takes the two weeks and the money to attend.

Field Work: Howard and Don Murphy spent a week before their primary to attend rallies (24), interview with media (many) and speak to the candidates (all but Trump and Fiorina). I had several fotobomb events, the best in the NY Times and CNN.

Manchester, NH – election day – on set with CNN ‘foto bomb’