COP on the Hill: Stories from the week of July 18, 2014

Stories from the week of July 18, 2014

I love New York:  Due to my participation in the United Nations drug conference in Austria this spring, I was invited to a planning session for UNGAAS 2016 ( every ten years the UN discusses how their world-wide prohibition is working). After introducing myself as the Co-Founder of LEAP & my standard statement to all such meetings: “The War on Drugs/Drug Prohibition has been the most destructive, dysfunctional and immoral policy since slavery & Jim Crow.”

(UNGASS = United Nations General Assembly Special Session)

To the panel and 75 attendees I proposed: ‘It was my professional experience as a police detective that drug prohibition or War on Drugs increased pain, suffering, death and crime. I propose that before UNGASS 2016 that the United Nation direct the Member States to conduct research as to what causes more pain, suffering, death and crime; the consumption of drugs or their prohibition?’

Immediately the representative from Sweden pushed back saying, ‘Sweden wants a drug free world & we should work towards that goal.’ Such is the typical thinking/statements (I heard ad nauseum in Vienna) 53 years after the first international treaty prohibiting six (6) drugs.

After the meeting ended I had a half dozen chats with panel members & others (the Mexican panel member heartily agreed with my proposal) & all were positive to my proposal.   I should point out that in my two encounters with the UN, nobody speaks ‘plain’ English or proposes much that is sensible (when the microphone is on).

BTW, the Swedish rep – a former police officer – came over and we chatted for 4-5 minutes. On a personal/police basis we found much common ground.

More Crown Royal: On Wednesday the House voted 231-192 to ‘normalize’ banking operations for marijuana-based businesses in the 34 states with such laws. Wow. I am still knocked out by a winning vote.. Yikes!   I am running low on Crown.

A shout out to Michael Collins of DPA and Michael Correia of The Cannabis Industry and the others who worked long and hard for the above winning vote.

This week raw data:

1625 Presentations to Congressional staffers.. 15 this week

54 brief chats with Members of Congress..   02 this week (Nadler & Danny Davis)

46 Radio Interviews..  02 this week

•   COP stats since inception: August 2009

89 chats with other elected officials, state reps, senators, VIPs, etc.     0 this week

• 10 Conversations (five minutes or longer) with Member of Congress..  0 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 (United Nations drug conf, CPAC, LULAC, NRA, CBC, ASA, DPA, Dem & Repub. Presidential conventions.  etc)    this week
• 26 published interviews in major (daily) newspapers or magazine… this week

79 published letters to the editor (value per MAPINC in free publicity: $75,000).. 00 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.    …  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