COP on the Hill:  Stories from the week of May 24, 2024

This Week:

This week I wrapped up my 6 week running task of giving all offices info on how to arrest a driver for DUI Marijuana  All fairly routine chats.

Better Late than Never:  Back in 2016 when California finally legalized marijuana, the major CA police association opposed the change and urged the public to continue MJ prohibition.

In a 180 change in thinking:  this last week from the Executive Director of my old org, LEAP of which I am a Co-Founder.

Here is a link to an article in Marijuana Moment Two police associations endorsed a great bill that the Cannabis Freedom Alliance (we are on as coalition partners also supports). But critically we need to keep this when we discuss our historical work and how we influence policing. In 2016 PORAC donated 25K in opposition to Proposition 64 which legalized adult consumption. We actively worked on the campaign that helped it pass. In 2024 they are supporting a bill that also supports interstate commerce and ending federal marijuana prohibition. PORAC for those not familiar with the CA policing association is the largest police association in CA as most CA LE agencies belong to them. I am still a PORAC member.

But kudos to our (LEAP) founders and all those that I can’t tag in this email who should be acknowledged for being visionaries in the prohibition wilderness. This language in the article is exactly what we have messaged for years, with the exception of the words illicit substances at the end. They just can’t bring themselves to recognize that its all drug prohibition that is the issue, but baby steps.

“The STATES 2.0 Act will facilitate law enforcement’s focus on diminishing those illegal markets and the bad actors taking advantage of the growing legalization movement occurring in a majority of states throughout the country. This will also enable law enforcement agencies, many of whom are understaffed and underfunded, to focus their limited resources on addressing more serious crimes and illicit substances.”

1 meeting: Grover Norquist  :

6015 Presentations to Congressional staffers… 06  this week

473 chats with other elected officials, state reps, senators, VIPs,   … 03 this week..2 R candidates running for the US House.  1  Member of the German Parliament.  He told us the only accomplishment of Berlin the past year was to legalize cannabis. And Germany is seriously considering bringing back the military draft.  He and I discussed in German how the legalization is proceeding.

COP stats since inception: August 2009

400 personal chats with a Member of Congress… 00

117 Appearances/Interviews on major TV/Radio/Print media. 0 this week

245 interviews and reports in minor media … 0 this week –

102 Radio Interviews:  01 this week

34 major conferences attended – CPAC 2024, (3 UN drug conferences in Vienna, Austria),  LULAC, NRA, CBC, ASA, DPA, Dem & Repub. Presidential conventions., National Review, Republican Annual Retreat etc.) 0 this week

Media:  Blaze TV {new, popular right-wing}, (Fox, ABC, CBS, NBC, Univision, BBC, CNN, NPR, OAN, German, Swiss, French, Spanish TV and radio) Detroit News, Detroit Free Press, Grand Rapids Press + 9 other MI papers. Chicago Tribune, Honolulu Star Advertiser {foto and caption}, Reason Magazine, Reuters, Stern

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