This is a great time for drug policy reformers. There’s a lot of buzz out there, and there are a ton of drug policy issues being discussed. We need to take advantage of the opportunity and keep the discussion going.
Write a letter to the editor. Strike up a conversation with friends or co-workers about a story in the news. Or even simply comment on news stories in the comments section of your local paper.
In addition to commenting on the drug policy stories out there (Mexico, California legalization, New Jersey Medical Marijuana, etc.), another trick is to show people how so many different stories come back to drug policy reform. Your paper reports on the 15-year-old girl who was beaten by a cop? Forget that it wasn’t about drugs – point out that the drug war has created a dynamic where many cops look at citizens as the enemy.
A story on the economy? (There are lots of those these days.) Point out the massive amounts we’re spending on the drug war while making things worse. The drug war is a stimulus plan for criminal job creation.
A story about a pot bust? Throw them a curve. Compliment the officers on doing their job, but point out that in an hour the pot dealer will be replaced by another one and the taxpayers will be stuck with the bill for enforcement, prosecution and jail.
Use facts and reason. Take the high road. Don’t ramble or get angry, and avoid phrases like “Free the Weed!”
If you want help in writing Letters to the Editor, go to MAPinc – the main resource for getting published.
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