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.
- DrugWarRant.com, the longest running single-issue blog devoted to drug policy
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Great Harry's Ghost! on Do Cheech and Chong roll his joints?: “aye! Or rolling down the windows and opening the wind wings… (auld phart reference)” May 27, 16:48
Servetus on He’s back: “Police in Uttar Pradesh, India, say rats ate over 500 kilograms of seized weed. The court wanted proof. Could researchers…” May 27, 12:46
Servetus on Do Cheech and Chong roll his joints?: “Research conducted in San Francisco on psilocybin treatment for depression indicates its use does not interfere with or complicate the…” May 27, 12:13
NorCalNative on Do Cheech and Chong roll his joints?: “The body gets rid 0f toxic alcohol, and stores non-toxic cannabinoids in fatty tissue. Fuck what’s in the breath and…” May 26, 20:30
Servetus on Do Cheech and Chong roll his joints?: “The long sought marijuana breathalyzer is still a long way from realization. The government wants a technology to test drivers…” May 22, 22:26
Servetus on He’s back: “Former ONDCP Director John P. Walters has a few credibility problems. One is he’s now the CEO of a neocon…” May 18, 07:26
Servetus on FDA approves over-the-counter Narcan: “Researchers in Bangkok, Thailand have developed an edible coating made from encapsulated CBD that can preserve freshness in strawberries: 17-MAY-2023…” May 17, 20:31
Spade Dude on Do Cheech and Chong roll his joints?: “Three Camberwell Carrots = at least two oz.” May 15, 05:59
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