DEA Raids/Canada/DEA and MPP Museums

Dear Friend,

Just as Canada leapfrogs over England in the quest to reduce the
criminal market for marijuana, the U.S. government steps up its
persecution of the sick and dying ...

* This morning, DEA agents raided the Wo/Men's Alliance for Medical
Marijuana in Santa Cruz, California. This co-op grew marijuana and
distributed it free to its 300 members -- 85 percent of whom are
terminally ill with cancer, late-stage AIDS, or other horrible
illnesses -- and was known statewide as a caring and conscientious
operation. But that didn't matter to the two dozen armed DEA
agents who swarmed down on the co-op, tore up its garden and
arrested founders Valerie and Mike Corral on marijuana trafficking
charges, taking them away in handcuffs. In press interviews, DEA
spokespeople are no longer denying that they are explicitly going
after medical marijuana providers. Indeed, they appear to be
targeting the most conscientious and ethical dispensaries in an
effort to send a message that no one is safe. Please check
http://www.mpp.org tomorrow (Friday) for articles that will be
appearing in the Oakland Tribune and elsewhere.

* Yesterday, the Canadian Senate Special Committee on Illegal Drugs
released a landmark report that calls for sweeping changes in
Canada's marijuana laws. The report states, "Clearly, current
approaches are ineffective and inefficient. Ultimately, their
effect amounts to throwing taxpayers' money down the drain in a
crusade that is not warranted by the danger posed by the
substance. ... As far as cannabis is concerned, only behaviour
causing demonstrable harm to others should be prohibited: illegal
trafficking, selling to minors and impaired driving. ... In our
opinion, Canadian society is ready for a responsible policy of
cannabis regulation that complies with these basic principles."
This group of venerable Canadian senators is recommending exactly
what MPP's Nevada ballot initiative would do. For details on the
Canadian report, see http://www.mpp.org/releases/nr090302.html .

* Two days ago, the DEA debuted its distasteful and disgraceful
museum exhibit in Arlington, Virginia, which seeks to exploit the
victims of the September 11 attacks by accusing casual drug users
of funding terrorism. MPP blasted the exhibit in a national
Associated Press story, while at the same time releasing our own
on-line exhibit that charges, "It is the 'War on Drugs' that
promotes terrorism, and the DEA and its law-enforcement allies
regularly commit terrorist acts." Please see ...

http://www.mpp.org/states/site/quicknews.cgi?key=1467
http://www.mpp.org/releases/nr090202.html
http://www.mpp.org/TargetAmerica

Sincerely,

Rob Kampia
Executive Director
Marijuana Policy Project
Washington, D.C.

P.S. To donate to MPP's ballot initiative campaign in Nevada, please
see http://www.NRLE.org .

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