The war on drugs cost you $380 this year

[jdubb]

Please read the email below:

Dear Friend,

As 2002 comes to a close, take $380 out of your wallet and kiss it goodbye -- that's how much you'll pay for the drug war next year.

That's right.  Next year 131 million American taxpayers will fund a drug war that will cost nearly $50 billion.  That averages $380 for each individual taxpayer.   That's money wasted on silly interdiction programs doomed to fail; federal police agencies that presumably
should have more important priorities; prison cells for non-violent drug offenders; DARE programs that don't prevent drug abuse; research agendas corrupted by political interference; and treatment programs
that too often are quick to punish and slow to really help those in need.

If you're receiving this email, it's probably because you already know what a disaster the drug war is, and because you want to do something to help.

There's lots of things you can do to help end the war on drugs, but today I'm asking you to join the Drug Policy Alliance, if you're not already a member, and to make a tax-deductible contribution to support our work: http://www.drugpolicy.org/join .

I don't think it's possible to end this crazy and destructive policy unless there's a powerful national organization able to respond forcefully to what the government's doing and to take the offense in
promoting more sensible policies.  Consider your special year-end contribution of $50, $100, $380 or whatever you can give as an investment in a better future for America and everyone else who is harmed by the government's prohibitionist drug war.  

Let me give you just a few examples of our work during the past year:  We:

--Halted the ill-informed "RAVE Act" in Congress, which
would treat
electronic music dance events, concerts, rallies or backyard parties
where someone is suspected of using drugs the same as a crack house,
subject to harsh criminal penalties, and effectively make these
events more, not less, dangerous;

--Countered the government's "drugs and terrorism" campaign
with an
effective media response;

--Helped draft, support, and pass laws in California, New Mexico, and
Hawaii that address overdose, sentencing reform, asset forfeiture
reform, and discrimination against people with a drug conviction in
their past;

--Created a campaign called "Drug Testing Fails Our Youth"
to help
parents, teachers, students, and concerned citizens protect their
right to privacy and keep involuntary drug testing out of their
schools (http://www.drugtestingfails.org);

--Expanded our "Safety First" campaign to promote honest
and
realistic drug education among teenagers and parents
(http://www.safety1st.org);

--Produced the first-of-its-kind "Breaking the Chains: People of
Color and the War on Drugs" conference, which has mobilized
communities of color to oppose the drug war;

--Distributed over 100,000 copies of "About Methadone", a
booklet for
methadone patients, their family and friends, that addresses the
myths and facts of methadone therapy for heroin addiction;

--Beat the federal government (together with the ACLU) in the Conant
v. Walters case, in which the Ninth Circuit court affirmed the
constitutional rights of physicians to recommend medical marijuana to
patients, and debunked the federal government's claims that marijuana
has no medical purpose;

--Supported the creation of a national movement of people who are
outraged by the federal government's raids on medical marijuana clubs
in California;

--Generated and shaped thousands of news stories on drug issues;
appeared on dozens of TV programs and hundreds of radio shows; and
continued building a website which now receives 5.2 million hits per
month.

--Established and co-chaired a drug policy grants program,
administered by the Tides Foundation, to support other organizations
working to end the war on drugs.

WE'RE BUILIDNG AN ORGANIZATION AND A MOVEMENT, BUT WE CAN'T DO IT
UNLESS EVERYONE WHO CARES PITCHES IN.  Please visit
http://www.drugpolicy.org/join to make a
special year-end
contribution today.  

Our most powerful and cost-effective tools to keep you informed are
our electronic ewsletters and Action Alerts.  Thank you for
subscribing.  If you've found the eNewsletter, California eUpdates
and Action Alerts useful, pass them along to a friend, and donate
today at http://www.drugpolicy.org/join.  If you're a
member of the
Drug Policy Alliance, you will also receive The Ally, our twice-
yearly newsletter.

The Drug Policy Alliance is David to the drug war's Goliath.  We're
fighting to fundamentally reform the way we deal with drugs in this
country.  We're  working to eliminate the criminal justice system
from the center of drug policy and relegate it to the edges.  We're
committed to taking marijuana entirely out of the criminal justice
system, and to treating other drug problems primarily as health
problems, not crime problems.  Please join us today.

Very truly yours,

Ethan Nadelmann
Executive Director

[spazoid]

I volunteer to mediate the dispute between drugs and the Bush administration.  This war has gone and too long and too many good drugs have been lost.  I will do my best to make peace.  I will try to ellicit goodwill by forcing Bush and drugs to recall the good times they had together in his youth, before their relationship went sour.  It's time to bring them together once again and give peace a chance!