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News Release |
1001
Connecticut Ave, NW - Ste 710 - Washington, DC 20036 |
December 21, 2000
NM Governor Gary Johnson Heads Speaker List For NORML 2001 Conference
Washington,
DC: NORML is pleased to announce that New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson
(R) will be heading a list of prominent officials addressing the NORML 2001
Conference in Washington, DC, scheduled for April 19-21, 2001. The
conference, entitled "4:20, A Celebration of Personal Freedom," will
be held at the Renaissance Washington, DC Hotel.
Gov. Johnson, who has been a vocal
advocate for ending the drug war and legalizing marijuana, will be the luncheon
speaker on Thursday, April 19. Other featured speakers include Rep. Barney
Frank (D-MA), the principal Congressional sponsor of a federal medical use bill;
San Francisco District Attorney Terence Hallinan; and ACLU Executive Director
Ira Glasser, who will deliver the keynote speech on Thursday morning.
"The fact that these prominent
elected officials will be appearing at the NORML conference is another sign that
the position we espouse is finally gaining some traction with the American
public," said NORML Executive Director Keith Stroup. "Our
opponents can no longer control the public debate by claiming those on our side
of the issue are out of the mainstream. More and more public officials are
finding the courage to challenge current policies, and political leaders such as
Gov. Johnson, Rep. Frank and D.A. Hallinan are showing them the way."
Stroup says the underlying premise of
the conference is "we should stop arresting responsible marijuana
smokers." Throughout the 3-day conference, panels will address topics
such as the medical use of marijuana; drug laws, civil liberties and
discrimination; the courts and marijuana policy; a rational harm reduction
policy regarding kids and marijuana; state voter initiatives; developments in
Europe and Canada; and new strategies to respond to new opportunities.
NORML has scheduled this conference
to coincide with "4/20," the date that has become associated in the
popular culture as a special day for marijuana smokers -- sort of what
"It's Miller time" has become to beer drinkers. "We hope to
build on that tradition and encourage reform supporters to join us in
Washington, DC as a way to celebrate 4/20," Stroup added.
Social events include a High Times/NORML
opening reception on Thursday evening, with a silent art auction and a special
awards presentation; and a special High Times 4/20 Celebration to benefit NORML
on Friday evening.
The annual NORML conference is open
to all who support reforming marijuana policy. It provides an exceptional
opportunity to meet and network with allies from across the country and prepare
for the year ahead. For additional details and online registration, visit
the NORML web site at www.norml.org.
Who, Other Than The Government, Funds America's 'War On Some Drugs?'
Washington,
DC: The NORML Foundation today released a report which seeks to
identify those private companies, foundations and individuals who donate large
amounts of money to perpetuate the failed war on marijuana smokers.
The report examines private donations
to so-called "anti-drug" groups, ranging from DARE to the Partnership
for a Drug Free America (PDFA) to the Center for Alcohol and Substance Abuse
(CASA).
The report was inspired by Drug Czar
General McCaffrey's constant, four-year refrain that drug law reform groups
(principally NORML, The Lindesmith Center and the Drug Policy Foundation) are
awash in funding and are greatly outspending prohibitionists. This obvious
exaggeration by McCaffrey, oft repeated by anti-drug groups, is easily refuted
by a basic financial review of the organizations' Internal Revenue Service
returns.
For the last 15 years, so-called
anti-drug organizations have received funding far greater than that received by
reform organizations. More importantly, many of the prohibitionist donors
have an economic interest in upholding the status quo.
Further, ONDCP's Gen. McCaffrey and
other prohibitionists consistently ask and receive more and more annual funding
from Congress--the ONDCP's FY 2001 budget exceeds $20 billion. However, as
the new report indicates, an increase in spending does not translate into a
reduction of drug use in government surveys.
Drug use charts, organizational
spending data, pro-drug war donor chart and more are found in the 'What's New'
section of www.norml.org.
For more information, please
contact Allen St. Pierre, NORML Foundation Executive Director at 202-483-8751 or
foundation@norml.org
DEA Proposes New Regulations To Limit Hemp Industry
Washington,
DC: The Drug Enforcement Administration is proposing three new
regulations regarding the legality of hemp products, according to a notice
published in the November 30, 2000 Federal Register.
According to the notice, the first
two rules reinforce the DEA's interpretation of the Controlled Substances Act
and states that any product containing tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is considered
a Schedule I controlled substance. The third rule is an interim regulation
and will exempt hemp products considered "legitimate" by the DEA,
essentially, products not for human consumption.
"As part of the ONDCP and DEA's
attempt to support America's drug testing industry, these two pro-drug war
bureaucracies are also trying to stymie the burgeoning public debate over
re-legalizing industrial hemp production," said Scott Colvin, NORML
Publications Director. "Supporters of hemp law reform need to
immediately contact their members in Congress and tell them to stop the DEA and
ONDCP from squashing America's hemp industry."
NORML encourages all citizens
concerned about these proposed regulations to contact members of Congress as
soon as possible. NORML has composed a letter which people can fax to Congress
from the organization's website: www.norml.org.
For more information, please
contact Scott Colvin, NORML Publications Director at (202) 483-5500. To
fax a letter to your members of Congress visit: http://congress.nw.dc.us/norml.
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