[Peace] News and call for help.

Thu Mar 24 15:42:33 CST 2005

Since I have not been able to make it to as many AWARE meetings as I would like,
I am forwarding this email that I posted to a national drug policy reform list
so anyone interested can know what I am working on.  I occasionally share news
and progress and call for help from people around the country.  Right now,
their eyes are on Champaign-Urbana as a model for other parts of the country,
since we are sensible and progressive!  Attached is the most updated version of
the U-C Progressives Contact List, and at the end of this email there is an
action alert about a possible increase in the Illinois budget for drug testing
(a costly practice we know does not reduce drug use)...

To my fellow reformers,

I have lots of news of progress to report from Champaign-Urbana!  I am also
writing to let people know what I am working on in case you have some time to
help, including an Action Alert from Illinois NORML at the end

1.  New cannabis and drug equipment policies in Urbana
First of all, the Urbana City Council will be voting on what can best be
described as a decriminalization ordinance on April 20.  The ordinance has lots
of support, and would make simple cannabis and/or drug equipment possession a
ticket instead of arrest.   I must thank City Council member Danielle Chynoweth
for sponsoring the ordinance and working with me to get to this point, and also
all the members of UIUC NORML/SSDP who helped analyze all the data I received
from the Urbana Police Department.  Let me know if you would like to see the
research results, Executive Summary, or any of the other documents related to
this project.

2.  Coalition for Citizen Police Review (http://www.prairienet.org/cprb/)
Also because of Council member Chynoweth, the Coaltion I am a part of has the
opportunity to shape the task force that will create the Urbana Citizen Police
Review Board.  The task force will be officially formed when our new mayor
takes office in May, so until then if you are interested in shaping the future
of this extremely important legislative board please let me know.  The Board
will review complaints about police actions and will also review city policies
(such as drug policies!) and make recommendations for improvements to the City
Council.  This Board is only as powerful as we make it!  I really need help
figuring out where in the country boards like this exist and how, and also if
you have ideas about who should be on the task force or on the board and how we
should proceed please let me know!

3.  Rise Act
I have begun contacting relevant Illinois legislators, thanking them for their
support of the Rise Act or asking for their support.  The Rise Act would repeal
the Drug Provision of the Higher Education Act, which currently denies financial
aid to students with a drug charge on their records.  If you would like to help
with this campaign, please let me know.

4.  HB779
This bill made it out of committee and will be voted on in Springfield, Illinois
at some point in the future.  If passed, it would require police to take DNA of
anyone arrested (not charged!) for a felony.  I am still in the research stages
with this bill, as I do not know when it will be voted on or where legislators
stand.  Can you help research and contact lawmakers?  Thanks to Chris Mulligan
and all the others who have been working on this for years!

5.  Religious Leaders for Community Care
Through my job at the University YMCA (www.universityymca.org) and because of
Forgiveness Weekend (a conference about felony disenfranchisement I organized
through C-U Citizens for Peace and Justice), I have developed a working
relationship with several influential religious leaders here who started a
group many years ago called Religious Leaders for Community Care.  They have
not been active lately, but consider themselves a racial reconciliation group
and have been rejuvenated by recent events and campaigns in town.  They would
like me to work more closely with them, but I have not been able to decide what
is the best course of action.  Last week, one of the leading members (a chaplain
at one of the hospitals here) arranged for me to have lunch with several doctors
and other chaplains, and I talked with them about medical cannabis, racial
disparities in arrest and incarceration rates, and medicalizing heroin,
cocaine, and other drugs.  Any suggestions of where to go from here?

6.  WRFU 104.5 FM (http://www.radiofreeurbana.org/)
In June, a new radio station will go on air in Urbana, and I would like to have
a weekly show.  However, there is no way I can do this alone.  We have almost
complete freedom with topic, but it will of course be drug policy related.  The
first training session is April 9.  Please let me know if you are interested in
helping me produce the show.

7.   Medical Cannabis Act
One of our state representatives recently voted against the Medical Cannabis
Act, even after meeting with members of IDEAL Reform,  UIUC NORML/SSDP, and
Illinois NORML.  She also received a petition with hundreds of signatures of
support, and dozens of calls and emails, including a call from the Associate
Chancellor of the U of I who beat cancer with the help of cannabis.  None of
this made any difference to her, and we recently received letters from her that
were filled with direct quotes from the Drug Czar.  I need help countering her
arguments and publishing articles about her and medical cannabis in local
papers! Speaking of the UC IMC (www.ucimc.org), they often cover whatever NORML
is working on on their weekly radio show and on their website, and are now
welcoming our stories in their monthly print publication.

8.  Hash Wednesday (www.uiucnorml.org)
On 4/20 on the UIUC Quad, the UIUC chapters of NORML and SSDP (along with
several cosponsoring organizations) will hold another annual Hash Wednesday!
This is the third year we have been organizing it, but it has been going on
since the 70s.  This year will be even better than the last two and will
include educational displays and speeches along with endless games and prizes!
I recently visited local headshops and learned that the owners had ordered
things like cannabis flags and other fun things in honor of the holiday!  Let
me know if you need directions or more information.

9.   Champaign County Health Care Consumers (http://www.prairienet.org/cchcc/)
This is an extremely powerful and well-known health care advocacy group.
Despite knowing someone on the staff, I have not been able to get them
interested in things like medical cannabis.  If you have a chance to take a
look at their site, please let me know how you would approach them and about
what issues.

10.  Progressive Contacts
There are several large progressive organizations in the Champaign-Urbana area
that have helped me put together a “master” list of progressive contacts for
the area.  It is always growing, and I have been working on adding a “Drug
Policy and Prison Reform” section.  The current version is attached so you can
get an idea of what I am talking about.  If you have things like this from your
part of the country, can you pass them on to me?  If you have a personal file of
drug policy and prison reform contacts and resources that you are willing to
share, it would really help.  Right now the categories I am working on are
books, films, reports (such as the 2005 NORML report and the 2000 Human Rights
Watch report), subscriptions (such as Drug War Chronicle and SSDP talk),
people/organizations, and links.

11.  Talking Points
Illinois NORML would like to compile a set of official taking points/stances on
medical cannabis, hemp, decrim, prison issues, etc.  Does your organization
have such a thing already or are you aware of a source where I can find
something like this?

12.  Drug Testing Action Alert!
The Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority (ICJIA) is asking the public
for comments on drug testing. They want to hear from citizens about seven
priorities they have set on how to spend a little more than $14 million in
federal grant money. The ICJIA is getting less federal money this year - almost
25% less - and they want to hear from us on how to spend it.

As mentioned, there are seven priorities, but one in particular is of interest
to this list: Priority 7.

Here's what it says: Priority 7 - Support efforts with law enforcement,
prosecution, and probation to combat, disrupt and test drug users.

If you would like to participate in this action, here is the website and contact
information: also below you will find nine links to information on drug testing.
It would be good to send in different kinds of science and editorials to the
ICJIA. This is a good opportunity to educate. Here's what they are asking for
(more info online at http://www.icjia.state.il.us/public/ just scroll down)

AUTHORITY REQUESTS PUBLIC INPUT FOR PROMOTING SUCCESSFUL AND EFFECTIVE JUSTICE
ASSISTANCE GRANT PROGRAMMING:
REQUEST FOR INPUT

The Authority welcomes your comments on these priorities and will consider all
input as it develops JAG funding priorities for federal fiscal year 2005. This
is your opportunity to inform the Authority of criminal justice issues, crime
problems, and possible interventions, and help guide the Authority's
administration of federal funds for the next year. You may submit comments by
e-mail, fax, or U.S. mail. Submission of comments does not constitute an
application for grant funding. The Authority must receive your comments by
Friday, March 25, 2005.

Comments may be e-mailed to:

ltaylor at icjia.state.il.us

Comments may be faxed to the attention of:

Linda Taylor at 312-793-8422

Written comments should be directed to:

Linda Taylor
Federal & State Grants Unit
Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority
120 S. Riverside Plaza, Suite 1016
Chicago, IL 60606

********
Items of interest to mail, email, or fax by March 25, Friday, 2005.

1.
Drug Test Nation
Reason Magazine, by Paul Armentano (February 2005)
http://www.reason.com/hod/pa020905.shtml

2.
Urine - Or You're Out
Reason Magazine, by Jacob Sullum (November 2002)
http://www.dpeg.org/DrugTesting/urine_or_out.htm

3.
Drug Testing Fails at School and Work
Common Sense for Drug Policy
http://www.csdp.org/publicservice/drugtest.htm

4.
Effect of Random Drug Screening on Fatal Commercial Truck Accident Rates
By Dennis D. Swena (1999)

"This study was unable to establish a causal association between the
initiation of random drug screening and decreasing fatal truck accidents."

http://www.criminology.fsu.edu/journal/drugscreen.pdf
http://www.criminology.fsu.edu/journal/drugscreen.htm

5.
Erowid Reference Database:
Relationship between student illicit drug use and school drug-testing policies

"Drug testing was not associated with students' reported illicit drug use,
or with rate of use among experienced marijuana users. Drug testing of
athletes was not associated with illicit drug use among male high school
athletes."

http://www.erowid.org/references/refs_view.php?ID=6102

6.
Drug Testing in the workplace by the ACLU
http://www.erowid.org/psychoactives/testing/testing_info3.shtml

7.
Shy Bladder During Drug Test Gets Some Workers Fired
http://www.cleartest.com/testinfo/drug_testing_shy_bladder.htm

8.
Report questions benefits of drug tests in schools (Australia)

"A new report out today warns that random drug testing of school children
attending private schools is little more than a crude marketing tool aimed
at impressing concerned parents and protecting school reputations.

"A national study into the effect of harsh drug policies in high schools
shows the policies are more for a school's reputation than the well-being
of students. "

http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v05/n259/a05.html?21389

9.
Should We Drug Test Our Children?
By Dr. Henry David Abraham

"...But random drug testing doesn't work in the way that its advocates hope
it will.  Random drug tests do not answer the critical questions of how
much, or even what, a kid has been taking, or how often.  Testing does not
discriminate between kids who experiment and kids who are seriously
involved with drugs.  Testing can be inaccurate.

A crafty child can sabotage it.  Testing ignores the most medically
devastating drugs, tobacco and alcohol.  But most instructive of all,
scientific data show that random drug testing does not reduce drug use."

http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v05/n237/a02.html?21389

Thanks - action needs to be completed by Friday, March 25.

Illinois NORML

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