Pubdate: Fri, 7 Nov 2008
Source: AlterNet (US Web)
Copyright: 2008 Independent Media Institute
Website: http://www.alternet.org/
Author: Ethan Nadelmann, Drug Policy Alliance
Note: Ethan Nadelmann is founder and executive director of the Drug 
Policy Alliance.
Cited: Drug Policy Alliance http://www.drugpolicy.org/
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/people/Obama
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/topic/Drug+Policy+Alliance

OPPORTUNITIES FOR DRUG REFORM IN THE OBAMA ERA

While President-elect Obama is not going to make ending the drug war 
his #1 priority, he has said that America should start treating drug 
use as a health issue instead of a criminal justice issue. He 
supports repealing the federal syringe ban and ending the DEA's raids 
on medical marijuana patients. He is also co-sponsor of Senator 
Biden's bill to eliminate the 100-to-1 crack/powder cocaine 
sentencing disparity.

Moreover, many Democrats in leadership positions in Congress support 
drug policy reform, ranging from Speaker Nancy Pelosi to 
Representative Dana Rohrabacher.

In the months ahead, President-elect Obama will choose a new Drug 
Czar for our nation, and members of Congress will put together 
legislation to overhaul his agency. We have an opportunity to 
re-shape drug policy for a generation.

My enthusiasm is tempered, though, by the defeat of Proposition 5 in 
California. We knew from early polling that a substantial majority of 
Californians favored this major reform of the state's prisons and 
drug sentencing policies. But a sordid coalition of the prison 
guards' union, the beer distributors' association, gambling 
interests, fanatical anti-drug groups and craven politicians raised 
$3.5 million in the last few weeks of the campaign to run deceitful 
TV ads across the state. Ultimately we could not compete with their 
lies and scare tactics.

But I know from experience that there's opportunity to be found in 
every defeat. We built new coalitions and found new allies, injected 
new perspectives into the public debate, and increased our stature 
and ability to shape future policies. We also won respect throughout 
the state and the nation for taking on the Goliath of the 
prison-industrial complex.

I feel energized like never before, and so do my colleagues at the 
Drug Policy Alliance and our many allies in the growing movement to 
end the drug war. I hope you do, too.
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake