Tom Angell: RIP Richard N. Lake, one of my very first mentors in drug policy reform. Outside of SSDP letting me run a chapter in college, Richard was the first movement leader to trust me with a "job" of being a volunteer news editor for MAPInc. I'm sad that we fell out of touch in recent years, but I'll never forget how he helped put me on the path to where I am today.

Cindy Gaffney: I'm so glad you had that opportunity, Tom. Richard was passing on his legacy.

Robert Sharpe: Richard had a tremendous impact on the drug policy reform movement. He had a real gift for identifying activists and helping them take it to the next level.

Dan Goldman: MAPinc was influential for so many of us and Richard was an integral part of their success. He will be missed.

Clifford Wallace Thornton: Yes to all comments above. He set up my first speaking tour almost two decades ago. Job well done.......RIP my man

Jay Bergstrom: Richard. Rest in Peace. We are a lot further down the 'pike when you first started. You got to help crumble the wall and see the first breaches. Thank you.

Steve Heath: Richard Lake personally ushered me into ten of the most formative years of my life (1999-2008) when he brought me on board the DrugSense/MAPinc party bus.

Best to his surviving family and I hope on his next plane of existence he receives a daily dozen or more good ol' hard print newspapers - just the way he preefered it

Diane Fornbacher: Rest in peace, Richard Lake.

Diane Fornbacher: I'm so sorry to hear this. The amount of dedication and change that Richard gave to our movement cannot truly be quantified but we do know that it was quite long and arduous. We are forever grateful. Rest in peace, dear Richard.

Nora Callahan: We were at Rainbow Farm together, back in '98... I hope that Richard, Tom and Rollie are hanging out today.

Angela Johnson: RIP:(

Russell Barth: condolences

Brenda Grantland: I'm so sad to hear this.

Amy Lou: Oh my gosh - he is truly a pioneer that provided a necessity and he will be missed. I wish i had met him.

Hal Chiprin: I remember reading his writing. I'm really happy about what he achieved. He was a great MAN. .

Sue Purchase: I am sorry to hear it! May he rest in peace!

Allan Erickson: another thought re Rich... when the LTE effort was clearly THE effective tool to get the word out, the language began to change, we all watched each other, building the memes, distilling our opposition to the WOD eloquently in usually less than 200 words. Then the news sites started carrying comments and we sailed the wwweb, watching and commenting, opposing the Prohibs at every step we could. And now... with social media, the memes spread like embers in a high wind forest fire - and it's still many of the same folks. And just 'cause we gotta smile in the face of death, if it weren't for Richard Lake/MAP/DrugSense I would never have been published at Yale! And I LOVE being able to say that I have been published at Yale. That just tickles my funny bone.

Jay Bergstrom Richard really leaves a big footprint. A major dent in the prohis. Being able to channel my rage into LTEs has