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Bush Holdover Unanimously Confirmed To Head U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration

[Editor's note: This post is excerpted from this week's forthcoming NORML weekly media advisory. To have NORML's media advisories delivered straight to your in-box, sign up for NORML's free e-zine here.]

The U.S. Senate has confirmed Michelle Leonhart by unanimous consent to head the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Miss Leonhart had served as interim director of the agency since November 2007. President Barack Obama had nominated Leonhart in February to serve as the agency’s director.

Numerous drug policy reform organizations, including NORML, had opposed Leonhart’s confirmation – arguing that her actions as interim DEA administrator were contrary to the Obama administration’s pledge to allow science, rather than rhetoric and ideology, guide public policy.

For example, Ms. Leonhart oversaw dozens of federal raids on medical marijuana providers and producers. These actions took place in states that have enacted laws allowing for the use and distribution of marijuana for medical purposes, and are inconsistent with an October 19, 2009 Department of Justice memo recommending federal officials no longer “focus … resources … on individuals whose actions are in clear and unambiguous compliance with existing state laws providing for the medical use of marijuana.”

Miss Leonhart also blocked scientific research that sought to better identify and quantify marijuana’s medicinal properties and efficacy. In particular, Ms. Leonhart neglected to reply to an eight-year-old petition calling for administrative hearings regarding the rescheduling marijuana for medical use. Such hearings were called for in 2009 by the American Medical Association, which resolved “that marijuana’s status as a federal Schedule I controlled substance be reviewed with the goal of facilitating the conduct of clinical research and development of cannabinoid-based medicines.” Moreover, in January 2009, Ms. Leonhart refused to issue a license to the University of Massachusetts for the purpose of cultivating marijuana for FDA-approved research, despite a DEA administrative law judge’s ruling that it would be “in the public interest” to grant this request.

Finally, Ms. Leonhart has exhibited questionable judgment when speaking about the subject of escalating drug war violence in Mexico. In 2009, she described this border violence — which is responsible for over 31,000 deaths since December 2006 — as a sign of the “success” of her agency’s anti-drug strategies.

Commenting on Ms. Leonhart’s confirmation, NORML Deputy Director Paul Armentano said, “Ms. Leonhart’s actions and ambitions are incompatible with state law, public opinion, and with the policies of this administration. It is unlikely that we will see any serious change in direction of the DEA under Ms. Leonhart’s leadership.”

In December, Wisconsin Democrat Herb Kohl had placed a hold on Ms. Leonhart’s nomination. Senator Kohl dropped his hold on December 22, and the Senate unanimously confirmed Leonhart’s nomination the following day.

NORML Women’s Alliance to Hold First Major Fundraising Weekend Dec 17-19 at KushCon II

NORML women will be descending upon Denver, Colorado next week to hold their first major fundraising event at KushCon II’s three-day lifestyle convention.  From Friday, December 17 to Sunday, December 19 the Colorado Convention Center will be buzzing with thousands of medical marijuana experts and enthusiasts in the largest cannabis lifestyle convention of the year, and the NORML Women’s Alliance (NWA) will play a prominent role.

Hydrobotanical Engineering, LLC, the company that owns the GrowBots franchise, has generously donated one of their major products, the GrowBot Garage to the NORML Women’s Alliance to be raffled at KushCon II.  Tickets will be sold throughout the weekend at the NORML Women’s Alliance booth inside the Denver  Convention Center.  If you are in town for KushCon II make sure to stop by the NORML Women’s Alliance booth to show your support and buy your raffle ticket (only $20 a ticket).

Several women of the Alliance’s newly formed steering committee will be in attendance, including Cheryl Shuman, Director of Public Relations and Media for Kush Magazine, KushCon and DailyBuds.com. Other NORML women who will be speaking and performing throughout the event include Nashville singer Greta Gaines, New Jersey NORML head Anne Davis, Esq, Colorado NORML’s Georgia Edson and NWA director Sabrina Fendrick.

The NORML Women’s Alliance fundraising weekend begins with a business-to-business networking event sponsored by the Medical Marijuana Business Alliance and KUSH Magazine on Thursday, December 16^th where the elite of the cannabis industry will gather to celebrate the movement and organize product and service giveaways expected to raise thousands of dollars.  For more information on the NWA’s involvement with KushCon II, please contact Cheryl Shuman at cheryl@dailybuds.com, 818.223.8011 or 818.835.7131.

The NORML Women’s Alliance is a nonpartisan coalition of prominent, educated, successful, geographically diverse, professional women who believe that cannabis prohibition is a self-destructive and hypocritical policy that undermines the American family, sends a mixed and false message to our young people, and destroys the cherished principles of personal liberty.

NORML Women Campaign For Cannabis in High Style

(From left to right: Sabrina Fendrick, Margot, Pepper, Shaleen Title, Anne Davis, Diane Fornbacher-Wall, Greta Gaines)

A little over one week before California voters will decide on proposition 19, a ballot initiative to legalize and tax marijuana for recreational purposes, the NORML Women’s Alliance and creators of Pot Couture, the first online magazine for sophisticated lady stoners, joined with several other female cannabis activists to spread the message of marijuana reform with a high-style photo shoot designed to reframe the perception of the marijuana legalization movement, and the stereotype of those involved.

The women gathered for the photo shoot are activists and professionals who support proposition 19.  The online magazine partnered with the NORML Women’s Alliance in 2010 with the shared mission of giving a voice to the women in America who oppose marijuana prohibition. “The passage of California’s historic ballot initiative Proposition 19 is a priority for women who recognize that legalization and regulation will create a safer environment for children and families,” says Sabrina Fendrick, coordinator for the NORML Women’s Alliance.

“There’s still this idea that supporters of marijuana reform are on the fringes of society, but that’s just not the case. Marijuana is as mainstream as it gets, and these women are proof,” says Pepper, of Pot Couture.

“Regardless of what happens in California in November, marijuana reform is an issue that is here to stay,” adds Margot of Pot Couture. “The medical benefits of marijuana are proven, and the economic opportunities are real. American women are savvy, and they have no interest in funding a losing war on drugs.”  Margot and Pepper are the two characters depicted in the magazine.

New Jersey NORML Executive Director, Anne Davis, Esq argues, “What we need are common sense marijuana regulations that are practical and enforceable. Marijuana is not nuclear energy or heroin; it is a plant with incredible qualities.  To hold that a natural substance should be prohibited while far more dangerous man-made toxins are permitted is insanity.”

Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP) speakers bureau director and attorney Shaleen Titlesays, “The pro-legalization cops, judges, and DEA agents at LEAP believe that taking back control of the marijuana trade is about de-funding the only groups that benefit from the prohibition of marijuana – violent gangs and cartels who control its distribution and reap immense profits by murdering rivals and supplying drugs to kids.”

Also taking part in this game-changing makeover of female cannabis consumers are Nashville southern rock singer Greta Gaines, and long-time activist Diane Fornbacher-Wall of the Coalition for Medical Marijuana New Jersey.

Gaines sums up the purpose of the campaign by saying “if so-called prohibition had succeeded in reducing use rates, reducing crime, decreasing our prison population and benefiting our social and economic conditions, we, the NORML Women’s Alliance, would not be here today.”

All participants in the NORML Women’s Alliance and PotCouture.com photo shoot are available for further comment. For more information on the NORML Women’s Alliance, PotCouture.com and their upcoming campaign please contact sabrina@norml.org.  For behind the scenes footage and the making of the shoot, click here.

NORML would like to thank everyone who was involved in making this campaign possible: Michel Leroy (Lead Photographer), Jen Rosado (Fashion Stylist), Crews (Hair),  Brandon Remler (Photographer), Patricio Robayo (Photographer), Margot Mendez (Makeup), and Marvin Stevens (Hair).

Special 4/20 message from NORML’s Executive Director Allen St. Pierre

April 20, 2010

Dear NORML supporters and fellow lovers of liberty,

Happy 4/20!

While the ravages and costs of cannabis prohibition are largely defined by one’s geography — these days America is a hodge-podge of varying cannabis penalties, ranging from West Hollywood California where a medical cannabis patient can access the herb 24/7 from a vending machine; in Indiana, if caught with just a little cannabis on one’s person, they’re getting arrested, prosecuted and likely going to jail — this ’4/20′ celebration in 2010, as is NORML tradition, is a combination of both the serious and silly!

There will be dozens of major 4/20 ‘protestivals’ today from New York City to Seattle, to the expected largest one in the nation I’m speaking at in Denver Colorado. Major newspaper articles and stories on TV will abound by day’s end. In fact whole television networks such as G4, Comedy Central, Spike and Current TV will devote some or all of their programming today to celebrating cannabis and, implicitly, the herb’s reform.

Also today, NORML launches a new advertisement for 4/20 on Times Square’s largest electronic billboard calling out New York City politicians and law enforcement for having one of the highest — and most racially disparate — cannabis arrest rates in the United States. The advertisement will run 18 times a day until late May, and will be seen by an expected 1.5 million Times Square visitors.

These protestivals and public celebrations of cannabis culture in North America is a greatly anticipated and celebratory annual event at NORML since the mid 1990s, but the serious political message of this wonderfully creative day (beyond the obvious one of ‘re-legalize cannabis now!’) for this specific year is to direct as much NORML membership and public attention as possible to donate and support the voter initiative on the ballot in California this very November that will effectively legalize cannabis for adult use, cultivation and sales.

Going into our 40th year, NORML’s staff and board of directors have made the passage of California’s voter initiative to legalize cannabis the number #1 political priority for the organization.

To this end, the thousands of donations and $4.20 memberships received today by the NORML Foundation (or NORML) will be donated to TaxCannabis2010, the organization behind California’s legalization ballot.

I’m personally donating $420 in support of this very important political initiative in California — the state where 1 out of 8 Americans live, the 7th largest economy in the world if it were a country and with by far the largest delegation in the US Congress — in memory of my friend, the recently passed author-activist Jack Herer, the ‘Emperor of Hemp’.

TaxCannabis2010 has a goal of raising $42,000 by the end of today, with committed support from stakeholders from NORML like you and I, we can reach this unique dollar amount.

Become a member and send a special 4/20 animated e-card to a friend, family member or sweetie.

Thanks for all of your enduring support for NORML, cannabis law reform and for this important 4/20, TaxCannabis2010!

Please have a safe and hempful 4/20!

Cannabem liberemus,

Allen St. Pierre
Executive Director
Member, Board of Directors
NORML / NORML Foundation
Washington, DC
director@norml.org