MPP's 2010 Strategic Plan

As you can see in the 2010 strategic plan below, this year is an ambitious and bold one for MPP. If you like what you see below, would you please consider donating to our work?

MEDICAL MARIJUANA PROJECTS

Pass medical marijuana bills in Delaware, Illinois, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, and New York: MPP has retained lobbyists to pass medical marijuana bills through these six legislatures in 2010 and 2011.
Pass medical marijuana dispensary legislation in Vermont: MPP has retained a lobbyist to pass legislation expanding Vermont’s medical marijuana law by allowing for dispensaries.
Pass legislation or enact regulations establishing medical marijuana dispensaries in the District of Columbia, since the federal prohibition on medical marijuana being legal in D.C. (first enacted in 1998) is finally being lifted.
Pass a statewide medical marijuana ballot in Arizona: MPP’s initiative will appear on Arizona’s November 2010 ballot; if passed, Arizona will permit qualifying patients or their caregivers to legally purchase marijuana from dispensaries.
Pass a statewide medical marijuana initiative in South Dakota: An MPP-authored initiative will appear on South Dakota’s November 2010 ballot which, if passed, would allow patients and their caregivers to possess and grow marijuana for medical purposes.

NON-MEDICAL MARIJUANA PROJECTS

Place an initiative to end marijuana prohibition on the 2012 ballot in Nevada: MPP plans to pass an initiative to tax and regulate marijuana in November 2012, which necessitates collecting a large number of signatures in 2010 to secure our place on the ballot.
Pass marijuana decriminalization legislation in Rhode Island and Vermont: The passage of MPP’s marijuana decriminalization ballot initiative in Massachusetts in November 2008 is providing a boost to MPP’s efforts to pass a similar measure through the Rhode Island and Vermont Legislatures in 2010 and 2011. MPP has retained lobbyists in both states.

FEDERAL PROJECTS

Influence Congress to continue rolling back the federal war on medical marijuana: Now that President Obama has fulfilled the campaign promise he made to MPP to end the DEA’s raids on medical marijuana patients and providers in states where medical marijuana is legal, MPP is lobbying Congress to pass binding legislation that would give states the right to implement their own medical marijuana policies without federal interference.
Increase congressional support for ending marijuana prohibition entirely: MPP is working toward the introduction of the first-ever bill in Congress that would end the federal prohibition of marijuana entirely, allowing states to regulate marijuana as they see fit. In the furtherance of this, MPP has a Political Action Committee that will give MPP’s congressional lobbyist access to members of Congress at dozens of fundraising receptions in 2010.
Hold our ground on preserving our victories: While MPP has been largely successful at convincing Republican opponents that attacking medical marijuana policies is not in their interest, some opponents will never give up. In each of the last two sessions of Congress, MPP has taken the lead in defeating legislation that threatened to wipe out all of the existing state medical marijuana laws, and we'll continue to do so. Additionally, MPP will work to protect and preserve our recent victory that allows the District of Columbia to enact its medical marijuana law.

OUTREACH PROJECTS

Build grassroots support through digital media: MPP will continue building its grassroots army of online supporters through its videos on MPP TV, writing on MPP’s blog, and MPP’s presence on social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter.
Work with celebrities to speak out in favor of marijuana policy reform: MPP is working with VIPs on its advisory board, as well as other celebrity allies, to build support for marijuana policy reform.

CALIFORNIA PROJECTS

In California, where marijuana is widely sold through storefront dispensaries to qualified medical marijuana patients, an estimated 1,100 dispensaries serve approximately 350,000 California patients. MPP has four full-time staff members on the ground in California and is working on multiple fronts simultaneously:

Lobbying the California Legislature to pass the bill to tax and regulate marijuana like alcohol through at least one Assembly committee, thereby building momentum to pass a statewide initiative for statewide regulation.
Generating positive media coverage, including running ads like this — www.mpp.org/califad — which have a multiplier effect of generating additional media coverage.
Working with the minority of California counties to start issuing ID cards to medical marijuana patients, which state law has "mandated" since 2004.
Stopping local governments from banning medical marijuana dispensaries and pressing for the enactment of favorable regulations.

Note: Parts of this plan may change from time to time as the year progresses.