MPP's 2009 Strategic Plan

December 2008 (updated June 2009)

Dear Friend:

As you can see in the 2009 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?

• Pass medical marijuana bills in Minnesota, New Hampshire, and New York: MPP has retained lobbyists to pass medical marijuana bills through the Minnesota, New Hampshire, and New York legislatures in 2009.

• Pass medical marijuana dispensary legislation in Rhode Island: In June, MPP successfully passed legislation to expand Rhode Island's medical marijuana law by allowing for "compassion centers" to provide medical marijuana to qualified patients. Rhode Island now becomes only the second state (after New Mexico) to license and regulate medical marijuana dispensing.

• Build support for medical marijuana legislation in Delaware, Illinois, Iowa, and Massachusetts: MPP is retaining lobbyists in Illinois and Massachusetts — and is in the beginning stages of organizing in Delaware and Iowa — for the purpose of passing medical marijuana bills through these four states' legislatures in 2010 and 2011.

• Pass marijuana taxation and regulation legislation in California: MPP is building support for a groundbreaking bill to end marijuana prohibition in California. MPP is also working toward effective implementation of California's medical marijuana laws.

• Collect signatures for a statewide medical marijuana initiative in Arizona: Following up on the landslide passage of MPP's medical marijuana initiative in Michigan in November 2008, MPP intends to pass a similar initiative in Arizona in November 2010, which necessitates collecting a large number of signatures in Arizona in 2009.

• Build support for medical marijuana in the medical community: MPP has organized more than 8,000 physicians to help persuade more medical organizations to join the American College of Physicians, the California Medical Association, the American Nurses Association, the American Public Health Association, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, and numerous other organizations to support medical access to marijuana.

• Pass marijuana decriminalization legislation in 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 Vermont Legislature. MPP is working to build support in the legislature this year in the hopes of passing the bill next year.

• Influence the Obama administration to roll back the federal war on medical marijuana: MPP is working to hold President Obama to his primary campaign promise to end the DEA's raids on medical marijuana patients and providers in California and other states where medical marijuana is legal. In February, attorney general Eric Holder confirmed that the president's campaign promise was now government policy.

• Increase congressional support for marijuana policy reform: Maintaining its full-time lobbying presence on Capitol Hill and leveraging its Medical Marijuana Political Action Committee, MPP plans to influence Congress to introduce a variety of marijuana policy reform measures.

• Build grassroots support through digital media: MPP will continue building its grassroots army of online supporters through its videos on MPP TV, postings on MPP's blog, and MPP's social networking Web sites (like MySpace, Facebook, and Twitter).

• Work with celebrities to speak out in favor of marijuana policy reform: MPP will work with the VIPs on its advisory board, as well as other celebrity allies, to build support for marijuana policy reform.

Please consider visiting www.mpp.org/donate if you support this strategic plan for 2009.

By supporting our work, you will also be empowering us to engage in the day-to-day battles that come up, including (1) debating White House officials on national television and otherwise conducting our day-to-day public relations activities, (2) testifying before Congress and state legislatures, and (3) monitoring and analyzing all marijuana-related bills in all 50 states and the District of Columbia and sending state-specific alerts to MPP's e-mail subscribers in each state.

As you can see, we're busy, and we can't do this without your help. If your membership is current with MPP, I want to thank you. If your membership has lapsed or you've never joined, would you please consider changing that by visiting www.mpp.org/donate today?

Sincerely,

Rob Kampia

Executive Director

Marijuana Policy Project

Washington, D.C.

P.S. Donations to MPP are not tax-deductible. To make a tax-deductible donation, please direct it to MPP Foundation instead. The mailing address for both organizations is P.O. Box 77492, Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C. 20013.

P.P.S. Parts of this plan may change from time to time as the year progresses.