Prohibition through your eyes: Please share your stories

Have you ever been hurt by the senseless laws that force marijuana onto the criminal market?

Has your record been marred by a criminal conviction for marijuana? Have you been discriminated against in trying to find a job or housing, obtain a professional license, or receive state aid as a result? Or perhaps you've faced violence related to the marijuana trade. Have the police ever had too little time to thoroughly investigate your car theft, while they found time to arrest hundreds of people for marijuana crimes?

If you or someone you know has had any personal experiences about how damaging or futile it is to keep marijuana illegal and unregulated, this is your chance to share your story. E-mail LVanHall@mpp.org to share your story, and our local grassroots organizer will contact you to learn more and discuss how you can help out. Please include your name, phone number, e-mail address, and zip code, as well as a narrative of what happened.

At the end of its legislative session, the Rhode Island Senate passed S. 0132, a resolution sponsored by Sen. Josh Miller (D-Cranston). This resolution appointed a study commission that will examine the effects and costs of marijuana prohibition, including: violence against marijuana consumers and providers; corruption of law enforcement related to marijuana law enforcement; the rate of unsolved serious crimes in Rhode Island; ease of access to marijuana by teens; and the risks of contaminated marijuana. The commission will report its findings to the legislature and the legislature will evaluate the information and hopefully take appropriate action.

This is a great opportunity to bring to light all of the facts about marijuana prohibition and for Rhode Island to lead its sister states in having an honest debate. However, in order to have that debate we need the facts, and that's why we are depending on you. Please e-mail us to share your story, so that we can build a case together for an alternative to marijuana prohibition in Rhode Island.

Additionally, you can find out how to get more involved in the fight for marijuana policy reform on the ground by attending the Students for Sensible Drug Policy meeting hosted by MPP grantee Henry Harrison on Tuesday, September 15. It will be held at 9:00 p.m. in Room 402 of Brown University's J. Walter Wilson Building, which is located on the north east corner of the Brown and Waterman intersection. All are welcome, and the building should be open so you don't need to be a student to get in.

Thank you for your support. Please pass this on to anyone you know who might be interested in getting involved.