This year marks an historic turning point for all Americans.
Less than a generation ago, African-Americans were denied the right to vote in some states. Now the White House, built by slave labor in the 18th century, is home to America's first Black president.
With hard work, struggle and organizing, it seems anything is possible. Drug policy reformers now have more opportunities today than could have ever before been imagined.
In 16 years, America has gone from a president who said he smoked marijuana but "didn't inhale" to a president who "inhaled; that was the point." President Obama has even admitted to using cocaine when he was younger, and the American people don't seem to be holding it against him. He is open about his struggle, like that of millions of Americans, with addiction to one of the world's most powerful drugs: nicotine.
Obama agrees with many of us in the drug policy reform movement about treating drug use as a health issue and not a criminal justice one. The official White House website now calls for eliminating both the crack/powder cocaine sentencing disparity and promoting AIDS prevention by lifting the federal ban on funding syringe access programs. That's a remarkable change from the last eight years, and worth noting that these two reform items have been DPA's top goals in DC for the last two years.
Since President Obama took office, however, we have already seen setbacks. Recently, the DEA raided a medical marijuana dispensary in California, putting the lives of cancer, HIV/AIDS and other patients at risk.
As you may know, on the campaign trail President Obama promised to end the Bush administration's cruel and costly raids on medical marijuana patients and caregivers in states where marijuana is legal for medical use. He's in the process of replacing Bush officials who are the source of the problem, but that takes time.
At DPA, we look forward to working with supporters like you to urge President Obama to protect at-risk patients, and follow through on his vision for treating drug use as a public health concern and spending less federal money supporting the prison industrial complex. It is our job to seize this encouraging moment and hold his administration's feet to the fire -- and make 2009 the best year yet for drug policy reform.
