|  | John, Throughout 2022, our law enforcement experts addressed the most pressing issues in justice reform and drug policy head-on, making an impact on public opinion by speaking out in high-profile media outlets. LEAP is drawing focus toward evidence-based solutions that have the power to create positive changes to the justice system. |
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| LEAP was founded to challenge the ineffectual, inequitable War on Drugs. For 20 years we have been on the cutting edge of drug policy reform. Drug policy remains a core issue addressed by our speakers in the media and in front of policy makers nationwide at all levels of government. Our speakers were everywhere this year, tackling drug policy issues and challenging lawmakers with their credible knowledge and experience. They submitted oral and written testimonies, wrote letters to key legislators, and signed on to letters written by equally influential allies, spoke on panels, and provided quotes in the media -- LEAP's voice, and thereby your voice, was heard from coast to coast. We addressed crucial issues including support for legalizing marijuana possession in states like Delaware, where Lt. James Nolan (Fmr.) gave oral and written testimony in support of HB 305, to legalize marijuana for adults, and Judge Gordon McAllister (Ret.) submitted written testimony in support of HB 371, legalizing possession of up to one ounce of marijuana for adults age 21+, and HB 372, regulating and taxing marijuana sales. In Maryland, Det. Debbie Ramsey (Ret.) submitted written and oral testimony in support of SB 692, legalizing use and possession, clearing criminal records, and disposing of certain charges relating to the use and possession of cannabis. Superintendent Rick Van Wickler (Ret.) sent a letter to state senators in New Hampshire in support of legalizing marijuana. Speakers also supported efforts to decriminalize and/or reduce penalties for possession of small amounts of drugs and drug paraphernalia in states including Minnesota, where Lt. Diane Goldstein (Ret.) submitted a letter in support of HF-1355, reducing penalties for possession of a small personal amount of marijuana products to a petty misdemeanor and removing it from a "crime of violence." In Vermont, Chief Brendan Cox (Ret.) gave written testimony in support of H.644, to decriminalize possession of small amounts of drugs and shift resources to treatment and recovery services. Major Mike Hilliard (Ret.) gave oral and written testimony in support of a bill to decriminalize possession of drug paraphernalia in Maryland. LEAP also signed on to a Joint Letter to House leadership on drug decriminalization written by the HumanRightsWatch.org. Please continue supporting our courageous speakers as they continue the fight for practical, evidence-based drug policy reform. |
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Lt. Diane Goldstein (Ret.) wrote an op-ed for the Daily Beast praising President Biden's decision to issue executive pardons for those convicted of federal marijuana offenses and urging the administration to move forward with full legalization. Sergeant Terry Blevins (Fmr.) received significant media coverage in the Puerto Rico Daily and other outlets when he was invited to give oral and written testimony in support of legislation to legalize and regulate marijuana in Puerto Rico. He testified before the House of Representatives, and stayed for hours to answer questions as requested by the President of the House. Officer Evan Douglas (Fmr.) wrote an op-ed for the Washington Post endorsing the D.C. Drug Policy Reform Act, which focuses its efforts on drug decriminalization and proven public health alternatives to arrest and incarceration for substance abuse such as overdose prevention programs. Officer Michael Bollentin (Ret.) wrote an op-ed for The Philadelphia Inquirer arguing that off-duty NJ police officers should be permitted to use marijuana. Lt. Diane Goldstein (Ret.) wrote an op-ed for the Orange County Register, which was picked up by the Southern California Newsgroup, in support of Overdose Prevention Programs. It underscores the need for a radical change to our society's relationship with drugs. |
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| The movement to decriminalize psychedelics continued to grow in 2022, and LEAP speakers stepped up to support the potential benefits of psychedelics in the field of mental health. Lt. Sarko Gergerian appeared in the Netflix docuseries, "How to Change Your Mind," with author Michael Pollan exploring the history and uses of psychedelics. Deputy Sheriff Jay Fleming (Fmr.) submitted written testimony in support of the Washington Psilocybin Services Wellness and Opportunity Act, supporting officer mental health through the therapeutic use of psilocybin, and Chief Brendan Cox (Ret.), Detective Ethan Abend (Ret.), and Lt. Diane Goldstein (Ret.) called and emailed key legislators in support of LD 1582, a bill to legalize and regulate psilocybin therapy in Maine. In Massachusetts, LEAP authored a letter to the Amherst Town Council supporting the Town's resolution to deprioritize arrests related to drug possession for psychedelics. LEAP speakers also championed harm reduction in 2022. Sheriff James Manfre (Ret.) participated in a panel presentation hosted by R Street Institute, discussing the benefits to law enforcement of harm reduction: syringe access programs, naloxone training, MAT programs (including in correctional facilities), overdose prevention sites, and decriminalizing drug paraphernalia. And in California, Sgt. Carl Tennenbaum (Ret.) spoke with KQED, calling for more funding for harm reduction and behavioral services. LEAP speakers spoke out in opposition to a law in Arizona that if passed would "allow someone who supplies drugs involved in a drug related death to be charged with homicide." Sgt. Terry Blevins (Fmr.) and Det. Sgt. Gary Nelson (Ret.) called and sent letters to key legislators in opposition to the House Bill. Asst. Chief Tom Thompson (Ret.) submitted written testimony in opposition to a bill in Ohio which would make substance use during pregnancy constitute child abuse by expanding the definition of “abused child” to include “a substance-exposed infant.” Substance misuse must be treated as a public health crisis rather than criminalized. As LEAP's mainstream credibility continues to expand, high profile media outlets are seeking our authority and experience, particularly on the topic of drug policy reform. In an article in The Nation: "How the Drug War Dies", LEAP was referenced in a story about speaker Chief Edward C. Jackson, who has called for an end to the War on Drugs since the early 2000's. Chief Jackson was called to testify before the US Senate in support of the Cannabis Administration Opportunity Act, which would end federal cannabis prohibition -- decriminalizing marijuana on the federal level and allowing states to set their own marijuana laws. It would also expunge federal marijuana-related records and create grants for small business owners entering the marijuana industry. Chief Jackson explained how removing cannabis from the federal list of controlled substances would help police improve trust within their communities and allow them to refocus their efforts on serious crimes. This is only a first step, but it is an indication that the work of LEAP and our drug policy reform allies have been doing for decades is now solidly in the mainstream. |
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| | In solidarity,
The LEAP Team |
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| | | Law Enforcement Action Partnership
100 Cummings Center, Suite 207-P | Beverly, Massachusetts 01915
781-590-5199 | [email protected] |
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