DPA Anual Report 2010

8/8/2019 DPA Anual Report 2010

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Making Your

Voice Heard2010 Annual

Report


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Table of Contents

2 Reducing the Role of

Criminalization in Drug Policy

6 Sensible Marijuana Regulation

10 Moving Toward a Health-Based Approach

14 Empowering Youth, Parents and Educators

16 Reaching New Audiences,

Transforming Public Discourse

19 Grants, Donors, Board and Financials

The work described herein

includes that of the Drug

Policy Alliance, a 501(c)(3)

organization, and Drug Policy

Action, a 501(c)(4) organization.


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The momentum right now behind drug policy reform isunprecedented.

Its not just that were finally winning important legislativebattles in Congress, and that were more and more successfulat the state and local levels. Its that this issue excites passionsamong a remarkable diversity of people in the U.S. andthroughout the world.

This movement is made up of individuals from across the

globe whose life experiences vary dramatically. But what weshare is more important than anything that separates us:

A yearning to uproot the fears, ignorance and prejudicesthat fuel the drug war, and a commitment to finding morecompassionate, just and effective ways of dealing with drugsin our lives and communities.

You may have noticed from the new look and feel of DPAswebsite and publications that we have adopted a provocativenew visual identity illustrated by the simple, inclusive state-ment, We are the Drug Policy Alliance. This idea conveysthe tremendous scope of our struggle, and underscores ourconviction that drug policy reform isnt really about drugs at

all its about people.

This issue crosses racial, political and ideological lines unlikeany other. It pops up as the top issue when citizens expresstheir opinion online. Demographics are on our side youngpeople, who bear the brunt of failed drug war policies, aremore drawn to this issue than any other. Were witnessing apalpable shift in the way these issues are approached in main-stream politics these days, you dont hear many politiciansboasting about their drug war credentials.

And the media, at last, seems to be aiding our efforts moreoften than not. Coverage of the mounting support for endingprohibition has been extraordinarily positive on the frontpages ofUSA Today, The New York Timesand most othernational publications, major talk radio stations, the leadingblogs, and all over cable and network television withDPA staff pitching the stories, shaping the content, andspeaking on air.

The accomplishments detailed in this report which focuson DPAs fiscal year from June 2009 through May 2010

would have been unimaginable just a few years ago. Whethertestifying before Congress about the drug czars budget,ushering crack sentencing reform through Congress withnear-unanimous consent, passing innovative medical mari-

juana laws in New Jersey and Maine, or leading the firstsuccessful effort to reform a drug-free zone law, DPA staffand members are making this dramatic progress possible.

Yet we still have a long way to go. Elected officials may beadopting new rhetoric and cautiously advocating for gradualreforms, but they have yet to substantially shift the bulkof drug control resources from a criminal justice approachto a health-based one. The worst drug war policies remainentrenched, as more than three quarters of a million peopleare arrested for marijuana possession every year and more thanhalf a million are behind bars tonight for a drug law violation.

Were making progress like never before, and we currentlyhave the wind at our backs but all this could change unless

we continue to grow stronger, tougher and smarter. Its upto us as people who care about science, compassion, health

and human rights to ensure that real change comes as soonas possible.

We are grateful for all youve done, and for all that you cando especially now.

Making Your Voice Heard

Ira GlasserPresident

Ethan NadelmannExecutive Director

Letter from the President and

Executive Director


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Annual Report 2010: Making Your Voice Heard

More than half a million people

whose only crime was to use,

possess or sell an illegal drug

are in prisons and jails right now.These people are overwhelmingly

black and Hispanic. Taxpayers

spend tens of billions of dollars

annually, in direct and indirect

costs, to incarcerate them. DPAs

approach is grounded in three

principles: freedom, responsibility

and compassion. We believe that

people should not be punishedsolely for what they put into their

bodies, but only for crimes that hurt

others. And we know that when

people struggle with drug misuse,

compassion is typically more

effective than punishment.

Reducing the Role of

Criminalization in Drug Policy

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offenders instead of dangerous criminals. African Americanscomprise 82 percent of those convicted for federal crackcocaine offenses but only 30 percent of crack users, and

62 percent of people convicted for crack offenses were low-level sellers or lookouts.

The original Senate bill and the bill passed by the HouseJudiciary Committee completely eliminated the disparity, butto get bipartisan and unanimous support it was amended incommittee to only reduce the 100-to-1 disparity to 18-to-1.Many families will benefit from the change, but it obviouslydoesnt go far enough. DPA considers this bill to be merelya down payment on completely eliminating the disparity,and a stepping stone to reforming punitive drug policiesmore broadly.

One avenue for instituting this broader change is the blue-ribbon commission on criminal justice reform proposed byVirginia Senator Jim Webb, which we hope will be signedinto law this year. The commission would make recommenda-tions for reducing incarceration, reforming U.S. drug policy,eliminating racial disparities, improving re-entry efforts, andexpanding access to substance abuse treatment, mental healthservices and health care. DPA has met with Senator Webbseveral times, and he asked for our help in both lobbying forpassage of his bill and ensuring that the commission prioritizesdrug policy reform.

DPA is directly confronting excessive criminalization andincarceration on several critical fronts: by paving the way for acomprehensive transformation in federal drug policy, by repealing

a drug-free zone sentencing enhancement for the first time, byimplementing recent reforms of New Yorks infamous RockefellerDrug Laws, by limiting the knee-jerk criminalization of Salviaand K2, by removing unfair barriers for people with criminalconvictions, and by fighting for military veterans caught in thecrossfire of the drug war.

Charting a Course for Federal Reform

While the federal government has yet to significantly shiftdrug war resources toward a health-based approach, there arepromising signs that the White House and Congress are

willing to take substantial steps to reorient U.S. drug policy.

While Congressional Democrats and Republicans aredeadlocked over just about every other issue, they workedtogether to successfully reform the two-decades-old policyof punishing crack cocaine offenses 100 times more severelythan powder cocaine offenses. This is the most significantdrug sentencing reform bill in decades, and the first toexplicitly eliminate a mandatory minimum sentence or tolower a drug sentence at all in decades. The 100-to-1 ratiohas caused myriad problems, including perpetuating racialdisparities, wasting taxpayer money, and targeting low-level

February 7, 2010

Tony Newman

Director, Media Relations

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A fitting symbol of the shifting tide in federal policy wasDPA Executive Director Ethan Nadelmanns testimony beforeCongress in April at a hearing on the drug czars budgetand work plan. The House Domestic Policy Subcommittee,

which oversees the drug czars office, is chaired by one of thestrongest supporters of drug policy reform on Capitol Hill,

Congressman Dennis Kucinich. Representative Kucinichbegan the hearing by grilling the drug czar, Gil Kerlikowske,on the foolishness of wasting money on supply reductionstrategies and criticizing him for failing to embrace thelanguage and strategies of harm reduction. Nadelmannstestimony, by contrast, was received positively, and may wellinfluence the legislation that emerges from the subcommittee.

New Jersey Repudiates Failed Sentencing Policy

DPAs efforts in New Jersey over the past seven years havetransformed it from one of the worst states for drug policyto one of the best. In January, outgoing Governor Jon Corzinesigned a major reform spearheaded by DPA the nationsfirst law to eliminate drug-free zone mandatory minimumsentencing enhancements. This new legislation gives judgesthe discretion to waive the harsh three-year mandatorysentence for drug law violations within 1,000 feet of a school.DPA laid the groundwork for the legislation, helped draft thebill, recruited legislative sponsors, generated hearings, andgarnered support from a remarkable array of allies, includingeight former New Jersey attorneys general.

Drug-free zone laws have led to a radical expansion of theprison system, disproportionately impacting urban Americans,despite conclusive research showing that they do not reducedrug activity. The zones cover entire cities, forcing judges togive stiff mandatory minimum drug sentences. The laws areracially unjust 96 percent of those sentenced under these

laws in New Jersey are African American or Latino. Now wereworking on enacting similar reforms in other states seekingways to save money and increase fairness and efficiency incriminal sentencing.

New York: Making Rockefeller Reform Real

Winning a major legislative reform can take years of hardwork, but implementing the reform often takes many more.In April 2009, your support enabled DPA to lead the coali-tion to win reform of New Yorks draconian Rockefeller DrugLaws. We have focused since then on making Rockefellerreform real especially ensuring that people unfairlylanguishing behind bars are released sooner rather than later.

The reforms allow for the resentencing and release of over1,200 people currently incarcerated under the RockefellerDrug Laws. DPA brought together legal service agencies andhuman service organizations that provide reentry services,including legal help, housing, counseling and job trainingto people upon their release from prison. DPA staff met with

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From Punishment to Public Health:

Reducing the Role of Criminalization in Drug Policy

continued

We want to reduce the harms of

drugs and we want to reduce the

harms of our failed policies In 1980,

we had 50,000 people behind bars on

nonviolent drug charges now we

have half a million. In 1980, we were

spending a few million dollars on the

drug war now were spending tens

and tens of billions of dollars.

Ethan Nadelmann

Executive Director


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wwww.drugpolicy.org

officials from the legislature and the Governors office, aswell as with the administration of Mayor Michael Bloomberg,to encourage coordination of services and smooth implemen-

tation of the reforms.

DPA also created the New Directions coalition to monitorthe reforms. The coalition includes DPA grantees such asNew York Academy of Medicine, the Fortune Society, theNYC Drug Users Union (VOCAL), Women on the RiseTelling Her Story (WORTH) and many others.

Tearing Down Unfair Barriers for People with

Criminal Convictions

An estimated one in five Americans has a criminal record

most commonly the result of a drug law violation. Nationalresearch has demonstrated that legal employment reducesrecidivism and is a key factor in ensuring successful reentryof people leaving jail or prison. Yet 40 percent of employers

wont consider an application if the candidate reveals thathe or she has a criminal record.

In 2010, DPA spearheaded successful legislation inNew Mexico that removes a major barrier to employmentfor people with convictions the question on government

job applications asking if a person has ever been convicted ofa crime. New Mexico joined Minnesota as the second stateto pass ban the box legislation. Under the new law employ-

ers can still ask the question during the final interview andcan conduct background checks if required for the position.However, it gives people convicted of a crime equal footingduring the application process by delaying the inquiry aboutconviction status until the interview process.

Banning the box gives people an opportunity to get theirfoot in the door for an interview and to be seen for theirqualifications, merits, and job experience not just as aperson who checked a box.

Beating Back New Prohibitions: DPA Urges Sensible

Regulation of K2 and Salvia

In early 2010, a product known as K2 or Spice that is saidto simulate the psychoactive effects of marijuana came to theattention of lawmakers across the nation. Even though K2is relatively new in the U.S., sensational news media reportshave raised its profile and mystique. In March, Kansas becamethe first state to criminalize K2, and 10 other states quicklyfollowed suit.

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DPA is fighting back, urging sensible legislative responses toK2 such as regulatory controls on sale and possession thatinclude age restrictions, product labeling requirements, and

marketing, branding and retail display restrictions. Similarly,in 2009 DPA worked to ensure that California, Maine andMaryland passed model legislation that regulates and taxesadult sales of Salvia, while banning sales to minors.

Even as legislators increasingly embrace various drug policyreforms, the knee-jerk criminalization of K2 and Salvia dem-onstrates that elected officials still tend to prohibit first, andask questions later. We will continue to neutralize this threatand to ensure that lawmakers learn from the lessons of thepast by passing laws to regulate and control these substances.

Fighting for Veterans Caught in the Drug War

As of 2004, roughly 140,000 veterans were in U.S. state andfederal prisons, with tens of thousands more in county jails.Research shows that substance misuse is the single greatestfactor associated with the incarceration of veterans.

On Veterans Day, DPA released Healing a Broken System:Veterans Battling Addiction and Incarceration. The reportexamines the significant barriers that veterans face in obtain-ing effective treatment for mental health and substancemisuse problems, and the tragic consequences of leavingthese wounds of war untreated.

The report comes at a critical time. As more veteransreturn from longer and repeated deployments to Iraq and

Afghanistan, the number of incarcerated veterans is likelyto increase significantly. The report recommends changes tostate and federal laws that expand and improve alternativesto incarceration for veterans who commit nonviolent drugoffenses, overdose prevention programs that target veterans

who misuse substances or take prescription medications,and increased access to medication-assisted therapies suchas methadone and buprenorphine for veterans who struggle

with opiate dependence.

The report generated favorable media coverage in theDetroit News, Orange County Register, Oakland Tribune,Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, other regional outlets, andtheArmy Times, which is circulated to over two millionservicemen and their families.


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Annual Report 2010: Making Your Voice Heard6

Marijuana prohibition has resulted in more than

20 million arrests since 1970 and has deprived

responsible people of their jobs, educational

opportunities, property and freedom. It is unique

among American criminal laws no other law is

both enforced so widely and harshly yet deemed

unnecessary by such a substantial portion of the

population. DPAs efforts focus on making marijuana

legally available for medical purposes, reducingcriminal penalties and arrests for possession, and

ultimately ending marijuana prohibition.

Sensible Marijuana Regulation


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DPA also testified at a California Assembly committeehearing for Assemblymember Tom Ammianos bill, whichDPA assisted in drafting, to regulate and tax marijuana like

alcohol. Although it ultimately died, the bill became the firstsuch legislation in U.S. history to win a committee vote.This groundbreaking proposal provoked and elevated national debate about alternative models for legally regulatingmarijuana markets.

Medical Marijuana On Its Way to New Jersey

DPA laid the groundwork for New Jerseys medical marijuanalegislation enlisting sponsors, crafting hearings, and earningsupport from a wide-ranging group of backers. Our goal wasnot just to pass a bill but to ensure that it had the broadsupport necessary for successful implementation. We also

focused on organizing advocates and patients to share theirstories with legislators and the media, resulting in impressivelyhigh levels of legislative and editorial support.

The passage of New Jerseys medical marijuana law madeheadlines around the country, including the top of thefront page of the New York Times. Whats innovative aboutNew Jerseys law is the high degree of state engagement withthe regulatory process. The bill will allow for the licensingof centers where qualifying patients can safely access medicalmarijuana. While we were disappointed about some compro-mises made in the final legislation such as the eliminationof the right of patients to grow their own marijuana we

will continue to work to improve the law in the comingyears. Over the next year, DPA will work with the statesDepartment of Health and Senior Services on regulationsto implement the legislation.

Maine Voters Overwhelmingly Approve

Medical Marijuana Initiative

Maine voters sent an unmistakable signal of support formedical marijuana in their state, approving Question 5, theMaine Medical Marijuana Initiative, with 59 percent of thevote. DPA worked closely with local Question 5 proponentsand helped to fund the campaign.

DPA played a pivotal role in legalizing medical marijuanain Maine in 1999 but it was the only one of the seven medi-cal marijuana laws that DPA won between 1996-2000 that

was not implemented. Like New Jerseys new law, Question 5represents the next generation of cutting edge medical

As Californians prepare to vote on a landmark initiative to taxand regulate marijuana, the national debate over marijuanaprohibition is heating up like never before. Public opinion is

rapidly shifting, as the proportion of Americans who favormaking marijuana legal has climbed to 40-45 percent almostdouble what it was in the mid-1980s. The Obama adminis-tration took a major step in the right direction by issuing newguidelines directing federal agents not to arrest or harass medicalmarijuana patients and their sanctioned suppliers who areobeying state law. DPA played a pivotal role in passing medicalmarijuana legislation in New Jersey and a ballot initiativein Maine, both of which authorize regulated distribution ofmarijuana to patients. At the same time, our publications arehighlighting the disparate racial impacts of marijuana prohibi-tion especially in California and New York City.

National Marijuana Debate Gets Real

For years, people like you have helped us limit the federalgovernments systematic obstruction of state and localmedical marijuana laws. Now, they have changed their tune.

In October 2009, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holderannounced new Department of Justice guidelines for pros-ecuting medical marijuana cases. The guidelines directfederal drug agents not to arrest or harass medical marijuanapatients and their sanctioned suppliers in states that haveapproved the medicine, as long as they are following theirstates medical marijuana law. Holders move provided a

green light for state and local authorities to become involvedin the production and distribution of medical marijuana.It also sent a persuasive signal to state legislatures around thecountry that the federal government will no longer exerciseor threaten federal interference.

Even the U.S. Congress passed historic legislation inDecember to end the decade-long ban on implementing amedical marijuana law approved by Washington, D.C.voters in 1998. This was the first time Congress has given itsapproval to a state or local law that permits medical use ofmarijuana. By 2011, there will likely be dispensaries operating

just a stones throw from the White House and Capitol Hill.

The widespread acceptance of medical marijuana hasblossomed alongside an increasingly mainstream debateabout regulating and taxing the sale of marijuana. DPAis working closely with the campaign for CaliforniasProposition 19 which, if approved by voters in November,

will legalize possession and cultivation of small amountsof marijuana and allow local jurisdictions to regulate itsproduction and distribution.

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marijuana laws that protect licensed distributors, in additionto patients. It mandates the creation of a regulated system ofmedical marijuana distribution to qualified patients through

nonprofit dispensaries, in addition to establishing a statewideidentification card system to protect patients from arrest.

Marijuana Prohibition and Racial Justice

DPA is working to highlight the fact that marijuana prohibi-tion is a racial justice issue throughout the nation especiallyin California and New York City. Most New Yorkers dontknow that in 2009, the New York Police Department arrestedclose to 50,000 people for marijuana possession at a stagger-ing cost of nearly $100 million. In the 12 years between 1997and 2008, the NYPD made more than 10 times the number

of marijuana possession arrests than in the previous 12 years,earning New York City the dubious distinction of being themarijuana arrest capital of the world.

Almost 90 percent of those arrested were black or Latino.The NYPD arrests Latinos for marijuana possession at fourtimes the rate of whites, and blacks at seven times the rate of

whites despite the fact that marijuana use rates are the samefor each group. These arrests for marijuana possession dontdirectly result in long prison sentences, but they do result inpermanent criminal records that disqualify people for jobs,housing, schooling and student loans.

To raise public awareness, DPA employed innovative tactics,generating high levels of media attention that made marijuanaarrests a political issue in New York for the first time.

Sensible Marijuana Regulation

continued

January 14, 2010

Tamar Todd

Staff Attorney

March 9, 2010

Stephen Gutwillig

State Director, California

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DPA consistentlyutilizes the media tospread the word andbroaden the debateon drug policy andin the past year wewere more successfulthan ever. We havetaken an issue thathovered at the fringesof American politicsjust 15 years ago andbrought it into themainstream without

sacrificing our passion,our vision or our coreprinciples.

Stephen Gutwill ig, State Director, California

NBC Nightly News

Meagan Johnson, Policy Coordinator, New Jersey

New Jersey Star-Ledger

Ethan Nadelmann, Executive Director

The OReilly Factor


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We advocate for new drug

policies that focus on reducing

the cumulative death, disease,

crime and suffering associatedwith both drug use and drug

prohibition. Were dedicated to

ensuring that people struggling

with addiction have access

to counseling and effective

treatment, including maintenance

therapies such as methadone,

buprenorphine and heroin

maintenance programs. As themomentum to reduce the role of

criminalization in drug policy

gains steam, policymakers and

the public are more receptive than

ever to health-based approaches.

Moving Toward a

Health-Based Approach

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research efforts, and data collection systems. In May,DPA held a federal briefing on Capitol Hill to educate law-makers and their staff about policy solutions to the crisis.

In 2010, more than a dozen states across the countryconsidered legislation to slow the growing overdose crisis,and Washington became the second state in the country topass a 911 Good Samaritan bill. The first, were proud to

say, was passed in New Mexico in 2007 a direct result ofDPAs efforts.

Our major report, Preventing Overdose, Saving Lives, hashelped shape the debate about harm reduction approachesto the epidemic. Since last year, DPA has been hosting anongoing series of teleconferences to educate the public aboutadvocating for this lifesaving legislation. We also createdan overdose legislation advocacy guide, available at

www.drugpolicy.org/overdose, to teach interested membersof the public how to become effective advocates.

Our objective, working with local governments and allieslike the Harm Reduction Coalition, is to dramatically reduceoverdose fatalities without undermining legitimate accessto pain medication.

DPA is leading the way in addressing the overdose crisis,making unprecedented gains in expanding and improving accessto sterile syringes to reduce HIV/AIDS, instigating discussionsabout the need for heroin maintenance programs and supervisedinjection facilities in the U.S., and establishing a model inCalifornia for shifting federal drug war funding to treatment.Each of these efforts strengthens access to effective drug treatmentservices that improve lives and reduce the societal costs of drug

misuse and addiction.

Overdose Emerges as a Major Legislative Issue

Since 1990, accidental overdose deaths in the U.S. havequadrupled to over 26,000, and now represent the second-leading cause of injury-related death in the U.S. DPA is atthe forefront of innovative efforts to reduce overdose fatalities.Our efforts primarily focus on two goals: improving access tothe overdose reversal drug, naloxone, and passing life-saving911 Good Samaritan laws, which encourage people witness-ing an overdose to call 911 without fear of arrest.

DPA has taken the lead in making this an issue on CapitolHill. Thirty-one Members of Congress are now co-sponsorsof the Drug Overdose Reduction Act, a federal bill draftedand supported by DPA that was introduced by MarylandRepresentative Donna Edwards. The overdose bill woulddirect federal dollars to overdose prevention programs,

May 13, 2010

Bill Piper

Director, National Affairs

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Starving the Drug War in California

As part of the 2009 federal stimulus package, California

received $225 million in federal Byrne Justice AssistanceGrants funding about ten times the states typical annualallocation. Historically, Byrne Grants have fueled many ofthe worst drug war practices in California (as they have acrossthe nation), including drug task forces that generate thou-sands of low-level possession arrests each year. Every ByrneGrant dollar spent on arrests generates roughly $10 in newcosts to the state, none of which are covered by the grants.

Concerned that such a huge injection of dollars intoCalifornias drug task forces would lead to a jump in newarrests and drug war waste, DPA led a successful, precedent-setting campaign to redirect the funds to more sensible and

cost-effective programs. Our effort is now paying off forthe states 58 counties, which received $100 million forcommunity-based drug treatment, probation and re-entrycourts money that would otherwise have been used tofinance costly and wasteful arrests. Based on previouscost-benefit analyses, this investment is expected to reducestate costs by over $200 million.

Congress Finally Overturns

Syringe Access Funding Ban

In December 2009, the movement experienced a watershedmoment when the two-decades-old policy banning cities andstates from using federal HIV/AIDS prevention money onsyringe access programs was finally lifted. Congress passed themeasure and the president signed it in December. Thanks toyour support, thousands of lives will be saved.

Ending the syringe funding ban is a huge victory forHIV/AIDS prevention and drug policy reform. DPA andnumerous allies have worked hard on this issue since the1990s. We couldnt have succeeded without strong leadershipfrom Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, CongressmenDavid Obey and Jose Serrano, and Delegate Eleanor Holmes

Norton, who responded to pressure from advocates urgingthem to stand up for science over drug war hysteria.

Moving Toward a Health-Based Approach

continued

The time to act is now. Too many

people are dying needlessly. In 2006

(the last year for which data is

available), 26,000 Americans died

from accidental drug overdose thats

the highest number ever recorded.

Meghan Ralston

Harm Reduction Coordinator

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The legislation not only overturns the syringe funding banbut eliminates troubling provisions that the House passedearly in 2009. While there are some troubling restrictions in

the bill, it is groundbreaking that federal money is flowingto syringe access programs around the country.

The science overwhelmingly shows that syringe accessprograms reduce the spread of infectious diseases withoutincreasing drug use. On the campaign trail, President Obamacalled for treating drug use as a health issue instead of acriminal justice issue, and promised to base policy decisionson science rather than politics. While the Obama administra-tion has yet to shift the majority of drug war funding towardthis approach, this is a sign that the administration is willingto take substantial steps to reorient U.S. drug policy towarda health-based approach.

Building Support for the First Supervised Injection

Facility in the U.S.

Supervised injection facilities (SIFs) are places where peoplecan safely inject drugs and connect to health care services from primary care to treat disease and infection, to addictioncounseling and treatment. As of 2009 there were 92 facilitiesoperating in 61 cities around the world but none in the U.S.

DPA continues to be an active part of the campaign tobuild support for a SIF in San Francisco. As part of thelocal coalition Alliance for Saving Lives, DPA co-sponsored

a symposium on supervised injection facilities in 2007 thatbrought researchers and advocates from Vancouver to talkabout the success of Insite, North Americas first and onlySIF. The evidence from Insite, as well as from dozens of SIFsin other countries, is that they are effective in reducing newHIV infections, overdose deaths, and public nuisance andthat they do not increase drug use or criminal activity.

DPA is currently working with advocates, service provid-ers, and community members in San Francisco to create thepolitical will to support a SIF. In 2010, the MAC AIDS Fundgave DPA a groundbreaking grant to advocate for a SIF inSan Francisco. DPA is conducting research on perceptionsof the public safety implications of a SIF, and planning tolead a visit to Insite in Vancouver for some of San Franciscoskey stakeholders and policymakers. A broad array ofsupporters researchers, doctors, drug users, advocates,police officers and even political candidates have spoken outin favor of a SIF in San Francisco.

(Re-)Starting the Conversation: Heroin Maintenance in

the United States

Heroin maintenance programs allow people who are addictedto illegal heroin and have not succeeded in other programsto obtain pharmaceutical-grade heroin legally from clinics.Empirical studies from Canada, Germany, England, theNetherlands, Spain and Switzerland show that this cuttingedge treatment innovation is cost-effective, successful atreducing criminality and problematic drug use, and improvesthe mental and physical health of participants.

While a research trial in the U.S. remains several years away,DPA has a long-term commitment to establishing heroinmaintenance programs in North America. In 1998, weinitiated the discussions that led to Canadas successful trial,

the North American Opiate Medication Initiative (NAOMI).The results, published in 2009 in a groundbreaking articlein the New England Journal of Medicine, provide compellingevidence that heroin maintenance is effective for people whohave not succeeded with methadone maintenance.

In January 2010, DPA and George Washington Universityconvened a public forum in Washington, D.C., to discussheroin maintenance. DPA staff was joined by researchers fromGermany and Canada, scholars, students, activists, journal-ists and elected officials. Washington, D.C. CouncilmemberTommy Wells gave opening remarks at the forum. I amproud that my city is hosting this event and am interested

to learn more about the positive impact that heroin-assistedtreatment has shown on problematic heroin use, HIV/AIDSand street crime, said Wells.

Ultimately, DPA supports heroin maintenance programs notjust because of the powerful evidence that they save lives but also because of our commitment to the principle thatscience should not be trumped by politics. Furthermore,heroin maintenance can transform peoples understandingof the nature of addiction by demonstrating that addictionis not just about a particular drug, but about the legal andsocial context in which it is used.

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DPA promotes effective drug education for youth that

moves beyond inaccurate, fear-based messages and

zero-tolerance policies by offering honest, reality-based

information grounded in dialogue and trust. Parents and

schools understandably want children to abstain, but a

fallback strategy is needed for those teens who just say

yes or maybe or sometimes to alcohol and other

drug use. Our Safety FirstandJust4Teens materials

provide parents and educators with honest information

about alcohol and other drugs, as well as realistic

options for dealing with adolescent drug use.

Empowering Youth,Parents and Educators

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Organizing Parents to End the Drug War

More and more parents are realizing that the drug war did

nothing to protect their children and even made their livesmore dangerous. DPA is collaborating with our longtimegrantee, A New PATH, to launch an initiative called MomsUnited to End the War on Drugs. This campaign is an ex-plicit movement-building initiative that harnesses the moralauthority of parents to highlight the drug wars failures and togenerate mainstream calls for widespread drug policy reform.

In April 2010, Moms United staged a rally and vigil inSan Diego, followed by similar events in Orange County,Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, San Francisco and finally at thestate capitol in Sacramento this fall.

Challenging Random Student Drug Testing

Promoting and expanding random student drug testing wasa top priority of the drug czars office during the Bush admin-istration, and DPA is working diligently to ensure that thenew administration ceases support for this invasive, unproven,expensive and counterproductive practice.

DPA has partnered with the ACLU to block the expansionof random, suspicionless drug testing of students in Californiaschools. In May 2010, DPA filed an amicus curiaebrief ina key case in Mt. Shasta, California, supporting a studentschallenge to the policy of random drug testing of students as

a condition of participation in co-curricular activities, suchas math club, chess club, choir or band.

Random student drug testing deters students from partici-pating in co-curricular activities and thus denies importanteducational, social and health benefits to students, particularlythose most at risk. Ultimately, DPA is committed to this issuenot just because scientific research does not support the safetyor efficacy of random student drug testing but because itundermines trust in student-teacher relationships and distortsthe proper allocation of responsibility among parents, doctors,schools and other sources of support.

In New Mexico, DPA implemented federally-funded interactiveworkshops on effective drug education for hundreds of schoolpersonnel and drug prevention specialists. In California, were

organizing parents affected by the drug war to generate main-stream calls for widespread drug policy reform, and challengingthe wasteful and counterproductive practice of random studentdrug testing. Nationally, were playing a key role in persuadingCongress to cut federal funding for the drug czars ineffective,decades-old media campaign.

A Model for Effective Drug Education

In fall 2008, DPA releasedJust4Teens: Lets Talk about Methand Other Drugs, an innovative drug education video featur-ing the voices of young people, prevention specialists, andadults in recovery. Rejecting the fear-based Just Say No!

messages still used in schools and prevention programs,Just4Teensfocuses on honest, open and respectful discussionwith teens about their experiences and the realities of drugsand drug use today.

Since the release ofJust4Teens, DPA has been facilitatinginteractive research-based workshops on effective drugeducation for school personnel and community preventionspecialists. To date, DPA has trained over 1,500 teachers,counselors and prevention specialists. By utilizing a capacity-building train-the-trainer model, DPA has reached largenumbers of youth with honest, reality-based drug education.

Curtailing Wasteful Federal Media Spending

Over the past two decades, billions of taxpayer dollarshave been spent warning, scaring and threatening Americasyoung people with abstinence-only messages. Still, nationalsurveys indicate that over half of American teenagers haveexperimented with an illegal drug and 80% have triedalcohol before they finish high school.

For years, DPA has worked to educate members ofCongress about the failure as documented in evaluationscommissioned by the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign. In 2008,Congress cut funding for this program from $100 millionto $60 million. In 2010, DPAs work paid off again whena U.S. House of Representatives subcommittee made alandmark move by completely eliminating funding for theprogram. The Senate voted to continue funding the program,however, and a compromise will likely be reached laterthis year.

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DPA is at the vanguard of the

burgeoning drug policy reform

movement. While much of our day-

to-day work involves organizing andleading political coalitions to advance

specific policy objectives, we also

connect the dots among the many

issues related to drug policy reform

to build consensus around the

basic organizing strategies of the

movement. We help start and mentor

local drug policy reform organiza-

tions and provide media, organizingand funding support. We have taken

an issue that hovered at the fringes

of American politics just 15 years ago

and brought it into the mainstream

without sacrificing our passion, our

vision or our core principles.

Reaching New Audiences,

Transforming Public Discourse

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Americas Future, NAACP, Democracy Alliance, AmericanSociety of Addiction Medicine, American Academy of AddictionPsychiatry, James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy,

Institute of the Americas, TIDES Momentum, Milken Institute,and Young Elected Officials Network.

New Technologies, New Audiences

Like most other non-profit organizations, DPA suffered areduction in funding during the economic crisis that required usto severely cut expenses. But we managed to stabilize and finishthe fiscal year on a solid footing. Thanks to your support, we arenow positioned to grow into an even more powerful and effectiveorganization.

DPA has significantly increased its capacity to exert influence

online by broadening its social networking reach and expandingits email messaging program. The number of online subscribersto DPAs online action network increased by 70 percent infiscal year 2009-10, and weve drawn in thousands more sup-porters through our use of Facebook, Twitter, online video andtext-to-give campaigns.

One example of DPAs ability to reach new audiences throughboth traditional and online media is our new promotional videofeaturing George Soros, Montel Williams and Sting. Fox Newsran several segments about the video, including one in whichEthan Nadelmann debated Bill OReilly on The OReilly Factorabout the failures of the drug war. To our delight, Fox News

attacks dramatically increased viewership of the video.

New Possibilities Energize Biennial DPA Conference

Last November, the movement came together at the 2009International Drug Policy Reform Conference in Albuquerque,New Mexico. It was our strongest, most diverse coalition of people,issues, co-hosts and partner organizations yet. The conferencefocused on the rapidly changing political climate and forward-thinking issues, reflecting the diversity of our growing movement.

We raised dedicated funds to grant conference scholarships,enabling 300 students, activists and others the opportunity toattend the conference at little or no cost.The Reform Conference wasnt just a conference it was anintellectual, political, emotional and even spiritual feast. Oneparticipant described the conference as a cross between a top-levelpolicy conference and a three day revival meeting.

We will convene in 2011 in Los Angeles from November 2-5 forwhat we fully expect will be our largest and most dynamic gatheringever. We hope to see you there.

DPA consistently utilizes the media to spread the word andbroaden the debate on drug policy and in the past year we weremore successful than ever. We have also expanded our capacity

to reach new audiences by broadening our online activism andsocial networking reach. The International Drug Policy ReformConference in New Mexico in 2009 and Los Angeles in 2011 is the principal gathering of drug policy reformers from aroundthe world. Our efforts are putting drug policy reform on theagendas of thought leaders and organizations around the world.

Provoking Debate

The greatest obstacles to sensible drug policy reform are fearand ignorance and the only solution is public education thatengages the media and excites the public. We pitch stories everyday to reporters and columnists, send out press releases, draft

op-eds for publication by staff and other prominent publicfigures, debate on talk radio, appear on television, and speakto audiences all across the country and around the world.

We react to breaking news, and we make our own news, alwayswith an eye toward informing the public in ways that advanceour objectives. In the past year, DPA was quoted in over1,000 news stories, and published dozens of op-eds in nationaland regional papers.

DPAs executive director, Ethan Nadelmann, is increasinglypresented with invitations from influential organizations.He got the message out at annual conferences and specialevents sponsored by organizations such as the Campaign for

T H E H U F F I N G T O N P O S T

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March 31, 2010

Sting

DPA International

Honorary

Board Member


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Foundation Support 2009-2010 Advocacy

Grant Awardees

DPA received support from nineteen

local and national foundations this

year. Most support specific parts of our

agenda that align most closely with their

own organizational priorities, on issues

including racial justice, prison reform,

human rights, civil liberties, HIV/AIDS

prevention and community health.

Angelica Foundation

Morris & Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation

Consumer Health Foundation

Fund for Nonviolence

Herb Block Foundation

Hugh M. Hefner Foundation

Zanvyl & Isabelle Krieger Fund

Libra FoundationLivingry Fund

MAC AIDS Fund

Curtis W. McGraw Foundation

Eugene and Agnes E. Meyer Foundation

Open Society Institute

Public Welfare Foundation

Rosenberg Foundation

San Francisco Foundation

Santa Fe Community Foundation

Syringe Access Fund

Doris Goodwin Walbridge Foundation

The Drug Policy Alliance Advocacy

Grants Program seeks to promote

policy change and advance drug

policy reform at local, state and national

levels by strategically funding smaller,geographically limited or single-issue

organizations and projects. Endowed

annually at a level of roughly $1.2 million,

the Advocacy Grants program works

to raise awareness and promote policy

change through two vehicles: the

Promoting Policy Change Program and

the Rapid Response Program.

Organizations are national unless

otherwise indicated.

Promoting Policy Change

$50,000

DrugSense

Students for Sensible Drug Policy

$40,000

Center on Juvenile and Criminal

Justice (CA)

Law Enforcement Against Prohibition

New York Academy of Medicine

The Ordinary Peoples Society (AL)

$20,000 to $35,000

A New PATH (CA)

Alabama Citizens for Drug Policy Reform

Albany County District Attorney,

David Soares (NY)

AlterNet

The Bronx Defenders (NY)

California Society of Addiction Medicine

Colorado Criminal Justice

Reform Coalition

Families for Freedom (NY)

Harm Reduction Therapy Center (CA)

Homeless Youth Alliance (CA)

Institute for Metropolitan Affairs,

Roosevelt University (IL)

Justice Strategies

New England Policy Advocates

Northwest Community Care

Network (NC)

Project South Institute for the Elimination

of Poverty and Genocide (GA)

VOCAL (NY)

Voluntary Committee of Lawyers

Volunteers of America,

Delaware Valley (NJ)

Women on the Rise

Telling Her Story (NY)

Less than $20,000

ACLU of Mississippi

Community HIV/AIDS Mobilization

Direct Action for Rights and Equality (RI)

DRCNet Foundation

Drug Policy Education Group (AR)

Drug Policy Forum of Hawai`i

Drug Policy Forum of Kansas

Drug Truth Network

Families Act (CA)

The Fortune Society (NY)

Homeless Youth Alliance (CA)

Los Angeles Community Action Network

Mothers Against Teen Violence (TX)

New Mexico Womens Justice Project

Partnership for Safety and Justice (OR)

Regional Congregations and

Neighborhood Organizations (CA)

Utah Support Advocates for

Recovery Awareness

Rapid Response

$20,000 to $25,000

Main Street Solutions (ME)

National Association of Social Workers

Working Families Organization (NY)

$10,000 to $19,999

Maine Citizens for Patients Rights

Colorado Criminal Justice

Reform Coalition

Pennsylvania Prison Society

People Serving a Larger Mission (CA)

Students for Sensible Drug Policy

Women with a Vision (LA)

Less than $10,000

Ella Baker Center for Human Rights

Institute for Metropolitan Affairs,

Roosevelt University (IL)

Voluntary Committee of Lawyers

Harm Reduction Action Center (CO)

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DPA Honorary Board DPA Board of Directors

International

Honorary Board

(In formation)

Former Mayor Rocky Anderson

Harry Belafonte

Former Defense Secretary Frank Carlucci

Congressman John Conyers, Jr.

Walter Cronkite [1916-2009]Ram Dass

Dr. Vincent Dole [1913-2006]

Former Surgeon General Joycelyn Elders

Judge Nancy Gertner

Former Police Chief Penny Harrington

Calvin Hill

Arianna Huffington

Former Governor Gary Johnson

Judge John Kane

Former Attorney General Nicholas deB. Katzenbach

Former Police Chief Joseph McNamara

Former Police Commissioner Patrick V. Murphy

Dr. Beny J. Primm

Dennis Rivera

Former Mayor Kurt Schmoke

Dr. Charles Schuster

Alexander Shulgin

Former Secretary of State George P. Shultz

Russell Simmons

Judge Robert Sweet

Former Chairman of the Federal Reserve Paul Volcker

Christine Downton

Former Vice Chairman and Founding Partner of

Pareto Partners

Jodie EvansCo-founder, CODEPINK

James E. Ferguson, II

Senior Partner, Ferguson, Stein, Chambers Law Offices

Jason Flom

President, Lava Records

Ira Glasser, DPA Board President

Former Executive Director, American Civil Liberties Union

Carl Hart, PhD

New York State Psychiatric Institute

Kenneth Hertz

Senior Partner, Goldring Hertz and Lichtenstein LLP

Mathilde Krim, PhD

Founding Chair, American Foundation for AIDS Research

(amfAR)

David C. Lewis, MD

Founding Director, Center for Alcohol and Addiction

Studies, Brown University

Pamela Lichty

President, Drug Policy Forum of Hawai`i

Ethan Nadelmann, JD, PhD

Executive Director, Drug Policy Alliance

Robert Newman, MD

Director, Baron Edmond de Rothschild Chemical

Dependency Institute at Beth Israel Medical Center

Rev. Edwin Sanders, DPA Board Secretary

Senior Servant, Metropolitan Interdenominational

Church Coordinator, Religious Leaders for a More Just and

Compassionate Drug Policy

George Soros

Chairman, Soros Fund Management

John Vasconcellos

Former California State Senator

Co-Founder, The Politics of Trust

Richard B. Wolf, DPA Board Treasurer

Chairman of Board, Consolidated Dye

Ruth Dreifuss

Former President of the Swiss Confederation

Vclav Havel

Former President of the Czech Republic

Sting

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wwww.drugpolicy.org

DPA Staff

Management Team

Ethan Nadelmann, Executive Director

Derek Hodel, Deputy Executive Director

Ryan Chavez, Managing Director, Finance and Administration

DeDe Dunevant, Managing Director, CommunicationsJill Harris, Managing Director, Public Policy

Clovis Thorn, Managing Director, Development

Communications

Jag Davies, Publications Manager

DeDe Dunevant, Managing Director, Communications

Megan Farrington, Deputy Director, Internet Communications

Jeanette Irwin, Director, Internet Communications

Stefanie Jones, Event Manager

Tommy McDonald, Deputy Director, Media Relations

Tony Newman, Director, Media Relations

Anthony Papa, Manager, Media Relations

Derek Rosenfeld, Internet Communications Associate

Development

Rafael De Arce, Manager, Membership and

Development Operations

David Glowka, Manager, Foundation Relations

Judh Grandchamps, Gift Entry Associate

Clovis Thorn, Managing Director, Development

Finance and Administration

David Abbott, Office Manager

Teresa Bonomo, Administrative Associate

Ryan Chavez, Managing Director, Finance and Administration

Lina Mingoia, Human Resources Manager

Yair Tygiel, Executive Associate to Ethan Nadelmann

Candida Ventimiglia, Controller

Policy

Jill Harris, Managing Director, Public Policy

Movement Building

asha bandele, Director, Advocacy Grants ProgramYolande Cadore, Director, Strategic Partnerships

Office of Legal Affairs

Daniel N. Abrahamson, Director, Legal Affairs

Theshia Naidoo, Staff Attorney

Daniel Robelo, Research Associate

Tamar Todd, Staff Attorney

Office of National Affairs

Emily Brooks, Legislative Associate

Bill Piper, Director, National Affairs

Grant Smith, Federal Policy Coordinator

Jasmine Tyler, Deputy Director, National Affairs

State Policy Offices

California

Margaret Dooley-Sammuli, Deputy State Director,

Southern California

Jessica Gelay, Administrative Associate, Southern California

Stephen Gutwillig, State Director, California

Jennifer Jain, Administrative Associate, San Francisco

Meghan Ralston, Harm Reduction Coordinator,

Southern California

Marsha Rosenbaum, Director Emerita, San Francisco and

Safety First Program

Laura Thomas, Deputy State Director, San Francisco

New Jersey

Amanda Bent, Administrative Associate

Meagan Johnson, Policy Coordinator

Roseanne Scotti, State Director, New Jersey

New Mexico

Sheila Lewis, Interim State Director, New Mexico

New York

Kassandra Frederique, Policy Associate

Evan Goldstein, Policy Coordinator

gabriel sayegh, State Director, New York

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Drug Policy Alliance, a 501(c)(3) Organization

DPA Statement of Financial Position FY2010

ASSETS

Cash and cash equivalents $ 4,279,990

Investments $ 616,000

Grants receivable $ 2,012,180

Accounts receivable $ 29,021

Prepaid expenses and other assets $ 105,515

Deposits $ 84,580

Property, equipment and leasehold

improvements, net $ 110,144

Total Assets $ 7,237,430

LIABILITIES AND NET ASSETS

Liabilities

Accounts payable and

accrued expenses $ 150,157Compensated absences $ 205,975

Total Liabilities $ 356,132

Net Assets

Unrestricted $ 4,097,826

Temporarily restricted $ 2,783,472

Total Net Assets $ 6,881,298

Total Liabilities and Net Assets $ 7,237,430

DPA Statement of Activities FY2010

SUPPORT AND REVENUE

Contributions unrestricted $ 5,022,518Contributions temporarily restricted $ 2,467,500

Conference and other income $ 1,447,435

Total Income $ 8,937,453

EXPENSES

Program Expenses

Conferences $ 372,967

Communications $ 1,285,901

Health and harm reduction $ 6,332

Public policy and legal affairs $ 2,106,358

Treatment and prevention $ 182,196

Special projects $ 483,181

Grants $ 1,266,412

Support Services

Management $ 1,413,815

Fundraising $ 1,247,776

Total Expenses $ 8,364,938

CHANGE IN NET ASSETS $ 572,515

Net Assets, beginning of year $ 6,308,783

Net Assets, end of year $ 6,881,298

Drug Policy Action, a 501(c)(4) Organization

Drug Policy Action Statement of Financial Position FY2010

ASSETS

Cash and cash equivalents $ 1,411,864

Investments $ 1,242,000

Accrued interest receivable $ 1,218

Total Assets $ 2,655,082

LIABILITIES AND NET ASSETS

Liabilities

Accounts payable and

accrued expenses $ 39,293

Net Assets

Unrestricted $ 2,615,789

Total Liabilities and Net Assets $ 2,655,082

Drug Policy Action Statement of Activities FY2010

SUPPORT AND REVENUE

Grants and contributions $ 720,000

Membership $ 110,139

Investment income $ 11,089

Miscellaneous income $ 50,000

Total Income $ 891,228

EXPENSES

Program Expenses

Consulting $ 129,771

Campaign donations $ 7,850Ballot initiatives $ 12,297

Advertising and marketing $ 13,595

Insurance $ 1,685

Seminars and conferences $ 200

Miscellaneous $ 10,730

Support Services

Administrative expenses $ 126,902

Professional fees $ 53,397

Total Expenses $ 356,427

CHANGE IN NET ASSETS $ 534,801

Net Assets, beginning of year $ 2,080,988

Net Assets, end of year $ 2,615,789

Financial Statements

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wwww.drugpolicy.org

We are the Drug Policy

Alliance and we envisiona just society in which theuse and regulation of drugsare grounded in science,compassion, health andhuman rights, in which people

are no longer punished forwhat they put into their ownbodies but only for crimescommitted against others, andin which the fears, prejudicesand punitive prohibitions of

today are no more.

Please join us.


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California

DPA Office of Legal Affairs

Berkeley, CA

[email protected]

Los Angeles, CA

[email protected]

San Francisco, CA

[email protected]

District of Columbia

DPA Office of National Affairs

Washington, D.C.

[email protected]

New JerseyTrenton, NJ

[email protected]

New Mexico

Santa Fe, NM

[email protected]

New York

Drug Policy Alliance Headquarters

70 West 36th Street

16th floor

New York, NY 10018

212.613.8020 voice

212.613.8021 fax

[email protected]

www.drugpolicy.org

DPA Anual Report 2010

Documents

Transcript of DPA Anual Report 2010