[WardFive] FW: SPECIAL INVITATION-The DC November Ballot, Initiative 71 & Public Health Issues

Please post the following announcement on the Listserve.

Thank you.
Theodora Brown

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Date: Fri, 15 Aug 2014 07:46:01 -0700
From: marsha19kaye@yahoo.com
Subject: Re: SPECIAL INVITATION-The DC November Ballot, Initiative 71 & Public Health Issues
To: Rozaka@aol.com; wards7and8pccoordinator1@verizon.net; ngreenpc78@gmail.com; orlandobarker@yahoo.com; carolyn.smith59@gmail.com; kelli.hill.hu@gmail.com; irwin.royster@gmail.com; nicstewy@gmail.com
CC: dreeder@fsfsc.org; desanders@fsfsc.org; janishazel@aol.com; nparker@nccpud.net; cdark@sashabruce.org; claudia@layc-dc.org; aburnettsr@aol.com; bpurnell@h2to.org; lncallahan.dcyouthfirst@gmail.com; thbrownlawyer@msn.com; mslaw1121@aol.com; sylviaquinton@aol.com; dgittens@dcpreventioncenter.org; juan@layc-dc.org; nakinshegun@sashabruce.org; bettye@awpli.org; sylvia@strategicinc.org; suzannemrandolph@gmail.com; ambrose2m@gmail.com; kevinsabet@gmail.com; willvjonesiii@gmail.com

On Friday, August 15, 2014 1:34 AM, "Rozaka@aol.com" <Rozaka@aol.com> wrote:

Greetings Fellow Prevention and Youth Development Specialists  -- The same commercial interests who stand to make big money by the creation of a third drug industry are targeting DC and they are the money behind recently approved Ballot Initiative 71 to be voted on by DC residents in November.

 

INITIATIVE MEASURE #71

SHORT TITLE

“Legalization of Possession of Minimal Amounts of Marijuana for Personal Use Act of 2014”

SUMMARY STATEMENT

This initiative, if passed, will make it lawful under District of Columbia law for a person 21 years of age or older to:

• possess up to two ounces of marijuana for personal use;
• grow no more than six cannabis plants with 3 or fewer being mature, flowering plants, within the person’s principal residence;
• transfer without payment (but not sell) up to one ounce of marijuana to another person 21 years of age or older; and
• use or sell drug paraphernalia for the use, growing, or processing of marijuana or cannabis.

http://dcmj.org/ballot-initiative/

 

And while most of us because of our funding sources can not publicly speak for or against this initiative we can and we should all feel an obligation as prevention and youth development specialists to make sure that DC residents are made aware of the very real public health issues related to passing this type of initiative which would move DC that much closer to becoming like Colorado  . .. a more balanced discussion needs to be occurring so that when people vote in November they are at least aware of the "pros" AND the "cons".

 

So our role is to inform and educate and galvanize our key adult and key youth community leaders to enable them to speak up at ANC and other community meetings and to speak up on social media and via targeted e-mails and even going old school with walking through the community and speaking with their neighbors door to door.  As well as to be available when media outlet wants an opinion that is not supporting legalization now (and commercialization later) . . . they are armed with some good data and facts to have that conversation with the reporter, etc.

 

To the end .  . . I hope you will join me in identifying 10 to 15 of your key community adult leaders AND 5 to 10 of your youth leaders and then ask each of them to also identify a few others to bring with them and join us at one of the following meetings . . . It is going to take a CITYWIDE approach to be successful and we have this citywide infrastructure anchored by our four Prevention Centers and supported by our three drug-free coalitions and others . . . so again I hope we can truly leverage this infrastructure for real impact because the goal is to reach and educate as many DC voters as possible between now and the November election.

 

We are fortunate to have direct access to Dr. Kevin Sabet (former White House Office of National Drug Control Policy senior staffer) who along with former Congressman Patrick Kennedy and others who serve on the SAM (Smart Approaches to Marijuana policy) Board have been helping communities across the country who are being targeted by the same commercial interests get organized and do effective public health messaging.

 

Realizing the urgency of the situation in DC with the recent approval of Initiative 71 to be placed on our November ballot, Dr. Sabet has re-arranged his schedule to come to DC to provide us with TWO training/meeting opportunities . . . so I hope EACH of you on this e-mail will plan to attend one of these sessions AND that you will get your key leaders (adults and youth) to do the same.

 

TWO CHOICES for the SAME Training:

 

AUGUST 27TH (WEDNESDAY) 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM:  Wards 7&8 DC Prevention Center Site 3939 Benning Road NE 20019 (near Minnesota Ave. and connected to East River Shopping Plaza) Large Conference Room

 

AUGUST 30TH (SATURDAY) 3 PM - 5 PM:  Shaw Library 1630 7th Street NW 2001(near Rhode Island Ave.) Large Meeting Room downstairs Web site:  http://dclibrary.org/watha

 

Purpose of Training: To discuss the Public Health impact of Initiative 71 (and beyond if this becomes law) based upon current data and effective messaging content and communication mechanisms to inform and educate as many DC voters as possible before the November election.

 

Background:  Check out www.grassisnotgreener.com AND www.tiedc2014.com

 

***Please RSVP by e-mailing me NO LATER THAN NOON on AUGUST 25th so we can make sure we have enough handouts, seats, snacks, etc.  Of course if you can let me know sooner, even better and to minimize the e-mails please ONLY E-MAIL ME with specific session you will be attending AND let me know if you will be bringing any other adult or youth leaders with you.

 

Thanks for your time and support . . . this is important and time is NOT on our side!!!

 

PS -- I have included some of our fellow prevention specialists who reside and work with groups (including a new drug-free coalition) in Prince George's County because to their credit they asked me to include them . . . they want to stay in close coordination with us which is a smart play . . . AND I would recommend that those of you with ties in the Wards 3&4 communities think about reaching out and including any prevention/youth development folks who are in Montgomery County . . . regional collaborations are important!!!

 

All the best

 

Roz

Rosalind M. Parker, Esq.
President & CEO, Bridging Resources In Communities, Inc.
"Linking Communities to Resources for Healthy Living"
(202) 255-3630 (voice)
(815) 301-9813 (e-fax)
www.BRICInc.org

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