By David Borden
I am writing to update you on StoptheDrugWar.org’s current mission, and to ask your help with a tax-deductible or other donation during 2015.
Things have evolved since we first set up shop in the ’90s, and they’ve evolved in our favor. Back then, people were just starting to talk about drug policy. As one of a handful of national organizations, we led the way getting the word out and organizing people online for legalization, sentencing reform, medical marijuana, stopping the international drug war and other issues. We built a platform, and used it to build the movement and empower the people working in it.
Today we are winning marijuana legalization. Reform of drug sentencing is one of the few bipartisan issues in Congress — what a change! More people are talking about the big picture of drug prohibition, not just of marijuana, and about prohibition’s ills than ever did before.
When looking at the current needs of the issue and the movement, and our own organization’s position in it, we saw three particular ways we could continue to make a special difference. Those are:
- Organizing a US coalition to work for changes at the UN and in US foreign policy, including but not limited to reforming the UN drug treaties;
- Carrying out that effort in a way that moves the debate on broader drug legalization forward, while supporting current marijuana legalization efforts; and
- Making sure our newsletter focuses on the most unique role it still plays — providing advocates with comprehensive tracking of all the different of areas of drug policy that affect their work.
Our work this year has matched those needs. We launched that coalition, getting its message to high-level US officials, to news media, and to hundreds of diplomats. We recruited major, mainstream organizations onto our sign-on statement, calling for the right of countries to experiment with legalization and for other reforms like ending the death penalty for drug offenses. And we published nearly 50 issues of Drug War Chronicle, bringing over 430 articles to our readers including our comprehensive daily roundups on all things drug policy, our in-depth articles on selected topics, and our ongoing features like the medical marijuana update, police corruption reports and drug war deaths series.
Our ability to move these campaigns forward depends on the generosity of our donors. We don’t receive government funding, and large foundations have barely started to look at the issue. Most importantly, the movement’s success means that there are more needs to be funded. Whether we can seize the opportunities that success has presented us with, depends on the generosity of supporters like you. Will you take this challenge with us as we move into the historic year ahead?
Thank you if you have read this far and are considering making a donation for our work. Donations to our tax-deductible nonprofit, DRCNet Foundation, and our non-deductible lobbying nonprofit, Drug Reform Coordination Network, both can be put toward these uses that I’ve described. Visit https://stopthedrugwar.org/donate to donate by credit card or PayPal, or send your check or money order (made out to one of the two names listed above) to P.O. 9853, Washington, DC 20016.
We can also accept donations of stock; the information to give your brokerage is Ameritrade, (800) 669-3900), DTC #0188, and account number 781926492 for tax-deductible gifts to DRCNet Foundation or 864663500 for non-deductible gifts to Drug Reform Coordination Network — please contact us if you are donating this way.
2016 is going to be an historic year — with your help. Thank you for being a part of changing drug policy – together we are getting it done.
David Borden, Executive Director
StoptheDrugWar.org
P.O. Box 9853
Washington, DC 20016
https://stopthedrugwar.org
“U.S. and U.N. Drug Policy Reform”
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