Rusty White became a top K-9 narcotics dog trainer, Track and Attack K-9 trainer and handler, and served as the sniper for the Department of Corrections. White also worked for 7 years as a corrections officer in an maximum security prison in Arizona. White started to question the way the War on Drugs was being fought. He questioned the arrests of low-level dealers when all of the promises were about kingpins. He watched with confusion and dismay as child molesters and other violent criminals were released from prison to make room for an ever-growing population of non-violent drug offenders. He despised the lies told to kids about drugs and came steadily to the realization that no matter how many prisons were built, no matter how many drug dealers were killed, he was not making a difference. After years of research and review, White realized that the real problem was prohibition and left law enforcement.
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Cultural Baggage is DTN's longest running broadcast program with 18 years as of October 2019. We are proud to have more than three dozen affiliate stations in the US and Canada broadcasting our 29 minutes of unvarnished truth about the failure and futility of this eternal prohibition of drugs. Produced by former cop Dean Becker at KPFT, Houston, one of the 5 Pacifica "sister" stations. |
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Two guests this week: Doug McVay DTN reporter based on Oregon who produces Century of Lies each week, plus anthouny Taylor Cannabis Consultant, Chair, Oregon Cannabis Commission, Co-founder, Compassionate Oregon, an Oregon 501(c)4, non-profit medical cannabis advocacy organization.
Matt Elrod has been a computer enthusiast since he purchased his first TRS-80 PC with 16 kilobytes of ram and a cassette tape drive. Matt became interested in reforming drug laws after becoming a father in 1987. "The drug war did not protect me, my siblings or my friends from drugs and I do not expect it to protect my children."
In 1996, his interest in drug policy led him to the drug-related Usenet groups and from there to the Drug Reform Coordination Network. Matt's partner Glenda Barr has become a drug reformer herself in the last few years. Glenda provides daily updates and other posts at DrugSense. She has become quite the well informed reformer herself.
Marshall Fogg retired from the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) and Department of Justice (DOJ) as a Chief with 32 years of federal service while obtaining the highest law enforcement awards from the USMS Director, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, the Federal Bar Association and others, for service above and beyond the call of duty.
Don Hall is in long term recovery, he has become a Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor, obtained a B.S. in Human Services, and a Masters of Business Administration.. Mr. Hall is active with several area organizations advocating for fair and equitable treatment of disadvantaged populations. +++ DTN Editorial
Kara Gotsch is a national expert on sentencing reform with over 25 years experience advocating to end mass incarceration and racial injustice in the US criminal legal system.
Kara has served The Sentencing Project in various roles for over 13 years. As Deputy Director since 2021, she helped operationalize the executive director’s vision of expansion and mission focus by managing and leading staff in areas of strategic planning, organizational oversight and development, communications, public education, research, and advocacy.
Charles Lynch ran a marijuana dispensary in Morro Bay, California, in violation of federal law. For nearly 17 years the Feds tried to bring Charles to trial. He was convicted of conspiracy to manufacture, possess, and distribute marijuana, as well as other charges related to his ownership of the dispensary. After 17 years, Charles will be off paper on 04/20/24.
Thomas Knapp is our guest, Thomas L. Knapp (Twitter: @thomaslknapp) is director and senior news analyst at the William Lloyd Garrison Center for Libertarian Advocacy Journalism (thegarrisoncenter.org). He lives and works in north central Florida.
Chris Conrad and Mikki Norris are known as the Power Couple of Pot for their
nearly 30 years at the forefront of the cannabis legalization movement with a
series of educational materials and books. They helped bring industrial hemp back
to America, were leaders of California’s Proposition 215 campaign to legalize
medical marijuana and exposed the atrocities of the US drug war by telling the
stories of its victims.
DTN GODAMARAMA EDITORIAL !!!! Doctor Carl Hart is a professor of neuroscience and psychology at Columbia University. Dr. Hart joins us for the half hour to discuss his newest book: Drug Use for Grown Ups - Chasing Liberty in the Land of Fear. Hart is known for his research in drug abuse and drug addiction. Hart was the first tenured African American professor of sciences at Columbia University.