Howard Wooldrige recently gave a talk to Grover Norquists gathering about Policing for Profit on US highways.

Howards Vision Statement:

Envision an America where there are no drug dealers on sidewalks selling drugs, shooting each other and destroying neighborhoods.
Imagine a world where all drugs are sold in a state-regulated store by a clerk making 12 dollars an hour.
Picture a world where al-Qaeda and other terrorists do not make billions guarding the drug trade and selling drugs.
Think of an America where felony crime is reduced by half which allows the police to focus on the deadly DUI, the child predator and other public safety threats.
Consider the prospect of redirecting the 72 billion tax dollars currently spent chasing non-violent drug users & their suppliers.
See a world where, if one day you or a loved one has a drug problem, you see a doctor not a judge.
This world is possible when we find the courage to end Modern Prohibition.

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.

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.