This has been an exciting day so far. I've just returned to the MPP office after debating a prohibitionist from the Drug Free America Foundation on live national TV on MSNBC. And I have to dash off again in a moment for another appearance, because the segment is, according to an MSNBC producer, "one of the most e-mailed stories today."
The topic? The new report that MPP co-released yesterday -- http://www.drugscience.org/bcr/index.html -- that shows marijuana is the nation's number one cash crop. The report, written by Jon Gettman, Ph.D., explains that wholesale marijuana sales are at $36 billion annually, which is greater than corn ($23 billion) and vegetables ($11 billion) combined.
This report is a damning indictment of the government's marijuana policies. The government has been waging its war on marijuana users since 1937, seizing approximately 4 million marijuana plants -- and arresting nearly 800,000 Americans -- last year alone. Despite this endless war on the American people, nearly 100 million Americans have tried marijuana, 25 million have used it in the past year, and 15 million have used it in the last month.
The report is generating a great deal of worldwide news coverage, including articles by the BBC, Reuters, and Agence France-Presse; in the Sidney Morning Herald (Australia), The Scotsman, The Times of India, the Irish Times, the China Post (Taiwan), and at least 14 papers in New Zealand; and on the Australian Broadcasting Company -- which also interviewed MPP's director of communications, Bruce Mirken. Nationally, the story has been covered on ABC's "America This Morning," NBC's "Early Today," CNN's "American Morning," CNN Headline News, MSNBC's "The Situation With Tucker Carlson," as well as on more than 50 local TV stations across the country. Please click on the following links to coverage in the L.A. Times -- http://ca.mpp.org/site/c.cnKDINN...FE-A8C3-5EE10B2F1F4D%7D¬oc=1 -- in Britain's The Independent -- http://www.mpp.org/site/apps/nl/content2.asp?c=glKZLeMQIsG&b=1847069&ct=3308695 -- and on ABC News -- http://www.mpp.org/site/apps/nl/content2.asp?c=glKZLeMQIsG&b=1847069&ct=3308743.
As you contemplate your year-end charitable contributions, would you please consider including MPP or MPP Foundation on your list by visiting http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?ID=M722356357853968238910665&af=y today?
We just learned that MPP Foundation is receiving a $320,000 bequest -- as well as a $55,000 donation from an allied nonprofit organization -- which has raised our total revenues for the year to $3,258,153. This brings us very close to the $3,500,000 goal for the year.
(As I've mentioned in previous alerts, a major philanthropist has committed to match the first $3.5 million that MPP can raise from the rest of the planet in 2006. This means that your donation today at http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?ID=M722356407853968238910665&af=y will be doubled.)
I want to thank you in advance for anything you can do -- at http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?ID=M722356417853968238910665&af=y -- to bring us to the $3,500,000 milestone by December 31.
Sincerely,
Rob Kampia
Executive Director
Marijuana Policy Project
Washington, D.C.
The Marijuana Policy Project hopes that each of the 100,000 subscribers on our national e-mail list will make at least one financial donation to MPP's work in 2006. Please visit http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?ID=M722356417853968238910665&af=y to donate now.
MPP will be able to tackle all of the projects in its 2007 strategic plan -- http://www.mpp.org/2007plan -- if you and other allies are generous enough to fund our work.
Raised in 2006: $3,258,153
Goal in 2006: $3,500,000
According to our records, you have never donated to MPP or MPP Foundation. Would you please consider doing so today?