LEAP

Law Enforcement Against Prohibition

Our mission is to move public opinion sufficiently to achieve the repeal of marijuana prohibition so that the responsible use of cannabis by adults is no longer subject to penalty.

Founded on March 16, 2002, LEAP is made up of current and former members of the law enforcement and criminal justice communities who are speaking out about the failures of our existing drug policies. Those policies have failed, and continue to fail, to effectively address the problems of drug abuse, especially the problems of juvenile drug use, the problems of addiction, and the problems of crime caused by the existence of a criminal black market in drugs. 

Although those who speak publicly for LEAP are people from the law enforcement and criminal justice communities, a large number of our supporting members do not have such experience. You don't have to have law enforcement experience to join us.

By continuing to fight the so-called "War on Drugs", the US government has worsened these problems of society instead of alleviating them. A system of regulation and control of these substances (by the government, replacing the current system of control by the black market) would be a less harmful, less costly, more ethical and more effective public policy.

Please consider joining us and helping us to achieve our goals: 1) to educate the public, the media and policy makers about the failure of current policies, and 2) to restore the public's respect for police, which respect has been greatly diminished by law enforcement's involvement in enforcing drug prohibition.

TV/VIDEO:

Fox Business News's "Freedom Watch with Judge Napolitano": http://www.foxbusiness.com/on-air/freedom-watch/index.html#/v/993447476001/freedom-in-new-york-and-the-drug-war/

NBC 11 WBAL Baltimore: http://www.wbaltv.com/r/28237480/detail.html -picked up on MSNBC.com: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43403767

CBS 13 WJZ Baltimore: http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2011/06/14/law-enforcement-study-war-on-drugs-is-a-failure/

RT America's "Adam Vs. The Man": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5bHKKplEfXc

Press TV: http://www.presstv.ir/detail/184719.html

Reason.TV: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qj3gnIGANhs

Fox 5 WTTG Washington, DC: http://www.myfoxdc.com/dpp/news/local/retired-officers-say-end-the-war-on-drugs-061411, picked up by:
Fox 26 KRIV Houston: http://www.myfoxhouston.com/dpps/health/retired-officers-say-end-the-war-on-drugs-061411_13681875
Fox 10 KSAZ Phoenix: http://www.myfoxphoenix.com/dpps/news/local/retired-officers-say-end-the-war-on-drugs-061411_13681875
Fox 9 KMSP Minneapolis/St.Paul: http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/dpps/news/metro/retired-officers-say-end-the-war-on-drugs-061411_13681875
Fox 29 WTXF Philadelphia http://www.myfoxphilly.com/dpps/news/local_news/retired-officers-say-end-the-war-on-drugs-061411_13681875


PRINT NEWS:

Cincinnati City Beat: http://www.citybeat.com/cincinnati/article-23535-mired-in-the-war-on-drugs.html

Seattle Times: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politicsnorthwest/2015315686_stamperdeliverscriticaldrugreporttokerlikowskesoffice.html

Republican-Herald: http://republicanherald.com/news/40-years-later-feelings-mixed-about-war-on-drugs-1.1163273


OPED:

The Hill's Congress Blog: http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/politics/167043-after-40-years-drug-war-still-a-failure

Alternet: http://www.alternet.org/story/151306/40_years_of_drug_war_hasn%27t_worked%3B_%22time_for_a_change%2C%22_says_9-year_veteran?page=entire


ONLINE STORIES:

CNN.com: http://inthearena.blogs.cnn.com/2011/06/16/franklin-despite-the-best-enforcement-efforts-of-cops-like-me-we-have-lost-the-war-on-drugs/

Huffington Post (featured as THE front page splash): http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/06/15/40-anniversary-war-on-drugs-cops-obama_n_877702.html

Washington Post: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/blogpost/post/war-on-drugs-40-years-later-and-no-end-in-sight/2011/06/17/AG1qdyYH_blog.html

Daily Caller: http://dailycaller.com/2011/06/15/police-war-on-drugs-worst-policy-since-slavery/

The Root: http://www.theroot.com/views/why-wont-obama-end-war-drugs (picked up on NPR: http://www.npr.org/2011/06/17/137243512/the-root-why-wont-obama-end-the-war-on-drugs)

The Atlantic: http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2011/06/the-war-on-drugs-turns-40/240472/
    -picked up by National Journal: http://www.nationaljournal.com/40-years-later-war-on-drugs-has-created-a-bloated-dea-20110615

Forbes blog: http://blogs.forbes.com/erikkain/2011/06/17/leaps-neill-franklin-on-the-failures-of-the-war-on-drugs/

Mother Jones: http://motherjones.com/mojo/2011/06/drug-war-turns-40

The Nation: http://www.thenation.com/blog/161489/end-war-drugs

Drug War Chronicle: http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2011/jun/15/cops_say_forty_years_war_drugs_e

Drug War Chronicle blog: http://stopthedrugwar.org/speakeasy/2011/jun/16/what_drug_legalization_activist

JoinTogether: http://www.drugfree.org/join-together/alcohol/two-new-reports-tackle-drug-policy-during-40th-anniversary-of-nixon%E2%80%99s-declaration-of-%E2%80%98war-on-drugs%E2%80%99

Yahoo! News: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ac/20110616/us_ac/8651763_veterans_of_the_war_on_drugs_its_time_to_call_a_truce_1

SF Weekly blog: http://blogs.sfweekly.com/thesnitch/2011/06/obama_gil_kerlikowske.php

Austin Chronicle: http://www.austinchronicle.com/blogs/news/2011-06-17/reefer-roundup-6-17-11/

Reason blog: http://reason.com/blog/2011/06/14/was-nixon-a-drug-warrior-or-a

Reason blog: http://reason.com/blog/2011/06/14/happy-40th-war-on-drugs-now-dr

Politico Influence: http://www.politico.com/politicoinfluence/


RADIO:

National Public Radio newsbrief

KPLU (Seattle): http://www.kplu.org/post/former-police-chief-says-time-end-war-drugs

[Many more...yet to be compiled]


SYNDICATED COLUMNS:

Debra Saunders
San Francisco Chronicle: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2011/06/10/INRB1JQN0I.DTL

Orange County Register: http://articles.ocregister.com/2011-06-13/news/29658439_1_drug-war-anti-drug-abuse-act-drug-traffickers

San Antonio Express-News: http://www.mysanantonio.com/opinion/commentary/article/War-on-drugs-produces-only-losers-1425989.php

San Gabriel Valley Tribune: http://www.sgvtribune.com/opinions/ci_18267037

Patriot Post: http://patriotpost.us/opinion/debra-saunders/2011/06/12/at-least-4-good-reasons-to-end-the-war-on-drugs/

The Herald (Everett, WA): http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20110613/OPINION04/706139846

Pasadena Star-News: http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/opinions/ci_18267037

North County Times: http://www.nctimes.com/news/opinion/columnists/saunders/article_229a5bd9-0daa-5163-a918-b7c04fbf9c6a.html


Clarence Page
Chicago Tribune: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/ct-oped-0615-page-20110615,0,5915421.column

Dallas Morning News: http://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/latest-columns/20110615-clarence-page-40-years-of-war-on-drugs-is-nothing-to-celebrate.ece

Houston Chronicle: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/editorial/outlook/7614495.html

Sun Journal (NC): http://www.newbernsj.com/articles/dump-98251-hbo-simon.html

Columbus Dispatch: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/editorials/stories/2011/06/16/new-approach-needed-to-deal-with-illegal-drug-problem.html?sid=101

Fresno Bee: http://www.fresnobee.com/2011/06/15/2428667/clarence-page-dump-the-failed.html

Lincoln Journal Star (NE): http://journalstar.com/news/opinion/editorial/columnists/article_cf8c9769-125e-50c5-a721-5ffd404774fd.html


Leonard Pitts Jr.
Miami Herald: http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/06/15/2266685/time-to-end-drug-war.html

Newsday: http://www.newsday.com/opinion/oped/40-wasted-years-in-war-on-drugs-1.2960330

Seattle Times: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/editorialsopinion/2015326404_pitts16.html

Austin American-Statesman: http://www.statesman.com/opinion/pitts-the-war-on-drugs-wasted-too-many-1542354.html

Modesto Bee: http://www.modbee.com/2011/06/16/1734043/leonard-pitts-jr-forty-wasted.html

Salt Lake Tribune: http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/opinion/52011973-82/drug-war-drugs-black.html.csp

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: http://www.jsonline.com/news/opinion/124030094.html

Kansas City Star: http://www.kansascity.com/2011/06/17/2952057/commentary-time-for-war-on-drugs.html

New Tribune (Tacoma, WA): http://www.thenewstribune.com/2011/06/15/1706390/weve-wasted-40-years-on-the-futile.html

Orlando Sentinel: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/opinion/views/os-ed-leonard-pitts-061511-20110615,0,2364908.column

Detroit Free Press: http://www.freep.com/article/20110617/OPINION05/106170353/Leonard-Pitts-Jr-40-failed-years-war-drugs

Ft. Worth Star-Telegram: http://www.star-telegram.com/2011/06/17/3154127/commentary-time-for-war-on-drugs.html

Lawrence Journal-World (KS): http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2011/jun/16/racial-inequities-mark-drug-war/

Argus Leader (SD): http://www.argusleader.com/article/20110616/COLUMNISTS0207/106160321/Pitts-40-wasted-years-of-War-on-Drugs

Arizona Daily Star: http://azstarnet.com/news/opinion/article_794d9814-03d9-5a3f-9a70-8d2ee7968013.html

Sacramento Bee: http://www.sacbee.com/2011/06/16/3704318/leonard-pitts-jr-forty-wasted.html

The Tennessean: http://www.tennessean.com/article/20110617/COLUMNIST0150/306170032/Leonard-Pitts-Obama-ignores-racial-inequities-of-continued-war-on-drugs

Statesman Journal (OR): http://www.statesmanjournal.com/article/20110617/OPINION/106170324/40-wasted-years-War-Drugs

Bellingham Herald (WA): http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2011/06/16/2060698/commentary-time-for-war-on-drugs.html

Bowling Green Daily News (KY): http://bgdailynews.com/articles/2011/06/15/opinion/commentary/comment2.txt

Post-Star (NY): http://poststar.com/news/opinion/columns/leonard_pitts/article_5c069eb2-9755-11e0-90c8-001cc4c03286.html

News Leader (WA): http://www.newsleader.com/article/20110617/OPINION02/106170311

Sun News (SC): http://www.thesunnews.com/2011/06/16/2221988/40-wasted-years-of-war-on-drugs.html

Herald (SC): http://www.heraldonline.com/2011/06/16/3150848/40-wasted-years-in-the-war-on.html

The Oklahoman: http://newsok.com/leonard-pitts-jr.-the-war-on-drugs-40-wasted-years/article/3577785

Charlotte Observer: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2011/06/17/2384548/40-wasted-years-of-war-on-drugs.html

Worthington Daily Globe (MN): http://www.dglobe.com/event/article/id/49549/group/Opinion/

not online: San Jose Mercury News, Oregonian, Star-Ledger (NJ)


Jacob Sullum
Chicago Sun-Times: http://www.suntimes.com/news/otherviews/5957630-417/end-war-on-drugs-by-legalizing-drugs.html

Patriot Post: http://patriotpost.us/opinion/jacob-sullum/2011/06/15/the-price-of-prohibition/