TRANSCRIPT: MARK GREER VISITS THE DRUGSENSE CHAT ROOM

Mark Greer: Hi gang. As with the recent NY Times effort these chats are not
something I do often so apologies in advance for rookie screw ups. Typos
are SOP.

stv: mark what is your take on the rainbow shootings?

Dean Becker: Mark, hope you are well today. The sorrow and the outrage
over the Rainbow Farms killings is circling the planet. Please tell us the
latest you have heard.

Mark Greer: I have sort of decided to back off on Rainbow for awhile. I
can't be unbiased. My personal view is that they were probably murders of
innocent people and I doubt I will ever believe they were justified

Don: For Mark G Will any senators get down with the czar apparent tomorrow,
and will it do any good?

Mark Greer: Tom O'Connell thinks the new Czar will have a rough road. I
don't agree. I think Walters will get a few tough questions then be
confirmed. There are few politicians with the guts to challenge this
nomination at this point.

'g': mark, seeing Canadas move to allow patients and to allow them a cheap
safe supply , Do you think it is having any affect on American politics?

Mark Greer: I think Canada (and the rest of the world) are slowly bringing
the shame to the US that is deserves. It's just one more chink in the wall
of the failing drug war. The signs are all very good but we have a long
road ahead yet.

'g': Mark, How are Health care workers in Canada reacting to and learning
about med mj use?

Mark Greer: I'm not sure I'd consider myself qualified to comment of
Canadian health care worker views. I would suggest a review of the Canadian
articles at http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/

kaptinemo: MARK what actions do you see the USG taking against Jamaica, and
how effective do you think they'll be now that they are openly courting
European assistance to counterbalance US threats to cut off aid?

Mark Greer: I think Jamaica, Portugal, Canada, Columbia, The Netherlands
etc. are well aware of US views. They just don't care anymore. They are
ahead of the curve in realizing that we have our head in the sand. They are
also the leading edge of what will be a worldwide collapse of support for
the interdiction/incarceration model that has been so destructive in the US.

observer: ? Mark, MAPINC has become an a strategic asset for reformers. How
did you come up with the idea of a drug news clipping service? What can
people do if they want to help MAPINC and DrugSense out?

Mark Greer: Help and volunteerism is what we're about. If you have the
abilities and/or desire we need help in the following categories

1) Letter writers. Read the DrugSense weekly and select an article that
motivates you then write a letter using the email address usually provided
with the article. Alternately write a letter of response to our weekly
FOCUS Alert Subscribe to either of the above by visiting
http://www.drugsense.org/hurry.htm

2) NewsHawks. Find news articles on drug policy issues and either scan or
copy them and forward them to editor@mapinc.org This can be done by
monitoring any of hundreds of on-line newspapers or by scanning articles
from you local paper. See http://www.mapinc.org/hawk.htm

3) Recruiters. Visit news groups, email chat lists, and other sources for
large groups of reform minded people and encourage them to visit our web
pages, subscribe to our DrugSense Weekly newsletter and to get involved.
See a list of drug policy email chat lists at
http://www.mapinc.org/lists/index.htm

4) Fund raise. We are always short of funding either contribute or try to
find others to do so. To contribute conveniently on-line using a credit
card see http://www.drugsense.org/donate.htm

Or you can mail in your tax deductible contributions to

DrugSense, PO Box 651, Porterville, CA 93258

Checks can be made out to either DrugSense or The Media Awareness Project (MAP)

5) Start a local reform group in your state or country. If you have 20
people who will help do the above types of activities we will provide a
free email list to coordinate your groups activities and provide guidance
to get you started. Once you get going we will also create and support a
web page for your group. All at no charge to your organization.

6) Spread the word about our huge searchable archive of news articles at
http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/

It can answer practically any question on drug policy, help you prepare for
debates or media appearances, provide a research tool for local media,
enhance your fact checking and accuracy for letter writing and much more.

7) Use and distribute the valuable collection of Drug War Facts at
http://www.drugwarfacts.org/

It is a large collection of facts citations and myth de bunkers. If the
average citizen was aware of just this collection of facts support for the
"War on Drugs" would erode by orders of magnitude

8) Volunteer as a "Focus Alert Specialist." These individuals help select
important news articles and write up Focus Alerts to direct our thousands
of letter writing volunteers to respond to specific articles.

9) Become a Public Relations Specialist. These individuals help improve our
web visibility, register our web pages with search engines etc.

Please contact us for further information on getting involved in any of the
above activities

stv: mark, i saw a news segment on abc? that was talking about a medical
marijuana study by the gov't in California. do you know anything on this

Mark Greer: I saw the article but haven't had time to read it closely.

Robbie: what kind of coverage of the Debate does anyone anticipate? Mark or
Richard

Don: For Mark G What's your line on the Gary J-ace=a Hutch debate?

Mark Greer: I tend towards optimism but I think GJ has come a long way in
his ability to debate the issues. I think he'll do quite well. I also think
there is at least a possibility that D.E.Asa will bail at the last minute.

Dean Becker: Mark, how fast is drug reform activism growing, do we have
numbers on that?

Mark Greer: Because we are so diverse and multifaceted it is impossible to
know how fast we are growing but based on web popularity, membership
numbers I know about and new groups it looks like we are growing
exponentially. As a nice side note the other side doesn't seem to be doing
squat. Especially on the net.

allan: We have beat back the lies and propaganda on the Internet. What can
we do to advance the discussion more quickly in the public arena?

Mark Greer: Well it will come as no surprise to anyone that I am a BIG
believer in letters to the editor. This has been the most effective
activity any reformer can engage in as for as return for time invested IMO.
Soon we'll have similar methods for influencing corporations, radio shows,
TV and much more. This will effect public knowledge in very impressive ways
in the coming year.

kaptinemo: MARK what role do you see the US taking in Colombia/ especially
as Colin Powel visited secretly the old US bases in Panama before he went
to Bogota?

Mark Greer: I thought today's article on Powell and Colombia made it pretty
obvious that the beginning of the end of this $1.3 billion debacle is near.
The economy is actually working in our favor as well. Prisons and wastes
like spraying Colombia will become luxuries the American public will be
questioning on an increasing basis.

9, Robbie: oh, have either Mark or Richard had much contact from
congressmen or senators?

Mark Greer: I am actually not a big believer in working with politicians at
this point. I don't consider us big or organized enough to really influence
them yet (most are on the take from the Pharmaceutical and alcohol
industries anyway). Our best bet in today's environment is media activism
and public education. Political activism's time will come but it's not our
best bet today IMO.

Lindy: MARK How is the financial support and fund raising going?

Mark Greer: Fund raising is always a big challenge in reform. DrugSense has
been trying to break in to some non traditional funding sources (direct
mail, rich Libertarians etc.) It has mystified me for years that we are
still operating on the budget we must live with given our accomplishments.
$7 million worth of published LTEs alone should warrant 10 times our
current budget.

Don: Mark, another police corruption scandal has broken in Miami....(1)
when will Joe McNamara's book be out, and (2) need to FA the Miami scandal

Mark Greer: I don't have a release date for Joe's book but www.amazon.com
will often take pre orders or have a notice of availability. I agree Miami
has it's own Rampart scandal brewing. I'm beginning to wonder if there is a
clean cop shop left in the nation. Thanks to the drug war we've even
corrupted our own law enforcement agencies.

Debra: Mark, in response to the Rainbow Farm incident in Michigan, I want
to do something... Mark, what are your thoughts on a nationwide
march/rally, at the capitols protesting the WODs?

Mark Greer: DrugSense, being primarily web oriented isn't geared to
organizing rallies. These are logistically quite time consuming to
organize. If they aren't spontaneous I'm not sure this would be possible in
a timely manner. We do have a major Focus Alert at www.mapinc.org I agree
action needs to be taken.

Debra: Mark, what are some other ways to do public education aside from
letter writing, speaker's bureaus and grocery store lines?

Mark Greer: I'm a big fan of radio talk shows for those who feel
comfortable on the air. Simply contacting local stations and providing a
bio and expressing willingness to appear can get some action if you
persist. Calling in to radio shows and TV (like C-Span's Washington
Journal) is another worthwhile activity. I really like anything that lets
one person to help educate thousands for free.

purpleskies: But ask him to respond to ....should cannabis be regulated in
the same manner as alcohol???

Mark Greer: Yes I think cannabis should be regulated in at least a similar
manner as alcohol. Probably the best bet would be to get the feds out of it
altogether as required by the 10th amendment to the Constitution and let
the states make individual decisions so we have 50 "laboratories" to find
the best methods available for MJ regulation.

Lindy: MARK How about the taxing the hemp and marijuana issue, if
government benefits?

Mark Greer: Contrary to the views of many reformers, I am in favor of
taxing hemp and MJ. I wrote a book on the subject a few years back. I know
it isn't all that popular an idea within the reform community but I think
the bucks and what could be done with them will be one very effective way
to convince middle America that regulation makes sense.

allan: ? Mark should we begin asking for reparations NOW, and really freak
out the conservative supporters of the WO(s)D out?

Mark Greer: One of the problems we face is that we are stereotypically
viewed as a bit wacky to start with. ) Many of the more "out there" ideas
that could work for minorities for example make us look even more so. I
definitely think the likes of Bennett, Hatch and McCzar should be in jail
but I don't think a public call for trials or reparations would serve us well.

george: I think it is another grab by the poli/s mark. Do you suspect the
feds would somehow pass that windfall on?

Mark Greer: No I don't think the feds ever do very much good with taxes
that couldn't generally be done better in other ways. Another reason for
the taxation is that it will help convince pols because they have an
insatiable appetite for more money and power. The end justifies the means IMO

Mark Greer: Thanks for the chat gang. I'll jump over to the main window for
a few than I'm going to get some dinner going.

Debra: Mark. Great job. Thanks a bunch.

Don: Thanks Mark! Great job as ALWAYS..

Dean Becker: Mark, as each guest has done before you, these chats keep on
reaching, thank you sir!

allan: Thanks Mark! Not bad for a bunch of amotivational types!

Debra: Yes, great job Mark. You and everyone at mapinc. and drugsense do a
great job.

Mark Greer: I'm happy to join you. About the only time I ever get away from
reform is weekend PMs so I probably don't join you all as often as I should

george: Thanks Mark, and thank for all the quiet support and work you do.
grand application ...S

Dean Becker: Before everyone leaves, remember Ethan Nadelmann will be on
the NY Times Drug Forum Tuesday nite at 8PM EDT

Mark Greer: There are really only a half dozen or so major reform funders
at present.

What we need is to break into some of the thousands of foundations who have
not historically considered reform as a viable place to invest.

Mark Greer: Funding is a universal reform problem but as we get more
mainstream support the funding will increase as well

Mark Greer: Well gang it's been a hoot. I think I'll go get some dinner
going and put my feet up before Mondays busy to do list rears it's ugly
head. I appreciate your participation. I'll be back next week for Ethan's chat.