SEEING THE TRUTH BEHIND THE SCENES IN NEW ORLEANS

Have you ever seen a group of people put on a good face? Everything
is alright. Just fine. If you just saw the surface, if you didn't
wander beyond the "normalcy," you might miss a far different reality.
That's the poignant truth of New Orleans.

The Drug Policy Alliance (DPA) was warmly received in the heart of
the Big Easy. Drug policy brought attention and badly needed tourism
dollars to this wounded city. The recent DPA Conference proved to be
one of the largest and most diverse in this issue's history, and both
the city and the movement benefited from it.

The most groundbreaking moments launched the conference. DPA
President Ira Glasser opened the gathering, followed by DPA Executive
Director Ethan Nadelmann, who as usual offered moving and
inspirational reasons why we do this important work. Over lunch, Dr.
Antonio Mario Costa of the UN's Office on Drugs and Crime gave the
event's keynote address. Many of his ideas angered attendees, yet
his presence signifies long-welcome change. Reform is now important
enough to merit an address by those who, rightly or wrongly, control policy.

The most difficult decision of the conference involved choosing
breakout sessions. Reflecting the issue, diverse topics ranged from
drug testing to racism to needle exchange to law enforcement to
medical marijuana to ibogaine to campus change to international
polices to fundraising. The conference may also have been the most
geographically and racially diverse one ever. The 1,200 attendees
hailed from dozens countries and reflected the many faces and races
of drug policy.

With any drug policy gathering, the best part happens in the halls.
That's where new colleagues and old friends meet and mingle. Dinners
and parties are also great places to engage in more in-depth yet
casual conversation. Private meetings create the bonds that, when
carried home, later serve as spring boards to future endeavors.

The conference location provided an easy segue into after hours
activities. The Astor Crown Plaza aligned Canal and Bourbon Streets
noted for first class restaurants and entertainment. It's strange,
however, how New Orleans, famous for its "anything-goes" attitude
toward booze and sex - Bourbon Street makes this undeniable - is
deeply tied to cannabis prohibition. The smell of the herb permeates
the place, but its imagery remains hidden and taboo. NOLA is no California.

That is again the poignant truth of New Orleans. Beyond the
"normalcy" of Bourbon Street lies a far different, far worse
reality. Hurricane Katrina excoriated an already fragile city with a
long history of racism and poverty. The scars of this catastrophe
inspire a single word: Wow! Have you ever seen a rusty, dented,
weed-ridden Walmart? How about a boarded 12 story hotel? Or,
countless homeless encamped under overpasses? Places like Pass
Christine or the Ninth Ward become even more surreal after seeing
them first hand.

The plight of this region as a result of both natural and manmade
devastation was well documented at the conference. Beneath the New
Orleans' outward appearance lies profound pain. It's a city that
cries out for new ideas and options.

The DPA Conference was welcomed into the Big Easy because drug policy
reform offers both. The event not only brought in people and money,
but also common sense, compassionate, and cost effective solutions to
one of the greatest modern day social injustices, the War on
Drugs. As conference attendees understand, sensible drug policies
can be transformative both to individuals and communities, a message
that may resonate here more than anyplace else. Because of this, New
Orleans was happy to host DPA, and DPA was equally pleased to help
heal this wounded city.