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Drug Policy
Education Group, Inc. (DPEG) formed in late 1999 as a
statewide reform organization in Arkansas. We provide
newsletters, information, and project participation to
any Arkansas resident who shows an interest. Our board
is statewide, with one African American, several
low-income, wide range of age, five women and eight
men. We interact with other state entities such as
ACLU, state and campus NORML, League of Women Voters,
political parties, and national groups including DPA,
NORML, LEAP, and MPP. We have helped in the formation of
reform groups in Tennessee, Oklahoma, and Missouri.
Our Mission: To address the harm caused by the war on drugs.
As an educational organization, we:
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serve
as an information resource |
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host
exhibits, seminars, conferences, and
programs that educate the public on drug
policy issues |
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offer speakers
with expertise on drug policy issues |
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investigate and
document drug policy
information specific to the State of Arkansas |
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interview and
collect information about
Arkansas people impacted by drug policy |
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produce
newsletters, reports, press releases, and
other educational material |
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collect and archive
drug policy information |
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network
people, organizations, and agencies on issues of drug
policy. |
DPEG Timeline
2000:
At the time of formation in Spring 2000, DPEG hosted the
two-day Clinical Conference on Cannabis at the Center
for Continuing Education, University of Arkansas,
Fayetteville and at the University of Arkansas for
Medical Science, Little Rock. In Fall 2000, we expanded
on our strategy of reaching out to the state’s
professional and leadership community by hosting a
one-day conference, “Arkansas Youth in Trouble: What
Works, What’s Needed, and Where’s the Money,” featuring
a state appeals court judge as keynote speaker and
attracting over 80 participants.
2001:
In Spring 2001, DPEG hosted a one-day conference “Drug
War Effects on People with Disabilities,” with sessions
on the medical use of marijuana and on the problems
faced by patients with chronic pain. That summer, we
were able to assist six board members in attending the
national Drug Policy Alliance conference in Albuquerque.
That fall, we hosted a Little Rock roundtable discussion
on racial profiling and began an ongoing association
with other individuals and advocacy organizations
interested in this issue. Our “Stand Up! A Celebration
of Reform” in December 2001 brought together community
leaders, educators, religious leaders, members of the
public, and our supporters.
2002:
We produced a video entitled “Illegal Healthcare:
Medical Marijuana and Arkansas.” This powerful 20-minute
video documenting the personal stories of Arkansas
patients has been aired on community television stations
in the two largest urban centers of the state, screened
in 15 public meetings in all regions of the state,
presented at civic and religious group meetings, donated
to 52 libraries in the state, and made available
nationally through “Pot TV.” Our library project kicked
off in April 2002 with the distribution of books,
articles, and booklets on drug policy issues valued at
over $7000 to 52 public and university libraries
statewide. Our speaker’s bureau project featuring ten
highly credentialed speakers was initiated in July 2002.
Subsequently, an intensive speaking tour by Dr. Wynona
Bryant-Williams included presentations to the Arkansas
NAACP, ACORN, and other African-American interest
groups. We were able to assist Dr. Bryant-Williams in
attending the national Drug Policy Alliance Los Angeles
conference in Fall 2002. Also in 2002, DPEG published a
32-page tabloid format newspaper on the topic of medical
marijuana of which 20,000 copies were distributed,
including state news media editors, all persons on the
Arkansas Medical Society mailing list (medical students,
doctors, and retired docs), legislators, and the general
public.
2003:
Beginning in late 2002 and continuing through March
2003, DPEG presented a series of advertisements viewed
two to five times by over 394,000 newspaper readers
statewide featuring medical marijuana patient profiles.
Also beginning in late 2002 and continuing through March
2003 were a monthly series of Myth-Fact large format
postcards on the topic of medical marijuana, sent to all
135 state legislators and the medical society mailing
list. A slightly favorable editorial in the AR Medical
Society Jan ‘03 journal was published as a result of
packets we sent to all board members. In March 2003,
DPEG assisted six patients in providing expert testimony
before the House public health committee in hearings on
medical marijuana legislation. Also providing expert
testimony under the invitation of DPEG was former
Surgeon General Dr. Joycelyn Elders.
2004: In
2004, board members monitored hearings conducted by the
Governor’s Task Force on Racial Profiling. We
communicated directly with the task force director and
provided information about other states’ projects on
gathering data about profiling. We asked the task force
to consider the full spectrum of profiling including
class and cultural profiling. The task force did not
produce significant results which they blamed on lack of
funding for administrative support. Also in 2004, we
produced and published a report on the public defender
system in Arkansas, an analysis on drug war costs to the
state, and an analysis on the lack of drug testing
regulations. Our library project added new materials to
the statewide collection: Prescription Pot: A Leading
Advocate’s Heroic Battle to Legalize Medical Marijuana,
by George McMahon, and a magazine article reprint,
“Going to Pot: The growing movement toward ending
America’s irrational marijuana prohibition,” by Ethan
Nadelmann, and Drug War Facts, 4th Edition. We updated
our database and began an analysis of how to revise our
website. We restructured our speakers bureau to begin
focusing on gaining engagements for experts. Our website
produced a high volume of inquiries about methadone
withdrawal methods, drug testing results, and treatment
options.
2005: In
early 2005, the board met for a one-day facilitated
workshop to finalize our 5-year plan and renew our
mission statement, now to be “The Truth About Drugs and
Drug Policy.” Since January, we have gained seven new
board members and formulated a plan of action for the
05-06 year. Efforts to gain legislative progress in
conjunction with our sister 501(c)(4) organization were
stymied due to lateness of lobbyist effort (funding
delay). However, a two-year legislative study on medical
marijuana was instituted, and we will be working with
legislators to bring expert witnesses and provide
research materials, along with other support. We are in
the process of shipping our next library donation to 50
libraries statewide, including Legalize This! by Douglas
Husak, “Making Sense of Student Drug Testing” (DPA), and
a DVD “Hemp and the Rule of Law,” which will be promoted
by advertisements in targeted community newspapers. We
have published the 2nd edition of our tabloid format
newspaper “Reform Report” including a complete update on
medical marijuana research and new patient stories, plus
data on the cost of the drug war in Arkansas;
distribution underway includes AR Medical Society
mailing list, legislators, libraries, news media, and
general public. We collaborated with the University of
Arkansas-Fayetteville chapter of NORML at an event on
campus and are meeting soon to plan joint events for
next school year. We conducted a public exhibit at an
all day festival in Fayetteville, where we premiered our
new mission statement on a banner and t-shirts: “The
TRUTH about drugs? Prohibition is the Problem.” This is
our first public step into an issue arena beyond medical
marijuana.
We are
especially pleased that the 2005 Arkansas General
Assembly passed several reform measures, which we
believe is due in part to our work, including reduction
of mandatory time served for meth offenders from 70% to
50% and allowance of good time, an expansion and
improved funding for drug courts, and elimination of
mandatory minimum sentencing in line with the U.S.
Supreme Court ruling. In a session acclaimed by
conservatives as a ‘win’ for their agenda, we are very
pleased that no increase of penalties or additional drug
crime laws were enacted. Considerable legislative
discussion focused on the need to not incarcerate
non-violent drug offenders.
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