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PACG Book Club for January 2022

10/24/2021

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PACG Book Club for January 2022 - War on Us: How the War on Drugs & Myths About Addiction Have Created a War on All of Us  by Colleen Cowles

We will meet via Zoom on Monday, January 17th at 5:30 pm to discuss War on Us: How the War on Drugs & Myths About Addiction Have Created a War on All of Us by Colleen Cowles. We are not meeting in December, so you will have two months to read this book. Although it is long, it is reported to be very engaging and easy to read. Also, it is not as long as you might think since there are lots of references at the end!

I spent some time at the waronus.com website. This book is very relevant to the work the Civil Rights Forum is doing on criminal justice reform and juvenile justice reform. I wonder if PACG and its coalition partners might want to bring the author here (probably by Zoom) to speak?

Here is some information about the book from Goodreads:


"While the War on Drugs may have sounded like a good idea at one time, the consequences have been catastrophic. From physicians persecuted for providing health care to their patients to parents grieving the loss of their children to overdose or prison — we've all become victims of this war.


Our health, our families, our assets, our safety and our freedom are at risk:
 
  • One in three adults in the U.S. now has a criminal record.
  • Patients with severe illnesses or chronic pain are denied access to proven pain medications.
  • Over a trillion in taxpayer dollars in the U.S. alone has 'bought' the highest drug use, the highest overdose and the highest incarceration rates in the world.  
In War on Us, Colleen Cowles raises the alarm and offers practical, proven reforms. There are answers, as long as we have the will to implement change. It’s time to end the War on Drugs — and the war on all of us. This book is the roadmap to do just that." 

Click on my name for a Zoom link to the discussion.


Alta Price


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Candidate Questions - Drug Policy Reform

4/23/2019

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Candidate Questions - Drug Policy Reform

Let’s get organized before the next presidential candidates come to town! It’s hard to know what questions to ask, but here is a list that we have created. If you have additional questions you think should be asked, please contact our Office Manager, Amber Bordolo and we will add to this list.
 
If you attend a candidate’s event, print off this list (see the download link below) and have it handy in case you have an opportunity to ask questions. Listen carefully to the answers on the topics below. Take notes if you can, and report back to us in the Blog Comments below.
 
These are also good questions that should be addressed to your State legislatures when they hold legislative sessions or campaign for re-election.
 

1.  What is your stance on the federal expansion of access to medical cannabis?
 
2. What is your stance on federal legalization of marijuana?

3.  In Iowa, a black person is six times more likely to be arrested for a non-violent marijuana-related offense than a white person, despite equal patterns of use.  What is your stance on decriminalizing marijuana and instead allowing opportunities of record expungement for formerly convicted non-violent marijuana offenders?
 
5.  In Iowa, we are working to expand access to clean needle syringes.  Data has proven that safe needle access plays a profound role in reducing overdose and death rates. Do you support increased syringe access on a federal level?

4.  What is your stance on the decriminalization of larger categories of drugs as a measure to keep fewer non-violent offenders out of jail?

 
questions_for_candidates_-_drug_policy_reform.docx
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Drug Policy Coalition Forum - After Action Report - February, 2019

2/25/2019

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Iowa Drug Policy Coalition Forum - After Action Report
St Ambrose University (SAU), Rogalski Center

Thanks to everyone who attended our first Drug Policy Iowa Public Forum. We were excited to welcome these amazing speakers:

Grant Tietjen, PhD SAU Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice
Kim Brown QC Harm Reduction
Aaron Schoeneman, AJP Former President Iowa NORML
Shelly Servadio, RN Iowa Registered Cannabis Nurse
Joe Bolkcom, Iowa State Senator

Topics ranged from research, decriminalization, the human cannabidiol system, the punitive impact Iowa laws have on on medical cannabis users and others, therapeutic dosing levels needed for effective treatment, opioids vs. cannabis for pain management, harm reduction, current legislation and of course advocacy.  

Actions taken at the event:

Senator Bolkcom discussed and handed out information about his new cannabis-related bill soon to be introduced to the Iowa legislature.

Attendees completed postcards to their federal legislators regarding Senate and House Bills that advocate to remove cannabis (marijuana) from the Controlled Substances Act,

Attendees completed postcards to Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds to advocate for improved medical cannabis legislation to expand qualifying conditions, raise the 3% THC cap, cannabis decriminalization and overall harm reduction.

Channel 4 was there and filmed most of the event which resulted in a 3 minute report.

Stay tuned for our upcoming Illinois Public Forum at the Moline Library with Rev Alexander Sharp representing Clergy for a New Drug Policy, who will review and explain the new Illinois law which legalizes cannabis.  Date/time to be determined.

Caroline Vernon
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Drug Policy  Public Forum

1/28/2019

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the PACG Drug Policy Forum presents the
Drug Policy Coalition Public Forum
Saturday, February 16th, 10am - Noon
St. Ambrose University - Rogalski Center

W High Street, Davenport IA  52803 (map)

The PACG Drug Policy Forum is networking and organizing with other groups to address medical cannabis and decriminalization in Iowa.  We hope you will join us!

Speakers:  

Joe Bolkcom, Iowa State Senator, who said that "Iowa's medical cannabis law is convoluted and offers false hope to sick Iowans."

Here's a captioned video of what Joe said at the meeting of the Iowa Medical Cannabidiol Advisory Board on August 3, 2018.

Grant Tietjen, PhD, Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice

Aaron Schoenemann, Former President of Iowa NORML

Shelly Servadio, Iowa's ONLY Registered Cannabis Nurse


Please save the date!! Join us on Facebook: PACG Drug Policy Forum

Please download the flyer below to share with your friends.

We need volunteers! Contact Caroline if you are willing to volunteer at the event and join us at our next planning meeting on Friday, Feb 1st, 6pm Fresh Deli, Davenport Freight House.
 .
There will be some tabling at the event; please contact Caroline if your organization would like to provide drug policy related or restorative justice information at the event.

Thanks for all you do!

Caroline Vernon & Dan DeShane
drug_policy_alliance_public_forum_.pdf
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Contact Your Senators Regarding Marijuana in STATES Act

12/31/2018

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Action Alert! Senator Grassley Squashes Debate on Marijuana STATES Act

Iowa Senator Quashes Floor Debate On Marijuana STATES Act
Drug Policy Forum 

Senator Charles Grassley (R-IA) recently blocked lawmakers from considering an amendment on the floor of the US Senate that sought to permanently remove the threat of federal intervention in states that regulate marijuana sales.

The amendment, offered by Colorado Republican Cory Gardner, was largely identical to Senate Bill 3032: The STATES Act, which creates an exemption under federal law for those jurisdictions that legally regulate marijuana production and retail sales. Senator Gardner has stated that he has the votes to pass the measure on the floor, and that the President would sign the bill into law. To date, however, the measure has yet to receive either a debate or a vote by members of the Senate.

Senator Grassley, who has previously bottled S. 3032 in committee, quashed Sen. Gardner's effort to attach the language to broader sentencing reform bill, The First Step Act. Senator Grassley called the amendment a "backdoor to legalization," and said that its intent was "inappropriate to consider in the context of a criminal justice reform bill."

Senate members eventually passed The First Step Act. House members followed suit on Thursday. The measure now awaits action from the President.

As Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Sen. Grassley has refused to permit votes on any Senate bills pertaining to marijuana law reform. However, in November, he announced that he would be stepping down as Committee Chair.

ACTION 1:  Please contact Senator Grassley and WEIGH IN -- if Rep Gardner had the votes in the senate, why is Grassley preventing debate on this issue?

https://ballotpedia.org/Who_represents me

ACTION 2: As Senator Grassley will be stepping down as Chair of the Judiciary Committee, it is important that we WEIGH IN with the new chairman once appointed -- stay tuned.

Caroline Vernon
carolina1961@gmail.com
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Book Club News for October, November and December 2018

10/9/2018

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October 23 (Tuesday) at 5:30 pm: International Women Authors Series with Mexican Author Valeria Luiselli

In my other book club I have very much enjoyed the Annual International Women Authors series. Consider attending the 12th Annual International Women Authors Series dinner on Tuesday, October 23, 5:30 pm with Mexican author Valeria Luiselli. The dinner is at the Radisson in downtown Davenport. The cost is $40 (less if you fill a whole table). You must register in advance, and they could sell out. Her books are short and you could probably get some of them read by October 23. Also, she wrote Tell Me How It Ends: An Essay in Forty Questions, a book of essays interviewing children fleeing violence in Central America that is very pertinent to the work we are doing on Immigration in the Civil Rights Forum.
​
Alta Price

November 10 (Saturday) at 11:30 am: The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

Read more about it at the author’s website. There is also a movie based on the book, so PACG will go to the movie as well (on a different date). Check back later for the location.

December 1 (Saturday) at 11:30 am: The New Jim Crow​ by Michelle Alexander

Read more about it at the NewJimCrow.com website. We will be reading this with the folks in PACG’s new Issue Forum on Drug Policy. (Join the Drug Policy Facebook group or visit the Drug Policy section of our pacgqc.org website to get involved.) Check back later for the location.
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Community Events: Quad Cities Interfaith October 2018 Task Force Assembly

10/9/2018

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Join Quad Cities Interfaith 
for our upcoming


Issues Task Force Assembly
October 22, 2018, 6:30-8:00 p.m.
St. Mary’s Parrish House, 516 Fillmore Street, Davenport (map link)


Issue Task Forces will be strategizing on advancing our campaigns for:
Immigrant Rights 
Mass Incarceration/Restorative Justice
Additional issues as they emerge

Note from PACG:

Immigrant Rights will be of interest to our Civil Rights Forum
Mass Incarceration/Restorative Justice will be of interest to our Civil Rights Forum
and Drug Policy Forum


Contact Lead Organizer Aaron Wagner, QCI, at 
641-990-4594, aaronwagnerqci@gmail.com, with 
questions or input leading up the October 22nd meeting



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Working Together Online Fund Drive: Make America Progressive Again -  Drug Policy

8/31/2018

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Drug Policy is our newest Issue Forum. Caroline Vernon and Dan DeShane are the co-facilitators. Since drug policy issues are often decided at the state level, there will be different actions and educational events for Illinois and for Iowa.

In this video Dan and Caroline talk about their early involvement in PACG as well as their plans for the future of the Drug Policy Forum.

The Drug Policy Forum portion of our website is under construction. To get involved, join the PACG Drug Policy Forum on Facebook or email Caroline.
Donate to PACG
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Upcoming Drug Policy Meetings

8/27/2018

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Tuesday, August 28th at 6pm
​
Drug Policy
Greatest Grains - 16th and Harrison St in Davenport


Greetings everyone!

It seems many of us were on vacation and/or traveling the last couple of months so we are hoping this is a better time to redirect our efforts around drug policy reform. For those of you who are seriously interested in working to further this cause, we have scheduled a Tuesday meeting in August and a Thursday meeting in September.

Tuesday, August 28th at 6pm
Greatest Grains - 16th and Harrison St in Davenport


Thursday, September 27th at 6pm
Cool Beanz Coffee Shop - 1325 30th St, Rock Island


We will be planning legislative actions and educational forums in both Iowa and Illinois.
 
Thanks for all you do, we hope to see you at the meeting.

Daniel DeShane - dandeshane1956@gmail.com

Caroline Vernon - carolina1961@gmail.com
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Meet with Rev. Alexander Sharp of Clergy for a New Drug Policy on June 4, 2018

5/28/2018

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Meet with Rev. Alexander Sharp of Clergy for a New Drug Policy

When: Monday, June 4 at 6:30 pm
Where: The Center, 1411 Brady St, Davenport IA
Who: Progressive leaders and clergy interested in civil rights and drug policy
Specific Issues: Legalization of marijuana, decriminalization of drugs, racial disparities in sentencing, mass incarceration, opioid epidemic, medical marijuana, forfeiture laws, harm reduction, sentencing reform, drug courts

Progressive Action for the Common Good (PACG) is arranging a meeting for local activists with Rev. Alexander Sharp of Clergy for a New Drug Policy. Clergy for a New Drug Policy works to end the war on drugs and seek a health not punishment response to drug use. Rev. Sharp is from Chicago and would like to meet and strategize with progressive leaders/clergy interested in drug policy reform and related issues (see Specific Issues above).

PACG is considering starting a new issue forum to work on drug policy reform. The current Civil Rights Forum is already concerned about many of these issues. PACG hopes to find activists to work on these issues.

Local leaders and clergy will be interested in learning more about Clergy for a New Drug Policy, with opportunities for future collaboration. This could include educational events or lobbying efforts.

Call or email Alta Price, Board President of PACG (563-505-2996 or altaprice@gmail.com) with questions. We hope to see you June 4 (let Alta know if you are interested but can’t make the meeting).
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