Pubdate: Thu, 03 Mar 2005 Source: Register-Pajaronian (CA) Copyright: 2005 Register-Pajaronian Contact: http://www.zwire.com/news/newslist.cfm?brd=1197 Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2525 Author: Laura Norton Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmj.htm (Cannabis - Medicinal) NATIONAL DRUG LAW REFORM PROJECT COMES TO SANTA CRUZ ACLU Group Moves In Downtown SANTA CRUZ - In a town nationally known for welcoming medical marijuana, a national drug law reform program has set up house. With fresh white walls and boxes stacked carefully in corners, the American Civil Liberties Union's Drug Law Reform Project, with their three active cases, is the newest boon to Santa Cruz's growing ACLU chapter. Based in downtown Santa Cruz on the third floor of the University Town Center, the DLRP is one of several ACLU projects; others involve women's and immigrant's rights. "The project reflects a decision by the ACLU to make drug policy reform a priority," said Allen Hopper, a staff attorney with the project. The DLRP currently has three active cases. In Kelly v. Paschall, the group is representing 10 African-American students arrested in a drug sweep in Hearne, Texas. In Alexander v. Goose Creek, it is representing 19 students held at gunpoint in their high school hallway during a drug raid. In a third case, In the Matter of Lyle Crake, the DLRP is representing a professor at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst who is seeking to end what they call a federal monopoly on the legal production of marijuana. Retired University of California, Santa Cruz history professor and ACLU board member David Sweet said the local chapter was excited to see the work the DLRP is doing. "It's basically a civil liberties question," Sweet said. "They're concerned with defending the rights of people in the states where medical marijuana use is legal." The DLRP moved to the Santa Cruz office from New Haven, Conn., over the summer, after founder Graham Boyd's wife took a position teaching at UCSC. The project's four staff members relocated with the Boyds. The move has given the DLRP room to grow. Since the New Haven days, the project has hired six new employees and plans to hire two more. The Santa Cruz office will have three times the manpower of the New Haven office. Anjuli Verma, public education coordinator for the project, said the staff looks forward to growing its litigation and public education efforts as well. "The vision for growth is public education as well," she said. "We'll be writing reports, alerting the media and community organizations." Though the focus of the DLRP is national, Verma said, the staff looks forward to being involved on a community level in Santa Cruz as well. As the group settles into its new offices, it is also working to add internship programs for undergraduate as well as law students from UCSC and Stanford University. In New Haven, Verma said, the project had a close connection to Yale University, and it is looking to replicate that locally. Local ACLU members are looking forward to supporting the program's work. "Santa Cruz County is very well positioned to (work on drug law policy reform) because we have a law enforcement community that is moderate in its approach to this project," Sweet said. "And there is a full array of drug problems, but Santa Cruz is on a smaller scale. You can have more dialogue here than you could have in Los Angeles. We're in a good position to have a useful public discussion about drug policy." - ---------------------------- Meet staff members of the ACLU's Drug Law Reform Program at the group's first public meeting in Santa Cruz, to be held Thursday at 7 p.m. at the Holy Cross Parish Hall. The title for the evening is "America's Failed Drug War: Santa Cruz and the National Debate." It will be conducted as a town hall meeting with DLRP members answering public questions related to drug law reform. The DLRP staff also hopes the Santa Cruz public will talk about local experiences with drug law policy at the free event. - --- MAP posted-by: Beth