The Drugreporter was the official filmmaker of the International Drug Policy Reform Conference 2013 in Denver, Colorado. Watch our movies produced at this great event! First part with videos from the opening and closing sessions.
More than 1000 drug policy reformers came to Denver, Colorado to discuss an exit strategy from the war on drugs. We produced a short video to feature the best moments of the conference.
VIDEOS OF THE OPENING PLENARY ON 24TH OF OCTOBER, 2013.
Jared Polis is the member of the United States House of Representatives for Colorado’s 2nd congressional district, serving since 2009. He introduced legislation to reform federal marijuana policy in 2013. The Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act would remove the DEA’s authority over marijuana, end federal marijuana prohibition, and leave it to the states to decide whether to prohibit marijuana or not.
Ethan Nadelmann, the Executive Director of the Drug Policy Alliance pointed out that the world hit a drug policy tipping point, referring to major marijauana law reforms in the US and in Latin-America. He praised the Obama-administration for taking the lead in reforming the criminal justice system. Mr. Nadelmann emphasized that America is truly exceptional. “Nobody in the history of democratic society has locked up fellow citizens in the way we do. Nobody has locked up black people the way we do. Nobody did these sorts of things. I am fighting so that America becomes average.”
The war on drugs is a mask of racism, homophobia, sexism and many other evil things – said Rev. Edwin Sanders (Senior Servant, Metropolitan Interdenominational Church, Coordinator, Religious Leaders for a More Just and Compassionate Drug Policy)
Ifetayo Harvey‘s father was propositioned by an undercovered cop to sell cocaine and served 8 years in a US prison and than he was deported back to Jamaica.
VIDEOS OF THE CLOSING PLENARY ON 26TH OF OCTOBER, 2013.
Jasari X, a Pittsburgh-based artist speaks about the harms of the war on drugs on Afro-American communities – and how they fight back with the help of hip-hop.
Lisa Maria Sanchez Ortega, from Espolea and Transform, said the Latin American subcontinent suffered one of the most from the War on Drugs.
Lisa Raville, executive director of the Harm Reduction Action Center in Colorado said: If you are not angry, you are not paying attention!
Tripti Tandon of the Lawyers Collective, India said, her challenge is to dismantle the intended consequences of the War on Drugs.
‘My Son doesn’t deserve a life sentence. He deserves treatment.’ Karen Garrison and Dorothy Gaines talk about the family losses due to the War on Drugs.
Ira Glasser, the former director of the American Civil Liberties Union, the chair of the Drug Policy Alliance talks about the unstoppable train of drug policy reform:
Kassandra Frederique is a New York Policy Coordinator at the Drug Policy Alliance, she delivered the last speech, explaining how she has been converted to a drug policy reformer:
Videos by: István Gábor Takács and Péter Sárosi
