Reason.tv: Rob Kampia Discusses the Marijuana Policy Project—15 years of fighting prohibition is showing results.

Reason.tv's Nick Gillespie sat down with Rob Kampia, the founder and head of the Marijuana Policy Project to discuss the drug war's long past and (hopefully) short future.

Celebrating its 15-year anniversay, MPP has been a leader in the fight against mindless and destructive prohibitionist policies.

Approximately 8.40 minutes. Shot and edited by Meredith Bragg.

Comments

[eyes wide shut]

I love how all these marijuana guys can't open their eyes.

[sage]

That guy doesn't look like he appreciates being in the presence of The Jacket. He should surrender his decoder ring now so we don't have to cut his finger off and take it.

[eyes wide shut]

In fairness to the guy it may be the smell of the jacket that prevents him from opening his eyes.

[Hacha Cha]

to me it seems like the younger organization MPP is having more success changing marijuana laws than NORML which has been around for 40 years. although I'm sure both organizations are doing good work.

[pmp]

I can't believe Nick offered to toast Rob with a blunt. Nicholas, you're a grown-ass man! Someone procure that adult journalist a proper vaporizer.

[Zeb]

MPP does some good things, but I think that they are too focused on Medical marijuana and too narrowly focused on cannabis rather than the drug war more generally.

[Rhayader]

Yeah that's fair enough. As far as the topic of other drugs, that's clearly outside their stated mission, so I don't see an issue there.

I agree that the focus on medical marijuana can be a little frustrating, since it tends to obscure some of the most powerful reasons for legalization. Still though, I think that focus is primarily a tactical reality. They know that medical marijuana is a crack in the wall, and they're exploiting it as best they can. Frustrating to some of us, yes, but probably not a bad tactical approach.

[Jason]

Support Reason, MPP, IJ, C4L, and a bunch of other great organizations at once:

http://givv.org/recipients?q=liberty

[Brian Sorgatz]

Actually, one reason for cautious optimism is that the drug war does not have a "long past" in recorded history. Despots have occasionally banned a substance here and there, but grand-scale prohibitionism is only a century or so old. This may be a crucial talking point when so many people think that legalization will never happen. Such undue pessimism can slow progress as a temporarily self-fulfilling prophecy.

[two sexual predators]

Nice to see two sexual predators have a conversation about marijuana.