Since 1998, the Higher Education Act (HEA) has contained a provision that denies federal financial aid to student applicants who have drug-related convictions, including possession of marijuana. According to the U.S. Department of Education, this drug provision has harmed more than 128,000 students, particularly racial minorities and the underprivileged. (Please see www.mpp.org/USA/news_2471.html for one example of the damage done by the drug provision of the HEA.)

Now is the best opportunity to repeal the drug provision, as Congress is required to reauthorize the HEA this year. To that end, Students for Sensible Drug Policy, the Drug Reform Coordination Network, the Drug Policy Alliance, the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP), and other organizations are asking you to call on Congress to repeal the HEA drug provision.

I encourage you to visit www.raiseyourvoice.com to e-mail your three members of Congress right now and/or to make phone calls to their offices. Please ask your U.S. representative to co-sponsor H.R. 685, the bill introduced by U.S. Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) that would repeal the drug provision. And please ask your two U.S. senators to sponsor similar legislation on the Senate side. (There is currently no bill in the Senate.) You can contact your members of Congress through the Capitol Switchboard for free at 1-800-839-5276.

Thank you for taking the time to make your voice heard. Please consider visiting www.mpp.org/donate0909 to make one donation this year, so that MPP may reach others who share your interest in ending marijuana prohibition.

Rob Kampia
Executive Director
Marijuana Policy Project
Washington, D.C.