The following day, the
Center for Cognitive Liberty & Ethics issued a press release to the media and members
of Congress underscoring that “Inasmuch as many injuries associated with MDMA use at
raves are the result of receiving adulterated and bogus “Ecstasy,” the Club Drug
Act [sentencing] provisions will significantly increase the dangers associated with
MDMA.” (See http://www.cognitiveliberty.org/newsrelease/july262000.htm)
In an ongoing to effort
to point out the flaws in the bill, on September 6, 2000, the Center for Cognitive Liberty
& Ethics, distributed an analysis alert titled “What’s (Still) Wrong with
the Methamphetamine and Club Drug Anti-Proliferation Act of 2000?” This alert
bulleted 4 fundamental problems with equating Ecstasy to methamphetamine for sentencing
purposes. (See http://www.cognitiveliberty.org/newsrelease/sept72000.htm)
With the help of volunteer members of the CCLE, this alert was widely
distributed to the media, drug policy reform groups, and approximately 40 members of
Congress.
Our analyses and
alerts made a definite impact. The bill has been significantly tempered.
On September 27, 2000,
when the club drug provisions were attached to the Children’s Health Act, the
sentencing provision that would have equated Ecstasy to methamphetamine was completely
removed! In its place, Subtitle C of the Children's Health Act instructs the
Sentencing Commission to use its own discretion in setting the penalty for Ecstasy and
other “club drug” offenses. The new provision merely tells the Sentencing
Commission that Congress has a “sense” that the current punishment for
“high-level traffickers” of Ecstasy are too low and should be increased.
This is a definite
victory for drug policy reform. National media and law enforcement attention on Ecstasy
and “club drugs” has never been higher. The fact that Congress has seen fit to
temper its reaction in the midst of such hysteria shows that reasoned analysis still
carries weight.
The Center for Cognitive Liberty & Ethics, was the only organization to
produce and distribute professional legal analysis and policy updates focused on the
flawed Ecstasy and club drug provisions. We also provided the central site on the
Internet for obtaining updates and continued analysis of the bills. Thanks to all the
Center for Cognitive Liberty & Ethics members who helped disseminate the CCLE analysis, to our financial
supporters, and to all the drug reform and news organizations that used our reports to
substantiate the assertions that the Ecstasy and club drug provisions needed rethinking.
-- Wrye Sententia
Director of Operations
The Center for Cognitive Liberty & Ethics
This press release is
available online at http://www.cognitiveliberty.org/newsrelease/Oct42000.htm
The full text of the
Children's Health Act of 2000 (H.R. 4365) is available at:
http://www.cognitiveliberty.org/DLL/children'shealthact2000.htm
The CCLE's general MDMA
(Ecstasy) Law and Policy Pages can be browsed at:
http://www.cognitiveliberty.org/DLL/mdmaindex.htm
About the Center
for Cognitive Liberty & Ethics
The Center for Cognitive Liberty & Ethics is a nonpartisan, nonprofit, law and policy
center working in the public interest to protect fundamental civil liberties. The Center
seeks to foster cognitive liberty – the basic human right to unrestrained independent
thinking, including the right to control one’s own mental processes and to experience
the full spectrum of possible thought. Web site: http://www.cognitiveliberty.org
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