WHEREAS, there is an organized and well-funded movement in the United States and around the world to legalize or decriminalize drugs using strategies of medical marijuana, industrial hemp, harm reduction, and needle exchange; and

WHEREAS, "(t)he National District Attorneys Association recognizes that since 1996 incremental changes in state drug laws have continued at an alarming rate across our nation. Rarely are these incremental changes promoted for what they really are---well orchestrated efforts to ultimately legalize drugs." ("National District Attorneys Association, Policy Positions on Drug Control and Enforcement," Adopted March 20, 2004, available at www.ndaa-apri.org); and

WHEREAS, those legalization strategies often occur through the introduction of legislation at the federal, state or local level or through ballot initiatives that prey upon persons who have not been well informed on the drug threat. "In Arizona, $1.1 million of the $1.5 million spent was from out-of-state, and $1.4 million of the $1.8 million spent in California was from out-of-state. Opponents, with little time and limited resources, managed to raise and spend only about $30,000 in each state." (IACP/DEA, "A Police Chiefs Guide to the Legalization Issue," December 7, 2001, available at www.theiacp.org/publications); and

WHEREAS, federal state and local law enforcement agencies are on the front lines in confronting the most powerful and sophisticated organized crime groups ever to challenge law enforcement agencies. The International Drug Trafficking and Money Laundering Organizations and our nation’s law enforcement officers see firsthand the depth and devastation of lives caused by the use of illicit drugs; and

WHEREAS, in America it is estimated that more than 20,000 drug-related deaths occur each year, and a recent study published by the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) concluded the economic "costs of drug abuse have increased an average of 5.3 percent a year from 1992 through 2002" to an estimated total of $180.9 billion dollars. ("The Economic Costs of Drug Abuse in the United States 1992-2002," Executive Office of the President, Office of National Drug Control Policy, December 2004); and

WHEREAS, law enforcement officers have a long history of working with the prevention and treatment community to ensure that citizens are well educated on the dangers of drug abuse; and

WHEREAS, the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) has previously collaborated with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to develop training materials and facts that respond to the drug legalization movement (IACP/DEA, "A Police Chief’s Guide to the Legalization Issue," December 7, 2001); and

WHEREAS, a concentrated effort that brings together all of the involved constituent groups, including law enforcement, treatment, education, prevention, the medical community, civic organizations, faith-based community, and the business community, is critical to developing a collaborative strategy to prevent the legalization or decriminalization of marijuana and other dangerous drugs to combat the growing legalization movement; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, that the IACP strongly supports the urgent need for a multi-disciplinary anti-drug legalization summit to bring mutual constituent groups together to develop a cohesive national strategy to combat the drug legalization movement, and to keep our communities safe and drug free; and be it

FURTHER RESOLVED, that the IACP is committed to work with all other interested and credible organizations in education, treatment, prevention, medical profession, faith-based community, industry, and civic organizations to host a summit and follow-up meetings as deemed necessary to develop a comprehensive strategy to fight drug legalization and ensure the safety of the communities that are currently at risk by the growing drug legalization movement.