DrugSense: Drug Law Reform - DrugSense Directors and Staff

In 1996 Greer formed The Media Awareness Project (MAP) Inc. d/b/a DrugSense a 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation. This unique organization is comprised of a nationwide network of volunteer activists dedicated to spreading honest and accurate information on all aspects of drug policy to the media, policy makers, and the public.

Don E Wirtshafter, Chairman of the Board

Don E Wirtshafter is an environmental advocate and practicing attorney in Athens County, Ohio. Don is best known for his launch of the Ohio Hempery in 1990, America’s first hemp products merchant. He saw it as a creative solution to the environmental and criminal justice problems that frequented his small-town law office. In 1998, the hemp processing facility moved to Manitoba, Canada to take part in their newly passed hemp regulations. This efforts has become Hemp Oil Canada, Inc. the leading hemp food products manufacturer. Don is also part owner and sits on the board of Nutiva, Inc (the leading retailer of hemp food products in the USA) and Hemp Oil Canada. Don serves on the Board of Editors for the Journal of the International Hemp Association, the only peer review journal of hemp research. He is a founder and former director of the Hemp Industries Association.

Nora Callahan, Financial Officer,

Ms. Callahan has been an uncompensated board member since October 1998. She is also founder and Executive Director of The November Coalition

Cliff Thornton,

Mr. Thornton joined the DrugSense Board of Directors in 2007. He is the founder of Efficacy, a non-profit organization that has been concentrating efforts on drug policy reform. He was the Green Party Candidate for Governor of the state of Connecticut in 2006 and has lectured widely in the U.S., Canada, England and New Zealand.

The diverse and impressive backgrounds of the highly experienced individuals that make up the DrugSense Board offer a powerful combination of talent, knowledge, contacts, and expertise. All board members are in constant communication and are engaged in formulating plans for the future of the DrugSense/MAP organization which will allow significant expansion of our existing projects.

We are implementing plans to broaden and improve our inroads into other avenues of media outreach. One of the aims of DrugSense will be to offer a helping hand to the various media efforts of organizations throughout the reform movement and to help coordinate and improve our overall media strategy.

We launched our subsiduary, Drug Policy Central, which offers support, web design, hosting and numerous internet services. Many reform organizations gain and maintain an internet presence thanks to this essential service.

full photo DrugSense/Media Awareness Project Staff (4/20/2002: San Francisco, California) Front row (L to R): Doug Snead, Jo-D Harrison, Stephen Young, Matt Elrod Back row (L to R): Richard Lake, Mary Jane Borden, Mark Greer, Phillipe Lucas (absent Debra Harper)

Staff (alphabetically)

Mary Jane Borden, Business Manager and Secretary of the Board of Directors,: Mary Jane is a writer, artist, and activist in drug policy reform. She is also a Co-Founder and President of the 501(c)(3) Ohio Patient Network (www.ohiopatient.net), as well as Secretary of its lobbying arm, the Ohio Patient Action Network. (www.ohiopatientaction.org) An accomplished communications and information professional, Mary Jane possesses a marketing and sales focus with excellent, versatile communication skills.
Matt Elrod, Webmaster, developer, and Senior Tech Support,: Matt is one of the most highly recognized and acclaimed Internet professionals in the drug policy reform arena. There are few interested in drug policy on the web that have not benefited from Matt's tireless work on behalf of drug policy reform.
Debra Harper, Assistant Webmaster, MAP OnAir Coordinator, and Editor of Hemp and Cannabis Issues, DrugSense Weekly,: Deb has a wide range of experience in drug policy reform and is the Mac component of the web support team for the ever expanding clientele of Drug Policy Central. She developed a resource site, CannabisLink.ca and is actively involved in other projects. Deb also produces the editorial comment and news items in the Hemp and Cannabis section of the DSW.
Jo-D Harrison, Assistant Webmaster and Membership Coordinator,: Jo-D has wide ranging responsibilities. Contacting and working with the DrugSense membership of more than 15,000 volunteers is key among these. She also serves as Assistant Webmaster.
Steve Heath, Media Activism Facilitator,: Steve is a trainer, coach, and liaison to the media for individuals and groups who are working to reform current national and state drug policies. He is a long-time, dedicated MAP Editor and one of our top letter writers. Steve has received several Weekly and Monthly LTE awards and achieved our Silver LTE award for his 100+ published letters.
Richard Lake, Senior Editor,: Richard is a retired U.S. Army Officer and has been a key factor in the generation of the DrugSense news archive. He works with hundreds of volunteer "NewsHawks" and the entire volunteer staff of editors. His feedback and training has made the news archive what it is.
Philippe G. Lucas, Director of Communications,: Based in Victoria, B.C., Philippe networks with activists and organizations in both Canada and the U.S. in order to maximize resources, efforts and impact. He has introduced media and social reform organizations to the many resources and services provided by MAP/Drugsense and its staff, and has been an active international media contact on drug policy reform, cannabis policy, and prohibition. Philippe also produced the editorial comment and news items in the Hemp and Cannabis section of the DSW for several years.
Doug Snead; Programmer and Editor of International Issues of the DSW,: Doug Snead is a programmer and writer. His duties include writing the International section of the Drugsense Weekly Newsletter. Doug is assisting with the creation of a new Media Database. He has just completed a study of contemporary prohibitionist rhetoric, a book entitled "Drug War Propaganda".
http://www.drugsense.org/current.htm
http://drugpolicycentral.com/bot/
Stephen Young, Editor, DrugSense Weekly,: Stephen Young is a freelance writer who stumbled across the Media Awareness Project while working on a book about the drug war called Maximizing Harm . He quickly became a volunteer newshawk and letter writer for MAP and later went on to help produce Focus Alerts. He is also involved with the Drug Policy Forum of Illinois.