New Approach Oregon Email Solicitation and Response

To: info@NewApproachOregon.com
Subject: It is time for a New Approach in Oregon

Dear New Approach, Legalizing marijuana to increase revenue for schools? Are you familiar with Joseph A. Califano Jr’s Columbia University research which refutes your New Approach? No Thanks.

I agree with your critical needs. I do not agree that legalizing marijuana is the solution. Medical marijuana policy is abused as is. 25% of all United States college students are currently either abusing or addicted to alcohol or some drug. Is your New Approach going to lower that statistic? I affirm addiction recovery and prevention in service to the mission of making my sister Laura’s memory matter at www.bradmersereau.com.

1003 champions celebrate 14,600 clean and sober years on our Sobriety Anniversary webpage. 241 teens honor mind, body, and spirit without drugs or alcohol before 21 on our Sobriety Pledge webpage thus significantly reducing the possibility for future addiction. I am offended by seeing (paid?) slovenly petition gatherers outside our Cedar Hills DMV office attempting to gather supporting signatures for your cause. I sincerely hope that the legalizing measure is not on this November’s ballot. I plan to post this response on our Letters webpage. Kindly refrain from requesting any further support from me. Thank you.

Sincerely, Brad Mersereu


To: Brad Mersereau
Sent: June 5, 2014
Subject: It is time for a New Approach in Oregon

I’m writing to let you know about a measure on this November’s ballot that will make a real, positive difference for Oregon.

Right now we face some critical needs:

  • We need more resources for important public services in Oregon and better funding for treatment of people struggling with substance abuse.
  • We need public safety priorities that will actually keep communities and young people safer.
  • And of course, we need more funding for our public schools.

Every one of these priorities is more difficult to achieve because of our failed approach to marijuana policy. We are writing to ask you to help give Oregonians the opportunity to vote for a new and better approach this November.

We are New Approach Oregon, the campaign to legalize, tightly regulate and tax marijuana use by adults in Oregon. We are currently gathering signatures to place our measure on this November’s election ballot. The NAO measure will:

  • Legalize the use of marijuana for adults over the age of 21.
  • Tightly regulate how marijuana is distributed and sold. The system would be regulated through the Oregon Liquor Control Commission, similar to how alcohol is managed today.
  • Provide increased protection for children. Right now, it is easier for a young person to get marijuana than beer – dealers don’t ask for ID, and right now criminals and drug cartels have the most control over whether kids have access to marijuana. The NAO measure keeps penalties for selling to minors, and creates a system to actually prevent it.
  • Tax marijuana and its products. The money would all stay in Oregon: 40% to schools, 35% to state and local police and 25% to drug treatment, prevention and mental health programs.