About the Author I'd love to hear from you! Send comments, tips, and suggestions to: A prohibition law strikes a blow at the very principles upon which our government was founded... Prohibition goes beyond the bounds of reason in that it attempts to control a man´s appetite by legislation, and makes a crime out of things that are not crimes. -- Abraham Lincoln Tip: Visit my page about getting active if you feel motivated to do something about the drug war. You can make a difference. The greatest service which can be rendered any country is to add a useful plant to its culture. --Thomas Jefferson Tip: Visit my Bookstore to add to your library. Bonus: buy some books through those links and I get a few cents. What people are saying about Drug WarRant. Pete Guither [pronounced gī'-thər] is a drug policy reform expert and an unapologetic advocate of ending prohibition as it exists today. He is author of the popular drug policy reform blog: Drug WarRant.com, and founder of the Drug WarRant.net community. Some of Pete's drug policy reform accomplishments and activities: Panelist: "Elevator Arguments" at the 2007 International Drug Policy Reform Conference (December 2007) Panelist: "Got a Minute? Concise Effective Arguments for Reform" at the national Students for Sensible Drug Policy conference (November, 2006) Moderator: "Tough Trade-Offs: The Drug Legalization Debate" at University of Illinois College of Law. (November, 2006) Featured Speaker: "Understanding, and Finding Solutions to, Today's Prohibition" at Golden K Kiwanis, Quincy, Illinois (November, 2006) Profiled: Chicago Tribune War-On-Drugs Exhibition Starts Free-Speech Battle by John Keilman... Pete Guither's attempt to criticize the war on drugs has become a war of its own.... Mentioned: Washington Post Drug-Terror Connection Disputed by Kari Lydersen Featured Speaker: 2005 Libertarian Party of Illinois convention (February, 2005) Investigative Exposé: Andrea Barthwell's falsified sponsorship for her Illinois Marijuana Lectures series (February, 2005) Author: Raich v. Ashcroft - A Guide to the Supreme Court Case (2004-2005) Editor: Drug War Victims (ongoing) Editor: Why is Marijuana Illegal (December, 2003) Author: Cannabis Plant, Drug Prohibition, and Illinois Economic Development presented to the transition team of Governor-elect Rod Blagojevich as part of the Stevenson Center Illinois Economic Development Policy Conference (December, 2002) Additionally, Pete has been the featured speaker at numerous HempFests and other similar political events, and has been interviewed for a wide variety of print and electronic media on drug war issues. Pete is faculty advisor for the Illinois State University chapter of Students for Sensible Drug Policy. I'm honored to have been chosen by NORML and High Times as a Freedom Fighter, in the upcoming February, 2009 issue of HIgh Times. Freedom Fighter Blog Star Pete Guither leads a war against propaganda As the art of blogging evolves, few have utilized this tool as effectively for anti-marijuana-prohibition advocacy as Pete Guither. Check him out at DrugWarRant.com and enter the Drug War Rant community. Both of these outlets were the result of Pete's anger at the continued prohibition of cannabis. What started out as research and writing primarily for his own edification has blossomed into a powerful online forum and community of drug-policy reformers that provides a valuable service by supplying activists with news and information on the latest scientific, legal and political developments. Pete is motivated by the belief that legalizing and regulating marijuana cultivation, distribution and possession for recreational purposes is crucial. "I want to take the black market out of the equation," he says. "The only way to do that is with full legalization and not a halfway solution. The path to get there requires that people stop being afraid to talk about marijuana and the Drug War." The good news is that more and more people are speaking out. "The blogs and the traditional reform organizations like NORML, and the newer groups like Law Enforcement Against Prohibition and Students for Sensible Drug Policy, are developing a network of reformers from all walks of life armed with the facts," Pete says. "But we're still facing a tough battle -- decades of propaganda. We have to get the facts, we have to speak out, and we have to keep doing it.!" Thanks to Pete Guither, the anti-prohibition community has gained a powerful new voice. Long may he continue to share his insight, his knowledge and the occasional rant. -- Carlos Castillo, NORML Outreach Coordinator OK, that's the bio stuff -- Now, I suppose you want to know a little bit more about how I think and my other interests. Hmmm... here's a start. I'm a strong advocate for drug policy reform. Our policies in the U.S. and throughout much of the world are much more damaging than any possible damage from the drugs themselves. Enforcement approaches make drug dealers and drug warriors rich, at the expense of the rest of us. Government has a vested interest in continuing the war. What would I do? For one thing, drugs should not all be treated the same, but I would definitely remove the black-market element, and that means legalization and regulation. Marijuana should be legalized and regulated somewhat like alcohol. Some drugs should be handled through treatment or maintenance regimes, some through simple regulation. All should use harm reduction as the driving concept rather than imprisonment. The most important thing is we need to be able to discuss drug policy openly and consider various approaches without the distortion and hysteria of the drug warriors. There's one primary source that I use as my inspiration and guidance in my political beliefs. You can view it here. I am passionate about drug policy reform and I love talking about it. And I am available and willing to debate any drug prohibitionist anywhere, anytime. If it's a big name (like John Walters), I'll pay my own way. Other interests: I am faculty advisor for Theatre of Ted, an underground weekly theatre event, where I have presented rants on the drug war for many years. I am a fine art photographer and creator of The Living Canvas. I'm chair of the board of New Millennium Theatre Company in Chicago. I'm also on the board of Chicago Dance Crash. Both of these are kick-ass arts organizations and you should go see their work. For my day job, I am Assistant to the Dean of the College of Fine Arts at Illinois State University, where I also do theatre photography, ocassionally play the piano and conduct musicals, and host theatre trips to New York (along with many more mundane jobs). I play the piano. I've travelled on the road as a musician with the Roger Reitzel show and was a proud member of the band Jamorizon in the 1980s. Today, I still enjoy playing the piano for background music and accompanying. I love computers, coffee and travel, desire trees and bodies of water, and enjoy teaching. Tell me something about yourself if you wish. $  So how much do I get paid for doing this Drug War website? Nothing. I do it because I want to, and I don't expect to get anything. If I'm able to open some minds, or provide useful information, that's payment enough. On the other hand, I do pay for this site. I also sometimes have to pay for archive articles in my research, and there are other minor costs. So if you have a dollar or five that you'd like to contribute, that would be great and I'll be eternally grateful. If you're interested, the box at the left makes it very easy.