However, we are living in a police state where any excuse to invade privacy is seized and run with in many cases of which we are aware and many more which never come to light. Do the benefits of signing such a petition outweigh the risks? Are there better ways to watchdog such projects?

...I just finished watching a short piece narrated and put together by Drew Carey of all people for reason.tv about a guy who ran a medicinal marijuana clinic in california who was raided by the DEA on a say so by the sherrif of the area and is now confined to his house by electronic tag as he awaits trial and potential sentence of 100+ years.

How does having a database of names and such further the research in anyway whatsoever? How about donating to maps.org? The only organization getting shit done the legal way! I don't see any effectiveness from this "project".

since I can't do a poll, I guess we have to go w/ show of hands. Narc or just plain stupid?

" How does having a database of names and such further the research in anyway whatsoever? How about donating to maps.org? The only organization getting shit done the legal way! I don't see any effectiveness from this "project"."

because this involves far more than just relying on 'MAPS' is why.

They aren't the sole authority on this huge question!

In fact I have some grievancies about how MAPS does things.

They support 'testing' on animals which I am DEAD against!!!

They are a bit to lovey dovey with the shrinks/psychologists, and their myth of mental illnness.

What we WANT is total freedom.

Decriminalization with intelligent education.

Education that does not just cover intelligent use of psychedelics, but seriously questions civilization in general. It is all connected!

Not just a bunch of names, but a whole lot of people are already supporting this idea. Numbers are close to 700 and rising fast. Our guess is that by December '08 we'll reach 10,000 names, thus building a solid database.

There is nothing wrong with supporting research and education on psychedelics. It is only when we realize our distance with nature that we truly understand what living is about. This project is bringing people together, worldwide. Is showing the world we want more resarch (like the ones from MAPS) and more education (like Erowid.org).

Be the change you want to see in the world.

Okay, wait, so then this list is just a "show of hands" type thing to just show how much support is out there for these medicines? That's cool I guess, but where's the marketing plan? A long list of names don't mean shit if normal people the world over aren't going to encounter it! You know?
I think this would be good then if you guys alert the entire list when there are opportunities to help fund or contribute in some way to psychedelic research, now that's an idea. If that's what you already planned on doing than ignore this.
To do that you would probably be better off creating a webpage that lists what research is needing help and where. Alert the list only when updates occur which wouldn't even be daily for the most part because psychedelic research is slow. . .But the list website didn't look like much, it was just one page and a sign up form, not much in the way of effectiveness but a potential start to something bigger if the work gets put into it!
Other than that what is a list good for?
And I don't think MAPS is going the bad route, they're playing the game as they have to and have gotten farther than anyone else in this prohibition era. . .

The best way to spread the word about the value of psychedelic medicines is to spread the story of the early psychedelic researchers such as Gary Fisher, Myron Stolaroff, Leo Zeff, Stan Grof, etc. Gary Fisher especially has a story to tell as can be found on the Psychedelic Salon podcasts or just Google: lsd therapy schizophrenic children THAT is the story that people need to here, the amazing psychological advancements made BEFORE Tim Leary and all the hurrah about the LSD and such. . .That's all people know! LSD was invented, then Leary came and turned us all on, and the Beatles, and before you know it Woodstock happens and then the cops crack down on it! I mean, that's basically the story that people have of these drugs, which is SO far off of the reality that it's disgusting. It's just like how Anslinger sold marijuana as bad by relating it to psychoses and inter-racial sex, and look where we are today with that! But seriously, if you guys want to make a difference, help spread that story to the sheeple far and wide. Who's down to make a new documentary??? ;-)