On Friday, February 15, Dr. John Morgan, one of drug policy reform's luminaries, died at 68 from acute myeloid leukemia. John was dear to us all, but none more so than his close friend, Marsha Rosenbaum, DPA's Safety First Project director. I'd like to share with you Marsha's tribute to John:

It is difficult to write about John Morgan in the past tense, because he was "bigger than life." Just last week he enthusiastically told me of his plans to buy a Mercedes convertible in Europe, tour around, and have it shipped home to New York.

My relationship with John was multi-dimensional. I knew him first as a colleague in drug policy reform, then as a physician, and finally as a friend, which is how I will miss him most.

John Morgan was one of the first drug policy reformers I knew. I met him at one of the early Drug Policy Foundation conferences in 1988. Dr. Morgan, a Professor of Pharmacology at CUNY, was one of the movement's first heroes, having already established himself as an expert on and critic of urine testing. He also knew so much about the pharmacology of cocaine and Ecstasy -- the drug I was researching at the time -- as well as just about any other drug I would ask him about. He seemed to have an encyclopedic mind and loved nothing more than to teach.

John was incredibly generous with his knowledge and time. Several years ago we featured a Q & A on the Safety First website. Most of the questions had to do with the physiological effects of drugs, so I regularly went to John for answers. He responded promptly and thoroughly -- with only a "thank you" as a reward. For his friends, no medical question was too simple or too complicated.

John was irreverent, and loved to debunk doctrine -- whether from drug warriors or reformers. He could deliver a mesmerizing speech and sharp retort, within seconds. John Morgan, for better and sometimes worse, was irrepressible.

John was hungry for life, which makes his sudden death all the more shocking. He loved music, all forms of periodicals, travel, jewelry, food of all kinds, and of course, the "fuckin' Reds." He was an impeccable dresser.

Above all, John Morgan loved his family, and cared tirelessly for his wife, without complaint, for decades.

John Morgan loved drug policy reform, was an integral part of the movement, and never tired of the fight. We've lost a real champion -- way too soon.

Addendum: We've uploaded a [ginormous] video of a talk Dr. Morgan delivered during DPA's conference last December. Seriously, it's a big file, so don't be alarmed when it takes forever to load. But like all John's talks, it's worth it.