December 2, 1998 #076 |
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A DrugSense publication
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http://www.drugsense.org/dsw/1998/ds98.n76.html
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Please consider sending a letter to the editor responding to any of the
important articles below. The Email address is provided for most newspapers.
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- * Breaking News (11/05/24)
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- * Feature Article
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Medical marijuana initiatives shift the front of the drug war
By Mike Gray - Author "Drug Crazy"
- * Weekly News in Review
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Drug War Policy-
On The Web: A Virtual Breeze Comes to Washington
San Francisco Examiner Editorial: Pro Bono
Rep. Bono Gets Burned for Honesty
Drug Policy is Sound, Despite What Molly Ivins May Think
Law Enforcement & Prisons-
Prison Shootings Unjustified
Prison Tour Doesn't Sway Lawmakers
Feds Sought Bigger Drug Deal to Ensure a Stiffer Prison Term
Double Standard on Drug Sentences
International News-
Black Passengers Targeted in Pearson Searches?
Mexico Seizes Three Hotels From Drug Cartel
Australia: Uphill Struggle on Trail of Record Heroin Bust
55% Of Smuggled Cocaine World Wide Being Transported by Express Services
Swiss Voters Block Bid to Legalize Narcotics
Dutch to Extend Free Heroin Hand-Outs to Addicts
Drugs: Cacophony In The European Union
- * Hot Off The 'Net
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CD Recording From the Mouths of Drug War Prisoners
New Republic Ads by Common Sense for Drug Policy
- * Quote of the Week
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Tacitus
- * Special Notices
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Interview with Jane Marcus "NewsHawk of the Month"
Thanks to DrugNews Screeners - Don Beck and Kevin Fansler
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FEATURE ARTICLE (Top) |
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Medical marijuana initiatives shift the front of the drug war
By Mike Gray Author "Drug Crazy"
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The earthquake that rocked the Republican Party this month also jolted
the foundations of another prominent ideological temple: the federal
drug war establishment.
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In nine separate ballots in six states and the District of Columbia,
voters ignored the advice of former presidents and high government
officials, opting instead for the most significant challenge to drug
war orthodoxy since President Jimmy Carter called on Congress to
decriminalize marijuana in 1977.
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For 25 years, the government has maintained that marijuana is so
dangerous we couldn't even talk about it. Now the issue is on the
table, like it or not, and if it turns out that marijuana is a medicine
instead of the devil's handmaiden, public support for arresting
nonmedical users will begin to erode.
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Over the strenuous objection of politicians and lawmakers of every
persuasion, voters in Alaska, Nevada, Arizona, Colorado, Oregon,
Washington state and the District of Columbia decided that it's OK for
sick people to smoke marijuana. As if to make sure the message was
understood, several of the most outspoken foes of medical marijuana had
their hats handed to them on a platter. California Attorney General Dan
Lungren battled tooth and nail against this idea when his fellow
Californians kicked off the revolt two years ago, but he found himself
cast as the heavy in a war against cancer patients. It contributed to
the ultimately fatal image problems of his gubernatorial campaign.
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The drug warriors clearly understand this is a defining moment, but
they are in a tight spot. Two years ago, Gen. Barry McCaffrey, the
White House drug czar, led a frontal attack on California's
medical-marijuana initiative, Proposition 215 ("Cheech and Chong
medicine," he called it), but his take-no-prisoners assault apparently
backfired, and it passed with room to spare.
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This time McCaffrey maintained a lower profile, avoiding any direct
engagement with the other side. Though he lost every battle in the
anti-marijuana campaign, he did manage to keep the war off the front
page.
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The urgency of this confrontation for both sides is demonstrated by the
back-door effort to keep the issue from even coming to a vote wherever
possible. When medical marijuana qualified for the ballot in the
District of Columbia, North Carolina Sen. Lauch Faircloth said, "I'd do
anything I could to block it," and he did. But even taking the
unprecedented step of forbidding local officials from counting the
votes could not keep the lid on. Exit polls showed that the initiative
had been approved in D.C. by a ratio of 2 to 1. So the issue will
undoubtedly return to the nation's capital, but Faircloth will not. He
lost to a moderate Democrat.
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Officials in Colorado similarly tried to prevent a vote on that state's
medical-marijuana initiative. At the last minute, they decided that the
measure had not qualified even though the initiative already was on the
ballot. But the voters voted anyway, and medical marijuana finished
with a 14-point lead.
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In states in which the vote was unimpeded, the spread was even more
impressive. Washington state's medical-marijuana initiative not only
won by a landslide, it also led in every county -- which means that
every member of the Washington congressional delegation from Spokane to
Cape Flattery is from a district that voted for medical marijuana.
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But nowhere was the battle more clearly drawn than in Arizona. Two
years ago, 65 percent of Arizona voters passed a medical-marijuana
initiative -- only to have it thrown back in their faces by the state
legislature. Under pressure from the White House, the state nullified
the will of the voters.
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Officials convinced themselves that the public had been duped by clever
advertising. But you don't stiff 65 percent of the electorate without
paying a price down the line, and this time the voters not only
underscored their original intention, they also passed a second law
that severely trimmed the legislature's power to do anything about it.
This time there was no talk about who had been duped.
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The long-term problem for the drug warriors was most visible in the
erosion of support in the state of Oregon. Medical marijuana wasn't the
main issue there. Possession of an ounce or less has been virtually
legal since 1973. But the state legislature, in a classic misreading
of the public mood, decided to outlaw the weed once and for all. They
placed a measure on the ballot that would have restored criminal
penalties for any amount of marijuana, and it went down in flames, 2-1.
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The aftershocks from these votes could have profound implications for
the future of the drug war itself. As author Dan Baum noted in his 1996
critique, Smoke and Mirrors, if you take marijuana out of the equation,
the number of so-called serious drug users drops from 13 million to 3
million, and the drug war shrinks from a cabinet-level jihad to a
sideshow.
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To maintain its $50-billion-a-year effort, the government must defeat
medical marijuana at all costs. The current strategy is to ignore these
storm clouds and hope they blow away. But if this latest referendum is
a clue, they will have to stick their heads in the sand more deeply.
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Editors Note: This Op Ed was originally published Friday, Nov. 27, 1998
in the Philadelphia Inquirer (PA)
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Other editorials by Mike Gray may be found at:
http://www.drugsense.org/crazy.htm
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WEEKLY NEWS IN REVIEW (Top)
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Drug War Policy-
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COMMENT: (Top) |
Those who ask if drug reform advocacy on the Internet has an impact on
the real world received an answer from Sam Vincent Meddis in USA
Today. Although he misspelled Dave Borden's name, Meddis accurately
described the activities of Lindesmith Center, DrugSense, and DRCNet.
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A VIRTUAL BREEZE COMES TO WASHINGTON
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One of the real nice things about working at USA TODAY is the view.
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From my cube on the 22nd floor of the company's tower in Arlington,
Va., I'm afforded what can only be described as a spectacular panorama
of Washington, D.C.
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What I like best is that on a clear day you can almost see the hot air
rising from the various government buildings there.
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[snip]
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But it seems to me that nothing has caused more sustained government
hot air than the so-called drug war. Now thanks to the Internet, a cool
breeze may be moving in.
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[snip]
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Pubdate: | Tue, 24 Nov 1998 |
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Copyright: | 1998 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc. |
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Author: | Sam Vincent Meddis, USA TODAY |
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USA Today technology site http://www.usatoday.com/life/cyber/cc.htm
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COMMENT: (Top) |
The impact of our efforts is also evident from the following lead
editorial in the Nov. 22 San Francisco Examiner- an excoriation of
drug policy which would have been unthinkable two years ago. It's
ironic that Mary Bono, was forced to publicly regret her refreshing
candor, almost before the ink was dry.
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PRO BONO
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When Sonny's Widow Revealed His Prescription-Drug Dependence, A Window
Was Opened On A Hidden Epidemic in This Country
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SOMEBODY'S drug crazed in this country, but it's not necessarily the
users.
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Mary Bono's revelation that her husband Sonny died because of his
dependence on prescription drugs underscores the insanity of this
country's "war on drugs." Millions of Americans are hooked on legal
drugs such as Valium and Percodan - two of the pharmaceuticals that may
have done in Sonny Bono - while the government bares its knuckles
against dying cancer patients who try to ease their pain a bit by
smoking marijuana.
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[snip]
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We hope her colleagues in Congress listen to her - really listen - and
then take steps to reel in the "war on drugs." In its psychoactive
appetites, this nation has been on a bad trip too long. We can either
continue to pour billions into high-tech drug-fighting weaponry and
shutting down marijuana clubs, or else we can face our real problems
and search for real solutions.
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Source: | San Francisco Examiner (CA) |
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Copyright: | 1998 San Francisco Examiner |
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Pubdate: | Sun, 22 Nov 1998 |
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Section: | Editorial, Page D 8 |
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REP. BONO GETS BURNED FOR HONESTY
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LOS ANGELES - Rep. Mary Bono (R-Calif.), widow of Sonny Bono and weary of
scandal, says that she's learning the hard way that she sometimes can be
"too honest."
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Yes, she told The Associated Press on Friday, her husband did have a
prescription drug problem. "A reporter asked me a direct question and I
answered it," Bono said. "In hindsight, I wish I hadn't said anything."
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[snip]
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Source: | Chicago Tribune (IL) |
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Copyright: | 1998 Chicago Tribune Company |
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Pubdate: | Sun, 29 Nov 1998 |
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COMMENT: (Top) |
That this battle of ideas is important to government policy makers can
be inferred from the following attempt at rebuttal of Molly Ivins'
forthright drug war criticism, which appeared in several papers two
weeks ago. The technique used is typical of ONDCP; relying heavily on
unsubstantiated assertion, distortion of fact, and "shoot the
messenger" tactics.
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U.S. DRUG POLICY IS SOUND, DESPITE WHAT MOLLY IVINS MIGHT THINK
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The language of Molly Ivins' column, " Politicians lag behind the
people on drug issues," in the Oregonian on Nov. 18 rings nostalgically
from the mid-1960's.
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[snip]
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Mike Gray's book might be "lively"-polemic," as Ivins put it, but it's
short on science and facts. Prohibition worked in terms of reducing
rates of alcohol consumption and alcoholism; it wasn't repealed because
it was a flop but because the country wanted liquor to be legal. When
substances are sanctioned and available, use goes up -- including abuse
by children.
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[snip]
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Copyright: | 1998 The Oregonian |
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FAX: 503-294-4193
Mail: | 1320 S.W. Broadway, Portland, OR 97201 |
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Note: | Linda Bayer is senior writer and strategic analyst at the White House |
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Office of National Drug Control Policy
(For the Molly Ivins column Bayer was attacking, see:
http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v98.n1059.a04.html)
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Law Enforcement & Prison Issues
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COMMENT: (Top) |
The more the drug war evolves into an engine of imprisonment, the more
the human rights of "convicted felons" are diminished. In California,
where the press has been denied access to state prison inmates for
over a year, hardly anyone was surprised when a blue ribbon panel
found that the vast majority of shootings at Corcoran State Prison
were unjustified. These were the same shootings which, when
"investigated" by Dan Lungren, had resulted in a whitewash.
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There is also an unhealthy tendency toward increased use of (cheaper)
private prisons; the ho-hum reaction of Wisconsin legislators visiting
their state's prisoners in Tennessee might be expected- after all,
prisoners and their families don't add up to that many votes.
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SHOOTINGS BY GUARDS IN 24 OF 31 CASES-SEVEN OF THEM FATAL-WERE
UNJUSTIFIED, INVESTIGATORS SAY.
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LOS ANGELES-An independent panel concluded that two dozen shootings of
inmates at Corcoran State Prison were unjustified, it was reported
Thursday.
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In a report released Wednesday, The Select Shooting Review Panel found
that 24 of 31 inmate shootings at Corcoran from 1989 to 1995-seven of
them fatal-involved an unjustified use of force.
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The panel also said the State Department of Corrections' entire system
for investigating and prosecuting prison shootings is flawed.
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[snip]
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Copyright: | 1998 Associated Press. |
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PRISON TOUR DOESN'T SWAY LAWMAKERS
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4 of 5 who visit private Tennessee site still favor shipping out inmates
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Whiteville, Tenn. - Four of the five Wisconsin legislators who toured a
private prison where Wisconsin inmates had been abused said Saturday
they saw no reason to stop sending inmates to Corrections Corp. of
America prisons here or in Oklahoma.
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The four Republicans - and one Democrat, who disagreed with them -spoke
after a day of visiting the company's facilities and meeting with
company officials in the wake of complaints of multiple cases of abuse
of Wisconsin inmates. The abuse came in the days after a brutal attack
by inmates on a rookie prison guard.
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[snip]
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Source: | Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (WI) |
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Copyright: | 1998, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. |
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Author: | Richard P. Jones of the Journal Sentinel staff |
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Pubdate: | Sun, 29 Nov 1998 |
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COMMENT: (Top) |
The following article is representative. of a remarkable series in the
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (also carried by the Toledo Blade) documenting
the wide range and prevalence of various unsavory tactics used by
federal enforcement agents and prosecutors to entrap and convict a
growing number of citizens in "drug crime." Titles and URLs of other
articles in the series are listed.
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FEDS SOUGHT BIGGER DRUG DEAL TO ENSURE A STIFFER PRISON SENTENCE
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Michael Staufer lost his minimum wage job at about the same time he was
robbed and beaten in August 1992 on a Los Angeles street.
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Times were so tough he lived in a garage.
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So when a friend named Scott suddenly pressed Staufer to find him
10,000 hits of LSD, Staufer wondered if the guy might have been high on
the drug himself.
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Staufer was 21 years old, partied hard and used LSD when he could
afford it. Once, he'd bought 20 or 25 hits of the drug that he resold
to his friends, but he wasn't a dealer, and he certainly didn't have
the money to finance 10,000 hits.
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What Staufer didn't know was that federal agents had busted Scott on
drug charges and promised him leniency if he would help the feds snare
other drug dealers.
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[snip]
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Source: | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (PA) |
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Copyright: | 1998 PG Publishing. |
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Pubdate: | Mon, 23 Nov 1998 |
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Author: | Bill Moushey, Post-Gazette Staff Writer |
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The Blade, Toledo, OH email:
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Other stories & URLS in this series include:
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1) Fighting To Prove Innocence Led 3 To Stiffer Sentences
http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v98.n1078.a06.html
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2)Win At All Costs series - A Sting Gone Awry
http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v98.n1078.a07.html
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2) Federal Sting Often Put More Drugs On The Streets
http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v98.n1079.a02.html
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3) Informant Lured Him Into A Costly Deal
http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v98.n1079.a04.html
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4) Drug Charge Beaten, But At High Price
http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v98.n1079.a08.html
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5) Trapped Into Trying To Settle Vendetta
http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v98.n1080.a01.html
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6) Hiding The Facts
http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v98.n1080.a03.html
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7) US: Few Of Case's Twists, Shady Deals Revealed In Court
http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v98.n1080.a04.html
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COMMENT: (Top) |
A persistent question within the reform movement is why so few blacks
speak out against the racism implicit in our drug policy. The
following op-ed by Cynthia Tucker is an eloquent description of the
problem, but misses the boat in its conclusions.
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AS I SEE IT
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by Cynthia Tucker
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DOUBLE STANDARD ON DRUG SENTENCES
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THERE ARE forgotten neighborhoods in America where the holiday season
imposes a distinct and peculiar ritual: Mom and the kids, or Grandma
and the grand kids, pack up a few goodies in tin plates and paper bags,
carefully wrapped in foil. They set out early for a visit preordained
to be brief and circumscribed, its joy Limited by the setting. They go
to visit relative in prison.
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The places in America already decimated by poverty and economic
collapse - the black and brown inner-cities - are also places where
many of the young men are out of circulation. They cannot become
taxpayers or decent parents or reasonable prospects for marriage. They
will leave prison with criminal records that guarantee them limit job
opportunities.
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Lacking decent incomes, they will never marry the mothers of their
children. And that, in turn, will guarantee another generation of
children who have had little contact with their fathers.
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[snip]
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The streets may be safer because we have succeeded in locking away for
good many of the most dangerous predators, the gangbangers and serial
killers, the robbers and rapists and carjackers. But the country is no
better off for a shameless double standard that celebrates the
privileged athlete, actor or businessman who licks his drug habit in a
ritzy sanitarium, while imprisoning the crackhead too broke to afford
drug treatment.
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That policy guarantees a permanent underclass.
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Pubdate: | Sat, 28 Nov 1998 |
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Source: | San Francisco Chronicle |
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Page: | Editorial Page (A 24) |
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Copyright: | 1998 San Francisco Chronicle |
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Note: | Cynthia Tucker is editorial page editor of the Atlanta Constitution. |
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International News
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COMMENT: (Top) |
The following, from the Toronto Star, demonstrates that racism isn't
exclusively American. It exists everywhere; even north of the border.
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BLACK PASSENGERS TARGETED IN PEARSON SEARCHES?
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Lawyers plan court fight over `racial profiling' by customs
officials at airport
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A survey of Air Canada flights from Jamaica to Toronto reveals that black
passengers are far more likely than white travellers to be searched by
Canada Customs.
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[snip]
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Source: | Toronto Star (Canada) |
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Copyright: | 1998, The Toronto Star |
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Pubdate: | Sun, 29 Nov 1998 |
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Author: | Royson James, Toronto Star City Columnist |
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COMMENT: (Top) |
Forfeiture, the US model for giving law enforcement agencies direct
access to the profits of the illegal drug market is gaining popularity
overseas; here are two examples of official greed from Mexico and
Australia.
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MEXICO SEIZES THREE HOTELS FROM DRUG CARTEL
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MEXICO CITY, Nov 24 (Reuters) - Mexican authorities have seized about $200
million in assets from drug traffickers, including three luxury hotels, two
of them in the Caribbean resort of Cancun, according to a published report
on Tuesday.
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The Reforma newspaper said Mexican police, with the help of U.S. agents,
took cars, the hotels and other property from members of the so-called
Juarez cocaine cartel.
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[snip]
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Pubdate: | Tue, 24 Nov 1998 |
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Copyright: | 1998 Reuters Limited. |
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UPHILL STRUGGLE ON TRAIL OF RECORD HEROIN BUST
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DESPITE an international hunt, police have yet to identify the criminal
masterminds behind last month's record heroin seizure in Australia.
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After a four-week global asset search, Australian Federal Police have
only made restraining orders on a modest Hong Kong home unit, stolen
watches, bracelets and gold bars, freezing only $400,000 in assets and
jewelry from the 18 gang members charged with the bust.
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[snip]
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Pubdate: | Sun, 22 Nov 1998 |
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Source: | Sun Herald (Australia) |
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Copyright: | 1998 John Fairfax Holdings Ltd |
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Author: | Darren Goodsir and Chris Dobson, in Hong Kong |
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COMMENT: (Top) |
The following article is a translation from the German press; while
not unknown in the US, such heavy reliance on commercial delivery of
illegal drugs hasn't been noted here.
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55% OF SMUGGLED COCAINE WORLD WIDE BEING TRANSPORTED BY EXPRESS SERVICES
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According to German Customs authorities, private transport services are
being used "to a considerable extent" for the international transport
of illegal drugs. The trend is clear: according to current estimates
the sharp rise in the use of Express services and the quick turn around
in the exchange of goods has led to a lessening of risk. This in turn
has led to the rise in demand for such services by international drug
smugglers.
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[snip]
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Source: | Die Welt (Germany) |
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Author: | Peter Scherer, Frankfurt am Main |
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Translator: | Pat Dolan (from German text) |
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COMMENT: (Top) |
The "Droleg" initiative which would have legalized all drugs for Swiss
citizens was voted on this past week-end and went down to an even
worse defeat than anticipated. The post mortems will be interesting,
but at least part of the negative vote was motivated by legitimate
fears that Switzerland would become the national homologue "needle
park."
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SWISS VOTERS BLOCK BID TO LEGALIZE NARCOTICS
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ZURICH (Reuters) - Swiss voters Sunday rejected by a thumping three-to-one
margin a sweeping proposal to legalize narcotics that backers said would
eliminate the drugs mafia but critics said would make Switzerland a drugs
haven.
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The plan would have made Switzerland the only country in the world where
anyone aged 18 or older could buy narcotics of their choice, from marijuana
to heroin, from state-run outlets or pharmacies after consulting a
physician.
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[snip]
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Pubdate: | Sun, 29 Nov 1998 |
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Copyright: | 1998 Reuters Limited. |
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COMMENT: (Top) |
The Netherlands continued the tradition of carrying out their own
pragmatic drug policy despite US opposition.
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DUTCH TO EXTEND FREE HEROIN HAND-OUTS TO ADDICTS
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THE HAGUE, Nov 24 (Reuters) - The Dutch health ministry said on Tuesday
it would extend an experiment to distribute free heroin to hard core
drug addicts after a three-month pilot scheme proved a success.
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In the first phase of the revolutionary scheme, launched in July, 24
addicts in Amsterdam and 21 in Rotterdam received heroin hand-outs.
Participants were monitored for signs of health and behavioral problems.
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``During the first phase there were no serious, undesired side-effects
in terms of public order, criminality and medical safety,'' the health
ministry said in a statement.
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[snip]
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Pubdate: | Tue, 24 Nov 1998 |
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Copyright: | 1998 Reuters Limited. |
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COMMENT: (Top) |
Variability of national attitudes toward drug use was acknowledged in
this article from Le Figaro. Note that the one thing they had no
trouble agreeing on was access to the money.
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DRUGS: | CACOPHONY IN THE EUROPEAN UNION (Drogue: Cacophonie Dans L'union) |
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On the day before the opening of the European Week for the Prevention
of Drug Addiction, legislation varies from one country to the next. In
France, the debate on decriminalization of certain substances has never
been able to be conducted calmly.
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Even though the European Week for the Prevention of Drug Addiction
(SEPT) begins Monday and will continue through the 22nd of November,
the member states of the European Union have still not succeeded in
harmonizing their legislation concerning illegal drugs.
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The only exceptions concern the traffic in drugs and money laundering.
From 1999, the Treaty of Amsterdam will permit an effective
collaboration between the various police forces, customs, and fiscal
authorities of the countries of the European Union. But concerning the
use of drugs, penal sanctions, and the sale of drugs, the law varies
from one country to the next.
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[snip]
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Pubdate: | Sat-Sun, 14-15 November, 1998 |
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Source: | Le Figaro (France) |
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Page: | Section "Notre Vie" |
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Copyright: | Le Figaro 1998 |
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Translation from French: Peter Webster
http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v98.n1078.a05.html
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HOT OFF THE 'NET (Top)
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CD Recording From the Mouths of Drug War Prisoners
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The November Coalition www.november.org is proud to announce the
release of their long awaited 'Prisoner Audio CD'. This project was
generously funded with a grant from DPF and collects in audio cd form,
24 messages from Drug War Prisoners and family members. This powerful
activist tool will be distributed free to radio. It is also available
for sale as a TNC fund raiser for $11 post paid.
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This 'labor of love' was painstakingly pieced together over a 2 year
period. It is the voice of the prisoner. It is a document of pain and
anguish that communicates the affects of our drug war in emotional
terms anyone can understand.
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The cd comes with 3 pages of well documented facts and figures
guaranteed to raise eyebrows with even staunch Drug War supporters.
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TNC is also looking for volunteers to help distribute the cd to
community radio. You needn't be radio savvy- on-line coaching will
ensure you make an effective presentation (it's all done by email, the
Internet and the post office).
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Cd's can be purchased for $11 each or 10 for $70. Order yours today.
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795 S. Cedar
Colville,
WA 99114
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If you'd like to join our Radio Team, talk distribution strategy, or
know more about our project you can email me at:
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John Humphrey (Project Coordinator)
(John Humphrey)
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New Republic Ads by Common Sense for Drug Policy
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Common Sense for Drug Policy has been running a series of advertisements
in the "New Republic" discussing drug policy. The first ad called Barry
McCaffrey to task for getting his facts wrong, the second compared the
results of U.S. and Dutch drug policy, the third debunked some common
myths about cannabis, and the most recent, published on November 30th,
illustrated how American Constitutional rights and freedoms are being
gradually eroded by the war on drugs.
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The advertisements may be read online at: http://www.drugsense.org/ads/
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QUOTE OF THE WEEK (Top)
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"The More Corrupt the State the More Numerous the Laws" - Tacitus
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SPECIAL NOTICES (Top) |
NOVEMBER NEWSHAWK OF THE MONTH - JANE MARCUS
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The following is a DrugSense interview with our NewsHawk of the Month,
Jane Marcus
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DS: How did you get into newshawking?
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Jane: | In 1995 I took a course from the Stanford University Continuing |
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Studies program on U.S. Drug Policy taught by former San Jose Police
Chief, Dr. Joseph McNamara. I later served as on-line teaching
assistant when videotapes of the course were broadcast on Stanford's
cable channel. People who were watching the lectures and discussing
them on-line joined a small email list, and I started sending them
copies of relevant articles. MAP Board member, Dr. Tom O'Connell,
joined the list and soon after suggested that I participate in the MAP
effort.
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DS: What do you consider the most significant story/issue of the past
months?
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Jane: | The two most important recent stories are the total success of |
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the medical marijuana initiatives across the country and the resounding
defeat of Dan Lungren in California. I await the new Gray Davis/Bill
Lockyer era with renewed hope that the Prop. 215 stalemate will end.
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DS: What is your favorite website?
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Jane: | No day is complete without my visit to MAP's Drug News Index and |
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the New York Times Forum on Drug policy (
male2('href="http://forums.nytimes.com/webin/WebX?13@','.eeb88c7">http://forums.nytimes.com')/webin/WebX?13@@.eeb88c7 - readers who have
not previously visited the site will need to register). It's especially
gratifying to see articles I sent to MAP linked to by posters on NYT
forum.
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DS: Is there anything else you would like to tell the readers of the
weekly?
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Jane: | In graduate school I did research on communication theory and |
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learned a great deal about how new ideas spread. I learned that the
news media are important vehicles for bringing information about new
ideas to the public, but it is interpersonal communication that is most
effective in getting people to adopt new ideas.
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Certainly the growth of the Internet will be a critical tool in
bringing information about drug policy to the portion of the population
that is on-line. But good old fashioned person-to-person communication
is needed for people to actually change their minds. I encourage
everyone to get out and talk to your friends, co-workers and
acquaintances to let them know that reasonable people just like
themselves are "just saying KNOW" to drug policy status quo.
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DS NOTE: Jane would also like readers to know that she works full-time
outside the home and shares her busy life with a husband and two teenage
children who support her activism. She is also a charter member of FAMILY
WATCH, a network of groups and individuals concerned about the impact of
drug policy on families, women and children. (For more information about
Family Watch, visit their new and growing website at http://FamilyWatch.org/
or contact Kendra Wright at ) The Family Watch site
is still under construction but well worth a visit and perhaps linking to.
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THANKS ALSO TO DON BECK AND KEVIN FANSLER
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We would also like to acknowledge DrugNews Screeners - Don Beck and
Kevin Fansler who screen hundreds of news articles a week, make decisions
as to the most important, and forward this refined information to Tom
O'Connell. This has proven to dramatically reduce the workload in filtering
and preparing the DrugSense Weekly.
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DS Weekly is one of the many free educational services DrugSense offers
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News/COMMENTS-Editor: | Tom O'Connell () |
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Senior-Editor: | Mark Greer () |
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