| Feb. 6, 2004 #336 | ||||||||||||||||||
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Table of Contents
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THIS JUST IN (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
(1) THAILAND: ORPHANS OF THE DRUG WAR (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
The war on drugs may have temporally reduced the amount of illegal
narcotics and the number of dealers in the country, but it will
permanently damage the children of those killed or jailed,
child-welfare advocates say. | ||||||||||||||||||
Already many of them are living in desperate circumstances and are
in danger of falling victim to drug abuse, criminality and other
social ills, they say. | ||||||||||||||||||
Moreover, if police fail to arrest those responsible for the
"silencing killings" that claimed their parents' lives, the children
are destined to grow up with no respect for society. | ||||||||||||||||||
"It doesn't matter what the facts [of the cases] are, for the children their parents were innocent and sentenced to death without any proof of their guilt," says Senator Montri Sintaweechai. | ||||||||||||||||||
"Once they feel that there is no justice for them, they cannot be
peaceful like normal children. They will have only pain in their
lives," says Montri, who is also a secretary-general of the Child
Protection Foundation. | ||||||||||||||||||
[snip]
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(2) YOUR BIAS MAY BE KEEPING POT FROM PAIN PATIENTS (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
Patients Humiliated Because They Have To keep Justifying Their Pain:
Study
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VANCOUVER - The stigma attached to cannabis use keeps dying patients from taking advantage of the medicinal benefits of the drug, according to a study by palliative care specialist Dr. Romayne Gallagher, a professor at the University of British Columbia. | ||||||||||||||||||
The study, which drew on a survey of dying patients in palliative
care units in Kelowna and Vancouver, showed these patients worried
that smoking marijuana could damage their lungs, be illegal or cause
addiction. They were also worried about the impact pot smoke might
have on family members. | ||||||||||||||||||
Morphine also has an enduring stigma, said Dr. Gallagher. Even though many patients are dying in a lot of pain, they are concerned about the issues surrounding drug use. Often, their fears reflect the apprehension of the physicians prescribing it, she said. | ||||||||||||||||||
[snip]
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The survey posed 11 statements about cannabis, morphine and
analgesics. These were drawn from perceived concerns about cannabis
and from a previous study done by Dr. Gallagher in 2001 about
knowledge and attitudes about palliative pain management in the
general population. | ||||||||||||||||||
Patients were asked if they would be willing to use cannabis as part
of a study in forms such as smoking, pill, inhaler, sublingual
drops, added to food or tea, and were asked to state their
preference. They were asked to rate their pain, nausea, appetite and
anxiety over the past two days using a visual analogue scale of zero
to 10, with zero being no symptoms and 10 being the worst pain
imaginable. | ||||||||||||||||||
[snip]
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(3) NEW LIMITS IN OAKLAND FOR MEDICAL POT CLUBS (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
Oakland will issue business licenses to four nonprofit medical
marijuana vendors and force eight others to close or face
possible prosecution. | ||||||||||||||||||
The new limits adopted by the Oakland City Council will break
up the cluster of downtown marijuana clubs -- collectively known
as "Oaksterdam" - -- by forcing them to operate at least 1,000
feet apart. | ||||||||||||||||||
During a six-hour meeting Tuesday night, the council voted to
adopt new regulations on marijuana clubs, which have recently
sprouted on the northern edge of downtown Oakland. | ||||||||||||||||||
Effective June 1, Oakland medical marijuana clubs operating
under state Proposition 215, approved by voters in 1996, must
apply for business licenses. The city will select four vendors
from among the applicants. | ||||||||||||||||||
[snip]
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(4) UK: LEGALISE HEROIN AND SELL IT ON STREET, SAYS POLICE CHIEF (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
A chief constable provoked outrage yesterday by suggesting that heroin should be sold on street corners or in pharmacies. | ||||||||||||||||||
Richard Brunstrom, who is in charge of North Wales police, said he
believed that the drug laws were doing "more harm than good." They
left vulnerable people in danger, while enabling criminals to make
massive profits. | ||||||||||||||||||
"Heroin is very addictive, but it is not very, very dangerous," he
told the Dragon's Eye programme on BBC Wales. "It is perfectly
possible to lead a normal life for a full life span and hold down a
job while being addicted to the drug. | ||||||||||||||||||
"I don't advocate anybody abusing their bodies with drugs, but clearly some want to. What would be wrong with making heroin available on the state for people who want to abuse their bodies?" | ||||||||||||||||||
He went on: "The question is actually not, 'Am I prepared to see the
Government selling heroin on the street corner or through the
pharmacy?' but 'Why would we not want to do that? What is wrong with
that?
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"It is a very challenging question. I don't know what society's
answer is, but my answer is that is what we should be doing because
our current policy is causing more harm than good."
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He claimed that "an enormous" number of people of all ages and all
sections of society were "ready to see a root and branch change to
our drug laws". Such a move, he said, could cripple the
multi-million-pound trade in illegal drugs. | ||||||||||||||||||
[snip]
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WEEKLY NEWS IN REVIEW (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
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Domestic News- Policy
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COMMENT: (5-9) (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
Those of us who urge drug policy reform sometimes say the drug war
will lead to a police state. This week, the news included a couple
examples of what we mean by that. In Harvey, Illinois, a lawsuit was
filed by residents who say they were terrorized lawless local drug
police. In another poor community in Tennessee, residents say the
drug war makes their neighborhood feel like a jail. | ||||||||||||||||||
Another disturbing sign of the creeping influence of the drug war
was noticed in the Maryland state legislature, where a move is
underway to take sentencing discretion away from state judges,
mirroring a federal effort. | ||||||||||||||||||
Of course, there are optimistic signs that the drug war could be reigned in before it damages more institutions. In Arizona, the state's supreme court ruled that randomly drug testing firefighters without cause violates their privacy. And in New Hampshire, it's hard to determine whether a new volunteer panel of state "drug czars" is a positive or a negative development. Beware any time a new drug czar is created, but state officials insist the new position won't be focused on law enforcement. We'll see. | ||||||||||||||||||
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(5) HARVEY A 'POLICE STATE' WHERE OFFICERS ROBBED, BEAT MEN: SUIT (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
A Harvey deputy marshal helped a detective rob and beat two men from
the south suburb days before the marshal was arrested in a holdup on
Chicago's West Side, according to a lawsuit. | ||||||||||||||||||
Attorney Jon Loevy said he will ask the Cook County state's attorney's office to investigate the allegations against then-Deputy Marshal Kevin Jones and Detective Sgt. Ramonde Williams. | ||||||||||||||||||
"The system is broken in Harvey," Loevy said. "They're out of
control."
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On Dec. 23, Harvey officers broke down the door of a house at 15711
Lexington, and Williams stole $225 from a pocket of Lorenzo Doles,
said the lawsuit filed Friday in federal court. Jones said he earned
the money on a construction job. Jones and Williams allegedly beat
Doles. Williams also attacked another man, Victor Edmondson, the
lawsuit said. The officers conducted anal cavity searches of Doles
and Edmondson after Williams yelled, "Tell us where the money and
drugs are," the lawsuit said. | ||||||||||||||||||
Doles and Edmondson have received medical treatment for injuries
they sustained in the raid, Loevy said. Williams beat Doles with a
child's tricycle, giving him a head injury, the lawsuit said.
Williams allegedly struck Edmondson with a chair, impairing his
vision and separating his shoulder. Jones punched and kicked Doles,
the lawsuit said. | ||||||||||||||||||
Doles was charged with drug possession and obstructing a police officer, but Judge Edwin Gausselin threw out the case because Doles was held more than 48 hours without a bond hearing, court records show. Charges also were dropped against Edmondson, the lawsuit said. | ||||||||||||||||||
The lawsuit claims Doles and Edmondson's civil rights were violated
and accuses Harvey Mayor Eric Kellogg of giving police a mandate to
"aggressively intervene in the lives of all of Harvey's residents,
particularly young African-American males, in the name of combatting
gang members and drug dealers."
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The result is a "police state atmosphere" featuring a program that
gives 35 deputy marshals guns and arrest powers, while they receive
a fraction of the training of full-time officers, said the lawsuit,
which seeks unspecified damages. | ||||||||||||||||||
[snip]
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(6) A SAFE HOME OR A JAIL? (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
KCDC's No-Trespass List And Roadchecks Are Intended To Protect Residents, But Critics Say They Create A Police State For The Poor | ||||||||||||||||||
[snip]
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This may not sound like a big deal. The ID checks at Knoxville's
public housing developments are common enough. They're designed to
try to insulate KCDC's poor-and vulnerable-population from drugs,
violence, and bad people who would prey on them. | ||||||||||||||||||
But critics say the ID checks and no-trespass list force people to
live in a police state just because they're poor. The agency's
no-trespass list keeps many young people from being able to visit
their parents, grandparents, children and spouses. | ||||||||||||||||||
"I think a lot of the people in there really didn't care for many of
the officers patrolling. You didn't feel like they were trying to
help you. They had an attitude that they were better than you. Like
we were all crack dealers and prostitutes," Beth says. "I admit I
had a few crack-dealer neighbors. I even called the cops on them
myself once.... There were definitely people in there that shouldn't
be there. But I felt like I was living in a jail cell because the
police were always out there."
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[snip]
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(7) BILLS TARGET JUDICIAL POWERS (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
Ability To Cut Sentences Could Face Limitations; Md.'S 'Wide Latitude' Criticized; Judges Say Process Offers A Valuable Incentive | ||||||||||||||||||
Judges in Maryland, who enjoy uniquely broad authority to cut
criminal sentences through a process called "judicial
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"I think there's a debate nationally about how much discretion judges may have," said Sen. Brian E. Frosh, a Montgomery County Democrat. "And it also seems to me that the wide latitude that they have in Maryland is probably too great in terms of discretion." | ||||||||||||||||||
Frosh is chairman of the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee and
has watched legislation on judicial limits fizzle in the past. This
year might be different, he said. | ||||||||||||||||||
Proponents say reconsideration, commonly requested by defense
attorneys but infrequently granted, offers incarcerated offenders
incentive to behave and encourages first-time offenders to comply
with sentencing requirements such as drug treatment programs in lieu
of jail. | ||||||||||||||||||
In Baltimore courtrooms, where felony drug crimes make up about 80
percent of the daily docket, judges generally use the power to
reward well-behaving drug offenders but rarely reduce the sentence
of a person convicted of a violent crime. | ||||||||||||||||||
[snip]
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(8) MESA'S RANDOM DRUG TESTS STRUCK DOWN (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
PHOENIX - The Arizona Supreme Court yesterday overturned a city's
policy of randomly drug testing firefighters, ruling that employees'
privacy rights trumped the city's desire to deter and detect
substance abuse. The ruling came in a lawsuit filed by Mesa
firefighter Craig W. Petersen. He challenged the department's policy
of requiring testing without any suspicion aimed at individual
firefighters. | ||||||||||||||||||
The unanimous ruling overturned a split ruling by a Court of Appeals panel and upheld one by a Maricopa County Superior Court judge. | ||||||||||||||||||
Mesa's "generalized and unsubstantiated interest" in deterring and detecting substance abuse among firefighters does not outweigh a firefighter's Fourth Amendment rights, the Supreme Court said. | ||||||||||||||||||
Though firefighters' privacy interests are reduced by the nature of their jobs, random drug tests amount to searches that generally require suspicion aimed at specific individuals or must be triggered by specific circumstances such as accidents, the ruling said. | ||||||||||||||||||
[snip]
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(9) BENSON TO NAME NH DRUG CZARS UNION LEADER NEWS (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
Gov. Craig Benson plans to name three volunteers to serve as so-called drug czars, people familiar with his plan said yesterday. | ||||||||||||||||||
Benson used 70 words and 25 seconds in his State of the State
address Thursday to outline his plan, but many listening were left
wondering just what the governor has in mind. | ||||||||||||||||||
His press secretary, Wendell Packard, said the governor will provide
details in the next few weeks and that the general idea is to use
volunteer "drug czars" to provide advice to the governor, much like
other advisory boards. | ||||||||||||||||||
While marijuana and cocaine use are long-standing issues, heroin has
grown in popularity and purity, making it a more lethal threat, say
health officials. | ||||||||||||||||||
Health and Human Services Commissioner John Stephen said he has
talked with Benson policy adviser Keith Herman over the past few
weeks about the drug czar idea. | ||||||||||||||||||
"It is not going to be as much of a law enforcement twist as people
may think," Stephen said. | ||||||||||||||||||
[snip]
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Law Enforcement & Prisons
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COMMENT: (10-14) (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
Purdue Pharma continues its successful effort to defend its main
product, OxyContin, from lawsuits and further regulation. This week
the company's actions include attacking the character of one former
cop who said he became addicted to OxyContin after a medical
condition, while the company continues to shower money on police in
other places to maintain the drug war. | ||||||||||||||||||
Note to potential snitches in Mississippi: Police may be required to
pay you, but there's no guarantee they will protect you. The state's
Supreme Court refused to hear a suit from a drug informant who said
police violated an agreement to keep him safe. | ||||||||||||||||||
In Alabama the subjects of a drug search are challenging police
tactics in court, and they are using a recent U.S. Supreme Court
decision to bolster their case. And, finally, a legislator in
Minnesota has woken up and smelled the coffee after seeing the
state's prisons become jammed with drug offenders. The legislator
said he plans to introduce a bill that changes sentencing laws so
fewer drug defendants become incarcerated. | ||||||||||||||||||
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(10) OXYCONTIN MAKER SAYS PATIENT IS NOT CREDIBLE (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
Ex-Cop Profiled In Articles Had Drug-Related Conviction | ||||||||||||||||||
Purdue Pharma, maker of the painkiller OxyContin, says a past
drug-related conviction discredits the story of one of the pain
patients featured prominently in an October Orlando Sentinel series
titled "OxyContin Under Fire."
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The five-day series told about problems of abuse, addiction and
overdose deaths tied to OxyContin, a powerful, controversial
narcotic. In addition, the series looked at the challenges of
chronic-pain patients, detoxification and the role of the government
in approving and monitoring powerful drugs. | ||||||||||||||||||
As a companion story to the series, the Sentinel included a
five-part serial focusing on a Clearwater man, David Rokisky, 36, an
ex-police officer who said he became addicted after taking OxyContin
that was prescribed for minor back pain in October 2002. The
Sentinel followed him as he went through a medical procedure called
rapid detox last year to overcome his addiction. | ||||||||||||||||||
But Purdue now says Rokisky's story is invalidated by a criminal
conviction on a drug conspiracy charge in December 1999, two years
after he left his job with the Albuquerque Police Department. The
company also cites other legal troubles Rokisky had in New Mexico,
including a forgery conviction arising from a divorce, disputes over
property, and unproven allegations about drug use that arose in an
undercover investigation of Rokisky by Albuquerque police and in a
family feud with in-laws. | ||||||||||||||||||
[snip]
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(11) POLICE GET GRANT FOR DRUG CASES (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
Fort Myers Battling OxyContin Problem
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Fort Myers Detective Kelly Witt could use the kind of help offered
by Purdue Pharma - the maker of the controversial painkiller
OxyContin. | ||||||||||||||||||
The pharmaceutical company awarded the Fort Myers Police Department
a $10,000 grant to be used for prescription drug investigations. The
city council is expected to approve the grant today. | ||||||||||||||||||
Police plan to use the money for overtime on cases, drug buys that
target dealers and reverse stings that go after users. Fort Myers is
the third Florida police department to get the grant, according to
Purdue Pharma. | ||||||||||||||||||
"It's nice to see drug companies taking responsibility and assisting
us with keeping their drugs lawful," Witt said. | ||||||||||||||||||
[snip]
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(12) HIGH COURT REFUSES TO HEAR CLAIM OF DRUG INFORMANT (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
The Mississippi Supreme Court has declined to hear an appeal from an
informant who claims the state's drug enforcement agency violated a
deal to keep him safe from harm. | ||||||||||||||||||
The Thursday decision let stand the state Appeals Court's 4-4 ruling
last April that the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics was not liable
when Patrick Lippincott was wounded March 16, 1999, when a gun
battle erupted between a drug dealer and a narcotics agent in Clay
County. | ||||||||||||||||||
Lippincott, who was hit in the arm, claimed in a lawsuit that MBN
teamed him with an inexperienced agent who placed him in
unreasonable danger. He also alleged the agency failed to provide
him with a safe work environment. | ||||||||||||||||||
A Clay County judge ruled for the MBN in 2001. | ||||||||||||||||||
[snip]
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(13) COUPLE ASKS JUDGE TO TOSS OUT EVIDENCE (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
Drug Case Is First In County Since Supreme Court Established New
Search Rule
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BAY MINETTE -- A Spanish Fort couple on Friday asked a judge to toss
out evidence from a drug seizure at their apartment two years ago,
arguing that police broke through the door without giving adequate
notice. | ||||||||||||||||||
Prosecutors said agents from the Baldwin County Drug Task Force
acted only after they saw the window blinds move -- an indication
that people inside were aware that police were at the door. Officers
testified in Baldwin County Circuit Court that they feared the
marijuana they were searching for could be ditched. | ||||||||||||||||||
The case, which will determine whether prosecutors can pursue
marijuana trafficking charges against Jason Allen Garza, 28, and
Farrah Joan Garza, 26, offers the first Baldwin County test of a
U.S. Supreme Court decision issued last month.
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The high court said police with a search warrant could move into a residence within 15 or 20 seconds if they could reasonably suspect that occupants might destroy drugs they were looking for. | ||||||||||||||||||
[snip]
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(14) REP. LIPMAN TO OFFER BILL TO DECREASE PRISON SENTENCES FOR DRUG (Top)OFFENDERS | ||||||||||||||||||
LAKE ELMO - Rep. Eric Lipman hopes state legislators won't "Just Say
No" to a bill he says could save Minnesota $30 million by increasing
the amount of cocaine or methamphetamine an offender must possess in
order to face the state's toughest drug sentences. | ||||||||||||||||||
Lipman, R-Lake Elmo, and Rep. Keith Ellison, DFL-Minneapolis, are
co-sponsoring the proposed bill, which Lipman said would lessen the
severity of sentences for non-violent drug offenders, and therefore
ease the strain on the state's over-burdened prisons. | ||||||||||||||||||
The Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines Commission, in a report released
in mid-January, announced that the number of drug offenders in
Minnesota's correctional facilities had hit an all-time high,
quadrupling in a little more than 20 years - from 810 in 1980, to
3,425 in 2002. | ||||||||||||||||||
For the first time last year, according to the study, drug offenders
admitted to prison outnumbered those admitted for violent or
property crimes. On average, the prison terms of drug offenders
surpass those of non-drug-related criminals. And those numbers will
continue to grow, Lipman and Ellison contend - unless changes to the
sentencing system are made. | ||||||||||||||||||
[snip]
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Cannabis & Hemp-
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COMMENT: (15-19) (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
The results of a Field Poll recently conducted in California reveal
that support for legal access to medicinal cannabis has increased
substantially since the voter-initiated implementation of
proposition 215 in 1996. The poll revealed that support has grown
from 56% in 1996 to over 74% today, increasing across all age groups
and amongst both conservatives and liberals. According to our second
story this increase did not reach Washington D.C., where House Rep.
Ernest Istook (R-Okla.) continues his quest to quell all dissent of
the drug war by introducing a bill that would prohibit any transit
system that receives federal funds from running advertising from a
group that advocates decriminalizing or legalizing marijuana. On a
more encouraging note, I'm impressed to hear that a Republican would
even consider using public transportation. | ||||||||||||||||||
With the reclassification of cannabis that took place in the U.K.
last week, it should be no surprise that our next three stories come
from Cool Britannia. First a look at Scotland's Purple Haze Caf=E9
and its ongoing effort to normalize the recreational use of
cannabis. After a rocky first day or operations that lead to the
arrest of 3 patrons, the caf=E9 - which allows customers to smoke
cannabis but is not engaged in sales - has now been threatened with
eviction by the owner of the property. Our next story examines the
uneven interpretation and enforcement of Britain's new personal
possession laws. And finally, the story of a U.K. physician who
actually bought cannabis to supply one of his cancer patients, and
who now faces disciplinary action before a General Medical Council
tribunal. Anarchy in the U.K. indeed.
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(15) MEDICAL MARIJUANA GAINS SUPPORT AMONG CALIFORNIA VOTERS (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
The use of medical marijuana has gained greater support among
Californians since 1996, when voters passed a pioneering initiative
that allowed doctors to recommend pot to patients, according to a
Field poll released Friday. | ||||||||||||||||||
About 74 percent of Californians now favor legal protections for patients who use marijuana to treat a medical condition, compared with the 56 percent of voters who approved Proposition 215 eight years ago, according to the survey of 500 registered voters. | ||||||||||||||||||
The poll found increasing support for medical marijuana across all
segments of California's population. About 83 percent of Democrats,
63 percent of Republicans, 92 percent of liberals and 53 percent of
conservatives now favor Proposition 215. | ||||||||||||||||||
[snip]
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(16) U.S. DRUG WARRIORS TRY TO CENSOR THEIR OPPONENTS (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
Representative Ernest Istook (R-Okla.) has discovered a mortal threat to the republic. The threat is a display ad placed by a pro-drug legalization group, Change the Climate, Inc., on Washington DC's bus and subway system. The ad showed a young couple, with the caption: "Enjoy Better Sex! Legalize and Tax Marijuana." | ||||||||||||||||||
And to deal with this outrage, Istook has introduced a measure to financially penalize Washington's Metro transit authority for running the ad. Moreover, Istook's bill would prohibit any transit system that receives federal funds from running advertising from a group that advocates decriminalizing or legalizing marijuana. | ||||||||||||||||||
This is hardly the first time that the blackjack of withholding
federal funds has been used to coerce recipients into embracing pet
policies of politicians, but it has to be one of the more odious.
Istook's bill shows utter contempt for the First Amendment, and
indeed for the entire concept of political debate. | ||||||||||||||||||
[snip]
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(17) SCOTTISH CANNABIS CAFE HIT BY EVICTION THREAT (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
SCOTLAND'S first cannabis cafe faces being closed down after its
landlord threatened to take legal action to stop the city venue
being used for drug taking. | ||||||||||||||||||
The businessman who owns the Purple Haze cafe in Leith has told cafe
operator Paul Stewart he will be evicted unless he stops his
controversial project. | ||||||||||||||||||
[snip]
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The cannabis cafe opened on Thursday afternoon as a private members' club for anyone who wishes to come off the streets and use the drug. | ||||||||||||||||||
[snip]
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Police moved in on Thursday night and arrested three people,
including Mr Stewart, for drug offences. | ||||||||||||||||||
[snip]
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(18) U.K. POLICE AT ODDS OVER CANNABIS ARRESTS (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
SCOTTISH police remained firm over their stance on cannabis last
night despite a top Scotland Yard officer saying it was "pointless"
for officers to arrest people in possession of small amounts of the
drug. | ||||||||||||||||||
Sir Ian Blair, deputy commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, said
it was "grossly inefficient" for his officers to spend hours
processing those caught with small quantities of the illegal
substance, which neither the Crown Prosecution Service nor courts
were likely to prosecute. | ||||||||||||||||||
In a letter to a national newspaper, which will infuriate opponents
of the governments decision to downgrade the drug, Sir Ian said:
"During the 30 years of my police service, the policing of
possession of small amounts of cannabis has become increasingly
pointless. | ||||||||||||||||||
[snip]
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(19) U.K. GP BOUGHT CANNABIS FOR CANCER PATIENT (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
A GP bought cannabis from a patient to help another who was dying of cancer, a General Medical Council tribunal heard yesterday. | ||||||||||||||||||
Dr David Thornton, a junior partner at a surgery in Bolsover,
Derbyshire, admitted twice supplying the drug. | ||||||||||||||||||
He did so after treating a 56-year-old woman for lymphoma. She had
been receiving chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatment but stopped
them when she was told her cancer was terminal. | ||||||||||||||||||
Believing that cannabis might alleviate her pain, Dr Thornton
contacted another of his patients, a known drug user, and twice
bought some from him. He gave the drug to the cancer victim via her
sister. | ||||||||||||||||||
[snip]
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International News
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COMMENT: (20-23) (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
Singaporean officials proudly stood by their "right" to hang as many
people as they please, in the face of a critical report from the
human rights organization, Amnesty International. The death penalty,
explained Singaporean authorities, is only applied to "the most
serious crimes," crimes like drug trafficking, and only a third of
the time are foreigners executed. Because of the death penalty that
is so often meted out by Singaporean justice, "major drug
syndicates" are "deterred" from operations in Singapore, elaborated
officials. | ||||||||||||||||||
In nearby Thailand, some details emerged last week from the investigations of a National Rights Commission into roughly 2,500 death-squad killings of drugs suspects in Thailand in 2003. In the 30 cases examined by the commission, police were found to have done little to look into the killings. "From looking into the 30 cases related to complaints filed to me, little progress has been achieved in finding the murderers," noted Human Rights Commissioner Vasant Panich. "Society needs to know who the murderers are." The murders are widely believed to be the work of the Thai police themselves. | ||||||||||||||||||
In British Columbia, Canada, much smoke has been generated by highly publicized raids on the B.C. legislature offices of two Liberal Party operatives last December. But while the raids have generated maximum media heat and some embarrassment of the Liberal Party, justice and law enforcement officials are keeping secret any information about the warrants. Not only are the warrants sealed, but the names of the officials sealing them are being kept secret, also. A single (dismantled) grow-op found on rental property owned by one of the raided Liberal Party operatives was the only publicly available information on any wrong doing. The sealing of the warrants and the timing of the raids may be calculated give a boost to the newly-formed and largely prohibitionist Conservative Party. | ||||||||||||||||||
And in Kenya, while tobacco was given a hearty stamp of approval, a
bid to legalize cannabis went down in flames last week. Delegate
Mwai Gakuya introduced a motion to allow smoking of bhang (cannabis)
because the plant has "medicinal values." Noting that the curative
attributes of cannabis are "respected worldwide," delegate David
Rakamba seconded the motion, as cannabis is "an indigenous African
herb," deserving of protection. However, opposition to the measure
was swift and sure as delegate Rita Katamu declared bhang "dangerous
to health" causing "mental disabilities" to children born to
cannabis-using parents, with the "potential to affect three
generations of the user of the drug."
| ||||||||||||||||||
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(20) GOVT POINTS OUT 12 'GRAVE ERRORS' IN AMNESTY REPORT (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
S'pore Stands By Its Tough Position On The Death Penalty, Which Is Applied To Only The Most Serious Crimes, Says Statement | ||||||||||||||||||
SINGAPORE applies the death penalty to only the most serious crimes,
and does not apologise for taking a tough stand on law and order,
the Government said yesterday in refuting a Jan 14 report by human
rights group Amnesty International. | ||||||||||||||||||
Capital punishment is imposed only for crimes such as murder,
offences involving firearms and drug trafficking 'which would
severely compromise the safety and security of Singapore', the
Government said in a statement. | ||||||||||||||||||
The death penalty, it said, had deterred major drug syndicates from
establishing a presence in the Republic. | ||||||||||||||||||
[snip]
| ||||||||||||||||||
In fact, the Government said, during this period, 64 per cent of
those executed were Singaporeans. In the last five years, 101
Singaporeans and 37 foreigners were executed. | ||||||||||||||||||
[snip]
| ||||||||||||||||||
The report said Singapore had likely the highest per capita rate of
executions in the world. It cited a United Nations study that said
Singapore had three times the number of executions, relative to the
size of its population, compared to the next country on the list,
Saudi Arabia. | ||||||||||||||||||
The report alleged that more than 400 prisoners had
| ||||||||||||||||||
[snip]
| ||||||||||||||||||
Singapore recognises that the death penalty is a severe penalty and
cannot be remedied if it is applied wrongly. | ||||||||||||||||||
Hence, the death penalty is used only for very serious crimes such
as murder, firearms and drugs offences. | ||||||||||||||||||
[snip]
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(21) THE KILLERS REMAIN AT LARGE (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
No one knows how many names were on the blacklists of suspected drug
users and dealers that formed the basis of Prime Minister Thaksin
Shinawatra's war on drugs. No one knows exactly how many were killed
since the "war" was launched on February 1 last year. | ||||||||||||||||||
National Police Chief General Sant Sarutanond counted about 2,590
but said about 1,300 deaths were associated with non-drug-related
crimes. Most of the remainder, police say, were what they call
"silencing killings" - the killing of one drug dealer by another
trying to hide his or her identity. | ||||||||||||||||||
Police and the government that ordered the offensive
| ||||||||||||||||||
They have taken place across the country, often in public places, sometimes in front of crowds - in local markets, hospitals, restaurants, shops and on the street - often in broad daylight. | ||||||||||||||||||
And yet, in almost all the cases investigators have done little more
than interview the relatives of those killed. | ||||||||||||||||||
[snip]
| ||||||||||||||||||
National Human Rights Commissioner Vasant Panich says the Royal Thai
Police must make public their progress - if any - in investigations
into "silencing killings". In cases where little progress has been
made the police must explain why, Vasant says. | ||||||||||||||||||
"From looking into the 30 cases related to complaints filed to me,
little progress has been achieved in finding the murderers," he
says. | ||||||||||||||||||
"Society needs to know who the murderers are."
| ||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||
(22) JUDGE REFUSES TO LIFT LID ON DRUG WARRANTS (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
TC Denied Access To Details Of Raids On B.C. | ||||||||||||||||||
DUNCAN -- A provincial court judge refused Tuesday to grant the Times Colonist access to two federal drug-investigation warrants linked to December's police raids on the B.C. legislature. | ||||||||||||||||||
But Judge Keith Bracken did reveal that police and the judiciary went
to extraordinary lengths to keep secret all the warrant information
connected to the 20-month-long investigation into drugs and
money-laundering that resulted in a spinoff investigation and
legislature search. | ||||||||||||||||||
Bracken said that beginning in August, authorities determined that
search-warrant information would be "treated in a different way" in
this inv estigation. | ||||||||||||||||||
That included the sealing of all search warrants, information to obtain those warrants, and even the sealing orders themselves. | ||||||||||||||||||
[snip]
| ||||||||||||||||||
But while Bracken shed some light on the unusual security measures
used in this case, he refused to unseal two federal drug warrants
that are linked to the legislature raid but weren't included in
earlier media applications heard by Associate Chief Justice Patrick
Dohm in B.C. Supreme Court.
| ||||||||||||||||||
The two warrants dealt with Tuesday are for searches on or about
Dec. 9 at the former home of Mandeep Sandhu, at 4150 Bremerton St.
in Saanich, and on or about Dec. 28 at a property owned by David
Basi, at 3260 Shawnigan Lake Rd. | ||||||||||||||||||
[snip]
| ||||||||||||||||||
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(23) CULTURE TEAM REJECTS BID TO BAN TOBACCO (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
[snip]
| ||||||||||||||||||
Meanwhile, a delegate's bid to push for legalisation on bhang smoking was defeated. The delegates opposed the motion that sought to recognise the drug as a cultural plant that needed protection. | ||||||||||||||||||
The motion was introduced by Mr Mwai Gakuya, who said bhang had medicinal values and the Government should legalise it. | ||||||||||||||||||
The motion sought to create laws to stop the commercial exploitation of indigenous trees, plants and herbs known to cure ailments. | ||||||||||||||||||
Seconding the motion, Mr David Rakamba said the curative qualities
of bhang were respected worldwide. | ||||||||||||||||||
The plant, he noted, was an indigenous African herb that needed
Government protection and recognition. | ||||||||||||||||||
Ms Rita Katamu said bhang was dangerous to health. Many children in
western Kenya were born with mental disabilities because of its use
by parents, she said and urged delegates to resist the temptation of
accepting negative cultures. | ||||||||||||||||||
The motion was vehemently opposed, forcing Mr Rakamba to withdraw
his support. | ||||||||||||||||||
Ms Rita Katamu said bhang was dangerous to the health
| ||||||||||||||||||
She said many children in western Kenya were born with mental disabilities as a result of the usage of the drug by their parents. | ||||||||||||||||||
She said the drug had potential to affect three generations of the
user of the drug. | ||||||||||||||||||
[snip]
| ||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||
HOT OFF THE 'NET (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
THE HILARY BLACK SHOW ON POT TV
| ||||||||||||||||||
Premier show! Hilary interviews guests cannibinoid expert Dr. Ethan
Russo and talks to activist Renee Boje about her entheobotanical
store the Urban Shaman. Live music.
| ||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||
DID BUSH DROP OUT OF THE NATIONAL GUARD TO AVOID DRUG TESTING?
| ||||||||||||||||||
The young pilot walked away from his commitment in 1972 -- the same
year the U.S. military implemented random drug tests.
| ||||||||||||||||||
By Eric Boehlert, salon.com
| ||||||||||||||||||
http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2004/02/06/drugs/index_np.html | ||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||
MEDICAL CANNABIS: RATIONAL GUIDELINES FOR DOSING
| ||||||||||||||||||
Gregory T. Carter, M.D., Patrick Weydt, M.D.,
| ||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||
CULTURAL BAGGAGE RADIO SHOW
| ||||||||||||||||||
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MP3: http://www.cultural-baggage.com/Audio/FDBCB_020304.mp3
| ||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||
Interviews with Canadians attending the Drug Policy Alliance Conference
last November in in NJ. | ||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||
CANADIAN ACTIVISTS ALISON MYRDEN AND TIM MEEHAN ON CHML RADIO
| ||||||||||||||||||
Medicinal Cannabis Exemptee and NDP candidate Alison Myrden and Tim Meehan of Ontario Consumers For Safe Access To Recreational Cannabis | ||||||||||||||||||
MP3: http://www.salvagingelectrons.com/drugradio/chml-silver-20040203-myrden.mp3
| ||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||
LETTER OF THE WEEK (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
Legalize Weed And You'll See Change
| ||||||||||||||||||
By Kirk Tousaw
| ||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||
I applaud the city's desire to craft a victim impact statement
concerning marijuana grow-ops. The problem with the one being proposed
is that it is totally inaccurate. | ||||||||||||||||||
Each and every one of the harms that the planned statement attributes
to grow-ops exists only because we prohibit marijuana possession and
cultivation. Legal businesses don't steal hydro. Legal businesses
don't have guns to protect their crop. Legal businesses don't fund
organized crime. Legal businesses don't trade their product for
cocaine. Repealing prohibition would instantly eliminate these social
harms. | ||||||||||||||||||
What will not work is increased sentences such as those employed
"south of the border." It doesn't work there, after all. Most of the
marijuana used in the U.S. is grown in the U.S. Mexico is the second
biggest source. We rank a distant third.
| ||||||||||||||||||
Considering that the vast majority of Canadians want
| ||||||||||||||||||
Kirk Tousaw,
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FEATURE ARTICLE (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
STUDENTS FIND DIALOGUE MORE EFFECTIVE THAN DRUG TESTING
| ||||||||||||||||||
By Leah B. Rorvig
| ||||||||||||||||||
As someone who just reached the legal drinking age nine months ago,
I can tell you firsthand that a high level of surveillance doesn't
make young people safer. And on the topic of student drug testing,
the experts agree: Random testing does not effectively reduce drug
use among young people. | ||||||||||||||||||
The first large-scale national study on student drug testing,
published last April by University of Michigan researchers, found
that there was no correlation between a school's use of drug testing
and the level of reported drug use among its students. That's why
I'm surprised that President Bush wants to offer $23 million to
schools for drug testing. | ||||||||||||||||||
At my high school -- the Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science in
Denton, one of the country's few public boarding schools -- we were
constantly under the purview of administrators and surveillance
cameras. All 400 students followed strictly enforced curfews. We
couldn't open our windows without approval, and the screens had
stickers designed to reveal any escapes from our high-security dorm.
Our rooms were searched randomly with bureaucratic regularity;
students suspected of drinking were given Breathalyzer tests. One
positive test result or an empty beer can was grounds for immediate
expulsion. | ||||||||||||||||||
Strict Doesn't Mean Safe
| ||||||||||||||||||
You might think that we were the safest students in north Texas. But
you'd be wrong. I knew classmates who drove drunk or high because
they had no one to call who could pick them up in time to meet our
strict curfew. Instead of opening up an honest dialogue,
administrators enforced a strict no-tolerance policy, giving us the
impression that we couldn't talk to them about alcohol or other
drugs. | ||||||||||||||||||
Thousands of students are subjected to drug-sniffing dogs,
surveillance cameras in hallways and testing of their urine, hair or
sweat. Some have to deal with even more traumatic measures. In
November, for example, 14 police officers stormed a South Carolina
high school in a commando-style drug raid. After detaining and
searching 107 students at gunpoint, the police found no drugs. This
search was based on the same "guilty-until-proved-innocent" logic by
which we gradually surrender our constitutional rights for policies
that don't actually make us safer. | ||||||||||||||||||
Now Bush wants to expand drug testing. In his recent State of the
Union speech, Bush cited an 11% drop in drug use among high school
students in the past two years, crediting student drug testing with
a significant role in this decline. But the University of Michigan
study, partially funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse,
found no difference in rates of drug use between schools that have
drug-testing programs and those that do not. In fact, its authors
found that 95% of schools do not test students randomly for drugs,
making it unlikely that drug testing played a substantial role in
the decrease Bush cited. | ||||||||||||||||||
Testing Popularized
| ||||||||||||||||||
Drug testing without cause for suspicion has become more popular
since a 2002 Supreme Court ruling upheld an Oklahoma school
district's right to randomly test those students who wished to
participate in competitive extracurricular activities. | ||||||||||||||||||
For the past year and a half, John Walters, director of the U.S.
Office of National Drug Control Policy, along with the rapidly
expanding drug-testing industry, has been busy promoting drug
testing as the "silver bullet" to prevent drug use and keep kids
safe. But such testing only would humiliate students and undermine
their relationships with their teachers and coaches. | ||||||||||||||||||
What really would make young people safer -- and what kids sincerely
want -- are adults who will listen to them. A 1997 study by
University of Minnesota researchers revealed that students are less
likely to use drugs when they have close relationships with their
parents and teachers. | ||||||||||||||||||
Although I couldn't talk openly with my high school administrators,
my father and I had a very trusting relationship. He was always
there for me, whether I had questions about drugs or just needed a
ride home from a party where there were no designated drivers. That
bond made me much safer than any drug test would. | ||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||
QUOTE OF THE WEEK (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
"If you pinch the sea of its liberty, though it be walls of stone or
brass, it will beat them down." - John Cotton
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