| March 5, 2004 #340 | ||||||||||||||||||
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Table of Contents
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THIS JUST IN (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
(1) FROM PUNK ROCK AND DRUGS TO THE WAR ON H.I.V. (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
ALLAN CLEAR, the executive director of the Harm Reduction Coalition,
has spiky graying hair that suggests it came into contact with an
electric socket. At age 44, with pierced earrings and lace-up Doc
Martens, Mr. Clear looks as if he has not quite gotten over his
English youth as a working-class punk rocker. | ||||||||||||||||||
Yet Mr. Clear has a calm and reasoned manner, not that of a hardened
rabble-rouser, as he gives a tour of the coalition's garment district
offices, where the literature and posters leap out from the moment
you enter. | ||||||||||||||||||
There is the safety manual for injection-drug users, called "Getting
Off Right." And the new hepatitis C prevention campaign, "It's All
About the Blood." There is a poster urging, "Fix With a Friend,"
to prevent heroin overdose. "Taking Drug Users Seriously," another
poster states. | ||||||||||||||||||
Mr. Clear, who heads a national coalition that develops public policy and trains social service workers, is used to operating as a maverick. He promotes the exchange of drug users' dirty needles with clean ones to curb the harms associated with drug use, especially the spread of H.I.V. And over the years, he has become accustomed to working without much support from the city. "The door was closed," he says. | ||||||||||||||||||
But now Mr. Clear has found an ally at the highest levels of city
government in ways the coalition never had before. | ||||||||||||||||||
[snip]
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(2) THAILAND: DEATHS DURING WAR ON DRUGS (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
Amnesty Urges People to Demand Impartial Probe
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Amnesty International is calling for people throughout the world to write to the government and demand an "independent, thorough and impartial investigation into those killed" during the war on drugs. | ||||||||||||||||||
Investigation methods and findings must be transparent and made public, the organisation said. Any government official suspected of being involved should be brought to justice and relatives of the deceased provided with reparations, including compensation. | ||||||||||||||||||
A sample letter and the Thai government's address, fax number and
email have been posted on Amnesty's website,
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"Since 2001, hundreds of men and women, including foreign nationals
and members of Thailand's ethnic minorities, have been sentenced to
death for drug offences, and the numbers on death row have tripled,"
Amnesty added. | ||||||||||||||||||
In a related development, a senior UN drug official said yesterday
that the International Narcotic Control Board (INCB) had requested
"factual information" from the government over its handling of the
controversial war on drugs. | ||||||||||||||||||
Speaking at the INCB annual report on the state of the world's drug
problems, UN official Akira Fujino said he was unable to fully
reveal the content of the request, saying it was an internal matter
but the government had yet to reply. | ||||||||||||||||||
Only 1,176 of the deaths were drug related and many were police
informants, deputy director general of the Office of the Narcotic
Control Board, Rasamee Vistaveth said. | ||||||||||||||||||
[snip]
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(3) WE'LL RALLY EVERYBODY,' POT ACTIVIST SAYS (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
Legalization advocates ready plans to scuttle enforcement of federal
decriminalization law
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Canada's pro-marijuana activists are vowing to sabotage federal plans
to decriminalize the drug, should Parliament decide to soften the law
against small-scale pot users. | ||||||||||||||||||
Angry that the Liberal government wants to simply decriminalize -- but not legalize -- marijuana, activists across the country are threatening to make any decriminalization law unworkable by burying police in paperwork and tying up the courts in red tape. | ||||||||||||||||||
[snip]
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The proposed bill says anyone caught with up to 15 grams of pot, or
caught growing up to three marijuana plants, should only receive a
simple ticket with fines of between $100 and $500 -- and no
accompanying criminal record. | ||||||||||||||||||
The legislation isn't popular with marijuana users and activists, most
of whom want the government to fully legalize the stuff. Vancouver's
Marc Emery - -- the self-proclaimed "Prince of Pot" who is Canada's
most high-profile legalization agitator -- says if Bill C-10 becomes
law and police start issuing tickets to marijuana users, he will rally
the country's pot smokers to dispute their fines in court as part of a
deliberate campaign to cripple the system. | ||||||||||||||||||
[snip]
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In Montreal, Marc-Boris St.-Maurice, leader of the Canada Marijuana Party, says if decriminalization takes effect, his party will launch a contest with prizes for pot smokers who rack up the most tickets. | ||||||||||||||||||
"Whoever gets the most tickets wins an ounce of pot, or maybe 50
joints," says St.-Maurice. | ||||||||||||||||||
[snip]
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(4) JUSTICES WEIGH IN ON DRUG SALES NEAR SCHOOLS (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
Ohio Ruling Says Harsher Penalties Can Be Imposed Only If
'Recklessness' Is Verified
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COLUMBUS - Imposing more jail time on drug dealers plying their trade
near schools could prove more difficult under a 5-2 Ohio Supreme Court
ruling issued yesterday. | ||||||||||||||||||
Simply committing the crime within 1,000 feet of a school is not
enough, the court found. | ||||||||||||||||||
Justice Paul Pfeifer, writing for the majority, drew a distinction
between the school vicinity language and another portion of the same
law calling for stiffer penalties if the crime was committed within
100 feet or within view of a juvenile, regardless of whether the
offender was aware of it. | ||||||||||||||||||
The school vicinity portion lacks similar "strict liability" language.
Absent a clear indication of the General Assembly's intent on the
mental state of offenders, prosecutors would have to meet a tougher
standard of proving "recklessness," the court ruled. | ||||||||||||||||||
"Beyond the psychic danger of seeing drugs being sold, there is a very real physical danger surrounding a drug transaction, even for nonparticipants," said Justice Pfeifer. "Thus, a child, whether in view or not, could become a part of the collateral damage of a failed transaction. The threat to a child is real and imminent. | ||||||||||||||||||
"On the other hand, to be 'in the vicinity of a school,' an offender could, by definition, be 1,000 feet away from a school," he wrote. "A child may not necessarily be nearby, or even in the school. The transaction could occur in the late evening hours, or in summer, or during any other period of the year that the school is closed." | ||||||||||||||||||
[snip]
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WEEKLY NEWS IN REVIEW (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
Domestic News- Policy
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COMMENT: (5-8) (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
Pain doctors and pain patients should gear up for more harassment
from the feds. The Bush administration announced its drug policy
would focus more on prescription medication, since it's dealt so
successfully with the problem of street drugs in America. Oh, yeah,
that last part is just a joke. But what other speculation might
explain another story from this week's Cannabis section of DrugSense
Weekly, in which federal, state and local drug agents spend precious
resources to track down and bust sellers of bongs. | ||||||||||||||||||
Some people in a small New Hampshire town are attempting to use the democratic process to tighten up the drug war by subjecting anyone involved in local government to the threat of random drug testing. Across the country in California, the democratic process worked to keep a district attorney in office despite a recall effort. During the recall, the DA was accused of many outrages, including being soft on drugs for not prosecuting medical marijuana patients. | ||||||||||||||||||
Finally, some good news. Ecstasy will again be tested in the U.S. as
a clinical drug. It only took 17 years to get the research approved,
and the DEA still isn't thrilled about the study. | ||||||||||||||||||
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(5) BUSH DRUG POLICY TO FOCUS ON PRESCRIPTION MEDICATIONS (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
WASHINGTON - President Bush's national anti-drug strategy, released
today, for the first time targets the use of pain relievers,
sedatives and stimulants for nonmedical purposes, a problem that has
exploded in the last decade. | ||||||||||||||||||
A key part of the new strategy involves government efforts to help states develop monitoring systems to track a patient's use of prescription medicine. The monitoring programs flag cases that indicate a pattern of abuse, such as "doctor shopping," where a patient gets prescriptions for drugs from multiple physicians. | ||||||||||||||||||
Prescription medicine now ranks second, behind marijuana, among drugs most abused by adults and young people, said the report by the White House's Office of National Drug Control Policy. It cited a recent study by the Health and Human Services Department. | ||||||||||||||||||
Twenty states have prescription monitoring programs, the report said. John Walters, director of the drug policy office, said he expects to expand the program to 11 more states by next year. About $10 million in federal funds will bankroll the expansion. | ||||||||||||||||||
With painkillers such as OxyContin and Vicodin widely available on
the Internet, "pill mills" or rogue online pharmacies will come
under increased scrutiny. | ||||||||||||||||||
The Drug Enforcement Administration plans to aggressively pursue pharmacies selling controlled substances illegally over the Internet, an effort that will include deploying modern Web crawler technology to search out those peddling prescription drugs online. | ||||||||||||||||||
[snip]
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(6) NO AUTHOR CLAIMS PETITION FOR DRUG TESTS (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
SEABROOK, N.H. It's tough to find anyone in Seabrook who can
publicly explain why there is a move to have all town workers and
volunteers randomly tested for drugs and alcohol. | ||||||||||||||||||
But if voters approve Article 38 on the March 9 Town Meeting
warrant, all town workers and volunteer board members will be
subject to random drug and alcohol tests. The citizens petition,
signed by 78 people, calls for the testing of ''full-time and
part-time employees, including the Board of Selectmen and all other
elected officials, appointed supervisors/department heads, town
manager, town clerks and secretaries, town fire and police
personnel." Opinion in town is sharply divided. Critics say random
drug testing would be invasive, expensive, and a deterrent to people
who volunteer on town boards. ''It's an invasion of personal
privacy," said Conservation Commission chairwoman Sue Foote. ''If
you're that zoned out on alcohol or drugs, it's going to show up in
your work anyway."
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Foote, vice chairwoman of the Planning Board and a member of several other town boards, called the drug-testing proposal an ''unfunded mandate" at a time when the town is financially stressed. | ||||||||||||||||||
[snip]
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(7) VOTERS REJECT ATTEMPT TO RECALL NORTH COAST D.A. (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
A Timber Company Bankrolled the Effort to Remove the Humboldt County
Official. | ||||||||||||||||||
Humboldt County voters rallied behind their district attorney
Tuesday, rejecting a campaign bankrolled by Pacific Lumber Co. to
recall the prosecutor who had accused the powerful timber company of
fraud. | ||||||||||||||||||
With all precincts reporting, voters decided to retain Dist. Atty.
Paul Gallegos, 61% to 39%, despite an intensive campaign of radio,
television and direct mail advertisements that portrayed Gallegos as
soft on crime and a friend of illegal tree-sitters, rapists and pot
growers. | ||||||||||||||||||
"It's a triumph of the people over the influence of money and lies
in politics," said a jubilant Gallegos, 41, a former Southern
Californian who moved to Eureka a decade ago. "This recall election
wasn't about me, it's about a corporation trying to control politics
here in Humboldt County."
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[snip]
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(8) DEA APPROVES TRIAL USE OF ECSTASY IN TRAUMA CASES (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
Capping a 17-year effort by a small but committed group of activists, the federal Drug Enforcement Administration has agreed to let a South Carolina physician treat 12 trauma victims with the illegal street drug ecstasy in what will be the first U.S.-approved study of the recreational drug's therapeutic potential. | ||||||||||||||||||
The DEA's move marks a historic turn for a drug that has long been
both venerated and vilified. | ||||||||||||||||||
Ecstasy, also known as MDMA, is popular among casual drug users for its reputed capacity to engender feelings of love, trust and compassion. The government classifies it with LSD and heroin as a drug with no known medical use and high potential for abuse. | ||||||||||||||||||
Although the study's approval is by no means a federal endorsement of uncontrolled use, it will give ecstasy's proponents their first legitimate opportunity to prove the drug can offer medical benefits. | ||||||||||||||||||
[snip]
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Law Enforcement & Prisons
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COMMENT: (9-12) (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
Opponents of marijuana law reform often say no one goes to prison
for simple marijuana possession. They haven't been paying attention
to the court system in Alabama. There, a second marijuana arrest is
treated as a felony, no matter how little marijuana is involved in
the arrest, and people do go to prison for it. The state's
sentencing commission is starting to realize that incarcerating pot
smokers for mere possession costs the state $4 million per year.
There's more official enlightenment going on in Oklahoma, where that
state's sentencing commission has recommended the repeal of
mandatory minimums for non-violent drug possession. | ||||||||||||||||||
Canada might want to pay attention to these reforms, but writer Dan
Gardner of the Ottawa Citizen fears that country is looking to
follow the more common get-tough-on-crime model of the United
States. He then goes on to show why Canada's less intense approach
has more positive effects. | ||||||||||||||||||
And, as U.S. sports fans watch the controversy about performance enhancement drugs grow, they may also see another dark side of the drug war. The Baltimore Ravens' star running back Jamal Lewis was indicted on drug conspiracy charges even though the government admits Lewis never possessed any drugs during the case. | ||||||||||||||||||
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(9) DRUG LAWS FACE SCALES OF JUSTICE (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
State More Often Imprisons Marijuana Users
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MONTGOMERY - Alabama spends about $4 million each year to lock up
marijuana users who wouldn't see the inside of prison in many
states, according to an analysis by the Alabama Sentencing
Commission. | ||||||||||||||||||
The judges, prosecutors and state leaders on the commission agree
that Alabama's drug laws need fixing. So far they haven't been able
to agree on reforms that might fly with the Legislature and the
public. | ||||||||||||||||||
But they are trying - starting with marijuana, a drug that rarely
means prison time in states such as Virginia. | ||||||||||||||||||
"I can't remember anybody going to jail for pot in the last 15 years," said Richard Trodden, Commonwealth Attorney for Arlington County, Va., referring exclusively to possession cases. Virginia, like Alabama, treats dealers and traffickers much more seriously. | ||||||||||||||||||
The first conviction for personal-use marijuana is a misdemeanor in
Alabama. After that, possession becomes a felony no matter how small
the quantity. | ||||||||||||||||||
About 1,000 people each year are convicted of felony possession, and
nearly 40 percent of those are sent to prison, according to
Sentencing Commission statistics. | ||||||||||||||||||
[snip]
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(10) DRUG POSSESSION PUNISHMENT REFORMS SUGGESTED (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
Oklahoma should eliminate mandatory minimum prison sentences for
drug possession and should exert more time and effort toward
supervising its parolees, a state commission says. Those suggestions
are among the Oklahoma Sentencing Commission's annual
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[snip]
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The commission's recommendations include:
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Eliminating mandatory minimum prison sentences for people convicted of drug possession or for nonviolent felonies that are not habitual offenses. Drug courts, community sentencing or probation would be better ways to deal with such criminals, commissioners said. | ||||||||||||||||||
Danny Williams, a Tulsa defense attorney who serves on the
commission representing the Oklahoma Bar Association, said a
majority of the group feels mandatory minimums aren't helpful in
many cases. | ||||||||||||||||||
"With mandatory minimums, we are sending drug addicts to prison. These same people are coming out of prison as drug addicts today. Treatment programs should be an option," Williams said. | ||||||||||||||||||
[snip]
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(11) THE WRONG WAY TO CUT CRIME (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
Everyone knows that the United States has gotten "tough on crime."
It is the only western country with the death penalty. And over the
last 25 years, American federal and state governments imposed brutal
sentences, built harsh prisons and cut parole. Its incarceration
rate, which was double Canada's in 1980, is now six times higher:
There are more prisoners in the United States than there are people
in the Maritimes. | ||||||||||||||||||
Something else that distinguishes Canada and the U.S. is the homicide rate. In Canada, it is 1.85 per 100,000 people. In the U.S., it is 5.6 -- a little more than triple the Canadian rate. | ||||||||||||||||||
One might think these facts would make criminal justice a point of
pride in this country: We're kinder, gentler and safer. Why, we
might even want to boast a little and invite the Yanks up to have a
look at how we do things. But, Canadians being Canadians, precisely
the opposite is happening. | ||||||||||||||||||
[snip]
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(12) JAMAL LEWIS INDICTED ON FEDERAL DRUG CHARGES (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
ATLANTA - Baltimore Ravens running back Jamal Lewis, who gained the
second-highest rushing total in NFL history last season, was
indicted Wednesday on federal drug charges. | ||||||||||||||||||
The native of Atlanta is accused of trying to help a childhood
friend buy cocaine in summer 2000 - not long before he signed a
six-year, $35.3 million contract with the Ravens. | ||||||||||||||||||
No drugs were ever purchased, according to the indictment. Lewis'
attorney, Ed Garland, said his client was innocent and would turn
himself in today. | ||||||||||||||||||
Lewis is charged with conspiring to possess, with the intent to
distribute, 5 kilograms of cocaine and using a cell phone in the
commission of the first count, according to U.S. Attorney William S.
Duffey. | ||||||||||||||||||
The indictment came out of a drug investigation that has led to 30
convictions and helped dismantle a cocaine-trafficking ring in the
city, Duffey said. | ||||||||||||||||||
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Cannabis & Hemp-
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COMMENT: (13-17) (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
Even though the U.S. produces up to 70% of the cannabis used by
Americans, the feds love to blame other nations for their domestic
drug problem. This week, the release of the State Department's
annual illicit drug report card expresses concerns over a nearly
100% increase in cannabis seizures from Canada between 2002 and
2003. Perhaps Bush would be better off keeping an eye closer to
home, where med-pot has recently been spotted growing in his own
backyard: the newly formed Texans for Medical Marijuana is an
advocacy group that will push for the legalization of medicinal
cannabis in Texas. | ||||||||||||||||||
In other med-pot news, the Illinois legislature was on the verge of
debating a new medical marijuana bill this week, until the bill was
sent back to committee. The bill would allow state-registered
patients to possess up to 6 plants and 1 ounce of cannabis. The
bill's sponsor expects it to come before lawmakers again in the
future. Meanwhile federal busts of drug paraphernalia shops started
up again last week, focusing this time on North Carolina. Operation
Pipe Cleaner led to the raid and seizure of paraphernalia from 6
shops; charges may be pending. Frankly, after 2 glass pipe blowers
flew highjacked planes into World Trade Center, I'm just happy to
see police resources directed at clamping down on this kind of
business ... what's that? Oh, right, it was TERRORISTS, and not
enterprising artisans that killed thousands in New York. Hmmm; seems
strange to waste our precious police resources busting bong
merchants, then, doesn't it?
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And lastly from the U.K. this week, an article on the release of
Chris Baldwin, a medical marijuana user with spastic paraplegia who
spent 6 weeks in jail for opening Amsterdam-style coffee shops in
Worthing. | ||||||||||||||||||
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(13) CANADIAN POT A GROWING CONCERN, U.S. SAYS (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
A doubling of marijuana busts on the Canada-U.S. border, along with
the discovery of increasingly sophisticated growing factories, has
convinced the Bush administration that the Canadian pot problem is
far worse than previously thought. | ||||||||||||||||||
The warning is contained in the U.S. State Department's annual report card on international narcotics control efforts. | ||||||||||||||||||
While Canadian officials caution that the Americans may be reading
too much into recent seizure statistics, the report released
yesterday in Washington says Canada is a major source of highly
potent hydroponic marijuana. It also identifies Canada as a
transit-point for vast quantities of pseudoephedrine, which is used
in making synthetic drugs such as methamphetamines. | ||||||||||||||||||
[snip]
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(14) NEW GROUP BACKS MEDICAL MARIJUANA IN TEXAS (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
A newly organized group has launched a campaign to promote the
medicinal use of marijuana in Texas. | ||||||||||||||||||
Texans for Medical Marijuana will work to change current law so that
seriously ill Texans can have the right to use marijuana under a
doctor's recommendation. The group plans to encourage Texans to
influence state legislators to support medical marijuana
legislation. | ||||||||||||||||||
"It's an abomination that a safe and effective medicine is kept
illegal and out of the hands of patients who need it," says Susan
Robbins, a University of Houston professor and a member of the
advisory board for Texans for Medical Marijuana. | ||||||||||||||||||
The group kicked off its campaign Tuesday in Austin. | ||||||||||||||||||
Noelle Davis, executive director of Texans for Medical Marijuana,
says: "It's time for Texas to guarantee that seriously ill patients
have safe and legal access to medical marijuana under their doctor's
supervision."
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[snip]
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(15) MARIJUANA BILL SET ASIDE BEFORE IT GETS A HEARING (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
SPRINGFIELD -- A House panel Tuesday shelved legislation allowing
some terminally ill patients access to marijuana amid concerns about
street availability of illegal drugs. | ||||||||||||||||||
The House Health Care Availability and Access Committee sent the politically sensitive election-year bill to a subcommittee -- equivalent to a legislative wasteland -- before hearing testimony. | ||||||||||||||||||
But the bill's sponsor Rep. Larry McKeon ( D-Chicago ) said he hopes
to keep the measure alive. | ||||||||||||||||||
"I am not giving up on this," McKeon said, adding some legislators
saw the measure as a crime issue rather than a bill about health
care. | ||||||||||||||||||
[snip]
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(16) N.C. LAW ENFORCEMENT SEIZE DRUG-RELATED ITEMS FROM STORES (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
The federal government is going on the offensive against drug
paraphernalia, seizing pipes, clips and other items from a
half-dozen stores in eastern North Carolina. | ||||||||||||||||||
Federal prosecutors said Monday the searches and seizures are the first in a new campaign designed to make it harder to find materials that could entice teenagers to begin smoking marijuana. | ||||||||||||||||||
"The distribution of drug paraphernalia is a federal felony," U.S. Attorney Frank Whitney said at a news conference in Raleigh. "If we can cut down on the demand for drugs, it will make our jobs easier." | ||||||||||||||||||
[snip]
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(17) U.K. CANNABIS CAMPAIGNER FREED FROM JAIL (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
Cannabis campaigner Chris Baldwin was offered the drug in jail but
turned it down because it was of such poor quality. | ||||||||||||||||||
[snip]
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During his incarceration Mr Baldwin, who suffers from spastic
paraplegia, put up with painful cramps, leg spasms and sleepless
nights. Now half a stone lighter and distinctly greyer, the
53-year-old, of Carnegie Close, Worthing, must wear an electronic
tag around his wrist for another three months. Mr Baldwin was the
mastermind behind a series of Amsterdam-style coffee shops in
Worthing, an enterprise which prompted months of police raids,
arrests and court appearances. | ||||||||||||||||||
He was jailed at Chichester Crown Court on January 9, convicted of allowing cannabis to be used at a property and having cannabis with intent to supply at his Quantum Leaf cafe in Rowlands Road. | ||||||||||||||||||
[snip]
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International News
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COMMENT: (18-21) (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra is on the drug warpath once
again this year, a few months after declaring victory over drugs
last year. When Shinawatra's bloody anti-drug pogrom last year
trickled down through Thai society, some 2,500 suspected drug
offenders were executed by extra-legal death squads (Thai police).
This year, the PM wants to crack down on partying students, away on
their spring break holidays. "We won't let our children fall victim
to drugs again," Shinawatra proclaimed last week. Delicate questions
concerning the wholesale slaughter of some 2,500 drug suspects last
year -- surprising if only because of their source (the U.S. State
Department) -- caused the Thai Prime Minister to call the U.S. his
"annoying friend."
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The Bush administration this week declared over 20 nations guilty of
drug production and trafficking. In an annual report to Congress,
Bush claimed the U.S. and Canada were the primary targets of
international drug barons, and singled out Jamaica in particular as
a "preferred Caribbean trans-shipment point" for cocaine, according
to the Jamaican Daily Gleaner newspaper. The Bush administration
also berated Jamaica for not prosecuting as many senior Government
officials for drug-related corruption as U.S. officials would like
to see prosecuted. | ||||||||||||||||||
The UN's International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) released a
report this week denouncing a recently opened safe-injection site in
Vancouver, Canada. The report bitterly criticized the site as an
open invitation to drug use, and a violation of international law.
The UN's report, which insinuated government was itself distributing
drugs ("drug abusers can acquire illicit drugs and can take these
illicit drugs into premises which are managed by the state or the
town"), was dismissed as "without merit" by Vancouver Mayor Larry
Campbell. "I don't think they have much credibility ... they're
simply an arm of the U.S. drug policy," said Campbell. "If they
don't do it in the safe injection site, they do it in dirty
alleyways, in unsanitary conditions, using dirty needles," noted
health authority spokesman Clay Adams. | ||||||||||||||||||
And finally this week, we have a piece by Dan Gardner in the Ottawa
Citizen on the noisy, upcoming "Green Tide" shindig thrown by
Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police and Ontario's Ministry of
Community Safety honchos, on the topic of marijuana grow-ops.
Gardner reminds us of the obvious but oft-ignored: "The police want
more money and power." Gardner demolishes the rationale that this
cluster-forum of vested interest will use; watch as breathless press
releases spout the police party line that grow-ops are the root of
organized crime and all evil. But as Gardner points out, more of the
same will only produce the same result. Gardner: "The police and the
criminal law are not the solution to the problem; they are the
problem."
| ||||||||||||||||||
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(18) THAKSIN ORDERS NEW ROUND OF SUPPRESSION (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
Irked By Report From 'Annoying Friend' US
| ||||||||||||||||||
Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has ordered another round of drug
suppression despite a row with the United States, following the U.S.
State Department's criticism of human rights abuse in the
government's anti-drug campaign. | ||||||||||||||||||
''I've ordered authorities to devise an anti-drug plan for the
upcoming school holidays in Bangkok and neighbouring provinces.
We'll step up the social order campaign along with the drug
crackdown. We won't let our children fall victim to drugs again,''
he said during his weekly radio programme. | ||||||||||||||||||
The government's fresh anti-drug campaign came after the prime
minister on Friday called the U.S. an ''annoying friend'' following
Washington's human rights report released Thursday
| ||||||||||||||||||
[snip]
| ||||||||||||||||||
In its annual report for 2003, the U.S. said Thailand's human rights
record worsened last year with extra-judicial killings and arbitrary
arrests during the war on drug. Mr Thaksin declared a victory in
early December after the intensive crackdown. | ||||||||||||||||||
Pol Lt Gen Thanee Somboonsap, commissioner of Metropolitan Police
Bureau, said yesterday the crackdown would start in mid March and
last until May. | ||||||||||||||||||
[snip]
| ||||||||||||||||||
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(19) JA ON DRUG SMUGGLING BLACKLIST (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
UNITED STATES President George W. Bush has listed Jamaica among 24
countries identified as chiefly responsible for the producing and
trans-shipping of illicit drugs into the U.S. | ||||||||||||||||||
The other Caribbean nations making the list were Bahamas, Haiti and
The Dominican Republic. Twenty-four nations make up what is called
the 'Majors List'. | ||||||||||||||||||
In his annual report to Congress, released yesterday by the U.S. Embassy here in Kingston, Mr. Bush said the U.S. and Canada were the countries mainly targeted by the international drug barons. | ||||||||||||||||||
[snip]
| ||||||||||||||||||
The report cites Jamaica as the preferred Caribbean trans-shipment point for South American cocaine en route to the United States and the largest Caribbean producer and exporter of cannabis. | ||||||||||||||||||
[snip]
| ||||||||||||||||||
"Corruption continues to undermine law enforcement and judicial
efforts against drug-related crime and is a major barrier to more
effective counternarcotics action."
| ||||||||||||||||||
The report also noted that while the Government has a policy of
investigating credible reports of public corruption, Jamaica "has
not prosecuted any senior Government officials for drug-related
activities."
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(20) U.N. NEEDLES CITY OVER INJECTION SITE (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
A Defiant Mayor Larry Campbell Says the UN Drug Control Agency Is
Merely an Arm of U.S. Drug Policy
| ||||||||||||||||||
VANCOUVER - The United Nations' drug-control agency has criticized
Vancouver's safe-injection site, saying it encourages drug use and
violates international law. | ||||||||||||||||||
"When drug abusers can acquire illicit drugs and can take these
illicit drugs into premises which are managed by the state or the
town, then there is definitely complicity and we cannot accept that
under the international drug control convention," Herbert Schaepe,
secretary of the International Narcotics Control Board, said
Tuesday. | ||||||||||||||||||
The INCB's annual report, released Tuesday, singles out Vancouver's
site, which opened last September in the Downtown Eastside -- saying
it violates the three international drug-control treaties Canada has
signed. | ||||||||||||||||||
[snip]
| ||||||||||||||||||
Vancouver Mayor Larry Campbell, who was elected in part on his
promise to set up such a site, was defiant Tuesday, criticizing the
INCB as being "without merit". | ||||||||||||||||||
"I don't think they have much credibility," said Campbell. "From my
point of view, they're simply an arm of the U.S. drug policy, which
I don't agree with. ... It's almost impossible to take them
seriously."
| ||||||||||||||||||
Campbell said there is already evidence that the site, which serves
about 500 people a day, has reduced overdose deaths, helped addicts
connect with drug treatment services and made the downtown core more
livable. | ||||||||||||||||||
"There is certainly value in harm reduction," he said. "We know anecdotally from the people who work down there and live down there that they have seen a difference and it's a positive one." | ||||||||||||||||||
[snip]
| ||||||||||||||||||
Clay Adams, a spokesman with the health authority, said the site -- which is a three-year trial -- does not promote drug use. | ||||||||||||||||||
"We don't believe this is promoting injection drug use," said Adams. | ||||||||||||||||||
"The objective of the site is to get people that do inject to do it
in a safe environment to reduce the risk of communicable disease and
overdose deaths. The reality is people out there have drugs and they
do inject. And if they don't do it in the safe injection site, they
do it in dirty alleyways, in unsanitary conditions, using dirty
needles."
| ||||||||||||||||||
Richard Elliott, director of legal research and policy for the
Canadian HIV Legal Network, said international drug treaties contain
numerous exceptions and said he believes Vancouver's site does not
violate international law. | ||||||||||||||||||
For example, he said, the treaties provide exceptions for the use of controlled drugs if it is for a "medical or scientific purpose". | ||||||||||||||||||
"They serve a medical purpose, protecting the health of drug users,"
said Elliott, a lawyer. "And there are research efforts as well. We
are gathering data about how [the site] works, to see if it actually
provide benefits for people."
| ||||||||||||||||||
The INCB report also criticizes Canada for proposed federal
legislation that would decriminalize possession of small amounts of
cannabis, making it merely a ticketing offence. | ||||||||||||||||||
"The board is concerned the revisions could contribute to the
mistaken perception that cannabis is a harmless substance," the
report states. | ||||||||||||||||||
[snip]
| ||||||||||||||||||
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| ||||||||||||||||||
(21) POLICE ON GROW-OPS (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
Don't You Believe It
| ||||||||||||||||||
On Thursday, a fraud will be committed in Toronto, but there's no point in calling the police to stop it. The police are the perps. | ||||||||||||||||||
The scene of the "crime" will be a high-profile "summit" organized by the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police (OACP) and Ontario's Ministry of Community Safety to discuss ways to fight marijuana grow-ops. The summit follows the release last December of an OACP report that goes by the paperback-thriller title of Green Tide. | ||||||||||||||||||
The main claims of the summit and the report are familiar to anyone
who follows the news. Grow-ops are "exploding" all over the
province, even in suburban neighbourhoods. They are illegally and
dangerously wired into electrical lines. They are booby-trapped.
Kids are endangered by living in or near them. Most of the grow-ops
are run by organized crime. And, say the police to any reporter who
will listen, this is all happening because the laws are too soft and
the cops don't have the resources to fight back. | ||||||||||||||||||
It's obvious where this is going: The police want more money and
power. Given the blatant self-interest involved, one might think
politicians and journalists would examine police claims with due
skepticism. Alas, no. The media have repeated every police statement
as if it were disinterested fact. Politicians, too, have blithely
followed the lead of the police: The latest is Monte Kwinter,
Ontario's Liberal minister of Community Safety, who has promised to
push the federal government for tougher sentences. | ||||||||||||||||||
This blind trust isn't warranted. Much of what the police are saying
about grow-ops is unproven or exaggerated. Some of it is false. Most
importantly, it carefully overlooks the root cause of the problem.
Combined, this amounts to a grand fraud. | ||||||||||||||||||
[snip]
| ||||||||||||||||||
Why Do Grow-Ops Exist?
| ||||||||||||||||||
This is the core question, and yet it's one the police never touch.
Marijuana can be grown in any window, right beside the geraniums. It
can be grown in any field. So why is it being grown in rickety,
dangerous operations? Because it's illegal, of course. And why do
criminals make money growing pot, and not, say, geraniums? Because
pot is illegal and geraniums are not. And why does the growing of
pot involve booby-traps and .. You see what I'm getting at. Just as
alcohol prohibition put illegal stills in residential
| ||||||||||||||||||
The police and the criminal law are not the solution to the problem;
they are the problem. | ||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||
HOT OFF THE 'NET (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
INTERNATIONAL NARCOTICS CONTROL STRATEGY REPORT
| ||||||||||||||||||
The 2003 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report (INCSR) is
an annual report by the Department of State to Congress prepared in
accordance with the Foreign Assistance Act. It describes the efforts
of key countries to attack all aspects of the international drug
trade in Calendar Year 2003. | ||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||
WHAT WOULD GOD SMOKE?
| ||||||||||||||||||
The Spiritual Roots of Drug Reform
| ||||||||||||||||||
Live Audio Chat, Wednesday March 10, 3 PM Eastern/Noon Pacific | ||||||||||||||||||
Please join me and renowned thinker, writer and spiritual pioneer Ram Dass for a very special online discussion about spirituality and the 'war on drugs.' Bookmark this page so that you can join the chat: http://actioncenter.drugpolicy.org/ctt.asp?u=9827&l495 | ||||||||||||||||||
We will be answering questions from listeners during the discussion.
To submit a question now please send an email to:
| ||||||||||||||||||
Thank You
| ||||||||||||||||||
Ethan Nadelmann
| ||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||
THE EUROPEAN REPORT ON DRUG CONSUMPTION ROOMS
| ||||||||||||||||||
"The research evidence on the impact of consumption rooms, although
still incomplete, suggests that consumption rooms do achieve some of
the specific purposes for which they were set up."
| ||||||||||||||||||
http://www.emcdda.eu.int/responses/themes/consumption_rooms.cfm | ||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||
UN CRITICIZES VANCOUVER'S SAFE INJECTION SITES
| ||||||||||||||||||
CBC Radio. A report by a UN agency criticizes the site - calling it
a violation of international drug control treaties, for allowing
people to use illegal drugs in a government-sanctioned site. Vancouver
Mayor Larry Campbell responds. The audio link is on the lower portion
of the CBC show-page. | ||||||||||||||||||
http://vancouver.cbc.ca/regional/servlet/View?filename=bc_vpd_sis20040303 | ||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||
SAFE ACCESS NOW NEWSLETTER ONLINE
| ||||||||||||||||||
Here is the link for people who would like to view the latest newsletter from Safe Access Now on medical marijuana guidelines for California. This issue includes a new PDF file on patients and SB 420, as well as updates on our activities statewide. Sorry it's a little late, but we were waiting to see the outcome of the Humboldt recall vote. Next issue will have more local news from chapters. | ||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||
CULTURAL BAGGAGE RADIO SHOW
| ||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||
Three anonymous medical marijuana patients tell us what it is like in
the Gulag City of Planet Earth. To find medical support and medical
marijuana in the "hometown" of George Bush Sr. | ||||||||||||||||||
MP3: http://cultural-baggage.com/Audio/FDBCB_030204.MP3
RAM: http://cultural-baggage.com/ramtorm/to030204.ram
| ||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||
We will discuss the forthcoming vote in Alaska. This August, voters
will decide whether or not to make possession of marijuana legal for
adults. | ||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||
AMERICAN TEENAGER SMUGGLES BC BUD TO U.S. ON SCHOOL BUS
| ||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||
MARC EMERY AT UBC
| ||||||||||||||||||
A speech from the "Prince of Pot" at the University of British
Columbia as part of his university tour. Introduction by Kirk
Toussaw of the BC Civil Liberties Association. | ||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||
LETTER OF THE WEEK (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
Drug Policies
| ||||||||||||||||||
By Michael R. Butz
| ||||||||||||||||||
DRUG POLICIES
| ||||||||||||||||||
Chicago -- This is in response to "Marijuana is not medicine," by
Andrea Barthwell, a deputy director at the White House Office of
National Drug Control Policy and a past president of the American
Society of Addiction Medicine ( Commentary, Feb. 17). Barthwell
failed to include some very important truths not only about
medicinal marijuana but, more important, the government's
determination to keep facts, truth and the ability to make our own
health-care decisions from us. | ||||||||||||||||||
Her commentary should not be read in a health-care context but,
rather, in the context of the war on drugs. | ||||||||||||||||||
Marijuana is a Schedule I narcotic, according to the federal
government. This means that it has no accepted medicinal value and
is considered highly addictive and dangerous. What this placement
really means, however, is that researchers looking into the effects
of marijuana on humans can only receive permission from the
government, the keeper of the keys, if their stated hypothesis is to
prove marijuana unsafe. | ||||||||||||||||||
Furthermore, prescribe marijuana to a patient in your medical
practice, in a state where a majority of registered voters have
approved its use, and the government may take away your license to
practice medicine. | ||||||||||||||||||
In fact, there has not been a single death attributed to smoking
marijuana, nor any demonstrable studies to prove that marijuana use
leads to the use of "harder" drugs or any of the other things
mentioned in Barthwell's piece. | ||||||||||||||||||
Barthwell mentions several times that a primary goal of our society
should be to stop children from experimenting with illegal drugs in
the first place. To this end, state and local governments have been
strongly encouraged for more than 20 years to operate the DARE
program in public schools, using police officers rather than
health-care providers to essentially scare children into compliance
with zero-tolerance programs. | ||||||||||||||||||
Several years ago, to answer growing criticism and doubts about DARE's effectiveness, the U.S. government commissioned an in-depth study of children who had been through the program. Not only did this peer-reviewed study find that these children were not less likely to try drugs, they noted that it was possible that DARE actually encouraged drug experimentation. This report was quickly suppressed; the DARE program continues nationwide today. | ||||||||||||||||||
Both government-commissioned and independent studies have also shown
that random drug testing of students does not discourage drug
experimentation and use. In fact, it tends to discourage students
from participating in extracurricular activities--programs that are
known to be beneficial to kids and to keep them off the streets
after school. Yet President Bush recently called for $23 million to
expand this program. | ||||||||||||||||||
If Barthwell and the ONDCP are so keen on keeping our children from
trying illicit drugs, why continue failed programs? Our children are
put into programs known to be ineffective in helping reduce drug
use. Then should they falter and get into trouble with drugs, they
are no longer eligible for federal education aid as they try to
finance college and beyond. | ||||||||||||||||||
So first we put them into ineffective programs, then if they do try illicit drugs and get caught, we prevent them from learning. | ||||||||||||||||||
Do these policies make sense?
| ||||||||||||||||||
What Barthwell's piece does clearly demonstrate is the continuing attempt to keep us afraid of marijuana, despite the facts. | ||||||||||||||||||
Michael R. Butz
| ||||||||||||||||||
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| ||||||||||||||||||
FEATURE ARTICLE (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
THERE'S GOOD NEWS, AND THERE'S BAD NEWS
| ||||||||||||||||||
by Philippe Lucas, CSA/VICS/DrugSense
| ||||||||||||||||||
On the 18th of February, Health Canada organized a large-scale
consultation on its highly criticized federal medical marijuana
program. For the first time since it's creation over 5 years ago,
the Office of Cannabis Medical Access (OCMA) had the foresight to
invite a small number of Canadian drug policy reform and medicinal
cannabis advocates. Philippe Lucas, editor of the DSW's hemp and
cannabis section, was in attendance at this meeting as Director of
Canadians for Safe Access http://www.safeaccess.ca The following
feature article is based on an online report he compiled for fellow
activists. | ||||||||||||||||||
The good news is that with the collapse of category 2 into category
1 [i] we're slowly getting to the point where a simple doctor's
recommendation will be enough to access cannabis, although it is
hard to understand how this change is to have any real impact as
long as the CMA [ii] and CMPA [iii] stay opposed to the MMAR [iv] in
theory and principle. Furthermore, for those isolated small
communities that don't have medical specialists in the first place,
these policy changes don't mean a thing. | ||||||||||||||||||
More (sort of) good news is that Health Canada will be looking to contract more than 1 cultivator when they put in an RFP[v] at the end of this year. Further details revealed during the meeting suggest that the government will be hiring 2 cultivators (PPS [vi] and another, in my opinion), as they have suggested that they would like to make 2 strains available through drugstores by year's end. | ||||||||||||||||||
The most frightening developments stemming from this meeting are: 1)
HC's plans to make disclosure to police a mandatory requirement for
joining the program; and 2) the threat that HC plans to eliminate
all DPL and PPL [vii] in the near future, forcing all legal users to
use federally-supplied cannabis. | ||||||||||||||||||
In regards to the first, the concerns are many, but begin with the
logical assertion that those who use this medicine should not be
discriminated against through onerous policies that betray their
rights to privacy. This proposal stems from pressure from the
national police orgs. who would like to continue to bust grow-ops
without having to worry about shooting a cancer patient. It ignores
our rights and our concerns over privacy, and continues to place
policing concerns over those of Canada's legal exemptees.
Professionals (teachers, lawyers, doctors...) may have job-related
concerns over the involuntary sharing of this information, as might
anyone who travels to the U.S. (where any such info. would surely
raise alarms at border crossings). Furthermore, insurance companies
are refusing coverage to homes where cannabis is being stored or
cultivated, even legally - this is an unsolved dilemma for
participants in this program. | ||||||||||||||||||
In regards to the second, there is little logic in limiting the
supply options for Canada's legitimate users of therapeutic
cannabis. If exemptees can get the strains that help them grown
safely and locally, what is gained by disallowing this form of
self-supply and forcing exemptees to use a poor quality, potentially
dangerous federally-grown product? Cannabis is different than other
pharmaceuticals or over the counter-drugs in that it can be safely
produced by the user; so why impose the cost of the federal supply
on those who would rather use a known strain grown in a method of
their own chosing (i.e. organics vs. HC's non-organic cultivation)?
There is no justification for allowing this kind of federal monopoly
on cultivation; exemptees will lose much choice and freedom - and
gain nothing - from this policy shift. | ||||||||||||||||||
Lastly, it is clear that although compassion clubs and societies have been invited to this round of consultation, Health Canada has no plans to ever license, regulate, or legalize these orgs. When I asked Beth Pieterson and Valerie Lasher [viii] whether they could foresee a role for the clubs within the present of future of the HC program, they stated that they couldn't, although they expressed that compassion societies may wish to put in a proposal to cultivate cannabis for the feds when the RFP comes out later this year. | ||||||||||||||||||
Considering that Canada's compassion clubs are currently involved in far more legitimate research than Health Canada, that clubs have a membership that is roughly 10 times that of the federal government, and that far more exemptees seek out their supply of cannabis from clubs than from the government, their reluctance to work with compassion societies is inexcusable, and is surely adding to the unnecessary suffering that this program should be addressing in the first place. When I inquired as to why HC was not interested in developing a more cooperative relationship with the clubs, I was told that it is because they are illegal. After pointing out that according to the CDSA they could be legally licensed in a moment's time at the sole discretion of the Minister of Health (and that they are therefore no more illegal than pharmacies, which will need the same to begin to distribute cannabis), Beth changed the subject and stated that licensing the clubs would violate our "international obligations". This is, of course, ridiculous since the production and distribution of controlled substance is clearly exempt from the UN Single Convention as long as it is for medical purposes. In other words, HC's intransigence regarding compassion clubs amounts to nothing more than an unjustified monopoly, and shows no regard to actually helping sick Canadians. Considering the incredible contribution of Canadian compassion clubs and societies to medicinal cannabis cultivation, distribution, and safe use, it is an inexplicable shame that Health Canada has displayed neither the creativity nor the common sense to work more closely with the clubs. | ||||||||||||||||||
I would like to end by pointing out is that this is Health Canada's
vision for this program; this is not our vision. This doesn't
anticipate or account for future court battles, continued exemptee
concerns, or constitutional challenges; it doesn't anticipate
changes in government, increased public pressure, or for a sudden
unexpected influx of compassion from our federal government. Ever
since the start of this program, activists and exemptees have worked
hard to ensure that the needs and concerns of Canada's critically
and chronically ill are addressed by our federal govt. When they
have failed to listen or pay heed to our well-meaning advice, we
have been forced to go to the press and public, and/or to the
courts; and more often than not, we have succeeded. As a community,
we continue to make a huge difference. Until Health Canada finally
shows the common sense to decentralize this program and to allow for
non-profit, community-based cultivation and distribution (saving
themselves money, resources, and legal difficulties), compassion
clubs will continue to supplement their anemic, ineffective program,
and together with cannabis reform activists from all over the
country, we will work towards and fight for a better system for us
all. | ||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||
[i] Under the MMAR, applicants to the federal program fall into 3
categories: Category 1 for terminal patients, requiring only 1
physician's recommendation; Category 2 for (somewhat arbitrary)
serious chronic illness, such as AIDS or MS, requiring the support
of both a specialist and physician; and Category 3, a catch-all for
all remaining conditions, requiring the support of a physician and 2
specialists. | ||||||||||||||||||
[ii] Canadian Medical Association, Canada's national medical
association. | ||||||||||||||||||
[iii] Canadian Medical Protection Association, Canada's largest
medical insurance company. | ||||||||||||||||||
[iv] The Medical Marijuana Access Regulations are the federal rules
governing the implementation of this program. | ||||||||||||||||||
[v] Request for Proposals
| ||||||||||||||||||
[vi] Prairie Plant Systems, the current federally contracted
cultivator, who's initial crop was widely criticized for it's poor
quality. | ||||||||||||||||||
[vii] Designated Person Licenses and Personal Production Licenses, both of which allow for the non-governmental production of cannabis. | ||||||||||||||||||
[viii] Beth Pieterson is the Director of the Controlled Drugs And Substances branch of Health Canada, and Valerie Lasher is the Acting-Director of the Office of Cannabis Medical Access. | ||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||
QUOTE OF THE WEEK (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
"It is not heroin or cocaine that makes one an addict, it is the need to escape from a harsh reality. There are more television addicts, more baseball and football addicts, more movie addicts, and certainly more alcohol addicts in this country than there are narcotics addicts." | ||||||||||||||||||
-- Shirley Chisholm (b. 1924), U.S. educator, congresswoman. Testimony, September 17, 1969, to House Select Committee on Crime. | ||||||||||||||||||
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Policy and Law Enforcement/Prison content selection and analysis by
Stephen Young (), Cannabis/Hemp content selection
and analysis by Philippe Lucas (), International
content selection and analysis by Doug Snead (),
Layout by Matt Elrod ()
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