| June 4, 2004 #352 | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Table of Contents
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THIS JUST IN (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||
(1) JOHN P. WALTERS 'TAKES FIVE' (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Random drug testing as public health tool | ||||||||||||||||||||
John P. Walters, director of national drug control policy and President Bush's "drug czar," was in Milwaukee Thursday to address members of the National Association of Drug Court Professionals. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Walters' strategy for fighting the war on drugs involves reducing both
supply of and demand for illegal substances. He discussed that
strategy and drug addiction issues with Journal Sentinel reporter Gina
Barton. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Q. You support random student drug testing, and are visiting a school
in Pewaukee where such testing is done. Why is random testing of
students a good thing? | ||||||||||||||||||||
A. Random student drug testing allows us to use the knowledge that we have that substance abuse is a disease of the brain and to apply public health measures such as screening and testing that have been used to reduce other diseases in our society. ... It's important to emphasize that random student drug testing may not be used to punish. Under the law, it must be confidential, and it may only be used as a way to get help for the young person who may test positive for controlled substances.. . . Once we recognize that addiction is a disease and a disease that we catch in childhood, we begin to understand why it is so valuable to use better screening. | ||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||
Q. Tell me about your office's marijuana initiative. | ||||||||||||||||||||
A. Marijuana is the single biggest area of ignorance that we have to correct. Today's marijuana is many times more potent.. . . We've had a doubling of emergency room cases involving marijuana, either people seeking treatment for addiction or as the result of accidents. Sixty percent of the estimated 7 million people we have to treat for addiction are dependent on marijuana. Nationally, more teens seek treatment for marijuana than for all other drugs combined. | ||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||
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(2) DRUG SCREENINGS FIND ONLY TWO STUDENT POSITIVES (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||
LAKELAND -- After 561 tests and $40,000 in expenses, only two Polk County high school athletes have tested positive for drug use. | ||||||||||||||||||||
And school officials couldn't be happier. | ||||||||||||||||||||
"The objective of the program isn't to catch kids on drugs," said Ed
Boos, supervisor of prevention, health and wellness at the School
District's Mark Wilcox Center. "The objective is to be a deterrent --
to prevent kids from using drugs." | ||||||||||||||||||||
Don Bridges, director of athletics for Polk Schools, said that at first sight, it may look like the drug-testing program is a waste of money. But he said the low number of students testing positive actually indicates the program is keeping kids off drugs. | ||||||||||||||||||||
"And if it's preventive, that's what it's supposed to do," he said. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Boos said the two students caught tested positive for marijuana. He
said that more often, students who test positive are male. However,
he said these two students were both female. | ||||||||||||||||||||
He said tests detected amphetamines in four students. But he said
when the medical review officer investigated the matter, the students
all had valid prescriptions for the drugs. He said often times
medications for Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), such as Ritalin,
will register as amphetamines. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Students who test positive for recreational drugs are offered the
chance to go to the Mark Wilcox Center for at least a 10-day
assessment. And provided they follow the recommendations of the
center, which could include drug counseling, they can return to
sports. If they choose not to, they are not allowed to participate
in sports. | ||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||
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(3) NORTH KOREA'S DRUG HABIT (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||
WASHINGTON - Reaction to last month's meeting between Junichiro
Koizumi, the Japanese prime minister, and Kim Jong II, the North
Korean leader, was nothing short of underwhelming. Critics said Mr.
Koizumi gave up too much - millions in medical aid and thousands of
tons of rice - to secure the return of five children of Japanese
citizens abducted by North Korea more than two decades ago. He also
failed to obtain a definitive commitment from Mr. Kim to dismantle
North Korea's nuclear weapons programs. | ||||||||||||||||||||
The critics notwithstanding, Mr. Koizumi's diplomacy should be judged
a success. The lesson the United States and Japan should learn from it
is that moderate pressure on the North Korean regime works - and can
be used to limit the North's ambitions not only in weapons development
but also in the drug trade. | ||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||
According to the Pacific Forum of the Center for Strategic and
International Studies, Pyongyang has directed North Korean farmers to
produce opium poppies since the late 1970's, with cultivation areas
expanding exponentially in recent years. These farms are thought to
produce as much as 40 tons of opium annually. Government-subsidized
factories process the opium into heroin, which is then distributed
through companies and diplomatic conduits. According to some sources,
North Korea now ranks among the world's largest opium and heroin
suppliers. | ||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||
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(4) APPEALS COURT RULES THAT OFFICIALS CAN USE 'WET' WEIGHT OF MARIJUANA (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Defendant had asked judge to dismiss trafficking charges based on
evidence's dry weight | ||||||||||||||||||||
RALEIGH - Whether it's dried and baled or just snipped from its root,
the weight of marijuana at the time it is seized is the weight that
drug dealers have to answer for, the N.C. Court of Appeals ruled
yesterday. | ||||||||||||||||||||
The unanimous decision reversed a lower-court ruling to throw out
drug-trafficking charges against Brian Frank Gonzales of New Hanover
County. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Investigators found 731 potted marijuana plants growing April 3, 2002,
in two 60-foot storage containers in Castle Hayne with the aid of
lights, fans and an irrigation system. They cut the plants at the
base, leaving behind the root, and measured their total weight at 25.5
pounds. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Gonzales was charged with two counts of trafficking marijuana, as well
as manufacturing and possessing marijuana. His case has not gone to
trial. | ||||||||||||||||||||
The State Bureau of Investigation later determined the weight of the
dried marijuana to be 6.9 pounds, well below the 10-pound legal
threshold for trafficking charges in North Carolina. | ||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||
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WEEKLY NEWS IN REVIEW (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Domestic News- Policy | ||||||||||||||||||||
COMMENT: (5-8) (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||
The First Amendment trumped the drug war this week. A judge ruled that a federal law restricting the display of drug policy reform ads on local mass transit systems was unconstitutional. The prohibitionists might want to take heart though; they claim the ads will confuse youngsters about the dangers of drugs, but maybe drug policy reform ads will actually reduce drug use. They claim that their own anti-drug ads reduce drug use, but new research indicates the tax-payer supported propaganda may actually make drug use more appealing. The new research was denounced by federal drug warriors, who couldn't imagine such an outcome. They must have missed the survey results that show a significant increase in "huffing" among middle schoolers. Also this week, the founder of Peru's main airline was accused of being a drug dealer by the U.S. government. Will his company's planes be shot out of the sky? | ||||||||||||||||||||
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(5) JUDGE: AD RESTRICTIONS UNCONSTITUTIONAL (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Washington - A judge said Wednesday that a federal law aimed at
restricting the display of paid, pro-marijuana ads in buses and
subway stations is unconstitutional, improperly infringing on free
speech rights. | ||||||||||||||||||||
The ruling by U.S. District Judge Paul Friedman came in a lawsuit challenging the law that cuts off up to $3.1 billion in federal funds to local transit authorities if they display ads promoting the legalization or medical use of marijuana or other drugs. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Fearing a loss of at least $85 million in federal aid, the
Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority earlier this year
declined to run ads submitted by the American Civil Liberties Union
and three drug advocacy groups. The groups then filed suit, calling
it an unconstitutional restriction. | ||||||||||||||||||||
The Transportation Department, which was named in the lawsuit along
with Washington Metro, argued in part that it had a right to enforce
the statute because it served to deter illegal activity or a
"significant threat to the public welfare." | ||||||||||||||||||||
But Friedman said the law, which took effect in February,
represented an unconstitutional exercise of Congress' spending power
because it unfairly punished a particular viewpoint. | ||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||
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(6) ANTI-DRUG ADS CAN BOOMERANG, STUDY DISCOVERS (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Anti-drug ads, which the government plans to spend $145 million to
produce this fiscal year, do little to dissuade young people from
taking drugs, according to research conducted by psychology
professors at Texas State University at San Marcos. Even worse, the
ads may actually prompt some teens to experiment with drugs -- a
reaction diametrically opposite of what was intended by the White
House Office of National Drug Control Policy. | ||||||||||||||||||||
The study, which researchers will present today at a meeting of the
American Psychological Society in Chicago, is part of a larger,
ongoing project sponsored by the Marijuana Policy Project, a
national marijuana policy reform organization. | ||||||||||||||||||||
A spokesman for the Office of National Drug Control Policy called
the study "absurd." | ||||||||||||||||||||
"This would be like tobacco companies coming out and saying that
anti-smoking ads don't work," said Tom Riley, director of public
affairs of the agency. | ||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||
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(7) MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS EXPERIMENTING WITH INHALANTS (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||
NEW YORK (AP) _ Children in middle school are increasingly
experimenting with inhalants, with one in four eighth graders
acknowledging they had tried getting high by "huffing," a study
released Tuesday indicated. | ||||||||||||||||||||
The Partnership for a Drug-Free America reported that abuse of
inhalants had increased significantly among sixth and eighth grade
students. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Among sixth graders, the number of children using inhalants increased from 18 percent in 1991 to 26 percent last year. Among eight graders, inhalant users went from 22 percent to 26 percent. | ||||||||||||||||||||
"It's clear that this new generation of preteens has a lot to learn
about the lethal nature of inhalant abuse," said Steve Pasierb,
partnership president and CEO. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Particularly frightening was the study's discovery that fewer
children saw any risk in using inhalants, said Pasierb. According to
the study, only 63 percent of eighth graders believed that using
inhalants could prove deadly. | ||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||
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(8) PERU AIRLINE CHIEF FACES DRUG BAN (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Zevallos Strenuously Denies Any Wrongdoing | ||||||||||||||||||||
The White House has put the founder of Peru's main airline, Aero
Continente, on its list of foreign "drug kingpins". | ||||||||||||||||||||
Fernando Zevallos, who has been the subject of investigations in
both Peru and the US, denies any wrongdoing. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Washington has also ordered US-based assets belonging to Mr Zevallos
and Aero Continente to be frozen. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Under U.S. legislation, people placed on the US list of drug
traffickers and their businesses are denied access to the American
financial system. | ||||||||||||||||||||
The White House's announcement came hours after a court in Lima
opened proceedings against Mr Zevallos, 46, on cocaine trafficking
charges. | ||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Law Enforcement & Prisons | ||||||||||||||||||||
COMMENT: (9-12) (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||
As if anti-drug task forces in Texas didn't have enough public
relations problems already, a new report from the ACLU indicates
that the forces have been using race-based traffic stops as "fishing
expeditions" for drugs. | ||||||||||||||||||||
The tragic effect of zero tolerance for drug convictions in
immigration cases was demonstrated again as a man from Ohio was
killed in Brazil after being deported there over a minor drug
charge. Not only cruel and arbitrary, the drug war can be
incompetent too. A laptop computer with information about 100 DEA
informants was somehow misplaced in Washington, D.C. And in North
Dakota, prisons are rapidly being jammed with methamphetamine
convicts. | ||||||||||||||||||||
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(9) DEPORTED ORPHAN DIES IN HOMELAND (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Minor Drug Offender, Sent Back To Brazil, Slain Amid Desperate Plot
To Return To U.S. | ||||||||||||||||||||
CAMPINAS, Brazil - An Ohio man deported to Brazil four years ago for a minor drug infraction was gunned down here by drug-dealing teens. Friends say he had sought the teens' help to smuggle guns into Brazil and use the proceeds to sneak back into the United States. | ||||||||||||||||||||
The case of Joao Herbert, 26, gained international attention in
2000, after his adoptive parents' inability to obtain citizenship
papers for him, along with newly toughened immigration laws and
Herbert's first-offense conviction for selling marijuana forced his
deportation. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Herbert left Brazil at age 8 and grew up in Wadsworth, Ohio. An orphan, he had no family in Brazil and as an adult he spoke no Portuguese. Sending him back there would be tantamount to "a death sentence," his adoptive mother, Nancy Saunders, warned at the time. | ||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||
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(10) DRUG TASK FORCES RAPPED FOR TRAFFIC STOPS (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||
American Civil Liberties Union Issues Critical Report Based On
Racial-profiling Data | ||||||||||||||||||||
AUSTIN -- Narcotics task forces in Texas have been using traffic
stops as "fishing expeditions" to search motorists and passengers
for illegal drugs, according to the American Civil Liberties Union
(ACLU). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Motorists stopped for traffic violations are searched by narcotics
agents at rates much higher than during traffic stops conducted by
non-task-force officers, the ACLU said. | ||||||||||||||||||||
The findings were gleaned from reviews of racial-profiling data and
published in an ACLU report titled, "Flawed enforcement -- Why drug
task force highway interdiction violates rights, wastes tax dollars,
and fails to limit the availability of drugs in Texas." | ||||||||||||||||||||
The report, which was released May 19, criticizes highway
interdiction policies utilized by task forces and suggests diverting
federal funding to other criminal justice programs. | ||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||
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(11) MISSING: A LAPTOP OF DEA INFORMANTS (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Federal investigators are frantically trying to determine what happened to a missing laptop computer that contains sensitive data on as many as 100 Drug Enforcement Administration investigations around the country, including a wealth of information about many of the agency's confidential informants, NEWSWEEK has learned. | ||||||||||||||||||||
The computer was first reported stolen three weeks ago by an auditor
for the Justice Department's Office of Inspector General, which was
conducting a routine review of DEA payments to informants. The
auditor told police the laptop had been stolen from the trunk of his
car while he was at a bookstore coffee shop in suburban Washington.
But when investigators confronted the auditor last week and
questioned his account, the auditor changed his story, saying he had
accidentally damaged the computer--then destroyed it and threw it
away in a Dumpster to avoid embarrassment. Investigators are seeking
to verify his new account. | ||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||
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(12) METH USERS CRAMMING NORTH DAKOTA'S PRISONS (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||
State officials say methamphetamine users have flooded North Dakota's
prison population in the past five years. | ||||||||||||||||||||
In that time, the number of inmates claiming meth as their drug of
choice has increased from 10 percent of the prison population to 60
percent. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Elaine Little, director of the Department of Corrections and
Rehabilitation, said the growth of the prison population can be
traced directly to the number of drug offenders coming into the
system. | ||||||||||||||||||||
In turn, the corrections budget has felt the effect in its dental
and medical bills. | ||||||||||||||||||||
"It's had a dramatic impact on the department," Little said. "It's
really filling up the jails and our prisons." | ||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Cannabis & Hemp- | ||||||||||||||||||||
COMMENT: (13-17) (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||
In a terrible blow for medical cannabis patients in Western Canada,
the Vancouver Island Compassion Society was raided by police last
week. For more on the raid, see the DrugSense Weekly Feature Article
below, written by Philippe Lucas, who usually writes these comments,
but is on sabbatical. In the long tradition of Canada's
schizophrenic approach to medical marijuana, some legislators have
suggested that prescribed cannabis may be paid for by the
government, even as the VICS was raided. | ||||||||||||||||||||
In the U.S., the relative safety of cannabis was confirmed again by
a study showing no link between pot smoking and oral cancer. There
was another boost for medical marijuana as the Texas Medical
Association quietly affirmed the right of doctors to discuss medical
marijuana with patients. And in Oakland, Ca. the move to limit the
number of medical marijuana dispensaries appears to be meeting some
resistance. | ||||||||||||||||||||
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(13) POT BUST SENDS SOCIETY REELING (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Last week's RCMP bust of an East Sooke marijuana grow-op has
deprived almost 400 people from the medicinal pot they desperately
need, according to the president of the Vancouver Island Compassion
Society. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Phillippe Lucas said the Victoria-based society's 399 members, who
are battling critical and chronic illnesses, are now forced to look
to the black market for their marijuana. | ||||||||||||||||||||
"It is an incredible shock to all of us," Lucas said of the Thursday
afternoon bust. "It was the best and safest supply in Western
Canada." | ||||||||||||||||||||
West Shore RCMP members seized more than 900 plants from a house and
an outbuilding on the same property in the 5000-block of Mt.
Matheson Road Thursday, said Cpl. Brian Kerr of the detachment's
street crime unit in a Friday interview. RCMP arrested a pair of men
on the property for production of cannabis and for possession of a
controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking. The charges are
under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. Both men,whose names
have not been released, are expected to appear in court this summer,
Kerr said. | ||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||
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(14) NDP COULD PAY FOR POT (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||
TORONTO -- An NDP pharmacare program could pay for prescribed pot,
Jack Layton suggested yesterday. The NDP leader said marijuana
that's required as medication to help people suffering from AIDS,
cancer and other serious illnesses might be eligible under his
proposed national drug program. | ||||||||||||||||||||
"It might fit. That's going to have to be a decision made as we look
at the particular medications in consultation with the medical
profession," he said. "I've drawn a lot of inspiration from those
who are tackling catastrophic illnesses and who are seeking the
support for medical use." | ||||||||||||||||||||
Layton's proposed pharmacare program would be phased in, initially
helping low-income families or those saddled with massive drug
bills. His plan also calls for cutting drug costs through a
bulk-buying program. | ||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||
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(15) POT DOESN'T INCREASE ORAL-CANCER RISK, STUDY SAYS (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Recreational marijuana smokers are no more likely to develop oral
cancer than nonusers, a new study led by the Fred Hutchinson Cancer
Research Center says. | ||||||||||||||||||||
The latest findings contradict a 1999 California study that
implicated regular pot smoking as having markedly higher risks for
head and neck cancers. | ||||||||||||||||||||
While not conclusive, the findings by "The Hutch," located in
Seattle, suggest that cancers of the mouth should rank low among the
known health hazards of marijuana use. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Oral cancer "probably shouldn't be one of the things people should
worry about when they decide whether to smoke marijuana," said
Stephen Schwartz, a member of Fred Hutchinson's public-health
sciences division and the study's senior author. "Our study found no
relationship between marijuana and cancer." | ||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||
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(16) MED MARIJUANA OK, SAYS TMA (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||
On May 14, during its annual state convention, the Texas Medical
Association unanimously - and without discussion - adopted a new
policy recommendation supporting the right of doctors and patients
to discuss medical marijuana as a viable treatment option, without
fear of recrimination by authorities. The TMA delegates also
reaffirmed the association's call for further research on medicinal
marijuana, "including well-controlled studies in patients who have
serious pain-related conditions," according to the report of the
TMA's Council on Scientific Affairs, which was approved by the TMA
delegates. "Paramount is support for physicians to discuss with
patients any treatment option available and to do so without
recrimination for the physician and/or patient." | ||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||
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(17) MEDICAL MARIJUANA MERCHANT DEFIES OAKLAND ORDER TO CLOSE (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Others Might Go Underground, As City's New Rule Gets Mixed Reaction
From Consumers, Business Owners | ||||||||||||||||||||
OAKLAND -- Medical marijuana patients who packed into the Dragonfly Holistic Solutions dispensary on Telegraph Avenue on Tuesday seemed unaware the business had been told by the city to shut down. | ||||||||||||||||||||
They said they were seeking the most potent medicine in town -- a
strain of marijuana called "Barney Purple" -- and didn't like
hearing that new city rules will limit them to four city-sanctioned
establishments. | ||||||||||||||||||||
"If you enjoy feeling pain-free, this is the place to be," said
Sullivan Wallace of Oakland, who says he has a cannabis prescription
to fight chronic pain and anxiety. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Seven existing dispensaries and one proposed club had applied for
the four business permits available. After a series of hearings and
several delays, the clubs were notified Friday afternoon whether
they made the cut. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Those that received licenses will have to pay a $20,000 annual fee.
Those that did not were supposed to close Tuesday. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Dragonfly did not make it, but owner Ken Estes said he will continue to operate in defiance of city rules until he is arrested. | ||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||
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International News | ||||||||||||||||||||
COMMENT: (18-22) (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Government Members of Parliament in the nation of Bermuda have
decided that, while others should be tested for illegal drug use,
they themselves are above the rabble and needn't be tested.
Bristling at the "financial implications" of the proposed
twice-yearly drug testing, government whip Ottiwell Simmons refused
to let the matter even be vote upon. Bermuda law forces many there,
including taxi drivers, to be drug tested. | ||||||||||||||||||||
From Ontario, Canada, a little window into the state of drug
education in the province. Cops in the city of Hamilton say kids are
misinformed about marijuana, and have vowed to dispel the myths.
Kids, say police, don't know that they "can die from smoking
marijuana." Moreover, explained the lawmen-turned-educators, pot is
often laced with "date rape drugs." The mix is so strong, users are
led to an especially powerful addiction, police claimed. You "may
not think marijuana is that bad," warn police, but "the drugs that
it may be laced with are often odourless, colourless and tasteless.
You won't know they're in there." | ||||||||||||||||||||
Meanwhile in the Canadian province of British Columbia, another
demonstration of the futility of prohibition as police shut down a
professional drug delivery service operating in the lower mainland.
The service was so blatant as to have fliers and business cards
printed and distributed, with phone numbers. Calling itself "Dark
Alley," the service offered all-hours delivery on a smorgasbord of
illegal drugs. | ||||||||||||||||||||
U.S. Border Patrol agents were scratching their heads this week as they were looking over tons of bud they overlooked before. Agents believe that the pot, busted by police earlier, was simply picked up by drug smugglers posing as Mexican federal agents. Officials, who stated the haul was worth from $6 million to $9 million dollars, did not say if they had destroyed the illicit weed this time around. | ||||||||||||||||||||
And in the Central Visayas, Philippines, drug-induced paranoia is running rampant, but police are the ones looking over their shoulders. The Police Regional Office (PRO) 7 is keeping at least 50 police there "under close watch," the Sun Star Cebu newspaper reported this week. PRO 7 deputy director Senior Supt. Julio Augusto proclaimed some police protect drug traffickers, and receive at least 2,000 pesos weekly as protection money. Optimistic in the face of such classic prohibition-fed police corruption, officer Augusto remains gung-ho and ever faithful. A secret "new strategy" will surely force out drug- corrupted police, claimed the drug warrior. | ||||||||||||||||||||
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(18) OPPOSITION MPS FUME AS DRUG TESTING DEBATE IS THWARTED (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Government MPs stifled an Opposition debate calling for MPs to undergo testing for drug and alcohol abuse in Parliament yesterday. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Government whip Ottiwell Simmons said the Opposition was not allowed
to bring motions to the House which had financial implications. The
motion, introduced by Opposition MP John Barritt, called for twice
yearly testing which Mr. Simmons said would cost money. | ||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||
In the House yesterday Mr. Barritt said the motion had originally
been about illicit drugs but Government had requested alcohol abuse
be added to the motion. | ||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||
He noted that bus and new taxi drivers had to have drug | ||||||||||||||||||||
Government's stance was a "classic case of do what I say but I don't
do what I say" said Mr. Barritt. | ||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||
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(19) COPS HOPE TO GET AN ANTI-MARIJUANA MESSAGE OUT TO LOCAL TEENS (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Hamilton police say kids today are misinformed about the risks of
using marijuana and the lasting effects drug use may have on their
lives. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Constable Frank Miscione, school resource officer for the Hamilton Police Service, said he's doing what he can to get the message out to young people that using marijuana should not be taken lightly. | ||||||||||||||||||||
"I always ask the students if they believe they can die from smoking marijuana," said Const. Miscione. "Of course, they don't." | ||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||
He said often marijuana is laced with date rape drugs to create a
certain effect, leading the user to develop a physiological
addiction, much stronger than the psychological addiction common
with illegal drugs. | ||||||||||||||||||||
"They create this physiological addiction and that means the dealer
gets a lot more business from these kids," Const. Miscione said.
"We've seen drugs laced with other things before." | ||||||||||||||||||||
Const. Miscione said the different chemicals laced within the drugs
react differently to each person, causing bodies to act in a certain
way. Drugs such as ketamine and GHB are often found in marijuana and
can do unexpected things to the body. | ||||||||||||||||||||
"The important message that came out of the Parkside incident is
that you may not think marijuana is that bad, but it's still
illegal," said Const. Miscione. "And the drugs that it may be laced
with are often odourless, colourless and tasteless. You won't know
they're in there." | ||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||
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(20) 6 FACE MORE THAN 30 CHARGES AFTER 'DIAL-A-DOPE' STING (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Six people face more than 30 charges following a year-long drug
probe by Langley RCMP. | ||||||||||||||||||||
The investigation shut down a "significant dial-a-dope criminal
organization known as 'Dark Alley,' " the RCMP said. "The
organized-crime cell is alleged to have been involved in the
movement and selling of illegal drugs such as cocaine, pot and
heroin." | ||||||||||||||||||||
Police allege Dark Alley was responsible for street trafficking in
Langley, Aldergrove, Abbotsford, Cloverdale and other Lower Mainland
communities. The gang did not operate in Vancouver. | ||||||||||||||||||||
The gang had business cards printed, which listed phone numbers for
their 24/7 operation. | ||||||||||||||||||||
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(21) OFFICIALS THINK FAKE AGENTS SEIZED POT (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Mexican authorities suspect that drug traffickers made off with a
truck loaded with 12 tons of marijuana, possibly with the unwitting
aid of local police. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Two days later, the seizure of nearly 14,000 pounds of pot at the
U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint at San Clemente had narcotics
investigators in the United States wondering if they were dealing
with at least part of the same drug load. | ||||||||||||||||||||
The incident in Mexico occurred Wednesday when Rosarito Beach police
received a request to intercept a truck. They did so, and then
turned the vehicle over to people who were apparently posing as
Mexican federal agents. | ||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||
It's common for drug traffickers and other organized crime groups in Mexico to disguise themselves as police officers or narcotics agents, complete with phony uniforms and identification. | ||||||||||||||||||||
The drugs, which are the equivalent of 24,000 pounds, would be worth
between $6 million and $9.6 million in San Diego County, according
to figures provided by the Drug Enforcement Administration. They
would be worth three times that on the East Coast. | ||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||
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(22) 50 DRUG PROTECTORS UNDER PNP WATCH (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||
AT LEAST 50 Central Visayas policemen are under close watch by the
Police Regional Office (PRO) 7 amid reports that they are protecting
illegal drug traders in the region, a ranking police official
revealed yesterday. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Citing an intelligence report, Senior Supt. Julio Augusto, PRO 7
deputy director for administration, said each of the alleged
drug-protector policemen get at least P2,000 weekly protection
money. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Alliance | ||||||||||||||||||||
"They have been suspected to be in alliance with drug suppliers. But
we're now adopting a new strategy so we can neutralize them," he
said. | ||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||
Augusto earlier advised policemen who continue using or protecting
illegal drugs to better get out from service or face serious
administrative sanctions. | ||||||||||||||||||||
The PRO 7 has been trying its best to comply with Camp Crame's directive that 60 percent of drug-affected barangays and drug pushers in Central Visayas be already cleared this month. | ||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||
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| ||||||||||||||||||||
HOT OFF THE 'NET (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||
HYPOCRISY AND DEMOCRACY | ||||||||||||||||||||
By Richard Cowan at Marijuananews.com | ||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||
TOMMY CHONG SPEAKS FROM PRISON | ||||||||||||||||||||
After 6 months of jumping through bureaucratic red tape, Sacred Cow Productions finally got into the Federal Prison in Taft California to interview inmate/actor/comedian Tommy Chong of Cheech & Chong. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||
CULTURAL BAGGAGE RADIO SHOW | ||||||||||||||||||||
06/01/04: Hou. Councilwoman Edwards | ||||||||||||||||||||
Ada Edwards, Houston City Council Woman, our first locally elected official will join us to discuss the "not credible" Houston Crime Lab. Also Joining us Al Byrne of Patients out of time and Chris Krane of NORML and Aaron Houston of the Marijuana Policy Project. | ||||||||||||||||||||
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ELECTION OPENS DEBATE ON POT | ||||||||||||||||||||
by Reverend Damuzi (01 Jun, 2004) | ||||||||||||||||||||
As Canada's election day draws nigh, cannabis legalization is still
a pressing concern for those who love their freedom. The NDP are
positioning themselves to become Canada's best chance for drug war
reform. Still, there is much confusion around which candidates and
parties are pro pot, and which are not. | ||||||||||||||||||||
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OHIO HEMPFEST NOT CANCELLED | ||||||||||||||||||||
SSDP is suing The Ohio State University in Federal Court and we
hope to have an injunction granted. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Stay tuned for updates, and keep planning to exercise your First
Amendment rights Saturday, June 5th at Noon. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||
LETTER OF THE WEEK (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Drug Testing Accuracy Rates Misleading | ||||||||||||||||||||
By George Livingston | ||||||||||||||||||||
In regards to the story concerning drug testing at Wurtland Middle School. It should be noted that, when testing for drugs, a "99 percent reliability rate" might not be what it first appears. | ||||||||||||||||||||
It may be that it means that 99 percent of those who actually took drugs will test positive (a good result). It may not mean that 99 percent of those who don't take drugs will test negative. | ||||||||||||||||||||
In fact, a high percentage of false positives can occur if the
percent of those who actually use the drug is fairly low. For
example, if only 2 percent of the target population actually uses
the drug and the test is wrong 1 percent of the time (possibly due
to over-the-counter medications,= certain foods, etc.), then it can
be shown that about 33 percnt of those who test positive will be
false positives. | ||||||||||||||||||||
It would be very easy to penalize the innocent. | ||||||||||||||||||||
George Livingston, | ||||||||||||||||||||
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| ||||||||||||||||||||
FEATURE ARTICLE (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||
West Shore RCMP Raid Vancouver Island Therapeutic Cannabis Research
Institute | ||||||||||||||||||||
By The Vancouver Island Compassion Society | ||||||||||||||||||||
At around 1pm Thursday the West Shore RCMP executed a warrant at the
Vancouver Island Therapeutic Cannabis Research Institute (VITCRI), a
medicinal cannabis research and cultivation facility. VITCRI was a
lab-style production and research facility designed to ensure a safe
and standardized source of organic medicine for the 390 members of
the Vancouver Island Compassion Society (www.thevics.com), a
long-standing Victoria non-profit compassion society. | ||||||||||||||||||||
"This is devastating", stated Philippe Lucas, founder and Director
of the VICS. "With Health Canada bumbling the production and
distribution of cannabis, we've strived to ensure the safety and
quality of the VICS product by testing it for cannabinoids, heavy
metals, and biological impurities; with the execution of a single
warrant all of our members have been thrown back into the vagaries
and uncertainties of the black market." | ||||||||||||||||||||
In a previous case involving the VICS, Lucas received an absolutely
discharge and praise from the judge, who stated "Mr. Lucas enhanced
other peoples lives at minimal or no risk to society ... he provided
that which the Government was unable to provide a safe and high
quality supply of marijuana to those needing it for medicinal
purposes." | ||||||||||||||||||||
As a result of this police action against the VITCRI, that "safe and high quality supply" is no longer, and 2 men face serious charges for helping over 390 critically and chronically ill medicinal users. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Since 90% of Canadians support the medical use of cannabis, and
with Health Canada clearly unable to meet its commitments to
Canada's medicinal users, why are taxpayer money, and police and
court resources still wasted on the arrest and prosecution of
medicinal cannabis users and producers? | ||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||
QUOTE OF THE WEEK (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||
"The criminal law should be employed to deal only with that conduct
for which other means of social control are inadequate or
inappropriate." - _The Criminal Law in Canadian Society_,
/ Government of Canada, Department of Justice, 1982. | ||||||||||||||||||||
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