| Sept. 17, 2004 #367 | ||||||||||||||||||
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Table of Contents
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THIS JUST IN (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
(1) BRAIN MAKES POT-LIKE CHEMICALS (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
Researchers Study Neurons
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SAN JOSE, Calif. - Mother Nature created a way to ``tune in, turn on''
long before pot-smokers rolled their first joint, Stanford scientists
have found. | ||||||||||||||||||
Eavesdropping on the conversations between brain cells, the research
team found that neurons make their own marijuana-like chemicals called
cannabinoids, which indirectly alter the way information is received
and filtered. | ||||||||||||||||||
When the chemicals are released, ``neurons have a harder time deciding
which are the relevant things to pay attention to,'' said investigator
John R. Huguenard, associate professor of neurology and neurological
sciences at Stanford University School of Medicine. | ||||||||||||||||||
For a long time, scientists thought that marijuana altered the mind
in a messy and random way. | ||||||||||||||||||
Now they've identified an elegant modus operandi. It adds to a growing
body of research that explains the mechanism behind getting ``high.''
Marijuana mimics the cannabinoids made naturally by our brain --
chemicals that influence a smorgasbord of body functions including
movement, thought and perception. | ||||||||||||||||||
[snip]
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The research is published in today's issue of the journal Nature. | ||||||||||||||||||
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(2) JUDGE SAYS MARIJUANA VOTE EFFORT INVALID (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
A judge has ruled that an effort to place a medical marijuana issue on the November ballot in Minneapolis is "manifestly unconstitutional." | ||||||||||||||||||
Hennepin County District Judge Richard S. Scherer issued his decision
late Tuesday, a day after hearing arguments in a lawsuit filed after
the Minneapolis City Council refused to put the issue on the ballot.
Scherer's decision supports the city's action, though an appeal is
expected. | ||||||||||||||||||
Last month, a local group called Citizens Organized for Harm Reduction gathered nearly 8,000 valid signatures on a petition demanding an addition to the city's charter that calls for setting up a medicinal marijuana distribution system. The amendment would take effect only if medical marijuana became legal at the state and federal level. | ||||||||||||||||||
Scherer agreed with the city's argument that the amendment would be
unconstitutional because it would conflict with state and federal law.
He noted "it is clear that the proposed amendment seeks to legislate
in areas where the city is preempted."
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[snip]
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(3) BEATING THE GAME (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
The county Probation Department is already a game of chance for drug
users, and new budget cuts will make it worse
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The United States has been engaged in the so-called War on Drugs for seven presidential administrations, or more than 30 years. But for all the hand-wringing and exasperation in this seemingly endless campaign, one fact is often overlooked: Drug offenders who go into the system as users often come out of the system as users. | ||||||||||||||||||
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, approximately 40 percent
of probationers have drug restrictions attached to their sentence,
and most of these are assigned a drug testing regimen to keep them
clean. But the probation system, especially as it is arranged in Los
Angeles, is struggling for breath. Officers are meant to oversee
hundreds of probationers each, drug testing is irregular, and
different judges mete out different punishments for identical
violations, all leading probationers to believe they can beat the
unpredictable justice game and keep using. | ||||||||||||||||||
In the meantime, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's 2004-2005 budget
effectively cuts $66 million from the Los Angeles County Probation
Department (under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families grant),
which will slow the frequency of drug testing for narcotics
offenders on probation and increase the number of adult probationers
on a single officer's caseload to 500. | ||||||||||||||||||
[snip]
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(4) THE NEW CAFFEINE (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
Prescription Drug Adderall Is All The Rage On College Campuses | ||||||||||||||||||
Editor's note: To protect the identities of interviewees who used or sold Adderall illegally, only their first names have been printed. | ||||||||||||||||||
Henry, an Emory University undergrad, couldn't stay awake. A quick
learner, he always put off studying until the last minute. As tests
loomed closer, he'd pull all-nighters. But copious cups of coffee
didn't do the job to help him cram. His eyes eventually fluttered
over his books, and he frequently nodded off. | ||||||||||||||||||
Henry's solution came freshman year in the form of a pill called
Adderall. Prescribed to his roommate for attention
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Soon he was hooked. | ||||||||||||||||||
Now a senior, Henry says Adderall has guided him through dozens of all-night study sessions over the past four years. "My mind focuses on the work," he says, "and my concentration is incredible." | ||||||||||||||||||
[snip]
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WEEKLY NEWS IN REVIEW (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
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Domestic News- Policy
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COMMENT: (5-8) (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
New York's Rockefeller-era drug laws may now be a serious political
liability to their supporters in elected office. It was just a
primary, but in a District Attorney's race in Albany, a critic of
the Rockefeller laws handily beat a heavily-favored incumbent who
supported the ongoing get tough approach. | ||||||||||||||||||
So while New York drug warriors flounder to explain themselves,
federal drug warriors are also attempting some fast talk. They say a
new drug survey validates their crusade by showing that drug use is
going down. While many in the mainstream press bought the party line
after new statistics on drug use were released last week, there have
been some attempt to put the numbers in context, notably by Bruce
Mirken of the Marijuana Policy Project. His analysis shows the
prohibitions have nothing to be proud of in the new numbers. And the
DEA doesn't have much to be proud of as it brings its terror/drug
exhibit to New York City, according to one observer. | ||||||||||||||||||
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(5) SOARES STUNS DA CLYNE (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
Rival's Primary Win Against Former Boss Sends Shock Waves Through
Democratic Leadership
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A young political newcomer delivered a stunning upset to Albany's
Democratic establishment Tuesday as unofficial results showed that
David Soares easily defeated incumbent Paul Clyne for the nomination
for district attorney. | ||||||||||||||||||
With almost all precincts reporting, Soares had 14,030 votes to
Clyne's 8,684. If elected in November, Soares would be the first
African-American district attorney in Albany County. | ||||||||||||||||||
[snip]
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"This was a campaign we launched on issues. Everything is about
politics. It's time to let the criminal justice system be about
criminal justice," Soares said. | ||||||||||||||||||
The race between the fellow Bethlehem residents began to boil in
June when Soares announced plans to run and was fired. Soares
released a new crime-fighting initiative almost every other day
since. The hallmark of his message remains aimed at the repeal of
the Rockefeller Drug Laws. Dozens of supporters rallied Sunday at
the state Capitol, where they formed a human billboard that spelled
out "Reform Rockefeller, Vote Soares."
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[snip]
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(6) DRUG ABUSE FALLS AMONG U.S. YOUTHS, SURVEY FINDS (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
WASHINGTON - Fewer American youths are using marijuana, LSD and
Ecstasy, but more are abusing prescription drugs, the government
reported Thursday. | ||||||||||||||||||
The 2003 National Survey on Drug Use and Health also found that youths and young adults are more aware of the risks of using pot. | ||||||||||||||||||
The study did find a 5 percent decline in the number of 12- to 17-year-olds who say they ever have used marijuana. Among 12- and 13-year-olds, current marijuana smokers - those who said they used it within a month of the survey - declined nearly 30 percent. | ||||||||||||||||||
The survey was based on in-home interviews with 67,784 respondents
age 12 and older. The margin of error for the survey is plus or
minus three percentage points. | ||||||||||||||||||
[snip]
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The study also found that more people had tried prescription pain
relievers who did not need them for medical reasons. The most
striking increase was a 15 percent rise in prescription drug abuse
by people 18 to 25. In the broader population of 12 and older, 5
percent more took those drugs recreationally. | ||||||||||||||||||
[snip]
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(7) DRESSING UP FAILURE (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
Despite the Feds' Positive Spin, a National Survey Shows That Drug
Use Remains at Near-Record Levels. | ||||||||||||||||||
In a Sept. 9 press release from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson cheerfully trumpeted the "encouraging news that more American youths are getting the message that drugs are dangerous, including marijuana." | ||||||||||||||||||
Headlined "Nation's Youth Turning Away From Marijuana," the
statement announced the results of the 2003 National Survey on Drug
Use and Health (NSDUH). Thompson gave credit to President Bush,
saying that stepped-up anti-drug efforts are "a cornerstone of his
compassionate agenda." White House drug czar John Walters chimed in,
declaring, "Young people are getting the message," particularly
about marijuana. | ||||||||||||||||||
Thompson and Walters - who appeared together at a Washington D.C.
press conference - failed to mention that drug use remains at
near-record levels, vastly higher than when President Richard Nixon
declared "war on drugs" back in 1970. | ||||||||||||||||||
Central to Thompson's claim of progress is a reduction in the
percentage of 12- to-17-year-olds who say they have ever used
marijuana; from 20.6 percent in 2002 to 19.6 percent in 2003. But
that 19.6 percent figure is two and a half times the 1970 rate, and
exactly equal to the previous historical peak, 1979. The only time
it's ever been higher was during a record-setting spike from 1998 to
2002. | ||||||||||||||||||
[snip]
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(8) DRUG-FIGHTERS HIGH ON THEIR OWN NONSENSE (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
Let me get this straight. | ||||||||||||||||||
Some American kid smoking pot is to blame for the World Trade Center
terror attack?
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Apparently so. | ||||||||||||||||||
That's the message, anyway, of a glitzy new museum show that opened
yesterday on the first three floors at One Times Square, sponsored
by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.
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"Drug Traffickers, Terrorists and You," the exhibit is called,
which, if I'm not mistaken, was once the official slogan for Times
Square. | ||||||||||||||||||
OK, maybe not. But it probably should have been.
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And all the top generals in the government's Official War on Some Drugs gathered yesterday in cleaned-up Times Square for a standing-room-only opening reception. All of them seemed to agree: That 16-year-old with the pack of rolling papers in his jeans pocket, he's pretty much responsible for the 9/11 attacks. | ||||||||||||||||||
[snip]
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Law Enforcement & Prisons
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COMMENT: (9-12) (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
More ethically questionable tactics by enforcers of the drug war. In
Oregon, a group of residents are suing police over military-style
raid on an alleged marijuana garden that didn't exist. Documents
from the lawsuit show how police misled a judge who issued a search
warrant for the raid. Meanwhile residents in Utah are challenging
the ability of police to search exterior door knobs for drug
residue. | ||||||||||||||||||
While police there were swabbing doorknobs for incriminating
evidence, a U.S. border agent was transporting hundreds of kilos of
marijuana from Canada. Press accounts say he did it because he was
being blackmailed. And, the old Hollywood dictum by screenwriter
William Goldman that "nobody knows anything," can also be applied to
the actual size of the illegal marijuana crop in Canada. A
fascinating analysis in the Vancouver Sun sets forth the assumptions
that are made when police estimate the extent of an illegal market,
and why estimates can vary by factors of ten or more. | ||||||||||||||||||
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(9) WHITEAKER RESIDENTS SUE POLICE OVER RAID (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
A lawsuit over a controversial 2002 drug raid in Eugene's Whiteaker neighborhood claims that police lied to persuade a judge to give them a search warrant to raid three adjacent houses near West Fifth Avenue and Adams Street in search of a marijuana growing operation. | ||||||||||||||||||
The early morning raid - in which 59 officers used an armored truck
and diversionary explosions of "flash-bang" grenades in a
militaristic show of force - found no drug operation and resulted in
no criminal prosecution. | ||||||||||||||||||
Whiteaker residents Tam Davage, 37, and Marcella Monroe, 43,
threatened suit more than a year ago. | ||||||||||||||||||
The 46-page complaint by Eugene lawyer Martha Walters arrived last week in federal court in Eugene and seeks at least $25,500 in damages and possibly much more for punitive and other damages. | ||||||||||||||||||
Eugene attorney Jens Schmidt, who represents the city, declined to
comment on allegations in the lawsuit. | ||||||||||||||||||
While the incident has been dogged by claims police used excessive
force, the lawsuit is the first to publicly detail allegations that
police misled the judge who issued the search warrant by omitting
facts that contradicted their belief a drug operation existed in a
vacant home or other structures on the properties. | ||||||||||||||||||
[snip]
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(10) DOORKNOB SWABS CHALLENGED (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
Technique to Detect Drugs, Guns Violates Rights, Cases Contend | ||||||||||||||||||
A man's home is his castle. To three Utahns, that means their
sanctuary extends all the way to their doorknobs. | ||||||||||||||||||
But they claim police are trespassing by wiping door handles with a
cloth that collects traces of illegal drugs. | ||||||||||||||||||
The men, in separate cases, are challenging the use of test results
that allegedly revealed microscopic drug particles on their front
doors - information officers used to bolster their requests for
search warrants. | ||||||||||||||||||
To the trio, the high-tech approach is a blatant violation of the Fourth Amendment right to be free of unreasonable searches. | ||||||||||||||||||
A person has a subjective expectation of privacy in their front door, which is part of the home itself, assistant federal defender Wendy Lewis wrote in her request to throw out evidence seized during a 2003 search of Anthony Diviase Mora's house in Ogden. | ||||||||||||||||||
Although we may allow for someone knocking on the door, we do expect that items on the front door themselves are protected, she said. | ||||||||||||||||||
But federal prosecutors insist no warrant is needed to swab a
doorknob and run the test - called an Ionscan - to detect whether
occupants and visitors have been in contact with drugs. The exterior
of a home cannot be expected to remain untouched, they say, as
friends, solicitors, proselytizers, campaign workers and delivery
people come to the door. | ||||||||||||||||||
[snip]
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(11) U.S. BORDER AGENT FACES DRUG SMUGGLING CHARGE (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
An eight-year veteran of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency has been arrested by his colleagues for allegedly attempting to smuggle 243 kilograms of B.C. bud across the border. | ||||||||||||||||||
Cory Whitfield, 35, was arrested at the Aldergrove crossing at
Lynden, Wash., on Monday morning when he allegedly tried to cross
the border in a van with B.C. plates.
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According to court documents, agents found the marijuana sealed in plastic in drawers and cupboards in the back of the van. | ||||||||||||||||||
"He was arrested for possession and importation of a controlled
substance," said Mike Milne, spokesman for the agency, adding that
an arrest of an agent whose job it is to ensure drugs and other
contraband don't get into the U.S. is "very unusual."
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Milne said Whitfield worked for two years at the border in Blaine, but has spent the last six years as a U.S. customs agent at Vancouver airport where his job was to screen U.S.-bound travellers. | ||||||||||||||||||
Court documents say Whitfield, who lives in Point Roberts with his
wife and two children, told border agents he was headed to
Bellingham to deliver a car engine to a friend and that he did not
own the van he was driving. | ||||||||||||||||||
The documents say Whitfield claimed he was the "fall guy" in the
alleged trafficking scheme centered in Surrey and that if he talked
he would be a "dead man."
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The documents say Whitfield admitted to agents that he has taken
marijuana across the border once before under similar circumstances.
On this particular run, he was supposed to have the van at Bellis
Fair Mall at noon. | ||||||||||||||||||
Whitfield said the Surrey connection had threatened him with
photographs showing him in compromising situations involving drugs
and a sexual encounter with a woman at a party if he did not do what
he was told. | ||||||||||||||||||
[snip]
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(12) THE BOTTOM LINE OF CRIME (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
Measuring The Economic Impact Of Criminal Activity Is An Inexact
Science
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According to reports published in the last year or so, the number of
marijuana-growing operations in B.C. is:
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a.) 2,000
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b.) 20,000
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c.) Some number in between. | ||||||||||||||||||
The correct answer is, of course, d.) All of the above. | ||||||||||||||||||
Similar wildly differing estimates are found for the amount of
marijuana produced in a typical growing operation. Or for the price
it might fetch per gram, ounce, pound or kilo. Or for how much of it
is from organized criminals vs. mom-and-pop independents. Or for how
much is consumed locally vs. what's exported to other provinces or
the U.S. Etc., etc.
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And, while most agree that growing marijuana is B.C.'s most-common organized crime, it's not the only one. Yet there's no way to rank the impact of others -- making and selling chemical drugs, trafficking heroin or cocaine, smuggling goods or people, prostitution, loan-sharking, credit-card fraud and more. | ||||||||||||||||||
Indeed, trying to nail down the impact of organized crime on the
B.C. economy is like trying to nail jelly to the wall. All that's
certain is that it's really big. | ||||||||||||||||||
[snip]
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Cannabis & Hemp-
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COMMENT: (13-17) (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
Perhaps common sense flees the center only to gather at the poles;
how else to explain the Alaska Supreme Court decision to deny a
petition seeking the reconsideration of a ruling that allows for the
safe-keeping of up to 4 oz of cannabis for personal use in one's
home. The court continued to defend the right to privacy of Alaska's
citizens, even as the state Attorney General Gregg Renkes vowed to
fight on, hoping to convince the legislature that cannabis is
harmful enough to merit amending the state constitution. Our second
story looks at the debate surrounding the upcoming Oregon medicinal
cannabis initiative, which would expand Oregon's medical cannabis
program by allowing for the creation of state-regulated dispensaries
to meet the needs of registered medical users. With his usual tact
and empathy, drug czar John Walters ignored the pleas of the state's
critically and chronically ill citizens, calling the initiative a
"fraud". | ||||||||||||||||||
Our third story follows the travails of Vancouver's Da Kine cafe,
which has continued to sell cannabis over the counter despite a
high-profile raid by over 30 Vancouver police officers last week.
With continuing media scrutiny, strong public support and an
upcoming business license review by the City of Vancouver, it is
clear that the final chapter of this story has yet to written.
Fourthly this week is a report from England on the use of cannabis
for the treatment of MS. In the largest trial of MS patients to date
- involving over 500 patients with advanced MS - those using
cannabis-based oral medications indicated a reduction in pain and
muscle spasticity, and an improvement in mobility and coordination.
The evidence supports animal studies suggesting that cannabis may
slow nerve cell death and act as a neuroprotectant. | ||||||||||||||||||
And lastly, an Op-Ed from the Vancouver Sun by your faithful editor
addressing the continued folly of cannabis prohibition and
enforcement in Canada. As Canadian uber-activist Marc Emery begins
his second month in jail for passing a joint, it is clear that
despite the international impression of Canada as a place of reason
and moderation in drug policy, our "war on drugs" is just as flawed,
illogical and immoral as that of our southern neighbors. Now if only
we could find a way to join Alaska. | ||||||||||||||||||
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(13) ALASKA SUPREME COURT CHOOSES PRIVACY OVER POT (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
The Alaska Supreme Court denied on Thursday a petition by the state
attorney general's office seeking reconsideration of a decision
allowing personal marijuana in the home. | ||||||||||||||||||
The Supreme Court upheld last year's Court of Appeal unanimous
ruling in Noy v. State of Alaska that solidified the argument a
person's constitutional right to privacy is greater than a voter
initiative making marijuana illegal. | ||||||||||||||||||
The Court of Appeals decision was based largely upon a controversial 1975 Alaska Supreme Court opinion handed down in Ravin v. State allowing adults to possess marijuana for personal use in their home. | ||||||||||||||||||
[snip]
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(14) OREGON MEDICAL POT MEASURE IGNITES OPPOSITION (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
A measure on the Nov. 2 ballot to expand the medical use of marijuana is drawing fire from the White House drug czar, who says it would turn Oregon into a "safe haven for drug trafficking." | ||||||||||||||||||
Measure 33 would make it easier for ailing people to obtain
marijuana and allow them to possess more of it. | ||||||||||||||||||
But White House drug czar John Walters, echoing the criticism of
Oregon's district attorneys, calls Measure 33 a "fraud" on Oregon
voters and a back door attempt to legalize marijuana. | ||||||||||||||||||
[snip]
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Under Oregon's current law, qualified patients are allowed to grow
and use small amounts of marijuana without fear of prosecution as
long as a doctor says it might help their condition. | ||||||||||||||||||
The measure on the Nov. 2 ballot would create state-regulated
dispensaries authorized to supply up to 6 pounds of marijuana per
year to qualified patients, although they could possess only 1 pound
at any given time. | ||||||||||||||||||
[snip]
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(15) B.C. CAFE SERVES UP POT AND CONTROVERSY (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
The lineup outside the Vancouver cafe forms even before the doors
open. Couples, students -- even the odd senior -- stand patiently in
the September drizzle. They all know what's on the menu, so it's
worth the damp wait. | ||||||||||||||||||
The cafe is called Da Kine (a superlative in Hawaiian slang) and
here marijuana is sold openly. The sidewalk sign says it's a smoke
and beverage shop. But inside, customers ignore the juice and pop
fridge and head straight for the counter. Two joints cost $10, and
most customers leave with a smug smile on their faces. | ||||||||||||||||||
Da Kine isn't the first cafe in this pot-friendly West Coast city to
put marijuana on the menu, but it may be the most blatant. Da Kine
has a few chairs and tables, but apart from non-alcoholic drinks,
there's nothing to ingest except pot and hashish. | ||||||||||||||||||
Owner Carol Gwilt recently raised the stakes -- and police tempers -- by openly admitting her marijuana sales. In some media interviews, it appeared she was daring police to charge her. | ||||||||||||||||||
[snip]
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(16) CANNABIS TRULY HELPS MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS SUFFERERS (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
Cannabis may loosen the stiff and spastic muscles of multiple
sclerosis sufferers, and not just their minds, a follow-up study has
found. | ||||||||||||||||||
The results contradict findings from the first phase of the study, where improvements seemed to be largely due to "good moods". | ||||||||||||||||||
"There does seem to be evidence of some benefit from cannabis in the
longer term that we didn't anticipate in the short term study," says
John Zajicek, at Peninsula Medical School in Exeter, UK, and one of
the research team. [snip] At the end of the 12 month period, the
patients were evaluated again using the same measures as in the
first study. But this time, physiotherapists saw a marked
improvement for subjects on active drugs. They had reduced muscle
spasticity and an improved overall score for their level of
disability. | ||||||||||||||||||
[snip]
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(17) GRIPPED BY REEFER MADNESS (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
Researcher Hopes Crackdowns Signal That the End of Cannabis
Prohibition Is Nigh
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"I submit that an individual who breaks a law that conscience tells
him is unjust, and who willingly accepts the penalty of imprisonment
in order to arouse the conscience of the community over its
injustice, is in reality expressing the highest respect for the
law."
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- - Martin Luther King
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For several months, Da Kine on Commercial Drive has been challenging prohibition by openly selling cannabis. Following a series of high-profile national news stories about the cafe, neighbours have felt compelled to defend the establishment, saying there are now fewer dealers on the street corners, and fewer pot smokers in the nearby park. But that did not stop Vancouver police from raiding the cafe on Thursday evening and arresting six people for selling pot. | ||||||||||||||||||
Last week in Hamilton, Ont., local police walked into a newly opened cannabis cafe and made their first arrest for possession of marijuana. They had no choice, the law was being flouted. The 76-year-old woman in a wheelchair whom they charged had no Health Canada licence to possess cannabis, which she used to alleviate the symptoms of her multiple sclerosis. She was so distraught by the incident that she had to be taken away in an ambulance. | ||||||||||||||||||
Thank you, officers, I feel so much safer now that law and order
have been restored. | ||||||||||||||||||
[snip]
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International News
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COMMENT: (18-21) (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
In a gruesome display of prohibitionist zeal and orthodoxy, the
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia publicly beheaded another three people for
cannabis offenses. The three Saudi security guards were put to death
for trafficking an unreported amount of cannabis resin (hashish),
according to reports. Over 50 people were executed in the Islamic
kingdom last year alone. | ||||||||||||||||||
In the Philippines, while death squads (commonly believed to be
police) summarily execute those suspected with involvement with
drugs in places like Davao City, in prisons, officials overlook a
bustling trade in methamphetamines. The latest drug scandal to sully
Philippine authorities broke last week in the Bagong Buhay
Rehabilitation Center, a vast and crowded prison near Cebu City,
when a surprise inspection revealed a huge cache of "shabu"
(methamphetamine pills). Philippine columnists were shocked,
shocked, over the discovery of the meth in prison. But they needn't
have been. Prohibitionist regimes are notorious for their inability
even to keep drugs out of prisons. While Philippine authorities fret
over the prisoners' ready access to drugs on the one hand, other
officials last week warned that meth labs could exist in rural areas
of the Philippines. Region 6 police chief George Alino cautioned
people to watch out for "suspicious-looking persons who engage in
mysterious manufacturing." (Apparently police there have not
discovered that meth can be made anywhere, using common, household
ingredients.)
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President Bush this week released a list of countries the U.S. wished to criticize for drug trafficking. Thailand, the scene of over 2,000 summary executions of blacklisted drug offenders last year alone, was removed from the list. Mr Bush did not mention the brutal extralegal executions in a statement delivered by the White House on September 16th. Bush noted the increase in Afghan opium and heroin output, an increase that has happened since the U.S. invaded the landlocked Asian nation in 2001. The U.S. president also criticized Canada, urging Canadians to jail more pot growers (to take "significant judicial sanctions against marijuana producers"), so that prohibition will work just as well as it does in the states. | ||||||||||||||||||
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(18) SECURITY GUARDS BEHEADED IN SAUDI ARABIA (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia - Three Saudi security guards were beheaded in
northern Saudi Arabia on Sunday after being convicted of trafficking
hashish and using government vehicles to transport the drug, the
Interior Ministry said. | ||||||||||||||||||
[snip]
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The guards were later convicted of drug trafficking and breaching
the state's trust for using the vehicles. | ||||||||||||||||||
They were beheaded in the northern border city of Arar, according to
the Interior Ministry statement, carried by the official Saudi Press
Agency. | ||||||||||||||||||
Sunday's executions brings to 13 the number of people executed here
this year. Last year at least 52 people, mostly drug smugglers, were
beheaded. | ||||||||||||||||||
[snip]
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(19) TAKING THEIR SWEET TIME ON BBRC (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
The cache of shabu, seized during a recent bust inside the Bagong Buhay Rehabilitation Center (BBRC), should top the list of irregularities that have been hounding the detention facility. | ||||||||||||||||||
It is already bad if one only considers that the drugs are for the
consumption of inmates. It becomes worse if the suspicion that part
of the supply is sold outside is proven true. | ||||||||||||||||||
[snip]
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But there is more than just crime in the trafficking of drugs inside
the jail or through it. It mocks law enforcement and speeds up the
destruction of lives, especially of detainees who are supposed to be
saved from their descent to hell. | ||||||||||||||||||
[snip]
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(20) CLANDESTINE SHABU LAB NOT REMOTE, ARROYO SAYS (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
Isabela, Negros Occ. - The possibility that a clandestine shabu
laboratory has been established in Negros Occidental or in other
provinces of Western Visayas is not remote at all. | ||||||||||||||||||
Retained Region 6 police chief George Alino yesterday raised such
possibility as he alerted the people of Western Visayas to be wary
about the presence of suspicious-looking persons who engage in
mysterious manufacturing in their areas. | ||||||||||||||||||
The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency is also coordinating with
various law enforcement intelligence units in verifying persistent
reports about the existence of a clandestine shabu laboratory in
Negros Occidental. | ||||||||||||||||||
[snip]
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(21) THAILAND OFF U.S. LIST OF DRUG COUNTRIES (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
WASHINGTON - President Bush has removed Thailand from the U.S.
government list of countries where significant illicit drug
trafficking takes place. | ||||||||||||||||||
The move was the result of Thailand's progress in reducing opium
poppy cultivation along with advances in other areas, the White
House said Thursday in a statement. | ||||||||||||||||||
With Thailand deleted from the list, the number of major drug-transit or drug-producing countries was reduced to 22. | ||||||||||||||||||
[snip]
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Bush praised some aspects of Canada's drug enforcement activities
but said he was concerned about the "lack of significant judicial
sanctions against marijuana producers."
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[snip]
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On Afghanistan, Bush expressed concern about the increase in opium poppy production in the provinces despite good faith efforts on the part of the U.S.-backed central government. United Nations figures show that three-quarters of all opium poppy is grown in Afghanistan. | ||||||||||||||||||
[snip]
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HOT OFF THE 'NET (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
Da Kine Owner Re-Arrested
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Police in Vancouver have re-arrested the owner of a so-called `pot cafe,' on a charge she was in breach in her bail conditions. | ||||||||||||||||||
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MPP to Appeal Ruling Barring Medical Marijuana From Ballot | ||||||||||||||||||
September 15, 2004
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MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA -- The Washington, D.C.-based Marijuana Policy Project (MPP) today announced it will immediately appeal a district court decision upholding the Minneapolis City Council's decision to keep a medical marijuana proposal off the November ballot. | ||||||||||||||||||
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Drug Czar Attacks the Nadelmann in National Review; Nadelmann Replies | ||||||||||||||||||
Thurs, Sept. 09, 2004
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A Live Chat With Nadelmann and Piper About Election 2004 | ||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday, Sept. 14, 2004
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Audio Online. | ||||||||||||||||||
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Cultural Baggage Radio Show
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Dr. Joseph McNamara, 35 year veteran of law enforcement. Author of
"Gangster Cops."
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Author of "7 Ways to Beat Addiction" which outlines the failures of
most drug treatment regimens. | ||||||||||||||||||
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Cannabis May Help Combat Cancer
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The chemical in cannabis that produces a high may help to combat
the spread of cancer, research suggests. | ||||||||||||||||||
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2003 National Survey on Drug Use and Health
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SAMHSA's National Press Event, 9/9/2004
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Secretary Tommy G. Thompson announced today that there is a five percent decline in the number of American youth between the ages of 12 and 17 who have ever used marijuana. Current use of marijuana plummeted nearly 30 percent among 12 and 13 year olds. The findings were included in the 2003 National Survey on Drug Use and Health released today at the annual Recovery Month press conference. | ||||||||||||||||||
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U.S. Releases Annual Narcotics Certification Report
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Burma not meeting counternarcotics obligations, White House says | ||||||||||||||||||
President Bush has authorized Secretary of State Colin Powell to
submit the annual report listing major illicit drug-producing and
drug-transit countries to Congress. According to a September 16
White House press release, the report also contains presidential
determinations of countries that have not met their international
counternarcotics obligations.
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http://usinfo.state.gov/usinfo/Archive/washfile_feature5.html | ||||||||||||||||||
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LETTER OF THE WEEK (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
SHOULD U.S. END WAR ON DRUGS?
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By Sean McAllister
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We applaud The Denver Post for continuing its strong support of drug
policy reform with its editorial calling for the legalization,
regulation, and taxation of marijuana. We are proud to announce the
recent formation of a new non-profit organization, Sensible
Colorado, dedicated to ending the failed policies of unregulated
marijuana prohibition and the unproductive approach to other drug
use in Colorado. Both Nevada and Alaska will have citizen's
initiatives on the ballot this November calling for the regulation
and taxation of marijuana. | ||||||||||||||||||
While marijuana use and abuse should never be encouraged, Sensible
Colorado will educate voters about the social and economic benefits
of regulating marijuana like alcohol. For example, as Colorado has
one of the highest rates of marijuana use in the country, regulating
it would remove the threat of arrest and jail for adults over 21 who
use marijuana without harming others. Nationwide, there are
approximately 700,000 marijuana arrests every year and at least
30,000 people in prison or jails for marijuana violations. This is
an enormous waste of limited police resources that should be used to
address violent crimes, property crimes, and people who drive under
the influence of any drug. A 2001 study in Nevada showed that taxing
marijuana could generate approximately $30 million per year, money
that could be used to fund health care for all citizens or treatment
for drug addiction. Regulating marijuana takes control away from the
criminal element and eliminates the gateway effect by reducing the
opportunity for drug dealers to push other harder drugs along with
marijuana. | ||||||||||||||||||
The current system is not working. It's time for sensible marijuana
policy in Colorado that focuses on reducing actual harms of the drug
rather than on zealous prohibition to the exclusion of all other
values. | ||||||||||||||||||
Sean McAllister, Denver
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FEATURE ARTICLE (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
TASK FORCE TOPPLING?
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By Jake Bernstein
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Could the era of Texas' notorious regional narcotics task forces be
ending? Possibly. A number of city officials across the state have
reflected on the expensive lesson learned by the City of
Amarillo-which earlier this year paid a $5 million settlement to
victims of the much-discredited Tulia drug sting-and have pulled out
of their local task forces in order to avoid the negative publicity,
scandalous headlines, and hefty civil suits that seem to plague
these law enforcement entities. | ||||||||||||||||||
On August 31, the North Central Texas Narcotics Task Force, which covered Denton and Grayson Counties, ceased operations thanks to a July decision by Denton County Sheriff Weldon Lucas to disband the 15-year-old agency. As part of the move, the task force is returning what remains of its $418,738 Byrne grant to Gov. Rick Perry's office, which administers Byrne funds. August 31 also marked the end of the South Plains Regional Narcotics Task Force, which has conducted narcotics investigations and stings in Lubbock and 17 outlying counties for more than 15 years. In mid-August, the Lubbock Police Department pulled out of South Plains and forfeited its role as administrator of the task force's $655,650 Byrne grant. | ||||||||||||||||||
In explaining their decision to withdraw, Lubbock police department
officials cited rising insurance premiums and fees, the need for
officers to focus on city drug cases, and an excessive expenditure
of officers' time and travel to cover such a vast area. However,
increased liability risks were also a major factor. Lubbock lies
just south of the area once served by the Panhandle Regional
Narcotics Trafficking Task Force, which employed Tom Coleman-the
officer primarily responsible for the botched up Tulia sting. As the
Panhandle task force's grant administrator, Amarillo became
financially liable for Coleman's actions, even though the sheriff's
department of neighboring Swisher County hired him. The Panhandle
task force disbanded this spring. | ||||||||||||||||||
Moving southward, the City of Laredo has pulled out of the Laredo
Multi-Agency Narcotics Task Force, also forfeiting its role as grant
administrator and reducing the task force by half. The Laredo
Morning Times reported that the Laredo city manager and police chief
said their reasons for withdrawing were "purely economical and
budgetary." Webb County will administer the $1.14 million Byrne
grant for the task force, which also covers Zapata County.
Meanwhile, the DPS stepped into the area once covered by the
troubled 81st Judicial District Narcotics Task Force by creating the
11-county Regional Narcotics Task Force, launched in July. The DPS
will oversee the new task force, which includes San Antonio and
South Texas; this year it received more than $1.5 million in Byrne
grant start-up funds from Perry's office. Unlike traditional task
forces, it will target drug trafficking organizations instead of
low-level, individual dealers. | ||||||||||||||||||
In the midst of change-much of which comes as good news for task
force critics, including the ACLU of Texas-some folks still can't
let go. One is state Rep. Delwin Jones (R-Lubbock), who on August 23
called a meeting in Levelland with representatives from the DPS and
law enforcement agencies still participating in the South Plains
task force in an attempt to find a replacement grantee. No other
task force participant accepted the job, leading Jones to look to
the DPS for assistance. The Lubbock Avalanche-Journal also reports
that Jones plans to introduce legislation this session to keep the
South Plains task force running. | ||||||||||||||||||
Perhaps it's time for Rep. Jones to reread his copy of Too Far Off
Task, the 2002 report by the ACLU of Texas that cataloged two dozen
task force scandals from Tulia to Hearne. But if Jones needs a fresh
scandal to convince him that the task force model simply doesn't
work, he might try calling up Blair Davis, a Houston-area landscape
contractor. In late July, Davis was visited by several
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QUOTE OF THE WEEK (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||
"Democracy cannot be maintained without its foundation: free public
opinion and free discussion throughout the nation of all matters
affecting the state within the limits set by the criminal code and
the common law."
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-The Supreme Court of Canada, 1938
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