| Nov. 24, 2006 #476 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Table of Contents
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THIS JUST IN (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
(1) DEALER SENTENCED IN DRUG OVERDOSE (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The 84-Month Jail Term Is Due to a Law That Allows Drug Dealers to Be
Punished When Their Clients Die. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Shane Jesmer was an expert snowboarder who dreamed of someday competing
in the Olympics. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
When he broke a collarbone in 2004, he made the mistake of seeking out
a drug dealer to help him cope with the pain. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The dealer, Raoul Mahon Keith, sold him a lethal amount of methadone
and on Wednesday was sentenced to 84 months in prison under a seldom-
used state charge, "controlled substance homicide." | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Keith sold the drug to Jesmer, 19, who had a fatal overdose. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Keith, 38, of Everett, told the sentencing judge he doesn't want to be
labeled as a drug dealer. Snohomish County Superior Court Judge Ronald
Castleberry responded, "I don't know what a drug dealer is if he is
not." | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Jesmer, of Monroe, drove with some friends to Everett and bought the
methadone from Keith on Oct. 31, 2004, according to court papers filed
by deputy prosecutor Janice Albert. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
According to charging papers, Jesmer consumed most of a small bottle of
methadone and went to sleep. He wasn't breathing when companions woke
up, and aid personnel couldn't revive him. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Snohomish County Medical Examiner's office ruled that Jesmer died
of an overdose of methadone and diazepam, a drug used to relieve
anxiety, muscle spasms and seizures, documents said. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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(2) CRISIS IN COLOMBIA SHAKES COLOMBIA (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Some Politicians Arrested, Linked To Death Squads | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
BOGOTA, Colombia - The government of President Alvaro Uribe is being
shaken by its most serious political crisis yet, as details emerge
about members of Congress who collaborated with right-wing death squads
to spread terror and exert political control across Colombia's
Caribbean coast. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Two senators, Alvaro Garcma and Jairo Merlano, are in custody, as is a
congressman, Eric Morris, and a former congresswoman, Muriel Benito.
Four local officials have been arrested, and a warrant has been issued
for a former governor, Salvador Arana. All are from the state of Sucre,
where the attorney general's office has been exhuming bodies from mass
graves -- victims of a paramilitary campaign to erode civilian support
for Marxist rebels in Colombia's long conflict. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The investigation, which has revealed how legislators and paramilitary
commanders rigged elections and planned assassinations, has shaken
Colombia's Congress to its core. One powerful senator from Cesar state,
Alvaro Araujo, has warned that if he is targeted in the investigation,
it would taint relatives of his in the government and, ultimately, the
president, whom he has strongly supported. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The arrests and disclosures about the investigation, which is focusing
on at least five more members of Congress, come weeks after prosecutors
leaked a report revealing how paramilitary fighters have killed
hundreds of people, trafficked cocaine to the United States and sacked
government institutions while negotiating a disarmament with Uribe's
government. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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(3) CANNABIS IS LINKED TO RISING CHILD CRIME AND HARDER DRUGS (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
327,000 Hard-Drug Addicts in Britain | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Higher Use Due to Falling Street Prices | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Magistrates are calling for tougher laws on cannabis to halt a crime
wave among children who are stealing to buy drugs and graduating to
more dangerous drugs. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The demand for the Government to move the drug back to Class B from
Class C for young offenders came yesterday as two reports showed that
Britain's drug problems continue unabated. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The toll of hard drug abuse in England and Wales is now put at more
than UKP15 billion a year in economic and social costs, according to
Home Office figures. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The number of addicts has risen to 327,000 and Britain's illicit drug market is now estimated to be generating UKP5.3 billion for traffickers and dealers. Heroin and crack, seen as the most dangerous of the illicit drugs, account for about half of the market's total value. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
A second report published yesterday by the European Union's main drug
monitoring agency provided further alarming evidence of Britain's
inability to tackle its drug problems. It places Britain among the
worst European nations for drug misuse at a time when prices are
falling and addiction could rise further. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Despite record levels of drug seizures, officials admit they are
failing to hit the markets where users buy their drugs. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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(4) EDITORIAL: ADDICTED TO FAILURE (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Britain's Drug Problems Demand a Serious Rethink | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The most optimistic reading of the remarks by Europe's top anti-drugs
official yesterday was that the war against drugs is in a quagmire. In
Britain, new government statistics suggest that there is a serious and
growing drug problem. Although the illicit nature of drug use means
that no calculation can ever be wholly accurate, the Home Office
estimates are probably more robust, and more alarming, than anything
previously published. The number of problem drug users is reckoned to
be 327,466, which is a tally of directly damaged and destroyed lives.
They put the illicit drug market in the UK at about UKP5.3 billion, and
the economic and social cost to the country at a staggering UKP15.4
billion. This is failure on a colossal scale. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
What should be done? The sheer size of the drugs industry is often used
to argue that prohibition is doomed to fail. And it is certainly true
that, on the basis of these Home Office figures, UK Drugs Inc is around
the same size as British Airways - a huge and powerful (and legitimate)
organisation - with UK Drugs Inc presumably making exponentially higher
(and untaxed) profits. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The drug barons' grip does not seem to have been shaken by the record hauls of illicit substances bagged by customs officers in recent years: falling prices suggest that supply has barely been dented. Nor do our legal sanctions seem to have had much success in deterring demand. Government surveys show large numbers of young people apparently happily admitting to having experimented with a range of drugs. And this illicit industry fights hard and dirty to expand its market. Many addicts become pushers in order to fund their habit, and they have few scruples about where they sell their dangerous wares - on the street or at the school gate. Drugs have become the lifeblood of organised crime, and inevitably associated with prostitution, shootings and standover tactics. The Home Office finds that the largest component of the social cost of drugs, around 90 per cent, is drug-related crime. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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WEEKLY NEWS IN REVIEW (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Domestic News- Policy | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
COMMENT: (5-9) (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
On this day after Thanksgiving I am thankful that our press is still
free enough to allow arguments against our drug policy to find
print. Many more opinion pieces about the disparity between crack
and powder cocaine sentences appeared this week. I found an
excellent editorial highlighting the fallacies of our WOD and
concluding that prohibition is not working in a West Virginia paper.
And a special word of thanks to a Florida school board who rejected
drug testing for their students even in the face of a fairly major
bribe by our federal government. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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(5) OPED: TAKE ANOTHER CRACK AT THAT OUT-OF-WHACK COCAINE LAW (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
One of our most infamous contemporary laws is the 100-1 difference
in sentencing between crack cocaine and powder cocaine. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Under federal drug laws, prison sentences are usually tied to the
quantity of drugs the defendant trafficked. For example, selling
5,000 grams of powder cocaine (about a briefcase full) gets a
mandatory 10-year prison sentence, but so does selling only 50 grams
of crack cocaine (the weight of a candy bar). | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Working for the House Judiciary Committee in 1986, I wrote the House
bill that was the basis for that law. We made some terrible
mistakes. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Those mistakes, aggravated by the Justice Department's misuse of the penalties, have been a disaster. Conventional wisdom is that the 100-1 ratio needs to be repealed. But that's an inadequate fix. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
On Tuesday, the U.S. Sentencing Commission the independent agency
that gives sentencing guidelines to federal judges and advises
Congress will hold hearings on this issue. If logic prevails, in the
next Congress we may finally see an end to one of the most unjust
laws passed in recent memory. And that might correct the biggest
mistake of my professional life. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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(6) Editorial: CRACK COCAINE SENTENCING GUIDELINES NEED CHANGES (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Twenty years ago, Congress passed an unwise, unjust law mandating
long prison terms for people caught with small amounts of crack
cocaine. As a result, small-time users, dealers and couriers --
overwhelmingly poor black men -- are locked up for years while
big-time traffickers keep cocaine supplies flowing. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The law requires five years in prison for five grams of crack
cocaine -- the weight of a few sugar packets; it takes 500 grams of
powder cocaine to trigger the same sentence. It's time to change the
law. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
In 1995, 1997 and 2002, the U.S. Sentencing Commission, which
advises Congress and the federal judiciary, called for eliminating
or modifying the 100-to-1 disparity in cocaine penalties. But nobody
wanted to look soft on drugs. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday, the commission held new hearings. U.S. District Judge
Reggie B. Walton, deputy drug czar in the elder Bush's | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
A better idea comes from Eric Sterling, who helped write the 1986
anti-crack law as a House Judiciary staffer. Now president of the
Criminal Justice Policy Foundation, Sterling argues that the new law
should "raise the quantity triggers for all drugs to realistic
levels for high-level traffickers, such as 50 or 100 kilos of
cocaine." | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Federal prosecutors should focus resources on the big fish. State
and local authorities can prosecute the small fry. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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(7) Column: JUST SAY NO TO THE EXPENSIVE AND INEFFECTUAL WAR ON DRUGS (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Having written more than 1,100 columns since returning to the News Journal six years ago this month, I've committed some doozies. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
This may be another, but I'm going to try anyway: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
We need to end or rethink this so-called war on drugs. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
It costs billions of dollars, and it isn't very effective. Let's
find other ways to deal with drugs. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
There's another disparity. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Powdered cocaine, preferred by white people like the Sandshaker set,
carries less-serious penalties than crack cocaine, generally
associated with black inner-city residents. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Five grams of crack gets you the same sentence as 500 grams of
powdered cocaine, supposedly because crack is more potent. That's
like deciding to go softer on the driver drunk on white wine than on
someone blitzed on whiskey because Jim Beam is stronger than the
Gallo Brothers. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Since the current system isn't working, I favor abolishing it, or at
least sharply revamping it. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
At the same time, I worry that I might be tempted to try the stuff
if it's legal. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
See me coming home from work: "Hi, honey, I got some milk and bread at the store. I also got some crack cocaine on sale, and I bought some really nice powdered cocaine for the Christmas party." | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Then again, most of us resist the temptation to constantly abuse
alcohol, chocolate or whatever other vices are legal. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Like a lot of topics, this one is more gray than black or white. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
But this is clear: I'd rather tax the drugs -- and raise alcohol
taxes, too -- and put the money into counseling and other, more
valuable law enforcement efforts. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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(8) Editorial: DRUGHEADS (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
West Virginia Dilemma | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
SENSIBLE people can't understand why part of the population craves
illicit drugs -- even risking jail, health damage or job loss.
Perhaps dope users are dissatisfied with their lives, and want to
flee into narcotic dreamland. Some addicts may be like alcoholics,
with body chemistry that makes them susceptible. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
West Virginia's drug headache keeps changing. An upsurge in crack
cocaine was followed by an upsurge in OxyContin, which was followed
by an upsurge in meth labs. New state laws curbing meth ingredients
have lessened the latter. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Amid the waves of hard drugs, mild marijuana seems rather harmless,
no worse than beer. We often argue that pot should be legalized, to
save police, prosecutors, courts and puffers the hassle. Maybe some
of the harder substances could be treated as a medical problem,
instead of a crime problem. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
As we said, it's hard to understand why abusers wreck their lives
with narcotics. But some do, and society must deal intelligently
with this reality. The Prohibition-style approach -- police raids,
prosecutions and prison terms -- hasn't crimped drug use. It's time
for a wiser plan against dope. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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(9) SCHOOL BOARD REJECTS DRUG TEST GRANT (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
INVERNESS - The School Board just said no. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
It said no Tuesday to a four-year federal grant that would have paid
for random drug testing of some high school athletes. It said no to
a national study that would have let the federal government evaluate
drug use among Citrus students. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
And, for the first time, a majority said no to the idea of testing
athletes - no matter how such testing was funded. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Three of the five board members said the board will overstep its
authority if it required students to submit to random drug tests as
a condition to play sports. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
"Just because we can, it doesn't mean we should," said board member
Pat Deutschman. "We're reaching into peoples' homes and reaching
into kids' lives outside of school. If we could do that, I would put
a device in every kid's car to keep them from speeding, and I would
make sure they all have condoms in their bedrooms." | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Law Enforcement & Prisons | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
COMMENT: (10-14) (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
When human beings are treated like caged animals they will do most
anything to change their circumstances. The fact that prosecutors
would consider using ANY uncorroborated testimony is a massive slap
in the face of justice. Thankfully, The California Commission on the
Fair Administration of Justice has recommended the obvious - back up
the snitch's stories with facts. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The next two articles are about officers from the front lines who
believe our War on Drugs is ineffective but I don't think they're
LEAP candidates. A retired DEA agent suggests we diminish the demand
for drugs by forcing drug testing on the entire U.S. population. A
North Carolina Sheriff wants to add more drug laws since the
enforcement of our current laws don't seem to be an effective way of
dealing with "the No. 1 enemy of our county, our state and our
nation". | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Finally, two more examples where enforcement of our drug laws
certainly did more damage than the substances we are allegedly being
protected from. In Georgia, narcotics officers served a no-knock
warrant which resulted in the death of the 92-year-old resident. The
warrant has not been made public but it's hard to imagine it
contains anything that would justify this fatal tragedy. In the last
article, Pennsylvania police officers claim a citizen who had been
searched, cuffed and placed in a squad car somehow managed to shoot
himself in the back of his head! | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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(10) LIMITED USE OF JAIL INFORMANTS URGED (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
State Blue Ribbon Panel Says the Legislature Should Enact Laws Requiring Corroborating Evidence If Such Testimony Is Offered. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The state Legislature should limit the use of testimony by jailhouse
informants in criminal trials, according to the latest report issued
by a blue ribbon commission examining problems of wrongful
convictions in California. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The California Commission on the Fair Administration of Justice said
lawmakers should enact a statute barring convictions based on the
testimony of an in-custody informant, unless the account is
corroborated by independent evidence. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Similar corroboration should also be required for jailhouse
informant testimony presented in the penalty phase of a capital
murder case, according to the 20-member commission, which is chaired
by former California Atty. Gen. John Van de Kamp. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The recommended controls, if adopted, would parallel current state
law mandating corroboration if testimony by a defendant's
accomplices is to be introduced. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Jailhouse informants have been implicated in a number of wrongful convictions, including 46% of those reviewed in a study by professors at Northwestern University Law School, the report noted. Critics say it is all too easy for informants to gather information about their fellow inmates' charges and fabricate testimony to persuade prosecutors to offer them leniency on their cases. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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(11) AFTER 28 YEARS WITH DEA, SPECIAL AGENT SETTLES HERE (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The man who oversaw the manhunt for Pablo Escobar, one of the
world's most notorious cocaine traffickers, now lives in southern
Putnam County. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
He has a simple thought concerning America's war on drugs. He said
that if Americans really wanted to win the war on drugs then
Americans need to quit buying. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Jerry Rinehart spent 28 years as a special agent with the Drug Enforcement Administration, combating the flow of illegal drugs into this country. He helped put together the case against Carlos Lehder, the first successful extradition and prosecution of a Medellin cartel member in history. He fought on the front lines of the drug war, destroying cocaine manufacturing labs in the mountains of Colombia. And he worked undercover, infiltrating and exposing a heroin smuggling operation in Baltimore from the inside out. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rinehart said that he believes the U.S. fights the war on drugs to the best of its ability, but it is a battle driven by demand. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
"It's a simple thing," he said. "We are the problem. We are the
consumers." | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
He said that hurdles should be set up that make drug use too risky a
recreation to pursue. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
He believes there should be mandatory drug testing at all levels. To
get a driver's license: drug test. To graduate high school or get a
GED: drug test. To get any job: drug test. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rinehart said that the argument that drug testing infringes on civil
liberties does not hold any water. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
"Is there a "right" to use drugs?" he said. "Think about the money
we have to spend in prisons, drug rehab, insurance on overdoses, The
Navy and Coast Guard. ( Drug testing ) will cost you nothing. The
cartels will get out of the drug business if you or I don't want
it." | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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(12) SHERIFF AIMS TO STEP UP DRUG FIGHT (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Onslow County Sheriff Ed Brown doesn't really know what the next
four years will bring, but he does know what kind of changes he
hopes to initiate. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
In the 16 years Brown has served as sheriff, Onslow County has
battled a drug problem. Although detectives have arrested their fair
share of drug dealers, the problem continues to escalate, Brown
said. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
He plans to spend his fifth term in office drawing more attention to
drug crimes. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
"At present, drug laws are liberal and ineffective and do nothing to
discourage illegal drug violations," he added. "The drug problem is
the No. 1 enemy of our county, our state and our nation, and it must
be addressed now." | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The sheriff plans to sit down with Sen. Harry Brown, R-Onslow, to discuss the possibility of stiffening the state's drug laws. He has also drafted a letter to all the sheriffs in the state suggesting that the N.C. Sheriff's Association form a committee that can look into making laws more effective in deterring drug dealers. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
"We need to get legislators, law enforcement and citizens united to bring the problem to the attention of the people," Brown said. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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(13) SHOOTING VICTIM, 92, SHOT OFFICERS FIVE TIMES (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
One Cop Hit Three Times; All Released From Hospital | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Atlanta police say undercover officers bought drugs from a man
inside the home of a 92-year-old woman hours before she was killed
in a gunbattle that left three officers wounded. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Neighbors and family members say Kathryn Johnston was a feeble and
frightened woman who rarely let people into her home, even when it
was just friends bringing groceries. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Police are investigating how the deadly Tuesday night confrontation
came about. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The woman apparently heard police breaking through the burglar bar door before breaking down her front door. Johnston was ready. She fired her revolver and five shots struck the officers just as they rushed in the door. One was hit three times and the other two once each. All were later released from Grady Memorial Hospital. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medical examiners said the woman was shot twice in the chest and in
"other extremities." | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Assistant Chief Alan Dreher said undercover officers purchased
unspecified narcotics from a man inside Johnston's home on Neal
Street in northwest Atlanta just a few hours earlier and had
returned just after 7 p.m. with a "no knock" warrant to search the
house. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The basis for the search warrant was not known because State Court
Administrator Stefani Searcy refused to release a copy of the
warrant Wednesday. State law considers all such documents public
record but Searcy cited "office policy" as her reason for
withholding the warrant. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Dreher said no one was arrested, but officers found suspected
narcotics in the house. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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(14) PARENTS WANT ANSWERS (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
They Want to Know How Son Could Shoot Self in Cop Car | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The parents of a Southwest Philadelphia man who police said shot
himself in the head while handcuffed in the back seat of a cop car
demanded answers yesterday from the Police Department. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The officers cuffed Neal and put him in the back of the squad car alone as they waited for a police van to take him to the 1st Police District, at 24th and Wolf streets, a police source said. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Then the shot rang out, police said. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Police said Neal shot himself once in the back of the head with a
stolen .40-caliber Smith & Wesson pistol. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The bullet exited his mouth, shattering his jaw and severing his
tongue, his family said. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Neal was listed in critical condition at the Hospital of the
University of Pennsylvania. His parents said that doctors yesterday
installed a metal plate in his mouth. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Police said they were still investigating to determine why the two
officers who stopped Neal did not find the gun during their initial
search and how Neal came to be shot. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Cannabis & Hemp- | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
COMMENT: (15-18) (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Young freedom fighters learn strategic and satirical approaches to
the war on pot when a California student fights against totally
irrational and discriminatory reactions masquerading as due process,
and an independent student newspaper publishes a novel report that
targets the terror/drug war in Afghanistan. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Although cannabis culture is so abstrusely entrenched nationwide,
the economic impact can be felt substantially more in some regions
than others. Take for example, the former Mexican illegal farmworker
who toils in Californian pot fields for better pay, perhaps
supplying the product needed by fast growing, corporate-style
underground marijuana takeout businesses that operate 'with
remarkable attention to customer satisfaction' in metropolitan
areas. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
(15) EX-FOWLER HIGH STUDENT SUES OVER POT SUSPENSION (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
A former Fowler High School student who was suspended for possessing
a speck of marijuana on school grounds is suing the school district,
contending it has double standards when disciplining students.
Jonathan Carl Coch Simonian said in his U.S. District Court civil
lawsuit that the Fowler Unified School District violated the equal
protection clause of the Constitution. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
His evidence: When he got caught with a tiny amount of marijuana at
Fowler High School, he was suspended for three months during the
2004-05 school year. When the daughter of a school board member came
to school possessing drugs or alcohol, or was high on them, she was
not disciplined, the civil complaint states. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
(16) OPED: A WAR ON TWO FRONTS (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
In recent weeks, it has come to my attention that the Pentagon is
drastically changing its strategy in the war on terror and the war
on drugs. Apparently, the Pentagon seems to be consolidating the
two. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The focal point of this shocking discovery lies in a recent article published by the beacon of hope in our heathen society: Fox News. The article's title is self-explanatory: "Taliban Smoked Out of Pot
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
This can work-given the right timing, the right planning, and the right marijuana, the Pentagon can hit two birds with one stone. If anything, it would be more effective than the current policies. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
(17) ECONOMICS ENTICE MEXICAN NATIONALS TO TOIL IN POT PLOTS (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
It's the green that draws people to spend months toiling in the north state's back corners during its blistering summers. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Not the green of the marijuana they're growing, but the green of the
cash they stand to reap when they bring in the harvest. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Those farming pot gardens are often Mexican nationals working in the
United States illegally. This year, 80 percent of those arrested for
marijuana cultivation in Tehama County were Mexicans, although the
rate is usually 50 percent, according to the Tehama County Sheriff's
Department. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The money Mexicans can make growing marijuana far exceeds what they
can make working in the fields or at other jobs, said officials
raiding north state gardens. Migrant farmworkers usually earn about
$12,500 a year, according to a survey of farmworkers by the U.S.
Department of Labor, conducted in fiscal 2001 and 2002. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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(18) IT'S ANOTHER KIND OF BUZZ AT YOUR DOOR (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Urban Professionals Turn To Home-Delivery Networks For Pot | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NEW YORK - In a city where you can get just about anything delivered
to your door - groceries, dry cleaning, Chinese food - pot smokers
are increasingly ordering takeout marijuana from drug rings that
operate with remarkable corporate-style attention to customer
satisfaction. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
An untold number of otherwise law-abiding professionals in New York
are having their pot delivered to their homes instead of visiting
drug dens or hanging out on street corners. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Among the legions of home delivery customers is Chris, a 37-year-old
salesman in Manhattan. He dials a pager number and gets a return
call from a cheery dispatcher who takes his order for potent strains
of marijuana. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
International News | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
COMMENT: (19-23) (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
As weeks pass since former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra
was removed from office by coup, more Thais are asking: what was the
whole point, if not to bring Thaksin to justice? Recalling that
ousted PM Thaksin oversaw the summary executions of some 2,500 drug
"suspects" in 2002-2003, Somchai Hom-laor, chairman of the Lawyers
Council of Thailand's human rights committee, said the Thaksin
regime handed police a "license to kill. They all signalled policy
approval for the killing... Saddam Hussein was charged with
committing crimes against humanity for the killing of 170 people. In
that case, the 2,500 deaths we witnessed here must constitute crimes
against humanity." | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Casting about again this week for politically acceptable scapegoats to punish, far-right Canadian PM Stephen Harper's government proposed new laws to punish "drugged" drivers (i.e. drivers who have consumed any amount of marijuana over the past few weeks). Because similar laws exist in several U.S. states, there is no reason Canadian punishments should not be ratcheted up in the same way, thus 'protecting' Canadians, says the Harper government. The announcement was made while "posing for pictures outside the Commons with police, the lobby group Mothers Against Drunk Driving, and a family whose son was killed by a drug-impaired driver." | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Another article this week from Canada exposes the Harper
government's actions as political pandering of the basest sort.
"There's obviously a tendency on the part of this government to
pander to police interests," noted Louise Botham, president of the
Criminal Lawyers Association. Ed Ratushny, University of Ottawa law
professor noted such "strongly suggests the police as an institution
giving support to a political party." Recent Harper government
proposals for new laws include allowing police to veto judges they
don't like, and increased drug (i.e. cannabis) punishments. The
article, by Janice Tibbetts of The Ottawa Citizen, noted that the
Canadian police actually threw the last election when police
strategically "revealed" that they were investigating "leaks in Paul
Martin's Liberal cabinet, a move that was viewed as a Christmas gift
for Mr. Harper that aided in his election victory." | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
And finally we have two pieces this week from the U.K. press calling
for changes in drug policy. The first concerns Professor David Nutt,
the government's drug adviser. MDMA (Ecstasy) and LSD, should be
re-classified and downgraded from "Class A" drugs. Doing so would
halve maximum penalties for possession from life imprisonment to a
term of 14 years. However, the U.K. drugs minister, Vernon Coaker,
would have none of it, stressing 'that a decision would be a matter
of political judgment,' where common sense and logic shall only
rarely impinge. And from Howard Roberts, Deputy Chief Constable of
Nottinghamshire, comes this plea: prescribe heroin to addicts to cut
crime. "We should actively consider prescribing diamorphine,
pharmaceutical heroin, to those seriously addicted to heroin, as
part of a treatment programme for addiction." | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
(19) THAKSIN 'MUST BE TRIED FOR DEATHS' (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and the Lawyers Council
of Thailand are pressing the government to ratify the convention on
the International Criminal Court so deposed prime minister Thaksin
Shinawatra could be tried for crimes against humanity over his
controversial anti-drugs campaign. The council and former lawmakers
accused the Thaksin administration of having blood on its hands for
waging its so-called war on drugs which killed more than 2,000
people, most of them drug traders and traffickers. The government
must bring Mr Thaksin to justice or the Sept 19 military coup which
swept it to power would amount to nothing but a public deception,
they said. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Somchai Hom-laor, chairman of the council's human rights committee,
said evidence came to light supporting the belief that state
officials were responsible for the deaths of 2,500 people in the
anti-drugs campaign. The death toll was recorded from two phases of
the campaign, the first from February to April 2003 and the second
in 2005. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Officials were obeying a Thaksin policy which included a well-organised plan to issue a "licence to kill" with approval from Mr Thaksin, the then interior minister Wan Muhamad Nor Matha, and the then interior permanent secretary Sermsak Pongpanich. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
"They all signalled policy approval for the killing," Mr Somchai
said at a discussion yesterday organised by the Press Association of
Thailand. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The policy-makers, including Mr Thaksin, could end up facing charges
of crimes against humanity. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
"Saddam Hussein [the former president of Iraq] was charged with
committing crimes against humanity for the killing of 170 people. In
that case, the 2,500 deaths we witnessed here must constitute crimes
against humanity," he said. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Mr Wasant added that a letter allegedly signed by an interior
permanent secretary at the time was distributed to provincial
governors outlining three ways to cut the number of drugs traders
and producers. The suspects could be "arrested, face extra-judicial
killings, or lose their lives for any reason". | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
He said the blacklist of drug suspects took only 15 days to compile.
The perceived haste raised concerns that some may have been wrongly
targeted. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Former senator Kraisak Choonhavan said the campaign was the most blatant form of human rights violation. He was surprised the government and the CNS did not feel compelled to highlight the issue as one of the reasons for toppling the previous administration. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
"We can't possibly create a new society if the coup-backed
government doesn't lift a finger to deal with the drugs war killings
of the Thaksin era," he said | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
(20) TORIES GET TOUGH ON DRUGGED DRIVERS (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The federal Conservatives have brought in legislation to crack down
on drug-impaired drivers - by resurrecting a plan first advanced by
the Liberals, adding heavier fines and jail terms, and calling the
result a Tory initiative. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The main focus, however, is on those who get behind the wheel while
high on marijuana, cocaine, methamphetamine or a variety of other
drugs. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
"I can't seriously see people (being) opposed to this type of
legislation," said Toews, noting that similar measures are already
in force in many American states. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
"There is no reason why Canadians shouldn't be protected in the same
way." | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Opposition MPs insisted they need time to study the bill. And some
predicted parts of it could be struck down by the courts as a
violation of the Charter of Rights. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The legislation had been trumpeted in advance by Prime Minister
Stephen Harper as another step in a broader Conservative
law-and-order agenda. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Toews picked up the theme, posing for pictures outside the Commons
with police, the lobby group Mothers Against Drunk Driving, and a
family whose son was killed by a drug-impaired driver. All expressed
support for the bill. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
(21) TORIES 'PANDER' TO THE INTERESTS OF POLICE - CRITICS (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Making Them A Powerful Lobby Group 'Threatens' Their Independence | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The law-and-order agenda of the Harper Conservative government has
made police one of the most powerful and influential lobby groups on
Parliament Hill. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
After years of being bystanders in Parliament's corridors of power,
police meet with cabinet ministers while they are crafting
law-and-order legislation; they often stand at the government's side
when announcements are made; and they enjoy generous access to
senior politicians who frequently accept invitations to speak at
police events. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
"There's obviously a tendency on the part of this government to
pander to police interests," laments Louise Botham, president of the
Criminal Lawyers Association, which defends the rights of the
accused. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Ed Ratushny, a law professor at University of Ottawa, says the cosy
relationship is not only unseemly, it is a downright threat to
police independence. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
"It strongly suggests the police as an institution giving support to
a political party," said Mr. Ratushny. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The appearance of the police flanking the Conservatives at their
law-and-order announcements "diminishes the perception of
independence and I think the perception is just as important as the
reality," Mr. Ratushny added. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
"It's a slippery slope, and the interface of politicians and the
police is very delicate in a democratic society." | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The RCMP has also been publicly questioned for revealing during last winter's federal election campaign that the force was investigating leaks in Paul Martin's Liberal cabinet, a move that was viewed as a Christmas gift for Mr. Harper that aided in his election victory. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
In the latest event that has sparked a wide outcry, Mr. Toews has decided that a seat would be reserved for the law enforcement community on judicial advisory committees in each province that screen contenders for the 1,100-member federal judiciary. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Judges, legal scholars and lawyers, including Chief Justice Beverley
McLachlin of the Supreme Court of Canada, say the legal community
should have been consulted before the unilateral move, and that
special interest groups like the police have no business picking
judges because they would tend to endorse candidates with a
law-and-order bent. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
(22) DOWNGRADE ECSTASY, DRUG EXPERT TELLS MPS (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Ecstasy and LSD, which are believed to be used by half a million youngsters every week, should be downgraded from class A drugs, the government's drug adviser recommended yesterday. Professor David Nutt, who sits on the advisory council on the misuse of drugs, said that ranking ecstasy and LSD alongside heroin and cocaine was "an anomaly", and an official review of their status was under way. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
A decision to move ecstasy and LSD from class A to class B would mean that the maximum penalty for possession would fall from seven years to five years, and that for dealing from life imprisonment to 14 years. In practice the average penalties would be similar to those imposed for cannabis before it was reclassified 18 months ago. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The drugs minister, Vernon Coaker, said he would examine any
recommendation put forward by the advisory council for the misuse of
drugs, but stressed that a decision would be a matter of political
judgment. The shadow home secretary, David Davis, said downgrading
ecstasy would send out the wrong message. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The idea of downgrading ecstasy was first put forward by the Police
Foundation inquiry into the future of drugs policy. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
(23) SENIOR POLICE OFFICER CALLS FOR HEROIN TO BE PRESCRIBED TO (Top)ADDICTS TO CUT CRIME | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Heroin addicts should receive the drug on prescription from the
National Health Service to stop them stealing to feed their habit, a
senior police officer has suggested. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The idea, by Howard Roberts, Deputy Chief Constable of | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
He told a drugs conference: "We should actively consider prescribing
diamorphine, pharmaceutical heroin, to those seriously addicted to
heroin, as part of a treatment programme for addiction. There is an
undeniable link between addicted offenders and appalling levels of
criminality, as heroin and crack cocaine addicts commit crime, from
burglary to robbery to sometimes murder, to get the money to buy
drugs to satisfy their addiction." | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
"Of course, getting people off drugs altogether must be the
objective," he told an Association of Chief Police Officers'
conference in Manchester. "But I personally do believe we have lived
with the terrible consequences of relatively uncontained addiction
for far too long." | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
At the moment between 300 and 400 drug users receive heroin for their dependency under a joint Home Office and Department of Health pilot project in London, the South-east and the North. Addicts enrolled on the scheme inject heroin under the supervision of clinical staff. A report on the project is expected next month. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The charity DrugScope said prescribing heroin could be effective for
some addicts. Martin Barnes, its chief executive, said: "It can have
health benefits for the drug user. There is compelling evidence that
heroin prescribing... is cost-effective in reducing drug-related
crime and other costs to communities." | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
HOT OFF THE 'NET (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
STUDENTS LOBBY AND LEARN IN DC AS SSDP COMES TO TOWN | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP), the nation's leading campus-
based drug reform organization, held its annual conference last weekend
in the shadow of the US Capitol in Washington, DC. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/462/ssdp_conference_students_lobby_learn | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
BEYOND ZERO TOLERANCE CONFERENCE VIDEO | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Miss the recent BZT conference in San Francisco? No bother. You can
download and view video from each of the sessions here. [Warning: These
files are big. But we wanted to offer them in mp4 format to make them
as portable as possible.] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
http://www.drugpolicy.org/events/archive/conferences/bzt2006/program/ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
THE STATE OF THE DRUGS PROBLEM IN EUROPE | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
European Monitoring Centre on Drugs and Drugs Addiction | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Annual Report | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
TALKING OVER TURKEY | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Fill Those Awkward Silences with a Debate on the Drug War. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Drug Policy Alliance Guide to talking to your family
about drugs and drug policy. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
OF INTEREST IN THE CANADIAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION JOURNAL | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Summary of Findings From the Evaluation of a Pilot Medically
Supervised Safer Injecting Facility | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Need to Promote Public Health in the Field of Illicit Drug Use | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Changes in Illicit Opioid Use Across Canada | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Complex and Unique HIV/AIDS Epidemic Among Aboriginal Canadians | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
MILTON FRIEDMAN, ARCHLIBERAL | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Why the great free market economist was no conservative | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
By Jacob Sullum, November 22, 2006 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
WHAT YOU CAN DO THIS WEEK (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
WRITE A LETTER TO THE EDITOR | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
There are 101 excuses for not writing or calling the media when you see
unfair, biased or inaccurate news coverage: "I don't know enough"; "I'm
too busy"; "My computer crashed." | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Communicating with journalists makes a difference. It does not have to be perfect; not all letters to journalists need to be for publication. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Visit the MAP Media Activism Center to learn more. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
LETTER OF THE WEEK (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
OHIO SHOULD ALLOW MEDICAL MARIJUANA | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
By Michael Boop | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
What if you had an infection, a disease or an injury so severe that
it changed your life. What if you were offered several options for
treatment, all of which would leave you in great pain and bedridden?
What if there was one treatment that would allow you to live in
relative peace and comfort, but was illegal to prescribe or use.
Which would you choose? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
This is the choice that faces thousands of Ohioans every day. Cancer patients, AIDS patients, those with multiple sclerosis, those with degenerative disc disease -- the list goes on and on. Why? Because our very small thinking and very shortsighted elected officials, who are supposed to have our best interests and wishes in mind, refuse to acknowledge studies regarding the medicinal use of marijuana. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Call it reefer madness, just say no, whatever. It comes down to
science: Marijuana has been proved to render aid to these suffering
people, and our Legislature turns a deaf ear to their pleas. Only
Sen. Robert Hagan, D-Youngstown, has the guts to stand up for these
people, proposing Senate Bill 74, the Ohio Medical Marijuana Bill
that is in our state Senate. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Stand with this brave man and contact your local and state
representatives and demand this issue be heard and approved. What if
it was your child, your parents? What if it was you? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Michael Boop | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Cridersville | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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FEATURE ARTICLE (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Remembering Milton Friedman On Liberty and Drugs | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
By Kevin Zeese | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Since the death last week of Milton Friedman I've been thinking about the times that my life crossed paths with his. I've got a photograph on my bookshelf of me with him at the conference of the Drug Policy Foundation in 1991. In that year we gave him our most prestigious award, a lifetime achievement award named in honor of noted philanthropist and Chicago commodities trader, Richard Dennis. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
When we gave Dr. Friedman the award it was controversial. Many in
the reform movement are liberal Democrats who are offended by
Friedman's view that "the government solution to a problem is
usually as bad as the problem." But, no doubt all in the drug policy
reform movement would agree with that statement when it is applied
to the government's never-ending war on drugs. As Friedman correctly
said: "Most of the harm that comes from drugs is because they are
illegal." | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Indeed, Friedman came to the conclusion about the futility of drug
prohibition early. When President Nixon started the modern war on
drugs he wrote a column in /Newsweek/ criticizing the policy. He
warned that it would not reduce addiction but instead would promote
crime and corruption repeating the mistake of alcohol prohibition.
He concluded: "So long as large sums of money are involved-and they
are bound to be if drugs are illegal-it is literally hopeless to
expect to end the traffic or even to reduce seriously its scope. In
drugs, as in other areas, persuasion and example are likely to be
far more effective than the use of force to shape others in our
image." See "Prohibition and Drugs," at | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
In 1989 when drug czar Bill Bennett was escalating the drug war on
behalf of President George H.W. Bush, Friedman wrote an open letter
in the Wall Street Journal reminding him that the problems he was
trying to combat were the made worse by prohibition. He warned that
crack was a product of prohibition correctly pointing out "it was
invented because the high cost of illegal drugs made it profitable
to provide a cheaper version." He concluded the letter: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
"Moreover, if even a small fraction of the money we now spend on
trying to enforce drug prohibition were devoted to treatment and
rehabilitation, in an atmosphere of compassion not punishment, the
reduction in drug usage and in the harm done to the users could be
dramatic. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
"This plea comes from the bottom of my heart. Every friend of
freedom, and I know you are one, must be as revolted as I am by the
prospect of turning the United States into an armed camp, by the
vision of jails filled with casual drug users and of an army of
enforcers empowered to invade the liberty of citizens on slight
evidence." | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
See "An Open Letter to Bill Bennett, April 1990 at | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Friedman's view of the harms from drugs was not only the wasted money -- now about $1 billion per week -- but more so the destruction of inner cities, racially unfair incarceration, corruption of the police, wars in Colombia, Mexico and other countries that cost thousands of lives and the corruption of foreign economies as well as our own. The drug war has spurred the largest prison system in history with more than 2 million behind bars -- one in four of the world's prisoners residing in the land of the free. As Friedman pointed out: "Had drugs been decriminalized, crack would never have been invented and there would today be fewer addicts... The ghettos would not be drug-and-crime-infested no-man's lands... Colombia, Bolivia and Peru would not be suffering from narco-terror, and we would not be distorting our foreign policy because of it." | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
When Friedman gave his key note address at the Drug Policy
Foundation conference in 1991 he did not limit his talk to drug
policy. He put forward a wider ranging analysis that covered a host
of issues -- schools, housing, medical care and the post office. Of
course, this just added to the controversy around his nomination.
But it was an opportunity to hear a perspective that no doubt held
important truths on the limits and fallibility of government --
truths that could lead to more sensible approaches whether you
completely agreed with Friedman or not. (You can read a transcript
of his speech and the questions and answers at | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Friedman also appeared on a television show we produced, America's Drug Forum, and I crossed paths with him at two conferences at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, and with Arnold Trebach edited a book on the writings of him and psychiatrist Thomas Szasz. He always put forward a clear vision and persistent attitude. Indeed, his persistence is something all advocates can learn from -- he went from being ignored and shunned to winning the Nobel prize for economics and being an adviser to presidents. His life should give all of us hope that change is possible, indeed it is inevitable, and if we persist change will move in our direction. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Kevin Zeese is president of Common Sense for Drug Policy. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
For more on Milton Friedman you can purchase "On Liberty and Drugs"
edited by Arnold Trebach and Kevin Zeese at | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Many of his writings are included in The Schaeffer Library of Drug Policy at http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/Misc/friedm1.htm | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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