| Jan. 13, 2006 #432 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Table of Contents
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THIS JUST IN (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
(1) NFL'S BUZZKILL: NO BEER AT GIANTS STADIUM (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
There was far less "buzz" than usual during the NFL's final regular
season Monday night football game between the New York Jets and the
defending Super Bowl champion New England Patriots, and it had little
to do with the Jets' dire season record. Rather, the ennui of the tens
of thousands of atypically subdued fans in attendance could best be
summed up in three words, prominently displayed on makeshift signs
throughout ABC's nationwide telecast: "We want beer!" | ||||||||||||||||||||||
That's right, beer. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Following a string of violent incidents - including a pair of stabbings
- between rowdy football fans during the team's previous games, Giants
Stadium officials made the bold move to halt sales of the intoxicant.
The rationale for the ban? Jets spokesman Ron Colangelo could not have
been more blunt: "It's for the safety of our fans." | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Alcohol's long-standing association with aggressive behavior, whether
it's among raucous sports fans or late-night bar patrons, is well-
publicized and much debated. Yet, a relevant fact that is often
overlooked in this public discourse is that an alternative, almost
equally consumed intoxicant, is rarely, if ever, linked with violence -
- marijuana. However, unlike alcohol, marijuana is illegal and not only
at Giants Stadium. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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(2) BETWEEN THE SPIRIT AND THE LETTER OF THE LAW (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
A Convicted Pot Activist Whose Appeal Is Heading to the Top Court Says the Jurors, Not the Judge, 'Should Have Had the Final Word' | ||||||||||||||||||||||
A drug-trafficking conviction handed to Alberta medicinal-marijuana
activist Grant Krieger will come under the scrutiny of the Supreme
Court of Canada tomorrow. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
But Mr. Krieger's appeal is likely to shed more light on legal issues
concerning judges' instructions to juries than it will on the merits of
the healing powers of cannabis. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
The case stems from a 1999 raid on Mr. Krieger's house, where 29
marijuana plants were seized. Mr. Krieger, who has multiple sclerosis,
said he used the pot to alleviate his pain. He also supplied the
marijuana to others who used it for medicinal purposes. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
In December of 2003, at the end of a trial on the trafficking charge, Mr. Justice Paul Chrumka of Alberta's Court of Queen's Bench told jury members they had no choice but to convict Mr. Krieger, who had essentially admitted to the crime but felt he had done nothing wrong. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Two jurors were so conflicted about the case that they asked to be
excused, but the judge refused and sent them back with directions that
amounted to an order to convict. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
The jury then found Mr. Krieger guilty, and Judge Chrumka sentenced him to one day in jail. He could have faced up to a life sentence. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Last June, the Alberta Court of Appeal said the judge shouldn't have given such explicit instructions, but upheld the conviction because, it said, a new trial would likely come to the same conclusion. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
A key issue that will go before the Supreme Court judges is a concept
known as "jury nullification." That happens when a jury disagrees with
a law it finds offensive and refuses to render a judgment that follows
that law. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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(3) PRISON TERM OF 55 YEARS FOR DRUGS IS UPHELD (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
DENVER - A federal appeals court has upheld a 55-year prison term
imposed on a Utah man with no criminal record who was convicted in 2003
of selling several hundred dollars worth of marijuana on three
occasions. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
The case of the man, Weldon H. Angelos, a record producer from Salt Lake City who was 22 at the time of his crime, has become a benchmark in the debate about sentencing rules and justice. The trial judge in the case complained in issuing the sentence, which was required by federal statutes, that he thought it excessive, and 29 former judges and prosecutors agreed, in a brief filed on Mr. Angelos's behalf. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
But a three-judge panel of the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals, in a
decision issued here late Monday, rejected those arguments. The
sentence properly reflected the will of Congress, the court said, and
was not cruel or unusual punishment. Mr. Angelos was reported by a
witness to have been armed with a pistol during two of the drug sales -
- and requiring stiffer sentences in cases where drugs and violence are
linked, the court said, is legitimate social policy. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
"Although the district court concluded that Angelos's sentence was
disproportionate to his crimes, we disagree," the court said. "In our
view, the district court failed to accord proper deference to
Congress's decision to severely punish criminals who repeatedly possess
firearms in connection with drug-trafficking crimes, and erroneously
downplayed the seriousness of Angelos's crimes." | ||||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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(4) STRIDES MADE IN DRUG WAR (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Miami Has Made Significant Progress In Combating Substance Abuse, City
Leaders And The Nation's Drug Czar Said | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Miami leaders boasted Tuesday their city has shed its 1980s cocaine- capital reputation and cited statistics that placed Miami's drug-usage rates below state and national figures in several categories as proof. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Some examples, released by the federal government last year and compiled from surveys taken between 1999 and 2001: About 5.7 percent of Miami-Dade County residents over the age of 12 reported using an illicit drug in the past month. The national rate was roughly 6.7 percent. For the state of Florida, it was roughly 6.1 percent. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Marijuana use in the past month and cocaine use in the past year for
the same age group were also slightly lower for Miami-Dade than for
Florida and the nation. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
"That's not an accident," said John Walters, director of the White
House Office of National Drug Control Policy, who attended a news
conference Tuesday. "No city in America was more devastated by cocaine
and drug use than Miami in the 1980s. You have learned by pain, and you
have learned by experience." | ||||||||||||||||||||||
'Miami Advice' | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Walters held up Miami as an example of a city comprehensively attacking
its drug problems, and the city Tuesday released a draft of a strategic
plan it hopes will achieve more progress and help other municipalities.
Miami Mayor Manny Diaz proclaimed his city has evolved from "Miami Vice
to Miami Advice." | ||||||||||||||||||||||
To be sure, not all the research data on Miami is positive. The city's
plan notes that, among new drug users, the use of powder cocaine is on
the rise, and that South Florida continues to be a major narcotics
entry point and base of operations for drug traffickers. Miami-Dade
County residents spend an estimated $570 million annually on cocaine
and marijuana, the plan says. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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WEEKLY NEWS IN REVIEW (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Domestic News- Policy | ||||||||||||||||||||||
COMMENT: (5-9) (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Lots of future worries in drug policy news this week. In Minnesota,
a columnist is worried about the addicted elderly; in a North
Carolina town, leaders are worried that a drug treatment facility
isn't being properly utilized; Colorado school officials are worried
about federal cuts in anti-drug programs; a New York Times columnist
is worried about access to pain medication; and this DrugSense
Weekly commentator is worried that the ONDCP is now using my tax
dollars to give John Walters a podcast. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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(5) COLUMN: THE ADDICTED ELDERLY -- A GROWING CONCERN (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
This column springs from my discussions with a 58-year-old subject
who began using alcohol and cocaine in a nightclub in Minneapolis.
The subject used these chemicals for years, keeping the use a secret
from his family members. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
In talking with my subject, I learned that his secret of chemical use was made known to his family when he was jailed for possession of cocaine and an open bottle after a traffic violation minor in nature. The subject is now in treatment and confesses that it took him years to admit that he has a problem with chemicals. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
While my study regarding Rule 25 is focused on my subject, it is
with intent that I shift to a perspective of the larger population
of Black elderly people. My subject is but one of a growing group of
elderly people who abuse drugs such as alcohol, cocaine, marijuana,
and, perhaps to the reader's surprise, heroin. As elderly people
live longer, become more isolated, internalize oppression, fears,
financial problems and depression, the number of elderly addicts
will continue to grow. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
My subject has a Master's Degree and is very articulate and
extremely intelligent despite his troubles with chemicals. He and
other middle-class elderly feel as though the system does not
recognize their problems. The Rule 25 is developed with little
thought given to Black elderly people. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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(6) LEADERS CONCERNED ABOUT DRUG REPORT (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Problems with a High Point drug-rehab program are frustrating
community leaders and prompting renewed calls for a long-term
drug-treatment center in Guilford County. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
A new report said Alcohol and Drug Services has too many empty beds and has strayed from its original mission of providing a 12-step treatment program. Only about half of ADS' 55 beds are occupied, and the program typically houses addicts for less than a week. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
"Why in the world when we have one of the finest facilities anywhere
and it not being utilized -- I don't know," said Wally Harrelson,
who helped found ADS and is the county's public defender. He also
criticized ADS for not keeping addicts in its program for at least
28 days. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
"You certainly can't get anyone's attention in three to five days,"
he said. "That within itself is worthless." | ||||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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(7) SAFE, DRUG-FREE SCHOOLS PROGRAMS FACING CUTS (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Morgan County public schools -- and all school districts in Colorado - -- stand to lose 20 percent of their federal grant money for programs for safe and drug-free schools in the 2006-07 school year. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
The proposed cut statewide is about $91 million, said Janelle
Krueger, principal consultant on prevention initiatives for the
Colorado Department of Education. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
The congressional conference committee reached an agreement on the
budget of $350 million. With a mandated one percent precision,
Krueger said, the funding level would be $346.5 million. President
Bush's budget had called for no funding, which would eliminate the
program. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
The funding bill is awaiting the president's signature, after which the federal Department of Education would allocate funds. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Last year's funding was $437 million. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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(8) LET'S GET SERIOUS ABOUT RELIEVING CHRONIC PAIN (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Patients with debilitating pain from chronic illness, accidents, surgery or advanced cancer have long had problems getting adequate medication to control their pain and make life worth living. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Now the federal government, and especially the Drug Enforcement
Administration, is working overtime to make it even harder for
doctors to manage serious pain, including that of dying patients
trying to exit this world gracefully. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
In an article in the current New England Journal of Medicine titled
"The Big Chill: Inserting the D.E.A. into End-of-Life Care," two
specialists in palliative care, Dr. Timothy E. Quill and Dr. Diane
E. Meier, state that despite some physicians' commitment to treat
pain and despite the effectiveness of opioid drugs like OxyContin
and morphine, "abundant evidence suggests that patients' fears of
undertreatment of distressing symptoms are justified." | ||||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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(9) PODCASTS ON DRUG WAR (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Bored by those thousands of songs stored in your iPod? Been
wondering about the latest developments in the United States' war on
drugs? Well, the White House has a deal for you. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
The Office of National Drug Control Policy this week began a
"podcasting" service that will allow users of iPods and other
personal audio players to periodically download "speeches, events,
interviews and the latest information regarding national efforts to
reduce drug use in America." | ||||||||||||||||||||||
"President Bush and I know that most of the work to reduce the harms
drugs cause to our society is done at the local level," John P.
Walters, director of the office, said in a written statement. "We
hope that by providing relevant and timely information via this new
technology, more people will join us in educating our fellow
citizens regarding the destructive effects of drugs." | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Users can gain access to the free service at | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Law Enforcement & Prisons | ||||||||||||||||||||||
COMMENT: (10-13) (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Watch that Fourth Amendment - the U.S. Supreme Court is ready to
rule on it again. Also last week, more drug-related police
corruption, and the former Mayor of Washington, D.C. fails a drug
test after being convicted of tax evasion charges. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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(10) JUSTICES TO SAY WHEN POLICE CAN ENTER PRIVATE HOME (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court agreed on Friday to try to define,
more precisely than in the past, the emergencies that can justify a
warrantless police entry into a private home. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
The case is an appeal filed by the State of Utah from a Utah Supreme
Court decision early last year that four Brigham City police
officers violated the Fourth Amendment's prohibition against
unreasonable search and seizure by entering a home to break up a
fight. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
The police, who went to the home in response to a neighbor's
complaint about a loud party, did not have a warrant and did not
announce their presence before walking through an open back door.
They arrested three occupants for disorderly conduct, intoxication
and contributing to the delinquency of a minor by allowing a
teenager to drink. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
The Utah trial court, appeals court and Supreme Court all ruled that
the evidence of alcohol consumption could not be introduced at trial
because of the illegal police entry. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Supreme Court precedents have established numerous exceptions to the
Fourth Amendment's warrant requirement. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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(11) VETERAN COP QUITS (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Springfield Police Department's most experienced narcotics officer
resigned unexpectedly this week, saying that he feared retribution
for exposing the misconduct of other officers. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
On Tuesday, Sgt. Ron Vose delivered a two-page letter outlining his concerns to Mayor Tim Davlin's office and left another copy with Chief Don Kliment. In the letter, Vose claimed that he was transferred from his position as a supervisor in the Criminal Investigations Division to patrol shortly after submitting a 20-page memo alleging that administrative and criminal violations had been committed by certain officers known to have "credibility issues." | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Although Vose did not name the officers in his letter, several
sources inside SPD confirmed that Vose has been critical of SPD
Detectives Jim Graham and Paul Carpenter. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Last summer, SPD turned Vose's 20-page memo over to the Illinois
State Police Division of Internal Investigation. That probe is
ongoing, with no completion date promised. But in October, Carpenter
was placed on administrative leave and Graham was transferred from
what was then called the major-case unit into general | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Contacted by phone Tuesday night, Vose declined to comment, | ||||||||||||||||||||||
saying that his resignation doesn't take effect until Jan. 19. "I'm
still employed by the department, and I really can't [comment],"
Vose said. "My resignation speaks for itself; that's all I can
really say." | ||||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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(12) EX-COP GETS 24-YEAR PRISON TERM (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
A former Chicago police officer who claimed his post-retirement
wealth came from luck at casino slot machines was sentenced Thursday
to more than 24 years in prison in connection with the theft of
cocaine from an evidence warehouse. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
John L. Smith, 57, of Olympia Fields continued to assert his
innocence at a hearing in U.S. District Court in Chicago, saying
that successful gambling allowed him to afford a $177,000
Rolls-Royce and a luxurious home. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
"Everyone the prosecution brought in to testify against me lied,"
said Smith, speaking in a calm, measured voice. "The entire
situation is made up by the prosecution because of my [gambling]
lifestyle. ... I learned how to win." | ||||||||||||||||||||||
But U.S. District Judge Elaine Bucklo said Smith's statements showed
only that he had no remorse. Instead of apologizing, Smith "asks me
to ignore all the evidence ... [and] accuses the government of
changing the evidence," Bucklo said. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
In 2001, Chicago police discovered more than 20 kilograms of cocaine
missing from what all sides agreed was a badly mismanaged evidence
warehouse in the basement of the Cook County Criminal Courts
Building. Smith, a 23-year police veteran, had worked there for
years before retiring in 1999. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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(13) BARRY TESTED POSITIVE FOR COCAINE USE IN THE FALL (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Drug Check Ordered After Tax Case Plea | ||||||||||||||||||||||
D.C. Council member Marion Barry tested positive for cocaine use in
the fall in a drug test ordered by a court after he pleaded guilty
to misdemeanor tax charges, according to two sources familiar with
Barry's case. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Barry, who served four terms as mayor and was elected to the Ward 8
council seat in 2004, has since begun treatment for drug use, the
sources said, but Barry's failure to pass the mandatory drug test
puts him in legal jeopardy. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Because he violated the terms of his release, Barry, 69, faces an
increased risk of serving the maximum 18 months behind bars --
rather than probation -- for his failure to file tax returns for six
years. He is scheduled to be sentenced Feb. 8, but a federal judge
could jail him or sanction him at any time. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Barry, interviewed last night in his Howard University Hospital
room, where he's being treated for hypertension, said he did not
deny accounts of his drug test and treatment but declined to discuss
his case. "Write what you want to write," he told a Washington Post
reporter. "That's my official quote. No more, no less." | ||||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Cannabis & Hemp- | ||||||||||||||||||||||
COMMENT: (14-18) (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
In distressing news from up north, it appears that time in Canada
may be running out for U.S. drug war victim Steve Kubby. The Globe
and Mail reports that Mr. Kubby, his wife Michele and their two kids
are scheduled to be deported to the United States this week, where
it is feared he would be jailed and therefore deprived of the only
treatment that keeps his rare adrenal cancer in check: cannabis. In
a last ditch effort, Mrs. Kubby argued for a stay of deportation in
Canadian federal court on Monday; a ruling is expected shortly. In
other med-cannabis news, a poll funded by the Marijuana Policy
Project shows that San Diego County voters oppose a lawsuit launched
by County Supervisors that aims to overturn California's medical
cannabis law. The poll revealed that 67% of respondents support
Prop. 215, and that 78% oppose County Supervisor efforts to overturn
it. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
As the recent medical cannabis victory in Rhode Island has shown,
this is no longer just a West Coast issue. In fact, this week
Massachusetts Rep. Frank Smizik introduced a bill that would allow
the state's Department of Public Health to certify | ||||||||||||||||||||||
For our fourth story we head back to California, where the San Jose
Mercury News reports that diverse law enforcement organizations are
now collecting and comparing data from grow busts in order to find
common links, with the hope of uncovering domestic drug cartels and
arresting potential drug kingpins. They then plan to use their
enormous resources to find long-lost needles in large haystacks. And
lastly this week from a parallel universe, a comprehensive
Philadelphia Enquirer article about Dutch plans to regulate cannabis
production for distribution through coffee shop. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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(14) TIME RUNNING OUT FOR MEDICAL POT 'REFUGEE' (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Medical marijuana "refugee" Steve Kubby, his wife, Michele, and
their two daughters are scheduled to be deported to the United
States this week unless they can delay a removal order at a Federal
Court of Canada hearing this morning. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
The family is asking for an emergency stay of the order by
Immigration Canada, arguing that Mr. Kubby's health will suffer if
he is deported and has to serve a 120-day jail sentence in
California without marijuana to deal with his adrenal cancer. They
have been in Canada since 2001 when Mr. Kubby was convicted of
possession of a minute amount of mescaline and psilocin. Immigration
Canada rejects Mr. Kubby's claim for refugee status and says there
is no risk to the health of the Kamloops resident if he is deported
to the United States. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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(15) MARIJUANA GROUP'S SURVEY SAYS VOTERS OPPOSE SUPERVISORS' LAWSUIT (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Most county voters support California's 9-year-old medical marijuana
law and oppose San Diego County supervisors' plan to sue to overturn
it, according to a survey released Monday. In addition, the survey
said most respondents would vote to replace the supervisors over the
issue. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
The $15,000 telephone survey of 500 randomly selected county voters
- 100 from each of the county's five districts ---- was commissioned
by the Marijuana Policy Project, a national nonprofit group that
wants to decriminalize all marijuana use. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
County supervisors immediately suggested the survey was politically motivated by a pro-marijuana organization, and repeated that federal law still considers marijuana an illegal drug without medical benefit, and should take precedence over California's law. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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(16) LAWMAKERS CONSIDER MEDICAL MARIJUANA (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Massachusetts could become the fourth New England state to legalize
medical marijuana under a plan before state lawmakers | ||||||||||||||||||||||
On the heels of Rhode Island's approval last week of medical
marijuana use, lawmakers here are pushing a measure, with the
support of some North of Boston legislators, that would allow
doctors to treat patients with marijuana. Backers say people who
suffer from debilitating pain and chronic diseases should be able to
gain relief without fear of arrest, something 11 states have
approved. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
But the initiative faces high hurdles. It is opposed by the Romney administration. Local lawmakers, aware of the plague of opiate addiction in the Merrimack Valley, want to ensure access to medical marijuana is airtight. Also, marijuana use -- even under a doctor's care -- is illegal under federal law, and the Supreme Court holds that permissive state laws are trumped by the federal prohibition. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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(17) COPS SEEK PATTERNS LINKING POT FARMS (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Police raiding massive marijuana farms 300 miles apart are
discovering that the same brands of fertilizer, pesticides and
shovels are often used to grow tens of thousands of high-grade pot
plants. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Government analysts are using such seemingly innocuous information,
plugged into a shared database by drug agents in four Western
states, to search for patterns linking diverse operations across the
West and into Mexico. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
``There's definitely a quartermaster system in operation'' as large-scale growers learn to take advantage of economies of scale to cut costs and maximize profits, said Jim Day, law enforcement coordinator for the U.S. Attorney's Office in Sacramento. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott lobbied for federal money to set up the intelligence-sharing units in 2004 to go after the brains and financing behind increasingly sophisticated marijuana-growing operations. He had become frustrated that prosecutions in his Northern California district often stopped with poor Mexican immigrants illegally imported to guard the giant pot farms. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
``They taught me in the Army, when you win the intelligence battle,
you win the battle. That's what we're trying to do here with
marijuana eradication,'' said Scott, who doubles as an Army Reserve
lieutenant colonel. ``The goal is to identify the lieutenants and
the captains and the heads of these organizations.'' | ||||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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(18) NETHERLANDS REFINES APPROACH ON POT TOLERATION (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Paul Wilhelm speaks about marijuana the way a vintner might discuss
wine. He talks of aroma, taste and texture, of flowering periods, of
the pros and cons of hydroponic cultivation. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Wilhelm's connoisseurship might earn him a long prison sentence in
the United States, but here in the Netherlands, he's just another
taxpaying businessman. He owns a long-established pot emporium --
the Dutch call them "coffee shops" -- where customers can sidle up
to the bar, peruse a detailed menu, and choose from 22 variations of
fragrant marijuana and 18 types of potent hash. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Business got even better after Wilhelm's shop, the Dampkring, was featured earlier last year in the film "Ocean's Twelve." | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Yet life is not as simple for Wilhelm as it is for the pub owner
down the street, thanks to the contradictory nature of Holland's
famously liberal drug laws. Though the business is duly licensed and
regulated, to run it properly he is forced to flout the law on a
daily basis. While the Netherlands allows the sale of small amounts
of marijuana in coffee shops, it is still illegal to grow marijuana,
store it, and transport it in the kind of quantities that any
popular shop requires. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
In Parliament | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Last month, the Dutch parliament began debating a proposal to change
that by launching a pilot project to regulate marijuana growing. It
was the brainchild of the mayor of Maastricht, a city near the
German and Belgian borders that is plagued by gangs of smugglers.
Proponents argue that legalizing growing will drive out most of the
criminal element and boost responsible purveyors. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||
International News | ||||||||||||||||||||||
COMMENT: (19-23) (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
In the Philippines, lives of drug users are cheap to authorities, who
have overseen brutal death squad activity for years. A motion filed
by the Military and other Philippine police against police in Davao
City was overruled this week, and an earlier ruling which let Davao
police go unpunished was upheld. Davao City police were earlier
suspended for failing to solve any of the hundreds of summary killings
of "drug suspects." The extralegal summary executions are widely
believed to be the work of police themselves. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
As the Swiss inventor of LSD, Albert Hofmann, celebrates his 100th
birthday this week, British psychiatrists are urging government let
the powerful psychedelic be once again used in medicine. The UK,
according to the Guardian newspaper, "pioneered this use of LSD in
the 1950s" but research was "dismissed" and stopped in the 1960s as
LSD became linked to the counterculture, and then totally
prohibited. "Scientists, psychiatrists and psychologists were forced
to give up their studies for socio-political reasons," noted Dr. Ben
Sessa of the Royal College of Psychiatrists. "Thousands of books and
papers were written, but then it all went silent. My generation has
never heard of it. It's almost as if there has been an active
demonisation." | ||||||||||||||||||||||
A report from the Caribbean nation of Barbados this week admitted
that the 'war on drugs' in Barbados, is about marijuana, as
elsewhere. While other illegal drugs are used, marijuana is by far
the most common, with lifetime use at about 20 percent in Barbados
and Grenada, while nearly a quarter of those in St. Lucia have
sampled the illicit weed there. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
As the upcoming Canadian elections draw near, the rhetoric is
heating up. After Conservative Party hopeful Stephen Harper
criticized Vancouver's life-saving safe-injection site, former
Vancouver mayor Larry Campbell (now a Senator) shot back with a
description of Harper's punishment-heavy drug policies. The
Conservative Party "believe[s] addiction is not a medical problem,
it's a moral problem," noted Campbell. "In Mr. Harper's world,
people who suffer from addictions are bad people," Campbell said.
"They're bad people, and in his world he doesn't have any bad
people." Harper is running on a "law and order" platform that aims
to 'get tough', presumably by jailing more people involved with
drugs. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
In Toronto, Ontario, a conservative group of "religious leaders,"
according to the Globe and Mail newspaper, backed conservative
talking points to "intensify the war on illegal drugs," and blamed
the liberal party for crime and violence. Pot decrim was singled out
for their indignation: "We are asking [government] to withdraw any
plans to decriminalize marijuana". The Toronto men of the cloth also
demanded certain topics be censored, that is, "any talk about
legalizing marijuana or any other illicit drugs." So much for
opening of the prison to them that are bound. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||
(19) CA LETS DAVAO COPS WALK IN SUMMARY KILLINGS CASE (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
A Court of Appeals (CA) ruling has upheld its earlier decision in
favor of three ranking Davao City police officials earlier suspended
for failing to solve the summary killings of hundreds of people,
including drug suspects and activists in the city. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
In a five-page resolution, the appellate court's former Special
Third Division, through Associate Justice Arturo Brion, denied "for
lack of merit" a motion for reconsideration filed by the Office of
the Ombudsman for the Military and other Law Enforcement Offices
(OMB-Moleo). | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Last June 30, the OMB-Moleo suspended the police officials in Davao
City for failing to solve the killings since 1998. From Aug. 1, 1998
to June 30, 2004, a total of 247 persons were reported as summarily
executed. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
The law enforcement officials claimed drugs was the motive in 60 of the 247 deaths. 67 of the deaths took place within the jurisdiction of Sta. Ana Police Station under Escobal, 52 were in the jurisdiction of Sta. Ana police precinct under Baccay, and 51 incidents in the jurisdiction of the Talomo police under Danao. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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| ||||||||||||||||||||||
(20) PSYCHIATRIST CALLS FOR END TO 30-YEAR TABOO OVER USE OF LSD AS (Top)A MEDICAL TREATMENT | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Drug Inventor Celebrates 100th Birthday Today | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Battle Ahead for Approval and Funding of UK Studies | ||||||||||||||||||||||
British psychiatrists are beginning to debate the highly sensitive
issue of using LSD for therapeutic purposes to unlock secrets buried in
the unconscious which may underlie the anxious or obsessional behaviour
of some of their patients. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
The UK pioneered this use of LSD in the 1950s. But psychiatrists found
their research proposals rejected and their work dismissed once "acid"
hit the streets in the mid-60s and uncontrolled use of the
hallucinogenic drug became a social phenomenon. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
"I really want to present a dispassionate medical, scientific evidence-based argument," says Dr Sessa. "I do not condone recreational drug use. None of this is tinged by any personal experience. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
"Scientists, psychiatrists and psychologists were forced to give up
their studies for socio-political reasons. That's what really drives
me." | ||||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Dr Sessa has looked back on the papers published by Dr Sandison and
others from the heyday of psychedelic psychiatry, and thinks they
may have modern relevance. They claim positive results in patients
who were given LSD in psychotherapy to get to the deep-seated roots
of anxiety disorders and neuroses. It took them, as the title of
Aldous Huxley's book has it, from the poem of William Blake, through
"the doors of perception". Yet when he was a student, says
33-year-old Dr Sessa, all his textbooks stated categorically that
LSD had no medical use. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
"It is as if a whole generation of psychiatrists have had this systematically erased from their education," he says. "But for the generation who trained in the 50s and 60s, this really was going to be the next big thing. Thousands of books and papers were written, but then it all went silent. My generation has never heard of it. It's almost as if there has been an active demonisation." | ||||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||
(21) STATISTICS SHOW MARIJUANA MOST COMMON DRUG (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
While the Caribbean continues to be an important area for the
trans-shipment of drugs due to its geographical location, with the
designer drugs such as amphetamines and ecstasy increasing in
trafficking, the most commonly used drug within the region itself is
marijuana. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Information gathered from a Drug Abuse Epidemiological Surveillance
System Project conducted among the secondary school students in the
Caribbean, revealed that the prevalence of marijuana ranked as high
as over 25 per cent for St. Lucia and over 20 per cent for Barbados
and Grenada for lifetime use. For annual use, the statistics
revealed that there was over 15 per cent prevalence in St. Lucia and
over ten per cent in Barbados and Grenada. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||
(22) TORY DRUG VIEWS WRONG, CAMPBELL SAYS (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Former Vancouver mayor Larry Campbell is criticizing Tory Leader Stephen Harper for his reservations about safe-injection sites. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Harper made the comment during a campaign appearance in Burnaby when
asked about Vancouver's site, the first such facility in North
America, opened in 2003. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
"[The Tories] believe addiction is not a medical problem, it's a
moral problem," Campbell said. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Campbell said Vancouver residents endorsed the safe-injection
approach by voting him into office as mayor and said he's worried
that Harper could kill the project if elected. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
The site is aimed at reducing drug overdoses, HIV and other
infections by giving users clean needles. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Health Canada backs the site. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
"In Mr. Harper's world, people who suffer from addictions are bad
people," Campbell said. "They're bad people, and in his world he
doesn't have any bad people. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||
(23) 'STOP THE SOFT TALK ON DRUGS,' PASTOR SAYS (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Drop Any Plans To Decriminalize Pot, Religious Leaders Tell
Candidates | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Greater Toronto Area religious leaders and conservative political
activist Charles McVety called on all levels of government to
intensify the war on illegal drugs yesterday, blaming the Liberals'
drug strategy for gun crime and violence in the city. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
"We are asking [the government] to withdraw any plans to
decriminalize marijuana, any talk about legalizing marijuana or any
other illicit drugs, and to make their position known so the people
of Canada can make an informed choice on Jan. 23." | ||||||||||||||||||||||
He also suggested Toronto's harm-reduction programs, which provide clean needles and crack pipes to street addicts, be stopped. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Rev. Bruce Smith of King-Bay Kids Outreach said young people equate
drugs with power and a quick way to make money and suggested a link
between drug use and the downtown shootout that killed 15-year-old
Jane Creba on Boxing Day. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
"Toronto especially needs to get young people clean and keep them
away from guns and knives and killing each other," he said. "It's
all because of drugs." | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Alan Young, a professor at Osgoode Hall Law School, said linking gun
crime to drug use and trafficking is a valid but "very simplistic"
view of the problem. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
"There is nothing inherently criminogenic or violent about drug
trafficking," he said. "It is the prohibition of [drug trade] that
creates violence." | ||||||||||||||||||||||
[snip] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||
HOT OFF THE 'NET (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
DEA RESPONDS TO NARCO NEWS STORY | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Says It Will Investigate Agents in Colombia | ||||||||||||||||||||||
By Dan Feder | ||||||||||||||||||||||
The DEA is already feeling the heat from Bill Conroy's explosive report
published in Narco News this week. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Conroy received a leaked internal memo written by attorney Thomas M.
Kent, an attorney with the U.S. Justice Department. The memo accused
Drug Enforcement Administration agents working in Colombia of massive
corruption, of cooperating with drug traffickers, of murdering
informants, and of helping that country's dreaded rightwing
paramilitaries to launder drug money. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||
ADVOCATES PASS OUT POT IN FRONT OF SF CITY HALL | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Jan. 11 - KGO - Medicinal marijuana advocates in San Francisco showed
the feds exactly how they feel about raids on pot clubs by passing out
the ganja publicly on city streets right in front of City Hall. Among
them a couple already under scrutiny by DEA agents. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||
FLASH ANIMATION: SAM'S JOURNEY | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Check out this catchy Flash animation from NORML featuring prominent
marijuana smokers and reform supporters. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||
PERIPHERAL CANNABINOID RECEPTOR, CB2, REGULATES BONE MASS | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 10.1073/pnas.0504187103, January 9, 2006 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
These results demonstrate that the endocannabinoid system is essential
for the maintenance of normal bone mass by osteoblastic and osteoclastic
CB2 signaling. Hence, CB2 offers a molecular target for the diagnosis
and treatment of osteoporosis, the most prevalent degenerative disease
in developed countries. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||
CULTURAL BAGGAGE RADIO SHOW | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Listen Live Fridays 8:00 PM, ET, 7:00 CT, 6:00 MT & 5:00 PT at
http://www.KPFT.org/ | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||
4:20 DRUG WAR NEWS | ||||||||||||||||||||||
01/09/06 - Richard Cowan or marijuananews.com reports from B.C. on
Canada's drug war refugees. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||
SAN DIEGO COUNTY VOTERS OPPOSE COUNTY'S MEDICAL MARIJUANA LAWSUIT | ||||||||||||||||||||||
A new poll of San Diego County voters shows strong support for
Proposition 215, California's medical marijuana law, and overwhelming
opposition to the Board of Supervisors' planned suit aimed at
overturning the law. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
The full results are available at: | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||
CANNABIS CAUSING SCHIZOPHRENIA IN BRITISH MARIJUANA POLICY | ||||||||||||||||||||||
DRCNet Drug War Chronicle Feature, January 13, 2006 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||
LSD: PROBLEM CHILD & WONDER DRUG | ||||||||||||||||||||||
The Spirit of Basel - International Symposium | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Basel, Switzerland - January 13-15, 2006 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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| ||||||||||||||||||||||
SENTENCING WITH DISCRETION: CRACK COCAINE SENTENCING AFTER BOOKER | ||||||||||||||||||||||
The Sentencing Project is pleased to announce the publication of a new report, Sentencing with Discretion: Crack Cocaine Sentencing After Booker. The report coincides with the one-year anniversary of the historic U.S. Supreme Court decision in United States v. Booker, in which the Court struck down the mandatory application of the federal sentencing guidelines as unconstitutional, but kept the guidelines intact by requiring that they be consulted in an advisory capacity. Examining published court decisions, the new report assesses how judges have utilized their expanded range of discretion in one of the most contentious areas of federal sentencing, crack cocaine offenses. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||
MEDICINAL MARIJUANA SPRAY MAY HELP MORE THAN MS: DOCTORS | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Since the first cannabis-based drug was approved for use in Canada last year, doctors say the medication is catching on among people with multiple sclerosis and could be used for other types of pain. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
http://www.cbc.ca/story/science/national/2006/01/12/Sativex060112.html | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||
WHAT YOU CAN DO THIS WEEK (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
JOIN AN ONLINE CONFERENCE HOSTED BY DRUGSENSE | ||||||||||||||||||||||
The staff of DrugSense and The Media Awareness Project are pleased
to announce a very special Online Conference on Monday, Jan 16. 9pm
EST, 8pm CST, 6pm PST | ||||||||||||||||||||||
THE STATE OF MEDICAL MARIJUANA - 2006 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Join MAP's Media Activism Facilitator Steve Heath and his special guests Dale Gieringer of California NORML, Philippe Lucas of the Vancouver Island Compassion Society and Mary Jane Borden of the Ohio Patient Network as we discuss all things medical marijuana. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
We also hope to have the participation of a representative from The
Marijuana Policy Project and Americans For Safe Access. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
You can see the updated list of confirmed Guests by visiting MAP
OnAir http://www.mapinc.org/onair | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Attendees at this conference will be able to participate directly
and ask questions of the guests. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
See: http://mapinc.org/resource/paltalk.htm for all details on how you can participate in this important meeting of leading minds in reform. Discussion is conducted with live Voice (microphone and speakers all that is needed) and also via text messaging. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
The Paltalk software is free and easy to download and install. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||
NEW YORK TIMES ON FAILED DRUG POLICIES | ||||||||||||||||||||||
DrugSense FOCUS Alert #320 - Friday, 13 January 2006 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
This week, The New York Times has printed three good items, including a harsh critique about the effects of two decades of ever-escalating mandatory minimum sentencing for drug offenses. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Please consider writing at least one Letter to the Editor to the
editors of The New York Times with your personal comments on one or
more of the articles. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||
LETTER OF THE WEEK (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
TRY A DIFFERENT APPROACH | ||||||||||||||||||||||
By Glen Schwarz | ||||||||||||||||||||||
The persistent county jail problems should be no surprise. What do you
expect when an intolerant majority makes criminals out of substantial
parts of the populace? | ||||||||||||||||||||||
I am speaking of course, about the unjust and outright racist marijuana
laws of the state of Arkansas. These laws make simple possession of the
leafs of an herb a contraband crime punishable by 1-10 years, depending
on priors. Although few are in county jail for this type crime, there
must be thousands in state prisons, taking up space and causing the
local backlogs. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
In reality the problems at the jails are amongst the least of our
worries. For enforcing these insane laws contributes to a growing
disrespect for the rule of law. Hippies, Blacks, Hispanics and young
people who are the targets of this persecution, can rest assured that
the Baptist Plutocracy in charge cares little for them. They are little
but machine oil for an emerging police state. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Yet local governments are not powerless in the face of growing tyranny.
They could close their jails to marijuana crimes, instruct their police
or sheriff's departments to concentrate on violent crimes. These
actions would send a message to the do-nothing state legislature, "Try
something different!" | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Twelve American States have decriminalized marijuana for personal use.
Two will vote on outright legalization this year. Where is Arkansas?
Stuck in the reefer madness of the 1930's, with a high violent crime
rate in our cities to show for it. Again, try something different! Now
would be a good time. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Glen Schwarz | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||
LETTER WRITER OF THE MONTH - DECEMBER (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
DrugSense recognizes Officer Howard J. Wooldridge (retired) of
Frederick, Maryland for his five published letters during December,
which brings his total published letters that we know of up to 60.
Howard is an Education Specialist for Law Enforcement Against
Prohibition http://leap.cc/speakers/wooldridge.htm | ||||||||||||||||||||||
You may read his published letters at: | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||
FEATURE ARTICLE (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Unbelievable Drug Hype And Its Mythic Little Pieces | ||||||||||||||||||||||
By Stephen Young | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Let me be honest: I haven't read A Million Little Pieces, the
best-selling memoir by James Frey. The book is supposed to
illustrate the darkest depths of drug depravity; it reportedly drips
with bodily fluids released during degrading, | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Hailed as a new kind of addiction literature, A Million Little
Pieces came out to generally glowing reviews in 2003. There were
some dissenters. After I read a thoughtful review by Jules Siegel (
http://www.drugwar.com/siegelpieces.shtm ), I decided the book would
probably irritate me in a million little ways. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Now I kind of wish I had read it to see if it would have tripped my
BS detector. That's what happened to some readers, particularly the
folks over at The Smoking Gun. Some episodes from the book didn't
seem plausible, so The Smoking Gun found official documents and
sources which contradict key elements of the Frey's allegedly true
story Frey ( | ||||||||||||||||||||||
This probably wouldn't have been terribly big news, but it was on
the front page of some newspapers, primarily because one of the most
powerful media figures in the world has championed the book. Oprah
Winfrey made it one of her book club selections, accelerating sales
exponentially. The Smoking Gun titled its story "The Man Who Conned
Oprah." | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Winfrey, for her part, says she doesn't feel conned. She even called
in to Larry King earlier this week to defend Frey as he appeared on
the show. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
There's a lesson here, and it's not just that arrogant, | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Whenever outrageous charges about drugs and drug users are made,
some people will believe the hype, no matter how ridiculous it is.
Often, people who make their living evaluating the reliability of
information get hoodwinked. In 1980, the Washington Post printed an
article about an 8-year-old named Jimmy who supposedly shot heroin.
The author not only fooled editors at the Post, she fooled staff
from other prestigious newspapers who voted to award her a Pulitzer
Prize, until the story was revealed as a hoax. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Just last year, Newsweek printed a cover story on methamphetamine
which relied more on grim anecdotes than hard facts. When it comes
to drugs, the most exaggerated claims seem plausible. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
The normal person who flirts with drugs is supposed to be dragged
down as far as they'll let themselves go, until they hit bottom.
That's the current dominant mythology of drug abuse. Write some
fable that reiterates the mythology and it may take a while before
people start asking questions; indeed many still feel like the
questions don't matter. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Winfrey didn't seem too bothered. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
"And I feel about A Million Little Pieces that although some of the
facts have been questioned, and people have a right to question,
because we live in a country that lets you do that, that the
underlying message of redemption in James Frey's memoir still
resonates with me," she said on King's show. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
The myth is so powerful that an inverse phenomena occurs when
someone suggests a currently illegal drug may have positive
qualities. The same media that swallows an addiction horror story
without stopping to chew suddenly turns quite picky, subjecting such
ideas to a sort of Spanish Inquisition. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
A Massachusetts newspaper recently started its editorial on a
proposed medical marijuana law this way: | ||||||||||||||||||||||
"Though approving the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes has become something of a fad among legislatures nationally, those on Beacon Hill should approach the issue with great caution. "Law enforcement professionals, including Essex County District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett, are convinced that use of the drug is a gateway that can lead to experimentation with more powerful narcotics." | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Medical marijuana has been a reality in the United States for nearly
a decade, and none of the nightmare scenarios predicted by
prohibitionists have played out. And yet the mainstream press will
always cast a skeptical eye, insisting on "balanced" coverage for
such issues. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
But when some middle class white guy describes himself beating up
cops and priests as a consequence of his drug use, it doesn't really
matter if it's true because it sounds like it might possibly be
true. The fantasy is actually more important than reality; it
sustains the notion that addiction is several times worse than most
people can even imagine. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
It's understandable, in a sense. The federal government has spent
billions producing propaganda for print, broadcast and net-based
media to reinforce the type of hyperbole that Frey serves up as fact
in his book. And the drug scare story is a staple of the mainstream
media; the scarier the better. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
The drug war was founded on myths and it continues to chug along
through the creative use of myths. If James Frey made an attempt to
be honest, he might admit that regurgitating those myths in a
colorful way and presenting them as true life can be ethically
perilous, though enormously lucrative. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Stephen Young is an editor with DrugSense Weekly and author of the
forthcoming new edition of Maximizing Harm, which just underwent a
further reduction of its already minuscule chances of being
mentioned on the Oprah show. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||
QUOTE OF THE WEEK (Top) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
"The only people who ever advance science forward are the people who
come from the edge, from the outside, usually amateurs, usually not
institutional. The way scientific advance happens is though
completely irrational bursts of brilliance. Then they create a
scenario of careful research and cross-checked data and slow
accumulation." - Terrence McKenna | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||
DS Weekly is one of the many free educational services DrugSense
offers our members. Watch this feature to learn more about what
DrugSense can do for you. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
TO SUBSCRIBE, UNSUBSCRIBE, OR UPDATE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS: | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Please utilize the following URLs | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Policy and Law Enforcement/Prison content selection and analysis by Stephen Young (), Cannabis/Hemp content selection and analysis by Philippe Lucas (), International content selection and analysis by Doug Snead (), Layout, TJI and HOTN by Matt Elrod (). | ||||||||||||||||||||||
We wish to thank all our contributors, editors, NewsHawks and letter writing activists. Please help us help reform. Become a NewsHawk See http://www.mapinc.org/hawk.htm for info on contributing clippings. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is
distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior
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