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DrugSense Weekly
Apr. 13, 2007 #494


Table of Contents

* Breaking News (03/28/24)


* This Just In


(1) Forensics Expert Explains Marijuana Testing Myths
(2) Drawing The Line On Drugs
(3) Parents' Health Advice Under Fire From Schools Watchdog
(4) Mexican Traffickers Defy Crackdown With Gory Public Challenges

* Weekly News in Review


Drug Policy-

COMMENT: (5-8)
(5) Sharp Joins Independence County Suit
(6) OPED: When The Cure Is Not Worth The Cost
(7) Brain Scans, Genes Provide Addiction Clues
(8) Column: Drug Prohibition -- Lost Liberty, Money

Law Enforcement & Prisons-

COMMENT: (9-12)
(9) County One Of 42 Looking At New Jails
(10) Sheriff Speaks From Personal Experience At Meth Meetings
(11) Editorial: Geriatrics In Jumpsuits
(12) Column: Unequal Justice For All

Cannabis & Hemp-

COMMENT: (13-16)
(13) Some Aren't Stoked About New Tax
(14) Board Members Rip Marijuana Prosecution
(15) Legal Pot Activists Angry At Police
(16) N.H. House Approves Growing Hemp

International News-

COMMENT: (17-20)
(17) McCaffrey Sees 2007 As A Crucial Year
(18) Data Shows Students Taking Illicit Drugs On The Rise
(19) Police Powerless As Psychedelic Herb Remains Legal
(20) Hallucinogenic Herb Being Abused By Young People - Health Canada

* Hot Off The 'Net


    The U.S. "War On Drugs" Is An Assault On South America's Poorest
    Cultural Baggage Radio Show / With Host Dean Becker
    Bush (Still) Loves D.A.R.E. / By Marsha Rosenbaum
    What Does It Mean To Decriminalize Marijuana?
    Long Term Use Of Medical Cannabis By Federal Legal Patients

* What You Can Do This Week


    Celebrate Narco News' 7Th Anniversary In New York City

* Letter Of The Week


    Legalizing Drugs Could Stem Crime / John F. Ferry, M.D.

* Letter Writer Of The Month - March


    Alan Randell

* Feature Article


    Making the Most of DrugSense / Mary Jane Borden

* Quote of the Week


    Thomas Jefferson

DrugSense needs your support to continue this newsletter and many
other important projects - see how you can help at
http://www.drugsense.org/donate.htm


THIS JUST IN    (Top)

(1) FORENSICS EXPERT EXPLAINS MARIJUANA TESTING MYTHS    (Top)

When a student is caught in possession of marijuana, there is little they can use as an excuse to get out of being arrested or slapped with a hefty fine, according to Mahmoud ElSohly, a research professor at the Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Mississippi.

As part of the Forensic Science Seminar Series, ElSohly made his presentation, "Marijuana in Forensics," to about 60 students and members of the community in Pastore Chemical Laboratory Friday. Referring to his latest research, ElSohly talked about the fact and fiction of marijuana usage and why certain defenses for positive marijuana testing don't hold up in court.

"When the tests come back positive for marijuana, some people say, 'I went to a party and people were smoking pot,'" ElSohly said.  "This issue has been studied to death."

ElSohly said the party scene he described would be an example of passive inhalation, something that could not cause a marijuana test to show up positive.  "There's no way you'd be up to the physical guidelines," he said.

ElSohly said another excuse that wouldn't hold up in court would be the "hemp seed" defense.  Hemp seed and oil contain small amounts of THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, which are responsible for the psychometer effects of marijuana.

According to ElSohly's research, hemp seed and oil can be found in 120 different products on the market today.  Because the amount of THC is significantly less, however, ElSohly said students that using hemp products as an excuse for a positive drug test would be disappointed in a police officer or an employer's reaction.  Like passive inhalation, there would not be enough THC in a sample after ingesting hemp to meet the guidelines for "testing positive."

[snip]

Pubdate:   Tue, 10 Apr 2007
Source:   Good 5 Cent Cigar (U of RI: Edu)
Copyright:   2007 Good 5 Cent Cigar
Website:   http://www.ramcigar.com/
Details:   http://www.mapinc.org/media/2599
Author:   Brenna McCabe
Bookmark:   http://www.mapinc.org/testing.htm (Drug Testing)
Continues:   http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v07.n468.a09.html


(2) DRAWING THE LINE ON DRUGS    (Top)

The drug prohibition causes crime," proclaims Jerry Cameron to a room filled with rapt libertarians.  A former police chief with FBI and DEA training, Cameron is doing "penance" for his seventeen-year law enforcement career in the "war on drugs." He spends an hour setting forth the case for the total decriminalization of all drugs to the Students for Individual Liberty's delight.

Sadly, Cameron takes it too far.  Although he spends most of his time discussing the legalization of marijuana, he supports legalizing all drugs and even wants the government to hand out free heroin.

[snip]

Criminalizing marijuana is simply indefensible.  It has no serious ill- effects, is not physically addictive and to overdose you have to smoke about your own body weight in pot (which is impossible because you will pass out long before that).  Conversely, current drug laws end up resulting in increased crime, racist enforcement, and overcrowded prisons.  This is not the case for hard drugs.

They are highly addictive and have been proven to cause serious, long- term medical problems, but Cameron wants the government to hand them out for free.  As long as libertarians support the legalization of all drugs, they'll continue to be pigeonholed as a one-issue party.

What's worse, people will continue to ignore the need to legalize marijuana.

Pubdate:   Thu, 12 Apr 2007
Source:   Cavalier Daily (U of VA Edu)
Copyright:   2007 The Cavalier Daily, Inc.
Website:   http://www.cavalierdaily.com/
Details:   http://www.mapinc.org/media/550
Author:   Josh Levy, Cavalier Daily Opinion Columnist
Continues:   http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v07.n464.a08.html


(3) PARENTS' HEALTH ADVICE UNDER FIRE FROM SCHOOLS WATCHDOG    (Top)

Smoking and binge drinking among teenage girls have reached worrying levels because parents and teachers make the health risks seem less important than those of illegal drugs, the schools watchdog, Ofsted, said yesterday.

Most young people correctly saw cigarettes and alcohol as a far greater threat and the school curriculum must change to reflect that, it said.  Pupils also felt let down by adults who were reluctant to talk about sensitive issues such as sex and relationships, Ofsted said.  Instead, young people turned to magazines for advice.

[snip]

The report on personal, social and health education was based on 350 school inspections over five years.

It said: "Many adults are concerned about young people's involvement with illegal drugs, but the overwhelming majority of young people identify correctly that tobacco and alcohol are the greatest drug- related dangers."

[snip]

Pubdate:   Thu, 12 Apr 2007
Source:   Guardian, The (UK)
Copyright:   2007 Guardian Newspapers Limited
Website:   http://www.guardian.co.uk/guardian/
Details:   http://www.mapinc.org/media/175
Author:   James Merkle, Education Correspondent
Continues:   http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v07.n469.a10.html


(4) MEXICAN TRAFFICKERS DEFY CRACKDOWN WITH GORY PUBLIC CHALLENGES    (Top)

Gangs Use Brazen Displays to Intimidate

MEXICO CITY -- Drug traffickers are waging a highly effective publicity campaign in Mexico that began with a chilling show of brutality in Acapulco: two police officers' heads, streaming with blood, were stuck on metal spikes outside a downtown building with a fluorescent cardboard sign.  "So that you learn to respect," it read in thick black letters.

The spectacle a year ago in the Pacific resort set off a ghoulish trend among the drug lords battling for billion-dollar smuggling routes into the United States.  They have since left a trail of bodies and bloodstained notes across Mexico, with a goal of spreading fear - -- a sense of dread so deep that rivals, police, witnesses and even President Felipe Calderon won't dare cross them.

Regular citizens used to be left out of crime battles.

No longer.  The drug gangs now publish newspaper ads and tack threatening notes to corpses with ice picks or tape them to trash bags filled with body parts for public display.  They are even using the Internet, posting a video on YouTube.com that showed the apparent beheading of an alleged hit man.

"Before long, they're going to have their own TV program, 'Narconews,' where they drag out their dead for show," drug expert Jorge Chabat joked grimly.

[snip]

Pubdate:   Fri, 13 Apr 2007
Source:   Chicago Tribune (IL)
Copyright:   2007 Chicago Tribune Company
Website:   http://www.chicagotribune.com/
Details:   http://www.mapinc.org/media/82
Author:   Julie Watson, Associated Press
Continues:   http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v07.n470.a02.html


WEEKLY NEWS IN REVIEW    (Top)

Domestic News- Policy


COMMENT: (5-8)    (Top)

Just when we thought ephedrine was safely tucked behind the counter...some folks in Arkansas have initiated a civil action suit against pharmaceutical companies for not keeping their legal product from meth cooks.

Both the U.S.  Senate and House have introduced bills which would require insurance companies to cover mental health and addiction the same way they cover physical illnesses.  A journalist, Maia Szalavitz, warns that treatment funding must require proof of efficacy or much of the money may be wasted on programs which do not work.

And, yes, there is actual scientific research on addiction.  The Journal of the American Medical Association published an article covering advances in these studies during the past year which can lead to better treatment.

One of our heroes, Arianna Huffington, decried the total lack of dialogue about our failed drug policies by 2008 presidential hopefuls.  Her column points out that even Obama, who actually admits to a past drug problem, has not said a word and certainly hasn't offered any solutions.

Closing this section with a column by a New York philosophy professor.  He makes some excellent points about the harms caused by drug prohibition but, unfortunately, feels it will never end.


(5) SHARP JOINS INDEPENDENCE COUNTY SUIT    (Top)

ASH FLAT -- The Sharp County Quorum Court voted Monday to join a class action lawsuit against a pair of pharmaceutical giants and some distributors of ephedrine and pseudoephedrine.

The vote was 8-0 with one justice absent.

The purpose of the lawsuit, filed in circuit court by Independence County last month, is to recoup damages that counties have incurred while combating methamphetamine use and addiction.

The suit contends that ephedrine and pseudoephedrine are the only ingredients that makers of the illegal drug methamphetamine cannot make on their own but must obtain from over the counter drugs.

[snip]

Pubdate:   Tue, 10 Apr 2007
Source:   Batesville Daily Guard (AR)
Copyright:   2007 Batesville Guard-Record Co.  Inc.
Details:   http://www.mapinc.org/media/1403
Author:   Larry Stroud, Guard Associated Editor
Continues:   http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v07.n463.a01.html


(6) OPED: WHEN THE CURE IS NOT WORTH THE COST    (Top)

ON its face, providing equal coverage for mental and physical illnesses sounds like a good idea, something only a managed-care bean counter could oppose.  To that end, Representatives Jim Ramstad, Republican of Minnesota, and Patrick Kennedy, Democrat of Rhode Island, have introduced the Paul Wellstone Mental Health and Addiction Equity Act.

Named for the senator who was long an advocate for mental health "parity," it would require that private insurers pay for as much treatment for mental illnesses and addiction as they do for physical illnesses.

Senators Ted Kennedy, Democrat of Massachusetts, and Pete Domenici, Republican of New Mexico, have introduced a similar bill in the Senate.  President Bush has said he will sign the legislation if it passes.

Unfortunately, this change would not be as benign as it appears. Unless mental health parity is tied to evidence-based treatment and positive outcomes, generous benefits may become a profit bonanza for providers that does little to help patients.

[snip]

Without financial incentives to provide treatments that are known to work, many mental health professionals stick with what they know, or pick up on the latest fad, or even introduce their own untested innovations - which in turn are spread by testimonials and credulous news media coverage.

[snip]

According to a review by the Institute of Medicine in 2006, only 10.5 percent of alcoholics received "care consistent with scientific
knowledge" of the disorder; similarly, 43 percent of children in psychiatric hospitals are given antipsychotic medication despite not suffering from psychosis.  Tough boot camps for troubled teenagers - which have been proven to be ineffective and potentially harmful - thrive, while "multisystemic family therapy," which effectively treats teenagers at home, is available only through the juvenile justice system.

[snip]

If we want to provide genuine help for the 33 million Americans with mental health and drug problems, giving more no-strings-attached money to providers via insurance mandates is not the answer.  It is dangerous to blindly bolster useless and even harmful treatments while failing to support proven therapies.  Coverage must be tied to outcomes and evidence.  And payment should be dependent, at least in part, on health improvements, not just services received.  We need parity in evidence-based treatment, not just in coverage.

Pubdate:   Wed, 11 Apr 2007
Source:   New York Times (NY)
Copyright:   2007 The New York Times Company
Details:   http://www.mapinc.org/media/298
Author:   Maia Szalavitz
Continues:   http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v07.n462.a07.html


(7) BRAIN SCANS, GENES PROVIDE ADDICTION CLUES    (Top)

Scientists using advanced brain imaging and genetic testing to probe the physiological basis of addiction are gleaning new insights into these disorders and how to treat them.

A symposium sponsored by Brookhaven National Laboratory (Upton, NY), held in conjunction with the American Association for the Advancement of Science's annual meeting in San Francisco in February, highlighted several advances in addiction science made over the past year.  Researchers presented findings from brain imaging studies revealing the importance of memory and drug-related cues in addiction, the role of monoamine oxidase-inhibiting compounds in cigarette smoking, the damage to inhibitory controls caused by methamphetamine use, as well as results from studies suggesting that genomics could be used to better tailor addiction therapies.

[snip]

Harder to explain is another key component of addiction: the intense craving or desire that addicted individuals experience when they are exposed to drug-associated cues, such as persons with whom they used the drug, places where they used the drugs, and drug paraphernalia. Now, however, brain imaging techniques are giving scientists a window on what happens in an individual's brain during craving.

To probe this response, Volkow and her colleagues at Brookhaven National Laboratory used positron emission tomography (PET) scans to obtain an indirect measurement of dopamine levels in the brains of 18 cocaine-addicted individuals under two conditions: while watching videos of people buying and using cocaine and also while watching videos featuring nature scenes (Volkow et al.  J Neurosci. 2006;26:6583-6588).

[snip]

Brain imaging studies also are providing evidence that
methamphetamine use may cause functional and structural deficits that interfere with users' ability to control negative emotions.

Edythe D.  London, PhD, of the Semel Institute of Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Science at the University of California in Los Angeles, and colleagues have used PET scans and radiolabeled glucose to monitor and compare brain activity in methamphetamine-addicted individuals who have abstained from the drug for 4 to 11 days with that of controls (London ED et al.  Arch Gen Psychiatry.
2004;61:73-84).  They found abnormally low levels of activity (as measured by glucose metabolism) in the cerebral cortex that was related to symptoms of depression.

[snip]

London said the findings suggest that methamphetamine use leads to a loss of function in parts of the brain that control emotion.  This, she said, may explain why methamphetamine users often are involved with serious crimes and violence and why they have difficulty abstaining.  "It could be that they misinterpret environmental stimuli and react in a strong way," she said.

She and her colleagues are now studying whether modafinil, a drug used to treat narcolepsy, might help in treating methamphetamine dependence.  The drug has been shown to improve inhibitory control in healthy individuals and in those with
attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.  Such a means to control a problematic symptom of methamphetamine abuse may improve the effectiveness of existing therapies, such as behavioral therapy.

Pubdate:   Wed, 04 Apr 2007
Source:   Journal of the American Medical Association (US)
Copyright:   2007 American Medical Association.
Details:   http://www.mapinc.org/media/219
Author:   Bridget M.  Kuehn
Continues:   http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v07.n462.a13.html


(8) Column: DRUG PROHIBITION -- LOST LIBERTY, MONEY    (Top)

As the Iraq War drags into its fifth year, there is a far more destructive policy that has been going on for decades, drug prohibition.  This prohibition is offensive in at least in part because of its utter contempt for liberty.

[snip]

Some nanny-types argue that drug use isn't harmless because persons harm others through impaired driving, stealing to support their habit, drug-fueled violence, etc.  There are a couple things to note about this argument.  First, these activities are already illegal and can be combated by directly targeting them.  In fact, the massive resources used to track down drugs might end up diverting resources needed to prevent violent crime.

For example, according to anthropologist Michael P.  Ghiglieri, citing Bureau of Justice Statistics, in the 90's, only about 38% of murderers were sentenced to prison.

Second, if this argument warrants drug prohibition, it provides an even stronger case for alcohol probation.  It's hard to imagine anyone who isn't a blood enemy of liberty wanting to criminalize alcohol again.

Third, if we allow the criminal law to protect against
externalities, that is, when one person's conduct imposes costs on others, the state could mandate jogging, body weight, sexual practices, etc.  The harm principle (when narrowed to focus on direct harm to others) is a bulwark against such an invasion of liberty.

[snip]

Even if drug prohibition didn't involve a dizzying lack of respect for liberty, it probably doesn't pass a simple cost-benefit analysis.

[snip]

The federal drug control budget in 2006 was $12.5 billion.  Since numerous state and local agencies also spend vast amounts of time and energy pursuing marijuana and other threats to the free world, one can imagine that the costs here are considerably greater than my low-end estimate of $34.5 billion.

Worthy of special contempt is the Drug Abuse Resistance Program (DARE) program.  According to a 1998 study by Professors Ronsenbaum and Hanson of the University of Illinois at Chicago, DARE has no impact on the long-term rate of drug use by children who go through it.  Other sources claim that this is the same result found in all major research into DARE's effectiveness.  Despite the lack of evidence for its effectiveness, in 1996 it was administered in 70% of the nation's school districts, reaching 25 million students.

[snip]

Another significant cost is the shredding of the Constitution in pursuit of recreational drugs.

[snip]

In the absence of convincing evidence that the benefits of prohibition outweigh its costs, it's better to err on the side of liberty.

[snip]

Like alcohol prohibition, drug prohibition tramples on liberty and doesn't clearly past the cost-benefit test.  Sadly, it's probably here to stay anyway.

Pubdate:   Wed, 11 Apr 2007
Source:   Observer, The (NY)
Copyright:   2007 The Observer
Details:   http://www.mapinc.org/media/2118
Author:   Stephen Kershnar
Continues:   http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v07.n467.a06.html


Law Enforcement & Prisons


COMMENT: (9-12)    (Top)

It has long been evident that we just can not incarcerate our way out of drug usage.  There are daily reports about overcrowded jails and prisons shifting "criminals" from one cage to another in an attempt to avoid judicial wrath.  Surely we can not be far away from the day when citizens will insist on better answers.

One of those citizens, though, will not be the Texas Sheriff who had his son arrested for using meth.  The Sheriff claims his only two choices were prison or death.  He 'hopes' his son will not relapse and I hope they might both discover the treatment option.

A Daily Tar Heel editorial correctly claims the increasing number of older inmates behind bars will soon need to be addressed.  All the contractors enjoying prison building profits may need to switch to secure nursing home construction.

One of our heroes, Arianna Huffington, decried the total lack of dialogue about our failed drug policies by Democratic 2008 presidential candidates.  She points out that even Obama, who actually admits to a past drug problem, has not said a word and certainly hasn't offered any solutions.  Her column also covers the disparities of 'justice' which lead to this war being carried on the backs of minorities.


(9) COUNTY ONE OF 42 LOOKING AT NEW JAILS    (Top)

No Mower Countian should for a moment think the county is alone in its jail-justice center saga.

In fact, there are 42 Minnesota counties presently studying expanding or building new jail and justice center facilities.

That's what the Mower County Board of Commissioners and selected staffers learned at the recent Association of Minnesota Counties' legislative conference.

David Hillier, 3rd District county commissioner, said Tuesday the 42 jail and justice center issues did not include counties who have attempted to solve issues of their own by building new facilities, such as the recently opened Steele (3 years ago) and Freeborn County (last year) jail and justice centers.

Ironically, both counties are presently shopping around the availability of jail beds to other counties discussing how to address their own jail over-crowding and district court security issues.

[snip]

According to Hillier, the commissioners learned at the AMC legislative conference the state is reimbursing the county only $13 per day in per diem costs for housing short-term offenders in county jails, while the costs are $55 or more in per diem alone.

"We have a serious problem here as far as housing prisoners is concerned," Hillier said.  "According to the last statistics, in 1988 there were 3,600 prisoner beds in Minnesota.

"Last year -- 2006 -- the number of adult beds in the state grew to over 9,100," Hillier added.  "That's why we have 42 counties considering building new jails."

[snip]

Pubdate:   Sat, 07 Apr 2007
Source:   Austin Daily Herald, The (MN)
Copyright:   2007 Austin Daily Herald Inc
Details:   http://www.mapinc.org/media/1201
Author:   Lee Bonorden, Austin Daily Herald
Continues:   http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v07.n446.a14.html


(10) SHERIFF SPEAKS FROM PERSONAL EXPERIENCE AT METH MEETINGS    (Top)

Bowie County Sheriff James Prince has a unique perspective when it comes to dealing with methamphetamine users and their families.

Three and a half years ago, he had his own 31-year-old son arrested on drug charges.  "It's a tough thing to put your kid in jail, but a lot of people are doing it.  The alternative is a whole lot worse.

I told my son I would rather see him in jail than in a casket" Prince said.  Prince spoke Tuesday night in Redwater, Texas, at the first town hall meeting held by the Bowie County Sheriffs Office and the East Texas Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse.  He said he caught a plane to Georgia when he received a phone call saying his son might be doing drugs.

[snip]

"I hope and pray he stays off it" the sheriff said.  Prince said parents of meth users should not be ashamed if their sons or daughters are on drugs.  "You have not done anything wrong" he said.

[snip]

Pubdate:   Wed, 11 Apr 2007
Source:   Texarkana Gazette (TX)
Copyright:   2007 Texarkana Gazette
Details:   http://www.mapinc.org/media/976
Author:   Lon Dunn, Texarkana Gazette
Continues:   http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v07.n464.a02.html


(11) Editorial: GERIATRICS IN JUMPSUITS    (Top)

State needs to address aging in prisons to save money North Carolina has a problem with old people and prisons: There are increasing numbers of the former in the latter.

Because of longer sentences, especially for drug-related crimes, more often people approach retirement age while sporting orange jumpsuits.

According to a 2006 report on aging in N.C.  prisons, the 50 years-and-older group was the fastest growing age bracket in our inmate population.  While the total number of inmates has increased by 16 percent in the past five years, the elderly incarcerated population has jumped 61 percent.

[snip]

This is a burden on the state financially, not just because of the ever-growing need for cell space but also because medical and mental health care for elderly inmates costs about three times as much as that for prisoners in younger age brackets.

The sad part is that the elderly poor probably receive more comprehensive health care within the prison system than outside its walls.  It might actually be a worse punishment to send them out to tackle the Medicaid and Medicare systems - which is a commentary on those systems, and not an appeal to punish elderly inmates more harshly.

[snip]

One possible solution is to shorten sentences for non-violent crimes, but because no politician seeking re-election wants to be branded as being against the "War on Drugs," this is not a likely scenario.

A fix that N.C.  officials have proposed is to release terminally ill, low-risk elderly inmates to hospices, while placing other elderly prisoners or prisoners with disabilities in secure private facilities.

[snip]

Pubdate:   Thu, 12 Apr 2007
Source:   Daily Tar Heel, The (U of NC, Edu)
Copyright:   2007 DTH Publishing Corp
Details:   http://www.mapinc.org/media/1949
Continues:   http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v07.n465.a01.html


(12) COLUMN: UNEQUAL JUSTICE FOR ALL    (Top)

THERE IS ONE SUBJECT BEING forgotten in the 2008 Democratic race for the White House.  While all the major candidates are vying for the black and Latino vote, they are completely ignoring one of the most pressing issues affecting those constituencies: the failed "war on drugs" -- a war that has morphed into a war on people of color.

Consider this: According to a 2006 report by the American Civil Liberties Union, African-Americans make up an estimated 15 percent of drug users, but they account for 37 percent of those arrested on drug charges, 59 percent of those convicted and 74 percent of all drug offenders sentenced to prison.  Or consider this: The United States has 260,000 people in state prisons on nonviolent drug charges; 183,200 (more than 70 percent) of them are black or Latino.

Such facts have been bandied about for years.  But our politicians have consistently failed to take action on what has become yet another third rail of American politics, a subject to be avoided at all costs by elected officials who fear being incinerated on contact for being soft on crime.

Perhaps you hoped this would change during a spirited Democratic presidential primary? Unfortunately, a quick search of the top Democratic hopefuls' Web sites reveals that not one of them -- not Hillary Clinton, not Barack Obama, not John Edwards, not Joe Biden, not Chris Dodd, not Bill Richardson -- even mentions the drug war, let alone offers any solutions.

[snip]

Obama has written eloquently about his own struggle with drugs but has not addressed the tragic effect the war on drugs is having on African-American communities.

[snip]

Avoidance of this issue comes at a very stiff price (and not just the more than $50 billion a year we're spending on the failed drug war).  The toll is paid in shattered families, devastated inner cities and wasted lives (with no apologies for using that term).

During the 10 years I've been writing about the injustice of the drug war, I've repeatedly watched as politicians paid lip service to the problem but then ducked as the sickening status quo claimed more victims.  Here in California, of the 171,000 inmates jamming our wildly overcrowded prisons, 36,000 are nonviolent drug offenders.

[snip]

A 2000 study found that 1.4 million African American men -- 13 percent of the total black male population -- were unable to vote in the 2000 election because of state laws barring felons from the polls.  In Florida, 1 in 3 black men is permanently disqualified from voting.  Think that might have made a difference in the 2000 race? Our shortsighted drug laws have become the 21st-century
manifestation of Jim Crow.

Shouldn't this be an issue Democratic presidential candidates deem worthy of their attention?

Pubdate:   Sun, 08 Apr 2007
Source:   Day, The (New London,CT)
Copyright:   2007 The Day Publishing Co.
Details:   http://www.mapinc.org/media/293
Author:   Arianna Huffington
Continues:   http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v07.n449.a05.html


Cannabis & Hemp-


COMMENT: (13-16)    (Top)

The California state government is looking at medical cannabis once again, only this time it is the taxman who is treading into the murky gray waters.  Tax assessors hope to be rewarded with millions of dollars from all cannabis dispensaries instead of the current patchwork of clubs that pay tax.  Some stakeholders support the added legitimacy, while others fear possibly owing eight years worth of taxes and sharing information which could be seized by the feds.

Madison Wisconsin activists kept the spotlight on a legal case that involved sharing a joint between two friends at a cannabis festival, which led to the Dane County Board asking the District Attorney to justify the costs of dropping the misdemeanor charge to pursue felony prosecution.  The prosecutor had previously claimed money and resources are very tight, so some assurance was needed that the DA's office was "conserving its resources for pursuit of serious crimes."

Some Denver, Colorado citizens are concerned democracy is being mocked by police who defiantly arrested 11 per cent more people since voters approved an initiative to remove all penalties for possessing one ounce or less of cannabis several years ago.  The Charlie Brown logic for pursuing this path is, "It's still state law - we can't be selective about the laws we enforce."

"If at first you don't succeed, try, try, try again", could be the motto of House politicians in New Hampshire who once again passed a bill to control and regulate the hemp industry.  The Senate killed it two years ago, and even if it evolves further this time, there is still the DEA to contend with.  However, with momentum and perseverance, it will just be a matter of time before U.S.  farmers grow one of the most useful plants on the planet.


(13) SOME AREN'T STOKED ABOUT NEW TAX    (Top)

[snip]

For the first time since voters passed Proposition 215 more than a decade ago, state tax assessors are reaching out to the state's estimated 150 to 200 medical marijuana retailers to get them to pay their state and local sales taxes.

In February, the state Board of Equalization sent out a special notice to sellers of medical marijuana, urging them to obtain a seller's permit like any other retailer.

"If you sell medical marijuana, your sales in California are generally subject to tax and you are required to hold a seller's permit," according to the notice.

It goes on to warn sellers that "if you do not obtain a seller's permit or fail to report and pay the taxes due, you will be subject to interest and penalty charges."

[snip]

Pubdate:   Sat, 07 Apr 2007
Source:   Sacramento Bee (CA)
Copyright:   2007 The Sacramento Bee
Details:   http://www.mapinc.org/media/376
Author:   Judy Lin, Bee Capitol Bureau
Continues:   http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v07.n448.a05.html


(14) BOARD MEMBERS RIP MARIJUANA PROSECUTION    (Top)

Four liberal Dane County Board members are questioning the district attorney's decision to pursue a felony drug charge against a Madison man who declined a deal to plead guilty or no contest to misdemeanor marijuana possession.

In a letter to Democratic District Attorney Brian Blanchard, the board members note the county's top prosecutor recently raised concerns about budget constraints and asked county officials for more staff.

The letter - signed by Progressive Dane Sups.  Ashok Kumar, Al Matano, Kyle Richmond and Barbara Vedder - criticizes Blanchard's office for filing a felony charge against a county resident who allegedly "handed a marijuana cigarette to a colleague during a demonstration in favor of relaxation of anti-marijuana law in Downtown Madison."

"The decision to file and pursue such charges calls into question the district attorney's office commitment to conserving its resources for pursuit of serious crimes," the letter states.

[snip]

Pubdate:   Mon, 09 Apr 2007
Source:   Wisconsin State Journal (WI)
Copyright:   2007 Madison Newspapers, Inc.
Details:   http://www.mapinc.org/media/506
Author:   Matthew Defour
Continues:   http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v07.n458.a02.html


(15) LEGAL POT ACTIVISTS ANGRY AT POLICE    (Top)

Possession Busts Rise Despite City Voters' OK

Marijuana legalization advocates say they are furious with Denver police for arresting more people for misdemeanor possession after city residents voted to legalize the weed in 2005.  Mason Tvert, who led the charge to get marijuana legalized, said the group will hold a noon news conference today at the steps of City Hall to decry the findings.

Arrests for most minor crimes rose in Denver last year, and rose faster than marijuana arrests, following a change in policing philosophy.

But Tvert said nothing can justify an 11 percent spike in marijuana possession arrests last year.

"If there's one, it's too many," Tvert said.  "They (police) have the discretion not to arrest."

[snip]

Tvert plans to have retired Denver police Lt.  Tony Ryan on hand to speak for retired law enforcement officers who favor legalization.

[snip]

One person not sharing that idea is City Councilman Charlie Brown.

"It's still state law," Brown said.  "We can't be selective about the laws we enforce."

[snip]

Pubdate:   Tue, 10 Apr 2007
Source:   Rocky Mountain News (Denver, CO)
Copyright:   2007, Denver Publishing Co.
Details:   http://www.mapinc.org/media/371
Author:   Lou Kilzer, Rocky Mountain News
Continues:   http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v07.n455.a06.html


(16) N.H. HOUSE APPROVES GROWING HEMP    (Top)

CONCORD, N.H.  (AP) - The House voted Thursday to allow farmers to grow hemp - a close relative of marijuana - despite federal hurdles to planting the controversial crop.

Supporters pointed out that hemp, which has a very low content of THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, has unfairly been characterized as the same as marijuana.

[snip]

"No one confuses water with vodka though they look the same," Owen said.

Hemp can be grown only with permission from the federal Drug Enforcement Administration.  North Dakota farmers are currently trying to get DEA permission to grow hemp under that state's rules.

"This is in the end an issue of liberty.  Small farmers in the state need all the help they can get," Owen said.

[snip]

Hemp can be grown legally in other countries.

Pubdate:   Fri, 06 Apr 2007
Source:   Foster's Daily Democrat (NH)
Copyright:   2007 Geo.  J. Foster Co.
Details:   http://www.mapinc.org/media/160
Author:   Norma Love, Associated Press Writer
Continues:   http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v07.n449.a07.html


International News


COMMENT: (17-20)    (Top)

Ex-drug czar under Bill Clinton, and Gulf War Army General Barry McCaffrey had a "trip report" from his recent trip to Afghanistan published by the Washington Post last week.  "Afghanistan is now a narco-state," declared McCaffrey.  But, it is the Brit's fault: "The British have the lead for the [counter-drug] program" but won't spend enough money to make Afghanistan be drug free.  Not to worry, because there's no problem which can't be solved by more force and more police in Afghanistan.  "This should be a 10,000 man [local] program, supported by a $250 million [U.S.] program -- with an in-country presence of 200+ DEA agents." Laments McCaffrey, There are no real jails -- or prosecutors -- or judges -- or squad cars."

Despite one of the world's harshest prohibitionist regimes in Indonesia, the number of children taking illicit drugs continues to rise there.  Insp. Gen. Mudji Waluyo, from the Indonesian National Narcotics Agency said drug use was up some 400 percent from 2005 among students in "elementary, junior high and senior high schools", and this in a country which enthusiastically executes people for selling small amounts of prohibited drugs.  "All those figures show us how rampant drug abuse is among students in Indonesia," admitted Mudji.  Ironically, many of the young Indonesians polled indicated one reason they took drugs was as an "escape from authoritarian treatment."

And finally this week, we leave you with two different re-writes of the same alarmist salvia divinorum article written by Kenyon Wallace of the Canadian Press, which was picked up by papers all over Canada last week.  The Saskatchewan newspaper, The StarPhoenix, emphasized that police power might be at risk with the headline "Police Powerless As Psychedelic Herb Remains Legal." True, only "four cases of adverse reactions to salvia" have been documented by Health Canada (making salvia remarkably safe compared to, say, aspirin or Viagra or anything else).  But no matter: because young people may get some, or it might be used by a person driving, it must be made illegal for everyone, say police, eager to add salvia to list of plants police may arrest people for possessing.  The Edmonton Journal in Alberta slugged the piece as "Hallucinogenic Herb Being Abused By Young People - Health Canada", and likewise buried the fact that few adverse reactions to salvia have occurred.  But even though The Journal declared that salvia is "being abused", Health Canada can't make it illegal "until we have sufficient scientific and empirical data that concludes it has the potential for misuse and abuse," admitted a Health Canada spokesman.


(17) McCAFFREY SEES 2007 AS A CRUCIAL YEAR    (Top)

"We Are Now in a Race Against Time."

When retired Army Gen.  Barry R. McCaffrey visited Afghanistan in February for meetings with 23 senior Western and local military, intelligence and political officials, he came away with a cautiously optimistic view of the prospects for reform and political stability there.

[snip]

"Afghanistan is now a narco-state.  The opium/heroin take is $3.1 billion -- which is 1/3 of the GNP.  The British have the lead for the [counter-drug] program and are not adequately resourced for the effort.  There is no single unifying leadership for the U.S. nor international effort."

"If we do not get a serious and sustained effort on counter-drug operations .  . . we will fail to achieve our objectives. . . . This should be a 10,000 man [local] program, supported by a $250 million [U.S.] program -- with an in-country presence of 200+ DEA agents."

[snip]

"We can, without question, achieve our U.S.  national objective of a functioning law-based state -- with a performing, non-drug economy -- which rejects sanctuary for terrorism.  This is a cross-over year."

"The effort to create the Afghan police force is currently grossly under-resourced with 700 U.S.  trainers. . . . In Iraq, we have 7000 U.S.  police trainers. . . . In Kosovo, we had 5000 police mentors. . .  . We have trained 60,000 Afghan police, but we have no idea where
they are.  . . . Probably there are non-uniformed, untrained and largely criminal elements in many of the district capitals.  There are no real jails -- or prosecutors -- or judges -- or squad cars.

[snip]

We must lose the 'Expeditionary' mindset.  Reconstruction in this destroyed nation is going to take 25 years."

Pubdate:   Tue, 10 Apr 2007
Source:   Washington Post (DC)
Copyright:   2007 The Washington Post Company
Details:   http://www.mapinc.org/media/491
Author:   R.  Jeffrey Smith, Washington Post Staff Writer
Continues:   http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v07.n455.a07.html


(18) DATA SHOWS STUDENTS TAKING ILLICIT DRUGS ON THE RISE    (Top)

Despite a nationwide anti-drug drive, the country continues to see more cases of drug use by schoolchildren, a top anti-drugs campaigner said Tuesday.

"The number of illegal drug users continues to increase annually, with 81,702 of them students of elementary, junior high and senior high schools," head of the Narcotics Abuse Prevention Center at the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) Insp.  Gen. Mudji Waluyo, said as quoted by Antara, in Samarinda, East Kalimantan.

He was referring to 2006 data collected by the agency across the country.

Addressing a seminar on the Use of Information Technology in the Campaign against Drug Abuse and Trafficking, which was held in the auditorium of the East Kalimantan Governor's Office, Mudji said the agency recorded a total of 8,449 elementary school students who had used drugs last year.  It was nearly a 400-percent increase from the 2005 figure of 2,542 students.

[snip]

"All those figures show us how rampant drug abuse is among students in Indonesia," Mudji said.

Quoting the survey conducted by the BNN, Mudji said 86 percent of respondents said that they had consumed drugs due to the influence of their environment, another 74.15 percent said that they had used drugs just for fun and another 70 percent said that they had turned to drugs to escape from authoritarian treatment at home or at school.

[snip]

Pubdate:   Wed, 11 Apr 2007
Source:   Jakarta Post (Indonesia)
Copyright:   The Jakarta Post
Details:   http://www.mapinc.org/media/645
Continues:   http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v07.n461.a03.html


(19) POLICE POWERLESS AS PSYCHEDELIC HERB REMAINS LEGAL    (Top)

OTTAWA -- An easily available herb that packs a powerful psychedelic punch has some federal health officials recommending strict controls.

But Health Canada says it can't regulate the use of salvia divinorum until there's more evidence of its dangers.

Department documents obtained by The Canadian Press under Access to Information law say salvia is being used by adolescents and young adults for its hallucinogenic properties.

[snip]

Department spokesperson Jason Bouzanis said salvia has been known to cause hallucinations, out of-body experiences, unconsciousness and shortterm memory loss.  But that's not enough to declare it illegal.

"We can't make any recommendations to place salvia under the Controlled Drug and Substances Act schedules until we have sufficient scientific and empirical data that concludes it has the potential for misuse and abuse," Bouzanis said.

[snip]

An October 2006 report by the natural health products directorate of Health Canada, which is responsible for assessing safety among all marketed health products, highlights four cases of adverse reactions to salvia.

[snip]

Despite being aware of salvia's potentially harmful effects, the RCMP can't crack down on the herb because it's legal.

"As far as including salvia included under the Controlled Substances Act, that's Health Canada's responsibility," said Sgt.  Nathalie Deschenes.

"The RCMP is always concerned about any substance or product that may put the safety and security of Canadians at risk."

[snip]

Missouri and Louisiana have criminalized the herb and there are proposals to make it illegal in Alaska, Illinois, Oregon and Wyoming.

Dr.  Bryan Roth, a professor of pharmacology at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, is very concerned about the availability of the herb.

[snip]

"The distribution is totally unregulated so unsuspecting teens or even children younger than teenage years might chance upon it and that's a recipe for disaster."

Pubdate:   Mon, 09 Apr 2007
Source:   StarPhoenix, The (CN SN)
Copyright:   2007 The StarPhoenix
Details:   http://www.mapinc.org/media/400
Author:   Canadian Press
Continues:   http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v07.n450.a07.html


(20) HALLUCINOGENIC HERB BEING ABUSED BY YOUNG PEOPLE - HEALTH    (Top)CANADA

Salvia Divinorum Can't Be Declared Illegal Without More Data

[snip]

A December 2005 report by the marketed health products directorate, an arm of Health Canada, recommends that salvia divinorum be placed under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.

[snip]

"We can't make any recommendations to place salvia under the Controlled Drug and Substances Act schedules until we have sufficient scientific and empirical data that concludes it has the potential for misuse and abuse," Bouzanis said.

[snip]

It is a species of sage, which belongs to the mint family, and is most commonly found in Mexico, where indigenous Mazatec shamans have used it for centuries for spiritual journeys.

[snip]

An October 2006 report by the natural health products directorate of Health Canada highlights four cases of adverse reactions to salvia. One case involves a 16-year-old Canadian boy who reportedly became incoherent, suicidal and threatened to kill police officers after taking a single tablet in March 2005.

[snip]

But for one salvia user, the concerns are unnecessary.  "Salvia is so intense, most people only try it once or twice," said Ryan (Big P) Poelzer, who works at the Urban Shaman, a popular botanical store in downtown Vancouver.

[snip]

Pubdate:   Sun, 08 Apr 2007
Source:   Edmonton Journal (CN AB)
Copyright:   2007 The Edmonton Journal
Details:   http://www.mapinc.org/media/134
Author:   Kenyon Wallace, Canadian Press
Continues:   http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v07.n447.a03.html


HOT OFF THE 'NET    (Top)

THE U.S.  "WAR ON DRUGS" IS AN ASSAULT ON SOUTH AMERICA'S POOREST

By Benjamin Dangl

Cocaine may be considered a scourge in America's cities, but in the Andes, the plant from which it's derived is a way of life that provides food, shelter, healthcare and education.

http://alternet.org/drugreporter/50144/


CULTURAL BAGGAGE RADIO SHOW

04/06/07 - Panel : Are we winning the war on drugs? / with Stan Furce of HIDTA/ONDCP, Marcia Baker of Phoenix House & DTN/LEAP member Dean Becker.

Audio:   http://drugtruth.net/007DTNaudio/FDBCB_041307.mp3

Listen Live Fridays 8:00 PM, ET, 7:00 CT, 6:00 MT & 5:00 PT at http://www.kpft.org/


BUSH (STILL) LOVES D.A.R.E.

By Marsha Rosenbaum

As President Bush declares April 12 "National D.A.R.E.  Day," ideology and emotion once again trump science and truth.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marsha-rosenbaum/


WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO DECRIMINALIZE MARIJUANA?

A Cross-National Empirical Examination

by Rosalie Liccardo Pacula, [et al.]

http://repositories.cdlib.org/csls/fwp/25/


LONG TERM USE OF MEDICAL CANNABIS BY FEDERAL LEGAL PATIENTS

U.S.  government grown medical marijuana is sent to several patients remaining on the I.N.D.  program. In 2002, Elvy Musikka, George McMahon ...  all ¯ and Irvin Rosenfeld appear in Portland, OR to discuss their health and experience of 20 years using medical Cannabis.  Hosted by Mary Lynn Mathre of Patients Out of Time.

http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid=5703755977034467109


WHAT YOU CAN DO THIS WEEK    (Top)

CELEBRATE NARCO NEWS' 7TH ANNIVERSARY IN NEW YORK CITY

Sign-Up Today as a Sponsor of a Great Party for a Worthy Cause

By Al Giordano

Date:   Wednesday, April 18
Time:   8 p.m.
Location:   Lower East Side, Manhattan

http://narconews.com/Issue45/article2618.html


LETTER OF THE WEEK    (Top)

LEGALIZING DRUGS COULD STEM CRIME

By John F.  Ferry, M.D.

Section one of the April 3 edition of The Advocate was dominated by stories about the terrible epidemic of murder and other criminal activity causing great distress in New Orleans.

All these problems could be eliminated with one stroke of the government's pen.  Decriminalize the use and sale of drugs.

Because these drugs are illegal, their price is very, very high. Nevertheless, many people are willing to risk long jail sentences, murder people, or be killed themselves trying to get the drugs for their own use or to sell at huge profits.

Undeniably, our society would be better off if no one used or sold these drugs.

But, equally undeniably, the government's "War on Drugs" has failed. These items are readily available.  Don't we ever learn?

In the 1920s and early 1930s, our government decreed that since we would all be better off if no one consumed alcoholic beverages, alcohol consumption was made illegal.

All the curses the use of alcohol brings on society would be eliminated.  This was called the "Noble Experiment."

Wow! Were they wrong.

After all, all Al Capone ever did was to go into the liquor business.  The difference was that his profits were so high that he eliminated competition with submachine guns rather than with low prices and good service.

Reasonable men saw that the experiment had failed.  Alcohol was once again made a legal substance for sale and consumption.  The nation has survived.

I hope that my fellow readers of The Advocate do not take this letter to indicate that I favor, promote or recommend the use of mind-altering substances.  I do not

But experience teaches that outlawing their use does not decrease their use.  It only creates a lot of outlaws.

John F.  Ferry, M.D.

retired physician/artist

New Iberia

Pubdate:   Mon, 09 Apr 2007
Source:   Advocate, The (Baton Rouge, LA)


LETTER WRITER OF THE MONTH - MARCH    (Top)

DrugSense recognizes Alan Randell of Victoria, B.C.  for his two letters published during March which brings his career total, that we know of, to 442.  You may review his superb letters at

http://www.mapinc.org/writer/Randell+Alan


FEATURE ARTICLE    (Top)

Making the Most of DrugSense

PDF version: http://www.drugsense.org/flyers/DSServicesFlyer.pdf

By Mary Jane Borden

You're a busy activist trying to change drug policy in your local community.  You need quick, easy access to services that can get your name in the media and help you appear like much bigger
organizations, and you need to do this professionally on a limited budget.  You need DrugSense.

DrugSense is a 501(c)(3) educational non-profit organization dedicated to promoting accuracy in the media concerning drug policy topics.  Here's how DrugSense can help your organization:

Web Hosting.  (http://www.drugpolicycentral.com) Need a Website? Our Drug Policy Central (DPC) subsidiary offers free or low-cost, subsidized Internet services to drug policy reform organizations worldwide.  Notable clients include LEAP, the November Coalition, DanceSafe, the Ohio Patient Network, Michigan NORML, and over 100 others.  For a free quote, please visit
http://www.drugpolicycentral.com/hosting/.

E-mail Discussion Lists and 'Bulletin Board' Forums.
(http://drugsense.org/lists/) Get your group active and
communicating with its own e-mail discussion list or online forum. Exchange e-mail, ideas, and documents with one another to become more organized and effective.

Real Time Meetings over the Internet.
(http://www.mapinc.org/resource/teamspeak/) In the cyber age, you can conduct your organization's meetings for FREE over the Internet in real time.  In one of our Virtual Conference Rooms hosted on the chat software Teamspeak, your group can talk to one another, plan future events, and develop responses to current problems.

Learn from What Others Have Done.  (http://drugsense.org/caip) Thinking about fielding a citizen-led initiative or community ordinance? Learn the language of other initiatives and what made them successes or failures.  You can also read the editorials that promoted or decried their passage.

Contact the media.  (http://www.mapinc.org/mcod/) Our Media Contact on Demand (MCOD) database lists ALL U.S.  print and broadcast media: TV and radio stations, daily and weekly newspapers, trade and consumer magazines, news syndicates, and AP and UPI bureaus.  The database contains multiple contacts for almost 30,000 media outlets. Searchable on a number of parameters (such as by venue or by specific distances from any zip code or city), it can quickly and easily output mailing labels or data formats suitable for use in fax or e-mail software programs.  Registered DrugSense members (http://www.drugsense.org/join) receive full access to MCOD.  Others can obtain a limited number of records by using the username guest with no password.

Learn How to Get Media.  (http://www.mapinc.org/resource/) From Letters-to-the-Editor, to press releases, to radio and television interviews, our Media Activism Center is filled with ideas on how to get valuable media attention.  DrugSense also holds periodic Teamspeak meetings to train activists on how to use these services. Please check MAP OnAir for upcoming Activism Roundtables.

Get Your Group OnAir.  (http://www.mapinc.org/onair/) MAP OnAir can help your group track, promote, and respond to media events that occur on television and radio.

Build a Drug Policy Knowledge Base.  (http://www.mapinc.org) Our DrugNews Archive of more than 180,000 articles on all aspects of drug policy serves as a knowledgebase for the movement as well as an early warning system of issues that may become important.  You can help build this resource by submitting drug policy related articles to http://www.mapinc.org/newshawk/.

Mary Jane Borden is a writer, artist, and activist in drug policy from Westerville, Ohio.  She serves as Business Manager/Fundraising Specialist for DrugSense.


QUOTE OF THE WEEK    (Top)

"I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them."

-- Thomas Jefferson (April 13, 1743 - July 4, 1826).


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.

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CREDITS:  

Policy and Law Enforcement/Prison content selection and analysis by Jo-D Harrison (), Cannabis/Hemp content selection and analysis by Deb Harper (), 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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