-------------------------------------------------------------------

NORML Weekly News (Drug Czar Distorts Facts To Malign Dutch Drug Policies;
Oregon Voters Will Decide On Legalizing Medical Marijuana This Fall;
Australian State Decriminalizes The Possession Of Marijuana;
Nevada Medical Marijuana Proponents To Challenge Signature Count)

From: NORMLFNDTN@aol.com
Date: Thu, 16 Jul 1998 18:24:11 EDT
Subject: NORML WPR 7/16/98 (II)

The NORML Foundation Weekly Press Release

1001 Connecticut Ave., NW
Ste. 710
Washington, DC 20036
202-483-8751 (p)
202-483-0057 (f)
www.norml.org
normlfndtn@aol.com

July 16, 1998

***

Drug Czar Distorts Facts To Malign Dutch Drug Policies

July 16, 1998, Washington, D.C.: Statistics flaunted by Drug Czar
Barry McCaffrey regarding alleged Dutch homicide and marijuana usage
rates are purposely misleading and inaccurate, NORML Foundation Executive
Director Allen St. Pierre charged today.

"It is unacceptable for a high ranking U.S. official to stoop to using
such tactics to malign the Netherlands' drug policies," St. Pierre said.

Earlier this week, McCaffrey claimed that the Dutch murder rate is
more than twice that of America's. He further purported that three
times as many Dutch youth admit trying marijuana than do their U.S.
counterparts. McCaffrey said that liberal drug policies were to blame
for the higher Dutch figures.

In fact, however, both Dutch homicide rates and prevalence of youth
marijuana use are far lower than those in America.

"There is a very disturbing trend of blatant misinformation coming
from Barry McCraffrey, which seems to indicate that he is woefully
uninformed about key parts of the very policy he is paid to represent and
enforce," said David Borden of the Drug Reform Coordination Network, an
Interet-based information center on drug policy.

Official data from the Dutch government's Central Planning Bureau put
the country's murder rate for 1996 at 1.8 per 100,000 people. That
figure is 440 percent lower than the current U.S. murder rate of 8.2 per
100,000. McCaffrey falsely claimed that the Dutch murder rate was 17.58
per 100,000.

McCaffrey also alleged that Dutch youth experiment with marijuana in
greater numbers than U.S teens. However, 1996 data recorded by the
University of Michigan's Monitoring the Future project determined that 45
percent of America's high school seniors admit they have tried marijuana.
By comparison, research compiled by the National Institute of Health and
Addiction in the Netherlands found that less than 21 percent of Dutch
adolescents have experimented with the drug. McCaffrey falsely stated
that only 9.1 percent of American teens had ever tried marijuana.

"The Dutch overwhelmingly approve of their current marijuana
policies," St. Pierre remarked. "Those policies seek to normalize rather
than dramatize marijuana use, and separate marijuana users from the hard
drug market. If McCaffrey believes that America's marijuana policy of
arresting and jailing more than 12 million users since 1965 is more
effective than the Netherlands', then he should find no need to distort
the facts and lie to the American people."

For more information, please contact either Allen St. Pierre or Paul
Armentano of the NORML Foundation @ (202) 483-8751. David Borden of
DRCNet may be reached @ (202) 293-8340.

***

Oregon Voters Will Decide On Legalizing Medical Marijuana This Fall

July 16, 1998, Portland, OR: Oregonians will decide this fall whether
to legalize the medical use of marijuana under a physician's supervision.
State election officials announced Friday that petitioners Oregonians
for Medical Rights qualified their medical-use proposal for the November
ballot.

"The federal government's failure to act on the medical marijuana
issue leaves proponents no choice but to bring this question straight to
the voters," NORML Executive Director R. Keith Stroup said.

The Oregon initiative seeks to allow patients suffering from a
"debilitating medical condition" and holding a state-issued
identification card to legally possess up to one ounce of marijuana.
Registered patients would also be able to cultivate marijuana for medical
use. Cultivation limits allow patients to grow no more than three mature
plants at any one time. The initiative also permits non-registered
patients to raise the "affirmative defense of medical necessity" if they
face state criminal marijuana charges.

"This is a tightly worded initiative designed to benefit seriously ill
patients using marijuana under a doctor's supervision," Stroup said.

Oregonians will also vote this year on whether to accept or reject the
Legislature's decision to recriminalize the possession of up to one ounce
of marijuana for recreational use. Oregon became the first state to
decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana in 1973. Last
year, the Legislature decided to increase the penalty for simple
marijuana possession from a noncriminal "violation" to a class C
misdemeanor punishable by 30 days in jail and a $1,000 fine. Petitioners
Citizens for Sensible Law Enforcement collected sufficient signatures to
freeze the new law and refer the measure to this year's November ballot.

For more information, please contact either Keith Stroup of NORML @
(202) 483-5500 or Geoff Sugerman of Oregonians for Medical Rights @ (503)
873-7927. Citizens for Responsible Law Enforcement may be reached @
(503) 239-0575.

***

Australian State Decriminalizes The Possession Of Marijuana

July 16, 1998, Victoria, Australia: Victoria's Chief of Police
announced that first time marijuana users will no longer face criminal
charges for possessing less than 50 grams of the drug. Victoria is the
fourth Australian state to enact marijuana decriminalization in recent
years.

Police Commissioner Neil Comrie said the new policy will take effect
on September 1, 1998. A six month trial of the liberal policy in the
Broadmeadows district of Victoria had been successful, Comrie said.

"Victoria's new marijuana policy is similar to the laws of ten U.S.
states where marijuana users face a civil 'violation' rather than
criminal penalties for possessing small amounts of the drug," NORML
Executive Director R. Keith Stroup said. "It is encouraging to see other
regions around the globe adopt these reforms."

Under the new system, individuals will receive a warning for
possessing marijuana. Individuals may receive no more than two cautions,
must have no prior criminal convictions for drug offenses, and agree to
being cautioned.

Other Australian states that rely on the caution system are South
Australia, the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), and the Northern
Territory. This May, the Drug and Alcohol Council of South Australia
concluded a two year national study finding that the decriminalization of
marijuana does not lead to increased use.

Comrie said that Victoria will also begin a pilot program for warning
users of other illicit drugs, including heroin. The trial program for
hard drug offenders will have stricter conditions, he added.

For more information, please contact either Allen St. Pierre or Paul
Armentano of The NORML Foundation @ (202) 483-8751.

***

Nevada Medical Marijuana Proponents To Challenge Signature Count

July 16, 1998, Carson City, NV: A signature drive to place a medical
marijuana initiative on this year's state ballot fell short by a total of
43 signatures in two counties, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported
Tuesday.

Dan Hart, spokesman for Nevadans for Medical Rights, said that his
group will appeal to the Secretary of State to review the results. The
group remains "confident" that the required signatures will be restored
in the necessary counties.

Petitions to qualify for the ballot fell seven signatures short in
Lyon county and 36 short in Nye County, the paper reported. The group
was successful in eleven other counties, turning in more than 74,000
signatures overall.

Petitioners seek to amend the state Constitution to allow patients to
use marijuana upon the advice of their physician.

For more information, please contact either Allen St. Pierre of The
NORML Foundation @ (202) 483-8751 or Dave Fratello of Americans for
Medical Rights @ (310) 394-2952.

	 	 	 	 - END -

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Public Suicide Awakens Portland To Its Heroin Problem ('The Associated Press'
Account Of How Heroin Addicts 29-Year-Old Michael Douglas And 25-Year-Old
Mora McGowan Came To Hang Themselves From The Steel Bridge In Downtown
Portland)

Date: Thu, 16 Jul 1998 12:10:53 -0400
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
Subject: MN: US OR: WIRE: Public suicide
awakens Portland to its heroin problem
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: David.Hadorn@vuw.ac.nz (David Hadorn)
Source: Associated Press
Pubdate: Thu, 16 Jul 1998

PUBLIC SUICIDE AWAKENS PORTLAND TO ITS HEROIN PROBLEM

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- As afternoon traffic rumbled by, a young couple in
grunge clothes and combat boots climbed over the rail of the downtown Steel
Bridge, slipped twin nooses from a single rope around their necks and
jumped to their deaths.

For nearly an hour, the bodies dangled side by side about 50 feet above the
Willamette River. Cars slowed. A crowd gathered on the banks. Workers in
office buildings rushed toward the windows. Amtrak passengers were warned
to close their curtains as their train drew near the lower level of the
bridge, where the bodies hung at eye level until police could remove them.

The couple, 29-year-old Michael Douglas and his 25-year-old fiancee, Mora
McGowan, were heroin addicts whose habit left them broke, tormented and
hopeless.

``I think I've decided on an old-fashioned public hanging,'' Douglas wrote
in a 13-page journal found in the book bag slung over his shoulder. ``The
Steel Bridge shall be my gallows. ... Mora and I go together on the Steel
Bridge.''

The very public suicide July 1 shocked this city, at least for a moment,
into the realization that many of the young people who live on the streets
here are addicts and there is little help available for them.

``A lot of us really took this to heart,'' said Donna Mulcare, a volunteer
at the Oregon Partnership's drug and alcohol HelpLine. ``This issue hits
many more people than you realize -- chances are you know somebody or work
with somebody or passed someone on the street who is addicted.''

Heroin is responsible for more deaths in Oregon than any other drug,
according to Dr. Larry Lewman, state medical examiner. In 1997, there were
221 drug-related deaths in Oregon; of those, 161 involved heroin.

In a study released this month by the Office of National Drug Control
Policy, nearly 14 percent of the men arrested in Portland and 27 percent of
the women tested positive for heroin or related opiates. The rate among the
Portland women was the highest of all 23 major U.S. cities studied. Just
over 1 million people live in the Portland metropolitan area.

Oregon has the nation's 10th-highest suicide rate, at 17 suicides per
100,000 population.

Douglas had once worked as a tattoo artist and landscaper, McGowan as an
assistant manager for a downtown beauty salon. They got engaged and moved
in together a year and a half ago, and had been responsible about paying
their rent until last August.

Those who knew Douglas said drugs were always a part of his life. When he
and McGowan began using heroin, they started pawning everything they owned
of any value to feed their habit. They were eventually kicked out of the
friend's apartment where they had been staying and put out on the streets.

At least once, McGowan tried treatment but failed. In despair, she tried
suicide by cutting her wrists, but her mother rushed her to a hospital.
Douglas tried to come up with the money to buy enough heroin for an
overdose, but he couldn't.

Police Sgt. Kent Perry said Douglas wrote in his journal about the grind of
having to raise $200 every day to pay for his fix and how he considered
other ways of ending his life, including shooting himself or lying down on
the train tracks.

``It was a waste of life,'' said Isaac Frankel, an analyst at Northwest
Natural Gas who saw the twin suicide from his office building. ``I thought
it was just a prank, until police came.''

Every weekday morning, on the scrubby fringe of Portland's downtown, where
black tar heroin sells for about $50 per quarter gram, at least 20 people
line up for a chance at the few daily slots in the Hooper Center for
Alcohol and Drug Intervention, the city's biggest detoxification clinic.

``There are far fewer treatment resources than are needed -- probably for
every 10 addicts that have wanted treatment, only one is admitted,'' said
Richard Harris, executive director of Central City Concern, which oversees
the clinic.

Some of those who waited in line said news of the double suicide spread
quickly on the streets, but any effect it may have had was overshadowed by
their own daily struggles with heroin.

``It seemed like people should have taken it harder,'' said a slender
22-year-old heroin addict who asked to be identified only as Margaret.
``When you are a junkie, your options are limited. You just have to keep
doing what you are doing.''

For three years now, Margaret has been scrounging for the $50 a day she
needs to stay high, selling everything she owns, even her body. She and
more than 10 others were turned away at the treatment center.

``Once you start, it's one of the hardest things to get off of,'' she said.
``If I don't quit, I'll end up dead.''

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Hatch Questions Suicide Law ('The Oregonian' Says Conservative Republian
Utah Senator Orrin Hatch Quized US Attorney General Janet Reno Wednesday
During Her Appearance Before The Senate Judiciary Committee About The Justice
Department's Determination On June 5 That Federal Law Does Not Authorize
The DEA To Sanction Oregon Doctors For Assisting In A Suicide
Under The State's Law)

The Oregonian
letters to editor:
letters@news.oregonian.com
1320 SW Broadway
Portland, OR 97201
Web: http://www.oregonlive.com/

Hatch questions suicide law

Thursday, July 16 1998

By Erin Hoover Barnett
of The Oregonian staff

Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, took the opportunity
Wednesday to make sure U.S. Attorney General Janet
Reno hasn't changed her mind about the Drug
Enforcement Administration's role regarding
physician-assisted suicide.

During Reno's appearance before the Senate Judiciary
Committee, Hatch quizzed her publicly about the Justice
Department's determination on June 5 that federal law
does not authorize the DEA to sanction Oregon doctors
for assisting in a suicide under the state's law.

Hatch, Senate Judiciary Committee chairman, said
federal law prohibits controlled substances from being
used to endanger public health and safety and must be
used for legitimate medical purposes.

"Obviously, at least to me, using drugs to kill poses a
greater risk to public health safety than using them to
addict," Hatch said. "Now, I want to ask how you can
justify your conclusion?"

Reno responded: "I want to make it clear that our
conclusion is limited to the particular circumstances in
Oregon, in which the state has reached a considered
judgment that physician-assisted suicide should be
authorized under narrow conditions and in compliance
with certain detailed procedures.

"Adverse action may well be warranted in other
circumstances -- for example, where a physician assists
in a suicide in a state that has not authorized the practice
under any conditions, or the physician fails to comply
with the state's procedures in doing so."

Hatch's question came the day after a House
subcommittee hearing on legislation that would yank
doctors' drug-prescribing privileges for giving
medications for assisted suicide or euthanasia. A similar
bill has been introduced in the Senate, but no hearings
have been scheduled.

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Siblings Still In Custody After Parents' Pot Arrest ('The Fresno Bee'
Says A 9-Year-Old Boy Who Tipped Deputies To His Parents' Suspected Marijuana
Crop Remained In The Custody Of Fresno County's Child Protective Services
Wednesday, Along With His 10-Year-Old Sister)

Date: Thu, 16 Jul 1998 21:53:57 +0000
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
Subject: MN: US CA: Siblings Still In Custody After Parents' Pot Arrest
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: compassion23@geocities.com (Frank S. World)
Source: Fresno Bee, The
Pubdate: Thu, 16 Jul 1998
Contact: letters@fresnobee.com
Website: http://www.fresnobee.com/
Fax: (209) 441-6499
Author: #10572

SIBLINGS STILL IN CUSTODY AFTER PARENTS' POT ARREST

The 9-year-old boy who tipped deputies to his parents' suspected
marijuana crop remained in the custody of Fresno County's Child
Protective Services Wednesday, along with his 10-year-old sister.

The boy initially called 911 early Tuesday to report that his mother
was being beaten by his father. When sheriff's deputies arrived, the
boy led them to the back yard of their Britton Avenue home south of
Fresno and showed them two marijuana plants, authorities said Wednesday.

"My mom crushes the leaves, puts them in the microwave, and my parents
smoke it in pipes," the boy told a deputy, according to a sheriff's
report.

Sheriff's spokesman Dan Cervantes said the boy also told deputies that
his father had grabbed his wife around the neck and butted her against
a wall.

"She got loose and he slapped her in the face, and then the boy called
911," Cervantes said.

The father, 40, was arrested on charges of misdemeanor spousal abuse
and marijuana cultivation. His wife also was arrested on a
marijuana-cultivation count.

The couple were jailed briefly before being released on their own
recognizance. The boy and his sister, who slept through the arrests,
remained in county custody, however.

A man at their home said Wednesday that he didn't want to talk about
the incident.

"Why don't they just leave us alone?" said the man, who refused to
give his name. "We're just hard-working Americans."

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Police Stumble Upon Marijuana Stack (An Unsourced Wire Story
Notes Three Suspects Were Arrested Thursday In Linwood, California,
For Allegedly Shooting And Trying To Steal A Half-Ton Of Marijuana
From A Man Who Faces Charges Himself, Once He's Out Of The Hospital -
Guess Who Will Get Out Of Prison First)

Date: Sat, 18 Jul 1998 18:59:19 -0700
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
Subject: MN: US CA: Wire: Police Stumble Upon Marijuana Stack
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: Patrick Henry (resist_tyranny@mapinc.org)
Source: Wire
Pubdate: Thu, 16 Jul 1998

POLICE STUMBLE UPON MARIJUANA STACK

LINWOOD, July 16 Three suspects were arrested Thursday for allegedly
shooting a man and trying to steal a half-ton of marijuana from him,
sheriff's officials reported.

The unidentified man, who was listed in good condition, will be booked for
possession of marijuana to sell when he is ready to be released from the
hospital, said Deputy Joan Raber.

Deputies went to 3266 Burton Ave. in Lynwood about 10 a.m. in response to a
'shots fired' call, Raber said. A helicopter crew that arrived earlier
spotted three men running from the house, she said.

When deputies got to the residence, they found the man with a single
gunshot wound to his arm. The three suspects were later detained, along
with their handguns, Raber said.

Deputies found marijuana throughout the house and in a truck in the
driveway, she said. Another suspect apparently got away, she said.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

$30 Million Awarded For Drug Error ('The Los Angeles Times' Says A Jury
In Santa Ana, California, Made The Judgment Against Thrifty Payless,
Which Admitted Dispensing An Overdose Of Phenobarbital
To A 10-Year-Old Girl Who Suffered Brain Damage)

Date: Fri, 17 Jul 1998 10:03:47 -0700
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
Subject: MN: US CA: $30 Million Awarded for Drug Error
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: Jim Rosenfield
Source: Los Angeles Times (CA)
Contact: letters@latimes.com
Fax: 213-237-4712
Website: http://www.latimes.com/
Pubdate: Thu, 16 Jul 1998
Author: Thao Hua, Times Staff Writer

$30 MILLION AWARDED FOR DRUG ERROR

Thrifty Payless admits dispensing an overdose of phenobarbital. Girl, 10,
suffered brain damage.

SANTA ANA--Thrifty Payless Inc. was ordered Wednesday to pay $30.6 million
for the care of a 10-year-old Costa Mesa girl who was left with brain
damage after being given a medication nearly seven times more powerful than
prescribed.

The drugstore chain admitted during the trial in Orange County Superior
Court that it had erroneously filled Bryn Cabanillas' prescription for
anti-seizure medication by giving her the improper dosage. The jury awarded
$5.3 million for past damages and $25.3 million to cover the child's
medical costs, estimated at about $150,000 a year, and other living
expenses during her projected 50-year life span, attorneys said. The jury
also found that the pharmaceutical error cost the girl 20 years of her
life. The verdict "will ensure that she'll get the best of care," said the
child's father, Naldo Cabanillas. "I expect her to walk and talk one day.
I'm an optimist." At a news conference in Santa Ana after the verdict was
announced, Bryn's father led the child by both hands.

She walked with a slump and could barely stand alone.

Her father held Bryn in his lap as they sat at a conference table, flanked
by the child's sister, Carrie, and her mother. Bryn seemed oblivious to the
media event, reaching for the microphones as if they were toys. "I just
think of today and tomorrow," said her father, a self-employed
architectural designer. "I cannot go back to the way things were. I lost my
daughter." Attorneys called the verdict the largest prescription
malpractice award in Orange County history. Bryn has cerebral palsy, which
was diagnosed shortly after she was adopted from Peru at birth.

In 1994, she suffered a respiratory infection that caused a seizure,
leading doctors to prescribe phenobarbital to prevent further attacks, said
Jay Cordell Horton, her attorney. But after taking the medicine, Bryn
became lethargic.

Her speech was slurred and her balance was off, said her mother, Jill
Cabanillas. She and her husband checked the prescribed pills, which
appeared a little larger than Bryn's usual medicine.

They took the child to a hospital, but doctors could find nothing wrong and
sent her home. Two days later, according to court testimony, the couple
could not wake their daughter.

They took her to the hospital, this time bringing the prescription drug
with them. At Children's Hospital of Orange County, a physician discovered
that the medicine was actually a 100-milligram dosage of phenobarbital,
rather than the 15-milligram dosage that had been prescribed and was
indicated on the pharmacy container.

"We were very upset," said Jill Cabanillas, 49. "But even then, we could
never have dreamed it would lead to something so horrible." Their daughter,
who before the incident had been scheduled to join regular school classes,
can no longer speak, get out of bed, pick out her clothes or brush her
teeth. The settlement, Horton said, will allow her parents "to explore
every avenue to try to rehabilitate her."

Attorneys for Thrifty Payless could not be reached for comment Wednesday.
During the trial, they brought in medical experts to testify that the
negligence did not cause injury to Bryn. Bryn's attorneys, however, called
eight medical experts to rebut those assertions and present detailed
evidence that showed a connection down to "the microscopic neuron level,"
Horton said. Attorneys said Bryn's parents had tried to get the drug chain
to help them with medical bills and other costs for three years before
filing the lawsuit in June 1997. "I hope that because of this lawsuit,
Payless and other drugstores will reevaluate their procedure . . . to
ensure that no other child will be injured by prescription mistakes," Jill
Cabanillas said.

Copyright Los Angeles Times

-------------------------------------------------------------------

US Drug Czar Visits Amsterdam (An 'Associated Press' Article
In 'The Los Angeles Times' Says General Barry McCaffrey Flew Into The Eye
Of A Self-Made Storm Thursday As He Arrived To Study The Permissive
Dutch Cannabis Policy He Has Already Branded An 'Unmitigated Disaster')

Date: Thu, 16 Jul 1998 12:17:01 -0400
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
Subject: MN: Netherlands: U.S. Drug Czar Visits Amsterdam
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: Paul Lewin
Source: Los Angeles Times (CA)
Contact: letters@latimes.com
Website: http://www.latimes.com/
Pubdate: 16 Jul 1998
Author: Jennifer Chao, Associated Press Writer

U.S. DRUG CZAR VISITS AMSTERDAM

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands--U.S. drug czar Barry McCaffrey flew into the eye of
a self-made storm today as he arrived to study the permissive Dutch
narcotics policy he has already branded an "unmitigated disaster."

His harsh criticism of the Dutch policy prompted officials here to question
the value of his mission, which in effect pits America's zero-tolerance
approach to drugs with the laissez-faire Dutch policy.

From the corridors of Dutch government buildings where retaliatory
statements were issued, to funky coffee shops where hashish and marijuana
are sold over the counter, the retired four-star general has generated a buzz.

"It's easy to point the finger at others when you have a problem at home,"
said Anouke Scholten at Amsterdam's Coffeeshop 36, referring to U.S.
officials' long-fought battle against narcotics. "He (McCaffrey) has to
come to our coffee shop and look around. The atmosphere is good and there
is no violence," added Scholten. But there's no chance of that happening.

After arriving in Amsterdam, McCaffrey was hurled into a day packed with
activities. The plans ranged from presentations on the Netherlands' latest
state-funded heroin handout experiment to techniques used by customs
authorities in the world's largest port, Rotterdam, to intercept
international drug shipments.

McCaffrey was to see just about every aspect of the Dutch policy at work,
except a coffee shop -the officially tolerated cafes that sell hashish and
marijuana.

Although technically illegal, small amounts of soft drugs like hashish and
marijuana are ubiquitous in cafes. Hard drugs like cocaine and heroin also
are cheap and easily available. Law enforcement agencies claim it is better
to spend money trying to battle international drug smuggling than trying to
break up the street-level trade.

The U.S. drug czar's visit comes as two Dutch marines involved in
drug-interdiction in the Caribbean have been arrested for allegedly trying
to smuggle almost 800 pounds of cocaine to the Netherlands. A third marine
was questioned but released. Seven civilians and four military personnel
from the Netherlands Antilles also have been detained in the case. Some of
the drugs were found aboard a Dutch navy plane that patrols the Caribbean
for drug trafficking as part of the Netherlands Antilles coast guard.

As well as the "unmitigated disaster" comment, McCaffrey this week claimed
that the Dutch murder rate is twice as high as that in the United States
because of the tolerant Dutch drug policy.

The Dutch angrily publicized statistics refuting McCaffrey's claims and
stood by their often-criticized policy.

"We have our own policy and we think it works," said Health Ministry
spokesman Benno Bruggink. "We don't tell people that it is the one and only
solution."

-------------------------------------------------------------------

US Drugs Adviser Soothes Row Over Dutch Policy (The 'Reuters' Version
Rebuts General Barry McCaffrey's Earlier Assertion That 'Drugs' Caused
A Higher Murder Rate In The Netherlands Compared To The United States,
Noting The Murder Rate In Holland Stood At 1.8 Per 100,000 Inhabitants
In 1996, Far Below The US Rate Of 8.22 Per 100,000 - McCaffrey Refused
To Admit His Mistake And Claimed His Figures Came From Interpol -
'I Shouldn't Comment On Interpol Data - I Learned In College - Don't Argue
About Facts,' He Said)

From: GDaurer@aol.com
Date: Thu, 16 Jul 1998 20:19:52 EDT
To: drctalk@drcnet.org, harmred@drcnet.org
Subject: U.S. drugs adviser soothes row over Dutch policy
Sender: owner-drctalk@drcnet.org

U.S. drugs adviser soothes row over Dutch policy

By Christine Lucassen

THE HAGUE, July 16 (Reuters) - The United States' top drugs adviser on
Thursday steered clear of a diplomatic row over Dutch drug policy, insisting
instead he had gleaned valuable insight by visiting treatment centres for
Dutch drug addicts.

``We do have significant differences (of opinion). But I characterize the
visit as a very useful opportunity for me to hear what the Dutch are doing and
to learn,'' General Barry McCaffrey told a news conference at the end of a
one-day visit.

McCaffrey, on a European fact-finding mission, locked horns with Dutch
authorities earlier this week when he called Dutch drugs policy a ``disaster''
and said the murder rate in the Netherlands outstripped that in the U.S.

His figures, the Dutch pointed out, were based on incorrect data. According to
the government's Central Planning Bureau, the murder rate in the Netherlands
stood at 1.8 per 100,000 inhabitants in 1996, far below the U.S.'s 8.22 per
100,000.

Speaking to Dutch reporters, McCaffrey did not apologize for the error. His
figures, he said, came from Interpol.

``I shouldn't comment on Interpol data... I learned in college: don't argue
about facts,'' he said.

At the height of the row, the Dutch ambassador to the United States wrote a
letter of protest to the White House, and Foreign Affairs Minister Hans van
Mierlo summoned the U.S. ambassador in The Hague, Terry Dornbush, to express
his displeasure.

Insisting his visit to the Netherlands had been useful, McCaffrey agreed the
Dutch and the U.S. views often differed.

``I came with a bias that Dutch police were good.... I cautioned my Dutch
partners that police of this high calibre can allow policy to work adequately
even when it may not be good policy,'' the drugs tsar said.

He criticized a Dutch Health Ministry pilot programme under which a small
group of hardcore heroin addicts is administered free heroin in an effort to
reduce drugs related crime.

``It is our own view that this does not constitute drug treatment but instead
ends up in essence leaving and marginalising an element of the population,''
McCaffrey said.

McCaffrey, who stayed clear of coffee shops selling marijuana during his
visit, insisted there was an inherent danger in tolerating the use of soft
drugs.

``When I'm asked what the most dangerous drug in America is, my response is:
It's a 12-year-old regularly using marijuana,'' he said.

The Netherlands, often considered a front-runner in the area of drugs
tolerance, argues there should be a strict separation between hard and soft
drugs policy.

It tolerates the small-scale production and sale of soft drugs but actively
discourages the abuse of hard drugs. Addiction to hard drugs like heroin is
less common in the Netherlands than in other countries, according to the
Dutch.

McCaffrey reiterated his concern that the Netherlands was a booming exporter
of drugs to the United States and the rest of Europe. He said there was reason
to believe the Netherlands produced half of Europe's amphetamines and much of
its Ecstasy.

Fighting drug abuse could not be done if each country applied its own policy,
he said.

``No one nation can attempt to solve the drug problem on their own, that's our
view point. You would have to do it by cooperating with your partners.''

McCaffrey added the gap between the Dutch and North American views on how to
fight drugs abuse was likely to diminish. ``Reasonable people working (with
the) evidence and facing the same problem probably will have convergence of
views over time and I'll leave that open to a dialogue among equals.''

-------------------------------------------------------------------

McCaffrey Interviewed On Dutch Television (A Dutch Correspondent
Posts A Transcript Of The US Drug Czar's Comments On '2 Vandaag,'
And Says Other Mass Media In The Netherlands Are Unanimously Critical Of Him)

Date: Thu, 16 Jul 1998 17:32:12 +0200 (CEST)
To: drctalk@drcnet.org
From: Harry Bego (hbego@knoware.nl)
Subject: Transcript: McCaffrey interviewed on Dutch TV
Sender: owner-drctalk@drcnet.org

The Dutch media are really jumping on McCaffrey. There are critical
articles in all papers, all news programs on radio and tv follow the visit
closely; there's a critical editorial comment even in the right-wing 'Telegraaf'.

Yesterday July 15th 6.15 pm on TV2, the news show 2 Vandaag ('2 Today')
summarised reactions in the Netherlands to McCaffrey's statements so far.

At the end, there was an interview with McCaffrey. It was by telephone,
recorded just before 6 pm, it looked slightly edited; McC. was still in
Switzerland; the interviewer was on screen, against a background of
images from McC's European trip, people smoking joints, etc.

Here's a transcript; apparently Dutch feelings are, unfortunately, 'bruised'
in the context of an internal US debate; he seems to imply we shouldn't
worry about that too much.

Since he all but admits it, now we can be sure: the misinformation distributed
about us is also to be seen in that US-internal context ...

***

2 VANDAAG: Hello mr. McCaffrey, welcome in our program. Your comments
on Dutch drugs policy were greeted here with indignation and condemnation.
Are you still looking forward to come to the Netherlands?

McCAFFREY: Of course. I have enormous interest and respect in the
viewpoints of the Dutch policy makers. I think there's a very important
responsiblity to carry on a dialog across the Atlantic.

2 VANDAAG: But what is your reaction to that storm of indignation?

McCAFFREY: Well, I've seen no storm, so I have no reaction, I think I
have great confidence that there's something to be learned from not
only reading about the Dutch experience but also listening to anectodal
insight on what their exeriences have been. I think friends should
candidly discuss their viewpoints and how that can come (?) learning.

2 VANDAAG: Well, talking about candidly, you have called Dutch drug
policy an unmitigated disaster. Is that still your opinion?

McCAFFREY: Well I think that there is an enormous amount of press attention,
perhaps others, to what has been a very stiff internal debate in the United
States, driven on one side by those of us in both public and private life who
have constructed this bold and aggressive ten year drug prevention and
treatement strategy, and on the other side of the issue are many who we
believe are promoting the legalization of drugs, and what ...
Unfortunately, the Netherlands is frequently used as an icon, by one side
of the argument. So in the process of putting that into better context
it is possible to bruise Dutch feelings, which is unfortunate.

2 VANDAAG: But is it, yes or no, an unmitigated disaster?

McCAFFREY: My own viewpoint has been that our decision should be based
on objective criteria, and not on ideology or culture or politics.

2 VANDAAG: But the Dutch government says you've got your statistics wrong.

McCAFFREY: The data that many people are now looking at is Interpol data,
but that should be a discussion between Dutch authorities and the Interpol
data, with me not acting as an intervening variable.

2 VANDAAG: Ok sir, thank you very much for your comments.

***

Reformers over here have been busy writing articles and giving interviews;
I had almost half a page yesterday in the 'Volkskrant' (2nd largest paper
after the Telegraaf) titled 'General McCaffrey has already lost his war';
illustrated by a depressing picture of a chain gang in an Alabama prison;
gist: US drug policy is the real disaster.

Today McC. isn't giving interviews during the day, but there will be a press
conference tonight; I have sent out a press statement containing the NYT
citation of his allegations about a 'slick misinformation campaign', pointing
to his own obvious efforts now to mislead the US audience.

Will keep you posted.

Harry Bego

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Pot Smoking Cleric Seeks Tory Leadership ('The Vancouver Sun'
Says The Reverend Michael Baldasaro, A 49-Year-Old Bearded Hippie
Clad In Sandals Who Lives In A Trailer Without Electricity, On Thursday
Announced His Intention To Seek The Leadership Of Canada's
Progressive Conservative Party)

Date: Fri, 17 Jul 1998 10:26:34 -0700
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
Subject: MN: Canada: Pot Smoking Cleric Seeks Tory Leadership
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: info@hempnation.com
Source: Vancouver Sun (Canada)
Contact: sunletters@pacpress.southam.ca
Website: http://www.vancouversun.com/
Pubdate: Thu, 16 Jul 1998

POT SMOKING CLERIC SEEKS TORY LEADERSHIP

OTTAWA (CP) - A pot-smoking cleric who lives in a trailer without
electricity says he puffed a joint Thursday shortly before he declared his
intention to seek the leadership of the federal Progressive Conservatives.

Rev. Michael Baldasaro, a 49-year-old bearded hippie clad in sandals,
shorts, a hat and a tank top, said on Parliament Hill that the focus of his
campaign would be to legalize marijuana.

A tax on marijuana could be used to pare down the national debt, he said

At a news conference that resembled a scene from a Cheech and Chong movie,
Baldasaro and his campaign manager, the equally attired Reverend Brother
Walter Tucker, took turns championing what they call the tree of life.

They also deflected charges they were making a mockery of the Tory
leadership selection process that culminates in a vote by all card-carrying
Tories on Oct. 24.

"It's not harmful to the health, its a medicine," said Baldasaro, who
lives off a disability pension after he injured his head in an industrial
accident.

Baldasaro is the 15th person to announce they want to lead the Tories.
Former strategist Hugh Segal is the only candidate who has paid the $30,000
required to be officially in the race to succeed Jean Charest.

Baldasaro called the fee unconstitutional and undemocratic and has filed a
complaint with the party asking that it be waved because he can't afford
it.

Party officials have said they have no plans to change the rules.

Those seeking the leadership must pay up by July 31.

Baldasaro and Tucker live on the grounds of an abandoned steel mill in
Cambridge, Ont. The mill is owned by John Long, a businessman who became
the first declared Tory leadership candidate in May.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Toronto Transit Commission Rejects Drug Testing Its Drivers
('The Toronto Star' Says The Commission Voted 4-2 Yesterday
To Reject Testing Of New Applicants, For Several Reasons)

Newshawk: Dave Haans
Pubdate: Thu, 16 Jul 1998
Source: Toronto Star (Canada)
Page: C5
Contact: lettertoed@thestar.com
Website: http://www.thestar.com/
Author: Paul Moloney, Toronto Star City Hall Bureau
Note: The TTC is the Toronto Transit Commission, Toronto's public
transportation organization.

TTC REJECTS DRUG TESTING ITS DRIVERS

TTC commissioners have said no to mandatory drug testing of applicants for
bus driver and other safety sensitive jobs.

``I don't know what they were smoking when they made that decision,'' said
Councillor Rob Davis, a commissioner who had argued that public safety
demanded testing.

``What percentage of the population wouldn't want the person driving their
subway or streetcar to have been tested for drugs prior to getting the
job?'' he told reporters after the 4-2 vote yesterday.

``There's going to be a percentage of our applicants who are going to be
drug users and they will not be subject to any drug screening,'' said Davis
(York-Eglinton).

BIGGER ISSUE

TTC management, which fills about 600 jobs a year, 70 per cent of them
safety sensitive, had proposed sending urine samples to an outside
laboratory for $75 tests for marijuana, cocaine, opiates and amphetamines.
The program wouldn't include alcohol testing, but staff told commissioners
it's easier to detect drinking on the job than drug use.

``What's prompted it is that it's become a bigger issue in society in
general,'' said TTC human resources manager Lori Findleton. ``We feel we
have a requirement to provide a safe environment.''

Drug testing is carried out at major U.S. transit systems, but in Canada the
TTC is aware of just one program, at Windsor Transit.

The need for a program was questioned by Councillor David Miller (High
Park), who noted there have been only 19 instances of on-the-job impairment
in the past two years, out of nearly 10,000 employees.

LEGAL MINEFIELD

Management wasn't proposing to test current employees - arguing that
internal controls are working and that younger job applicants are more
likely to be drug users.

But Miller said a program, even one restricted to job applicants, is a legal
minefield.

``If you don't have reasonable grounds, you don't have the right to
interfere in people's private lives. I think that's an important principle
the TTC has to uphold.''

Councillor Chris Korwin-Kuczynski (High Park) had a different approach: ``I
don't believe in all this concern about democratic rights and everything else.''

But Councillors Howard Moscoe, the TTC chair, and Blake Kinahan
(Lakeshore-Queensway) said the staff had failed to make a good case that
drug testing is needed.

``For God's sake, let's drop the whole thing and let's get on with the
business of running a transit system,'' said Moscoe (North York Spadina).

TTC chief general manager David Gunn, who was subject to drug testing when
he ran New York's transit system, said he doesn't find it overly intrusive.

``It just seems to me it's prudent to do, because it's very difficult to
pick up drug abuse unless something happens. The way you tend to detect that
is you have an accident.''

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Shaken By Rebel Gains, Colombia Turns More To The US ('The Chicago Tribune'
Portrays The Increasing Cooperation Between The US And Colombian Governments
And Military Forces, Authorized By The US Congress In The Name Of The War
On Some Drug Users)

Date: Fri, 17 Jul 1998 01:03:04 -0400
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
Subject: MN: Columbia: Shaken By Rebel Gains,
Colombia Turns More To The U.S.
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: Steve Young (theyoungfamily@worldnet.att.net)
Source: Chicago Tribune (IL)
Contact: tribletter@aol.com
Website: http://www.chicago.tribune.com/
Pubdate: 16 July 1998
Author: Paul de la Garza
Section: sec. 1, page 9

SHAKEN BY REBEL GAINS, COLOMBIA TURNS MORE TO THE U.S.

TRES ESQUINAS MILITARY BASE, Colombia -- The scene is straight out of
Hollywood. A ruggedly handsome, tough-talking general in military fatigues
points to maps of coca fields, cocaine labs and guerrilla strongholds in
this jungle outpost in southwestern Colombia. The maps are marked "secret"
in red marker.

As a torrential rain batters the camouflaged tent that houses the general,
other members of the nation's military high command and three visiting U.S.
Army officers, soldiers along the nearby Orteguaza River stand guard
against an enemy they cannot see.

After his briefing, Gen. Rafael Hernandez Lopez, 55, leads his guests and
his charges on river patrol, and as the military gunboats race along,
slapping against the muddy waters of the Orteguaza, the soldiers open fire
on the jungle with machine guns mounted on board. The ear-piercing clatter
shatters the hot and soggy afternoon along Colombia's most dangerous
stretch of territory, about 350 miles southwest of Bogota.

Although this exercise is merely for show, the reality is that Colombia is
at war, and, according to American intelligence, the enemy is gaining. It
was here three months ago, in the region of Caqueta, that the military
suffered its worst defeat at the hands of Marxist rebels since the
guerrillas took up arms in the mid-1960s. Sixty-seven soldiers were killed.

Military analysts worry that because of the burgeoning strength of the
rebels, Latin America's oldest democracy could collapse without outside help.

"It's a conscript army, badly trained, not particularly well-led," a
diplomat said. "Somebody needs to help them."

Enter the Clinton administration.

Three years ago, the White House began to increase military aid to
Colombia. Published reports indicated Washington was reacting to guerrilla
advances against the Colombian military.

It is of particular concern to the Clinton administration that the ongoing
conflict could disrupt oil operations in neighboring Venezuela, America's
biggest foreign oil supplier, as well as threaten the nearby Panama Canal.

U.S. officials insist that aid was increased to Colombia's military because
of the larger role it began to play in the war on drugs. The national
police force is responsible for counternarcotics operations in Colombia,
but the military often provides protection.

So sensitive is the subject that the commander of Colombia's armed forces,
Gen. Manuel Jose Bonett, denied the military was getting any help from the
U.S., even to help fight the drug war. "We have always fought without the
help of the United States," he said. "We are fighting on our own, and I
think we will continue that way."

According to an American military official who has sat in on briefings in
Colombia, the nation's military high command paints a different picture of
the war. "We're hearing they need help," he said. "It's a serious problem."

Even Bonett admits to having a "direct line" to Miami-based U.S. Gen.
Charles Wilhelm, commander of American military forces in Latin America and
the Caribbean. He said he talks to Wilhelm almost daily "about things
military men talk about."

U.S. officials say that funds the military is getting are to be used
exclusively to fight the drug war, but they acknowledge that distinguishing
between narcotraffickers and leftist guerrillas gets "murky" because of the
role the rebels play in the drug trade.

"We are not fighting a guerrilla war," a U.S. State Department official
said. But "the line does get blurred in the field."

Indeed, Gen. Hernandez characterized the Revolutionary Armed Forces of
Colombia, known by its initials in Spanish as FARC, as "the largest drug
cartel in Latin America."

U.S. and Colombian officials said the rebels "rent out" their services to
drug barons to protect coca and poppy fields and the labs used to process
the plants.

Critics in Washington, concerned that the U.S. is becoming entangled in
another Latin American war, argue that aid proponents have blown the role
of the guerrillas in the drug trade out of proportion to justify the shift
in U.S. policy.

President-elect Andres Pastrana, who takes office Aug. 7, says his top
priority is making peace with the rebels. Pastrana met with representatives
of the FARC last week at a secret jungle location.

Colombia's military is getting about $100 million a year in U.S. aid, an
increase of $75 million from three years ago, according to the State
Department. Because of the military's history of human rights violations
and its close relationship with right-wing death squads, U.S. aid is
contingent on the military's human rights performance.

A Defense Department document prepared in May outlined some aid to the
Colombian military. "The majority of this assistance," it says, "is
non-lethal and consists of helicopter spare parts, field and communications
gear."

The Defense Department says that under a program known as Joint Combined
Exchange Training, the U.S. military "has both trained with and has
provided military training to the Colombian armed forces, most of it
focused on stemming the influence of organized drug trafficking."

"We are not providing counterinsurgency training to the Colombian
military," the document says. "Nor do we have military advisers in the field."

However, the Defense Department document makes the following point: "The
skills for counterdrug and counterinsurgency operations sometimes overlap.
For example, both include light infantry tactics and weapons training,
patrolling, radio communication, and intelligence collection."

On average, the number of U.S. military personnel in Colombia totals 193.

"Virtually all are providing counternarcotics assistance," the Defense
Department says, "although some deployments have taken place to provide
counterterrorism training and perform security surveys with regard to the
safety of U.S. personnel."

According to the Pentagon, Colombia's insurgents, which total about 20,000,
probably are the world's best-equipped, best-financed "terrorist force."

The rebels rake in an estimated $600 million a year through
narcotrafficking, extortion, robbery and kidnapping and control half of
Colombian territory. It is estimated that the Colombian drug cartels supply
about 80 percent of the cocaine in the U.S.

Although Colombia's military outnumbers the guerrillas 6-1, 55,000 of the
nation's 125,000 soldiers are committed to protecting Colombian oil fields
and other key installations.

"We need help . . ." Gen. Hernandez said. "We don't have the support. How
can you navigate without a boat? How can you fly without a plane? You saw,"
he said, referring to an earlier talk with his men, "the soldiers are
asking for uniforms."

The soldiers also are asking for help. "I want Colombia to know that they
have a military, that we want to go forward, that we want to protect
democracy," said Sgt. German Morales, 28. "We want support. We are
compatriots."

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Armed Hold-Ups Explode As Heroin Takes Its Toll
(According To 'The Sydney Morning Herald,' Crime Figures
Released By The Australian Bureau Of Statistics Yesterday
Suggest An Increase In Heroin Use Among The Poor And Young
Is Driving A Huge 44 Per Cent Increase In Armed Hold-Ups -
The Increase Was Even More Stark In New South Wales,
Where Hold-Ups Jumped By 67 Per Cent)

Date: Sun, 19 Jul 1998 14:51:05 +0000
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
Subject: MN: AUSTRALIA: Armed Hold-Ups
Explode As Heroin Takes Its Toll
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: Ken Russell
Source: Sydney Morning Herald (Australia)
Contact: letters@smh.com.au
Website: http://www.smh.com.au/
Pubdate: Thursday, 16, July 1998
Author: Greg Bearup

ARMED HOLD-UPS EXPLODE AS HEROIN TAKES ITS TOLL

An increase in heroin use among the poor and the young is driving a
huge 44 per cent increase in armed hold-ups, which saw more than 9,000
people bailed up by gun, knife or syringe across the country last year.

The increase was even more stark in NSW, where hold-ups jumped by 67
per cent, or nearly 2,000.

The head of the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics, Dr Don Weatherburn,
said the nation-wide increase was the biggest "this decade, if not
ever".

He indicated that heroin was taking a hold on groups such as the poor,
the unemployed and Aborigines and that a national approach was needed
to address the problem.

"There are certain groups at risk that have a toe in the water with
regards to crime and when heroin, coke or amphetamines are introduced
they are straight in at the deep end."

The recorded crime statistics released by the Australian Bureau of
Statistics yesterday compared police data from all States and found
that NSW fared badly in most areas.

There were substantial increases in most categories, with assaults up
by 8.6 per cent (17 per cent in NSW), house burglary by 4.8 (9.7) and
car theft by 6.1 (12).

But the most disturbing increase was in armed robbery, which saw an
increase from 6,256 in 1996 to 9,015 last year.

While the statistics found no heroin epidemic, they did reveal that
its use had increased among groups more likely to commit armed
robberies and break and enters, which provide quick cash.

A 1996 study by the National Drug and Alcohol Research Council found
there had been a huge increase in heroin use by inner-city Aborigines
and that prison authorities had reported an increase in the number of
Aborigines entering jail who were dependent on the drug.

A spokesman for the council said yesterday that a recent study had
also found that many more young people were using heroin and that the
average age at first use had dropped from 20 to 16.

"Heroin may now be the first illicit drug that many young people try,"
he said.

In recent years there has been a flood of heroin into Australia from
South-East Asia and the cost has more than halved while the quality
has increased.

The Police Minister, Mr Whelan, is overseas but his office said the
NSW increases could be attributed to the Federal Government's cutting
back on border controls through reduced funding for the Australian
Federal Police and Customs.

A spokeswoman said the recently introduced tough knife and street
safety laws were aimed directly at armed hold-ups.

A spokesman for the State Opposition Leader, Mr Collins, said the
statistics made "a mockery of Mr Carr's pre-election promise to be
tough on crime and tough on the causes of crime".

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Body's Pain Relief Mimics Cannabis (Britain's 'Independent' Says Research
Published In Today's Issue Of The Science Journal 'Nature' Shows Scientists
Have Discovered That Anandamide, A Cannabis-Like Substances That The Human
Body Produces Naturally, Is Essential To The Control Of Pain Experienced
Beyond The Central Nervous System - Working Together With Another Cannabinoid
Called PEA That The Body Makes, They Reduced Pain 100-Fold)

Date: Thu, 16 Jul 1998 10:17:22 -0800
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
Subject: MN: UK: Body's Pain Relief Mimics Cannabis
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: Martin Cooke (mjc1947@cyberclub.iol.ie)
Pubdate: Thu, 16 Jul 1998
Source: Independent, The (UK)
Contact: letters@independent.co.uk
Website: http://www.independent.co.uk/
Author: Charles Arthur, Technology Editor

Science Journal Reports That Cannabinoid Receptors Located Outside The
Brain And Spine Are Affected When The Skin Or Flesh Is Cut Or Hurt

BODY'S PAIN RELIEF MIMICS CANNABIS

The ability of cannabis to control the pain of people suffering from
illnesses such as multiple sclerosis and arthritis may arise because
the body makes similar chemicals to control pain signals.

Scientists have discovered that cannabis-like substances that the body
produces are key in the control of pain experienced beyond the central
nervous system.

That would tally with the preference of a growing number of people who are
smoking cannabis to control symptoms from various illnesses. In California,
a recent by-law allowed people to grow cannabis for medicinal purposes.

According to work published today in the science journal Nature,
"cannabinoid receptors" located outside the brain and spine are affected
when the skin or flesh is cut or hurt. A cannabis-like chemical produced by
the body, called anandamide, is released when cells are damaged and helps to
ease the pain sensation.

Working together with another cannabinoid called PEA that the body makes,
they reduced pain 100-fold, scientists found.

Antonio Calignano, at the University of Naples in Italy, found that rats
which were treated with a chemical that blocked the action of anandamide
showed longer and greater reaction to pain.

The findings could be important for research now underway in Britain, where
the Home Office last month issued the first-ever licence to grow cannabis
for investigation into the development of medicines.

Dr Geoffrey Guy, who is running the tests, aims to extract active chemicals
from the plants and check their effectiveness as painkillers. "I'm
interested in producing something helpful to certain people, such as
multiple sclerosis sufferers, people with painful spinal injuries and pain
from nerve diseases," he said last month.

The Italian researchers also noted that their findings could lead to new
anaesthetics which will exploit the ability of anandamide and similar
cannabinoids generated by the body to "reduce pain without ... side effects
and perceived abuse potential" of cannabis or opiates such as heroin.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

[End]