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Marijuana Activist Arrested In Raid (The Version In The Eugene,
Oregon 'Register-Guard')
Date: Thu, 17 Sep 1998 13:09:42 -0700
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: US OR: Marijuana Activist Arrested In Raid
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: galit maki (maki@magick.net)
Source: Register-Guard, The (OR)
Contact: rgletters@guardnet.com
Website: http://www.registerguard.com/
Pubdate: Wed, 16 Sep 1998
Author: JANELLE HARTMAN
MARIJUANA ACTIVIST ARRESTED IN RAID
HARRISBURG - Well-known marijuana activist Bill Conde was arrested
Tuesday for allegedly possessing the drug after Linn County sheriff's
deputies searched his home and redwood lumber business, a search
Conde'slawyer decried as illegal and politically motivated.
"Linn County has taken a political exception to Mr. Conde's views,"
attorney Brian Michaels said at the gate to Conde's property while the
search was under way. "This is political intimidation at its worst."
Sheriff Dave Burright said deputies were acting on "very serious
allegations of illegal activity" on Conde's property at 23005 N.
Coburg Road, specifically during his "Cannabis Carnival Unity Fair" in
early September.
"We have eyewitness accounts of multiple, multiple illegal drug
transactions and drug use, just a total disregard for the law,"
Burright said, alleging that drugs were being used in front of
children and, in some cases, by children.
"This is something I will not tolerate in this county," he
said.
According to a sheriff's office news release, Conde, 55, was charged
with possession of marijuana. He was taken to the Linn County Jail in
Albany and later released.
Deputies also arrested James Steven Dowd, 20, who lived at Conde's
residence, on a warrant from Washington state for possession of a
controlled substance.
Conde hasn't been arrested in recent years, according to his lawyer
and court records.
In 1976, he was arrested after a raid in Cottage Grove, where he lived
and ran his business. He was convicted on two drug charges two years
later and sentenced to 90 days in jail.
Conde argued in court then that he was Christian, and that God
provided marijuana to be used with other herbs.
Part way through his jail term, shaken by the impact the case had on
his life and business, he told a judge he wouldn't use marijuana
anymore and no longer viewed the drug as part of his religion.
Michaels angrily called Tuesday's search warrant "overbroad" and said
deputies took all of Conde's business records and computers,
effectively shutting down his lumberyard.
The warrant stated that deputies were searching not only for drugs,
but for records of drug transactions and paperwork to identify people
who attended or worked at the Cannabis Carnival - one of many
marijuana-themed events Conde has hosted.
The events draw political activists and vendors who make food,
beverages, clothing and other items from hemp.
Michaels charged that authorities are trying to pressure Conde into
abandoning his First Amendment rights to campaign for marijuana
legalization, and are trying to bully supporters into staying away
from his gatherings.
Burright said Conde is free to have political events and free to speak
his mind, "but he will conduct himself in a legal manner."
He said more arrests are likely if police can identify people who used
or sold drugs at the latest festival.
"There's a lot of people who ought to be watching over their
shoulders," he said.
Investigators believe illegal drugs in addition to marijuana were
being used at the festival, he said.
Michaels said Conde in no way "promoted or profited" from drug use at
the event, meaning he committed no crimes there and can't be held
accountable for the behavior of others.
Doing so would be like holding the University of Oregon liable for
someone who uses drugs at a football game, he said.
He said Conde hired security for the event and instructed officers to
escort people off the property if they saw criminal behavior. The
orders, however, didn't pertain to possessing or smoking marijuana.
Under Oregon law, having less than an ounce of marijuana is a
violation, not a crime.
Conde is campaigning against a measure on the November ballot, Measure
57, which would recriminalize marijuana use and possession. He is
lobbying for a second proposal, Measure 67, to allow medical use of
marijuana.
"Mr. Conde isn't a drug dealer," Michaels said. "If they're going to
claim he smokes marijuana, I think he's openly admitted that. But any
other criminal activity, it just doesn't happen."
Michaels said he doesn't understand how allegations of criminal
conduct on the festival site north of Conde's house gave deputies a
right to search the home.
"They're in his private residence going through his clothing drawers,"
he said.
Conde plans to fight back in court, he said.
"I think they picked on the wrong guy," Michaels said.
"As I know Mr. Conde over the years, we're going to see the county in
court over this for a long time."
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Pot Battle Shifts To Ballot Box (An Op-Ed
In 'The San Luis Obispo Telegram-Tribune' Favors Patients' Rights
To Medical Marijuana But Says The Fate Of Proposition 215
Likely Will Be Determined In November By Who California Voters Elect
As Governor And Attorney General)
Date: Wed, 16 Sep 1998 19:01:51 -0400 (EDT)
From: Jo-D
To: DPFCA (DPFCA@drugsense.org), editor@mapinc.org
Subject: DPFCA: US: CA: Pot battle shifts to ballot box
Sender: owner-dpfca@drugsense.org
Reply-To: dpfca@drugsense.org
Organization: DrugSense http://www.drugsense.org/dpfca/
Newshawk: Jo-D Harrison
Source: San Luis Obispo Telegram-Tribune (CA)
Section: Letters to the editor, Page B-7
Contact: slott@sanluisobispo.com
Website: http://sanluisobispo.com/
Tel: 805-781-7800
Pubdate: Wednesday, September 16, 1998
Author: Tom Elias, tdelias@aol.com
Pot battle shifts to ballot box
LOS ANGELES - Confusion reigns more than ever in
California's medical marijuana wars this fall as the
state's most liberal cities and counties struggle to
find a legal way to distribute the weed to patients
who need it, and federal and state authorities fight
to close the few remaining cannabis buyers clubs.
The battle figures to move both to the ballot box
and a jury trial, this fall, as pot-supplying
cooperatives in three Northern California cities
remain open in the face of a four-month-old court
order to shut down. The three face contempt of court
charges and pro-marijuana activists are eager to see
whether any jury will convict their leaders.
The issue has only become more complicated with the
city of Oakland's move to immunize officers of the
local Cannabis Buyers Club by declaring them city
officials.
Meanwhile, regardless of how the courts or the fall
election affect medical marijuana, cities like San
Francisco insist they will continue trying to put pot
in the hands of AIDS patients, epileptics and others
whose conditions are eased by the narcotic.
"It won't be an easy task to find an way to do this
legally," says San Francisco District Attorney
Terrence Hallinan. "But it's necessary."
Adds his city's mayor, Willie Brown, "We'd be remiss
if we didn't do anything. At least 10,000 people in
this city need the marijuana and they've been left
without a legal source since the only buyers co-op in
the city was closed by the court order."
Besides trying to immunize the local pot
distributors, Oakland's city government also took
action the other day to allow patients to grow their
own marijuana. Councilmen passed an ordinance allowing
patients acting on a doctor's recommendation to
possess 1.5 pounds of the weed at any one time, and
also to grow as many as 144 plants at a time, with 38
of them in the flowering phase when their potency is
highest. Even pro-medical marijuana activists say that
is about three times more than any patient should
need, and it is three times the standard state
Attorney General Dan Lungren set last year for legal
possession by a patient.
Possessing marijuana for medical reasons has been
legal in California has been legal in California since
Proposition 215 passed by a wide margin in 1996. But
federal laws make distribution and use illegal and
both Lungren and Gov. Pete Wilson have fought efforts
to set up government-run distribution networks. Both
insist medical marijuana is nothing more than a
backdoor way to full legalization for the narcotic.
Lungren is now the Republican candidate for governor
and his former top deputy, David Stirling, is the GOP
candidate to succeed him as attorney general.
"The net effect is that we are now in legal never-
never land," says Scott Imler, co-author of
Proposition 215 and director of the Los Angeles
Cannabis Buyers' Club, not covered by the May court
order. "I'm now very disappointed we did not include
distribution in the proposition. That was a political
decision so that the clubs would not become a campaign
issue."
It also means the November election will largely
decide the fate of medical marijuana.
"Electing Lungren and Stirling would mean four more
years of chaos, because they are adamant about not
allowing any sort of distribution," Imler said. "If
they're elected, the only solution would be for the
federal government to declare this a prescription drug
- and they haven't shown any great eagerness to do
it."
Meanwhile, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Gray
Davis takes a noncommittal stance on medical pot,
saying he's open to legalizing distribution to
patients if academic studies show a true need. And
state Sen. Bill Lockyer, the Democratic nominee for
attorney general, never blocked passage of medical
marijuana bills during his years as the Senate's
president.
Fellow state Sen. John Vasconcellos, a Democrat who
has fought for years to legalize medical use of the
weed, agrees the future of medical marijuana likely
hinges on the election outcome. "We're going to
present Wilson with a bill this fall to set up legal
distribution," said his top aide. "But we have no
illusions that he will sign it. He vetoed two medical
marijuana bills before Proposition 215 passed and he
wants to run for president. He'll veto this one, too."
Meanwhile, six clubs still distribute marijuana to
patients, with all but Imler's operating in Northern
California cities.
"We just don't think it's against the law to save
lives and make lives more palatable," says the
president of the Ukiah club, one of the three facing
contempt charges. "We're confident we can win before a
jury."
But the real decision, as so often in this state,
will be made by the voters in November. Their choices
for governor and attorney general will tell, among
other things, whether they were really serious or
merely acting on a passing whim when they voted for
Proposition 215.
***
Elias is the author of the new book, "The Burzynski
Breakthrough: The Century's Most Promising Cancer
Treatment and the Government's Campaign to Squelch
It." His e-mail address is tdelias@aol.com
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House Joint Resolution 117 Watered Down (A Bulletin From California NORML
With The Text Of The Anti-Medical Marijuana Resolution Approved Yesterday
Notes The Language Is Less Extreme Than That Contained In Its Forerunner,
House Resolution 372)
Date: Wed, 16 Sep 1998 13:13:47 -0700
To: dpfca@drugsense.org, aro@drugsense.org
From: canorml@igc.apc.org (Dale Gieringer)
Subject: DPFCA: HJRes 117 Watered Down
Sender: owner-dpfca@drugsense.org
Reply-To: dpfca@drugsense.org
Organization: DrugSense http://www.drugsense.org/dpfca/
The final text of HJRes 117 was greatly watered down from its original
version. Press releases cited the original title: "Expressing the sense
of Congress that marijuana is a dangerous and addictive
drug and should not be legalized for medicinal use." However, this
inflammatory wording doesn't appear in the version that was actually passed
(according to the listing at thomas.loc.gov). Instead, the latter says
simply, "Expressing the sense of the Congress in support of the existing
Federal legal process for determining the safety and efficacy of drugs,
including marijuana and other Schedule I drugs." Most of the other highly
obnoxious language in the original version was dropped, too.
This appears to have been a clever ploy aimed at picking up moderate
votes (We'll have a tough time gettiing Senators Boxer and Feinstein to
oppose it). On the other hand, it also marks a substantial rhetorical
retreat. Here's the final wording:
***
HJ Res 117 (McCollum)
***
Bill 1 of 2
There is 1 other version of this bill.
GPO's PDF References to this bill
Link to the version of in the Congressional Bill Summary & Full Display -
this bill Record Status file. 4,764 bytes.
***
Expressing the sense of the Congress in support of the existing Federal
legal process for determining the safety and efficacy of drugs, including
marijuana and other Schedule I drugs,... (Engrossed in House )
105th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. J. RES. 117
JOINT RESOLUTION
Expressing the sense of the Congress in support of the existing Federal
legal process for determining the safety and efficacy of drugs, including
marijuana and other Schedule I drugs, for medicinal use.
HJ 117 EH
105th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. J. RES. 117
***
JOINT RESOLUTION
Expressing the sense of the Congress in support of the existing Federal
legal process for determining the safety and efficacy of drugs, including
marijuana and other Schedule I drugs, for medicinal use.
Whereas certain drugs are listed on Schedule I of the Controlled Substances
Act if they have a high potential for abuse, lack any currently accepted
medical use in treatment, and are unsafe, even under medical supervision;
Whereas the consequences of illegal use of Schedule I drugs are well
documented, particularly with regard to physical health, highway safety, and
criminal activity;
Whereas pursuant to section 401 of the Controlled Substances Act, it is
illegal to manufacture, distribute, or dispense marijuana, heroin, LSD, and
more than 100 other Schedule I drugs;
Whereas pursuant to section 505 of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act,
before any drug can be approved as a medication in the United States, it
must meet extensive scientific and medical standards established by the Food
and Drug Administration to ensure it is safe and effective;
Whereas marijuana and other Schedule I drugs have not been approved by the
Food and Drug Administration to treat any disease or condition;
Whereas the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act already prohibits the sale
of any unapproved drug, including marijuana, that has not been proven safe
and effective for medical purposes and grants the Food and Drug
Administration the authority to enforce this prohibition through seizure and
other civil action, as well as through criminal penalties;
Whereas marijuana use by children in grades 8 through 12 declined steadily
from 1980 to 1992, but, from 1992 to 1996, has dramatically increased by 253
percent among 8th graders, 151 percent among 10th graders, and 84 percent
among 12th graders, and the average age of first-time use of marijuana is
now younger than it has ever been;
Whereas according to the 1997 survey by the Center on Addiction and
Substance Abuse at Columbia University, 500,000 8th graders began using
marijuana in the 6th and 7th grades;
Whereas according to that same 1997 survey, youths between the ages of 12
and 17 who use marijuana are 85 times more likely to use cocaine than those
who abstain from marijuana, and 60 percent of adolescents who use marijuana
before the age of 15 will later use cocaine; and
Whereas the rate of illegal drug use among youth is linked to their
perceptions of the health and safety risks of those drugs, and the ambiguous
cultural messages about marijuana use are contributing to a growing
acceptance of marijuana use among children and teenagers: Now, therefore, be
it
Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United
States of America in Congress assembled, That--
(1) Congress continues to support the existing Federal legal
process for determining the safety and efficacy of drugs and
opposes efforts to circumvent this process by legalizing
marijuana, and other Schedule I drugs, for medicinal use without
valid scientific evidence and the approval of the Food and Drug
Administration; and
(2) not later than 90 days after the date of the adoption of this
resolution--
(A) the Attorney General shall submit to the Committees on
the Judiciary of the House of Representatives and the Senate
a report on--
(i) the total quantity of marijuana eradicated in the
United States during the period from 1992 through 1997;
and
(ii) the annual number of arrests and prosecutions for
Federal marijuana offenses during the period described
in clause (i); and
(B) the Commissioner of Foods and Drugs shall submit to the
Committee on Commerce of the House of Representatives and the
Committee on Labor and Human Resources of the Senate a report
on the specific efforts underway to enforce sections 304 and
505 of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act with respect
to marijuana and other Schedule I drugs.
Passed the House of Representatives September 15, 1998.
***
Dale Gieringer (415) 563-5858 // canorml@igc.apc.org
2215-R Market St. #278, San Francisco CA 94114
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Admiral James M. Loy, USCG, On The Western Hemisphere Drug Elimination Act
(The Text Of Congressional Testimony On Behalf Of The US Coast Guard
Suggests The Admiral Would Like All The New Money Included In The Legislation
And More, But Spent More Wisely, And The Mission Of Reducing The 'Flow
Of Drugs Into The United States 80 Percent By The End Of 2001
Is Overly Optimistic And Is Not Achievable')
Date: Sat, 26 Sep 1998 08:58:12 -0700
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: US: Admiral James M. Loy, USCG, On The Western Hemisphere Drug
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: isenberd@dyncorp.com
Source: Congressional Testmony
Pubdate: 16 Sep 1998
Website: http://www.senate.gov/~foreign/loy.htm
STATEMENT OF ADMIRAL JAMES M. LOY, USCG, ON THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE DRUG
ELIMINATION ACT
Good morning, Mr. Chairman Grassley, Chairman Coverdell, and distinguished
Committee and Caucus members. It is a pleasure to appear before you today
to comment on Coast Guard drug interdiction and the proposed Western
Hemisphere Drug Elimination Act.
I applaud the Act's goal of strengthening our Nation's counterdrug effort.
This legislation recognizes that the security of our maritime borders is a
critical component of a balanced national strategy to reduce drug use and
its destructive consequences. The National Drug Control Strategy's supply
reduction target looks to reduce drug availability in the United States 25
percent by 2002, and 50 percent by 2007 as compared to a 1996 base year.
The Coast Guard has developed a comprehensive maritime interdiction
strategy, Campaign STEEL WEB, designed to meet the Coast Guard's portion of
these national goals. This Coast Guard strategy is supportedby a 5-year
drug control budget that is submitted to the Office of Drug Control Policy
(ONDCP) annually as required by law. Fully implementing this strategy will
require that adequate resources be provided over the next several years.
This Coast Guard strategy is supported by a 5-year drug control budget that
is submitted to the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) annually
as required by law. The Western Hemisphere Drug Elimination Act includes
many policy initiativesand budgetauthorities that could be used to increase
counterdrug performance. In many instances, the Act does address valid
Coast Guard requirements and identifies the types of capabilities required
to implement STEEL WEB. However, I do have serious concerns with the
legislation as currently drafted. While this bill authorizes funding
This bill's authorization levels for increased Coast Guard counterdrug
operations in fiscal years 1999, 2000, and 2001, first2001 are inconsistent
with the President's budget. First and foremost the Coast Guard must be
able to maintain current services for all mission areas in fiscal year 1999
as requested by the President. As a 3-year authorization, this legislation
could result in outyear funding risks. Without adequate outyear funding, I
will not be able to operate additional assets or to sustain the operational
increases for assets now in the Coast Guard inventory. I am also concerned,
from a personnel management perspective, about the potential for a
relatively large increase in work force strength that may only be
authorized for 3 years.
I am also concerned about the executability cost effectiveness of some items
specified in the Act. For example, any decision to build new cutters should
be made in the context of the Deepwater Capability Replacement Project,
which is currently in the planning phase. Through the Deepwater process, we
will determine the most cost-effective new construction of cutters would
require long lead-time and significant personnel increases.way to meet
future Coast Guard mission requirements beyond 50 miles from shore. It may
be the case, for example, that converting retired Navy vessels is more
sensible than building new cutters. Additionally, the goal to reduce the
flow of drugs into the United States 80 percent by the end of 2001 is
overly optimistic and is not achievable.
Finally, we face significant source and Transit Zone interdiction
challenges. The Act does not include some key resources proposed in the
President's 1999 Budget that would be necessary to meet these challenges.
For example, the Act does not address increased intelligence collection and
support or the deployable logistics required to support expeditionary pulse
operations, capabilities that are critical to interdiction success and can
reduce the need for expensive, single-mission assets.
The task of maintaining a comprehensive overview of activity and sorting
targets of interest from legitimate air and surface traffic is daunting.
Equally difficult is the logistical challenge of supporting our forces in
such an expansive theater of operations, particularly in the Eastern
Pacific. As previously stated, Campaign STEEL WEB is the Coast Guard's
multiyear plan to position the requisite interdiction forces where they
best counter the ever-evolving drug trafficking threats. The strategic
concept is to deny drug smugglers access to maritime routes by a sequence
of operations in which interdiction forces are concentrated in high-threat
areas of the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific to significantly disrupt drug
traffic. Coast Guard operations in these high threat areas complement and
support Joint Interagency Task Force (JIATF) East and JIATF West
operations. Once a credible law enforcement presence is established,
interdiction forces will be redeployed to other high-threat areas, leaving
an enhanced presence to deter and interdict subsequent smuggling.
Ultimately, successful pulse operations in each high-threat area will
systematically reduce drug flow through the Transit Zone. This concept was
successfully demonstrated during the Coast Guard's Operation FRONTIER SHIELD.
In addition, STEEL WEB is focused on strengthening ties with source and
transit zone nations to increase their capacities to reduce internal
production and trafficking, and supports interagency efforts to combat drug
smuggling. Continued success of Campaign STEEL WEB requires resource
investments and the flexibility to employ resources where they can have the
most impact.
The Coast Guard received a $34.3 million increase in budget authority for
fiscal year 1998, an investment in the long-term campaign to satisfy
obligations under the National Drug Control Strategy. Fiscal year 1998 drug
funding has allowed the Coast Guard to institutionalize FRONTIER SHIELD,
and continue Operations GULF SHIELD and BORDER SHIELD to anchor the flanks
of the Southwest Border.
The fiscal year 1999 budget request includes operating expenses and capital
investments necessary to maintain the current law enforcement presence in
the transit and arrival zones. As long as more than 400 metric tons of
cocaine are moving through the Transit Zone each year, the value of, and
necessity for, agile interdiction forces is undeniable.
The Coast Guard shields America's sea frontiers from a broad spectrum of
threats and challenges, with the scourge of drugs being perhaps the most
visible right now. The need for effective control of America's seaward
borders, territorial sea, and Exclusive Economic Zone extends well beyond
the drug threat and will become even more essential in the first decades of
the 21st century.
Future threats to U.S. security interests will be even more varied than
they are today. The dangers we face are unprecedented in their complexity.
Terrorism, drugs, illegal migrants, organized crime, and proliferation of
weapons of mass destruction are global concerns that transcend national
borders, and environmental damage and rapid population growth undermine
economic prosperity and political stability in many countries.
Since these challenges to America's maritime security are not strictly
military in nature, they underscore the importance, relevance, and vitality
of the Coast Guard's law enforcement role - a core competency developed
during more than 200 years of service to America - and a core competency
that addresses more than drug interdiction.
The multimission Coast Guard has traditionally provided a high rate of
return to the public. In fiscal year 1997, overall interdiction efforts
resulted in a record year for Coast Guard drug seizures. The Coast Guard
seized (or assisted in the seizure of) 103,617 pounds of cocaine and
102,538 pounds of marijuana products. Cocaine seizures easily surpassed the
previous record set in 1991 -- 90,335 pounds.
Through effective interdiction efforts last year, the Coast Guard kept more
than 468 million cocaine "hits" and 100 million marijuana "joints" off our
streets, preventing those drugs from poisoning schools and destroying
homes. The estimated street value of these seizures is more than $4.2
billion -- $1 billion more than the Coast Guard's entire 1997 discretionary
budget.
In order to meet future drug interdiction obligations, the Coast Guard will
need the full support of Congress for its budget requests. As Commandant,
however, I have a responsibility to effectively perform the Coast Guard's
many other mission requirements, such as protection of fisheries stocks and
the marine environment. To do this, the Coast Guard must at least be funded
at current services level through annual appropriations.receive the funding
levels requested by the President for these programs.
As we approach the 21st century, many of our existing assets are nearing
the end of their service lives. Loss of capability and increased
operational costs concern us greatly, as the threats we must counter are
becoming increasingly more sophisticated and capable. In short, our ability
to remain Semper Paratus - Always Ready - to carry out our many missions is
a major Coast Guard concern. We are taking the necessary steps through our
Roles and Missions Review and Deepwater Capability Analysis to address
these concerns. We must be ready to meet tomorrow's challenges.
In closing, I would like to recognize your leadership and commitment to
strengthening the national counterdrug effort. As America moves into the
next century, the Coast Guard stands ready to meet our responsibilities in
this important effort. Thank you for the opportunity to discuss Coast Guard
drug interdiction concerns. I will be happy to answer any questions you may
have.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Barry R. McCaffrey On the Western Hemisphere Drug Elimination Act
(The Text Of The Testimony Presented By The White House Drug Czar
To The Senate Foreign Relations Committee And The Senate Caucus
On International Narcotics Control)
Date: Sat, 26 Sep 1998 08:58:22 -0700
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: US: Barry R. McCaffrey On the Western Hemisphere Drug
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: isenberd@dyncorp.com
Pubdate: 16 Sep 1998
Source: Congressional Testimony
Website: http://www.senate.gov/~foreign/mcc.htm
Testimony of BARRY R. MCCAFFREY, Director, Office of National Drug Control
Policy, Before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the Senate Caucus
on International Narcotics Control, On the WESTERN HEMISPHERE DRUG
ELIMINATION ACT, September 16, 1998
Introduction
Chairmen Coverdell and Grassley, Caucus and Committee members, thank you
for the opportunity to testify on U.S. drug interdiction efforts. All of us
at the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) appreciate your
longstanding support and interest in all aspects of drug control policy, as
well as the guidance and leadership of the Caucus and the Committee. We all
appreciate this opportunity to share our views of the Western Hemisphere
Drug Elimination Act.
As you know, goals 4 (Shield America's air, land and sea frontiers from the
drug threat) and five (Break drug sources of supply) of the ten-year 1998
National Drug Control Strategy focus on reducing the availability of
illegal drugs within the United States. The Strategy's mid-term goal is to
reduce illegal drug availability by 25 percent by the year 2002; our
long-term goal is to reduce availability by 50 percent by the year 2007.
In March, we submitted to you a detailed set of Performance Measures of
Effectiveness. The nucleus of the system consists of twelve targets that
define specific results to be achieved under the Strategy's five goals.
Eighty-two supporting performance measures delineate mid-term and long-term
outcomes for the Strategy's thirty-two supporting objectives. Our basic aim
is to reduce drug use and availability by 50 percent in the next ten years.
These measures of effectiveness were developed in full consultation with
all federal drug-control program agencies. The Strategy's mid-term Goal 4
objective is to reduce by 10 percent the rate at which illegal drugs
successfully enter the United States by the year 2002. The long-term
objective is a 20 percent reduction in this rate by the year 2007. The
Strategy's mid-term (5-year) objective for goal 5 is a 15 percent reduction
in the flow of illegal drugs from source countries; the long-term (10-year)
objective is a 30 percent reduction. ONDCP also submitted for the Congress'
consideration the first-ever five year federal drug control budget. It is
our view that the Strategy, the Performance Measures of Effectiveness, and
the Budget Summary outline a credible program for reducing drug use and its
consequences and drug availability.
An Update on Cocaine-Control Efforts in the Western Hemisphere
Potential cocaine production declined significantly in 1997. Our source
country strategy has achieved greatest success in Peru, contributing to a
disruption of the Peruvian cocaine economy. Peruvian coca cultivation
declined by 27 percent last year, and is down 40 percent in the last two
years. Bolivia has achieved modest decreases in coca cultivation and
potential cocaine production over the last two years. However, these gains
have been partially offset by surging coca cultivation in Colombia.
Colombia now has more hectares of coca under cultivation than any other
country. The area under cultivation has increased by 56 percent in the past
two years. Nonetheless, total Andean cultivation declined seven percent and
estimates of total potential cocaine production declined by 15 percent --
from 760 to 650 metric tons in 1997. This is the lowest figure this decade.
An analysis of the situation in each of the three South American cocaine
producing countries follows:
Bolivia. Bolivia eradicated 3,934 hectares in the first six months of 1998,
compared to 2,858 for the same period in 1997. This promising outcome
underscores the Banzer administration's resolve to confront the coca trade.
Earlier this year, President Banzer released a national strategy entitled
Con Dignidad that establishes the objective of eliminating illicit coca
cultivation within five years. The Government of Bolivia estimated in their
anti-drug strategy that the total financing requirement to meet their
objective of completely withdrawing from the coca-cocaine circuit between
1998 and 2002 would require 952 million dollars to support alternative
development, eradication, prevention and rehabilitation. Thirty-five
thousand Bolivian families currently depend on the illegal cocaine trade
for their livelihood. It is unlikely that the international community will
provide Bolivia the support its government believes is required to attain
this ambitious objective.
Colombia. As a result of surging coca cultivation, Colombia now grows more
hectares of coca than Peru or Bolivia. Colombia also continues to be the
world's leading producer of cocaine HCl, processing much of Peru's coca
base. It will be difficult to achieve a decrease in cocaine production in
Colombia in the short term. The current conditions (weak government,
security forces not in control of substantial areas of the country,
increasingly stronger guerrilla and paramilitary forces, weak legitimate
economy, broken judicial system, and official corruption) are conducive to
drug trafficking and will take time to reverse. The new Pastrana
administration has stated its commitment to tackling these issues, but it
would not be realistic to expect a complete turn around in a short period
of time.
ONDCP believes that we will see continued expansion of coca cultivation,
especially in areas outside of the Colombian Government's effective
control. The aggressive aerial eradication campaign being conducted by the
Colombian National Police with the help from the U.S. State Department will
only slow this expansion. Colombian trafficking organizations appear to be
determined to offset declines in Bolivian and Peruvian coca production with
increased domestic production. The recent national narco-guerrilla
offensive and the resulting significant military defeats suggest that
Colombian security forces will not be able to conduct effective anti-drug
operations in regions where guerrilla forces are dominant and control the
ground.
Peru. Through June, Peru's manual eradication program had met 75 percent of
its 1998 target of 4,800 hectares. The overall impact on production has
been limited because efforts have focused on semi-abandoned fields in
national forests. Peruvian Drug Czar Marino Costa Bauer stated in June that
record-low coca leaf prices combined with continuing eradication efforts
would result in the virtual elimination of illicit coca cultivation in Peru
within five years. However, it would seem unlikely that coca leaf prices
will remain low if demand in consumer nations exceeds the available supply.
1997 saw significant cocaine seizures in the transit zone. Drugs coming to
the United States from South America pass through a six-million square-mile
area that is roughly the size of the continental United States. This
transit zone includes the Caribbean, Mexico, Central America, the Gulf of
Mexico, and the eastern Pacific Ocean. Event-based estimates suggest that
perhaps 430 metric tons of cocaine passed through the transit zone in 1997,
and 85 metric tons were seized there; 60 percent more than in 1996. 1997
was the third consecutive year of increased transit-zone seizures. Coast
Guard supported cocaine seizures in 1997 totaled 47 metric tons. U.S.
interdiction operations in the Caribbean focused on Puerto Rico with good
results. Thirteen metric tons of cocaine were seized in the Puerto Rico
area. Interdiction operations contributed to a reduction in the flow of
cocaine to the island, forcing traffickers to divert shipments to the
Dominican Republic and Haiti. Drug-related crime in Puerto Rico plunged by
37 percent.
1998 cocaine seizures are on a par with 1997's levels. An estimated 127
metric tons of cocaine were seized worldwide (excluding U.S. internal
seizures) during the first six months of this year. This amount is slightly
less than the corresponding 1997 figure of 131 metric tons. Transit zone
seizures were about 45 metric tons compared to 43 metric tons during the
same time in 1997. Seizures in Central America totaled 19 metric tons,
nearly double the ten metric tons seized during the same period in 1997.
Mexican seizures of 15 metric tons are below last year's corresponding
figure of 24 metric tons. Seizures in the Caribbean totaled about 14 metric
tons, up from 9 metric tons for the same period in 1997. Within the arrival
zone, U.S. law enforcement agencies have seized 36 metric tons, compared
with 24 tons during the same time in 1997.
Trafficking trends: January - June 1998. Peru continues to export most of
its coca base to Colombia for processing into cocaine HCl and subsequent
smuggling to consumer nations. Traffickers are exploiting the plentiful
waterways in northern Peru to move cocaine base. They are also prepared to
revert to the use of aircraft as the primary means of transportation should
we let up on the successful airbridge denial campaign. The movement of
cocaine HCl from processing locations to international departure points
within Colombia is mostly undetected. An estimated 232 metric tons were
smuggled out of South America destined for the United States:
Mexico/Central America corridor. Fifty-two percent (121 metric tons) of the
cocaine destined for the United States is estimated to have been routed
along this corridor. Fifty-four metric tons were seized along this
corridor, 34 in the transit zone and 20 in the arrival zone. Sixty-seven
metric tons were estimated to have entered the United States via this
corridor.
Caribbean corridor. Thirty-two percent (74 metric tons) is estimated to
have passed through the Caribbean. Fourteen metric tons were seized along
this corridor, 11 in the transit zone and 3 in the arrival zone. Sixty
metric tons were estimated to have entered the United States via this
corridor.
Direct Transportation. Sixteen percent (37 metric tons) is estimated to
have proceeded directly from South America to the United States. Thirteen
metric tons were seized in the arrival zone. Twenty-four metric tons were
estimated to have entered the United States via this corridor.
In summary, an estimated 232 metric tons of cocaine departed South America
in the first six months of this year. Forty-five metric tons were seized in
the transit zone, while 36 were seized in the arrival zone. An estimated
153 metric tons were smuggled into the United States during this period.
One third of the cocaine destined for the United States was interdicted in
either the transit or the arrival zones. This interdiction performance is
consistent with that of previous years, but it is not good enough. We need
to do better.
Smuggling techniques continue to change in response to interdiction
efforts. Traffickers continue to move cocaine via a wide variety of modes
and conveyances and to adapt their methods and routes to avoid detection
and apprehension.
Mexico/Central America corridor. Containerized commercial cargo is a common
method for smuggling cocaine into the Duty Free Zone in Colon, Panama.
Cocaine is transported in smaller quantities in both commercial and private
vehicles along the Pan-American Highway in Central America to reduce the
risk of detection. Cocaine is also introduced throughout Central America
via maritime commerce. Seizure data along the U.S. - Mexico border suggests
that cocaine is evenly distributed between commercial cargo and private cars.
Caribbean corridor. Traffickers mostly use non-commercial aircraft and
non-commercial maritime vessels to smuggle cocaine into Caribbean islands.
Haiti has become a more prominent transshipment point despite our efforts
to develop capable law enforcement agencies. "Go-fast" boats travel with
virtual impunity between Colombia and Haiti. Airdrops off the southern
Haitian coast are common. Cocaine passing through Haiti either is smuggled
directly to the United States and Western Europe or is routed through the
Bahamas, the Dominican Republic, or Puerto Rico. Traffickers also use small
aircraft and go-fast boats to deliver cocaine to Puerto Rico. There are
reports that traffickers track U.S. Coast Guard movements and select the
time and location of deliveries to avoid interdiction. Recent interdiction
operations illustrate how traffickers are operating.
On July 9th, the USS John L. Hall (FFG 32) intercepted two go-fast boats
off the coast of Panama and seized 2,000 pounds of cocaine.
On July 24th, the Coast Guard Cutter Gallatin conducted a consensual
boarding of the coastal freighter Apemagu and discovered numerous
suspicious items. The Apemagu was escorted to Guantanamo Bay where a
detailed search found 1500 pounds of cocaine.
On August 4th, a Coast Guard aircraft from Air Station Miami tracked a
42-foot go-fast boat with three 200HP outboard engines as it rounded the
eastern corner of Cuba and proceeded through Cuban territorial seas toward
Long Island, Bahamas. Two helicopters from Operation Bahamas Turks and
Caicos detected the boat near Long Island and dropped off law enforcement
agents who seized the vessel, a vehicle that linked up with it, 1600 pounds
of marijuana and an undetermined amount of cocaine.
On August 14th, the USS John L. Hall detected and intercepted a 35-foot
speedboat off the coast of Panama and recovered forty-one bales of cocaine
jettisoned by the speedboat's crew.
Also on August 14th, the Coast Guard Cutter Valiant located and boarded a
suspected drug smuggling boat (the Isamar) off the coast of Haiti,
detecting numerous indicators of drug smuggling. Valiant's boarding team
requested and received permission to remain onboard the Isamar until it
docked in the Miami River. A joint Coast Guard, Customs, DEA, and FBI team
boarded the vessel in the Miami River and found 5,100 pounds of cocaine.
Direct Transportation. Commercial cargo (both air and maritime) and air
passengers (human mules) are frequently used to smuggle cocaine and heroin
from South America to the United States. Traffickers route mules through
third countries (e.g. Argentina and Chile) to minimize U.S. Customs'
attention and avoid fitting "profiles." Cargo containers and agricultural
shipments are commonly used to conceal cocaine in commercial vessels.
Interdiction and Deterrence studies. In the Classified Annex of the 1997
National Drug Control Strategy, ONDCP tasked the USIC to conduct an
Interdiction Study to determine what resources are required to attain the
Strategy's interdiction goals. In response, USIC and the interagency have
assessed requirements in both the source and transit zones to accomplish
goals specified in Presidential Decision Directive 14, the National Drug
Control Strategy, and the USIC Interdiction Guidance for 1998 which
identifies Southeastern Colombia as the center of gravity for the cocaine
industry. ONDCP, Customs, and the Coast Guard are conducting a study of the
deterrence value of interdiction operations in the source, transit and
arrival zones. Our intent is to develop models to assist commanders as they
decide where and when to employ interdiction assets.
The need for improved capabilities in the arrival zone. We face
considerable drug-control challenges along our air, land, and sea
frontiers. The Administration has made considerable strides strengthening
enforcement along the Southwest border and the Southern tier which
represents a significant drug-control challenge along the nation's air, sea
and land borders. From 1993 to 1997, the Administration increased funding
by over 40 percent for the Coast Guard, Customs and Immigration and
Naturalization Service to support border enforcement activities along the
Southern tier. This funding translated into more than 2,400 additional
Customs and INS inspectors, 2,800 new Border Patrol agents and
force-multiplying enforcement technology such as x-rays and border sensors
and cameras. Despite the great strides this Administration has made to
strengthen our border, we estimate that only 20 percent of the cocaine
crossing the border is seized.
Analysis of the Western Hemisphere Drug Elimination Act
The focus that members of Congress and their professional staff have
devoted to this Bill reflects our shared commitment to ensuring our
supply-reduction programs are effective. The Bill contains many useful
ideas and budgetary initiatives. However, we have serious concerns with
certain aspects of the Bill, including:
The legislation's primary goal of reducing the flow of illegal drugs into
the United States by not less than 80 percent by December 31, 2001 is
completely unrealistic. It is unlikely that the amount of cocaine departing
South America for the U.S. market will decline appreciably before December
2001. Given that historically combined interdiction rates for cocaine in
the transit and arrival zones have averaged about 33 percent, it is
unlikely that this figure can be changed so dramatically in the next three
and a half years. Consequently, reducing the flow of cocaine by 80 percent
is not feasible. Furthermore, much of the equipment the legislation would
authorize would not be fielded for several years and could not be deployed
in time to work towards this objective. It is impossible to develop over
the next four years political, criminal justice, and law enforcement
institutions that are capable of standing up to the pressures exerted by
drug trafficking international criminal organizations in all major source
and transit countries. Absent such essential partners, the United States
cannot unilaterally achieve this success rate. Legislating this goal would
place an empty slogan instead of realistic strategy in front of the
American people.
Interdiction success is not the main determinant of illegal drug
consumption. The reason that 50 percent of high school seniors smoke
marijuana before graduation is not because foreign drugs are flooding the
United States. Societal acceptance of illegal drug use, low risk
perception, peer example, and drug availability -- much of it from domestic
sources -- are all contributing factors. Marijuana usage accounts for about
90 percent of all juvenile illegal drug use. We are responding to this
problem appropriately with the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign, by
addressing shortcomings in the Safe and Drug-free Schools program, by
supporting community anti-drug coalitions, and by expanding treatment
availability. In the end, we will solve the drug problem in America
principally by decreasing demand for a drugged lifestyle. Supply reduction
is also crucial, but only by taking a multi-pronged and balanced approach
to the nation's drug problem can we hope to succeed.
The specific legislative enhancements proposed by this Bill are not tied to
a coherent strategy. The Bill fails to develop an overarching concept. It
is neither linked to the existing drug threat nor tied to a clear strategic
vision or operational concept. Instead, it mandates a series of tactical
resource allocation decisions. The drug-control budgets, which the
Executive Branch has submitted for congressional consideration, are tied to
the goals, objectives, and performance measures elaborated in the ten-year
National Drug Control Strategy. In sum, this Bill is micro-management of
drug tactics based on a shallow analysis of the problem and our available
tools.
The legislation lacks flexibility. The Bill would impose inflexible
requirements. Its provisions are too specific. For example:
"2 Schweizer observation/spray aircraft (to be piloted by pilots under
contract with the United States)."
"Acquisition of concertina wire and tunneling detection systems at the La
Picota prison of the National Police of Colombia."
"Forward deployment of 5 riverine operations maintenance platforms."
"Establishment of a third drug interdiction site at Puerto Maldonado, Peru."
"2 mobile x-ray machines ...for placement along the Chapare highway." The
locations of such machines should not be specified by statute but left to
the discretion of commanders on the ground.
"...operation and maintenance of 1 J-31 observation aircraft."
Wisely, the Congress never thought to tell General Norman Schwarzkopf where
to deploy his armored forces during operation Desert Storm or when and how
to attack. It would be inappropriate for the Congress to interfere in
decisions that are properly those of duly appointed leaders, law
enforcement officials, U.S. diplomatic personnel, unified commanders, the
Secretary of State, and other responsible officials within the Executive
Branch. This legislative approach would be bad government.
The Bill proposes authorizations that are far in excess of expected
appropriations and the President's budget without specifying where these
funds will come from. The Bill would authorize $2.6 billion in
appropriations in addition to those already authorized for fiscal years
1999-2001. To date, Congress has not appropriated funds for many of the
Administration's pending anti-drug abuse requests.
The legislation infringes on the authority of the President and the
Secretary of State. The bill infringes on the President's appointment
powers and the Secretary of State's flexibility in personnel matters and
intrudes upon well-established procedures for providing foreign military
assistance.
Transferring the Bureau of International narcotics and Law Enforcement
Affairs from the State Department to the Drug Enforcement Administration is
a bad idea. The underlying assumption is that certain foreign assistance
activities of the Sate Department could be better carried out by a law
enforcement agency. This assumption is neither substantiated nor soundly
based.
Consolidation of all joint interagency task forces (JIATF) would reduce
effectiveness. We are streamlining the existing interdiction command and
control structure and have reviewed the National Interdiction Command and
Control Plan. Planning is underway to consolidate JIATF East (based in Key
West) and South (based at Howard Air Force base, Panama) as it becomes more
likely that all U.S. military forces will be withdrawn from the Republic of
Panama next year. Closure of JIATF West (based in Alameda, California would
disrupt DoD support to law enforcement agencies involved in heroin control
efforts in Asia and cocaine interdiction efforts in the eastern Pacific.
Closure of the El Paso based Joint Task Force 6 would also disrupt military
support of drug-control operations along the Southwest border. ONDCP has
presented specific recommendations regarding accountability and
coordination of drug-control efforts along the Southwest border to the
President's Drug Policy Council.
Conclusion
We share the Congress' view that drug availability in the United States can
and must be substantially reduced. All of us at ONDCP appreciate your
support of our balanced National Drug Control Strategy and major
initiatives associated with it such as the National Youth Anti-Drug Media
Campaign, the Drug-Free Communities Act, and the High Intensity Drug
Trafficking Area program. However, the goals proposed by the Western
Hemisphere Drug Elimination Act are unrealistic. This is a "ready, fire,
aim" approach. The ten-year Strategy developed in consultation with the
Congress contains realistic goals. It proposes reducing drug availability
in the United States by 25 percent by 2002, and by 50 percent by 2007 (1996
is the base year for comparative purposes).
ONDCP believes that the Western Hemisphere Drug Elimination Act should not
contain tactical-level directives to those who have legal responsibility,
experience, and training for deciding where, when, how, and why to employ
equipment and personnel to accomplish the goals of the United States
Government. ONDCP respects the role of Congress to provide oversight. We
understand that Congress must examine specific aspects of the
administration's drug-control efforts anywhere in the world. Please be
assured that we also view this Bill as representing a clear communication
of congressional concern with international aspects of drug-control policy
and U.S. hemispheric efforts. ONDCP will evaluate such congressional
thinking respectfully and use your ideas to adjust our own actions.
The Administration has submitted a FY 1999 drug control budget that
includes 1.8 billion dollars for interdiction efforts -- an increase of
more than 36 percent since FY 1996. Proposed operating expense funding for
the Coast Guard is 19 percent higher than in FY 1996. The 526 million
dollars requested for DoD support of interdiction is 27 percent increase
over FY 96 spending. We would welcome the opportunity to explain in greater
detail how each agency is organizing its programs to attain the objectives
established in the National Drug Control Strategy and to debate the
sufficiency of funding for any aspect of our supply-reduction campaigns.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Colombia's Way To Halt Drugs And War At Once ('The Christian Science Monitor'
Explains Why Colombia's US-Financed Coca-Eradication And Crop-Substitution
Programs Have Increased The Total Area Of Coca Production Every Year
Since 1992, From 91,000 Acres To About 200,000 Acres)
Date: Thu, 17 Sep 1998 21:50:16 -0700
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: Columbia: Colombia's Way To Halt Drugs
And War At Once
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: Paul Lewin
Source: Christian Science Monitor
Contact: oped@csps.com
Website: http://www.csmonitor.com/
Pubdate: Wed, 16 Sept 1998
Author: Howard LaFranchi
COLOMBIA'S WAY TO HALT DRUGS AND WAR AT ONCE
Legal jobs would cut incentives to grow drugs - and profits to finance
guerrillas.
Standing in a pasture of browning grass, Victor Manuel Vanegas coos to
a herd of skinny cows before recounting the day in May when the
narcotics police dropped their calling card: a potent herbicide
sprayed on his fields.
``It had to be a mistake, I've never planted coca on my land, never,''
says the graying campesino (peasant) who's been farming in this hotbed
of narcotics production and guerrilla activity in southern Colombia
for three decades.
But the spread of narcotics production to areas like Guaviare is a
symptom of a failure to develop forms of legitimate and sustaining
production for campesinos with no love for coca or heroin poppies -but
with a will to survive.
A failure to address the development needs of marginalized regions
like Guaviare is at the root of both the guerrilla war and rising drug
production, many observers say. And so, until the former is addressed,
both of the latter are likely to continue.
``Now I've got a bad rice field, some sick cows, and dying
pastureland,'' Mr. Vanegas says, crumpling up a handful of grass like
autumn leaves. ``It's a mistake I'm having to live with.''
Experiences like Vanegas's throughout the coca and heroin-poppy-
growing regions of Colombia hint at both the limited successes and
overlying failure of Colombia's drug-crop eradication program.
Some peasants like Vanegas may stay away from coca, the plant whose
leaves make cocaine, for fear of spraying or trouble with the law.
But, overall, the total area of coca production has climbed sharply
every year since 1992, from 91,000 to about 200,000 acres today.
The eradication program began in 1985 and has expanded steadily since
then with heavy backing from the US. But now it is coming under tough
scrutiny as Colombia - spurred by new President Andres Pastrana -moves
toward serious negotiations to end a three-decade-old civil war.
Narcotics production is intimately intertwined with Colombia's long
guerrilla war because it is a principal source of income for the war's
combatants: the guerrillas, paramilitary groups, and - peasants here
insist - some sectors of the Army.
``Drug trafficking is the fuel that keeps this conflict burning,''
says Augusto Ramirez Ocampo, a former Colombian foreign minister and
member of the National Peace Commission.
``Peace negotiations will have to be based on a development plan,''
Mr. Ramirez says, ``and that plan will have to include real
alternatives to narcotics cultivation.''
But not a plan based on crop spraying. ``That hasn't worked,'' he
says, pointing out that, after the spraying of more than a
half-million acres over the last 13 years, total illegal-crop acreage
(including coca, marijuana, and heroin poppies) has risen from 20,000
in 1985 to about 250,000 today.
Some of the increase in Colombia has followed important decreases in
planting in Peru and Bolivia, according to US officials. Yet US policy
on spraying seems to acknowledge the limitations of its effectiveness:
While the US maintains that spraying large plantation-style fields is
effective, the usefulness of spraying small plots intermixed with
other crops is considered questionable.
Along the dirt highways and in the lush, tropical forest that
surrounds San Jose del Guaviare, everyone encountered by a recent
visitor had felt the impact of the region's narcotics activity -either
by direct involvement in the coca-production process, or through some
effect of the government's efforts against illegal crops.
A taxi driver, a paramilitary soldier collecting ``taxes'' from cars
passing his outpost, and a poor campesino returning to his isolated
farm on horseback - these are just three examples. And, even though
what was simply called here the ``bonanza'' of coca production a
decade ago is over, all three agree illegal crops will continue to
grow until other income sources are developed.
Leonardo the deliveryman
***
The taxi driver is ``Leonardo'' (none of the three wanted his real
name used for fear of reprisal). He moved to San Jose from a more
distant settlement two years ago after his 75-acre farm, part of it
planted with coca, was sprayed with defoliants.
``Before that happened I employed as many as 30 campesinos at a
time,'' he says. ``After the spraying, the young workers either joined
the guerrillas or the paramilitaries as a way to make money. But I
sold the farm and moved here. I consider myself a war refugee.''
But the move did not extricate Leonardo from the drug business. ``I
couldn't support a family just on taxi fares,'' he says, ``so I went
into the delivery business.''
What he delivers are all the products that coca producers need to turn
their lush green leaves into coca paste - cement, gasoline, ammonia,
and other chemicals. He replaced his taxi's conventional 20-gallon
tank with a 40-gallon tank that passes both military and paramilitary
checkpoints undetected. Leonardo sees his activity as simple
necessity. But he worries that the spraying campaign, while it has
recently reduced total drug-crop acreage in Gauviare, ends up making
guerrillas of the young campesinos put out of work.
That's not exactly what happened with ``Ruben.'' Manning a
paramilitary roadblock just two miles up a dirt highway from a similar
Army checkpoint, the young former farmer says he joined Guaviare's
``self-defense forces'' after the farm he cut out of the jungle was
sprayed two years ago:
``I had 3.5 hectares [about 8.5 acres] of coca, but it was right with
the yucca and plantains and corn, so everything was hit.''
Now Ruben makes about $350 a month - an enviable wage for San Jose -as
a paramilitary soldier and tax collector. The driver of a jeep loaded
with cement bags and fertilizers slows to a stop and pays him 20,000
pesos ($12) without batting an eye.
Ruben the paramilitary
***
``We do go out on night missions to fight the guerrillas,'' Ruben says
casually, ``but I'd put down my weapons tomorrow if the guerrillas did
the same - and if I had some other work to do.''
Having other work to do is all it would take to get most campesinos to
give up planting illegal crops, they say.
``I can't get anything I grow to market, no roads come near my farm,''
says ``Salvador,'' taking a rest during his long horseback ride back
to his land. ``But with the coca I grow, there's always someone to
come to me to buy it.''
Salvador the coca planter
***
Salvador has only three of his 170 acres in coca, but he says that's
the only part of his farm that brings him income.
``I'm not tied to that plot of coca,'' he says, ``but you've got to
have some money coming in to live on.''
Still, the attractiveness of growing coca is reduced by rising costs,
he says. The $500 in profit his coca field brought him three years ago
is now only about $250.
Surprisingly, but like many other campesinos here, Salvador thinks the
US involvement in Colombia is necessary - both to stop the very
narcotics production he's involved in, and to help bring peace. ``But
it should be an assistance that really does some good, like help
developing new crops that we can sell or building roads so we can get
our produce to market,'' he says. ``This cursed spraying isn't going
to do it.''
Copyright 1998 Christian Science Monitor.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
DrugSense Weekly, Number 64 (Special Back To School Issue - Feature Article -
Who Is Starting College This Fall? By Nora Callahan Of The November
Coalition; Child Dealer Downs Coke During Raid; Baby Was Used To Conceal
Smuggled Drugs; Two-Thirds Of Teens Try Drugs; One Youth In 20 Has Tried
Heroin - School Survey; Rise Seen In Lake Teens' Use Of Marijuana; In Schools
Drug Testing Policy Ruled Unconstitutional; Marines Who Shot Teen Lacked
Adequate Training, Report; LA Cops Accuse A Colleague; Iowa's Forfeiture Law
Takes The Profit Out Of Crime; Drug Pipe Report Spurs City Probe; Drug
Seizure Laws Ripe For Abuse; Mike Gray Featured Guest Live Online Saturday -
Legalize-USA Web Page Hosts; DrugSense Tip Of The Week - Marsha Rosenbaum
Op-Ed In 'San Francisco Chronicle' - A Mothers Advice About Drugs; Special
Focus Alert - 'Mademoiselle' Magazine, Circulation 1.2 Million, Discusses
Medical Marijuana; Quote Of The Week; Fact Of The Week)
Date: Wed, 16 Sep 1998 11:50:51 -0700
To: mgreer@mapinc.org
From: Mark Greer (MGreer@mapinc.org)
Subject: DrugSense Weekly, September 16, 1998 No. 64
***
DRUGSENSE WEEKLY
- SPECIAL BACK TO SCHOOL ISSUE -
HOW THE "War on Drugs" IS DEVASTATING OUR CHILDREN AND THEIR FUTURE!
EDITOR'S NOTE: As many of our nations youth will soon be returning to
school, we thought an issue which concentrates upon our next
generation to be timely. Please consider sharing a copy of this issue
with a parent who may not have considered the dangers the drug war
poses to their children.
***
In about 10 minutes a week you can stay aware and informed on drug
policy developments worldwide.
Consider investing another 10 minutes to write a letter to the editor
using the email addresses provided in this publication.
You CAN make a difference!
***
DrugSense Weekly, September 16, 1998 No. 64
A DrugSense publication
http://www.drugsense.org/
***
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
* Feature Article
Who Is Starting College This Fall?
by Nora Callahan - The November Coalition
*Weekly News In Review
National News-
OUR NATIONS CHILDREN
Child Dealer Downs Coke During Raid
Baby Was Used To Conceal Smuggled Drugs
Two-Thirds Of Teens Try Drugs
One Youth In 20 Has Tried Heroin, School Survey
Rise Seen In Lake Teens' Use Of Marijuana
In Schools Drug Testing Policy Ruled Unconstitutional
Marines Who Shot Teen Lacked Adequate Training, Report
CORRUPTION
L.A. Cops Accuse a Colleague
Iowa's Forfeiture Law Takes The Profit Out Of Crime
Drug Pipe Report Spurs City Probe
Drug Seizure Laws Ripe for Abuse
* Hot Off The 'Net
Mike Gray Featured Guest Live Online Saturday - Legalize-USA Web
Page Hosts
* DrugSense Tip Of The Week
Marsha Rosenbaum TLC-West OPED in SF Chronicle A Mothers Advice about
Drugs.
* Special FOCUS Alert
Mademoiselle Magazine (Circulation 1.2 Million) Discusses Med MJ
* Quote of the Week
Molly Ivins / Upton Sinclair
* Fact of the Week
Marijuana Relatively Harmless
***
FEATURE ARTICLE
***
Who Is Starting College This Fall?
by Nora Callahan - The November Coalition
We get an abundance of "off-topic" email at our office. The "delete"
key comes in handy, but now and then an off topic post has value. This
autumn I will speaking to students at colleges around the country. Who
are the young adults who are starting college this fall across the
nation?
Most were born in 1980. They have no meaningful recollection of the
Reagan era. They were pubescent when the Persian Gulf War was waged.
Their lifetime has always included AIDS.
Atari predates them and the expression "you sound like a broken record"
means nothing. They may have heard of an 8-track, but haven't listened
to one.
The digital Disc was introduced when they were 1 year old. As far as
they know, stamps have always cost about 32 cents. They have always had
an answering machine. Most have never seen a TV set with only 13
channels. They were born the year that the Walkman was introduced by
Sony and have no idea when or why Jordache jeans were cool.
They never took a swim and thought about Jaws. They don't know who Mork
was or where he was from. They find nothing strange about Gorbachev
doing pizza commercials and most of their parents were still in diapers
when the Beatles were on the charts.
I read this feeling more enlightened about the audience I would be
addressing in the coming months. I took this further and realized that
there were other things that reveal who the people starting college
this year are.
They don't know that a "urine test" used to be a physician's diagnostic
procedure. They can't remember early evening television without Fox
Network's COPS, replete with video of police agents battering down a
door and bleeps that filled in the words that begin with, "Get down on
the floor, M***** F******!"
They don't realize that 20 years ago, the only job opening for a German
Shepard was as a guard or guide dog; that a "buy and bust" meant you
spent too much money at the grocery store, and a "no knock" was a
neighbor that could enter your house with a verbal greeting.
They have not been taught that a "DARE" is something they shouldn't
take, and a "tattle tale" is someone nobody wants to be.
Nora Callahan
The November Coalition
http://www.november.org/
***
WEEKLY NEWS IN REVIEW
***
COMMENT: Let's *Really* Protect Our Children
We constantly hear politicians chest thumping about how we must spend
more on the drug war in order "to protect our children." Some of the
negative fallout that influences our nation's children is demonstrated
in the articles below. The truth of the matter is that the drug war
itself has caused unconscionable devastation on our children and it is
escalating at an alarming pace. Negative consequences range from
increased drug use resulting from an out-of-control black market to a
steady erosion of civil rights and individual liberty, from parental
incarceration and even to increasing numbers of our youth being
murdered, all as a direct result of the "War on Drugs." There is
little one can imagine that would be more beneficial to the children
of the world than implementing sensible drug policies that actually
bring about some measure of control.
***
CHILD DEALER DOWNS COKE DURING RAID
A 10-year-old Honduran boy who swallowed 28 rocks of cocaine during a
Vancouver police sweep of Hastings Street is recovering in Children's
Hospital.
Police took the child to hospital after they saw him furiously swallowing
the drugs during the raid, Staff-Sgt. Doug MacKay-Dunn said yesterday.
The boy spit up eight of the rocks on the way to hospital. Twenty more were
later pumped from his stomach.
``The kid could have died,'' said MacKay-Dunn. ``There's no way the
officers could have prevented him from swallowing.''
Police are no longer allowed to use choke-holds to prevent dealers from
swallowing evidence.
Another 14-year-old Honduran youth also working as a ``runner'' at
Hastings and Abbott streets was turned over to the ministry of children
and families. He was placed in a group home where he is being
counselled by a youth worker.
[continues: 27 lines]
Source: Province, The (Vancouver, B.C.)
Contact: provedpg@pacpress.southam.ca
Website: http://www.vancouverprovince.com/newsite/news-c.html
Pubdate: Fri, 11 Sep 1998 News A4
Author: Adrienne Tanner, Staff Reporter
URL: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v98.n792.a09.html
***
BABY WAS USED TO CONCEAL SMUGGLED DRUGS
RAYMOND, Maine -- A 6-month-old baby who had cocaine in her bloodstream
was used by her stepfather to conceal drugs that were smuggled from
Lowell, Mass., police said.
Richard Davison, 41, of Raymond, was arrested by drug agents after they
learned from the Maine Department of Human Services that the baby had
tested positive for cocaine.
The Maine Drug Enforcement Agency seized $8,000 in cocaine and $1,000
cash from his home Monday.
Davison remained yesterday in the Cumberland County Jail, where he is
being held on charges of drug trafficking, furnishing cocaine to a
child and endangering the welfare of a child.
The convicted drug dealer and admitted addict told agents he cared for
the baby during the summer until giving her to the DHS in mid-August,
prior to a brief stint in jail, according to affidavits.
[snip]
Source: Standard-Times (MA)
Contact: YourView@S-T.com
Website: http://www.s-t.com/
Pubdate: Sat, 05 September, 1998
Author: The Associated Press
URL: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v98.n777.a11.html
***
COMMENT:
If this is "protecting our children" then we are failing 66% of the time.
TWO-THIRDS OF TEENS TRY DRUGS
Two-thirds of teenagers have tried illegal drugs and around a third
are recreational drug users.
The finding comes as the result of a five-year study of teenagers'
drug habits and offers the first solid evidence of a culture shift
towards recreational drug use in the UK.
The study also found that teenagers were using drugs intelligently and
made rational decisions to guide their drug-taking.
Research fellows from the department of Social Policy and Social Work
at Manchester University followed the progress of 500 youths from the
age of 14 until they were 18.
Ordinary Youths
The report authors say these were ordinary adolescents who led
conventional lives and are now in work or at university.
By the time the subjects were 18, 64% had tried illicit drugs while
around three in 10 were recreational drug users.
[snip]
Pubdate: Thu, 10 Sep 1998
Source: BBC Online
Website: http://news.bbc.co.uk/
URL: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v98.n794.a06.html
***
ONE YOUTH IN 20 HAS TRIED HEROIN, SCHOOL SURVEY FINDS
Heroin experimentation appears to be on the rise among NSW teenagers,
with a schools survey revealing that one in 20 male youths had tried
the drug, a tenfold increase on an earlier national study.
The 1996 secondary schools survey of 12- to 17-year-olds, released
yesterday by the State Government, also shows that girls are now almost
as likely as boys to try cannabis, previously considered more of a
problem among young men.
Drug experts said the best comparable data was the 1995 National Drug
Household Survey, where 44 per cent of male 14- to 19-year-olds had
tried cannabis, compared to 24 per cent of females.
The NSW schools survey shows that 39 per cent of boys and 31 per cent
of girls had tried cannabis but males were twice as likely to report
recent use than females.
The information manager for the National Drug and Alcohol Research
Centre, Mr Paul Dillon, said the two-year-old figures were "pretty
useless" because drug use changed constantly but the survey suggested
that drug education should start earlier in schools. The Minister for
Health, Dr Refshauge, said yesterday there had been a 10 per cent
increase in cannabis-dependent patients suffering drug-induced
psychosis between 1993 and 1997.
He committed $75,000 for new treatment programs for young people due
to the possible link between cannabis use and mental illness.
Pubdate: Fri, 11 Sep 1998
Source: Sydney Morning Herald (Australia)
Contact: letters@smh.com.au
Website: http://www.smh.com.au/
Author: Linda Doherty
URL: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v98.n794.a07.html
***
RISE SEEN IN LAKE TEENS' USE OF MARIJUANA
Although a survey of Lake County teens showed that alcohol and tobacco
use has declined in the last six years among high school juniors, the
study released Friday found that marijuana use has risen among 6th, 8th
and 11th graders.
Similar findings on marijuana use among teens appeared in a national
government survey last month, prompting Health and Human Services
Secretary Donna Shalala to say that the rise was partly due to
attitudes among students and parents that it is a low-risk, "soft" drug.
"Because they grew up at a time when marijuana was around, this
generation of parents has ambiguous feelings about it," said Peter
Mulhall, a researcher with the Center for Prevention Research and
Development at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, who
conducted the Lake County survey.
The center did the study for the Lake County Fighting Back Coalition, a
federally funded umbrella organization that advises and trains
prevention groups in the county.
[snip]
Source: Chicago Tribune (IL)
Contact: tribletter@aol.com
Website: http://www.chicago.tribune.com/
Pubdate: Sat, 12 Sept 1998
Author: Nancy Ryan
URL: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v98.n796.a09.html
***
COURT RULES SCHOOL'S DRUG POLICY IS ILLEGAL
Appellate judges say Anderson district's testing program violates the
U.S. Constitution
ANDERSON, Ind. -- The 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Wednesday
that Anderson Community Schools' drug-testing policy is unconstitutional.
The decision came five months to the day after Indiana Civil Liberties
Union attorney Ken Falk argued against the expulsion of Anderson High
School freshman James R. "Buddy" Willis II before the appeals court in
Chicago. Buddy, 15, was suspended for five days Dec. 10 for fighting
with another student.
Under a drug-testing policy adopted in August 1997, he was directed to
take a drug test when he returned to school Dec. 19. He repeatedly
refused the test and eventually was barred from school for the rest of
the 1997-98 school year, while Falk and school attorneys battled over
the constitutionality of the drug-test policy.
[snip]
Source: Indianapolis Star (IN)
Contact: stareditor@starnews.com
Website: http://www.starnews.com
Pubdate: Thursday, Sept. 10 1998
Fax: 317-656-1435
Author: John M. Flora, Star/News Staff Writer
URL: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v98.n790.a04.html
***
MARINES WHO SHOT TEEN LACKED ADEQUATE TRAINING, REPORT SAYS
EL PASO - A military report that cleared the Marines involved in the
fatal shooting of a West Texas teenager of any crime also said that
they were not adequately trained for an anti-drug operation that placed
them among civilians.
The internal report also said commanders did not do enough to prevent
escalation of the Marines' encounter last year with Esequiel Hernandez
Jr.
The mission "appears to have been viewed at every level of Marine Corps
command as more of a training opportunity than a real world deployment.
The failure to appreciate the difference had tragic consequences,"
wrote retired Marine Maj. Gen. John T. Coyne, who investigated the
shooting.
Parts of the report had been released earlier this summer.
The report specifically said brief training on the appropriate use of
force did not balance combat responses drilled into Marines.
[snip]
URL: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v98.n790.a07.html
Source: Dallas Morning News (TX)
Contact: letterstoeditor@dallasnews.com
Website: http://www.dallasnews.com/
Pubdate: Thu, 10 Sep 1998
Author: Associated Press
URL: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v98.n790.a07.html
***
RELATED ARTICLE
Subj: US TX: Marine Training Faulted In Fatal Border Shooting
From: John W.Black
Date: Thu, 10 Sep 1998 19:41:14 -0700
Size: 66 lines 2809 bytes
File: v98.n790.a09
URL: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v98.n790.a09.html
Source: Orange County Register (CA)
Contact: letters@link.freedom.com
Website: http://www.ocregister.com/
Pubdate: 10 Sep 1998
Author: Eduardo Montes, The Associated Press
***
CORRUPTION
COMMENT:
Not only are our children being endangered by existing drug policies
but their future rights to a safe and free society are being sabotaged
by the corrosive effects of our failed current attempt at prohibition.
The thought of widespread police corruption was unthinkable just a few
decades ago. Now it is commonplace. The attraction of easy drug money
is even too strong a lure for those who are sworn to "protect and
serve."
To add insult to injury we are building ten new prisons for every new
university. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out where a
very high percentage of our children are going to wind up. And it
isn't Notre Dame!
***
L.A. COPS ACCUSE A COLLEAGUE
Officer charged: An alleged drug theft rocks a police force that,
whatever other controversy dogged it, long held itself all but immune
to graft.
LOS ANGELES -- As a police officer in the LAPD's busiest precinct, near
downtown Los Angeles, Rafael Antonio Perez was responsible for
investigating gang crimes and testifying against suspects in court.
Last month, it was Perez who entered the courtroom in handcuffs and a
blue county jail jump suit to hear charges against him: stealing three
kilograms (about 6 1/2 pounds) of cocaine from an evidence locker at
the Los Angeles Police Department.
Perez, 31, a nine-year employee who was arrested by his fellow officers
Aug. 25, pleaded not guilty to charges of drug possession, grand theft
and forgery.
The felony complaint against Perez contends he checked out, and never
returned, the cocaine from the property room March 2 by forging on the
evidence log the signature of another police officer with the same last
name.
[snip]
Source: San Jose Mercury News (CA)
Contact: letters@sjmercury.com
Website: http://www.sjmercury.com/
Pubdate: Sun, 6 Sep 1998
Author: New York Times
URL: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v98.n774.a07.html
***
COMMENT:
Are we really better off by having put our law enforcement officers on
"Commission?" Who is losing more in this case the occasional nabbed
drug dealer or the Constitution?
***
IOWA'S FORFEITURE LAW TAKES THE PROFIT OUT OF CRIME
Millions in cash and property have been seized by police and sheriffs
Samuel Vallejo lost more than his freedom when authorities nabbed him
for drug dealing. They also seized four vehicles, $7,000 in cash, a
cell phone and pager from a rural Polk County residence.
"It'll put him out of business for a while," said Chief Deputy Dennis
Anderson of the Polk County Sheriff's Department, which plans to sell
the vehicles at a public auction next month.
Vallejo, 25, is not alone in feeling the sting of Iowa's forfeiture
law. Police and sheriff s departments across the state have used the
law to acquire millions of dollars in cash, cars and other property
from people involved in drug dealing or other crimes.
While Iowa law enforcement agencies don't come across art deco mansions
and powerful cigarette boats like you might find in South Florida,
authorities say the property seizures are a significant tool in their
war against drugs.
[snip]
Source: Des Moines Register (IA)
Contact: letters@news.dmreg.com
Website: http://www.dmregister.com/
Pubdate: 06 Sep 98
Author: Jonathan Roos, Register Staff Writer
Fax: (515) 286-2511
URL: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v98.n776.a07.html
***
DRUG PIPE REPORT SPURS CITY PROBE
Clive city and police officials are investigating allegations that a
marijuana pipe was found at a July party attended by some city leaders
and members of the volunteer fire department, authorities said Monday.
City officials said that the case is being investigated as a personnel
matter, and they would not provide details.
Clive City Manager Dennis Henderson said the incident reportedly took
place at a July 25 going-away party for the former fire chief at the
home of Dave Ennen, a volunteer firefighter and member of Clive's
planning and zoning commission. Ennon did not return calls to his home
Monday.
"The allegation is that there was a small, silver marijuana pipe
spotted at the party," Henderson said.
He would not comment on anyone involved and said that, to his
knowledge, no drugs were found.
[snip]
Source: Des Moines Register (IA)
Contact: letters@news.dmreg.com
Website: http://www.dmregister.com/
Pubdate: 01 Sep 98
Author: Estela Villanueva, Register Staff Writer
URL: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v98.n777.a10.html
***
DRUG STING ROCKS U.K. PARLIAMENT
Peer allegedly offered cocaine to reporter
LONDON (AP) - One of the youngest members of Britain's House of Lords
was suspended yesterday after allegedly trying to sell cocaine to an
undercover reporter in the corridors of Parliament.
Joseph Phillip Sebastian Yorke, the 10th Lord Hardwicke, could face
expulsion from the Conservative party.
The move follows a report in the tabloid News of the World on Sunday
that the lord tried to sell cocaine to one of its undercover reporters
last week when members of the House were recalled to debate stricter
security legislation after a fatal bombing in Northern Ireland.
Yorke, 27, runs a motor scooter shop and admits he only shows up at the
House of Lords twice a week to collect his $330 in attendance fees.
He said he was "shocked and distressed" by the scandal.
[snip]
Source: Times, The (UK)
Contact: letters@the-times.co.uk
Website: http://www.the-times.co.uk/
Pubdate: Tuesday, September 8, 1998
URL: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v98.n778.a07.html
***
DRUG SEIZURE LAWS RIPE FOR ABUSE
Police tactics bring cries for reform
On New Year's Eve, Adam Townley sold marijuana to an undercover police
officer. He would end up paying for it with his car.
Eager to gain ownership of Mr. Townley's two-door 1990 Nissan -- taken
during his arrest -- Fairfax police agreed to a deal in which two
counts of drug trafficking against the 20-year-old from Union Township
in Clermont County were reduced to a lesser charge.
Police holding drug-raid loot Mr. Townley got his freedom. The police got
the Nissan.
The exchange, though perfectly legal under drug forfeiture law, raises
questions about the legitimacy of such tactics and the zeal with which
some police agencies pursue material goods enjoyed by the drug dealers
they arrest.
[snip]
Source: Cincinnati Enquirer (OH)
Contact: http://Enquirer.Com/editor/letters.html
Website: http://enquirer.com/today/
Pubdate: Tue, 08 Sep 1998
Author: Anne Michaud - The Cincinnati Enquirer
URL: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v98.n780.a05.html
***
HOT OFF THE NET
TALK TO MIKE GRAY ONLINE THIS SATURDAY PM
Mike Gray will be the guest in the Legalize-USA chat room next Saturday
evening. This will be a moderated discussion to start with, followed by
an open discussion.
YOU can chat with DRUG CRAZY author Mike Gray this Saturday!
Just point your web browser to
http://www.legalize-usa.org/chat.htm
for details and information about how to use your java enabled web
browser or Internet Relay Chat (IRC) software to join the discussion.
Mike Gray, author of the China Syndrome and the much acclaimed Drug
Crazy will discuss his insights into the background of the War on Drugs
and how we may find a way out of it. More on Drug Crazy is at:
http://www.drugsense.org/crazy.htm
The chat on Saturday, Sept 19th, will be at the following time:
EST
9:00pm-11:00pm
CST
8:00pm-10:00pm
PST
6:00pm-8:00pm
GMT
2:00am-4:00am the following day
CET (Central European Time)
3:00am-5:00am the following day
Join us!
***
TIP OF THE WEEK
Hearty Congratulations to Marsha Rosenbaum of The Lindesmith
Center-West. Her article below was published in the San Francisco
Chronicle last Monday Sept 7. It can also be read at:
http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v98.n776.a03.html
A MOTHER'S ADVICE ABOUT DRUGS
by Marsha Rosenbaum, director of The Lindesmith Center-West, a drug
policy institute in San Francisco, wrote this letter to her son, an
Urban High School freshman.
DEAR JOHNNY,
This fall you will be entering high school, and like most American
teenagers, you'll have to navigate drugs. As most parents, I would
prefer that you not use drugs. However, I realize that despite my
wishes, you might experiment.
[snip]
US CA: OPED: A Mother's Advice About Drugs
Source: San Francisco Chronicle (CA)
Contact: chronletters@sfgate.com Website:
http://www.sfgate.com/chronicle/
Pubdate: Monday, September 7, 1998
Author: Marsha Rosenbaum
***
SPECIAL FOCUS ALERT
***
COMMENT:
PLEASE WRITE A LETTER ON THIS ONE
EMAIL: MilleMag@aol.com
Mademoiselle Magazine (Circulation 1.2 Million) Deserves hearty
congratulations for the excellent piece excerpted below. The
subscribers of this magazine (largely middle class female) is a
difficult target for the reform movement. Please consider writing a
brief letter of encouragement. If your letter gets published it will
have an equivalent ad value of nearly $1,000 per column inch and reach
well over a million people!
PRESCRIPTION POTHEADS
WHAT'S A NICE GIRL LIKE YOU DOING WITH A JOINT LIKE THIS? TAKING HER
MEDICINE - AND RISKING A JAIL TERM. NOW THAT MARIJUANA IS USED TO TREAT
EVERYTHING FROM AIDS TO ANOREXIA, MORE AND MORE YOUNG WOMEN ARE BECOMING
CASUALTIES OF THE WAR ON DRUGS.
One late night last June, Lee, 22 and two of her friends pulled their
car over to a curb in crime-ridden downtown Oakland. They wanted to buy
marijuana, which Lee smoked every day. She was completely out, and
couldn't get in touch with her regular contact, a dealer-slash-friend.
So there she was, on a dark, desolate corner where she'd heard she
could score some weed.
A man rode up on a bicycle. "You want a twenty-dollar bag.?" he asked.
Lee, who was in the driver's seat, sensed danger as she put the bill in
his hand. Sure enough, he whipped out a knife. "Give me all your
jewelry and money," he ordered. When he leaned into the car, Lee
noticed a gun peeking out of his jacket. She pulled three rings off her
left hand. On was a cherished friendship band her god-sister had give
her seven years ago, when Lee tested positive for the HIV virus.
[snip]
"The government approach is inhumane," says Chuck Thomas of the
Marijuana Policy Project in Washington, D.C., an advocacy group that
wants to legalize medical marijuana. "They bust ill patients' doors
down, drag them downtown, take their mug shot and throw them in jail
like common criminals." The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)
admits Lee could do time if she were caught with as little as one
joint. "We're not out looking for AIDS patients, but people who use
marijuana are breaking the law," says DEA spokesperson Rogene Waite.
"And we follow the law on this."
[snip]
The Criminally Ill?
Marijuana is illegal, but it's also good medicine. Ninety human studies
indicate that cannabis sativa (the species name for marijuana) relieves
many of the symptoms that accompany AIDS, multiple sclerosis (MS), epilepsy
and chemotherapy treatment for cancer. Unfortunately, most of the studies
have not met strict Food and Drug Administration guidelines, and the FDA
has not approved further research. So marijuana remains classified with LSD
and heroin as a Schedule 1 drug (that means it's highly addictive, has no
therapeutic value and can't be prescribed by a physician).
There are three main medical uses for marijuana; as an anti nauseant
and an appetite stimulant (for AIDS and chemo patients); as an
antispasmodic, or muscle relaxant (for spasms that accompany MS, epilepsy
and paraplegia). Most of the medical establishment - including the
American Medical Association, the American Cancer Society, the American
Public Health Association and many state nurses' organizations - support
research into therapeutic use of this versatile drug.
[snip]
A Different Kind Of Health Club
I met Lee at the Oakland Cannabis Buyers' Cooperative, a club in
Oakland, California, that sells marijuana to patients who have a
doctor's recommendation. The only daughter of divorced parents, Lee grew
up with her mom and step-dad in a tough San Francisco neighborhood, where,
at age 15, Lee was raped by an acquaintance. "I thought he was trying to
get me pregnant, so I told him I'd be down at the clinic in a minute to
abort it," Lee says. "He told me, 'I'm giving you something the clinic
can't cure'" - HIV.
[snip]
***
[SIDEBAR]
[snip]
Copyright 1998 by the Conde Nast Publications Inc.
Newshawk: A friend of the Media Awareness Project
Pubdate: October, 1998
Source: Mademoiselle
Author: Mary Ann Marshall
Contact: MilleMag@aol.com
Mail: Mademoiselle, Letters to the Editor, 350 Madison Ave., New York, NY
10017
FAX: (212) 880-5LTR
Voicemail: (800) 644-MLLE (U.S. only)
Website: http://www.mademoiselle.com/
Cover Headline: THE MEDICAL MARIJUANA WARS - "Pot is the only thing that
stops the pain."
***
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
Thanks to Eric Skidmore for the following:
Check out this quote from a Molly Ivins column, September 8, 1998, in
the Anchorage Daily News. The quote is attributed to Upton Sinclair, a
turn of the century muckraker, famous for "The Jungle" exposing the
Chicago meat packing industry.
"It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary
depends on his not understanding it." - Upton Sinclair
This obviously has implications for the drug warriors, law enforcement,
treatment counselors, urine testers, media parasites, forfeiture
benefactors, etc. The list is endless.
***
FACT OF THE WEEK
Commissioned by President Nixon in 1972, the National Commission on
Marihuana and Drug Abuse concluded that "Marihuana's relative potential
for harm to the vast majority of individual users and its actual impact on
society does not justify a social policy designed to seek out and firmly
punish those who use it. This judgment is based on prevalent use patterns,
on behavior exhibited by the vast majority of users and on our
interpretations of existing medical and scientific data. This position also
is consistent with the estimate by law enforcement personnel that the
elimination of use is unattainable."
Source: Shafer, Raymond P., et al, Marihuana: A Signal of Misunderstanding,
Ch. V, Washington D.C.: National Commission on Marihuana and Drug Abuse,
(1972).
***
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We wish to thank all our contributors and Newshawks.
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to the 1998 Daily News index for September 10-16