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Focal Point - Marijuana Regulation (The Lindesmith Center,
A New York Drug Policy Reform Group, Publicizes Some Interesting
And Important New And Old Documents Just Uploaded To Its Web Site -
One Report Of Particular Interest To Oregon Voters Who Haven't Yet Made Up
Their Minds About Ballot Measure 57, Which Would Recriminalize Possession
Of Less Than One Ounce Of Marijuana, Is 'Effects Of Decriminalization
Of Marijuana In Oregon,' The 1976 Study By Paul H. Blachly In The 'Annals
Of The New York Academy Of Sciences,' Which Found That Since The Abolishment
Of Criminal Penalties In 1973 For Simple Possession Of Marijuana, 'Significant
Medical Problems Resulting From Marijuana Use Have Decreased')
Date: Fri, 18 Sep 1998 11:28:37 -0700
To: tlc-web@server.soros.org
From: Jeanette Irwin (jayirwin@ix.netcom.com)
Subject: The Lindesmith Center Web Site Activities
Sender: owner-tlc-web@server.soros.org
September 18, 1998
T H E L I N D E S M I T H C E N T E R
...on the Web
http://www.lindesmith.org
Periodically TLC will announce by email recent
additions to its online and traditional libraries, as
well as changes, updates and additions to its Web
site.
To be automatically removed from this list by email
please click here: mailto:Majordomo@soros.org
and type the words (no quotes) "unsubscribe tlc-web"
in the body of the email message, (not in the subject
line). Or contact: Jeanette Irwin mailto:jirwin@sorosny.org.
To re-subscribe: email Majordomo@soros.org and
type "subscribe tlc-web" in the body of the message.
***
NEW FEATURE
Focal Point: Marijuana Regulation
http://www.lindesmith.org/library/focal4.html
The Lindesmith Center Online Library is pleased
to announce our newest collection of full-text
documents on our Web site. This Focal Point
examines the causes and consequences of cannabis
decriminalization in various countries as well as
proposals for the responsible regulation of cannabis.
These articles, studies, reports, and papers were
collected in conjunction with "Regulating Cannabis:
Options for Control in the 21st Century," the September
5, 1998 symposium held in London. Bringing together
prominent drug policy experts, legal scholars, scientists,
doctors and public health officials from around the
globe, this conference moved the debate from the
question of "whether" to decriminalize cannabis to
"how" to best regulate the drug. This question is
increasingly relevant as support grows for therapeutic
and other responsible uses of marijuana. We will
make available papers presented during this
symposium shortly, so look for that announcement
soon.
* Some highlights from Focal Point: Marijuana Regulation:
***
California's Separate Peace
Dan Baum asks how will Proposition 215, the
Medical Marijuana Initiative, be applied in California?
Rolling Stone, October 31, 1997, 43-51, 76-77.
(44K)
http://www.lindesmith.org/library/peace.html
***
The Dutch Cannabis Debate, 1968-1976
Marcel de Kort explains the rise of liberal marijuana
laws in The Netherlands. Journal of Drug
Issues, 1994, 24(3), 417-427. (45K).
http://www.lindesmith.org/library/DeKort.html
***
Effects of Decriminalization of Marijuana
in Oregon
According to this study by Paul H. Blachly, since
the abolishment of criminal penalties in 1973 for
simple possession of marijuana "significant medical
problems resulting from marijuana use have
decreased" in Oregon. Annals of the New York
Academy of Sciences, 1976, 282: 405-415. (42K).
http://www.lindesmith.org/library/blachly.html
***
The Effect of Marijuana Decriminalization on
Hospital Emergency Room Drug Episodes:
1975-1978
Karyn E. Model found that although decreased
penalties for marijuana led to a decrease in
emergency room visits for other drugs, visits
for marijuana-related problems increased.
Journal of the American Statistical Association,
1993, 88(423): 737-747. (.PDF, 236K)
http://www.lindesmith.org/library/model.pdf
***
Italian Referendum Deletes Criminal Sanctions
for Drug Users
Background and exploration of Italy's new marijuana
laws are given by Giancarlo Arnao. Journal of
Drug Issues, 1994, 24(3), 483-487. (18K)
http://www.lindesmith.org/library/arnao.html
***
The Legislative Response to Marihuana:
When the Shoe Pinches Enough
Michael P. Rosenthal presents the conditions that
made possible the relaxation of marijuana laws in
California in the 1970's. Journal of Drug Issues,
1977, 7(1), 61-77. (90K)
http://www.lindesmith.org/library/rosenthal.html
***
Monitoring the South Australian Cannabis
Expiation Notice Initiative
Adam Sutton and Rick Sarre take a look at new
laws passed in Australia governing the possession
and use of small amounts of marijuana. The Journal
of Drug Issues, 1992, 22(3), 579-590. (39K)
http://www.lindesmith.org/library/Sutton.html
IN ADDITION:
There are two collections of Marijuana Regulation-
related materials available online:
Marijuana Subject Index
Links to all the full-text materials on our Web site
related to marijuana regulation are listed here
alphabetically by title.
http://www.lindesmith.org/library/marijuana_index.html
***
Marijuana Regulation Bibliography
With over 100 library materials listed, this is an
excellent resource for those interested in the
reform of marijuana laws. The majority of these
documents are included in the collection of the
Lindesmith Center Library in New York, NY,
and some can be downloaded from our Online
Library.
http://www.lindesmith.org/library/marijuana_bib.html
***
OTHER FEATURES
* Online Library
Listed here are all of the TLC library materials
accessible from the Web, organized by subject.
http://www.lindesmith.org/library/subject.html
* Database of the Lindesmith Center Library
With over 4000 documents, TLC has one of the
largest drug and drug policy-related libraries in
the country. Although TLC does not lend its materials,
the library is open during business hours by appointment.
These holdings can be searched from our Web site:
http://204.168.83.126/lindq.htm
* Web Resources
Over 100 hundred links to other drug and drug policy-
related Web sites. Got a question about medical
marijuana? Drug testing? Can't find it at our site?
Chances are one of the many organizations listed
here can help you.
http://www.lindesmith.org/cites_sources/links.html
***
* Seminar Series
Each month the Lindesmith Center hosts a Seminar
Series featuring prominent scholars, activists,
researchers and policy makers. A list of upcoming
seminars is posted at this site, as is an archive listing
past seminars. In the future, there will be sound
files of selected past seminars.
http://www.lindesmith.org/news/seme.html
***
The Lindesmith Center
A Project of the Open Society Institute
400 West 59th Street, New York, NY 10019
(212) 548-0695 ph, (212) 548-4670 fx
http://www.lindesmith.org
TLC - West
2233 Lombard Street, San Francisco, CA 94123
(415) 921-4987 ph, (415) 921-1912 fx
Office of Legal Affairs
1095 Market Street, Suite 503, San Francisco, CA 94103,
(415) 554-1900 ph, (415) 554-1980 fx
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Massacre In Mexico ('The San Jose Mercury News' Says At Least 19 Men,
Women And Children Were Shot To Death Thursday Near The Resort Town
Of Ensenada In Baja, Mexico, 60 Miles South Of San Diego, In What Police Said
Could Be A Drug-Related Massacre Ordered By Leaders
Of One Of Mexico's Biggest Trafficking Cartels)
Date: Sat, 19 Sep 1998 09:12:16 -0700
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: Mexico: Massacre In Mexico
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: Marcus/Mermelstein Family (mmfamily@ix.netcom.com)
Source: San Jose Mercury News (CA) (Page 1)
Contact: letters@sjmercury.com
Website: http://www.sjmercury.com/
Pubdate: 18 Sep 1998
MASSACRE IN MEXICO
Suspicions: Weapons used in attack are called guns of choice for drug gangs.
Survivor: Girl, 15, escapes death by hiding under bed during predawn raid.
Some targets of gunmen were involved in crime, radio report says
BY RICARDO SANDOVAL Mercury News Mexico City Bureau
MEXICO CITY -- At least 19 men, women and children were gunned to death
Thursday near the resort town of Ensenada, 60 miles south of San Diego, in
what police said could be a drug-related massacre ordered by leaders of one
of Mexico's biggest trafficking cartels.
Police say the families were rousted by gunmen at about 4:30 a.m. Thursday,
dragged outside, lined against concrete walls and shot repeatedly with
assault rifles, handguns and at least one shotgun.
``In all my life, I've never seen anything like this. It looked like a
scene from `Rambo,' '' said Capt. Humberto Hernandez del Parra of the
Federal Highway Police.
Eight children -- including youngsters ages 1, 2 and 4 -- were among the
dead, but one teenager who hid under a bed survived. Authorities said the
15-year-old girl, whom they plan to interview for clues to the identity of
the killers, was in shock after the massacre.
The attorney general of Baja California state, Marco Antonio de la Fuente
Villarreal, shied away from stating a motive for the killings during a
Thursday afternoon news conference.
``We cannot say 100 percent that it was an aspect of drug trafficking or
for some other motive,'' he said. ``Information is still lacking.''
Earlier in the day, the government news agency Notimex quoted him as saying
the head of one of the households, Ferm(acu)n Castro, was a cultivator of
marijuana for the Arellano-F=E9lix drug cartel, headquartered in Tijuana.
The weapons used in the attack, guns of choice for Mexican drug gangs, were
the first clues for Ensenada police as they responded to reports of a
shootout in the quiet seaside suburb called El Sauzal.
If the narcotics connection is confirmed, the massacre would be one of
Mexico's worst crime-related killings. It would be the latest incident in a
growing wave of drug-related violence along the U.S.-Mexico border.
Teen hid, survived attack
Three people initially survived Thursday's massacre, including the girl who
hid under a bed and was not injured. One person died later, and police said
another survivor remains hospitalized in a coma. He was identified only as
Castro, 35.
The dead included five women, one of whom was pregnant. They all were
members of three related families. Two of the families were identified as
Castro and the other as Flores. They lived in adjoining homes in an
upper-class neighborhood in El Sauzal, just north of Ensenada. The families
operated farms in nearby valleys.
About a month ago, a member of the Castro family was gunned down in front
of an Ensenada shopping center, according to police sources and Baja
California press reports.
A Mexico City criminologist, contacted by Baja authorities shortly after
Thursday's shooting, said that descriptions of the scene bear signs of a
drug-gang hit.
``This is because of the methodical nature of the incident,'' said the
criminologist, who asked not to be identified. ``The assailants took the
time to drag 22 people out of bed, line them up and then shoot them. And
it's usually drug gangsters who can afford these types of weapons.''
The criminologist said there were several farmworkers also on the property
in the predawn hours, but none was among the victims.
Assault rifles used in raid
Some adults were clad in underwear and T-shirts. Others wore pajamas. All
were riddled with bullet holes. Shell casings from assault-rifle bullets
littered the dirt driveway in front of the two homes, where horses and
other farm animals wandered about.
Toys were tossed around the driveway, as was shattered glass and overturned
patio furniture. Inside, there were few signs of struggle.
An Ensenada radio reporter said the families were not rich, but that some
were involved in organized-crime rings that also ran high-stakes
cockfighting matches in the area. Police would not comment on that report.
The stronger suspicion remains on drugs. The region of Baja California,
near the U.S.-Mexico border, is the stronghold of the Arellano-F=E9lix
cartel, Mexico's biggest and richest drug trafficking gang. Police say
drug-related violence has been on the rise in Ensenada in recent years, as
the Arellano-F=E9lix gang spreads its distribution network.
Drug shootouts have been a common occurrence along the border, especially
in the past year. The Arellano-F=E9lix family is locked in a struggle over
Mexico's lucrative drug-trafficking business with the Ju=E1rez cartel,
which operates along much of the U.S.-Mexico border from Texas to Arizona.
Last week the co-founder of the Ju=E1rez cartel, Rafael Mu=F1oz Talavera,
was found dead in the trunk of a car near the Mexico-Texas border. His
death came a year after the Ju=E1rez cartel chief, Amado Carrillo Fuentes,
died after plastic surgery in a Mexico City hospital.
U.S. drug agents say that since Carrillo Fuentes' death, the cartels have
been fighting among themselves -- and against each other -- for control of
trafficking lanes that move north as much as 70 percent of the cocaine and
marijuana imported annually by U.S. drug gangs.
Mercury News wire services contributed to this report.
1997 - 1998 Mercury Center. The information you receive online from Mercury
Center is protected by the copyright laws of the United States. The
copyright laws prohibit any copying, redistributing, retransmitting, or
repurposing of any copyright-protected material.
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Gunmen Kill 18 In Mexico ('The Dallas Morning News' Version)
Date: Sun, 20 Sep 1998 09:12:06 -0700
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: Mexico: Gunmen Kill 18 In Mexico
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: adbryan@onramp.net
Source: Dallas Morning News (TX)
Contact: letterstoeditor@dallasnews.com
Website: http://www.dallasnews.com/
Pubdate: Fri, 18 Sep 1998
Author: Tracey Eaton / The Dallas Morning News
GUNMEN KILL 18 IN MEXICO
Slayings of kids, others may be drug-related
MEXICO CITY - Gunmen swarmed into a quiet Pacific fishing port early
Thursday and massacred at least 18 men, women and children in an
apparently drug-related attack, authorities said.
The victims - including two teenagers, six children and a baby - were
rousted from their beds and shot about 4:30 a.m., Red Cross workers
said. At least two other people were gravely injured, and some Mexican
radio stations were reporting unconfirmed death tolls of 20 and 21.
Police were questioning a 15-year-old survivor, a girl who hid under a
bed and escaped the slaughter in El Sauzal. The town is a suburb of
Ensenada, a popular tourist spot about 60 miles south of San Diego,
Calif.
No one had been arrested late Thursday in the crime, which shocked
Mexicans and Americans alike.
"If drug traffickers did this, it's a new kind of attack," said Victor
Clark, a Tijuana human rights activist. "Usually, they execute one or
two people, not entire families. At least not here in Baja California.
By killing these children, the traffickers have broken their own
unwritten code."
The motive wasn't clear late Thursday. Some law enforcement sources
speculated that the killings could be retaliation for the Sept. 10
slaying of convicted drug trafficker Rafael Munoz Talavera in the
border city of Ciudad Juarez, across from El Paso, Texas.
Mr. Munoz Talavera was released from a Mexican jail in 1995 after
serving time for engineering a record 21.5-ton cocaine shipment that
landed in Southern California. He wrote a letter to Mexican President
Ernesto Zedillo in December, saying he had quit the drug trade and
feared he was going to be assassinated.
But some current and former American law enforcement officials
disputed that and said they had seen signs that Mr. Munoz Talavera had
taken control of the Ciudad Juarez-El Paso drug corridor after the
death of last year of Amado Carrillo Fuentes.
The Arellano Felix drug gang, traditionally based in Tijuana, may have
seen Mr. Munoz Talavera as a rival and killed him, officials said. In
retaliation, traffickers loyal to Mr. Munoz Talavera may have carried
out Thursday's attack, officials said.
Among those shot and gravely wounded was Fermin Castro, a suspected
Arellano Felix associate in charge of marijuana cultivation in the
nearby Valley of Trinity, said Marco Antonio de la Fuente, the
attorney general of Baja California state.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration says that the Arellano Felix
gang, led by brothers Ramon, Benjamin and Javier, is "one of the most
powerful and aggressive drug trafficking organizations in Mexico . . .
and undeniably the most violent."
The brothers operate, often under police protection, in the Mexican
states of Baja California, Jalisco, Michoacan, Chiapas and Sinaloa,
their home state, DEA agents say.
"If this was indeed retaliation, whoever did it sent a heck of a
message to the Arellano Felix gang," said Phil Jordan, a Dallas
security specialist and former senior agent with the DEA.
"It's the kind of drug-related violence that puts Mexico one step
closer to Colombia. It's not good for Mexico, and it's not good for
the United States. And as long as narco-political corruption exists in
Mexico, I don't think the situation will get any better."
Federal authorities, who have jurisdiction over drug-related crimes,
had not taken charge of the case as of late Thursday. A spokeswoman
for the federal attorney general's office had no comment. Some critics
suggest the attorney general's office isn't getting involved because
the agency is mired in drug corruption itself.
"Their lack of attention is incredible. It's totally unexplainable,
unless they are really brain-dead," said Kent Alexander, an American
who has trained drug-sniffing dogs for the attorney general's office
in a number of Mexican states.
Red Cross workers said the victims were members of three families who
lived in neighboring houses. Mexican television showed images of their
bodies, some clad in pajamas, next to toys, broken chairs and shell
casings.
Baja California residents say the attack comes during the summer
tourist season and is another stain on the region's image.
"Now everyone's going to be talking about Baja California like there's
terrorism here, bandidos with bandannas over their faces and carrying
guns, waiting to hijack the next bus. But it's not like that," said
Keith Rolle, owner of a Spanish-language school near El Sauzal.
"Violent crime is low here. It's not part of the culture."
The slayings come at a time of disarray for law enforcement in Baja
California. The federal attorney general's office is in the midst of a
reorganization, and state and federal authorities have been busy
lately accusing each other of incompetence and corruption.
"Whoever did this terrible crime probably knows that law enforcement
authorities are weak and divided. That won't help the investigation at
all," Mr. Clark said.
This year, Zeta, a Tijuana weekly, published an investigative report
alleging that traffickers had virtually taken over Ensenada and had
scores of police officers and other government employees on their
payroll. The paper sold out so quickly that extras had to be printed.
Zeta publisher Jesus Blancornelas, an award-winning journalist who has
written hard-hitting exposes on the Arellano Felix gang and police
corruption, barely survived an assassination attempt near his office
last November. Police blame drug traffickers.
Federal authorities in Mexico City have said the Ensenada-Tijuana area
is one of the nation's hottest drug transit spots.
Cirilo Corona Gallegos, the new head of the attorney general's office
in Ensenada, recently told Zeta that the situation was not so bad and
that petty drug use was a bigger problem than large-scale smuggling.
Ensenada, famous for tasty fish tacos and a 105-year-old cantina named
Hussong's, is about an hour's drive south of the bustling border city
of Tijuana. It's nestled in the Todos Santos bay, home base for a
large tuna-fishing fleet. Baja Studios, where the movie Titanic was
filmed, is nearby.
"It's a spectacular place," Mr. Rolle said. "But after this, I expect
a major drop in tourism. What a pity. People are extremely
disappointed and sad about those people and kids who got killed."
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The Week Online With DRCNet, Issue Number 59
(The Drug Reform Coordination Network's Original Summary
Of Drug Policy News And Calls For Action)
Date: Fri, 18 Sep 1998 05:48:45 -0400
To: drc-natl@drcnet.org
From: DRCNet (drcnet@drcnet.org)
Subject: The Week Online with DRCNet, Issue #59
Sender: owner-drc-natl@drcnet.org
The Week Online with DRCNet, Issue #59 -- September 18, 1998
A Publication of the Drug Reform Coordination Network
-------- PLEASE COPY AND DISTRIBUTE --------
(To sign off this list, mailto: listproc@drcnet.org with the
line "signoff drc-natl" in the body of the message, or
mailto:lists@drcnet.org for assistance. To subscribe to
this list, visit http://www.drcnet.org/signup.html.)
(This issue can be also be read on our web site at
http://www.drcnet.org/wol/059.html. Due to some Internet
down time, the web version may be unavailable until
sometime later today.)
PERMISSION to reprint or redistribute any or all of the
contents of The Week Online is hereby granted. We ask that
any use of these materials include proper credit and, where
appropriate, a link to one or more of our web sites. If
your publication customarily pays for publication, DRCNet
requests checks payable to the organization. If your
publication does not pay for materials, you are free to use
the materials gratis. In all cases, we request notification
for our records, including physical copies where material
has appeared in print. Contact: Drug Reform Coordination
Network, 2000 P St., NW, Suite 615, Washington, DC 20036,
(202) 293-8340 (voice), (202) 293-8344 (fax), e-mail
drcnet@drcnet.org. Thank you.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Shattered Lives Book Offer Continues, Eyegive
Participants Raising Valuable Funds for DRCNet
http://www.drcnet.org/wol/059.html#bookoffer
2. Alert Feedback
http://www.drcnet.org/wol/059.html#feedback
3. Free Will Foster Campaign Continues
http://www.drcnet.org/wol/059.html#freewill
4. Attention Students
http://www.drcnet.org/wol/059.html#U-net
5. DEA Raids Humboldt Cannabis Center, Destroys Patients'
Medicine
http://www.drcnet.org/wol/059.html#arcata
6. House Approves Anti-Medical Cannabis Resolution, Patient
Arrested For Medicating in McCollum's Office
http://www.drcnet.org/wol/059.html#emry
7. Medical Marijuana On Ballot In D.C.
http://www.drcnet.org/wol/059.html#sign59
8. Industrial Hemp Making Strides Worldwide
http://www.drcnet.org/wol/059.html#hempworld
9. Methadone Clinic Sues Fairfax Police
http://www.drcnet.org/wol/059.html#fairfax
10. Immigrant Children Used to Sell Cocaine in Vancouver's
Black Market
http://www.drcnet.org/wol/059.html#vancouver
11. EDITORIAL: Whose Privacy?
http://www.drcnet.org/wol/059.html#editorial
***
1. Shattered Lives Book Offer Continues, Eyegive
Participants Raising Valuable Funds for DRCNet
Earlier this week we announced our new book offer to new and
renewing members -- free copies of "Shattered Lives:
Portraits from America's Drug War" to members who donate $35
or more to the organization -- or $23 including postage to
those who just wish to buy the book and not pay dues right
now ($24.15 for D.C. residents including sales tax). If you
are on this list, chances are that this book will tear your
heart out. Read more about it on the web site of the
exhibit that preceded the book, http://www.hr95.org. Or
just use our online form to order -- secure encrypted
version at https://www.drcnet.org/cgi-shl/drcreg.cgi
(recommended for credit card donors) or unsecured version at
http://www.drcnet.org/cgi-shl/drcreg.cgi (recommended you
print it out and pay by check).
A heartfelt thanks to those of you who are participating in
the eyegive online fundraising program. Daily revenues have
recently topped $20 a day on weekdays -- over $6,000 a year,
earned entirely by your visiting the eyegive home page and
clicking on ads up to five times a day. And in case you
were wondering, we have received checks from eyegive in the
promised amounts. Keep it up! If you haven't signed up for
eyegive yet, you can sign up, or find out more about it, by
visiting http://www.eyegive.com/html/ssi.cfm?CID=1060. If
you've signed up but have trouble remembering to visit, a
good way to remind yourself is to set http://www.eyegive.com
as your "home page" that your browser points to when opened
-- go to edit-preferences to make that selection.
***
2. Alert Feedback
Over 230 of you have responded to our Free Will Foster alert
last week. Thank you for doing your part! It's important
that the pressure be maintained until Will Foster goes free.
If you haven't contacted Oklahoma Governor Frank Keating on
Will Foster's behalf, please do so today! Complete
information is included in the next article (below).
This past week we asked our readers to contact their U.S.
Representatives in opposition to two bills: H.J. Res. 117,
a "Sense of the House" resolution against medical marijuana,
and H.R. 4300, the "Western Hemisphere Drug Elimination
Act," increasing the militarization of the U.S.-led war on
drugs in the Andes. Unfortunately both bills passed, but
the news is not all bad.
While H.J. Res. 117 passed 310 to 93, it is encouraging that
93 members of the House would vote in favor of medical
marijuana during a contentious election year, and in fact
that number is higher than was expected in this first-ever
Congressional vote on medical marijuana -- six Republicans
even voted our way. Furthermore, the language of the
resolution was very much diluted relative to its former
incarnation, H.J. Res. 372 (as discussed in our article
below). Keep those letters going in, and someday Congress
will turn our way! You can find out how your Rep. voted by
visiting http://clerkweb.house.gov/evs/1998/ROLL_400.asp and
clicking on roll number 435.
H.R. 4300 was a harder vote for us, and that passed by a
wider margin, 384-39. Most people simply don't understand
that supply reduction is not partially but totally
ineffective, and that Andean militarization is closely
connected with serious human rights abuses. Those 39
representatives, then, deserve to be congratulated for
taking a tough vote and doing the right thing. You can read
who voted for and who voted against by visiting the same
page listed above, and clicking on roll number 442.
Some reps, however, are willing to do the wrong thing,
whether or not they understand the issue. One of our
members has informed us that he got in a heated debate with
a staffer at the office of Rep. Tom Bliley (R-VA),
culminating with his being information that Bliley thinks
that fighting drug abuse in our own country is more
important that human rights in other countries. Perhaps the
staffer exaggerated in the heat of the moment, but even if
so, the episode shows how warped a perspective some
policymakers have developed in the war on drugs. Can Rep.
Bliley truly believe it is moral for the U.S. government to
indirectly fund torture and death squad executions, to
supposedly save some Americans from the consequences of
their own choices? If this makes you as angry as it makes
us, give Tom Bliley a call at (202)225-2815 and ask if he
really believes this.
The second issue is whether the 384 reps who voted for this
bill actually believe it will help. Report after report
from the U.S. General Accounting Office, for example, have
found these strategies to be ineffective. (Check out
http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/GOVPUBS/gao/gaomen1.htm
to read many of them online.) Many members of Congress
undoubtedly have bought into the party line and think this
militarization bill will help. But the problem isn't that
Andean peasants are growing coca. The problem is the
ignorance of our public officials who haven't read even the
government's own evidence on the subject. (See our alert at
http://www.drcnet.org/wol/058.html#andes to learn more about
this important topic.)
Another of our members caught H.J. Res. 117's sponsor, Bill
McCollum, in what can charitably be characterized as a
factual error on the House floor during the debate.
McCollum remarked, "According to the National Institute of
Allergies and Infectious Diseases, HIV positive smokers of
marijuana progress to full blown AIDS twice as fast as non-
smokers and have increased incidences of bacterial
pneumonia." But in private correspondence, a researcher at
that agency wrote "I am unaware of any study that shows that
marijuana smoking speeds HIV progression. A number of
studies, conducted both by NIAID-sponsored investigators and
others, have concluded that cannabis and other psychoactive
substances are not co-factors in HIV disease progression."
The letter went on to list several relevant studies.
Any member of the House or Senate can be reached through the
Congressional Switchboard at (202) 224-3121.
***
3. Free Will Foster Campaign Continues
Concerned citizens from around the world continue to urge
Oklahoma Governor Frank Keating to sign off on a state
parole board recommendation that Will Foster, medical
cannabis user, be immediately paroled. Foster, who was
sentenced in 1996 to 93 years in prison for cultivation had
his sentence reduced to 20 years on appeal. Due to serious
overcrowding in the Oklahoma prison system, as well as a new
law mandating that violent offenders serve a minimum of 85%
of their sentence, Foster became eligible for parole
immediately.
If you haven't yet taken a moment to contact Governor
Keating on Will's behalf, please consider doing so today.
Remember, a letter has the greatest impact, followed by a
phone call, fax and email, respectively. Foster, who owned
his own computer software business at the time of his
arrest, poses no threat to anyone, yet has already been
separated from his family for two years.
To reach the Governor, call (405) 521-2342, e-mail
governor@oklaosf.state.ok.us (the governor's e-mail has
bounced in the past, so we don't know for sure whether it
works now -- click on mailto:governor@oklaosf.state.ok.us if
your browser recognizes URL's), fax to (405) 521-3317, 523-
4224 or 522-3492, or write to:
Governor Frank Keating
State Capitol Building, Room 212
Oklahoma City, OK 73105
Very important: Be polite! Remember, there is no reason to
assume he is against us at this point, and we need to always
present ourselves as credible and reasonable.
And make sure to let us know you've written! We need to
know if you've acted, to evaluate our effectiveness and
demonstrate it to our donors. Drop us a note at alert-
feedback@drcnet.org, or just reply to this message, to let
us know.
(You can read our original alert at
http://www.drcnet.org/rapid/1998/9-10.html.)
***
4. Attention Students
DRCNet's U-net discussion list is now online, as is our U-
Net web site at http://www.drcnet.org/U-net. If you are a
campus activist, or if you'd like to become more involved in
the movement, check it out.
On the discussion list you'll be in touch with students from
across the country. You'll be able to learn from the
experience of committed activists, share your own knowledge,
discuss ideas for activism and coordinate your activities on
a regional and a national scale. There's no pressure to
commit any more time than you're able, just a great way to
make the most of the time, the resources and the skills at
your disposal.
To subscribe, send email to listproc@drcnet.org with the
words "subscribe U-net your name". (Leave out the
quotations and substitute your actual name.) Hope to see
you there! (Note that if you subscribed last year, you need
to subscribe again this year, due to a technical glitch.)
***
5. DEA Raids Humboldt Cannabis Center, Destroys Patients'
Medicine
- Dale Gieringer, California NORML
Arcata, CA: Sept. 9, 1998. DEA agents raided the collective
medical marijuana garden of the Humboldt Cannabis Center in
Arcata, destroying over 150 plants intended for medical use
by its members.
Eyewitnesses report that a team of fourteen agents landed by
helicopter at the center's garden last Wednesday, Sept. 9th.
Included were four state narcotics agents, who claimed to be
observers but participated in destroying the crop. The DEA
did not raid the center's office nor arrest any of its
personnel. The DEA has staged similar raids against medical
marijuana gardens at the San Francisco Flower Therapy club
and Dennis Peron's Lake County Farm.
The Humboldt Cannabis Center is a patient collective with
over 300 members. It operates in accordance with an Arcata
city ordinance which explicitly recognizes the right of
patients to form "medical marijuana associations" to help
acquire marijuana for themselves. The Center has worked in
close cooperation with local authorities, including Arcata
police chief Mel Brown, who runs a patient identification
card program.
In an effort to cooperate with local authorities, Humboldt
Cannabis Center had notified law enforcement of the location
of its garden. Insofar as cultivation of marijuana by
medical patients is protected under Proposition 215, state
officials have no authority to disturb collective gardens.
However, DEA agents act under federal law, under which
medical marijuana remains strictly illegal. Observers
suspect that a disgruntled local law enforcement official
tipped off the DEA to come in.
"I guess they'd rather that patients buy on the black
market," commented Humboldt Cannabis Center director Jason
Browne, "The federal government is promoting illegal drug
dealing."
California NORML denounced the raid as an outrageous example
of government piracy, noting that the Humboldt center is
widely respected as one of the best-run medical cooperatives
in the state.
(CA NORML is on the web at http://www.norml.org/canorml.)
***
6. House Approves Anti-Medical Cannabis Resolution, Patient
Arrested For Medicating in McCollum's Office
On Tuesday, September 15, Renee Emry, a multiple sclerosis
patient and mother of three, lit a marijuana cigarette in
the Washington, D.C. office of Rep. Bill McCollum (R-FL) to
protest an anti medical marijuana resolution being debated
that day on the floor of the House of Representatives.
McCollum, who once co-sponsored a pro-medical marijuana bill
in the early eighties, was the chief sponsor of House Joint
Resolution 117. H.J. Res 117 is a non-binding sense of the
House Resolution stating Congress's opposition to marijuana
as medicine. In front of dozens of media and spectators,
Emry was soon arrested by Capital police, placed in a wheel
chair, handcuffed and sent to a local D.C. jail to await a
hearing.
Before committing the act of civil disobedience, Emry stated
in a press release, "I got arrested today so that hopefully
some day, other patients will not have to." Emry was
released from custody and will appear for trial on December
7th, 1998, where she faces up to six months in jail, but not
before having two conditions placed on her release by
Hearing Commissioner Aida Melendez.
Condition one: Emry is not allowed to enter any
Congressional office buildings. "My First Amendment rights
have been stripped without even having the benefit of a
trial," Emry said the day after being released. "I had an
appointment with my Senator that I had to cancel to avoid
being sent back to jail. My citizenship has been reduced
because I have been charged with -- not yet convicted of --
marijuana possession."
Condition two: Emry is not to use her medicine -- marijuana
-- until after the trial. On this Emry explained, " I have
to be urine tested every week. If I test positive for my
only medicine, I will be sent back to jail until my trial.
When I was locked up on Tuesday, I was so scared and cold
the my shivers nearly resulted in convulsions." Emry also
told the WOL that while in a jail cell awaiting her hearing
she was placed with prostitutes and several women arrested
for assault. "I will surely be severely injured or
assaulted if they send me back to jail. My condition has
been stabilized for over ten years, but if I'm forced to go
without my medicinal marijuana for nearly two months, I will
be bedridden. Even worse I could start a downward spiral
that would kill me in a few years."
Chuck Thomas, director of communications for the Marijuana
Policy Project, which led the lobbying efforts against the
resolution, said of all this, "Renee's case exemplifies why
the House's recent vote was so inhumane."
While Emry was awaiting her hearing, Congress debated the
Resolution for forty minutes. H.J. Res. 117 states among
other things, "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 FDA..."
This language is similar to, though significantly less
hostile than, an earlier Resolution, H.J. Res. 372, which
passed the House judiciary committee in late March, an event
that was marked by another multiple sclerosis patient,
Cheryl Miller, getting arrested for consuming marijuana in
the office of Rep. Jim Rogan (R-CA). (See our coverage at
http://www.drcnet.org/wol/036.html#protest.) Although
Rep. McCollum's office would not comment to the WOL about
Renee Emry's act, he stated on the house floor during
debate, "Everybody here today in this body is sympathetic
with people who suffer from pain in this country and the
many Americans who have been told in some cases that the
smoking of marijuana will relieve that pain to them. But
the ingredients that they need the medical profession has
already laid forth in medicine that is available and
approved."
Although several Congressmen spoke in opposition to the
measure, there was little talk of criminal penalties for
patients who use, grow and possess their medicine pending
government approval. Only Rep. Pelosi (D-CA) brought that
up, observing, "The logic of the authors of this legislation
therefore seems to be that a very ill person should be sent
to jail because he or she used the smokable form of a drug
whose active ingredient is currently licensed for oral use."
The debate instead focused on drug use among children, the
FDA approval process and the legalization movement. Several
hours later the House took a roll call vote and passed the
resolution by 310 to 93.
"Fortunately, nearly 100 members of Congress opposed H.J.
Res. 117," said MPP's Chuck Thomas. "We're almost
halfway to the number of congressional votes that will be
required to remove criminal penalties for patients like Ms.
Emry. Until that happens, the only hope is for voters to
pass state initiatives that will be on the ballot in
November in five states and the District of Columbia."
The states which will be voting on medical cannabis
initiatives in November are Colorado, Oregon, Washington,
Nevada and Alaska.
(You can find the Marijuana Policy Project on the web at
http://www.mpp.org.)
***
7. Medical Marijuana On Ballot In D.C.
- Kris Lotlikar
After a long effort to qualify a medical marijuana
initiative for the District of Columbia ballot, ACTUP DC has
succeeded. The D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics today
certified I-59 for the ballot.
Organizers of I-59 had turned in 32,000 signatures in
support of the measure in July, but almost half of the
signatures were dismissed after the election board cited
problems with the affidavit of a person who circulated the
petition. On September 3rd, Superior Court Judge Ellen
Segal Huvelle ruled that the election board was wrong to set
aside more than 4,600 signatures based on a "harmless"
discrepancy.
Wayne Turner of ACTUP was stunned by the decision. He told
The Week Online, "Getting on the ballot was a monumental
achievement. This has been grassroots politics at its
finest." The campaign to legalize the possession, use,
cultivation and distribution of marijuana for medical if
recommended by a physician will begin on September 15. "We
have seven weeks to get the word out and get our people to
the polls." I-59 and its predecessor, I-57, were originally
sponsored by Steve Michael, who passed away from
complications resulting from AIDS early this summer.
Persons interested in volunteering with the I-59 campaign
can call (202) 547-9404 or e-mail DCSign59@aol.com. Further
information is available at http://www.actupdc.org.
***
8. Industrial Hemp Making Strides Worldwide
- Troy Dayton
This week, industrial hemp supporters won major victories in
three different parts of the world. The Rand Corporation
pledged 25 million dollars for a five year project to
develop a strong South African Hemp industry, Gov. Ben
Cayetano, governor of Hawaii, came out in favor of
industrial hemp, and a North Dakota State University (NDSU)
study says industrial hemp has great potential and should be
grown in the U.S.
The Hawaii Tribune-Herald asked candidates to give their
positions on a number of issues for its election guide.
Cayetano went as far as to tell the Hawaii Tribune-Herald,
"I wear occasionally a product made of hemp." "Hawaii is in
a severe economic slump. Industrial hemp can provide a
viable substitute for failing crops," said Rep. Cynthia
Thielen (R-Kenoehe) "I believe Governor Cayetano is the
first governor in the nation to support it and we are
delighted. Now, it's time for the federal government to get
out of the way and let our state farmers make money again,"
Thielen told The Week Online.
David Kraenzel, of the NDSU agriculture economics
department, presented his study to the legislative Interim
Commerce and Agricultural Committee last Thursday at the
State Capitol. The Bismarck Tribune reported a favorable
reception to the idea of allowing hemp cultivation by the
committee. Since Canada has recently legalized industrial
hemp, Tim Petry of NDSU believes progress will be easier in
a year when there is better data available.
Businesses seem very interested in getting involved with
South African Hemp. James Wynn of the South African Hemp
Company (SAHC) told Engineering News that "Demand for hemp
products worldwide has increased by 233% over the past two
years." Unfortunately there are some legislative hurdles
that may impede the viability of this plan. The Department
of Health must issue permits for growing hemp. But, it only
meets once every six weeks and hemp permits are often pushed
aside for more pressing matters of business. "A whole
season can be missed because it takes months before a permit
is cleared," said Wynn.
Chris Conrad, president of the Business Alliance for
Commercial Hemp, told the Week Online that Canada has "set
the tone for competition." "The developments of this past
week are a good example of how economics and science are
slowly but surely taking precedence over the politics of
marijuana," said Conrad.
The office of National Drug Control Policy has a very
different view of industrial hemp. Its official statement
on the subject says that "legalizing hemp would send a
confusing message to our youth... and may lead to de facto
legalization of marijuana cultivation." The statement goes
on to say that the "production of hemp appears to offer no
relief to farmers or manufacturers of textiles or paper as
an alternative crop or product."
***
9. Methadone Clinic Sues Fairfax Police
- Kris Lotlikar
On August 14, the Fairfax police department presented a
warrant to search the Fairfax Methadone Treatment Clinic in
connection with a stolen car which had been park in the
vicinity of the center. During the search, which lasted for
about four hours, 8-10 officers seized patient files, wrote
down confidential information and collected license plate
numbers in the parking lot. Patients arriving to receive
their treatment were turned away at the door and when a
nurse objected to the search she was threatened with being
arrested. After the search was over, the staff of the
treatment clinic were left to pick up the pieces of the
clients' broken confidence.
The Fairfax Methadone Treatment Clinic has chosen to file a
civil rights suit against the Fairfax Police Department.
This search is not the first time the Fairfax police have
come to the clinic looking for patient information,
according to David Tripp, the attorney representing the
clinic. Patient records are protected under federal law
against this type of seizure. "People who take the
extraordinarily difficult step to seek drug addiction
treatment are protected under federal statute," Tripp told
The Week Online. The clinic is looking for assurances that
there will be no more of these privacy violations and that
all the material seized is returned to the clinic. "We want
to make sure that the patient information is not sitting in
some database for future use," commented Tripp. He explains
that the warrant was unconstitutionally broad and that the
officers used this opportunity to get information on clients
they knew they could not obtain by any other means. The
stolen vehicle was part of a jewelry robbery investigation
in the area. The suspect the police were looking for was
reported to be a white man. Patient files of black males
were also seized during the search.
Kent Willis, executive director of the Virginia chapter of
the American Civil Liberties Union, called the search "one
of the most outrageous violations of the 4th amendment I
have ever witnessed." Police many times become overzealous
when investigating a crime, and it is the job of the
magistrate to protect citizens' rights. "The magistrate was
either asleep at the wheel or unaware of the 4th amendment
when he granted that warrant."
As program director of the clinic, Ofelia Sellati has had to
deal with the lost trust of the patients. "Many of them are
angry and stunned by the action. Some are taking legal
action of their own," she told The Week Online. "This has
affected the goodwill of our business. Clients come to us
and we promise to protect their confidence. We can no
longer promise that. Who would have thought that the police
would show up and shatter that goodwill and trust? Drug
treatment is built on trust. Where do we go from here?"
***
10. Immigrant Children Used to Sell Cocaine in Vancouver's
Black Market
In yet another stunning example of the dangers of
prohibition to children, police in Vancouver, British
Columbia have reported this week (9/11) that over the summer
they have picked up seven Honduran children, aged 10-15, who
were selling crack cocaine. The most recent, and most
shocking, incident occurred last week when a ten year-old
child swallowed at least 18 pieces of the substance as the
police approached him. The unidentified boy was taken
immediately to a local hospital where his stomach was
pumped. The children, according to BC police, are being
used as "mules", holding the drugs while adults transact the
sales.
Adam J. Smith, associate director of DRCNet, who spent more
than a decade working with children and teens in New York
City, commented, "the use of children, and the luring of
young teens into the drug trade, is an inevitable
consequence of prohibition. We had the same problem with
Alcohol Prohibition, which was one reason why mothers across
the nation came together to overturn the eighteenth
amendment."
Smith continued, "Clearly, in this case, we have a situation
where very young children were being exploited, which is in
itself horrifying. We see that a lot with border crossings
where children are made to either carry drugs on them or to
swallow balloons or condoms filled with heroin or cocaine.
But there is also the problem of young teens who find that
there is money to be made in selling drugs on a small scale
to their friends who use them. Put simply, prohibition
insures that the drug trade remains in the hands of children
and criminals and out of societal control. If we look, on
the other hand, at alcohol, despite very lax enforcement of
existing regulations, kids are not selling it and, for the
most part, they cannot directly buy it. Prohibition is not
'drug control'. In fact we've abdicated control over the
market in illicit drugs. For children, the consequences of
the drug war are disastrous."
***
11. EDITORIAL: Whose Privacy?
With Washington, D.C. and, to a lesser extent it seems, the
nation consumed by the steamy details of Bill Clinton's
extramarital dalliances, the question has been posed, by the
President himself no less, "what, exactly constitutes
private vs. public conduct, and where should the line be
drawn?" Clinton clearly believes it is wrong for the
government to use its vast powers to snoop around in
people's lives and pry into the decisions and actions of
consenting adults. Or does he?
Every day in America, hundreds of doors are kicked in by gun
wielding agents of the state in search of evidence of
conduct which by any reasonable standard should be
considered private. What coherent set of principles would
allow, on the one hand, the government to seek out and
criminally punish people who ingest unacceptable substances
in their own home, on their own time, whether for medicinal
or recreational purposes, yet prohibit the state from
looking into the behavior of public servants, acting on
public time, who occupy an office whose very stability is of
vital import to the functioning and the future of the free
world?
The people whose lives are turned upside down by intrusions
incident to the Drug War owe no debt of service to their
countrymen comparable to that of the President. They have
neither sought out positions of public responsibility, nor
committed themselves to public accountability. They do not
ask for secret service protection, they want no free air
time from TV networks, they do not seek a paycheck, nor a
pension, nor access to Air Force One courtesy of their
fellow taxpayers. What they want most from their government
is radical indeed. They simply want to be left, as much as
possible, alone.
There is no articulated right to "privacy" in the
Constitution of these United States. The word does not
appear in the Preamble, nor in the articles, nor in the Bill
of Rights. But when one reads the text of the document upon
which a nation and an enlightened system of government was
founded more that 200 years ago, one thing is perfectly
clear: before the government interferes in your life,
searches your house, seizes your property, infringes on your
liberty, they -- or more accurately, under a government of,
by and for the people, we -- had better have a damn good
reason.
Our Chief Executive seems offended, even outraged, that his
privacy has been so offhandedly disregarded by agents of the
State. He did not see fit to mention, however, that during
his administration there has been a steady erosion of
privacy on all fronts, from economic to personal, under the
guise of fighting the Drug War. Or that each year of his
presidency has brought record numbers of arrests --
including over 640,000 in 1997 for marijuana -- over 80% of
those for simple possession. Even if not impeachable, is
Clinton's behavior, and the integrity of the office of the
President, less compelling than the question of whether or
not your next door neighbor is smoking a joint while
watching Saturday Night Live? Isn't it conceivable that the
adulterous affairs of a President could leave him vulnerable
to untoward political pressures? Even blackmail? What
comparable threat is posed by the consensual private conduct
that daily gives rise to countless "no-knock" warrants under
Clinton's Drug War?
"Even Presidents have private lives," Bill Clinton scolded.
But judging by his actions, this statement does not entirely
encapsulate his beliefs. To be sure, Clinton wants his
privacy, and believes that he is entitled to such basic
consideration. In Bill Clinton's mind, a President deserves
the right to keep the most intimate and personal details of
his existence out of the reach of government scrutiny and
power. He just doesn't think that the rest of us deserve
the same protection.
Adam J. Smith
Associate Director
***
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***
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[End]
to the 1998 Daily News index for September 17-23