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

The NORML Foundation Weekly Press Release (Marijuana Derivative Benefits
Head Trauma Victims, Human Trials Show; Clinton Signs Law Denying Student Aid
To Marijuana Smokers; UK Drug Czar Backs Limited Use Of Medical Marijuana;
South Carolina High School Issues Ban On Hemp Jewelry)

From: NATLNORML@aol.com
Date: Thu, 8 Oct 1998 17:24:17 EDT
Subject: NORML WPR 10/08/98 (II)

The NORML Foundation Weekly Press Release

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

October 8, 1998

***

Marijuana Derivative Benefits Head Trauma Victims, Human Trials Show

October 8, 1998, Jerusalem, Israel: A synthetic drug derived from
marijuana reduced mortality and eased intracranial pressure in patients
suffering from severe head injuries, results from a study involving 67
patients demonstrated. Patients treated with the drug, known as
Dexanabinol, were also more likely "to resume to a normal life" than
those not treated with the drug.

"These results add to the growing body of evidence indicating that
compounds in marijuana reduce damage to the brain caused by head trauma,
strokes, and spinal cord injuries," announced Paul Armentano, director of
publications and research for The NORML Foundation.

Research demonstrates that Dexanabinol protects healthy brain cells
after trauma by blocking the neurotransmitter, glutamate. Head trauma
and strokes cause the release of excessive glutamate, often resulting in
irreversible damage to brain cells.

"These [latest] study results are promising and open the door to a
Phase III study (large human trial) in the U.S. and Europe next year,"
announced Haim Aviv, chairman and CEO of Pharmos Corporation, which
licenses Dexanabinol. He estimated that a Phase III study would involve
trials with 700 to 900 patients and take nearly two years to complete.

The study's lead investigator, Dr. Nachshon Knoller of the Sheba
Medical Center in Israel, said that no drugs are currently approved to
treat severe head trauma. Head injuries are the leading cause of death
among U.S. children and young adults, he added.

Similar medical marijuana research conducted this July by researchers
at the National Institutes for Mental Health found that the cannabinoids
THC and cannabidiol (CBD) also appear to protect the brain against toxic
levels of glutamate.

For more information, please contact either NORML Foundation
Vice-Chairman Dr. Lester Grinspoon of Harvard Medical School @ (617)
277-3621 or Paul Armentano of The NORML Foundation @ (202) 483-8751.

***

Clinton Signs Law Denying Student Aid To Marijuana Smokers

October 8, 1998, Washington, D.C.: President Bill Clinton signed
legislation yesterday denying convicted marijuana offenders from
receiving federal student loan assistance. The language, introduced by
Rep. Mark Souder (R-Ind.) as an amendment to the Higher Education Act
(H.R. 6), mandates that "A student who has been convicted of any offense
under any Federal or State law involving the possession or sale of a
controlled substance shall not be eligible to receive any [federal]
grant, loan, or work assistance."

NORML Executive Director R. Keith Stroup, Esq. called the new law
unfair. "It is outrageous that Congress and the President would pass
this law denying financial aid to students for minor non-violent drug
offenses, while a felony conviction for a serious violent crime brings no
such penalty," he said. "What kind of message is Washington sending?"

The new law suspends first time drug offenders from receiving student
aid for one year. Second time offenders will be ineligible for two
years, and multiple repeat offenders will be barred indefinitely. Drug
sellers will be ineligible for two years after their first conviction,
and indefinitely prohibited from receiving aid upon a second conviction.
Students may resume eligibility before completing their suspension if
they participate in a drug rehabilitation program and pass two random
drug tests.

Stroup questioned how fairly the new law would apply to marijuana
offenders. "In many states, marijuana possession is decriminalized (a
civil violation punishable by payment of a small fine), while in others
it's a misdemeanor or a felony. Depending on which state students live
in, this legislation may or may not apply to you."

Scott Ehlers, spokesman for The Drug Policy Foundation in Washington,
D.C., also criticized the measure. "The Higher Education Act's denial of
student loans to convicted drug offenders proves that drug laws can ruin
a person's life more thoroughly than drug use," he said.

For more information, please contact either Allen St. Pierre of The
NORML Foundation @ (202) 483-8751 or Scott Ehlers of The Drug Policy
Foundation @ (202) 537-5005.

***

U.K. Drug Czar Backs Limited Use Of Medical Marijuana

October 8, 1998, London, England: United Kingdom Drug Czar Keith
Hellawell said the use of marijuana as a medicine may be justified in
some cases, The Daily Mail newspaper reported recently. Hellawell's
statement marked the first time the Drug Czar has indicated support for
medical marijuana reform.

The Daily Mail wrote, "Mr. Hellawell's remarks were taken as a
powerful hint that Ministers are prepared to back legalization if trials
now underway support doctors' claims that cannabis can help those
suffering from serious diseases."

A British researcher licensed by the U.K. government to grow medical
marijuana plans to begin human trials shortly to determine the drug's
effectiveness in treating patients with multiple sclerosis.

"British officials seem ready to take a serious look at marijuana as a
medicine and distinguish this public health issue from the war on drugs,"
said NORML Executive Director R. Keith Stroup, Esq.

For more information, please contact either Keith Stroup or Paul
Armentano of NORML @ (202) 483-5500.

***

South Carolina High School Issues Ban On Hemp Jewelry

October 8, 1998, Columbia, South Carolina: Students attending Spring
Valley High School may no longer wear necklaces made out of hemp fiber,
according to a new policy enacted by educators this year. Administrators
at the school said the ban was necessary because the necklaces are
representative of the marijuana drug culture.

"School officials' purpose for banning hemp jewelry likely violates
students' constitutionally protected rights to speech," said Tanya
Kangas, Esq., director of litigation for The NORML Foundation.

Steven Bates, executive director of the state American Civil Liberties
Union (ACLU), also voiced opposition to the new policy. "The
authoritarian nature of schools is becoming ridiculous," he said. "It's
silly. You could smoke it (hemp) all day long and not get high."

Spring Valley Assistant Principal Genny White defended the ban. "Even
though we know there are other legitimate uses for hemp, we don't think
it is appropriate for school," she said.

Presently, the hemp ban applies only to necklaces. The policy does
not prohibit students from wearing hemp clothing such as hemp T-shirts or
shoes, and does not forbid the use of hemp cosmetic products like lip
balm.

The school's dress code previously banned students from wearing
T-shirts with designs suggestive of drug, tobacco, or alcohol use.

In past years, a handful of high schools have attempted to enforce
similar bans on hemp jewelry. Notably, North High School in Eastlake,
Ohio outlawed hemp jewelry in 1996, but stopped enforcing the measure
after pressure from the state NORML affiliate and the ACLU.

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

				- END -

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

Seattle School Learns Life Isn't An Absolute (A staff editorial
in The Columbian, in Vancouver, Washington, says "zero tolerance"
public school policies make zero sense in the real world. It sounds good
when politicians and school officials tout it during election time.
The casualty, though, is common sense.)

Date: Sun, 11 Oct 1998 14:18:31 -0700
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: US WA: Editorial: Seattle School Learns Life Isn't An Absolute
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Pubdate: Thur, 8 Oct 1998
Source: The Columbian (WA)
Contact: editors@columbian.com
Copyright: (c) 1998 The Columbian Publishing Co.
Website: http://www.columbian.com/
Mail: 701 W. Eighth St., Vancouver, WA 98666
Fax: (360) 699-6033
Author: Michael Zuzel, for the editorial board

In Our View

SEATTLE SCHOOL LEARNS LIFE ISN'T AN ABSOLUTE

A "zero tolerance" policy makes zero sense in the real world. It sounds
good when politicians and school officials tout it during election time.
The casualty, though, is common sense.

A zero tolerance policy regarding threats of violence led to the emergency
expulsion of a Battle Ground High School student last May for allegedly
writing a fictional essay about a student who strangled his teacher.
Similar outrageousness has occurred in schools across the nation. A
6-year-old Colorado Springs boy was suspended for half a day for violating
his school's zero tolerance policy on drugs and drug look-alikes when he
brought lemon drops to school. Officials declared a 12-year-old Maryland
girl a "drug trafficker" after she shared her inhaler with a classmate
suffering a severe asthma attack.

And it was a zero tolerance policy regarding weapons -- even toy weapons --
that led to the expulsion of a Seattle sixth-grader whose squirt gun fell
out of his backpack in the cafeteria.

Common sense may yet prevail. Seattle school officials this week reduced
the student's punishment to a temporary suspension. By extending the
automatic expulsion penalty from real weapons to fake ones last year, "I
think we overreached a little," the school's attorney admitted to the
Seattle Post-Intelligencer.

A little? Imposing such laughable, one-size-clobbers-all rules damages
school officials' credibility with parents, students and taxpayers.
Students should be taught reasoning skills by example, and harsh
punishments should be saved for hard cases.

It's not being soft on drugs to allow one teen-age girl to give her friend
a Midol. It's not an invitation to a massacre to confiscate a squirt gun
without treating its owner as a convicted felon. And rather than expelling
an essayist, schools ought to be encouraging his talents in positive
directions. That's what schools are for.

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

End Reefer Madness (A letter to the editor of The Herald in Everett,
Washington, supports Initiative 692, the medical marijuana ballot measure.)

Date: Thu, 8 Oct 1998 15:54:16 -0700
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: US WA: PUB LTE: End Reefer Madness
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: John Smith
Source: The Herald, Everett (WA)
Contact: letters@heraldnet.com
Website: http://www.heraldnet.com/
Pubdate: 8 Oct 98
Author: Darral Good, Lynnwood

INITIATIVE 692

End reefer madness

On Nov. 3, we have choice to end the "reefer madness" surrounding the
medicinal use of marijuana and replace it with "reefer candidness."

I'm voting yes on Initiative 692, the Medical Marijuana Use Act. I believe
licensed physicians are competent to employ marijuana and patients have a
right to obtain marijuana legally - under medical supervision - either
from a regulated source or home-grown as they would with any other safe and
effective herb.

DARRAL GOOD Lynnwood

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

Heavy Drinking Reported Among 10th-, 12-Graders (The Herald, in Everett,
Washington, says a survey released Wednesday of 37,000 students around the
state was carried out during the last week in March and the first week of
April for the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, the Department
of Social and Health Services, and the Department of Community, Trade and
Economic Development. The survey suggested that students' use of alcohol,
tobacco and marijuana were all up slightly.)

Date: Thu, 8 Oct 1998 17:48:24 -0700
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: US WA: Heavy Drinking Reported Among 10th- , 12-Graders
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: John Smith
Pubdate: Thursday, 08 October, 1998
Source: The Herald, Everett (WA)
Contact: letters@heraldnet.com
Website: http://www.heraldnet.com/
Author: Sharon Salyer, with contributions from Eric Stevick

HEAVY DRINKING REPORTED AMONG 10TH- , 12-GRADERS

Students' Responses To Survey Questions Also Show Rise In Cigarettes,
Marijuana

About a third of Snohomish County high school seniors and about a
quarter of area sophomores say they have participated in binge
drinking, consuming five or more drinks in one sitting, a survey
released Wednesday shows.

This means the number of local 10th- and 12th-graders reporting heavy
drinking has increased about 4 percentage points since 1995.

Questions on alcohol consumption were part of a survey of 9,100
Snohomish County students in the sixth, eighth, 10th and 12th grades
that also examined cigarette smoking, violence and marijuana use.

The survey, which questioned 37,000 students statewide, gives an
intimate look at prevalence of risky behaviors among youths in Washington.

The questionnaire was a project of the Office of Superintendent of
Public Instruction, the Department of Social and Health Services, and
the Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development. It was
conducted the last week in March and the first week of April.

In Snohomish County, students in the Edmonds, Everett, Granite Falls,
Lakewood, Monroe, Mukilteo and Snohomish school districts
participated, said Jack Wilson, a substance abuse prevention
specialist for the Snohomish County's Department of Human Services.

Although the amount of binge drinking is up, Wilson said he was
surprised even more by the patterns of drinking among sixth-grade students.

Locally, 6.4 percent of sixth-graders reported binge drinking;
statewide, it was 7.6 percent.

Some 13.8 percent of Washington sixth-graders reported they had drunk
some alcohol in the 30 days before the survey.

Half of these drinking sixth-graders said they get their alcohol at
home and their parents know about it.

"That probably hits me the hardest," Wilson said. "To me, it's a
travesty," he said of parents' reported knowledge of their children's
drinking habits.

Marijuana use by area sophomores and seniors is also up slightly, with
nearly 28 percent of local 10th-graders saying they had used the drug
in the 30 days before the survey and nearly 30 percent of seniors
saying they tried it, up 4 percentage points over 1995 levels.

High school cigarette smoking rates also have increased since 1995
with one-quarter of area sophomores and a third of seniors saying they
had smoked at least one cigarette in the past 30 days.

Violence continues to be a problem both here and across the state with
13 to 17 percent of Washington students reporting they had attacked
someone with the idea of seriously hurting them.

Locally, about 11 percent of sixth-graders said they had engaged in
this kind of violence, down from 15.8 percent in 1995. In eighth
grade, the percentage dropped from 20.2 percent in 1995 to 17 percent
in 1998. In the higher grades, the numbers changed little, with 16.3
percent of 10th-graders and 13.3 percent of 12th-graders reporting
violent behavior in 1998.

Peter Finch, principal at Granite Falls High School, speculates that a
student peer mediator program at many schools across the county and
state has cut down or leveled the incidents of students fighting.

The program, in which students help resolve conflicts, has had the
largest impact in lower grades, according to the study.

Lynn Evans, an assistant superintendent for schools in the south end
of the Everett School District, said she also has witnessed more
communitywide emphasis on the importance of keeping schools safe.

"I think there is certainly an increased awareness, not just among the
students themselves but among the parents in the community and the
community itself regarding the fact that we want our children to be
raised safely and to remember their childhood as being safe," Evans
said.

The number of students carrying a weapon to area schools either
remained steady or was slightly reduced from 1995.

Nearly 9 percent of local sixth-graders, 14 percent of eighth-graders,
nearly 13 percent or 10-graders and about 10 percent of 12th-graders
reported they had carried a gun, knife, razor, club, stick, pipe or
other weapon to school.

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

Students' Substance Use Increases (The Seattle Times version)

Date: Thu, 8 Oct 1998 17:50:24 -0700
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: US WA: Students' Substance Use Increases
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: John Smith
Pubdate: Thu, 08 Oct 1998
Source: Seattle Times (WA)
Contact: opinion@seatimes.com
Website: http://www.seattletimes.com/
Author: Tamra Fitzpatrick

STUDENTS' SUBSTANCE USE INCREASES

By the time Washington students graduate from high school, more than
80 percent have experimented with alcohol, more than 60 percent have
smoked cigarettes and more than half have used drugs.

And the use of all three among adolescents is up from 1995, according
to the latest Washington State Survey of Adolescent Health Behavior,
which was released yesterday.

Among the more than 39 percent of sixth-graders who said they have
experimented with alcohol - up from 33 percent in 1990 - half of the
students said they got their alcohol at home and with their parents'
knowledge.

The survey assessed 14,601 sixth-, eighth-, 10th- and 12th-grade
students in 102 public schools in the state on behavioral and health
issues, including substance abuse and weapon possession. This is the
fifth time the survey has been done; it was started in 1988.

The survey was conducted by three state agencies: the Office of the
Superintendent of Public Instruction, the Department of Social and
Health Services (DSHS) and the Department of Community, Trade and
Economic Development.

Their hope is that schools and communities will use the survey,
evaluating their intervention programs to see if they meet the needs
of local adolescents and to help in developing more programs where
they're needed.

"Our belief is if you can prevent today's teens from ever getting
involved in substance abuse, the next generation will not be showing
up with fetal-alcohol syndrome, cocaine addiction, Child Protective
Services caseloads, domestic abuse. Hopefully it will help to stop the
cycle," said Kathy Spears, DSHS spokeswoman.

Part of the survey asks students what they need to stay away from the
undesirable behaviors. Spears said responses include the need to feel
committed to their community and school, to stay away from friends who
drink and to feel rewarded for positive behaviors.

Spears said the results of the survey were up and down - "Some things
got better, some got worse."

Among the results:

-- Nine percent of sixth-graders reported carrying a weapon in the
past 30 days, down from 17 percent in 1992.

-- Eight percent of sixth-graders, 12 percent of eighth-graders, 12
percent of 10th-graders and nine percent of 12th-grade students said
they have belonged to a gang.

-- Nearly 14 percent of sixth-graders, 34 percent of eighth-graders
and more than 56 percent of 12th-graders said they have experimented
with illicit drugs. And one in four 10th- and 12th-grade students said
they use marijuana.

-- Since 1990, cigarette smoking among sixth-, 10th- and 12th-graders
has steadily increased. Smoking among eighth-grade students leveled
off this year.

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

Steve McWilliams jury trial (A list subscriber publicizes the San Diego trial
of the medical marijuana patient who ran the Valley Center Cannabis
Collective and was busted while delivering plants to another patient.
A protest and rally begin at 8 a.m. on Wednesday, October 14, in front of the
courthouse before the first day of the trial.)

From: "ralph sherrow" (ralphkat@hotmail.com)
To: gdwentzel@ixpres.com
Subject: Fwd: Steve McWilliams jury trial
Date: Thu, 08 Oct 1998 14:30:39 PDT

I'd be glad to pass it on to my list. Steve is a good man.

***

From: "Gregory Wentzel" (gdwentzel@ixpres.com)
To: "Ralph Sherrow" (ralphkat@hotmail.com)
Subject: Steve McWilliams jury trial
Date: Thu, 8 Oct 1998 09:28:18 -0700

Dear Ralph,

Could you please post an announcement about Steve McWilliams
upcoming jury trial here in San Diego. I believe you know Steve. I
learned about your e mail list through him. He is a good friend of
mine. He was busted going through a Border Patrol check point
delivering plants to another medicinal marijuana patient whose garden
had been raided recently. Of course, the only way to the patients house
was through the check point, where of course one gives up all rights
here in the land of the free. He was arrested, and they used that as
the reasoning to raid his home whereupon a larger garden was found, and
all the medicine destroyed. Steve had several articles about his Valley
Center Cannabis Collective in the paper, so it was only a matter of time
before the empire struck back.

We will have a protest and rally at 8AM on October 14, 1998 in front
of the courthouse before the first day of the trial. They are always
fun and empowering for everyone. There will be extensive media coverage
I am sure. Plants, costumes, and street theater will be provided! He
faces charges of cultivation, and also Dion Maarkegraf faces charges of
sales to an undercover agent posing as a patient. Yes they are sick
too, but they don't bear their illness well.

So please invite all that you can to show support to this compassionate
peaceful man who has suffered throughout the past months. Every day in
the Union Trib there are articles propounding the benefits of a new
Padres Baseball Stadium to all the working people in this town. Makes
me wish that the marijuana lobby had tons of money to fork over to the
politicians so they would listen and act in good faith. Plus, they
wouldn't have to lie like they do about the stadium!

Greg Wentzel
Further info call (619) 291-9617
or (619) 644-9504

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

California Medical Association Protests Unauthorized Use of Physicians' Names
in Medical Marijuana Case (A CMA Alert says US District Court Judge Charles
Breyer granted the association's request to protect the confidentiality of
doctors who had recommended medical marijuana to members of the Oakland
Cannabis Buyers' Cooperative, disclosed by attorneys during the discovery
process for the federal lawsuit against the OCBC and other northern
California dispensaries. Dr. Tod H. Mikuriya says the CMA's court brief is
the first occasion since the passage of Proposition 215 the organization has
been actively involved with its implementation.)

From: "sburbank" (sburbank@orednet.org)
To: "DPFOR" (dpfor@drugsense.org)
Subject: DPFOR: Fw: CMA Enters the Fray
Date: Tue, 13 Oct 1998 08:01:10 -0700
Sender: owner-dpfor@drugsense.org
Reply-To: dpfor@drugsense.org
Organization: DrugSense http://www.drugsense.org/

Thought you'd want to know,
Sandee

***

From: Tod H. Mikuriya, M.D. (mikuriya@igc.org)
To: Jim Carroway (bongo@microweb.com); Robert Raich (raich@jps.net)
Subject: CMA Enters the Fray
Date: Tuesday, October 13, 1998 5:05 AM

In the October 8 Issue of CMA Alert

CMA PROTESTS UNAUTHORIZED USE OF
PHYSICIANS' NAMES IN MEDICAL
MARIJUANA CASE

U.S. District Court Judge Charles Breyer granted the
request CMA made in an amicus curiae brief to
protect the confidentiality of medical information.

In United States of America v. Cannabis Cultivator's
Club, et al, the federal government seeks to close six
medical marijuana buyers clubs, including the
Oakland Cannabis Buyers' Cooperative. As part of
its defense, the Oakland club disclosed the names of
dozens of physicians who allegedly discussed or
recommended medicinal marijuana to patients who
purchased the drug from the club.

CMA asked the court to remove all confidential
medical information, including physicians' names,
from public documents and to issue a protective
order to prevent improper use of such information.
"No good purpose could possibly be served by
exposing physicians to embarrassment, harassment,
or possible prosecution," the brief stated.

On Monday, after reading CMA's brief, the judge
issued the protective order.

***

The California Medical Association for the first time
since the passage of Health and Safety Code 11362.5
became actively involved with implementation and
compliance with the new law.

While CMA called for a downscheduling of
cannabis in federal policy they have not involved
the organization in any of the many court cases
since the passage of the California Compassionate
Use Act of 1996.

This is an important development as it recognizes
the threats to California physician made by ONDCP
director Barry McCaffrey 12-30-96.

For me, personally, it means I will renew my
membership in CMA which was on probationary
status with me for opposition to Prop 215 and inaction after
Health and Safety Code 11362.5 became law.

CMA Counsel is Alice Mead 415-882-5136

Tod H. Mikuriya, M.D.

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

Marine helicopter mechanics arrested in drug probe (The Associated Press
says six US Marines at Camp Pendleton in California were arrested for alleged
marijuana and steroid use. Five of the Marines arrested were helicopter
mechanics and the other worked at Camp Pendleton's substance abuse control
center and allegedly helped Marines alter the results of their drug tests.)

From: "Bob Owen @ WHEN, Olympia" (when@olywa.net)
To: "-News" (when@hemp.net)
Subject: Marine helicopter mechanics arrested in drug probe
Date: Thu, 8 Oct 1998 20:31:56 -0700
Sender: owner-when@hemp.net

Marine helicopter mechanics arrested in drug probe
Associated Press, 10/08/98 21:10

CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. (AP) - Six Marines were arrested for alleged
marijuana and steroid use - including a helicopter mechanic who ``sometimes
came to work stoned,'' authorities said Thursday.

Five of the Marines arrested were helicopter mechanics; the other worked at
Camp Pendleton's substance abuse control center and allegedly helped Marines
alter the results of their drug tests, said 1st Lt. Eric Dent, a Camp
Pendleton spokesman.

The Marines arrested appeared in military court Wednesday for the civilian
equivalent of a bail hearing.

Lt. Bill Bartolomea, an attorney for the Marines' helicopter squadron, told
a military magistrate that one of the mechanics, a lance corporal, was a
chronic marijuana user who smoked daily and ``sometimes comes to work
stoned.''

``This is a Marine who is working on aircraft that we are flying,'' he said.

The mechanics worked on UH-1N Huey and AH-1W Super Cobra helicopters as part
of Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 169. They were released from the
base brig to return to their command, but would be restricted, Dent said.

``They're not allowed to work on aircraft until the investigation is
complete,'' Dent said.

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

We're All Criminals (An op-ed in California's New Times discusses
the ubiquity of speeders, underage drinkers, tax cheaters, litterbugs,
jaywalkers, pot smokers and other scofflaws. "We break laws
because human beings make mistakes and errors in judgment;
we defy laws that we don't believe are just.")

Date: Fri, 9 Oct 1998 07:26:43 -0700
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: US CA: We're All Criminals
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/

Newshawk: Jo-D Harrison
Source: (1) NewTimes (CA)
Contact: mail@newtimes-slo.com
Website: http://newtimes-slo.com/
Pubdate: Thur to Thur;Oct 8 - 15, 1998

Source: (2) San Luis Obispo County NewTimes (CA)
Section: Cover Story
Contact: mail@newtimes-slo.com
Website: http://www.newtimes-slo.com/frntpg.html
Author: Tiffany Heppe, Richard Jackoway, and Steven T. Jones.
(Lea Aschkenas, Mark Hartz contributed to this report.)

(Note: search on 'love of pot' to locate drug law reform portion)

WE'RE ALL CRIMINALS

A Look at the Most-Broken Laws and Why SLO County Residents Don't Mind
Risking Arrest

Most of us like to think that we're upstanding, moral, and law-abiding
citizens. But the reality is that nearly everyone every day breaks the law,
generally in a knowing willing way.

Some of these infractions, like speeding, are broken with regularity by
most of us. Others, like pot smoking or underage drinking, have a smaller,
but loyal following.

So why do we break laws, facing fines and perhaps imprisonment? We decided
to take a look at seven of the most frequently broken laws and see why we
have become a county of scofflaws:

Speeding: I Can't Drive 65

No law is as nonchalantly disregarded by so many people as the
speed limit. Neither radar guns nor airplane surveillance have deterred
us. Even raising the speed limit on most freeways to 65 mph hasn't
slowed the number of speeders.

New Times conducted a little experiment recently during the morning
commute. We sent a test car out on U.S. 101 from Arroyo Grande to SLO going
the speed limit. The test car was passed 51 times by all manner of
vehicles--trucks, a woman with a cross dangling from her rearview mirror
sped by at what must have been 80 mph, a Toyota with a Hedges for Sheriff
bumper sticker, a police car (though not apparently in pursuit of the cross
dangler). The test car passed a late '60s model Ford and a semi.

The test driver reported that it was actually difficult to keep under 65.
The natural temptation is to go "with the flow of traffic," which was
zipping by anyone observing the law. So we do speed. Some on that morning
commute no doubt felt the added speed was necessary to get to work on time.
If they, too, were traveling from Arroyo Grande to SLO they could lop 1:29
off that 11-minute commute by speeding at 75 mph. Still others are playing
the percentages, figuring with so many people speeding they're unlikely to
be caught, especially if they keep it within the hypothetical 10 mph
"buffer zone." Although never officially acknowledged, a long-standing bit
of motorist mythology is that police won't bother ticketing a car going
less than 10 mph over the posted speed limit. Should you end up in traffic
court, the judge will explain that this bit of accepted wisdom has no rule
in law. Of course, speeding is hardly the only rule of the road that is
widely broken. Many motorists routinely follow too closely, make unsafe
lane changes, fail to come to a full and complete stop at stop signs, drive
without belting up, and (despite heavy fines and grave danger to life and
limb) drive while under the influence.

Possible penalties: Various fines apply for speeding in different zones,
but if you join the 100 mph+ club and get caught you can expect a $500 fine
and could get your license suspended for 30 days.

The Ambiguities of Stealing

Some lines, once crossed, are difficult to retrace or even to recall where or
why they existed in the first place. Is there a line with stealing? Does it
have an exact definition?

Among those of us who claim to have never stolen, there is a general
assumption that we haven't broken into cars, robbed houses, or held people
up at gun-point, demanding that a purse be emptied or a wallet handed over.

But the categories of stealing are many and overlapping. They range from
burglary, narrowly defined as the act of stealing from a secured dwelling,
to petty theft, more broadly defined as stealing (under $400) from a place
that is open to the public. Then there are the more amorphous and
frequently acted-out crimes of software stealing (Why pay hundreds of
dollars for a program you can download yourself?) and copyright
infringements (Why pay $14.99 for the Spice Girls' video when you can tape
it from your friend's "illegally" wired VCRs?). Kinko's says it's illegal
for a writer to make copies of an article he or she has written without the
publication's permission, even though the article has the author's byline.

These fringe thefts lead to all sorts of nebulous questions and stealing
paranoias. If you find a watch on the sidewalk, in a space that is "open to
the public," and you take the watch for yourself rather than turning it in,
is this stealing? If you take, from a grocery store floor, a dented box of
animal crackers that is dusty and would probably be thrown out anyway and
no one sees you do it, is it really shoplifting? It's the old, "if a tree
falls..." question exaggerated to the nth degree, a koan of shoplifting.

If you think about it in this manner, stealing can become an art, a
philosophical examination of the depths of human consciousness and
reasoning. With enough extrapolation and even some karmic projection, you
can justify and rename many acts of thievery.

In Berkeley (the city named after the philosopher who first asked that now
infamous tree-falling question), a recent confessional article published in
a weekly paper heralds a new category of stealing--politically correct
shoplifting.

This is the reasoning behind his clan's acts of thievery: Big corporations,
such as chain bookstores, are corporate thieves. They steal the flavor and
unique character of a small town. They rob independent merchants of their
hard-earned income. Therefore, if you steal books from Barnes & Noble, you
are not exactly stealing but rather, yeah, redistributing the wealth, a
Robin Hood of the '90s where we are all poor and struggling to get by so
taking from the rich and putting it in our own pockets is nearly as good as
handing out our (to be politically correct) "ownership-challenged" goodies
to the poor.

The catch here is that many of these politically correct thieves realized
they were deceiving themselves when, after being caught and banned from
Barnes & Noble or Crown, they were forced to hit the independents.

"I didn't want to," said one. "But it had developed into an addiction." So
he headed down to the neighborhood's independent bookstore which (his
justification) had a reputation of being snooty with customers. After just
a month of this, though, he decided to stop. He had turned a rather unsavvy
klepto friend of his onto the stealing, a friend who didn't totally get the
concept. This friend had gone into Andronico's (a chain, but a local one)
and tried to steal a wedge of brie and a slice of chocolate cake from the
deli and gotten caught.

"I got worried," he said. "I saw the line between 'independent' and 'chain'
blurring." He was no longer sure whether what he was doing was still
recreational shoplifting or now full-blown kleptomania. So he stopped.

Others steal for more basic reasons, of course. Some for food, some for
drug money. Many for the thrill. But most, because they don't think they'll
get caught.

Consider: You're at the store, three kids in tow. You pick up a few things
and your youngest grabs a bag of cookies. Upon returning home, you realize
that the cookies were never scanned and hence never paid for. Was this
stealing? You hadn't, after all, done it intentionally and neither did your
child. Still, you could go back and pay for it. That would be the honest
thing to do. But would you? Some questions are difficult to answer, some
lines once crossed....

Possible penalties: Shoplifters can expect fines between $50 and $1,000 and
up to six months in county jail. More serious forms of stealing lead to
more serious punishments.

Taxing Situations Another form of stealing is cheating on your taxes. Don't
think you cheat? Think back. Did you include your Christmas bonus as
income? How about that Super Bowl pool? Didn't think so.

Unlike many of the crimes listed here, tax cheating is often done
unwittingly. IRS forms are so complicated that some people even cheat
themselves and end up paying more than they should. But if you shortchange
the government, that's illegal. And even with the newly declawed IRS, you
better hope that you're not caught.

Of course, many tax cheats are just that: cheaters who intentionally try to
hide assets or income to avoid paying their fair share. Sometimes these
criminals have unwitting accomplices. Increasingly the IRS is going after
ex-wives and sometimes ex-husbands who co-signed fraudulent returns
prepared by their then-spouses.

If you think you're safe because you pay someone to prepare you taxes,
don't be so sure. In the mind of the IRS, if you sign on the line you're
responsible, so make sure to go to an accredited tax preparer.

Possible penalties: Expect to pay a minimum of the taxes owed, interest,
and a late penalty; possibly jail time if infractions are serious and
repeated.

Littering the Landscape Littering is one of the most undetected and
underreported crimes, according to the SLO police department.

"We don't really have stats on it," says Lt. Joseph Hazouri. "We can only
take action if we observe it, and it's not often that someone litters in
front of a police officer."

Sometimes people call in with license plate numbers of suspected litterers,
but unless the witness is willing to follow through with court appearances
and other legal proceedings, the case gets dropped.

Despite the small number of reported incidents and the highwayside signs
warning of astronomical fees, there's still thousands of pounds of litter
lining the SLO County coast and highways.

On last month's California Coastal Cleanup Day, volunteers unearthed 3,602
pounds of trash, including cigarette butts, a box-spring mattress, a
barbecue, a car engine, dead marine animals, men and women's underwear, and
condom wrappers.

State park maintenance supervisor Joe Juarez says there were more cigarette
butts than anything else. There was 80 percent more trash collected this
year than in 1997. But that's probably more due to the doubling of
volunteers this year than a dramatic increase in littering.

The local guru of highway trash is Barry Kaufman, a "strolling mandolinist"
by trade, who's been cleaning stretches of the highway since 1991. He
contracts himself out to companies participating in "adopt-a-highway"
programs.

Kaufman says highway trash doesn't increase as people might expect it to.
"You would think that if cars double, so would the traffic," says Kaufman,
citing Caltrans statistics. "But it more than doubles because people get so
frustrated and angry."

"Trash increases more during certain times of the year, like summer," says
Kaufman. Some of the common items he's found during his freeway ramblings
include cigarettes, photographs, maps, and letters.

"Most of that's got to be unintentional littering," he says. "Those are
things people want."

Still most people do it on the sly, and Kaufman himself has only once seen
someone intentionally litter. While Kaufman was collecting trash, a couple
pulled over to the side of the highway and dumped their ice cream cone.

"It would be nice to be able to categorize," he says. "To say 'Oh, yeah.
It's those construction workers throwing out their fast-food wrappers,' but
it's really not that way."

Possible penalties: In addition to a trip to the Group W bench (if you
don't understand, ask Arlo Guthrie when he comes to town at the end of the
month), littering can land you with a fine of between $20 and $1,000 for
first offense, $100 and $1,000 for second offense. One New Times intern
received a $250 fine and one-year's probation for littering with a beer
bottle in downtown SLO.

Why the Pedestrian Crossed the Street

Santa Rosa Park in San Luis Obispo has a slew of restaurants located
directly across a busy street. Many people are tempted to avoid the
quarter-mile walk to the nearest crosswalk.

Big Sky restaurant and Tio Alberto's are also in a tempting position,
directly across from a parking lot on Broad Street.

In any town in California, neighbors cross the street to visit other
neighbors. Even postal workers can be seen crossing a street to deliver
mail to houses on the other side.

"Jaywalking" is a fact of life for most Californians. Of more than 20
people interviewed this week, not one person could honestly say he or she
hadn't jaywalked.

But some people may be surprised to learn that, in all the examples listed
above, not one of them is really jaywalking, provided that the pedestrian
yields to traffic.

"Jaywalking" is a slang term used loosely to refer to pedestrian traffic
violations. Some definitions are more strict than others, but no single
definition can be called correct.

The most common definition given on the street for jaywalking was "crossing
where there is no crosswalk or traffic signal."

Technically, explaining pedestrian traffic violations is much more difficult.

The California Vehicle Code states that pedestrians outside a crosswalk do
not have the right of way. It also states that it is illegal to cross a
roadway between two signal-controlled intersections outside a marked or
designated crossing area.

A traffic light is a designated area, even if it does not have a marked
crosswalk.

When added to the Municipal Code, all business or central traffic districts
require crossing to take place in a marked or designated area.

Sgt. Rocky Miller of the San Luis Obispo Police Department said there are
many places in the area that do not fit those guidelines. Residential areas
and streets where only one light is present are not jaywalking areas.

Santa Rosa Street has smaller streets flowing in between its two main
intersections. Because there are no lights on these smaller streets,
crossing from Santa Rosa Park is not jaywalking.

Broad Street has a similar situation. Garden Alley, between Higuera and
Marsh streets, separates the lighted intersections.

Of course, Sgt. Miller warned residents to keep in mind that stopping
traffic outside a crosswalk, regardless of the location, is illegal.

"We do write tickets in this town," he said. "But it's usually for people
who...stop traffic. There are a lot of violators in the central traffic and
business districts. We're lucky we don't have more pedestrian-related
accidents in the downtown area."

All these definitions can be confusing. The restrictions can be compared to
other forms of traffic regulations.

When driving on a highway, licensed drivers should know that crossing a
double line is illegal. The double line is similar to the restrictions
placed on crossing locations. The restrictions say, "do not pass here."

However, crossing a dotted line when a car is approaching from the opposite
direction is also illegal. The same principal applies on a street where
crossing is legal outside the crosswalk.

This makes a crosswalk a pedestrian's "passing lane." Only in a marked or
designated area does a pedestrian have the right of way.

Many people know the rules, but choose not to obey them.

"Oh, I've jaywalked," said San Luis Obispo resident David Kirkart. "It's
actually kind of rare in this town to see people use the crosswalks. Cars
actually stop in this town."

The most common reason given for not using a crosswalk is the fact that it
is safe. The second most common was that police don't ticket heavily for
jaywalking on the Central Coast.

Of course, the police have a few more pressing problems on their hands than
to clamp down on these violators. So in the meantime, they would like to
ask a favor: Be nice. Find a crosswalk.

Possible penalties: Jaywalking in the business district will normally set
you back between $20 and $45.

For Love of Pot

There is no law broken with as much righteous defiance as those prohibiting
the use of marijuana.

For many pot smokers, defying marijuana laws becomes a way of life, a
countercultural identifier, a way of giving The Man the finger. They wear
pot-leaf hats or shirts and flash defiant smiles at any frowns they receive.

Others keep their habit to themselves, enjoying a toke to unwind after
work. They don't fly the flag, but often secretly support the front-line
potheads who do. Many are professionals that the uninitiated would never
suspect--doctors, lawyers, teachers, journalists, stockbrokers, even
cops--and their pot use can be either a dirty little secret, or a badge of
rebellious pride, cautiously flashed.

Still others will occasionally indulge, or have maybe tried it a few times,
huddled with a few more experienced friends, nervously fumbling with the
pipe, wearing a devious grin when they get a hit before erupting in
coughing spasms.

Recent federal government studies show more than 5 percent of American
adults have smoked pot in the last month, while more than 70 million have
tried marijuana, about a quarter of the population.

Those who favor legalization of marijuana see no good reason for its
prohibition, other than corporate greed, political demagoguery, judgmental
moralism, social inertia, and self-serving advocacy by law enforcement
agencies.

The so-called War on Drugs really is a war. And like all wars, it is fought
with physical combat, strategies for defeating the enemy, and propaganda
campaigns designed to win the hearts and minds of the masses.

The federal government spends about $14 billion per year on its army of
drug warriors and all the weapons and intelligence technology they need, as
well as ad campaigns. Cultivation of even one pot plant is a felony that
can send its grower to prison, while being caught with a joint in
California can get your driver's license taken away.

Nonetheless, the 1990s have seen a resurgence of marijuana use not seen
since the '60s and an unprecedented mainstream acceptance. Voters in
California and two other states legalized marijuana for medical uses in
1996--even acknowledging it might be a Trojan horse for outright
legalization--with the question going before voters in six more states this
November.

Yet the government drug warriors have only intensified their eradication
efforts, with many jurisdictions (including San Luis Obispo County)
continuing to treat even legal users as criminals.

"There is a tremendous frustration on the medical marijuana front," says
Dale Gieringer, coordinator of Califoria NORML, a chapter of the National
Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws.

Pot activists who hoped Prop. 215 would de-escalate the drug war became
more open about their use and growing operations, and many have been jailed
as a result. For example, SLO NORML activists Tom Dunbar, Jo-D Harrison,
and John and Violet McLean all face stiff prison terms after simultaneous
May 14 raids on their homes. As in many other recent pot cases, the search
warrant affidavits were sealed by the courts to protect undercover
informants, a tool drug police are using more and more these days.

Dunbar and Harrison say the post-Prop. 215 frustrations of activists have
renewed the push for an outright legalization initiative, which could go
before California voters as soon as 2000.

Yet legal or not, people will keep smoking pot, no matter what the
penalties or how aggressively we try to stop it.

There are laws we break, and then there are laws we defy. We break laws
because human beings make mistakes and errors in judgment; we defy laws
that we don't believe are just.

We break laws on the spur of the moment, snatching something we can't
afford off a shelf, darting across the street during a break in traffic,
leaning into the gas pedal because we're in a hurry, losing our temper at
some perceived provocation.

But we defy pot laws with deliberate intent, seeking it out, savoring our
lawlessness. And if a Dan Lungren political ad or an anti-drug commercial
are on television as we exhale our hit, it only adds to our feeling of
defiant satisfaction.

Possible penalties: Should you be caught in possession of 28.5 grams or
less, you'll receive a fine of not more than $100; 28.5 grams or more, $500
and/or six months jail time. Possession near school grounds (grades 1-12)
could net you a $500 fine and 10 days in jail. And growing that funky weed:
state prison no less than one year, no more than 10 years.

Youthful Vices

What's legal for some of us to do, isn't for others.

Want to go out for a night on the town, bar hopping, perhaps take someone
home for a little horizontal gymnastics and a post-coital cigarette? Fine,
if you and your partner have traveled around the sun 18 times. If not, you
could be guilty of a variety of offenses, some that could send you to the
slammer.

Not that the long arm of the law has pulled many teens back from the lure
of vice. Underage smoking, drinking, and mating are all on the upswing, if
you can believe the surveys.

Not to sound like a certain president, but just what is sex anyway? We all
know that a 30-year-old man who has intercourse with jail bait is headed
for some big-time legal problems. But what of the 19-year-old who is guilty
of some heavy petting with a 17-year-old in the back seat of dad's car?

In the old baseball analogy, almost everyone is familiar with a homerun.
But what about third base? Is hitting a triple grounds for jail time? What
about a ground-rule double?

Or the 15-year-old kid who goes out and gets a pack of cigarettes. Is he
breaking the law by smoking them, or is the person who sold them to him
responsible? What if he's pounding a beer with that smoke?

Therein lies the rub. People have an idea as to what constitutes the law,
but are unfamiliar with the specifics.

In fact, many of the specifics seem to change over the years. In the 1800s,
people could be legally married when they were 14 or 15. Even up until the
mid-'80s, 18-year-olds could go to the store and buy beer. As recent as
1992, 16-year-old kids could buy cigarettes back East.

Nowadays, kids need parental supervision to do anything before they are 18.
Were the teenagers of a few years ago more mature? Did lawmakers see the
folly of their ways and realize kids need to grow up before they can make
rational decisions as to whether or not they can smoke that cigarette,
drink that beer, or take that roll in the sack?

Supposedly, 16-year-olds are mature enough to get behind the wheel of a
car, but can't handle the addictive power of a cigarette; 18-year-olds can
vote for a philandering president, but can't celebrate that win with a gin
and tonic at the local bar.

New laws to protect kids are being created each year, and new programs are
being formed to educate teens on the problems associated with drinking,
smoking, and sex. But do they work, or do teens think adults are just
giving them a hard time?

"The community might think we're playing date police," Deputy District
Attorney Kate Philpot said. "That's not what we're doing."

Philpot heads a special task force that prosecutes adults who have sex with
minors. The laws that define statutory rape are a little blurry as well.

A felony charge can be filed if the adult is three years older than the
teen. A misdemeanor charge is levied in cases where the adult is less than
three years older. A felony gets offenders prison time; a misdemeanor
carries a jail sentence.

"A lot of it is discretionary," she said.

She said she takes a variety of factors into consideration before deciding
on whether to prosecute a felony charge. Factors include drug use with the
minor, prior record, and multiple victims. There were 27 felony statutory
rape convictions and 11 misdemeanor convictions filed in SLO County last
fiscal year.

A 1996 survey, conducted by a collaboration of the San Luis Obispo County
Office of Education's Drug, Alcohol, Tobacco Education Program, the school
districts of San Luis Obispo County, San Luis Obispo Tobacco Control, and
San Luis Obispo County Drug and Alcohol Services, said that SLO County
youths smoke more and binge drink (consuming more than five drinks in one
sitting) more than any other county in California.

Kids will be kids, and then, when they turn 18, they are magically
initiated into the rites of adulthood. They can even smoke a cigarette and
have sex with a 50-year-old. Then, when they turn 21, they can legally
celebrate that passage into adulthood with a drink.

Possible penalties: Judges have discretion in dealing with minors, but
don't expect your youth to get you off. Kids caught with smokes can expect
to pay $75 or do 30 hours of community service. Underage drinkers can
expect to do 40 hours of community service and attend an alcohol awareness
program. If under 18, parents must pay for program, if deemed financially
able. In the case of underage sex, it's the "grownup" who will pay the
price, which will be not more than one year in state prison or county jail
if you're under 21. Have sex with a person under 16 if you're over 21 and
you could do up to four years in state prison. And you'll pay, too. If the
minor is less than two years younger, $2,000; at least two years younger,
$5,000; at least three years younger, $10,000; and for over 21/under 16
sex, $25,000.

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

CIA Didn't Always Report Contractors' Alleged Drug-Dealing
(The San Jose Mercury News says the Central Intelligence Agency
disclosed in a report released Thursday that it failed to alert Congress
or law enforcement about allegations of drug dealing by some of its
hired hands during the 1980s secret war against the Marxist government
of Nicaragua.)

Date: Sun, 11 Oct 1998 15:45:07 -0700
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: US: CIA Didn't Always Report Contractors' Alleged Drug-Dealing
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)
Pubdate: Fri, 8 Oct 1998
Source: San Jose Mercury News (CA)
Contact: letters@sjmercury.com
Website: http://www.sjmercury.com/
Author: Pete Carey, Mercury News Staff Writer

CIA DIDN'T ALWAYS REPORT CONTRACTORS' ALLEGED DRUG-DEALING

The Central Intelligence Agency failed to alert Congress or law
enforcement about allegations of drug dealing by some of its hired
hands during the 1980s secret war against the Marxist government of
Nicaragua, the agency disclosed in a report released Thursday.

The report, by the CIA's Office of the Inspector General, adds weight
to long-held suspicions that the agency sometimes looked the other way
when it learned of drug-dealing by some of the people it used on a
contract basis in the Contra war.

Some of the material has come out before in a U.S. Senate
investigation and in various press accounts during and since the
1980s, including recent leaks about this report.

During the 1980s, the CIA received allegations of drug-trafficking on
the part of several dozen Contra-related individuals and one Contra
organization, the inspector general's report states. Sometimes the
agency investigated the allegations of drug-running, broke off ties
with the individuals and alerted other law enforcement agencies. In
other cases, it did not, the report shows.

However, investigators found no information that the CIA or its
employees ``conspired with or assisted Contra-related organizations or
individuals in drug trafficking to raise funds for the Contras or for
any other purpose.''

The report did not try to verify the allegations, which range from
unverified accusations in Sandinista publications to cables to CIA
headquarters from worried CIA officers working with the Contras in
Central America.

Details of the report

The inspector general reported that:

``The CIA acted inconsistently'' in handling allegations of drug
trafficking. ``In six cases, CIA knowledge of allegations or
information indicating that organizations or individuals had been
involved in drug trafficking did not deter their use or employment by
the CIA.''

The agency also failed to notify Congress about eight of 10
Contra-related individuals about whom the CIA had received
drug-trafficking allegations or information, the inspector general
reported.

The CIA notified U.S. law enforcement of allegations of
drug-trafficking by 25 Contra-related people, but did not pass on
information about 11 other Contra-related people and ``assets.''

Agency was suspicious

The report describes the agency's suspicions about a variety of
operatives and contractors who assisted it in some way during the
Contra war. Among them was Eden Pastora, commander of a tiny
anti-Sandinista army operating out of Costa Rica.

The agency broke off relations with Pastora and reported him to U.S.
law enforcement after receiving numerous allegations of
drug-trafficking by members of his group, but continued dealing with
some of the people around him, the report says.

A Central American CIA chief of station recalled that there was a
group of ``ne'er-do-well'' people with criminal histories around
Pastora. ``Some were scoundrels,'' the CIA official said, but ``we
were going to play with these guys. That was made clear by (CIA Chief
William) Casey and (then-L.A. Division Chief Duane)
Clarridge.''

The inspector general's investigation followed publication of a series
in the San Jose Mercury News. The series, ``Dark Alliance,'' described
a California drug ring run by two Nicaraguan Contra sympathizers and
strongly suggested that the drug dealers were protected from
prosecution by the CIA or other government agencies.

A previous report by the CIA inspector general found that the drug
ring had no connection with the CIA. The Department of Justice Office
of the Inspector General, which also conducted an investigation, found
no substantiation for the key claims in the series. Jerry Ceppos,
executive editor of the Mercury News, later wrote a column saying the
series did not meet the paper's standards in some respects.

IF YOU'RE INTERESTED The inspector general's report is available
online at www.cia.gov/cia/publications/cocaine2

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

Two arrested in alleged city hall drug ring (An Associated Press article
in The Miami Herald says the chief computer programmer and a payroll clerk
for the city of Gary, Indiana, were accused Wednesday of running a cocaine
ring that made drug deals out of City Hall.)

From: "Bob Owen @ WHEN, Olympia" (when@olywa.net)
To: "-News" (when@hemp.net)
Subject: 2 arrested in alleged IN city hall drug ring
Date: Thu, 8 Oct 1998 20:16:05 -0700
Sender: owner-when@hemp.net

Published Thursday, October 8, 1998, in the Miami Herald

2 arrested in alleged city hall drug ring

GARY, Ind. -- (AP) -- The city's chief computer programmer and a payroll
clerk were accused Wednesday of running a cocaine ring that made drug deals
out of City Hall. The two used city phones and delivered drugs on their
lunch breaks, the FBI said. Arthur L. Harris and his girlfriend, payroll
clerk Karen Laverne Shivers, were arrested Monday. Agents found about $6,000
in cash, six ounces of crack, plus powdered cocaine and drug paraphernalia
in their two apartments.

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

Farmer gets five-year term on drug charges (An Associated Press article
in the The Star Tribune says Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, Circuit Judge
Henry Buslee sentenced Calvin Pluim Thursday after prohibition agents
searched his barn and found 14 hay-like bales of marijuana weighing 843
pounds, 37 sealed paper bags of marijuana, 14 pairs of pruning shears,
chest freezers, scales, grow lights and a 2-pound bag of marijuana cookies.)

From: "Bob Owen @ WHEN, Olympia" (when@olywa.net)
To: "-News" (when@hemp.net)
Subject: Farmer gets five-year term on drug charges
Date: Fri, 9 Oct 1998 19:39:05 -0700
Sender: owner-when@hemp.net
Newshawk: ccross@november.org
Source: The Star Tribune
Pubdate: Thursday, October 8, 1998
Online: http://webserv1.startribune.com
Writer: AP

Farmer gets five-year term on drug charges

FOND DU LAC, Wis. (AP) -- A farmer was sentenced to a five-year prison
term Thursday on drug charges stemming from the discovery of about 900
pounds of marijuana at his farm.

Fond du Lac County Circuit Judge Henry Buslee gave Calvin Pluim, 47, the
five-year prison term, plus two years of probation. Many of the
defendant' s relatives attended the sentencing.

Pluim had pleaded no contest to charges of manufacturing marijuana,
maintaining a building where drugs are kept and an amended charge of
possession with intent to deliver. A fourth charge of possession of drug
paraphernalia was dismissed.

Investigators were led to Pluim' s farm in the town of Oakfield last
Dec. 12, after a drug bust in nearby Winnebago County.

The barn contained 14 hay-like bales of marijuana weighing 843 pounds,
37 sealed paper bags of marijuana, 14 pairs of pruning shears, chest
freezers, scales, grow lights and a 2-pound bag of "marijuana cookies,"
the criminal complaint said.

The search of the home uncovered $2,914 in cash and stashes of
marijuana throughout the house, the complaint said.

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

Vote For Steinberg To Stop Drug War (A letter to the editor
of The Capital Times in Madison, Wisconsin, supports the candidacy
of Peter L. Steinberg for Dane County District Attorney. Steinberg will focus
on prosecuting crimes of violence and property crime, rather than wasting
tax dollars and ruining lives by enforcing marijuana prohibition.)

Date: Fri, 9 Oct 1998 05:21:05 -0700
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: US WI: PUB LTE: Vote For Steinberg To Stop Drug War
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: compassion23@geocities.com (Frank S. World)
Source: Capital Times, The (WI)
Contact: tctvoice@madison.com
Website: http://www.madison.com/
Pubdate: Thu, 08 Oct 1998
Author: Gary Storck, Madison

VOTE FOR STEINBERG TO STOP DRUG WAR

Dear Editor: The candidacy of Madison native Peter L. Steinberg for District
Attorney presents Dane County voters with an excellent opportunity to elect
a district attorney who will focus on prosecuting crimes of violence against
persons and property, rather than wasting tax dollars and ruining lives by
enforcing marijuana prohibition.

Unlike his opponents, Steinberg understands that prohibition is wrong for
many reasons, costing more and accomplishing less than legalization, and
posing a serious threat to personal liberty.

Peter Steinberg has not built his career on the war on drugs, as many
politicians have, but instead has the courage and insight to recognize
prohibition is a failure, and to give us a way out of this monstrosity on a
local level.

Steinberg's 20-plus years of criminal law experience make him extremely
well-qualified for this position, and his fresh outlook would bring welcome
changes to an office now mired in the tired rhetoric of failed
prohibitionist policies.

Promote rational drug policies and a safer Dane County by electing Peter L.
Steinberg Dane County District Attorney on November 3rd!

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

Drug Evidence Found In Improper Search Cannot Be Used In Court
(The Minneapolis Star-Tribune says the Fourth District Court of Appeals
in Madison, Wisconsin, ruled 2-1 Thursday that an affidavit explaining
the need for a 1996 search of Lance Ward' s home in Beloit - which yielded
5.5 pounds of marijuana and about a third of a pound of cocaine - did not
provide a link between evidence of criminal activity and Ward' s home.)

Date: Fri, 9 Oct 1998 05:27:15 -0700
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: US MN: Drug Evidence Found
In Improper Search Cannot Be Used In Court
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: compassion23@geocities.com (Frank S. World)
Pubdate: Thu, 08 Oct 1998
Source: Minneapolis Star-Tribune (MN)
Contact: http://www.startribune.com/stonline/html/userguide/letform.html
Website: http://www.startribune.com/

DRUG EVIDENCE FOUND IN IMPROPER SEARCH CANNOT BE USED IN COURT

Statewire

MADISON, Wis. (AP) -- A state appeals court Thursday threw out a man' s
convictions on drug possession charges because a document requesting a
search warrant of his home was improper.

The 4th District Court of Appeals in Madison ruled 2-1 that an affidavit
explaining the need for the 1996 search of Lance Ward' s home in Beloit did
not provide a link between evidence of criminal activity and Ward' s home.

The affidavit "did not provide a substantial basis for finding probable
cause that evidence of drug dealing would likely be found at that location,"
the ruling states.

Beloit police searched Ward' s home after receiving a tip that he supplied
marijuana to dealers. Police found about 5.5 pounds of marijuana and about a
third of a pound of cocaine and other drug-related evidence in the search,
according to court documents.

Ward was found guilty of drug possession. The appeals court reversed the
conviction and sent the case back to Rock County for further proceedings,
without using the drugs as evidence.

Appeals court Judge Patience Roggensack dissented.

The affidavit did not state that drugs were seen at Ward' s home before the
search, Roggensack wrote. But it was reasonable for the judge issuing the
search warrant to believe drugs would be there because informants had said
Ward was an active drug dealer, the judge stated.

Copyright 1998 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not
be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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

61st year of marijuana prohibition (A letter to the editor
of The Mountain Eagle in Tannersville, New York, notes the state
does not have a voter initiative process, so the Marijuana Reform Party
of New York was established to bring the issue of marijuana prohibition
before New York voters, with Thomas Leighton running as the MRP candidate
for governor.)

Date: Sun, 11 Oct 1998 19:18:50 -0700
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: US NY: PUB LTE: 61st year of marijuana prohibition
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Pubdate: Thursday, 08 Oct 1998
Source: The Mountain Eagle (Tannersville, NY)
Contact: FAX (607)652-5253

1998 marks the 61st year of marijuana prohibition. In the past six decades
tens of millions of otherwise law-abiding American citizens have been
arrested for marijuana offenses, the vast majority for simple possession.
Billions of tax dollars have been spent in a malevolent attempt to
eradicate marijuana use from American society.

Because marijuana is typically used in private, trampling upon the Bill of
Rights has become a routine part of marijuana law enforcement (e.g., drug
sniffing dogs, urine testing, phone taps, and military involvement in the
marijuana war.)

Reason dictates that an objective review of our marijuana laws is required;
but professional politicians are loath to enter into a rational discussion
of the marijuana issue for fear of appearing "soft on drugs" -- and the
average citizen is afraid to speak out for fear of retribution from the
"drug warriors."

The constitution of the State of New York does not allow citizens to put
their own initiatives on the ballot. Consequently, the Marijuana Reform
Party of New York (MRP) was established as a vehicle to bring the issue of
marijuana prohibition before New York voters.

Thomas Leighton is the MRP candidate for governor. By voting for Tom
Leighton, concerned New Yorkers can send an anonymous, yet meaningful,
message to the political establishment that it's time for a change.

Walter F. Wouk - president
NORML in Schoharie
National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws

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

A Pot Professor's Day In Court (The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette version)

Date: Sat, 10 Oct 1998 20:06:34 -0700
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: US PA: A Pot Professor's Day In Court
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: jhf102@psu.edu
Pubdate: Thu, 8 Oct 1998
Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (PA)
Contact: letters@post-gazette.com
Website: http://www.post-gazette.com/
Author: Tom Gibb

A POT PROFESSOR'S DAY IN COURT

BELLEFONTE, Pa.--Centre County President Judge Charles Brown paused,
delicately felt around for the right touch of understatement, then
told jurors in his courtroom yesterday they were hearing "a rather
unusual case."

He expected something different?

The man on trial was Julian Heicklen, retired Penn State University
chemistry professor - a man so incensed by marijuana laws that he
repeatedly showed up at the campus gate last winter, smoked joints and
preached individual rights to lunchtime crowds.

When police balked at arresting him, Heicklen decided to stop back
weekly and light up until they did.

And they did - four times, for possessing small amounts of marijuana.

So, yesterday was his day in court. And for Heicklen, it was showtime.

This was Julian Heicklen, 66-year-old iconoclast, social activist
since adolescence, a gradual convert from liberalism to
libertarianism.

On his suit lapel, this lanky, gray-haired man wore a baseball-size
button emblazoned with a marijuana leaf and the words, "Free Julian
Heicklen."

He stood at the defense table, microphone in hand, and called Brown
"an inveterate liar."

He brandished sticks and Styrofoam balls, fashioned into 2-foot
replicas of the molecules of marijuana's active ingredient - and
quizzed a state police chemist until Brown ordered the models put away.

"This is a political trial. The state is trying to punish me for
exercising my God-given right to own a vegetable," Heicklen told
jurors. "Your decision will influence the future of this country,
whether we become a free country or continue to live in tyranny."

It took them 25 minutes.

They found him guilty.

Heicklen warned jurors he was an old man who could be headed to prison.

Brown fined him $2,000 and put him on 120 days probation.

"This is the most trivial, minor charge you can be charged with,"
Assistant District Attorney Stephen Sloane told jurors. "The
commonwealth doesn't want that man in jail."

At least for now.

Fresh from telling jurors that he spent nine months and $10,000 on his
fight, Heicklen pledged to appeal.

And sometime between now and December, he's supposed to go to trial
again - this time for smoking marijuana during a protest on the
courthouse steps.

The thing of it is, Heicklen says he doesn't even like marijuana, and
he doesn't really fathom any of this hullabaloo about getting high.

He told jurors that around marijuana he is a prime "Bogarter" - a la
Humphrey Bogart, waving his cigarettes more than smoking them. And he
lights up only at protests, he said.

"You have the right to do stupid things as long as you don't hurt
anybody else," Heicklen said. "Marijuana isn't the message. It's the
messenger."

Heicklen is an internationally known chemist, a world-class bridge
player, and, Rabbi Jonathan Brown of State College told the jury, an
honest guy who oversees his congregation's cemetery committee and
sometimes conducts services.

He's also a lifelong activist, with civil disobedience dating back to
an arrest at a civil rights sit-in in California three decades ago.

So when Heicklen deemed marijuana laws an evil that were glutting the
prison systems, be brought together his own band of libertarians with
foes of marijuana laws.

In court, Heicklen had an entourage of about a dozen supporters, most
of them near college age.

He also had the guts - if that's what it was - to confine two lawyers to
the status of unofficial advisers and argue his case himself, often
fumbling his way through courtroom procedure.

What Heicklen lacked in gloss, though, he made up for in brass.

When Brown decided Heicklen was getting windy and told him to end his
questioning, Heicklen snapped, "This is a court proceeding. It isn't a
timed event."

When it was over yesterday, Heicklen hardly seemed fazed - albeit just
a trifle more cautious.

"The smokeouts will continue," he pledged. "What my role is, that's up
in the air."

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

Ibogaine experience from the ibogaine list (A list subscriber forwards
an alcoholic's first-person account of his use of the psychotropic
African plant to overcome his addiction.)

From: HSLotsof@aol.com
Date: Thu, 8 Oct 1998 19:55:22 EDT
To: "DRCTalk Reformers' Forum" (drctalk@drcnet.org)
Subject: Ibogaine experience from the ibogaine list
Reply-To: drctalk@drcnet.org
Sender: owner-drctalk@drcnet.org

The following was posted to the ibogaine list and thought you might have
interest.

Howard
http://www.ibogaine.org

***

I finally was able to take my ibogaine treatment about ten weeks ago
after months of waiting.

I will recount the highlights of what I can recall of the session. While
I was awake for about 36 hours, there were periods of what seemed to be
blackouts or time lapses. Though I thought I slept at times, my guide told me
I was awake throughout. The stuff really made the hours go by slowly.

In the late afternoon, I took compazine (for nausea prevention) and one of
four large capsules of the ibo to see how well I tolerated it.. I was
especially concerned about nausea after hearing of some very unpleasant
experiences. After about a half hour I took the remainder. I experienced
absolutely zero stomach upset, thankfully. I lay back very still and waited.

The first effects were a body glow and subtle pastel blue and pink swirls.
I lay motionless, taking it all in. It built to a huge crescendo to a point
of a time lapse. I then began to experience the snapshot effect: little
memories of my life in flashes went flowing through both sides of my mind in
a streaming effect . It rose to a very intense "peak" that seemed to go on
endlessly. I was somewhat disappointed that I didn't experience the video
effect recalling my life. I was instead propelled into a bizarre parallel
world where I didn't know anyone. It seemed to be in the future. There were
vast numbers of people mobbed in the streets, placing bets on spectacular
fireworks displays. I was part of a small group that promoted and M.C.'d the
displays.

Weird. It was all nighttime; never any daylight. Some of the individuals that
I met were quite amusing; my guide told me I had laughed out loud and
chuckled several times. No one seemed to have their own home - it was all
communal living. I was somewhat of a wanderer. At another point it seemed
like the end of the world - crumbling houses with people jammed into them
sleeping on piles of old clothing. Campfire meals with packaged food long out
of code. Many people were very old with their bodies literally falling apart.
These types of images endured endlessly. I was encased in the ibo machine,
something like an iron lung, mechanically humming and pulsating. At about
eight hours (it seemed much longer) I said "I wish I could turn this off!
This is so strong!" At last I saw the "grand finale" of the fireworks come
and I lapsed into another blackout period. This is indeed a potent substance.
Though much different, it reminded me why I quit taking acid years ago.

The next morning I felt very drained and exhausted. I had lost a day; I
was convinced it was Sunday morning, but it was still Saturday. I was hoping
I would quit smoking cigarettes as well, but felt it necessary for a smoke
after fighting the urge for quite awhile. (I have since learned that nicotine
addiction is sometimes arrested 4-8 months after treatment.) I was beginning
to wonder "is that all?" but there was was much more to come.

I began to look for the cause of my addiction - scanning inside my body
I discovered a defective gene. Attached to it was a glowing green tag labeled
"defective". I wanted to clip it off, but I was afraid of causing more
damage. Just what I need. Searching for its origin, the skulls of my
ancestors flashed through my mind and I traced the anomaly back to a man
on my father's side in the mid sixteenth century.

The most immediate healing period came that afternoon, having a very
intense talk with my guide regarding my wife and child. I was able to process
a lot of emotional garbage that had been holding me back for months. I was
finally able to forgive myself for abandoning them in favor of drinking.
I also came to realize how deeply I love my wife, much more than I was
consciously aware of. I made verbal amends, and made an affirmation that I
would not continue this lifestyle any longer. I was also able to deal with my
previously unknown fear of aging and not having enough time left in my life
to start over. It was a very tearful, exhausting process.

That night I became convinced, though it didn't really happen, that a man
and a woman had come into the room to sleep. My guide told me I had a one
sided conversation with them, recounting my experiences. I tried to get a
light for my cigarette from the woman, but the light kept retracting. Fancy
that. At another point, I was told it sounded like I took telephone sales
order. At dawn, as the room began to lighten, I had a distinct image of being
reborn. A large pair of hands appeared, sculpting a lump of clay into an
infant. From the infant a vaporous image of myself arose and drifted into the
wall. Soon after this I finally went into a light sleep. The effects had largely
diminished with exception of peripheral light flashes after 48 hours had
elapsed. I rested, reflected, and ate like a champ for the next few days
before returning home.

This process was a grueling ordeal; intensely hard work. It was worth
every second of it. While I can draw some direct parallels from the session,
some aspects make no sense at all. I've been assured that this is normal and
really doesn't matter. I am pleased to say that I haven't experienced any
craving or had any desire to use alcohol or any other drug since I was
treated and have been clean ever since. (Still smokin' though.) My friends
and family have noticed a radical change in my actions, attitude and outlook.
(After a meeting at a support group: "Dood, you sound *different*!) My
mother, who was fearful that the treatment was some form of an internet
cult, is amazed at the results. I have a new feeling of clarity as to which
direction to take my life in.

Things are slowly getting better: finances, employment, living situation, the
feeling that it is indeed not too late to start over. The depression has lifted.
I am visiting my son on a regular basis. I still have a substantial amount of
work to do repairing finances and relationships, but I'm chipping away at it
a little at a time. The difference today is I have the utter confidence my
life will continue to improve and I can and will stay clean.

I am eternally grateful to all the folks who helped make it happen.

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

Josette Shiner Vs. Bonnie Erbe - Medicinal Marijuana (An op-ed
syndicated by Scripps Howard News Service featuring a debate between
reefer madness proselytizer Josette Shiner, president of Empower America,
and Bonnie Erbe of the Public Broadcasting Service's "To the Contrary.")

Date: Sun, 11 Oct 1998 16:26:00 -0700
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: US: Wire: OPED: Josette Shiner Vs. Bonnie Erbe: Medicinal
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: compassion23@geocities.com (Frank S. World)
Source: Scripps Howard News Service
Copyright: 1998 Scripps Howard
Pubdate: 8 Oct 1998
Note: Bonnie Erbe is host of the PBS program "To the Contrary." Josette
Shiner is president of Empower America.

JOSETTE SHINER VS. BONNIE ERBE: MEDICINAL MARIJUANA

Bonnie Erbe is host of the PBS program "To the Contrary." Josette Shiner is
president of Empower America.

-- QUESTION: This fall there are six states and the District of Columbia
with ballot initiatives seeking voter approval of raw marijuana for
unrestricted medical use. Should these initiatives be adopted?

JOSETTE SHINER: The nation's capital has joined Oregon, Nevada, Alaska,
Colorado, Arizona and Washington state on the front lines of the battle to
legalize hard drugs.

Marijuana cafes in the shadow of the Capitol dome? It's possible. Just look
what happened in California when voters approved a similar initiative.

The rationale behind these initiatives is compassion for the sick and
suffering. But already the main psychoactive ingredient in marijuana -- THC
-- is available in pill form under the name Marinol. In addition, research
efforts are under way to discover whether there are additional properties
within the plant that would have medical value.

Such scientific research is, and should be, widely supported. But the
movement and money behind these initiatives has shown little concern for
science. Drug legalization is their goal.

In California, where marijuana was legalized as medicine in 1996, the
dispensing of pot through a "primary care-giver" triggered the widespread
commercial sale of the narcotic in the famous cannabis buyers clubs. Dr.
Gary Cohan of Los Angeles, whose practice focuses on the treatment of AIDS,
put it this way: "If your doctor recommends marijuana as treatment, you've
got a lousy doctor."

What do we know about marijuana? We know it causes the same changes in
brain chemistry as heroin, cocaine, amphetamines, nicotine and alcohol. We
know that marijuana "primes" the brain for other drugs -- the "gateway
effect." We know marijuana impairs the skills related to attention, memory
and learning. And we know marijuana use among high school seniors has
increased 300 percent since 1992.

Joseph Califano, the secretary of health, education and welfare under
President Carter, opposed such initiatives saying: "Teens who smoke pot are
85 times likelier to use drugs such as cocaine than those who have never
done so."

Let's not offer snake oil to the sick, send the wrong message to children
and open the door to drug legalization -- especially in our nation's capital.

BONNIE ERBE: The war on drugs is the most wasteful big-government program
the federal and state governments have ever waged. And yet conservatives
love it. Talk about hypocrisy, especially when it comes to marijuana use
for those in medical need.

Would the anti-drug crowd rather see AIDS patients drink themselves into
incoherent stupors to ease the pain? Why don't those who rail against
marijuana use want to see a ban on alcohol sales or tobacco use? Those
drugs are infinitely more harmful to people than marijuana, and yet not a
peep from them in that respect.

Legalizing marijuana use for the sick seems the least we can do to assuage
the suffering of people with AIDS and cancer. Not only does it dull pain
without risk of addiction (as opposed to opiate-based substances), it also
stimulates appetite, something patients who are wasting away badly need.

Our prison population is the highest in the world. Recent Justice
Department compilations on the numbers of those in federal and state jails
total close to one point three million Americans. According to NORML (the
National Organization for Reform of Marijuana Laws), one-third of those
being sentenced to jail time are non-violent drug offenders.

The war on drugs has cost taxpayers more than $100 billion over the past
decade, including billions spent by state and local governments on
jail-building. We all know it costs more to send a young man to prison than
it does to send him to Harvard. Do we really want to spend precious
resources prosecuting not only the young and foolish who smoke pot, but
also the elderly, disabled and sick?

The fact is, if medical science had a good alternative to marijuana use for
AIDS and cancer patients, it would be out there and widely available. It
does not exist. That's why if voters in the District of Columbia and the
states vote to legalize marijuana for medical use next month, they're
making the right move.

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

Congress, Clinton Deny Financial Aid to Non-Violent Drug Offenders
(A bulletin from the Drug Policy Foundation notes President Clinton yesterday
signed the Higher Education Act of 1998, which also expands coerced treatment
and drug testing.)

Date: Thu, 8 Oct 1998 15:05:04 EDT
Errors-To: dpf-mod@dpf.org
Reply-To: dpnews@dpf.org
Originator: dpnews@dpf.org
Sender: dpnews@dpf.org
From: "Drug Policy News Service" (dpf-mod@dpf.org)
To: Multiple recipients of list (dpnews@dpf.org)
Subject: Press Release: Congress, Clinton Deny Financial Aid
to Non-Violent Drug Offenders (10/8/98)

Congress, Clinton Deny Financial Aid to Non-Violent Drug Offenders
New Education Law Singles Out Drug Offenders, Expands Coerced Treatment
and Drug Testing

Released October 8, 1998
Contact: Rob Stewart or Scott Ehlers

WASHINGTON, D.C. President Clinton signed the Higher Education Act of
1998 yesterday. The Drug Policy Foundation objects to a provision in the
law automatically denying student loans to convicted drug offenders. DPF
issued the following statement:

"The Higher Education Act's denial of student loans to convicted drug
offenders proves that drug laws can ruin a person's life more thoroughly
than drug use. It continues the government's 'harm maximization' drug
policy by cutting off education for those who may benefit most from it.

"The new law is unfair because it singles out drug offenders from other
convicted criminals. If someone can serve time for more serious
offenses, such as murder or robbery, and still be eligible for a student
loan, then it is discriminatory to deny the same privilege to the
non-violent drug offender who has served time or paid the fine.

"Unfortunately, an unintended effect of this ban will be that minorities
will find it harder to finance their education. African-Americans make
up 13 percent of illegal drug users, but they make up 55 percent of
convictions for drug possession. The targeting of minority communities
by drug enforcement will inevitably result in fewer African-Americans
and Latinos receiving financial aid.

"Although it gives first-time offenders and, in some cases, second-time
offenders another chance, the Act's provision requires potential loan
applicants to pass a drug treatment program and two drug tests to
requalify. There are problems with both of these requirements:

"Drug treatment is a specialized response; it is not for all drug users,
let alone everyone convicted of a drug offense (since sellers are not
always users). Yet, the provision would put a person into the already
overburdened drug treatment system without proof that he or she has a
drug problem. Many drug dealers would be better off with legal economic
opportunities, not drug treatment. For those who have been convicted of
simple possession, the law may inappropriately mandate treatment and
drug testing in cases where the potential student no longer uses illegal
drugs.

"By requiring the applicant to pass two drug tests, the Act impinges on
citizens' Fourth Amendment protections. Drug tests conducted without any
probable cause of wrongdoing are in danger of violating the Fourth
Amendment's ban on 'unreasonable searches,' especially when the subject
is an adult. Convicted drug offenders should not have a lower
expectation of privacy when they have already paid their debt to
society.

"The Higher Education Act's denial of loans to convicted drug offenders
is an unreasonable response to the drug problem in America. Because
current drug laws are very difficult to enforce, the government has
resorted to refusing benefits to an arbitrarily defined subsection of
Americans. The government's goal is to 'send the right message,' but the
message will be indelibly marred by the widespread infringement of
individual rights and the dumbing of future generations."

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

US lawmakers sneak through controversial wiretap law (Reuters says that
without debate or notice, US lawmakers were poised Thursday to approve
a proposal for roving wiretaps, long sought by the FBI, that would
dramatically expand wiretapping authority - an idea Congress rejected
many years ago.)

Date: Thu, 8 Oct 1998 22:27:46 EDT
Errors-To: jnr@insightweb.com
Reply-To: friends@freecannabis.org
Originator: friends@freecannabis.org
Sender: friends@freecannabis.org
From: RandallBart (Barticus@att.net)
To: Multiple recipients of list (friends@freecannabis.org)
Subject: US lawmakers sneak through controversial wiretap law (Reuters)

12:50 PM ET 10/08/98

US lawmakers sneak through controversial wiretap law

By Aaron Pressman

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Without debate or notice, U.S.
lawmakers were poised Thursday to approve a proposal long sought
by the FBI that would dramatically expand wiretapping
authority -- an idea Congress openly rejected many years ago.

The provision, allowing law enforcement agencies more easily
to tap any telephone used by or near a target individual instead
of getting authorization to tap specific phones, was added to
the Intelligence Authorization Conference report during a closed
door meeting and filed with the House and Senate Monday.

The conference report was easily adopted by the House on
Wednesday, despite an objection to the wiretapping provision
from Georgia Republican Bob Barr and is expected to be approved
by the Senate later on Thursday.

Neither the House nor the Senate had included the provision,
known as roving wiretap authority, in their versions of the
intelligence bill. But lawmakers drafting the conference report,
essentially a reconciliation of the two versions, decided to
include it.

Civil liberties groups were outraged by the expanded
wiretapping authority and the process of adding the provision in
secret.

``Roving wiretaps are a major expansion of current
government surveillance power,'' said Alan Davidson, staff
counsel at the Center for Democracy and Technology in
Washington. ``To take a controversial provision that affects the
fundamental constitutional liberties of the people and pass it
behind closed doors shows a shocking disregard for our
democratic process.''

Under current rules, law enforcement agencies seeking roving
wiretap authority from a judge must prove that an individual is
switching telephones specifically for the purpose of evading a
surveillance. The standard has been difficult to meet and kept
the number of roving wiretaps approved to a minimum, a telephone
industry official said.

Without roving authority, police must get permission from a
judge for each telephone line to be tapped.

Under the change approved this week, the police would need
show only that an individual's, ``actions could have the effect
of thwarting interception from a specific facility.''

The change removed the need to consider the target's motive
in using different telephones.

REUTERS

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

Brother Takes Over Mexican Drug Cartel (The Seattle Times says US authorities
yesterday identified Vicente Carrillo-Fuentes, the brother of a Mexican drug
lord who died in 1997, as the new leader of a Juarez-area cartel.)

Date: Thu, 8 Oct 1998 17:52:44 -0700
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: Mexico: Brother Takes Over Mexican Drug Cartel
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: John Smith
Pubdate: Thu, 08 Oct 1998
Source: Seattle Times (WA)
Contact: opinion@seatimes.com
Website: http://www.seattletimes.com/
Author: Claudia Kolker

BROTHER TAKES OVER MEXICAN DRUG CARTEL

EL PASO, Texas - Federal authorities yesterday identified Vicente
Carrillo-Fuentes, brother of a Mexican drug lord who died in 1997
after undergoing plastic surgery, as the new leader of a Juarez-area
cartel.

Although a federal grand jury had returned a 27-count indictment
against Carrillo-Fuentes in August 1997 and requested his extradition,
authorities unsealed the documents only this week.

The Juarez and Tijuana cartels are believed to be Mexico's two largest
drug organizations.

Carrillo-Fuentes' indictment includes federal drug and
money-laundering charges and seeks $56.5 million in criminal asset
forfeiture. The figure is based on the drug merchant's anticipated
earnings on tons of cocaine and marijuana seized by authorities.
Carrillo-Fuentes also faces up to life in prison if he is convicted.

Believed to be somewhere in Mexico, Carrillo-Fuentes was responsible
for funneling cocaine and marijuana through the western area of Texas
en route to cities including Dallas, Chicago and New York,
law-enforcement agents said.

Vicente's brother, Amado Carrillo-Fuentes, was legendary for his
abilities to bully or coax Colombian drug traffickers into working
with him. After Amado's death on July 4, 1997, the Juarez-El Paso drug
organization fell into violent disarray.

Vicente Carrillo-Fuentes apparently assumed the cartel's leadership
after a rival, Rafael Munoz-Talavera, was killed earlier this year,
agents said.

Nevertheless, gory contests for cartel dominance still make Juarez
unsafe, said DEA special agent Robert Castillo.

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

Indictment Launches Hunt For Drug Lord (A slightly different Associated Press
account in The Houston Chronicle)

Date: Thu, 8 Oct 1998 06:27:10 -0700
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: US TX: Indictment Launches Hunt For Drug Lord
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: Houston Chronicle (TX)
Contact: viewpoints@chron.com
Website: http://www.chron.com/
Pubdate: Thu, 8 Oct 1998
Author: Eduardo Montes, Associated Press

INDICTMENT LAUNCHES HUNT FOR DRUG LORD

Brother of slain boss seizes top spot in Juarez cartel, U.S. wanted list

EL PASO -- The man believed to have seized control of the Juarez cartel, one
of Mexico's most powerful drug rings, has been indicted on trafficking
charges and is now considered a top target for U.S. authorities.

Vicente Carrillo Fuentes assumed leadership of the organization following
the death last year of his older brother, cartel leader Amado Carrillo
Fuentes, and the Sept. 10 slaying of rival Rafael Munoz Talavera, federal
officials said Wednesday in releasing the previously sealed indictment.

He now ranks among the upper echelon of Mexican drug lords that includes
Tijuana's notorious Arellano Felix brothers, and U.S. officials say his
apprehension is a priority.

"We want to extend our invitation to Vicente Carrillo Fuentes to surrender.
The jails in the United States are not that bad," said Dave Alba, special
agent in charge of the FBI office in El Paso.

Carrillo, 36, faces life in prison and millions in fines if convicted on 26
trafficking, possession and money-laundering counts contained in the
indictment, which stems from a multi-agency investigation originally
targeting Amado Carrillo.

A similar indictment had been prepared July 3, 1997, charging the older
Carrillo, but he died the next day while undergoing plastic surgery in
Mexico City, said Bill Blagg, U.S. attorney for the Western District of
Texas.

This indictment also seeks to force Carrillo to forfeit $56.5 million, the
money that would have been generated from drug transactions listed in the
indictment, officials said.

The charges are based on drug seizures totaling 3,757 kilos of cocaine and
9,395 pounds of marijuana that have been traced to the cartel.

A U.S. grand jury in El Paso returned the indictment Aug. 6, 1997, and in
November, the U.S. government submitted an extradition request and an arrest
warrant to Mexican authorities for Carrillo.

The indictment is being released publicly because "it's been deemed
important for us to now seek the public's support," said Blagg. "It seemed
like the right time to do it."

Authorities said arresting Carrillo would not dismantle the Juarez cartel,
which is based across the border from El Paso, but would disrupt operations
and make the organization more vulnerable.

The downside would be that it might also touch off another power struggle
like the turf war that has claimed dozens of lives in Juarez since Carrillo
died.

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

US Indictment Targets Suspected Drug Cartel Chief
(The Dallas Morning News version)

Date: Thu, 8 Oct 1998 07:07:52 -0700
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: US/Mexico: U.S. Indictment
Targets Suspected Drug Cartel Chief
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: Thu, 8 Oct 1998
Author: Nancy San Martin / The Dallas Morning News

U.S. INDICTMENT TARGETS SUSPECTED DRUG CARTEL CHIEF

Brother of Mexican who died during plastic surgery named

EL PASO - With at least two alleged leaders of the lucrative Juarez Cartel
dead, U.S. authorities announced the indictment Wednesday of the man now
believed to be heading the organization.

"We extend an invitation to Vicente Carrillo Fuentes to give himself up,"
said Dave Alba, of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. "The jails in the
United States are not that bad."

Officials made public a 27-count indictment against Mr. Carrillo, 35, the
brother of drug baron Amado Carrillo Fuentes who died last year during
plastic surgery.

Since his death, a gang war has been escalating over control of what is
said to be one of Mexico's most powerful drug enterprises. Bodies have been
scattered throughout the region in recent months, the most notable
belonging to Rafael Munoz Talavera, found last month in Ciudad Juarez shot,
beaten and wrapped in plastic. Mr. Munoz Talavera was jockeying to take
over the cartel when he was slain, officials said.

According to the indictment, the cartel is responsible for trying to import
3,757 kilos of cocaine and 9,395 pounds of marijuana into the United States
from October 1985 to July 1997.

"These figures represent actual law enforcement seizures that can be traced
to the Juarez cartel," Mr. Blagg said.

The drugs were smuggled in from Juarez and Ojinaga, Mexico, and stashed in
safehouses in West Texas before moving on to Dallas, Chicago and New York,
officials said.

Mr. Carrillo is charged with continuing criminal enterprises, conspiracy to
import and possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances,
importation of controlled substances, possession with the intent to
distribute controlled substances and money laundering. If convicted, he
faces a maximum penalty of life in prison and a $4 million fine on each count.

Authorities also are seeking to seize $56.5 million in cash and personal
assets from Mr. Carrillo. The money represents the profits that would have
been made if the narcotics seized would have been sold in the United
States, officials said.

The indictment follows a 15-month investigation in 1996 and 1997. Mr.
Carrillo's older brother, Amado Carrillo, was to be the original target.
But he died the day after the original proposed indictment was submitted to
the U.S. attorney's office for its approval.

Also listed in the original indictment was Alfonso "Lino" Corral Olaquez.
But he was gunned down last year at a restaurant in Juarez.

Before Amado Carrillo's death on July 4, 1997, the El Paso Intelligence
Center, a multi-agency task force, produced a confidential intelligence
report that described Vicente Carrillo as "chief of operations" for the
Juarez cartel.

The 1997 report said Vicente Carrillo and other alleged cartel members had
left their traditional base of operations in Ciudad Juarez, presumably to
avoid capture, and that Vicente Carrillo had been spotted in Zacatecas
state in central Mexico.

The report also accused Vicente Carrillo of purchasing high-tech security
equipment, scrambled radio transmitters and receivers, mobile radios and
hundreds of infrared beacons that could be used to light up clandestine
landing strips.

While the indictment didn't describe assets that might be seized by U.S.
authorities, American drug agents say the Carrillo clan owns homes,
vehicles, planes, hotels and other businesses throughout Mexico.

U.S. authorities submitted an extradition request to Mexican officials last
November.

"After a year, it seemed important to us that we now enlist the public's
support and apply pressure to bring it [the arrest] to bear," Mr. Blagg said.

The Mexican attorney general's office had no immediate comment.

Though authorities said they don't expect Mr. Carrillo's apprehension to
dismantle the Juarez Cartel, they do think it would at least weaken the
organization.

"It will have an impact without a doubt," said Robert Castillo, special
agent in charge for the DEA in El Paso. "The Juarez Cartel won't
necessarily lose all its power but it will disrupt the organization."

Writer Tracey Eaton in Mexico City contributed to this report.

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

US Adds Pressure For Narcotics Kingpin (The San Jose Mercury News version)

Date: Fri, 9 Oct 1998 12:23:33 -0700
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: US: US Adds Pressure For Narcotics Kingpin
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)
Contact: letters@sjmercury.com
Website: http://www.sjmercury.com/
Pubdate: Thu, 8 Oct 1998

U.S. ADDS PRESSURE FOR NARCOTICS KINGPIN

Federal authorities in El Paso, Texas, on Wednesday identified Vicente
Carrillo-Fuentes, brother of a Mexican drug lord who died in 1997
after undergoing plastic surgery, as the new leader of a Juarez-area
cartel. Although a federal grand jury had returned a 27-count
indictment against Carrillo-Fuentes in August 1997 and requested his
extradition from Mexico in November of that year, authorities unsealed
the documents only this week.

Some officials said they decided to publicize the indictment -- which
lists seizures of 8,265 pounds of cocaine and 9,395 pounds of
marijuana over a 12-year period -- partly to increase pressure on
Mexico to snare Carrillo-Fuentes and deliver him to the United States.

The Juarez and Tijuana cartels are believed to be Mexico's two largest
drug organizations. Vicente's brother, Amado Carrillo-Fuentes, was
legendary for his abilities to bully or coax Colombian drug
traffickers into working with him. After Amado's death on July 4,
1997, linked to plastic surgery undertaken to hide his identity, the
Juarez-El Paso drug organization fell into violent disarray.

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

Methadone Turnabout Is A Welcome First Step (San Jose Mercury News columnist
Joanne Jacobs says drug war propaganda has beaten pragmatism at every turn -
until last week, when General Barry McCaffrey, in a speech to the American
Methadone Treatment Association, called for expanding heroin addicts' access
to methadone. Based on the logic of New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani,
diabetics should be forced to give up their dependency on insulin.)

Date: Fri, 9 Oct 1998 12:23:33 -0700
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: US CA: OPED: Methadone Turnabout Is A Welcome First Step
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)
Contact: letters@sjmercury.com
Website: http://www.sjmercury.com/
Pubdate: Thu, 8 Oct 1998
Author: JOANNE JACOBS

METHADONE TURNABOUT IS A WELCOME FIRST STEP

IN the endless, unwinnable war on drugs, the generals have relied on
rhetoric, not on scientific research. Propaganda has beaten pragmatism
in every battle.

Until now. Last week, Gen. Barry McCaffrey, the nation's drug policy
chief, called for expanding heroin addicts' access to methadone, in
response to a National Academy of Sciences panel that concluded
methadone is ``more likely to work than any other therapy'' for heroin
addiction.

According to a federal study, methadone maintenance cuts addicts'
heroin use by 70 percent and criminal activity by 57 percent, while
boosting full-time employment by 24 percent. By reducing hypodermic
use, it also lowers the rate of HIV and hepatitis infections.

Since the '60s, special clinics have weaned addicts from heroin and
other opiates to methadone, a synthetic drug that suppresses drug cravings.

In a speech to the American Methadone Treatment Association, McCaffrey
echoed the recommendations of medical experts convened by the academy
and the National Institutes of Health, who have endorsed the
effectiveness of methadone treatment and criticized the government's
heavy-handed regulation.

In addition to rewriting rules to ensure the quality of clinic-based
methadone treatment, McCaffrey said patients should be able to get
methadone at the offices of specially certified doctors. Anyone who
needs methadone should be able to get it, he said.

Only 15 percent of heroin and opiate addicts -- about 115,000
Americans -- use methadone now. There are waiting lists at every
methadone clinic in the country, said a recent study by a physicians'
group. Eight states ban methadone clinics.

Some patients must travel for hours to drink a daily dose under a
clinic monitor's supervision, making it difficult to hold down a job.

Methadone treatment is much more widely used in European countries
that make it available through doctors and pharmacies. But in the
U.S., substance abuse has been treated as a sin, not as a disease, and
the zero tolerance zealots will settle for nothing less than abstinence.

Methadone maintenance essentially is a crutch, not a cure for drug
dependency. While some addicts use methadone as a steppingstone to a
drug-free life, others remain on methadone maintenance for many years.
Because the drug doesn't create euphoria or sedation, users can work,
raise families and rebuild their lives.

``At proper doses, methadone lets addicts function normally, without
making them `high,' and can be safely consumed for decades with
remarkably few bad side effects,'' wrote Ethan Nadelmann and Jennifer
McNeely in Public Interest in 1996. ``Methadone is to heroin users
what nicotine skin patches are to tobacco smokers.''

Expanding methadone treatment doesn't just offer heroin addicts a way
off the streets. It makes the streets safer for everyone else.

``Current policy . . . puts too much emphasis on protecting society
from methadone, and not enough on protecting society from the
epidemics of addiction, violence, and infectious diseases that
methadone can help reduce,'' concluded an Institute of Medicine
committee in 1995. ``Why, if methadone is effective, is it regulated
so highly and so differently from other drugs?''

Federal, state and local regulations limit doctors' authority to
decide the best way to provide methadone, the most effective dose and
the right time to move patients off the drug.

Regulations limit flexibility, require useless paperwork and impose
unnecessary costs, concluded an NIH panel last year, which was charged
with reporting on the medical and scientific consensus on methadone.
``Yet these regulations seem to have little if any effect on quality''
of care. ``We know of no other area where the federal government
intrudes so deeply and coercively into the practice of medicine.''

Drug enforcement agents fear methadone will be abused, but the
researchers say most street sales are to addicts who can't get into a
methadone treatment program.

When Belgium allowed doctors to prescribe methadone, street sales fell
off.

New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani wants to shut down methadone
treatment, forcing addicts to go cold turkey -- or go back to heroin.

``Methadone is a terrible, terrible perversion of drug treatment
because it leaves a person dependent,'' said Giuliani in a July 20
speech.

By that logic, diabetics should be forced to give up their dependency
on insulin.

McCaffrey said the mayor's views ``are at odds with the conclusions of
the nation's scientific and medical community. The problem isn't that
there are too many methadone programs; it is that there are too few.''

Of course, the drug czar isn't listening to scientific and medical
experts' conclusions on needle-exchange programs and medicinal
marijuana. But perhaps this is a first step toward sanity in the
nation's drug policy.

Joanne Jacobs is a member of the Mercury News editorial board. Her
column appears on Mondays and Thursdays. You may reach her at 750
Ridder Park Dr., San Jose, CA 95190, by fax at 408-271-3792, or e-mail
to JJacobs@sjmercury.com .

1997 - 1998 Mercury Center.

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

Panic in needle park (A portrait of Toronto's junkie community
in Eye magazine says needle exchanges were supposed to slow the spread
of HIV, but infection rates are still rising. "We need more than a quick fix.")

Date: Fri, 09 Oct 1998 09:10:49 -0400
To: mattalk@islandnet.com
From: Dave Haans (haans@chass.utoronto.ca)
Subject: eye Magazine: Panic in needle park
Newshawk: Dave Haans
Source: eye Magazine (Toronto, Canada)
Pubdate: Thursday, October 8, 1998
Page: 8-9
Website: http://www.eye.net
Contact: eye@eye.net
Author: P.F. McGrath

Panic in needle park

Needle exchanges were supposed to slow the spread of HIV among addicts, but
infection rates are still rising. We need more than a quick fix

It's hard not to feel intimidated walking up to Seaton House. A man smokes
crack in the back alley, and the dealers on the corner fall silent, their
eyes locking on me as I walk by. It's a Saturday afternoon, but even on
weekdays the threadbare yard is so packed with men they spill out onto
George Street. Someone behind me tauntingly yells, "Look at 'is shoes, look
at 'em shine." A few of them laugh.

To the men packed six to a room it's called Satan's House -- poverty's
prison. Wedged between the botanical gardens to the north and Moss Park to
the south, the three-storey homeless shelter for men is in the heart of
Toronto's drug district. There are six needle exchanges within a 20-minute
walk.

"Something's gonna happen tonight. I can smell it -- like rain," one of the
residents says to Victor, the front door guard. Victor shrugs as if to say
something happens here every night. The shelter houses society's problems:
ex-cons, homeless men, the insane, drug addicts and, increasingly, AIDS.

"There are 682 guys in here, and every one of them has got AIDS or soon
will," Victor says as I wait on the steps for Paul, the man that I've come
to meet.

Paul is a typical resident in most ways. He's an addict with a violent
history. He's been abusing hard drugs for a long time. He's gone through
two habits and more than a dozen stints in jail. But as he limps and jerks
down the front steps, I wonder if he realizes he's luckier than many. Paul
has dodged AIDS.

HIV infection rates among intravenous drug users have more than doubled
since Toronto Public Health authorities began a needle exchange program to
try to contain the problem in 1989. The idea was simple: give away clean
20-cent needles and intravenous drug users would be less likely to share
their old, used needles -- and their diseases with them. But it turns out
it's not that simple.

When The Works, Toronto Public Health's largest needle exchange, opened in
1989, 4.6 per cent of its clients were HIV positive. The rate reached 9.6
per cent over the winter, and by all indications it's still climbing.

The woman trying to hold back the tide is Shaun Humpkins, manager at The
Works. HIV infection "has gone up enough that we are somewhat concerned,"
she says. "But it's not that simple to say that there is a needle exchange
program and we are seeing an increase so we should blame it on the
program." She points to changes in crack cocaine use, with injection
becoming more popular.

Every year in Toronto, eight needle exchanges hand out more than 200,000
hypodermic syringes -- and The Works wants to distribute many more. This
fall Humpkins will present a proposal to city council that would double the
number of exchanges in the GTA.

But needle exchanges, even those that are considered successful, don't
reduce HIV infection rates, because they can't address problems that spawn
drug addiction, problems that haunt the halls of places like Seaton House:
abuse, violence, poverty, prostitution, psychological problems,
unemployment, homelessness.

Criminologists say places like Seaton House drive up drug use simply
because they bring so many users together, introducing everyone to everyone
else's habits. They say a shelter of this size, ringed by needle exchanges,
creates a marketplace that draws dealers, raises crime and prostitution and
destroys neighborhoods.

This process is what is driving up HIV infection rates in the area. It's
what Humpkins and other needle exchange workers are up against, and by all
accounts, they're losing.

PLAYING RUSSIAN ROULETTE

Back on George Street, Paul and I are walking toward one of Toronto's
busiest illicit drug marketplaces, the east end of the botanical gardens.

"Now don't be asking me all these questions like you been asking me
before," Paul says as we head north through Allan Gardens. "If someone
hears you here, it'll come back to me."

Traffic slides by on Jarvis as the dealers keep a steady eye on Paul. If he
nodded, they would casually get up and follow him. What? How much? Money?
Dope? Get the hypes, go down an alley, fix it, smash it, done. Forty
minutes later you're looking for the next fix.

"See that guy?" Paul asks. "He's a cookie monster. He's grinding" -- the
term for crack addicts looking for more crack. "He just fixed his last rock
and now he's trying to figure out how he's going to get more."

"How do you know?" I ask, watching the teenager stumble across Jarvis.

"Because I know that guy."

The teenager makes it to the other side of the street as traffic starts
past him. "They think they're untouchable," he says. "They're playing
Russian roulette and they don't care."

A study released by the Addiction Research Foundation in 1997 stated:
"Cocaine has become the number one problem of abuse for young clients. The
bulk of treatment is for crack addiction." Among street youth interviewed
in 1992, the last time such a study was done, 31 per cent had used crack in
the last year. For adults the figure was one per cent.

The resurgence of crack's popularity, especially among younger users, is
extremely worrisome for public health authorities. One very good reason to
worry is the growing practice of injecting crack cocaine.

FALLING THROUGH THE CRACK

Crack is made by mixing baking powder and cocaine. Chemically, it's a base,
which means to break it down into a powder, you need an acid.

On a rooftop off a service alley on Yonge, I find the typical paraphernalia
of hard drug use. Pop cans with small clusters of holes punched in them,
empty lighters, hundreds of spent matches, a couple of syringes. In a
corner behind an exhaust vent, I find an empty vinegar packet from
Harvey's. Vinegar is three per cent acetic acid. It dissolves crack into a
powder fine enough to inject.

The problem is that if you want to inject the crack, then you also have to
inject the vinegar. Vinegar also dissolves the cell walls in veins. The
result: junkies with infections and abscesses.

About two months ago, staff at The Works began noticing an increase in the
number of infections they were treating. When they found out clients were
using vinegar or lime juice to dissolve the crack, they started packaging
Vitamin C in little zip-lock bags to cut down on vinegar thefts at local
fast food restaurants.

The recipe on the back of the pack says: "Mix Your Crack With Vitamin C.
Put $20 worth of crack in a spoon. Add a pinch of Vitamin C powder equal to
1/4 the size of the rock. Add 60 units of sterilized water and crush
together. Add more water if needed. For a $10 rock, cut the recipe in half."

"When we started we couldn't give them away," says Leah Boelhouer, a
counsellor at The Works. "Now, six weeks later, we're giving away between
25 and 50 a night."

Only some of Toronto's intravenous drug users get their gear from The
Works, and of those who do, not all will use the vitamin C, or even know
about it. But the existence of the packs indicates a substantial shift in
drug use in the city. It is exactly this shift that has destroyed the
Downtown Eastside in Vancouver and threatens to do the same here.

Detective Courtland Booth is with the Metropolitan Toronto Police. He says
the major difference between heroin and crack is that heroin slows you down
-- "puts you on the nod," he says, referring to the sluggishness
experienced after using the drug. "But crack heightens your activity.
You're very hyper; it overstimulates the synaptic response of the brain. It
becomes an overwhelming need. Prostitution, robbery, selling the drug
itself -- addicts will do just about anything to get more."

This kind of obsessed behavior is driving some of the most alarming
increases in new AIDS cases. Between 1989 and 1996, the proportion of new
AIDS cases that were reported among Canadian drug users rose, among men,
from one per cent to five per cent. The proportion of new AIDS cases among
female drug users rose from six per cent in 1989 to 15 per cent in 1992 and
reached 24 per cent by 1996. The psychological imperative created by crack
helps push many high-risk women into prostitution, at which point they can
become receptacles for every disease on the street.

Another symptom of the shift toward crack surfaces at The Works. "We
started seeing clients coming in asking for one needle, many times a day,"
Humpkins says. A heroin high typically last 10 to 12 hours. With crack it's
20 minutes. When crack addicts are going on a run, a multiple-day binge,
they will inject up to 30 times a day -- which means re-using or sharing
dirty needles when the supply of free ones runs out.

"They don't eat, sleep or take care of themselves," Humpkins says. "Then
they are more at risk. Crack injections are not that planned."

STILL AROUND

Paul's getting tired. He's 46 years old and weights 114 pounds. He walks
with a limp from the arthritis caused by sleeping on the streets for five
years. "It's destroyed the best part of my life," he says.

He sits down on a windowsill and slurps back the last of his Pepsi. He's
been clean for over a month now, and it's taken its toll. Every morning he
rolls out of bed onto the floor, crawls over to the wall and forces his
arthritic legs upright. In the mornings, especially if it's damp, the
10-minute walk to the drugstore to get his methadone takes much longer.
Still, he usually makes it by 7 a.m.

I can't help thinking that the methadone fix is the easiest, that all the
problems that were there 30 years ago are still there. That rebuilding a
life, re-establishing contact with his family, finding a job and
self-esteem, some worth, making money, dealing with all of this, that's
when it really gets tough.

"I don't want to end up being nothing," he says.

"You'll have help. There's some good people out there."

"Yeah, there's still a couple of us left," he says, shaking my hand.

I tell him I want to see him again, I want to show him the article. He
smiles for the first time in two days. He doesn't answer, though.

"You have yourself a good evening," he says, with a mock formality that
makes me laugh as he fades up the stairs.

Not 10 minutes later, a police cruiser pulls up in front of Seaton House.
Two officers pull out a roll of yellow plastic tape and cordon off the
front of the residence. A bunch of guys gather to watch. I ask somebody
what happened. Some guy stabbed another guy with a bottle.

"Hit 'im right in de ribs, and he just drop," a man says.

"Hey, you looking for t'ings?" he says, propositioning me, indicating a bag
of something in his pocket, "cuz t'ings still around, right."

He's standing 20 feet from the police cruiser. At that moment it all seems
so hopeless.

A fire truck comes careening around the corner, followed by two ambulances.
I watch a huddle of paramedics load a body onto a gurney. I hear a police
officer saying, "There's a bottle of pure vodka and pills too... I guess
you want that now, right?"

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

Officials Find 142 Mexican State Police Used False Military Credentials
(An Associated Press article in The San Luis Obispo Telegram-Tribune
says a routine inspection by military officials showed more than 10 percent
of Mexico state's judicial police submitted false proof of military service
to get their jobs.)

Date: Fri, 9 Oct 1998 06:57:31 -0700
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: US CA: Officials Find 142 Mexican State Police Used False
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: Jo-D Harrison
Pubdate: Thu, 8 Oct 1998
Source: San Luis Obispo Telegram-Tribune (CA)
Contact: slott@slnt01.sanluisobispo.com
Tel: 805-781-7800
Website: http://sanluisobispo.com/
Author: AP

OFFICIALS FIND 142 MEXICAN STATE POLICE USED FALSE MILITARY CREDENTIALS

TOLUCA, Mexico (AP) - A routine inspection by military officials has
found that more than 10 percent of Mexico State's judicial police sub-
mitted false proof of military service to get their jobs.

The Defense Secretariat found that 142 police agents assigned to to
the Mexico State attorney general's office submitted crude imitations
of military service credentials, according to documents obtained by
The Associated Press.

Defense officials confronted the agents on Aug. 28 and six resigned
immediately. The others are under investigation. The attorney
general's office in Mexico State, which surrounds most of Mexico City,
declined to comment on whether the agents have been suspended.

Military service credentials are required for judicial police.
Military officials inspect police records annually to assure that
officers have the proper credentials. It was not known why the false
records hadn't been discovered in previous inspections.

Copyright 1998 Associated Press. All rights reserved.

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

Police Chiefs Plan Biggest Blitz Yet On Drug Dealers (The Scotsman
says Scotland's eight chief constables are preparing to launch the biggest
crackdown on drug dealers in the country's history.)

Date: Fri, 9 Oct 1998 11:35:40 -0700
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: UK: Police Chiefs Plan Biggest Blitz Yet On Drug Dealers
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: shug@shug.co.uk
Source: Scotsman (UK)
Contact: Letters_ts@scotsman.com
Website: http://www.scotsman.com/
Pubdate: 8 Oct 1998
Author: Jenny Booth Home Affairs Correspondent

POLICE CHIEFS PLAN BIGGEST BLITZ YET ON DRUG DEALERS

McLeish heralds crackdown backed by initiatives aimed at reforming addicts

SCOTLAND'S eight chief constables are preparing to launch the biggest
crackdown on drug dealers in the country's history.

Police will work hand in hand this winter with customs officers, benefits
agency workers and The Inland Revenue, targeting not just the criminals but
also their assets, tax dodges and benefit frauds.

Henry McLeish, the Scottish home affairs minister, announced the campaign
yesterday at a press conference in Gorbals, Glasgow.

At the same event Sam Galbraith, the Scottish health minister, announced an
extra UKP5 million for health workers and social services to fund
initiatives aimed at reforming drug users.

The money includes: cash for the Health Education Board Scotland (HEBS) to
mount a campaign to warn young people of the dangers of heroin; an extra
UKP2 million to health boards to spend on drugs treatments such as
prescribing methadone as a substitute for heroin; and UKP2 million to fund
court sentences such as new drug treatment and testing orders.

"Spending on drugs treatment and community sentencing is also spending on
prevention of repeat offending by drug addicts," said Mr Galbraith.

"It helps to cut street crime and return drug users to a law abiding life.
Substitute prescribing has cut back sharply on crimes committed by heroin
injectors in Glasgow, and produced savings of half a billion pounds."

The anti-drugs campaign has been prompted by the rising numbers of
offenders reported for drugs possession, supply or importation. In 1988,
Scottish police recorded 5,213 drugs crimes - by 1997 that had risen 600
per cent to 29,386.

Mr McLeish said the effects on communities have been devastating, with drug
users responsible for half of all the crime committed in Scotland and
causing their families and neighbours untold misery.

"Strathclyde Police launched a major drive on Tuesday to attack
housebreaking linked to drug abuse. Other forces are preparing their own
campaigns and plans are being drawn up for a Scotland-wide blitz, involving
the police, local authorities, housing departments and others to reclaim
communities gripped by dealers."

He added that housing authorities would soon be able to use new powers of
eviction to throw drug dealers out of their homes, freeing neighbourhoods
from their reign of terror.

He also announced UKP50,000 to research the connection between drugs and
all types of crime. The study will be carried out in Strathclyde and Fife

Mr McLeish confirmed that he was considering changing the law to enable the
Crown to pursue drugs barons through the civil courts, taking advantage of
the lower standard of proof - "in the balance of probabilities" as opposed
to "beyond all reasonable doubt" in the criminal courts - to confiscate
fortunes made through the drugs trade.

"We must target drugs suppliers where it hurts most, in the wealth they
have acquired," Mr McLeish said.

He acknowledged the fears of civil liberties campaigners but said that it
was a question of balancing the rights of drug dealers with the rights of
communities like Cranhill and the Gorbals, devastated by drugs.

He promised to launch a further initiative within weeks, using electronic
surveillance to cut the amount of drugs in prisons.

Meanwhile, Scotland's two drug prevention teams, based in Glasgow and
Dundee, are to be merged into one national team with UKP700,000 funding.

David Campbell, the chairman of HEBS, which has been tasked with cutting
the number of young people attracted to heroin, said that he was keen to
avoid the mistakes of past media campaigns which had tended to glamorise
the drug.

The campaign will probably reflect the fact that different areas have
different heroin problems, with young clubbers in Grampian smoking heroin
on a Monday morning to help them come down from their weekend ecstasy high,
whereas young people in Glasgow smoke or inject it as a drug of first
choice.

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