-------------------------------------------------------------------
Community View - DARE Deserves A Chance (A letter to the editor
of The Statesman Journal, in Salem, Oregon, laments the the Salem-Keizer
School District's decision to cut the Drug Abuse Resistance Education program
from half of its schools.)
Date: Mon, 9 Nov 1998 17:59:01 -0800
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: US OR: 5 LTE's: Community View: DARE Deserves A Chance
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: Jim Rosenfield (jnr@insightweb.com)
Source: Salem Statesman-Journal
Pubdate: Sat, 7 Nov 1998
Contact: letters@statesmanjournal.com
Website: http://www.statesmanjournal.com
Author: Karin Casteel, Brittany Baldwin, Doug Williams, Kristen Gossett,
Seth Dollinger
COMMUNITY VIEW: DARE DESERVES A CHANCE
I was deeply saddened to read about the Salem-Keizer School District's
decision to cut the DARE program from half of its schools. As an elementary
education major at Western Oregon University, I've had the opportunity to
observe the DARE program in action. Not only does DARE educate students
about drugs, but more .important. it teaches them how and why to say no to
drug abuse.
Drug abuse is on the rise among youth. Since the effectiveness of DARE is
difficult to measure, the rising numbers of youth abusing drugs is utilized
in forming the conclusion that DARE does no work But I wonder what the
statistics would be if there were no DARE program.
Such studies are inconclusive because they only look at one area of the
issue without incorporating other possibilities. Is this to say that when
students' reading and mathematics scores drop, we should cut these areas
from education as well? I wonder what message we are sending to children,
when we give up on a program that can do so much good, simply because some
people question its effectiveness
Too much emphasis is put on the students' test scores. They are published in
the newspapers periodically to show us how students are stacking up to
national averages. But what are these tests actually telling us? They simply
show society how capable children are of memorizing facts and regurgitating
data.
Such tests tell us nothing about an individual's ability to think for
himself or herself, or to do work collaboratively at solving a challengmg
problem. This is not to say that I don't think the basic subjects in school
aren't important, because they are. But I urge you to go to any college or
university education program and find out what.is being taught.
Educators are learning to teach all subjects in a more holistic manner,
meaning that the basics are emphasized, as well as life skills that students
must know to survive, DARE teaches many of these life skills to students. A
regular classroom teacher can help students learn these. But there's
something special about a police officer coming into a classroom, with
first-hand knowledge and experiences to teach the kids.
Students develop a rapport with the officer and grow to respect him/her
and what he/she has to offer. As a 21-yesrold observing a fttth-grade
classroom during weekly DARE, I learned things about drugs that I never even
knew before. But DARE is not just about drugs; it's about building childrens
self-esteem and giving them confidence in how to handle difficult situations.
There always will be kids who make wrong decisions when it comes to drug
abuse. But the DARE program is a wonderful way to empower children and help
them feel good about themselves.
We have to at least give students the opportunity to learn valuable
information that can be so useful in life. Combined with a good base of
education and fundamentals, DARE can go so far. Please give it a chance
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Officer gets pension for gambling disorder (The Philadelphia Inquirer
says a former cop in San Jose, California, who is serving time in jail
for burglary has been awarded early retirement and a $27,000-a-year pension
because his addiction to gambling has left him officially disabled.
The city's attorney said that disability retirement benefits could be offered
for psychiatric reasons that involved an element of drug or alcohol abuse.)
From: "Bob Owen@W.H.E.N." (when@olywa.net)
To: "_Drug Policy --" (when@hemp.net)
Subject: Officer gets pension for gambling disorder
Date: Sun, 8 Nov 1998 19:46:23 -0800
Sender: owner-when@hemp.net
Not exactly drug related, but a $27,000/yr retirement for an addiction...(CC)
***
Newshawk: ccross@november.org
Source: The Philadelphia Inquirer
Pubdate: November 7, 1998
Online: http://www.phillynews.com/inquirer/98/Nov/07/national/GAMB07.htm
Officer gets pension for gambling disorder
REUTERS
SAN JOSE, Calif. -- A former city police officer now in jail on burglary
charges has been awarded early retirement and a $27,000-a-year pension
because his addiction to gambling has left him officially "disabled."
The San Jose Police and Fire Retirement Board voted 3-2 on Thursday to offer
a disability pension to Johnny Venzon Jr., who is in Santa Clara County Jail
charged with a string of thefts allegedly undertaken to support his gambling
habit.
"I'm sure we'll get a lot of flak," board member Bill Brill told the San
Jose Mercury News. "Johnny's no shining star. Obviously, our concern was
with his family. . . ."
Venzon, 48, has been accused of embezzling money from the Police Department,
possessing stolen police uniforms, burglarizing homes, and stealing from
relatives of the recently deceased, the paper said.
He is charged with 14 counts of burglary, one count of grand theft, and one
count of receiving stolen property. Bail is set at $300,000.
Medical experts said Venzon suffered from obsessive-compulsive disorder
centered on gambling, which they said was a "pathological" problem standing
in the way of his police career.
City Attorney Joan Gallo, while calling Venzon's case unique, said that
disability retirement benefits could be offered for psychiatric reasons that
involved an element of drug or alcohol abuse.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Mendocino Sheriff, DA Favor Decriminalizing Pot (The San Francisco Chronicle
notes the new district attorney and the new sheriff in Mendocino County,
California favor decriminalizing the illegal weed. For the past three years,
Mendocino has led all other counties in California in the number of marijuana
plants seized under a state-run eradication program. Sheriff's deputies say
that last year, the department destroyed about 170,000 plants valued at
$68 million and so far this year has destroyed about 65,000 plants valued
at $26 million.)
Date: Sun, 8 Nov 1998 20:01:08 -0800
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: US CA: Mendocino Sheriff, DA Favor Decriminalizing Pot
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: Sat, 7 Nov 1998
Source: San Francisco Chronicle (CA)
Copyright: 1998 San Francisco Chronicle
Contact: chronletters@sfgate.com
Website: http://www.sfgate.com/chronicle/
Author: Susan Sward
MENDOCINO SHERIFF, D.A. FAVOR DECRIMINALIZING POT
In Mendocino County -- where marijuana is a booming,
multimillion-dollar crop -- the new district attorney and the new
sheriff favor decriminalizing the illegal weed.
The district attorney-elect, Norman Vroman, is a Ukiah lawyer who
served nine months in a federal prison after failing to file federal
income taxes, a misdemeanor.
Vroman told The Chronicle that he favors decriminalizing marijuana
``because the war on drugs isn't working. If it is a war, we lost it a
long time ago.
``. . . I will prosecute cases of commercial cultivation, but I think
laws against the cultivation of marijuana are ridiculous. Because it
is illegal, that's what keeps the price up there.''
The new sheriff, Tony Craver, has been a lieutenant in the Sheriff's
Department and lives in Fort Bragg. He said he has no plans to ``pick
up a banner and march to Sacramento in some movement to legalize
marijuana. But my personal belief is we should deal with marijuana the
way we do with alcohol.
``We have spent billions on the war on drugs, and there's been a zero
decrease in the sale and use of drugs. . . . I am suggesting maybe we
aren't doing the proper thing.''
State law makes possession of small amounts of marijuana a misdemeanor
and makes cultivation a felony.
Both Vroman, 61, and Craver, 59, said they will enforce the law, but
they said society should focus on violent crimes.
The election of the two men comes at a time when marijuana clinics
dispensing the drug in the state under Proposition 215 are being
threatened with closure or have already been closed by federal
authorities, who say the drug is illegal. That state proposition,
approved by voters in 1996, legalized the use and cultivation of
marijuana for medical purposes.
``Medical use of marijuana is a no-brainer in Mendocino County because
there is general sympathy for legalization here,'' said Mendocino
County Supervisor Charles Peterson.
``A very healthy piece of the county's economy comes from the
cultivation of marijuana,'' Peterson added. ``It's cash. It's not
taxed, and the money stays in the county.''
In the vineyard, logging and ranch country 100 miles north of San
Francisco, many people say Vroman's and Craver's election victories
show that folks are fed up with the war on drugs.
``We're as close to the laws of the Old West as you can get with these
new people being elected,'' said Bill Bailey, who runs a $10
million-a-year mail-order logging supply business in Laytonville and
employs 30 people. ``It's kind of like you obey the laws you want to.''
Sheila Larson, who owns Boomer's Bar and Grill in Laytonville, says
she has ``watched taxpayer dollars dwindle away for 20 years on the
supposed eradication of marijuana.
``I think marijuana is more prevalent now than it was in 1964, when we
moved here from San Francisco to raise our kids,'' Larson said. ``I
would prefer this eradication money go to the schools.''
For the past three years, Mendocino has led all other counties in the
number of marijuana plants seized under a state-run eradication
program. Sheriff's deputies say that last year, the department
destroyed about 170,000 plants -- valued at $68 million -- and so far
this year has destroyed about 65,000 plants -- valued at $26 million.
The drop from last year is explained by the fact that two big groves
of plants were found in 1997, according to sheriff's Captain Kevin
Broine.
``We are certainly seeing more marijuana grown up here than before,''
he said. ``It's concentrated in remote areas.''
Broine's new boss, Craver, defeated sheriff's Lieutenant Phil Pintane
by 58 percent to 42 percent in an election to fill the position left
vacant by retiring Sheriff Jim Tuso.
In the district attorney's race, Vroman defeated Susan Massini, the
county's district attorney for 12 years, by a vote of 52 percent to 48
percent. Vroman told voters he has never found any law requiring him
to file income tax returns. Since his stint in federal prison in the
early 1990s, however, Vroman -- a former deputy district attorney in
both Los Angeles and Mendocino counties -- says he now files his
income tax returns.
Bailey said he did not think the federal tax conviction would hurt
Vroman because ``a lot of people are upset with their taxes. When it
comes to rapes and holdups and all, Vroman will prosecute as much as
anyone.''
Bailey said the region generally is divided into two camps -- people
who favor legalization of marijuana and those who favor its
decriminalization for personal use.
The 56-year-old Bailey, a former logger, said, ``We think if marijuana
were legalized, it could be raised someplace else and it could be
taxed, and our community could come back to earth and live as we have
for nearly a century.''
As it is, Bailey says the illegal cultivation of marijuana brings easy
money into the community and teaches the wrong values. He said: ``The
minute your child knows the way to make a living is to stick your
thumb in the earth and drop a marijuana seed in there and water it and
sell the plant for maybe $5,000, why is there a need for education or
a need to be a team player in the community?''
-------------------------------------------------------------------
A Gruff, Grammarless Governor-Elect Jesse 'The Body' In No Rush To Rule
(The San Francisco Chronicle says Minnesota's new Reform Party winner,
Jesse Ventura, said the drug problem can only be solved by eliminating
the demand for drugs because, Ventura said, his mother "told me the drug war
today is no different from Prohibition. And I trust my mom." Would somebody
please point out to Jesse's mom that Prohibition was not ended by eliminating
the demand for alcohol?)
Date: Mon, 9 Nov 1998 00:45:46 -0800
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: US MN: A Gruff, Grammarless Governor-Elect Jesse `The Body' In
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: Sat, 7 Nov 1998
Source: San Francisco Chronicle (CA)
Contact: chronletters@sfgate.com
Website: http://www.sfgate.com/chronicle/
Copyright: 1998 San Francisco Chronicle
Author: Steve Rubenstein, Chronicle Staff Writer
A GRUFF, GRAMMARLESS GOVERNOR-ELECT JESSE `THE BODY' IN NO RUSH TO RULE
The man with the shaved head came out foursquare yesterday in favor of
water beds, marathon runners, cigars, his mother and $120-a-bottle
champagne.
He is against drugs, hypocrites and ``the guy who jacks up the price
$1 every year to park at Timberwolves (basketball) games.''
Those were the promulgations being promulgated by Jesse ``The Body''
Ventura yesterday after he decided to sally forth from his horse ranch
and come to the Capitol to get cracking on this governor thing that
772,285 Minnesota voters with their eyes open enfranchised him to do
this week.
The former pro wrestler, who wore feather boas to work in his previous
calling, showed up yesterday in a tie. He made it to his basement
office, just down from the furnace room, around 11 a.m. He managed to
stay put for 40 minutes or so, before leaving to conduct a one-hour
radio town hall meeting in which fewer holds were barred than his
no-holds-barred days in the ring.
He was frank, polite, endearing, gruff, quotable, friendly. The only
enemy was English syntax, which fared about as well as the last tag
team to put on tights against him.
``I wouldn't have did it,'' he replied at one point, in between a few
references to ``boughten'' candidates and a suggestion that his
questioner ``add up the mayor and I's vote totals.''
One caller who competes in the Minneapolis marathon complained that no
governor ever waves at runners when the annual race passes by the
governor's mansion, and what does Ventura intend to do about that?
``I will be there, cheering you on. I will be out there with a hose,
squirtin' em,'' he said, adding that he would compete himself if he
hadn't ``gotten fat as a pig.''
Another caller asked whether Ventura planned to move into the
governor's mansion. Ventura said he preferred to stay home on the
ranch outside Minneapolis, close to his horses and his water bed.
``I do like sleeping in a water bed. I don't know what kind they have
there (at the mansion).''
He turned to the host of the show.
``Gary, what kind of mattress you have?''
Ventura also asked Gary if he wanted to buy his trademark Porsche,
because the state troopers want him to use the official car.
``You interested?'' the governor-elect asked.
As for the horses, the election was good for them, too.
``After I won, I walked in the house and said to myself, `Did I die?'
There were flowers everywhere. Four or five bouquets in every room.
It's nice to have flowers when you're not dead. I put all the flowers
in the barn. Now the horses have got 'em in their stalls.''
Asked about a reported Ventura hangover after his election night
party, the governor-elect said it wasn't his fault.
``When you open a bottle of Dom Perignon, you don't pour it down the
sink. You finish that baby.''
Ventura's mother got into the discourse after a question about illegal
drugs. The drug problem can only be solved by eliminating the demand
for drugs because, Ventura said, his mother ``told me the drug war
today is no different from Prohibition.''
``And I trust my mom.''
No, said Ventura, he hasn't gotten around to appointing anyone to
state government yet. He said he was thinking about it.
Around the Capitol, where Ventura seems to have done little so far,
folks are hoping that the wrestler has not gotten himself into
something over his polished head.
Perhaps stung by reports that there was not yet a lot of transitioning
taking place in the governor-elect's transition office, the suite was
closed to visitors. Workers installed a plywood screen over a window
on the front door, preventing photographers from shooting pictures
showing how empty the office was.
About the only business that was conducted involved a young man in
buzz-cut hair and chains, with a chrome padlock dangling from a belt
loop, who showed up and politely inquired whether Mr. Ventura would be
needing any help. A state trooper gave him a phone number to call.
And a five-term state legislator, Doug Peterson, dropped by to ask
whether he could briefly congratulate the new governor. Nobody in the
office knew who Peterson was. No, he could not schedule an
appointment, because no one in the office was in charge of
appointments. Peterson left his card.
``I don't think he knows what he's doing,'' Peterson said. ``Good
luck.'' Any plans Ventura might have had of getting any work done
yesterday went south after state troopers found a suspicious package
with ``Mad Bomber'' written on it taped to a tree outside the Capitol.
Ventura was whisked away, the five-story stone building was evacuated
and the police bomb squad loaded the parcel into a safety trailer to
haul it away. A short time later, as the bomb squad wagon was
proceeding down the freeway to a disposal area, the parcel was somehow
dislodged from the trailer and bounced down the roadway. Cars swerved
around it, while news cameras captured the escaping package on TV from
a helicopter flying overhead.
The package turned out to be empty.
``It's been a very interesting week around here,'' said one Capitol secretary.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Ex-cops sentenced for bribes (The Daily Southtown, in Chicago, says two
former Ford Heights police officers, Odell Boxley and Kerwin Hall,
were sentenced Friday to 11 years and three months in prison for accepting
bribes from drug dealers whom they allowed to do business in the village.
The two faced up to 15 years in prison, but the prosecutor requested
the lesser terms because they informed on other corrupt officers.)
From: "Bob Owen@W.H.E.N." (when@olywa.net)
To: "_Drug Policy --" (when@hemp.net)
Subject: Ex-cops sentenced for bribes
Date: Sun, 8 Nov 1998 19:46:51 -0800
Sender: owner-when@hemp.net
Newshawk: ccross@november.org
Source: Daily Southtown (Chicago)
Pubdate: Saturday, November 7, 1998
Online: http://www.dailysouthtown.com/index/dsindex.html
Ex-cops sentenced for bribes
By Gene O'Shea, Staff Writer
Two former Ford Heights police officers were sentenced Friday to 11 years
and three months in prison for accepting bribes from drug dealers whom they
allowed to do business in the village.
Officers Odell Boxley and Kerwin Hall faced up to 15 years in prison, but
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Bunge requested the lesser terms because
they helped the government in the prosecution of other corrupt officers.
In October 1996, federal authorities detailed what they described as
"pervasive and consistent'' corruption within the Ford Heights Police
Department with the indictments of most of the members of the force at that
time.
In a plea agreement reached in June, Boxley admitted he took five payoffs
totaling $1,500 from drug dealers and government informants posing as
dealers. Boxley, 58, worked as a Ford Heights police officer from 1988 to
1996.
Hall, 40, who worked as a Ford Heights officer from 1989 to 1993, admitted
accepting eight bribes totaling $2,627.
Both officers faced 17 counts of racketeering. In exchange for their pleas,
all but one racketeering count was dropped.
Dressed in orange prison jumpsuits, both officers declined to address the
court before sentencing. But U.S. District Court Judge George M. Marovich
got a response from Boxley after he asked a question.
"What was going on in Ford Heights was a crime. A cancer on the community. I
don't see Mr. Hall or Mr. Boxley as organizers or instigators ... more like,
'This looks like a good idea because everyone else is doing it.' How did
this work out as an hourly wage for you?'' Marovich asked. "Not very good,
your honor,'' Boxley said in response.
Of seven Ford Heights officers charged as part of the federal probe, Hall
and Boxley are the fifth and sixth to either plead guilty or be convicted.
The indictments effectively disabled the police force in Ford Heights, which
at the time employed only a handful of full- and part-time officers. New
officers have been hired and are being trained. In the meantime, patrol
responsibilities have been carried out largely by Cook County sheriff's
police and state police.
Among those indicted were former acting Police Chief Jack Davis and Sgt.
Vincent Taran Hunter.
Davis, 58, was sentenced in October 1997 to 20 years in prison after being
convicted of bribery, extortion, racketeering and narcotics offenses. Hunter
is scheduled to plead guilty to corruption charges Nov. 19.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Drug dealer comes to the rescue of 81 year old man (A MSNBC broadcast
on WBAL says Jerome Golden of Glen Burnie, near Baltimore, Maryland,
was freed after a dealer convinced a carjacker at gunpoint to release the man
he had taken on a five-hour crack-buying spree.)
From: "Bob Owen@W.H.E.N." (when@olywa.net)
To: "_Drug Policy --" (when@hemp.net)
Subject: Drug Dealer comes to the rescue of 81 year old man
Date: Sat, 7 Nov 1998 19:23:31 -0800
Sender: owner-when@hemp.net
Crooked cops? Sure! But drug dealer stopping a kidnapping? Has the world
gone topsy turvy? :-) Bob_O
***
Newshawk: ccross@november.org
Source: MSNBC
Pubdate: Nov. 07, 1998
Online: http://www.msnbc.com/local/WBAL/24169.asp
Drug Dealer comes to the rescue of 81 year old man
by Jamie Myers
[BALTIMORE] - A drug dealer saved an 81-year-old man from
carjacker who took the man a five-hour, crack-buying spree, police said.
Jerome Golden of Glen Burnie was freed after the dealer convinced the
carjacker at gunpoint to release Golden.
Neil Whiting, 37, is charged with abducting Golden as he was getting
into his car in a restaurant parking lot in Glen Burnie and driving him to
Baltimore, where he went on the drug spree using $90 stolen from Golden,
police said.
Many of the people encountered during the Oct. 17 spree were curious
and sympathetic to Golden's plight, but did not do anything to help.
The abductor tried to trade Golden's car, watch and his late wife's
wedding band for drugs, but the drug dealers refused everything but cash.
Eventually, one of the dealers forced the carjacker at gunpoint to free
Golden and a group of drug dealers persuaded Golden to drive them to a
hotel, where they told him about 1 a.m. that he could go, police said.
Whiting was arrested based on statements by Golden, who told police
that his abductor mentioned he had been released from prison two weeks
earlier after serving a five-year term. Based on that information and a
physical description, investigators identified Whiting, police said.
Whiting, who was arrested Oct. 31, was ordered held without bond.
Golden's son, Michael Golden, served as campaign spokesman during
former Gov. William Donald Schaefer's successful run for state comptroller.
``Mr. Golden kept his head through the whole thing, and gave us a lot
of information," said Det. Tim Lose.
The carjacking is one of three robberies Whiting is accused of
committing over two days in Glen Burnie, Lose said.
Whiting also admitted robbing a drug store and a hotel, police said.
***
When away, you can STOP and RESTART W.H.E.N.'s news clippings by sending an
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instead (No quotation marks.)
-------------------------------------------------------------------
District, ACLU Unite Behind Marijuana Vote (The Washington Post
says the District of Columbia government and the American Civil Liberties
Union asked a federal judge yesterday to overrule Congress and uphold
the results of Tuesday's vote on Initiative 59, the medical marijuana
ballot measure. A judge will hear arguments Monday.)
From: "Bob Owen@W.H.E.N." (when@olywa.net)
To: "_Drug Policy --" (when@hemp.net)
Subject: DISTRICT, ACLU UNITE BEHIND MARIJUANA VOTE
Date: Sat, 7 Nov 1998 18:10:29 -0800
Sender: owner-when@hemp.net
Washington Post, November 7, 1998
DISTRICT, ACLU UNITE BEHIND MARIJUANA VOTE
Judge to Hear Arguments Monday on Releasing and Certifying Referendum
Results
By Bill Miller Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, November 7, 1998; Page A10
The District government and the American Civil Liberties Union asked a
federal judge yesterday to overrule Congress and uphold the results of
Tuesday's vote on a controversial medical marijuana initiative.
Because of a congressional amendment, D.C. elections officials contend
they are prohibited from even releasing the results of the vote on
Initiative 59, which would permit seriously ill people to use marijuana
for medical purposes. Although ballots were counted, the outcome has
remained secret.
Yesterday, D.C. lawyers filed papers in U.S. District Court contending
that the action by Congress violates the First Amendment rights of D.C.
residents and prevents elections officials from carrying out their duties.
"Here in the District of Columbia -- unlike in any other jurisdiction
in the country -- Congress has chosen to stand democracy on its head,"
according to papers filed by D.C. Corporation Counsel John M. Ferren.
An amendment to the D.C. appropriations bill, passed by Congress on Oct.
21, less than two weeks before the election, bars the District from
spending money on any initiative that would "legalize or otherwise
reduce" penalties for users of marijuana.
Acting on behalf of the initiative's backers, the ACLU filed suit Oct. 30
against the D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics, seeking a court order that
would require the board to certify the vote on the initiative so it can
become law.
On Wednesday, the ACLU filed a request under the Freedom of Information
Act to learn the election's results. Yesterday, it went back to court
seeking an order requiring the District to quickly reveal the outcome.
Judge Richard W. Roberts has scheduled a hearing for Monday. Now that the
ACLU and the District are in agreement on the issues, the judge could ask
the Justice Department to represent Congress in the case. The D.C.
government said it hopes to certify the results of the initiative along
with all other ballot issues on Nov. 18.
Initiative 59 would change D.C. law to legalize the possession, use,
cultivation and distribution of marijuana if recommended by a physician
for serious illnesses. Under current law, possession of marijuana is a
misdemeanor punishable by up to six months in jail and a fine of $1,000.
A9 Copyright 1998 The Washington Post Company
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Medical Marijuana Gets Five More Votes (A staff editorial
in The Rockford Register Star, in Rockford, Illinois,
says the Clinton administration cannot ignore the growing public support
for patients who need medical marijuana. Voters made it clear Tuesday
that a distinction can and must be made between recreational use
of chemicals and the therapeutic use of this herb.)
Date: Wed, 11 Nov 1998 07:28:31 EST
Errors-To: server-admin@calyx.net
Reply-To: dare-list@calyx.net
Originator: dare-list@calyx.net
Sender: dare-list@calyx.net
From: Richard Lake (rlake@mapinc.org)
To: Multiple recipients of list (dare-list@calyx.net)
Subject: Re: What next?
Hi, Talkers
It is my gut feeling that the wins for mmj did impact on the editors and
editorial boards of newspapers here in the heartland where I live. Overall
coverage was there, like other interesting initiative issues. But it is
editorial notice that really reflects change, IMHO. This does not
necessarly happen right after election day, as there is plenty for editors
to write about.
Just as I found out working with the Journey for Justice wheelchair treks,
there are a lot of newspapers out there, large and small. Only a fraction
of them are online, and only a fraction of those are covered well by our
newshawks. Sure we do reasonably well with some of the majors, and a few
newshawks cover specific newspapers with great care, but our coverage is
far from complete.
Still, a lot of initiative related stories (even though the editing/posting
team missed a few that should have been coded MMJ: for initiative related
items) have shown up since the election, as shown at:
http://www.mapinc.org/props.htm
Medicinal Marijuana Initiatives
And some of the ones not MMJ: coded can be found at:
http://www.mapinc.org/medmj.htm
Medicinal Marijuana
But what gives me hope is the editorials like the following:
***
Subject: MN: US IL: Editorial: MMJ: Medical Marijuana Gets Five More Votes
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: M. Simon msimon@tefbbs.com
Pubdate: Sat, 07 Nov 1998
Source: Rockford Register Star (Rockford, IL)
Copyright: 1998 Rockford Register Star
Section: Editorial
Contact: talktome@wwa.com
FAX: 1-815-987-1365
Website: http://www.rrstar.com/
MEDICAL MARIJUANA GETS FIVE MORE VOTES
Since the day President Clinton took office his administration has been
haunted by his "I smoked but didn't inhale"comment. Afraid of appearing
like '60s potheads, administration officials have refused to take a
balanced view of the medicinal use of marijuana, going so far as to
threaten the licenses of physicians who prescribe it.
The administration seems to have little choice now but to get into the
'90s: Voters made it clear Tuesday that a distinction can and must be made
between recreational use of chemicals and the therapeutic use of this herb.
Voters in five states - every state that had a referendum on the issue -
approved the medicinal use of marijuana, following California's lead. The
clean sweep assures the issue will appear on ballots in other states in the
future.
We support the strictly controlled use of marijuana for medicinal purposes,
which is what all five referendums proposed. Research shows its benefits in
controlling nausea in cancer patients and promoting appetite in people with
AIDS and other illnesses. A critical benefit is that it reduces the
debilitating eye pressure that glaucoma patients suffer.
Though marijuana's medical value is still debated, the New Englad journal
of medicine last year said that there is clear evidence marijuana can
provide "striking relief" for many patients.
The Clinton administration remains opposed, ridiculing relevant studies and
insisting that medicinal marijuana will fuel the nation's drug problem. It
is an absurd argument. Every year, thousands of cancer patients end their
lives with a morphine pump dripping the powerful pain killer into their
dying bodies. Does that send a message to America's youth that the
government approves of morphine as a party drug? Of course not.
The Clinton administration cannot ignore growing public support for this
issue. It needs to develop a drug policy sophisticated enough to
distinguish between medicinal use and recreational use.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Gingrich to quit Congress (An article by The New York Times and the Tacoma,
Washington, News Tribune, notes Newt Gingrich, the speaker of the House
of Representatives, has announced he will resign at the end of his current
term. No mention is made of Gingrich's role as one of the country's most
vehement and ignorant drug warriors. The former pot smoker who once vowed
to legislate the death penalty for anyone caught smuggling two ounces
of cannabis into the United States was apparently not motivated by nine
out of nine reform measures passing Tuesday.)
From: "Bob Owen@W.H.E.N." (when@olywa.net)
To: "HempTalkNW" (hemp-talk@hemp.net)
Subject: HT: Gingrich to quit Congress
Date: Sat, 7 Nov 1998 17:05:46 -0800
Sender: owner-hemp-talk@hemp.net
(c) The News Tribune
November 07, 1998
Gingrich to quit Congress
Controversial GOP chief sees 'chance to purge the poison'
Katharine Q. Seelye; The New York Times ; News Tribune Washington, D.C.,
correspondent Lawrence O'Rourke contributed to this report
WASHINGTON - House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who orchestrated the Republican
takeover of Congress in 1994 and pressed the impeachment inquiry into
President Clinton, was driven from office Friday by a party that swiftly
turned on him after its unexpected losses in Tuesday's midterm elections.
Catching virtually everyone on Capitol Hill by surprise, Gingrich said
Friday night in two conference calls to other Republicans that he would not
seek re-election as speaker and would leave Congress altogether when his
current term expired in January. He had just been re-elected to a new term
Tuesday.
"This will give us a chance to purge some of the poison that is in the
system," Gingrich said, according to a party aide who heard one of the
calls.
Gingrich's decision to resign was a stunning reversal for one of the most
combative and confrontational politicians in the United States. He made his
name 10 years ago by bringing down one Democratic speaker, Jim Wright, and
continued his assaultive style through the elections with last-minute
commercials reminding voters of the Clinton scandal.
His pugilistic response was evident even Friday night. In his second
conference call, according to several members who listened, Gingrich blamed
House conservatives for his downfall.
Although it was their revolutionary zeal he harnessed to take control of
Congress, they have become his most bitter critics in the past two years of
his tumultuous tenure as speaker. Friday night, he called them cannibals who
had "blackmailed" him into quitting, said those who had listened to the
call.
Rep. Michael Forbes (R-N.Y.) said: "Newt said all those who had marginalized
the Republican Party had engaged in cannibalism. He said, 'Refer to the
clips.' He's blaming others."
Another Republican, who spoke on condition of anonymity, described the
conference call this way: "He started off very statesmanlike, but then you
could see the anger building. When someone asked him why he was leaving, he
said, 'A handful of members have blackmailed the conference.' He said,
'They're hateful.' And he said, 'They're cannibals.'"
Gingrich did not specify why he was leaving Congress as well as not seeking
re-election as speaker. But his supporters conceded that after being speaker
and after consolidating more power in the office than anyone in recent
decades, he would probably find life as a backbencher unbearable. Since he
just won re-election this week, a special election will have to be held in
his Georgia district to replace him.
Gingrich's move set up a scramble for a successor in the powerful post. The
speaker, who is second only to the vice president in line for succession to
the presidency, controls the legislative agenda, committee assignments and
chairmanships in the House of Representatives. Gingrich consolidated the
power of the office to a greater extent than other speakers in recent
decades.
The 105th Congress is in adjournment, but Gingrich has said he would call
the House back into session to vote on articles of impeachment, if they are
approved by the House Judiciary Committee. He said he would step down at the
end of the year, just before the 106th Congress takes office.
Gingrich announced his move just hours after Rep. Robert Livingston (R-La.)
said he was running for speaker, putting himself forward as a pragmatist and
a manager. After the Gingrich calls, Rep. Bill Archer (R-Texas) said he was
considering his own run.
Rep. Christopher Cox of California, chairman of the Republican policy
committee, also announced his candidacy for speaker later Friday, on CNN's
"Larry King Live."
The list of potential candidates also included House Judiciary Committee
Chairman Henry Hyde and Rep. Jim Tallent of Missouri. Rep. J.C. Watts of
Oklahoma said late Friday he also might run for speaker.
Livingston's announcement came hours after Rep. Steve Largent of Oklahoma, a
former Seattle Seahawk and a Hall of Fame football player, said he would
challenge Rep. Dick Armey of Texas as majority leader.
Largent, first elected to Congress four years ago, said the question before
House Republicans is "whether we retain the crew of the Titanic or we look
for some new leadership."
Four years ago, after Republicans swept into control of both houses of
Congress after a 40-year absence, the House Republican conference
organizational meeting was a triumphant rally, as members picked Gingrich
and Armey to lead the Republican revolution.
Two years ago, after Clinton's re-election and a reduction in the size of
the House GOP majority, Gingrich promised an era of cooperation rather than
confrontation.
In a statement, Gingrich said, "The Republican conference needs to be
unified, and it is time for me to move forward." He said he hoped his
colleagues would pick a successor "who can both reconcile and discipline,
who can work together and communicate effectively."
He also acknowledged his own knack for bringing negative attention to
himself and to his party. "If I stay," he told his colleagues Friday night,
"my controversial nature would overshadow any successes we might have," an
understatement to those who recalled his suggestion two years ago that he
forced a shutdown of the government because he was miffed about having to
sit in the back of Air Force One on a trip with Clinton.
Clinton, who was traveling in Arkansas on Friday, said: "Newt Gingrich has
been a worthy adversary.... Despite our profound differences, I appreciate
those times we were able to work together in the national interest."
Many Republicans took the opportunity to portray Gingrich as a visionary.
Rep. Sherwood Boehlert of New York said that during the first conference
call, "there was shock and surprise and strong expressions of appreciation
for leading us to the Promised Land."
His supporters said Gingrich had the votes to win re-election as speaker, a
vote to be conducted by secret ballot Nov. 18. Kenneth Duberstein, a former
official in the Reagan administration, said, "I have no doubt he had the
votes to be speaker, but I'm not sure he had the votes to govern." He said
that because of the deep rifts in the Republican Party, Gingrich would not
have been able to implement his plans.
In an unusually biting reaction, Rep. Dick Gephardt of Missouri, the
Democratic leader, said he hoped Gingrich's resignation would clear the
fierce partisan air that he had fostered. "I hope that whoever succeeds Newt
Gingrich as speaker will immediately begin the process of repairing the
damage that was wrought on this institution over the last four years,"
Gephardt said.
Gingrich stumbled many times as speaker.
He was forced to pay $300,000 two years ago to preserve his job after being
found guilty of ethics violations. He was blamed when the federal government
was shut down during a budget stalemate two years ago, and he got less
credit for the five-year deal to balance the federal budget by 2002 than did
Clinton.
News Tribune Washington, D.C., correspondent Lawrence O'Rourke contributed
to this report.
***
From: Phillizy@aol.com
Date: Sat, 7 Nov 1998 01:54:04 EST
To: "DRCTalk Reformers' Forum" (drctalk@drcnet.org)
Subject: Gasbags, Coming Around?
Reply-To: drctalk@drcnet.org
Sender: owner-drctalk@drcnet.org
Ever since Newt announced his retirement late Friday afternoon, there has been
a steady stream of GOPer Gasbags spinning the news on TV.
In the course of their spin, none of these Gasbags fail to rant the Republican
mantra of deeper tax cuts, better education, and everlasting social security.
However, not one of these Gasbag mentioned the war on drugs. NOT ONE.
Can the GOPer's mantra no longer include the war on drugs?
Lizy
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Drug Reform - US Says Yes (An op-ed in The Canberra Times, in Australia,
by Alex Wodak, president of the Australian Drug Law Reform Foundation,
summarizes the results of the various drug policy referenda around the United
States, and suggests the election results are further evidence that support
for a rigid "tough on drugs" approach may soon be a political liability.)
Date: Wed, 11 Nov 1998 08:39:08 -0800
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: Australia: OPED: Drug Reform: US Says Yes
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: kenbo01@ozemail.com.au (Ken Russell)
Pubdate: Sat, 7 Nov 1998
Source: Canberra Times (Australia)
Page: C4
Contact: letters.editor@canberratimes.com.au
Website: http://www.canberratimes.com.au/
Author: Alex Wodak, President of the Australian Drug Law Reform
Foundation and director of the Alcohol and Drug Service at St
Vincent's Hospital Sydney.
DRUG REFORM: US SAYS YES
FOR DECADES, conventional drug policy has been sustained by powerful
myths. One of the most potent of these myths was the widespread belief
that support for drug-policy reform inevitably meant political suicide
at the ballot box. Results in this week's United States mid-term
Congressional elections are further evidence that support for a rigid
"tough on drugs" approach may soon he a political liability. Perhaps
that day has already arrived.
Voters in six western states and the District of Columbia took part in
11 ballots on drug policy. A majority of voters in all 11 ballots
supported drug reform.
In Alaska, 58 per cent of voters supported a proposal to allow the
controlled use of cannabis for patients with cancer, AIDS and other
serious illnesses provided they had a doctor's approval.
In Arizona, 67 per cent of voters rejected a proposal to overturn a
1996 medical marijuana law, 52 per cent rejected an attempt by the
state legislature to dismantle mandatory treatment and education for
first- and second-time drug offenders, while 52 per cent supported a
block on the state Govermuent's authority to veto or amend initiatives
and referendums supported earlier by a majority of voters.
In Colorado, 67 per cent supported an amendment to allow patients with
a debilitating condition to discuss with their doctor the benefits and
side effects of medical use of cannabis. Patients with a doctor's
prescription and written permission from the state health agency would
be immune from prosecution. Authorities attempted unsuccessfully to
stop this vote being tallied.
In Nevada, 59 per cent of voters supported a proposal to allow doctors
to recommend medical use of cannabis to patients with cancer, AIDS and
other debilitating conditions.
In Oregon, 52 per cent supported a ballot to make smoked marijuana
legal for patients with cancer. AIDS and other debilitating conditions
provided this had a doctor's approval. In a second ballot, 67 per cent
rejected a 1997 attempt by the state's legislature to once again make
possession of one ounce of cannabis punishable by a fine of up to
$1000 and 80 days in jail. In the state of Washington, 59 per cent
supported an initiative to remove criminal penalties from the medical
use of cannabis for patients with debilitating diseases if they had
their doctor's approval.
In Washington DC, a majority supported an initiative to permit
possession and use of marijuana, if recommended by a doctor, for
patients with serious illnesses. Because Congress passed recent
legislation prohibiting any federal funding being expended on this
initiative, the results will be tallied but not registered with the
election commission.
The people of the US have spoken and they have spoken clearly. They
are ready to move on from ideological policies which do not work, to
evidence-based policies which are both effective and compassionate.
These results will have a considerable influence on the electoral
politics of illicit drugs in the US. Inevitably, some impact will soon
be felt in Australia.
No-one should be in the least surprised by these results. Clear
majorities supported medical cannabis in California and Arizona in
ballots coinciding with the US elections two years ago. Focus groups
suggested that the results in the 1996 California ballot were
influenced by a duplicitous attempt by authorities to block a
scientific evaluation of the medical use of cannabis.
In Switzerland in September' 1997, 71 per cent of voters in a national
referendum (with majorities in all 26 cantons) rejected a proposal to
stop the prescription of heroin following a successful medical trial.
The 1998 US election results also confirmed what many had long
suspected. While politicians and the media were obsessed with the
politics developing from the investigation of the President, the
people remained focused on issues that really mattered like
employment, health and education.
In Australia, senior police, capital-city mayors, leaders of the
medical and legal professions and influential community members have
recognised that conventional illicit-drug policies, relying heavily on
law enforcement, have failed resoundingly and support a search for
more effective responses. When community members are surveyed about
illicit drugs with questions specifying the penalties attached to
minor possession offences, support for current policies is
unimpressive.
Another of the myths sustaining current policy has been the absurd
notion that the only choice lies between the status quo and
legalisation. But drug-reformers - advocate a third and moderate
approach, rejecting, both the excesses of a war on drugs and a
free-market, legalisation response. Permitting medicinal use of
cannabis for patients with terminal conditions should not be a
difficult or controversial matter to resolve in a compassionate
country like Australia. Yet, medicinal use of cannabis is denied
because of bans on recreational use of the drug.
Illicit drugs continue to be a major issue in Australia. The US
election results indicate that the ground is moving from under the
politicians. Politicians and parties who choose to ignore these
messages will not survive.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
CIA Turned A Deliberate Blind Eye To Contras' Drug Smuggling
(The Independent, in Britain, notes the Central Intelligence Agency's
recent report admitting that it deliberately facilitated cocaine trafficking
by its Nicaraguan Contra allies in the 1980s.)
Date: Sat, 7 Nov 1998 13:37:05 -0800
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: US: CIA Turned A Deliberate Blind Eye To Contras' Drug Smuggling
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: Martin Cooke (mjc1947@cyberclub.iol.ie)
Pubdate: Sat, 07 Nov 1998
Source: Independent, The (UK)
Mail: 1 Canada Square, Canary Wharf, London E14 5DL England
Contact: letters@independent.co.uk
Website: http://www.independent.co.uk/
Copyright: . Published by Independent Newspapers (UK) Ltd.
Author: Andrew Marshall in Washington
CIA TURNED A DELIBERATE BLIND EYE TO CONTRAS' DRUG SMUGGLING
The Central Intelligence Agency deliberately ignored evidence of drug
smuggling by its Contra allies in the Eighties, the agency has admitted.
The revelations are contained in an internal report by former CIA
Inspector-General Frederick Hitz which investigated widespread allegations
that the CIA co-operated with cocaine traffickers.
The Cold War was in full flood in the mid-Eighties, and the then president
Ronald Reagan was on a crusade. He was intent on ousting the Sandinista
regime in Nicaragua with the assistance of his CIA boss, William Casey, and
Lieutenant-Colonel Oliver North of the National Security Council. Mr Reagan
called the anti-Communist, anti-government Contra rebels backed by the
United States "the moral equivalent of the Founding Fathers".
But there is mounting evidence that these people were deeply involved in
smuggling drugs into the US, creating a domestic scourge that would
continue long after the Cold War ended.
The report details dozens of allegations of drug trafficking against
individuals who worked with the Contras. In six cases, "CIA knowledge of
accusations or information indicating that organisations or individuals had
been involved in drug trafficking did not deter their use or employment by
[the] CIA."
The CIA used Alan Hyde, a Honduran businessman, to transport guns by sea
from mid-1987 to late 1988. Mr Hyde had already been reported to be "making
much money dealing in white gold, ie cocaine" and the US Coast Guard called
him the "godfather" of criminal activity in the region. But, "There was a
lot of pressure from [a senior CIA official] and DCI Casey to get the job
done," a CIA officer recalled. In March 1993, a cable discouraged
counter-narcotics efforts against Mr Hyde, because "his connection to [CIA]
is well documented and could prove difficult in the prosecution stage".
There is no evidence that the CIA told the Federal Bureau of Investigation,
Drug Enforcement Administration or US Customs, that it was using Mr Hyde.
Many allegations concern the pilots who flew military supplies to the
Contras. They were allegedly taking "guns down, drugs up" - filling their
aircraft with cocaine on the return trip to the US. Carlos Amador, for
instance, was flying supplies from Ilopango air base in El Salvador. A CIA
cable in April 1986 reported that "a [Drugs Enforcement Administration]
source stated that Amador was probably picking up cocaine in San Salvador
to fly to Grand Caymen [sic] and then to South Florida". He warned that
"[DEA] will request that San Salvador police investigate Amador and anyone
associated with Hangar 4", part of the military facility used for supplying
the Contras. The CIA response was direct: "Would appreciate Station
advising [DEA] not to make any inquiries to anyone re Hangar no. 4 at
Ilopango since only legitimate, supported operations were conducted from
this facility."
The operation at Hangar 4 was run by Lt-Col North, and his "Private
Benefactors", who funded a secret war after the US Congress cut off funding
for the Contras. There is evidence that Lt-Col North, too, knew of
allegations that people working with his operation were involved in drug
smuggling. In a diary note he recorded: "Honduran DC-6 which is being used
for runs out of New Orleans is probably being used for drug runs into US."
The Contras' purchasing agent in New Orleans was Mario Calero, the brother
of a senior Contra leader. The CIA was told in February 1986 of allegations
that Mario Calero was engaged in drug trafficking. But "no information has
been found to indicate that CIA took any action in response", the report
notes.
Former DEA agent Celerino Castillo says in his book Powderburn that he
became aware of drug smuggling through Ilopango. In August 1986, he met
Jack McCavett, "the mild-mannered CIA station chief in El
Salvador", who said "we have nothing to do with that operation." Three days
later, he called Mr Castillo over to his office, and pulled $45,000 from
his desk drawer. "'I've got money left over from my budget," he said. 'Take
this for your anti-narcotics group. Go buy them some cars'."
The Hitz report is adamant that the CIA itself did not indulge in cocaine
smuggling to support the Contras' operations. "No information has been
found to indicate that CIA as an organisation or its employees conspired
with, or assisted, Contra-related organisations or individuals in drug
trafficking to raise funds for the Contras or for any other purpose," it
says.
But it does provide ample evidence that the CIA turned a blind eye when
drug trafficking may have been taking place, and recruited and employed
contractors who were alleged to have been in the business.
People have tried to work on this subject, and have met only scepticism and
hostility. An investigation by Democratic senator John Kerry came to
damning conclusions, but was attacked by the government
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Cannabinoid Is Neuroprotective In Head Trauma (According to the British
medical journal, The Lancet, the leading cause of death among young men
in the western world has no approved treatment, but clinical results from
Israel indicate that dexanabinol, a non-psychotropic synthetic cannabinoid,
may be "the most promising neuroprotective agent seen to date", according to
Lawrence Marshall, an authority on head trauma at the University of
California in San Diego. Phase II clinical trials provide strong evidence
that the analogue can reduce intracranial pressure and significantly improve
outcome in severe head injury.)
Date: Sun, 8 Nov 1998 21:28:33 -0800
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: UK: Cannabinoid Is Neuroprotective In Head Trauma
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: Martin Cooke (mjc1947@cyberclub.iol.ie)
Pubdate: Sat, 7 Nov 1998
Source: Lancet, The (UK)
Volume: 352, Number 9139
Contact: lancet.editorial@elsevier.co.uk
Website: http://www.thelancet.com/
Author: Rachelle H B Fishman
CANNABINOID IS NEUROPROTECTIVE IN HEAD TRAUMA
The leading cause of death among young men in the western
world--sequelae of severe head trauma--has no approved treatment.
But clinical results from Israel indicate that dexanabinol (HU-211), a
non-psychotropic cannabinoid analogue, may be "the most promising
neuroprotective agent seen to date", says Lawrence Marshall
(University of California, San Diego, CA, USA), an authority on head
trauma.
Phase II clinical trials provide strong evidence that the analogue can
reduce intracranial pressure and significantly improve outcome in
severe head injury, he adds. Other treatments, in phase III clinical
trials, are yet to show definitive human benefit.
Dexanabinol is "distinguished from earlier failed drugs by its triple
mechanism of action", explains neuropharmcologist Anat Biegon
(Pharmos, Rehovot, Israel). Dexanabinol's neuroinhibitory effect on
NMDA receptors was discovered 10 years ago by Tel Aviv University
biochemists Mordechai Sokolovsky and Yoel Kloog. Pharmos licensed
dexanabinol in 1991 for development as a drug. Biegon then directed
work in Israel and the USA that revealed dexanabinol's potent
anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities.
2 years ago, Pharmos began phase II double-blind, randomised,
placebo-controlled clinical trials in six Israeli trauma centres
(Lancet 1996, 348: 1436). Of 67 unconscious patients, mostly young men
injured in road accidents, 30 were given dexanabinol and 37 received
placebo intravenously within 6 hours of injury (mean time 5 hours).
"The significant reduction in intracranial pressure below the 'damage
threshold' of 25 mm Hg--a key predictor of neurological
outcome--without jeopardising blood pressure was quite impressive",
says Marshall. Mortality was reduced by 26% and neurological outcome
was improved. "Recovery was accelerated in the treated group" and
"return to normal life among most severely injured patients was
outstanding", says lead investigator Nachshon Knoller (Sheba Medical
Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel), who reported the results at the
National Neurotrauma Society in Los Angeles, CA, USA on Nov 5. Phase
III trials on dexanabinol are due to start in 1999.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Yardies Linked To £10 Million Trade In Scotland's Heroin Capital
(The Scotsman says a network of illegal-drug sellers with direct links
to the notorious Yardie gangs of Jamaican criminals operating
in the English Midlands, has moved into Fraserburgh, the new heroin capital
of Scotland. The arrival of supplies of crack cocaine in the towns
and villages along the Buchan coast is threatening to spawn an even more
deadly drugs epidemic in the area.)
Date: Mon, 9 Nov 1998 00:45:36 -0800
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: UK: Yardies Linked To UKP10 Trade In Scotland's Heroin Capital
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: shug@shuggie.demon.co.uk
Pubdate: Sat, 7 Nov 1998
Source: Scotsman (UK)
Contact: Letters_ts@scotsman.com
Website: http://www.scotsman.com/
Copyright: The Scotsman Publications Ltd
Author: FRANK URQUHART
SCOTLAND: YARDIES LINKED TO UKP10 TRADE IN SCOTLAND'S HEROIN CAPITAL
A NETWORK of drug dealers, with direct links to the notorious Yardie
gangs of Jamaican criminals operating in the English Midlands, has
moved into Fraserburgh, the new heroin capital of Scotland.
Afro-Caribbean drug barons, supplying heroin and crack cocaine, are
targeting that Banff and Buchan area to secure a lucrative base for
their operations in the north-east, where the market is estimated to
be worth UKP10 million a week.
Their infiltration of the area has prompted fears of a violent turf
war breaking out between rival drug gangs, with links to underworld
leaders in Glasgow and Liverpool, in the battle to dominate the trade.
Gangs of Yardies have had a virtual stranglehold on the crack cocaine
market for more than a decade. The highly addictive drug is already
being sold in the pups and clubs of the Broch [Newshawk note: Broch is
the local nickname for Fraserburgh] at UKP50 per crystal, The Scotsman
can reveal.
The arrival of supplies of crack cocaine in the towns and villages
along the Buchan coast is threatening to spawn an even more deadly
drugs epidemic in the area.
This week, a report published by Grampian Health Board revealed that
Fraserburgh already has the highest percentage of opiate users in Scotland.
Researchers at the centre for drug misuse research at Glasgow
University have estimated that 2.5 per cent of the town's population,
aged between 14 and 54, are regularly using heroin and other opiates -
the highest figure ever recorded in Scotland.
Even by conservative estimates, the illegal drug market in Banff and
Buchan is worth UKP300,000 a day, making the area an obvious target
for criminal gangs.
An informed source said that Afro-Caribbean dealers, with direct links
to Yardie gangs in the Midlands, had begun penetrating the area and
had been seen operating in Fraserburgh and Banff.
Two known dealers, based in Fraserburgh, are understood to be dealing
directly with a drugs gang based in the Midlands, one of the main
centres of operations for the Yardies.
The source, who did not wish to be identified, said: "I am convinced
that the Yardies are behind the move into Fraserburgh. And the big men
at the top are really bad guys."
The Midlands dealers are supplying crack cocaine and heroin to street
dealers, moving in and out of the area as supply and demand dictate.
Drug agency workers are already dealing with the consequences of
serious crack cocaine use in the area as the highly addictive cocaine
derivative becomes the drug of choice for many young adults in the
Broch.
One agency worker said: "Because they are moving from heroin, a
depressant drug, on to a high stimulant drug, which crack cocaine is,
they are turning to cocaine as a first step.
"If you are a heroin user, going from heroin to crack is like going
from lemonade to whisky. And a lot of heroin users are using cocaine
to get into the crack scene.
"Crack cocaine is now a serious problem in the area. And at the prices
the dealers are charging - UKP50 a crystal - that is serious money for
the gangsters involved."
Experts are finding it difficult to estimate how much the illegal
drugs trade is worth in the north-east.
However, with an estimated 3,600 men and women regularly using
opiates, according to the health board report, the rewards for the
drug gangs are enormous.
Heroin addicts can each spend upwards of UKPl00 a day to satisfy their
habits.
Detective Chief Inspector Sandy Kelman, who is in charge of the
special units of Grampian police, including the force's drug squad,
said the growing trade in heroin was a matter of grave concern.
He said that the supplies of illegal drugs were coming from various
parts of the country, primarily Glasgow and Liverpool.
Although he made clear that he was not aware of the Yardies' direct
involvement in the area, he said: "There is a network of drug dealing
and it has to start somewhere.
"Yardie gangs operate down south and there is little doubt that the
drugs they are involved in might very well end up in Aberdeen or
Fraserburgh."
However, Det Chief Insp Kelman stressed that he did not wish to
comment on any matter which might affect Grampian police operations.
He appealed for anyone with information about the alleged involvement
of Yardie gangs to contact the police.
He said: "If that is the case then Grampian police would be looking
for help from members of the public to come forward with information.
They should contact us so we can start tackling the problem before it
gets out of hand."
The threat posed by crack cocaine and violent drugs gangs operating in
the north-east was highlighted three weeks ago at a drug enforcement
conference in Dunblane, organised by the Association of Chief Police
Officers in Scotland.
Detective Sergeant William McColl, of the Grampian drug squad, told
the conference: "The market for crack is a lucrative one, but an
unstable one. Those who supply it are associated with serious violence."
He revealed that the force's intelligence showed heroin users had
developed a crack habit after being offered the drug free as rival
gangs tried to corner the market.
Det Sgt McColl said: "The fear is that violence will now be used to
enforce territory. The north-east of Scotland is in the grip of
vicious dealers. They are not replacing heroin on the streets, but are
using crack to complement the market."
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Vetter Wants To Give Heroin To Sick Addicts (A translation of an article
from Stuttgarter Nachrichten, in Germany, says another German politician,
Erwin Vetter, the departing Minister for Social Affairs, has broken
with his party's hard line on illegal drug users and come out in favor
of a Swiss-style heroin distribution trial for the severely addicted.)
Date: Wed, 11 Nov 1998 14:05:48 -0800
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: Germany: Vetter Wants To Give Heroin To Sick Addicts
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Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: Harald Lerch (HaL@main-rheiner.de)
Source: Stuttgarter Nachrichten
Pubdate: 7 Nov 1998
Website: http://www.stuttgarter-nachrichten.de
Copyright: 1998 Stuttgarter Nachrichten, Germany
Author: Arnold Rieger
Translator: Pat Dolan, from German
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VETTER WILL DROGENKRANKEN HEROIN GEBEN
VETTER WANTS TO GIVE HEROIN TO SICK ADDICTS
Precis: Another German politician has broken with his party's hard line on
(the war on) drugs policy and has come down decisively on the side of a
trial of the Swiss model of heroin distribution to hard core addicts. His
reasons are two-fold: on compassionate grounds, (it is not humane to lock
up sick people on ideological grounds); and because the Swiss model has
proved conclusively that it works; that it reduces significantly the social
harm caused by the hard line policy.
Scheidender CDU-Sozialminister fordert Modellversuch nach Schweizer Vorbild
The departing CDU Minister for Social Affairs asks for a trial model after
the Swiss example
Stuttgart Drug addicts who have failed to respond to other forms of therapy
should be able to obtain heroin from a doctor, in the opinion of Erwin
Vetter, the departing Minister for Social Affairs. With that he makes a
clean break with his party's hard line position."
I mustn't let these people down on ideological grounds," said Vetter at his
final press conference as Minister for Social Affairs, and asked for a
trial model after the Swiss example in which the distribution of heroin
under strict medical control would be tested. Up to this point there have
always been idelological obstacles - even in his own party. He felt sure,
however, that his successor, Fridhelm Repnik, would take up the discussion."
Pointing out the success achieved by the Swiss model, reduction in crime,
vagrancy, unemployment and improvements in the general health of the
participants, Vetter asked for a more unified drug policy under the
direction of an agency in which representatives of the police and concerned
authorities and institutions would participate.
"Drug politics are the concern of all Europe, not just of a little
Baden-Wurtembergisher island", he said.
He hopes that interested communities will be able to join the experiment as
soon as the new government - as announced - has laid down the legal
parameters.
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to the 1998 Daily News index for November 5-11