-------------------------------------------------------------------
Medical marijuana law poses questions (The Oregonian
suggests the difference between state and federal marijuana laws
has created a mess for employers who subscribe to the
government-sponsored myth that marijuana use causes impairment.)
The Oregonian
Contact: letters@news.oregonian.com
1320 SW Broadway
Portland, OR 97201
Fax: 503-294-4193
Website: http://www.oregonlive.com/
Forum: http://forums.oregonlive.com/
Section: Business page cover, D1-D2
Medical marijuana law poses questions
* Employers in Oregon are searching for a way to comply with federal
drug-free requirements while allowing medicinal use of marijuana
By Patrick O'Neill
of The Oregonian staff
Oregon's new medical marijuana law has removed criminal penalties for using
the drug to ease the discomfort caused by some diseases.
But federal law still regards marijuana as a dangerous and illegal drug.
This disagreement could jeopardize the jobs of some Oregonians who use
medicinal marijuana. And it raises questions for employers who must enforce
federally imposed anti-drug programs.
The difference between the state and federal marijuana laws has created a
mess for employers, says Paula A. Barran, a Portland attorney who specializes
in labor law. Barran's firm, Barran Liebman, is one of the state's largest
labor specialty firms.
Employers can refuse to accommodate medical use of marijuana at work under
Oregon's and most other states' medical marijuana laws, said Dave Fratello,
spokesman for Americans for Medical Rights, a national organization
supporting the use of medicinal marijuana.
But the law doesn't specifically address what to do if an employee tests
positive for marijuana use.
Barran says the medicinal marijuana law will have different effects on three
categories of businesses: the transportation industry; government contractors
who are required to maintain a drug-free workplace; and other businesses,
which aren't tied to federal anti-drug regulations but nonetheless don't want
their workers using drugs.
For transportation employees, the law is specific and inflexible, she said:
Commercial drivers who test positive for marijuana are pulled off the road.
Among those who could jeopardize their jobs, Barran says, are the 108,000
Oregonians who hold commercial driver's licenses. Under federal law, they are
subject to random tests for drug and alcohol use, as well as tests after
accidents or when a supervisor has a reasonable suspicion that an employee is
using drugs.
In addition, federal law requires random drug testing of people who hold
"safety-sensitive" jobs in aviation, rail transport, pipelines and the
commercial marine industry.
The requirements are the result of a 1991 federal law, passed after a train
wreck in Maryland killed 17 people and injured 170. Investigators found the
crew of one train had been smoking marijuana before the wreck.
Oregon's new law, passed by voters in November, permits people with a wide
range of illnesses to use medicinal marijuana. The law applies not only to
people with terminal illnesses, but also to those who are well enough to go
to work - people undergoing chemotherapy who smoke marijuana to ward off
nausea, for example.
Testing protocol is big question
Tests for marijuana use can pick up traces of the drug for as long as a
month after use. So, Barran says, it's likely that some employees could
report to work with measureable traces of marijuana in their systems. And
even though they aren't impaired by the drug, just the traces of marijuana
violate federal law, she said.
Once they're pulled off the road, drivers and others covered by the law can't
go back to work until they have been reviewed by a substance abuse worker and
have complied with recommended rehabilitation - and have a clean drug test.
Under the law, follow-up testing might be required to make sure the driver
has given up drugs.
Barran says Oregon law blurs the line between legal and illegal drugs,
creating hidden pitfalls.
"Nobody was focusing on this when the initiative was being debated," she
said. The measure "was promoted as a measure for people who are terminally
ill.
"But a lot of folks, who are going to be using medical marijuana will be
holding down jobs - people who use it for chemotherapy. People who have
multiple sclerosis are employed. It's not just allowable for late stages of
diseases where death is imminent."
Employers fear unknown
Judith L. Clark, president of H.R. Northwest, the largest independent human
resources consulting firm in the Northwest, says Oregon employers are
becoming increasingly worried about how the new law will affect them.
Employers, she said, are really waking up.
"I think that it probably is in the incubation stage right now," Clark said.
But after the state Health Division begins issuing registration cards in May,
she said, there will be much more interest.
Clark said she thinks the medicinal marijuana issue could cause dissension in
the workplace because of the moral implications surrounding the drug's use.
"There are a lot of folks who are opposed to medical marijuana on moral
grounds," she said. "I can't think of many other things an employer can do
that has the ability to generate as high an emotional response. It is more
likely that it will cause workplace dissension. There are some very strong
morality issues relative to this."
Labor-law changes confusing
The 113,000-member Society for Human Resources Management hasn't studied the
ramifications of the medicinal marijuana laws yet. But it's on the radar
screen.
Michael Losey, president of the international organization, said employment
law is changing so fast that "assumptions are being blown right out of the
water."
As late as the 1970s, he said, women who became pregnant were expected to
quit their jobs. But legislation changed all of that. So Losey isn't going to
make any sweeping predictions about the future of medicinal marijuana in the
workplace.
One concerned employer is the Port of Portland.
"We're in the question-asking phase," said Aaron Ellis, spokesman for the
Port of Portland. "What are the impacts with the state law and how would they
impact the federal drug-testing programs for the Coast Guard? We have over
100 people who have a CDL (commercial drivers license) or are certified under
Coast Guard provisions. We're trying to figure out how these people would be
affected."
Ellis said the port is "thoroughly researching and analyzing all the ins and
outs of these questions . . . We'll create a policy that will be fair to all
employees."
Federal contractors can't choose
Peter Conte, spokesman for the Seattle-based Boeing Co., said the company
doesn't have any specific policies on the use of medicinal marijuana.
Washington voters also passed a medical marijuana initiative in November;
Boeing has 2,000 workers in Oregon and 99,000 in Washington.
"Clearly, where use could potentially impair the ability to perform a job
safely it would not be permitted," he said.
As a defense contractor, the aerospace corporation is required by the federal
government to maintain a drug-free workplace. Under that policy, Boeing and
many other companies with government contracts have an anti-drug policy in
place - and enforce it. Failure to do so could jeopardize the company's
contracts.
Conte says the company plans to walk a fine line between accommodating
medicinal marijuana and following federal law.
"Boeing would, on a case-by-case basis, evaluate use of drugs that could
impair a person's ability to perform a job," Conte said.
Insurers also at a loss
Cheryl Harmon, director of human resources administrative services for Kaiser
Permanente Northwest, said Kaiser officials discussed ramifications of the
new law last week.
"If an employee has a certificate and they're using marijuana for medical
reasons, we'd treat them like they were taking any other kind of prescription
medication," she said.
Likewise, if a job applicant tested positive for marijuana in pre-employment
drug screening, Kaiser probably would disregard the finding if the applicant
had a certificate, she said.
But Kaiser hasn't decided how to address the conflict between state and
federal law in its Drug-Free Workplace program.
"We're going to have to ask legal counsel about that," she said.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Employers face difficult questions under new law
(The Associated Press version)
From: "Bob Owen@W.H.E.N." (when@olywa.net)
To: "_Drug Policy --" (when@hemp.net)
Subject: Employers face questions under OR Med mj law
Date: Fri, 25 Dec 1998 18:57:54 -0800
Sender: owner-when@hemp.net
Employers face difficult questions under new law
The Associated Press
12/25/98 7:32 PM Eastern
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- A new Oregon law allows medicinal use of marijuana,
but some workers could find themselves unemployed if they use the drug for
any purpose.
For example, commercial drivers who test positive for marijuana, medicinal
or not, will be pulled off the road, said Paula Barran, an attorney who
specializes in labor law.
Under federal law, the 108,000 Oregonians who hold commercial driver's
licenses are subject to random tests for drug and alcohol use, as well as
tests after accidents or when a supervisor has a reasonable suspicion of
drug use.
Also, federal law requires random drug testing of people who hold
"safety-sensitive" jobs in aviation, rail transport, pipelines and the
commercial marine industry.
Oregon's new law, passed by voters in November, permits people with a wide
range of illnesses to use medicinal marijuana.
Tests for marijuana use can pick up traces of the drug for as long as a
month after use.
"Nobody was focusing on this when the initiative was being debated," Barran
said. The measure "was promoted as a measure for people who are terminally
ill."
"But a lot of folks who are going to be using medical marijuana will be
holding down jobs -- people who use it for chemotherapy. People who have
multiple sclerosis are employed. It's not just allowable for last stages of
disease where death is imminent."
One concerned employer is the Port of Portland.
"We're in the question-asking phase," said Aaron Ellis, spokesman for the
Port of Portland. "What are the impacts with the state law and how would
they impact the federal drug-testing programs for the Coast Guard?
"We have 100 people who have a CDL (commercial drivers license) or are
certified under Coast Guard provisions. We're trying to figure out how these
people would be affected."
The medicinal marijuana issue could cause dissension in the work place,"
said Judith Clark, president of H.R. Northwest, the largest independent
human resources consulting firm in the Northwest.
"There are a lot of folks who are opposed to medical marijuana on moral
grounds," she said. "I can't think of many other things an employer can do
that has the ability to generate as high an emotional response."
-------------------------------------------------------------------
CRRH will wait to circulate OCTA (A bulletin from Paul Stanford
of the Oregon Cannabis Tax Act campaign says the Oregon secretary of state's
office has not yet certified the ballot initiative, so signature-gathering
will not begin until spring. Also, OCTA's sponsor, the Campaign for the
Restoration and Regulation of Hemp, is preparing to file similar Cannabis
Tax Act initiative petitions in Washington and other states.)
Date: Fri, 25 Dec 1998 12:33:30 -0800
To: restore@crrh.org
From: "D. Paul Stanford" (stanford@crrh.org)
From: "CRRH mailing list" (restore@crrh.org)
Subject: CRRH will wait to circulate OCTA
Merry Christmas to all, and may the New Year be a happy one!
Though the Oregon Cannabis Tax Act has been approved for circulation, due
to a number of factors we have decided to not circulate the petition in
Oregon yet. OCTA will go into circulation by Spring. Please do not
circulate our OCTA petition until we announce that it is in circulation.
Those of you who have requested that we mail you petitions via the US
Postal Service, we will mail petitions when we make the decision to begin
circulation.
CRRH is preparing to file a Cannabis Tax Act petition in Washington State
and other states too. More details concerning other states which will
circulate CTA petitions will be posted to this list when they develop.
Please direct any comments regarding this to crrh@crrh.org.
OCTA is designed specifically to be upheld in federal court by relying on a
number of constitutional, legal and historical precedents that are made by
the sovereign, the people, through findings by the people of the state of
Oregon upon passage. These findings by the sovereign, the people, are
detailed in a lengthy preamble that was designed to overcome US federal
cannabis laws. OCTA will invalidate federal cannabis prohibition. OCTA has
achieved world-wide and leading expert's recognition as the unique model to
regulate the legal sale of cannabis to adults, and is being emulated in
Europe now by both activists and governments. OCTA uses the language and
structures mandated by international treaty.
Also in Oregon, CRRH is supporting another petition drive, the Oregonians
for Personal Privacy's (OPP) petition to amend the Oregon constitution to
allow the private possession, manufacture and use of cannabis
http://www.efn.org/~opp/. Oregon is one of the few places that allows
petitions to amend a constitution. The OPP petition compliments OCTA. CRRH
supports OPP's petition drive and we have printed and mailed numerous
materials and circulated their petition directly for OPP.
However, unfortunately for those of you who have gathered signatures to
date on the OPP petition, it has not been approved for circulation. To
verify this, check the Oregon Secretary of State's 2000 petition log on the
web at: http://www.sos.state.or.us:8080/elec_srch/IRR01_2000
When I noticed this on the state web site about two weeks ago, I suspected
the state's web page might be in error, so I called and checked with the
Oregon Sec. of State's Elections Division's office. They confirmed that the
OPP petition has not been approved for circulation. This means any
signatures gathered to date on the OPP petitions are not valid. To get it
approved for circulation, OPP needs to turn in a petition form and get it
approved by the OR Sec. of State's Elections Division. The OPP petition was
not challenged in court and already has a certified ballot title, it just
needs to jump through the hoops to get the petition form approved. I know
this is a big disappointment for Dan and the Cannabis Liberation Society in
Eugene, since they have already gathered hundreds of signatures that, as it
turns out, are not valid. We urge OPP to work with the Elections Division
in the state capitol to get a petition approved for circulation as soon as
possible.
Thank you for your help and together we will restore hemp and regulate
cannabis.
Yours truly,
D. Paul Stanford
***
To unsubscribe from CRRH's restore@crrh.org e-mail list, send e-mail to
restore-owner@crrh.org
***
For restore@crrh.org list members, you may receive the posts to the CRRH
list in a digest form, which is one easy e-mail of all posts to the list
that day, lessening e-mail box clutter. If you would like to receive the
list in digest form, please e-mail restore-owner@crrh.org with the word
"digest" in the subject or body of the message. Several people have
unsubscribed from this mailing list due to the volume of e-mail it is
generating. Please remember, your post to restore@crrh.org goes out to all
the list members. The number of subscribers to restore@crrh.org has been
fluctuating daily since the list was revived on 12/8/98, and, as of today,
there are 370 list members. If your reply comment is only meant for one
person, to help save other list reader's time, please mail it directly to
that person and not to the list. Thank you.
***
Campaign for the Restoration and Regulation of Hemp
CRRH
P.O. Box 86741
Portland, OR 97286
Phone: (503) 235-4606
Fax: (503) 235-0120
Web: http://www.crrh.org/
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Officers' actions attacked in San Jose marijuana trial
(A San Jose Mercury News article in The Contra Costa Times
says attorneys for medical-marijuana patient Peter Baez asked San Jose
prohibition agents pointed questions Wednesday in an attempt to have
the charges against the former head of a San Jose-based medical cannabis
dispensary dismissed. San Jose police officer Tim Kuchac stated
in an affidavit that he was part of the team that served the first warrant
and noticed a computer that could have contained business records
and other key evidence. In fact, he testified Wednesday, that was not true.
He had never been to the center before signing the affidavit. "I was blown
away," said defense attorney Gerald Uelmen. "I have very few instances
in my life as a lawyer where I had a police officer admit on the stand
to perjury.")
Date: Fri, 25 Dec 1998 09:57:49 -0600
From: "Frank S. World" (compassion23@geocities.com)
Reply-To: compassion23@geocities.com
Organization: Rx Cannabis Now!
http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/Lobby/7417/
To: DRCNet Medical Marijuana Forum (medmj@drcnet.org)
Subject: US CA: Officers' actions attacked in San Jose marijuana trial
Sender: owner-medmj@drcnet.org
Source: Contra Costa Times
Contact: http://www.hotcoco.com/site/letters.htm
Website: http://www.hotcoco.com/
Forum: http://www.hotcoco.com/cocotalk/index.htm
Pubdate: December 25, 1998
OFFICERS' ACTIONS ATTACKED IN SAN JOSE MARIJUANA TRIAL
* Defense says charges against ex-cannabis club chief should be thrown out
because of improper search
By Raoul V. Mowatt SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS
SAN JOSE -- Attorneys for medicinal-marijuana advocate Peter Baez raised
pointed questions of witnesses in an attempt to scuttle the criminal case
against the former head of a San Jose-based marijuana dispensary.
During Wednesday's testimony, San Jose police officers fended off questions
intended to portray their March 23 raid of the Santa Clara County Medical
Cannabis Center as sloppy yet overzealous.
If defense attorneys can convince Superior Court Judge Diane Northway that
the search was improper, they may be able to gut much of the case against
their client.
One of the officers conceded that his sworn affidavit contained a
misstatement. Under questioning from both defense attorney Gerald Uelmen and
prosecutor Rob Baker, Sgt. Tim Kuchac testified that it was simply a
mistake.
But Uelmen seized on that testimony to criticize the officer, saying it was
symptomatic of other problems in the search.
"I was blown away," Uelmen said. "I have very few instances in my life as a
lawyer where I had a police officer admit on the stand to perjury."
Baker, however, said the overall testimony showed the officers balanced
concern for the center's patients with their need to investigate possible
wrongdoing.
"I think (the day's testimony) shows the officers were acting reasonably,"
Baker said. "I think they did what was best for the center and the patients
who had recommendations."
For about a year, Baez, 35, of Gilroy ran the now-defunct cannabis center.
At its busiest, it sold marijuana to about 265 people.
He and his colleagues had a cordial relationship with police until an
investigation into one man's defense against illegal marijuana use raised
questions about whether Baez was obtaining doctors' recommendations before
selling the drug.
The investigation that followed has led to seven felony charges against
Baez: grand theft, maintaining a drug house and five counts of illegal
marijuana sales.
On Wednesday, Kuchac was asked about his affidavit, which came after the
original search warrant had been served. His statement was used to obtain a
warrant to seize a center computer. He testified that no important evidence
was taken from the machine.
Kuchac stated in his affidavit that he was part of the team that served the
first warrant and noticed a computer that could have contained business
records and other key evidence. In fact, he testified Wednesday, that was
not true. He had never been to the center before signing the affidavit, he
said.
Under questioning from Baker, Kuchac testified that it was routine for the
Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office to prepare affidavits for
officers and that he inadvertently missed the discrepancy.
But Uelmen put a more ominous spin on Kuchac's statement, saying that Kuchac
needed to say he had been present to convince a judge to expand the original
search.
Attorneys also finished questioning Sgt. Scott Savage, the lead investigator
in the case. Savage testified that he had no vendetta against Baez, one of
the defense's main contentions.
Uelmen, a Santa Clara University law professor, asked Savage again about the
timing of the raid. He and co-counsel Tom Nolan have contended that Savage
waited to raid the club until then-Chief Lou Cobarruviaz had left office,
saying Cobarruviaz looked favorably on Baez and medicinal marijuana.
But Savage denied this was the case, testifying that he doesn't know if he
knew when Cobarruviaz was going to step down and that there was no formal
department policy on medicinal marijuana.
The hearing is scheduled to resume Monday.
Edition: SRVT, Section: A, Page: 9
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Treating The Cause (A staff editorial in the Cincinnati Post
claims Hamilton County's drug court has saved taxpayers money,
but doesn't explain why more is now needed. Seventeen other Ohio counties
now run drug courts; all are modeled after the one pioneered in Cincinnati
three years ago. The judge who runs the drug court and other county officials
are lobbying the state for a second drug court judge, but the newspaper
says the county should reassign one of its 15 other judges.)
Date: Sun, 3 Jan 1999 13:45:54 -0800
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: US OH: Editorial: Treating The Cause
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: General Pulaski
Pubdate: 25 Dec 1998
Source: The Cincinnati Post (OH)
Copyright: 1998 The Cincinnati Post
Contact: postedits@cincypost.com
Website: http://www.cincypost.com/
TREATING THE CAUSE
Hamilton County's drug court, which emphasizes substance abuse treatment
over jail sentences, has changed lives and saved taxpayers money.
It's also become a state model for dealing with criminal addicts. Seventeen
other Ohio counties now run drug courts; all are modeled after the one
pioneered here three years ago.
Naturally, Common Pleas Court Judge Deidra Hair, who runs the drug court,
wants to expand on its success. She and other county officials are lobbying
the state for a second drug court judge, so the court can try their
approach on a broader range of criminals with drug and alcohol problems.
The expansion itself would be a good move for Hamilton County.
While traditional courts focus on punishing criminals, the drug court works
at overcoming addiction - the root cause of crime for many. The result is
people who go through drug court are less likely to return to crime. And
that means fewer people in jail and fewer people clogging court dockets.
Why not try this successful approach on a larger number of criminals with
addiction problems? There are plenty of potential candidates. Research
indicates that 80 percent of criminals have drug or alcohol problems.
But expanding the drug court does not require creating a new judgeship.
Instead, the county should move one of its current 15 Common Pleas judges
to drug court.
The expansion won't create new court cases, it will merely shift some of
the existing load to a courtroom operating under a different philosophy.
And if the expanded court proves as successful as the first, it will
actually reduce the number of cases on the overall court docket.
Shifting the workload of a current judge is logical for financial reasons,
as well. The primary hold-up to the drug court expansion is money. Paying
for another judge, staff and courtroom would only makes the expansion that
much more difficult.
Fortunately, Hamilton County already has some federal grant money that will
allow the drug court to expand the treatment portion of its programs.
That grant, which the county shares with the city of Cincinnati, will allow
the court to provide more follow-up counseling for addicted criminals after
they go through substance abuse treatment.
Expanding the scope of Hamilton County's drug court makes sense. We have
the human resources to do it.
The challenge - a surmountable one - is coming up with enough money to pay
for the programming needed to make it a success.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Pataki Refuses To Grant Holiday Clemency (The Bergen Record, in New Jersey,
says hundreds of prisoners applied for a show of Christmas mercy
from New York Governor George Pataki, a former marijuana consumer.
In the past three years the Republican governor has commuted the sentences
of 13 prisoners, all but two of them sentenced under the state's
mandatory-minimum drug laws passed during the Rockefeller era.)
Date: Sat, 2 Jan 1999 16:59:29 -0800
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: US NY: Pataki Refuses To Grant Holiday Clemency
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: General Pulaski
Pubdate: 25 Dec 1998, Christmas Day
Source: Bergen Record (NJ)
Contact: http://www.bergen.com/cgi-bin/feedback
Website: http://www.bergen.com/
Copyright: 1998 Bergen Record Corp.
PATAKI REFUSES TO GRANT HOLIDAY CLEMENCY
CRITICS CALL HIS BREAK FROM TRADITION 'SCROOGE-LIKE'
For the first time since taking office, Gov. George Pataki on Thursday
refused to grant clemency to any of the hundreds of prisoners who applied
for a show of Christmas season mercy.
"Executive clemency is an extraordinary step and after reviewing the
candidates this year the governor felt they did not meet the criteria,"
Pataki spokesman Patrick McCarthy said Thursday.
Critics assailed Pataki's decision as a stingy holiday gesture. In the past
three years the Republican governor has commuted the sentences of 13
prisoners, all but two of them sentenced under the state's stiff
Rockefeller Drug Laws.
"It's baffling. It's Scrooge-like," said Robert Gangi, executive director
of the Correctional Association of New York State.
The last year in which clemency was not granted was 1989 when then-Gov.
Mario Cuomo declined to act on any holiday appeals.
Some critics speculated that Pataki's tough-on-crime decision may have been
inspired out of political concerns as he builds his reputation for what
could be a bid for national office in 2000. Pataki has remained elusive on
whether he would seek a spot on a national ticket. But in recent weeks he
has said he may tour the country to counter harsh Republican policies which
hurt the GOP in the fall's elections.
Still others were hopeful that the lack of clemencies signaled that Pataki
was finally willing to look seriously at reworking the much-criticized
Rockefeller Drug Laws, which mandate 15-years-to-life in prison for
possessing 4 ounces or selling 2 ounces of a drug.
"I have to admit I'm stunned," said Deborah Small, legislative liaison for
Research and Policy Reform Inc. "But it also gives me hope that he's
willing to look at reforming the laws as a whole instead of after the fact
on a case-by-case basis."
Small's group, which has been lobbying for drug law changes, is launching a
series of radio advertisements opposing the 25-year-old Rockefeller Drug
Laws as draconian.
McCarthy would only say that the governor was looking at a host of criminal
justice issues for the coming legislative session.
Of the 108 convicts granted clemency by governors since 1980, 69 were drug
offenders sentenced under Rockefeller laws, according to state Division of
Parole statistics.
Many watching the process say that some of the same hard-luck cases had
come before the governor this year and were surprised he had turned a cold
shoulder.
"It comes as a real shock because it breaks with a tradition," Gangi said.
Clemency does not guarantee release from prison but it forces a parole
hearing. Parole board members almost always go along with the governor's
recommendation.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
More about House Speaker-in-waiting J. Dennis Hastert (A list subscriber
follows up on yesterday's news about the drug-warrior credentials of the new
Speaker of the US House of Representatives, noting the Republican leader
spoke at a 1997 "International Symposium Against Drugs," in Zofingen,
Switzerland, organized by the Swiss psycho cult, Verein Fuer Psychologische
Menschenkenntnis, or the Organisation for the Psychological Knowledge
of Human Nature.)
From: Joe Wein (joewein@pobox.com)
To: "DRCTalk Reformers' Forum" (drctalk@drcnet.org)
Subject: RE: About House Speaker-in-waiting J. Dennis Hastert
Date: Fri, 25 Dec 1998 20:37:06 +0900
Reply-To: drctalk@drcnet.org
Sender: owner-drctalk@drcnet.org
On April 12/13 1997 the Swiss psycho cult "Verein fuer
psychologische Menschenkenntnis" (Organisation for
the psychological knowledge of human nature) organised
its 2nd "International Symposium against Drugs", held
in Zofingen in Switzerland. One of the speakers of the
event was Hastert. A German translation of his speech
was later reprinted in the VPM-controlled magazine
"Zeit-Fragen".
According to this magazine, Hastert claimed that between
1992 and 1995 the US government was experimenting
with stepped down drug prohibition (when in fact record
numbers of users were arrested). Hastert reveals his true
colours as a drug war "expert" when he comes up with
statements such as:
"This menace to our societies comes from international
cartels in Colombia and Mexico which literally export
HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF TONS of heroin, cocaine,
crack and marijuana every year." (my emphasis, JW).
"Emercencies in connection with THC or marijuana
rose 32%. This is related to potency, which is is 25
times as high as in the 70s, and because marijuana is
laced with PCP."
Best regards
Joe Wein
http://www.taima.org
"Hemp in Japan"
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Quotes from the Prozac Survivor's web site (A list subscriber
forwards citations from Business Week and Time magazine
with some disturbing information about the pharmaceutical antidepressant
most widely prescribed by American physicians. Plus a first-person account
from a former Prozac user able to remember some of the side effects.)
From: Phillizy@aol.com
Date: Fri, 25 Dec 1998 14:45:36 EST
To: "DRCTalk Reformers' Forum" (drctalk@drcnet.org)
Subject: Re: Pass The Prozac
Reply-To: drctalk@drcnet.org
Sender: owner-drctalk@drcnet.org
Quotes from the Prozac Survivor's web site:
[Prozac] "was associated with more hospitalizations, deaths, or other serious
adverse reactions reported to the FDA than any other drug in America."
Business Week 3/16/98 p. 14
***
"So far, the tools used to manipulate serotonin in the brain are more like
machetes than they are like scapels--crudely effective, but capable of doing
plenty of collateral damage."
Time magazine 9/29/97
***
From: Phillizy@aol.com
Date: Thu, 24 Dec 1998 20:17:43 EST
To: "DRCTalk Reformers' Forum" (drctalk@drcnet.org)
Subject: Pass The Prozac
Reply-To: drctalk@drcnet.org
Sender: owner-drctalk@drcnet.org
The following message was copied from the alt.support.survivor.prozac
newsgroup. Talk about survival !
***
A Christmas present, of sorts, for y'all.
First, why I started. I had an extremely stressful job at a University.
My boss also suffered from the stress and after a year, he had changed
from a forthright nice guy to a sarcastic nit-picking ass. Then one day
he changed radically. He quit was happy again, but different. After a
few days everyone in the department was talking about it. He just didn't
seem to care or worry about the thousand things that were going wrong
around us. I asked him about the change. He said prozac.
I went to my doctor, asked for it. Felt a drooping of my shoulders 4
hours after 1st dose. After a week I had a "cloudy head", was
hallucinating slightly (things appeared further away than they really
were, like looking through a wide angle lens). I did not read the
product insert; as things got worse I just told my wife the symptoms as
they appeared and had her tell me yes or no. She never said no.
At two weeks I was hit with insomnia, tremors, anxiety attacks that
increased in intensity and duration.
At 3 weeks I went to my doctor, he said stop taking it. By this time I
had added an inability to stand or walk for more than a couple of
minutes (asthenia), almost constant extreme anxiety, anorexia (lost 5
pounds in a week), generally screwed up digestive tract, chills,
agitation, abnormal gait (kept leaning left and banging shoulder on
bathroom door), confusion, and probably more I don't remember.
That was the beginning.
Then withdrawals and delayed withdrawals, which made the above seem like
a walk on the beach. Took 9 months for the last physical symptom to go
away (tremors). Took 18 months and God's grace for the mental symptoms
to go away. During delayed withdrawal I got a look at real depression. I
have the utmost sympathy for people who have seen the "black mist." For
one day suicide seemed like a good idea, and Not That Big A Deal, which
was the really scary part.
Prozac and the other SSRIs are very powerful drugs...
I don't remember a lot of that time. Realizing how screwed up I was, I
kept a diary of sorts and have been meaning to add it to my webpage.
(The ever present http://www2.netdoor.com/~bill/prosurv/prosurv.html I
believe I'm Survivor Story #4 though it's way out of date now.) I really
haven't wanted to go back there, maybe on my second anniversary in Feb.
I'll edit it down to a coherent story.
There is a happy ending. At 48, I've come to know in my heart there is a
God who loves me. The part of God Christians call the Holy Spirit is a
real presence who can physically wash away all the fears and guilts if
one prays long and hard enough. But that's another story. Maybe on
Christmas Eve...
Merry Christmas To All,
Lizy
***
From: Phillizy@aol.com
Date: Mon, 28 Dec 1998 22:13:59 EST
To: "DRCTalk Reformers' Forum" (drctalk@drcnet.org)
Subject: Pass The Prozac
Reply-To: drctalk@drcnet.org
Sender: owner-drctalk@drcnet.org
Copied from the narco website of concerned doctors and scientists.
***
Dr. Whittaker's excellent newsletter "Health and Healing" has this to say
about Prozac: "The side effects of Prozac are far more serious than just
the addiction to it. Of all the drugs I've ever cautioned people against,
Prozac is the one which terrifies me most." By December '95 there had
already been reported 35,230 adverse reactions to Prozac - including
hallucinations, aggression, hostility, assault, manslaughter and suicide -
resulting in a total of 2,394 deaths.
Sir Kenneth Calman, Govt Chief Medical Officer: From The Times, 26/9/96 on
"On the State of the Public Health", HMSO 1995 about Ecstasy: The number of
deaths known to be due to Ecstasy (ie, it was found in their blood and there
was no other obvious cause) is about seven (7) per year in the UK. Higher
figures include 'Ecstasy-associated deaths' of people who have taken Ecstasy
but whose death was not directly attributed to the drug.
According to the Economist Magazine, "both Prozac and ecstasy work by
inhibiting the re-uptake of serotonin. This means that the messenger molecules
hang around in the gap between the cells and the message gets amplified.
Ecstasy, in addition to blocking re-uptake, causes a surge of serotonin to be
released into the gap -- so that not only is it not removed, but there is more
of it there in the first place. Since clinical depression seems to be
associated with a lack of serotonin at certain receptor sites (extremely low
levels of serotonin have been found, for instance, in some suicides), the idea
of using serotonin re-uptake inhibitors as anti-depressants has been popular
for some time."
***
Using conservative estimates, 1,000,000 Brits pop Ecstasy resulting in 7
deaths per year. Well over 5,000,000 Americans popped Prozac resulting in
2394 deaths through 1995. Given Ecstasy's superior performance vs Prozac, and
Ecstasy's almost total lack of side-effects, which drug would you rather take?
Lizy
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Ann Landers (The annual Christmas message from the syndicated advice
columnist says the "war on drugs" has turned out to be a colossal failure.)
Date: Fri, 25 Dec 1998 21:49:40 -0800
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: US: Ann Landers: "War On Drugs" Has Turned Out To Be A
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: DrugSense
Source: The Washington Post
Copyright: 1998 The Washington Post Company
Pubdate: 25 Dec 1998, Christmas Day
Page: B18
Columnist: Ann Landers, Creators Syndicate Inc
Mail: Ann Landers, P.O. Box 11562, Chicago, IL, 60611-0562
Note: While this is from the WP, Ann Landers column appears in many
newspapers. Subject line by MAP.
Related: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v97/n721/a06.html
ANN LANDERS
Dear Readers:
In 1955, the year I began writing this column, I wrote an essay for
Christmas Day. Reader response was extremely rewarding, and I have
reprinted it each year, with topical modifications. This is my Christmas
message for 1998:
Dear Readers:
Today is Christmas. What has happened to peace on Earth, goodwill toward
men? In many parts of the world, there is no peace, and in the hearts of
many men, there is nothing that could pass for goodwill.
Our youth insist that we are poisoning the environment, and they are right.
They resent living in a world they didn't make, and who can blame them? But
what generation ever made the world it had to live in?
Although our universities are once again places of higher learning, racism
abounds on many campuses. Prejudice against minorities is on the increase,
and I fear it's going to get worse before it gets better.
Unfortunately, the "war on drugs" has turned out to be a colossal failure.
The increase in the number of homicides is staggering, and most of it is
drug-related. Guns and knives are standard equipment among teenagers. It is
not uncommon for a teenager to get shot or stabbed for his jacket or his
shoes. Metal detectors in schools help some, but not enough.
While alcohol is still the most abused drug of all, marijuana and stronger
substances like crack cocaine are commonplace in junior and senior high
schools. The dropout rate is appalling. Why should a kid stay in school
when he can get rich dealing drugs? This is the message too many young
people are getting.
Suicide is the second most frequent cause of death in this country among
teenagers ages 15 to 19. (The first is accidents.) Every 100 minutes, a
young person under 24 in America will kill himself. Over the past 35 years,
the youth suicide rate has tripled.
More bad news is that venereal disease is epidemic, not to mention AIDS,
for which there is no vaccine and no cure, although new drugs are providing
hope.
We are becoming increasingly desensitized to filthy language, garbage "art"
and rotten stuff on TV. Violence, bigotry and talking dirty must be
tolerated, we are told, because we dare not endanger "freedom of speech." I
am firmly against censorship, but where is the moral outrage against all
the filth? It's almost impossible to find a family movie these days. What
has happened to plain, everyday decency?
Because this is an advice column, I spend the greater part of every day
with grief and trouble. I am adored by some, despised by others, chastised,
castigated and dumped on. Does it depress me? No, it does not.
After 43 years, I still find writing this column immensely rewarding. I
realize that many people who write to me don't want advice. They just need
someone who will listen.
My column has provided me with an opportunity to shine a spotlight on
ignorance and fear, comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable. I am
well aware that mine is an enormous responsibility, and I try hard, 365
days a year, never to let you down.
You, dear readers, are my friends. You invite me into your homes, and
often, we have breakfast together. I want to be there for you when you need
me.
So, if you feel the need to unburden yourself, blow your top, register a
gripe or tell me off, I'm as close as your mailbox.
God bless you all. Pray for good health and an open heart so you can love
your neighbor, even though he or she may not be lovable. I hope 1999 will
be your best year ever.
Ann Landers
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Ann Landers Censored (The Tampa Tribune version
omits the sentence saying the "war on drugs" has turned out
to be a colossal failure.)
Date: Sun, 27 Dec 1998 13:24:41 -0800
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: US FL: Ann Landers Censored
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: A tip from John Chase
Source: Tampa Tribune (FL)
Copyright: 1998 The Tribune Co.
Pubdate: 25 Dec 1998
Contact: tribletters@tampatrib.com
Forum: http://tampabayonline.net/interact/welcome.htm
Website: http://www.tampatrib.com/
Columnist: Ann Landers, Creators Syndicate Inc
Mail: Ann Landers, P.O. Box 11562, Chicago, IL, 60611-0562
NOTE: Subject line by MAP! Readers, when I read Ann Lander's column I
always believed what I was reading was what she wrote. Silly me! While the
Tribune will probably say they edited the column for space, it is
interesting what was left out of the full column, changing the meaning, in
my opinion:
The lead sentence from the fourth paraghraph:
'Unfortunately, the "war on drugs" has turned out to be a colossal failure.'
And the entire paragraph:
"We are becoming increasingly desensitized to filthy language, garbage
"art" and rotten stuff on TV. Violence, bigotry and talking dirty must be
tolerated, we are told, because we dare not endanger "freedom of speech." I
am firmly against censorship, but where is the moral outrage against all
the filth? It's almost impossible to find a family movie these days. What
has happened to plain, everyday decency?"
See the column as published in the Washington Post and elsewhere at:
http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v98.n1194.a10.html
I wonder if it was censored in any other newspapers?
Richard Lake
Senior Editor; MAPnews, MAPnews-Digest and DrugNews-Digest
email: rlake@DrugSense.org
http://www.DrugSense.org/drugnews/
***
ANN LANDERS
Dear Readers:
In 1955, the year I began writing this column, I wrote an essay for
Christmas Day. Reader response was extremely rewarding, and I have
reprinted it each year, with topical modifications. This is my Christmas
message for 1998:
Dear Readers:
Today is Christmas. What has happened to peace on Earth, goodwill toward
men? In many parts of the world, there is no peace, and in the hearts of
many men, there is nothing that could pass for goodwill.
Our youth insist that we are poisoning the environment, and they are right.
They resent living in a world they didn't make, and who can blame them? But
what generation ever made the world it had to live in?
Although our universities are once again places of higher learning, racism
abounds on many campuses. Prejudice against minorities is on the increase,
and I fear it's going to get worse before it gets better.
The increase in the number of homicides is staggering, and most of it is
drug-related. Guns and knives are standard equipment among teenagers. It is
not uncommon for a teenager to get shot or stabbed for his jacket or his
shoes. Metal detectors in schools help some, but not enough.
While alcohol is still the most abused drug of all, marijuana and stronger
substances like crack cocaine are commonplace in junior and senior high
schools. The dropout rate is appalling. Why should a kid stay in school
when he can get rich dealing drugs? This is the message too many young
people are getting.
Suicide is the second most frequent cause of death in this country among
teenagers ages 15 to 19. (The first is accidents.) Every 100 minutes, a
young person under 24 in America will kill himself. Over the past 35 years,
the youth suicide rate has tripled.
More bad news is that venereal disease is epidemic, not to mention AIDS,
for which there is no vaccine and no cure, although new drugs are providing
hope.
Because this is an advice column, I spend the greater part of every day
with grief and trouble. I am adored by some, despised by others, chastised,
castigated and dumped on. Does it depress me? No, it does not.
After 43 years, I still find writing this column immensely rewarding. I
realize that many people who write to me don't want advice. They just need
someone who will listen.
My column has provided me with an opportunity to shine a spotlight on
ignorance and fear, comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable. I am
well aware that mine is an enormous responsibility, and I try hard, 365
days a year, never to let you down.
You, dear readers, are my friends. You invite me into your homes, and
often, we have breakfast together. I want to be there for you when you need
me.
So, if you feel the need to unburden yourself, blow your top, register a
gripe or tell me off, I'm as close as your mailbox.
God bless you all. Pray for good health and an open heart so you can love
your neighbor, even though he or she may not be lovable. I hope 1999 will
be your best year ever.
Ann Landers
-------------------------------------------------------------------
A Muslim Celebrates Christmas (A not-so off-topic list subscriber says,
according to cable television's History Channel, the most prominent features
of Christmas, ever since it began as a pagan holiday in ancient Rome,
have been drunkenness and riotous conduct, which caused it to be prohibited
at several points throughout history. Like other prohibitions, of course,
they were astounding failures.)
From: "Cliff Schaffer" (schaffer@SMARTLINK.NET)
To: "DRCTalk Reformers' Forum" (drctalk@drcnet.org)
Subject: Off Topic: A Muslim Celebrates Christmas
Date: Fri, 25 Dec 1998 09:53:15 -0800
Reply-To: drctalk@drcnet.org
Sender: owner-drctalk@drcnet.org
And now, an amusing, off-topic note.
One of the guys I work with in my current contract is an Iranian Muslim.
His kids have been bugging him to get a Christmas tree and celebrate
Christmas because all the other kids were doing it. We discussed it and he
expressed his concern that Christmas is a religious holiday which,
naturally, isn't found in his religion, and thus had some qualms about
whether a Muslim could properly celebrate Christmas.
I then shared with him some of the stuff I had learned about the history of
Christmas from the History Channel. It started out as a celebration of the
birth of the Roman sun god, celebrated (like every Roman celebration) with
drunkenness, orgies, and general lewd, riotous behavior. Along the
historical way, it picked up the tree from northern Europe, and Saint
Nicholas who, in the beginning, was liable to be quite a mean-spirited
person against kids. The most prominent feature of Christmas was the
drunkenness and riotous conduct so it was actually legally prohibited at
several points throughout history. Like other prohibitions, of course, they
were astounding failures.
To make a long story short, our modern idea of Christmas came about in the
late 1800s for the same reason that New York City decided it needed a formal
police department. Due to various social factors which emphasized the
difference in the comfort level of the social classes, the Christmas
celebration came to demonstrate the abundance of one class, and the poverty
of another. Naturally, the people in poverty had a different view of
Christmas and, one year, the Christmas riots were so bad that the people in
charge decided they had to do something. Therefore, they formed the NYPD
and set out on a deliberate public relations campaign to reconstruct the
image of Christmas into what we know today -- a celebration of giving to
others, particularly children. Naturally, the early department store
industry found this a wholly likable holiday and went along with the gag,
reinforcing it with more than a little advertising.
I told my Muslim friend that I tend to view Christmas as a holiday which
transcends religious boundaries, the point of which is to give (not get)
gifts, and to set aside our differences for at least one day per year,
because our own lives are enriched when we do this for others. My wife and
I have thrown Christmas eve parties for years and, in many years, the
majority of the people who show up (with kids and gifts) are Jewish. I told
him he would really understand the meaning of Christmas when he watched the
kids open their presents on Christmas morning.
After we discussed it, he got a tree and decorated it, and got some presents
for the kids to put under the tree and, just before Christmas, he reported
that the kids were acting like kids everywhere -- poking at the packages,
shaking them, hoping a small tear would appear somewhere in the wrapping to
give them a clue what they got. He said they couldn't wait for Christmas
morning.
Merry Christmas everyone!
Clifford A. Schaffer
Director, DRCNet Online Library of Drug Policy
http://www.druglibrary.org
P.O. Box 1430
Canyon Country, CA 91386-1430
-------------------------------------------------------------------
No Safe Haven: Children of Substance Abusing Parents (A list subscriber
forwards a notice from CASA, the National Center on Addiction
and Substance Abuse at Columbia University, saying it will release a report
at a press conference Jan. 14 at which CASA will propose expanding the war
on some drug-using parents.)
From: "Rolf Ernst" (rernst@fastlane.net)
To: "DRCTalk Reformers' Forum" (drctalk@drcnet.org)
Subject: New CASA study will up the ante
Date: Fri, 25 Dec 1998 12:28:15 -0600
Reply-To: drctalk@drcnet.org
Sender: owner-drctalk@drcnet.org
From CASA:
No Safe Haven: Children of Substance Abusing Parents
At 10:00 a.m. on January 14, 1999, the report, No Safe Haven: Children of
Substance Abusing Parents will be released at a press conference at the
National Press Club in Washington, DC. Over the last decade, the crack
epidemic, combined with other illicit drug and alcohol use, has overwhelmed
child welfare workers and judges with the cases of children from homes with
drug- and alcohol-abusing parents. Using a national survey and case studies,
CASA has examined how judges, parents, child welfare workers, foster care
providers and adoption agencies make decisions regarding the fate of these
children. The report will identify pitfalls and opportunities throughout the
process, identify promising practices, and make recommendations for policy
to protect our nation's children. Funded by: The Soref Foundation and the
Edna McConnel Clark Foundation.
***
I believe Califano & Co. will up the ante with this report.
Regards
Rolf
Rolf Ernst
11909 Wildwood Lane
Frisco, TX 75035
Tel: (972) 335-6455
Fax: (972) 377-4099
***
From: Phillizy@aol.com
Date: Fri, 25 Dec 1998 14:57:51 EST
To: "DRCTalk Reformers' Forum" (drctalk@drcnet.org)
Subject: Re: New CASA study will up the ante
Sender: owner-drctalk@drcnet.org
Interesting. The release date for this study is January 14, 1999 . . . two
days before McCzar is scheduled to address the Chicago Chamber of Commerce
with detailed plans for his New War On Drugs.
Here come de Blitz!
Lizy
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Prince Charles Asks Victim Of MS If She Has Tried Pot
(An Associated Press version of yesterday's news, in the Everett,
Washington, Herald)
Date: Fri, 25 Dec 1998 09:24:23 -0800
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: UK: Prince Charles Asks Victim Of MS If She Has Tried Pot
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: John Smith
Source: Herald, The (WA)
Contact: letters@heraldnet.com
Website: http://www.heraldnet.com/
Copyright: 1998 The Daily Herald Co.
Pubdate: Friday, December 25, 1998
Author: Associated Press
PRINCE CHARLES ASKS VICTIM OF MS IF SHE HAS TRIED POT
LONDON - Prince Charles was drawn into the debate on the medicinal
properties of marijuana after asking a multiple sclerosis sufferer if she
had ever tried it, newspapers reported Thursday.
The Guardian newspaper quoted 36-year-old Karen Drake, who suffers from
multiple sclerosis, as saying that the prince had heard marijuana was good
for easing the pain of the disease.
"He (the prince) asked me if I have tried taking cannabis, saying that he
understood that, under strict medical supervision, it was one of the best
things for it," Drake was quoted as saying. The Sun tabloid, Britain's
largest-selling newspaper, reported the conversation as "advice."
But a spokeswoman for the heir to the throne said the prince was speakng
during a private, informal visit on Tuesday to a west England charity home,
and that the conversation was private.
"The Prince of Wales is aware of the current debate on the issue as to
whether cannabis should be available to people suffering from severe pain
brought on by MS," the spokeswoman said on customary condition of anonymity.
"But he has never spoken publicly on the issue and his is a private view."
The Multiple Sclerosis Society has called for clinical trials to investigate
claims that the drug can relieve symptoms.
to the 1998 Daily News index for Dec. 24-31