-------------------------------------------------------------------
NORML Foundation Weekly News Release (Dutch Marijuana Use
Half That Of America, Study Reveals; One In Seven Drug Prisoners
Serving Time For Marijuana Offenses; Pot Use No Higher
Among California Kids After Passage Of Prop. 215, State Study Finds;
Washington Lieutenant Governor Busted For Illegally Opposing
Drug Reform Initiative)
From: NORMLFNDTN@aol.com
Date: Thu, 7 Jan 1999 19:40:17 EST
Subject: NORML WPR 1/7/99 (II)
NORML Foundation Weekly News Release
1001 Connecticut Ave., NW
Ste. 710
Washington, DC 20036
202-483-8751 (p)
202-483-0057 (f)
www.norml.org
foundation@norml.org
January 7, 1999
***
Dutch Marijuana Use Half That Of America, Study Reveals
January 7, 1999, Amsterdam, the Netherlands: Americans consume
marijuana at rates more than double those of their Dutch counterparts,
according to a study published Tuesday by the Center for Drug Research
(CEDRO) of the University of Amsterdam.
"These findings illustrate that criminalizing marijuana does little,
if anything, to discourage use," said Allen St. Pierre, executive
director of The NORML Foundation. He noted that Dutch law allows
citizens over 18 to buy and consume marijuana in government-regulated
coffeeshops.
The study found that 15.6 percent of Dutch persons aged 12 and over
had tried marijuana. Of these, 4.5 percent reported using marijuana in
the past year, and 2.5 percent said they used the drug during the past
month. By contrast, 32.9 percent of Americans admit trying marijuana,
and nine percent report using the drug in the past year. Slightly more
than five percent of Americans say they use the drug monthly.
The study's authors concluded that "a repressive [marijuana] policy
as in the U.S. does not necessarily result in less drug use. The
availability of drugs is no determining factor for levels of drug use in
a country."
The study, financed by the health ministry and conducted by Amsterdam
University and the Central Bureau of Statistics, is the first to document
national marijuana use rates.
Data previously compiled by the Dutch National Institute of Health
and Addiction (NIHA) determined that Dutch adolescents use marijuana at
significantly lower rates than Americans. The agency reported that 21
percent of Dutch adolescents admit trying the drug compared to 45 percent
of American high school seniors.
For more information, please contact either Allen St. Pierre or Paul
Armentano of The NORML Foundation @ (202) 483-8751. To view a summary of
the CEDRO report online, please visit: http://www.frw.uva.nl/cedro/.
***
One In Seven Drug Prisoners Serving Time For Marijuana Offenses
January 7, 1999, Washington, DC: One in seven drug prisoners is
behind bars for marijuana-related offenses, newly released data from the
Bureau of Justice Statistics reveals.
"Jailing thousands of marijuana offenders is a tremendous waste of
judicial resources and taxpayer dollars that would be better spent
targeting violent crime," NORML Foundation Executive Director Allen St.
Pierre said. He estimated that taxpayers spend approximately $900
million annually to incarcerate marijuana offenders.
Nearly 40,000 Americans are presently incarcerated in state and
federal correctional facilities for marijuana violations. Of these,
28,650 marijuana offenders are state inmates, and 10,538 are federal
prisoners. In all, marijuana prisoners compose 14 percent of all state
and federal drug inmates.
The newly released figures appear in the January 1999 Department of
Justice report: Substance Abuse and Treatment, State and Federal
Prisoners, 1997. Previous DOJ reports omitted data regarding the number
of marijuana offenders behind bars.
The report did not determine what percentage of the estimated 600,000
inmates in local jails are serving time for marijuana offenses.
For more information on marijuana incarceration rates, please contact
either Allen St. Pierre or Paul Armentano of The NORML Foundation @ (202)
483-8751. Federal data regarding annual marijuana arrest rates is
available from The NORML Foundation upon request.
***
Pot Use No Higher Among California Kids After Passage Of Prop. 215, State
Study Finds
January 7, 1999, Sacramento, CA: Statewide marijuana use among
adolescents has not increased since the passage of Proposition 215,
according to data released last week by the Attorney General's office.
"These figures belie claims of Prop. 215 opponents, led by former
Attorney General Dan Lungren and Drug Czar Barry McCaffrey, that the
approval of medical marijuana will lead to an explosion of teen marijuana
use," California NORML Coordinator Dale Gieringer said.
The report cites statistics from the 1997-98 California Student
Substance Abuse Survey that found fewer high school students using
marijuana than in previous years (1995-96). The report did note a
statistically insignificant increase in marijuana use among 7th graders.
Statistics previously released in August by the federal Substance
Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA) reported that
California teens used marijuana at lower rates than the national average.
"The findings of these two surveys, the first to cover the post-1996
period, flatly contradict claims that legalizing medical marijuana sends
a dangerous message to children," NORML Foundation Executive Director
Allen St. Pierre said.
For more information, please contact either Allen St. Pierre of The
NORML Foundation @ (202) 483-8751 or Dale Gieringer of California NORML @
(415) 563-5858. Preliminary copies of the study are available from the
Attorney General's press office @ (916) 324-5500.
***
Washington Lieutenant Governor Busted For Illegally Opposing Drug Reform
Initiative
January 7, 1999, Olympia, WA: The state Executive Ethics Board fined
Lieutenant Governor Brad Owen $7,000 for illegally spending taxpayers'
dollars to oppose a 1997 statewide drug reform initiative, The Seattle
Times reported last week.
"Federal law prohibits state officials from using public funds to
influence the outcome of an initiative," NORML Foundation Executive
Director Allen St. Pierre said. "Lieutenant Governor Owen used taxpayer
moneys in 1997 and 1998 to oppose initiatives legalizing medical
marijuana. His actions clearly undermined the democratic process."
The ethics board contends that Owen used public employees, equipment,
federal grant money, and his own working hours to illegally campaign
against Initiative 685, "The Drug Medicalization and Prevention Act of
1997." The initiative sought to legalize the medical use of marijuana,
and mandated alternative sentencing for non-violent drug offenders.
Voters rejected the measure by a vote of 60 to 40 percent.
Drug reform proponents allege that Owen also misused federal funds in
1998 to oppose Initiative 692. Months before the election, Owen's office
received approximately $200,000 in federal moneys from the Office of
National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) to fund a statewide anti-drug
campaign focusing chiefly on the alleged dangers of marijuana. The grant
also helped pay for the establishment of an anti-medical marijuana
website. Despite Owen's efforts, 59 percent of voters backed the
initiative, which became state law on December 3.
"The fine against Owen should put all elected officials and anti-drug
bureaucrats, from Drug Czar Barry McCaffrey to local sheriffs or
narcotic officers, on notice," St. Pierre said. "Public funds may not be
used to influence public opinion in advance of an election or initiative.
It is hard to imagine a more repugnant and threatening specter than a
government willing to spend taxpayer's dollars to actively campaign
against free elections."
For more information, please contact either Allen St. Pierre of The
NORML Foundation @ (202) 483-8751 or visit the website MarijuanaNews at:
http://www.marijuananews.com.
- END -
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Tokin' Enforcement (A San Diego Union Tribune article about the local impact
of Proposition 215 notes Steve McWilliams, who runs Shelter From the Storm,
a fledgling cannabis club providing the herb to about a half-dozen sick
San Diego residents, will test the legal limits of the medical-marijuana law
when he goes on trial in San Diego Superior Court with Dion Markgraaff
Feb. 10 on felony charges of cultivating and selling marijuana. It will be
the first such case to go before a jury locally since California voters
approved the law in November 1996.)
Date: Sat, 16 Jan 1999 11:14:52 -0800
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: US CA: MMJ: Tokin' Enforcement
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: Chuck Hundley
Pubdate: Thu, 7 Jan 1999
Source: San Diego Union Tribune (CA)
Page: E-1
Copyright: 1999 Union-Tribune Publishing Co.
Contact: letters@uniontrib.com
Website: http://www.uniontrib.com/
Forum: http://www.uniontrib.com/cgi-bin/WebX
Author: Mark Sauer
TOKIN' ENFORCEMENT
Clouds Of Smoke Surround Legal Parameters Of The Medical Marijuana Proposition
Exhaling a deep lungful of cannabis smoke, Steve McWilliams smiled at
the news last week that new state Attorney General Bill Lockyer is
making medical marijuana a top priority.
"We're ecstatic! This is the very best possible news for people like
us," McWilliams said. "If Lockyer would simply agree to sit down with
us in good faith, we can solve this problem."
The "problem" is the workings of Proposition 215, the 2-year-old law
intended to allow seriously ill people in California to use marijuana
as medicine -- a law for which Dan Lungren, the state's newly departed
chief law-enforcement officer, had little use.
Joining forces with Clinton Administration officials, Lungren was
tireless in efforts to close the state's several dozen "cannabis
buyers clubs" through raids and court action, seeking to enforce
federal laws against marijuana distribution.
What Lockyer will do remains to be seen, of course.
But last week, the new attorney general vowed to make Proposition 215
work. "I think (Lungren) was overly zealous in continuing to oppose
(the medical marijuana law) even after the people had adopted it,"
Lockyer told reporters.
So on a sunny winter day, McWilliams, who displays a doctor's note
verifying that he suffers chronic pain from a series of car accidents,
re-lit his emerald-green bong and sat back to contemplate changes the
new year might bring -- for him and for the medical marijuana movement.
He runs Shelter From the Storm, now a fledgling cannabis club
providing the quasi-legal herb for about a half-dozen sick San
Diegans. Operating out of an upstairs apartment behind the Hemp Store
in Hillcrest, McWilliams has eight pot plants growing on the balcony
and many more under high-intensity lamps indoors.
And he doesn't care who knows it, even though he soon will go on trial
for cultivating cannabis.
McWilliams and fellow medical marijuana booster Dion Markgraaff of
Ocean Beach will test the legal limits of Proposition 215 when they go
on trial in San Diego Superior Court Feb. 10 on felony charges of
cultivating and selling marijuana.
It will be the first such case to go before a jury locally since
California voters overwhelmingly passed the medical marijuana
initiative in November 1996, said Deputy District Attorney Dave
Songco, who is prosecuting McWilliams and Markgraaff.
But while there have been no trials in San Diego involving Proposition
215, there have been several interesting developments regarding
marijuana in the two years since Californians took their historic
vote, including:
A full 20 percent of the American electorate has now passed medical
marijuana legislation, with voters in Arizona, Alaska, Oregon,
Colorado and Washington following California's lead in last November's
election. (District of Columbia voters also approved medical
marijuana, according to exit polls, but Congress won't allow voting
results to be revealed.)
The district attorney in San Francisco refused to take action against
the several cannabis clubs operating there, but they were closed
anyway following court action instigated by Lungren and federal officials.
City officials in Oakland tried to circumvent the court and have the
city's one club remain open by deputizing club leaders so they could
lawfully handle pot; a judge nixed that idea.
Meanwhile, 1997 saw a record number of marijuana offenses in the
United States -- 695,201, 87 percent of which were for possession,
according to the FBI.
In San Diego, felony arrests for marijuana fell in the five-year
period from 1993 to 1997 (down 30 percent for adults and 21 percent
for juveniles). But misdemeanor arrests skyrocketed, climbing 27
percent for adults and 47 percent for juveniles during that time.
Songco said that a few San Diego defendants charged with marijuana
offenses have tried using Proposition 215 as a defense in pre-trial
maneuvering, but until now their claims did not pass muster and all
wound up in plea bargains.
"From what I read, the defense isn't raised very often with any
legitimacy anywhere in California," said Songco.
"I did refuse to prosecute one case that police had referred because
it looked to me that the suspect had a legitimate need for the
marijuana and was trying to comply with the law," he continued.
Songco said many individuals may be discreetly and quietly "out there
using marijuana as medicine and complying with the law under Prop.
215, but I have no way of knowing how many. Nobody does."
"The cases we're prosecuting are for large amounts and it's very clear
the defendants are trying to use Prop. 215 as a shield," he said.
"We're not concerned with legitimately sick individuals trying to
comply with the law."
But trying to comply with the law is precisely the problem, according
to McWilliams and others in his club.
Among the questions they raise are:
- How much marijuana is too much to be considered an individual's
medicine? Who can legally cultivate cannabis? Who can legally
distribute it? How can it be legally distributed? If it is sold, may
the seller earn a reasonable profit? If you are cultivating a large
quantity to share with other sick people, are you subject to arrest
and trial?
- Tacked on the wall at Shelter From the Storm are about a half-dozen
letters from doctors authorizing the therapeutic use of cannabis for
individual club members, including McWilliams' letter.
- He was arrested last January and authorities confiscated more than
400 marijuana plants and seedlings McWilliams says he was growing for
members of Markgraaff's San Diego medical marijuana club, who numbered
in the hundreds before the club officially disbanded following the
pair's arrests.
- McWilliams said he is anxious to get his case, which has been
delayed several times, in front of a jury because he is confident he
will be acquitted under the spirit and letter of Proposition 215.
But Songco said large amounts of marijuana such as McWilliams
cultivated for distribution is a clear violation of the law.
McWilliams counters that some sick individuals may consume a pound or
two of the leafy "medicine" over the course of a year and several
hundred "desperately sick people were depending on those plants."
Those individuals, former members of the San Diego cannabis club, are
waiting to see if the upcoming trials serve to establish some kind of
medical marijuana protocols that "we can all live with -- they're
waiting for the smoke to clear, so to speak," said McWilliams.
"It is incumbent upon prosecutors to tell people what the law is,"
continued McWilliams, who notified sheriff's deputies of his
cultivation operation in Valley Center long before being busted there
last year.
"The real crime here is keeping this law vague and to keep harassing
and arresting people.
"I've never been convicted of anything in my life, but now I could go
to jail for almost five years and have a felony on my record forever,
even though I've got all my documentation from doctors and have tried
to comply with the law. Police should have better things to do than go
around looking for people who use marijuana for medical reasons."
Oddly enough, local law officers tend to agree.
"We're not hanging out at AIDS-treatment facilities seeing who's
walking out with a lid of pot," said Bill Baxter, a San Diego
Sheriff's Department lieutenant assigned to the county's narcotics
task force.
"And we're not kicking down doors like the Gestapo because we heard
grandma and grandpa are in the back tokin' a joint for their
arthritis. We've got better things to do."
But Baxter echoed other law officials in saying that Proposition 215
does not legalize marijuana. In fact, he said, from the police point
of view the law has had little practical impact these past two years.
"If you are stopped in the sheriff's jurisdiction and discovered to
have an ounce or less of marijuana, it will be confiscated, we will
write you a citation and that case will proceed just as if 215 hadn't
happened," Baxter said.
And if it's more than an ounce, misdemeanor or felony charges could be
filed, depending on the circumstances, he added.
Capt. Larry Moratto of the San Diego Police Department's narcotics
division agreed that the new law's impact has been
"negligible."
Those growing large amounts of marijuana remain at risk for felony
prosecution, he said, despite claims by people such as McWilliams that
the law entitles them to grow pot for their sick club members.
Baxter said the sheriff's department is "talking right now about more
definitive guidelines" regarding Proposition 215. He noted that
Lockyer's vow to make the medical marijuana law work will certainly
affect such guidelines.
"But I wouldn't look for any immediate clarification," Baxter said.
"There are so many complications no matter how you look at this issue,
regardless of whether you are a conservative or a liberal.
"In order to get something that is good and workable and equitably
enforced is still going to take awhile."
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Public Hearings on the Environmental Impact of Federal Paramilitary Marijuana
Eradication Raids in Humboldt County - Mateel Community Center, Redway,
Jan. 18-19, 1999 (A bulletin from California NORML says retired Appellate
Court Judge William Newsom will preside over unprecedented hearings
where the public will be allowed to comment on the draft of a handbook -
URL included - prepared by the US Bureau of Land Management for its law
enforcement officers, detailing appropriate conduct in the pursuit
of marijuana in Northern California.)
Date: Thu, 7 Jan 1999 09:05:15 -0800
To: dpfca@drugsense.org
From: canorml@igc.apc.org (Dale Gieringer)
Subject: DPFCA: Humboldt MJ Eradication Hearings Jan 18-9
Sender: owner-dpfca@drugsense.org
Reply-To: dpfca@drugsense.org
Organization: DrugSense http://www.drugsense.org/dpfca/
Public Hearings on the Environmental Impact of Federal
Paramilitary Marijuana Eradication Raids in Humboldt County
Mateel Community Center, Redway, Jan. 18-19, 1999
REDWAY, Humboldt County CA: The Mateel Community Center will be the
venue for an unprecedented public hearing on the environmental impact of
paramilitary marijuana eradication operations this Jan. 18-19. The
hearing, which begins Jan. 18 at 10 a.m., will be conducted like a formal
court proceeding with retired Appellate Court Judge William Newsom
presiding.
The hearing is a result of a recent court settlement pursuant to a
suit filed against government agencies which participated in the 1990
marijuana eradication program in Humboldt County known as "Operation
Greensweep," in which armed troops and helicopters raided a remote
wilderness area, disturbing local residents and the environment.
The suit was filed on behalf of local residents, the Civil Liberties
Monitoring Project and the Drug Policy Foundation. Alleged were civil
rights and environmental violations by the participating law enforcement
agencies. The court dismissed the civil rights allegations but the
environmental claims were compelling enough to foster the settlement.
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) was the lead agency in the raids
and it is the agency the litigants are settling with. In an unprecedented
ruling, the BLM was ordered to issue a handbook for its law enforcement
officers, detailing appropriate conduct in the pursuit of marijuana
operations in Northern California. It is the first known handbook on how
law enforcement officers must behave in the course of planning marijuana
eradication. It is also the first time a government agency has been
compelled to consider the environmental impact of its raids.
The draft of the handbook, or guidelines, became available in
December of 1998. There is a 60 day public comment period to allow
feedback on the draft guidelines for officers.
Members of the public are invited to comment specifically on the
guidelines as written in the draft, or on the impact of raids generally on
the environment and its human or animal denizens.
Written statements will be accepted from those unable to personally testify
and those will be entered into the public record.
The draft of the guidelines, as currently written, contains
certain assumptions that local citizens may want to challenge. Two
examples are how "small scale" or "large scale" operations are defined, or
the assumption that helicopter or fixed wing overflights are something that
occur often in Southern Humboldt, apart from law enforcement efforts.
Similarly, residents may want to affirm BLM's mandate that its officers
maintain a 500-foot ceiling on its aircraft elevations, and the "officers
take the most direct route to the target areas" while avoiding other
homesteads along the route.
Copies of the draft guidelines are available at the offices of Ron
Sinoway, Alternative Energy, Signature Coffee, the Used Book Store, and
Pomegranate Video in Redway; at CLMP, Blue Moon, Orange Cat, EPIC, the
Mateel Gallery, Hand to Land and Back in a Flash in Garberville; at the
law offices of Manny Daskal and the Pacific Justice Center in Eureka; and
at public libraries in Ukiah, Eureka, McKinleyville, Susanville, Alturas,
Cedarville, and Humboldt State University in Arcata; and at BLM field
offices in Alturas, Arcata, Cedarville, Redding, Ukiah, and Susanville.
Questions concerning one's participation in the hearings can be
directed to Ron Sinoway's office (923-3905) or the CLMP office in
Garberville. (923-4646).
On the web: www.ca.blm.gov/norcal/marea-d.html
***
Dale Gieringer (415) 563-5858 // canorml@igc.apc.org
2215-R Market St. #278, San Francisco CA 94114
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Sixties Drug Is In Again (According to the Orange County Register,
police say 'magic mushrooms' have made a comeback, and they are claiming -
without any scientific evidence whatsoever - that psilocybin mushrooms
are addictive and deadly. In what is believed to be the department's largest
mushroom bust in at least 12 years, Orange County sheriff's narcotics
investigators in December seized 20 pounds with a street value of $80,000
to $100,000.)
Date: Wed, 13 Jan 1999 15:44:05 +0000
To: vignes@monaco.mc
From: Peter Webster (vignes@monaco.mc)
Subject: [] Sixties Drug Is In Again
Source: Orange County Register (CA)
Contact: letters@link.freedom.com
Website: http://www.ocregister.com/
Copyright: 1999 The Orange County Register
Pubdate: Thur, 07 Jan 199
Author: Mai Tran-OCR
SIXTIES DRUG IS IN AGAIN
Crime: 'Magic Mushrooms' have made a comeback,and police say they can be
addictive or even deadly.
Ben Thomas put hallucinogenic mushrooms on his pepperoni pizza. He mixed
them into Lipton tea, or ate the nasty-tasting drugs with loads of potato
chips.
"All I wanted to do was get high," said Thomas, 19, of Newport Beach, who
says he has been straight for almost a year. "All my friends were into it."
Like bell-bottoms and platform shoes, psilocybin mushrooms are making a
comeback with teens and young adults.
The so-called "magic mushrooms," popular in the 1960s and 1970s, these days
are a drug of choice at rave parties - all-night gatherings held secretly in
warehouses and other industrial sites, police say.
The strongest of hallucinogenic mushrooms, psilocybins have made their
biggest resurgence in the past two years, said Walter Allen, special agent
in charge of the Orange regional office of the state Bureau of Narcotic
Enforcement.
"A lot of these young kids are getting into it," Allen said. "But they don't
know what they're getting into. It's unfortunate."
In what is believed to be the department's largest mushroom bust in at least
12 years, Orange County sheriff's narcotics investigators in December seized
20 pounds of psilocybin mushrooms - with a street value of $80,000 to
$100,000, sheriff's Lt. Hector Rivera said.
Three people, from Fullerton and Mission Viejo, were arrested for allegedly
storing and selling the mushrooms.
The mushrooms have a street value of $40 for one-eight of an ounce, police
said, though the price fluctuates with supply and demand. The drugs are
chewed, sucked or placed in drinks. The "trip" lasts two to six hours.
Mushrooms, which are physically addictive, can cause nausea, vomiting and
distort comprehension of time and space. Use can lead to severe liver
dysfunction and failure, Allen said.
Moods, good or bad, are intensified. Experts say the trip depends on the
drug taker's mindset.
Sometimes, death can result.
"People try to do some impossible feats under the influence of the drugs,"
Rivera said. "Some try to jump off a building or stand in front of a car."
The mushrooms often come from the Pacific Northwest, though sometimes they
sprout up closer to home.
"Some hydroponic gardens are set up in garages or bedrooms," Anaheim police
Sgt. Joe Vargas said, referring to plants grown in nutrient solutions. "They
can easily be home-grown."
Police usually seize the drugs in small quantities during larger marijuana
and cocaine busts, Rivera said.
La Habra police stumbled onto the largest batch of cultivated psilocybin
mushrooms in the county last year when officers responded to a disturbance
call at an apartment complex.
Police seized 176 pounds of mushrooms - valued at more than $1 million -
being grown throughout the apartment, said La Habra police Sgt. Phil
Stufflebean, supervisor of the special enforcement unit.
A college student who learned how to grow mushrooms on the Internet was
arrested and has pleaded guilty to possession and cultivation, Stufflebean
said.
Mushroom users say the drug is preferable to LSD because it is cheaper and
easier to get, and the high isn't as intense or as long-lasting. And the
mushrooms don't show up during standard drug screening.
Thomas, who began taking the drug at 14, said he ate mushrooms nearly a
dozen times every month for three years.
He sold his compact discs or stole, even from his parents, to get $10 for a
quick high, he said.
"They're not that cool," he said.
Kelly Wilson, a drug recovery specialist, recalled taking mushrooms at a
party, after which, she said, the walls began to move in and out. She saw
the carpet lift from the floor. She watched as music come out of the
speakers.
"I felt connected to people, a lot of love for everybody," recalled Wilson,
35, who did drugs for six years until she stopped in the late '80s. "It was
a fun party thing to do."
But she and other former users also know the downside.
Once while high on mushrooms, Thomas fell and broke four front teeth and cut
his lips.
Thomas said getting drug counseling at the Hope Institute in Costa Mesa has
changed his life.
"I feel better about myself," said Thomas, who now attends Orange Coast
College and works at a coffee bar to pay for his new car and apartment. "I
got to buy my family presents for the first time ever this Christmas. The
only way for me is total abstinence."
-------------------------------------------------------------------
The Straight Dope - Don't Expect Your Physician To Say 'Smoke Two Joints,
And Call Me In The Morning' (The Arizona Republic interviews a cancer patient
whose life was undoubtedly saved by medical marijuana, and an addiction
specialist who says people don't need medical marijuana and won't suffer
without it - plus a science update on medical marijuana research.)
Date: Sat, 9 Jan 1999 01:25:00 -0800
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: US AZ: The Straight Dope-Don't Expect Your Physician To Say.....
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: General Pulaski
Pubdate: Thur, 07 Jan 1999
Source: Arizona Republic (AZ)
Contact: Opinions@pni.com
Website: http://www.azcentral.com/news/
Forum: http://www.azcentral.com/pni-bin/WebX?azc
Copyright: 1999, The Arizona Republic.
THE STRAIGHT DOPE- DON'T EXPECT YOUR PHYSICIAN TO SAY 'SMOKE TWO
JOINTS, AND CALL ME IN THE MORNING'
In October 1995, Josh Burner was reeling from nausea triggered by massive
doses of radiation to treat the cancer eating away at his jaw, tongue and
soft palate.
No medications could abate his queasiness. He was too sick to eat.
One afternoon, he got a call from some Navajos he had met while working
undercover as a private investigator. They invited him to meet them at a
park in Tempe. They had heard about his troubles.
At a secluded spot in the park, the men gave Burner a hand-carved pipe
depicting four spirits and filled with marijuana. For a half-hour, they
smoked. First, Burner felt a sense of well-being. Then, his nausea
disappeared.
"It was very cool," he says.
He went into a nearby Mexican restaurant and ordered a pint of refried beans
and a pint of salsa, mixed them together, and gulped it down. He topped that
off with a milkshake from Dairy Queen.
"I hadn't eaten in three days," he says, "and I haven't thrown up since."
During last fall's campaign to legalize marijuana for medical use in such
illnesses as cancer and AIDS, Burner became the poster boy for legalization,
starring in pro-pot TV ads. He continues to smoke, eat and drink marijuana
to keep his nausea and cancer pain at bay.
It works, he says, and he wants the illegal weed to be available to other
suffering patients.
Whether that happens remains to be seen. Although Arizona voters in November
approved the medical use of marijuana for the second time in two years,
doctors fear their privileges to prescribe medication will be revoked if
they promote pot, thanks to the shadow of the federal Drug Enforcement
Administration.
The DEA is not amused by states' efforts to look the other way when sick
people do dope, and it has rejected smoking crude marijuana as medicine.
For their part, Arizona law-enforcement officials have generally turned a
blind eye to such patients, especially if they carry documented permission
from their doctors - a quasi "prescription."
Much of the time, politics and the fears of those who oppose any easing of
drug laws cloud the real issue: Is marijuana a legitimate weapon in the
arsenal against debilitating side effects of cancer treatment and in the
battle against other diseases?
In the 1920s, marijuana cigarettes were sold legally in drug stores as a
treatment for such ailments as asthma, migraine headaches and to ease the
pain of childbirth. During Prohibition, it was smoked recreationally to ease
the hunger pangs for outlawed liquor.
Today, marijuana is generally illegal in America, except in some cases where
it can be used medicinally, with opponents of liberalized drug laws branding
it as the gateway drug to harder substances such as cocaine and heroin.
However, some doctors and patients despair that not enough legal medications
exist to ease suffering. Why not allow one more?
Prescription drugs for nausea and vomiting, the major side effects of
radiation treatment, include Compazine, Phenergan, Tigan and Zofran.
The arsenal also includes marinol, the extract in pill form from
tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, the active ingredient in marijuana.
Only marijuana - smoked or incorporated into foods and beverages - delivers
a "high" along with relief of symptoms, as does marinol. The exhilarating
effects of marinol, in fact, appear to last longer than the effects of
marijuana itself.
For patients depressed by their illness, this can mean a welcome emotional
lift.
"When you have a patient dying of cancer or AIDS, there's a lot going on
besides nausea," says Dr. Jeffrey Singer, a Phoenix surgeon who deals with
cancer patients and favors the medical use of marijuana. "Its tranquilizing
effects are one of the beneficial aspects."
And patients, devastated by their disease, are not primarily in search of
euphoria or the novelty of being allowed to smoke joints, Singer says.
"When a person's dying, they don't worry about being cool."
Marijuana also has a reputation for stimulating the appetite, a benefit for
patients wasting away from cancer or AIDS.
Burner, who says he now smokes a couple of joints a day - more when he's not
feeling up to snuff - dropped to 141 pounds from 193 before he discovered
the appetite-enhancing effects of marijuana. Now, consuming pot in
cigarettes and such foods as milkshakes, meatloaf, cookies and macaroni and
cheese, the former high-school athlete and Vietnam War veteran weighs in at
183.
The munchies, he says, saved him.
In addition to alleviating the effects of cancer and AIDS treatment,
marijuana has been used to relieve muscle spasms and spasticity in spinal
cord patients and those suffering such collagen-vascular diseases as lupus.
It may ease phantom limb pain after amputation.
How does it work?
Volker Sonntag, a neurosurgeon with the Barrow Neurological Institute in
Phoenix, says the mechanisms by which marijuana affects the brain are still
unclear.
Scientists believe the brain houses two receptors for the active substances,
called cannabinoids, present in marijuana. These are called CB1 and CB2.
They might work like a key in a lock, Sonntag says.
Marijuana also seems to work as an analgesic.
From a neurological perspective, it's not certain whether pot is harmful,
Sonntag says. Long-term use does appear to impair cognitive function,
although the effects are difficult to quantify and vary between individuals.
Sonntag says patients report that smoking marijuana is "a pleasant way of
dealing with the pain" and that it seems to have few side effects.
If the drug were legal, Sonntag would not hesitate to prescribe it. He said
he believes many other doctors feel the same way.
Until it is legalized, he will not discuss it with patients because he fears
"I would be in trouble."
Although the extraction of THC, or marinol, from the marijuana plant is seen
as the proper and legal way to derive THC's benefits, Jeffrey Singer says it
might not be that easy. About 400 compounds have been identified in pot that
might work in concert to deliver the desired effects. THC alone may not do
the trick.
Because marinol comes in pill form, it loses its effectiveness for the
nauseated patient who can't keep anything down. Medication that is vomited
is useless.
Marinol also suffers from inconsistent delivery, sometimes coming on too
strong and sometimes failing to be properly absorbed, leaving the patient
under-medicated, says Dr. Paul Consroe, a professor of pharmacology and
toxicology at the University of Arizona's University Medical Center.
Smoking a joint, he says, is gentler, and it is easier for the patient to
control the dosage.
"You can take just as much as you need," he says.
THC also is more quickly absorbed when it is smoked, he says. The lungs have
a rich supply of blood vessels to deliver the drug into the body.
In the 1980s, six state health agencies conducted studies on the therapeutic
use of marijuana under research protocols endorsed by the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration. Scientists tested whether the drug could be an effective
anti-emetic (vomit preventer) for cancer patients. The consensus was that it
was effective.
California: More than 74 percent of subjects reported that marijuana was
more successful in relieving their nausea and vomiting than other drugs
tried previously.
Georgia: THC pills and smoked marijuana were found to provide anti-emetic
relief for patients who had not responded to other medications, with a
success rate of 73.1 percent.
Michigan: Of patients who received marijuana, 71.1 percent reported results
ranging from no emesis at all to moderate nausea and increased appetite.
About 90 percent chose to continue using marijuana as an anti-nausea
therapy.
New Mexico: More than 90 percent of patients who smoked marijuana and had
failed at least three other anti-emetics reported "significant or total
relief from nausea and vomiting" with no adverse side effects.
New York: Three hospitals involved in the research reported that patients
who claimed significant benefits of marijuana therapy reported success rates
of 89.7, 92.9 and 100 percent at the respective locations.
Tennessee: Patients who had failed on other therapies, including THC pills,
found an overall success rate of 90.4 percent when marijuana was smoked.
Given such numbers, marijuana would seem to be a wonder drug.
However, there is another side to the pot issue.
Dr. Philip Kanof, medical director of the substance-abuse program at the
Veterans Affairs Hospital in Tucson and an associate professor of
pharmacology at the College of Medicine at the University of Arizona, is an
outspoken opponent of the medical use of marijuana.
"Why do people consider this medically necessary?" he asks, dismayed that a
substance he believes leads to use of harder drugs could be on the threshold
of acceptance by the medical community.
He dismisses its role as another weapon against nausea and vomiting,
insisting that legal drugs do the trick when prescribed properly.
"In 1998, it is no longer a clinical problem," Kanof says. "People are not
suffering anymore."
When relief fails, he blames "physicians (who) don't know how to use these
medications effectively."
Patients can use legal drugs "without getting stoned out of their minds," he
says.
Jeffrey Singer argues that "we (physicians) prescribe these drugs according
to FDA prescription levels" and even sometimes exceed those levels in an
attempt to offer relief to patients.
Existing legal medications, and even marijuana, do not work for everybody,
he says. He points out that pharmaceutical companies, in that same belief,
continue to develop new anti-emetics.
Kanof insists that tolerating pot for medical use sends the wrong message,
allowing it to escape the rigorous scrutiny applied to prescription drugs.
Smoking an unrefined plant product means inhaling an indeterminate dosage.
The product might not be pure. There is no quality control.
However, until marijuana can be obtained easily and is legalized at least
for research, correct dosage cannot be assured and purity can not be
achieved, Kanof concedes.
"It's a Catch-22 situation," he says.
Although few side effects from smoking marijuana have been reported, and
fatal overdoses appear unlikely, the experience is not universally
pleasurable, Kanof says.
Pot smoke is acrid and must be inhaled deeply to be effective. Some people
experience paranoia and panic attacks.
"There is a lot of individual response to different drugs," Kanof says.
Patients who seek out marijuana through nefarious means put themselves in a
financial bind - pot is not cheap - and often put their lives at risk as
well, considering the undesirables with whom they must deal. According to
the DEA, pot currently sells for $70 to $120 an ounce, which makes about 30
joints, depending on its quality.
Although the term "prescription" is used, such a document simply alerts
police that marijuana possession is intended only for medical use. It
doesn't mean patients are standing in line at the pharmacy, funded by
insurance.
Burns, who is on public assistance, says pot is easy to obtain but is almost
beyond his reach financially.
As an addiction psychiatrist with a doctorate in pharmacology, Kanof says he
has seen the dangers of what seems to be an innocent recreation. He insists
smoking marijuana does lead to more ominous drug use, especially among young
people.
"This drug has an abuse potential," he says. "We know marijuana is a gateway
drug among adolescents who go on to use harder drugs. It is a key drug to
understanding the pathways to addiction . . . It is a pivotal drug in drug-
addiction careers."
Many habitual users are so drawn to the drug they spend their days smoking
instead of making productive use of their lives, he says.
Kanof does concede that marijuana can be an effective tool in relieving the
wasting syndrome that plagues AIDS patients. Prescription drugs exist, but
they are much more expensive than pot. Although all work to some extent,
Kanof says, "none are terrific."
In relieving nausea and vomiting, he counts about 10 agents that work to
some degree. The right drug, he says, can eliminate 90 percent of nausea.
Sometime this year, Kanof says, the National Academy of Sciences' Institute
of Medicine is expected to issue a report on its review of the therapeutic
use of marijuana.
He does not expect much fanfare.
"I think it's going to be a punt," he says. "More research is needed."
***
[ed note - Marinol is 100% synthesized. It is not extracted from herbal
cannabis. Which is partly why it costs around $7 per pill. For more details
see "Marinol: The Little Synthetic That Couldn't," from the July 1994
High Times.]
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Appeals Court Throws Out Part Of Drug Case Conviction (The Ft. Worth
Star-Telegram, in Texas, says the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals
in New Orleans has vacated Rudy Van Williams' conviction on one
drug possession count, though he still has a long sentence to serve on
another conviction. Williams' attorney, Timmie White, said, "Rudy Williams
didn't win. The criminal justice system won." Lawyers often criticize U.S.
District Judge John McBryde - known for moving quickly through his "rocket
docket" - for limiting the length and scope of questioning in trials. During
Williams' trial, McBryde prevented defense attorneys from cross-examining
a government witness about inconsistent statements.)
Date: Sat, 9 Jan 1999 08:53:58 -0800
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: US TX: Appeals Court Throws Out Part Of Drug Case Conviction
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: adbryan@onramp.net
Pubdate: Thu, 7 Jan 1999
Source: Ft. Worth Star-Telegram (TX)
Copyright: 1999 Star-Telegram, Fort Worth, Texas
Contact: letters@star-telegram.com
Website: http://www.star-telegram.com/
Forum: http://www.star-telegram.com/comm/forums/
Author: Laura Vozzella
APPEALS COURT THROWS OUT PART OF DRUG CASE CONVICTION
FORT WORTH -- A Fort Worth federal judge prevented defense lawyers
from adequately cross-examining a government witness, according to a
federal appeals court that threw out part of a drug conviction this
week.
The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans vacated Rudy Van
Williams' conviction on one drug possession count. The court affirmed
his conviction on a conspiracy count.
Williams, of Fort Worth, was one of 12 people convicted in two related
drug-conspiracy trials before U.S. District Judge John McBryde in
August 1996.
The reversal will not have much effect on Williams, even though
Assistant U.S. Attorney St. Clair Theodore said he does not intend to
retry him on the possession count. Williams was sentenced to 262
months, about 22 years, for each count, but the sentences were to run
concurrently.
Williams' attorney, Timmie White, still claimed victory.
"Rudy Williams didn't win," he said. "The criminal justice system
won." Lawyers often criticize McBryde -- known for moving quickly
through his "rocket docket" -- for limiting the length and scope of
questioning in trials. His supporters call him appropriately strict
and efficient. During Williams' trial, McBryde prevented defense
attorneys from cross-examining a government witness about inconsistent
statements.
Ronnie Bennett, a co-defendant who had accepted a plea bargain,
initially told police that he purchased crack cocaine from two other
co-defendants, Stacey Wynn and Jesse Jackson Jr. He later said he
bought it from Williams. On the stand, Bennett stuck with the second
account.
Under direct examination by prosecutors, Bennett offered an
explanation. "Bennett testified that he originally named Wynn and
Jackson because he knew that they were already under investigation for
cocaine distribution and he did not want to cast suspicion on
Williams," the appeals court opinion states.
McBryde did not permit Williams' attorney or other defense lawyers to
cross-examine Bennett on the inconsistencies because he had "freely
admitted" to them on direct examination, the opinion states.
"The practice of introducing impeaching statements on direct
examination in order to minimize their effect is a `time-honored
trial tactic,' " the opinion states. "However, when the government
steals the defense's thunder by presenting a prior inconsistent
statement as part of its direct examination of a witness, this does
not destroy the defense's right to cross-examination on those
statements."
Laura Vozzella, (817) 390-7688 Send your comments to
vozzella@star-telegram.com
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Official Data Reveal Most New York Drug Offenders Are Nonviolent
(A news release from Human Rights Watch says official data prepared by
the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services and the Department
of Correctional Services in response to a request from Human Rights Watch
reveal that few convicted drug offenders are dangerous criminals and confirm
the need for reform of New York's drug laws. Nearly 80 percent of the drug
offenders who received prison sentences in 1997 had never been convicted
of a violent felony, and almost half had never even been arrested for a
violent crime. One in four drug offenders in prison was convicted of simple
possession, primarily of minute quantities. "Not only do they waste public
resources, but they also violate basic notions of justice by putting minor
nonviolent offenders behind bars.")
Date: Sat, 09 Jan 1999 18:04:42 +0000
To: vignes@monaco.mc
From: Peter Webster (vignes@monaco.mc)
Subject: Most New York Drug Offenders Are Nonviolent
Sender: owner-drctalk@drcnet.org
This report comes from Human Rights Watch.
---- Begin Included Message ----
Date: Fri, 8 Jan 1999 00:40:35 -0500
Reply-To: "CJUST-L: Criminal Justice Discussion List"
(CJUST-L@LISTSERV.CUNY.EDU)
Sender: "CJUST-L: Criminal Justice Discussion List"
(CJUST-L@LISTSERV.CUNY.EDU)
From: "John V. Wilmerding" (jvw@TOGETHER.NET)
Subject: HRW Report: Most NY Drug Offenders Not Violent
To: CJUST-L@LISTSERV.CUNY.EDU
(hrwatchnyc@igc.org) wrote:
OFFICIAL DATA REVEAL MOST NEW YORK DRUG OFFENDERS ARE NONVIOLENT
(New York, January 7, 1999) -- Newly obtained official data confirm the need
or reform of New York's drug laws, Human Rights Watch said today. Nearly 80
[percent] of the drug offenders who received prison sentences in 1997 had never been
convicted of a violent felony, and almost half had never even been arrested
for a violent crime. One in four drug offenders in prison was convicted of
simple possession, primarily of minute quantities.
These and other figures prepared by the New York State Division of Criminal
Justice Services (DCJS) and the Department of Correctional Services (DCS) --
in response to a request from Human Rights Watch -- reveal that few
convicted drug offenders are dangerous criminals.
"New York's drug laws are among the country's harshest," said Jamie Fellner,
associate counsel of Human Rights Watch. "Not only do they waste public
resources, but they also violate basic notions of justice by putting minor
nonviolent offenders behind bars." Human Rights Watch's research suggests
that most drug offenders in the criminal justice system are street-level
sellers caught in "buy and bust" operations staged by the police, addicted
individuals supporting their habit through low-level positions in the drug
trade, "mules" who carried drugs owned by someone else, and drug dealers'
girlfriends and wives.
Some supporters of New York's drug laws have argued that most drug offenders
are violent criminals. The new DCJS data contradict such claims. That data
also indicate that many of the drug offenders sentenced to prison are first
offenders. One in three had never even been previously arrested for a drug
felony, and half had never been convicted of one.
According to the DCJS analysis of the prior history of the 10,047 men and
women sentenced to prison for drug offenses in 1997:
*77.5% had no prior violent felony convictions.
*47.6% had no prior arrests for a violent felony.
*50.9% had no prior drug felony convictions.
*33.3% had no prior drug felony arrests.
*Of those who had been previously convicted of a drug felony:
*89.0% were convicted of the lowest categories of drug crimes (class C, D, E).
*31.8% had no prior felony convictions for any crime.
*17.2% had never been arrested for any felony.
*Only 9.7% had prior convictions for both drug and violent felonies.
Under laws passed a quarter of a century ago during the administration of
Governor Nelson Rockefeller, even minor drug offenders face mandatory prison
terms. Judges cannot set fair sentences tailored to the conduct and
culpability of each defendant and the danger they pose to society. The law
permits no distinction between a person who makes a one-time delivery of
drugs for a small fee and a major trafficker. And the sentences are
extreme: a person convicted of one sale of two ounces of cocaine receives
the same prison term as a murderer or rapist -- at least fifteen years to
life. Many addicts who could be helped with drug treatment are warehoused
instead in prison - usually upstate and far from their families and
communities.
Thousands of drug offenders have ended up in prison as a result of these
laws. Few are significant traffickers. According to the Department of
Correctional Services, there were 22,407 drug offenders under custody as of
September 1, 1998. Twenty-five percent of them were convicted of simple
drug possession.
Sixty percent were convicted of the three lowest felonies -- Class C, D, or E
-- which involve only minute drug amounts. For example, only a one-half
gram of cocaine is required for conviction of Class D felony possession --
and 1,242 people are in prison for that offense.
The DCS analysis also reveals that one in five of the drug offenders under
its custody -- 4,450 people -- had no prior felony convictions. Another 7,501
had only one prior conviction. That is, more than half (53.4%) of the drug
offenders in prison had one or no prior convictions.
Because of the severe and rigid sentencing scheme mandated by the drug laws,
low-level drug offenders face years in prison. According to the DCS
analysis of the sentences of the total population of drug offenders under
its custody, the average maximum sentence for first felony offenders
convicted of a Class B felony is 87.6 months, 68.1 months for a Class C
felony, 56.5 months for a Class D felony, and 42.4 months for a Class E
felony. Even if an offender does not serve the maximum period behind bars,
his or her liberty remains conditional until the maximum period is completed.
Human Rights Watch recognizes stiff prison sentences can be appropriate for
addressing violent crime and protecting communities. But such sentences are
misguided and destructive when it comes to nonviolent drug offenders.
Indeed, as documented in "Cruel and Usual: Disproportionate Sentences for
New York Drug Offenders," a Human Rights Watch report released last year,
New York's drug laws all too frequently violate fundamental principles of
justice by yielding disproportionately harsh sentences.
Copies of the data produced by DCJS and DCS are available from Human Rights
Watch by calling 212-216-1808.
"Cruel and Usual" can be obtained from the website at
http://www.hrw.org/hrw/summaries/s.us973.html or by calling 212-290-4700.
***
To subscribe to the CERJ E-Mail distribution list, simply send
an E-mail message to cerj@cerj.org. Please include your name
and your state, province, or country of residence. Thank you!
***
John Wilmerding, Gen'l Secretary
E-Mail: info@cerj.org
Web: http://www.cerj.org
CERJ International Secretariat
ICQ Number: 18723495
***
Campaign for Equity-Restorative Justice
217 High Street
Brattleboro, VT
05301-3018 USA
Telephone & FAX
[802] 254-2826
***
Work together to reinvent justice using methods
that are fair; which conserve, restore and even
create harmony, equity and good will in society
***
We are the prisoners of the prisoners we have taken - J. Clegg
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Baltimore's Push on Crime Creates Backlog of Cases (The New York Times
says aggressive efforts by prohibition agents in Baltimore, Maryland,
have created such a backlog of cases that a circuit judge has dismissed
first-degree murder charges against four men who had been awaiting trial
for almost three years. Michael N. Gambrill, the District Public Defender
for Baltimore, said - and Judge Joseph H. H. Kaplan, chief judge of the
Circuit Court for Baltimore, agreed - that much of the backlog had evolved
from aggressive efforts by the police to reduce the level of illegal drug
activities, particularly when the police make sweeps, arresting dozens of
people at one time and charging all of them with felony-level crimes, when
the offenses by some might only be less serious misdemeanors. Unlike in some
other jurisdictions where prosecutors determine the charges, in Baltimore
the police do.)
Date: Fri, 8 Jan 1999 08:28:03 -0800
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: US NY: Baltimore's Push on Crime Creates Backlog of Cases
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: Explorer
Pubdate: Thur, Jan 7 1999
Source: New York Times (NY)
Contact: letters@nytimes.com
Website: http://www.nytimes.com/
Forum: http://forums.nytimes.com/comment/
Copyright: 1999 The New York Times Company
Author: Michael Janofsky
BALTIMORE'S PUSH ON CRIME CREATES BACKLOG OF CASES
BALTIMORE - More aggressive efforts by the Baltimore police to reduce the
rate of homicides and other serious crime in the city has created such a
backlog of cases that a circuit judge has dismissed first-degree murder
charges against four men who had been awaiting trial for almost three years.
The Deputy State's Attorney for the city, Haven H. Kodeck, said today that
his office intended to appeal the decision, by Judge Roger W. Brown. But
Kodeck also said Judge Brown's ruling reflects "an overburdened court
system" and an unintended consequence of recent efforts by Baltimore's
Police Commissioner, Thomas C. Frazier, to drive down crime rates as the
city tried to polish its image to attract new residents and economic
development.
Kodeck applauded the police work but conceded: "There's not a whole lot we
can do, and when the system fails, it's regrettable. We feel that that
judge's decision was wrong." Judge Brown's ruling, issued on Tuesday,
followed a decision last month by a Maryland appeals court to overturn a
sex-charge conviction against a man whose trial had been postponed nine
times over 13 months because no judge was available on the next scheduled
day for the trial to begin. In general, a felony trial is supposed to begin
six months after arraignment, the court appearance in which charges are filed.
But as the Baltimore police grapple with about 300 homicide cases a year,
as many as 1,500 nonfatal shootings and thousands of cases in which people
are arrested for involvement with illegal drugs, the demand for judges,
prosecutors and public defenders has grown to an overwhelming level.
The case on which Judge Brown ruled involved four men -- Jay Anderson, 30;
William Harrison, 21; Donte Spivey, 22, and Stacey Wilson, 29 -- who were
accused of shooting to death Shawn L. Suggs in October 1995, when he was 21.
The four men spent several months in jail and then were released on bail.
While free, Spivey was arrested for another killing and was held, pending
trial.
But Judge Brown dropped charges against them in the Suggs case after the
trial date was postponed 12 times because of the unavailability of a judge,
a prosecutor or a defender.
Judge Joseph H. H. Kaplan, chief judge of the Circuit Court for Baltimore,
said in an interview that the current backlog of felony cases exceeded
5,000, "and it is not inconceivable that some of them go back more than a
year."
Contributing to the backlog, Judge Kaplan said, is the availability of only
11 courtrooms and a limited number of prosecutors and public defenders, who
are vastly overmatched by the number of cases.
Kodeck said his entire office comprised 170 lawyers, only 18 of whom were
assigned to violent crimes, each of them carrying as many as 18 homicide
cases.
Michael N. Gambrill, the District Public Defender for Baltimore, said his
office had only 109 lawyers, with 31 of them assigned to felony trials.
Their average case load, Gambrill said, is 67 open cases, and some of the
defenders are handling more than 100 open cases.
"We have to cover district courts, circuit courts and central booking," he
said. "The need is tremendous."
Judge Kaplan said he tried to ease the pressure last May by adding two
courtrooms for felony cases, only for them to go unused because the public
defender's office, which is financed by the state, did not have the
personnel to take advantage of them.
"There's a shortage on both sides," Judge Kaplan said. "It's more critical
on the public defender side, but it's certainly a serious situation. It's
like trying to put 10 gallons in a 2-gallon jar."
Gambrill said -- and Judge Kaplan agreed -- that much of the backlog had
evolved from aggressive efforts by the police to reduce the level of
illegal drug activities.
But problems arise, they said, when the police make sweeps, arresting
dozens of people at one time and charging all of them with felony-level
crimes, when the offenses by some might only be less serious misdemeanors.
Unlike in some other jurisdictions where prosecutors determine the charges,
in Baltimore the police do.
Those kinds of arrests, Gambrill said, "are clogging up the court."
"If one addict is passing a capsule to another addict, the police charge
both with distribution, a felony," he said. "Technically, it is
distributing, but the question is, do you want to put that case on the
circuit court docket? We've got 60,000 drug addicts in the metropolitan
area. You can't arrest all those people and not clog the system."
Robert Weinhold, a spokesman for the police department, disagreed with
Gambrill's assertion, saying, "Officers are charging individuals within the
legal framework set forth by state legislators."
Weinhold also said the police found it extremely frustrating that an
overworked criminal justice system was allowing defendants to go free.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Study: Hemp Food Products Safe (The Lexington Herald-Leader,
in Kentucky, says the Kentucky Hemp Growers Cooperative Association
released the results of a test that showed that meat from animals fed
with hemp products and sold at Rick's White Light Diner in Frankfort
will not cause consumers to test positive for cannabis metabolites.
The hemp growers sponsored a Hemp Banquet in December where six people
chowed down on a typical meal of meats, vegetables and beer that was either
made or cooked with hemp seed, hemp meal or hemp oil. However, "Just before
the meal and after the meal, the participants gave urine samples
for a drug test," meaning the food wasn't even digested yet. C'mon you guys.
This is even easier to see through than the junk science behind urine
testing.)
Date: Sun, 10 Jan 1999 14:10:31 -0800
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: US KY: Hemp Dinner THC Tests Announced
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: Katharine Steele (webmaster@hempgrowers.com)
Pubdate: Thu, 7 Jan 1999
Source: Lexington Herald-Leader (KY)
Contact: hledit@lex.infi.net
Website: http://www.kentuckyconnect.com/heraldleader/
Forum: http://krwebx.infi.net/webxmulti/cgi-bin/WebX?lexingtn
Copyright: 1999 Lexington Herald-Leader
Author: Monica Richardson, CENTRAL KENTUCKY BUREAU
STUDY: HEMP FOOD PRODUCTS SAFE
The report found that people who eat food that includes hemp in its
production do not test positive for drugs.
FRANKFORT -- Rick Paul pointed at a piece of raw steak on a light
blue ceramic plate in his Frankfort diner.
``That steak was frozen in May and look at it,'' he said. ``You can
eat that and it'll taste like it was cut fresh yesterday.''
More important than an extended shelf-life, said Paul, the beef, cut
from hemp-fed cattle, can be eaten without fear of flunking a drug
test.
This week at Rick's White Light Diner, the Kentucky Hemp Growers
Cooperative Association released the results of a test that showed
hemp food products sold at the Bridge Street diner are safe to eat.
The results contradicted information Frankfort city employees got in
September from their Nashville drug-testing company. Consultants for
National Safety Alliance said some hemp items contained small amounts
of THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, which could lead to a
positive urinalysis for drug-tested workers, although that was held
unlikely.
The association is pushing for the ability to grow and process hemp in
Kentucky instead of purchasing it from Canada or other countries where
it is grown legally. It sponsored a Hemp Banquet in December where six
people chowed down on a typical meal of meats, vegetables and beer
that was either made or cooked with hemp seed, hemp meal or hemp oil.
Just before the meal and after the meal, the participants gave urine
samples for a drug test.
Helen Spencer, owner of Forward Edge Associates, a Lexington
drug-testing agency, sent the samples to Premier Analytical
Laboratories in Texas. The result: all six were THC-negative.
`This study helps us promote the product and hopefully gives people
some comfort,'' said Andy Graves, association president. ``We
dispelled a myth. We're glad we can gloat.''
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Hemp crop in high demand (The Halifax Daily News
interviews local farmer Mike Lewis, one of two Nova Scotians
licensed to grow hemp. Lewis grew 11 million hemp plants last summer,
enough to circle the world. Hemp's remarkable legacy, astonishing
versatility, and ability to grow fast and pesticide-free has many farmers
and businesspeople working for its legalization. Hemp makes sense,
Lewis says, not just for its qualities, but because we can grow, process,
and market it right here.)
From: creator@islandnet.com (Matt Elrod)
To: mattalk@listserv.islandnet.com
Cc: editor@mapinc.org
Subject: Canada: Column: Hemp crop in high demand
Date: Thu, 07 Jan 1999 08:18:20 -0800
Lines: 79
Newshawk: creator@mapinc.org
Source: Halifax Daily News (Canada)
Contact: letterstoeditor@hfxnews.southam.ca
Pubdate: Thursday, January 7, 1999
Author: David Swick
Hemp crop in high demand
Farmers trying to inform the uneducated
MIKE LEWIS GREW 11 million hemp plants last summer; they averaged more than
four metres high. Placed end to end, his hemp would circle the world.
And to think it all started with granddad's magazines. "Five or six years
ago, I read an article in an old Popular Mechanics magazine of my
grandfather's," Lewis says. "The title of the article was: `Hemp - The Next
Billion-Dollar Crop.'
"The magazine was from 1937. Later that year, hemp was outlawed." Hemp
looks like, but is not, marijuana. Its popular cousin is loaded with the
chemical THC, which makes you high; hemp has only an infinetisimal amount.
Yet politicians seized on their similar look to outlaw hemp during the
anti-drug crusades of the 1930s.
Now, hemp's remarkable legacy, astonishing versatility, and ability to grow
fast and pesticide-free has many farmers and businesspeople working for its
legalization.
"I've lived here all my life," says Lewis, of Billtown, near Wolfville,
"and thought a couple of the oldtime farmers might have a problem with it.
But I can honestly say I have not had one person say anything negative to
me.
"Hemp is related to marijuana. So what? Most people laugh about that around
here."
Lewis, 37, is one of two Nova Scotians licensed to grow hemp; the other is
in Pictou County. Between them they grew 10 hectares (25 acres) last
summer. Nationally, farmers grew 2,120 hectares. Lewis's company,
Annapolis Valley Hemp, has a five-year plan. This year it plans to grow,
process, and market 400 hectares.
Within five years, that could jump to 8,000 hectares. The company has
applied to the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency and Farm Loan Board for
financing.
Growing hemp in the Annapolis Valley is not a problem. Lewis's crop grew
beautifully, despite a summer of heavy rain followed by drought.
"We got the crop in late: May 22. Within 60 days it had 21/2 inches of
rain, but it grew like you wouldn't believe. Then we had the worst drought
in decades. The plant loved it. It's such an adaptable plant, it adapts to
anything you give it."
Hemp's greatest problem, as stated in The Maritime Industrial Hemp Product
Marketing Study, commissioned by the Nova Scotia and New Brunswick
departments of agriculture and released in September, is that the
infrastructure to extract hemp seed oil and fibre does not yet exist here.
Lewis is working on that problem now. Prospective clients include a
fibreboard plant in Chester, a cardboard manufacturer in Hantsport, and a
pulp mill on the Minas Basin.
"We have met with over 200 farmers and government people," he said. "We're
trying to involve everybody, and want to encourage the growth of our
community, our county, and our province. So far, we're trudging along
nicely."
Lewis is not a career farmer; he operated an auto-body shop until a bad
accident a few years ago. Laid up, he had time to read and think. Then he
bumped into his grandfather's Popular Mechanics and dove into research.
Hemp makes sense, he says, not just for its qualities, but because we can
grow, process, and market it right here.
"Too often we grow and ship stuff out," Lewis said. "Then it's processed
elsewhere and shipped back to us and someone else makes all the money.
Canada is famous for that, and it's especially true here in the Valley."
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Canadians dispute 'pot farm' bust (The Toronto Star follows up
on yesterday's news about a Canadian horticulturalist growing hemp
in Nicaragua being set up by a DEA agent for a bust on marijuana charges.
Nicaragua is now in the process of applying for the extradition of the six
other Canadians and a Nicaraguan American, Oscar Danilo Blandón,
who were also involved in the project.)
Date: Thu, 07 Jan 1999 11:39:26 -0500
To: mattalk@islandnet.com
From: Dave Haans (haans@chass.utoronto.ca)
Subject: TorStar: Canadians dispute `pot farm' bust
Newshawk: Dave Haans
Source: The Toronto Star (Canada)
Pubdate: Thursday, January 7, 1999
Page: A2
Website: http://www.thestar.com
Contact: lettertoed@thestar.com
Author: Kerry Gillespie, Toronto Star Staff Reporter
Canadians dispute `pot farm' bust
Nicaraguans made error on charges: Accused
Nicaraguan officials are calling it the largest marijuana operation in
Central American history.
The seven Canadians facing the drug charges say it's nothing more than a
huge mistake.
Paul Wylie, 45, of Burlington, has been in a Nicaraguan jail for the last
two weeks. Grant Sanders, 35, of Burlington and five others in Vancouver
are waiting anxiously to find out if they will be extradited to face
charges of marijuana cultivation.
``They say we've grown 400 million pounds of marijuana - that's fantasy
island,'' said Sanders, who said the 100-hectare government-sanctioned farm
was dedicated to growing hemp for its oil and fibres.
Hemp Agro, a Burlington-based business, was starting to harvest its crop
just before Christmas when the government arrested Wylie, the only one in
the country at the time, and burned the crop.
After being chased off the road by two motorcycles and a black car that
fired at the taxi he was in, he was taken to jail, Wylie told U.S. attorney
Don Wirtshafter.
He is being held without bail and isn't allowed visitors except for his
Nicaraguan wife who is allowed to bring him food, Wirtshafter said.
``He's languishing in jail. I'm really concerned about his state of mind.''
Nicaragua is now in the process of applying for the extradition of the six
other Canadians and a Nicaraguan American, Oscar Danilo Blandón, who were
also involved in the project, said Carlos Bendaa, spokesperson for the
Nicaraguan national police.
Bendaa said the Canadians ``tricked'' the agriculture ministry into
allowing them to import the hemp seeds.
The Canadians maintain that the project had full support and that scores of
top-level Nicaraguan police and government officials toured the site.
``It's not as if we were hiding anything,'' said Sanders, president of Hemp
Agro.
The investors were hoping for $6 million from the sale of hemp oil in
return for their $1.5 million investment.
Both marijuana and hemp come from the same species of plant, Cannabis
sativa. The marijuana strain of the plant, which produces high THC levels,
the active chemical ingredient, has been created by selective breeding.
Hemp Agro paid $22,000 for 15 tonnes of hemp seeds from China. The same
amount of marijuana-quality seeds would have cost $6.7 billion, said
Wirtshafter, who gave expert testimony at Wylie's hearing.
``This is like a nightmare. I haven't told my family yet,'' said Desmond
Cobble, also facing charges.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) may have encouraged Nicaraguan
officials to take action, Wirtshafter said.
``The DEA does not recognize a difference between hemp and marijuana,'' he
said.
At Wiley's hearing, held Dec. 26 to Jan. 2 the judge was told the plant
tested contained 1.6 per cent THC. Levels of THC in marijuana are generally
between 6 per cent and 22 per cent, Wirtshafter said.
A THC level of 1.6 per cent would be useless as a narcotic, Wirtshafter said.
He believes part of the reason the Canadians are facing drug charges is
because Blandón financed Contra armies in the '80s by importing cocaine
into the U.S.
Stanley Ross, Don Malmam, Jamie Dean and Garry Wade, all of Vancouver, are
also wanted by Nicaraguan police.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Castro Accused Of Role In Drug Trafficking (The Guardian, in Britain,
elaborates on yesterday's news about the lawsuit filed in France
accusing Fidel Castro of international drug trafficking and crimes
against humanity.)
Date: Thu, 7 Jan 1999 20:46:05 -0800
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: France/Cuba: Castro Accused Of Role In Drug Trafficking
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)
Source: Guardian, The (UK)
Contact: letters@guardian.co.uk
Website: http://www.guardian.co.uk/
Copyright: Guardian Media Group 1999
Pubdate: 7 Jan 1999
Author: Jon Henley
CASTRO ACCUSED OF ROLE IN DRUG TRAFFICKING
Two Cuban exiles and a French photographer have lodged formal complaints
with a Paris court against the Cuban president, Fidel Castro, accusing him
of international drug trafficking and crimes against humanity, their lawyer
said yesterday.
Serge Lewisch said he had filed the complaints on behalf of Ileana de la
Guardia, the daughter of a former Cuban army colonel executed in 1989 in a
drug-smuggling scandal; Pierre Golendorf, a French photographer imprisoned
in Cuba for three years; and Lazaro Jordana, a Cuban artist who also spent
four years in jail.
The suit is the latest high-profile human rights case brought against a
foreign leader in France, and follows the detention in London in October of
the former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet.
Judges investigating the disappearance of French nationals in Chile have so
far issued two international arrest warrants for Gen Pinochet, and are
currently studying complaints of torture and murder against the deposed
Haitian ruler Jean-Claude 'Baby Doc' Duvalier.
Mr Lewisch said Mr Golendorf, who was sentenced to 10 years in prison in
1971 while working on a book on Cuba, and Mr Jordana, who was given 20
years in 1980 for trying to flee the country, had suffered physical and
psychological torture.
Mr Jordana was detained in a cell two yards square, with no mattress or
running water. Campaigns by Amnesty International eventually secured both
men's release. Because of the gravity of the accusations, a judge will be
required to open an investigation, but French legal experts say Dr Castro
is unlikely to be charged with crimes against humanity because his status
as head of state guarantees his immunity.
In November a Spanish court declined to hear accusations that he was guilty
of genocide, terrorism and torture. But the French allegation of drug
trafficking could meet with greater success: under French law foreign
leaders normally enjoy immunity only for acts directly related to the
sovereignty of their state.
'If it can be proven, there is certainly a case,' one legal expert said.
'Drug smuggling is manifestly not part of the job description of a head of
state.' De la Guardia was one of four senior Cuban military officers,
including the revolutionary hero General Arnaldo Ochoa Sanchez, executed by
firing squad on July 13 1989. They were found guilty of embezzlement and
helping Colombia's Medellin drug cartel smuggle 6 tons of cocaine into the
United States.
The scandal, the biggest since Cuba's revolution in 1959, followed years of
steadily mounting evidence from the US intelligence services that Cuba had
become a major conduit for cocaine and marijuana, and that the Castro
regime was using the illegal revenue to break the US trade embargo and fund
its military operation in Angola.
President Castro has always vehemently denied that his country is engaged
in drug trafficking. But Mr Lewisch said his client, Ms de la Guardia, had
strong and previously unheard evidence that the Cuban leader was aware of
the drug trafficking all along, that the operation had been officially
sanctioned, and that her father and his fellow officers had been sacrificed
as scapegoats to international opinion.
He said she had not spoken out before because of fears for her father's
twin brother, Patricio, who is still in jail in Havana.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Castro Calls for Crackdown on Crime (The Associated Press
notes Fidel Castro, like other heads of state who may secretly owe
their position to the illegal-drug trade, is pressing the domestic fight
in Cuba against such drugs.)
Date: Thu, 7 Jan 1999 20:12:19 -0800
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: Cuba: Wire: Castro Calls for Crackdown on Crime
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: General Pulaski
Pubdate: Thu, 07 Jan 1999
Source: Associated Press
Copyright: 1999 Associated Press.
Author: JOHN RICE Associated Press Writer
CASTRO CALLS FOR CRACKDOWN ON CRIME
HAVANA (AP) Fidel Castro is demanding a crackdown on rising crime in Cuba,
calling it a threat to the revolution and urging greater U.S. cooperation in
the fight against drugs, terrorism and human trafficking.
Crime has "internal political consequences," Castro told an auditorium full
of police this week in a long speech celebrating the 40th anniversary of the
National Revolutionary Police.
"On you depends internal order, and if we lose the battle for internal
order, then we lose everything," Castro said in the first part of the speech
broadcast late Wednesday on state television. The second portion was to be
aired Thursday night.
Castro said market-oriented economic reforms in Cuba which followed the 1991
collapse of the Soviet bloc had encouraged crime by bringing in dollars,
tourists and new foreign businesses.
He underlined the point by describing the case of two Spanish investors
accused of using a business in Cuba to help launder money and ship drugs
from Colombia to Europe.
Castro demanded tougher sentences and urged judges not to shy away from the
death penalty, which was common in the 1960s and 1970s but has been rare in
the past decade.
Noting that many people convicted of pimping had been let off with fines,
Castro said, "there was a need for stronger measures." He said the crime
should lead to at least 20 years in prison.
For armed robbery of a house he expected "a penalty of at least 20 years and
up to 30 if necessary, and even a life sentence if they repeat."
The Cuban leader also urged tougher sentences for drug traffickers, saying
the increase of that crime "pains me greatly."
He noted that 18 foreigners were arrested in November on charges of trying
to smuggle cocaine through Cuba to Britain. Castro also said 227 foreigners
had been arrested for drug violations since 1995, with 157 sentenced to
prison.
Castro said Cuba seized 7,745 pounds of cocaine and marijuana between
January and November 1998, almost double the levels of previous years.
Some drugs have leaked into domestic use, sometimes supplied by Cubans who
retrieved and sold errant packages of drugs dropped off the coast by
traffickers, Castro said.
More than 1,200 Cubans were arrested last year for drug offenses, he said.
Once remarkably free of street crime and violence, Cuba has seen a surge in
prostitution, robbery and theft. Many residents have installed security bars
on their houses.
Declining state rations have made it hard for many residents to live on
state salaries that average $10 a month. At the same time, new dollar-only
stores tempt Cubans with quality food, clothes and electronics that few can
afford.
Castro complained that the United States had failed to cooperate adequately
in fighting terrorism and the trafficking in drugs and people.
He said U.S. drug officials had failed to alert Cuba about a ship they had
been following that was detained in Cuba and found with cocaine.
He also accused the United States of failing to act against anti-Cuban
terrorists on American soil. "There is a considerable volume of extremists
and crazies in that country," he said.
Castro also complained that U.S. courts repeatedly freed air and sea
hijackers from Cuba and said the U.S. government encouraged the "grave,
repugnant" trafficking in migrants by granting Cubans who reach U.S. shores
automatic residence.
Castro said Cuba last year frustrated at least 90 foreign-aided attempts to
flee the country illegally, involving 660 people. Organizers charged as much
as $8,000 per person.
But he also criticized what he called "hypocrisy and cynicism" in foreign
reports about the crime and prostitution in Cuba, noting that many European
publications are filled with advertisements for prostitutes.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
French Govt Urged To Re-Think Drugs Policy (Reuters says an inter-ministerial
committee has issued a report to the government of Prime Minister
Lionel Jospin - excerpted in Le Monde Thursday - urging the adoption
of a drug policy "which takes into account all types of addictive behaviour,
regardless of the legal status of the product." The paper said around 60,000
deaths were caused each year in France by smoking while around 20,000
people died from diseases linked to alcohol. By comparison, 228 people died
from heroin in 1997.)
Date: Thu, 7 Jan 1999 18:24:17 -0800
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: France: Wire: French Govt Urged To Re-Think Drugs Policy
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: General Pulaski
Pubdate: 7 Jan 1999
Source: Reuters
Website: http://www.lemonde.fr/
Copyright: 1999 Reuters Limited.
FRENCH GOVT URGED TO RE-THINK DRUGS POLICY
PARIS, Jan 7 (Reuters) - France should take a more pragmatic approach to
fighting drug abuse and take into account the fact that alcohol and tobacco
kill far more people than heroin or cocaine, an inter-ministerial committee
has told the government.
Prime Minister Lionel Jospin's office said on Thursday the committee's
recommendations, yet to be approved by the cabinet, were based on a policy
of "prevention, repression and treatment".
Le Monde newspaper, which published extracts from the report on Thursday,
said the committee urged the government to adopt a policy "which takes into
account all types of addictive behaviour, regardless of the legal status of
the product".
The paper said around 60,000 deaths were caused each year by smoking while
around 20,000 people died from diseases linked to alcohol. By comparison,
228 people died from heroin overdoses in 1997, it said.
The paper said the interministerial committee, which has helped draw up
anti-drugs programmes for successive governments since 1982, argued in
favour of concentrating police action on tackling drug dealers rather than
drug takers.
Some 70,000 people were arrested in France in 1997 for using illegal drugs
such as cannabis and heroin, while around 800 drug users were jailed for
this crime.
However, an official in Jospin's office said the government was not about
to legalise so-called soft drugs such as cannabis.
"There is certainly no question of putting two million people in prison,
but neither is there any question of legalisation," the official said. An
estimated two million people in France smoke cannabis.
The committee chairperson, Nicole Maestracci, is due to meet the director
of Jospin's office next week to discuss the government's anti-drug
programme.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Weekly Action Report on Drug Policies, Year 5, No. 1 (A summary
of European and international drug policy news, from CORA in Italy)
Date: Tue, 12 Jan 1999 14:00:09 +0100
To: cora.belgique@agora.stm.it
From: CORA Belgique (cora.belgique@agora.stm.it)
Subject: CORAFax #1 (EN)
Sender: owner-hemp@efn.org
ANTIPROHIBITIONIST OF THE ENTIRE WORLD ....
Year 5 #1, Juanuary 7 1999
***
Weekly Action Report on Drug Policies
Edited by the CORA - Radical Antiprohibitionist Coordination, federated to
- TRP-Transnational Radical Party (NGO, consultive status, I)
- The Global Coalition for Alternatives to the Drug War
***
director: Vincenzo Donvito
All rights reserved
***
http://www.agora.stm.it/coranet
mailto:cora.news@agora.stm.it
NEWS FROM THE WORLD
***
000429 05/01/99
E.U. / GERMANY
ADDICTION
FRANKFURTER 05, 06/12 / SUEDDEUTSCHE Z. 05/12
In 1998 the number of deaths for drug consumption has risen again. In the
end of November there already had been 1412, which is 8% more than he same
period in 1997. Furthermore: there are great differences in these numbers
depending on the region; the first cause of these deaths is from heroin
overdose; three quarters of the victims are males; average age of addicts
is also rising.
***
000428 05/01/99
E.U. / GB
HEALTH /
FINANCIAL TIMES
Experimentation of therapeutic use of cannabis has started. The cannabis,
which was planted last August, on a secret farm somewhere in the south of
England, is already being harvested. Two thousand patients have accepted to
undergo this experimental treatment, which will last two years.
***
000425 30/12/98
E.U. / SPAIN
JURISPRUDENCE
EL PAIS
'Jueces para la Democratia' criticize the decision of the Supreme Court
that punishes people found in posession of cannabis for private use. In
1997, 49,900 people were fined for drug use, and 90% of those regarded use of
cannabis. The average fine is 60,000-70,000 peseta for every gram of
hashish.
***
000426 31/12/98
E.U. / SPAIN
JURISPRUDENCE
EL PAIS
The Supreme Court has confirmed the sentence that condemnes seven policemen
who were involved in drug trafficking. The crimes they are accused of
include: menacing, illegal arms detention, falsification of documents and
neglect of official duties.
***
000427 05/01/99
E.U. / FRANCE
LEGISLATION
LIBERATION
The Minister of Health, Mr. Bernard Kouchner, suggests that use of drugs,
especially cannabis, should be punished with a simple fine, and not with
imprisonment.
***
000423 04/01/99
AMERICA / USA
PRODUCERS
CORRIERE DELLA SERA / IL MESSAGGERO / LA REPUBBLICA
A new kind of drug is starting to spread in the Midwest. It's called 'nazi
crack' because it is a mixture of amphetamines that seemes to have
originally been used by the Germans during the Second World War to keep
their soldiers awake.
***
000424 09/01/99
WAR ON DRUGS
THE ECONOMIST
The war on drugs seems to be giving no positive results. This point of view
can be found in various recently published books that also underline the
difficulty there is in adopting alternative solutions to the drug problem.
***
000430 05/01/99
E.U. / GERMANY
WAR ON DRUGS
FRANKFURTER / SUEDDEUTSCHE Z.
From now on drug-detecting police dogs will be used in German airports not
only to control luggage, but also passengers.
***
000431 06/01/99
AMERICA / COLOMBIA
WAR ON DRUGS
HERALD TRIBUNE
Members of the guerrilla and of the American Government have met secretely
to decide how to put an end to the financing that the Columbian rebels
recieve in exchange for protecting drug traffickers. A proposal is to
create a demilitarized zone in which the rebels can move freely.
***
CLIPPINGS
ITALY- The annual esteemed money made by organised crime through drug
dealing in numbers: 14.000 billion Lire made by the Camorra; 19.000 billion
Lire made by the 'Ndrangheta; 15.550 billion by the Nuova Sacra Corona
Unita, for a total of 50.200 billion Lire.
ITALY- These are figures published by the Ministry of Interiors regarding
drugs during the first months of 1998: 36,04% more heroin, 30,51% more
cocaine and 10,26% less light drugs sequestered by the police; 27,74% less
deaths for overdose; 2,09% more people arrested for crimes regarding drugs.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
[End]
to the 1999 Daily News index for Jan. 1-7