Date: Fri, 14 Jun 2002 15:30:01 -0700

Subject:NV: Group Says Marijuana Amendment Makes Gains Up TOC

Newshawk: Amanda
Pubdate: Fri, 14 Jun 2002
Source: New York Times (NY)
Copyright: 2002 The New York Times Company
Contact: letters@nytimes.com
Website: http://www.nytimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/298
Section: National
Author: Mindy Sink

GROUP SAYS MARIJUANA AMENDMENT MAKES GAINS

Nevadans for Responsible Law Enforcement, a group seeking to liberalize the
state's marijuana laws, said its petition drive to put a constitutional
amendment about the issue on the November ballot was going well, but
declined to say how many signatures it had gathered. It needs to submit
61,336 by June 18. The amendment would, among other things, let adults
possess three ounces of marijuana, impose a tax on marijuana sales and
authorize the Legislature to create a distribution system for medical
marijuana. Voters would have to approve the amendment this year and in 2004
for it to become part of the state's Constitution.
__________________________________________________________________________
Distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in
receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart

 
 


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web:     http://www.crrh.org/

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Date: Fri, 14 Jun 2002 15:38:30 -0700

Subject:New Zealand: Cannabis Report In Haze Of Uncertainty Up TOC

Newshawk: Chris Fowlie http://www.norml.org.nz
Pubdate: Fri, 14 Jun 2002
Source: New Zealand Herald (New Zealand)
Copyright: 2002 New Zealand Herald
Contact: letters@herald.co.nz
Website: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/300
Author: MARTIN JOHNSTON, health reporter

CANNABIS REPORT IN HAZE OF UNCERTAINTY

Divided MPs inquiring into legalising cannabis failed to deliver a report
before the election was called on Tuesday.

This has created uncertainty about whether Parliament's health select
committee will complete the report, and has prompted a claim that opponents
of legalisation have tried to quell debate.

The committee's inquiries into cannabis, and into Northland women's doctor
Graham Parry, hover over a black hole between yesterday's end of this
Parliament and the start of the next.

It will be up to the new committee whether to carry on with the inquiries
because they were initiated by the previous committee, rather than by
Parliament itself.

Outgoing chairwoman Judy Keall, a Labour MP who is retiring from politics,
said yesterday she was certain the next committee would pick up the Parry
inquiry, even if it was dominated by Labour.

The Alliance broke ranks with Labour last year, joining National and Green
members of the committee to set up the inquiry, which also looked at
quality assurance processes.

But Mrs Keall appeared less sure about the future of the inquiry into the
legal status of cannabis and how best to minimise its use and associated harm.

"My guess is that it may proceed ... It's more likely there may be an
interim report because of the diversity of opinion [among members]."

She said her committee's reports on both inquiries had been held up by
having to deal first with higher-priority business, such as district health
board financial reviews.

A spokesman for pro-cannabis lobby Norml, Mike Harding, said his group was
upset that the committee had failed to report before the election.

MPs opposed to liberalising cannabis laws had tried to "bury the subject",
he said, but Norml would resurrect it as an election issue.

The inquiry into Mr Parry, begun after a string of complaints about him, is
near completion.

The Medical Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal found him guilty of
disgraceful conduct over his mismanagement of a patient, Colleen Poutsma,
who later died of cervical cancer.

Mr Parry has been found guilty of two lesser charges involving other
patients. He has appealed against one of those rulings and is awaiting the
penalty decision on the other.

He was judged not guilty of three other charges.

A spokeswoman for Health Minister Annette King said she anticipated the new
committee would complete the Parry report "because they are well down the
track".
__________________________________________________________________________
Distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in
receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart

 
 


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web:     http://www.crrh.org/

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Date: Sat, 15 Jun 2002 10:44:55 -0700

Subject:Ohio Ballot Plan On Drugs Draws Fire Up TOC

Newshawk: Jim White
Pubdate: Fri, 14 Jun 2002
Source: Blade, The (OH)
Copyright: 2002 The Blade
Contact: letters@theblade.com
Website: http://www.toledoblade.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/48
Author:  Ann McFeatters, Blade Washington Bureau Chief
Related: Dan Forbes on cabal behind Ohioans Against Unsafe Drug Laws
http://www.ips-dc.org/projects/drugpolicy/ohio.htm
Cited:  Campaign for New Drug Policies http://www.drugreform.org
National Association of Drug Court Professionals (paid for with your tax
dollars thru ONDCP and the Dept. of Justice) http://www.nadcp.org
Drug Policy Alliance http://www.drugpolicy.org
http://www.mapinc.org/find?206 (Ohio Campaign for New Drug Policies)

OHIO BALLOT PLAN ON DRUGS DRAWS FIRE

Addicts Would Go into Treatment, Not Jail

WASHINGTON - Anti-drug heavyweights from the Bush administration
yesterday fired volley after volley against proposed ballot
initiatives Ohio and Michigan voters may face in November on whether
to push many drug abusers into treatment instead of jail.

At a conference that drew administrators from about 1,200 drug courts,
the administration pooh-poohed an effort that reformers say would
significantly reduce prison populations by putting nonviolent drug
offenders in treatment instead of jail. The administration says it is
a step toward legalization of illegal substances.

Billionaire businessmen George Soros, John Sperling, and Peter Lewis
are leading a campaign to put drug-treatment initiatives on state
ballots. They have had success in 11 states, including California,
where voters approved such an initiative last year to let nonviolent
first or second offenders charged with possessing or buying small
amounts of illegal drugs go into a treatment program instead of trial
or jail. Their current focus is on proposed initiatives in Ohio,
Michigan, Florida, and Washington.

Such initiatives are strongly opposed by the National Association of
Drug Court Professionals, which argues that such constitutional
amendments would limit the discretion of drug court judges, establish
treatment as a constitutional right, and favor drug offenders who end
up in the justice system over those who voluntarily seek treatment.
Drug courts help secure treatment, but judges may dole out jail time
if addicts don't stay in treatment.

Drug czar John Walters, in charge of the administration's drug control
policy, told the conference that drug courts now take into
consideration the need for treatment against the need to punish and
jail some who have been in and out of the system for years. "You need
both," he said.

"The very success you've been able to achieve is threatened on several
fronts," he told the drug court professionals. He said past drug
czars have been "absent" from the drug war at the state level. "We
will be involved and maintain [drug courts] to the best of our
ability," he vowed.

Asa Hutchinson, a former Republican congressman from Arkansas and now
head of the Drug Enforcement Administration, said the war on drugs is
working and that there are 9 million fewer drug abusers than 20 years
ago.

He said the ballot initiatives have "the potential to undermine drug
courts' ' because they mandate treatment over incarceration, an
appealing thing to the public. The problem, he said, is that treatment
works best when addicts are held accountable to a judge.

He said he worries about the ballot initiatives such as the one being
written in Ohio because judges would lose control, addicts would have
less accountability, there would be less drug testing, and because
they are driven less by what works and more by misguided compassion.

Ethan Nadelman, executive director of the Drug Policy Alliance, which
is pushing the ballot initiatives, argued that Mr. Hutchinson, Mr.
Walters, and Sen. Joe Biden (D., Del.), a member of the Senate
Judiciary Committee, who also expressed concern about ballot
initiatives, "propagate the myth that treatment only works when backed
by coercive justice."

He said problems with the way drug courts work include their refusal
to use methadone maintenance to wean addicts from drugs such as heroin
and mandatory minimum sentences. The premise of his movement, he said,
is that people should not be punished for what they put in their
bodies unless it harms others.

And, he said, it is unfair that convicted drug offenders, unlike other
criminals, are stripped of some civil liberties and aren't able to
qualify for student loans.

But Bruce Winick, a law professor at the University of Miami School of
Law in Florida, said that drugs are "an invasion of body snatchers"
and that drug courts make addicts responsible for their actions and
lead to recovery.

The Ohio proposal would amend the state constitution to require
treatment instead of jail for first-time and second-time drug
offenders and set aside money for treatment.

Toledo Mayor Jack Ford is a co-chair with Ohio first lady Hope Taft of
a group called Ohioans Against Unsafe Drug Laws, which argues the
proposed ballot initiative does not require drug testing. The groups
says the initiative would establish a revolving door for drug
offenders and wipe the slate clean for previous offenses. In addition,
the group says those who go through treatment may have their records
sealed and convictions expunged even though future employers might be
schools, day care centers, or airlines.

The group also says Ohio would have to spend $38 million a year for an
"untested system" and that the state's drug courts are "highly
effective" and should be left alone.
__________________________________________________________________________
Distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in
receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Richard Lake

 
 


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web:     http://www.crrh.org/

------------------------------
Date: Sat, 15 Jun 2002 10:46:10 -0700

Subject:Canada: War on pot-growing 'a failure' Up TOC

Newshawk: Join CMAP (http://www.mapinc.org/cmap/lists.htm)
Pubdate: Friday June 14, 2002
Source: Vancouver Sun (CN BC)
Website: http://www.canada.com/vancouver/vancouversun/
Address: 200 Granville Street, Ste.#1, Vancouver BC V6C 3N3
Contact: sunletters@pacpress.southam.ca
Copyright: 2002 The Vancouver Sun
Fax: (604) 605-2323
Author: Kim Pemberton, with files from Brian Morton
Webpage: http://www.mapinc.org/cancom/ABDD32D3-7B24-49D3-9845-997888A7049B

War on pot-growing 'a failure'

Police have failed to reduce marijuana operations, study says

Kim Pemberton, with files from Brian Morton
Vancouver Sun

Police have devoted significant resources to battling illegal
marijuana-growing operations in B.C., but have yet to produce visible
results, says a study by researchers at the University College of the Fraser
Valley.

"At best, it would seem, they have succeeded in some cases in producing a
slight displacement of the problem from one area to another, or from one
neighborhood to another," says the report, released Thursday.

The project, described as the first comprehensive study of the justice
system's response to marijuana-growing operations and marijuana trafficking
in B.C., involved a review of all cases of alleged marijuana cultivation
coming to police attention between Jan. 1, 1997 and Dec. 31, 2000.

The study found B.C.'s illicit marijuana-growing operations jumped 222 per
cent between 1997 and 2000.

"If our objective so far was to reduce the availability of marijuana in the
province, we are not succeeding," said UCFV professor Yvon Dandurand.

"In spite of the fact that we are devoting more law enforcement and other
resources each year to address the problem, there is more marijuana grown
and available in British Columbia from year to year.

"It is perhaps time to try a different response."

Vancouver police Inspector Kash Heed agreed there has been an increase in
marijuana growing operationss in B.C., but he noted that since 2000, police
have been targeting the problem much more aggressively. He said they have
been "highly successful" in removing growing operations from the city.

"In Vancouver we investigated 23 grow-ops in 1991, resulting in 36 charges.
In 2001, we investigated 609 grow-ops, resulting in 375 charges, with a
value of $150 million," he said.

"The reports we're getting is the number of grow-ops in Vancouver have
decreased. . . . Given our economical division of labour, we've had a lot of
success."

The study lists the 10 top communities that accounted for 60 per cent of all
cases that came to the attention of police in 2000.

On average, each community dealt with 290 cases and all had experienced
"huge increases" in the number of cases since 1997 -- on average more than
four times what it was in 1996.

In total, there were 2,901 cases investigated in B.C. in 2000.

Vancouver had the largest number of cases, with 663 growing operations
investigated in 2000, while Delta and Coquitlam experienced the most
dramatic increases between 1997 and 2000. Delta had 209 cases in 2000, up
1,293 per cent from 1997 and Coquitlam had 353 cases, up 700 per cent from
the previous four years.

The seven other top marijuana growing communities are Burnaby with 454 cases
in 2000; Surrey with 317 cases: Nanaimo with 199 cases; Richmond with 188
cases; Abbotsford with 181; Chilliwack with 177 and Langley with 160.

The study found that as illicit marijuana growing operations become larger
and more sophisticated in B.C., the risks to communities also increase
because of the potential for fires.

"Indoor marijuana operations were sometimes discovered because the property
involved had caught on fire, usually as a result of tampering with the
building's electrical installations to bypass the B.C. Hydro meter and
divert electricity," states the report.

It found that during the period of the study, 3.5 per cent of all indoor
cultivation operations resulted in a building fire.

As well, another 2.1 per cent of buildings where marijuana growing
operations were discovered had other dangers, such as explosives, dangerous
chemical products and even booby traps.

"The evidence indicates that, over the period studied, marijuana grow
operations became larger and increasingly sophisticated, often involving
greater technological enhancements. This, in turn, has led to greater risks
to the communities in which these illicit operations took place due to the
increased risk of fire," the report states.

The study was conducted by faculty and students in the department of
criminology and criminal justice of the University College of the Fraser
Valley in partnership with the International Centre for Criminal Law Reform
and Criminal Justice.

 
 


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web:     http://www.crrh.org/

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Date: Sat, 15 Jun 2002 10:47:36 -0700

Subject:CO: Local Activist Grieves Loss of Husband to Cancer Up TOC

Newshawk: The Original Drug Policy Weekly http://www.drugsense.org/current.htm
Pubdate: Thu, 13 Jun 2002
Source: Boulder Weekly (CO)
Copyright: 2002 Boulder Weekly
Contact: letters@boulderweekly.com
Website: http://www.boulderweekly.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/57
Author: Ron Bain
Related: Colorado Hemp Initiative Project http://www.welcomehome.org/cohip.html
Jury Rights Project http://www.levellers.org/jrp/
http://www.mapinc.org/people/Laura+Kriho

LOCAL ACTIVIST GRIEVES LOSS OF HUSBAND TO CANCER

Advocates Healthy Improvements in Diet For All Americans

Laura Kriho of Rollinsville, known in Boulder County and nationally
for her jury nullification and cannabis legalization activism, is
grieving the loss of her husband, Timothy Mark Bailes, to cancer on
May 27.

Bailes, 46, died at the International Biocare Hospital in Tijuana,
Mexico, at 4:20 p.m. on Memorial Day. A memorial and wake is scheduled
for Saturday, June 15, near Nederland.

While mourning, Kriho is contemplating a new-for her-form of activism:
advocating a healthy, cancer-preventing diet consisting mostly of
"lightly steamed vegetables and brown rice."

That was the type of fruit and vegetables diet that the IBC Hospital
in Tijuana immediately placed Bailes on when he checked in: the
nutritional regimen eliminated sugar and salt, and limited animal
proteins. The IBC doctors stopped the chemotherapy he had begun in
Colorado. As a younger man, Bailes had worked around farm chemicals,
had been a pesticide applicator and had removed asbestos as a
construction worker. He also smoked tobacco and ate processed foods,
like sugar.

"Tim smoked cigarettes his whole life, and it didn't help," Kriho
said. "But I don't think cigarettes caused his cancer. It all came
back to diet. Cancer is cancer."

Bailes' cancer began in his lungs and then metastasized throughout his
body. In Colorado, doctors recommended chemotherapy, but Kriho thinks
the highly toxic treatments shortened Bailes' already short life.

"Traditional chemotherapy destroys your immune system," Kriho said.
"You'd live longer if you didn't treat cancer in the traditional way
at all."

Bailes initially responded positively to the new diet and Laetrile
treatments, gaining weight and strength. But his lungs were producing
too many fluids and phlegm, and he succumbed to heart failure after
about a month of hospitalization.

The months-long ordeal has definitely changed Kriho: She gave up eating red
meat.

"Yeah, I went back to Chicago (after Tim's death) and had some red
meat, and got sick to my stomach," she said. "We uncovered a lot of
information in the last three or four months. Cancer thrives on sugar
and animal protein."

The only medical treatment Bailes was denied in Mexico was cannabis,
Kriho said. "Eating pot definitely helped Tim. The pot-laced cookies
were helping him to reduce phlegm."

After the 2000 election, Kriho had decided to limit her activism. Over
the past 12 years, Kriho has made local and national headlines
advocating hemp legalization, medical marijuana and jury
nullification. In 1996, she was convicted of contempt of court for
talking about jury nullification during jury deliberations in a Gilpin
County drug case; in 1999, her conviction was overturned.

"Tim's constant, unconditional support was a tremendous help that
allowed me to be an activist," Kriho added.

"Now we've got this issue-this medical freedom of choice issue," she
said. "Why should we have to run to a Third World country to get
decent medical care?"

Even in other nations where alternative medicines are used, "medical
cannabis is illegal," she complained. Before leaving for Mexico,
Bailes consulted with Boulder herbalist Brigitte Mars, obtained some
relief from acupuncture and tried supplements intended to reduce
cancer. But it was ironic that Mexico-a major supplier of marijuana to
the U.S.-denied Bailes access to the one additional treatment that
might have prolonged his life.

Stroke victim Marie Matlock of Weed, Calif., recently e-published a
cookbook titled Krafty Cannabis Eatables featuring recipes for a range
of marijuana-based foods from lasagna to mayonnaise intended for
medical marijuana patients such as Bailes. She wanted more than the
traditional brownies and cookies or smoked marijuana to alleviate her
intense pain, and developed the cookbook's recipes to make cannabis an
everyday part of her diet. Fifty cents of each book she sells at
www.1stbooks.com will go to support the medical marijuana movement in
America.

Kriho will return to work at the National Center for Atmospheric
Research after Bailes's memorial service on Saturday. She said she
hopes she can speak and make it through the memorial service without
breaking down and crying.

"Sometimes it just hits me, how alone I am. I'm sure it'll hit me when
all my friends are around."


 
 


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web:     http://www.crrh.org/

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Date: Sat, 15 Jun 2002 10:48:06 -0700

Subject:new articles and commentary at drugwar.com Up TOC

Greetings all,
     Recent events do not bode well for a quick solution to this seemingly 
endless War. To try and help you keep up, we have posted these recent new 
additions at <http://www.drugwar.com>http://www.drugwar.com. We have as 
well a handy news bar updated daily, and a forum with lots of room to post 
your views, news on upcoming activism, legislation, hearings, trials, 
triumphs, losses, whatever you think may help solve this War.

     Peace,
Preston Peet
Editor in Chief <http://www.drugwar.com>http://www.drugwar.com
<mailto:ptpeet@nyc.rr.com>ptpeet@nyc.rr.com

Have the Feds Forgotten the Constitution?
Thoughts on the federal War against Marijuana
by Kay Lee
(reprinted by Drugwar.com with permission.)
June 15, 2002
<http://www.drugwar.com/pnocamedmar.shtm>http://www.drugwar.com/pnocamedmar.shtm

Open Letter: Daniel Forbes Responds to Richard Linnett
Daniel Forbes, AlterNet
(Reprinted with permission June 14, 2002)
<http://www.drugwar.com/pforbeslinnett.shtm>http://www.drugwar.com/pforbeslinnett.shtm

The Monopolists-
Comments on US Federal Court of Appeals May 24, 2002 ruling against Jon 
Gettman and High Times magazine keeping marijuana as a Schedule 1 
controlled substance, and Drug War's 'Monopoly' Chapter Excerpt
by Dan Russell
<http://www.drugwar.com/pmonopolists.shtm>http://www.drugwar.com/pmonopolists.shtm

Conspiracy theories and real reporters
by Carla Binion (printed with permission)
posted June 13, 2002
<http://www.drugwar.com/pbinionconspiracies.shtm>http://www.drugwar.com/pbinionconspiracies.shtm



 
 


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web:     http://www.crrh.org/

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Date: Sat, 15 Jun 2002 10:49:10 -0700

Subject:Canada: Pot growers have little to fear in B.C. Up TOC

Newshawk: Join CMAP (http://www.mapinc.org/cmap/lists.htm)
Pubdate: June 14, 2002
Source: Chilliwack Times (CN BC)
102-45951 Tretheway Ave., Chilliwack, B.C., V2P 1K4
Fax:  604-792-9300
Copyright: 2002 Chilliwack Times
Contact: editorial@chilliwacktimes.com
Website: http://www.chilliwacktimes.com/
Author: Lisa Morry

                   Pot growers have little to fear in B.C.

It's no surprise to those behind UCFV study why Chilliwack has become a
haven for drug trade

One of the major reasons Chilliwack has become a marijuana grow op centre
is because criminals believe they can get away with it.

That's according to Darryl Plecas, one of the co-authors of a
groundbreaking University College of the Fraser Valley study that tracks
marijuana grow ops busted by RCMP and police forces across B.C. That study
found that Chilliwack is the number two spot in the province for grow ops,
relative to population, behind Nanaimo on Vancouver Island, which has the
dubious honour of first place. In Canada, B.C. takes first place with 44
per cent of all marijuana cultivation incidents reported to Statistics
Canada by police during 2000.

The study found 177 marijuana cultivation files were opened at the
Chilliwack detachment in 2000-a 200 per cent increase in four years. That
doesn't include all the grow ops that remain undetected, which Plecas
estimates at four times that number.

"Otherwise, why would anybody be in business if they were all getting
busted?" Plecas asked.

Not only are there more grow ops in Chilliwack than other communities, grow
ops here tend to be larger than others in the province and produce a higher
yield per crop, Plecas said.

"I guess they are good farmers out there," he said.

Marijuana in "Columbia North" generally has seven times higher THC content,
the drug that gets people high, than marijuana did in the 60s and 70s.

"B.C. bud is considered to be the best in the world," Plecas said.

That doesn't mean we smoke all of it. The 1.2 million plants and 8,646
kilograms of harvested material police seized in four years between January
1997 and December 2000 would be more than the local population could
possibly use.

What this indicates is organized criminal activity, Plecas said, even
though there is little evidence of trafficking activity-a fact that Plecas
said he finds odd.

"Throw the book at these people," Plecas said. "That will make it go away.
That's why there are no grows in Alberta or Whatcom County. It's pretty
basic psychology. If somebody's not being punished for a history of bad
behaviour, why wouldn't it continue?"

Part of the problem is that police forces are overwhelmed. Police are not
taking down grow ops proactively. They're struggling to keep up to tips, he
said.

The trouble doesn't stop there. The study found that the Crown stays 65 per
cent of charges on grow ops, plea bargaining both charges and suspects.
Plecas said he is not a fan of that philosophy, although he understands
that the Crown's objective is a successful prosecution.

"The disturbing thing, I think is the whole sentencing. They get a slap on
the wrist despite the fact they have multiple convictions," he said.

Growing pot is like having a licence to print money. The average grow op
busted has 192 plants (247 in Chilliwack) at an estimated value of $130,000
(about 25 per cent more in Chilliwack). That's tax-free money
that is generated with very little investment in about three months.
Growers don't even have to pay for electricity because they steal it.

"The penalties ought to outweigh the benefit," Plecas said.

Another surprising trend the UCFV study uncovered is that 50 per cent of
the suspects in Chilliwack grow ops (fewer in other communities) are
Vietnamese. They come here from Ontario at twice the rate of non-Vietnamese
suspects, Plecas said. Many have extensive criminal records, including
violent offenses.

"Obviously not all Vietnamese people are anywhere near this collection,"
Plecas said.

 
 


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web:     http://www.crrh.org/

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Date: Sat, 15 Jun 2002 10:49:53 -0700

Subject:Canada: Pot business is booming in Abbotsford: study Up TOC

Newshawk: Join CMAP (http://www.mapinc.org/cmap/lists.htm)
Pubdate: June 14, 2002
Source: Abbotsford Times (CN BC)
Website: http://abbotsfordtimes.com/
Contact: editorial@abbotsfordtimes.com
Address: 30887 Peardonville Road Abbotsford, British Columbia Canada V2T 6K2
Fax: (604) 854-1140
Author: Kevin Gillies

                 Pot business is booming in Abbotsford: study

Abbotsford ranks among the highest pot-producing cities in B.C., according
to a study released by the University College of the Fraser Valley
Thursday.

Abbotsford had the eighth highest number of marijuana cultivation cases in
2000 and had the sixth-highest cases per capita.

Abbotsford Police Department spokesman Const. Shinder Kirk said he's seen a
dramatic increase in the amount of marijuana being grown in Abbotsford.

"In terms of numbers, we've had a substantial increase in the number of
grow ops that have been dismantled in the 12 years I've been here," Kirk
said.

"In terms of the size, some of the grow ops that we've seen recently here
in Abbotsford have been very large - we're talking 1,000-plus plants for
several of them."

Mission didn't even make a blip on the study's radar screen.

The study examined police records for each year from 1997 to 2000 and
extrapolated information for marijuana growing operations found. However,
it is worth noting that many people, including police officers, say it's a
fair
statment that the cases found are "just the tip of the iceberg" compared to
those that exist.

In the study Vancouver had the highest number of growing operation cases in
2000 while Nanaimo had the highest per capita.

Also in the top-10 producing cities were Surrey, Langley and Chilliwack,
which had the second-highest number of cases per capita.

According to the study, Fraser Valley towns like Abbotsford are
particularly vulnerable because of their proximity to the border, their low
land costs and their distance from the urban centre.

Kirk agrees. "Here in Abbotsford we have that enviable blend of country and
urban development."

"I'm thinking, in terms of Abbotsford, the increase is due to property
values and the accessibility of affordable housing to conduct their
criminal endeavours," Kirk said.

"You look at the money involved, the relative ease of being able to grow
marijuana and, if one isn't too ambitious, you can remain undetected for
several months or even years."

The study also found that the number of marijuana growing ops coming to the
attention of police is increasing by 36 per cent per year; the average size
of grow ops discovered is increasing by 40 per cent per year; the average
dollar value of each discovered growing operations is between around
$115,000; and over the four-year study period, police in B.C. seized 1.2
million marijuana plants and 8,646 kg of harvested marijuana.

"If our objective so far was to reduce the availability of marijuana in the
province, we are not succeeding, UCFV professor Yvon Dandurand says in a
statement. "In spite of the fact that we are devoting more law enforcement
and
other resources each year to address the problem, there is more marijuana
grown and available in British Columbia from year to year."

The study also found that the typical cultivator is a white, 35-year-old
man with seven prior criminal convictions.

The study also said 2,255 cases led to at least one offender being
convicted. This means that 54 per cent of those charged, and 25 per cent of
those associated with a case, ended up with a conviction. Prison sentences
were ordered in only 18 per cent of cases, with an average length of 4.5
months.

"The findings point at the need for the justice system, including law
enforcement, to take a more strategic approach to enforcing the law
concerning marijuana cultivation," comments UCFV professor Darryl Plecas in
a release.

The independent study was released in two reports: Marijuana Growing
Operations in British Columbia - An Empirical Survey (1997-2000) and
Marijuana Trafficking Incidents in British Columbia (1997-2000).

The study was conducted by faculty and students of the UCFV Criminology and
Criminal Justice Department in partnership with the International Centre
for Criminal Law Reform and Criminal Justice Policy, a United Nations
affiliated research institute in Vancouver.

- - With files from Chilliwack Times

 
 


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web:     http://www.crrh.org/

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Date: Sat, 15 Jun 2002 10:56:17 -0700

Subject:US: Ozzy Without Harriet Up TOC

Newshawk: The War on Drugs IS Terrorism
Pubdate: Mon, 17 Jun 2002
Source: National Review (US)
Contact: letters@nationalreview.com
Copyright: 2002 National Review
Website: http://www.nationalreview.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/287
Author: Jonah Goldberg
Note: Goldberg is the editor of National Review Online

OZZY WITHOUT HARRIET

What The Osbournes Tells Us About Drugs.

Toward the end of the Clinton administration, pundits got themselves into a
tizzy over the fact that the U.S. government was giving what amounted to tax
write-offs to television networks for incorporating anti-drug messages into
their programming. The policy died at the hands of the hypocritical media
establishment, which has no problem with the government forcing tobacco
companies to fund multimillion-dollar ad campaigns against their own legal
products, but sees, in the words of the New York Times, "the possibility of
censorship and state-sponsored propaganda" in an anti-drug scene in a drama
about an emergency room.

Such absurdity only highlights the bizarre state of the drug war. Whether
you are for or against drug legalization, it's impossible to dispute that
the public debate is deadlocked. On one side, zero-tolerance drug warriors
like drug czar John P. Walters insist that even marijuana is a "pernicious"
drug closely associated with violence, addiction, and death. On the other
side is a fractious coalition including drug boosters, libertarians,
conservatives, and people who have simply had enough of the drug war's
excesses. It's difficult to see how this impasse can be broken.

One man may have shown us the way: Ozzy Osbourne.

The Osbournes, the reality-TV show about the 53-year-old former lead singer
of the metal band Black Sabbath and his dysfunctional family, is an
unprecedented hit. It receives the highest ratings in MTV's history. More
people watch it than Meet the Press or The Sopranos.

If the policy of tax write-offs for anti-drug messages were still in effect,
MTV would be in the black for the year thanks to The Osbournes. Never in
history has television delivered such a relentlessly compelling anti-drug
message week after week. Ozzy, who spent much of his life on drugs and
alcohol, is a complete and total mess. Without changing a single thing about
himself, he could ease into the crowds of homeless wastoids on any Skid Row
in America and ask passersby for a quarter. He can barely speak. Virtually
every sentence comes out of him as if he'd been shot up with Novocaine.
Indeed, he's so unintelligible that various reviews of the show quote the
same lines of Osbourne's dialogue differently; not even journalists with a
videotape can quite make out what the hell he's saying.

The Osbourne house, a stunningly beautiful manse in Beverly Hills, is a
train wreck. With six dogs, a few cats, and a steady traffic of his kids'
ne'er-do-well friends, Ozzy's life is near-total chaos. An entire episode of
The Osbournes was dedicated to the family's collective inability to
housetrain its dogs: The house is drenched in dog urine, and the Persian
rugs are minefields of canine droppings.

Ozzy and his wife Sharon are only moderately more successful in
housetraining the plump, self-absorbed kids, who, like Dad, can't go a
sentence without cussing (and thus getting bleeped, by MTV). Only two of the
three Osbourne kids, Kelly and Jack, appear on camera. The oldest daughter
is reportedly mortified and is living in the guesthouse for the duration of
the series.

It's not hard to see why. All teenagers are embarrassed about their parents
at some point, but The Osbournes takes it to the limit: When Kelly sees her
mom urinating in a bottle to send a message about drinking in the house, she
screams: "She's pissing in the bottle . . . just like she s**t in Dad's bag
of weed in Hawaii."

To be sure, part of the appeal of the show is how much it exaggerates the
run-of-the-mill conflicts in normal families. Dad tries to lay down the law
and the world ignores him. "I feel like I'm invisible here," he complains
over breakfast, to which his wife replies, "Oh, shut up!" Osbourne loves his
kids un conditionally but finds them incomprehensible. "I love you all," he
tells his son. "I love you more than life itself, but you're all [bleeping]
mad." Ozzy can't even figure out the remote control. "What the [bleep] am I
doing? Can't get this [bleeping] television to work! I'm [bleeping] stuck on
the Weather Channel!" Panicked, he yells, "I press this one button and the
[bleeping] shower starts. Where the [bleep] am I? It's a [bleeping]
nightmare! Nightmare in Beverly Hills!"

Ultimately, the man who famously bit the head off a live bat and urinated on
the Alamo just wants a normal, peaceful life, but he's at a loss about how
to get one. When the neighbors make too much noise, his wife chucks a rotten
ham into their yard and Ozzy follows suit with a log. Afterwards, Mr. and
Mrs. Osbourne wax nostalgic about their former (and favorite) neighbor, Pat
Boone. "He was just the best person ever to live next door to," says the
Missus. "He was such a lovely man."

But the reason the show has such a cartoonish hilarity to it (more than a
few commentators have called it a real-world Simpsons) is that Osbourne is
such a physical and psychological mess. During a recent interview for the
British magazine Loaded, Osbourne was asked about reports that he'd broken
his leg recently but didn't notice. "The truth of the matter is," Osbourne
replied, "I'm f***ing crazy. Seriously. I'm mentally unbalanced. I've done
so many drugs that I've f***ed up my brain somewhere." Asked if he feels
lucky to be alive, Osbourne replied, "Lucky? Well, I ain't f***ing clever,
that's for sure. Everybody says: 'Ozzy, you're a legend.' But behind the
fa=E7ade is a sad, lonely, wet fart of a person."

This comes through in every episode: His debauchery makes him pathetic,
though endearingly so. "I don't think his fans have any illusions," Doc
Coyle, lead guitarist of the metal band God Forbid, explained to the New
York Times. "Everybody knows his brain is fried." In a sense, MTV is paying
some small penance for the damage it has done to the culture. For years the
network glorified the rocker lifestyle without paying much heed to its
consequences. For example, Madonna's sluttiness was celebrated as if there
were no downside to it. While the lady has the financial resources to
compensate for her lifestyle (she brags, for instance, that she's never
changed her children's diapers), no amount of money can unscramble your
brain. Ozzy may be a sympathetic figure, but even a would-be rock star would
hesitate to be in his shoes.

But while Ozzy is a useful cautionary tale against drug abuse, the success
of The Osbournes should also teach a thing or two to the drug warriors.
Drugs, like it or not, are part of the culture; law enforcement alone is
inadequate to either their regulation or their eradication. Yes, cigarette
smoking is on the wane, in part because of some draconian measures taken by
an overzealous government. But smoking's real defeat has come at the hands
of a cultural transformation. Similarly, laughing at, and hence ridiculing,
drug use is far more useful than one more Eliot Ness lecture about, say, the
connection of pot to the war on terrorism.

The same lesson was on view in last summer's surprise hit song, "Because I
Got High," by a fellow named Afroman. The whole song was a hilarious send-up
of pot-heads: "I was gonna go to court before I got high, I was gonna pay my
child support but then I got high, they took my whole paycheck and I know
why -- 'cause I got high, 'cause I got high, 'cause I got high. . . . I
messed up my entire life because I got high, I lost my kids and wife because
I got high, now I'm sleeping on the sidewalk and I know why -- 'cause I got
high, 'cause I got high."

Unfortunately, some folks who think drugs are never a laughing matter didn't
think the song was so funny. When MTV initially refused to show the song's
video, because it depicted people smoking marijuana, The Weekly Standard --
a zealous supporter of John Walters -- noted in an earnest finger-wag: "It's
a pity that the most humorous pop song in recent years is about getting
high, but [we are] pleased to find MTV for once on the right side of the
culture war."

Actually, it was great news that the most humorous pop song in recent memory
was about how stupid it is to get high, or at least too high. Similarly,
it's even better news that the most popular show in MTV history makes fun of
drug use and, finally, puts MTV on the right side of the culture war.
__________________________________________________________________________
Distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in
receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Doc-Hawk


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web:     http://www.crrh.org/

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Date: Sat, 15 Jun 2002 11:03:34 -0700

Subject:NV: Move To Legalize Marijuana In Nevada Has A Chance Up TOC

Newshawk: Jane Marcus
Pubdate: Thu, 13 Jun 2002
Source: Las Vegas City Life (NV)
Copyright: 2002 Las Vegas City Life
Contact: obrien@lvpress.com
Website: http://www.lasvegascitylife.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1653
Author: Jimmy Boegle
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/props.htm (Ballot Initiatives)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Cannabis)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/decrim.htm (Decrim/Legalization)
Cited: http://www.mpp.org (Marijuana Policy Project)
Note: Photo caption: Nevada could become a pot smokers' haven on Jan. 1,
2005 if a current initiative petition is successful. Mark your calendars!

MOVE TO LEGALIZE MARIJUANA IN NEVADA HAS A CHANCE

Over the past few weeks, they've been seemingly everywhere - libraries, the
DMV, meetings, etc. - with their petitions and pens. This small army of
clipboard-holding minions, some paid and some volunteers, has one goal: The
legalization of marijuana in Nevada.

Not just medical marijuana - that's already legal as the result of a
constitutional amendment overwhelmingly approved by voters in 1998 and
2000. This is the legalization of the use and possession of three ounces or
less of marijuana by anybody 21 or older.

In other words, it could be 4:20 in Nevada 24/7 if this amendment gets
enough signatures to make the ballot, and is then approved by voters this
year and in 2004.

The folks behind this movement, a newly formed political action committee
called Nevadans for Responsible Law Enforcement, are being tight-lipped
about their efforts. Gail Tuzzolo, a paid political consultant heading up
the PAC, said the group is too focused on getting enough signatures right
now to talk to the media.

"We're sort of doing our news blackout," Tuzzolo said. "We're not talking
to the press. We're working on getting all the signatures in."

Bruce Mirken, the director of communications of the Marijuana Policy
Project (the Washington, D.C.-based group behind Nevadans for Responsible
Law Enforcement), was equally unhelpful.

"We're in the process of getting signatures," he said. "We'll have a lot to
say when it gets on the ballot. ... We're not seeking coverage right now,
because we're seeking signatures."

In defense of these folks, they do have their hands full. By June 16, the
group has to turn in at least 61,336 voters to the secretary of state -
that's 10 percent of the total number of votes cast in the 2000 statewide
election. Additionally, signatures representing 10 percent of the total of
2000 votes from 13 of the state's 17 counties must be included. The group
has been collecting signatures since May 9. That's a lot of John Hancocks
in a short amount of time, and the group estimates they'll need about
110,000 total signatures for enough of them to be valid.

But whether or not they want coverage right now, they're getting it. And
before they finally stopped talking to us, both Tuzzolo and Mirken said
they were close to the necessary pace to reach their goal.

So, what does this all mean? Let's break it down.

The initiative, if successful, would amend the Nevada Constitution to say
the following:

- -- That the use or possession of three ounces or less of weed by anybody 21
or older would not be a "cause for arrest, civil or criminal penalty, or
seizure or forfeiture of assets." In other words, pot would be legal in the
eyes of the state constitution.

- -- The state would have to develop "a system of regulation, designed to
curb the unlawful production of marijuana, for the cultivation, taxation,
sale, and distribution of marijuana ..."

- -- Advertising of pot would be illegal.

- -- Weed would be taxed similar to tobacco and cigarettes.

- -- It could not be used in cars or public places, and you could not be
"driving dangerously" or operating heavy machinery while under the influence.

Of course, marijuana would still be illegal under federal law, opening a
very interesting can of worms.

Before they got tight-lipped, Tuzzolo and others painted the petition
primarily as something to help out medical marijuana users by instituting a
system for distribution, and by making it so sick patients wouldn't need a
doctor's permission to get the marijuana (many doctors have been weary to
sign off on marijuana use, fearing the feds).

The petition drive comes two years after voters approved medical marijuana,
and just months after the 2001 Legislature chilled out what was one of the
nation's toughest marijuana laws. Before, marijuana possession was a
felony; now, in small amounts, it is simply a misdemeanor.

All of this is very interesting, and it will become moot if the petitioners
fail to get enough signatures. But should they succeed, here are some
things to look out for:

- -- The buzz is that anti-Question 2 (The anti-gay "Protection of Marriage"
Initiative, which will be on the ballot for a second and final time this
year) forces may be looking at this as an equalizer. It's well-known that
Question 2 exists, in part, because its right-wing supporters knew it would
bring right-wing voters to the polls. Well, some proponents of the
marijuana initiative hope that if it makes the ballot, it will have the
same effect on left-wing voters. One flaw with this logic: In 2000, the
medical marijuana initiative, which passed overwhelmingly, did not
accomplish this. Nonetheless, for some, hope springs eternal.

- -- Why Nevada? The Marijuana Policy Project has been willing to pay $1 per
signature and pay big bucks for a consultant to get this measure on the
ballot. Sure, Nevada's relatively small size makes it easier to do this
here than in, say, California. And it would set a nice precedent; if this
ballot initiative passes muster, Nevada would become the first state to
effectively give the finger to the feds in terms of marijuana laws. But
beyond that, why choose Nevada for this groundbreaking move? (When asked
this question point-blank, Mirken said he was not the one to talk to about
this, and that he'd try to get someone else to talk to CityLife; nobody
called back.)

- -- What are the consequences? Considering that George W. Bush and John
Ashcroft are in office, what would they do to Nevada if this makes it through?

It's all fun to speculate about, assuming the petition drive is successful.
And that's a moderately big "if" at this point.
__________________________________________________________________________
Distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in
receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Ariel

 
 


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web:     http://www.crrh.org/

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Date: Sat, 15 Jun 2002 11:07:27 -0700

Subject:Australia: Drugs Sold Openly In Cafe Up TOC

Newshawk: The War on Drugs IS Terrorism
Pubdate: Sun, 16 Jun 2002
Source: Sunday Telegraph, The (Australia)
Contact: suntele@mail.matp.newsltd.com.au
Copyright: 2002 News Limited
Website: http://www.news.com.au/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/436
Author: Matthew Bayley
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Cannabis)

DRUGS SOLD OPENLY IN CAFE

THE lunchtime trade at the Karma Cafe was booming last Wednesday. The tables
were packed and at the counter, customers queued to get their orders in.

To one side of the counter, next to the coffee machine, the busy staff took
requests for cafe lattes, chicken sandwiches and mineral water. And on the
other, they sold cannabis.

Almost three years to the day after being exposed by The Sunday Telegraph
for selling drugs, the coffee shop was back to its old tricks.

"New name, same business," as one member of staff remarked.

And if last week is anything to go by, business is booming.

When the cafe was originally exposed in June 1999, then Police Minister Paul
Whelan promised to review laws in order to allow police to prosecute not
just the individuals involved in dealing, but the premises as well.

However, the legislation has remained unchanged and the illegal trade
continues unchecked.

In recent months, police in Kings Cross have carried out several
high-visibility operations against drug dealers, using sniffer dogs to
patrol local pubs and clubs.

However, this operation is going on right under their noses.

At first glance the small Roslyn St cafe is no different from any of
Sydney's coffee shops. Neat and clean, its large windows make it an ideal
place to watch the colourful life of the Cross saunter past.

To the casual observer last week, it may have felt more like Starbucks than
one of the famous Dutch coffee houses that it's predecessor based itself
upon.

Lunchtime customers chatted idly, drinking coffee and eating sandwiches,
while a Led Zeppelin album played in the background. Magazines and
newspapers were stacked tidily on a book shelf.

Signs that the cafe has other interests are there, however, with old Cafe
Amsterdam signs decorating one wall, and after a while the additional trade
the cafe is doing becomes obvious.

In little over an hour, a reporter from The Sunday Telegraph saw evidence of
at least four drug deals over the counter. One by one, customers with no
clear interest in the menu came in, standing in the narrow gap between the
counter and the till. They made their orders in low voices next to the cake
stand.

"Just a 25, thanks," one was heard to say to the blonde waiter.

First was a bearded man with a ponytail in his late 40s. Next came a younger
man in a brown leather jacket. A couple then walked in and enjoyed a
chocolate ice drink after making their purchase.

Shortly afterwards, a man in his 20s came in, went to the counter and sat
down a few minutes later at one of the tables, placing a see-through bag of
what appeared to be cannabis in full view of customers and staff.

The man then began to painstakingly construct a cannabis cigarette, before
joining in a conversation on drugs with the couple at the neighbouring
table.

"Is it decriminalised like it is in Adelaide?" asked the woman, referring to
South Australia's relaxed drug laws.

The man with the joint revealed he has previously been cautioned by the
police after being caught with cannabis.

"Put it in your sock," advised the other man.

"It's a pretty cool arrangement," the man remarked as he lit up the
cannabis.

"Especially if you want to get on it during the day."

However, after several minutes of smoking the waiter spotted him and became
agitated: "Mate, you can't actually smoke it in here anymore," he told the
customer.

"It's not the Amsterdam anymore. Just go round the corner."

The customer apologised, and left the cafe, saying he had not been there for
several months.

The operation is certainly not as open as before, when customers were
actively offered drugs and people smoked openly within the cafe. Gone, for
example, is the sign which used to hang in the window saying: "What a great
joint."

But, to those who knew what they were looking for it was very much business
as usual.

Last week, two staff members from The Sunday Telegraph were able to purchase
two bags of marijuana over the counter.

In June 2000, NSW police did apply to have the premises declared "a
disorderly house", which would have granted officers the right to enter and
search the cafe without a warrant.

However, the case was abandoned in April last year after the police and the
building's owners, Bernd Rosenberg and Josef Zangerl, came to an agreement.

However, a title search of the property reveals the cafe's lease is still
held by Editha Ziric, the previous owner of Cafe Amsterdam.

Mrs Ziric was convicted in 1998 of possessing cash suspected of being the
proceeds of crime and was fined $250. Her husband Michael was sentenced to
seven months weekend jail in 1999 for supplying a prohibited drug at the
cafe.

Cannabis is the most widely used drug in Australia, according to a National
Drug Household Survey.

About 39 per cent of people reported using marijuana at some time, with 18
per cent having used it in the past 12 months.

But a recent survey revealed 60 per cent of Australians still believe the
drug should remain illegal.

Supplying cannabis carries stiff maximum jail sentences. Under the law, even
selling small amounts can theoretically earn a maximum 10-year jail offence.
Anyone caught selling marijuana to a person under 16 faces a maximum 25 year
jail sentence.
__________________________________________________________________________
Distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in
receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Doc-Hawk

 
 


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web:     http://www.crrh.org/

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Date: Sat, 15 Jun 2002 19:16:50 -0700

Subject:NV: Group Says Marijuana Petition Advancing Up TOC

Newshawk: Jane Marcus
Pubdate: Thu, 13 Jun 2002
Source: Las Vegas Review-Journal (NV)
Copyright: 2002 Las Vegas Review-Journal
Contact: letters@lvrj.com
Website: http://www.lvrj.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/233
Author: Associated Press

GROUP SAYS MARIJUANA PETITION ADVANCING

CARSON CITY -- A group pushing a constitutional amendment to liberalize
Nevada's marijuana laws says it is close to getting enough signatures to
put the issue on the November ballot.

Gail Tuzzolo of Nevadans for Responsible Law Enforcement said the coming
weeks will be crucial in getting the necessary 61,336 signatures. The names
must include at least 10 percent of the registered voters in 13 of the
state's 17 counties.

Tuzzolo said the signature-gathering effort is going well in the major
population areas of Las Vegas and Reno, but said there have been setbacks
in some rural counties. She wouldn't say how many signatures have been
collected.

The organization started out paying petition circulators $1 a signature;
that has been raised to $2 a name. Coordinators are being paid an
unspecified lump sum.

The group also has changed its strategy, going door to door rather than
gathering signatures in public places.

The proposal would allow adults to have up to 3 ounces of marijuana without
being charged with a crime. It authorizes the Legislature to set up a
distribution system to get low-cost marijuana to those who need it for
medicinal purposes and for sale to those who are 21 or older.

The proposed amendment would impose a tax on marijuana similar to the one
levied on tobacco products other than cigarettes.

The proposal also would prohibit shipping marijuana into or out of the
state, unless federal law permitted it.

The proposal would prohibit the advertising of marijuana.

The petitions with the names of registered voters must be submitted to
county clerks or the registrar of voters, who would verify the signers are
registered voters.

The amendment would have to be approved by voters this election and again
in 2004 before it would become part of the Nevada Constitution.

Voters in 1998 and 2000 approved a constitutional amendment to allow the
use of marijuana by ill persons who get permission from their doctor.
__________________________________________________________________________
Distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in
receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Beth

 
 


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web:     http://www.crrh.org/

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End of Restore-Digest V2002 #109
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