GOOD NEWS, BAD NEWS ON LOCAL METH USAGE

WASHINGTON - Last year, authorities in Washington County seized four methamphetamine labs, makeshift sites used to cook toxic chemicals into the highly addictive drug, state police said. By October of this year, only one lab had been uncovered in the county of 49,000 residents. State officials said the statistic is evidence that Oklahoma's tough anti-meth laws adopted in 2004 are working, with the state number of detected meth labs decreasing by about 90 percent. But others, including drug counselors and a Bartlesville judge, said the numbers do not tell the whole story. Shutting down the local meth "cooks" has not stopped the meth problem, they said, because the drug is finding its way into Oklahoma from other sources. "We're seeing now an influx of crystal meth, or 'ice,' that's come into play," said Washington County Associate District Judge Curtis DeLapp, referring to a purer, smokable form of the drug. "I don't know where it's coming from." DeLapp said he could not estimate the number of meth-related crimes in the county because they range from domestic abuse to theft. The county drug court DeLapp helped set up in September already has enrolled more than 20 meth users and DeLapp said he did not expect to have trouble filling an additional 50 slots. The continuing flow of meth into places like Bartlesville despite strong state laws is evidence of a shifting trend in meth production in the United States, state and national law enforcement officials say. The movement is away from small individual labs and toward superlabs and international trafficking. "Mexico is now becoming the epicenter here," said Dave Murray, a policy analyst with the Office of National Drug Control Policy. "It's the traditional bad-guy cartels." States' efforts In an effort to crack down on meth cooks, at least 36 states limit customer purchases of cold medicines containing pseudoephedrine and ephedrine or have other controls such as placing packages behind store counters or requiring customers to sign for a purchase, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. In Oklahoma, the law that went into effect April 2004 requires medicines containing meth ingredients to be sold behind a pharmacy counter, and customers are limited to purchasing 9 grams or less, about 300 tablets. State laws appear to be working, Murray said. He said the Bush administration is anticipating a nationwide decrease in seized meth labs this year. Authorities were called out to 17,170 meth sites nationwide in 2004 to investigate lab seizures, dumpsites and evidence of meth chemicals or equipment, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency. Almost 660 of those were in Oklahoma, the same year the state passed its meth law. That was a 62 percent drop from the 1,068 incidents the previous year. "We're not losing ground on this," Murray said. "There is no reason to believe we can't control this and shape this." But as fewer rural labs are producing meth, more finished product is being shipped in from Mexico and other countries, said Doug Coleman, a special agent and spokesman for the DEA. In 2004, the DEA seized about 252 million dosage units, or "hits," of meth. By September, this year's total was already 312 million dosage units, according to data on the department Web site. "That's the nature of the drug trade," Coleman said. "It's like putting your finger in a dike - as you shut off one, there may be another hole popping up." Changing face The meth production shift to Mexico is not the first time the stimulant's trade has shifted. Canada initially was a major supplier of pseudoephedrine and ephedrine being "cooked" at California superlabs, Coleman said. The DEA worked with Canada to tighten its export and reporting laws. Then as the Internet became popular, meth recipes became easily available online, causing the drug to spread eastward and into rural communities, Coleman said. In response, states began to crack down on cold medicine purchases, and meth production started evolving again.









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STATE INITIATIVE NEXT STEP FOR MARIJUANA BACKERS

Move Comes As Denver Continues to Cite for Pot Possession Under State Law Marijuana advocates vowed from the Capitol steps Wednesday to put a statewide measure legalizing adult pot possession on Colorado's November ballot and mobilize an army of voters to pass it. The statewide campaign is fueled by outrage over Denver authorities' rejection of Initiative 100, said Mason Tvert, campaign director for the initiative's sponsor, Safer Alternative for Enjoyable Recreation. City voters passed the initiative in November, ostensibly making it legal for adults to possess up to 1 ounce of pot. Denver law enforcement officials, however, continue to ticket small-time pot-possession violators under state law. They always have prosecuted the vast majority of possession cases, saying that state law is unaffected by local statutes. The Colorado Alcohol-Marijuana Equalization Initiative seeks to pass a state law identical to the Denver measure, Tvert said, so Denver officials can no longer "ignore the will of the voters by hiding behind state law." Tvert acknowledged that because the initiative will only amend drug statutes, not the Colorado Constitution, state lawmakers simply could overturn its passage. But he warned that lawmakers who try "goose-stepping around the will of the people who put them in office" could find themselves voted out. The measure needs nearly 68,000 signatures to qualify for the ballot To raise them, "we plan on bringing out an army of new voters in this state and mobilizing students across the state to get involved, collecting signatures and passing this initiative," Tvert said. He said he's sticking with the controversial campaign that apparently helped win in Denver: It argues that adults should have the right to choose marijuana as a safer alternative to alcohol, which pot advocates blame for deadly violence and car wrecks. Even critics of the I-100 campaign say Tvert tapped into rising opposition to the national war on drugs by arguing it was diverting scarce funding for police - and for fighting violent crime - to prosecute otherwise law-abiding, nonviolent pot-smoking residents. Now SAFER is drawing support for the state initiative from a 4,500-member organization of current and former narcotics agents, police chiefs, prosecutors, prison wardens, judges and federal agents. "The war on drugs has been too long and too disgustingly failed and far too destructive," said Jack Cole, executive director of the international group Law Enforcement Against Prohibition ( LEAP ). "Since 1970, we've spent more than a trillion dollars on this war and all we have to show for it each year is we arrest another 1.6 million people in this country for nonviolent drug offenses," said Cole. "Fully half are marijuana arrests." Cole retired as a detective lieutenant after 26 years with the New Jersey State Police. He spent 14 of those working undercover as a narcotics agent. When it comes to the SAFER initiative, Cole said, "we support them 100 percent." Colorado Attorney General John Suthers takes a sharply different view. He said law enforcement doesn't spend a great deal of resources prosecuting small pot-possession cases, and strongly opposes legalizing even small amounts of pot, calling it "a dangerous drug." Cole's fellow LEAP members have given more than 1,400 talks against drug prohibition in the past two years. "I would love to debate your attorney general," he said. "Let's talk about what drugs are dangerous and what drugs aren't: Cigarettes kill 430,000 a year in the United States. "Alcohol kills 110,000 every year . . . But there has never been a recorded case of a death from ingesting marijuana."










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OFFICIALS SNIFF AT BID TO LEGALIZE MARIJUANA

Two top law enforcement officials in the Pikes Peak region think proponents of a statewide initiative to decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana will not find much support here. The group Safer Alternative for Enjoyable Recreation, or SAFER, held a news conference Wednesday at the state Capitol to announce plans to seek voter approval to legalize possession of an ounce or less of marijuana for those 21 years or older. The group said it will try to gather the signatures of 100,000 registered Colorado voters; it needs about 68,000 valid signatures to put the initiative on the November 2006 ballot. Fourth Judicial District Attorney John Newsome said he thinks the group won't find a receptive audience in El Paso or Teller counties. "I have yet to hear any discussion or clamoring for legalization of drugs," said Newsome, who said he has spoken to 60 groups since taking office in January. Newsome said he has not seen the proposed initiative and he would have to study it before commenting directly on it. But he said he is generally opposed to any effort to legalize drugs. "I can tell you in my line of work we see people destroyed by drugs," he said. The advocacy group said that even if the measure passed, all home-rule cities in Colorado, including Colorado Springs, would have the ability to penalize marijuana users. The measure also would not change current law that makes selling marijuana, smoking it publicly or driving under its influence illegal. The effort is patterned after a successful campaign by the group to decriminalize possession of an ounce or less of marijuana in Denver. Almost 54 percent of Denver voters approved the initiative last month, although Denver police have continued to cite drug users under state law that makes possession of such amounts a petty offense subject to a $100 fine. Rick Millwright, commander of the El Paso/Teller Metro Vice, Narcotics and Intelligence Unit, said he thinks SAFER will run into demographic and philosophical differences it didn't have in its bid to legalize pot in Denver. "Colorado Springs is different than Denver," Millwright said. "Passing something like this in Denver is one thing, but I think it will be an uphill fight here in this very conservative community." Colorado Attorney General John Suthers and House Speaker Andrew Romanoff, D-Denver, said they will oppose the measure if it gets on the November 2006 ballot. "You would basically give people in Colorado a free pass," Suthers said. "My personal opinion is that it's not good public policy." Romanoff said Colorado already has one of the highest drug-use rates in the nation but ranks near the bottom for drug treatment. He said that if the initiative passes, it could be tied up in courts for years. Although Newsome doesn't believe there would be much support locally for legalizing marijuana, he said he has seen some change in thinking among residents about how to handle drug use. He said he thinks there is some support for allowing marijuana use for serious medical conditions, and he thinks many people would rather see drug users get help rather than being sent to jail. He said his office is creating a drug court in Teller County, patterned after one in El Paso County, that would offer treatment rather than incarceration for some drug users. In 2000, a majority of El Paso County and Colorado voters approved an initiative allowing the use and cultivation of of marijuana for people whose doctors prescribed it. Newsome said such state laws can conflict with federal drug laws, and there are ongoing legal cases, particularly in California, about which laws should take precedence. He said he could envision a similar problem if the proposed initiative passes. Mason Tvert, the executive director of SAFER, said federal laws focus on distribution, not possession, and probably would not be used to prosecute personal marijuana consumption. Tvert also said he does not believe Colorado lawmakers would try to change the law back if voters agree to relax it. Karen Flowers, spokeswoman for the Denver office of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, said the Supreme Court has upheld the supremacy of federal drug laws over state and local laws, and she thinks any change decriminalizing state law would fail. She also said federal drug laws make simple possession of marijuana a civil offense. She said the DEA believes the Denver group's latest initiative is part of a concerted effort by well-funded lobbying groups in Washington, D.C., to decriminalize all drugs. "This is not a grass-roots Colorado effort," she said. "They're trying to make us guinea pigs."





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HAILEY TREATMENT CENTER UNDERUSED

Surprisingly, Nancy Kneeland, who left the Wood River Valley when she was 18, said she is not too busy at the Hailey branch of The Walker Center for drug and alcohol treatment and rehabilitation. "There is no waiting list," she said, surprised that there is a perception that the treatment facility on River Street in Hailey is overwhelmed with people suffering from methamphetamine addiction. It is in the realm of inpatient services in a residential program where needs are not met in the Wood River Valley. The Walker Center has immediate inpatient services at its facility in Gooding for clients who do not require government assistance. Those who do require financial help go onto a waiting list, which can mean a wait to begin treatment of as many as six weeks, said Walker Center CEO Bud Starr. "We have priority populations," Starr said. "A pregnant woman who is an intravenous drug user goes to the top of the list. Then there's the pregnant women with children." Priorities for who gets a bed first are set by regulations governing federal block grant money that goes to aiding people with inpatient treatment. The Walker Center takes insurance, too, but with methamphetamine addiction pressure for more intensive inpatient services does overwhelm the current system, said Blaine County Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Warren Christiansen. There is a definite need for facilities to help care for people, especially in the early weeks of treatment and rehabilitation for long-term users of methamphetamine, he said. "Three decades of scientific research and clinical practice have yielded a variety of effective approaches to drug addiction treatment," Kneeland said in a presentation to the Blaine County Community Justice Council, which held a quarterly meeting at the Community Campus in Hailey earlier this month. "Effective treatment of meth abuse requires longer treatment protocols. This includes, but is not limited to, three to six months of intensive inpatient treatment or nine to 12 hours of intensive outpatient work consisting of three to four hours, four to five times per week. Both of these are followed by extended aftercare groups lasting two years." Kneeland said the Gooding-based organization, where inpatient services are provided for juveniles and adults, will try to meet whatever demand for outpatient services she receives in Hailey. There are two main programs offered. First is an eight-week program that meets a minimum of nine hours per week for $2,150. The second is a 12-week program that meets six hours a week for the same price. Kneeland said financial aid is available for both programs, and clients are set up with jobs and other aftercare programs for the hours that they are not in treatment. With nearly 1,400 adult probation cases alone, a vast majority of which are drug and alcohol related, Kneeland said she understands that courts and probation officers at the state and county level have an overwhelming workload. Even for court-ordered treatment, she said she understands why she only has about eight regular clients at any given time -- enforcement has its hands full. But, Kneeland said, she is nonetheless disappointed that not more people take advantage of services that are offered in the community for people suffering from meth addiction. "I think that the stigma of going even to AA to those places with those people ... people don't realize that treatment is a stunning investment in their lives and themselves," said Kneeland, nearly 20 years sober herself. "Families are reluctant to come in." The Hailey office offers a special treatment program on Tuesdays that is free and open to the public. "It is not very well unattended," Kneeland said. "The stigma is not just the person who comes in ( experiencing ) shame and guilt. People who come in are so brave because they are battling so many things." Kneeland said the key is family attendance, which makes treatment so much more effective, especially if family members have issues with addiction themselves. "Life is easier is when you are ignorant," Kneeland said. "Closing your eyes to the problems allows people to become sicker and sicker."






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DRUG DEALERS DON'T STAY IN THEIR LANE

Jeff Holland was cruising along in his police car when a car on the highway attracted his attention. Holland was wearing his "River Falls Police Chief" hat at the time and driving a River Falls police car. ( Depending upon the day and the time of week, Holland also wears the "hats" of River Falls Fire Chief and as lieutenant for the Andalusia Fire Department. ) "They were not maintaining their lane," Holland said of the two men who were in the suspect car. So he pulled them over. And the River Falls Police Department is richer by $18,723 because of his action. Backing up, to tell the story: It did not shock anyone who knows of Holland's ability to spot the unusual that when he pulled the car over he discovered the Florida residents could not explain how they had come to have some $23,500 in cash with them in the car. "I questioned them separately," he said. "I got suspicious after hearing their explanation of where the money came from, so I arrested them and held them for the Federal Drug Enforcement Agency ( DEA )." Under state and federal law, Holland said, DEA is the only agency allowed to confiscate cash. The men were allowed to proceed on their way to Atlanta, which they said was their destination. But their money did not accompany them. It was held by DEA, with agents following up on the stories given them about the money. Last week, Holland got a check for $18,723 from the DEA, River Falls' share. "We think the men were on their way to buy drugs with it," Holland said. "But we don't know that." Why does law enforcement get to keep the money, then? "Nobody claimed it," Holland said. "That speaks for itself, doesn't it?" Holland said he has had success with pulling people over who "don't maintain their lanes. "If someone has something to hide, and they see a cop, they slow down and make sure they aren't breaking any laws," Holland said. "What they don't pay attention to is staying in the correct lane. It's a giveaway every time." What else is a giveaway that you might have a drug smuggler or someone fleeing from the law? The story they tell. "When I got the men apart, one of them said they had the cash because they had been hired to build a bar for some club," Holland said. "The other one told me they had a job waiting on them in Atlanta with a church. He said the $23,500 was to buy supplies to build church pews."





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COPS TARGET OVER 100 'MJ' SITES

THE police started a massive marijuana eradication drive targeting more than 100 cannabis plantations in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. "We are embarking on a massive anti-marijuana drive with the foremost idea of educating people on planting alternative crops that can augment their livelihood," said Director Marcelo S. Ele, Jr., commander of the Philippine National Police Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Force. Ele, in a report to PNP chief Director General Arturo C. Lomibao, cited the possibility of planting Yakon, a medicinal rootcrop as an alternative to marijuana. Records from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency said from nine marijuana cultivation sites identified in 1972, there are now 107 reported sites where the plant grows naturally. PDEA chair Anselmo S. Avenido Jr., said government efforts to eradicate marijuana plantations in 2002 resulted in the uprooting and burning of 5.11 million plants and seedlings. In 2003, 5.29 million plants and seedlings were uprooted while 2.38 million marijuana plants and seedlings were destroyed in 2004. This year, marijuana eradication operations resulted in the confiscation of 4.81 million plants and 8.55 million seedlings with a total value of P1.74 billion, Avenido said. Ele, in a memorandum to different police regional directors and chiefs of the Regional AIDSOTF and National Operating Units, said eradication operations will be intensified. Quoting reports from the Dangerous Drugs Board, he said marijuana sites have been identified in Regions 6, 7, 10, 11, 12, 13, Cordillera and Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. Cordillera remains the top producer. Marijuana is the second top favorite among drug users because it is cheaper.. A kilo of marijuana can be bought at P1,500 while shabu fetches as much as P5,000 a gram. Ele directed PNP regional directors to launch aggressive intelligence operations to identify and neutralize armed groups and syndicates involved in marijuana cultivation in their jurisdictions. "We will also coordinate with local government units and regional units of the Department of Agriculture for the provision of alternative livelihood to the households involved or prone to engage in marijuana cultivation," Ele said. He urged the regional directors of Police Regional Offices 1, 2, 3, 4-A, 4-B, 5, 8, 9 and the National Capital Region police office to intensify their search for marijuana plantations. A DDB report said marijuana plantation sites have been found in the municipalities of Alcoy, Balamban, Badian, Bantayan, Barili, Tabugon, Danao, Aloguinsan, San Remigio, Naga and Consolacion in Cebu; San Miguel, Pilar and Carmen in Bohol; San Fernando, Libona, Quezon; Maramag, Kalilangan, Kitaotao, Manolo Fortich; Impasug-ong, Talakag, Kibawe, Lantapan, Malaybalay; and Malitmog in Bukidnon; Kiblawan, Davao del Sur; New Bataan, Monkayo and Pantukan in Compostela Valley; Tarragona, Caraga, Lupon, Manay and Banaybanay in Davao Oriental. Kibungan, Kapangan, Bakun and Kabayan, Benguet; Tinglayan, Tanudan and Pasil, Kalinga; Tinoc and Asipulo, Ifugao; Ajuy and Lemery, Iloilo; Sibalom, Antique; Kalibo, Aklan; Nueva Valencia, Guimaras; Bacolod City and Hinigaran, Negros Occidental; Malungon, Sarangani; Pikit, Cotabato; San Miguel, Surigao del Sur; and La Paz, Agusan del Sur.




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MARIJUANA MADNESS

AMERICAN LAW enforcement has a proud tradition of courageous souls standing up against corrupt and dangerous criminal elements. Think Eliot Ness, the federal agent who prosecuted Al Capone, or Frank Serpico, the New York cop who at great personal risk exposed dirty cops within his department. Then think about the new focus of American law enforcement -- marijuana -- and ask yourself if the expense of arresting, prosecuting and jailing offenders makes sense. The Marijuana Policy Project crunched U.S. Justice Department statistics for arrests in 2004 and found that there were more arrests for marijuana possession -- 684,319 -- than for all violent crimes combined. The Washington Post reported in May that the Sentencing Project, another think tank, "found that the proportion of heroin and cocaine cases plummeted from 55 percent of all drug arrests in 1992 to less than 30 percent 10 years later." While Americans might think law enforcement has mobilized to fight dangerous drugs that can lead to fatal overdoses and kill users, the study found that marijuana arrests rose to 45 percent of drug arrests. Here in California, federal agents have raided a string of medical-marijuana clubs, including a South of Market club in San Francisco, and seized plants grown to supply the clubs. No doubt some of the raided clubs have catered to users who just want to get high. They also serve sick people. Members of the Santa Cruz Wo/Men's Alliance for Medical Marijuana -- raided by the feds in 2003 -- have argued that marijuana enables them to use fewer high-powered narcotics like Oxycontin. California voters approved a medical-marijuana initiative in 1996 precisely because Californians don't want their tax dollars to pay for the arrest and prosecution of people who use marijuana to control their pain, increase their appetite or address other symptoms. Estimates as to the cost of the war on drugs vary, with the Washington Post figuring the cost to be some $35 billion a year. Are taxpayers getting their money's worth? No. In a report commissioned by Taxpayers for Common Sense, Boston University economist Jeffrey A. Miron estimated that the federal government spent a cumulative total of $257 billion ( in 2003 dollars ) over three decades on anti-drug efforts, and some $3.67 billion in 2004 on programs designed to reduce marijuana use. Still, Miron wrote, "Marijuana-use rates are little different now than in 1975." Republicans in Congress have been scrambling to cut federal spending to reduce a record deficit. Their 2006 Deficit Reduction Act would cut a paltry $40 billion over five years. If they want to find more savings, they should look to dubious spending on the dubious war on drugs -- to the high cost of incarcerating first-time nonviolent drug offenders, of mandating longer sentences for crack cocaine than powder cocaine and of using federal clout to raid medical-marijuana clubs, prosecute offenders and house them in prison. Cut these programs and Washington could move this country closer to what President H. W. Bush announced as his goal, "a kinder, gentler" America.






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RIO KINGPINS MEET THEIR MATCH

Ms. Maggessi Wins Acclaim As She Takes on Brazil's Drug Bosses RIO DE JANEIRO -- Once every few months, the sky above this city's sprawling Rocinha slum is lit by phosphorescent red trails of crisscrossing bullets. Residents know that yet another battle has erupted between cops and local drug lords. As Brazil's best-known city continues its decades-long war on drugs, Rio police are having a harder time arresting drug bosses because the new breed of bosses operate among the densely packed residents of the city's 500 slums, home to nearly one of every five of Rio's six million people. Police raids often produce bystander casualties. But Marina Maggessi, the chief investigator of the Rio police's antidrug division, is getting better results through less violent means. Using a mixture of high-tech espionage and psychological tactics, she has helped the police arrest -- or occasionally kill -- nearly 80 drug bosses in the past three years. Her record of nabbing drug lords with names like "Seaside Freddy," "Pitbull" and "Big Bat" has made her the city's best-known cop, and in a city whose police are generally viewed suspiciously, her exploits are praised from op-ed pages to Internet communities. "She is a model to be followed," says Denise Frossard, a congresswoman and former judge who once locked up 14 heads of clans that controlled organized crime in Rio. Ms. Maggessi, a diminutive 46-year-old, is a rare success story in the drug war in Latin America. While Asian and Middle Eastern nations fight terrorism by Islamist extremists, Latin American countries continue to wage their own battle against the illicit trade in narcotics, fighting powerful drug gangs that often are better-equipped than police. The criminality and violence stunt economic growth in the region, divert government resources, corrupt institutions from the police to the bureaucracy to the courts and have claimed countless lives. Progress in the drug war is especially hard to feel in places like Rio. Kingpins largely control the slums' warrens of streets, and those arrested by Ms. Maggessi are immediately replaced by underlings. Against that backdrop, Ms. Maggessi provides citizens with an occasional, if elusive, sense of victory. Elderly women often bake her cakes, and some provide valuable information. About two years ago, an 80-year-old woman gave her 22 videotapes of local drug dealers she had filmed from the window of her tiny apartment. As a result, prosecutors were able to convict 20 people of drug charges, including nine corrupt cops. Ms. Maggessi was born into the same Rio poverty as many of those she puts behind bars and works close to her prey in a run-down precinct building at the bottom of the Monkeys' Hill slum on Rio's north side. Her team can spend months listening to tapes, comparing voices, trying to break down codes used by criminals and cross-referencing phone records. One high-profile arrest was Elias Pereira da Silva, also known as The Crazy One. Prosecutors accused him of involvement with 60 homicides, including the torture and murder of an investigative reporter. Ms. Maggessi and her team spent three months wiretapping his family, friends and lawyer to pinpoint his location -- an old couple's shack - -- and helped arrest him without firing a shot in September 2002. He is now serving a 28-year prison term. Ms. Maggessi uses street smarts when a wiretap isn't sufficient. A few years ago, she was tracking a cocaine dealer known simply as Waldir by camping out in an apartment next door and waiting for him to use his wiretapped phone to call his out-of-state supplier. She needed the supplier's number too, so she could arrest both men. But because Brazil's telephone companies had just been privatized, Waldir couldn't figure out the new dialing instructions and was having trouble making the call. Tired of waiting, Ms. Maggessi seized on a power outage -- which disabled Waldir's phone's caller ID -- and called him on his phone. Posing as a telephone-company operator, she guided him through the dialing instructions. A pleased Waldir spent weeks telling friends how privatized companies had improved customer service, until he was caught by Ms. Maggessi the moment he took delivery of the drug. Aside from eavesdropping, Ms. Maggessi relies on psychology, as Rio copes with a generational shift in the underworld. Fifteen years ago, the drug trade here was the realm of businessmen who weren't addicts and who divided the city through gentlemen's agreements. Now, a horde of illiterate, addicted and violent lesser bosses -- who ascended as their superiors were arrested or killed -- run the show. After arresting younger traffickers, Ms. Maggessi offers them what they least expect -- sympathy. By using cups of coffee, sandwiches and a bit of motherly attention, she coaxes out information that often leads to new arrests. Despite her professional achievements, Ms. Maggessi doubts her work will win the battle to stamp out drugs. "Police are the last resort," she says. "When every other institution has failed -- the family, the church, the schools, the state -- people turn to police, but the solution is not with us."






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CRYSTAL METH INGREDIENT PUT BEHIND THE COUNTER

Most stores at this time of year are doing a little redecorating and redesigning for the holiday season to increase sales, and pharmacies are no different. But this week, most pharmacists aren't hanging garland and wreaths to welcome holiday shoppers, they are instead rearranging certain boxes of cold tablets, to deter illegal drug users from purchasing their stock. In an effort to make it more difficult to produce crystal methamphetamine, the Alberta government has passed an amendment to take the main ingredient, pseudoephedrine, off pharmacy shelves and put it behind the counter. The relatively cheap and easy to make street drug is produced, in part, with cough and cold medicines containing ephedrine and pseudoephedrine. It is also created using common household ingredients that can be found at local hardware stores, resulting in a rise of crystal meth labs. Greg Eberhart, registrar of the Alberta College of pharmacists, said that 18 months ago, they recommended that pharmacists take steps to restrict access to these drugs that were available in pharmacies, but at the same time those same products were available in many other commercial outlets throughout our communities. "It was one thing for pharmacists to be aware and deal with these from a professional perspective, accessibility and availability were still available in corner stores and gas stations and the only way to address that was through an amendment to the regulations." With the regulation change, Alberta joins British Columbia, Manitoba and Saskatchewan in imposing greater restrictions on the sale of these ingredients. Olds RCMP officers lauded the announcement. Cpl. Jeff Mercier said meth use in town is becoming more common and anything that will help stop the drug's availability is a step in the right direction. "The harder it is to access ( ingredients ), the harder it is to make your product," Mercier said. Overall, meth use in town still seems relatively low. About half a dozen arrests have made in 2005 for possession of meth, but police know the drug is in the area. In February, local RCMP and drug squads from Edmonton and Calgary made Alberta's biggest meth lab bust, confiscating 12.5 kilograms of the drug from a lab on a farm near Cremona. The bust was worth $3 million, but that was only the beginning; Mercier said it is tough to know just how many labs are in production at a given time. "We would be foolish to think that there weren't any ( labs ). As for an exact number, I am not sure. They are so mobile, you can have a lab in your backpack, in the trunk of your car, in your whole basement," he said. Mercier also said the growing use of meth is also leading to more crime in general, not just in Olds, in things such as theft and violent activity. "People will steal any thing to get their hands on, for a fix of meth. . A lot of the break-ins are to support meth habits, stolen vehicles we get are often driven by meth addicts," Mercier said. Iris Evans, health and wellness minister said that with all the western provinces now on board, we are able to make a unified push to control the production of crystal meth. "By restricting the sale of the main precursors of the drug, we hope to reduce the production and sale of this dangerous drug," he said. "I think we've made the right move to continue our fight against crystal meth without unnecessarily limiting access to medications that Albertans may legitimately need." Eberhart said it is important to understand that although this is an important step to decrease access to this drug, it is only a very small step in reducing the numbers of users of the drug. He said this measure is more likely to decrease only the "mom and pop operations" which produce very small quantities, which is still a positive start. "If we can even save one life it's worth it," he said, "It's known that organized crime is getting it in large quantities through various means." Crystal meth is a stimulant that affects the central nervous system. It is 10 times as powerful as regular speed, highly addictive and it can be fatal. It increases a person's heart rate and pulse, making him or her feel more awake and alert. It can cause heart attack and stroke. Eberhart said pharmacies limit quantities sold to customers to 3,600 mg or less, or about 60 tablets or so. "There's little reason as to why an individual would need more than that and quite frankly if someone needs more than that there's obvious questions to be asked." Pharmacists at two of the Pharmacies in Olds, said the drugs with pseudoephedrine have been behind the counter for the last 18 months, and they would never sell more than a few boxes to each costumer. Ted Charbonneau, owner of Tedd's Food mart in Olds, said he hasn't heard anything about the new amendment but when he is informed, either by distributors or the government, he will certainly comply. While meth isn't as big a problem as it is in communities like Drayton Valley, Sgt. Bob Phillips said the Olds detachment is constantly being trained about the highly-addictive drug, but he said the community also needs to be educated as well. "( Meth ) is new. It's a major learning curve for us, it's something that we haven't dealt with before and we are learning more and more through specialists," Phillips said. "We're getting there but we got a ways to go." Phillips said the detachment is trying to bring in a meth expert to speak with the Community Advisory Committee and help get the message out to town residents, something Phillips believes is paramount. "I've been around a long, long time and I've seen a lot of stuff but this stuff is something society as a whole better get ready for. It's nasty, nasty, nasty stuff."







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ANTI-METH BILL SHELVED FOR HOLIDAYS

WASHINGTON - A comprehensive anti-methamphetamine bill that enjoyed broad support was put on the shelf until next year when Congress adjourned this week for the holidays. The measure was close to final passage but was attached to a controversial anti-terrorism bill, the USA Patriot Act, that was blocked in the final days of the session. The anti-meth provision would have placed a 3.6 gram limit - about 120 pills - on daily purchases of cold medicines that contain ephedrine or pseudoephedrine, ingredients that can be used to make meth. It would require retailers to sell the medicines, which include Sudafed, NyQuil and Benadryl, behind store counters. It also would require companies to report shipments of ephedrine or pseudoephedrine into the United States in an effort to stop ingredients from heading to meth superlabs. The legislation would also authorize a "Meth Hot Spots" program to steer additional federal grants to local authorities, increase funding for drug courts and toughen federal penalties against meth traffickers. The Patriot Act, a collection of wiretap and search laws initially passed after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, was reauthorized in the House but blocked in the Senate. Democrats and four Republicans voted to delay the bill saying they were concerned it did not contain sufficient civil liberties protections for innocent Americans who might get caught in its net, or strong enough requirements for investigators to justify their targes. Senators compromised to renew the act for six months. But the anti-methamphetamine provisions were dropped in the process. Senate leaders late Wednesday promised they would revive the anti-meth bill when Congress returns to session early next year. "We will address those very early when we come back in January or February," said Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., calling the anti-meth bill an "important issue." It was unclear Thursday how the House might choose to proceed. Lawmakers will seek a new way to move the bill forward, either as a freestanding measure or attached to another bill, said Jim Kaiser, a counselor for the House Criminal Justice, Drug Policy and Human Resources Subcommittee. "We were under the strong presumption that it would pass," Kaiser said. Representatives of interest groups following the issue said they were confident the bill would quickly regain momentum. "I think that this is a setback, but that it's only going to be temporary," said Joe Dunn, associate legislative director for the National Association of Counties. Most local governments regard methamphetamine abuse as a top problem, Dunn said. "I think it's not an issue of if it's going to pass, but when," Dunn said.







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TOP DRUG SUSPECT EXECUTED

A SUSPECTED big-time drug pusher was gunned down vigilante-style in the house of the Barangay Pasil captain yesterday afternoon. Wilfredo "Lawlaw" Cabanit, 50, was talking with Barangay Captain Romeo Ocarol's wife when a man wearing a helmet and a ski mask walked up to him and shot him several times. The gunman fled on a motorcycle a companion was driving. Neighbors condemned the killing, especially that Cabanit was still mourning his father's death last week. When Cabanit is brought home today, the family will have a wake for two. Cabanit, 50, did not make it to the Cebu City Medical Center ( CCMC ), where a neighbor and Barangay Councilor Mario Bitang brought him after the attack at 5 p.m. Cabanit died from eight gunshot wounds. He is the 106th victim in a series of vigilante-style killings. The attack came exactly one year and a day since the spate of summary executions in Cebu City began. Police have not identified the gunmen in nearly all of the killings. Watch List Yesterday afternoon, a motorcycle stopped in front of Ocarol's house. Since the house had no gate, a man casually walked up to Cabanit, who was sitting beside Ocarol's wife, Emmy, and shot him repeatedly. The man walked back to his companion and they fled toward the neighboring Barangay Suba. Homicide investigator Alex Dacua said he recovered six empty shells and a slug from a .45 pistol. In 2004, Cabanit topped the watch list of drug personalities in Cebu City and was among the top 15 drug personalities being hunted by the Regional Anti-Illegal Drugs Task Force. After members of the Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Bureau caught him last Jan. 22, 2004, he reportedly stopped engaging in the illegal drug trade. His neighbors, who requested not to be named, said that since Cabanit was released from jail, he tried to earn a living selling fish at the Pasil Fish Market. No Mercy "Nganong ilang diritsoon og patay nga namaligya na man lang na siya og isda? Wala na man siya anang shabu ( Why must they kill him when he was only selling fish? He stopped trading shabu )," one resident said. Sun.Star Cebu tried to reach Ocarol's wife or Cabanit's relatives, but they refused an interview. Cabanit's father, Amado, is scheduled for burial on Thursday next week. "Grabe sab sila, wala gyod sila maluoy. Karon duha na silang hayaon si Lawlaw ug ang iyang Papa ( They have no mercy )," a neighbor said. Cabanit was caught in 1999 for alleged possession of illegal drugs. After his arrest in January last year, he posted bail for P300,000.







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GUEST OPINION: MONTANA TEENS NEED EDUCATION ABOUT METH RISKS

Recent meth prevention meetings as well as the print and broadcast ads represent the hard work of dozens of Montana citizens who have come together to form the Montana Meth Project. They have united to do something about the deadly drug epidemic sweeping our state. Some of those involved in the project have a public service background, but many more come from the private sector, which means they come from the ranks of ordinary Montanans who are, like us, scared to death of what is happening to our kids and want to put a stop to it. Government can fight meth producers and traffickers through police, educational and public service agencies. But government alone cannot and will not solve the problem without active support from the rest of us. Front lines of drug war Like it or not, we are today on the front line of the drug war. Not a war against the dealers and producers of meth and other drugs, but instead a war for the hearts, minds and souls of our sons, daughters and neighbors. Meth is a relatively cheap, extremely seductive and incredibly dangerous drug that is far more widely available here in Montana than we would have believed possible a few years ago. Worse, your child can become hooked on meth after trying it only once. Meth use in Montana is much higher than in other states. More than 8 percent of our teenagers admit that they have already tried it, and more than half of them say it's very easy to come by. Sixteen percent of our teenagers 12-17 tell us they have been offered meth within the past year. That number increases to 33 percent among young adults 18 to 24. These are frightening facts. Montana has the dubious distinction of being the 11th ranked state in meth abuse. The situation is getting worse by the day and is fueling an unprecedented increase in violent crimes in the state as addicts do whatever they have to do to pay for their next hit. Experts say that the rate of meth-related violent crime here is five times the national average. Eighth-graders in rural Montana are nearly 60 percent more likely than their counterparts in cities to have already tried meth. Our young people aren't stupid. If they only knew the potential consequences of accepting that first hit, very few would do so. The problem is that by the time many of them learn just how dangerous the stuff is, they've already been seduced by the drug and are on the slippery slope to self-destruction. Graphic ads are accurate We can't prevent people from making bad decisions, but we can make certain that they know that their decisions can lead to terrible results. The Meth Project ads are graphic. What they portray is unsettling. But anyone who sees them and realizes that they accurately portray the downside of meth will think twice before accepting a sample from a friend, acquaintance or from some friendly drug dealer. The ads, however, won't do it by themselves. That's why the public meetings are important, and it's why we're appealing to Montana's parents to get the facts themselves and talk to their kids about the danger. We're not foolish enough to believe that we can get every Montana teenager to turn his or her back on meth, but we are convinced that if we all work together to get the facts to our young people, the vast majority will do the smart thing rather than knowingly risk destroying themselves. If you want to help or review facts about meth, please check out the Montana Meth Project Web site: http://www.montanameth.org/. Mike McGrath is Montana's attorney general. Theresa Racicot is the wife of former Montana Gov. Marc Racicot. Both McGrath and Theresa Racicot are members of the Montana Meth Project Advisory Council.











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KIDS SHOULD NOT USE TOBACCO, POT OR ALCOHOL!

Re: City's straight talk on pot to keep the teenagers off the weed As a federal medical marijuana license holder, I resent the fact that the media continues the propaganda and misinformation about marijuana. This will make things even more confusing for teens. Why can't anyone just tell the truth when it comes to pot? Kids should not be using pot, alcohol, or tobacco - period! I think caffeine should be in there too. But misinforming them, as history has shown, will lead to more problems. If we lie to kids about pot, and they find out we have lied to them, they won't listen to a word adults say about meth, heroin, crack, safe-sex, or impaired driving. Once bitten, twice shy, as they say. As a medical marijuana license holder and activist, my life depends on me keeping up to date on this medical and legal information. In an effort to clarify, but not criticize, I would like to offer some corrections. "Its psychoactive ingredient, THC, has increased in potency boasting an average of 9.6 per cent compared to the 1970 levels of 2.0 per cent." - - The main reason pot is "more potent" by weight, is because growers are trimming out the leaves and twigs and seeds that were ubiquitous in the pot of the 1970s. It isn't magic, it is just botany. Furthermore, the more potent the marijuana, the less one needs to get the "desired effect" - whether that is a "buzz" or symptom relief. Strong pot is safer because it means less smoking. Hashish is better still, because most of the tar is absent. "Tar content of marijuana is high. It is estimated that 3 to 4 joints a day causes the same damage as 20 or more tobacco cigarettes." - - This is an exaggeration at best. There simply has not been enough research to substantiate these claims. The fact of the matter is, in 5,000 years of recorded history, there has never been even one single case of lung or throat cancer diagnosed in a cannabis-only smoker. Recent science suggests that the active ingredients - called cannabinoids - may actually protect the body from the harmful effects of tar... and THC has shown to cause brain tissue growth and reduction in brain cancer in lab rats. Furthermore, cannabis has no nicotine, which is not only a carcinogen itself, it is also a "facilitator" for the litany of other carcinogens in tobacco. "Researchers are starting to find physical withdrawal symptoms in smokers who use the drug regularly." - - The physical withdrawal from cannabis is about one tenth as difficult as the withdrawal from caffeine. A few days of rest and/or exercise, and a lot of water, and the symptoms pass. I have suffered the withdrawal of codeine, and I would take a lifetime of "pot withdrawal" over one hour of codeine withdrawal - any day! "Marijuana is the number one drug for which youth seek addictions treatment." - - Actually, kids get caught using pot, and the judge offers them the choice of "jail" or "treatment". They obviously choose "treatment". "Marijuana is currently being tested and has not yet been classified as a pharmaceutical drug in any country in the world." - - That is because Big Pharma has been lobbying government to prevent this for about 80 years. They know full well that legalized and tested marijuana might prove to be stiff economic competition. There is actually a cannabis-based medication called Sativex, which is recognized, and used in Canada for MS. "Although Health Canada runs a strict medicinal marijuana access program..." - - The program has been ruled "unconstitutional" by a few courts, and the pot they grew in Flin-Flon has been widely criticized as "garbage". The program is a fiasco. California has over 100,000 registered medical marijuana users, Canada has barely 1100. "Currently, research has been launched to learn more about this drug and its medicinal qualities." Not enough research is being done, because the government and Big Pharma don't want anyone to know the benefits. Every time the government or some Big Pharma company tries to find the "dangers" of cannabis, they inadvertently find new benefits. Imagine the drop in Big Pharma Profits if people started growing their own medicine for anxiety, pain, depression, nausea, appetite moderation, and hundreds of other aliments. The losses worldwide could run into the trillions! "Teach your children how to say no." - - How about "Teach your kids the truth - and hope they make sensible choices. I recommend everyone check out the following websites to get the actual truth about marijuana, and how to teach kids. Educators For Sensible Drug Policy http://www.efsdp.org/ www.Med-pot.net www.medicalmarihuana.ca Russell Barth Federal Medical Marijuana License Holder Former Federal Marijuana Party Candidate ( Ottawa West-Nepean, 2004 ) ( We know full well that legalized tested marijuana might prove to be stiff economic competition for Big Pharma )





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DRUGSENSE WEEKLY, DEC. 23, 2005 #430

TABLE OF CONTENTS: * This Just In http://www.drugsense.org/dsw/2005/ds05.n430.html#sec1 ( 1 ) Surprise - Terror War Aids Drug War ( 2 ) City - Private Pot Sales Not Allowed ( 3 ) Course Corrections ( 4 ) Even Illegal Drugs Are Now Taxed * Weekly News in Review http://www.drugsense.org/dsw/2005/ds05.n430.html#sec2 Drug Policy ( 5 ) Study: State Meth Crackdown Not Reducing Child Abuse ( 6 ) Drug Survey of Students Finds Picture Very Mixed ( 7 ) Old Habits ( 8 ) Family's Hemp Industry Might Be Pipe Dream ( 9 ) Pain Sufferer Takes Message On The Road Law Enforcement & Prisons ( 10 ) Changing Drug-Free Zone Laws Makes Sense ( 11 ) Narcotics Agent Walker Found Not Guilty ( 12 ) Few State Prisoners Freed Under Eased Drug Law ( 13 ) 2 Cops Plead Guilty, Help Case Cannabis & Hemp ( 14 ) Feds Raid Home, Growing Facility Of Pot Club Pair ( 15 ) Man Charged After Pot Found In System Following Fatal Crash ( 16 ) Supervisors Right To Question Medical Marijuana ( 17 ) This Man Loves Herb More Than You ( 18 ) Sting Campaigns For Cannabis International News ( 19 ) Morales Repeats Vow To Kill Anti-Coca Programs ( 20 ) Likely New Bolivian Leader Out To Change The Drug War ( 21 ) City Giving Crack Pipes To Protect Addicts ( 22 ) The Missing Piece To The Gang-Violence Debate * Hot Off The 'Net http://www.drugsense.org/dsw/2005/ds05.n430.html#sec3 Steve Tuck Is A Free Man / By Richard Cowan Senate Amends Ban On Student Aid For Marijuana Offenders Election Day In Bolivia 2005 The Good Drugs Guide Radio Show Cultural Baggage Radio Show Interview - Ethan Nadelmann And Jodie Evans User Perceptions Of Occasional And Controlled Heroin Use Family Receives Marijuana In The Mail A Prop. 36 Christmas Story * What You Can Do This Week http://www.drugsense.org/dsw/2005/ds05.n430.html#sec4 Job Opportunities At MPP * Letter Of The Week http://www.drugsense.org/dsw/2005/ds05.n430.html#sec5 Lies, They're All Lies / By Bruce Symington * Feature Article http://www.drugsense.org/dsw/2005/ds05.n430.html#sec6 Flashback Karma / By Mary Jane Borden * Quote of the Week http://www.drugsense.org/dsw/2005/ds05.n430.html#sec7 Jean Cocteau







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HEMP-BASED MEDICINES MAY BE LEGALISED IN CZECH REPUBLIC

PRAGUE ( CTK ) - Czech patients may soon start using hemp ( cannabis )-based medicines as the government plans to include them among legal medical products in an amendment to the law on addictive substances, the daily Lidove noviny ( LN ) reports today. So far, the substances from cannabis, mainly its major active substance tetrahydrocannabinol ( THC ), can be applied in research only on the basis of a permit issued by the Health Ministry. Theoretically, they can be used in a special medical treatment in selected cases, but the ministry says that no one has been treated with hemp extracts yet. In a number of countries, cannabis-based medicines are commonly applied for instance to attenuate stomach troubles of patients after chemotherapy, or in the treatment of epilepsy, asthma and indigestion. "With regard to the worldwide rising interest in a possible medical use of hemp, we consider it beneficial to list cannabis among the narcotics that can be used for therapeutical purposes," Vaclav Sebor from the Health Ministry's press section told the paper. If the government-proposed bill is passed, cannabis-based medicines could be prescribed by doctors and their distribution and use would be registered to prevent any abuse. Experts dealing with the prevention and treatment of drug addicts have welcomed the intention to use cannabis products. "It is a positive step as cannabis healing effects have been known for some 1,000 years," Ivan Douda from Drop In centre for drug addicts told the daily. Vera Cerna from the State Institute for Drug Control ( SUKL ) said that no products containing cannabis extracts have been registered for the Czech market as yet, and no producer has applied for such a registration either. Nevertheless, Sebor noted that a foreign product of this kind is being clinically tested in the Czech Republic, but he refused to add any details. He stressed that the approach to marijuana would not change. Its cultivation and smoking will remain unlawful. The proposed legislation will only enable to use cannabis substances for therapeutic purposes in the form of a medical product and for selected diagnoses, Sebor pointed out. The production, storage and prescription of cannabis-based medicines will be subject to a strict regime. They would be released on a special prescription with a blue strip and would not be smoked, but administered in a different way, Sebor said. Both the Health Ministry representatives and drug prevention experts agree that the strict rules will prevent drug addicts from abusing such products. Under the Czech law, only the possession of a very small amount of cannabis for personal use is legal in the Czech Republic. It equals to 0.3 gram of THC in a dried hemp plant that suffice for some 20 marijuana cigarettes, LN says.





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Flashback Karma

As fundraising specialist for DrugSense, part of my job involves conceiving, creating, and executing money-raising campaigns for this non-profit devoted to ending the drug war. Many of you recently received a sample of one campaign: a direct mailing that celebrated ten years of DrugSense. Our 10th anniversary occurred in November 2005, when, ten years earlier, Mark Greer founded this groundbreaking organization. We will be celebrating this milestone throughout 2006. The theme of the mailing was, of course, Donate Today! http://www.drugsense.org/donate If you have ever assembled a direct mailing, you know what a rote, mindless task it is. Envelope. Stamp. Label. Envelope. Stamp ... My mind wandered, and I, too, waxed nostalgic. Only instead of flashing back 10 years, I envisioned what life was like 100 years ago in my hometown, Westerville, Ohio. 1905. One hundred years ago, alcohol was not seen in the glowing light of Madison Avenue like it is today. Accounts of excessive drunkenness led to the formation of groups like the Anti-Saloon League in 1893, oddly, just about 100 years before Mark Greer conceived of DrugSense. Westerville's roots were firmly planted in such religious institutions as the Evangelical United Brethren, which later merged with the United Methodist Church. In 1908, the village established an aggressive Board of Trade to attract new industries. Selling this "high moral standing", the fish it caught was the Anti-Saloon League, which moved its headquarters there in 1909, according to a history of Westerville by Dr. Harold Hancock published in 1974. By 1910, the League was printing 40 tons of anti-alcohol material each month from a plant located behind its main building on Westerville's north/south corridor, State Street. It was the Partnership for a Drugfree America Anti-drug Media Campaign of its time. As a result, the Westerville post office at the beginning of the last century was larger than that of nearby Columbus. In 1919, the monthly payroll of the League's publishing arm alone amounted to $20,000 per month - the rough equivalent of DrugSense' s monthly budget for the last decade ... 100 years later. [If you think that drug policy should be funded at 21st Century levels, please donate! http://www.DrugSense.org/donate ] This mail campaign culminated in the passage of the 18th Amendment in 1919 banning the sale of alcohol. The evolving social climate of the 1920s, however, changed the course of prohibition as reflected in these words spoken in 1932 by John D. Rockefeller, Jr., one of the Leagues' largest financiers: "Many of our best citizens... have openly and unabashed( sic ) disregarded the Eighteenth Amendment; that as an inevitable result respect for all law has been greatly lessened; that crime has increased to a unprecedented degree..." With changed thinking, Rockefeller stopped his funding. The Anti-Saloon League, as well as alcohol prohibition, became "noble experiments" of the past. Remnants of the League's former wealth and influence are subtly evident in this village, turned large suburb of Columbus, Ohio's largest and fastest growing city. Wandering Westerville's back streets, I have often passed the graves of the Leagues' leaders in a nearby cemetery and wondered what they would think of prohibition as practiced today. I'm then reminded of the Interfaith Drug Policy Initiative ( IDPI ). It has secured endorsements for reforming drug policy from some of the most prestigious religious institutions in America, including the United Methodist Church, from which alcohol prohibition originally sprang. Those who promoted prohibition 100 years ago under a religious pretext may well be on board with reform today. Please see: http://www.idpi.us/resources/res_denominations.htm . I think League leaders were smiling as I assembled the DrugSense direct mail campaign. [Please note that DrugSense counts IDPI among its hostees. Support them and 120 other organizations by donating: http://www.DrugSense.org/donate ] Thinking about the importance of prohibition to Westerville - how it all seemed to start here - I found an ironic symbolism in the fact that a direct mail campaign to the end to this destructive policy was sent from the City 's now much smaller post office - 100 years later. As they say, what goes around comes around. It must have been a flashback karma sort of thing ... Happy Holidays! P.S. Please do your part to end drug prohibition and endorse compassionate and common sense drug policies. Donate to DrugSense today at http://www.DrugSense.org/donate If tax considerations are important to you, please note that only 10 days remain in 2005. As a 501©( 3 ) non-profit, donations to DrugSense are tax deductible to the extent provided by law. P.S.S. Westerville ended alcohol prohibition within its borders in 2004 by passing a citizen-led initiative, which garnered over 70% of the vote. Notes: Facts for this piece came from: The History of Westerville by Dr. Harold Hancock. 1974; along with documentation from Westerville Public Library's Anti-Saloon League History at http://www.wpl.lib.oh.us/AntiSaloon/history/printing_and_pledges.html and http://www.wpl.lib.oh.us/AntiSaloon/history/education_vs_enforcement.html






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MEDICAL 'POT' VETO ATTACKED

PROVIDENCE -- Billboards are usually intended to spread a message to a broad array of people - the thousands or tens of thousands who drive past on a highway or other busy road, for instance. The billboard at Orms and State streets, however, has a target audience of just 75: the membership of the House of Representatives, which meets at the Statehouse just a block away starting next month. It was erected by a group that wants the House to override Gov. Donald Carcieri's veto of the medical marijuana bill passed by the General Assembly earlier this year. Unlike its splashier, more colorful cousins, the message put up on the roadside sign by the RI Patient Advocacy Coalition consists of three stark lines of type on a plain white background. It says: "Protect medical marijuana patients ... Don't leave us out in the cold ... Override the governor's veto!" The last chance for that to happen will come on Jan. 3, when the General Assembly returns for its 2006 session. The House of Representatives, whose 2005 session is still technically in recess, could vote to override before formally adjourning the previous session and starting a new one. The Senate already voted to override the governor's veto last July, before it left for its summer recess, so an override by the House would make the law effective. Under the legislation, a seriously ill patient could be certified by the state Department of Health, after a doctor's recommendation, as having certain chronic or debilitating diseases such as cancer, AIDS, multiple sclerosis and Crohn's disease. That patient and up to two "primary caregivers" would be immune from arrest, prosecution, forfeiture or other penalty for possessing up to 2.5 ounces of "useable marijuana," or 12 marijuana plants. The primary caregiver must be over 21-years-old and not be a convicted drug felon. In his veto message, Carcieri said the effect of the legislation would be to "make marijuana more available to children in Rhode Island." He also said the bill's definition of illness that would qualify a person to receive medical marijuana is overly broad. At a press conference Monday beneath the billboard, Rep. Thomas Slater, the author of the House bill confidently predicted an override "The Speaker ( of the House William Murphy ) has given his word that he will take a vote on it," Slater told The Times. Murphy himself was a bit more vague, saying through spokesman Larry Berman: "The leadership is committed to making all efforts to pass Representative Slater's legislation." It takes 45 votes for the House to override a veto, the medical marijuana bill got 52 votes in the House when it originally passed. Chris Butler, executive director of AIDS Project Rhode Island, said, "I am here today to urge the RI House of Representatives to take up the Rhode Island Medical Marijuana bill as their first order of business on Jan. 3 and to join the state Senate in overriding the governor's misguided veto of this sensible, humane bill..f the House adjourns the 2005 session on Jan. 3 without taking up the veto, we will be forced to begin the entire process again, further delaying much needed relief for people with illnesses such as end stage AIDS. Dr. Margaret Sun, president of the RI Academy of Family Physicians, said, "My job as a physician is to be one who provides comfort for patients and helps in whatever way I can. This allows me one more medication that I can provide to my patients." "It shouldn't be a crime for me not to live my life in pain," said Warren Dolbashain, 34, who uses marijuana to treat Tourette's syndrome and chronic, debilitating pain resulting from a motorcycle accident. "In the eyes of Rhode Island law, I am a criminal for using a medicine that allows me to be functional," Dolbashian said.









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VAN KESTEREN FAVOURS PROHIBITION-FUELLED BLOODBATH

Re: Van Kesteren favours tougher jail sentences ( Dec. 9 Chatham Sun ).The headline should read "Van Kesteren favours prohibition-fuelled bloodbath." Why can't he see the simple logic that the more we "crack down" on the drug trade, the more profit the drug dealers make? Taking the marijuana business out of the hands of kids and criminals and putting it into the hands of responsible adults is socially conservative. Generating tax revenue from that industry is fiscally conservative, and using that money to teach kids why they should avoid drugs is morally conservative. But the "Conservative" party is still keen on "cracking down," which is exactly what the growers and dealers want. Drug prohibition aims to reduce use, abuse, crime, societal cost, and danger -- but, not only does it fail to achieve any of these goals, prohibition laws actually make the situation worse simply by existing. Clearly, the more illegal we make something, the more profitable it becomes. The more we "crack down," the more competition increases for those that we don't catch. This will inevitably increase gun violence. Mandatory minimums have failed in the U.S. and will fail here. The sensible plan would be to legalize and regulate the marijuana industry, reap $3 billion in annual tax revenue, and spend a chunk of that on police and border security to keep guns off our streets. Russell Barth Ottawa ( Guns off our streets? Haven't the Liberals already promised that? )

EMERY SET TO ENDORSE NDP'S SVEND ROBINSON

Marijuana Party President Not Planning To Run The president of the B.C. Marijuana Party is free to campaign in the upcoming federal election. Marc Emery, who appeared in B.C. Supreme Court Thursday to set a date for his extradition trial to the U.S. for allegedly selling marijuana seeds over the Internet, will be allowed to campaign in January's federal election, ruled Associate Chief Justice Patrick Dohm. Dohm said if Emery wishes to participate in the election he should first discuss with his counsel, and should not advocate the sale of marijuana seeds. Emery, who ran as the leader of the B.C. Marijuana Party in May's provincial election in Fort Langley-Aldergrove against then-solicitor general Rich Coleman, said he has no intention of running in the 2006 federal election, but will campaign for Svend Robinson, the NDP candidate in Vancouver-Centre. Contacted yesterday, Robinson said he welcomed Emery's support. Further, he called the attempt to extradite the B.C. Marijuana Party Leader "appalling" and a "judicial attack on Canadian sovereignty." Emery said his party is "fully endorsing" the NDP in the campaign, "it's the best thing our people could do." Emery, who was arrested July 29 in Nova Scotia, faces extradition to the U.S. on charges of conspiracy to launder money and to manufacture and distribute marijuana seeds. He expects the actual extradition trial to take place between September and December of 2006.





















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City To Take Second Look At Addict Housing

City councillors decided Monday a committee should establish the criteria for the location of a $4.5-million homeless housing project and seek public input. However, the new committee, to be composed of staff representatives from the city, Interior Health and B.C. Housing, along with members of the general public, will have only 90 days to report back to council, which wants the suggested criteria back in 30 days. At the end of a nearly two-hour debate Monday, planning director Ron Mattiussi promised