Tapping public outrage over gang-related gun crime to go on a George Bush-style anti-drug rampage is entirely predictable and well within character for Stephen Harper. What is perplexing about the Tories' proposed new drug laws, which includes mandatory sentences for growing pot, is the lack of reaction from the Liberals and NDP. They are acting very much like the Democrats in the U.S. the way they cower before the alpha-male Conservatives. Don't get us wrong -- we wholeheartedly support getting tough on gun crime. [continues 292 words]
Lawyer, Probation Officer Call for End to Criminal Penalties. Voices boomed and passions flared at Keystone Church last Friday night, but God had little to do with this spirited debate. It was drugs that drew over 100 people to the Wallingford church, or rather, the failure of America's war against drugs and a chance to discuss the next step forward for narcotics policy in this country. The event, orchestrated by Wallingford Neighbors for Peace and Justice, included the showing of a film and a panel discussion that featured several prominent drug policy reform advocates. [continues 438 words]
On Diag, Presidential Candidate Attacks U.S. Policy on Iran Democratic presidential hopeful Mike Gravel said the Bush administration is lying to the American public and spoke out for the legalization of marijuana on the Diag on Friday afternoon. He spoke to a crowd of about 150 people for nearly 15 minutes on the steps of the Harlan Hatcher Graduate Library. Gravel's entourage consisted of just one man holding an umbrella over the candidate. It wasn't raining. Because Gravel has only raised $130,598, he is ineligible to participate in the next Democratic debate. His candidacy has drawn attention mostly for his incendiary and often angry remarks during the debates. [continues 599 words]
Two-Year Plan Calls for Better Treatment WINNIPEG -- Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced a new federal anti-drug strategy in Winnipeg yesterday that was applauded by police and addictions groups alike, but not by opposition parties. The two-year, $63.8-million plan will provide roughly $43 million for modernization of addiction treatment services, community anti-drug programming and a public awareness campaign aimed at discouraging youth from using drugs. A further $21 million will go towards the enforcement end of the war on drugs, with more money for police, Crown prosecutors, border guards, correctional services and even intelligence agents in New York and Seattle. [continues 264 words]
Harper's Tough Strategy Applauded, Panned Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced a new federal anti-drug strategy in Winnipeg yesterday that was applauded by police and addictions groups alike, but not by opposition parties. The two-year, $63.8-million plan will provide roughly $43 million for modernization of addiction treatment services, community anti-drug programming and a public awareness campaign aimed at discouraging youths from using drugs. Enforcement A further $21 million will go towards the enforcement end of the war on drugs, with more money for police, Crown prosecutors, border guards, correctional services and even intelligence agents in New York and Seattle. [continues 320 words]
Our Conservative minority government in Ottawa is trotting out another old policy warhorse that will surely please the party's base voter constituency - yet another war on drugs. Health Minister Tony Clement's latest offensive will entail stiffer penalties for drug offenders and more money to stop drugs from getting across the border. There will also be a massive campaign to warn young people not to use drugs. What is missing is more funding to provide detox services to help those hooked on drugs to get straightened out. [continues 195 words]
A new medical marijuana bill named for Mondovi resident Jacki Rickert, a longtime Wisconsin medical cannabis patient-activist, will be introduced in the coming weeks. In a press conference Tuesday, Sept. 18, in the Senate Parlor at the State Capitol in Madison, State Reps. Frank Boyle (D-Superior) and Mark Pocan (D-Madison), announced they are planning to introduce "The Jacki Rickert Medical Marijuana Act" in early October, calling it Wisconsin's "most comprehensive medical marijuana legislation to date "I'm real proud that for the first time we are giving the bill a real name," Boyle said. "This bill will forever be known as the Jacki Rickert Bill." [continues 339 words]
We Need a Radical Approach to Tackling Crime on British Streets When a newly appointed minister arrives at his office in Whitehall, the first thing his permanent secretary gently tells him is to avoid simple answers to complex problems. What I am about to say therefore guarantees that I will never be asked to join a government advisory panel or Royal Commission; but since I can earn a decent living without having to impress politicians, let me break the taboo. The fact is that many complex problems do have simple answers. What politicians mean when they say "there are no simple answers" is that the simple answers are not the same as easy ones. The easy answer to almost any political problem is to highlight its complexity, plead for patience, appoint a policy czar and set up a Royal Commission. The simple answer is often to do something bold and previously unthinkable. In other words, to cut the Gordian knot instead of trying to untie it. [continues 929 words]
ON TAKING office as Mexico's president last December, Felipe Calderon made a crackdown against drug gangs his first action. He was prompted by violence that has seemed to spiral out of control in the past few years, with hundreds of murders--and severed heads dumped in public places. He sent the army into nine states, announced a reform of the police--and began talking to the United States about an aid package. The details are now close to being finalised. An announcement may come on August 20th or 21st at a meeting in Quebec between Mr Calderon, George Bush and Canada's prime minister, Stephen Harper. [continues 526 words]
He's Looking for a Pardon. Marc Emery agrees his campaign-organizing effort for some 2008 U.S. presidential candidates is a bit unorthodox. He's Canadian, his political base of operations is the B.C. Marijuana Party in Vancouver, and he can be arrested if he sets foot into America. Still, "We have a saying up here: 'American politics is far too important to leave to the Americans,'" says Emery, 49, who is trying to raise cross-border support for dark-horse White House candidates. He likes liberal Democrat Dennis Kucinich well enough, but prefers Republican Ron Paul, a longtime libertarian who, like Emery, opposes the U.S. war on drugs. [continues 1000 words]
The territory has a drug problem. The RCMP is cracking down. And alleged drug houses are being targeted by the Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods office. But this isn't the best solution, said Vancouver East MP Libby Davies, during a harm-reduction meeting in Whitehorse on Tuesday. "Rather than responding to the problem by arresting or criminalizing people, it should be dealt with as a health issue," she said. It's easy to vilify drug users, said Davies. "It's the oldest trick in the book to say these are good citizens and those are bad citizens. [continues 991 words]
(1) ALLMAN: ZIP-TIES ARE IN Pubdate: Fri, 03 Aug 2007 Source: Willits News (CA) Author: Mike A'Dair, TWN Staff Writer Cited: Sheriff Tom Allman http://www.co.mendocino.ca.us/sheriff/ The zip-ties are in. So says Mendocino County Sheriff Tom Allman. The zip-ties are an effort by Allman to reduce the element of fraud in the medical marijuana industry. Allman said that the zip ties are available at the sheriff's offices in Ukiah, Fort Bragg and Willits. This year the cost will be zero, according to Allman, but next year Allman hopes to sell the ties at $25 apiece. Each tie has a serial number blazoned onto the plastic; next year the ties may be able to contain a microchip. Allman said that each person who wishes to purchase a zip tie must have a valid state medical marijuana card. [continues 8051 words]
For those of you who like brainteasers, here is a conundrum. Last Tuesday in the Lords, the freshly ennobled Lord Malloch Brown, Minister of State at the FCO with responsibility for Africa, Asia and the United Nations, was coming clean about the failure to eradicate opium production in Afghanistan. He said: "It is a terrible black mark on the international community's performance in Afghanistan ... that so far we have not prevailed in the efforts to defeat the growth of this pernicious crop." [continues 478 words]
EDMOND -- There's a Ferris Bueller in every generation. He's the student who gains great pleasure in aggravating the school principal with juvenile antics and distractions. His sole goal in life seems to be to get attention in a new and creative way, each stunt better than the last. In 2002, Joseph Frederick was an 18-year-old senior in Juneau, Alaska, when everyone in his school went outside to watch the Winter Olympics torch relay pass through town. Knowing there would be media coverage, he and his friends unveiled a 14-foot paper sign that read "Bong Hits 4 Jesus" along the sidewalk, hoping to get on television. The enraged principal confiscated the sign and suspended Frederick for 10 days. On appeal, the superintendent reduced the sentence to eight days served. [continues 644 words]
NEW YORK - The Gores do love their hybrids. And now we have new evidence of their versatility. Al Gore III, the 24-year-old son of the former Vice President managed to crank up his Toyota Prius to a paint-stripping 100 mph on the San Diego Freeway yesterday. Trouble was the police saw him do it. Even worse, when they pulled the young man over, they smelled marijuana and, on further investigation, found less than a small quantity of the illegal substance inside the car alongside a collection of other medications including Xanax, Vicodin and Adderall. [continues 501 words]
MONTPELIER -- Zachary Guiles can wear whatever T-shirt he wants to public school -- at least if its message is political. Friday the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal in the case of the Vermont teen who was suspended for wearing a shirt critical of President George Bush that included pictures of drugs and alcohol. That amounts to a victory for Guiles and the Vermont chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, which sided with him, and is likely the end of the three-year-old matter. [continues 800 words]
At their state convention Friday and Saturday, Democratic leaders identified some of the Republican legislators they hope to defeat in the 2008 election. Rep. Jim Kreuser, D-Kenosha, the Assembly minority leader, said Democrats will target the Assembly seats of Republicans Karl Van Roy of Green Bay, Terry Moulton of Chippewa Falls, Brett Davis of Oregon, J.A. "Doc" Hines of Oxford and Jim Ott of Mequon, among others. Democrats are three seats shy of controlling the 99-member Assembly, "We're going to fight tooth and nail to get those three seats," Kreuser said. [continues 694 words]
Former mayor Philip Owen says the city's supervised injection site and needle exchanges are not "temporary measures" despite what Mayor Sam Sullivan told the Courier last week. As long as illegal drugs are on the street, Owen said, the two harm reduction components are crucial to deal with what he considers a public health crisis. "The facts are in, the evidence is in, the statistics are in, and the medical journals and medical experts and the people who spend any time on drug policy reform and on drug addiction realize that these are two very important parts of the toolbox," said Owen, who many credit as the architect of the city's Four Pillars drug strategy. [continues 617 words]
Don't let anyone tell you that the war on drugs doesn't work. The war on drugs was designed by criminals to benefit criminals. It's working perfectly! Anyone who favours the war on drugs is, in effect, pro-criminal. Buzz Gardner (Don't tell that to George Bush and Stephen Harper.) [end]
THERE appears to be two main types of politician in today's Australia, as far as illicit drugs policy is concerned. There are those who privately know and admit that American-style prohibition policies are futile and probably dangerous, and yet fear the repercussions of publicly entering into the debate, and there are those who don't allow their ignorance of drugs policy or indeed illicit drugs themselves to temper their public commentary. Mr Pyne's latest missive in last weeks Sunday Mail seems to suggest that he belongs to the latter group. [continues 1409 words]
