The College of Charleston will begin hosting Evaluating the War on Drugs for the four next Wednesdays. The forums, which will bring together everyone from local magistrates and psychiatrists to cops and sociologists, will deal with a wide-ranging variety of themes. Next Wednesday's forum will be "The Policies of War on Drugs," followed the next week by a showing of the several documentaries. The third forum will be for drug policy wonks and their fans, and the final one will bring in treatment providers and psychiatrists. Look in our Calendar section for times and places. [end]
Judge's Instructions and Withholding of Critical Facts Led Jurors to Convict Grower Last week, I did something so profoundly wrong that it will haunt me for the rest of my life. I helped send a man to prison who does not belong there. As jurors, we followed the law exactly as it was explained to us by Judge Charles Breyer. We played our part in the criminal justice system precisely as instructed. But the verdict we reached -- the only verdict those instructions allowed us to reach -- was wrong. It was cruel, inhumane and unjust. [continues 515 words]
Great. Here we go again. More whiners - namely, Jane Parker, MS sufferer (Jan. 27 story). It is not enough that she can legally smoke marijuana, but now she complains she has to apply for her licence to smoke it every 12 months? Society is all about compliance: drivers' licences, taxes, memberships, vehicle inspections, schools, and well, hell, even politicians have to prove themselves sooner or later. Ms. Parker, be happy you can smoke your dope freely. You are one of the lucky ones. [continues 77 words]
Feds Ignore Cities' Laws, Advocates Say When the federal government charged prominent marijuana advocate Ed Rosenthal with illegal cultivation, California's medical marijuana law proved useless as a shield. With Rosenthal now convicted and facing prison, and federal charges pending against other purveyors of medicinal pot, some advocates say it's time to strengthen the shield -- ideally, by putting the state government in charge, as either the overseer of marijuana distribution or the official supplier. "You need the state to step in before the feds are going to blink," Dave Fratello, spokesman for the Campaign for New Drug Policies, said Wednesday. [continues 731 words]
HARTFORD, Conn. - A state lawmaker on Thursday announced for the third time in as many years a plan to legalize marijuana for medical purposes. Legislation introduced by Rep. James W. Abrams, D-Meriden, would allow doctors to give patients certificates authorizing the use of marijuana to relieve pain and other symptoms. Connecticut passed one of the nation's first medical marijuana laws in 1981, allowing doctors to prescribe the drug. Doctors, fearing prosecution, have refused to prescribe the drug because federal law banning the drug overrides state law. [continues 387 words]
"Jurors should acquit, even against the judge's instruction... if exercising their judgement with discretion and honesty they have a clear conviction the charge of the court is wrong." -- Alexander Hamilton, 1804 Having just convicted medical cannabis gardener Ed Rosenthal in a San Francisco Federal Court, five of the twelve person jury recanted their verdict and called for a new trial. Jurors complained publicly of judicial intimidation and wrongly sequestered evidence that would have resulted in an acquittal had the government allowed the entire picture surrounding Ed Rosenthal's compassionate activities to be presented. Many jurors particularly resented having their hands tied by Judge Breyer who instructed them to disregard their conscience and sensibilities. [continues 828 words]
I once bought a book by Ed Rosenthal. I soon learned it's not easy to cultivate marijuana on a shoestring budget in one's closet. Ed Rosenthal now faces a life sentence in jail for being a green-thumbed good neighbor to the sick and dying in California. "But wait! Not so fast!" five jurors said Tuesday. In a statement released by the dissenting, albeit tardy, jurors, they explain: "In good faith, we as jury members allowed ourselves to be blindfolded to weigh the evidence before us. But in this trial, the prosecution was allowed to put all of the evidence and testimony on one of the scales, while the defense was not allowed to put its evidence and testimony on the other scale. Therefore we were not allowed as a jury to properly weigh the case." [continues 382 words]
PHOENIX -- Invoking the name of a dead college freshman, a Senate panel Wednesday voted to require mandatory prison terms for those who drink and leave the scene of an accident that injures or kills someone. SB 1135 specifies that if someone had any amount of alcohol or drugs in their system when they were involved in the crash and left the scene, then a judge would have to order them incarcerated and they would not be eligible for probation or early release. Sen. Slade Mead, R-Ahwatukee, said he introduced the bill in response to the 2001 death of Arizona State University student Jessica Woodin, struck and killed by a car while she was crossing the street in Tempe. [continues 450 words]
PHOENIX - A Senate panel Wednesday voted to require mandatory prison terms for those who drink or do drugs and leave the scene of a crash that injures or kills someone. SB 1135 specifies that, if someone had any amount of alcohol or drugs in the system at the time of the crash and then left the scene, a judge would have to order him or her incarcerated and they would not be eligible for probation or early release. Sen. Slade Mead, R-Ahwatukee, said he introduced the bill in response to the 2001 death of Arizona State University student Jessica Woodin, struck and killed by a car while she was crossing the street in Tempe. [continues 63 words]
WASHINGTON -(AP)- Girls and young women get hooked on cigarettes, alcohol and drugs more quickly and for different reasons than boys, and should receive specialized treatment that reflects that, according to a study released Wednesday. Teen-age girls often begin smoking and drinking to relieve stress or alleviate depression, while boys do it for thrills or heightened social status, according to the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University. Girls "get hooked faster, they get hooked using lesser amounts of alcohol and drugs and cocaine, and they suffer the consequences faster and more severely," said Joseph A. Califano Jr., chairman of the center. [continues 307 words]
PAINTSVILLE - Last May, a man accused of dealing drugs quickly bumped up against three candidates for sheriff -- one of whom was campaigning amid accused dealers in jail. The strange criminal case of John Keeton, who is charged with manufacturing and trafficking methamphetamine, shows that Eastern Kentucky's drug problem sometimes converges with its politics in unusual ways. First on Keeton's schedule was incumbent Sheriff Bill Witten, whose deputies were stationed outside his house at Sitka early on the morning of May 20, trying to serve a warrant. [continues 353 words]
Tests Required For Extracurricular Activities In Schools MOUNT ZION -- Calhoun County students in extracurricular activities will soon be subject to random drug tests and must remain drug-free to continue participating. The Calhoun County Board of Education has unanimously passed the "Student Activity Drug Testing Policy." It penalizes any student who tests positive or refuses to submit to the tests. "It will happen; we will test," Superintendent Ron Blankenship said. "If you're going to represent the county in any activity, you have to understand you're going to be held to a higher standard." [continues 528 words]
TAMPA - The last person in a group said to be ``among the most significant drug traffickers in the world'' pleaded guilty in federal court Wednesday. The plea by Teofilo Castillo, who helped smuggle tons of cocaine into the United States from Colombia in the 1990s, closes a chapter in Operation Panama Express, described by U.S. Attorney Paul Perez as ``the most comprehensive maritime drug interdiction investigation in the history of federal narcotic enforcement.'' The Tampa-based, decadelong investigation aims to bring down the successors to the notorious Cali cartel. Castillo was the last of a group of cocaine smugglers who investigators say imported about 100 tons of cocaine a year, or roughly 20 percent of the cocaine that came into the United States annually. [continues 758 words]
ALTHOUGH it may be short-lived, the federal court ruling this week on medical marijuana offered a ray of encouragement to those who advocate for its clinical use and a signal to the U.S. Justice Department to rethink its heavy-handed policy of punishing those who use or cultivate pot only to alleviate human suffering and pain. The Ninth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in San Francisco dealt at least a temporary setback Tuesday to the government's effort to derail the state's medical marijuana law, ruling 2-1 in favor of two women who, with doctors' advice, use locally grown pot to ease many physical discomforts, including pain from a brain tumor. [continues 181 words]
Prescription drugs when abused can kill and debilitate just as readily as street drugs. It's estimated that on average five people die each day in Florida because of prescription drug abuse. That's more than 1,800 people a year. Thousands more face loss of jobs, loss of family and loss of sanity because they are hooked on prescription drugs. Fortunately, there's a growing awareness in the upper echelons of state government that prescription drug abuse needs to be addressed with greater vigor. A task force of top state officials is being formed to develop new methods and strategies on how to deal with the problem. [continues 254 words]
The federal government is out of touch with modern, peer-reviewed science. The professional literature clearly shows that marijuana is a miracle drug and not the devil's weed. It is frightening to see the government's incompetence coupled with their disregard for liberty and a complete lack of basic human compassion. Dr. Robert Melamede Colorado Springs [end]
We shouldn't expect any changes from law enforcement, just look at the Dallas fake drug scandal. The drug war has allowed law enforcement to be unaccountable and operating like uncontrollable military tyrants. The Bill of Rights is apparently void where prohibited. Americans continue to allow this type of failed policy to exist year after year. At what point do we admit that our drug war is a failed, fraudulent policy and move towards social and healthcare solutions that actually work and leave our society in much better shape? Another 30 years? Prohibition, it's worse than we all remember. Scott Russ Baton Rouge, La. [end]
Stamp Act Would Allow State To Tap Into Drug Money. JEFFERSON CITY - Sen. Charlie Shields, R-St. Joseph, has pre-filed a bill targeting the bank accounts of drug dealers in Missouri. The act requires drug dealers to pay a stamp tax on each gram of illegal drugs in their possession. The stamps would be purchased anonymously and be valid for three months. Shields said he doubts that dealers would even purchase the stamp should the law pass. And that's the point. [continues 369 words]
A man told police that 745g of dried cannabis and 5.4kg of wet leaf found in his home was for "painkilling", the Greymouth District Court was told. Cyril James Delamere, 36, formerly of Kowhiterangi, south of Hokitika, pleaded guilty to charges of cultivating cannabis, possessing cannabis and producing cannabis oil. Judge Christopher Somerville said Delamere would need to find a new method of pain relief after he was sentenced in Christchurch next month as he was fairly certain to go to prison. [end]
One of the city's best known pro-cannabis campaigners today claimed he is the victim of "state terrorism" after being arrested in a police swoop. A dozen police officers in full riot gear raided market stallholder Carl Wagner's house in Victoria Square, off Ella Street, west Hull, on Monday. Mr Wagner, 44, was handcuffed and held in Priory Road police station for 11 hours before being released on bail without being charged. He was arrested on suspicion of possessing cannabis with intent to supply. [continues 320 words]
Serving nine months in federal prison for putting his face on a bong, one of America's most beloved comics contemplates the war on stoners, thoughtcrime and reuniting with Cheech. The joke, of course, is that this is Sgt. Stadanko's revenge. The arch-nemesis of every Cheech & Chong film, actor Stacey Keach seemed like he'd play the greasy, bumbling narc forever, but now U.S. Attorney General and religious jihadist John Ashcroft has taken over the role, and he's not playing it for laughs. [continues 2012 words]
Medical marijuana advocates have called on The City to take an active role in providing cannabis to sick people now that a court ruling has blocked the federal government from prosecuting. A 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruling Tuesday decreed that the federal government could not prosecute people with doctors' prescriptions for medical marijuana if they were not obtaining the drug across state lines or profiting from it. Previously, San Francisco and other Bay Area cities tussled with the U.S. Justice Department because California law provides for medical marijuana with a prescription but the Federal Government forbids it under the Controlled Substances Act. [continues 564 words]
Bush's Federal Bench Nominee Sports Serious Ideological Bent There shouldn't be much opposition holding up state Supreme Court Justice Diane Sykes' effort to be the newest judge on the Federal Court of Appeals in Chicago given that both Sens. Herb Kohl and Russ Feingold approved President Bush's selection of Sykes last month. But what kind of judge will the federal court and the country be getting? "She fits that Bush administration profile for someone who's going to be on the federal bench for awhile," offers up one Milwaukee defense attorney. [continues 2980 words]
Clinic I hope readers will support me in fighting the methadone clinic to be operated in Fantasy Harbour. I have a niece whose husband took his life this past Thanksgiving week. Brian has been a client of a methadone clinic for several years. This type of clinic does not help family, friends and/or neighbors. It contributes to their dependence to drugs. Had Brian been put into a hospital or some other type of care unit, he might be alive today. We all believed that methadone was to help him kick the habit in the beginning. What a sad awakening - his habit only got worse, and now my niece is a widow at 30. He was a very bright young man who got hooked on drugs - his habit forced him to steal from family and friends.Please, Myrtle Beach, let's fight this. We do not need to send our family and friends to an early grave. Let's get them the help they need; and that is not a methadone clinic. C.E. Schmitt Myrtle Beach [end]
Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards said he supported this week's protest march against the police drug raid at Stratford High School, claiming it will expand the dialogue on racial disparity in the South. "I supported the march in North Charleston, particularly the way it was done which broadened the discussion of issues of equality," Edwards said Wednesday during a campaign stop in Charleston. "Obviously what happened at Goose Creek is troublesome, particularly because of the racial overtones," he said. "What I want to do as president is lead this country to a place that the next generation does not have to march for equality." [continues 220 words]
Kudos to [S.C. Rep] Thad Viers [R-Socastee] for standing up for his constituents. It's high time we see a young politician with the energy to fight for others. As for the methadone solution, has anyone seen the recent information regarding methadone-related deaths? Nursing 2003 reported in its October issue some alarming results published by researchers in North Carolina. Methadone-related deaths increased more than fivefold from 1997-2001. They also report that in most cases, medical examiners found that methadone was probably the only drug responsible. Keep up the fight, Thad. There are a lot of us behind you. David W. Powers Surfside Beach [end]
OTTAWA (AP) Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin said Thursday his government will reintroduce legislation to decriminalize simple possession of marijuana when Parliament sits again in the new year. Martin indicated that the bill, first brought in under his predecessor Jean Chretien, could be toughened in committee before it passes. "I think that one's got to take a look at the fines," Martin said. "I think that you have to take a look at the quantities, and I think that there has to be a larger effort against the grow-ops and against those who distribute." [continues 151 words]
A new joint-forces team will provide Mounties in rural and small-town southern Alberta with much-needed help to combat marijuana grow operations. Announced earlier this week by the RCMP, Calgary police and the Criminal Intelligence Service Alberta, the Southern Alberta Marijuana Investigative Team (SAMIT) will focus on shutting down grow operations in Calgary as well as RCMP jurisdictions throughout southern Alberta. The team will be available to assist small rural detachments which often lack the capacity to conduct such larger-scale investigations, says Insp. Ian Cameron, CISA director. [continues 109 words]
Terence Hallinan has lost his bid for re-election to Kamala Harris, who says she will maintain his approach to law enforcement while running a more efficient district attorney's office. Hallinan's humane charging policies have had direct, beneficial impacts on the lives of countless thousands of citizens. Here's one small example, hardly ever publicized... "Welfare fraud" is a crime that usually involves poor people failing to notify the Dept. of Human Services that they got a low-level jobs (so their checks don't get cut off and maybe they'll have enough to buy their kid a bike...) In such cases, Hallinan allowed people to avoid prosecution by making restitution to the state. Which meant they could hold onto their jobs and their public housing. To his critics, such cases represented "failure to prosecute" and the stats were used against him in the media. But in the real world, many of those failures to prosecute translated into lives not ruined, homelessness averted. [continues 1393 words]
Runaway growth in the number of people in jails helps to explain why many Wisconsin counties have had so much trouble balancing their books. For the sake of a county's fiscal health, officials must become more cost-conscious about punishment. Over the decade that ended last year, the Journal Sentinel has reported, the ranks of county jail inmates in Wisconsin almost doubled - an increase not accounted for by either population or crime trends. The state's population grew by only 10% during the decade, and crime actually dropped by 20%. [continues 304 words]
Cases in Oregon courts examine whether workers can be fired for state-sanctioned use of marijuana as medicine Portland truck-maker Freightliner fired forklift driver John Thomas in January after the Teamster broke an overhead water line and subsequently tested positive for marijuana. Nearly a year later, the question of whether Thomas should be reinstated has ramifications for employers and employees statewide. That's because in addition to his Teamster card, Thomas carries something else in his wallet he claims makes his firing illegal: a state-issued medical marijuana registration card, which gives him the right to treat chronic pain by smoking the drug. [continues 1421 words]
The College of the Rockies, in partnership with the Cranbrook RCMP, South East District Drug Awareness, East Kootenay Addiction Service Society, and St. Mary's Indian Band, have collaborated to create a program called Parents In Prevention. This collaborative project is aimed at providing a sustainable approach to the reduction of youth crime in Cranbrook, Kimberley and St. Mary's Indian Band. Addiction Service Society community prevention worker Paul Komer said parents often call him with concerns about their child's alcohol and drug use. [continues 235 words]
By Mark Greer I am writing to you today out of both fear and frustration with the current state of affairs in America. Although the new millennium began with a burst of optimism for the future of U.S. drug policy, the last few years have been marked by a steady erosion of our personal and civil liberties. While polls show a growing majority support for harm reduction and a more liberal drug policy, our present government has done its best to maintain and reinforce its widely discredited and unpopular drug prohibition. [continues 387 words]
SAN FRANCISCO -- An appeals court ruled Tuesday that a federal law outlawing marijuana does not apply to sick people who are allowed to smoke pot with a doctor's recommendation. The ruling by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals was a blow to the federal government in its fight against medical marijuana. The Justice Department has argued that state medical marijuana laws were trumped by federal drug laws. The case also underscores the conflict between federal law and California's 1996 medical marijuana law, which allows people to grow, smoke or obtain marijuana for medical needs with a doctor's recommendation. Eight other states have similar laws. [continues 430 words]
Desk cops are cracking down on drug dealers under the leadership of Chicago's new police superintendent, Phil Cline. Federal judges are cracking down on Chicago cops who steal drug dealer wares and plant drugs on others. And last year, Chicago police caught the policeman who stole drugs by the kilo from the police evidence vault. Another Chicago officer, James Benson, who turned informant on his fellow Chicago police officers to save himself in a 6-kilo drug theft and drug plant (meaning dirty cop plants drugs on another) will get only 18 months behind bars [news story, Dec. 3]. The drug war lesson: Forget the Golden Rule, save yourself. This is the drug war motto. [continues 413 words]
Flash-bang residue tests on the clothing of a teen who plunged to his death from a balcony during a police raid were inconclusive, a fatality inquiry heard yesterday. The inquiry into the Sept. 24, 1999, deaths of Adam Miller, 21, and Huu Pham, 15, who plunged from a fourth-floor balcony at 12925 65 St., heard that a police dog handler saw Pham wearing a T-shirt and track pants moments before he died. But the forensics officer who collected Pham's belongings for evidence said yesterday he only found the boy's pants. [continues 283 words]
$1M Worth Of Drug Off Streets Calgary's biggest seizure of cocaine in almost a decade illustrates the growing presence of the drug in the city, say police. Nine kilograms of cocaine with a street value exceeding $1 million was seized from a downtown apartment and a northwest residence Dec. 12 and 13. "The quantity of drugs is alarming," said Staff Sgt. Trevor Daroux of the city police drug unit. "(The thriving cocaine trade) is something we strive to stay on top of and as we alter our strategies, so do the culprits." [continues 302 words]
Proponents of medical marijuana won a landmark victory in the US yesterday when an appeals court ruled the US Government could not prosecute two women who used the drug for pain relief, nor could it prosecute their suppliers. "I'm ecstatic about what this decision will do, not only for me but for hundreds of thousands of patients across the country," said Angel McClary Raich, a medical marijuana patient who brought the successful lawsuit against US Attorney-General John Ashcroft. "Not too many people get to come up against someone who is as evil as John Ashcroft and win, and that feels very good." [continues 256 words]
It Would Eliminate Penalties For Possession Of Small Amounts Of Pot. OTTAWA -- Prime Minister Paul Martin says he'll press ahead with legislation, first proposed under Jean Chretien, to eliminate criminal penalties for possession of small amounts of marijuana. But he hinted yesterday he'd like to see a new definition of what constitutes a "small amount" and invited a parliamentary committee to consider lowering the limit from the original proposal of 15 grams. Martin told reporters he sees a health risk in pot use and observed that "any doctor will tell you it's far from the best thing for you." [continues 409 words]
Despite A Federal Probe, The Congressman Says He's Doing His Best For Constituents WILLIAMSTON -- Much of this year, U.S. Rep. Frank Ballance probably would be happy to forget. After a long career in the state legislature and his election to Congress last year, Ballance and a foundation he started are under federal investigation for misusing taxpayers' money. Entering his district office in Williamston on Thursday afternoon to sip punch with constituents and his staff, Ballance seemed to have lost the bounce he had a little more than a year ago, when he was an influential state senator. [continues 723 words]
In its medical-marijuana ruling earlier this week, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals has endorsed compassion and states' rights - ideas worth considering together. It was surely compassionate to rule in favor of Angel Raich, who suffers from an inoperable brain tumor, and Diane Monson, who suffers from degenerative spine disease. It is a matter of simple humanity to accommodate such sufferers, and California law did that. So does Washington's, passed by initiative with 59 percent of the vote. Two years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that federal drug laws have no exception for medical need -- that is, there is no individual right to obtain medical marijuana. Now comes this case, which says the federal drug law interferes with states' rights. [continues 248 words]
Federal Jurists In Calif. Say U.S. Ban Superseded; Colo. Has Similar Law SAN FRANCISCO - A federal appeals court ruled Tuesday that a law outlawing marijuana may not apply to sick people with a doctor's recommendation in states that have approved medical marijuana laws. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, ruling 2-1 in a rare late-afternoon filing, said prosecuting these medical marijuana users under a 1970 federal law is unconstitutional if the marijuana isn't sold, transported across state lines or used for nonmedicinal purposes. [continues 272 words]
NOTE TO READERS: DrugSense Weekly will mark the festive season by taking next week off, but we will return with a new edition Jan. 2. The DrugSense staff wishes happy holidays to all our readers and the generous volunteers and contributors who make this work possible. Read This Publication On-line at: http://www.drugsense.org/dsw/2003/ds03.n330.html TABLE OF CONTENTS: * This Just In (1) Paul Martin To Press Ahead With Chretien Plan To Decriminalize Pot (2) Jackson Protests Drug Sweep (3) Senator Proposes Taxing Illegal Drugs (4) Supreme Court To Rule On 'Right' To Smoke Pot [continues 209 words]
On-line academic journal on complexity, conflict and drugs in the American Region. http://www.mamacoca.org/index_en.htm Forget the war on drugs already / Doug Bandow On Tuesday the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals barred federal prosecution of those using marijuana under a doctor's care. Smoking pot under such circumstances is "different in kind from drug trafficking," stated the court: "this limited use is clearly distinct from the broader illicit drug market." Continues: http://www.nationalreview.com/comment/bandow200312190920.asp [continues 446 words]
Medical marijuana patients won a landmark legal victory December 16th when the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the federal government has no constitutional authority to prosecute two California women for possessing and growing marijuana for their personal medical use. Federal prosecutors have long argued that California's 1996 medical marijuana law, Prop. 215, was superseded by the federal Controlled Substances Act which outlaws the use or cultivation of marijuana for any purpose. Law enforcement agents have used this reasoning to raid and arrest medical marijuana patients and their caregivers. But in a 2-1 decision, the court found that if the marijuana is not purchased, transported across state lines or used non-medically, the federal government has no jurisdiction. The ruling covers the seven states in the Ninth Circuit that have passed medical marijuana laws including Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon and Washington. California just passed another medical marijuana law, SB420 which goes into effect next year. [continues 994 words]
I read your article concerning the prescription drug abuse problem in Bland Co. I see that there is a group of Bland County citizens, "Concerned Citizens", that is taking an active role in the process. Please have them check out www.oxyabusekills.com. There, you will find a wealth of information regarding the Oxycontin epidemic. I belong to a group of dedicated people, who have lost loved one's due to Oxycontin. RAPP, or "Relatives Against Purdue Pharma", is concerned with the abuse problem and lobbying the FDA to return Oxycontin back to the medical necessity of it manufacture - treating those with terminal illnesses and those patients with severe chronic pain. If we stand together, perhaps we all can make a difference and put an end to this ever growing problem. Thank you, Ed Vanicky Columbus, Ga. [end]
Thanks so much for publishing the honest letter from Charles Byrnes. Our government's war on drugs is the ultimate hypocrisy. The war on drugs isn't about justice or protecting our children. We've spent over 30 years under that pretense, and what have been the results? Increased crime, death, disease, budget deficits and increased spending on prisons instead of education and other critical programs. Current and past presidents have used some of the very substances that have sent others straight to prison, so what message are we really sending our kids? [continues 132 words]
Clearly Kentucky has real drug problems: all those meth labs, especially in Western Kentucky; all that prescription drug abuse, mainly in Eastern Kentucky, and the all-too-familiar drug traffic in cities and suburbs. But government at all levels (including the federal Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. attorneys, the Kentucky State Police and many local agencies) already has been mobilized. If something more is needed, it could be the work Lt. Gov. Steve Pence intends to do, pulling together enforcement, education and rehabilitation efforts statewide. [continues 258 words]
In a single landmark opinion, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has struck a blow both for those people whose suffering requires them to use medical cannabis and for the constitutional principle of federalism. Tuesday's decision in Raich v. Ashcroft -- a victory for my clients -- proves that federalism is not just for political conservatives. The Court found that because the cultivation, possession, and use of medical cannabis was a completely non-economic activity and too attenuated from interstate commerce, applying the federal Controlled Substance Act to this conduct exceeded the power of Congress under the Commerce Clause. [continues 576 words]
Drug Squads Are Losing the Battle, Says the OPP's Deputy Commissioner. TORONTO -- Police in Ontario are fighting a losing battle against a burgeoning marijuana industry that's threatening public safety, lining the pockets of organized crime and robbing Canada's economy blind, law enforcement leaders said yesterday. The number of marijuana grow operations, or "grow ops," in Canada's most populous province grew by a staggering 250 per cent between 2000 and 2002, says a new report by the Criminal Intelligence Service Ontario. [continues 580 words]
