Re. Parent protests pyjama fundraiser (Hudson/St. Lazare Gazette, April 26): What she is saying is that Stevie's life can't be remembered at Mount Pleasant because she died of drugs? Stevie was 13 and made a fatal mistake. I hope that the students get a beautiful tree to remember a beautiful young girl whose life ended far too early. Catherine St. James [end]
Mayor Dave Cieslewicz's story about Madison in 2031 failed to consider whether we would still have marijuana prohibition (4/7/06). In 2031, 54 years after Madison voted to legalize medical marijuana and private possession for personal use, will there be cannabis coffeeshops like in Holland? Will patients have safe access to their medicine from dispensaries? Will cannabis bloom on State Street? Or will we still be mired in a lost war that currently arrests over 750,000 Americans per year? [continues 66 words]
TABLE OF CONTENTS: * This Just In http://www.drugsense.org/dsw/2006/ds06.n447.html#sec1 (1) Heroin Mix Leaves Trail Of Deaths (2) The DEA Comes To Montreal To Strategize (3) 'Bong Hits' To Supreme Court? (4) Oped: Puffing Is The Best Medicine * Weekly News in Review http://www.drugsense.org/dsw/2006/ds06.n447.html#sec2 Drug Policy (5) 400 Support Family of Charles Plinton (6) Angry Cadets Riot Following Drug Search (7) Court Backs Experimental Drugs for Dying Patients (8) Hundreds Turn In Marijuana Users In Boulder [continues 321 words]
In the past two months SSDP has brought the HEA Aid Elimination Penalty back into the national spotlight with a Congressional scale-back of the law and two federal lawsuits. In an effort to jumpstart a national debate on this very important issue, SSDP has reached out to some of the law's biggest proponents, offering to debate them on national television and college campuses. Apparently our opponents on this issue are too chicken to defend their position in a one-on-one debate. We first reached out to Students Taking Action Not Drugs ( http://www.standnow.com ), a "grassroots" movement of students who support current drug war policies (presumably the same students who remind their professors to collect class homework assignments). It turns out that STAND is nothing more than a front group for the Drug Free America Foundation ( www.dfaf.org/stand.php ), as it appears that no students are actually involved in the organization (surprise!). [continues 287 words]
State Lawmakers Have Passed Legislation That Will Give Thousands Of Ex-Felons a Better Shot at Regaining Their Civil Rights, Including The Right to Vote. TALLAHASSEE - In a rare show of support for disenfranchised felons, the Florida Legislature on Monday unanimously passed a bill requiring county jails to help thousands of inmates apply for their civil rights once they have paid for their crimes. The bill, now headed to Gov. Jeb Bush for approval, closes a little-known loophole in state law that has cost an estimated 50,000 felons since 1980 the chance to vote, serve on a jury, hold public office or qualify for various occupational licenses. [continues 473 words]
For 70 years the government has waged a war against drugs. After 70 years and nearly a trillion dollars spent, this war has accomplished nothing other than imprisoning innocent people based on the personal choices they make regarding what to put into their own bodies. The drug war has not stopped people from wanting drugs or getting drugs. Yet, when faced with the undeniable failure of the drug war, supporters say we need to throw more money at the problem. Haven't we spent enough money? Haven't we destroyed enough innocent lives? How much longer does this have to go on before we recognize the failure and try a new approach? The war on drugs has never worked and never will work. Human nature leads people to seek pleasure and novelty, and laws of economics dictate that when a demand exists, a market will rise up to supply that demand. An attempt at prohibition ignores those two fundamental principles. It should come as no surprise that drug prohibition has failed. History provides a clear case of the devastating effects of prohibition: the alcohol prohibition of the 1920s. The alcohol prohibition wasted taxpayers' money, ruined innocent lives and created a black market that put people at risk of injury or death from impure or poorly made products. The prohibition was actually responsible for the rise of organized crime. After many years, the mistake was realized and prohibition was repealed. Why have we not learned from this history lesson? [continues 874 words]
New Legislation Centrepiece Of Justice System Overhaul The Conservative government will start rolling out its tough-on-crime agenda today by introducing a law to put more people in jail and keep them there longer if they commit drug, gang, or gun crimes or reoffend while on parole. The government will also propose legislation to severely restrict conditional sentences that allow some offenders to serve their time at home. The two bills are the centrepiece of Prime Minister Stephen Harper's plan to overhaul Canada's criminal justice system. [continues 678 words]
Four PHS Students Charged For Fleeing, Three For Drugs PORTAGE | Police arrested seven Portage High School students this week -- three on drug charges and four on charges that they ditched class and then fled from police. A total of 39 students have now been arrested at the Portage schools since Cpl. Troy Williams became school resource officer on Jan. 1. "I'm hoping we are laying the groundwork for next year because we're not going to stop," Williams said. The fleeing arrests were made Monday afternoon after Williams spotted four students walking on the access road leading north from the high school to a subdivision. The students, who were ditching class, fled on foot but Williams said he found them hiding together near a shed in the subdivision. [continues 152 words]
To the editor: How should Missouri respond to illegal methamphetamine use? During the crack epidemic of the 1980s, New York City chose the zero-tolerance approach, opting to arrest and prosecute as many users as possible. Meanwhile, Washington, D.C., Mayor Marion Barry was smoking crack, and America's capital had the highest per-capita murder rate in the country. Yet crack use declined in both cities simultaneously. Simply put, members of the younger generation saw firsthand what crack was doing to their older brothers and sisters and decided for themselves that crack was bad news. [continues 58 words]
MEXICO CITY - U.S. officials welcomed Mexican President Vicente Fox's decision not to sign a drug criminalization bill that some had warned could result in "drug tourism" in this country and increased availability of narcotics in American border communities. Fox reversed course and said he was sending the bill back to Congress for changes, just one day after his office had said he would sign into law the measure, which would have dropped criminal penalties for possession of small amounts of marijuana, cocaine, heroin and other drugs. [continues 591 words]
Fox's Move Comes After Unusual U.S. Pressure MEXICO CITY - Mexican President Vicente Fox refused to sign a drug decriminalization bill Wednesday, hours after U.S. officials warned the plan could encourage "drug tourism." Fox sent the measure back to Mexico's Congress for changes, but his office did not mention the U.S. criticism. "Without underestimating the progress made on the issue, and with sensitivity toward the opinions expressed by various sectors of society, the administration has decided to suggest changes," a statement from his office said. [continues 389 words]
The second public forum on proposed student drug testing drew a stronger turnout than the first one, attended by only one parent. About 25 people showed up Tuesday for the second forum at the DeKalb County Materials/Facilities Center in Rainsville. The proposed testing program, patterned after one recently adopted for use in the Fort Payne City School System, includes only students who are involved in competitive extracurricular activities or who drive to school. The program sets graduated penalties for violation that include at least temporary suspensions from those activities. [continues 213 words]
