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PRESS RELEASE - 27th SEPTEMBER, 2003
 Edition
11.
Cannabis News Items From Around the World
UK: Health Risks of Cannabis 'Probably Overstated'
Date: Fri, 19 Sep 2003
Source: Independent (UK)
Copyright: 2003 Independent Newspapers (UK) Ltd.
Contact: mailto:letters@independent.co.uk
Website: http://www.independent.co.uk/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/209
Author: Jeremy Laurance, Health Editor
Referenced: The BMJ editorial:
http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v03.n1416.a11.html
HEALTH RISKS OF CANNABIS 'PROBABLY OVERSTATED'
Cannabis may be safer than was thought - but only if it remains
illegal, a report by a health expert suggests.
Recent estimates that cannabis causes up to 30,000 deaths a
year - a quarter of the number caused by smoking tobacco - are
likely to be exaggerated, Stephen Sidney, associate director of
clinical research at the California health maintenance organisation
Kaiser Permanente, said.
Writing in the British Medical Journal, Dr Sidney said that
two long-term studies of the drug, involving a total of more than
100,000 people in Sweden and the US, found no increase in deaths.
Furthermore, unlike other drugs both legal and illegal, there
has been no known lethal overdose from cannabis.
The harmful effects of tobacco, with which cannabis is often
compared, are long term. Smoking is known to contribute to heart
disease, one of the Western world's biggest killers. Nicotine
has a damaging impact on the heart but there is no nicotine in
cannabis.
Cannabis was also exonerated as a cause of heart disease by
a study that showed no increase in calcium deposits in the coronary
arteries of young adult users of the drug - an indicator of thickening
of the arteries that can lead to heart attacks.
"Although the use of cannabis is not harmless, the current
knowledge base does not support the assertion that it has any
notable adverse public health impact in relation to mortality,"
Dr Sidney said.
But he said the long-term effects of cannabis were not known
because users had not been followed into middle and old age. Most
give up the drug in their twenties and thirties and this is likely
to minimise harmful effects. But if the drug were legalised it
is possible that more people would continue using it for longer.
"We cannot assume that smoking cannabis would continue to
have the same small impact on mortality ... if its use were to
be decriminalised or legalised," Dr Sidney said.
USA State Drug Laws
From the Wall St. Journal
A new report claims that since 1996 states have phased back laws
mandating stiff penalties for drug offenders in favor of laws
that encourage treatment, the Associated Press reported .
The report from the advocacy group Drug Policy Alliance said
46 states have passed new drug laws since 1996. "These reforms
reflect an emerging 'harm reduction' consciousness among the public
and legislatures: the awareness that not just drug abuse, but
also misguided drug policies, can cause grave harms to individuals
and society," a summary on the group's Web site said.
India: A Small Dose Of Cannabis
Newshawk: Tim Meehan
Date: Thu, 18 Sep 2003
Source: Business Standard (India)
Copyright: 2003, Business Standard Ltd.
Contact: mailto:editor@business-standard.com
Website: http://www.business-standard.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3082
Author: Devangshu Datta
RX - A SMALL DOSE OF CANNABIS
First-time visitors to The Netherlands are surprised to note
sharply-pointed cannabis-leaf symbols at coffee-houses and pubs;
places often frequented by people lighting up or eating hash omelettes
and drinking hash tea.
The Dutch have a laissez-faire attitude to cannabis. Holland
ignores personal possession of up to 30 grams of such substances
as marijuana (the dried flower, or "ganja"), hashish
(the dried resin, or "charas") and bhang (the dried
leaf).
When the EU opened internal borders, Holland started receiving
weekend "potfans" from France, Belgium and Germany.
In effect, Dutch liberality led to the Eurozone easing its stance
vis-a-vis soft drugs, though users from other nations risk punishment.
Holland is now offering over-the-counter prescription sales of
cannabis -- useful for victims of cancer, HIV, multiple sclerosis
and amputees. It controls pain and nervous spasms with fewer side-effects
and less addiction-related problems than the alternatives.
Two Dutch companies have been issued licences to grow cannabis
to sell to the health ministry, which in turn packages the drug
in small tubs for supply to pharmacies. The drug is packaged as
dried marijuana flowers (grass).
As well as pharmacies, 80 hospitals and 400 doctors will be allowed
to dispense five-gram doses of SIMM18 medical marijuana for 44
euros ($ 48) a tub and more potent Bedrocan at 50 euros. The health
ministry recommends patients dilute the cannabis into tea or adapt
asthma inhalers.
Some doctors say cannabis increases risks of depression or schizophrenia;
other studies suggest it has few side effects. If it is smoked,
you're inhaling carcinogens including nicotine and tar.
The cannabis plant contains over 60 cannabinoids, alkaloids that
affect physical functions. The cannabinoids bind to two cannabinoid
receptors in the body: CB1 and CB2.
CB1 enhances appetite, reduces pain and eases muscle spasms --
and also produces psychotropic effects. CB2 is expressed by immune
and inflammatory cells, acts as an anti-inflammatory and reduces
irritable bowel syndrome.
This combination of CB1 and CB2 alleviates the nausea associated
with chemotherapy, reverses appetite loss in AIDS patients, and
controls CNS motor diseases and certain types of pain.
There are researchers, notably Jerusalem's Hebrew University
professor Raphael Mechoulam, in university and pharmaceutical
labs elsewhere who are trying to isolate specific effects.
Mechoulam was the first to isolate tetra-hydra-cannabinol (THC),
which causes the "high". He is now working on "THC-less"
cannabis, though he believes that such drugs will be less effective
at treating CNS problems.
Cannabis is also offered in countries such as the UK, Canada
and Australia as well as in a few US states. However, cannabis
is available from a few sources and distribution is more controlled.
Canadian cannabis-users have complained that the official "baggies"
that are offered to members of a subscription programme, are of
terrible quality.
The UK is moving towards decriminalisation. A recent commission,
the Advisory Council on Misuse of Drugs, sent a recommendation
to the Home Secretary that cannabis should be treated as a "Schedule
C" drug. Schedule C is of the same risk/criminal status as
growth hormones or steroids. Possession is non-criminal.
Class A drugs including ecstasy, cocaine, crack cocaine and heroin
accounted for 99 percent of "the cost to society of drug
use", according to the UK release. Analysts estimate that
relaxing British cannabis laws could save about $ 71 million per
annum and free up 500 police officers for other duties.
Decriminalisation could be similarly beneficial to India, where
scarce policing resources could be concentrated on chasing more
dangerous substances such as heroin or RDX. In fact, cannabis
was sold at state government shops until the Narcotics Drugs and
Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985. This treats all drugs as equally
dangerous.
Decriminalisation would enable research into the medical properties
of cannabis and help India cope with the flood of HIV cases that
will emerge over the next few years.
Since it is possible to make a strong scriptural case for religious
use by practising Hindus, is it too much to hope that the relegalisation
of cannabis will feature on Hindutva-vadis' future agenda?
GIANT PROTEST AGAINST BUSH VISIT
Date: Mon, 22 Sep 2003 11:21:46 +1000
From: FoE Sydney - Nuclear Campaign
mailto:nonukes@foesyd.org.au
Meetings: Spanish Club, each Monday, 7pm, 88 Liverpool St, Sydney.
GIANT PROTEST AGAINST BUSH VISIT
Sometime after or on the 21st of October, US President George
Bush is visiting Australia. He is going to Canberra and most likely,
Sydney. He may address a joint sitting of the Parliament. He may
be accompanied by Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.
JOIN US AT 5PM ON THE STEPS OF SYDNEY TOWN HALL WHEN BUSH ARRIVES
IN AUSTRALIA.
Join us in preparing to protest the Bush visit.
The next planning meeting is at 7pm, Monday 22September, 3rd
floor, The Spanish Club, 88 Liverpool St (next to George St).
There will be planning meetings every Monday at 7pm in the Spanish
Club.
Contact: Nick Everett 0409 762 081
Brian Webb 0425 347 634
Rihab Charida 0405 760 929
Bashir Sawalha 0413 859 060
Newsbrief: Ecstasy Scandal Grows as Second Study Retracted
Date: 19/09/03
As reported last week, researchers at Johns Hopkins University
led by Dr. George Ricaurte had to retract sensational research
findings published in the journal Science that a single dose of
MDMA (ecstasy) could lead to Parkinson's Disease. Ricaurte, who
has made a career out of federally-funded studies highlighting
the supposed dangers of ecstasy, is getting into deeper trouble
this week. The Baltimore Sun reported Monday that Ricaurte and
company have now retracted a second study linking ecstasy to brain
damage.
Dr. Una McCann, a neuroscientist involved in both experiments,
told the Sun she sent a letter of retraction last week to another
medical journal, which she declined to identify. But an online
publication of the British journal the Scientist reported the
following Wednesday: "The European Journal of Pharmacology
has received an e-mail from George Ricaurte, principal author
of the recently retracted Science paper on the effects of the
recreational drug Ecstasy (methylenedioxymethamphetamine, or MDMA),
which may indicate that another paper will have to be retracted.
Editorial representatives of the journal would not describe the
contents of the e-mail, but told The Scientist that a decision
on the matters therein will be taken at tomorrow's (September
18) editorial board meeting."
McCann said the discovery occurred as the researchers rechecked
lab records after it was discovered they had inadvertently substituted
methamphetamine for ecstasy in the experiment that was publicized
in the first retracted article. "As you might imagine, we
systematically went through the books to find out which, if any,
of our published studies involved the same [vial]," she said
Thursday. "We did find one, and a letter of retraction was
sent out to the journal today." More studies may have to
be retracted, Dr. McCann conceded.
Ricaurte's ecstasy research has been controversial, with other
researchers charging that they overplayed their findings. Now,
the criticism is mounting. "This doesn't help their credibility
and goes to the whole question of what else they know," Rick
Doblin, founder of the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic
Studies, told the Sun.
But that was nothing compared to the reaction of Leslie Iversen,
prominent British pharmacologist who holds professorships at King's
College London and Oxford University and reviewed the effects
of cannabis for a House of Lords select committee report. Iversen,
who with other British scientists had exchanged letters with the
editors of Science over Ricaurte's results months ago, was outraged.
"It's an outrageous scandal," Iversen told the Scientist.
"It's another example of a certain breed of scientist who
appear to do research on illegal drugs mainly to show what the
governments want them to show. They extract large amounts of grant
money from the government to do this sort of biased work... I
hope the present retraction and embarrassment to the people involved
will be some sort of lesson to them."
Marijuana Legal in Alaska, But Attorney General Orders Cops to
Confiscate It, Work with Feds to Build Cases
Date: 19/9/03
Alaska Attorney General Gregg Renkes is slowly coming to grips
with reality. Befuddled by last month's Alaska Appeals Court ruling
legalizing the possession of up to four ounces of pot in the home
(http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/301/alaska.shtml),
Renkes at first blustered mightily that marijuana remained illegal.
But in a memo to prosecutors and the Alaska State Troopers this
week, Renkes instructed them not to arrest or cite people in possession
of small amounts in their homes.
But police and state troopers should still seize the pot and
investigate to see if federal marijuana trafficking cases can
be developed, Renkes said in the memo. "This includes seizing
and treating as evidence all marijuana found, even if under four
ounces in the home, and writing reports documenting the investigation,"
Renkes wrote.
Renkes has announced that he will appeal the legalization ruling,
but now concedes that legalization is the law of the land, at
least for now. "We have to respect the language of the appeals
court decision," Renkes told the Anchorage Daily News Wednesday.
Renkes did not explain which novel legal theory would allow police
enforcing Alaska laws to steal the legal property of Alaska residents.
Alaska police officials are pooh-poohing the importance of the
ruling. They don't make marijuana arrests a high priority, they
said.
This Week's USA Corrupt Cops Story
Date: 19/09/03
Poetic justice may be an appropriate term for the travails of
this week's corrupt cop, South Carolina's Davidson County Sheriff
Gerald Hege. Hege, a follower of the Sheriff Joe Arpaio school
of sanctimonious self-promotion through humiliating prisoners,
was indicted this week on 15 felony counts including embezzlement
-- he is charged with stealing cash from the department's drug
buy fund, among other things -- and obstruction of justice.
The publicity-seeking Hege billed himself as "America's Toughest
Sheriff," and made a reputation for himself through such
stunts as painting his jail pink -- to emasculate prisoners, he
proudly sneered -- posing in paramilitary uniforms, and inscribing
the motto "No Deals" on patrol cars. The busy, busy
sheriff also had his own program on Court TV, "Live from
Cell Block F," in which inmates described their crimes and
Hege berated them for the amusement of viewers. The program was
broadcast from his office, which Hege thoughtfully decorated to
look like a military bunker.
Hege also has his own web site, http://www.HegeCountry.com,
where he poses standing atop a tank with a double-barreled shotgun.
Some of the photos, also for sale as posters, bear such slogans
as "This ain't Mayberry and I ain't Andy!" or "Do
the crime scumbag and you'll do the time." (These links were
not working as of this morning; we don't know if it is a temporary
error or if they have been removed from the site.) On the web
site, Hege also brags about his toughness: "His trade mark
sunglasses and military style uniforms have put fear into drug
dealers and criminals throughout the southeast and are being copied
by other sheriff offices. Removing TV's from the cells and putting
his inmates to work wearing black and white striped uniforms have
brought national attention to this North Carolina Sheriff."
Sheriff of Davidson County since 1994, Hege is accused of stealing
$6,200 from an undercover drug buy fund and using part of it to
pay for reelection celebrations in 1998 and 2002. He is also accused
of blocking an investigation into the disappearance of money seized
by his office during a criminal investigation. And he is accused
of conspiring with a former county maintenance director to conduct
surveillance of law enforcement officers investigating him. Additionally,
Davidson County District Attorney Gary Frank, in moving to have
Hege removed from office, accuses him of a pattern of intimidation
and threats against deputies he believed were cooperating in investigations
against him.
Hege was suspended with pay pending a September 29 hearing to
remove him from office. And although he was formally arrested,
booked, and fingerprinted Monday, Hege did not have the opportunity
to spend some time in his pink jail because of a previous arrangement
with the State Bureau of Investigation agents who escorted him
to court. Curiously, this time Hege avoided the media he usually
woos.
Hege faces six to eight years on each of the 15 felony accounts.
THAT'S ALL FOR NOW FOLKS!
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