PRESS RELEASE - 17th NOVEMBER, 2003

Edition 17.

Cannabis News Items From Around the World

COCA CULTURE

Pubdate: Wed, 15 Oct 2003
Source: New York Times (NY)
Copyright: 2003 The New York Times Company
Contact: mailto:letters@nytimes.com
Website: http://www.nytimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/298
Author: Leonida Zurita-Vargas

COCA CULTURE

COCHABAMBA, Bolivia - There has been rioting in Bolivia for nearly four weeks now. News reports say that the riots have been over the construction of a pipeline to ship natural gas to the United States. That's true, but there's a deeper anger at work: anger toward the United States and its war against a traditional Bolivian crop, coca.

You see, because of the American drug problem, we can no longer grow coca, which was part of our life and our culture long before the United States was a country. This is why many of the people protesting in La Paz and other cities are peasants whose families have cultivated coca for generations.

My tribe, the Quechua, comes from the lowland jungles of the Chapare in central Bolivia. We are used to chewing coca leaves every day, much as Americans drink coffee. We sustained ourselves by growing coca for chewing and for products like shampoo, medicinal teas and toothpaste. We did not turn coca into cocaine; the chemicals needed for that are made in countries like the United States. Bolivia now allows us to grow a very small amount of coca, but it is not enough.

I am a cocalera. I owe my life to coca. My father died when I was 2 and my mother raised six children by growing coca. I was a farmer myself, growing coca for traditional purposes. But the United States says it is better for us to just forget about coca. In the early 1990's, Bolivian officials
distributed American money - $300 to $2,500 per farm - and told us to try yucca and pineapples. But 60 pineapples earn us only about eight bolivianos (about $1). And unlike coca, yucca and pineapples are difficult to carry to the cities to sell, and they spoil. So many farmers returned to growing coca.

Then in 1998, the Bolivian government announced it would eradicate coca farms through a military program financed by the Americans. Soldiers came to the Chapare and destroyed our coca crops with machetes. School teachers were beaten, and some houses were burned down.

When I saw that, I couldn't be quiet. I helped to organize people village by village, and I became leader of a national association of peasant women. Eventually we were joined in our protests by other social movements and unions. We have continued to grow. Evo Morales, the head of the national coca growers' union, even came in second in the 2002 presidential election. He got 21 percent of the vote, while the current president, Gonzalo Sanchez de Lozada, got 22 percent.

I think Mr. Morales would win today. Bolivians have grown tired of Mr. Sanchez de Lozada's free-market, pro-United States policies, which have not lowered our high rate of unemployment. The president's willingness to build a pipeline through Chile to export our natural gas to the United States has made many more people join the anti-government protests the cocaleros
started.

To me, real success in the war on drugs would be to capture and prosecute the big drug traffickers, and for the United States to stop its own citizens from using drugs. The war on the cocaleros has brought Bolivia nothing but poverty and death.

Now tanks surround the presidential palace in La Paz. Fourteen people died in riots there on Monday alone. Unless the United States and its allies like Mr. Sanchez de Lozada stop their war against us, Bolivia will have neither peace nor a future.

Leonida Zurita-Vargas is secretary general of Bartolina Sisa, an association of peasant women. This article was written with Maria Cristina Caballero, a Colombian journalist and fellow at Harvard's Center for Public Leadership.

Pro Pot Ads on Washington Train Stations

Mon Oct 6, 9:46 AM ET

(Washington) - The controversial ads promoting the legalization of marijuana hits metro station walls Monday.

Commuters began noticing them on the sides of buses last week.

The group "Change the Climate" claims among other things, pot will improve your sex life.

Metro says it has to post ads for nonprofit groups as a public service.

Canadian Court ruling on Medical Marijuana cultivation

Canada Eases Rules on Growing Medical Marijuana
Tue Oct 7, 4:05 PM ET

By Luke McCann

TORONTO (Reuters) - Canadian courts ruled on Tuesday that businesses and individuals be allowed to grow and supply large amounts of medical marijuana, effectively relieving the Canadian government of its often criticized and fairly unsuccessful attempts to do so itself.

"What is going to change in Canada is that one person or one company can grow for an unlimited number of people ... and in terms of supply and cultivation, you can now pay people to grow for you," said York University Law Professor Alan Young, a legal counsel to the people seeking laxer growing rules.

He said the ruling will make it easier for sick people to get marijuana by allowing them better access and more choice.

The ruling stems from an Ontario Court of Appeal decision in January that called on the Canadian government to provide a licit source of marijuana to people suffering from illnesses like AIDS (news - web sites) and multiple sclerosis, so they would not have to buy it off the street.

In July, Canada became the first country in the world to start selling government-grown marijuana to seriously ill people, an approach markedly different to that of the United States, where the Supreme Court in 2001 upheld a federal ban on medical marijuana.

The new Canadian regulations meant that some 650 sufferers granted dispensation from criminal laws to use the drug were allowed to buy marijuana grown in a government facility in Flin Flon, Manitoba, or buy a pack of 30 seeds to grow their own.

But the sufferers were soon unhappy with the quality of the government-grown marijuana, and the lawsuit attacked the ban on the basis that the federal government had not adequately attended to the needs of sick people.

CANADIAN GOVERNMENT OFF THE HOOK

Tuesday's ruling, as well as allowing sick people easier access to the marijuana that they use to ease pain, or boost the appetite, also lets the Canadian government wash its hands of the business of selling the drug.

The government, which officially recommended that patients put its marijuana in food or drinks rather than smoking it, had been growing the drug in a converted mine shaft.

"When we finish this interview the (government) distribution program will be over," said Young.

"They've been waiting to be relieved of this obligation. They cannot remove their obligation to supply seeds, because that's the necessary first step for someone to grow legally for themselves, but there is nothing in the judgement that suggests the government has an obligation to supply ... and (the government) has always called this policy interim."

While the ruling states that the drug can now be grown privately for more than one person, it also says that anyone wishing to do so needs a license.

Canada's Heath Minister Anne McLellan said she was "heartened" by the court's decision to uphold access regulations for medical marijuana.

It was not clear what would happen to the Flin Flon plant.

US Supreme Court Rejects Feds vs States Anti-Marijuana Case

Tue Oct 14,10:19 AM ET

By GINA HOLLAND, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected an appeal that jeopardized state medical marijuana laws that allow ill patients to smoke pot if they get a doctor's recommendation.

Justices turned down the Bush administration's request to consider whether the federal government can punish doctors for recommending or perhaps even talking about the benefits of the drug to sick patients. An appeals court said they cannot.

Nine states have laws legalizing marijuana for patients with physician recommendations or prescriptions: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Nevada, Oregon and Washington, and 35 states have passed legislation recognizing marijuana's medicinal value. But federal law bans the use of pot under any circumstances.

The case gave the court an opportunity to review its second medical marijuana case in two years. The last one involved cannabis clubs.

This one presented a more difficult issue, pitting free-speech rights of doctors against government power to keep physicians from encouraging illegal drug use. A ruling for the administration would have made the state medical marijuana laws unusable.

Some California doctors and patients, in filings at the Supreme Court, compared doctor information on pot to physicians' advice on "red wine to reduce the risk of heart disease, Vitamin C, acupuncture, or chicken soup."

The administration, which has taken a hard stand against the state laws, argued that public heath — not the First Amendment free-speech rights of doctors or patients — was at stake.

"The provision of medical advice — whether it be that the patient take aspirin or vitamin C, lose or gain weight, exercise or rest, smoke or refrain from smoking marijuana — is not pure speech. It is the conduct of the practice of medicine. As such, it is subject to reasonable regulation," Solicitor General Theodore Olson said in court papers.

Some people had expected the Supreme Court to step into the case, which comes from California, the battleground over the subject.

Keith Vines, a prosecutor in San Francisco who used marijuana to overcome HIV-related illnesses, was among those who challenged a policy, put in place during the Clinton administration. That policy requires the revocation of federal prescription licenses of doctors who recommend marijuana.

"If the government is zipping them up, and we're not being told about options, that's negligence," Vines said.

Policy supporters contend that the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration must be allowed to protect the public.

The San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said that physicians should be able to speak candidly with patients without fear of government sanctions, but they can be punished if they actually help patients obtain the drug.

Doctors fear losing their prescription-writing powers, which would put them out of business.

"It's taking the culture war issue of the moment and using it in a way that could undermine the First Amendment, medical profession, and patients' well-being," said Graham Boyd, an American Civil Liberties Union attorney representing patients, doctors, and other groups.

The case is Walters v. Conant, 03-40.

On the Net:

Supreme Court case file: http://www.supremecourtus.gov/docket/03-40.ht

Marijuana Policy Project: http://www.mpp.org/

Australia: Northern Territory Psychotic Drug Patients Soar

PSYCHOTIC DRUG PATIENTS SOAR

An Increasing Number Of Territorians Are Being Hospitalised For Psychotic
Drug Use, Including Cannabis, It Was Revealed Yesterday.

Police and health authorities said more dangerous forms of cannabis and
amphetamines were being used across the NT. Patients are suffering from
drug-induced symptoms of paranoia, hallucinations and an inability to cope
with everyday tasks. They also suffer mood swings, an inability to
concentrate or sleep and increased levels of aggression. In the 2002-03
financial year there were 324 admissions of people with a first diagnosis
of psychosis due to drug abuse. The figure represents a 40 per cent rise in
the past four years. Police said users of hydroponic cannabis, which has a
far higher level of THC, the chemical which triggers psychosis, is part of
the problem. The purity of amphetamine available on the streets is also
increasing. The Health Department said last night newer methods of drug
taking were being blamed for the increase. "A possible reason, based on
anecdotal reports, is changed methods of drug ingestion, such as injecting
rather than swallowing speed, which can result in enhanced effects," Public
Health Physician Dr Steven Skov said. "Intravenous ingestion means the
substance goes directly into the blood stream, bypassing the digestive
system. These methods expose people to higher, concentrated levels of the
drug during a shorter space of time." The Health Department said the
psychotic episodes were lasting longer, sometimes over several years.
Community Services assistant secretary Carol Peltola said the rise in drug
psychosis presented the health system with problems. "Significant rates of
co-occurring mental health and substance abuse problems have several
implications for assessment, treatment and ongoing care," she said. "These
types of disorders are more likely to become chronic and have a poorer
prognosis."

http://www.napnt.org

[Speed symptoms, but hey, let's blame pot? Ed.]

TERRITORY POLICE CLOSE DOWN 20 DRUG HOUSES TO HIT TRADE

Date: Wed, 22 Oct 2003
Source: Northern Territory News (Australia)
Copyright: 2003 Northern Territory News
Contact: ntnmail@ntn.newsltd.com.au
Website: http://ntnews.news.com.au/
Author: Edith Bevin

POLICE CLOSE DOWN 20 DRUG HOUSES TO HIT TRADE

Police were starting to win the war on drugs, Commissioner Paul White
claimed yesterday.

Police have shut down, or through raids forced the closure, of 20 drug
houses since August last year. ``The introduction of drug premises
legislation represented a major challenge and opportunity for the
police force to disrupt the illict drug market,'' Mr White said. He
said operations run by the drug squad had shut down drug houses known
to supply not only cannabis but also amphetamine. Since the
legislation's introduction: SIXTY-EIGHT first warning notices have
been issued, including one to a commercial premises in Darwin; NINE
second warning notices across the NT have been issued; FOUR third
warning notices have been given out; TWO homes have officially been
branded drug houses under the legislation _ one in Darwin and one at
Alice Springs. Mr White said the closure of the drug houses was a
significant part in limiting the availability of drugs in the
Territory.

In the 2002-03 financial year, police issued 20 drug
infringement notices to people caught cultivating less than two
cannabis plants, and 403 tickets to people caught with 50g or less of
the drug. Mr White said the drug squad had had some significant
results in catching those supplying and manufacturing drugs in the
Territory. ``Our fight against drugs saw the Drug Enforcement Unit
achieving considerable success in targeting the supply, distribution
and manufacture of illicit drugs,'' Mr White said. Police Minister
Paul Henderson said the Government's decision to give police the
powers they needed to tackle the NT's drug problem had paid off. He
said the Drug House legislation was one example of this. ``I commend
police for their dedication and commitment to intelligence-led
policing which has played such a significant role in this downturn in
crime rates in the Territory,'' he said.

BRITISH TEENAGERS USE SO MUCH CANNABIS THAT MARKET IS SATURATED

Pubdate: Thu, 23 Oct 2003
Source: Guardian, The (UK)
Webpage: http://www.guardian.co.uk/drugs/Story/0,2763,1068655,00.html
Copyright: 2003 Guardian Newspapers Limited
Contact: letters@guardian.co.uk
Website: http://www.guardian.co.uk/guardian/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/175
Author: Alan Travis

BRITISH TEENAGERS USE SO MUCH CANNABIS THAT MARKET IS SATURATED, SAYS EU
REPORT

Cannabis use among teenagers in the UK has begun to stabilise, but only because it is so widespread the market has become saturated, the European Union's drug agency warned yesterday. The EU monitoring centre on drugs and drug abuse also warned of new public health dangers from the increasing potency of cannabis available in Britain. It raised concerns about the
long-term health implications of the emergence of a significant new group of teenage boys who are using cannabis intensively - more than 20 times a month.

Its annual report, published yesterday, says the official goal of reducing drug consumption by 2006 across Europe remains a long way off, with at least one in five adults in the EU having tried cannabis and an emerging problem of growing cocaine use in some cities, particularly in Britain.

The agency warns that the drug-related death toll continues to rise - there. It says that glue-sniffing and other forms of solvent abuse have proved a much greater acute health risk for young people in the UK than ecstasy, which causes fewer but more highly publicised deaths.

It says that there were 1,700 deaths from solvent abuse in the UK between 1983 and 2000, with most of the victims aged 16 to 19 - far more than the "relatively rare" ecstasy deaths.

The authors say that recent government measures have been effective in sharply reducing solvent-abuse deaths in Britain over the last four years.

Solvents remain the third most commonly used drug after cannabis and alcohol, with 15% of 15 and 16-year-olds trying them at some time.

The EU says that ecstasy use was high in 1995 in the UK, Italy and Ireland but has recently seen some decline. It suggests that the high-profile negative media coverage has been a factor.

The report also confirms the more liberal approach of many governments to drug policy, with harm-reduction measures such as needle exchanges, drug consumption rooms, methadone treatment, heroin prescribing and pill testing becoming an established part of health policy in Holland, Germany and Spain.

However, it shows that the UK is lagging behind other European countries in providing treatment places for hardcore drug abusers.

But while Switzerland is about to become the first country to legalise cannabis possession, the eastern European states which are to join the EU next May have been busy outlawing it for the first time.

Georges Estievenart, director of the agency, said there were some grounds for cautious optimism about the drug situation in Europe, such as the adoption of a drug strategy by most national governments.

But he added that this was outweighed by the fact that the overall drug use trend re mained upward and there was "insufficient impact on regular drug use by a worrying number of young people in EU countries".

The report says that cannabis remains the illicit drug most frequently used by young people across Europe. The UK has one of the highest usage levels in Europe, with 42% of all 15 to 34-year-olds saying they had tried it at least once - second only to Denmark.

The price of cannabis resin has been stable across the rest of Europe but has fallen sharply in the past four years in Britain, possibly as a result of the rapid rise in homegrown marijuana production, which has been estimated at 50% of the market. Hashish, which is nearly all imported from
Morocco, is cheapest in Britain at €2.3 (UKP1.60) a gram, and most expensive in Norway at €26.6.

"Europe remains the world's biggest market for cannabis resin (hashish), accounting for some three-quarters of global seizures. Herbal cannabis or marijuana grown in the EU is also becoming increasingly available.

"Evidence indicates that the average potency of cannabis in the EU has risen and now ranges from around 5-10% for both resin and herbal varieties, but some samples are considerably stronger with a THC [the active ingredient] content of up to 30%. This raises public health concerns."

A decade ago the THC content of most cannabis was about 1% to 2%.

But the EU's drugs agency is also worried about the emergence of a new generation of teenage boys who are starting to use cannabis at a younger age, instead of sniffing glue. They are using it more intensively - more than 20 times a month - and persist with it perhaps until their early 20s.
It says this pattern of use is often mixed with binge drinking.

The report for the first time looks at the drug situation in eastern Europe and warns that some countries, including Estonia and Latvia, will be facing "the most rapidly developing HIV epidemic in the world" unless syringe and needle exchange programmes are adopted to tackle the problem.

THAT'S ALL FOR NOW FOLKS!