-------------------------------------------------------------------

Majority Rule (Letter To The Editor Of 'The Los Angeles Times'
By A Japanese-American Woman Whose Relatives Were Interned
In American Concentration Camps During World War II
Takes A Dim View Of Majority Rule)

From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: "MN" 
Subject: MN: US: CA PUB LTE: Majority Rule
Date: Sat, 13 Jun 1998 21:13:29 -0500
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: Jim Rosenfield
Pubdate: June 12, 1998
Source: Los Angeles Times (CA)
Contact: letters@latimes.com
Website: http://www.latimes.com/
Author: Lynne Aoki

MAJORITY RULE

Re "Propositions: Democracy Speaking," by James P. Pinkerton,

June 4: My mother, both sets of my grandparents, all of my aunts and some of
my uncles (those not in the U.S. Army) were incarcerated for a good part of
World War II. All but my grandparents were U.S. citizens.

I don't think that Roper and Field were around to take polls back then, but
based on what I know and what was reported at the time, my guess is that the
majority of Californians supported the internment of my relatives.

So, don't remind me or my relatives, or the slaves, or blacks sitting at the
back of the bus or women before they had the right to vote, about the
majority speaking "loudly and clearly." All of us, at times, have heard the
people's shrill call and have had to wait for calmer voices to prevail.

LYNNE AOKI Garden Grove

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Jury Activist Turney Faces 15 Years (Bulletin From The Jury Rights Project
Seeks Your Letters Of Support For Frank Turney, Convicted On March 6
Of Three Counts Of Felony Jury Tampering For Distributing The Hotline Number
Of The Fully-Informed Jury Association Outside A Fairbanks, Alaska,
Courthouse In 1994)

Date: Fri, 12 Jun 1998 13:09:47 -0600 (MDT)
From: Jury Rights Project (jrights@levellers.org)
To: Jury Rights Project (jrights@levellers.org)
Subject: Jury Activist Turney Faces 15 Years

Jury Rights Project
Update on Frank Turney Trial in Alaska (6/12/1998)

Request for Letters of Support

Frank Turney was convicted on March 6, 1998 of three counts of felony jury
tampering for distributing the hotline number for the Fully-Informed Jury
Association (1-800-TEL-JURY) outside a Fairbanks, Alaska courthouse in
1994. Turney has been leafletting the Fairbanks courthouse since 1990,
distributing FIJA brochures that contain quotes about jury rights from
radicals like Thomas Jefferson ("I consider trial by jury as the only
anchor yet imagined by man which a government can be held to the principles
of its constitution") and John Adams ("It is not only his right, but his
duty...to find the verdict according to his own best understanding,
judgement, and conscience, through in direct opposition to the direction of
the court.")

See http://www.fija.org/jphp.htm

Frank should never have been prosecuted for exercising his first amendment
rights and educating potential jurors about their rights. It is amazing
that a jury would convict him of a crime, but that is indicative of the
extent of jury intimidation that is practiced by prosecutors and judges in
courtrooms nationwide. (Frank was represented by a public defender.)

Frank is facing 15 years in prison. He is scheduled for sentencing on
Thursday, July 2. Frank is asking concerned citizens to send letters of
support prior to his sentencing to Nancy Allen, the person in charge of his
pre-sentencing investigation and report. Ask Ms. Allen to be lenient on
Frank and not recommend jail time. Emphasize that Frank is not a danger to
community and should be allowed to keep his freedom to allow him to work on
his appeal.

Letters can be sent to his pre-sentencing investigator:
Nancy Allen
c/o Judge Donald Hopwood
315 Barnette St. #207
Fairbanks, AK 99701

Send copies to:
Frank Turney
Box 70392
Fairbanks, AK 99707
(907) 457-2333
Or can be emailed to Charles Rollins, Jr., a friend of Frank's who has
Internet access. (chuck@mosquitonet.com)

***

BACKGROUND:

Fairbanks Daily NewsMiner
http://www.newsminer.com/news/news.html

Wednesday, March 4, 1998

Judge shelters jury in tampering trial

It turns out that the jury sitting in judgment of juror rights advocate
Frank Turney may not be so fully informed after all.

The judge in Turney's jury-tampering case will not let the prosecution
question jurors about the deliberation process from a 1994 trial that ended
with a hung jury.

Kodiak Superior Court Judge Donald Hopwood, temporarily assigned to
Fairbanks, said he feared that Turney's current trial would evolve into a
mini-retrial of an old case involving another defendant.

Turney's trial on jury tampering charges concluded its second day of
testimony Wednesday in Fairbanks Superior Court. Turney is accused of
distributing the number of a juror rights hot line, 1-800-TEL-JURY, to
jurors assigned to a criminal trial.

***

March 7, 1998
Fairbanks Daily NewsMiner

Turney convicted of jury tampering

Juror rights advocate Frank Turney was brought down Friday by the very same
system he cared so much for.

A jury deliberated less than five hours before convicting Turney, 51, on
three counts of jury tampering. Moments after hearing the decision, Turney
thanked the jurors for their service and stood as they left the courtroom.

"The only thing that I'm guilty of is telling the truth," Turney said.

Turney distributed a juror rights hotline, 1-800-TEL-JURY, to three jurors
involved in a 1994 criminal case back. The group encourages jurors to judge
the law as well as the facts and vote with their conscience.

The jury in that 1994 case deadlocked and Turney was indicted on three
counts of jury tampering. The prosecution felt this message was intended to
influence jurors, which affected the outcome.

"We're not talking about education here," Assistant District Attorney Jay
Hodges said. "Mr. Turney did not have to intend to influence the outcome of
the decision in the case."

"His intent was to influence a juror to think they can judge the law,"
Hodges said. Turney is scheduled to be sentenced on July 2 before Kodiak
Superior Court Judge Donald Hopwood. Turney said his conviction will be
appealed.

Letters to the editor about Frank's case can be sent to:

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner
P.O. Box 70710
Fairbanks, AK 99707-0710
Email: letters@newsminer.com
Fax: (907) 452-7917
Limit: 350 words

Anchorage Daily News
P.O. Box 149001
Anchorage, Alaska 99514-9001
Email: letters@pop.adn.com
Fax:(907)258-2157

Juneau Empire
3100 Channel Dr
Juneau AK 99801
Email: editor1@alaska.net
Fax: (907)586-3028
Limit: 250 words

***

Re-distributed by the:
Jury Rights Project (jrights@levellers.org)
Web page: (http://www.lrt.org/jrp.homepage.htm)
To be added to or removed from the JRP mailing list,
send email with the word SUBSCRIBE or UNSUBSCRIBE in the title.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Viagra Is A Boon For Business, Say Brothel Workers
(According To A Knight Ridder News Service Item
In 'The San Jose Mercury News,' Prostitutes At Two Legal Bordellos
Near Carson City, Nevada, Say Pfizer's New Drug For Impotence
Has A Lot Of Old Men Hobbling Through Their Front Doors On Canes
And Wheelchairs 24 Hours A Day)

Date: Mon, 15 Jun 1998 21:07:01 -0400
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
Subject: MN: US NV: Viagra Is A Boon For Business, Say Brothel Workers
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: Marcus-Mermelstein Family
Pubdate: Fri, 12 Jun 1998
Source: San Jose Mercury News (CA)
Contact: letters@sjmercury.com
Website: http://www.sjmercury.com/
Author: April Adamson, Knight Ridder News Service

VIAGRA IS A BOON FOR BUSINESS, SAY BROTHEL WORKERS

CARSON CITY, Nev. -- Stricken with diabetes or heart conditions, maneuvering
canes and wheelchairs, they hobble through the front doors 24 hours a day.
In most cases they are 66 to 96, and are widowed, lonely or unsatisfied
sexually.

At a couple of Nevada's legal brothels, dozens of steamed-up seniors are
using Viagra to put the sex back into sexagenarian, the prostitutes say.

Prostitutes at two brothels near Carson City, Nev., are saying they've seen
a boom in business thanks to Viagra, the little blue impotence pill.

These hookers say many of their clients have renewed their prowess with the
pill. For $500 or more, born-again oldsters are flocking to the brothels
for pricey sessions of passion amid theme rooms and cigar bars.

``It really has done a lot for them physically, mentally and emotionally,''
said ``Lief,'' a 38-year-old prostitute at the Moonlight Bunny Ranch near
Carson City, one of about 30 brothels in the state.

``They are paying more, staying longer. It totally has changed their
self-esteem,'' Lief said.

At the Bunny Ranch one day this week, most of the two dozen prostitutes were
still getting their beauty sleep at noon.

``It was a long night last night,'' boasted brothel manager Suzette Gwin.
``But this is the best thing since prostitution was legalized in 1970.''

Gwin attributes an increase in this month's profits to Viagra.

``On a daily basis, there's been a big increase,'' Gwin said. ``I go by
dollar amounts . . . and there's been a 20 to 30 percent increase.''

One repeat customer, who is 73, has been on Viagra for three weeks. With so
much stamina, the septuagenarian had to extend his session.

Another customer at the Bunny Ranch is in his 80s. He has diabetes and had
to take a drug injection before visits to the ranch.

No more, said Lief. Now she can barely keep up with him.

At Miss Kitty's Guest Ranch, ``Katie'' caters only to sexy seniors, many who
swear by Viagra.

``I specialize in older men,'' said Katie, 47, a longtime prostitute at the
Moundhouse brothel. ``A lot of them are just now starting to find out about
it. It's really the in thing now.''

Despite the prostitutes' testimonials, George Flint, head of the Nevada
Brothel Association, denies that Viagra has created new demand.

``That is complete and unmitigated nonsense,'' said Flint, who says he
represents state brothels as a lobbyist and media representative. ``I'm not
telling you there haven't been a few. . . . But to say it is associated with
a boom or possible impact. . .''

The long-term impact may become apparent soon.

``A lot of my customers got their Social Security checks on the 3rd of
June,'' Katie said. ``Check back with me later this month and I'll let you
know.''

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Court Tosses Pot Conviction Because Police Had No Warrant
('The Wisconsin State Journal' Says The Second District Court Of Appeals
On Wednesday Threw Out The Conviction And Four-Year Sentence
Against Jeffry Paterson Of Burlington, Wisconsin, For Growing Marijuana
And Possessing Pipe Bombs, Saying Police Violated The Fourth Amendment
In Entering His Home Without A Warrant And No Good Reason To Search)

Date: Sat, 13 Jun 1998 21:05:13 -0400
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
Subject: MN: US WI: Court Tosses Pot Conviction Because Police Had No
Warrant
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: compassion23@geocities.com (Frank S. World)
Source: Wisconsin State Journal (WI)
Contact: wsjopine@statejournal.madison.com
Website: http://www.madison.com/
Pubdate: Fri, 12 Jun 1998
Address: Editor, Wisconsin State Journal, POB 8058, Madison, WI 53708
Author: Cary Segall Wisconsin State Journal

COURT TOSSES POT CONVICTION BECAUSE POLICE HAD NO WARRANT

Jeffry Paterson's neighbor thought something was fishy when he saw lights
going on and off successively in upstairs rooms of Paterson's rural home,
so he tried unsuccessfully to telephone Paterson and then called police.

Three town of Burlington officers quickly arrived to find nothing amiss on
the November evening in 1996. There were lights on, a pickup in the open
garage and no signs of a break-in.

But, after another phone call wasn't answered, the police entered the house
anyway.

Chief Michael Mehring and an officer opened an unlocked door, walked in
and. said, "Is anyone home? This is the Police Department"

When they got no response, they decided to search and had looked through
three rooms before they spotted marijuana plants hanging on strings, and
then a 9-year-old girl at the top of the stairs.

About 15 minutes later, the girl's mom, Angela Pischke, arrived and told
police that her boyfriend, Paterson, was hunting nearby. Paterson, 40, was
convicted of growing marijuana and possessing pipe bombs and sentenced to
four years in prison.

But the 2nd District Court of Appeals on Wednesday threw out the
convictions, saying police violated the Fourth Amendment in entering the
home without a warrant and no good reason to search.

The court rejected the argument of Assistant Attorney General Leonard
Martin, who said police were just doing their job in check-ing out a
possible burglary.

The court, in overruling Racine County Circuit Judge Gerald Ptacek, said
lights going on and off and an unanswered phone at 5:30 p.m. aren't signs
of criminal activity.

"A more reasonable deduction is that a person legitimately on the premises
was simply moving from room to room," Judge Neal Nettesheim wrote for the
court'.

"A person legitimately in the residence may be preoccupied or otherwise
simply choose to not answer a call," he added, "Or, if a child is home
alone, the child may have been instructed to not answer the telephone.

"In short, the information provided by the neighbor did not present an
overly worrisome situation."

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Unity In Drug War ('The Orange County Register' Gives A Two-Sentence Summary
Of The United Nations Special Session To Expand The Global War
On Some Drug Users)

Date: Sat, 13 Jun 1998 01:13:58 -0400
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
Subject: MN: US GE: CA: Unity In Drug War
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk:John W.Black
Pubdate: Fri, 12 Jun 1998
Source: Orange County Register (CA)
Contact: letters@link.freedom.com
Website: http://www.ocregister.com/

UNITY IN DRUG WAR

The United Nations urged members to begin work on key elements of a U.N.
plan for combating drugs, including cutting demand by 50 percent and
reducing supplies over the next 10 years. The goals were contained in a plan
adopted Wednesday at the conclusion of the drug summit.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Drug War - UN Should Take Lead In Fighting This Scourge (Staff Editorial
In 'The Dallas Morning News' Supports The United Nations
Expanding The Global War On Some Drug Users)

Date: Sat, 13 Jun 1998 09:30:03 -0700
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
Subject: MN: UN GE: Editorial: Drug War
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: adbryan@onramp.net
Source: Dallas Morning News
Contact: letterstoeditor@dallasnews.com
Website: http://www.dallasnews.com
Pubdate: Fri, 12 Jun 1998

DRUG WAR

U.N. should take lead in fighting this scourge

Ambitious is the word to use in describing the global anti-drug strategy
crafted by former anti-Mafia crusader Pino Arlacchi. Because the plan by
the current head of the U.N. anti-drug agency is so sweeping - promising as
it does massive reductions in the worldwide availability of cocaine and
heroin - it virtually sets itself up for skepticism. But instead of carping
at such a vision, the nations of the world should eagerly second Mr.
Arlacchi's overriding message: the need to reduce demand and supply at the
same time.

Fortunately, the approach generally dovetails with the views of another
influential player in the fight, President Clinton. In a speech Monday, he
used the occasion of the U.N. General Assembly's first session in a decade
dedicated exclusively to drug-related issues, to warn that merely pointing
fingers helps no one.

Cooperation can indeed work wonders in the context of an approach that
centers on education and treatment, as well as interdiction, crop
eradication and crop substitution. In this regard, Mr. Clinton has promised
to request more than $17 billion in drug fighting money from Congress in
the next fiscal year, with $6 billion to be set aside for reducing demand.

But the U.N. proposal to extend infrastructure aid to producer countries
such as Afghanistan and Burma for phasing out the cultivation of opium and
coca leaf should remain a nonstarter as long as such nations continue to
violate human rights.

The fallout from noncooperation can be found in the ongoing spat between
President Clinton and President Ernesto Zedillo over Operation Casablanca.
The U.S. law enforcement sting last month netted 26 Mexican banker-money
launderers, but was deeply resented by the Zedillo government because U.S.
officials kept Mexico in the dark. Yet just as Mexico's frustration is
understandable, so are the concerns of U.S. officials who feared for the
lives of U.S. drug agents on both sides of the border.

That hardly means that greater cooperation is unachievable. To the
contrary, precisely because the goal is in everyone's best interests, the
world must continue to strive diligently for it.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Pointing The Finger (Zealous 'New York Times' Prohibitionist AM Rosenthal
Says The Well-Laid Plans Of United Nations Drug Warriors Were Upset
Last Week By 'Americans Who Devote Their Careers And Foundation Grants'
To 'Legalizing' Drugs, Who 'Had Mobilized Their Network Of Web Sites')

Date: Fri, 12 Jun 1998 20:51:41 -0700 (PDT)
From: Ben (ben@hemp.net)
To: hemp-talk@hemp.net
Subject: HT: Don't get too mad! Pointing the Finger by A. M. Rosenthal
Sender: owner-hemp-talk@hemp.net

This is an opinion piece by A. M. Rosenthal that was printed in the New
York Times. He loves using words such as "legalizer" and other demonized
phrases. He's quite the close-minded, no-other-solution-advocating moron.
Send your intelligent letters to letters@nytimes.com.

Ben

Newshawk: emr@javanet.com (Dick Evans)
Source: New York Times (NY)
Author: A. M. Rosenthal
Contact: letters@nytimes.com
Website: http://www.nytimes.com/
Pubdate: Fri, 12 Jun 1998

POINTING THE FINGER

The three-day meeting on fighting drugs was one of the more useful United
Nations conferences in decades.

It was well led by Pino Arlacchi, the Italian Mafia-buster, drew chiefs of
state and narcotics specialists from every part of the world, and wound up
with a plan to eliminate the growing of illegal heroin and cocaine in 10
years -- certainly difficult but certainly doable.

So, months before the opening Monday, a campaign to attack the conference
was planned.

It was worked out by Americans who devote their careers and foundation
grants not to struggling against narcotics but legalizing them under one
camouflage or another.

Before the first gavel, they were ready with advertisements writing off the
conference, had rounded up American and European signatures denouncing the
war against drugs as a failure, and had mobilized their network of web
sites. They convinced one or two convincible journalists that people
opposed to the anti-drug effort had been banned from talking at meetings of
specialists and organizations. That's strange, because at the very first
forum I attended there were as many legalizers as drug fighters making
statements and asking questions. The propaganda was professionally crafted.

Hundreds of well-known people and wannabes signed an opening-day two-page
advertisement in The Times. It had no proposals except for a "dialogue,"
which already has gone on a half-century.

The word "legalization" was not used. Legalizers and their financial
quartermasters know Americans are 87 percent against legalization. So now
they use camouflage phrases like "harm reduction" -- permitting drug abuse
without penalty, the first step toward de facto legalization.

One signer told me that she did indeed favor legalization but that in such
campaigns you just don't use words that will upset the public. I have more
respect for her, somewhat, than for prominent ad-signers who deny drug
legalization is the goal. And for signers who, God help us, do not even
know the real goal, here's a statement by Dr. Ethan Nadelmann, now George
Soros' chief narcotics specialist and field commander, in 1993 when he
still spoke, unforked, about legalization: "It's nice to think that in
another 5 or 10 years . . . the right to possess and consume drugs may be
as powerfully and as widely understood as the other rights of Americans
are." Plain enough?

The conference is finished, legalizers are not. Hours after publication of
this column, masses of denunciatory E-mail letters to the editor will
arrive at The Times. Judging by the past, the web-site chiefs will announce
gleefully that virtually all the letters The Times printed supported them,
and how much that publicity would have cost if they had to pay for it.
Anti-drug letters will arrive too late.

Now, I have a problem.

Knowing that Americans are so against legalization and the multiplication
of addiction, crime and destroyed souls it will create, I ask myself why I
write about legalizers at all. They live by publicity, which can mean more
millions from Mr. Soros and a few other backers. But the legalization
minority includes many intellectuals, academics, journalists and others
with access to lecture rooms, print and TV. So consistently do they spread
their falsehood that the drug war has failed that even some Americans who
want to fight drugs believe there's no use trying. America still suffers
agonizingly from illegal drugs, but as President Clinton told the U.N.,
overall U.S. drug use has dropped 49 percent since 1979, cocaine use has
dropped 70 percent since 1985, crime usually related to drugs has decreased
five years in a row. Yet the anti-drug movement has never rallied to tell
Americans about the legalizers, identities and techniques.

Washington and the U.N, including Mr. Arlacci, have even softened their
language -- such as not using the phrase "drug war" anymore. Washington's
big new anti-drug ad campaign will be useful, but not very, unless it not
only urges parents to talk to children, but parents to talk to other
parents, about the legalizers, in or out of camouflage. Surely it is time
for the President to dissect America's legalizers and publicly point the
finger at them. If he is too delicate, or politically fearful, the rest of
us will have to do the job of denying them acceptability or cover; it's
worth the space.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Re - Pointing The Finger (Letter Sent To The Editor Of 'The New York Times'
Tries To Correct AM Rosenthal's Misinformation)

Date: Fri, 12 Jun 1998 10:14:05 -0400
From: Carey Ker (carey.ker@utoronto.ca)
Subject: Sent: Pointing the finger (NYTimes)
To: mattalk@islandnet.com
Delivery-Receipt-To: Carey Ker (carey.ker@utoronto.ca)

To the editor,

Re: POINTING THE FINGER, A. M. Rosenthal, Fri, 12 Jun 1998

I am personally tired of the polemic, invective detritus
that spews forth from the likes of A.M. Rosenthal. His glib
assertion that the "harm reduction" drug campaign is in
reality a dark sinister propaganda machine comes off as
gross fear-mongering. This demeans the motives of all the
people that dedicate their time and energy (mostly
volunteered) to working for a better society.

It's not the drugs, silly. It's about people taking back
control of their lives from the nanny/Hilter state; it's
about families torn asunder because of totalitarian drug
laws; it's about restricting access to drugs through
controlled distribution for the sake of our children.

Mr. Rosenthal can rant and rail to his heart's content but
the proof is in the pudding. As any teenager or drug
legalizer can testify -- the current regime of prohibition
insures the ubiquitous availability of drugs. What kind of
society does Mr. Rosenthal propose we live in considering
the fact that our governments can't even keep drugs out of
the most secure prisons?

Carey Ker

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Donohue, Like Pataki, Tried Pot ('The Associated Press'
Says Republican New York Governor George Pataki's New Running Mate
In His Re-Election Campaign, Former State Judge Mary Donohue, Smoked Cannabis
At The College Of New Rochelle - He Consumed It Orally At Columbia
Law School - No Word On Why They Now Endorse Sending Other People
To Jail For Doing The Same Thing)

Date: Sat, 13 Jun 1998 01:13:59 -0400
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
Subject: MN: US NY: Wire: Donohue, Like Pataki, Tried Pot
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: compassion23@geocities.com
Pubdate: Fri, 12 Jun 1998
Source: Associated Press

DONOHUE, LIKE PATAKI, TRIED POT

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - Former state judge Mary Donohue, Gov. George Pataki's
new running mate, confirmed Friday that she smoked marijuana as a college
student.

That means the two Republicans at the top of the GOP ticket this year have
both tried pot.

But while Donohue inhaled, Pataki has said he ingested it with a can of
baked beans.

``She was a child of the 60's and she tried it,'' Donohue spokeswoman Eileen
Long said.

Donohue, a former Rensselaer County district attorney, told the New York
Post that she tried pot during her days as a student at the College of New
Rochelle. She graduated from there in 1968.

``I tried it, but didn't like it. I smoked it and probably inhaled. But I
never got into it,'' the former state Supreme Court justice told the Post.

Long said Donohue was kidding about ``probably'' inhaling.

``Of course, she inhaled,'' Long said. ``She smoked pot and she inhaled.''

While Pataki has admitted to trying pot during his days at Columbia Law
School, he used a novel approach. Not being a smoker, Pataki said he and
some friends mixed their marijuana in with a can of beans and ate it.

Donohue, little known statewide, was plucked off the state trial court last
month to become Pataki's running mate.

Last year, the governor dumped current Lt. Gov. Betsy McCaughey Ross from
his re-election plans, saying she wasn't a team player. McCaughey Ross
switched to the Democratic Party in September and is seeking its nomination
to challenge Pataki in November.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Heroin Maintenance Denounced By Officials ('The Baltimore Sun'
Says A Proposal For A Research Trial In Which Doctors Would Provide Heroin
To Some Baltimore Addicts Came Under Attack Yesterday
From Elected Officials - Mayor Kurt L. Schmoke Said He Wanted
'To Make It Real Clear That This Administration Has No Intention
Of Initiating A Heroin Maintenance Program,' Indicating Any Further
Discussion About Heroin Maintenance Would Come Out Of John Hopkins
University And Not Local Government)

Date: Sun, 14 Jun 1998 08:42:34 -0800
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
Subject: MN: US MD: Heroin Maintenance Denounced By Officials
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: Rob Ryan
Pubdate: Fri, 12 Jun 1998
Source: Baltimore Sun (MD)
Contact: letters@baltsun.com
Website: http://www.sunspot.net/
Author: Scott Shane, Gerard Shields, and Thomas W. Waldron

HEROIN MAINTENANCE DENOUNCED BY OFFICIALS

Schmoke Pulls Back From Health Chief's Support For Study

A proposal for a research trial in which doctors would provide heroin to
some Baltimore addicts came under fierce attack yesterday from elected
officials as a symbolic step in the wrong direction.

"It doesn't make any sense," said Gov. Parris N. Glendening. "It sends
totally the wrong signal."

"Do we go from `Baltimore, the city that reads,' to `Baltimore, the city
that nods'?" asked City Council President Lawrence A. Bell III, using the
slang term for the sleepy euphoria of the heroin user.

Mayor Kurt L. Schmoke reined in his health commissioner, who had expressed
strong support for a trial of heroin maintenance, saying he wanted "to make
it real clear that this administration has no intention of initiating a
heroin maintenance program."

Dr. Peter L. Beilenson, the health commissioner, had not proposed
distributing heroin from city Health Department clinics or with city money,
but he had urged John Hopkins University drug abuse experts to pursue an
academic study. Schmoke said he does not want Beilenson to be "spokesman"
for the idea.

"Any further discussion about heroin maintenance and how it relates to the
city of Baltimore will come out of the university community and not the
local government," Schmoke said.

The mayor received national attention about 10 years ago for advocating
"decriminalization" of drug use, and he told The Sun in April he would
consider having Baltimore participate in a multicity heroin maintenance
experiment. But in that interview he also expressed concern that such a
program could prove so controversial as to be counterproductive, and
yesterday he appeared to reach that conclusion.

"We've gotten such good support from the public [for a health care approach
to drug abuse] that I don't want to lose that support because they feel
we've gone in a direction they are not comfortable with," he said.

But Dr. Alfred Sommer, dean of the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health,
said the criticism should not be permitted to stifle scientific inquiry.

"It's discouraging to hear people say they're absolutely against this
before they know anything about it," said Sommer. "That's not the way to
advance public policy or to find ways to protect public health."

Improved Health

Sommer cited data from a Swiss study that tracked more than 1,000 addicts
over three years. "What we've learned so far is that such programs can
dramatically improve the health of those addicted to heroin," as well as
reducing crime, increasing employment and moving some people into treatment
or off drugs altogether, he said.

Sommer said he wants Hopkins to help organize a conference to bring local
and state public health officials together with drug treatment specialists
and community leaders to discuss heroin maintenance.

"Does it make sense in Baltimore? I have no idea," Sommer said. "It's going
to take a lot of debate and discussion."

Drug abuse experts, including some from Baltimore, gathered in New York
over the weekend to hear about the Swiss experience with heroin maintenance
and plans for similar experiments in Spain and the Netherlands. Several
Hopkins drug abuse experts and Beilenson recently discussed joining with
other cities to try offering heroin to a limited number of the hardest-core
drug addicts who have not responded to treatment.

Advocates of the concept say the war on drugs has failed and new approaches
should be tried. Several hundred public figures, including Schmoke and
Beilenson, signed a letter in the New York Times Monday declaring that "the
global war on drugs is now causing more harm than drug abuse itself."

Reduced Crime

Drug policy reform advocates say heroin addicts now steal to support their
habits and spread AIDS by sharing needles. Administering injections of
heroin in clinics to people already addicted would at least reduce theft
and curb HIV transmission; it might lure otherwise unreachable drug abusers
into counseling that eventually could get them off drugs, the advocates say.

Baltimore City Councilman Norman A. Handy Sr., a minister from the
southwest 6th District, was one of the few public officials to express such
a view yesterday.

"If we don't do [heroin maintenance], some other city will do it," Handy
said. "And even if we don't do it, it should be discussed. Obviously, this
war on drugs is a failure, and we need to fire all the generals."

But many addiction experts say funding for traditional drug treatment falls
far short of the demand, and heroin maintenance is a dubious distraction
from proven remedies for drug abuse.

"Even as a research proposal, I think it's a bad idea," said Dr. Georges C.
Benjamin, the deputy state health secretary who oversees drug and alcohol
treatment. "I think to translate the Swiss data to this very different
culture is a very big jump."

While the number of heroin addicts in Baltimore -- more than 34,000,
according to state estimates -- dwarfs the number in suburban counties, the
discussion of heroin maintenance comes at a time when the drug has made
inroads into suburban and even rural high schools. Even pastoral Carroll
County has had a number of highly publicized overdose deaths.

Wrong Message

At such a time, some officials fear any program that makes heroin
available, however well-intentioned, could send a disastrous message to
curious teen-agers.

"It's much better to tell young people that heroin is bad," said Lt. Gov.
Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, who announced this week a plan to test juvenile
arrestees for drug use. "This undermines that whole effort."

The Rev. Melvin Baxter Tuggle II, president of Clergy United for the
Renewal of East Baltimore, blasted the heroin maintenance idea, saying,
"You don't fix the problem by giving the addicts drugs. It's genocide." He
said he also opposes giving addicts methadone, a substitute addictive
medication widely used to treat heroin addicts.

A chastened Beilenson yesterday said his daughter had heard a radio disc
jockey open a news report on the commissioner's support for heroin
maintenance by declaring: "Come get your heroin." He said he regretted that
some people incorrectly believed he was advocating a city-run program, but
he still supports academic research on heroin maintenance.

"We shouldn't close our eyes to any new initiative," Beilenson said. Citing
a study that found more than half of Baltimore African-American males
between the ages of 18 and 34 were involved in the criminal justice system,
he added: "The war on drugs has criminalized a whole segment of the
population. That's the great tragedy."

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Spiralling Violence In Chiapas And Guerrero Could Degenerate
Into Human Rights Disaster (A List Subscriber Posts Part Of A News Release
From Amnesty International Noting The War On Some Drugs In Mexico
Is Playing An Integral Part In Its Civil War)

Date: Sun, 14 Jun 1998 10:05:46 EDT
Errors-To: manager@drcnet.org
Reply-To: alive@pacifier.com
Originator: drctalk@drcnet.org
Sender: drctalk@drcnet.org
From: Arthur Livermore 
To: Multiple recipients of list 
Subject: MEXICO: Spiralling violence could degenerate into human rights

MEXICO: Spiralling violence in Chiapas and Guerrero could degenerate into
human rights disaster

http://www.amnesty.org/news/1998/24102998.htm

Amnesty International - News Release
AMR 41/29/98
12 June 1998

The escalating political violence over the past month in the States of
Chiapas and Guerrero-which has left at least 18 dead and 79 detained in the
past three days-could degenerate into a human rights catastrophe, Amnesty
International warned today.

"A disturbing pattern appears to be emerging, with the perpetrators of the
massacres getting away with their crimes while the Mexican authorities are
arbitrarily detaining peasants in areas considered to be opposed to the
government," the organization said.

[snip]

"The army claimed initially that the shooting happened after a routine
anti-narcotics patrol stumbled by accident upon a guerrilla meeting. This
looks increasingly implausible as the full extent of the army presence
emerges," Amnesty International said. "It is crucial that the authorities
allow appropriate legal and medical professionals and human rights bodies
to visit the site of the incident and to properly protect the evidence at
the scene to avoid accusations of a cover-up."

The human rights organization is reminding the government that
anti-narcotic or anti-insurgent operations must be carried out with due
respect for human rights and international standards. Such operations must
not be used as a pretext for the indiscriminate detention of civilians.
This only serve[s] to heighten tensions and increase the risks of further
loss of lives.

Amnesty International is calling on the Mexican government to take all
necessary measures to guarantee the integrity and security of the civilian
population, to insist that its security forces respect the international
standards on the use of force and to investigate and bring to trial those
agents of the state involved in human rights violations.

Source: Amnesty International, International Secretariat, 1 Easton Street,
WC1X 8DJ, London, United Kingdom

***

Arthur Livermore
alive@pacifier.com
503-436-1882

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Mexico Stung In More Ways Than One (Writing About 'Operation Casablanca,'
'San Francisco Chronicle' Columnist Lewis Dolinsky
Quotes Adolfo Aguilar Zinser, An Independent Mexican Legislator
Whose Specialty Is Relations With North America, Saying, 'Mexico
Has Permitted, Tolerated And At Times Cooperated With Undercover Operations
That Violate Its Sovereignty,' And Will Again)

Date: Fri, 12 Jun 1998 17:20:37 -0700
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
Subject: MN: Column: Mexico Stung in More Ways Than One
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: compassion23@geocities.com (Frank S. World)
Source: San Francisco Chronicle (CA)
Contact: chronletters@sfgate.com
Website: http://www.sfgate.com/chronicle/
Pubdate: Fri, 12 Jun 1998

NOTES FROM HERE AND THERE - Lewis Dolinsky

MEXICO STUNG IN MORE WAYS THAN ONE

The Mexican public, opposition parties, even members of the ruling PRI are
mad as hell about the U.S. sting operation against Mexican banks. But
Adolfo Aguilar Zinser, an independent Mexican legislator whose specialty
is relations with North America, says, ``Mexico has permitted, tolerated
and at times cooperated with undercover operations that violate its
sovereignty.'' And will again.

The question in recent days is whether a casual mention in 1996 to the
Mexican attorney general of a pending money-laundering sting constituted
the disclosure (and approval) required under agreements between the two
countries. But Aguilar Zinser, who has spent the year as a visiting scholar
at UC Berkeley, says U.S. agents can get away with practically anything in
Mexico as long as Mexican officials are given 15 minutes warning before
Attorney General Janet Reno and Treasure Secretary Robert Rubin hold a
self-congratulatory press conference.

This time, the Mexicans weren't given that courtesy, and the United States
made it obvious, in public, that it doesn't trust Mexican officials not to
warn the bad guys (or not to be the bad guys). Consequently, Mexican
President Ernesto Zedillo has lashed out at the United States, and Foreign
Secretary Rosario Green has threatened to prosecute U.S. agents. That is
all posturing, says Aguilar Zinser. Mexico could easily retaliate by
expelling U.S. agents. It hasn't, and it won't.

Mexico needs a close relationship with the United States. Besides, it has
no quarrel with U.S. policy -- just with U.S. insensitivity. Aguilar Zinser
says to disregard what Zedillo says in public: The official summary of his
private talk with Clinton shows that he spoke of the possibility of
sovereignty having been violated. That was ``two steps back'' from what his
foreign minister had been saying.

The United States embarrassed Zedillo unnecessarily and at a bad time: He
had authorized a $65 billion bailout for banks, including those indicted,
by buying up bad loans at nearly face value. Until he pays, the government
owes interest. He needs the Mexican Congress to pass a spending bill. Then,
he has to go to U.S. banks and the U.S. Treasury for loans to help banks
that have just been shown to be corrupt as well as incompetent.

How could U.S. officials put a friend in such a lousy position? Aguilar
Zinser thinks we were distracted because it was India-Pakistan week. In
foreign policy, we often have a hard time chewing gum and walking at the
same time. Maybe, we didn't think of a Mexican sting as foreign policy;
maybe we thought of it as domestic policy.

NOTHING SACRED

A newspaper's circulation is down. The publisher wants to attract readers
by providing more fun and games, fewer pages of hard news. The editor may
resist, even resign.

That happened at the Sun, the daily with the largest circulation in London,
only in reverse. Editor Stuart Higgins quit because the bosses decided to
make the Sun more serious, perhaps even junk the topless Page 3 Girl.
Higgins, who left in tears, was described by his comrades as a great
tabloid journalist, even if he didn't have the flamboyance of his
predecessor (who, the Independent says, was known for getting down on all
fours at parties and biting people's ankles).

The drive to go upmarket had already hit the Mirror, the Sun's toughest
competitor. Now the (smaller) Daily Star is reportedly banning tabloid
cliche headline words (raunchy, Page 3 stunner, curvy, madcap, mega and
lesbo).

Something had to give at the Sun; in two years, circulation fell from 4
million to 3.7 million. That's still about twice as high as any American
paper, and five times the circulation of the Times of London.

AN AFRICAN HERO

Fonio, nicknamed ``hungry rice,'' is known to be tasty and nutritious. Like
other traditional African crops (finger millet, pearl millet, teff and
sorghum), it was shunned by colonialists in favor of wheat and corn, which
are more vulnerable to heat and drought and require better soil. But fonio
also has problems: Once it is harvested, a village woman pounds, threshes
and sifts for hours to separate one cup of usable grain from husks, and
four gallons of water are required to produce 4 1/2 pounds (a family-size
meal). Sanoussi Diakite, an engineer from Senegal, came to the rescue. He
invented a relatively inexpensive, energy-efficient machine that, without
water, produces 4 1/2 pounds of ready-to-cook food in six minutes. He
tested prototypes in Senegal, Mali and Guinea and produced 10 more machines
at Lycee Delafosse in Dakar, Senegal's capital, where he teaches. The rural
council in Kolda, southeast Senegal, donated land for a factory. As seed
money, Diakite is using a $50,000 Rolex award for enterprise. His potential
market is 15 African nations where fonio is grown.

His machine is a blow against hunger. He says it's also a blow against
``Afropessimism.''

NICE IDEA

Proud as punch over India's nuclear tests, leaders of the ruling Bharatiya
Janata Party reportedly planned to gather dust from test sites and take it
to Hindu temples. But according to the Indian press, Prime Minister Atal
Bihari Vajpayee stopped them, pointing out that the dust might be
radioactive.

1998 San Francisco Chronicle Page A12

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Albright Urges Mexico To Drop Threat In Drug Sting ('The Los Angeles Times'
Says That, Despite Her Public Defense Of The US Agents Who Carried Out
'Operation Casablanca' In Mexico, US Secretary Of State Madeleine Albright
Has Been Highly Critical Behind The Scenes Of The Treasury Department's
Handling Of The Matter)

From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: "MN" 
Subject: MN: US: WA: Albright Urges Mexico To Drop Threat In Drug Sting
Date: Sat, 13 Jun 1998 21:14:55 -0500
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: Jim Rosenfield
Pubdate: June 12, 1998
Source: Los Angeles Times (CA)
Contact: letters@latimes.com
Website: http://www.latimes.com/
Author: Stanley Meisler

ALBRIGHT URGES MEXICO TO DROP THREAT IN DRUG STING

Diplomacy: Despite her defense of U.S. officials, behind scenes she is
critical of Treasury Department.

WASHINGTON--Secretary of State Madeleine Albright admonished Mexico on
Thursday to refrain from carrying out its threat to indict U.S. undercover
agents who delved into Mexican territory to catch Mexican bankers in the
Operation Casablanca money-laundering sting.

Despite her public defense of the U.S. agents, new evidence suggests that,
behind the scenes, Albright has been highly critical of the Treasury
Department handling of this matter.

In a scathing letter to Treasury Secretary Robert E. Rubin, published
Thursday in the Congressional Record, Albright complained about his failure
to notify her office and the Mexican government before his announcement of
the sting three weeks ago.

"We might have achieved more favorable results," Albright wrote Rubin, "if
we had brought [Mexican] Atty. Gen. [Jorge] Madrazo [Cuellar] and a few
others into our confidence a few days before the public announcement.

"In this regard," she wrote, "I believe State should have been consulted. We
would have been able to offer some advice that could have ameliorated the
negative reaction."

Her admonition to the Mexicans about the threatened prosecution of U.S.
agents came at a news conference closing the annual meeting of the two
nations' cabinets.

"I do think that prosecution and extradition would be counterproductive,"
she told reporters. "We need to concentrate on the criminals. That is the
point of this. We have to keep our mind on what it is we're trying to do
together, which is to get those who are engaged in criminal activities that
are damaging both our countries."

Mexican Foreign Secretary Rosario Green, while agreeing that the governments
should not dwell on past mistakes, insisted that the Mexican attorney
general had no choice but to keep investigating whether U.S. agents broke
Mexican law.

Green noted, however, that Operation Casablanca will not push Mexico to rule
out future U.S.-Mexican antidrug actions, so long as Mexican sovereignty and
law are respected.

"What we're trying to do right now with both attorneys general,"

she said, "is to discuss the principles according to which we can base joint
operations."

After a meeting in New York on Monday, President Clinton and President
Ernesto Zedillo of Mexico told U.S. Atty. Gen. Janet Reno and Madrazo to
work out procedures for future operations.

As a further aid to future cooperation, Albright said, she and Green had
agreed to set up a direct phone line between their desks.

Mexican officials were incensed that the U.S. agents participating in
Casablanca operated on Mexican soil without Mexican authorization and lured
Mexican bankers into a sting. Sting operations are regarded as illegal
entrapment under Mexican law.

But U.S. Treasury officials continue to express pride in the operation. In
testimony before the House Banking Committee on Thursday, Undersecretary of
the Treasury Raymond W. Kelly called Operation Casablanca "the largest drug
money-laundering investigation in U.S. history." Describing it as a
"significant step forward to curb money laundering," he said it had led to
the arrest of 167 people, including 26 Mexican bankers, and netted $100
million in seizures.

Albright's letter to Rubin was inserted in the Congressional Record by Sen.
Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa), who attacked Albright for complaining about
the sting instead of praising it.

The senator did not say how he had obtained the letter, dated May 22, which
provides an unusual, public display of anger between members of Clinton's
Cabinet.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

US May Not Extradite Drug Agents ('The Los Angeles Times'
Quotes Secretary Of State Albright Saying Thursday 'We Will Be
As Cooperative As We Can, But I Do Think That Prosecution
And Extradition Would Be Counterproductive')

From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: "MN" 
Subject: MN: US: WA: U.S. May Not Extradite Drug Agents
Date: Sat, 13 Jun 1998 21:16:25 -0500
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: Jim Rosenfield
Pubdate: June 12, 1998
Source: Los Angeles Times (CA)
Contact: letters@latimes.com
Website: http://www.latimes.com/
Author: George Gedda

U.S. MAY NOT EXTRADITE DRUG AGENTS

WASHINGTON--The Clinton administration is signaling Mexico not to expect
U.S. agents to be turned over for trial on possible infractions of Mexican
law while mounting an anti-narcotics sting operation south of the border.

Some U.S. lawmakers are praising the three-year Operation Casablanca for
striking a severe blow at Mexican narcotrafficking rings. But Mexican
officials have accused the United States of trampling on Mexican sovereignty
with the operation, which was carried out without the permission or
knowledge of Mexican authorities. Mexico also has warned that prosecution
and extradition requests may be forthcoming. But Secretary of State
Madeleine Albright said Thursday there will be limits to U.S. cooperation.

"We will be as cooperative as we can, but I do think that prosecution and
extradition would be counterproductive," she said.

She suggested the two countries look to the future. "We have to keep our
mind on what it is we're trying to do together, which is to get those who
are engaged in criminal activities that are damaging both countries,"
she said. Albright spoke at a news conference, standing beside Mexican
Foreign Secretary Rosario Green, who seemed intent on easing cross-border
tensions generated by the dispute. She said anti-drug operations should be
carried out jointly and based on shared principles. As for Operation
Casablanca, Green said only that the investigation "has to be pursued
according to law." Her nonconfrontational approach contrasted with remarks
by Mexican President Ernesto Zedillo, who demanded Monday that the United
States respect Mexican sovereignty. No nation, he said, should feel
"entitled to violate another country's for the sake of enforcing its own."

Much like Green, Albright sought to put a positive cast on the overall
relationship. She said she was overwhelmed by the good will demonstrated by
the two sides in grappling with an array of cross-border issues during two
days of discussions.

More than a dozen cabinet officials from each country participated in the
State Department talks.

Albright said she and Green agreed to install hot lines to permit instant
communication.

Some Republican lawmakers indicated Thursday they are not about to let
Mexico off the hook with the claim that its sovereignty was violated by the
sting.

At a House Banking Committee hearing, Rep. Spencer Bachus, R-Ala., called
Mexico a "money-laundering black hole" and said keeping its officials
uninformed about the sting was necessary to protect U.S. Customs agents.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

A Costly Sting In Mexico ('The New York Times' Says 'Operation Casablanca'
Has Turned From A Law Enforcement Coup Into A Diplomatic Fiasco - Both Sides
Agree That Mexico Never Gave The Approval That Treasury Secretary
Robert Rubin Legally Needed To Proceed)

Date: Sat, 13 Jun 1998 01:53:13 -0400
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
Subject: MN: US NY: Editorial: A Costly Sting in Mexico
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: emr@javanet.com (Dick Evans)
Pubdate: Fri, 12 Jun 1998
Contact: letters@nytimes.com
Website: http://www.nytimes.com/

A COSTLY STING IN MEXICO

In less than a month the Clinton Administration has shifted from boasting to
backtracking about its big drug-money-laundering sting in Mexico. More than
150 suspected drug traffickers and their alleged banker confederates were
arrested, but Washington, inexcusably, failed to obtain Mexico's approval
for undercover operations carried out on Mexican soil.

That failure has turned a law enforcement coup into a diplomatic fiasco,
with the Administration now trying to repair the damage to drug enforcement
efforts. The episode began when American customs agents began encountering
large checks issued in dollars by Mexican banks -- ideal instruments for
laundering drug profits.

The Customs Service, which is part of the Treasury Department, ran a sting
operation in the United States to collect more information. Then it notified
mid-level Mexican officials and asked for permission to extend undercover
operations to Mexico. American and Mexican accounts differ on how much
detail Customs provided about its findings and its undercover plans.

But both sides agree that Mexico never gave the approval that Treasury
legally needed to proceed.

That should have moved matters to a higher level of discussion between the
two Governments. Mexico's Attorney General could have been approached
directly, or President Ernesto Zedillo himself.

Instead, American officials concluded that corrupt or incompetent Mexican
officials were sitting on their request.

Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin allowed the sting to proceed without Mexican
permission. Neither Secretary of State Madeleine Albright nor the White
House drug czar, Barry McCaffrey, were informed of this unlawful and
undiplomatic venture.

Undercover activities are sometimes necessary in the fight against Mexican
drug cartels, and many Mexican law enforcement officials are tied to the
drug trade themselves. But Washington should not stage operations in Mexico
without the approval of President Zedillo or one of his Cabinet ministers.
Violating Mexican sovereignty is a sure prescription for undermining
cooperation between the two Governments, without which there can be no hope
of success in the fight against drugs

-------------------------------------------------------------------

On St. Vincent, Marijuana Grows Into A Campaign Issue
('The Los Angeles Times' Says US And Western European Prohibition Agents
Think St. Vincent And The Grenadines, A 30-Island Chain In The Caribbean,
Have Become As Strategic In The Global War On Some Drug Users
As It Remains Obscure To Much Of The Western World)

Date: Sat, 13 Jun 1998 10:51:24 -0500
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
Subject: MN: ST. VINCENT: On St. Vincent, Marijuana Grows Into A Campaign Issue
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: Jim Rosenfield
Source: Los Angeles Times (CA)
Pubdate: 12 June 1998
Contact: letters@latimes.com
Website: http://www.latimes.com/
Fax: 213-237-4712
Author: Mark Fineman, Times Staff Writer

POLITICS ON ST. VINCENT, MARIJUANA GROWS INTO A CAMPAIGN
ISSUE

CHATEAUBELAIR, St. Vincent--Lush marijuana fields covered the hillside
above, and the sweet smell of ganja wafted through the crowd as one of
this island nation's most popular politicians took center stage.

Cheers echoed as candidate Ralph Gonsalves--an opposition leader,
respected member of parliament and defense attorney to accused drug
lords--appealed through the reggae beat of his campaign song: "Those
in the hills! You have a friend in me! Rastafari!"

The scene provided a backdrop to the growing concern among senior
counter-narcotics officials in Washington and Western Europe who are
watching closely as St. Vincent and the Grenadines prepares to vote
Monday for the 15 elected members of parliament, including the prime
minister.

Those officials assert that in recent years, this 30-island chain has
become as strategic in the global war on drugs as it remains obscure
to much of the Western world that consumes those drugs.

Better known in the tourism industry for the 29 Grenadine islands that
attract millionaire yacht owners and rock stars--the winter homes of
Mick Jagger and David Bowie are on Mustique--this nation has quietly
become a major transshipment spot for South American cocaine,
according to senior U.S. drug enforcement officials in Washington.
They say bulk shipments are warehoused here en route to markets in the
U.S. and Europe.

A recent U.S. State Department's counter-narcotics report states that
St. Vincent has also become one of the region's largest marijuana
producers. However, even some U.S. officials attribute that partly to
the United States' own trade policies.

In the year since the Clinton administration won a World Trade
Organization decision eliminating preferential European trade deals
that had supported this region's vital banana industry, many banana
farmers here have turned to marijuana for survival.

As one opposition leader wryly observed: "Thanks to the Americans,
ganja has become our most successful agricultural diversification project."

Opposition leaders here allege that police and political corruption
has fueled the narcotics trade--a charge the government denies. Yet
Vincentian analysts fear that there will be little change in the drug
trade if the opposition wins next week.

In interviews this week, leaders of both major parties acknowledged
that cocaine trafficking, rising addiction rates and marijuana
production are important campaign issues.

But several of them made a clear distinction. The leaders and
independent political analysts say that the majority of voters
supports a crackdown on the cocaine trade but that few endorse
marijuana eradication.

At a time of soaring unemployment, ballooning foreign debt and
flagging tourism, clearly there are other issues.

Prime Minister James F. Mitchell, one of the region's longest-serving
leaders, tops the list. The opposition's theme in attacking his
government on drugs, crime, corruption and cronyism is: "More than
ready for the change."

Mitchell staunchly defended his record--especially on drugs--in an
interview this week. And he lashed out at Washington.

The prime minister said he risked alienating St. Vincent's farmers by
granting U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration helicopter crews
permission to destroy marijuana fields, although he said they have
done so only rarely.

Mitchell was also among the first Caribbean leaders to sign a treaty
allowing U.S. vessels to chase drug traffickers into island waters--a
power Mitchell says U.S. law enforcement has also used
infrequently.

"I have reluctantly given up my sovereignty to the United States, and
they refuse to exercise it," Mitchell said, adding that his nation
lacks the resources to patrol against traffickers alone.

The prime minister also attacked the opposition Unity Labor Party on
the issue, singling out the party's Gonsalves, who is running for
reelection to parliament, as the region's "No. 1 drug lawyer"--a role
Gonsalves acknowledged but attributed to his professional duty as a
trial lawyer.

"How can I defend somebody on charges of murder or rape, which are far
more serious offenses under the law, if I can't defend somebody on a
drug charge?" he asked.

Gonsalves and other opposition leaders insist that they will crack
down hard on the drug trade.

Copyright Los Angeles Times

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Cannabis To Be Given Clinical Trials (Britain's 'Guardian'
Says GW Pharmaceuticals, A Pioneering Biotechnology Company,
Has Been Granted Two Licences From The Home Office
To Build A High Security Greenhouse For Cultivating Cannabis Plants
And Carrying Out The First Large-Scale Clinical Trials Of The Drug
In Britain)

Date: Fri, 12 Jun 1998 02:24:50 EDT
Errors-To: manager@drcnet.org
Reply-To: aal@inetarena.com
Originator: drctalk@drcnet.org
Sender: drctalk@drcnet.org
From: Anti-Prohibition Lg 
To: Multiple recipients of list 
Subject: Brit clinical trials for cannabis (fwd)

Cannabis to be given clinical trials

By Owen Bowcott
The Guardian (London) Friday June 12, 1998

A pioneering biotechnology company has been granted two Home Office
licences to build a high security greenhouse for cultivating cannabis
plants and carry out the first large-scale clinical trials of the
drug.

The decision signals government recognition of the growing volume of
research into medical uses of cannabis as a pain reliever, appetite
stimulant and anti-nausea treatment. The banned Schedule 1 substance
is also known to help sufferers of the eye disease, glaucoma.

GW Pharmaceuticals, established by Geoffrey Guy, has spent £4 million
leasing the greenhouse which it will fill with specialist strains of
Cannabis sativa bought from a Dutch horticultural firm. The seeds have
not yet been planted. The site is surrounded by a high, razor-wire
perimeter fence, CCTV cameras and under 24-hour guard. Its location,
somewhere in the south-east of England, is - so far - a well-kept
secret.

Dr Guy, who also set up Ethical Holdings plc and the biotechnology
company Phytopharm Ltd, specialises in developing herbal treatments
for chronic conditions such as asthma, eczema and hormone replacement
therapies. His companies have previously investigated exploiting
African herbs for the treatment of diabetes, and spider venom from
Russia for curing nervous disorders.

Cannabis has already been used in limited clinical trials in Britain.
A handful of licences are in force. Both the Laboratory of the
Government Chemist and the University of London are permitted to grow
their own plants.

But Dr Guy claimed his programme, which will cost £10 million over a
decade, would give Britain a leading role in research. Several US
states allow doctors to prescribe the drug, but they face being struck
off. In Italy, patients can grow up to six plants.

"We are going to be producing pharmaceutical grade extracts of
cannabis to carry out clinical trials," explained Dr Guy. "As many as
2,000 patients may be involved."

The first tests will be with those suffering muscle spasms due to
multiple sclerosis, and patients with severe spine injuries. "Pain
relief can be more easily assessed in a shorter-term clinical
programme," Dr Guy said. "Cannabis is not a panacea but there is such
a wealth of medical possibilities that it needs to be explored."

Although patients will not be smoking cannabis, Dr Guy believes the
active cannabinoid acids are most easily delivered through inhalation.
"As we get more experienced in dose-delivery, perhaps we will use oral
tablets.

"The support the Home Office and Department of Health have given is
indicative . . . of the fact that the Government welcomes proper
clinical research into this drug."

Until now the problem for medical researchers has been the lack of
standardised cannabis extracts which can be chemically assessed.

Earlier this year, the Home Office minister, Lord Williams, said: "If
and when the benefits of cannabis-based medicine are
scientifically-demonstrated . . . the Government would be willing to
propose an amendment to the misuse of drugs legislation to allow the
prescription of such a medicine."

Hemp plants, which have a far lower concentration of the psychoactive
cannabis constituent THC, are increasingly being grown by farmers to
produce rope and specialist papers. More than 100 licences have been
issued or renewed this year for 12 varieties of EU-approved hemp.

Special Branch was consulted before Dr Guy's project was given the
go-ahead. In the UK, cannabis still accounts for 85 per cent of drug
arrests, and there are estimated to be 500,000 illegal cannabis plants
being grown.

The number of police cautions for possession of cannabis grew 10-fold
to 40,391 in the decade to 1995. A 1996 survey revealed that 8.3
million adults between the ages of 16 and 59 had admitted using
cannabis.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Medical Company Growing Cannabis (Version In Britain's 'Daily Telegraph')

Date: Mon, 15 Jun 1998 16:09:25 -0700
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
Subject: MN: UK: Medical Company Growing Cannabis
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: webbooks@paston.co.uk (CLCIA)
Source: Daily Telegraph (UK)
Contact: dtletters@telegraph.co.uk
Website: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/
Pubdate: Fri, 12 Jun 1998
Author: Sean O'Neill

MEDICAL COMPANY GROWING CANNABIS

A secret cannabis farm has been established with the support of the
Government to investigate the medicinal uses of the illegal drug. Thousands
of cannabis plants are being grown in large glasshouses, with humidity,
light and temperature controls, at an undisclosed location in south-east
England.

The 10 million pound project is being carried out behind tall fences, amid
tight security.

GW Pharmaceuticals, the first company licensed by the Government to
cultivate and possess large quanities of cannabis, has been advised on
security by the Home Office and Special Branch.

Dr Geoffrey Guy, who founded the company, hopes his research will lead to
the production of a cannabis inhaler that would offer pain relief from
multiple sclerosis, nerve damage and spinal injuries. Any pharmaceutical
product emerging from the project would only be available on prescription.

Dr Guy, 43, said: "There is a considerable body of evidence to suggest that
cannabis may have a number of medicinal uses."

These include the relief of pain in a number of conditions, an appetite
stimulent for AIDS sufferers and preventing nausea for chemotherapy
patients.

"But there have been very few systematic reseach programmes or controlled
clinical trial," he said.

"This is the first step towards being able to produce pharmaceutical grade
materials which can be used in clinical tests to establish the facts."

Dr Guy said he expected the Home Office would amend the Misuse of Drugs Act
if he developed a suitable product.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Cannabis Country - In A Quiet Corner Of England,
An Unlikely New Crop Emerges (Version In Britain's
'Daily Express')

Date: Mon, 15 Jun 1998 16:16:17 -0700
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
Subject: MN: UK: Cannabis Country
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: webbooks@paston.co.uk (CLCIA)
Source: Daily Express, UK
Contact : Daily Express, Ludgate House, 2 Derry Street, London W8 5TS
Pubdate: Fri, 12 Jun 1998
Author: Helene Feger, Health Correspondent

CANNABIS COUNTRY

In a quiet corner of England, an unlikely new crop emerges.

Behind a fence of electrified razor-wire, monitored by TV and patrolled by
guards, a top-secret farm is about to produce a crop of cannabis. And it
will all be perfectly legal.

Instead of being smoked for pleasure, the crop will be harvested to relieve
pain.

Ministers, the Government's Chief Medical Officer, and the Britsih Medical
Association have all given their support for research into the medical
properties of the drug.

GW Pharmaceuticals is the first research company in the country to be
granted licences to carry out research and development at the 4 million
pound greenhouse in the South East.

Its founder, Dr Geoffrey Guy, said he intends to find out the best form of
treatment - apart from smoking - and identify the illnesses it could treat
safely and effectively.

"There is evidence that cannabis may have a number of medicinal uses," he said.

"The relief of pain and spasticity in multiple sclerosis and other
neurological disorders such as paraplegia and neuralgia, as an appetite
stimulant in treating AIDS patients, for the prevention of nausea and
vomiting associated with cancer chemotherapy and in the eye disease
glaucoma.

"But there have been very few research programmes or controlled clinical
trials. Our aim will be to establish the medical facts."

The Home Office has said it might be willing to change the law to allow
prescribing of cannabis-based medicines if it can be proved they benefit
patients.

Cannabis is currently classed as a drug with no therapeutic value. If it
became licensed its use could be restricted, but not banned in the same way
as morphine or oher controlled substances.

Dr Guy, 43, has been in the pharmaceutical industry since he left London
University 20 years ago and is investing a large sum of his own money into
the farm. He first suggested the idea of researching the drug's medicinal
properties to the last Tory Governemnt and recalled: "That was four years
ago and they gave us a pretty frosty reception."