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Getting A Buzz . . . International Style ('The Chicago Tribune'
Sends A Reporter To Ethnic Chicago Neighborhoods In Search Of
Psychoactive Herbal Drugs Unregulated By The FDA, And He
Comes Up With German Valerian Drops, Brazilian Guarana Soda,
Nigerian Kola Nuts, Pan Leaves From South Asia And More)
Date: Fri, 10 Jul 1998 14:35:36 -0400
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
Subject: MN: US IL: Getting A Buzz . . . International Style
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: Steve Young
Source: Chicago Tribune (IL)
Contact: tribletter@aol.com
Website: http://www.chicago.tribune.com/
Pubdate: 10 July 1998
Author: Monica Eng
Section: Tempo, page 1
GETTING A BUZZ . . . INTERNATIONAL STYLE
In an ongoing quest to calm ourselves when we're anxious and energize
ourselves when we're droopy, the human race has experimented with natural
stimulants and sedatives for centuries.
In the United States we legally ingest a rather unimaginative group of
substances that includes coffee, tea, tobacco, alcohol and the occasional
glass of warm milk. But folks in the rest of the world explore a much wider
spectrum in order to produce a buzz.
You would not have been able to find a lot of them 20 years ago, but since
then many have made their way to Chicago, along with the immigrants who use
them. The substances range from German valerian drops and Brazilian guarana
soda to Nigerian kola nuts and the spice-filled pan leaves of South Asia.
Although the folks at the Food and Drug Administration can't really
regulate a lot of these substances (because of a 1994 act that no longer
requires manufacturers to prove the safety and effectiveness of dietary
supplements) they do stress that consumers should check with their doctors
before partaking of most of this stuff.
Having checked first with our physicians (as well as the FDA and the Drug
Enforcement Administration), we recently spent some time pursuing these
often-exotic concoctions in Chicago's many ethnic neighborhoods. Let the
word go forth: Nothing we bought produces effects stronger than, say, a
double espresso or a mug of beer; but they do offer, shall we say, heady
insights into how the rest of the world chills out.
- First stop, Merz Apothecary, 4716 N. Lincoln Ave. (773-989-0900): Upon
entering this handsome, old-fashioned Lincoln Square shop, you, or more
properly your nose, is greeted by the distinctive smell of valerian.
Popular in several different forms, the plant substance may not do much for
the nose but it has long been used to calm the nerves, according to Merz
pharmacist and owner Abdul Qaiyum.
"Valerian was used (in Germany) for many years before it became popular
here as a tea," he explained. "Older folks would use it as drops and
younger people would use it in capsule form or tablet form. The third most
popular form is the tea. The idea of tranquilizers is not what the
Europeans ever wanted and so it is more of a mild calming agent, as opposed
to a tranquilizer."
Dutch-born Chicagoan Olga DeJongh recalls taking valerian in Holland in her
youth. "I remember my mother would give us valerian drops to make us less
anxious before an exam," she said.
A box of valerian tea at Merz runs about $10, while a small bottle of
valerian tincture drops is $5.95.
- Our next destination was Uptown, where we popped into the Old World
Market, 5129 N. Broadway, to find kola nuts. Nigerian advisers explain that
kola nut noshers should bite off a piece and chew it like a fruit. Most
adults in West Africa eat the nuts and, as with coffee, some find that it
gives them an energy boost while others claim it calms their nerves. This
is unsurprising as its active ingredient is caffeine. Old World sells kola
nuts at the checkout counter, where one would normally expect to find
candy, for 49 cents apiece.
- Heading further north, we visited the Indian and Pakistani district of
Devon Avenue in West Rogers Park. There, amid the produce markets,
restaurants, sari palaces and video stores, we found the House of Chat,
2642 W. Devon Ave. This 10-year-old establishment may use chat (a
chickpea-based snack) in its name, but it is much better known for two
things: its famous lentil and beef sandwiches (called bun kababs) and pan,
the pick-me-up breath-freshener of South Asia.
Made with a fresh betel nut leaf stuffed with fennel seeds, cardamom seeds,
coriander seeds, shredded coconut, ground rose petals, chopped betel nuts,
tobacco and sugar, a pan often resembles a small green taco by the time it
is fully stuffed. House of Chat panmaker Ahmed Mitani says that although
some people use them as a stimulant, these perfumy packets of chaw are
chiefly about flavor.
"Most people use it for mouth-freshening but some use it to stay awake. It
just depends on the amount of tobacco or betel nut they use," he noted.
Those who want to try pan should start by ordering a simple sweet
preparation, then stick the packet between cheek and gum and have a cup
ready for the inevitable red spit that it produces. Warning: Like chewing
tobacco juice, pan juice should not be swallowed. One pan at the House of
Chat costs $1.
- Moving south and west, we made our way to Albany Park's Arirang
Supermarket, 4017 W. Lawrence Ave., to learn how Koreans get a buzz. There
we found, as in most Korean shops, a vast array of health drinks, vitamin
drinks and, of course, ginseng tonics. We picked up a 10-pack of Korean Red
Ginseng Drink which contains sugar, water and Korean red ginseng extract.
Although there are no health claims printed on the product, Korean ginseng
has been shown in studies, including some at the University of Illinois at
Chicago, to be, as one of the studies said, "effective as a preventative or
restorative agent for enhancement of mental and physical capabilities in
cases of weakness, exhaustion, loss of concentration (primarily under
stress) and during convalescence."
According to Lisa Park, daughter of Arirang owner Yun Hee Park, customers
buy the drinks in the belief that it contributes to long-term energy and
health; but she adds that she can't vouch for it either way. A 10-pack of
Korean Red Ginseng Drink costs $12.99.
If you prefer your ginseng in fresher form, head for Ssyal Ginseng at 3604
W. Lawrence Ave. There, you can sip ginseng shakes made of fresh ginseng,
milk and honey for ($2) or purchase a large beaker filled with vodka and
ginseng roots ($70-$200) that, according to owner Ok Soon Kim, customers
buy for sick friends.
- Driving further west, we arrived at a shop that from the outside looks
like a typical liquor store but inside turns out to be a treasure trove of
Argentine culture. The shop, the Buenos Aires Deli, 3100 N. Cicero Ave,
sells more than a dozen forms of the famous Argentine herbal drink yerba
mate--and, as demonstrated by owner Ramon Mario Gimenez, almost as many
kinds of receptacles and straws with which to drink it. This herby beverage
(it comes as a tea and even in soft drink form) has been touted as an
invigorator of the mind and body as well as a promoter of health par
excellence. It also contains healthy levels of vitamins C, E, B1, B2 and
B-complex as well as magnesium, phosphorus, iron and potassium, but Gimenez
says that in his country it is less a health drink than a part of everyday
life.
"We drink it like the English drink tea," he says.
Although Gimenez sells yerba mate tea in bags, he says the more traditional
drink should be made with warmed -- not boiled -- water. After viewing his
wide array of mate cups (including a big, no-spill model for truckers) made
of wood, bamboo and gourds, we purchased a gourd-and-metal one along with a
stainless steel straw (called a bombilla) that features a strainer at one
end to filter out tea leaves and, yes, twigs. The cup costs $7.99; the
straw is $5.99; a 500 gram bag of yerba mate tea costs $2.19; and a
ready-to-drink can of Materva (which Gimenez says he's never seen in
Argentina) is 59 cents.
- After a hunt, we found guarana soda, a supercharged South American
beverage made from the guarana seed, at the primarily Argentine specialty
market El Mercado, 3767 N. Southport Ave. The drink, which can be bought in
large plastic bottles as well as in cans and glass bottles, comes in two
different forms: Guarana Brazilia and Guarana Maracana.
Although guarana is often referred to as a caffeinated drink, it actually
contains guaranine, a different substance that has the same chemical
composition as caffeine.
In addition to its properties as a stimulant, guarana is often used in
Europe and the Americas to treat headaches and promote overall health. A
12-ounce can of Maracana costs 89 cents, while the 12-ounce bottle of
Brazilia is 99 cents.
The foregoing are the buzzes we did find on our tour. But there were at
least three that escaped us. First was the popular chewing leaf called qat,
used for an energy buzz by all ages in Somalia, Ethiopia and Yemen. And
although we found plenty of kava capsules at drug stores, we couldn't find
a place that served the traditional Fijian kava drink in Chicago. And
finally, our search for a place to enjoy the popular Peruvian beverage coca
tea (yes, made from the same leaves that, in much larger volumes, are used
to make cocaine) was never successful. Probably, our difficulty stemmed
from the fact that at least two of these substances are considered illegal
by the DEA.
But as with many other formerly exotic substances, it may just be a matter
of time before they are accepted into the ever-widening cornucopia of
potions that contribute to the American buzz.
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Re - Pot Substance May Stay Strokes (A Letter Sent To The Editor
The Everett, Washington, 'Herald' In Response To The Recent News
About Researchers At The US National Institute For Mental Health
Identifying Two Active Components Of Marijuana They Think Could Be Used
To Prevent Brain Damage After Strokes Notes The Research Isn't The First
To Suggest Cannabinoids May Protect The Brain, And Includes The Text
Of A 1993 'Science News' Report, 'Marijuana And The Brain - Scientists
Discover The Brain's Own THC')
Date: Fri, 10 Jul 1998 19:27:43 -0700 (PDT)
From: bc616@scn.org (Darral Good)
To: hemp-talk@hemp.net
Subject: HT: SENT:STROKE DRUG
utilizes ancient medicine, MARIJUANA
Cc: Mgreer@mapinc.org
Reply-To: bc616@scn.org
Sender: owner-hemp-talk@hemp.net
letters@heraldnet.com
Subject: STROKE DRUG utilizes ancient medicine, MARIJUANA
Dear Editor,
Congratulations for being one of the few newspapers around to report on
the new medication -'cannabidiol', which is made from marijuana and very
useful for stroke victims.
(Pot substance may stay strokes- Herald JULY 6TH 1998)
Although I must tell you that this type of information has been common
scientific knowledge for many years now. It was reported in an article as
early as:
Source: Science News, Feb 6, 1993 v143 n6 p88(3).
Title: Marijuana and the brain: scientists discover the brain's own THC.
(delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol)
Author: Kathy A. Fackelmann
If some of the chemicals in marijuana may protect the brain from the
damage caused by injuries and stroke, who cares if it gets the users "high"?
Many of today's most useful medications make people get extremely high ,
and we don't ban those medications. ( such as opiates)
So far Doctors haven't seen fit to remove the "get high" out of codiene,
valium, or morphine. If the benefits of a drugs out-weigh the risks, then
it should be up to the Doctors and their patients which herb or medication
is ultimately used, after all it's their business, not the police's!.
DARRAL GOOD
Member of the Board of Directors
of the Washington Hemp Education Network
for more up to date info on medical marijuana check out:
URL: http://www.olywa.net/when/main.html
3023 russel way lynnwood wa 98037
425-771-8936
***
Source: Science News, Feb 6, 1993 v143 n6 p88(3).
Title: Marijuana and the brain: scientists discover the brain's own THC.
(delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol)
Author: Kathy A. Fackelmann
Abstract: William A. Devane isolated a substance in pig brains that
resembles delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, the active ingredient in marijuana.
Study of the substance, anandamide, could lead to the development of new drugs
for pain and stress.
Subjects: Tetrahydrocannabinol - Physiological aspects
Neurochemistry - Research
Electronic Collection: A13434805 RN: A13434805
Full Text COPYRIGHT Science Service Inc. 1993
William A. Devane was poring over his favorite book, The Life Divine, by
Indian philosopher Sri Aurobindo, when he came across the Sanskrit word
ananda, which means bliss. For several years, Devane had been searching for a
brain compound that resembles the active ingredient in marijuana. Then and
there he decided that if his quest proved successful, he would name the
elusive chemical after ananda. Of course, Devane still had to find the
compound, a task that involved sorting through thousands of substances active
in the brain.
But find it he did. Late in December 1992, Devane and a group of Israeli
colleagues at Hebrew University in Jerusalem reported isolating a natural
marijuana-like compound in pig brains. Now that he has the
marijuana-mimicking, pig-produced chemical, Devane is searching for the same
stuff in human brains while working in a cramped laboratory of the National
Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) in Bethesda, Md.
The notion that the brain makes its own marijuana fits in with a previous
discovery: During the 1970s, neuroscientists found that nerve cells
manufacture compounds that resemble opium, an addictive drug obtained from the
juice of the seeds of the poppy plant.
This finding spurred an intensive effort to understand the brains natural
opiate. Also in December 1992, two separate teams reported that they had
mapped the structure of one of the opiate receptors, a protein on the nerve
cell surface that recognizes and binds opiates, thus allowing these drugs to
produce their mind-altering effects.
Taken together, the reports raise many questions about why the healthy brain
produces chemicals that resemble marijuana and opium. Many scientists
speculate that such internal compounds help humans cope with stress and pain.
The findings may help neuroscientists figure out how these brain-made
substances work at the molecular level. Ultimately that knowledge will help
drug designers develop better painkillers and stress busters.
Marijuana-also known as grass, pot, Mary Jane, and a host of other names --
refers to the dried leaves and flowers of Cannabis sativa, a plant widely -
and illegally - used in the United States as a recreational drug. Users
typically roll the leaves into a paper wrapper and smoke the resulting
marijuana cigarette. In small to moderate doses, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol
(THC), the plant's active ingredient, produces feelings of well-being and
euphoria. In large doses, the drug can cause paranoia, hallucinations, and
dizziness.
But recreation isn't the only reason people smoke marijuana. Many people
suffering from glaucoma turn to illicitly obtained marijuana to help restore
their vision. The Drug Enforcement Administration still considers marijuana a
Schedule 1 drug, however - one that has no accepted medical use. That may
change. Joycelyn Elders, the Arkansas state health official who has been
tapped as President Clinton's Surgeon General, has gone on record supporting
the use of marijuana in the treatment of diseases such as glaucoma.
Synthetic versions of THC are available with a doctor's prescription. In 1985,
a lab-made THC received Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval as an
anti-nausea agent for cancer patients (SN: 6/15/85, p.377). And in December
1992, FDA approved the same drug to combat the weight loss that afflicts some
people with AIDS. Physicians can also prescribe the synthetic THC for
treatment of glaucoma, even though FDA has not specifically approved marketing
the drug for that use. evane's search for "bliss" began in the 1980s, when he
was completing his doctoral studies in pharmacology at the St. Louis (Mo.)
University School of Medicine. In 1988, Devane, who had been working with
cannabinoid researcher Allyn C. Howlett, discovered that the membranes of
nerve cells contain protein receptors that bind THC. Once securely in place,
THC kicks off a series of cellular reactions that ultimately lead to the
"high" that users experience when they smoke a marijuana cigarette.
The very existence of such a receptor implied that the human brain
manufactures a marijuana-like substance: It seemed unlikely that humans had a
specialized receptor just waiting for the plant-derived THC to show up. Thus,
the 1988 discovery had laboratories all over the world scouting for a THC
look-alike.
Doctorate in hand, Devane left St. Louis for Jerusalem to pursue his search by
working with Raphael Mechoulam, the Hebrew University chemist who had
determined THC's structure.
Before Devane, Mechoulam, and their colleagues could begin looking for the
body's version of THC, they had to design a radioactive THC-like drug, or
marker, whose location could be traced during brain cell studies. They
fashioned such a drug, then mixed it with THC receptors; they found that the
marker locked onto its target.
The Israeli team needed a reliable source of brain cells. They couldn't get
human brains, so Devane turned to a local butcher shop, where he bought pig
brains. After grinding the brains up in a blender, the researchers had to sort
through and separate thousands of brain chemicals. They tested each one to see
if it would displace the radioactive THC from the receptor.
Devane calls that search a little like looking for a needle in a haystack. But
eventually the team's hard work paid off: They discovered a substance that fit
neatly into the THC receptor.
The researchers labored for two more years to get enough of the purified
compound - a drop of clear, oily fluid - to examine in detail. Using a
technique called mass spectrometry, they determined the structure of the
substance. Devane, of course, had no trouble coming up with a name,
anandamide.
Anandamide is derived from arachidonic acid, a 20-carbon carboxylic acid that
is the starting point for a cascade of complex biochemical reactions. One
branch of that cascade leads to the production of the leukotrienes, key
substances in the inflammation process. Another branch leads to substances
known as prostaglandins, which play a role in mediating pain. Devane believes
another, as yet uncharted branch of this cascade leads to anandamide.
The Hebrew University scientists weren't through with anandamide just yet.
They had shown that the new compound docked with the THC receptor, but they
still had to demonstrate that anandamide stimulates the receptor and leads to
effects similar to those produced by THC. So Devane and his Israeli colleagues
turned to a classic experiment with mice.
They began by isolating sections of the mouse vas deferens, the muscular duct
that carries sperm from the testes to the urethra. They knew that the vas
deferens contracts when jolted by an electric shock and that THC inhibits this
socalled twitch response. The investigators discovered that anandamide works
like THC, preventing the vas deferens from contracting after electrical
stimulation.
Their finding indicates that anandamide behaves like THC, at least in this
mouse model. The Israeli team published their findings in the Dec. 18 SCIENCE.
The saga of anandamide is far from over. When Devane left Hebrew University
last year, he took his interest in this marijuana-like drug with him to NlMH.
In Building 36 on the grounds of the National Institutes of Health, Devane and
his NIMH colleagues continue to gather data on this intriguing chemical.
Indeed, Chris Felder and Eileen Briley, two of Devane's co-workers, have
collected more powerful evidence that anandamide functions like the body's own
THC.
Felder and Briley wanted to construct a laboratory model of the way the active
ingredient in pot interacts with a cell. To do that, they inserted the human
gene that codes for the THC receptor into hamster cells. When the researchers
bathed the doctored cells with THC, they measured the expected drop in the
cell's production of cyclic AMP, a key chemical involved in many cellular
reactions.
Next, Felder and Briley took a petri dish filled with genetically altered
hamster cells and poured in a purified form of anandamide. Again, they
measured a decline in cyclic AMP Unaltered cells treated with anandamide
showed no such drop.
Anandamide didn't produce as big a drop in cyclic AMP as THC did. This
suggests that the natural marijuana-like substance produced by human brains
may be weaker than the plant-derived THC. "It is not quite as potent as
delta-9, but it's close," says Felder, who notes that their research has not
yet been published.
Will purified, concentrated doses of anandamide produce mind-altering effects
in humans? Devane and Felder don't know yet, but they are hoping to test the
compound in humans shortly,
In the smaller doses that occur naturally in the body, anandamide may be
involved in the regulation of mood, memory, pain, movement, and other
activities, Devane says.
The brain's reaction to marijuana may help explain the role of anandamide,
says Michael J. Brownstein, chief of the NIMH Laboratory of Cell Biology. He
notes that dogs given large doses of THC will stumble as though they were
drunk. This observation suggests that a defect in anandamide or its receptor
may cause certain diseases characterized by loss of motor control.
For example, some scientists speculate that the natural marijuana-like
substance may play a role in Huntington's chorea, a progressive hereditary
disease that interferes with muscular control. There's no proof that
anandamide is connected to Huntington's disease, cautions Miles A. Herkenham,
an NIMH scientist. However, Herkenham's preliminary data suggest that people
with Huntington's lose lots of THC receptors early in the disease process,
even before symptoms start to surface. Herkenham's previous research (SN:
11/26/88, p. 350) produced a map of the THC receptors in the human brain.
Others wonder if anandamide plays a role in eating disorders such as anorexia
and excessive eating. Regular users of marijuana say that the drug leads to a
feeling known as "the munchies." Scientists know that THC can, in fact,
trigger a glucose craving. Such evidence suggests that anandamide is involved
in appetite control, Brownstein says.
The search for anandamide began with the discovery of the THC receptor. The
flip side of that story is being played out in the related field of opiate
research.
Several decades ago, neuroscientists identified endorphins and enkephalins,
opium-like compounds manufactured by the human brain. At that time,
researchers also had evidence that opiate receptors existed. Yet their search
for the structure of such receptors remained unsuccessful until late last
year, when peptide chemist Christopher J. Evans of the University of
California, Los Angeles, and his colleagues finally obtained a detailed
picture of one type of opiate receptor. They published their finding in the
Dec. 18 SCIENCE.
The endorphins and enkephalins are similar to opium, heroin, and morphine,
drugs derived from the seeds of the poppy plant Papaver somniferurm. Evans and
his co-workers have identified and described the messenger RNA that carries
the genetic blueprint for one type of opiate receptor from the DNA of a cell's
nucleus to the receptor's production site.
Why did it take so long? Evans says the messenger RNA for opiate receptors is
very rare and difficult to isolate. But once they had the messenger RNA, the
team could determine the amino acids that make up the receptor.
After years of searching for one of these elusive receptors, a second team has
also characterized an opiate receptor-almost certainly the same one as Evans'
group. In the Dec. 15 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES,
Brigitte L. Kieffer of the Ecole Superieure de Biotechnologie in Strasbourg,
France, and her co-workers describe an opiate receptor that looks remarkably
similar to the one the U.S. team nabbed.
The opiate receptor and the THC receptor belong to a family of proteins that
do their work via molecules called G-proteins. Evans says such receptors work
this way: An opiate or THC-like drug binds with the receptor on the outer
surface of the cell. Once activated, the receptor acts on G-proteins inside
the cell, a process that leads to a cascade of biochemical reactions - and a
feeling of euphoria.
The U.S. and French investigators identified the delta opiate receptor, a type
of receptor that binds with enkephalins. In the future, researchers hope to
find several other types of opiate receptors, a goal that should be easier now
that a map of the delta receptor exists. Evans believes that a handful of
genes probably direct the production of a host of opiate receptors, including
this one.
Neuroscientist Gavril W. Pasternak of the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer
Center in New York City predicts that the mapping of an opiate receptor will
"revolutionize" the field of opiate research. Knowing the structure of this
receptor (and others, once they are mapped), drug designers can begin to
fashion new opiate compounds, perhaps ones that fulfill the age-old promise of
relief from pain without ill effects.
How is it that the brain evolved to manufacture compounds that resemble drugs
of abuse?
Some scientists speculate that as organisms evolved from single-celled
creatures to complex ones, they needed a system to regulate a welter of
interrelated physiological functions. Thus, humans and other creatures
developed neurotransmitters, chemical messengers that allow nerve cells to
communicate with one another in the brain and with other cells in the body.
Like anandamide, the endorphins and enkephalins play a role in the healthy
brain and are probably involved in immune function, motor control, and pain
relief, Evans speculates.
Such brain chemicals also play a part in an organism's response to danger, a
throwback to the time when immediate pain relief meant animals could flee from
an attacker without delay. Most modern humans don't have to worry much about
tiger attacks, but stress remains ubiquitous. As neuroscientists learn more
about anandamide, the endorphins, and their protein receptors, they will begin
to compile a much better picture of the way these feel-good chemicals
influence human behavior.
***
[Portland NORML notes: To understand how this research led to other
research showing why marijuana is not a drug of abuse, see the 1995 article,
Marijuana and the Human Brain, by Jon Gettman, former director
of NORML.]
-------------------------------------------------------------------
The Week Online With DRCNet, Issue Number 49 (The Drug Reform Coordination
Network's Original News Summary For Activists, Including - Reports -
Correlation Between Alcohol And Crime Much Stronger Than Correlation
Between Illicit Drugs And Crime; Heicklen Arrested At Start Of
30 Hour Protest At Central Pennsylvania Festival Of The Arts;
Special Report - Drug Policy Down Under; And An Editorial By Adam J. Smith,
Running Ads Vs. Protecting Kids)
Date: Fri, 10 Jul 1998 17:06:52 EDT
Errors-To: manager@drcnet.org
Reply-To: manager@drcnet.org
Originator: drc-natl@drcnet.org
Sender: drc-natl@drcnet.org
From: DRCNet (manager@drcnet.org)
To: Multiple recipients of list (drc-natl@drcnet.org)
Subject: The Week Online with DRCNet, Issue No. 49
THE WEEK ONLINE WITH DRCNet, ISSUE No. 49 -- JULY 10, 1998
-- PLEASE COPY AND DISTRIBUTE --
(To sign off this list, mailto: listproc@drcnet.org with the
line "signoff drc-natl" in the body of the message, or
mailto:drcnet@drcnet.org for assistance. To subscribe to
this list, visit http://www.drcnet.org/signup.html.)
(This issue can be also be read on our web site at
http://www.drcnet.org/wol/49.html.)
THE WAR OVER THE WAR ON DRUGS
***
Dear friends:
Yesterday was a momentous day in the anti-prohibition
effort. As the federal government kicked off its billion
dollar anti-drug ad campaign, the very media that are
running the ads greeted them with an air of skepticism.
Even in the once sacrosanct realm of kids and anti-drug
messages, there is now another "side".
Drug policy reformers aren't against prevention. In
fact, most of us see such efforts as part of a peaceful
alternative to current policies of police and prisons. But
we do have things to say on that issue, as well as about
prohibition itself, and the media is now ready to include us
in the debate. And as one of our supporters has pointed
out, people from outside the ranks of the reform movement
have begun to make our points for us, perhaps the most
convincing evidence so far that the tide of public opinion
is slowly but surely shifting in our direction.
Bill Press, before switching to a commercial break on
CNN's Crossfire last night, referred to the drug policy
debate as "the war over the war on drugs". CNN wouldn't
call this a "war" if they thought it was just a discussion
among intellectuals that was destined to fade away into
insignificance. The drug policy debate -- the war over the
war on drugs -- has begun in earnest. Our moment in history
has arrived.
You, the members and readers of DRCNet and the
organizations with which we have allied, have a special role
to play. Wonderful events of the past two years -- medical
marijuana passing in California and Arizona, the open letter
to Secretary General Kofi Annan, for example -- have had an
enormous impact in opening the debate on drug policy,
bringing us to this exciting point in time. But bringing
the final victory home will also require a true mass
movement of citizens, getting the phone calls going into
Congress, the letters into the media, setting up the forums,
handing out the flyers, circulating the petitions, marching
in the streets.
Because of our Internet structure, the ease of
connecting with and staying in touch with us, DRCNet is very
well suited to the task of building this movement. Our
numbers have passed the 6,000 mark. We need your help to
build that 6,000 to 60,000 and that 60,000 to 100,000 or
more. You can help by sending your friends to our web site,
talking about us in online forums, redistributing our
bulletins, collecting e-mail addresses at public events, and
of course by responding to our action alerts and maximizing
their impact. (Though we ask that you tell people first
what you are signing them up for and get their permission.)
You can also help by becoming a supporting member of
DRCNet. Thanks to enthusiastic reader response, our paid
membership rolls broke the 1,000 mark this week! Yet many
more are needed in order to strengthen the organization's
finances and help us grow and do more. Will you cast your
vote for reform and join today? Annual membership dues are
$25, or $10 for "virtual", e-mail only membership. Sign up
through our secure registration form at
http://www.drcnet.org/signup.html (hit reload if you get an
error message), or just send your check to: DRCNet, 2000 P
St., NW, Suite 615, Washington, DC 20036. Note that
contributions to DRCNet are not tax-deductible.
Thank you for your support, and for marching with us in
this time of change!
David Borden
Executive Director
P.S. Check out the July 13 issue of New York magazine, now
on the stands, for an outstanding 1 1/3 page review of Mike
Gray's Drug Crazy -- or read it online at
http://www.newyorkmag.com/Critics/view.asp?id=1551. Pick
up Drug Crazy in your local bookstore, and when you do, read
about DRCNet on page 203! Or visit the Drug Crazy web site
at http://www.drugcrazy.com.
***
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Government Kicks Off Billion Dollar Anti-Drug Ad
Campaign
http://www.drcnet.org/wol/49.html#partnership
2. Feds File Motion to Allow Marshals to Shut Down Medical
Marijuana Dispensaries
http://www.drcnet.org/wol/49.html#federalmotion
3. Oakland City Council Adopts Liberal Medical Marijuana
Guidelines
http://www.drcnet.org/wol/49.html#oakland
4. Reports: Correlation Between Alcohol and Crime Much
Stronger than Correlation Between Illicit Drugs and
Crime
http://www.drcnet.org/wol/49.html#alcohol
5. Federal Study Suggests Marijuana May Prevent Brain
Damage in Stroke Victims
http://www.drcnet.org/wol/49.html#study
6. Anti-Needle Exchange H.R. 3717 Moves to Senate
http://www.drcnet.org/wol/49.html#hr3717
7. Michigan Legislature Reforms "650 Lifer" Law
http://www.drcnet.org/wol/49.html#650lifer
8. Heicklen Arrested at Start Of 30 Hour Protest at Central
Pennsylvania Festival Of The Arts
http://www.drcnet.org/wol/49.html#heicklen
9. Special Report: Drug Policy Down Under
http://www.drcnet.org/wol/49.html#australia
10. Editorial: Running Ads vs. Protecting Kids
http://www.drcnet.org/wol/49.html#editorial
***
1. GOVERNMENT KICKS OFF $1 BILLION ANTI-DRUG AD CAMPAIGN
This week (7/9) the Office of National Drug Control Policy,
along with the Partnership for a Drug Free America, launched
the most expensive and wide-ranging anti-drug media campaign
ever targeted at America's youth and parents. The proposed
five-year plan will cost taxpayers $1 billion and the
government hopes that an additional $1 billion can be raised
from private sources. According to media sources, the
campaign will be the fifteenth-largest media buy in history,
surpassing Nike, American Express and Sprint, among others.
Interestingly, American media outlets, many of which stand
to reap large profits by selling time to the campaign, were
nevertheless willing to air dissenting opinions in their
coverage of the launch. From CNN's Crossfire and Talk Back
Live to the national network news shows, drug policy
reformers were well-represented. This level of coverage is
a continuation of a trend which has been building for some
time but which has become even more pronounced in the wake
of high-profile protests during the recent United Nations'
Special Session on Narcotics in June.
"As recently as two years ago, a launch like this would have
been portrayed in the American media as a feel-good fest,
with drug warriors, unopposed, preening for the cameras and
telling America how much they are doing for their children"
said DRCNet executive director David Borden. "The media's
response to what would once have been seen as a non-
controversial, if politically-motivated program indicates
that the reform movement can no longer be brushed-off as a
fringe group. The debate, once limited to one "side"
advocating more prisons and the other "side" advocating many
more prisons, is now very definitely seen by the media
gatekeepers as being between the Prohibitionists and the
reformers. And since people tend to become more inclined
toward reform the more they learn about the issue, this
constitutes a major, major step forward for the reform
movement."
Reformers, including The Lindesmith Center's Ethan Nadelmann
(http://www.lindesmith.org) and Mike Gray, author of the new
book "Drug Crazy" (http://www.drugcrazy.com), spoke of the
need to address more serious concerns, such as children's
unabated access to drugs, as well as the need to support
programs that have been proven to work in reducing teen drug
use, such as after-school programs. Gray challenged drug
czar Barry McCaffrey on the drug policy record of The
Netherlands, pointing out that Dutch officials are upset
enough at the U.S. government's mischaracterizations that
they are considering filing a diplomatic protest.
Ty Trippet, a spokesman for The Lindesmith Center, told The
Week Online, "think of what a billion dollars invested in
after-school programs, invested directly in kids, could do
in terms of connecting them with mentors and involving them
in positive activities. That is real prevention. That is
how we'll keep kids off drugs. This campaign is more about
putting a do-something face on an accomplish-nothing drug
war. And people, media included, are starting to get it."
Nightline featured a discussion of the ad campaign,
including Brandweek Senior Editor David Kiley, who pointed
out that there has been very little research or data
gathered on the effectiveness of these types of ads
(http://www.drcnet.org/rapid/1998/5-22.html#brandweek).
(Transcripts of yesterday's discussions on CNN Talkback Live
and Crossfire are available on CNN's web site, at
http://cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/9807/09/tl.00.html and
http://cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/9807/09/cf.00.html. CNN's
report on the ad campaign, with video audio samples, are at
http://www.allpolitics.com/1998/07/09/clinton.drug/. As
of this afternoon, Nightline had not yes posted a transcript
of this report, but it will probably be there within a few
days; check at http://www.abcnews.com/onair/nightline/.
***
2. FEDS FILE MOTION TO ALLOW MARSHALS TO SHUT DOWN MEDICAL
MARIJUANA DISPENSARIES
The federal government filed an ex parte motion with U.S.
District Court Judge Charles Breyer (7/7), asking that the
U.S. Marshal be authorized immediately to close down medical
cannabis clubs in Oakland, Marin, and Mendocino County. If
granted, the motion would mean immediate forcible closure of
the clubs, which currently serve over 2,000 Bay Area medical
marijuana patients.
The government also filed motions ordering the clubs to show
cause why they should not be held in contempt of a
preliminary injunction ordering them to cease operations,
and asking the judge to grant a summary judgment holding
them in contempt. Hearings on the contempt motions will
be held on August 14th at 10:00 am.
Attorneys for the defendants are hopeful that the hearings
will lead to a jury trial of the defendants, who enjoy
strong support in their local communities. In the meantime,
medical marijuana advocates are praying that Breyer will not
let federal authorities close the clubs.
An earlier government motion to let marshals close the clubs
was rejected by Judge Breyer last May. This time, the
government is arguing that the clubs have continued
operations in violation of the court's injunction, which
forbids distribution of marijuana in violation of the
federal Controlled Substances Act. As evidence, the
government has submitted testimony from DEA agents that the
clubs are still open to patients. However, agents
conspicuously failed in an effort to buy marijuana at the
Oakland club, in an episode videotaped by news media on May
21. (The operation coincidentally took place at the same
time the club was holding a well-attended press conference.)
Defense attorneys contend that the clubs' distribution of
medical marijuana to patients is not illegal under the
Controlled Substances Act, and that they are therefore not
in violation of the federal injunction.
California NORML coordinator Dale Gieringer denounced the
federal motions as a "cruel and immoral assault on patients'
rights and a gross usurpation of powers rightly reserved for
the states and local communities."
Jeff Jones, who runs the Oakland club, told The Week Online,
"We're expecting a bust any day now. The feds, acting
against the stated intention of the local government, are
totally out of hand. But we're awaiting our day in court.
We strongly believe that we are not in violation of the
court order. This is about people, sick and suffering
people, and a community that wants to allow them to help
themselves in the best way they see fit. It is also, thanks
to the 'zero-tolerance crowd' about an abuse of power and
the overstepping of boundaries in an effort to enforce a
punitive and morally bankrupt ideological position. We are
extremely confident that in the end, the warriors will be
exposed for what they are... and they won't end up looking
too good."
***
3. OAKLAND CITY COUNCIL ADOPTS LIBERAL MEDICAL MARIJUANA
GUIDELINES
Oakland, July 7, 1998: The Oakland City Council this week
unanimously approved what are thought to be the nation's
strongest and most patient-friendly police guidelines to
protect medical marijuana users from arrest.
The guidelines, based on the federal government's own dosage
allotments to the eight medical marijuana patients it
supplies, allow patients to possess up to 1.5 pounds of
marijuana (a three-month's supply) or up to 6 pounds (a one
year's supply) if grown in their own gardens.
Chuck Thomas, communications director for the Marijuana
Policy Project (http://www.mpp.org), told The Week Online,
"What sweet irony it is that these guidelines, which will
undoubtedly upset people like (California Attorney General
and gubernatorial candidate) Dan Lungren, are taken directly
from the federal government's own guidelines. These amounts
were arrived at by the federal government's own doctors.
That'll certainly make it difficult for them to credibly
complain. Sheer genius."
Patients may grow up to 48 flowering plants indoors, or up
to 96 total (allowing for unflowering males), or 30
flowering plants outdoors, up to 60 total outdoors.
"Oakland is to be congratulated for leading the way out of
reefer madness and towards a truly enlightened policy on
marijuana," commented California NORML coordinator Dale
Gieringer, an Oaklander.
Substantial parts of the two previous stories were reported
by Dale Gieringer of California NORML. You can reach Dale
at canorml@igc.apc.org and you can find NORML on the web at
http://www.norml.org, or California NORML at
http://www.norml.org/canorml.
***
4. REPORTS: CORRELATION BETWEEN ALCOHOL AND CRIME MUCH
STRONGER THAN CORRELATION BETWEEN ILLICIT DRUGS AND CRIME
- Chad Thevenot, Criminal Justice Policy Foundation
A report released this week by Drug Strategies, a drug
policy think-tank based in Washington, DC, finds that in
1996, 41% percent of all South Carolina arrestees tested
positive for illegal drugs on the day they were arrested,
However, because marijuana, the most commonly used illicit
drug, is fat-soluble, making it detectable in the body much
longer than alcohol and other drugs, this figure is
misleading. Arrestees testing positive for an illegal drug
does not accurately indicate if such persons were under the
psychoactive effects of a drug while committing the offense.
According to the Drug Strategies report, in 1996, four
percent of arrestees in South Carolina tested positive for
alcohol, while 51% admitted having used alcohol within
three days prior to the arrest (Drug Strategies, "South
Carolina Profile: Alcohol, Tobacco & Other Drugs," 1998).
In 1995, forty percent of probationers reported being under
the influence of alcohol when they committed their offense
compared to 14% who reported being under the influence of
illicit drugs, according to a Department of Justice report.
In regards to violent offenses, the gap in percentages
widens to 41% of offenders reporting being under the
influence of alcohol and 11% reporting being under the
influence of drugs (Christopher J. Mumola, "Substance Abuse
and Treatment of Adults on Probation, 1995," Bureau of
Justice Statistics Special Report, March 1998, NCJ 166611)
According to a Department of Justice report on alcohol and
crime, "nearly 4 in 10 violent victimizations involve use of
alcohol, about 4 in 10 fatal motor vehicles accidents are
alcohol-involved; and about 4 in 10 offenders, regardless of
whether they are on probation, in local jail, or in State
prison, self-report that they were using alcohol at the time
of the offense." Sixty-five percent of spouse violence
victimizations involved alcohol only, compared to 5%
involving illicit drugs only. In regards to rape and sexual
assaults, 30% of offenders were using alcohol while 4% were
using drugs (Lawrence A. Greenfield, "Alcohol and Crime,"
Bureau of Justice Statistics report, April 1998).
(Chad Thevenot is Operations Manager for the Criminal
Justice Policy Foundation, 1899 L St., NW, Suite 500,
Washington, DC 20036, phone: (202) 835-9075, fax: (202) 833-
8561.)
***
5. FEDERAL STUDY SUGGESTS MARIJUANA MAY PREVENT BRAIN DAMAGE IN
STROKE VICTIMS - Kris Lotlikar
The National Institute on Mental Health has begun testing
certain chemicals in marijuana for whether they might
protect brain cells during a stroke. THC and cannabidiol
have both exhibited promising results, but the study is
being concentrated on cannabidiol because of its lack of
psychoactive properties. Cannabidiol (CBD) proved to be a
potent antioxidant in a test tube for protecting brain
tissue exposed to toxic neurochemicals produced during a
stroke. Aiden Hampson, the team leader feels that CDB is a
better candidate than the other chemicals found in
marijuana. Dr. Hampson's research team has now started
giving intravenous CDB to rat and reveal the preliminary
results are promising. He stated to the UK Guardian, "We
have something that passes the brain barrier easily, has low
toxicity, and appears to be working in the animal trials.
So I think we have a good chance."
This discovery has special importance in the political
arena, with medical marijuana initiatives possibly appearing
on five states ballots this fall. "This study adds to the
list of studies showing that there are more useful chemicals
in the marijuana plant than just THC," Chuck Thomas,
director of communication for the Marijuana Policy Project
told The Week Online. "This should be no surprise,
considering that most patients prefer smoking marijuana to
the THC pill (Marinol)."
Dr. Hampson claims that cannabidiol has so far been
considered an inactive ingredient. According to Paul
Armentano, director of communication for NORML, however,
cannabidiol has been studied for various uses in the past.
"This may look like a new discovery, but Israeli pharmacists
have been studying it for about 4-5 years," commented Mr.
Armentano to The Week Online. Research on CDB has been
conducted to treat epilepsy and Huntington's disease. In
Israel, a biotechnology company called Pharmos has developed
a derivative of CDB called Dexanabinol, and has recently
begun phase III testing, using human subjects. Pharmos
claims Dexanabinol can control neuronal cell death, the
damage caused by head trauma and strokes.
***
6. ANTI-NEEDLE EXCHANGE H.R. 3717 MOVES TO SENATE
- Taylor West
(EDITOR'S NOTE: DRCNet supporters come from the ranks of the
progressive left, who support government funding of social
services, to the libertarian right, who largely feel the
government shouldn't be doing anything. We respect all of
these people's viewpoints, and are happy to have them as
allies. The issue of federal funding of needle exchange is
one where we believe that lifting of the ban on such funding
would actually make things better from both points of view.
The reason is that the federal government is already funding
AIDS prevention. The ban on use of such funds for needle
exchange programs amounts to discrimination against drug
users and those with whom they come into direct of indirect
contact. Lifting the federal ban simply amounts to a
deregulation of federal AIDS funding, or a deference of the
federal government to state-level decision making. Hence,
we see this funding issue as independent of the government
vs. private sector debate; and we also believe that
furthering the social acceptance of needle exchange will
foster the development of a humane drug policy, which is
antithetical to the prohibition that it causing so much
harm. This is why we are opposing the federal needle
exchange funding ban. Note that the bill discussed here
would have even further-reaching discriminatory effects than
the current policy.)
House Resolution 3717, which would permanently ban the use
of federal funds to support needle exchange, passed the
House of Representatives on April 29th and has taken its
place on the calendar to be considered in the Senate. While
the Senate schedule is always tentative, the bill is
expected to see debate on the floor as early as this week.
This legislation, sponsored in the House by Rep. Gerald
Solomon (R-NY), amends the Public Health Service Act to
state that no money provided by the federal government
during any fiscal year may be used "directly or indirectly"
to fund the distribution of needles to intravenous drug
users. It passed the House by a vote of 287 to 140.
Not surprisingly, H.R. 3717 has drawn sharp protest from
needle exchange advocates. "It's economic foolishness.
It's inhumanity. And we'll pay for it in the end," warned
Dan Bigg of the Chicago Recovery Alliance. Ellen Goldstein
from the Center for AIDS Prevention Studies concurred.
"It's the worst example of ignoring science and developing
policy based on political pressure," she stated this week.
"This is a particularly nasty piece of legislation for three
reasons," said Chris Lanier, of the National Coalition to
Save Lives Now. "First, it takes the authority for
decision-making on needle exchange out of the hands of the
administration and the Department of Health and Human
Services. Second, it makes the ban we already have a
permanent one, which would require more action by Congress
to reverse. And third, the language of the bill makes it
possible that funding that goes to programs for any sort of
intervention could be banned."
That language -- particularly the use of the words "directly
and indirectly" -- has other organizations worried as well.
Jeff Jacobs, Director of Government Affairs for AIDS Action,
told the Week Online, "We're very concerned about the bill
language. It could mean that people are prevented even from
getting treatment, something both sides agree addicts should
get." Because there is not a clear idea of what constitutes
"indirect" expenditure of funds on needle exchange, both
Jacobs and Lanier fear that organizations which provide many
other services in addition to exchange might be cut off
entirely.
Another point of contention which has spurred protest from
several House members is the process through which H.R. 3717
has seen debate. The bill was put directly on the House
floor, without the usual committee hearings or discussion,
by the House Rules Committee, of which sponsor Solomon is
the chair. Following less than three hours of debate, the
bill was passed on to the Senate. Now, once again without
committee hearings, it has been placed on the calendar of
the Senate floor for debate within the next few weeks.
"What we're seeing happen," says Lanier, "is that the issue
is not well understood, and yet it's acted on anyway... It
allows for greater reliance on politics and less on a
reasoned examination of the science."
Despite the bill's overwhelming passage in the House,
support is not expected to come quite so easily in the
Senate. Indicators from related legislation seem to show
that only two or three votes may separate the opposing
sides. This means that constituents' efforts to influence
their senators may play a major role in the fate of H.R.
3717. For the next week or longer, pressure from the
outside will have a vital influence on the course of this
legislation, and thus on the future of funding for U.S.
needle exchange. Please call your two Senators; you can
reach them through the Congressional Switchboard at (202)
224-3121, or write them at United States Senate, Washington,
DC 20510.
***
7. MICHIGAN LEGISLATURE REFORMS "650 LIFER" LAW
- Kris Lotlikar
The "650 Lifer" law in Michigan is the toughest drug law in
the country. It requires a mandatory sentence of life
without parole for individuals convicted of delivery of 650
gram or more of cocaine or heroin. A bi-partisan effort in
the state legislature has passed two important reforms to
this law. "650 lifers" will now be eligible for parole at
15, 17 1/2, or 20 years, depending on if the individual is a
repeat offender and whether the individual cooperated with
law enforcement. Judges will also gain some discretion in
the sentencing of persons convicted of "650" offenses. The
law will now hold a penalty of "life or any term of years,
but not less than 20 years." Governor Engler is expect to
sign the bill into law this August.
Representative Barbara Dobb spearheaded the reform effort.
"I would hope this acts as a catalyst for legislators to
take a hard look at the harsh mandatory minimum penalties,"
Rep. Dobb told The Week Online. "Instead of targeting drug
kingpins, it has mainly incarcerated low-level addicts and
couriers for life, at a tremendous cost to the taxpayers.
It's long past time to be smart on crime and make sure that
those most involved in the drug trade serve the longest
sentences," she also stated. Representative Ted Wallace,
Representative Mike Nye and Senator William Van Regenmorter
were all instrumental in pulling together this risky
election year legislation.
"Make no mistake, the '650 lifer' law remains one of the
harshest drug laws in the U.S.," said Laura Sager, director
of Families Against Mandatory Minimums' Michigan Project.
"There is nothing 'soft' about a penalty that is still more
severe than that of second degree murder. In addition, it
is very difficult for individuals sentenced to life to meet
the stringent parole requirements for those with life
sentences -- fewer than one percent of individuals serving
parolable life sentences for other crimes have been released
in the last decade."
Many members of the community have worked to get these
reforms in place. Activists include family members, judges,
attorneys, clergy and other individuals whose lives have
been touched by this law. This is a "tremendous achievement
for grassroots activism," Laura Sager commented to The Week
Online.
Families Against Mandatory Minimums is a national, non-
profit sentencing reform organization with 33,000 members
nationally and 3,100 in Michigan. Visit them on the web at
http://www.famm.org.
***
8. HEICKLEN ARRESTED AT START OF 30 HOUR PROTEST AT CENTRAL
PENNSYLVANIA FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS
- Alex Morgan
Penn State Professor Julian Heicklen is in Centre County
Prison in lieu of $50,000 bail following his arrest for
marijuana possession during the first hour of a 30 hour
marathon "Smoke Out" coinciding with the four-day Central
Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts.
The protest began at "High Noon" at the university's main
gate in downtown State College, with Heicklen reading a
statement summarizing his six month civil disobedience
campaign. Penn State police arrived at 12:15 to inform
Heicklen he was in violation of a university policy
prohibiting use of a bull horn without a permit. Heicklen
responded that the university lacked the power to pass
legislation and ordinances and that "... it's my policy to
use the bull horn." The police left saying they would be
back.
Heicklen lit a joint and passed it around a crowd of
supporters. About nine of the 70 protesters smoked
marijuana, although the demonstration was witnessed by
hundreds of the 100,000 visitors that are in "Happy Valley"
for the festival which runs through Sunday night. Also in
attendance were reporters from the local CBS and Fox
affiliates, as well an editor and photographer from "High
Times" magazine.
Heicklen repeated his claim that he is not a pot advocate
but a "political smoker... The lighted marijuana weed is the
torch of liberty... I believe in freedom. Not only that but
I'm a tired old miser, I object to supporting the pot heads
in prison with my money. I want all those pot heads out of
prison, on the street and working so they can support me and
raise my Social Security payments."
The police returned at about 12:30pm, but the joint was out,
and they once again failed to convince Heicklen to cease
using the bull horn and left saying they would return.
Finally, the police returned when Heicklen lit up a second
time, confiscated the joint, confirmed it was marijuana and
arrested him at 12:55pm.
Heicklen went limp and made the officers carry him into the
police car and later into District Magistrate Carmen
Prestia's office. According to Heicklen associate Charlie
Miller, who attended the hearing, Prestia asked Heicklen if
he intended to continue with the protest at the Arts
Festival, and Heicklen asked the magistrate if he was asking
him to indict himself for crimes not yet committed. Prestia
then said he was tired of playing Heicklen's games, and that
he was "carrying this thing too far." Prestia set
Heicklen's bail at $50,000 cash and scheduled his
Preliminary Arraignment for July 15 at 10:00am. Normal bail
for possession of a small amount of marijuana in Centre
County is $500.00. Heicklen was lodged in Centre County
Prison in lieu of bail to await his hearing next Wednesday.
Charlie Miller, Press Liaison of the Centre County
Libertarian Party, co-sponsors of the protests, will now
lead the four day rally during Heicklen's incarceration.
"It will definitely continue. We made commitments. These
people are showing up (the rally speakers), and we will keep
pressing the issue, although its unlikely that a lot of
people will be smoking pot." Among the scheduled speakers
are nationally known authors Drs. Lynn Zimmer, John Morgan
and Lester Grinspoon.
After Heicklen was arrested, the police told the
demonstrators that they could not use any "sound
amplification." The campus police maintained a strong
presence in the area all day, as did the State College
police across the street.
Miller said, "This is our 26th week of having political
protests. We never had a problem before (with the bull horn
and literature tables); the police are obviously very
sensitive because of the Art Fest. They're saying we're not
allowed to pass out literature in State College because
people might litter, and on Penn State property we're not
allowed to sit down on the sidewalk, and anything we carry
to the protest has to be carried, we can't set anything
down. We're going to see if we can get around that. As
Libertarians we're a political party and that's
constitutionally protected."
Miller and local activist Diane Fornbacher are making
alternative plans to house the speakers that were going to
stay with Professor Heicklen. Miller said he doesn't expect
Heicklen to be out of jail before the protest ends on Sunday
(6/12) at 6:00pm.
***
9. SPECIAL REPORT: DRUG POLICY DOWN UNDER
- Greg Ewing for DRCNet
On June 21, the mayor of Melbourne (Australia), Ivan
Deveson, proposed the establishment of a heroin trial in
Melbourne as a way to reduce the growing number of deaths
from heroin overdose. Deveson said the trial should be
similar to one proposed for the Australian Capital Territory
(ACT) last year, and which was cancelled by the Federal
Government only shortly before it was scheduled to begin.
Counselor Deveson also revealed that the city is close to a
decision on introducing safe injecting rooms for heroin
users. "We're either going to surpass the road death (with
heroin overdoses), or we'll trial a safe injecting room."
Counselor Deveson was critical of Prime Minister John
Howard's leadership on drug policy, and also voiced his
despair over resistance to change amongst his peers: "... if
anyone puts their foot in this water, they will be seen as
too soft... because the community is so conservative.
(It's) led by our PM, a friend of mine. Two years ago I was
just as conservative. But I would have to acknowledge I
have shifted in this journey. And I despair at the number
of my generation who haven't come on that journey and who
now will not understand when I tell them about the problem."
Last year, the province of New South Wales established a
joint committee to investigate use of injecting rooms. In
one description of a de-facto shooting gallery in Sydney's
Kings Cross, the committee was told an average of 60
customers paid $5 for the use of a room for 10 minutes over
a 24-hour period. A knock on the door signaled when your
time was up, and also gave workers an opportunity to act
quickly on an overdose. An ambulance was required to attend
three overdoses a week. There had been 10 deaths on the
premises over the previous nine years. The committee's
report, submitted in February this year, contained a
majority recommendation against establishing safe injecting
rooms because of safety concerns, arguing that heroin
remains an illegal and uncontrolled substance.
Frankfurt has had a steady decrease in the number of people
dying from drug overdoses since the city introduced
injecting rooms in 1991. By 1996, fewer than 50 people died
each year. In Victoria, the total has been climbing
steadily since 1991, to more than 160 deaths in 1996.
New statistics show that the Melbourne ambulance service
attends 180 overdoses a month, or almost 6 a day. In most
cases Narcan can be administered and the patient comes-to
immediately. A report last year by the Australian Bureau of
Criminal Intelligence cited the absence of reporting systems
for the non-fatal overdoses as a reason for the lack of a
clear understanding about Australians' heroin use.
Following the mayor's heroin trial proposal, the Victorian
Government said that they would endorse a national trial but
not approve one held only in Melbourne. The Premier said
that such trials in Melbourne could be counter-productive by
attracting drug barons as well as users from other states.
Educators, students, and several medical bodies
applauded the calls.
Mayor Deveson later agreed that the council did not have the
power to set up injection rooms, but he said "we're reaching
a point where more young people between 15 and 25 are dying
of drug overdoses than road death. We haven't reached that
point, but we will very soon if we don't consider an
alternative".
The Lord Mayor states that his concern for Melbourne stems
from his experience working in Detroit in the 1960s where he
saw a degradation in standards. Over the past few years,
many more areas of Melbourne have developed a very visible
street-trade in heroin. Demand for syringes in the city had
trebled in the past 3 years.
HEROIN USE INCREASING, ESPECIALLY AMONG YOUNG AND FEMALE
Victorian Drug Trends 1997, a federally commissioned report
and the most comprehensive assessment of illicit drug use in
Victoria, reveals an alarming trend for users to be younger
and female. Polydrug abuse was also on the increase.
Heroin may no longer be regarded as a "hard drug" by the
drug community. "In the past, drug users would say to us
that they and their friends wouldn't use heroin -- heroin
was for losers -- but now that's changed," said researcher
Dr. Greg Rumbold. He speculated that this could partly be
explained because heroin had become more easily available
and cheaper. Most respondents (58%) said the price was
stable while a third said it had dropped as purity had
increased.
Just under two-thirds (62%) reported involvement in crime in
the previous month and, despite most believing there had
been more police activity at the time of the survey, most
(60%) said this did not make it harder to get drugs. Forty
percent of those involved in criminal activity had dealt in
drugs and 36 percent admitted to property crimes.
The survey showed that 56 percent of respondents had
overdosed at least once and three-quarters had witnessed an
overdose.
Evidence collected also backs up national data showing that
most heroin-related overdoses occur in older, more
experienced users. The median age of overdose victims
attended to by ambulance was 27.
Victoria To Trial 4 Drugs To Facilitate Heroin Addiction
Treatment
The first trial will compare two drugs, LAAM and
buprenorphine, as maintenance treatment in 522 users,
against methadone in 522 users. Another maintenance
treatment trial will involve 40 people taking slow-release
oral morphine. The third trial will have 250 addicts
taking buprenorphine as a withdrawal treatment. In the
final trial, 100 former users taking naltrexone to prevent
relapse will be compared with 100 people taking dummy pills.
VICTORIA ANNOUNCES CAUTIONING SCHEME FOR DRUG USERS (7 JULY)
Following the success of a 6 month trial, Victoria announced
that from September 1, first-time cannabis users will be
cautioned if they are in possession of less than 50 grams.
A pilot for a similar cautioning system for other illicit
drugs including heroin and cocaine is also to take place.
Those cautioned will be offered help and advice. For drugs
other than cannabis, users would have to undertake to accept
some mandatory drug assessment and treatment in return for
the caution. The government has approved $600,000 for extra
assistance to the 13 to 15 drug treatment agencies that
could be involved in the pilot.
During the earlier cannabis-cautioning pilot program, only 8
of the 97 offenders cautioned re-offended during the 6 month
trial period and 93 percent of police officers surveyed said
the procedure saved resources for more serious matters.
Professor David Penington, who headed the Premier's Advisory
Council on Illicit Drugs, yesterday congratulated police on
their "substantial" change in attitude. "They've recognized
that the (drug) problem hasn't been solved by simple
prohibition and that the problem was getting worse, with
more young people especially getting involved in the heroin
scene."
In an interview with the Melbourne Age, the Chief
Commissioner of Police said that during two decades working
as a police officer he had been locked into a hard line
approach to drug users. But he admitted the approach had
not worked and said "I have in recent years changed my mind
considerably."
The cost to the Victorian police and court system, through
trying and then judging first-time marijuana users, is about
$A25-$A30 million.
A SNAPSHOT OF CURRENT AUSTRALIAN CANNABIS LAW STATE BY STATE
* South Australia
Most relaxed laws in country. Decriminalised low-level use
in 1987. Cultivation and possession of up to 100 grams or
10 backyard plants attracts $A50-$A150 on the spot fine.
For greater amounts normal prosecutions apply.
* New South Wales
Offenders must face court. Fines and prison terms are
common, although magistrates can release offenders without
conviction.
* Queensland
Same as for New South Wales.
* Tasmania
Cabinet approval imminent on proposals to introduce a formal
written caution for first-time possession of up to 50 grams.
Modeled on the new Victorian policy and will be tried for 12
months.
* Australian Capital Territory
Personal use decriminalized in 1992. Generally up to a
$A100 fine, no conviction if found with less than 25 grams
or less than 5 plants. Police do however have the
discretion to lay a criminal charge.
* Western Australia
Conservative Government has been resisting calls for minor
cannabis use to be decriminalized. Offenders must face
court but most minor offenders walk away with small fines.
* Northern Territory
On-the-spot fines for possession of amounts less than 50
grams which were intended for personal use.
***
10. EDITORIAL: RUNNING ADS VS. PROTECTING KIDS
This week, the Office of National Drug Control Policy, in
conjunction with the Partnership for a Drug Free America,
launched a $2 Billion anti-drug media campaign. Advertisements
will run nationwide, on television, radio and the
Internet. The ads will warn, threaten, cajole and plead
with kids to stay away from the illicit drugs that we, after
nearly eighty years of drug prohibition, have been unable to
keep out of their reach.
The ads, insofar as they are truthful, will probably do no
harm, though there is scant evidence that they will do much
good, other than to convince American parents that their
government is at least doing something. But the very
presence of the ads begs the larger and more important
question: Why are these dangerous substances so far outside
of the control of responsible society that we cannot keep
them out of the hands of kids? The answer is that drug
prohibition, like alcohol prohibition before it, has failed
our children, and failed them spectacularly.
We have been here before. On February 9, 1925, nearly
halfway through America's disastrous national experiment in
alcohol prohibition, Colonel William L. Barker, Northern
Division, Salvation Army, was asked by a Minnesota newspaper
reporter about the impact of Prohibition. Col. Barker's
response, which speaks to a vastly increased level of access
by children to prohibited substances, is as relevant to the
parents of today as it was to the parents of the time.
"Prohibition has diverted the energies of the Salvation Army
from the drunkard in the gutter to the boys and girls in
their teens," he said. "The work of the Army has completely
changed in the past five years... Prohibition has so
materially affected society that we have girls in our rescue
homes who are 14 and 15 years old, while 10 years ago the
youngest was in the early twenties."
Today, we are faced with the shocking reality of twelve and
thirteen year-olds using heroin, methamphetamine and LSD.
And despite ever-increasing efforts to enforce prohibition,
Michigan University's Monitoring The Future Survey shows
that over the past twenty years, while America's incarce-
rated population has grown nearly ten-fold, access by kids
to these substances has either risen almost across the
board. As for marijuana, the Michigan study shows that
nearly 90% of twelfth graders say it is "easy" or "fairly
easy" to obtain. And a survey, released in 1997 by the
Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, found that when
asked which is easier to buy, nearly four times as many 12-
17 year-olds answered 'marijuana' as 'beer'.
Drug prohibition, far from a form of "drug control", is in
reality the surrendering of control over dangerous and
addictive substances into the hands of criminals. Envision
a system under which licensed and highly regulated
professionals (such as pharmacists) sell well-labeled and
reliably pure substances at small profit margins from
limited numbers of outlets to adults with valid proof of age
under penalty of losing their livelihood. Now consider the
reality of our current prohibition, a system under which
unknown numbers of individuals, cloaked in secrecy, realize
obscene profits by selling unlabeled substances of unknown
purity in school yards and on street corners to anyone, of
any age who can be convinced to buy them. And kids, young
kids, are advantageous customers as they are very unlikely
to be either cops or informants.
In testimony on Capitol Hill last month, Drug Czar Barry
McCaffrey bemoaned the presence of an insidious "elitist
group" and their "devious" attempts to reform our nation's
drug policy. He spoke of the "horrifying" prospect of
"legalization", including "heroin being sold at the corner
store to children with false identifications." But when was
the last time that a child in this country, attempting to
buy heroin, was asked for identification, false or
otherwise, under the present system?
In the face of McCaffrey's blatant mischaracterization,
there are a growing number of responsible Americans, people
like Mayor Kurt Schmoke of Baltimore, Ronald Reagan's former
Secretary of State George Schultz, journalistic icon Walter
Cronkite, and millions of American parents, doctors,
educators and others who are calling for a re-examination of
the very premise of prohibition. These dissenters are
neither "devious" nor motivated by some desire to see the
drug problem in this country get worse, especially as it
relates to children. They simply understand that drug
prohibition has not protected our kids any better than
alcohol prohibition protected the youngsters of the nineteen
twenties.
At the ceremony heralding the launch of the media campaign
in Atlanta, President Clinton told students, "These ads are
designed to knock America upside its head and get America's
attention." But "knocking Americans upside the head" is
exactly what the drug war has done for decades, with
disastrous consequences. What is needed is rationality and
a strategy that emphasizes taking control, not more
violence, psychological or otherwise. And who decided that
kids, at whom the ads are primarily targeted, will respond
to being "knocked upside the head" by their elders? Better
we should take the drugs off the streets and concentrate as
a society on providing kids with meaningful opportunities to
become engaged, to connect with their communities and with
people worth emulating. Has Bill Clinton, baby-boomer
darling, forgotten how powerful is the pull of youth to
ignore or even actively oppose the threats and the
moralizing of ones' parents' generation? Or is Clinton,
together with the rest of the Drug War establishment, buried
so deep in their own bullshit that they are unable or
unwilling to recognize the blatant hypocrisy in the rhetoric
they trumpet as gospel?
While it is certainly important to provide kids with
information and warnings about the potential dangers of drug
use, especially use at an early age, it is unlikely that the
campaign will have much impact in an era of Prohibition. It
is feel-good spending and election-year politics, diverting
the public's attention from a record of failure that should
shame even the most shameless politician. In the face of
very real threats to the safety of our kids, such tactics
ought to be repaid in spades on election night. If this is
the best that our leaders can do, while junior high school
students purchase heroin from the people to whom we have
ceded the trade, then it is time for new leadership.
This week, politicians from across the political spectrum
will cheer the launch of the government's newest and most
sophisticated anti-drug media campaign. But as you watch
those spiffy new Partnership ads, ask yourself why our
leaders insist on clinging to a system which abandons our
children to an uncontrollable black market. And why we, the
adults, have been reduced to begging them to just say no.
Adam J. Smith
Associate Director
***
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[End]
to 1998 Daily News index for July 9-15