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

A Garden Gone To Seed (A letter to the editor of the Source, in Oregon, says
locking up drug dealers and throwing away the key does no good so society as
a whole, especially when forfeiture laws give police a motive to fabricate
evidence.)

Date: Sun, 7 Mar 1999 23:11:31 -0800
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: US OR: PUB LTE: A Garden Gone To Seed
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: Curt Wagoner
Pubdate: Thur, 4 Mar 1999
Source: The Source (OR)
Contact: thesource@empnet.com
Website: www.sourceweekly.com
Author: Ms. Linda Phelps

A Garden Gone To Seed

Democracy is like a flower garden. If we don't tend to it, it will fall into
disrepair. We can't assume that just because our government was running
smoothly yesterday, it's ok today. And we can't make decisions based on
ideas such as "Whatever drug dealers get they deserve," or "should all be
locked up." If we do this, we are letting the weeds overpower the flowers.

I personally do not know very many "criminals" and it's hard to imagine
problems that are happening right now as I write this. I'm talking about
property being seized by police without due process. I'm sure this problem
is occuring due to overcrowding caused by overpopulation but that doesn't
make it right, and I think we have a responsibility to deal with these
problems in a more humane and democratic way.

Government officials become bounty hunters when they are given extra
authority to deal with the "drug problem"; they use conspiracy tactics
(arresting people for just associating with known drug dealers), plant
drugs, are rarely made to be accountable for drugs they seize and therefore
often have drugs with them. What if you are a writer like me and often
associate with many different kinds of people while doing research? Do I
need to check in with my local "Nazi" police everytime I want to do
research?

Are we going to to let our rights slip away just because we don't want to
chop out the weeds? The government should not be allowed to confiscate
private property.

Ms. Linda Phelps

Bend, Oregon

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

California NORML Report on 1999 State Marijuana Legislation (A bulletin from
California NORML summarizes six bills that have been introduced to the
legislature, and includes the URL for current legislative information and who
to lobby.)

Subject: DPFCA: Calif MJ Legislation
Date: Thu, 4 Mar 1999 00:26:42 -0800
To: aro@drugsense.org, dpfca@drugsense.org
From: canorml@igc.apc.org (Dale Gieringer)
Reply-To: canorml@igc.apc.org (Dale Gieringer)

California NORML Report on 1999 State Marijuana Legislation

MEDICAL MARIJUANA:

* S.B. 847: MEDICAL MARIJUANA RESEARCH: Sen. Vasconcellos has
introduced this bill to establish a $1 million state medical marijuana
research program. The program would be run by the University of
California, or, if U.C. is not interested, by the state Research
Advisory Panel. OUTLOOK: Expect this bill to be passed and signed into
law by Gov. Davis.

* S.B. 848 MEDICAL MARIJUANA DISTRIBUTION: Sen. Vasconcellos has
introduced this dummy bill to create a medical marijuana distribution
program. The final content of the bill will be based on the
recommendations of Attorney General Lockyer's task force. OUTLOOK ??? It
is unclear whether the task force will agree on any distribution
legislation.

ANTI-MARIJUANA:

* SB 273: RAISE FINE FOR PERSONAL POSSESSION TO $1,000. (Current
fine is $100 plus a mandatory license suspension, which expires on July
1st). This obnoxious bill is being sponsored by perennial
pothibitionist Sen. Pete Knight (R-Palmdale). It has been referred to
the State Senate Committee on Public Safety. OUTLOOK: Let the Senate
know your views on this turkey! Write to Sen. Knight and Sen.
Vasconcellos, chair, Public Safety Committee, State Capitol, Sacramento
95814.

* ABX1 - 21: SUSPENSION OF STUDENTS FOR POT: Presently, students
must be suspended and recommended for expulsion from school for
possession of any controlled substance EXCEPT less than one ounce of
pot. This bill would repeal the exception. ABX1 - 21 is sponsored by
freshmen Republicans Ken Maddox (Anaheim), Charlene Zettel (San Diego)
and Sam Aanestad (Grass Valley).

PRISONS AND DRUGS:

* SB 79: THREE STRIKES REFORM: Would restrict "Three Strikes"
sentences to cases where the third strike is a serious or violent
felony, so marijuana and other drug offenses would no longer count as
third strikes. Sponsored by Sen. Tom Hayden (D-Santa Monica). OUTLOOK:
Requires two-thirds majority. Needs support.

* SB 1261: COMMISSION ON DRUG POLICY AND VIOLENCE: This bill by
Sen. Tom Hayden (D-Santa Monica) would set up a state commission to
study the impact of drug prohibition on violence. This could set the
stage for future decriminalization legislation. OUTLOOK: Gov. Davis
has no inclination to support drug reform now, but might be willing to
consider a study.

***

KEY SENATORS - PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE

Sen. John Vasconcellos (D-San Jose), Chair 916-445-9740
Sen. Richard Rainey (R-Walnut Creek) Vice-chair 916-445-6083
Sen. Patrick Johnston (D-Sacramento) 916-445-2407
Sen. Bruce Mc Pherson (R-Santa Cruz) 916-445-5843
Sen. Richard Polanco (D-L.A.) 916-445-3456
Sen. John Burton (D-S.F.) 916-445-1412

Website for current legislative info:
http://www.sen.ca.gov/~newsen/legislation/legislation.htp

***

Mar. 2, 1999
Distributed by: California NORML (415) 563-5858 - canorml@igc.org
www.norml.org/canorml - 2215R Market St. #278 San Francisco 94114.

***

Dale Gieringer (415) 563-5858 // canorml@igc.apc.org
2215-R Market St. #278, San Francisco CA 94114

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

Alaska Medical Marijuana Law Starts (The Associated Press says the medical
marijuana law approved by 60 percent of voters in November goes into effect
today. Ned Tuthill wishes the law had come about a few years earlier. The
retired airline pilot was busted for growing his own medicine to ease chronic
pain caused by a severe car crash. The terms of his probation forbid him from
smoking marijuana. "I have period of times when my pain is so severe that I
just can't do anything," said Tuthill, 48, who says other pain medications
nauseate him.)

Date: Thu, 4 Mar 1999 17:27:04 -0800
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: US AK: Wire: MMJ: Alaska Medical Marijuana Law Starts
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: General Pulaski
Pubdate: Thu, 04 Mar 1999
Source: Associated Press
Copyright: 1999 Associated Press
Author: Paul Queary, Associated Press Writer

ALASKA MEDICAL MARIJUANA LAW STARTS

JUNEAU, Alaska - Alaska's medical marijuana law goes into effect
today, offering a legal shield to people who smoke the weed for a
short list of medical ailments.

Nearly 60 percent of the voters in the November election favored the
measure, which allows marijuana use for ailments including cancer,
AIDS, glaucoma, chronic pain, seizures and muscle spasms, provided the
patient has a doctor's recommendation.

The law allows patients to grow limited amounts of marijuana and
protects doctors who recommend it.

Growing, selling or using marijuana for recreational purposes remains
illegal and marijuana is still classified with heroin and LSD under
federal law.

However, a bill introduced in Congress on Wednesday would set aside
the federal ban on marijuana in the states that have approved its use:
Alaska, Washington, Oregon, California, Arizona and Nevada.

Although the Alaska law calls for identification cards that medical
marijuana users could show to fend off arrest, the Department of
Health and Social Services is not yet accepting applications for a
registry of qualified patients.

Even without a card, the law will provide a defense if people are
arrested for using medical marijuana. Patients will be allowed to keep
1 ounce of marijuana, or grow six plants, including three flowering
plants.

"I would expect that the police would exercise some discretion, and
ask appropriate questions that would allow them to gain enough
information to determine if the person is legitimately using marijuana
for medical purpose or just using it as an excuse," said Dean
Guaneli, the state's chief assistant attorney general.

Ned Tuthill wishes the law had come about a few years earlier. The
retired airline pilot was using marijuana to ease chronic pain caused
by a severe car crash when a neighbor complained to authorities about
the marijuana patch on his property in Homer.

Tuthill was placed on probation after a plea bargain that forbids him
from smoking marijuana.

"I have period of times when my pain is so severe that I just can't do
anything," said Tuthill, 48, who says other pain medications nauseate
him.

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

Fairmont State Baseball Coach Quits (The Associated Press says Donnie Retton,
the baseball coach at Fairmont State University in West Virginia and brother
of Olympic gold medalist Mary Lou Retton, has resigned after being charged
with drunken driving and possession of marijuana.)

Date: Sun, 07 Mar 1999 00:56:48 -0800
From: Paul Freedom (nepal@teleport.com)
Organization: Oregon Libertarian Patriots
To: Constitutional Cannabis Patriots (cp@telelists.com)
Subject: [cp] Fairmont State Baseball Coach Quits

MARCH 04, 17:45 EST

Fairmont State Baseball Coach Quits

FAIRMONT, W.Va. (AP) - Fairmont State baseball coach Donnie Retton,
brother of Olympic gold medalist Mary Lou Retton, has resigned after
being charged with drunken driving and drug possession.

Retton, whose sister won gold in gymnastics in 1984, the broke the news
to his players late Wednesday. But he did not tell them why he was
leaving.

``It caught me off guard, shocked me,'' pitcher David Maust said. ``You
couldn't see anything like this coming, especially with him.''

Police charged Retton, 33, with first offense drunken driving and
possession of marijuana, a misdemeanor. Retton was pulled over Tuesday
night after running a red light, said Police Chief Ted Offutt.

``It was a very unfortunate situation,'' said Dave Cooper, the school's
athletic director.

Retton also is a substitute teacher in the Marion County school system.

Superintendent Thomas Long said any additional repercussions from the
arrest are a personnel matter he will not publicly discuss.

Retton took over Fairmont State's baseball program from Ron Whiting in
1996. The team went 20-13-1 in Retton's first season, including an 11-7
conference record. Last year, the team finished 15-22.

The Falcons open play Saturday against St. Anselm, N.H., in Fort Myers,
Fla.

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

Dopamine Apparently Isn't The Pleasure Chemical After All (An Associated
Press article in the Orange County Register says a study published today in
the journal Nature suggests dopamine, discovered in 1957, may not be the
brain's only "feel good" chemical. Scientists trying to unlock the secrets of
drug addiction may therefore have been off target for the past two decades.
The report infers that the brain chemical, rather than being the key player
in the pleasure process, is only a "messenger" and just one of several
components of addiction.)

Date: Sat, 6 Mar 1999 13:00:54 -0800
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: US: Dopamine Apparently Isn't The Pleasure Chemical After All
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: 4 Mar 1999
Source: Orange County Register (CA)
Copyright: 1999 The Orange County Register
Contact: letters@link.freedom.com
Website: http://www.ocregister.com/
Author: Alex Dominguez-The Associated Press
Section: News, page 5

Brain: A study suggests it is only a messenger.

Dopamine may not be the brain's "feel good" chemical after all, a study
found, suggesting that scientists trying to unlock the secrets of drug
addiction may have been off target for the past two decades.

The naturally produced brain chemical, rather than being the key player in
the pleasure process, is only a messenger and one of several factors,
according to the study published today in the journal Nature.

"It certainly says the picture is much more complicated than being just
dopamine alone, and it will lead to the search for other chemical
substances in the brain," said the study's author, chemist R. Mark Wightman
of the University of North Caroline.

Dopamine, discovered in 1957, came into prominence in the early 1960s when
scientists discovered that several antipsychotic drugs targeted it. In the
late 1970s, researchers began probing its role in drug addiction and found
that cocaine, heroin and other addictive drugs increase levels of dopamine
in the body.

Since then, some scientists have tried to develop a medication that would
cure cocaine addiction by blocking dopamine.

The latest study is another in a series that have cast doubt on that
approach. The researchers attached electrodes to the brains of rats, which
produced dopamine when they were shocked. The rats were then trained to
shock themselves.

As the rats continued to shock themselves, however, the amount of dopamine
produced by their brains decreased - even though they continued to seek
pleasure by pressing the lever that electrically stimulated their brains.
Dopamine appears to be related to "novelty, predictability or some other
aspect of the reward process, rather than to hedonism itself," the
researchers reported.

What chemical or process is ultimately responsible for the pleasure is "not
really clear right now," said Prof. Anthony Grace of the University of
Pittsburgh.

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

Brain Chemical Dopamine May Not Be Addiction Key (A longer version in the
Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

Date: Fri, 5 Mar 1999 05:03:07 -0800
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: US NC: Brain Chemical Dopamine May Not Be Addiction Key
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: John Smith
Pubdate: 4 Mar 1999
Source: Seattle Post-Intelligencer (WA)
Copyright: 1999 Seattle Post-Intelligencer.
Contact: editpage@seattle-pi.com
Website: http://www.seattle-pi.com/
Author: Alex Dominguez, The Associated Press

BRAIN CHEMICAL DOPAMINE MAY NOT BE ADDICTION KEY

Dopamine may not be the brain's "feel-good" chemical after all, a study
found, suggesting that scientists trying to unlock the secrets of drug
addiction may have been off-target for the past two decades.

The naturally produced brain chemical, rather than being the key player in
the pleasure process, is only a messenger and one of several factors,
according to the study, published today in the journal Nature.

"It certainly says the picture is much more complicated than being just
dopamine alone, and it will lead to the search for other chemical
substances in the brain," said the study's author, chemist R. Mark Wightman
of the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.

Dopamine, first discovered in 1957, came into prominence in the early 1960s
when scientists discovered that several antipsychotic drugs targeted it. In
the late 1970s, researchers began looking into its role in drug addiction
and found that cocaine, heroin and other addictive drugs increase levels of
dopamine in the body.

Since then, some scientists have tried to develop a medication that would
cure cocaine addiction by blocking dopamine.

The latest study is another that casts doubt on that approach.

The researchers attached electrodes to the brains of rats, which produced
dopamine when they were shocked. The rats were then trained to shock
themselves.

As the rats continued to shock themselves, however, the researchers
discovered that the amount of dopamine produced by their brains decreased
-- even though they continued to seek pleasure by pressing the lever that
electrically stimulated their brains.

Dopamine appears to be related to "novelty, predictability or some other
aspect of the reward process, rather than to hedonism itself," the
researchers reported.

What chemical or process is ultimately responsible for the pleasure is "not
really clear right now. That's something that's a real topic of
investigation," said Anthony Grace, a professor of neuroscience and
psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh who was not involved in the study.

Grace said that even if dopamine is not the ultimate reward for the brain,
it might still be the key to curing addiction.

Some researchers now complain that dopamine's activity in the brain has
been overstated. Alan Leshner, director of the National Institute on Drug
Abuse, has criticized what he called "the dopamine religion" among some
scientists.

Marc Caron, a professor of cell biology at the Duke University Medical
Center, found evidence last year that the effects of cocaine are not solely
controlled by dopamine. Caron created specially bred mice without dopamine
transporters, and found they still wanted cocaine.

Medications that block the transporters in humans, however, might be
effective if they could block the desire for cocaine long enough to break
the addiction, Grace said.

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

Role Of Dopamine In Doubt (The version in the Augusta Chronicle, in Georgia)

Date: Sat, 6 Mar 1999 16:50:55 -0800
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: US GA: Role Of Dopamine In Doubt
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: General Pulaski
Pubdate: Thu, 04 Mar 1999
Source: Augusta Chronicle, The (GA)
Contact: letters@augustachronicle.com
Website: http://www.augustachronicle.com/

ROLE OF DOPAMINE IN DOUBT

Study Questions Previous Theory That Chemical Is Key Player In Brain's
Process Of Producing Enjoyment

Dopamine may not be the brain's "feel-good" chemical after all, a
study found, suggesting that scientists trying to unlock the secrets
of drug addiction may have been off target for the past two decades.

The naturally produced brain chemical, rather than being the key
player in the pleasure process, is only a messenger and one of several
factors, according to the study, published today in the journal Nature.

"It certainly says the picture is much more complicated than being
just dopamine alone, and it will lead to the search for other chemical
substances in the brain," said the study's author, chemist R. Mark
Wightman of the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.

Dopamine, first discovered in 1957, came into prominence in the early
1960s when scientists discovered that several antipsychotic drugs
targeted it. In the late 1970s, researchers began looking into its
role in drug addiction and found that cocaine, heroin and other
addictive drugs increase levels of dopamine in the body.

Since then, some scientists have tried to develop a medication that
would cure cocaine addiction by blocking dopamine.

The latest study is another in a series that have cast doubt on that
approach.

The researchers attached electrodes to the brains of rats, which
produced dopamine when they were shocked. The rats were then trained
to shock themselves.

As the rats continued to shock themselves, however, the researchers
discovered that the amount of dopamine produced by their brains
decreased - even though they continued to seek pleasure by pressing
the lever.

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

Frank Supports Medical Marijuana (The Worcester Telegram & Gazette,
in Massachusetts, notes local U.S. Representative Barney Frank introduced
a bill Tuesday that would reclassify marijuana as a Schedule II controlled
substance, meaning it could be prescribed by doctors.)

Date: Fri, 5 Mar 1999 10:10:32 -0800
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: US MA: Frank Supports Medical Marijuana
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: General Pulaski
Pubdate: Thur, 04 Mar 1999
Source: Worcester Telegram & Gazette (MA)
Copyright: 1999 Worcester Telegram & Gazette
Contact: tgletter@telegram.infi.net
Website: http://www.telegram.com/index.html

FRANK SUPPORTS MEDICAL MARIJUANA

WASHINGTON - Congress should eliminate federal restrictions on states that
allow marijuana use for medical purposes such as for relieving AIDS-related
nausea and glaucoma, Rep. Barney Frank, D-Newton., said yesterday.

"The irony is, of course, that many drugs much more harmful, much more
powerful, much more addictive than marijuana can be prescribed," said Frank,
who introduced legislation - as he has done twice before - to end the
federal restrictions.

Frank's bill, introduced Tuesday, would reclassify marijuana as a Schedule
II drug, meaning that it could be prescribed by doctors under certain
conditions, just as cocaine and other controlled substances are.
Prescriptions for such drugs are subject to federal and state review.

Alaska, Washington, Oregon, California, Arizona and Nevada have permitted
medical use of the drug. While people using marijuana for medical purposes
don't face state prosecution in the six states, they could still face
federal prosecution, said Frank.

Frank isn't hopeful that the Republican-controlled Congress will pass his
bill. Last fall, the House adopted, 310-93, a resolution that said marijuana
is a dangerous and addictive drug and should not be legalized for medical
use. Supporters of that bill said to legalize the drug for medical use
sends the wrong message to teen-agers, and that scientific testing has not
proved a medical use for marijuana.

But the New England Journal of Medicine has editorialized in favor of
medical marijuana and the American Medical Association has urged the
National Institutes of Health to support more research on the subject.

Yesterday, Canada's health minister authorized clinical trials to determine
if marijuana is a useful medicine for people suffering from terminal
illnesses and other painful conditions.

And a report from the International Drug Control Board concluded last month
that in-depth and impartial scientific studies should be conducted into
marijuana's possible medical benefits.

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

Abuse of Female Prisoners in U.S. Is Routine, Rights Report Says (According
to the Washington Post, a report scheduled for release today by Amnesty
International USA finds that women inmates in the nation's prisons and jails
are routinely subjected to sexual abuse by male guards. The document also
describes serious problems with medical care, including the use of shackles
while prisoners are giving birth. Primarily as a result of the war on some
drug users, the number of female inmates rose about 11 percent each year
between 1985 and 1996, compared with 7.9 percent for men.)

Date: Thu, 4 Mar 1999 14:05:54 -0800
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: US: Abuse of Female Prisoners in U.S. Is Routine, Rights Report Says
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: rlake@mapinc.org
Pubdate: Thu, 4 Mar 1999
Source: Washington Post (DC)
Copyright: 1999 Creators Syndicate Inc.
Page: A11
Address: 1150 15th Street Northwest, Washington, DC 20071
Feedback: http://washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/edit/letters/letterform.htm
Website: http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Author: Barbara Vobejda, Washington Post Staff Writer

ABUSE OF FEMALE PRISONERS IN U.S. IS ROUTINE, RIGHTS REPORT SAYS

Women inmates in the nation's prisons and jails are routinely subjected to
sexual abuse by male guards, including groping during body searches and
rape, Amnesty International USA found in a report scheduled for release today.

The report details what is described as common practice: male guards
touching prisoners' breasts and genitals during daily pat-down and strip
searches, watching women as they shower and dress and, in some cases,
selling women to male inmates for sex.

The document also describes serious problems with medical care, including
the use of shackles while prisoners are giving birth.

"It is not an exaggeration to say we are facing a crisis in the treatment
of women in prison," said William Schulz, executive director of Amnesty
International USA.

Todd Craig, a spokesman for the federal Bureau of Prisons, said the U.S.
government has taken steps to address the problem in its facilities: 31,000
staff members across the country have been trained in preventing sexual
misconduct and inmates have been trained in how to report problems. Also,
10 prison employees were disciplined last year and seven were prosecuted
for sexual misconduct, Craig said.

"It's an issue we have zero tolerance for," he said.

While complaints about mistreatment of prisoners are not new, problems for
women inmates have become much more critical because of the rapid growth in
the female prison population, according to Schulz.

The number of women in prison more than tripled between 1985 and 1997,
rising to 138,000. That represented a much faster increase than the growth
in the male prison population: The number of female prison inmates rose
about 11 percent each year between 1985 and 1996, compared with 7.9 percent
for men.

That rapid increase for women is primarily a result of the nation's war on
drugs, which was launched in the 1980s and led to much stiffer sentences
for drug offenses. The number of women sentenced to state prisons for drug
crimes, for example, increased tenfold between 1986 and 1996, the report said.

But as the number of women inmates has increased, prison facilities have
not kept pace in accommodating the female population. In federal prisons,
for example, 70 percent of those who are guarding women are men. In Canada,
by comparison, 91 percent of such guards are women.

In 12 states, there are no laws prohibiting sexual contact between guards
and inmates. Virginia's legislature approved such a law last week.

Among the incidents cited in the report is the case of a prisoner at the
Washington state Corrections Center who was raped and impregnated by a guard.

In another case, the Federal Bureau of Prisons agreed last year to pay
$500,000 to settle a lawsuit filed by three women who said they were
sexually abused at the Federal Detention Center in Pleasanton, Calif. A
Justice Department statement said there was insufficient evidence to
prosecute.

One of the women, Robin Lucas, said in an interview yesterday that she was
housed in a men's facility, where she was attacked by a male inmate allowed
into her cell by a guard. When she complained to authorities, the guard
retaliated by allowing three men into her cell, where she was handcuffed,
beaten and raped.

"Then I didn't want to talk to anybody," she said. "I was scared to death."
After her release, she and the two other women were able to secure changes
in the prison system, including better training of guards and medical
treatment for inmates who complain of sexual assault.

In Florida, the state's Department of Corrections announced a new policy in
January prohibiting guards from keeping inmates in their cells naked. That
followed the suicide last fall of Florence Krell, an inmate at the
Jefferson Correctional Institution in Monticello, Fla. Before hanging
herself, she wrote letters to her mother and a judge complaining about
mistreatment, including being observed by male guards when she was left
naked in her cell.

In 1994, a federal judge ruled that the D.C. Department of Corrections had
violated the constitutional rights of the District's female inmates after
13 women filed a class action suit accusing guards of fondling and raping
them, among other instances of mistreatment.

The Justice Department has filed suit against the states of Arizona and
Michigan, accusing them of allowing sexual misconduct in their prison
facilities for women, including prurient viewing of women in showers,
sexual contact and rape.

A Justice Department officials said that while the suits indicate a serious
problem, it is impossible to gauge how pervasive the problem is outside
those facilities "because women inmates who are victims are often reluctant
to come forward."

Among the allegations in the report are accounts of medical maltreatment,
including that of an inmate in Cook County, Ill., who was shackled to the
hospital bed during 12 hours of labor. When she was close to giving birth,
the doctor couldn't adjust the bed for delivery because of the shackles,
nor find the corrections officer to unlock the shackles until moments
before the baby was born.

The inmate had been incarcerated for a drug offense and had no record of
violence.

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

Ottawa to test medicinal use of pot (According to the Calgary Herald,
Health Minister Allan Rock announced in the House of Commons Wednesday that
the government plans to conduct human clinical tests to determine if smoking
marijuana can reduce pain in terminally ill patients, a first step toward
legalizing the drug for medical purposes.)

Date: Thu, 04 Mar 1999 18:44:27 -0700
Subject: Ottawa to test medicinal use of pot
From: "Debra Harper" (daystar1@home.com)
To: mattalk (mattalk@listserv.islandnet.com)
Newshawk: daystar1@home.com
Source: Calgary Herald
Pubdate: Thursday 4 March 1999 (Front Page)
Contact: letters@theherald.southam.ca
Author: Helen Dolik, Calgary Herald and Southam Newspapers

Ottawa to test medicinal use of pot

The federal government plans to conduct human clinical tests to determine if
smoking marijuana can reduce pain in terminally ill patients, a first step
toward legalizing the drug for medical purposes.

Health Minister Allan Rock's announcement in the House of Commons on
Wednesday was both applauded and panned in Calgary.

"It's a good idea, and it's about time," said Dr. Nady El-Guebaly, medical
director of the addictions centre at Foothills Hospital.

"Let's test it. So far it's been a lot of heated debate and little science.
I think it's high time we did a properly controlled trial."

But Det. Pat Tetley, a city police drug expert who's testified at more than
500 court cases around North America, said products are available on the
market that have the same or better results than you would get from smoking
marijuana.

"It's a placebo effect, or at best it's an excuse for a person to continue
to smoke it because they've been smoking it all their lives," said Tetley,
who's studied marijuana since 1979. "I think it's absolutely ridiculous to
think that we would ever make it legal medicinally."

Tetley said: "My heart goes out to these people who are afflicted with these
kinds of diseases, who are suffering . . . But surely to God we can come up
with something better than smoking marijuana to help these people out."

Rock later explained that it should not be seen as a step toward legalizing
marijuana use.

"This has nothing to do with legalizing marijuana," he told reporters. "This
has to do with the fact there are people in Canada suffering from terminal
illnesses who have symptoms which are very difficult and who believe (smoking
marijuana) can help."

Rock said there is much anecdotal evidence from individuals suffering from
cancer and AIDS who say the drug can alleviate pain and combats nausea, but
no strict scientific evidence. The minister released few details of the
tests, but said officials have been asked to set up the clinical experiments,
as well as establish what kinds of patients would participate and look into
how patients could be guaranteed access to a safe supply of the drug.

A spokesman for the minister said it may take a month or two before
officials draw up plans for the clinical tests, determining the size of the
tests and the duration.

Rock and Justice Minister Anne McLellan had pledged to initiate a national
debate of medical marijuana more than a year ago, but Wednesday's
announcement was the first concrete step toward legalizing the drug for
patients. Pressure has been building on the issue in both Canada and the U.S.
for years. November voters in six U.S. states joined California in approving
referendums to legalize medical marijuana use.

Bloc Quebecois MP Bernard Bigras plans to introduce a motion in Parliament
today urging the government to take every step toward legalizing medical
marijuana.

Reaction from opposition members Wednesday was mostly positive, although
Reform MP Grant Hill, a medical doctor, warned of risks if the testing was
seen as a first step down the road to legalizing the drug for general use.

"As a medical doctor, I have treated young people who were habituated to
marijuana, whose (school) marks had suffered and whose lives were wrecked,"
he said. "But I'm open to compassion if marijuana is the only thing that
works."

Advocates say the drug is effective in reducing spasms for multiple sclerosis
sufferers, epilepsy seizures, as a painkiller and in reducing symptoms of
nausea which helps patients undergoing chemotherapy.

Calgary pot crusader Grant Krieger, who has multiple sclerosis and smokes
the illegal drug to alleviate his symptoms, applauded the government.

"The cannabis plant is a very safe and effective alternative medicine, which
is banned," said Krieger, 44, who is organizing a Compassion Club in Calgary
to provide locally grown pot to people with serious illnesses.

Two years ago, Krieger said he asked the federal health department for
permission to do a research project and "they laughed at me."

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

Ottawa Approves Clinical Marijuana Trials (The Globe and Mail version, in
Toronto, says the Canadian Health Department has already consulted with the
U.S. Food and Drug Administration - which is also planning similar trials -
about acquiring a supply of the herb for the clinical trials. Making
marijuana available to patients by prescription will not require an amendment
to the criminal code, a Health Department source said.)

Date: Thu, 4 Mar 1999 17:27:09 -0800
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: Canada: Ottawa Approves Clinical Marijuana Trials
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: creator@mapinc.org
Pubdate: Thursday, March 4, 1999
Source: Globe and Mail (Canada)
Copyright: 1999, The Globe and Mail Company
Contact: letters@globeandmail.ca
Website: http://www.globeandmail.ca/
Forum: http://forums.theglobeandmail.com/
Author: Erin Anderssen

OTTAWA APPROVES CLINICAL MARIJUANA TRIALS

Study Could Lead To Legalization For Patients

Ottawa - The federal government plans to start clinical trials on the
therapeutic benefits of marijuana -- a study that could eventually
lead to legalizing the drug for people suffering from diseases such as
cancer, AIDS and multiple sclerosis.

Health Minister Allan Rock announced yesterday that his department is
developing guidelines for the trials to establish clear scientific
evidence whether marijuana helps chronically and terminally ill
patients manage pain and deal with other symptoms of their illnesses.

The study would examine how the drug should be administered, and how a
safe supply could be distributed to qualifying patients.

"There are people who are dying," Mr. Rock said. "They want access to
something they believe will help with their symptoms. We want to
help." He said it hasn't been determined how long the trials will take
or who will participate, but the study is expected to be a partnership
between the government and private researchers.

The Health Department has already consulted with the Food and Drug
Administration in the United States -- which is also planning similar
trials -- about acquiring a supply of the drug for the tests. Making
marijuana available to patients by prescription will not require an
amendment to the criminal code, a Health Department source said. The
drug could be administered under an existing section of the Food and
Drug Act, which allows for special access to prohibited substances.

Anecdotal evidence that marijuana alleviates pain in some patients has
been growing -- although people continue to face criminal charges
across Canada even when they claim to be using it for medical purposes.

That's what happened to Mark Crossley, a 38-year-old Nova Scotia man
with an inoperable brain tumour, who said the government's
announcement is "long overdue." Mr. Crossley was sentenced last week
to four months of house arrest and 18 months probation for growing
marijuana in his backyard. He said he received the sentence even after
the court was told he smoked the drug to deal with the painful
headaches and appetite loss caused by his cancer -- a practice
supported in writing by his doctor.

"They've sentenced me to a death, slowly and cruelly," Mr. Crossley
said. "I've got three to four years left. [The judge] is not in a
position to tell me what I can do with my health."

Mr. Rock said his announcement is not a step toward a widespread
legalization of the drug.

"This has nothing to do with legalizing marijuana," he said, but
added, "I think Canadians support on a compassionate basis, if someone
is dying, access to a substance that could alleviate their suffering."

An Edmonton doctor who specializes in pain management applauded the
announcement yesterday, saying clinical trials are needed to set up
national standards and study all sides of the issue. Doctor Helen Hays
is about to publish a paper on a patient she studied who smoked
marijuana to counter the symptoms of a debilitating and painful muscle
disorder. "There was a tremendous improvement," she said, while
cautioning the drug brings its own side effects and doesn't work for
everyone. "We all need to know an awful lot more about it."

Mr. Rock's announcement pre-empts a debate today in the House of
Commons of a private member's bill from a Bloc Quebecois MP that asks
the government to conduct studies on the issue. Stephane Bigras has
obtained support for his motion from the Bloc, New Democrat and
Progressive Conservative caucuses, as well as prominent medical
doctors among the Liberals. But the idea is not said to be supported
by the majority of Reform MPs.

Reform health critic Grant Hill, a doctor who is against patients
smoking marijuana, said he is worried about the drug becoming too
widespread in its use. "Does the minister go down this road knowing
how far it will go?" he asked.

But Liberal MP Carolyn Bennett, who is also a doctor, said the medical
community needs guidelines to resolve the dilemma.

"It's been a shame," Dr. Bennett said, "that when there's something
that really works for people they have to use illegal routes to get
it."

Doctors can currently prescribe a synthetic form of marijuana, but it
is expensive, and many patients complain that oral forms of the drug
don't work as well as smoking it.

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

Rock OKs Clinical Trials Of Medicinal Marijuana (The National Post version
notes the health minister's announcement comes more than a year after an
Ontario judge, Justice Patrick Sheppard, ruled that it was legal for Terry
Parker, an epilepsy patient in Toronto, to grow and use marijuana for
medical use. Sheppard said criminalizing Parker deprived him of his "right to
life, liberty and security.")

Date: Thu, 4 Mar 1999 17:27:16 -0800
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: Canada: Rock Oks Clinical Trials Of Medicinal Marijuana
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: creator@mapinc.org
Pubdate: Thu 04 Mar 1999
Source: National Post (Canada)
Copyright: Southam Inc.
Contact: letters@nationalpost.com
Website: http://www.nationalpost.com/
Forum: http://forums.canada.com/~canada
Section: News A1 / Front
Author: Joel-Denis Bellavance

ROCK OKS CLINICAL TRIALS OF MEDICINAL MARIJUANA

`We Want To Help' Dying Patients With Cancer, AIDS

Allan Rock, the Health Minister, gave the go-ahead yesterday for
clinical trials on the medical use of marijuana to determine whether
the drug can help ease the pain of Canadians suffering from terminal
illnesses such as AIDS and cancer.

The Bloc Quebecois, which has led a campaign to legalize use of the
drug for medical purposes, and pro-medical marijuana advocates
immediately applauded the move. The Reform party was reluctant to give
its support to clinical trials out of fear it might be the first step
toward full decriminalization of marijuana.

Mr. Rock said scientists from his department will gather evidence ``as
soon as possible,'' and develop appropriate guidelines for the medical
use of the drug, as well as provide access to a safe supply.

``There are people who are dying. They want access to something they
believe will help with their symptoms. We want to help. Clinical
trials would allow us to get research to know more about how we can
help,'' Mr. Rock told the House of Commons.

Grant Hill, the Reform's health critic and a medical doctor, said he
is concerned the announcement could open the door to legalized selling
of marijuana for recreational use.

``I'm open to compassion, and if marijuana is the only thing that
works for a patient, I would accept that,'' Dr. Hill said.

``[But] as a medical doctor, I treated young people who were
habituated to marijuana, whose marks had suffered, whose lives were
wrecked. That's my concern.''

Mr. Rock was quick to dismiss the idea that Ottawa is moving toward
wider legalization.

``This has nothing to do with legalizing marijuana. It has to do with
the fact that there are people in Canada now who are suffering from
terminal illnesses who have symptoms which are very difficult and who
believe that access to medical marijuana can help with those symptoms.''

Bernard Bigras, the Bloc Quebecois MP who will announce today a
cross-country campaign for the legalization of the drug for medical
purposes, said he hopes police officers will no longer charge
terminally ill people who use the drug to alleviate their pain.

``This is a step in the right direction, but the battle is far from
being won. This is a question of compassion,'' Mr. Bigras said.

Eugene Oscapella, a founding member of the Canadian Foundation for
Drug Policy, which supports the decriminalization of many drugs for
medical purposes, said Mr. Rock's decision was ``long overdue.''

Mr. Rock's announcement came more than a year after an Ontario judge
ruled it is legal to grow and use marijuana for medicinal use.

In December, 1997, Justice Patrick Sheppard said that Terry Parker, a
Toronto resident, was deprived of his ``right to life, liberty and
security'' by being charged with possession of marijuana.

Mr. Parker had been smoking marijuana for more than 20 years to ease
the severity of epileptic seizures. An appeal of the judge's ruling
has yet to be heard.

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

Canada to test medical marijuana (The Ottawa Citizen version)

From: creator@islandnet.com (Matt Elrod)
To: mattalk@listserv.islandnet.com
Subject: Canada: Canada to test medical marijuana
Date: Thu, 04 Mar 1999 09:40:45 -0800
Lines: 102
Newshawk: creator@mapinc.org
Source: Ottawa Citizen (Canada)
Contact: letters@thecitizen.southam.ca
Pubdate: Thu 04 Mar 1999
Section: News A1 / Front
Authors: Julian Beltrame and Norma Greenaway

Canada to test medical marijuana

Rock denies trials are step toward legalization

The federal government plans to conduct human clinical tests to
determine if smoking marijuana can reduce pain in terminally ill
patients, a first step toward legalizing the drug for medical
purposes.

Health Minister Allan Rock made the announcement yesterday in the
House of Commons, explaining later that it should not be seen as a
step toward legalizing marijuana use.

``This has nothing to do with legalizing marijuana,'' he told
reporters.

``This has to do with the fact there are people in Canada suffering
from terminal illnesses who have symptoms which are very difficult and
who believe (smoking marijuana) can help.''

Mr. Rock said there is plenty of anecdotal evidence from individuals
suffering from cancer and AIDS who say the drug can alleviate pain and
combat nausea, but no strict scientific evidence.

The minister released few details of the tests, but said officials
have been asked to set up the clinical experiments, as well as
establish what kinds of patients would participate and look into how
patients could be guaranteed access to a safe supply of the drug.

A spokesman for the minister said it may take a month or two before
officials draw up plans for the clinical tests, determining the size
of the tests and the duration.

The government does not plan to change the Criminal Code for the
trials, but will use a section of the Controlled Drugs and Substances
Act that allows the minister to exempt people from prosecution for
special circumstances.

The exemption is a sore point for advocates of medical marijuana use,
who have complained that the minister had turned a deaf ear to
compassionate applications in the past.

``We made an application 15 months ago for a person with AIDS who was
literally starving to death and they did not allow it,'' said Eugene
Oscapella of the Canadian Foundation for Drug Policy in Ottawa. He
said the sufferer -- Jean Charles Pariseau of Vanier -- was advised by
his doctor to take marijuana to fight nausea and stimulate appetite.

``If the government is sincere this time and that's a big if, then
we're happy with the announcement,'' Mr. Oscapella added.

``I have a hard time understanding why we are not allowing responsible
adult Canadians who have led responsible lives access to this
potentially therapeutic thing that may reduce the pain in their lives,
that may help them.''

Mr. Rock and Justice Minister Anne McLellan had pledged to initiate a
national debate of medical marijuana more than a year ago, but
yesterday's announcement was the first concrete step toward legalizing
the drug for patients.

Pressure has been building on the issue in both Canada and the U.S.
for years and last November voters in six U.S. states joined
California in approving referendums to legalize medical marijuana use.

Bloc Quebecois MP Bernard Bigras plans to introduce a motion in
Parliament today urging the government to take every step toward
legalizing medical marijuana.

Reaction from opposition members yesterday were mostly positive,
although Reform MP Grant Hill, a medical doctor, warned of risks if
the testing was seen as a first step down the road to legalizing the
drug for general use.

``As a medical doctor, I have treated young people who were habituated
to marijuana, whose (school) marks had suffered and whose lives were
wrecked,'' he said. ``But I'm open to compassion if marijuana is the
only thing that works.''

But some advocates of medical marijuana use were not impressed by what
they saw as a grudging baby step by the federal government.

``It's a waste of taxpayers' money,'' said Terry Parker, a Toronto man
who says smoking marijuana daily eases the severity of epileptic
seizures he has suffered since 1963.

Mr. Parker, 43, who in 1997 won a landmark court decision allowing him
to grow and smoke marijuana for medical use, said clinical tests are
unnecessary because the drug has already proven its value to people
suffering from a range of medical conditions.

Advocates said the drug is effective in reducing spasms for multiple
sclerosis sufferers, epilepsy seizures, as a pain killer and in
reducing symptoms of nausea which helps patients undergoing
chemotherapy.

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

Marijuana health test backed (The Toronto Star version)

Date: Thu, 04 Mar 1999 09:08:31 -0500
To: mattalk@islandnet.com
From: Dave Haans (haans@chass.utoronto.ca)
Subject: TorStar: Marijuana health test backed
Newshawk: Dave Haans
Source: The Toronto Star (Canada)
Pubdate: Thursday, March 4, 1999
Pages: A1, A28
Website: http://www.thestar.com
Contact: lettertoed@thestar.com
Author: Tim Harper, Toronto Star Ottawa Bureau

Marijuana health test backed

Illegal drug to be researched for use by the sick, Rock reveals to House

OTTAWA - The federal government will begin clinical tests of marijuana, the
first step toward establishing a safe, government-supervised supply of pot
for Canadians who need it for medicinal purposes.

Health Minister Allan Rock made the surprise announcement in the House of
Commons yesterday, a day before Bloc Québécois MP Bernard Bigras was to
introduce a private member's motion on the same matter.

According to some estimates, 20,000 or more Canadians would be likely to
apply to smoke marijuana to ease the pain and symptoms of such debilitating
diseases as glaucoma, multiple sclerosis, cancer, epilepsy, AIDS or arthritis.

Canadians who are suffering deserve government help, the health minister said.

The move was applauded by a number of medical organizations and activists
who had been pushing for such action, but it is not expected to have any
impact on various court challenges to the marijuana laws across the country.

``These are people who are dying,'' Rock told the Commons. ``They want
access to something they believe will help with their symptoms.

``We want to help. Clinical trials would allow us to get research to know
more about how we can help.''

In the United States, voters in seven states and the District of Columbia
have approved the medical use of marijuana.

Outside the Commons, Rock told reporters he believes Canadians will support
the government's move.

``This has nothing to do with legalizing marijuana,'' he said.

Dr. Don Kilby, director of the University of Ottawa's health services, said
he believes Ottawa is sincere in its move and hopes it can quickly lead to
a government-sanctioned growing centre.

``I want to make sure I know what my patients are smoking is safe,'' said
Kilby, who treats many HIV/AIDS patients.

``I don't want them smoking just anything.''

Kilby had already unsuccessfully applied to Health Canada for a special
provision under existing legislation to provide marijuana for Jean-Charles
Pariseau, an Ottawa man who suffers from advanced AIDS and wanted the
marijuana to alleviate nausea.

Pariseau applauded the move yesterday, but said it was Bigras who spurred
the govern ment into action.

Pariseau said his disease has made it virtually impossible for him to leave
his home.

He tires easily, after no more than three or four waking hours, he said.

``Marijuana would help me to forget my pain and make my life longer,''
Pariseau added.

Lawyer Eugene Oscapella of the Canadian Foundation for Drug Policy, a think
tank which studies drug laws, welcomed the move, but said it was long overdue.

He said Rock had the opportunity to help Pariseau 15 months ago and didn't
act.

``It has become just plain cruel to deny this drug to dying people who
could use this to alleviate pain and suffering,'' Oscapella said.

Rock had been considering such a move for about a year and he signalled his
intention in a newspaper interview last August when he said he planned to
have bureaucrats put the wheels in motion for clinical tests.

``How the hell can we do a clinical study until it's legal?'' asked Terry
Parker, the Toronto man who won a 20-year fight to use marijuana to treat
his epilepsy in December, 1997, The Star's Jennifer Quinn reports.

Parker said yesterday he is concerned synthetic alternatives to marijuana -
which he believes aren't as effective - might be pushed by the government.

Health Canada officials said independent research is now underway in
California but it is not sanctioned by Washington.

Clinical tests are also underway in Britain, but in some other European
nations therapeutic use of marijuana is already allowed.

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

Canada Orders Clinical Trials Of Medical Marijuana (The Reuters version)

From: CLaw7MAn@webtv.net (Mike Steindel)
Date: Thu, 4 Mar 1999 16:58:17 -0800 (PST)
Cc: cp@telelists.com
Subject: [cp] Cannabis Studies Called for in Canada
Content-Disposition: Inline

Good News for Canada...Now if we in the U.S. could just rid ourselves of
the oppressive religious right repuplican christo fascists in Congress
maybe we to could get some relief...

***

CANADA ORDERS CLINICAL TRIALS OF MEDICAL MARIJUANA

OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canadian Health Minister Allan Rock said Wednesday he
has ordered officials to develop clinical trials for the medical use of
marijuana and to determine how to grant safe access to the drug.

Rock insisted, however, that this was not the first step towards
legalization of marijuana but an opposition member of parliament, Grant
Hill, a medical doctor, immediately questioned whether it would not lead
to more than pain relief.

``There are Canadians who are suffering from terminal illnesses who are
in pain or suffering from difficult symptoms who believe that smoking
medical marijuana can help with those symptoms,´´ Rock, a Liberal,
told reporters.

The debate has echoes in the United States, where voters in seven states
and the District of Columbia have approved the medical use of marijuana
over the strenuous opposition of the federal anti-drug czar, Barry
McCaffrey.

Dr. Hill, the health spokesman for Canada's opposition Reform Party,
said he could go along with clinical trials but added: ''It's quite
controversial, because it could lead to other things.''

Rock's formative years were in the long-haired, free-smoking sixties.
Asked if he had smoked marijuana, the prime ministerial aspirant merely
gave a broad smile.

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

Medicinal marijuana - background materials (The Canadian Foundation for Drug
Policy posts the URL for House of Commons' transcripts and media reports
related to the announcement by Minister of Health Alan Rock about the
clinical trials for medical marijuana.)

From: creator@islandnet.com (Matt Elrod)
To: mattalk@listserv.islandnet.com
Subject: Fwd: Canada: Medicinal marijuana -- background materials
Date: Thu, 04 Mar 1999 09:19:06 -0800
Lines: 28

-------- Forwarded message --------
Date: Thu, 4 Mar 1999 10:11:35 EST
From: Rileydm@aol.com
From: eoscapel@fox.nstn.ca (Eugene Oscapella)

House of Commons transcripts and media reports about the announcement by the
federal Minister of Health that he has asked his officials to develop a plan
that will include clinical trials for medical marijuana, appropriate
guidelines for its medical use and access to a safe supply of this drug can
be found at the following Canadian Foundation for Drug Policy web address:

http://fox.nstn.ca/~eoscapel/cfdp/mar399hc.htm

This site also contains links to research and other reports on medicinal
marijuana.

***

Canadian Foundation for Drug Policy
Ottawa
Tel: (613) 236-1027
Fax: (613) 238-2891

Canadian Foundation for Drug Policy Web site:
http://fox.nstn.ca/~eoscapel/cfdp/cfdp.html

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

An Outpost In The Banana And Marijuana Wars (The New York Times says that
when American troops in December helped destroy more than one million
marijuana plants in the rugged northern regions of St. Vincent, the Caribbean
island nation, growers were outraged. There is also a marked hostility
against Clinton for waging war with Europe over banana trade preferences, the
backbone of the legitimate economy. Some government and business leaders say
the United States risks undermining its anti-drug efforts if banana growers
turn to drugs - not just marijuana - as an alternative. At the very least,
the banana issue is creating such deep resentment that it may compromise the
willingness of Caribbean countries to continue cooperating in anti-drug
efforts. "When Caricom countries meet in July, I think you'll see a bold
statement of resistance," said Ivelaw Griffith, a Caribbean expert at Florida
International University in Miami.)

Date: Thu, 4 Mar 1999 06:58:23 -0800
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: St. Vincent: An Outpost In The Banana And Marijuana Wars
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: Thur, 04 Mar 1999
Source: New York Times (NY)
Copyright: 1999 The New York Times Company
Contact: letters@nytimes.com
Website: http://www.nytimes.com/
Forum: http://forums.nytimes.com/comment/
Author: Mieyua Navarro

AN OUTPOST IN THE BANANA AND MARIJUANA WARS

KINGSTOWN, St. Vincent and the Grenadines - When American troops helped
destroy more than one million marijuana plants in December in the rugged
northern regions of this island, growers were outraged.

They protested on radio and in front of government offices.

They appealed to business and political leaders.

They even started a petition drive to ask President Clinton for damages.
"The Americans are not showing any real concern for our economic and social
development," said Junior Cottle, chairman of a group of marijuana growers
who described himself as "representative of the ganja man." Cottle said he
did not grow marijuana but did smoke it. Marijuana is not legal here. But
its production in the remote mountains has, American officials said, taken
off in recent years, making St. Vincent the second largest grower in the
Caribbean, after Jamaica. Growers said they were turning to the crop to deal
with an unemployment rate that is officially 20 percent but that many people
here say is far higher. The animosity directed at the United States comes
from two directions. Residents have a feeling that Washington has abandoned
this corner of the world, now that the Cold War is over and it no longer
sees a Communist threat in the Caribbean. There is also a marked hostility
against Clinton for waging war with Europe over banana trade preferences,
the legitimate backbone of the economy. The nub of the dispute is that
Europe unfairly favors bananas grown by its former colonies, including this
onetime British outpost, where English is spoken and cricket is a favorite
sport.

The preference discriminates against American companies that produce
bananas, the United States says. Officials here say removing the import
protections would deal an economic catastrophe to countries that have little
capacity to grow anything else and whose bananas are costly to grow. Some
government and business leaders say the United States risks undermining its
anti-drug efforts in the region if banana growers turn to drugs -- not just
marijuana, but also trafficking in Colombian heroin and cocaine as
alternatives. At the very least, some Caribbean experts note, the banana
issue is creating such deep resentment that it may compromise the
willingness of Caribbean countries to continue cooperating in anti-drug
efforts. "When Caricom countries meet in July, I think you'll see a bold
statement of resistance," said Ivelaw Griffith, a Caribbean expert Florida
International University in Miami. Caricom is the Caribbean Community, the
regional economic association. Marijuana growers here are seeking to anger
the public against further eradication while exploring an agenda that
includes promoting marijuana for medicinal purposes and pushing for job
creation in fishing and nonbanana agriculture. The president of the Chamber
of Industry and Commerce, Martin Barnard, said of the U.S.' stance: "People
don't understand it. They're saying, 'What more can they do to us?' " Prime
Minister James F. Mitchell, who asked for the mission in December, refused
to see the farmers, telling them in a terse letter in November that his
government was "firmly opposed to the illegal drug trade." Mitchell said in
an interview that he would like to see even more American assistance to curb
marijuana cultivation and the heroin and cocaine trafficking through the
Caribbean. But he said he regarded the friend in drug control as a foe on
the banana front. "We have a property-owner democracy, and that's what's
been threatened, our quality of life," he said. American trade officials
said that they did not want to hurt Caribbean banana producers and that
there were ways to protect them like subsidies to bring down banana prices.
At the University of Miami in February, the Clinton administration's
director of drug policy, Gen. Barry R. McCaffrey, declined to comment on the
banana problem, calling it "a complex issue." But McCaffrey said he did not
accept the argument that "it's either this or drugs." "Nobody turns to
marijuana or opium or cocaine production as a survival mechanism," he said.
"They turn to that because you can make more money." But drug riches are not
readily apparent at the house of a 39-year-old banana farmer who also grows
marijuana and identified himself only as Nebo. He lives in the northeastern
town of Georgetown, an hour's drive from here, in an unpainted
concrete-block shell with two bedrooms and a family of seven. As the sweet
smell of marijuana wafted in from somewhere around the house, Nebo said his
10,000 marijuana plants yielded an income that was at least 10 times the
revenue from his three acres of bananas.

Nebo said he had no reason to grow bananas anymore except that "it's in the
culture." "It's been in my family," he said. "I just keep doing it. Right
now I'm taking my income from ganja to support the banana crop. Ganja has
been beneficial to me. It's paid for my house, schooling, food, the bills."
Another banana grower in Georgetown, Iris Walker, said she and her husband
would never resort to drugs.

But she said marijuana farmers should be accepted as a necessary evil,
underscoring the feelings of many residents. "It's illegal," Ms. Walker
said. "But if some people don't do it, they don't have bread for the
children." She called the Americans "selfish." Government officials said
they were trying hard to diversify the economy to reduce the reliance on the
banana crop, which is recovering from a slump caused by bad weather and low
prices. Tourism in St. Vincent and the Grenadines earns three times as much
as bananas. But officials say that the agricultural dollar goes longer
because it is spent locally and that no industry can yet replace bananas in
importance. Marijuana growers and their supporters say they stand ready to
help. "We're ready to be part of the process," Cottle said. "The fact that
we come out and talk illustrates the magnitude of the problem."

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

Simich Taken To Task For Marijuana Comment (According to the Dominion, New
Zealand Police Minister Clem Simich was taken to task yesterday by a former
undercover policeman for saying in Parliament that marijuana was harmful,
while at the same time allowing undercover policemen to use the drug. Simich
also had a novel theory to explain police perjury. The former agent, whose
name has been suppressed by the High Court, claimed officers were required to
smoke marijuana every day during their training to familiarise themselves
with its affects and to build up tolerance. The former agent is a spokesman
for a group of more than 50 former policemen who are claiming exemplary
damages from the police for stress and addiction. A recent survey showed a 20
per cent to 50 per cent rate of drug addiction among undercover agents.)

Date: Thu, 4 Mar 1999 03:53:56 -0800
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: New Zealand: Simich Taken To Task For Marijuana Comment
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: David Hadorn (hadorn@dnai.com)
Pubdate: Thu, 04 Mar 1999
Source: Dominion, The (New Zealand)
Contact: letters@dominion.co.nz
Website: http://www.inl.co.nz/wnl/dominion/index.html

SIMICH TAKEN TO TASK FOR MARIJUANA COMMENT

Police Minister Clem Simich was taken to task yesterday by a former
undercover policeman for saying in Parliament that marijuana was
harmful, while at the same time allowing undercover policemen to use
the drug.

Mr Simich, in reply to a question on Tuesday by Te Tai Hauauru MP Tuku
Morgan, said he firmly believed that people who used marijuana were
unwise and were likely to damage themselves.

The former undercover agent, whose name has been suppressed by the
High Court, said Mr Simich was being hypocritical if he did not act
to stop use of the drug among undercover police as part of their
training and in the field.

Police policy is for undercover agents to simulate smoking in the
field unless smoking is unavoidable.

A spokesman said yesterday that Mr Simich would not enlarge on what
was his personal opinion, and could not comment on police operational
matters.

The former agent claimed officers were required to smoke marijuana
every day during their training to go undercover to familiarise
themselves with its affects and to build up tolerance.

Agents did not simulate smoking marijuana in the field because it was
"the signature of an undercover agent and they know that if they are
caught it is a death sentence".

He said some agents were making evidential statements when they were
under the influence of marijuana and mistakes were being made. Agents
were then forced to lie in court to cover up.

The former agent, who is a spokesman for a group of more than 50
former policemen who are claiming exemplary damages from the police
for stress and addiction, said a recent survey showed a 20 to 50 per
cent rate of drug addiction among undercover agents.

Police national headquarters CIB manager Detective Superintendent Bill
Bishop said there were no plans to change the training of undercover
agents.

He said smoking was not taught, but "risk minimisation" was. This was
supported by psychological and medical counselling before, during and
after deployment.

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