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

Let the sick choose own medicine (A letter to the editor of the Oregonian
from Clifford A. Schaffer responds to a recent op-ed by Drs. John A. Benson
Jr. and Stanley J. Watson Jr., the co-principal investigators for the
Institute of Medicine's March 17 report on medical marijuana. "It is amazing
to me that, with all the research they did, they never once considered the
health effects of jailing sick people. In all their research, did these good
doctors come across any other instance in which we would jail sick people
because they chose a medicine other than what the doctor prescribed?")

Newshawk: Portland NORML (http://www.pdxnorml.org/)
Pubdate: Tue, May 18 1999
Source: Oregonian, The (OR)
Copyright: 1999 The Oregonian
Contact: letters@news.oregonian.com
Address: 1320 SW Broadway, Portland, OR 97201
Fax: 503-294-4193
Website: http://www.oregonlive.com/
Forum: http://forums.oregonlive.com/
Author: Clifford A. Schaffer, director, DRCNet Online Library
of Drug Policy, Canyon Country, Calif.

Let the sick choose own medicine

Like so many others, John A. Benson Jr. and Stanley J. Watson Jr. act as if
the medical marijuana issue is some collegial, academic discussion (May 4).
Like so many others, they leave out one significant fact -- sick people are
being jailed and their property seized because they tried to relieve their
own suffering.

It is amazing to me that, with all the research they did, they never once
considered the health effects of jailing sick people. In all their research,
did these good doctors come across any other instance in which we would jail
sick people because they chose a medicine other than what the doctor prescribed?

Those in favor of reform would happily join in the purely academic
discussion of which is better -- homegrown medicine for free or
pharmaceutical pills at $15 each -- if our government would simply stop
punishing people for their choice of medicine.

Until that happens, this is not just an academic discussion.

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

Lawmakers body slam requirement that wrestlers undergo drug tests (An
Associated Press article in the Register-Guard, in Eugene, says the Oregon
state senate, hoping to lure more professional wrestling events to Oregon, on
Tuesday voted 22-5 for SB 238, which would end a requirement that
professional wrestlers undergo mandatory drug testing. Supporters noted that
World Championship Wrestling last year scrubbed a televised performance that
had been scheduled at the Rose Garden in Portland after learning its
performers would be subjected to drug tests.)

Newshawk: Portland NORML (http://www.pdxnorml.org/)
Pubdate: Tue, May 18 1999
Source: The Register-Guard (Eugene, OR)
Copyright: 1999 The Register-Guard
Contact: http://www.registerguard.com/standingdocs/feedback.html
Website: http://www.oregonlive.com/
Author: Brad Cain, Associated Press

Lawmakers body slam requirement that wrestlers undergo drug tests

SALEM, Ore. (AP) - Hoping to lure more professional wrestling events to
Oregon, the state Senate on Tuesday body slammed a requirement that the
beefy performers undergo mandatory drug testing.

Backers of the bill to dump drug testing for pro wrestling argued that the
matches are not true athletic events, but skits. They hope the measure will
persuade World Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Federation
promoters to stop shunning Portland's Rose Garden and other major venues.

Tuesday's Senate debate produced no flying folding chairs, but it provoked
an impassioned floor speech by Sen. Frank Shields, a Portland minister who
said the bill sends a "lousy message" to young people.

"If these guys pretend to be athletes, and kids think they are athletes,
then they're going to end up concluding that it's OK to do drugs if you're
an athlete," he said. "Are we zero tolerant or not with regard to drugs?"

But Shields' argument was driven into the canvas when the Senate voted 22-5
to approve the bill and send it on to the House.

Supporters noted that World Championship Wrestling last year scrubbed a
televised performance that had been scheduled at the Rose Garden after
learning its performers would be subjected to drug tests.

Under the bill, backed by Oregon Arena Corp., which handles entertainment
contracts for the Rose Garden, performers would submit a doctor's letter of
physical fitness but wouldn't undergo the drug screening.

Oregon Boxing and Wrestling Commission officials have said that the
professional wrestling industry has had problems with performers using
painkillers and steroids.

But wrestling promoters said their shows are pure entertainment and that
their performers should be treated no differently than other entertainers.

"We don't test circus performers, rodeo contestants or rock stars, do we?"
said Sen. Marylin Shannon, R-Brooks.

The co-sponsor of the bill, Sen. Randy Miller, said he thinks it would
promote an activity in Oregon that many find diverting and entertaining.

Miller said he and his father shared an interest in wrestling matches.

"We would watch them on Friday nights and have some good laughs together,"
the Lake Oswego Republican said. "We knew who the good guys were and who the
bad guys were."

The bill is SB238.

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

House Votes Against Pharmacists In Ethical, Religious Case (According to the
Oregonian, state legislators on Monday voted down HB 2010, sought by the
Oregon State Pharmacists Association, which would have allowed pharmacists to
refuse to dispense such drugs as RU-486 on religious or ethical grounds.
Critics said the measure could be particularly hard on women in rural areas.)

Date: Wed, 19 May 1999 03:40:26 -0700
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: US OR: House Votes Against Pharmacists In Ethical, Religious
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: Portland NORML (http://www.pdxnorml.org/)
Pubdate: Tue, May 18 1999
Source: Oregonian, The (OR)
Copyright: 1999 The Oregonian
Contact: letters@news.oregonian.com
Address: 1320 SW Broadway, Portland, OR 97201
Fax: 503-294-4193
Website: http://www.oregonlive.com/
Forum: http://forums.oregonlive.com/
Author: Jeff Mapes, the Oregonian

HOUSE VOTES AGAINST PHARMACISTS IN ETHICAL, RELIGIOUS CASE

* Critics say HB2010 could make it hard for women in rural areas to
get emergency contraception drugs

SALEM -- As opponents argued that it could hurt access by women to
"morning after" contraception drugs, the Oregon House voted down a
bill Monday aimed at allowing pharmacists to refuse to fill some kinds
of prescriptions on religious or ethical grounds.

Critics said the measure could have made it particularly hard for
women in small towns and rural areas to get access to emergency
contraception drugs that must be taken within 72 hours of sexual
intercourse.

House Bill 2010 was sought by the Oregon State Pharmacists
Association, which wanted to give its members broader rights to refuse
to fill prescriptions for emergency contraception and for RU-486, the
abortion drug that may be on the U.S. market by year's end.

The measure also would have reiterated pharmacists' right to refuse to
provide drugs used in Oregon's assisted-suicide law, which already
allows health care providers to refuse to participate in a person's
suicide.

The pharmacists' association brought the bill to the Legislature after
Fred Meyer fired a pharmacist late last year in a dispute about a
prescription for Preven, a new emergency contraception drug. Fred
Meyer and other large pharmacies allow pharmacists to decline to fill
some prescriptions, but they are supposed to make sure someone else
does.

Several legislators said they objected because the bill didn't ensure
that pharmacists who declined to fill a prescription would actively
work to find another pharmacist who would.

Rep. Rob Patridge, R-Medford, said he thought it was a basic
obligation of professionals to make sure a customer's needs are met,
even if they can't do so themselves for moral reasons.

But Rep. Bill Witt, R-Cedar Mill, said it could be a mortal sin for a
member of the Catholic Church to even assist a patient in finding a
pharmacist to fill a prescription for a drug that caused an abortion.
Opponents of abortion oppose emergency contraception drugs because
they can prevent the implantation of a fertilized egg.

The measure also ran into trouble because some critics said the
wording was ambiguous enough to allow pharmacists to refuse to fill
any prescription -- such as birth-control pills -- on moral grounds.
Tom Holt, a pharmacists' association lobbyist, said that was not the
legislation's intent.

Activists on both sides of the abortion debate heavily lobbied the
House.

Gayle Atteberry of Oregon Right to Life said that by voting down the
bill, the House was saying "not only is it legal (to use these drugs),
but people who morally object to it may be forced to. . . . That is
not what America is about."

She scoffed at the idea that some women may not have access to
emergency contraception, saying that no one in Oregon "is farther away
than 72 hours to a drugstore that would fill this."

Maura Roche, a Planned Parenthood lobbyist, countered that the bill
could have caused real access problems to women who may not see a
doctor for a day or so after unprotected sex.

"They might end up having to drive a great distance and get into a
real time crunch," she said. "It's especially horrible when you think
about cases of rape and incest."

Initially, the measure failed on a 33-27 vote. Witt and Rep. Mark
Simmons, R-Elgin, then changed to the winning side so they could try
to bring the bill back up today. Reps. Jackie Winters, R-Salem, and
Jerry Krummel, R-Wilsonville, also changed to vote against the bill
after it was clear the bill had lost.

Holt, the pharmacists' lobbyist, said he did not know whether
proponents would try to revive the bill today, either to send it back
to committee for more work or to see whether they could drum up enough
votes to get it passed.

You can reach Jeff Mapes at 503-221-8209 or by e-mail at
jeffmapes@news.oregonian.com.

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

House rejects bill to allow druggists to just say no (The Associated Press
version)

Newshawk: Portland NORML (http://www.pdxnorml.org/)
Pubdate: Tue, May 18 1999
Source: The Associated Press (OR)
Copyright: 1999 The Associated Press
Website: http://www.oregonlive.com/
Forum: http://forums.oregonlive.com/
Author: Amalie Young of AP

House rejects bill to allow druggists to just say no

SALEM, Ore. (AP) -- The Oregon House rejected a bill that would have allowed
pharmacists to refuse, on moral grounds, prescriptions for emergency birth
control or drugs used in assisted suicides.

The bill, which failed Monday by a 23-37 margin, stemmed from a case in
which a Portland pharmacist lost his job last year when he refused to fill a
prescription for morning-after pills, a form of emergency contraception.

Supporters said the bill would protect druggists torn between their
professional obligations and their personal and religious beliefs.

"We don't want pharmacists to have to trade their paycheck for their
conscience," said Tom Holt, executive director of the Oregon State
Pharmacists Association. "The bill would create a safe harbor for those people."

Opponents, however, argued it would create a barrier for rural women, who
could be forced to travel miles to obtain emergency birth control.

"This goes beyond a simple conscience clause," said House Minority Leader
Kitty Piercy, D-Eugene. "No one should have to go out of their way to make
sure they get their prescription filled."

She said the bill leaves the door open for pharmacists to take a moral stand
on other drugs and refuse to prescribe Ritalin and other anti-depressants,
for example.

Pharmacists already have the right to opt out of filling assisted suicide
prescriptions.

A provision of Oregon's first-in-the-nation Death with Dignity Act allows
all health-care providers -- including pharmacists and nurses -- to refuse
to participate in the process.

They say the bill is thus targeting the morning-after pill -- emergency
contraception taken by women who have had unprotected sex in the previous 72
hours.

Pharmacists could also opt out of prescribing RU-486, which could be on the
market later this year. A hormone blocker, the pill essentially induces a
miscarriage.

Supporters said the bill is another step toward relieving the fears of
druggists' asked to fill such prescriptions.

Even the most passive participation in either practice, they said, is
condemned by many churches.

"This protects the right of the citizen and their conscience," said Rep.
Bill Witt, R-Portland, a devout Catholic who supports the bill.

Under the bill, pharmacists would have to verbally notify their supervisor
of their objections and put them in writing. They may also be required to
provide a list of places where the prescription might be filled or to
contact an on-call pharmacist to fill it.

The bill number is HB2010.

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

Kitzhaber proposes borrowing to fund school aid (The Associated Press says
Oregon Governor John Kithaber today proposed borrowing $150 million and
repaying the debt with money from the national tobacco settlement in order to
balance his budget without new taxes.)

Newshawk: Portland NORML (http://www.pdxnorml.org/)
Pubdate: Tue, May 18 1999
Source: The Associated Press (OR)
Copyright: 1999 The Associated Press
Website: http://www.oregonlive.com/
Forum: http://forums.oregonlive.com/
Author: no byline

Kitzhaber proposes borrowing to fund school aid

SALEM, Ore. (AP) -- Gov. John Kitzhaber today proposed borrowing $150
million and repaying the debt with money from the national tobacco
settlement in order to balance his budget without new taxes.

Kitzhaber also disclosed several smaller budget adjustments he said would
make possible the $4.95 billion he wants to provide in state aid to local
schools in the 1999-2001 budget.

The state expects about $180 million as its share of the national legal
settlement with tobacco companies in the next budget period and $2 billion
altogether. Kitzhaber wants to use $145 million to balance the next budget,
including $15 million to begin paying off his proposed $150 million bond issue.

The governor in March proposed raising the corporate income tax and
canceling so-called kicker income tax refunds to reach his school finance
figure, but the Legislature's Republican leaders flatly rejected the plan.

Kitzhaber said he doesn't like the idea of borrowing to fund schools but
that he is willing to do it as a compromise to get a budget agreement.

It's now the Republicans' move, he said.

"Nothing can happen until the Republican leadership comes out with a plan to
balance the budget," he said at a news briefing.

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

Lawmakers urged to use tobacco settlement for anti-smoking programs (The
Associated Press says public health groups in Oregon have launched a radio
advertising campaign urging that at least one-fourth of the state's share of
the national tobacco settlement be spent on anti-smoking programs - that is,
public health groups.)

Newshawk: Portland NORML (http://www.pdxnorml.org/)
Pubdate: Tue, May 18 1999
Source: The Associated Press (OR)
Copyright: 1999 The Associated Press
Website: http://www.oregonlive.com/
Forum: http://forums.oregonlive.com/
Author: Brad Cain of AP

Lawmakers urged to use tobacco settlement for anti-smoking programs

SALEM, Ore. (AP) -- Public health groups launched a radio ad campaign to
urge Oregon lawmakers to use at least one-fourth of the state's share of the
national tobacco settlement on anti-smoking programs.

Oregon is expected to receive about $75 million every year as its share of
the $200 billion tobacco settlement approved by 46 states last fall.

But representatives of the American Cancer Society and others said Monday it
appears that lawmakers are ready to divert the money to transportation,
housing and items not directly related to tobacco use.

The radio ads make the point that since the tobacco settlement was signed
six months ago, nearly 2,500 Oregonians have died from smoking-related
diseases and more than 6,700 youths under 18 have become daily smokers.

"The whole point of the settlement is to reduce the terrible costs of
tobacco use," an announcer says in the ad.

That anti-tobacco activists took aim at a proposal by Republican leaders to
lock away Oregon's share of the tobacco settlement in a trust fund and to
spend only the interest earnings on undefined "health-related issues."

House Speaker Lynn Snodgrass defended the plan, saying that the Clinton
administration has said the federal government might seek some of the money
to cover federal health care costs in treating smoking-related illnesses.

That's why putting the money aside in a trust fund "until the federal
government gets its act together" would be the most prudent course,
Snodgrass said.

But the health care advocates said other states already have earmarked their
share of the settlement to programs to discourage tobacco use among the
young and to help other people quit smoking. In the state of Washington,
they said, lawmakers have put aside $100 million for that purpose.

"We believe that a portion of tobacco settlement funds must go to helping
make sure kids don't start smoking and that people who want to quit can get
help," said Tom Novick, a spokesman for the health groups.

Oregon Attorney General Hardy Myers joined the groups in urging that
one-fourth of the state's settlement money be spent on tobacco programs.

"Clearly, there should be a connection between the reason for the settlement
-- which was to hold the tobacco industry accountable for the costs of
tobacco use -- and what we do with the proceeds," Myers said.

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

Oregon kids slip in U.S. ranking (The Oregonian version)

Newshawk: Portland NORML (http://www.pdxnorml.org/)
Pubdate: Tue, May 18 1999
Source: Oregonian, The (OR)
Copyright: 1999 The Oregonian
Contact: letters@news.oregonian.com
Address: 1320 SW Broadway, Portland, OR 97201
Fax: 503-294-4193
Website: http://www.oregonlive.com/
Forum: http://forums.oregonlive.com/
Author: Kate Taylor, the Oregonian

Oregon kids slip in U.S. ranking

* A statistical gauge of children's well-being, reflecting trends in crime,
poverty and health, shows Oregon has fallen

In a snapshot of all the states, Oregon's children look a little more
ragged, a little hungrier and a little less likely to succeed, according to
a national study to be released today.

The state's ranking in child well-being dropped to 29th place this year from
last year's rank of 23rd, according to the Annie E. Casey Foundation's 1999
annual Kids Count Data Book. In the early 1990s, the state held a prouder
18th ranking.

New Hampshire ranked the highest in child well-being; the District of
Columbia held the lowest spot.

"We were never a shining star," said Gary Dombroff, director of Children
First for Oregon, a nonprofit advocacy group. "But this has been a
pernicious, precipitous drop."

The study, which gauges the quality of children's lives through trends in
crime, poverty, health and other factors, bears the worst news for
teen-agers: While the national dropout rate dipped by 9 percent from 1985 to
1996, Oregon's high school dropout rate has jumped by 33 percent. More than
a quarter of Oregon students quit school before they're scheduled to graduate.

Teen-age hardships flow in a never-ending line through the office of
Cleveland High School counselor Bonnie Acker. The students come needing
everything from hugs to health advice to an ear for the violence and drugs
they see in their homes and neighborhoods.

Acker, one of four school counselors at Cleveland in Southeast Portland,
says Oregon teen-agers struggle with social problems that are much more
severe than 10 years ago.

"Many children are raising themselves," she said. "You see more depression.
And with so many of these heavy problems . . . it is depressing and it is
overwhelming."

The ranking by the Annie E. Casey Foundation is considered one of the most
comprehensive measurements of child well-being in the nation. Although many
of the report's statistics date back to 1996, the effort produces one of the
only comparisons among states.

Oregon's ranking is particularly alarming to children's advocates because of
the state's relatively healthy economy.

Bob Applegate, spokesman for Gov. John Kitzhaber's office, said he's not
surprised.

"We've been scrimping on public programs that would help at-risk kids for
years," he said.

The conditions cited by the report as having the most profound effect on
families -- poverty, unemployed parents, single parent households, lack of
health insurance, poor parental education and welfare dependence -- all
contribute to the dropout rate, Applegate said.

He stressed the answer lies not only in better support for schools, but in
better support for other agencies that help children, such as juvenile
prevention programs and health care.

The challenges faced by Oregon children also appear in their death statistics.

Nationally, the death rate for children, ages 1-14, dropped from 34 to 26
children per 100,000. But Oregon's rate has remained at about 29 over the
past decade.

The report does bear some good news regarding infant mortality. The infant
mortality rate has decreased by nearly half from about 10 deaths per 1,000
live births in 1985 to about 6 deaths in 1996.

Lisa Millet, manager for child fatality and injury prevention at the Oregon
Health Division, attributes the decrease to improved neonatal programs
around the state.

"There are kids who live now who never would have made it years ago," she said.

Still, advocates worry that Oregon communities have given weak support to
children over the past decade.

"What you're seeing is a steady decline in (support)," Dombroff of Children
First said. "The main impact has been a shift of resources away from
children and families. It's benign neglect, but it's very sad."

You can reach Kate Taylor at 503-294-7692 or by e-mail at
katetaylor@news.oregonian.com.

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

Marijuana-like chemical linked to schizophrenia (The BBC version)

Date: Fri, 21 May 1999 10:57:25 +0000
To: vignes@monaco.mc
From: Peter Webster (vignes@monaco.mc)
Subject: [] BBC: Marijuana-like Chemical Linked To Schizophrenia

From: http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/health/newsid_347000/347173.stm

Tuesday, May 18, 1999 Published at 17:03 GMT 18:03 UK

Marijuana-like chemical linked to schizophrenia

Schizophrenics' brains have high levels of a chemical which resembles an
active element in marijuana, says a study.

The presence of large quantities of the chemical anandamide may show that the
patients' brains are not responding properly to it, say the researchers from
the University of California in the journal Neuroreport.

Schizophrenics also have a high level of another chemical called dopamine,
which is thought to be kept in check by anandamide.

The researchers studied 10 patients who had double the normal levels of
anandamide.

They said their work could form the basis of further studies into how
chemicals affect the brains of schizophrenics.

They added that some schizophrenics claimed that smoking marijuana helped
alleviate their symptoms.

***

Shug

***

The UK Cannabis Information Website - http://www.ukcia.org

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

House OKs Marijuana Restrictions (The Anchorage Daily News says the Alaska
house of representatives voted 30-9 Monday for SB 94, a bill sponsored by
Sen. Loren Leman, R-Anchorage, that would restrict the medical marijuana law
voters approved last year. The bill would require patients who want to use
medical marijuana to register with the state, and it sets the maximum amount
a patient can legally possess at one ounce or six plants. David Finkelstein
of Alaskans for Medical Rights said, "The bottom line is it will work for
Alaskan patients," except some patients will refuse to register. For them,
the law will offer no protection. The governor is expected to sign the bill.)

Date: Wed, 19 May 1999 00:01:49 -0700
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: US AK: House OKs Marijuana Restrictions
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: Chris Clay (http://www.thecompassionclub.org/)
Pubdate: Tue, 18 May 1999
Source: Anchorage Daily News (AK)
Copyright: 1999 The Anchorage Daily News
Contact: letters@adn.com
Website: http://www.adn.com/
Author: Liz Ruskin, Daily News reporter

HOUSE OKS MARIJUANA RESTRICTIONS

A bill that restricts the medical marijuana law voters adopted last year
passed the Alaska House on Monday.

The bill would require patients who want to use medical marijuana to
register with the state, and it sets the maximum amount a patient can
legally possess at one ounce or six plants. The initiative voters approved
set up an optional registry that patients could sign if they wanted an ID
card to ward off arrests.

Bill sponsor Sen. Loren Leman, R-Anchorage, said it draws a bright line for
police so that they can enforce the law against recreational use of
marijuana without harassing people who have a valid reason to use the drug.

Organizers of last year's marijuana campaign initially said the bill
practically killed the new law. But Leman conceded to a series of
amendments, and that quieted arguments that he was trying to overturn the
will of the people.

The bill passed 30-9 and now goes back to the Senate for approval of the
changes the House made.

"The bottom line is it will work for Alaskan patients," David Finkelstein
said Monday. Finkelstein heads Alaskans for Medical Rights, the group that
campaigned for the measure. He said he still doesn't think the bill was
necessary. Some patients, he said, will refuse to register. For them, the
law will offer no protection against prosecution.

Finkelstein said he plans to urge patients who are eligible to use medical
marijuana to register. The confidential list will be kept by the Department
of Health and Social Services, which he said has an excellent record at
protecting patient privacy. The way the bill reads now, police can use the
registry only to confirm whether a person who shows a medical marijuana ID
card or says they have one is indeed on the list.

The governor's spokesman, Bob King, said the bill "seems to strike the right
balance" between the needs of law enforcement and the intentions of the
voter initiative.

House members for and against medical marijuana said they were uncomfortable
with the bill. Rep. Con Bunde, R-Anchorage, said he thought it was odd for
the state to encourage people to take comfort in the medical use of
marijuana when all marijuana use remains illegal in federal law.

Rep. Eric Croft, D-Anchorage, said the bill was aimed too much at helping
out the state agencies that administer and enforce the law and lost sight of
the patients the initiative was designed to help. Both he and Bunde voted
against Senate Bill 94.

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

Ex-Drug Investigators On Trial (UPI says three former investigators for
ex-Attorney General Jeffrey B. Pine's much heralded Narcotics Strike Force
have gone on trial in federal Superior Court in Providence, Rhode Island, for
conspiring to violate the civil rights of several innocent people by
arresting them on trumped up marijuana and cocaine charges. A fourth
defendant, Cesar A. Moreno, an informer/agent for the Strike Force, remains
at large.)

Date: Tue, 18 May 1999 17:33:49 -0700
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: US RI: Wire: Ex-Drug Investigators On Trial
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: EWCHIEF
Pubdate: Tue, 18 May 1999
Source: United Press International
Copyright: 1999 United Press International

EX-DRUG INVESTIGATORS ON TRIAL

PROVIDENCE, R. I., - Three former investigators for ex-Attorney
General Jeffrey B. Pine's much heralded Narcotics Strike Force have
gone on trial in Superior Court here, charged with conspiring to
violate the civil rights of several innocent people, by arresting them
for narcotics trafficking. On trial are Michael McGreevey, then a
Bristol, R.I., police officer, assigned to the Strike Force in 1995
and 1996; Ronald House, a former field investigator with the Strike
Force; and Jonathan Cute, a former ``special prosecution
investigator,'' with the Strike Force.

They have all been charged in eight-count indictments returned by a federal
grand jury last year which alleges thet seven people were falsely arrested
on trumped up marijuana and cocaine charges that were based on false witness
statements and false affidavits. A fourth defendant, Cesar A. Moreno,
an informer/agent for the Strike Force, remains at large, the subject
of a federal arrest warrant.

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

With The Needle Came AIDS (An article translated from Germany's Sueddeutsche
Zeitung says that for a long time, the Chinese thought of drugs as merely a
historical issue having to do with the Opium Wars against the British.
Nowadays, though, disco-goers are popping ecstasy, young artists and
businesspeople are smoking marijuana, and rock musicians and students are
shooting heroin. Entire shiploads of drugs from neighboring countries are
secretly making their way into China. The Asian economic crisis has spared
China, which is now making life harder for drug investigators. "Because our
currency is stable, the drug bosses are bringing far more drugs to us than to
Southeast Asia," says Sun Dahong, director of the Drug Control Bureau in
Yunnan. According to the government, two-thirds of all HIV-infected people
become infected by injecting drugs; today their number is estimated at
400,000. Every drug addict caught by the police must enter forced treatment,
and a return to drug use lands addicts in a labor camp.)

Date: Fri, 28 May 1999 11:45:04 -0700
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: China: With The Needle Came AIDS
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: Keith Sanders
Pubdate: Tue, 18 May 1999
Source: Sueddeutsche Zeitung (Germany)
Contact: http://www.sueddeutsche.de/service/leser/leserbrief.htm
Website: http://www.sueddeutsche.de/
Author: Kai Strittmatter
Note: Translation by newshawk

WITH THE NEEDLE CAME AIDS

Consumption of narcotics was believed to have vanished - now addiction is
spreading fast

For a long time, the Chinese thought of drugs as merely a historical
issue-having to do with the Opium Wars against the British. Nowadays,
though, disco-goers are popping "head-shaker pills" (Ecstasy), young artists
and businesspeople are smoking marijuana, rock musicians and in some places
even students are shooting heroin. And entire shiploads of drugs from
neighboring countries are secretly making their way into China. "The
situation is serious," says Sun Dahong, top anti-drug warrior in the
province of Yunnan. "Opium production by our neighbors is skyrocketing, and
it is threatening us and damaging us."

Sun Dahong, director of the Drug Control Bureau in Yunnan, is fighting on
the front lines: this southwestern Chinese province borders on the Golden
Triangle of Burma, Laos, and Vietnam, and it is the main entryway for opium
and heroin coming into China. Sun's investigators have more than 4000km of
border to watch over. Yunnan is home to more than a dozen minority
populations with relatives in the neighboring countries. Five tons of drugs
were seized in the province in 1998, almost a third more heroin than in the
preceding year and a fifth more opium. It is estimated that 100 tons of
heroin and 2000 tons of opium are produced each year in the Golden
Triangle - and the chemicals needed for drug processing are coming
increasingly from China.

Since Beijing has awakened from years of drowsiness and declared war on
drugs, the smugglers have begun to arm themselves ever more heavily.
"They've got hand grenades, pistols, and other weapons", says Sun.
"Organized crime is becoming a more and more difficult problem." And because
smugglers with more than 50 grams of heroin face the death penalty anyway,
most carry the drug by the sackload, in order to feed the ever-growing
market in China. The Asian economic crisis has spared China, and precisely
that fact is now making life harder for drug investigators. "Because our
currency is stable, the drug bosses are bringing far more drugs to us than
to Southeast Asia," says Sun.

There were 540,000 registered addicts in 1997; in reality there could be
several times as many. With the needle came AIDS: according to the
government, two-thirds of all HIV-infected people had become infected by
injecting drugs (today their number is estimated at 400,000). The motives
of the addicts are familiar: values and a sense of purpose are missing in
modern life, and many have lost their way within society, as well as losing
their jobs.

A specifically Chinese problem contributed to the rapid spread of drugs:
"Precisely because drugs were largely non-existent in China, we had
completely lost our sense of the danger they present," explains Dong Sheng
from the Drug Control Bureau. The government has learned its lesson. It is
now taking measures not only towards police interdiction, but in prevention
and education. These efforts include presentations and new schoolbooks as
well as the campaign to "Say Yes To Life and No To Drugs". In the city of
Tuiyan, 10,000 youths were rounded up in order to take a solemn oath against
drugs. Every drug addict caught by the police must enter forced treatment
in one of the 700 centers that have sprung up so far-and a return to drug
use lands addicts in a labor camp.

The government proudly quotes words of praise from the United Nations for
its war against drugs. But the danger continues to grow. "We are lacking
in money and in training for our officers," says Sun Dahong. The quality of
treatment is also the subject of debate. There are model centers like the
one in Kunming (see accompanying report), and there are horror stories like
those from the island of Hainan. "I had to pay the guards in order to see
my girlfriend," reports a businessman from Sichuan. "The clinic was a
farce, all about making money. My girlfriend was in horrible shape, nobody
paid her any attention. Her roommate, they simply allowed to die. I
managed to get her out of there, with plenty of bribe money."

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Pro-Marijuana Activists Stage Own Talkfest (The Illawarra Mercury, in
Australia, says marijuana-law-reform activists gathered for an alternative
drug summit outside State Parliament in Sydney yesterday. Michael Balderstone
of the Nimbin Hemp Embassy said too much of the New South Wales drug summit
was dedicated to heroin. "We reckon if there had been reasonable cannabis
laws in the last 20 years there would not be anywhere near the heroin problem
there is now," he said. Mr Balderstone estimates one million people in NSW
smoke cannabis and argues they can't all be criminals.)

Date: Thu, 20 May 1999 23:31:44 -0700
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: Australia: Pro-Marijuana Activists Stage Own Talkfest
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: Ken Russell
Pubdate: Tue, 18 May 1999
Source: Illawarra Mercury (Australia)
Copyright: Illawarra Newspapers
Contact: editor@illnews.com.au
Website: http://mercury.illnews.com.au/

PRO-MARIJUANA ACTIVISTS STAGE OWN TALKFEST

Pro-marijuana activists gathered for an alternative drug summit outside
State Parliament in Sydney yesterday.

But the only joint in sight was a 3m model atop The Cannabus, their
multi-coloured coach.

About 30 activists settled into The Domain park for an alternative to the
official talkfest.

The group will light 700 lanterns in memory of those who have died from
drug overdoses in Australia over the past year.

Michael Balderstone of the Nimbin Hemp Embassy said too much of the
official summit was dedicated to heroin.

``We reckon if there had been reasonable cannabis laws in the last 20 years
there would not be anywhere near the heroin problem there is now,'' he
said. Mr Balderstone estimates one million people in NSW smoke cannabis and
argues they can't all be criminals.

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

Heroin Trial Inevitable: Penington (The Sydney Morning Herald says David
Penington, the former professor of medicine at the University of Melbourne
who chaired the Victorian Premier's Drug Advisory Council in 1995, told the
New South Wales Drug Summit yesterday that a heroin-maintenance trial was an
inevitable part of drug law reform, along with safe injecting rooms and the
decriminalisation of marijuana. Decriminalisation was "long overdue", he
argued, as messages about the herb's use would "only be heeded by young
people in the context of health education, rather than in the context of
criminality." Marijuana use in jurisdictions where it has been liberalised -
in South Australia, the ACT and the Northern Territory - is not substantially
greater than where it remains illegal. "To suggest that the legal status of
the drug acts as an effective barrier to use is simply a nonsense," he said.
"Prohibition is a simple, populist answer to a complex problem and, for this
reason, holds political attraction. Clothing it in a moral dimension places
it beyond rational argument and analysis.")

Date: Thu, 20 May 1999 23:31:49 -0700
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: Australia: Heroin Trial Inevitable: Penington
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: Ken Russell
Pubdate: Tue, 18 May 1999
Source: Sydney Morning Herald (Australia)
Contact: letters@smh.fairfax.com.au
Website: http://www.smh.com.au/
Author: Julia Baird

HEROIN TRIAL INEVITABLE: PENINGTON

A heroin trial was an inevitable part of drug law reform, along with safe
injecting rooms and the decriminalisation of marijuana, Professor David
Penington told the Drug Summit yesterday.

The former professor of medicine and vice-chancellor at the University of
Melbourne called for "both civil and political courage to examine and
rethink established conventions". He told the summit that current drug
policies were having little effect on addiction and drug-related deaths.

Professor Penington was chair of the Victorian Premier's Drug Advisory
Council, established in December 1995, which commended the then proposed
ACT heroin trial and made recommendations including decriminalisation of
possession and use of moderate quantities of marijuana. This followed
recommendations for a more "liberal" approach to marijuana in Senate
inquiries in 1971 and 1977.

Decriminalisation was "long overdue", he argued yesterday, as messages
about the drug's use would "only be heeded by young people in the context
of health education, rather than in the context of criminality".

Professor Penington said marijuana use in jurisdictions where it had been
liberalised - South Australia, the ACT and the Northern Territory - was not
substantially different from those where it remained illegal. "To suggest
that the legal status of the drug acts as an effective barrier to use is
simply a nonsense," he said. Prohibition had failed just as it had against
alcohol in the US in the 14 years to 1933. "Prohibition is a simple,
populist answer to a complex problem and, for this reason, holds political
attraction. Clothing it in a moral dimension places it beyond rational
argument and analysis."

With a booming world opium trade, South-East Asian heroin would continue to
supply Australia, where street prices were falling and purity increasing.
Professor Penington cited statistics showing a 46-fold increase in deaths
from heroin and other opiates between 1964 and 1996, for Australians aged
15 to 44.

A heroin trial would "eventually prove essential, so that we can learn how
to handle provision of heroin to long-term dependent users who are not
ready to accept withdrawal and rehabilitation".

Safe injecting rooms would curb deaths and spread of hepatitis C, and
represented "a natural evolution from the needle exchange facilities that
have played such an important role in protecting the Australian community
from spread of AIDS since 1987".

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

[End]