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June 10, 2004
Legalize it, Ex-Cop Tells Hill Pot RallyCN ON: Legalize it, Ex-Cop Tells Hill Pot Rally Jack Cole is not the type of person you would expect to see at a rally to legalize pot. During his 26-year career with the New Jersey state police, Cole spent 12 years as an undercover narcotics officer. His investigations ran the gamut from street drug dealers to international drug trafficking organizations. Now retired, the Medford, Me., resident has taken a decidedly different stance on illegal drugs. FORCE CRIMINALS OUT Cole is a founding member and executive director of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition ( LEAP ), an international, drug-policy-reform organization consisting of current and former members of law enforcement. "I believe in legalizing all drugs," he said, explaining that legalization would allow the government to regulate and control the distribution, consumption and production of these substances, forcing criminals out of the equation. ... |
Marijuana Party Says 'Let's Roll'
Canada: Marijuana Party Says 'Let's Roll'
MONTREAL -- The Marijuana Party rolled out its election platform yesterday, hoping its 100 or so candidates can convince voters that it's more than just a token party. The grassroots organization aims to field candidates in every region of Canada except Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and the Northwest Territories.
...
June 01, 2004
Sullum on sweet addictives
Bad Taste
We owe it to our kids.
by Jacob Sullum
Clove cigarettes have long been a prop of self-styled bohemians, favored by neo-hippies, artists, drama students, and goths. By transforming the sweet, fragrant Indonesian smokes into contraband, the recently introduced Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act would make them even cooler.
The bill—sponsored by two bipartisan pairs, Mike DeWine (R-Ohio) and Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.) in the Senate and Tom Davis (R-Va.) and Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) in the House—would give the Food and Drug Administration broad authority to regulate tobacco products. But the authors clearly thought the matter of cigarette flavorings was too important to be left to the FDA's discretion.
Section 907(a)(1) of the bill states that "a cigarette or any of its component parts...shall not contain, as a constituent (including a smoke constituent) or additive, an artificial or natural flavor (other than tobacco or menthol) or an herb or spice, including strawberry, grape, orange, clove, cinnamon, pineapple, vanilla, coconut, licorice, cocoa, chocolate, cherry, or coffee, that is a characterizing flavor of the tobacco product or tobacco smoke."
...
May 20, 2004
NV Court Orders probing into Drug Czar's anti-MMJ campaign expenses
Order Favors Group Seeking Nevada Expense Report From Drug Czar
May 08, 2004
Montel speaks out for Medical Marijuana
Marijuana Policy Project: New York
Talk Show Host Lobbies in Albany
Capital News 9; May 5, 2004
by Brian Taffe
After 13 years in television and nearly 2,600 shows, Montel Williams wants to meet you. More though, he just wants you to meet him.
Aside from what you know him as: television host, military man, the face of Multiple Sclerosis -- now, you can add political activist to his resume.
"I think that we have been dead wrong about something for about 85 years in this country. And what I think we're dead wrong about is medical marijuana," Williams said.
Montel has long been known for speaking out against drugs, but now he is pleading a case for one. Every day he takes 39 pills, mostly pain killers. But even with those pain killers, he said none work quite as well to ease his constant pain as marijuana, which he wants you to understand why. He said to think of him as your brother.
"Your younger sibling has an illness, and they're in pain all day, and a doctor says to you the only thing that will stop their pain is medicinal marijuana. Now you tell me what you're going to do," Williams said.
...
April 27, 2004
Group puffs against pot laws
Group puffs against pot laws - The Washington Times: Nation/Politics - April 25, 2004
April 20, 2004
March 19, 2004
A Message from DRCNET's Executive Director About Our Drug Czar
A Message from DRCNET's Executive Director About Our Drug Czar
Dear Drug War Chronicle Reader:
This past Tuesday night, as part of a group organized by Students for Sensible Drug Policy, I attended a speech by US drug czar John Walters at The George Washington University here in DC. You may remember that our lead article from last week's issue discussed the warping in this year's "National Drug Control Strategy" document of the presentation of federal drug budget numbers to create an appearance of equality between enforcement and interdiction vs. treatment and prevention spending (http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/327/budget2005.shtml). In reality the budget split is still roughly 2-1 in favor of enforcement. ONDCP created a 1-1 appearance by omitting the cost of incarcerating drug offenders from the budget numbers. (!)
I was amazed by how brazenly Walters not only stood by, but bragged about, his budget deception. We didn't even have to wait for his speech to hear about it. It was built into the introduction a student gave for him, which was almost certainly provided by his office, in which she listed among Walters' accomplishments the reworking of the budget presentation to be more honest or accurate.
I raised the issue with Walters during the question-and-answer session following his speech. His answer doesn't pass the straight face test, though remarkably he did manage to keep a straight face. Walters' line was that there are some budget items that are not exclusively focused on drugs. He brought up the example of the Headstart program, for which the federal government provides some drug prevention money. He then pointed out that some drug offenders are also convicted of other crimes and are sentenced to prison time for all of them. In order to make the budget reporting more "honest," Walters stated, they now omit all drug spending, be it enforcement or demand reduction, from the budget entirely.
(Continued...)
March 09, 2004
David Crosby Arrested on Marijuana, Gun Charges
FOXNews.com - Foxlife - David Crosby Arrested on Marijuana, Gun Charges
February 09, 2004
Alabama and US Marijuana Party Founder Goes on Trial
Alabama and US Marijuana Party Founder Goes on Trial
ALEXANDER CITY, Al. - Feb. 2, 2004 (ALMJP) - Alabama and US Marijuana Party founder Loretta Nall will appear in Tallapoosa County District Court on Feb. 10, 2004 at 2 p.m. to face charges of 2nd degree Possession of Marijuana and Possession of Paraphernalia.
Mrs. Nall, who maintains her innocence, was arrested in a November 2002 raid on her home less than a week after the Birmingham News published her letter to the editor in which she called for citizens to vote and change Alabama's drug laws.
The Tallapoosa County Narcotics Task Force, which conducted the raid on Nall's home, alleges that the raid yielded 0.87 grams of marijuana.
...
February 05, 2004
Police Chief Won't Work With Feds In Pot Busts
Police Chief Won't Work With Feds In Pot Busts
When it comes to legitimate use of medical marijuana, the San Diego Police Department won't be cooperating with the feds, according to a Jan. 28 memo from police chief William Lansdowne. In the memo, sent to Mayor Dick Murphy and the San Diego City Council, Lansdowne says his officers, if asked, will not participate in any federal investigation or drug bust where qualified medical marijuana patients and caregivers are the target.
Lansdowne formerly headed the police department in San Jose, where he pulled his officers from a joint federal-state drug task force after agents targeted members of a Northern California cannabis club. Lansdowne was named San Diego's new chief of police in August after former Chief David Bejarano was appointed U.S. Marshall for Southern California by President Bush.
...
February 03, 2004
Pub drinkers tested for drugs
BBC NEWS | England | Kent | Pub drinkers tested for drugs
Computerised drug tests have been carried out at a Kent pub as part of a police crackdown on drug use.
The pub landlord and the police have defended the measures even though there were no positive tests or arrests at the Bishops Oak in Tonbridge on Friday.
The tests involve a swab on the hand, after which hi-tech equipment can show whether a person has handled drugs.
Landlord Paul Sarnie said: "I just want to find out for myself what is going on in my establishment."
Prevalence of drugs
He said: "It is basically to highlight the growing awareness we have that drugs are more prevalent in the community than they have been in recent years."
Everyone in the pub on Friday night agreed to be tested and were all found to be clear.
Pc Tim Moody, of Kent Police, said: "Our general feedback that we get from members of the public is that they think it is a fantastic idea."
He said: "They do feel safer going out in these places because they know that the particular element that may use drugs are not going to be there."
January 23, 2004
January 20, 2004
Nevada County's Narcotics Task Force arrest Correctional Technician for Marijuana Garden
Nevada County's Narcotics Task Force arrest Correctional Technician for Marijuana Garden
January 14, 2004
Montel, M.S., and medical marijuana
At the end of the transcript, he talks about using medical marijuana.
Hannity & Colmes - Interview - Montel Williams' Battle With M.S.
January 03, 2004
Jesse Ventura's America: Should marijuana be legalized? (Transcript)
Jesse's awesome. He's a luttle nuts sometimes, but I think most awesome people are that way. And he kicks butt against the drug war in this episode of his show. He delivers any number of verbal smackdowns to Tom Riley, the director of public affairs for the Office of National Drug Control Policy.
January 01, 2004
Sullum on the tightening of the Commerce Clause loophole
Pot Luck
A victory for federalism
by Jacob Sullum, Reason
Excerpt:
This is the third case this year in which the 9th Circuit has tried to define the boundaries of the Commerce Clause. Each decision has been narrow: The first involved child pornography that never crossed state lines and was not intended for distribution; the second dealt with homemade machine guns that met the same criteria; and the most recent one is limited to "the intrastate, noncommercial cultivation and possession of cannabis for personal medical purposes as recommended by a patient's physician pursuant to valid California state law."
But taken together, these rulings help revive the idea that the Commerce Clause is not a blank check.
December 28, 2003
Teen Drug Surveys Contradict Each Other
Teen Drug Surveys Contradict Each Other
Excerpt:
While Monitoring the Future, conducted by University of Michigan researchers and funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, indicates a decrease in teen use of marijuana and other drugs, the privately-funded PRIDE Survey showed a sharp rise in drug use: Monthly use of marijuana by junior-high students rose 51 percent from 2002 to 2003, and monthly use of heroin rose 60 percent. Despite the differences, both surveys confirm that ONDCP has failed by a large margin to meet goals set for it by Congress. Full PRIDE Survey results are available at http://www.pridesurveys.com.
NIDA Survey: Drug Use by U.S. Teens Declining
FOXNews.com - Top Stories - Drug Use by U.S. Teens Declining
December 24, 2003
December 21, 2003
Cannabis campaigner may be forced to go
Cannabis campaigner may be forced to go
Pot activist Steve Kubby - who says he depends on marijuana to ward off a rare form of cancer - is now fighting to stay in Canada.
Kubby, 56, is under a departure order from Citizenship and Immigration Canada that would force him, wife Michele, and two daughters, out of the country as early as Jan. 15.
...
December 15, 2003
December 13, 2003
CANADA DENIES REFUGEE STATUS TO US MEDICAL MARIJUANA EXILE
Drug War Chronicle
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/315/stevekubby.shtml
CANADA DENIES REFUGEE STATUS TO US MEDICAL MARIJUANA EXILE
Prominent American medical marijuana activist Steve Kubby
(http://www.kubby.com), who fled the US saying an impending jail sentence
would cause his death, has been denied refugee status by the Canadian
Immigration and Refugee Board. An adrenal cancer patient, Kubby has smoked a
dozen joints a day for year, which he says keeps him alive, and would have
been denied that medication while serving a misdemeanor sentence in
California. But Kubby did not have a well-founded fear of being persecuted
or tortured, nor was there any risk to his life if he returned to his home
state of California, the board ruled Monday.
He has said he will appeal, but the clock is ticking for Kubby and his
family, whose requests for refugee status were also denied. Under Canadian
law, he has 15 days to apply to the Supreme Court for a review of the
decision, and if the court chooses not to review his case, he and his family
would have to leave the country within 30 days. One option would be to apply
for a "pre-removal risk assessment," which would force immigration officials
to once again investigate whether he would face "cruel or unusual punishment
or risk to life" if returned to the US.
Steve Kubby Kubby, the 1998 Libertarian Party nominee for governor of
California, fled to Canada with his family in 2001 after being found guilty
of possession of a small amount of psychedelic mushrooms and peyote in his
home state. That conviction arose from a medical marijuana raid on Kubby's
home. The state could not convict on the marijuana charges -- California law
allows for its medical use -- but did manage to nail Kubby for the 'shrooms.
He was prepared to serve a 120-day sentence provided he could have access to
medical marijuana. But local authorities in California refused to allow him
to have his medicine in jail, so Kubby ran for his life to what he hoped
would be a friendlier clime.
He and his family entered Canada on tourist visas, but were detained by
Canadian immigration authorities after newspaper stories featured their
cause and described them cultivating a medical marijuana garden at their
home in Sechelt, British Columbia, a short ferry ride up BC's Sunshine Coast
from Vancouver. At that point, Kubby, his wife Michelle, and their two
daughters applied for asylum as refugees fleeing persecution by American
drug warriors. Since then, they have remained in Canada, where they produce
a program on Pot-TV (http://www.pot-tv.net), a web-based marijuana reform
broadcaster funded by marijuana seed magnate Marc Emery. They also received
a permit from Health Canada to cultivate marijuana for Kubby's medicinal use
are currently growing 117 plants, Kubby told the Toronto Globe & Mail.
In addition to the fear of persecution because of his well-known advocacy of
medical marijuana, Kubby argued that medical marijuana users were not
protected in California, and that he would die if deprived of his medicine.
The Immigration and Refugee Board, however, ruled that Kubby was not and
would not be persecuted, that California law in fact protects medical
marijuana users, and that he would not suffer serious health effects if
incarcerated without access to medical marijuana.
In an opinion written by board member Paulah Dauns, the board noted that
Kubby had not been convicted on medical marijuana charges, but on other drug
charges, and that California law protected him. "In effect, the process
worked, as it was designed to," she wrote. "He argues that a medical
marijuana patient should be protected from persecution. What he has
demonstrated is that in fact, they are." Dauns also wrote that while there
was little doubt marijuana relieved Kubby's cancer symptoms, there was no
evidence that depriving him of cannabis while incarcerated on the California
'shroom charge would kill him, despite testimony from Dr. Joseph Connors of
the British Columbia Cancer Agency, who told the court during an April
hearing that Kubby would die within four days if denied access to marijuana
for his condition. Kubby was not a refugee, wrote Dauns, but a "fugitive
from justice."
And while Kubby argued that his use of marijuana was akin to a diabetic's
use of insulin, Dauns was having none of that, either. "Insulin has been
approved by the medical community as a treatment, whereas marijuana has
not," she said. "The research on the benefits of marijuana is woefully
inadequate and inconclusive, making a comparison of these two treatments
illogical," she wrote.
The Kubby case is the first of a handful of similar "reefer refugee" cases
to be decided in Canada. Two Northern California men, Kenneth Hayes and
Steve Tuck, who fled federal marijuana charges related to California medical
marijuana grows, have cases pending before the author of Monday's decision,
board member Dauns. Some advocates had hoped Kubby, with his strong health
argument, had the strongest of any of the pending cases.
Canadian Kubby supporters denounced the decision. "This is yet another
example of the harms of cannabis prohibition," said Philippe Lucas, director
of Canadians for Safe Access (http://www.safeaccess.ca), a medical marijuana
defense organization based on its southern sister, Americans for Safe Access
(http://www.safeaccessnow.org). "The Kubbys are kind contributors to the
social well-being of Canadians -- under any other circumstances, Canada
would welcome this reverse brain-drain. It is only through the perversion of
justice caused by prohibition that a loving family like the Kubbys could be
condemned to an uncertain future at the hands of American prosecutors."
But it wasn't only abstract prohibition that had Lucas and other Canadian
activists irked, it was the harsh slap in the face from a traditionally
refugee-friendly country. "Are we as a nation really so quick to take a
chance on Steve Kubby's health?" asked Lucas. "Shouldn't a modern liberal
democracy like Canada err on the side of social justice when a man's life is
on the line? If Steve Kubby should suffer the same fate as Peter McWilliams
-- who died choking on his own vomit while being denied his medicinal
cannabis after his arrest -- the hands of those who denied his refugee claim
will be forever stained in his blood."
"Today, I'm ashamed of being a Canadian," concurred Tim Meehan, national
director of the anti-prohibition wing of the New Democratic Party
(http://www.ndpot.ca). "Here at home, our government constantly reminds us
of how important the refugee protection system is. Canada's reputation is
built on it. However, when they subject people like Steve Kubby and his
family to institutional prejudice because of their choice of medical
treatment, and are more concerned about angering a trading partner than
saving a human life, that demonstrates our government's priorities are very
seriously out of alignment. I hope Canadians remember that in the upcoming
federal election," Meehan added.
Visit http://www.mapinc.org/alert/0282.html for a letter-writing alert to
help Steve Kubby.
Read a summary of the decision at:
http://www.irb.gc.ca/en/decisions/kubby/va2_01374_e.htm#summary
Read the decision in full at:
http://www.irb.gc.ca/en/decisions/kubby/va2_01374_e.htm
Or to get right to the paragraphs where Dauns lays out her reasoning, go to:
http://www.irb.gc.ca/en/decisions/kubby/va2_01374_e.htm#determination
American Medical Marijuana Refugee Ordered To Return To United States
NORML's Weekly News Bulletin -- December 11, 2003
http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=5856
American Medical Marijuana Refugee Ordered To Return To United States
Immigration Board Recognizes Pot To Be "Best Treatment Available," But
Rejects Patient's Asylum Request
December 11, 2003 - Vancouver, BC, Canada
Vancouver, British Columbia: The Canadian Immigration and Refugee Board this
week denied refugee status to American Steve Kubby and his family, and
ordered their return to California where Kubby is expected to be sentenced
to four months in jail for drug-related charges. Kubby has said he will
appeal the ruling.
He and his wife Michelle and two children will be allowed to remain in the
country while awaiting their appeal.
Kubby fled to Canada in 2001 rather than serve time in jail, where he would
be denied access to medicinal marijuana, which he requires to treat symptoms
of a rare, life-threatening form of adrenal cancer known as
pheochromocytoma. Kubby was diagnosed in 1968 with the disease - which he's
managed since the early 1980s exclusively by smoking cannabis - and given
six months to live. (Life expectancy of a person with pheochromocytoma is
typically three to five years.) Today Kubby is recognized as one of the
longest living survivors of the disease.
Though the Board recognized that "marijuana continues to be the best
treatment available to Mr. Kubby," and that he could potentially suffer a
heart attack or stroke without cannabis, it nevertheless ruled, "The
claimant is not a person in need of protection in that his removal to the
United States would not subject him personally to a risk to his life."
The Board based this decision, in part, on the premise that Kubby would
likely have access to medicinal marijuana while in jail. However, California
law does not compel the state to allow inmates access to medical cannabis,
stating: "Nothing in this article shall require any accommodation of any
medical use of marijuana ... on the property or premises of any jail,
correctional facility, or other type of penal institution in which prisoners
reside or persons under arrest are detained."
While living in Canada, Kubby had been one of fewer than 600 individuals to
receive a federal exemption from Health Canada to legally cultivate and use
pot for medical purposes.
NORML Foundation Executive Director Allen St. Pierre called the Refugee
Board's decision unfortunate and puzzling considering the government's prior
acknowledgement of Kubby's medical need to use cannabis. "This decision
makes little sense in light of the fact that the Canadian government has
already approved Steve Kubby's medical use of marijuana by granting him a
special exemption from prosecution," he said.
"Why they couldn't extend that same thinking to his asylum request seeking
protection for his health from America's policy of strict marijuana law
enforcement is puzzling. This decision does not bode well for the other
Americans who have sought refuge status in Canada for their
physician-sanctioned use of medical marijuana."
Since 1989, the Immigration and Refugee Board has heard nearly 1,000 refugee
cases from the United States, including 268 pending cases. So far, none of
those individuals have been granted asylum.
For more information, please contact Allen St. Pierre of The NORML
Foundation at (202) 483-8751. Full text of the Immigration and Refugee
Board's ruling is available online at:
http://www.irb.gc.ca/en/decisions/kubby/va2_01374_e.htm
(In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.)
Woman Uses Greeting Card to Smuggle Meth
FOXNews.com - Top Stories - Woman Uses Greeting Card to Smuggle Meth
December 12, 2003
December 11, 2003
Pot doc's license revocation upheld
Dec. 10, 2003 -- Pot doc's license revocation upheld
By HANK LAWSON Staff writer
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed Monday the federal government's revocation of Dr. Marion "Molly" Fry's license to prescribe medication including marijuana.
December 08, 2003
KUBBY VOWS APPEAL OF RULING DENYING REFUGEE STATUS IN CANADA
For Immediate Release
December 8, 2003
Press Conference:
Tuesday, Dec. 9th, noon, BC Marijuana Party Headquarters, 307 West Hastings,
Vancouver
Decision Online:
http://www.irb.gc.ca/en/decisions/kubby/va2_01374_e.htm
KUBBY VOWS APPEAL OF RULING DENYING REFUGEE STATUS IN CANADA
VANCOUVER -- Steve Kubby, medical marijuana patient and former Libertarian
Party candidate for governor of California, vowed to appeal a ruling by the
Refugee Protection Division today that denied him refugee status in Canada
based on his need for medical marijuana.
Kubby complained, "I cannot understand how the Refugee panel could conclude
that my life would not be at risk if I were forced to return to the US,
after the leading cancer specialist in British Columbia testified that I
would die without it."
British Columbia cancer specialist Dr. Joseph Michael Connors, an expert in
the area of adrenal cancers, called by the Immigration Ministry, examined
Kubby and testified at the hearing about his medical condition.
The ruling recognizes that, according to Dr. Connors, "Mr. Kubby's tumour
releases, in excess quantities, hormones normally found in the adrenal
gland. Excessive levels of these hormones in Mr. Kubby's blood cause a
range of separate symptomatic problems including paroxysmal headaches,
palpitations (rapid and irregular beating of the heart), hypertension
(sudden dangerous rise in blood pressure), sudden abdominal cramps and
diarrhea, chest pain, shortness of breath, nausea, sudden severe weakness
and anorexia (loss of appetite). If not controlled, Mr. Kubby's symptoms
could evolve further to the point where a myocardial infarction (heart
attack) or cerebral vascular accident (stroke) could occur."
The ruling also acknowledged that "there is evidence before the Board, that
marihuana controls the symptoms of Mr. Kubby's cancer, including
hypertension. In Dr. Connors' opinion, marihuana continues to be the best
treatment available to Mr. Kubby."
However, the ruling went on to say that "it cannot therefore be stated with
any degree of certainty, that marihuana is the reason for Mr. Kubby's
survival even though it remains the best treatment option at this time."
Health Canada has even given Mr. Kubby permission to grow one hundred and
seventeen marijuana plants, based on "medical necessity."
The ruling further acknowledged, Kubby "has received a Health Canada
exemption, which suggests he is a bona fide ill person in need of medical
marihuana. It is noteworthy that Mr. Kubby was investigated and charged
with marihuana related criminal offences in Canada. Those Canadian charges
were later stayed by the Crown, and his marihuana grow equipment was
returned to him by the RCMP after the charges were stayed. This suggests
the Government of Canada believes he has a medical necessity for marihuana."
Despite all of this, the ruling somehow concluded, "he has not established
there is a risk to his life or a risk of cruel and unusual treatment or
punishment" if Kubby is forced to return to the US.
Kubby vowed, "Apparently, I have to die in order to convince the Refugee
board, but instead I intend to fight."
###
November 26, 2003
Probation Granted to 3 Who Grew, Sold Pot as a Medicine
Probation Granted to 3 Who Grew, Sold Pot as a Medicine
By Jean Guccione, Times Staff Writer
In a victory for advocates of medicinal marijuana, officers of a defunct West Hollywood cannabis club were sentenced Monday to one year of probation for growing and selling marijuana to hundreds of people with cancer, AIDS and other serious ailments.
In imposing the minimum allowable sentence, U.S. District Judge A. Howard Matz chastised the prosecution.
"To allocate the resources of the Drug Enforcement Agency and the U.S. attorney's office in this case … baffles me, disturbs me," the judge said.
...
The judge noted that 85% of the center's 960 members have AIDS or are HIV-positive; 10% have cancer; and the rest have various other medical conditions.
"It is difficult to imagine a case where a defendant has contributed to the distribution of a controlled substance for more humanitarian reasons than what occurred here," his defense attorney, Ronald O. Kaye, argued in court papers.
...
Under federal drug forfeiture laws, authorities seized $56,000 in the center's bank account and sold its building at 7494 Santa Monica Blvd. for $1.2 million.
The city of West Hollywood and Wells Fargo Bank, which financed the purchase, are trying to force the federal government to return a portion of the money.
Read It Rating: 6
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: .5
Learning Percentage: 35%
November 24, 2003
Man chokes to death hiding pot
Man chokes to death hiding pot
FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) -- A man changing a flat tire choked to death on a bag of marijuana he had stuffed down his throat in an apparent attempt to hide it from police who stopped to help him, authorities said.
Read It Rating: 4
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: -3
Learning Percentage: 75%
November 20, 2003
New Study Explains How Pot Kills Cancer Cells
This article by Steve kubby has some overlap with the previously posted article by Richard Cowan. Cowan's article is more extensive; Kubby's is more succinct.
New Study Explains How Pot Kills Cancer Cells
by Steve Kubby
A new study published in Nature Reviews-Cancer provides an historic and detailed explanation about how THC and natural cannabinoids counteract cancer, but preserve normal cells.
The study by Manuel Guzmán of Madrid Spain found that cannabinoids, the active components of marijuana, inhibit tumor growth in laboratory animals. They do so by modulating key cell-signalling pathways, thereby inducing direct growth arrest and death of tumor cells, as well as by inhibiting the growth of blood vessels that supply the tumor.
The Guzman study is very important according to Dr. Ethan Russo , a neurologist and world authority on medical cannabis: "Cancer occurs because cells become immortalized; they fail to heed normal signals to turn off growth. A normal function of remodelling in the body requires that cells die on cue. This is called apoptosis, or programmed cell death. That process fails to work in tumors. THC promotes its reappearance so that gliomas, leukemias, melanomas and other cell types will in fact heed the signals, stop dividing, and die."
"But, that is not all," explains Dr. Russo: "The other way that tumors grow is by ensuring that they are nourished: they send out signals to promote angiogenesis, the growth of new blood vessels. Cannabinoids turn off these signals as well. It is truly incredible, and elegant." ...
Read It Rating: 9.1
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: 1.1
Learning Percentage: 15%
If Cannabis Could Cure Cancer, They Would Tell Us, Right?
This is a somewhat clunky and jaded story, but it still makes for worthy reading, if for no other reason than the story which is embedded within it, entitled "POT SHRINKS TUMORS; GOVERNMENT KNEW IN '74". Also, this article by Richard Cowan (who has good cause to be jaded, as he has been fighting against the drug war for avery long time) is linked to a great many other articles and resources which offer a lot of background information.
If Cannabis Could Cure Cancer, They Would Tell Us, Right? No.
by Richard Cowan, MarijuanaNews.com
Read It Rating: 9
Left/Right Rating: L3
Freedom Rating: 1
Learning Percentage: 55%
Kubbys await refugee ruling
by Pete Brady (10 Nov, 2003)
Courageous couple grow medical marijuana on television
Medical marijuana advocates Michele and Steve Kubby are anticipating a ruling "any day now" on their historic bid to become Canada's first officially-sanctioned reefer refugees.
...
Earlier this year, Michele Kubby acted as her own lawyer in hearings before an immigration judge. The Kubbys are seeking official refugee status. They argue that Steve would die in America if he was sent back to face incarceration or other actions relating to his earlier conviction, because authorities will not guarantee him access to medpot. They also claim they would be victims of political persecution as individuals, and as part of a persecuted minority - pot smokers - who are targets of a "genocidal" US-government war. If the Kubbys win refugee status, it will be historic, because the ruling will in effect mean that the Canadian government has acknowledged that the US is a country that routinely violates the human rights of its citizens.
The refugee hearings were contentious and controversial, with government lawyers accused of lying by the Kubbys. Michele Kubby, who has no formal training as a lawyer, won plaudits from attorneys for her skillful attacks on the government's attempts to send her and her family back to the United States, and for her spirited defense of the Kubbys' right to stay in Canada.
...
Read It Rating: 7
Left/Right Rating: L3
Freedom Rating: .4
Learning Percentage: 20%
November 12, 2003
Campaigns No Longer Go Up In Smoke
Campaigns No Longer Go Up In Smoke
Past Marijuana Use Now More Acceptable
by Lisa Wangsness
Concord Monitor
Near the end of the Rock the Vote presidential candidates' forum in Boston this week, the moderator posed a question that once filled politicians with dread.
"Which of you are ready to admit to having used marijuana in the past?"
Though Howard Dean joked that the candidates would "keep our hands down on this one," only former ambassador Carol Moseley Braun declined to answer the question. Dean, Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry and North Carolina Sen. John Edwards said they had. The Rev. Al Sharpton said he had not.
Ohio Rep. Dennis Kucinich said he hadn't but added that he would decriminalize marijuana use.
Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman actually apologized - for not having smoked pot.
"I have a reputation for giving unpopular answers in Democratic debates," Lieberman joked. "I never used marijuana, sorry."
...
Read It Rating: 8
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: 1.5
Learning Percentage: 40%
November 09, 2003
Australia: Police To Conduct Random Roadside Drug Tests
Australia: Police To Conduct Random Roadside Drug Tests
In an Australian first, the Victorian government today moved to give police powers to conduct random roadside drug testing.
Under legislation now before state parliament, from July next year roadside drug screening will be used to detect drivers affected by cannabis and speed with a saliva test.
Read It Rating: 6
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: -2
Learning Percentage: 85%
October 16, 2003
LP: America owes Rush Limbaugh a debt of gratitude
LP Press Release:
America owes talk host Rush Limbaugh a debt of gratitude, Libertarians say
October 16, 2003
WASHINGTON, DC -- The entire nation owes radio broadcaster Rush Limbaugh a debt of gratitude, Libertarians say, because his ordeal has exposed every drug warrior in America as a rank hypocrite.
"One thing we don't hear from American politicians very often is silence," said Joe Seehusen, Libertarian Party executive director. "By refusing to criticize Rush Limbaugh, every drug warrior has just been exposed as a shameless, despicable hypocrite.
"And that's good news, because the next time they do speak up, there'll be no reason for anyone to listen."
The revelation that Limbaugh had become addicted to painkillers -- drugs he is accused of procuring illegally from his Palm Beach housekeeper -- has caused a media sensation ever since the megastar's shocking, on-air confession last week.
As the Limbaugh saga continues, here's an important question for Americans to ask, Libertarians say: Why are all the drug warriors suddenly so silent?
"Republican and Democratic politicians have written laws that have condemned more than 400,000 Americans to prison for committing the same 'crime' as Rush Limbaugh," Seehusen pointed out. "If this pill-popping pontificator deserves a get-out-of-jail-free card, these drug warriors had better explain why."
Given their longstanding support for the Drug War, it's fair to ask:
Why haven't President George Bush or his tough-on-crime attorney general, John Ashcroft, uttered a word criticizing Limbaugh's law-breaking?
Why aren't drug czar John P. Walters or his predecessor, Barry McCaffrey, lambasting Limbaugh as a menace to society and a threat to "our children?"
Why aren't federal DEA agents storming Limbaugh's $30 million Florida mansion in a frantic search for criminal evidence?
Why haven't federal, state, and local police agencies seized the celebrity's homes and luxury cars under asset-forfeiture laws?
Finally, why aren't bloviating blabbermouths like William Bennett publicly explaining how America would be better off if Limbaugh were prosecuted, locked in a steel cage and forced to abandon his wife, his friends, and his career?
The answer is obvious, Seehusen said: "America's drug warriors are shameless hypocrites who believe in one standard of justice for ordinary Americans and another for themselves, their families and their political allies.
"That alone should completely discredit them."
But there's an even more disturbing possibility, Seehusen said: that the people who are prosecuting the Drug War don't even believe in its central premise -- which is that public safety requires that drug users be jailed.
"The Bushes and Ashcrofts and McCaffreys of the world may believe, correctly, that individuals fighting a drug addiction deserve medical, not criminal treatment," he said. "That would explain why they're not demanding that Limbaugh be jailed.
"But if that's the case, these politicians have spent decades tearing apart American families for their own political gain. And that's an unforgivable crime."
October 07, 2003
Scientists admit: we were wrong about 'E'
Scientists admit: we were wrong about 'E'
Experts who gave a dramatic warning that ecstasy led to brain damage based their study on a huge blunder, reports health editor Jo Revill
Sunday September 7, 2003
The Observer
It was billed as the one of the most dramatic warnings the world has ever received over the dangers of ecstasy. A study from one of America's leading universities concluded that taking the drug for just one evening could leave clubbers with irreversible brain damage, and trigger the onset of Parkinson's disease.
The study, published in the eminent journal Science last September, had an immediate impact. Doctors and anti-drug crusaders spoke of a 'neurological time bomb' facing the young. Others suggested that taking one of the tablets was the equivalent of playing Russian roulette with the brain, and demanded tighter 'anti-rave' laws to deal with it.
But today, scientists are facing up to the humiliation of admitting that the stark results they reported in the study were not a breakthrough but a terrible, humiliating blunder.
The study was based on the fact that laboratory monkeys and baboons had a severe reaction to the drug when it was injected in small doses. But it emerged this weekend that the vials of liquid did not contain ecstasy....
Read It Rating: 9
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: 2
Learning Percentage: 80%
October 01, 2003
Tommy Chong gets 9 months for selling bongs and such on Web
COURTTV.COM - PEOPLE - Tommy Chong gets 9 months for selling drug wares on Web
Updated Sept. 11, 2003, 2:45 p.m. ET
Tommy Chong gets 9 months for selling drug wares on Web
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Tommy Chong, who played one half of the dope-smoking duo in the Cheech and Chong movies, was sentenced to nine months in federal prison and fined $20,000 Thursday for selling bongs and other drug paraphernalia over the Internet.
The 65-year-old was allowed to remain free until federal prison officials tell him in a few weeks where he must report to prison.
Full story...
Read It Rating: 8
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: -3.5
Learning Percentage: 30%
September 21, 2003
Marijuana laws struck down in British Columbia
Marijuana laws struck down in British Columbia
Westernmost province joins Ontario, PEI and Nova Scotia in ending prohibition
Years of protests bear fruit for freedom
On September 4, Provincial Court Judge P Chen made a landmark ruling regarding marijuana laws in British Columbia. In his decision, Judge Chen said parts of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA) are "invalid" and that "there is no offense known to law at this time for simple possession of marijuana" in the province.
Judge Chen's decision was based on a series of court cases in Ontario that led a judge there to strike down marijuana possession laws in January of this year. ...
Read It Rating: 7.5
Left/Right Rating: L3
Freedom Rating: 3
Learning Percentage: 80%
September 03, 2003
Former drug warriors turn against prohibition
Altered Minds
Former drug warriors turn against prohibition.
by Jacob Sullum
ReasonOnline
In the 1980s, not many people could plausibly claim stronger anti-drug credentials than Nancy Reagan. But Forest Tennant could.
"It's great for the Reagans to get up and say, 'Let's do something about the drug problem,' but I don't know who's going to do it," he told the Los Angeles Times in 1986. "Only true professional people like myself can do very much with the drug problem."
...
Tennant has published hundreds of scientific articles, testified in high-profile trials, and advised the NFL, NASCAR, the California Highway Patrol, the Food and Drug Administration, and the National Institute on Drug Abuse. The Times described him as "riding at the forefront of the current wave of anti-drug sentiment."
So when the folks at the Hoover Institution who produce the PBS show Uncommon Knowledge were looking for someone to debate drug policy with me, Tennant must have seemed like a natural choice. Imagine their surprise when he ended up agreeing that the war on drugs has been a disastrous mistake.
...
Tennant is by no means the only former drug warrior who has become a critic of current policy. Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP), founded last year, includes more than 400 current and former police officers, judges, federal agents, prosecutors, and parole, probation, and corrections officers. The group is headed by Jack Cole, a 26-year veteran of the New Jersey State Police who worked in narcotics enforcement for 14 years.
...
Read It Rating: 9.8
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: 4
Learning Percentage: 50%
Dutch Government begins distributing prescription cannabis
Cannabis as a prescription drug
The Dutch government has started distributing cannabis as a prescription painkiller to pharmacies to treat chronically ill patients. The Hague had already been turning a blind eye to medicinal cannabis use, but now it's become the world's first government to supply the drug itself, in accordance with United Nations rules on narcotics.
Cannabis sativa has been used therapeutically for many centuries. Known to the Chinese as a strong herbal remedy around 5,000 years ago, it was introduced into European medicine in Napoleonic times. Its pain relieving and sedative effects soon became accepted by Western medical practitioners, who prescribed it on a wide scale. Britain's Queen Victoria is said to have taken cannabis tincture for menstrual pains.
Read It Rating: 9.4
Left/Right Rating: L6
Freedom Rating: 2.5
Learning Percentage: 50%
August 18, 2003
Illegal drug makers targeting RV's
Thank you, oh mighty War on Drugs, for opening yet another perverse tear in our society's fabric.
There is one good thing about crystal meth: Of all the drugs in the New Prohibition, it's the one which is most obviously reminiscent of the first Prohibition. (Think moonshine.) Maybe something will snap, as people internally compare the images on the evening news with the contraption in "The Swamp" on M*A*S*H, and experience a cognitive dissonance -- preferably, a big collective one.
From the end of the article:
You can help as well by reporting suspected labs to state police.
Try, "You can help as well by demanding a swift and certain end to the foolish 'War on Drugs'."
Illegal drug makers targeting RV's
(Mattawan, August 12, 2003, 6:20 p.m. ) Camping is a favorite summer past time for Cindy Harnish and her family.
But while getting ready for a camp out earlier this summer, Cindy's father discovered a problem with his travel trailer.
"We got up north and the refrigerator, we tried to light it up but it wouldn't light. So he opened it up and it looked like it had been cut."
But what first appeared to be an act of vandalism may actually have been the latest chapter in the war against the drug known as crystal meth.
For years, makers of crystal meth have been stealing anhydrous ammonia from tanks on farm fields and farm co-ops.
...Now, it appears some manufacturers are turning to RV's.
Read It Rating: 7.5
Left/Right Rating: R2
Freedom Rating: -5
Learning Percentage: 50%
August 17, 2003
Sullum on sweet addictives
Bad Taste
We owe it to our kids.
by Jacob Sullum
Clove cigarettes have long been a prop of self-styled bohemians, favored by neo-hippies, artists, drama students, and goths. By transforming the sweet, fragrant Indonesian smokes into contraband, the recently introduced Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act would make them even cooler.
The bill—sponsored by two bipartisan pairs, Mike DeWine (R-Ohio) and Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.) in the Senate and Tom Davis (R-Va.) and Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) in the House—would give the Food and Drug Administration broad authority to regulate tobacco products. But the authors clearly thought the matter of cigarette flavorings was too important to be left to the FDA's discretion.
Section 907(a)(1) of the bill states that "a cigarette or any of its component parts...shall not contain, as a constituent (including a smoke constituent) or additive, an artificial or natural flavor (other than tobacco or menthol) or an herb or spice, including strawberry, grape, orange, clove, cinnamon, pineapple, vanilla, coconut, licorice, cocoa, chocolate, cherry, or coffee, that is a characterizing flavor of the tobacco product or tobacco smoke."
...
NV Court Orders probing into Drug Czar's anti-MMJ campaign expenses
Order Favors Group Seeking Nevada Expense Report From Drug Czar
May 08, 2004
Montel speaks out for Medical Marijuana
Marijuana Policy Project: New York
Talk Show Host Lobbies in Albany
Capital News 9; May 5, 2004
by Brian Taffe
After 13 years in television and nearly 2,600 shows, Montel Williams wants to meet you. More though, he just wants you to meet him.
Aside from what you know him as: television host, military man, the face of Multiple Sclerosis -- now, you can add political activist to his resume.
"I think that we have been dead wrong about something for about 85 years in this country. And what I think we're dead wrong about is medical marijuana," Williams said.
Montel has long been known for speaking out against drugs, but now he is pleading a case for one. Every day he takes 39 pills, mostly pain killers. But even with those pain killers, he said none work quite as well to ease his constant pain as marijuana, which he wants you to understand why. He said to think of him as your brother.
"Your younger sibling has an illness, and they're in pain all day, and a doctor says to you the only thing that will stop their pain is medicinal marijuana. Now you tell me what you're going to do," Williams said.
...
April 27, 2004
Group puffs against pot laws
Group puffs against pot laws - The Washington Times: Nation/Politics - April 25, 2004
April 20, 2004
March 19, 2004
A Message from DRCNET's Executive Director About Our Drug Czar
A Message from DRCNET's Executive Director About Our Drug Czar
Dear Drug War Chronicle Reader:
This past Tuesday night, as part of a group organized by Students for Sensible Drug Policy, I attended a speech by US drug czar John Walters at The George Washington University here in DC. You may remember that our lead article from last week's issue discussed the warping in this year's "National Drug Control Strategy" document of the presentation of federal drug budget numbers to create an appearance of equality between enforcement and interdiction vs. treatment and prevention spending (http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/327/budget2005.shtml). In reality the budget split is still roughly 2-1 in favor of enforcement. ONDCP created a 1-1 appearance by omitting the cost of incarcerating drug offenders from the budget numbers. (!)
I was amazed by how brazenly Walters not only stood by, but bragged about, his budget deception. We didn't even have to wait for his speech to hear about it. It was built into the introduction a student gave for him, which was almost certainly provided by his office, in which she listed among Walters' accomplishments the reworking of the budget presentation to be more honest or accurate.
I raised the issue with Walters during the question-and-answer session following his speech. His answer doesn't pass the straight face test, though remarkably he did manage to keep a straight face. Walters' line was that there are some budget items that are not exclusively focused on drugs. He brought up the example of the Headstart program, for which the federal government provides some drug prevention money. He then pointed out that some drug offenders are also convicted of other crimes and are sentenced to prison time for all of them. In order to make the budget reporting more "honest," Walters stated, they now omit all drug spending, be it enforcement or demand reduction, from the budget entirely.
(Continued...)
March 09, 2004
David Crosby Arrested on Marijuana, Gun Charges
FOXNews.com - Foxlife - David Crosby Arrested on Marijuana, Gun Charges
February 09, 2004
Alabama and US Marijuana Party Founder Goes on Trial
Alabama and US Marijuana Party Founder Goes on Trial
ALEXANDER CITY, Al. - Feb. 2, 2004 (ALMJP) - Alabama and US Marijuana Party founder Loretta Nall will appear in Tallapoosa County District Court on Feb. 10, 2004 at 2 p.m. to face charges of 2nd degree Possession of Marijuana and Possession of Paraphernalia.
Mrs. Nall, who maintains her innocence, was arrested in a November 2002 raid on her home less than a week after the Birmingham News published her letter to the editor in which she called for citizens to vote and change Alabama's drug laws.
The Tallapoosa County Narcotics Task Force, which conducted the raid on Nall's home, alleges that the raid yielded 0.87 grams of marijuana.
...
February 05, 2004
Police Chief Won't Work With Feds In Pot Busts
Police Chief Won't Work With Feds In Pot Busts
When it comes to legitimate use of medical marijuana, the San Diego Police Department won't be cooperating with the feds, according to a Jan. 28 memo from police chief William Lansdowne. In the memo, sent to Mayor Dick Murphy and the San Diego City Council, Lansdowne says his officers, if asked, will not participate in any federal investigation or drug bust where qualified medical marijuana patients and caregivers are the target.
Lansdowne formerly headed the police department in San Jose, where he pulled his officers from a joint federal-state drug task force after agents targeted members of a Northern California cannabis club. Lansdowne was named San Diego's new chief of police in August after former Chief David Bejarano was appointed U.S. Marshall for Southern California by President Bush.
...
February 03, 2004
Pub drinkers tested for drugs
BBC NEWS | England | Kent | Pub drinkers tested for drugs
Computerised drug tests have been carried out at a Kent pub as part of a police crackdown on drug use.
The pub landlord and the police have defended the measures even though there were no positive tests or arrests at the Bishops Oak in Tonbridge on Friday.
The tests involve a swab on the hand, after which hi-tech equipment can show whether a person has handled drugs.
Landlord Paul Sarnie said: "I just want to find out for myself what is going on in my establishment."
Prevalence of drugs
He said: "It is basically to highlight the growing awareness we have that drugs are more prevalent in the community than they have been in recent years."
Everyone in the pub on Friday night agreed to be tested and were all found to be clear.
Pc Tim Moody, of Kent Police, said: "Our general feedback that we get from members of the public is that they think it is a fantastic idea."
He said: "They do feel safer going out in these places because they know that the particular element that may use drugs are not going to be there."
January 23, 2004
January 20, 2004
Nevada County's Narcotics Task Force arrest Correctional Technician for Marijuana Garden
Nevada County's Narcotics Task Force arrest Correctional Technician for Marijuana Garden
January 14, 2004
Montel, M.S., and medical marijuana
At the end of the transcript, he talks about using medical marijuana.
Hannity & Colmes - Interview - Montel Williams' Battle With M.S.
January 03, 2004
Jesse Ventura's America: Should marijuana be legalized? (Transcript)
Jesse's awesome. He's a luttle nuts sometimes, but I think most awesome people are that way. And he kicks butt against the drug war in this episode of his show. He delivers any number of verbal smackdowns to Tom Riley, the director of public affairs for the Office of National Drug Control Policy.
January 01, 2004
Sullum on the tightening of the Commerce Clause loophole
Pot Luck
A victory for federalism
by Jacob Sullum, Reason
Excerpt:
This is the third case this year in which the 9th Circuit has tried to define the boundaries of the Commerce Clause. Each decision has been narrow: The first involved child pornography that never crossed state lines and was not intended for distribution; the second dealt with homemade machine guns that met the same criteria; and the most recent one is limited to "the intrastate, noncommercial cultivation and possession of cannabis for personal medical purposes as recommended by a patient's physician pursuant to valid California state law."
But taken together, these rulings help revive the idea that the Commerce Clause is not a blank check.
December 28, 2003
Teen Drug Surveys Contradict Each Other
Teen Drug Surveys Contradict Each Other
Excerpt:
While Monitoring the Future, conducted by University of Michigan researchers and funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, indicates a decrease in teen use of marijuana and other drugs, the privately-funded PRIDE Survey showed a sharp rise in drug use: Monthly use of marijuana by junior-high students rose 51 percent from 2002 to 2003, and monthly use of heroin rose 60 percent. Despite the differences, both surveys confirm that ONDCP has failed by a large margin to meet goals set for it by Congress. Full PRIDE Survey results are available at http://www.pridesurveys.com.
NIDA Survey: Drug Use by U.S. Teens Declining
FOXNews.com - Top Stories - Drug Use by U.S. Teens Declining
December 24, 2003
December 21, 2003
Cannabis campaigner may be forced to go
Cannabis campaigner may be forced to go
Pot activist Steve Kubby - who says he depends on marijuana to ward off a rare form of cancer - is now fighting to stay in Canada.
Kubby, 56, is under a departure order from Citizenship and Immigration Canada that would force him, wife Michele, and two daughters, out of the country as early as Jan. 15.
...
December 15, 2003
December 13, 2003
CANADA DENIES REFUGEE STATUS TO US MEDICAL MARIJUANA EXILE
Drug War Chronicle
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/315/stevekubby.shtml
CANADA DENIES REFUGEE STATUS TO US MEDICAL MARIJUANA EXILE
Prominent American medical marijuana activist Steve Kubby
(http://www.kubby.com), who fled the US saying an impending jail sentence
would cause his death, has been denied refugee status by the Canadian
Immigration and Refugee Board. An adrenal cancer patient, Kubby has smoked a
dozen joints a day for year, which he says keeps him alive, and would have
been denied that medication while serving a misdemeanor sentence in
California. But Kubby did not have a well-founded fear of being persecuted
or tortured, nor was there any risk to his life if he returned to his home
state of California, the board ruled Monday.
He has said he will appeal, but the clock is ticking for Kubby and his
family, whose requests for refugee status were also denied. Under Canadian
law, he has 15 days to apply to the Supreme Court for a review of the
decision, and if the court chooses not to review his case, he and his family
would have to leave the country within 30 days. One option would be to apply
for a "pre-removal risk assessment," which would force immigration officials
to once again investigate whether he would face "cruel or unusual punishment
or risk to life" if returned to the US.
Steve Kubby Kubby, the 1998 Libertarian Party nominee for governor of
California, fled to Canada with his family in 2001 after being found guilty
of possession of a small amount of psychedelic mushrooms and peyote in his
home state. That conviction arose from a medical marijuana raid on Kubby's
home. The state could not convict on the marijuana charges -- California law
allows for its medical use -- but did manage to nail Kubby for the 'shrooms.
He was prepared to serve a 120-day sentence provided he could have access to
medical marijuana. But local authorities in California refused to allow him
to have his medicine in jail, so Kubby ran for his life to what he hoped
would be a friendlier clime.
He and his family entered Canada on tourist visas, but were detained by
Canadian immigration authorities after newspaper stories featured their
cause and described them cultivating a medical marijuana garden at their
home in Sechelt, British Columbia, a short ferry ride up BC's Sunshine Coast
from Vancouver. At that point, Kubby, his wife Michelle, and their two
daughters applied for asylum as refugees fleeing persecution by American
drug warriors. Since then, they have remained in Canada, where they produce
a program on Pot-TV (http://www.pot-tv.net), a web-based marijuana reform
broadcaster funded by marijuana seed magnate Marc Emery. They also received
a permit from Health Canada to cultivate marijuana for Kubby's medicinal use
are currently growing 117 plants, Kubby told the Toronto Globe & Mail.
In addition to the fear of persecution because of his well-known advocacy of
medical marijuana, Kubby argued that medical marijuana users were not
protected in California, and that he would die if deprived of his medicine.
The Immigration and Refugee Board, however, ruled that Kubby was not and
would not be persecuted, that California law in fact protects medical
marijuana users, and that he would not suffer serious health effects if
incarcerated without access to medical marijuana.
In an opinion written by board member Paulah Dauns, the board noted that
Kubby had not been convicted on medical marijuana charges, but on other drug
charges, and that California law protected him. "In effect, the process
worked, as it was designed to," she wrote. "He argues that a medical
marijuana patient should be protected from persecution. What he has
demonstrated is that in fact, they are." Dauns also wrote that while there
was little doubt marijuana relieved Kubby's cancer symptoms, there was no
evidence that depriving him of cannabis while incarcerated on the California
'shroom charge would kill him, despite testimony from Dr. Joseph Connors of
the British Columbia Cancer Agency, who told the court during an April
hearing that Kubby would die within four days if denied access to marijuana
for his condition. Kubby was not a refugee, wrote Dauns, but a "fugitive
from justice."
And while Kubby argued that his use of marijuana was akin to a diabetic's
use of insulin, Dauns was having none of that, either. "Insulin has been
approved by the medical community as a treatment, whereas marijuana has
not," she said. "The research on the benefits of marijuana is woefully
inadequate and inconclusive, making a comparison of these two treatments
illogical," she wrote.
The Kubby case is the first of a handful of similar "reefer refugee" cases
to be decided in Canada. Two Northern California men, Kenneth Hayes and
Steve Tuck, who fled federal marijuana charges related to California medical
marijuana grows, have cases pending before the author of Monday's decision,
board member Dauns. Some advocates had hoped Kubby, with his strong health
argument, had the strongest of any of the pending cases.
Canadian Kubby supporters denounced the decision. "This is yet another
example of the harms of cannabis prohibition," said Philippe Lucas, director
of Canadians for Safe Access (http://www.safeaccess.ca), a medical marijuana
defense organization based on its southern sister, Americans for Safe Access
(http://www.safeaccessnow.org). "The Kubbys are kind contributors to the
social well-being of Canadians -- under any other circumstances, Canada
would welcome this reverse brain-drain. It is only through the perversion of
justice caused by prohibition that a loving family like the Kubbys could be
condemned to an uncertain future at the hands of American prosecutors."
But it wasn't only abstract prohibition that had Lucas and other Canadian
activists irked, it was the harsh slap in the face from a traditionally
refugee-friendly country. "Are we as a nation really so quick to take a
chance on Steve Kubby's health?" asked Lucas. "Shouldn't a modern liberal
democracy like Canada err on the side of social justice when a man's life is
on the line? If Steve Kubby should suffer the same fate as Peter McWilliams
-- who died choking on his own vomit while being denied his medicinal
cannabis after his arrest -- the hands of those who denied his refugee claim
will be forever stained in his blood."
"Today, I'm ashamed of being a Canadian," concurred Tim Meehan, national
director of the anti-prohibition wing of the New Democratic Party
(http://www.ndpot.ca). "Here at home, our government constantly reminds us
of how important the refugee protection system is. Canada's reputation is
built on it. However, when they subject people like Steve Kubby and his
family to institutional prejudice because of their choice of medical
treatment, and are more concerned about angering a trading partner than
saving a human life, that demonstrates our government's priorities are very
seriously out of alignment. I hope Canadians remember that in the upcoming
federal election," Meehan added.
Visit http://www.mapinc.org/alert/0282.html for a letter-writing alert to
help Steve Kubby.
Read a summary of the decision at:
http://www.irb.gc.ca/en/decisions/kubby/va2_01374_e.htm#summary
Read the decision in full at:
http://www.irb.gc.ca/en/decisions/kubby/va2_01374_e.htm
Or to get right to the paragraphs where Dauns lays out her reasoning, go to:
http://www.irb.gc.ca/en/decisions/kubby/va2_01374_e.htm#determination
American Medical Marijuana Refugee Ordered To Return To United States
NORML's Weekly News Bulletin -- December 11, 2003
http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=5856
American Medical Marijuana Refugee Ordered To Return To United States
Immigration Board Recognizes Pot To Be "Best Treatment Available," But
Rejects Patient's Asylum Request
December 11, 2003 - Vancouver, BC, Canada
Vancouver, British Columbia: The Canadian Immigration and Refugee Board this
week denied refugee status to American Steve Kubby and his family, and
ordered their return to California where Kubby is expected to be sentenced
to four months in jail for drug-related charges. Kubby has said he will
appeal the ruling.
He and his wife Michelle and two children will be allowed to remain in the
country while awaiting their appeal.
Kubby fled to Canada in 2001 rather than serve time in jail, where he would
be denied access to medicinal marijuana, which he requires to treat symptoms
of a rare, life-threatening form of adrenal cancer known as
pheochromocytoma. Kubby was diagnosed in 1968 with the disease - which he's
managed since the early 1980s exclusively by smoking cannabis - and given
six months to live. (Life expectancy of a person with pheochromocytoma is
typically three to five years.) Today Kubby is recognized as one of the
longest living survivors of the disease.
Though the Board recognized that "marijuana continues to be the best
treatment available to Mr. Kubby," and that he could potentially suffer a
heart attack or stroke without cannabis, it nevertheless ruled, "The
claimant is not a person in need of protection in that his removal to the
United States would not subject him personally to a risk to his life."
The Board based this decision, in part, on the premise that Kubby would
likely have access to medicinal marijuana while in jail. However, California
law does not compel the state to allow inmates access to medical cannabis,
stating: "Nothing in this article shall require any accommodation of any
medical use of marijuana ... on the property or premises of any jail,
correctional facility, or other type of penal institution in which prisoners
reside or persons under arrest are detained."
While living in Canada, Kubby had been one of fewer than 600 individuals to
receive a federal exemption from Health Canada to legally cultivate and use
pot for medical purposes.
NORML Foundation Executive Director Allen St. Pierre called the Refugee
Board's decision unfortunate and puzzling considering the government's prior
acknowledgement of Kubby's medical need to use cannabis. "This decision
makes little sense in light of the fact that the Canadian government has
already approved Steve Kubby's medical use of marijuana by granting him a
special exemption from prosecution," he said.
"Why they couldn't extend that same thinking to his asylum request seeking
protection for his health from America's policy of strict marijuana law
enforcement is puzzling. This decision does not bode well for the other
Americans who have sought refuge status in Canada for their
physician-sanctioned use of medical marijuana."
Since 1989, the Immigration and Refugee Board has heard nearly 1,000 refugee
cases from the United States, including 268 pending cases. So far, none of
those individuals have been granted asylum.
For more information, please contact Allen St. Pierre of The NORML
Foundation at (202) 483-8751. Full text of the Immigration and Refugee
Board's ruling is available online at:
http://www.irb.gc.ca/en/decisions/kubby/va2_01374_e.htm
(In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.)
Woman Uses Greeting Card to Smuggle Meth
FOXNews.com - Top Stories - Woman Uses Greeting Card to Smuggle Meth
December 12, 2003
December 11, 2003
Pot doc's license revocation upheld
Dec. 10, 2003 -- Pot doc's license revocation upheld
By HANK LAWSON Staff writer
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed Monday the federal government's revocation of Dr. Marion "Molly" Fry's license to prescribe medication including marijuana.
December 08, 2003
KUBBY VOWS APPEAL OF RULING DENYING REFUGEE STATUS IN CANADA
For Immediate Release
December 8, 2003
Press Conference:
Tuesday, Dec. 9th, noon, BC Marijuana Party Headquarters, 307 West Hastings,
Vancouver
Decision Online:
http://www.irb.gc.ca/en/decisions/kubby/va2_01374_e.htm
KUBBY VOWS APPEAL OF RULING DENYING REFUGEE STATUS IN CANADA
VANCOUVER -- Steve Kubby, medical marijuana patient and former Libertarian
Party candidate for governor of California, vowed to appeal a ruling by the
Refugee Protection Division today that denied him refugee status in Canada
based on his need for medical marijuana.
Kubby complained, "I cannot understand how the Refugee panel could conclude
that my life would not be at risk if I were forced to return to the US,
after the leading cancer specialist in British Columbia testified that I
would die without it."
British Columbia cancer specialist Dr. Joseph Michael Connors, an expert in
the area of adrenal cancers, called by the Immigration Ministry, examined
Kubby and testified at the hearing about his medical condition.
The ruling recognizes that, according to Dr. Connors, "Mr. Kubby's tumour
releases, in excess quantities, hormones normally found in the adrenal
gland. Excessive levels of these hormones in Mr. Kubby's blood cause a
range of separate symptomatic problems including paroxysmal headaches,
palpitations (rapid and irregular beating of the heart), hypertension
(sudden dangerous rise in blood pressure), sudden abdominal cramps and
diarrhea, chest pain, shortness of breath, nausea, sudden severe weakness
and anorexia (loss of appetite). If not controlled, Mr. Kubby's symptoms
could evolve further to the point where a myocardial infarction (heart
attack) or cerebral vascular accident (stroke) could occur."
The ruling also acknowledged that "there is evidence before the Board, that
marihuana controls the symptoms of Mr. Kubby's cancer, including
hypertension. In Dr. Connors' opinion, marihuana continues to be the best
treatment available to Mr. Kubby."
However, the ruling went on to say that "it cannot therefore be stated with
any degree of certainty, that marihuana is the reason for Mr. Kubby's
survival even though it remains the best treatment option at this time."
Health Canada has even given Mr. Kubby permission to grow one hundred and
seventeen marijuana plants, based on "medical necessity."
The ruling further acknowledged, Kubby "has received a Health Canada
exemption, which suggests he is a bona fide ill person in need of medical
marihuana. It is noteworthy that Mr. Kubby was investigated and charged
with marihuana related criminal offences in Canada. Those Canadian charges
were later stayed by the Crown, and his marihuana grow equipment was
returned to him by the RCMP after the charges were stayed. This suggests
the Government of Canada believes he has a medical necessity for marihuana."
Despite all of this, the ruling somehow concluded, "he has not established
there is a risk to his life or a risk of cruel and unusual treatment or
punishment" if Kubby is forced to return to the US.
Kubby vowed, "Apparently, I have to die in order to convince the Refugee
board, but instead I intend to fight."
###
November 26, 2003
Probation Granted to 3 Who Grew, Sold Pot as a Medicine
Probation Granted to 3 Who Grew, Sold Pot as a Medicine
By Jean Guccione, Times Staff Writer
In a victory for advocates of medicinal marijuana, officers of a defunct West Hollywood cannabis club were sentenced Monday to one year of probation for growing and selling marijuana to hundreds of people with cancer, AIDS and other serious ailments.
In imposing the minimum allowable sentence, U.S. District Judge A. Howard Matz chastised the prosecution.
"To allocate the resources of the Drug Enforcement Agency and the U.S. attorney's office in this case … baffles me, disturbs me," the judge said.
...
The judge noted that 85% of the center's 960 members have AIDS or are HIV-positive; 10% have cancer; and the rest have various other medical conditions.
"It is difficult to imagine a case where a defendant has contributed to the distribution of a controlled substance for more humanitarian reasons than what occurred here," his defense attorney, Ronald O. Kaye, argued in court papers.
...
Under federal drug forfeiture laws, authorities seized $56,000 in the center's bank account and sold its building at 7494 Santa Monica Blvd. for $1.2 million.
The city of West Hollywood and Wells Fargo Bank, which financed the purchase, are trying to force the federal government to return a portion of the money.
Read It Rating: 6
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: .5
Learning Percentage: 35%
November 24, 2003
Man chokes to death hiding pot
Man chokes to death hiding pot
FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) -- A man changing a flat tire choked to death on a bag of marijuana he had stuffed down his throat in an apparent attempt to hide it from police who stopped to help him, authorities said.
Read It Rating: 4
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: -3
Learning Percentage: 75%
November 20, 2003
New Study Explains How Pot Kills Cancer Cells
This article by Steve kubby has some overlap with the previously posted article by Richard Cowan. Cowan's article is more extensive; Kubby's is more succinct.
New Study Explains How Pot Kills Cancer Cells
by Steve Kubby
A new study published in Nature Reviews-Cancer provides an historic and detailed explanation about how THC and natural cannabinoids counteract cancer, but preserve normal cells.
The study by Manuel Guzmán of Madrid Spain found that cannabinoids, the active components of marijuana, inhibit tumor growth in laboratory animals. They do so by modulating key cell-signalling pathways, thereby inducing direct growth arrest and death of tumor cells, as well as by inhibiting the growth of blood vessels that supply the tumor.
The Guzman study is very important according to Dr. Ethan Russo , a neurologist and world authority on medical cannabis: "Cancer occurs because cells become immortalized; they fail to heed normal signals to turn off growth. A normal function of remodelling in the body requires that cells die on cue. This is called apoptosis, or programmed cell death. That process fails to work in tumors. THC promotes its reappearance so that gliomas, leukemias, melanomas and other cell types will in fact heed the signals, stop dividing, and die."
"But, that is not all," explains Dr. Russo: "The other way that tumors grow is by ensuring that they are nourished: they send out signals to promote angiogenesis, the growth of new blood vessels. Cannabinoids turn off these signals as well. It is truly incredible, and elegant." ...
Read It Rating: 9.1
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: 1.1
Learning Percentage: 15%
If Cannabis Could Cure Cancer, They Would Tell Us, Right?
This is a somewhat clunky and jaded story, but it still makes for worthy reading, if for no other reason than the story which is embedded within it, entitled "POT SHRINKS TUMORS; GOVERNMENT KNEW IN '74". Also, this article by Richard Cowan (who has good cause to be jaded, as he has been fighting against the drug war for avery long time) is linked to a great many other articles and resources which offer a lot of background information.
If Cannabis Could Cure Cancer, They Would Tell Us, Right? No.
by Richard Cowan, MarijuanaNews.com
Read It Rating: 9
Left/Right Rating: L3
Freedom Rating: 1
Learning Percentage: 55%
Kubbys await refugee ruling
by Pete Brady (10 Nov, 2003)
Courageous couple grow medical marijuana on television
Medical marijuana advocates Michele and Steve Kubby are anticipating a ruling "any day now" on their historic bid to become Canada's first officially-sanctioned reefer refugees.
...
Earlier this year, Michele Kubby acted as her own lawyer in hearings before an immigration judge. The Kubbys are seeking official refugee status. They argue that Steve would die in America if he was sent back to face incarceration or other actions relating to his earlier conviction, because authorities will not guarantee him access to medpot. They also claim they would be victims of political persecution as individuals, and as part of a persecuted minority - pot smokers - who are targets of a "genocidal" US-government war. If the Kubbys win refugee status, it will be historic, because the ruling will in effect mean that the Canadian government has acknowledged that the US is a country that routinely violates the human rights of its citizens.
The refugee hearings were contentious and controversial, with government lawyers accused of lying by the Kubbys. Michele Kubby, who has no formal training as a lawyer, won plaudits from attorneys for her skillful attacks on the government's attempts to send her and her family back to the United States, and for her spirited defense of the Kubbys' right to stay in Canada.
...
Read It Rating: 7
Left/Right Rating: L3
Freedom Rating: .4
Learning Percentage: 20%
November 12, 2003
Campaigns No Longer Go Up In Smoke
Campaigns No Longer Go Up In Smoke
Past Marijuana Use Now More Acceptable
by Lisa Wangsness
Concord Monitor
Near the end of the Rock the Vote presidential candidates' forum in Boston this week, the moderator posed a question that once filled politicians with dread.
"Which of you are ready to admit to having used marijuana in the past?"
Though Howard Dean joked that the candidates would "keep our hands down on this one," only former ambassador Carol Moseley Braun declined to answer the question. Dean, Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry and North Carolina Sen. John Edwards said they had. The Rev. Al Sharpton said he had not.
Ohio Rep. Dennis Kucinich said he hadn't but added that he would decriminalize marijuana use.
Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman actually apologized - for not having smoked pot.
"I have a reputation for giving unpopular answers in Democratic debates," Lieberman joked. "I never used marijuana, sorry."
...
Read It Rating: 8
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: 1.5
Learning Percentage: 40%
November 09, 2003
Australia: Police To Conduct Random Roadside Drug Tests
Australia: Police To Conduct Random Roadside Drug Tests
In an Australian first, the Victorian government today moved to give police powers to conduct random roadside drug testing.
Under legislation now before state parliament, from July next year roadside drug screening will be used to detect drivers affected by cannabis and speed with a saliva test.
Read It Rating: 6
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: -2
Learning Percentage: 85%
October 16, 2003
LP: America owes Rush Limbaugh a debt of gratitude
LP Press Release:
America owes talk host Rush Limbaugh a debt of gratitude, Libertarians say
October 16, 2003
WASHINGTON, DC -- The entire nation owes radio broadcaster Rush Limbaugh a debt of gratitude, Libertarians say, because his ordeal has exposed every drug warrior in America as a rank hypocrite.
"One thing we don't hear from American politicians very often is silence," said Joe Seehusen, Libertarian Party executive director. "By refusing to criticize Rush Limbaugh, every drug warrior has just been exposed as a shameless, despicable hypocrite.
"And that's good news, because the next time they do speak up, there'll be no reason for anyone to listen."
The revelation that Limbaugh had become addicted to painkillers -- drugs he is accused of procuring illegally from his Palm Beach housekeeper -- has caused a media sensation ever since the megastar's shocking, on-air confession last week.
As the Limbaugh saga continues, here's an important question for Americans to ask, Libertarians say: Why are all the drug warriors suddenly so silent?
"Republican and Democratic politicians have written laws that have condemned more than 400,000 Americans to prison for committing the same 'crime' as Rush Limbaugh," Seehusen pointed out. "If this pill-popping pontificator deserves a get-out-of-jail-free card, these drug warriors had better explain why."
Given their longstanding support for the Drug War, it's fair to ask:
Why haven't President George Bush or his tough-on-crime attorney general, John Ashcroft, uttered a word criticizing Limbaugh's law-breaking?
Why aren't drug czar John P. Walters or his predecessor, Barry McCaffrey, lambasting Limbaugh as a menace to society and a threat to "our children?"
Why aren't federal DEA agents storming Limbaugh's $30 million Florida mansion in a frantic search for criminal evidence?
Why haven't federal, state, and local police agencies seized the celebrity's homes and luxury cars under asset-forfeiture laws?
Finally, why aren't bloviating blabbermouths like William Bennett publicly explaining how America would be better off if Limbaugh were prosecuted, locked in a steel cage and forced to abandon his wife, his friends, and his career?
The answer is obvious, Seehusen said: "America's drug warriors are shameless hypocrites who believe in one standard of justice for ordinary Americans and another for themselves, their families and their political allies.
"That alone should completely discredit them."
But there's an even more disturbing possibility, Seehusen said: that the people who are prosecuting the Drug War don't even believe in its central premise -- which is that public safety requires that drug users be jailed.
"The Bushes and Ashcrofts and McCaffreys of the world may believe, correctly, that individuals fighting a drug addiction deserve medical, not criminal treatment," he said. "That would explain why they're not demanding that Limbaugh be jailed.
"But if that's the case, these politicians have spent decades tearing apart American families for their own political gain. And that's an unforgivable crime."
October 07, 2003
Scientists admit: we were wrong about 'E'
Scientists admit: we were wrong about 'E'
Experts who gave a dramatic warning that ecstasy led to brain damage based their study on a huge blunder, reports health editor Jo Revill
Sunday September 7, 2003
The Observer
It was billed as the one of the most dramatic warnings the world has ever received over the dangers of ecstasy. A study from one of America's leading universities concluded that taking the drug for just one evening could leave clubbers with irreversible brain damage, and trigger the onset of Parkinson's disease.
The study, published in the eminent journal Science last September, had an immediate impact. Doctors and anti-drug crusaders spoke of a 'neurological time bomb' facing the young. Others suggested that taking one of the tablets was the equivalent of playing Russian roulette with the brain, and demanded tighter 'anti-rave' laws to deal with it.
But today, scientists are facing up to the humiliation of admitting that the stark results they reported in the study were not a breakthrough but a terrible, humiliating blunder.
The study was based on the fact that laboratory monkeys and baboons had a severe reaction to the drug when it was injected in small doses. But it emerged this weekend that the vials of liquid did not contain ecstasy....
Read It Rating: 9
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: 2
Learning Percentage: 80%
October 01, 2003
Tommy Chong gets 9 months for selling bongs and such on Web
COURTTV.COM - PEOPLE - Tommy Chong gets 9 months for selling drug wares on Web
Updated Sept. 11, 2003, 2:45 p.m. ET
Tommy Chong gets 9 months for selling drug wares on Web
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Tommy Chong, who played one half of the dope-smoking duo in the Cheech and Chong movies, was sentenced to nine months in federal prison and fined $20,000 Thursday for selling bongs and other drug paraphernalia over the Internet.
The 65-year-old was allowed to remain free until federal prison officials tell him in a few weeks where he must report to prison.
Full story...
Read It Rating: 8
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: -3.5
Learning Percentage: 30%
September 21, 2003
Marijuana laws struck down in British Columbia
Marijuana laws struck down in British Columbia
Westernmost province joins Ontario, PEI and Nova Scotia in ending prohibition
Years of protests bear fruit for freedom
On September 4, Provincial Court Judge P Chen made a landmark ruling regarding marijuana laws in British Columbia. In his decision, Judge Chen said parts of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA) are "invalid" and that "there is no offense known to law at this time for simple possession of marijuana" in the province.
Judge Chen's decision was based on a series of court cases in Ontario that led a judge there to strike down marijuana possession laws in January of this year. ...
Read It Rating: 7.5
Left/Right Rating: L3
Freedom Rating: 3
Learning Percentage: 80%
September 03, 2003
Former drug warriors turn against prohibition
Altered Minds
Former drug warriors turn against prohibition.
by Jacob Sullum
ReasonOnline
In the 1980s, not many people could plausibly claim stronger anti-drug credentials than Nancy Reagan. But Forest Tennant could.
"It's great for the Reagans to get up and say, 'Let's do something about the drug problem,' but I don't know who's going to do it," he told the Los Angeles Times in 1986. "Only true professional people like myself can do very much with the drug problem."
...
Tennant has published hundreds of scientific articles, testified in high-profile trials, and advised the NFL, NASCAR, the California Highway Patrol, the Food and Drug Administration, and the National Institute on Drug Abuse. The Times described him as "riding at the forefront of the current wave of anti-drug sentiment."
So when the folks at the Hoover Institution who produce the PBS show Uncommon Knowledge were looking for someone to debate drug policy with me, Tennant must have seemed like a natural choice. Imagine their surprise when he ended up agreeing that the war on drugs has been a disastrous mistake.
...
Tennant is by no means the only former drug warrior who has become a critic of current policy. Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP), founded last year, includes more than 400 current and former police officers, judges, federal agents, prosecutors, and parole, probation, and corrections officers. The group is headed by Jack Cole, a 26-year veteran of the New Jersey State Police who worked in narcotics enforcement for 14 years.
...
Read It Rating: 9.8
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: 4
Learning Percentage: 50%
Dutch Government begins distributing prescription cannabis
Cannabis as a prescription drug
The Dutch government has started distributing cannabis as a prescription painkiller to pharmacies to treat chronically ill patients. The Hague had already been turning a blind eye to medicinal cannabis use, but now it's become the world's first government to supply the drug itself, in accordance with United Nations rules on narcotics.
Cannabis sativa has been used therapeutically for many centuries. Known to the Chinese as a strong herbal remedy around 5,000 years ago, it was introduced into European medicine in Napoleonic times. Its pain relieving and sedative effects soon became accepted by Western medical practitioners, who prescribed it on a wide scale. Britain's Queen Victoria is said to have taken cannabis tincture for menstrual pains.
Read It Rating: 9.4
Left/Right Rating: L6
Freedom Rating: 2.5
Learning Percentage: 50%
August 18, 2003
Illegal drug makers targeting RV's
Thank you, oh mighty War on Drugs, for opening yet another perverse tear in our society's fabric.
There is one good thing about crystal meth: Of all the drugs in the New Prohibition, it's the one which is most obviously reminiscent of the first Prohibition. (Think moonshine.) Maybe something will snap, as people internally compare the images on the evening news with the contraption in "The Swamp" on M*A*S*H, and experience a cognitive dissonance -- preferably, a big collective one.
From the end of the article:
You can help as well by reporting suspected labs to state police.
Try, "You can help as well by demanding a swift and certain end to the foolish 'War on Drugs'."
Illegal drug makers targeting RV's
(Mattawan, August 12, 2003, 6:20 p.m. ) Camping is a favorite summer past time for Cindy Harnish and her family.
But while getting ready for a camp out earlier this summer, Cindy's father discovered a problem with his travel trailer.
"We got up north and the refrigerator, we tried to light it up but it wouldn't light. So he opened it up and it looked like it had been cut."
But what first appeared to be an act of vandalism may actually have been the latest chapter in the war against the drug known as crystal meth.
For years, makers of crystal meth have been stealing anhydrous ammonia from tanks on farm fields and farm co-ops.
...Now, it appears some manufacturers are turning to RV's.
Read It Rating: 7.5
Left/Right Rating: R2
Freedom Rating: -5
Learning Percentage: 50%
August 17, 2003
Montel speaks out for Medical Marijuana
Marijuana Policy Project: New York
Talk Show Host Lobbies in Albany
Capital News 9; May 5, 2004
by Brian Taffe
After 13 years in television and nearly 2,600 shows, Montel Williams wants to meet you. More though, he just wants you to meet him.
Aside from what you know him as: television host, military man, the face of Multiple Sclerosis -- now, you can add political activist to his resume.
"I think that we have been dead wrong about something for about 85 years in this country. And what I think we're dead wrong about is medical marijuana," Williams said.
Montel has long been known for speaking out against drugs, but now he is pleading a case for one. Every day he takes 39 pills, mostly pain killers. But even with those pain killers, he said none work quite as well to ease his constant pain as marijuana, which he wants you to understand why. He said to think of him as your brother.
"Your younger sibling has an illness, and they're in pain all day, and a doctor says to you the only thing that will stop their pain is medicinal marijuana. Now you tell me what you're going to do," Williams said.
...
Group puffs against pot laws
Group puffs against pot laws - The Washington Times: Nation/Politics - April 25, 2004
April 20, 2004
March 19, 2004
A Message from DRCNET's Executive Director About Our Drug Czar
A Message from DRCNET's Executive Director About Our Drug Czar
Dear Drug War Chronicle Reader:
This past Tuesday night, as part of a group organized by Students for Sensible Drug Policy, I attended a speech by US drug czar John Walters at The George Washington University here in DC. You may remember that our lead article from last week's issue discussed the warping in this year's "National Drug Control Strategy" document of the presentation of federal drug budget numbers to create an appearance of equality between enforcement and interdiction vs. treatment and prevention spending (http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/327/budget2005.shtml). In reality the budget split is still roughly 2-1 in favor of enforcement. ONDCP created a 1-1 appearance by omitting the cost of incarcerating drug offenders from the budget numbers. (!)
I was amazed by how brazenly Walters not only stood by, but bragged about, his budget deception. We didn't even have to wait for his speech to hear about it. It was built into the introduction a student gave for him, which was almost certainly provided by his office, in which she listed among Walters' accomplishments the reworking of the budget presentation to be more honest or accurate.
I raised the issue with Walters during the question-and-answer session following his speech. His answer doesn't pass the straight face test, though remarkably he did manage to keep a straight face. Walters' line was that there are some budget items that are not exclusively focused on drugs. He brought up the example of the Headstart program, for which the federal government provides some drug prevention money. He then pointed out that some drug offenders are also convicted of other crimes and are sentenced to prison time for all of them. In order to make the budget reporting more "honest," Walters stated, they now omit all drug spending, be it enforcement or demand reduction, from the budget entirely.
(Continued...)
March 09, 2004
David Crosby Arrested on Marijuana, Gun Charges
FOXNews.com - Foxlife - David Crosby Arrested on Marijuana, Gun Charges
February 09, 2004
Alabama and US Marijuana Party Founder Goes on Trial
Alabama and US Marijuana Party Founder Goes on Trial
ALEXANDER CITY, Al. - Feb. 2, 2004 (ALMJP) - Alabama and US Marijuana Party founder Loretta Nall will appear in Tallapoosa County District Court on Feb. 10, 2004 at 2 p.m. to face charges of 2nd degree Possession of Marijuana and Possession of Paraphernalia.
Mrs. Nall, who maintains her innocence, was arrested in a November 2002 raid on her home less than a week after the Birmingham News published her letter to the editor in which she called for citizens to vote and change Alabama's drug laws.
The Tallapoosa County Narcotics Task Force, which conducted the raid on Nall's home, alleges that the raid yielded 0.87 grams of marijuana.
...
February 05, 2004
Police Chief Won't Work With Feds In Pot Busts
Police Chief Won't Work With Feds In Pot Busts
When it comes to legitimate use of medical marijuana, the San Diego Police Department won't be cooperating with the feds, according to a Jan. 28 memo from police chief William Lansdowne. In the memo, sent to Mayor Dick Murphy and the San Diego City Council, Lansdowne says his officers, if asked, will not participate in any federal investigation or drug bust where qualified medical marijuana patients and caregivers are the target.
Lansdowne formerly headed the police department in San Jose, where he pulled his officers from a joint federal-state drug task force after agents targeted members of a Northern California cannabis club. Lansdowne was named San Diego's new chief of police in August after former Chief David Bejarano was appointed U.S. Marshall for Southern California by President Bush.
...
February 03, 2004
Pub drinkers tested for drugs
BBC NEWS | England | Kent | Pub drinkers tested for drugs
Computerised drug tests have been carried out at a Kent pub as part of a police crackdown on drug use.
The pub landlord and the police have defended the measures even though there were no positive tests or arrests at the Bishops Oak in Tonbridge on Friday.
The tests involve a swab on the hand, after which hi-tech equipment can show whether a person has handled drugs.
Landlord Paul Sarnie said: "I just want to find out for myself what is going on in my establishment."
Prevalence of drugs
He said: "It is basically to highlight the growing awareness we have that drugs are more prevalent in the community than they have been in recent years."
Everyone in the pub on Friday night agreed to be tested and were all found to be clear.
Pc Tim Moody, of Kent Police, said: "Our general feedback that we get from members of the public is that they think it is a fantastic idea."
He said: "They do feel safer going out in these places because they know that the particular element that may use drugs are not going to be there."
January 23, 2004
January 20, 2004
Nevada County's Narcotics Task Force arrest Correctional Technician for Marijuana Garden
Nevada County's Narcotics Task Force arrest Correctional Technician for Marijuana Garden
January 14, 2004
Montel, M.S., and medical marijuana
At the end of the transcript, he talks about using medical marijuana.
Hannity & Colmes - Interview - Montel Williams' Battle With M.S.
January 03, 2004
Jesse Ventura's America: Should marijuana be legalized? (Transcript)
Jesse's awesome. He's a luttle nuts sometimes, but I think most awesome people are that way. And he kicks butt against the drug war in this episode of his show. He delivers any number of verbal smackdowns to Tom Riley, the director of public affairs for the Office of National Drug Control Policy.
January 01, 2004
Sullum on the tightening of the Commerce Clause loophole
Pot Luck
A victory for federalism
by Jacob Sullum, Reason
Excerpt:
This is the third case this year in which the 9th Circuit has tried to define the boundaries of the Commerce Clause. Each decision has been narrow: The first involved child pornography that never crossed state lines and was not intended for distribution; the second dealt with homemade machine guns that met the same criteria; and the most recent one is limited to "the intrastate, noncommercial cultivation and possession of cannabis for personal medical purposes as recommended by a patient's physician pursuant to valid California state law."
But taken together, these rulings help revive the idea that the Commerce Clause is not a blank check.
December 28, 2003
Teen Drug Surveys Contradict Each Other
Teen Drug Surveys Contradict Each Other
Excerpt:
While Monitoring the Future, conducted by University of Michigan researchers and funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, indicates a decrease in teen use of marijuana and other drugs, the privately-funded PRIDE Survey showed a sharp rise in drug use: Monthly use of marijuana by junior-high students rose 51 percent from 2002 to 2003, and monthly use of heroin rose 60 percent. Despite the differences, both surveys confirm that ONDCP has failed by a large margin to meet goals set for it by Congress. Full PRIDE Survey results are available at http://www.pridesurveys.com.
NIDA Survey: Drug Use by U.S. Teens Declining
FOXNews.com - Top Stories - Drug Use by U.S. Teens Declining
December 24, 2003
December 21, 2003
Cannabis campaigner may be forced to go
Cannabis campaigner may be forced to go
Pot activist Steve Kubby - who says he depends on marijuana to ward off a rare form of cancer - is now fighting to stay in Canada.
Kubby, 56, is under a departure order from Citizenship and Immigration Canada that would force him, wife Michele, and two daughters, out of the country as early as Jan. 15.
...
December 15, 2003
December 13, 2003
CANADA DENIES REFUGEE STATUS TO US MEDICAL MARIJUANA EXILE
Drug War Chronicle
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/315/stevekubby.shtml
CANADA DENIES REFUGEE STATUS TO US MEDICAL MARIJUANA EXILE
Prominent American medical marijuana activist Steve Kubby
(http://www.kubby.com), who fled the US saying an impending jail sentence
would cause his death, has been denied refugee status by the Canadian
Immigration and Refugee Board. An adrenal cancer patient, Kubby has smoked a
dozen joints a day for year, which he says keeps him alive, and would have
been denied that medication while serving a misdemeanor sentence in
California. But Kubby did not have a well-founded fear of being persecuted
or tortured, nor was there any risk to his life if he returned to his home
state of California, the board ruled Monday.
He has said he will appeal, but the clock is ticking for Kubby and his
family, whose requests for refugee status were also denied. Under Canadian
law, he has 15 days to apply to the Supreme Court for a review of the
decision, and if the court chooses not to review his case, he and his family
would have to leave the country within 30 days. One option would be to apply
for a "pre-removal risk assessment," which would force immigration officials
to once again investigate whether he would face "cruel or unusual punishment
or risk to life" if returned to the US.
Steve Kubby Kubby, the 1998 Libertarian Party nominee for governor of
California, fled to Canada with his family in 2001 after being found guilty
of possession of a small amount of psychedelic mushrooms and peyote in his
home state. That conviction arose from a medical marijuana raid on Kubby's
home. The state could not convict on the marijuana charges -- California law
allows for its medical use -- but did manage to nail Kubby for the 'shrooms.
He was prepared to serve a 120-day sentence provided he could have access to
medical marijuana. But local authorities in California refused to allow him
to have his medicine in jail, so Kubby ran for his life to what he hoped
would be a friendlier clime.
He and his family entered Canada on tourist visas, but were detained by
Canadian immigration authorities after newspaper stories featured their
cause and described them cultivating a medical marijuana garden at their
home in Sechelt, British Columbia, a short ferry ride up BC's Sunshine Coast
from Vancouver. At that point, Kubby, his wife Michelle, and their two
daughters applied for asylum as refugees fleeing persecution by American
drug warriors. Since then, they have remained in Canada, where they produce
a program on Pot-TV (http://www.pot-tv.net), a web-based marijuana reform
broadcaster funded by marijuana seed magnate Marc Emery. They also received
a permit from Health Canada to cultivate marijuana for Kubby's medicinal use
are currently growing 117 plants, Kubby told the Toronto Globe & Mail.
In addition to the fear of persecution because of his well-known advocacy of
medical marijuana, Kubby argued that medical marijuana users were not
protected in California, and that he would die if deprived of his medicine.
The Immigration and Refugee Board, however, ruled that Kubby was not and
would not be persecuted, that California law in fact protects medical
marijuana users, and that he would not suffer serious health effects if
incarcerated without access to medical marijuana.
In an opinion written by board member Paulah Dauns, the board noted that
Kubby had not been convicted on medical marijuana charges, but on other drug
charges, and that California law protected him. "In effect, the process
worked, as it was designed to," she wrote. "He argues that a medical
marijuana patient should be protected from persecution. What he has
demonstrated is that in fact, they are." Dauns also wrote that while there
was little doubt marijuana relieved Kubby's cancer symptoms, there was no
evidence that depriving him of cannabis while incarcerated on the California
'shroom charge would kill him, despite testimony from Dr. Joseph Connors of
the British Columbia Cancer Agency, who told the court during an April
hearing that Kubby would die within four days if denied access to marijuana
for his condition. Kubby was not a refugee, wrote Dauns, but a "fugitive
from justice."
And while Kubby argued that his use of marijuana was akin to a diabetic's
use of insulin, Dauns was having none of that, either. "Insulin has been
approved by the medical community as a treatment, whereas marijuana has
not," she said. "The research on the benefits of marijuana is woefully
inadequate and inconclusive, making a comparison of these two treatments
illogical," she wrote.
The Kubby case is the first of a handful of similar "reefer refugee" cases
to be decided in Canada. Two Northern California men, Kenneth Hayes and
Steve Tuck, who fled federal marijuana charges related to California medical
marijuana grows, have cases pending before the author of Monday's decision,
board member Dauns. Some advocates had hoped Kubby, with his strong health
argument, had the strongest of any of the pending cases.
Canadian Kubby supporters denounced the decision. "This is yet another
example of the harms of cannabis prohibition," said Philippe Lucas, director
of Canadians for Safe Access (http://www.safeaccess.ca), a medical marijuana
defense organization based on its southern sister, Americans for Safe Access
(http://www.safeaccessnow.org). "The Kubbys are kind contributors to the
social well-being of Canadians -- under any other circumstances, Canada
would welcome this reverse brain-drain. It is only through the perversion of
justice caused by prohibition that a loving family like the Kubbys could be
condemned to an uncertain future at the hands of American prosecutors."
But it wasn't only abstract prohibition that had Lucas and other Canadian
activists irked, it was the harsh slap in the face from a traditionally
refugee-friendly country. "Are we as a nation really so quick to take a
chance on Steve Kubby's health?" asked Lucas. "Shouldn't a modern liberal
democracy like Canada err on the side of social justice when a man's life is
on the line? If Steve Kubby should suffer the same fate as Peter McWilliams
-- who died choking on his own vomit while being denied his medicinal
cannabis after his arrest -- the hands of those who denied his refugee claim
will be forever stained in his blood."
"Today, I'm ashamed of being a Canadian," concurred Tim Meehan, national
director of the anti-prohibition wing of the New Democratic Party
(http://www.ndpot.ca). "Here at home, our government constantly reminds us
of how important the refugee protection system is. Canada's reputation is
built on it. However, when they subject people like Steve Kubby and his
family to institutional prejudice because of their choice of medical
treatment, and are more concerned about angering a trading partner than
saving a human life, that demonstrates our government's priorities are very
seriously out of alignment. I hope Canadians remember that in the upcoming
federal election," Meehan added.
Visit http://www.mapinc.org/alert/0282.html for a letter-writing alert to
help Steve Kubby.
Read a summary of the decision at:
http://www.irb.gc.ca/en/decisions/kubby/va2_01374_e.htm#summary
Read the decision in full at:
http://www.irb.gc.ca/en/decisions/kubby/va2_01374_e.htm
Or to get right to the paragraphs where Dauns lays out her reasoning, go to:
http://www.irb.gc.ca/en/decisions/kubby/va2_01374_e.htm#determination
American Medical Marijuana Refugee Ordered To Return To United States
NORML's Weekly News Bulletin -- December 11, 2003
http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=5856
American Medical Marijuana Refugee Ordered To Return To United States
Immigration Board Recognizes Pot To Be "Best Treatment Available," But
Rejects Patient's Asylum Request
December 11, 2003 - Vancouver, BC, Canada
Vancouver, British Columbia: The Canadian Immigration and Refugee Board this
week denied refugee status to American Steve Kubby and his family, and
ordered their return to California where Kubby is expected to be sentenced
to four months in jail for drug-related charges. Kubby has said he will
appeal the ruling.
He and his wife Michelle and two children will be allowed to remain in the
country while awaiting their appeal.
Kubby fled to Canada in 2001 rather than serve time in jail, where he would
be denied access to medicinal marijuana, which he requires to treat symptoms
of a rare, life-threatening form of adrenal cancer known as
pheochromocytoma. Kubby was diagnosed in 1968 with the disease - which he's
managed since the early 1980s exclusively by smoking cannabis - and given
six months to live. (Life expectancy of a person with pheochromocytoma is
typically three to five years.) Today Kubby is recognized as one of the
longest living survivors of the disease.
Though the Board recognized that "marijuana continues to be the best
treatment available to Mr. Kubby," and that he could potentially suffer a
heart attack or stroke without cannabis, it nevertheless ruled, "The
claimant is not a person in need of protection in that his removal to the
United States would not subject him personally to a risk to his life."
The Board based this decision, in part, on the premise that Kubby would
likely have access to medicinal marijuana while in jail. However, California
law does not compel the state to allow inmates access to medical cannabis,
stating: "Nothing in this article shall require any accommodation of any
medical use of marijuana ... on the property or premises of any jail,
correctional facility, or other type of penal institution in which prisoners
reside or persons under arrest are detained."
While living in Canada, Kubby had been one of fewer than 600 individuals to
receive a federal exemption from Health Canada to legally cultivate and use
pot for medical purposes.
NORML Foundation Executive Director Allen St. Pierre called the Refugee
Board's decision unfortunate and puzzling considering the government's prior
acknowledgement of Kubby's medical need to use cannabis. "This decision
makes little sense in light of the fact that the Canadian government has
already approved Steve Kubby's medical use of marijuana by granting him a
special exemption from prosecution," he said.
"Why they couldn't extend that same thinking to his asylum request seeking
protection for his health from America's policy of strict marijuana law
enforcement is puzzling. This decision does not bode well for the other
Americans who have sought refuge status in Canada for their
physician-sanctioned use of medical marijuana."
Since 1989, the Immigration and Refugee Board has heard nearly 1,000 refugee
cases from the United States, including 268 pending cases. So far, none of
those individuals have been granted asylum.
For more information, please contact Allen St. Pierre of The NORML
Foundation at (202) 483-8751. Full text of the Immigration and Refugee
Board's ruling is available online at:
http://www.irb.gc.ca/en/decisions/kubby/va2_01374_e.htm
(In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.)
Woman Uses Greeting Card to Smuggle Meth
FOXNews.com - Top Stories - Woman Uses Greeting Card to Smuggle Meth
December 12, 2003
December 11, 2003
Pot doc's license revocation upheld
Dec. 10, 2003 -- Pot doc's license revocation upheld
By HANK LAWSON Staff writer
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed Monday the federal government's revocation of Dr. Marion "Molly" Fry's license to prescribe medication including marijuana.
December 08, 2003
KUBBY VOWS APPEAL OF RULING DENYING REFUGEE STATUS IN CANADA
For Immediate Release
December 8, 2003
Press Conference:
Tuesday, Dec. 9th, noon, BC Marijuana Party Headquarters, 307 West Hastings,
Vancouver
Decision Online:
http://www.irb.gc.ca/en/decisions/kubby/va2_01374_e.htm
KUBBY VOWS APPEAL OF RULING DENYING REFUGEE STATUS IN CANADA
VANCOUVER -- Steve Kubby, medical marijuana patient and former Libertarian
Party candidate for governor of California, vowed to appeal a ruling by the
Refugee Protection Division today that denied him refugee status in Canada
based on his need for medical marijuana.
Kubby complained, "I cannot understand how the Refugee panel could conclude
that my life would not be at risk if I were forced to return to the US,
after the leading cancer specialist in British Columbia testified that I
would die without it."
British Columbia cancer specialist Dr. Joseph Michael Connors, an expert in
the area of adrenal cancers, called by the Immigration Ministry, examined
Kubby and testified at the hearing about his medical condition.
The ruling recognizes that, according to Dr. Connors, "Mr. Kubby's tumour
releases, in excess quantities, hormones normally found in the adrenal
gland. Excessive levels of these hormones in Mr. Kubby's blood cause a
range of separate symptomatic problems including paroxysmal headaches,
palpitations (rapid and irregular beating of the heart), hypertension
(sudden dangerous rise in blood pressure), sudden abdominal cramps and
diarrhea, chest pain, shortness of breath, nausea, sudden severe weakness
and anorexia (loss of appetite). If not controlled, Mr. Kubby's symptoms
could evolve further to the point where a myocardial infarction (heart
attack) or cerebral vascular accident (stroke) could occur."
The ruling also acknowledged that "there is evidence before the Board, that
marihuana controls the symptoms of Mr. Kubby's cancer, including
hypertension. In Dr. Connors' opinion, marihuana continues to be the best
treatment available to Mr. Kubby."
However, the ruling went on to say that "it cannot therefore be stated with
any degree of certainty, that marihuana is the reason for Mr. Kubby's
survival even though it remains the best treatment option at this time."
Health Canada has even given Mr. Kubby permission to grow one hundred and
seventeen marijuana plants, based on "medical necessity."
The ruling further acknowledged, Kubby "has received a Health Canada
exemption, which suggests he is a bona fide ill person in need of medical
marihuana. It is noteworthy that Mr. Kubby was investigated and charged
with marihuana related criminal offences in Canada. Those Canadian charges
were later stayed by the Crown, and his marihuana grow equipment was
returned to him by the RCMP after the charges were stayed. This suggests
the Government of Canada believes he has a medical necessity for marihuana."
Despite all of this, the ruling somehow concluded, "he has not established
there is a risk to his life or a risk of cruel and unusual treatment or
punishment" if Kubby is forced to return to the US.
Kubby vowed, "Apparently, I have to die in order to convince the Refugee
board, but instead I intend to fight."
###
November 26, 2003
Probation Granted to 3 Who Grew, Sold Pot as a Medicine
Probation Granted to 3 Who Grew, Sold Pot as a Medicine
By Jean Guccione, Times Staff Writer
In a victory for advocates of medicinal marijuana, officers of a defunct West Hollywood cannabis club were sentenced Monday to one year of probation for growing and selling marijuana to hundreds of people with cancer, AIDS and other serious ailments.
In imposing the minimum allowable sentence, U.S. District Judge A. Howard Matz chastised the prosecution.
"To allocate the resources of the Drug Enforcement Agency and the U.S. attorney's office in this case … baffles me, disturbs me," the judge said.
...
The judge noted that 85% of the center's 960 members have AIDS or are HIV-positive; 10% have cancer; and the rest have various other medical conditions.
"It is difficult to imagine a case where a defendant has contributed to the distribution of a controlled substance for more humanitarian reasons than what occurred here," his defense attorney, Ronald O. Kaye, argued in court papers.
...
Under federal drug forfeiture laws, authorities seized $56,000 in the center's bank account and sold its building at 7494 Santa Monica Blvd. for $1.2 million.
The city of West Hollywood and Wells Fargo Bank, which financed the purchase, are trying to force the federal government to return a portion of the money.
Read It Rating: 6
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: .5
Learning Percentage: 35%
November 24, 2003
Man chokes to death hiding pot
Man chokes to death hiding pot
FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) -- A man changing a flat tire choked to death on a bag of marijuana he had stuffed down his throat in an apparent attempt to hide it from police who stopped to help him, authorities said.
Read It Rating: 4
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: -3
Learning Percentage: 75%
November 20, 2003
New Study Explains How Pot Kills Cancer Cells
This article by Steve kubby has some overlap with the previously posted article by Richard Cowan. Cowan's article is more extensive; Kubby's is more succinct.
New Study Explains How Pot Kills Cancer Cells
by Steve Kubby
A new study published in Nature Reviews-Cancer provides an historic and detailed explanation about how THC and natural cannabinoids counteract cancer, but preserve normal cells.
The study by Manuel Guzmán of Madrid Spain found that cannabinoids, the active components of marijuana, inhibit tumor growth in laboratory animals. They do so by modulating key cell-signalling pathways, thereby inducing direct growth arrest and death of tumor cells, as well as by inhibiting the growth of blood vessels that supply the tumor.
The Guzman study is very important according to Dr. Ethan Russo , a neurologist and world authority on medical cannabis: "Cancer occurs because cells become immortalized; they fail to heed normal signals to turn off growth. A normal function of remodelling in the body requires that cells die on cue. This is called apoptosis, or programmed cell death. That process fails to work in tumors. THC promotes its reappearance so that gliomas, leukemias, melanomas and other cell types will in fact heed the signals, stop dividing, and die."
"But, that is not all," explains Dr. Russo: "The other way that tumors grow is by ensuring that they are nourished: they send out signals to promote angiogenesis, the growth of new blood vessels. Cannabinoids turn off these signals as well. It is truly incredible, and elegant." ...
Read It Rating: 9.1
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: 1.1
Learning Percentage: 15%
If Cannabis Could Cure Cancer, They Would Tell Us, Right?
This is a somewhat clunky and jaded story, but it still makes for worthy reading, if for no other reason than the story which is embedded within it, entitled "POT SHRINKS TUMORS; GOVERNMENT KNEW IN '74". Also, this article by Richard Cowan (who has good cause to be jaded, as he has been fighting against the drug war for avery long time) is linked to a great many other articles and resources which offer a lot of background information.
If Cannabis Could Cure Cancer, They Would Tell Us, Right? No.
by Richard Cowan, MarijuanaNews.com
Read It Rating: 9
Left/Right Rating: L3
Freedom Rating: 1
Learning Percentage: 55%
Kubbys await refugee ruling
by Pete Brady (10 Nov, 2003)
Courageous couple grow medical marijuana on television
Medical marijuana advocates Michele and Steve Kubby are anticipating a ruling "any day now" on their historic bid to become Canada's first officially-sanctioned reefer refugees.
...
Earlier this year, Michele Kubby acted as her own lawyer in hearings before an immigration judge. The Kubbys are seeking official refugee status. They argue that Steve would die in America if he was sent back to face incarceration or other actions relating to his earlier conviction, because authorities will not guarantee him access to medpot. They also claim they would be victims of political persecution as individuals, and as part of a persecuted minority - pot smokers - who are targets of a "genocidal" US-government war. If the Kubbys win refugee status, it will be historic, because the ruling will in effect mean that the Canadian government has acknowledged that the US is a country that routinely violates the human rights of its citizens.
The refugee hearings were contentious and controversial, with government lawyers accused of lying by the Kubbys. Michele Kubby, who has no formal training as a lawyer, won plaudits from attorneys for her skillful attacks on the government's attempts to send her and her family back to the United States, and for her spirited defense of the Kubbys' right to stay in Canada.
...
Read It Rating: 7
Left/Right Rating: L3
Freedom Rating: .4
Learning Percentage: 20%
November 12, 2003
Campaigns No Longer Go Up In Smoke
Campaigns No Longer Go Up In Smoke
Past Marijuana Use Now More Acceptable
by Lisa Wangsness
Concord Monitor
Near the end of the Rock the Vote presidential candidates' forum in Boston this week, the moderator posed a question that once filled politicians with dread.
"Which of you are ready to admit to having used marijuana in the past?"
Though Howard Dean joked that the candidates would "keep our hands down on this one," only former ambassador Carol Moseley Braun declined to answer the question. Dean, Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry and North Carolina Sen. John Edwards said they had. The Rev. Al Sharpton said he had not.
Ohio Rep. Dennis Kucinich said he hadn't but added that he would decriminalize marijuana use.
Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman actually apologized - for not having smoked pot.
"I have a reputation for giving unpopular answers in Democratic debates," Lieberman joked. "I never used marijuana, sorry."
...
Read It Rating: 8
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: 1.5
Learning Percentage: 40%
November 09, 2003
Australia: Police To Conduct Random Roadside Drug Tests
Australia: Police To Conduct Random Roadside Drug Tests
In an Australian first, the Victorian government today moved to give police powers to conduct random roadside drug testing.
Under legislation now before state parliament, from July next year roadside drug screening will be used to detect drivers affected by cannabis and speed with a saliva test.
Read It Rating: 6
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: -2
Learning Percentage: 85%
October 16, 2003
LP: America owes Rush Limbaugh a debt of gratitude
LP Press Release:
America owes talk host Rush Limbaugh a debt of gratitude, Libertarians say
October 16, 2003
WASHINGTON, DC -- The entire nation owes radio broadcaster Rush Limbaugh a debt of gratitude, Libertarians say, because his ordeal has exposed every drug warrior in America as a rank hypocrite.
"One thing we don't hear from American politicians very often is silence," said Joe Seehusen, Libertarian Party executive director. "By refusing to criticize Rush Limbaugh, every drug warrior has just been exposed as a shameless, despicable hypocrite.
"And that's good news, because the next time they do speak up, there'll be no reason for anyone to listen."
The revelation that Limbaugh had become addicted to painkillers -- drugs he is accused of procuring illegally from his Palm Beach housekeeper -- has caused a media sensation ever since the megastar's shocking, on-air confession last week.
As the Limbaugh saga continues, here's an important question for Americans to ask, Libertarians say: Why are all the drug warriors suddenly so silent?
"Republican and Democratic politicians have written laws that have condemned more than 400,000 Americans to prison for committing the same 'crime' as Rush Limbaugh," Seehusen pointed out. "If this pill-popping pontificator deserves a get-out-of-jail-free card, these drug warriors had better explain why."
Given their longstanding support for the Drug War, it's fair to ask:
Why haven't President George Bush or his tough-on-crime attorney general, John Ashcroft, uttered a word criticizing Limbaugh's law-breaking?
Why aren't drug czar John P. Walters or his predecessor, Barry McCaffrey, lambasting Limbaugh as a menace to society and a threat to "our children?"
Why aren't federal DEA agents storming Limbaugh's $30 million Florida mansion in a frantic search for criminal evidence?
Why haven't federal, state, and local police agencies seized the celebrity's homes and luxury cars under asset-forfeiture laws?
Finally, why aren't bloviating blabbermouths like William Bennett publicly explaining how America would be better off if Limbaugh were prosecuted, locked in a steel cage and forced to abandon his wife, his friends, and his career?
The answer is obvious, Seehusen said: "America's drug warriors are shameless hypocrites who believe in one standard of justice for ordinary Americans and another for themselves, their families and their political allies.
"That alone should completely discredit them."
But there's an even more disturbing possibility, Seehusen said: that the people who are prosecuting the Drug War don't even believe in its central premise -- which is that public safety requires that drug users be jailed.
"The Bushes and Ashcrofts and McCaffreys of the world may believe, correctly, that individuals fighting a drug addiction deserve medical, not criminal treatment," he said. "That would explain why they're not demanding that Limbaugh be jailed.
"But if that's the case, these politicians have spent decades tearing apart American families for their own political gain. And that's an unforgivable crime."
October 07, 2003
Scientists admit: we were wrong about 'E'
Scientists admit: we were wrong about 'E'
Experts who gave a dramatic warning that ecstasy led to brain damage based their study on a huge blunder, reports health editor Jo Revill
Sunday September 7, 2003
The Observer
It was billed as the one of the most dramatic warnings the world has ever received over the dangers of ecstasy. A study from one of America's leading universities concluded that taking the drug for just one evening could leave clubbers with irreversible brain damage, and trigger the onset of Parkinson's disease.
The study, published in the eminent journal Science last September, had an immediate impact. Doctors and anti-drug crusaders spoke of a 'neurological time bomb' facing the young. Others suggested that taking one of the tablets was the equivalent of playing Russian roulette with the brain, and demanded tighter 'anti-rave' laws to deal with it.
But today, scientists are facing up to the humiliation of admitting that the stark results they reported in the study were not a breakthrough but a terrible, humiliating blunder.
The study was based on the fact that laboratory monkeys and baboons had a severe reaction to the drug when it was injected in small doses. But it emerged this weekend that the vials of liquid did not contain ecstasy....
Read It Rating: 9
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: 2
Learning Percentage: 80%
October 01, 2003
Tommy Chong gets 9 months for selling bongs and such on Web
COURTTV.COM - PEOPLE - Tommy Chong gets 9 months for selling drug wares on Web
Updated Sept. 11, 2003, 2:45 p.m. ET
Tommy Chong gets 9 months for selling drug wares on Web
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Tommy Chong, who played one half of the dope-smoking duo in the Cheech and Chong movies, was sentenced to nine months in federal prison and fined $20,000 Thursday for selling bongs and other drug paraphernalia over the Internet.
The 65-year-old was allowed to remain free until federal prison officials tell him in a few weeks where he must report to prison.
Full story...
Read It Rating: 8
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: -3.5
Learning Percentage: 30%
September 21, 2003
Marijuana laws struck down in British Columbia
Marijuana laws struck down in British Columbia
Westernmost province joins Ontario, PEI and Nova Scotia in ending prohibition
Years of protests bear fruit for freedom
On September 4, Provincial Court Judge P Chen made a landmark ruling regarding marijuana laws in British Columbia. In his decision, Judge Chen said parts of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA) are "invalid" and that "there is no offense known to law at this time for simple possession of marijuana" in the province.
Judge Chen's decision was based on a series of court cases in Ontario that led a judge there to strike down marijuana possession laws in January of this year. ...
Read It Rating: 7.5
Left/Right Rating: L3
Freedom Rating: 3
Learning Percentage: 80%
September 03, 2003
Former drug warriors turn against prohibition
Altered Minds
Former drug warriors turn against prohibition.
by Jacob Sullum
ReasonOnline
In the 1980s, not many people could plausibly claim stronger anti-drug credentials than Nancy Reagan. But Forest Tennant could.
"It's great for the Reagans to get up and say, 'Let's do something about the drug problem,' but I don't know who's going to do it," he told the Los Angeles Times in 1986. "Only true professional people like myself can do very much with the drug problem."
...
Tennant has published hundreds of scientific articles, testified in high-profile trials, and advised the NFL, NASCAR, the California Highway Patrol, the Food and Drug Administration, and the National Institute on Drug Abuse. The Times described him as "riding at the forefront of the current wave of anti-drug sentiment."
So when the folks at the Hoover Institution who produce the PBS show Uncommon Knowledge were looking for someone to debate drug policy with me, Tennant must have seemed like a natural choice. Imagine their surprise when he ended up agreeing that the war on drugs has been a disastrous mistake.
...
Tennant is by no means the only former drug warrior who has become a critic of current policy. Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP), founded last year, includes more than 400 current and former police officers, judges, federal agents, prosecutors, and parole, probation, and corrections officers. The group is headed by Jack Cole, a 26-year veteran of the New Jersey State Police who worked in narcotics enforcement for 14 years.
...
Read It Rating: 9.8
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: 4
Learning Percentage: 50%
Dutch Government begins distributing prescription cannabis
Cannabis as a prescription drug
The Dutch government has started distributing cannabis as a prescription painkiller to pharmacies to treat chronically ill patients. The Hague had already been turning a blind eye to medicinal cannabis use, but now it's become the world's first government to supply the drug itself, in accordance with United Nations rules on narcotics.
Cannabis sativa has been used therapeutically for many centuries. Known to the Chinese as a strong herbal remedy around 5,000 years ago, it was introduced into European medicine in Napoleonic times. Its pain relieving and sedative effects soon became accepted by Western medical practitioners, who prescribed it on a wide scale. Britain's Queen Victoria is said to have taken cannabis tincture for menstrual pains.
Read It Rating: 9.4
Left/Right Rating: L6
Freedom Rating: 2.5
Learning Percentage: 50%
August 18, 2003
Illegal drug makers targeting RV's
Thank you, oh mighty War on Drugs, for opening yet another perverse tear in our society's fabric.
There is one good thing about crystal meth: Of all the drugs in the New Prohibition, it's the one which is most obviously reminiscent of the first Prohibition. (Think moonshine.) Maybe something will snap, as people internally compare the images on the evening news with the contraption in "The Swamp" on M*A*S*H, and experience a cognitive dissonance -- preferably, a big collective one.
From the end of the article:
You can help as well by reporting suspected labs to state police.
Try, "You can help as well by demanding a swift and certain end to the foolish 'War on Drugs'."
Illegal drug makers targeting RV's
(Mattawan, August 12, 2003, 6:20 p.m. ) Camping is a favorite summer past time for Cindy Harnish and her family.
But while getting ready for a camp out earlier this summer, Cindy's father discovered a problem with his travel trailer.
"We got up north and the refrigerator, we tried to light it up but it wouldn't light. So he opened it up and it looked like it had been cut."
But what first appeared to be an act of vandalism may actually have been the latest chapter in the war against the drug known as crystal meth.
For years, makers of crystal meth have been stealing anhydrous ammonia from tanks on farm fields and farm co-ops.
...Now, it appears some manufacturers are turning to RV's.
Read It Rating: 7.5
Left/Right Rating: R2
Freedom Rating: -5
Learning Percentage: 50%
August 17, 2003
A Message from DRCNET's Executive Director About Our Drug Czar
A Message from DRCNET's Executive Director About Our Drug Czar
Dear Drug War Chronicle Reader:
This past Tuesday night, as part of a group organized by Students for Sensible Drug Policy, I attended a speech by US drug czar John Walters at The George Washington University here in DC. You may remember that our lead article from last week's issue discussed the warping in this year's "National Drug Control Strategy" document of the presentation of federal drug budget numbers to create an appearance of equality between enforcement and interdiction vs. treatment and prevention spending (http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/327/budget2005.shtml). In reality the budget split is still roughly 2-1 in favor of enforcement. ONDCP created a 1-1 appearance by omitting the cost of incarcerating drug offenders from the budget numbers. (!)
I was amazed by how brazenly Walters not only stood by, but bragged about, his budget deception. We didn't even have to wait for his speech to hear about it. It was built into the introduction a student gave for him, which was almost certainly provided by his office, in which she listed among Walters' accomplishments the reworking of the budget presentation to be more honest or accurate.
I raised the issue with Walters during the question-and-answer session following his speech. His answer doesn't pass the straight face test, though remarkably he did manage to keep a straight face. Walters' line was that there are some budget items that are not exclusively focused on drugs. He brought up the example of the Headstart program, for which the federal government provides some drug prevention money. He then pointed out that some drug offenders are also convicted of other crimes and are sentenced to prison time for all of them. In order to make the budget reporting more "honest," Walters stated, they now omit all drug spending, be it enforcement or demand reduction, from the budget entirely.
(Continued...)
March 09, 2004
David Crosby Arrested on Marijuana, Gun Charges
FOXNews.com - Foxlife - David Crosby Arrested on Marijuana, Gun Charges
February 09, 2004
Alabama and US Marijuana Party Founder Goes on Trial
Alabama and US Marijuana Party Founder Goes on Trial
ALEXANDER CITY, Al. - Feb. 2, 2004 (ALMJP) - Alabama and US Marijuana Party founder Loretta Nall will appear in Tallapoosa County District Court on Feb. 10, 2004 at 2 p.m. to face charges of 2nd degree Possession of Marijuana and Possession of Paraphernalia.
Mrs. Nall, who maintains her innocence, was arrested in a November 2002 raid on her home less than a week after the Birmingham News published her letter to the editor in which she called for citizens to vote and change Alabama's drug laws.
The Tallapoosa County Narcotics Task Force, which conducted the raid on Nall's home, alleges that the raid yielded 0.87 grams of marijuana.
...
February 05, 2004
Police Chief Won't Work With Feds In Pot Busts
Police Chief Won't Work With Feds In Pot Busts
When it comes to legitimate use of medical marijuana, the San Diego Police Department won't be cooperating with the feds, according to a Jan. 28 memo from police chief William Lansdowne. In the memo, sent to Mayor Dick Murphy and the San Diego City Council, Lansdowne says his officers, if asked, will not participate in any federal investigation or drug bust where qualified medical marijuana patients and caregivers are the target.
Lansdowne formerly headed the police department in San Jose, where he pulled his officers from a joint federal-state drug task force after agents targeted members of a Northern California cannabis club. Lansdowne was named San Diego's new chief of police in August after former Chief David Bejarano was appointed U.S. Marshall for Southern California by President Bush.
...
February 03, 2004
Pub drinkers tested for drugs
BBC NEWS | England | Kent | Pub drinkers tested for drugs
Computerised drug tests have been carried out at a Kent pub as part of a police crackdown on drug use.
The pub landlord and the police have defended the measures even though there were no positive tests or arrests at the Bishops Oak in Tonbridge on Friday.
The tests involve a swab on the hand, after which hi-tech equipment can show whether a person has handled drugs.
Landlord Paul Sarnie said: "I just want to find out for myself what is going on in my establishment."
Prevalence of drugs
He said: "It is basically to highlight the growing awareness we have that drugs are more prevalent in the community than they have been in recent years."
Everyone in the pub on Friday night agreed to be tested and were all found to be clear.
Pc Tim Moody, of Kent Police, said: "Our general feedback that we get from members of the public is that they think it is a fantastic idea."
He said: "They do feel safer going out in these places because they know that the particular element that may use drugs are not going to be there."
January 23, 2004
January 20, 2004
Nevada County's Narcotics Task Force arrest Correctional Technician for Marijuana Garden
Nevada County's Narcotics Task Force arrest Correctional Technician for Marijuana Garden
January 14, 2004
Montel, M.S., and medical marijuana
At the end of the transcript, he talks about using medical marijuana.
Hannity & Colmes - Interview - Montel Williams' Battle With M.S.
January 03, 2004
Jesse Ventura's America: Should marijuana be legalized? (Transcript)
Jesse's awesome. He's a luttle nuts sometimes, but I think most awesome people are that way. And he kicks butt against the drug war in this episode of his show. He delivers any number of verbal smackdowns to Tom Riley, the director of public affairs for the Office of National Drug Control Policy.
January 01, 2004
Sullum on the tightening of the Commerce Clause loophole
Pot Luck
A victory for federalism
by Jacob Sullum, Reason
Excerpt:
This is the third case this year in which the 9th Circuit has tried to define the boundaries of the Commerce Clause. Each decision has been narrow: The first involved child pornography that never crossed state lines and was not intended for distribution; the second dealt with homemade machine guns that met the same criteria; and the most recent one is limited to "the intrastate, noncommercial cultivation and possession of cannabis for personal medical purposes as recommended by a patient's physician pursuant to valid California state law."
But taken together, these rulings help revive the idea that the Commerce Clause is not a blank check.
December 28, 2003
Teen Drug Surveys Contradict Each Other
Teen Drug Surveys Contradict Each Other
Excerpt:
While Monitoring the Future, conducted by University of Michigan researchers and funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, indicates a decrease in teen use of marijuana and other drugs, the privately-funded PRIDE Survey showed a sharp rise in drug use: Monthly use of marijuana by junior-high students rose 51 percent from 2002 to 2003, and monthly use of heroin rose 60 percent. Despite the differences, both surveys confirm that ONDCP has failed by a large margin to meet goals set for it by Congress. Full PRIDE Survey results are available at http://www.pridesurveys.com.
NIDA Survey: Drug Use by U.S. Teens Declining
FOXNews.com - Top Stories - Drug Use by U.S. Teens Declining
December 24, 2003
December 21, 2003
Cannabis campaigner may be forced to go
Cannabis campaigner may be forced to go
Pot activist Steve Kubby - who says he depends on marijuana to ward off a rare form of cancer - is now fighting to stay in Canada.
Kubby, 56, is under a departure order from Citizenship and Immigration Canada that would force him, wife Michele, and two daughters, out of the country as early as Jan. 15.
...
December 15, 2003
December 13, 2003
CANADA DENIES REFUGEE STATUS TO US MEDICAL MARIJUANA EXILE
Drug War Chronicle
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/315/stevekubby.shtml
CANADA DENIES REFUGEE STATUS TO US MEDICAL MARIJUANA EXILE
Prominent American medical marijuana activist Steve Kubby
(http://www.kubby.com), who fled the US saying an impending jail sentence
would cause his death, has been denied refugee status by the Canadian
Immigration and Refugee Board. An adrenal cancer patient, Kubby has smoked a
dozen joints a day for year, which he says keeps him alive, and would have
been denied that medication while serving a misdemeanor sentence in
California. But Kubby did not have a well-founded fear of being persecuted
or tortured, nor was there any risk to his life if he returned to his home
state of California, the board ruled Monday.
He has said he will appeal, but the clock is ticking for Kubby and his
family, whose requests for refugee status were also denied. Under Canadian
law, he has 15 days to apply to the Supreme Court for a review of the
decision, and if the court chooses not to review his case, he and his family
would have to leave the country within 30 days. One option would be to apply
for a "pre-removal risk assessment," which would force immigration officials
to once again investigate whether he would face "cruel or unusual punishment
or risk to life" if returned to the US.
Steve Kubby Kubby, the 1998 Libertarian Party nominee for governor of
California, fled to Canada with his family in 2001 after being found guilty
of possession of a small amount of psychedelic mushrooms and peyote in his
home state. That conviction arose from a medical marijuana raid on Kubby's
home. The state could not convict on the marijuana charges -- California law
allows for its medical use -- but did manage to nail Kubby for the 'shrooms.
He was prepared to serve a 120-day sentence provided he could have access to
medical marijuana. But local authorities in California refused to allow him
to have his medicine in jail, so Kubby ran for his life to what he hoped
would be a friendlier clime.
He and his family entered Canada on tourist visas, but were detained by
Canadian immigration authorities after newspaper stories featured their
cause and described them cultivating a medical marijuana garden at their
home in Sechelt, British Columbia, a short ferry ride up BC's Sunshine Coast
from Vancouver. At that point, Kubby, his wife Michelle, and their two
daughters applied for asylum as refugees fleeing persecution by American
drug warriors. Since then, they have remained in Canada, where they produce
a program on Pot-TV (http://www.pot-tv.net), a web-based marijuana reform
broadcaster funded by marijuana seed magnate Marc Emery. They also received
a permit from Health Canada to cultivate marijuana for Kubby's medicinal use
are currently growing 117 plants, Kubby told the Toronto Globe & Mail.
In addition to the fear of persecution because of his well-known advocacy of
medical marijuana, Kubby argued that medical marijuana users were not
protected in California, and that he would die if deprived of his medicine.
The Immigration and Refugee Board, however, ruled that Kubby was not and
would not be persecuted, that California law in fact protects medical
marijuana users, and that he would not suffer serious health effects if
incarcerated without access to medical marijuana.
In an opinion written by board member Paulah Dauns, the board noted that
Kubby had not been convicted on medical marijuana charges, but on other drug
charges, and that California law protected him. "In effect, the process
worked, as it was designed to," she wrote. "He argues that a medical
marijuana patient should be protected from persecution. What he has
demonstrated is that in fact, they are." Dauns also wrote that while there
was little doubt marijuana relieved Kubby's cancer symptoms, there was no
evidence that depriving him of cannabis while incarcerated on the California
'shroom charge would kill him, despite testimony from Dr. Joseph Connors of
the British Columbia Cancer Agency, who told the court during an April
hearing that Kubby would die within four days if denied access to marijuana
for his condition. Kubby was not a refugee, wrote Dauns, but a "fugitive
from justice."
And while Kubby argued that his use of marijuana was akin to a diabetic's
use of insulin, Dauns was having none of that, either. "Insulin has been
approved by the medical community as a treatment, whereas marijuana has
not," she said. "The research on the benefits of marijuana is woefully
inadequate and inconclusive, making a comparison of these two treatments
illogical," she wrote.
The Kubby case is the first of a handful of similar "reefer refugee" cases
to be decided in Canada. Two Northern California men, Kenneth Hayes and
Steve Tuck, who fled federal marijuana charges related to California medical
marijuana grows, have cases pending before the author of Monday's decision,
board member Dauns. Some advocates had hoped Kubby, with his strong health
argument, had the strongest of any of the pending cases.
Canadian Kubby supporters denounced the decision. "This is yet another
example of the harms of cannabis prohibition," said Philippe Lucas, director
of Canadians for Safe Access (http://www.safeaccess.ca), a medical marijuana
defense organization based on its southern sister, Americans for Safe Access
(http://www.safeaccessnow.org). "The Kubbys are kind contributors to the
social well-being of Canadians -- under any other circumstances, Canada
would welcome this reverse brain-drain. It is only through the perversion of
justice caused by prohibition that a loving family like the Kubbys could be
condemned to an uncertain future at the hands of American prosecutors."
But it wasn't only abstract prohibition that had Lucas and other Canadian
activists irked, it was the harsh slap in the face from a traditionally
refugee-friendly country. "Are we as a nation really so quick to take a
chance on Steve Kubby's health?" asked Lucas. "Shouldn't a modern liberal
democracy like Canada err on the side of social justice when a man's life is
on the line? If Steve Kubby should suffer the same fate as Peter McWilliams
-- who died choking on his own vomit while being denied his medicinal
cannabis after his arrest -- the hands of those who denied his refugee claim
will be forever stained in his blood."
"Today, I'm ashamed of being a Canadian," concurred Tim Meehan, national
director of the anti-prohibition wing of the New Democratic Party
(http://www.ndpot.ca). "Here at home, our government constantly reminds us
of how important the refugee protection system is. Canada's reputation is
built on it. However, when they subject people like Steve Kubby and his
family to institutional prejudice because of their choice of medical
treatment, and are more concerned about angering a trading partner than
saving a human life, that demonstrates our government's priorities are very
seriously out of alignment. I hope Canadians remember that in the upcoming
federal election," Meehan added.
Visit http://www.mapinc.org/alert/0282.html for a letter-writing alert to
help Steve Kubby.
Read a summary of the decision at:
http://www.irb.gc.ca/en/decisions/kubby/va2_01374_e.htm#summary
Read the decision in full at:
http://www.irb.gc.ca/en/decisions/kubby/va2_01374_e.htm
Or to get right to the paragraphs where Dauns lays out her reasoning, go to:
http://www.irb.gc.ca/en/decisions/kubby/va2_01374_e.htm#determination
American Medical Marijuana Refugee Ordered To Return To United States
NORML's Weekly News Bulletin -- December 11, 2003
http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=5856
American Medical Marijuana Refugee Ordered To Return To United States
Immigration Board Recognizes Pot To Be "Best Treatment Available," But
Rejects Patient's Asylum Request
December 11, 2003 - Vancouver, BC, Canada
Vancouver, British Columbia: The Canadian Immigration and Refugee Board this
week denied refugee status to American Steve Kubby and his family, and
ordered their return to California where Kubby is expected to be sentenced
to four months in jail for drug-related charges. Kubby has said he will
appeal the ruling.
He and his wife Michelle and two children will be allowed to remain in the
country while awaiting their appeal.
Kubby fled to Canada in 2001 rather than serve time in jail, where he would
be denied access to medicinal marijuana, which he requires to treat symptoms
of a rare, life-threatening form of adrenal cancer known as
pheochromocytoma. Kubby was diagnosed in 1968 with the disease - which he's
managed since the early 1980s exclusively by smoking cannabis - and given
six months to live. (Life expectancy of a person with pheochromocytoma is
typically three to five years.) Today Kubby is recognized as one of the
longest living survivors of the disease.
Though the Board recognized that "marijuana continues to be the best
treatment available to Mr. Kubby," and that he could potentially suffer a
heart attack or stroke without cannabis, it nevertheless ruled, "The
claimant is not a person in need of protection in that his removal to the
United States would not subject him personally to a risk to his life."
The Board based this decision, in part, on the premise that Kubby would
likely have access to medicinal marijuana while in jail. However, California
law does not compel the state to allow inmates access to medical cannabis,
stating: "Nothing in this article shall require any accommodation of any
medical use of marijuana ... on the property or premises of any jail,
correctional facility, or other type of penal institution in which prisoners
reside or persons under arrest are detained."
While living in Canada, Kubby had been one of fewer than 600 individuals to
receive a federal exemption from Health Canada to legally cultivate and use
pot for medical purposes.
NORML Foundation Executive Director Allen St. Pierre called the Refugee
Board's decision unfortunate and puzzling considering the government's prior
acknowledgement of Kubby's medical need to use cannabis. "This decision
makes little sense in light of the fact that the Canadian government has
already approved Steve Kubby's medical use of marijuana by granting him a
special exemption from prosecution," he said.
"Why they couldn't extend that same thinking to his asylum request seeking
protection for his health from America's policy of strict marijuana law
enforcement is puzzling. This decision does not bode well for the other
Americans who have sought refuge status in Canada for their
physician-sanctioned use of medical marijuana."
Since 1989, the Immigration and Refugee Board has heard nearly 1,000 refugee
cases from the United States, including 268 pending cases. So far, none of
those individuals have been granted asylum.
For more information, please contact Allen St. Pierre of The NORML
Foundation at (202) 483-8751. Full text of the Immigration and Refugee
Board's ruling is available online at:
http://www.irb.gc.ca/en/decisions/kubby/va2_01374_e.htm
(In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.)
Woman Uses Greeting Card to Smuggle Meth
FOXNews.com - Top Stories - Woman Uses Greeting Card to Smuggle Meth
December 12, 2003
December 11, 2003
Pot doc's license revocation upheld
Dec. 10, 2003 -- Pot doc's license revocation upheld
By HANK LAWSON Staff writer
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed Monday the federal government's revocation of Dr. Marion "Molly" Fry's license to prescribe medication including marijuana.
December 08, 2003
KUBBY VOWS APPEAL OF RULING DENYING REFUGEE STATUS IN CANADA
For Immediate Release
December 8, 2003
Press Conference:
Tuesday, Dec. 9th, noon, BC Marijuana Party Headquarters, 307 West Hastings,
Vancouver
Decision Online:
http://www.irb.gc.ca/en/decisions/kubby/va2_01374_e.htm
KUBBY VOWS APPEAL OF RULING DENYING REFUGEE STATUS IN CANADA
VANCOUVER -- Steve Kubby, medical marijuana patient and former Libertarian
Party candidate for governor of California, vowed to appeal a ruling by the
Refugee Protection Division today that denied him refugee status in Canada
based on his need for medical marijuana.
Kubby complained, "I cannot understand how the Refugee panel could conclude
that my life would not be at risk if I were forced to return to the US,
after the leading cancer specialist in British Columbia testified that I
would die without it."
British Columbia cancer specialist Dr. Joseph Michael Connors, an expert in
the area of adrenal cancers, called by the Immigration Ministry, examined
Kubby and testified at the hearing about his medical condition.
The ruling recognizes that, according to Dr. Connors, "Mr. Kubby's tumour
releases, in excess quantities, hormones normally found in the adrenal
gland. Excessive levels of these hormones in Mr. Kubby's blood cause a
range of separate symptomatic problems including paroxysmal headaches,
palpitations (rapid and irregular beating of the heart), hypertension
(sudden dangerous rise in blood pressure), sudden abdominal cramps and
diarrhea, chest pain, shortness of breath, nausea, sudden severe weakness
and anorexia (loss of appetite). If not controlled, Mr. Kubby's symptoms
could evolve further to the point where a myocardial infarction (heart
attack) or cerebral vascular accident (stroke) could occur."
The ruling also acknowledged that "there is evidence before the Board, that
marihuana controls the symptoms of Mr. Kubby's cancer, including
hypertension. In Dr. Connors' opinion, marihuana continues to be the best
treatment available to Mr. Kubby."
However, the ruling went on to say that "it cannot therefore be stated with
any degree of certainty, that marihuana is the reason for Mr. Kubby's
survival even though it remains the best treatment option at this time."
Health Canada has even given Mr. Kubby permission to grow one hundred and
seventeen marijuana plants, based on "medical necessity."
The ruling further acknowledged, Kubby "has received a Health Canada
exemption, which suggests he is a bona fide ill person in need of medical
marihuana. It is noteworthy that Mr. Kubby was investigated and charged
with marihuana related criminal offences in Canada. Those Canadian charges
were later stayed by the Crown, and his marihuana grow equipment was
returned to him by the RCMP after the charges were stayed. This suggests
the Government of Canada believes he has a medical necessity for marihuana."
Despite all of this, the ruling somehow concluded, "he has not established
there is a risk to his life or a risk of cruel and unusual treatment or
punishment" if Kubby is forced to return to the US.
Kubby vowed, "Apparently, I have to die in order to convince the Refugee
board, but instead I intend to fight."
###
November 26, 2003
Probation Granted to 3 Who Grew, Sold Pot as a Medicine
Probation Granted to 3 Who Grew, Sold Pot as a Medicine
By Jean Guccione, Times Staff Writer
In a victory for advocates of medicinal marijuana, officers of a defunct West Hollywood cannabis club were sentenced Monday to one year of probation for growing and selling marijuana to hundreds of people with cancer, AIDS and other serious ailments.
In imposing the minimum allowable sentence, U.S. District Judge A. Howard Matz chastised the prosecution.
"To allocate the resources of the Drug Enforcement Agency and the U.S. attorney's office in this case … baffles me, disturbs me," the judge said.
...
The judge noted that 85% of the center's 960 members have AIDS or are HIV-positive; 10% have cancer; and the rest have various other medical conditions.
"It is difficult to imagine a case where a defendant has contributed to the distribution of a controlled substance for more humanitarian reasons than what occurred here," his defense attorney, Ronald O. Kaye, argued in court papers.
...
Under federal drug forfeiture laws, authorities seized $56,000 in the center's bank account and sold its building at 7494 Santa Monica Blvd. for $1.2 million.
The city of West Hollywood and Wells Fargo Bank, which financed the purchase, are trying to force the federal government to return a portion of the money.
Read It Rating: 6
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: .5
Learning Percentage: 35%
November 24, 2003
Man chokes to death hiding pot
Man chokes to death hiding pot
FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) -- A man changing a flat tire choked to death on a bag of marijuana he had stuffed down his throat in an apparent attempt to hide it from police who stopped to help him, authorities said.
Read It Rating: 4
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: -3
Learning Percentage: 75%
November 20, 2003
New Study Explains How Pot Kills Cancer Cells
This article by Steve kubby has some overlap with the previously posted article by Richard Cowan. Cowan's article is more extensive; Kubby's is more succinct.
New Study Explains How Pot Kills Cancer Cells
by Steve Kubby
A new study published in Nature Reviews-Cancer provides an historic and detailed explanation about how THC and natural cannabinoids counteract cancer, but preserve normal cells.
The study by Manuel Guzmán of Madrid Spain found that cannabinoids, the active components of marijuana, inhibit tumor growth in laboratory animals. They do so by modulating key cell-signalling pathways, thereby inducing direct growth arrest and death of tumor cells, as well as by inhibiting the growth of blood vessels that supply the tumor.
The Guzman study is very important according to Dr. Ethan Russo , a neurologist and world authority on medical cannabis: "Cancer occurs because cells become immortalized; they fail to heed normal signals to turn off growth. A normal function of remodelling in the body requires that cells die on cue. This is called apoptosis, or programmed cell death. That process fails to work in tumors. THC promotes its reappearance so that gliomas, leukemias, melanomas and other cell types will in fact heed the signals, stop dividing, and die."
"But, that is not all," explains Dr. Russo: "The other way that tumors grow is by ensuring that they are nourished: they send out signals to promote angiogenesis, the growth of new blood vessels. Cannabinoids turn off these signals as well. It is truly incredible, and elegant." ...
Read It Rating: 9.1
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: 1.1
Learning Percentage: 15%
If Cannabis Could Cure Cancer, They Would Tell Us, Right?
This is a somewhat clunky and jaded story, but it still makes for worthy reading, if for no other reason than the story which is embedded within it, entitled "POT SHRINKS TUMORS; GOVERNMENT KNEW IN '74". Also, this article by Richard Cowan (who has good cause to be jaded, as he has been fighting against the drug war for avery long time) is linked to a great many other articles and resources which offer a lot of background information.
If Cannabis Could Cure Cancer, They Would Tell Us, Right? No.
by Richard Cowan, MarijuanaNews.com
Read It Rating: 9
Left/Right Rating: L3
Freedom Rating: 1
Learning Percentage: 55%
Kubbys await refugee ruling
by Pete Brady (10 Nov, 2003)
Courageous couple grow medical marijuana on television
Medical marijuana advocates Michele and Steve Kubby are anticipating a ruling "any day now" on their historic bid to become Canada's first officially-sanctioned reefer refugees.
...
Earlier this year, Michele Kubby acted as her own lawyer in hearings before an immigration judge. The Kubbys are seeking official refugee status. They argue that Steve would die in America if he was sent back to face incarceration or other actions relating to his earlier conviction, because authorities will not guarantee him access to medpot. They also claim they would be victims of political persecution as individuals, and as part of a persecuted minority - pot smokers - who are targets of a "genocidal" US-government war. If the Kubbys win refugee status, it will be historic, because the ruling will in effect mean that the Canadian government has acknowledged that the US is a country that routinely violates the human rights of its citizens.
The refugee hearings were contentious and controversial, with government lawyers accused of lying by the Kubbys. Michele Kubby, who has no formal training as a lawyer, won plaudits from attorneys for her skillful attacks on the government's attempts to send her and her family back to the United States, and for her spirited defense of the Kubbys' right to stay in Canada.
...
Read It Rating: 7
Left/Right Rating: L3
Freedom Rating: .4
Learning Percentage: 20%
November 12, 2003
Campaigns No Longer Go Up In Smoke
Campaigns No Longer Go Up In Smoke
Past Marijuana Use Now More Acceptable
by Lisa Wangsness
Concord Monitor
Near the end of the Rock the Vote presidential candidates' forum in Boston this week, the moderator posed a question that once filled politicians with dread.
"Which of you are ready to admit to having used marijuana in the past?"
Though Howard Dean joked that the candidates would "keep our hands down on this one," only former ambassador Carol Moseley Braun declined to answer the question. Dean, Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry and North Carolina Sen. John Edwards said they had. The Rev. Al Sharpton said he had not.
Ohio Rep. Dennis Kucinich said he hadn't but added that he would decriminalize marijuana use.
Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman actually apologized - for not having smoked pot.
"I have a reputation for giving unpopular answers in Democratic debates," Lieberman joked. "I never used marijuana, sorry."
...
Read It Rating: 8
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: 1.5
Learning Percentage: 40%
November 09, 2003
Australia: Police To Conduct Random Roadside Drug Tests
Australia: Police To Conduct Random Roadside Drug Tests
In an Australian first, the Victorian government today moved to give police powers to conduct random roadside drug testing.
Under legislation now before state parliament, from July next year roadside drug screening will be used to detect drivers affected by cannabis and speed with a saliva test.
Read It Rating: 6
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: -2
Learning Percentage: 85%
October 16, 2003
LP: America owes Rush Limbaugh a debt of gratitude
LP Press Release:
America owes talk host Rush Limbaugh a debt of gratitude, Libertarians say
October 16, 2003
WASHINGTON, DC -- The entire nation owes radio broadcaster Rush Limbaugh a debt of gratitude, Libertarians say, because his ordeal has exposed every drug warrior in America as a rank hypocrite.
"One thing we don't hear from American politicians very often is silence," said Joe Seehusen, Libertarian Party executive director. "By refusing to criticize Rush Limbaugh, every drug warrior has just been exposed as a shameless, despicable hypocrite.
"And that's good news, because the next time they do speak up, there'll be no reason for anyone to listen."
The revelation that Limbaugh had become addicted to painkillers -- drugs he is accused of procuring illegally from his Palm Beach housekeeper -- has caused a media sensation ever since the megastar's shocking, on-air confession last week.
As the Limbaugh saga continues, here's an important question for Americans to ask, Libertarians say: Why are all the drug warriors suddenly so silent?
"Republican and Democratic politicians have written laws that have condemned more than 400,000 Americans to prison for committing the same 'crime' as Rush Limbaugh," Seehusen pointed out. "If this pill-popping pontificator deserves a get-out-of-jail-free card, these drug warriors had better explain why."
Given their longstanding support for the Drug War, it's fair to ask:
Why haven't President George Bush or his tough-on-crime attorney general, John Ashcroft, uttered a word criticizing Limbaugh's law-breaking?
Why aren't drug czar John P. Walters or his predecessor, Barry McCaffrey, lambasting Limbaugh as a menace to society and a threat to "our children?"
Why aren't federal DEA agents storming Limbaugh's $30 million Florida mansion in a frantic search for criminal evidence?
Why haven't federal, state, and local police agencies seized the celebrity's homes and luxury cars under asset-forfeiture laws?
Finally, why aren't bloviating blabbermouths like William Bennett publicly explaining how America would be better off if Limbaugh were prosecuted, locked in a steel cage and forced to abandon his wife, his friends, and his career?
The answer is obvious, Seehusen said: "America's drug warriors are shameless hypocrites who believe in one standard of justice for ordinary Americans and another for themselves, their families and their political allies.
"That alone should completely discredit them."
But there's an even more disturbing possibility, Seehusen said: that the people who are prosecuting the Drug War don't even believe in its central premise -- which is that public safety requires that drug users be jailed.
"The Bushes and Ashcrofts and McCaffreys of the world may believe, correctly, that individuals fighting a drug addiction deserve medical, not criminal treatment," he said. "That would explain why they're not demanding that Limbaugh be jailed.
"But if that's the case, these politicians have spent decades tearing apart American families for their own political gain. And that's an unforgivable crime."
October 07, 2003
Scientists admit: we were wrong about 'E'
Scientists admit: we were wrong about 'E'
Experts who gave a dramatic warning that ecstasy led to brain damage based their study on a huge blunder, reports health editor Jo Revill
Sunday September 7, 2003
The Observer
It was billed as the one of the most dramatic warnings the world has ever received over the dangers of ecstasy. A study from one of America's leading universities concluded that taking the drug for just one evening could leave clubbers with irreversible brain damage, and trigger the onset of Parkinson's disease.
The study, published in the eminent journal Science last September, had an immediate impact. Doctors and anti-drug crusaders spoke of a 'neurological time bomb' facing the young. Others suggested that taking one of the tablets was the equivalent of playing Russian roulette with the brain, and demanded tighter 'anti-rave' laws to deal with it.
But today, scientists are facing up to the humiliation of admitting that the stark results they reported in the study were not a breakthrough but a terrible, humiliating blunder.
The study was based on the fact that laboratory monkeys and baboons had a severe reaction to the drug when it was injected in small doses. But it emerged this weekend that the vials of liquid did not contain ecstasy....
Read It Rating: 9
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: 2
Learning Percentage: 80%
October 01, 2003
Tommy Chong gets 9 months for selling bongs and such on Web
COURTTV.COM - PEOPLE - Tommy Chong gets 9 months for selling drug wares on Web
Updated Sept. 11, 2003, 2:45 p.m. ET
Tommy Chong gets 9 months for selling drug wares on Web
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Tommy Chong, who played one half of the dope-smoking duo in the Cheech and Chong movies, was sentenced to nine months in federal prison and fined $20,000 Thursday for selling bongs and other drug paraphernalia over the Internet.
The 65-year-old was allowed to remain free until federal prison officials tell him in a few weeks where he must report to prison.
Full story...
Read It Rating: 8
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: -3.5
Learning Percentage: 30%
September 21, 2003
Marijuana laws struck down in British Columbia
Marijuana laws struck down in British Columbia
Westernmost province joins Ontario, PEI and Nova Scotia in ending prohibition
Years of protests bear fruit for freedom
On September 4, Provincial Court Judge P Chen made a landmark ruling regarding marijuana laws in British Columbia. In his decision, Judge Chen said parts of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA) are "invalid" and that "there is no offense known to law at this time for simple possession of marijuana" in the province.
Judge Chen's decision was based on a series of court cases in Ontario that led a judge there to strike down marijuana possession laws in January of this year. ...
Read It Rating: 7.5
Left/Right Rating: L3
Freedom Rating: 3
Learning Percentage: 80%
September 03, 2003
Former drug warriors turn against prohibition
Altered Minds
Former drug warriors turn against prohibition.
by Jacob Sullum
ReasonOnline
In the 1980s, not many people could plausibly claim stronger anti-drug credentials than Nancy Reagan. But Forest Tennant could.
"It's great for the Reagans to get up and say, 'Let's do something about the drug problem,' but I don't know who's going to do it," he told the Los Angeles Times in 1986. "Only true professional people like myself can do very much with the drug problem."
...
Tennant has published hundreds of scientific articles, testified in high-profile trials, and advised the NFL, NASCAR, the California Highway Patrol, the Food and Drug Administration, and the National Institute on Drug Abuse. The Times described him as "riding at the forefront of the current wave of anti-drug sentiment."
So when the folks at the Hoover Institution who produce the PBS show Uncommon Knowledge were looking for someone to debate drug policy with me, Tennant must have seemed like a natural choice. Imagine their surprise when he ended up agreeing that the war on drugs has been a disastrous mistake.
...
Tennant is by no means the only former drug warrior who has become a critic of current policy. Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP), founded last year, includes more than 400 current and former police officers, judges, federal agents, prosecutors, and parole, probation, and corrections officers. The group is headed by Jack Cole, a 26-year veteran of the New Jersey State Police who worked in narcotics enforcement for 14 years.
...
Read It Rating: 9.8
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Freedom Rating: 4
Learning Percentage: 50%
Dutch Government begins distributing prescription cannabis
Cannabis as a prescription drug
The Dutch government has started distributing cannabis as a prescription painkiller to pharmacies to treat chronically ill patients. The Hague had already been turning a blind eye to medicinal cannabis use, but now it's become the world's first government to supply the drug itself, in accordance with United Nations rules on narcotics.
Cannabis sativa has been used therapeutically for many centuries. Known to the Chinese as a strong herbal remedy around 5,000 years ago, it was introduced into European medicine in Napoleonic times. Its pain relieving and sedative effects soon became accepted by Western medical practitioners, who prescribed it on a wide scale. Britain's Queen Victoria is said to have taken cannabis tincture for menstrual pains.
Read It Rating: 9.4
Left/Right Rating: L6
Freedom Rating: 2.5
Learning Percentage: 50%
August 18, 2003
Illegal drug makers targeting RV's
Thank you, oh mighty War on Drugs, for opening yet another perverse tear in our society's fabric.
There is one good thing about crystal meth: Of all the drugs in the New Prohibition, it's the one which is most obviously reminiscent of the first Prohibition. (Think moonshine.) Maybe something will snap, as people internally compare the images on the evening news with the contraption in "The Swamp" on M*A*S*H, and experience a cognitive dissonance -- preferably, a big collective one.
From the end of the article:
You can help as well by reporting suspected labs to state police.
Try, "You can help as well by demanding a swift and certain end to the foolish 'War on Drugs'."
Illegal drug makers targeting RV's
(Mattawan, August 12, 2003, 6:20 p.m. ) Camping is a favorite summer past time for Cindy Harnish and her family.
But while getting ready for a camp out earlier this summer, Cindy's father discovered a problem with his travel trailer.
"We got up north and the refrigerator, we tried to light it up but it wouldn't light. So he opened it up and it looked like it had been cut."
But what first appeared to be an act of vandalism may actually have been the latest chapter in the war against the drug known as crystal meth.
For years, makers of crystal meth have been stealing anhydrous ammonia from tanks on farm fields and farm co-ops.
...Now, it appears some manufacturers are turning to RV's.
Read It Rating: 7.5
Left/Right Rating: R2
Freedom Rating: -5
Learning Percentage: 50%
August 17, 2003
David Crosby Arrested on Marijuana, Gun Charges
FOXNews.com - Foxlife - David Crosby Arrested on Marijuana, Gun Charges
Alabama and US Marijuana Party Founder Goes on Trial
Alabama and US Marijuana Party Founder Goes on Trial
ALEXANDER CITY, Al. - Feb. 2, 2004 (ALMJP) - Alabama and US Marijuana Party founder Loretta Nall will appear in Tallapoosa County District Court on Feb. 10, 2004 at 2 p.m. to face charges of 2nd degree Possession of Marijuana and Possession of Paraphernalia.
Mrs. Nall, who maintains her innocence, was arrested in a November 2002 raid on her home less than a week after the Birmingham News published her letter to the editor in which she called for citizens to vote and change Alabama's drug laws.
The Tallapoosa County Narcotics Task Force, which conducted the raid on Nall's home, alleges that the raid yielded 0.87 grams of marijuana.
...
February 05, 2004
Police Chief Won't Work With Feds In Pot Busts
Police Chief Won't Work With Feds In Pot Busts
When it comes to legitimate use of medical marijuana, the San Diego Police Department won't be cooperating with the feds, according to a Jan. 28 memo from police chief William Lansdowne. In the memo, sent to Mayor Dick Murphy and the San Diego City Council, Lansdowne says his officers, if asked, will not participate in any federal investigation or drug bust where qualified medical marijuana patients and caregivers are the target.
Lansdowne formerly headed the police department in San Jose, where he pulled his officers from a joint federal-state drug task force after agents targeted members of a Northern California cannabis club. Lansdowne was named San Diego's new chief of police in August after former Chief David Bejarano was appointed U.S. Marshall for Southern California by President Bush.
...
February 03, 2004
Pub drinkers tested for drugs
BBC NEWS | England | Kent | Pub drinkers tested for drugs
Computerised drug tests have been carried out at a Kent pub as part of a police crackdown on drug use.
The pub landlord and the police have defended the measures even though there were no positive tests or arrests at the Bishops Oak in Tonbridge on Friday.
The tests involve a swab on the hand, after which hi-tech equipment can show whether a person has handled drugs.
Landlord Paul Sarnie said: "I just want to find out for myself what is going on in my establishment."
Prevalence of drugs
He said: "It is basically to highlight the growing awareness we have that drugs are more prevalent in the community than they have been in recent years."
Everyone in the pub on Friday night agreed to be tested and were all found to be clear.
Pc Tim Moody, of Kent Police, said: "Our general feedback that we get from members of the public is that they think it is a fantastic idea."
He said: "They do feel safer going out in these places because they know that the particular element that may use drugs are not going to be there."
January 23, 2004
January 20, 2004
Nevada County's Narcotics Task Force arrest Correctional Technician for Marijuana Garden
Nevada County's Narcotics Task Force arrest Correctional Technician for Marijuana Garden
January 14, 2004
Montel, M.S., and medical marijuana
At the end of the transcript, he talks about using medical marijuana.
Hannity & Colmes - Interview - Montel Williams' Battle With M.S.
January 03, 2004
Jesse Ventura's America: Should marijuana be legalized? (Transcript)
Jesse's awesome. He's a luttle nuts sometimes, but I think most awesome people are that way. And he kicks butt against the drug war in this episode of his show. He delivers any number of verbal smackdowns to Tom Riley, the director of public affairs for the Office of National Drug Control Policy.
January 01, 2004
Sullum on the tightening of the Commerce Clause loophole
Pot Luck
A victory for federalism
by Jacob Sullum, Reason
Excerpt:
This is the third case this year in which the 9th Circuit has tried to define the boundaries of the Commerce Clause. Each decision has been narrow: The first involved child pornography that never crossed state lines and was not intended for distribution; the second dealt with homemade machine guns that met the same criteria; and the most recent one is limited to "the intrastate, noncommercial cultivation and possession of cannabis for personal medical purposes as recommended by a patient's physician pursuant to valid California state law."
But taken together, these rulings help revive the idea that the Commerce Clause is not a blank check.
December 28, 2003
Teen Drug Surveys Contradict Each Other
Teen Drug Surveys Contradict Each Other
Excerpt:
While Monitoring the Future, conducted by University of Michigan researchers and funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, indicates a decrease in teen use of marijuana and other drugs, the privately-funded PRIDE Survey showed a sharp rise in drug use: Monthly use of marijuana by junior-high students rose 51 percent from 2002 to 2003, and monthly use of heroin rose 60 percent. Despite the differences, both surveys confirm that ONDCP has failed by a large margin to meet goals set for it by Congress. Full PRIDE Survey results are available at http://www.pridesurveys.com.
NIDA Survey: Drug Use by U.S. Teens Declining
FOXNews.com - Top Stories - Drug Use by U.S. Teens Declining
December 24, 2003
December 21, 2003
Cannabis campaigner may be forced to go
Cannabis campaigner may be forced to go
Pot activist Steve Kubby - who says he depends on marijuana to ward off a rare form of cancer - is now fighting to stay in Canada.
Kubby, 56, is under a departure order from Citizenship and Immigration Canada that would force him, wife Michele, and two daughters, out of the country as early as Jan. 15.
...
December 15, 2003
December 13, 2003
CANADA DENIES REFUGEE STATUS TO US MEDICAL MARIJUANA EXILE
Drug War Chronicle
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/315/stevekubby.shtml
CANADA DENIES REFUGEE STATUS TO US MEDICAL MARIJUANA EXILE
Prominent American medical marijuana activist Steve Kubby
(http://www.kubby.com), who fled the US saying an impending jail sentence
would cause his death, has been denied refugee status by the Canadian
Immigration and Refugee Board. An adrenal cancer patient, Kubby has smoked a
dozen joints a day for year, which he says keeps him alive, and would have
been denied that medication while serving a misdemeanor sentence in
California. But Kubby did not have a well-founded fear of being persecuted
or tortured, nor was there any risk to his life if he returned to his home
state of California, the board ruled Monday.
He has said he will appeal, but the clock is ticking for Kubby and his
family, whose requests for refugee status were also denied. Under Canadian
law, he has 15 days to apply to the Supreme Court for a review of the
decision, and if the court chooses not to review his case, he and his family
would have to leave the country within 30 days. One option would be to apply
for a "pre-removal risk assessment," which would force immigration officials
to once again investigate whether he would face "cruel or unusual punishment
or risk to life" if returned to the US.
Steve Kubby Kubby, the 1998 Libertarian Party nominee for governor of
California, fled to Canada with his family in 2001 after being found guilty
of possession of a small amount of psychedelic mushrooms and peyote in his
home state. That conviction arose from a medical marijuana raid on Kubby's
home. The state could not convict on the marijuana charges -- California law
allows for its medical use -- but did manage to nail Kubby for the 'shrooms.
He was prepared to serve a 120-day sentence provided he could have access to
medical marijuana. But local authorities in California refused to allow him
to have his medicine in jail, so Kubby ran for his life to what he hoped
would be a friendlier clime.
He and his family entered Canada on tourist visas, but were detained by
Canadian immigration authorities after newspaper stories featured their
cause and described them cultivating a medical marijuana garden at their
home in Sechelt, British Columbia, a short ferry ride up BC's Sunshine Coast
from Vancouver. At that point, Kubby, his wife Michelle, and their two
daughters applied for asylum as refugees fleeing persecution by American
drug warriors. Since then, they have remained in Canada, where they produce
a program on Pot-TV (http://www.pot-tv.net), a web-based marijuana reform
broadcaster funded by marijuana seed magnate Marc Emery. They also received
a permit from Health Canada to cultivate marijuana for Kubby's medicinal use
are currently growing 117 plants, Kubby told the Toronto Globe & Mail.
In addition to the fear of persecution because of his well-known advocacy of
medical marijuana, Kubby argued that medical marijuana users were not
protected in California, and that he would die if deprived of his medicine.
The Immigration and Refugee Board, however, ruled that Kubby was not and
would not be persecuted, that California law in fact protects medical
marijuana users, and that he would not suffer serious health effects if
incarcerated without access to medical marijuana.
In an opinion written by board member Paulah Dauns, the board noted that
Kubby had not been convicted on medical marijuana charges, but on other drug
charges, and that California law protected him. "In effect, the process
worked, as it was designed to," she wrote. "He argues that a medical
marijuana patient should be protected from persecution. What he has
demonstrated is that in fact, they are." Dauns also wrote that while there
was little doubt marijuana relieved Kubby's cancer symptoms, there was no
evidence that depriving him of cannabis while incarcerated on the California
'shroom charge would kill him, despite testimony from Dr. Joseph Connors of
the British Columbia Cancer Agency, who told the court during an April
hearing that Kubby would die within four days if denied access to marijuana
for his condition. Kubby was not a refugee, wrote Dauns, but a "fugitive
from justice."
And while Kubby argued that his use of marijuana was akin to a diabetic's
use of insulin, Dauns was having none of that, either. "Insulin has been
approved by the medical community as a treatment, whereas marijuana has
not," she said. "The research on the benefits of marijuana is woefully
inadequate and inconclusive, making a comparison of these two treatments
illogical," she wrote.
The Kubby case is the first of a handful of similar "reefer refugee" cases
to be decided in Canada. Two Northern California men, Kenneth Hayes and
Steve Tuck, who fled federal marijuana charges related to California medical
marijuana grows, have cases pending before the author of Monday's decision,
board member Dauns. Some advocates had hoped Kubby, with his strong health
argument, had the strongest of any of the pending cases.
Canadian Kubby supporters denounced the decision. "This is yet another
example of the harms of cannabis prohibition," said Philippe Lucas, director
of Canadians for Safe Access (http://www.safeaccess.ca), a medical marijuana
defense organization based on its southern sister, Americans for Safe Access
(http://www.safeaccessnow.org). "The Kubbys are kind contributors to the
social well-being of Canadians -- under any other circumstances, Canada
would welcome this reverse brain-drain. It is only through the perversion of
justice caused by prohibition that a loving family like the Kubbys could be
condemned to an uncertain future at the hands of American prosecutors."
But it wasn't only abstract prohibition that had Lucas and other Canadian
activists irked, it was the harsh slap in the face from a traditionally
refugee-friendly country. "Are we as a nation really so quick to take a
chance on Steve Kubby's health?" asked Lucas. "Shouldn't a modern liberal
democracy like Canada err on the side of social justice when a man's life is
on the line? If Steve Kubby should suffer the same fate as Peter McWilliams
-- who died choking on his own vomit while being denied his medicinal
cannabis after his arrest -- the hands of those who denied his refugee claim
will be forever stained in his blood."
"Today, I'm ashamed of being a Canadian," concurred Tim Meehan, national
director of the anti-prohibition wing of the New Democratic Party
(http://www.ndpot.ca). "Here at home, our government constantly reminds us
of how important the refugee protection system is. Canada's reputation is
built on it. However, when they subject people like Steve Kubby and his
family to institutional prejudice because of their choice of medical
treatment, and are more concerned about angering a trading partner than
saving a human life, that demonstrates our government's priorities are very
seriously out of alignment. I hope Canadians remember that in the upcoming
federal election," Meehan added.
Visit http://www.mapinc.org/alert/0282.html for a letter-writing alert to
help Steve Kubby.
Read a summary of the decision at:
http://www.irb.gc.ca/en/decisions/kubby/va2_01374_e.htm#summary
Read the decision in full at:
http://www.irb.gc.ca/en/decisions/kubby/va2_01374_e.htm
Or to get right to the paragraphs where Dauns lays out her reasoning, go to:
http://www.irb.gc.ca/en/decisions/kubby/va2_01374_e.htm#determination
American Medical Marijuana Refugee Ordered To Return To United States
NORML's Weekly News Bulletin -- December 11, 2003
http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=5856
American Medical Marijuana Refugee Ordered To Return To United States
Immigration Board Recognizes Pot To Be "Best Treatment Available," But
Rejects Patient's Asylum Request
December 11, 2003 - Vancouver, BC, Canada
Vancouver, British Columbia: The Canadian Immigration and Refugee Board this
week denied refugee status to American Steve Kubby and his family, and
ordered their return to California where Kubby is expected to be sentenced
to four months in jail for drug-related charges. Kubby has said he will
appeal the ruling.
He and his wife Michelle and two children will be allowed to remain in the
country while awaiting their appeal.
Kubby fled to Canada in 2001 rather than serve time in jail, where he would
be denied access to medicinal marijuana, which he requires to treat symptoms
of a rare, life-threatening form of adrenal cancer known as
pheochromocytoma. Kubby was diagnosed in 1968 with the disease - which he's
managed since the early 1980s exclusively by smoking cannabis - and given
six months to live. (Life expectancy of a person with pheochromocytoma is
typically three to five years.) Today Kubby is recognized as one of the
longest living survivors of the disease.
Though the Board recognized that "marijuana continues to be the best
treatment available to Mr. Kubby," and that he could potentially suffer a
heart attack or stroke without cannabis, it nevertheless ruled, "The
claimant is not a person in need of protection in that his removal to the
United States would not subject him personally to a risk to his life."
The Board based this decision, in part, on the premise that Kubby would
likely have access to medicinal marijuana while in jail. However, California
law does not compel the state to allow inmates access to medical cannabis,
stating: "Nothing in this article shall require any accommodation of any
medical use of marijuana ... on the property or premises of any jail,
correctional facility, or other type of penal institution in which prisoners
reside or persons under arrest are detained."
While living in Canada, Kubby had been one of fewer than 600 individuals to
receive a federal exemption from Health Canada to legally cultivate and use
pot for medical purposes.
NORML Foundation Executive Director Allen St. Pierre called the Refugee
Board's decision unfortunate and puzzling considering the government's prior
acknowledgement of Kubby's medical need to use cannabis. "This decision
makes little sense in light of the fact that the Canadian government has
already approved Steve Kubby's medical use of marijuana by granting him a
special exemption from prosecution," he said.
"Why they couldn't extend that same thinking to his asylum request seeking
protection for his health from America's policy of strict marijuana law
enforcement is puzzling. This decision does not bode well for the other
Americans who have sought refuge status in Canada for their
physician-sanctioned use of medical marijuana."
Since 1989, the Immigration and Refugee Board has heard nearly 1,000 refugee
cases from the United States, including 268 pending cases. So far, none of
those individuals have been granted asylum.
For more information, please contact Allen St. Pierre of The NORML
Foundation at (202) 483-8751. Full text of the Immigration and Refugee
Board's ruling is available online at:
http://www.irb.gc.ca/en/decisions/kubby/va2_01374_e.htm
(In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.)
Woman Uses Greeting Card to Smuggle Meth
FOXNews.com - Top Stories - Woman Uses Greeting Card to Smuggle Meth
December 12, 2003
December 11, 2003
Pot doc's license revocation upheld
Dec. 10, 2003 -- Pot doc's license revocation upheld
By HANK LAWSON Staff writer
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed Monday the federal government's revocation of Dr. Marion "Molly" Fry's license to prescribe medication including marijuana.
December 08, 2003
KUBBY VOWS APPEAL OF RULING DENYING REFUGEE STATUS IN CANADA
For Immediate Release
December 8, 2003
Press Conference:
Tuesday, Dec. 9th, noon, BC Marijuana Party Headquarters, 307 West Hastings,
Vancouver
Decision Online:
http://www.irb.gc.ca/en/decisions/kubby/va2_01374_e.htm
KUBBY VOWS APPEAL OF RULING DENYING REFUGEE STATUS IN CANADA
VANCOUVER -- Steve Kubby, medical marijuana patient and former Libertarian
Party candidate for governor of California, vowed to appeal a ruling by the
Refugee Protection Division today that denied him refugee status in Canada
based on his need for medical marijuana.
Kubby complained, "I cannot understand how the Refugee panel could conclude
that my life would not be at risk if I were forced to return to the US,
after the leading cancer specialist in British Columbia testified that I
would die without it."
British Columbia cancer specialist Dr. Joseph Michael Connors, an expert in
the area of adrenal cancers, called by the Immigration Ministry, examined
Kubby and testified at the hearing about his medical condition.
The ruling recognizes that, according to Dr. Connors, "Mr. Kubby's tumour
releases, in excess quantities, hormones normally found in the adrenal
gland. Excessive levels of these hormones in Mr. Kubby's blood cause a
range of separate symptomatic problems including paroxysmal headaches,
palpitations (rapid and irregular beating of the heart), hypertension
(sudden dangerous rise in blood pressure), sudden abdominal cramps and
diarrhea, chest pain, shortness of breath, nausea, sudden severe weakness
and anorexia (loss of appetite). If not controlled, Mr. Kubby's symptoms
could evolve further to the point where a myocardial infarction (heart
attack) or cerebral vascular accident (stroke) could occur."
The ruling also acknowledged that "there is evidence before the Board, that
marihuana controls the symptoms of Mr. Kubby's cancer, including
hypertension. In Dr. Connors' opinion, marihuana continues to be the best
treatment available to Mr. Kubby."
However, the ruling went on to say that "it cannot therefore be stated with
any degree of certainty, that marihuana is the reason for Mr. Kubby's
survival even though it remains the best treatment option at this time."
Health Canada has even given Mr. Kubby permission to grow one hundred and
seventeen marijuana plants, based on "medical necessity."
The ruling further acknowledged, Kubby "has received a Health Canada
exemption, which suggests he is a bona fide ill person in need of medical
marihuana. It is noteworthy that Mr. Kubby was investigated and charged
with marihuana related criminal offences in Canada. Those Canadian charges
were later stayed by the Crown, and his marihuana grow equipment was
returned to him by the RCMP after the charges were stayed. This suggests
the Government of Canada believes he has a medical necessity for marihuana."
Despite all of this, the ruling somehow concluded, "he has not established
there is a risk to his life or a risk of cruel and unusual treatment or
punishment" if Kubby is forced to return to the US.
Kubby vowed, "Apparently, I have to die in order to convince the Refugee
board, but instead I intend to fight."
###
November 26, 2003
Probation Granted to 3 Who Grew, Sold Pot as a Medicine
Probation Granted to 3 Who Grew, Sold Pot as a Medicine
By Jean Guccione, Times Staff Writer
In a victory for advocates of medicinal marijuana, officers of a defunct West Hollywood cannabis club were sentenced Monday to one year of probation for growing and selling marijuana to hundreds of people with cancer, AIDS and other serious ailments.
In imposing the minimum allowable sentence, U.S. District Judge A. Howard Matz chastised the prosecution.
"To allocate the resources of the Drug Enforcement Agency and the U.S. attorney's office in this case … baffles me, disturbs me," the judge said.
...
The judge noted that 85% of the center's 960 members have AIDS or are HIV-positive; 10% have cancer; and the rest have various other medical conditions.
"It is difficult to imagine a case where a defendant has contributed to the distribution of a controlled substance for more humanitarian reasons than what occurred here," his defense attorney, Ronald O. Kaye, argued in court papers.
...
Under federal drug forfeiture laws, authorities seized $56,000 in the center's bank account and sold its building at 7494 Santa Monica Blvd. for $1.2 million.
The city of West Hollywood and Wells Fargo Bank, which financed the purchase, are trying to force the federal government to return a portion of the money.
Read It Rating: 6
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: .5
Learning Percentage: 35%
November 24, 2003
Man chokes to death hiding pot
Man chokes to death hiding pot
FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) -- A man changing a flat tire choked to death on a bag of marijuana he had stuffed down his throat in an apparent attempt to hide it from police who stopped to help him, authorities said.
Read It Rating: 4
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: -3
Learning Percentage: 75%
November 20, 2003
New Study Explains How Pot Kills Cancer Cells
This article by Steve kubby has some overlap with the previously posted article by Richard Cowan. Cowan's article is more extensive; Kubby's is more succinct.
New Study Explains How Pot Kills Cancer Cells
by Steve Kubby
A new study published in Nature Reviews-Cancer provides an historic and detailed explanation about how THC and natural cannabinoids counteract cancer, but preserve normal cells.
The study by Manuel Guzmán of Madrid Spain found that cannabinoids, the active components of marijuana, inhibit tumor growth in laboratory animals. They do so by modulating key cell-signalling pathways, thereby inducing direct growth arrest and death of tumor cells, as well as by inhibiting the growth of blood vessels that supply the tumor.
The Guzman study is very important according to Dr. Ethan Russo , a neurologist and world authority on medical cannabis: "Cancer occurs because cells become immortalized; they fail to heed normal signals to turn off growth. A normal function of remodelling in the body requires that cells die on cue. This is called apoptosis, or programmed cell death. That process fails to work in tumors. THC promotes its reappearance so that gliomas, leukemias, melanomas and other cell types will in fact heed the signals, stop dividing, and die."
"But, that is not all," explains Dr. Russo: "The other way that tumors grow is by ensuring that they are nourished: they send out signals to promote angiogenesis, the growth of new blood vessels. Cannabinoids turn off these signals as well. It is truly incredible, and elegant." ...
Read It Rating: 9.1
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: 1.1
Learning Percentage: 15%
If Cannabis Could Cure Cancer, They Would Tell Us, Right?
This is a somewhat clunky and jaded story, but it still makes for worthy reading, if for no other reason than the story which is embedded within it, entitled "POT SHRINKS TUMORS; GOVERNMENT KNEW IN '74". Also, this article by Richard Cowan (who has good cause to be jaded, as he has been fighting against the drug war for avery long time) is linked to a great many other articles and resources which offer a lot of background information.
If Cannabis Could Cure Cancer, They Would Tell Us, Right? No.
by Richard Cowan, MarijuanaNews.com
Read It Rating: 9
Left/Right Rating: L3
Freedom Rating: 1
Learning Percentage: 55%
Kubbys await refugee ruling
by Pete Brady (10 Nov, 2003)
Courageous couple grow medical marijuana on television
Medical marijuana advocates Michele and Steve Kubby are anticipating a ruling "any day now" on their historic bid to become Canada's first officially-sanctioned reefer refugees.
...
Earlier this year, Michele Kubby acted as her own lawyer in hearings before an immigration judge. The Kubbys are seeking official refugee status. They argue that Steve would die in America if he was sent back to face incarceration or other actions relating to his earlier conviction, because authorities will not guarantee him access to medpot. They also claim they would be victims of political persecution as individuals, and as part of a persecuted minority - pot smokers - who are targets of a "genocidal" US-government war. If the Kubbys win refugee status, it will be historic, because the ruling will in effect mean that the Canadian government has acknowledged that the US is a country that routinely violates the human rights of its citizens.
The refugee hearings were contentious and controversial, with government lawyers accused of lying by the Kubbys. Michele Kubby, who has no formal training as a lawyer, won plaudits from attorneys for her skillful attacks on the government's attempts to send her and her family back to the United States, and for her spirited defense of the Kubbys' right to stay in Canada.
...
Read It Rating: 7
Left/Right Rating: L3
Freedom Rating: .4
Learning Percentage: 20%
November 12, 2003
Campaigns No Longer Go Up In Smoke
Campaigns No Longer Go Up In Smoke
Past Marijuana Use Now More Acceptable
by Lisa Wangsness
Concord Monitor
Near the end of the Rock the Vote presidential candidates' forum in Boston this week, the moderator posed a question that once filled politicians with dread.
"Which of you are ready to admit to having used marijuana in the past?"
Though Howard Dean joked that the candidates would "keep our hands down on this one," only former ambassador Carol Moseley Braun declined to answer the question. Dean, Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry and North Carolina Sen. John Edwards said they had. The Rev. Al Sharpton said he had not.
Ohio Rep. Dennis Kucinich said he hadn't but added that he would decriminalize marijuana use.
Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman actually apologized - for not having smoked pot.
"I have a reputation for giving unpopular answers in Democratic debates," Lieberman joked. "I never used marijuana, sorry."
...
Read It Rating: 8
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: 1.5
Learning Percentage: 40%
November 09, 2003
Australia: Police To Conduct Random Roadside Drug Tests
Australia: Police To Conduct Random Roadside Drug Tests
In an Australian first, the Victorian government today moved to give police powers to conduct random roadside drug testing.
Under legislation now before state parliament, from July next year roadside drug screening will be used to detect drivers affected by cannabis and speed with a saliva test.
Read It Rating: 6
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: -2
Learning Percentage: 85%
October 16, 2003
LP: America owes Rush Limbaugh a debt of gratitude
LP Press Release:
America owes talk host Rush Limbaugh a debt of gratitude, Libertarians say
October 16, 2003
WASHINGTON, DC -- The entire nation owes radio broadcaster Rush Limbaugh a debt of gratitude, Libertarians say, because his ordeal has exposed every drug warrior in America as a rank hypocrite.
"One thing we don't hear from American politicians very often is silence," said Joe Seehusen, Libertarian Party executive director. "By refusing to criticize Rush Limbaugh, every drug warrior has just been exposed as a shameless, despicable hypocrite.
"And that's good news, because the next time they do speak up, there'll be no reason for anyone to listen."
The revelation that Limbaugh had become addicted to painkillers -- drugs he is accused of procuring illegally from his Palm Beach housekeeper -- has caused a media sensation ever since the megastar's shocking, on-air confession last week.
As the Limbaugh saga continues, here's an important question for Americans to ask, Libertarians say: Why are all the drug warriors suddenly so silent?
"Republican and Democratic politicians have written laws that have condemned more than 400,000 Americans to prison for committing the same 'crime' as Rush Limbaugh," Seehusen pointed out. "If this pill-popping pontificator deserves a get-out-of-jail-free card, these drug warriors had better explain why."
Given their longstanding support for the Drug War, it's fair to ask:
Why haven't President George Bush or his tough-on-crime attorney general, John Ashcroft, uttered a word criticizing Limbaugh's law-breaking?
Why aren't drug czar John P. Walters or his predecessor, Barry McCaffrey, lambasting Limbaugh as a menace to society and a threat to "our children?"
Why aren't federal DEA agents storming Limbaugh's $30 million Florida mansion in a frantic search for criminal evidence?
Why haven't federal, state, and local police agencies seized the celebrity's homes and luxury cars under asset-forfeiture laws?
Finally, why aren't bloviating blabbermouths like William Bennett publicly explaining how America would be better off if Limbaugh were prosecuted, locked in a steel cage and forced to abandon his wife, his friends, and his career?
The answer is obvious, Seehusen said: "America's drug warriors are shameless hypocrites who believe in one standard of justice for ordinary Americans and another for themselves, their families and their political allies.
"That alone should completely discredit them."
But there's an even more disturbing possibility, Seehusen said: that the people who are prosecuting the Drug War don't even believe in its central premise -- which is that public safety requires that drug users be jailed.
"The Bushes and Ashcrofts and McCaffreys of the world may believe, correctly, that individuals fighting a drug addiction deserve medical, not criminal treatment," he said. "That would explain why they're not demanding that Limbaugh be jailed.
"But if that's the case, these politicians have spent decades tearing apart American families for their own political gain. And that's an unforgivable crime."
October 07, 2003
Scientists admit: we were wrong about 'E'
Scientists admit: we were wrong about 'E'
Experts who gave a dramatic warning that ecstasy led to brain damage based their study on a huge blunder, reports health editor Jo Revill
Sunday September 7, 2003
The Observer
It was billed as the one of the most dramatic warnings the world has ever received over the dangers of ecstasy. A study from one of America's leading universities concluded that taking the drug for just one evening could leave clubbers with irreversible brain damage, and trigger the onset of Parkinson's disease.
The study, published in the eminent journal Science last September, had an immediate impact. Doctors and anti-drug crusaders spoke of a 'neurological time bomb' facing the young. Others suggested that taking one of the tablets was the equivalent of playing Russian roulette with the brain, and demanded tighter 'anti-rave' laws to deal with it.
But today, scientists are facing up to the humiliation of admitting that the stark results they reported in the study were not a breakthrough but a terrible, humiliating blunder.
The study was based on the fact that laboratory monkeys and baboons had a severe reaction to the drug when it was injected in small doses. But it emerged this weekend that the vials of liquid did not contain ecstasy....
Read It Rating: 9
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: 2
Learning Percentage: 80%
October 01, 2003
Tommy Chong gets 9 months for selling bongs and such on Web
COURTTV.COM - PEOPLE - Tommy Chong gets 9 months for selling drug wares on Web
Updated Sept. 11, 2003, 2:45 p.m. ET
Tommy Chong gets 9 months for selling drug wares on Web
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Tommy Chong, who played one half of the dope-smoking duo in the Cheech and Chong movies, was sentenced to nine months in federal prison and fined $20,000 Thursday for selling bongs and other drug paraphernalia over the Internet.
The 65-year-old was allowed to remain free until federal prison officials tell him in a few weeks where he must report to prison.
Full story...
Read It Rating: 8
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: -3.5
Learning Percentage: 30%
September 21, 2003
Marijuana laws struck down in British Columbia
Marijuana laws struck down in British Columbia
Westernmost province joins Ontario, PEI and Nova Scotia in ending prohibition
Years of protests bear fruit for freedom
On September 4, Provincial Court Judge P Chen made a landmark ruling regarding marijuana laws in British Columbia. In his decision, Judge Chen said parts of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA) are "invalid" and that "there is no offense known to law at this time for simple possession of marijuana" in the province.
Judge Chen's decision was based on a series of court cases in Ontario that led a judge there to strike down marijuana possession laws in January of this year. ...
Read It Rating: 7.5
Left/Right Rating: L3
Freedom Rating: 3
Learning Percentage: 80%
September 03, 2003
Former drug warriors turn against prohibition
Altered Minds
Former drug warriors turn against prohibition.
by Jacob Sullum
ReasonOnline
In the 1980s, not many people could plausibly claim stronger anti-drug credentials than Nancy Reagan. But Forest Tennant could.
"It's great for the Reagans to get up and say, 'Let's do something about the drug problem,' but I don't know who's going to do it," he told the Los Angeles Times in 1986. "Only true professional people like myself can do very much with the drug problem."
...
Tennant has published hundreds of scientific articles, testified in high-profile trials, and advised the NFL, NASCAR, the California Highway Patrol, the Food and Drug Administration, and the National Institute on Drug Abuse. The Times described him as "riding at the forefront of the current wave of anti-drug sentiment."
So when the folks at the Hoover Institution who produce the PBS show Uncommon Knowledge were looking for someone to debate drug policy with me, Tennant must have seemed like a natural choice. Imagine their surprise when he ended up agreeing that the war on drugs has been a disastrous mistake.
...
Tennant is by no means the only former drug warrior who has become a critic of current policy. Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP), founded last year, includes more than 400 current and former police officers, judges, federal agents, prosecutors, and parole, probation, and corrections officers. The group is headed by Jack Cole, a 26-year veteran of the New Jersey State Police who worked in narcotics enforcement for 14 years.
...
Read It Rating: 9.8
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: 4
Learning Percentage: 50%
Dutch Government begins distributing prescription cannabis
Cannabis as a prescription drug
The Dutch government has started distributing cannabis as a prescription painkiller to pharmacies to treat chronically ill patients. The Hague had already been turning a blind eye to medicinal cannabis use, but now it's become the world's first government to supply the drug itself, in accordance with United Nations rules on narcotics.
Cannabis sativa has been used therapeutically for many centuries. Known to the Chinese as a strong herbal remedy around 5,000 years ago, it was introduced into European medicine in Napoleonic times. Its pain relieving and sedative effects soon became accepted by Western medical practitioners, who prescribed it on a wide scale. Britain's Queen Victoria is said to have taken cannabis tincture for menstrual pains.
Read It Rating: 9.4
Left/Right Rating: L6
Freedom Rating: 2.5
Learning Percentage: 50%
August 18, 2003
Illegal drug makers targeting RV's
Thank you, oh mighty War on Drugs, for opening yet another perverse tear in our society's fabric.
There is one good thing about crystal meth: Of all the drugs in the New Prohibition, it's the one which is most obviously reminiscent of the first Prohibition. (Think moonshine.) Maybe something will snap, as people internally compare the images on the evening news with the contraption in "The Swamp" on M*A*S*H, and experience a cognitive dissonance -- preferably, a big collective one.
From the end of the article:
You can help as well by reporting suspected labs to state police.
Try, "You can help as well by demanding a swift and certain end to the foolish 'War on Drugs'."
Illegal drug makers targeting RV's
(Mattawan, August 12, 2003, 6:20 p.m. ) Camping is a favorite summer past time for Cindy Harnish and her family.
But while getting ready for a camp out earlier this summer, Cindy's father discovered a problem with his travel trailer.
"We got up north and the refrigerator, we tried to light it up but it wouldn't light. So he opened it up and it looked like it had been cut."
But what first appeared to be an act of vandalism may actually have been the latest chapter in the war against the drug known as crystal meth.
For years, makers of crystal meth have been stealing anhydrous ammonia from tanks on farm fields and farm co-ops.
...Now, it appears some manufacturers are turning to RV's.
Read It Rating: 7.5
Left/Right Rating: R2
Freedom Rating: -5
Learning Percentage: 50%
August 17, 2003
Police Chief Won't Work With Feds In Pot Busts
Police Chief Won't Work With Feds In Pot Busts
When it comes to legitimate use of medical marijuana, the San Diego Police Department won't be cooperating with the feds, according to a Jan. 28 memo from police chief William Lansdowne. In the memo, sent to Mayor Dick Murphy and the San Diego City Council, Lansdowne says his officers, if asked, will not participate in any federal investigation or drug bust where qualified medical marijuana patients and caregivers are the target.
Lansdowne formerly headed the police department in San Jose, where he pulled his officers from a joint federal-state drug task force after agents targeted members of a Northern California cannabis club. Lansdowne was named San Diego's new chief of police in August after former Chief David Bejarano was appointed U.S. Marshall for Southern California by President Bush.
...
Pub drinkers tested for drugs
BBC NEWS | England | Kent | Pub drinkers tested for drugs
Computerised drug tests have been carried out at a Kent pub as part of a police crackdown on drug use.
The pub landlord and the police have defended the measures even though there were no positive tests or arrests at the Bishops Oak in Tonbridge on Friday.
The tests involve a swab on the hand, after which hi-tech equipment can show whether a person has handled drugs.
Landlord Paul Sarnie said: "I just want to find out for myself what is going on in my establishment."
Prevalence of drugs
He said: "It is basically to highlight the growing awareness we have that drugs are more prevalent in the community than they have been in recent years."
Everyone in the pub on Friday night agreed to be tested and were all found to be clear.
Pc Tim Moody, of Kent Police, said: "Our general feedback that we get from members of the public is that they think it is a fantastic idea."
He said: "They do feel safer going out in these places because they know that the particular element that may use drugs are not going to be there."
January 23, 2004
January 20, 2004
Nevada County's Narcotics Task Force arrest Correctional Technician for Marijuana Garden
Nevada County's Narcotics Task Force arrest Correctional Technician for Marijuana Garden
January 14, 2004
Montel, M.S., and medical marijuana
At the end of the transcript, he talks about using medical marijuana.
Hannity & Colmes - Interview - Montel Williams' Battle With M.S.
January 03, 2004
Jesse Ventura's America: Should marijuana be legalized? (Transcript)
Jesse's awesome. He's a luttle nuts sometimes, but I think most awesome people are that way. And he kicks butt against the drug war in this episode of his show. He delivers any number of verbal smackdowns to Tom Riley, the director of public affairs for the Office of National Drug Control Policy.
January 01, 2004
Sullum on the tightening of the Commerce Clause loophole
Pot Luck
A victory for federalism
by Jacob Sullum, Reason
Excerpt:
This is the third case this year in which the 9th Circuit has tried to define the boundaries of the Commerce Clause. Each decision has been narrow: The first involved child pornography that never crossed state lines and was not intended for distribution; the second dealt with homemade machine guns that met the same criteria; and the most recent one is limited to "the intrastate, noncommercial cultivation and possession of cannabis for personal medical purposes as recommended by a patient's physician pursuant to valid California state law."
But taken together, these rulings help revive the idea that the Commerce Clause is not a blank check.
December 28, 2003
Teen Drug Surveys Contradict Each Other
Teen Drug Surveys Contradict Each Other
Excerpt:
While Monitoring the Future, conducted by University of Michigan researchers and funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, indicates a decrease in teen use of marijuana and other drugs, the privately-funded PRIDE Survey showed a sharp rise in drug use: Monthly use of marijuana by junior-high students rose 51 percent from 2002 to 2003, and monthly use of heroin rose 60 percent. Despite the differences, both surveys confirm that ONDCP has failed by a large margin to meet goals set for it by Congress. Full PRIDE Survey results are available at http://www.pridesurveys.com.
NIDA Survey: Drug Use by U.S. Teens Declining
FOXNews.com - Top Stories - Drug Use by U.S. Teens Declining
December 24, 2003
December 21, 2003
Cannabis campaigner may be forced to go
Cannabis campaigner may be forced to go
Pot activist Steve Kubby - who says he depends on marijuana to ward off a rare form of cancer - is now fighting to stay in Canada.
Kubby, 56, is under a departure order from Citizenship and Immigration Canada that would force him, wife Michele, and two daughters, out of the country as early as Jan. 15.
...
December 15, 2003
December 13, 2003
CANADA DENIES REFUGEE STATUS TO US MEDICAL MARIJUANA EXILE
Drug War Chronicle
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/315/stevekubby.shtml
CANADA DENIES REFUGEE STATUS TO US MEDICAL MARIJUANA EXILE
Prominent American medical marijuana activist Steve Kubby
(http://www.kubby.com), who fled the US saying an impending jail sentence
would cause his death, has been denied refugee status by the Canadian
Immigration and Refugee Board. An adrenal cancer patient, Kubby has smoked a
dozen joints a day for year, which he says keeps him alive, and would have
been denied that medication while serving a misdemeanor sentence in
California. But Kubby did not have a well-founded fear of being persecuted
or tortured, nor was there any risk to his life if he returned to his home
state of California, the board ruled Monday.
He has said he will appeal, but the clock is ticking for Kubby and his
family, whose requests for refugee status were also denied. Under Canadian
law, he has 15 days to apply to the Supreme Court for a review of the
decision, and if the court chooses not to review his case, he and his family
would have to leave the country within 30 days. One option would be to apply
for a "pre-removal risk assessment," which would force immigration officials
to once again investigate whether he would face "cruel or unusual punishment
or risk to life" if returned to the US.
Steve Kubby Kubby, the 1998 Libertarian Party nominee for governor of
California, fled to Canada with his family in 2001 after being found guilty
of possession of a small amount of psychedelic mushrooms and peyote in his
home state. That conviction arose from a medical marijuana raid on Kubby's
home. The state could not convict on the marijuana charges -- California law
allows for its medical use -- but did manage to nail Kubby for the 'shrooms.
He was prepared to serve a 120-day sentence provided he could have access to
medical marijuana. But local authorities in California refused to allow him
to have his medicine in jail, so Kubby ran for his life to what he hoped
would be a friendlier clime.
He and his family entered Canada on tourist visas, but were detained by
Canadian immigration authorities after newspaper stories featured their
cause and described them cultivating a medical marijuana garden at their
home in Sechelt, British Columbia, a short ferry ride up BC's Sunshine Coast
from Vancouver. At that point, Kubby, his wife Michelle, and their two
daughters applied for asylum as refugees fleeing persecution by American
drug warriors. Since then, they have remained in Canada, where they produce
a program on Pot-TV (http://www.pot-tv.net), a web-based marijuana reform
broadcaster funded by marijuana seed magnate Marc Emery. They also received
a permit from Health Canada to cultivate marijuana for Kubby's medicinal use
are currently growing 117 plants, Kubby told the Toronto Globe & Mail.
In addition to the fear of persecution because of his well-known advocacy of
medical marijuana, Kubby argued that medical marijuana users were not
protected in California, and that he would die if deprived of his medicine.
The Immigration and Refugee Board, however, ruled that Kubby was not and
would not be persecuted, that California law in fact protects medical
marijuana users, and that he would not suffer serious health effects if
incarcerated without access to medical marijuana.
In an opinion written by board member Paulah Dauns, the board noted that
Kubby had not been convicted on medical marijuana charges, but on other drug
charges, and that California law protected him. "In effect, the process
worked, as it was designed to," she wrote. "He argues that a medical
marijuana patient should be protected from persecution. What he has
demonstrated is that in fact, they are." Dauns also wrote that while there
was little doubt marijuana relieved Kubby's cancer symptoms, there was no
evidence that depriving him of cannabis while incarcerated on the California
'shroom charge would kill him, despite testimony from Dr. Joseph Connors of
the British Columbia Cancer Agency, who told the court during an April
hearing that Kubby would die within four days if denied access to marijuana
for his condition. Kubby was not a refugee, wrote Dauns, but a "fugitive
from justice."
And while Kubby argued that his use of marijuana was akin to a diabetic's
use of insulin, Dauns was having none of that, either. "Insulin has been
approved by the medical community as a treatment, whereas marijuana has
not," she said. "The research on the benefits of marijuana is woefully
inadequate and inconclusive, making a comparison of these two treatments
illogical," she wrote.
The Kubby case is the first of a handful of similar "reefer refugee" cases
to be decided in Canada. Two Northern California men, Kenneth Hayes and
Steve Tuck, who fled federal marijuana charges related to California medical
marijuana grows, have cases pending before the author of Monday's decision,
board member Dauns. Some advocates had hoped Kubby, with his strong health
argument, had the strongest of any of the pending cases.
Canadian Kubby supporters denounced the decision. "This is yet another
example of the harms of cannabis prohibition," said Philippe Lucas, director
of Canadians for Safe Access (http://www.safeaccess.ca), a medical marijuana
defense organization based on its southern sister, Americans for Safe Access
(http://www.safeaccessnow.org). "The Kubbys are kind contributors to the
social well-being of Canadians -- under any other circumstances, Canada
would welcome this reverse brain-drain. It is only through the perversion of
justice caused by prohibition that a loving family like the Kubbys could be
condemned to an uncertain future at the hands of American prosecutors."
But it wasn't only abstract prohibition that had Lucas and other Canadian
activists irked, it was the harsh slap in the face from a traditionally
refugee-friendly country. "Are we as a nation really so quick to take a
chance on Steve Kubby's health?" asked Lucas. "Shouldn't a modern liberal
democracy like Canada err on the side of social justice when a man's life is
on the line? If Steve Kubby should suffer the same fate as Peter McWilliams
-- who died choking on his own vomit while being denied his medicinal
cannabis after his arrest -- the hands of those who denied his refugee claim
will be forever stained in his blood."
"Today, I'm ashamed of being a Canadian," concurred Tim Meehan, national
director of the anti-prohibition wing of the New Democratic Party
(http://www.ndpot.ca). "Here at home, our government constantly reminds us
of how important the refugee protection system is. Canada's reputation is
built on it. However, when they subject people like Steve Kubby and his
family to institutional prejudice because of their choice of medical
treatment, and are more concerned about angering a trading partner than
saving a human life, that demonstrates our government's priorities are very
seriously out of alignment. I hope Canadians remember that in the upcoming
federal election," Meehan added.
Visit http://www.mapinc.org/alert/0282.html for a letter-writing alert to
help Steve Kubby.
Read a summary of the decision at:
http://www.irb.gc.ca/en/decisions/kubby/va2_01374_e.htm#summary
Read the decision in full at:
http://www.irb.gc.ca/en/decisions/kubby/va2_01374_e.htm
Or to get right to the paragraphs where Dauns lays out her reasoning, go to:
http://www.irb.gc.ca/en/decisions/kubby/va2_01374_e.htm#determination
American Medical Marijuana Refugee Ordered To Return To United States
NORML's Weekly News Bulletin -- December 11, 2003
http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=5856
American Medical Marijuana Refugee Ordered To Return To United States
Immigration Board Recognizes Pot To Be "Best Treatment Available," But
Rejects Patient's Asylum Request
December 11, 2003 - Vancouver, BC, Canada
Vancouver, British Columbia: The Canadian Immigration and Refugee Board this
week denied refugee status to American Steve Kubby and his family, and
ordered their return to California where Kubby is expected to be sentenced
to four months in jail for drug-related charges. Kubby has said he will
appeal the ruling.
He and his wife Michelle and two children will be allowed to remain in the
country while awaiting their appeal.
Kubby fled to Canada in 2001 rather than serve time in jail, where he would
be denied access to medicinal marijuana, which he requires to treat symptoms
of a rare, life-threatening form of adrenal cancer known as
pheochromocytoma. Kubby was diagnosed in 1968 with the disease - which he's
managed since the early 1980s exclusively by smoking cannabis - and given
six months to live. (Life expectancy of a person with pheochromocytoma is
typically three to five years.) Today Kubby is recognized as one of the
longest living survivors of the disease.
Though the Board recognized that "marijuana continues to be the best
treatment available to Mr. Kubby," and that he could potentially suffer a
heart attack or stroke without cannabis, it nevertheless ruled, "The
claimant is not a person in need of protection in that his removal to the
United States would not subject him personally to a risk to his life."
The Board based this decision, in part, on the premise that Kubby would
likely have access to medicinal marijuana while in jail. However, California
law does not compel the state to allow inmates access to medical cannabis,
stating: "Nothing in this article shall require any accommodation of any
medical use of marijuana ... on the property or premises of any jail,
correctional facility, or other type of penal institution in which prisoners
reside or persons under arrest are detained."
While living in Canada, Kubby had been one of fewer than 600 individuals to
receive a federal exemption from Health Canada to legally cultivate and use
pot for medical purposes.
NORML Foundation Executive Director Allen St. Pierre called the Refugee
Board's decision unfortunate and puzzling considering the government's prior
acknowledgement of Kubby's medical need to use cannabis. "This decision
makes little sense in light of the fact that the Canadian government has
already approved Steve Kubby's medical use of marijuana by granting him a
special exemption from prosecution," he said.
"Why they couldn't extend that same thinking to his asylum request seeking
protection for his health from America's policy of strict marijuana law
enforcement is puzzling. This decision does not bode well for the other
Americans who have sought refuge status in Canada for their
physician-sanctioned use of medical marijuana."
Since 1989, the Immigration and Refugee Board has heard nearly 1,000 refugee
cases from the United States, including 268 pending cases. So far, none of
those individuals have been granted asylum.
For more information, please contact Allen St. Pierre of The NORML
Foundation at (202) 483-8751. Full text of the Immigration and Refugee
Board's ruling is available online at:
http://www.irb.gc.ca/en/decisions/kubby/va2_01374_e.htm
(In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.)
Woman Uses Greeting Card to Smuggle Meth
FOXNews.com - Top Stories - Woman Uses Greeting Card to Smuggle Meth
December 12, 2003
December 11, 2003
Pot doc's license revocation upheld
Dec. 10, 2003 -- Pot doc's license revocation upheld
By HANK LAWSON Staff writer
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed Monday the federal government's revocation of Dr. Marion "Molly" Fry's license to prescribe medication including marijuana.
December 08, 2003
KUBBY VOWS APPEAL OF RULING DENYING REFUGEE STATUS IN CANADA
For Immediate Release
December 8, 2003
Press Conference:
Tuesday, Dec. 9th, noon, BC Marijuana Party Headquarters, 307 West Hastings,
Vancouver
Decision Online:
http://www.irb.gc.ca/en/decisions/kubby/va2_01374_e.htm
KUBBY VOWS APPEAL OF RULING DENYING REFUGEE STATUS IN CANADA
VANCOUVER -- Steve Kubby, medical marijuana patient and former Libertarian
Party candidate for governor of California, vowed to appeal a ruling by the
Refugee Protection Division today that denied him refugee status in Canada
based on his need for medical marijuana.
Kubby complained, "I cannot understand how the Refugee panel could conclude
that my life would not be at risk if I were forced to return to the US,
after the leading cancer specialist in British Columbia testified that I
would die without it."
British Columbia cancer specialist Dr. Joseph Michael Connors, an expert in
the area of adrenal cancers, called by the Immigration Ministry, examined
Kubby and testified at the hearing about his medical condition.
The ruling recognizes that, according to Dr. Connors, "Mr. Kubby's tumour
releases, in excess quantities, hormones normally found in the adrenal
gland. Excessive levels of these hormones in Mr. Kubby's blood cause a
range of separate symptomatic problems including paroxysmal headaches,
palpitations (rapid and irregular beating of the heart), hypertension
(sudden dangerous rise in blood pressure), sudden abdominal cramps and
diarrhea, chest pain, shortness of breath, nausea, sudden severe weakness
and anorexia (loss of appetite). If not controlled, Mr. Kubby's symptoms
could evolve further to the point where a myocardial infarction (heart
attack) or cerebral vascular accident (stroke) could occur."
The ruling also acknowledged that "there is evidence before the Board, that
marihuana controls the symptoms of Mr. Kubby's cancer, including
hypertension. In Dr. Connors' opinion, marihuana continues to be the best
treatment available to Mr. Kubby."
However, the ruling went on to say that "it cannot therefore be stated with
any degree of certainty, that marihuana is the reason for Mr. Kubby's
survival even though it remains the best treatment option at this time."
Health Canada has even given Mr. Kubby permission to grow one hundred and
seventeen marijuana plants, based on "medical necessity."
The ruling further acknowledged, Kubby "has received a Health Canada
exemption, which suggests he is a bona fide ill person in need of medical
marihuana. It is noteworthy that Mr. Kubby was investigated and charged
with marihuana related criminal offences in Canada. Those Canadian charges
were later stayed by the Crown, and his marihuana grow equipment was
returned to him by the RCMP after the charges were stayed. This suggests
the Government of Canada believes he has a medical necessity for marihuana."
Despite all of this, the ruling somehow concluded, "he has not established
there is a risk to his life or a risk of cruel and unusual treatment or
punishment" if Kubby is forced to return to the US.
Kubby vowed, "Apparently, I have to die in order to convince the Refugee
board, but instead I intend to fight."
###
November 26, 2003
Probation Granted to 3 Who Grew, Sold Pot as a Medicine
Probation Granted to 3 Who Grew, Sold Pot as a Medicine
By Jean Guccione, Times Staff Writer
In a victory for advocates of medicinal marijuana, officers of a defunct West Hollywood cannabis club were sentenced Monday to one year of probation for growing and selling marijuana to hundreds of people with cancer, AIDS and other serious ailments.
In imposing the minimum allowable sentence, U.S. District Judge A. Howard Matz chastised the prosecution.
"To allocate the resources of the Drug Enforcement Agency and the U.S. attorney's office in this case … baffles me, disturbs me," the judge said.
...
The judge noted that 85% of the center's 960 members have AIDS or are HIV-positive; 10% have cancer; and the rest have various other medical conditions.
"It is difficult to imagine a case where a defendant has contributed to the distribution of a controlled substance for more humanitarian reasons than what occurred here," his defense attorney, Ronald O. Kaye, argued in court papers.
...
Under federal drug forfeiture laws, authorities seized $56,000 in the center's bank account and sold its building at 7494 Santa Monica Blvd. for $1.2 million.
The city of West Hollywood and Wells Fargo Bank, which financed the purchase, are trying to force the federal government to return a portion of the money.
Read It Rating: 6
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: .5
Learning Percentage: 35%
November 24, 2003
Man chokes to death hiding pot
Man chokes to death hiding pot
FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) -- A man changing a flat tire choked to death on a bag of marijuana he had stuffed down his throat in an apparent attempt to hide it from police who stopped to help him, authorities said.
Read It Rating: 4
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: -3
Learning Percentage: 75%
November 20, 2003
New Study Explains How Pot Kills Cancer Cells
This article by Steve kubby has some overlap with the previously posted article by Richard Cowan. Cowan's article is more extensive; Kubby's is more succinct.
New Study Explains How Pot Kills Cancer Cells
by Steve Kubby
A new study published in Nature Reviews-Cancer provides an historic and detailed explanation about how THC and natural cannabinoids counteract cancer, but preserve normal cells.
The study by Manuel Guzmán of Madrid Spain found that cannabinoids, the active components of marijuana, inhibit tumor growth in laboratory animals. They do so by modulating key cell-signalling pathways, thereby inducing direct growth arrest and death of tumor cells, as well as by inhibiting the growth of blood vessels that supply the tumor.
The Guzman study is very important according to Dr. Ethan Russo , a neurologist and world authority on medical cannabis: "Cancer occurs because cells become immortalized; they fail to heed normal signals to turn off growth. A normal function of remodelling in the body requires that cells die on cue. This is called apoptosis, or programmed cell death. That process fails to work in tumors. THC promotes its reappearance so that gliomas, leukemias, melanomas and other cell types will in fact heed the signals, stop dividing, and die."
"But, that is not all," explains Dr. Russo: "The other way that tumors grow is by ensuring that they are nourished: they send out signals to promote angiogenesis, the growth of new blood vessels. Cannabinoids turn off these signals as well. It is truly incredible, and elegant." ...
Read It Rating: 9.1
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: 1.1
Learning Percentage: 15%
If Cannabis Could Cure Cancer, They Would Tell Us, Right?
This is a somewhat clunky and jaded story, but it still makes for worthy reading, if for no other reason than the story which is embedded within it, entitled "POT SHRINKS TUMORS; GOVERNMENT KNEW IN '74". Also, this article by Richard Cowan (who has good cause to be jaded, as he has been fighting against the drug war for avery long time) is linked to a great many other articles and resources which offer a lot of background information.
If Cannabis Could Cure Cancer, They Would Tell Us, Right? No.
by Richard Cowan, MarijuanaNews.com
Read It Rating: 9
Left/Right Rating: L3
Freedom Rating: 1
Learning Percentage: 55%
Kubbys await refugee ruling
by Pete Brady (10 Nov, 2003)
Courageous couple grow medical marijuana on television
Medical marijuana advocates Michele and Steve Kubby are anticipating a ruling "any day now" on their historic bid to become Canada's first officially-sanctioned reefer refugees.
...
Earlier this year, Michele Kubby acted as her own lawyer in hearings before an immigration judge. The Kubbys are seeking official refugee status. They argue that Steve would die in America if he was sent back to face incarceration or other actions relating to his earlier conviction, because authorities will not guarantee him access to medpot. They also claim they would be victims of political persecution as individuals, and as part of a persecuted minority - pot smokers - who are targets of a "genocidal" US-government war. If the Kubbys win refugee status, it will be historic, because the ruling will in effect mean that the Canadian government has acknowledged that the US is a country that routinely violates the human rights of its citizens.
The refugee hearings were contentious and controversial, with government lawyers accused of lying by the Kubbys. Michele Kubby, who has no formal training as a lawyer, won plaudits from attorneys for her skillful attacks on the government's attempts to send her and her family back to the United States, and for her spirited defense of the Kubbys' right to stay in Canada.
...
Read It Rating: 7
Left/Right Rating: L3
Freedom Rating: .4
Learning Percentage: 20%
November 12, 2003
Campaigns No Longer Go Up In Smoke
Campaigns No Longer Go Up In Smoke
Past Marijuana Use Now More Acceptable
by Lisa Wangsness
Concord Monitor
Near the end of the Rock the Vote presidential candidates' forum in Boston this week, the moderator posed a question that once filled politicians with dread.
"Which of you are ready to admit to having used marijuana in the past?"
Though Howard Dean joked that the candidates would "keep our hands down on this one," only former ambassador Carol Moseley Braun declined to answer the question. Dean, Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry and North Carolina Sen. John Edwards said they had. The Rev. Al Sharpton said he had not.
Ohio Rep. Dennis Kucinich said he hadn't but added that he would decriminalize marijuana use.
Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman actually apologized - for not having smoked pot.
"I have a reputation for giving unpopular answers in Democratic debates," Lieberman joked. "I never used marijuana, sorry."
...
Read It Rating: 8
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: 1.5
Learning Percentage: 40%
November 09, 2003
Australia: Police To Conduct Random Roadside Drug Tests
Australia: Police To Conduct Random Roadside Drug Tests
In an Australian first, the Victorian government today moved to give police powers to conduct random roadside drug testing.
Under legislation now before state parliament, from July next year roadside drug screening will be used to detect drivers affected by cannabis and speed with a saliva test.
Read It Rating: 6
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: -2
Learning Percentage: 85%
October 16, 2003
LP: America owes Rush Limbaugh a debt of gratitude
LP Press Release:
America owes talk host Rush Limbaugh a debt of gratitude, Libertarians say
October 16, 2003
WASHINGTON, DC -- The entire nation owes radio broadcaster Rush Limbaugh a debt of gratitude, Libertarians say, because his ordeal has exposed every drug warrior in America as a rank hypocrite.
"One thing we don't hear from American politicians very often is silence," said Joe Seehusen, Libertarian Party executive director. "By refusing to criticize Rush Limbaugh, every drug warrior has just been exposed as a shameless, despicable hypocrite.
"And that's good news, because the next time they do speak up, there'll be no reason for anyone to listen."
The revelation that Limbaugh had become addicted to painkillers -- drugs he is accused of procuring illegally from his Palm Beach housekeeper -- has caused a media sensation ever since the megastar's shocking, on-air confession last week.
As the Limbaugh saga continues, here's an important question for Americans to ask, Libertarians say: Why are all the drug warriors suddenly so silent?
"Republican and Democratic politicians have written laws that have condemned more than 400,000 Americans to prison for committing the same 'crime' as Rush Limbaugh," Seehusen pointed out. "If this pill-popping pontificator deserves a get-out-of-jail-free card, these drug warriors had better explain why."
Given their longstanding support for the Drug War, it's fair to ask:
Why haven't President George Bush or his tough-on-crime attorney general, John Ashcroft, uttered a word criticizing Limbaugh's law-breaking?
Why aren't drug czar John P. Walters or his predecessor, Barry McCaffrey, lambasting Limbaugh as a menace to society and a threat to "our children?"
Why aren't federal DEA agents storming Limbaugh's $30 million Florida mansion in a frantic search for criminal evidence?
Why haven't federal, state, and local police agencies seized the celebrity's homes and luxury cars under asset-forfeiture laws?
Finally, why aren't bloviating blabbermouths like William Bennett publicly explaining how America would be better off if Limbaugh were prosecuted, locked in a steel cage and forced to abandon his wife, his friends, and his career?
The answer is obvious, Seehusen said: "America's drug warriors are shameless hypocrites who believe in one standard of justice for ordinary Americans and another for themselves, their families and their political allies.
"That alone should completely discredit them."
But there's an even more disturbing possibility, Seehusen said: that the people who are prosecuting the Drug War don't even believe in its central premise -- which is that public safety requires that drug users be jailed.
"The Bushes and Ashcrofts and McCaffreys of the world may believe, correctly, that individuals fighting a drug addiction deserve medical, not criminal treatment," he said. "That would explain why they're not demanding that Limbaugh be jailed.
"But if that's the case, these politicians have spent decades tearing apart American families for their own political gain. And that's an unforgivable crime."
October 07, 2003
Scientists admit: we were wrong about 'E'
Scientists admit: we were wrong about 'E'
Experts who gave a dramatic warning that ecstasy led to brain damage based their study on a huge blunder, reports health editor Jo Revill
Sunday September 7, 2003
The Observer
It was billed as the one of the most dramatic warnings the world has ever received over the dangers of ecstasy. A study from one of America's leading universities concluded that taking the drug for just one evening could leave clubbers with irreversible brain damage, and trigger the onset of Parkinson's disease.
The study, published in the eminent journal Science last September, had an immediate impact. Doctors and anti-drug crusaders spoke of a 'neurological time bomb' facing the young. Others suggested that taking one of the tablets was the equivalent of playing Russian roulette with the brain, and demanded tighter 'anti-rave' laws to deal with it.
But today, scientists are facing up to the humiliation of admitting that the stark results they reported in the study were not a breakthrough but a terrible, humiliating blunder.
The study was based on the fact that laboratory monkeys and baboons had a severe reaction to the drug when it was injected in small doses. But it emerged this weekend that the vials of liquid did not contain ecstasy....
Read It Rating: 9
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: 2
Learning Percentage: 80%
October 01, 2003
Tommy Chong gets 9 months for selling bongs and such on Web
COURTTV.COM - PEOPLE - Tommy Chong gets 9 months for selling drug wares on Web
Updated Sept. 11, 2003, 2:45 p.m. ET
Tommy Chong gets 9 months for selling drug wares on Web
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Tommy Chong, who played one half of the dope-smoking duo in the Cheech and Chong movies, was sentenced to nine months in federal prison and fined $20,000 Thursday for selling bongs and other drug paraphernalia over the Internet.
The 65-year-old was allowed to remain free until federal prison officials tell him in a few weeks where he must report to prison.
Full story...
Read It Rating: 8
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: -3.5
Learning Percentage: 30%
September 21, 2003
Marijuana laws struck down in British Columbia
Marijuana laws struck down in British Columbia
Westernmost province joins Ontario, PEI and Nova Scotia in ending prohibition
Years of protests bear fruit for freedom
On September 4, Provincial Court Judge P Chen made a landmark ruling regarding marijuana laws in British Columbia. In his decision, Judge Chen said parts of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA) are "invalid" and that "there is no offense known to law at this time for simple possession of marijuana" in the province.
Judge Chen's decision was based on a series of court cases in Ontario that led a judge there to strike down marijuana possession laws in January of this year. ...
Read It Rating: 7.5
Left/Right Rating: L3
Freedom Rating: 3
Learning Percentage: 80%
September 03, 2003
Former drug warriors turn against prohibition
Altered Minds
Former drug warriors turn against prohibition.
by Jacob Sullum
ReasonOnline
In the 1980s, not many people could plausibly claim stronger anti-drug credentials than Nancy Reagan. But Forest Tennant could.
"It's great for the Reagans to get up and say, 'Let's do something about the drug problem,' but I don't know who's going to do it," he told the Los Angeles Times in 1986. "Only true professional people like myself can do very much with the drug problem."
...
Tennant has published hundreds of scientific articles, testified in high-profile trials, and advised the NFL, NASCAR, the California Highway Patrol, the Food and Drug Administration, and the National Institute on Drug Abuse. The Times described him as "riding at the forefront of the current wave of anti-drug sentiment."
So when the folks at the Hoover Institution who produce the PBS show Uncommon Knowledge were looking for someone to debate drug policy with me, Tennant must have seemed like a natural choice. Imagine their surprise when he ended up agreeing that the war on drugs has been a disastrous mistake.
...
Tennant is by no means the only former drug warrior who has become a critic of current policy. Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP), founded last year, includes more than 400 current and former police officers, judges, federal agents, prosecutors, and parole, probation, and corrections officers. The group is headed by Jack Cole, a 26-year veteran of the New Jersey State Police who worked in narcotics enforcement for 14 years.
...
Read It Rating: 9.8
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: 4
Learning Percentage: 50%
Dutch Government begins distributing prescription cannabis
Cannabis as a prescription drug
The Dutch government has started distributing cannabis as a prescription painkiller to pharmacies to treat chronically ill patients. The Hague had already been turning a blind eye to medicinal cannabis use, but now it's become the world's first government to supply the drug itself, in accordance with United Nations rules on narcotics.
Cannabis sativa has been used therapeutically for many centuries. Known to the Chinese as a strong herbal remedy around 5,000 years ago, it was introduced into European medicine in Napoleonic times. Its pain relieving and sedative effects soon became accepted by Western medical practitioners, who prescribed it on a wide scale. Britain's Queen Victoria is said to have taken cannabis tincture for menstrual pains.
Read It Rating: 9.4
Left/Right Rating: L6
Freedom Rating: 2.5
Learning Percentage: 50%
August 18, 2003
Illegal drug makers targeting RV's
Thank you, oh mighty War on Drugs, for opening yet another perverse tear in our society's fabric.
There is one good thing about crystal meth: Of all the drugs in the New Prohibition, it's the one which is most obviously reminiscent of the first Prohibition. (Think moonshine.) Maybe something will snap, as people internally compare the images on the evening news with the contraption in "The Swamp" on M*A*S*H, and experience a cognitive dissonance -- preferably, a big collective one.
From the end of the article:
You can help as well by reporting suspected labs to state police.
Try, "You can help as well by demanding a swift and certain end to the foolish 'War on Drugs'."
Illegal drug makers targeting RV's
(Mattawan, August 12, 2003, 6:20 p.m. ) Camping is a favorite summer past time for Cindy Harnish and her family.
But while getting ready for a camp out earlier this summer, Cindy's father discovered a problem with his travel trailer.
"We got up north and the refrigerator, we tried to light it up but it wouldn't light. So he opened it up and it looked like it had been cut."
But what first appeared to be an act of vandalism may actually have been the latest chapter in the war against the drug known as crystal meth.
For years, makers of crystal meth have been stealing anhydrous ammonia from tanks on farm fields and farm co-ops.
...Now, it appears some manufacturers are turning to RV's.
Read It Rating: 7.5
Left/Right Rating: R2
Freedom Rating: -5
Learning Percentage: 50%
August 17, 2003
Nevada County's Narcotics Task Force arrest Correctional Technician for Marijuana Garden
Nevada County's Narcotics Task Force arrest Correctional Technician for Marijuana Garden
January 14, 2004
Montel, M.S., and medical marijuana
At the end of the transcript, he talks about using medical marijuana.
Hannity & Colmes - Interview - Montel Williams' Battle With M.S.
January 03, 2004
Jesse Ventura's America: Should marijuana be legalized? (Transcript)
Jesse's awesome. He's a luttle nuts sometimes, but I think most awesome people are that way. And he kicks butt against the drug war in this episode of his show. He delivers any number of verbal smackdowns to Tom Riley, the director of public affairs for the Office of National Drug Control Policy.
January 01, 2004
Sullum on the tightening of the Commerce Clause loophole
Pot Luck
A victory for federalism
by Jacob Sullum, Reason
Excerpt:
This is the third case this year in which the 9th Circuit has tried to define the boundaries of the Commerce Clause. Each decision has been narrow: The first involved child pornography that never crossed state lines and was not intended for distribution; the second dealt with homemade machine guns that met the same criteria; and the most recent one is limited to "the intrastate, noncommercial cultivation and possession of cannabis for personal medical purposes as recommended by a patient's physician pursuant to valid California state law."
But taken together, these rulings help revive the idea that the Commerce Clause is not a blank check.
December 28, 2003
Teen Drug Surveys Contradict Each Other
Teen Drug Surveys Contradict Each Other
Excerpt:
While Monitoring the Future, conducted by University of Michigan researchers and funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, indicates a decrease in teen use of marijuana and other drugs, the privately-funded PRIDE Survey showed a sharp rise in drug use: Monthly use of marijuana by junior-high students rose 51 percent from 2002 to 2003, and monthly use of heroin rose 60 percent. Despite the differences, both surveys confirm that ONDCP has failed by a large margin to meet goals set for it by Congress. Full PRIDE Survey results are available at http://www.pridesurveys.com.
NIDA Survey: Drug Use by U.S. Teens Declining
FOXNews.com - Top Stories - Drug Use by U.S. Teens Declining
December 24, 2003
December 21, 2003
Cannabis campaigner may be forced to go
Cannabis campaigner may be forced to go
Pot activist Steve Kubby - who says he depends on marijuana to ward off a rare form of cancer - is now fighting to stay in Canada.
Kubby, 56, is under a departure order from Citizenship and Immigration Canada that would force him, wife Michele, and two daughters, out of the country as early as Jan. 15.
...
December 15, 2003
December 13, 2003
CANADA DENIES REFUGEE STATUS TO US MEDICAL MARIJUANA EXILE
Drug War Chronicle
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/315/stevekubby.shtml
CANADA DENIES REFUGEE STATUS TO US MEDICAL MARIJUANA EXILE
Prominent American medical marijuana activist Steve Kubby
(http://www.kubby.com), who fled the US saying an impending jail sentence
would cause his death, has been denied refugee status by the Canadian
Immigration and Refugee Board. An adrenal cancer patient, Kubby has smoked a
dozen joints a day for year, which he says keeps him alive, and would have
been denied that medication while serving a misdemeanor sentence in
California. But Kubby did not have a well-founded fear of being persecuted
or tortured, nor was there any risk to his life if he returned to his home
state of California, the board ruled Monday.
He has said he will appeal, but the clock is ticking for Kubby and his
family, whose requests for refugee status were also denied. Under Canadian
law, he has 15 days to apply to the Supreme Court for a review of the
decision, and if the court chooses not to review his case, he and his family
would have to leave the country within 30 days. One option would be to apply
for a "pre-removal risk assessment," which would force immigration officials
to once again investigate whether he would face "cruel or unusual punishment
or risk to life" if returned to the US.
Steve Kubby Kubby, the 1998 Libertarian Party nominee for governor of
California, fled to Canada with his family in 2001 after being found guilty
of possession of a small amount of psychedelic mushrooms and peyote in his
home state. That conviction arose from a medical marijuana raid on Kubby's
home. The state could not convict on the marijuana charges -- California law
allows for its medical use -- but did manage to nail Kubby for the 'shrooms.
He was prepared to serve a 120-day sentence provided he could have access to
medical marijuana. But local authorities in California refused to allow him
to have his medicine in jail, so Kubby ran for his life to what he hoped
would be a friendlier clime.
He and his family entered Canada on tourist visas, but were detained by
Canadian immigration authorities after newspaper stories featured their
cause and described them cultivating a medical marijuana garden at their
home in Sechelt, British Columbia, a short ferry ride up BC's Sunshine Coast
from Vancouver. At that point, Kubby, his wife Michelle, and their two
daughters applied for asylum as refugees fleeing persecution by American
drug warriors. Since then, they have remained in Canada, where they produce
a program on Pot-TV (http://www.pot-tv.net), a web-based marijuana reform
broadcaster funded by marijuana seed magnate Marc Emery. They also received
a permit from Health Canada to cultivate marijuana for Kubby's medicinal use
are currently growing 117 plants, Kubby told the Toronto Globe & Mail.
In addition to the fear of persecution because of his well-known advocacy of
medical marijuana, Kubby argued that medical marijuana users were not
protected in California, and that he would die if deprived of his medicine.
The Immigration and Refugee Board, however, ruled that Kubby was not and
would not be persecuted, that California law in fact protects medical
marijuana users, and that he would not suffer serious health effects if
incarcerated without access to medical marijuana.
In an opinion written by board member Paulah Dauns, the board noted that
Kubby had not been convicted on medical marijuana charges, but on other drug
charges, and that California law protected him. "In effect, the process
worked, as it was designed to," she wrote. "He argues that a medical
marijuana patient should be protected from persecution. What he has
demonstrated is that in fact, they are." Dauns also wrote that while there
was little doubt marijuana relieved Kubby's cancer symptoms, there was no
evidence that depriving him of cannabis while incarcerated on the California
'shroom charge would kill him, despite testimony from Dr. Joseph Connors of
the British Columbia Cancer Agency, who told the court during an April
hearing that Kubby would die within four days if denied access to marijuana
for his condition. Kubby was not a refugee, wrote Dauns, but a "fugitive
from justice."
And while Kubby argued that his use of marijuana was akin to a diabetic's
use of insulin, Dauns was having none of that, either. "Insulin has been
approved by the medical community as a treatment, whereas marijuana has
not," she said. "The research on the benefits of marijuana is woefully
inadequate and inconclusive, making a comparison of these two treatments
illogical," she wrote.
The Kubby case is the first of a handful of similar "reefer refugee" cases
to be decided in Canada. Two Northern California men, Kenneth Hayes and
Steve Tuck, who fled federal marijuana charges related to California medical
marijuana grows, have cases pending before the author of Monday's decision,
board member Dauns. Some advocates had hoped Kubby, with his strong health
argument, had the strongest of any of the pending cases.
Canadian Kubby supporters denounced the decision. "This is yet another
example of the harms of cannabis prohibition," said Philippe Lucas, director
of Canadians for Safe Access (http://www.safeaccess.ca), a medical marijuana
defense organization based on its southern sister, Americans for Safe Access
(http://www.safeaccessnow.org). "The Kubbys are kind contributors to the
social well-being of Canadians -- under any other circumstances, Canada
would welcome this reverse brain-drain. It is only through the perversion of
justice caused by prohibition that a loving family like the Kubbys could be
condemned to an uncertain future at the hands of American prosecutors."
But it wasn't only abstract prohibition that had Lucas and other Canadian
activists irked, it was the harsh slap in the face from a traditionally
refugee-friendly country. "Are we as a nation really so quick to take a
chance on Steve Kubby's health?" asked Lucas. "Shouldn't a modern liberal
democracy like Canada err on the side of social justice when a man's life is
on the line? If Steve Kubby should suffer the same fate as Peter McWilliams
-- who died choking on his own vomit while being denied his medicinal
cannabis after his arrest -- the hands of those who denied his refugee claim
will be forever stained in his blood."
"Today, I'm ashamed of being a Canadian," concurred Tim Meehan, national
director of the anti-prohibition wing of the New Democratic Party
(http://www.ndpot.ca). "Here at home, our government constantly reminds us
of how important the refugee protection system is. Canada's reputation is
built on it. However, when they subject people like Steve Kubby and his
family to institutional prejudice because of their choice of medical
treatment, and are more concerned about angering a trading partner than
saving a human life, that demonstrates our government's priorities are very
seriously out of alignment. I hope Canadians remember that in the upcoming
federal election," Meehan added.
Visit http://www.mapinc.org/alert/0282.html for a letter-writing alert to
help Steve Kubby.
Read a summary of the decision at:
http://www.irb.gc.ca/en/decisions/kubby/va2_01374_e.htm#summary
Read the decision in full at:
http://www.irb.gc.ca/en/decisions/kubby/va2_01374_e.htm
Or to get right to the paragraphs where Dauns lays out her reasoning, go to:
http://www.irb.gc.ca/en/decisions/kubby/va2_01374_e.htm#determination
American Medical Marijuana Refugee Ordered To Return To United States
NORML's Weekly News Bulletin -- December 11, 2003
http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=5856
American Medical Marijuana Refugee Ordered To Return To United States
Immigration Board Recognizes Pot To Be "Best Treatment Available," But
Rejects Patient's Asylum Request
December 11, 2003 - Vancouver, BC, Canada
Vancouver, British Columbia: The Canadian Immigration and Refugee Board this
week denied refugee status to American Steve Kubby and his family, and
ordered their return to California where Kubby is expected to be sentenced
to four months in jail for drug-related charges. Kubby has said he will
appeal the ruling.
He and his wife Michelle and two children will be allowed to remain in the
country while awaiting their appeal.
Kubby fled to Canada in 2001 rather than serve time in jail, where he would
be denied access to medicinal marijuana, which he requires to treat symptoms
of a rare, life-threatening form of adrenal cancer known as
pheochromocytoma. Kubby was diagnosed in 1968 with the disease - which he's
managed since the early 1980s exclusively by smoking cannabis - and given
six months to live. (Life expectancy of a person with pheochromocytoma is
typically three to five years.) Today Kubby is recognized as one of the
longest living survivors of the disease.
Though the Board recognized that "marijuana continues to be the best
treatment available to Mr. Kubby," and that he could potentially suffer a
heart attack or stroke without cannabis, it nevertheless ruled, "The
claimant is not a person in need of protection in that his removal to the
United States would not subject him personally to a risk to his life."
The Board based this decision, in part, on the premise that Kubby would
likely have access to medicinal marijuana while in jail. However, California
law does not compel the state to allow inmates access to medical cannabis,
stating: "Nothing in this article shall require any accommodation of any
medical use of marijuana ... on the property or premises of any jail,
correctional facility, or other type of penal institution in which prisoners
reside or persons under arrest are detained."
While living in Canada, Kubby had been one of fewer than 600 individuals to
receive a federal exemption from Health Canada to legally cultivate and use
pot for medical purposes.
NORML Foundation Executive Director Allen St. Pierre called the Refugee
Board's decision unfortunate and puzzling considering the government's prior
acknowledgement of Kubby's medical need to use cannabis. "This decision
makes little sense in light of the fact that the Canadian government has
already approved Steve Kubby's medical use of marijuana by granting him a
special exemption from prosecution," he said.
"Why they couldn't extend that same thinking to his asylum request seeking
protection for his health from America's policy of strict marijuana law
enforcement is puzzling. This decision does not bode well for the other
Americans who have sought refuge status in Canada for their
physician-sanctioned use of medical marijuana."
Since 1989, the Immigration and Refugee Board has heard nearly 1,000 refugee
cases from the United States, including 268 pending cases. So far, none of
those individuals have been granted asylum.
For more information, please contact Allen St. Pierre of The NORML
Foundation at (202) 483-8751. Full text of the Immigration and Refugee
Board's ruling is available online at:
http://www.irb.gc.ca/en/decisions/kubby/va2_01374_e.htm
(In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.)
Woman Uses Greeting Card to Smuggle Meth
FOXNews.com - Top Stories - Woman Uses Greeting Card to Smuggle Meth
December 12, 2003
December 11, 2003
Pot doc's license revocation upheld
Dec. 10, 2003 -- Pot doc's license revocation upheld
By HANK LAWSON Staff writer
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed Monday the federal government's revocation of Dr. Marion "Molly" Fry's license to prescribe medication including marijuana.
December 08, 2003
KUBBY VOWS APPEAL OF RULING DENYING REFUGEE STATUS IN CANADA
For Immediate Release
December 8, 2003
Press Conference:
Tuesday, Dec. 9th, noon, BC Marijuana Party Headquarters, 307 West Hastings,
Vancouver
Decision Online:
http://www.irb.gc.ca/en/decisions/kubby/va2_01374_e.htm
KUBBY VOWS APPEAL OF RULING DENYING REFUGEE STATUS IN CANADA
VANCOUVER -- Steve Kubby, medical marijuana patient and former Libertarian
Party candidate for governor of California, vowed to appeal a ruling by the
Refugee Protection Division today that denied him refugee status in Canada
based on his need for medical marijuana.
Kubby complained, "I cannot understand how the Refugee panel could conclude
that my life would not be at risk if I were forced to return to the US,
after the leading cancer specialist in British Columbia testified that I
would die without it."
British Columbia cancer specialist Dr. Joseph Michael Connors, an expert in
the area of adrenal cancers, called by the Immigration Ministry, examined
Kubby and testified at the hearing about his medical condition.
The ruling recognizes that, according to Dr. Connors, "Mr. Kubby's tumour
releases, in excess quantities, hormones normally found in the adrenal
gland. Excessive levels of these hormones in Mr. Kubby's blood cause a
range of separate symptomatic problems including paroxysmal headaches,
palpitations (rapid and irregular beating of the heart), hypertension
(sudden dangerous rise in blood pressure), sudden abdominal cramps and
diarrhea, chest pain, shortness of breath, nausea, sudden severe weakness
and anorexia (loss of appetite). If not controlled, Mr. Kubby's symptoms
could evolve further to the point where a myocardial infarction (heart
attack) or cerebral vascular accident (stroke) could occur."
The ruling also acknowledged that "there is evidence before the Board, that
marihuana controls the symptoms of Mr. Kubby's cancer, including
hypertension. In Dr. Connors' opinion, marihuana continues to be the best
treatment available to Mr. Kubby."
However, the ruling went on to say that "it cannot therefore be stated with
any degree of certainty, that marihuana is the reason for Mr. Kubby's
survival even though it remains the best treatment option at this time."
Health Canada has even given Mr. Kubby permission to grow one hundred and
seventeen marijuana plants, based on "medical necessity."
The ruling further acknowledged, Kubby "has received a Health Canada
exemption, which suggests he is a bona fide ill person in need of medical
marihuana. It is noteworthy that Mr. Kubby was investigated and charged
with marihuana related criminal offences in Canada. Those Canadian charges
were later stayed by the Crown, and his marihuana grow equipment was
returned to him by the RCMP after the charges were stayed. This suggests
the Government of Canada believes he has a medical necessity for marihuana."
Despite all of this, the ruling somehow concluded, "he has not established
there is a risk to his life or a risk of cruel and unusual treatment or
punishment" if Kubby is forced to return to the US.
Kubby vowed, "Apparently, I have to die in order to convince the Refugee
board, but instead I intend to fight."
###
November 26, 2003
Probation Granted to 3 Who Grew, Sold Pot as a Medicine
Probation Granted to 3 Who Grew, Sold Pot as a Medicine
By Jean Guccione, Times Staff Writer
In a victory for advocates of medicinal marijuana, officers of a defunct West Hollywood cannabis club were sentenced Monday to one year of probation for growing and selling marijuana to hundreds of people with cancer, AIDS and other serious ailments.
In imposing the minimum allowable sentence, U.S. District Judge A. Howard Matz chastised the prosecution.
"To allocate the resources of the Drug Enforcement Agency and the U.S. attorney's office in this case … baffles me, disturbs me," the judge said.
...
The judge noted that 85% of the center's 960 members have AIDS or are HIV-positive; 10% have cancer; and the rest have various other medical conditions.
"It is difficult to imagine a case where a defendant has contributed to the distribution of a controlled substance for more humanitarian reasons than what occurred here," his defense attorney, Ronald O. Kaye, argued in court papers.
...
Under federal drug forfeiture laws, authorities seized $56,000 in the center's bank account and sold its building at 7494 Santa Monica Blvd. for $1.2 million.
The city of West Hollywood and Wells Fargo Bank, which financed the purchase, are trying to force the federal government to return a portion of the money.
Read It Rating: 6
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: .5
Learning Percentage: 35%
November 24, 2003
Man chokes to death hiding pot
Man chokes to death hiding pot
FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) -- A man changing a flat tire choked to death on a bag of marijuana he had stuffed down his throat in an apparent attempt to hide it from police who stopped to help him, authorities said.
Read It Rating: 4
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: -3
Learning Percentage: 75%
November 20, 2003
New Study Explains How Pot Kills Cancer Cells
This article by Steve kubby has some overlap with the previously posted article by Richard Cowan. Cowan's article is more extensive; Kubby's is more succinct.
New Study Explains How Pot Kills Cancer Cells
by Steve Kubby
A new study published in Nature Reviews-Cancer provides an historic and detailed explanation about how THC and natural cannabinoids counteract cancer, but preserve normal cells.
The study by Manuel Guzmán of Madrid Spain found that cannabinoids, the active components of marijuana, inhibit tumor growth in laboratory animals. They do so by modulating key cell-signalling pathways, thereby inducing direct growth arrest and death of tumor cells, as well as by inhibiting the growth of blood vessels that supply the tumor.
The Guzman study is very important according to Dr. Ethan Russo , a neurologist and world authority on medical cannabis: "Cancer occurs because cells become immortalized; they fail to heed normal signals to turn off growth. A normal function of remodelling in the body requires that cells die on cue. This is called apoptosis, or programmed cell death. That process fails to work in tumors. THC promotes its reappearance so that gliomas, leukemias, melanomas and other cell types will in fact heed the signals, stop dividing, and die."
"But, that is not all," explains Dr. Russo: "The other way that tumors grow is by ensuring that they are nourished: they send out signals to promote angiogenesis, the growth of new blood vessels. Cannabinoids turn off these signals as well. It is truly incredible, and elegant." ...
Read It Rating: 9.1
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: 1.1
Learning Percentage: 15%
If Cannabis Could Cure Cancer, They Would Tell Us, Right?
This is a somewhat clunky and jaded story, but it still makes for worthy reading, if for no other reason than the story which is embedded within it, entitled "POT SHRINKS TUMORS; GOVERNMENT KNEW IN '74". Also, this article by Richard Cowan (who has good cause to be jaded, as he has been fighting against the drug war for avery long time) is linked to a great many other articles and resources which offer a lot of background information.
If Cannabis Could Cure Cancer, They Would Tell Us, Right? No.
by Richard Cowan, MarijuanaNews.com
Read It Rating: 9
Left/Right Rating: L3
Freedom Rating: 1
Learning Percentage: 55%
Kubbys await refugee ruling
by Pete Brady (10 Nov, 2003)
Courageous couple grow medical marijuana on television
Medical marijuana advocates Michele and Steve Kubby are anticipating a ruling "any day now" on their historic bid to become Canada's first officially-sanctioned reefer refugees.
...
Earlier this year, Michele Kubby acted as her own lawyer in hearings before an immigration judge. The Kubbys are seeking official refugee status. They argue that Steve would die in America if he was sent back to face incarceration or other actions relating to his earlier conviction, because authorities will not guarantee him access to medpot. They also claim they would be victims of political persecution as individuals, and as part of a persecuted minority - pot smokers - who are targets of a "genocidal" US-government war. If the Kubbys win refugee status, it will be historic, because the ruling will in effect mean that the Canadian government has acknowledged that the US is a country that routinely violates the human rights of its citizens.
The refugee hearings were contentious and controversial, with government lawyers accused of lying by the Kubbys. Michele Kubby, who has no formal training as a lawyer, won plaudits from attorneys for her skillful attacks on the government's attempts to send her and her family back to the United States, and for her spirited defense of the Kubbys' right to stay in Canada.
...
Read It Rating: 7
Left/Right Rating: L3
Freedom Rating: .4
Learning Percentage: 20%
November 12, 2003
Campaigns No Longer Go Up In Smoke
Campaigns No Longer Go Up In Smoke
Past Marijuana Use Now More Acceptable
by Lisa Wangsness
Concord Monitor
Near the end of the Rock the Vote presidential candidates' forum in Boston this week, the moderator posed a question that once filled politicians with dread.
"Which of you are ready to admit to having used marijuana in the past?"
Though Howard Dean joked that the candidates would "keep our hands down on this one," only former ambassador Carol Moseley Braun declined to answer the question. Dean, Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry and North Carolina Sen. John Edwards said they had. The Rev. Al Sharpton said he had not.
Ohio Rep. Dennis Kucinich said he hadn't but added that he would decriminalize marijuana use.
Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman actually apologized - for not having smoked pot.
"I have a reputation for giving unpopular answers in Democratic debates," Lieberman joked. "I never used marijuana, sorry."
...
Read It Rating: 8
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: 1.5
Learning Percentage: 40%
November 09, 2003
Australia: Police To Conduct Random Roadside Drug Tests
Australia: Police To Conduct Random Roadside Drug Tests
In an Australian first, the Victorian government today moved to give police powers to conduct random roadside drug testing.
Under legislation now before state parliament, from July next year roadside drug screening will be used to detect drivers affected by cannabis and speed with a saliva test.
Read It Rating: 6
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: -2
Learning Percentage: 85%
October 16, 2003
LP: America owes Rush Limbaugh a debt of gratitude
LP Press Release:
America owes talk host Rush Limbaugh a debt of gratitude, Libertarians say
October 16, 2003
WASHINGTON, DC -- The entire nation owes radio broadcaster Rush Limbaugh a debt of gratitude, Libertarians say, because his ordeal has exposed every drug warrior in America as a rank hypocrite.
"One thing we don't hear from American politicians very often is silence," said Joe Seehusen, Libertarian Party executive director. "By refusing to criticize Rush Limbaugh, every drug warrior has just been exposed as a shameless, despicable hypocrite.
"And that's good news, because the next time they do speak up, there'll be no reason for anyone to listen."
The revelation that Limbaugh had become addicted to painkillers -- drugs he is accused of procuring illegally from his Palm Beach housekeeper -- has caused a media sensation ever since the megastar's shocking, on-air confession last week.
As the Limbaugh saga continues, here's an important question for Americans to ask, Libertarians say: Why are all the drug warriors suddenly so silent?
"Republican and Democratic politicians have written laws that have condemned more than 400,000 Americans to prison for committing the same 'crime' as Rush Limbaugh," Seehusen pointed out. "If this pill-popping pontificator deserves a get-out-of-jail-free card, these drug warriors had better explain why."
Given their longstanding support for the Drug War, it's fair to ask:
Why haven't President George Bush or his tough-on-crime attorney general, John Ashcroft, uttered a word criticizing Limbaugh's law-breaking?
Why aren't drug czar John P. Walters or his predecessor, Barry McCaffrey, lambasting Limbaugh as a menace to society and a threat to "our children?"
Why aren't federal DEA agents storming Limbaugh's $30 million Florida mansion in a frantic search for criminal evidence?
Why haven't federal, state, and local police agencies seized the celebrity's homes and luxury cars under asset-forfeiture laws?
Finally, why aren't bloviating blabbermouths like William Bennett publicly explaining how America would be better off if Limbaugh were prosecuted, locked in a steel cage and forced to abandon his wife, his friends, and his career?
The answer is obvious, Seehusen said: "America's drug warriors are shameless hypocrites who believe in one standard of justice for ordinary Americans and another for themselves, their families and their political allies.
"That alone should completely discredit them."
But there's an even more disturbing possibility, Seehusen said: that the people who are prosecuting the Drug War don't even believe in its central premise -- which is that public safety requires that drug users be jailed.
"The Bushes and Ashcrofts and McCaffreys of the world may believe, correctly, that individuals fighting a drug addiction deserve medical, not criminal treatment," he said. "That would explain why they're not demanding that Limbaugh be jailed.
"But if that's the case, these politicians have spent decades tearing apart American families for their own political gain. And that's an unforgivable crime."
October 07, 2003
Scientists admit: we were wrong about 'E'
Scientists admit: we were wrong about 'E'
Experts who gave a dramatic warning that ecstasy led to brain damage based their study on a huge blunder, reports health editor Jo Revill
Sunday September 7, 2003
The Observer
It was billed as the one of the most dramatic warnings the world has ever received over the dangers of ecstasy. A study from one of America's leading universities concluded that taking the drug for just one evening could leave clubbers with irreversible brain damage, and trigger the onset of Parkinson's disease.
The study, published in the eminent journal Science last September, had an immediate impact. Doctors and anti-drug crusaders spoke of a 'neurological time bomb' facing the young. Others suggested that taking one of the tablets was the equivalent of playing Russian roulette with the brain, and demanded tighter 'anti-rave' laws to deal with it.
But today, scientists are facing up to the humiliation of admitting that the stark results they reported in the study were not a breakthrough but a terrible, humiliating blunder.
The study was based on the fact that laboratory monkeys and baboons had a severe reaction to the drug when it was injected in small doses. But it emerged this weekend that the vials of liquid did not contain ecstasy....
Read It Rating: 9
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: 2
Learning Percentage: 80%
October 01, 2003
Tommy Chong gets 9 months for selling bongs and such on Web
COURTTV.COM - PEOPLE - Tommy Chong gets 9 months for selling drug wares on Web
Updated Sept. 11, 2003, 2:45 p.m. ET
Tommy Chong gets 9 months for selling drug wares on Web
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Tommy Chong, who played one half of the dope-smoking duo in the Cheech and Chong movies, was sentenced to nine months in federal prison and fined $20,000 Thursday for selling bongs and other drug paraphernalia over the Internet.
The 65-year-old was allowed to remain free until federal prison officials tell him in a few weeks where he must report to prison.
Full story...
Read It Rating: 8
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: -3.5
Learning Percentage: 30%
September 21, 2003
Marijuana laws struck down in British Columbia
Marijuana laws struck down in British Columbia
Westernmost province joins Ontario, PEI and Nova Scotia in ending prohibition
Years of protests bear fruit for freedom
On September 4, Provincial Court Judge P Chen made a landmark ruling regarding marijuana laws in British Columbia. In his decision, Judge Chen said parts of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA) are "invalid" and that "there is no offense known to law at this time for simple possession of marijuana" in the province.
Judge Chen's decision was based on a series of court cases in Ontario that led a judge there to strike down marijuana possession laws in January of this year. ...
Read It Rating: 7.5
Left/Right Rating: L3
Freedom Rating: 3
Learning Percentage: 80%
September 03, 2003
Former drug warriors turn against prohibition
Altered Minds
Former drug warriors turn against prohibition.
by Jacob Sullum
ReasonOnline
In the 1980s, not many people could plausibly claim stronger anti-drug credentials than Nancy Reagan. But Forest Tennant could.
"It's great for the Reagans to get up and say, 'Let's do something about the drug problem,' but I don't know who's going to do it," he told the Los Angeles Times in 1986. "Only true professional people like myself can do very much with the drug problem."
...
Tennant has published hundreds of scientific articles, testified in high-profile trials, and advised the NFL, NASCAR, the California Highway Patrol, the Food and Drug Administration, and the National Institute on Drug Abuse. The Times described him as "riding at the forefront of the current wave of anti-drug sentiment."
So when the folks at the Hoover Institution who produce the PBS show Uncommon Knowledge were looking for someone to debate drug policy with me, Tennant must have seemed like a natural choice. Imagine their surprise when he ended up agreeing that the war on drugs has been a disastrous mistake.
...
Tennant is by no means the only former drug warrior who has become a critic of current policy. Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP), founded last year, includes more than 400 current and former police officers, judges, federal agents, prosecutors, and parole, probation, and corrections officers. The group is headed by Jack Cole, a 26-year veteran of the New Jersey State Police who worked in narcotics enforcement for 14 years.
...
Read It Rating: 9.8
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: 4
Learning Percentage: 50%
Dutch Government begins distributing prescription cannabis
Cannabis as a prescription drug
The Dutch government has started distributing cannabis as a prescription painkiller to pharmacies to treat chronically ill patients. The Hague had already been turning a blind eye to medicinal cannabis use, but now it's become the world's first government to supply the drug itself, in accordance with United Nations rules on narcotics.
Cannabis sativa has been used therapeutically for many centuries. Known to the Chinese as a strong herbal remedy around 5,000 years ago, it was introduced into European medicine in Napoleonic times. Its pain relieving and sedative effects soon became accepted by Western medical practitioners, who prescribed it on a wide scale. Britain's Queen Victoria is said to have taken cannabis tincture for menstrual pains.
Read It Rating: 9.4
Left/Right Rating: L6
Freedom Rating: 2.5
Learning Percentage: 50%
August 18, 2003
Illegal drug makers targeting RV's
Thank you, oh mighty War on Drugs, for opening yet another perverse tear in our society's fabric.
There is one good thing about crystal meth: Of all the drugs in the New Prohibition, it's the one which is most obviously reminiscent of the first Prohibition. (Think moonshine.) Maybe something will snap, as people internally compare the images on the evening news with the contraption in "The Swamp" on M*A*S*H, and experience a cognitive dissonance -- preferably, a big collective one.
From the end of the article:
You can help as well by reporting suspected labs to state police.
Try, "You can help as well by demanding a swift and certain end to the foolish 'War on Drugs'."
Illegal drug makers targeting RV's
(Mattawan, August 12, 2003, 6:20 p.m. ) Camping is a favorite summer past time for Cindy Harnish and her family.
But while getting ready for a camp out earlier this summer, Cindy's father discovered a problem with his travel trailer.
"We got up north and the refrigerator, we tried to light it up but it wouldn't light. So he opened it up and it looked like it had been cut."
But what first appeared to be an act of vandalism may actually have been the latest chapter in the war against the drug known as crystal meth.
For years, makers of crystal meth have been stealing anhydrous ammonia from tanks on farm fields and farm co-ops.
...Now, it appears some manufacturers are turning to RV's.
Read It Rating: 7.5
Left/Right Rating: R2
Freedom Rating: -5
Learning Percentage: 50%
August 17, 2003
Montel, M.S., and medical marijuana
At the end of the transcript, he talks about using medical marijuana.
Hannity & Colmes - Interview - Montel Williams' Battle With M.S.
Jesse Ventura's America: Should marijuana be legalized? (Transcript)
Jesse's awesome. He's a luttle nuts sometimes, but I think most awesome people are that way. And he kicks butt against the drug war in this episode of his show. He delivers any number of verbal smackdowns to Tom Riley, the director of public affairs for the Office of National Drug Control Policy.
January 01, 2004
Sullum on the tightening of the Commerce Clause loophole
Pot Luck
A victory for federalism
by Jacob Sullum, Reason
Excerpt:
This is the third case this year in which the 9th Circuit has tried to define the boundaries of the Commerce Clause. Each decision has been narrow: The first involved child pornography that never crossed state lines and was not intended for distribution; the second dealt with homemade machine guns that met the same criteria; and the most recent one is limited to "the intrastate, noncommercial cultivation and possession of cannabis for personal medical purposes as recommended by a patient's physician pursuant to valid California state law."
But taken together, these rulings help revive the idea that the Commerce Clause is not a blank check.
December 28, 2003
Teen Drug Surveys Contradict Each Other
Teen Drug Surveys Contradict Each Other
Excerpt:
While Monitoring the Future, conducted by University of Michigan researchers and funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, indicates a decrease in teen use of marijuana and other drugs, the privately-funded PRIDE Survey showed a sharp rise in drug use: Monthly use of marijuana by junior-high students rose 51 percent from 2002 to 2003, and monthly use of heroin rose 60 percent. Despite the differences, both surveys confirm that ONDCP has failed by a large margin to meet goals set for it by Congress. Full PRIDE Survey results are available at http://www.pridesurveys.com.
NIDA Survey: Drug Use by U.S. Teens Declining
FOXNews.com - Top Stories - Drug Use by U.S. Teens Declining
December 24, 2003
December 21, 2003
Cannabis campaigner may be forced to go
Cannabis campaigner may be forced to go
Pot activist Steve Kubby - who says he depends on marijuana to ward off a rare form of cancer - is now fighting to stay in Canada.
Kubby, 56, is under a departure order from Citizenship and Immigration Canada that would force him, wife Michele, and two daughters, out of the country as early as Jan. 15.
...
December 15, 2003
December 13, 2003
CANADA DENIES REFUGEE STATUS TO US MEDICAL MARIJUANA EXILE
Drug War Chronicle
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/315/stevekubby.shtml
CANADA DENIES REFUGEE STATUS TO US MEDICAL MARIJUANA EXILE
Prominent American medical marijuana activist Steve Kubby
(http://www.kubby.com), who fled the US saying an impending jail sentence
would cause his death, has been denied refugee status by the Canadian
Immigration and Refugee Board. An adrenal cancer patient, Kubby has smoked a
dozen joints a day for year, which he says keeps him alive, and would have
been denied that medication while serving a misdemeanor sentence in
California. But Kubby did not have a well-founded fear of being persecuted
or tortured, nor was there any risk to his life if he returned to his home
state of California, the board ruled Monday.
He has said he will appeal, but the clock is ticking for Kubby and his
family, whose requests for refugee status were also denied. Under Canadian
law, he has 15 days to apply to the Supreme Court for a review of the
decision, and if the court chooses not to review his case, he and his family
would have to leave the country within 30 days. One option would be to apply
for a "pre-removal risk assessment," which would force immigration officials
to once again investigate whether he would face "cruel or unusual punishment
or risk to life" if returned to the US.
Steve Kubby Kubby, the 1998 Libertarian Party nominee for governor of
California, fled to Canada with his family in 2001 after being found guilty
of possession of a small amount of psychedelic mushrooms and peyote in his
home state. That conviction arose from a medical marijuana raid on Kubby's
home. The state could not convict on the marijuana charges -- California law
allows for its medical use -- but did manage to nail Kubby for the 'shrooms.
He was prepared to serve a 120-day sentence provided he could have access to
medical marijuana. But local authorities in California refused to allow him
to have his medicine in jail, so Kubby ran for his life to what he hoped
would be a friendlier clime.
He and his family entered Canada on tourist visas, but were detained by
Canadian immigration authorities after newspaper stories featured their
cause and described them cultivating a medical marijuana garden at their
home in Sechelt, British Columbia, a short ferry ride up BC's Sunshine Coast
from Vancouver. At that point, Kubby, his wife Michelle, and their two
daughters applied for asylum as refugees fleeing persecution by American
drug warriors. Since then, they have remained in Canada, where they produce
a program on Pot-TV (http://www.pot-tv.net), a web-based marijuana reform
broadcaster funded by marijuana seed magnate Marc Emery. They also received
a permit from Health Canada to cultivate marijuana for Kubby's medicinal use
are currently growing 117 plants, Kubby told the Toronto Globe & Mail.
In addition to the fear of persecution because of his well-known advocacy of
medical marijuana, Kubby argued that medical marijuana users were not
protected in California, and that he would die if deprived of his medicine.
The Immigration and Refugee Board, however, ruled that Kubby was not and
would not be persecuted, that California law in fact protects medical
marijuana users, and that he would not suffer serious health effects if
incarcerated without access to medical marijuana.
In an opinion written by board member Paulah Dauns, the board noted that
Kubby had not been convicted on medical marijuana charges, but on other drug
charges, and that California law protected him. "In effect, the process
worked, as it was designed to," she wrote. "He argues that a medical
marijuana patient should be protected from persecution. What he has
demonstrated is that in fact, they are." Dauns also wrote that while there
was little doubt marijuana relieved Kubby's cancer symptoms, there was no
evidence that depriving him of cannabis while incarcerated on the California
'shroom charge would kill him, despite testimony from Dr. Joseph Connors of
the British Columbia Cancer Agency, who told the court during an April
hearing that Kubby would die within four days if denied access to marijuana
for his condition. Kubby was not a refugee, wrote Dauns, but a "fugitive
from justice."
And while Kubby argued that his use of marijuana was akin to a diabetic's
use of insulin, Dauns was having none of that, either. "Insulin has been
approved by the medical community as a treatment, whereas marijuana has
not," she said. "The research on the benefits of marijuana is woefully
inadequate and inconclusive, making a comparison of these two treatments
illogical," she wrote.
The Kubby case is the first of a handful of similar "reefer refugee" cases
to be decided in Canada. Two Northern California men, Kenneth Hayes and
Steve Tuck, who fled federal marijuana charges related to California medical
marijuana grows, have cases pending before the author of Monday's decision,
board member Dauns. Some advocates had hoped Kubby, with his strong health
argument, had the strongest of any of the pending cases.
Canadian Kubby supporters denounced the decision. "This is yet another
example of the harms of cannabis prohibition," said Philippe Lucas, director
of Canadians for Safe Access (http://www.safeaccess.ca), a medical marijuana
defense organization based on its southern sister, Americans for Safe Access
(http://www.safeaccessnow.org). "The Kubbys are kind contributors to the
social well-being of Canadians -- under any other circumstances, Canada
would welcome this reverse brain-drain. It is only through the perversion of
justice caused by prohibition that a loving family like the Kubbys could be
condemned to an uncertain future at the hands of American prosecutors."
But it wasn't only abstract prohibition that had Lucas and other Canadian
activists irked, it was the harsh slap in the face from a traditionally
refugee-friendly country. "Are we as a nation really so quick to take a
chance on Steve Kubby's health?" asked Lucas. "Shouldn't a modern liberal
democracy like Canada err on the side of social justice when a man's life is
on the line? If Steve Kubby should suffer the same fate as Peter McWilliams
-- who died choking on his own vomit while being denied his medicinal
cannabis after his arrest -- the hands of those who denied his refugee claim
will be forever stained in his blood."
"Today, I'm ashamed of being a Canadian," concurred Tim Meehan, national
director of the anti-prohibition wing of the New Democratic Party
(http://www.ndpot.ca). "Here at home, our government constantly reminds us
of how important the refugee protection system is. Canada's reputation is
built on it. However, when they subject people like Steve Kubby and his
family to institutional prejudice because of their choice of medical
treatment, and are more concerned about angering a trading partner than
saving a human life, that demonstrates our government's priorities are very
seriously out of alignment. I hope Canadians remember that in the upcoming
federal election," Meehan added.
Visit http://www.mapinc.org/alert/0282.html for a letter-writing alert to
help Steve Kubby.
Read a summary of the decision at:
http://www.irb.gc.ca/en/decisions/kubby/va2_01374_e.htm#summary
Read the decision in full at:
http://www.irb.gc.ca/en/decisions/kubby/va2_01374_e.htm
Or to get right to the paragraphs where Dauns lays out her reasoning, go to:
http://www.irb.gc.ca/en/decisions/kubby/va2_01374_e.htm#determination
American Medical Marijuana Refugee Ordered To Return To United States
NORML's Weekly News Bulletin -- December 11, 2003
http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=5856
American Medical Marijuana Refugee Ordered To Return To United States
Immigration Board Recognizes Pot To Be "Best Treatment Available," But
Rejects Patient's Asylum Request
December 11, 2003 - Vancouver, BC, Canada
Vancouver, British Columbia: The Canadian Immigration and Refugee Board this
week denied refugee status to American Steve Kubby and his family, and
ordered their return to California where Kubby is expected to be sentenced
to four months in jail for drug-related charges. Kubby has said he will
appeal the ruling.
He and his wife Michelle and two children will be allowed to remain in the
country while awaiting their appeal.
Kubby fled to Canada in 2001 rather than serve time in jail, where he would
be denied access to medicinal marijuana, which he requires to treat symptoms
of a rare, life-threatening form of adrenal cancer known as
pheochromocytoma. Kubby was diagnosed in 1968 with the disease - which he's
managed since the early 1980s exclusively by smoking cannabis - and given
six months to live. (Life expectancy of a person with pheochromocytoma is
typically three to five years.) Today Kubby is recognized as one of the
longest living survivors of the disease.
Though the Board recognized that "marijuana continues to be the best
treatment available to Mr. Kubby," and that he could potentially suffer a
heart attack or stroke without cannabis, it nevertheless ruled, "The
claimant is not a person in need of protection in that his removal to the
United States would not subject him personally to a risk to his life."
The Board based this decision, in part, on the premise that Kubby would
likely have access to medicinal marijuana while in jail. However, California
law does not compel the state to allow inmates access to medical cannabis,
stating: "Nothing in this article shall require any accommodation of any
medical use of marijuana ... on the property or premises of any jail,
correctional facility, or other type of penal institution in which prisoners
reside or persons under arrest are detained."
While living in Canada, Kubby had been one of fewer than 600 individuals to
receive a federal exemption from Health Canada to legally cultivate and use
pot for medical purposes.
NORML Foundation Executive Director Allen St. Pierre called the Refugee
Board's decision unfortunate and puzzling considering the government's prior
acknowledgement of Kubby's medical need to use cannabis. "This decision
makes little sense in light of the fact that the Canadian government has
already approved Steve Kubby's medical use of marijuana by granting him a
special exemption from prosecution," he said.
"Why they couldn't extend that same thinking to his asylum request seeking
protection for his health from America's policy of strict marijuana law
enforcement is puzzling. This decision does not bode well for the other
Americans who have sought refuge status in Canada for their
physician-sanctioned use of medical marijuana."
Since 1989, the Immigration and Refugee Board has heard nearly 1,000 refugee
cases from the United States, including 268 pending cases. So far, none of
those individuals have been granted asylum.
For more information, please contact Allen St. Pierre of The NORML
Foundation at (202) 483-8751. Full text of the Immigration and Refugee
Board's ruling is available online at:
http://www.irb.gc.ca/en/decisions/kubby/va2_01374_e.htm
(In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.)
Woman Uses Greeting Card to Smuggle Meth
FOXNews.com - Top Stories - Woman Uses Greeting Card to Smuggle Meth
December 12, 2003
December 11, 2003
Pot doc's license revocation upheld
Dec. 10, 2003 -- Pot doc's license revocation upheld
By HANK LAWSON Staff writer
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed Monday the federal government's revocation of Dr. Marion "Molly" Fry's license to prescribe medication including marijuana.
December 08, 2003
KUBBY VOWS APPEAL OF RULING DENYING REFUGEE STATUS IN CANADA
For Immediate Release
December 8, 2003
Press Conference:
Tuesday, Dec. 9th, noon, BC Marijuana Party Headquarters, 307 West Hastings,
Vancouver
Decision Online:
http://www.irb.gc.ca/en/decisions/kubby/va2_01374_e.htm
KUBBY VOWS APPEAL OF RULING DENYING REFUGEE STATUS IN CANADA
VANCOUVER -- Steve Kubby, medical marijuana patient and former Libertarian
Party candidate for governor of California, vowed to appeal a ruling by the
Refugee Protection Division today that denied him refugee status in Canada
based on his need for medical marijuana.
Kubby complained, "I cannot understand how the Refugee panel could conclude
that my life would not be at risk if I were forced to return to the US,
after the leading cancer specialist in British Columbia testified that I
would die without it."
British Columbia cancer specialist Dr. Joseph Michael Connors, an expert in
the area of adrenal cancers, called by the Immigration Ministry, examined
Kubby and testified at the hearing about his medical condition.
The ruling recognizes that, according to Dr. Connors, "Mr. Kubby's tumour
releases, in excess quantities, hormones normally found in the adrenal
gland. Excessive levels of these hormones in Mr. Kubby's blood cause a
range of separate symptomatic problems including paroxysmal headaches,
palpitations (rapid and irregular beating of the heart), hypertension
(sudden dangerous rise in blood pressure), sudden abdominal cramps and
diarrhea, chest pain, shortness of breath, nausea, sudden severe weakness
and anorexia (loss of appetite). If not controlled, Mr. Kubby's symptoms
could evolve further to the point where a myocardial infarction (heart
attack) or cerebral vascular accident (stroke) could occur."
The ruling also acknowledged that "there is evidence before the Board, that
marihuana controls the symptoms of Mr. Kubby's cancer, including
hypertension. In Dr. Connors' opinion, marihuana continues to be the best
treatment available to Mr. Kubby."
However, the ruling went on to say that "it cannot therefore be stated with
any degree of certainty, that marihuana is the reason for Mr. Kubby's
survival even though it remains the best treatment option at this time."
Health Canada has even given Mr. Kubby permission to grow one hundred and
seventeen marijuana plants, based on "medical necessity."
The ruling further acknowledged, Kubby "has received a Health Canada
exemption, which suggests he is a bona fide ill person in need of medical
marihuana. It is noteworthy that Mr. Kubby was investigated and charged
with marihuana related criminal offences in Canada. Those Canadian charges
were later stayed by the Crown, and his marihuana grow equipment was
returned to him by the RCMP after the charges were stayed. This suggests
the Government of Canada believes he has a medical necessity for marihuana."
Despite all of this, the ruling somehow concluded, "he has not established
there is a risk to his life or a risk of cruel and unusual treatment or
punishment" if Kubby is forced to return to the US.
Kubby vowed, "Apparently, I have to die in order to convince the Refugee
board, but instead I intend to fight."
###
November 26, 2003
Probation Granted to 3 Who Grew, Sold Pot as a Medicine
Probation Granted to 3 Who Grew, Sold Pot as a Medicine
By Jean Guccione, Times Staff Writer
In a victory for advocates of medicinal marijuana, officers of a defunct West Hollywood cannabis club were sentenced Monday to one year of probation for growing and selling marijuana to hundreds of people with cancer, AIDS and other serious ailments.
In imposing the minimum allowable sentence, U.S. District Judge A. Howard Matz chastised the prosecution.
"To allocate the resources of the Drug Enforcement Agency and the U.S. attorney's office in this case … baffles me, disturbs me," the judge said.
...
The judge noted that 85% of the center's 960 members have AIDS or are HIV-positive; 10% have cancer; and the rest have various other medical conditions.
"It is difficult to imagine a case where a defendant has contributed to the distribution of a controlled substance for more humanitarian reasons than what occurred here," his defense attorney, Ronald O. Kaye, argued in court papers.
...
Under federal drug forfeiture laws, authorities seized $56,000 in the center's bank account and sold its building at 7494 Santa Monica Blvd. for $1.2 million.
The city of West Hollywood and Wells Fargo Bank, which financed the purchase, are trying to force the federal government to return a portion of the money.
Read It Rating: 6
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: .5
Learning Percentage: 35%
November 24, 2003
Man chokes to death hiding pot
Man chokes to death hiding pot
FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) -- A man changing a flat tire choked to death on a bag of marijuana he had stuffed down his throat in an apparent attempt to hide it from police who stopped to help him, authorities said.
Read It Rating: 4
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: -3
Learning Percentage: 75%
November 20, 2003
New Study Explains How Pot Kills Cancer Cells
This article by Steve kubby has some overlap with the previously posted article by Richard Cowan. Cowan's article is more extensive; Kubby's is more succinct.
New Study Explains How Pot Kills Cancer Cells
by Steve Kubby
A new study published in Nature Reviews-Cancer provides an historic and detailed explanation about how THC and natural cannabinoids counteract cancer, but preserve normal cells.
The study by Manuel Guzmán of Madrid Spain found that cannabinoids, the active components of marijuana, inhibit tumor growth in laboratory animals. They do so by modulating key cell-signalling pathways, thereby inducing direct growth arrest and death of tumor cells, as well as by inhibiting the growth of blood vessels that supply the tumor.
The Guzman study is very important according to Dr. Ethan Russo , a neurologist and world authority on medical cannabis: "Cancer occurs because cells become immortalized; they fail to heed normal signals to turn off growth. A normal function of remodelling in the body requires that cells die on cue. This is called apoptosis, or programmed cell death. That process fails to work in tumors. THC promotes its reappearance so that gliomas, leukemias, melanomas and other cell types will in fact heed the signals, stop dividing, and die."
"But, that is not all," explains Dr. Russo: "The other way that tumors grow is by ensuring that they are nourished: they send out signals to promote angiogenesis, the growth of new blood vessels. Cannabinoids turn off these signals as well. It is truly incredible, and elegant." ...
Read It Rating: 9.1
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: 1.1
Learning Percentage: 15%
If Cannabis Could Cure Cancer, They Would Tell Us, Right?
This is a somewhat clunky and jaded story, but it still makes for worthy reading, if for no other reason than the story which is embedded within it, entitled "POT SHRINKS TUMORS; GOVERNMENT KNEW IN '74". Also, this article by Richard Cowan (who has good cause to be jaded, as he has been fighting against the drug war for avery long time) is linked to a great many other articles and resources which offer a lot of background information.
If Cannabis Could Cure Cancer, They Would Tell Us, Right? No.
by Richard Cowan, MarijuanaNews.com
Read It Rating: 9
Left/Right Rating: L3
Freedom Rating: 1
Learning Percentage: 55%
Kubbys await refugee ruling
by Pete Brady (10 Nov, 2003)
Courageous couple grow medical marijuana on television
Medical marijuana advocates Michele and Steve Kubby are anticipating a ruling "any day now" on their historic bid to become Canada's first officially-sanctioned reefer refugees.
...
Earlier this year, Michele Kubby acted as her own lawyer in hearings before an immigration judge. The Kubbys are seeking official refugee status. They argue that Steve would die in America if he was sent back to face incarceration or other actions relating to his earlier conviction, because authorities will not guarantee him access to medpot. They also claim they would be victims of political persecution as individuals, and as part of a persecuted minority - pot smokers - who are targets of a "genocidal" US-government war. If the Kubbys win refugee status, it will be historic, because the ruling will in effect mean that the Canadian government has acknowledged that the US is a country that routinely violates the human rights of its citizens.
The refugee hearings were contentious and controversial, with government lawyers accused of lying by the Kubbys. Michele Kubby, who has no formal training as a lawyer, won plaudits from attorneys for her skillful attacks on the government's attempts to send her and her family back to the United States, and for her spirited defense of the Kubbys' right to stay in Canada.
...
Read It Rating: 7
Left/Right Rating: L3
Freedom Rating: .4
Learning Percentage: 20%
November 12, 2003
Campaigns No Longer Go Up In Smoke
Campaigns No Longer Go Up In Smoke
Past Marijuana Use Now More Acceptable
by Lisa Wangsness
Concord Monitor
Near the end of the Rock the Vote presidential candidates' forum in Boston this week, the moderator posed a question that once filled politicians with dread.
"Which of you are ready to admit to having used marijuana in the past?"
Though Howard Dean joked that the candidates would "keep our hands down on this one," only former ambassador Carol Moseley Braun declined to answer the question. Dean, Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry and North Carolina Sen. John Edwards said they had. The Rev. Al Sharpton said he had not.
Ohio Rep. Dennis Kucinich said he hadn't but added that he would decriminalize marijuana use.
Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman actually apologized - for not having smoked pot.
"I have a reputation for giving unpopular answers in Democratic debates," Lieberman joked. "I never used marijuana, sorry."
...
Read It Rating: 8
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: 1.5
Learning Percentage: 40%
November 09, 2003
Australia: Police To Conduct Random Roadside Drug Tests
Australia: Police To Conduct Random Roadside Drug Tests
In an Australian first, the Victorian government today moved to give police powers to conduct random roadside drug testing.
Under legislation now before state parliament, from July next year roadside drug screening will be used to detect drivers affected by cannabis and speed with a saliva test.
Read It Rating: 6
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: -2
Learning Percentage: 85%
October 16, 2003
LP: America owes Rush Limbaugh a debt of gratitude
LP Press Release:
America owes talk host Rush Limbaugh a debt of gratitude, Libertarians say
October 16, 2003
WASHINGTON, DC -- The entire nation owes radio broadcaster Rush Limbaugh a debt of gratitude, Libertarians say, because his ordeal has exposed every drug warrior in America as a rank hypocrite.
"One thing we don't hear from American politicians very often is silence," said Joe Seehusen, Libertarian Party executive director. "By refusing to criticize Rush Limbaugh, every drug warrior has just been exposed as a shameless, despicable hypocrite.
"And that's good news, because the next time they do speak up, there'll be no reason for anyone to listen."
The revelation that Limbaugh had become addicted to painkillers -- drugs he is accused of procuring illegally from his Palm Beach housekeeper -- has caused a media sensation ever since the megastar's shocking, on-air confession last week.
As the Limbaugh saga continues, here's an important question for Americans to ask, Libertarians say: Why are all the drug warriors suddenly so silent?
"Republican and Democratic politicians have written laws that have condemned more than 400,000 Americans to prison for committing the same 'crime' as Rush Limbaugh," Seehusen pointed out. "If this pill-popping pontificator deserves a get-out-of-jail-free card, these drug warriors had better explain why."
Given their longstanding support for the Drug War, it's fair to ask:
Why haven't President George Bush or his tough-on-crime attorney general, John Ashcroft, uttered a word criticizing Limbaugh's law-breaking?
Why aren't drug czar John P. Walters or his predecessor, Barry McCaffrey, lambasting Limbaugh as a menace to society and a threat to "our children?"
Why aren't federal DEA agents storming Limbaugh's $30 million Florida mansion in a frantic search for criminal evidence?
Why haven't federal, state, and local police agencies seized the celebrity's homes and luxury cars under asset-forfeiture laws?
Finally, why aren't bloviating blabbermouths like William Bennett publicly explaining how America would be better off if Limbaugh were prosecuted, locked in a steel cage and forced to abandon his wife, his friends, and his career?
The answer is obvious, Seehusen said: "America's drug warriors are shameless hypocrites who believe in one standard of justice for ordinary Americans and another for themselves, their families and their political allies.
"That alone should completely discredit them."
But there's an even more disturbing possibility, Seehusen said: that the people who are prosecuting the Drug War don't even believe in its central premise -- which is that public safety requires that drug users be jailed.
"The Bushes and Ashcrofts and McCaffreys of the world may believe, correctly, that individuals fighting a drug addiction deserve medical, not criminal treatment," he said. "That would explain why they're not demanding that Limbaugh be jailed.
"But if that's the case, these politicians have spent decades tearing apart American families for their own political gain. And that's an unforgivable crime."
October 07, 2003
Scientists admit: we were wrong about 'E'
Scientists admit: we were wrong about 'E'
Experts who gave a dramatic warning that ecstasy led to brain damage based their study on a huge blunder, reports health editor Jo Revill
Sunday September 7, 2003
The Observer
It was billed as the one of the most dramatic warnings the world has ever received over the dangers of ecstasy. A study from one of America's leading universities concluded that taking the drug for just one evening could leave clubbers with irreversible brain damage, and trigger the onset of Parkinson's disease.
The study, published in the eminent journal Science last September, had an immediate impact. Doctors and anti-drug crusaders spoke of a 'neurological time bomb' facing the young. Others suggested that taking one of the tablets was the equivalent of playing Russian roulette with the brain, and demanded tighter 'anti-rave' laws to deal with it.
But today, scientists are facing up to the humiliation of admitting that the stark results they reported in the study were not a breakthrough but a terrible, humiliating blunder.
The study was based on the fact that laboratory monkeys and baboons had a severe reaction to the drug when it was injected in small doses. But it emerged this weekend that the vials of liquid did not contain ecstasy....
Read It Rating: 9
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: 2
Learning Percentage: 80%
October 01, 2003
Tommy Chong gets 9 months for selling bongs and such on Web
COURTTV.COM - PEOPLE - Tommy Chong gets 9 months for selling drug wares on Web
Updated Sept. 11, 2003, 2:45 p.m. ET
Tommy Chong gets 9 months for selling drug wares on Web
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Tommy Chong, who played one half of the dope-smoking duo in the Cheech and Chong movies, was sentenced to nine months in federal prison and fined $20,000 Thursday for selling bongs and other drug paraphernalia over the Internet.
The 65-year-old was allowed to remain free until federal prison officials tell him in a few weeks where he must report to prison.
Full story...
Read It Rating: 8
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: -3.5
Learning Percentage: 30%
September 21, 2003
Marijuana laws struck down in British Columbia
Marijuana laws struck down in British Columbia
Westernmost province joins Ontario, PEI and Nova Scotia in ending prohibition
Years of protests bear fruit for freedom
On September 4, Provincial Court Judge P Chen made a landmark ruling regarding marijuana laws in British Columbia. In his decision, Judge Chen said parts of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA) are "invalid" and that "there is no offense known to law at this time for simple possession of marijuana" in the province.
Judge Chen's decision was based on a series of court cases in Ontario that led a judge there to strike down marijuana possession laws in January of this year. ...
Read It Rating: 7.5
Left/Right Rating: L3
Freedom Rating: 3
Learning Percentage: 80%
September 03, 2003
Former drug warriors turn against prohibition
Altered Minds
Former drug warriors turn against prohibition.
by Jacob Sullum
ReasonOnline
In the 1980s, not many people could plausibly claim stronger anti-drug credentials than Nancy Reagan. But Forest Tennant could.
"It's great for the Reagans to get up and say, 'Let's do something about the drug problem,' but I don't know who's going to do it," he told the Los Angeles Times in 1986. "Only true professional people like myself can do very much with the drug problem."
...
Tennant has published hundreds of scientific articles, testified in high-profile trials, and advised the NFL, NASCAR, the California Highway Patrol, the Food and Drug Administration, and the National Institute on Drug Abuse. The Times described him as "riding at the forefront of the current wave of anti-drug sentiment."
So when the folks at the Hoover Institution who produce the PBS show Uncommon Knowledge were looking for someone to debate drug policy with me, Tennant must have seemed like a natural choice. Imagine their surprise when he ended up agreeing that the war on drugs has been a disastrous mistake.
...
Tennant is by no means the only former drug warrior who has become a critic of current policy. Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP), founded last year, includes more than 400 current and former police officers, judges, federal agents, prosecutors, and parole, probation, and corrections officers. The group is headed by Jack Cole, a 26-year veteran of the New Jersey State Police who worked in narcotics enforcement for 14 years.
...
Read It Rating: 9.8
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: 4
Learning Percentage: 50%
Dutch Government begins distributing prescription cannabis
Cannabis as a prescription drug
The Dutch government has started distributing cannabis as a prescription painkiller to pharmacies to treat chronically ill patients. The Hague had already been turning a blind eye to medicinal cannabis use, but now it's become the world's first government to supply the drug itself, in accordance with United Nations rules on narcotics.
Cannabis sativa has been used therapeutically for many centuries. Known to the Chinese as a strong herbal remedy around 5,000 years ago, it was introduced into European medicine in Napoleonic times. Its pain relieving and sedative effects soon became accepted by Western medical practitioners, who prescribed it on a wide scale. Britain's Queen Victoria is said to have taken cannabis tincture for menstrual pains.
Read It Rating: 9.4
Left/Right Rating: L6
Freedom Rating: 2.5
Learning Percentage: 50%
August 18, 2003
Illegal drug makers targeting RV's
Thank you, oh mighty War on Drugs, for opening yet another perverse tear in our society's fabric.
There is one good thing about crystal meth: Of all the drugs in the New Prohibition, it's the one which is most obviously reminiscent of the first Prohibition. (Think moonshine.) Maybe something will snap, as people internally compare the images on the evening news with the contraption in "The Swamp" on M*A*S*H, and experience a cognitive dissonance -- preferably, a big collective one.
From the end of the article:
You can help as well by reporting suspected labs to state police.
Try, "You can help as well by demanding a swift and certain end to the foolish 'War on Drugs'."
Illegal drug makers targeting RV's
(Mattawan, August 12, 2003, 6:20 p.m. ) Camping is a favorite summer past time for Cindy Harnish and her family.
But while getting ready for a camp out earlier this summer, Cindy's father discovered a problem with his travel trailer.
"We got up north and the refrigerator, we tried to light it up but it wouldn't light. So he opened it up and it looked like it had been cut."
But what first appeared to be an act of vandalism may actually have been the latest chapter in the war against the drug known as crystal meth.
For years, makers of crystal meth have been stealing anhydrous ammonia from tanks on farm fields and farm co-ops.
...Now, it appears some manufacturers are turning to RV's.
Read It Rating: 7.5
Left/Right Rating: R2
Freedom Rating: -5
Learning Percentage: 50%
August 17, 2003
Sullum on the tightening of the Commerce Clause loophole
Pot Luck
A victory for federalism
by Jacob Sullum, Reason
Excerpt:
This is the third case this year in which the 9th Circuit has tried to define the boundaries of the Commerce Clause. Each decision has been narrow: The first involved child pornography that never crossed state lines and was not intended for distribution; the second dealt with homemade machine guns that met the same criteria; and the most recent one is limited to "the intrastate, noncommercial cultivation and possession of cannabis for personal medical purposes as recommended by a patient's physician pursuant to valid California state law."
But taken together, these rulings help revive the idea that the Commerce Clause is not a blank check.
Teen Drug Surveys Contradict Each Other
Teen Drug Surveys Contradict Each Other
Excerpt:
While Monitoring the Future, conducted by University of Michigan researchers and funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, indicates a decrease in teen use of marijuana and other drugs, the privately-funded PRIDE Survey showed a sharp rise in drug use: Monthly use of marijuana by junior-high students rose 51 percent from 2002 to 2003, and monthly use of heroin rose 60 percent. Despite the differences, both surveys confirm that ONDCP has failed by a large margin to meet goals set for it by Congress. Full PRIDE Survey results are available at http://www.pridesurveys.com.
NIDA Survey: Drug Use by U.S. Teens Declining
FOXNews.com - Top Stories - Drug Use by U.S. Teens Declining
December 24, 2003
December 21, 2003
Cannabis campaigner may be forced to go
Cannabis campaigner may be forced to go
Pot activist Steve Kubby - who says he depends on marijuana to ward off a rare form of cancer - is now fighting to stay in Canada.
Kubby, 56, is under a departure order from Citizenship and Immigration Canada that would force him, wife Michele, and two daughters, out of the country as early as Jan. 15.
...
December 15, 2003
December 13, 2003
CANADA DENIES REFUGEE STATUS TO US MEDICAL MARIJUANA EXILE
Drug War Chronicle
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/315/stevekubby.shtml
CANADA DENIES REFUGEE STATUS TO US MEDICAL MARIJUANA EXILE
Prominent American medical marijuana activist Steve Kubby
(http://www.kubby.com), who fled the US saying an impending jail sentence
would cause his death, has been denied refugee status by the Canadian
Immigration and Refugee Board. An adrenal cancer patient, Kubby has smoked a
dozen joints a day for year, which he says keeps him alive, and would have
been denied that medication while serving a misdemeanor sentence in
California. But Kubby did not have a well-founded fear of being persecuted
or tortured, nor was there any risk to his life if he returned to his home
state of California, the board ruled Monday.
He has said he will appeal, but the clock is ticking for Kubby and his
family, whose requests for refugee status were also denied. Under Canadian
law, he has 15 days to apply to the Supreme Court for a review of the
decision, and if the court chooses not to review his case, he and his family
would have to leave the country within 30 days. One option would be to apply
for a "pre-removal risk assessment," which would force immigration officials
to once again investigate whether he would face "cruel or unusual punishment
or risk to life" if returned to the US.
Steve Kubby Kubby, the 1998 Libertarian Party nominee for governor of
California, fled to Canada with his family in 2001 after being found guilty
of possession of a small amount of psychedelic mushrooms and peyote in his
home state. That conviction arose from a medical marijuana raid on Kubby's
home. The state could not convict on the marijuana charges -- California law
allows for its medical use -- but did manage to nail Kubby for the 'shrooms.
He was prepared to serve a 120-day sentence provided he could have access to
medical marijuana. But local authorities in California refused to allow him
to have his medicine in jail, so Kubby ran for his life to what he hoped
would be a friendlier clime.
He and his family entered Canada on tourist visas, but were detained by
Canadian immigration authorities after newspaper stories featured their
cause and described them cultivating a medical marijuana garden at their
home in Sechelt, British Columbia, a short ferry ride up BC's Sunshine Coast
from Vancouver. At that point, Kubby, his wife Michelle, and their two
daughters applied for asylum as refugees fleeing persecution by American
drug warriors. Since then, they have remained in Canada, where they produce
a program on Pot-TV (http://www.pot-tv.net), a web-based marijuana reform
broadcaster funded by marijuana seed magnate Marc Emery. They also received
a permit from Health Canada to cultivate marijuana for Kubby's medicinal use
are currently growing 117 plants, Kubby told the Toronto Globe & Mail.
In addition to the fear of persecution because of his well-known advocacy of
medical marijuana, Kubby argued that medical marijuana users were not
protected in California, and that he would die if deprived of his medicine.
The Immigration and Refugee Board, however, ruled that Kubby was not and
would not be persecuted, that California law in fact protects medical
marijuana users, and that he would not suffer serious health effects if
incarcerated without access to medical marijuana.
In an opinion written by board member Paulah Dauns, the board noted that
Kubby had not been convicted on medical marijuana charges, but on other drug
charges, and that California law protected him. "In effect, the process
worked, as it was designed to," she wrote. "He argues that a medical
marijuana patient should be protected from persecution. What he has
demonstrated is that in fact, they are." Dauns also wrote that while there
was little doubt marijuana relieved Kubby's cancer symptoms, there was no
evidence that depriving him of cannabis while incarcerated on the California
'shroom charge would kill him, despite testimony from Dr. Joseph Connors of
the British Columbia Cancer Agency, who told the court during an April
hearing that Kubby would die within four days if denied access to marijuana
for his condition. Kubby was not a refugee, wrote Dauns, but a "fugitive
from justice."
And while Kubby argued that his use of marijuana was akin to a diabetic's
use of insulin, Dauns was having none of that, either. "Insulin has been
approved by the medical community as a treatment, whereas marijuana has
not," she said. "The research on the benefits of marijuana is woefully
inadequate and inconclusive, making a comparison of these two treatments
illogical," she wrote.
The Kubby case is the first of a handful of similar "reefer refugee" cases
to be decided in Canada. Two Northern California men, Kenneth Hayes and
Steve Tuck, who fled federal marijuana charges related to California medical
marijuana grows, have cases pending before the author of Monday's decision,
board member Dauns. Some advocates had hoped Kubby, with his strong health
argument, had the strongest of any of the pending cases.
Canadian Kubby supporters denounced the decision. "This is yet another
example of the harms of cannabis prohibition," said Philippe Lucas, director
of Canadians for Safe Access (http://www.safeaccess.ca), a medical marijuana
defense organization based on its southern sister, Americans for Safe Access
(http://www.safeaccessnow.org). "The Kubbys are kind contributors to the
social well-being of Canadians -- under any other circumstances, Canada
would welcome this reverse brain-drain. It is only through the perversion of
justice caused by prohibition that a loving family like the Kubbys could be
condemned to an uncertain future at the hands of American prosecutors."
But it wasn't only abstract prohibition that had Lucas and other Canadian
activists irked, it was the harsh slap in the face from a traditionally
refugee-friendly country. "Are we as a nation really so quick to take a
chance on Steve Kubby's health?" asked Lucas. "Shouldn't a modern liberal
democracy like Canada err on the side of social justice when a man's life is
on the line? If Steve Kubby should suffer the same fate as Peter McWilliams
-- who died choking on his own vomit while being denied his medicinal
cannabis after his arrest -- the hands of those who denied his refugee claim
will be forever stained in his blood."
"Today, I'm ashamed of being a Canadian," concurred Tim Meehan, national
director of the anti-prohibition wing of the New Democratic Party
(http://www.ndpot.ca). "Here at home, our government constantly reminds us
of how important the refugee protection system is. Canada's reputation is
built on it. However, when they subject people like Steve Kubby and his
family to institutional prejudice because of their choice of medical
treatment, and are more concerned about angering a trading partner than
saving a human life, that demonstrates our government's priorities are very
seriously out of alignment. I hope Canadians remember that in the upcoming
federal election," Meehan added.
Visit http://www.mapinc.org/alert/0282.html for a letter-writing alert to
help Steve Kubby.
Read a summary of the decision at:
http://www.irb.gc.ca/en/decisions/kubby/va2_01374_e.htm#summary
Read the decision in full at:
http://www.irb.gc.ca/en/decisions/kubby/va2_01374_e.htm
Or to get right to the paragraphs where Dauns lays out her reasoning, go to:
http://www.irb.gc.ca/en/decisions/kubby/va2_01374_e.htm#determination
American Medical Marijuana Refugee Ordered To Return To United States
NORML's Weekly News Bulletin -- December 11, 2003
http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=5856
American Medical Marijuana Refugee Ordered To Return To United States
Immigration Board Recognizes Pot To Be "Best Treatment Available," But
Rejects Patient's Asylum Request
December 11, 2003 - Vancouver, BC, Canada
Vancouver, British Columbia: The Canadian Immigration and Refugee Board this
week denied refugee status to American Steve Kubby and his family, and
ordered their return to California where Kubby is expected to be sentenced
to four months in jail for drug-related charges. Kubby has said he will
appeal the ruling.
He and his wife Michelle and two children will be allowed to remain in the
country while awaiting their appeal.
Kubby fled to Canada in 2001 rather than serve time in jail, where he would
be denied access to medicinal marijuana, which he requires to treat symptoms
of a rare, life-threatening form of adrenal cancer known as
pheochromocytoma. Kubby was diagnosed in 1968 with the disease - which he's
managed since the early 1980s exclusively by smoking cannabis - and given
six months to live. (Life expectancy of a person with pheochromocytoma is
typically three to five years.) Today Kubby is recognized as one of the
longest living survivors of the disease.
Though the Board recognized that "marijuana continues to be the best
treatment available to Mr. Kubby," and that he could potentially suffer a
heart attack or stroke without cannabis, it nevertheless ruled, "The
claimant is not a person in need of protection in that his removal to the
United States would not subject him personally to a risk to his life."
The Board based this decision, in part, on the premise that Kubby would
likely have access to medicinal marijuana while in jail. However, California
law does not compel the state to allow inmates access to medical cannabis,
stating: "Nothing in this article shall require any accommodation of any
medical use of marijuana ... on the property or premises of any jail,
correctional facility, or other type of penal institution in which prisoners
reside or persons under arrest are detained."
While living in Canada, Kubby had been one of fewer than 600 individuals to
receive a federal exemption from Health Canada to legally cultivate and use
pot for medical purposes.
NORML Foundation Executive Director Allen St. Pierre called the Refugee
Board's decision unfortunate and puzzling considering the government's prior
acknowledgement of Kubby's medical need to use cannabis. "This decision
makes little sense in light of the fact that the Canadian government has
already approved Steve Kubby's medical use of marijuana by granting him a
special exemption from prosecution," he said.
"Why they couldn't extend that same thinking to his asylum request seeking
protection for his health from America's policy of strict marijuana law
enforcement is puzzling. This decision does not bode well for the other
Americans who have sought refuge status in Canada for their
physician-sanctioned use of medical marijuana."
Since 1989, the Immigration and Refugee Board has heard nearly 1,000 refugee
cases from the United States, including 268 pending cases. So far, none of
those individuals have been granted asylum.
For more information, please contact Allen St. Pierre of The NORML
Foundation at (202) 483-8751. Full text of the Immigration and Refugee
Board's ruling is available online at:
http://www.irb.gc.ca/en/decisions/kubby/va2_01374_e.htm
(In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.)
Woman Uses Greeting Card to Smuggle Meth
FOXNews.com - Top Stories - Woman Uses Greeting Card to Smuggle Meth
December 12, 2003
December 11, 2003
Pot doc's license revocation upheld
Dec. 10, 2003 -- Pot doc's license revocation upheld
By HANK LAWSON Staff writer
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed Monday the federal government's revocation of Dr. Marion "Molly" Fry's license to prescribe medication including marijuana.
December 08, 2003
KUBBY VOWS APPEAL OF RULING DENYING REFUGEE STATUS IN CANADA
For Immediate Release
December 8, 2003
Press Conference:
Tuesday, Dec. 9th, noon, BC Marijuana Party Headquarters, 307 West Hastings,
Vancouver
Decision Online:
http://www.irb.gc.ca/en/decisions/kubby/va2_01374_e.htm
KUBBY VOWS APPEAL OF RULING DENYING REFUGEE STATUS IN CANADA
VANCOUVER -- Steve Kubby, medical marijuana patient and former Libertarian
Party candidate for governor of California, vowed to appeal a ruling by the
Refugee Protection Division today that denied him refugee status in Canada
based on his need for medical marijuana.
Kubby complained, "I cannot understand how the Refugee panel could conclude
that my life would not be at risk if I were forced to return to the US,
after the leading cancer specialist in British Columbia testified that I
would die without it."
British Columbia cancer specialist Dr. Joseph Michael Connors, an expert in
the area of adrenal cancers, called by the Immigration Ministry, examined
Kubby and testified at the hearing about his medical condition.
The ruling recognizes that, according to Dr. Connors, "Mr. Kubby's tumour
releases, in excess quantities, hormones normally found in the adrenal
gland. Excessive levels of these hormones in Mr. Kubby's blood cause a
range of separate symptomatic problems including paroxysmal headaches,
palpitations (rapid and irregular beating of the heart), hypertension
(sudden dangerous rise in blood pressure), sudden abdominal cramps and
diarrhea, chest pain, shortness of breath, nausea, sudden severe weakness
and anorexia (loss of appetite). If not controlled, Mr. Kubby's symptoms
could evolve further to the point where a myocardial infarction (heart
attack) or cerebral vascular accident (stroke) could occur."
The ruling also acknowledged that "there is evidence before the Board, that
marihuana controls the symptoms of Mr. Kubby's cancer, including
hypertension. In Dr. Connors' opinion, marihuana continues to be the best
treatment available to Mr. Kubby."
However, the ruling went on to say that "it cannot therefore be stated with
any degree of certainty, that marihuana is the reason for Mr. Kubby's
survival even though it remains the best treatment option at this time."
Health Canada has even given Mr. Kubby permission to grow one hundred and
seventeen marijuana plants, based on "medical necessity."
The ruling further acknowledged, Kubby "has received a Health Canada
exemption, which suggests he is a bona fide ill person in need of medical
marihuana. It is noteworthy that Mr. Kubby was investigated and charged
with marihuana related criminal offences in Canada. Those Canadian charges
were later stayed by the Crown, and his marihuana grow equipment was
returned to him by the RCMP after the charges were stayed. This suggests
the Government of Canada believes he has a medical necessity for marihuana."
Despite all of this, the ruling somehow concluded, "he has not established
there is a risk to his life or a risk of cruel and unusual treatment or
punishment" if Kubby is forced to return to the US.
Kubby vowed, "Apparently, I have to die in order to convince the Refugee
board, but instead I intend to fight."
###
November 26, 2003
Probation Granted to 3 Who Grew, Sold Pot as a Medicine
Probation Granted to 3 Who Grew, Sold Pot as a Medicine
By Jean Guccione, Times Staff Writer
In a victory for advocates of medicinal marijuana, officers of a defunct West Hollywood cannabis club were sentenced Monday to one year of probation for growing and selling marijuana to hundreds of people with cancer, AIDS and other serious ailments.
In imposing the minimum allowable sentence, U.S. District Judge A. Howard Matz chastised the prosecution.
"To allocate the resources of the Drug Enforcement Agency and the U.S. attorney's office in this case … baffles me, disturbs me," the judge said.
...
The judge noted that 85% of the center's 960 members have AIDS or are HIV-positive; 10% have cancer; and the rest have various other medical conditions.
"It is difficult to imagine a case where a defendant has contributed to the distribution of a controlled substance for more humanitarian reasons than what occurred here," his defense attorney, Ronald O. Kaye, argued in court papers.
...
Under federal drug forfeiture laws, authorities seized $56,000 in the center's bank account and sold its building at 7494 Santa Monica Blvd. for $1.2 million.
The city of West Hollywood and Wells Fargo Bank, which financed the purchase, are trying to force the federal government to return a portion of the money.
Read It Rating: 6
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: .5
Learning Percentage: 35%
November 24, 2003
Man chokes to death hiding pot
Man chokes to death hiding pot
FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) -- A man changing a flat tire choked to death on a bag of marijuana he had stuffed down his throat in an apparent attempt to hide it from police who stopped to help him, authorities said.
Read It Rating: 4
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: -3
Learning Percentage: 75%
November 20, 2003
New Study Explains How Pot Kills Cancer Cells
This article by Steve kubby has some overlap with the previously posted article by Richard Cowan. Cowan's article is more extensive; Kubby's is more succinct.
New Study Explains How Pot Kills Cancer Cells
by Steve Kubby
A new study published in Nature Reviews-Cancer provides an historic and detailed explanation about how THC and natural cannabinoids counteract cancer, but preserve normal cells.
The study by Manuel Guzmán of Madrid Spain found that cannabinoids, the active components of marijuana, inhibit tumor growth in laboratory animals. They do so by modulating key cell-signalling pathways, thereby inducing direct growth arrest and death of tumor cells, as well as by inhibiting the growth of blood vessels that supply the tumor.
The Guzman study is very important according to Dr. Ethan Russo , a neurologist and world authority on medical cannabis: "Cancer occurs because cells become immortalized; they fail to heed normal signals to turn off growth. A normal function of remodelling in the body requires that cells die on cue. This is called apoptosis, or programmed cell death. That process fails to work in tumors. THC promotes its reappearance so that gliomas, leukemias, melanomas and other cell types will in fact heed the signals, stop dividing, and die."
"But, that is not all," explains Dr. Russo: "The other way that tumors grow is by ensuring that they are nourished: they send out signals to promote angiogenesis, the growth of new blood vessels. Cannabinoids turn off these signals as well. It is truly incredible, and elegant." ...
Read It Rating: 9.1
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: 1.1
Learning Percentage: 15%
If Cannabis Could Cure Cancer, They Would Tell Us, Right?
This is a somewhat clunky and jaded story, but it still makes for worthy reading, if for no other reason than the story which is embedded within it, entitled "POT SHRINKS TUMORS; GOVERNMENT KNEW IN '74". Also, this article by Richard Cowan (who has good cause to be jaded, as he has been fighting against the drug war for avery long time) is linked to a great many other articles and resources which offer a lot of background information.
If Cannabis Could Cure Cancer, They Would Tell Us, Right? No.
by Richard Cowan, MarijuanaNews.com
Read It Rating: 9
Left/Right Rating: L3
Freedom Rating: 1
Learning Percentage: 55%
Kubbys await refugee ruling
by Pete Brady (10 Nov, 2003)
Courageous couple grow medical marijuana on television
Medical marijuana advocates Michele and Steve Kubby are anticipating a ruling "any day now" on their historic bid to become Canada's first officially-sanctioned reefer refugees.
...
Earlier this year, Michele Kubby acted as her own lawyer in hearings before an immigration judge. The Kubbys are seeking official refugee status. They argue that Steve would die in America if he was sent back to face incarceration or other actions relating to his earlier conviction, because authorities will not guarantee him access to medpot. They also claim they would be victims of political persecution as individuals, and as part of a persecuted minority - pot smokers - who are targets of a "genocidal" US-government war. If the Kubbys win refugee status, it will be historic, because the ruling will in effect mean that the Canadian government has acknowledged that the US is a country that routinely violates the human rights of its citizens.
The refugee hearings were contentious and controversial, with government lawyers accused of lying by the Kubbys. Michele Kubby, who has no formal training as a lawyer, won plaudits from attorneys for her skillful attacks on the government's attempts to send her and her family back to the United States, and for her spirited defense of the Kubbys' right to stay in Canada.
...
Read It Rating: 7
Left/Right Rating: L3
Freedom Rating: .4
Learning Percentage: 20%
November 12, 2003
Campaigns No Longer Go Up In Smoke
Campaigns No Longer Go Up In Smoke
Past Marijuana Use Now More Acceptable
by Lisa Wangsness
Concord Monitor
Near the end of the Rock the Vote presidential candidates' forum in Boston this week, the moderator posed a question that once filled politicians with dread.
"Which of you are ready to admit to having used marijuana in the past?"
Though Howard Dean joked that the candidates would "keep our hands down on this one," only former ambassador Carol Moseley Braun declined to answer the question. Dean, Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry and North Carolina Sen. John Edwards said they had. The Rev. Al Sharpton said he had not.
Ohio Rep. Dennis Kucinich said he hadn't but added that he would decriminalize marijuana use.
Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman actually apologized - for not having smoked pot.
"I have a reputation for giving unpopular answers in Democratic debates," Lieberman joked. "I never used marijuana, sorry."
...
Read It Rating: 8
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: 1.5
Learning Percentage: 40%
November 09, 2003
Australia: Police To Conduct Random Roadside Drug Tests
Australia: Police To Conduct Random Roadside Drug Tests
In an Australian first, the Victorian government today moved to give police powers to conduct random roadside drug testing.
Under legislation now before state parliament, from July next year roadside drug screening will be used to detect drivers affected by cannabis and speed with a saliva test.
Read It Rating: 6
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: -2
Learning Percentage: 85%
October 16, 2003
LP: America owes Rush Limbaugh a debt of gratitude
LP Press Release:
America owes talk host Rush Limbaugh a debt of gratitude, Libertarians say
October 16, 2003
WASHINGTON, DC -- The entire nation owes radio broadcaster Rush Limbaugh a debt of gratitude, Libertarians say, because his ordeal has exposed every drug warrior in America as a rank hypocrite.
"One thing we don't hear from American politicians very often is silence," said Joe Seehusen, Libertarian Party executive director. "By refusing to criticize Rush Limbaugh, every drug warrior has just been exposed as a shameless, despicable hypocrite.
"And that's good news, because the next time they do speak up, there'll be no reason for anyone to listen."
The revelation that Limbaugh had become addicted to painkillers -- drugs he is accused of procuring illegally from his Palm Beach housekeeper -- has caused a media sensation ever since the megastar's shocking, on-air confession last week.
As the Limbaugh saga continues, here's an important question for Americans to ask, Libertarians say: Why are all the drug warriors suddenly so silent?
"Republican and Democratic politicians have written laws that have condemned more than 400,000 Americans to prison for committing the same 'crime' as Rush Limbaugh," Seehusen pointed out. "If this pill-popping pontificator deserves a get-out-of-jail-free card, these drug warriors had better explain why."
Given their longstanding support for the Drug War, it's fair to ask:
Why haven't President George Bush or his tough-on-crime attorney general, John Ashcroft, uttered a word criticizing Limbaugh's law-breaking?
Why aren't drug czar John P. Walters or his predecessor, Barry McCaffrey, lambasting Limbaugh as a menace to society and a threat to "our children?"
Why aren't federal DEA agents storming Limbaugh's $30 million Florida mansion in a frantic search for criminal evidence?
Why haven't federal, state, and local police agencies seized the celebrity's homes and luxury cars under asset-forfeiture laws?
Finally, why aren't bloviating blabbermouths like William Bennett publicly explaining how America would be better off if Limbaugh were prosecuted, locked in a steel cage and forced to abandon his wife, his friends, and his career?
The answer is obvious, Seehusen said: "America's drug warriors are shameless hypocrites who believe in one standard of justice for ordinary Americans and another for themselves, their families and their political allies.
"That alone should completely discredit them."
But there's an even more disturbing possibility, Seehusen said: that the people who are prosecuting the Drug War don't even believe in its central premise -- which is that public safety requires that drug users be jailed.
"The Bushes and Ashcrofts and McCaffreys of the world may believe, correctly, that individuals fighting a drug addiction deserve medical, not criminal treatment," he said. "That would explain why they're not demanding that Limbaugh be jailed.
"But if that's the case, these politicians have spent decades tearing apart American families for their own political gain. And that's an unforgivable crime."
October 07, 2003
Scientists admit: we were wrong about 'E'
Scientists admit: we were wrong about 'E'
Experts who gave a dramatic warning that ecstasy led to brain damage based their study on a huge blunder, reports health editor Jo Revill
Sunday September 7, 2003
The Observer
It was billed as the one of the most dramatic warnings the world has ever received over the dangers of ecstasy. A study from one of America's leading universities concluded that taking the drug for just one evening could leave clubbers with irreversible brain damage, and trigger the onset of Parkinson's disease.
The study, published in the eminent journal Science last September, had an immediate impact. Doctors and anti-drug crusaders spoke of a 'neurological time bomb' facing the young. Others suggested that taking one of the tablets was the equivalent of playing Russian roulette with the brain, and demanded tighter 'anti-rave' laws to deal with it.
But today, scientists are facing up to the humiliation of admitting that the stark results they reported in the study were not a breakthrough but a terrible, humiliating blunder.
The study was based on the fact that laboratory monkeys and baboons had a severe reaction to the drug when it was injected in small doses. But it emerged this weekend that the vials of liquid did not contain ecstasy....
Read It Rating: 9
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: 2
Learning Percentage: 80%
October 01, 2003
Tommy Chong gets 9 months for selling bongs and such on Web
COURTTV.COM - PEOPLE - Tommy Chong gets 9 months for selling drug wares on Web
Updated Sept. 11, 2003, 2:45 p.m. ET
Tommy Chong gets 9 months for selling drug wares on Web
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Tommy Chong, who played one half of the dope-smoking duo in the Cheech and Chong movies, was sentenced to nine months in federal prison and fined $20,000 Thursday for selling bongs and other drug paraphernalia over the Internet.
The 65-year-old was allowed to remain free until federal prison officials tell him in a few weeks where he must report to prison.
Full story...
Read It Rating: 8
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: -3.5
Learning Percentage: 30%
September 21, 2003
Marijuana laws struck down in British Columbia
Marijuana laws struck down in British Columbia
Westernmost province joins Ontario, PEI and Nova Scotia in ending prohibition
Years of protests bear fruit for freedom
On September 4, Provincial Court Judge P Chen made a landmark ruling regarding marijuana laws in British Columbia. In his decision, Judge Chen said parts of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA) are "invalid" and that "there is no offense known to law at this time for simple possession of marijuana" in the province.
Judge Chen's decision was based on a series of court cases in Ontario that led a judge there to strike down marijuana possession laws in January of this year. ...
Read It Rating: 7.5
Left/Right Rating: L3
Freedom Rating: 3
Learning Percentage: 80%
September 03, 2003
Former drug warriors turn against prohibition
Altered Minds
Former drug warriors turn against prohibition.
by Jacob Sullum
ReasonOnline
In the 1980s, not many people could plausibly claim stronger anti-drug credentials than Nancy Reagan. But Forest Tennant could.
"It's great for the Reagans to get up and say, 'Let's do something about the drug problem,' but I don't know who's going to do it," he told the Los Angeles Times in 1986. "Only true professional people like myself can do very much with the drug problem."
...
Tennant has published hundreds of scientific articles, testified in high-profile trials, and advised the NFL, NASCAR, the California Highway Patrol, the Food and Drug Administration, and the National Institute on Drug Abuse. The Times described him as "riding at the forefront of the current wave of anti-drug sentiment."
So when the folks at the Hoover Institution who produce the PBS show Uncommon Knowledge were looking for someone to debate drug policy with me, Tennant must have seemed like a natural choice. Imagine their surprise when he ended up agreeing that the war on drugs has been a disastrous mistake.
...
Tennant is by no means the only former drug warrior who has become a critic of current policy. Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP), founded last year, includes more than 400 current and former police officers, judges, federal agents, prosecutors, and parole, probation, and corrections officers. The group is headed by Jack Cole, a 26-year veteran of the New Jersey State Police who worked in narcotics enforcement for 14 years.
...
Read It Rating: 9.8
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: 4
Learning Percentage: 50%
Dutch Government begins distributing prescription cannabis
Cannabis as a prescription drug
The Dutch government has started distributing cannabis as a prescription painkiller to pharmacies to treat chronically ill patients. The Hague had already been turning a blind eye to medicinal cannabis use, but now it's become the world's first government to supply the drug itself, in accordance with United Nations rules on narcotics.
Cannabis sativa has been used therapeutically for many centuries. Known to the Chinese as a strong herbal remedy around 5,000 years ago, it was introduced into European medicine in Napoleonic times. Its pain relieving and sedative effects soon became accepted by Western medical practitioners, who prescribed it on a wide scale. Britain's Queen Victoria is said to have taken cannabis tincture for menstrual pains.
Read It Rating: 9.4
Left/Right Rating: L6
Freedom Rating: 2.5
Learning Percentage: 50%
August 18, 2003
Illegal drug makers targeting RV's
Thank you, oh mighty War on Drugs, for opening yet another perverse tear in our society's fabric.
There is one good thing about crystal meth: Of all the drugs in the New Prohibition, it's the one which is most obviously reminiscent of the first Prohibition. (Think moonshine.) Maybe something will snap, as people internally compare the images on the evening news with the contraption in "The Swamp" on M*A*S*H, and experience a cognitive dissonance -- preferably, a big collective one.
From the end of the article:
You can help as well by reporting suspected labs to state police.
Try, "You can help as well by demanding a swift and certain end to the foolish 'War on Drugs'."
Illegal drug makers targeting RV's
(Mattawan, August 12, 2003, 6:20 p.m. ) Camping is a favorite summer past time for Cindy Harnish and her family.
But while getting ready for a camp out earlier this summer, Cindy's father discovered a problem with his travel trailer.
"We got up north and the refrigerator, we tried to light it up but it wouldn't light. So he opened it up and it looked like it had been cut."
But what first appeared to be an act of vandalism may actually have been the latest chapter in the war against the drug known as crystal meth.
For years, makers of crystal meth have been stealing anhydrous ammonia from tanks on farm fields and farm co-ops.
...Now, it appears some manufacturers are turning to RV's.
Read It Rating: 7.5
Left/Right Rating: R2
Freedom Rating: -5
Learning Percentage: 50%
August 17, 2003
Cannabis campaigner may be forced to go
Cannabis campaigner may be forced to go
Pot activist Steve Kubby - who says he depends on marijuana to ward off a rare form of cancer - is now fighting to stay in Canada.
Kubby, 56, is under a departure order from Citizenship and Immigration Canada that would force him, wife Michele, and two daughters, out of the country as early as Jan. 15.
...
December 15, 2003
December 13, 2003
CANADA DENIES REFUGEE STATUS TO US MEDICAL MARIJUANA EXILE
Drug War Chronicle
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/315/stevekubby.shtml
CANADA DENIES REFUGEE STATUS TO US MEDICAL MARIJUANA EXILE
Prominent American medical marijuana activist Steve Kubby
(http://www.kubby.com), who fled the US saying an impending jail sentence
would cause his death, has been denied refugee status by the Canadian
Immigration and Refugee Board. An adrenal cancer patient, Kubby has smoked a
dozen joints a day for year, which he says keeps him alive, and would have
been denied that medication while serving a misdemeanor sentence in
California. But Kubby did not have a well-founded fear of being persecuted
or tortured, nor was there any risk to his life if he returned to his home
state of California, the board ruled Monday.
He has said he will appeal, but the clock is ticking for Kubby and his
family, whose requests for refugee status were also denied. Under Canadian
law, he has 15 days to apply to the Supreme Court for a review of the
decision, and if the court chooses not to review his case, he and his family
would have to leave the country within 30 days. One option would be to apply
for a "pre-removal risk assessment," which would force immigration officials
to once again investigate whether he would face "cruel or unusual punishment
or risk to life" if returned to the US.
Steve Kubby Kubby, the 1998 Libertarian Party nominee for governor of
California, fled to Canada with his family in 2001 after being found guilty
of possession of a small amount of psychedelic mushrooms and peyote in his
home state. That conviction arose from a medical marijuana raid on Kubby's
home. The state could not convict on the marijuana charges -- California law
allows for its medical use -- but did manage to nail Kubby for the 'shrooms.
He was prepared to serve a 120-day sentence provided he could have access to
medical marijuana. But local authorities in California refused to allow him
to have his medicine in jail, so Kubby ran for his life to what he hoped
would be a friendlier clime.
He and his family entered Canada on tourist visas, but were detained by
Canadian immigration authorities after newspaper stories featured their
cause and described them cultivating a medical marijuana garden at their
home in Sechelt, British Columbia, a short ferry ride up BC's Sunshine Coast
from Vancouver. At that point, Kubby, his wife Michelle, and their two
daughters applied for asylum as refugees fleeing persecution by American
drug warriors. Since then, they have remained in Canada, where they produce
a program on Pot-TV (http://www.pot-tv.net), a web-based marijuana reform
broadcaster funded by marijuana seed magnate Marc Emery. They also received
a permit from Health Canada to cultivate marijuana for Kubby's medicinal use
are currently growing 117 plants, Kubby told the Toronto Globe & Mail.
In addition to the fear of persecution because of his well-known advocacy of
medical marijuana, Kubby argued that medical marijuana users were not
protected in California, and that he would die if deprived of his medicine.
The Immigration and Refugee Board, however, ruled that Kubby was not and
would not be persecuted, that California law in fact protects medical
marijuana users, and that he would not suffer serious health effects if
incarcerated without access to medical marijuana.
In an opinion written by board member Paulah Dauns, the board noted that
Kubby had not been convicted on medical marijuana charges, but on other drug
charges, and that California law protected him. "In effect, the process
worked, as it was designed to," she wrote. "He argues that a medical
marijuana patient should be protected from persecution. What he has
demonstrated is that in fact, they are." Dauns also wrote that while there
was little doubt marijuana relieved Kubby's cancer symptoms, there was no
evidence that depriving him of cannabis while incarcerated on the California
'shroom charge would kill him, despite testimony from Dr. Joseph Connors of
the British Columbia Cancer Agency, who told the court during an April
hearing that Kubby would die within four days if denied access to marijuana
for his condition. Kubby was not a refugee, wrote Dauns, but a "fugitive
from justice."
And while Kubby argued that his use of marijuana was akin to a diabetic's
use of insulin, Dauns was having none of that, either. "Insulin has been
approved by the medical community as a treatment, whereas marijuana has
not," she said. "The research on the benefits of marijuana is woefully
inadequate and inconclusive, making a comparison of these two treatments
illogical," she wrote.
The Kubby case is the first of a handful of similar "reefer refugee" cases
to be decided in Canada. Two Northern California men, Kenneth Hayes and
Steve Tuck, who fled federal marijuana charges related to California medical
marijuana grows, have cases pending before the author of Monday's decision,
board member Dauns. Some advocates had hoped Kubby, with his strong health
argument, had the strongest of any of the pending cases.
Canadian Kubby supporters denounced the decision. "This is yet another
example of the harms of cannabis prohibition," said Philippe Lucas, director
of Canadians for Safe Access (http://www.safeaccess.ca), a medical marijuana
defense organization based on its southern sister, Americans for Safe Access
(http://www.safeaccessnow.org). "The Kubbys are kind contributors to the
social well-being of Canadians -- under any other circumstances, Canada
would welcome this reverse brain-drain. It is only through the perversion of
justice caused by prohibition that a loving family like the Kubbys could be
condemned to an uncertain future at the hands of American prosecutors."
But it wasn't only abstract prohibition that had Lucas and other Canadian
activists irked, it was the harsh slap in the face from a traditionally
refugee-friendly country. "Are we as a nation really so quick to take a
chance on Steve Kubby's health?" asked Lucas. "Shouldn't a modern liberal
democracy like Canada err on the side of social justice when a man's life is
on the line? If Steve Kubby should suffer the same fate as Peter McWilliams
-- who died choking on his own vomit while being denied his medicinal
cannabis after his arrest -- the hands of those who denied his refugee claim
will be forever stained in his blood."
"Today, I'm ashamed of being a Canadian," concurred Tim Meehan, national
director of the anti-prohibition wing of the New Democratic Party
(http://www.ndpot.ca). "Here at home, our government constantly reminds us
of how important the refugee protection system is. Canada's reputation is
built on it. However, when they subject people like Steve Kubby and his
family to institutional prejudice because of their choice of medical
treatment, and are more concerned about angering a trading partner than
saving a human life, that demonstrates our government's priorities are very
seriously out of alignment. I hope Canadians remember that in the upcoming
federal election," Meehan added.
Visit http://www.mapinc.org/alert/0282.html for a letter-writing alert to
help Steve Kubby.
Read a summary of the decision at:
http://www.irb.gc.ca/en/decisions/kubby/va2_01374_e.htm#summary
Read the decision in full at:
http://www.irb.gc.ca/en/decisions/kubby/va2_01374_e.htm
Or to get right to the paragraphs where Dauns lays out her reasoning, go to:
http://www.irb.gc.ca/en/decisions/kubby/va2_01374_e.htm#determination
American Medical Marijuana Refugee Ordered To Return To United States
NORML's Weekly News Bulletin -- December 11, 2003
http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=5856
American Medical Marijuana Refugee Ordered To Return To United States
Immigration Board Recognizes Pot To Be "Best Treatment Available," But
Rejects Patient's Asylum Request
December 11, 2003 - Vancouver, BC, Canada
Vancouver, British Columbia: The Canadian Immigration and Refugee Board this
week denied refugee status to American Steve Kubby and his family, and
ordered their return to California where Kubby is expected to be sentenced
to four months in jail for drug-related charges. Kubby has said he will
appeal the ruling.
He and his wife Michelle and two children will be allowed to remain in the
country while awaiting their appeal.
Kubby fled to Canada in 2001 rather than serve time in jail, where he would
be denied access to medicinal marijuana, which he requires to treat symptoms
of a rare, life-threatening form of adrenal cancer known as
pheochromocytoma. Kubby was diagnosed in 1968 with the disease - which he's
managed since the early 1980s exclusively by smoking cannabis - and given
six months to live. (Life expectancy of a person with pheochromocytoma is
typically three to five years.) Today Kubby is recognized as one of the
longest living survivors of the disease.
Though the Board recognized that "marijuana continues to be the best
treatment available to Mr. Kubby," and that he could potentially suffer a
heart attack or stroke without cannabis, it nevertheless ruled, "The
claimant is not a person in need of protection in that his removal to the
United States would not subject him personally to a risk to his life."
The Board based this decision, in part, on the premise that Kubby would
likely have access to medicinal marijuana while in jail. However, California
law does not compel the state to allow inmates access to medical cannabis,
stating: "Nothing in this article shall require any accommodation of any
medical use of marijuana ... on the property or premises of any jail,
correctional facility, or other type of penal institution in which prisoners
reside or persons under arrest are detained."
While living in Canada, Kubby had been one of fewer than 600 individuals to
receive a federal exemption from Health Canada to legally cultivate and use
pot for medical purposes.
NORML Foundation Executive Director Allen St. Pierre called the Refugee
Board's decision unfortunate and puzzling considering the government's prior
acknowledgement of Kubby's medical need to use cannabis. "This decision
makes little sense in light of the fact that the Canadian government has
already approved Steve Kubby's medical use of marijuana by granting him a
special exemption from prosecution," he said.
"Why they couldn't extend that same thinking to his asylum request seeking
protection for his health from America's policy of strict marijuana law
enforcement is puzzling. This decision does not bode well for the other
Americans who have sought refuge status in Canada for their
physician-sanctioned use of medical marijuana."
Since 1989, the Immigration and Refugee Board has heard nearly 1,000 refugee
cases from the United States, including 268 pending cases. So far, none of
those individuals have been granted asylum.
For more information, please contact Allen St. Pierre of The NORML
Foundation at (202) 483-8751. Full text of the Immigration and Refugee
Board's ruling is available online at:
http://www.irb.gc.ca/en/decisions/kubby/va2_01374_e.htm
(In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.)
Woman Uses Greeting Card to Smuggle Meth
FOXNews.com - Top Stories - Woman Uses Greeting Card to Smuggle Meth
December 12, 2003
December 11, 2003
Pot doc's license revocation upheld
Dec. 10, 2003 -- Pot doc's license revocation upheld
By HANK LAWSON Staff writer
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed Monday the federal government's revocation of Dr. Marion "Molly" Fry's license to prescribe medication including marijuana.
December 08, 2003
KUBBY VOWS APPEAL OF RULING DENYING REFUGEE STATUS IN CANADA
For Immediate Release
December 8, 2003
Press Conference:
Tuesday, Dec. 9th, noon, BC Marijuana Party Headquarters, 307 West Hastings,
Vancouver
Decision Online:
http://www.irb.gc.ca/en/decisions/kubby/va2_01374_e.htm
KUBBY VOWS APPEAL OF RULING DENYING REFUGEE STATUS IN CANADA
VANCOUVER -- Steve Kubby, medical marijuana patient and former Libertarian
Party candidate for governor of California, vowed to appeal a ruling by the
Refugee Protection Division today that denied him refugee status in Canada
based on his need for medical marijuana.
Kubby complained, "I cannot understand how the Refugee panel could conclude
that my life would not be at risk if I were forced to return to the US,
after the leading cancer specialist in British Columbia testified that I
would die without it."
British Columbia cancer specialist Dr. Joseph Michael Connors, an expert in
the area of adrenal cancers, called by the Immigration Ministry, examined
Kubby and testified at the hearing about his medical condition.
The ruling recognizes that, according to Dr. Connors, "Mr. Kubby's tumour
releases, in excess quantities, hormones normally found in the adrenal
gland. Excessive levels of these hormones in Mr. Kubby's blood cause a
range of separate symptomatic problems including paroxysmal headaches,
palpitations (rapid and irregular beating of the heart), hypertension
(sudden dangerous rise in blood pressure), sudden abdominal cramps and
diarrhea, chest pain, shortness of breath, nausea, sudden severe weakness
and anorexia (loss of appetite). If not controlled, Mr. Kubby's symptoms
could evolve further to the point where a myocardial infarction (heart
attack) or cerebral vascular accident (stroke) could occur."
The ruling also acknowledged that "there is evidence before the Board, that
marihuana controls the symptoms of Mr. Kubby's cancer, including
hypertension. In Dr. Connors' opinion, marihuana continues to be the best
treatment available to Mr. Kubby."
However, the ruling went on to say that "it cannot therefore be stated with
any degree of certainty, that marihuana is the reason for Mr. Kubby's
survival even though it remains the best treatment option at this time."
Health Canada has even given Mr. Kubby permission to grow one hundred and
seventeen marijuana plants, based on "medical necessity."
The ruling further acknowledged, Kubby "has received a Health Canada
exemption, which suggests he is a bona fide ill person in need of medical
marihuana. It is noteworthy that Mr. Kubby was investigated and charged
with marihuana related criminal offences in Canada. Those Canadian charges
were later stayed by the Crown, and his marihuana grow equipment was
returned to him by the RCMP after the charges were stayed. This suggests
the Government of Canada believes he has a medical necessity for marihuana."
Despite all of this, the ruling somehow concluded, "he has not established
there is a risk to his life or a risk of cruel and unusual treatment or
punishment" if Kubby is forced to return to the US.
Kubby vowed, "Apparently, I have to die in order to convince the Refugee
board, but instead I intend to fight."
###
November 26, 2003
Probation Granted to 3 Who Grew, Sold Pot as a Medicine
Probation Granted to 3 Who Grew, Sold Pot as a Medicine
By Jean Guccione, Times Staff Writer
In a victory for advocates of medicinal marijuana, officers of a defunct West Hollywood cannabis club were sentenced Monday to one year of probation for growing and selling marijuana to hundreds of people with cancer, AIDS and other serious ailments.
In imposing the minimum allowable sentence, U.S. District Judge A. Howard Matz chastised the prosecution.
"To allocate the resources of the Drug Enforcement Agency and the U.S. attorney's office in this case … baffles me, disturbs me," the judge said.
...
The judge noted that 85% of the center's 960 members have AIDS or are HIV-positive; 10% have cancer; and the rest have various other medical conditions.
"It is difficult to imagine a case where a defendant has contributed to the distribution of a controlled substance for more humanitarian reasons than what occurred here," his defense attorney, Ronald O. Kaye, argued in court papers.
...
Under federal drug forfeiture laws, authorities seized $56,000 in the center's bank account and sold its building at 7494 Santa Monica Blvd. for $1.2 million.
The city of West Hollywood and Wells Fargo Bank, which financed the purchase, are trying to force the federal government to return a portion of the money.
Read It Rating: 6
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: .5
Learning Percentage: 35%
November 24, 2003
Man chokes to death hiding pot
Man chokes to death hiding pot
FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) -- A man changing a flat tire choked to death on a bag of marijuana he had stuffed down his throat in an apparent attempt to hide it from police who stopped to help him, authorities said.
Read It Rating: 4
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: -3
Learning Percentage: 75%
November 20, 2003
New Study Explains How Pot Kills Cancer Cells
This article by Steve kubby has some overlap with the previously posted article by Richard Cowan. Cowan's article is more extensive; Kubby's is more succinct.
New Study Explains How Pot Kills Cancer Cells
by Steve Kubby
A new study published in Nature Reviews-Cancer provides an historic and detailed explanation about how THC and natural cannabinoids counteract cancer, but preserve normal cells.
The study by Manuel Guzmán of Madrid Spain found that cannabinoids, the active components of marijuana, inhibit tumor growth in laboratory animals. They do so by modulating key cell-signalling pathways, thereby inducing direct growth arrest and death of tumor cells, as well as by inhibiting the growth of blood vessels that supply the tumor.
The Guzman study is very important according to Dr. Ethan Russo , a neurologist and world authority on medical cannabis: "Cancer occurs because cells become immortalized; they fail to heed normal signals to turn off growth. A normal function of remodelling in the body requires that cells die on cue. This is called apoptosis, or programmed cell death. That process fails to work in tumors. THC promotes its reappearance so that gliomas, leukemias, melanomas and other cell types will in fact heed the signals, stop dividing, and die."
"But, that is not all," explains Dr. Russo: "The other way that tumors grow is by ensuring that they are nourished: they send out signals to promote angiogenesis, the growth of new blood vessels. Cannabinoids turn off these signals as well. It is truly incredible, and elegant." ...
Read It Rating: 9.1
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: 1.1
Learning Percentage: 15%
If Cannabis Could Cure Cancer, They Would Tell Us, Right?
This is a somewhat clunky and jaded story, but it still makes for worthy reading, if for no other reason than the story which is embedded within it, entitled "POT SHRINKS TUMORS; GOVERNMENT KNEW IN '74". Also, this article by Richard Cowan (who has good cause to be jaded, as he has been fighting against the drug war for avery long time) is linked to a great many other articles and resources which offer a lot of background information.
If Cannabis Could Cure Cancer, They Would Tell Us, Right? No.
by Richard Cowan, MarijuanaNews.com
Read It Rating: 9
Left/Right Rating: L3
Freedom Rating: 1
Learning Percentage: 55%
Kubbys await refugee ruling
by Pete Brady (10 Nov, 2003)
Courageous couple grow medical marijuana on television
Medical marijuana advocates Michele and Steve Kubby are anticipating a ruling "any day now" on their historic bid to become Canada's first officially-sanctioned reefer refugees.
...
Earlier this year, Michele Kubby acted as her own lawyer in hearings before an immigration judge. The Kubbys are seeking official refugee status. They argue that Steve would die in America if he was sent back to face incarceration or other actions relating to his earlier conviction, because authorities will not guarantee him access to medpot. They also claim they would be victims of political persecution as individuals, and as part of a persecuted minority - pot smokers - who are targets of a "genocidal" US-government war. If the Kubbys win refugee status, it will be historic, because the ruling will in effect mean that the Canadian government has acknowledged that the US is a country that routinely violates the human rights of its citizens.
The refugee hearings were contentious and controversial, with government lawyers accused of lying by the Kubbys. Michele Kubby, who has no formal training as a lawyer, won plaudits from attorneys for her skillful attacks on the government's attempts to send her and her family back to the United States, and for her spirited defense of the Kubbys' right to stay in Canada.
...
Read It Rating: 7
Left/Right Rating: L3
Freedom Rating: .4
Learning Percentage: 20%
November 12, 2003
Campaigns No Longer Go Up In Smoke
Campaigns No Longer Go Up In Smoke
Past Marijuana Use Now More Acceptable
by Lisa Wangsness
Concord Monitor
Near the end of the Rock the Vote presidential candidates' forum in Boston this week, the moderator posed a question that once filled politicians with dread.
"Which of you are ready to admit to having used marijuana in the past?"
Though Howard Dean joked that the candidates would "keep our hands down on this one," only former ambassador Carol Moseley Braun declined to answer the question. Dean, Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry and North Carolina Sen. John Edwards said they had. The Rev. Al Sharpton said he had not.
Ohio Rep. Dennis Kucinich said he hadn't but added that he would decriminalize marijuana use.
Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman actually apologized - for not having smoked pot.
"I have a reputation for giving unpopular answers in Democratic debates," Lieberman joked. "I never used marijuana, sorry."
...
Read It Rating: 8
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: 1.5
Learning Percentage: 40%
November 09, 2003
Australia: Police To Conduct Random Roadside Drug Tests
Australia: Police To Conduct Random Roadside Drug Tests
In an Australian first, the Victorian government today moved to give police powers to conduct random roadside drug testing.
Under legislation now before state parliament, from July next year roadside drug screening will be used to detect drivers affected by cannabis and speed with a saliva test.
Read It Rating: 6
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: -2
Learning Percentage: 85%
October 16, 2003
LP: America owes Rush Limbaugh a debt of gratitude
LP Press Release:
America owes talk host Rush Limbaugh a debt of gratitude, Libertarians say
October 16, 2003
WASHINGTON, DC -- The entire nation owes radio broadcaster Rush Limbaugh a debt of gratitude, Libertarians say, because his ordeal has exposed every drug warrior in America as a rank hypocrite.
"One thing we don't hear from American politicians very often is silence," said Joe Seehusen, Libertarian Party executive director. "By refusing to criticize Rush Limbaugh, every drug warrior has just been exposed as a shameless, despicable hypocrite.
"And that's good news, because the next time they do speak up, there'll be no reason for anyone to listen."
The revelation that Limbaugh had become addicted to painkillers -- drugs he is accused of procuring illegally from his Palm Beach housekeeper -- has caused a media sensation ever since the megastar's shocking, on-air confession last week.
As the Limbaugh saga continues, here's an important question for Americans to ask, Libertarians say: Why are all the drug warriors suddenly so silent?
"Republican and Democratic politicians have written laws that have condemned more than 400,000 Americans to prison for committing the same 'crime' as Rush Limbaugh," Seehusen pointed out. "If this pill-popping pontificator deserves a get-out-of-jail-free card, these drug warriors had better explain why."
Given their longstanding support for the Drug War, it's fair to ask:
Why haven't President George Bush or his tough-on-crime attorney general, John Ashcroft, uttered a word criticizing Limbaugh's law-breaking?
Why aren't drug czar John P. Walters or his predecessor, Barry McCaffrey, lambasting Limbaugh as a menace to society and a threat to "our children?"
Why aren't federal DEA agents storming Limbaugh's $30 million Florida mansion in a frantic search for criminal evidence?
Why haven't federal, state, and local police agencies seized the celebrity's homes and luxury cars under asset-forfeiture laws?
Finally, why aren't bloviating blabbermouths like William Bennett publicly explaining how America would be better off if Limbaugh were prosecuted, locked in a steel cage and forced to abandon his wife, his friends, and his career?
The answer is obvious, Seehusen said: "America's drug warriors are shameless hypocrites who believe in one standard of justice for ordinary Americans and another for themselves, their families and their political allies.
"That alone should completely discredit them."
But there's an even more disturbing possibility, Seehusen said: that the people who are prosecuting the Drug War don't even believe in its central premise -- which is that public safety requires that drug users be jailed.
"The Bushes and Ashcrofts and McCaffreys of the world may believe, correctly, that individuals fighting a drug addiction deserve medical, not criminal treatment," he said. "That would explain why they're not demanding that Limbaugh be jailed.
"But if that's the case, these politicians have spent decades tearing apart American families for their own political gain. And that's an unforgivable crime."
October 07, 2003
Scientists admit: we were wrong about 'E'
Scientists admit: we were wrong about 'E'
Experts who gave a dramatic warning that ecstasy led to brain damage based their study on a huge blunder, reports health editor Jo Revill
Sunday September 7, 2003
The Observer
It was billed as the one of the most dramatic warnings the world has ever received over the dangers of ecstasy. A study from one of America's leading universities concluded that taking the drug for just one evening could leave clubbers with irreversible brain damage, and trigger the onset of Parkinson's disease.
The study, published in the eminent journal Science last September, had an immediate impact. Doctors and anti-drug crusaders spoke of a 'neurological time bomb' facing the young. Others suggested that taking one of the tablets was the equivalent of playing Russian roulette with the brain, and demanded tighter 'anti-rave' laws to deal with it.
But today, scientists are facing up to the humiliation of admitting that the stark results they reported in the study were not a breakthrough but a terrible, humiliating blunder.
The study was based on the fact that laboratory monkeys and baboons had a severe reaction to the drug when it was injected in small doses. But it emerged this weekend that the vials of liquid did not contain ecstasy....
Read It Rating: 9
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: 2
Learning Percentage: 80%
October 01, 2003
Tommy Chong gets 9 months for selling bongs and such on Web
COURTTV.COM - PEOPLE - Tommy Chong gets 9 months for selling drug wares on Web
Updated Sept. 11, 2003, 2:45 p.m. ET
Tommy Chong gets 9 months for selling drug wares on Web
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Tommy Chong, who played one half of the dope-smoking duo in the Cheech and Chong movies, was sentenced to nine months in federal prison and fined $20,000 Thursday for selling bongs and other drug paraphernalia over the Internet.
The 65-year-old was allowed to remain free until federal prison officials tell him in a few weeks where he must report to prison.
Full story...
Read It Rating: 8
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: -3.5
Learning Percentage: 30%
September 21, 2003
Marijuana laws struck down in British Columbia
Marijuana laws struck down in British Columbia
Westernmost province joins Ontario, PEI and Nova Scotia in ending prohibition
Years of protests bear fruit for freedom
On September 4, Provincial Court Judge P Chen made a landmark ruling regarding marijuana laws in British Columbia. In his decision, Judge Chen said parts of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA) are "invalid" and that "there is no offense known to law at this time for simple possession of marijuana" in the province.
Judge Chen's decision was based on a series of court cases in Ontario that led a judge there to strike down marijuana possession laws in January of this year. ...
Read It Rating: 7.5
Left/Right Rating: L3
Freedom Rating: 3
Learning Percentage: 80%
September 03, 2003
Former drug warriors turn against prohibition
Altered Minds
Former drug warriors turn against prohibition.
by Jacob Sullum
ReasonOnline
In the 1980s, not many people could plausibly claim stronger anti-drug credentials than Nancy Reagan. But Forest Tennant could.
"It's great for the Reagans to get up and say, 'Let's do something about the drug problem,' but I don't know who's going to do it," he told the Los Angeles Times in 1986. "Only true professional people like myself can do very much with the drug problem."
...
Tennant has published hundreds of scientific articles, testified in high-profile trials, and advised the NFL, NASCAR, the California Highway Patrol, the Food and Drug Administration, and the National Institute on Drug Abuse. The Times described him as "riding at the forefront of the current wave of anti-drug sentiment."
So when the folks at the Hoover Institution who produce the PBS show Uncommon Knowledge were looking for someone to debate drug policy with me, Tennant must have seemed like a natural choice. Imagine their surprise when he ended up agreeing that the war on drugs has been a disastrous mistake.
...
Tennant is by no means the only former drug warrior who has become a critic of current policy. Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP), founded last year, includes more than 400 current and former police officers, judges, federal agents, prosecutors, and parole, probation, and corrections officers. The group is headed by Jack Cole, a 26-year veteran of the New Jersey State Police who worked in narcotics enforcement for 14 years.
...
Read It Rating: 9.8
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: 4
Learning Percentage: 50%
Dutch Government begins distributing prescription cannabis
Cannabis as a prescription drug
The Dutch government has started distributing cannabis as a prescription painkiller to pharmacies to treat chronically ill patients. The Hague had already been turning a blind eye to medicinal cannabis use, but now it's become the world's first government to supply the drug itself, in accordance with United Nations rules on narcotics.
Cannabis sativa has been used therapeutically for many centuries. Known to the Chinese as a strong herbal remedy around 5,000 years ago, it was introduced into European medicine in Napoleonic times. Its pain relieving and sedative effects soon became accepted by Western medical practitioners, who prescribed it on a wide scale. Britain's Queen Victoria is said to have taken cannabis tincture for menstrual pains.
Read It Rating: 9.4
Left/Right Rating: L6
Freedom Rating: 2.5
Learning Percentage: 50%
August 18, 2003
Illegal drug makers targeting RV's
Thank you, oh mighty War on Drugs, for opening yet another perverse tear in our society's fabric.
There is one good thing about crystal meth: Of all the drugs in the New Prohibition, it's the one which is most obviously reminiscent of the first Prohibition. (Think moonshine.) Maybe something will snap, as people internally compare the images on the evening news with the contraption in "The Swamp" on M*A*S*H, and experience a cognitive dissonance -- preferably, a big collective one.
From the end of the article:
You can help as well by reporting suspected labs to state police.
Try, "You can help as well by demanding a swift and certain end to the foolish 'War on Drugs'."
Illegal drug makers targeting RV's
(Mattawan, August 12, 2003, 6:20 p.m. ) Camping is a favorite summer past time for Cindy Harnish and her family.
But while getting ready for a camp out earlier this summer, Cindy's father discovered a problem with his travel trailer.
"We got up north and the refrigerator, we tried to light it up but it wouldn't light. So he opened it up and it looked like it had been cut."
But what first appeared to be an act of vandalism may actually have been the latest chapter in the war against the drug known as crystal meth.
For years, makers of crystal meth have been stealing anhydrous ammonia from tanks on farm fields and farm co-ops.
...Now, it appears some manufacturers are turning to RV's.
Read It Rating: 7.5
Left/Right Rating: R2
Freedom Rating: -5
Learning Percentage: 50%
August 17, 2003
CANADA DENIES REFUGEE STATUS TO US MEDICAL MARIJUANA EXILE
Drug War Chronicle
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/315/stevekubby.shtml
CANADA DENIES REFUGEE STATUS TO US MEDICAL MARIJUANA EXILE
Prominent American medical marijuana activist Steve Kubby
(http://www.kubby.com), who fled the US saying an impending jail sentence
would cause his death, has been denied refugee status by the Canadian
Immigration and Refugee Board. An adrenal cancer patient, Kubby has smoked a
dozen joints a day for year, which he says keeps him alive, and would have
been denied that medication while serving a misdemeanor sentence in
California. But Kubby did not have a well-founded fear of being persecuted
or tortured, nor was there any risk to his life if he returned to his home
state of California, the board ruled Monday.
He has said he will appeal, but the clock is ticking for Kubby and his
family, whose requests for refugee status were also denied. Under Canadian
law, he has 15 days to apply to the Supreme Court for a review of the
decision, and if the court chooses not to review his case, he and his family
would have to leave the country within 30 days. One option would be to apply
for a "pre-removal risk assessment," which would force immigration officials
to once again investigate whether he would face "cruel or unusual punishment
or risk to life" if returned to the US.
Steve Kubby Kubby, the 1998 Libertarian Party nominee for governor of
California, fled to Canada with his family in 2001 after being found guilty
of possession of a small amount of psychedelic mushrooms and peyote in his
home state. That conviction arose from a medical marijuana raid on Kubby's
home. The state could not convict on the marijuana charges -- California law
allows for its medical use -- but did manage to nail Kubby for the 'shrooms.
He was prepared to serve a 120-day sentence provided he could have access to
medical marijuana. But local authorities in California refused to allow him
to have his medicine in jail, so Kubby ran for his life to what he hoped
would be a friendlier clime.
He and his family entered Canada on tourist visas, but were detained by
Canadian immigration authorities after newspaper stories featured their
cause and described them cultivating a medical marijuana garden at their
home in Sechelt, British Columbia, a short ferry ride up BC's Sunshine Coast
from Vancouver. At that point, Kubby, his wife Michelle, and their two
daughters applied for asylum as refugees fleeing persecution by American
drug warriors. Since then, they have remained in Canada, where they produce
a program on Pot-TV (http://www.pot-tv.net), a web-based marijuana reform
broadcaster funded by marijuana seed magnate Marc Emery. They also received
a permit from Health Canada to cultivate marijuana for Kubby's medicinal use
are currently growing 117 plants, Kubby told the Toronto Globe & Mail.
In addition to the fear of persecution because of his well-known advocacy of
medical marijuana, Kubby argued that medical marijuana users were not
protected in California, and that he would die if deprived of his medicine.
The Immigration and Refugee Board, however, ruled that Kubby was not and
would not be persecuted, that California law in fact protects medical
marijuana users, and that he would not suffer serious health effects if
incarcerated without access to medical marijuana.
In an opinion written by board member Paulah Dauns, the board noted that
Kubby had not been convicted on medical marijuana charges, but on other drug
charges, and that California law protected him. "In effect, the process
worked, as it was designed to," she wrote. "He argues that a medical
marijuana patient should be protected from persecution. What he has
demonstrated is that in fact, they are." Dauns also wrote that while there
was little doubt marijuana relieved Kubby's cancer symptoms, there was no
evidence that depriving him of cannabis while incarcerated on the California
'shroom charge would kill him, despite testimony from Dr. Joseph Connors of
the British Columbia Cancer Agency, who told the court during an April
hearing that Kubby would die within four days if denied access to marijuana
for his condition. Kubby was not a refugee, wrote Dauns, but a "fugitive
from justice."
And while Kubby argued that his use of marijuana was akin to a diabetic's
use of insulin, Dauns was having none of that, either. "Insulin has been
approved by the medical community as a treatment, whereas marijuana has
not," she said. "The research on the benefits of marijuana is woefully
inadequate and inconclusive, making a comparison of these two treatments
illogical," she wrote.
The Kubby case is the first of a handful of similar "reefer refugee" cases
to be decided in Canada. Two Northern California men, Kenneth Hayes and
Steve Tuck, who fled federal marijuana charges related to California medical
marijuana grows, have cases pending before the author of Monday's decision,
board member Dauns. Some advocates had hoped Kubby, with his strong health
argument, had the strongest of any of the pending cases.
Canadian Kubby supporters denounced the decision. "This is yet another
example of the harms of cannabis prohibition," said Philippe Lucas, director
of Canadians for Safe Access (http://www.safeaccess.ca), a medical marijuana
defense organization based on its southern sister, Americans for Safe Access
(http://www.safeaccessnow.org). "The Kubbys are kind contributors to the
social well-being of Canadians -- under any other circumstances, Canada
would welcome this reverse brain-drain. It is only through the perversion of
justice caused by prohibition that a loving family like the Kubbys could be
condemned to an uncertain future at the hands of American prosecutors."
But it wasn't only abstract prohibition that had Lucas and other Canadian
activists irked, it was the harsh slap in the face from a traditionally
refugee-friendly country. "Are we as a nation really so quick to take a
chance on Steve Kubby's health?" asked Lucas. "Shouldn't a modern liberal
democracy like Canada err on the side of social justice when a man's life is
on the line? If Steve Kubby should suffer the same fate as Peter McWilliams
-- who died choking on his own vomit while being denied his medicinal
cannabis after his arrest -- the hands of those who denied his refugee claim
will be forever stained in his blood."
"Today, I'm ashamed of being a Canadian," concurred Tim Meehan, national
director of the anti-prohibition wing of the New Democratic Party
(http://www.ndpot.ca). "Here at home, our government constantly reminds us
of how important the refugee protection system is. Canada's reputation is
built on it. However, when they subject people like Steve Kubby and his
family to institutional prejudice because of their choice of medical
treatment, and are more concerned about angering a trading partner than
saving a human life, that demonstrates our government's priorities are very
seriously out of alignment. I hope Canadians remember that in the upcoming
federal election," Meehan added.
Visit http://www.mapinc.org/alert/0282.html for a letter-writing alert to
help Steve Kubby.
Read a summary of the decision at:
http://www.irb.gc.ca/en/decisions/kubby/va2_01374_e.htm#summary
Read the decision in full at:
http://www.irb.gc.ca/en/decisions/kubby/va2_01374_e.htm
Or to get right to the paragraphs where Dauns lays out her reasoning, go to:
http://www.irb.gc.ca/en/decisions/kubby/va2_01374_e.htm#determination
American Medical Marijuana Refugee Ordered To Return To United States
NORML's Weekly News Bulletin -- December 11, 2003
http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=5856
American Medical Marijuana Refugee Ordered To Return To United States
Immigration Board Recognizes Pot To Be "Best Treatment Available," But
Rejects Patient's Asylum Request
December 11, 2003 - Vancouver, BC, Canada
Vancouver, British Columbia: The Canadian Immigration and Refugee Board this
week denied refugee status to American Steve Kubby and his family, and
ordered their return to California where Kubby is expected to be sentenced
to four months in jail for drug-related charges. Kubby has said he will
appeal the ruling.
He and his wife Michelle and two children will be allowed to remain in the
country while awaiting their appeal.
Kubby fled to Canada in 2001 rather than serve time in jail, where he would
be denied access to medicinal marijuana, which he requires to treat symptoms
of a rare, life-threatening form of adrenal cancer known as
pheochromocytoma. Kubby was diagnosed in 1968 with the disease - which he's
managed since the early 1980s exclusively by smoking cannabis - and given
six months to live. (Life expectancy of a person with pheochromocytoma is
typically three to five years.) Today Kubby is recognized as one of the
longest living survivors of the disease.
Though the Board recognized that "marijuana continues to be the best
treatment available to Mr. Kubby," and that he could potentially suffer a
heart attack or stroke without cannabis, it nevertheless ruled, "The
claimant is not a person in need of protection in that his removal to the
United States would not subject him personally to a risk to his life."
The Board based this decision, in part, on the premise that Kubby would
likely have access to medicinal marijuana while in jail. However, California
law does not compel the state to allow inmates access to medical cannabis,
stating: "Nothing in this article shall require any accommodation of any
medical use of marijuana ... on the property or premises of any jail,
correctional facility, or other type of penal institution in which prisoners
reside or persons under arrest are detained."
While living in Canada, Kubby had been one of fewer than 600 individuals to
receive a federal exemption from Health Canada to legally cultivate and use
pot for medical purposes.
NORML Foundation Executive Director Allen St. Pierre called the Refugee
Board's decision unfortunate and puzzling considering the government's prior
acknowledgement of Kubby's medical need to use cannabis. "This decision
makes little sense in light of the fact that the Canadian government has
already approved Steve Kubby's medical use of marijuana by granting him a
special exemption from prosecution," he said.
"Why they couldn't extend that same thinking to his asylum request seeking
protection for his health from America's policy of strict marijuana law
enforcement is puzzling. This decision does not bode well for the other
Americans who have sought refuge status in Canada for their
physician-sanctioned use of medical marijuana."
Since 1989, the Immigration and Refugee Board has heard nearly 1,000 refugee
cases from the United States, including 268 pending cases. So far, none of
those individuals have been granted asylum.
For more information, please contact Allen St. Pierre of The NORML
Foundation at (202) 483-8751. Full text of the Immigration and Refugee
Board's ruling is available online at:
http://www.irb.gc.ca/en/decisions/kubby/va2_01374_e.htm
(In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.)
Woman Uses Greeting Card to Smuggle Meth
FOXNews.com - Top Stories - Woman Uses Greeting Card to Smuggle Meth
December 12, 2003
December 11, 2003
Pot doc's license revocation upheld
Dec. 10, 2003 -- Pot doc's license revocation upheld
By HANK LAWSON Staff writer
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed Monday the federal government's revocation of Dr. Marion "Molly" Fry's license to prescribe medication including marijuana.
December 08, 2003
KUBBY VOWS APPEAL OF RULING DENYING REFUGEE STATUS IN CANADA
For Immediate Release
December 8, 2003
Press Conference:
Tuesday, Dec. 9th, noon, BC Marijuana Party Headquarters, 307 West Hastings,
Vancouver
Decision Online:
http://www.irb.gc.ca/en/decisions/kubby/va2_01374_e.htm
KUBBY VOWS APPEAL OF RULING DENYING REFUGEE STATUS IN CANADA
VANCOUVER -- Steve Kubby, medical marijuana patient and former Libertarian
Party candidate for governor of California, vowed to appeal a ruling by the
Refugee Protection Division today that denied him refugee status in Canada
based on his need for medical marijuana.
Kubby complained, "I cannot understand how the Refugee panel could conclude
that my life would not be at risk if I were forced to return to the US,
after the leading cancer specialist in British Columbia testified that I
would die without it."
British Columbia cancer specialist Dr. Joseph Michael Connors, an expert in
the area of adrenal cancers, called by the Immigration Ministry, examined
Kubby and testified at the hearing about his medical condition.
The ruling recognizes that, according to Dr. Connors, "Mr. Kubby's tumour
releases, in excess quantities, hormones normally found in the adrenal
gland. Excessive levels of these hormones in Mr. Kubby's blood cause a
range of separate symptomatic problems including paroxysmal headaches,
palpitations (rapid and irregular beating of the heart), hypertension
(sudden dangerous rise in blood pressure), sudden abdominal cramps and
diarrhea, chest pain, shortness of breath, nausea, sudden severe weakness
and anorexia (loss of appetite). If not controlled, Mr. Kubby's symptoms
could evolve further to the point where a myocardial infarction (heart
attack) or cerebral vascular accident (stroke) could occur."
The ruling also acknowledged that "there is evidence before the Board, that
marihuana controls the symptoms of Mr. Kubby's cancer, including
hypertension. In Dr. Connors' opinion, marihuana continues to be the best
treatment available to Mr. Kubby."
However, the ruling went on to say that "it cannot therefore be stated with
any degree of certainty, that marihuana is the reason for Mr. Kubby's
survival even though it remains the best treatment option at this time."
Health Canada has even given Mr. Kubby permission to grow one hundred and
seventeen marijuana plants, based on "medical necessity."
The ruling further acknowledged, Kubby "has received a Health Canada
exemption, which suggests he is a bona fide ill person in need of medical
marihuana. It is noteworthy that Mr. Kubby was investigated and charged
with marihuana related criminal offences in Canada. Those Canadian charges
were later stayed by the Crown, and his marihuana grow equipment was
returned to him by the RCMP after the charges were stayed. This suggests
the Government of Canada believes he has a medical necessity for marihuana."
Despite all of this, the ruling somehow concluded, "he has not established
there is a risk to his life or a risk of cruel and unusual treatment or
punishment" if Kubby is forced to return to the US.
Kubby vowed, "Apparently, I have to die in order to convince the Refugee
board, but instead I intend to fight."
###
November 26, 2003
Probation Granted to 3 Who Grew, Sold Pot as a Medicine
Probation Granted to 3 Who Grew, Sold Pot as a Medicine
By Jean Guccione, Times Staff Writer
In a victory for advocates of medicinal marijuana, officers of a defunct West Hollywood cannabis club were sentenced Monday to one year of probation for growing and selling marijuana to hundreds of people with cancer, AIDS and other serious ailments.
In imposing the minimum allowable sentence, U.S. District Judge A. Howard Matz chastised the prosecution.
"To allocate the resources of the Drug Enforcement Agency and the U.S. attorney's office in this case … baffles me, disturbs me," the judge said.
...
The judge noted that 85% of the center's 960 members have AIDS or are HIV-positive; 10% have cancer; and the rest have various other medical conditions.
"It is difficult to imagine a case where a defendant has contributed to the distribution of a controlled substance for more humanitarian reasons than what occurred here," his defense attorney, Ronald O. Kaye, argued in court papers.
...
Under federal drug forfeiture laws, authorities seized $56,000 in the center's bank account and sold its building at 7494 Santa Monica Blvd. for $1.2 million.
The city of West Hollywood and Wells Fargo Bank, which financed the purchase, are trying to force the federal government to return a portion of the money.
Read It Rating: 6
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: .5
Learning Percentage: 35%
November 24, 2003
Man chokes to death hiding pot
Man chokes to death hiding pot
FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) -- A man changing a flat tire choked to death on a bag of marijuana he had stuffed down his throat in an apparent attempt to hide it from police who stopped to help him, authorities said.
Read It Rating: 4
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: -3
Learning Percentage: 75%
November 20, 2003
New Study Explains How Pot Kills Cancer Cells
This article by Steve kubby has some overlap with the previously posted article by Richard Cowan. Cowan's article is more extensive; Kubby's is more succinct.
New Study Explains How Pot Kills Cancer Cells
by Steve Kubby
A new study published in Nature Reviews-Cancer provides an historic and detailed explanation about how THC and natural cannabinoids counteract cancer, but preserve normal cells.
The study by Manuel Guzmán of Madrid Spain found that cannabinoids, the active components of marijuana, inhibit tumor growth in laboratory animals. They do so by modulating key cell-signalling pathways, thereby inducing direct growth arrest and death of tumor cells, as well as by inhibiting the growth of blood vessels that supply the tumor.
The Guzman study is very important according to Dr. Ethan Russo , a neurologist and world authority on medical cannabis: "Cancer occurs because cells become immortalized; they fail to heed normal signals to turn off growth. A normal function of remodelling in the body requires that cells die on cue. This is called apoptosis, or programmed cell death. That process fails to work in tumors. THC promotes its reappearance so that gliomas, leukemias, melanomas and other cell types will in fact heed the signals, stop dividing, and die."
"But, that is not all," explains Dr. Russo: "The other way that tumors grow is by ensuring that they are nourished: they send out signals to promote angiogenesis, the growth of new blood vessels. Cannabinoids turn off these signals as well. It is truly incredible, and elegant." ...
Read It Rating: 9.1
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: 1.1
Learning Percentage: 15%
If Cannabis Could Cure Cancer, They Would Tell Us, Right?
This is a somewhat clunky and jaded story, but it still makes for worthy reading, if for no other reason than the story which is embedded within it, entitled "POT SHRINKS TUMORS; GOVERNMENT KNEW IN '74". Also, this article by Richard Cowan (who has good cause to be jaded, as he has been fighting against the drug war for avery long time) is linked to a great many other articles and resources which offer a lot of background information.
If Cannabis Could Cure Cancer, They Would Tell Us, Right? No.
by Richard Cowan, MarijuanaNews.com
Read It Rating: 9
Left/Right Rating: L3
Freedom Rating: 1
Learning Percentage: 55%
Kubbys await refugee ruling
by Pete Brady (10 Nov, 2003)
Courageous couple grow medical marijuana on television
Medical marijuana advocates Michele and Steve Kubby are anticipating a ruling "any day now" on their historic bid to become Canada's first officially-sanctioned reefer refugees.
...
Earlier this year, Michele Kubby acted as her own lawyer in hearings before an immigration judge. The Kubbys are seeking official refugee status. They argue that Steve would die in America if he was sent back to face incarceration or other actions relating to his earlier conviction, because authorities will not guarantee him access to medpot. They also claim they would be victims of political persecution as individuals, and as part of a persecuted minority - pot smokers - who are targets of a "genocidal" US-government war. If the Kubbys win refugee status, it will be historic, because the ruling will in effect mean that the Canadian government has acknowledged that the US is a country that routinely violates the human rights of its citizens.
The refugee hearings were contentious and controversial, with government lawyers accused of lying by the Kubbys. Michele Kubby, who has no formal training as a lawyer, won plaudits from attorneys for her skillful attacks on the government's attempts to send her and her family back to the United States, and for her spirited defense of the Kubbys' right to stay in Canada.
...
Read It Rating: 7
Left/Right Rating: L3
Freedom Rating: .4
Learning Percentage: 20%
November 12, 2003
Campaigns No Longer Go Up In Smoke
Campaigns No Longer Go Up In Smoke
Past Marijuana Use Now More Acceptable
by Lisa Wangsness
Concord Monitor
Near the end of the Rock the Vote presidential candidates' forum in Boston this week, the moderator posed a question that once filled politicians with dread.
"Which of you are ready to admit to having used marijuana in the past?"
Though Howard Dean joked that the candidates would "keep our hands down on this one," only former ambassador Carol Moseley Braun declined to answer the question. Dean, Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry and North Carolina Sen. John Edwards said they had. The Rev. Al Sharpton said he had not.
Ohio Rep. Dennis Kucinich said he hadn't but added that he would decriminalize marijuana use.
Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman actually apologized - for not having smoked pot.
"I have a reputation for giving unpopular answers in Democratic debates," Lieberman joked. "I never used marijuana, sorry."
...
Read It Rating: 8
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: 1.5
Learning Percentage: 40%
November 09, 2003
Australia: Police To Conduct Random Roadside Drug Tests
Australia: Police To Conduct Random Roadside Drug Tests
In an Australian first, the Victorian government today moved to give police powers to conduct random roadside drug testing.
Under legislation now before state parliament, from July next year roadside drug screening will be used to detect drivers affected by cannabis and speed with a saliva test.
Read It Rating: 6
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: -2
Learning Percentage: 85%
October 16, 2003
LP: America owes Rush Limbaugh a debt of gratitude
LP Press Release:
America owes talk host Rush Limbaugh a debt of gratitude, Libertarians say
October 16, 2003
WASHINGTON, DC -- The entire nation owes radio broadcaster Rush Limbaugh a debt of gratitude, Libertarians say, because his ordeal has exposed every drug warrior in America as a rank hypocrite.
"One thing we don't hear from American politicians very often is silence," said Joe Seehusen, Libertarian Party executive director. "By refusing to criticize Rush Limbaugh, every drug warrior has just been exposed as a shameless, despicable hypocrite.
"And that's good news, because the next time they do speak up, there'll be no reason for anyone to listen."
The revelation that Limbaugh had become addicted to painkillers -- drugs he is accused of procuring illegally from his Palm Beach housekeeper -- has caused a media sensation ever since the megastar's shocking, on-air confession last week.
As the Limbaugh saga continues, here's an important question for Americans to ask, Libertarians say: Why are all the drug warriors suddenly so silent?
"Republican and Democratic politicians have written laws that have condemned more than 400,000 Americans to prison for committing the same 'crime' as Rush Limbaugh," Seehusen pointed out. "If this pill-popping pontificator deserves a get-out-of-jail-free card, these drug warriors had better explain why."
Given their longstanding support for the Drug War, it's fair to ask:
Why haven't President George Bush or his tough-on-crime attorney general, John Ashcroft, uttered a word criticizing Limbaugh's law-breaking?
Why aren't drug czar John P. Walters or his predecessor, Barry McCaffrey, lambasting Limbaugh as a menace to society and a threat to "our children?"
Why aren't federal DEA agents storming Limbaugh's $30 million Florida mansion in a frantic search for criminal evidence?
Why haven't federal, state, and local police agencies seized the celebrity's homes and luxury cars under asset-forfeiture laws?
Finally, why aren't bloviating blabbermouths like William Bennett publicly explaining how America would be better off if Limbaugh were prosecuted, locked in a steel cage and forced to abandon his wife, his friends, and his career?
The answer is obvious, Seehusen said: "America's drug warriors are shameless hypocrites who believe in one standard of justice for ordinary Americans and another for themselves, their families and their political allies.
"That alone should completely discredit them."
But there's an even more disturbing possibility, Seehusen said: that the people who are prosecuting the Drug War don't even believe in its central premise -- which is that public safety requires that drug users be jailed.
"The Bushes and Ashcrofts and McCaffreys of the world may believe, correctly, that individuals fighting a drug addiction deserve medical, not criminal treatment," he said. "That would explain why they're not demanding that Limbaugh be jailed.
"But if that's the case, these politicians have spent decades tearing apart American families for their own political gain. And that's an unforgivable crime."
October 07, 2003
Scientists admit: we were wrong about 'E'
Scientists admit: we were wrong about 'E'
Experts who gave a dramatic warning that ecstasy led to brain damage based their study on a huge blunder, reports health editor Jo Revill
Sunday September 7, 2003
The Observer
It was billed as the one of the most dramatic warnings the world has ever received over the dangers of ecstasy. A study from one of America's leading universities concluded that taking the drug for just one evening could leave clubbers with irreversible brain damage, and trigger the onset of Parkinson's disease.
The study, published in the eminent journal Science last September, had an immediate impact. Doctors and anti-drug crusaders spoke of a 'neurological time bomb' facing the young. Others suggested that taking one of the tablets was the equivalent of playing Russian roulette with the brain, and demanded tighter 'anti-rave' laws to deal with it.
But today, scientists are facing up to the humiliation of admitting that the stark results they reported in the study were not a breakthrough but a terrible, humiliating blunder.
The study was based on the fact that laboratory monkeys and baboons had a severe reaction to the drug when it was injected in small doses. But it emerged this weekend that the vials of liquid did not contain ecstasy....
Read It Rating: 9
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: 2
Learning Percentage: 80%
October 01, 2003
Tommy Chong gets 9 months for selling bongs and such on Web
COURTTV.COM - PEOPLE - Tommy Chong gets 9 months for selling drug wares on Web
Updated Sept. 11, 2003, 2:45 p.m. ET
Tommy Chong gets 9 months for selling drug wares on Web
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Tommy Chong, who played one half of the dope-smoking duo in the Cheech and Chong movies, was sentenced to nine months in federal prison and fined $20,000 Thursday for selling bongs and other drug paraphernalia over the Internet.
The 65-year-old was allowed to remain free until federal prison officials tell him in a few weeks where he must report to prison.
Full story...
Read It Rating: 8
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: -3.5
Learning Percentage: 30%
September 21, 2003
Marijuana laws struck down in British Columbia
Marijuana laws struck down in British Columbia
Westernmost province joins Ontario, PEI and Nova Scotia in ending prohibition
Years of protests bear fruit for freedom
On September 4, Provincial Court Judge P Chen made a landmark ruling regarding marijuana laws in British Columbia. In his decision, Judge Chen said parts of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA) are "invalid" and that "there is no offense known to law at this time for simple possession of marijuana" in the province.
Judge Chen's decision was based on a series of court cases in Ontario that led a judge there to strike down marijuana possession laws in January of this year. ...
Read It Rating: 7.5
Left/Right Rating: L3
Freedom Rating: 3
Learning Percentage: 80%
September 03, 2003
Former drug warriors turn against prohibition
Altered Minds
Former drug warriors turn against prohibition.
by Jacob Sullum
ReasonOnline
In the 1980s, not many people could plausibly claim stronger anti-drug credentials than Nancy Reagan. But Forest Tennant could.
"It's great for the Reagans to get up and say, 'Let's do something about the drug problem,' but I don't know who's going to do it," he told the Los Angeles Times in 1986. "Only true professional people like myself can do very much with the drug problem."
...
Tennant has published hundreds of scientific articles, testified in high-profile trials, and advised the NFL, NASCAR, the California Highway Patrol, the Food and Drug Administration, and the National Institute on Drug Abuse. The Times described him as "riding at the forefront of the current wave of anti-drug sentiment."
So when the folks at the Hoover Institution who produce the PBS show Uncommon Knowledge were looking for someone to debate drug policy with me, Tennant must have seemed like a natural choice. Imagine their surprise when he ended up agreeing that the war on drugs has been a disastrous mistake.
...
Tennant is by no means the only former drug warrior who has become a critic of current policy. Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP), founded last year, includes more than 400 current and former police officers, judges, federal agents, prosecutors, and parole, probation, and corrections officers. The group is headed by Jack Cole, a 26-year veteran of the New Jersey State Police who worked in narcotics enforcement for 14 years.
...
Read It Rating: 9.8
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: 4
Learning Percentage: 50%
Dutch Government begins distributing prescription cannabis
Cannabis as a prescription drug
The Dutch government has started distributing cannabis as a prescription painkiller to pharmacies to treat chronically ill patients. The Hague had already been turning a blind eye to medicinal cannabis use, but now it's become the world's first government to supply the drug itself, in accordance with United Nations rules on narcotics.
Cannabis sativa has been used therapeutically for many centuries. Known to the Chinese as a strong herbal remedy around 5,000 years ago, it was introduced into European medicine in Napoleonic times. Its pain relieving and sedative effects soon became accepted by Western medical practitioners, who prescribed it on a wide scale. Britain's Queen Victoria is said to have taken cannabis tincture for menstrual pains.
Read It Rating: 9.4
Left/Right Rating: L6
Freedom Rating: 2.5
Learning Percentage: 50%
August 18, 2003
Illegal drug makers targeting RV's
Thank you, oh mighty War on Drugs, for opening yet another perverse tear in our society's fabric.
There is one good thing about crystal meth: Of all the drugs in the New Prohibition, it's the one which is most obviously reminiscent of the first Prohibition. (Think moonshine.) Maybe something will snap, as people internally compare the images on the evening news with the contraption in "The Swamp" on M*A*S*H, and experience a cognitive dissonance -- preferably, a big collective one.
From the end of the article:
You can help as well by reporting suspected labs to state police.
Try, "You can help as well by demanding a swift and certain end to the foolish 'War on Drugs'."
Illegal drug makers targeting RV's
(Mattawan, August 12, 2003, 6:20 p.m. ) Camping is a favorite summer past time for Cindy Harnish and her family.
But while getting ready for a camp out earlier this summer, Cindy's father discovered a problem with his travel trailer.
"We got up north and the refrigerator, we tried to light it up but it wouldn't light. So he opened it up and it looked like it had been cut."
But what first appeared to be an act of vandalism may actually have been the latest chapter in the war against the drug known as crystal meth.
For years, makers of crystal meth have been stealing anhydrous ammonia from tanks on farm fields and farm co-ops.
...Now, it appears some manufacturers are turning to RV's.
Read It Rating: 7.5
Left/Right Rating: R2
Freedom Rating: -5
Learning Percentage: 50%
August 17, 2003
Pot doc's license revocation upheld
Dec. 10, 2003 -- Pot doc's license revocation upheld
By HANK LAWSON Staff writer
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed Monday the federal government's revocation of Dr. Marion "Molly" Fry's license to prescribe medication including marijuana.
December 08, 2003
KUBBY VOWS APPEAL OF RULING DENYING REFUGEE STATUS IN CANADA
For Immediate Release
December 8, 2003
Press Conference:
Tuesday, Dec. 9th, noon, BC Marijuana Party Headquarters, 307 West Hastings,
Vancouver
Decision Online:
http://www.irb.gc.ca/en/decisions/kubby/va2_01374_e.htm
KUBBY VOWS APPEAL OF RULING DENYING REFUGEE STATUS IN CANADA
VANCOUVER -- Steve Kubby, medical marijuana patient and former Libertarian
Party candidate for governor of California, vowed to appeal a ruling by the
Refugee Protection Division today that denied him refugee status in Canada
based on his need for medical marijuana.
Kubby complained, "I cannot understand how the Refugee panel could conclude
that my life would not be at risk if I were forced to return to the US,
after the leading cancer specialist in British Columbia testified that I
would die without it."
British Columbia cancer specialist Dr. Joseph Michael Connors, an expert in
the area of adrenal cancers, called by the Immigration Ministry, examined
Kubby and testified at the hearing about his medical condition.
The ruling recognizes that, according to Dr. Connors, "Mr. Kubby's tumour
releases, in excess quantities, hormones normally found in the adrenal
gland. Excessive levels of these hormones in Mr. Kubby's blood cause a
range of separate symptomatic problems including paroxysmal headaches,
palpitations (rapid and irregular beating of the heart), hypertension
(sudden dangerous rise in blood pressure), sudden abdominal cramps and
diarrhea, chest pain, shortness of breath, nausea, sudden severe weakness
and anorexia (loss of appetite). If not controlled, Mr. Kubby's symptoms
could evolve further to the point where a myocardial infarction (heart
attack) or cerebral vascular accident (stroke) could occur."
The ruling also acknowledged that "there is evidence before the Board, that
marihuana controls the symptoms of Mr. Kubby's cancer, including
hypertension. In Dr. Connors' opinion, marihuana continues to be the best
treatment available to Mr. Kubby."
However, the ruling went on to say that "it cannot therefore be stated with
any degree of certainty, that marihuana is the reason for Mr. Kubby's
survival even though it remains the best treatment option at this time."
Health Canada has even given Mr. Kubby permission to grow one hundred and
seventeen marijuana plants, based on "medical necessity."
The ruling further acknowledged, Kubby "has received a Health Canada
exemption, which suggests he is a bona fide ill person in need of medical
marihuana. It is noteworthy that Mr. Kubby was investigated and charged
with marihuana related criminal offences in Canada. Those Canadian charges
were later stayed by the Crown, and his marihuana grow equipment was
returned to him by the RCMP after the charges were stayed. This suggests
the Government of Canada believes he has a medical necessity for marihuana."
Despite all of this, the ruling somehow concluded, "he has not established
there is a risk to his life or a risk of cruel and unusual treatment or
punishment" if Kubby is forced to return to the US.
Kubby vowed, "Apparently, I have to die in order to convince the Refugee
board, but instead I intend to fight."
###
November 26, 2003
Probation Granted to 3 Who Grew, Sold Pot as a Medicine
Probation Granted to 3 Who Grew, Sold Pot as a Medicine
By Jean Guccione, Times Staff Writer
In a victory for advocates of medicinal marijuana, officers of a defunct West Hollywood cannabis club were sentenced Monday to one year of probation for growing and selling marijuana to hundreds of people with cancer, AIDS and other serious ailments.
In imposing the minimum allowable sentence, U.S. District Judge A. Howard Matz chastised the prosecution.
"To allocate the resources of the Drug Enforcement Agency and the U.S. attorney's office in this case … baffles me, disturbs me," the judge said.
...
The judge noted that 85% of the center's 960 members have AIDS or are HIV-positive; 10% have cancer; and the rest have various other medical conditions.
"It is difficult to imagine a case where a defendant has contributed to the distribution of a controlled substance for more humanitarian reasons than what occurred here," his defense attorney, Ronald O. Kaye, argued in court papers.
...
Under federal drug forfeiture laws, authorities seized $56,000 in the center's bank account and sold its building at 7494 Santa Monica Blvd. for $1.2 million.
The city of West Hollywood and Wells Fargo Bank, which financed the purchase, are trying to force the federal government to return a portion of the money.
Read It Rating: 6
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: .5
Learning Percentage: 35%
November 24, 2003
Man chokes to death hiding pot
Man chokes to death hiding pot
FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) -- A man changing a flat tire choked to death on a bag of marijuana he had stuffed down his throat in an apparent attempt to hide it from police who stopped to help him, authorities said.
Read It Rating: 4
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: -3
Learning Percentage: 75%
November 20, 2003
New Study Explains How Pot Kills Cancer Cells
This article by Steve kubby has some overlap with the previously posted article by Richard Cowan. Cowan's article is more extensive; Kubby's is more succinct.
New Study Explains How Pot Kills Cancer Cells
by Steve Kubby
A new study published in Nature Reviews-Cancer provides an historic and detailed explanation about how THC and natural cannabinoids counteract cancer, but preserve normal cells.
The study by Manuel Guzmán of Madrid Spain found that cannabinoids, the active components of marijuana, inhibit tumor growth in laboratory animals. They do so by modulating key cell-signalling pathways, thereby inducing direct growth arrest and death of tumor cells, as well as by inhibiting the growth of blood vessels that supply the tumor.
The Guzman study is very important according to Dr. Ethan Russo , a neurologist and world authority on medical cannabis: "Cancer occurs because cells become immortalized; they fail to heed normal signals to turn off growth. A normal function of remodelling in the body requires that cells die on cue. This is called apoptosis, or programmed cell death. That process fails to work in tumors. THC promotes its reappearance so that gliomas, leukemias, melanomas and other cell types will in fact heed the signals, stop dividing, and die."
"But, that is not all," explains Dr. Russo: "The other way that tumors grow is by ensuring that they are nourished: they send out signals to promote angiogenesis, the growth of new blood vessels. Cannabinoids turn off these signals as well. It is truly incredible, and elegant." ...
Read It Rating: 9.1
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: 1.1
Learning Percentage: 15%
If Cannabis Could Cure Cancer, They Would Tell Us, Right?
This is a somewhat clunky and jaded story, but it still makes for worthy reading, if for no other reason than the story which is embedded within it, entitled "POT SHRINKS TUMORS; GOVERNMENT KNEW IN '74". Also, this article by Richard Cowan (who has good cause to be jaded, as he has been fighting against the drug war for avery long time) is linked to a great many other articles and resources which offer a lot of background information.
If Cannabis Could Cure Cancer, They Would Tell Us, Right? No.
by Richard Cowan, MarijuanaNews.com
Read It Rating: 9
Left/Right Rating: L3
Freedom Rating: 1
Learning Percentage: 55%
Kubbys await refugee ruling
by Pete Brady (10 Nov, 2003)
Courageous couple grow medical marijuana on television
Medical marijuana advocates Michele and Steve Kubby are anticipating a ruling "any day now" on their historic bid to become Canada's first officially-sanctioned reefer refugees.
...
Earlier this year, Michele Kubby acted as her own lawyer in hearings before an immigration judge. The Kubbys are seeking official refugee status. They argue that Steve would die in America if he was sent back to face incarceration or other actions relating to his earlier conviction, because authorities will not guarantee him access to medpot. They also claim they would be victims of political persecution as individuals, and as part of a persecuted minority - pot smokers - who are targets of a "genocidal" US-government war. If the Kubbys win refugee status, it will be historic, because the ruling will in effect mean that the Canadian government has acknowledged that the US is a country that routinely violates the human rights of its citizens.
The refugee hearings were contentious and controversial, with government lawyers accused of lying by the Kubbys. Michele Kubby, who has no formal training as a lawyer, won plaudits from attorneys for her skillful attacks on the government's attempts to send her and her family back to the United States, and for her spirited defense of the Kubbys' right to stay in Canada.
...
Read It Rating: 7
Left/Right Rating: L3
Freedom Rating: .4
Learning Percentage: 20%
November 12, 2003
Campaigns No Longer Go Up In Smoke
Campaigns No Longer Go Up In Smoke
Past Marijuana Use Now More Acceptable
by Lisa Wangsness
Concord Monitor
Near the end of the Rock the Vote presidential candidates' forum in Boston this week, the moderator posed a question that once filled politicians with dread.
"Which of you are ready to admit to having used marijuana in the past?"
Though Howard Dean joked that the candidates would "keep our hands down on this one," only former ambassador Carol Moseley Braun declined to answer the question. Dean, Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry and North Carolina Sen. John Edwards said they had. The Rev. Al Sharpton said he had not.
Ohio Rep. Dennis Kucinich said he hadn't but added that he would decriminalize marijuana use.
Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman actually apologized - for not having smoked pot.
"I have a reputation for giving unpopular answers in Democratic debates," Lieberman joked. "I never used marijuana, sorry."
...
Read It Rating: 8
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: 1.5
Learning Percentage: 40%
November 09, 2003
Australia: Police To Conduct Random Roadside Drug Tests
Australia: Police To Conduct Random Roadside Drug Tests
In an Australian first, the Victorian government today moved to give police powers to conduct random roadside drug testing.
Under legislation now before state parliament, from July next year roadside drug screening will be used to detect drivers affected by cannabis and speed with a saliva test.
Read It Rating: 6
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: -2
Learning Percentage: 85%
October 16, 2003
LP: America owes Rush Limbaugh a debt of gratitude
LP Press Release:
America owes talk host Rush Limbaugh a debt of gratitude, Libertarians say
October 16, 2003
WASHINGTON, DC -- The entire nation owes radio broadcaster Rush Limbaugh a debt of gratitude, Libertarians say, because his ordeal has exposed every drug warrior in America as a rank hypocrite.
"One thing we don't hear from American politicians very often is silence," said Joe Seehusen, Libertarian Party executive director. "By refusing to criticize Rush Limbaugh, every drug warrior has just been exposed as a shameless, despicable hypocrite.
"And that's good news, because the next time they do speak up, there'll be no reason for anyone to listen."
The revelation that Limbaugh had become addicted to painkillers -- drugs he is accused of procuring illegally from his Palm Beach housekeeper -- has caused a media sensation ever since the megastar's shocking, on-air confession last week.
As the Limbaugh saga continues, here's an important question for Americans to ask, Libertarians say: Why are all the drug warriors suddenly so silent?
"Republican and Democratic politicians have written laws that have condemned more than 400,000 Americans to prison for committing the same 'crime' as Rush Limbaugh," Seehusen pointed out. "If this pill-popping pontificator deserves a get-out-of-jail-free card, these drug warriors had better explain why."
Given their longstanding support for the Drug War, it's fair to ask:
Why haven't President George Bush or his tough-on-crime attorney general, John Ashcroft, uttered a word criticizing Limbaugh's law-breaking?
Why aren't drug czar John P. Walters or his predecessor, Barry McCaffrey, lambasting Limbaugh as a menace to society and a threat to "our children?"
Why aren't federal DEA agents storming Limbaugh's $30 million Florida mansion in a frantic search for criminal evidence?
Why haven't federal, state, and local police agencies seized the celebrity's homes and luxury cars under asset-forfeiture laws?
Finally, why aren't bloviating blabbermouths like William Bennett publicly explaining how America would be better off if Limbaugh were prosecuted, locked in a steel cage and forced to abandon his wife, his friends, and his career?
The answer is obvious, Seehusen said: "America's drug warriors are shameless hypocrites who believe in one standard of justice for ordinary Americans and another for themselves, their families and their political allies.
"That alone should completely discredit them."
But there's an even more disturbing possibility, Seehusen said: that the people who are prosecuting the Drug War don't even believe in its central premise -- which is that public safety requires that drug users be jailed.
"The Bushes and Ashcrofts and McCaffreys of the world may believe, correctly, that individuals fighting a drug addiction deserve medical, not criminal treatment," he said. "That would explain why they're not demanding that Limbaugh be jailed.
"But if that's the case, these politicians have spent decades tearing apart American families for their own political gain. And that's an unforgivable crime."
October 07, 2003
Scientists admit: we were wrong about 'E'
Scientists admit: we were wrong about 'E'
Experts who gave a dramatic warning that ecstasy led to brain damage based their study on a huge blunder, reports health editor Jo Revill
Sunday September 7, 2003
The Observer
It was billed as the one of the most dramatic warnings the world has ever received over the dangers of ecstasy. A study from one of America's leading universities concluded that taking the drug for just one evening could leave clubbers with irreversible brain damage, and trigger the onset of Parkinson's disease.
The study, published in the eminent journal Science last September, had an immediate impact. Doctors and anti-drug crusaders spoke of a 'neurological time bomb' facing the young. Others suggested that taking one of the tablets was the equivalent of playing Russian roulette with the brain, and demanded tighter 'anti-rave' laws to deal with it.
But today, scientists are facing up to the humiliation of admitting that the stark results they reported in the study were not a breakthrough but a terrible, humiliating blunder.
The study was based on the fact that laboratory monkeys and baboons had a severe reaction to the drug when it was injected in small doses. But it emerged this weekend that the vials of liquid did not contain ecstasy....
Read It Rating: 9
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: 2
Learning Percentage: 80%
October 01, 2003
Tommy Chong gets 9 months for selling bongs and such on Web
COURTTV.COM - PEOPLE - Tommy Chong gets 9 months for selling drug wares on Web
Updated Sept. 11, 2003, 2:45 p.m. ET
Tommy Chong gets 9 months for selling drug wares on Web
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Tommy Chong, who played one half of the dope-smoking duo in the Cheech and Chong movies, was sentenced to nine months in federal prison and fined $20,000 Thursday for selling bongs and other drug paraphernalia over the Internet.
The 65-year-old was allowed to remain free until federal prison officials tell him in a few weeks where he must report to prison.
Full story...
Read It Rating: 8
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: -3.5
Learning Percentage: 30%
September 21, 2003
Marijuana laws struck down in British Columbia
Marijuana laws struck down in British Columbia
Westernmost province joins Ontario, PEI and Nova Scotia in ending prohibition
Years of protests bear fruit for freedom
On September 4, Provincial Court Judge P Chen made a landmark ruling regarding marijuana laws in British Columbia. In his decision, Judge Chen said parts of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA) are "invalid" and that "there is no offense known to law at this time for simple possession of marijuana" in the province.
Judge Chen's decision was based on a series of court cases in Ontario that led a judge there to strike down marijuana possession laws in January of this year. ...
Read It Rating: 7.5
Left/Right Rating: L3
Freedom Rating: 3
Learning Percentage: 80%
September 03, 2003
Former drug warriors turn against prohibition
Altered Minds
Former drug warriors turn against prohibition.
by Jacob Sullum
ReasonOnline
In the 1980s, not many people could plausibly claim stronger anti-drug credentials than Nancy Reagan. But Forest Tennant could.
"It's great for the Reagans to get up and say, 'Let's do something about the drug problem,' but I don't know who's going to do it," he told the Los Angeles Times in 1986. "Only true professional people like myself can do very much with the drug problem."
...
Tennant has published hundreds of scientific articles, testified in high-profile trials, and advised the NFL, NASCAR, the California Highway Patrol, the Food and Drug Administration, and the National Institute on Drug Abuse. The Times described him as "riding at the forefront of the current wave of anti-drug sentiment."
So when the folks at the Hoover Institution who produce the PBS show Uncommon Knowledge were looking for someone to debate drug policy with me, Tennant must have seemed like a natural choice. Imagine their surprise when he ended up agreeing that the war on drugs has been a disastrous mistake.
...
Tennant is by no means the only former drug warrior who has become a critic of current policy. Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP), founded last year, includes more than 400 current and former police officers, judges, federal agents, prosecutors, and parole, probation, and corrections officers. The group is headed by Jack Cole, a 26-year veteran of the New Jersey State Police who worked in narcotics enforcement for 14 years.
...
Read It Rating: 9.8
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: 4
Learning Percentage: 50%
Dutch Government begins distributing prescription cannabis
Cannabis as a prescription drug
The Dutch government has started distributing cannabis as a prescription painkiller to pharmacies to treat chronically ill patients. The Hague had already been turning a blind eye to medicinal cannabis use, but now it's become the world's first government to supply the drug itself, in accordance with United Nations rules on narcotics.
Cannabis sativa has been used therapeutically for many centuries. Known to the Chinese as a strong herbal remedy around 5,000 years ago, it was introduced into European medicine in Napoleonic times. Its pain relieving and sedative effects soon became accepted by Western medical practitioners, who prescribed it on a wide scale. Britain's Queen Victoria is said to have taken cannabis tincture for menstrual pains.
Read It Rating: 9.4
Left/Right Rating: L6
Freedom Rating: 2.5
Learning Percentage: 50%
August 18, 2003
Illegal drug makers targeting RV's
Thank you, oh mighty War on Drugs, for opening yet another perverse tear in our society's fabric.
There is one good thing about crystal meth: Of all the drugs in the New Prohibition, it's the one which is most obviously reminiscent of the first Prohibition. (Think moonshine.) Maybe something will snap, as people internally compare the images on the evening news with the contraption in "The Swamp" on M*A*S*H, and experience a cognitive dissonance -- preferably, a big collective one.
From the end of the article:
You can help as well by reporting suspected labs to state police.
Try, "You can help as well by demanding a swift and certain end to the foolish 'War on Drugs'."
Illegal drug makers targeting RV's
(Mattawan, August 12, 2003, 6:20 p.m. ) Camping is a favorite summer past time for Cindy Harnish and her family.
But while getting ready for a camp out earlier this summer, Cindy's father discovered a problem with his travel trailer.
"We got up north and the refrigerator, we tried to light it up but it wouldn't light. So he opened it up and it looked like it had been cut."
But what first appeared to be an act of vandalism may actually have been the latest chapter in the war against the drug known as crystal meth.
For years, makers of crystal meth have been stealing anhydrous ammonia from tanks on farm fields and farm co-ops.
...Now, it appears some manufacturers are turning to RV's.
Read It Rating: 7.5
Left/Right Rating: R2
Freedom Rating: -5
Learning Percentage: 50%
August 17, 2003
KUBBY VOWS APPEAL OF RULING DENYING REFUGEE STATUS IN CANADA
For Immediate Release
December 8, 2003
Press Conference:
Tuesday, Dec. 9th, noon, BC Marijuana Party Headquarters, 307 West Hastings,
Vancouver
Decision Online:
http://www.irb.gc.ca/en/decisions/kubby/va2_01374_e.htm
KUBBY VOWS APPEAL OF RULING DENYING REFUGEE STATUS IN CANADA
VANCOUVER -- Steve Kubby, medical marijuana patient and former Libertarian
Party candidate for governor of California, vowed to appeal a ruling by the
Refugee Protection Division today that denied him refugee status in Canada
based on his need for medical marijuana.
Kubby complained, "I cannot understand how the Refugee panel could conclude
that my life would not be at risk if I were forced to return to the US,
after the leading cancer specialist in British Columbia testified that I
would die without it."
British Columbia cancer specialist Dr. Joseph Michael Connors, an expert in
the area of adrenal cancers, called by the Immigration Ministry, examined
Kubby and testified at the hearing about his medical condition.
The ruling recognizes that, according to Dr. Connors, "Mr. Kubby's tumour
releases, in excess quantities, hormones normally found in the adrenal
gland. Excessive levels of these hormones in Mr. Kubby's blood cause a
range of separate symptomatic problems including paroxysmal headaches,
palpitations (rapid and irregular beating of the heart), hypertension
(sudden dangerous rise in blood pressure), sudden abdominal cramps and
diarrhea, chest pain, shortness of breath, nausea, sudden severe weakness
and anorexia (loss of appetite). If not controlled, Mr. Kubby's symptoms
could evolve further to the point where a myocardial infarction (heart
attack) or cerebral vascular accident (stroke) could occur."
The ruling also acknowledged that "there is evidence before the Board, that
marihuana controls the symptoms of Mr. Kubby's cancer, including
hypertension. In Dr. Connors' opinion, marihuana continues to be the best
treatment available to Mr. Kubby."
However, the ruling went on to say that "it cannot therefore be stated with
any degree of certainty, that marihuana is the reason for Mr. Kubby's
survival even though it remains the best treatment option at this time."
Health Canada has even given Mr. Kubby permission to grow one hundred and
seventeen marijuana plants, based on "medical necessity."
The ruling further acknowledged, Kubby "has received a Health Canada
exemption, which suggests he is a bona fide ill person in need of medical
marihuana. It is noteworthy that Mr. Kubby was investigated and charged
with marihuana related criminal offences in Canada. Those Canadian charges
were later stayed by the Crown, and his marihuana grow equipment was
returned to him by the RCMP after the charges were stayed. This suggests
the Government of Canada believes he has a medical necessity for marihuana."
Despite all of this, the ruling somehow concluded, "he has not established
there is a risk to his life or a risk of cruel and unusual treatment or
punishment" if Kubby is forced to return to the US.
Kubby vowed, "Apparently, I have to die in order to convince the Refugee
board, but instead I intend to fight."
###
Probation Granted to 3 Who Grew, Sold Pot as a Medicine
Probation Granted to 3 Who Grew, Sold Pot as a Medicine
By Jean Guccione, Times Staff Writer
In a victory for advocates of medicinal marijuana, officers of a defunct West Hollywood cannabis club were sentenced Monday to one year of probation for growing and selling marijuana to hundreds of people with cancer, AIDS and other serious ailments.
In imposing the minimum allowable sentence, U.S. District Judge A. Howard Matz chastised the prosecution.
"To allocate the resources of the Drug Enforcement Agency and the U.S. attorney's office in this case … baffles me, disturbs me," the judge said.
...
The judge noted that 85% of the center's 960 members have AIDS or are HIV-positive; 10% have cancer; and the rest have various other medical conditions.
"It is difficult to imagine a case where a defendant has contributed to the distribution of a controlled substance for more humanitarian reasons than what occurred here," his defense attorney, Ronald O. Kaye, argued in court papers.
...
Under federal drug forfeiture laws, authorities seized $56,000 in the center's bank account and sold its building at 7494 Santa Monica Blvd. for $1.2 million.
The city of West Hollywood and Wells Fargo Bank, which financed the purchase, are trying to force the federal government to return a portion of the money.
Read It Rating: 6
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: .5
Learning Percentage: 35%
November 24, 2003
Man chokes to death hiding pot
Man chokes to death hiding pot
FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) -- A man changing a flat tire choked to death on a bag of marijuana he had stuffed down his throat in an apparent attempt to hide it from police who stopped to help him, authorities said.
Read It Rating: 4
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: -3
Learning Percentage: 75%
November 20, 2003
New Study Explains How Pot Kills Cancer Cells
This article by Steve kubby has some overlap with the previously posted article by Richard Cowan. Cowan's article is more extensive; Kubby's is more succinct.
New Study Explains How Pot Kills Cancer Cells
by Steve Kubby
A new study published in Nature Reviews-Cancer provides an historic and detailed explanation about how THC and natural cannabinoids counteract cancer, but preserve normal cells.
The study by Manuel Guzmán of Madrid Spain found that cannabinoids, the active components of marijuana, inhibit tumor growth in laboratory animals. They do so by modulating key cell-signalling pathways, thereby inducing direct growth arrest and death of tumor cells, as well as by inhibiting the growth of blood vessels that supply the tumor.
The Guzman study is very important according to Dr. Ethan Russo , a neurologist and world authority on medical cannabis: "Cancer occurs because cells become immortalized; they fail to heed normal signals to turn off growth. A normal function of remodelling in the body requires that cells die on cue. This is called apoptosis, or programmed cell death. That process fails to work in tumors. THC promotes its reappearance so that gliomas, leukemias, melanomas and other cell types will in fact heed the signals, stop dividing, and die."
"But, that is not all," explains Dr. Russo: "The other way that tumors grow is by ensuring that they are nourished: they send out signals to promote angiogenesis, the growth of new blood vessels. Cannabinoids turn off these signals as well. It is truly incredible, and elegant." ...
Read It Rating: 9.1
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: 1.1
Learning Percentage: 15%
If Cannabis Could Cure Cancer, They Would Tell Us, Right?
This is a somewhat clunky and jaded story, but it still makes for worthy reading, if for no other reason than the story which is embedded within it, entitled "POT SHRINKS TUMORS; GOVERNMENT KNEW IN '74". Also, this article by Richard Cowan (who has good cause to be jaded, as he has been fighting against the drug war for avery long time) is linked to a great many other articles and resources which offer a lot of background information.
If Cannabis Could Cure Cancer, They Would Tell Us, Right? No.
by Richard Cowan, MarijuanaNews.com
Read It Rating: 9
Left/Right Rating: L3
Freedom Rating: 1
Learning Percentage: 55%
Kubbys await refugee ruling
by Pete Brady (10 Nov, 2003)
Courageous couple grow medical marijuana on television
Medical marijuana advocates Michele and Steve Kubby are anticipating a ruling "any day now" on their historic bid to become Canada's first officially-sanctioned reefer refugees.
...
Earlier this year, Michele Kubby acted as her own lawyer in hearings before an immigration judge. The Kubbys are seeking official refugee status. They argue that Steve would die in America if he was sent back to face incarceration or other actions relating to his earlier conviction, because authorities will not guarantee him access to medpot. They also claim they would be victims of political persecution as individuals, and as part of a persecuted minority - pot smokers - who are targets of a "genocidal" US-government war. If the Kubbys win refugee status, it will be historic, because the ruling will in effect mean that the Canadian government has acknowledged that the US is a country that routinely violates the human rights of its citizens.
The refugee hearings were contentious and controversial, with government lawyers accused of lying by the Kubbys. Michele Kubby, who has no formal training as a lawyer, won plaudits from attorneys for her skillful attacks on the government's attempts to send her and her family back to the United States, and for her spirited defense of the Kubbys' right to stay in Canada.
...
Read It Rating: 7
Left/Right Rating: L3
Freedom Rating: .4
Learning Percentage: 20%
November 12, 2003
Campaigns No Longer Go Up In Smoke
Campaigns No Longer Go Up In Smoke
Past Marijuana Use Now More Acceptable
by Lisa Wangsness
Concord Monitor
Near the end of the Rock the Vote presidential candidates' forum in Boston this week, the moderator posed a question that once filled politicians with dread.
"Which of you are ready to admit to having used marijuana in the past?"
Though Howard Dean joked that the candidates would "keep our hands down on this one," only former ambassador Carol Moseley Braun declined to answer the question. Dean, Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry and North Carolina Sen. John Edwards said they had. The Rev. Al Sharpton said he had not.
Ohio Rep. Dennis Kucinich said he hadn't but added that he would decriminalize marijuana use.
Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman actually apologized - for not having smoked pot.
"I have a reputation for giving unpopular answers in Democratic debates," Lieberman joked. "I never used marijuana, sorry."
...
Read It Rating: 8
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: 1.5
Learning Percentage: 40%
November 09, 2003
Australia: Police To Conduct Random Roadside Drug Tests
Australia: Police To Conduct Random Roadside Drug Tests
In an Australian first, the Victorian government today moved to give police powers to conduct random roadside drug testing.
Under legislation now before state parliament, from July next year roadside drug screening will be used to detect drivers affected by cannabis and speed with a saliva test.
Read It Rating: 6
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: -2
Learning Percentage: 85%
October 16, 2003
LP: America owes Rush Limbaugh a debt of gratitude
LP Press Release:
America owes talk host Rush Limbaugh a debt of gratitude, Libertarians say
October 16, 2003
WASHINGTON, DC -- The entire nation owes radio broadcaster Rush Limbaugh a debt of gratitude, Libertarians say, because his ordeal has exposed every drug warrior in America as a rank hypocrite.
"One thing we don't hear from American politicians very often is silence," said Joe Seehusen, Libertarian Party executive director. "By refusing to criticize Rush Limbaugh, every drug warrior has just been exposed as a shameless, despicable hypocrite.
"And that's good news, because the next time they do speak up, there'll be no reason for anyone to listen."
The revelation that Limbaugh had become addicted to painkillers -- drugs he is accused of procuring illegally from his Palm Beach housekeeper -- has caused a media sensation ever since the megastar's shocking, on-air confession last week.
As the Limbaugh saga continues, here's an important question for Americans to ask, Libertarians say: Why are all the drug warriors suddenly so silent?
"Republican and Democratic politicians have written laws that have condemned more than 400,000 Americans to prison for committing the same 'crime' as Rush Limbaugh," Seehusen pointed out. "If this pill-popping pontificator deserves a get-out-of-jail-free card, these drug warriors had better explain why."
Given their longstanding support for the Drug War, it's fair to ask:
Why haven't President George Bush or his tough-on-crime attorney general, John Ashcroft, uttered a word criticizing Limbaugh's law-breaking?
Why aren't drug czar John P. Walters or his predecessor, Barry McCaffrey, lambasting Limbaugh as a menace to society and a threat to "our children?"
Why aren't federal DEA agents storming Limbaugh's $30 million Florida mansion in a frantic search for criminal evidence?
Why haven't federal, state, and local police agencies seized the celebrity's homes and luxury cars under asset-forfeiture laws?
Finally, why aren't bloviating blabbermouths like William Bennett publicly explaining how America would be better off if Limbaugh were prosecuted, locked in a steel cage and forced to abandon his wife, his friends, and his career?
The answer is obvious, Seehusen said: "America's drug warriors are shameless hypocrites who believe in one standard of justice for ordinary Americans and another for themselves, their families and their political allies.
"That alone should completely discredit them."
But there's an even more disturbing possibility, Seehusen said: that the people who are prosecuting the Drug War don't even believe in its central premise -- which is that public safety requires that drug users be jailed.
"The Bushes and Ashcrofts and McCaffreys of the world may believe, correctly, that individuals fighting a drug addiction deserve medical, not criminal treatment," he said. "That would explain why they're not demanding that Limbaugh be jailed.
"But if that's the case, these politicians have spent decades tearing apart American families for their own political gain. And that's an unforgivable crime."
October 07, 2003
Scientists admit: we were wrong about 'E'
Scientists admit: we were wrong about 'E'
Experts who gave a dramatic warning that ecstasy led to brain damage based their study on a huge blunder, reports health editor Jo Revill
Sunday September 7, 2003
The Observer
It was billed as the one of the most dramatic warnings the world has ever received over the dangers of ecstasy. A study from one of America's leading universities concluded that taking the drug for just one evening could leave clubbers with irreversible brain damage, and trigger the onset of Parkinson's disease.
The study, published in the eminent journal Science last September, had an immediate impact. Doctors and anti-drug crusaders spoke of a 'neurological time bomb' facing the young. Others suggested that taking one of the tablets was the equivalent of playing Russian roulette with the brain, and demanded tighter 'anti-rave' laws to deal with it.
But today, scientists are facing up to the humiliation of admitting that the stark results they reported in the study were not a breakthrough but a terrible, humiliating blunder.
The study was based on the fact that laboratory monkeys and baboons had a severe reaction to the drug when it was injected in small doses. But it emerged this weekend that the vials of liquid did not contain ecstasy....
Read It Rating: 9
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: 2
Learning Percentage: 80%
October 01, 2003
Tommy Chong gets 9 months for selling bongs and such on Web
COURTTV.COM - PEOPLE - Tommy Chong gets 9 months for selling drug wares on Web
Updated Sept. 11, 2003, 2:45 p.m. ET
Tommy Chong gets 9 months for selling drug wares on Web
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Tommy Chong, who played one half of the dope-smoking duo in the Cheech and Chong movies, was sentenced to nine months in federal prison and fined $20,000 Thursday for selling bongs and other drug paraphernalia over the Internet.
The 65-year-old was allowed to remain free until federal prison officials tell him in a few weeks where he must report to prison.
Full story...
Read It Rating: 8
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: -3.5
Learning Percentage: 30%
September 21, 2003
Marijuana laws struck down in British Columbia
Marijuana laws struck down in British Columbia
Westernmost province joins Ontario, PEI and Nova Scotia in ending prohibition
Years of protests bear fruit for freedom
On September 4, Provincial Court Judge P Chen made a landmark ruling regarding marijuana laws in British Columbia. In his decision, Judge Chen said parts of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA) are "invalid" and that "there is no offense known to law at this time for simple possession of marijuana" in the province.
Judge Chen's decision was based on a series of court cases in Ontario that led a judge there to strike down marijuana possession laws in January of this year. ...
Read It Rating: 7.5
Left/Right Rating: L3
Freedom Rating: 3
Learning Percentage: 80%
September 03, 2003
Former drug warriors turn against prohibition
Altered Minds
Former drug warriors turn against prohibition.
by Jacob Sullum
ReasonOnline
In the 1980s, not many people could plausibly claim stronger anti-drug credentials than Nancy Reagan. But Forest Tennant could.
"It's great for the Reagans to get up and say, 'Let's do something about the drug problem,' but I don't know who's going to do it," he told the Los Angeles Times in 1986. "Only true professional people like myself can do very much with the drug problem."
...
Tennant has published hundreds of scientific articles, testified in high-profile trials, and advised the NFL, NASCAR, the California Highway Patrol, the Food and Drug Administration, and the National Institute on Drug Abuse. The Times described him as "riding at the forefront of the current wave of anti-drug sentiment."
So when the folks at the Hoover Institution who produce the PBS show Uncommon Knowledge were looking for someone to debate drug policy with me, Tennant must have seemed like a natural choice. Imagine their surprise when he ended up agreeing that the war on drugs has been a disastrous mistake.
...
Tennant is by no means the only former drug warrior who has become a critic of current policy. Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP), founded last year, includes more than 400 current and former police officers, judges, federal agents, prosecutors, and parole, probation, and corrections officers. The group is headed by Jack Cole, a 26-year veteran of the New Jersey State Police who worked in narcotics enforcement for 14 years.
...
Read It Rating: 9.8
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: 4
Learning Percentage: 50%
Dutch Government begins distributing prescription cannabis
Cannabis as a prescription drug
The Dutch government has started distributing cannabis as a prescription painkiller to pharmacies to treat chronically ill patients. The Hague had already been turning a blind eye to medicinal cannabis use, but now it's become the world's first government to supply the drug itself, in accordance with United Nations rules on narcotics.
Cannabis sativa has been used therapeutically for many centuries. Known to the Chinese as a strong herbal remedy around 5,000 years ago, it was introduced into European medicine in Napoleonic times. Its pain relieving and sedative effects soon became accepted by Western medical practitioners, who prescribed it on a wide scale. Britain's Queen Victoria is said to have taken cannabis tincture for menstrual pains.
Read It Rating: 9.4
Left/Right Rating: L6
Freedom Rating: 2.5
Learning Percentage: 50%
August 18, 2003
Illegal drug makers targeting RV's
Thank you, oh mighty War on Drugs, for opening yet another perverse tear in our society's fabric.
There is one good thing about crystal meth: Of all the drugs in the New Prohibition, it's the one which is most obviously reminiscent of the first Prohibition. (Think moonshine.) Maybe something will snap, as people internally compare the images on the evening news with the contraption in "The Swamp" on M*A*S*H, and experience a cognitive dissonance -- preferably, a big collective one.
From the end of the article:
You can help as well by reporting suspected labs to state police.
Try, "You can help as well by demanding a swift and certain end to the foolish 'War on Drugs'."
Illegal drug makers targeting RV's
(Mattawan, August 12, 2003, 6:20 p.m. ) Camping is a favorite summer past time for Cindy Harnish and her family.
But while getting ready for a camp out earlier this summer, Cindy's father discovered a problem with his travel trailer.
"We got up north and the refrigerator, we tried to light it up but it wouldn't light. So he opened it up and it looked like it had been cut."
But what first appeared to be an act of vandalism may actually have been the latest chapter in the war against the drug known as crystal meth.
For years, makers of crystal meth have been stealing anhydrous ammonia from tanks on farm fields and farm co-ops.
...Now, it appears some manufacturers are turning to RV's.
Read It Rating: 7.5
Left/Right Rating: R2
Freedom Rating: -5
Learning Percentage: 50%
August 17, 2003
Man chokes to death hiding pot
Man chokes to death hiding pot
FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) -- A man changing a flat tire choked to death on a bag of marijuana he had stuffed down his throat in an apparent attempt to hide it from police who stopped to help him, authorities said.
Read It Rating: 4
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: -3
Learning Percentage: 75%
New Study Explains How Pot Kills Cancer Cells
This article by Steve kubby has some overlap with the previously posted article by Richard Cowan. Cowan's article is more extensive; Kubby's is more succinct.
New Study Explains How Pot Kills Cancer Cells
by Steve Kubby
A new study published in Nature Reviews-Cancer provides an historic and detailed explanation about how THC and natural cannabinoids counteract cancer, but preserve normal cells.
The study by Manuel Guzmán of Madrid Spain found that cannabinoids, the active components of marijuana, inhibit tumor growth in laboratory animals. They do so by modulating key cell-signalling pathways, thereby inducing direct growth arrest and death of tumor cells, as well as by inhibiting the growth of blood vessels that supply the tumor.
The Guzman study is very important according to Dr. Ethan Russo , a neurologist and world authority on medical cannabis: "Cancer occurs because cells become immortalized; they fail to heed normal signals to turn off growth. A normal function of remodelling in the body requires that cells die on cue. This is called apoptosis, or programmed cell death. That process fails to work in tumors. THC promotes its reappearance so that gliomas, leukemias, melanomas and other cell types will in fact heed the signals, stop dividing, and die."
"But, that is not all," explains Dr. Russo: "The other way that tumors grow is by ensuring that they are nourished: they send out signals to promote angiogenesis, the growth of new blood vessels. Cannabinoids turn off these signals as well. It is truly incredible, and elegant." ...
Read It Rating: 9.1
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: 1.1
Learning Percentage: 15%
If Cannabis Could Cure Cancer, They Would Tell Us, Right?
This is a somewhat clunky and jaded story, but it still makes for worthy reading, if for no other reason than the story which is embedded within it, entitled "POT SHRINKS TUMORS; GOVERNMENT KNEW IN '74". Also, this article by Richard Cowan (who has good cause to be jaded, as he has been fighting against the drug war for avery long time) is linked to a great many other articles and resources which offer a lot of background information.
If Cannabis Could Cure Cancer, They Would Tell Us, Right? No.
by Richard Cowan, MarijuanaNews.com
Read It Rating: 9
Left/Right Rating: L3
Freedom Rating: 1
Learning Percentage: 55%
Kubbys await refugee ruling
by Pete Brady (10 Nov, 2003)
Courageous couple grow medical marijuana on television
Medical marijuana advocates Michele and Steve Kubby are anticipating a ruling "any day now" on their historic bid to become Canada's first officially-sanctioned reefer refugees.
...
Earlier this year, Michele Kubby acted as her own lawyer in hearings before an immigration judge. The Kubbys are seeking official refugee status. They argue that Steve would die in America if he was sent back to face incarceration or other actions relating to his earlier conviction, because authorities will not guarantee him access to medpot. They also claim they would be victims of political persecution as individuals, and as part of a persecuted minority - pot smokers - who are targets of a "genocidal" US-government war. If the Kubbys win refugee status, it will be historic, because the ruling will in effect mean that the Canadian government has acknowledged that the US is a country that routinely violates the human rights of its citizens.
The refugee hearings were contentious and controversial, with government lawyers accused of lying by the Kubbys. Michele Kubby, who has no formal training as a lawyer, won plaudits from attorneys for her skillful attacks on the government's attempts to send her and her family back to the United States, and for her spirited defense of the Kubbys' right to stay in Canada.
...
Read It Rating: 7
Left/Right Rating: L3
Freedom Rating: .4
Learning Percentage: 20%
November 12, 2003
Campaigns No Longer Go Up In Smoke
Campaigns No Longer Go Up In Smoke
Past Marijuana Use Now More Acceptable
by Lisa Wangsness
Concord Monitor
Near the end of the Rock the Vote presidential candidates' forum in Boston this week, the moderator posed a question that once filled politicians with dread.
"Which of you are ready to admit to having used marijuana in the past?"
Though Howard Dean joked that the candidates would "keep our hands down on this one," only former ambassador Carol Moseley Braun declined to answer the question. Dean, Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry and North Carolina Sen. John Edwards said they had. The Rev. Al Sharpton said he had not.
Ohio Rep. Dennis Kucinich said he hadn't but added that he would decriminalize marijuana use.
Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman actually apologized - for not having smoked pot.
"I have a reputation for giving unpopular answers in Democratic debates," Lieberman joked. "I never used marijuana, sorry."
...
Read It Rating: 8
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: 1.5
Learning Percentage: 40%
November 09, 2003
Australia: Police To Conduct Random Roadside Drug Tests
Australia: Police To Conduct Random Roadside Drug Tests
In an Australian first, the Victorian government today moved to give police powers to conduct random roadside drug testing.
Under legislation now before state parliament, from July next year roadside drug screening will be used to detect drivers affected by cannabis and speed with a saliva test.
Read It Rating: 6
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: -2
Learning Percentage: 85%
October 16, 2003
LP: America owes Rush Limbaugh a debt of gratitude
LP Press Release:
America owes talk host Rush Limbaugh a debt of gratitude, Libertarians say
October 16, 2003
WASHINGTON, DC -- The entire nation owes radio broadcaster Rush Limbaugh a debt of gratitude, Libertarians say, because his ordeal has exposed every drug warrior in America as a rank hypocrite.
"One thing we don't hear from American politicians very often is silence," said Joe Seehusen, Libertarian Party executive director. "By refusing to criticize Rush Limbaugh, every drug warrior has just been exposed as a shameless, despicable hypocrite.
"And that's good news, because the next time they do speak up, there'll be no reason for anyone to listen."
The revelation that Limbaugh had become addicted to painkillers -- drugs he is accused of procuring illegally from his Palm Beach housekeeper -- has caused a media sensation ever since the megastar's shocking, on-air confession last week.
As the Limbaugh saga continues, here's an important question for Americans to ask, Libertarians say: Why are all the drug warriors suddenly so silent?
"Republican and Democratic politicians have written laws that have condemned more than 400,000 Americans to prison for committing the same 'crime' as Rush Limbaugh," Seehusen pointed out. "If this pill-popping pontificator deserves a get-out-of-jail-free card, these drug warriors had better explain why."
Given their longstanding support for the Drug War, it's fair to ask:
Why haven't President George Bush or his tough-on-crime attorney general, John Ashcroft, uttered a word criticizing Limbaugh's law-breaking?
Why aren't drug czar John P. Walters or his predecessor, Barry McCaffrey, lambasting Limbaugh as a menace to society and a threat to "our children?"
Why aren't federal DEA agents storming Limbaugh's $30 million Florida mansion in a frantic search for criminal evidence?
Why haven't federal, state, and local police agencies seized the celebrity's homes and luxury cars under asset-forfeiture laws?
Finally, why aren't bloviating blabbermouths like William Bennett publicly explaining how America would be better off if Limbaugh were prosecuted, locked in a steel cage and forced to abandon his wife, his friends, and his career?
The answer is obvious, Seehusen said: "America's drug warriors are shameless hypocrites who believe in one standard of justice for ordinary Americans and another for themselves, their families and their political allies.
"That alone should completely discredit them."
But there's an even more disturbing possibility, Seehusen said: that the people who are prosecuting the Drug War don't even believe in its central premise -- which is that public safety requires that drug users be jailed.
"The Bushes and Ashcrofts and McCaffreys of the world may believe, correctly, that individuals fighting a drug addiction deserve medical, not criminal treatment," he said. "That would explain why they're not demanding that Limbaugh be jailed.
"But if that's the case, these politicians have spent decades tearing apart American families for their own political gain. And that's an unforgivable crime."
October 07, 2003
Scientists admit: we were wrong about 'E'
Scientists admit: we were wrong about 'E'
Experts who gave a dramatic warning that ecstasy led to brain damage based their study on a huge blunder, reports health editor Jo Revill
Sunday September 7, 2003
The Observer
It was billed as the one of the most dramatic warnings the world has ever received over the dangers of ecstasy. A study from one of America's leading universities concluded that taking the drug for just one evening could leave clubbers with irreversible brain damage, and trigger the onset of Parkinson's disease.
The study, published in the eminent journal Science last September, had an immediate impact. Doctors and anti-drug crusaders spoke of a 'neurological time bomb' facing the young. Others suggested that taking one of the tablets was the equivalent of playing Russian roulette with the brain, and demanded tighter 'anti-rave' laws to deal with it.
But today, scientists are facing up to the humiliation of admitting that the stark results they reported in the study were not a breakthrough but a terrible, humiliating blunder.
The study was based on the fact that laboratory monkeys and baboons had a severe reaction to the drug when it was injected in small doses. But it emerged this weekend that the vials of liquid did not contain ecstasy....
Read It Rating: 9
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: 2
Learning Percentage: 80%
October 01, 2003
Tommy Chong gets 9 months for selling bongs and such on Web
COURTTV.COM - PEOPLE - Tommy Chong gets 9 months for selling drug wares on Web
Updated Sept. 11, 2003, 2:45 p.m. ET
Tommy Chong gets 9 months for selling drug wares on Web
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Tommy Chong, who played one half of the dope-smoking duo in the Cheech and Chong movies, was sentenced to nine months in federal prison and fined $20,000 Thursday for selling bongs and other drug paraphernalia over the Internet.
The 65-year-old was allowed to remain free until federal prison officials tell him in a few weeks where he must report to prison.
Full story...
Read It Rating: 8
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: -3.5
Learning Percentage: 30%
September 21, 2003
Marijuana laws struck down in British Columbia
Marijuana laws struck down in British Columbia
Westernmost province joins Ontario, PEI and Nova Scotia in ending prohibition
Years of protests bear fruit for freedom
On September 4, Provincial Court Judge P Chen made a landmark ruling regarding marijuana laws in British Columbia. In his decision, Judge Chen said parts of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA) are "invalid" and that "there is no offense known to law at this time for simple possession of marijuana" in the province.
Judge Chen's decision was based on a series of court cases in Ontario that led a judge there to strike down marijuana possession laws in January of this year. ...
Read It Rating: 7.5
Left/Right Rating: L3
Freedom Rating: 3
Learning Percentage: 80%
September 03, 2003
Former drug warriors turn against prohibition
Altered Minds
Former drug warriors turn against prohibition.
by Jacob Sullum
ReasonOnline
In the 1980s, not many people could plausibly claim stronger anti-drug credentials than Nancy Reagan. But Forest Tennant could.
"It's great for the Reagans to get up and say, 'Let's do something about the drug problem,' but I don't know who's going to do it," he told the Los Angeles Times in 1986. "Only true professional people like myself can do very much with the drug problem."
...
Tennant has published hundreds of scientific articles, testified in high-profile trials, and advised the NFL, NASCAR, the California Highway Patrol, the Food and Drug Administration, and the National Institute on Drug Abuse. The Times described him as "riding at the forefront of the current wave of anti-drug sentiment."
So when the folks at the Hoover Institution who produce the PBS show Uncommon Knowledge were looking for someone to debate drug policy with me, Tennant must have seemed like a natural choice. Imagine their surprise when he ended up agreeing that the war on drugs has been a disastrous mistake.
...
Tennant is by no means the only former drug warrior who has become a critic of current policy. Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP), founded last year, includes more than 400 current and former police officers, judges, federal agents, prosecutors, and parole, probation, and corrections officers. The group is headed by Jack Cole, a 26-year veteran of the New Jersey State Police who worked in narcotics enforcement for 14 years.
...
Read It Rating: 9.8
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: 4
Learning Percentage: 50%
Dutch Government begins distributing prescription cannabis
Cannabis as a prescription drug
The Dutch government has started distributing cannabis as a prescription painkiller to pharmacies to treat chronically ill patients. The Hague had already been turning a blind eye to medicinal cannabis use, but now it's become the world's first government to supply the drug itself, in accordance with United Nations rules on narcotics.
Cannabis sativa has been used therapeutically for many centuries. Known to the Chinese as a strong herbal remedy around 5,000 years ago, it was introduced into European medicine in Napoleonic times. Its pain relieving and sedative effects soon became accepted by Western medical practitioners, who prescribed it on a wide scale. Britain's Queen Victoria is said to have taken cannabis tincture for menstrual pains.
Read It Rating: 9.4
Left/Right Rating: L6
Freedom Rating: 2.5
Learning Percentage: 50%
August 18, 2003
Illegal drug makers targeting RV's
Thank you, oh mighty War on Drugs, for opening yet another perverse tear in our society's fabric.
There is one good thing about crystal meth: Of all the drugs in the New Prohibition, it's the one which is most obviously reminiscent of the first Prohibition. (Think moonshine.) Maybe something will snap, as people internally compare the images on the evening news with the contraption in "The Swamp" on M*A*S*H, and experience a cognitive dissonance -- preferably, a big collective one.
From the end of the article:
You can help as well by reporting suspected labs to state police.
Try, "You can help as well by demanding a swift and certain end to the foolish 'War on Drugs'."
Illegal drug makers targeting RV's
(Mattawan, August 12, 2003, 6:20 p.m. ) Camping is a favorite summer past time for Cindy Harnish and her family.
But while getting ready for a camp out earlier this summer, Cindy's father discovered a problem with his travel trailer.
"We got up north and the refrigerator, we tried to light it up but it wouldn't light. So he opened it up and it looked like it had been cut."
But what first appeared to be an act of vandalism may actually have been the latest chapter in the war against the drug known as crystal meth.
For years, makers of crystal meth have been stealing anhydrous ammonia from tanks on farm fields and farm co-ops.
...Now, it appears some manufacturers are turning to RV's.
Read It Rating: 7.5
Left/Right Rating: R2
Freedom Rating: -5
Learning Percentage: 50%
August 17, 2003
Campaigns No Longer Go Up In Smoke
Campaigns No Longer Go Up In Smoke
Past Marijuana Use Now More Acceptable
by Lisa Wangsness
Concord Monitor
Near the end of the Rock the Vote presidential candidates' forum in Boston this week, the moderator posed a question that once filled politicians with dread.
"Which of you are ready to admit to having used marijuana in the past?"
Though Howard Dean joked that the candidates would "keep our hands down on this one," only former ambassador Carol Moseley Braun declined to answer the question. Dean, Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry and North Carolina Sen. John Edwards said they had. The Rev. Al Sharpton said he had not.
Ohio Rep. Dennis Kucinich said he hadn't but added that he would decriminalize marijuana use.
Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman actually apologized - for not having smoked pot.
"I have a reputation for giving unpopular answers in Democratic debates," Lieberman joked. "I never used marijuana, sorry."
...
Read It Rating: 8
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: 1.5
Learning Percentage: 40%
Australia: Police To Conduct Random Roadside Drug Tests
Australia: Police To Conduct Random Roadside Drug Tests
In an Australian first, the Victorian government today moved to give police powers to conduct random roadside drug testing.
Under legislation now before state parliament, from July next year roadside drug screening will be used to detect drivers affected by cannabis and speed with a saliva test.
Read It Rating: 6
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: -2
Learning Percentage: 85%
October 16, 2003
LP: America owes Rush Limbaugh a debt of gratitude
LP Press Release:
America owes talk host Rush Limbaugh a debt of gratitude, Libertarians say
October 16, 2003
WASHINGTON, DC -- The entire nation owes radio broadcaster Rush Limbaugh a debt of gratitude, Libertarians say, because his ordeal has exposed every drug warrior in America as a rank hypocrite.
"One thing we don't hear from American politicians very often is silence," said Joe Seehusen, Libertarian Party executive director. "By refusing to criticize Rush Limbaugh, every drug warrior has just been exposed as a shameless, despicable hypocrite.
"And that's good news, because the next time they do speak up, there'll be no reason for anyone to listen."
The revelation that Limbaugh had become addicted to painkillers -- drugs he is accused of procuring illegally from his Palm Beach housekeeper -- has caused a media sensation ever since the megastar's shocking, on-air confession last week.
As the Limbaugh saga continues, here's an important question for Americans to ask, Libertarians say: Why are all the drug warriors suddenly so silent?
"Republican and Democratic politicians have written laws that have condemned more than 400,000 Americans to prison for committing the same 'crime' as Rush Limbaugh," Seehusen pointed out. "If this pill-popping pontificator deserves a get-out-of-jail-free card, these drug warriors had better explain why."
Given their longstanding support for the Drug War, it's fair to ask:
Why haven't President George Bush or his tough-on-crime attorney general, John Ashcroft, uttered a word criticizing Limbaugh's law-breaking?
Why aren't drug czar John P. Walters or his predecessor, Barry McCaffrey, lambasting Limbaugh as a menace to society and a threat to "our children?"
Why aren't federal DEA agents storming Limbaugh's $30 million Florida mansion in a frantic search for criminal evidence?
Why haven't federal, state, and local police agencies seized the celebrity's homes and luxury cars under asset-forfeiture laws?
Finally, why aren't bloviating blabbermouths like William Bennett publicly explaining how America would be better off if Limbaugh were prosecuted, locked in a steel cage and forced to abandon his wife, his friends, and his career?
The answer is obvious, Seehusen said: "America's drug warriors are shameless hypocrites who believe in one standard of justice for ordinary Americans and another for themselves, their families and their political allies.
"That alone should completely discredit them."
But there's an even more disturbing possibility, Seehusen said: that the people who are prosecuting the Drug War don't even believe in its central premise -- which is that public safety requires that drug users be jailed.
"The Bushes and Ashcrofts and McCaffreys of the world may believe, correctly, that individuals fighting a drug addiction deserve medical, not criminal treatment," he said. "That would explain why they're not demanding that Limbaugh be jailed.
"But if that's the case, these politicians have spent decades tearing apart American families for their own political gain. And that's an unforgivable crime."
October 07, 2003
Scientists admit: we were wrong about 'E'
Scientists admit: we were wrong about 'E'
Experts who gave a dramatic warning that ecstasy led to brain damage based their study on a huge blunder, reports health editor Jo Revill
Sunday September 7, 2003
The Observer
It was billed as the one of the most dramatic warnings the world has ever received over the dangers of ecstasy. A study from one of America's leading universities concluded that taking the drug for just one evening could leave clubbers with irreversible brain damage, and trigger the onset of Parkinson's disease.
The study, published in the eminent journal Science last September, had an immediate impact. Doctors and anti-drug crusaders spoke of a 'neurological time bomb' facing the young. Others suggested that taking one of the tablets was the equivalent of playing Russian roulette with the brain, and demanded tighter 'anti-rave' laws to deal with it.
But today, scientists are facing up to the humiliation of admitting that the stark results they reported in the study were not a breakthrough but a terrible, humiliating blunder.
The study was based on the fact that laboratory monkeys and baboons had a severe reaction to the drug when it was injected in small doses. But it emerged this weekend that the vials of liquid did not contain ecstasy....
Read It Rating: 9
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: 2
Learning Percentage: 80%
October 01, 2003
Tommy Chong gets 9 months for selling bongs and such on Web
COURTTV.COM - PEOPLE - Tommy Chong gets 9 months for selling drug wares on Web
Updated Sept. 11, 2003, 2:45 p.m. ET
Tommy Chong gets 9 months for selling drug wares on Web
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Tommy Chong, who played one half of the dope-smoking duo in the Cheech and Chong movies, was sentenced to nine months in federal prison and fined $20,000 Thursday for selling bongs and other drug paraphernalia over the Internet.
The 65-year-old was allowed to remain free until federal prison officials tell him in a few weeks where he must report to prison.
Full story...
Read It Rating: 8
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: -3.5
Learning Percentage: 30%
September 21, 2003
Marijuana laws struck down in British Columbia
Marijuana laws struck down in British Columbia
Westernmost province joins Ontario, PEI and Nova Scotia in ending prohibition
Years of protests bear fruit for freedom
On September 4, Provincial Court Judge P Chen made a landmark ruling regarding marijuana laws in British Columbia. In his decision, Judge Chen said parts of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA) are "invalid" and that "there is no offense known to law at this time for simple possession of marijuana" in the province.
Judge Chen's decision was based on a series of court cases in Ontario that led a judge there to strike down marijuana possession laws in January of this year. ...
Read It Rating: 7.5
Left/Right Rating: L3
Freedom Rating: 3
Learning Percentage: 80%
September 03, 2003
Former drug warriors turn against prohibition
Altered Minds
Former drug warriors turn against prohibition.
by Jacob Sullum
ReasonOnline
In the 1980s, not many people could plausibly claim stronger anti-drug credentials than Nancy Reagan. But Forest Tennant could.
"It's great for the Reagans to get up and say, 'Let's do something about the drug problem,' but I don't know who's going to do it," he told the Los Angeles Times in 1986. "Only true professional people like myself can do very much with the drug problem."
...
Tennant has published hundreds of scientific articles, testified in high-profile trials, and advised the NFL, NASCAR, the California Highway Patrol, the Food and Drug Administration, and the National Institute on Drug Abuse. The Times described him as "riding at the forefront of the current wave of anti-drug sentiment."
So when the folks at the Hoover Institution who produce the PBS show Uncommon Knowledge were looking for someone to debate drug policy with me, Tennant must have seemed like a natural choice. Imagine their surprise when he ended up agreeing that the war on drugs has been a disastrous mistake.
...
Tennant is by no means the only former drug warrior who has become a critic of current policy. Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP), founded last year, includes more than 400 current and former police officers, judges, federal agents, prosecutors, and parole, probation, and corrections officers. The group is headed by Jack Cole, a 26-year veteran of the New Jersey State Police who worked in narcotics enforcement for 14 years.
...
Read It Rating: 9.8
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: 4
Learning Percentage: 50%
Dutch Government begins distributing prescription cannabis
Cannabis as a prescription drug
The Dutch government has started distributing cannabis as a prescription painkiller to pharmacies to treat chronically ill patients. The Hague had already been turning a blind eye to medicinal cannabis use, but now it's become the world's first government to supply the drug itself, in accordance with United Nations rules on narcotics.
Cannabis sativa has been used therapeutically for many centuries. Known to the Chinese as a strong herbal remedy around 5,000 years ago, it was introduced into European medicine in Napoleonic times. Its pain relieving and sedative effects soon became accepted by Western medical practitioners, who prescribed it on a wide scale. Britain's Queen Victoria is said to have taken cannabis tincture for menstrual pains.
Read It Rating: 9.4
Left/Right Rating: L6
Freedom Rating: 2.5
Learning Percentage: 50%
August 18, 2003
Illegal drug makers targeting RV's
Thank you, oh mighty War on Drugs, for opening yet another perverse tear in our society's fabric.
There is one good thing about crystal meth: Of all the drugs in the New Prohibition, it's the one which is most obviously reminiscent of the first Prohibition. (Think moonshine.) Maybe something will snap, as people internally compare the images on the evening news with the contraption in "The Swamp" on M*A*S*H, and experience a cognitive dissonance -- preferably, a big collective one.
From the end of the article:
You can help as well by reporting suspected labs to state police.
Try, "You can help as well by demanding a swift and certain end to the foolish 'War on Drugs'."
Illegal drug makers targeting RV's
(Mattawan, August 12, 2003, 6:20 p.m. ) Camping is a favorite summer past time for Cindy Harnish and her family.
But while getting ready for a camp out earlier this summer, Cindy's father discovered a problem with his travel trailer.
"We got up north and the refrigerator, we tried to light it up but it wouldn't light. So he opened it up and it looked like it had been cut."
But what first appeared to be an act of vandalism may actually have been the latest chapter in the war against the drug known as crystal meth.
For years, makers of crystal meth have been stealing anhydrous ammonia from tanks on farm fields and farm co-ops.
...Now, it appears some manufacturers are turning to RV's.
Read It Rating: 7.5
Left/Right Rating: R2
Freedom Rating: -5
Learning Percentage: 50%
August 17, 2003
LP: America owes Rush Limbaugh a debt of gratitude
LP Press Release:
America owes talk host Rush Limbaugh a debt of gratitude, Libertarians say
October 16, 2003
WASHINGTON, DC -- The entire nation owes radio broadcaster Rush Limbaugh a debt of gratitude, Libertarians say, because his ordeal has exposed every drug warrior in America as a rank hypocrite.
"One thing we don't hear from American politicians very often is silence," said Joe Seehusen, Libertarian Party executive director. "By refusing to criticize Rush Limbaugh, every drug warrior has just been exposed as a shameless, despicable hypocrite.
"And that's good news, because the next time they do speak up, there'll be no reason for anyone to listen."
The revelation that Limbaugh had become addicted to painkillers -- drugs he is accused of procuring illegally from his Palm Beach housekeeper -- has caused a media sensation ever since the megastar's shocking, on-air confession last week.
As the Limbaugh saga continues, here's an important question for Americans to ask, Libertarians say: Why are all the drug warriors suddenly so silent?
"Republican and Democratic politicians have written laws that have condemned more than 400,000 Americans to prison for committing the same 'crime' as Rush Limbaugh," Seehusen pointed out. "If this pill-popping pontificator deserves a get-out-of-jail-free card, these drug warriors had better explain why."
Given their longstanding support for the Drug War, it's fair to ask:
Why haven't President George Bush or his tough-on-crime attorney general, John Ashcroft, uttered a word criticizing Limbaugh's law-breaking?
Why aren't drug czar John P. Walters or his predecessor, Barry McCaffrey, lambasting Limbaugh as a menace to society and a threat to "our children?"
Why aren't federal DEA agents storming Limbaugh's $30 million Florida mansion in a frantic search for criminal evidence?
Why haven't federal, state, and local police agencies seized the celebrity's homes and luxury cars under asset-forfeiture laws?
Finally, why aren't bloviating blabbermouths like William Bennett publicly explaining how America would be better off if Limbaugh were prosecuted, locked in a steel cage and forced to abandon his wife, his friends, and his career?
The answer is obvious, Seehusen said: "America's drug warriors are shameless hypocrites who believe in one standard of justice for ordinary Americans and another for themselves, their families and their political allies.
"That alone should completely discredit them."
But there's an even more disturbing possibility, Seehusen said: that the people who are prosecuting the Drug War don't even believe in its central premise -- which is that public safety requires that drug users be jailed.
"The Bushes and Ashcrofts and McCaffreys of the world may believe, correctly, that individuals fighting a drug addiction deserve medical, not criminal treatment," he said. "That would explain why they're not demanding that Limbaugh be jailed.
"But if that's the case, these politicians have spent decades tearing apart American families for their own political gain. And that's an unforgivable crime."
Scientists admit: we were wrong about 'E'
Scientists admit: we were wrong about 'E'
Experts who gave a dramatic warning that ecstasy led to brain damage based their study on a huge blunder, reports health editor Jo Revill
Sunday September 7, 2003
The Observer
It was billed as the one of the most dramatic warnings the world has ever received over the dangers of ecstasy. A study from one of America's leading universities concluded that taking the drug for just one evening could leave clubbers with irreversible brain damage, and trigger the onset of Parkinson's disease.
The study, published in the eminent journal Science last September, had an immediate impact. Doctors and anti-drug crusaders spoke of a 'neurological time bomb' facing the young. Others suggested that taking one of the tablets was the equivalent of playing Russian roulette with the brain, and demanded tighter 'anti-rave' laws to deal with it.
But today, scientists are facing up to the humiliation of admitting that the stark results they reported in the study were not a breakthrough but a terrible, humiliating blunder.
The study was based on the fact that laboratory monkeys and baboons had a severe reaction to the drug when it was injected in small doses. But it emerged this weekend that the vials of liquid did not contain ecstasy....
Read It Rating: 9
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: 2
Learning Percentage: 80%
October 01, 2003
Tommy Chong gets 9 months for selling bongs and such on Web
COURTTV.COM - PEOPLE - Tommy Chong gets 9 months for selling drug wares on Web
Updated Sept. 11, 2003, 2:45 p.m. ET
Tommy Chong gets 9 months for selling drug wares on Web
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Tommy Chong, who played one half of the dope-smoking duo in the Cheech and Chong movies, was sentenced to nine months in federal prison and fined $20,000 Thursday for selling bongs and other drug paraphernalia over the Internet.
The 65-year-old was allowed to remain free until federal prison officials tell him in a few weeks where he must report to prison.
Full story...
Read It Rating: 8
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: -3.5
Learning Percentage: 30%
September 21, 2003
Marijuana laws struck down in British Columbia
Marijuana laws struck down in British Columbia
Westernmost province joins Ontario, PEI and Nova Scotia in ending prohibition
Years of protests bear fruit for freedom
On September 4, Provincial Court Judge P Chen made a landmark ruling regarding marijuana laws in British Columbia. In his decision, Judge Chen said parts of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA) are "invalid" and that "there is no offense known to law at this time for simple possession of marijuana" in the province.
Judge Chen's decision was based on a series of court cases in Ontario that led a judge there to strike down marijuana possession laws in January of this year. ...
Read It Rating: 7.5
Left/Right Rating: L3
Freedom Rating: 3
Learning Percentage: 80%
September 03, 2003
Former drug warriors turn against prohibition
Altered Minds
Former drug warriors turn against prohibition.
by Jacob Sullum
ReasonOnline
In the 1980s, not many people could plausibly claim stronger anti-drug credentials than Nancy Reagan. But Forest Tennant could.
"It's great for the Reagans to get up and say, 'Let's do something about the drug problem,' but I don't know who's going to do it," he told the Los Angeles Times in 1986. "Only true professional people like myself can do very much with the drug problem."
...
Tennant has published hundreds of scientific articles, testified in high-profile trials, and advised the NFL, NASCAR, the California Highway Patrol, the Food and Drug Administration, and the National Institute on Drug Abuse. The Times described him as "riding at the forefront of the current wave of anti-drug sentiment."
So when the folks at the Hoover Institution who produce the PBS show Uncommon Knowledge were looking for someone to debate drug policy with me, Tennant must have seemed like a natural choice. Imagine their surprise when he ended up agreeing that the war on drugs has been a disastrous mistake.
...
Tennant is by no means the only former drug warrior who has become a critic of current policy. Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP), founded last year, includes more than 400 current and former police officers, judges, federal agents, prosecutors, and parole, probation, and corrections officers. The group is headed by Jack Cole, a 26-year veteran of the New Jersey State Police who worked in narcotics enforcement for 14 years.
...
Read It Rating: 9.8
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: 4
Learning Percentage: 50%
Dutch Government begins distributing prescription cannabis
Cannabis as a prescription drug
The Dutch government has started distributing cannabis as a prescription painkiller to pharmacies to treat chronically ill patients. The Hague had already been turning a blind eye to medicinal cannabis use, but now it's become the world's first government to supply the drug itself, in accordance with United Nations rules on narcotics.
Cannabis sativa has been used therapeutically for many centuries. Known to the Chinese as a strong herbal remedy around 5,000 years ago, it was introduced into European medicine in Napoleonic times. Its pain relieving and sedative effects soon became accepted by Western medical practitioners, who prescribed it on a wide scale. Britain's Queen Victoria is said to have taken cannabis tincture for menstrual pains.
Read It Rating: 9.4
Left/Right Rating: L6
Freedom Rating: 2.5
Learning Percentage: 50%
August 18, 2003
Illegal drug makers targeting RV's
Thank you, oh mighty War on Drugs, for opening yet another perverse tear in our society's fabric.
There is one good thing about crystal meth: Of all the drugs in the New Prohibition, it's the one which is most obviously reminiscent of the first Prohibition. (Think moonshine.) Maybe something will snap, as people internally compare the images on the evening news with the contraption in "The Swamp" on M*A*S*H, and experience a cognitive dissonance -- preferably, a big collective one.
From the end of the article:
You can help as well by reporting suspected labs to state police.
Try, "You can help as well by demanding a swift and certain end to the foolish 'War on Drugs'."
Illegal drug makers targeting RV's
(Mattawan, August 12, 2003, 6:20 p.m. ) Camping is a favorite summer past time for Cindy Harnish and her family.
But while getting ready for a camp out earlier this summer, Cindy's father discovered a problem with his travel trailer.
"We got up north and the refrigerator, we tried to light it up but it wouldn't light. So he opened it up and it looked like it had been cut."
But what first appeared to be an act of vandalism may actually have been the latest chapter in the war against the drug known as crystal meth.
For years, makers of crystal meth have been stealing anhydrous ammonia from tanks on farm fields and farm co-ops.
...Now, it appears some manufacturers are turning to RV's.
Read It Rating: 7.5
Left/Right Rating: R2
Freedom Rating: -5
Learning Percentage: 50%
August 17, 2003
Tommy Chong gets 9 months for selling bongs and such on Web
COURTTV.COM - PEOPLE - Tommy Chong gets 9 months for selling drug wares on Web
Updated Sept. 11, 2003, 2:45 p.m. ET
Tommy Chong gets 9 months for selling drug wares on Web
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Tommy Chong, who played one half of the dope-smoking duo in the Cheech and Chong movies, was sentenced to nine months in federal prison and fined $20,000 Thursday for selling bongs and other drug paraphernalia over the Internet.
The 65-year-old was allowed to remain free until federal prison officials tell him in a few weeks where he must report to prison.
Full story...
Read It Rating: 8
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: -3.5
Learning Percentage: 30%
Marijuana laws struck down in British Columbia
Marijuana laws struck down in British Columbia
Westernmost province joins Ontario, PEI and Nova Scotia in ending prohibition
Years of protests bear fruit for freedom
On September 4, Provincial Court Judge P Chen made a landmark ruling regarding marijuana laws in British Columbia. In his decision, Judge Chen said parts of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA) are "invalid" and that "there is no offense known to law at this time for simple possession of marijuana" in the province.
Judge Chen's decision was based on a series of court cases in Ontario that led a judge there to strike down marijuana possession laws in January of this year. ...
Read It Rating: 7.5
Left/Right Rating: L3
Freedom Rating: 3
Learning Percentage: 80%
September 03, 2003
Former drug warriors turn against prohibition
Altered Minds
Former drug warriors turn against prohibition.
by Jacob Sullum
ReasonOnline
In the 1980s, not many people could plausibly claim stronger anti-drug credentials than Nancy Reagan. But Forest Tennant could.
"It's great for the Reagans to get up and say, 'Let's do something about the drug problem,' but I don't know who's going to do it," he told the Los Angeles Times in 1986. "Only true professional people like myself can do very much with the drug problem."
...
Tennant has published hundreds of scientific articles, testified in high-profile trials, and advised the NFL, NASCAR, the California Highway Patrol, the Food and Drug Administration, and the National Institute on Drug Abuse. The Times described him as "riding at the forefront of the current wave of anti-drug sentiment."
So when the folks at the Hoover Institution who produce the PBS show Uncommon Knowledge were looking for someone to debate drug policy with me, Tennant must have seemed like a natural choice. Imagine their surprise when he ended up agreeing that the war on drugs has been a disastrous mistake.
...
Tennant is by no means the only former drug warrior who has become a critic of current policy. Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP), founded last year, includes more than 400 current and former police officers, judges, federal agents, prosecutors, and parole, probation, and corrections officers. The group is headed by Jack Cole, a 26-year veteran of the New Jersey State Police who worked in narcotics enforcement for 14 years.
...
Read It Rating: 9.8
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: 4
Learning Percentage: 50%
Dutch Government begins distributing prescription cannabis
Cannabis as a prescription drug
The Dutch government has started distributing cannabis as a prescription painkiller to pharmacies to treat chronically ill patients. The Hague had already been turning a blind eye to medicinal cannabis use, but now it's become the world's first government to supply the drug itself, in accordance with United Nations rules on narcotics.
Cannabis sativa has been used therapeutically for many centuries. Known to the Chinese as a strong herbal remedy around 5,000 years ago, it was introduced into European medicine in Napoleonic times. Its pain relieving and sedative effects soon became accepted by Western medical practitioners, who prescribed it on a wide scale. Britain's Queen Victoria is said to have taken cannabis tincture for menstrual pains.
Read It Rating: 9.4
Left/Right Rating: L6
Freedom Rating: 2.5
Learning Percentage: 50%
August 18, 2003
Illegal drug makers targeting RV's
Thank you, oh mighty War on Drugs, for opening yet another perverse tear in our society's fabric.
There is one good thing about crystal meth: Of all the drugs in the New Prohibition, it's the one which is most obviously reminiscent of the first Prohibition. (Think moonshine.) Maybe something will snap, as people internally compare the images on the evening news with the contraption in "The Swamp" on M*A*S*H, and experience a cognitive dissonance -- preferably, a big collective one.
From the end of the article:
You can help as well by reporting suspected labs to state police.
Try, "You can help as well by demanding a swift and certain end to the foolish 'War on Drugs'."
Illegal drug makers targeting RV's
(Mattawan, August 12, 2003, 6:20 p.m. ) Camping is a favorite summer past time for Cindy Harnish and her family.
But while getting ready for a camp out earlier this summer, Cindy's father discovered a problem with his travel trailer.
"We got up north and the refrigerator, we tried to light it up but it wouldn't light. So he opened it up and it looked like it had been cut."
But what first appeared to be an act of vandalism may actually have been the latest chapter in the war against the drug known as crystal meth.
For years, makers of crystal meth have been stealing anhydrous ammonia from tanks on farm fields and farm co-ops.
...Now, it appears some manufacturers are turning to RV's.
Read It Rating: 7.5
Left/Right Rating: R2
Freedom Rating: -5
Learning Percentage: 50%
August 17, 2003
Former drug warriors turn against prohibition
Altered Minds
Former drug warriors turn against prohibition.
by Jacob Sullum
ReasonOnline
In the 1980s, not many people could plausibly claim stronger anti-drug credentials than Nancy Reagan. But Forest Tennant could.
"It's great for the Reagans to get up and say, 'Let's do something about the drug problem,' but I don't know who's going to do it," he told the Los Angeles Times in 1986. "Only true professional people like myself can do very much with the drug problem."
...
Tennant has published hundreds of scientific articles, testified in high-profile trials, and advised the NFL, NASCAR, the California Highway Patrol, the Food and Drug Administration, and the National Institute on Drug Abuse. The Times described him as "riding at the forefront of the current wave of anti-drug sentiment."
So when the folks at the Hoover Institution who produce the PBS show Uncommon Knowledge were looking for someone to debate drug policy with me, Tennant must have seemed like a natural choice. Imagine their surprise when he ended up agreeing that the war on drugs has been a disastrous mistake.
...
Tennant is by no means the only former drug warrior who has become a critic of current policy. Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP), founded last year, includes more than 400 current and former police officers, judges, federal agents, prosecutors, and parole, probation, and corrections officers. The group is headed by Jack Cole, a 26-year veteran of the New Jersey State Police who worked in narcotics enforcement for 14 years.
...
Read It Rating: 9.8
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Learning Percentage: 50%
Dutch Government begins distributing prescription cannabis
Cannabis as a prescription drug
The Dutch government has started distributing cannabis as a prescription painkiller to pharmacies to treat chronically ill patients. The Hague had already been turning a blind eye to medicinal cannabis use, but now it's become the world's first government to supply the drug itself, in accordance with United Nations rules on narcotics.
Cannabis sativa has been used therapeutically for many centuries. Known to the Chinese as a strong herbal remedy around 5,000 years ago, it was introduced into European medicine in Napoleonic times. Its pain relieving and sedative effects soon became accepted by Western medical practitioners, who prescribed it on a wide scale. Britain's Queen Victoria is said to have taken cannabis tincture for menstrual pains.
Read It Rating: 9.4
Left/Right Rating: L6
Freedom Rating: 2.5
Learning Percentage: 50%
Illegal drug makers targeting RV's
Thank you, oh mighty War on Drugs, for opening yet another perverse tear in our society's fabric.
There is one good thing about crystal meth: Of all the drugs in the New Prohibition, it's the one which is most obviously reminiscent of the first Prohibition. (Think moonshine.) Maybe something will snap, as people internally compare the images on the evening news with the contraption in "The Swamp" on M*A*S*H, and experience a cognitive dissonance -- preferably, a big collective one.
From the end of the article:
You can help as well by reporting suspected labs to state police.
Try, "You can help as well by demanding a swift and certain end to the foolish 'War on Drugs'."
Illegal drug makers targeting RV's
(Mattawan, August 12, 2003, 6:20 p.m. ) Camping is a favorite summer past time for Cindy Harnish and her family.
But while getting ready for a camp out earlier this summer, Cindy's father discovered a problem with his travel trailer.
"We got up north and the refrigerator, we tried to light it up but it wouldn't light. So he opened it up and it looked like it had been cut."
But what first appeared to be an act of vandalism may actually have been the latest chapter in the war against the drug known as crystal meth.
For years, makers of crystal meth have been stealing anhydrous ammonia from tanks on farm fields and farm co-ops.
...Now, it appears some manufacturers are turning to RV's.
Read It Rating: 7.5
Left/Right Rating: R2
Freedom Rating: -5
Learning Percentage: 50%