Date: Wed, 08 Dec 1999
Subject: “Judge Judy” Sees Death For Addicts As Justice

DrugSense FOCUS Alert #139 Wednesday December 8, 1999

“Judge Judy” Sees Death For Addicts As Justice

TO SUBSCRIBE, UNSUBSCRIBE, DONATE, VOLUNTEER TO HELP OR UPDATE YOUR EMAIL
ADDRESS PLEASE SEE THE INFORMATION AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS FOCUS ALERT

——-
PLEASE COPY AND DISTRIBUTE
——-

DrugSense FOCUS Alert #139 Wednesday December 8, 1999

Judy Sheindlin, the former family court judge who now plays a judge on
TV (“Judge Judy”), was in Australia last month promoting her new book
when she made some outrageous comments that illustrated the depth of
the hate produced by the war on drugs.

According to the Australia Courier-Mail, Sheindlin made an appearance
in Brisbane, Australia on November 16 where she said the debate about
needle supply to heroin addicts is an indulgence lead by “liberal
morons.” The solution is simple, she said. “Give ’em dirty needles and
let ’em die. . .I don’t understand why we think it’s important to keep
them alive.”

(To read longer accounts, see http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v99/n1245/a07.html
and http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v99/n1245/a06.html)

Activists have taken note of Sheindlin’s barbarity, and calls and
letters to the producer of her television show seem to be having an
impact. Some carefully worded responses from Sheindlin’s
representatives do not deny that the “judge” made the “let ’em die”
statement. However, the attempt at spin control seems like more of an
effort to justify the comments, rather than admitting the stupidity
and cruelty of them.

Despite her effort at damage control, her death sentence for addicts
was not the first attack attempts at reform. In her 1996 book she
wrote about seeing “a TV profile about a woman in the South Bronx who
has devoted her life to rescuing drug addicts from infection by giving
them free needles in exchange for their old ones. She believes that
America has becomes callous to their plight. She says she is
discouraged and ashamed of the citizens’ inhumane response to
‘afflicted addicts.’ Well, forgive me for not dabbing my eyes. In the
TV show about her, I watched addicts dump a weekly supply of syringes
on her table, fifty or more apiece. What the hell did she think they
put in those needles – soda pop? They were all shooting heroin, which
is deadly and very expensive.”

Please write to the sponsors of Sheindlin’s show to express your
displeasure over her comments and her half-hearted responses to our
concerns.

Thanks for your effort and support.

WRITE A LETTER TODAY

It’s not what others do it’s what YOU do

***************************************************************************

PLEASE SEND US A COPY OF YOUR LETTER OR TELL US WHAT YOU DID ( Letter,
Phone, fax etc.)

Please post a copy your letter or report your action to the MAPTalk
list if you are subscribed, or by E-mailing a copy directly to
[email protected] Your letter will then be forwarded to the list with
so others can learn from your efforts and be motivated to follow suit

This is VERY IMPORTANT as it is the only way we have of gauging our
impact and effectiveness.

**************************************************************************

Cut and paste list of Email addresses of Judge Judy’s sponsors below.
Use this for a general letter expressing your concerns and copy all
the addresses below.

[email protected] [email protected] [email protected]
[email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

Alternate: If you wish to participate in our standard effort of writing a
letter to the editor please read the excellent Arianna Huffington column at
http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v99/n1295/a02.html
and reply to the Fresno Bee at
[email protected]

Judge Judy Sponsors – More CONTACT INFO NOTE: Thanks to Cliff Schaffer
for compiling this info.

For those who want to join in the campaign to respond to Judge
“let-em-die” Judy, here is some contact info for KCAL TV 9 in Los
Angeles which airs her show, as well as contact information for some
of the sponsors.

Please remember to do the following:

1) Act fast.

2) Make it clear that such talk — especially from a Judge —
especially from someone who is Jewish — is completely reprehensible
and inexcusable. Her remarks show that she isn’t fit to be a judge on
television or anywhere else.

3) Include the text, URLs or quotes from both articles, so it is clear
what you are talking about and so Judge Judy can’t lie about what she
said.

4) Make it clear to both TV stations and sponsors that you will stop
buying/viewing their products and that you are encouraging your
friends to do the same.

5) Close your letter by saying that you hope those sponsors will also
show their outrage against her remarks by cancelling their advertising
for her show. We don’t want to boycott or take other action against
people who feel the same as we do about it. (Give them a nice way to
join us.)

Twentieth Century Fox is likely to be especially sensitive to
complaints. They have one of their big movies in the theaters right
now “Anna and the King” and they will have a little more than thirty
days to make all the money in the theaters that they can make. If they
receive a number of letters/phone calls about Judge Judy’s comments,
along with a threat to picket or boycott, they will drop Judge Judy
like a hot rock. They can’t afford to wait a week to see if they have
a PR problem.

———————-
Judge Judy and her sponsors

Judge Judy’s number 1-888-800-JUDY

Contact form for earnfreegas.com http://www.chase.com/chase/gx.cgi/FTes?evalpage=Chase/Href&urlname=contactus
/generalfeedback

KCAL 9 – Programming – 323-960-3610 Public Affairs – 323-960-3730
e-mail: [email protected]

Conair [email protected]

(Anna and the King – movie)
Twentieth Century Fox
10201 West Pico Boulevard, Beverly Hills, CA 90210
(310) 369-1000
—————————-

Secret Deodorant http://www.secret-deodorant.com use Feedback
form

——————————–
Sell Oil

New York

David Sexton
Shell Oil Company
GSDF Division
630 Fifth Avenue – Suite 1970
New York NY 10111, USA

Telephone: 1-212-218 3112. Fax: 1-212-218 3114

Information for private shareholders

If you have any questions or queries please contact the addresses
below

Royal Dutch Shareholders

Shareholder queries,

Shell International B.V
FHK Division
PO Box 162
2501 AN The Hague
The Netherlands.

E-mail: [email protected]

Telephone: 31-70-377 4540. Fax: 31-70-377 3115

Royal Dutch USA Stockholders

Royal Dutch stockholders in the USA with inquiries about stock
ownership, changes of address or the payment of dividends may contact:

Stock Transfer and Paying Agent J P Morgan Service Center PO Box 8205
Boston MA 02266-8205.

Telephone:
1-800-556 8639 (USA only)
1-781-575-4328 (international)
Fax: 1-617-575 4083

Group Enquiries

Enquiries relating to activities of companies in the Royal Dutch/Shell
Group may be sent to:

The Shareholder Relations Office
Shell Centre
London SE1 7NA.

Telephone: 0171 934 6535. Fax: 0171 934 6625

For matters not covered above

Please write to:

The Company Secretary The Shell Transport and Trading Company plc
Shell Centre London SE1 7NA.

Telephone: 0171 934 3363. Fax: 0171 934 5153

———————————
Shell Credit Cards
http://www.earnfreegas.com

———————————

Lanacane ointment http://www.lanacane.com [email protected]

———————————–

Nissan Autos
1-800-NISSAN-1 (1-800-647-7261)

Nissan Motor Corporation
P.O.Box 47060
Gardena, CA 90248
—————————————

Web TV (airs Judge Judy in interactive mode) http://www.webtv.com
[email protected]

————————————–

Mr. Rooter
http://www.mrrooter.com
1-800-298-6855 * Fax 254-745-5098
Email: [email protected]

—————————————-

Footlocker Shoe Stores
http://www.footlocker.com
1-800-991-6681
————————————–

Other Judge Judy Sponsors Nissan autos Coco’s Restaurants Ross Dress
for Less Dodge Ram Trucks Jet-Dry Blistex

The show is produced by Big Ticket Television

******************************************************************************

SAMPLE LETTER (sent)

Dear [sponsor]

I understand that your company sponsors the “Judge Judy” television
show. As are probably already aware, the show’s star, Judy Sheindlin,
recently made some extremely offensive comments in regards to
intravenous drug users. Sheindlin said, “Give ’em dirty needles and
let ’em die. . .I don’t understand why we think it’s important to keep
them alive,” as she promoted her new book in Australia.

This “final solution” not only smacks of Nazism, it is completely
irresponsible. Sheindlin should know that IV drug users infected with
deadly disease don’t just sit in a corner and keep it to themselves.
The disease can be easily transmitted to unborn children, unknowing
sexual partners and others. Sheindlin has clearly let her intolerance
overpower any common sense she might have.

While Sheindlin is certainly entitled to her opinions, no matter how
mindlessly murderous and hateful, her opinions do reflect on her
sponsors. While I hope you don’t share her opinions, it’s hard to tell
as long as your company continues to financially support Sheindlin’s
show without calling on her to retract her statements.

Sheindlin is well aware of the controversy she has created, and while
she has made some attempt to justify her comments, she hasn’t done the
right thing: simply admitting that she was wrong. She obviously cares
little about those of us who have protested her comments, so we feel
as though we must bring the issue to your attention. I’m hoping this
can be resolved before I change my buying habits to consciously avoid
products from Sheindlin’s sponsors, but unless I get some satisfaction
from Sheindlin, I feel as if I don’t have any other choice.

Thank you for your consideration.

Stephen Young

IMPORTANT: Always include your address and telephone
number

Please note: If you choose to use this letter as a model please modify it
at least somewhat so that the paper does not receive numerous copies of the
same letter and so that the original author receives credit for his/her work.
—————————————————————————-

ADDITIONAL INFO to help you in your letter writing
efforts

3 Tips for Letter Writers http://www.mapinc.org/3tips.htm

Letter Writers Style Guide http://www.mapinc.org/style.htm

****************************************************************************

Prepared by Stephen Young – http://home.att.net/~theyoungfamily Focus
Alert Specialist

Date: Wed, 01 Dec 1999
Subject: The Drug War’s Killing Fields Are Exposed

DrugSense FOCUS Alert # 138 December 1, 1999

The Drug War’s Killing Fields Are Exposed

TO SUBSCRIBE, UNSUBSCRIBE, DONATE, VOLUNTEER TO HELP OR UPDATE YOUR EMAIL
ADDRESS PLEASE SEE THE INFORMATION AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS FOCUS ALERT

——-
PLEASE COPY AND DISTRIBUTE
——-

DrugSense FOCUS Alert # 138 December 1, 1999

The Drug War’s Killing Fields Are Exposed

The drug war’s promotion of murderous violence was highlighted again
this week with the discovery of what appear to be mass human graves.
The grisly find took place just a few miles south of the U.S. border
in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. Media reports indicate anywhere between
100-200 people, both Mexicans and Americans, could be buried at the
site. Those buried are believed to be the victims of a powerful
Mexican drug cartel.

Investigators who have found the grave expect to find bodies of many
people who have simply vanished from the area in the past few years.
Some of the disappeared were part of the drug trade, some were
apparently informants cooperating with anti-narcotics agents, while
others were just innocent bystanders who may have seen something the
cartel didn’t want them to see. Reports indicate that corrupt Mexican
police officers may have assisted with the killings.

This story is being covered widely in the media (to read several
accounts, search MAP’s drug news archive for the words “Ciudad Juarez”
without the quotes). The general government spin, articulated by
former DEA head Thomas Constantine and others, is that U.S. anti-drug
forces need to get tougher on Mexican drug lords. This shortsighted
view completely ignores the fact that it is the drug war that has
given drug cartels their astonishing power and wealth. The drug war is
also an incentive to use horrifying acts of violence in order to
protect that power and wealth.

While this story is quite disturbing on its own, a journalist
interviewed on ABC’s Nightline last night said that this discovery
only represents “the tip of the iceberg.” He said other towns along
the U.S.-Mexico are caught up in the same sort of violence, and that
the boldness of the violence, often taking place in broad daylight, is
becoming more shocking each day. Please write a letter to the
Washington Post, any other major U.S. newspapers, or your own local
newspaper, to remind readers that the drug war is the cause of this
nightmare, not the solution.

Thanks for your effort and support.

WRITE A LETTER TODAY

It’s not what others do it’s what YOU do

***************************************************************************

PLEASE SEND US A COPY OF YOUR LETTER OR TELL US WHAT YOU DID ( Letter,
Phone, fax etc.)

Please post a copy your letter or report your action to the MAPTalk
list if you are subscribed, or by E-mailing a copy directly to
[email protected] Your letter will then be forwarded to the list with
so others can learn from your efforts and be motivated to follow suit

This is VERY IMPORTANT as it is the only way we have of gauging our
impact and effectiveness.

**************************************************************************

CONTACT INFO

Source: Washington Post (DC)
Contact: Feedback:
http://washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/edit/letters/letterform.htm

Note: for best results write your letter off line so you can spell check
etc. then paste it into the LTE window at the address above.

EXTRA CREDIT –

Send a copy of your letter to other major newspapers in the US. Please
don’t use the CC or the BCC function; send each as a separate message.

Source: The New York Times
Contact: [email protected]

Source: USA Today
Contact: [email protected]

Source: Chicago Tribune
Contact: [email protected]

Source: Wall Street Journal
Contact: [email protected]

EXTRA EXTRA CREDIT

Send a copy of your letter to your own local newspaper or any other
newspaper around the country. This is a huge story that will be
covered almost everywhere.

Find the Email addresses for your local papers at http://www.mapinc.org/resource/email.htm

Search for other articles on this or any other drug related topic that
interests you at http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/

***************************************************************************

URL: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v99.n1296.a09.html

Pubdate: Wed, 01 Dec 1999
Source: Washington Post (DC)
Copyright: 1999 The Washington Post Company
Address: 1150 15th Street Northwest, Washington, DC 20071
Feedback: http://washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/edit/letters/letterform.htm
Website: http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Author: Paul Duggan and David A. Vise, Washington Post Staff Writers
Note: Duggan reported from El Paso; Vise from Washington. Staff writer
Lorraine Adams in Washington and correspondent Molly Moore in Juarez
contributed to this report.

POSSIBLE REMAINS FOUND NEAR JUAREZ

Mexican and U.S. authorities searching for scores of bodies that may
be buried on the outskirts Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, said yesterday they
found what could be human remains at one of four desolate sites where
the investigation is focused.

A U.S. official familiar with the search, meanwhile, said an
unspecified number of informants for U.S. law-enforcement agencies may
be among the more than 100 suspected victims of drug-related violence
who have disappeared from this border region in recent years and may
be among those possibly buried at the sites.

The El Paso-Juarez area has long been described by authorities as a
multibillion-dollar conduit for Colombian cocaine flowing into the
United States, a corridor run by a cartel reputedly headed by a
Mexican drug lord, Amado Carrillo Fuentes, before his death in 1997.
According to an association of families of “disappeared persons” here,
at least 196 people, including some Americans, have vanished in the
region since the early 1990s, many of them informants and low-level
associates of the cartel.

To read the rest of this story, see: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v99.n1296.a09.html

******************************************************************************

SAMPLE LETTER (sent)

The discovery of mass graves in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico is a terrible
reminder of how far some people are willing to go to maintain control
over an incredibly profitable black market. The increased willingness
of gangsters to use murder as a business tool was an unintended
consequence of alcohol prohibition, just like the violence of today’s
illegal drug market is an unintended consequence of the drug war.
Sadly, it seems the violence employed by Al Capone and his cohorts was
a mere shadow of the tactics used by those who run modern drug markets.

In coming days, many politicians and commentators will be calling for
a tough response to the grisly scene being uncovered in Ciudad Juarez.
I hope citizens won’t be fooled by such a call for more of the same.
The only way to stop such violence is to stop the drug war. Responding
with even more violence will push the drug cartels to greater depths.
Historians examining the end of alcohol prohibition sometimes look at
the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre in Chicago as a turning point in
public opinion about the value of prohibition. That display of
ruthless violence in 1929 left eight people dead. In Ciudad Juarez,
the numbers could be ten or twenty times higher. How many more bodies
will it take for us to stand up again as a nation and say no to
prohibition?

Stephen Young

IMPORTANT: Always include your address and telephone
number

Please note: If you choose to use this letter as a model please modify it
at least somewhat so that the paper does not receive numerous copies of the
same letter and so that the original author receives credit for his/her work.
—————————————————————————-

ADDITIONAL INFO to help you in your letter writing
efforts

3 Tips for Letter Writers http://www.mapinc.org/3tips.htm

Letter Writers Style Guide http://www.mapinc.org/style.htm

****************************************************************************

Prepared by Stephen Young – http://home.att.net/~theyoungfamily Focus
Alert Specialist

Date: Wed, 24 Nov 1999
Subject: USA Today Debate On Truth And Marijuana

DrugSense FOCUS Alert #137 November 24, 1999

USA Today Debate On Truth And Marijuana

TO SUBSCRIBE, UNSUBSCRIBE, DONATE, VOLUNTEER TO HELP OR UPDATE YOUR EMAIL
ADDRESS PLEASE SEE THE INFORMATION AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS FOCUS ALERT

——-
PLEASE COPY AND DISTRIBUTE
——-

DrugSense FOCUS Alert #137 November 24, 1999

Last week, USA Today offered a brief but interesting debate on
parental attitudes toward marijuana. In answer to the question “What
Should You Tell Your Kids About Your Drug Use?” the newspaper printed
two oped pieces. One suggested honesty regarding marijuana use (DEAR
PARENTS WITH FOGGY MEMORIES: PLEASE DON’T PRETEND YOU NEVER INHALED
available at http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v99/n1245/a04.html). The
author of the other piece wrote that young people should be informed
that spiritual poverty explains marijuana use, though, he does not
explicitly call for lying about drug use(GLAMORIZING OUR PAST
COMPOUNDS MISTAKES http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v99.n1245.a03.html)

Yesterday, USA Today printed three letters regarding the call for
parents to be honest about marijuana. All the published letters can be
found below, and put together they represent a second round of debate
about this aspect of drug policy. In order to encourage USA Today to
offer more side by side arguments about drug policy issues, please
write a letter to the newspaper. The letter could simply thank USA
Today for bringing these issues before the public, or the letter could
respond to any aspect of the two debates.

Thanks for your effort and support.

WRITE A LETTER TODAY

It’s not what others do it’s what YOU do

***************************************************************************

PLEASE SEND US A COPY OF YOUR LETTER OR TELL US WHAT YOU DID ( Letter,
Phone, fax etc.)

Please post a copy your letter or report your action to the MAPTalk
list if you are subscribed, or by E-mailing a copy directly to
[email protected] Your letter will then be forwarded to the list with
so others can learn from your efforts and be motivated to follow suit

This is VERY IMPORTANT as it is the only way we have of gauging our
impact and effectiveness.

**************************************************************************

CONTACT INFO

Source: USA Today (US)
Contact: [email protected]

***************************************************************************

Newshawk: MAP editors Rock!
Pubdate: Mon, 22 Nov 1999
Source: USA Today (US)
Copyright: 1999 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc.
Page: 27A – Lead Letter
Contact: [email protected]
Address: 1000 Wilson Blvd., Arlington VA 22229
Fax: (703) 247-3108
Website: http://www.usatoday.com/news/nfront.htm
Author: Stephen S. Heath
Note: Yes, Steve is a part of the MAP editing/posting team.
Related: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v99/n1245/a04.html

BE HONEST WITH CHILDREN ABOUT PAST ‘POT’ EXPERIENCE

Columnist Patricia Pearson is right on the money on why we should be
honest with our children, rather than lying about or exaggerating our
experiences with marijuana (“What should you tell your kids about your
drug use? Dear Parents with foggy memories: Please don’t pretend you
never inhaled.” The Forum, Wednesday).

It would behoove us to be more honest with each other as adults
also.

The Clinton administration’s drug czar Barry McCaffrey continues to
insist on telling American adults that any and all use of marijuana
will lead the country down an inexorable slope to ruin. He repeatedly
presents images of stoned schoolchildren and crazed drivers.

This despite the obvious successes of millions of Americans who may
use or have used marijuana.

Lying to adults makes no more sense than lying to children. Pearson’s
column is a refreshing reminder that freedom has nothing to fear from
the truth.

Stephen S. Heath
Largo, Fla.

Newshawk: http://www.csdp.org/factbook/marijuan.htm
Pubdate: Mon, 22 Nov 1999
Source: USA Today (US)
Copyright: 1999 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc.
Page: 27A
Contact: [email protected]
Address: 1000 Wilson Blvd., Arlington VA 22229
Fax: (703) 247-3108
Website: http://www.usatoday.com/news/nfront.htm
Authors: Robert W. DeStefano, Jim Webster
Related: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v99/n1245/a04.html

‘IRRESPONSIBLE’ COMMENTARY

The article by Patricia Pearson is one of the most irresponsible
articles to ever appear on USA TODAY’s editorial pages.

Did I miss something recently? Aren’t the drugs referred to in this
article illegal for everyone in the United States? Don’t we have a
nationwide campaign to reduce drug use in this country, especially
among children?

It might not be surprising to find flagrant advertising for
“recreational” drug use in an underground paper, but not USA TODAY.

Jim Webster
Arroyo Grande, Calif.

~~~~~

IGNORANCE ABOUT ADDICTION

I am constantly amazed at the level of ignorance expressed by
otherwise intelligent people when it comes to drugs and/or alcohol.
In Patricia Pearson’s article, this ignorance has been given voice
once more.

She claims that ”the difference between self-abuse and recreational
pot smoking is so widely and tacitly understood that only . . .
‘experts’ ” miss the point. The fact is that pot smoking is no less
dangerous to someone suffering an addictive illness than heroin or
crack cocaine.

Pearson’s claim that ”you never see a ‘pot addict’ who drains his
life savings to feed the habit” indicates that she has not looked too
hard. As someone who suffers from an addictive illness, I see such
people all of the time. Neither are they few and far between.

Pearson also claims that ”pot is like alcohol: People undone by it
usually are trying to undo themselves because something in their lives
is too painful.” Would she make the same claim about someone
suffering from diabetes or cancer? Do these sufferers ”undo
themselves” as well?

I sometimes find it difficult to believe that even as this century
draws to a close, so many still passionately cling to antiquated ideas
about drugs and alcohol, ideas that are in complete opposition to that
which is accepted by medical science. Politicians who use this topic
for political gain exacerbate such misunderstanding.

The facts seem to be these: There are people who suffer from addictive
illnesses. For many of them, any drug and/or alcohol is extremely
dangerous. Then, there is the rest of society. For these folks, most
drugs and/or alcohol are fairly safe when used responsibly.

Perhaps it would be more appropriate to educate our children about
addictive illnesses and their symptoms, rather than categorically
state that one drug is safe, while another is not. The safety of a
recreational drug is far more dependent upon the health of the person
taking it.

Robert W. DeStefano
Pontiets, Wales

******************************************************************************

SAMPLE LETTER (sent)

The letter “Be honest with children about past ‘pot’ experience” was a
great expression of common sense. Lying has always been considered
immoral – there’s even a commandment against it. Why should marijuana
be an exception? The truth did not seem as highly valued in the letter
“`Irresponsible’ Commentary.” By suggesting it is appropriate to lie
to our children, the author clearly expressed his own lack of honesty
with himself. Will thinking and saying enough bad things about
marijuana make it go away? All our past experience indicates that it
will not.

Thanks to USA Today for placing these two perspectives side by side.
When compared, they illustrate an early moral lessons hopefully
learned by children: honesty is the best policy.

Stephen Young

IMPORTANT: Always include your address and telephone
number

Please note: If you choose to use this letter as a model please modify it
at least somewhat so that the paper does not receive numerous copies of the
same letter and so that the original author receives credit for his/her work.
—————————————————————————-

ADDITIONAL INFO to help you in your letter writing
efforts

3 Tips for Letter Writers http://www.mapinc.org/3tips.htm

Letter Writers Style Guide http://www.mapinc.org/style.htm

****************************************************************************

Prepared by Stephen Young – http://home.att.net/~theyoungfamily Focus
Alert Specialist

Date: Wed, 17 Nov 1999
Subject: Renee Boje Case Glamour Magazine

DrugSense FOCUS Alert # 136 November 17,1999

Renee Boje Case Could Bring Scrutiny to American Marijuana
Policy

TO SUBSCRIBE, UNSUBSCRIBE, DONATE, VOLUNTEER TO HELP OR UPDATE YOUR EMAIL
ADDRESS PLEASE SEE THE INFORMATION AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS FOCUS ALERT

——-
PLEASE COPY AND DISTRIBUTE
——-

DrugSense FOCUS Alert # 136 November 17,1999

NOTE: Glamour Magazine has a circulation of 2.2 million
demographically important readers. If your letter is published it will
have an equivalent advertising value of $1,320 fore every inch of text
published! Go for it!

—

The publicity surrounding Renee Boje was pushed up a notch last week
as Glamour Magazine published an in-depth and sympathetic report on
her case. Renee is the American woman who is now seeking asylum in
Canada after being charged in the same federal marijuana “conspiracy”
case that involves activists/medical marijuana users Todd McCormick
and Peter McWilliams.

The Glamour article (below) offers an excellent summary of Renee’s
story, and Renee offers some priceless wisdom to all who are fighting
against the cruelty of the drug war: “At first I was just in total
shock. Then suddenly I lost my fear a few months ago. I was sitting
on the beach and meditating, and felt myself change from victim to
warrior. I thought, You vote on a law, and it passes, and then the
government just ignores it?” (To learn more about Renee and her case,
visit her website at http://www.thecompassionclub.org/renee/ or use
the MAP shortcut to articles about Renee at http://www.mapinc.org/renee.htm)

Please write a letter to Glamour expressing support for Renee and
amazement that the federal government would use so many resources to
persecute a person who has hurt no one.

Thanks for your effort and support.

WRITE A LETTER TODAY

It’s not what others do it’s what YOU do

***************************************************************************

PLEASE SEND US A COPY OF YOUR LETTER OR TELL US WHAT YOU DID ( Letter,
Phone, fax etc.)

Please post a copy your letter or report your action to the MAPTalk
list if you are subscribed, or by E-mailing a copy directly to
[email protected] Your letter will then be forwarded to the list with
so others can learn from your efforts and be motivated to follow suit

This is VERY IMPORTANT as it is the only way we have of gauging our
impact and effectiveness.

**************************************************************************

CONTACT INFO

Source: Glamour Magazine (US)
Contact: [email protected]

***************************************************************************

NOTE: This is an exceptionally long article. An excerpt has been
provided below giving the basic details. Those interested in reading
the entire article are welcome to visit the URL below:

URL: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v99.n1226.a03.html

Pubdate: Dec 1999
Source: Glamour Magazine (US)
Copyright: 1999 Conde’ Nast Publications, Inc.
Contact: [email protected]
Address: 350 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10017
Fax: (212) 880-6922
Author: David France
Cited: Renee’s website:
http://www.thecompassionclub.org/renee/
MAP’s: shortcut to articles about Renee is:
http://www.mapinc.org/renee.htm

Drug Queenpin or Innocent Victim?

When Illustrator Renee Boje Naively Agreed To Help A Friend Prepare
A Book About Medical Marijuana, She Never Dreamed She’s Become A
Fugitive. Glamour Caught Up With Her In Canada To Find Out Why
She’s Facing And Fighting A 10-Year-To Life Sentence.

Nearly two years have passed since Renee Boje kissed her kitten,
Yoda-the-Zen-Master, good-bye and told her friends and family a lie –
that she was walking away from her life as a Los Angeles – based
freelance illustrator to embark on a mystical journey to find herself.
“I didn’t want to let them know that I was going to leave the
country,” says the 30-year-old redhead, a shy beauty who wears a
dusting of glitter around her spirited eyes. “I didn’t want to
endanger anyone.”

Nobody suspected a thing. “If you know Renee, she’s – a unique
spirit,” Jason Boje, 23, says about his sister. “It wasn’t weird to
me that she wanted to travel around.”

But the truth was beyond weird. She was on the run from federal drug
authorities, and to tell her loved ones that she was heading to Canada
could have put them in an awkward position if U.S. Marshals came
questioning.

This spring, they found her anyway. Now, in a test case that has
gained international attention, Boje finds herself at the center of a
bitter, high-profile legal feud that pits the state of California
against the U.S. Government over the legality of smoking pot for
medicinal purposes. She has been charged with growing and possessing
marijuana with the intent to distribute it – and she faces a possible
prison term of l0 years to life as a medical-marijuana queen pin. But
Boje contends she was just helping a friend illustrate a book called
How to Grow Medical Marijuana and hanging out at his Los Angeles
house, where, after the passage of a new California law, he was
growing pot – legally, he believed – for his own medicinal use.

Federal authorities are demanding that Canada return Boje to
California so that she can stand trial, and have begun extradition
proceedings against her. “I thought that his growing marijuana was
all perfectly legal,” Boje says one August day during an exclusive
Glamour interview at the isolated house she calls Zen Central, tucked
in the woods on the coast of British Columbia. “I can’t even think
about serving time.”

[snip]

******************************************************************************

SAMPLE LETTER (sent)

I just read David France’s excellent story on Renee Boje (“Drug
Queenpin or Innocent Victim?” December), but I am still baffled. Why
is the federal government spending such enormous resources to hunt
down a woman who has victimized no one? Average citizens are being
protected from nothing. Instead a message is being sent to average
citizens that if they challenge the federal government, even with the
support of a majority of voters, the government will exact a price.
Renee’s bravery should be a wake-up call to all Americans who still
believe government exists to serve the people, and not the other way
around.

Stephen Young

IMPORTANT: Always include your address and telephone
number

Please note: If you choose to use this letter as a model please modify it
at least somewhat so that the paper does not receive numerous copies of the
same letter and so that the original author receives credit for his/her work.
—————————————————————————-

ADDITIONAL INFO to help you in your letter writing
efforts

3 Tips for Letter Writers http://www.mapinc.org/3tips.htm

Letter Writers Style Guide http://www.mapinc.org/style.htm

****************************************************************************

Prepared by Stephen Young – http://home.att.net/~theyoungfamily Focus
Alert Specialist

Date: Sun, 07 Nov 1999
Subject: McWilliams Not Allowed To Use Medical Defense

DrugSense FOCUS Alert # 135 Sunday November 7. 1999

McWilliams Not Allowed To Use Medical Defense

TO SUBSCRIBE, UNSUBSCRIBE, DONATE, VOLUNTEER TO HELP OR UPDATE YOUR EMAIL
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DrugSense FOCUS Alert # 135 Sunday November 7. 1999

McWilliams Not Allowed To Use Medical Defense

In 1996 California voters approved a measure to allow the use of
medical marijuana. Since then, voters in several other states have
done the same. On Friday a federal judge again exhibited the federal
government’s complete disregard for the will of the people on this
issue by ruling that medical marijuana users Peter McWilliams and Todd
McCormick will not be allowed to use a medical defense during their
upcoming trials for growing the life-saving medicine.

Even though the trial hasn’t even started, the judge’s ruling is an
effective death sentence for Peter, who suffers from AIDS and cancer.
“I now face ten mandatory years in federal prison. I will die there.
My life is over because I tried to save my life doing something my
doctor recommended in a state where it is legal. If it happened to me,
it can happen to anyone,” said Peter in a press release. (For more
specifics about the case, visit Peter’s website at
http://www.petertrial.com)

The story is now receiving more coverage from the New York Times
(below) as well as other papers. Please write a letter to the NYT, or
the LA Times, to speak out about this cruel and unjust action by the
federal government. You may also want to try and contact President
Clinton via an online chat session Monday night to ask why he and his
administration refuse to feel the pain of medical marijuana users.

WRITE A LETTER TODAY

It’s not what others do it’s what YOU do

***************************************************************************

PLEASE SEND US A COPY OF YOUR LETTER OR TELL US WHAT YOU DID ( Letter,
Phone, fax etc.)

Please post a copy your letter or report your action to the Sent LTE
list at [email protected] If you are subscribed, or by E-mailing a
copy directly to [email protected] Your letter will then be forwarded
to the list so others can learn rom your efforts and be motivated to
follow suit.

This is VERY IMPORTANT as it is the only way we have of gauging our
impact and effectiveness.

**************************************************************************

CONTACT INFO

Source: New York Times (NY)
Contact: [email protected]

EXTRA CREDIT

Please also send a separate copy of your letter to the Los Angeles
Times, which ran a shorter story (http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v99.n1204.a11.html).

Source: Los Angeles Times (CA)
Contact: [email protected]

EXTRA EXTRA CREDIT

President Clinton will be taking questions during an internet forum
Monday night. Please ask the president why his administration
continues its cruel persecution of medical marijuana patients like
Peter McWilliams and Todd McCormick even though voters have approved
medical marijuana in every state where the issue has been raised.

The Clinton event is scheduled to being at 7 p.m. EST Monday. The
Internet address is http://townhallmeeting.excite.com.

***************************************************************************

Pubdate: Sun, 07 Nov 1999
Source: New York Times (NY)
Copyright: 1999 The New York Times Company
Contact: [email protected]
Website: http://www.nytimes.com/
Forum: http://www10.nytimes.com/comment/
Related: Websites: http://www.petertrial.com/
http://MarijuanaMagazine.com/
http://McWilliams.com/

LOS ANGELES DRUG CASE BARS MEDICAL MARIJUANA DEFENSE

LOS ANGELES — In a July 1997 raid, police officers and federal agents
here found more than 4,000 marijuana plants in a Bel-Air mansion known
as the castle, near the home of Ronald Reagan, whose administration
created the “zero tolerance” approach to illegal drugs.

With a trial scheduled to begin Nov. 16, the case has turned into a
test of judicial tolerance for a defense strategy based on marijuana’s
medical uses.

Two defendants, Todd McCormick and Peter McWilliams, advocate
legalizing marijuana for medical use and have used it to treat their
own ailments: McCormick for pain from cancer treatments that fused
several of his vertebrae, and McWilliams for nausea from drugs he
takes to treat AIDS.

Saying the plants were for personal use and research on a book about
medical marijuana, they contend their actions were legal under
Proposition 215, the ballot measure approved by California voters in
1996 allowing patients to smoke marijuana with a doctor’s
recommendation.

Federal prosecutors, however, sought and received an order from a
federal judge barring the defendants from telling the jury that side
of the story, even offering to drop some of the counts against them to
keep those issues out of the courtroom.

In a ruling on Friday, U.S. District Judge George King prohibited the
defendants from making any reference to Proposition 215, the purported
medical benefits of marijuana or even the federal government’s own
experimental program, now closed, providing marijuana to patients.

The defendants say they are not being allowed to defend themselves.
“I’m devastated,” McWilliams said in an interview on Friday. “I can’t
even present my case to the jury. We just have to sit there and listen
to the evidence, and we’ve already admitted everything. Obviously, the
federal government is stonewalling any discussion of medical marijuana
in any forum.”

McWilliams, a best-selling self-help author, McCormick, who founded a
club that distributes marijuana for medical purposes, and another
defendant, Aleksandra Evanguelidi, were among nine people charged with
conspiring to grow and sell marijuana. They face minimum prison
sentences of 10 years if convicted. Three other defendants have
pleaded guilty.

In court filings, prosecutors have said the medical issues are
irrelevant to the charges, and if allowed into evidence, “will serve
only to confuse and mislead the jury.” Further, they maintain that if
the defendants want to change the government’s position on marijuana,
they should petition the Drug Enforcement Administration.

“Whether the defendants like it or not, the proper challenge is
through the regulatory process,” Mary Fulginiti, a prosecutor, said in
court last month.

The trial comes at a time of increasing conflict in America’s
relationship with marijuana. On Tuesday, voters in Maine approved an
initiative allowing medical use, joining six Western states. A report
commissioned by the Clinton administration concluded earlier this year
that marijuana’s active ingredients were useful in treating pain and
nausea, though the benefits were limited by the smoke’s toxic effects.

And in September, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals allowed a
cannabis club in Oakland to resume providing marijuana to patients, in
the face of an injunction from the Clinton administration.

Yet marijuana remains classified by Congress as a Schedule I
controlled substance, putting it in the company of heroin and LSD.
That raised a central question: whether the defendants could assert a
“medical necessity defense,” maintaining that they broke the law
because their health required it.

Prosecutors contended that marijuana’s Schedule I status precluded
such an argument, because it legally defined the drug as having no
legitimate use. But defense lawyers maintained that the appeals court
decision in the Oakland case opened the door to such a defense.

Federal prosecutors are so intent on keeping medical issues out of the
courtroom in the case that they agreed to dismiss charges of intent to
distribute if the judge barred the medical-necessity defense. Under
the law, the defendants could have been allowed to assert that
Proposition 215 and their medical conditions contributed to their
“state of mind” if they were prosecuted on the intent charges. But
with manufacturing charges, state of mind is not relevant.

In his ruling, King said the medical-necessity defense would be
unavailable to the defendants because allowing them to use it would
explicitly contradict a congressional determination. Judge King found
that the appeals court ruling in Oakland did not directly address the
issue, and he rejected admission of Proposition 215 and medical
benefits of marijuana because the government agreed to limit its case
to simple manufacturing charges.

The number of marijuana plants, which rose to more than 6,000 after
the discovery of other growing sites, has led to charges that the
defendants sought to reap profits by selling to cannabis clubs, an
enterprise not sanctioned by Proposition 215, which allows possession
in “personal use amounts.”

According to court documents, the two men signed a detailed agreement
on financing and managing cultivation sites, distribution plans and
profit sharing. McWilliams is accused of approaching an employee of a
cannabis club with an offer to sell it marijuana, saying that he
wanted to become the “Bill Gates of medical marijuana.”

The case has become a celebrated one with legalization advocates. The
actor Woody Harrelson, who was once arrested for planting hemp seeds
in a ceremonial protest, put up McCormick’s $500,000 bail, and Alan
Isaacman, the lawyer who defended Larry Flynt on pornography charges,
signed on to defend him.

McCormick made his case on the television show “Politically
Incorrect.” And a fugitive in the case, Renee Boje, who was hired by
McCormick to sketch the plants for his book, is profiled in the
December issue of Glamour magazine under the headline “Drug Queenpin
or Innocent Victim?”

Legalization advocates say the results of the case will serve as a
barometer of the federal government’s willingness to prosecute medical
marijuana cases aggressively in states where medical use is legal.

“To some degree, the outcome of this case will shape the extent to
which the federal government proceeds with additional federal
prosecutions for offenses which are no longer illegal under state
law,” said Keith Stroup, the executive director of the National
Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, a lobbyist for
marijuana legalization. “If it’s a clean victory, it will encourage
them to use federal prosecution.”

******************************************************************************

SAMPLE LETTER (sent)

In the wake of news that a federal judge will not allow medical
marijuana patients Peter McWilliams and Todd McCormick to use a
medical defense during their upcoming trial for growing marijuana, we
are again reminded of the tremendous gap between Washington, D.C. and
the rest of the nation.

McWilliams and McCormick used marijuana to save their lives. They
engaged in an activity they thought had been approved by the voters of
California. But instead of letting the people of California take care
of their own business, federal officials have used enormous resources
to spy on, arrest and now try medical marijuana users. McWilliams and
McCormick aren’t the first medical marijuana patients to be railroaded
through a federal court, and, sadly, it looks like they won’t be the
last.

It’s time for every citizen to ask themselves: On whose behalf are
federal prosecutors working in cases like this? McWilliams and
McCormick have injured no one. They pose a threat to no one.
Persecuting citizens who are already under attack by horrible diseases
illustrates how desperate federal officials are to maintain their own
illusions about marijuana.

Despite what the judge and prosecutors in this case may believe, most
of us are fully aware that those illusions are not worth the life of
McWilliams, the suffering of McCormick or the subversion of the
democratic process. Marijuana does not kill human beings, but once
again, the war against marijuana is poised to strike down another life.

Stephen Young

IMPORTANT: Always include your address and telephone
number

Please note: If you choose to use this letter as a model please modify it
at least somewhat so that the paper does not receive numerous copies of the
same letter and so that the original author receives credit for his/her work.
—————————————————————————-

ADDITIONAL INFO to help you in your letter writing
efforts

3 Tips for Letter Writers http://www.mapinc.org/3tips.htm

Letter Writers Style Guide http://www.mapinc.org/style.htm

****************************************************************************

Prepared by Stephen Young – http://home.att.net/~theyoungfamily Focus
Alert Specialist

Date: Tue, 02 Nov 1999
Subject: Newsweek International: Drug User More Convincing Than

DrugSense FOCUS Alert Tuesday November 2, 1999

Newsweek International: Drug User More Convincing Than Prohibitionist

TO SUBSCRIBE, UNSUBSCRIBE, DONATE, VOLUNTEER TO HELP OR UPDATE YOUR EMAIL
ADDRESS PLEASE SEE THE INFORMATION AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS FOCUS ALERT

——-
PLEASE COPY AND DISTRIBUTE
——-

DrugSense FOCUS Alert Tuesday November 2, 1999

Newsweek International offers an interesting overview of European drug
policy this week with an article and two perspectives from opposing
sides of the subject. Pino Arlacchi, executive director of the U.N.
0ffice for Drug Control, attempts to defend prohibition, while Mat
Southwell, Network Coordinator for the National Drug Users Network,
makes a compelling case for tolerance. Set side by side, it’s easy to
see who makes more sense. Both perspective pieces are below, while the
main article can be found at http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v99/n1160/a10.html

International drug czar Arlacchi not only admits his hypocrisy and
ignorance, he revels in it: “Advocates of legalization often argue
that alcohol and tobacco cause more harm to society–higher death
rates, higher medical costs–than outlawed drugs. This is correct.
But so what? Research has shown that, out of the 100 million U.S.
alcohol consumers, 15 percent suffer long-term consequences. Heroin,
unlike tobacco and alcohol, causes long-term consequences–as
addiction–for almost all the people who use it.”

In contrast, Mat Southwell looks at the situation as a human, not a
bureaucrat protecting his job. He issues a call for drug users to
stand up for themselves, while honestly assessing the problem: “The
stigma associated with being a public drug user is so great that many
break cover only when compelled to do so, by health, social or legal
problems. When we are asked to speak, it is often to play out
scripted roles, as victims or villains, repenting of our past
indiscretions. Politicians and the media wish to portray us only as
hopeless, lost and in need of redemption.”

Please write to Newsweek International to expose the deception of
Arlacchi, or to congratulate the magazine for sharing the refreshing
viewpoint of Southwell.

WRITE A LETTER TODAY

It’s not what others do it’s what YOU do

***************************************************************************

PLEASE SEND US A COPY OF YOUR LETTER OR TELL US WHAT YOU DID ( Letter,
Phone, fax etc.)

Please post a copy your letter or report your action to the MAPTalk
list if you are subscribed, or by E-mailing a copy directly to
[email protected] Your letter will then be forwarded to the list with
so others can learn from your efforts and be motivated to follow suit

This is VERY IMPORTANT as it is the only way we have of gauging our
impact and effectiveness.

**************************************************************************

CONTACT INFO

Source: Newsweek International

Contact: [email protected]

***************************************************************************

Pubdate: Mon, 01 Nov 1999
Source: Newsweek International
Copyright: 1999 Newsweek, Inc.
Contact: [email protected]
Website: http://www.newsweek.com/nw-srv/printed/int/
Author: Pino Arlacchi
Note: Arlacchi is executive director of the U.N. Office for Drug Control
and Crime Prevention.
Also: Newsweek publishes both a US and an International edition. The
contents of the two editions is not identical. We request that newshawks
be careful about identifying the source edition, as the contacts for each
is not the same.
Related: This article was published beside the “Europeans Just Say ‘Maybe'”
article at: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v99/n1160/a10.html

THE CASE AGAINST LEGALIZATION

The U.N.’s Drug Czar On Supply And Demand

Legalization? the member states of the united nations vote “No.”
Making all controlled substances readily available is a risk society
clearly wants to avoid. Instead, as expressed in the three U.N.
conventions on controlling drugs, we should insist that our
governments pursue a balanced strategy on drugs, giving attention to
both supply and demand. This approach was soundly endorsed by the
U.N. General Assembly last year in its Special Session on drugs.
Still, the legalization debate continues. Let’s examine the arguments.

First, the medical argument. No one disagrees that many controlled
substances have legitimate and completely legal medical applications.
But there are various degrees of control, based on the degree of risk
involved. In an ideal world, the risk would be determined on
scientific grounds. In the real world, cultural and political factors
also matter. The U.N. conventions reflect that; they can be amended
in response to a consensus shift concerning the appropriate degree of
control over given substances.

Proponents of legalization cite the link between drugs and crime.
It’s true that short-term crime rates would fall if illegal drug
markets disappeared. But the big-time criminals would quickly regroup
and find other sources of profits–as they are already doing by
expanding into corruption, extortion and trafficking in human beings.
On the other hand, legalization would certainly increase the rate of
abuse. After the introduction of legal opium into China, more than
one quarter of the adult male population smoked it. These days, the
easy availability and cheap price of heroin–made from opium produced
mainly in neighboring Afghanistan–has given Pakistan one of the
world’s highest heroin-addiction rates. The same problem is occurring
in Iran, where there are now 1 million addicts–about the same number
as in Western Europe.

Advocates of legalization often argue that alcohol and tobacco cause
more harm to society–higher death rates, higher medical costs–than
outlawed drugs. This is correct. But so what? Research has shown
that, out of the 100 million U.S. alcohol consumers, 15 percent
suffer long-term consequences. Heroin, unlike tobacco and alcohol,
causes long-term consequences–as addiction–for almost all the people
who use it.

Until recently, most drug-control efforts concentrated on eliminating
the supply, by hitting the trafficking routes and the source of raw
materials. Today, policymakers unanimously believe that supply and
demand must be addressed. There are signs that this may be working.
In Europe, for example, heroin-use rates are static, and the average
age of addicts is steadily increasing. In the United States, there
has been a strong decrease of cocaine addiction. The next generation
may be getting the message.

Pubdate: Mon, 01 Nov 1999
Source: Newsweek International
Copyright: 1999 Newsweek, Inc.
Contact: [email protected]
Website: http://www.newsweek.com/nw-srv/printed/int/
Author: Mat Southwell
Note: Southwell is the Network Coordinator for the National Drug Users
Network and a founding member of the Dance Drugs Alliance. Also: This is
one of three articles from this issue of Newsweek
International that also included:
“Europeans Just Say ‘Maybe'” :
http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v99/n1160/a10.html and “The Case Against
Legalization”:
http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v99/n1174/a05.html

HUMAN RIGHTS FOR THE WORLD’S DRUG USERS

Fed Up With Being Stigmatized And Persecuted

It is understandable that drug use provokes fear and uncertainty. It
is absolutely right that we hold an informed and rational debate about
it. But the voices of drug users are rarely heard. Prohibition drives
us, the drug users, underground.

The stigma associated with being a public drug user is so great that
many break cover only when compelled to do so, by health, social or
legal problems. When we are asked to speak, it is often to play out
scripted roles, as victims or villains, repenting of our past
indiscretions. Politicians and the media wish to portray us only as
hopeless, lost and in need of redemption.

Frankly, we’ve had enough. There’s a small but growing movement of
users who are no longer willing to sit back and have our human rights
infringed and our culture denigrated. For many of us, drug use is a
dynamic and exciting social activity and forms a key part of our
culture. As such, drug use is clearly protected by the United Nations
Charter on Human Rights.

Some may argue that drug-related risks are self-inflicted. However,
we would not oppose the acute treatment and rehabilitation of those
injured while playing sports. Many sports in fact carry higher
statistical risks of death and injury than many forms of
drug-taking.

When a dance-drug user takes ecstasy, he’s statistically 700 times
less likely to die than a parachute jumper. This is despite the fact
that prohibition escalates and enhances the potential health and
social risks of drug use. Where drug users face difficulties, they
would be better managed in a climate free of judgment and punishment.

Mainstream culture borrows freely from drug culture. In fact, many
dance-drug takers feel that their culture has been repackaged by Tony
Blair as the “Cool Britannia” product. The vibrant, 24-hour cities
promoted by New Labour are the centers of dance-drugs culture. Yet
New Labour’s leaders instinctively scapegoat drug users.

Many dance-drug users languish in British prisons for up to five
years, for buying the equivalent of a round of drinks. In Chemical
Britannia, the drug culture creates significant wealth for both
illicit and legitimate businesses, while expecting the consumers to
live with a constant fear of exposure and discrimination.

The move toward routine use of drug screening by the government and
companies threatens our rights to drive and to be employed, despite
the fact that a period of intoxication may have taken place more than
a month prior to the test.

This singles us out for persecution. Of course, with rights come
responsibilities. As drug users, we must engage in a dialogue about
how to manage and effectively regulate drug-taking. However, the
refusal to recognize the cultural significance of drug-taking only
serves to reinforce and widen the gap between the chemical
generation–and those who smoked but never inhaled.

******************************************************************************

SAMPLE LETTER (sent)

In his article of Nov. 1, “The Case Against Legalization”, Pino
Arlacchi, the executive director of the U.N. Office for Drug Control
and Crime Prevention, conceded that, “crime rates would fall if
illegal drug markets disappeared,” but countered, “big-time criminals
would quickly regroup and find other sources of profits.”

Am I to understand that the perpetual war on drugs is a make-work
project for unimaginative crooks? If this is the case, then the drug
war has been a resounding success. In addition to making big-time
criminals deliriously wealthy, it creates lucrative entry-level jobs
for unskilled youth and keeps police officers, lawyers, judges, prison
guards, coroners and Pino Arlacchi gainfully employed.

Matthew M. Elrod

IMPORTANT: Always include your address and telephone
number

Please note: If you choose to use this letter as a model please modify it
at least somewhat so that the paper does not receive numerous copies of the
same letter and so that the original author receives credit for his/her work.
—————————————————————————-

ADDITIONAL INFO to help you in your letter writing
efforts

3 Tips for Letter Writers http://www.mapinc.org/3tips.htm

Letter Writers Style Guide http://www.mapinc.org/style.htm

****************************************************************************

Mark Greer Executive Director DrugSense [email protected]
http://www.drugsense.org http://www.mapinc.org

= Please help us help reform. Send drug-related news to
[email protected]

Date: Tue, 26 Oct 1999
Subject: Boston Globe Tells Peter McWilliams Story Without Compromising

DrugSense FOCUS Alert #133 October 26, 1999

Boston Globe Tells Peter McWilliams Story Without Compromising

TO SUBSCRIBE, UNSUBSCRIBE, DONATE, VOLUNTEER TO HELP OR UPDATE YOUR EMAIL
ADDRESS PLEASE SEE THE INFORMATION AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS FOCUS ALERT

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——-

Often when the mainstream press covers the issue of medical marijuana,
reporters seem to feel obligated to present the prohibitionist
contention that medical marijuana is a “hoax.” The Boston Globe
shattered that mold this week with a remarkable story (below) about
Peter McWilliams, the heroic author and activist who is being denied
the medical marijuana that helped him cope with AIDS and cancer. (To
learn more about Peter and his trial visit his websites
http://www.petertrial.com and http://www.mcwilliams.com)

Peter hasn’t been allowed to use the medicine he swears by for more
than a year, and the author of the Globe story shows the harsh
consequences. No where in the story does anyone question whether
marijuana is really medicine; it is a given. The spokesman for the
U.S. attorneys office prosecuting Peter argues callously that Peter’s
life is less important that federal laws. “It doesn’t matter if they
say, `I’m doing this to save my life.’ It’s illegal to manufacture or
cultivate marijuana under federal law,” according to the spokesman.

Please write a letter to the Boston Globe congratulating the paper on
this excellent piece, and also to protest the cruelty and injustice
that Peter is suffering.

WRITE A LETTER TODAY

Just DO it!

***************************************************************************

PLEASE SEND US A COPY OF YOUR LETTER OR TELL US WHAT YOU DID ( Letter,
Phone, fax etc.)

Please post a copy your letter or report your action to the MAPTalk
list if you are subscribed, or by E-mailing a copy directly to
[email protected] Your letter will then be forwarded to the list with
so others can learn from your efforts and be motivated to follow suit

This is VERY IMPORTANT as it is the only way we have of gauging our
impact and effectiveness.

**************************************************************************

CONTACT INFO

Source: Boston Globe (MA)
Contact: [email protected]

***************************************************************************
Pubdate: Sat, 23 Oct 1999
Source: Boston Globe (MA)
Copyright: 1999 Globe Newspaper Company.
Page: Front Page
Contact: [email protected]
Address: P.O. Box 2378, Boston, MA 02107-2378
Feedback: http://extranet1.globe.com/LettersEditor/
Website: http://www.boston.com/globe/
Author: Lynda Gorov, Globe Staff
Cited: Peter McWilliams:
http://www.petertrial.com/ http://www.mcwilliams.com/

US PROSECUTES CANCER PATIENT OVER MARIJUANA

By now, vomiting is second nature to Peter McWilliams. He has no
shame about it. Sometimes he even sees the humor in it.

McWilliams, 50, still laughs about the time he leaned over a trash can
at a political convention, lost his lunch in front of strangers, then
casually wiped his mouth with a cocktail napkin before continuing the
conversation. The other day, at his home high in the Hollywood Hills,
he simply shrugged when he returned from retching in the bathroom.

”You get used to vomiting,” he said. ”You get used to anything, I
suppose. But it’s insane that anyone has to go through this.”

McWilliams, who has AIDS and cancer that is in remission, said he and
his doctor know the solution to his suffering: medical marijuana. He
said he knows from experience that it helps him keep down the powerful
drugs he needs to survive and the food he needs to keep up his
strength. Without it, the book publisher and best-selling author
fears he will die.

But for more than a year, McWilliams has been barred from smoking
marijuana while he awaits trial on a variety of marijuana-related
charges. He says he was growing it for his own consumption, and had
not used it for more than 20 years until he became ill. Federal
prosecutors charge that he was conspiring to sell it along with his
codefendants, all of them users of medical marijuana.

Either way, McWilliams’s situation underscores the ongoing conflict
between the state and federal governments over the use of marijuana by
patients with AIDS, cancer, or chronic pain – despite some medical
studies and much anecdotal evidence showing its palliative benefits.

California voters became the first to approve medical marijuana for
patients with a doctor’s approval in November 1996 – the same year
McWilliams discovered a lump in his neck and learned he had
non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and AIDS. Washington followed last fall, and
several states are considering similar measures. But the federal
government maintains that the sale or distribution of marijuana
remains illegal under all circumstances.

”The laws against medical marijuana are crazy in the first place,”
said state Senator John Vasconcellos, a Democrat who has led the
charge to legalize medical marijuana and keep it legal in California.
”But to say that people who are dying of cancer and AIDS can’t
relieve their pain is awful. By denying Peter McWilliams the right to
smoke marijuana while he’s out on [$250,000] bail, they’re denying him
life.”

McWilliams’s trial is still a month away. For now, he is mostly
confined to his home, relying on friends to bring him the milk he
gulps by the glassful and the honey-roasted peanuts he eats by the
fistful because they do not make him nauseated.

Unable to work, McWilliams finds his Prelude Press bordering on
bankruptcy. Unable to walk even short distances, he uses a wheelchair
for court appearances. The other day, his face dripping sweat, he
nodded off in the hallway while inside the courtroom where his hearing
was being postponed.

Of the first time he smoked marijuana after chemotherapy, McWilliams
said, ”I had this epiphany: ‘Oh my God, this stuff really works.’
Then I got mad, furious, thinking about all the millions of cancer
patients who this could be helping.”

Repeatedly turned down by a federal judge who says he cannot authorize
someone to break the law, McWilliams now hopes a federal appellate
court, which recently ruled that seriously ill people should be
allowed to use medical marijuana, will give him access to the only
drug that he has found to keep his nausea under control. Other
defendants in federal marijuana cases are expected to mount similar
appeals based on the US 9th Circuit Court of Appeals decision.

To federal prosecutors, however, McWilliams’s case has nothing to do
with medical marijuana and everything to do with a drug ring,
regardless of why the defendants were growing the plants or who was
using them. McWilliams is accused of masterminding the plot, in part
because of the $120,000 that McWilliams says he paid codefendant Todd
McCormick, a medical marijuana patient and researcher, to write two
books on the subject. If convicted, they could face life in prison.

”We all admit to what we’ve done,” said McWilliams, who previously
bought marijuana on the black market or at the cannabis clubs that had
sprung up around California after the passage of the law known as
Proposition 215.

”We all grew marijuana; we all used marijuana,” he continued. ”The
300 plants I had were my own personal stash … Todd was studying
which strains work best for which types of illnesses. I mean all his
plants were labeled.”

But federal prosecutors say that is no defense. In fact, they do not
want the defendants to be able to introduce a medical-necessity
defense, discuss the benefits of marijuana, or even mention
Proposition 215 to jurors. Both sides are scheduled to argue their
positions next week before US District Court Judge George King.

”The way that I characterize this case is that it involves a
conspiracy to conduct a commercial marijuana-growing operation
involving more than 6,000 plants at four separate growing sites,”
said Thom Mrozek, spokesman for the US Attorney’s Office in Los
Angeles, which is handling the case. ”It doesn’t matter where they
were going to sell it. It doesn’t matter if they say, `I’m doing this
to save my life.’ It’s illegal to manufacture or cultivate marijuana
under federal law.”

If prosecutors succeed in keeping those issues out of court,
McWilliams’s attorney, Thomas Bollanco, said the defendants may as
well head straight to prison. Without medical necessity, they have no
case.

”We’re going to be left unable to answer to the charges because we
can only answer with what’s true, and what’s true is that these guys
were motivated by their medical needs and Prop 215,” said Bollanco,
who recently lost a federal jury trial in Sacramento in which the
judge refused to allow a medical necessity defense.

Yet even on a state level, the answer to the medical marijuana debate
remains murky. Lacking clear-cut guidelines, law enforcement
officials in some jurisdictions actively pursue arrests, others tend
to look the other way. Last year, a task force including advocates
and opponents worked to craft a compromise. This year, the resulting
bill was tabled. Faced with federal opposition, California Governor
Gray Davis has resisted giving it his approval.

But California Attorney General Bill Lockyer, unlike his predecessor,
appears to favor the voters’ decision to allow the use of medical
marijuana, although he has called Prop 215 poorly written and open to
too much interpretation. This month, he urged US Attorney General
Janet Reno to let the appellate court ruling stand.

Possibly turned off by the number of marijuana plants involved – or by
McWilliams’ admitted eccentricities – few have rallied around his case
and some have turned against him. He insisted he is hurt but not
angry or surprised by his isolation. After his arrest, McWilliams
spent almost a month in jail until he could raise the money to post
bail.

”I am the representative of all the sick people and what they are
doing to me is only the worst case right now, but there will be
others,” McWilliams said. ”I am living on borrowed time anyway. I
owe this part of my life to luck and modern medical science. But I
can’t imagine what the rest of it will be like if they won’t let me
use medical marijuana.”

******************************************************************************

SAMPLE LETTER (sent)

Dear editor,

Thank you for Lynda Gorov’s informative article about medical
marijuana patient and federal criminal defendant Peter McWilliams.

I first became aware of this heroic figure on July 4, 1998 when I was
awakened by a speech he was giving on C-Span, addressing the
Libertarian Party in Washington, D.C. As a medical marijuana patient
myself, having used it to prevent epileptic seizures since 1980, I was
overjoyed to see somebody wave a joint around in front of the C-Span
cameras.

It wasn’t difficult to contact Peter. That same day I performed a
simple keyword search of his name on the Internet, quickly found his
websites and his e-mail address and heard back from him before
bedtime. That was only a few weeks before his bust.

After his bust, I purchased a copy his best-selling book, “Ain’t
Nobody’s Business if You Do” and was not disappointed by the hype. It
is a wake-up call alerting us of the extreme extent to which our
desire to live “safely” has endangered our liberty.

As an outspoken member of a conscientiously-dissenting minority, Peter
McWilliams is the victim of political persecution. He is a victim of
a tyrannical majority which our Founding Fathers anticipated when they
conceived the Bill of Rights.

Larry A. Stevens

IMPORTANT: Always include your address and telephone
number

Please note: If you choose to use this letter as a model please modify it
at least somewhat so that the paper does not receive numerous copies of the
same letter and so that the original author receives credit for his/her work.
—————————————————————————-

ADDITIONAL INFO to help you in your letter writing
efforts

3 Tips for Letter Writers http://www.mapinc.org/3tips.htm

Letter Writers Style Guide http://www.mapinc.org/style.htm

****************************************************************************

Prepared by Stephen Young – http://home.att.net/~theyoungfamily Focus
Alert Specialist

Date: Wed, 20 Oct 1999
Subject: Renee Boje Case Could Bring Scrutiny To American Policy

Rene Boje Case Could Bring Scrutiny To American Marijuana Policy

TO SUBSCRIBE, UNSUBSCRIBE, DONATE, VOLUNTEER TO HELP OR UPDATE YOUR EMAIL
ADDRESS PLEASE SEE THE INFORMATION AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS FOCUS ALERT

——-
PLEASE COPY AND DISTRIBUTE
——-

DrugSense FOCUS Alert #132 October 20, 1999

Renee Boje Case Could Bring Scrutiny To American Marijuana Policy

American marijuana laws are about to go on trial in Canada thanks to
the efforts of a woman who is fighting extradition from the U.S.
neighbor. Renee Boje’s trouble with the law stems from the same
federal “conspiracy” charges that have been used to persecute
outspoken medical marijuana activists Peter McWilliams and Todd
McCormick. Renee faces a mandatory sentence of ten years to life in
prison, so she hopes to remain in Canada to protect her rights as a
human being.

While Renee’s role in the story has gotten some coverage in Canada,
the American media is now picking up on it. This week the Christian
Science Monitor published an article (below) that used Renee Boje’s
fight to stay in Canada as a focal point to explore contrasting
attitudes toward marijuana in the two nations.

While the CSM story (below) summarizes Renee’s case, more details are
available at her website http://thecompassionclub.org/renee from the
MAP news archive at http://www.mapinc.org/renee.htm and
from a High Times website article at
http://www.hightimes.com/ht/new/9910/reneebtrial.html

It is absurd that the federal government would use all its
considerable resources to extradite someone who didn’t deserve to be
arrested in the first place. Please write a letter to the Christian
Science Monitor to protest this attack on a woman who hurt no one, and
to further highlight the cruel absurdity of American marijuana policy.

Thanks for your effort and support.

WRITE A LETTER TODAY

It’s not what others do it’s what YOU do

***************************************************************************

PLEASE SEND US A COPY OF YOUR LETTER OR TELL US WHAT YOU DID ( Letter,
Phone, fax etc.)

Please post a copy your letter or report your action to the MAPTalk
list if you are subscribed, or by E-mailing a copy directly to
[email protected] Your letter will then be forwarded to the list with
so others can learn from your efforts and be motivated to follow suit

This is VERY IMPORTANT as it is the only way we have of gauging our
impact and effectiveness.

**************************************************************************

CONTACT INFO

Source: Christian Science Monitor

Contact: [email protected]

EXTRA CREDIT

Visit Renee’s website and learn how to offer moral/financial support:
http://thecompassionclub.org/renee/support.html

***************************************************************************

Canada and US In Drug Debate
URL: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v99.n1138.a09.html
Newshawk: http://thecompassionclub.org/renee/
Pubdate: Tue, 19 Oct 1999
Source: Christian Science Monitor (US)
Copyright: 1999 The Christian Science Publishing Society.
Contact: [email protected]
Address: One Norway Street, Boston, MA 02115
Fax: (617) 450-2031
Website: http://www.csmonitor.com/
Forum: http://www.csmonitor.com/atcsmonitor/vox/p-vox.html
Author: Ruth Walker Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor

CANADA AND US IN DRUG DEBATE

A US woman seeks political asylum in Canada, claiming persecution in
marijuana case.

By Ruth Walker Staff writer of The Christian Science
Monitor

A US woman wanted in California for conspiring to sell marijuana is
fighting extradition from Canada on the grounds that she is a
political refugee – from the war on drugs.

Her belief in the medicinal value of marijuana makes her in effect a
member of a persecuted group, her lawyer argues.

This case is more than an unprecedented legal gambit. It also
illustrates the contradictory laws and enduring sensitivity of
marijuana as a public issue in the United States and Canada.

It’s been nearly three years since Golden State voters approved a new
law allowing medicinal use of cannabis. But questions about how sick
people are to be supplied with their newly legal medicine remain to be
resolved, and US federal authorities remain adamant in their
opposition to state laws such as California’s Proposition 215, the
Compassionate Use Act. Prosecutions for distribution of marijuana continue.

And so Renee Boje, arrested in 1997 in the Bel Air, Calif., home of
Todd McCormick, a high-profile advocate of medicinal marijuana, has
been charged with conspiracy to distribute the drug, an offense
carrying a sentence of 10 years to life. She faces an extradition
hearing Nov. 1 in Vancouver.

“She’s caught in the cross-fire of the war on drugs,” says Maury
Mason, her spokesman, in Roberts Creek, British Columbia.

Political Factor

A US official requesting anonymity calls the use of the term
“political asylum” by Ms. Boje’s advocates “an artificial way of
casting the discussion,” but acknowledges, “There’s always a major
political element in a drug case.”

But Boje’s lawyer, John Conroy, of Abbotsford, British Columbia,
insists, “It’s not a stretch to say that it’s a political issue.” The
severity of the sentence she faces if convicted indicates an “unjust
and oppressive” justice system, Mr. Conroy argues. He suggests that
the charge she would face if the case were playing out in Canada would
be “aiding and abetting cultivation” of the drug – with a maximum
sentence of seven years.

Mr. Mason, a former media director for the environmental group
Greenpeace, says the campaign on Boje’s behalf has two purposes, “One,
to get her off, and two, to send a message to the US: Take a look at
your own drug policy.”

But the Boje case is unfolding at a time when Canada is going through
its own struggle over the issue of medical marijuana. Currently,
those wishing to use the drug legally for medicinal purposes – to
alleviate pain or control side effects from other drugs – must apply
to the federal health minister in Ottawa. Getting permission has been
widely deemed cumbersome and bureaucratic, a process in which he has
broad, if not complete, discretion. This month 14 applications were
approved – bringing the total of legal marijuana smokers to 16 across
Canada.

But at the same time, federal lawyers have been in court in Toronto,
seeking to overturn a provincial court’s ruling allowing an individual
diagnosed as epileptic to smoke marijuana legally to control what are
described as life-threatening seizures. In 1997, an Ontario court
gave Terry Parker permission to smoke marijuana free of prosecution.
But Ottawa lawyers are arguing that this permission usurps federal
authority; Mr. Parker should make application to the health minister
like the others.

On both sides of the border, legal supply of the drug is an
issue.

“People didn’t pass Proposition 215 with the thought of sick people
having to go downtown to a dark alley to buy their medicine,” says
Rand Martin, chief of staff for California State Sen. John
Vasconcellos. The senator has introduced legislation to set up a
registry of people with legal permission for medicinal marijuana. If
the system is implemented, a police officer would be able to check on
someone’s marijuana status as easily as he could check on outstanding
parking tickets.

Yet people allowed to use medicinal marijuana are often too ill to
grow their own. And because marijuana is a plant and not a
manufactured product like aspirin, there’s not an obvious role for
pharmaceutical companies to play, observes Eugene Oscapella, an Ottawa
lawyer and a founding member of the Canadian Drug Policy Foundation.

But if restrictions on medicinal marijuana were relaxed as fully as
advocates would like, marijuana could be as widely used, he suggests,
as an over-the-counter painkiller.

Buyers’ Clubs

It is in this void that “buyers’ clubs” have developed, such as the
Compassion Club of Vancouver, a registered charity set up to supply
seriously ill people with marijuana. In Canada these clubs have
generally worked out a modus vivendi with the police.

In California, activists in such organizations have been prosecuted.
Boje, a graphic artist, says she was working with Mr. McCormick to
establish a buyers’ club in southern California when she was arrested.
She has insisted that because of the new law and because McCormick
had prescriptions for marijuana, their activities were legal.
Pretrial motions in McCormick’s trial were to begin yesterday in California.

Conroy expects to lose the Nov. 1 hearing but to appeal to Canada’s
federal justice minister. Boje “is in fear of what will be done to
her” if she goes to a US prison. Amnesty International released a
report earlier this year about human rights violations against women
in prison, which attracted widespread attention here. The levels of
abuse reported are a reason to consider the American justice system
“unjust and oppressive,” according to Conroy.

******************************************************************************

SAMPLE LETTER (sent)

Thank you for focusing on the plight of Renee Boje (“Canada and US In
Drug Debate,” Oct. 19). Her story illustrates the U.S. government’s
obsession with destroying anyone barely connected with challenges to
marijuana policy.

Renee Boje hurt no one. She presents no threat to any individual. Yet,
she faces 10 years to life in prison along with extradition
proceedings. Who benefits from such vindictiveness? Certainly not the
U.S. public, who will see hundreds of thousands of their tax dollars
wasted if Renee is extradited, tried and incarcerated. In return, the
public gets nothing in the way of increased safety or security.

U.S. government officials may believe they benefit by crushing dissent
toward marijuana policy, but this case is so outrageous, they are
likely to leave many Americans shocked. The prison system, always
hungry for more raw material to facilitate expansion, will be the only
big winner.

This latest display of the U.S. government’s manic compulsion to crush
anything that stands as a challenge to its cruel policies regarding
marijuana should be a wake up call to all Americans. Renee Boje stood
at the periphery of a situation that seemed to be supported by the
people of California. The federal government’s reaction shows its goal
is not to protect the people, but to scare them into submission.

Stephen Young

IMPORTANT: Always include your address and telephone
number

Please note: If you choose to use this letter as a model please modify it
at least somewhat so that the paper does not receive numerous copies of the
same letter and so that the original author receives credit for his/her work.
—————————————————————————-

ADDITIONAL INFO to help you in your letter writing
efforts

3 Tips for Letter Writers http://www.mapinc.org/3tips.htm

Letter Writers Style Guide http://www.mapinc.org/style.htm

****************************************************************************

Prepared by Stephen Young – http://home.att.net/~theyoungfamily Focus
Alert Specialist

Date: Wed, 13 Oct 1999
Subject: Is Congress More Concerned With Posturing Than Democracy?

DrugSense FOCUS Alert #131 October13, 1999

Washington Post: Is Congress More Concerned With Posturing Than Democracy?

TO SUBSCRIBE, UNSUBSCRIBE, DONATE, VOLUNTEER TO HELP OR UPDATE YOUR EMAIL
ADDRESS PLEASE SEE THE INFORMATION AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS FOCUS ALERT

——-
PLEASE COPY AND DISTRIBUTE
——-

DrugSense FOCUS Alert #131 October13, 1999

While it used to be easy for politicians to take a “zero tolerance”
stand on any illegal drug issue, now their constituents are making
such simple-minded moves much tougher. A recent report from the
Washington Post (below) indicates that many members of congress aren’t
sure whether to kill Washington D.C.’s medical marijuana initiative,
I-59. The measure was passed overwhelmingly by D.C. voters last year,
but the official results of the vote have only recently been
announced, thanks to congressional moves to keep the results a secret.

Now that the world knows how people in the District of Columbia voted,
some in the U.S. Congress want to nullify that vote. Please write a
letter to the Post to express amazement that any elected official
would favor a “tough-on-drugs” stance over supporting the will of the
people. Please also contact your own congressional representatives to
urge them not to kill I-59 by using the links below.

Thanks for your effort and support.

WRITE A LETTER TODAY

Just DO it!

***************************************************************************

PLEASE SEND US A COPY OF YOUR LETTER OR TELL US WHAT YOU DID ( Letter,
Phone, fax etc.)

Please post a copy your letter or report your action to the MAPTalk
list if you are subscribed, or by E-mailing a copy directly to
[email protected] Your letter will then be forwarded to the list with
so others can learn from your efforts and be motivated to follow suit

This is VERY IMPORTANT as it is the only way we have of gauging our
impact and effectiveness.

**************************************************************************

CONTACT INFO

Source: Washington Post (DC)
Contact: http://washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/edit/letters/letterform.htm

NOTE: there is no direct Email address for sending your letter to the
Washington Post We recommend you compose your letter off-line and
paste it into the window provided at the URL above.

EXTRA CREDIT

Send a fax or email to your congressional representatives. Two
organizations are offering sample letters that can be faxed to your
congress persons via the Internet for free.

The Marijuana Policy Project’s version is at:

http://www.mpp.org/i59/

NORML’s version is at:

http://www.norml.org/laws/dc_initiative.shtml

***************************************************************************

Pubdate: Sun, 10 October 1999
Source: Washington Post (DC)
Copyright: 1999 The Washington Post Company
Address: 1150 15th Street Northwest, Washington, DC 20071
Feedback: http://washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/edit/letters/letterform.htm
Website: http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Author: Spencer S. Hsu, Washington Post Staff Writer

NATIONAL AGENDAS COLOR D.C. MARIJUANA DEBATE

When 65 percent of Arizona’s voters passed a referendum in 1996
legalizing the medical use of marijuana, U.S. Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.)
hit the stump. Over the next two years, the freshman senator argued to
state lawmakers, Congress and local reporters that undoing the state’s
drug laws would betray Arizona children and his own law-and-order values.

State legislators sent the measure back to the ballot last
November–where voters passed it again. Kyl and other opponents could
only console themselves that the margin of approval had narrowed to 57
percent.

Now, members of Congress who believe easing state laws on marijuana
would subvert the nation’s war on drugs have a new target: the
District of Columbia’s medical marijuana initiative. For them, this
is a chance to act on their conviction without riling constituents
back home–though some lawmakers seem to be keeping a low profile on
the issue.

Georgia Rep. Robert L. Barr Jr. (R) and Ohio Sen. George V.
Voinovich (R) recently introduced legislation to overturn the D.C.
referendum, which won 69 percent of the vote last fall. Although
Congress has clear authority to oversee the District, members whose
states have passed similar initiatives appear wary of undoing a
decision endorsed by their own constituents.

Nevada Sens. Harry M. Reid (D) and Richard H. Bryan (D) are hedging
questions on the subject. Reid opposed a Nevada initiative passed
last fall, but his spokesman, asked how the lawmaker would vote on the
D.C. initiative, replied, “I’m not sure it’s so simple.” A spokesman
for Bryan responded, “I’m not sure he’s taken a position on that.”
Nevada voters will face the issue again this fall, since all
referendum proposals must be approved twice to become law.

Kyl, who faces a reelection bid next fall, said in 1996 that he was
“embarrassed” by the Arizona vote, but explained later that he was
talking about the margin of defeat, not voters’ judgment. His
spokesman declined to say how Kyl would vote on the District’s
initiative, saying, “It sounds like nothing is pressing until the D.C.
Council acts.”

The District’s Initiative 59 would change city drug laws to allow the
possession, use, cultivation and distribution of marijuana if
recommended by a physician for serious illness. Only six
states–Alaska, Arizona, California, Nevada, Oregon and
Washington–have passed similar legislation, and most of their
congressional representatives have stayed out of the home-state fray,
letting governors and local lawmakers shoulder the debate.

If a vote is taken, it could force Democrats and Republicans to choose
between standing with the majority of their constituents back home or
ignoring similar sentiments by District voters in order to enforce
tough drug laws.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), for example, has opposed
California’s medical marijuana initiative, calling such measures
dangerous and ridden with loopholes. But Feinstein, who also faces a
reelection bid in 2000, said she is sensitive to the needs of
terminally ill patients and will examine the District’s measure before
making a decision.

Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) would not say how he would vote. He released
a statement explaining that despite his personal “reservations” about
Oregon’s medical marijuana law, “the people of my state have spoken,
and I intend to honor their will.”

The House voted 310 to 93 a year ago to approve a non-binding
resolution opposing state efforts to allow medical use of marijuana.
But Sen. Gordon Smith (R-Ore.), who introduced a companion
resolution, also has not indicated how he will vote on the D.C.
measure, his spokeswoman said.

By law, Congress can negate the District initiative within 30 business
days, once the D.C. financial control board reviews and forwards it.
Congress could also kill the marijuana measure by denying funding.

“It’s a twofold rationale” in Congress for overturning the D.C.
initiative, said Marshall Wittman, director of congressional relations
for the conservative Heritage Foundation. “There is Congress’s clear,
constitutional prerogative over issues concerning the District, but
also many believe in Congress that the District should serve as a
model to the rest of the country.”

Supporters of medical marijuana laws say the drug can alleviate
symptoms of AIDS, cancer and other illnesses. Opponents, including
the White House’s national drug policy office, cite a lack of
conclusive findings about marijuana’s efficacy and current research
into treatment alternatives.

Those who back the D.C. measure decry congressional intervention,
claiming “hypocrisy” by members who protest federal intrusion in their
home states but interfere elsewhere.

“The Republicans, the party of states’ rights, are only for states’
rights when they agree with what a state or the District of Columbia
is doing,” said Rep. Peter A. DeFazio (D-Ore.), who has battled
congressional efforts to undo Oregon’s law permitting
physician-assisted suicide. To Congress, the District is a “sandbox.”

“They can use it for experiments and indulge in things they might want
to do to voters at home, but here they can do with impunity,” he said.

For now, the congressional fight against the D.C. measure is being
led by those whose constituents have not endorsed similar initiatives.
And even for past critics of D.C. statehood and management, the
issue is touchy.

Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.), whose district strongly supported
California’s marijuana referendum, voted against the non-binding
resolution opposing medical marijuana. An aide hinted that his vote
on the D.C. measure would similarly factor in constituent views.

“If he’s faced with this vote on the House floor,” a spokesman said,
“he will look very closely at how conservative Orange County voted on
the California measure.”

******************************************************************************

SAMPLE LETTER (sent)

While drug war mentality seems to run deep in the U.S. Congress, the
idea that our representatives would simply overturn the will of the
people by voiding I-59, Washington D.C.’s medical marijuana
initiative, is astonishing (“National Agendas Color D.C. Marijuana
Debate,” Oct. 10). It was bad enough that Congress tried to hide the
results of the election, but now that we all know it passed
overwhelmingly, it is time for elected officials at the national level
to rake a moment to think about how they got where they are.

Instead of calculating political costs and benefits, I suggest that
each member of Congress dust off their copies of The Declaration of
Independence. “…Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their
just powers from the consent of the governed…” If I-59 was a radical
departure from sentiments of other voters around the nation, maybe
Georgia Rep. Robert L. Barr Jr. (R) and Ohio Sen. George V.
Voinovich (R) might be justified in their attempt to kill the measure.
But medical marijuana initiatives have passed easily in every state
where they have been introduced.

The voters of Washington D.C. are in touch with other voters around
the country. Barr and Voinovich are not. If their efforts to stamp out
democracy are supported by a majority of the Congress, maybe it’s time
for the people to take a cue from The Declaration of Independence,
since Barr, Voinovich and congressmen who share their contempt for
voters feel entitled enough to stand above the document.

Stephen Young

IMPORTANT: Always include your address and telephone
number

Please note: If you choose to use this letter as a model please modify it
at least somewhat so that the paper does not receive numerous copies of the
same letter and so that the original author receives credit for his/her work.
—————————————————————————-

ADDITIONAL INFO to help you in your letter writing
efforts

3 Tips for Letter Writers http://www.mapinc.org/3tips.htm

Letter Writers Style Guide http://www.mapinc.org/style.htm

****************************************************************************

Prepared by Stephen Young – http://home.att.net/~theyoungfamily Focus
Alert Specialist