• Letter of the Week

    Crime Program A Waste

    Re: CRIME program to continue for now, Tuesday, Aug.  9 Tribune.

    “CRIME-subsidizing program to continue for now” would be a more accurate headline.

    The people most pleased about this “eradication” policy are the 90-95 per cent of growers who will never be caught.

    This colossal waste of time and money is not only failing to fix things, it is, in fact, outrageously counterproductive.

    If the police busted twice as many grow ops this year as last year, they would still only get about 20 per cent of them.  One fifth.  Probably less.  And every time they bust one grow op — indoor, outdoor, small or big — all they do is make the ones they don’t catch that much more valuable.

    Not only is the illegality of pot the very thing that makes growing it so lucrative, the police are actually subsidizing the entire industry by busting only a minority of the growers.

    The whole thing is a scam and the police know it, too.

    They continue this game because regular crime keeps going down every year and they need to justify their continued existence.

    Funny how they complain about a “lack of resources” when women and kids go missing, but they always have a dozen officers to pose for the cameras with pot plants in their hands.

    They also like to tell the public that this is somehow interfering with organized crime or preventing pot from reaching people’s kids, but informed people like me know that the exact opposite is true.

    Every year the cops bust more and more people and, every year, organized criminals grow stronger and pot becomes more widely available.

    Is this the Canada you want to live in? A country where government, cops, and the media lie to the public and help gangsters and deprive people of valuable medicine and billions in tax revenue in the process?

    Because that is the Canada you live in right now.

    Russell Barth

    Educators For Sensible Drug Policy

    federally licensed medical marijuana user,

    Nepean, Ont.

     

    Pubdate: Tue, 16 Aug 2011
    Source: Williams Lake Tribune, The (CN BC)
    Copyright: 2011 Williams Lake Tribune
    Contact: [email protected]
    Website: http://www.wltribune.com/
    Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1226
    Author: Russell Barth, Educators For Sensible Drug Policy, federally licensed medical marijuana user.
    Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v11/n517/a06.html?1190

  • Drug Policy - Question of the Week

    War on Terror

    Drug Policy Question of the Week – 9-19-11

    As answered by Mary Jane Borden, Editor of Drug War Facts for the Drug Truth Network on 9-19-11. http://www.drugtruth.net/cms/node/3554

    Question of the Week: Are the “War on Drugs” and “War on Terror” the same?

    An article in the University of Pittsburgh Law Review states,

    “Well before the twenty-first century, the 9/11/01 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, and the resulting War on Terror, the country and Supreme Court already had been fighting another war for thirty years—the so-called “War on Drugs”—and it was every bit as devastating to civil liberties, although slower and more methodical, than our new “War on Terror” promises to be.”

    The link between the two is described rhetorically by the Transform Drug Policy Foundation,

    “Like the war on terror, the war on drugs is framed as a response to an exceptional, existential threat to our health, our security, and indeed the very fabric of society. …. The “Addiction to narcotic drugs” is portrayed as an “evil” the international community has a moral duty to “combat” because it is a “danger of incalculable gravity” that warrants a series of (otherwise publicly unacceptable) extraordinary measures.”

    The results of this rhetoric were outlined in a Drexel Law Review article concerning the U.S. Patriot Act,

    “the Passage of the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act [shortly after 9/11] substantially increased the authority of the government in surveillance, border security, terrorism policing, money laundering policing, and intelligence gathering.”

    The University of Pittsburgh Law Review concludes,

    “methodically and largely unnoticed in the name of the War on Drugs, and now more rapidly and apparent in the War on Terrorism, our free, open society is casually losing its grip.”

    These facts and others like them can be found on the Drugs and Terrorism subchapter of the Drug War Facts Interdiction chapter at www.drugwarfacts.org

  • Drug Policy - Question of the Week

    Mycoherbicides

    Drug Policy Question of the Week – 9-18-11

    As answered by Mary Jane Borden, Editor of Drug War Facts for the Drug Truth Network on 9-18-11. http://www.drugtruth.net/cms/node/3552

    Question of the Week: What are mycoherbicides?

    According to the 2011 Global Commission on Drug Policies report,

    “Biological methods of eradication, known as mycoherbicides, have been researched for coca and opium poppy …”

    A 2007 Drug Policy Alliance report overviewed two kinds of mycoherbicides, stating,

    “One of these is Fusarium oxysporum and the other is Pleospora papaveracea. Both are toxic molds that attack their targets through the secretion of cell-dissolving chemicals called mycotoxins,”

    According to the Sunshine Project mycotoxins can

    “have serious impact on human and animal health.”

    The Project defines Fusarium oxysporum as a,

    “well-known plant pathogen causing damage and large losses in food and industrial crops worldwide. Researchers of the US Department of Agriculture have developed highly virulent strains that attack cannabis and coca plants, the source of cocaine.”

    The Sunshine Project defines Pleospora papaveracea as,

    “a fungal pathogen that attacks opium poppy. Candidate strains for use in crop eradication were … part of the [former] Soviet Union’s offensive biological weapons program.”

    A United Nations Special Rapporteur raised concerns about the use of mycoherbacides, citing Colombia’s Office of the Ombudsman, which is,

    “gathering information on the serious risks to life, human health and the environment that could result from experimentation with … the Fusarium oxysporum fungus in the open in the Colombian Amazon, one of the richest habitats in terms of biodiversity in the world.”

    The Drug Policy Alliance echoed these concerns, noting that,

    “While mycoherbicides contain chemical toxins, they are actually covered under the [United Nations] Biological Weapons Convention …. Given that mycoherbicides are biological agents it has been argued that their use, especially in foreign countries, would be illegal under [this United Nations treaty].”

    These facts and others like them can be found on the Mycoherbacides subchapter of the Environment Chapter of Drug War Facts at www.drugwarfacts.org.

  • Letter of the Week

    Pot Persecution Unjust

    Dear Editor,

    I can’t be the only non-user who is fed up with the persecution of medical marijuana outlets by police [Clients fume over marijuana loss, Aug.  30, Langley Advance].

    The clients of these medical distribution centres come with a prescription referred by a doctor.  Therefore, the police are subordinating a legal medical health concern to an arcane statute that continues to rob the B.C.  coffers of literally billions of dollars in untaxed revenue.

    The ridiculous, outmoded fear behind it all was recently underscored in an advertisement titled: “Get Paid to Grow Marijuana” about a UBC seminar, with topics such as complying with laws and regulations for medical use.

    Police and politicians should not get away with using the defence that growers are liable to break-ins, etc., because that argument could be made to shut down pharmacies or even banks, who also occasionally are robbed for their wares.

    In the land of uncommon sense, many peaceable, noncriminal, ordinary citizens who enjoy an occasional smoke with friends or know of it and do not disapprove are motionless, while the best possible usage of this natural herb is disallowed for those who need it most.

    This is unacceptable.

    In the future, any political party or politician who gets my vote will have to speak to this untenable situation.

    Eli Bryan Nelson

    Langley

     

    Pubdate: Thu, 01 Sep 2011
    Source: Langley Advance (CN BC)
    Copyright: 2011 Lower Mainland Publishing Group Inc.
    Contact: [email protected]
    Website: http://www.langleyadvance.com/
    Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1248
    Author: Eli Bryan Nelson, Langley Advance

  • Letter of the Week

    Insite Insight

    Re: “No fan of Insite,” Letter, Sept.  8.

    MP Joy Smith states there are “no peer-reviewed, scientifically sound studies that support claims that safe injection sites save lives and have significant success in helping their clients to become drug free.”

    This is either misinformed or intentionally misleading.

    Since 2003, Insite, Vancouver’s supervised injection site, has been subject to more than 30 peer-reviewed studies which found a reduction in public injecting, lower levels of HIV risk behaviours ( e.g., syringe sharing ), an increase in uptake of addiction treatment among the facility’s clients, and a reduction in overdose deaths.

    These findings have been published in prestigious, peer-reviewed journals including the New England Journal of Medicine, the British Medical Journal, the Canadian Medical Association Journal and The Lancet.

    It is indisputable that Insite saves lives.  The fact that the majority of injections occur away from the facility merely affirms the need for an expansion of its services.

    While greater investment in prevention and treatment is crucial, abandoning proven harm reduction measures will lead to a mounting HIV and hepatitis C epidemic and tragic deaths among our most vulnerable populations.  This would certainly not be “doing better” for people with addictions.

    Sandra Ka Hon Chu,

    Toronto

     

    Pubdate: Fri, 09 Sep 2011
    Source: Calgary Herald (CN AB)
    Copyright: 2011 Canwest Publishing Inc.
    Contact: http://www2.canada.com/calgaryherald/letters.html
    Website: http://www.calgaryherald.com/
    Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/66
    Author: Sandra Ka Hon Chu
    Note: Sandra Ka Hon Chu is senior policy analyst for the Canadian HIV/AIDS
    Legal Network.

  • Letter of the Week

    Legalize Drugs To Cut Violence

    British Columbia
    ——-
    It seems only a matter of time before more innocent bystanders are killed in a gangland shooting.

    Alcohol prohibition in the U.S.  years ago caused gangland wars and shootings to a huge degree.  The cost in human lives and money spent on police and court time was huge.  In the end, prohibition was ended by the government.

    Now we have a similar problem, similar gang shootings and similar costs to the taxpayers.  Unfortunately, the war against drugs is being lost worldwide.  Their import, by air, tunnels and even submarines is increasing, despite all the efforts of the authorities.

    Perhaps the logical solution is to declare all drugs legal, and bring the importation and selling under government control.  This would remove the profit made by gangs, who would then lose interest in their control.

    Undoubtedly, many persons will use these harmful substances.  They must be made aware that the effects of such stupid acts will be their responsibility.  The government will not be responsible or pay for treatments.

    It’s time that people everywhere learn that they, and they alone, are responsible for their actions.

    Geoffrey Vale

    Mill Bay

    Pubdate: Sun, 21 Aug 2011
    Source: Victoria Times-Colonist (CN BC)
    Copyright: 2011 Times Colonist
    Contact: http://www2.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/letters.html
    Website: http://www.timescolonist.com/
    Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/481
    Author: Geoffrey Vale

  • Cannabis & Hemp - Drug Policy - International - Law Enforcement & Prisons - Question of the Week

    What was the Rainbow Farm?

    Drug Policy Question of the Week – 9-11-11

    As answered by Mary Jane Borden, Editor of Drug War Facts for the Drug Truth Network in loving memory of all victims of the tragic events that converged on 9-11-01. http://www.drugtruth.net/cms/node/3534

    Question of the Week: What was the Rainbow Farm?

    Paraphrasing a January 2002 Washington Post article entitled “Was Rainbow Farm another Waco?”, the Rainbow Farm was a …

    “34-acre farm and an adjoining 20-acre wood near Vandalia, [Michigan]. [Tom] Crosslin bought the farm … as a place where he and [Rollie] Rohm could escape their urban life. … He turned Rainbow Farm into a campground and began holding pro-pot festivals every Labor Day and Memorial Day weekend.”

    On Friday, August 31, 2001,

    “the building where bands waited to go onstage — was burning. … A helicopter from WNDU-TV in South Bend, Indiana shooting fire footage for the evening news [was told to] leave because the cops said somebody was shooting at them. … On Sunday, the FBI arrived, more than 50 strong, summoned to the scene because the helicopter shooting was a federal crime … John Bell, head of the FBI’s Detroit office … sent three FBI SWAT teams, each composed of three sharpshooters …

    in the woods … at a campsite … two agents fired, one of them shooting Crosslin through the forehead, killing him instantly.”

    Early the next day,

    “two state police snipers fired from 150 yards away.  One missed.  The other shot through the stock of Rohm’s rifle and into his chest, killing him.”

    The Rainbow Farm might have simply been counted among estimated 40,000 paramilitary SWAT raids that occurred in 2001, but in the context of history, it was no ordinary raid.

    It was the harbinger of what was to come.

    Eight days later on September 11, 2001, terrorists hijacked four airliners, flying two of them into the World Trade Center, one into the Pentagon, and one into a Pennsylvania cornfield, killing a total of 2,977 people.

    The 9/11 Commission Report released in 2004 found that FBI priorities were

    “driven at the local level by the field offices, whose concerns centered on traditional crimes such as white-collar offenses and those pertaining to drugs and gangs. … In 2000, there were still twice as many agents devoted to drug enforcement as to counterterrorism.”

    The report concluded,

    “In sum, the domestic agencies never mobilized in response to the threat. … The terrorists exploited deep institutional failings.”

    Perhaps one failing was the drug war.

    These facts and others like them can be found on the Interdiction Chapter of Drug War Facts at www.drugwarfacts.org.

  • Hot Off The 'Net

    Children of the Drug War

    Cover
    ‘Children of the Drug War’ is a unique collection of original essays that investigates the impacts of the war on drugs on children, young people and their families. With contributions from around the world, providing different perspectives and utilizing a wide range of styles and approaches including ethnographic studies, personal accounts and interviews, the book asks fundamental questions of national and international drug control systems:

    • What have been the costs to children and young people of the war on drugs?
    • Is the protection of children from drugs a solid justification for current policies?
    • What kinds of public fears and preconceptions exist in relation to drugs and the drug trade?
    • How can children and young people be placed at the forefront of drug policies?
  • Hot Off The 'Net

    National Survey Shows A Rise In Illicit Drug Use From 2008 To 2010

    Increased rates of marijuana use drive increase, especially among young adults

    The use of illicit drugs among Americans increased between 2008 and 2010 according to a national survey conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) shows that 22.6 million Americans 12 or older (8.9-percent of the population) were current illicit drug users. The rate of use in 2010 was similar to the rate in 2009 (8.7-percent), but remained above the 2008 rate (8- percent).

    An increased rate in the current use of marijuana seems to be one of the prime factors in the overall rise in illicit drug use. In 2010, 17.4 million Americans were current users of marijuana – compared to 14.4 million in 2007. This represents an increase in the rate of current marijuana use in the population 12 and older from 5.8-percent in 2007 to 6.9-percent in 2010.

    Another disturbing trend is the continuing rise in the rate of current illicit drug use among young adults aged 18 to 25 — from 19.6-percent in 2008 to 21.2-percent in 2009 and 21.5-percent in 2010. This increase was also driven in large part by a rise in the rate of current marijuana use among this population.

    The annual NSDUH survey, released by SAMHSA at the kickoff of the 22nd annual National Recovery Month (Recovery Month) observance also shows that use rates for nonmedical use of prescription drugs, hallucinogens and inhalants have remained at approximately the same levels as 2009, and are also similar to rates in 2002.