cannabisnews.com: S.F., Amsterdam Similar in Pot Use S.F., Amsterdam Similar in Pot Use Posted by CN Staff on May 05, 2004 at 08:45:32 PT By Josh Richman, Staff Writer Source: Alameda Times-Star As Oakland considers whether to vote on decriminalizing marijuana, a new study comparing patterns of use has found little difference between Amsterdam where it's decriminalized and San Francisco, where recreational use remains a crime. In fact, the study in the American Journal of Public Health's May issue found more use of "hard drugs" such as powder or crack cocaine, opiates, amphetamines or Ecstasy among San Francisco's marijuana users than among Amsterdam's. "Dutch decriminalization does not appear to be associated with greater use of other illicit drugs," wrote researchers Craig Reinarman, chairman of the University of California, Santa Cruz's Sociology Department, and Peter D. A. Cohen and Hendrien L. Kaal of the Centre for Drug Research at the University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands. "Indeed, to judge from the lifetime prevalence of other illicit drug use, the reverse may be the case." A group called the Oakland Civil Liberties Alliance has proposed a ballot measure directing the city to move toward regulating, licensing and taxing marijuana sales as soon as possible. Meanwhile, the city would lobby for changes in state law to allow this, and would make private adult marijuana offenses the police's lowest priority, although public dealing and consumption would remain illegal. Backers now are trying to gather at least 19,948 signatures from the city's registered voters by mid-June to put the measure on November's ballot. Campaign spokeswoman Clare Lewis said they expect to meet the deadline with no problems. "People believe that the federal government's war on drugs isn't working, and what we were told has turned out to be inaccurate," she said. Lewis cited the long-held idea that marijuana must be criminalized because it's a "gateway drug" to other, more dangerous substances -- an idea undermined by the Santa Cruz-Dutch study. That study's researchers interviewed hundreds of randomly chosen marijuana users -- people who've used it at least 25 times -- in Amsterdam and San Francisco, noting details such as their age when they started using it, frequency and quantity of use, duration of intoxication, use of other drugs and other factors. "There's a lot of evidence that supports the view that criminalization doesn't really decrease use and decriminalization doesn't really increase use," Reinarman said Tuesday. "It can't be considered definitive proof that the same thing would be found under all conditions in all societies and communities ... but it does add support to the idea that decriminalization isn't going to be a dam that breaks and all hell breaks loose." Bruce Mirken, communications director for the Washington, D.C. based Marijuana Policy Project, said the study refutes the federal government's claims that marijuana is a "gateway drug" and that prohibition curbs use. "A system of responsible regulation can break the link between marijuana and far more dangerous substances," he said.Study finds adult pot use on the rise.Source: Alameda Times-Star (CA) Author: Josh Richman, Staff WriterPublished: Wednesday, May 05, 2004Copyright: 2003 MediaNews Group, Inc. Website: http://www.timesstar.com/Contact: triblet angnewspapers.com Related Articles & Web Sites:Marijuana Policy Projecthttp://www.mpp.org/ Santa Cruz - Dutch Study in PDFhttp://freedomtoexhale.com/amsterdam.pdfBaby Boomers are Going To Pot http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread18800.shtmlMaking Pot Legal Does Not Boost Use http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread18791.shtmlStudy Debunks Feds' Marijuana Claims http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread18788.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #4 posted by lombar on May 05, 2004 at 15:13:44 PT goneposthole "You would think the government could figure it out, but I think the leaders of this country are now addled beyond belief."I refuse to believe that they are stupid or ignorant and don't understand, some are just EVIL. Anyone who can lie and subsequently cause much suffering and death(s) to support their totally failed policies, can do any manner of ill to their fellow humans. It is one thing to be ignorant of something but if you are a person charged with creating laws that affect real lives it is your duty to find the truth of the matter, not adopt what is the most politically expedient stance on something just so you can remain willfully ignorant. It is not 'compassionate' to jail someone for half their life just for growing a plant(or 100 plants). No matter how you slice it, it is not compassionate to deny the relief cannabis offers to the sick and dying and send armed DEA agents to bust people in wheel chairs. That is morally reprehensible.Isn't it odd that the political parties that cry for less taxes are always the ones that don't mind wasting billions per year on drug prohibition? Globalisation, free market, competiton good for business( states rights, smaller government, pursuit of happiness..), all get tossed out when they talk about cannabis. The US pogrom against cannabis and its users has warped drug policies throughout the world, you only have to have an ocean between you and the US to liberalise cannabis policies. We poor Canadians are far to close, we are being told that the government is going to liberalise cannabis laws but really they are setting up to crack down on cannabis users with bogus roadside drug testing, and tickets(and soon asset forfeiture for growers). Bodily fluids on demand...they skipped right over proving that a person IS truly impaired if they have consumed cannabis. There is no 'limit' like with alcohol which suggests that the government says it is ok to have SOME alcohol in your system, a substance known to cause many fatalities, but not OK to have ANY amount of THC, a substance which has not been proven to cause many fatalities at all. I'm sure if there was stats on this, Mr. Walters would have it in every newspaper from coast to coast in both countries. And they are worried about the message they would send by truly decriminalising cannabis?It is obvious that the criminalisation does NOTHING except create harm, give rise to corruption, erodes civil rights, create more danger for society, and fill prisons with non-violent offenders(who can STILL get drugs). [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by Jose Melendez on May 05, 2004 at 10:42:13 PT CVS wants you to buy drugs through them . . . http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGADOI9NVTD.html [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by goneposthole on May 05, 2004 at 09:46:23 PT Who in the world wants drugs? Not me. I have cannabis for relief. All I need. 'Marijuana' is a gateway drug, alright. It leads the way away from hard drugs. Everybody I know experiences the same phenomenon. Why bother with stupid drugs when you can have cannabis?It's a 'no brainer' to reject drug abuse. It leads to nowhere.You would think the government could figure it out, but I think the leaders of this country are now addled beyond belief. [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by Dark Star on May 05, 2004 at 09:37:20 PT PDF Available http://www.mapinc.org/lib/limited.pdfRead it. See the myths crumble. Send to congress critters and journalists. [ Post Comment ] Post Comment