cannabisnews.com: NORML's Weekly News Bulletin -- December 02, 2004





NORML's Weekly News Bulletin -- December 02, 2004
Posted by CN Staff on December 02, 2004 at 16:21:25 PT
Weekly Press Release
Source: NORML
Canadians Want Marijuana Smokers "Left Alone," Survey SaysDecember 2, 2004 - Ottawa, ON, CanadaOttawa, Ontario: Canadians oppose law enforcement efforts to arrest and prosecute adults for the recreational use of marijuana, according to a national poll 1,000 Canadians conducted by SES Research Inc. and commissioned by NORML Canada.
According to the survey, 57 percent of respondents believed that adults who possess small quantities of marijuana for personal use should be left alone and not be subject to any type of criminal or civil sanction. One in three Canadians responded that they supported fining adults for using marijuana, while only eight percent said that such behavior should be subject to criminal prosecution.A majority of Canadians also responded that they backed taxing and regulating marijuana in a manner similar to alcohol."The results show that Canadians feel the government is going in the wrong direction" regarding marijuana policy, said NORML Canada Executive Director Jody Pressman. "The people ... understand [that] prohibition isn't working now and never will. Taxing and regulating cannabis would generate billions of dollars in new revenue for social programs and finally remove the criminal element from the sale and distribution of marijuana."Detailed polling data is available online at: http://www.normlcanada.org/DL: http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=6354CannabisNews -- Canada Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/Canada.shtmlUS Drug War Fails At Home, Undermines Human Rights And Democracy Abroad, Study SaysDecember 2, 2004 - Washington, DC, USAWashington, DC: United States drug policies have failed to reduce illicit drug use or drug availability in America, while undermining human rights and destabilizing democracy abroad, particularly in Latin America, according to a study released this week by the nonprofit Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA).US drug control efforts in Latin America have not reduced the supply of illicit drugs entering the United States and have instead caused "widespread, often profoundly damaging, harm to citizens' lives and their nations' democracies," concludes the report, entitled "Drugs and Democracy in Latin America: The Impact of US Policy." The study notes that the retail prices for illicit drugs, specifically cocaine and heroin, have fallen dramatically even though government spending on efforts to reduce supply and demand have risen greatly. The report further notes that the number of drug offenders incarcerated in America has risen from approximately 45,000 in 1981 to over 480,000 in 2002."It's time for policy makers to face up to the fact that the war on drugs is not working, and to take a more effective and less damaging approach," said John Walsh, WOLA's Senior Associate for Drug Policy. "We've been tough on drugs; now it's time to get smart on drugs."An executive summary of the study is available online at: http://www.wola.org/DL: http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=6351Pot Extracts Alleviate Intractable Pain, Study SaysDecember 2, 2004 - Middlesex, United KingdomMiddlesex, United Kingdom: Medicinal cannabis extracts significantly reduce pain and other symptoms compared to placebo in patients suffering from nerve damage (brachial plexus injury), according to clinical trial data published in the December issue of the journal Pain.Forty-eight patients participated in the double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. All of the patients enrolled in the trial suffered from "intractable symptoms regardless of current analgesic therapy."Volunteers were administered one of the following: cannabis extracts containing equal amounts of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD), cannabis extracts containing primarily THC, or placebo via an oromucosal spray. Researchers analyzed the effect of the extracts on patients' mean pain severity score during the final seven days of treatment, as well as other pain-related quality of life assessments.Authors found that the extracts improved patients' mean pain severity scores in a statistically significant manner, though researchers noted that this improvement was slightly less than they had initially hypothesized. Authors also noted that volunteers experienced significantly improved sleep as a result of the cannabis therapy."Studies of longer duration in neuropathic pain are required to confirm a clinically relevant improvement in the treatment of this condition," authors concluded.Earlier this year, clinical results from a pilot study in the United States found that inhaled cannabis significantly relieved pain in patients suffering from HIV-related neuropathy. A 1997 report from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) determined that neuropathic pain (pain from nerve damage) is typically unresponsive to standard analgesics, and recommended that cannabinoids "may be useful in this inadequately treated type of pain."For more information, please contact Paul Armentano, NORML Senior Policy Analyst, at (202) 483-5500.DL: http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=6352Australian State First To Implement Random On-Road Drug Tests For MotoristsDecember 2, 2004 - Melbourne, AustraliaMelbourne, Australia: Law enforcement officers in Victoria, Australia are prepared to begin administering random roadside saliva testing later this month to detect for the presence of marijuana and other illicit substances as part of a 12-month pilot project. The plan marks the first widespread use of saliva testing technology by police anywhere in the world.Motorists administered the test will have a small absorbent pad placed on their tongue. Initial results from the test will be available in approximately five minutes, although all positive tests would need to be confirmed by a laboratory test, according to Australian news reports.Saliva testing, unlike urinalysis, detects the presence of parent drugs, not drug metabolites (inert compounds produced from chemical changes of a drug in the body). In general, parent drugs are detectable in the saliva for less than 24 hours. However, the test does not indicate impairment.Presently, the use of saliva testing to identify the presence of drugs is rarely used in the United States, which relies primarily on urinalysis to determine whether an individual has previously used an illicit substance. However, a positive urine test - even when confirmed - does not indicate recency of drug use or impairment of performance.For more information, please contact Paul Armentano, NORML Senior Policy Analyst, at (202) 483-5500.DL: http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=6353Source: NORML Foundation (DC)Published: December 02, 2004Copyright: 2004 NORML Contact: norml norml.org Website: http://www.norml.org/NORML's Weekly News Bulletin --Nov. 24, 2004http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread19878.shtmlNORML's Weekly News Bulletin --Nov. 18, 2004http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread19844.shtml
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Comment #8 posted by afterburner on December 06, 2004 at 21:01:42 PT
The Missing Link
Marc Emery Smokes Out George Bush! http://www.pot-tv.net/archive/shows/pottvshowse-3289.html
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Comment #7 posted by afterburner on December 06, 2004 at 20:55:48 PT
A very Canadian protest 
Tuesday, Nov 30, 2004 
A very Canadian protest 
By SUE BAILEY
Canadian Press  
http://tinyurl.com/4m5wf 
 
 
Ottawa — "As outraged protest goes, it was a very Canadian affair.... "Music by Bob Marley and Neil Young blared from loudspeakers as people openly smoked marijuana."
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Comment #6 posted by afterburner on December 06, 2004 at 20:28:45 PT
Marc Emery Smokes Out George Bush!
Marc Emery Smokes Out George Bush!
Prince of Pot with Pot-TV, 
 
Running Time: 30 min, 
Date Entered: 03 Dec 2004. 
 "See and hear the nationwide protest of the world's biggest enemy, George W. Bush as he visited Canada's capitol November 31st [sic - 30th]. Footage from Marc Emery's speeches, the massive joint itself (and making of), Vancouver protests, Montreal and Ottawa riots, tear gas, and huge pot smoking chipmunks!"
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Comment #5 posted by FoM on December 03, 2004 at 13:36:50 PT
Dr. Russo
I wasn't sure if you wanted this file on line. Let me know if you don't and I'll remove it. Thanks!http://www.freedomtoexhale.com/bpa.pdf
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Comment #4 posted by siege on December 02, 2004 at 19:09:55 PT
ASA plans 
Dear patients, caregivers & supporters,ASA plans to file suit to change California Highway Patrol (CHP) policy
on medical marijuana and is looking for potential plaintiffs.The CHP, in defiance of SB420 (allowing for the transportation of medical marijuana), has a policy that instructs officers to seize
patient and caregiver medicine regardless of any documentation provided.
CHP General Law Enforcement Policy Manual states that, "[e]ven if
[medical marijuana patient status] is alleged, all marijuana SHALL be
confiscated and booked as evidence..." (emphasis added).ASA intends to file a lawsuit which will challenge CHP policy
and demand changes to its procedures on medical marijuana patient
encounters (regarding arrest, prosecution, and property confiscation).The lawsuit will NOT seek monetary damages--only policy changes. At the
same time, it will not interfere with one's ability to seek monetary
damages apart from this suit.ASA hopes to file the suit mid- to late-January 2005.We are now looking for potential plaintiffs for this effort. If you
satisfy the criteria below, please contact ASA Legal Coordinator Kris
Hermes at 510-486-8083 x307 or  as soon as possible.In order to be a plaintiff in the CHP lawsuit, you must have:1. Been cited or arrested by CHP or had your medicine seized by CHP
without being charged
2. Had your case dismissed or acquitted at trial
3. Had medicinal cannabis confiscated
4. Neither been on probation or parole at the time of the encounter, nor
currently be on probation or parole
5. Had the encounter after January 1, 1997Please help us challenge one of the worst violators of the Compassionate
Use Act and SB 420, and achieve sane police policies with regard to
medical marijuana.Best,Kris-- 
Kris Hermes
Legal Support Coordinator
Americans for Safe Access
www.SafeAccessNow.org
1700 Shattuck Ave. #317
Berkeley, CA 94709
Phone: 510-486-8083 x307
Fax: 510-486-8090
Email: kris SafeAccessNow.orgJoin the fight for medical marijuana rights!
To receive ASA alerts, send a blank email to
asa-subscribe lists.riseup.net 
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Comment #3 posted by FoM on December 02, 2004 at 18:04:15 PT
Dr. Russo
Will you send it to me? Can I put it online? If I can't that's ok.
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Comment #2 posted by Ethan Russo MD on December 02, 2004 at 17:49:08 PT
Study Available Online
The study of Sativex in brachial plexus neuropathy treatment is available in PDF form if people wish to E-mail me at erusso montanadsl.net
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Comment #1 posted by mayan on December 02, 2004 at 17:29:59 PT
Failure or Success?
From the second article on the bulletin...US drug control efforts in Latin America have not reduced the supply of illicit drugs entering the United States and have instead caused "widespread, often profoundly damaging, harm to citizens' lives and their nations' democracies," concludes the report, entitled "Drugs and Democracy in Latin America: The Impact of US Policy." The study notes that the retail prices for illicit drugs, specifically cocaine and heroin, have fallen dramatically even though government spending on efforts to reduce supply and demand have risen greatly.The U.S. government considers their anti-drug efforts in Latin America a success even though all of their "stated" objectives have failed. Could it be that they have a hidden agenda? The fact is that the U.S. government is the biggest illicit drug dealer on the planet... THE BUSH-CHENEY DRUG EMPIRE:
http://copvcia.com/free/ciadrugs/bush-cheney-drugs.htmlOn an unrelated note, Ohio Was Stolen...Ohio Provisional Ballots Going Overwhelmingly For Kerry!
http://ohvotesuppression.blogspot.com/Campaign Files CounterClaim Against Blackwell:
http://www.votecobb.org/Rally at Ohio Statehouse This Saturday!
http://www.uacitizensforchange.com/rally/Demand a Recount Rally in Columbus, Ohio Saturday:
http://bellaciao.org/en/article.php3?id_article=4626THE WAY OUT IS THE WAY IN...Inside the Clouds of 9/11 - Catalyst for Perpetual War:
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article7398.htmRICO - Rodriguez vs. Bush:
http://www.911forthetruth.com/9/11 Truth:
http://www.911truth.org/9/11 Truth LA:
http://www.911truthla.us/
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