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This article : http://mojo.calyx.net/~olsen/NORML/WEEKLY/99-04-29.html
Courtesy of Iowa NORML's bulletin archive site : http://mojo.calyx.net/~olsen/NORML/WEEKLY/weekly99.html

Swiss Government Committee Says Legalize Marijuana

        April 29, 1999, Bern, Switzerland:   The Swiss government should legalize the sale and use of marijuana, a federally appointed panel urged last week. Their recommendation responds to a government inquiry to revise the country's drug laws.
        The federal commission proposed licensing marijuana sales to Swiss adults. The plan also would prohibit sellers from advertising the drug, and allow the state to regulate marijuana's market value.
        Panelists made their recommendation after determining that marijuana posed little danger as a gateway drug and negligible health risks compared to legal drugs like alcohol and tobacco. The experts also acknowledged that marijuana prohibition failed to discourage widespread use of the drug.
        The Associated Press reported that Swiss Cabinet officials will likely reject the recommendation, but did not rule out the measure's eventual passage in a national referendum.
        For more information, please contact Allen St. Pierre of The NORML Foundation @ (202) 483-8751.

Report from Iowa

NOTE : July 1999 Issue of Hightimes Magazine contains an article which analyzes state by state, statistically, actual numbers of arrests for marijuana.
According to the High Times article, and a brief web published item in late May 1999 (which I didn't mirror), Iowa comes out as the most liberal U. S. state in terms of numbers arrested for simple possession of marijuana.

(posted to web 7 June, 1999, letter from Carl Olsen to IOWA NORML members) :
(DES MOINES) ... (9 December 1998) Last year, I was elected to the board of directors of the Highland Park Community Action Association. This year, I was elected to the board of directors of the North Central Community Organization (NCCO), which is comprised of Highland Park, Oak Park, and Union Park.
At the Democratic Party caucus in February, I was elected to the county platform committee. At the county platform committee, I was elected to the district platform committee. The district platform committee elected me to the Democratic Party's state platform committee.
At the county (level), two subcommittees (health and human services & government) passed my resolution calling upon the federal government to allow medical use of marijuana.
At the district level, the chief of the platform committee told us that the candidates were unhappy with the medical marijuana resolution. A vote was taken, and my side prevailed by approximately 90% to 10% (for the opposition). However, the words, "by prescription only" were added to the end of the resolution.
At the state level, I was again asked to delete my medical marijuana resolution. I agreed, on the condition that I be allowed to write the section on drug policy, which now reads as follows :

"Drug Harm Reduction: We support: (1) a critical analysis of current drug policy and drug education programs; (2) a harm reduction approach to drug use and abuse, rather than a prison approach; (3) strict enforcement of drunk driving laws; and (4) severe penalties for adults for drug sales involving children."
I know my drug policy statement could stand some improvement, but it seemed like the best thing to do under the circumstances. Medical marijuana was in the state platform four years ago, and it didn't seem to make any difference in actual state policy.
... At any rate, I've got my foot in the door. I campaigned vigorously for Democrats adn I'm currently doing volunteer work in the office of governor-elect, Tom Vilsack. There's always another platform and another election cycle. We can take what we learned this year and go from there.
I highly encourage all of you to get involved in the political process. No one can do it all alone. Only by working together can we make the needed changes necessary to bring our society together for the benefit of everyone.
Carl E. Olsen
Iowa NORML president
http://www.commonlink.com/~olsen/NORML/

On 6 May 1999, Carl Olsen responded to questions from NORML Canada web maint. by email :

At 06:02 AM 5/6/1999 -0700, w. carroll wrote :
>Having the local democratic party place the words "harm reduction" into their platform, seems like you have accomplished a lot.
Olsen responded :
It was the best I could get, under the circumstances. I think I can make
the argument that this portion of the platform was not followed by
Democratic legislators during the 1999 session. Maybe it needs to read,
"Lock-em up, and throw away the key," to be more in tune with actual practice.
>I THINK I still have the message you sent me with the latest NORML Iowa
>newsletter. Do you authorize me to post what you already sent, assuming I can find it ?
Absolutely! Just include the source.
>What disappoints me are the "flip flops" which keep happening. Seems like
Ohio has re-criminalized very heavily. I thought they had de-criminalized about 2 years ago.
Iowa has increased the penalties for marijuana in numerous ways, some of
which are documented on my web sites, at:
     http://www.commonlink.com/~olsen/NORML/alert.html
     http://www.calyx.com/~olsen/NORML/alert.html
>Regarding "harm reduction" policies, I assume that somebody understands that the main point is to no longer incarcerate kids (and adults) for simple possession, or even, "growing your own" (marijuana).
I don't think anyone has a clue what "harm reduction" means. It needs to
be spelled out in detail, before they'll get it.
>HOW adults procede to "control" their kids is anybody's guess, but the
current policy of incarceration (extreme punishment) pretty much guarantee's nobody will know who is using pot until an arrest takes place.
Having a law that almost everyone breaks is very convenient for selective
law enforcement.
>Harm reduction means that the expected penalty is not so severe as to hamper ordinary communication between parent and adult.
Good point.
>Maybe, contacting Iowa law enforcement (Sheriff's associations, police
>associations, etc.) and see how they think about the issues ? If they approve
>of some sort of changes, then maybe the politicians would also ?
I don't expect much support from law enforcement. Even if they know what's
going on, they aren't going to be outspoken about it. Maybe, if enough of
their kids or friends got busted, they might think about it. As long as
it's the poor black folk getting busted, not much is going to change.
If I get elected to the platform committee in 2000, we can work on stronger
language. I know some of the other platform committee members will support
me.
Carl

Top of Article

Go All the Way With Decriminalization.
(11 May via marijuananews.com) NORML Canada also made this point also since at least early 1996 when we pointed out all the "excess baggage" which accompanies any "criminal" conviction, even misdemeanors in some cases. Child custody cases, for example.
Previous misdemeanors can also convert automatically into a felony upon conviction for other crimes, or upon repeat convictions for simple possession, in some states.
If we use the word, "Decriminalization", we should mean what we say. We should stop criminalizing marijuana users, and small time dealers, and while we're at it, large time dealers as well, OK ?
Article at marijuananews.com : http://www.marijuananews.com/let_me_tell_you_why_we_should_se.htm

The Eye
   Contact: eye@io.org
   Website: http://www.eye.net/
   Forum: http://www.eye.net/eye/feedback/feedback.html
   Author: Nate Hendley

   Is pot going legal?
   Cops call for decriminalization
   How safe is it to puff pot in Toronto? That's the one issue left
   unaddressed during debate over a recent motion by the Canadian Chiefs of
   Police to decriminalize marijuana.
   The chiefs urged the feds to make pot smoking a ticketable offence, a
   proposal some people assume has little relevance for Toronto. Hasn't the
   Big Smoke, much like Vancouver, "de facto" decriminalized already, turning
   a blind eye towards minor pot crimes so cops can focus on crack, rape and
   violent crime?
   "Nonsense," says Osgoode Hall professor and pot activist Alan Young, who
   routinely defends low-level marijuana miscreants.
   "We don't ignore anything," says Det. Carl Noll of the police's Special
   Investigative Services, major drugs section. "We're enforcing [the law] as
   aggressively as we can."
   Standing amongst racks of grow guides, cannabis books and cabinets filled
   with bongs and smoking accessories, Robin Ellins, the co-proprietor of
   Toronto's first hemp store, the Friendly Stranger, has a different take.
   Ellins feels that pot has been decriminalized, although only "in a sense."
   He says, "It really depends how old you are and how stupid. If you're
   smoking in a public park or being boisterous on the street, you're going to
   get busted."
   Yet Ellins has no friends or acquaintances who've been arrested for simple
   possession in Toronto, much less jailed. Which makes sense - Toronto's
   arrest rate for possession is half that of the rest of the province. More
   charges are laid annually for crack dealing than marijuana trafficking,
   despite the latter's position as the city's favorite illegal drug.
   Still, Prof. Young not only denies Toronto police are ignoring minor
   marijuana offences, he says such a policy would be bad news.
   "De facto decriminalization is not an effective way to deal with the
   issue," says Young. "It's a smoke screen to block serious law reform."
   WAR AGAINST SOME DRUGS
   Speaking in front of a small crowd of public health experts and reporters,
   Joyce Bernstein maintains a grim face as she recites drug stats and
   overdose anecdotes.
   Bernstein, an epidemiologist with Toronto Public Health, is co-author of
   the ninth annual "Drug Use in Toronto" report, which surveys the city's
   substance use habits. At the document's April 21 launch, Bernstein notes
   the high prevalence of pot use in Toronto: "19 per cent of student and 13
   per cent of adults" reported past-year reefer use in the 1999 Drug Use
   survey.
   Crack, which remains the most demonized drug in North America, barely
   registers on the survey. Under 1 per cent of adults and 2 per cent of
   students report using in 1998.
   Enforcement patterns for the two drugs are very similar when it comes to
   possession charges, however. According to Metro Police's Central Drug
   Information Unit, city cops laid 2,127 charges for simple marijuana
   possession and 116 charges for trafficking in 1998. Slim pickings for a
   city in which one in 10 adults tokes up.
   A recent study by the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse (CCSA), Toronto's
   marijuana possession offence rate is 41 per 100,000 people - far less than
   the rest of the province, where the rate is 92 per 100,000.
   By way of comparison, crack, which less than one in 100 Toronto adults use,
   resulted in 1,287 possession charges and 527 trafficking charges in 1998.
   "Drug enforcement is fueled by police intelligence and public input,"
   explains Det. Curt Booth, who heads the Central Drug Information Unit.
   Citizens tend to be more alarmed by crack dealers on the street than patio
   pot tokers, in other words. Budget restraints also mean that police "work
   on drugs that present the greatest threat to the community," Det. Booth
   continues. "No one who knows drugs would argue that [pot] is more
   destructive than crack."
   Public attitudes have a lot to do with this: recent surveys peg support for
   decriminalization at over 50 per cent of Canadians, with eight in 10
   backing legal pot for medical use.
   While medical marijuana's been much in the news lately, even non-medicinal
   imbibers have been getting a break lately in Toronto. Last May, Operation
   Springboard, an outfit which intervenes on behalf of criminal offenders,
   launched a cannabis diversion program at old City Hall. Thanks to changes
   in federal sentencing laws which allow for greater pre-trial diversion of
   minor cases, Crown Attorneys at old City Hall can now refer first-time,
   non-violent pot offenders to Springboard. In exchange for community service
   or counseling, possession charges are dropped and the offender doesn't get
   a record.
   From its inception to March 31, 1999, some 430 people entered the
   diversion program with a 93 per cent completion rate, says Margaret
   Stanowski, Springboard's executive director.
   Diversion's cheaper than incarceration and tougher than traditional forms
   of justice, she adds. Pot possession cases tend to result in fines and
   discharges, a fact cited by the Chiefs of Police as one of their reasons
   for supporting decrim.
   Stanowski hesitates, however, to frame the diversion program as a step
   towards overhauling Canada's cannabis laws. "We're not speculating on the
   decriminalizaton of marijuana," she states. Her view echoes that of Deputy
   Chief Steve Reesor, whose told eye last year that he opposes decrim but
   supports alternative sentencing for some drug offences.
   Deputy Chief Reesor probably wasn't thinking about de facto decrim as an
   alternative, something Vancouver police are experimenting with. A few years
   ago, cops there generally stopped charging people for pot possession
   because of an overwhelming problem with needle drug use. Still, the threat
   of arrest remains, something that infuriates drug activists.
   Pot law enforcement, says Prof. Young, "should not be contingent on the
   personality of the police officers."
   Ellins agrees. Back in 1993, Ellins was arrested and tried in Brockville
   for possessing five grams of marijuana. For a drug offence in a small town,
   Ellins got off relatively easily - no fine, no jail time and an order not
   to disturb the peace.
   Except now he's got a criminal record - a legal burden official
   decriminalization would eliminate - and can't enter the United States.
   Smoking pot in Toronto's far less risky than in a place like Brockville,
   but that doesn't make it a penalty-free activity.
   Until the Liberals okay the police chiefs recommendations, megacity
   marijuana users still, as Ellins says, "run the risk of being treated like
   criminals for the rest of their lives" if they're one of the unlucky
   handful caught each year.
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Top of Article

Pot safer for drivers than alcohol: study
TORONTO (CP) Canadian Press — Getting high on marijuana doesn’t hinder the ability
to drive nearly as much as drinking alcohol, a University of Toronto study suggests.
While marijuana, like alcohol, impairs performance, people who drive after smoking
moderate amounts of pot compensate by driving more slowly and cautiously, said
researcher Alison Smiley.
"Their behavior is more appropriate to their impairment, whereas subjects who received
alcohol tended to drive in a more risky manner.: said Smiley, and adjunct professor in
the university’s mechanical and industrial engineering department.
But Const. Barry White, who coordinates Toronto’s RIDE program, says any amount of
marijuana negatively impairs driving ability.
Another report of the same study posted at MAP : http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v99.n371.a12.html/canada

   SAN FRAN MILLION-MAN MARCH
   By Mary Jane Green
   "We're here. We're high. Get used to it!" An estimated crowd of at least
   4,000 marchers shouted this at San Francisco's celebrated Mayday
   Million-Man Marijuana March.
   The May 1st event, held in United Nations Plaza in downtown San Francisco,
   was defiant, smoky and peaceful, as one would expect from the City by the
   Bay where the hippie era, Dennis Peron's pot supermarket, and the Summer of
   Love were born thirty years ago.
   The San Fran event began at high noon with music and speeches, as a diverse
   crowd gathered in the windswept, sun-dappled plaza. Trees and informational
   booths framed the event =AD Families Against Mandatory Minimums (FAMM),
   California-NORML, the Shattered Lives' Human Rights and the Drug War Wall
   of Shame photo exhibit - visitors were able to get everything from bongs to
   books.
   At the end of the Plaza nearest Market Street, DJs powered up an entrancing
   rave that had hundreds dancing and smoking. On the main stage in the
   Plaza's midsection, speeches, dancing and music heralded the day's pro-pot
   and anti-drug war themes.
   Oakland attorneys Robert Raich and Bill Panzer spoke of ending police
   abuses and restoring civil rights to pot users. Jane Weirick, who helped
   Dennis Peron run his 10,000-patient medical marijuana club just a few
   blocks from the rally, spoke in tears of her compassion for patients and
   her recent arrest for marijuana possession.
   Chris Conrad and Mikki Norris, who along with the DrugPeace Campaign
   (http://www.drugpeace.org/), Cal-NORML, Cannabis Action Network and dozens
   of other volunteers had helped organize the event, spoke of human rights
   trashed by drug warriors and the governments who employ them.
   Dale Gieringer, the head of Cal-NORML, encouraged the crowd to fight for
   freedom, to participate in democracy, and to help lobbying organizations
   make the case for marijuana legalization.
   Cannabis Culture journalist and medical marijuana defendant Pete Brady
   brought greetings to the crowd from Marc Emery, and reminded the audience
   that they were part of a cannabis culture, a mass movement for justice, a
   worldwide celebration of sweet Mary Jane, a miracle plant that is a gift
   from the Goddess above.
   San Francisco police were generally respectful, stationing themselves at
   the event's perimeters and not interfering with people trying to light up
   in the wild winds.
   As a wild preface to the 4:20 Pot Pride Parade, international potstar
   Fantuzzi, backed up by the sizzling band Clan Dyken, played a set of
   inspirational rock and roll. Penthouse supermodel Jazmine Raff, an erotic
   cyberartist, professional dancer and hemp-pot activist who will be featured
   in a photo essay in an upcoming issue of Cannabis Culture, wowed the crowd
   with her pot green costume, her dancing, and her two hot, young babe
   companions, one of whom was carrying a tiny white dog strapped around her
   chest.
   At 4:20, thousands of people mobilized to march up Market Street, passing
   in front of Peron's now-closed Cannabis Buyers' Club. Car drivers honked
   their horns in support as the mile long line of marchers held banners, sang
   songs and smoked herb under the watchful eyes of police riding dirt bikes
   in the street.
   "We've got pot pride. We're here to turn the tide," and "Out of the closets
   and into the coffeehouses" were two of the cuter slogans that echoed from
   building to building on busy Market Street.
   The march was reminiscent of civil rights marches in America's Deep South
   three decades ago. It also reminded many marchers of anti-war rallies that
   stopped the carnage in Vietnam.
   No arrests were made during the Mayday event, which ended as fog and dusk
   settled in around 7 pm.
   "I'll always remember this last Mayday before the end of the century," said
   Megan Davies, a 26-year-old pot grower and pot food maker from Santa Cruz,
   California. "Pot people are showing the world that we're your sisters and
   brothers, your co-workers and lovers. It's time to end the war against us
   and all living things."
   *See Cannabis Culture's website for sexy photos of the event!
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   -
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   To unsubscribe, send a message to majordomo@drugsense.org containing
   the command "unsubscribe cclist".
   -
   Subscribe to Cannabis Culture Magazine!
   Write to: 324 West Hastings Street, Vancouver BC, CANADA, V6B 1A1
   Call us at: (604) 669-9069, or fax (604) 669-9038. Visit Cannabis
   Culture online at http://www.cannabisculture.com/

Top of Article.

NORML Canada Needs New Web Maintaner
(4 May) If you are interested in a rewarding, challenging, and timely volunteer, unpaid, job, then this is just the ticket. Tasks include ordinary journalistic things like finding and linking to news stories as reported in the "official media".
But work can also include writing original articles concerning marijuana law policy and opinion.
If interested, please contact Umberto Iorfida at headquarters. If you have already volunteered in the past, then we need you again !!!!!!!

This quote gives me optimism that real changes in U. S. Drug Control Policy may be in the works, but we'll just have to wait and see. For now, don't confess any drug use to anyone. It could get you unemployed, thrown out of school, or thrown into jail or prison, or worse. Let's change the laws, treaties, and policies before we ask people to confess. Children who really trust their parents have always been encouraged to speak to them about anything. The "War on Drugs" has driven a giant wedge into the social fabric of our nation for many decades. That wedge was created with LAWS. Change the laws and communication can again take place. For now, just remain quiet. Writing letters to Parliament and Congress might help. What else can anybody do ? It's still a good quote, though.

``I tell people, you want to fight a war on drugs ?''

He says,``Sit down at your own kitchen table and talk to your children.''

General Barry McCaffrey, U.S. ONDCP Director
(Remember, Don't Confess !)
(courtesy of U. S. NORML headquarters, Washington, D.C., and stored at Carl Olsen's Iowa NORML News Archive site at : http://mojo.calyx.net/~olsen/NORML/WEEKLY/weekly99.html.)
Canada's Parliament Resumes Historic Medical Marijuana Debate
April 22, 1999, Ottawa, Ontario: Canada's House of Commons resumed debate last week on a motion to make marijuana available for medical purposes. The House will vote on the motion, M-381, in June. The hearing marked only the second time the House of Commons has debated legalizing medical marijuana.
"The government must stop holding sick people hostage," said MP Pauline Picard (Bloc Quebecois-Drummond), whose party is one of the chief backers of the measure. "This is a health debate, a justice debate, based on the values of fairness, mutual aid and compassion that we all share as a society."
Picard testified that the motion must do no less than put Parliament on record as supporting legalizing medical marijuana, and argued against efforts to delay the drug's legal access.
Member of Parliament Libby Davies (New Democrats Party-East Vancouver) agreed. "We must make it very clear that we do not want to wait another two or three years for trials to be conducted," she testified, criticizing allegations by Health Minister Allan Rock that his office is developing guidelines for medical marijuana research. "We do not want to wait for another study or another plan. We want help and relief to be provided now."
Rock announced earlier this year that he has asked federal officials to draw up a plan to provide for the distribution and use of marijuana in clinical trials. Several MPs questioned Rock's sincerity, noting that he made similar statements over a year ago, but took no action.
Motion 381, introduced by MP Bernard Bigras (Bloc Quebecois-Rosemont), recommends the government to "undertake all necessary steps concerning the possible legal use of marijuana for health and medical purposes." An aide to Bigras estimated that 100 MPs support the measure, about 50 short of a majority in the 301-member House.
Debate on M-381 will continue for a third day before MPs vote on the motion.
For more information, please contact either R. Keith Stroup or Paul Armentano of NORML @ (202) 483-5500. Transcripts of the debate are available online at: http://www.parl.gc.ca/cgi-bin/36/pb_chb_hou_deb.pl?e.

Top of Article.

   HempWorld's Wide Web, 
   An Occasional Letter from HempWorld publisher, Mari Kane 
   March 30, 1999 

   Good news from that state that started the movement! 

   **************************** 
   California Democrats Adopt Hemp Resolution 
   Monday, March 29, 1999 
   by Mari Kane, HempWorld News 

   SACRAMENTO. The Hemp movement scored a stunning victory at the California 
   State Democratic Convention in Sacramento this weekend when the Democrats 
   adopted a resolution to allow for the cultivation of industrial hemp. The 
   resolution was put forward by CAlifornians for Industrial Renewal, or 
   C.A.I.R., who, In 1998, tried unsuccessfully to launch the Industrial Hemp 
   Act of 1998. 
   The adoption of this hemp resolution is a vote of confidence for 
   new legislation, called the Industrial Renewal Act of 1999, which will be 
   presented to the California legislature this week by C.A.I.R. Proponents. 
   "This is the first step toward hemp legislation in California and 
   is a preparation for the national campaign in 2000," said C.A.I.R. 
   Proponent Sam Clauder III. " We are aiming to repeat this success at the 
   state convention in February of 2000, and we'll have a major presence at 
   the national convention in August of 2000 with the intent of creating a 
   hemp plank in the Democratic National Party's platform." 
   Industrial hemp comes from the Cannabis sativa plant, from which 
   marijuana is derived. There are over 500 strain of cannabis, each bred for 
   specific purposes. Cannabis bred for seed or fiber contain low amounts of 
   Tetrahydrocannibinol, (THC) the chemical that gives marijuana its 
   psychoactive properties. However, because of its association to marijuana, 
   hemp is considered to be a Schedule One Substance by the Drug Enforcement 
   Administration. In spite of the prohibition on hemp cultivation, the raw 
   material is currently being imported to the USA from Canada, Europe and 
   Asia, and represents 100 million dollars in sales. Among the products made 
   from hemp are: food, clothing, accessories, oil, building materials, and 
   paper. 
   C.A.I.R. is asking all California residents to call or write their 
   representatives to support the new hemp legislation. For more information, 
   call C.A.I.R. at 714-543-6400. 
   - HempWorld News 

   To obtain photos of industrial hemp go to: 
   http://www.hempworld.com/phogal.cfm 

   For more information on the various uses of industrial hemp go to: 
   http://www.hempworld.com/hempages/hp4basic.cfm 

   ******************************** 

   (The above release is being sent out to our media list and we encourage you 
   to circulate it to yours. We need to get as much publicity as possible and 
   to raise money for this effort.) 

   Here is my extended version of what happened this weekend. 

   California Democrats Get Hemped Out In Sacramento 
   by Mari Kane, HempWorld News 

   SACRAMENTO. Delegates to the California State Democratic Convention got a 
   taste of hemp this weekend and announced to the world that they like it! 
   CAlifornians for Industrial Renewal and the Hemp Industries Association 
   manned a booth at the convention and sold sell hempseed coffee from 
   Humboldt Hemp Foods, and cookies from Sativa's Kitchen, and Mary Jane's 
   Hemp lollipops. This gave many curious delegates a chance to get 
   touchy-tasty with hemp foods before they voted in favor of a resolution to 
   allow cultivation of hemp. 
   The "Support Industrial Hemp" resolution was among 17 resolutions 
   brought to the floor of the convention. All of the resolutions were 
   "pulled" (debated) for one reason or another, except the one on the Irish 
   Peace Process. 
   Our resolution was pulled by an elder man who had concerns about 
   the enforcement of marijuana laws. Ironically, the original resolution 
   contained two paragraphs on Registration and Enforcement which were written 
   out by the resolutions committee. When the time came to debate an amendment 
   offered by this man, stating that nothing in the law would prohibit law 
   enforcement from full enforcement of marijuana laws, the crowd got hot. One 
   man made an off-color joke about everyone who supports hemp and medical 
   marijuana will be thrown into prison. Another elder woman got up and said 
   that we know hemp is not marijuana and the amendment wasn't necessary. 
   When the delegates voted whether to adopt the law enforcement 
   amendment the crowd roared Nay, and one little voice cried Yay! Motion 
   denied, resolution accepted, adjourn! 
   A resounding demonstration that Californians know hemp is not 
   marijuana! 
   Overall, the delegates were very open to hemp, and in many cases 
   they were enthusiastic. Senator Tom Hayden insisted that he knew my hemp 
   suit was hemp, that he knows all about it. Ex-US Senator Alan Cranston, on 
   the other hand, claimed he didn't know anything about hemp. 
   I met Congresswoman Maxine Waters of L.A., and told her how 
   grateful I was for her work to expose CIA drug running. When she heard that 
   she threw her arms around me and literally squealed with joy. I got the 
   distinct impression that she was not hearing congratulations like that 
   nearly enough. This is woman I hope Gore picks as a running mate, and her 
   inclusion would cross two bridges- race as well as gender. 
   So, with the blessings of the State Democratic Party, off the 
   bill will go to the legislature. All of this work is spearheaded by Sam 
   Clauder, the man who brought us the Industrial Hemp Act of 1998 
   Here is his plan: get the bill passed by the legislature this year. 
   Buoyed by that victory, we should have the same kind of presence at next 
   year Democratic convention at the Bonaventure Hotel in February 2000. Then, 
   when the National Democratic Convention comes to LA, in August of 2000, the 
   hemp movement will have a booth or booths to promote the issue to 20,000 
   delegates and media for 5 days! (We'll have to go to Woody's cafe to come 
   up for oxygen!) At that event we will push for hemp to become a plank in 
   the platform of none other than Mr. Environmental himself, Al Gore, who 
   would have to bring industrial hemp into his presidential campaign! 
   Until then, C.A.I.R needs help! Sam has put his own money into this 
   and last year's failed hemp initiative. His heart and mind are definitely 
   into making hemp a reality in California and we owe him our support. No one 
   else has made it this far in California politics. If you can help, please 
   call Sam at 714-543-6400. Have a rich friend call him or put him in touch 
   with possible donors. He has made a major coup here and we cannot afford to 
   let him down. 
   To view a copy of the resolution passed by the Democrats, go to 
   HempWorld News at: http://www.hempworld.com/hwmag.cfm 
   Bookmark that page to check later when we have posted the final 
   language of the Act. 

   ******************************** 

   Hemp Photography by Mari Kane now available at HempWorld's Photo Gallery 

   HempWorld has opened a new photo gallery to feature the photography of Mari 
   Kane and other photographers which can be purchased for use in media or 
   corporate promotion. The images are available in these pixel 
   dimensions:192x128, 384x256, 768x512, 1536x1024, 3072x2048. Low quality 
   images may be downloaded for placement only, with high-quality scans being 
   sent by email or on disk once terms are arranged. 
   So if your project requires photographs of hemp check out: 
   http://www.hempworld.com/phogal.cfm 

   ******************************** 

   HempWorld is for Sale! 

   We would like to put HempWorld into the hands of someone who will make it 
   fly! If you'd like to find out more about buying The International Hemp 
   Journal go to: http://www.hempworld.com/websalepage.cfm 

   ******************************** 

   HempWorld Yearbooks 

   HempWorld now has Yearbooks of issues from 1996, 1997, and 1998. Read about 
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   HempWorld celebrated its Fifth year of publication in 1998!

Top of Article.

Arbitrary and Unpredictable Policy is the Norm, but Isn't NORMAL.

(Message from NORML Canada President Umberto Iorfida, posted 8 April 1999.)

We here at N.O.R.M.L. CANADA are absolutely appalled at the justice system of this country. It seems that the law regarding the medical and personal use of marijuana has taken a turn for the worse.
The law itself is still the same as it has been in the past, with its policies of prohibition against this substance. The officers of the the law are, however, not behaving the same as in the past. It seems that any policeman can become a judge in the circumstances revolving around a pot bust. The officer can choose to arrest the user.. or the officer can choose to not arrest the user. Likewise in the courts, the judge can also be somewhat inconsistent with the judgments that they dole out. Some users are discharged, or charges dropped, while others are given fines, and yet others are given jail sentences ; all for the same violation under the law.
This is, to say the least, somewhat confusing. Why does this occur?
Is it because some policemen and some judges do not agree with the harsher penalties? Is it because they don't want to waste the taxpayers' money ? (After all, we the taxpayer foot these costs.) Or is it because maybe some of the policemen and judges are pot smokers themselves, and do not consider using marijuana a criminal offense ?
We at N.O.R.M.L. CANADA believe that a law is a law and that it should be meted out equally to all citizens, and that when policemen and judges demonstrate discrepancies in the processing of a law, then that law is ineffective, and as such, should be suspended by the Law Society of Canada, and that that law should no longer be in force.
In regards to anyone that believes that smoking marijuana will not get them jail time, think again, because it might. On the other hand, with so many people receiving community service sentencing work, or absolute discharges for smoking marijuana, what kind of message is the law sending out to our kids ?
If our kids believe that the adult authorities can not decide what to do, how can we expect that the kids will know what to decide ? It is imperative on this point that the Government of Canada should unilaterally declare

that use of marijuana is a health issue and not a criminal matter at all.

That using marijuana is an adult issue.

That using marijuana should be handled openly and in public, (like Holland), thus removing it from the streets, where our children play.

In an adult environment, properly regulated, adults who choose to indulge in marijuana use can do so with full benefit of the Medical and Health Board of Canada.
AFTER ALL, MARIJUANA IS A DRUG. THAT CALLS FOR DOCTORS, NOT COPS. Certainly if my roof caved in, I would not call a watchmaker to fix it.

Top of Article.

   you can use the yahoo.com finance website to track the stocks of 
   companies involved with industrial hemp and medical marijuana (including 
   synthetic cannabinoids). 

   i have created a portfolio of companies that i know of (see 3/24/99 
   quotes listed below). just go here: 

   http://quote.yahoo.com/?u&.src= 

   and click here: 


   Portfolios (Track your favorite stocks here) : [Register/Sign In] 

   and use the following info to log in and view the current prices and 
   news: 

   yahoo! id: hempstocks 
   password: hemp 

   portfolio name: hempstocks 

   i'm always interested in hearing about more companies involved with the 
   "stalk-market". 

   all the bast. 
   i am, 
   john e. dvorak 
   boston hemp co-op 
   boston.hemp@pobox.com 

   =-=-=-=-=- 

   Wed Mar 24 6:06pm ET - U.S. Markets Closed. 

   Symbol 
   Name 
   Last 
   Chg 
   52-week Range 
   Volume 

   BLUED 
   FREDERCK BREWNG 
   1 1/4 
   -15/16 
   0 - 0 
   67,000 

   RGTC 
   REAL GOODS TRAD 
   3 29/32 
   0 
   2 1/2 - 6 
   700 

   CGPR 
   CONS GROWERS 
   3 3/4 
   0 
   2 - 5 3/8 
   1,900 

   KS 
   KAFUS ENVIR 
   5 1/8 
   0 
   3 - 6 1/8 
   24,500 


   ATLC 
   ATLANTIC PHARM 
   1 5/8 
   -1/8 
   1 1/8 - 9 
   34,600 

   UMED 
   UNIMED 
   5 1/2 
   -1/16 
   1 3/4 - 8 1/4 
   3,400 

   PARS 
   PHARMOS CP 
   1 17/32 
   +3/32 
   1 1/8 - 3 9/16 
   469,200

Top of Article

   Source: The National Post 
   Contact: letters@nationalpost.com 
   Website: http://www.nationalpost.com/ 
   Pubdate: Tuesday, February 23, 1999 
   Author: Jonathan Gatehouse 

   Canada contributing to global drug trade. 

   UN body says B.C. marijuana: Drug-promoting Web sites also a growing problem 

   Canada is making significant contributions to the growing worldwide trade 
   in illicit drugs, says a report by the International Narcotics Control 
   Board. 

   The 13-member UN body, which today issued its annual global survey for 
   1998, found several reasons to give Canada a less than glowing review for 
   its part in the war on drugs. 

   Chief among them is the sharp increase in potent, high-quality pot being 
   produced in British Columbia basements and sheds. 

   "Indoor cannabis cultivation has increased significantly in Canada," the 
   report concludes. "Seizure data indicates the movement of illicit cannabis 
   with a high THC content from the province of British Columbia to the United 
   States." 

   The yearend roundup also criticizes the Canadian and U.S. governments for 
   failing to tackle the problem of drug-promoting Web sites. 

   "Online do-it-yourself guides that enable their readers to prepare and 
   abuse controlled substances continue to proliferate on the Internet," the 
   authors write. "While the problem is not confined to North America, many of 
   the home pages are located on servers in Canada and the United States." 

   Other Canadian problems identified by the report include the increasing 
   purity of heroin available on big city streets and the growing number of 
   young people smoking the opium derivative. 

   The board does offer some kudos to Canada, noting the government has 
   introduced legislation to beef-up existing laws against money laundering by 
   requiring banks to report suspicious transactions to the authorities. 

   However, the report urges Canadian legislators to bring domestic 
   regulations on the sale of chemicals that can be used in the manufacture of 
   illicit drugs up to international standards. 

   The Vienna-based organization also identifies an increasing worldwide 
   problem with benzodiazepines, or stress-reducing drugs. While Europeans use 
   more of the prescription drugs than anyone else, the board is disturbed by 
   the trend towards their use in children. 

   It expresses particular concern that "American culture and its drug-taking 
   behaviour have had a strong influence on other regions." It notes, with 
   dismay, the rapid growth of prescriptions for methylphenidate in Australia, 
   Canada, and several European countries. The antidepressant is commonly used 
   to treat Attention Deficit Disorder. 

   The board notes Canada has yet to revamp its regulations concerning that 
   class of drugs to bring them into step with international norms. 

   "The board urges the government to promulgate those regulations without 
   delay," the report says. 

   RELATED SITES 

   International Narcotics Control Board The North American section of the 
   international report. 
   http://www.incb.org/e/ar/1998/chp3.htm#IIIB2 
   Sanctimonious busybodies, we say. 

   Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse 
   http://www.ccsa.ca/ 
   Created by an Act of Parliament in 1988 to provide a national focus for 
   Canadian efforts to reduce or eliminate the harm associated with the use of 
   alcohol and other drugs. 

   Controlled Drugs and Substances Act 
   http://canada.justice.gc.ca/FTP/EN/Laws/Chap/C/C-38.8.txt 
   Canada's statute C-38.8, assented to June 20, 1996. 

   CCSA: A Commentary on the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act 
   http://www.ccsa.ca/c-7.htm 
   A palliative look at Canada's drug laws. Stands in opposition to the INCB's 
   annual report. 

   New Scientist 
   http://marijuana.newscientist.com/ 
   An issues forum that makes a general call for advocates, detractors, and 
   legislators to use reason when talking about cannibis. 

   The Friendly Stranger 
   http://www.friendlystranger.com/ 
   A Toronto "cannabis culture shop" dedicated to restoring "cannabis to its 
   rightful place in society: a substance that is recognized as far less 
   harmful and definitely more socially acceptable than alcohol or tobacco." 

   Cannabis Culture http://www.cannabisculture.com/ The web site for Canada's 
   leading marijuana magazine. 

   Copyright (c) Southam Inc. All rights reserved. Optimized for browser 
   - 
   - 
   CClist, the electronic news and information service of Cannabis Culture 
   To unsubscribe, send a message to majordomo@drugsense.org containing 
   the command "unsubscribe cclist". 
   - 
   Subscribe to Cannabis Culture Magazine! 
   Write to: 324 West Hastings Street, Vancouver BC, CANADA, V6B 1A1 
   Call us at: (604) 669-9069, or fax (604) 669-9038. Visit Cannabis 
   Culture online at http://www.cannabisculture.com/

Top of Article

   Illicit drugs and crime 
   1997 


   Statistics Canada today releases a Juristat with a detailed analysis of 
   criminal drug offences reported by Canadian police forces. Baseline data on 
   this subject were released last July as part of the Juristat on Crime 
   statistics in Canada, 1997. The report on drugs provides a statistical 
   profile of drug crimes and drug offenders. It also examines national trends, 
   as well as data for the provinces and territories. 


   In 1997, police forces in Canada reported 66,500 offences under the 
   Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. This represented a rate of 222 offences 
   for every 100,000 people in the population. Although the drug crime rate has 
   increased 12% between 1993 and 1997, it has remained relatively stable since 
   1983. It should be noted that trends in police-reported drug offences are 

   influenced by levels of police enforcement. 



   ******During the 1990s, cannabis offences have been increasing while cocaine 
   and heroin offences have been declining. In 1997, cannabis offences 
   accounted for 72% of all drug crimes, compared with 58% in 1991. In 
   contrast, cocaine accounted for 17% of all cases in 1997, down from 28% in 
   1991, and heroin accounted for about 2% of all cases, down marginally from 
   1991. 

   Possession of cannabis alone accounted for almost half of all drug offences. 
   In 1997, cultivation offences represented 14% of all cannabis offences 
   compared with slightly less than 3% a decade earlier. According to the 
   Criminal Intelligence Service Canada, this rise may be linked to more 
   sophisticated growing techniques and new technology which have enabled 
   Canadian traffickers to produce high-quality cannabis in hydroponic 
   greenhouses. Canadian-grown cannabis accounted for 50% of the domestic 
   market supply in 1995, compared with 10% in 1985. 

   Among the provinces, British Columbia has consistently reported the highest 
   rate of drug crime since 1982. Its 1997 rate of 426 drug offences for every 
   100,000 population was almost double the national rate. Newfoundland 
   recorded the lowest rate (132) for the second consecutive year. In recent 
   years, Newfoundland and Alberta have shown the largest decreases in the rate 
   of drug offences, while Nova Scotia, Saskatchewan and Manitoba have shown 
   the largest increases. 

   Overall, 40,800 people, both youths and adults, were charged with a drug 
   offence in 1997. Nine out of every 10 of them were male. People charged in 
   cocaine and heroin incidents were, on average, 30 years of age. Those 
   charged with cannabis offences tended to be younger, with an average age of 
   25. Also, older offenders are more likely to be involved with "supply" 
   offences. 

   Court data from seven provinces and one territory for the fiscal year 
   1996/1997 show that almost two-thirds (64%) of people convicted of drug 
   trafficking were sentenced to prison, five times the proportion of people 
   jailed for drug possession (13%). 

   Data from a one-day snapshot of inmates in correctional facilities in 1996 
   showed that 9% of the adult inmate population in Canada were in prison for a 
   drug offence as their most serious offence. Alberta (17%) and Quebec (14%) 
   had the highest percentage of drug offenders in their provincial prisons, 
   while British Columbia (8%) was below the national average. In federal 
   penitentiaries, 8% of all inmates were incarcerated for a drug offence as 
   their most serious offence. 

   Available on CANSIM: matrices 2198-2200. 

   Juristat: Illicit drugs and crime in Canada, vol.18, no.15 (85-002-XPE, 
   $10/$93) is now available. See How to order publications. 

   For more information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data 
   quality of this release, contact Information and Client Services 
   (613-951-9023; 1 800 387-2231), Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics.

Top of Article.

   Please Help Prevent the Extradition of Renee Boje 



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


   U.S. citizen Renee Danielle Boje, 29, has made a rare application 
   for refugee status in Vancouver, Canada, stating she fears she will 
   suffer cruel and unusual punishment if she is extradited to the 
   United States. 

   In July of 1997, Boje was doing some free lance art work, at the 
   Bel Air, California home of medicinal marijuana advocate and cancer 
   patient Todd McCormick. 

   Following a roadside search, she was arrested by the U.S. Drug 
   Enforcement Agency. She was charged with conspiracy to cultivate, 
   possession of, and intent to distribute marijuana. An hour later, 
   the DEA raided McCormick's home, arresting him and seven other 
   individuals and charging them with similar offenses. 

   Boje was held for 72 hours at the Federal Corrections Facility for 
   Women in downtown Los Angeles, during which time she was strip- 
   searched an astounding 15 times. Two of the searches were done in 
   the presence of male officers who made lewd and threatening remarks. 

   Boje strongly denies any wrong-doing. The marijuana was grown under 
   license for medical research, and was legal under Proposition 215 
   of California State Law. Proposition 215 ensures that patients and 
   their primary caregivers, residing in California, who cultivate, 
   obtain, and use marijuana for medical purposes upon the recommen- 
   dation of a physician, are not subject to criminal prosecution or 
   sanction. To Boje's knowledge, the charges against her were dropped 
   in October 1997. 

   On February 15, Boje was arrested at the site of a medicinal 
   marijuana garden in Gibsons, B.C. While in custody, a routine RCMP 
   check revealed that the U.S. charges had been reinstated, without 
   her knowledge, in June 1998. Although not charged with any crime in 
   Canada, Boje was taken by the RCMP to Immigration with an order to 
   be removed from Canada. At this point Boje made a refugee claim. 
   She was released on $5,000.00 bond. 

   The following day, just minutes before her Refugee Inquiry hearing, 
   Boje was arrested outside the courtroom by RCMP Special Agents and 
   rushed to the Supreme Court in Vancouver for fast track extradition 
   to the United States. The matter was postponed until April 19, when 
   her extradition hearing will take place in Vancouver. Boje was 
   released on $5,000.00 surety bond. 

   Boje's worst fears are further physical abuse and humiliation at 
   the hands of U.S. authorities, and the extreme severity of current 
   U.S. federal penalties for marijuana-related offenses. A conviction 
   for just one of the charges against her carries a mandatory minimum 
   of ten years in a federal penitentiary. In Canada, punishment for a 
   similar offense would result in a fine and /or a minimal jail term. 

   "I am personally committed to the issue of medicinal uses of herbs, 
   including marijuana. I am hoping that Canada will provide me a safe 
   haven, as it did for the conscientious objectors to the Viet Nam War." 

   A Legal Defense Fund is being established along with a growing 
   movement involving individuals committed to keeping Renee in 
   Canada until the charges against her in the U.S. have been dropped, 
   or when the marijuana laws of the U.S. reflect the reality of the 
   times and the benefits of this medicinally healing herb. 


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


   "There is a phone in campaign going on for my case to Amnesty 
   International. They are currently fighting against the violence of 
   women in U.S. prisons. 

   "They blame the War on Drugs. They say since the War on Drugs the # 
   of prisoners has sky rocketed. No new guards have been hired and women 
   are often left under the care of male guards. They are repeatedly 
   raped and assaulted and denied proper medical care. 

   "We are asking that Amnesty help me because my case fits with their 
   current campaign. If you would like to help, phone John Tackaberry, 
   who is the head of Amnesty in Canada, at:(613)744-7667(Ext.236). 
   Simply leave a message asking Amnesty to please help Renee Boje. 
   They are aware of my case, but have not done anything to help me 
   yet. The more phone calls the better!" 


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


   If you are not familiar with Renee's situation, go to 
   http://www.thecompassionclub.org/renee/ for more information. 

   Renee is one of the young women charged with conspiracy in Todd's 
   McCormick's case. She was not indicted immediately following the raid, 
   but was included in the conspiracy charges filed at the time of Peter 
   McWilliams' arrest. 

   For up-to-date info on all these cases check 
   http://www.marijuananews.com/ 


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

Top of Article.

Orange County Weekly   January 21, 1999 (?)



Dope Show!

Arresting Kubby may have been Prop. 215 opponents' worst mistake



By Victor D. Infant



Proposition 215, the medical marijuana initiative that was passed into

law more than two years ago, has already been beleaguered by active

opposition from former state Attorney General Dan Lungren and haphazard

recognition from police authorities statewide, but it underwent a

serious buzz kill on Jan. 20 with the arrest of Steve Kubby, last year's

Libertarian Party candidate for governor.



Kubby, an outspoken advocate of Prop. 215 and one of the fundamental

forces behind its victory, and his wife, Michelle, were both arrested at

their Lake Tahoe home on suspicion of possessing 260 marijuana plants,

cultivation with intent to sell, possession of hypodermic syringes and

"conspiracy with persons unknown."



"The first thing you should know," says Kubby in an interview with the

OC Weekly shortly after he and his wife were released on their own

recognizance on Jan. 21, "is that these guys walked into a legal land

mine. We set a trap, and they fell for it. We received a tip six months

ago that Dan Lungren had ordered surveillance on us; we were told to

watch for a green-black Cherokee with darkened windows. We spotted it

twice. When the raid came, we were prepared."



Kubby said he was diagnosed with adrenal cancer in 1975 and uses medical

marijuana under his doctor's orders; his cancer is currently in

remission. He also takes medical marijuana to treat his high blood

pressure. He said his wife uses marijuana to treat the symptoms of

irritable-bowel syndrome, the side effects of which include nausea.

Neither makes a secret of their use and has, by all accounts, endeavored

to be in compliance with the law.



Although prepared for the raid, neither Kubby could have been prepared

for the sheer slapstick it produced; the police seemed convinced they

were in an episode of COPS.



"My wife and I had been shoveling snow from the driveway," says Kubby,

"and we went to play with our daughter, when a van went racing by. The

next thing I knew, my wife was surrounded by agents. These big fat guys

came running upstairs, shouting, 'You're in trouble now.'"



The commando mission came to a grinding halt when they discovered the

Kubbys' paperwork was all neatly in order.



"It blew their attack," says Kubby. "They wandered around scratching

their heads until the district attorney came."



The district attorney arrested them anyway.



"The police aren't here to protect us," says Brian Cross, chairman of

the Orange County Libertarian Party. "We used to call them 'peace

officers' because their job was to maintain the peace. When things got

out of hand, they were there to address the problem. We have laws and

things that we will not tolerate in society; their job was, when

somebody breached one of those laws, to do something about it. Now we

call them 'law enforcement officers' because they're there to enforce

laws. Which means that they can go into somebody's house even if it

causes no problem whatsoever, even if the neighbors have no idea what's

going on, and it doesn't harm anybody we have the authority to go into

that house because we think that something's going on. That they have

something we disapprove of guns, drugs, ferrets, whatever."



"I think that it's unfortunate," said Mark Mattern, a Chapman University

political science professor who organizes the school's biannual

gubernatorial debate, which last year was attended by all the candidates

except Gray Davis and Dan Lungren. "I found Steve Kubby to be a very

credible candidate. I'm not a Libertarian, but I felt he represented

that ideology very intensely and consistently. He was very open about

his marijuana use. I admire his honesty, especially when compared to

Bill Clinton- 'I puffed on it, but I didn't inhale.'"



The OC Libertarian Party already galvanized by the similar persecution

of local medical marijuana activist Marvin Chavez was among the many

groups that led a campaign to show the Lake Tahoe police their

displeasure by jamming their inbox so full of e-mail that when the

Kubbys were released, the cops asked that he tell the world how well he

was treated.



This is how well he was treated:




"After we were booked," says Kubby, "we were forced to march through a

blizzard to get to a transport truck. We were freezing and miserable.

They took us to Auburn, and that's when it really got bad. I spent the

night in an unheated holding tank next to a pool of vomit. For the first

time in years, I suffered from horrific blood pressure. It was three

hours until they gave my wife a blanket. When they started to process

us, I felt so nauseated I couldn't see what I was signing. They told me

to continue or they would put me in some kind of painful hold. It was a

struggle; I spent the night vomiting and shivering.



"One cop told me, 'Prop. 215 may fly in San Francisco, but not here in

Placer County.'"



The Kubbys say they still suffer after effects of the arrest: Michelle

contracted pneumonia, and her husband developed an eye problem. Steve

Kubby has lost 15 pounds in less than a week.



Kubby is enthusiastic about getting his day in court. By his account,

there are no sales whatsoever of the marijuana he has cultivated, and

the total amount of "smokable" weed weighs in at about 31D2 pounds

-roughly half of what the federal government provides their seven

licensed medical marijuana smokers for a year. According to Kubby,

police put the "street value," of his crop at $420,000. If true, that

would make it about $120,000 per pound "some mighty expensive weed,"

Kubby joked. As for the needles that were found, he claims a test will

prove that he uses them to load his ink jet printer.



In reaction to the Kubbys' arrest, Cross has sent a letter urging new

Attorney General Bill Lockyer to follow through on his promise "to seek

ways for [Prop. 215's] implementation that would be safe both for the

communities and for the patients."



Other responses have been less genteel, including one "open letter to

the powers that be" received by the Weekly. It stated: "Commencing with

the release of Steve Kubby and his wife, you will make a public apology,

and you will face retribution. This is a fate of your own making. The

severity of your retribution is solely predicated upon your willingness

to engage with the responsibility you know I can see in you. An

immediate response by you and yours will be necessary for life to be

able to continue to carry you into the future."

--

KUBBY LEGAL DEFENSE FUND



c/o Dale Wood Attorney at Law



10833 Donner Pass Road



Truckee, CA 96161



(530) 587-3450





========================================================================

Another article, source not indicated. 

========================================================================



Medical cannabis patients Steve and Michele Kubby were arrested early on

January 19 at their home near Lake Tahoe, California.  Mr. Kubby, who

suffers from a rare form of cancer, credits the very fact that he is

alive to medical cannabis.  He was growing the medicine in his home for

his own use.  Because he is being denied access to his medicine, he

fears he will suffer a stroke tonight while in custody.



Steve and Michele were marched through the snow and thrown in freezing

cold cells, where their jailers have refused their requests blankets and

medical care.  As of this writing, Steve has already experienced three

hypertensive episodes in jail, and his blood pressure is dangerously

high.



Though they were arrested near Lake Tahoe, they were transferred to

Placer County Jail in Auburn.  Bail has been set at $100,000 even though

the Kubbys own their home, have a small child, and present absolutely no

flight risk.  Steve was the Libertarian Party's candidate for governor

in the November, 1998 election.



Before they were taken into custody, Steve and Michele presented the

officers with their patient credentials and notes from their physicians.



Nevertheless, a deputy district attorney on the scene personally ordered

the Kubbys arrested.  Police and sheriff's deputies also seized the

Kubbys' computers, which are their source of income.



The Kubbys are exactly the kind of people for whom Proposition 215 was

enacted.  Nevertheless, Steve overheard his arresting officers say,

"That 215 doesn't apply here.  Maybe it'll work in San Francisco, but

not out here."

--

Arthur R Sobey





(Steve is a good friend to all of us - this is a very sad day! -PW)

and the third one, ;)))



Word is that the judge released them on their own

recognizance, meaning bail was reduced from $100k

to zero.  They are home and safe and intend to fight

this out in court.



The narcos messed with the wrong guy this time,

that's for sure!



The following post seems to be a duplicate of the first one above,

but there may be slight differences. (NORML Canada).



Orange County Weekly   January 21, 1999 (?)



Dope Show! 

Arresting Kubby may have been Prop. 215 opponents' worst mistake 



By Victor D. Infante 



Proposition 215, the medical-marijuana initiative that was passed into

law more than two years ago, has already been beleaguered by active

opposition from former state Attorney General Dan Lungren and haphazard

recognition from police authorities statewide, but it underwent a

serious buzz kill on Jan. 20 with the arrest of Steve Kubby, last year's

Libertarian Party candidate for governor.




Kubby, an outspoken advocate of Prop. 215 and one of the fundamental


forces behind its victory, and his wife, Michelle, were both arrested at

their Lake Tahoe home on suspicion of possessing 260 marijuana plants,

cultivation with intent to sell, possession of hypodermic syringes and

"conspiracy with persons unknown."



"The first thing you should know," says Kubby in an interview with the

OC Weekly shortly after he and his wife were released on their own

recognizance on Jan. 21, "is that these guys walked into a legal land

mine. We set a trap, and they fell for it. We received a tip six months

ago that Dan Lungren had ordered surveillance on us; we were told to

watch for a green-black Cherokee with darkened windows. We spotted it

twice. When the raid came, we were prepared."



Kubby said he was diagnosed with adrenal cancer in 1975 and uses medical

marijuana under his doctor's orders; his cancer is currently in

remission. He also takes medical marijuana to treat his high blood

pressure. He said his wife uses marijuana to treat the symptoms of

irritable-bowel syndrome, the side effects of which include nausea.

Neither makes a secret of their use and has, by all accounts, endeavored

to be in compliance with the law. 



Although prepared for the raid, neither Kubby could have been prepared

for the sheer slapstick it produced; the police seemed convinced they

were in an episode of COPS. 



"My wife and I had been shoveling snow from the driveway," says Kubby,

"and we went to play with our daughter, when a van went racing by. The

next thing I knew, my wife was surrounded by agents. These big fat guys

came running upstairs, shouting, 'You're in trouble now.'"



The commando mission came to a grinding halt when they discovered the

Kubbys' paperwork was all neatly in order. 



"It blew their attack," says Kubby. "They wandered around scratching

their heads until the district attorney came."



The district attorney arrested them anyway.



"The police aren't here to protect us," says Brian Cross, chairman of

the Orange County Libertarian Party. "We used to call them 'peace

officers' because their job was to maintain the peace. When things got

out of hand, they were there to address the problem. We have laws and

things that we will not tolerate in society; their job was, when

somebody breached one of those laws, to do something about it. Now we

call them 'law-enforcement officers' because they're there to enforce

laws. Which means that they can go into somebody's house-even if it

causes no problem whatsoever, even if the neighbors have no idea what's

going on, and it doesn't harm anybody-we have the authority to go into

that house because we think that something's going on. That they have

something we disapprove of-guns, drugs, ferrets, whatever."



"I think that it's unfortunate," said Mark Mattern, a Chapman University

political-science professor who organizes the school's biannual

gubernatorial debate, which last year was attended by all the candidates

except Gray Davis and Dan Lungren. "I found Steve Kubby to be a very

credible candidate. I'm not a Libertarian, but I felt he represented

that ideology very intensely and consistently. He was very open about

his marijuana use. I admire his honesty, especially when compared to

Bill Clinton-'I puffed on it, but I didn't inhale.'"



The OC Libertarian Party-already galvanized by the similar persecution

of local medical-marijuana activist Marvin Chavez-was among the many

groups that led a campaign to show the Lake Tahoe police their

displeasure by jamming their inbox so full of e-mails that when the

Kubbys were released, the cops asked that he tell the world how well he

was treated.



This is how well he was treated:



"After we were booked," says Kubby, "we were forced to march through a

blizzard to get to a transport truck. We were freezing and miserable.

They took us to Auburn, and that's when it really got bad. I spent the

night in an unheated holding tank next to a pool of vomit. For the first

time in years, I suffered from horrific blood pressure. It was three

hours until they gave my wife a blanket. When they started to process

us, I felt so nauseated I couldn't see what I was signing. They told me

to continue or they would put me in some kind of painful hold. It was a

struggle; I spent the night vomiting and shivering.



"One cop told me, 'Prop. 215 may fly in San Francisco, but not here in

Placer County.'"



The Kubbys say they still suffer after effects of the arrest: Michelle

contracted pneumonia, and her husband developed an eye problem. Steve

Kubby has lost 15 pounds in less than a week.



Kubby is enthusiastic about getting his day in court. By his account,

there are no sales whatsoever of the marijuana he has cultivated, and

the total amount of "smokable" weed weighs in at about 31D2 pounds

-roughly half of what the federal government provides their seven

licensed medical-marijuana smokers for a year. According to Kubby,

police put the "street value," of his crop at $420,000. If true, that

would make it about $120,000 per pound-"some mighty expensive weed,"

Kubby joked. As for the needles that were found, he claims a test will

prove that he uses them to load his ink-jet printer.



In reaction to the Kubbys' arrest, Cross has sent a letter urging new

Attorney General Bill Lockyer to follow through on his promise "to seek

ways for [Prop. 215's] implementation that would be safe both for the

communities and for the patients." 



Other responses have been less genteel, including one "open letter to

the powers that be" received by the Weekly. It stated: "Commencing with

the release of Steve Kubby and his wife, you will make a public apology,

and you will face retribution. This is a fate of your own making. The

severity of your retribution is solely predicated upon your willingness

to engage with the response-ability you know I can see in you. An

immediate response by you and yours will be necessary for life to be

able to continue to carry you into the future."


-- 

KUBBY LEGAL DEFENSE FUND



c/o Dale Wood Attorney at Law



10833 Donner Pass Road



Truckee, CA 96161



(530) 587-3450







Alternately credit card contributions can be made on line at 



http://www.drugsense.org/donate.htm 



Be sure to note KUBBY LEGAL DEFENSE FUND in the message box. 



DrugSense will act as the intermediary and forward your donation

Top of Article.

Suppressed Report Leaked to Cannabis Media



'AIDS Treatment News' Obtains 126-Page Study, 'NTP Technical 

Report On The Toxicology And Carcinogenesis Studies Of 1-Trans-

Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol, CAS No. 1972-08-3, In F344/N Rats

And B6C3F(1) Mice, Gavage Studies'





AIDS TREATMENT NEWS has obtained a 126-page draft report of a

major toxicology study of THC, the main psychoactive ingredient of

marijuana. The study was completed over two and a half years ago, 

and passed peer review for publication, but has been kept quiet 

until this month, when someone leaked copies of the draft report. 

As far as we know, the public has never been told about this 

research -- for example, the drug- reform movement seems not to 

have known about its existence.  This work may have been hushed 

because its findings are not what the drug-war industry would want.



The study gave huge doses of THC to rats and mice by stomach tube,

and looked for cancers and other evidence of toxicity. First there 

were small toxicity studies, which used enough THC to kill some of 

the animals; later, two-year studies were run in both rats and mice, 

using doses which were still much higher than those of marijuana 

smokers. The two-year studies tested THC in several hundred rats 

and several hundred mice.



In rats, those given THC had a clear survival advantage over the 

untreated controls; this effect was statistically significant in 

all dose groups, and in both males and females. In mice (which 

were given much larger doses than the rats relative to body weight) 

there was no survival difference among the groups -- except that 

those given the highest dose (which was close to the lethal dose 

for mice) had worse survival.



In both mice and rats, in both males and females, "the incidence 

of benign and malignant neoplasms ... were decreased in a dose-

dependent manner" -- meaning that the more THC the animals were 

given, the fewer tumors they developed.



The treated animals weighed less than the controls (even though 

both ate about the same amount of food); the researchers speculated 

that the lower body weight may have partly accounted for the 

increased survival and reduced tumors in the THC-treated animals.



The doses were large enough to cause seizures and convulsions in 

many of the animals, especially when they were dosed or handled. 

These did not start immediately, but after many weeks, depending 

on the dose. The researchers looked for brain lesions in animals 

which had seizures, but found none.



No evidence of carcinogenic activity in the rats, but there was 

"equivocal evidence" of one kind of thyroid tumor in the mice -- 

with no evidence of a dose-dependent response. Other tumors were 

less common in the treated animals than in the controls -- except 

in one case, which the toxicologists believed was due to the fact 

that the treated animals lived longer, and therefore had more 

opportunity to develop tumors.



The report includes a professionally objective review of the 

biological effects, possible toxicities, and possible medical 

uses of THC and marijuana.



The title of the report is "NTP Technical Report on the Toxicology 

and Carcinogenesis Studies of 1-Trans-Delta(9)- Tetrahydrocanna-

binol (CAS No. 1972-08-3) in F344/N Rats and B6C3F(1) Mice (Gavage 

Studies)."  Over 35 researchers contributed to this study, and 12 

others reviewed their work; several institutions, including the 

National Toxicology Program and SRI International, were involved. 

The document we received is report NTP TR 446, NIH Publication No. 

94-3362, of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 

("NTP" stands for National Toxicology Program, which is made up of 

four Federal agencies within Health and Human Services.) Each page 

of the draft is stamped "not for distribution or attribution." In 

addition to the 126-page document we have reviewed here, there are 

11 appendices, which we have not seen.



According to the draft, the report will be available from NTP 

Central Data Management, 919/541-1371. AIDS TREATMENT NEWS requested 

a copy of the final report when it is ready, and also requested a 

copy of the draft. Now that the existence of the report has become 

publicly known, we have heard that draft copies are being sent if 

requested -- despite the notice on each page not to distribute them.



Comment



It would be wrong to interpret this study as showing a beneficial 

or protective effect of marijuana. The animals were given very large 

doses, resulting in substantially lower body weight, which may 

itself have caused much of the survival and tumor improvements. 

Also, this study used THC, not marijuana smoke -- which like any 

smoke contains many chemicals, some of which are likely to be 

harmful.



But the study does provide strong evidence that there is no 

significant cancer risk (if any at all) from the main psychoactive 

ingredient of marijuana; any such risk would be from incidental 

substances in the smoke. And if there is such a risk, the modern 

high-potency marijuana would likely reduce it, by reducing the 

amount of smoke required to obtain the desired effect.



Also, there is no known case of any human death from overdose 

of marijuana or THC, or from any other acute toxicity of these 

substances -- a remarkable safety record, compared with alcohol, 

aspirin, or many other common drugs. (The toxicology report does 

not say there have been no deaths, but the authors listed none, 

after doing an exhaustive survey of the literature.)



The literature review on the effects of THC and marijuana shows 

how medical research has been politically skewed (although the 

paper itself does not state this point). There are almost no 

studies of possible medical uses of marijuana, but many studies 

looking for possible harm. Any positive findings, therefore, can 

be used to support the drug war -- while negative findings (those 

which fail to show any effect) are usually ignored. Although many 

doctors and patients have reported important medical benefits, 


scientific studies of medicinal use have seldom been allowed to

happen, since positive findings could challenge the official 

public- relations tactic of demonization. The drug war itself has 

controlled the medical research agenda, since it controls legal 

access to marijuana. Like most permanent wars, it strives for 

self preservation.



The newly available Federal toxicology study provides the best 

evidence yet that the risks of THC are small. What other drug 

would increase life expectancy of rats when given in huge overdoses 

daily for two years? The recent Federal attacks on medical 

marijuana -- against doctors and desperately ill patients -- are 

needlessly cruel, and bizarrely inappropriate to scientific and 

medical understanding.





AIDS TREATMENT NEWS Issue #263, January 17, 1997; Published

twice monthly Subscription and Editorial Office: P.O. Box 411256 

San Francisco, CA 94141 800/TREAT-1-2 toll-free U.S. and Canada

415/255-0588 regular office number fax: 415/255-4659 Internet:

aidsnews@aidsnews.org Copyright (c) 1997 - John S. James.

Top of Article.

List of Ailments Thought to be Benefitted by Medical Marijuana.

The following list is not complete nor are results guaranteed. Marijuana is still illegal !
If that bothers you, then why not sit down and write a letter to your elected representatives about improving current marijuana policy.
List of ailments possibly benefited by medical marijuana (some of these reports are anecdotal; some are taken from lists of ailments approved for medication by marijuana from state laws) :
Alzheimer's disease, high or low blood sugar, epilepsy, anorexia, glaucoma, A.I.D.S. (both the wasting syndrome, and the T-cell count are benefited according to James Burton), multiple sclerosis, nausea caused by cancer chemotherapy, insomnia, general pain, migraine headache, indigestion, general trauma recovery, head or brain injuries, muscle spasms, stuttering (anecdotal), nerve damage related skin rash and pain, possibly cancer, tumors, and others.
For side effect information, consult your doctor. Some may include : reduction in blood pressure, feeling of fatigue or tiredness, nausea, dizziness, short term memory lapses.
As with any drug, results will vary from person to person. Consult your legal doctor first.
If good results are not obtained, go back to the legal doctor who recommended it with this information.

Top of Article.