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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0558.002 2000-2002 ~®~~t~ Ch~`iSf~~ Mon, Apr 1, 2002 7:01 PM ~u~j: ii~ist~~s 'W~~° ~n L3~u~~' ~ve~ Date: Wednesday, March 6, 2002 g:19 AM ~r~r~t: p~k~lohaCa~gte.net <pakaloha@gte.net> ~~tt~:~~ii~~#~nir~~~~iis~tesco~> ®rr arch ~y ~~al ac~a~ Source: Sunday Herald UK <http://www.sundayherald.comJ> ...This weekend Scotland's drugs minister has officially declared that the 30-year vv~~ on drugs is over. ~h an ~xcl~.s~ive ~nter~eew with the ~und~~+ He~aici, 9~r s~h~rd::Si~p~i~hf `~is~'~he d~pu~~ ~us~'ce r~iraast~r, ~~d~ z`~`he o~iy t@~ ydu ~~~il,, h~~i° `i~e,..u~e t~r~ sc~~ a~`:` War` i~e~ irug~~ artd k~us~ Sad `i~of ~o `d~~~iig~ate th~~.' Instead Simpson has pledged to ensure that Scotland's harm- reduction, methadone, and rehabilitation services are fixed. Simpson, who was a prison doctor, said: 'I've never used the term 'teach children how to take drugs', but what I would say is that we need to provide them with information. We need to say 'we'd rather you didn't take ecstasy, but if you make that decision, here are the risks`. We have to give them all the information they need to take respons'sbility for themselves. 'It's not about us wagging a finger at young people as they won't pay attention to that so it's not worthwhile. We've got to be very realistic and not say 'you're going to die if you take ecstasy', what we onrili say is 'some people do die when they take ecstasy but we don't truly know why'.' l°l~'~~id that 'we can't pretend that we're going to stop the availability of drugs' ` o~ people using drugs, and the concept of 'Just Say No' had therefore been ` ~ t a~~r~dt~ned for good. , . _ ~'Ir another interview, the UlC pensions minister Ian McCartney, whose son ;~d~ed of a heroin overdose because he !was not given methadone in jail, told the ~r~~~y Herald: 'It wasn't a prison sentence he got, it was a death sentence. ` °Tl~ere: is no sense. to the current system. Going to jail harmed my son and did nthir~g to address the cause of crime.' lVow he is determined to change the system. 'I'm not just a government minister,' he said. 'I'm a parent too, and if I thought our strategy was flawed I wouldn't be Page 1 of 12 part of it. The prevailing attitude both in and out of government towards addicts has been 'it's all y®ur own fault'. That's why we have virtually no treatment services and a legacy of 3000 deaths a year. In 20 years, 60,000 people have died that's enough to fill Ibrox Stadium. "i°hat's why we need harm-reduction policies in place.' His Scottish government colleague Simpson also edged close to support for a Royal Commission on drugs saying that the debate was 'stifled', and issues such as legalisation and decriminalisation 'have to be addressed', adding: °We can't have a genuin! a debate about these issues because some of the press turn around and say that's wrong. We need to have that debate, we need to be more sophisticated about our approach. I think this parliament has to talk about it much more openly.' As part of an in-depth Sunday Herald investigation into Scotland's drug problem, we found that some addicts wait as long as two years to get methadone. Simpson said there must be 'adequate resources' for all drug addicts and if services were not improved then 'questions would have to be asked of local health boards'. He attacked the jailing of add'octs for short prison terms : 'Drug addicts going into prison and coming back out again is a waste of public money. It neither addresses their offending behaviour nor does it cut crime. It's purposeless We have our priorities wrong.' He added that he would like to see 'very, very, very many fewer' addicts going to prison. He favours exploring the concept of ecstasy testing kits in clubs to re! duce risk. He is unconvinced whether or not cannabis is a gateway drug, adding that the executive was less concerned with people possessing illegal drugs than with them resorting to crime to feed their habit. 'Oacking David Slunkett's plan to downgrade the criminal classification of cannabis, he said: 'We need to concentrate on the most dangerous drugs and that is class-As such as heroin and cocaine. The reason for changing the classification of cannabis if we chose to is to send a clear message about c~i priorities. It says to young people that we recognise that all drugs aren't the ~ same. ~ 'If we ive messages that they are all bad then we will not be believed. Young 9 people say alcohol causes five times the deaths that drugs do. Last year there ~ o ® R were 1500 deaths due to alcohol and 292 from drugs. From a criminal point of ~ ~ c view young men drinking and becoming aggressive is a significant problem tg ~ cannabis is not associated with aggression.' Simpson said he looked on d! rug addiction as a health problem as well as a Page 2 of ~ 2 l:a°IIIaD1S1lCWSAUIl:. LIUb'~IGJI I.GJG ruua~ auwwsy ngau~a. a.an ..,mow v.: n, r r.n• r... ~i: i; :::v..., n.: . v: ....:::.i ~ . . .Lri::Jii:: iJi: v.: i'(::5 'i:.....:...:.':<~:.,: ~..i:v...:i' r..,.:: 4 .f r lJb!>tc rsn~l~ ~h 3aa#~ Drug-Test base Pitting ideol®gy Against Law P®sted by Foie on lurch 27, 2002 at 11:16:11 PT ~y i)e~sra .T. Saunders Source: ~4rizona Daily Star Be very afraid of what was said during this week's U.S. Supreme Court hearing on a case inwhichthree Tecumseh, Okla., students challengedamandatory drugtestingprogram for high-schoolstudentsparticipatinginextracurricularactivities. Be afraid because statements made by some of the justices suggest that they are prepared to make the sort ofresults-orientedruling - based on ideology, not case law -that conservatives usedto lambaste when liberals made them. Enter the war on drugs. Exit the U.S. Constitution. I~ere's one example quoted in The New York Times: Justice Antonin Scalia asked ACLU attorney Graham Boyd, who opposed the testing program, "So long as you have a bunch of druggies who are orderly in class the school -can take no action. That's what you want us to ruie`?'° Yes, that's right, justice. In America, there's this little thing called probable cause.lZight now, teachers can ask for drug tests when they suspect a student of drug use. But for the moment, the law has not allowed schools to test all students for no cause. Be afraid because precedent doesn't matter. In 1995, the Big Bench ruled that it was legal--for an Oregon school to require athletes to submit to urine tests because the school had a big drug problem. The reasoning: Athletes were the main offenders, football players were role models, and there were safety issues with football players in heavy gear charging other players while high on drugs. That was a narrow ruling. Now, some justices want to make members of Future Farmers of America. and the band tuba player into role models. And they don't care if a school district doesn't have much of a drug problem. (Of 505 Tecumseh students tested, three were positive.) Worse, as The Washington Times reported, Deputy Solicitor General Paul D. Clement suggestedthat public schools could test entire student bodies. Forget the FourthAmendmentprotections against unreasonable searches. Be afraid because most justices apparently support drug testing for students who are less likely to be drug users than, as Justice ituth Bader Ginsburg said, "students who don't do anything after school." Students who refuse to take the test or flunk it twice would be banned from interscholastic clubs. http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thtead12373.shtml Page 1 of 5 CannaUlS[1CWS.GUIL: U(LLb'-1 CSL l.a3G rLLWIK ILLGLNjj] nsAllLll Law .n..w vs. .v. v-. . ary Be afraid because the Bush administration and some justices want the government to be Big Father, and pre-empt parental choice. Parents can give theirkids drugtests ifthey suspecttheirkidsnre using drugs. There are parents who have argued that they want the school to test their kids. They shouldn't expect schools to do their dirty work for them. And they should want to keep the government out of the bathroom. Justice Anthony M. Kennedy suggested that he was helping parents when he gave an analogy of two schools, one with drug testingand one without. He then told the ACLU's Boyd that no parents would send their children to "the druggieschool" - "except perhaps your client." I've received letters from readers who support 20-year sentences for low-level, first-timenonviolent drug offenders because they thinkthose sentences will protect their kids. It doesn't occur to these folks that their kids could be drug offenders. According to the Bush administration's own brief, 54percent ofhigh-school seniors have used illegal drugs. Be afraid because when schools give students a choice between clubs or drugs, marginalkidswill choose drugs. "It's those kids who need those activities the most who are going to be the easiest to deter," said Daniel Abrahamson ofthe Drug Policy Alliance, who wrote a briefagainst the Tecumseh School Board for the American Academy ofPediatrics. The briefnoted, "A strong record ofextracurricular involvement is all but essential to securing admission to a competitive undergraduate college." Because the,lustices weren't focusing overly on precedent, let me pose a moral question: Would the justices support a policy labeled, "Smoke a joint in high. school, work at McDonald's for the rest of yourlife?°' * DebraJ. Saunders is acolumnist forthe San Francisco Chronicle. Source: ArizonaDaily Star(AZ) Author: DebraJ. Saunders Published: Sunday,March 24, 2002 Copyright:2001 PulitzerPubiishingCo. Contact: letters~rd%a~starnet.com VVebsite: htt~:i!«~~1~ .azsta~-net.cam% Related Articles & @Veb Site: ACLU http://~i~~~~.aclu.oral StudentPrivacy vs. Safety http:i/caru~abisne~~ s.cotlvile» s/thread 1234=t.shtml StrippingStudentRights http:/Iwww.cannabisnews.com/news/thread12373.shtml Page 2 of 5 cannaoisnews.com: nncesmrs VSeo Urugs [O JUCV]VC .N.>,~vt it.~. r,ri ~ , - o ln~4n~ ~ pa~l~€~e al~s~~t ~cara~aa~~~ ~ g ~ ~ ~ ; Ancestors 'Used Drugs to Survive' P®sted 6y F`oM on 1Vlarch 30, 2002 at 09:32:32 PT C®c~ ta~~ @>~ee sc6e~~ ~®r fh®aas~nt~ ®f yez~~ Source:l3BC Ne~~-s Mind-altering drugs may be so popular because they were once used by our ancestors to survive, two leadinganthropologists have argued. I9r Roger ~ "R Sullivan,ofthe University ofAuckland, and Edward Hagen, of the University C€~~~ of California at Santa Barbara, say there is plenty of evidence that humans have sought out so-called psychotropic drugs overmillions ofyears. These plants are rich in alkaline substances such as nicotine and cocaine thatproduce a stimulant effect and may have helped to make life bearable in the most harsh ofenvironments. Forexample,untilrecentlyAustralianAboriginesusedthenicotine-richplantpituri to help them endure desert travel without food. And Andeans still chew coca leaves to help them work at high altitudes. Archaeological evidence shows that drug use was widespread in ancient cultures. Betel nut, for example, was chewed at least 13,000 years ago in Timor, to the north ofAustralia. Artefacts date the use of coca in Ecuador to at least 5,000 years ago. Ancient'freebasing' Many of these substances were potent: pituri contains up to 5% nicotine -tobacco today contains about 1.5%. What is more, these drug pioneers sometimes'freebased' drugs by chewing them togetherwith an alkali such as lime or wood ash. This releases the free form of the drug and allows it to be directly absorbed into the bloodstream. However, I~r Sullivan said that in Pacific cultures where chewing betel nut is still widespread, it is seen more as a source of food and energy than as a drug. Some drugs do have real nutritional value. For examp1e,100 grams of coca leaf contains more than the US recommended daily intake ofcalcium, phosphorus, iron and vitamins A, B2 and E. gain fu®cti®n I)r Sullivan and IJr Hagen believe that eating psychotropic plants may also have played an nnpon°tant role in helping the brain to functionproperly. They argue that in some particularly tough environments, people's diets may have been so poor that they struggled to produce enough chemicals to help the brain fianctionnortnally. http://www.cannabisnews.coan/news/thread12400.shtml Page t of6 Consumingplantscontaimng substances thatmimictherole ofthese chemicals could have helped make up for the shortfall. Dr Wayne Hall, of the University of Queensland, who until recently was head ofthe National Drug and Alcohol Researcly Centre in Sydney, said the theory was certainlyplausible. He said: "There is certainly evidence that plants evolved to mimic the neurotransmitters ofmammals. "But the problem today is that we have much larger doses of much more purified drugs." Professor Tonmoy Sharma, a consultant psychiatrist at Stonehouse Hospital, Dartford, told BBC News ®nline that nr~odern drug takingwas more likely to be related to peer pressure. He said: "Historically speaking a lot ofpeople who did abuse drugs seem to be fromthehighersocio- economic classes who had relative luxuries intheirlives. "A lot ofpeople wlao take drugs are not necessarily getting rid oftheir problems. It is more a question of fitting into a certain social grouping." Note: Historically speaking a lot ofpeople who did abuse drugs seem to be from thehighersocio- economicclasses. - Professor Tonmoy Sharma The research is published in the j ournal Addiction. Newshawk: Charlie Source: BBC News (tJK Web) Published: Mareh 30, 2002 Copyright: 2002 BBC Website: http://neu~ s.bbc.co.uk/ Contact: http://ne~vsvote.bbc.co.ulv'hiien~lislv'tall;in~ point' RelatedArticles: Are We Tolerating The Wrong Drugs? http : //cannabi snews. com/nee~~sithread 1 ~ 224. shim 1 Al-Iistory ofDebatinglVlarijuanaLegalization http_/i ca~~nabisneti~-s.com/ne~~- s/thread 1 173 S.shtmi Horne Comrrient Email 12eistex Recent Corrrtnents. Helr3 http:l/www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread12400.shtml Page 2 of 6 _ . cannabisnews.com: Justices Rule Drug-Eviction Law Is Faa orco,v~ .~.~r :~~cr; • :~z::;•. b~ ~ ~ ~ ~ t p . r v.:. S57 .f f ~ ~.I~t.it. i ~A ~~r . ~~i.. Justices Rule l~~°ug-Eviction IJaw Is Fair P®sted by I<+~~ ~1. on l~arcla 26, 2002 at 22:55:161'T ~y Lands Gr~nb®use Souree:I~e~~ Yc>~.Y, Times The Supreme Court today interpreted a federal drug law to permit the eviction of publlch®usingtenants for ci~.ag use ~y any household merni~er or ~ues~, even i~rag use ; ; ; l~att~k~splae~out~ideth~:~par~~~~~4~~v~~€~o~tt~h~~er~~t`si~ow~l~ge. - The 8-to-0 decision overturned a ruling by the federal appeals court in San prancisco, which had interpreted the provision oftheArati-L3rtagAbuse Act of 1988 to bar the eviction of "innocent"tenants~vhohadneitherknowledge ofnor control overtlieirfarnilymerYibers' druguse. The United States Court ofAppeals for the IdTinth Circuit said its interpretation was necessary to avoid the serious constitutional question that would be raised by depriving tenants oftheirproperty without proofofindividualwrongdoing. ~utthe law raised no constitutional issue and its terms were clear, Chief Justice ~J61il1iamH. Rehnquist said for the court today in a 1 Q-page opinion. Justice Stephen G. greyer did not tape part in the case because his brother, 3udge Charles R. greyer ofpederal district Court in San Francisco, was the judge who granted an injunction in 1998 to stop the ®aldand Dousing Authority from e~~ctingfour tenants who challenged the provision the authority had included in their leases to comply with the federallaw. Therewasnothingunusual, letaloneunconstitutional,about"no-faultevictions" oftenantswho failed to inset a condition of their lease, Chief Justice Rehnquist said. In signing the leases, the tenants agreed to make sure that no "drug-related criminal activity"woulutakeplaee "on or near the premises" acid agreed that they faced eviction ifthe lease was violated. Civil rights organizations had filed briefs in the case, Department ofHousing and Urban Development v. Rucker,l~lo. 00-1770, to argue that the policy was unfair and would lead to increased homelessness. That no member of the court either agreed with or felt moved to acknowledge these argurraents was a measure ofthe currentcourt'srelativeconservatism. A brief filed by the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University Law School, on behalf of a coalitionofcivilrightsandteraants'riglatsgroups, described evictionsundertalcenbyhousingauthorities around the country that it characterized as °°horror stories" of °'draconian enforcement.'" The briefsaid "a tenant who has a fleeting connection to the alleged perpetrator of a crime is put at risk because of conduct that only the most paranoid or clairvoyant tenant could possibly have foreseen." The four plaintiffs who challenged the evictions in ®akland includedtwo whose grandchildren,who livedwiththem,were caughtsinokingmariijuanainaliousingprojectparkinglot; one whose daughter was found with cocaine flares blocks from the apartment; and a disabled 75-year-old man whose caretaker was found with cocaine in his apartment. ChiefJustice Rehnquist said that Congress's intentionto give public housing authorities the right to evict http:/lwww.catueabisaews.com/news/thread123~0.shtml Paga 1 of 6 cannabisnews.com: Justices Rule Drug-Evicttion Law is Fair ~ u.~, ~ icoivc i "innocent owners" likethesewas unambiguous, as shown by the statute's reference to "any drug-related criminal activity."He said, "Thisanydrug-related activity engaged in by the specified persons is grounds for termination, not j ustdrug-related activity that the tenant knew, or should have known, about." The chief justice said the policy was a reasonable one, given that drug use presented a threat to other residents of apublic housing project, regardless of whether the responsible tenant knew about it. The New York City Housing Authority, the country's biggest local housing agency, said today that the court's decision would strengthenits policy, which it described as "zero tolerance for drugs and violent criminalactivity." Cyerri Lamb, a tenant leader who heads the New York City Housing Authority Council ofResidents Presidents, said that in practice, the authority often aiiowed a family to remain ifthe offending relative was excluded from the residence. But Corinne Garet', aNew York lawyerwho represents families fighting drug evictions frompublic housing, saidthe authority's approach resulted in breaking up families andunderminingan addicted family member's chances forrecovery. "Stable housing is the key component for anyone struggling with addiction," Ms. Carey said. Han Abrahamson, director of legal affairs f®rthe Drug Policy Alliance, which filed a brief in the case, said that the policy and the court's interpretation of it reflected "the criminal justice approach to drugs that has failed us for20 years." Linda Greenhouse, winner of the Pulitzer Prize for beat reporting, answers readers' questions on Supreme Court rules and procedure in thiscolumn, available exclusively onNYTimes.com. Source: New York Times (NY) Author: LindaC~reenhouse Published: March 27, 2002 Copyright: 2002 The New York Times Company Contact: letters~:n~~times.com ~Iebsite: htt~://w~tiv.nvtimes.com,' Forum: htt~:,//forums.n~~times.cozn;'conunent/ RelatedArticles: Supreme CourtBacks Public Housing Drug Ban http:,//cannabisne~~-s.com,%ne~~rs/thread 1236~.shtin 1 Supreme CourtApprovesPublieHousingDrugBan http:ilcannabisne~~-s.comrneti~~s'thread 1236?.shtml Home Comrr?er~t Email wester Recent Comments Held http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/threadl23~0.shtml Page 2 of 6 CannanlsneWS.Gnm: vrug5 wtu rvrusi riu gc. r,,.~~~y l~a4e~§n~ a paet~Ble apt can€~a~ Drubs V~'at° 'Dust 'Target ~®v~yg P®sted by F~~ nn March 29, 2002 at 22:52:11 PT ~y Anne Perls~~as, ~nli~ac~B £®rres~naHent Source: GuardisriUnlimitedU-K The war on drugs has failed and should be replaced with an attack on poverty , , and l oblessness, st:~~~dirig to a rent h°~~n a.~Iaflrflte tihiril~icank. _ ~ ~ The Foreign Policy Centre report also suggests public points be provided where the purity and hence safety of could be tested, and calls for the employment agency to make it easier for addicts trying to quit to claimbenefits. The report is written by Rowena Young, who has close connections with Downing Street. She argues that soaring drug dependency statistics show the inadequacy ofthe government's attempt to clamp down, since it focuses disproportionately on the users of soft dflugs ratherthansuccessfullyconvicting pushers of heroin and cocaine. A maj Drily, 58®/®, of under 24-year-olds had used drugs, but only a tiny minority became dependent, the report said. Thousands of people used drugs recreationally without comingto harm. °'Most grow out of it," it said. Government policy was hampered by "an unhealthy cocktail of acute public anxiety, simplenostrums, tabloid bile, vested interests and politicalopportunism". The report said °°There fls not a Bangle piece of evfldence to show prohibfltflon w®rlCS Seizures can grow impressivelybuttltegaaaiflti~aes o$ lli~itdi°ugsi~aittingtl~estreets s,~ow an aaiieiring ability ~®keep pace.?' It mocked the ambition of the former drugs tsar Keith Hellawell to create a drug free world for being a goal that "produces more incredulity than inspiration ...afar more sensflble g®al is a socflety ~n dvl~flCh substance use is well managed, and therisksminiflnised°°. The focus on cutting use and seizing more illegal drugs was misconceived and the results inadequately analysed. It ought to be replaced by concentrated efforts to ensure drug dependents came off and stayed offdr~ags, and to minianise the harm they caused by providingsafeneedlesthroughvending machines. Schools should not exclude children who took drugs, but ensure they received help to take control oftheir lives. The report said the political climate was changing as other approaches failed, and the cost of failure mounted. One fifth of all pe®ple arrested were on heroin, and it was estimated that every heroin addict stole goods worth fd43,000 a year. It challenged the government to respond. "It would be a major blot on its copybook if in five or 10 years time, the scale of problem use had continued to soar." I-Iighlightingthelinkbetweendeprivationanddrugdependencyfirstidentifaedinthe US in the 1950- 60s, the report quoted a Glasgow survey from the early 1990s: "Therelationshipbetweendeprivation http:/lwww.cannabisnews.com/newsltluead12396.shtm] Page 1 of6 and drug misuse is higherthan any other variable they had studied. Poverty does not directly cause addiction. Instead it increases propensity to misuse." It suggested that the new national treatment agency should look beyond health issues and help people to change their lives. W ork and training should be integrated into treatment, and at the same tune agencies involved inregeneration should incorporate strategies for dealing with drug problems. Most controversially, itsuggestedthatstaffinemploymentcentresassessingbene~itsneededtheflexibilityto be able to j edge their clients' prospects, concentrating on "what will take them forward rather than imposing sanctions which lead to repeated short term failure" . But it said legalisation was not an easy option; there would have to be controls on regulation and distribution.I-Iowever, agenciesworkiragwith drugusers "shouldbe allowed to permit supervised drug taking on licensed premises". SpecialReport:DrugsinBritain:htt~:/h~~vw. ardian.co.uk/dru~s/0,2759.I78206,OO.htm1 Note: Blairite think tank calls for centres to test purity. Source: Guardian Unlimited, The (UK) Author: Anne Perkins, Political Correspondent Published: Friday, l~iarch 29, 2002 Copyright: 2002 GuardianNewspapersLimited Contact: letters~~uardian.co.uk Website: htt~://~v~v. ~uardian.co.u1J RelatedArticles: It Was Notthe Drug, butthe Criminalisation http://cannabisnews.cominews/thread 12377.shtml Are ~Ve Tolerating The Wrong Drugs? http •/%annabisnews.com/news/thread 12224. shtm l VictimsParents Call forAllDrugs To BeLegalised http•//cannabisnews.com/ne«rs/thread I22 13.shtml Horne Comment Email k~cgister ~tecet~t CoYnrr~ents Help http:/lwww.cannabisnews.com/news/thread12396.shtml Page 2 of 6 ~ € 1n~rranlsarg ~ pe,t~tic ataoaat caaiaatal~ 1~~~: s, f, ,j- _ Once-Secret Nix®>tt Tapes Sh®~T ~h~ ~1S Outi~wed 1'®t Posted ljy Foi~I on March 22, 2002 at 10:43:29 PT ~y Kevin Ze~9d°, AlterN~t Source: AiterNet Thirty years, ago-the United States came to a cnt~cal~uncture m-the drug war ANixon-appointed presider~~fal ~~i'iintssicsri hadr~6Yt~YTl~ndOd mat marijuana use nvt be a crdmflrt~lo#~ense under staieor~ederal'i~~?:u€N~4~~t1~lf~:b~~t~~a~,ceal~iu5i~si~~iaip'c~ferdrices;~sv~I.the °t(iiit`tYrtiSs'tcsrt s~res'earch and doomed marijuana to its currentilla~~~tl~t~~us' ' This newly revealed information comes from declassified tapes ofOval Offtceconversationsfrom 1971 and 1972, which show Nixon'saggressiveanti-drug stance putting him directly at odds against many ofhis close advisors. Transcripts of the tape, and a report based on them, are available at: httpJ/~uw.~-.csdp.or~ Congress, when it passed the Controlled Substances Actin 197®, temporarily labeled marijuana a °°Schedule I substance°' a flatly illegal drug with no approved medical purposes. But Congress acknowledged that it did not know enough about marijuana to permanently relegate it to Schedule I, and so they created a presidential commission to reviewthe research and recommendalong-term strategy. President Nixon got to appoint the bulk ofthe commissioners. Not surprisingly, he loaded it with drug warriors. Nixon appointed Raymond Shafer, former Republican GovernorofPennsylvania, asChairman. As a formerprosecutor, Shafer had a "law and order," drug warrior reputation. Nixon also appointed nineCommissioners, including the dean of a law school, the head of a mental health-hospital, and a retired Chicago police captain. Along with the Nixon appointees, twosenatorsand -two congressmenfrom-each party served on the Commission. The Shafer Commission officially known astheNational Commission on Marihuana and Drug Abuse ~ took its job seriously. They launched fifty researchprojects, polled the public and members ofthe criminal justice community;andtookthousands ofpages oftestimony. Theirwork is-still the most comprehensivereview of marijuana ever conducted by the federal government. After reviewing all the evidence, these drug warriors were forced to come to a differentconclusionthanthey had at first expected. Ratherthari harshly condemning marijuana, they started talking about legalization.bVhen Nixon heard such talk, he quickly denounced the Commission --months before it issued its report. As a result ofNixon's public rebuke; Shafer met with the President. The Commission was upset,; and the purpose ofthe meeting was to reassure them. But Nixon didn't budge. Instead, he warned Shafer to get control of his commission and avoid looking like a °°bunch of do-gooders" whri are "soft onmarijuana." I-Iewarned Shafer that the Commission would "look bad as hell°° ifit came out with recommendationsdifferentli"om the direction of Congress and the President. During their meeting, Shafer reassured the President that he would not support °°legalization,°'eventhoughthere were some on the Commission who did. He told Nixon they were looking for a unanimousrecommendation. Nixonwarned Shaferthathe "had very strongfeelings"onmarijuana.Nixon-and Shaferalso discussed Shafer's potential appointmentto a federaljudgeship. But in the end, the Shafer Commission issued a report that tried to correct the "extensive degree of misinformation,"to "demythologize"and "desymbolize" marijuana. They reported finding that marijuana did not cause crime or aggression, lead to harder drug use or create sigriificantbiochemical,mentalorphysical http://www.cannabi~ews.cominewsl~read12324.shtml Page 1 0£4 cannabisnews.cam: Once-Jecret Nixon tapes dhow why u~ wnaweo roc „ , abnorenalities.Thcy concluded: "Marihuana's relative potential forharm to the vast majority of individualusers and its actual impact on society does not justify a social policy designed to seek out and firmly punishthose who use it." The most important recommendation ofthe Commission was the decriminalization ofpossession ornon-profit transfer of marijuana. Decriminalization meant there would be nopunishment criminal or civil --under state or federal Iaw. Nixon reacted strongly to the report. In a recorded conversation on March 21, the day before the Commission released its report, Nixon said, "We need, and I use the word'all out war,' on all fronts we have to attack on all fronts." Nixon and his advisors went on to plan a speech about why he opposed marijuanalegalization,anl proposed that he do "a drug thing every week" during the 1972 presidentialelection year. Nixon wanted a "Goddamn strong statement aboutmarijuana ...that just tears the ass out of them," Shafer was never appointed to the federal court. Nixon's private comments about marijuana showed he was the epitome of misinformationandprejudice. He believed marijuana led to hard drugs, despite the evidence to the contrary. He saw marijuana as tied to "radical demonstrators." He belaevedthat "the Jews," especially "Jewishpsychiatrists"were behind advocacy for legalization, asking advisorBob Haldeman, "Whatthe Christ is the matter with the Jews,l3ob?°' He made a bizarre distinctionbetweenmaxijuanaand alcohol, sayingpeople use marijuana "to get high"while"aperson drinks to have fun." He also saw marijuana as part of the culture war that was destroying the United States, and claimed that Communists were using it as a weapon. °'Homosexualfty, dope, immorality in general,"Nixon fumed, "These are the enemies of strong societies. That's why the Communists and the left-wingers are pushing the stuff, they're trying to destroy us." His approach drug education was just a simplistic:'°Enforce the law. You've got to scare them.[[ Unfortunately,Nixonlid more than just "scare them;' whoeverthey were. His marijuanawarrhetoric led to a dramatic increase in arrests. One year after his "all out war" comments, marijuana arrests jumped to 420,700 a year a full 128,000 more than the year before. Sincethen, nearly 15 million people have been arrested for marijuanaoffenses. For thirty years, the United States has taken the path ofNixon's prejudice and ignored the experts. We now have the largest prison population inworld history, and drug problems are no closer to solved. Indeed, plenty of evidence indicatesthatdrug-related problems are worse than ever. It did not have to be this way. At the same time that the Shafer Commission issued its report, the Bain Commission in Holland issued a report that made similazfindingsandrecommendations.InHolland,they followed the advice oftheir experts. Thirty years later Hollandhas halftheper-capita marijuana use as the U.S., far fewerdrug-related problems and spends much less on drug enforcement, With statistics like that, it's no wonderthat most of Europe is going Dutch, Just last week a Eritish Commission issued aShafer--like report, indicatingthatthe U.K. ismoving inthe Dutch direction. It is not too late for the U.S. to move to a more sensible path. W e are approaching three quarters of a million marijuanaarrestsannually.Every yeazthatthe U.S,fails to adopt a policy based on research, science and facts we destroy millions oflives and tear apartmillionsoffamilies. Where will we be in another thirty years if we don't change course and make peace in the marijuana waz?Now that we know the war's roots are rotten --and after we've lived through the decades of damage and failure it has produced we should face the facts. Thethirty-year-oldrecommendations ofthe Shafer Commission are a good place to start. Kevin Zeese is the president of Common Sense for Drug Policy htlp://~~a~~u%.csdp.o~•~ http://www.cannabisnews.com/hews/thread12324,shtml Page 2 of4 ~arfiner5h9~ $~DBd'1$dBe'B~il$~/: the ~s'~5$ ~nc9 Pulsars of the ®iiwine Riane Eisler Hidden deep in modern religions are references to a more peaceful time when women and men lived in harmony with one another and nature. Ancient artifacts suggest that these societies honored women, and that the divine was often portrayed in female form. In recent years, these observations have formed the basis for reevaluating men's and women's roles in society, and how a balanced partnership may lead to societal harmony. Cultural historian Riane Eisler has conducted a cross cultural and historical study that led to her internationally known cultural transformation theory first introduced to a general readership in her classic works The Chalice and The Blade and Sacred Pleasure. This talk is based on Dr. Eisler,s findings and takes us from ancient to postmodern times. Eisler identifies a continuum of patterns for structuring relations from intimate to international. At one end of the continuum 6s the partnership model which embodies equity, environmental sustainability, multiculturalism, and gender fairness. At the opposite end of the continuum ss the domination model, which has marrei~"~irei;ach oi' our°civiiizatioin. i`his "~r'iodei ~mp~asizes°disi~trol;` " . ~X1t~'f(5~ir~l`i~rii'si1'~, vi~i~#c~r~~~, e~ee~der°dascrli~>i's~nat#~;~, ~na~'~a~~#~~rs~s~t~# ~#~~tr~sction. Eisler shovas ghat today Vbe stand at a crossroae~s vrn~re a shift tt~ the - partnership end of the continuum is essential for human welfare and possibly survival. What Eisler calls partnership spirituality is integral to this shift. This talk will include visuals from ancient cultures illustrating how myths and images both reflect and reinforce life-affirming or destructive institutions, beliefs, and behaviors. It also draws from her book on education, Tomorrows Children, and her just released book The Power of Partnership: Seven Relationships that Will Change Your Life. Comments by notable thinkers and leaders about The Power of Partnership: „Stunning. The Power of Partnership gives us the map to a world that works for all of us.%o - Marianne Williamson, author of Healing the Sou! ofAmerica. „If our planet is to survive, it will need the kind of wisdom that shines through this book%o - Tikkun magazine editor Michael Lerner. „The tools to transform our lives and our culture to promote a more sustainable, just, and thriving way of life for all." -John Robbins, author, Diet ForA New America „Eisler is a brilliant role model as a global citizen and one of the preeminent minds of our time%o - Hazel Henderson, author of A Win-Win World Riane Eisler is a cultural historian and evolutionary theorist, and author of numerous books, including The Chalice and The Blade, Sacred Pleasure, Tomorrows Children, and The Power of Partnership. Dr. Eisler is President of the Center for Partnership Studies, a founding member of the General Evolution Research Group, a fellow of the World Academy of Art and Science and the World Business Academy, and member of many editorial boards, including the International Scientific Advisory Board of Pluriverso, the Editorial Board of World Futures, and the International Editorial Board of The Encyclopedia of Conflict, Violence, and Peace . She is the author of over 100 essays and articles for publications ranging from Futures, Behavioral Science, Holistic Education Review, and Political Psychology to Brain and Mind, The UllIESCO Courier, The International Journal of Women's Studies, the Human Rights Quarterly, and the World Encyclopedia of Peace. She has taught at the University of California and Immaculate Heart College in Los Angeles, is the recipient of many honors, including membership of the World Commission on Global Consciousness and Spirituality, and keynotes conferences worldwide.