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(renamed "Drug War Chronicle" effective issue #300, August 2003) Issue #242, 6/21/02
"Raising Awareness of the Consequences of Drug Prohibition" Phillip S. Smith, Editor
subscribe for FREE now! ---- make a donation ---- search (Phil is on vacation this week, so much though not all of this week's issue consists of short newsbriefs. This issue is largely the work of DRCNet intern Gabriel Froymovich.) Stop the DEA's war on medical marijuana! Visit http://www.stopthedrugwar.org/medicalmarijuana/ to write to Congress and the president today! DRCNet's first global anti-prohibition conferences are coming up in Belgium and Mexico, under the banner "Out from the Shadows: Ending Drug Prohibition in the 21st Century." Stay tuned to DRCNet for details, or e-mail [email protected] to receive an announcement when details are finalized. TABLE OF CONTENTS
(visit
the Week Online archives)
1. Editorial: Perspectives from Europe David Borden, Executive Director, [email protected], 6/21/02 One of the most cited arguments for liberalization of drug laws is the example of European nations that have moved down that path, the Netherlands being a striking example, Switzerland as well. The reality is complex and typically not very clearly presented, particularly by prohibitionists who wish to discredit any alternative to the drug war status quo. But it is true that much of Europe is in a very different place vis à vis drug policy than the United States. Last week I had the chance to visit a number of European cities and take a look at the scene myself for the first time. Contrary to prohibitionist distortion and popular misconception, the Netherlands hasn't legalized drugs, technically not even marijuana. Marijuana policy is pretty close to constituting a de facto legalization, though, at least in some respects. Residents and visitors alike can freely walk into any number of downtown Amsterdam's "coffee shops." No reasonable observer can stroll Amsterdam's streets and conclude that Dutch marijuana use is a major problem. The tolerance policy, actualized to a degree approaching regulated legalization, very clearly works for as far as it goes. Those hysterical voices labeling the country's drug scene a disaster are being profoundly dishonest. Liberalization of policies toward other drugs has not progressed as far -- they are still prohibited -- but users are not criminalized. Some dealers of hard drugs don't seem to be too worried either. More than once I was followed up a block or more by sellers who didn't want to take "not interested" for an answer. When I finally convinced them I really wasn't planning to buy any drugs, they proceeded to beg for cash. They probably don't expect to wind up in prison, at least not for very long. Annoying as they were, though, they didn't seem very dangerous; the minor annoyance of some over-aggressive street peddlers doesn't seem a good reason to abandon an enlightened policy that has lowered the human toll of punitive, ineffective drug prohibition laws. On the other hand, the phenomenon serves to illustrate the limitations of tolerance whilst drugs remain illegal -- ultimately only legalization can spare us the disorders of the illicit street market. It is ironic that the most striking aspect of the Dutch drug scene for me was one of the consequences of continued prohibition from which the country still suffers. The drug policy debate in much of Western Europe has also advanced much further than the typical political dialogue here in the states. At a high-level seminar convened earlier this week by the Institute for Public Policy Research, a leading British think tank, participants examined the international drug treaties and the obstacles they present to states or nations that wish to enact drug policies that aren't based on prohibition. The consensus was that the treaties do not prevent signatory nations from moving quite far in the direction of liberalization, but do forbid them from stepping over the line to actual drug legalization. The consensus was also that the end of prohibition won't truly be achieved without repealing or at least amending the treaties. Europe is a diverse continent made up of many neighboring nationalities and cultures, many of which warred for centuries. Europeans hence tend to view the system of international agreements as an important factor enabling their various societies to coexist in prosperity and peace. It is inconceivable to them that any European nation would simply pull out of the international drug conventions, regardless of how much of a liability its populace or politicians may come to view them. Ireland was one exception discussed there -- they never ratified the drug conventions and hence aren't bound by them -- but Ireland has also never had the drug policy debate that some of its neighbors have, and there is little interest there even in harm reduction or decriminalization. Repeal of reform of the conventions, then, is not enough, as prohibition is certainly capable of existing without them. But as much as we American drug reformers may dream of it, Europe is not going to legalize drugs in the absence of a coordinated global shift in the ground rules governing drug policies. The seminar also concluded that amending the treaties is not going to be easy. In March of next year, for example, the United Nations will hold another General Assembly Special Session on Drugs. (Readers may remember the 1998 UNGASS and its silly slogan -- "Drug Free in Ten, We Can Do It!") A scholar formerly employed by the UN pointed out that a decisive majority of nations would be needed to initiate the process of even considering modifying the treaties, and that the US and the set of poor, international aid recipient nations under its thumb are more than enough to block it. The US even has enough power to prevent such a vote from taking place, even though it hasn't paid up its UN dues and hence couldn't actually vote. It is somewhat reminiscent of the Republic's Senate of the Star Wars movies, corrupted under the influence of the Dark Lord of the Sith, hardly a model for enlightened international policymaking. But if the loosening of drug prohibition's international stranglehold seems years away, it will be forever if we don't start to try. So start we have. At a meeting in Antwerp last weekend, representatives of a wide range of European organizations decided to join forces with sympathetic political leaders and organizations from other continents to preempt the UN's drug barons and call for an end to prohibition, with reform of the drug conventions as an initial step toward that goal. DRCNet is a proud sponsor and co-organizer of this event, which has affiliated with our upcoming international conference series, "Out from the Shadows: Ending Drug Prohibition in the 21st Century." We will in the near future present a special report on the organizations leading drug policy reform in Europe and their plans for this and related efforts. Europe has further to go in drug policy than it sometimes seems to those of us watching from afar. Nevertheless, it seems true that the spirit of freedom burns there more strongly, while our own nation suffers under the burden of drug war ideology and terrorism-spawned police state policies. Opponents of drug prohibition and advocates of reform must work together across oceans and borders to usher in a new age of tolerance and enlightenment for the people of all nations.
2. Indiana Man Challenges Constitutionality of Analogue Laws Mark Niemoeller sees himself as an all-American entrepreneur who works hard to make a living. The United States Attorney's Office sees him as an interstate drug trafficker facing up to 25 years in prison and $1 million in fines. Niemoeller, 45, has operated JLF Poisonous Non-Consumables for 16 years on a family farm that he has lived on his whole life in Elizabethtown, Indiana, about 50 miles southeast of Indianapolis. He used his own capital, never taking out a loan. Niemoeller was indicted on January 22 on 13 counts of felony drug distribution. The alleged drugs in question were sold over the Internet, according to the US Attorney's Office of the Southern District of Indiana in Indianapolis. Niemoeller maintains his innocence. He declined comment for this article, but did issue a prepared statement about the situation. "I legally purchased all my products on the open market without any special licenses, and still could today; no matter that most of my sources are still in operation and still sell those same items and to my knowledge have not been approached by the Feds," says Niemoeller in his statement. Some of the charges are unconstitutional, says Niemoeller's lawyer, Andrew C. Maternowski, who is based in Indianapolis. The US Attorney's office alleges that Niemoeller sold 2C-T-7 and butanediol. Prosecutors further allege that the substances are similar enough to the controlled substances Nexus and GHB to be considered illegal. "Butanediol, though, is not very similar" to the GHB, says Lesley Brown, a chemistry professor at Goucher College in Baltimore, Maryland. Butanediol has a molecular arrangement that makes its properties significantly different, Brown says. Butanediol, when consumed by humans, is broken down in the body to GHB, according to Christian Fibiger, Vice President of Neuroscience at Eli Lilly, a pharmaceutical manufacturer headquartered in Indianapolis. 2C-T-7 and Nexus are "sufficiently similar" for there to be a possibility that they would have "similar biological activities," says Fibiger. The Attorney's office will be calling expert witnesses from the Food and Drug Administration to testify that the substances are analogous. The FDA was the primary agency in Niemoeller's arrest. Maternowski wants the three charges regarding butanediol and 2C-T-7 dismissed because the law that allows for prosecution of the sale of analogous substances is too vague for "a person of common knowledge" to determine if the substance is illegal; therefore the statute is unconstitutional, says Maternowski. Additionally, says Maternowski, GHB was not yet scheduled as a Schedule I or II substance. Controlled substance analogue laws only apply to Schedule I and II substances, legally considered to be the most harmful. The Attorney's office is also charging Niemoeller with selling safrole, a substance used in the manufacture of the illegal drug Ecstasy, with the knowledge that it would be used for illegal purposes. Niemoeller denies he had reason to believe that the safrole was being used for illegal purposes, says Maternowski. The substance that Niemoeller was selling was actually sassafras oil, which contains safrole, but may or may not be covered by the same laws, according to Maternowski. Most of the charges against Niemoeller are for dispensing prescription drugs without being "licensed by law to administer such drugs." Such distribution would only be illegal if the intended purpose were for human consumption, says Maternowski. All products that JLF sells are sent with a disclaimer that gives directions for use of the product, indicating that all products are not to be ingested, along with a document indicating any potential hazards, according to the company's web site. Instead, according to the disclaimers posted on the Internet site, the goods are intended to be used as incense, sacraments, for art, research, collection and many other listed uses. Niemoeller was arrested on January 29 and released the following day on his own recognizance after agreeing not to sell certain products. He is also required to submit to random urinalysis, court records show. The FDA, joined by Indiana State Police and the Drug Enforcement Administration, conducted the arrest, according to Niemoeller. The FDA, says Maternowski, sent no warning that Niemoeller was doing anything illegal. The indictment states that in accordance with asset forfeiture laws, the funds in two personal banks accounts, along with more than $6,000 in cash and a 1998 Dodge Ram Maxivan were seized along with other unspecified property. About $1.25 million in assets were seized including data, inventory and the vehicle and an additional $750,000 in bank accounts, according to Niemoeller's statement. Asset forfeiture laws allow any assets determined by the arresting agency to have been connected to a drug-related crime to be seized upon arrest. Maternowski is providing legal services without compensation, because Niemoeller's funds are seized, he says. Maternowski is currently petitioning the court to release some of Niemoeller's funds for him to be able to mount a defense.
3. DRCNet Interview: Steven Silverman, Flex Your Rights In this nation's Hundred
Years' War against some drugs, the collateral damage has included the millions
of American citizens and residents who have suffered arrest at the hands
of law enforcement agents enforcing the drug laws. The United States
Constitution offers protections to citizens that could prevent that encounter
with police from turning into an arrest, but, sadly, too many Americans
have no idea of how to effectively use their hard-won rights to protect
them from overzealous policing. Below, DRCNet interviews Steven Silverman,
the head of a newly formed group, Flex Your Rights (http://www.FlexYourRights.org),
designed to teach Americans how to protect themselves by flexing their
constitutional rights.
4. New DRCNet/StopTheDrugWar.org Merchandise Out -- Discounted Purchase Available DRCNet now offers new t-shirts, mugs and mousepads featuring the StopTheDrugWar.org stop sign logo, free to new or renewing members, or for purchase. Sale-only prices are $17 for t-shirts and $12 for mugs or mousepads, shipping included. For membership and one or more gift items, donate $35 or more for a free t-shirt, $30 or more for a free mug or mousepad, $60 for any two or $90 for one of each. Please visit http://www.stopthedrugwar.org/tshirts/ to place your order by credit card, or send your check or money order to: DRCNet, P.O. Box 18402, Washington, DC 20036 -- but please fill out the form too, or e-mail us at [email protected], so we can include your request in the next order. (Also, please contact us if you wish to make a contribution of stock.) Note that contributions to the Drug Reform Coordination Network are not tax-deductible. If you wish to make a tax-deductible donation to support our educational work, make your check payable to DRCNet Foundation, same address. The portion of your gift that is tax-deductible will be reduced by the retail value of any gifts that you choose to receive, as per IRS regulations. Thank you in advance for your support.
5. Newsbrief: Court Okays Police Pressure for Searches on Mass Transit The US Supreme Court ruled 6-3 on Monday that police can pressure passengers on public-transit systems to consent to a search and need not inform them of their right to refuse. This is not a change from common police practice, but overturns the decision of a US Court of Appeals in Atlanta that ruled evidence inadmissible in the drug-trafficking convictions of Christopher Drayton and Clifton Brown. The court in Atlanta ruled the evidence inadmissible because it was obtained through intimidation. According to the court in Atlanta, the officers used a "show of authority" that would cause any reasonable person to feel forced to consent. The court ruled that their consent to a search was invalid and therefore the packets of cocaine found on them were inadmissible in court. Writing for the majority opinion of the Supreme Court, Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote there "was nothing coercive [or] confrontational. There was no application of force, no intimidating movement, no overwhelming show of force, no brandishing of weapons, no blocking of exits, no threat, no command, not even an authoritative tone of voice... The fact that an encounter takes place on a bus does not on its own transform standard police questioning of citizens into an illegal seizure." Justice David Souter wrote a dissenting opinion, on behalf of himself and Justices John Paul Stevens and Ruth Bader Ginsburg, stating that the court's opinion had an "air of unreality" about it. In agreement with the Atlanta court, he wrote that "no reasonable passenger could have believed... he had a free choice to ignore the police altogether." According to Steven Silverman, Executive Director of Flex Your Rights (http://www.FlexYourRights.org), "This ruling is not surprising because it is all too consistent with past rulings that have expanded police power to search and seize in the name of fighting drugs. It's worth noting that this ruling does not seem to radically change the rules of engagement regarding consent searches." "For example," explains Silverman, "people on buses -- and everywhere else -- do not have to consent to a police officer's request to search them, as Drayton and Brown foolishly did. It's unfortunate that the police can now approach citizens in any public place and ask for their permission to search them, but this is precisely why all citizens need to be trained to properly assert the constitutional rights they still have."
6. Human Rights Watch Report Says 124,000 Children Have Lost Parents to New York's Rockefeller Drug Laws (press release from Human Rights Watch) Excessively severe drug laws have deprived thousands of children of their parents, Human Rights Watch stated in a report released on Wednesday (6/18). Governor Pataki and New York politicians in Albany are now debating legislation to reform these drug laws. Releasing a new report with the first statistics on the number of children in New York who have had parents sent to prison for drug offenses, Human Rights Watch said the statistics should spur a swift agreement on major reform of the state's drug laws. "Children of incarcerated drug offenders are one of the collateral casualties of the state's war on drugs," said Jamie Fellner, director of Human Rights Watch's US Program. "Disproportionately harsh drug sentences have not only led to the unnecessary incarceration of tens of thousands of low-level drug offenders, but also deprived thousands of children of their parents." In "Collateral Casualties: Children of Incarcerated Drug Offenders in New York," Human Rights Watch presents a statistical snapshot developed from state and federal data. Among the findings are that an estimated 23,537 children currently have parents in New York prisons convicted of drug charges. An estimated 11,113 currently incarcerated New York drug offenders are parents of children. Since 1980, an estimated 124,496 children have had at least one parent imprisoned in New York on drug charges. Some 50% of mothers and fathers in New York prisons for drug convictions do not receive visits from their children. Human Rights Watch has consistently urged New York to eliminate harsh mandatory minimum sentences for drug offenders and to authorize judges to tailor criminal sanctions that reflect the individual offender's conduct and other relevant factors. Restoring fairness and proportionality to New York's drug laws would reduce the number of drug offenders needlessly sent to prison. For many low-level nonviolent drug offenders, alternatives to incarceration -- including community-based sanctions and drug treatment programs -- would be a "punishment that fits the crime." By reducing the number of offenders sent to prison, the state would also reduce the number of children who must suffer from losing a parent to prison. "Safeguarding communities and protecting families from drug trafficking and drug abuse are important public interests," said Fellner. "But the means chosen to combat drugs should neither violate human rights nor inflict unnecessary collateral harm." No New York agency tracks the number of children who have parents in prison. Human Rights Watch derived its figures from New York State Department of Correctional Services data on incarcerated drug offenders and from the results of a survey of a representative sample of New York prison inmates conducted in 1997 for the Bureau of Justice Statistics of the US Department of Justice. The survey yielded data on such questions as the percentage of inmates who have children, the size of their families, current caregivers and the frequency with which the incarcerated parents are in contact with their children. "Collateral Casualties: Children of Incarcerated Drug Offenders in New York," Human Rights Watch Report, June 2002, is available at http://www.hrw.org/reports/2002/usany/ online.
7. Newsbrief: Baltimore Anti-Drug Campaign Grant Shot Down On Monday night (6/17), the Baltimore County Council refused a request from the City of Baltimore to support the city's "Believe" anti-drug campaign with a $5,000 grant, according to an article in the Baltimore Sun. They rejected the grant, which would have been used for advertisements and billboards, on the basis that the money would be more effectively spent on drug treatment. Baltimore's drug treatment programs were shown to significantly reduce crime and drug abuse in an independent study conducted in January of this year. The campaign already has a $2 million budget, but County Executive C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger has asked for the council to reconsider their decision. Though the grant would only increase the budget by one-quarter of a percent, the vote put the effectiveness of the campaign in a brighter spotlight than it previously had been.
8. Newsbrief: Unitarians to Consider "Statement of Conscience" on Drug Policy Next Week Members of the Unitarian Universalist religious denomination will vote on a drug policy "statement of conscience" next week (6/24) during their General Assembly. The statement, is supported by Unitarians for Drug Policy Reform (http://www.uudpr.org), is "remarkably good, according to UUDPR founder Charles Thomas," who told ABCNews.com it "recogniz[es] the distinction between use and abuse, and call[s] for removal of criminal penalties for possession." Thomas said that religious leaders who support the drug war are "doing the exact opposite of what Jesus taught." UUDPR plans to engage such leaders in dialogue, and present the statement, assuming it passes, to other religious denominations for their consideration. The ABCNews.com article is available online at http://abcnews.go.com/sections/us/DailyNews/christians_drugs020620.html.
9. Newsbrief: New Zealand Greens Want to Talk About Legalization The New Zealand Green Party wants to negotiate the legalization of cannabis for personal use in any coalition talks with the Labour party after elections, the New Zealand Herald reported. This stance may have been spurred by the Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party's offer not to stand against Green co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons in the closely contested Coromandel election, if her party will make legalization of marijuana a "fundamental issue" in coalition talks. Fitzsimons, however, has indicated that her party's primary issue is keeping genetically engineered organisms in the laboratory. In 1999, the Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party captured 268 votes in Coromandel. Fitzsimons' majority over the other main candidate from the National Party is maintained by only 250 votes.
10. Newsbrief: Britain Tests Heroin Dispensers The United Kingdom's government is backing trials of heroin dispensers that would carefully measure doses in an attempt to reduce heroin-related deaths and reduce crime. The government also hopes the new technology will reduce needle-sharing and curb the spread of AIDS and hepatitis. The dispenser is a programmable inhaler for methadone or heroin that an addict can self-dispense. The inhalers will be tamper-proof and the dosage set in advance. Dr. Philip Robson, medical director for GW pharmaceuticals, the company that will manufacture the dispensers says, that government figures show that every pound spent on treatment of heroin addicts saves £3 in afflicted areas. There has also been debate in the Parliament regarding legalization of heroin to solve the nation's drug problems, and BBC has reported that the Parliament is likely to allow doctors more leeway on prescribing heroin to addicts through the National Health Service. According to Lesley King-Lewis, chief executive of Action on Addiction, treatment of heroin addiction reduces criminal behavior by up to 80% and also discourages intravenous administration and overdoses.
11. Newsbrief: Industrial Hemp to be on Ballot in South Dakota The issue of legalizing industrial hemp in South Dakota will be on the ballot for the general election on November 5 of this year. The petition drive gathered 15,845 signatures between May 8, 2001 and May 7, 2002. 13,010 signatures were necessary to place the measure, Initiated Law No. 1, on the ballot. South Dakota voters will decide whether or not to allow the planting, cultivation, harvesting, possession, processing, transportation of, sale of and buying of cannabis and cannabis-based products with a THC content of 1% or less. The South Dakota Industrial Hemp Council submitted the petition in May. SDIHC believes that legalizing hemp cultivation in the state could save many of South Dakota's barely-surviving farms, judging by the $125 million industry of importing hemp into the United States, according to their web site (http://www.sodakhemp.org). SDIHC received support from the Body Shop Outlet in Sioux Falls.
12. Newsbrief: Nevada Voters to Weigh Benefits of Decriminalization The group Nevadans for Responsible Law Enforcement has gathered more than 107,000 signatures from all 17 counties in Nevada to make decriminalization of small amounts of marijuana an issue on the November ballot. The number of signatures far surpasses the 61,336 needed to place the question on the ballot, making its appearance on the ballot a near certainty. The initiative, which has been funded by the Marijuana Policy Project, would also provide for low-cost medical marijuana. It will have to be approved by voters this year and in 2004 to become a law. The measure would define a small amount of marijuana as three ounces or less and would ban smoking marijuana in public along with possession by or sale to a minor.
13. Newsbrief: Congress Questions Colombia's Drug War Performance An unreleased Congressional report states that Colombia is not fulfilling its obligations in the joint effort with the US to fight drug trafficking, according to an article in the Los Angeles Times. Colombia has failed to provide personnel to pilot 14 US-supplied Black Hawk helicopters, leaving the helicopters grounded. Colombia has also reduced drug crop-eradication operations due to "political concerns." The Bush administration is currently pushing to increase military funding to Colombia in order to enable the country to continue to fight the drug war. Colombia drug war funding has been heavily criticized by human rights and environmental groups as well as organizations supporting the nation's peace process.
14. Newsbrief: Actor Larry Hagman of "JR" Fame Speaks Out Against Prohibition in Autobiography Larry Hagman, who played "JR" on "Dallas" and starred in "I Dream of Jeannie," has written an autobiography titled "Hello Darlin': Tall (and Absolutely True) Tales About My Life." In his autobiography, Hagman details his experiences with his father, alcohol and mind-expanding drugs. Hagman, now 70, had a liver transplant in 1995 due to alcohol damage. Though he regrets his heavy drinking, Hagman is not critical of the illicit drugs that he used, including marijuana, LSD and peyote. He questions the reasoning behind the prohibition of marijuana. Speaking to the San Jose Mercury News, he said, "Why that stuff should be illegal is beyond me. It's so benign compared to alcohol. When you come right down to it, alcohol destroys your body and makes you do violent things. With grass you sit back and enjoy life," says Hagman. Hagman also praises LSD, which he first took with singer David Crosby. "You lose your ego," he says. "It led me into having no fear of death, because you've been there, done that, and it ain't so bad. Matter of fact, it's wonderful." Hagman no longer uses any drugs, as part of a twelve-step alcohol recovery program.
(Please submit listings of events concerning drug policy and related topics to [email protected].)
June 20-23, New York, NY, 10th National Roundtable on Women in Prison: A Journey In/Justice. Contact the Women's Prison Association at (212) 674-1163 or visit http://www.wpaonline.org/WEBSITE/rt.html for further information.
June 22, noon-7:00pm, New York, NY, Block Party for Repeal of the Rockefeller Drug Laws. Sponsored by the Seven Neighborhood Action Partnership, featuring speeches by ex-prisoners and state and city officials. At Poor Richard's Playground, E. 109th St. and 3rd Ave. in East Harlem, near the 103rd stop on the 6 Train, contact Jessica Dias at (212) 348-8142 for further information.
June 22, Philadelphia, PA, "Mid-Atlantic Criminal Justice Colloquium: Fostering Compassion, Dignity and Hope," colloquium organized by the Drug Concerns Working Group of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers). For further information or to get involved, contact Melissa Whaley at (856) 303-0280 or [email protected].
June 29-July 1, Washington, DC, National Summit on the Impact of
Incarceration on African American Families and Communities. Call (252) 396-0884 or visit http://www.keepthetrust.org/summit/ for information.
July 5-7, Bryn Mawr, PA, "Liberty & Crisis," student seminar with the Institute for Humane Studies. Participation free, application deadline March 29, visit http://www.theihs.org/tab3/thefirst.html or e-mail [email protected] for further information.
August 24-29, Lagos, Nigeria, "Tenth International Conference on Penal Abolition." Contact Prisoners Rehabilitation and Welfare Action (PRAWA) at 234-(0)1-4971356-8 or [email protected], Rittenhouse: A New Vision of Transformative Justice at (416) 972-9992 or [email protected], or visit http://www.interlog.com/~ritten/ for further information.
September 26-28, Los Angeles, CA, "Breaking the Chains: People of Color and the War on Drugs." Conference by the Drug Policy Alliance, e-mail [email protected] to be placed on mailing list for when details become available.
September 30-October 1, Washington, DC, "National Symposium on Felony Disenfranchisement," conference sponsored by The Sentencing Project. Admission free, advance registration required, visit http://www.sentencingproject.org or call (202) 628-0871 for further information.
October 7-9, San Diego, CA, "Inside-Out: Fostering Healthy Outcomes for the Incarcerated and Their Families." Contact Stacey Shank of Centerforce at (559) 241-6162 for information.
November 6-8, 2002, St. Louis, MO, "2nd North American Conference on Fathers Behind Bars and on the Street." Call (434) 589-3036, e-mail [email protected] or visit http:/www.fcnetwork.org for information.
November 8-10, Anaheim, CA, combined national conference of Students for Sensible Drug Policy and the Marijuana Policy Project. Early bird registration $150, $45 for students with financial need, visit http://www.mpp.org/conference/ for further information.
November 9, Anaheim, CA, Bill Maher benefit show for Students for Sensible Drug Policy and the Marijuana Policy Project. Admission $50, or $1,000 VIP package including front-row seat and private reception with Bill Maher. Visit http://www.mpp.org/conference/ for further information.
December 1-4, Seattle, WA, "Taking Drug Users Seriously," Fourth National Harm Reduction Conference. Sponsored by the Harm Reduction Coalition, featuring keynote speaker Dr. Joycelyn Elders, former US Surgeon General. For information, e-mail [email protected], visit http://www.harmreduction.org or call (212) 213-6376.
April 6-10, 2003, Chiangmai, Thailand, 14th International Conference on the Reduction of Drug-Related Harm. Details to follow, e-mail [email protected] to request a full announcement by mail.
If you like what you see here and want to get these bulletins by e-mail, please fill out our quick signup form at https://stopthedrugwar.org/WOLSignup.shtml. PERMISSION to reprint or redistribute any or all of the contents of Drug War Chronicle is hereby granted. We ask that any use of these materials include proper credit and, where appropriate, a link to one or more of our web sites. If your publication customarily pays for publication, DRCNet requests checks payable to the organization. If your publication does not pay for materials, you are free to use the materials gratis. In all cases, we request notification for our records, including physical copies where material has appeared in print. Contact: StoptheDrugWar.org: the Drug Reform Coordination Network, P.O. Box 18402, Washington, DC 20036, (202) 293-8340 (voice), (202) 293-8344 (fax), e-mail [email protected]. Thank you. Articles of a purely educational nature in Drug War Chronicle appear courtesy of the DRCNet Foundation, unless otherwise noted.
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