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Reportaje: Ya es hora de un nuevo paradigma en las políticas de drogas, dicen líderes latinoamericanos

El miércoles la Comisión Latinoamericana sobre Drogas y Democracia publicó un informe que pide la reducción de daños, el tratamiento del consumo de drogas como cuestión de salud pública y la despenalización de la marihuana. El informe fue una intervención con miras tanto a Washington como a Viena, donde la ONU se reúne el mes que viene para tramar la estrategia mundial para la droga.
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In The Trenches

MMJ Week, Tuesday: Do Your Homework – Know the Issues

Do Your Homework – Know the Issues
Medical Marijuana Week - Tuesday, February 17th

Dear ASA Supporter,

There is a lot of important information out there about cannabis as medicine. Did you know there are over 17,000 published scientific articles on cannabis and “cannabinoids” since 1996? Did you know that DEA Judges have now twice ruled in favor of medical cannabis, and DEA Administrators have twice ignored the rulings? Can you recite ASA’s Federal Policy Recommendations? Spend a day reading and learning about why this issue is so profound.

According to the widely respected magazine, The Economist, “If cannabis were unknown, and bioprospectors were suddenly to find it in some remote mountain crevice, its discovery would no doubt be hailed as a medical breakthrough.” (Economist, May 5, 2006).

There’s a reason for all this excitement. Cannabis may soon be considered one of the defining medical discoveries of our generation. For 40 years, efforts to recognize the plant's medical properties have been denied, ignored, and suppressed - all because of a negative stigma. To fully understand this issue, you should know the science, the law, and the politics.

Learn about the science. Read about Dr. Mechoulam’s discovery of the human endocannabinoid system in the 1990’s and why major pharmaceutical companies are developing their own “cannabinoid” research departments. Read about some of the most important studies of today which show promise in the use of cannabis to treat an extraordinarily wide array of conditions.

www.safeaccessnow.org/researchdatabase
www.medicalcannabis.com/reference.htm
www.safeaccessnow.org/additionalresources

Learn about the law. Understand what court cases over the years have ruled for or against medical cannabis. Know why states have the right to enact medical cananbis laws, but the federal government also has the right to interfere with them. Read about the DEA’s own Administrative Law Judge Francis Young, who ruled, “It would be unreasonable, arbitrary and capricious for DEA to continue to stand between those sufferers and the benefits of this substance in light of the evidence in this record.” And read about the most recent DEA ruling, released by another DEA Judge in 2007, which demanded that DEA lift barriers to cannabis research. Understand how DEA Administrators ignored the rulings and acted directly contrary, putting cannabis research back over 20 years.

DEA Judge Francis Young Ruling
DEA Judge Bittner Ruling
Landmark Decisions in Medical Cannabis Law

Learn about the politics. Did you know that even before 1996, 35 states had some form of medical cannabis law on the books, but that they were all unworkable due to legal loopholes? Learn the "in’s and out’s" of medical cannabis laws in 13 states – and which ones are tentatively considered “the 14th and 15th medical cannabis states”. Learn all this and more here:

Medical Cannabis Laws in 14 States
ASA’s Federal Policy Recommendations

And when you're done, you'll be even better prepared to become an ASA Ambassador!

Sincerely,


George Pappas
Field Coordinator
Americans for Safe Access


Americans for Safe Access is the nation's largest organization of patients, medical professionals, scientists and concerned citizens promoting safe and legal access to cannabis for therapeutic use and research.

In The Trenches

Coalition for Medical Marijuana--New Jersey, Inc. February 2009 Minutes

Monthly Public Meeting Minutes

Lawrence Township Library

Tuesday, February 10, 2009; 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM

7:20 PM:  Meeting called to order.  January 2009 minutes approved.  Discussion: 

Ø  “Come to Trenton to support medical marijuana, Monday, 2/23/09.”  The vote by the entire NJ Senate on “The New Jersey Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Act” (S119), as amended, is expected to take place on 2/23/09.  CMMNJ will send Press Releases before the vote to rally support, and after the vote to discuss the outcome.  Contact your senator today.  Members of the national organization, Patients Out of Time, plan to assist in passing this important legislation.  If the bill passes in the senate, it will then go to the NJ Assembly.

 

Ø  Upcoming events:  Chris Goldstein, CMMNJ & Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) will host a free, educational seminar on medical marijuana on Wed., 2/18/09 from 12:30 PM – 2:00 PM at the Rutgers/Camden Law School, Room 207.  Ken & Jim Miller will be on WIFI 1460 AM Radio on 2/12/09 at 4:30 PM.  NORML NJ is meeting on 2/21/09 at 7:00 PM in Toms River, NJ to rally support for medical marijuana.  (For NORML NJ meeting info, contact [email protected] ).  CMMNJ plans to join SSDP Rutgers on May 2, 2009 in a march for medical marijuana in New Brunswick, NJ.

 

Ø  Recent publications: The Times of Trenton published CMMNJ’s OP-ED, "Drug laws vs. medical science" 1/15/09.  The Nursing Spectrum published the article, “The Great Debate: Medical Marijuana or Not?  Will New Jersey legislators pass a law in 2009?”  on 1/26/09.  The Asbury Park Press published Jim Miller’s LTE, “Support warranted for medical marijuana” on 2/9/09.

 

Ø  Recent appearances:  CMMNJ appeared on WIBG 1020 AM Talk Radio on 1/20/09.   A podcast of the live radio show is expected to be available soon.  CMMNJ and Chris Goldstein hosted a free, educational seminar on medical marijuana on 2/3/09 at the Willingboro Public Library.

Ø  Update on Jackson, NJ Crohn’s patient Mike Miceli who was arrested for medical marijuana on 9/4/08.

Ø  CMMNJ has new photos, etc. on Facebook and Facebook Friends of CMMNJ.

 

Ø  CMMNJ attended the Americans for Safe Access (ASA) national conference call 1/28/09.  Federal policy towards medical marijuana is changing!  

Ø  Treasury report: Checking account: $1864.45.  PayPal account: $577.59.  Please consider a tax-deductible donation to CMMNJ, a 501(c)(3) organization, to support public education about medical marijuana.  Donations may be made securely through Paypal or checks made out to “CMMNJ” and sent to corporate headquarters at the address below.  Thank you for your interest and support.

  9:00 PM Adjourn meeting.

Next Meeting: March 10, 2009 from 7:00 PM until 9:00 PM at the Lawrence Twp. Library, 2751 Brunswick Pike (at Darrah Lane), Lawrence Twp., NJ (Tel. #609.882.9246).  All are welcome.  Snacks are served.  Meeting at the library does not imply their endorsement of our issue.  For more info, contact:

Ken Wolski, RN, MPA
Executive Director, Coalition for Medical Marijuana--New Jersey, Inc. www.cmmnj.org, 844 Spruce St., Trenton, NJ 08648, (609) 394-2137

[email protected]
In The Trenches

LEAP on the Hill: Stories from the week of February 13, 2009

When preparation meets opportunity: Due to crazy scheduling, on Thursday morning Karen (my better half) dropped me off at the Metro at 06:45. Thus I was talking to the Capitol Police Officers at 08:00, when a tall gentleman walked around the metal detector which only Congressmen can do. I had been chatting with the officers about my issue and the Congressman made a comment on what I had just said. The next words out of my mouth were: "Ellsworth. Indiana. Former sheriff." Though my words were stilted and awkward, the Congressman did not mind and we had a 4 minute LEAP conversation. At the end he asked me to contact his office to set up a longer chat. Note: I have made an extra effort to know all the former police, prosecutors and judges in the Congress. FAMM produces a Congress Directory which has a foto of each Member. It is my Bible that I consult daily. It sure paid off this week. At the donut shop: The last of 8 meetings on Thursday was more important than the previous 7 combined. The aide represented one of the most powerful members of Congress. As I introduced myself, he said he had been a county deputy sheriff for several years. Two minutes later it was like we were colleagues back at the donut shop, swapping stories. Forty-five minutes later, he said he would ask his boss about the feasibility of ending Modern Prohibition. I have shared this information in more detail with my colleagues in DC. Striking Gold: Each week I send out 7-8 one minute emails to reporters and columnists whose article did touch or could touch Modern Prohibition. The response rate is about 25%, usually just saying thanks for the note. Last week I sent such a note to Kathleen Parker, after she wrote One Toke Over the Line about Michael Phelps and 'The Bong.' She wrote back thanking me and asking for a conversation. A few minutes after my chance encounter with the Congressman, she and I chatted for 45 minutes. The next day this chat resulted in the column she wrote that was read by XX millions of Americans, as she appears in 350 major newspapers across the country. To put this in perspective, about 12 million people heard or read or saw Misty and I go across America to help bring an end to prohibition. This took 7 months. I accomplished roughly the same # of contacts with one 45 minute interview! BONUS: A few hours later Ms. Parker was on Air Force One with three liberal columnists, flying with President Obama to Chicago. I have good information that Mr. Obama read her column. It was a double crown and double Swiss chocolate celebration at our house.
In The Trenches

VIDEO: Michael Phelps and marijuana

Dear friends:

MPP's John Berry made this 30-second video about Michael Phelps and the hypocrisy surrounding the reaction to the photo of him smoking marijuana. Take a look, and please forward it to your friends.

And if you haven't already signed MPP's petition pledging to boycott Kellogg's products until the company changes its decision to drop Phelps as an endorser, please visit MPP's action center here and fill out the easy online form. You can also call Kellogg's at (800) 962-1413.

Sincerely,
Kampia signature (e-mail sized)

Rob Kampia
Executive Director
Marijuana Policy Project
Washington, D.C.

P.S. As I've mentioned in previous alerts, a major philanthropist has committed to match the first $2.35 million that MPP can raise from the rest of the planet in 2009. This means that your donation today will be doubled.

In The Trenches

Update: Kellogg's on Michael Phelps

You Can Make a Difference

 

 

Dear friends,

Thanks to you, the campaign against Kellogg's for dumping Michael Phelps has gotten the media's attention.  We've been the subject of hundreds of news articles, as well as a segment on CNN.

Now is your chance to increase the heat! We've swamped Kellogg's with comments on their phone lines, and now we can make sure they listen by sending an email urging them to retract their statement on Phelps.

DPA Network has already contacted Kellogg's asking for a meeting, and I'll let you know what we hear. With thousands of drug policy reformers like you taking action, they'll have to respond.

Believe it or not, a South Carolina sheriff is considering going after Phelps himself and has already arrested eight people associated with the party last fall at which he was photographed. So it's more important than ever to stand with Phelps and make our voices heard.

There should be no more marijuana arrests for Michael Phelps or anyone else. And Kellogg's should renew their contract with him. Contact them today to keep this concern at the forefront of Kellogg's -- and the public's -- minds.

Sincerely,




Ethan Nadelmann
Executive Director
Drug Policy Alliance Network

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Blog

Drug War Logic 101

Pete Guither and Dave Borden already mentioned it, but I just can’t get enough of this quote from the Wall Street Journal:

"If the drug effort were failing there would be no violence," a senior U.S. official said Wednesday. There is violence "because these guys are flailing. We're taking these guys out. The worst thing you could do is stop now."

So let me get this straight. According to the U.S. government:

No violence = drug war is failing
Intense violence = drug war is going well

So when do we win the drug war then? When everyone’s dead?
Blog

Sheriff Lott Gives up on Charging Michael Phelps

Duh…

Lott said his investigators couldn't find enough evidence to charge anyone — including Phelps — who attended the party with any crime. [The State]

Um yeah, it’s kind of hard to convict a guy of smoking a bong at a party 4 months ago. That’s just one of many reasons that literally everyone in the world thought this was a terrible idea. Lott’s press conference was supremely lame, as he played the role of a valiant public servant caught in an epic "damned if you do, damned if you don’t" conundrum. As if anybody was going to give him a hard time for failing to launch a massive investigation against a misdemeanor marijuana suspect who couldn’t even be legally extradited because the charge was so petty.

Anyhow, it’s probably safe to say the Michael Phelps mega-controversy will likely begin fizzling out from here, unless he gets caught free-basing bubble hash on YouTube.
Blog

A Failed Drug Strategy Isn’t the Only Way DEA Wastes our Money

Looks like someone forgot to tell DEA about the economic crisis:

WASHINGTON — The head of the Drug Enforcement Administration spent more than $123,000 to charter a private jet to fly to Bogota, Colombia, last fall instead of taking one of the agency's 106 planes.

The DEA paid a contractor an additional $5,380 to arrange Acting Administrator Michele Leonhart's trip last Oct. 28-30 with an outside company.

The DEA scheduled the trip as the nation was reeling from the worst economic crisis in decades and the national debt was climbing toward $10 trillion. Three weeks later, lawmakers slammed chief executive officers from three automakers for flying to Washington in private jets as Congress debated whether to bail out the auto industry. [McClatchy]

Of course, a DEA official assures us that this was all necessitated by a security threat:

Brown said the administrator couldn't have taken a commercial flight because she and other officials who were traveling with her were under "specific" threat in Colombia at the time. He wouldn't reveal details about the threat, saying only that it was of a "sensitive law-enforcement nature." He added that the threat prompted him to conclude that "a government aircraft would provide a level of security not available on a commercial aircraft."

Makes sense, but…

A U.S. official in Colombia, however, said that officials there weren't aware of any threat against Leonhart other than the general insecurity in the country due to the drug trade.

Interesting. Seriously, how much longer is going to take the Obama Administration to replace Michele Leonhart? Crap like this is nothing compared to the medical marijuana raids, but it serves as yet another reminder that DEA is a rogue agency that just does whatever it wants all the time.
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