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That's a Lot of Smoke You're Trying to Blow
Reuters - Marijuana may up heart attack, stroke risk: study:
"The marijuana users in the study averaged smoking 78 to 350 marijuana cigarettes per week, based on self-reported drug history, the researchers said."
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3 dead 2 wounded
It's been quite the weekend in Metro Vancouver.There was a killing and a wounding on Thursday outside a strip club in the downtown core .Police say it was a gang shooting.On Friday a man driving in Bu
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Police Entice Woman to Snitch, Get Her Killed, Blame Her for Her Death
NORML reports on the death of Rachel Hoffman, another disgusting and preventable death caused by the war on drugs and the reckless police tactics it has inspired.
Hoffman was caught selling marijuana and ecstasy in Florida. After threatening her with prison time, the police then gave Hoffman the option of becoming an informantâwithout first consulting with her lawyer. They set up a deal with her connection. What happened in between isnât yet clear. But they found her body late last week.
Proving once again that the most dangerous thing about illicit drugs like ecstasy and marijuana isnât the drugs themselves. Itâs what the government does to you after youâre caught with them. [The Agitator]
Watch this video, in which Tallahassee Police Chief Jones blames Rachel for her own death and then says, "we are aggressively seeking justice for Rachael and her family."
If Chief Jones wants justice he should start by fixing the protocols he claims his officers adhered to. They sent Rachel in to purchase an uncharacteristic amount of drugs, along with a gun, just to ramp up the charges even higher. Their insatiable lust for big busts and big headlines gave them away and got their informant killed. There's nothing complicated about this. No nuances to debate. It's horrible policing brought on by a horrible war, which produced another horrible outcome.
Note: If you get arrested, speak with a lawyer immediately and do not fall for the common tricks police use to recruit snitches. They may tell you that this is your only chance to make a deal. They may exaggerate how much trouble you're already in, so as to leverage your cooperation. Frequently, people arrested for drugs endanger their own lives by becoming informants, when a lawyer could have gotten them off altogether. The drug war feeds on these coercive tactics, creating crimes that would never have occurred, and ruining one life after the next. Don't fall for it.
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Stop Saying Medical Marijuana is Politically Risky and Just Look at the Polls
Karen Brooks at the Dallas Morning News blog badly misses the point in regards to Barack Obama's support for medical marijuana:
Well, allow me to relieve you of your uncertainty. Polling consistently shows overwhelming public support for medical marijuana. Do you know what medical marijuana's record is with voters? It's 10-1 at the state level, losing only in South Dakota, which ain't really Obama territory anyway. Supporting medical marijuana is among the safest policy positions one can take in 2008, and there's not a shred of evidence to the contrary. I look forward to a point when it's no longer necessary to illustrate this.
Secondly, Brooks buy into the myth that federal interference somehow makes medical marijuana laws ineffective:
While I appreciate the implied sympathy for patients and doctors, this hyperbolic assessment of the force of federal law vastly overstates the impact of the DEA's campaign against medical marijuana. Despite federal interference, medical marijuana is more available to patients than ever before. The number of dispensaries that have been raided is dwarfed by the number that are open right now, at this exact moment. The idea that medical marijuana laws have been crippled by federal law enforcement is just as fictitious as can be.
My point here is not to excuse the ongoing raids and other atrocities that do still occur. Rather, it must be understood that the Drug Czar badly wants the public to believe that these laws donât work because he knows we're going to keep passing them in new states and we're 10-1 so far. The only reason DEA even bothers to keep conducting these ugly and unpopular medical marijuana raids is so that the media will falsely report that these laws just "go up in smoke" as Brooks now suggests. That argument is then used against new medical marijuana initiatives to imply that there's no point in passing them, even though existing laws protecting patients have generally been very effective at preventing sick people from getting arrested.
Both of the above points are common misconceptions, and I donât fault Brooks for indulging them. Still, it is vital that the discussion of medical marijuana continue on a sound factual basis as we proceed towards a showdown between Obama and McCain on this issue.
So, to recap, I submit the following two propositions:
1. Medical marijuana is overwhelmingly supported by the American public.
2. Federal efforts to shut down medical marijuana distribution in states were it is legal have failed utterly.
(This blog post was published by StoptheDrugWar.org's lobbying arm, the Drug Reform Coordination Network, which also shares the cost of maintaining this web site. DRCNet Foundation takes no positions on candidates for public office, in compliance with section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, and does not pay for reporting that could be interpreted or misinterpreted as doing so.)
Just got a notice from the happy folks over at the Marijuana Policy Project that Sen. Barack Obama "stands with us" on access to medical marijuana.
I'm not sure this helps his campaign, although the growing number of states (a dozen, at least) that have approved the use and prescription of medical marijuana may mean that he'll get support on the issue. Here in Texas, the decriminalization legislation - way stronger stuff than what the Medical Pot People are pushing - comes from both sides of the aisle.
So I guess what I'm saying here is, uhm, who knows if this will help or hurt him.
Well, allow me to relieve you of your uncertainty. Polling consistently shows overwhelming public support for medical marijuana. Do you know what medical marijuana's record is with voters? It's 10-1 at the state level, losing only in South Dakota, which ain't really Obama territory anyway. Supporting medical marijuana is among the safest policy positions one can take in 2008, and there's not a shred of evidence to the contrary. I look forward to a point when it's no longer necessary to illustrate this.
Secondly, Brooks buy into the myth that federal interference somehow makes medical marijuana laws ineffective:
Anyway, these laws and ordinances quickly go up in smoke when the feds - who just can't stand the idea of anyone smoking pot and getting away with it - decide to bust down doors and haul away the cancer patients and their docs anyway.
While I appreciate the implied sympathy for patients and doctors, this hyperbolic assessment of the force of federal law vastly overstates the impact of the DEA's campaign against medical marijuana. Despite federal interference, medical marijuana is more available to patients than ever before. The number of dispensaries that have been raided is dwarfed by the number that are open right now, at this exact moment. The idea that medical marijuana laws have been crippled by federal law enforcement is just as fictitious as can be.
My point here is not to excuse the ongoing raids and other atrocities that do still occur. Rather, it must be understood that the Drug Czar badly wants the public to believe that these laws donât work because he knows we're going to keep passing them in new states and we're 10-1 so far. The only reason DEA even bothers to keep conducting these ugly and unpopular medical marijuana raids is so that the media will falsely report that these laws just "go up in smoke" as Brooks now suggests. That argument is then used against new medical marijuana initiatives to imply that there's no point in passing them, even though existing laws protecting patients have generally been very effective at preventing sick people from getting arrested.
Both of the above points are common misconceptions, and I donât fault Brooks for indulging them. Still, it is vital that the discussion of medical marijuana continue on a sound factual basis as we proceed towards a showdown between Obama and McCain on this issue.
So, to recap, I submit the following two propositions:
1. Medical marijuana is overwhelmingly supported by the American public.
2. Federal efforts to shut down medical marijuana distribution in states were it is legal have failed utterly.
(This blog post was published by StoptheDrugWar.org's lobbying arm, the Drug Reform Coordination Network, which also shares the cost of maintaining this web site. DRCNet Foundation takes no positions on candidates for public office, in compliance with section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, and does not pay for reporting that could be interpreted or misinterpreted as doing so.)
In The Trenches
420 Drug War Update 05/12/08
Drug Truth Network Update: 4:20 Drug War NEWS from 90.1 FM in Houston and dozens of radio affiliates in the US and Canada & on the web at www.kpft.org.
We provide the "unvarnished truth about the drug war" to scores of broadcast affiliates in the US and Canada.
4:20 Drug War NEWS 05/12/08 to 05/18/08 now online (3:00 ea:) Select online at www.drugtruth.net
Sun - Steven Wishnia gives 5 reason why pot will be legalized soon, (and 5 reasons why it will not.)
Sat - Sanho Tree of Institute for Policy Studies reports on situation in Colombia
Fri - Phil Smith reports on his trip to Mexico
Thu - Douglas Hiatt, Seattle attorney discusses the case of medical marijuana using patient who was denied a liver transplant.
Wed - Doug McVay with Drug War Facts + "Drug War Monkeys in Action"
Tue - Clarence Bradford 2 of 2
Mon - Clarence Bradford, former police chief of Houston, Democratic candidate for District Attorney 1 of 2
Next - Century of Lies on Tues, Cutural Baggage on Wed (Now With Transcripts):
PLEASE, Check Out the Transcript with Dr. Donald Tasking of National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) at: http://www.drugtruth.net/cms/?q=node/1842#comments
- Cultural Baggage 12:30 PM ET, 11:30 AM CT, 10:30 AM MT & 9:30 AM PT: Judge Pat Lycos, running for District Attorney
- Century of Lies 12:30 PM ET, 11:30 AM CT, 10:30 AM MT & 9:30 AM PT: Sanho Tree re Colombia, Phis Smith re Mexico
Hundreds of our programs are available online at www.drugtruth.net, www.audioport.org and at www.radio4all.net.
Check out our latest videos via www.youtube.com/fdbecker:
Please become part of the solution, visit our website: www.endprohibition.org for links to the best of reform.
"Prohibition is evil." - Reverend Dean Becker, Drug Truth Network Producer
Dean Becker
713-849-6869
www.drugtruth.net
In The Trenches
LEAP on the Hill: Stories from Week of May 9, 2008
Too hot to talk about it: As I stop by the 540 offices for a 2-4 minute follow-up visit this year, I always ask the aide if they had a chance to ask the boss for an opinion of the LEAP position. This week an aide to a Republican (naturally) said he did so at a staff meeting, giving the one minute summary of my 20 minute visit. = (Prohibition is chaos. Crime would decrease by half, no drug dealers, stop funding al-Qaeda, reduce gangs, stop wasting 70 billion and allow LE to focus on child predators, DUI & terrorists.) He said the whole group erupted for 10 minutes in a heated discussion. No one argued with the LEAP premise. Finally, the Congressman said that no matter what, the issue was too hot & drop it. No progress? Hmmmm.
But like my friend Peter Christ said, once you have heard the LEAP message, one can never read or hear about the topic, except thru the prism of the LEAP point of view.
Five Star Service: I attended a seminar/briefing hosted by the American Constitution Society on Friday. In speaking with one of their staff I was invited to write an oped for their blog read by 50,000. As the staffer & I chatted on the way to his meeting in a Senate room, it occurred to me to stop by Senator Webbâs office & say hi.
Webbâs principal judiciary aide was not there but I met his new assistant. I learned that there will be another hearing on the 2.3 million in prison next month. I asked him to consider LEAP speakers for the topic: How the WOD affects the number of people in prison. He said sure.
As I boarded the train, it occurred to me (like a thud = duh) of the KISS principle that I had not employed since my arrival in 2005. It is not enough to inform MOCs of LEAP. I need to give them concrete names & bios of potential witnesses.
Better late than never, LEAP is making up a list by subject area of who would be best to testify before a federal committee. When completed, I will hand deliver a copy of it to all members of the House and Senate judiciary committees.
Make a drug warrior squirm for only 15 dollars: On my birthday I attended the monthly breakfast at the conservative Leadership Institute. Congressman Joe Pitts (R-PA) spoke & then had to rush off, as he had breakfast date with President Bush. The moderator allowed for one question. My hand shot up (and as you know I arrive early to grab the closest seat to the speaker) & I was called upon. âCongressman, we now have 2.3 million citizens behind bars, more than any country in the world. Is this a tribute to the efficiency of law enforcement and something to be proud of? Or does this situation trouble you?â
âWell, it is not something we should necessarily be proud of,â he replied. He then began to babble about needing more faith-based prison programs to reduce recidivism.
Being only 12 feet away (4 meters), I could see in his face that he felt anguish and was conflicted. That is a start. Small steps.
I know that few of you reading this ever have the chance to confront a drug warrior politician & make them uncomfortable. That night I raised my glass of Crown, thought of you & hoped that the vicarious experience thru me was satisfying.
BTW, You may be asking, why not ask the Congressman a bold, direct question of why he supports the war on drugs in the face of all the negative consequences. This would really make him squirmâ¦The answer is I am following my instincts. The moderator calls upon me almost every breakfast. If I make his guest too uncomfortable, I am sure he will never let me ask a question again.
In The Trenches
Obama speaks out on medical marijuana
[Courtesy of Marijuana Policy Project]Â
Dear friends:
On the verge of becoming the presumptive Democratic nominee for president, Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) has renewed his commitment to protecting medical marijuana patients from arrest and jail.
Here is a quote from Obama campaign spokesman Ben LaBolt from an article in today's San Francisco Chronicle:
"Voters and legislators in the states â from California to Nevada to Maine â have decided to provide their residents suffering from chronic diseases and serious illnesses like AIDS and cancer with medical marijuana to relieve their pain and suffering. Obama supports the rights of states and local governments to make this choice â though he believes medical marijuana should be subject to (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) regulation like other drugs.â
With Sen. Obama now widely expected to win the Democratic nomination and in a year when Democrats are favored to win the White House, this means we might be only eight months away from having a White House that stands with us on medical marijuana access.
You can also watch a video of Sen. Obama talking about medical marijuana here.
In the months leading up to the New Hampshire Democratic primary election, MPP helped persuade all of the Democratic presidential candidates and three of the Republican candidates to pledge to end the arrest of patients in states with medical marijuana laws.
In response to questions from MPP on the campaign trail, Sen. Obama stated that arresting medical marijuana patients is not a good use of resources and promised to end the federal raids on state medical marijuana patients and their caregivers.
Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.)Â has also promised MPP that she would end the raids.
Unfortunately, the Republican presidential nominee, Sen. John McCain (Ariz.), earned a grade of âFâ from MPP for his inhumane stance on medical marijuana. In response to repeated questions from MPP on the campaign trail, Sen. McCain incorrectly stated that a majority of medical experts oppose medical marijuana, and he also gave a patient who was politely questioning him a glimpse of McCain's famous temper.
Congressman Ron Paul (R-Tex.), who also remains in the Republican race, has been an outspoken opponent of marijuana prohibition and has consistently voted in favor of legislation to end the DEA's raids on patients.
Please visit MPP's campaign site, www.GraniteStaters.com/candidates, for statements from each of the candidates.
MPP is the only drug policy reform organization that's systematically influencing the presidential candidates to take positive positions on medical marijuana â and punishing those who don't. Would you please consider making a donation to support our work today?
Sincerely,
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 $3.0 million that MPP can raise from the rest of the planet in 2008. This means that your donation today will be doubled.
In The Trenches
Prison Art Gallery: New 22 Million Dollar Home for Our Prison Art
Yes, the rumors you have heard are true! Our beautiful prison art has a new 22 million dollar home. Announcing the opening of the National Museum of Crime and Punishment on May 23 featuring many of our most striking and gorgeous pieces.
Long in the planning, and generous in the funding, a new museum opens in Washington, DC, on May 23, 2008. Located on 7th Street NW (a half block from the popular Verizon Center and one block form the famous International Spy Museum), the National Museum of Crime and Punishment is destined to become the "must" place to visit in the Nation's capital. We are proud that many of the most beautiful and unusual pieces of prison art from our Prison Art Gallery are featured at the museum. In addition, the museum's large and innovative gift shop carries many of our prison art prints.
You'll want to be among the first to visit this extraordinary museum. With exhibits such as a recreation of Al Capone's plush jail cell and John Dillinger's actual getaway car, and with equipment that will allow you to get your own authentic mug shots and test your skills at outsmarting a lie detector test, your visit will be both interesting and educational. For more information, please visit CrimeMuseum.org.
In The Trenches
The Sentencing Project: Disenfranchisement News/Updates 5/8/08
National: 'What If' Disenfranchisement was No More?
Erika Wood, Director of the Democracy Program at the Brennan Center for Justice, published "What if 5.3 Million More Americans Could Vote?," an opinion editorial featured on AlterNet. Listing the collateral consequences of disenfranchisement, Wood emphasized the Jim Crow roots of barring voters and the ongoing disproportionate impact of felony disenfranchisement laws on people of color. She also described the "ripple effect" caused by disenfranchisement. "Felony disenfranchisement laws do not only impact those who lose their voting rights," Wood writes. "Entire communities lose their political capital when their citizens cannot vote. Denying the vote to one person has a ripple effect, dramatically decreasing the political power of urban and minority communities."
Despite setbacks in some states, there are reform efforts in Congress, she reported. Sen. Russ Feingold and Rep. John Conyers are expected to soon introduce the Democracy Restoration Act, a bill that seeks to restore voting rights in federal elections to all Americans who have been released from prison and are living in the community. "The promise of our democracy will never be realized if 4 million Americans remain disenfranchised. It is time to end this last blanket barrier to the ballot box," Wood concluded.
Tennessee: Arrest for Voting Further Disenfranchises Woman
Carla Thomas Smith was arrested last month for registering to vote and casting ballots in November 2004 and November 2006, according to the Leaf Chronicle. The Tennessee resident, who was released on bond, was charged with "accessory after the fact" in 1995 - a felony conviction - which disqualified her from voting in the state. Currently, Tennessee law bans those convicted of a felony with a maximum sentence of more than a year, with the possibility of reinstatement. Those convicted of murder, some sexual offenses, treason and voting fraud permanently lose their right to vote. Further, the law disenfranchises those with felony offenses who have outstanding legal financial obligations, restitution or child support fees.
Massachusetts: 'The More We Imprison, the Less We Vote'
Two citizenship students at Amherst College - one on the 'inside,' the other on the 'outside,' rally for disenfranchisement reform in a co-authored opinion editorial published in the Boston Globe. They write: "We all write the same papers, read the same material by John Locke and Alexis de Tocqueville, and are all equally engaged in debating and discussing everything from the role of the good citizen to America's role in the world. There is no reason to think inmates are uniquely unqualified to wield a vote, and no reason to think they can't."
The class, which meets at the Hampshire County Correctional Facility, combines college students with inmates at the prison. In regard to the more than 25,000 inmates in Massachusetts prisons and jails, the students state that in an effort to better integrate formerly incarcerated individuals in society, voting rights are a key component.
- - - - - -
Help The Sentencing Project continue to bring you news and updates on disenfranchisement! Make a contribution today.
Contact Information -- e-mail: [email protected], web: http://www.sentencingproject.org
In The Trenches
Drug Truth Update 05/08/08
The Unvarnished Truth About the Drug War From the Drug Truth Network:
- Pat Lycos, Republican DA Candiate of Houston joins us next Wednesday, live on the Cultural Baggage show -
(To downlad these 29:00 files, click on links below. To simply listen, go to www.drugtruth.net and select the arrow below the shows description.)
Cultural Baggage for 05/07/08 Clarence Bradford, the former police chief of Houston, Texas now running for District Attorney of Harris County on the Democratic ticker discusses the drug war with host Dean Becker a speaker for Law Enforcement Against Prohibition.
MP3 LINK: http://www.drugtruth.net/cms/?q=audio/download/1878/FDBCB_050708.mp3
TRANSCRIPT: (To be posted by Friday)
Century of Lies for 05/06/08 Douglas Hiatt a Seattle attorney discusses the death of Hep C patient Tim Garon who was refused a liver transplant because of his use of medical marijuana. Noted chemist Sasha Shulgin and his wife Ann discuss the passing of Dr. Albert Hofmann. Steven Wishnia gives the reasons why pot will soon be legal (and why it won't). Doug McVay with Drug War Facts MP3 Link: http://www.drugtruth.net/cms/?q=audio/download/1877/COL_050608.mp3
TRANSCRIPT: (to be posted Thursday Nite)
Chief Clarence Bradford: "We can't possibly hire enough officers to effectively deal with the drug problem in Houston, Harris County...". - Cultural Baggage 050708
PLEASE NOTE: We now have transcripts, potcasts, searchability, CMS, XML, sorts by guest name and by organization.
Next - Century of Lies on Tues, Cutural Baggage on Wed, listen online at www.kpft.org:
- Cultural Baggage 12:30 PM ET, 11:30 AM CT, 10:30 AM MT & 9:30 AM PT: Judge Pat Lycos Rep Cand for DA, Harris County
- Century of Lies 12:30 PM ET, 11:30 AM CT, 10:30 AM MT & 9:30 AM PT: TBD
Hundreds of our programs are available online at www.drugtruth.net, www.audioport.org and at www.radio4all.net.
We provide the "unvarnished truth about the drug war" to scores of broadcast affiliates in the US and Canada.
Programs produced at Pacifica Radio Station KPFT in Houston. www.kpft.org
Check out our latest videos via www.youtube.com/fdbecker: More than 55 Drug Policy Videos online)
Please become part of the solution, visit our website: www.endprohibition.org for links to the best of reform.
"Prohibition is evil." - Reverend Dean Becker, Drug Truth Network Producer
Dean Becker
713-849-6869
www.drugtruth.net
In The Trenches
Press Release: Former Sheriff, Legislator Speaks Out for Medical Marijuana in New Ad
 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEÂ Â Â
MAY 8, 2008
Former Sheriff, Legislator Speaks Out for Medical Marijuana in New Ad
Advocates Address Most Recent Mistruths from Dakota County Attorney
CONTACT: Neal Levine, MPP director of state campaigns, (612) 424-7001
MINNEAPOLIS â Proponents of a bill to protect seriously ill patients from arrest for using medical marijuana with a doctor's recommendation released their latest TV ad today featuring former Fillmore County sheriff and state representative Neil Haugerud, who suffers from severe, intractable pain due to inflammation of the spine.
   Opposition to the bill, which according to a new KSTP poll has the support of 64 percent of Minnesotans and has already passed the Senate, has been largely confined to a handful of members of the law enforcement community. Gov. Tim Pawlenty has threatened to veto the bill as long as law enforcement opposes it, but advocates and patients maintain that that opposition relies on false, misleading arguments.
   "Law enforcement I think is stepping out of bounds," Haugerud says in the ad. "Law enforcement is there to enforce the laws in relation to what the law is â they really don't need to influence ... what the law should be." The new ad is online at http://minnesotacares.org/Ads_video.html.
   "Neil Haugerud knows this issue from both sides â as a longtime sheriff, and now as a patient suffering severe pain every day, who might benefit from medical marijuana," said Neal Levine, director of state campaigns for the Marijuana Policy Project. "We urge the House to quickly send this to the governorâs desk, and hope that Governor Pawlenty will reject the misinformation coming from a few in law enforcement and sign this compassionate, tightly crafted bill into law."
   The most egregious misinformation came from Dakota County Attorney James Backstrom, who in a May 1 e-mail to legislators accused medical marijuana supporters of making "inflammatory, slanderous and extremely offensive" charges â for calling him on his misstatements, which included objections to portions of the bill that were removed or amended at law enforcement's request over a year ago. Backstrom's statements are available at http://minnesotacares.org/backstrom_email_mn_house.html and http://minnesotacares.org/mm_email_mn_house.html. Detailed, sourced refutations of 32 false claims in these statements are available here: http://minnesotacares.org/32_false_law_claims_mm.html, and video responses to the most blatant falsehoods are at http://minnesotacares.org/Videos.html.
   With more than 23,000 members and 180,000 e-mail subscribers nationwide, the Marijuana Policy Project is the largest marijuana policy reform organization in the United States. For more information, please visit www.MarijuanaPolicy.org.
####
In The Trenches
Americans for Safe Access: May 2008 Activist Newsletter
California Medical Marijuana Employment Rights Bill Advances
Legislation Moves to Assembly with Committee Approvals, Union support
An ASA-sponsored bill that would establish employment rights for medical marijuana patients in California advanced through the state Assembly last month. With support from three unions representing nearly 1 million workers in California, AB 2279 passed through both the Assembly's Labor and Employment and Judiciary committees on party-line votes. The bill will be voted on next by the Assembly, before passing to the state senate and then the governor's desk.
The new employment rights bill prohibits discrimination against patients but leaves intact existing state law prohibiting medical marijuana consumption at the workplace and protects employers from liability by allowing exceptions for jobs where physical safety could be a concern.
California joins Oregon and Hawaii in considering laws to protect medical marijuana patients from employment discrimination.
ASA Chief Counsel Joe Elford
"We're grateful for the support of the state legislature in preserving the rights of patients to work and be productive members of society," said ASA Chief Counsel Joe Elford. "With the jobs of thousands of sick Californians hanging in the balance, we are hopeful that the full Assembly will act in similar fashion to the Labor and Judiciary Committees."
ASA lobbying for the bill helped garner the endorsement last month of the statewide California Labor Federation, Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), all powerful unions whose voices in defense of workers are listened to in California's capital. ASA also secured support from the National Lawyers Guild and several HIV/AIDS advocacy organizations.
Introduced in February by Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) and sponsored by ASA, AB 2279 is designed to rectify a January ruling by the California Supreme Court that found employers can fire patients for using medical marijuana, even when they are entitled to do so under state law. That landmark case, Ross v. RagingWire, was argued before the supreme court by ASA's Elford.
Gary Ross, speaking to the media
Assemblymember Leno and the other authors of California's Medical Marijuana Program Act (SB 420) had filed a 'friend of the court' brief in support of Gary Ross, the engineer who lost his job at RagingWire Telecommunications in 2001 after failing a drug test. Ross had told his employer that he used medical cannabis on his doctor's advice to treat injuries sustained during his military service, but RagingWire terminated him anyway.
The legislation that would reverse the Ross decision has moved quickly because Assemblymember Leno and ASA were prepared for an adverse ruling by the court, having begun drafting the bill last year. In addition to Assemblymember Leno, the bill's co-authors are Patty Berg (D-Eureka), Loni Hancock (D-Berkeley) and Lori Saldaña (D-San Diego). More about the bill can be seen at www.AmericansForSafeAccess.org/AB2279.
ASA has received hundreds of reports of employment discrimination in California since 2005. Employers that have been accused of discriminating against patients include Costco Wholesale, UPS, Foster Farms Dairy, DirecTV, the San Joaquin Courier, Power Auto Group, as well as several construction companies, hospitals, and various trade union employers.
New Patient Bill in Congress
In other legislative news, a new bill to protect medical marijuana patients is also being considered in Washington, DC.
Representative Barney Frank (D-MA) introduced the "Medical Marijuana Patient Protection Act," HR 5842 last month. The act would change federal policy on medical marijuana in a number of ways.
It would reclassify marijuana to make it available by prescription and create a regulatory framework for the FDA to begin a drug approval process for marijuana. The act would also prevent interference by the federal government in any local or state run medical marijuana program.
The bill is co-sponsored by Representatives Maurice Hinchey (D-NY), Sam Farr (D-CA), Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA), and Ron Paul (R-TX).
In The Trenches
New Report: âDrug Warâ Unjust to African Americans
[Courtesy of The Sentencing Project]
Friends:
The Sentencing Project's new study, Disparity by Geography: The War on Drugs in America's Cities, is the first city-level analysis of drug arrests, examining data from 43 of the nation's largest cities between 1980-2003. The study found that since 1980, the rate of drug arrests in American cities for African Americans increased by 225%, compared to 70% among whites. Black arrest rates grew by more than 500% in 11 cities during this period and in nearly half of the cities, the odds of arrest for a drug offense among African Americans relative to whites more than doubled.
Among The Sentencing Project report's key findings:
- Six cities experienced more than a 500% rise in overall drug arrests between 1980 and 2003: Tucson (887%), Buffalo (809%), Kansas City (736%), Toledo (701%), Newark (663%), and Sacramento (597%).
- Extreme city variations in drug arrests point to local enforcement decisions as prime contributor to racial disparity.
- African American drug arrests increased 3.4 times the rate of whites despite similar rates of drug use.
The report was released in conjunction with Human Rights Watch's Targeting Blacks: Drug Law Enforcement and Race in the United States, which documents that in 34 states the persistent racial disparities among drug offenders sent to prison. Both organizations urge public officials to restore fairness, racial justice and credibility to drug control efforts. They recommend public officials take a number of concrete steps, including:
Eliminating mandatory minimum sentences and restoring judicial discretion to sentencing of drug offenders;
Increasing public funding of substance abuse treatment and prevention outreach to make these readily available in communities of color in particular;
Enhancing public health-based strategies to reduce harms associated with drug abuse and reallocating public resources accordingly.
Both reports follow in the wake of the March 2008 recommendations of the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. The Committee urged that U.S. criminal justice policies and practices address the unwarranted racial disparities that have been documented at all levels of the system.
-The Sentencing Project
In The Trenches
Last chance to attend free seminar on May 17 to become a mentor to prison artists
[Courtesy of Prison Art Gallery]
Free workshop by ex-prisoner artists and officials from Washington area jails and prisons on May 17 to train you to become a mentor to prison artists. Call 202-393-1511 to reserve your spot.
Thanks to a grant we received from the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, you can attend a free workshop to become a mentor to imprisoned artists. Work either as a volunteer or paid staff member in a jail or prison.
Attend this free workshop on Saturday, May 17, 10 am to 4 pm. You'll learn what it takes to work in a jail or prison to foster artistic development among inmates. You'll receive this valuable training from experienced correctional officials (from both public and private jails) while also benefiting from the insights and knowledge of ex-prisoner artists who will also serve as workshop leaders. These knowledgeable people will share their experiences with you in a relaxed and fun setting at the Prison Art Gallery in downtown Washington, DC. Everything you need for a productive and nourishing day (including an authentic jail meal) will be provided free.
This is a rare opportunity to make contacts and obtain valuable information. Plus, we have received word that the workshop will be covered by major media. You can be part of it all.
Whether you're looking for a one afternoon per month volunteer opportunity or a full-time paid career position, you will find this workshop very worthwhile. Meet the people who make hiring decisions while finding out what it takes to be effective in the challenging setting of a jail or prison.
Please call us at 202-393-1511 or email [email protected] for more information. We are also setting up a schedule of additional workshops to accommodate everyone who may be interested. Thank you.
Blog
Marijuana Warriors and Statistical Illness (was "Here We Go Again" or "Walters Is At It Again")
A number of our readers wrote in this weekend to point out that drug czar John Walters was stumping the "marijuana causes mental illness" bandwagon. It was probably inevitable. After all, a year ago we reported, "Reefer Madness Strikes a Leading British Newspaper," and this and other spurious claims have continued to emanate from various outlets and agencies ever since.
Still, propaganda is no less irritating for having anticipated it. So I could only sigh when I received a copy of a New York Times story that a member had forwarded, with his note "Walters is at it again." The article did quote people on the other side, which is good. But there's no way around the headline, which is what most people will ever read and which did not reflect any controversy or disagreement over the drug czar's claims.
Master stats and criminology expert Matthew Robinson (author of the famed "Lies, Damn Lies, and Drug War Statistics" picked a similar title for his detailed critique of Walters, "Here We Go Again: White House Makes Scary Claims About Marijuana." I'll leave it to readers to follow the link for the bulk of Robinson's analysis, but the major thing to keep in mind is that Walters has not met the three-level burden of proof to back up his claims. Those levels are the following:
- One must show a correlation. Marijuana use and mental illness have to show up in many of the same people. That might not be so hard to demonstrate, but the reason for the correlation may be as simple as the fact that lots of people use marijuana, so most physicial or psychological issues may be represented among its users. Which leads to the second needed level:
- One must show a temporal order. That is, it is necessary to prove that marijuana use preceded the onset of mental illness. If marijuana use began later, there obviously is no causation. Even if they start at about the same time, there may be no causation.
- And then there is a third, very crucial intellectual requirement for drawing the conclusion that marijuana use causes mental illness. That is the need to demonstrate a "lack of spuriousness" -- which means eliminating the possibility that other factors could have led to both the marijuana use and the mental illness. For example, physical or other life issues may have led an individual to become depressed, and that person may have then begun using marijuana because of being depressed. Or there could be biological or personality factors that make both depression and drug use more likely. Or there could be other things going on.