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Current scenario of HIV/AIDS Interventions in Chennai
Current scenario of HIV/AIDS Interventions in Chennai
U.S. Government Stopped Research After Finding That Marijuana Slowed Cancer Growth
NORML's Paul Armentano has a disturbing account of the history of government research regarding the benefits of THC as a potential cancer treatment:Not familiar with this scientific research? Your government is.In fact, the first experiment documenting pot's potent anti-cancer effectstook place in 1974 at the Medical College of Virginia at the behest federalbureaucrats. The results of that study, reported in an Aug. 18, 1974,Washington Post newspaper feature, were that marijuana's primarypsychoactive component, THC, "slowed the growth of lung cancers, breastcancers and a virus-induced leukemia in laboratory mice, and prolonged theirlives by as much as 36 percent."Despite these favorable preliminary findings (eventually published thefollowing year in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute), U.S.government officials refused to authorize any follow-up research untilconducting a similar - though secret - clinical trial in the mid-1990s. Thatstudy, conducted by the U.S. National Toxicology Program to the tune of $2million, concluded that mice and rats administered high doses of THC overlong periods had greater protection against malignant tumors than untreatedcontrols.However, rather than publicize their findings, government researchersshelved the results, which only became public after a draft copy of itsfindings were leaked to the medical journal AIDS Treatment News, which inturn forwarded the story to the national media. [timesheraldonline.com]They haven't studied the issue since. And because the U.S. government holds a monopoly on "legal" marijuana that could be used for research purposes, they've been able to prevent independent researchers from further investigating marijuana's promising anti-cancer properties. Armentano notes that research overseas continues to produce very encouraging results.Unfortunately, our government's blockade against marijuana/cancer research is so mindless and vindictive that it's almost impossible to convince anyone that they do things like this. It's a terrible and frequent conundrum for reformers that if we accurately describe the behavior of our opposition, we end up sounding crazy.
Mexican Drug War Analysis: It's Not Going Well
Reuters offers a dismal assessment of the Mexican drug war entitled "ANALYSIS-Mexico's Calderon bogged down in bloody drugs war". I'm left wondering, of course, why it is that one is said to be "analyzing" when pointing out that the drug war is failing. Must we place Mexico under the microscope in order to observe that there's a "bloody drugs war" going on there? Isn't that just a fact?Calderon's first move on taking power 18 months ago was to launch a bold $7 billion army-led assault on powerful drug cartels, vowing to wrest back control of violence-scarred northern border states.His army busts have put a string of senior smugglers behind bars and captured truckloads of cocaine and cash.But the top drug lords are still free, and disrupting years-old trafficking alliances and protection networks has sparked an explosion in killings between rival gangs who dump hacked-off heads and tortured bodies in public.The bloodshed has dented Calderon's popularity and left him bogged down in a vicious war with the odds of winning it stacked against him.Calderon, 45, has defined success as reducing the violence, but drug murders have instead soared to more than 4,000 since his offensive began, and the turf wars intensified this year.Perhaps one technically engages in analysis when suggesting that the odds of winning are stacked against Calderon, but we don't really need some credentialed academic to tell us that, do we? Has anyone ever won a drug war?
Get your Marc Emery warning here.
Too much doom and gloom ,weather wise,has the prince of pot down in the dumps today.In a press release,the first in months(could there be something else on his mind?)Canada's Marc Emery says the weath
Will John McCain Avoid Running a "Tough-On-Crime" Campaign?
The prevailing wisdom among reformers has been that Obama's good positions on medical marijuana, needle exchange, and sentencing reform would draw fire from the McCain campaign. Bogus "soft-on-crime" attacks against democrats have been a staple of past republican presidential campaigns, and Obama's already been smeared on this issue. But McCain himself has thus far steered clear of that path.Now, The Washington Post points to some recent McCain comments that suggest a more reasoned approach to the crime issue than many have been anticipating:PHILADELPHIA -- The question for Sen. John McCain at a town hall meeting here was one of those softballs that Republicans historically use to demonstrate their law-and-order toughness: What are you going to do about teen gangs?â¦But the Republican presidential nominee did not talk the way many Republican candidates do about the need for a crackdown on gangs, or tougher prison sentences or a need to enforce gun laws. (The answer might have been different had former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani been the nominee. The former mayor repeatedly talked about crackdowns on crime.)Instead, McCain repeated his belief that gang members "need mentors. I think they need role models" and related a story about a program run by a Baptist college in Arkansas. "We've go to have mentors.""We've also got to give them an opportunity and a path and away out," he added. "Some of these gangs have now become almost international ... incarceration has sometimes made them worse criminals when they get out than they are when they went in."Given the opportunity to pounce atop the law & order podium, McCain instead sounds more thoughtful, endorsing education and even acknowledging the unintended consequences of massive incarceration. Other than a passing reference to stopping drugs at our border, all of this is pretty easy to swallow.We've heard disappointing statements from McCain on medical marijuana and the drug war in general, but none of that precludes the senator from recognizing the need for alternatives to incarceration. It's an issue that's generating increased public awareness and could become an asset to Obama if McCain appears indifferent. Needless to say, a bipartisan consensus on reducing incarceration would be a powerful step forward, even if neither candidate is prepared to support the drug policy overhaul that's necessary to achieve it.Unfortunately, painful experience has taught us not to expect a presidential campaign free of mindless tough-guy crime rhetoric and it's way too soon to take comfort in what we've seen so far. Even if McCain aims to stay out of the fray, we can expect attacks on Obama's pro-reform positions to intensify as the contest heats up. As always, what matters won't be those positions in and of themselves, but whether Obama is prepared to defend them with confidence and vigor.Update: Tom Angell suggests that it's a mistake to even concede the term "tough-on-crime" to those who think hurling human beings behind bars at alarming rates will make us safer. He's right that bad policies create new crimes, cause more of the old ones, and distract police from what should be their primary public safety priorities. The drug war isn't tough, it's clumsy and barbaric.(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.)
World Record Marijuana Crop Gets Blown Up By Fighter Jets
What do you do if you find the world's largest marijuana stash? Call in the airforce!The crack teams discovered 236.8 tons of cannabis buried in vast trenches in the desert. The drugs had a minimum street value of £225 million, and weighed more than 30 double-decker buses, officials said.Lieutenant General Abdul Hadi Khalid, Afghanistan's deputy interior minister, said: "This is a new world record in the global war on drugs."â¦British fighter jets were called in from nearby Kandahar Airfield to smash open the underground stores. A Nato spokesman said the planes dropped three 1,000lb bombs on the trenches, before troops from the commando unit known as 333 doused the wreckage with petrol and set them alight. [scotsman.com]There's something tragically ironic about using fighter jets to launch air strikes on a plant that's never killed anyone in the history of the world. Are you having fun yet, brave desert drug soldiers? Someone get these guys some volleyball nets before they nuke a poppy field.
Two More Horrible Drug Raid Disasters
Derrick Foster is the latest person facing prosecution after mistaking a drug raid for a robbery and firing on the intruders, who turned out to be police. He's gainfully employed, has no criminal record, and wasn't involved in any drug activity. But, of course, police are pushing the theory that he wanted to kill some cops on purpose. Concerned that Foster's innocence could result in him being foundâ¦innocent, the local police union is going around intimidating potential character witnesses.In yet another raid-gone-wrong, police heard that Ronald Terebesi, Jr. was smoking crack in his house (smoking, not selling). So they threw a flashbang grenade in his window, smashed down his door with a battering ram and killed a disoriented man who "charged" at them. 33-year-old Gonzalo Guizan is now dead because police went nuts in order to stop a guy from smoking crack.
Bob Barr's Newfound Drug War Opposition Shows That Anything is Possible
No drug warrior has played a greater role in the development of my own political identity than Bob Barr. At eighteen, I registered to vote specifically to support Initiative 59 to protect medical marijuana patients in Washington D.C. Despite passing with a massive 69%, Initiative 59 was blocked from implementation by an amendment written by Bob Barr, Congress's most proud drug war champion of the 1990's. Dreaming of a day when my voice in our democracy would never again be held hostage to callous drug war demagoguery, I became a student of criminal justice and political science, and eventually, a proud soldier in the growing movement for drug policy reform. That, in short, is the path that brought me here today. And it is with that in mind that I read these words from Bob Barr, published yesterday:â¦when government attempts to solve our societal problems, it tends to create even more of them, often increasing the size and depth of the original problem. A perfect example of this is the federal War on Drugs.For years, I served as a federal prosecutor and member of the House of Representatives defending the federal pursuit of the drug prohibition.Today, I can reflect on my efforts and see no progress in stopping the widespread use of drugs. I'll even argue that America's drug problem is larger today than it was when Richard Nixon first coined the phrase, "War on Drugs," in 1972. [Huffington Post]Barr's mea culpa is no masterpiece of drug policy reform advocacy. It breaks no new ground. It even rambles tragically about the virtues of employment drug screening, only to end suddenly and disappointingly. But I'll take it.Once our loudest opponent, Barr is now the presidential nominee of the pro-drug reform Libertarian Party. He has partnered with the Marijuana Policy Project to lobby for medical marijuana and now bravely admits "I was wrong about the war on drugs," publicly and for all to see. Obviously, the drug war isn't going to end tomorrow just because Bob Barr doesnât like it anymore. But that's not the point. What all of this serves to illustrate is that no one is immune to the truth. There is no heart so hard, no skull so swollen as to be rendered impermeable to the principles of peace, justice, and compassion. Our opponents don't have invisible forcefields around their brains. They are vulnerable to the truth every moment of every day that they walk the earth. With that in mind, we would be wise to welcome and embrace those who break free, for whatever reason, from the icy death grip of prohibitionist political posturing. We must set a precedent of acceptance so that others might soon follow Mr. Barr across the threshold. (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.)
Vietnam Orders Police to Win the Drug War by August
It's gonna be a busy summer over there:The Prime Minister has declared a new campaign against drugs from the beginning of June rill the end of August.The campaign needs to bring about a great positive change in drug prevention and control, affirmed Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung.â¦Forces will be tasked with eliminating all places selling drugs, arresting all drug dealers and gaining complete control over the drug business. [vietnamnet.vn]No matter how many times I hear it, this kind of talk never ceases to amuse me. According to the article, they've created new drug laws to replace the old ones that "did not address funding for fighting drugs". Did they forget to fund their drug war? Is that what this means? Anyway, now they have funding so if you're selling drugs in Vietnam, you have until August.
CAST,a bad idea but at least an idea
Vancouver has turfed it's controversial and often arrogant Mayor for the November election.In a surprise runoff for the candidacy of the NPA's leader,Peter Ladner has defeated Sam Sullivan.As a city c
Stop Making Excuses and Go Watch 'The Wire'
It has come to my attention that many of you still haven't seen HBO's The Wire. This includes several people I otherwise generally admire and consider well informed. So, I've prepared a list of common excuses for not having seen The Wire and refuted them:Excuse #1: I don't have HBO.Response: Seasons 1-4 are available on DVD. And the show is over, so I'm not sure it's even airing anymore anyway. Rent it, dude.Excuse #2: I'm not really that into TV shows. Response: The Wire is so accurate and poignant that I'm not sure it even counts as TV. Besides, it doesnât have commercials.Excuse #3: There were 5 seasons. How will I catch up?Response: Really easily. It's the most captivating thing ever filmed. By the end of the 1st season, you'll understand. By the end of the 3rd, you'll have sent me a thank you note.Excuse #4: I'm a hardworking drug reform activist/staffer. I work 50+ hours a week and just haven't gotten around to it.Response: You suck. The Wire is the most realistic depiction of drug war policing and the politics of crime ever produced. It's far more accurate than the evening news. If this is what you're passionate about, then you must accept David Simon's glorious gift to our movement and bask in its brilliance. You'll learn 50 things you never saw in any drug policy book or blog. Excuse #5: I hate cop shows.Response: That's because you've never seen The Wire. This ain't Law & Order: Criminal Intent. You won't find Vincent D'Onofrio squirming around until everyone gets pissed off and waives their right to remain silent. In conclusion, go watch The Wire. Start with season 1 and work your way through. It just gets better each season, so be patient if it doesn't blow your mind immediately. You will better understand the war on drugs, which will make you a better activist. And you'll be able to discuss the show without anyone ruining it by telling you who gets killed. I'm not promising that the drug war will end if you watch The Wire, but I guarantee that it will continue until you do.
Stop Making Excuses and Go Watch 'The Wire'
It's come to my attention that many of you still haven't seen HBO's The Wire. This includes several people I otherwise generally admire and consider well informed.
People are Getting Themselves Arrested Just So They Can Sell Drugs in Jail
From England comes yet another example of how drug prohibition has failed in more ways than we can even think of. DRUG dealers are getting themselves sent to prison because they can make huge profits in a few weeks behind bars.They are raking in tens of thousands of pounds from operations while inside jails.With a captive market, they can charge fellow inmates more for drugs such as heroin and crack cocaine than they can sell them for on the outside. [Daily Express]Needless to say, if you can't keep prisons drug free, what are we doing trying to eradicate the drug economy on the outside? Seriously, just imagine you call the cops cause someone's breaking into your house, but they're busy down the road dealing with a guy who's showing everyone his penis just so he can go to jail and sell drugs. Add another item to the list of phenomena that are so stupid they can only be caused by drug prohibition.Now that the very institutions which are supposed to intimidate drug dealers have become yet another instrument of drug prohibition profiteering, can we please regulate the stuff and force these jerks to get a damn job?
The Drug War is a War on Communities of Color
On Thursday and Friday I attended the Breaking the Chains Conference in Baltimore, MD. The event brought together a passionate and diverse group of experts and activists to explore the impact of the war on drugs within communities of color. I'm rather familiar with the topic, but I heard some things I wonât soon forget.I heard Baltimore youth share their visions for the future of their neighborhoods.I heard "Little Melvin" Williams, the biggest heroin supplier in Baltimore history, tell us he'd never have done it if it wasn't so profitable.I heard a trauma surgeon describe what it's like telling a mother she lost her son.I heard a woman who couldn't have been a day over 40 describe her recovery from 30 years of addiction on the streets of Baltimore. I heard current and former police officers acknowledge and vividly describe the overt racism of many professional drug enforcement officers.I heard about youth who excelled at inner city schools only to be targeted by gang recruiters interested in their math skills.And I heard a mother beam with joy as she shared the news that her sons would be home four years early under the revised crack sentencing guidelines. For two days, I was the minority.Back in D.C. later that evening, I walked through Columbia Heights to a house party. On my way, I happened to pass the scene of a homicide that occurred two years ago while I was on a ride-along with the Metropolitan Police Dept. We were the first unit to arrive, finding a young black man sprawled in the street, unconscious and still breathing as his friends stood over his shattered body unsure what to do. He'd been run over by a car on purpose, but his friends dispersed without providing any information to the frustrated homicide investigators. The last remnants of a once-thriving open-air drug market along the 14th Street corridor continue to operate discretely, generating sporadic drug trade violence in this rapidly gentrifying neighborhood. Just one block from the scene of that still-unsolved murder, I entered a refurbished row house to find a few dozen white 20-somethings playing drinking games. Young professionals waited their turn at the beer-pong table as an ice luge slowly melted on the deck in the summer heat. Across the street, a gaping hole was fenced off, awaiting the construction of new luxury condos.As I sipped my beer listening to my friends compare business schools, I thought back to a comment from Baltimore attorney Billy Murphy Jr. earlier that day at the conference. He described how three decades of drug war violence, widespread addiction, and massive incarceration have decimated urban communities, necessitating gentrification to raise the tax base in major cities. The drug economy and the criminal justice system have indeed played a prominent role in reshaping America's urban landscapes. But the violence doesn't stop, it just moves over a few blocks.And so, the young people of color who grow up in drug-ravished communities in America continue to tell the same stories we've been hearing for decades. The "crack epidemic" that dominated the evening news when I was a child is supposed to be over, but the brave Baltimore youth that spoke up at the Breaking the Chains conference described a world that remains defined by everything the drug war was supposed to prevent. A world in which the most dangerous drugs are sold by children on the sidewalks. A world in which snitching is a capital offense, youth learn math by counting glass vials, prison slang permeates cultural vernacular, and a group of teens dressed in blue are not a soccer team. These things are the legacy of the war on drugs. After so many years and so many lost lives, nothing should be more obvious to anyone who listens to the voices of the multiple generations that have now been born on the drug war battlefield. Nothing is changing, nor will it, until the day this terrible war is finally dismantled and replaced.
Terrorism used as Excuse For Searching Employees
For the second time in two years the RCMP have made arrests at Trudeau airport in Mo ntreal,for drug smuggling.The crew hired to load and unload food supplies from the planes have been busted for smug
Another Big Drug Bust.
Yesterday,I was telling my significant other that there was a big bust happening soon.I was reading an article about all the drugs that had been found hidden in well concealed compartments in vehicles
Never say no to Quebec
This has been the motto of every governing party since I was born.If Quebec wants a safe injection site it wouldn't surprise me to see the Harper neocons do a 180.The only thing they believe in more t
A Few Items of Interest
Pete Guither points out a pair of good Supreme Court rulings dealing with money laundering. From now on, prosecutors must prove the defendant intended to launder the money in order to convict them of money laundering. Apparently, it took 9 of our most esteemed jurists to figure that out. Radley Balko has another update on the disgraceful Ryan Frederick prosecution. They've upped the charge to capital murder, which can carry a death sentence, even though he thought the cop was a burglar. And they've added a marijuana manufacturing charge, even though they didn't find marijuana plants. He hasn't been charged with misdemeanor marijuana possession, however, which is the only he crime he actually did commit. The whole thing is a monumental travesty that just continues to gain momentum.Paul Armentano warns us to Just Say 'No' to Big Pharma's Anti-Pot Pill. They've been making people feel horrible, which I guess is what you should expect when blocking a receptor that's known for making people feel good.Nicholas Kaczur of the New England Patriots is all over the news for working as a DEA informant to avoid charges for oxycontin possession. He was identified publicly when the guy he set up went to trial. It's ironic considering that he almost certainly cooperated in order to avoid bad publicity. Ooops. Now he's the most famous snitch in America. If you get busted for drugs, the only way to make your situation worse is to become an informant.