T
The420Guy
Guest
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DRUGSENSE WEEKLY
*********************************************
DrugSense Weekly, December 1, 2000 #176
Read This Publication On-line at: https://www.drugsense.org/current.htm
------------------
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
* Feature Article
The War On Drugs And The Will Of The People
by Arianna Huffington
* Weekly News in Review
Drug Policy-
(1) Voters Getting Wise to the War on Drugs
(2) Citizens Quietly Rebel Against Drug War
(3) Drug-Law Reform Campaign Flexes its Muscles
(4) Police Seek Record of a Bookstore's Patrons
(5) Dope-Sensitive Dogs Sniff Out Problems in Schools
(6) U.S. Grows Killer Fungus to Fight Heroin
(7) Exiting Drug Czar Fought the War on Drugs to no End or Reason
Law Enforcement & Prisons-
(8) 3 of 4 Officers Convicted in Police Corruption Case
(9) Beyond The Verdict
(10) Panel Rebukes Police Leaders in Los Angeles
(11) Customs Reports Increased Drug Seizures
(12) Struggling to Find the Next Generation
(13) To Protect and Collect
(14) An Idea About Race and a War on Drugs Went Hand in Hand
(15) State, Federal Prison Population Passes 1.2 Million
Cannabis & Hemp-
(16) Court Tackles Medicinal-Pot Case
(17) Medical Pot To Be Studied In 60 Cases
(18) Cannabis May Be Legalised As Painkiller
(19) Medical Marijuana: Legislature Wades Into Dicey Issue
International News-
(20) Colombia Aid Package Loses a Key Supporter
(21) Colombia: McCaffrey Sees Tough Fight in Drug War
(22) Natives in Crack Crisis
(23) Fix: Gentriville or Poorhaven?
(24) Editorial: Government on Drugs
(25) Mexico: Fox Urges U.S. to Face its Drug Habit
* Hot Off The 'Net
Hint: Searching for News Articles
IOM Report on the Harmful Effects of Marijuana On-line
Altered States of Consciousness : A Social Research Conference
* This Just In
Drug Roadblocks Struck Down
Michele Kubby Testifies There Was No Intent
* Quote of the Week
Harold E. Stassen
*********************************************
FEATURE ARTICLE
===============
The War On Drugs And The Will Of The People / by Arianna Huffington
The "will of the people" is all the rage these days.If it were a movie,
they'd be lining up the Oscars.If it were a stock, it would be
soaring.If it were a toy, it would be this year's Furby.It's getting
even better buzz than "the rule of law." "This is a time to honor the
true will of the people," said Al Gore last week, after earlier
claiming that all that mattered was "making sure that the will of the
American people is expressed and accurately received."
I'm glad everyone is now singing the praises of the innate and infinite
wisdom of the American voter. But while the people's choice for
president may come down to a smudged postmark on a rejected absentee
ballot, there's at least one issue on which the American people
provided a crystal clear indication of what their will is: the war on
drugs.They want a cease-fire.
Two weeks ago, voters in five states overwhelmingly passed drug policy
reform initiatives, including Proposition 36 in California, which will
shift the criminal justice system's focus from incarceration to
treatment.The measure garnered more than 60 percent of the popular
vote, 7 percent more than Al Gore received in the state, and 18 percent
more than George W. Bush. Now that, ladies and gentlemen, is a mandate.
In fact, since 1996, 17 of the 19 drug policy reform initiatives have
passed. But despite this rather unambiguous expression of the popular
will, politicians have repeatedly failed to honor it. For example, when
the people of California voted in 1996 to allow the medical use of
marijuana, then-Gov.Pete Wilson called it "a mistake" that "effectively
legalizes the sale of marijuana," while the federal government went to
court to overturn the wishes of the electorate.
But perhaps this year, with the margins of victory growing enviably
higher, politicians are beginning to see the writing -- smudges,
dimpled, hanging and otherwise -- on the voting booth wall. When
Proposition 36 passed despite being solidly opposed by the California
political establishment, the response of Gov. Gray Davis, who had
campaigned against it, was: "The people have spoken."
And thank God, because it's in Davis' state that their voices will have
the greatest impact since a third of California's inmates are behind
bars on drug charges. Under Proposition 36, up to 36,000 nonviolent
drug offenders and parole violators are expected to be put into
treatment programs instead. The initiative earmarks $120 million
annually to fund these programs, as well as family counseling and job
and literacy training.
With its shift from high-cost imprisonment to low-cost,
high-common-sense treatment, Proposition 36 is estimated to save
taxpayers more than $200 million a year -- and an additional half a
billion dollars by eliminating the need for new prisons. As UC
Berkeley professor Ruth Wilson Gilmore pointed out, "California has
spent more than $5 billion building and expanding more than 23 prisons
in the past 20 years, while only one new university has been built from
the ground up."
At the same time, voters in Utah and Oregon passed by enormous margins
-- 69 and 66 percent, respectively -- initiatives designed to make it
harder for police to seize the property of suspected drug offenders.
Just as significantly, all proceeds from forfeited assets will now be
used to fund drug treatment or public education programs instead of to
fill the coffers of law enforcement agencies. Both measures were backed
by people from across the ideological spectrum concerned with property
rights, civil rights and racial justice.
And in Nevada and Colorado, voters passed initiatives making marijuana
legal for medical use -- joining Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii,
Maine, Oregon, Washington and the District of Columbia.
Meanwhile, post-election editorials in papers across the country
reflected the public's radical rethinking of the drug war.Newsweek even
devoted its election week cover story to "America's Prison Generation,"
about the 14 million mostly black or Latino Americans who will spend
part of their lives behind bars -- the huge increase being largely the
result of drug war policies.
As for our two presidents-in-waiting, they have said remarkably little
about the drug war -- other than that they plan to get tougher on it.
But if either candidate enjoyed the support that drug reform did, he'd
be packing boxes now. The resounding success of drug policy reform
initiatives makes it clear that whoever ends up occupying the Oval
Office had better change his tune if he intends to do more than pay lip
service to honoring the will of the people.
US CA: Column: The War On Drugs And The Will Of The People
URL: MapInc
Author: Joseph D. McNamara, MapInc
===
COMMENT: (25)
On the eve of his inauguration, the President-Elect of Mexico took
advantage of the attention to twit the US about its role in creating
the "demand" side of the equation. Did he recognize that the critical
demand comes from criminal prohibition? Get real.
===
(25) MEXICO: FOX URGES U.S. TO FACE ITS DRUG HABIT
President-Elect Also Set To Push 'NAFTA-Plus'
SAN CRISTOBAL, Mexico -- Only days before his historic inauguration as
president, Vicente Fox said America should deal with its drug habit and
pledged to join the United States and Canada in what he called
"NAFTA-plus." In an interview before he takes office Friday, Fox said
the United States is too quick to write off Mexico as a corrupt haven
for drug smugglers, and too reluctant to look in the mirror.
DRUGSENSE WEEKLY
*********************************************
DrugSense Weekly, December 1, 2000 #176
Read This Publication On-line at: https://www.drugsense.org/current.htm
------------------
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
* Feature Article
The War On Drugs And The Will Of The People
by Arianna Huffington
* Weekly News in Review
Drug Policy-
(1) Voters Getting Wise to the War on Drugs
(2) Citizens Quietly Rebel Against Drug War
(3) Drug-Law Reform Campaign Flexes its Muscles
(4) Police Seek Record of a Bookstore's Patrons
(5) Dope-Sensitive Dogs Sniff Out Problems in Schools
(6) U.S. Grows Killer Fungus to Fight Heroin
(7) Exiting Drug Czar Fought the War on Drugs to no End or Reason
Law Enforcement & Prisons-
(8) 3 of 4 Officers Convicted in Police Corruption Case
(9) Beyond The Verdict
(10) Panel Rebukes Police Leaders in Los Angeles
(11) Customs Reports Increased Drug Seizures
(12) Struggling to Find the Next Generation
(13) To Protect and Collect
(14) An Idea About Race and a War on Drugs Went Hand in Hand
(15) State, Federal Prison Population Passes 1.2 Million
Cannabis & Hemp-
(16) Court Tackles Medicinal-Pot Case
(17) Medical Pot To Be Studied In 60 Cases
(18) Cannabis May Be Legalised As Painkiller
(19) Medical Marijuana: Legislature Wades Into Dicey Issue
International News-
(20) Colombia Aid Package Loses a Key Supporter
(21) Colombia: McCaffrey Sees Tough Fight in Drug War
(22) Natives in Crack Crisis
(23) Fix: Gentriville or Poorhaven?
(24) Editorial: Government on Drugs
(25) Mexico: Fox Urges U.S. to Face its Drug Habit
* Hot Off The 'Net
Hint: Searching for News Articles
IOM Report on the Harmful Effects of Marijuana On-line
Altered States of Consciousness : A Social Research Conference
* This Just In
Drug Roadblocks Struck Down
Michele Kubby Testifies There Was No Intent
* Quote of the Week
Harold E. Stassen
*********************************************
FEATURE ARTICLE
===============
The War On Drugs And The Will Of The People / by Arianna Huffington
The "will of the people" is all the rage these days.If it were a movie,
they'd be lining up the Oscars.If it were a stock, it would be
soaring.If it were a toy, it would be this year's Furby.It's getting
even better buzz than "the rule of law." "This is a time to honor the
true will of the people," said Al Gore last week, after earlier
claiming that all that mattered was "making sure that the will of the
American people is expressed and accurately received."
I'm glad everyone is now singing the praises of the innate and infinite
wisdom of the American voter. But while the people's choice for
president may come down to a smudged postmark on a rejected absentee
ballot, there's at least one issue on which the American people
provided a crystal clear indication of what their will is: the war on
drugs.They want a cease-fire.
Two weeks ago, voters in five states overwhelmingly passed drug policy
reform initiatives, including Proposition 36 in California, which will
shift the criminal justice system's focus from incarceration to
treatment.The measure garnered more than 60 percent of the popular
vote, 7 percent more than Al Gore received in the state, and 18 percent
more than George W. Bush. Now that, ladies and gentlemen, is a mandate.
In fact, since 1996, 17 of the 19 drug policy reform initiatives have
passed. But despite this rather unambiguous expression of the popular
will, politicians have repeatedly failed to honor it. For example, when
the people of California voted in 1996 to allow the medical use of
marijuana, then-Gov.Pete Wilson called it "a mistake" that "effectively
legalizes the sale of marijuana," while the federal government went to
court to overturn the wishes of the electorate.
But perhaps this year, with the margins of victory growing enviably
higher, politicians are beginning to see the writing -- smudges,
dimpled, hanging and otherwise -- on the voting booth wall. When
Proposition 36 passed despite being solidly opposed by the California
political establishment, the response of Gov. Gray Davis, who had
campaigned against it, was: "The people have spoken."
And thank God, because it's in Davis' state that their voices will have
the greatest impact since a third of California's inmates are behind
bars on drug charges. Under Proposition 36, up to 36,000 nonviolent
drug offenders and parole violators are expected to be put into
treatment programs instead. The initiative earmarks $120 million
annually to fund these programs, as well as family counseling and job
and literacy training.
With its shift from high-cost imprisonment to low-cost,
high-common-sense treatment, Proposition 36 is estimated to save
taxpayers more than $200 million a year -- and an additional half a
billion dollars by eliminating the need for new prisons. As UC
Berkeley professor Ruth Wilson Gilmore pointed out, "California has
spent more than $5 billion building and expanding more than 23 prisons
in the past 20 years, while only one new university has been built from
the ground up."
At the same time, voters in Utah and Oregon passed by enormous margins
-- 69 and 66 percent, respectively -- initiatives designed to make it
harder for police to seize the property of suspected drug offenders.
Just as significantly, all proceeds from forfeited assets will now be
used to fund drug treatment or public education programs instead of to
fill the coffers of law enforcement agencies. Both measures were backed
by people from across the ideological spectrum concerned with property
rights, civil rights and racial justice.
And in Nevada and Colorado, voters passed initiatives making marijuana
legal for medical use -- joining Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii,
Maine, Oregon, Washington and the District of Columbia.
Meanwhile, post-election editorials in papers across the country
reflected the public's radical rethinking of the drug war.Newsweek even
devoted its election week cover story to "America's Prison Generation,"
about the 14 million mostly black or Latino Americans who will spend
part of their lives behind bars -- the huge increase being largely the
result of drug war policies.
As for our two presidents-in-waiting, they have said remarkably little
about the drug war -- other than that they plan to get tougher on it.
But if either candidate enjoyed the support that drug reform did, he'd
be packing boxes now. The resounding success of drug policy reform
initiatives makes it clear that whoever ends up occupying the Oval
Office had better change his tune if he intends to do more than pay lip
service to honoring the will of the people.
US CA: Column: The War On Drugs And The Will Of The People
URL: MapInc
Author: Joseph D. McNamara, MapInc
===
COMMENT: (25)
On the eve of his inauguration, the President-Elect of Mexico took
advantage of the attention to twit the US about its role in creating
the "demand" side of the equation. Did he recognize that the critical
demand comes from criminal prohibition? Get real.
===
(25) MEXICO: FOX URGES U.S. TO FACE ITS DRUG HABIT
President-Elect Also Set To Push 'NAFTA-Plus'
SAN CRISTOBAL, Mexico -- Only days before his historic inauguration as
president, Vicente Fox said America should deal with its drug habit and
pledged to join the United States and Canada in what he called
"NAFTA-plus." In an interview before he takes office Friday, Fox said
the United States is too quick to write off Mexico as a corrupt haven
for drug smugglers, and too reluctant to look in the mirror.