Date: Tue, 23 Jul 2002 09:29:49 -0700
Subject:Canada: Light Up, Inhale, Decriminalize Up TOC

Pubdate: Thu, 18 Jul 2002
Source: Globe and Mail (Canada)
Page: A15
Copyright: 2002, The Globe and Mail Company
Contact: letters@globeandmail.ca
Website: http://www.globeandmail.ca/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/168
Author: William Johnson
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mjcn.htm (Cannabis - Canada)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/decrim.htm (Decrim/Legalization)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/traffic.htm (Traffic)

LIGHT UP, INHALE, DECRIMINALIZE

Well, it's a start. Federal Justice Minister Martin Cauchon didn't just
confirm that he's thinking of decriminalizing simple possession of
marijuana. He actually confessed he'd smoked the stuff -- and made no
excuses, no apologies, no silly evasions a la Bill Clinton. Remember? "I
didn't inhale." (He didn't have sex with "that woman," either.)

Mr. Cauchon, when asked, took it for granted that he had tried pot. "Yes,
of course. I'm 39 years old . . ."

Well, I'm more than 39 and I've tried pot, and so has almost everyone I
know. It would help to put the debate in context if many more people from
all walks of life -- responsible citizens, including judges and clergymen
- -- were to acknowledge publicly that they had smoked pot without going on
to inject heroin, and their lives would have been damaged had they been
caught and convicted.

The Justice Minister floated a trial balloon, and now Ottawa will be on the
watch for the reaction. If the police have their way with public opinion
and ring the alarm with grotesque misinformation, as did the Canadian
Police Association last year when it appeared before the Senate committee
on illegal drugs, the Liberals will scurry for cover.

The police claimed, for example, that "violent crime in Holland is the
highest in Europe and . . . the murder rate in Holland was three times that
of the United States." The Netherlands was singled out as a horrible
example of what could happen in Canada because people can smoke pot in
cafes there or take home as much as five grams without being molested.

But, in fact, statistics published by the United Nations for 1998 showed
that the male murder rate per 100,000 was 15.20 in the United States, 2.30
in Canada and only 1.81 in the Netherlands. What had the police been smoking?

In its report for 2000, the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug
Addiction, an agency of the European Union, found the highest rates of
problem drug use in Spain, Italy, Luxembourg and the United Kingdom, and
the lowest rates in Belgium, Germany, Austria, Finland, Sweden -- and the
Netherlands.

If, on the other hand, public opinion shifts toward the view of the
Canadian Medical Association Journal that it is unacceptable that 1.5
million Canadians be stigmatized with a criminal record for possession of
cannabis, the government will prove its readiness for reform when the
Senate and Commons committees, each studying the question, report later
this year.

Initial reaction in Canada's newspapers is encouraging. On Tuesday, the
Montreal Gazette's lead editorial was headlined "Decriminalize it." Last
Friday, Quebec City's Le Soleil greeted news that the United Kingdom would
no longer impose jail sentences with a hope: "The time has come for Canada
to modernize its approach to the use of soft drugs."

Yesterday, The Globe and Mail came out editorially for decriminalizing
possession of pot, as did Montreal's Le Devoir, the Calgary Herald and the
Ottawa Citizen, which exclaimed: "Go for it, Mr. Cauchon. It won't be just
snowboarders who thank you."

The Edmonton Journal took a wait-and-see posture, but acknowledged: "In
fact, experience in places as different as Australia and Switzerland show
no evidence the use of cannabis rises when taken from the criminal code."

In the movie Traffic,the character played by Michael Douglas, placed in
charge of enforcing U.S. drug laws, finally comes to realize that the war
on drugs is a war against his and our children.

Will common sense and justice prevail in Canada?


------------------------------
Date: Tue, 23 Jul 2002 09:31:56 -0700
Subject:Canada: U.S. marijuana users seek Canadian haven Up TOC

Newshawk: Join CMAP (http://www.mapinc.org/cmap/lists.htm)
Pubdate: Tuesday, July 23, 2002
Source: Globe and Mail (Canada)
Page: A1
Website: http://www.globeandmail.ca/
Contact: letters@globeandmail.ca
Author: Jane Armstrong

U.S. marijuana users seek Canadian haven

By JANE ARMSTRONG
Page A1

VANCOUVER -- They say they're the political casualties of America's
so-called war on drugs, and they want Canada's Immigration Department to
make it official.

Citing persecution in their homeland because of attempts to grow, cultivate
or use marijuana for medical purposes, at least three Americans living in
B.C. have made refugee claims to stay in Canada.

Observers say the persecution allegations made by Steve Kubby, Ken Hayes and
Renee Boje, all Californians who were embroiled in high-profile court cases
in the United States, could bring a flood of would-be refugees.

"It's a war zone down there," said Ms. Boje, an illustrator who fled Los
Angeles three years ago after she was charged with growing and possessing
pot with the intent to distribute it. "It's a real political war against
people who are sick and people who are poor."

Ms. Boje, 32, said many other Americans are hiding out in Canada, waiting to
see how the refugee panel rules on these initial cases.

If the claimants are successful, Ms. Boje predicted a flood of similar
claims.

Ms. Boje is fighting extradition to face drug charges in the United States
and has launched a refugee claim in the meantime. Last year, she married a
Canadian and now has a five-month-old baby. She said she never wants to
return to the U.S.

There have been reports that hundreds of Americans have crossed the border
into Canada in recent months after U.S. Attorney-General John Ashcroft
ordered clampdowns on medicinal marijuana clubs in states where voters have
passed measures approving them.

Particularly hard hit has been California, where Proposition 215 in 1996
allowed marijuana use with a doctor's recommendation.

Mr. Hayes, of Petaluma, Calif., last year won a court case in Sonoma County,
where he was acquitted of marijuana trafficking charges concerning a buyers
club he co-owned.

But right after his acquittal, federal drug agents began investigating the
club. He faces drug-trafficking charges that could put him behind bars for
life. In January, he fled to B.C. with his girlfriend and three-year-old
daughter. The United States has requested his extradition.

Mr. Kubby, who is a host of Pot TV, a Web site with breaking news about
marijuana issues, once ran for governor of California as a Libertarian
candidate. He was diagnosed with adrenal cancer in 1975 and has been smoking
cannabis "heavily" since the early 1980s to curb symptoms, said Alex
Stojicevic, his lawyer.

Mr. Kubby was flagrant about his pot use and eventually was charged with 11
counts of possession and trafficking. He was acquitted on all but two
possession charges, for which he was sentenced to four months.

Mr. Kubby fled to Canada before serving his sentence to take the job with
Pot TV. His refugee claim states that he smokes pot for medical reasons. The
United States has requested his return also.

Mr. Stojicevic, who is handling claims for Mr. Kubby and Mr. Hayes, said the
U.S. government has made it clear that it does not support marijuana use for
medicinal purposes. The lawyer predicted that many who use pot and who are
involved in growing and cultivation will seek asylum in Canada.

In the past, similar refugee claims haven't fared well, Mr. Stojicevic said.
He said he knew of three or four that were successful, but were overturned
by the federal court.

Hilary Black, a spokeswoman for the B.C. Compassion Club Society, said
Canada should accept the claims.

As Canada appears to be moving toward greater liberalization of its
marijuana laws, it's only logical that it should grant asylum to people who
are fleeing years of imprisonment south of the border, she said.

Ms. Boje likened the crackdown on marijuana users to other events in U.S.
history that prompted waves of immigration to Canada, such as the Vietnam
War and the slave trade.

"Canada has a history of protecting people in the United States from their
own government," Ms. Boje said.
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 23 Jul 2002 10:02:32 -0700
Subject:CA: S.F. considers growing its own Up TOC

Tuesday, July 23, 2002 (SF Chronicle)

S.F. considers growing its own
Ballot measure will ask city to cultivate pot for medicinal use

Rachel Gordon, Ilene Lelchuk, Chronicle Staff Writers

    San Francisco -- San Francisco could become the first city in the nation
to get into the pot-growing business to supply patients with medicinal
marijuana, under a measure headed for the November ballot.

    The measure would urge city officials to explore growing cannabis and
distributing it to seriously ill patients who have an OK from their
doctors -- in apparent defiance of federal law.

    Supervisor Mark Leno drafted the measure out of frustration with the Drug
Enforcement Administration's determination to close down clubs that
distribute medical marijuana in California. He said state voters made it
clear when they approved Proposition 215 in 1996 that they support
medicinal marijuana.

    "If the federal government insists on standing in our way locally, we must
take matters into our own hands and protect the lives of our community
members and protect their right to access life-saving medicine," said
Leno, Democratic nominee for the state Assembly seat representing the
eastern half of San Francisco.

    He and Supervisors Sophie Maxwell, Tom Ammiano and Matt Gonzalez joined
forces Monday to place the proposal on the Nov. 5 ballot.

    Leno envisions growing cannabis on vacant city property and says the
program could double as agriculture job training for the city's
unemployed. He mentioned the grounds of Laguna Honda Hospital -- the
city's long-term care hospital -- as a possible location.

    "We have a lot of land. That's not going to be a problem," Leno said.

    What could be a problem is Uncle Sam. Federal authorities insist San
Francisco would have no right to get into the business of farming pot.

    "Cultivation, possession and distribution of marijuana is illegal under
the Controlled Substances Act -- federal law," said Richard Meyer,
spokesman for the DEA's regional office in San Francisco.

    "Unless Congress changes the law and makes marijuana a legal substance,
then we have to do our job and enforce the law, whether or not it's
popular," Meyer said.

    But San Francisco has a history of creativity when it comes to bucking the
law. For instance, the city found a way to thwart the state prohibition on
needle exchange programs for drug addicts by declaring a public health
emergency. That has allowed the distribution of clean needles, which slows
the spread of AIDS, hepatitis and other communicable diseases.

    The state isn't likely to intervene if the city grows pot. Attorney
General Bill Lockyer has supported Proposition 215 and has left its
implementation to the discretion of cities and counties.

    He doesn't have a position yet on the San Francisco proposal, said Lockyer
spokeswoman Hallye Jordan. But, she added, "It's pretty much a local
jurisdictional issue."

    San Francisco's ballot measure would not implement a pot-growing program
- -- it would merely ask city officials to look into it. To move forward,
the Board of Supervisors and mayor would have to enact legislation that
probably would detail where and how the pot would be grown, who it would
be supplied to, and under what circumstances. Officials also would have to
discuss how to wage the expected legal battle against the feds.

    Last year San Francisco declared itself a sanctuary for the use,
cultivation and distribution of medical marijuana, a symbolic measure that
told the federal drug cops to lay off local pot clubs and their clients.

    Over the past two years, the San Francisco Health Department has issued
about 3,700 identification cards for patients who have a medical need for
marijuana and for their caregivers.

    Leno said the idea that San Francisco grow and distribute medical
marijuana is a natural extension of the city's previous actions.

    S.F. A 'PETRI DISH' FOR COUNTRY

    Government-grown pot would be new to the United States, but not the world.
Canada and Holland, for example, grow and distribute medical marijuana,
said Jeff Jones, executive director of the Oakland Cannabis Buyers'
Cooperative.

    "I think San Francisco in some sense is a petri dish for what will happen
for policy around the country," said Jones, whose club was set up to
dispense medical marijuana but stopped because of federal pressure. The
club now offers classes on how to grow marijuana and provides counseling
to clients, among other services.

    Dr. Mitchell Katz, who heads the San Francisco Department of Public
Health, said approval of the ballot measure could send a powerful message:
"What it would show is that San Francisco is a compassionate place, trying
to make sure that an effective therapy is in place for the people who need
it."

    Katz, who still practices medicine in the outpatient AIDS ward at San
Francisco General Hospital, has recommended pot use to about 40 of his
patients, using Proposition 215 guidelines. Cannabis, he said, helps ease
pain,   numbness and tingling that are side effects of HIV medications. 
It's also
used to treat glaucoma and multiple sclerosis and can help alleviate
nausea and increase appetite in patients with cancer and other diseases.

    Katz said Proposition 215 is silent on how people should get the medical
marijuana and puts patients at risk by forcing them to look to street
dealers.

    "We don't want sick people to get marijuana from drug pushers," he said.

E-mail the writers at 
<mailto:rgordon@sfchronicle.com>rgordon@sfchronicle.com and 
<mailto:ilelchuk@sfchronicle.com>ilelchuk@sfchronicle.com.
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 23 Jul 2002 14:23:39 -0700
Subject:HI: Big Island pot raids look like a stretch Up TOC

Honolulu Advertiser
Tuesday, July 23, 2002

EDITORIAL
Big Island pot raids look like a stretch

It is not entirely clear why police on the Big Island have cracked down on
local residents who hold medical marijuana permits, but the story offered
thus far is less than totally convincing.

Police said they raided residents in Kona and Puna on the basis of a
complaint.

That would be an adequate reason to investigate whether the permit holders
were growing, selling or holding more marijuana than is allowed under the
law. But according to the residents, the police went further than that.

Three Kona residents were arrested after a police raid discovered 11 plants
instead of the nine they were entitled to have under their state permit.
Officers took all 11 plants.

At best, they should have taken just the two extra mature plants rather than
the entire collection.

In another case, officers staged a helicopter raid on a 60-year-old Puna man
who holds a state permit and took three of his plants. One was returned but
it had been cut.

It's clear that the new law allowing individuals to grow and possess a small
amount of marijuana for personal medical use with a state permit is an
irritant to law enforcement. In other jurisdictions, people have used the
medical exception to grow, sell and distribute marijuana for recreational,
rather than medical, uses.

And some of that may be happening here.

But like it or not, Hawai'i does have a law that allows people to use
marijuana for medical reasons if they meet all the criteria for the state
permit.

It is doubtful that police would spend much time raiding the homes of people
who take other, legal drugs for their ailments to determine if they have a
little more in stock than their prescription calls for.

Big-time marijuana production and distribution are worthy of police
attention, although we'd argue the problem is not as serious as the epidemic
of crystal methamphetamine use that all islands are enduring.

The plain fact is that Hawai'i has chosen, as a matter of public policy, to
let people use marijuana under limited circumstances for medical purposes.
Law enforcement will have to accommodate itself to that fact.
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 23 Jul 2002 14:27:30 -0700
Subject:NV: Drugs - Will The Silver State Go Green? Up TOC?

Newshawk: Keith
Pubdate: Mon, 29 Jul 2002
Source: Newsweek (US)
Copyright: 2002 Newsweek, Inc.
Contact: letters@newsweek.com
Website: http://www.msnbc.com/news/NW-front_Front.asp
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/309
Author: Asher Hawkins

DRUGS: WILL THE SILVER STATE GO GREEN?

Voters in Nevada, a state famous for its legalized brothels and gaming
industry, will decide in November whether  to make it the first U.S. haven
for a different vice: marijuana.  A new ballot petition created by Nevadans
for Responsible Law Enforcement (NRLE) proposes that possession of up to
three ounces be legalized, that the product be taxed and that its sale and
usage be regulated.  "People are tired of having their tax dollars wasted
funding arrests for minor possession," says NRLE leader Billy Rogers.  His
group gathered the necessary voter signatures, and a sizable surplus, in
only 40 days. "That's a pretty fast turnover," says a spokesman for
Nevada's attorney general.  Bud do most Nevadans really want hash cafes to
sprout up in their cities, as has been the case in Amsterdam and
Vancouver?  "A lot of the rural areas are traditionally more
conservative.  But Nevada has always had a strong tradition of letting the
people vote for themselves," says District Attorney Arthur Mallory,
president of the Nevada D.A.s Association.  Excited parties, however,
should wait to exhale: the initiative would also need a majority in 2004
elections in order to pass, and even then the Feds could still claim
jurisdiction to bust up the party.
__________________________________________________________________________
Distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in
receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 23 Jul 2002 14:29:10 -0700
Subject:NV: Voters Split On Marijuana Issue Up TOC

Newshawk: Krissy www.mpp.org
Pubdate: Mon, 22 Jul 2002
Source: Las Vegas Review-Journal (NV)
Webpage: http://www.lvrj.com/lvrj_home/2002/Jul-22-Mon-2002/news/19230611.html
Copyright: 2002 Las Vegas Review-Journal
Contact: letters@lvrj.com
Website: http://www.lvrj.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/233
Author: Ed Vogel

VOTERS SPLIT ON MARIJUANA ISSUE

Poll Finds Opinion Divided On Making Small Amounts Legal

CARSON CITY -- Nevadans are divided on whether they would vote for a
constitutional amendment to legalize possession of 3 ounces or less of
marijuana, a new statewide poll shows.

The survey found 44 percent of respondents back the initiative to legalize
marijuana that will be on November statewide election ballots. Forty-six
percent oppose the idea, and the other 10 percent are undecided.

Mason-Dixon Polling & Research Inc., which conducted the survey for the
Review-Journal and reviewjournal.com, also asked Nevadans their views on
two other state issues: the Protection of Marriage initiative and on
whether the current ban on a state income tax should be repealed.

Fifty-five percent of the 625 registered voters polled support recognition
of marriage only if it is between a male and female; 38 percent oppose the
proposal, and 7 percent are undecided. The initiative, Question 2, was
approved by nearly 70 percent of voters two years ago and would become part
of the state constitution if approved again in November.

The poll also found Nevadans overwhelmingly oppose any move to lift the
12-year-old constitutional ban on a state income tax. The survey found 68
percent of voters support continuing the ban, while 19 percent would lift
the prohibition. Thirteen percent were undecided.

The survey has a margin of error of no more than plus or minus 4 percentage
points.

The results on the marijuana question are good news for those who support
legal pot, said Billy Rogers, a spokesman for Nevadans for Responsible Law
Enforcement. His organization secured enough signatures to put the question
on the ballot.

"We know most people in Nevada don't think we should arrest people for
small amounts of marijuana," Rogers said.

The poll only asked people if they favored amending the state constitution
to make possession of 3 ounces or less of marijuana "not a cause for
arrest." Rogers said the proposal actually does much more.

The plan still makes possession by minors a crime and prohibits the use of
marijuana in public and by drivers.

In addition, it calls for the state to provide low-cost marijuana to people
who have permission to use the drug for medical reasons. About 190 Nevadans
are permitted under the state's current medical marijuana law to grow pot
to treat their illnesses.

"Our initiative certainly does not legalize use for people who use
marijuana irresponsibly," Rogers said.

But Brad Coker, managing director of the Washington, D.C.-based polling
firm, predicted support for legal marijuana will decline in coming months,
and the proposition will lose in November. The plan needs approval this
year and again in 2004 to amend the state constitution.

"Undecided voters tend to break no," Coker said.

"Some people see this as a novel idea, but I predict support will drop."

Coker expects law enforcement groups will mount a campaign that will be
hard for Rogers' organization to overcome.

He added the legal marijuana question is far different than the medical
marijuana one approved by 65 percent of voters two years ago.

"Medical marijuana was a defensible issue," he said.

"It was letting sick people treat themselves to alleviate pain and suffering."

Richard Ziser, the leader of the Coalition for the Protection of Marriage,
was pleased with the poll showing 55 percent of Nevadans oppose recognizing
gay marriages, even though that percentage is down from two years ago.

"The awareness factor is way down," Ziser said.

"People don't realize it has to be on the ballot again. It is just a matter
of getting the message out."

He expects with a fall drive to publicize the campaign, backing for the
initiative will be around 70 percent again.

Ziser said passage is important because of a recent Georgia Supreme Court
decision. The court ruled Georgia would not recognize the marriage of a gay
couple who moved there after marrying in Vermont under that state's civil
marriage law. Georgia has a law similar to the one that Ziser's group wants
Nevada voters to adopt.

Without the constitutional amendment, Ziser maintained, Nevada would have
to honor civil union marriages from Vermont, the only state that allows gay
marriages.

But Gary Peck, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of
Nevada, said the proposal is divisive and unnecessary because Nevada
already has a law allowing only marriages between men and women.

"We should figure out ways to foster a sense of community," he said.

"This proposition is clearly designed to marginalize a group of people,
make it plain they are second-class citizens."

Though most people who support the proposition are not homophobic, Peck
said, that can't be said about some of the initiative's leaders.

He is encouraged that support for the question has dropped.

Nevada Taxpayers Association President Carole Vilardo was not surprised the
poll found 68 percent of voters oppose lifting the prohibition on a state
income tax.

Lifting the ban has been mentioned during hearings of the Governor's Task
Force on Tax Policy, but Vilardo does not believe it will be considered
seriously.

"You would have to do an awful lot of explanation to convince people (to
support income taxes)," Vilardo said.

"They would want to know what benefit they would get in return."
__________________________________________________________________________
Distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in
receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Beth
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 23 Jul 2002 14:29:32 -0700
Subject:NV: Learn About Pot Measure Tonight Up TOC

Newshawk: Plylar For Co. State Congress (http://www.plylar.org)
Pubdate: Sun, 21 Jul 2002
Source: Reno Gazette-Journal (NV)
Copyright: 2002 Reno Gazette-Journal
Contact: rgjmail@nevadanet.com
Website: http://www.rgj.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/363

LEARN ABOUT POT MEASURE TONIGHT

Tonight, northern Nevadans get a chance to learn first-hand the pros and
cons of a measure on the general election ballot that would, among other
things, decriminalize possession of less than three ounces of marijuana.

Facts about the controversial proposal have been tough to find since the
measure qualified for the ballot earlier this month. During tonight's
broadcast, proponents and opponents will have the chance to lay out their
positions in a discussion, and the public can call in with their questions
during the live broadcast.

State law doesn't require these televised debates, but Secretary of State
Dean Heller is doing a good thing providing the public with facts from both
sides about a controversial issue.

The northern Nevada forum will be broadcast on channel 16 from 5 to 6 p.m.
You can call the studio live during the broadcast at 954-0911, e- mail at
service@@sncat.org or fax to 828-1337. Questions and comments also can be
submitted in advance to the Secretary of State's Office via e-mail at
nvelect@@govmail.state.nv.us or fax to 684-5718; questions sent in advance
must be received by noon today to be considered for tonight's broadcast.
__________________________________________________________________________
Distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in
receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Beth
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 23 Jul 2002 14:30:02 -0700
Subject:NV: Reno-Area Officials Oppose Marijuana Measure Up TOC

Newshawk: Krissy www.mpp.org
Pubdate: Mon, 22 Jul 2002
Source: Associated Press (Wire)
Copyright: 2002 Associated Press

RENO-AREA OFFICIALS OPPOSE MARIJUANA MEASURE

District Attorney Says Proponents Concealing Real Goal Of Legalization Of
All Drugs

RENO -- A statewide measure headed for the November ballot to legalize
possession of up to 3 ounces of marijuana marks another step for a group
that wants to legalize all drugs, according to Washoe County District
Attorney Richard Gammick.

Gammick said marijuana proponents aren't being upfront about their motives.
The district attorney said he made a similar warning in 2000, when Nevada
voters approved legalization of marijuana for medicinal uses.

"There is a national coalition, and their goal is the legalization of all
illegal drugs," Gammick said.

"I said two years ago that they're coming back again because they will not
quit."

Backers of the initiative say easing marijuana laws would give law
enforcement more time to combat serious crime. Nationwide, 750,000 arrests
were made for marijuana possession in 2000, with each arrest consuming
three to eight hours in booking and court time, said Billy Rogers, campaign
manager for the initiative.

"That is a colossal waste of law enforcement time," Rogers told the Reno
Gazette-Journal.

"Most people think law enforcement time could be better spent going after
murderers, rapists and other violent criminals, and fighting the war on
terrorism."

Rogers said the ballot measure stops short of true legalization because it
would prohibit marijuana use in public, including at parks and casinos.

"When you're banning the public use of marijuana, that's not legalization,"
said Rogers, who is on leave from his position as state policy director for
the Medical Marijuana Project in Washington, D.C., while he manages the
campaign for the Nevada initiative.

The proposal needs approval from voters in November and again in 2004 to
become law.

The Washoe County sheriff's office opposes the marijuana initiative, in
part because it would put Nevada in conflict with federal law, sheriff's
spokeswoman Deputy Michelle Youngs said.

Youngs also questioned whether the initiative would reduce significantly
the number of arrests because marijuana possession usually is discovered
after deputies arrest someone on a different charge.

Nevada changed its marijuana laws last year so that possession of less than
1 ounce is a misdemeanor rather than a felony. That means most people
caught with less than an ounce of marijuana are cited rather than jailed.
__________________________________________________________________________
Distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in
receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Beth
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 23 Jul 2002 14:33:16 -0700
Subject: AL: More Than $16 Million Worth Of Marijuana Destroyed In

Newshawk: chip
Pubdate: Sat, 20 Jul 2002
Source: Anniston Star (AL)
Copyright: 2002 Consolidated Publishing
Contact: speakout@annistonstar.com
Website: http://www.annistonstar.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/923
Author: Brandon Tubbs

MORE THAN $16 MILLION WORTH OF MARIJUANA DESTROYED IN CHEROKEE, CLEBURNE

An estimated $16.85 million produced from the illegal sales of marijuana
will not reach circulation after a three-day effort by agents involved in
Alabama's Marijuana Eradication Program.

Agents flying the skies of Cherokee and Cleburne counties seized and
destroyed 8,425 marijuana plants this week, law enforcement officials said.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration estimates the street value of one
marijuana plant to be $2,000.

No arrests had been made as of Friday in connection with any of the
discovered marijuana.

The Cherokee County Drug Task Force, the Calhoun-Cleburne County Drug Task
Force, the Alabama Bureau of Investigation, the Alabama National Guard and
personnel from the sheriffs offices of each county joined in the effort to
find and destroy the plants.
__________________________________________________________________________
Distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in
receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Beth
------------------------------
End of Restore-Digest V2002 #144
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