I'm really looking forward to the conference next week. Starting to plan out the workshops I want to attend and blog about (a couple of them, unfortunately, are at the same time as the one I'm co-presenting with David Guard). Lots of interesting ones, and lots of people I'm looking forward to seeing again, or meeting in person for the first time. I didn't realize until today that next Thursday's keynote session features Antonio Maria Costa, Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). He's a diehard prohibitionist and propagandist (here's an example of his writing). Having him at an international drug policy reform conference should be... interesting, to say the least. He is balanced by Kasia Malinowska-Sempruch, Director of the International Harm Reduction Development program at the Open Society Institute (OSI). I'll be sure to pass on all the fireworks to you.

Yesterday, Allan noted that a letter of his had been commented on by Drug Watch International. That threw me. The name Drug Watch International had a slightly familiar ring, but I couldn't place it and knew nothing about it. That in itself was startling. An international prohibitionist group that has gone unmentioned in my blog in the four years I've been writing? How is that possible? So I looked them up. Not much there there. Most of the pages haven't been updated in years, and it seems that all they really do is release a newsletter one to four times a year. Their principles include such things as:

• Support strong laws and meaningful legal penalties that hold users and dealers accountable for their actions.
• Support efforts to prevent availability and use of drugs, and oppose policies and programs that accept drug use based erroneously on reduction or minimization of harm.
• Support International Treaties and Agreements, including international sanctions and penalties against drug trafficking, and oppose attempts to weaken international drug policies and laws.
• Support efforts to halt the legalization/decriminalization of drugs.

Yep. They're hard core. They had one newsletter this year (the only one I looked at). Most of it was regurgitating propaganda from other sources, but they seemed to start with a couple of feature articles. First was a special article about the presentation of the Drug Watch... FREEDOM award! On March 18, 2007, they presented this special Freedom plaque (there's a picture of it) to Dr. Gabriel Nahas for a book he wrote in 1986 about the hazards of marijuana called "Keep Off the Grass." Nahas' wife was also there...

Marilyn Nahas read several congratulatory cards and letters from people who recalled important milestones in her husband's life and his crusade against drug abuse. She reminded everyone that "Gabby" often was fiercely and ruthlessly attacked for his views by those seeking to legalize drugs, especially marihuana, and that in the early years he often stood alone, backed only by parents and early activists in what we call today the preventionists' movement.

Freedom award! Then there was the Hemp Report from the chair of Drug Watch International's Hemp Committee with a host of catchy slogans:

• "It's the stalks, stupid!"
• Hemp: Where there's rope, there's dope.
• NO state or country in the world has scientifically established the safety of food products made from hemp.
• North Dakota officials have been convinced to jeopardize what they hold most dear -- the safety of their children, families, communities, and even their country.
• ...safeguards can't be put on fatty human cell walls to protect them from toxic, fat-loving THC found in food, cosmetic, and other products made of Cannabis hemp/marijuana.
• Potential harm to children from chemicals in hemp/marijuana is reported in national and international official government documents, which say that the toxic, bioactive cannabinoids in hemp/marijuana can affect and/or delay the growth and development of children.

Wow. These folks are really 'round the bend.

Rob at To the People notes that the Drug Czar's blog is really stretching for material with this post touting that "Next week's Time magazine highlights the latest evidence of marijuana's harm as part of their "Year in Medicine" news coverage..." when in fact Time's "highlight" was a single sentence in part of a larger story. Rob's right -- the Czar is really reaching on this one. Particularly since the ONDCP blog already covered the non-story back in July So what is this startling and damaging information about marijuana that's worth all this fuss? According to Time Magazine: "A single marijuana cigarette has the same effect on the lungs as smoking up to five cigarettes in succession." According to the drug czar blog: "Time Magazine: One Joint=5 Cigarettes" According to the drug czar blog in July: "Smoking just one marijuana joint is the same as smoking five cigarettes in terms of the damage it does to your lungs, a new study found." And back in July, the Reuters article had an alarmist headline: "One cannabis joint as bad as five cigarettes" So, what's up? The Medical Research Institute of New Zealand discovered that the chronic lung disease emphysema was found in 18.9 percent of cigarette smokers, but only 1.3 percent of marijuana smokers. It also found that both tobacco and marijuana cigarettes had an effect on blocking lung airflow, with one joint causing as much difficulty as 2.5 to 5 cigarettes. (And we already know, separately, that marijuana doesn't cause lung cancer.) So one marijuana joint is equivalent in airflow issues to 2.5 to 5 cigarettes. Let's say a normal smoker tends to smoke about 25 cigarettes a day. If a marijuana smoker is going solo on 5-10 joints a day, they need to get some better pot. Or use a vaporizer. So what have we learned? Marijuana is far, far better for you than cigarettes because of the reduced likelihood of lung cancer and emphysema. And to protect your lungs even more, be sure to stick to avoid ditch weed and if you have any issues with breathing, use a vaporizer.

---
SIX people were arrested in a drugs swoop at Ipswich railway station on
Thursday night.

British Transport Police carried out spot-checks of passengers, looking
for anyone possessing an illegal substance.

A total of 15 officers, along with three sniffer dogs - one of which was
from Suffolk Constabulary - carried out the operation.

They made six arrests, detaining two people in custody for further
investigation and issuing four with warnings in relation to unlawful
possession of cannabis.

It follows a similar operation in October when nine people were arrested.

Detective inspector David Aiton, of British Transport Police, said:
“From our point of view it's been an effective and successful
initiative. There is nothing to suggest that there is more of a drug's
problem at Ipswich than at other railway stations but you do get the
people travelling from London and historical intelligence does suggest
that there has been trafficking of drugs in the past.

“However tonight has been very encouraging and our recent initiatives
like this have had a significant impact in terms of disrupting activity.

“We work together with the railway industry and Suffolk Constabulary to
share information and make sure the travelling public feel safe and secure.”

http://www.eadt.co.uk/

---
Farmer Ulf Hammarsten has been awarded an environmental prize by
officials Laholm for his decision to fight a ban on the cultivation of
industrial hemp all the way to the EU courts.

When Hammarsten first began growing the crop seven years ago, police
soon arrived at his farm in western Sweden and dug up all his plants.

Hammarsten faced criminal charges for narcotics offences. But he stuck
to his task and eventually earned the right to continue growing hemp
when he defeated the Swedish authorities in an EU court case.

"It became clear to me quite early that this was an environmentally
friendly crop that cleanses the earth. Hemp sucks up substances that
destroy the soil such as industrial fertilizer and pesticides,"
Hammarsten told Sveriges Radio.

The Laholm farmer's court victory spelled the end of a thirty year ban
on the growth of industrial hemp. While the plant can be used to
generate cannabis, the industrial uses of hemp include the production of
paper, food oil, fuel, paint, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals.

The plant also grows quickly and is easy to harvest.

TT/The Local (news@thelocal.se/08 656 6518)

http://www.thelocal.se/9244/20071129/

---
Consumption of cannabis and other illegal drugs dropped in Germany for
the first time in years, the German government commissioner for
drug-related affairs, Sabine Baetzing announced here Tuesday.

Addressing the media at a news conference at the health ministry,
Baetzing said there was an 'overall downward trend' in the consumption
of drugs.

She cited 'better preventive' programs in the area of tobacco and
cannabis consumption as part of the reason for the declining figures.

According to a government report on the drug situation in Germany, the
number of people, aged between 18 and 39, who use illegal drugs, slipped
from 12.2 percent in 2003 to 9.6 percent last year.

The number of drug-related death cases stood at 1,296 people which is
the lowest level since 1989.

The survey pointed out that around one-fourth of Germans has had some
kind of experience with illegal drugs in their life-time.

The portion of adults who consumed drugs over the past 12 months fell to
five percent, while only 30 percent used narcotics over the last 30 days.

Meanwhile, around 179,000 drug-related offences were recorded last year,
indicating an eight percent decrease from 2005.

In terms of market price for illegal drugs, only slight changes were
reported between 2005 and 2006.

http://mathaba.net/news/?x=572549

For a number of Presidential campaign cycles, the drug war got about as much coverage as philately. Other than the Granite Staters' tireless work questioning candidates about medical marijuana and the obligatory "Did you ever smoke pot" debate question with all the candidates lying about whether they did/whether they did successfully/whether they enjoyed it, the drug war was absent. These days, however, the topic is even more popular among the candidates than numismatics. Now we've got John Edwards criticizing the war on drugs.

America needs to reconsider its punitive approach to "the so-called war on drugs," presidential candidate John Edwards said here today. "We're not going to build enough prisons to solve this problem," he told a crowd of about 800 at Grinnell College.

And Hillary Clinton even traveled an almost perceptible distance away from the extremes of wishy-washy-ness.

She also supports using U.S. funding to support proven harm reduction efforts - including needle exchange - to help hard-to-reach populations, and will continue to support new evidence-based prevention methods as additional scientific research helps us understand how to best address this epidemic.

It's almost as though some politicians are starting to get the idea that supporting the drug war as it currently exists doesn't really help them.

Colorado -- A Fort Collins couple and their lawyer plan to visit the Larimer County sheriff's office Wednesday in hopes of recovering 39 marijuana plants seized by narcotics officers during a raid at their home in August 2006. A Larimer County District Court Judge ruled Monday that authorities must return the plants and growing equipment taken from James and Lisa Masters. Their lawyer described them as medical marijuana providers for themselves and about 8 to 10 other people.

---
A cannabis dealer who claimed he used the drug to alleviate arthritis
pain has been jailed for 15 months.

When police raided the home of Terrance Hickey, 52, and his wife, Amanda
Andrews, in Shanklin Gardens, South Oxhey, on Friday, July 20, they
found almost a third of a kilo of cannabis.

In the kitchen police discovered bags of cannabis and foil wraps in
ready made deals, with a street value of around £1,000.

Both pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply, having
initially given no comment interviews to police following their arrest.

The basis of the plea, accepted by the prosecution, was that money from
the drug dealing was used to pay for the cannabis used by Hickey to
alleviate his disease.

However, Judge Griffith told the court he did not believe the sole
reason for selling the drugs was Hickey's medication.

He said: "It is clear to me you were not just selling to buy more
cannabis for Terrance Hickey. There was a measure being used for the
family finances."

Judge Griffith adjourned sentencing Andrews for three weeks for further
reports to see if he could pass a suspended sentence in her case.

http://www.watfordobserver.co.uk/

---
A former doorman at a cannabis cafe has been cleared of any wrong doing
by a jury.

Mike Allday, 42, of Leconfield Road, Lancing, had faced charges of
allowing the premises in Victoria Road, Worthing, to be used for dealing
and using cannabis.

His arrest in August 2005 followed a police raid on the cafe.

Allday had maintained his innocence throughout the two years it took to
bring him to trial.

And he was cleared in a unanimous verdict after two hours of
deliberation by the jury at Croydon Crown Court.

Speaking exclusively to The Argus afterwards, Mr Allday said: "I always
knew it would be not guilty. The foreman of the jury told me afterwards
there was not a scrap of evidence to convict me.

"The police botched this raid. They set fire to the building and people
were trapped inside at the time.

"The whole thing has been a farce from start to finish and the unanimous
verdict of the jury proves it."

Heavy cutting equipment was needed by police to force their way into the
five rooms on the first floor of the building.

More than 20 people were found there, lounging on sofas and chairs.

Around 260 small plastic bags, each containing cannabis, were
discovered, as well as other paraphernalia connected with the drugs.

There were two sets of electronic scales and many empty plastic bags, as
well as cannabis grinders.

Allday was not there at the time of the raid but when seen outside he
said: "I have got nothing to do with the cafe."

A film of the police raid - named Operation Firebird - was shown to the
jury.

Mr Allday, in evidence, claimed his only function had been as head of
cafe security.

He maintained he had nothing to do with the management.

The case is the latest development in the long running battle between
police and cannabis smokers in the area.

Officers have previously raided and successfully closed the Bongchuffa
cafe in Rowlands Road, Worthing, along with the premises in Victoria Road.

However officers have been less successful in their attempts to close
down the suspected cannabis cafe in Freshbrook Road, Lancing.

Three raids have been carried out on the heavily fortified building this
year but on two occasions only small amounts of the drug have been
recovered and on the last none was found at all.

Chief Inspector Lawrence Hobbs, Sussex Police's district commander for
the Adur area, has said his force will continue to execute warrants on
the building "as and when" it is felt necessary.

The police chief has told The Argus he wants to prevent drug dealers
profiting from crime but said those who use small amounts of cannabis in
their own homes were unlikely to be targeted.

http://www.theargus.co.uk/