Miscellaneous

The fight to reform UN drug laws

karlis — Fri, 05 Sep 2003 00:00:00 -0700

For over 30 years, UN anti-drug conventions ? signed by Canada, the US, Holland and every other western nation ? have been our rulers' favorite excuse for not reforming drug laws, even under extreme public pressure. The three most powerful of these agreements were signed at the UN in 1961, 1971 and 1998.

Thailand's anti-drug death squads

karlis — Sat, 16 Aug 2003 00:00:00 -0700

Thai police officer: ready to kill all druggies.On April 30, Thailand's Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra claimed victory in his three month "all-out campaign against drug trafficking." The campaign included over 17,000 arrests and the deaths of 2,274 people, most killed in "extrajudicial executions."

DEA Chief will help run new spy agency

karlis — Sat, 25 Jan 2003 00:00:00 -0800

America moved one giant step closer to becoming a complete police state this week when Congress approved $33 billion funding to authorize a new Cabinet level department called Homeland Security.

Radioactive tobacco

karlis — Wed, 02 Jan 2002 00:00:00 -0800

Cannabis is often compared to tobacco, with the damage caused by smoking tobacco given as a reason to prohibit use of cannabis. Yet most of the harms caused by tobacco use are due not to tar, but to the use of radioactive fertilizers. Surprisingly, radiation seems to be the most dangerous and important factor behind tobacco lung damage.
Radioactive fertilizer

Fraud at UN drug office

karlis — Fri, 23 Nov 2001 00:00:00 -0800

On July 29, the Observer reported on "gross mismanagement and possible corruption" at the UN Office of Drug Control.
The article claimed staff morale is at "rock bottom" and that the contract of executive director Pino Arlacchi will not be renewed when it expires in February, 2002. Arlacchi is a former Italian senator who made his name fighting the Mafia.

Uruguay pres for legalization

karlis — Sun, 29 Apr 2001 00:00:00 -0700

On November 10, Uruguay's President Jorge Batlle became the first Latin American leader to call for the legalization of drugs.
During the Tenth Iberoamerican Summit of Chiefs of State and Government in Panama, Batlle said "If that little powder was worth only 10 cents, there would be no organizations dedicated to raising a billion dollars to finance armies in Colombia."

The Fifth Estate investigates DEA presence in BC

karlis — Mon, 23 Apr 2001 00:00:00 -0700

The following is a transcript of a CBC Fifth Estate Program that aired early in the year:(Transcribed by Reverend Damuzi)

The US is constantly being reminded that Canada is a country of regions with unique interests. In British Columbia, for example, there is unique interest and big business in a product that's banned by law. It's marijuana, a best selling variety known everywhere as BC Bud.

NORML vs networks

karlis — Fri, 06 Apr 2001 00:00:00 -0700

After a complaint from the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) ruled in December that television networks such as NBC, ABC, CBS, FOX and read more

Beaten for khat

karlis — Sat, 03 Mar 2001 00:00:00 -0800

On April 27, 1999, four Toronto police officers raided a home looking for khat, a stimulating herb popular in Somalia, arbitrarily banned in Canada in 1996. Abdulkadir Mohamoud was in that home, visiting his brother and friends, when police smashed down the door and terrorized the residents. Mohamoud's elbow was broken and he was knocked unconscious by police after being hog-tied with telephone cord and kicked twice in the head.

Bush Nominees

karlis — Wed, 27 Dec 2000 00:00:00 -0800

During America's presidential campaign, George W. Bush said he'd respect state's rights regarding medical marijuana. Albert Gore said medical marijuana had no value.

Drug war Vietnam

karlis — Fri, 27 Oct 2000 00:00:00 -0700

Barry McCaffrey, head of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), is the world's most powerful anti-drug official. He commands an army of employees and an $18 billion a year budget. His decisions create global drug policy.

Russian Parliament passes drug-info ban

karlis — Thu, 27 Jul 2000 00:00:00 -0700

The July 9 edition of Russia's St Petersberg Times reported that the Russian Federation Council has passed a ban forbidding all media, including the Internet, from publishing information on the production, use and sale of illegal drugs.
This legislation is very similar to the Methamphetmaine Anti-Proliferation Act due to be passed soon by the US Congress.

Russia: Upper House Passes Media Ban Over Drugs Sunday, July 9, 2000 by Anna Badkhen, Staff Writer St. Petersburg Times

Smoking soap is smoking poison

karlis — Fri, 26 May 2000 00:00:00 -0700

The following is taken from Red Eye Express, issue nine.
MAKING SOAP BAR IN YORKSHIRE

While reading Robert Connell Clarke's excellent book, Hashish, we came across a section on low-grade export quality Moroccan hash, known in the UK as Soap Bar.

It seems that soap is made from only a very small percentage of resin glands (referred to as pollen), and up to 90% non-resin cannabis plant material which is bound together with beeswax or pine resin and condensed milk, as the mixture is too dry and powdery to be bound any other way.

Fake buds exposed!

karlis — Wed, 24 May 2000 00:00:00 -0700

You've seen the ads in High Times: "Real Budz! Stoney Hydroponic Smoke! Ultra-potent smoking mix!" Yet what is that stuff? The ads sure don't give you any indication of what you're actually buying, other than their trademarked names like Thai-Stix, Afghanish, BC Hydro, Inda-Kind, and Sweet Green.

Senate passes drug-info ban

karlis — Thu, 02 Mar 2000 00:00:00 -0800

On November 19, the US Senate unanimously passed a vicious bill which proposes to ban Cannabis Culture, and any other publication, website or even verbal communication which explains the manufacture or use of any controlled substance.
The bill is called the Methamphetamine Anti-Proliferation Act 1999, but it's actually aimed at anyone that speaks out in favour of marijuana legalization, harm reduction, or an end to the drug war. The penalty for violating this info-ban is up to 10 years imprisonment, and a hefty fine.

Prescription for trouble

karlis — Mon, 14 Feb 2000 00:00:00 -0800

When I got arrested for medical marijuana, several of my conservative friends told me pot was bad for me and that I should take prescription medicines for the chronic pain, arthritis, and spinal twists put on me by injuries and stupid surgeons.

LAPD corruption runs deep

karlis — Sun, 13 Feb 2000 00:00:00 -0800

Pubdate: Sat, 12 Feb 2000Source: Washington Post (DC)
Copyright: 2000 The Washington Post Company
Feedback: washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/edit/letters/letterform.htm

LOS ANGELES - So many lies, false arrests, dirty cops and wrongful convictions are being exposed in the latest scandal engulfing this city's police force that it is getting hard to keep up with all of the corruption.

The tally of abuse and deceit increases almost every week.

US: War-Hero Drug Czar Under Fire in TV Ploy

karlis — Thu, 27 Jan 2000 00:00:00 -0800

URL: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v00/n111/a03.html Newshawk: Sledhead
Pubdate: Mon, 24 Jan 2000
Source: New York Post (NY)
Copyright: 2000, N.Y.P. Holdings, Inc.
Contact: mailto:letters@mypost.com
Website: http://nypostonline.com/
Author: JOHN O'MAHONY

WAR-HERO DRUG CZAR UNDER FIRE IN TV PLOY

Village Voice article on drug-info ban

karlis — Wed, 26 Jan 2000 00:00:00 -0800

WASHINGTON 451

Pot-censorship bill passes US Senate

karlis — Wed, 22 Dec 1999 00:00:00 -0800

The US Senate has passed a vicious bill which proposes to ban Cannabis Culture, High Times, and any other publication or website which distributes "information pertaining to, in whole or in part, the manufacture or use of a controlled substance."
The bill is called the "Methamphetamine Anti-Proliferation Act 1999" (S.486), but its real target is anyone that speaks out in favour of medicinal marijuana, hemp cultivation, or an end to the drug war.

Congress Plans Pot-Info Ban

karlis — Mon, 06 Dec 1999 00:00:00 -0800

One month after US Drug Czar General McCaffrey told a Congressional committee that he was getting "rolled in the public arena" by Cannabis Culture and other pot-supporters, a bill has been introduced into the US Congress which would ban all pro-pot books and websites. Anything which explains how to grow or use cannabis, or any other prohibited plant or substance, would be completely censored.

The bill is called the Methamphetamine Anti-Proliferation Act, but its real target is magazines, books and websites which dissent from the war on drugs mentality.

Police High on Firepower

karlis — Thu, 18 Nov 1999 00:00:00 -0800

Within a few months this summer, police repeatedly endangered innocent human lives with their bungling, oafish disregard for the power of firearms.The week of July 20, Toronto cops smashed in Cecil Smith?s door in a raid that discovered .23 grams of marijuana. Not enough to roll a decent roach. In the raid one of his two dogs, Miller, was shot despite the fact that he wasn?t attacking an officer.

Drug War Fun

karlis — Mon, 01 Nov 1999 00:00:00 -0800

Microsoft millionaire backs pot
A Seattle ballot initiative to permit pot to be sold in liquor stores got major financial backing from an ex-Microsoft programmer. Bruce McKinney, who left Microsoft two years ago, donated $100,000 to the Campaign for the Restoration and Regulation of Hemp (CRRH), sponsor of Initiative 229.

Tobacco prohibition, what a drag

karlis — Mon, 01 Nov 1999 00:00:00 -0800

Tobacco has been desecrated by its relationship to big corporations. Commercial tobacco has been genetically engineered with genes from arctic fish, fed radioactive fertilizers, and treated with a host of dangerous chemicals including ammonia, which increases tobacco's addictiveness.

Marc Emery Responds to North Shore News' "Tough Love" article

karlis — Fri, 17 Sep 1999 00:00:00 -0700

Re: Tough Love for Drug Pushers.Since I would certainly be one of the millions of Canadians who have trafficked in the illegal plant called cannabis, and all of us in the marijuana culture have shared a joint -trafficked as it reads in law- with dozens or hundreds of others over our lifetime, I wonder how the society of barbarism Mr. Alan Williams advocates could possibly be more humane than simply legalizing all drugs, regardless of the risks of taking any drug?