Not Much Better than DARE

Public education, while beneficial to society, is a subject which causes me a great deal of consternation. Without a doubt it is an institution which has improved with the passage of time thanks to some hard-working individuals in our community. I am eternally grateful to the public educators that saw bullying as an issue which has the potential to ruin education for every student in the school system. The seven virtues are now taught in elementary schools system-wide in Saskatoon. When I was in kindergarten I remember being face-washed every recess by older kids. Then when I reached the ripe-old age of nine I exacted revenge on an unsuspecting kindergartener, thus perpetrating the cycle of violence in the playground. I remember feeling pangs of guilt about this type of behaviour, but I knew in my little forth grade heart that bullying was no big deal. I am grateful that in comparison to my grade-school experiences my children have been relatively untouched by daily aggression and unrelenting bullying.

However, being an opinionated know-it-all school marm is not easy when there are still so many things wrong with the school system. For example, in the early part of this week I had the misfortune of sitting through an absolutely terrible bit of reefer madness indoctrination presented in a public school classroom and incorrectly labeled as "drug education".

A police officer accompanied by two handsome and charming young men came into the classroom and detailed their experiences talking to the homeless substance abusers they encountered while on the infamous East Hastings Street in Vancouver. They talked about desperate homeless people that will do anything for their next fix. These people were living in unimaginable filth, stealing, and prostituting and living only for their next dose of coke, heroine or morphine. They are homeless and live in back-alleys, full of urine, feces and used needles.

The police officer was not in uniform, although he chose to wear his gun. I should have assured him that the children aren't THAT bad. He talked about how the bad guys always get caught. The handsome young dudes talked about the numbers of dealers on the street and the fact that there is nothing the police can do about it, completely contradicting what the police officer had previously stated.

Now before I go on and tell you about the absolutely horrible hair-raising part of this program I want to make something perfectly clear. I have no problem with telling children about the uglier parts of real life. There is nothing wrong with teaching children about homelessness, drug addiction and poverty in an honest way. What I do have a problem with is the lies and nonsense told to this room full of impressionable school children by supposedly trustworthy authority figures.

The police officer said, "These drug dealers do not care about you or who they destroy. They will get you hooked and all they care about is your money. People start by drinking beer and smoking pot and the next thing you know they are doing needles."

Would any self-respecting teacher teach their students the discounted gateway theory? I certainly hope not. The gateway theory has been roundly debunked and there is no excuse for teaching this trash to children.

I have a different scenario that the police officer and all police officers everywhere should consider. The black market supply of drugs is irregular. It isn't like a liquor board store. Your friendly neighborhood drug dealer may run out of your drug of choice (in this case marijuana) and may offer you a stronger alternative such as cocaine, heroin or the much-feared meth. While I realize that teaching children the futility of the war on drugs may be inappropriate, I do not see how anybody can defend or justify telling kids that pot and beer always leads to harder drugs. This is unscientific garbage that should not be taught to kids!

Here is another thing to consider. I know that the high schools in this city are literally awash with marijuana. If you know where to look I can guarantee that you will find stoned kids in class. I have seen kids smoking pot, I have smelled it in communication books, on the jackets of pre-schoolers and I have smelled the cloud of marijuana around the groups of Goth kids as they walk past me in the hallway. Kids love their dope. While I do not in any way condone or approve of this behaviour, I do realize it exists. I also know that these kids sat through (and ignored) the very same reefer madness indoctrination that I witnessed this week. And I know that the majority of them are not going to become homeless, unwashed, prostituting, thieving, needle-sharing drug addicts.

Why do you think that is? Maybe these kids have an older brother or sister, parent, kokum, mooshum, auntie or uncle that smokes marijuana and they know firsthand that it is a relatively benign substance. I also hate to think what a terrible thing it is to teach inaccuracies to children about marijuana. What if they find out that marijuana has been unfairly demonized and then come to the conclusion that the school system lied about meth too? Horrors!

So yes, I do like public education but the continued reefer madness indoctrination is something that I have a HUGE problem with. I hated sitting through that entire presentation with my thumb up my ass, feeling helpless against the onslaught of bullshit. I wanted to ask a question or make a comment that would let everybody know that I think this presentation is full of evil wrongness but an appropriate comment failed me, until later. Then I realized I should have asked the police officer innocently, "So do all the drug dealers go to jail?" What could he possibly have said in response to that?

Of course, teaching kids the truth about marijuana, that it is about as addictive as caffeine, kills less people than stingrays, and does not cause cancer, may actually make people feel A-OK about using marijuana and pretty pissed about the War on Some Drugs. And we simply can't allow that to happen!

Full Grass Documentary

Thanks to Herb I can now see the whole movie.

Another Great You Tube Video

GRASS - History of Marijuana Part 1

This is a wonderful look at the history of the prohibition of marijuana. It is quite enlightening.



And here is part 2.

Frightening Thing Happened at Work Today

I was at an unnamed Saskatoon Public school when I saw a picture of a grade one student that had the words BLOOD CONTACT WARNING under his name. So I asked one of my co-workers what the sign meant.

Co-worker: "It means that he may be positive"

Me: "What do you mean?"

Co-worker: "He was playing on the playground and he got jabbed by a dirty needle."

Me: "#$*#(*$)$)@@#$^%&?!?!?! Really?"

This is horrible! Kids finding and getting stuck with dirty needles on a public school playground? This is frightening as hell. Imagine if it was your kid that got the needle jab and had to have HIV testing.

I hope it doesn't take a kid getting HIV for Saskatoon to finally get a safe injection site. Parents and teachers better make sure to talk to their kids about dirty needles. I'll make sure to lecture mine tonight!

If you find a dirty needle:

- Tell an adult.
- DO NOT TOUCH A DIRTY NEEDLE. Getting poked with a dirty needle can give you or your friends a serious, life-threaening illness. Never, ever pick it up. Let an adult take care of the needle.

That about covers it, eh?

A Great Stocking Stuffer

My own kids have bought the reefer madness bit and this book might be just the anti-dote that they need.

Why I love Air Farce

The NDP: Out of the frying pan and into the fire

Some interesting remarks were made in the legislature on Nov.23, 2006.

Ms. Draude: — Mr. Speaker, the NDP went to great lengths to ensure that you can’t smoke a cigarette in a café in Saskatchewan. Yet the federal leader of the NDP Party says you should be able to smoke a joint in a café.

Mr. Speaker, does the Premier support this leader? To the Premier: should you be able to smoke up in a Saskatchewan café where other people including children may be present and harmed by second-hand smoke?

I would invite Ms. Draude to read the resolution that was passed by the NDP. It reads as follows:

WHEREAS cannabis has a long history of social, religious and medicinal use in a wide variety of cultures around the world;

WHEREAS government figures estimate 3 million Canadians or 14% of Canada's population are current cannabis users, and about 45% of Canadians have used cannabis during their lifetime, and that virtually all these people are otherwise law-abiding citizens;

WHEREAS numerous public opinion polls conducted since 2000 show that most Canadians support eliminating criminal penalties for cannabis;

WHEREAS the value of the Canadian cannabis industry is estimated at between 5 and 20 billion dollars, and that if taxed and regulated this industry would generate substantial revenues for provincial and court time and resources,

WHEREAS the two major Canadian studies into the effects of cannabis and cannabis law, the 1971 LeDain Commission and the 2002 Canadian Senate Report, both recommended removing punishment for personal cultivation and possession, with the Senate report also recommending that cannabis should be regulated and made legally available to adults,

WHEREAS Canada's federal NDP advocates for non-punitive cannabis legislation, and in February 2006, the BC NDP passed a resolution showing their support for non-punitive marijuana laws,

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Saskatchewan NDP support the Federal NDP's call for a non-punitive approach to cannabis law, including elimination of all penalties for personal cultivation and possession by adults, and actively work to institute non-punitive cannabis policies at the provincial level.

I read the resolution a few times. I did not see any mention of allowing cannabis cafes or smoking in public. The resolution merely acknowledges the futility of the prohibition of cannabis.

I think I better write a letter to both Ms. Draude, for her ill-informed remarks. And to Mr. Addley for the weak ineffectual response to Ms. Draude's ill-informed remarks. I'll post them if I get around to writing them.


Hat tip SKMP

Niagara addicts turn to prescription drugs

Hopefully this will mean fewer cases of AIDS.

Why does that feel like such a creepy thought?

It frightens me that these people are in charge sometimes.....

"I can't seriously see people (being) opposed to this type of legislation," said Toews, noting that similar measures are already in force in many American states.

Ha ha

new legislation 'unfairly targets marijuana users'

Russell Barth says it better than I ever could:

Regular medical marijuana users are being unfairly targeted by the Conservative government's new drug-driving legislation, which will increase penalties and make it easier for police to crack down on people who do drugs before getting behind the wheel, a national advocacy group warned Wednesday.

"This law, we feel, would unfairly target marijuana users," said Russell Barth, a medical marijuana user and member of the National Capital Reformers. "Discriminating against us based on our medication . . . is much like discriminating against us based on the colour of our skin."

Justice Minister Vic Toews revived on Tuesday a Liberal-era bill designed to catch drug-impaired drivers through roadside checks and blood samples, an initiative that has failed twice before and raised concerns about court challenges.

Let's hope that this measure fails again.

School Board rejects drug test grant

It said no Tuesday to a four-year federal grant that would have paid for random drug testing of some high school athletes. It said no to a national study that would have let the federal government evaluate drug use among Citrus students.

They made the right choice.

Mom punches teacher

What was the biggest mistake made in this video? Allowing the drug-testing to take place? The teacher revealing the results in such a public and unprofessional manner? Or the parent for punching the teacher in the face?

It's kind of a toss up.

School district settles suit for no money

A former industrial arts teacher at Abingdon High School who lost her job in 2004 after she was accused of letting students make drug paraphernalia in class has reached a settlement with Abingdon District 217.

I have to wonder, did the teacher make a major lapse in judgment by knowingly allowing her students to build drug paraphernelia? Or was this teacher just remarkably naive. Pipes and bongs can be made out of apples, tin cans, pop bottles, and copper pipe (to name a few building materials.) Did those kids get marks for creativity? I wonder what those pipes and bongs looked like.

I wish I knew the whole story.

Saskatchewan NDP Convention Endorses Pot Decriminalization

The Saskatchewan NDP are having a convention this weekend. I wish I would have gone there now! We moms never leave the house except to work, buy groceries or go to a kid-involved school event. Next time I will make sure to show up.

I knew that the SKMP was going to go to this event and I knew that Dana Larsen, who is the founder of eNDProhibition, was going to be there. And instead I enjoyed my kid-free evening by playing Tetris! I am an incorrigible nerd, that I am.

I was very happy to hear that the resolution to deal with cannabis in a non-punitive manner was almost unanimously endorsed. I was very pleasantly surprised by that news. I have always thought that Saskatchewan was rather conservative and not ready to embrace a more progressive drug policy. I have obviously misjudged the Saskatchewan NDP and I am very happily wrong.

In my pro-cannabis dealings I have had an overwhelming number of people support our cause. It is kind of exciting but it makes me think: Now what? I would love to be more involved the Cannabis culture but I am not sure how to do that. Should I start a medical grow or a hydroponics shop? Should I dress up in a giant leaf costume and parade around downtown educating people about the wonders of cannabis? Join eNDProhibition? Join a committee for the SKMP?

Pastor begs for forgiveness on behalf of the sinners

I was shocked to read in the Oct. 21 Kalamazoo Gazette family newspaper, the words of singer George Michael, talking about marijuana: ``This stuff keeps me sane and happy. I'd say it's a great drug -- but, obviously it's not very healthy.''

What a disgusting and objectionable way to influence youth and readers of the Gazette.

Having recently conducted the funeral of an intelligent 19-year-old young man killed by a drug overdose, you get my ``righteous indignation'' up to a high level. May God have mercy on you and forgive you for printing these words in our Gazette.

John Moore

Associate Pastor

The Lighthouse Church

Portage

Despite the propoganda telling you otherwise, marijuana has never caused a single overdose death in the thousands of years it has been used, is not a gateway drug and does not cause cancer. Before you shoot off angry letters to the editor, you might want to do a little research about the maligned drugs that you object to so vehemently.

I find it interesting how George Micheal admits to the unhealthiness of his merry-jew-wanna habit while conducting the interview. Do you think he would have made a similar admission had he been eating a greasy cheeseburger, washed down with a calorie-loaded pop? I doubt the unhealthiness of his recreational substances would have been called into question.

But don't worry, Pastor. We will forgive you for the fact that you are uninformed and reinforcing many stereotypes about drugs and therefore encouraging the war on drugs which claims many lives every day.

I should make sure to wish him a Merry Cephalopodmas, when the time is right!

Drug Deal with Afghanistan

The Bush administration loves to talk about giving women freedom while drug war supporting policies continue to devastate Afghanistan. It might interest the Bush government to know that wreaking economic warfare on people by eradicating opium crops is playing right into the hands of the Taliban.

I like this idea:

The answer is not military conflict in Afghanistan. The answer is taking gender-based oppression into account in refuge claims. We could "rescue" every oppressed Afghan woman who wants asylum by simply opening our doors to all female refugees from Afghanistan, and any other regime that doesn't afford full civil rights to women. Link

In my experience, Iraqi and Afghani immigrants are extremely grateful and happy to be in Canada. It's quite a culture shock to realize that women are equal to men here. Bringing them here would be a much more humiliating tactic than continuing to wage war.

Anybody out there with an opinion? Or am I like the crazy cat lady muttering to myself as I walk down the street?

Time to move to Italy

Possession of 40 joints is now legal in Italy.

POLICE SUPPORT DRUGGED DRIVERS' CRACKDOWN

Big freaking surprise.

I am just wondering about the practical matters. How is a cop going to get a blood sample at a roadside stop? Are they going to be required to get medical training in order to take blood samples? How are the blood samples going to be taken? Will it be a pin-prick or a needle? YIKES! As if roadside stops weren't bad enough.

2000 Mexican Drug War Casualties

I'm glad this story has made its' way into the mainstream media. While I complain about kids having their backpacks sniffed by drug dogs or handing over their urine to avoid being kicked out of school, people are dying in the drug war. This is supposed to be a blog about blaming the drug war, yet I spend a crazy amount of time complaining about the minor inconveniences that we encounter in our comfortable, well-fed corner of the world.

But make no mistake, the war on drugs is a war, with all the brutal ugliness that war brings. People are killed in public in a hail of bullets. The police become corrupted by the promise of money and abandon their commitment to protect the public. Did I just read that a decapitated head was deposited on the steps of a governemnt building? In Canada and the United States people that choose to use the wrong drugs are locked in jail. If you escape using jail, your use of the wrong drugs can give you an enormous amount of grief. You can lose custody of your children, you can lose your job and you can lose the respect of family, friends and acquaintances. Every time you smoke a joint you are reminded that this simple choice is illegal and comes with a set of potential consequences. This keeps people from speaking out about the harm caused by the war on drugs. After all, everybody knows that it is only drug users and stupid hippies that care about drug law reform. It never fails to amaze me how ignorant the public is about the menace of drug prohibition.

The other day when I was at work I was discussing the Moose Jaw tunnels with a co-worker. We were talking about the rampant corruption of the police, the exploitation of an otherized group (the Chinese coolies that were forced into virtual slavery in the tunnels) and the futility of prohibition. It crossed my mind to mention that not much has changed. After all, we may not keep Mexicans in underground tunnels but developing nations are very much affected by the policies that we have.

But I didn't say anything. Not just because I don't want to be the sort of tireless bore that brings politics into every discussion. I am still uncomfortable mentioning prohibition to potentially non-like minded people.

Maybe I am not yet ready to wear the hippy title.

Toews should at least be honest about his attacks on judicial independence

Bad things that Vic Toews has done:

(My highly unprofessional analysis)

-Decided that the police should have a say in the appointment of judges. This part really bugs me:

But according to a Winnipeg newspaper, Justice Minister Vic Toews said he plans to add police representatives to the committees and to remove the "highly recommended" category, thereby requiring the committees to rate candidates on a pass or fail system.

Looks like a sneaky, underhanded way to select more rightwing judges. It is no secret that the conservatives have an undying affection for mandatory minimum sentencing. You know, the mandatory minimum sentencing that takes away the ability of a judge to decide a sentence based on the circumstances of the case. The same policy that sent Robert Latimer to jail for ten years, despite the fact that he is no danger to society.*

Our "Justice Minister" wants to keep the most highly qualified people from becoming judges and he wants to give the police chiefs a say in the selection process. I'm having a hard time understanding why that is not a conflict of interest. Hmmm I will have to look up the definition of a police state.

Toews therefore appears comfortable with ignoring a long-standing and useful convention -- and ignoring bar associations and the judiciary -- in order to advance his own ends, even if those ends work against the interests of the Canadian people. And there is every reason to believe they will. Toews denies this, of course, saying that "the law-enforcement process is a very important aspect of the justice system and to date, they have been under-represented in that process."

Why should the police have any say in the process of selecting judges? They are there to enforce the law and there is no good reason why they should be involved in choosing judges. Is Toews going to consult them on the budget too, because he feels that the police are under-represented in this process? I wouldn't put it past him.

Indeed, the committees may well benefit from broader representation, but Toews's choice of police officers suggests that he's looking for people who agree with his views -- police associations have, after all, been among the strongest supporters of the Conservatives' so called "law-and- order" agenda. This can only further compromise judicial independence.

I think that the views of janitors should also be considered too. To hell with the bar associations and the judiciary. What do they know about this "law" thing anyway?

See? I told you it was a lay womans' analysis.

* I really should leave that can of worms unopened.

Bad-Ass Teachers

Herb alerted me in a recent email to the recent flood of teachers arrested for drug crimes.

Owen County High School math teacher Mike Figgins was charged with drug paraphernalia and possession of marijuana after state police say they found loose marijuana in a ziplock bag along with rolling papers and other marijuana residue inside his Owen County home. Police say a foster child living in the home told a social services worker some green cigarettes smelled funny at the home. Figgins wife faces charges, too.

Link

Oh no! Anything but possession of demon weed! Would this be in the paper if that same teacher had left a pack of cigarettes or an alcoholic beverage unattended?

Maybe it's a sign that teachers are underpaid.


I hope somebody is making this up. Partying with your students? How freaking lame is that? I know the last thing I would want to do in my free time is party wih teenagers.

Two Newport teachers will be out of class after their arrests for giving alcohol and drugs to students. Friday afternoon, Newport School Superintendent Michael Brandt took the first steps to deal with what has been a wild week for the school system. Math teacher Brandon Hall, English teacher Helen Hesch, and her husband, School Board Member Jim Hesch, all face charges stemming from at least one night of partying with students at the Hesch's home.

Link

I got some advice for this guy. Dude, leave your bag at home. I know it would be great to bring some demon weed to Choir Practice, but first we have to abolish this War on some Drugs bullshit once and for all. It's too bad everybody will be too busy going "OMG won't someone please think of the children" to question whether a (presumably) skilled and talented teacher should have their career end over a temporary lapse in judgment. I just better make damn sure I never leave any incriminating evidence in my purse or backpack. Do teachers lose their jobs over cigarettes or alcohol? I really want to know more about this story. It sounds like another vitim of the law that makes possessing drugs within 300 feet a felony.

And one more bullshit possession charge that may end another teachers' career.

More on the Drug-Driving Bill

The Tories have opened themselves up to a lot of criticism by the Liberal party and by teh internetz!!111 I am happy to say that I have not run into many bloggers and arm-chair pundits that think this legislation is a good thing. Except for this guy. Don't waste your time reading his post. The pic at the top of this post pretty much sums it up.

It is going to be hard to oppose this legislation without being seen as soft on drug-impaired driving. But there are some very valid criticisms of this bill and some important questions that need to be asked.

1. Is drugged driving a problem that needs additional legislation? Aaron Jacklin of Understanding Crime has suggested that perhaps this could be a step towards decriminilizing or even legalizing some drugs. It is true that the problem of how to deal with an alleged increase of drugged drivers on the roads is used by prohibitionists to oppose drug law reform. While I do hope this is true and it would definitely turn at least one opinionated school marm mom into a diehard Tory, I am not feeling very optimistic. The Tory government has given no indication of being supportive to the drug legalization cause. I have always believed that the drugged driving angle has always been used as a red herring. The idea that repealing prohibition would lead to an increase in drug-impaired drivers is based on the false assumption that legalization would lead to an increase in drug users. There is no reason to believe that would be he case. I believe that drug prohibition encourages drug use. The black market is the most effective example of viral marketing that I can think of.

2. Have the problems with current drug testing been addressed? We know that blood and urine testing is fraught with difficulties. In the case of marijuana we know that traces of THC metabolites show up in the blood long after the psycho-active effects of the drug are gone. The last thing we want is another law that marginilizes people that smoke the wrong plants and does nothing to make our streets safer. The Liberals mentioned that $4 million worth of funding was cut by the Tories from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Elimination of Drug Impaired Driving Program's training budget. That does seem a little fishy doesn't it? They want to give the police increased powers but they don't want to give them the training to use their power appropriately. Very, very fishy.

Rummy at the podium

Just another stupid youtube thing.

PM to unwrap drug-driving bill today

Police officers have been asking for this type of power for many years but scientific tests have not been available for roadside use to accurately determine what substances a drugged driver has smoked, ingested or injected.

Mr. Murie said the introduction in the United States of what is known as a drug recognition evaluation has eliminated that roadblock in recent years.

"It is a series of tests that look for families of drugs," he said. As the driver performs the tests, a skilled officer will usually be able to tell what kind of drug is causing the impairment. Then a bodily fluid is demanded to confirm the result.

Does this mean that they haven't overcome the problems related to drug testing? "Failing" a drug test does not mean you are actually impaired at the time of the test. It is possible for THC metabolites to be detected up to 90 days after ingesting marijuana. There are still no roadside tests that accurately determine if a person is impaired by drug use. They have decided to address this problem by having a "skilled officer" determine which drugs are causing the impairment. Is this going to be a truly objective way to determine whether a driver is actually impaired by drug use? Sounds a little fishy to me.

When the evaluation, plus the officer's assessment and the analysis of the blood or saliva sample, is presented to a court, Mr. Murie said, "it's been proven successful to get a conviction."

But he said he hopes Mr. Harper takes the initiative to be announced today several steps further.

There is speculation that the government will add at least one, and possibly three, new enhancements to existing drunk-driving legislation, he said.

"If it comes through," he said, "it will be the most comprehensive breakthrough [against drunk drivers] in 10 years."

I will be watching to see what will become of this. Drug testing is not an accurate way to judge impairment. Is drug testing combined with the evaluation of a skilled officer going to be any better? What about drivers impaired by sugar, caffeine, or lack of sleep?

Alberta law to protect children from grow-ops

In Alberta they just passed a bill that will protect drug-endangered children. It will give police the authority to apprehend children that are believed to be in danger because of their exposure to grow ops and drug trafficking. This legislation was passed in response to three Calgary children that were found to be living in a home with a grow op. I love this quote:

"It gives us another tool in our belt to penalize people," said Staff Sgt. Monty Sparrow of the Calgary police drug unit.

Link

Just when I was thinking that this was about saving the children I find out that this is all about punishing people for smoking the wrong plants. My bad!

But the officer does make a good point. This law will definitely punish the children.

Police say the basement of the home had been converted into a 157-plant grow op. It was producing toxic fumes, which were being vented through the closet of the upstairs master bedroom into the attic.

A crib where the youngest slept was less than a metre from the closet, said Sparrow. Several chemicals were also found in the home.

The discovery, he added, is a "perfect example" of why the new legislation is necessary.

Sparrow said the biggest concern is for kids in homes where pot is being grown, where cocaine is being cooked to make crack or where marijuana oil is being produced.

Children exposed to toxins from these processes are found to suffer from medical problems such as chronic respiratory illnesses, neurological damage and cancer.

Some good old reefer madness thrown in for good measure. We better protect the children from the dangerous grow ops. Let's pass another band aid law to protect the children rather than address the cause of the grow ops.

Let's ignore the fact that growing marijuana is an extremely profitable enterprise due to its' illegality. Let's forget that poverty is at the heart of drug trafficking. Rather than look at the causes of grow ops and drug trafficking let's pass another band-aid law.

The worst part of this article:

Forsyth modelled the new legislation after several similar laws in the United States

YIKES!

JUST NOT RIGHT

It's always nice to see people that are almost as smart as me. The following letter was posted in response to the story about the principal who was implementing drug testing at his school.

JUST NOT RIGHT

Last week the 100 Mile Free Press carried a story indicating that the 100 Mile Junior High has introduced breathalyzers and drug testing kits into its hallways.

"It's a pro-active approach to just saying no to drugs and alcohol in the school," said school principal, Mark Wintjes. "It's not in reaction to a problem at the Junior, but it's more of a pro-active approach saying that drugs and alcohol don't mix with learning."

Wintjes can certainly be commended for caring about his students, for trying to combat what appears to be a growing drug and alcohol problem among youth. Nobody wants to see children become drug addicts or alcoholics.

But the idea of breathalyzers and drug testing seems to be extreme and somewhat offensive. It appears to be addressing a potential problem through the use of intimidation.

Yes, the student can refuse and yes, the parents can interject. But, do we really want our children being subjected to that kind of intimidation? Do you want your child, who may not be doing drugs, to be put through the humiliation of being asked to take a test, of being accused even remotely of being a drug user or of having a drug problem. Wouldn't it make you somewhat angry that someone would do that to your child, even if they have the best of intentions. And wouldn't your child feel angry and resentful that someone would think that about them?

Who is to judge who looks stoned first thing in the morning? Can students ask that their teacher or principal be tested? Defending liberties and freedoms is a difficult balancing act.

The question of collective rights vs individual rights is one that is fought almost every day in our courts. Many excellent laws have been put in place to serve the collective good of society. Some of those laws involved sacrificing personal freedom. For example, as an adult, you are allowed to drink in excess in the privacy of your home. This is your choice. You harm yourself by doing so. However you can't be drunk in a public place and you can't drink and drive because you may harm someone else.

The war against drug and alcohol abuse is a battle that all of society must fight. But hopefully it can be done through education, and caring and counselling. Our children have a right to live with dignity and respect. Our school system should be at the forefront of ensuring that those basic rights are not abused by anyone, including those in authority.

FORGET 'TOUGH LOVE'

I posted earlier about the parents that chose to send their kids to jail for their drug use. Luckily we have intelligent readers of the Winnipeg Free Press to give us some much-needed common sense.

FORGET 'TOUGH LOVE'

Re: Getting 'Tough-Love' On Crime, Nov. 4.

As a youth worker, I have worked with youth of many ages and backgrounds who have had addiction problems, and have seen youth with addictions from mild to life-threatening. I have seen and studied various techniques for dealing with drug use, and the "scared straight" or boot camp approach is largely regarded as ineffective. Taking your children to jail should be a last resort. The solution to a drug problem is not to take the drugs away from the kids, or to take the kids away from the drugs. It's to find out why the kids are doing them in the first place. Drug addiction is the symptom of a problem, not the problem itself.

Winnipeg is host to several drug treatment programs but more are needed. It would certainly be nice if a simple thing like three days in jail would cure anyone of a serious addiction, but the reality of addiction treatment is a long and difficult process. What Winnipeg needs is a good, secure, long-term facility that can take in addicts of all ages and backgrounds and treat them in an appropriate, caring and professional way.

Sharene Gilchrist

Winnipeg

This inspired me to send my own LTE, although I expect monkeys to fly out of my butt before my letter gets printed. *sniffle* Nobody loves me. :(

My reasons for disagreeing with the parents actions had more to do with showing my disapproval of the war on drugs than finding the most effective way to keep kids from using drugs. I doubt that any of those kids are "drug addicts". I agree with the Senate committee that the term drug addict needs to be retired.

I didn't put this in my LTE but holy over-reaction batman! Would a kid who experimented with alcohol and cigarettes have been hauled off to the slammer by their tough-love parents? And if so, would the judge have commended them for their loving actions? I sure as hell hope not, otherwise I am going to haul my kids off to jail the next time they fail to clean their rooms. That will learn'em. The moral of the story?


Alcohol, cigarettes > marijuana

The day after the elections

None of the marijuana ballot initiatives that I was in favor of passed yesterday. Colorado's ammendment 44 lost 40-60%. South Dakota's medical marijuana initiative lost by a narrow 48-52%. Nevada's question 7 suffered the same fate, with 56% of voters opposed to allowing the regulated sale of marijuana. But it isn't all bad news. Initiatives in California and Montana to make marijuana enforcement the lowest priority all passed.

My unhealthy obsession with US politics, a process which I will never be able to make a meaningful contribution to in any way, shape or form does give me pause from time to time. But it really is important when you consider how closely the War on Drugs fought within our own borders is influenced by US policy.

I was pondering these ballot initiatives and Canada doesn't have them. They are very interesting and I was wondering if they were a positive part of the democratic process. Not only do you get to choose an elected official but you also get to choose whether other people can have abortions, use marijuana as medicine, allow gays to get married or be entered into a million dollar lottery draw. Just what we need, more uninformed morons voting so they can be entered into a draw. I am shocked that this one got on the ballot.

It just seems like a way to motivate the fundie bigot fag-haters into showing up at the polls. I am inclined to think that Canada not having ballot initiatives is a very good thing. It seems to me that these issues should be decided by our elected representatives rather than uninformed bigots. I have such little faith in the voting public.

This is what real activism looks like

Smoking in public, writing blogs, writing letters to the editor and marching in rallies are certainly not the only ways to be a good activist. After this story appeared on MAPinc, Judith Renaud of EFSDP talked to Mark Wintjes about the many reasons to be opposed to student drug testing.

I just got off the phone with Mark Wintjes, Principal of 100 Mile House Junior Secondary School. The drug testing kit is provided by Branan Medical Corporation, 'ORATECT' http://www.brananmedical.com

He did not know of any other school using the kit but he did say it was not suggested by his board it was a brochure that was sent from the company and landed on his Vice Principal's desk.

I asked him to check out our website and told him I will be sending him copies of DPA's Safetylst and Beyond Zero Tolerance booklets. What did come out of our conversation is how important it is to find out just how successful or unsuccessful drug testing is, Mark suggested I follow up with him in the next few months. He also reiterated that he will test only if approved by the parents.

Judith
Executive Director

This is the type of action that will make a real difference. Mr. Wintjes had not heard of EFSDP and it is time to get the word out about this fine organization. I do not agree with the addage "I would not join a club that would have me as a member."

But it is obvious that we need to get out there and let the educational world know that we exist. There is so much work for activists to do I sometimes have no idea where to begin.

Although I did tell a suspicious teacher about the federal medical marijuana program. She wasn't very receptive to the information that I gave her. Reefer madness is a huge force of evil, I tell you the truth.

"Will flash for beer"

Teenagers wore naughty t-shirt despite Red Ribbon week.

Clifton said during Red Ribbon Week, a time when students pledge to stay away from drugs and alcohol, a member of the Students Against Destructive Decisions Club at Billingsley High School wore a shirt that read "Will flash for beer."

"She's supposed to be an example of responsibility for our school, and she's wearing shirts like that," Clifton said.

Getting 'Tough Love' On Crime

The story is about three families that decided to get tough on their drug-abusing kids.

EXHIBIT A

It was a shocking discovery that triggered an agonizing decision.

But they knew it had to be done.

After find a collection of marijuana, pipes and a weigh scale hidden in their 16-year-old son's bedroom in their south Winnipeg home this past September, the teen's parents called police with an explicit request.

Come and take our son to jail, they pleaded. Then, after the police had left and the boy's lawyer said he could immediately get him out on bail, the parents spoke up again.

Keep him locked up, they said.

And so the teen sat, for three long nights, in custody at the Manitoba Youth Centre.

"We put our foot down because we don't believe in marijuana or drugs. This really bothered us when it happened and we wanted to nip it in the bud. That's why we called the police and had him arrested," the boy's father told youth court this week.

The dad, who works as a hotel manager, says he wanted his son to spend a short stint in jail, "to show this isn't a joke anymore."

"He told me there has to be some meaningful consequences for my son," said defence lawyer Jackson Mugerwa.

The teen, a Grade 11 student with no prior criminal involvement, pleaded guilty to possession of 12 grams of pot and was given a conditional discharge by Meyers that will give him a second chance at not being saddled with a criminal record.

The judge said he was swayed by the obvious support the young man has in his life and is confident he is in good hands.

"There's so few times parents come forward in this manner and recognize the criminality of their children. The court is grateful for this," said Meyers. The dad said they have imposed a nightly curfew on their son that is strictly enforced, drive him to school and his part-time job to ensure he doesn't stray and routinely monitor his behaviour and contacts.

"We're keeping a close eye on him, watching over his room, what he's bringing into the house. It's going to take a long time for him to earn our trust back," said the father.

The youth offered an apology in court this week, prompting an interesting exchange with Meyers.

"Who are you apologizing to?" asked the judge.

"To the court," said the teen.

"Why would you apologize to me? You owe an apology to your family, to your friends, to people who have stood with you. If you're into drugs, stop it now or you're going to run the risk of doing some heavy time," said Meyers.

Any future problems would immediately be addressed in the same "zero-tolerance" fashion, the father promised.

The other two stories were more of the same. The parents turned their law-breaking, drug-abusing, drug-dealing kids over to the mercy of the courts. The judge thanks the parents for taking responsibility for their children and then he lambasts the little devils for showing their parents disrespect. The kids learned a lesson and everybody walks away from the experience a little wiser.

These stories are three sad examples of how completely reefer madness has infiltrated society. Although we no longer teach people that reefer will make darkies think they are as good as white people, the majority of people are woefully uneducated about cannabis or the harm caused by the enforcement of our drug laws. Cannabis use has never resulted in a single overdose death and is not linked with cancer. Cannabis prohibition has ensured a profitable income for criminals and locked up disproportionate numbers of brown and poor people. We spend millions of tax dollars enforcing the law every year and we have the same number of drug users. It has kept an incredibly cheap, safe and effective medical plant away from sick people that can benefit from its use. There are a lot of reasons for drug users and disdainers alike to disagree with drug prohibition.

I really believe these parents thought they were doing exactly the right thing for their kids. They probably have no idea that they are complicit in the highly corrupt war on drugs. Maybe they never heard of the Senate Report recommending repealing drug prohibition or the federal medical marijuana program. What we need is a massive public education campaign to get the word out that marijuana is a highly beneficial plant and the prohibition of it has had a lot of negative consequences. Then hopefully parents can choose to deal with drug use issues in a positive way that does not support the war on drugs.

Conservative Vic Toews wants marijuana growers in jail!

Hey Vic! Nobody says that grow-ops and meth labs are victimless crimes. We just don't see the point of continuing to prosecute them in the same unsuccessful way. Legalization would eliminate grow-ops and meth labs and reduce the number of police officers necessary to "keep us safe". Addiction should be treated as a health problem not as a criminal justice issue.

The Follies of Drug Testing

A concerned wife gets hubby fired from the NYPD after she spikes his spaghetti with demon weed.

Hilarious!

Medical-marijuana shirts get students into hot water

School policy forbids clothing that displays images of alcohol, drugs or tobacco products on school grounds. That policy is clearly communicated to all students, and it is not effected by what issues may or may not be on the ballot in an election year, Wharton said.

It's the marijuana leaves that we have a problem with. Not your politics.

Students are allowed to wear political t-shirts and other campaign-related items for candidates and issues, as long as they are appropriate, as determined by school administrators, Wharton said. This fall, numerous SHS students have worn t-shirts with an image of a human fetus and the message “Save a Life, Vote Yes on Referred Law 6.”

“We had been seeing all these abortion shirts at school, and we thought, OK, I guess we can get political,” Valenzuela said of his decision to wear the shirt to school.

Fetuses > Marijuana Leaves

Don't get me started on the Rightwing Christian nutbags that want to turn South Dakota into The Coat-Hanger State. Much better bloggers than me have done a superb job of it.

I hope that some high school students in Saskatoon get in trouble for wearing SKMP t-shirts to school. There is no such thing as bad press, right?

Drug Court may be open by January

I don't know what to make of this.

A drug treatment court for addicts could be operating in Calgary by January now that a city committee has given its support -- including $60,000 -- for a two-year pilot program.

Ald. Druh Farrell, who drafted the motion, had asked for $100,000 in seed money for the court for each of the next two years.

Instead, council's community and protective services committee decided to ask the mayor to write a letter of support to the province for the specialized court.

Is this a step in the right direction or just more of the same War on Drugs lunacy?

And a link to Hansard. It sounds to me like they want to offload a federal responsibility onto the provinces. They want to keep their commitment to criminilizing drug users rather than offer treatment or a safe drug supply.

Does anybody else have any thoughts on this?

Dr. Wiedrick Argues from Authority

To the Editor ...

POT COLUMN GOT IT WRONG

RE: Kim Dick's Commentary Re: Medical Marijuana on October 17, 2006.

As a physician concerned about public health and safety, I must disagree with Ms. Dick's assertion that "marijuana research continues to prove that it is safe, effective and even preventative". The evidence is to the contrary.

Medical marijuana has no inherent medical value or properties that cannot be bested by other legal, non-addictive therapies. Marijuana is a gateway drug to more serious drugs of abuse. Marijuana is toxic, with five joints a week thought to have the same lung cancer causing properties as a package of cigarettes daily.

For those interested in more information I suggest http://www.dea.gov/ongoing/marijuana.html.

James Wiedrick, M.D. C.C.F.P.

The DEA loves to cling to the assertion that marijuana has more carcinogens than tobacco. But they always forget to mention that marijuana-only smokers are less likely than tobacco smokers to get cancer in their lifetime. Dr. Wiedrick probably doesn't realize that bongs and vaporizers can significantly reduce the amount of carcinogens that a marijuana smoker is exposed to. He would prefer to stand on his doctor credentials rather than learn the truth.

I am going to put "debunk DEA lies" on my to-do list. That DEA site is a perfect example of fear-mongering propoganda that would give Satan a boner. *shudder*

Canadians Support Medical Cannabis

93% of Canadians support medical cannabis! Activism does pay off after all. This makes me happy that we have such an open-minded nation.

Is this the first Canadian School to offer drug testing?

I would hope to never see a Canadian school following the American example and bringing drug-testing to the school system. Drug-testing is a feel-good solution to the drug problem that creates a lot of unintended consequences.

Should Dick or Jane wander into 100 Mile Junior one day and be suspected of being intoxicated or high, they could very well get enrolled in the latest course the school has to offer - Stimulant Analysis 101.

The principal of 100 Mile Junior, Mark Wintjes, has purchased test kits to detect alcohol and drug consumption.

Head of the school since Aug. 1, Wintjes made the decision to buy the kits in order to deter students from partaking.

I hope that Mr. Wintjes visits EFSDP for the scoop on drug testing. EFSDP does a much better job of explaining the pitfalls of drug-testing than I ever could.

Another Reason to Hate the War in Iraq

I certainly don't want to turn this into Warblog any more than I want to turn this into Weed Porn blog. Nobody wants to listen to another "liberal" write about why war is bad. But I found the following news story very interesting.

KABUL, Afghanistan - Afghan farmers now planting opium poppies will probably reap a harvest comparable to this year's record crop, in part because insurgents are preventing effective counternarcotics work, officials said yesterday.

Planting is under way in southern regions responsible for the bulk of the estimated 6,100 tons of Afghan opium produced in the 2005-6 growing season.

Drug production has skyrocketed since a U.S.-led offensive toppled the Taliban regime five years ago for giving refuge to Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda camps. Last spring's poppy harvest accounted for 92 percent of the global opium supply and was enough to make 610 tons of heroin - more than the world's addicts consume in a year.

What we have here is the consequences of the War on Iraq (Brown People) on the War on Some Drugs. Apparently all the fighting and killing makes it difficult to put a dent in all that profitable and terrorist-funding opium.

Imagine being a poverty-stricken Afghani with a family to feed in a war-torn country. You know that opium is an illegal crop, yet if you plant food crops you will be unable to make ends meet. Opium is where the money is at and you know that there is no effort being made to eradicate the opium crops.

What would you do? Would you continue to do the "right" thing and grow the food crops and watch your family starve or are you going to grow the profitable opium crops?

My solution to all this lunacy would be to shut down the counter-narcotic units and the aerial spraying programs. This has done nothing but devestate the environment and harm innocent civilian by-standers. Let the Afghan farmers produce their opium and find a legal market for it. With AIDS ravaging the African continent pain medications are going to be absolutely essential. But for any poliician or group to propose this solution would take a great deal of courage that nobody seems to have.

Kids are Smarter than Adults

There is hope for this crummy world after all. In Durango High School a mock election had the students talking about some recent ballot initiatives, including amendment 44, the initiative to decriminilize possession of less than an ounce of pot.

No preliminary results were available, but students overwhelmingly said they favored legalizing marijuana and opposed banning gay marriage.

Freshman Trey Heath, 14, said he supported marijuana legalization.

"I don't believe in smoking marijuana, but if they ban it, people are just going to want to do it more," Heath said.

"What you can't have, you want to have," said another freshman, Franchesca Framer, 15. Furthermore, she said, "everyone does it anyway."

Students said people should be able to marry whomever they want.

"What if a man loves someone who's another man and a woman loves someone who's another woman?" said sophomore Alicia Hansen, 15. "I think it's fine."

Out of the mouths of babes...

Mayerthorpe

Mayerthorpe was home to the tragic death of four RCMP officers March 3, 2005. James Roszko gunned down the officers after they came to his farm to investigate his illegal activities. Roszko was running a "chop-shop" and a marijuana grow-op. It was a well-known fact in the community that Roszko was an extremely violent individual with an extensive criminal record and untreated mental illness.

In the days following this tragedy we had the predictable knee-jerk reactions. The calls for cracking down on grow-ops, more police and a "crackdown" on violent crime including mandatory minimum sentencing.

And we have the absolute asshats that take advantage of a grieving and shocked public to push their personal political agendas.

Colleen Myrol, the mother of one of the slain officers, made a statement that spoke to the whole country's grief, and our deep common desire to strike back for the loss of these four young men. "It is time that our government take a stand on evil," she said. "It is time to take our liberal-minded attitude to task. Prime Minister Paul Martin, we depend on you and we expect you to change the laws and give the courts real power."

Others, like Liberal MP Dan McTeague, were even more explicit. Pointing to a proposed marijuana bill currently before Parliament that would, among other things, decriminalize possession of small amounts of pot, he called for that legislation to be rewritten to include a minimum sentence of four years for those convicted of running marijuana grow ops. "This has gone too far," he said. "We have legislation that may have the unintended effect of increasing marijuana grow operations. I think it's now time for Parliament to target marijuana grow operations." Those sentiments were echoed by the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police, the Canadian Professional Police Association, and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, among others.

link

I know a simple way to eliminate grow-ops. Legalize marijuana and allow people to grow small amounts. Even allowing people to grow three plants to a household would have a significant impact on grow-ops. I would never buy another bag of weed if I could grow it myself without risking jail time and a criminal record. Another awesome idea is allowing full legalization and sale of a regulated product in the liquor store. Nobody would spend the time and money that is required to maintain a highly inefficient indoor grow-op in a legal market. Saskatchewan has very long days and a lot of sunshine. We could be known worldwide for high-quality marijuana if
any of our politicians had any courage. Instead we have Liberal MP's demanding that we piss away more of our tax dollars to impliment stratgies that have no impact on crime rates or drug use.

Targeting grow-ops sounds like a great idea to a lot of people that have been indoctrinated by the media and the school system to fear and loathe marijuana. After all, we aren't punishing small-time users, we are going after drug pushers. Except that small-time users aren't going to give up their weed. For those of us that think that a finely rolled joint of Jack Herer is the best way to end an exhausting day, shutting down grow-ops accomplishes nothing. As long as there are people like me that love the demon weed there are going to be people supplying it. For every grow-op you shut down, a new one starts up to take its' place. Cracking down on grow-ops attacks people like me.

Did Liberal MP Dan McTeague and company do their homework? Did they read the Senate Report? Obviously not or they wouldn't be pandering to the publics' fears in order to push their misguided agenda.

The needless deaths of the RCMP officers was a tragedy. James Roszko was a violent whackjob that should have been institutionalized and his own father was afraid of him. If marijuana was a legal and government regulated substance, Roszko would not have been growing it. The RCMP would not have conducted an illegal search of Rozsko's property. But he would still have had a chop-shop and he still would have been a violent cop-hater with a gun.

I hope one day I can run for office and educate people about the harm caused by the War on Some Drugs. I would like to be a politician that does not sell-out her morals or abuse the publics' fear and grief.

Luckily, some people came to their senses. What a relief!

Liberal Approach to Cannabis Pays Off In Great Britain

While I do not honestly believe that fewer marijuana smokers is necessarily a good thing, I am happy to report that Great Britain has fewer marijuana smokers than three years ago.
I would prefer to see more marijuana smokers and less alcoholics. But I will take my victories where I see them.

This article goes along with my personal belief that the black market is the most profitable way to market drugs. How many times does your forward thinking pot smoker try to cut down the cost of his habit by purchasing a large quantity of an illegal drug and then resell smaller portions? Allow me to demonstrate. Suppose you can buy a theoretical 100 gram bag of marijuana AKA demon weed for $100* (with a production value of about 50 cents, if that). You know that you can repackage the demon weed into 10 bags and sell each bag for $15. If you have a lot of friends that lack drug connections, it is quite easy to sell your bags for a tidy profit. Our imaginary drug dealer has made a profit $50 on his imaginary purchase or maybe he only makes $25 but he gets his own smoke for free. Not bad for an initial $100 investment.

Is it possible to make this much money on a legal drug such as alcohol?

Whoever said crime doesn't pay?

*I pulled these numbers out of my butt. Weed costs more than that and nobody sells 10 gram bags. But for the sake of argument, bear with me.

Awesome SAFER ad

They are playing this ad in Colorado. Go SAFER go!

The ICSF opposes Amendment 44

A body composed of student government representatives from each of the University of Colorado's three statewide campuses, the ICSF (University of Colorado Intercampus Student Forum) unanimously drafted an anti-Amendment 44 resolution during an Oct. 16 meeting, and will be addressing the public Thursday, Nov. 2 at 10 a.m. on the Auraria campus to demonstrate their stance.

“[The ICSF's] primary interest is fostering excellence in the academic and social environment at the University of Colorado, and we do not feel the passage of Amendment 44 would be compatible with that in any way,” said ICSF member Colin Rose, vice president of the student government Association for the University of Colorado at Denver. “Therefore, we feel compelled to voice our opposition by way of this resolution.”

The reasons that the ICSF gives for opposing the resolution are the comfortable, well-worn rationales that have been spewed forth ever since this inane, expensive and corrupt drug war began.

"There is a clear correlation between marijuana use and schizophrenia," said Evans, citing a study conducted by Patrick Skosnik of Indiana University that was printed in the American Journal of Psychiatry.

They can no longer make racist claims such as "Reefer makes darkies think they are as good as white men" or claim a link between violent crimes and use of the demon weed. So they have toned it down by "proving" that schizophrenia is linked to marijuana use.

I am not a scientist but I do know that correlation does not equal causation. What if marijuana users are self-medicating for undiagnosed schizophrenia? I wonder how many studies are being done about the link between schizophrenia and marijuana from a completely unbiased point of view. It's amazing the number of studies that are being done to "prove" that women are less intelligent than men and that some races are less intelligent than other races, just for starters. You would think that scientists would have better things to do than justify bigotry. Is this really the best way to advance the human race?

I eye the claims about schizophrenia with a lot of suspicion. Science can be abused and manipulated in a way to push a political agenda. Did you know that "Intelligent Design"* is scientific?

Oh here I am going on about the abuse of science when there are prohibitionists to make fun of. ICSF wants to cast doubt on SAFER's assertion that alcohol is more dangerous than marijuana. Do they do this by stating the facts about marijuana? They certainly would have to refrain from comparing the number of overdose deaths due to marijuana and alcohol, since marijuana has never killed anyone. Do they mention that there is no correlation between marijuana and violent crime? Can the same be said for alcohol? No, the facts are no friends of the ICSF and they have to fall back on a dose of good-ole reefer madness with a side order of classic stoner stereotypes.

“I think that [the university students] understand the issue,” said Evans. “Kids that are smoking pot aren't going to do well in school, and [people] don't associate marijuana with academic excellence.”

Everybody "knows" that stoners don't do well in school.

"A lie, repeated often enough, will end up as truth." Dr Paul Joseph Goebbels, Hitler's Minister of Propaganda (1933-1945)

Luckily we have Mason Tvert to counterbalance this insanity.

For Mason Tvert, supporter of Amendment 44 and representative for the Alcohol-MJ Equalization Initiative, the anti-amendment resolution is “disgusting.”

Tvert said that a majority of students, 68 percent of CU's student body, voted in favor of the non-profit Safer Alternative for Enjoyable Recreation's (SAFER) initiative that promotes marijuana as a safer alternative to alcohol.

SAFER's supporters say marijuana is far less addictive than other narcotics and alcohol, and that is safer for long-term use.

“Simply said, [that percentage of students] didn't think that the penalties for marijuana should be any greater than the penalties for alcoholŠand it's unfortunate to see student representatives acting in direct opposition to their student body,” said Tvert during an interview with the Colorado Daily Tuesday. “Right now our policies are pushing students and adults to drink, and I don't think it makes sense to punish those adults who make the rational, safer choice to use marijuana instead of alcohol.”

SAFER has done an incredible job of campaigning for this issue. The way they have defended marijuana with facts and have put this issue forward as a way to try to prevent marijuana from getting into the hands of minors has been outstanding. They are doing a fantastic job of pushing drug law reform and I hope that other activists (including myself) can learn from them. I wonder how these tactics could be used in Saskatchewan.

*Intelligent Design is my very favorite oxymoron!

Law Enforcement Against Prohibition

The title links to a LEAP promotional video. This wonderful organization is made up Law Enforcement officers that believe that the War on Drugs is an extremely harmful social policy. In summary, they believe drug prohibition leads to institutional racism, with 4919 black males per 100 000 incarcerated. Police officers become corrupt and dip into the piles of drug money during a drug bust. Who is going to stop them? Billions of dollars have been spent on drug prohibition and we have just as many drug users. When the police work hard to bust a drug gang, another one takes over where they left off. It's like trying to bail the ocean with a coffee mug. But don't take my word for it. Stop reading this and watch the video. Go go go!!!!

Red Ribbon Week is Over

I complained about Red Ribbon Week before. Now don't get me wrong, I have no problem with teaching children to be safe and to stay away from drugs. However this whole Red Ribbon thing is very distasteful. It boils down to giving kids a red ribbon to wear and this is all you need to do to keep your kids safe. It also is a case of the school system giving tacit approval to the War on Some Drugs rather than pointing out how futile it is to lock up non-violent people in the first place.

" Stay away from alcohol, tobacco and drugs, " Hunton said. " For you all to be successful, you need to try your best to stay clean. "

Reh said this year's speakers did a good job delivering a drug-free message to students.

" They all volunteer their time to be here, " she said. " They're drug-free adults, and they're letting the kids see that you can have a great life if you stay drug free. "

Link

Except that a lot of adult role models do choose to have an alcoholic drink, smoke a cigarette or smoke the occasional joint and still manage to lead successful and happy lives. Do you think it is possible that kids are going to grow up, realize that they have been mislead and disregard the entire "drug-free" message? I know I felt the same way when I read unbiased information about marijuana and I found out that everything I was taught about marijuana was completely untrue. The school system misleads children and this makes me quite sad. I hope that it does save at least one child from doing drugs so they can justify the existence of these feel-good do-nothing Drug-War loving programs but I doubt it.

I would be in favor of having a Green Ribbon campaign to go along with the Red Ribbon campaign to commemorate all the people killed and harmed by the War on Drugs.

Although I am not sure why they would include pre-schoolers in all this. Does a pre-schooler have the ability to understand an anti-drug message?

There are many stories show-casing children and their commitment to stay drug-free, as though students in grade five are going to keep these promises when they become teenagers. Fighting THE MAN is a normal part of becoming an adult and doing ILLEGAL drugs is a cheap way to show that you are so much better than your parents. If drugs weren't illegal, would it be as tempting to show your independance by doing drugs? Drug use is not effected by draconian American prohibition any more than it is effected by the relatively liberal drug policy employed by the Netherlands.

I want to protest something

The situation in Colorado interests me greatly. It has been a pretty ugly fight so far, with lies being thrown around by prohibitionists. In the following video, take note of the high horse that the governor of Colorado is sitting on. He says to the camera, "Look at the people standing up here with me and the people shouting us down and not allowing us to speak."

Yes, governor, you are right that pot people are angry. We are shouting and acting inappropriately. Prohibitionists have been lying to the public for years, pulling at the public heart strings and pandering to the publics' fear in a bitter attempt to justify a horribly flawed law. They have indoctrinated school children and locked up so many people all in the name of the War on Drugs. They have demonized marijuana. Harry Ainslinger, the very first US Drug Czar used to claim that "Marijuana makes a negro look at a white woman twice." He also said "Marijuana makes darkies think they are as good as white men." He said it like equality is a bad thing!

Racist, heartless, non-thinking government officials get to have their say and ignore the opinions of the people that they represent. Why doesn't the Governor ask himself why so many people are angry? Why is this so important to so many people? It's just marijuana, surely there are more important things in the world than legalizing this plant.

I get that all the time. "Why do you care so much? It's so easy to get anyway." That is true and it shows the strength of my position. We have been following the same tactics for years and we still have 90% of high school seniors telling us that marijuana is easy to get. Let's cut the bullshit and legalize already.

I wish I could have been there protesting with them. I feel so useless sometimes, writing a shitty blog that nobody reads and feeling like I have no idea how to be an activist. At least waving signs around and yelling would be lots of fun. I just wonder what the public would think after watching that video clip. Would they understand why pot people are angry or is this issue going to get written off as only effecting a small number of people and not very important in the whole grand scheme of things.

Video Link

Nevada gets even closer to pot legalization

Nevada is going even further than Colorado by putting question 7 on the ballot in November's election. The following video summarizes what question 7 will accomplish:

Video Link

Nevada will allow retailers to sell up to an ounce of marijuana in state-regulated outlets. Driving under the influence of marijuana, use of marijuana by minors, selling marijuana to minors and using marijuana in public would still be illegal.

I shouldn't be surprised that Nevada would be the most progressive. None of the other ballot measures go as far as allowing a legal supply of marijuana and it is wonderful to see that activists are fighting the drug war in such an effective way.

There is the predictable backlash from prohibitionists such as "all seven Clark County commissioners, six of 13 Nevada university regents, Washoe District Attorney Dick Gammick and Las Vegas police Lt. Stan Olsen".

In response, the Committee to Regulate and Control Marijuana is taking them to court for breaking a law that states that elected officials may not use tax dollars to oppose a ballot initiative. Read the whole story.

Just another reason to watch the November elections.

Prof asks university to take high road on prescription pot

A Toronto professor wants to smoke his prescription pot at the university where he works and is refusing to step onto campus until he can.

York University professor Brian MacLean says he has clearance from Health Canada for medical marijuana use for an undisclosed illness, but there is no place at work where he can smoke it.

"I have to medicate a lot," he says. "There's no issue here, well, can I restrain my medication on campus? No, I can't."

I am finding it very satisfying the way educators are getting involved in the fight to normalize and legalize the use of cannabis. This is the second time I have read about a university prof using marijuana as medicine and it is really nice to see.

I just wonder what is going to happen when it's an elementary or high school teacher that steps outside to use medical marijuana on a coffee break. I suspect there would be howls of outrage and more pleas for somebody to please think of the children.

And of course the 4:00 Friday "choir practice"* will continue unabated and unquestioned. I would still like to show up for choir practice with a bag of pre-rolled reefers but I suspect hell will freeze over before that happens.

* choir practice is the friendly euphemism announced on school intercoms on Friday afternoons which means, send the kiddles home and let's meet at the local pub for a refreshing alcoholic beverage, to celebrate another successful week of educating children.

Peeing in a Cup

Looks like drug testing little old ladies is backfiring. The words of the following volunteer comes pretty close to expressing my thoughts about drug-testing:

"It's not like we are a high-risk group for coming in drunk or high or stoned or whatever," said one volunteer. "This is just a common-sense issue - why are we spending tax money to test 75-year-old grandmothers for marijuana? We should be using that money to buy more books and computers."

Amen sister! Of course this begs the question, "Why should a public institution spend any money to drug test employees or students?" Schools can find money to get teenagers to pee in cups when it could be better spent on books, computers or pay raises for teachers.

Speaking of teachers, a school principal in Charleston was arrested for alleged cocaine possession. Oh goodness! Won't someone please think of the children? Oh the audacity of the authority figures entrusted with the care of our children, to be as fallible and human as the rest of us.

Besides the safety issue, what kind of example is being placed in front of our students by personnel — whom they are told to learn from, respect and hold up as role models — who are breaking the law?

Random drug testing of school teachers and principals is the predictable knee-jerk reaction. It is apparent that the author of the editiorial did not give any thought to the negative consequences to implimenting random drug testing. Such as the excessive cost and the invasion of privacy.

At least there is a little common sense to balance out the lunacy. An editorial from the Charleston Daily Mail expresses the opinion that random drug testing is an expensive and unwarranted invasion of privacy. Let's hope that common sense will prevail, but if that were the case we would never have declared a "War on (Some) Drugs" in the first place.

Ordering Blood and urine Samples Unconstitutional

Pretty surprising stuff. Requiring random blood and urine samples as a condition of parole has been quite common until now. But that is about to change.

It is too bad that this ruling came about to protect the rights of a convicted home invader.

Score another bitter-sweet victory for cannabis people!

Canada Troops Battle 10-foot Afghan Marijuana Plants

From CannabisCulture

The brave soldiers faced a ten-foot foe that they just could not conquer. The Taliban fighters took cover in a forest of ten-foot marijuana plants. Our brave boys attempted burning the plants, with predictable and hilarious results.

"A couple of brown plants on the edges of some of those (forests) did catch on fire. But a section of soldiers that was downwind from that had some ill effects and decided that was probably not the right course of action," Hillier said dryly.

One soldier told him later: "Sir, three years ago before I joined the army, I never thought I'd say 'That damn marijuana'."

I should "Support Our Troops" by sending those boys some Twinkies and Cheet-os. I doubt very much fighting happened that day. I know I would have shoved a few handfuls of bud in my pockets. Nothing better than Afghani. Mmmmmmmmmmm.

Stumbleweed stumbles

Debunking bullshit drug propaganda designed to terrify teenagers is one of my favorite things. I love it almost as much as tormenting the eardrums of my dog with my terrible clarinet-fueled musical styling.

There is just one thing I must do before I get to the fun part where I lambaste morons and make myself feel important. I must point out that the sheer volume of bullshit propaganda pretending to be education is so vast that this blog can only be a pin in the proverbial haystack. However, for the sake of my sanity and to give me good practice writing and arguing with my imaginary friends, I must give it an honest attempt.

The magazine in question is entitled “StumbleWeed” which is linked to http://www.justthinktwice.com/ It uses the same scare tactics that are used unsuccessfully by abstinence-only “educators” and it contains many lies and exaggerations and very little content.

The overall tone of the magazine is preachy, judgmental and misleading. Where do I even begin?

How about with the obnoxious cartoons? They look like something out of a Christian children’s’ coloring book.



Isn’t it cool how they use patronizing acronyms like U and R on the front page? What a great way to show teens that we are one of them!!! The marketing geniuses that worked hard on this must really be patting each other on the ass right now. The following quote is taken from the first page:

“Truth is, marijuana is not just a plant.”

If it’s not a plant, what is it? Even though the media frequently shows grow-ops being dismantled by people wearing protection equipment that looks suited for a space launch, this does not refute the fact that:

MARIJUANA IS A PLANT!

How do they get away with putting a blatant lie in the very first sentence of this booklet? This is supposed to be factual material designed to educate students about the real dangers of drugs. Instead we have a booklet designed to convince teenagers that marijuana is not a plant.


But if you read on it gets even worse. It would take too long to debunk every single stupid thing that was written so I am just going to show you the “short list” and the truth about each erroneous claim being made:


DEA: “The THC content of marijuana has increased dramatically since the 60’s and 70’s. The higher THC levels make marijuana far more powerful-and dangerous- for young people whose brains are not fully developed.”

TRUTH: While it is true that the potency of marijuana has increased somewhat since the 60’ and 70’s there is no reason to believe that this makes it more dangerous for consumption. The user tends to smoke until the desired effect is obtained. There is a very good reason to believe that stronger pot may in fact be less dangerous than less potent pot, since the user of stronger pot will be exposed to far less burning plant material. It is impossible to ingest enough marijuana to cause a fatal overdose, unlike alcohol, so why the fake concern over increased potency?

DEA: Over the years, as marijuana’s potency has grown, so have emergency room episodes.



TRUTH: If you look at this chart, you might mistakenly believe that marijuana must be a terribly harmful substance to result in so many emergency room visits. What they fail to mention is that these statistics are based on the number of times patients mention marijuana use. It does not necessarily mean that marijuana was the cause of the emergency room visit. They also fail to mention that nobody has ever fatally overdosed from the use of marijuana.

DEA: Many teens believe:
- there’s no penalties for growing and dealing.
- that driving after smoking pot makes them better drivers.
- Marijuana is harmless.

TRUTH: Any time broad sweeping generalizations are made about a large and diverse group of people, it should set off your bullshit detector. It is quite insulting and presumptuous to talk about what “many teens” believe. If they are uninformed about the legal, social and physical risks involved with using marijuana, then parents and the education system have failed to teach them. The solution would be teaching teens the truth and ensuring that they read Stumbleweed and recognize lies and misinformation when they see it.

DEA: You can lose your student loan if you sell or grow marijuana while you are receiving educational assistance from the government.

TRUTH: It isn’t just growers and sellers that are at risk of losing funding. You are also at risk if you are convicted of possession. I wonder why they do not include this fact on “Stumbleweed” but rather rely on the reader to click their link to find out the truth. This is especially interesting considering that they have a disclaimer in regards to the validity of the information on external web sites. It doesn’t seem like the DEA wants teens to know the entire truth after all.

DEA:

Smoked Marijuana is not medicine

Even though some groups have endorsed smoking marijuana for medical use, major medical organizations do not agree. This is what they say:
• The American Academy of Pediatrics “opposes the legalization of marijuana.”
• The American Medical Association rejected marijuana as medicine.
• The Glaucoma Research Foundation calls medical marijuana a “poor choice” in treating glaucoma.
• The National MS Society says that there is “…insufficient data to recommend marijuana…for treatment of multiple sclerosis.
• Even the Supreme Court rejected medical marijuana.

TRUTH: The ongoing fight to allow sick and dying people to use the medicine prescribed by their doctors is complicated. The use of medical marijuana is endorsed by many organizations. There are at least 10 states that allow medical marijuana users access to their medicine despite the federal prohibitions against the use of marijuana as medicine. Although the DEA continues to enforce state laws by enlisting armed jack-booted thugs to endanger the lives of medical patients, these actions are opposed by many state governments.

The DEA must think the educational system has done an extremely poor job teaching critical thinking skills if they think your average teen is not going to recognize this booklet for what it is-propaganda. It is quite apparent that the DEA should leave drug education in the hands of educators.

For anyone interested in learning about the truth about marijuana and the risks it poses to teens, I highly recommend Safety First.

* All images taken from the Stumbleweed site

Amendment 44 is heating up

I finally understand why the DEA is so upset about the ballot initiative in Colorado that is intended to legalize possession of one ounce of marijuana for adults over 21 years of age. I was concerned that perhaps Federal prohibitions against marijuana would still be enforced. But that is not the case. According to CBS4Denver, it would be impossible for the Feds to enforce the law.

"There aren't enough federal resources on the entire planet to handle ounce size marijuana possession," Jeffrey Sweetin, a DEA agent said. "Your viewers should understand if this passes, we're really legitimately legalizing an ounce of marijuana. They're not going to be prosecuted."

When reading editorials, make note of the claims made by the prohibitionist. Read the following passage and try to figure out why it is suspect:

• It is not true that marijuana is a harmless alternative to alcohol. Alcohol is dangerous when abused, but marijuana can be dangerous, too. Too many people become psychologically addicted to its drug. Some users get into accidents or otherwise endanger themselves. Some become intrigued with harder, more addicting drugs and begin to experiment with them.

Link

The author makes a lot of claims but with no evidence to back them up. Notice that the claims are very vague and difficult to prove. They can not come out and say that marijuana causes more accidents or is more addictive than alcohol because those claims are easily refuted. And we are still hearing about the disproven "gateway" theory. in the same way that some Christians still cling to Intelligent Design, prohibitionists cling to the gateway theory.

They better get those "but what about the children" editiorials published despite the fact that the current laws don't prevent children from using drugs.

I hope that in a months' time when the voters get to cast their ballots I can happily report to my non-existent readers that possession of an ounce of marijuana is no longer illegal in Colorado. In the meantime, I have a bit of advice for prohibitionist-minded editorialists.

Sign your letters. This might give you the appearance of credibility.

My LTE appeared in Saturday's Star Phoenix

I wish I could find a picture of the cartoon that inspired me to send off an angry email to the paper. In any case I can assure you that it was stupid enough to justify my letter that mocked it. Without further ado, my letter:

Newshawk: CMAP http://www.mapinc.org/cmap
Pubdate: Saturday, October 7, 2006
Source: StarPhoenix, The (CN SN)
Contact: spnews@SP.canwest.com
Website: http://www.canada.com/saskatoon/starphoenix/
Author: Tanya Derbowka

Dopey thinking behind cartoon on medical pot

I wish I could say I was amused by the cartoon in the Sept. 28 edition of
The SP that portrayed a couple of "typical" stoners discussing the loss of
funding for medical marijuana research.

The loss of funding is another underhanded attack on medical marijuana and I
wouldn't be surprised if the existing medical marijuana program is the next
thing on the Tory chopping block.

It is despicable that only 1,306 terminally ill patients across Canada have
legal access to this medicine, which has proven beneficial to people
suffering from various chronic ailments such as cancer, AIDS and multiple
sclerosis.

The lack of access by sick and dying people to medical marijuana is a highly
contentious issue and is the reason the majority of patients are still going
to the black market to gain access to their medicine. Portraying cannabis
consumers in a stereotypical negative light does nothing to help their
cause.

And you think potheads are the dopes?

Tanya Derbowka
Saskatoon

Beauty pageant for cocaine mules in Peru prison

Beauty pageant for cocaine mules in Peru prison. When I first saw the title of this story I thought they were talking about a horse-donkey hybrid. I never would have guessed they are talking about human beings from the headline.

The gist of the story is just as stupid as the title suggests. Fallen women get to show the world that they are still human by participating in a “beauty” pageant. I personally do not see what is so beautiful about glorifying fake femininity.

This story sickens me on so many levels that I don't know where to begin. Here are more examples of people that are caught by the War on Some Drugs. First the government invents a crime. Banning opium and marijuana was implemented by the government in an attempt to control the activities of Latinos and Asians. What better way to find an excuse to lock people up than to persecute them for the use of drugs not condoned by the dominant culture? Do you really believe it is a coincidence that tobacco and alcohol are legal for consumption and those are the two drugs traditionally favoured by white Europeans? People of color are overrepresented in the prison system and the War on Some Drugs is the reason why.

For another thing, I wonder how long these women are going to have to wait until they have a chance to defend themselves in a court of law. Three-quarters of them are still waiting for a trial. The police love to persecute small-time drug offenders like these women because they are too inept to find the men that actually run these drug-peddling organizations. The police get to pat themselves on the ass and feel like they have accomplished something. They know that these women are easily replaceable by their boyfriends and husbands. Nobody really cares that they will waste a lot of time in prison and it will have no impact the flow of drugs. Is the public really made safer by jailing these women?

Then to add insult to injury they doll them all up and parade them around for the benefit of pathetic wankers. Glorifying consumer-augmented, Cover Girl femininity is never a good thing. In this case, it should be criminal.

via Feministing

Drug Users= Terrorists

*This is what a filthy terrorist looks like.

I’m inspired to write this post after reading this. The author acknowledges two solutions to breaking the connection between opium and terrorism: “decriminalization of drugs or much more aggressive policing”.

Equating drug users with terrorism is nothing new. The Bush administration ran ads during the Superbowl equating marijuana smokers to terrorists. Goodness! I better put down my beer bong and my crack pipe* and stop supporting the filthy terrorists. I mean, this couldn’t be a gross oversimplification of a complex issue, could it? Maybe we should run commercials equating drug prohibition with terrorism. Sales of alcohol and tobacco don’t support terrorism, since terrorists could never provide a cheaper product than the legal market.

It just goes to show how deeply the drug prohibition mentality is entrenched in society when a thread about the connection between opium and the Taliban debates the "morality” of legalizing drugs. What does morality have to do with it? I thought we were talking about taking profit away from terrorists. Are we so committed to a failed ideology that we can’t even have an honest debate about this issue without talking about morality? I don’t agree with the morality of Catholicism (or any other religion) but I sure would never suggest making the practice of worshipping illegal.

If you really believe that the law has any impact on the habits of drug users, you are sorely mistaken. It’s not as though there are thousands of people waiting for the day when they can start a dangerous drug addiction as soon as they get government permission. Rates of drug use seem unaffected by our laws.

Instead of wasting more money on a failed policy we need to talk seriously about hitting terrorists where it really hurts – in the pocket book. “Much more aggressive policing” is just more of the same failed and wasteful policy that has had no impact on use rates. Unfortunately, none of the federal political parties in this country has had the courage to tackle this divisive and controversial issue.

Salon ran an excellent piece about the Superbowl ads. Read it here. They assert (quite convincingly) that all consumers of gasoline are aiding and abetting terrorism. Salon rules!

* I stole that bit from Futurama. I watch entirely too much television.

Russell Barth on CTV news

Here is Russell Barth, a marijuana activist who also happens to be legally allowed to use marijuana. He talks about the recent cuts to the edical marijuana research program by the conservatives. Will legal medical marijuana be the next on the chopping block? Let's hope not.

The List of Things That Kill More People Than Marijuana

It is going to take a lot of doing for me to come up with a comprehensive list of all the things that kill more people than marijuana. But I have to give it a shot. Since marijuana was banned because of how dangerous it is it only makes sense that all the things on this list should also be banned as well. I think I will update this list from time to time when I am too lazy to write a real update.

1. Shoelaces
2. Pets
3. Police
4. Lifesavers
5. Chewing gum
6. Children
7. Sex
8. All motor vehicles
9. Peanuts
10. Tampons
11. Pets
12. Jelly Beans
13. Alcohol
14. Antifreeze
15. Reefer madness
16. Toilets
17. Allergic Reactions
18. The Drug Enforcement Administration
19. Airplanes
20. Stingrays
21. Water
22. Aspirin