BBSNews 2003

Anti-establishment vote to propel cannabis party into Israeli parliament

BBSNews - 2003-01-24 -- Israel's political party Ale Yarok (Hebrew for "green leaf") is making crucial inroads prior to the upcoming elections on January 28th. The South African Press Association reported on January 23rd that the four year old yet nascent party is set to be represented in the Israeli Parliament amid growing interest in "protest" parties. "Prime Minister Ariel "Sharon and the right-wingers have no interest in ending the conflict with the Palestinians," said Dan Peled, a 23-year-old student who has supported Ale Yarok (Hebrew for "green leaf") since it was founded four years ago.

"They are holding the population hostage, but we believe everyone could have a normal life again," said Peled, a regular cannabis smoker who explains that the Green Leaf's founding stance in favour of legalising soft drugs has become secondary in his support for the party."

Bird-feed shop selling marijuana

In Southern Taiwan a man was arrested for having about 87 pounds of "live" marijuana seeds. Chuang Yung-sen told law enforcement that he sold the seeds as racing pidgeon feed and that the pidgeons were the better for it. Chuang has run his shop for more than twenty years, but now he is in trouble because of unfair laws against cannabis. The Taipei Times reported January 25th that "Police noted that five to eight live marijuana seeds sell for NT$100 in local pubs, and if the more than 39.8kg of seeds were all live and had been planted, they would have resulted in a huge harvest."

Cannabis and the use of other substances

An Australian study has been published in JAMA that claims smoking tobacco and drinking alcohol precede marijuana use. Public officials have yet to explain then why are not tobacco and alcohol illegal and punished much more firmly than marijuana? Clinnix reports "Studies have already shown a developmental sequence in the use of drugs. They have established that many drug users begin by smoking and drinking and progress on to use cannabis before experimenting with harder drugs such as cocaine and heroin." Tell us something we don't know.

Cannabis doctor in new drug hope

Meanwhile Britain is putting the lie to the US drug czar's claim that cannabis is not a medicine. The East Anglian Daily Times reports that GW Pharmaceuticals is close to perfecting a spray under the tongue medicine. "Dr William Notcutt, a consultant anaesthetist at James Paget Hospital in Gorleston, conducted Britain's first clinical trial of the, still illegal, drug as a medicine more than two years ago." Notcutt goes on to explain that many other uses of cannabis based medicines are on the horizon, that intial trials focused on Multiple Sclerosis and spinal injuries saying, "Its use is potentially much wider than that," he said. "We believe it could be helpful with rheumatoid arthritis, possibly in certain types of cancer and certain types of brain tumours." What remains to be answered is why people should be caged for using this medically valuable herb in its natural state?

Student initiative puts softer marijuana penalties before Columbia voters

In the US, Columbia Missouri college students are testing the absurd federal government imposed penalty of loss of student aid for a marijuana possession conviction with a novel twist. They've forged a coalition of factions who favor reform. Joining with medical marijuana advocates Proposition One would legalize medical marijuana for Columbia residents. The AP reported on January 24th, "Cases involving smaller quantities of pot -- 35 grams or less -- would be handled in city, rather than state, court. There, offenders could be punished with misdemeanor-level fines starting at $25, but no jail time. That could benefit college students, who risk losing federal education aid because of state drug convictions." University of Missouri law student Anthony Lee Johnson authored the intiative said "he started crafting a hybrid marijuana decriminalization proposal after reading an article about University of Missouri students who lost federal education aid because they acknowledged drug convictions. He said a marijuana conviction at age 18 could dog someone who hasn't smoked pot in decades if they apply for federal aid to go back to school."

Marijuana Returned to California Asthmatic

In California marijuana was returned to an asthmatic man. John Watson had his marijuana returned to him after initially having them seized by LA County sheriffs deputies. The AP reported on January 24th "Last September, Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies received a complaint about Watson and seized his plants. He was not arrested. Prosecutors later determined the marijuana was legal and did not file charges, said Watson's lawyer, Allen Weinberg. A court ordered on Jan. 14 that deputies to return the pot."

U.S. judge questions marijuana indictment

Also in California, U.S. Magistrate Judge Dale A. Drozd has found that there is vindictive prosecution in the case of Robert Whiteaker and his wife Shawna in Sacramento County back in May of 1999. The Sacramento Bee reported on January 24th "He and his wife were hit with federal charges when they refused a plea deal in state court. It was offered after their attempt to get the evidence thrown out had put the case in doubt and discredited a controversial sheriff's deputy who was the prosecution's key witness." Deputy District Attorney Joy Smiley gave them the spite filled ultimatum and "They rejected the deal, and were indicted by a federal grand jury a week later, charged with conspiracy, manufacturing marijuana, possession of a firearm in connection with drug trafficking, and possession of a short-barreled shotgun. Conviction on all counts would carry a minimum 15 years in prison and a maximum of life without parole."

Big 'pot' stash was only hay

And under the 'it could only happen under marijuana prohibition banner.' The Chicago Sun Times reported on January 24th "What Chicago police thought was more than $660,000 worth of dope in a pickup truck last month turned out to be hay from a Roman Catholic church's nativity scene." It's unclear why officials in Cook County or the Chicago police priced hay at $3000 a pound given that the marijuana per pound price is about $900 for commercial grade "regular". And of course that price is ridiculously inflated by the US federal governments Prohibition II, the sequel. Mostly a war against our own citizens to the tune of almost three quarters of a million arrests each year, with a little more than eight out of ten of them for possession only (and you thought there was a war on terror, in 2001 there were 315 times more arrests for marijuana in the US than all terrorists arrests worldwide in 99 countries from September 11th 2001 to October 28th, 2002).

In a legal market marijuana would be worth about $1.39 a pound American like tomatoes...

The Times went on to report a possible reason these guys were targeted: "Galvan and Luna had been planning to haul the hay from St. Wenceslaus Roman Catholic Church, where they are parishioners, back to a far south suburban horse farm where a friend had loaned it to them, [the defense attorney representing both men, Peter] Vilkelis said. They were coming home from work in Skokie when they were arrested.

"Somebody must have seen these two big bales, saw the men were Mexican and made an assumption," Vilkelis said." And guess what. These two men were cleared of the obviously ridiculous marijuana charges, with the vastly inflated black market value and all, yet they are still held in the Cook County jail awaiting a decision on whether they should be in the country or not by the INS. Truly compassionate conservatism at its finest.