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| NORML's Weekly News Bulletin -- December 8, 2005 |
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Posted by CN Staff on December 08, 2005 at 15:35:42 PT Weekly Press Release Source: NORML 
Time Magazine Praises Medical Cannabis As "Legitimate"December 8, 2005 - Washington, DC, USA Washington, DC: "Research into the analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects of cannabis continued to bolster the case for the medicinal use of marijuana, making the patient pot laws' that have passed in 11 states seem less like a social movement than a legitimate medical trend," states last week's issue of Time Magazine. The magazine cited a pair of recent studies investigating the use of medicinal cannabinoids. The first, published last month in the journal Rheumatology, found that cannabis extracts reduced pain and inflammation and improved sleep in patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis. Time also cited a previous preclinical trial published in the Journal of Neuroscience that found that the administration of synthetic cannabinoids in both animals and in human brain tissue prevented the neurodegenerative decline associated with Alzheimer's disease. Clinical reviews published by the Society for Neuroscience and in the journal Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Clinics of North America, among others, have also noted that cannabinoids may be clinically useful in the treatment of several neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer's, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and Parkinson's disease. For more information, please contact Paul Armentano, NORML Senior Policy Analyst, at (202) 483-5500. DL: http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=6745 Netherlands Contemplates Regulating Commercial Cultivation Of Cannabis December 8, 2005 - Amsterdam, Netherlands Amsterdam, the Netherlands: Dutch lawmakers are considering a plan to regulate the cultivation of cannabis for commercial distribution. Passage of the plan would make the Netherlands the first in the world to enact federal regulations for commercial pot farming. While current Dutch law allows for the commercial sale of small amounts of cannabis, cultivation of the crop remains illegal except in cases where it's grown for medical purposes under government contract. Under the proposed plan, a pilot program would be enacted in the southern city of Maastricht to allow licensed farmers to cultivate cannabis, which would then be supplied to and sold by local coffee-shops. Presently, numerous EU nations license farmers to grow commercial quantities of industrial hemp a distinct variety of the plant species containing only minute (less than 1%) amounts of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the primary psychoactive ingredient in marijuana. However, no nations apply similar regulations to the commercial cultivation of cannabis for personal use. For more information, please contact Allen St. Pierre, NORML Executive Director, at (202) 483-5500. DL: http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=6744 US Cannabis Use Rates Nearly Twice European Average December 8, 2005 - Lisbon, Portugal Lisbon, Portugal: Americans age 15 to 34 use cannabis in far greater numbers than do their European counterparts, according to statistical data recently released by the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA). Lifetime prevalence of cannabis use in the United States is greater than in any European Union (EU) nation, including the Netherlands, the report finds, and is nearly twice as high as the EU average. Approximately 51 percent of Americans age 15 to 34 report ever having used cannabis compared to approximately 30 percent of Europeans, the study concluded. Among those reporting having used cannabis in the past year, approximately 22 percent of Americans said that they had versus only 13 percent of Europeans. "These statistics belie the myth that US-styled prohibitionist policies discourage cannabis use," said NORML Executive Director Allen St. Pierre. St. Pierre noted that unlike the United States, most EU nations treat cannabis possession as a non-criminal, administrative offense. In recent years, several countries in the EU, including Belgium, Luxembourg, Portugal, and the United Kingdom have downgraded minor marijuana possession to a non-arrestable offense. "The European experience provides a strong empirical case that removal of criminal prohibitions on cannabis possession does not significantly increase the prevalence of marijuana use, and likewise, that US-imposed criminal sanctions do little to dissuade pot use among young adults," St. Pierre said. "US leaders would be well-advised to follow Europe's example and repeal its war on cannabis consumers in favor of policies of tolerance and regulation." For more information, please contact either Allen St. Pierre, NORML Executive Director, or Paul Armentano, NORML Senior Policy Analyst, at (202) 483-5500. Full text of the EMCDDA's 2005 Statistical Bulletin is available online at: http://www.emcdda.eu.int/ A summary of European cannabis laws is available online from NORML at: http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=5445 DL: http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=6743 Source: NORML Foundation (DC) CannabisNews NORML Archives Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help |
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| Comment #15 posted by OverwhelmSam on December 11, 2005 at 05:06:36 PT |
| Whenever we get around to promoting the fact that it makes you feel younger, the older generation will immediately push for it's medical legitimization. Like I've said before, I'm 47, makes me feel 27 even after the "high" is gone. I can feel refreshed and relaxed for weeks after one typical dose. Somebody please latch on to this concept. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #14 posted by Jim Lunsford on December 11, 2005 at 04:04:28 PT |
| sometimes it takes hostility to get the point across. I don't know ej, nor will I ever probably see her. But she started making her own interpretations of nonsense of what I said and it was quite personal and vile and petty. Doesn't make her evil, or put her on some list, but it also doesn't give her the right to attack either. I am compassionate, but not a pacifist. I learned that real quick in South Georgia. Some big old rednecks love pacifists, they make such handy punching bags. An attempt to explain or show tolerance to a frustrated bully only encourages their abuse. I am no ones moral leader. I lead myself, as should we all. And if someone wants to attack, to twist words around to fit their egos, to hide behind their morality, then ignoring or failure to "retaliate" can create even more oppression. By not addressing her, I condone and endorse her accusations. If she's having a bad day or week or whatever, it still doesn't justify her actions. And inaction on someones part, while being attacked, will only create greater problems in the end. Bullies love pacifists. But, I'm neither. But, according to her posts, I must be pretty close to the devil. Rev Jim Lunsford First Cannabist Church Stand: What you have to make to walk the talk [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #13 posted by whig on December 11, 2005 at 03:18:32 PT |
| Please stop. Retaliation does not help anyone, and the last thing we need here is a poisoned atmosphere of mutual hostility. There's plenty enough of that elsewhere. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #12 posted by Jim Lunsford on December 10, 2005 at 15:08:10 PT |
| IF you could get past your narrow and ignorant point of view and actually read any thing I wrote, you might realize that you are acting like an ass. Please can the personal attacks. I never bragged, but you bigots read what ever it is you want into something. Maybe you spent too much time on the ski patrols, and your brain froze. I don't know, and don't care. I don't have the time nor the inclination to bother with the ignorant. It is your choice to believe anything you want. I don't care. Of course, in the future, we will all continue to keep everything a secret. All flaws will be covered up an held deep. Just like you and the prohibishionists like life. Bite me and your attitude. Bring on the ski patrol. Whoopie. Ej, either act like a grown=up or just stop your nagging. If I enjoyed a nag, I would have stayed married. Instead I got divorced. Did I ever say I was a victim? NO. You did. Did I say I was bragging? NO. You did. Why don't you engage that big mouth of yours before you start on one of your rants. Before you "fix" me or whatever you are blah,blah, blahing on, I think you should pack a lunch. Been through way more than someone with your big mouth would ever understand. Rev Jim Lunsford First Cannabist Church Truth: Filtered all out of reality by self-imposed filters [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #11 posted by JustGetnBy on December 09, 2005 at 18:40:24 PT |
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E Johnson, your abrasive rhetoric, and narrowminded judgements continue to gall me. Do yourself a favor, read the new testament, please pay attention to the words that are printed in red. They are purported to be the words that Jesus spoke These words are full of love, foregiveness, tolerance, sacrifice for the betterment of others, But above all else Jesus spoke of charity, kindness,and a gentle spirit........ Yad Yada Yada, you get my point, I hope. It's been fun, but you are too toxic for me. I'm done... Peace [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #10 posted by whig on December 09, 2005 at 14:07:17 PT |
| Please can the personal attacks, you've already made your point. Drinking and driving is dumb, dangerous and Jim has said so. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #9 posted by E_Johnson on December 09, 2005 at 10:32:42 PT |
| A long time ago I was on the Ski Patrol at a very large and popular mountain. There are plenty of young men who like to ski who have egos the size of skyscrapers, who want to do what they want, and anyone who questions them is evil and they're always the victim, even when they ski too fast and run over old ladies and break their hips and make them have surgeries they might not survive. I've been at the scene of accidents, and not in a capacity where I could turn my face away and go on about my business. No, I had to patch these broken people up and reassure them and ski them down the hill to hospitals and medical bills and suffering. I stored up a LOT of hatred and anger towards the little Ego Princes whose pride and vanity and infinite capacity for self regard caused these terrible crashes. Princes of Ego. "Me me me me me. I want to ski fast and anyone who stops me is an evil government pig. And I'm their poor little innocent victim." Do they care when they break the bones of older, more frail human beings? Do they care when they end someone else's ability to enjoy the snow? Do they care when they destroy other peoples lives? No, not one bit, because they're young men filled with the emotions of someone who rules the world and they utterly reject any suggestion that the world was not created just to please them. I thought I got away from them when I left the Ski Patrol, but there seem to be a lot of these types in the marijuana movement, and it's a real challenge for me to deal with this fact. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #8 posted by E_Johnson on December 09, 2005 at 09:59:01 PT |
| Some people are in this movement just because they want what they want, period, and they don't really have any respect for otherwhat other people want or need at all. In fact they seem unhappy with civilization itself. They claim to value human life, but if they almost destroy human life by choosing to drive a car when they know damn well they shouldn't drive, they lie down in the victim position and blame anyone who questions their choice.
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| Comment #7 posted by E_Johnson on December 09, 2005 at 09:50:32 PT |
| I'd like the people out there reading this site to know that I am not a powerless victim who preaches mindless rebellion against ordinary people and their ordinary limitations. I believe in personal responsibility, unlike others who would get in a car with an exhaust leak while tired and after they've been drinking, and blame the government and pretend they're the true victim of the story when they crash their car and end up being punished by the law. And I would never do something like and pretend I am some kind Christian moral leader. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #6 posted by mayan on December 09, 2005 at 04:48:29 PT |
| GOP Accepts Deal on Patriot Act: Hill to Vote Next Week on Extending Provisions for 4 Years:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/12/08/AR2005120800892.html ACTION ALERT: Final Push Against Overreaching PATRIOT Measures - Contact Congress today! http://capwiz.com/ala/issues/alert/?alertid=8255276&type=CU Bill of Rights Defense Committee: http://www.bordc.org/ [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #5 posted by Jim Lunsford on December 09, 2005 at 03:37:32 PT |
| is the method of choice in repealing these ignorant and backwards prohibition laws. Not with guns, but with words and actions. Violence is an acceptable form of change in some areas, but the heart of the change comes from people just standing up and saying, "We've had enough!" And when will we? Will we continue to trust the government to change the laws? Don't hold your breath! Our govenmental system is designed to oppress the politically active. Just because societies are dynamic groups, doesn't mean that they don't fool themselves into believing they are static. It is a fool's view, but a common one held. The politically active act on so many fronts in this war against freedom. My grandfather lost in the war against the nazis so many years ago. They are here now, but I will only accept victory this time. These merchants of fear and lovers of stability (their wealth must be stabilized) are nothing but the modern day nazi. Remember the old phrase on the cop badges? Preserve peace and protect property. That defines working against the politically active, and to protect those who have the power. A police state is always intolerant, and our is pretty damn incompetent as well. Our salvation doesn't come from any supreme court justice. Nor does it come from any government branch. It comes from us. When we get tired of this stupidity, we will demand the change. That change is coming soon. It could come in any shape imagineable, but I hope it is not as bloody as it could be. But there will be change. A growing economy combined with an increasing wealth/poverty ratio is not a good recipe for avoiding change. Our legal system is designed to provide a cash revenue for our communities. At the expense of those more marginal in their incomes. For example, what good does it do to raise the fines for vehicle maintenance problems, when the people can't afford the maintenance to start with? Ex: if you are too poor to afford to have the turn signal wiring fixed, then you will get a ticket you can't afford, and still have the burden of fixing it. How many people get a ticket that is higher than a weeks salary? How many just get by from week to week? How many people does that remove from the job market? How many people take it with hardly a whimper? And how many of those people are wealthy? Protests are a great way to inspire change, as are just writing here, and to editors. Economic power as well. But, the only real change that can occur is when we tell the government they can either listen to us, or get the hell out of our lives. Rev Jim Lunsford First Cannabist Church Faith nor courage needed when the veils of perception have been pierced. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #4 posted by WolfgangWylde on December 08, 2005 at 19:04:05 PT |
| Conservatives would kill house arrest, scrap Liberal plan to decriminalize marijuana Conservative leader Stephen Harper released his party's plan to crack down on drug crimes. He promised on Saturday to impose mandatory minimum sentences, eliminate conditional sentences such as house arrest, bring in tougher fines for drug traffickers and producers, scrap Liberal plans to decriminalize marijuana and introduce a national drug strategy targeted at youth. The Tory approach to drug crimes would slap mandatory minimum sentences of at least two years for trafficking drugs such as heroin, cocaine and crystal meth. It would also apply the same penalties to similar offences involving bulk amounts of marijuana or hashish. Fines for trafficking or producing drugs would escalate for repeat offences. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #3 posted by E_Johnson on December 08, 2005 at 18:29:49 PT |
| I can't think of any other instance in which the opening of an important new research topic in science like the medicinal applications of cannabinoids has been directly instigated by people who live on the margins of society. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #2 posted by mayan on December 08, 2005 at 18:18:06 PT |
| Even TIME magazine is jumping on the bandwagon! The prohibitionists get lonelier every day and dolts like Joyce and the San Diego supervisors will soon find they are taking on the entire world! Patriot Act made possible by 9/11... Patriot Act may be renewed without reforms: http://prisonplanet.com/articles/december2005/081205patriotact.htm THE WAY OUT IS THE WAY IN... 9/11 Stories Attract Masses To Website: http://www.wicz.com/news2005/viewarticle.asp?a=308 CNN Virtually Ignores Pearl Harbor Anniversary. Hiding the PNAC - 9/11 Connection? http://tvnewslies.org/blog/?p=223 Magical Realism: 9/11 Survivor Detects Sleight of Hand: http://www.911truth.org/article.php?story=20051207182330338 9/11 Truth Conference Opens In Tampa To Crowd Of 600: http://www.rense.com/general69/cro.htm Why was there Molten Metal Under Ground Zero for Months after 9/11? http://georgewashington.blogspot.com/2005/12/why-was-there-molten-metal-under.html [ Post Comment ] |
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Comment #1 posted by mrjimm1 on December 08, 2005 at 18:07:13 PT:
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| So when does God get His two cents worth noted in this nation's war on plants? I've been calling for God's Chosen Fast for the past eleven years, and nobody's paid a bit of attention to me. But I figure, someday Isaiah 61:11 will come true, and everybody will get a chance to find out hemp is a Copyright God plant. "For as the soil makes the sprout come up and a garden causes seeds to grow, so the sovereign LORD will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations." God's basic position regarding hemp is delineated in Zechariah 10:1--"...it is the LORD who...gives...plants of the field to everyone." The next verse is highly relevant: "The idols speak deceit..." Therein lies the rub--the idols still rule in America. And all these man-made oppressive decrees mitigate against laws that accomodate God's generosity regarding man's use of plants. If we do the first two steps in God's Chosen Fast--"loose the chains of injustice, untie the cords of the yoke"--we would see an end to the continuing affront to justice that the war on drugs is all about. So since 1994 I've been calling for this radical solution, and online since 1997. One man is easily ignored. One genuine God is a bit harder to blow off. That day will come, someday, maybe in 2006. For the sake of the oppressed, sooner is better than later. Please visit my website and listen to my message. I use all the relevant Bible verses to make my case, which really is God's case against the current state of affairs. It's just frustrating to be crying out for mercy and justice and meeting up with total disdain. A radical solution is what is needed. All of these piddling little steps in the right direction just won't cut it. God knows I'm telling the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth so help me God, hand on Bible. Someday the truth will enter in, and all those goats waging war on the sick and the poor will get what they deserve. [ Post Comment ] |
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