cannabisnews.com: Drug Activity Widespread on Internet Says UN Panel





Drug Activity Widespread on Internet Says UN Panel
Posted by FoM on February 27, 2002 at 13:29:34 PT
By Jim Burns, CNSNews.com Senior Staff Writer
Source: CNSNews.com
A new report by the United Nations International Narcotics Control Board says drug traffickers and criminal elements have begun "exploiting the Internet" as a vehicle for trading illegal drugs.The report found that chat rooms are being used to discuss recipes for making drugs and the World Wide Web has become a vehicle for drug money laundering. Board member Herbert Okun told reporters at U.N. headquarters in New York that the panel was not about to call for censorship. 
But he added that the universality of the Web and the existing drug control treaties demanded some kind of international and national response to the problem.The board, in its recommendations, called on governments, the information technology industry, advocacy groups and health professionals to help regulate the Web in a sensible way.Keith Stroup, executive director of The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, disagreed with Okun's statement."While they say they are not calling for censorship, I'd like to know what else they are calling for if they are saying that the Internet provides aid and support and comfort to drug dealers. If they think countries need to take some response to that, the only response they could possibly take, I presume is to censor the content on the Internet," Stroup said in an interview with CNSNews.com."We need a healthy public debate over alternatives to current (drug) prohibition. Right now, the only policy that our government and the United Nations think is a legitimate policy to discuss is criminal prohibition. We need a legally, regulated market where we would do away with the black market and crime and corruption associated with it," said Stroup.The Drug Enforcement Administration spokesperson Rogene Waite said the agency has been aware of the Internet problem for several years, and is fighting to stop the illegal trafficking of controlled substances and pharmaceuticals.DEA is also aware that chat rooms are being used as a forum for drug dealing, Waite said."We've been aware of it. We had a conference several years ago on methamphetamines and one of the things we talked about during that conference was the books and recipes that are on the Internet," said Waite.The U.N. International Narcotics Control Board rejected arguments that marijuana should be legalized."Adding another drug to the same category as alcohol and tobacco would be a historical mistake," the board said in its report.However, it urged further research "into the possible therapeutic properties and medicinal uses of cannabis or cannabis extracts," emphasizing that any decision must be based on scientific and medical evidence."Stroup finds nothing new in the U.N.'s stance."These folks are professional bureaucrats who are trained drug warriors. They have a very strong ideological point of view. It's important for people to recognize that this is a very strong pro-prohibition voice in the United Nations. These are people who are paid large salaries to go around and try to maintain the status quo," said Stroup. Only eight U.S. states have approved marijuana for medical use, and a half-dozen nations are considering similar exemptions to anti-drug laws.Source: CNSNews.comAuthor: Jim Burns, CNSNews.com Senior Staff WriterPublished: February 27, 2002Copyright: 1998-2002 Cybercast News ServiceContact: shogenson cnsnews.comWebsite: http://www.cnsnews.com/Related Articles & Web Site:NORMLhttp://www.norml.org/Internet Aids Narcotics Tradehttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread12111.shtmlU.N. Rebuts Arguments for Legalizing Pot http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread12110.shtmlUN Watchdog Says Drug Sales Booming http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread12107.shtml
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Comment #6 posted by DdC on February 27, 2002 at 22:22:22 PT
Got G-8? Vested Ignorance Maintaining Dysfunction
Asscraft Pat'sriot bill, Walters money laundry partnerships, Assa cutting deals in Mesa, Bushit Cheney Enron Crime Family, Hasserterrorist along with Delay, Mica and FRCn Idiots, Feinstein Hatchet Censor bill removing hemptalk saving kids from meth their moma's doing as diet pills...
Bob Barr xCIA lawyer stopping votes in DC...
Secret Searches bill, no knock warrants, lose tuition and foodstamps for life, anonymous tip warrants permitting infra-red sensors, snitch witnesses, 3 strikes, manditory sentences, forfeiture, paid informants, confiscations, drunk driver snitches released, lose your license smoking a joint, drugczar profits on pisstesting, keeping competition off the shelves, selling this war on drugs they don't sell...
DdCThey will take what they can or what we let them take...Prohibitionist Deceptions
http://pub3.ezboard.com/fendingcannabisprohibitionprohibitionistwodjunkies.showMessage?topicID=43.topic     Wod Junkie D.E.A.th Mongers
http://pub3.ezboard.com/fendingcannabisprohibitionprohibitionistwodjunkies
D.E.A.th Deceptions
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Comment #5 posted by null on February 27, 2002 at 15:45:27 PT
hurrary for the net
Wow, amazing head line... [heavy sarcasm]I think tomorrow's headlines will be:
Study Says Human Speech Aides Drug DealersBesides, all the regular readers at CannabisNews know that this article is totally false since America became Drug-Free in 2002. Don't ya remember??? ;)The U.N. can't shut down the Net and they can't silence truth. Even if this generation of leaders doesn't have the guts to change the laws, the next generation does. 47% of highschool kids have tried cannabis. They know that the laws are ridiculous and puritanical.consider the demographics of the 108th Congress: The oldest Congressman, Strom Thurmond, was born in 1902. The average age of Representatives is 53.4 and 59 for Senators and they are by and large Protestant although Roman Catholics are the largest single denomination. There are only 74 female members of Congress (although this is a record number) out of 535 members.Now consider the US population: Average age is 35.We need younger blood in Congress. We need representatives not wardens.
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Comment #4 posted by E_Johnson on February 27, 2002 at 14:07:49 PT
UN commitment to democracy questionable
The people who serve on the UN are not elected, and many of the countries with power in the organization are not democratic.
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Comment #3 posted by TroutMask on February 27, 2002 at 13:58:05 PT
Science!
"Adding another drug to the same category as alcohol and tobacco would be a historical mistake," the board said in its report.WOW! Now I'm convinced! Forget all the science, all the studies, all the historical precedent of alcohol prohibition. Just tap your toes and say "it would be a mistake" and that's the end of the discussion!Obviously we have too many freedoms and removing some of them will solve the "drug problem". (NOT!)-TM
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Comment #2 posted by MikeEEEEE on February 27, 2002 at 13:41:15 PT
No brainer
The UN International Narcotics Control Board puts out propaganda at about every 6 months to justify its existance.They're parroting the same info about the Internet they gave about a year ago.
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Comment #1 posted by Spookk on February 27, 2002 at 13:36:23 PT:
Here's a suggestion for "appropriate response"
Tell the UN to shove it and trash the treaties.Since when should this agency decide social issues for its members?
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