cannabisnews.com: NORML's Weekly News Bulletin - November 29, 2007





NORML's Weekly News Bulletin - November 29, 2007
Posted by CN Staff on November 29, 2007 at 12:13:04 PT
Weekly Press Release
Source: NORML
 Wisconsin: Waukesha County Enacts Pot Decriminalization Ordinance  November 29, 2007 - Waukesha, WI, USAWaukesha, WI: Waukesha County supervisors voted 27-4 this week to decriminalize pot possession for first-time offenders.
Under the new policy, law enforcement officials may cite rather than arrest individuals found in possession of small quantities of cannabis. Those charged under the ordinance face a fine, but no criminal sanctions.Under state law, possession of any amount of pot is a misdemeanor offense punishable by up to six months in jail.County Supervisors said that criminally prosecuting minor pot offenders was placing an undue burden on local police and clogging the county’s courts.Other regions of the state have enacted similar pot decriminalization policies, including the city of Madison and Milwaukee County.Since 1973, twelve state legislatures have adopted versions of marijuana decriminalization, replacing jail time with fine-only penalties.For more information, please contact Allen St. Pierre, NORML Executive Director, at (202) 483-5500.DL: http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=7437 Ten-Fold Spike In Drivers Drug Tested After Passage Of Zero Tolerance DUID Law, Study Says  November 29, 2007 - Linkoping, SwedenLinkoping, Sweden: Passage of a Swedish law prohibiting motorists from operating a vehicle with any detectable level of a controlled substance present in their blood has led to a 10-fold increase in the number of cases submitted by police for toxicological analysis, according to data published in the December issue of the journal Traffic Injury Prevention.Among Swedish drivers administered blood tests, nearly 60 percent were positive for the presence of amphetamines. Cannabis was detected in combination with the presence of other illicit and/or prescription drugs in 20 percent of the drivers tested. Only four percent of drivers tested under the law were positive for the presence of THC alone.Fifteen percent of suspected drugged drivers tested negative for all controlled substances.Despite the ten-fold increase in drivers drug tested under the law, investigators previously reported that the increased enforcement has not reduced incidences of drugged driving. According to a 2005 study that appeared in the same journal, "Sweden's zero-concentration limit has done nothing to reduce DUID [driving under the influence of drugs] or deter the typical offender because recidivism is high in this population of individuals." In recent years, several US states have enacted similar zero tolerance laws. Critics of these laws argue that the statutes inappropriately classify sober drivers as "impaired" and may criminally punish non-impaired drivers for their previous, non-driving-related activities."While we all support the goal of keeping impaired motorists off the road – regardless of whether they are impaired from alcohol, prescription drugs, or illicit substances – the enactment of so-called zero tolerance per se legislation is inappropriate, illogical, and does nothing to deter individuals from driving under the influence of illicit substances," NORML Senior Policy Analyst Paul Armentano said. "At best, these laws are an inflexible response to a complex social problem. At worst, they are a cynical attempt to misuse the traffic safety laws to prosecute illicit drug consumers per se."For more information, please contact Paul Armentano, NORML Senior Policy Analyst, at: paul norml.org Full text of the study, "Predominance of illicit drugs and poly-drug use among drug-impaired drivers in Sweden," appears in Traffic Injury Prevention.DL: http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=7436 US Clinical Trial Of Cannabis Spray For Cancer Pain Underway  November 29, 2007 - New York, NY, USANew York, NY: Forty medical centers across North America will take part in the first-ever US clinical trial assessing the efficacy of Sativex, an oral spray consisting of natural cannabis extracts, for the treatment of advanced cancer pain.More than 300 patients with advanced-stage cancer will be recruited for the five-week trial, which will assess the use of Sativex as an adjunct treatment for patients with intractable cancer pain. Subjects in the trial must have a clinical diagnosis of cancer-related pain and must be unresponsive to opioid-based analgesics. Investigators in the study will be using an 11-point Numeric Rating Scale to determine whether patients’ reported pain scores have fallen by the completion of the trial.Russel K. Portenoy, chief investigator of the study and Chairman of the Department of Pain Medicine and Palliative Care at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York City, said: "[M]ore than one-third of patients with cancer, and more than three-quarters of those with advanced disease, have chronic pain. Large surveys indicate that optimal opioid therapy does not yield sufficient relief in a substantial proportion of these patients. There is a clear need for new treatments to improve these outcomes and it is our hope that cannabinoid formulations may represent an important option in the future."In previous clinical trials of the drug, cancer patients have reported significantly improved pain relief following Sativex administration. Earlier this month, investigators in Britain reported that long-term administration of Sativex reduces neuropathic pain without inducing tolerance in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS).Canadian health officials granted regulatory approval in August for the prescription use of Sativex to treat cancer pain. Sativex had previously gained regulatory approval in Canada for the treatment of MS-associated neuropathic pain. Regulators in Great Britain and Spain have also granted limited regulatory approval for the drug.The makers of Sativex, British-based biotechnology firm GW Pharmaceuticals, told Bloomberg News that they expect to have results from the trial next year and are hopeful that they will receive US regulatory approval for the drug by 2011.For more information, please contact Paul Armentano, NORML Senior Policy Analyst, at: paul norml.org or visit http://www.gwpharm.comDL: http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=7435Source: NORML Foundation (DC)Published: November 29, 2007Copyright: 2007 NORML Contact: norml norml.org Website: http://www.norml.org/CannabisNews NORML Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/NORML.shtml 
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Comment #12 posted by FoM on November 29, 2007 at 19:22:46 PT
The GCW 
What we are doing is political but when it comes to who we want to be President that is when people seem to get all upset. I will not change my mind about who I want as President so others must feel that way about who they want. I keep up on what is happening with the person I want to be President and so should others but we don't need to be told we are wrong when we know in our hearts we are right. That just creates flaming and I can't handle that kind of stuff. It's a waste of time and hard on all of our nervous systems. I'm glad you seem to understand why I feel like I do. 
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Comment #11 posted by The GCW on November 29, 2007 at 19:03:52 PT
A few things... + the reason I came to post...
Our issue is about politics. The people running to run the country is about politics that relates to the relevant issue. We can not and should not avoid it or bury it.FoM, You should not be flamed but I feel like I understand what You are describing.What I notice is that when someone posts a story or thought about a candidate someone else posts something to balance it, shall We say... That tends to create a climate of flaming so to speak.Perhaps, We at C-News could all do better to respect each others print and resist situations that lead to uncomfortable feelings while allowing each other to say what We want.Most of Us are articulate enough to know when We approach that point of pushing each other's buttons; let's resist that. I know I'm pretty good at doing it and avoiding it... So I will practice good communication skills here.We all love each other and that is Our tool that will make the difference.-0- What I came to post though is to show this site from MAP that helps expose something We already tend to know but it is in print more or less. -Cops depend on DARE to pay their bills.-US NY: Column: Truth Or DARE - Dormer Responds With HealthSmarthttp://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v07/n1378/a01.html?397Pubdate: Wed, 28 Nov 2007Source: Suffolk Life (NY)"Last week, Suffolk County Police Commissioner Richard Dormer announced that he is reassigning 16 of the 26 officers assigned to the DARE program. The 16 officers will not be furloughed but will be redeployed to patrol duties. ...... In early 2000, former Police Commissioner John Gallagher wanted to replace DARE, -but the police unions organized a protest- and the idea was never implemented. . ..."
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Comment #10 posted by FoM on November 29, 2007 at 17:52:39 PT
DankHank
Christmas is for me and my husband and that's about all. We buy a couple DVDs for Christmas. I keep a wish list at Amazon but order a few things at one time and they are gifts that keep on giving everytime we watch them again. We have a big front porch and we made three christmas trees out of the lights and it looks so pretty. Our neighbors have lots of lights now and we don't have close neighbors but I think that is cool because we all out here in no man's land are doing it for each other. That's the Spirit of Christmas to me.
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Comment #9 posted by Dankhank on November 29, 2007 at 17:04:20 PT
decorations ...
we're talking about what we will do ...I have mixed opinions of all the Christmas hoo haw ...guess we'll see ...
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Comment #8 posted by FoM on November 29, 2007 at 14:29:31 PT
Dankhank
I didn't follow that either. Tis the season to be jolly and that doesn't make for a jolly holiday season. I think that we need to do our own thing and not play around with politics on CNews. Are you getting your decorations up yet? I have Dickens Christmas houses that are so pretty and Stick is getting his trains set up this year. 
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Comment #7 posted by dankhank on November 29, 2007 at 14:06:32 PT
is this politics?
Senator George Allen, of Maccaca fame, is fixin' to tell us his opinion of the internet ...should be fun ...CNN soon ...maccacacocky ... Urban Dictionary ...yes, I know it could be a misspelling of macaca, but I stand by it.http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=maccacacocky&defid=2082127
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Comment #6 posted by FoM on November 29, 2007 at 13:35:26 PT
Dankhank
I appreciate that we won't talk about politics here because that is best. I spend my free time following who I follow and I enjoy it alot.
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Comment #5 posted by Dankhank on November 29, 2007 at 13:24:02 PT
flaming ...
so sad, sometimes a flame is appropriate, but almost never, here.some of us are quite excited about our perceived "redeemer." some of us know that any choice is fraught with uncertainty. Let us all hope for the best ... whatever that may be ...and work offline for our dude/dudette.I'd like to think that we could put together a reasoned comment and leave it at that.this article is what I meant about the "rest of the story" on another thread. 
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Comment #4 posted by FoM on November 29, 2007 at 12:47:02 PT
Dankhank
He scares me but I am not worried about him winning so that helps ease my mind. I look at the top 3 in both Parties and that's about it for me.
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Comment #3 posted by FoM on November 29, 2007 at 12:33:46 PT
Dankhank
He scares me like only Bush does but I am afraid to even say that for fear of being flamed. That is such a shame that I am so afraid on this web site.
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Comment #2 posted by dankhank on November 29, 2007 at 12:28:46 PT
OT ... RPaul
here's a distillation of the man, accurate, I hope, and troubling ...accurate I hope, because there should be only true statements in these type of writings ...troubling as it is quite the illumination of the man ...http://alternet.org/rights/69139/
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Comment #1 posted by FoM on November 29, 2007 at 12:14:31 PT
Oops
Sorry about the wrong icon. 
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