cannabisnews.com: The Supreme Court Vs Teens The Supreme Court Vs Teens Posted by CN Staff on May 18, 2002 at 20:52:32 PT By Mark Boal Source: Rolling Stone Hard-line Judges Are About To Give A Thumbs-Up To Drug Tests In Schools Across The Nation.After twenty years of prayer and hard lobbying, drug warriors are on the verge of succeeding in their effort to institute random drug testing of high school students. Sometime in June, the Supreme Court is expected to issue a decision in favor of an Oklahoma school with an aggressive anti-drug program. The ruling will loosen the standard for acceptable drug testing of students: About 500 schools currently test kids, most of them athletes, but soon any students involved in other school activities might be subject to the involuntary tests, and students and parents will have not higher authority to whom they can protest."I think saying that this ruling applies to the 27 million kids in grades six to twelve is not an exaggeration, even if the court doesn't go so far as to say it literally does," say Graham Boyd, the American civil Liberties Union lawyer who brought the case against Tecumseh High, a tiny school of 600 that conducts random tests on students who participate in clubs. The ACLU and a school choir member named Lindsay Earls challenged the school's authority to invade Earls' privacy after she was forced to pee in a cup while teachers listened outside the bathroom stall."Thanks be to almighty God, who has guided us, protected us and comforted us in this effort," says DeForest Rathbone of the Supreme Court hearing, which occurred in March. By "us", Rathbone means his group, the National Institute of Citizen Anti-Drug Policy, and those it is aligned with including the Drug Free America Foundation, Drug Free Kids, and the Alcohol and Drug Testing Industry Association which organized the legal briefs and now have even secured funding to push testing to the front of the Drug War.Last year, Rathbone and his allies sneaked a clause into President Bush's education bill authorizing the government to pay for testing at public schools. As a result, billions in block grants will soon be available to schools that want to test. According to Julie Underwood, counsel for the Ntional School Boards Association, many of her members are just waiting for the court to give its constitutional green light. Says Rathbone, "People don't realize how far along we are with this thing. It's a done deal."None of this would have been conceivable four or five years ago, when student drug testing was a marginal issue in Washington. But legal and financial backing has transformed a loser into a political winner.In the early Eighties, soldiers were the only people in America who were tested. Gradually, anti-drug groups pushed testing beyond the military and into civilian and corporate life. In 1987, twenty percent of businesses in the American Management Association tested their employees, but now, after a steady campaign supported by the federal government, testing is the norm in seventy-one percent of its members. Many expect this pattern to repeat in schools.If the court's majority holds up Tecumseh as a model, then going to high school in America will soon be an experience straight out of Orwell's 1984. At Tecumseh, urine testing is only part of a larger control paradigm that includes cops at the front door, cameras in the hallways, drug-sniffing dogs performing locker checks and teachers who are trained to interrogate suspicious-looking students. Bottom line: 2002 may go down as the year when the right wing opened a new front in the Drug war.The irony here is that it was the ACLU that enabled this giant new opportunity for drug testing. Seven years ago, after the ACLU lost a Supreme Court case permitting testing of student athletes, the ACLU's Boyd decided to prepare for the next schools that would push further. "I knew inevitably this was going to crop up around the courts and end up in the Supreme Court," he says. "I made a plan, back in '99, to try and bring this forward and present it in a way that would be favorable to the ACLU."Eventually he found his "ideal plaintiff," as he puts it, in Lindsay Earls. She was a choir girl, and a folk singer, pretty In overalls, and Ivy League material. She didn't do drugs, ever, and was humiliated by the test. When Boyd met her the first time, she said she was willing to go the long haul up the court system.So the ACLU and the school squared off. The ACLU triumphed in appeals court, but at the Supreme Court hearing in March, several judges openly mocked Boyd. Glowering down from the bench, Justice Antonin Scalia at one point chastised him, "What I seem to miss in your argument is any recognition of the fact that we are dealing with minors," as if Boyd didn't know his own client's age. Then Scalia demanded, "Do you think life and death is really not involved the fight against drugs?""It absolutely is," Boyd stammered, "and where there's ""Let's not minimize that," Scalia said, sharply cutting him off.Boyd recovered and moved on, but the damage was already done. In fact, it had been done a long time ago, when organizers of the campaign to moderate harsh drug laws ceded the moral high ground of helping kids. "When you have kids involved, that's a battlefield that's going to favor conservative, parent-type groups," says William D. McColl, director of national affairs for the nation's leading reform group, the Drug Policy Alliance. "We do much better with adult liberties, where there are infringements with racially tinged outcomes."Ultimately, the right wing outwitted the left on this issue by stealing the left's rhetoric. For years, drug-law reformers have said drugs ought to be considered a health problem, not a criminal-justice matter. Now the right is arguing that the constitutionality of testing students turns on whether drugs are, indeed, conceived of as a health epidemic.The Drug Free America Foundation, a group that helped underwrite an amicus brief for Tecumseh, peddles this argument extremely well. Calvina Fay, the group's executive director, says, "We had an outbreak of head lice in my daughter's school, and they did a search they didn't ask for my permission. You were sent home if you had it, and you couldn't come back until you'd been treated for head lice. I didn't hear any parents screaming then about privacy rights, and head lice is nowhere the deadly situation that drugs are."Indeed, the more drug-law reformers fight student drug testing, the more they're seen as dopeheads who want to help kids get stoned. So they are letting the issue slide, rather than waste political capital. "Fighting school drug testing is like Pickett's charge," says McColl. "You are standing in withering fire and have to cross a field two miles long." Plus, he says, "It's not an issue we have activists going out on the street for."Newshawk: ekimSource: Rolling Stone (US)Author: Mark BoalPublished: Thursday, June 6, 2002 Copyright: 2002 Straight Arrow Publishers Company, L.P.Contact: letters rollingstone.comWebsite: http://www.rollingstone.com/ACLUhttp://aclu.org/CannabisNews Drug Testing Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/drug_testing.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #18 posted by overtoke on May 19, 2002 at 15:00:54 PT: RACISM Why are we being segregated? Why are they discriminating against us?What has changed? Nothing is different today with the number of people in school using illegal drugs.I think the pinheads are getting scared their insane rules are crumbling to the ground. [ Post Comment ] Comment #17 posted by mayan on May 19, 2002 at 14:34:41 PT Ruppert Knows Bush Knew Ruppert pulled from FOX News appearance at last minute: http://www.fromthewilderness.com/free/ww3/051802_geraldo_cancel.html [ Post Comment ] Comment #16 posted by The GCW on May 19, 2002 at 13:46:51 PT dddd I thought I clicked on the link and the 3rd picture down was with large letters that said: "Bush Knew". It may have been somewhere else... It's the news lately (Bush Knew) and I may have seen it while surfing. Find that tape of the Bush live speech at app 5pm central time on 911, and see if you recognize the look. [ Post Comment ] Comment #15 posted by Bounce to the Ounce on May 19, 2002 at 10:29:07 PT Thanks GCW! "Bounce to the Ounce, Consider linking to Christians for Cannabis at: http://www.christiansforcannabis.com/ and then click on FORUMS: http://www.christiansforcannabis.com/ws2/bbs.php where you will be able to help the slipped in ones to know the Truth."Cool! [ Post Comment ] Comment #14 posted by releafer on May 19, 2002 at 09:02:33 PT Politicans say violation of 4th................... In Louisana the politicans had drug testing overturned because it violated thier 4th amendment search law rights. They were to be tested before they run for office. The State Judge found it violated thier rights... ...............HELLO!!! Any testing is actually ONLY ferreting out of MARIJUANA USERS!!!!GIVE EM A TASTE TEST KIDS!!!! REVOLT!!!!! [ Post Comment ] Comment #13 posted by WolfgangWylde on May 19, 2002 at 08:28:20 PT I'm a "glass half-full" kind of guy... ...so I can see an up side to this. One of the enabling characteristics of the Drug War is that its consequences do not fall too harshly on the middle- and upper-classes. Comfortable suburban kids never had much to worry about before. Maybe after having their rights so severely restricted, they'll act to end the whole charade when they become adults. Just look at what happened after the Feds started pulling financial aid from anyone busted for violating the drug laws. I haven't seen students gavlanize around an issue like that since Vietnam. [ Post Comment ] Comment #12 posted by Lehder on May 19, 2002 at 06:47:32 PT young consumers Indeed, the more drug-law reformers fight student drug testing, the more they're seen as dopeheads who want to help kids get stoned. So they are letting the issue slide, rather than waste political capital. "Fighting school drug testing is like Pickett's charge," says McColl. "You are standing in withering fire and have to cross a field two miles long." Plus, he says, "It's not an issue we have activists going out on the street for." But it's not at all necessary that activists should be so cowed on this issue. We already know the valid arguments against drug testing, and some of them are mentioned in this article. Some of the students know them too. They need a one-page summary list describing their natural rights, the sexually and otherwise abusive nature of urine ( or hair ) testing, and the crass motivations for testing, and the counterproductive effects of testing not only on the level and kind of drug use but the generally hurtful effects on children's educations and psychological well-being. So empowered, HS students are not incapable of organized revolt, and adults should scream like banshees when they're called "dopeheads who want to help kids get stoned." Activists seek only to see their children graduate as educated and well adjusted young adults, an endeavor that's difficult enough in the intellectually degenerate government schools without urine testing.I'd like to see kids and parents empowered by the truth. I'd like to see an organization of kids and parents called DOUBLE DARE YA that meets outside school grounds and empowers kids and parents both.Such an organization could assist junior and senior year students in making the psychological transition from a prison mentality to a consumer mentality, and kids shopping for a college should think of themselves as consumers.Lots of students take the SAT or ACT tests in their junior year and lots of them do extremely well, well enough to know that they'll be accepted by any college they choose. They ought to think about - and act on - "graduating" early. Children, you don't need a high school diploma to go to college. Some of you skipped the 6th or 7th grades, and if you done well you can skip the 12th too. Talk to the colleges that have accepted you; bargain with them as you would over the purchase of a home or a car. Colleges and universities are competing for you. Tell them you want to get on with your education. They're already on your side. They too know that high school really sucks. [ Post Comment ] Comment #11 posted by goneposthole on May 19, 2002 at 06:41:17 PT LACRC The study was at the LACRC. [ Post Comment ] Comment #10 posted by goneposthole on May 19, 2002 at 06:38:49 PT Facts Excerpt from this study: Anticancer activity of cannabinoidsJournal of the National Cancer Institute, vol. 55, No. 3, September 1975, pp. 597-602By A.E. Munson, L.S. Harris, M.A. Friedman, W.L. Dewey and R. A. CarchmanDepartment of Pharmacology and the MCU/VCU Cancer Center, Medical College of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, Virginia 23298Supported by Public Health Service grant DA 00490 from the National Institute of Drug Abuse, Health Services, and Mental Health Administration; by a grant from the Alexander and Margaret Stewart Trust Fund; and by an institutional grant from the American Cancer society.Summary--- Lewis lung adenocarcinoma growth was retarded by the oral administration of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, delta-8-THC, and cannabinol (CBN), but not cannabidiol (CBD).Animals treated for 10 consecutive days with delta-9-THC beginning the day after tumor implantation, demonstrated a dose dependent action of retarded tumor growth. Mice treated for 20 days with delta-8-THC and CBN had reduced primary tumor size.From the discussion:Inhibition of tumor growth and increased animal after treatment with delta-9-THC may, in part, be du to the ability of the drug to inhibit nucleic acid synthesis. (My interpretation: The cancerous cells won't divide)and later:These results lend further support to increasing evidence that, in addition to the well-known behavorial effects of delta-9-THC, this agent modifies other cell responses that may have grreater biologicc significance in that they have anti-neoplastic activity. (neoplasms are functionless tissue, a tumor, that can also be malignant)and...Whether only cannabinoids active in the central nervous system (CNS) exhibit this anti-neoplastic propertyis not the question, since CBN, which lacks marihunan-like psychoactivity, is quite active in our systems (15). With structure activity investigations, more active agents may be designed and syntesized whch are devoid of or have reduced CNS activity (they won't get you high). That these compounds readily cross the blood brain barrier and do not possess many of the toxic manifestations of presently used cytotoxic agents, makes them appealing groups of drugs to study. (basically, cannabis works better than anything we've got)Test for drugs and be happy cannabis is present, your chances of getting cancer are lessened. [ Post Comment ] Comment #9 posted by WolfgangWylde on May 19, 2002 at 06:06:36 PT It's a Slam Dunk! Of course the SC will rule in favor. Their comments about "druggie" schools during the case is enough to show that. In fact, the ONLY time the SC has ruled against drug testing was in a case where the tests were to be applied to LEGISLATORS and JUDGES - go figure. [ Post Comment ] Comment #8 posted by dddd on May 19, 2002 at 05:39:27 PT The GCW ..here's the Bush radio speech from Saturday....dddd http://www.usnewswire.com/topnews/first/0518-104.html [ Post Comment ] Comment #7 posted by dddd on May 19, 2002 at 05:35:48 PT The GCW ...The GCW... .....When I click on that link,,I get a BBC article about the new terror alerts,,,no "bush knew" thing???..dddd [ Post Comment ] Comment #6 posted by The GCW on May 19, 2002 at 05:24:38 PT dddd & Bounce for the Ounce ddddd, the link you gave contains a pic of Bush with the large heading, “BUSH KNEW”. Does anyone have a link to the TV story / news / live speech bu-shit gave at app. 5 pm central time? When you look at bu-shit, in that speech, it becomes apparent! We all know the look that bu-shit breath had. He had the look of success. Not only did he know but he showed the world he knew, in his demeanor and body language. It seems he not only knew, but he enjoyed some level of success with the developments.He did not just know. He had more into it than to just know.The GCW- The GCW - The GCW - The GCWBounce to the Ounce, The one they honor is that which has no honor. God gave us cannabis and told us so. God also gave us evil and said that they would fall away from the faith and create havoc. We are told a long time ago about this evil. Like the Bible informing us on the very 1st page that ALL THE GREEN SEED BEARING PLANTS ON ALL THE EARTH ARE GOOD. What ever happened before the Bible, required that this issue be cleared up right from the start. There was a Biblical attempt made to set this issue straight, and the evil has still slipped in and has made moves still, to bring harm to those who accept Our Fathers foods. Bounce to the Ounce, Consider linking to Christians for Cannabis at: http://www.christiansforcannabis.com/ and then click on FORUMS: http://www.christiansforcannabis.com/ws2/bbs.php where you will be able to help the slipped in ones to know the Truth.Prayer and fellowship with the promised Holy Spirit of Truth, HIGHLY recommended. [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by CorvallisEric on May 19, 2002 at 04:06:55 PT School drug testing OK, so they randomly test any kid, any time, during the regular school day, with significant consequences for those who fail. Some possible trends: 1 - Friday night bingeing on meth and heroin - should be mostly clean by Monday for urine tests if they're still alive. 2 - Almost any night bingeing on alcohol - same idea. 3 - Huffing glue, gasoline, etc. I don't think it's practical to test for them since they consist of many kinds of simple, legal, ubiquitous molecules. They might register higher (no pun intended) from gassing-up the car on the way to school than from partying (yuck!) the night before. 4 - Exotic, tricky, untested new drugs. The prohibitionist media popularizes these with horror stories and calls for more action. 5 - A fake (lying on surveys) or even real drop in MJ which will justify to the anti's all the expense and injustice. [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by dddd on May 19, 2002 at 02:12:02 PT ...here's the story from the BBC,about the "alert& http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/americas/newsid_1996000/1996240.stm [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by dddd on May 19, 2002 at 00:40:31 PT ......Hmmmm,,I wonder how the S.C. will rule? .......can you imagine the SC deciding in favor or the students?,,and against the National Institute of Citizen Anti-Drug Policy, the Drug Free America Foundation, Drug Free Kids, and the Alcohol and Drug Testing Industry Association.?.......NO WAY!... ....The Twilight Zone....The empire is steamrolling ahead.......Did anyone notice the new warning of a terrorist attack on tonights news?..This shallow ploy is a perfect example of political manipulation through the media.. ..A "threat of a terrorist attack",,with no specifics,,,,other than it was supposedly being planned by "Al-Quieda".. ... ...It's so absurd,,,and sad...To think that the masses are gullible enough to believe such "terror alerts",without question..,..And it is an outrage,to realize,,that this bit of "news",is only "news",because the empire put it there... ....Masses of simpleton Sheeple will see such "news",as a justification to approve of the War on Terror....I'm afraid the empire has absconded with our America.....Life is going to change radically in the coming years....If you're poor,you can expect to stay poor,,,if you are rich,,you can expect to get richer,,if you are middle class,and you have investments in the stock market,,you can expect to lose most of your money.......dddd [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by Bounce to the Ounce on May 18, 2002 at 23:57:21 PT Don't even bring God into this "Thanks be to almighty God, who has guided us, protected us and comforted us in this effort," says DeForest Rathbone of the Supreme Court hearing, which occurred in March"Your only god is money and power, you self-righteous pig. And you think you're doing the Lord's work by pushing this deadly "War On Drugs" scam. [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by FoM on May 18, 2002 at 21:23:07 PT Correct Rolling Stone Article Hi Everyone,I made a mistake and didn't get the complete article on the one above so I archived the corrected copy and am posting it here. Just click the link if you want to read the complete article. Sorry Folks, One of my Oops again!The Supreme Court Vs Teens http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread12885.shtml [ Post Comment ] Post Comment