cannabisnews.com: NORML's Weekly News Bulletin -- June 24, 2004 NORML's Weekly News Bulletin -- June 24, 2004 Posted by CN Staff on June 24, 2004 at 16:30:29 PT Weekly Press Release Source: NORML Federal Bill Introduced Mandating 10 Years To Life For Pot Sales - - American Bar Association Report Blasts Mandatory SentencingJune 24, 2004 - Washington, DC, USAWashington DC: Federal legislation introduced last week would impose mandatory minimum sentences on defendants who furnish a controlled substance, including marijuana, to any individual under 18 years of age or who has previously been enrolled in a drug treatment program. The bill, H.R. 4547, was introduced just one week prior to the release of an American Bar Association (ABA) report calling for the repeal of mandatory minimum sentencing statutes. Under the proposed legislation, sponsored by House Judiciary Chair James Sensenbrenner (R-WI), any person age 21 or over who attempts or conspires to offer marijuana to someone younger than 18 years old shall face a mandatory sentence of 10 years in prison. The mandatory penalty for a subsequent violation of the statute is life in prison.Defendants found to have distributed marijuana near a drug treatment facility, or who have offered pot to someone who is currently or has previously been enrolled in drug treatment, would receive a mandatory prison sentence of five years to life under the proposal.The bill would also impose mandatory minimum sentences on defendants found to have manufactured or distributed pot near various public and private establishments, including libraries, daycare centers, and video arcades, as well as impose life imprisonment upon individuals convicted of their third drug felony.To date, Sensenbrenner's proposal has no co-sponsors.Representative Sensenbrenner's proposed expansion of mandatory minimum sentencing comes at the same time that delegates of the 400,000-member American Bar Association are considering recommendations to abolish such statutes. This week, the ABA released a report concluding, "There is no need for mandatory minimum sentences in a guided sentencing system." Authors wrote that mandatory minimum sentences shift sentencing discretion away from courts to prosecutors, have an adverse effect on minority defendants, and "are inconstant with the notion that sentences should consider all of the relevant circumstances of an offense and offender."The ABA will vote in August whether to adopt the recommendations as official positions for the organization. Earlier this week, a federal judge in Boston ruled that mandatory minimums were unconstitutional because they disproportionately weigh the system toward prosecutors and against defendants.For more information, please contact Keith Stroup, NORML Executive Director, at (202) 483-5500. To learn more about H.R. 4547, please visit: http://capwiz.com/norml2/issues/alert/?alertid=6045881&type=COFull text of the American Bar Association Report: http://www.manningmedia.net/Clients/ABA/ABA288/index.htmDL: http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=6139Lawyers: End Mandatory Sentences http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread19048.shtmlJudge: Federal Sentencing Unconstitutionalhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread19045.shtmlTHC Delays Progression Of Lou Gehrig's Disease, Study SaysJune 24, 2004 - Seattle, WA, USASeattle, WA: The administration of the cannabinoid THC in mice delayed disease progression of an animal model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), according to clinical findings published in the journal Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis & Other Motor Neuron Disorders. Also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, ALS is a chronic, often fatal condition marked by a gradual degeneration of the nerve cells in the central nervous system that control voluntary muscle movement."Treatment with Delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol was effective if administered either before or after onset of [symptoms] in the ALS mouse model," researchers at the MDA/ALS Center at the University of Washington determined. "Administration at the onset of tremors delayed motor impairment and prolonged survival in Delta(9)-THC treated mice when compared to ... controls."Authors concluded, "As Delta(9)-THC is well tolerated, it and other cannabinoids may prove to be novel therapeutic targets for the treatment of ALS."For more information, please contact Paul Armentano, NORML Senior Policy Analyst, at (202) 483-5500.DL: http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=6141CannabisNews Medical Marijuana Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/medical.shtmlCities Nationwide To Vote On Marijuana Law Reforms June 24, 2004 - Washington, DC, USAWashington, DC: City Clerks offices in Ann Arbor, Michigan and Berkeley, California certified initiatives this week to liberalize municipal laws pertaining to the use of medicinal marijuana. Voters in both cities will decide "yes" or "no" on the proposals this November.Ann Arbor's initiative, sponsored by the Washtenaw Coalition for Compassionate Care, would amend the city's charter to exempt qualified medical cannabis patients from criminal prosecution. Local Ann Arbor law already stipulates that police treat minor marijuana possession violations as a fine-only offense.Berkeley's initiative, sponsored by the Alliance of Berkeley Patients, seeks to replace the city's 10-plant medical cannabis limit with an amount in accordance with an individual "patient's needs," as defined by the patient and his or her physician. The proposal also requests the city to distribute medical marijuana if federal officials close Berkeley's existing medi-pot dispensaries.Additional marijuana law reform initiatives are ongoing in several other cities and states. Proponents of an Oakland initiative to direct the city "to tax and regulate the sale of cannabis for adult use" are awaiting certification from municipal officials, after having turned in more than 30,000 signatures this week.Signatures are also being collected to place marijuana liberalization proposals on the November 2004 ballots in Tallahassee, Florida and Columbia, Missouri.In August, Detroit residents will vote on an initiative seeking to exempt patients who possess and use cannabis "under the direction" of a physician from criminal arrest and prosecution. Similar medical marijuana statewide initiatives are ongoing in Arkansas and Montana.In addition, Alaska voters will decide this November on an initiative allowing adults to legally possess, cultivate and use marijuana under state law. A similar statewide proposal seeking to legalize and regulate the use and sale of marijuana is also pending in Nevada.For more information, please contact Keith Stroup, NORML Executive Director, at (202) 483-5500.DL: http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=6140Medical Pot Measure Lands on Ballot http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread19058.shtmlBerkeley To Vote on Marijuanahttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread19049.shtmlPetitions in for Pot Legalization Measure http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread19044.shtmlPot Initiative Backers Turn in 32,000 Signatures http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread19043.shtmlSource: NORML Foundation (DC)Published: June 24, 2004Copyright: 2004 NORML Contact: norml norml.org Website: http://www.norml.org/NORML's Weekly News Bulletin -- June 17, 2004http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread19028.shtmlNORML's Weekly News Bulletin -- June 10, 2004http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread18982.shtmlNORML's Weekly News Bulletin -- June 03, 2004http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread18944.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #3 posted by Dankhank on June 25, 2004 at 09:07:38 PT Still high from the call ... Just got off the phone with a hapless Sensenbrenner intern. She got the full brunt of my no-profanity high-octane rant regarding the manifest stupidity of the man who conceived that most venal of proposals and "promised" to give him the message. Yea, right ...Whew ... Resist the madness! [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by warhater on June 24, 2004 at 22:02:35 PT: Worst Law Ever "Defendants ...who have offered pot to someone who is currently or has previously been enrolled in drug treatment, would receive a mandatory prison sentence of five years to life under the proposal."How can one tell if somebody has attended drug treatment? They aren't going to offer this information to dealers even if they ask. Maybe they will tattoo numbers on the arms of drug treatment patients so dealers can tell.Seriously, drug treatment is a private matter. Many people attend drug treatment without being arrested or order to by a court. This law would discourage people from voluntarily getting help for real drug problems.This is the worst:"any person age 21 or over who attempts or conspires to offer marijuana to someone younger than 18 years old shall face a mandatory sentence of 10 years in prison."This is an incentive for kids to deal to kids. If they were really concerned about kids getting pot they would legalize it. When I was a kid the hardest drug to get was alcohol. I had to talk somebody into getting it for me. If I wanted weed I just went to school. [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by ekim on June 24, 2004 at 17:45:00 PT Book a Leap speaker for your next event http://www.leap.cc/events/events.php Jun 25 04 National Sheriff’s Association 12:00 AM Matt McCally Seattle Washington USA June 25th-30th, 2004. Law Enforcement Against Prohibition exhibits at the 65th Annual Convention in Seattle Washington. LEAP attendees include Executive Board Member Howard Wooldridge, Speakers Jim Byron and Matt McCally. Jun 25 04 Southwest Portland Rotary 12:00 PM Howard Wooldridge Portland Oregon USA The Southwest Portland Rotary welcomes Board Member Howard Wooldridge to discuss issues related to drug prohibition. Jun 25 04 Cannibas Conferences 08:00 PM Howard Wooldridge Portland Oregon USA Board Member Howard Wooldridge will appear on the cable access channel 11 TV show "Cannibas Conferences" to discuss issues related to the failed war on drugs. The interview may also be viewed after taping on the web site: www.crrh.org/hemptv/video_ccs.html Jun 27 04 National Sheriff’s Association 01:00 PM Matt McCally Seattle Washington USA June 25th-30th, 2004. Law Enforcement Against Prohibition exhibits at the 65th Annual Convention in Seattle Washington. LEAP attendees include Executive Board Member Howard Wooldridge, Speakers Jim Byron Matt McCally. Jun 28 04 National Sheriff’s Association 10:00 AM Matt McCally Seattle Washington USA June 25th-30th, 2004. Law Enforcement Against Prohibition exhibits at the 65th Annual Convention in Seattle Washington. LEAP attendees include Executive Board Member Howard Wooldridge, Speakers Jim Byron and Matt McCally. Jun 29 04 Interview with Mike Siegel KTTH Radio 06:30 AM Howard Wooldridge Seattle Washington USA Board Member Howard Wooldridge is up early in the morning to participate in a telephone interview with Mike Siegel of KTTH Radio 770 AM. Topic: The failed war on drugs. Jun 29 04 The Mike McConnell Show" 11:00 AM Earl Barnett Cincinnati Ohio USA Speaker Earl Barnett will be interviewed on "The Mike McConnell Show" radio show to discuss the failure of the ar on drugs. Station WLW 700AM. http://www.leap.cc [ Post Comment ] Post Comment