cannabisnews.com: NORML's Weekly News Bulletin - February 1, 2007





NORML's Weekly News Bulletin - February 1, 2007
Posted by CN Staff on February 01, 2007 at 14:59:52 PT
Weekly Press Release 
Source: NORML 
 NORML Teams With Leading Corporate Software Maker To Draft First-Ever 'Enlightened' Employee Marijuana PolicyFebruary 1, 2007 - Washington, DC, USAWashington, DC: NORML and business software designer JIAN have partnered together to draft corporate guidelines recommending employers treat workers' off-the-clock cannabis use in a manner similar to alcohol. The policy will be included in the forthcoming edition of JIAN's "Employee Manual Builder," a popular, commercially available software program designed for corporate Human Resource (HR) managers.
The suggested employee guidelines discourage employers from implementing random and/or "pre-accident" urine screening for cannabis, noting that the test is not suitable for detecting employee impairment or determining recent drug use."The company understands that there is a difference between 'substance use' and 'substance abuse,' and that 'use' isn't necessarily 'abuse,'" the guidelines state. "Employees are free to make their own lifestyle choices when not in the workplace or otherwise on company time. However, such choices must not be allowed to interfere with job performance."They add: "Among the reported 75 million Americans over age 26 who report having used cannabis, more than 70 percent are employed full-time. ... Overall, however, there exists little evidence that cannabis use is associated with lower productivity and/or elevated health costs among full-time employees. Like alcohol, moderate use of cannabis by employees during non-work hours should be of little concern for most employers."The guidelines affirm that employees who report for work under the influence of alcohol or other intoxicants, including cannabis, may be sanctioned and/or subject to varieties of performance and/or "post accident" testing.NORML Executive Director Allen St. Pierre said that the guidelines are science-based and appropriately reflect the prevalence and relative safety of marijuana use among working-age Americans."In the past few years, more and more companies large and small have contacted NORML wishing to implement a more tolerant and enlightened workplace drug policy, especially for those employees who may use cannabis off-the-clock for medicinal or recreational purposes," he said. "Targeting and punishing responsible employees who choose to use cannabis in their off-hours is a poor use of company resources. Moreover, this policy is arbitrary, discriminatory, and inherently unfair in an American workforce replete with alcohol, tobacco, and pharmaceutical consumers."Full text of NORML's model employee guidelines are available on NORML's website at: http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=7160 For more information, please contact Allen St. Pierre, NORML Executive Director, or Paul Armentano, NORML Senior Policy Analyst, at (202) 483-5500.DL: http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=7162Marijuana Use Prevalent Among Sickle Cell PatientsFebruary 1, 2007 - Kingston, JamaicaKingston, Jamaica: Marijuana smoking is far more prevalent among Jamaicans suffering from sickle cell disease (SCD) than among the general population, according to survey data published in the current issue of the West Indian Medical Journal.Investigators at the University of the West Indies in Kingston surveyed the cannabis smoking habits of 145 men and women with SCD. Researchers questioned patients' use patterns in 2000 and then conducted a follow up survey in 2004.Among those surveyed in 2004, 19 percent of women and 65 percent of men with SCD reported smoking cannabis. By contrast, among the Jamaican population, only ten percent of women and 37 percent of men report having ever smoked marijuana.Though Jamaicans with SCD used cannabis in greater numbers, authors did not attribute this increase exclusively to symptom management noting that only six percent of those surveyed associated their usage with combating the disease. "There was no suggestion that smokers and non-smokers had different pain profiles ... [and] there was little difference between smokers and non-smokers in the median number of pain events," authors concluded.Investigators did not assess whether there existed a possible link between the frequency of cannabis use and the amelioration of SCD complications among those surveyed.Anecdotal reports of SCD patients using cannabis therapeutically have been noted in the scientific literature. Most recently, a study published in the British Journal of Haematology found that 36 percent of SCD patients reported having used cannabis in the past 12 months to relieve symptoms of the disease including pain, anxiety, and depression.Sickle cell disease is a chronic condition that targets the body's red blood cells and is characterized by episodic pain in the joints, fever, leg ulcers, and jaundice, among other symptoms. In the United States, SCD affects about one in 650 African Americans and about half as many Latin Americans.For more information, please contact Paul Armentano, NORML Senior Policy Analyst, at (202) 483-5500. Full text of the study, "The prevalence of marijuana smoking in young adults with sickle cell disease: a longitudinal study," appears in the West Indian Medical Journal.DL: http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=7163Source: NORML Foundation (DC)Published: February 1, 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 #16 posted by FoM on February 03, 2007 at 07:10:52 PT
OverwhelmSam 
I have heard that more then one time. The best employees are the ones that have to quit or are fired.
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Comment #15 posted by OverwhelmSam on February 03, 2007 at 05:54:31 PT
Sister Hates Drug Policy
My sister is the head supervisor over supervisors of all shifts and hundreds of employees in a huge well known national wholesale warehouse distribution center. She averages two to three firings a month for positive random uranalysis. The people she has to "walk out" for marijuana use are her best workers. They show up to work on time, produce more than their peers, and rarely call in sick.She does not indulge in marijuana use, but she has repeatedly reported to company management that their drug policy is counter productive to company operations. Firing good workers and keeping mediocre workers is ridiculous on it's face. People should be let go because of performance issues, not what they smoke on the weekend in their private lives. Management responds that they are just following the policy for the tax break. My sister argues that the loss of revenue from good performers exceeds any tax break.She and many others are on our side.
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Comment #14 posted by Sinsemilla Jones on February 03, 2007 at 02:31:47 PT
Full legalization of all plants
As far as the strange pills, potions, and powders of the modern laboratory, some government regulations, based on scientific fact and aimed at producers and distributors, are probably in order.Although, Max's description of what his friend was going through on (going off) meth is not unlike descriptions I've read of people under the influence of the plant datura. And of course tobacco is a plant, and alcohol is a natural product of many plants.But plants and their natural products tend to buffer the psycho-active chemicals they contain by bulk, other chemicals present, and non-intravenous methods of ingestion.And plants have been in the domain of the people since the dawn of mankind, until the 20th century.
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Comment #13 posted by Toker00 on February 02, 2007 at 14:17:34 PT
Oh man.
I'm so sorry about your friend, Max. I seem to only think about the natural drugs made from plants. I'm not too up on Meth, though I was around it shortly in the early seventies and watched marriages dissolve because of it. I also think about once they are legalized, a safer way must be found for making ALL drugs. The drugs that can't be made safe, or at least safER, could be pushed into a New Improved Scheduling System that is based on Science and Truth. I agree wholeheartedly with you about the danger of SOME drugs. Can you tell me if Meth is Cannabis rehabilitatable? Did your friend use for a long time? Sounds like the damage was done. I'm so sorry. I watched my dad hallucinate from alcohol addiction about snipers in trees. I can relate to your heartfelt plea for your friend. You are always welcome to question anything I post, bro. Max, what about that? What about just ONE schedule that the unhealthy and unsafe "chemical substances" are placed in? The natural drugs regulated, taxed and legalized? Surely it would be a safer world if we had safer alternatives to the DANGEROUS drugs. That is why so many people die from alcohol and legal/illegal drugs. There are NO (safer) alternatives. Making drugs safer interferes with corporate profit, but the money saved by ending the drug war should somehow be channeled to offset the initial start up of whatever it would take to make them SAFER.I believe we could make safer natural plant based drugs for medicine, recreation, and mind expansion. But first we will have to take our medicine rights back from the Feds, then educate successive generations about DRUGS. But no matter what, we have to end the War on Drugs.Toke.  
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Comment #12 posted by paulpeterson on February 02, 2007 at 14:06:31 PT
ekim-yes, I'm still here-Grassley helped IND
Yes, I'm still here, far behind enemy lines in Northwest Iowa. I've been over to the Sioux City office of Grassley, and spoken with various folks there. He even worked his butt off to get patient #5 approved in the IND program back in 1991-right before they slammed the door shut on any new approvals-because they were being rushed by hundreds of AIDS patients that wanted legal approval and access-of course, by now they are all dead.My local friend has been getting federally rolled cigs ever since-for MS. Marijuana chemicals help stop "demylenation" and have arrested the symptom progression totally since that time-even though it is rather weak product, as I am told.Last summer, in fact, when I went to a Presbyterian summer camp at the local college, I spoke up about the new PCUSA (nationwide church legisltature) action to support medical marijuana-and got myself "ejected" from an affiliated college. That was wierd-then I went to a Unitarian Church service on campus, did an editorial and boom-got arrested for "trespass" under an unconstitutional statute.Then I heard that the college president's wife had a brain tumor-so when I delivered a letter to his office stating how Marinol (the legally approved FDA molecule-a synthetic THC) could help kill brain cancer cells selectively-boom-another "trespass charge". Then there was a press report of how a friend of mine-that was diagnosed with brain cancer last summer-I wanted his doctor to call me to set up a "protocol" for use of this legal drug to stop his brain cancer (no, I never got the call from anybody)-1/16/07, the newspaper told how he is now dying at the hospital-so I delivered three world-class treatises to city hall-about Manuel Guzman, the Spaniard, who has injected THC into the brains of 9 living cancer patients-and extended their lives and it was safe to inject-without "psychoactive" effects, no less-Boom, arrested for "disorderly conduct"-even though it was the Chief of Police that acted impulsively and disorderly.Now I am fighting for "discovery" of the videotape of my arrest-so as to prove who was disorderly. I think they even filed false police reports again-to obfuscate that I had delivered three medical treatises-they want it to look like it is just another of my own letters.Meanwhile, back at the ranch, in November we pulled a little surprise switch-I got the goon-dog county attorney voted out of office for good. Now the new guy has a constitutional brain and I told him yesterday I play the part of Zorro-since no protocol or constraints hold me back in any way. All he has to do is become Don Corlione, the respectful and respected quiet, unassuming guy that follows all the rules. Just direct me as to what you want Zorro to do, and Zorro does it.Swish, swish, swish-the mark of Zorro. Anybody got a good hideout for Zorro? Oops, time to put on the mask and ride off into the sunset. (Horse, jet-black with bejewelled leather markers glistening in the breeze reflect the fierce power of the well-trained and fit stallion, rears up and with a characteristic glint in his eye, Zorro raises his sword to reflect the bright moonlite on this night to remember-I'll be back, he says, whenever Zorro is summoned again). Paul Peterson 
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Comment #11 posted by FoM on February 02, 2007 at 11:15:15 PT
Max Flowers 
If Meth had been legal back in the 70s and easy to get I don't think I would be here today or if I was here today I wouldn't be in my right mind.
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Comment #10 posted by FoM on February 02, 2007 at 11:12:25 PT
Max Flowers 
Thank you for saying that about your friend and Meth. I have seen Meth take good people and twist them in a way that is like what you just said. I can never get behind Meth either. Even alcohol won't do in a short time what Meth can do in a couple of months of use.
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Comment #9 posted by Max Flowers on February 02, 2007 at 11:11:09 PT
And...
And before you say "anyone can already get it now", let me disagree with that. It's out there, of course, but it is still fairly unavailable to the average non-drug-connected person without concerted effort to obtain it. Like heroin and coke, it is something that you really have to put one foot into the underworld to get on a regular basis. It is one drug that I believe legalization would spread wider than it is now. 
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Comment #8 posted by Max Flowers on February 02, 2007 at 11:03:32 PT
Toker about #4
Toker, I appreciate where you're coming from, but one drug I have to say I can't get behind the idea of anyone getting whenever they want is meth. It really destroys people, and does it fast.A friend of mine currently is literally losing his mind because of it. He has been running around his house every night for the last two months, not sleeping because he believes there are "ninjas" and "tree people" trying to break into his house. He hears things and sees things. I finally had to go over to his house to try to show him that it's all in his mind. It was severely creepy. A chill went down my spine when he pointed to a bare tree just 30 feet outside his window, brightly illuminated by a street light, and *swore* he saw a person disguised as a tree branch, or maybe a "tree person creature" (he was not sure which), perched in the tree and lying in wait to torment him. I told him to get me binoculars, and he did and I studied it and of course it was nothing but tree branches and I told him this firmly. It did not convince him. He is also so deluded that he thought he was hearing people cutting into his roof with power tools. He kept saying "you don't hear that?!" (it was dead quiet). And he hadn't even done any for a couple of days!So I'm with you on just about every other drug, but I realize now that if we had a world where anyone could get their hands on that poison and lose their minds like that, it would be hell on earth. 
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Comment #7 posted by Celaya on February 02, 2007 at 07:17:35 PT
Throwing Cold Water On The Witch Hunt
Of course, corporations mostly want to be able to discriminate against marijuana consumers in hiring. Marijuana fosters creative and independent thinking - something most corporations fear, AND a critical view to hierarchies cemented in place there. Since most corporations are essentially fascist in structure. ("Do it my way, or the highway!"), these dinosaurs are in fear of an independent and discerning workforce. And discrimination it purely is. Otherwise, there would be no need for drug testing. They could just fire employees for the poor job performance that marijuana allegedly causes. Since marijuana consumption in an employee's free time does not affect work performance, this grand, unjust invasion of privacy is "neccessary" to ferret out those who eat of the forbidden fruit.This is a great effort by NORML. Many companies, like JIAN Software, appreciate creative employees and will naturally move toward this policy. Hopefully, this practice will spread, especially when combined with successes in decriminalization and legalization. 
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Comment #6 posted by ekim on February 02, 2007 at 06:49:28 PT
hey Paul in Iowa how are you
 Sen.Grassley was on C-Span last week and he was asked if he would support the American Farmer growing Hemp like Canada which is growing 50,000 acres and here 0. The Sen. said No i do not support our farmers growing Hemp as we can not separate the Hemp from the Marijuana -- he never said a word about how Canada and 30 other countrys are doing it. The Sen. did say that Iowa did have Hemp Mills all over the state during the WWII effort. The question is why not grow again for our War Effort Now. http://www.miagbiz.org/index.aspx?ascxid=fpQfStory&fpsid=26862&fpstid=2The 2008 Farm Progress Show, scheduled for Aug. 26, 27 and 28, will be held on a new, permanent biennial site east of Boone, Iowa. This long-term facility for the nation's largest outdoor farm show will be developed on nearly 600 acres at the intersection of U.S. Highway 30 and Iowa Highway 17. Extensive site construction will begin this spring and is scheduled to be completed in time to host the 2008 show. The show will be held every other year on this site, with alternate years at its other permanent biennial facility in Decatur, Ill. The developed Iowa site will also be known as the Central Iowa Expo. It will host other events and activities when it is not occupied with the Farm Progress Show. "We are very excited to establish the nation's greatest ag showcase in central Iowa and make this Central Iowa Expo site a permanent biennial Farm Progress Show location," says Don Tourte, Farm Progress national sales and events director. "The communities of Boone and Ames have been exceptional to work with, and we look forward to the next 20-plus years together." 
www.FarmProgressShow.com. Farm Progress Companies, Inc. is the nation's largest agricultural media company. Its business operations include 23 magazines that mass nearly 1 million rural subscribers, farm shows, complementary Web sites, custom publishing services, including e-content and e-publications, and the ag industry's most comprehensive database. The company also produces proprietary and contracted databases and market research for a variety of clients who serve and need to reach and understand America's farmers, ranchers and rural-living consumers. Farm Progress' roots date to 1841 with Prairie Farmer, which holds the distinction of being the nation's oldest continuously published magazine. Visit www.FarmProgress.com for additional company information. 
http://blog.leap.cc/
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Comment #5 posted by TroutMask on February 02, 2007 at 06:48:16 PT
Yeah, right
"among the Jamaican population, only ten percent of women and 37 percent of men report having ever smoked marijuana"Made me spill my coffee....
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Comment #4 posted by Toker00 on February 02, 2007 at 03:53:58 PT
Full legalization of all drugs is the only answer 
for ending the drug war. There should be no war on ANY drug. There is no war on alcohol, yet hundreds of thousands are casualties of alcohol directly, because there is no legal, safer alternatives. Same for tobacco and all other "Legal" drugs. Shouldn't there be a Legal Drug War? No. And there shouldn't be a war against people who use illegal drugs, either. Only a fraction of drug deaths are illegal drug deaths. Check it out. AND NONE ARE FROM CANNABIS. Natural plant drugs are safer than chemical drugs if consistent dose is known. "Dr. Drug Dealer, what is my safe dosage of this drug?" "Take all you want, I'll make more!" he says. "Thanks doc!" Famous last words.Legalize, tax, educate humanity about and regulate all drugs, not just cannabis. Legalizing cannabis has always been a no-brainer.Toke. 
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Comment #3 posted by JustGetnBy on February 01, 2007 at 21:07:30 PT
Comments # 1 #2
When it rains it pours.Museman, I really believe we may round a corner soon, and the raindrops will become a flood.Mayan, The flood will wash away the hypocracy for all to see.Peace.....powertothepeople
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Comment #2 posted by mayan on February 01, 2007 at 18:28:55 PT
Anti-Ignorance
From the first piece on the bulletin...The suggested employee guidelines discourage employers from implementing random and/or "pre-accident" urine screening for cannabis, noting that the test is not suitable for detecting employee impairment or determining recent drug use.Drug testing isn't meant to provide a safer workplace. It is meant to create a culture free of cannabis. Corporations thrive off of the ignorance of the citizenry and cannabis is an anti-ignorance substance. Cannabis allows us to see beyond the fluff and propaganda that permeates mainstream society and that bodes ill for all who benefit or profit from deception.THE WAY OUT IS THE WAY IN...Attention Impeachment Supporters: 9/11, 9/11, 9/11!
http://tvnewslies.org/blog/?p=556NIST WTC-7 Technical Approach and Status Summary: 
http://www.muckrakerreport.com/id357.htmlRevisiting 9/11 Failures:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16907952/site/newsweek/Cuban, Venezuelan Intel Say 9/11 Was An Inside Job:
http://www.rense.com/general75/tnie.htm9/11 DETAILS THE AMERICAN MEDIA HOPES YOU FORGET:
http://www.whatreallyhappened.com/forget.html
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Comment #1 posted by museman on February 01, 2007 at 18:04:52 PT
positive drops in a Biiiiig bucket
Keep 'em comin.
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