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U.K: Son of sacked drugs advisor David Nutt pictured 'smoking cannabis' on Facebook.

Ganjika — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 09:06:02 GMT

U.K: Son of sacked drugs advisor David Nutt pictured 'smoking cannabis' on Facebook.

Daily Mail Reporter | 11/15/09 |

Bleary-eyed: Steve Nutt's face is covered in paint and he puffs on what could be a joint of cannabis

The son of sacked government drugs advisor David Nutt has posted pictures of himself on the internet apparently smoking cannabis.

Steve Nutt, 24, is pictured on his Facebook page looking much the worse for wear.

In one snap, his face is covered with paint and he is puffing on what could be a joint of cannabis.

In a second photograph he is wearing a Santa hat with what appears to be another joint in his right hand.

On the right-hand side of the photo, one of Nutt's friends looks to be preparing a second joint.

Nutt Jnr looks even more out of it in a third photograph, taken at what looks to be a music festival. His face is partially covered with straw as he stands staring blearily at the camera.

The site also features Nutt's odd theories and even odder jokes.

The revelation comes after his father, Professor David Nutt, claimed cannabis, ecstasy and LSD are safer than cigarettes and alcohol.

The 58-year-old academic was sacked as chair of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs after accusing ministers of ignoring scientific evidence about the risk to health posed by drugs.

Prof Nutt famously insisted that using cannabis was safer than riding a horse.

His son comments on the sacking in one Facebook post, saying: 'Steve Nutt thinks his dad is probably more famous than he'll ever be, barring a terrorist atrocity that is...'

Instead of using a self-portrait in his 'profile' slot, Nutt uses an image of an orange labelled 'product of Israel' - half of which is a hand grenade.

Tis the season: Nutt Jnr waves what appears to be a joint in his right hand whilst wearing a Santa hat. To his left a friend looks to be preparing a second joint

Days after he was forced to step down from the ACMD, Prof Nutt said: 'I'm sure my children have tried drugs. In fact, some have told me they have. But I'm not as concerned about this as I am about alcohol.'

That is a message that appears to have been ignored by his daughter Lydia, who posted pictures of herself partying with friends while holding a bottle of spirits.

The picture was apparently uploaded two years before she turned 18.

Professor Nutt's eldest son Johnny, 26, posted pictures of himself naked in the snow in Sweden.

The bizarre messages on Steve Nutt's Facebook page can be seen by anyone in the 'Bristol network'.

Puffing away: Steve Nutt (left) in another Facebook snap. His father, David, (right) claimed cannabis, ecstasy and LSD are safer than cigarettes and alcohol

Nutt, a student in London, lists his interests as 'the stuff other people list under "sociopathic tendencies" when they have their friends sectioned'.

He dismisses the war in Iraq as old hat, saying: 'Lets butcher some Iranians... they bleed better.'

He also jokes about mental illness and prostitution.

On November 6 he was quick to laugh at the horrific mass shooting by a US soldier at Camp Hood in Texas.

Nutt went online, sniggering: 'Come on Obama, you have to have a sense of irony, he was doing what he was trained to, he just got pointed in the wrong direction.'

Nutt claimed a friend had sent a picture of him smoking a rolled up cigarette to a tabloid newspaper.

U.K: David Nutt Developing Synthetic Alcohol - Without the BAD and only the GOOD...

Ganjika — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 02:17:33 GMT

Editors Note: i figured this was headline news worthy since its an update on the type of things Ex U.K drug tsar Professor David Nutt is moving on too since his firing for speaking out about the reclassification of marijuana and other aspects of the failing war on drugs... Pretty amazing stuff if you ask me...

U.K: New Synthetic Alcohol, all the good parts of Alcohol
without any of the bad.
The Sun | 11/10/09 |PROFESSOR DAVID NUTT

A SUBSTANCE said to give the feeling of booze without the health risks is being developed by controversial ex Government drugs tsar Professor David Nutt. The solution is added to liquid. It is claimed anyone using it will get the alcohol high without the hangover or deadly liver damage. There is even an antidote which would allow a user to DRIVE home after taking it. Here, the scientist - recently sacked as chairman of the independent Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs after saying ecstasy is safer than alcohol - gives the reason for the innovation.

We have been poisoning ourselves for 2,000 years. Modern science can now provide a safer way for us to have fun.
Extraordinary claims ... Professor David Nutt

I am working on a prototype of a synthetic alcohol. We can make someone feel pleasantly inebriated then reverse it.

We have a partial alternative tested on volunteers. With Government backing, the first ever synthetic alcohol could be available in three to five years.

The potential for this is enormous. It could slash Britain's binge drinking epidemic, which currently costs the NHS �3billion a year, and reduce the number of deaths from alcohol poisoning.

At the moment it is very hard to treat alcohol poisoning - medics simply have to wait for booze to clear the system.

With the new approach, they would have an antidote available immediately.

Law enforcement could even have the antidote to use on revellers who have used the solution. We could get rid of liver cirrhosis, stomach ulcers, cardiac problems and a huge number of the toxic effects.

We have worked out how alcohol affects the brain and can target these areas. We gave one volunteer a substance similar to Valium, which is a sedative.

The feeling was similar to being drunk. We then reversed this.
We have the knowledge to make a far superior synthetic alcohol. But this project is hard to progress.

Firstly, there is little external interest, perhaps because people think this idea is too radical.

Secondly, selling the substance would be difficult. It would be classified as a drug and would fall foul of drug laws.

This is why we need Government support. Alcohol manufacturers may also protest...

At the moment we don't have a sensible approach to alcohol - it's time for a discussion about safe alternatives.

You are never going to stop people enjoying a drink. But if they are going to drink, let them do it without the terrible risks of alcohol.

I believe in 25 years we could be drinking high-quality, safe alcohol.
Hopefully in the future people will raise a toast over my grave with a glass of synthetic .

Mo: "Fake marijuana" (K2 smoke blend) gets the attention of local police.

Ganjika — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 22:52:35 GMT

Mo: FAKE MARIJUANA [K2 Smoke blend]GETS ATTENTION OF POLICE .
NORML | 11/3/09 | David Klepper

Missouri
-------

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- It burns like marijuana, works like
marijuana and it sort of looks like it, too.

And it's perfectly legal.

It's called K2, and area police confirm that the little bags of dried herbs are starting to pop up among teens and young adults.

Although it may be new on the local drug scene, K2 and similar brands have the attention of a Kansas lawmaker who said she would consider outlawing the substance. That's because the health risks of smoking one of these dubious doobies is unknown. Some European countries already have moved to ban it.

Available for sale online and at a store in Lawrence, Kan., K2 comes in a small pouch. Inside is a mix of dried herbs that look like oregano but are laced with chemicals designed to mimic the effects of marijuana. Other brands go by the names Spice, Genie and Zohai.

Because the active ingredients are just a few atoms away from the real thing, the synthetic stuff isn't covered by laws banning marijuana. This means K2 and similar products are legal - even though the effects are identical to pot.

Johnson County police first discovered the drug was being used by ex-convicts on probation. They turned to K2 hoping it wouldn't show up on drug tests as marijuana. Now police are finding it in high schools.

The Sacred Journey, a botanical store in Lawrence, sells bags of K2 for $15 to $30. A store manager declined to comment, but an employee said K2 should be burnt as incense and isn't meant to be smoked. A competing brand is marketed online as "plant food."

The Johnson County Crime Lab ran an analysis on K2. Although it tested negative for THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, it was positive for synthetic cannabinoids. These are chemical compounds created in a lab that act on the brain like THC.

K2 contains two synthetic cannabinoids created at Clemson University. Chemistry professor John W. Huffman said an undergraduate student working in his lab actually created one of the compounds, called JWH-018 after Huffman's initials.

Huffman said his research was designed to help find new pharmaceutical drugs and a deeper understanding of brain chemistry. He had no intention of inventing a new way to get high.

"But I'm not the least bit surprised," Huffman said. "If you make something illegal, like marijuana, people will look for an alternative."

Yet the fake marijuana may be more dangerous than the real McCoy, according to Huffman. He noted that unlike with marijuana, the risks of smoking synthetic cannabis haven't been studied. His research suggests the compounds likely break down in the body into carcinogens.

The manufacturer behind K2 and similar brands remains a mystery. No information is available about the company or individuals making the products. Huffman said he thought much of the new synthetic cannabis comes from labs in Asia.

He suspects the manufacturer turns the synthetic cannabinoid into powdered or liquid form and mixes it with otherwise harmless herbs.

Britain, Germany, Poland, France, South Korea and Russia have moved to ban the sale of synthetic cannabis within the past year. Kansas may not be far behind.

State Rep. Peggy Mast, an Emporia Republican, hadn't heard about K2 until informed by The Kansas City Star. But she's worried enough to suggest the state should take action.

"I would be very happy to sponsor a bill to make this illegal," Mast said.

Mast sponsored legislation a few years ago that outlawed the hallucinogenic plants jimson weed and salvia divinorum.

Johnson County Sheriff's Deputy Chris Farkes worries that teens may assume synthetic cannabis is safe because it's legal.

"I've even talked with parents who say, 'Oh, it's completely legal so I don't have a problem with my kid smoking it,' " Farkes said.

But Huffman isn't so sure outlawing his creation will help much.

"You ban one and they'll come up with another one," he said.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ganjika's Notes:

- Editors note: I'd like to add a few things I believe is important for the public to know, I've taken the liberty to put together a list of the herbs in k2 to see if i could get a grasp on how much (if any) danger would be associated with k2's use - from the approach of ; are any of these herbs toxic? this is what i found:
---

Note : N/a Does NOT necessarily mean not toxic, rather that there was no information i came across that stated it was -

Also - this list is as of now - pertaining to all the herbs i
could find in k2 standard/citron/blonde & summit.

[During this study - i found that MANY of the plants listed below have a ton of medicinal value - from easing constipation to even KILLING CANCER CELLS in a way similar to THC's effect on cancer cells - killing dying/aging/weak and cancerous cells and leaving the healthy tissues perfectly fine. (thc actually STRENGTHENS healthy tissues.) - I''ll post a list of each plants medicinal value SOON.]

K2 Standard: contains a proprietary
blend of herbs and extracts including :

Canavalia rosea -
Seeds are toxic (but there are NO seeds in K2.).

Clematis vitalba -
Clematis is also known as Poor Man's Friend and Boys Baca - referring to the stems being used as a tobacco substitute. However, all parts of the plant are toxic to a certain degree. Flowers were also used as a substitute for tea. TOXIC IF EATEN.

Nelumbo nucifera -
n/a.

Pedicularis grandifolia -
n/a.

Heimia salicifolia -
No adverse side-effects or after-effects are known. This plant is not known to be particularly toxic, although prolonged use can negatively affect memory.

Humulus lupulus -
Hop (Humulus lupulus) is cultivated for its use in beer-making. It is also used as an ornamental vine in many areas. Hop pickers can develop dermatitis from working with common hop plants

Lavender -
n/a.

Leonurus sibiricus -
No truly toxic dosage is known massive overdoses fed to rats during experiments did not produce death. Because the effects of the pure herbage are not especially pronounced, they can be synergistically potentiated by mixing with other herbs.

Ledum palustre -
Wild rosemary is used in beer for it's pleasantly fresh and spicy aroma, its bitter taste and also its enjoyable narcotic properties. It should not be used in excess as it is somewhat toxic and can cause headaches.

Calendula blossoms -
N/A.

Rose -
N/A

Bay Bean -
N/A

USA: Doctors to Feds: Marijuana is medicine

timiscute — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 21:15:46 GMT

Doctors to Feds: Marijuana is medicine
11/11/09 | Examiner.com | Chris Goldstein

The American Medical Association has stepped boldly forward into the modern era of medical marijuana asking that cannabis be removed from Schedule I in the federal Controlled Substances Act. The new stance materialized on November 10th when AMA�s Council on Science and Public Health (CSAPH) issued a report entitled, Use of Cannabis for Medicinal Purposes.

The CSAPH report detailed and affirmed the medical benefits of marijuana while calling for further research into cannabinoids. The report concluded that, "short term controlled trials indicate that smoked cannabis reduces neuropathic pain, improves appetite and caloric intake especially in patients with reduced muscle mass, and may relieve spasticity and pain in patients with multiple sclerosis."

In strong language to the federal government the report also asks that, "the Schedule I status of marijuana be reviewed with the goal of facilitating clinical research and development of cannabinoid-based medicines, and alternate delivery methods."

This pragmatic reversal on the part of the largest physician group in the United States also represents a full circle for the influential organization. In 1937 the AMA opposed the first federal marijuana prohibition law during congressional hearings.

Their Legislative Council at the time, William Woodward, prophetically stated: �the prevention of the use of the drug for medicinal purposes can accomplish no good end whatsoever. How far it may serve to deprive the public of the benefits of a drug that on further research may prove to be of substantial value, it is impossible to foresee."

In December 2009 New Jersey will have final votes on a medical marijuana bill and Pennsylvania will have their first public hearings. This announcement from the AMA should ring the bell for state elected officials that they can provide their citizens with legal protections and cannabis access while federal policy continues to evolve.

For more information please visit the website of Americans for Safe Access who helped spur this new direction for the AMA. ASA*:*Advancing Legal Medical Marijuana Therapeutics and Research

CO: Should Boulder be the medical-marijuana epicenter of Colorado? A city council....

timiscute — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 21:13:23 GMT

Should Boulder be the medical-marijuana epicenter of Colorado? A city council member says "no"
11/12/09 | Westword | Michael Roberts

Medical marijuana is a smokin'-hot topic in Boulder these days, what with the city council this week implementing assorted restrictions on dispensaries -- and almost (but not quite) legitimizing any and all weed sellers, whether they're supplying licensed patients or not.

Shortly thereafter, councilman Macon Cowles spoke to the Boulder Daily Camera about the possibility of creating a "'city marijuana facility,' where local growers and providers could bring excess product to have redistributed to other dispensaries" -- a notion that shares some common ground with state senator Al White's idea for the state to take charge of growing and distributing medical marijuana.

Cowles hasn't backed away from this concept -- but he does take issue with a line in the article about Boulder becoming the nexus for medical marijuana in the state. Here's that passage:

He also said that as long as medical marijuana is being legally grown -- and taxed -- in Colorado, Boulder might as well be the epicenter for it and reap the benefits.
"I think this is potentially an important industry," Cowles said.

When contacted about the Daily Camera piece, Cowles replied via e-mail that he didn't have time to go into detail about a city marijuana facility -- but he did want to "clarify what I think is the wrong impression left by the article.

"I do not advocate that Boulder become the epicenter for Medical Marijuana," he wrote. "I do advocate that a commission be put together of local people to study how the needs of medical-marijuana patients can be satisfied in an orderly way and within the bounds of the law. In this way, law enforcement, the City, patients, and providers can be assured that the legitimate needs of patients are being met legally, removing uncertainty and increasing the safety surrounding the implementation of Amendment 20."

Guess there's no need add the phrase "The Epicenter of Medical Marijuana in Colorado" to those "Welcome to Boulder" signs.

CO: Breckenridge Votes to Legalize Pot.

Ganjika — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 21:44:02 GMT

CO: Breckenridge Votes to Legalize Pot

NORML | 11/3/09 | David Klepper

Colorado Town Will Decriminalize Possession as Medical Marijuana Movement Gains Steam.

Breckenridge made pot legal, Denver rejected a get-tough proposal on unlicensed drivers, and tax hikes were turned back around the state Tuesday in municipal elections that appeared to show a public in an anti-government mood.

In Breckenridge, 72 percent of voters in early returns voted to make up to 1 ounce of marijuana legal for adults over 21. The measure is largely symbolic — pot possession is still against state law — but supporters said they wanted to send a message to local law enforcement to stop busting small-time pot smokers.

"We believe this a signal to the state of Colorado and the nation as a whole," said Sean McAllister, a Breckenridge lawyer who pushed the decriminalization measure. Denver approved a similar decriminalization in 2005.

The Breckenridge vote came as communities nationwide are struggling with how to enforce pot laws at a time when medical marijuana has surged in popularity, especially in Colorado and California.

McAllister said the vote shows people want to skip medical marijuana and legalize pot for everyone.

"They're saying, 'We've seen this drug war, and it has failed,"' McAllister said.
--

USA: AMA Calls For Ending The �Schedule I Lie�.

Ganjika — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:25:29 GMT

AMA Calls For Ending The “Schedule I Lie”.

NORML | 11/10/09 | Paul Armentano

The Schedule I federal classification of cannabis — which states that, by law, the marijuana plant and its natural compounds have “no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States” — has long since passed the point of farcical. Nevertheless, defenders of the so-called “Schedule I lie” have possessed, for nearly 30 years, one prestigious ally that they could always rely on to endorse their absurd position: the American Medical Association...

Not anymore!

Today the AMA voted to reverse its longstanding endorsement of cannabis’ Schedule I prohibitive status. The vote took place during the organization’s annual Interim Meeting of the House of Delegates in Houston, Texas, and marks the first time that the AMA has revisited its position on cannabis in eight years.

As newly amended, the AMA’s official position (see specifically pages 12, 13, and 14) regarding the medical use of cannabis no longer “recommends that marijuana be retained in Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act.” Rather, the Association now resolves “that marijuana’s status as a federal Schedule I controlled substance be reviewed with the goal of facilitating the conduct of clinical research and development of cannabinoid-based medicines.”

The AMA also today demolished long-held pot prohibitionist claim — frequently publicized by the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy and others — that “no sound scientific studies have supported medical use of smoked marijuana for treatment in the United States, and no animal or human data support the safety or efficacy of smoked marijuana for general medical use.” To the contrary, the AMA has adopted a report drafted by its Council on Science and Public Health (CSAPH) entitled, “Use of Cannabis for Medicinal Purposes,” which states, “Results of short term controlled trials indicate that smoked cannabis reduces neuropathic pain, improves appetite and caloric intake especially in patients with reduced muscle mass, and may relieve spasticity and pain in patients with multiple sclerosis.”

Now that the AMA has finally acknowledged reality, is anyone else wondering if David Evans (or the DEA) will finally update their talking points?

D.C: "Truth In Trials Act" Reintroduced In Congress.

Ganjika — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 08:21:24 GMT

D.C: "Truth In Trials Act" Reintroduced In Congress.
NORML | 11/6/09 |

"Truth In Trials Act" Reintroduced In Congress

Washington, DC: California Democrat Sam Farr, along with a bipartisan coalition of 27 co-sponsors, has reintroduced legislation to protect state-authorized medical cannabis patients and their providers from federal prosecution.

House Bill 3939: the Truth in Trials Act of 2009 would provide an affirmative defense in federal court for defendants whose actions were in compliance with the medical marijuana laws of their state.

Passage of House Bill 3939 would codify legal protections for defendants caught between state and federal laws, ensuring that they can cite state law as a legal defense in federal trials.

It states: "Any person facing prosecution or a proceeding for any marijuana-related offense under any Federal law shall have the right to introduce evidence demonstrating that the marijuana-related activities for which the person stands accused were performed in compliance with State law regarding the medical use of marijuana."

Said Farr: "This is a common sense bill that will help stop the waste of law enforcement and judicial resources that have been spent prosecuting individuals who are following state laws. This legislation is about fair treatment of defendants in medical marijuana trials, plain and simple."

Last month United States Deputy Attorney General David Ogden issued a memorandum to federal prosecutors directing them to not "focus federal resources ... on individuals whose actions are in clear and unambiguous compliance with existing state laws providing for the medical use of marijuana."

Previous versions of the Truth in Trials Act were introduced in both the 108th and 109th Congress, but failed to receive a public hearing or a committee vote.

In June, Massachusetts Democrat Barney Frank reintroduced legislation � HR 2835: The Medical Marijuana Patient Protection Act of 2009 � authorizing the state-authorized use of medical marijuana. That bill remains pending before the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

MA: POT BUST Took Place With Congressman Barney Frank Present.

Ganjika — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 07:30:42 GMT

Barney Frank: POT BUST Took Place With Congressman Present.

Huffington post | 11/7/09 |

Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) was present during his partner James Ready's marijuana arrest in 2007, according to a police report.

Ready was arrested at his home in Qgunquite, Maine and was charged with marijuana possession, cultivation, and use of drug paraphrenalia. Marijuana plants were found in Ready's backyard. Ready paid a fine for civil possession and the rest of the charges were dismissed in 2008.

The Boston Globe reports that Frank was on the front porch and told police that he never saw the plants and would not have recognized them. Frank repeated those remarks to Boston TV station FOX25, saying he would not recognize the plants because "he is not a great outdoorsman" and "would not recognize most plants."

Congressman Frank, who is openly gay and serves as the head of the House Financial Services Committee, supports legalizing marijuana for medical use. Last week, the state of Maine became the fifth in the nation to approve retail medical marijuana dispensaries.

CO: Should Colorado marijuana dispensaries follow the New Mexico model?

timiscute — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 01:58:02 GMT

Should Colorado marijuana dispensaries follow the New Mexico model?
11/5/09 | Westword | Joel Warner

As a recent Court of Appeals decision and a Board of Health brouhaha made clear, Colorado's medical marijuana is in desperate need of an overhaul. While officials and dispensary owners tussle over ridiculously vague pot laws, the state's marijuana patients are stuck in between -- a population that continues to grow by leaps and bounds.

So how do we fix this mess? One option might be to copy New Mexico's new medical marijuana system, in which state-licensed nonprofit dispensaries grow and distribute pot to card-carrying marijuana patients. Rhode Island launched a similar model, and Maine voters followed suit this week, voting to expand their ten-year-old marijuana law to include state-regulated dispensaries.

Could the New Mexico model work here? Possibly -- or possibly not.

On one hand, the state-sanctioned nonprofit system could solve many of the headaches currently plaguing the local medical-marijuana scene. State oversight of the dispensaries could help calm concerns that these operations are essentially unregulated (they're probably the only place in the state where you can legally buy processed food products that involve no inspections whatsoever). Furthermore, by requiring dispensaries to be nonprofits, regulators would force their owners to prove, once and for all, that they are "in it for the patients." Those working for the right reasons would stick around -- and those in it just to make a buck (and all the side businesses tagging along) will slink away.

If only the solution were so simple. In reality, New Mexico's system, which was instituted by the state health department late last year, hasn't worked perfectly. According to a recent New York Times story, nearly two dozen nonprofit groups have applied for the new state license, but the health department refuses to release any information about them. That means other regulatory agencies have no access to the facilities and the community is still largely in the shadows.

There's also the conundrum of how to transplant this model wholesale onto a large and mature dispensary industry like Colorado's. Would the current for-profit shops, which now number in the three digits, be able to turn into nonprofits, or would everybody have to shut down and start again? Either way, it would be a long and arduous process, leaving marijuana patients in the lurch. According to a Santa Fe Reporter story, it's taken New Mexico authorities months to consider the handful of applications so far received. Imagine how long it would take the already-strapped Colorado health department to sign off on all the operations needed to satisfy the 15,000 or so Colorado patients clamoring for their meds.

There are legal conundrums, too. Colorado is the only state where medical marijuana laws are enshrined as a constitutional amendment -- meaning it's very difficult to change them. The New Mexico model would be such a drastic change to what's in place here that it's possible the only way to institute it would be through another constitutional amendment. While state legislators could try to institute the system, they better be ready for dispensary owners, many of whom are doing quite well for themselves under the for-profit system, to fight them every step of the way.

And finally, even the New Mexico system would do nothing to solve the worrying situation that Colorado's medical-marijuana program is, at its heart, illegal. As the state Court of Appeals made clear last week, those who supply medical marijuana must do more than just provide pot to ensure the well-being of their patients. Even if the state begins licensing nonprofit dispensaries here, those operations still need to obtain marijuana -- either as seeds, clones or full-grown plants -- from somewhere else. In essence, there's no way everybody in the supply chain can provide for the well-being of every single patient. So does that mean the state, by condoning these dispensaries, would be involved in a crime? No one, it seems, knows the answer.

So there you go. The New Mexico model might help sooth some of Colorado's medical marijuana troubles -- but don't expect a magic bullet.

CA: California's marijuana seizures at all-time high

timiscute — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 01:55:20 GMT

California's marijuana seizures at all-time high
11/4/09 | PressDemocrat.com | The Press Democrat | Santa Rosa, CA | GLENDA ANDERSON

California's pot police have again shattered records for confiscating marijuana.

The state's Campaign Against Marijuana Planting seized 4.4 million marijuana plants during this year's eradication operations of four-and-a-half months, up from last year's take of 2.9 million, officials said Wednesday.

State Bureau of Narcotics Enforcement spokeswoman Michelle Gregory attributed the hike to increased cultivation and more comprehensive eradication.

�We think they're growing larger gardens and we're getting better at finding them and being able to access them,� she said.

Critics say the increase in marijuana seizures is an indication the war on pot production has failed.

Confiscation records were also set in Lake and Mendocino counties, two of the top five pot producers in the state. But after three years in the top spot, Lake County fell this year to second place, despite the seizure of 506,506 plants, up from 499,508 last year.

Shasta County, where law officials seized 557,862 plants, took its place for the most pot seized.

State officials, together with local law enforcement, seized 440,689 pot plants in Mendocino County, up from 231,802 last year. In Sonoma County, just over 100,000 plants were seized, compared with 71,364 last year.

The state's figures do not include the number of pot plants seized by local officials the rest of the year and without assistance from the state program, called CAMP.

Most of the seized marijuana � over 75 percent � was growing on public, state or federal land. And much of it is grown by Mexican drug cartels, state law officials said.

The gardens are causing deforestation, damage to wildlife habitat and streams and leaving behind chemical pollution, they said.

Armed gardeners pose a risk to people utilizing public lands for recreation, said George Anderson, director of the Justice Department's Division of Law Enforcement.

CAMP seized 89 weapons and made 111 arrests during the operation.

CA: Medical marijuana shops abound in California

timiscute — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 01:52:42 GMT

Medical marijuana shops abound in California
11/5/09 | Associated Press | MARCUS WOHLSEN and GREG RISLING

SEBASTOPOL, Calif. � The medical marijuana dispensary in this California wine country town is in a former auto dealership, and has more registered patients than the town has residents. Los Angeles has more pot shops than Starbucks and almost as many as public schools.

The surge in medical marijuana in California has left many communities scrambling to regulate the free-for-all, while others are trying to ban the drug altogether. The issue took on greater urgency after the Obama administration announced looser federal marijuana guidelines last month.

Some local governments are looking to take an approach similar to Sebastopol, where officials welcome the business as a strong source of tax revenue during the recession.

The Peace in Medicine marijuana dispensary is a clean, modern operation and could easily be mistaken for a doctor's office, if not for the three security guards and overwhelming skunky smell of pot.

"I guess I had my prejudices that it was going to have bars on the windows and be something very obvious and unappealing to the public," longtime city councilman Larry Robinson said.

Now the dispensary is about to open a second location, next to a Starbucks.

"I'm the luckiest guy in the world to be leading this thing," said Peace in Medicine's operator, Robert Jacob.

In Los Angeles � the marijuana dispensary capital of the country � about 800 dispensaries are estimated to have opened despite a 2007 order halting new pot operations.

The explosion is blamed on a loophole in the City Council's moratorium. Final regulations are still not in place.

The struggle is blamed on the vagueness of the ballot initiative that California voters passed in 1996 legalizing medical use of the drug. The measure makes no mention of how or where the drug can be sold.

"I think Los Angeles has made this more difficult by not having acted sooner," said Joe Elford, chief counsel for Americans for Safe Access, a pro-medical marijuana group. "There has been pressure for a long time on the City Council to do something."

Federal crackdowns followed the 1996 vote, and fear of prosecution kept pot storefronts out of many areas. But looser federal guidelines, first signaled by Attorney General Eric Holder in February and further outlined in an October memo, have emboldened would-be dispensary operators. The new guidelines simply instruct federal prosecutors to avoid prosecution when dispensaries comply with state medical marijuana laws.

Sacramento is looking to other pot-tolerant cities such as San Francisco, Oakland and Malibu for insight into keeping medical marijuana available but in check.

Most of the state capital's 39 registered dispensaries opened this year before the city passed an emergency moratorium in June.

"They're seeing a little bit of leniency in the federal government that they haven't seen before," said Michelle Heppner, who is leading the city's effort to regulate dispensaries. "They're seeing this as a perfect time in their movement to progress."

One key for cities is finding a way to ensure dispensaries truly operate as nonprofits as called for by state Attorney General Jerry Brown.

Officials in Fresno have decided the best way to avoid problems with dispensaries is to not have any. In 2006, the City Council passed a zoning ordinance requiring any pot dispensaries to comply with both state and federal law, and the U.S. government still bans the drug outright.

A state judge last month sided against nine Fresno dispensaries that opened this year, upholding the zoning ordinance that forbids them and ordering them to close.

Smaller cities are also turning to zoning laws. In Claremont, a college town about 30 miles east of Los Angeles, Darrell Kruse sought to open a dispensary in mid-2006 but the zoning code did not permit them.

Kruse opened Claremont All-Natural Nutrition Aids Buyers Information Service (CANNABIS) anyway. Several months later, he was convicted of operating without a business license and fined. A state court rejected his appeal.

ME: The Voters Have Spoken � Again!

Ganjika — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 07:10:33 GMT

ME: The Voters Have Spoken � Again!
Paul Armentano| NORML.ORG | 11/03/09 |

Conventional wisdom dictates that if the people lead then our political leaders will follow. Of course, when it comes to marijuana law reform, conventional wisdom seldom applies.

In a result that should come as a surprise to nobody � except for perhaps certain members of law enforcement and state lawmakers � Maine voters today overwhelmingly approved Question 5, the Maine Marijuana Medical Act. The measure amends existing state law by: establishing a confidential patient registry, expanding the list of qualifying conditions for which a physician may recommend medicinal cannabis, and by allowing for the creation of non-profit state-licensed nonprofit dispensaries to assist in the distribution of medical cannabis to qualified patients.

Of course for anyone following this issue, the result should not come as a surprise. Voters at the polls overwhelmingly approve marijuana law reform � virtually every time they have the opportunity to do so. Yet, over and over again voters have this opportunity because their cowardly elected officials continue to inexplicably punt on the issue.

In Maine, for instance, lawmakers voted unanimously in April to put this issue before the voters rather than legislating it themselves. They did so even though state voters had previously (and by more than 60 percent) approved patients� rights to use medical marijuana, and despite the fact that the current proposal had virtually no organized opposition aside from law enforcement.

It was the same story in Colorado, where over 70 percent of Breckenridge voters elected today to amend the town code to remove all criminal and civil penalties, including fines, on the private possession of up to one ounce of marijuana. Should anyone have been surprised? Not really. Over 70 percent of local voters said �yes� to a similar statewide (but unsuccessful) measure in 2005. Nonetheless, this past August the Breckenridge Town Council elected to dodge the issue when it came up for a vote � opting instead to send it before the voters.

Elsewhere in Colorado today, state police and politicians were conspiring to halt the proliferation of medical marijuana dispensaries. Law enforcement and local politicians are engaging in similar efforts in southern California.

Yes, you read that right: cops and politicians are trying to undermine the very same reforms that the public today just embraced.

When will they ever learn?

U.K: David Nutt: my views on drugs classification.

Ganjika — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 18:03:57 GMT

U.K: David Nutt: my views on drugs classification
David Nutt| The Guardian | 11/03/09 |

YouTube - professor nutt newsnight

Formulating policy in relation to drugs is obviously quite a difficult thing to do. I comment on it, as I always have, from the perspective of a psychiatrist who is interested in drugs and drugs and the brain.

We have a range of expertise on the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD); we're very strong in terms of chemistry and pharmacology, and psychology; and we have a definite knowledge, interest and responsibility to look at social harms as well. We provide one arm of the policy-formulating perspective. In addition, there are a number of other agencies, organisations and individuals who contribute to policy formation.

There are also international partners – we have signed up to international treaties – which determine that, in essence, the UK follows United Nations policy on drugs. This can be quite a tough constraining influence on how countries regulate drugs (although some countries, such as the Netherlands, have managed to be more flexible, even though they still sign up to the international conventions).

Then, of course, there are other factors feeding into political decisions about drugs: what the general public thinks (or is thought to think); and then there's the media. In recent years, the whole process of determining drug classification has become quite complex and highly politicised.

YouTube - Sacked government drug adviser David...

Cannabis – a potent problem

I am going to focus on cannabis because it is the only drug that has been downgraded in the history of the 1971 Misuse of Drugs Act, an interesting point in itself. The issues relating to cannabis pose a challenge to whether the act is working as it was originally intended.

The ACMD was requested by the home secretary in 2007 to review the status of cannabis because: "Though statistics show that cannabis use has fallen significantly, there is real public concern about the potential mental health effects of cannabis use, in particular the use of stronger forms of the drug, commonly known as skunk."

So there was a skunk scare. Cannabis had gone from class B to C, but, supposedly, skunk use had been increasing and it was getting stronger, so we were asked to review whether the decision to go from B to C was still appropriate. In our report we came to several conclusions:

• Cannabis is a harmful drug and there are concerns about the widespread use of cannabis amongst young people.

• A concerted public health response is required to drastically reduce its use.

• Current evidence suggests a probable, but weak, causal link between psychotic illness and cannabis use.

• The harms caused by cannabis are not considered to be as serious as drugs in class B and therefore it should remain a class C drug.

There has been a lot of commentary and some research as to whether cannabis is associated with schizophrenia, and the results are really quite difficult to interpret. What we can say is that cannabis use is associated with an increased experience of psychotic disorders. That is quite a complicated thing to disentangle because, of course, the reason people take cannabis is that it produces a change in their mental state. These changes are akin to being psychotic – they include distortions of perception, especially in visual and auditory perception, as well as in the way one thinks. So it can be quite hard to know whether, when you analyse the incidence of psychotic disorders with cannabis, you are simply looking at the acute effects of cannabis, as opposed to some consequence of cannabis use.

If we look on the generous side there is a likelihood that taking cannabis, particularly if you use a lot of it, will make you more prone to having psychotic experiences. That includes schizophrenia, but schizophrenia is a relatively rare condition so it's very hard to be sure about its causation. The analysis we came up with was that smokers of cannabis are about 2.6 times more likely to have a psychotic-like experience than non-smokers. To put that figure in proportion, you are 20 times more likely to get lung cancer if you smoke tobacco than if you don't.

There is a relatively small risk for smoking cannabis and psychotic illness compared with quite a substantial risk for smoking tobacco and lung cancer.

The other paradox is that schizophrenia seems to be disappearing (from the general population) even though cannabis use has increased markedly in the last 30 years. When we were reviewing the general practice research database in the UK from the University of Keele, research consistently and clearly showed that psychosis and schizophrenia are still on the decline. So, even though skunk has been around now for 10 years, there has been no upswing in schizophrenia. In fact, where people have looked, they haven't found any evidence linking cannabis use in a population and schizophrenia.

Media bias

I want to move on now to look at how people gather information about drugs and the challenges of communicating the best evidence relating to drug harms to the public. This is difficult in the face of what you might call a peculiar media imbalance in relation to drugs. The following data illustrates a remarkable finding. It derives from the PhD of a Scottish graduate, Alasdair JM Forsyth, who looked at every single newspaper report of drug deaths in Scotland from 1990 to 1999 and compared them with the coroners' data.

Over the decade, there were 2,255 drug deaths, of which the Scottish newspapers reported 546. For aspirin, only one in every 265 deaths were reported. For morphine, one in 72 deaths were reported, indicating that editors were not interested in this opiate. They were more interested in heroin, where one in five deaths were reported, and methadone, where one in 16 deaths were reported.

They were also more interested in stimulants. With amphetamines, deaths are relatively rare at 36, but one in three were reported; for cocaine it was one in eight. Amazingly, almost every single ecstasy death – that is, 26 out of 28 of those where ecstasy was named as a possible contributory factor – was reported. So there's a peculiar imbalance in terms of reporting that is clearly inappropriate in relation to the relative harms of ecstasy compared with other drugs. The reporting gives the impression that ecstasy is a much more dangerous drug than it is. This is one of the reasons I wrote the article about horse riding that caused such extreme media reactions earlier this year. The other thing you'll notice is that there is a drug missing, and that's cannabis. Also missing is alcohol, which will have killed a similar number – 2,000-3,000 people – in Scotland over that time, maybe more. Of course, cannabis wouldn't have killed anyone because it doesn't kill. And that's one of the reasons why we thought cannabis should be class C, because you cannot die of cannabis overdose.

Assessing harm

We've tried very hard for at least the last 10 years to put together a structure for assessing drug harms. This eventually became a research paper, Development of a Rational Scale to Assess the Harms of Drugs of Potential Misuse, published in the Lancet in 2007. Despite – or perhaps because of – its novelty and remit, it was very hard to get a paper published that challenged some of the current (mis)perceptions about drugs.

In principle, we broke down drug harms into the following parameters: physical harm (acute, chronic and intravenous), dependency (intensity of pleasure, psychological dependence, physical dependence), and social harms (intoxication, other social harms and health-care costs).

We looked at all the drugs in the Misuse of Drugs Act and added some others that weren't already covered by it. For example, we included ketamine, which wasn't covered by the act at the time, solvents, and tobacco and alcohol, because we thought it was very important that harms of illicit drugs were assessed against the harms of drugs that people know and use. This analysis eventually established a ranking order presented opposite.

A number of important points emerged. The ranking suggested that there are clearly some very harmful drugs (you might say these would be class A drugs) and there are some drugs that aren't very harmful, such as khat or alkyl nitrites, which aren't controlled by the act at all.

Interestingly, some class A drugs scored much lower than other class A drugs, suggesting that there is some anomaly in terms of that part of the current statutory classification system.

The ranking also suggests that a tripartite classification system might make sense, with drugs ranking as more harmful than alcohol being class A and those ranking lower than tobacco as class C. The exercise also highlighted how dangerous alcohol is. I believe that dealing with the harms of alcohol is probably the biggest challenge that we have in relation to drug harms today.

One problem is that sometimes you get into what I think of as an illegality–logic loop.

This is an example of a conversation I've had many times with
many people, some of them politicians:

MP "You can't compare harms from a legal activity with an illegal one."

Professor Nutt "Why not?"

MP "Because one's illegal."

Professor Nutt "Why is it illegal?"

MP "Because it's harmful."

Professor Nutt "Don't we need to compare harms to determine if it should be illegal?"

MP "You can't compare harms from a legal activity with an illegal one."

I have been surprised how difficult this concept is to get across to some people, whether they are politicians, fellow scientists or members of the general public.

This is an edited extract from a July 2009 lecture by Professor David Nutt, a transcript of which was published last week by the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies at Kings College London. crimeandjustice.org.uk/estimatingdrugharms.html

U.K: Gordon Brown: I�m right to overrule drug advisers

Ganjika — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 18:00:58 GMT

U.K: Gordon Brown: I�m right to overrule drug advisers
Joe Murphy| London Evening Standard |11/3/09 |

Gordon Brown today hit back in the drugs row, insisting he was right to overrule scientists on cannabis.

In an exclusive interview with the Standard, he said the public backed him against calls for softer sentences related to drug abuse and he warned against the danger of giving �mixed
messages� to young people targeted by dealers.

�We'll get tougher on drugs,� declared the Prime Minister, defying threats of resignations by supporters of the sacked former chief drugs
adviser Professor David Nutt.

�A tough policy on drugs is essential and it is what the public want,� Mr Brown said. �I've seen the damage that drugs can do and people can see it in estates in London. I think I share the public concern about the effect that drugs have.�

Mr Brown spoke out as a row between Home Secretary Alan Johnson and Professor Nutt threatened to turn into a political crisis. Professor Nutt was sacked after claiming that LSD, ecstasy and cannabis were safer than alcohol.

Leaked emails today revealed that Science Minister Lord Drayson reacted furiously to the news that the drugs adviser had been sacked for �campaigning� against drug laws.

Today's Sun revealed that Lord Drayson fired a volley of protest emails to No 10. He said: �Alan [Johnson] did this without letting me know and giving me a chance to persuade him it's a big mistake. Is Gordon able to get Alan to
undo this? As science champion in Government' I can't just stand aside on this one.�

Mr Brown backed Mr Johnson's decision and defended the right of elected ministers to reject the advice of scientists at times. He said: �On climate change, or health, for example, we take the best scientific advise possible. But in an area like drugs we have to look at it in the round.

"We have got to look not just at what medics and scientists are saying to us � and we take that very seriously � but also what impact different
decisions can have on young, vulnerable people.�

At the heart of the dispute is Mr Brown's decision last year to reverse the reclassification of cannabis from a C to B, a move that flew in the face of Professor Nutt's claims that the drug was safer than alcohol or tobacco.

But Mr Brown told the Standard he had no regrets in sending a message to young people that �neither soft nor hard drugs are acceptable�.

�It was right to reclassify cannabis. It is right to reject any attempts to reclassify ecstasy. It's right also to say that drugs can cause such damage, particularly when dealers are pushing drugs on young people and making them
victims of a cruel trade ... I think everybody knows lives that have been ruined because of drugs.

�It's very important that we say yes, we take scientific advice seriously and will never ignore it, but yes, also, it is right that the people who make the final decisions and are accountable to Parliament for them are the Home
Secretary in this case or in other cases the Health Secretary or myself.�

Mr Brown said he had attempted to give a clear lead to youngsters through tougher drugs policies, including deporting foreign dealers, making welfare claimants go into rehab or risk losing benefits, and giving police powers to close crack houses.

�We have got a very tough line on drugs and you cannot send mixed messages,� he added.

He rejected the argument that cannabis is less harmful than alcohol and cigarettes.

�We've seen brands of cannabis that are distorted by other products and ingredients. That's one of the reasons why it's important to send a message that drug abuse is not acceptable
and a criminal offence.�

Gordon's pledges: MPs, banks and Afghanistan

Expenses
A clean-up of MPs expenses will not be delayed. Mr Brown said the new Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority was being set up �in shadow
form� so that it would not delay work on implementing new curbs. �It is in a position to start work almost immediately,� said the Prime
Minister.
That will be seen by MPs as a hint that final decisions will be rushed out before the election. In a message to MPs protesting at
proposed cuts in their claims, he said: �It is important we have a fair system but it is also important we put the old discredited system behind us.�
Asked if new expenses rules should give extra help to working mothers who become MPs, he said: �I want more women in the House of Commons. There has got to be proper provision.�

Banks
Taxpayers will get every penny back of the fortunes handed out to prop up the banks, the Prime Minister said. �I believe at the end of the day the Government will recoup all its money
from the banks � and possibly make a profit from what it has done,� he said.
He would not be drawn on the timescale of the payback, saying it �depends on how quickly the recession is over� and other factors. �We never acted to help bankers, we acted to help the people who depend on banks � the savers, the mortgage holders, the small businesses looking for funds.�

Afghanistan
Hamid Karzai must clean up corruption in Afghanistan if he is to keep Western support, Mr Brown warned, �The important thing is to see action,� he said. �If you want to train up the police force, you have got to have the people there to train.
Equally we want them to take action against corruption.� He said Mr Karzai's presidential victory should help hasten the return home for British troops by making it possible to train 10,000 Afghan soldiers to carry on the fight against the Taliban without help.

Economy
A fierce attack on David Cameron and George Osborne for painting the economy as �broken� was launched by Mr Brown. �This whole idea that Britain is inevitably subject to an age of austerity with a broken economy, which is the Tory propaganda, is completely wrong, negative and selfdefeating,� he said.
�I think British people know we have a great deal to be optimistic about because we have great industries, great services, great talent, great inventive genius. You only need to look around London to see the talent, energy and enterprise in this great city, ready to export to the world, and ready to lead the world.�

Copenhagen
Mr Brown claimed he is hopeful of a deal on climate change at the Copenhagen talks, despite other major world leaders staying away. �Just as we did at the G20 on the financial crisis, we have the chance to show the world can act together.�