MAPTalk-Digest Tuesday, December 16 2003 Volume 03 : Number 279
001 Re: MAP: January is Snitch Month
From:
002 Canada: Wire: To Toke or Not To Toke?
From: Tim Meehan <>
003 [asa] Patients Win BIG In Ninth Circuit Decision!
From: Tim Meehan <>
004 US CA: Wire: Appeals court OKs medical marijuana in some cases
From: Tim Meehan <>
005 US CA: Wire: Federal court supports medical marijuana
From: Tim Meehan <>
006 Driest Of Days
From: "Larry Seguin" <>
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Subj: 001 Re: MAP: January is Snitch Month
From:
Date: Tue, 16 Dec 2003 11:42:33 -0600 (GMT-06:00)
Please turn in Anne McCellan for harm done to the people of Canada.
- -----Original Message-----
From: Tim Meehan <>
Sent: Dec 16, 2003 10:40 AM
To: , , , ,
Subject: MAP: January is Snitch Month
http://www.torontopolice.on.ca/newsreleases/release.php?id=3D4823
Toronto Police Service
NEWS RELEASE
40 College Street,
Toronto, Ontario
M5G 2J3
Unit/Telephone
Corporate Communications
416-808-7100 =09
We are dedicated to delivering police services, in partnership with our
community,to keep the City of Toronto the best and safest place to be.
Visit our Web site at http://www.TorontoPolice.on.ca/
For Broadcast: 01:27 pm =09Date: 2003-12-15 =09
JANUARY IS CRIME STOPPERS MONTH
In an effort to commemorate the worldwide success of Crime Stoppers, Januar
y is
observed as Crime Stoppers Month.
The decision to proclaim Crime Stoppers Month in January was made in 1986 a
t the
Crime Stoppers International conference in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada and si
nce
that time programs in some 18 countries have taken the opportunity to highl
ight
their accomplishments in fighting crime and keeping streets safe.
This coming year will mark the 28th anniversary of the world=92s first Crim
e
Stoppers program established in Albuquerque, New Mexico in September 1976.
On January 6 the more than 1,000 programs in communities around the world w
ill
officially launch January as Crime Stoppers Month.
Toronto Crime Stoppers will host a special event on that day at Toronto Pol
ice
headquarters to kick off Crime Stoppers Month and mark our 20th anniversary
.
Attending the ceremony will be Mayor David Miller, Acting Police Services B
oard
Chair Alan Heisey and Toronto Police Chief Julian Fantino. Also invited to
attend is Monte Kwinter, Ontario=92s Minister of Community Safety and Corre
ctional
Services.
Lorne Simon, chair of Toronto=92s program said it=92s important for the pub
lic to be
aware of the achievements our Crime Stoppers program has had since being se
t up
here in July 1984.
Simon said Crime Stoppers Month gives the volunteers involved in the progra
m the
opportunity to announce the annual statistics and thank those who have assi
sted
to make Toronto Crime Stoppers such a successful crime fighting organizatio
n in
our community.
Detective Jeff Zammit, coordinator of Toronto=92s program, said Crime Stopp
ers
wouldn=92t achieve the results it has without the volunteer efforts of the
board
of directors.
=93They donate countless hours to raise funds for rewards and to operate th
e Crime
Stoppers hotline where people can call with information about unsolved crim
e,=94
Zammit said.
Steve Walrath, president of Crime Stoppers International, the volunteer
organization that oversees the various non-profit Crime Stoppers programs
worldwide, said there have been some remarkable achievements since the firs
t
Crime Stoppers was established 28 years ago.
Walrath said accumulative figures compiled by Crime Stoppers International
show
tips have led to the arrest of more than 500,000 individuals, the recovery
of
some $1.4 billion in stolen property and the seizure of drugs with a street
valued estimated at more than $4.4 billion.
=93These are staggering figures,=94 he said. =93There is no other program t
hat can
boast the success that Crime Stoppers has achieved in combating crime.=94
Walrath said the efforts of Crime Stoppers have been recognized by United S
tates
President George W. Bush and a number of other world leaders, including Can
ada=92s
just-retired Prime Minister Jean Chr=E9tien and British Prime Minister Tony
Blair.
Bush acknowledged Crime Stoppers during a State of the Nation address and
previously during Crime Stoppers Month commended the program for helping cr
eate
safer communities and reducing crime, Walrath said.
Walrath pointed out that Giuliano (Zack) Zaccardelli, Commissioner of the R
oyal
Canadian Mounted Police, also praised the efforts of Crime Stoppers saying
it
has significantly helped police officers combat criminal activity.
In past years local programs have engaged in a variety of activities to pro
mote
Crime Stoppers Month. Some have obtained proclamations from state and provi
ncial
representatives or local mayors while others have used the opportunity to k
ick
off major fundraising or crime fighting initiatives.
=93Volunteers on local Crime Stoppers boards do what they can to make sure
the
program is a success,=94 Walrath said. =93They try to keep the fun in fundr
aising,
but they know crime fighting is a serious business and are deeply committed
to
ensuring they provide a safe and secure world today and for generations to
come.=94
Contact:
Detective Jeff Zammit
Toronto Crime Stoppers
416-808-7260 =09
PC Mike Hayles for Detective Jeff Zammit
------------------------------
Subj: 002 Canada: Wire: To Toke or Not To Toke?
From: Tim Meehan <>
Date: Tue, 16 Dec 2003 15:00:42 -0500
Source: Canadian Press
Pubdate: December 16, 2003
To Toke or Not To Toke?
For a while it looked like we were poised to become Amsterdam West: cafes with
patrons openly enjoying joints alongside lattes, activists toking up outside
police stations with impunity, and government plans to make marijuana available
to the chronically ill.
But while that pipedream has apparently gone up in smoke, the ongoing debate
over the sweet leaf's place in Canadian society -- whether for medicine or for
pleasure -- promises to grow more heated in the coming year.
With the federal government courting decriminalization -- still a thorny issue
among the ruling Liberals themselves -- Canadians have found reason to voice
their opinions on the contentious topic.
An Ipsos-Reid poll of 1,001 Canadians conducted in May suggested that 55 per
cent of respondents did not believe smoking marijuana should be a criminal
offence.
Those advocating decriminalization say it doesn't make sense to saddle people
with criminal records for being busted for simple possession, such as smoking a
joint.
They also say it will reduce traffic in an already congested court system.
Those against decriminalization say marijuana is a so-called "gateway" drug that
will cause users to progress to harder drugs such as cocaine and heroin. They
also say it will harm relations with the United States, which remains in War on
Drugs mode.
But things have been complicated by the federal government's cautious steps
toward providing cannabis to the ill. Proponents say marijuana stimulates the
appetite, relieves pain and reduces stress -- although the medical community
remains divided over such claims.
The decriminalization movement burst into the forefront this year when an
Ontario Superior Court judge ruled in May that possessing less than 30 grams of
marijuana was no longer against the law in the province.
A lawyer had successfully argued that since there was no effective program for
sick people to possess medical marijuana without breaking the law, then the law
didn't prohibit possession.
Police organizations in Ontario subsequently said they wouldn't lay charges for
simple possession until the laws were clarified.
The court decision prompted similar rulings around the country and opened the
floodgates for recreational users to enjoy a jubilant summer of toking freely --
even in certain public cafes.
B.C. cannabis guru Marc Emery, who publishes Cannabis Culture magazine and sells
marijuana seeds online, went on a coast-to-coast Tour de Pot this summer,
holding rallies and lighting up outside police stations in Vancouver, Edmonton,
Calgary, Regina, Winnipeg, Toronto, Moncton, N.B., Halifax, Charlottetown and
St. John's, Nfld., practically daring the cops to arrest him -- which they
sometimes did.
The Canadawide case of reefer madness was apparently contagious.
Former prime minister Jean Chretien, who tried unsuccessfully to fast-track a
decriminalization bill before leaving office earlier this month, seemed to amuse
the country when he suggested in an October interview that he might puff on pot
one day.
"Perhaps I will try it when it will no longer be criminal," Chretien mused.
"I will have my money for my fine and a joint in the other hand."
Chretien had argued for fines instead of jail sentences for simple possession,
while adding that growers and traffickers would still face stiff penalties.
Although the bill was expected to pass this fall, Chretien officially ended his
last legislative session in mid-November, leaving it in limbo.
Whether Prime Minister Paul Martin will resurrect the bill is unclear, although
if it happens, many expect there to be amendments to make the legislation
tougher.
Martin has previously said he favours decriminalization in principle (and in
"very, very, very small amounts"), but also indicated he is sensitive to
opposing views from some Liberal backbenchers.
"He'd indicated always that he believes that the legislation in principle should
be pursued, and I think you can assume that he'll act accordingly," said Martin
spokesman Scott Reid.
Alan Young, a Toronto lawyer, law professor and self-styled cannabis crusader,
said he expects the bill to die.
"If history repeats itself, one could safely conclude that this will not be
resurrected," he said, referring to a similar bill in the late 1970s that went
nowhere.
Young pointed instead to a case currently before the Supreme Court of Canada
that may be more significant.
It questions the government's authority to criminalize a relatively harmless
substance -- in this case, marijuana. An Ontario judge had previously ruled in
1997 that cannabis is relatively harmless -- a finding that was considered a
factual conclusion.
While Young stopped short of saying the case would set a precedent, he did
emphasize its importance. He expects the court to make its ruling by
mid-February.
"It has significance because this court for the first time is going to decide
whether Parliament has a threshold they must meet before they can enact criminal
law," he said.
"In theory, without this case, Parliament tomorrow can criminalize the
cultivation of roses."
With the issue of medical use inextricably entwined with that of recreational
use, an Ontario court made simple possession illegal again in October while
firming up the rules on how medical users could obtain their cannabis supply.
"In terms of decriminalization, it was a huge setback," Young said.
"In terms of slow movement toward improving the medical program, it was a step
forward. But we lost a lot of momentum at the end of this year on
decriminalization by having the October court case not consider invalidation of
the criminal prohibition as a response."
Despite Ottawa's good intentions, efforts to supply medical users have proved
inept, as the government-sanctioned marijuana first made available in August has
been widely criticized for its inferior quality.
Some users demanded refunds, calling the weed "disgusting" and "unsuitable for
human consumption."
Others said it was too weak to be effective. One man even said it made him
vomit.
One frustrated user found the quality so poor that he rejected the government
shipments and applied for a growing licence instead.
Philippe Lucas, director of Canadians for Safe Access, a Victoria-based
patients' rights group pressing for a safe, effective supply of marijuana, said
independent lab analyses of the government cannabis showed high concentrations
of toxic lead and arsenic.
"I've tried the government cannabis, and I can attest to its incredibly poor
quality," said Lucas, who is allowed to use marijuana to deal with the
side-effects of hepatitis C.
"Not only is it of poor quality, but it's a potentially dangerous product. When
you're talking about giving something to people with critical or chronic
illnesses, I find that to be really inexcusable."
Health Canada maintains it tested the cannabis extensively before allowing it to
be distributed to medical users -- but it was never tested on people.
Spokeswoman Catherine Saunders said Health Canada isn't planning to make changes
to the product despite the complaints of some users.
However, she pointed out that clinical trials are underway at Montreal's McGill
University to determine the medical benefits of marijuana, and the results may
influence future policy.
As the medical community continues to debate the pros and cons of cannabis,
statistics suggest that recreational pot-smoking is on the rise in Canada --
especially among younger people.
In a 2001 study by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto, 11.2
per cent of Canadian adults surveyed said they used marijuana in the previous 12
months, compared with 8.6 per cent in 1998.
Canadians aged 18 to 29 were at the head of the pack, with 26.8 per cent smoking
pot compared with 18.3 per cent in 1996.
While the trend seems to indicate a growing acceptance of marijuana, Young
believes 2004 will be better for medical users than recreational users.
"I see next year as the year that we truly advance our understanding of
marijuana as medicine," he said.
"In terms of recreational use, I have no confidence the government will return
to their proposal. I'm not very confident the Supreme Court of Canada will do
their dirty work for the government, and I do see a bit of a backlash in the
initial months as public officials reassert their authority in this area."
That means no more smoking up outside police stations.
"One will have to be a bit more discreet and careful in terms of the use of
marijuana as a recreational substance," Young advised.
------------------------------
Subj: 003 [asa] Patients Win BIG In Ninth Circuit Decision!
From: Tim Meehan <>
Date: Tue, 16 Dec 2003 20:15:59 -0500
Wow!
- ---
Angel McClary Raich and her caregivers and Diane Monson WON in an historic Ninth
Circuit decision in their injunction against Ashcroft, the DEA Chief, and the
Federal Gov 't!
These seriously ill medical marijuana patients won their case that the federal
government, (former) Drug Enforcement Administration chief Asa Hutchinson, and
Attorney General John Ashcroft violated the Fifth, Ninth, and Tenth Amendments
to the U.S. Constitution in their ongoing attacks on medical cannabis patients
and providers in California.
This is the beginning of the end for the federal assault on state medical
marijuana laws, and will affect every other case coming down the pike. We are
just SO EXCITED!! Congratulations to the fabulous pateins and lawyers that made
this happen!
To check out the decision go to www.ca9.uscourts.gov and click on "opinions" at
the upper left. Then select Raich vs.. Ashcroft
Download the major pleadings from the litigation
(Raich v. Ashcroft) at: http://raich-v-ashcroft.com and
http://news.findlaw.com/legalnews/documents/index.html#drugs
Hilary McQuie
Political Director
Americans for Safe Access
1678 Shattuck Ave. #317
Berkeley, CA 94709
Phone: 510-486-8083
Fax: 510-486-8090
www.safeaccessnow.org
Join the fight for medical marijuana rights!
To receive ASA alerts, send a blank email to
------------------------------
Subj: 004 US CA: Wire: Appeals court OKs medical marijuana in some cases
From: Tim Meehan <>
Date: Tue, 16 Dec 2003 20:17:15 -0500
Source: Associated Press
Pubdate: December 16, 2003
Appeals court OKs medical marijuana in some cases
SAN FRANCISCO - A federal appeals court ruled Tuesday that a law outlawing
marijuana may not apply to sick people with a doctor's recommendation in states
that have approved medical marijuana laws.
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, ruling 2-1 in a rare late-afternoon
filing, said prosecuting these medical marijuana users under a 1970 federal law
is unconstitutional if the marijuana isn't sold, transported across state lines
or used for non-medicinal purposes.
"The intrastate, noncommercial cultivation, possession and use of marijuana for
personal medical purposes on the advice of a physician is, in fact, different in
kind from drug trafficking," Judge Harry Pregerson wrote for the majority.
The court added that "this limited use is clearly distinct from the broader
illicit drug market, as well as any broader commercial market for medical
marijuana, insofar as the medical marijuana at issue in this case is not
intended for, nor does it enter, the stream of commerce."
The decision was a blow to the Justice Department, which argued that medical
marijuana laws in nine states were trumped by the Controlled Substances Act,
which outlawed marijuana, heroin and a host of other drugs nationwide.
The case concerned two seriously ill California women who sued Attorney General
John Ashcroft. They asked for a court order letting them smoke, grow or obtain
marijuana without fear of federal prosecution.
The case underscores the conflict between federal law and California's 1996
medical marijuana law, which allows people to grow, smoke or obtain marijuana
for medical needs with a doctor's recommendation.
A U.S. District judge tossed the case in March, saying the Controlled Substances
Act barred him from blocking any potential enforcement action against medical
marijuana patients Angel Raich and Diane Monson. Tuesday's ruling sends the case
back to the district judge.
Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Nevada, Oregon and Washington state
have laws similar to California, which has been the focus of federal drug
interdiction efforts. Agents have raided and shut down several medical marijuana
growing clubs.
The appeals court, the nation's largest, does not have jurisdiction over
Colorado and Maine.
The case is Raich v. Ashcroft, 03-15481.
------------------------------
Subj: 005 US CA: Wire: Federal court supports medical marijuana
From: Tim Meehan <>
Date: Tue, 16 Dec 2003 21:24:45 -0500
Source: United Press International
Pubdate: December 16, 2003
Federal court supports medical marijuana
SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 16 (UPI) -- A U.S. federal appeals court ruled Tuesday
against the government's efforts to curb the use of medical marijuana through
interstate commerce regulations.
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals said using marijuana on the recommendation of
a physician, and neither selling it for a profit nor shipping it across state
lines, is a fundamentally different activity than drug trafficking.
The ruling came in a California case challenging the Justice Department's effort
to halt the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes. The government insists
marijuana serves no legitimate medical purpose and should be treated as any
other illegal drug.
California has a state law allowing the use of the illegal weed to relieve
symptoms of illnesses that can't be cured by mainstream medicine.
The decision returns the case to the district court that denied a request for an
injunction against federal raids on an Oakland cannabis buyer's club.
------------------------------
Subj: 006 Driest Of Days
From: "Larry Seguin" <>
Date: Tue, 16 Dec 2003 22:43:14 -0500
The (senior) senior citizens in Northern New York tell similar stories about
the Canadian border during prohibition. When the ferry docked in Canada, the
crowd would get an excitement about 'time to party'. There were signs 'beer
this way" at the dock. Them being kids at the time, their parents would put
booze in bags for the kids to carry back to the U.S. because customs never
looked in the kids stuff.
Larry Seguin
Pubdate: Fri, 5 Dec 2003
Source: Valley Morning Star (TX)
Contact: http://www.valleystar.com/letters.php
Website: http://www.valleystar.com/
Author: Fernando Del Valle, Staff Reporter
Note: San Benito Montalvo is 97 years old.
DRIEST OF DAYS
Residents Remember Prohibition
San Benito Montalvo chuckles when he calls the Prohibition era "the good old
days".
"It didn't stop people from drinking," Montalvo, 97, said Thursday as he
sprawled on a lawn chair on the driveway of his home in San Benito.
When folks weren't drinking home-brewed beer or smuggled tequila, they were
partying in the growing row of bars on the Mexican side of the Rio Grande,
said Montalvo, who was 27 when Prohibition was repealed.
"I would go with my wife to Matamoros every Saturday night," he said. "The
bars were packed."
Today marks the 70th anniversary of the 21st Amendment to the U. S.
Constitution, which repealed Prohibition - the law against the manufacture,
sale, transportation and importation of intoxicating liquors in the country
under the 18th Amendment.
Along the Mexican border, Prohibition sparked a boom that led to the
construction of four bridges from Roma to Rio Rico, said David MyCue,
archivist at the Museum of South Texas History in Edinburg.
In the late 1920s, Hidalgo County Sheriff A. Y. Baker teamed up with
contractor Joe Pate to build the string of bridges, MyCue said.
The wildest of the towns was the years of Prohibition, he said.
Mary Wade shakes her head when she remembers the stories she heard as a
child.
"They used to go over there and gamble at the dog tract and drink," said
Wade, 75, a retired school teacher that lives just south of Mercedes. "They
had a red-light district-the works.
In the early 1940s, a flood washed away the bridge, MyCue said. Then in the
1950s, Baker and Pate built a bridge at Progreso, he said.
For decades, local historians have debated the question of mobster Al
Capone's involvement in liquor smuggling during the Valley's Prohibition
years, MyCue said.
Some believe Capone funded construction of a two-story house just east of
Weslaco where liquor was stored in three underground compartments.
"There were fright companies that hauled merchandise and whatever he
needed," said Glenn Housley, a local historian.
Liquor smuggling became big business along the Rio Grande, MyCue said.
"It was fairly extensive," he said of the smuggling of hard liquor, mostly
made up of mescal and tequila.
With a wry gin, Montalvo remembers the smugglers used 5-gallon drums to
transport tequila across the river.
"A lot of guys were crossing with tequila," he said. "They'd fill the
5-gallon cans with tequila, bringing them two at time across the river."
In town, homemade beer became a staple, Montalvo said.
"There were a lot of people selling beer-home brew at 10 cents a bottle," he
said.
Then he squinted as he tried to remember the old recipe.
"They'd use potatoes, rice and yeast," Montalvo said. "You'd let it mature
in tubs. But you'd have to be careful or it could blow up. Boom! We used to
hear it. But it was good. We weren't satisfied with one bottle. We had to
drink two or three."
------------------------------
End of MAPTalk-Digest V03 #279
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