Thursday, November 5th, 2009 at 1:25 pm | By: Radical Russ
AMSTERDAM, Nov 5 (Reuters) – The Dutch are among the lowest users of marijuana or cannabis in Europe despite the Netherlands’ well-known tolerance of the drug, according to a regional study published on Thursday. Among adults in the Netherlands, 5.4 percent used cannabis, compared with the European average of 6.8 percent, according to an annual report by the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction, using latest available figures.
A higher percentage of adults in Italy, Spain, the Czech Republic and France took cannabis last year, the EU agency said, with the highest being Italy at 14.6 percent. Usage in Italy used to be among the lowest at below 10 percent a decade ago.
The policy on soft drugs in the Netherlands, one of the most liberal in Europe, allows for the sale of marijuana at “coffee shops”, which the Dutch have allowed to operate for decades, and possession of less than 5 grams (0.18 oz).
The full report is available here. Some interesting stats of note:
While 41% or 102 million Americans have tried cannabis in their lifetime, only 22% or 74 million Europeans have. Interestingly, there are about the same number of Europeans as Americans who will use cannabis this year (about 22 million) and this month (12 million), but of course that represents a lower percentage of population since America has 304 million and Europe has 491 million.
While cannabis represents 49.8% of all drug law arrests in America, it represents between 55% and 85% of all drug offenses in the majority of European countries.
While 25% of American 15-16-year-olds have tried cannabis in the past year, only 15% of European 15-16-year-olds have. The same percentage of 15-16-year-olds in the Netherlands used cannabis in the past year as in the USA, 25%.
The greatest decrease among European countries in the prevalence of cannabis use among young adults aged 15-34 has occurred in the United Kingdom since 2003, where past year use has dropped by a third. Incidentally, 2003 was the year the UK downgraded cannabis to a Class C offense, essentially decriminalizing it.
Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009 at 7:09 pm | By: Radical Russ
(Summit Daily) BRECKENRIDGE — Breckenridge residents voted overwhelmingly Tuesday to decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana and paraphernalia Tuesday under town law. In early returns, some 72 percent of voters approved the measure.
The vote means that, effective Jan. 1, people 21 and up in Breckenridge will be able to legally possess one ounce or less of the drug.
Possession remains illegal under state law, but Breckenridge Police Chief Rick Holman said his department will “still have the ability to exercise discretion.”
The decriminalization won’t change laws prohibiting smoking in public, use by minors or driving under the influence.
Monday, November 2nd, 2009 at 3:22 pm | By: Radical Russ
Voters in Breckenridge, Colorado are deciding whether to decriminalize personal possession of up to one ounce of marijuana by adults. The editorial board of the local Summit Daily News has already come out in favor of this Measure 2F:
(Summit Daily News) …Breckenridge residents this Election Day will decide whether possessing less than an ounce of the intoxicating weed should be decriminalized.
…While police blotters and courts are filled with an extraordinary amount of problems directly related to alcohol abuse, it’s rare to ever find pot at the bottom of things like domestic abuse, bar fights, car crashes and the like.
…What the Breckenridge code change would do is one thing: decriminalize less than an ounce for adults. It will not make it more available to minors, won’t make it legal to smoke it on the street, won’t get you out of trouble if you’re stoned behind the wheel. What it says is that if you, as an adult, choose to possess small amounts of marijuana for personal use, you won’t be busted for it. It’s still a much more stringent law than those that apply to alcohol — a substance you can own as much as you want of and consume in public.One last item remains, though: As the recent pot busts at Arapahoe Basin show, consumption of marijuana can have a greater potential “footprint” than, say, drinking a beer. No one wants to have to walk with their children through a parking lot full of cars emitting clouds of pot smoke, and we’re behind the Summit County Sheriff for cracking down on these folks. Eventually, it seems these small possession busts will be a thing of the past state-wide, which makes us conclude some kind of “nuisance pot smoke” ordinance needs to take their place — roughly analogous to public intoxication statutes. Sure, smoke your weed, but don’t blow it in our faces.
Ah yes, decriminalize the marijuana possession, but make the public use of marijuana an arrestable offense. If it’s in your baggie, it’s OK, but if it’s in your pipe, it is not. If I may paraphrase the late Johnny Cochran, “If the joint’s not lit, you must acquit!”
According to the cops, 49 out of fifty medical marijuana patients are faking it.
So I’m going to focus on this new position paper from the CPCA, where the cops tell you how terrible a predicament we are in because of medical marijuana in California. However, unlike the Kalifornia Kops, I will provide hyperlinks and citations to unbiased, double-blind, peer-reviewed scientific research and the government’s own statistics.
It has become clear, despite the claims of use by critically ill people that only about 2% of those using crude Marijuana for medicine are critically ill. The vast majority of those using crude Marijuana as medicine are young and are using the substance to be under the influence of THC and have no critical medical condition.
2%, why that sounds like a statistic! Or is it just a wild-ass guess? Since they don’t provide citations, I have to assume they are referring to Dale Gieringer’s and Dr. Tod Mikuriya’s work documenting the conditions suffered by 2,480 California patients surveyed, which showed:
4.6% = Nausea / Appetite Loss (AIDS, hepatitis, cancer chemotherapy, etc.)
We can debate how “critical” of a medical condition things like migraine headaches and carpal tunnel syndrome are, but to assert that 49 out of fifty Californians using medical marijuana are only doing so just to be “under the influence” is ludicrous.
The use of Marijuana for medicinal purposes parallels the use of experimentation with opiates for that purpose. Therefore, examining the development of the use of opiates makes a worthwhile comparison.
Well, aside from the fact that an overdose of opiates can kill you and marijuana can’t, opiates are highly addictive and marijuana isn’t, opiates are injected and marijuana isn’t, you can get a prescription for opiates but not for marijuana, and the development of each as medicine takes place in two different centuries, then yes, heroin and pot are exactly alike.
Monday, September 21st, 2009 at 8:55 pm | By: Radical Russ
Show 004: Three special episodes live from NORML National Conference!
NORML’s new talk radio program, NORML SHOW LIVE, will be streaming for three days at the 2009 NORML National Conference, “Yes We Cannabis”, live from the Grand Hyatt Hotel in San Francisco. These special three-hour episodes will be available at live.norml.org at the following special times and archived for download later just fifteen minutes after broadcast:
Thursday, September 24
11:00am – 2:00pm Pacific Time
Friday, September 25
11:00am – 2:00pm Pacific Time
Saturday, September 26
3:00pm – 6:00pm Pacific Time
The show will be hosted by “Radical” Russ Belville, but with very limited commercial interruption and the occasional narration. After the shows broadcast remotely in the difficult wireless environment of Portland’s Kelley Point Park and the noisy backstage of the Boston Freedom Rally, Russ is excited to present an indoor event that will take its audio directly from the conference PA system.
Monday, September 21st, 2009 at 7:49 am | By: Chris Goldstein
Boston: 30,000 smoke pot, celebrate decrim
9/20/2009 - Chris Goldstein
An estimated 30,000 people were crowded onto the Boston Common at the peak moment of the 20th annual Boston Freedom Rally on September 19th 2009.
That moment was 4:20PM ET.
The thousands celebrated freely under a landmark victory for cannabis prohibition reform. In 2008 Massachusetts decriminalized marijuana possession of less than 1/4 ounce by adults with a Ballot Initiative, Proposition 2.That means you can only get a NON-criminal ticket with a $100 fine for a pot violation. The decrim effort was won because of the hard work of the very same folks who organize the rally: MASSCANN/NORML.
A Parks Services officer (who strangely had a thick eastern European accent) agreed that 30,000 seemed a likely estimate of the peak attendance.
A police officer, who did not wish to be named, said the department does not officially release crowd estimates for any event. But Boston Police confirmed that there were 3 arrests for distribution and over 100 citations issued for marijuana possession.
Keith Saunders, MASSCANN’s president, told me that over 50,000 people had probably walked through the grounds over the course of the day and encountered the message of marijuana legalization.
Overall, the police were civil although I saw numerous random searches and heard stories of many more. At past events there have been more than 150 arrests for pot possession… but not on Saturday. Without fear of arrest the crowd was polite and almost everyone I saw was openly enjoying marijuana.
An impressive line-up of bands and speakers appeared on two stages. Styles P, a big time reform supporter showed up and did a surprise set thanks to High Times Magazine. Because of some juggling to accommodate the last minute act, the countdown to 4:20 got squeezed. A sea of people were gathering before the main stage and filling in the large hill.
Steve Bloom of CelebStoner corralled the final 60 seconds holding a clock up on stage and pointing as the hands came together. Looking out from the stage you could see huge clouds of smoke rise up from the crowd. There were dozens of spontaneous circles formed in a surreal organic collage of people. They cheered from across the rolling hills as giant 6-foot long joints were passed around.
Everyone smoked. There really was a quite visible haze over the entire crowd at 4:20. The sweet and fragrant odors of a wide variety of plant strains and hash drifted by, offering this interesting quilt of cannabis.
The crowd was extremely well behaved. There cannot be a finer exhibition of the positive effects of human cannabis smoking than large crowds of people doing it together. Without alcohol available at the event there were no fights, pushing or shoving. But with free cannabis consumption there was dancing, conversation and a genuinely happy atmosphere.
Personally, this was the most wonderful day for prohibition reform I have witnessed. The event itself; all of the people I met for the first time and friends to spend time with made this trip heartening, empowering and just plain fun! The locals really did treat me very well too.
Our country deserves this freedom that Massachusetts already enjoys.
I have seen Victory for Cannabis in Boston. It is sweet and green. It needs to be nationwide.
The first two pics were from my cellphone, this last one is from Derek at PhillyNORML. I’ll have some more blogging about the bands, speakers, backstage and social events from the Boston Freedom Rally tomorrow. Then its off to San Francisco for the NORML conference as I continue my Green September.
Friday, September 18th, 2009 at 3:05 pm | By: Radical Russ
So I am in my room at the La Meridien when Keith Saunders of MassCann/NORML calls me. “Where are you?” After I tell him, he says, “Hey, we’re in the room right next door!”
Tonight’s podcast is gonna be short. In fact, it will just be my interview with the Keiths to preview the Freedom Rally. Gotta get ready for the party tonight. Oh, and I haven’t eaten today, better take care of that. I’ll get plenty of audio at the awards tonight and post as many TwitPics and TwitVids as I can. — “R”R
Update: Oh, of course the voice recorder software won’t load! OK, so I’m uploading the Keiths Interview on Cinch – check the sidebar on the right. I’ll send more tonight from the party.
Friday, September 18th, 2009 at 7:50 am | By: Chris Goldstein
The REAL Tea Party
9/17/09 Chris Goldstein
In two days I have the honor of speaking before a crowd of about 15,000 people at the 20th annual Boston Freedom Rally.
There is something wonderfully patriotic about seeing so many people happily consume cannabis on America’s oldest public meeting ground and the scene of our own celebrated revolutionary actions.
I took this shot of Keith Saunders of MASSCANN in ‘07
In the past there have been upward of 100 arrests for marijuana violations during the day, enforced by a large police presence. But this year something will be different: Massachusetts voters decriminalized personal possession of up to one ounce by a ballot measure in November 2008.
On their website Keith Saunders PhD, MASSCAN/NORML President, says “After years of helplessly watching Boston Police bag harmless stoners, it will be a joy to see people enjoying themselves without the threat or fear of arrest.”
Those adults who police do encounter in possession of marijuana will be issued civil citations. They will not be handcuffed, photographed or detained. It works akin to a traffic ticket. No criminal misdemeanor or record.
Statewide decrim only came after years of hard work by the MASSCANN/NORML activists and attorneys winning the issue town by town. They are truly an inspiration. They took positive polling, local know-how and a strong message of sensible pot reform to the voters with a successful grassroots campaign ( in the best sense of the term). And each year, sometimes against many odds, they stage this spectacular gathering with local fundraising and volunteers.
There was set of events that unfolded at the 2007 Freedom Rally that gave some extra momentum to the statewide decrim effort. I was there to cover the event in audio with a handheld DAT recorder and a FOSTEX mulitrack machine hooked up to the stage.
Keith Stroup, the founder of NORML and Rick Cusick the publisher of High Times Magazine were arrested with nothing but a single joint between them. They were observed by an undercover officer smoking it.
Two of the best known personalities in marijuana reform were getting busted for simple possession at the biggest pro-pot event on the East Coast.
I immediately interviewed Rick and Keith after they were detained in an on-site mobile booking unit for about 30 minutes. They both went on to deliver fiery speeches from the event’s main stage.
You can hear the interviews and speeches along with some great music on the 9-17-2007 NORML AudioStash Podcast PLAY MP3
The daylong event features local bands that are local legends like Graveyard BBQ, Prospect Hill and Superpower and plays host to diverse acts such as DJ Slim, Big Shug and Cars on Mars.
The event is about the music but also about the speakers like Danny Danko from High Times Magazine, Matt Simon from New Hampshire Common Sense (his videos during the presidential campaign were landmark), Stacia Costner of SSDP (Students for Sensible Drug Policy), Jonathan Leavitt from Maine, Steve Epstein from MASSCANN, Mike from MASSCANN and – this year – Georgine DiMaria from New Jersey along with dozens of other hard-working cannabis reform activists.
I’ll see some friends there I don’t get to hang out with in-person much like Steve Bloom from celebstoner.com and Russ Belville from NORML.
But what I look forward to most is just being out there on the Common, with thousands of enthusiastic people supporting an end to marijuana prohibition. It is empowering.
With all of the silly media attention heaped upon the teabaggers lately I hope the media will look at how some real political reform can actually happen. If you want something positive, point your cameras this way. Here are Americans who are living a new day and shedding an old fear of their own government policy. They have changed the laws in Massachusetts, one voter at a time, and are better for it.
Marijuana reformers believe in working within the rules of our government to repeal these senseless and destructive policies of prohibition, not decrying the system itself.
This Tea Party is strong, effective and green. Take a good look, because just like millions of live cannabis plants here in the United States right now, this effort is growing.
If you are on the East Coast and believe in cannabis reform try and make it up to the event…See you there!
Monday, August 31st, 2009 at 1:18 pm | By: Radical Russ
We reported last week on the new law in Mexico decriminalizing personal possession of drugs. As is often the case, what can look like a great law on first read can have many unintended consequences in actual practice. We received an email from Jorge Hernández Tinajero of the Mexican drug reform organization CUPIHD (Colectivo por una Política Integral Hacia las Drogas) explaining the issue (official news release in English / Spanish):
The new law determines the quantities of drugs allowed to be carried for personal consumption, and it is here where some important concerns arise. First of all, the amounts of drugs permitted (5 grams of marijuana, equivalent approximately to 4 or 5 cigarettes, 0.5 gr. of cocaine, close to four lines, 0.04 g of methamphetamine or ecstasy, maybe 2 pills) are not realistic in terms of the illicit drug market. Cocaine, for example, sells by the gram on the streets. Also, these quantities are not realistic in terms of what a user actually consumes. In comparison, Paraguay for example allows 2 grams of cocaine for personal consumption, four times as much as Mexico.
Establishing such low thresholds can be dangerous because it can become a way to improperly categorize a large number of users as traffickers. Under the new Mexican law, a person is considered a small scale trafficker if caught with more drugs than the quantities allowed, with sentences from 4 to 10 years if they have the “intent to sell”. It remains unknown how this intent will be determined or proven, opening up the door to extortion and increasing the possibility of corruption of both police and the judicial power, already a significant problem in Mexico. The risk of corruption and extortion is now even greater because the new law allows local and state institutions to pursue, prosecute and sanction small level trafficking
—something that was limited before to the federal level. It is a this local level where corruption and inefficiency is greatest and where reforms have not been implemented.
Worse, even when the intent to sell cannot be proven, users found with quantities of drugs greater than those allowed can receive a sentence of up to three years in jail, an increase from before the law was passed. The new law now establishes these quantities of drugs as the determining factor to distinguish between a user and a trafficker. For these reasons, this law runs the risk of criminalizing a vast group of users, as well as those who make a living off the small-scale dealing but who in reality are not part of the organized crime networks. Imprisoning these users and dealers will not diminish the supply of drugs on the street, nor will it improve Mexico’s current public security situation and overwhelming violence. It will however allow the government to justify its current strategies against organized crime by boasting about the number of people incarcerated, but in reality worsen Mexico’s already serious prison overpopulation problem.
Marijuana on the street is usually sold in eighths, which is 3.5 grams (if your dealer’s honest), so the 5g limit for personal possession seems reasonable. However, as Jorge points out, many people who are mere personal users will have more than 5 grams and low-level dealers are more than likely to carry more than that. This new law is supposed to put the focus on the high level traffickers, but they have the bribe money to avoid prosecution, so once again the low-level dealer and unlucky who possess more than a “personal” amount will be the true targets
Decriminalization of personal amounts is a step in the right direction, but only under legalization will the problems at both the low-level personal-use/dealing range and the high-level murderous and corrupting cartels range be solved.
Thursday, August 27th, 2009 at 9:42 am | By: Radical Russ
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico now has one of the world’s most liberal laws for drug users after eliminating jail time for small amounts of marijuana, cocaine and even heroin, LSD and methamphetamine.
But stunned police on the U.S. side of the border say the law contradicts President Felipe Calderon’s drug war, and some fear it could make Mexico a destination for drug-fueled spring breaks and tourism.
Tens of thousands of American college students flock to Cancun and Acapulco each year to party at beachside discos offering wet T-shirt contests and all-you-can-drink deals.
“Now they will go because they can get drugs,” said San Diego Police Chief William Lansdowne. “For a country that has experienced thousands of deaths from warring drug cartels for many years, it defies logic why they would pass a law that will clearly encourage drug use.”
That’s strange. I don’t recall the police chiefs calling on Mexico to raise their drinking age from 18 to 21. One major reason American college kids flock to Cancun is because under age 21, they can’t go to clubs and can’t easily acquire alcohol in America. Prohibition of alcohol for adults who can vote, smoke, and join the military is what makes those adults fly to Mexico.
Decriminalization does not encourage drug use. In the thirteen US states that have decriminalized marijuana use, the perceptions of risk and the rates of use remained virtually unchanged. Countries that have decriminalized have lower drug use rates than the US and lower rates than before they decriminalized.
Laws don’t encourage or discourage drug use. Drugs encourage drug use. Drugs have their own built-in public relations and advertising campaign – when you take them, you get high. The only things that discourages drug use are education prior to drug use and health care after drug use.
Supporters of the change point to Portugal, which removed jail terms for drug possession for personal use in 2001 and still has one of the lowest rates of cocaine use in Europe.
Foreigners caught with drugs still face arrest in Portugal, a measure to prevent drug tourism.
The same is not true for Mexico, where there is no jail time for anyone caught with roughly four marijuana cigarettes, four lines of cocaine, 50 milligrams of heroin, 40 milligrams of methamphetamine or 0.015 milligrams of LSD.
That’s what concerns U.S. law enforcement at the border.
“It provides an officially sanctioned market for the consumption of the world’s most dangerous drugs,” San Diego County Sheriff Bill Gore said. “For the people of San Diego the risk is direct and lethal. There are those who will drive to Mexico to use drugs and return to the U.S. under their influence.”
So you’re telling us that someone who could easily score pot, coke, heroin, meth, or LSD right in downtown San Diego is instead going to get a passport, drive to Tijuana, try to find a dealer, avoid cartel violence, score some drugs, get really high, and drive back across the heavily-fortified cop-laden inspection-ridden US border? Wow, Reefer Madness is so much more mind-altering than anything Mexico decriminalized.
Track Snack: Mornin Stashers! Tokin on the Mean Green Martian for breakfast.
MrSpof: Maybe Dr Mitch could comment on the efficacy of reasonable amount of weed like that consumed (smoked) quickly mitigating migraine effects. I know the lowering of blood pressure would be [...]
MrSpof: Had the onset of a migraine yesterday. Immediately took 8 , moist cool washcloth on eyes, heating pad on neck and upper back, turned off lights. Migraine gone in [...]
MrSpof: As you personal non-accredited doctor, I advise the rest of you to smoke/vape/eat heavily
slash5city: frickazee'd.... Mr. Spof, thank you very much
MrSpof: Risen and roasted How the hell are you?
RevRayGreen: always Fidget......always.
Adam: Maybe in WA, judges are starting to think about the true cost of a Drug charge...
Adam: Tim Lincecum, pitcher for the San Francisco Giants will pea to a paraphernalia charge/ Possession charges DROPPED
Adam: Add some cottage cheese to your pancake batter, replace the maple with a fruit syrup! f-ing killer, YES I was stoned...
Fidget Truittelli: Good morning from beautiful Arizona! I hope you all have a happy, fun day. Remember to 'pay-it' forward. Do something nice for someone.
BenJaMin: Go NORML!!!
BenJaMin: Russ Is Tha BEst! :smokin:
SneakerPimp: oh there it is thanx russ
SneakerPimp: so whats up with today stash?
RevRayGreen: Barney Frank Present When Partner Arrested for pot-- http://bit.ly/1XpM2R
RevRayGreen: KMK 11/17/09 VAL AIR ballroom DSM
bullbog: that's crazy. I had a NORML black t-shirt on. It was hell of a show
RevRayGreen: dude I was probably 4-5 seats from you then
bullbog: 4th row center. I wish I was closer.
RevRayGreen: were in in the orchestra pit 4th row? or 4th row center, that's where I was bu slightly to the right
RevRayGreen: our show ______v'''''''
RevRayGreen: catch our chow tomorrow online Carl'sCannabis Corner
www.macswordlive.com 12-2 PM you can go there now and find archived shows
bullbog: revraygreen after looking at your pic from last nite. I'm pretty sure I seen you. I regonize you from the march in May
Just Legalize It: nothing really cool dealing with marijuana happens in massachusetts.... it sucks.... other than the boston freedom rally... but one thing a year isnt enough! i want to move to [...]
"Truth In Trials Act" Reintroduced In Congress; Maine: Voters Approve Medical Marijuana Dispensaries Measure; Colorado: Breckenridge Voters Overwhelmingly Decide To End Pot Penalties. […]
Maine: Voters To Decide Next Week On Medical Marijuana Expansion Measure; Colorado: Breckenridge Voters To Decide Next Week On Eliminating Pot Penalties; California: Lawmakers Hold Historic Hearing On Marijuana Legalization; New Hampshire: Senate Fails To Override Medical Marijuana Veto. […]
Gallup: Majority Of West Coast Voters Back Marijuana Legalization; Pot Arrests Responsible For Majority Of Marijuana Treatment Referrals; DOJ To Federal Prosecutors: Do Not Focus Resources On Medical Marijuana. […]
Some of the nation’s top athletes discuss why today's pros are turning to cannabis — and away from alcohol and painkillers — off the field, and question why pro sports leagues are continuing to sanction those who do. Moderator: Steve Bloom, Author, Pot Culture; editor, celebstoner.com * Toby Grear, MMA fighter * Sean Neumann, Documentary Filmm […]
Cannabis Law Reform's Missing Link: Law Enforcement Former Seattle Police Chief Norm Stamper; LEAP and NORML Advisory Board; Author of Breaking Rank Putting the Mexican Cartels Out of Business Mexican drug cartels now employ over 100,000 soldiers and are responsible for nearly ten thousand deaths per year. Their largest source of income is marijuana. […]
No surprise, again: Use of marijuana in The Netherlands among lowest in Europe
Boston: 30,000 smoke pot, celebrate decrim
Steve Bloom of 
frickazee'd.... Mr. Spof, thank you very much
and roasted 
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