Texas Oppresses the Sick and Weak

By: Stephen Carter
NORML of Waco Inc. Secretary & Asst Communications Director

Texas, the state I call home and many regularly call the land of the truly free where government tends to stay out of your business, why must you continue to oppress the sick and the weak?

Texas has been known to, for the most part, leave the regulation of private matters to the individual, rightly where it should. Aside from a corrupt governor and some unsavory legislatures, Texas is truly a great place to live. We have low tax burdens and quite a bit of “freedom” compared to other states. Don’t get me wrong, it could be a lot better, but its still better than the average.

There’s a problem in Texas though, a large one. Many people here believe that we are not entitled to true liberty, even though they say otherwise. So what’s not so free about the great state of Texas? The voters here believe in the heavy regulation of morality; in short, the restriction of individual freedom because a majority does not agree with a particular action, even if it causes no real problem. In fact, the real source of many of our woes stems from these laws dictated to us on the basis of “moral superiority.”

As many know, medical marijuana has been legalized in 14 states and even in our own nation’s capitol. The science and doctors that stand behind medical marijuana have provided more than enough proof of the plant’s medicinal properties. The state of Texas does not recognize medical marijuana, and routinely arrests and incarcerates sick patients that use marijuana for medicinal purposes. This regularly puts innocent people in dangerous situations as they are often housed with violent people, the type that the Texas justice system ought to be spending all of their time pursuing.

Recently Chris Diaz, a 20 year old man traveling through Brownwood to Austin from California, was pulled over by a DPS officer and his vehicle was searched, with the officer finding less than two ounces of marijuana and some hashish. Chris Diaz is a medical marijuana patient in California, with a legal prescription for marijuana, and had his medicine sealed in a medically sanctioned container labeled with the California State Seal. Texas does not recognize medical marijuana prescriptions from other states.

Diaz was arrested and charged with manufacture and delivery of a controlled substance greater than 4 grams under 200 grams and possession of marijuana under 2 ounces. He has remained in custody since June 27th on bonds totaling $40,000. He is not the first medical marijuana patient to be treated so inhumanely, and likely won’t be the last.

Brown County Sheriff Bobby Grubbs maintains that marijuana in any form is illegal in Texas. He states “We have a zero tolerance for any type of drugs in Brown County, the law says you ‘may’ issue a citation for possession of small amounts, but we go ahead and make arrests.”

Bobby Grubbs is one of those drug warriors with no compassion for the sick that are a part of the problem, not the solution.

Please help defend the sick and the weak by supporting medical marijuana in Texas. It is senseless to throw people in jail who are otherwise good upstanding citizens, just for taking their medicine.

July 13, 2010   Posted in: Articles  6 Comments

NORML of Waco Inc. 1St. Annual Birthday Bash

Come and celebrate our 1rst birthday with us! This has been a great year. We’ve had a few bumps in the road along the way, but have had some great successes.

Our event will feature live music, guest speakers, and more. Entertainment by: Bay of Pigs, KNAEL, and Karma Gettin’, with special guest Paul Bullock. The doors will open at 7pm, with the music kicking off around 8. Only $5 to get in the door. All money raised will be put towards fighting for the legalization of marijuana.

Come on out for a great night with NORML of Waco Inc. and fellow marijuana supporters of Central Texas. The event will be Saturday the 24th of July at The Lone Star Bar & Grill on Hwy 93 in Temple, Tx.

July 4, 2010   Posted in: Events, News  No Comments

Where’s the beef?

by Pam Zubeck

Lock up the women and hide the cash and jewelry. A medical marijuana dispensary that moved in a block away might bring rapists, burglars, robbers and killers to your neighborhood.

Of course, that kind of hysteria is out-shouting reality. Truth is, statistics just don’t support it.

“Looking at the data, it doesn’t appear to be a crime wave to me,” says Colorado Springs Police Sgt. Steve Noblitt.

In fact, from Jan. 1 through May 22, medical marijuana dispensaries accounted for 1.5 percent of all business robberies in the city — 1 in 82, Police Department stats show.

Looking at residential burglaries, of the 830 reported throughout the city, 19 break-ins happened at MMJ dispensaries located in homes, or 2.3 percent of all residential burglaries. Noblitt says there were 289 burglaries of all other non-residences and only two were dispensaries.

As for vandalism, that’s the biggest laugh of all. Only one dispensary was vandalized among the 2,618 reported incidents of vandalism citywide from January through May 22.

The only statistic the police department is watching involves home invasions. During the period, 41 home invasions were reported, four of which happened at homes that house MMJ dispensaries.

“The numbers we have are pretty small, except the home invasion, which obviously is a concern to us,” Noblitt says. “I’d say the numbers are small enough [that] we’ll keep our eye on them. But if they were to grow to be a large portion of the crimes, that would be a concern to us.” Read the rest of this post »

July 2, 2010   Posted in: Articles  No Comments

There’s Been Over 20,000 Studies On Marijuana; What Is It That Scientists Do Not Yet Know?

By: Paul Armentano, NORML Deputy Director

US News & World Report recently probed the subject of cannabis science, publishing a pair of stories on the subject here and here.

Neither story particularly breaks any new ground, though the author (who I spoke with extensively prior to the stories publication) does note that investigators are now assessing the use of cannabis for a wide range of disease conditions, including Alzheimer’s disease and the so-called ’superbug’ MRSA (multi-drug resistant bacterial infections).

Quoted in the story is Columbia University researcher Margaret Haney. I’ve written about Haney’s clinical work with cannabis before. In particular, Haney was the lead author of a 2007 clinical trial concluding that inhaled cannabis increased daily caloric intake and body weight in HIV-positive patients in a manner that was far superior to the effects of oral THC (Marinol aka Dronabinol). The study further reported that subjects’ use of marijuana was well tolerated, and did not impair their cognitive performance. Read the rest of this post »

July 2, 2010   Posted in: Articles  No Comments

Portugal legalizes drugs, crime/usage falls

June 30, 2010   Posted in: Videos  No Comments

State NAACP backs marijuana legalization initiative

L.A. Times: Saying that prohibition takes a heavy toll on minorities, leaders of the NAACP’s California chapter announced Monday that they are backing passage of a marijuana legalization initiative on the November ballot.

The war on drugs is a failure and disproportionately targets young men and women of color, particularly African-American males, said Alice Huffman, president of the NAACP’s state conference.

The group cited statistics from the Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice showing that in 2009, 62% of the state’s marijuana arrests were of nonwhite suspects and that 42% were under 20.

The pattern was consistent in the state’s 25 largest counties, with arrests of African Americans at double, triple and quadruple the rate of whites even though studies show that blacks use marijuana at lower rates than whites, NAACP officials said.

“We are joining a growing number of medical professionals, labor organizations, law enforcement authorities, local municipalities and approximately 56% of the public in saying that it is time to decriminalize the use of marijuana,” Huffman said in a prepared statement.

November’s measure, if approved, would allow people 21 and older to legally possess an ounce of cannabis. Marijuana sales would be taxed, potentially raising billions of dollars for government services. Opponents say legalization would increase crime and drug dependency.

– Catherine Saillant

June 29, 2010   Posted in: Articles  No Comments

Rejection of Wisconsin medical marijuana bill was a profile in cowardice

Jason Glaspie did everything he could. The former Marine, a veteran of the first Iraq war, has endured numerous treatments for brain and spinal cancer that left him disabled and often in terrible pain. One thing that alleviates his suffering is smoking marijuana.

And so when it looked as though Wisconsin might join the 14 other states (and the District of Columbia) that allow the medicinal use of cannabis, Glaspie became an activist for the cause.

The Fitchburg resident attended hearings and events held in support of the proposed bill. He starred in a TV commercial on the issue and let his story be told in the press. And, in the end, like hundreds of other people in Wisconsin, he was bitterly disappointed. The bill died in the just-ended legislative session after state lawmakers failed to bring it forward for a vote.

“The bill’s failure to pass forces patients to make the horrible choice between [enduring pain] and being a criminal,” says Glaspie. “I should not have to fear prosecution just because I want to move around without my cane. People with chronic health issues have enough on their plates without adding more fear.”

But fear is what they are left with. The political structure of the state of Wisconsin has given them the back of their hand. Again.

Just ask former Marine Sgt. Erin Silbaugh (videos here and here), who served three tours in the current Iraq war, returning with severe post-traumatic stress disorder. The Lodi resident recalls a conversation with his Assemblyman, Rep. Keith Ripp (R-Lodi). He asked if Ripp cared that Silbaugh had to risk arrest and jail to treat his service-related disability. Ripp, he says, responded by shrugging his shoulders. Read the rest of this post »

June 25, 2010   Posted in: Articles  No Comments

Big Pharma-Backed Marijuana Spray As Medicine? Approved in United Kingdom

By Paul Armentano

British health regulators have approved the sale and marketing of Sativex, an oral spray consisting of natural cannabis extracts (primarily the plant cannabinoids THC and cannabidiol aka CBD) as a treatment for symptoms of multiple sclerosis. (MS)

The spray, which has been legally available to patients in Canada since 2005, went on sale in Britain on Monday. The drug will be marketed in the United Kingdom by the Bayer Corporation which estimates that Sativex will cost the country’s state-run National Health Service roughly £11, or about $16, a day for each patient.

In clinical trials, Sativex has been demonstrated to reduce MS-associated spasticity, pain, and incontinence. Long-term investigational trials indicate that consistent use of the cannabis-based medicine may also slow the progression of the disease.

Surveys from the UK and elsewhere indicate that MS patients often report using cannabis therapeutically, with one study reporting that some four out of ten patients with the disease find relief from marijuana.

GW Pharmaceuticals, makers of the Sativex, is expected later this year to seek separate regulatory approval for the spray in Spain, France, Germany, and Italy.

In 2006, the US Food and Drug Administration authorized recruitment for the first-ever North American clinical trial of Sativex for cancer pain treatment. A Phase III trial is anticipated to begin the US later this year.

The approval of Sativex in the UK is newsworthy though hardly surprising, as the scientific evidence in support of marijuana’s medical safety and utility has been available for decades. However, the bigger question still remains. That is: ‘How can the US government continue to promote a policy that calls for the arrest and prosecution of patients who use a substance that fourteen states and much of the rest of the western world now acknowledges as a safe and legitimate medicine?’

June 25, 2010   Posted in: Articles  No Comments

Las Vegas: Cop Killing of Father-To-Be In Pot Raid Reemphasizes Need For Marijuana Legalization

By Paul Armentano

On Friday the government’s war on marijuana consumers claimed yet another victim.

In Las Vegas, Nevada, metro police shot and killed a 21-year-old father-to-be while serving a search warrant for marijuana.

Phil Smith at StoptheDrugWar.org has detailed coverage here.

A 21-year-old father-to-be was killed last Friday night by a Las Vegas Police Department narcotics officer serving a search warrant for marijuana. Trevon Cole was shot once in the bathroom of his apartment after he made what police described as “a furtive movement.”

Police have said Cole was not armed. Police said Monday they recovered an unspecified amount of marijuana and a set of digital scales. A person identifying herself as Cole’s fiancée, Sequoia Pearce, in the comments section in the article linked to above said no drugs were found.

Pearce, who is nine months pregnant, shared the apartment with Cole and was present during the raid. “I was coming out, and they told me to get on the floor. I heard a gunshot and was trying to see what was happening and where they had shot him,” Pearce told KTNV-TV.

According to police, they arrived at about 9 p.m. Friday evening at the Mirabella Apartments on East Bonanza Road, and detectives knocked and announced their presence. Receiving no response, detectives knocked the door down and entered the apartment. They found Pearce hiding in a bedroom closet and took her into custody. They then tried to enter a bathroom where Cole was hiding. He made “a furtive movement” toward a detective, who fired a single shot, killing Cole.

… According to Pearce and family members, Cole had no criminal record, had achieved an Associate of Arts degree, and was working as an insurance adjustor while working on a political science degree at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas. He was not a drug dealer, Pearce said.

“Trevon was a recreational smoker. He smoked weed, marijuana. That’s what he did,” she told KTNV-TV. “They didn’t have to kill him. We were supposed to get married next year, plan a black and white affair,” she said. “He was all I ever knew, we were gonna make it.”

In May, I blogged about another sickening case — that one from Columbia, Missouri (you can watch the disturbing and graphic video here) — of ‘cops gone wild’ in the war on weed. But the similarities between the two cases go beyond narcotics officers breaking down the doors of private residences and discharging their weapons.

In both instances, these tragic raids took place in regions of the country that have ‘decriminalized’ marijuana possession. That’s right. In Nevada, lawmakers in 2001 enacted statewide legislation defelonizing minor marijuana possession — making the offense a fine-only misdemeanor. (Separately, Nevada voters in 2000 decided to amend the state’s constitution to exempt medical users from arrest.) And in 2004, some 60 percent of Columbia, Missouri voters approved a local ordinance that sought to prohibit local cops from from arresting anyone for simple marijuana possession.

Yet, as the above tragedies illustrate, neither of these ‘half-a-loaf’ changes in law (decriminalization and medicalization) ultimately corrects the core problem and that is this: Police and politicians still accept the premise that this level of deadly force is appropriate to keep people from using marijuana.

That is why, while on the one hand NORML (obviously) supports cannabis medicalization and decriminalization efforts, we also recognize that these efforts fall woefully short for many Americans. After all, police in Las Vegas, Columbia, and elsewhere are not forcefully entering private homes and terrorizing families while executing search warrants for alcohol. But they are engaging in such behavior in communities that have medicalized and/or decriminalized marijuana. And unfortunately, they will continue to do so.

In short, the only way to fully protect all our citizens from these kinds of abhorrent events is through the legalization and regulation of marijuana for all adults.

Decriminalization and medicalization are first steps — not the end game. Ultimately only legalization and regulation can bring a long overdue end to the brutal war on marijuana consumers.

June 17, 2010   Posted in: News  No Comments

Hemp for Victory!

This past week, hemp advocates and aficionados nationwide engaged in educational and awareness building exercises during their annual “Hemp History Week”. The aim was to enlighten the public’s perception of hemp by demonstrating its versatility in several facets of everyday life and drawing attention to its pivotal role in American agriculture up until the mid-20th century. Before hemp can be understood in its contemporary context, a stroll down memory lane may refresh the reader on this critical crop.

While the history of hemp and humans goes all the way back to the Neolithic Revolution ~10-12,000 years ago, for brevity’s sake, the focus of this reminiscence will remain on hemp’s history in the New World. Hemp helped propel European explorers to America’s shores by providing tough and durable sails and rope for riggings on long, trans-Atlantic voyages. The climate proved suitable, and in 1564, King Philip II of Spain proclaimed that hemp be cultivated in his New World possessions, ranging from the tip of Tierra del Fuego to the Willamette Valley.

Hemp was instrumental in securing the continuity of the English colonies. With the memory of numerous colonial failures fresh in mind, particularly the “Lost Colony” of Roanoke Island, colonists in Virginia became the first to make the planting of hemp mandatory in 1619; not only could hemp fibers be used to sew cloth but the seeds could be consumed for a much needed source of protein, carbohydrates, essential fatty acids, and minerals including calcium and iron. As Virginia flourished, other colonies took notice and began implementing their own hemp mandates, and, collectively, the colonies continued to thrive with hemp providing a safety net to fall upon during inclement seasons.

The Founding Fathers of the United States of America saw good promise in hemp and some even farmed it themselves. Thomas Jefferson and George Washington both grew hemp, and Benjamin Franklin owned one of America’s first paper mills that produced durable and long-lasting hemp paper that was to play a crucial role in the founding of a new nation. Jefferson penned the Declaration of Independence on hemp paper, and other Founding documents written on hemp include Thomas Paine’s “Common Sense”, the Articles of Confederation, the Federalist (and Anti-Federalist) Papers, and the United States Constitution. Read More

June 8, 2010   Posted in: Articles  No Comments