Date: Thu, 16 Sep 2004 18:46:01 -0400
From: Dana Beal
Subject: MMM 2004 #43: New Paltz Makes 31 Cities on the Global Marijuana
March Next May 7!

Important: get your city on the list for May 7, 2005!

So far we have confirmed 31 cities:

Albany

Athens

Asheville

Auckland

Burlington

Christchurch

Cincinnati

Detroit

Dublin

East Lansing

Eugene

Hatchita

Lexington

Montreal

Moscow

New Paltz

New York

Nimbin

Oslo

Paris

Philadelphia

Phoenix

Prague

Raleigh

Spokane

Stavanger

St. Louis

Toronto

Trondheim

Tucson

Washington, D.C.

There is also some international MMM networking going on at
this CannabisCulture.com message forum:

http://www.cannabisculture.com/forums/postlist.php?Cat=&Board=current

*****!!!Cannabis Liberation Day--May 7, 2004:  Updates,  Reports!!!*****

From: "Andrew Byrne" <ajbyrne@...>
To: "Andrew Byrne" <ajbyrne@...>
Sent: Tuesday, September 07, 2004 8:16 PM
Subject: Concord cannabis seminar - summary by Andrew Byrne.

Concord Dependency Seminar. Tuesday 10/08/2004 Chair Dr Ray Seidler

"Cannabis interventions in dual diagnosis and opioid dependent patients"

Dr Jan Copeland and Ms Etty Matalon, NDARC, UNSW.

This seminar raised issues that we face every day in our practices

regarding behavioural change associated with drug use. Although the

worst consequences of cannabis pale in comparison with alcohol and other

drugs, it is still a widely used drug which many perceive to be a major

problem in their lives.

Dr Copeland began by giving an overview of the use of cannabis in the

Australian community. The best figures come from household studies

showing that about a third of Australians have ever used cannabis and

about one in six young people aged 14-19 are daily smokers of the drug.

Hospital admission details show that while rare in the over 50s,

cannabis use problems were commonly reported on admission in the younger

age groups. We were told that up to 31.7% of 'current users' met

criteria for DSM IV cannabis use disorder and 21% for dependence on the

drug. Even ignoring the DSM criteria, the extent of the problem is shown

by the numbers seeking treatment in Australia which, Dr Copeland told

us, have tripled in a decade.

Of a large sample of Australian heroin injectors, 40% had current

cannabis dependence diagnosis, being almost as common as anxiety

disorder (51%) and alcohol problems (49%). US findings were similar but

one wonders if the patients were prescribed adequate doses of methadone

where the mean daily dose should be over 70mg and possibly higher.

We were reminded that cannabis smoke was more potent than tobacco smoke

in some respects, although much less in quantity is consumed by the

average cannabis smoker. There is thus a potential for causing or

exacerbating cancer, asthma, bronchitis, etcetera. UNSW surveys show

that nearly all the cannabis used in Australia is smoked, even though

oral absorption was possible, it was often delayed and unpredictable.

New methods of delivery were being developed using sprays or

'super-heated' rather than burned material from the cannabis sativa

plant. High potency forms of the drug such as hashish resin or oil

contain high concentrations of the active ingredients, the main one

being tetra-hydro cannabinol (THC). Paradoxically, they may therefore be

less harmful in some respects, having fewer impurities. Various street

myths about cannabis were discussed, especially regarding drug delivery,

absorption, deep breaths, bongs (dry and wet varieties), etcetera.

Even in those who are not yet intent on quitting, Dr Copeland said that

there was much useful advice to give people to reduce the harms from

cannabis use. They should be advised not to use bongs, especially of the

'dry' variety. They should be taught that it is illogical to inhale

deeply and keep the breath for as long as possible, as is often

practised. They should probably avoid leaves, stems and seeds Š and just

use the high concentration 'heads' of the cannabis plant. This results

in a higher concentration of THC and thus a lower amount of exposure to

CO, tars, soot, etc for the given amount of intoxicant. Mixing cannabis

with tobacco was probably unwise although the practice is almost

universal, at least in Sydney. [I wonder if it is true that Melbourne

practice is more commonly to smoke straight cannabis without added

tobacco.]

Next Etty Matalon showed us a number of impressive, professional

publications, some aimed at patients, others at health care workers to

use in formal treatment programs. One was a self-help explanatory

program aimed at assisting those who are ready to quit. Another

contained a step by step program of implementing goals towards lasting

change in those prepared for a more formal series of face to face

interventions. The programs dealt with drug use cues, drug diary

entries, choosing dates for change, writing up pros and cons of drug

use, discussing all of the above, etc. Depression was raised on numerous

occasions as needing to be seriously addressed in those trying to quit

cannabis, meaning both drug and non-drug approaches need to be

considered. These interventions would be ideal in general practice and

some could be initiated in pharmacies, methadone clinics or needle

outreach services.

These hand-outs are available at modest cost to practitioners. Contact

Dr Jan Copeland J.Copeland@... for details.

Like all drugs, cannabis may have good and bad effects. Hence, although

it was not part of the evening's 'main feature', I include a recent

newspaper report from Dr Copeland's own research centre (NDARC). They

found that nearly two-thirds of people using cannabis for medical

reasons had decreased or stopped taking other medications. Participants

also reported that cannabis was useful in preventing side effects caused

by conventional medicines. The most common medical conditions the

cannabis users suffered were arthritis, chronic pain, depression,

nausea, muscle spasms and weight loss. Up to 70 per cent of those using

'medical cannabis' would be willing to be involved in a trial of an

alternative form of cannabis, such as a spray, according to their

survey. Last year NSW Premier Bob Carr announced a trial of possible

therapeutic benefits of cannabis. The NDARC survey was a recommendation

of the working party on the medical use of cannabis. [To participate in

the mail-out survey, contact the National Drug and Alcohol Research

Centre on 9385 0333 or email Peter Gates at p.gates@...].

In another item from London, Wolff, Winstock (yes, our own 'Adam', from

Bankstown) and co-workers in an SSA conference abstract published in

Addiction Biology, March issue, gave the results of self-report

questionnaires given to 337 multiple sclerosis patients in three English

hospitals (2 London, one county). With a 75% response rate, almost half

had used cannabis at some point and about one in five used the drug

monthly. Only four (4%) of the 110 who had ever used cannabis developed

increased weakness while one (1%) reported hallucinations. Almost three

quarters stated that they would try the drug if it were legal. It would

appear to have benefits for certain patients and a low side-effect

profile. Yet dependence develops in a proportion and the dangers of

smoked products are ever-present, each limiting the usefulness of

therapeutic cannabis at present.

It is intriguing that tincture of cannabis was very widely prescribed in

Australia prior to the current prohibitions of the 1950s. I could find

no reports of ill-effects or dependence.

comments by Andrew Byrne ..

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dr Andrew Byrne MB BS (SYD) FAChAM (RACP)

Dependency Medicine,

75 Redfern Street, Redfern,

New South Wales, 2016, Australia

Email - ajbyrneATozemail.com.au

Tel (61 - 2) 9319 5524 Fax 9318 0631

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From tents444@...

September 10 - 12, 2004. Berlin Hemp Fair.
There are some MMM photo galleries on the interhanf.com site, too.
 
----Forwarded email begins----

info@... wrote:

 

Date: Tue, 7 Sep 2004 23:16:57 GMT

From: info@...

Subject: InterHanf.com & Swiss initiative...

---> *DEUTSCH * FRANCAISE * ITALIANO * ESPANOL

- scroll down - unter - en bas - sotto - debajo

Dear hemp friends -

we are pleased to announced that CannaTrade.ch will be present with a booth this week-end at the InterHanf.com hemp fair in Berlin.

Check out our stand number # 209 on the hall plan:

http://www.interhanf.com/english/hallplan.php

Meanwhile the initiative to regulate the Swiss cannabis market has collected already 80'000 of the 100'000 signatures needed to bring the ballot to popular vote.

Please make sure you inform any of your Swiss friends the importance of signing and sending in their signatures ASAP.

More information, unfortunately not yet in English, is available at:

http://www.projugendschutz.ch

Best greetings from Switzerland,

Team CannaTrade.ch

------------------

From: jim@...

Thanks again for your northern hospitality on my recent visit.
Here's an interesting article on the BBC site:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/3644628.stm

jim

-- Jim Sutherland
Atlanta, GA
----------

From: damnrobrob@...

Hay Now Dana,

Been on the road. Will gte in touch soon! Add New
Paltz to the list and please forward this to your
list. Are you coming this year? Will you be in Boston?
Talk soon, be safe.

Rob Robinson


The 10th Annual NY State Harvest Festival & Freedom
Fair / Political Rally

Oct. 8-11, 2004 - Put The Weekend Aside!

Moose River Park & Amphitheater
Lyonsdale, NY

Tickets On-Sale Now
Only $45 in advance or $55 at the gate!
www.jambasetickets.com
Parking is $5.00 per car or $15.00 for larger vehicles
and trailers.

Performers To Include:

Richie Havens

The Mix featuring, Melvin Seals (JGB), Greg Anton
(Zero), Kevin Rosen (Dark Star Orchestra) and John
Kadlecic (Dark Star Orchestra)

The Persuasions
Tony Vacca & World Rhythms
Reckoning

Inner Visions
Stir Fried
U-Melt

Caveman
The Niche
Bobby Steele (of The Misfits and Undead)

Matt Turk
King Vito and The Sea Hippies
Dr. Jah and the Love Prophets

Alison Hartwell
Aliza Hava
Jar
Bodhi
JamHogs
Jaik Miller
Unexplained Bacon

Lights by: Joint Ventures and Smoke and Mirrors
Film Fest By: The Yellow Submarine and The Vernville
Crew


Speakers Include: Rob Robinson (NY State CAN), Don
Silberger (US Senate Candidate - NY), Jen Rog (NYCC),
Carol Antun (Grandmothers for Hemp), Justin Holmes
(Pres. New Paltz NORML / SSDP), Terry Phalen (Albany
ReconsiDer), Burton Aldrich (medical marijuana
patient), Jim Miller (care provider), as well as reps
from the Green and Libertarian parties (and more?!),
Free State Project, NYNORML, NYCLU, New Paltz
NORML/SSDP plus more TBA


This Event is rain or shine and includes: 2 stages,
vendors, camping on-site, voter registration, free
information, legal hemp products, petitions, great
people, good vibes plus so much more!!!!!!!!!!!

(845) 486-7199 24 Hour Hotline

www.damnsam.com
www.mooseriver.com

Vendors must pre-register.
No illegal Drugs - No under age Drinking - No
Fireworks - No Dogs - Must be 18 or up to get in,
unless with parent or guardian - No
exceptions!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Take Care of Each Other and Be Safe

If you have been to Harvest Fest before, you know
better than to miss it. If you have never been to
Harvest Fest before, don't miss your chance now!

This is the famous Harvest Festival that began in the
apple orchards around Lembo Lake in Modena, NY in
1995. In 1997 we moved to Earlton Hill Family
Campground, in Earlton, NY (which was awesome and
featured Max Creek, Vasser Clements, Buddy Cage, and
the Ominous Seapods among others) In 1998 the festival
was held at the Logging Camp (Pine Mountain Reserve -
Garth Hudson, Buddy Cage and others) in Johnsburg, NY
and finally landed in 1999 at Echo Lake. We called
Echo Lake home for five years and are now on the move
again. We have found a beautiful location in the Utica
area of NY. Only two hours from Echo, this venue is
poised to be something very special! You will not want

to miss our 10th annual! Stay tuned.

This event acts as the main fundraiser for NY State
CAN and the New Yorkers for Compassionate Care
billboard project.

This Event will be dedicated to:

Medical Marijuana Hero Cheryl Miller, also Freedom
Fighter Ron Crickenberger, as well as victim of the
War on Drugs Robert Rohm and all the prisoners and
victims of the failed War on Drugs!

-------

Subject: Montel Williams on Medical Marijuana (2, 3)

On Tuesday, September 21, the Montel Williams show will be dedicated to a discussion of medical marijuana.  Among his guests are several medical marijuana patients, a physician who has recommended and is researching marijuana as a medicine, a Republican elected official who lead the fight for a medical marijuana law that was enacted in Maryland, and two opponents of medical marijuana (a drug treatment provider and a former ONDCP employee.

-------

From: heff01@...

     PHILADELPHIA, August 20---A Port Richmond home basement blaze started by a wiring overload caused by marijuana-growing accessories killed firefighters John Taylor and Rey Rubio.  Daniel Brough, the owner, has been charged with THIRD-DEGREE MURDER for these negligent homicides  Under Pennsylvania criminal statutes, an arson suspect can be prosecuted for the murder of any person who dies as a direct result of his crime, regardless of intent.  Essentially, this possibility becomes an assumed risk to the arsonist.  However, there can be no murder charge through this legal avenue without the arson proven!
     INTENT is an essential element of the crime of arson.  Not only was this Brough's own property, there was no reason in his right mind to damage or destroy his own home by fire, let alone kill anyone!  He had substantial value of a black market crop there.  Brough, 35, faces other charges, including marijuana possession, involuntary manslaughter and causing a catastrophe.  I believed Philadelphia DA Lynne Abraham will be forced to plea-bargain, since the murder charge cannot stand.  The whole point of such a draconian prosecution is to intimidate potential and actual MJ growers in the name of the Drug War.  If there were no drugs involved in a similar electrical overload fire, only the causing-a-catastrophe charge would likely be pressed, if any

     It is an outrage how Abraham is exploiting such a tragedy to grandstand and the way the Philadelphia TV media has portrayed Brough as a derelict drug dealer who murdered two community heroes when we know nothing of whom (if) he dealt to and how he otherwise lived his life.  Sadly, my grandmother agrees with Abraham on Brough taking the assumed risk and getting what he "deserves" from the law.  Let's put an end to the criminalization of cannabis.  Legalize it!
 
THE INTELLIGENCER, "Murder charged in blaze that killed two firefighters"
http://www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/news/103-08212004-352358.htm

********************

*****BUSHWHACKED!!*****

***********************

From: donnaclee@...

No matter your political predilictions, this is pretty cool!

Check it out!
Pax,
Donna
 

http://www.thebots.net/FuzzyTest.htm
 
9/11: Senator Accuses Bush, FBI of Covering Up Saudi Role

http://www.truthout.org/docs_04/090604C.shtml

Report: Civil War Most Likely Outcome in Iraq

http://www.truthout.org/docs_04/090804X.shtml

Nicholas D. Kristof | Missing in Action

http://www.truthout.org/docs_04/090904W.shtml

Steve Weissman | Will Bush Learn from Vietnam?
http://www.truthout.org/docs_04/091304A.shtml

Three Years and Growing: 70,000 al-Qa'ida at Large

http://www.truthout.org/docs_04/091304B.shtml

Iraq: It's Worse Than You Think

http://www.truthout.org/docs_04/091404V.shtml
 

Ex-Feds Blast 9-11 Panel and Bush

http://www.truthout.org/docs_04/091504W.shtml

Military Leaders: "Bush's War is Already Lost"

http://www.truthout.org/docs_04/091704Y.shtml

25 Major Bush Flip-Flops
(Date: 2004-09-10 08:28:44)
Topic: writch

URL: http://ragnarock-n-roll.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=939



'Texans for Truth' has now released a commercial in which folks who served in the National Guard squadron in which W was 'stationed' recall that they never met him.

http://texansfortruth.com/

George Jr Sent Out Of Texas By Father As A 'Drunken Liability'

Gary Younge in New York

Friday September 03 2004

The Guardian

 

The US president, George Bush, was transferred to the Alabama national guard during the Vietnam war because his drunken behaviour was a political liability to his father in Texas, the wife of one of his father's former confidants revealed yesterday.

Linda Allison told the political website salon.com that throughout the time Mr Bush was in Alabama she never saw him in uniform and had no idea he was supposed to be in the national guard.

"Georgie was raising a lot of hell in Houston, getting in trouble and embarrassing the family and they just really wanted to get him out of Houston." Asked if she had ever seen him in uniform Mrs Allison said: "Good Lord, no. I had no idea the national guard was involved in his life."

Mrs Allison is the wife of the late Jimmy Allison, a former  political consultant and newspaper owner from Midland, Texas and one time confidant of the Bush family. Motivated by pride in her husband and pique at the manner in which the Bush family discarded him once they believed he was no longer useful, the interview is the first she has ever given.

On Sunday the former lieutenant governor of Texas Ben Barnes will admit on the CBS primetime news programme 60 Minutes that he pulled strings to enrol Mr Bush in a unit of the Texas national guard known as the Champagne Unit, because it had so many sons of prominent Texas politicians and businessmen.

Mrs Allison said that in 1972 her husband received a call from Mr Bush's father asking whether he could find a place for his son on a Senate campaign he was managing in Alabama. Mr Bush Sr was the US ambassador to the UN at the time and his son's drunken  and occasionally loutish behaviour was becoming an embarrassment.

Mr Allison agreed to take the errant Bush son as his deputy in a Senate campaign to elect the Alabama Republican Winton "Red" Blount. Once he had an official reason to be in Alabama, Mr Bush Jr transferred from the Texas national guard to its Alabama counterpart, although beyond one dental examination there is no proof that he showed up for any service, even though it was only a part-time posting. Mr Bush was subsequently given an honourable discharge.

Most involved in the Senate campaign recall Mr Bush Jr turning up late, boasting about how much alcohol he had drunk the night before and then going home early. "After about a month I asked Jimmy what was Georgie's job, because I could never figure it out," recalled Mrs Allison. "I never saw him do anything."

Copyright Guardian Newspapers Limited

-------------------------------------

----------------------------------------------

Join the Kerry Marijuana Decrim Thread:

http://forum.johnkerry.com/index.php?showtopic=62486

Stanley Stunodd

 Aug 29 2004, 06:19 AM

 

I must say: Marijuana Decriminalization, Volume 12, is quite impressive to a point.

My fear is that upon reading through the various volumes on this topic, it seems as if everyone concerned is preaching to the choir.

Is the massive bulk input on this topic for the express reason to show Sen. Kerry the level of interest in this topic by the American citizenry?

It is generous of the forum to offer such amount of storage and bandwidth for the inclusion of this particular topic but, without it having any real effectual outcome on the candidates message, I fear it's merely in vain.

I know, the campaign states that there are much more important issues to promote and that this particular issue would become a mill stone around Sen. Kerry's neck if he were to speak about it in his public engagements on the campaign trail and that we should all just work toward getting him elected first, then petition his administration for recourse on this very important social issue which has plagued our nation for 86 years now.

Perhaps everyone involved in this thread should focus their efforts in getting one of the many 527's to produce an ad showing Governor Bush during his 1999 election bid, making the statement: "Bush backs states' rights on marijuana"
http://www.mpp.org/news/dmn102099.html
QUOTE
"Gov. George Bush said he backs a state's right to decide whether to allow medical use of marijuana, a position that puts him sharply at odds with Republicans on Capitol Hill. "I believe each state can choose that decision as they so choose," the governor said recently in Seattle in response to a reporter's question."

THEN, couple and interweave what actions his administration has in fact perpetrated against the American people on this topic.
QUOTE
High Court Rejects Bush Medical Marijuana Appeal
Says Feds Cannot Punish Doctors Who Recommend Pot

Oct 14, 2003 3:30 pm US/Central
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) The U.S. Supreme Court handed a major victory Tuesday to the nine states that allow the medical use of marijuana, refusing to let the federal government punish doctors for recommending pot to their ill patients.


In this manner, the question would be raised without Sen. Kerry being in the fray of the discussion and could be dubbed "Who's flip-flopping NOW?"

hyme

 Sep 12 2004, 03:45 PM

This article is interesting, from cold war to drug war: America's drive to institutionalize sadism.

Published on Thursday, September 9, 2004 by TomDispatch.com on Common Dreams

"The Hidden History of CIA Torture: America's Road to Abu Ghraib by Alfred W. McCoy."

http://www.commondreams.org/views04/0909-16.htm

sabianq

  Sep 13 2004, 08:13 AM

 

I finally found some reasons that pot should remain illegal:
 

QUOTE(sabianq @ Sep 9 2004, 11:47 AM)
In Rethinking Drug Prohibition:Peter Webster also points out that there are multiple factors sustaining the Drug War:


*       It's a useful tool for politicians seeking to whip up the electorate.

   *       It profits the prison industry and even the weapons industry.

   *       Legalization would threaten the profits of the tobacco and alcohol industries.

  *       Users of marijuana and psychedelics are less enamored of material consumption, so legalization would threaten the profits of those promoting consumerism.

       *       Drug prohibition facilitates control of the population.

*       Enforcement agencies (police, DEA, customs, etc.) profit greatly from the  the civil asset forfeiture laws.

     *       The illegality and high prices for heroin and cocaine allows the CIA to obtain secret funding for its activities.

       *       The Drug War has lead to draconian "money laundering" laws, which are a way for the U.S. to pry into the details of everyone's financial transactions.

  *       The Drug War provides an excuse for invasions of South and Central American countries.

  *       Following the demise of the Red Threat another scapegoat is needed, and "drugs" (and drug users) are it.

        *       The Drug War provides a distraction from the failure of the U.S. government to solve the real problems facing U.S. society (poverty, unemployment, poor health and educational systems, etc.).

  *       The Drug War is a tool of racism, providing an excuse to disenfranchise the black population.

   *       The DEA is a major bureaucracy and lives from the Drug War, so it's in the interests of the DEA to keep the "drug menace" on the front burner.

  *       Puritanism is a major component of the American psyche, and the advocates of drug prohibition appeal to this.

   *       For the U.S. govt. to reverse its stance on drug prohibition would mean admitting it was wrong, which it will never do.




And I think that there are many more reasons that the government wants to keep this stuff illegal like keeping the public from becoming smarter or more inquisitive,  (using marijuana and psychedelics dosent make you smarter, just a lot less stupid )Plus it's harder to control an inquisitive mind.


benmasel

 Yesterday, 05:41 PM
 

 

I stood outside the Kerry appearance in Madison today, with a large sign reading, on one side "GROW HEMP, SAVE FARMS" on on the other "1 Acre hemp = 20 Barrels of Oil."

I received 1,326 overt expressions of support, to 1 criticism, "You're not helping him."

Also got to chat about Hemp with 5 members of the State Legislature. While all 5 were already supportive, it was good to have them see the support for Hemp from regular Kerry supporters.

Sukoi

 Today, 04:53 PM
 

Walters vs. Nadelmann

Jacob Sullum comments on the response of the bizarre drug czar to Ethan Nadelmanns' article in the National Review (links to the articles/responses are contained within Sullums' commentary).
QUOTE
In the latest issue of National Review, drug czar John P. Walters is reduced to angry incoherence as he responds to the argument for marijuana legalization that the Drug Policy Alliance's Ethan Nadelmann made in the July 12 issue of the magazine. NR gave Nadelmann space to rebut Walters' response (which he does ably), but it almost wasn't necessary, given how appallingly bad Walters is at making the case for prohibition. <snip>

Continued.

http://www.reason.com/hitandrun/2004/09/walters_vs_nade.shtml

****!!!IBOGAINE TREATMENT NOW $1500 IN HOLLAND--CALL SARA, 0113134-624-1770 !!!****

From: dave@...

On Saturday, September 4, 2004, at 08:49 AM, Preston Peet wrote:

Rick Doblin of MAPS is publishing

an article in Under the Influence- the Disinformation Guide to Drugs, all

about the propaganda used by the feds to actively suppress mdma contrary to

all the scientific evidence showing just how full of malarky the feds are

and always have been. There are no holes in brains prodced by MDMA anyway-

that all said, perhap methamphetamines are different?

As I recall the article, it stated that the researchers mistakenly were basing their mdma findings on brain scan data from methamphetamine users.

I know an "ice" user, who personally told me he had PET scans done of his brain 'and there are definitely "holes"'. wether these are actual holes, or areas of inactivity, I'm not sure. Originally the scans were done because he took a major fall off a high ladder (tweaking, no doubt) and was unconscious in the hospital for 3 days. The doctor was amazed he could talk or walk for that matter when he regained consciousness, based on what he saw in the brain scans.

This individual is highly paranoid and schizophrenic, unemployable, missing 80% of his teeth and completely strung out and destitute. 2 years ago he was healthy, attending meetings, running a house framing crew and driving a $28,000 truck. An Ex-heroin addict turned IceHead. I couldn't imagine a worse fate.

He continues to use because he can't stop, and his attitude is like, "well, my brain is already destroyed so i might as well go for broke".

methamphetamine is a terrible drug, far more toxicly devastating than Heroin. Very few ice heads ever get clean because of the devastating effects on the brain.

The crank problem in Hawaii has reached epidemic proportions, most of it being smuggled in from Asia, mainly the Phillipines. A smaller percentage is manufactured locally.

The west and midwest are also experiencing major epidemics.

Manufacturing and dealing a drug like that has some serious karmic repercussions for sure.

On another note Afghanistan has produced more heroin in the last 2+ years than the previous 4. I'd say there's more drugs on the street than ever these days. But hey, it keeps the masses occupied and the money flowing. who can argue with that?

Its all part of the master plan!

_.dh

-----

From: ptpeet@...

>I went to the website that you listed- mothers against

methamphetamines...They have several brain scans of
normal individuals, starkly contrasted with
individuals who take crystal meth(ice, glass, etc..).
Their dopamine levels are SCREWED!!  After one year of
no drug use, levels seemed to return to 'normal',
though never pre-drug 'normal'.<

Doblin addresses the "brain scan imagery showing damage from mdma" malarky
in Under the Influence, this photo-shopped (basically) brain scan imagery
being used by ONDCP/prohibitionist types to promote the whole "holes in
brains" thing- it ain't real, it's trickery. Yes, perhaps it is true that
dopamine levels are screwed, but so far as I know, the people portrayed in
those images do NOT have a single hole in their brains.
That's propaganda and a lie, at least in the case of MDMA users, just to let
you know without blaming you of course, produced by prohibitionist
bullshitters to scare the bejesus out of us drug users and abusers, and
those who love us. I agree that so far as I can tell, overabuse of
methamphetamines can really screw a person and their mind, but am unwilling
to buy into the prohbitionists' "brain scan" proof, knowing what I do about
prohibitionists and the brain scans they used in other anti-drug campaigns.

[TITLE] Exaggerating MDMA's Risks to Justify A Prohibitionist Policy

by Rick Doblin, Ph.D.

Reevaluation of the Risks of MDMA after the Ricaurte/McCann Retraction

snip-

MDMA and Serotonin

McCann et al.'s evidence from their PET studies in Ecstasy users on which
they based their claims that MDMA causes massive reductions in serotonin,

published in the Lancet (McCann et al. 1998), are now generally considered

to be based on methodologically flawed data.  Basically, the values for the
serotonin transporter levels in McCann's control group are so spread out,
with some control subjects having 35 times more serotonin transporters than
others, as to be biologically implausible. To deal with this variation,
McCann et al. log transformed their data, something no other PET researchers
have needed to do (Kish 2002). Subsequent studies by other researchers using
the same PET technique generated control values similar to McCann's Ecstasy
users. A much larger and better controlled study, published in the Journal
of Nuclear Medicine (Buchert et al. 2003), with 117 subjects as compared to
McCann's 29, found that former users of Ecstasy, who had consumed an average
of 799 doses and had abstained for about eighteen months, had serotonin
levels identical to that of the control subjects. Buchert et al. found that
current users of Ecstasy, with an average exposure of 827 doses, showed no
reductions in some brain regions and only minimal reductions (4-6%) in two

other brain regions, unlikely to be of even temporary clinical significance.

Current users of Ecstasy, with an average exposure of 827

doses, showed no reductions in some brain regions and only minimal
reductions (4-6%) in two other brain regions, unlikely to be of even

temporary clinical significance.

The data from McCann et al.'s Lancet paper formed the basis of NIDA's major

anti-Ecstasy educational campaign, the Plain Brain/Brain After Ecstasy
image. NIDA had this image printed on hundreds of thousands of cards
distributed in bars and restaurants across the United States, used the image
in NIDA publications and websites, and encouraged its use in media reports,
all part of its now abandoned $42 million "club drugs" campaign. This image

wasn't even an accurate representation of the data in the Lancet article if
that data had actually been valid. NIDA used images chosen for dramatic
effect comparing subjects from the extremes of the MDMA and control groups
rather than from the subjects scoring closest to the median, using some
normal individual variability to exaggerate the evidence of MDMA
neurotoxicity. NIDA has now withdrawn this educational campaign and even
told the Peter Jennings' Ecstasy documentary team that it couldn't locate a
copy of the image!

From another perspective, NIDA's anti-Ecstasy educational campaign, and Dr.
Leshner's other efforts to pander to the Bush and Clinton administration's
jihad against recreational drug use, have been wildly successful. A simple
chart showing the annual increases provided by Congress to NIDA's budget
during the tenure of Dr. Leshner reveals the short-term dividends of
exaggerating the risks of MDMA and other illicit drugs in support of

prohibitionist policies.

[credit for charts: The National Institute on Drug Abuse ]

MDMA and Cerebral Blood Flow

Testimony that then-NIDA Director Alan Leshner gave on July 30, 2001 to the
Senate Subcommittee on Government Affairs, illustrated with a large poster
purporting to show that MDMA negatively affects (reduces) cerebral blood
flow, was clearly misleading. The poster showed a healthy-looking brain with
what was represented as normal cerebral blood flow, with this image labeled
"Baseline." For comparison purposes, the poster also contained a second
brain scan image of the same subject with reduced cerebral blood flow. This
image was labeled "Two weeks post-MDMA." What Leshner didn't tell the
Senators is that the scans were drawn from a study that showed no difference
between Ecstasy users and controls in cerebral blood flow (Chang et al.

2000).

What Leshner didn't tell the Senators is that the scans were

drawn from a study that showed no difference between Ecstasy users and

controls in cerebral blood flow.

The images Leshner used in his Senate testimony came from one subset of the
Ecstasy users in the larger study who participated in Dr. Grob's Phase I
MDMA safety study. These ten subjects were scanned at baseline, like the

other eleven Ecstasy-using subjects in Dr. Chang's research. They were then

scanned again after receiving two doses of MDMA administered in the context
of Dr. Grob's study, at time points ranging from two weeks to 2-3 months
after the last dose of MDMA. Subjects scanned two weeks after MDMA showed a
temporary reduction in cerebral blood flow while subjects scanned from 2-3
months after MDMA showed a return to baseline. The impression Leshner left
the Senators was that MDMA caused permanent changes in cerebral blood flow
when the changes were both temporary and of no clinical consequence.
Transcripts of Leshner's testimony, as well as the images he used to
illustrate his testimony, can be found on NIDA's website.

Ironically, Leshner didn't realize that in order to participate in the Phase
1 study and receive MDMA, FDA required subjects to have already had
substantial exposure to MDMA. On average, the subjects in Dr. Chang's study
had an exposure to MDMA of 211 times. Thus, the healthy-looking brain that
Leshner showed to the Senators to contrast with the image of the same brain
two weeks post-MDMA was actually the brain of a heavy MDMA user at baseline!
If he had fully understood the science underlying the images he showed to
the Senator, Leshner should have reported that the baseline image
dramatically illustrated that MDMA caused no persisting long-term
differences in cerebral blood flow as compared to the non-MDMA using
controls. Instead, he used the image to convey an impression of the dangers

of MDMA at odds with what the study actually demonstrated.

We should be appalled, but not surprised, at the fact that the

young woman whose brain scan image was manipulated has been working for
several years at the Partnership for a Drug-Free America, miseducating other
young people about the dangers of MDMA (her choice of employment, perhaps,

reflecting the only genuine signs of brain damage).

Frightening and disturbing images of the brain of an MDMA user that showed
explicit holes in the brain that were claimed to have been caused by MDMA
have been shown on an MTV special documentary about Ecstasy, as well as on
an Oprah Winfrey show. These images were graphically manipulated to
represent areas of lower cerebral blood flow as holes and are completely
fraudulent. According to a March 2001 educational program about drugs aimed
at young people that NIDA helped create, Alan Leshner stated, "We've heard
people talk about Ecstasy causing holes in the brain and of course that's a
bit of an exaggeration, but there is a core truth to it." (PBS, In the Mix)
We should be appalled, but not surprised, at the fact that the young woman
whose brain scan image was manipulated has been working for several years at
the Partnership for a Drug-Free America, miseducating other young people
about the dangers of MDMA (her choice of employment, perhaps, reflecting the
only genuine signs of brain damage).
snip-

Read Complete Article this October in Under the Influence- the
Disinformation Guide to Drugs.
Peace and love,
Preston
-------

From: jfreed1@...

>I have no argument that Ice/methamphetamine CAN cause serious damage when

>abused. I don't believe it causes holes in any brains whatsoever. Maybe

> areas of inactivity, but holes? Nope, not buying it.

>

>This individual is highly paranoid and schizophrenic, unemployable,

> missing 80% of his teeth and completely strung out and destitute.<

>

> And this individual is claiming he's got holes in his brain from his drug

> abuse? I don't believe him. No offense, but I don't think he's very

> reliable.

> ;-0)))

Well, while there's no evidence that drugs cause holes in the brain, in a
sense, schizophrenia does.


In the center of a normal healthy brain, there are two small "holes" if
you will, called ventricles, that are filled with fluid. Because of
systematic brain cell death caused by schizophrenia called "kindling",
these ventricles grow abnormally large as a schizophrenic's disease
progesses.

It's plausible that extensive abuse of methamphetamine or other neurotoxic

chemicals could speed this process up.

---------------------------

From: nick227@...
>> -----Original Message-----

>> From: Jasen Chamoun [mailto:JasenHappy@...]
>> Sent: 08 September 2004 03:22
>> To: ibogaine@...
>> Subject: Re: [ibogaine] ibogaine reports
>>
>>
>> Dear Howard,
>> After reading these experiences,I have come to the
>> conclusion,(for me only)
>> that the best way to do this treatment is with someone that has done many
>> before,and with someone that knows the type and strength of the Ibogaine
>> being used.(used this dose before with success)
>>
>> It scares me and excites me at the same time.
>> I know you probably can't tell me however would love to know who dosed the
>> man with the alcohol addiction.The man that paid $10,000 for his treatment
>> and was not happy with his providers at all.Also dosed with 10 heroin
>> addicted people who also had frightening experiences.
>> Raped by aliens,..I mean fuck.....,what's that about?
>>


Hi Jasen,

IMO, something to remember about ibogaine is that the drug will always seek
to draw you back to the bornless state the Bwiti call "Dissumba," a
pre-birth state, one of the features of which is the awareness that
everything is, in fact, actually YOU. To get this done it tries to take the
shortest route, often dragging the unwilling ego through a myriad of
seemingly appalling experiences in its efforts. Whether you actually get to
this, very healing, place of Dissumba, is partly down to you and your degree
of orientation towards or away from self-examination, and partly just down

to the way things are.

Basically, you may have numerous nightmare trips prior to reaching the
light. Some will keep going, some will turn and run, often telling stories
of all sorts of terrors. Usually the scale of the "horror" that the mind
creates reflects the amount of repressed material the ego is seeking to keep
held down. Being raped by aliens would be a very liberating experience if

you could allow yourself to go through it, for the simple reason that, at a
deeper level of our being, there is the awareness that there is nothing out
there that isn't actually who we are, and thus all experiences are
ultimately merely our own dealing with ourselves. The stronger it is the
better.

Bring on the aliens, and you will get to find out how alien they really are!


>> Maybe the initiations done by the African tribe are really
>> necessary,so that
>> you are protected by guides or whoever,whilst under the influence of
>> Ibogaine.
>> Maybe,...I am thinking,..that the Ibogaine opens us up to forces
>> unknown by
>> us humans at this time,and unless we are protected by certain chants or
>> whatever then we have a chance of letting things in that are not supposed
>> to.
>>
>> It sounds like Ibogaine opens up our spirit and if we are not properly
>> protected,anything may happen.
>>


It's totally fine to deal in spiritual terms if you have to, if it makes you
feel more safe and more comfortable. However, certainly with ibogaine, there
is, IMO, no need. For me, the best approach is to admit the fear, and then
simply resolve to move through it. If you need to take on a "spiritual
guide," or are attracted to do so, try and get one who's pretty grounded and
not living in some fantasy somewhere. A friend to sit just with you can be
the best really.

with love

Nick    www.ibogaine.co.uk

>> I like the idea of Sara being a spiritual Shaman Healer,I feel that with
>> Sara or the African tribe,it would be a safer environment to do this in.
>> HEY,..I am probably way off base here,however they are the thoughts in my
>> head at this time.I am sure there are also other providers out there that
>> are just as good as the African tribe and Sara that I don't know about or
>> heard from as yet.
>>
>> I have read and reread many of the articles on this treatment.I am sure
>> there is still a lot I have not read and still many things that I do not
>> know at this moment in time. Yes,..I should ring some of the providers and
>> speak to them in person.I will do this. as soon the money needed,
>> is in the
>> bank(applied for a loan).I feel that Sara provides(by what I have

>> read) the
>> type of environment that is conducive to healing.It sounds like Sara

>> provides the type of environment that nourishes our spirit,in a
>> loving,caring understanding and most importantly non judging
>> way.(I suppose
>> loving is the most important)as love encompases all the
>> others.Love for our
>> fellow human  being.
>>
>> I mean...Hey,...there's so much out there in the spirit world that we know
>> nothing about.
>> Maybe whilst being open to enlightenment unless we are protected by the
>> appropriate guides whilst under the influence of this plant,we may feel as
>> if we are being raped by unknown forces,..other dimensions,other types of
>> beings. I know most of this is like far-out but they are my thoughts.
>> I was shocked to read that in one of these places the patient had to go
>> looking for his sitter,I mean this is a very vulnerable time for the
>> patient,probably the most he or she will live through, they would
>> need very
>> powerful support by someone that is always there by there
>> side,compassionate,understanding,..and most of all love in a brotherly
>> sisterly way.                                        Smiles. Jasen.
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: <HSLotsof@...>
>> To: <ibogaine@...>
>> Sent: Wednesday, September 08, 2004 1:57 AM
>> Subject: [ibogaine] ibogaine reports
>>
>>
>
>>> > Consolidated versions of Preston's, Mark's and Julie's ibogaine
>
>> experiences
>
>>> > are available from http://www.ibogaine.org/whatsnew.html

>>> >
>>> > Comments appreciated.
>>> >
>>> > Howard

>>> >

----------

From: HSLotsof@...

Dear Nick and Jason,

On the patient who told of alien rape, etc., that patient was one of the
early St. Kitts patients treated most likely when Mash et al. were studying their
dosing procedures and that patient along with the heroin users she describes
as experiencing withdrawal may or may not have received doses on the low end. 

Additionally, that patient was using a series of complaints on the original
calyx ibogaine list in an attempt to have the funds paid for the treatment
returned and may have been using the original ibogaine list to pressure for such a
repayment with her descriptions.

Today that patient would have the option of filing a grievance form.  See
http://www.doraweiner.org/incident.html

The Incident/Grievance report form allows for a fair review of any complaint
by an ibogaine patient or the reporting of an incident by a patient or
provider.  The grievance procedure was not available at the time of the patient's
posts to the calyx ibogaine list on which the patient described being raped by
aliens, etc.

Has any ibogaine treated person reported consensual sex with aliens during
the experience?

Howard

-------

From: ms_iboga@...

Randy,

No kidding-  how about the dealers that circulate your
phone number around to their dealer friends, so you
have four mother fuckers calling you at all hours of
the day.

OR:  how about the dudes who take blowjobs from
strung-out junkies as payment, or keep "strawberries"
around so whenever them or their friends get horny,
they can all use and then discard them.

OR: how about the dealer who cuts his shit with
strychnine(sp??), and then mysteriously disappears for
two weeks when one of his clients overdoses or dies.

Junk dealers are the scum of the universe; the rust on
the infrastructure of society...

Julie

-------

From: dave@...

> weeeeellllll, is the dealer really "bad" Dave?


The ones I've known? Fuck Yeah, I've known some really fucking BAD dealers in my twenty five years of doping.

People that prey on your vulnerability, letting you wait sick as a dog needlessly hours before producing product - often in the pouring, freezing rain, stepping on the dope with a myriad of foreign substances (wonderful things like like scopalamine for instance), beating their "girlfriends" over a small, missing piece of crack... Putting ground up glass in their blow... refusing to front the smallest bag to get well with inspite of the fact that I'd handed over hundreds of dollars a day/week to them consistently for a year... christ I could write a book to list all the fucked up things i have witnessed dealers do.

I have no love for most dealers of the powdered/tarred narcotic substances.

To be fair, I did have one dealer who was pretty cool, and had integrity. but he was more of a middleman trying to get well. He would have loved Ibo, but he died from hep C a few years back.

_.dh

------

From: ibogaine@...

Hello everyone,
                         I'd like to discuss the subject of aftercare because, for me, at this point, after practicing for six years, and after witnessing the dynamics of process with over 700 people there are some conclusions that are very evident.  Yet at the same time, i could say that the more treatments i'm involved with, the less i know.  The reconciliation of this apparent paradox is where the utter joy is for me, but i already digress.  No doubt if attention deficit disorder was epidemic 40 years ago and parents who find it easier to take prosac and rationalise placing their kids on medication happened then, i would have been one of the fallen.  Just a bit of an introduction..
                       So we did 33 hours of documentary film in N.Y.C. and one of the things we filmed was a guy shooting up and beautifully articulating the moment to moment onslought of Peace.  It blew me away and confirmed some things for me.  For one, addicts are more sensitive and intelligent than most other folks walking around.  If addicts weren't, they wouldn't need to anesthetize. Also, the draw, the relentess desire to be at rest, to come home is, at least equal to any sadhu/true seeker. Osho/Rajneesh very best friend was a heroin addict who overdosed.  Now some of you characters may be saying, " Yeah, of course.  What else is new?"   Well, it wasen't until a few years ago that i realised there are only a handful of people on the planet who aren't addicts.

                        There's a particular type of person who must spiritualise the mundane otherwise they're fucked. The American dream of lovely family, home, good job just doesn't cut it.  These people need to access a level of causeless joy, beyond the highs and lows of our good and bad days to make it all worthwhile.  This necessitates what i feel is a certain level of teaching, the last leg of the spiritual equation which is certainly beyond belief and beyond time.  It has nothing to do with trying or doing or identifying with the contents of our minds.  If there is interest we could pursue this line of discussion.  At least there is a list of a few authurs who very clearly express this subtle but very powerful teaching, but i want to touch upon something i've come across which has more weight to it .

                         I'm not the only ibogaine provider who has noticed that most of the people who come to us have an adandonment issue with the same sex parent.  And there is actually a differentf dynamic with the stimulants and opiates.  Whereas with the opiates there is more physical abuse or the same sex parent just wasen't around, the stimulants often arise out of the parent being a workaholic/alcaholic and consequently not emotionally available at all.  This may be why inadvertently in the 12 step process when a person  finds a sponsor who they really admire and respect in makes all the difference.  This is why when a person has the fortitude, courage, etc. to find a same sex therapist to immediately go into therapy with after their ibogaine, the wide  range of emotions are explored that weren't able to be during the years as a child.  But this meeting requires the  letting go of the propensity to find someone comfortable.  When i ask a person if they are doing therapy and they tell me they are and they've been in therapy for years and they are completely comfortable with their therapist then i know they are not doing therapy .  They've just got their therapist rapped around their finger.  Because, again, addicts are smarter, brighter and more sensitive than most therapists.  There are a deep range of emotions which need to be explored and the only way this will happen is if you admire and respect your therapist.  Then the necessary transference of role model to this person happens and through the exploration of anger, love, intimidation, fear, longing, trust, healing happens.  And when this connection is made therapy doesn't need to take a long time.  In fact, by the time the metabolite washes out of the receptors from the ibogaine treatment the craving will not come back because the underlying cause has been addressed.  The initial hole that was created by the abandonment  is resolved.

                      Just some thoughts.  Have a good meeting in N.Y.
                                                                                                                             Love,

                                                                                                                                       Francesco

To join the Mindvox ibogaine list just send an email to ibogaine-subscribe@... if you please.

Nothing more to it. You don't have to write anything in the subject or text area.

-------------------------------------------------------------

From: tents444@...

http://www.corporatism.netfirms.com/mmmall.htm This page just created! Please forward and distribute widely.
 
348 MMM cities worldwide since 1999!
 

MMM. All cities 1999 to date. Million Marijuana March. Global Cannabis Liberation in May. Worldwide since 1999. Cannabis events on the first Saturday in May, or that weekend, or thereabouts. Marches, meetings, rallies, raves, concerts, festivals, etc..

******************************************************************************

To get on the poster for 2005--update your contact details & add yr city to this New List:

[---snip---]

 

----end of forwarded email----

 

The detailed MMM 2005 city list at the end of the above
forwarded email has been deleted since it has some private
postal info, etc. in [brackets].
Go to cures-not-wars.org (eventually) for a detailed
MMM 2005 city list for May 7, 2005! Cannabis Liberation Day!
http://www.cures-not-wars.org - Million Marijuana March.
MMM webform for adding or updating MMM cities worldwide:
http://corporatism.tripod.com/webform.htm
A basic MMM 2005 city list with links:
http://www.corporatism.netfirms.com/mmm2005.htm

 

 

-----------------