Tuesday, June 22, 2004

Australian Government should be ashamed See Last One Speaks for this travesty: In yet another example of forfeiture run amok, 81 year old David Davies, a WWII vet and his wife Florence had their life's worth of assets seized because their son was storing 19 kilos of cannabis in the ceiling. In an blatantly apparent miscarriage of justice, the couple received, "16-month suspended jail sentences last month after being convicted on two counts of possessing marijuana with intent to supply." I mean really, intent? Who on earth did the prosecution contend they were intending to supply it to? To add insult to injury, the Australian government with obvious US inspired prosecutorial greed, took possession of the family home (because they could) and intend to charge them rent. 1:27:21 AM |  drug policy | Links | permalink | comment []

Gonna score some dextromethorphan Walter in Denver notes Why The Drug War Is Doomed To Fail He points to a Rocky Mountain News article which pretty well indicates that people will always find a drug of choice, legal or illegal: Colorado calls to the Rocky Mountain Poison and Drug Center, and the type of drug involved, in the past two years Drug 2002 2003 Marijuana 92 100 Heroin 14 24 Cocaine 109 137 Methamphetamine 71 82 Cough medicines/ dextromethorphan 229 275 Codeine 153 188 Painkillers/ oxycodone 602 809 Sleeping pills, tranquilizers/ benzodiazepines 1,012 1,212 Methadone 87 97 Morphine 150 208 Ethyl alcohol 270 248 Total calls 68,245 67,463 As Walter says: "Note that calls regarding cough medicine/dex each of the last two years outnumbered calls for marijuana, cocaine and heroin combined." 1:00:48 AM |  drug policy | Links | permalink | comment []

Don't fall asleep in your marijuana field Jason at Positive Liberty sent me this bizarre item in The Guardian. As part of a long story about unusual and deadly plants in a castle garden... · Cannabis sativa Indian hemp or marijuana (not to mention pot, dope, spliff, skunk etc). Delicate fronds made the plant a Victorian border essential; but you can also suffer extreme hallucinations or even death if you sleep in a cannabis field. Known as the "cementer of pleasure" and the "leaf of delusion", it can only be grown with a Home Office licence I think the author may have been eating too much laburnum anagyroides. Although, I suppose you could make the case that sleeping in a field of cannabis could cause death... by law enforcement. 12:33:25 AM |  drug policy | Links | permalink | comment []