Thursday, December 1, 2005

The more science studies, the more cannabis impresses Cannabis Could Reverse Psychosis AUSTRALIAN researchers believe cannabis, a drug believed to increase the risk of psychosis, may also be able to reverse psychotic behaviour. Scientists at Melbourne's Monash University say they have found a chemical compound in cannabis, cannabidiol, that reverses drug-induced behavioural disturbances in mice. The marijuana-psychosis links have always been questionable, due to methodology and self-medication issues. Now it may be that there are also countering elements within marijuana. Just like marijuana smoke has carcinogenic compounds, and yet marijuana itself counters with anti-cancer properties. Every bit of evidence so far seems to show cannabis to be the most amazing plant in creation. If only we weren't so afraid to study it. 10:02:23 PM |  drug policy | Links | permalink | comment []

Drugs and Death Nguyen Tuong Van was hung in Singapore a couple of hours ago. But before we spend too much time discussing this individual who was put to death for smuggling drugs, keep in mind that he has a lot of company in certain parts of the world. From this article in CNN today [thanks to dwrr], the use of execution for drug crimes is startlingly common. Despite the fact that death penalty figures are kept a closely guarded secret in many countries (so detailed statistics are often hard to track down), it appears that [...] more than 420 prisoners have been hanged in Singapore since 1991, most of them for drug trafficking, [...] [Vietnam in 2004] sentenced 88 people to death, half for drug offenses [...] Indonesia [...] has 54 people under the sentence of death, with 30 of those facing execution convicted of drug-related crimes, Amnesty reports. [...] In Thailand, possessing 20 grams [less than one ounce] or more of a Class A drug (which includes ecstasy, amphetamines) at an exit point such as a sea- or airport is regarded as trafficking, and if found guilty, an offender will be punished with death. Despite the profligate use of the death penalty for drug cases (Aren't there worse criminals for them to go after?), drug use and trafficking still seem to flourish in those countries. And how about Thailand? Less than an ounce? If you've got any enemies, it sure would be easy for them to slip less than an ounce in your pocket without your knowledge as you're heading for the airport. Well, I think I know some of the countries I'm crossing off my vacation itinerary. 9:49:48 PM |  drug policy | Links | permalink | comment []

Prohibition corrupts Link MEXICO CITY - Eleven federal agents were charged with kidnapping four alleged drug hit men and possibly helping rival traffickers kill them, as depicted on a brutal DVD made public, the Mexican Attorney General's office said Thursday. The federal agents - who also face charges of drug trafficking, organized crime and weapons possession - were paid by a rival cartel, said Jose Luis Santiago Vasconcelos, Mexico's top anti-drug prosecutor. The victims - four men seen beaten and bound on the video, one of whom was shot in the head at the end of the tape - identify themselves as members of a band of Mexican soldiers-turned-hit men believed to work for the Gulf cartel, known as the Zetas. So you've got corrupt Mexican federal agents in an all-out revenge war with corrupt former soldiers who were trained by the U.S. to hunt drug traffickers. The drug war is so corrupt that we now have a situation where both sides of feuding drug gangs are made up of former "good" guys. You never have a shortage of bad guys with a drug war. Prohibition just makes more of them for you! 8:53:43 PM |  drug policy | Links | permalink | comment []

'Happy Holidays' part of well-funded, fringe effort to legalize drugs Well, I think it's finally time to reserve the rubber room for Bill O'Reilly. I don't know if you've been following his rants about how stores shouldn't use the phrase "Happy Holidays" because it's offensive to Christians and therefore Americans. This silly campaign became ridiculously sublime when it was discovered that the Fox News store was selling holiday ornaments for your holiday tree, including a Bill O'Reilly one (they've since changed the wording in their store). So what's behind this anti-Christian, anti-American effort to destroy Christmas by uttering the offensive words "happy" and "holidays"? On Neil Cavuto's show, O'Reilly made it clear: O'REILLY: Secular progressives which are driving this movement, OK, don't want Christmas. They don't want it as a federal holiday, they don't want any message of spirituality or Judeo-Christian tradition because that stands in the way of gay marriage, legalized drugs, euthanasia, all of the greatest hits on the secular progressive play card. If they can succeed in getting religion out of the public arena -- CAVUTO: Who's "they?" O'REILLY: George Soros. He's the moneyman behind it. It's a philosophy. Go on the websites and look at it. It's there. Happy Holidays, Bill. [I wish someone would tell the progressives that they're supposed to be for legalized drugs.] 8:25:14 PM |  drug policy | Links | permalink | comment []