Delegates oppose giving pharmacists authority to prescribe drugs

PROFESSION Delegates oppose giving pharmacists authority to prescribe drugs The AMA voices concern that an Food and Drug Administration proposal could expand such rights. By Alicia Gallegos, amednews staff. Posted July 2, 2012. PRINT| E-MAIL| RESPOND| REPRINTS| SHARE Annual Meeting 2012 RESOURCES Slideshow Our coverage of the meeting Central meeting archive AMA official proceedings Chicago The American Medical Association House of Delegates adopted policy that opposes federal and state legislation that allows pharmacists to prescribe medication absent supervision or a valid order by a doctor. The policy, adopted at the AMA Annual Meeting, also opposes legislation that lets pharmacists dispense medication beyond the expiration of the original prescription. The move stems from a public meeting in March at which the Food and Drug Administration sought feedback from health and physician organizations about expanding the range of over-the-counter drugs. Under the new paradigm, the agency would allow some drugs for chronic conditions, such as asthma and allergies, to be sold from the pharmacy counter without a prescription. The model would allow pharmacists to determine patients’ needs for certain medications and help verify their self-diagnoses. The FDA has said the change would eliminate unnecessary doctor visits and connect more patients to needed medications. But delegates are concerned that the model broadens pharmacists’ authority to dispense drugs and compromises patient safety. “Should the FDA move forward, it will likely have a sea of impact on the physician community,” said Joseph Sokolowski Jr., MD, a pulmonologist in Medford Lakes, N.J., and a delegate with the American Thoracic Society. The AMA should “closely monitor the FDA and seek broad approval for any [FDA] proposals and study the cost to consumers,” he said. Some delegates disagreed with formulating a stance on the FDA’s plan until the house looks more into the issue. But most expressed support for taking a position while the plan is being developed. “This is clearly a scope issue,” said Vicksburg, Miss.-based family physician Randy Easterling, MD, an alternate delegate for the Mississippi State Medical Assn. who spoke on his own behalf. “If we don’t speak out against it, in five years we’ll be dealing with” the consequences. Back to top -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Meeting notes: Legislative action Issue: The health system reform law created a basic health program as an option for providing health care to low-income individuals in lieu of exchanges and other state health plans. Proposed action: Establish principles for state basic health programs, including adequate physician and health professional networks, negotiated payment rates, and state medical society involvement in legislative and regulatory processes. [Adopted] Issue: Pregnant women and postpartum mothers lack insurance coverage for mental health services. Proposed action: Support improvements to mental health services for women who are pregnant or postpartum, and advocate for inclusive coverage of such services during gestation and up to one year postpartum. [Adopted] Issue: Budget cuts have led states to eliminate or reduce coverage for mental health services. Proposed action: Support maintaining essential mental health services, including inpatient and outpatient mental hospitals, community mental health centers, addiction treatment centers and other state-supported psychiatric services. Also support enforcement of the Mental Health Parity Act and state mobile crisis teams to treat the homeless. [Adopted] Issue: Medical clinics sponsored by employers offer access to preventive and other health services to employees at the workplace. Proposed action: Study employer-sponsored clinic benefits and develop guidelines on patient privacy, safety and access, and the staffing of clinics by physicians or supervised practitioners. [Adopted] Issue: Pursuing solely punitive penal action in drug offender cases may not be the most beneficial for drug abusers and the community. Drug courts, which focus on intensive treatment and supervision of drug offenders, are being used in some parts of the country. Proposed action: The American Medical Association should support the establishment of drug courts as an effective method of intervention for individuals with addictive disease who are convicted of nonviolent crimes. [Adopted] Issue: Physicians are concerned that the Physician Payments Sunshine Act will be burdensome and lead to overregulation by the government. The measure, approved as part of the Affordable Care Act, requires the reporting of gifts and payments to physicians from drug and device manufacturers. The data collection will start in 2013. Proposed action: The AMA should continue its efforts to minimize the burden and unauthorized expansion of the Sunshine Act by the Centers of Medicare & Medicaid Services. The Association also should recommend to CMS that a physician comment section be included on the “Physician Payments Sunshine Act” public database. [Adopted] Issue: The switch from ICD-9 to ICD-10 diagnosis code sets for billing physician services will create unnecessary and significant financial and workflow disruptions for doctors. ICD-11 is on the horizon and may be a less-burdensome transition for physicians if they wait and move from ICD-9 to ICD-11 at a later date. Proposed action: The AMA should evaluate the feasibility of moving from ICD-9 to ICD-11 as an alternative to ICD-10 and report back to the House of Delegates. [Adopted] Back to top -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright 2012 American Medical Association. All rights reserved. RELATED CONTENT » FDA weighs prescriptions without medical visits May 14 » Psychologists seek prescribing rights in 6 states March 7, 2011 » Louisiana psychologists can prescribe meds June 7, 2004 » Drug reps targeting nonphysicians March 27, 2000

World War D (for drugs) – roadmap to controlled legalization

By Jeffrey Dhywood The accession of not one but three illegal drug users in a row to the US presidency constitutes an existential challenge to the prohibitionist regime. The fact that some of the most successful people of our time, be it in business, finances, politics, entertainment or the arts, are current or former substance users is a fundamental refutation of its premises and a stinging rebuttal of its rationale. A criminal law that is broken at least once by 50% of the adult population and that is broken on a regular basis by 20% of the same adult population is a broken law, a fatally flawed law. How can a democratic government justify a law that is consistently broken by a substantial minority of the population? What we are witnessing here is a massive case of civil disobedience not seen since alcohol prohibition in the 1930 in the US. On what basis can a democratic system justify the stigmatization and discrimination of a strong minority of as much as 20% of its population? From "World War D – The Case against prohibitionism, roadmap to controlled re-legalization" http://www.world-war-d.com/ World War D (for drugs) – roadmap to controlled legalization www.world-war-d.com A reference book on the War on Drugs and prohibitionism; a guide to psychoactive substances and substance abuse; a blueprint for drug policy reform and legalization COMMENT *Jeffery Dhywood, is a friend and a campaigner & writer against Prohibition. His latest book maps a way of handling a non-prohibitive system for drugs that are at the moment banned.

31 August 2012REGULATION OF THE CANNABIS CHAIN: WHERE, WHEN AND HOW?

Wednesday, 19 September 2012Chapter 6~ from FreeCannabis eBooks In the '80s, the vast body of data amassed by the federal research programmes proving natural marihuana's therapeutic value for very serious complaints made it imperative that its legal status be changed. This went totally against Reagan and Bush's 'anti-drug policy'. In 1985, the US government tried to play for time by adopting a compromise solution. Having proclaimed, until 1979, that "cannabis had no therapeutic value", the US Department of Health and the FDA now acknowledged and made available to the public a version of synthetic D9-THC called dronabinol, which was manufactured and marketed, as Marinol, by Eli Lilly. (226) It was originally indicated for the side-effects of chemotherapy, and later began to be used with some success as an appetite stimulant for AIDS victims. Soon afterwards, dronabinol was joined by another form of synthetic D9-THC, nabilone, purveyed on the market as Cesamet. Thus, for the first time in half a century, a few cracks began to appear in the edifice of total control erected by the prohibition brigade within the power bloc. But in 1991, on the order of George Bush, who insisted that his repressive anti-drug policy be implemented, the US Department of Health tried to put a stop to research into the therapeutic applications of marihuana by slashing the federal programmes' budgets and discouraging or intimidating researchers. Furthermore- and this was even more serious - it attempted to have all the data amassed by the arduous efforts of thirty years of research (1960-90) destroyed, displaying a mentality and adopting methods worthy of Nazi and Communist totalitarianism. Apart from anything else the decision also hampered the development of new drugs based on cannabis, which oh-so-coincidentally, enabled Eli Lilly's products to continue monopolising the market, as they had done since 1985. (George Bush, let us not forget, became a director of Eli Lilly after leaving the CIA in 1977, and the Bush family holds a considerable number of shares in the company.) In 1973, Dr Tod Mikuriya conducted a systematic investigation of the relevant medical literature and summarised the `Possible Therapeutic Applications of Tetrahydrocannabinols and Like Products' as follows: Analgesic-hypnotic, appetite stimulant, antiepilepticantispasmodic, prophylactic and treatment of neuralgias, including migraine and tic douloureux, antidepressanttranquillizer, antiasthmatic, oxytocic, antitussive, topical anaesthetic, withdrawal agent for opiate and alcohol addiction, childbirth analgesic 2277 antibiotic, intraocular hypotensive, hypothermogenic. (227) And in 1990, Professor Jerome Jaffe fully corroborated Dr Mikuriya in Goodman and Gilman's The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics, the most authoritative textbook of pharmacology and therapeutic practice in the field of mainstream medicine: Marihuana, D9-THC, and certain synthetic analogs have one established and several potential therapeutic applications. Some synthetic cannabinoids may find use as analgesics or anticonvulsants. The capacity of some natural and synthetic cannabinoids to lower intraocular pressure has had little http://www.drugtext.org/library/books/grivas/chaptersix.htm (3 of 14)3/7/2005 11:48:38 PM Chapter Six Medical Uses of Cannabis clinical utility to date. D9-THC and a synthetic cannabinoid, nabilone, are now available for oral use as antiemetics. They are indicated for control of nausea associated with chemotherapy. (228) The therapeutic value of cannabis and its derivatives is now proven and accepted for the following broad range of pathological conditions: 1) Glaucoma (intraocular hypertension) 2) Side-effects of chemotherapy (nausea and sickness) 3) Asthma 4) Epilepsy and spasms 5) Depression and anorexia 6) Pain of varying aetiology 7) Cancer 8) Dependence on opiates and alcohol Cannabis has four major advantages which make it unique from a therapeutic point of view: 1) It is the least toxic of the available drugs. 2) It has a wide range of therapeutic applications. 3) It acts in a different way from other drugs. 4) It can be combined effectively and safely with any drug. 1. Glaucoma (intraocular hypertension) The term glaucoma refers to a number of ophthalmic problems that are all characterised by increased endophthalmic pressure, which damages the optic nerve, leading to reduced vision and ultimately blindness. The drugs available today (myotics, carboanhydrasis inhibitors, adrenaline) do not cure even the most common forms of glaucoma, are extremely ineffective, are not suitable for all sufferers, have serious side-effects, and have to be taken for the rest of the patient's life. Sufferers who do not respond to them or who cannot tolerate or counteract their serious side-effects are forced to choose between a high-risk surgical operation of dubious effectiveness and blindness. Glaucoma is the second commonest cause of blindness in the United States, and every year it claims the sight of more than 240,000 people worldwide. The existing treatments for glaucoma do no more than control its various manifestations to a slight extent. Myotic drugs cause blurred vision in daylight, which becomes worse in low lighting conditions, are implicated in the development of cataracts, and predispose the patient to ragoiditis and detachment of the retina. Carboanhydrasis inhibitors block the production of the watery fluid in the eye by suppressing the action of the carboanhydrasis that is essential to its formation. Normal doses cause http://www.drugtext.org/library/books/grivas/chaptersix.htm (4 of 14)3/7/2005 11:48:38 PM Chapter Six Medical Uses of Cannabis colicky abdominal or stomach pains, nausea, salivation, diarrhoea, hyperhidrosis, hot flushes, conjunctival congestion, pain in the eyelids, and teariness; large doses cause dyspnoea and affect the functioning of the heart. Adrenaline or epinephrine is used as a conjunctival decongestant in the form of drops or ointment. By 1972 numerous observations, investigations, and reports had been conducted and produced on the effects of marihuana and its derivatives on glaucoma sufferers, and they opened up new, hopeful prospects for dealing with the endophthalmic hypertension associated with glaucoma. While scientists were studying the effects of known doses of marihuana on young male volunteers, it was observed that one of the effects was a reduction of arterial pressure in the eye. They supposed that since this was the case with normal subjects it might also be the case with glaucoma sufferers. And so it proved to be. (229) In the context of the lengthy cannabis investigation planned and funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, efforts in this sphere focused on the effects on glaucoma patients of (i) smoking marihuana, (ii) oral administration of D9-THC, and (iii) intravenous administration of D9-THC.(230) 1) SMOKING MARIHUANA AND ORAL ADMINISTRATION OF D9-THC This was a double-blind experiment conducted by Robert Hepler, Ira Frank, and Robert Petrus of the Medical School of UCLA at the NIDA's request.(231) The subjects were male volunteers aged between 21 and 29 years, who were divided into four groups: one group smoked natural marihuana;(232) the second smoked D9-THC mixed with a marihuana-like placebo; the third took synthetic D9-THC by mouth; and the fourth group smoked a marihuana-like placebo without D9-THC. Having fully evaluated their findings, the researchers announced: The amount of pressure drop was in the range of 30% for 2 % THC and natural marihuana. The placebo also showed consistent mild pressure drop, the effect approximating 10% pressure reduction. Since we subsequently observed pressure-reducing effects with cannabinoids other than THC, our THC-eluted marihuana may have contained significant amounts of other active agents... There are no indications so far of any deleterious effects of marihuana smoking on visual function or ocular structures. There is reason to suspect that the mechanism of pressure reduction induced by marihuana smoking may differ from the mechanism of action of standard antiglaucoma drugs presently in use.(233) 2) INTRAVENOUS ADMINISTRATION OF CANNABINOIDS The NIDA assigned the relevant study to Mario Perez-Reyes, Donna Wagner, Monroe Wall, and Kenneth Davis - all researchers in the Medical School of the University of North Carolina. They summed up the study and their findings as follows: http://www.drugtext.org/library/books/grivas/chaptersix.htm (5 of 14)3/7/2005 11:48:38 PM Chapter Six Medical Uses of Cannabis Six different cannabinoids were intravenously infused to normal subjects, and their effect on intraocular pressure was measured. D8- THC, D9-THC, and 11-hydroxy-D9-THC produced significant reductions in intraocular pressure, whereas 8ß-OH-D+-THC, and cannabindiol were less effective. (234) It is now generally accepted that "when smoked, given intravenously, or taken orally, cannabis, THC, and other cannabinoid derivatives have been found to reduce the vision-threatening intraocular pressure of glaucoma",(235) and since 1990 synthetic D9-THC in the form of eye-drops has been available on the market. 2. Side-effects of chemotherapy (nausea and vomiting) Despite the prohibition brigade's hopes to the contrary, the therapeutic value of cannabis is widely recognised today in addressing the side-effects of chemotherapy undergone by cancer patients. Special preparations are already available for this purpose. In the eighth edition of The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics (1990), Professor Jerome Jaffe writes: D9-THC and a synthetic cannabinoid, nabilone, are now available for oral use as antiemetic. They are indicated for control of nausea associated with chemotherapy. (236) In the third edition of their textbook, A Handbook on Drug and Alcohol Abuse (1992), Drs Gail Winger, Frederick Hofmann, and James Woods note: THC and its synthetic analogs have been evaluated for their ability to suppress severe nausea and vomiting in patients undergoing some types of cancer chemotherapy. (237) 3. Asthma Marihuana was systematically used in the treatment of bronchial asthma in the nineteenth century, but it has recently been ascertained that the ingestion of D9-THC via the respiratory or the digestive system causes noticeable bronchial dilation in healthy young people. This naturally raised the question of whether marihuana has a similar effect on people suffering from complaints involving bronchial contraction, which would mean it could be used to treat asthma attacks. The latest research shows that marihuana does indeed have such an effect. The NIDA asked Drs L. Vachon, P. Mikus, W. Morrissey, M. Fitzgerald, and E. Gaensler of the Medical School of Boston University to study the effect on asthma of smoking marihuana. The subjects were 17 volunteers aged between 18 and 30 with a history of asthma; all but one of the seventeen had a relation who suffered from asthma. http://www.drugtext.org/library/books/grivas/chaptersix.htm (6 of 14)3/7/2005 11:48:38 PM Chapter Six Medical Uses of Cannabis The effects of a single administration of marihuana smoke on bronchial mechanics were studied in a group of asthmatic subjects. The diagnosis of asthma was made on the basis of history and evidence of reversible airway obstruction; the subjects were free of symptoms at the time of testing. They received a standard volumeof a mixture of air and smoke from natural marihuana containing one of two different concentrations (1.9% and 0.9%) of D -THC. Both concentrations showed significant and prolonged reversal of the bronchoconstriction as yell as significant but shorter duration of tachycardia.(238) The NIDA also asked Drs P. Tashkin, B. Shapiro, and Ira Frank, of the UCLA Medical School to study the direct effects of marihuana on airway dynamics in spontaneous and artificially induced bronchial asthma. Previous studies have shown that both smoked marihuana and oral D9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) produce significant acute bronchodilatation in healthy young males. We present data on 10 subjects with clinically stable bronchial asthma of mild to moderate severity in whom acute effects of smoked 2 % natural marihuana (7 mgm/kg) and oral D9-THC (15 mgm) on plethysmographically determined airway resistance (RAW) and specific airway conductance (SGAW) were compared with those of placebo using a double-blind crossover technique. After smoked marihuana, SGAW rose immediately and remained significantly elevated (33 to 48% above initial control values) for at least 2 hr, whereas SLAW did not change after placebo. The peak bronchodilator effect of 1250 pg of isoproterenol was greater than that of marihuana, but the effect of marihuana lasted longer. After ingestion of 15 mgm of THC, SGAW was elevated significantly at 1 and 2 hr, and RAW was reduced significantly at 1 to 4 hr, whereas no changes were noted after placebo. In 6 asthmatic subjects, bronchospasm (> 30% decrease in SGAW) was induced by exercise on a bicycle ergometer or treadmill or by inhalation of 0.25 to 1.25 mgm methacholine. Following induction of bronchospasm, subjects smoked 2% marihuana or placebo or inhaled 1,250 pg isoproterenol or saline in a single-blind fashion. Bronchospasm was promptly reversed by smoked marihuana and inhaled isoproterenol but not by smoked placebo or inhaled saline. The above findings indicate that in stable asthmatics smoked marihuana and oral THC cause significant bronchodilatation of at least 2 hr duration and that smoked marihuana is capable of reversing experimentally induced bronchospasm. (239) 4. Epilepsy and spasms In 1949, J. Davis and H. Ramsey studied the antispasmodic effects of cannabis on five epileptic children who were being treated with phenobarbitone and dilatin. The results were extremely encouraging. The demonstration of anticonvulsant activity of the tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) congeners by laboratory tests prompted clinical trial in five institutionalized epileptic children. All of them had severe symptomatic grand mal epilepsy with mental retardation... Two isomeric 3 (1 ,2-dimethyl heptyl) homologs of THC were tested, Numbers 122 and 125A, with ataxia potencies fifty and eight times, respectively, that of natural marihuana principles. Number 122 was given to 2 patients for three weeks and to 3 patients for seven weeks. Three responded at least as well as to previous therapy; the fourth http://www.drugtext.org/library/books/grivas/chaptersix.htm (7 of 14)3/7/2005 11:48:38 PM Chapter Six Medical Uses of Cannabis became almost completely and the fifth entirely seizure free... [only] the second patient [had] a brief paranoid behaviour 3.5 weeks later; similar episodes had occurred prior to cannabis therapy. Other psychic disturbances or toxic reactions were not manifested during %e periods of treatment. Blood counts were normal. (240) In 1969, prompted by the results of research, Professor Tod Mikuriya included spasms and epilepsy in the list of conditions on which cannabis might have a therapeutic effect. (241) And in 1990, in view of the findings of research during the intervening twenty years, Professor Jerome Jaffe confirmed Mikuriya's assessment, and stated that "some synthetic cannabinoids may find use as analgesics or anticonvulsants. "(242) 5. Depression and anorexia The weight loss, suffering, and depression arising out of the despair and anguish of impending death are the main symptoms of people with advanced cancer. They are difficult to treat because the available drugs used to control them at present are extremely inadequate and ineffective. Reports by earlier researchers that D9-THC produces euphoria, stimulates the appetite, and has notable analgesic and anti-emetic effects made it a very attractive proposition to study cannabis as a means of helping cancer patients. It naturally drew the interest of the medical world and the NIDA, which latter asked a team of scientists to investigate the appetite-stimulating, anti-depressive, analgesic, and antiemetic effects of cannabis in the context of the complex research programme for the Pharmacology of Marihuana (1967-70). Drs W. Regelson, T. Kirk, M. Green, J. Schulz, and M. Zalis of the Medical School of Richmond University, in association with Professors Butler and Peek of the Psychology Department of Denton University, Texas, conducted double-blind experiments(243) to investigate the effects of D9-THC on both in-patient and out-patient cancer sufferers, and they summed up their work and their findings as follows: Our data suggest that D9-THC has value as an antidepressant and can be of value in the management of both in-patient and out-patient cancer patients - provided somnolence, dizziness, and depersonalization do not result in early discontinuation. The potential of D9 -THC is clear; many patients with advanced cancer are depressed and anxious. Indeed, the despondency and anxiety engendered by cancer destroy the quality of life that remains and become in many patients more important than the organic problems produced by the disease itself. The depression and anxiety in many cancer patients are by no means symptomatic of an unstable personality or an endogenous depression; rather, they are clearly a common response to a catastrophic event that is extremely difficult to deal with as the usual reassurances or psychic-energizers (antidepressants) have little or negative effects. Previous attempts at psychometric evaluation of marihuana (Zinberg and Weil, 1970; Hogan, Manakeon, Conway, and Fox, 1970; McGlothlin and Rowan, 1970) have aimed primarily at the personality and life-history correlates of http://www.drugtext.org/library/books/grivas/chaptersix.htm (8 of 14)3/7/2005 11:48:38 PM Chapter Six Medical Uses of Cannabis reactional use. The cancer population is obviously a nonuser group with special characteristics. This study represents an attempt to define and to determine the effects of D9-THC on that group with particular reference to changes in the despondency that so uniquely characterizes cancer... Of fundamental importance is the almost complete absence of subjective euphoria or high reported in experienced users (by high we mean a euphoric state subjectively apparent to the drug recipient)... One of the previously reported psychological effects of D9-THC that failed to appear among our subjects was suspiciousness... The foregoing results, considered with the clinical observations of the effects of D9- THC demonstrating significant slowing and occasional reversal of the characteristic weight loss associated with cancer, as well as trends toward analgesic and antiemetic effects, suggest promising further study of the efficacy of D9 -THC as a supportive treatment for the control of secondary symptoms in cancer patients... As in a previous study (Lowe and Goodman, 1974), weight gain was demonstrated in more than half the medicated subject. That may be interpreted as further evidence that D9-THC has appetite-stimulating properties, as shown earlier (by Freedman and Rockmore, 1946; Hollister et al., 1968; Clark, Hughes, and Nakashima, 1970)... Summary: D9-THC in cancer patients at acceptable dosage (0.1 mg t.i.d., orally) had the effect of a tranquillizer and mild mood elevator, clearly without untoward effects on cognitive functioning and apparently without untoward effect on personality or emotional stability - at least as can be measured by psychological tests. Medically, the clinical notes and weight data suggest that D9 -THC stimulates appetite and helps retard the chronic weight loss associated with cancer, and hint at some antiemetic and analgesic benefit.. .(244) 6. Pain of varying aetiology At the invitation of the NIDA, R. Noyes, S. Bruk, D. Daran, and A. Canter of the Department of Pathology and Psychiatry of Iowa University's Medical School investigated the analgesic effects of D9- THC on cancer patients and concluded that: A preliminary trial of oral THC demonstrated an analgesic effect of the drug in patients experiencing cancer pain. Placebo and 5, 10, 15 and 20 mg THC were administered double-blind in 10 patients. Pain relief significantly superior to placebo was demonstrated at high dose levels (15 and 20 mg combined). At these levels, substantial sedation and mental clouding were reported. (245) 7. Antitumour effects In 1976 the results were published of the investigation carried out for the NIDA by L. Harris, A. Munson, and R. Carchman of the Medical School of Richmond University into the inhibitory effect of some cannabinoids on certain neoplasms,(246) as a contribution to the discussion prompted by contrary conclusions reached by various earlier studies on animals (247) and human beings .(248) http://www.drugtext.org/library/books/grivas/chaptersix.htm (9 of 14)3/7/2005 11:48:38 PM Chapter Six Medical Uses of Cannabis One interesting conclusion from our study is that cannabinoid activity against neoplasms may not be related to their behavioural properties, since cannabinol, which is essentially behaviourally inactive, is effective in our systems. Our results add a new perspective to the increasing body of evidence that D9 - THC, though behaviourally active, has other cellular actions that may have greater importance in the long run since they may lead to the development of a new class of therapeutic agents. We hope that our model systems will provide the means by which nevi and more active antitumor agents can be developed. (249) 8. Detoxification of alcoholics and drug addicts Modem research into the use of cannabis and cannabis products in the detoxification or maintenance of people dependent on alcohol, drugs, and other addictive substances is based on the therapeutic experience and accumulated knowledge of the medical use of cannabis over the last hundred years as a means of coping with withdrawal symptoms and as a substitute for the substances in question. In 1887, H. H. Kane published his observations on the successful use of cannabis as a substitute with alcoholics. They were corroborated in 1889 by E. Birch, who administered cannabis to his opiumaddicted clients "in treating addictions to opium and chloral hydrate"(250) and in 1891 by J. B. Mattison, who concluded that cannabis "has proved an efficient substitute for the poppy". One of the morphine addiction cases he described was a naval surgeon, "nine years a ten grains daily subcutaneous morphia taker... [who] recovered with less than a dozen doses. "(251) In 1942, S. Allentuck and K. Bowman established that cannabis derivatives are effective in allaying withdrawal symptoms in opium addicts. In their study of forty-nine people dependent onopiates, they observed that "the withdrawal symptoms were ameliorated or eliminated sooner, the patient was in a better frame of mind, his spirits were elevated, his physical condition was more rapidly rehabilitated, and he expressed a wish to resume his occupation sooner. "(252) In 1953, L. Thompson and R. Proctor announced the results of their satisfactory use of a synthetic cannabis product (pyrahexil) for withdrawal symptoms exhibited by patients dependent on alcohol, barbiturates, and certain other addictive substances, and they agreed with Allentuck and Bowman that the use of cannabis did not give rise to biological or psychological dependence and that the discontinuance of the drug did not result in withdrawal symptoms.(253) After the Korean War, when Cold War hysteria was at its height, cannabis and the other `narcotics' were "associated directly with the Communist conspiracy".(254) As a result, the penal sanctions for using them became extremely harsh (255) and research into their therapeutic properties was halted. Research began again in the mid-sixties, when the draconian penal restrictions were eased somewhat, and still continues today, with remarkable results, in the context of programmes set up by various state-run and private organisations under the supervision of the US Department of Health. (256) Posted by irrahayes at 02:07 No comments: Links to this post Monday, 10 September 2012Rick Simpson Grasshopper! (playlist) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Pl-B581jms&feature=share&list=PL6A406D650932ABFA The man is a hero. Posted by irrahayes at 17:02 No comments: Links to this post Maastricht mayor does u-turn over cannabis club membership Maastricht mayor does u-turn over cannabis club membership Wednesday 05 September 2012 Locals in Maastricht should no longer have to formally register as marijuana users to buy soft drugs from the city’s cannabis cafes, mayor Onno Hoes said in a letter to councillors on Wednesday. Since May 1, cannabis cafes in the south of the country have been turned into member-only clubs in an effort to keep out foreigners. Only locals, who can prove they live in the area, are allowed to sign up for membership. According to Nos television, Hoes says the number of foreigners trying to buy soft drugs has fallen so sharply that the membership cards are no longer necessary. Official register At the same time, so few locals have registered as cannabis users that changes need to be made in the way the membership system works. Because locals are reluctant to register, ID and an official council certificate stating where they live should be sufficient to buy marijuana, the mayor is quoted as saying. Nos says Hoes also hopes this will reduce the number of street dealers who have appeared since the ban was introduced. The marijuana pass system is due to be introduced in the rest of the country, including Amsterdam, in January next year. Amsterdam’s mayor Eberhard van der Laan and a majority of the city council are strongly opposed. Amsterdam Junior justice minister Fred Teeven told the capital’s local television station AT5 on Tuesday the introduction of the pass in the capital would take place in consultation with the city council. ‘The weed card will be introduced in Amsterdam but we will take local government into account,’ Teeven said. Coffee shop holders welcomed the minister's statement, saying it showed the government is beginning to change its position. Election Meanwhile, opponents of the weed card have been campaigning for the legislation to be reversed in the September 12 general election. According to Joep Oomen of the legalise cannabis movement voting for any political party on the left is good and any party on the right is bad. Several parties, including Labour, are also calling for better regulation for marijuana production. Although cannabis is illegal in the Netherlands, users can have up to five grammes for personal use or four plants without prosecution. What do you think about the mayor of Maastricht's change of heart? Have your say using the comment form below © DutchNews.nl Posted by irrahayes at 15:16 No comments: Links to this post Saturday, 1 September 2012ENCOD BULLETIN 91 - Encod.org ENCOD BULLETIN 91 - Encod.org English The entire site European Coalition for Just and Effective Drug Policies (ENCOD) Secretariat: Ploegstraat 27 – 2018 Antwerpen - Belgium Tel: +32 (0)495 122 644 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting +32 (0)495 122 644 end_of_the_skype_highlighting E-mail: ✉office@encod.org Home page > English (en) > BULLETIN > ENCOD BULLETIN 91 BECOME AN ENCOD MEMBER CODE OF CONDUCT FOR EUROPEAN CANNABIS SOCIAL CLUBS EUROPEAN COCA LEAF SOCIAL CLUB ENCOD BULLETIN 91 Published on Friday 31 August 2012 13:44, by encod . Modified on Friday 31 August 2012 13:44 All the versions of this article: [English] [Español] 2 ENCOD BULLETIN ON DRUG POLICIES IN EUROPE SEPTEMBER 2012 A TREND THAT WILL STOP THE PROHIBITIONIST TRAIN A spectre is haunting Europe, the spectre of the Cannabis Social Club. Both the need to break the chains of prohibition and bring the production and distribution of cannabis under a more transparent and accountable control regime are forcing citizens across the EU to invent solutions to problems that politicians are unable to solve. In Spain and Belgium, legal authorities tolerate the presence of Cannabis Social Clubs, local venues that provide their members with cannabis in a non-profit setting. Local politicians are embracing this model as a basis for a definitive regulation of the cannabis market. Thanks to positive media reports, public opinion seems to have accepted this silent legalization. But national politicians are still hesitating. As always in Europe, their eyes and ears are fixed on what the large countries will decide. In that sense, developments in France are interesting. In the public selection campaign for the presidential candidate of the Socialist party that took place in 2011, the subject of cannabis popped up regularly. The issue polarised the media and public interest. Three days before the first presidential round in May 2012, in one of his last attempts to prevent his defeat, Sarkozy targeted Hollande, warning that if "socialists came back to power they will legalize cannabis". Again, three days before parliamentarian elections in June, the newly appointed Minister of Housing made a clear media statement as a Green Party leader, explaining that her political force aims "not only to decriminalize drug use but also to legalize cannabis". On several occasions during his campaign, President Hollande stated that "he is opposed to decriminalisation, and a solution to the drug problem should be found at the European level". Before the elections, it was a way to avoid right wing criticisms, as well as to set the challenge at another level, beyond national boundaries. But since he has come to power, an initiative could be expected to put these words into practice. Two other interesting things happened as well. Six days after Hollande’s election, on May 12, the French Global Marijuana March gathered more than two thousands people in Paris and several hundreds in dozens of cities ; and on June 16th, an initiative was taken to set up the first French Cannabis Social Club. We are two months later now, and a major movement is growing around the CSC, increasing the debate to the level of a concrete alternative for politicians to implement. Thus, in the coming Socialist Party congress, a resolution that would facilitate Cannabis Social Clubs and another to make medicinal cannabis legally available will be proposed. Former home affairs minister Daniel Vaillant and several other well-known persons in favour of cannabis regulation are expected to support them. In addition, two major initiatives have taken place to reignite the French drug debate. An open letter from a policeman to the President has marked the establishment of a French branch of LEAP (Law Enforcement Against Drug Prohibition). And a wide coalition of organisations working for harm reduction was formed in favour of a petition for a "new policy on addictions". The proposal to set up safe injection rooms that was buried by the last government has now been relaunched and it could be that these become available in a few French cities in the near future. In Germany, Chancellor Merkel hosted a meeting in early July with the authors of the petition on cannabis regulation that had been signed by more than 70,000 people. On August 11, the Hanfparade for ’Freedom, Health and Justice’ drew thousands to Berlin; several other parades for cannabis regulation are planned for the month of September. In the Netherlands on August 18, a "cannabis bus tour" was launched in 23 cities among other initiatives to support the call for a cannabis friendly vote on general election day on september 12th. These elections are crucial for the future of the "Wietpas", the restriction of the access to coffeeshops only to Dutch residents. This measure was introduced in the South of the Netherlands on May 1st, and would be extended to the rest of the country by January 1st, 2013. If the future Dutch government sticks to this agenda, Amsterdam will be flooded by street dealers to provide cannabis to the millions of tourists who visit the city not only for its museums and channel tours. If it decides to abolish the "wietpas" and also if coffeeshops in the South will be re-opened to foreign residents, it might be the start of a definitive regulation of the cannabis chain in the Netherlands. In Slovenia, at the end of August, an international congress was held on the positive applications of hemp and cannabis, with the participation of a large number of international experts. A modification in the drug law earlier this year has opened up the theoretical possibility of a Cannabis Social Club, and Slovenian activists are exploring the concrete forms in which the dream could become reality. Outside Europe, similar signals indicate the trend that could be described as: everyone is fed up with prohibition, but nobody dares to be the first to legalise. In the United States, ballot initiatives in Arkansas, Colorado, Massachusettes, Montana, Oregon and Washington will put cannabis regulation on the agenda. In South America, the president of Uruguay has announced a legislative initiative early next year that is expected to lead to the first ’state owned’ production and distribution system for cannabis. The challenge for cannabis activists is clear. A genuine reform of cannabis policies has to grow from the bottom up. When defining and managing their own model of organising the cannabis chain, citizens will have to take the lead and show the way to most politicians and scientists who still find themselves locked into the prohibitionist framework. With every step they take, activists need to understand the heavy responsibility that lies on their shoulders: if they commit serious errors, either prohibitionists or pharmaceutical companies will use this as an argument to reinforce a total ban or make a sole exception for pharmaceutical cannabis products. In the coming months, ENCOD plans to widely promote the CSC model with a newly updated leaflet in different languages, and a participation in events in Spain, Belgium, France, Slovenia and Czech Republic. From September 14 to 16, the CSC model will be explained in detail during the first International Cannabis Social Forum, associated with the Hemp Expo Grow in Irun (Spain). On September 26, Belgian CSC Trekt Uw Plant will present its request to the city government of Antwerpen to facilitate a green house to cultivate for its 300 members. The green house would be maintained by 12 full time employees, and produce more than 100.000 euro in yearly rent for the city of Antwerpen. On October 19, ENCOD will participate in the symposium on Cannabinoïds in Medecine that will be organised in the EU Parliament in Strassbourg, France. This will make clear that whatever the public health sector thinks of cannabis, it should take care of what patients need and say. Early November ENCOD will co-operate with an event at the Faculty of Social Science in Ljubljana, intending to explain and support the CSC model in Slovenia. And from 9 to 11 November, we will be present at the largest International Hemp Fair in Eastern Europe, Cannafest in Prague. Additionnally, the ENCOD secretariat is involved in other activities as well. Due to the loss of our webmaster Christian, other people had to be found to take the lead in the redesign of the ENCOD website. In this new website, an inventory of ENCOD members will be included. The Steering Committee is considering an initiative based on the advocacy letters that were discussed during the General Assembly. With ENCOD support, the Association ’Friends of the Coca Leaf’ is planning several events in the coming months that will be announced on their new website. And last but not least, we soon hope to announce the setup of the ENCOD Action Fund, where ENCOD members can apply for support for small projects aimed at enlivening the debate on drug policy in their country. By: Farid Ghehioueche and Joep Oomen (with the help of Peter Webster) More Sharing ServicesShare Share on facebook Share on twitter Share on email Share on print P.S. ENCOD NEEDS YOUR SUPPORT: Account: 001- 3470861-83 Att. ENCOD vzw - Belgium Bank: FORTIS, Warandeberg 3, 1000 Brussels IBAN: BE 14 0013 4708 6183 SWIFT: GEBABEBB Reply to this article Sections Czech (cz, sk) Dansk (dk) Deutsch (de) English (en)ACTION APPEALS AGENDA BULLETIN CAMPAIGNS CANNABIS SOCIAL CLUBS DOWNLOADS EU LOBBY CAMPAIGN MEMBERSHIP NEWS PRESS RELEASES REGIONAL ACTIVITIES SHOP STATEMENTS STUDIES WORKING GROUPS Español (es) Français (fr) Italiano (it) Magyar (hu) Nederlands (nl) Norsk (no) Polski (pl) Portugues (pt) Română Suomi (fi) Svenska (sv) Türkçe Syndicate the whole site In the same section BULLETINS 1 TO 26 ENCOD BULLETIN 27 ENCOD BULLETIN 28 ENCOD BULLETIN 29 ENCOD BULLETIN 30 ENCOD BULLETIN 31 ENCOD BULLETIN 32 ENCOD BULLETIN 33 ENCOD BULLETIN 34 ENCOD BULLETIN 35 ENCOD BULLETIN 36 ENCOD BULLETIN 37 ENCOD BULLETIN 38 ENCOD BULLETIN 39 ENCOD BULLETIN 40 ENCOD BULLETIN 41 ENCOD BULLETIN 42 ENCOD BULLETIN 43 ENCOD BULLETIN 44 ENCOD BULLETIN 45 0 20 40 60 Agenda From 1 August 00:00 to 31 August 23:30 : AGOSTO MES DE LA PACHAMAMA [Español] From 14 September 10:00 to 16 September 19:00 : I FORO SOCIAL INTERNACIONAL DE CANNABIS [English] [Español] [français] Wednesday 26 September 13:00-18:00 : DRUGSDEBAT IN ANTWERPEN, PERMEKE, DE CONINCKPLEIN [Nederlands] Friday 19 October 10:00-16:30 : LE CANNABIS AU PARLEMENT EUROPÉEN , STRASSBOURG, FRANCE [français] From 9 November 11:00 to 11 November 17:00 : CANNAFEST, PRAGUE, PRAGUE [English] Latest comments Most recent forum messages 7 August – MAJORITY OF DANES WANT TO LEGALISE CANNABIS 4 August – EU READY TO END DRUG PROHIBITION 15 July – CANNABIS SOCIAL CLUBS SURGE IN UNITED KINGDOM 14 July – MAASTRICHT COFFEESHOPS WILL CONTINUE TO REFUSE THE WEEDPASS 6 July – SWEDEN TURNS TO HOME-GROWN CANNABIS 2 July – DEATH PENALTY FOR MARIJUANA IN MALAYSIA 30 June – ANDRZEJ DOŁECKI IS A POLITICAL PRISONER! 22 June – SWEDEN TURNS TO HOME-GROWN CANNABIS Encod Web Site Encod.org Encod Österreich Encod Deutschland Facebook Youtube Twitter Site Map Private area WebMail 31 August 2012REGULATION OF THE CANNABIS CHAIN: WHERE, WHEN AND HOW? REGULATION OF THE CANNABIS CHAIN: WHERE, WHEN AND HOW? Posted by irrahayes at 00:54 No comments: Links to this post Friday, 31 August 2012REGULATION OF THE CANNABIS CHAIN: WHERE, WHEN AND HOW? REGULATION OF THE CANNABIS CHAIN: WHERE, WHEN AND HOW? Published on Wednesday 29 August 2012 15:13, by encod . Modified on Wednesday 29 August 2012 15:12 All the versions of this article: [English] 1 Source: Huffington Post 28.08.2012 By Amanda Feilding, Director of the Beckley Foundation To leave the third largest industry in the world — worth about $350 billion per annum — in the control of criminal cartels,people with values opposite to those of civilized society — is foolish to the point of insanity. Surely we must presume that the governments of the world, with the help of the necessary experts, can do a better job at minimizing the harms associated with drug production, marketing and use than will moral-free criminals. The time has come for our leaders to recognize what has been obvious to many of us for a long time: that the prohibitionist approach of the War on Drugs has proved to be a failure. After 50 years of escalating expenditure, suffering and social devastation, it is time to rethink our basic approach to the control of psychoactive substances. It is time to consider policy options that have until now been too taboo even to discuss — namely, control of these substances by a strictly regulated legal regime. Psychoactive substances have been used by mankind since the earliest times and are deeply interwoven with the evolution of our cultural development. It was only in the 20th century that a system of control based on prohibition began to evolve, almost by accident. By the mid-20th century this tendency had gathered force, and finally got fixated in the three UN Drug Conventions of 1961, ’71 and ’88. Signed by almost every country in the world, these Conventions have achieved the status of holy writ — unalterable and beyond reasoned debate. Although around $100 billion a year is spent trying to enforce these conventions, the many United Nations meetings that I have attended are devoted to fulsome self-congratulation, with no consideration whatever of the actual data — which would tell a story of costly failure and catastrophic collateral damage, particularly in the producer and transit countries. Before the 1961 Convention, which enacted the world-wide prohibition of the production, trade and possession of the three major plant-based drugs — cannabis, cocaine and opium — use around the world was minimal. Since then, drug-use has vastly proliferated, and has become a rite of passage for millions of young people. Prohibition has been a charter for criminals, creating profits unprecedented in history for those sufficiently ruthless and well-organized to take advantage of the system. So enormous are the sums of money available to the drug cartels that police forces, the military and politicians, especially in countries with fragile systems of government, are unable to resist. As a direct result, corruption in the 21st century is now more widespread and uncontrollable than it has ever been. And the horrific, moral-free violence and intimidation practiced along the Mexican border with the U.S. demonstrates that the power of drug-money can, in the last analysis, be greater than that of the modern state. Prohibition has created a powerful coalition of police, drug enforcement agencies, prisons, legal systems, banks and criminal cartels — all with a vested interest in maintaining the status quo of the current, prohibitionist policies. Those who suffer the most from these policies are the "little fish" — personal drug-users and small-time dealers, who form the vast majority of the millions imprisoned on drugs offenses around the world. By contrast, the "big fish" go free, for instance, in 2010 $378 billion of laundered drug money was identified in the U.S. bank Wachovia, yet no individual was prosecuted, and it was not reported in the U.S. press except by Bloomberg. Meanwhile, despite the vast cost to the world’s taxpayers, and despite the terrible collateral damage from the War on Drugs, drug consumption continues to rise, particularly in those countries with relatively draconian policies, such as the U.S. and UK. Countries which have moved towards more liberal policies, such as the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain have, contrary to the predictions of the Drug Warriors, experienced not a surge but a reduction in problem use, drug-related deaths and crime. There is no doubt that humans have always had an urge to alter their consciousness by a variety of techniques, from extreme sport and meditation to the ingestion of psychoactive substances. In different cultures and times, different substances have been dominant. In most of the world, alcohol and tobacco took early supremacy, and have remained legally and socially acceptable, although they cause more harms to health and costs to society than many of the illegal drugs. There is no single, one-size-fits-all solution to the problems with which drugs and drug-use confront society. This very complex situation demands the development of subtle policy responses, adapted to local needs and conditions. However, I think one can say with certainty that the current, illegal and totally unregulated market is the worst possible solution. We need to move in the direction of a strictly-regulated market, based on the principles of health, harm-reduction, cost-effectiveness and human rights. Experimental new policies must be cautiously introduced and carefully, scientifically monitored. The different substances need different regulatory controls, especially tailored to their specific characteristics, and individual countries should be free to pursue policies conforming to their particular circumstances and needs. It will never be possible to eliminate problematic drug use but, in my opinion, more scientifically-based policies could greatly reduce these harms. Indeed, improving our drug policies is one of the key policy challenges of our time, because so much of the harm and suffering comes, not from the drugs themselves, but from the policies that seek to control them. In 2006, I realized that although cannabis accounted for 80 percent of the world-wide use of illegal substances, it was, amazingly, never mentioned at international meetings such as the U.N. General Assembly. It was the elephant in the room: no one wanted attention brought to the fact that this relatively harmless substance was the mainstay of the massive and costly War on Drugs. I therefore convened the Global Commission on Cannabis, consisting of the world’s most respected drug-policy analysts, to give an overview of the potential harms of cannabis and the effectiveness of current prohibitionist policies, and to provide alternative policy recommendations both inside and outside the current conventions. The Commission also provided a new Draft Framework Convention on Cannabis Control, a blue-print of how a country might control a regulated market. The Commission’s Report, co-published with Oxford University Press, has been very influential among policy-makers around the world. A subsequent report commissioned by the Beckley Foundation, entitled Roadmap to Reform the UN Drug Conventions, sets out methods by which an individual country, or a group of countries, might adapt the conventions to better suit their individual needs, e.g. by clear decriminalization of personal drug possession, and by the legal regulation of one or more controlled substances. Cannabis is the obvious first candidate for experiments in regulation, as it is most widely used, creates minimal harms and is the most socially accepted of currently controlled drugs. As the production and sale of recreational cannabis is prohibited by the U.N. Conventions, they would need to be amended to permit such an experiment. Until that happens, any partial experiment with regulation must be carried out in the legal grey area of latitude within the Conventions, as is now happening with the Cannabis Social Clubs in Spain, where cannabis is sold on a not-for-profit basis to club members. There are various possible forms of regulation, from the medical marijuana model favored in the USA, to a loose model of regulation similar to that used for alcohol, to a strict regulation, as is currently being applied to tobacco. I and many experts favor the last option, because it offers maximum protection to the user while recognizing the individual’s freedom of choice and human rights. In this model, the state would license private producers and vendors. There could be three forms of producer: i) cannabis social clubs, already tried and proved to be successful in Spain; ii) smaller farmers; and iii) larger producers — maybe run along the lines of GW Pharmaceuticals in the UK — where cannabis is grown organically from cloned plants, and so the ratio of the main constituents (THC and CBD) can be controlled and labelled. Licensed vendors would be required to undertake harm-reduction measures, including the provision of information and education, and enforcement of minimum age restrictions. Advertising would be banned, and the product would be subject to a sales tax, among other regulatory controls. Legal regulation would bring about many advantages such as: The product’s purity and potency, including the ratio of the main ingredients — THC and CBD — could be controlled and clearly labelled. Users would not be criminalized, so they would be able to access advice and treatment without fear of prosecution. Also, lives would not be unnecessarily stigmatized with a criminal record. Police and court time, and prison space, would be freed up for more serious crimes, thereby bringing about substantial savings in government expenditure. Substantial tax revenues would be collected, which could be spent on the provision of improved education and treatment. Creating a legal, strictly-regulated market in cannabis has great economic benefits, particularly important in these times of economic hardship. Recent findings from a Beckley Foundation-commissioned Report on a Cost-Benefit Analysis of a Regulated and Taxed Cannabis Market in England and Wales indicate that a minimum of over U.S. $1.6 billion could be generated per year if such a market for cannabis was set up in the UK. I expect that this figure would be similar, if not greater, in an equivalent Spanish market. This revenue would come from a variety of sources: firstly, roughly $170 million would be saved on law enforcement costs, due to police not needing to waste time on arresting citizens for cannabis possession. The judicial system would save $155 million by not having to sentence users, and without the need to imprison them, $135 million would be saved. With these people not being incarcerated, they can remain a productive part of society, generating an additional $16 million. Finally, taxation of the cannabis product itself would produce around $1.2 billion for the government’s pocket. All of this revenue could be invested into facilities for treatment of problem drug users and education, or used to reduce the national debt. As to the where? when? and how?, in the past year or two there has finally been a shift in attitudes to global drug policy. About 30 countries have now undertaken some form of decriminalization of drug use. Former presidents, especially in Latin America, and other distinguished public figures have declared that current prohibitionist policies are no longer fit for purpose, and have called for an end to the taboo on consideration of alternative options. The Beckley Foundation’s Public Letter calling for such a debate has been signed by 7 former presidents, including Jimmy Carter, 12 Nobel Prize winners, and by prominent intellectuals such as Noam Chomsky. Earlier this year, the letter was, for the first time, signed by a president in office, namely President Otto Pérez Molina of Guatemala, who has asked the Beckley Foundation to provide him with reports outlining alternative policy options, including regulation, to tackle the violence and corruption in Central America created by the illegal drug trade. Other Latin American presidents, such as President Santos of Colombia, have also expressed the need to explore policy alternatives. The President of Uruguay has recently proposed the introduction of a regulated market for cannabis. Momentum and critical mass are gathering behind the calls for fresh approaches. The producer and transit countries of Latin America have suffered enough from the policies developed by consumer countries and maintained by the greatest consumer of them all, the United States. There is hope at last of escape from the folly of the present, failing prohibitionist regime, and of the implementation of subtler policies based on science and pragmatism rather than ideology. This post was adapted from a talk given for the Rototom Social Forum. More Sharing ServicesShare | Share on facebook Share on twitter Share on email Share on print Reply to this article Sections Czech (cz, sk) Dansk (dk) Deutsch (de) English (en)ACTION APPEALS AGENDA BULLETIN CAMPAIGNS CANNABIS SOCIAL CLUBS DOWNLOADS EU LOBBY CAMPAIGN MEMBERSHIP NEWS2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 PRESS RELEASES REGIONAL ACTIVITIES SHOP STATEMENTS STUDIES WORKING GROUPS Español (es) Français (fr) Italiano (it) Magyar (hu) Nederlands (nl) Norsk (no) Polski (pl) Portugues (pt) Română Suomi (fi) Svenska (sv) Türkçe Syndicate the whole site In the same section 25.1. Public Hearing Bundestag: Cannabis Social Clubs 7 REASONS WHY WE DISLIKE THE NEW HUNGARIAN DRUG STRATEGY ALTERNATIVE WORLD DRUG REPORT BELGIUM’S ANSWER TO THE WEEDPASS: CANNABIS SOCIAL CLUBS BRANSON: LEGALISING CANNABIS WOULD SOLVE SPAIN’S DEFICIT PROBLEM CANNABIS MADE IN THE UK CANNABIS TRADE RESURGING IN COPENHAGEN AFTER LEGALISATION PROPOSAL IS REJECTED CHEWING OVER KHAT PROHIBITION CHICAGO DECRIMINALISES POSSESSION OF USER AMOUNTS OF MARIJUANA CHILEAN SENATORS PROPOSE DECRIMINALISATION OF CANNABIS CULTIVATION CIA-PENTAGON DEATH SQUADS AND MEXICO’S WAR ON DRUGS CND Statement by UNAIDS: The time for pilot projects is over. Colombian President Would Legalize Drugs - if World Accepts COPENHAGEN CITY COUNCIL: IS IT OK IF WE SELL JOINTS? COPENHAGEN WANTS TO CONTROL CANNABIS MARKET Cop’s Marijuana Legalization Question Gets 1st Place in White House Video Contest CROATIA TO DECRIMINALIZE DRUG POSSESSION CYPRUS POLICE RAIDS PEACE CAMP AND SEIZES ONE GRAMME OF CANNABIS CZECH PARLIAMENT TO APPROVE REGULATION FOR MEDICINAL CANNABIS DANGEROUS HEROIN WITH TRACES OF ANTHRAX FOUND IN COPENHAGEN 0 |20 |40 |60 Agenda From 1 August 00:00 to 31 August 23:30 : AGOSTO MES DE LA PACHAMAMA [Español] From 14 September 10:00 to 16 September 19:00 : I FORO SOCIAL INTERNACIONAL DE CANNABIS [English] [Español] [français] Wednesday 26 September 13:00-18:00 : DRUGSDEBAT IN ANTWERPEN, PERMEKE, DE CONINCKPLEIN [Nederlands] Friday 19 October 10:00-16:30 : LE CANNABIS AU PARLEMENT EUROPÉEN , STRASSBOURG, FRANCE [français] From 9 November 11:00 to 11 November 17:00 : CANNAFEST, PRAGUE, PRAGUE [English] Latest comments Most recent forum messages 7 August – MAJORITY OF DANES WANT TO LEGALISE CANNABIS 4 August – EU READY TO END DRUG PROHIBITION 15 July – CANNABIS SOCIAL CLUBS SURGE IN UNITED KINGDOM 14 July – MAASTRICHT COFFEESHOPS WILL CONTINUE TO REFUSE THE WEEDPASS 6 July – SWEDEN TURNS TO HOME-GROWN CANNABIS 2 July – DEATH PENALTY FOR MARIJUANA IN MALAYSIA 30 June – ANDRZEJ DOŁECKI IS A POLITICAL PRISONER! 22 June – SWEDEN TURNS TO HOME-GROWN CANNABIS Encod Web Site Encod.org Encod Österreich Encod Deutschland Facebook Youtube Twitter Site Map | Private area | WebMail | |