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

Parents Sue Six In Teen's Drinking Death ('The Associated Press'
Says A Couple From Baker City, Oregon, Whose Teen-Age Son Died
Of An Alcohol Overdose Ago Have Filed A $1.5 Million Lawsuit
Accusing Former Major League Baseball Star Joe Rudi, His Wife,
Teen-Age Son And Three Others Of Negligence)

Associated Press
found at:
http://www.oregonlive.com/
feedback (letters to the editor):
feedback@thewire.ap.org

Parents sue six in teen's drinking death

The Associated Press
8/22/98 4:45 PM

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- A couple whose teen-age son died of an alcohol
overdose have filed a $1.5 million lawsuit accusing former Major League
Baseball star Joe Rudi, his wife and teen-age son and three others of
negligence.

The focus of the lawsuit, filed by Lee and Shirley Pearce of Baker City, is
the death of Joshua Pearce, 17, almost three years ago.

Pearce had gone on a Labor Day vacation with the Rudi family to Snake River
Canyon, about 20 miles north of Huntington.

Rudi, who played with the Oakland A's championship teams of the 1970s, now
lives in Baker City.

The lawsuit claims that Joshua Pearce went with Joe Rudi's son, Shawn, to a
nearby cabin and drank with Matthew J. Bobbitt of Corvallis, Jeffrey A.
Tubbin of Sandy and Aaron Johnson of Moscow, Idaho.

According to the lawsuit: The three dared Pearce to drink a large quantity
of vodka. When Pearce passed out, he was taken outside the cabin. When
others from the cabin found him the next morning, he was not breathing. They
tried to revive Pearce, but he died that day -- Sept. 4, 1995.

Pearce had a blood-alcohol level of .44 percent, said Eugene Hallman, a
Pendleton attorney representing the Pearces. Under Oregon law, a motorist
with a blood-alcohol level of .08 percent or greater is deemed to be
intoxicated.

"I think the days of the so-called right of passage of kids getting liquor
and dared to drink are over and should have been over a long time ago,"
Hallman said.

The lawsuit filed Thursday in Multnomah County Circuit Court seeks more than
$1.5 million for the Pearces' loss of companionship and their son's future
earnings.

As well as Rudi, his wife, Sharon, and son, Shawn, the lawsuit names Tubbin,
Bobbitt and Johnson. The lawsuit claims the Rudis were negligent because
they didn't properly supervise Pearce when he was with them. Joe Rudi did
not return a telephone call Friday.

Johnson and Bobbitt each were sentenced to 30 days house arrest after
pleading guilty to one count of furnishing alcohol to a minor. A judge
dismissed the case against Tubbin.

(c)1998 Oregon Live LLC

Copyright 1997 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not
be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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

Cancer Patient Says He Had Legal Right To Grow Marijuana
(An 'Associated Press' Story In 'The Fresno Bee'
Suggests San Bernardino County, California, Is Refusing To Comply
With Proposition 215 In Prosecuting Timothy Weltz For Growing
More Than 20 Plants)

Date: Sun, 23 Aug 1998 11:07:48 -0700
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: US CA: Cancer Patient Says He Had Legal Right to Grow Marijuana
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: compassion23@geocities.com (Frank S. World)
Source: Fresno Bee, The
Contact: letters@fresnobee.com
Website: http://www.fresnobee.com/
Pubdate: Sat, 22 Aug 1988

CANCER PATIENT SAYS HE HAD LEGAL RIGHT TO GROW MARIJUANA

RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif. (AP) -- A man critically ill with cancer could
face prison for growing marijuana he claims was legal under California's
Proposition 215.

Timothy Weltz, 38, was to face felony charges of cultivating marijuana at a
scheduled Tuesday hearing in San Bernardino County Superior Court.

"I did nothing criminally wrong," said Weltz, who has lymphatic cancer and
may have only six months to live.

"This is insane," he told The Press-Enterprise of Riverside for a story
published Saturday.

Sheriff's deputies found more than 20 marijuana plants growing in his yard
last month when they answered a report of a domestic disturbance at his
home. Weltz said he had an argument with his ex-wife, who was visiting.

Weltz was not arrested but he later received a summons from the district
attorney's office to appear in court to face the pot cultivation charge and
a count of battery on his former wife.

He contends the marijuana helps relieve some of the nausea from his cancer
treatments, and that he legally grew it under Proposition 215, the state
initiative that legalized the cultivation, use and possession of marijuana
for medicinal purposes on a doctor's recommendation.

Weltz said he won't plead guilty or accept a plea bargain.

"I won't accept this," he said. "I would rather take my chances with
serious jail time than make a deal for probation ... I'm fighting for my
life here."

Assistant District Attorney Dan Lough said Weltz was unable to produce
evidence for the deputies of his illness or his doctor's endorsement for
using marijuana.

Weltz said he will bring a letter from his doctor to court.

Dr. Linda D. Bosserman, a Rancho Cucamonga cancer specialist, wrote that
Weltz has used "inhaled THC" from privately grown plants, free of
pesticides, and found this effective in controlling his severe nausea,
vomiting and anxiety caused by his treatments and the overall stress of his
disease.

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

Pot Bust Worth At Least $20 Million ('The Modesto Bee'
Says Two Mexican Nationals Were Busted And Six Other Suspected Cultivators
Got Away Friday When State And County Prohibition Agents In Calaveras County,
California, Swooped Down On More Than 10,000 Plants At A Sierra
Hillside Plantation About Three Miles Outside Of San Andreas - Agents
Valued The Crop At $2,000 To $3,000 Per Plant, Or $20 Million To $30 Million,
Nearly Triple The Previous Biggest Pot Bust In Calaveras County,
And The Biggest In The State This Year)

Date: Sat, 22 Aug 1998 14:39:08 -0700
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: US CA: Pot Bust Worth At Least $20 Million
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: compassion23@geocities.com (Frank S. World)
Source: Modesto Bee (CA)
Contact: http://www.modbee.com/man/help/contact.html
Website: http://www.modbee.com/
Pubdate: Sat, 22 Aug 1998
Author: Ron DeLacy, Bee staff writer

POT BUST WORTH AT LEAST $20 MILLION

SAN ANDREAS -- Calaveras County and state narcotics forces swooped down on a
veritable Mother Lode of marijuana Friday, chopping and pulling more than
10,000 plants from a Sierra hillside plantation about three miles outside of
San Andreas.

They were all female sinsemilla, the eye-watering, seedless cream of the
marijuana crop, and ranged between 3 feet and 8 feet tall. Lush and green,
they still had at least two months of growth and flowering to do, but some
already had begun to bloom.

Estimated street value: Between $20 million and $30 million, based on
narcotics officers' calculations of $2,000 to $3,000 for a fully mature
plant.

It nearly tripled the previous biggest pot bust in Calaveras County's
history, and it was the biggest in the state this year, said officers from
the state Campaign Against Marijuana Planting.

"We knew it was big," said Lt. Mike Walker, who supervises the Calaveras
County Narcotics Enforcement unit, "but we didn't know it was this big."

Two men camping and working at the site were arrested and booked into
Calaveras County Jail on suspicion of felony marijuana cultivation. At least
six others fled into the tree- and brush-covered countryside.

"It was like flushing a covey of quail," said Calaveras County sheriff's
Sgt. Dan Johnson, who plotted the sunrise surprise. "I just wish we could
have caught a few more suspects."

The two suspects who were arrested were Gerardo Mora, 33, who gave an
Atwater address, and Lorenso Gudino, 38, who did not give an address. Both
men were from Mexico, and Calaveras County Undersheriff Randy Grasmuck said
he didn't know whether they were undocumented workers.

Officers said Gudino, Mora and the people who got away all seemed to be
workers at the plantation, not owners of it. There were no guesses on
whether any bigger fish might be caught.

According to Walker, the county's narcotics team spotted the plantation --
or at least part of it -- on a routine pot reconnaissance flight about six
weeks ago. The marijuana had been planted in two quarter-acre groves near an
abandoned cement plant off Poole Station Road, southwest of San Andreas.

It had been irrigated through drip systems and manual hoses fed from a
nearby spring. Several weapons, including loaded sawed-off shotguns and a
Russian military rifle loaded with a 30-round magazine clip, were found in
two campsites.

Part of the plantation was on private wildland -- Walker said he didn't know
whether the owners were involved -- and part was on land managed by the
federal Bureau of Land Management.

For Friday morning's raid, about 50 officers, most of them in camouflage
fatigues, gathered at a 3 a.m. briefing. There was one Special Weapons and
Tactics team from Calaveras County, another from neighboring Amador County,
the Calaveras "Bad Frogs" narcotics unit and 15 CAMP officers.

The two SWAT teams followed a railroad grade, crossed the Calaveras River
and sneaked up on the plantation at about 6 a.m. Workers were already
tending the gardens, and when they spotted officers they ran in different
directions.

Two were tackled, and SWAT team members and a CAMP helicopter searched for
nearly three hours for the others before giving up and getting on with the
job of dismantling the garden.

For that task, the SWAT team members hiked to the hillside plantations,
uprooted some of the plants, cut most of them at the base and bundled them
with duct tape in clumps of 10. Then they put them in nets, and the
helicopter hauled them to a 21/2-ton military truck at the old cement plant.

By the end of the day, the pot totaled 10,152 plants and looked like a
shipment of Christmas trees filling the truck bed.

It was covered with a tarp -- "We don't care to have anybody know what's
being transported," said sheriff's spokeswoman Kathy Maxwell -- and driven
away for disposal.

Never mind where.

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

Judge Dismisses Most Of Lawsuit Against Contractor ('The Associated Press'
Says Pierce County Superior Court Judge Thomas Felnagle On Friday Dismissed
Most Of A Lawsuit Brought By George Joseph Phillips, Who Alleged That Police
In Tacoma, Washington, Conspired With Furnace Installers To Illegally Search
His Home For A Methamphetamine Lab, When All He Had Were Darkroom Chemicals
For Developing Film - Phillips Will Be Allowed To Pursue Claims Of Defamation
And Negligent Infliction Of Emotional Distress Against Washington
Energy Services And Northwest Water Heater)

From: "W.H.E.N. - Bob Owen" (when@olywa.net)
To: "-Hemp Talk" (hemp-talk@hemp.net)
Subject: HT: Tacoms drug search gets judicial support
Date: Sat, 22 Aug 1998 18:48:25 -0700
Sender: owner-hemp-talk@hemp.net

Judge dismisses most of lawsuit against contractor

The Associated Press
08/22/98 8:12 PM Eastern

TACOMA (AP) -- A judge has dismissed most of a lawsuit brought by a man who
alleged that Tacoma police conspired with furnace installers to illegally
search his home for a drug lab.

But Pierce County Superior Court Judge Thomas Felnagle ruled Friday that
George Joseph Phillips could pursue claims of defamation and negligent
infliction of emotional distress against Washington Energy Services and
Northwest Water Heater.

The two companies -- now merged -- were hired to install a furnace and water
heater at Phillips' home in November 1995.

During the job, workers alerted police they suspected Phillips of having a
methamphetamine lab because of a strong chemical smell, glass bottles with
chemicals, surgical tubing, a scale and glass vials.

Police got a search warrant and sent in officers with helmets, gas masks and
protective suits. Phillips was held handcuffed in the back of a police car
for four hours.

Police determined that the home contained only darkroom chemicals and
released Phillips without arresting him. Phillips is an amateur
photographer.

On Friday, Felnagle granted in full the City of Tacoma's motion to dismiss
all federal constitutional claims that Phillips made in his lawsuit against
the city and its police officers. State tort claims against the city remain,
but Assistant City Attorney Jean Homan said the city will ask the court to
dismiss those as well.

The judge also ruled that a tape recording of a conversation between
Phillips and a Northwest employee did not unequivocally show that the
workers looked for evidence at the request of police. He said the tape was
hearsay would not be admissible as evidence when the case goes to trial Nov.
30.

Felnagle also rejected Phillips' claim that police violated his rights when
they detained him.

"It was a complete victory for the city, and I think we're two-thirds of the
way there on ours," said Stephanie Bloomfield, lawyer for the two companies.
Both the city and the companies maintained Tacoma police never asked
Northwest Water Heater employees to search Phillips' home.

Phillips said he was "irritated, angry" with the rulings.

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

State Teen Drug Use Highest In US ('The Arizona Republic'
Discusses The Latest Statistics In The National Household Survey
On Drug Abuse, Which Found That 13.1 Percent Of Arizonans Ages 12 To 17
Said They Had Used Marijuana In The Past Month, And 16.8 Percent
Said They Had Used 'Any Illicit Drug,' Including Cocaine, Inhalants
Or Heroin, A Rate Nearly Double That In California And One-Third Higher
Than The National Average)

Date: Mon, 24 Aug 1998 15:51:47 -0700
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: US AZ: State Teen Drug Use Highest In U.S.
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: Mark Greer
Source: Arizona Republic (AZ)
Contact: jeff.barker@pni.com
Website: http://www.azcentral.com/news/
Pubdate: 22 August 1998
Author: Jeff Barker, Republic Washington Bureau

STATE TEEN DRUG USE HIGHEST IN U.S.

'Study should cause alarm in every family'

WASHINGTON - One out of six Arizona youths used illegal drugs in the past
month -- especially marijuana -- a rate that is nearly double that of
California and one-third higher than the national average.

The numbers come from an annual nationwide federal study that honed in on
Arizona and California this year because both states have approved
so-called medical marijuana initiatives.

The National Household Survey on Drug Abuse released Friday found that 13.1
percent of Arizonans ages 12 to 17 said they had used marijuana in the past
month. And 16.8 percent said they had used "any illicit drug," including
cocaine, inhalants or heroin.

Arizona's youth marijuana figure was more than one-third higher than the
nation as a whole -- 9.6 percent -- and it was nearly double the rate of
neighboring California -- 6.6 percent.

"This study should cause alarm bells to go off in every family in Arizona,"
said Chuck Blanchard, chief counsel for Gen. Barry McCaffrey, the federal
drug czar. McCaffrey released the report along with the Department of
Health and Human Services.

"This weekend, every Arizona parent should sit down and talk to their kids
about drug use," said Blanchard, a former Arizona state senator.

Analysts surprised

The findings surprised government analysts, who have been compiling
similar, nationwide surveys since 1971 but had never broken out Arizona
figures individually until now.

Arizona and California, which both passed medical marijuana initiatives in
1996, were selected as the first two states ever to undergo individual
breakdowns as part of the national drug survey.

The Clinton administration conceded that, with limited money available for
individual state sampling, it intentionally picked the two states that
passed drug-legalization measures that it opposed.

Arizona's Proposition 200 was designed to allow physicians to prescribe
marijuana or other controlled substances to seriously ill patients. This
year, its backers moved to put the issue back on the ballot after the state
Legislature, in effect, suspended it. McCaffrey has been lobbying against
Proposition 200 and similar measures in other states, saying the
propositions send a mixed message to youths.

'Looking at impact'

However, the Clinton administration denied it was using its drug-use survey
to try to make a case against medical use of marijuana.

"This is not arguing for or against, it's just looking at what the
potential impact is (of medical marijuana initiatives). It's to look at
trends," said Mark Weber, a substance-abuse spokesman for Health and Human
Services.

At least publicly, the Clinton administration did not attempt to make a
correlation between the survey's Arizona marijuana figures and Proposition
200.

However, an internal document from the federal drug czar's office suggested
that it believes there may be a link. The document highlights the survey
and notes its finding that the perceived risk of smoking marijuana is lower
for both Californians and Arizonans than for Americans generally.

Results 'consistent'

The document notes that this "is consistent with what would be expected,
given the passage of the medical marijuana propositions in these two
states." However, the document says there is simply too little evidence to
reach any conclusion.

The percentage of youth and adult Arizonans who perceived "great risk" in
smoking marijuana once a month was 39.9 percent for Arizona, and 37.6
percent for California. The national figure, excluding those two states,
was 43.5 percent.

"The issue about whether the proposition would have any effect on youth
attitudes is an open issue," Blanchard said. "The idea was, "These are two
states and we might as well test to find out. But the evidence is
inconclusive. California has lower marijuana use among youths than the
national sample."

The survey said that Arizona's general population, not just youths, also
use drugs at a higher rate than the nation, but not by as alarming a margin
as teens alone. In Arizona, 7.3 percent said they used an illegal drug in
the past month, compared with 5.8 percent nationally.

Overall use steady

The overall use of illegal drugs in the country remained steady last year,
the report said, while reporting a significant increase in drug use among
youth 12-17 nationally -- to 11.4 percent in 1997 from 9 percent in 1996.

The drug czar's office, as well as at least one private group, said the
lesson was to spend more time trying to lessen drug demand by educating
kids and parents.

McCaffrey's office has been running television and radio ads in Arizona
this year that target both parents and kids. The office has a telephone
number (1-800-788-2800) for parents who want advice in talking to their
kids about drugs.

"Too many federal anti-drug dollars continue to be spent on efforts to
reduce the supply of drugs, rather than to reduce demand," said a statement
by Drug Strategies, a Washington-based research institute fighting the drug
problem.

***

Jeff Barker can be reached at jeff.barker@pni.com via e-mail or at
1-(202) 662-7264.

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

State Drug Arrests Figures Remained The Same Last Year
('The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel' Doesn't Break Down What Substances
Were Involved In What Proportion Of Arrests, But Says There Were 21,527
People Busted For 'Drugs' In Wisconsin Last Year, About 115 More
Than The Year Before, According To A Report Released Friday By The Office
Of Justice Assistance - The Increase Was Far Less Than In Previous Years,
When Arrests Increased By The Thousands)

Date: Mon, 24 Aug 1998 21:57:30 -0700
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: US WI: State Drug Arrests Figures Remained The Same Last Year
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: compassion23@geocities.com (Frank S. World)
Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (WI)
Contact: jsedit@onwis.com
Website: http://www.jsonline.com/
Pubdate: 22 August 1998

STATE: DRUG ARRESTS FIGURES REMAINED THE SAME LAST YEAR

MADISON, Wis. (AP) -- The number of drug arrests in Wisconsin stayed
about the same in 1997, after years of increases, a state agency said.

There were 21,527 drug arrests in the state last year, about 115 more
than the year before, the Office of Justice Assistance said in a
report released Friday.

That increase was far less than in previous years, which went up by
the thousands, the report said.

The number of drug arrests might have remained the same either because
the number of users went down or law enforcement might not have been
concentrating on drug violations as much, said Tom Everson, a
spokesman for the office.

"Maybe we reached a plateau," Everson said.

In 1995, there were 20,044 drug arrests, up from 16,815 in 1994,
according to the report.

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

State Officials Are Skeptical Of Numbers ('The Arizona Republic'
Says Some Arizona Officials Don't Believe The Latest Statistics
From The New National Household Survey On Drug Abuse Showing
That One In Six Arizona Teenagers Used Illicit Drugs In The Past Month
Compared To About One In 10 Nationwide - Joe Gfroerer, Director Of Population
Surveys At The Substance Abuse And Mental Health Services Administration,
Acknowledged There Were Differences In The Arizona Poll
Because A Larger Sample Was Needed To Obtain Statistically Significant
Numbers - One-Third Of The Total Survey Was Done In Just Two States,
Arizona And California, And Arizona, Which Accounts For About 2 Percent
Of The US Population, Provided One-Sixth Of The Responses)

Date: Mon, 24 Aug 1998 15:23:15 -0700
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: State Officials Are Skeptical Of Numbers
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: Mark Greer
Source: Arizona Republic (AZ)
Website: http://www.azcentral.com/news/0822kidsreax.shtml
Pubdate: 22 Aug 1998
Author: Dennis Wagner

STATE OFFICIALS ARE SKEPTICAL OF NUMBERS

If Arizona has more kids smoking dope and dropping acid than the rest of
America, it's news to some skeptical government officials.

"I question the validity of the numbers," said Gov. Jane Hull, responding
to a federal survey that shows ghastly drug abuse rates among Arizona youth.

"It makes no sense," agreed Rick Romley, the Maricopa County attorney.

"I would look at all those figures very carefully," added Rex Holgerson,
executive director of the Arizona Criminal Justice Commission.

Those officials, and others, said they knew drug use was rising among
Arizona kids, but had no inkling that the rate is out of kilter with other
states.

Yet that's exactly what was revealed Friday in a National Household Survey
on Drug Abuse by the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration.

According to that report, one in six Arizona teenagers used illicit drugs
in the previous month compared to about one in 10 nationwide. Arizona youth
ages 12 to 17 also were nearly twice as likely to have used cocaine, LSD,
heroin or inhalants during the past year.

At Valley high schools, the statistics were hardly a revelation.

"I'm not sure if drug use is increasing, but I know last year they got
Izzy, the drug sniffing dog, into our school," said Kathleen Slahub, a
17-year-old at Paradise Valley High. "I go to a party and everyone is
drinking and you go to another little room and they have these bad drugs
all over the place and I don't know what they are."

Roger Taylor, special agent with the Drug Enforcement Administration in
Phoenix, said he expected Arizona to exceed national drug abuse figures,
but was stunned to learn that it surpasses California by a large margin.

"I'm sure they were at least trying to make their best attempt at doing
some kind of plausible survey," Taylor added, "but it does surprise me."

Most officials said they cannot think of anything about Arizona that would
explain such a glaring discrepancy in drug use.

Joe Gfroerer, director of population surveys at the Substance Abuse and
Mental Health Services Administration, insisted the survey data are correct.

"It was done the same in Arizona as everywhere else," he said. "It's a
random sample."

Gfroerer later acknowledged that there were differences in the Arizona poll
because a larger sample was needed to obtain statistically significant
numbers.

Surveyors spoke to 24,505 adults and kids at homes nationwide.

California and Arizona were the only states listed separately in the annual
survey. They were isolated because of government interest in marijuana
initiatives adopted by voters in the two states during 1996.

Thus 4,415 subjects were interviewed in Arizona, and 4,360 people were
surveyed in California.

It is unclear why researchers would poll roughly the same number of people
in those states when California has seven times the population.

What is clear is that one-third of the total survey was done in just two
states. And Arizona, which accounts for about 2 percent of the U.S.
population, provided one-sixth of the responses.

Sam Vagenas, a drug-legalization proponent in Arizona, said he suspects the
survey was a botched attempt to smear marijuana legalization efforts.

"What this shows is that drug use has nothing to do with the medical
marijuana initiatives," Vagenas said.

Noting that Californians recorded below-average drug abuse even after years
of pot promotions, he added, "I think it's a shame that the government is
spending millions of dollars to promote their propaganda."

Among state leaders, only Attorney General Grant Woods seemed to accept the
federal survey results without question. He said that it's one more example
of how Arizona fares "extremely poorly in virtually every category relating
to children."

Woods said the state typically ranks among the worst in juvenile suicides,
delinquency, pregnancies, deaths and funding.

"I don't think it should be a surprise when you look at another negative
category and we're where we don't want to be," he added.

The assistant director of -TERROS -- an alcohol, drug and mental health
agency -- agreed that Friday's drug figures are supported by street
experience.

"Our adolescent groups are quite full," Cathy Torrez-Paddack said. "I know
one thing that accounts for large numbers of teen drug users is the many
homeless kids who are in Arizona."

Torrez-Paddack said the state is a magnet for homeless children.

"I suppose the mild weather draws them," she said. "They are hurting and
they use drugs to medicate those feelings, to numb themselves."

Torrez-Paddack said another factor involved in the high drug use among
Arizona teenagers is the proximity to the border with Mexico and the
subsequent high level of narcotics trafficking.

"The availability here is very great; most drugs are quite easy to get,"
she said.

In fact, the survey also showed that Arizona youth are less likely to
perceive risks in taking drugs, and more likely to have access.

Teenagers interviewed Friday seemed to confirm that finding.

Sam Garcia, a Camelback High senior, said it's part of the scene.

"Drugs are all over and easy if people want them . . . which I don't. A lot
of kids do it because they want to be accepted in a certain group," he
said. "Some get involved, of course to make money. I know a 16-year-old
girl who sells crystal speed and gets a lot of customers."

Slahub, the Paradise Valley High student, added: "The big dopers at our
school mostly keep to themselves, hang out at lunch at the back tables in
the cafeteria. The meth freaks are rail-skinny and people say, "those kids
are tweakers.'

"There's a park close to school and you can see high schoolers exchanging
bags. If you know who to talk to, it's easy. Those of us who don't do
drugs, we're the nerds."

Authorities said they know of no national drug surveys that contain
state-by-state comparisons.

Arizona's Criminal Justice Commission conducts a biannual poll of substance
abuse among students, and those surveys suggest an even higher rate of use
than the federal report. But that data is not comparable because it covers
a different age range and methodology.

For instance, the 1997 Arizona survey shows that one in four high school
students interviewed last year had smoked dope in the previous month. Six
years earlier, one in eight had answered "yes."

Holgerson, the executive director, said classroom surveys are more accurate
than federal polls in homes where juveniles might be nervous about
admitting drug use in the presence of parents.

What makes that really scary, he added, is that the school survey doesn't
even count dropouts who are much more likely to use drugs.

***

Dennis Wagner can be reached at dennis.wagner@pni.com via e-mail or at
1-602-444-8874. Republic writer William Hermann contributed to this article.

Copyright 1998, The Arizona Republic

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

State Says Jail Population Increases Again
(According To 'The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel,' A Report
From The Wisconsin Office Of Justice Assistance Says More Than A Third
Of County Jails Were Full Or Overcrowded As The Inmate Population Increased
To 11,000 Last Year - The Newspaper Omits A Percentage For The Increase
But Barron County Sheriff Jerry Johnson Said, 'I Can Tell You That It's A Trend
That Isn't Going To Go Away')

Date: Sat, 22 Aug 1998 07:32:55 -0700
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: US WI: State Says Jail Population Increases Again
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: compassion23@geocities.com (Frank S. World)
Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (WI)
Contact: jsedit@onwis.com
Website: http://www.jsonline.com/
Pubdate: 22 Aug 1998
Fax: (414) 224-8280

STATE SAYS JAIL POPULATION INCREASES AGAIN

MADISON, Wis. (AP) -- More than a third of Wisconsin's county jails were
full or overcrowded as the inmate population increased to 11,000 last year,
a state agency said Friday.

Reasons for the increase include more crimes that require a mandatory jail
sentence, more arrests, and more people having their parole or probation
revoked, according to a report from the state Office of Justice Assistance.

Judges are sending more serious criminals to jails rather than state
prisons, because the prisons also are overcrowded, said Tom Everson, a
spokesman for the office.

"The days of jails holding shoplifters and town drunks are pretty much
over," Everson said.

State law allows the Department of Corrections to use jails temporarily for
probation and parole violators.

The increase continues a trend of larger jail populations since the office
began keeping records in 1988. Last year, the average population was
10,038, about double the 1988 figure, according to the report, which was
compiled from surveys sent to Wisconsin sheriffs.

The report also said 29 out of 71 county jails are full or have more
inmates than what they were designed to hold. Some of those counties
include Brown, Dodge, Eau Claire, Juneau, Milwaukee, Racine, and Sheboygan,
according to the report.

Marty Ordinans, who heads the county jail inspection office at the state
Department of Corrections, says about 40 counties are building or planning
to build more jail space.

Wisconsin's county jails will be able to hold between 4,000 and 6,000 more
prisoners within two to four years, Ordinans said.

However, Barron County Sheriff Jerry Johnson said he expects the numbers to
increase more in the future and doubts if new jail space will be ready in
time.

"I can tell you that it's a trend that isn't going to go away," Johnson said.

Up to 80 inmates are in the Barron County jail that is designed to hold 52,
Johnson said.

That means inmates have to be paired up in cells, which can become tricky
because jail officials don't want to put hardened criminals together with
first-time offenders, Johnson said.

"It's kind of a nightmare in figuring out how to house these folks at
times," Johnson said.

Often, Johnson said he and his deputies have to ship inmates to jails in
other counties, costing taxpayers $50 to $65 a day for each inmate.

In Milwaukee County, jail officials also are doubling up inmates in cells
designed for one, and there is even a waiting list for people trying to get
in a jail work-release program, said Inspector Mark Warichak, who runs the
jail.

The crowding also is a burden to people who work at the jail because of
increased tensions, Warichak said.

"It's loud, it's crowded, and its more difficult to deal with the inmates,"
Warichak said. "It makes our jobs harder to do."

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

Two People Charged With Growing Marijuana Near Police Station
(A Cautionary Tale From 'The Associated Press' Says Deborah J. Bouchez
And Jason J. Heacock Were Arrested Friday After A Snitch Telephoned Police
About Three Small Marijuana Plants On Their Back Porch, Less Than 100 Yards
From The Police Headquarters In Winsted, Connecticut)

From: "W.H.E.N. - Bob Owen" (when@olywa.net)
To: "-News" (when@hemp.net)
Subject: Two charged with growing MJ near police station
Date: Sat, 22 Aug 1998 19:01:36 -0700
Sender: owner-when@hemp.net

Two people charged with growing marijuana near police station
Associated Press, 08/22/98 13:04

WINSTED, Conn. (AP) - Police who arrested two suspected marijuana growers
did not have to go far.

Deborah J. Bouchez and Jason J. Heacock were arrested Friday on charges they
grew three, 3-foot-high marijuana plants on their back porch, less than 100
yards from the town's police headquarters.

Police seized the plants, eight ounces of marijuana, almost an ounce of
packaged marijuana, pipes and potting soil.

Sgt. Paul Campi said he was about to sit down to his lunch when he got a tip
from a telephone caller.

``The voice at the other end of the line just said, 'Go outside to your
parking lot and look at the building next door,''' Campi said. ``So that's
what I did, and I couldn't believe what I saw.''

Bouchez, 44, and Heacock, 19, were charged with growing marijuana,
possessing more than four ounces of marijuana and possessing drug
paraphernalia. They were released on $1,500 bond each and were scheduled to
appear Aug. 31 in Bantam Superior Court.

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

Drug Use Among Teens Rose In 1997, Survey Finds
(Another Slightly Different 'Associated Press' Version
In 'The Chicago Tribune')

Date: Sun, 23 Aug 1998 14:28:20 -0700
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: US: WA: Wire: Drug Use
Among Teens Rose In '97, Survey Finds
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: Steve Young (theyoungfamily@worldnet.att.net)
Pubdate: 22 Aug 1998
Source: Chicago Tribune (IL)
Contact: tribletter@aol.com
Website: http://www.chicago.tribune.com/
Author: Associated Press

DRUG USE AMONG TEENS ROSE IN '97, SURVEY FINDS

WASHINGTON -- Drug use by young people increased last year, led by rising
marijuana smoking among teenagers who view it as a low-risk "soft drug,"
according to a government survey Friday.

Among those ages 12 to 17, 11.4 percent reported using some illicit drug
within the last month when they were surveyed last year, compared with 9
percent in 1996. The drug of choice among the group was marijuana, with 9.4
percent using it last year. In 1996, 7.1 percent had reported using
marijuana.

The annual National Household Survey on Drug Abuse reported that the number
of teens using heroin held steady last year. Among 12- to 17-year-olds, only
0.2 percent said they had used heroin within the last month of being
surveyed, the same number as in 1996.

The number of first-time heroin users, however, was at an all-time high in
the last year for which numbers were available, 1996. Preliminary numbers
indicate 171,000 teens used heroin for the first time in 1996, up from the
117,000 who tried it in 1995.

The number of first-time users of marijuana was estimated at 2.54 million in
1996, up from 2.41 million in 1995.

Marijuana is popular because many teens don't see it as dangerous, said
Health and Human Services Secretary Donna Shalala.

Shalala traced the relaxed attitude to parents.

"How many have known parents who actually are relieved when they find out
that their children are using marijuana as opposed to heroin or cocaine?"
Shalala asked. "The perception of this country is that marijuana safe, that
it's a soft drug."

Parents need to inform their children that marijuana is dangerous, that it
can impair learning and memory, she said. They also must be more aware of
the attitude they send to their kids about drugs.

"How can we expect young people in this country to resist the lure of
marijuana if the parent is transmitting messages that marijuana is OK?" she
asked.

The survey, an annual snapshot of illegal drug use in the nation, was
conducted throughout last year by interviews with 24,500 people in their
homes.

Despite the increase in teen drug use, the overall use of illegal drugs in
the country remained steady last year. About 14 million people, 6.4 percent
of the population, said they used drugs last year. The overall rate of drug
use in 1996 was 6.1 percent.

Drug use among adults has been stable for years, and last year's figure is
slightly more than half the peak year in 1979, when there were 25 million
users.

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

Judge Wants More Data On Marijuana As Medicine ('The Calgary Herald' Version)

Date: Sat, 22 Aug 1998 11:13:23 -0700
Subject: Canada: Judge wants more data on marijuana as medicine
From: "Debra Harper" (daystar@shaw.wave.ca)
To: mattalk (mattalk@listserv.islandnet.com)
Newshawk: daystar@shaw.wave.ca
Source: Calgary Herald
Contact : letters@theherald.southam.ca
Pubdate: Aug.22/98
Author: Daryl Slade

Judge wants more data on marijuana as medicine

A judge wants to hear more evidence on the medical use of marijuana before
sentencing a 44-year -old man for trafficking the drug last year.

³Given the importance of a number of issues in the sentencing matter, I want
to give the defence an opportunity to put everything they can before the
court,² said Judge Robert Davie before adjourning Grant Kriegerıs case to
Oct.19.

It was the second time in the past week the case has been delayed in
provincial court.

Krieger, of Preeceville, Sask., who has been smoking marijuana for four
years and says it moderates his multiple sclerosis symptoms, is fighting to
have the drug legalized for medical purposes.

He was arrested and charged in July 1997 after he lit up a joint in front of
a Calgary court house.

At the time he told reporters and police he planned to give some marijuana
to another man in an intentional effort to bring the issue before the public
eye.

Krieger, who was supported in court by his daughter Lindsay and son Grant
and other friends, said that before he started smoking pot he was bedridden
and once attempted suicide.

He is now able to walk without canes, jogs and does many other activities he
previously was unable to do.

Adriano Iovinelli, Kriegerıs lawyer, said outside court the judge made it
clear the case has national, if not international significance. But, he
added, he could not say specifically what new information will be presented
at the next hearing.

³All I can say is this case goes way beyond Mr. Krieger,² said Iovinelli.
³It affects people who suffer from MS and want to use marijuana, and people
who have never even considered using marijuana. It has become a national
issue and there are a lot of eyes on it.²

Iovinelli said there is difficulty obtaining evidence of the drugıs
medicinal benefits, and hinted an expert may be brought in to testify.

He has found papers written on the subject and knows of some doctors who
have advised patients to use marijuana for their pain, but said there is a
great difficulty in getting any medical professional to testify in court
since the drug is illegal.

Iovinelli earlier argued that his client should be fined and not be jailed,
while Crown prosecutor Stephanie Torske argued for a ³short, sharp² sentence
of 14 to 30 days. Torske said a deterrent message must be sent to the public
that Krieger is not a medical practitioner and should not be distributing
marijuana as medicine.

Krieger said a jail sentence does not scare him and he will continue to use
the drug to assist his health. But he declined to say whether he would
continue to distribute it to others with health problems in the interim.

³It has provided me a much better quality of life. I got the public
interested in this, because I feel itıs a valuable medicine,² said Krieger.

³Itıs a very important issue that must be addressed and Iım in it for the
long term. I already have a life sentence over my head because of my
illness, so itıs well worth it.²

Krieger also stressed he does not plan to use any chemical forms of the
drug, such as Marinol, because the chemicals in his body are already out of
balance and it would throw them further out of whack.

Federal Justice Minister Anne McLellan has said the issue merits a close
look and officials from her department and Health Canada have formed a
committee to examine what might be done to accommodate those using pot for
medical reasons.

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

Judge Holds Off ('The Lethbridge Herald' Version)

Date: Sat, 22 Aug 1998 12:55:03
To: Mattalk@islandnet.com
From: Kathy galbraith (drkate1@telusplanet.net)
Subject: Leth Herald:Judge holds off..

The Lethbridge Herald
Saturday, Aug.22

Calgary - An Alberta judge has again delalyed sentencing a Saskatchewan
man convicted of trafficking marijuana, saying he wants more information
on the medical use of the drug.

Grant Kreiger, who has multiple sclerosis, wants marijuana legalized
because he says it moderates some of his symptoms.

Krieger, 44, was arrested over a year ago for sparking up a joint
in a protest outside a Calgary courthouse over the issue.

The former salesman from Preeceville, Sask., also admitted giving
another man marijuana, which brought about the trafficking charge.

Krieger's lawyer, Adriano Iovinelli, said Friday that provincial
court Judge Robert Davie wanted to hear more expert testimony on the
case- one of several now smoldering in the courts across Canada.

"The court needs some more information and more time before deciding
this," said Iovinelli. "The court was very clear that this case has
national, if not international, significance."

Krieger claims marijuana has radically improved his quality of life
since he began smoking it in 1994.

Before puffing pot, he attempted suicide because he was largely
crippled by MS, he said. He now walks without canes, jogs and enjoys many
other activities once denied to him.

Krieger wants to see a safe supply of marijuana distributed by the
federal government to those who need it for medical purposes.

Despite Krieger's claims, the National Institute of Health in the
United States says there is only lilmited anecdotal evidence that marijuana
helps relieve spasticity produced by MS.

Crown prosecutor Stefne Torske has asked for a "short, sharp" sentence
of between 14 and 30 days for Krieger, a first-time offender.

Krieger will be back in court on Oct. 19, at which time Iovinelli
said more information about the medical uses for marijuana will be presented.

"If it's a light sentence, it could propel the cause or a harsher
sentence could stomp it out," said Iovinelli.

"It's obvious the federal Department of Justice has some big concerns
about the case."

An Ontario man, Terry Parker, was granted a constitutional exemption
last year allowing him to smoke marijuana tohelp control his epileptic
seizures.

That ruling is now being appealed. Jim Wakeford, an Ontario man who has
AIDS, is seeking a similar exemption.

"I'm in this for the long term; I'm hoping for the best," said
Krieger, who has pledged to continue smoking pot no matter what the court
rules.

"This issue has become bigger than me and that's what I intended."

Federal Justice Minister Anne McLellan has said the issue merits a
close look.

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

Canadian Media Addresses (A List Subscriber Posts A Collection
Of E-Mail Addresses For Major Canadian Newspapers, Who Want To Hear
Your Thoughts About The Grant Krieger Case)

From: creator@islandnet.com (Matt Elrod)
To: mattalk@listserv.islandnet.com
Subject: Canadian Media Addresses
Date: Sat, 22 Aug 1998 18:11:12 -0700
Lines: 57

Here's an updated list of most of the major papers in Canada, and a few
smaller ones, suitable for pasting into a Bcc: field.

Thanks to Alan Randell for finding a few bad addresses in the previous
version.

buzz@isn.net (BuzzON),
letters@theherald.southam.ca (Calgary Herald),
callet@sunpub.com (Calgary Sun),
cp@canpress.ca (Canadian Press),
siteseer@cwconnect.ca (Chatham Daily News),
Joanne.Burghardt@durhamnews.net (Durham News),
letters@thejournal.southam.ca (Edmonton Journal Extra),
sun.letters@ccinet.ab.ca (Edmonton Sun),
letters@finpost.com (Financial Post),
letters@globeandmail.ca (Globe and Mail),
bowes@telusplanet.net (Grande Prairie Daily Herald-Tribune),
letterstoeditor@hfxnews.southam.ca (Halifax Daily News),
newsroom@herald.ns.ca (Halifax Herald),
letters@spectator.southam.ca (Hamilton Spectator),
kamnews@wkpowerlink.com (Kamloops Daily News),
recordletters@southam.ca (Ketchener-Waterloo Record),
Kinwhig@southam.ca (Kingston Whig-Standard),
lherald@lis.ab.ca (Lethbridge Herald),
letters@lfpress.com (London Free Press),
letters@macleans.ca (Maclean's Magazine),
judyh@io.org (Mississagua News),
letters@thegazette.southam.ca (Montreal Gazette),
tjetg@nbnet.nb.ca (New Brunswick Telegraph Journal),
letters@eveningtelegram.com (Newfoundland Evening Telegram),
review@niagara.com (Niagara Falls Review),
editor@nsnews.com (North Shore News),
xasore@ssimicro.com (Northern News),
cybered@ok.bc.ca (The Okanagan),
letters@thecitizen.southam.ca (Ottawa Citizen),
hilltimes@achilles.net (Ottawa Hill Times),
editor@sunpub.com (Ottawa Sun),
citizen@netbistro.com (Prince George Citizen),
leadpt@sk.sympatico.ca (Regina Leader-Post),
dan.carr@leader-post.sk.ca (Saskatchewan Leader-Post),
doug.lcombe@saskstar.sk.ca (Saskatchewan Star Phoenix),
ssmstar@southam.ca (The Sault Star),
scarmir@metrodiv.com (Scarborough Mirror),
tbeditor@mail.procom.net (Thunder Bay Post),
LetterToEd@thestar.com (Toronto Star),
editor@sunpub.com (Toronto Sun),
rshore@vanecho.com (Vancouver Echo),
provedpg@pacpress.southam.ca (Vancouver Province),
sunletters@pacpress.southam.ca (Vancouver Sun),
vicstar@atcon.com (Victoria Standard),
timesc@interlink.bc.ca (Victoria Times Colonist),
letters@win.southam.ca (Windsor Star),
letters@freepress.mb.ca (Winnipeg Free Press),
steverob@yknet.yk.ca (Yukon News)

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[End]