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

57 Fails - KATU Declares! (A Salem, Oregon, list subscriber says KATU-2,
Portland's ABC affiliate, has declared Measure 57 a loser, meaning marijuana
will remain decriminalized in Oregon.)

Date: Tue, 03 Nov 1998 20:55:21 -0800
From: Paul Freedom (nepal@teleport.com)
Organization: Oregon Libertarian Patriots
To: Cannabis Patriots (Cannabis-Patriots-L@teleport.com)
Subject: CanPat - 57 Fails-KATU-Declares!
Sender: owner-cannabis-patriots-l@smtp.teleport.com

Ballot Measure 57 Fails-KATU-Declares!
Cannabis will NOT be recriminalized in Oregon!
Now on to legalization!

PF

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

Measure 67! KATU Projects a Winner (A late-night correspondent
says Portland's ABC affiliate has also called the Oregon Medical Marijuana
Act a winner.)

Date: Tue, 03 Nov 1998 23:47:45 -0800
From: Paul Freedom (nepal@teleport.com)
Organization: Oregon Libertarian Patriots
To: Cannabis Patriots (Cannabis-Patriots-L@teleport.com)
Subject: CanPat - Measure 67! KATU Projects a winner-57 fails!
Sender: owner-cannabis-patriots-l@smtp.teleport.com

Measure 67! KATU Projects a winner by the pollster
Tim Hibbetts. So we have defeated 57 and won 67!
Now it's time to finish the job! Thanks to all who helped
and voted! Measure 67 allows medical marijuana
and 57 would have recriminalized cannabis. We
successfully defeated the draconian legislatures bad law 57.
Think of all the time and money that could have gone to
better things.

for victory!
Paul Freedom

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

Oregonians for Medical Rights Toll Free Hotline (Have a question
about the Oregon Medical Marijuana Act? Call the sponsors of Measure 67
beginning Thursday at 1-877-600-6767.)

From: "Rick Bayer" (ricbayer@teleport.com)
To: "Dpfor@Drugsense. Org" (dpfor@drugsense.org)
Subject: Oregonians for Medical Rights Toll Free Hotline
Date: Tue, 3 Nov 1998 15:01:42 -0800

Friends

I was just informed by Oregonians for Medical Rights (OMR) campaign
mgr., Geoff Sugerman, that starting Thursday, November 5, there will be
a toll free hotline. One can call 1-877-600-6767, ask questions, and
get answers about the Oregon Medical Marijuana Act. The calls will be
answered by OMR staff (i.e. not me because the campaign office is in
Salem and I live in Portland). Thank you Geoff and Amy and OMR for
providing this service.

Before November 5, the campaign office number for OMR/Measure 67/Oregon
Medical Marijuana Act remains 1-503-371-4711 (Salem, Oregon) and my home
phone number (Portland, Oregon) is below. The website
http://www.teleport.com/~omr will still exist until next Spring (i.e.
until the bill becomes due again). Everyone is free to download
anything from the website and use it on their own website (for example,
the medical marijuana bibliography). I couldn't care less whether
anyone gives me credit for anything on the website so you can chop off
the "webmaster" stuff and my comments after some of the articles that I
posted (the Vinciguerra and Chang articles). All is ask is that you use
the information to help promote the rights of patients. Maybe Bob
Kiselosky and Ed Glick or maybe Phil Smith and PDXNORML or maybe Sandee
Burbank and M.A.M.A. want to add the mmj biblio, etc. to their sites
Thanks to everyone.

Sincerely,

Rick Bayer
6800 SW Canyon Drive
Portland, OR 97225
503-292-1035 (voice)
503-297-0754 (fax)
mailto:ricbayer@teleport.com

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

Man killed defending 60 pot plants (The Associated Press doesn't seem
to consider that, thanks to Oregon's Draconian marijuana cultivation laws,
63-year-old Lewis Stanley McClendon may have had reason to believe
he was about to be hauled off to prison for the rest of his life.)

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

Man killed defending 60 pot plants

The Associated Press
11/3/98 3:05 AM

TILLER, Ore. (AP) -- A suspected marijuana grower who opened fire on
officers and died in the ensuing gunfight gave his life in defense of 60 pot
plants, authorities said.

The plants, each up to 8 feet tall, were found on 63-year-old Lewis Stanley
McClendon's rural southern Oregon property after the investigation into
Friday's shootout, which left two deputies injured.

McClendon came out firing a .357-Magnum handgun when a team of narcotics
officers came to serve a search his home and barn about 17 miles northeast
of Tiller, authorities said.

Douglas County sheriff's deputies Coy Kratz and Jeff Admire were shot before
they could even get out of their squad cars. Kratz was hospitalized in fair
condition with bullet wounds to his legs.

Admire was released from the hospital Saturday after being treated for a
wound to the leg and a deep bruise to his chest, where a bullet struck his
flak jacket.

Little information about McClendon, who also made music boxes, was available
Monday, although a police mugshot on file indicates he was known to authorities.

The officers had reports there was an indoor marijuana-growing operation at
McClendon's residence.

(c)1998 Oregon Live LLC

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

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

Corrections officials say prison system stretched to limit after suicides
(The Associated Press says four suicides in the past two months by prisoners
of the state of Oregon have stretched mental-health-care employees at the
Oregon Department of Corrections to the limit. In the last 11 months,
prisoners whom the state deems mentally ill in the 8,500-inmate system
climbed from 13.5 percent to 17.2 percent, or almost one of every five
incarcerated.)

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

Corrections officials say prison system stretched to limit after suicides

The Associated Press
11/3/98 4:05 PM

SALEM, Ore. (AP) -- Four prison suicides in the past two months have
stretched mental health care workers to the limit in a state prison system
overloaded with mentally ill inmates, officials say.

"We continue to work hard to prevent suicides. However, it is becoming more
and more difficult," said Gary Field, administrator of Corrections
Department mental health programs.

In the last 11 months, mental health cases in the 8,500-inmate prison system
climbed from 13.5 percent to 17.2 percent, or almost one of every five inmates.

"We think that the general public needs to be aware of it," Field said. "I
don't know that we have all the solutions."

Advocates for the mentally ill say a growing number don't meet the narrow
criteria making them eligible for psychiatric care in communities. As a
result, more people with untreated psychiatric problems are committing crimes.

Multnomah County, the state's most populous county, is fueling the trend
this year. Of 294 new admissions to the mental health caseload in Oregon
prisons between January and June, 134 came from Multnomah County.

The surge of mentally troubled inmates is straining the system not only
because of sheer numbers but also because case managers are dealing with
more symptoms -- everything from hallucinations to drug-induced psychoses.

"The acuity, or the degree, of mental illness also is going up," Field said.
"We can't prove it, but it's a pretty common perception among our staff."

The chain of suicides started Aug. 30, when Stanley Reger, 50, hanged
himself with a bedsheet in his general population cell at the Oregon State
Penitentiary.

Reger was a convicted killer who began serving a life sentence from
Deschutes County in 1976. His suicide came less than two weeks after he
graduated from a nine-month program designed to help mentally ill inmates
live in mainstream prison populations.

His mother, Joan Nemchick of Stayton, said her son took anti-psychotic
medication to control paranoid schizophenia. When the 6-8, 250-pound inmate
skipped his medications, he perceived himself threatened by various enemies,
she said.

In a letter to Nemchick dated Aug. 29, Reger told of being frightened upon
returning to his general population cell, located on the penitentiary's D Block.

"I'm still pretty scared and they are still yelling at me the word `RAT' and
threatening to kill me -- so I guess I'm not dead yet," he wrote.

The second suicide came on Sept. 27 when John Norris, 31, hanged himself
with a bedsheet in a disciplinary cell at the penitentiary. The next day,
Solomon Abernathy, 21, was found hanging in a disciplinary cell at the
Eastern Oregon Correctional Institution near Pendleton.

The fourth suicide victim, Loretta Hill, 26, had a history of
self-destructive behavior. She was found hanging in her cell at the Oregon
Women's Correctional Center at 9:40 p.m. Saturday.

In addition to harming herself, Hill sometimes lashed out at other inmates.
In 1995, she attacked an inmate with a razor blade. In March, while locked
up at the Columbia River Correctional Institution, she put a padlock in a
sock and pounded another inmate who was sleeping.

But unlike Hill, the hangings of Reger, Norris and Abernathy surprised
prison staff because none had showed signs of depression or self-destructive
behavior, said Field, who investigates every prison suicide.

"In each case, I really don't see any fault by any of our staff in terms of
the protocols we have set up to identify and manage suicide potential," he
said. "In each case, the individual did not give off the kinds of cues we
look for."

(c)1998 Oregon Live LLC

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

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

Judge rules search lawful in fatal shooting (The Associated Press
says Multnomah County Circuit Judge Linda Bergman ruled Monday
that members of the Marijuana Task Force who broke down the door
of Portland resident Steven Dons without a warrant were conducting a legal
search of a suspected marijuana growing operation when an officer was killed
in a shootout last January. Dons died mysteriously in police custody, but his
roommate, Jeffrey Moore, 45, was scheduled for trial Tuesday on drug and
child endangerment charges because he allegedly knew about Dons' marijuana
and guns and allowed his two children, then 7 and 9, near them during a visit.)

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

Judge rules search lawful in fatal shooting

The Associated Press
11/3/98 3:11 AM

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- A judge has ruled that police were conducting a legal
search of a suspected marijuana growing operation when an officer was killed
in a shootout last January.

Prosecutors said that police broke down a door because Steven Dons started
burning marijuana plants that could be used as evidence. Dons fired an
assault rifle, killing Officer Colleen Waibel and seriously wounding Officer
Kim Keist. Sgt. Jim Hudson suffered a minor wound.

Dons was paralyzed from the waist down in the gunfire and killed himself in
his Justice Center jail cell a month later.

Dons' roommate, Jeffrey Moore, 45, was scheduled for trial Tuesday on drug
and child endangerment charges. He allegedly allowed his two children, then
7 and 9, to be near drugs, guns and ammunition in the house during a visit.

An attorney for Moore, who rented the house, tried to have evidence thrown
out, saying officers left out critical information when they sought a search
warrant. But Multnomah County Circuit Judge Linda Bergman ruled Monday the
omissions were not intentional or material.

Police say the ruling vindicates their actions that day and their use of
"knock-and-talks," a technique to obtain owner's consent to search a
property or establish probable cause for a search warrant of suspected
marijuana grow operations.

During the raid, Moore was at Mount Hood Community College, where he worked
as a computer network specialist.

Meanwhile, Keist, who has been on leave since the shooting, returned to work
Monday in the Drugs and Vice Division.

(c)1998 Oregon Live LLC

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

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

Judge finds officers lawful in search (The Oregonian version also does not
explain why someone who allegedly had 51 marijuana plants would try to burn
the wet greenery in a little wood stove, a process that would take days, even
with enough fuel to keep the fire burning, and would permeate the whole
neighborhood with an unmistakable odor. The judge in Portland also apparently
never heard of the "poison fruit" doctrine, since prohibition agents first
became interested in Steven Dons while violating a legal settlement in which
they had agreed to stop monitoring customers of American Agriculture,
the hydroponics store at Southeast 92nd Avenue and Stark Street.)

The Oregonian
letters to editor:
letters@news.oregonian.com
1320 SW Broadway
Portland, OR 97201
Web: http://www.oregonlive.com/

Judge finds officers lawful in search

* Police tell what led to the search of a suspected
marijuana-growing operation in SE Portland that ended in a
fatal shootout

Tuesday, November 3 1998

By David R. Anderson
of The Oregonian staff

A judge ruled Monday that Portland police acted lawfully
when they tried to search a Southeast Portland house where
one officer died and two were wounded in a shootout.

During motions on evidence issues, officers with the
Marijuana Task Force said they first suspected a
marijuana-growing operation in Jeffery Harlan Moore's house
after following a car there from a store that sells
plant-growing equipment.

Moore's trial on drug and child endangerment charges starts
today.

An attorney for Moore, 45, who rented the house, tried to
have evidence thrown out, saying officers left out critical
information when they sought a search warrant. But
Multnomah County Circuit Judge Linda Bergman ruled the
omissions were not intentional or material.

Police say the ruling vindicates their actions that day and their
use of "knock-and-talks," a technique to obtain owner's
consent to search a property or establish probable cause for a
search warrant of suspected marijuana grow operations.

Prosecutors say Moore's roommate, Steven D. Dons, started
burning marijuana plants when officers showed up at the
house at 2612 S.E. 111th Ave. on Jan. 27. When police broke
in the front door after thinking Dons was burning evidence,
Dons fired an assault rifle, killing Officer Colleen Waibel and
injuring Officer Kim Keist and Sgt. Jim Hudson. Dons was
paralyzed from the waist down in the gunfire and killed
himself in his Justice Center jail cell a month later.

Keist, who has been on leave since the shooting, returned to
work Monday in the Drugs and Vice Division. She declined
to comment further.

Officers with the Marijuana Task Force testified Monday that
they first became suspicious about the house Oct. 10, 1997.
They were on surveillance of American Agriculture, 9220
S.E. Stark St., which sells plant-growing equipment such as
halide lights that are often found in marijuana grow
operations.

Two people drove up in a black Chevy Camaro and went
inside the store. They came out about 10 minutes later with
growing equipment they put into the car. Police photographed
and videotaped them.

Police then followed the car to a Southeast Portland nursery
and to the house on Southeast 111th. Police did not talk to
anyone at the house that day but began a file on the location,
Officers Brian Schmautz and Nathan Shropshire testified.

American Agriculture had filed a lawsuit against the city and
the Police Bureau in October 1995, claiming police slandered
the store and intentionally interfered in their business
relations. In May 1997, the city and American Agriculture
Inc. settled. The company dismissed its suit in exchange for
the city agreeing that police would no longer conduct overt
surveillance, which might scare away customers.

Moore's attorney, Lynne Morgan, said police did not include
that information in a probable cause affidavit in trying to get a
search warrant and violated the settlement by photographing
and following customers.

Officers also did not say in the affidavit that they had stopped
at the house Dec. 10 and smelled no marijuana.

On Jan. 27, officers stopped at the house shortly before 11
a.m. Schmautz, Shropshire and Oregon State Police
Detective Tom McCartney went to the front door. At first
only Schmautz smelled growing marijuana, he said. They left,
but Schmautz wanted to try again. The second time, all three
smelled it, and they sought a search warrant, he said.

Again, Morgan said the officers should have mentioned in the
affidavit that only Schmautz had smelled marijuana the first
time.

Morgan also said the officers failed to mention that earlier
Jan. 27 they had seized a marijuana-growing operation with
about 100 plants, which could have explained why they still
smelled marijuana.

But Jim McIntyre, a senior deputy district attorney, told the
judge the officers statements were true, and they acted in
good faith.

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

I-692 declared a 'W' (A bulletin from Americans for Medical Rights
says KIRO in Seattle, citing exit polls, has called Initiative 692,
the Washington state medical marijuana ballot measure, a winner.)

Date: Tue, 3 Nov 1998 20:07:01 -0800 (PST)
To: AMR coordinators: ";AMR/updates list":;
From: Dave Fratello (amr@lainet.com)
Subject: WA - I-692 declared a 'W'

KIRO News in Seattle has declared Initiative 692 a winner based on exit
polling. The numbers they had were 60% yes, 40% no.

- df

***

Reply-To: "Allison Bigelow" (whc@cnw.com)
From: "Allison Bigelow" (whc@cnw.com)
To: "hemp-talk list" (hemp-talk@hemp.net)
Subject: HT: I-692 Passes!
Date: Tue, 3 Nov 1998 20:21:03 -0800
Sender: owner-hemp-talk@hemp.net

Hey all,

Just got the word on ABC election coverage that I-692 passed with a 61% vote!
YeeHah! Congratulations to all!

Love,
Allison

***

Subject: HT: Congratulations!
Date: Tue, 3 Nov 98 22:02:20 -0800
From: YES on 692 (cdpr@eventure.com)
To: "Hemp Talk" (hemp-talk@hemp.net)
Sender: owner-hemp-talk@hemp.net

Hi All...

Just a quick note to say congrats to all of you for this victory! This
has been a hard fought battle, and we in Washington can be proud of all
the work that we have been able to accomplish...

My mind continues to go towards Ralph Seeley, and this win, for me, is
dedicated to him...

I am proud to have been a part of this effort, and to worked with so many
of you...

Timothy W. Killian

Campaign Manager
Initiative 692

Washington Citizens for Medical Rights

***

em: cdpr@eventure.com
url: http://www.eventure.com/I692

***

Postal Box 2346
Seattle, WA 98111
ph: 206.781-7716
fx: 206.324.3101

***

hemp-talk - hemp-talk@hemp.net is a discussion/information
list about hemp politics in Washington State. To unsubscribe, send
e-mail to majordomo@hemp.net with the text "unsubscribe hemp-talk".
For more details see http://www.hemp.net/lists.html

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

Marvin Chavez Trial This Week (A local correspondent covers the trial
beginning this week of the founder of the Orange County Patient-Doctor-Nurse
Support Group. On Tuesday, Judge Frank Fasel transferred the case to Judge
Kazuharu Nakino, who rejected a defense motion to disqualify the prosecutor,
Deputy District Attorney Carl Armbrust, and then transferred the case
to Judge Thomas J. Borris. Judge Borris will hear arguments to allow
a 215 defense tomorrow. A jury will be selected Thursday morning, and the
trial will begin Thursday afternoon. The trial is expected to last seven
days.)

From: FilmMakerZ@aol.com
Date: Tue, 3 Nov 1998 22:21:36 EST
To: "DRCTalk Reformers' Forum" (drctalk@drcnet.org)
Subject: Marvin Chavez Trial This Week
Reply-To: drctalk@drcnet.org
Sender: owner-drctalk@drcnet.org

Marvin Chavez is in court this week for charges of "sales" of cannabis after
giving it away to confirmed medical patients under Proposition 215. On
Monday, defense attorneys David Nick and James Silva filed a motion to have DA
prosecutor Carl Armbrust removed because of biased remarks he has made to the
media. Armbrust has written a letter to the editor in the Orange County
Register denouncing medical marijuana advocates and has called Chavez a "pot
peddler." Armbrust asked for a day to respond.

On Tuesday, Judge Frank Fasel transferred the case to Judge Kazuharu Nakino
because he is in the midst of a three week trial. Judge Nakino heard the
motion to have Armbrust removed. He questioned why the motion wasn't filed
sooner in a timely fashion and why it wasn't filed with the Attorney General.
Silva and Nick responded that they only found out about Armbrust's remarks a
few days earlier and that they filed it as soon as they found out. Judge
Nakino felt that wasn't good enough and denied the motion. He then had the
case transferred again out of the Santa Ana courthouse altogether to Judge
Thomas J. Borris at the Westminster courthouse.

Judge Borris is a former defense attorney, which could help Chavez's chances
of receiving a fair trial in Orange County, the heart of the anti-215 crusade.
Judge Borris said he would reconsider the denial of a 215 defense for Chavez.
He said all judges are different individuals with different opinions, and
since he was the judge on the case now, he would hear arguments himself
considering the 215 defense. Included in his decision will be a decision on a
motion by Armbrust to exclude any reference to Proposition 215, including
records and receipts of the Orange County Cannabis Co-Op.

Armbrust withheld confiscated Co-Op donation receipts from the defense until a
couple of weeks ago, on the eve of the trial, causing the hearing to be
delayed so Chavez's attorneys could have time to look over all the receipts.

David Nick asked Borris to issue a gag order to prevent Armbrust from speaking
to the media during the trial to prevent him from making further biased
remarks. Borris asked Armbrust if he was going to be holding press
conferences outside the courtroom, and Armbrust said he was not, so Borris did
not issue a gag order. He said if the issue comes up later in the trial, he
could readdress it.

Judge Borris will hear arguments to allow a 215 defense tomorrow, Wednesday,
November 4, at 1:30 pm. Jury will be selected Thursday morning, and the trial
will begin Thursday afternoon. The trial is expected to last seven days.

HOW YOU CAN HELP:

If you live in the area, you can come to the hearing at the Westminster court,
8141 13th Street, Westminster, CA, Department 16, second floor.

If you are able, you can make a donation to help with defense costs. Make
checks out and send to:

Orange County Patient-Doctor-Nurse Support Group
P.O. Box 6826
Santa Ana, CA 92706

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

Island Voters Support Pot for Medical Uses - Poll (According to The Hawaii
Tribune Herald, a public opinion poll carried out for 'Ohana Aloha, an
organization of "religious and medical practitioners of cannabis," says
voters in Hawai'i also strongly back the legalization of industrial hemp.)

Date: Wed, 4 Nov 1998 11:32:44 -0800
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: US HI: Island Voters Support Pot for Medical Uses - Poll
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: Roger Christie pakaloha@gte.net
Pubdate: Tue, 03 Nov 1998
Source: Hawaii Tribune-Herald (HI)
Contact: dave@hilohawaiitribune.com
Website: http://www.hilohawaiitribune.com/
Copyright: Hawaii Tribune Herald.
Author: Hunter Bishop

ISLAND VOTERS SUPPORT POT FOR MEDICAL USES - POLL

Hawai'i voters overwhelmingly favor the use of marijuana for medical
purposes, according to a recent statewide poll.

Voters also strongly back the legalization of hemp, a less potent form of
marijuana, to be grown for industrial uses in Hawai'i.

Results of the public opinion poll were handed out in a press release last
week by 'Ohana Aloha, an organization of "religious and medical
practitioners of cannabis," said Big Island spokesman Roger Christie, a
longtime advocate of marijuana.

Jim Gonzalez, a former San Francisco supervisor, commissioned the public
opinion poll. Gonzalez helped enact the nation's first medical marijuana
initiative in San Francisco in 1991.

Sixty-three percent of respondents in Hawai'i either said they "strongly"
support or "somewhat" support the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes.
Twenty-eight percent either are somewhat opposed or strongly opposed to it.
Ten percent were undecided.

Sixty-two percent of Hawai'i voters also favor industrial hemp, the poll
shows, while 21 percent opposed industrial hemp. Almost 18 percent of the
respondents said they are undecided.

The polling firm of Fairbank, Maslin, Maullin and Associates, with offices
in San Francisco and Oakland, Ca., conducted the telephone survey last
month.

Christie said GOP gubernatorial candidate Linda Lingle promised a Maui user
of medical marijuana that she would support its legal use if a poll showed
Hawaii's voters favor it.

Lingle spokeswoman Kitty Lagareta denied the mayor made that promise,
however, and said Lingle has not taken a position on industrial hemp or
medical marijuana. "Those are not primary issues," Lagareta said.

"If its helpful, she might consider medical marijuana," Lagareta said, "But
she has taken no position."

Gov. Cayetano has endorsed the development of industrial hemp in Hawai'i
but has taken no position on medical marijuana, said the governor's
spokeswoman Kathleen Racuya-Markrich.

Voters in five states and the District of Columbia will be voting today on
questions relating to legalizing marijuana for medical use. Hawai'i is not
among them, however. Marijuana and hemp are illegal for any uses in
Hawai'i.

Christie, however, said the poll shows the "silent majority" of voters in
Hawai'i support medical marijuana and industrial use of hemp by a margin of
more than 2 to 1.

Gonzalez now runs his own lobbying and public relations firm in Sacramento
and represents, among other clients, Americans for Medical Rights, the
group behind a successful medical marijuana initiative on the California
ballot in 1996.

"I had heard there was some debate in Hawai'i, and I decided to find out
about it as an academic exercise," Gonzalez said.

"I'm still looking at the analysis," Gonzalez said. "There is a lot for
the legislators and the new governor, if there is one, to look at."

Research associate Laurie Beijin of the polling firm said "definitely
Hawai'i is very supportive of medical marijuana, more so than in some other
states" where the firm has conducted polls. Four hundred respondents from
throughout Hawai'i first were screened for their likelihood to vote in the
general election, Beijin said. The poll, conducted September 30 to October
4, has a margin of error of 4.9 percent, Beijin said.

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

Mix-Up Leads To Release Of Marijuana-Bust Suspects (The Deseret News in Utah
says three Mexican nationals and a Salt Lake resident were released after
federal prosecutors failed to act on the case within 72 hours. The men were
arrested and booked into the Salt Lake County Jail after prohibition agents
discovered more than 1,000 plants Oct. 20 in Emigration Canyon that they
valued at $700 each.)

Date: Wed, 4 Nov 1998 17:15:55 -0800
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: US UT: Mix-Up Leads To Release Of Marijuana-Bust Suspects
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)
Pubdate: Tue, 3 Nov 1998
Source: Deseret News (UT)
Contact: letters@desnews.com
Website: http://www.desnews.com/

MIX-UP LEADS TO RELEASE OF MARIJUANA-BUST SUSPECTS

A "mix-up" among the agencies involved in a massive marijuana bust led
to the release of the men accused of growing the plants, authorities
said.

"There was just some confusion between the agencies who handled it,"
said Gil Garcia, commander of the Department of Safety's drug unit.
"It's difficult to say whose fault it was. (The Department of Public
Safety) was the leading agency, so we're taking responsibility."

Four men were arrested and booked into the Salt Lake County Jail in
connection to a huge marijuana crop found in Emigration Canyon Oct.
20. Authorities discovered more than 1,000 plants -- worth about $700,000.

It was one of Utah's biggest marijuana harvests ever found.

The Department of Public Safety had 72 hours to turn the investigation
over to federal prosecutors. They failed to do so and the men were
released from jail.

DPS turned the case over to prosecutors the day after the release and
formal charges were filed Friday.

Salvador Mondragon-Ramos, Enrique Espinozo-Aquillar, Octoviano Medel
Bernadaodino and Humberto Ramirez-Rincon each face a count of
manufacturing marijuana and aiding and abetting, according to U.S.
District Court documents.

But the charges may have come too late. Three of the defendants may
have left Utah for their native country of Mexico. If that's the case,
Utah authorities have no way to bring them back for trial, Garcia said.

One of the defendants is a Salt Lake resident and was picked up on
Friday. He was arraigned in federal court.

Garcia knows the charges will discourage the other three from
returning to Utah but believes they may try to come back after the
case "blows over," he said.

"We're still actively looking for them," Garcia added.

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

Colorado results online (Americans for Medical Rights notes for some reason,
votes are being counted for the Colorado medical marijuana initiative that
was disqualified after ballots were printed. With 2 percent of precincts
counted, Amendment 19 leads 59 percent to 41 percent.)

Date: Tue, 3 Nov 1998 19:18:51 -0800 (PST)
To: AMR/updates list:;
From: Dave Fratello (amr@lainet.com)
Subject: Colorado results online

Surprise - Colorado results are appearing on-line

As of 8:15 pm local time, the CBS News site was posting results on the
medical marijuana initiative. With 2% reporting,

59% - 20,975 votes
41% - 14,821 votes

Constantly updated results are available at:

http://event.cbs.com/state/state_co.html

Let's see how long the Amendment 19 results stay up and/or current...

- df

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

Grand Juror - Justice Not Done In Oregon Case (The Houston Chronicle
says Simon Rodriguez, a retired Internal Revenue Service officer, served as
the assistant foreman on the Harris County grand jury that investigated the
death of Pedro Oregon Navarro at the hands of six Houston prohibition agents
who broke into his house without a warrant and shot the innocent man 12
times. Rodriguez said Monday he is "unsatisfied" that five of the officers
involved were cleared and only one was indicted on a misdemeanor charge, and
he wanted to talk with federal investigators about the closed-door grand jury
sessions.)

Date: Tue, 3 Nov 1998 20:35:58 -0800
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: US TX: Grand Juror: Justice Not Done In Oregon Case
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: adbryan@onramp.net
Pubdate: Tue, 3 Nov 1998
Source: Houston Chronicle (TX)
Copyright: 1998 Houston Chronicle
Contact: viewpoints@chron.com
Website: http://www.chron.com/
Author: Bob Sablatura

GRAND JUROR: JUSTICE NOT DONE IN OREGON CASE

Panelist Wants To Talk To Feds

A member of the Harris County grand jury that investigated the
shooting death of Pedro Oregon Navarro said Monday he is "unsatisfied"
that five of the officers involved were cleared and only one was
indicted, on a misdemeanor charge.

Simon Rodriguez, a retired Internal Revenue Service officer who served
as the panel's assistant foreman, said he wanted to talk with federal
investigators about the closed-door grand jury sessions.

While he would not discuss specifics -- citing state law barring grand
jurors from revealing grand jury testimony -- Rodriguez said a federal
investigation may uncover evidence that the grand jury did not hear.

"I don't want to criticize anyone right now," Rodriguez said. "But if,
in fact, there was some evidence that was not presented, that is
something someone higher than me and you should look into."

He also said did not believe justice was done in the six-week grand
jury probe.

"I believe it warrants further investigation," Rodriguez said.
"Obviously, if it came out the other way, there wouldn't be people
marching in the street."

If given immunity, Rodriguez said, "I have a lot to say, and I have
not even begun to touch on the subjects that need to be discussed."

Harris County District Attorney John B. Holmes Jr. said he has no
problem with Rodriguez testifying before a federal grand jury and does
not believe it would be a violation of the law.

Holmes said he suggested to Edward Porter, the assistant prosecutor
who presented the case to the grand jury, to contact federal
prosecutors and suggest they call Rodriguez before a federal grand
jury to see what he has to say.

"That way they will know what is troubling him," Holmes said, "other
than he just didn't like it and may have gotten outvoted."

Holmes said he was surprised when he first heard that Rodriguez was
disgruntled with the grand jury's decision because he believed there
was unanimity within the grand jury.

In fact, Holmes said, the grand jurors wanted to call a news
conference and defend their decisions, but he discouraged them because
some grand jurors could have revealed too much information, and thus
violated the law.

"I certainly could not tell them what to do, but I told them it was
not a good idea," Holmes said.

Holmes also said he believes all of the evidence was presented to the
grand jury.

"I can't think of anything they didn't have," Holmes said. "They also
had the opportunity to ask anything they wanted of the witnesses."

Rodriguez said his dissatisfaction with the decision was no surprise
to anyone on the grand jury, or the prosecutor presenting the case.

"Because of the discussions that went on, the people within the grand
jury room knew how I felt," he said.

The six officers burst into Oregon's southwest Houston apartment at
1:30 a.m. on July 12, without a warrant, looking for drugs. The
officers say they opened fire after Oregon pointed a pistol at them.

An autopsy revealed that the 22-year-old Mexican national was shot 12
times, once in the head, twice in the shoulder and nine times in the
back.

Five of the officers were cleared, but one was indicted on a
misdemeanor charge of criminal trespass.

Federal authorities have announced they are investigating the case,
and FBI agents began collecting evidence last week.

Rodriguez, who has served three times as a grand juror, said he
believes all the evidence in this case should be made public so
everyone can see that the system is flawed.

"The grand jury system is not working to protect people the way it was
intended," he said.

This case perfectly illustrates that, he said, because everything that
took place involved a violation of constitutional rights.

"There is so much at stake because this is not an ordinary case,"
Rodriguez said. "When the constitutional rights of one person are
violated, the rights of everyone are diluted."

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

Six Officers In Oregon Case Fired (The Houston Chronicle says Houston Police
Chief CO Bradford on Monday fired the six prohibition agents who broke down
the door of an innocent man, Pedro Oregon Navarro, without a warrant before
shooting him 12 times, calling it an "egregious" case of official
misconduct.)

Date: Tue, 3 Nov 1998 22:53:18 -0800
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: US OR: Six Officers In Oregon Case Fired
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: adbryan@onramp.net
Pubdate: Tue, 3 Nov 1998
Source: Houston Chronicle (TX)
Contact: viewpoints@chron.com
Website: http://www.chron.com/
Copyright: 1998 Houston Chronicle
Author: LISA TEACHEY and JO ANN ZUNIGA

SIX OFFICERS IN OREGON CASE FIRED

An 'egregious' example of official misconduct, chief says

Police Chief C.O. Bradford on Monday fired the six Houston officers
involved in the July 12 shooting death of 22-year-old Pedro Oregon
Navarro, calling it an "egregious" case of official misconduct.

A Harris County grand jury cleared five of the officers of all
wrongdoing and charged the sixth with a misdemeanor, but an internal
police investigation found all the officers had violated not only
department policies but also state and federal laws.

Oregon's family said the terminations do not ease the pain of his
death. Their attorneys said the terminations are appropriate, but they
will still file a federal lawsuit against the city next week.

Mayor Lee Brown said he supported the terminations, calling them
"proof that our system of justice is the fairest and most democratic
system in the world."

Bradford said his decision to fire the officers was based only on the
facts, not the widespread outrage that greeted the grand jury decision.

"Pressure from the community cannot change the evidence," Bradford
said. "My decision is based exclusively on the evidence."

Findings from the internal investigation were submitted last week to
the South Patrol Command, the Civilian Review Committee and the
department's Administrative Disciplinary Committee. All recommended
firing the officers.

Though Bradford said some of the officers committed criminal acts,
District Attorney John B. Holmes Jr. said the case would not be
presented to another grand jury.

"The grand jury that heard it, heard from every possible witness,"
Holmes said. "And we don't re-present cases until we get the desired
result. Otherwise, we don't need a grand jury. That is the same
position I've taken in all police shootings when there have been nobills."

Sources told the Chronicle on Monday that two of the officers -- David
R. Barrera and Pete A. Herrada, both 28 -- wanted to resign before
Bradford made his decision. The resignations were not accepted.

Barrera, Herrada, Lamont E. Tillery, 30, David Perkins, 30, James R.
Willis, 28, and Sgt. Darrell H. Strouse, 34, waived their right to a
hearing before the chief, sources said.

Bradford said the officers committed "a very serious set of
violations" and added that in his 20-year career he had never seen a
case as "egregious" as this one.

"One thing I am pleased to see is that the process for review within
the Police Department works," Bradford said. "It is unfortunate from
time to time these things occur in our community.

"Most of the Houston police officers out there are hard-working men
and women and they do a good job on a day-to-day basis," Bradford
said. "I say to these officers ... keep doing the good job you're doing."

The six officers, members of a gang task force operating in southwest
Houston, were cited for various infractions, ranging from improper use
of an informant to official oppression and criminal activity.

All were accused of lying to police internal affairs investigators.
Bradford said the officers claimed they had planned to use a "consent
and search form," as required, but investigators found no evidence
that they had.

According to the investigation report, this is the sequence of events
that led to Monday's action:

On the night of July 11, Herrada and Willis stopped a vehicle near
Atwell and Bellaire. The driver, Nicholas B. Stutes, 18, was ticketed

and released, but in the car was a 15-year-old passenger, as well as
Ryan F. Baxter, 28.

After admitting to drinking alcohol and smoking crack cocaine, Baxter
was arrested at the scene on Class C misdemeanor charges of public
intoxication and providing alcohol to the minor.

Although it is against department policy to use an intoxicated person
as an informant, the officers offered to release Baxter, who was on
probation for possession of a controlled substance, if he would tell
them where he had gotten the drugs.

Strouse was cited for insubordination because he did not, as required,
notify the narcotics division that they were planning to investigate a
narcotics case.

Baxter told the officers he had gotten the drugs at 6711 Atwell, Apt.
No. 16, although it is not clear who he named as the supplier. The
information was given to other officers of the gang task force, who
began working on a plan to act on it.

HPD policy requires that such investigations be approved by the
narcotics division before being carried out. Strouse, who was heading
the investigation, was cited for insubordination for failing to do
so.

Initially, the officers told Baxter to set up a meeting with the drug
dealer at a local restaurant to buy more crack. When the dealer did
not show, the officers and Baxter went to the apartment on Atwell and
knocked, but no one answered and they left.

The officers then decided to arrest Baxter. But as they were doing so,
his alleged supplier called him to reset the deal.

Around 1:30 a.m. on the 12th, the officers took Baxter back to the
apartment, where he was told to knock on the door and talk to the
supplier until the officers emerged.

Strouse told Baxter that when the door opened to "get down and stay
out of the way."

The door opened, Baxter got down, and the officers entered in this
order: Herrada, Willis, Perkins, Barrera, Tillery and Strouse.

As the officers, all in full uniform, burst into the apartment,
witnesses said, Oregon, 22, ran down a hallway to his room. The
officers pursued, crowding into the narrow hallway, witnesses said.

One officer shouted that Oregon had a gun, and almost immediately
Barrera's gun discharged accidentally, striking Tillery and knocking
him to the floor. Other officers, apparently mistaking the shot for
hostile fire, began shooting at Oregon.

Oregon was hit 12 times, nine in the back. Tillery, who wore a
bullet-resistant vest, suffered a minor injury.

Tillery, Barrera and Herrada have said Oregon pointed his weapon at
them and they were in fear of their lives.

The investigation revealed that Oregon did not fire his gun.
Blood-splatter evidence indicated his weapon was near his body and
"most probably in his hand."

As the first officer to reach Oregon, Herrada was not cited for
unlawful use of force because he could have perceived Oregon as being
armed and been in fear of his life.

Baxter was never charged.

After a state grand jury cleared the officers, the mayor, the Mexican
consulate in Houston asked the U.S. Justice Department to investigate
the case.

At his news conference, Bradford pleaded with Oregon's family to try
to understand that there are good officers in his department.

"My heart goes out to the family," he said. "It was an absolute
tragedy .. but do not lose faith in the Houston Police
Department."

Bradford said the department would use its findings to enhance
training.

Oregon's mother, Claudia Navarro, said Monday that the terminations
are "not true justice. They need to go to court."

Family attorney Richard Mithoff said, "This (the terminations) is
clearly appropriate action, but it does not solve the underlying
problem of inadequate training and improper supervision."

"One of the aims of the lawsuit is to change those policies under
review," said family attorney Paul Nugent. "The confidential informant
policy was violated and no warrant was used."

"It was the right thing to do under the circumstances," Mayor Brown

said of Bradford's decision. "It should be made quite clear that
police officers, when they carry out their responsibilities, have to
also obey the law. One cannot break the law in order to enforce it."

Brown said Bradford had not given him details of the investigation,
but had briefed him on his conclusions and discipline.

The six officers can appeal their terminations -- called "indefinite
suspensions" -- to a third-party arbitrator through civil service rules.

"I think it would be an injustice to the city of Houston to have it
overturned by the appeals process," Brown said.

Members of the Justice for Pedro Oregon Coalition said they are
pleased with the terminations and attributed them to public outcry
over the officers' actions.

"This gives us the sense there is responsibility within the Houston
Police Department," said Maria Jimenez, an organizer with the Houston
Immigration and Refugee Coalition.

"If police act unprofessionally, it does carry consequences."

Yet Jimenez said the threat of a lawsuit probably had no bearing on
the terminations.

"But justice is not just in the firings," she said. "Criminal
indictments are still needed."

Oregon coalition member Tony Cantu said he would have been furious if
the officers had not been terminated.

"But now we're left with the contradiction" of the grand jury clearing
the six officers except for indicting one on a misdemeanor criminal
trespass charge. Cantu said.

"I'm surprised and glad about the firings," coalition member Gloria
Trevino said. "But now they need to recommend indictments for murder.

"The evidence is in the 12 shots to the back."

Chronicle reporters S.K. Bardwell, Matt Schwartz and Leigh Hopper
contributed to this story.

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

Houston Cops Fired (The Orange County Register version)

Date: Wed, 4 Nov 1998 17:09:15 -0800
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: US TX: Houston Cops Fired
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: John W. Black
Pubdate: Tue, 3 Nov 1998
Source: Orange County Register (CA)
Copyright: 1998 The Orange County Register
Contact: letters@link.freedom.com
Website: http://www.ocregister.com/

HOUSTON COPS FIRED

Six Houston police officers were fired Monday for their involvement in
the fatal shooting of a man during a botched drug raid. Pedro Oregon,
22, was shot to death July 12 after the officers, acting on an
informant's tip, stormed his apartment in search of drugs. Police
fired 33 bullets, hitting Oregon a dozen times, including nine times
in the back. No drugs were found in the apartment, and the officers
later said they started firing because they thought Oregon had fired
at them.

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

Oregon Shooting Was A Travesty (Three letters to the editor
of The Houston Chronicle about the death of Pedro Oregon Navarro,
an innocent man shot 12 times by Houston prohibition agents who broke down
his door without a warrant.)

Date: Tue, 3 Nov 1998 17:16:35 -0800
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: US TX: 3 PUB LTEs: Oregon Shooting Was A Travesty, etc.
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: adbryan@onramp.net
Pubdate: 3 Nov 1998
Source: Houston Chronicle (TX)
Contact: viewpoints@chron.com
Website: http://www.chron.com/
Copyright: 1998 Houston Chronicle

OREGON SHOOTING WAS A TRAVESTY

In his Oct. 28 Viewpoints letter, "Grand jury used the facts," the Houston
Police Officers' Union president, Hans Marticiuc, accuses the public of not
using their heads. His boys storm Pedro Oregon Navarro's home, clearly
ready to shoot the man because of some rumored activity told to them by an
informant, and Marticiuc is worried about others being carried away by
their emotions.

Officer Marticiuc stands for a principle which is becoming absolute in law
enforcement: never admit you were wrong.

The macho code of refusal to back down, even from the most hideous
miscalculation, infects everyone from the U.S. attorney general on down, and
is the consequence of decades of propaganda defining police work as a war
against internal enemies.

In a free society, law enforcement is not war. Its purpose is the
protection of the citizen, not the conquest of the population.

The aim should be wherever possible to reduce violence, not automatically
to exercise overwhelming force. Where the lines are so sharply drawn, it is
little wonder courageous juries are hard to find willing to find for the
"other side."

In any case, condemning the officers involved misses the point. Some may be
thugs attracted by the seek-and-destroy mindset of the war on drugs and
some may be brave men thrown into a desperate situation made worse by bad
policy, but atrocities like this will be inevitable until voters ask
politicians to defend their rights rather than posing in front of slamming
prison doors.

James M. Grace, Houston

***

The Oct. 28 letter, "Grand jury used the facts" by Hans Marticiuc, brings
out some questions regarding the police shooting of Pedro Oregon Navarro:
Did the police have a search warrant? Did the police wait for Oregon to
answer the door?

If not, it appears they found him guilty without due process. The really
sad thing is, they can't correct their mistake.

Noble Shaw, Nacogdoches

***

Hans Marticiuc's Viewpoints letter Oct. 28 made me sick to my stomach. I
just wonder about the facts presented to the grand jury. Were they skewed
in the officers' favor? Did they smash his door in or just ring the doorbell?

There was a shooting and Pedro Oregon's short life was ended by the thugs
who refuse to take responsibility for their actions. As a result, they are
suspended with pay - an unadulterated travesty of justice.

August Farfalla, Sugar Land

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

Court Lets Drug Testing Decision Stand (The Indianapolis Star
says the US 7th Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously refused to reconsider
its Sept. 9 ruling that a drug testing policy at public schools in Anderson,
Indiana, is unconstitutional. Under the policy adopted in August 1997,
a student who had been suspended for fighting was obliged to take a drug test
in order to return to school.)

Date: Wed, 4 Nov 1998 17:14:35 -0800
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: US IN: Court Lets Drug Testing Decision Stand
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: aslinn@indy.net (aslinn)
Pubdate: Tue, 3 Nov 1998
Source: Indianapolis Star (IN)
Copyright: 1998 Indianapolis Newspapers Inc.
Contact: stareditor@starnews.com
Website: http://www.starnews.com/
Author: John M. Flora

COURT LETS DRUG TESTING DECISION STAND

If Officials Wish To Defend Their Policy, They Must Appeal To Supreme Court

ANDERSON, Ind. (Nov. 3, 1998) - The U.S. 7th Circuit Court of Appeals has
let stand its Sept. 9 ruling that Anderson Community Schools' drug testing
policy is unconstitutional.

The school district had petitioned the court to rehear the case in
hope of winning a reversal. It was announced Monday that the 11 active
judge on the appeals court in Chicago chose unanimously not to rehear.

If Anderson school officials wish to defend their drug testing policy,
they must appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. The board is expected to
consider that option when it meets in executive session tonight.

"At this point," said Superintendent Jane Kendrick, "it's just a
matter of taking it one more step, if the board decides to do that."

The decision came about seven months after Indiana Civil Liberties
Union attorney Ken Falk argued before the appeals court against the
expulsion of Anderson High School freshman James R. "Buddy" Willis
II.

Willis, then 15, was suspended Dec. 10, 1997, for fighting with
another student and drew a five-day suspension from school. Under a
policy adopted in August 1997, Willis was ordered to take a drug test
when he returned to school Dec. 19.

Willis refused the test and was barred from school the rest of the
1997-98 school year while Falk and school attorneys fought over the
constitutionality of the policy.

Willis' father, James R. "Randy" Willis, said Monday that school
officials "are just going to have to face the facts that this (policy)
goes too far."

The policy is modeled after one adopted in early 1997 at Carmel and is
based on a presumed link between misbehavior and drug use. Students
suspended for three days or more for any rule infraction had to take a
drug test before being readmitted to school. Students who tested
positive for drugs were not punished, but their parents were notified
and they were referred to counseling.

The Carmel Clay School Board last month voted to contribute $5,000
toward the $20,000 in legal fees Anderson Schools expected to pay if
the appeals court reheard the case.

Carmel School Board President Paul Bolin said that, while Carmel Clay
Schools have a stake in the outcome of the case, his board's financial
commitment was limited to the appeals court effort.

He said the Carmel Clay board will wait to see if Anderson officials
decide to take the appeal to the Supreme Court.

If they do, he said, the Carmel board will revisit the issue of
financial support for Anderson Schools' legal fees.

Falk has contended that the link between breaking school rules and
student drug use is not strong enough to override Fourth Amendment
constitutional guarantees against unreasonable search.

A panel of three appeals court judges subsequently agreed with Falk's
argument.

Its September ruling forced Anderson, Carmel and several other central
Indiana school districts to withdraw or modify their versions of the
policy.

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

Assisted Suicide Fails In Michigan Medical Marijuana Passes in 2 States
(An Associated Press election night roundup says that with 16 percent
of returns counted, 71 percent of Michigan voters were opposing an initiative
that would allowing doctors to prescribe lethal doses of medication
for terminally ill patients.)

Date: Wed, 4 Nov 1998 18:36:51 -0800
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: US: WIRE: Assisted Suicide Fails In Michigan Medical Marijuana
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: Patrick Henry (resist_tyranny@mapinc.org)
Pubdate: Tue, 03 Nov 1998
Source: Associated Press
Copyright: 1998 Associated Press.
Author: Michelle Boorstein, Associated Press

ASSISTED SUICIDE FAILS IN MICHIGAN; MEDICAL MARIJUANA PASSES IN 2 STATES

(AP) - Michigan voters Tuesday soundly rejected a ballot measure that
would have made theirs the second state to legalize physician-assisted
suicide.

With 16 percent of the vote counted, 71 percent were voting to keep
doctors from legally prescribing lethal doses of medication for
terminally ill patients. Opponents said the vote reflected
dissatisfaction with the proposed law, not with assisted suicide.

"It may have been a different outcome if they had a very open-ended
piece of legislation that would be accessible to all suffering
patients, not just the terminally ill,'' said Dr. John Finn, executive
director of Hospice of Michigan.

Another medical question - the use of marijuana to ease symptoms for
particular illnesses - won approval in two states. Nevada passed a
constitutional amendment approving medical marijuana, pending a second
"yes'' vote in 2000. And Arizonans reaffirmed their 1996 vote to
legalize marijuana and other drugs for medical use. Exit polls there
showed voters rejecting an alternative plan by legislators to wait
until the federal government approved the drugs.

Taxes figured prominently among the 235 statewide ballot measures
Tuesday. South Dakotans rejected a plan to prevent property tax
revenues from financing schools, and Nebraskans nixed a proposal to
limit the amount of money state and local governments could raise
through taxes.

Early results showed Missouri voters amending their constitution to
legalize slot machines on casinos that float in artificial moats. They
had already approved riverboat gambling in 1992, but gambling foes
said the "boats in moats'' - 10 of the state's 16 casinos - didn't
qualify.

Missourians were also voting to outlaw animal fighting, specifically
cockfighting and bear fighting. Cockfighting was also on its way out
in Arizona, and dove hunting prevailed in Ohio, where voters turned
away a ban on the sport.

Preliminary returns from Massachusetts showed voters passing a plan to
give political candidates substantial public money if they agree to
voluntarily limit their spending and raise certain small
contributions. A similar measure is on the Arizona ballot.

Massachusetts voters also affirmed their support of the state's new
electricity deregulation deal, which opponents had said was too
friendly to utilities and would not save money for average consumers.
Californians also voted on a new deregulation system.

Other ballot initiatives included proposed bans on gay marriage,
affirmative action, forest clearcutting and animal traps.

There was also the usual sprinkling of offbeat items, like the one in
Newport, Maine, sparked by complaints about a resident's topless lawn
mowing. Voters decided whether to ask selectmen to ban display of
"female breasts ... visible from a public way.''

Washington's decision on affirmative action followed a long fight over
how to word the measure. Supporters of the practice favored the
question "Do you want to end the use of affirmative action for women
and minorities?'' But the phrasing voters saw was: "Shall government
entities be prohibited from discriminating against or granting
preferential treatment to individuals or groups based on race, sex,
color, ethnicity or national origin?''

Polls taken before the election showed most Washington voters in favor
of affirmative action but supportive of abolishing programs defined as
giving "preferential treatment'' to women and minorities.

There was also history to the gay marriage vote in Hawaii. The
question first arose in 1993 when the state Supreme Court said it was
unconstitutional to refuse marriage licenses to gay men and lesbians
because that denied rights given to heterosexual Hawaiians.

In an effort to satisfy the court, lawmakers passed a bill last year
granting gay and unmarried heterosexual couples some legal rights
enjoyed by married people, hoping the court would then be unable to
find discrimination if the Legislature subsequently banned same-sex
marriage.

Alaska's vote was part of a wave of preemptive legislating that swept
the country after the Hawaii ruling as states feared they might have
to recognize gay marriages performed there. To date, 29 states have
banned gay unions, and Congress passed the Defense of Marriage Act,
which denies federal recognition of gay marriage.

In Michigan, support was initially strong for physician-assisted
suicide but waned when opponents portrayed the initiative as overly
complicated and improperly shielded from government oversight. The
measure had a surprising opponent in Dr. Jack Kevorkian, who has taken
part in more than 120 suicides. He said it was too restrictive. Oregon
is the only state to permit assisted suicide.

This election was Round Two for medical marijuana proponents, who ran
into legal blockades in 1996 after successful campaigns to legalize
the drug in Arizona and California. The 1998 measures in four states
and the District of Columbia were written more narrowly, specifying
the ailments that qualify and explicitly saying that marijuana was the
only drug at issue. Opponents nonetheless asserted the initiatives
were just a wedge to try to loosen the nation's drug laws and open the
door to open use of LSD and heroin.

Twenty-eight states had previously outlawed intact dilation and
extraction, a procedure that opponents call "partial birth abortion.''
Courts, however, have blocked 19 of the laws because their language
could apply to other abortions or failed to provide exceptions to save
mothers' lives.

So abortion foes in Washington rephrased their ballot language to
shift the focus from the surgical procedure to the physical state of
the mother when the pregnancy is terminated. Their initiative sought
to make it a felony to kill an infant "in the process of birth'' and
used a new term: "partial-birth infanticide.''

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

I-59 Count is . . . (A bulletin from Americans for Medical Rights says AMR
commissioned a scientific exit poll on the medical marijuana initiative
in Washington, DC, that was quashed at the last minute by order of Congress.
Among the 88 percent who voted on Initiative 59, supporters outnumbered
opponents by 69 percent to 31 percent.)

Date: Tue, 3 Nov 1998 23:55:20 -0800 (PST)
To: "DRCTalk Reformers' Forum" (drctalk@drcnet.org)
From: Dave Fratello (amr@lainet.com)
Subject: I-59 Count is...
Reply-To: drctalk@drcnet.org
Sender: owner-drctalk@drcnet.org

Knowing that anything was possible in DC despite the elections board's
evident commitment to announcing the results, AMR commissioned a scientific
exit polling operation.

Results:

Among those who cast a vote on Initiative 59:

YES:	69
NO:	31

12 percent said they did not vote on the measure.

A total of 763 D.C. voters in representative precincts contributed to the
results. Final totals were weighted to match demographics and voting
patterns of D.C. voters. Margin of error is +/- 3.6%.

Thus, Congress's cowardly action to deny the voice of DC voters has been
thwarted.

Congrats go to the sponsors and supporters of Initiative 59 -- you won big,
and no one can deny it.

- Dave Fratello
Americans for Medical Rights

P.S. Lauch Faircloth, please come claim your belongings...

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

Medical Marijuana and Drug Policy Reform Win Big (A late-night bulletin
from Colorado Citizens for Compassionate Cannabis notes reform victories
in Alaska, Arizona, Nevada, Oregon, Washington state - and Colorado, where
the ballots weren't even supposed to be counted.)

Date: Mon, 2 Nov 1998 23:40:46 -0700 (MST)
From: ammo (ammo@levellers.org)
To: "DRCTalk Reformers' Forum" (drctalk@drcnet.org)
Subject: Medical Marijuana and Drug Policy Reform Win Big
Reply-To: drctalk@drcnet.org
Sender: owner-drctalk@drcnet.org

Medical Marijuana and Drug Policy Reform Win Big

From Colorado Citizens for Compassionate Cannabis

November 3, 1998

***

This document is available online at:
http://www.levellers.org/election98.htm

***

Election Results
November 3, 1998

***

Alaska

Measure 8: Medical Marijuana

YES: 58%
NO: 42%

(17% of precincts reporting)

Up to the minute results:
http://www.gov.state.ak.us/ltgov/elect98/index.html#gen
(Way at the bottom of the page)

Sponsors: Alaskans for Medical Rights
http://www.alaskalife.net/AKMR/

More information on Alaska's Medical Marijuana Initiative
http://www.levellers.org/akstat.htm

***

Arizona
Prop. 300

YES: 42%
NO: 58%

(69% of precincts reporting - CBS News is reporting that Prop. 300 was
officially defeated.)

A 'no' vote will allow doctors to continue to prescribe Schedule I drugs
without any further authorization from Congress or the FDA.
Referendum relating to the medical use of Schedule I drugs which was put on
the ballot to overturn the gutting by the legislature of Prop. 200 (the
Drug Medicalization, Prevention and Control Act), which passed by 65% of
the vote in 1996.

Up to the minute results:
http://event.cbs.com/state/state_az.html

More information on Prop. 300
http://www.levellers.org/azstat.htm

***

Nevada

Ballot Question #9 - Medical Marijuana

YES: 59%
NO: 41%

(57% of precincts reporting - CBS News is reporting that Ballot Question #9
has officially won.)

Up to the minute results:
http://event.cbs.com/state/state_nv.html

More information on Nevada's Medical Marijuana Initiative:
http://www.levellers.org/nvstat.htm

***

Oregon

Measure 57: Recriminalization (A 'no' vote prevents recriminalization of
marijuana in Oregon)
http://www.koin.com/news/campaign98/elec_results/measure57.html

YES: 32%
NO: 68%

(152/2,196 precincts reporting)

Measure 67: Medical Marijuana (A 'yes' vote allows patients to possess one
to three ounces of marijuana for medicine and to grow three plants to
obtain that medicine. Measure 67 prohibits distribution.)
http://www.koin.com/news/campaign98/elec_results/measure67.html

YES: 52%
NO: 48%

(131/2,196 precincts reporting)

Other Results
http://www.kgw.com/election982.asp

Sponsors of Measure 67: Oregonians for Medical Rights
http://www.teleport.com/~omr/

Oregon Elections Division - Unofficial Election Results
http://www.sos.state.or.us/elections/nov398/nov398.htm

More information on Oregon's Medical Marijuana Initiative and
Recriminalization Referendum
http://www.levellers.org/orstat.htm

***

Washington State
Initiative 692 - Medical Marijuana

YES: 57%
NO: 43%

(40% of precincts reporting - CBS News is reporting that I 692 has
officially won.)

Up to the minute results:
http://event.cbs.com/state/state_wa.html

Sponsors: Washington Citizens for Medical Rights
Web: http://www.eventure.com/i692/
Web: http://www.hemp.net/news/initiative.html

Washington Sectretary of State:
http://209.43.151.101/vote98/reports/m_statewide.tmpl

More information on Washington State's Medical Marijuana Initiative:
http://www.levellers.org/wastat.htm

***

Washington, D.C.
Initiative 59 - Medical Marijuana

YES: ??
NO: ??

The D.C. Elections Board decided today not to count the votes cast for and
against Initiative 59 due to the passage of an amendment to the D.C.
Appropriations bill by Congress that forbids the D.C. Board of Elections
from spending any money on the elections relating to medical marijuana.

See DC Board of Elections Press Release:
http://www.levellers.org/dcboe_pr.htm.

The Vote Yes on 59 Campaign will be in court Wednesday morning seeking a
court order to have the votes tabulated.

Call your Representatives and Senators Wednesday morning

Demand that they pass legislation immediately that will allow the D.C.
Board of Elections and Ethics to tabulate and certify the votes for
Initiative 59.

U.S. House of Representatives
(202) 225-3121

U.S. Senate
(202) 224-3121

Directory of U.S. Senators:
http://www.senate.gov/senator/membmail.html
http://www.earthlaw.org/Activist/senatadd.htm

Directory of U.S. Representatives:
http://clerkweb.house.gov/mbrcmtee/mbrcmtee.htm
http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/

More information on the Campaign for Initiative 59, Medical Marijuana:
Initiative 59 Web Page
http://www.actupdc.org

Background on Congress trying to prohibit this D.C. Election:
http://www.levellers.org/dcstat.htm

Check the D.C. Board of Elections Web Page for the tally when Initiative 59
is counted:
http://www.dcboee.org/htmldocs/113noche.htm

***

Colorado
Amendment 19 - Medical Marijuana
YES: 58%
NO: 42%
(This vote does not count; Amendment 19 cannot be enacted)

Even though the Colorado Supreme Court ordered the votes for Amendment 19
not to be counted because it was ruled that the proponents had not
collected enough signatures on the petition to secure a place on the
ballot, some counties are reporting the votes cast for Amendment 19.

Up to the minute results:
http://event.cbs.com/state/state_co.html

More information on Amendment 19:
http://www.levellers.org/costat.htm

***

Election Results in Other States

CBS NEWS: http://event.cbs.com
MSNBC: http://decision98.msnbc.com/summary.htm

***

Please feel free to repost and redistribute this document.

***

Compiled by:
Colorado Citizens for Compassionate Cannabis
P.O. Box 729
Nederland, CO 80466
Phone: (303) 448-5640
Email: cohip@levellers.org
Web: http://www.levellers.org/cannabis.html

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Medical Marijuana and Related Initiative Sites (A late election-night roundup
from Americans for Medical Rights.)

Date: Tue, 3 Nov 1998 14:29:34 -0800 (PST)
To: AMR/updates list:;
From: Dave Fratello (amr@lainet.com)
Subject: Live Election Result Sites

MEDICAL MARIJUANA & RELATED INITIATIVE RESULT SITES

The following is a test-driven list of links to election information. Where
applicable, instructions or comments are offered.

Measure numbers and hoped-for results are:

ALASKA - Ballot Measure 8 - YES

ARIZONA - Props. 300, 301 - NO; Prop. 105 - YES

D.C. - Initiative 59 - YES

NEVADA - Ballot Question 9 - YES

OREGON - Measure 67 - YES; Measure 57 - NO

WASH. ST. - Initiative 692 - YES

***

Alaska - All Results
http://www.gov.state.ak.us/ltgov/elect98/results.htm

Comment: Slow loader. Ballot Measure 8 is near the bottom of the page.
Alaska polls close at 9:00pm Pacific, all voting is computerized, results
could be available as soon as 9:30pm Pacific.

***

Arizona - All Results
http://www.sosaz.com/election/1998General/1998_general_results_query.htm

Comment: Page down to "ballot measures" header, select a prop for which to
get results, then click "submit." Polls close 7:00pm Pacific.

Prop. 300 is the referendum on medical use of Schedule I drugs, including
marijuana. A 'no' vote endorses medical use. Similarly, Prop. 301 pertains
to drug possession sentencing, and a 'no' endorses the reform position.

Also of interest are Props. 105 and 104, of which 105 is better. Both would
protect voter initiatives from legislative tampering (the cause of 300 &
301 being on this ballot). Prop. 104 was sponsored by legislators after
Prop. 105 was qualified by a coalition of citizens including drug
medicalization proponents. Principal difference is that 105 requires a 3/4
vote to amend initiatives in the future - tougher than the 2/3 required by
104.

***

D.C. - All Results
http://www.dcboee.org/htmldocs/113noche.htm

Comment: Polls close 5:00pm Pacific. This page says it will update every 15
minutes if you keep it on-screen. Initiative 59 is about 2/3 of the way
down the page. As of now the DC Elections Board is saying they will compile
and release the vote on the measure, even though it will not be "certified"
and therefore will not go onto the books if it passes.

***

Nevada - All Results
http://www.governet.net/nvsos/Tools/Results/st_options.cfm?election=G

Comment: This page presents a menu; scroll down to Ballot Question 9 and
click "run report." You can't link to the report, it must be compiled each
visit. Page promises to update automatically every 5 minutes. Standard
report includes breakdowns by county.

***

Oregon - Ballot Measures - (media site)
http://www.kgw.com/electoremeas.asp

Comment: Secretary of State does not plan live results, but the state does
refer you to a few media sites, including this one. Two more less snazzy
and convenient pages are listed in a P.S. below. Measure 67 is medical
marijuana, while Measure 57 criminalizes possession of small amounts of
marijuana (a "no" vote blocks criminalization).

***

Washington State - Ballot Measures
http://209.43.151.101/vote98/reports/m_statewide.tmpl

Comment: This is the page just for ballot measures. Initiative 692 is
medical marijuana. The page promises county-by-county information also.

***

P.S. Because the Oregon Secretary of State is not providing live results,
the media website listed above is the best. Just in case, here are two
other media sites that promise results but don't yet have formats posted:

News Register - media site that promises to 'go live' at 8:00pm w/ results
http://www.newsregister.com/Story%20Packages/Primary1998Coverage/election_menu.h
tml

KOIN-TV 6000
http://www.koin.com/news/campaign98/index.html

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Drug-abuse seen having no impact on US welfare (Reuters says a team
of researchers at the University of California at Berkeley reported Tuesday
that welfare recipients may be more likely to abuse alcohol and other drugs,
but substance abusers are not more likely to stay on welfare long-term. The
findings contradict the widely held notion that alcoholics and other addicts
abuse welfare disproportionately.)

Date: Wed, 04 Nov 1998 08:32:48 -0500
From: Scott Dykstra (rumba2@earthlink.net)
Reply-To: rumba2@earthlink.net
To: "rumba2@earthlink.net" (rumba2@earthlink.net)
Subject: CanPat - Here is some interesting news....
Sender: owner-cannabis-patriots-l@smtp.teleport.com

06:09 PM ET 11/03/98

Drug-abuse seen having no impact on U.S. welfare

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Welfare recipients may be more likely
to abuse alcohol and drugs, but substance abusers are no more
likely to stay on welfare long-term, researchers said Tuesday.

The findings, by a team at the University of California at
Berkeley, contradict the widely held idea that addicts and
alcoholics abuse welfare for years.

Laura Schmidt and colleagues at the university interviewed
600 recipients of Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC)
and general assistance around the country in 1989, when they
first applied for welfare. They tracked down more than 400 of
them in 1995 and interviewed them again.

The average AFDC recipient stayed on welfare for 33 months,
compared to 16 months for the general assistance clients.

Members of the AFDC group were only slightly more likely
than the general population to be ``problem drinkers'' as
assessed by a standard test -- 12.2 percent versus 11.3 percent
of the general population. Just under 16 percent of the AFDC
recipients were heavy drug users as opposed to 5.5 percent of
the population.

But general welfare recipients, 86 percent of whom did not
have children, were much more likely to abuse drugs and alcohol.
The survey found 38 percent of general assistance clients were
problem drinkers and 43 percent were heavy drug users.

In neither group were the substance abusers more likely to
stay on welfare long-term, Schmidt's team found.

``In the AFDC sample, there was no statistical relationship
between a recipient's status as a problem drinker or heavy drug
user and subsequent patterns of welfare use,'' the researchers
wrote in the American Journal of Public Health.

But the general assistance group was more likely to go on
and off welfare.

Federal reform of the AFDC program has set a five-year
lifetime limit, and limited any one stint on AFDC to two years.

``The results of this research may be helpful for predicting

the consequences of different welfare reform policies currently
being implemented at federal, state and local levels,'' the
researchers wrote.

They said a crackdown on drug and alcohol use in the AFDC
program is driving people with such problems into general
assistance programs, which may shift the problem but not solve
it, the researchers said.

REUTERS

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Narcotics Division Sends Cosmetics To Lab For Drug Tests
(The South China Morning Post, in Hong Kong, says the Body Shop,
a cosmetics chain, admitted yesterday it was selling products containing
hemp, a type of cannabis, in Hong Kong. A spokesman for the Security Bureau's
narcotics division said it had sent samples to a government laboratory
for tests, claiming THC is a psychotropical substance and "could affect
nerves.")

Date: Mon, 2 Nov 1998 17:27:38 -0800
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: Hong Kong: Narcotics Division Sends Cosmetics To Lab For Drug
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: South China Morning Post (Hong Kong)
Contact: jfenby@scmp.com
Website: http://www.scmp.com/
Copyright: 1998 South China Morning Post Publishers Limited.
Author: Shirley Kwok
Pubdate: 3 Nov 1998

NARCOTICS DIVISION SENDS COSMETICS TO LAB FOR DRUG TESTS

[Photo caption: Health benefit: the hemp products are advertised at a store.]

A cosmetics chain admitted yesterday it was selling products containing
hemp, a type of cannabis.

But the Body Shop said the level of Cannabis sativa (hemp) seeds was so low
it would be hard to detect and would not harm people.

A spokesman for the Security Bureau's narcotics division said it had sent
samples to the Government Laboratory for tests.

"At this stage, we are not sure if they really contain cannabis or
tetrahydro-cannabinol. THC is a type of psychotropical substance and could
affect nerves. It is a controlled drug in Hong Kong," a division spokesman
said.

Chan Man-fai, Government Laboratory senior chemist, said results should be
available this week.

He said it was illegal to keep or sell cannabis or products containing THC
- a derivative of marijuana.

Body Shop spokeswoman Curi Yiu Kar-lei admitted it was aware the products
contained the substance.

The shop launched products containing hemp seeds last week, including lip
salve, soap and hand cream.

"We use hemp seeds because the oil extracted from these is known as highly
moisturising and good for skin care," she said.

Body Shop had launched the products in Britain, other European countries
and the United States and the products were legal, Ms Yiu said. Police in
France had seized the products in August but officers later admitted it was
a misunderstanding, she said.

"We, of course, are not promoting drugs. The THC contained in our products
is very, very low - every 1,000 grams will have less than three milligrams
of THC," she said.

"We are using industrial-use hemp seeds, which are different from
marijuana. Hemp seeds are usually used to make jeans and ropes."

Ms Yiu said the company was awaiting results from the laboratory.

Associate Professor Lee Kwing-chin from the Chinese University's department
of pharmacy said there were various types of THC and some were used in
medical treatment to prevent vomiting.

He said he could not rule out the possibility that drugs put on the lips
could enter the bloodstream and have an effect on the user.

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Police Are Raided In Fraud Inquiry (An ambiguous article in The Times,
in Britain, says the raid came as two Scotland Yard detectives were arrested
in a separate investigation and questioned about trafficking heroin, cocaine
and cannabis.)

Date: Tue, 3 Nov 1998 22:53:18 -0800
From: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org (MAPNews)
To: mapnews@mapinc.org
Subject: MN: UK: Police Are Raided In Fraud Inquiry
Sender: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Reply-To: owner-mapnews@mapinc.org
Organization: Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org/lists/
Newshawk: shug@shug.co.uk
Pubdate: Tue, 3 Nov 1998
Source: Times, The (UK)
Contact: letters@the-times.co.uk
Website: http://www.the-times.co.uk/
Author: STEWART TENDLER, CRIME CORRESPONDENT

POLICE ARE RAIDED IN FRAUD INQUIRY

Senior NCS officers had invited the Yard's Complaints Investigation
Bureau to look into allegations that officers in Swanley, Kent, had
falsely claimed up to 60,000 in expenses and overtime.

The NCS, which was launched last spring, is the closest type of
British police unit to the American FBI. All officers are seconded
from individual forces and vetted before they join.

They are also expected to sign a contract swearing integrity. The
Swanley NCS branch has 51 officers, drawn from several forces, who
investigate major crime in the South East.

The raid came as two Yard detectives were arrested in a separate
investigation and questioned about trafficking heroin, cocaine and
cannabis. Detective Constable Christopher Drury and Sergeant Bob Clark
were arrested at their homes in South London. Last night they were
being held at Charing Cross police station.

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[End]