From: Paul Stanford <[t--r--o] at [igc.apc.org]> Newsgroups: talk.politics.drugs Date: 07 Apr 94 12:44 PDT Subject: Hemp News #18 From: Paul Stanford The following wire stories are provided as a public service by Tree Free EcoPaper, makers of 50% hemp (cannabis) and 50% cereal straw paper. Tree Free EcoPaper is the world's only supplier of wholesale quantities of hemp paper. We offer an electronic catalog which you can recieve by dropping us an e-mail request. We'll send you our free samples and hemp paper catalog if you give us a postal address. You can call us toll-free at 1-800-775-0225 from the U.S. and Canada. Our phone number for calls outside the U.S. is 503-295-6705. Our headquarters is in Portland, Oregon and our paper is produced in Asia. Without further ado, please enjoy the news: NORML Busts DEA Hydro-Tech Sting NORML PROTESTS DEA STING OPERATION AT HYDRO-TECH GARDEN STORE IN SEATTLE SEATTLE, Wash: On Thursday, August 26 at 2 P.M., Washington and California NORML called a press conference and demonstration at the Hydro- Tech gardening store, 821 N. 40th St., to protest DEA surveillance of garden store customers for home marijuana cultivation. Protesters presented court documents showing that the owner of Hydro- Tech, Kevin Scott Bjornson, agreed to act as a cooperating informant for the DEA by operating his store as a "passive sting operation" in exchange for reduced charges arising from his arrest in the 1989 Green Merchant Operation. Protesters want Hydro-Tech customers to know that xerox copies of their checks, license plate numbers, and other information are subject to DEA inspection by agreement with Bjornson. Friends say that Bjornson was under intense pressure to cooperate, since the government had seized all his property and charged him with offenses that could have landed him in prison for the rest of his life. This may be the first public protest ever called at the site of a suspected DEA sting operation. Bjornson's troubles with the law began October 26, 1989, when Hydro-Tech was raided by Federal agents with guns drawn as part of the DEA's Operation Green Merchant aimed at gardening stores promoted in marijuana culture magazines. The DEA raided 65 stores nationwide, seizing inventories, shipping records and mailing lists to conduct further searches that have led to hundreds of arrests. No criminal charges were pressed on him at the time, and no marijuana was found, but his store and assets were seized under federal forfeiture laws. Subsequent investigations led to Bjornson being charged with various marijuana-related offenses. He pled guilty to seven marijuana-related charges in April, 1992, but was allowed to operate the store under DEA control while awaiting sentencing. As part of the bargain, Bjornson offered to lure customers to government attention and provided information in a number of cultivation cases. The news of Bjornson's activities shocked and saddened friends in the cannabis and libertarian movements, in which he had been a vocal activist, writing articles on individual freedom and indoor gardening. "I don't know anyone who feels good about this," said one long-time friend. California NORML, which interviewed him in a 1990 documentary video, issued the following statement: "We are sorry that Kevin succumbed to this degrading pressure. We know that he is acting contrary to his most deeply held beliefs. We are outraged by the DEA's KGB-style tactics, which have turned friend against friend and robbed Kevin of his liberty, property, and self-respect. We demand an end to the war on home marijuana growers and an amnesty for Kevin and other non-violent marijuana offenders." UPn 10/23 1844 U.S. drug czar plans attack on domestic use By CRAIG SANTY LOS ANGELES (UPI) -- The nation's new drug czar on Saturday told members of the American Civil Liberties Union that the government will curb drug use by attacking domestic demand rather than international suppliers. Lee Brown, director of the office of National Drug Control Policy, said community-based prevention programs and economic empowerment zones will play a major role in new drug control policies under President Bill Clinton. "What we've been doing is not getting the job done," Brown said. "We need to continue funding effective programs and drop those that don't work." Brown was a guest speaker at a town hall meeting entitled "The War at Home: Drugs and the Inner Cities" sponsored by the ACLU to evaluate the nation's drug policies. Brown advocated community-based prevention programs, which call on residents to assist police in eliminating crime and drug use in their neighborhoods. "We need to work on a manageable scale when dealing with drugs, house by house, block by block," he said. The new drug czar said drug use is particularly high in the nation's inner cities, where politicians have been unable to alleviate poverty, hopelessness and economic insecurity that "encourage the drug culture." Brown received loud applause from the audience when he said the Clinton administration no longer would be using the term "War on Drugs" in describing its efforts. "We don't believe a government should declare war against its own people," he said. In its efforts to reduce drug use, the administration will target hard core drug users rather than casual users, he said. WP 10/23 DOROTHY GILLIAM The Guard Isn't the City's Answer BY DOROTHY GILLIAM Mayor Sharon Pratt Kelly's intention to call out the National Guard presents this paradox: She has at once too little power and too much. In the first instance, there is no question that the District, which has for some time been seeking statehood, does not now have the right to call out a state militia and must seek it from President Clinton, who has this power as commander-in-chief. On the other hand, we need to remember that it's in the nature of governments to exercise control and power when they are placed in a position to do so, and that authority tends to stay rather than to recede. Therefore the National Guard might - or might not - be withdrawn appropriately should they be called in. Implicit in the mayor's plan is an admission that local officials are unable to handle the city's violence, that the city's high-crime areas are, in effect, in a state of civil disorder. This suggests that we are helpless and have reason to panic. And it is precisely these unusual circumstances that give me pause. There are troubling questions that must be raised about the mayor's decision to counter the threat from individuals and gangs and their guns by taking the extreme measure of seeking to deploy the National Guard. Would the constitutional protection of due process be suspended, for example? What is regarded as cruel and unusual punishment? Would any suspensions of protections be temporary or permanent? Who would give the orders? Moreover, if the threat in the District is regarded as sufficient for National Guard protection, could not that also recommend a similar action in the drug wars of Miami, Los Angeles, Detroit and even smaller cities? These are relevant questions because in saying that D.C. officials cannot control the situation and other parties must be called in to handle it lies the implicit invitation to do things that city officials have not done before. We could wind up with a form of quasi-martial law or a wholesale suspension of constitutional protections. And these absolutely critical questions need to be asked and answered before calling in the Guard. The greatest danger in situations of emergency are the suspension of ordinary constitutional protections. Certainly constitutional guarantees may have been suspended in 1968 when the National Guard was called out in cities around the country in the aftermath of the rioting that erupted after the assassination of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. The mayor is clearly not alone in her assessment that gangs and individual gangsters have in fact threatened the security of life and property in high-crime areas of the city. While some observers have suggested that we restrict the guard to patrolling around schools, I don't believe that would solve the fundamental problems. That results only in possibly depriving some people of their rights and not others. Of course, the question that emerges is, if the mayor does not call out the National Guard, what should she do in an out-of-control situation? Several members of the D.C. Council, objecting to the mayor's plan, have accused her of not fully using all of the resources that are available to the city. Those include, they say, increasing the number of foot patrols and beefing up the police presence at public housing complexes and schools. But clearly she is confessing police failure, that local resources aren't enough - a huge concession, by the way, for a people seeking statehood. I am convinced that we will not win the war on drugs as it is now constructed. All the years of police and Drug Enforcement Agency action, drug czars and even federal task forces have left us not better, but worse, off. Perhaps it is time to reach for more creative solutions. Unfortunately, we are at one of those times in history when we see no positive choices and must choose between threatening evils. Since we can elect to get rid of the demand for drugs or get rid of the reward for drug dealing, it may be time to heed the suggestion offered by Baltimore Mayor Kurt L. Schmoke and choose the evil of decriminalization (not legalization) of drugs, rather than risk making ourselves into a police state. RTw 10/26 1942 POLICE PONDER CASE AGAINST ALLEGED ``ROBIN HOOD'' ... POLICE PONDER CASE AGAINST ALLEGED "ROBIN HOOD" DRUG DEALER By Stan Darden ATLANTA, Oct 26 (Reuter) - Authorities seem puzzled about how to deal with an alleged drug trafficker known as "Robin Hood" who curries favour with inner-city residents by sharing his prosperity with the poor and aged. James "Haircut" Watkins, 47, lives in the predominantely black Cascade Heights section of Atlanta, which is known as the "Black Mecca" because of its affluence, but runs a grocery store and laundromat in a poor downtown area. Aside from a federal conspiracy indictment last January that connected him with the sale of cocaine and marijuana, Watkins is best known for his habit of giving money to the unemployed, food to the elderly and rent-free accommodations to the homeless. Police, who claim to have an iron-clad case against him, say Watkins' generousity is just a smoke screen. "He does these things so he can insulate himself within the community. He has a habit of seeing that people are on his side and meanwhile he's peddling this poison in the community," said Atlanta Police Major Vernon Worthy, who heads the city department's special operations division. But just as Watkins was expected to plead guilty last week, federal prosecutors stunned local authorities by dropping the charges against him. Assistant U.S. Attorney Candace Howard said in a court filing that the Atlanta case was dismissed to make way for charges from a more serious federal narcotics investigation in Houston. Meanwhile Atlanta police are left wondering what's likely to come next. "We feel the prosecutor's decision to drop the charges may be part of a strategy she's using," said Worthy. "We do have an excellent case against him, and we intend to carry that case forward." Officials with the U.S. attorneys' offices in Atlanta and Houston declined to comment on the case. According to the federal indictment, Watkins was prepared to plead guilty to conspiring to distribute 5.5 pounds (2.5 kg) to 11 pounds (5 kg) of marijuana through his downtown businesses. But just before the plea, the U.S. Attorney's office in Houston notified Atlanta prosecutors that Watkins is also being investigated there in connection with alleged drug sales involving more than 6,600 pounds (3,000 kg) of marijuana. Watkins remains free on $85,000 bond. REUTER RTw 10/26 1418 PRO-POT GROUP OVERCOMES OBJECTIONS AND ADOPTS ROAD COLUMBUS, Ohio, Oct 26 (Reuter) - Someone should remind the latest member of Ohio's adopt-a-highway programme -- don't try smoking the potholes. The National Organisation for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) has joined scores of Boy Scout troops, Elks Clubs, and other community groups in the programme in which participants clean up sections of Ohio state's highway system. The state's Department of Transportation denied NORML's application twice previously, arguing it would be helping to advertise a "controversial activist" group. The American Civil Liberties Union stepped in, and Ohio's attorney general forced transportation officials to relent. In exchange for cleaning up litter from a two-mile (three kms) stretch of route 235 near Yellow Springs, Ohio, four times a year, the state will erect a sign with the group's name. REUTER RTw 10/27 1829 MEXICAN POLICE SEIZE 11 TONS OF MARIGUANA MEXICO CITY, Oct 27 (Reuter) - Mexican police seized more than 11 tons of marijuana in four days of raids in the north of the country, officials said Wednesday. The biggest haul was in the state of Chihuahua, where police seized and burned 7.5 tons of marijuana plants they found sown over 18 acres, the attorney general's office said in a statement. Two men were arrested in a separate incident when police found 1.4 tons of marijuana hidden in a truck in Sonora state. Lesser quantities were also seized in the states of Baja California and Nuevo Leon. REUTER ------ Oct. 26 Albuquerque (N.M.) Journal on using the National Guard in Washington, D.C.: The National Guard should not be used to augment crime control efforts in the nation's capital. Calling up the National Guard for anti-crime street duty is ill-advised because it is the wrong tool for the job. The National Guard is not trained in criminal investigation, routine traffic control or other jobs performed by trained police officers. The guard is trained for military operations, riot duty and crowd control without much regard to civil rights. The precedent of using the Guard for extended periods on routine police work should be avoided. It would leave a strong impression that local police have lost control of crime in the nation's capital. There is no quick fix to criminal activity. Rather than asking President Clinton call up the Guard, the mayor should first fill 300 vacancies on the police force. If there isn't enough money in the city's budget for additional police, Congress should make the necessary appropriation. The nation's capital should be safe for everyone, resident, members of Congress, government workers and the 19 million people who visit Washington each year. Putting National Guardsmen on the streets to fight crime would do great harm to this nation's democratic image. The world is all too familiar with the image of armed soldiers patrolling the streets of strife-torn nations around the world. Don't let it happen here. ------ WP 10/27 Call on Love, Not Guards, To Help D.C. BY COURTLAND MILLOY In this compact capital city, where political symbols often clash, another conflicting scene has emerged: The temporary headquarters for Sasha Bruce Youthwork, one of the District's most successful services for troubled teenagers, recently opened across the street from the U.S. Marine Corps Barracks on Eighth Street SE. On one side, armed soldiers patrol the sidewalks, ever ready for battle. On the other, a 1960s peace and love era-inspired group of counselors hug and tutor wayward youths, taming the beast within. Both scenes are compelling. But imagine seeing either one replicated all over town. Which would make this a better place: more guns or more love? Of course, no proposal to deploy the Marines (or more love, for that matter) has been taken seriously. But in a town that is addicted to enforcers, including the D.C. police, the FBI, DEA, ATF, Secret Service, Capitol Police, U.S. Park Police, Postal Police, Metro Transit Police, Zoo Police and Army and Navy Intelligence and still doesn't feel safe, it's a safe bet that a few more office clerks dressed up as the National Guard won't do the trick, either. "We know that guns are not the answer, so why continue down that path?" said Deborah Shore, executive director of Sasha Bruce Youthwork. "During a visit to Ireland to talk with youth workers there, I saw children on the front line of war, just like children in Washington, throwing rocks at soldiers. The more force that was used against them, the more disrepectful of authority they became." Shore, who founded Sasha Bruce Youthwork in 1974, directs an impressive array of services for youth and families that include emergency shelters, parenting skills training, home-based family preservation programs and substance abuse prevention. The prospects of expanding organizations like hers ought to generate great excitment. Instead, the pleas of many neighborhood-based social service groups are virtually ignored. On the other hand, as soon as residents become desperate enough to cry out for soldiers on the streets, the pleas get attention at the highest levels of national government. "It's an outrage," said Kevin Grey, president of the American Civil Liberties Union in South Carolina, where several cities have deployed the National Guard to combat neighborhood drug dealing. "Residents are reporting abuses of civil rights such as spotlights being shined into their homes and intimidation on the streets. And the National Guard has had no impact on crime. I think Sister Kelly is being naive." To suggest that the National Guard could be used to successfully interdict drugs in the District, as Mayor Sharon Pratt Kelly has, shows that she has not paid much attention to the failures of the Coast Guard, Customs Service and the Air Force, which even tried using war-ready spy planes. Of course, it was not all Kelly's fault. "The culprits in D.C. are crack and Ronald Reagan," Shore said. "They go together. During the 12 years of the Reagan presidency, we watched in horror as the distance between the haves and have-nots expanded like crazy. Cocaine flooded the city, and every conceivable division between human beings - race, sex and religion - was emphasized to prevent any meaningful dialogue about what to do about the problems." It was time to learn from our mistakes and move on, Shore said. "A problem with the `War on Poverty' was that we knew very little about the people we were trying to help," she said. "Now we know who we are dealing with, and we know what works." That knowledge came from getting inside the homes where the children were being raised, not just being on the street where they hang out, Shore said. Unencumbered by government bureaucracy, Sasha Bruce Youthwork is free to move swiftly in developing and deploying services where they are needed most. An example of their work can be found around the corner from the Sasha Bruce headquarters, where a former client is employed at a copying service. He said that he was placed in a Sasha Bruce youth home in 1979 after being caught stealing cars. "I was suppose to be going to school, but a Sasha Bruce counselor became suspicious and began following me," the former client recalled. "He tracked me down and discovered I was skipping class. I was shocked, not so much because I had been followed but because somebody cared enough to do it." The youth eventually straightened up and has become one of many success stories that are rarely acknowledged. It is more than a little baffling that the District, of all places, would lead the call for military presence on civilian streets. One possible explanation is that people in some parts of the city have come to view themselves as residents of a Third World, incapable of self-government and deserving of a colonial force to keep them in check. For Shore, such a state of mind is unacceptable. "There is a humanism and a hopefulness that is needed to replace a defeatist mentality," Shore said. "Having so many oppressed people in the nation's capital cannot be tolerated." The most pressing problem, she said, is fear. "Our children have a tremendous sense of being alone, unprotected, unwanted," Shore said. "That's why they like guns. As adults, we must give them something better." UPwe 10/28 1944 Measure backs legalization of marijuana SACRAMENTO (UPI) -- A group of Californians is proposing a ballot measure that would legalize marijuana use in the state. Supporters of legalized marijuana use have submitted an initiative to the Attorney General's Office that would allow anyone over the age of 20 to smoke marijuana. The so-called "California Hemp Initiaitive of 1994" would also allow farmers to grow hemp products. Attorney General Dan Lungren's office will review the proposal, prepare a summary of the measure and send it on to the secretary of state. If there are no glitches, that agency will then clear the initiative, allowing supporters to gather signatures to place the proposal before voters. UPwe 10/28 1943 Four arrested in drug bust SAN FRANCISCO (UPI) -- Federal authorities said three California residents and one New Yorker were charged Thursday with possession of and conspiracy to distribute more than $200 million worth of marijuana imported from Thailand. The arrests last week of Marshall Way, 47, of San Francisco, Karen Green, 42 of Napa, Robert Singer, 40, of New York, N.Y., and Joel Hillman, 44, of Mill Valley, were the result of a four-month investigation that led to the seizure of 12.5 tons of marijuana, according to a statement issued by U.S. Attorney Michael Yamaguchi. The four face sentences of up to life imprisonment and fines of up to $4 million if convicted. More than 11 tons of the high-grade marijuana were found in a Novato, Calif., warehouse, the statement said. A number of federal and local law enforcment agencies cooperated in the investigation, including the Coast Guard, the Drug Enforcment Administration and police and sheriffs' departments in San Franciso, Marin County and Sonoma County. RTw 10/28 1630 U.S. MILITARY CHANGES ROLE IN WAR ON DRUGS (Eds: Updates with announcement) By Charles Aldinger WASHINGTON, Oct 28 (Reuter) - In a major policy shift, the Pentagon said Thursday it will cut drug interdiction efforts by warships and aircraft in the Caribbean and move to help South America fight cocaine cartels at the source. Officials said the move could cut $200 million a year from the Pentagon's $1.1 billion annual drug-fighting budget and that providing intelligence, radar and training to help destroy laboratories and catch drug kingpins made more sense. Deputy Assistant Defence Secretary Brian Sheridan stressed that U.S. troops would not be used on anti-drug missions by police and military forces in Colombia and other nations under the new aid policy. But he said the change would mean more support for counter-drug efforts along the border with Mexico and that the armed forces will begin pilot programmes to cut drug demand in disadvantaged U.S. neighbourhoods. The pilot programmes would be similar to drug abuse programmes in the military. Those programmes, which feature regular testing and threats of punishment, have been highly successful. "There was a sense that we needed to adjust our efforts and programmes," Sheridan said at a Pentagon news conference. "The Department of Defence has issued new policy guidance redirecting its counter-drug programme to emphasise support to nations battling cocaine cultivation and processing, while shifting away from high seas interdiction." About half of the current U.S. military drug budget is spent on Air Force radar planes and sophisticated warships in the Caribbean that help detect small drug-smuggling planes and boats for U.S. Customs and Coast Guard officials. But a Clinton administration drug policy review in recent months concluded that those interdiction efforts were making only a very small dent in the flow of cocaine northward from Colombia and other Latin American nations. Sheridan did not give details on what kind of aid or training that would be provided to Colombia and other countries, but he suggested that monitoring efforts by U.S. warships and radar planes was not getting the job done. About 1,100 metric tons of cocaine is produced in Latin American annually and the United States consumes only about 300 metric tons, he said. "At the end of the day, cocaine is still available on our streets," Sheridan added when asked if current interdiction efforts were adequate. The official said that new technologies -- such as a special over-the-horizon radar now based in Virginia -- could monitor Caribbean drug smuggling from afar instead of using high-cost warships on the scene. "We will continue to do some monitoring (by ships and planes), but we will do less of that," Sheridan told the news conference. The United States, he noted, has begun using smaller radar ships manned by civilian crews to monitor drug traffic at a cost of only about $3 million a year compared to the $20 million annual operating cost of a sophisticated Aegis cruiser. REUTER APn 10/29 1744 White House-Virus Copyright, 1993. The Associated Press. All rights reserved. By CHRISTOPHER CONNELL Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON (AP) -- Were the computer disks the White House handed out with the 1,342-page Clinton health plan infected by a virus that flashes a "legalize marijuana" message? That rumor swept Washington Friday after a business news service reported that such a virus turned up on the computer disks it got from the White House. However, that appears to be the only reported sickness among the 1,000 sets of two, 3 1/2-inch computer disks that the White House ordered from a Virginia firm in the wee hours of Wednesday morning, shortly before Clinton took a copy of his bill to Capitol Hill. Johannah Brookwell, president of Controlled Copy Support Systems Inc. in Fairfax, Va., insisted the disks were clean when they left her shop. Jeff Eller, the White House director of media affairs, said the Bloomberg News Service is the only organization that has found anything wrong with its disks. Both the White House and the duplication company spot-checked for viruses and found none, said Eller. "Nobody else has got it. I think the disks that left here were healthy," said Eller. But he added that he could not say with 100 percent certainty that all the disks were virus-free since they were not all checked beforehand. "Maybe they missed one," said Paul Heldman, a health reporter for Bloomberg, who discovered the virus on his disks Thursday. Heldman and another Bloomberg reporter had used the disks in their laptop computers at the White House on Wednesday and lent them briefly to a television reporter to use as a prop. When Heldman stuck one of the disks in a computer at his office Thursday, it issued a virus warning. The computer was not damaged and the message never flashed, but a check showed both disks were infected by the "Stoned III" virus, Heldman said. That virus can damage a computer's hard drive and flash the message, "Your P.C. is stoned -- LEGALIZE MARIJUANA." Heldman said neither the laptops nor his office computer were infected. "We checked out every other possible source of the virus," he said. UPwe 10/29 1341 DEA chief steps down WASHINGTON (UPI) -- The administrator for the Drug Enforcement Administration, Robert C. Bonner, stepped down Friday after three years in office to enter private law practice in Los Angeles. Attorney General Janet Reno named Stephen H. Green, who is deputy administrator, to serve as acting administrator. Green is a 25-year veteran of the DEA. Bonner was a federal judge in Los Angeles before he was sworn in as administrator of the DEA on Aug. 6, 1990. Before he become a judge, Bonner served as a U.S. attorney from 1984 to 1989. Bonner's successor will be named by Prsident Clinton and Reno. Bonner announced his plans to resign in August. UPsw 10/31 1528 White House shows ``absence of leadership'' on nati... White House shows "absence of leadership" on nation's drug problems WASHINGTON (UPI) -- The departing head of the Drug Enforcement Administration said the Clinton Administration has allowed the country to "backslide" in the war on drugs, The Washington Post said Sunday. Robert C. Bonner resigned as head of the DEA shortly after Attorney General Janet Reno gave the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation the authority to resolve disputes between the two law enforcement agencies, although a proposal to merge the agencies was turned down. A former federal judge and U.S. attorney, Bonner was appointed by President Bush. Designating the head of the FBI to resolve disputes with the DEA, is like "trying to resolve disputes between IBM and Apple" by giving the job "to the head of IBM," Bonner told the Post. Bonner disagreed with the Clinton administration's increased emphasis on drug treatment, saying it amounted to a decrease in emphasis on law enforcement and the pursuit of cooperation from foreign governments. "My perception is the drug problem is not only not a priority issue" for the White House, "it does not appear to me to be an issue of any real importance," Bonner told the Post. In the "absence of leadership" from the White House, Congress has been able to "chop up" the budgets of federal agencies attacking the drug problem, Bonner said. The Post said Clinton administration drug control policy director Lee P. Brownresponded, saying, "I don't think there's any room for us to be engaged in rhetoric about who's tougher on drugs." WP 10/31 Departing DEA Chief Has Harsh Words for Clinton ... Departing DEA Chief Has Harsh Words for Clinton Anti-Drug Policy By Michael Isikoff Washington Post Staff Writer Outgoing Drug Enforcement Administration chief Robert C. Bonner has accused the Clinton administration of permitting the country to "backslide" in the war against drug abuse by treating the problem as a "non-issue." Amid signs that the use of heroin has reached record levels, Bonner said there has been a "vacuum" and "an absence of leadership" from the White House that has permitted Congress to "willy-nilly chop up" the budgets of federal agencies seeking to attack the drug problem. "In terms of leadership at the White House, this is a non-issue," said Bonner, whose resignation takes effect today. "My perception is the drug problem is not only not a priority issue (at the White House), it does not appear to me to be an issue of any real importance." Bonner also dismissed the administration's new anti-drug "strategy" as a largely rhetorical and misguided document that is "going to fail." By placing primary emphasis on the treatment of hard-core drug abusers, White House drug control policy director Lee P. Brown is ignoring that "there really isn't an effective treatment for cocaine and crack addiction." "Drug treatment, particularly in this town, is the real feel good (method) for how you deal with the drug problem. It doesn't deal with any enforcement of the laws. It makes everybody feel all warm and fuzzy. . . . I think treatment is being oversold." Bonner's comments were made during a two-hour interview last week in which he harshly criticized administration policies on a number of fronts. A former federal judge and U.S. attorney in Los Angeles who was appointed three years ago by President George Bush, Bonner said he is leaving of his own accord, although he acknowledged he had not been encouraged to stay on indefinitely. The office has no fixed term. Stephen H. Greene, the deputy administrator, will become acting administrator. "Perhaps I may be something of a voice in the wilderness here, but I still believe the drug problem in all its various dimensions is the greatest single threat facing America," Bonner said. After several years of a "strong clear signal" of social disapproval of drugs, "I'm very concerned that clear signal is becoming much more ambiguous and . . . muted and we're beginning to backslide." Asked about Bonner's comments, Brown said: "I don't think there's any room for us to be engaged in rhetoric about who's tougher on drugs." Brown said that, contrary to Bonner's assertions, President Clinton was "very, very concerned about this issue" and had demonstrated that by designating the drug policy director a member of the Cabinet. He also emphasized that while the administration's approach will place more emphasis on treatment of addicts, "we're not contemplating reductions for the law enforcement agencies." Bonner said the most serious new drug threat has been a "dramatic" resurgence of heroin abuse, with many new users snorting or smoking the drug. After years of worldwide bumper crops of opium poppies in the late 1980s, "I would say from all the data I've examined there is more heroin available in the United States today than perhaps at any time in the nation's history." While acknowledging "there is no hard data," Bonner said he also believes the total number of users of heroin has expanded "well beyond" traditional estimates of 500,000 to perhaps 1 million. Other federal officials and drug experts in recent months have said there is no accurate way to measure the number of heroin addicts and fears of a heroin "comeback" have been expressed by DEA officials for some time. But Bonner and other agency officials last week cited a number of statistics to back up their claims, including a record number of heroin emergency admissions to hospitals, reports of heroin being distributed at crack houses in major U.S. cities, and substantial increases in street-level purity of the drug. At least part of the problem, Bonner said, is the lack of a vigorous international attack in the "source" countries. While the largest supplier of raw opium to the United States is Burma (Myanmar), that country's government "is not hearing any message from the U.S. government" on drugs because of what he contended was the State Department's preoccupation with human rights abuses. Bonner's resignation comes shortly after he and his agency won a crucial bureaucratic victory, staving off a proposal by Vice President Gore to fold the DEA into the FBI. Instead, Attorney General Janet Reno gave FBI Director Louis J. Freeh new powers to resolve operational disputes among all Justice Department agencies, including the DEA. But Bonner said the new setup created many potential problems. Within hours of Reno making her announcement last month, DEA agents and FBI agents in one city began squabbling over who should prepare an affidavit - with bureau officials threatening to "take it up to the Freeh committee," Bonner said. Designating the FBI director to adjudicate disputes between the FBI and DEA is like "trying to resolve disputes between IBM and Apple" by giving the job "to the chairman of IBM," he said. Copyright, 1993. The Associated Press. All rights reserved. By BRUCE SCHREINER Associated Press Writer LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) -- The Justice Department is appealing a judge's decision that a phone system in prisons across the country discriminates against inmates because they can't make unlimited collect calls. The appeal, filed Thursday, seeks to lift a preliminary injunction that U.S. District Judge Henry Wilhoit Jr. issued Oct. 13. It applies to federal prisons nationwide. Wilhoit ordered the U.S. Bureau of Prisons to stop the use of a multimillion-dollar direct-dial phone system called the Inmate Telephone System unless an unrestricted collect-calling system remains available to inmates. The new system has been installed in about half of all federal prisons. Wilhoit ruled that the direct-dial system "plainly discriminates against indigent inmates." Before the bureau began installing the system, prisoners were allowed to make collect calls to virtually anyone who was willing to accept the charges. The collect calls were monitored by prison officials. Under the new system, inmates have to pay for direct-dial calls with money received from families or for prison work. Wilhoit noted that some inmates are unable to work for medical reasons, and wages for prison work are low. Wilhoit also found that the system limited inmates to 20 phone numbers, raising "serious prior restraint concerns." Prison officials routinely restrict the list to relatives, friends and attorneys. No date has been set by the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati to hear arguments from government attorneys and lawyers for the 14 plaintiffs, who are inmates at the women's federal prison in Lexington. "Obviously we believe the appeal is improper and that the preliminary injunction is completely proper," Lexington attorney Douglas McSwain, who is representing the plaintiffs, said in a telephone interview Friday. McSwain said some of the restrictions may stem from the case of a prisoner who made accusations against Vice President Dan Quayle during the 1988 presidential campaign. The prisoner said he sold marijuana to Quayle years before; Quayle denied the allegations. "The political implications of this are pretty astounding," McSwain said. "This new ITS system would take care of that problem -- you'd seldom, if ever, be able to call the press." Officials in the U.S. attorney's office in Lexington declined to discuss the case, and Justice Department officials in Washington could not be reached for comment. APn 11/04 2112 Jail Raid Copyright, 1993. The Associated Press. All rights reserved. By LEROY TILLMAN Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON (AP) -- Five city jail guards were arrested Thursday for allegedly taking bribes to smuggle illegal cocaine and marijuana to inmates. The illegal drugs and other contraband were brought into the prison between May 1992 and August 1993 and federal investigators launched an undercover operation after being tipped off to the smuggling, said U.S. Attorney Eric Holder. Even though "we do pat searches" of the guards, "there are many, many ways" to bring in drugs, said District of Columbia Corrections Director Walter Ridley. "I think we have to continue to work and find better ways of selecting employees." Ridley said part of the problem may be attributed to familiarity between inmates and officers who may have known each other previously. The arrests marked the fourth time in three years that city corrections officers were arrested for drug-related offenses involving inmates, said Ridley. The five -- plus a sixth person, a former corrections officer -- were charged with bribery, possession and distribution of cocaine, possession and distribution of marijuana and introduction of contraband into a penal institution. The arrests of the four men and two women culminated a two-year investigation called Operation Inside Track. U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth set bond at $20,000 each. UPn 11/04 1730 Driveways off limits without warrant SAN FRANCISCO (UPI) -- A federal appeals court ruled unanimously Thursday that a homeowner's driveway located 50 to 60 feet from his house could not be searched by police without a warrant. The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals reversed the drug and gun possession convictions of a North Idaho resident whose home was searched after a police officer smelled marijuana while standing in the driveway. The court said the driveway was within the protected area of Robert Depew's house, which made the officer's warrantless entry to the property and detection of the marijuana an illegal search in violation of the Fourth Amendment. Depew, a practicing nudist who had posted "No Trespassing" signs on his property, had the expectation of privacy both in and around his house, the court said. Without the officer's testimony, the court said, a federal judge would not have permitted police to search Depew's house in an operation that yielded more than 1,000 marijuana plants and unregistered firearms. UPsw 11/15 1848 Drug dealing suspected in shooting deaths of two women FORT WORTH, Texas (UPI) -- Authorities said Monday that two young college women whose bodies were found Saturday in a vacant lot may have been involved in dealing drugs. Channing Freelove and Melanie Golchert, who had been close friends for several years, were shot to death early Saturday in a lot on Fort Worth's south side. Police said the two, who were killed execution style, may have been the victims of a drug deal gone bad, as suspected narcotics were found in an apartment belonging to one of the women. Freelove, 19, was a freshman at Texas Christian University, while Golchert, 18, attended Tarrant County Junior College. A police report obtained by Dallas television station WFAA indicated that on the night before she and her friend were killed, Freelove asked her parents for $6,000 in cash to pay her drug dealer. The station said the parents told police that Freelove had been a narcotics dealer, and that 10 pounds of marijuana was missing from her apartment. Another girl who shared an apartment with the two women said she heard Freelove pleading for her life in a telephone conversation with her drug dealer. Officers who searched the apartment said they found 2 1/2 pounds of marijuana and $1,000 in cash. UPwe 11/19 1910 Berekely man indicted in pot forest SACRAMENTO (UPI) -- A Berkeley man was indicted Friday by a federal grand jury for allegedly growing more than 2,000 marijuana plants in Lassen National Forest. John Dennis Reagan, 33, faces up to life in prison and a $4 million fine if convicted. Reagan was arrested in a remote section of the Northern California forest after a helicopter spotted the illegal plants. Drug agents destroyed 2,130 plants, many of them more than 20 feet tall. Authorities said the plants had a street value of more than $8 million. APn 11/19 1322 BRF--Helicopter Crash Copyright, 1993. The Associated Press. All rights reserved. HILLSBORO, Mo. (AP) -- A federal drug agency helicopter crashed Friday while conducting surveillance, killing a St. Louis police officer and critically injuring the pilot. The Drug Enforcement Administration helicopter crashed into a rural, heavily wooded area 15 miles south of St. Louis, authorities said. The cause wasn't immediately known. Stephen Strehl, 35, a 14-year department veteran assigned to a DEA drug task force, was killed, said Christine Nelson, a police spokeswoman. Pilot Hawthorn Lee was hospitalized in critical condition, the DEA said. Strehl was part of a team observing suspected drug activity in the area. The crash wasn't expected to jeopardize the drug investigation. APn 11/22 0331 Lite-Drug-Sniffing Pig Copyright, 1993. The Associated Press. All rights reserved. PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- Harley is a pig in a dog's world. The Vietnamese miniature potbellied pig is the newest animal member of the Portland Police, sniffing out drugs in a job usually reserved for canines. Harley has his advantages. Pigs have keener noses and are cheaper to feed and train, says his trainer, Officer Ronald Cash. On the other hand, pigs aren't known for their athletic ability. Cash realizes there will be times when he'll have to carry Harley instead of running. No problem, says Cash, who's been assigned to prepare the 40-pound pig for the streets and take care of him at home. "I hold him close to my chest so he can hear my heart beat and he knows that I love him," said Cash, a former Army Ranger who works with the bureau's Gang Enforcement Team. "You also have to grunt with him," he says. "It's part of the bonding process." Police adopted Harley in June as a piglet. Chief Charles Moose was looking for creative ideas to fight drugs. Cash said he hopes to train Harley to sniff out marijuana, heroin and cocaine within a year. Eventually, he wants to convert half a patrol car's back seat for Harley. For now, Cash takes his pig out on a leash almost every day. People stop, point and begin laughing once they realize he's not a dog. But the straight-laced officer doesn't feel the least bit foolish. In fact, he sees it as an honor. "I wouldn't care if it was a rat," Cash said. "I'd be just as proud to walk around with a hamster if it helps drug suppression." RTw 11/23 2133 DANISH HIPPIE COLONY THRIVES AS ``PARADISE FOR ... DANISH HIPPIE COLONY THRIVES AS "PARADISE FOR LOSERS" By Lars Foyen CHRISTIANIA, Denmark, Nov 24 (Reuter) - Behind the graffiti-sprayed walls of an evacuated military compound, a Danish hippie colony continues to live out a 1960s dream of anarchy, love and marijuana. Christiania, a picturesque 18th century citadel comprising 35 hectares (86 acres) of prime waterfront real estate in central Copenhagen, was occupied by hippie squatters in 1971 who declared it an autonomous "free town." About 700 adults and 250 children still live in the controversial compound which ordinary Danes see as either a worthy social experiment or a provocative anachronism. "Christiania is as close to anarchy as you will ever get," explained Wanda Liszt, a spokesman of the Christianites, as the free town's inhabitants call themselves. "Our only laws are: "no hard drugs', "no guns', "no violence' and "no cars'." Some 500,000 people visit Christiania each year, many coming to buy marijuana on the infamous "Pusher Street" where soft drugs are openly displayed, or for the area's restaurants, night spots, rock concerts and theatres. "Social security clients...the young with no jobs, the homeless -- they all come here to enjoy the peaceful green setting and the magical mixture of village and urban life," says a Christiania guide leaflet. "They cannot find these things where they live, in dark apartments and dreary institutions where nobody has time to talk and a person enjoying a beer on a park bench is frowned upon," it says. "Christiania is a paradise for losers." A visitor to Christiania is struck by the heaps of junk and rubbish, the smell of firewood used to heat the old stone barracks, building facades in need of a coat of paint and seemingly passive people. "Laws. No thanks," someone has scrawled on a wall. "Who's to decide how clean Christiania should be. Should the inhabitants set the standards or should you. We don't go poking around your backyard," says Peter Soerensen, another Christianite spokesman. Half of Christiania's inhabitants live on the Danish state's generous social security cheques but there is a dynamic side to the community. It has its own day-care centres for children, a cinema, an opera, various workshops, a bathhouse, a hairdresser, riding stables, shops, art galleries and even a post office. "Christianites also receive mail," said Liszt with a grin. "Usually from the authorities. "Christiania is like the old Montmartre (bohemian) quarter in Paris with its ragtag mixture of people. Although you won't find artists like Toulouse-Lautrec here, you will find the odd pickpocket and whore," Liszt said. A row of new private houses, some quite fashionable, which residents built along a scenic waterfront, tell another story. "You'll find all kinds here, hippies, drug dealers, and even people with rather bourgeois lifestyles, leaving their kids at the day-care centre, working nine to five and watching television in the evening," Soerensen said. Christiania does not believe in representational democracy through majority decisions. It is ruled through open meetings at local house, area and community levels where, in principle, all must agree for a decision to be carried out. The community's relations with the Danish state and the Defence Ministry, which owns the area, have always been stormy. But Denmark, with a tradition for tolerance and shunning confrontation, has never sent in police or troops to throw the squatters out. Plans to somehow evict them faded as Christiania became an accomplished fact. In the late 1970s, a motorcycle gang moved in and began using Christiania as headquarters for the hard drug trade and turned it into a red-light district. The Christianites kicked out the gang and the hard drugs trade in 1980. The 1990s have seen the start of peaceful co-existence between the Freetown and the Defence Ministry which agreed to let the anarchists stay if they paid utility bills, taxes and Value Added Tax, maintained the buildings and abided by drug laws. Defence Ministry section chief Soeren Stensbo said Christiania was, perhaps, not such a bad deal for society. "It would cost a lot more to house these people in city apartments and social institutions, and to provide municipal day-care for their children," he said. But many Christianites have mixed feelings about "normalisation," its effects on autonomy and on the marijuana trade which police want to stamp out. "Why not normalise the rest of society instead, let it enjoy our kind of self-government. Why can't we be allowed to enjoy a leisurely marijuana joint in the sun without being harassed by police," said Soerensen. REUTER UPwe 11/10 2213 Judge to decide on probation termination SAN DIEGO (UPI) -- A judge said Wednesday he will consider terminating the probation of a man infected with the AIDS virus who cultivated and used marijuana to stop nausea and other symptoms of the deadly disease. Samuel Skipper, 39, of La Mesa, pleaded guilty in 1991 to cultivating marijuana and was placed on three years probation. Skipper said he and his male lover had AIDS and used the drug for treatment. As a condition of his probation, he was ordered not to use marijuana. But Skipper continued to use the drug and was charged again with marijuana cultivation. He was acquitted Oct. 15 marijuana cultivation charges after he used the "medical necessity" defense. Skipper's attorney told San Diego Municipal Court Judge Charles Rogers that Skipper should be allowed to cultivate marijuana since the jury accepted his explanation that he needs the drug. "All Mr. Skipper wants is to be left alone," argued Juliana Humphrey. "This is a very unique situation." Deputy District Attorney David Williams told the judge not to terminate the remaining year of probation. The judge will make his decision on December 10. WP 11/25 Proposal to Merge Firearms Bureau Into FBI Is ... Proposal to Merge Firearms Bureau Into FBI Is Scrapped By Pierre Thomas Washington Post Staff Writer Vice President Gore's plans to merge the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms into the FBI as part of his "reinventing government" drive have been scrapped, bureau and Treasury Department officials said yesterday. Administration officials apparently backed off the proposal after receiving little congressional support for it and after reevaluating the wisdom of eliminating the country's principle enforcer of federal firearms laws at a time when gun violence has reached epidemic proportions in many communities. Gore's "National Performance Review (NPR) has advised the Department of the Treasury of its intention to withdraw the recommendation that ATF be merged with the FBI," ATF Director John W. Magaw said in a dispatch to all ATF stations. "With this violence, timing may have been a factor," Magaw, who had opposed the merger, said in an interview yesterday. "Guns and crime are a priority." The decision ends months of speculation about the tiny agency's fate that began last February with the violent confrontation near Waco, Tex. between ATF and the Branch Davidian sect. Four agents and at least two Davidians were killed when the ATF raided the sect's compound. A Treasury Department review later found that top ATF administrators had botched planning for the raid and then tried to mislead the public about the tragedy. The findings led to an overhaul of the bureau's top management. The National Performance Review recommendations had preceded the Treasury review and were based on the premise that federal law enforcement would be strengthened by centralizing some efforts under the FBI. Many critics said the scathing Waco inquiry confirmed that ATF, at least as a separate law enforcement division, should be eliminated. Despite the criticism and concern about ATF's performance, Gore's proposal generated little support among Attorney General Janet Reno and congressional leaders, who would have had to approve the merger, administration and congressional sources said. A number of law enforcement organizations came to ATF's aid, saying the bureau has expertise in firearms, explosives and arson investigations that might be lost. A similar proposal to merge the FBI and Drug Enforcement Administration died in October when Reno granted FBI Director Louis J. Freeh authority to oversee all Justice Department investigations and overlapping law enforcement efforts. "I think we can make ATF and the FBI work more efficiently, but I think that they perform distinct functions that can be complementary to one another," said Rep. Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md.), who oversees funding for ATF as chairman of the House Appropriations subcommittee on the Treasury, Postal Service and general government. Ronald K. Noble, the Treasury Department's assistant secretary for enforcement, confirmed NPR's decision, saying, "With the growing gun-related violence, ATF is positioned to do battle in that arena. I've met with Director Louis Freeh and we're committed to working together to help address the problem." The appointment of former Secret Service director Magaw to replace Stephen E. Higgins as ATF director helped the agency's position, said Sen. Dennis DeConcini (D-Ariz.), a staunch ATF supporter. "I'm pleasantly surprised," the senator said. "People were misinformed about ATF vis-a-vis Waco and they deserved some criticism, but they perform invaluable services. The merger didn't make sense and it wouldn't have saved any money." FBI officials declined to comment. The Gore panel concluded that federal law enforcement efforts suffered from duplication, competition and squabbling and that taxpayer dollars could be saved if ATF and DEA became part of the FBI. The proposals drew quick fire within ATF and the DEA as agency officials sought to justify their existence and to privately accuse the larger, better-known FBI of being arrogant and power-hungry. If a merger were to occur, "FBI personnel would view ATF personnel as less than full partners and the opportunity for advancement or representation in management would be limited," said an ATF position paper circulated within the government. "An alignment would create the appearance that the federal firearms, explosives and arson laws are less of a priority." APn 11/25 1625 Netherlands-Pot Purity Copyright, 1993. The Associated Press. All rights reserved. SCHIJNDEL, Netherlands (AP) -- Dutch pot smokers can see whether they're getting their money's worth now that a consumers group is beginning to monitor soft drugs. Next week the Consumers Group for Cannabis Lovers opens its new public service, a quality control laboratory for marijuana and hashish. "You know exactly what's in every product on the market so why shouldn't soft drug users have the same right," director Boy Ramsahai said Thursday. A decade ago the Dutch turned their horticultural expertise to developing new, locally grown marijuana varieties, known collectively as "Netherweed." Using crossbreed techniques, superstrength varieties are now on the market alongside the 50 or so imported varieties available at more than 1,500 so-called coffee shops in this nation of 15 million. But some of the Netherweed doesn't make the grade. "Some of the stuff out there tastes like crap," said Monica Oud, a receptionist at the Amsterdam Hash Museum. At the lab, marijuana and hashish from coffee shops will be tested for quality and levels of tetrahydrocannabinol, their active ingredient. The lab will also check for dealers' use of fillers to cut the marijuana. Possession and sale of both soft and hard drugs are allowed in the Netherlands, with marijuana viewed as a recreational substance and hard drug abuse an illness rather than a crime. APn 11/29 1357 Drug-Alcohol Intervention Copyright, 1993. The Associated Press. All rights reserved. By JAMES H. RUBIN Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON (AP) -- Drug use at work is declining, but the reasons are not yet clear, federal researchers said Monday. There is not enough evidence to attribute the change to more drug testing of workers, a shift in attitude toward drug use or other factors, said Charles P. O'Brien, head of psychiatry at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center and chairman of a committee of the National Research Council and Institute of Medicine. The deterrent effects of drug testing never have been clearly demonstrated, the committee said. It called for more comprehensive studies and better evaluation of programs aimed at creating a drug-free workplace. "Clearly workers entering the workforce in the 1990s are likely to have substantially less experience with illicit drugs than did their counterparts in the 1980s and the late 1970s," the committee said. The committee said a 1990 survey indicates that abuse rates in the workplace are now relatively low. The survey found that about 7 percent of U.S. workers used an illegal drug during the preceding month and about 6 percent abused alcohol. A 1979 study showed that as many as 14 percent of the general population had used one or more illegal drugs during the preceding month. Businesses ought to do a better job determining what works in checking drug abuse, and studies also should focus on whether occasional drug use affects productivity, he said. The committee also said that nearly $1.2 billion is spent annually on urinalysis tests of workers. But there is not much scientific evidence to show the tests are very good at detecting drug use or dependence. For example, said Marian Fischman of Columbia University, traces of marijuana can be found in urine even months after use. There is no scientific proof that such amounts would affect behavior, she said. Added Bryan Finkle of the University of Utah, urine testing "tells you a very limited amount. It doesn't distinguish between use and abuse." The test results have been over-interpreted, primarily by lawyers and crime-fighters, he said. The committee also found that on-the-job drug intervention programs may have limited value, in part because they do not include systematic follow-up. "Recovery should be viewed as a process rather than an event," the committee said. It said most drug and alcohol intervention programs have focused on finding new cases of abuse and have "devoted little time to relapse prevention." "Workplace alcohol and other drug interventions may help a limited number of patients" but cannot by themselves "solve the nation's problems with alcohol and other drugs," the committee said. A separate study released last month by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation said abuse of alcohol, tobacco and drugs is killing more than 500,000 Americans a year and placing an increasing and heavy burden on the health care system and society. The National Research Council and the Institute of Medicine are chartered by Congress. They are private groups that provide health policy advice to the government. The committee on drug use issued a two-volume report and held a public forum to discuss its findings. RTw 11/28 1120 COLOMBIA SHOULD LEGALIZE DRUGS - TOP OFFICIAL BOGOTA, Nov 28 (Reuter) Colombia's war on drugs has failed and the country should legalise cocaine and marijuana trafficking because the United States and Europe are decriminalizing consumption, a top legal official said in an interview Sunday. "They can't tell us to keep sacrificing people if they are not doing anything against the consumer," Prosecutor-General Gustavo De Greiff told El Tiempo newspaper. De Greiff, who is responsible for bringing cases against Colombia's leading drug traffickers, said current repressive policies against the cocaine trade were not working because rich nations did nothing to combat consumption. "The fight against drugs, in the form in which it has been set out, in the way it is being carried out, is a failed fight," De Greiff said. "Repression works only if the industrialised countries combat consumption; but if they don't, there is no guarantee that the problem will end." Referring to one of Colombia's big successes in the drug war -- the 1989 killing of Medellin cartel military chief Gonzalo Rodriguez Gacha -- De Greiff said: "We killed Mr Gacha and nothing happened. All because drugs carry on being taken and now that consumption is being decriminalized." De Greiff said it was "monstruous to go on with the present situation so that someone, making a grotesque joke, can say we have to continue the battle until the last combatant dies ... the last of the Colombians." President Cesar Gaviria said earlier this month that he did not agree with De Greiff's views on legalising drug trafficking and believed Colombia should continue to fight the cocaine and marijuana trade in line with commitments to the United States. However De Greiff's views reflect those of many ordinary Colombians, who believe that after a decade of "drug war" that has cost the lives of scores of judges, politicians, police, and ordinary citizens as well as wrecking the country's image abroad, the time is ripe for a new approach. Colombia dominates the world cocaine trade and also exports large quantities of marijuana and a growing quantity of heroin. REUTER