TRANSFORM NEWS
May 2005

“Prohibition is the problem, not the solution”

Welcome to a slightly melancholic May edition. The drugs debate around the election was a complete washout, the Lib Dems are threatening to water down their very credible drugs policy and magic mushrooms are set to move from completely legal to Class A from the 21st June (summer solstice ironically enough - the 2005 drug war’s very own ‘longest day’). So we’re all slightly depressed and willing the metaphorical sun to come out from behind the dark clouds. Over the pond (which we’ve been learning more about thanks to Grant, our US intern/volunteer) ‘marijuana’ remains their main fixation, with moves in congress to introduce 2 year mandatory sentences for not
informing police if you know of a ‘pot’ dealer on university campus, and 5 years if you pass a joint to someone who has been on a federal treatment programme. Oh dear.

This newsletter is going to have a bit of a US slant to it (we thought it only right, what with a real live US citizen based in our office this month) so we have included more than the usual amount of US stories and links, and
we have a new thread forum specifically on the US-UK policy debate. Here’s hoping June reaps happier rewards. Thanks for reading - till then!

Please keep your comments and ideas coming e-mail: info@tdpf.org.uk

Pass this onto your friends; subscribers can join by visiting: http://www.tdpf.org.uk/Contact.htm
All previous newsletters are viewable on our website should you have missed them or only just signed up: http://www.tdpf.org.uk/Newsletter.htm

Contents
----1. UK NEWS-----

* The general election
*A new drugs minister
*Magic mushrooms class A in weeks
*Ketamine consultation
*Cannabis reclassification
*Cannabis medical necessity court ruling

---- 2. INTERNATIONAL NEWS ----

*Congress ratchets up the drugs war*
* ‘War on Drugs’ not meant to be won
* Message from America and top US drug policy sites

----3.TDPF-----

* Forum news
* Transform in the media
* Greek anti-prohibitionists

---- 4.What you can do ----

* Contact your new MP if you have one
* help with our fundraising!

----1. UK NEWS-----

*THE GENERAL ELECTION*
The General election has come and gone, with outcomes that are both good and bad from a drug policy reform perspective. In some ways it is positive that the government majority is weakened - in that the opposition will be better able to challenge failing Government policy. The Lib Dems, the only major party with a half way sensible and well thought through drug policy also increased their majority.

However, and it is a BIG however, it may well be the case that the Government’s weakened majority means the they will pander even more to the floating voters with populist ‘tough’ drugs and crime measures. The Tories
tried to outflank the Government during the election with even tougher talking rhetoric on drugs, and this doesn’t look likely to change any time soon. David Davies, a potential future party leader, has been talking tough,
simultaneously stoking and confusing popular fears:

“Drugs are flooding our streets because we have lost control of our borders, and until the Government gets a grip on our borders, this will continue.” (speech, May 23rd)

One possible positive sign in that David Cameron is also in the running for party leader and he was a member of the Home Affairs Select Committee inquiry into UK drug laws. As a result he knows a good deal about policy a
reform (he was on the committee when Transform gave oral evidence), and voted in favour of the recommendation that:

“the Government initiates a discussion within the Commission on Narcotic Drugs of alternative ways-including the possibility of legalisation and regulation-to tackle the global drugs dilemma”

for more info on the HASC report see: <http://www.tdpf.org.uk/Parliament_HascReport.htm>

The Lib Dems are also talking about a rethink of their drug policies after they came under attack for being ‘soft’ on drugs in the latter stages of the election. Tony Blair, in the Sun, just days before the election, called
their drug policy ‘crackers’ (a useful critique, thank you Prime Minister). Perhaps more significantly the Lib Dems failed to gain many Tory seats and are worried it is because they are perceived as ‘soft’ - On the other hand
they took several seats with a big student population who generally approve of their drug policy so it has worked both ways for them. That this change would be entirely political and nothing to do with developing rational
effective responses to the problems we face doesn’t seem to be too much of a concern. Transform will be working hard to encourage the Lib Dems to get behind their drug policy and try and win the public over with sound arguments, rather than cave in and abandon their principles just because a rival party calls them ‘soft’.

On a more positive note, the post election period historically presents a window of opportunity for more radical policy options to be floated in mainsteam political debate. Now the election dust has settled there may be
better opportunities to move the debate forward, or at least regain some of the ground lost during the miserable election campaigns.

*A NEW DRUGS MINISTER*

Following the post election reshuffle the minister in charge of drugs is now Paul Goggins MP. <http://www.paulgoggins.labour.co.uk> . Apparently he’s related to a character in Postman Pat…

*MAGIC MUSHROOMS*

Made a class A drug in the Drugs Bill 2005, Now Drugs Act 2005 (passed on the last day of the last parliament) the law is set to be commenced on the 21st June (unconfirmed) . This means that possession will be punishable with an up to 7year sentence. See Transforms drugs Bill page for more info:
<http://www.tdpf.org.uk/MediaNews_LatestNews_14_01_05.htm>

Paul Goggins MP recently said specific information will be issued regarding whether you would be prosecuted for magic mushrooms growing naturally on your land. It is unclear at present how this dilemma will be negotiated -
they grow on grasslands across the country. We are hoping to add the ‘It’s a kind of magic’ documentary on Magic mushrooms aired on Radio 1 (featuring Transform’s Steve Rolles) to our website soon. Until then you can listen to it here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/onelife/health/drugs/mushrooms_doc.shtml

*CANNABIS RECLASSIFICATION*

The cannabis reclassification debate is back in the news AGAIN. The recent debate in the build up to the election appears to be purely political - the home secretary referring the issue back to the Advisory Council on the
Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) to avoid accusations from the Tories that Labour were soft on cannabis. There is, in reality, little or no chance of the ACMD recommending a move back to Class B. Met police chief Sir Iain Blair has
recommended fixed penalty fines for possession which might herald similar policy for possession of other drugs. If Blair defies the council and reclassifies anyway then things would get very interesting indeed.

*MEDICAL CANNABIS COURT RULING*

“Three Appeals Court judges have just ruled against the defence of 'necessity' when using cannabis for medicinal reasons. Or in other words they would prefer you to abide by the law but remain in agony - rather than
break the law and gain some relief.

The reason the judges would not allow this defence is because they believe anyone and everyone would try to use it. They wanted to prevent recreational users from being found innocent and so have declared medical
users guilty without trial.”

[Thanks to www.theHempire.com for this story].

Transform spoke exclusively to the lawyer who took the case and have been informed that there was one piece of good news. The judges have given leave for the case to be taken to the Lords (with legal aid), where, it is hoped,
there is more chance of there being a more reasonable debate.

For more info see here: http://www.thehempire.com/pm/more/P/3662_0_1_0_M

*KETAMINE CONSULTATION*

The Government is planning to bring ketamine within the Misuse of Drugs Act. It is a disassociative anaesthetic that produces out of body type hallucinations and has a small market on the recreational drug scene. Currently it is used medically and is covered under the Medicines Act so is not illegal to possess, although it is illegal to supply outside of the medical framework. Transform has submitted a briefing to the Home Office consultation (available on our web site) arguing that prohibiting the drug will increase its dangers and increase criminal activity. A decision is due later in the year.

http://www.tdpf.org.uk/Policy_General_Ketamine.htm

Useful sources of UK drug news:

http://www.drinkanddrugs.net - Drink & Drug News

http://www.dailydose.net - daily or weekly round up of news, links and
searchable news archive

http://www.thehempire.com - Cannabis news, quality free monthly news email.

www.crew2000.co.uk and www.palad.org.uk ; recent affiliates to Transform,
and well worth a look to see related campaigns around the country.

---- 2. INTERNATIONAL NEWS ----

* CONGRESS RATCHETS UP THE DRUG WAR*
“High ranking members of congress want to increase penalties for every drug offense. They want a mandatory 2-year prison term for anyone who knows someone is selling marijuana on a college campus and fails to report it to
the police within 24 hours. They want a mandatory 5-year prison term for someone at a party who passes a marijuana joint to someone who has been enrolled in drug treatment at some point in their life”.

To read more: http://www.drugpolicy.org/news/051105sensenalert.cfm

“WAR ON DRUGS NOT MEANT TO BE WON”
says US Court Judge Scheinblum, rather it is meant to be ‘waged’. He also says: “drugs are not the problem, not the cause of thievery, robbery, and violence; drug prohibition is.“ For more see here:

http://www.norwichbulletin.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050604/OPINION/506040308&SearchID=73210252088850 (to ‘tt’)

*MESSAGE & LINKS FROM AMERICA* from Grant our US intern

“Over the past three years, I have been involved in the U.S. drug law reform movement. Whilst I was involved in anti-racism projects, I learned how American drug prohibition disproportionately targets Black-Minority-Ethnic
communities, and instantly became a drug policy reformer. Apart from organizing community and church centered meetings, workshops and advocating grassroots-style-lobbying campaigns, I have studied and engaged in various
aspects of U.S. drug policy.

Through a Washington based internship, my Unitarian Universalist church supported my efforts to counter the societal harms of the “war on Americans.” I then went on to study criminal justice and policymaking at
American University, and interned with Drug Policy Alliance at their Office of National Affairs (see link below). Last winter, I got the idea to volunteer with Transform in the hopes that I might be able to compare the
U.K. drugs policy scene with the U.S.

I’ve found that visiting the United Kingdom has provided a sort of mental vacation from the relentless barrage of grim U.S.-sponsored prohibitionist rhetoric. As you see, the implementation of zero tolerance laws over the
past twenty-odd years has reinforced the U.S. government’s message that incapacitation is the only way to deal with drugs. American policymakers resist all efforts to evaluate the effectiveness of prohibition, and lawmakers view any deviation from a zero tolerance platform as a sign of moral deprivation, and a defeat in the war on drugs. At enormous taxpayer expense, the American government continuously spins drug prohibition as a widely popular and morally obligatory government strategy. To this very day, U.S. lawmakers exhibit a combative-like demeanor, as if they are actually waging war. Aggressively and relentlessly, the politicians seek to pile on the penalties, and label whole new segments of the population as drug criminals.

The stakes are perpetually raised in this never-ending war, and, true to the barbaric nature of a battlefield, little thought is put into the dire consequences that prohibition has for both communities and civil society.
American drug policy reformers face constant battles against government pro-drug prohibition propaganda, dangerous legislation and extremist accusations by politicians from both major political parties. American reformers often must struggle through this sea of static before it can initiate measurable reform. Therefore, issues such as medical cannabis and harm reduction are popular fights because they have broad public appeal. In a number of states, American reformers have made notable progress at establishing legal protections for medical cannabis through ballot
initiative or state legislature.

Whilst at Transform, I’ve been exposed to a whole new way of thinking about how to go about reforming government drug policy. The simplicity and clarity of Transform’s message has been a welcome change in perspective. Moreover,
Transform has encouraged and supported my efforts to gather information and hear alternative viewpoints on the drugs issue. From a visit to Her Majesty’ s Prison, to a two-day fact finding visit to London for chats with drug policy experts, my experience with Transform has provided many lessons on the topic of U.K. drugs policy.

In the TDPF office, I’ve observed the day-to-day activities of Transform, worked alongside the staff, helped with projects and participated in many aspects of Transform’s work. This has been an extremely valuable and memorable experience, and I will come away with a strong appreciation for TDPF’s work, and the task before them to see legalization through in Britain. I invite you to have a look at my online blog (http://lavendercentral.typepad.com) where I have documented what I have learned during my experience at Transform. Cheers!

*Some useful US links*:

-Drug Policy Alliance - currently linked on TDPF
An umbrella reform organization that seeks to curb the incarceration of non-violent drug offenders, advocate for harm reduction-based policies, promote decriminalization and access to medical cannabis, and change the government’s approach on drug education, prevention and treatment services.
http://www.drugpolicy.org

-Media Awareness Project - currently linked on TDPF
MAP produces a searchable online database of relevant media reports, newspaper articles and editorials from around the globe, and various approaches to drug control, in order to educate the public and raise awareness about the harms caused by the war on drugs.
http://www.mapinc.org

-The Sentencing Project
For excellent analysis on the U.S. criminal justice system, domestic impact of drug laws and incarceration trends
http://www.sentencingproject.org/

-The November Coalition
The primary aim of this organization is to end incarceration that is fueled by the war on drugs.
http://www.november.org

-Common Sense for Drug Policy
All around great website filled with links to articles, reports and resources that detail the latest trends in the drug war, and reform efforts.
http://www.csdp.org/

International Links
Encod - European Coalition for Just and Effective Drug Policies. Check out their ‘latest bulletin’ <http://www.encod.org>

Drug Policy Alliance -- the leading US drug policy reform organisation
<http://www.drugpolicy.org/homepage.cfm>

The International Anti-Prohibitionist League:
(the are politically affiliated to the transnational radical party)
http://www.antiprohibitionist.org/index.html
They also have a weekly e mail bulletin. Subscribe here:
http://www.radicalparty.org/newsletter/?p=subscribe

----3.TDPF-----

*WEB FORUM*

The web-forum is open! Please check out our forum and make a contribution
to the discussions!
http://forum.tdpf.org.uk
You should register a user name (your email address and other details can be hidden). You will then receive an email to activate your account and give you a password and then you’re good to go! (or you can post as a guest)

*TRANSFORM IN THE MEDIA*

As ever we have been working closely with various media - here is a sample of what’s been going on in May:

- Francis Wilkinson one of our patrons and ex-policeman was on Radio 4s drive time slot chatting about legalisation
- Steve Rolles has been putting it about a bit featuring in:
- the ‘Comment & Analysis’ section of the Guardian - “Mushroom Cloud” http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,1486300,00.html
- Sky News (Cannabis reclassification)
- Radio 1 documentary titled “It’s a kind of magic” (about magic mushrooms) http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/onelife/health/drugs/mushrooms_doc.shtml
- The London Drug & Alcohol Network - in a piece about the Drugs bill. Their website: http://www.ldan.org.uk

For help with raising awareness through the media see below and the ‘What you can do page’ on the TDPF site here;
http://www.tdpf.org.uk/Parliament_WhatYouCanDo.htm

For more advice please call the Transform office on 0117 941 5810. Send in your media tips, warnings, successes and failures - we’ll include them here.

*GREEK ANTI-PROHIBITION ORGANISATION

We’ve been contacted by a Greek anti-prohibition organisation to speak at an event of theirs, so check out their website. There’s the odd page in English (rest coming soon apparently!) but their links page has been pretty much borrowed from ours and we feature at the top! Any translation on what they’re actually campaigning for would be helpful…

http://www.elefsyna.org/index.html

Website
Along with the regular updates and maintenance - to parliament, news, and link sections, new sections include:

The FORUM! http://forum.tdpf.org.uk/forum

*ketamine classification briefing *

http://www.tdpf.org.uk/Policy_General_Ketamine.htm

Charities Aid Foundation Online Giving service:
http://www.tdpf.org.uk/AboutUs_TdpfFunding.htm
Please support Transform by making a donation at our secure online donation page administered by the Charities Aid Foundation. Donations can be one off or regular. Please give generously - we need your support. (Transform
relies solely on donations from individuals and charitable trusts to maintain its work)

PUBLICATIONS
- New website briefing: “From soft drink to hard drug - a brief history of cocaine.” By Mike Jay -
http://www.tdpf.org.uk/Policy_General_Cocaine_MJay.htm

Recommended. By the same author “Emperors of Dreams, Drugs in the Nineteenth Century” by Mike Jay - recently reprinted by Dedalus Books. A fascinating read about drug culture in the pre-prohibition era (Mike is one of our trustees)

After the War on Drugs - Options for Control
Transform’s groundbreaking report examines the key themes in the drug policy reform debate, detailing how legal regulation of drug markets will operate, and providing a roadmap and time line for reform. The report can be
downloaded as a PDF from: http://www.tdpf.org.uk/Policy_General_AftertheWaronDrugsReport.htm

For printed copies please contact info@tdpf.org.uk

---- 4.WHAT YOU CAN DO ----

- Write to your new MP/councillor and ask them their views on the current drug policy. Ask their opinion on the war on drugs, the fact that it isn’t working and what they think should be done. They have a duty to reply, and then you can begin a dialogue. Remember always to be polite however much you may disagree with them! Get to work on your new MP. Book a visit to their surgery - you can meet with them and discuss any issue that you fancy.

- Contact us for help and support. Do you know who your MP is?! Find out here: http://www.locata.co.uk/commons

Try writing/e-mailing your local paper or a national paper. Look out for drug related stories in newspapers (and other publications) and respond in the letters pages. Here’s evidence to show it works: we promise ‘DJ Welch’ is not a put up job, he wrote to the Observer of his own volition:
http://observer.guardian.co.uk/letters/story/0,,1451131,00.html

-Visit online discussion & news forums and get involved in debates - post links to Transform web resources - this has a secondary benefit of raising our profile on search sites like Google. If you find online discussion forums where people are discussing drug policy - send us the links and we will include them in the next newsletter.

Please pass this onto your friends - subscribers can join by visiting: http://www.tdpf.org.uk/Contact.htm

For other ideas and more details on what you can do see : http://www.tdpf.org.uk/Parliament_WhatYouCanDo.htm

For all these stories and more see: www.tdpf.org.uk

Transform Drug Policy Foundation is a registered charity no: 1100518

The organisations, agencies, and information linked from www.tdpf.org.uk
represent a variety of viewpoints from across the drug policy field.

Transform is not responsible for the contents of sites linked on this newsletter, and does not automatically endorse linked information. Any suggested additions or corrections please email info@tdpf.org.uk If you have received this mail in error, or if would like to unsubscribe from the list, just click reply/e-mail info@tdpf.org.uk with ‘unsubscribe me‘ as the subject. If you know anyone who might enjoy this newsletter please pass it on. New subscribers can join by visiting http://www.tdpf.org.uk/Contact.htm

Fran Kellett

Transform Drug Policy Foundation
Easton Business Centre
Felix Road
Easton
Bristol BS5 0HE

email: fran@tdpf.org.uk
Telephone: +44 0117 941 5810
Facsimile: +44 0117 941 5809
website: www.tdpf.org.uk

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