NORML Foundation 1001 Connecticut Ave., NW Ste. 710 Washington, DC 20036 202-483-8751 (p) 202-483-0057 (f) www.norml.org foundation@norml.org Today's topics: * U.K. House of Commons Backs Pot Reclassification Marijuana's Potential Harms Must No Longer Be "Exaggerated," Commons Select Committee Says * June 6th Declared "Day of Action" For Medical Marijuana * NORML Foundation To Discontinue Hard Copies of Weekly Fax, Will Be Converting To All Electronic Format Starting July 1st May 23, 2002 U.K. House of Commons Backs Pot Reclassification Marijuana's Potential Harms Must No Longer Be "Exaggerated," Commons Select Committee Says London, United Kingdom: Members of Parliament (MP) endorsed plans to make marijuana possession a non-arrestable offense, in a report released yesterday by the House of Commons home affairs committee. The policy recommendation echoes demands made previously by Home Secretary David Blunkett in October 2001 and Parliament's Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) in March. "We support ... the Home Secretary's proposal to reclassify cannabis from Class B to Class C," the committee concluded. Under such a scheme, "possession of cannabis would cease to be an 'arrestable offense,' which means that the offense would no longer attract the investigative powers which attach to arrestable offenses, e.g. the power to enter and search premises without a warrant, and will leave police free to concentrate on more harmful drugs." Class C is the least harmful category of illegal drugs under British law. Although possession of Class C drugs technically carries a two-year maximum prison term, only offenses punishable by at least five years imprisonment are arrestable in England. Reclassifying pot recognizes that marijuana's health risks are marginal compared to those of hard drugs like cocaine and heroin, MPs said. "We do not believe there is anything to be gained by exaggerating [marijuana's] harmfulness," they determined. "On the contrary, exaggeration undermines the credibility of messages that we wish to send regarding more harmful drugs." In March, the ACMD reached a similar conclusion, finding, "The current classification of cannabis is disproportionate in relation to both its inherent harmfulness, and to the harmfulness of other substances, such as amphetamines, that are currently in Class B." Parliament is expected to formally downgrade marijuana by July. Other recommendations made by the home affairs committee include allowing the use of certain cannabis-based medicines and ceasing prosecution of those who supply or share drugs on a not-for-profit basis. The committee also said the United Nations should reconsider the appropriateness of global anti-drug treaties, and begin investigating alternative policies, "including the possibility of legalization and regulation to tackle the global drugs dilemma." For more information, please contact Allen St. Pierre, Executive Director of The NORML Foundation, at (202) 483-8751. A summary of previous government-commissioned drug policy reports is available from NORML online at: http://www.norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=3382. June 6th Declared "Day of Action" For Medical Marijuana Washington, DC: Medical marijuana activists are planning a nationwide "day of action" on June 6 to publicly demonstrate their opposition to the Drug Enforcement Administration's (DEA) efforts to close California's medicinal marijuana dispensaries. To date, non-violent protests are scheduled to take place at more than 40 regional DEA offices nationwide. Americans for Safe Access (ASA) is coordinating the protests, and is encouraging activists to "post their own 'cease and desist' orders at DEA outposts." The group believes that on or shortly after June 6, DEA officials will attempt to shut down California's remaining medical marijuana clubs. "Through this action, we will build an emergency response network of committed activists to escalate our resistance to the federal government's expanding war on democracy and patients in need of safe access to medical marijuana," the group says. To participate in the June 6 events, please call (202) 986-6186, or e-mail: pushbackthedea@hotmail.com. Further information is also available from the Americans for Safe Access website at: http://www.safeaccessnow.org. NORML Foundation To Discontinue Hard Copies of Weekly Fax, Will Be Converting To All Electronic Format Starting July 1st Washington, DC: The NORML Foundation will be converting it's weekly media release to an all electronic format starting on July 1, 2002. The conversion will allow the media and activists to receive NORML's weekly media releases in a timelier and environmentally friendly manner. NORML and The NORML Foundation have been distributing hard copies of our weekly media release, which provides coverage of the latest marijuana research, news and political developments, to an estimated 1,500 media and activist outlets, since 1992. After July 1, The NORML Foundation will be relying almost exclusively on e-mail for distribution of its Thursday press releases. All future releases will continue to be posted on Thursday afternoons on the NORML/NORML Foundation website (http://www.norml.org), and will be distributed electronically via NORML's free weekly e-zine. It is our hope to make this transition as smooth and convenient as possible. Those media outlets that currently receive The NORML Foundation's weekly releases via fax and would like to continue are asked to please contact NORML's media coordinator Nicholas Thimmesch. Other NORML supporters, activists and e-mail friendly media are advised to please go to the NORML/NORML Foundation homepage and enter your e-mail address to sign up for our free e-zine. Remember, as of July 1, your fax subscription will end. If you must receive continued news delivery via fax from NORML, please contact Nicholas Thimmesch at (202) 483-5500 or e-mail: normlmedia@earthlink.net to request a listing on the fax news service. ---