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: * Prenatal Marijuana Use Not Associated With Neurobehavioral Deficits, Study Finds * Ninth Circuit Recognizes Religious Use of Marijuana * London Street Crime Halved After Pot Decriminalization May 30, 2002 -Prenatal Marijuana Use Not Associated With Neurobehavioral Deficits, Study Finds- Detroit, MI: Prenatal exposure to marijuana is not associated with lower birth-size or cognitive deficits in newborns, according to findings published this month in Pediatrics. Researchers reported no adverse effects associated with prenatal pot exposure in infants assessed at 6.5, 12 and 13 months on a battery of neurobehavioral tests, including analyses of mental development, reaction time, complexity of play and information processing. Prenatal exposure to cannabis also failed to negatively impact birth size or gestational age, the study found. By comparison, researchers reported that prenatal exposure to alcohol (approximately seven drinks per week) was associated with poor cognitive performance, and prenatal exposure to cocaine was associated with smaller birth-size. "By contrast to the effects of alcohol, our findings and those of other studies have consistently failed to indicate growth or neurobehavioral deficits in relation to prenatal marijuana use," the authors concluded. Previous studies regarding marijuana use and pregnancy have yielded similar results. Writing in the book Marijuana Myths, Marijuana Facts: A Review of the Scientific Evidence, NORML Foundation Chair Dr. John P. Morgan notes, "Studies of newborns, infants, and children show no consistent physical, developmental, or cognitive deficits related to prenatal marijuana exposure." He concludes, "While it is sensible to advise women to abstain from all drugs during pregnancy, the weight of current scientific evidence suggests that marijuana does not directly harm the human fetus." For more information, please contact Allen St. Pierre or Paul Armentano of The NORML Foundation at (202) 483-8751. Abstracts of the Pediatrics report are available online at: http://www.pediatrics.org/cgi/content/abstract/109/5/815. -Ninth Circuit Recognizes Religious Use of Marijuana- Honolulu, HI: A three-judge panel for the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled this week to limit federal prosecutions of Rastafarians who use marijuana for sacramental purposes on federal property or in U.S. territories. The judges determined that protections granted by a 1993 federal religious-freedom law permits the personal use and possession of marijuana - but not the sale or importation of marijuana - for religious purposes. Attorney Graham Boyd of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Drug Litigation Project, who argued the case, disputes that distinction. "It's the equivalent to saying wine is a necessary sacrament for some Christians but you have to grow your own grapes," he said. He intends to seek a review by the full appellate court, sitting en banc. The case arose from Benny Toves Guerrero's criminal prosecution in Guam for the alleged importation of five ounces of marijuana and ten grams of marijuana seeds. Guerrero asked the trial court to dismiss the indictment, claiming that the criminal statutes violated his right to freely exercise his religion under the Organic Act of Guam and under the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA). The trial court agreed, as did the Guam Supreme Court. The Ninth Circuit reviewed the Guam Supreme Court's finding that the federal territory's controlled substance statute substantially burdened Guerrero's right to freely exercise his religion. The decision applies to federal lands in nine western states and American territories. For more information, please contact Donna Shea, NORML Foundation Legal Director, at (202) 483-8751. -London Street Crime Halved After Pot Decriminalization- London, United Kingdom: The number of robberies and muggings in southern London have fallen nearly 50 percent since police in the borough began verbally cautioning minor marijuana offenders instead of arresting them. Law enforcement officials implemented the cannabis "warning" policy last fall in order to free up police resources to focus on more serious crimes. Lambeth police reported 468 robberies and muggings in April, compared with 916 last October, the BBC reported Wednesday. In addition, the BBC reported that robberies are down in the Lambeth borough by 18 percent so far this year - the highest percentage street crime reduction in England. In recent months, British regulators, police, and politicians have come out in favor of reclassifying marijuana so that its possession is no longer an arrestable offense. That policy change is expected to take place in July. For more information, please contact either Keith Stroup or Paul Armentano of NORML at (202) 483-5500. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * REMINDER: NORML Foundation To Discontinue Hard Copies Of Weekly Fax, Will Be Converting To All Electronic Format Starting July 1st The NORML Foundation will be converting its weekly media release to an all electronic format starting on July 1, 2002. AFTER THAT DATE, THE NORML FOUNDATION WILL BE RELYING 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. 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 at: normlmedia@earthlink.net. 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. -end- ---