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Date: Fri, 16 Mar 2001 21:53:22 EST
From: <a href="mailto:LVNORML420@aol.com">LVNORML420@aol.com</a>
Subject: NORML WPR
To: undisclosed-recipients:;
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Subj: NORML WPR
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NORML Foundation
1001 Connecticut Ave., NW
Ste. 710
Washington, DC 20036
202-483-8751 (p)
202-483-0057 (f)
www.norml.org
<a href="mailto:foundation@norml.org">foundation@norml.org</a>
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March 15, 2001
<p>
*This week's topics*
-Swiss Government Moves to Okay Marijuana Use, Cultivation and Sale
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-New Mexico House Okays Medical Marijuana
House/Senate Bills Scheduled for Conference Committee
<p>
-Spanish Political Parties Back Medical Marijuana
<p>
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<p>
Swiss Government Moves to Okay Marijuana Use, Cultivation and Sale
<p>
Bern, Switzerland: Swiss government officials recently endorsed draft
legislation that recommends police stop enforcing laws prohibiting the
cultivation and sale of small amounts of marijuana. The move comes on
the heels of a nationwide poll indicating that more than one-quarter of
the population has used the drug, and that 54 percent favor liberalizing
marijuana laws.
"Decriminalizing the consumption of cannabis and the acts leading up to
this takes account of social reality and unburdens police and the
courts," lawmakers representing the seven-member Federal Council
announced Friday. Council members proposed the law change after
consulting with the country's cantons, political parties, and export
commissions, and finding strong support for softening Parliament's stance
on marijuana.
Officials stated that the proposed policy would also tolerate the
creation of private estabishments, similar to so-called Dutch
coffee-shops, that would sell small amounts of marijuana. In 1999, the
Swiss Federal Commission for Drug Issues recommended Parliament legalize
the possession and use of marijuana, and implement a national policy
"making it possible for cannabis to be purchased lawfully."
The government's decision to liberalize its marijuana laws ignores
pressure from United Nations officials, who last month chastised Swiss
drug policies as overly lenient.
In recent years, several European nations - including Italy, the
Netherlands, Portugal and Spain - have stopped enforcing criminal laws
prohibiting the possession and use of marijuana. Last January, Belgium
became the latest European country to decriminalize marijuana. German
courts have also ruled that minor marijuana possession should not be a
criminal offense, but federal legislators have yet to amend the law to
reflect that sentiment.
"Since the 1970s, most European countries have pursued marijuana
policies contrary to those of the United States, which rely almost
exclusively on arresting and punishing users," NORML Foundation Executive
Director Allen St. Pierre said. "Nevertheless, studies reveal that
Americans use marijuana and other illicit substances at rates nearly
twice as high as our European counterparts. U.S. political leaders could
-- and should -- learn by example."
For more information, please contact Allen St. Pierre, NORML Foundation
Executive Director, at (202) 483-8751. To learn mre about European
marijuana policies, please visit:
<a href="http://www.norml.org/legal/european_policy.shtml">http://www.norml.org/legal/european_policy.shtml.</a>
<p>
<p>
New Mexico House Okays Medical Marijuana
House/Senate Bills Scheduled for Conference Committee
<p>
Santa Fe, NM: House representatives narrowly approved legislation Monday
that would permit qualified patients to smoke marijuana medicinally in
accordance with state law. The Senate passed a similar though not
identical version of the bill last week. Both houses must now agree on a
final version of the bill to send to Governor Gary Johnson (R) for
approval.
The House's passage of the bill readies New Mexico to become only the
second state government (Hawaii passed a similar law last year.) to
approve legislation exempting medical marijuana patients from criminal
penalties under state laws. Eight additional states have passed similar
laws via voter initiatives.
"What kind of message are we sending? The right message," said Rep. Dan
Foley (R-Roswell), one of ten Republicans who backed the bill. "The
message that we care about people and that we're not going to turn our
back on them because of some scare tactic [by people who say] someone
suffering from cancer is going to become a drug pusher because of this."
According to results of a recent state-wide poll commissioned by the
Lindesmith Center-Drug Policy Foundation, nearly four in five New
Mexicans favor allowing seriously ill patients to use medicinal marijuana
legally. Sixty-five percent of poll respondents also said that they
favored reducing penalties for the possession of small amounts of
marijuana from a criminal misdemeanor to a civil offense.
Two additional bills seeking to decriminalize marijuana for recreational
purposes remain in committee, but have yet to be voted on by the House or
Senate.
New Mexico's legislative session ends on March 17.
For more information, please contact R. Keith Stroup, NORML Executive
Director, at (202) 483-5500. For more information on these bills, visit:
<a href="http://capwiz.com/norml2/officials/state/?state=NM&lvl=L">http://capwiz.com/norml2/officials/state/?state=NM&lvl=L.</a>
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<p>
Spanish Political Parties Back Medical Marijuana
<p>
Catalonia, Spain: The Spanish Congress is expected to consider the
question of legalizing the medical use of marijuana after government
officials from the Catalonia territory recently endorsed a plan to allow
patients access to the drug.
All five political parties in the Catalan Parliament recently backed a
proposal to permit patients to use the drug therapeutically. The
proposal is anticipated to pass later this year, and then be submitted to
the Spanish Congress for national consideration.
In addition, Catalan Health Department head Eduard Rius recently sent a
letter to the Spanish health minister urging her to allow the importation
of marijuana-based medicines, and to consider allowing legal access to
the drug. Under prohibition, "only a privileged and well informed
minority can take advantage of this therapeutic resource," he said.
A spokesman for the health ministry responded that they have recently
commissioned studies to better determine marijuana's medical value, and
will render a decision based upon their outcomes.
For more information, please contact Allen St. Pierre, NORML Foundation
Executive Director, at (202) 483-8751.
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-end-
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<p>
Las Vegas NORML
P.O. Box 34473
Las Vegas, NV 89133
Ph: (702) 380-7869
www.lvnorml.com
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