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News & Opinion This Week 1. About 13M Injection Drug Users Worldwide Need Access To HIV Prevention, Treatment Services, UNAIDS Says 2. Wretched of the Earth 3. HPV Vaccine Also Guards Against Vulval and Vaginal Cancer (Attention, this study, like many others done on the vaccine, was industry funded) 4. [U.S. Largest HMO] Kaiser Agrees To Reforms In Settlement Of Homeless Dumping Case 5. [Hillary] Clinton Is Quiet On Her Past Role With Wal-Mart [As Board Member] B Upcoming Conferences and Events C Quote D How To Help E About HRP F Subscription Information ----- I. About 13M Injection Drug Users Worldwide Need Access To HIV Prevention, Treatment Services, UNAIDS Says 18 May 2007 - AP/International Herald Tribune About 13 million injection drug users worldwide are in need of HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment services in order to control the spread of the disease, UNAIDS said on Monday in a statement released at the 18th Conference on the Reduction of Drug Related Harm in Warsaw, Poland, the AP/International Herald Tribune reports. Prasada Rao, UNAIDS Asia Pacific regional director, on Sunday said that injection drug use is estimated to account for about one-third of new HIV cases outside sub-Saharan Africa, but only 8% of IDUs worldwide have access to HIV prevention services (AP/International Herald Tribune, 5/14). According to UNAIDS, injection drug use is a major mode of HIV transmission in Southeast Asia, Central Asia and Eastern Europe. In addition, drug use is emerging as a new source of HIV transmission in Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa and Tanzania, UNAIDS said. According to Rao, about "10% of all new HIV infections worldwide are attributable to injection drug use. If you exclude Africa, that figure rises to 30%." In addition, access to antiretroviral therapy is "unacceptably low" among IDUs because of a "lack of information, exclusion and widespread stigma and discrimination," according to UNAIDS. To be effective, HIV prevention program need to reach about 80% of IDUs, UNAIDS said. In addition, programs targeted at IDUs should provide users with access to clean needles and drug-substitution programs, according to AFP/Yahoo! News. "The allocation of financial resources must be used in more strategic and innovative ways to deliver more effective prevention programs to people most at risk of HIV infection," Rao said (AFP/Yahoo! News, 5/14). He added that in countries where injection drug use is fueling the spread of HIV, "focused harm reduction programs which reach people who inject drugs must be built into the national AIDS plans" (AP/International Herald Tribune, 5/14). You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at http://www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/healthpolicy.

Drug Truth Network Update: Cultural Baggage + Century of Lies + 4:20 Drug War NEWS Half Hour Programs, Live Fridays... at 90.1 FM in Houston & on the web at www.kpft.org. Hundreds of our programs are available online at www.drugtruth.net, www.audioport.org and at www.radio4all.net. We provide the "unvarnished truth about the drug war" to scores of broadcast affiliates in the US and Canada., Cultural Baggage for 05/18/07 DRUG DEBATE: Terry Nelson of LEAP debates DEA agent James Capra Pt 3 of 3 + Jerry Cameron of LEAP, Poppygate, Drug War Facts, Black Perspective & "Legalize" MP3 MP3 Link: http://www.drugtruth.net/007DTNaudio/FDBCB_051807.mp3 Century of Lies for05/18/07 DRUG DEBATE: Terry Nelson of LEAP debates DEA agent James Capra Pt 2 of 3 MP3 MP3 LINK: http://www.drugtruth.net/007DTNaudio/COL_051807.mp3 4:20 Drug War NEWS 05/21/07 to 05/27/07 now online (3:00 ea.): Monday 05/21/07 Dr. Tod Mikuriya Passes, Memorial Planned Tuesday 05/22/07 Drug War Facts & "Let 'em get it?" Wednesday 05/23/07 Jerry Cameron of LEAP Thursday 05/24/07 Poppygate & Cheese Friday 05/25/07 Dr. Tod Mikuriya Saturday 05/26/07 Jerry Cameron of LEAP II Sunday 05/27/07 Plomo or Plata, choose Silver or Lead in Mexico! NEXT Friday: - Cultural Baggage 8 PM ET, 7 PM CT, 6 PM MT & 5 PM PT. Tod Mikuriya Remembered - Century of Lies 2 PM ET, 1 PM CT, Noon MT & 11 AM PT. TBD Check out our latest videos on YouTube: (Search for "Dean Becker") 1. Screenwriter Mike Gray & Howard Wooldridge of LEAP 2 &3. Dr. Rick Doblin of Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies 4. Deborah Peterson Small of BreakChains.org. Please become part of the solution, visit our website: www.endprohibition.org for links to the best of reform. "Those who support drug prohibition, through complicity, ignorance or silence are the best friends the drug lords could ever hope for." - Reverend Dean Becker, Drug Truth Network Producer Dean Becker 713-848-6869 www.drugtruth.

ASA ACTION: Defending Democracy in the Voting Booth ASA ACTION: Lawsuit Results in County Compliance FEDERAL: Rosenthal Medical Marijuana Retrial Begins COLORADO: Caregiver Test Case Going To Trial NEW JERSEY: Medical Marijuana Bill to be Introduced VERMONT: Expanded Protections Passes, Governor May Sign ILLINOIS: Lawmakers Squander Another Opportunity CALIFORNIA: Some Law Enforcement Continues to Resist DISPENSARIES: Oxnard, Petaluma, Mendocino, Claremont RESEARCH: Doctor Describes His Cannabis Education -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ASA ACTION: Defending Democracy in the Voting Booth A judge is preparing to punish local officials for failing to preserve the integrity of election results, thanks to legal intervention by ASA. At issue is the recount of electronic ballots cast in a narrowly lost local medical marijuana initiative. Many election experts question the use of electronic voting machines because of concerns about verifying ballot counts. County ignoring court order calls for sanction EDITORIAL, The Argus It is the kind of mistake that makes you wonder. Alameda County officials refused to collect electronic ballots and internal logs in a disputed election even though a state appeals court had ordered them to do it. Now the county faces possible fines and legal sanctions. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ASA ACTION: Lawsuit Results in County Compliance Merced was one of the California counties that balked at implementing the state’s mandated medical marijuana ID card program. After county officials lost in state court, they reached an agreement with ASA, the ACLU and the Drug Policy Alliance to start the program within 60 days. San Diego and Riverside counties are appealing the court’s ruling, but ASA is confident that California’s medical marijuana law will be upheld again. Merced County issues first pot cards by Corinne Reilly, Merced Sun-Star (CA) After a year of debate, Merced County began issuing identification cards for medical marijuana users two weeks ago. But so far, just three people have signed up for the controversial program, county officials said. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- FEDERAL: Rosenthal Medical Marijuana Retrial Begins ASA Chief Counsel Joe Elford convinced the judge to dismiss the bulk of the government’s new charges against author and advocate Ed Rosenthal, who grew marijuana for patients under the authority of a City of Oakland program. Federal prosecutors insisted on a retrial anyway, even thought they concede that Rosenthal can receive no penalty if convicted, since he’s already completed his sentence from the 2003 conviction. Attorneys say no one has ever been retried after the sentence has been served. Re-trial of `Ganja Guru' begins by Josh Richman, ANG Newspaper Ed Rosenthal grew and sold thousands of marijuana plants in Oakland over five and a half years in violation of federal law, a prosecutor told jurors today as the "Guru of Ganja's" retrial began. Assistant U.S. Attorney George Bevan even specified that the marijuana was supplied to "so-called marijuana clubs throughout the Bay Area" -- a reference to medical marijuana organizations where patients obtained the drug for use as permitted under state law, but unprotected under federal law. Retrial Of Marijuana Activist Begins by Bay City News, NBC 11 News A U.S. prosecutor told a federal jury in San Francisco today that Oakland marijuana activist Ed Rosenthal operated a large and sophisticated marijuana growing operation. Rosenthal, the author of more than a dozen books about marijuana, has claimed outside of court that he was growing starter plants for patients who need the drug under California's medical marijuana law. Ganja Guru Back in Federal Court Again by Marcus Wohlsen, Associated Press A prosecutor said Tuesday that a self-proclaimed "guru of ganja" grew and distributed thousands of marijuana plants out of a warehouse to supply area pot clubs. A lawyer for Rosenthal argued on Tuesday that her client was a prominent scientist, author and marijuana reform advocate who became a political target over his support for medical marijuana. Retrial Of 'Guru of Ganja' Ed Rosenthal Underway Associated Press The retrial of marijuana advocate Ed Rosenthal is underway in San Francisco. During opening statements this morning, the prosecution described Rosenthal as a person who ran a major marijuana growing operation. But Rosenthal's defense lawyer countered by saying he was a prominent scientist and medical marijuana advocate. Retrial for medical-pot advocate opens by Bob Egelko, San Francisco Chronicle The retrial of marijuana advocate Ed Rosenthal on federal cultivation charges opened today with his lawyer doing everything she could to make it clear to jurors that he had been growing cannabis for medical use, a subject the judge has put off-limits. Opening statements set for today in the retrial of marijuana advocate Ed Rosenthal Associated Press Opening statements are scheduled for today in the retrial of marijuana advocate Ed Rosenthal. The self-described "Guru of Ganja" is being retried in San Francisco federal court on five charges of marijuana cultivation and distribution. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------