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Marijuana good for teens?

[Courtesy of MPP] 

Teenagers who smoke marijuana but not cigarettes are more likely to get good grades, play sports, and live with both parents than those who use both marijuana and tobacco, according to a new Swiss study.

The researchers concluded, "Cannabis-only adolescents show better functioning than those who also use tobacco."

Of course, this study isn't generally something you'll see on CNN or other U.S. mainstream media outlets, unlike U.S. government-funded studies that purport to show marijuana's harmful effects, which always seem to get extensive news coverage.

That said, Fox News has an online story here, which you should "Digg" to make it one of the biggest news stories of the day. If you have a moment right now, please do so without delay.

Other than the Fox News story, only Reason Magazine’s blog and United Press International have covered the study — which was just published in the November issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine. You can view the abstract of the study (and purchase the full study) here.

The study compared teens who (1) smoked both marijuana and cigarettes, (2) smoked marijuana but not cigarettes, and (3) used neither.

The study found that teens who smoke marijuana were more likely to have a good relationship with their friends than teens who didn't use marijuana or cigarettes.

Compared to those who smoked cigarettes in addition to marijuana, the marijuana-using group was also less likely to have been drunk in the past 30 days, less likely to have used marijuana before the age of 15, less likely to have smoked marijuana more than once or twice during the previous 30 days, and less likely to use other illegal drugs.

Other differences between marijuana-only users and abstainers were pretty minor. For instance, the marijuana-only group was more likely to skip class but still had the same level of good grades as the abstainers. And the marijuana-only group wasn't any more likely than the abstainers to be depressed.

To be clear, MPP doesn't recommend that teens use marijuana, but we do think that public policies that put teens and adults in prison for using marijuana are misguided and therefore should be reformed.

To that end, MPP continues to barrel forward changing our nation's marijuana laws, state by state. Will you consider making a donation to support our efforts?

I am grateful for anything you can give. Thank you ...

Sincerely,

Rob Kampia
Executive Director
Marijuana Policy Project
Washington, D.C.

P.S. As I've mentioned in previous alerts, a major philanthropist has committed to match the first $3.0 million that MPP can raise from the rest of the planet in 2007. This means that your donation today will be doubled.

P.P.S. You can opt out of receiving fundraising mentions in the e-mail alerts I send you in 2007 by visiting www.mpp.org/2007optoutpreference at your convenience.

Prison Art Holiday Cards Ready to Be Shipped

[Courtesy of Prison Art Gallery] The holidays as a time of caring and compassion take on new meaning when you send our unique prison art Holiday cards featuring the work of talented prison inmate artists. Four colorful cards, printed and distributed by the Prisons Foundation, spotlight the work of some of our best incarcerated artists. They are sold in packs of eight for only $12 per pack. These large cards (5 ½ by 8 inches) come with matching envelopes. The backs of the cards have short profiles of the inmate artists who created them. The inside of the cards is blank. To view and order these beautiful cards online with Paypal, check or credit card , please visit http://prisonsfoundation.org/holidaycards.html. Or for telephone orders, please call 202-393-1511. Ending soon! FIRST ANNIVERSARY SALE OF PRISON ART PRINTS The Prison Art Gallery in downtown Washington, DC (three blocks from the White House) has now been in existence for a full year. We've sold hundreds of paintings, drawings and crafts made by prison inmates from across America, and sent thousands of dollars to their commissary accounts and their families. At the same time we've supported victim assistance and justice advocacy groups with our share of the proceeds from these sales. Thank you for helping to make this success possible. To celebrate our first anniversary, we are placing ALL our numbered limited edition Prison Art prints (more than 40 of them, each one 11" by 17" inches) on sale for the low low price of only $10 each. Or for just a little more, we will frame them for you. You can purchase by phone, email, or at the Prison Art Gallery or our outdoor exhibit. They can be shipped anywhere in the world. To see 40 of these beautiful works of art, please visit our November Art for Justice prison art catalog at http://prisonsfoundation.org/novafj.pdf . If you have any questions, please call 202-393-1511 anytime.

Abstract Submission for IHRA Conference in Barcelona - Two Weeks Left!

[Courtesy of Eurodrug] The deadline for submitting abstracts for 'Harm Reduction 2008', the conference of the International Harm Reduction Association, is fast approaching. All abstracts must be submitted online by the 14th of November 2007. If you wish to share your experiences, best practice, research and ideas in front of an international audience, then we would encourage you to submit an abstract of 200 to 300 words. See here for more information: http://www.ihra.net/Barcelona/Home To find the guide for abstracts: http://www.ihra.net/uploads/downloads/Conferences/Barcelona2008/Barcelona2008AbstractGuideline.pdf.

Drew Carey Kicks It with Steph Sherer

Dear Friend,

In this second episode of The Drew Carey Project, released on Reason.tv, Drew interviews ASA Executive Director Steph Sherer and takes a look at federal interference with medical cannabis dispensing in California.

Check out the video at: www.AmericansForSafeAccess.org/DrewCarey

The video is the second episode of a joint project between Drew and Reason, The Drew Carey Project. Its mission is to create “a series of video documentaries that take a hard look at the variety of threats to our liberties -- and celebrate what it really means to be free.”

In the video, Steph shares her story with Drew and talks about how her own experiences led to her founding of Americans for Safe Access. Drew also visits a Los Angeles dispensary and goes on to interview Steve Whitmore, spokesperson for the LA County Sheriff’s Department, as well as Bill Leahy, Vietnam vet and medical marijuana patient.

Share this episode of the Drew Carey Project with your friends and family! We know medical cannabis improves the lives of millions of people and we know that the federal interference with state medical marijuana laws is outrageous. But unless we share Drew's report with friends and family who might not support our views or who might not feel as passionately as we do, we will lose a great opportunity to reach out and educate people about medical cannabis and the threats facing patients nationwide. So please forward this email and share Drew Carey’s report on Medical Marijuana!

Enjoy watching Drew’s report at www.AmericansForSafeAccess.org/DrewCarey and please remember to share it!

Thank you,

Rebecca Saltzman
Chief of Staff
Americans for Safe Access

 

 

P.S. The only way we can continue our work and educate people about medical cannabis is with support from people like you. Please visit www.AmericansforSafeAccesss.org/Donate today to become a member of ASA.

Sentencing Commission Reduces Penalties for Crack Cocaine Offenses

[Courtesy of The Sentencing Project] Friends, At a time of growing national concern about unequal treatment within the justice system, the United States Sentencing Commission today lowered the Guideline sentences for offenses involving crack cocaine, likely impacting 3,500 federally sentenced defendants each year. Commission concerns about the excessive penalty structure for crack cocaine offenses prompted the change that on average will reduce defendants' sentences by 15 months. The Commission sets an advisory guideline range that federal judges use when sentencing defendants. Under the old range, average sentences for crack cocaine offenses were 121 months. Now the estimated average sentence will be 106 months. In May the Commission recommended statutory reforms and proposed to Congress the amendment to decrease the guideline offense level for crack cocaine offenses. The amendment went unchallenged by Congress and therefore takes effect today. According to Commission analysis, the modification would reduce the size of the federal prison population by 3,800 in 15 years. Such a reduction would result in savings of over $87 million, according to The Sentencing Project. This change, however, only addresses one aspect of the controversy surrounding crack cocaine sentencing. The Commission is currently considering whether to apply the amendment retroactively - a move that would make approximately 19,500 persons in prison eligible for a reduced sentence. The Commission will hear testimony on this issue at a Nov. 13 public hearing at which I will testify in favor of retroactivity. In a submission to the Commission, The Sentencing Project argues that "the Commission, courts, and commentators all have recognized the undue disparity caused by the Guidelines since their inception. Thus, defendants who were incarcerated when the problems with the crack Guidelines first became evident should also be granted an opportunity to pursue the benefit of this long overdue remedy." The new policy comes on the heels of oral arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court in Kimbrough v. the United States. The high court is being asked to uphold the authority of federal judges to depart from the sentencing guidelines in crack cocaine cases when they disagree with sentencing policy. Furthermore, bipartisan reform legislation is pending in Congress and hearings addressing the statutory mandatory minimum sentences are expected this fall. Use the following links to read The Sentencing Project's letter to the Commission urging retroactivity, and learn more about the momentum to end the sentencing disparity at: www.sentencingproject.org/crackreform. Regards, Marc Mauer

Funding Received for Musical Instruments for Prisoners

[Courtesy of Prisons Foundation] The Prisons Foundation, in conjunction with the England based Jail Guitar Doors project (http://www.jailguitardoors.org.uk/), has received funding to purchase guitars to be sent to prisons and jails in the United States where they will be utilized by prisoners. If you know of any jail or prison whose prisoners could benefit from participation in this program, please ask a representative of that institution to email Joe Shade, coordinator of the program at [email protected] Thank you for your interest in this program.

Numbered Prison Art Prints Only $10 to Celebrate First Anniversary of Prison Art Gallery, Shipped Anywhere

The Prison Art Gallery in downtown Washington, DC (three blocks from the White House) has now been in existence for a full year. We've sold hundreds of paintings, drawings and crafts made by prison inmates from across America, and sent thousands of dollars to their commissary accounts and their families. At the same time we've supported victim assistance and justice advocacy groups with our share of the proceeds from these sales. Thank you for helping to make this success possible. To celebrate our first anniversary, we are placing ALL our numbered limited edition Prison Art prints (each one 11" by 17" inches) on sale for the low low price of only $10 each. Or for just a little more, we can frame them for you. You can purchase by phone, email, or at the Prison Art Gallery or our outdoor exhibit. They can be shipped anywhere in the world. To see 40 of these beautiful works of art, please visit our November Art for Justice prison art catalog at http://prisonsfoundation.org/novafj.pdf . If you have any questions, please call 202-393-1511 anytime.

Escalation of Drug War in Italy: Appeal for Action

[Courtesy of EURODRUG] Dear friends, In the past days, there has been an escalation of repression by Italian police and justice authorities against cannabis growers and members of the anti-prohibitionist movement. Several people have been arrested for minor plantations, and one of them, Mr. Aldo Bianzino of Umbria, has died in prison under circumstances that could suggest he was tortured to death. These operations take place on the bases of the Law Fini-Giovanardi, which has been adopted by the previous Berlusconi government. The current centre-left coalition had promised to modify it, but has not done so yet. We have written an open letter to Italian authorities calling for an end to this escalation and a thorough investigation into the circumstances of Mr. Bianzino's death. This letter can be signed and sent from http://www.encod.org/info/LETTER-TO-ITALIAN-AUTHORITIES.html In Italian from http://www.encod.org/info/ALDO-BIANZINO-LETTERA-ALLE.html Please join this action and ask others to do so as well.... Best wishes, Joep

Prison Art Gallery is exhibiting beautiful prison art this week in Baltimore and San Diego

[Courtesy of Prison Art Gallery] It seems that not a week goes by that the Prison Art Gallery (in Washington, DC) does not have a prison art show somewhere in America, and sometimes even oversees (more than 20 pieces from the Prison Art Gallery were recently displayed in the famous Bloomberg Space in London). But this week is special for us since we have TWO shows going on simultaneously, one in San Diego, California, hosted by the International Community Corrections Association (as part of its 15th Annual Conference) and the other in Baltimore, Maryland, at The Lutheran Center in the Inner Harbor area. For more information, or if your organization would like to host a prison art show at your headquarters or for your upcoming conference or special event, please call 202- 393-1511.

Join MPP's online social networking revolution

[Courtesy of MPP]

One of the easiest — and most fun — ways you can promote marijuana policy reform is to get active in the world of online social networking.

Not only are the popular social networking sites a great way to show your support for MPP, but you can also subscribe to our blogs and receive daily notices to stay up-to-date on the latest happenings in the marijuana policy reform movement, as well as meet and mingle with other supporters.

You can get active with MPP on the following sites:

• Become a friend of MPP on MySpace

• Join the MPP Facebook cause

• Become a friend of MPP on Facebook

(In order to view our Facebook pages you’ll need to be a member, so if you don’t already have an account, just follow the “Sign Up” link on the main Facebook page.)

• Subscribe to MPP's YouTube channel

• Become a friend of MPP on Digg

And there are many other ways you can help to end marijuana prohibition.

1. Tell your friends to sign up for MPP's free e-mail alerts. Send them to www.mpp.org/subscribe today.

2. Send letters to your three members of Congress using MPP's free and easy automated system.

3. Volunteer to circulate sign-up sheets to subscribe others to MPP's free e-mail list. E-mail [email protected] to get started.

4. Host a screening of the award-winning medical marijuana documentary Waiting to Inhale in your community. Contact [email protected] for more information (and please be sure to specify what state you live in).

5. Download MPP's printer-friendly handouts and brochures and distribute our literature in your community.

6. If you have a Web site or blog, link to MPP's site by downloading our banner ads, and encourage your Web site's visitors to check out MPP’s work.

7. Use this link to shop at Amazon.com. A portion of the proceeds from your purchases will go to MPP.

8. Donate your car to MPP.

9. Search the internet with GoodSearch instead of Google: Each click generates money for MPP.

10. Encourage your friends to visit www.mpp.org/donate to become dues-paying members of MPP. MPP does not have an endowment or any revenue-generating investments, so we are 100% dependent upon the donations that people willingly give. This means that the extent of our campaigns is limited to the amount of money that 23,000 dues-paying members, a handful of major philanthropists, and new/future dues-paying members are willing to donate.

Together, one person at a time, our work is paying off. On behalf of all of us at MPP, thank you for standing with us in this fight.

Sincerely,

Rob Kampia
Executive Director
Marijuana Policy Project
Washington, D.C.

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