Cannabis Study House - NORML Weekly News in Audio 2007.9.5

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Weekly News in Audio

September 5, 2007

NORML Launches ‘In-World’ Office On Second Life

Texas: Cops Say They Will Continue To Jail Minor Pot Possession Offenders Despite New Law

Pot May Alleviate Anorexia, Study Says

Washington, DC:
NORML Launches ‘In-World’ Office On Second Life

The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) is expanding its online message and presence to the popular 3-D virtual world Second Life.

On Thursday, September 6, NORML will launch its Second Life virtual office. Visitors to the digital 3-D office will be able to pick up information and free materials about NORML and marijuana law reform, as well as obtain NORML merchandise for their online characters. The ‘in world’ office will also make available specially produced podcasts for Second Life visitors.

NORML Founder Keith Stroup will be available to chat with visitors who stop by the office for its grand opening, which takes place at noon (PDT/SLT).

"Building effective and influential coalitions within online communities 窶� in particular, emerging Web 2.0 social networking communities such as Second Life 窶� is an integral part of NORML’s educational and outreach activities," NORML Executive Director Allen St. Pierre said. "Whether it’s in the real world or the virtual world, NORML is committed to educating the public on the need to end the senseless criminal prohibition of marijuana."

Launched in 2003, Second Life is an ever-growing 3-D online digital world inhabited by more than 9 million online ‘residents’ from over 100 countries. Visitors create three-dimensional personas (known as ‘avatars’) to interact with other residents and engage in online commerce.

Austin, TX:
Texas: Cops Say They Will Continue To Jail Minor Pot Possession Offenders Despite New Law

Many Texas law enforcement personnel say that they will continue to arrest and jail minor pot offenders, despite the enactment of a new state law granting police the option of issuing a citation in lieu of making an arrest.

"Marijuana is an introduction to more dangerous drugs and we are going to keep fighting drug use of any kind as long as I am in office," Lamar County Sheriff B.J. McCoy told news outlets this week. "They are going to jail no matter how much they’ve got."

Numerous district attorneys and police throughout Texas have issued similar statements. By contrast, law enforcement in Travis County and in the city of Austin have said that they will comply with the new law 窶� which is intended to reduce jail overcrowding.

Passed by the legislature this summer, House Bill 2391 grants law enforcement the discretion to issue a citation mandating local individuals who commit specific Class A and/or Class B misdemeanor crimes to appear in court. An arrest warrant will be issued for defendants who fail to appear in court by the date specified in the citation.

Under Texas law, possession of up to four ounces of marijuana is a misdemeanor offense punishable by up to one-year in jail and a fine of up to $4,000. Individuals who sell less than one-quarter ounce of cannabis are also guilty of a misdemeanor. The possession and/or sale of larger quantities of cannabis are felony offenses.

"Law enforcement officers are fond of alleging that they don’t make the laws 窶� they just enforce them," NORML Senior Policy Analyst Paul Armentano said. "However, when it comes to the subject of marijuana, we’ve seen time and time again that police not only make the law and enforce the law, they also ignore the law when it suits them to do so."

According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, of the 62,741 persons arrested in 2005 (the last year for which data is available) for marijuana violations, 61,076 of them (97 percent) were for possession offenses.

House Bill 2391 was signed into law by Republican Gov. Rick Perry in June. The law took effect on September 1, 2007.

Sydney, Australia:
Pot May Alleviate Anorexia, Study Says

Cannabis may stimulate appetite in patients with anorexia, according to clinical trial data conducted by investigators at the Hadassah University Hospital in Israel.

Australian news outlets report that the administration of cannabis tincture stimulates chemicals in the brain that can boost appetite in women with the disorder. The study has not yet been published.

Cannabis has long been used historically as an appetite stimulant. Currently, a synthetic version of the cannabinoid delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is available by prescription in the US to treat HIV and/or cancer-related cachexia (wasting syndrome).

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