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DdC · 04-14-2006, 09:00 PM

A Lie College Students Might Want To Tell By Ryan Grim
Source: Slate April 13, 2006 USA

In 1998, Rep. Mark Souder, R-Ind., an advocate of stringent drug laws, slipped into a House bill an amendment denying federal financial aid for college to anyone who had been convicted of either selling or possessing drugs. No congressional committee voted on the amendment. But it passed as part of the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act, first enacted in 1965 to create federal financial aid for college students.

In 2004, the group Students for Sensible Drug Policy asked the federal government to give it a state-by-state breakdown of the number of students denied aid as a result of Souder's amendment. The Department of Education demanded $4,124.19 for the information. SSDP asked for a fee waiver, arguing that releasing the information was in the public's interest and that the group is a cash-strapped nonprofit. The agency denied SSDP's request, arguing that releasing the data could lead to drug legalization. Public Citizen backed SSDP in court. The New York Times editorialized on its behalf. The federal government blinked. On Wednesday, the Department of Education gave SSDP the state-by-state numbers. Here they are.

If this law betters the lives of young people—Souder calls it a way to reduce youth drug use by reducing demand—then no state has done better than Souder's own Indiana. As of August 2005, nearly 9,000 Indianan students—one in 200—have been denied aid since the law passed. That's the highest proportion of students affected in any state by a wide margin.
Click here to see where your state ranks.: http://www.slate.com/id/2139803/sidebar/2139804

A week ago, when the Department of Education released preliminary data, I started calling Martin Green, Souder's spokesman, for a comment on Indiana's stellar showing. He has not returned my calls.

There's another funny thing about the Department of Education's numbers: They don't show the number of college applicants punished for drug convictions. They show the number punished for owning up to drug convictions. On their financial-aid applications, students are asked to check a box if they've been convicted of selling or possessing drugs. But the department has no way to verify students' answers. Officials can cross-check the answers with federal arrest records, but they make up a very small percentage of all drug convictions.

So far, about 190,000 students across the country (and abroad) have told the truth and been denied financial aid. It's impossible to know how many lied and headed off to college, federal aid in hand. Nearly 300,000 student-aid applicants, however, simply ignored the question in 2000-2001, the first school year in which it was asked. After internal debate, the Clinton administration decided to give all these students a pass. (A fitting verdict, perhaps, given Clinton's own equivocal response to questions about drug use.)

The Bush administration reversed this "ask, but don't tell" policy. Beginning in 2001, applicants who have refused to say whether they've been convicted of a drug crime are presumed guilty and bounced from the aid pool. That year, the number of students denied aid quintupled.

When Souder's amendment came up for reconsideration last year, its opponents couldn't muster the votes to get rid of it. They settled for a change that denies federal aid only to students caught getting high while in college. That bill was signed by President Bush as part of the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005. But its future is hazy; it's tied up in court because the House and Senate versions differed slightly. Whatever its fate, the government still won't be able to verify much about a student's drug record. Which means they'll catch fibbing students only if they've had the unusual misfortune of being convicted of a federal crime. A word to the wise, and the not-so-wise: You may want to just check "no."

Ryan Grim writes for the Washington City Paper.
Complete Title: Just Check No?
A Lie College Students Might Want To Tell
Contact: letters@slate.com
Website * URL * SSDP
CannabisNews Justice Archives

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A Global Research Feature Article

On March 15th, The US House Voted to Advance
Offensive Biological Weapons Plan 16 Mar, 2006

HR 2829: PDF copy (see page 30)
HR 2829, titled "An Act to reauthorize the Office of National Drug Control Policy Act", was sponsored by Rep. Mark Rep Souder, an Indiana Republican. The Agent Green provision was placed in the bill at the behest of Rep. Dan Burton, another Indiana Republican who is an enthusiastic supporter of using biological weapons against Colombia and other countries

Wall street's Spontaneous Abortionists

Drug warrior Brits and those who love them
Hinchey's pro-medpot amendment was defeated 264-161 on June 15 in the House of Representatives. The House has defeated the amendment twice before but there were 13 more votes for the measure this year compared with the totals last year. Only 15 Republicans out of 231 in the House supported the measure.

Drug warrior Republican Representative Mark Souder, who works hard on behalf of prohibition, said Hinchey and his supporters are "hiding behind a few sick people to try to in effect legalize marijuana in this country. The rhetoric about marijuana as a treatment for medical purposes was probably dreamed up at some college dorm."

Democrat Hinchey countered that his failed amendment had nothing to do with recreational marijuana.

"It would give relief to people suffering from horrific diseases and allow their doctors to decide which drugs will work

The pen is mightier than the sword
Cannabis Culture magazine and website readers are asking for tips on how to write persuasive political letters and emails that help the cause of freedom.

This article is a guide for using the power of words to persuade and influence. I'll be using real-life situations to demonstrate different types of writing useful for cannabis lobbyists.

The first letter is intended as a response to legislation introduced by anti-cannabis Republican member of the US House of Representatives Mark Souder; it's called the "Safe and Effective Drug Act."

The proposed law funds a biased study of marijuana designed to produce negative findings that can be used by Souder to criticize medical cannabis.

In most cases, when you are writing about legislation, it is useful to find out the official code number assigned to the legislation. If the legislation is titled, such as Souder's, it is not as necessary to use the official code number.

Cannabis News Search: Souder
Souder Fuming Over Anti-Drug Snub
Souder Says Drug Czar’s Fake News Didn’t Break Law
Souder Urges Court To Halt Medical ‘Pot’
U.S. Drivers Beware: Souder is Legislating
Souder Gives ABC Agony Over Ecstasy
Souder Critical of Medical Marijuana
Applaud Souder's Efforts To Fight Illegal Drug Use
Students To Protest Souder's Drug Policy
Karzai Doesn't Need Souder's Lecture
Dutch Drug Trade, Attitudes Disturb Souder
Drug Czar Selection Held Up, Souder Says
Drug-Foe Souder on Defense
Souder Decries Evil Position of Medical-Marijuana
Souder Shifts Drug Group's Focus Toward Prevention
Souder Battles Fraudulent Marijuana Capitalists
Souder Anti-Privacy
Souder Battles Medical-Marijuana Laws

Portland NORML News, Saturday October 3, 1998:
Subpage Title: Destroying Propaganda - Anslingerisms.

UNITED STATES DISPENSATORY listed cannabis as a useful medicine.

The 1851 edition states: The complaints in which it [cannabis] has been specially recommended are neuralgia, gout, rheumatism, tetanus, hydrophobia, epidemic cholera, convulsions, chorea, hysteria, mental depression, delirium tremens, insanity
and uterine hemorrhage.

Cannabis was removed from the US Pharmacopeia in 1942 because of political
pressure from Harry Anslinger and the U S Treasury Department.

CANNABIS IS MEDICINE

04-14-2006, 09:00 PM	#1 (permalink)
DdC Old School Status: Offline Join Date: Feb 1999 Location: Santa Cruz,CA,USA Posts: 1,525 Blog Entries: 3 Thanks: 0 Thanked 287 Times in 192 Posts	A Lie College Students Might Want To Tell A Lie College Students Might Want To Tell By Ryan Grim Source: Slate April 13, 2006 USA In 1998, Rep. Mark Souder, R-Ind., an advocate of stringent drug laws, slipped into a House bill an amendment denying federal financial aid for college to anyone who had been convicted of either selling or possessing drugs. No congressional committee voted on the amendment. But it passed as part of the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act, first enacted in 1965 to create federal financial aid for college students. In 2004, the group Students for Sensible Drug Policy asked the federal government to give it a state-by-state breakdown of the number of students denied aid as a result of Souder's amendment. The Department of Education demanded $4,124.19 for the information. SSDP asked for a fee waiver, arguing that releasing the information was in the public's interest and that the group is a cash-strapped nonprofit. The agency denied SSDP's request, arguing that releasing the data could lead to drug legalization. Public Citizen backed SSDP in court. The New York Times editorialized on its behalf. The federal government blinked. On Wednesday, the Department of Education gave SSDP the state-by-state numbers. Here they are. If this law betters the lives of young people—Souder calls it a way to reduce youth drug use by reducing demand—then no state has done better than Souder's own Indiana. As of August 2005, nearly 9,000 Indianan students—one in 200—have been denied aid since the law passed. That's the highest proportion of students affected in any state by a wide margin. Click here to see where your state ranks.: http://www.slate.com/id/2139803/sidebar/2139804 A week ago, when the Department of Education released preliminary data, I started calling Martin Green, Souder's spokesman, for a comment on Indiana's stellar showing. He has not returned my calls. There's another funny thing about the Department of Education's numbers: They don't show the number of college applicants punished for drug convictions. They show the number punished for owning up to drug convictions. On their financial-aid applications, students are asked to check a box if they've been convicted of selling or possessing drugs. But the department has no way to verify students' answers. Officials can cross-check the answers with federal arrest records, but they make up a very small percentage of all drug convictions. So far, about 190,000 students across the country (and abroad) have told the truth and been denied financial aid. It's impossible to know how many lied and headed off to college, federal aid in hand. Nearly 300,000 student-aid applicants, however, simply ignored the question in 2000-2001, the first school year in which it was asked. After internal debate, the Clinton administration decided to give all these students a pass. (A fitting verdict, perhaps, given Clinton's own equivocal response to questions about drug use.) The Bush administration reversed this "ask, but don't tell" policy. Beginning in 2001, applicants who have refused to say whether they've been convicted of a drug crime are presumed guilty and bounced from the aid pool. That year, the number of students denied aid quintupled. When Souder's amendment came up for reconsideration last year, its opponents couldn't muster the votes to get rid of it. They settled for a change that denies federal aid only to students caught getting high while in college. That bill was signed by President Bush as part of the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005. But its future is hazy; it's tied up in court because the House and Senate versions differed slightly. Whatever its fate, the government still won't be able to verify much about a student's drug record. Which means they'll catch fibbing students only if they've had the unusual misfortune of being convicted of a federal crime. A word to the wise, and the not-so-wise: You may want to just check "no." Ryan Grim writes for the Washington City Paper. Complete Title: Just Check No? A Lie College Students Might Want To Tell Contact: letters@slate.com Website * URL * SSDP CannabisNews Justice Archives The US Gulag Prison System... 30 Mar, 2006 A Global Research Feature Article On March 15th, The US House Voted to Advance Offensive Biological Weapons Plan 16 Mar, 2006 HR 2829: PDF copy (see page 30) HR 2829, titled "An Act to reauthorize the Office of National Drug Control Policy Act", was sponsored by Rep. Mark Rep Souder, an Indiana Republican. The Agent Green provision was placed in the bill at the behest of Rep. Dan Burton, another Indiana Republican who is an enthusiastic supporter of using biological weapons against Colombia and other countries Wall street's Spontaneous Abortionists Drug warrior Brits and those who love them Hinchey's pro-medpot amendment was defeated 264-161 on June 15 in the House of Representatives. The House has defeated the amendment twice before but there were 13 more votes for the measure this year compared with the totals last year. Only 15 Republicans out of 231 in the House supported the measure. Drug warrior Republican Representative Mark Souder, who works hard on behalf of prohibition, said Hinchey and his supporters are "hiding behind a few sick people to try to in effect legalize marijuana in this country. The rhetoric about marijuana as a treatment for medical purposes was probably dreamed up at some college dorm." Democrat Hinchey countered that his failed amendment had nothing to do with recreational marijuana. "It would give relief to people suffering from horrific diseases and allow their doctors to decide which drugs will work The pen is mightier than the sword Cannabis Culture magazine and website readers are asking for tips on how to write persuasive political letters and emails that help the cause of freedom. This article is a guide for using the power of words to persuade and influence. I'll be using real-life situations to demonstrate different types of writing useful for cannabis lobbyists. The first letter is intended as a response to legislation introduced by anti-cannabis Republican member of the US House of Representatives Mark Souder; it's called the "Safe and Effective Drug Act." The proposed law funds a biased study of marijuana designed to produce negative findings that can be used by Souder to criticize medical cannabis. In most cases, when you are writing about legislation, it is useful to find out the official code number assigned to the legislation. If the legislation is titled, such as Souder's, it is not as necessary to use the official code number. Cannabis News Search: Souder Souder Fuming Over Anti-Drug Snub Souder Says Drug Czar’s Fake News Didn’t Break Law Souder Urges Court To Halt Medical ‘Pot’ U.S. Drivers Beware: Souder is Legislating Souder Gives ABC Agony Over Ecstasy Souder Critical of Medical Marijuana Applaud Souder's Efforts To Fight Illegal Drug Use Students To Protest Souder's Drug Policy Karzai Doesn't Need Souder's Lecture Dutch Drug Trade, Attitudes Disturb Souder Drug Czar Selection Held Up, Souder Says Drug-Foe Souder on Defense Souder Decries Evil Position of Medical-Marijuana Souder Shifts Drug Group's Focus Toward Prevention Souder Battles Fraudulent Marijuana Capitalists Souder Anti-Privacy Souder Battles Medical-Marijuana Laws Portland NORML News, Saturday October 3, 1998: Subpage Title: Destroying Propaganda - Anslingerisms. UNITED STATES DISPENSATORY listed cannabis as a useful medicine. The 1851 edition states: The complaints in which it [cannabis] has been specially recommended are neuralgia, gout, rheumatism, tetanus, hydrophobia, epidemic cholera, convulsions, chorea, hysteria, mental depression, delirium tremens, insanity and uterine hemorrhage. Cannabis was removed from the US Pharmacopeia in 1942 because of political pressure from Harry Anslinger and the U S Treasury Department. CANNABIS IS MEDICINE