Marijuana News Clips from the Past
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News Clips from the Past
 
Marijuana Use Traced to Birthing -- The Washington Post
A 1,600-year-old personal tragedy has yielded a glimpse of early medicinal
uses of marijuana.  Reporting in the May 20 Nature, Raphael Mechoulam of
the Hebrew University in Jerusalem and colleagues analyzed materials found
in an ancient family tomb near Jerusalem.  Seven grams of carbonized matter
were found near the corpse of a girl, about 14 years of age, who apparently
died in childbirth around 400 A.D.  The researches recovered tiny amounts
of 6-tetrahydrocannabinol (6-THC), a component of cannabis.  The
researchers believe the plant was burned in some kind of a vessel and
administered to the girl "as an inhalant to facilitate the birth process."
Medical texts from the 19th century, the authors note, held that marijuana
increases the force of uterine contractions and reduces the pain of labor.
While this is apparently the first physical evidence of ancient pot use,
reports appear in an Egyptian papyrus from the 16th century B.C.
November 29, 1991 Frustrated federal judge says drugs should be legal --
St.  Petersburg (FL) Times
Judge James C.  Paine says it's the prohibition of drugs, not the drugs
themselves, that leads to crime.
West Palm Beach -- A veteran federal judge frustrated by a court system
overloaded by drug cases says he thinks drugs should be legalized.  "I have
joined that group of people who believe that the use and sale of controlled
substances should be legalized," U.S.  District Judge James C.  Paine said
in a recent speech to the Federal Bar Association in Miami.  The judge,
based in West Palm Beach, compares outlawing such drugs as heroin,
marijuana and cocaine to Prohibition.  "Alcohol didn't cause the high crime
rates of the '20s and '30s; Prohibition did.  And drugs do not cause
today's alarming crime rates, but drug prohibition does." It was the first
time that Paine, appointed to the Southern District in 19790 by President
Carter, has publicly stated his position.  He said no specific incident
prompted him to make his remarks, adding, "Most people don't agree with
me." Paine, 67, said decriminalizing drugs would reduce crime, reduce
corruption of law enforcement officials, lead to the production of weaker
drugs, reverse a trend toward abuse of civil liberties and eliminate the
futility of fighting a war the government isn't winning.  "Trying to wage
ware on 23-million Americans who are obviously very committed to certain
recreational activities is not going to be any more successful than
Prohibition was," he said.  Robert Neumann, agent in charge of the West
Palm Beach FBI office, refused to comment on Paine's remarks beyond saying
that his office "is not in the policy business." Palm Beach County Juvenile
Judge Howard Berman was intrigued.  "I think the whole thing needs to be
rethought," he said.  "I'd be open-minded about it." He said many young
people who come through his courtroom are selling drugs to make money.
Illegal drugs are scarce and high-priced, and buyers often commit crimes to
pay for them and have to do business with outlaws to get them.  "The decent
people, who would like to sell drugs as they might liquor or tobacco, are
squeezed out of an increasingly violent business," Paine said.  Paine
doesn't believe legalizing drugs would be difficult.  "Our society has had
a lot of experience with legal dangerous drugs, particularly alcohol and
tobacco, and we can draw on the experience when we legalize marijuana,
cocaine and heroin."
October 12, 1937 Arrest of Four Aliens Reveals Denver Marijuana Sales Ring
-- The Denver Post
Purveyors of Weed Recruited Users From Among High School Boys and Girls --
Two Men and Two Women Held.
With the arrests of two men and two women, police revealed Tuesday the
existence here of a ring of marijuana peddlers who recruited users of the
deadly weed from the high schools and junior high schools of the city.
Those under arrest in connection with the cases are Mrs.  Refugio Herrara,
45, of 3440 Mariposa Street, and her son Moses Rodriguez, 22, of the same
address; Mrs.  Angelina Hernandez, 28, of 1011 Twenty-third Street, and
Juan Moya, 33, of 3957 Jason Street.  From Rodriguez, according to
Detective Sam Finnie, police learned of the alleged ring's existence and of
its methods of making addicts of young boys and girls.  Friday night,
Finnie revealed, he with his partner, Detective John Wells, and Detectives
William Bennetts and Martin Madigan, raided the home of Moya on Jason
Street.
Drug Makes Maniac of Prisoner "Moya," Finnie said, "was under the influence
of marijuana when we arrived.  He was a madman.  When he was us he flew
into a maniacal rage.  He is small and yet he was able to fight off four of
use for ten minutes.  His strength was almost superhuman.  We grappled with
him, but despite all our efforts, he succeeded in eating a half can of
marijuana which we sought to seize.  "This made him so ill that for a time
we thought he as going to die and we had to call a physician to attend him
in the city jail thruout the next day and night.  "From Moya's place we
went to Mrs.  Herrara's home.  "While we were arresting her and her son,
four boys, ranging in age from 17 to 19, came to the house.  The boys told
use they called to purchase marijuana cigarets.  They got them, they said,
at two for a quarter.  They said many high school students of their
acquaintance were using the weed.  "We questioned Rodriguez and he told us
the story -- signing a statement.
"Salesmen":  Gave Away Samples "He said he employed from three to five
persons to go around the high schools and junior high schools.  These
'salesmen' were supplied with cigarets containing the drug.  These they
gave away, telling the boys and girls who accepted them if they cared for
more they could make purchases at the Mariposa Street house.  "We found
five tins of the weed there and a number of cigarets.  "But we knew this
was not the source of supply.  Further questioning of Rodriguez led us to
the home of Mrs.  Hernandez where we found forty-six tins of marijuana.  We
also found a large quantity of cigarets hidden in a savings bank.  "We
found a flour sifter used to sift the weed.  "We are convinced that these
four persons, all aliens, have been receiving large supplies of marijuana
from outside sources and selling it largely to school boys and girls.  "We
have presented all the facts to the federal authorities." Assistant United
States District Attorney David H.  Morris filed federal charges against the
four persons Tuesday.  Their cases will be presented to the next federal
grand jury, Morris said.
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