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National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws reform of NATO and a new pact drawing the USA, NATO (NORML), over eight million Americans have been arrested and the European Union (EU) together in a "grand strategy" on marijuana charges in the past decade, while arrests for _ to tackle the challenges of an "increasingly brutal world". cocaine and heroine have declined sharply. The authors of the plan insist that "the first use of nuclear The number of arrests in 2006 increased more than 5.5 per © weapons must remain in the quiver of escalation as the cent from 2005. Of the 829,627 arrests, 89 per cent were for _ ultimate instrument to prevent the use of weapons of mass possession, not sale or manufacture. Possession arrests destruction". The manifesto was presented to the Pentagon exceeded arrests for all violent crimes combined, as they in Washington and to NATO's Secretary-General in mid- have for years. The remaining offenders, including those January 2008. growing for personal or medical use, were charged with sale The authors—General John Shalikashvili (US Army, and/or manufacturing. Ret.), former Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff and A study of New York City marijuana arrests, conducted by former NATO Supreme Allied Commander, Europe; Queens College and released in April 2008, reports that | General Klaus Naumann (Ret.), Germany's former top between 1998 and 2007 the New York police arrested soldier and former Chairman, NATO Military Committee; 374,900 people whose most serious crime was the lowest- | General Henk van den Breemen (Ret.), a former Dutch level misdemeanour marijuana offence. That number is Chief of Staff; Admiral Jacques Lanxade (Ret.), a former eight times higher than the number of arrests (45,300) from French armed Forces Chief of Staff; and Field Marshal The 1988 to 1997. Nearly 90 per cent arrested between 1998 and = Right Hon. The Lord Inge (Ret.), former Chief of the 2007 were male, despite the fact General Staff and the Defence Staff that national studies show Th h Rete aninsl in the UK—paint an alarming marijuana use roughly equal e authors of the plan insist picture of the threats and between men and women. While that "the first use of nuclear challenges confronting the West in national surveys show Whites are wo. the post-9/11 world and deliver a more likely to use marijuana than weapons must remain In withering verdict on the ability to Blacks and Latinos, the New York . . cope. The five commanders argue study reports that 83 per cent of the quiver of escalation as that the West's values and way of those arrested were Black or the ultimate instrument to life are under threat, while the Latino. Blacks accounted for 52 West is struggling to summon the per cent of arrests, Latinos and prevent the use of weapons will to defend them. They claim other people of colour accounted of mass destruction". that the following are key threats: for 33 per cent, while Whites ¢ political fanaticism and accounted for only 15 per cent. religious fundamentalism; "The steady escalation of marijuana arrests is happening in ¢ the "dark side" of globalisation, meaning international direct defiance of public opinion," according to Rob __ terrorism, organised crime and the spread of weapons of Kampia, executive director of the Marijuana Policy Project mass destruction; in Washington, DC. "Voters in communities all over the * climate change and energy insecurity, entailing a contest country...have passed measures saying they don't want _ for resources and potential "environmental" migration on a marijuana arrests to be priority. Yet marijuana arrests have —_ mass scale; set an all-time record for four years running..." « the weakening of the nation-state as well as of Meanwhile, enforcing marijuana laws costs between _ organisations such as the UN, NATO and the EU. US$10 and $12 billion a year. They call for an overhaul of NATO decision-making However, the clearest signs of progress have come from methods, a new "directorate" of US, European and NATO efforts to permit medical use of marijuana. Twelve US states leaders to respond rapidly to crises, and an end to EU now have medical marijuana laws, and a medical marijuana _—"obstruction" of and rivalry with NATO. initiative in Michigan's November 2008 ballot was ahead by nearly two to one in a public poll released earlier. 22. CARE Rejects US Food Aid Democratic presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama In August 2007, one of the biggest and best-known indicated he would end the federal war on these state | American charity organisations, CARE, announced that it medical marijuana laws, while Republican candidate Senator was turning down US$45 million a year in food aid from the John McCain expressed support for current federal law. United States government. CARE claims that the way US aid ta atenatend an neathae than eaduaan hunane in tha The authors of the plan insist that "the first use of nuclear the quiver of escalation as the ultimate instrument to 22. CARE Rejects US Food Aid In August 2007, one of the biggest and best-known American charity organisations, CARE, announced that it was turning down US$45 million a year in food aid from the United States government. CARE claims that the way US aid is structured causes rather than reduces hunger in the countries where it is received. The US budgets $2 billion a year for food aid, which buys US crops to feed populations facing starvation amidst crisis or enduring chronic hunger. The organisation's announcement prompted argument about the forms and objectives of the aid given by the US and other big powers to Third World countries and the role 21. NATO Considers "First Strike" Nuclear Option North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) officials are considering a first-strike nuclear option to be used anywhere in the world that a threat may arise. Former armed force chiefs from the USA, Britain, Germany, France and The Netherlands authored a 150-page blueprint calling for urgent 18 ¢ NEXUS weapons must remain in prevent the use of weapons of mass destruction". www.nexusmagazine.com DECEMBER 2008 — JANUARY 2009