--------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 173 NORML Ref: F4G00000 Date: 04/10/98 From: L P Time: 09:01am \/To: ALL (Read 0 times) Subj: Prohibition * Forwarded (from: RTKBA) by L P using timEd 1.10. * Originally from Terry Smith (1:141/1275) to Gus Gere. * Original dated: Wed Apr 08, 17:13 GG> National Firearms Act of 1934. Is that how it started, GG> or were they already GG> at it before that? How on earth did Roosevelt get that GG> one through Congress I wonder? Simple. Ban something that people will do anyway regardless of laws, making human nature criminal (18th Am. Prohibition). Watch a black market develop, and need its own private security and law enforcement staffs, since cops can't be counted on to protect financial or personal safety interests of those nvolved in a black market. Move on to regulate or ban the tools of any such black market, regardless of their larger existence as a protected right of all citizens. Do you really think FOPA-86 or VCCLEA-94 could have been passed without Prohibition-II, the "War on Drugs"? At least 50% of current murders include demographics that appear related to drug Prohibition. Now, is it more useful for politicians to do what it took to end bootlegging by ending Prohibition and dealing with alcohol addiction as a medical and social problem in those cases where some people use it abusively, or for politicians to preserve the black market, 95% of whose revenues are to legal businesses including some of their own law partners and firms, and use the side effects of the black market they proliferate as a perpetual problem they repeatedly promise to help fix in ways almost assured to fail, allowing a revised but equally ineffectual promise to "do something" next election cle? Address the underlying problem, laws making nonviolent consensual use of rugs people use regardless of laws criminal, and the symptoms of a black market nd related feuds loses its economic motivation faster than anything else that legislatures or Congress could try. Terry --- * Origin: 61 deg. 25' N / 149 deg. 40' W (1:17/75) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 173 NORML Ref: F4G00001 Date: 04/03/98 From: BILL BARRETT Time: 09:43pm \/To: JUSTIN HECKSEL (Read 0 times) Subj: Eating *** Quoting Justin Hecksel to All dated 03-29-98 *** > I was wondering what negative health effects happen from eating buds. It > seems like all the negative effects pointed out are from smoking it. > > *!* T.A.G. 2.7c Standard > * Origin: The Abacus * v.32/v.42 * (517)645-7343 * Node 1 (1:159/100) > You'd end up with a bad taste in your mouth if you started eating buds.. --- * Origin: Easy Goin' BBS Lincoln Park, MI (313)388-0119 (1:2410/335) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 173 NORML Ref: F5G00000 Date: 04/11/98 From: L P Time: 01:50pm \/To: ALL (Read 0 times) Subj: Your help needed * Forwarded (from: NETMAIL) by L P using timEd 1.10. * Originally from carl@commonlink.net (1:323/140.3) * Original dated: Sun Apr 05, 16:46 We have a really nasty bill heading for enactment here tomorrow. The bill, among other things, would increase the penalties for simple possession of marijuana from a simple misdemeanor (a six month jail sentence) to an aggravated misdemeanor (a two year prison sentence). It would also allow a police office to ask for a urine test if the police officers has a reasonable suspicion that a drive is operating under the influence of drugs or alcohol (detection of any metabolite of a controlled substance will be considered evidence of impairment). As you can see, this is a really nasty bill. It's being promoted as a "get-tough" on methampetamine bill and includes mandatory minimum sentences for possession of methamphetamine. This bill passed by 96-3 last Tuesday night (March 31) in the Iowa House of Representatives. So far, the press hasn't said anything about the impact on marijuana users. For full details, see: http://www.commonlink.com/~olsen/NORML/alert.html http://www.calyx.com/~olsen/NORML/alert.html http://olsen.drugtext.nl/NORML/alert.html The was amended by the Iowa Senate on Thursday, so it will still have to be approved by both the Iowa Senate and the Iowa House of Representatives this week. We are planning to send three medical patients, two of which receive marijuana legally from the federal government, to lobby the Iowa Legislature tomorrow (Monday, April 6, 1998). So far, we've raised $200 to cover their expenses. We could use a few more cash donations to cover expenses. If you have a few dollars to spare, please send to: Iowa NORML Post Office Box 4091 Des Moines, IA 50333 Sincerely, Carl Olsen --- * Origin: 61 deg. 25' N / 149 deg. 40' W (1:17/75) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 173 NORML Ref: F5G00001 Date: 04/11/98 From: L P Time: 01:51pm \/To: ALL (Read 0 times) Subj: NORML News - April 9, 1998 A NON PROFIT LEGAL, RESEARCH, AND EDUCATIONAL ORGANIZATION THE NORML 1001 CONNECTICUT AVENUE NW FOUNDATION SUITE 710 WASHINGTON, D.C. 20036 T 202-483-8751 ? F 202-483-0057 ? E-MAIL NORMLFNDTN@AOL.COM Internet http://www.norml.org . . . a weekly service for the media on news items related to marijuana prohibition. April 9, 1998 Senator Wants To Extend Marijuana Prohibition To Include Medical Research April 9, 1998, Washington, D.C.: The Senate approved a "sense of the Senate" resolution on April 3 denying funding for any future medical marijuana research projects. The amendment -- introduced by Sen. Gordon Smith (R-Oregon) -- is included in Senate Concurrent Resolution 86, a measure outlining Congressional budgets for the next five years. Although the amendment is not legally binding, the resolution may influence Congress when determining funding levels for health and research programs. "The language proposed by Smith represents the extreme position of those in Congress who stand against the use of marijuana as a medicine," said NORML Executive Director R. Keith Stroup. "This amendment is a slap in the face to respected scientific and medical institutions such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the American Medical Association (AMA), the National Academy of Sciences, the American Cancer Society, and others -- all of which have recently urged the federal government to facilitate clinical trials to better determine marijuana's therapeutic potential." Senate Amendment 2180 states that "no funds appropriated by Congress should be used to ... fund or support, or to compel any individual, institution, or government entity to ... support any item, good, benefit, program, or service, for the purpose of marijuana for medicinal purposes." Smith argued that his amendment will help ensure that America's children are not sent mixed messages on drug use. Federal funds should only be spent on research to discover more effective prescription medications, and not on the "medicinal use of an illegal drug that is highly addictive and dangerous," he added. Presently, all scientific protocols to examine marijuana's medical potential must receive federal funds. According to Rick Doblin -- head of the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) -- this is because the only legal supplier of marijuana for research purposes remains the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), and that agency will only consider providing marijuana to projects that have passed the NIH grant review process. Presently, the NIH is funding only one study regarding marijuana's medical potential. "Senator Smith's amendment suggests that he cares more for anti-medical marijuana rhetoric than he does for people who suffer from the diseases for which marijuana is claimed to be effective in treating," said Doblin, who also serves of NORML's board of directors. "Hopefully, neither he nor any of his loved ones will come to regret this triumph of ideology over medicine." Senate Con. Res. 86 now goes to the House for consideration. For more information, please contact either Paul Armentano or Keith Stroup of NORML @ (202) 483-5500. Use Of Thermal Imaging Without A Warrant Unconstitutional, Ninth Circuit Rules April 9, 1998, Portland, OR: The Ninth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals ruled on Tuesday that the Constitution's Fourth Amendment protects citizens against the warrantless use of thermal imaging scanning devices to measure heat emissions from residences. The Court rejected contrary case law from the seventh, eighth, and eleventh circuits on grounds that they improperly analogized excess heat from residential interiors to heat emanating from trash. "This decision affirms the right of individuals to be free in their home from unreasonable searches," NORML Executive Director R. Keith Stroup, Esq. said. Stroup noted that the conflicting decisions by the circuit courts may persuade the Supreme Court to rule on the issue. Thermal scanners detect heat from numerous sources inside the home such as bathing, ovens, indoor gardening, and sexual activity. The technology is often used by law enforcement officials to identify possible indoor marijuana-grow operations. The details unveiled by a thermal imager are sufficiently intimate to give rise to a Fourth Amendment violation, declared Judge Robert Merhige, writing for the court. "While the imager cannot reproduce images or sounds, it strips the sanctuary of the home of the 'right to be let alone' from arbitrary and discriminatory monitoring by government officials," he said. "The use of a thermal imager to observe heat emitted from various objects within the home infringes on an expectation of privacy that society deems reasonable." Dissenting Judge Michael Hawkins argued the use of thermal imaging fails to constitute a search "under contemporary Fourth Amendment standards." Tanya Kangas, Director of Litigation for The NORML Foundation, praised the majority opinion. "Fortunately, two of the three judges in this case looked to common sense and the privacy expectations of typical reasonable persons to be free in their homes." The case is United States v. Danny Lee Kyllo, No. 96-30333 (9th Cir. filed April 7, 1998). For more information or to notify the NORML Foundation of additional thermal imaging cases, please contact Tanya Kangas @ (202) 483-8751. For more information on thermal imaging and the law, please contact NORML Legal Committee member John Henry Hingson @ (503) 656-0355. Hawaii Health Committee Urges Federal Government To Expedite Medical Marijuana Research April 9, 1998, Honolulu, HI: Hawaii's House Committee on Health approved a resolution on Saturday urging the federal government to expedite research into the medical efficacy of marijuana. "This measure makes it clear that the medical value of marijuana should be determined by science, not politics," said the bill's sponsor, Rep. David Tarnas (D-South Kohala). "The state is taking this reasonable and measured step specifically because the federal government has a history of refusing to take action [on the medical marijuana issue.]" Earlier this year, Tarnas introduced legislation exempting patients and their primary caregivers who possessed or cultivated marijuana for medical use from criminal penalties. The Health Committee rejected that bill in February, but Chairman Alex Santiago (D-Pupukea) encouraged Tarnas to draft a separate resolution endorsing research. "It is ... appropriate to urge the federal government to move more swiftly in its establishment of rigorous scientific protocol standards to reschedule marijuana from a Schedule I to a Schedule II drug," Santiago said. At least five states -- California, Michigan, New Hampshire, and Missouri -- have previously approved resolutions urging the government to allow doctors to prescribe marijuana. NORML Executive Director R. Keith Stroup, Esq. said he supported state resolutions aimed at reforming federal law, but emphasized that state laws are also necessary to protect patients already using medical marijuana --- * Origin: 61 deg. 25' N / 149 deg. 40' W (1:17/75) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 173 NORML Ref: F5G00002 Date: 04/11/98 From: L P Time: 01:51pm \/To: ALL (Read 0 times) Subj: 2 NORML News - April 9, 1998 from state criminal charges. "States must realize that they can play a pivotal role in protecting the health and safety of bona fide medical marijuana patients," he said. For more information, please contact either Rep. David Tarnas @ (808) 586-8510 or Keith Stroup of NORML @ (202) 483-5500. -END- MORE THAN 11 MILLION MARIJUANA ARRESTS SINCE 1965 . . . ANOTHER EVERY 49 SECONDS! --- * Origin: 61 deg. 25' N / 149 deg. 40' W (1:17/75) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 173 NORML Ref: F5G00003 Date: 04/24/98 From: LEE BONNIFIELD Time: 09:35pm \/To: ALL (Read 0 times) Subj: FRONTLINE on marijuana TV Tuesday night PBS FRONTLINE 9 PM ET 4/28/98 BUSTED: America's War on Marijuana From the promo, I think they're going to say the WAR is what's busted. "Are we fighting the wrong battle in the war on drugs?" --- PPoint 2.00 * Origin: You must admit I have a point. (1:3615/50.1) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 173 NORML Ref: F5G00004 Date: 04/17/98 From: L P Time: 07:36pm \/To: ALL (Read 0 times) Subj: New drugged-driving legislation * Forwarded (from: NETMAIL) by L P using timEd 1.10. * Originally from carl@commonlink.net * Original dated: Sun Apr 12, 23:23 Iowa NORML Post Office Box 4091 ? Des Moines, Iowa 50333 ? 515-262-6957 INTERNET: http://www.commonlink.com/~olsen/NORML/ E-mail: iowanorml@commonlink.com April 12, 1998 Dear Editor, A new drugged-driving law was passed by the Iowa House on March 31 by a vote of 96-3 and by the Iowa Senate on April 6 by a vote of 44-2. The legislators must have congratulated themselves with a stiff drink as a reward for their hard work. Perhaps they even had a stiff drink before voting on this bill, as there was almost no debate in the House and none in the Senate. Actually, this bill is much more than a drugged-driving bill. It doubles the current penalties for second offense possession of illegal substances, and multiplies them by a factor of four for third and subsequent offenses. That means that people who now face a six month jail term in Iowa for simple possession of small amounts of marijuana will now face up to two years in prison for third and subsequent offenses. Are the tax payers ready to pay the bill? No one asked them. The legislators just assumed that Iowa taxpayers would be happy to pay any expense to win the war on drugs. The war on drug users has replaced the cold war as a favorite passtime. Iowa Governor Branstad will undoubtedly sign this monster into law this week. However, before he has the chance to turn Iowa into a police state, the American public should at least be aware of what this law contains. This new law allows a police officer to stop any driver and ask for a urine sample, as long as the police officer has a "reasonable suspicion" that the person is operating under the influence of an illegal substance. So much for the Fourth Amendment. The new law also allows metabolites of controlled substances to be used as evidence of impairment. Since metabolites of marijuana remain in the body for up to 30 days after use, this new law will, for the first time in the history of the United States, allow metabolites of marijuana to be used as evidence of a crime. I don't know how many people smoke marijuana, but the government estimates that between 10 and 20 million Americans use it at least once each month. That means that at least one out of every 20 drivers is going to test positive for metabolites of marijuana at any given time. That could get extremely expensive, as all these people get drunken-driving convictions and end up being sent to Iowa prisons. Iowa is already facing a critical shortage of prison space. Are the Iowa taxpayers ready to pay the bill? They better get ready, because Governor Branstad is going to stick it to them, and then he's going to take a stiff drink to celebrate. He's not running for re-election, so he won't have to stick around and clean up the mess. The text of this bill can be found at: http://www.legis.state.ia.us/GA/77GA/Legislation/SF/02300/SF02391/Current.h tml Sincerely, Carl E. Olsen 1116 E. Seneca Ave., #3 Des Moines, Iowa 50316 515-262-6957 --- * Origin: 61 deg. 25' N / 149 deg. 40' W (1:17/75) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 173 NORML Ref: F5G00005 Date: 04/17/98 From: L P Time: 07:39pm \/To: ALL (Read 0 times) Subj: NORML News - April 16, 1998 A NON PROFIT LEGAL, RESEARCH, AND EDUCATIONAL ORGANIZATION THE NORML 1001 CONNECTICUT AVENUE NW FOUNDATION SUITE 710 WASHINGTON, D.C. 20036 T 202-483-8751 ? F 202-483-0057 ? E-MAIL NORMLFNDTN@AOL.COM Internet http://www.norml.org . . . a weekly service for the media on news items related to marijuana prohibition. April 16, 1998 New Zealand Report Urges Government To Legalize Marijuana, Exposes U.S. Role In Maintaining Worldwide Prohibition April 16, 1998, Wellington, New Zealand: Legalizing marijuana would protect public health and raise tax revenue, according to a report released by the New Zealand Drug Policy Forum Trust. Responding to the report, a spokesman for the Parliament's health select committee announced that the government will hold an inquiry into the effects and legal status of the drug. The NZDPFT report states that "New Zealand politicians [must] ... take control of cannabis commerce." It recommends the government to establish a "Tobacco, Alcohol, and Cannabis Authority" to develop and enforce "regulations concerning the production, distribution, sale, and use of these three substances." Regulations would include age and point-of-sale restrictions, and providing legal penalties for "specified forms of misbehavior caused by deliberate taking of a drug." Cultivation of marijuana for personal use and non-profit distribution of the drug would not fall under the commission's authority. "New Zealand must learn to live with cannabis," the report concludes. "Cannabis has clearly become a part of our culture. It's responsible use by adults should therefore be normalized." The policy paper also highlights the role of the United States in opposing drug reform efforts in other nations. "A related hurdle to reforming New Zealand's cannabis policies will come in the form of resistance from the United States," the NZDPFT states. "Whether present day politicians can withstand such pressure on [this] issue ... remains to be seen, but by anticipating and preparing for [it] the chances are good that we will be 'permitted' to opt out of U.S.-inspired cannabis policies." The report cites a 1996 meeting between the DEA and the Australian government where U.S. officials warned the country not to "make any radical break with the past or with our allies" on marijuana policy. The Drug Policy Forum Trust is composed of several highly respected scientists and health care professionals. For more information, please contact Allen St. Pierre of The NORML Foundation @ (202) 483-8751. A copy of the report is available online at: http://www.nzdf.org.nz/1998.htm. San Francisco Medical Marijuana Dispensary Ordered Closed By Judge April 16, 1998, San Francisco, CA: A Superior Court judge granted an injunction on Wednesday calling for the closure of California's largest medical marijuana dispensary. Club proprietor Dennis Peron, who says his operation serves some 9,000 patients, told reporters that he will defy the order. "You cannot just throw people out in the street; you cannot just stop the will of the people," he said. "We are fighting for the will of the people here." Judge David Garcia said that the club overstepped the provisions of the state's medical marijuana law that legalized the possession and cultivation of the drug for medical use. "The Court finds uncontradicted evidence in this record that defendant Peron is currently engaging in the illegal sales of marijuana," Garcia declared. Garcia's decision reversed his January 1996 ruling authorizing the club to engage in the not-for-profit sale of marijuana for medicinal purposes. Garcia's earlier ruling was rejected by the state Court of Appeals, First Appellate District. This latest decision okays state Attorney General Dan Lungren's request for a nuisance abatement order allowing the club to be seized and closed by either the county sheriff or the state Bureau of Narcotics Enforcement. NORML Executive Director R. Keith Stroup, Esq. said that medical marijuana dispensaries such as the San Francisco Cultivators' Club perform a legitimate public health service for the community. "Cannabis buyers' clubs remain the only viable source of medical marijuana in California short of home cultivation or purchasing marijuana on the street," he said. "To close these clubs would force thousands of seriously ill patients to suffer needlessly and force many patients to enter the black market or go without the marijuana they need to survive." For more information, please contact either Keith Stroup of NORML @ (202) 483-5500 or Dale Gieringer of California NORML @ (415) 563-5858. Dennis peron may be contacted at Californians for Compassionate Use @ (415) 621-3986. Iowa Legislature Okays Bill Enhancing Marijuana Penalties, Granting Police Power To Drug Test Drivers April 16, 1998, Des Moines, IA: The Iowa Legislature overwhelmingly approved a bill enhancing marijuana penalties for repeat offenders, and enabling police officers to conduct drug tests on drivers who appear to be operating under the influence of marijuana. Senate Bill 2391 now awaits action from Republican Gov. Terry Branstad. Carl Olsen, head of Iowa NORML, called the measure "incredibly harsh" and cautioned that the new law could entangle many casual marijuana users in the criminal justice system. "People who now face a maximum six month jail term in Iowa for the simple possession of small amounts of marijuana will face two years in prison and a $5,000 fine for third and subsequent offenses," he said. Senate Bill 2391 also allows law enforcement to check motorists for the presence of marijuana metabolites -- presumably by urine or blood tests -- if there is a reasonable suspicion to believe the motorist is driving under the influence of the drug. Because the law sets no legal threshold for drugs other than alcohol, S.B. 2391 states that the detection of any amount of marijuana metabolites is grounds for obtaining a conviction of driving while intoxicated. The law fails to specify how or where police will administer the drug tests. "The presence of non-psychoactive marijuana metabolites in the urine is not evidence of impairment," warned Allen St. Pierre, Executive Director of The NORML Foundation. St. Pierre noted that metabolites often remain in the urine for days and sometimes weeks after the intoxicating effects of marijuana have worn off. "You could have someone who smoked marijuana on Sunday be arrested on Tuesday and charged with driving under the influence," he said. Attorney Tanya Kangas, Director of Litigation for The NORML Foundation, questioned the constitutionality of the drug-testing proposal. "Implementing S.B. 2391 will violate privacy and search protections," she said. "Blood tests are excessively invasive; urine tests do not indicate impairment and cannot be collected consistent with constitutional standards for traffic stop searches. We can restrict people from driving while impaired without violating the Constitution as this law proposes." For more information, please contact either Carl Olsen of Iowa NORML @ (515) 262-6957 or Paul Armentano of NORML @ (202) 483-5500. --- * Origin: 61 deg. 25' N / 149 deg. 40' W (1:17/75) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 173 NORML Ref: F5G00006 Date: 04/17/98 From: L P Time: 07:39pm \/To: ALL (Read 0 times) Subj: 2 NORML News - April 16, 1998 Oklahoma Rally To Be Held Monday To Address Plight Of Medical Marijuana Patients April 16, 1998, Oklahoma City, OK: A demonstration will be held on Monday at the Oklahoma State Capitol to bring attention to the plight of medical marijuana patients. The rally will focus on Will Foster, a 39 year old Tulsa native, who is currently serving a 93 year jail sentence for cultivating marijuana for his personal medical use. Foster was a first time offender who suffers from chronic rheumatoid arthritis. State law did not permit him the opportunity to raise a defense of medical necessity at his trial. Adam Smith, assistant director of the Drug Reform Coordination Network, Will's wife Meg Foster, Michael Pearson of Oklahoma NORML, and Michael Camfield of the American Civil Liberties Union, will speak at the event, which is scheduled to be filmed by the Canadian Broadcasting Company. For more information, please contact either Michael Pearson of Oklahoma NORML @ (405) 840-4367 or Adam Smith of DRC Net @ (202) 293-8340. -END- MORE THAN 11 MILLION MARIJUANA ARRESTS SINCE 1965 . . . ANOTHER EVERY 49 SECONDS! --- * Origin: 61 deg. 25' N / 149 deg. 40' W (1:17/75) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 173 NORML Ref: F5G00007 Date: 04/17/98 From: L P Time: 07:42pm \/To: ALL (Read 0 times) Subj: Drug tests bring worries of accuracy - A19:42:5304/17/98 * Forwarded (from: NETMAIL) by L P using timEd 1.10. * Originally from carl@commonlink.net * Original dated: Fri Apr 17, 01:13 Newshawk: Carl Olsen Source: Des Moines Register (IA) Contact: letters@news.dmreg.com Pubdate: Thu, 16 Mar 1998 Author: Lynn Hicks Fax: 515-286-2511 Website: http://www.commonlink.com/~olsen/DPF/DRUGTEST/98-04-16.html BUSINESS Drug tests bring worries of accuracy "I go to extraordinary lengths before I call a positive." -- Dr. David Berg, Medical review officer By LYNN HICKS, REGISTER BUISNESS WRITER The water-cooler talk is true: Poppy seeds can produce a positive test for heroin, and cold medicine can suggest methamphetamine. But medical experts say workers have little to worry about as changes in Iowa's drug-testing law go into effect today. That's because the new law requires medical review officers to evaluate drug tests. They act as judges, determining whether the positive test is a result of illegal drug use or a legitimate medical cause. "I'm there to protect people from false positives as much as I'm there to find drug (evidence) for their employers," said Dr. David Berg, an MRO and director of occupational medicine for the Des Moines office of HealthSouth. "I go to extraordinary lengths before I call a positive." Accuracy is a concern as private-sector employers gain more power to test employees for drugs and alcohol. Occupational health clinics and laboratories say the law could lead to more business, but they don't expect a rush starting today. Business groups have been pushing for a change for years, and some construction companies and other safety-sensitive employers are moving quickly to start testing, said James Aipperspach, president of the Iowa Association of Business and Industry. But most are still learning about the changes and deciding what options to take. Employers are not required to test. They could randomly test workers for alcohol and other drugs. They could test if they have reasonable suspicion that a worker is under the influence. They could require workers to get treatment after a confirmed positive drug test, or they could fire them. Critics say the law gives employers more power than police. They also question the reliability of testing, and say the workers would have little recourse if they falsely test positive. The new law protects employers from liability unless they clearly should have known a false positive test result was in error and ignored the correct test result. The Iowa Civil Liberties Union isn't saying whether it will fight the law. But lawyers and legislators have talked to the group about a challenge, said executive director Ben Stone. Random testing could result in more false positives, said Craig Zwerling, a University of Iowa professor and expert on drug-testing. Statistics vary widely on the likelihood of false positives, depending on the test and the lab. Civil libertarians say 5 percent is a conservative estimate. Medical experts acknowledge that false positives aren't impossible. But they say urinalysis, the most common means of drug testing, has improved. The Iowa Methodist Medical Center laboratory's testing is more than 99 percent reliable, said Rich Snyder, who supervises drug testing. The lab uses a combination of gas chromatography and mass spectrometry, which is considered by most experts to be the most precise procedure for the detection of banned substances. The new Iowa law requires such a technique to be used to confirm positive tests. Employees can request a second confirmatory test at another lab, at their expense. If that test comes back negative, the employer must reimburse the employee. But tests still read some innocuous substances as illegal drugs. Because of the poppy seed problem, the federal government is raising the threshold for the detection of opiates in urine. Additional tests can be done to determine whether a Vicks inhaler is causing a methamphetamine positive, experts say. Medical review officers also look at more than the test, searching for evidence of needle tracks or asking whether the person is on a prescription drug. Testers also watch for adulterated samples. An industry is booming on the Internet, providing drug users with tips and products to taint their tests. Snyder said most of the methods, such as mixing the urine with bleach or soap, are easy to catch. Medical review officers also are on guard for every excuse imaginable. They've heard them all, including the one gold-medal snowboarder Ross Rebagliati gave when he tested positive during the Olympics. Second-hand marijuana smoke will produce a positive test only in extreme cases, research has shown. "There's no way," Berg scoffed. Reporter Lynn Hicks can be reached at hicksl@news.dmreg.com or (515) 284-8211. The Des Moines Register Thursday, April 16, 1998, Page 10S letters@news.dmreg.com --- * Origin: 61 deg. 25' N / 149 deg. 40' W (1:17/75)