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Drug War Chronicle #721 - February 16, 2012

Issue #721, Phillip S. Smith, Editor - David Borden, Executive Director

1. Washington Voters to Decide Marijuana Legalization

Voters in Washington state will decide whether to legalize marijuana on the November ballot -- and they may not be alone.

2. Welfare Drug Test Bills Fail in South Dakota, Virginia

Bills to drug test welfare and other public benefits recipients were blocked in South Dakota and Virginia after state officials warned against such legislation.

3. Detroit Marijuana Legalization Measure to Get Vote

A Detroit initiative that would legalize the possession of up to an once of pot by adults in private appears to be headed for a summer vote after the state Court of Appeals overturned a lower court decision blocking it.

4. Mexican Army Seizes 15 Tons of Methamphetamine

The Mexican army has made a massive methamphetamine bust, seizing 15 tons of pure tweak with a US street value of $4 billion.

5. Iowa Man Falls to His Death During Drug Raid

A 28-year-old Iowa man has died after apparently falling from an apartment balcony as he tried to evade police during a drug raid.

Permission to Reprint: This issue of Drug War Chronicle is licensed under a modified Creative Commons Attribution license. Articles of a purely educational nature in Drug War Chronicle appear courtesy of DRCNet Foundation, unless otherwise noted.

Drug War Chronicle #720 - February 9, 2012

Issue #720, Phillip S. Smith, Editor - David Borden, Executive Director

killed in his home by police

1. Marijuana Law Reform at the Statehouse 2012 [FEATURE]

This year is shaping up to be a busy one for marijuana legalization and decriminalization bills at state houses around the country. Here's the rundown on what's going on so far.

2. New Mexico Legislature to Study Supervised Injection Sites [FEATURE]

The New Mexico legislature has commissioned a study of emerging and evidence-based harm reduction practices, including supervised injection sites. That could lead the way to a pilot program there. There is also agitation for SIJs in San Francisco and New York City.

3. Malay Couple Get Life for Half Ounce, Marijuana Plant

A life sentence for growing a pot plant!? It just happened to a Malaysian couple, but, hey, at least the judge suspended the caning.

4. Missouri, Tennessee Ponder Legislator Drug Tests

Bills that would require state legislators to undergo drug tests have been filed in Missouri and Tennessee. They're an unsurprising extension of the drug testing mania that has gripped statehouses, but likely unconstitutional.

5. Colorado Marijuana Legalization Initiative Falls Short, But…

The Colorado Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol initiative hit a bump in the road Friday, falling just short of the number of valid signatures needed to make the November ballot. But it still has 15 days to make up the shortfall.

6. California Medical Marijuana Initiative Polls at Nearly 60%

A California medical marijuana regulation initiative is polling right on the cusp of where potential major donors start to feel comfortable.

7. Marijuana Reform Polling Well in Rhode Island

With decriminalization bills pending in Rhode Island, a new poll shows strong support for decrim and even majority support for legalization.

8. Medical Marijuana Update

Busy, busy, busy, at every level from federal rescheduling through bills in the states to local decision-making. The medical marijuana world continues to be very active.

9. Bronx Narc Kills Unarmed Teen

An NYPD narc shot and killed a teenager in his own home as he tried to flush a small amount of marijuana down a toilet. The local community was not happy.

10. Sword-Wielding Man Killed in California Drug Raid

A desert drug raid in California has resulted in the year's seventh drug war killing, and it's only the beginning of February.

11. This Week's Corrupt Cops Stories

Two of our four bad apples this week come from the Big Apple, one for planting drugs and one for transporting them. Of the other two, one picked the wrong friends and the other picked the wrong wife.

12. This Week in History

Events and quotes of note from this week's drug policy events of years past.

Drug War Chronicle #719 - February 2, 2012

Issue #719, Phillip S. Smith, Editor - David Borden, Executive Director

lawmakers drug testing themselves now

1. Montana Marijuana Initiative Saddles Up [FEATURE]

Frustrated with federal and legislative attacks on medical marijuana providers, some Montana activists want to just go for it and legalize marijuana for all, or at least all adults. They're gathering signatures now to do just that.

2. Missouri Drive to End Marijuana Prohibition Gets Going [FEATURE]

The "Show-Me Cannabis Regulation" campaign to put a marijuana legalization initiative on the November ballot in the Show-Me State is in the signature-gathering stage.

3. Indiana House Passes Welfare, Solon Drug Test Bill

Indiana legislators found themselves voting to drug test themselves in a bid to get a welfare drug testing bill passed. It worked, and now the bill heads for the state Senate.

4. State Employee Drug Test Bills Moving in Florida

First, Florida's Republican legislature approved drug testing of poor people. Now it wants to do the same to state workers, and remove some of their collective bargaining rights along the way.

5. Mexico Drug War Update

Hopes that things are quieting down in Ciudad Juarez are fading after a bloody week there. And that's just one front in Mexico's drug wars.

6. Medical Marijuana Update

From action in state legislatures to raids at dispensaries, there's no let-up in the medical marijuana action around the nation. Here's the latest.

7. "Regulate Marijuana Like Wine" Wins 62% in CA Poll

The California Regulate Marijuana Like Wine initiative got 62% support in a new poll, which could make it more attractive to major donors. But the clock is ticking on it and all the other marijuana legalization initiatives in the state.

8. Washington Marijuana Initiative Makes Ballot

Voters in Washington state will have the chance to legalize marijuana this November, after Initiative 502 was certified for the ballot Friday.

9. Marijuana Legalization Trails in Michigan Poll

It looks like an uphill battle for marijuana legalization in Michigan this year if a new poll is an accurate reflection of voter sentiments.

10. Drugs Not Driving Gang Violence, CDC Says

A new CDC report has some surprising findings about the links between gang killings and drugs.

11. This Week's Corrupt Cops Stories

More dope-dealin' and/or sticky-fingered cops this week, plus a tweaker judge gets sentenced.

12. Michigan Deputy Kills Drug Suspect Dragging Him With Car

A Detroit-area man who tried to drive away from a drug arrest was shot and killed by a deputy hanging onto his car door. He becomes the sixth person to be killed in US domestic drug law enforcement operations so far this year.

13. This Week in History

Events and quotes of note from this week's drug policy events of years past.

Drug War Chronicle #718 - January 26, 2012

Issue #718, Phillip S. Smith, Editor - David Borden, Executive Director

road map back to freedom?

1. Medical Marijuana Initiative Campaign Rolling Out in California [FEATURE]

Some big players in California's medical marijuana community are behind a new initiative that would create a uniform statewide system of regulations for legal production and sales.

2. Police Need Warrant for GPS Tracking, Supreme Court Rules

If the cops want to attach a GPS device to your car and track your movements, they need to get a warrant, the Supreme Court ruled unanimously Monday.

3. Guatemalan Leader Wants Decriminalization Talks

Guatemala's new president vowed an "iron fist" against the drug cartels and called out the army to fight them, but now he wants to talk decriminalization.

4. Mexico Drug War Update

Ciudad Juarez continues to be a hot spot, with five police officers killed there already this year. But it's not alone.

5. Medical Marijuana Update

Medical marijuana is an active issue around the country, and especially so these days in California. Here's the latest.

6. Arizona Governor Must Implement Medical Marijuana Law, Judge Rules

Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer's battle to block dispensaries from opening in the state is just about at the end of the road. After losing in state court, she announced she wouldn't appeal.

7. California High Court Takes Up Medical Marijuana Cases

The California Supreme Court has agreed to hear four medical marijuana dispensary cases. It's eventual decisions could bring some clarity to the murky realm of what is and is not legal in the state.

8. Virginia Welfare Drug Test Bill Passes Committee

A bill that would subject welfare recipients to drug abuse assessments and possible drug testing if probable cause is found has passed a committee vote in the Virginia House of Delegates.

9. Hemp Farming Bill Filed in Kentucky

For the fourth year in a row, a hemp production bill has been filed in Kentucky.

10. Nevada Man Dies Eating Cocaine to Avoid Arrest

Another person has died by eating drugs to try to avoid arrest. This time it happened in Las Vegas.

11. This Week's Corrupt Cops Stories

Lead us not into temptation with seized cash, nearby evidence rooms, and the perks of police powers, amen. A few law enforcement officers haven't heard the prayer.

12. This Week in History

Events and quotes of note from this week's drug policy events of years past.

Drug War Chronicle #717 - January 19, 2012

Issue #717, Phillip S. Smith, Editor - David Borden, Executive Director

there as here it is only a matter of time

1. Drug Testing for Public Assistance Bills Proliferate in New Year [FEATURE]

Bills targeting welfare recipients or people on unemployment insurance for drug testing are all the rage again this year.

2. Feds Threaten Colorado Medical Marijuana Dispensaries

Threat letters from federal prosecutors have gone out to 23 Colorado medical marijuana dispensaries that are within 1,000 feet of schools. They have 45 days to shut down or face forfeiture and possible prosecution.

3. Arizona Governor Gives Up Medical Marijuana Fight

Arizona's governor has decided against re-filing a lawsuit that had blocked medical marijuana dispensaries from opening in the state.

4. Revised New Jersey Pharmacy Syringe Sales Bill Passes

The New Jersey Assembly and Senate have revised a pharmacy syringe sales bill after Gov. Christie conditionally vetoed the original version and, on Tuesday, Christie signed the new bill into law.

5. Canada's Liberals Endorse Marijuana Legalization

The Canadian Liberal Party has passed a non-binding resolution calling for marijuana legalization, regulation, and taxation.

6. Marijuana Reform Polls Strongly (Again) in Canada

Two-thirds of Canadians want marijuana legalized or decriminalized, according to a new Forum Research poll.

7. Tainted Ecstasy Linked to Western Canada Deaths

Ecstasy adulterated with PMMA is killing people in western Canada.

8. Medical Marijuana Update

Here's our weekly look at medical marijuana news from around the country. There's plenty going on--and late breaking news from California Wednesday afternoon.

9. Mexico Drug War Update

Although it was a relatively quiet week in Mexico's drug wars, it's probably now safe to say that 50,000 people have been killed in prohibition-related violence there since President Calderon sent in the army in December 2006.

10. Family of Slain Informant Sues WA Authorities

Another small-time drug offender gets intimidated into being a snitch and pays with his life. Another family sues for damages. And another set of taxpayers gets ready to pay for letting their police do such things.

11. Suburban Seattle Cop Kills Man in Drug Deal

A Washington state shopping mall parking lot drug deal turned fatal for one of the participants when a police officer witnessed it.

12. Two More US Drug War Deaths This Week

We're only halfway through January, and we already have four dead in drug war incidents so far this year. This week, two allegedly armed men were shot and killed by police in separate incidents in Arkansas and California.

13. This Week's Corrupt Cops Stories

Jailers smuggling drugs in burritos, cops planting drugs, cops doing security for drug deals, and evidence walking out of the evidence room. It's just another week of police misconduct in the drug war.

14. This Week in History

Events and quotes of note from this week's drug policy events of years past.

Drug War Chronicle #716 - January 12, 2012

Issue #716, Phillip S. Smith, Editor - David Borden, Executive Director

desperately overdue for an attitude adjustment

1. Michigan Repeal Marijuana Prohibition Initiative Gearing Up [FEATURE]

Michigan medical marijuana patients are tired of getting pushed around by state officials, so they've come up with a novel solution: Just repeal the marijuana laws once and for all. An initiative that would do that is getting underway now.

2. Supreme Court Will Hear Florida Drug Dog Case

The US Supreme Court has agreed to take up the question of having a drug dog sniff the front door of one's home without a warrant is an unconstitutional search.

3. Medical Marijuana Update

Here's the latest medical marijuana news from around the country. There's a whole lot going on.

4. Mexico Drug War Update

The murders, raids, and arrests continue, without making any apparent difference in anything.

5. Poll Finds Washington State Voters Split on Marijuana Legalization

A new poll shows Washington voters almost evenly split on the general question of marijuana legalization, but a November poll that asked about specifics of a pending initiative had more positive results.

6. Time to Rethink Drug Raids, Police Trainers Say

An increase in police deaths by gunfire last year and the bloody Ogden, Utah, drug raid that left one officer dead last week are causing some police to think again about the utility of aggressive drug raids.

7. Tallahassee to Pay in Death of Informant Rachel Hoffman

The city of Tallahassee has agreed to a $2.6 million settlement in the killing of Rachel Hoffman, a collegiate drug scenester whom police sent to snitch on hardened criminals after a small-time drug bust. A similar case has just popped up in Detroit, too.

8. Mississippi Public Benefits Drug Test Bill Proposed

The mania for drug testing people on welfare, unemployment, or Medicaid continues this year. A Mississippi solon wants to drug test anyone receiving public benefits, and other states are moving ahead, too.

9. Florida Medical Marijuana Bills Filed

A pair of bills introduced in Florida ask the legislature to okay a referendum on marijuana in November. Activists are petitioning the governor, too.

10. Dutch to Ban Khat

The Dutch government will ban khat, a plant favored by Somali and Yemeni immigrants for its mild stimulative properties.

11. Peru Fires Reformist Drug Czar

Peru's drug czar has been fired for being insufficiently enthusiastic about eradicating coca crops.

12. Five Utah Police Wounded, One Killed in Drug Raid

A man with "mental difficulties" who was apparently growing marijuana to self-medicate with, opened fire when a police drug task force entered his Ogden, Utah, home Wednesday night. Six police were shot; one is dead.

13. This Week's Corrupt Cops Stories

Cops continue to have problems keeping their hands off the drugs they come across. And they're developing problems with prescription pills, too.

14. This Week in History

Events and quotes of note from this week's drug policy events of years past.

Drug War Chronicle #715 - January 5, 2012

Issue #715, Phillip S. Smith, Editor - David Borden, Executive Director

the medical marijuana wars continue in 2012...

1. The Top Ten Domestic US Drug Policy Stories of 2011 [FEATURE]

2011 was a busy year in drug policy. Here is our selection of the biggest stories of the year here at home.

2. The Top Ten International Drug Policy Stories of 2011 [FEATURE]

We go around the world to find the most important international drug policy stories of 2011.

3. Supreme Court Asked to Take Drug Dog Case

The US Supreme Court has upheld drug dog sniffs of vehicles, luggage at airports, and packages in transit. Now, the state of Florida wants it to uphold a drug dog sniff at your front door.

4. Arizona Governor's Medical Marijuana Lawsuit Dismissed

A lawsuit filed by Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer to block implementation of the state's voter-approved medical marijuana dispensary program was dismissed in federal court Wednesday.

5. Pain Relief Network's Siobhan Reynolds Killed in Plane Crash

The pain relief movement has lost a true hero. Siobhan Reynolds, founder of the Pain Relief Network and a tireless advocate for the cause, was killed in a plane crash in Ohio on Christmas Eve day.

6. Mexico Drug War Update

There has been no holiday break in Mexico's prohibition-related mayhem, but it's now looking like 2011's death toll is going to be down from last year.

7. Medical Marijuana Update

Here's the latest from the busy world of medical marijuana.

8. This Week's Corrupt Cops Stories

The Chronicle may have taken a week off, but drug prohibition-related police corruption didn't. Here is two weeks worth of corrupt cops.

9. At Year's End, Five More US Drug War Deaths

Five more US drug war deaths this month bring the year's total to 54.

10. This Week in History

Events and quotes of note from this week's drug policy events of years past.

Drug War Chronicle #714 - December 22, 2011

Issue #714, Phillip S. Smith, Editor - David Borden, Executive Director

yours on DVD or Blu-ray with a donation of $50 or greater

1. Tax-Deductible Donations Support Reform in 2012

Support the work of StoptheDrugWar.org with a donation of $50 or more and you can receive a complimentary copy of the PBS documentary "Prohibition" on DVD or Blu-ray -- 90 minutes of bonus footage not seen on TV!

2. US Prison Population in First Decline Since 1972

The number of people in prison in the US has dropped for the first time since 1972, and the number of people under correctional supervision has declined for the second year in a row. Is a sea change at hand?

3. Congress Votes to Restore Needle Exchange Funding Ban

Ignoring strong evidence that needle exchange programs prevent the spread of AIDS and other blood-borne diseases, the US Congress has decided to ban the use of federal funds for them.

4. Amnesty International Condemns Iran Drug Executions

Iran is executing hundreds of drug offenders, and that violates international law, says Amnesty International in a new report condemning the killings.

5. Gary Johnson to Seek Libertarian Presidential Nomination

Former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson is set to give up on the Republicans and seek the Libertarian Party presidential nomination, Politico.com is reporting.

6. Medical Marijuana Update

More restrictions on medical marijuana, more California dispensaries close, more Montana dispensary operators head for federal prison, and California activists file an initiative to regulate and tax the industry at the state level.

7. Mexico Drug War Update

2011 is wrapping up as slightly less bloody than 2010 in Mexico's plague of prohibition-related violence, but the death toll this year is still well above 10,000.

8. North Carolina Opium Law Snares Small Prescription Pain Pill Holders

A North Carolina law aimed at heroin traffickers is rolling up people with pain pills and sending them to prison for a long, long time.

9. Montreal Agency Calls for Four Safe Injection Sites

Montreal wants four safe injection sites for hard drug users. The city's public health agency and mayor have given the okay, but now they need provincial funding and federal approval.

10. This Week's Corrupt Cops Stories

There's big problems in the Nassau County, Florida, sheriff's office, and more drug prohibition-related police misconduct as well.

11. This Week in History

Events and quotes of note from this week's drug policy events of years past.

Drug War Chronicle #713 - December 15, 2011

Issue #713, Phillip S. Smith, Editor - David Borden, Executive Director

New Offer for Donating Members:
PBS "Prohibition" on DVD and Blu-ray

Buy it Watch it

1. Teens Rejecting Alcohol, Tobacco; Selecting Marijuana [FEATURE]

The annual Monitoring the Future survey of high school students find cigarette and alcohol use down, but marijuana use up.

2. ALERT: Don't Let Congress Backslide on Needle Exchange

Republicans in Congress are pushing to reinstate a ban on use of federal AIDS funds for needle exchange programs. If they succeed, if won't reduce federal spending, but it will kill people. Please call today to tell Congress and the President to say no.

3. New Offer for Donating Members: PBS "Prohibition" on DVD and Blu-ray

We are pleased to announce our newest offer for donating members, the recent Prohibition documentary by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick made for PBS. These three disk sets include 90 minutes of bonus footage not available on the web site or shown on TV.

4. US House Votes to Ban New Synthetic Drugs

As expected, the House of Representatives has passed a bill banning synthetic stimulants and cannabinoids. On the positive side, 98 members voted against responding to the drugs with a new prohibition.

5. Medical Marijuana Update

Busy, busy, busy. Here's this week's medical marijuana news digest.

6. Mexico Drug War Update

Mass murders in Ciudad Juarez and the Comarca Lagunera, and the army killed 11 cartel gunmen in Tamaulipas. Just another week in Mexico's prohibition-related violence.

7. Marijuana Legalization Fares Well in Colorado, Massachusetts Polls

Marijuana legalization gets strong support in polls in Colorado and Massachusetts, but not enough for activists to rest easy.

8. Arizona Governor Asks Federal Judge to Void Part of Medical Marijuana Law

Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer has decided the state will argue in federal court that federal law preempts the dispensary provisions in the state's voter-approved medical marijuana law.

9. Federal Unemployment Benefits Drug Test Bill Introduced

A Republican congressman from Georgia has introduced a bill that would mandate drug screening assessments for unemployment applicants and drug tests for those assessed as having a "high probability" of being drug users. But he cited only apocryphal evidence for any need for such legislation.

10. Basque Country to Legalize, Regulate Marijuana

Spain's Basque County Autonomous Community is on course to legalize marijuana early next year.

11. Poland "Treatment Not Jail" Drug Law Now in Effect

A new law allowing prosecutors to divert small-time drug possessors into treatment instead of prison went into effect Friday.

12. California Man Killed in Drug Raid Shootout

A 24-year-old California man is dead after a shootout during an attempted drug bust, and a local gang is vowing revenge.

13. This Week's Corrupt Cops Stories

A Virginia sheriff gets raided, a sleazy Michigan cop gets busted, a New Jersey cop gets convicted, and several Oklahoma lawmen are headed to prison.

14. This Week in History

Events and quotes of note from this week's drug policy events of years past.

13. This Week in History

Events and quotes of note from this week's drug policy events of years past.