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Spending Priorities

President Barack Obama (whitehouse.gov)
President Barack Obama (whitehouse.gov)

Obama Comments Beg the Question on Marijuana Legalization

President Obama said Friday that going after marijuana users in states where it is legal is not a "top priority," but did not address what the federal government will do about taxation and regulation of marijuana commerce.
naloxone package (wikimedia.org)
naloxone package (wikimedia.org)

Bipartisan Bill to Fight Overdoses Filed in Congress

A couple of dozen House members have introduced a bill aimed at reducing the steadily climbing toll from drug overdoses, most of them from prescription opioid pain relievers, by providing federal support for state and local prevention and education programs, including expanded use of naloxone.
signs in business reflect community support (all photos by Drug War Chronicle)
signs in business reflect community support (all photos by Drug War Chronicle)

Oakland to President Obama: Change Your Ways! [FEATURE]

In one of the largest medical marijuana demonstrations in years, as many as a thousand people came out in Oakland Monday to let President Obama know he needs to end the federal crackdown on dispensaries.
Even the feds can no longer sustain current mass incarceration policies. (US Supreme Court)
Even the feds can no longer sustain current mass incarceration policies. (US Supreme Court)

DOJ to Sentencing Commission: Fewer Prisoners, Please

The Justice Department is signaling it wants a smaller federal prison population because we can't afford our mass incarceration binge anymore, but it doesn't want to talk about the drug war.
Narcotics deputies went above and beyond in their efforts to bust indoor marijuana grows (wikimedia.org)
Narcotics deputies went above and beyond in their efforts to bust indoor marijuana grows (wikimedia.org)

Narc Scandal Front and Center in Florida Sheriff Race [FEATURE]

Scandal in the Pinellas County, Florida, Sheriff's Office over its efforts to bust indoor marijuana growers is providing plenty of fodder for the sheriff's challengers this campaign season.
Drug war spending continues to exceed treatment and prevention spending (ONDCP)
Drug war spending continues to exceed treatment and prevention spending (ONDCP)

Obama's 2012 Drug Strategy: The Same Old Same Old [FEATURE]

The 2012 National Drug Control Strategy is out. It looks much like the 2010 strategy or the 2005 strategy or the 2000 strategy. There are a few new wrinkles, but nothing much has changed.