Drug War Chronicle #1013 - March 29, 2018

Leading Philippine opposition figure Senator Antonio "Sonny" Trillanes will address our side event at the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs meeting this Thursday March 15.

Turn up the heat on the attorney general next time you light up.

And now he's the ex-chief.

A Missouri medical marijuana initiative signature gathering campaign is looking good, Virginia's governor signs a CBD expansion bill, North Dakota takes another step toward getting its system up and running, and more.

Pretty quiet on the corrupt cops front this week. Thank goodness for jail guards!

A Vermont cop was wooing girlfriends with dope from the evidence locker, a Pennsylvania narc goes down for ripping off drug money, a Mississippi cop goes away for dealing weed, and more.

The president goes public with previously only privately uttered remarks about wanting to execute drug dealers, one of his picks for the Sentencing Commission is horrid, and more.

Seattle will join San Francisco is expunging past petty pot possession convictions, the HHS secretary denies the reality of medical marijuana, the DOJ wants to toughen up a bill aimed at opioid makers and distributors, Colombia and the US reach an agreement on drug policy goals, and more.

Pot polls in a pair of key Midwest states are looking good, the ACLU seeks to influence district attorney races around the nation, a Denver magic mushroom initiative is getting underway, and more

Bay State regulators have finalized their rules for the legal pot industry, red states are in CBD fights, the Israeli decriminalization bill advances, a new move to get rid of the HEA's drug question is set, and more.

DC can't have pot shops, California pot shops better get a license, Democratic contenders for statewide office in the Midwest are hopping on the marijuana bandwagon, a Brazilian prosecutor's attempt to go after a prominent marijuana scientist for "inciting drug crime" is creating a backlash, and more.

An amendment to a Senate banking bill could help the marijuana industry, West Virginia passes a bill restricting opioid prescriptions, a bill to expand Maine's medical marijuana system advances, and more.

Sessions admits feds can't effectively enforce pot laws, Trump admin studies the death penalty for some drug dealers, Mexico murders hit a high, Vancouver wants drug decriminalization, and more.

A New Hampshire pot legalization bill gets derailed, the UN Secretary General touts Portugal's drug decriminalization policy, North Dakota takes another step forwared with its nascent medical marijuana program, and more.

New Jersey pot legalization politics heats up, the CDC reports a big jump in opioid overdoses, the Sentencing Commission ponders increasing fentanyl penalties, Duterte pulls the Philippines out of the International Criminal Court, and more.