Drug War Chronicle

For the second time in the past eight days, an Indiana man is dead after a drug-related police pursuit.

Colorado's conservative neighbors try to undo its marijuana legalization, Philadelphia drops a pair of high-profile asset forfeiture cases, Obama commutes sentences for eight drug offenders, and more.

Big news out of Washington and, for a change, most of our medical marijuana news is out of the Midwest this week.

The president has commuted the sentences of eight drug offenders and issued pardons for four more who have already done their time.

It's the 100th anniversary of the Harrison Narcotics Tax Act, a GOP senator chides Obama for "pro-marijuana" messages, human rights groups urge the UNODC to quit funding Iranian drug enforcement because of its resort to the death penalty, and more.

The beat goes on. A Texas drug dog officer snorts the training dope, a pair of married Indiana deputies get wrapped up in the new synthetics, and a Georgia judge goes down for trying to set up a woman who accused him of making advances on her.

The Monitoring the Future teen drug use survey is out, the "cromnibus" bill also killed highway drug use surveys, Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN) wants better information on police killings, a damning report is released in Mexico, and more.

Texas begins heading down the path of marijuana reform, a Missouri legalization initiative seeks to really free the weed, Rep. Andy Harris isn't very welcome in DC these days, Kentucky tries to deal with heroin again this year, and more.

Passage of the omnibus spending bill was good news and bad news for marijuana reform advocates. A big win for medical marijuana, but a nasty move to block voter-approved legalization in DC, too.

An Indianapolis man being pursued by the DEA and local cops crashed his vehicle, then killed himself. That's the year's 38th drug war death.