Drug War Chronicle

The District of Columbia's top lawyer has thrown a wrench in the works for DC marijuana legalization initiative proponents. He says it should not be appproved by the Board of Elections because a provision in it violates federal law. His opinion is not binding, but it carries weight.

Colorado is rolling in the marijuana tax dollars, Washington state gets closer to licensing legal grows, a New Hampshire patient grow bill is moving, the Europeans are worried about some new drugs, and more.

We review Nicholas Parsons' Meth Mania: A History of Methamphetamine and find it most useful.

California counties continue to struggle with dispensary and growing rules, Reno's mayor has a change of heart, some Oregon cities may have to change their ways, and more.

Concern over methamphetamine use and users has generated large amounts of misinformation that lead to bad policies, Dr. Carl Hart and coauthors find in a new report this week. He has some policy prescriptions, too.

NORML endorses a US Senate candidate, pressure mounts for medical marijuana in New York, West Virginia wants to make Sudafed prescription only, and more.

Bad cop, bad cop, watcha gonna do when they come for you? A Seattle-area drug task force deputy defects to the life, a Louisiana deputy parties too hard with stolen drug evidence, a Georgia cop resigns over pills, and more.

Marijuana legalization is unlikely to come to California this year, ditto for Missouri, ditto for medical marijuana in Iowa. Meanwhile, a SWAT reporting bill is moving in Utah, Singapore is censoring a pot reform web site, and more.

Powerful players want to wait until 2016 to do a marijuana legalization initiative in California. There are other California initiatives out there, but none appear likely to make the ballot this year.

Olympic drug testers back off on marijuana, a surprise marijuana vote in New Mexico, a bad medical marijuana bill in Michigan, NYPD's most sued cops are all narcs, a new South Australian law criminalizes some speech about synthetic drugs, and more.