Drug War Chronicle

A California dispensary regulation bill dies, the dark ages return to San Diego, Massachusetts towns enact moratoria, New Jersey gives a loan to a dispensary, and more.

A killer Utah narc gets fired, a New Jersey cop goes around the bend, an Illinois deputy gets caught stealing from the cookie jar, an Arizona Border Patrol agent goes away for smuggling weed, and a New York City prison guard goes away for soliciting cocaine bribes.

In its annual exercise in arrogance, the US government last Friday released its report on who is and isn't complying with our drug war demands. Bolivia and Venezuela were singled out, and they're not happy.

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For all that talk about drug law reform, the cops continue to do what they've always done. The FBI reports that drug arrests actually inched upward last, although marijuana arrests dropped (almost imperceptibly).

First, a District decriminalization bill was filed. Now, a marijuana legalization bill has been filed in the nation's capital. Public opinion there supports both efforts, and activists are ready to move with an initiative if the council falters.

Public opinion has tipped in favor of marijuana reform in Michigan, with nearly half of respondents calling for outright legalization and more than two-thirds embracing either decriminalization or legalization.

A California man volunteering to help with marijuana eradication in the state's national forests died Thursday when he fell out of a helicopter. That's the 29th drug war death so far this year.

A Missouri technical college's bid to drug test students for "public safety" reasons was largely slapped down by a federal district court judge Friday.

Hemp advocates are emboldened by last month's Justice Department guidance on marijuana reform in the states and are moving forward, both on Capitol Hill and in the states.