Drug War Chronicle

Events and quotes of note from this week's drug policy events of years past.

Despite some confusing reporting in the past couple of weeks, the bottom line in Germany is "no" to medical marijuana, but "yes" to Sativex.

In California, small time pot possession is still a misdemeanor even though the maximum sentence is a $100 fine. The legislature has just passed a bill to fully decriminalize it by making it an infraction.

Oh, temptation, such a torment for the weak-willed. A South Carolina cop peddle's his drug dog's training dope, an Iowa cop gets caught with a bunch of coke, and a Florida trooper is profiling out-of-state pain patients and stealing their medicine.

The marijuana extract Sativex has been approved to treat another condition in Canada. That makes three.

A pioneering Swiss cannabis/hemp activist, Bernard Rappaz, has renewed his hunger strike after being re-imprisoned by Swiss authorities.

Las Vegas is most definitely not on the way to becoming Amsterdam-in-the-Desert, if a new poll is to be believed.

A Detroit pot legalization initiative had enough signatures to qualify for the ballot, but a city commission disqualified it, and now a local judge has agreed. An appeal may come, but it may be too late.

Colombian President Santos agrees with Mexican President Calderon that it's time for a debate on drug legalization--and California's Prop 19 is weighing on his mind.

Canadian Prime Minister Steven Harper and his Conservative buddies are dead set on passing a draconian, backward-looking drug sentencing bill, but they are going to run into a lot of opposition.