They Only Come Out at Night
CBC Newsworld ran a documentary on the opium road between Afghanistan and Iran.It was incredible to see the infrastructure that the Iranians have built in their efforts to curtail smuggling of opium a
UN Drug Czar Refuses to Answer a Tough Question
For decades, drug policy reformers have struggled to identify the perfect question, a point so simple and straightforward that no drug warrior can respond. It seems Frederick Polak of ENCOD and the Netherlands Drug Policy Foundation may have stumbled across it, nearly provoking a meltdown from UN Drug Czar Antonio-Maria Costa:
For the video-challenged, here's my rather loose approximation of how it went down:
Next time, I recommend easing him into it by asking whether he even concedes that marijuana use in the Netherlands is lower than in surrounding nations. He'll respond by calling attention to a pretty bird perched outside the window. Attendees will turn their heads in unison to discover that the bird is not of notable prettiness.
For the video-challenged, here's my rather loose approximation of how it went down:
Polak: How do you explain the fact that marijuana use in the Netherlands is lower than in surrounding countries despite the fact that it is sold freely to adults? Doesn't this fundamentally undermine the theory behind prohibition?Indeed, remarkably low rates of marijuana use among the Dutch are a tremendously revealing phenomena. In fairness to Costa, it's certainly hard to imagine what he could say about such a thing, thus his rant about the controversy over Dutch coffeeshops was a good try despite its total irrelevance.
Costa: Thank you for your question. This is an issue I've considered at great length and which you misunderstand most profoundly. Allow me to begin by sayingâ¦oh for goodness' sake, I do believe I've left the oven on at my house. I must depart forthwith, but I'm grateful for your participation in this forum and my apologies for this most unfortunate oversight, which I must now attend to. Good day, my friends.
Next time, I recommend easing him into it by asking whether he even concedes that marijuana use in the Netherlands is lower than in surrounding nations. He'll respond by calling attention to a pretty bird perched outside the window. Attendees will turn their heads in unison to discover that the bird is not of notable prettiness.
Meet MPP Advisory Board Member Jim Hightower in Washington, D.C.
The Marijuana Policy Project invites you to attend a reception for radio host and MPP VIP advisory board member Jim Hightower, who will be giving a talk about his new book, Swim Against the Current, tomorrow, March 18, at the Carnegie Institution building.
Teleconference: New Report Evaluates Methamphetamine Policies, Recommends Comprehensive and Integrated Reponse
Please join us for a tele-press conference discussing a new report that evaluates U.S. methamphetamine policies and recommends a comprehensive and integrated response.
Call in information: 1-800-311-9402 Passcode: Meth Report
Seven Days,Seven Dead
The drug war that's raging on the streets of the lower mainland(Metro Vancouver)has now reached a milestone.For the last week,there's been one drug related murder for each passing day.The deaths have been as follows: March 7th,a 47 year old man dies in a fight with his son-in-law.