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Law Enforcement: Dog-Killing SWAT Raid Continues to Reverberate in Missouri College Town
The now infamous SWAT raid in Columbia, Missouri, in February that left a family traumatized and a family dog dead keeps on generating citizen activism there. Now, a new group formed because of the raid is calling for permanent reforms.
Africa: Rwanda Moves to Legalize Medical Marijuana
The UN says Rwanda needs a drug law. Rwanda agrees, and it's going to include medical marijuana.
Law Enforcement: This Week's Corrupt Cops Stories
It was judgment day for two crooked cops and a jail guard this week, and another jail guard just found out his judgment day is coming. Meanwhile, new corrupt cop cases showed up at a rate of one a day this week.
Marijuana Legalization: With No Cash, Doubts Grow Over Whether Washington State Initiative Will Gather Enough Signatures
The Washington state marijuana legalization initiative campaign took a serious hit this week when a union it had been courting decided not to help fund signature-gathering. Now, with only three weeks left, Sensible Washington has less than half the signatures it needs and no money. Can a heroic volunteer effort save it?
Drugged Driving: Michigan Supreme Overturns Itself on Marijuana Metabolites Issue
In 2006, the Michigan Supreme Court ruled that people could be prosecuted as drugged drivers based solely on the presence of marijuana metabolites in their bodily fluids. Now, a more liberal Supreme Court has overturned that decision, holding that marijuana metabolites are not controlled substances and the states drugged driving law can thus not be applied to them.
Prisons: Marc Emery in Solitary Confinement for Podcast of Prison Phone Call
Canadian "Prince of Pot" Marc Emery has already run up against US federal prison rules, and is sitting in solitary confinement as a result.
Weekly: This Week in History
Events and quotes of note from this week's drug policy events of years past.
Police Dept. Teaches Citizens How to Flex Their Rights
Police Chief Ken Burton in Columbia, MO took a lot of heat over that brutal SWAT raid in which two dogs were shot in front of a small child. Then, he surprised and impressed all of us by expressing his support for marijuana legalization in order to prevent such outrages in the future. Here's some more evidence that Chief Burton truly cares about protecting the public from police abuse:
In the wake of reports showing disproportionate traffic stops of black motorists in Missouri urban areas, Columbia police statistics were released showing more balance here. The proportion of black detainees is lower than in 2007, the peak year.
Columbia police find no reason to change their procedures, which they believe with good reason are not producing improper actions against racial minorities, but they have taken a good pre-emptive step by creating a video intended to inform citizens of their rights when confronted with police during a traffic stop or other questioning incidents.
Titled "Ten Rules for Dealing with the Police," the video recently was shown by Chief Ken Burton to gatherings of the Missouri Association for Social Welfare and the Columbia chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. [Columbia Tribune]
Of course, the video was actually created by Flex Your Rights, not the Columbia Police Department. But it's fantastic to see law enforcement embracing our materials. Hopefully the positive press their efforts have generated will inspire other police departments to do the same.