Harm Reduction: Los Angeles County Okays Needle Exchange Program
The County of Los Angeles has approved a $500,000 needle exchange program in a bid to slow the spread of AIDS and Hepatitis B and C.
State & Local Executive Branches
Maryland: Drug Reform Efforts Picking Up in the Terrapin State
Medical marijuana, mandatory minimums, college aid and campus marijuana policies are all on the agenda in Maryland this year.
Marijuana: Wisconsin's Dane County (Madison) Will No Longer Prosecute Simple Possession
Prosecutors in Dane County (Madison), Wisconsin, will no longer bother to charge people with less than 25 grams of marijuana under state law. Now, at worst, offenders will face a fine. It's a matter of budgets and priorities, prosecutors say.
Law Enforcement: Atlanta Narcs to Be Indicted for Murder by State -- Federal Investigation Could Be Hurt
The Fulton County DA plans to indict three Atlanta undercover narcs for murder in the death of 92-year-old Katherine Johnstone during a botched drug raid. But will his move thwart an ongoing federal investigation?
Feature: Drug Policy Reform Group to Partner with State of New Mexico in Federally-Funded Meth Prevention Education Program
In a first for a drug policy reform organization, the Drug Policy Alliance's New Mexico office has been selected to administer a $500,000 federal grant to develop comprehensive methamphetamine education and prevention strategies aimed at youth in the state.
Treatment Not Jail: California Governor Proposes Cutting Proposition 36 Drug Treatment Funds
In his new state budget, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has under-funded for the popular and successful treatment-not-jail program Proposition 36. He's in for a fight.
Marijuana: Decriminalization Bills Filed in Massachusetts, New Hampshire
No marijuana decriminalization bill has passed since the 1970s, but legislators in Massachusetts and New Hampshire are ready to try this year.
Law Enforcement: Small-Time Drug Possessors No Longer Charged as Felons in Wichita -- Cops Grumble
Police in Wichita are no longer charging small-time hard drug possession as a felony -- less than a quarter-gram of meth or coke, and all you get is a misdemeanor paraphernalia charge, and you don't even go to jail!
Drug Prohibition: Vermont Prosecutor Calls for "Peace Talks" in War on Drugs, Consideration of Public Health Approach
A Vermont prosecutor is calling for "peace talks" in the war on drugs. It is time to debate alternative approaches, he says.
It Was the Worst of Times: Drug Reform Defeats, Downers, and Disappointments in 2006
As 2006 comes to a close, we look back at the year's biggest drug reform defeats, disappointments, and downers.