Cash and guns Mexico_11.jpg
Mexico Drug War Update
Mexico's president feels "misunderstood" about his bloody drug war, but the killings continue despite his hurt feelings.
Politics Outside US
lime powder container (used traditionally in coca chewing), 1st-7th-century, Colombia (Quimbaya), Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY
Bolivia to Quit United Nations Drug Convention Over Coca
We may be about to see the first defection from the legal backbone of global drug prohibition, the 1961 UN Convention on Single Drugs. Bolivia is ready to dump it, at least temporarily, over its classification of coca as an illicit drug.
Sao Paulo (image via Wikimedia)
Brazil Supreme Court Rules Pro-Marijuana Marches Are Legal
Last month, police in Sao Paulo attacked marijuana legalization marchers after their march was banned. Next year, they won't be able to do that.
The Bombay High Court in Mumbai (Image via Wikimedia.org)
India Court Nixes Mandatory Death Penalty for Drug Offenses
An Indian regional appeals court has struck down a mandatory death penalty for drug offenses. That's the first time any court anywhere has done so.
21st Century Warsaw. Now, if Poland can just move its drug laws into the 21st Century. (Image via Wikimedia.org)
Poland Approves Drug Decriminalization -- Sort Of [FEATURE]
Poland is moving toward the decriminalization of drug possession, but it's not quite there yet.
Richard Branson blogs about being invited onto the global commission, on virgin.com.
Big Name Panel Calls Global Drug War a "Failure" [FEATURE]
The Global Commission on Drug Policy, made up of former heads of state and other international dignitaries, is calling for fundamental reform of the international drug control system.
9th National Conference on Drug Policy
Next July 5 in the auditorium of the Chamber of Representatives of the Nation the ninth National Conference on Drug Policy will take place, organized by Intercambios Civil Association, which each y
An Amsterdam cannabis coffee shop. If you want to check it out yourself, you better hurry. (Image via Wikimedia.org)
Dutch to Ban Foreigners from Cannabis Cafes
If you want to experience the cannabis coffee shops of Amsterdam, book your ticket now. Next year will be too late, as Holland gives the finger to pot-loving visitors.
The hangman has been -- and will be -- getting a real work out in Iran. (Image via Wikimedia.org)
Iran to Hang 300 for Drug Trafficking
Iran has already executed more than 125 people for drug trafficking so far this year, and more than 300 await the hangman. It claims that's the only way to stop the flow of drugs destined for Europe.
Escalating Drug Prohibition Violence in Northern Mexico Overwhelms Authorities
Northern Mexicoâs drug prohibition war continues to claim victims, with more than 360 bodies discovered in mass graves just last week. The situation in Northern Mexico is devolving into chaos as prohibition-created organizations fight for control of the lucrative Northern Mexico drug route into the United States. The Mexican government is powerless to end the violence. Overpowered authorities basically have abandoned the area, recognizing their inability to restore any sort of order to the area.