Busts & Seizures

Your fearless reporter has been traveling, so our schedule is a little off, but the drug policy news continues. Paul Stanford calls it quits in Oregon, pot shops are coming within days in Washington, an Alabama drug task needs to reconsider its priorities (or maybe the people funding it need to reconsider theirs), and more.

It's looking like at least one Oregon marijuana legalization initiative will make the fall ballot, a legalization initiative gets underway in Oklahoma, proposed medical marijuana rule changes in New Mexico run into stiff opposition, Georgia gives up on drug testing food stamp recipients, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon gets a coca birthday cake in Bolivia, and more.

Jamaica will decriminalize pot possession and Bermuda is thinking about it, legalization initiatives in Alaska and Oregon get big bucks donations, medical marijuana reform is moving in the DC city council, and more.

An Arkansas marijuana legalization initiative can start signature-gathering, DC's medical marijuana program now includes more eligible conditions, Tennessee's governor unveils his prescription drug plan, Canada's mandatory minimum sentencing law is being challenged, and more.

A reform rollback in New Zealand, a hearing on DC decrim in Congress tomorrow, a medical marijuana trial becomes a travesty, the DEA makes another change-nothing drug bust, and more.

The arrest of Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, legendary head of the Sinaloa Cartel is big news, but will it have any impact?

A bill has been filed to stop forcing the drug czar to oppose marijuana legalization, CBD medical marijuana bills continue to get attention, and there are big doings south of the border, and more.

The criminal justice system in Volusia County, Florida, is running largely on the drug war if last Friday's jail bookings are any indication.

The Mexican army has made a massive methamphetamine bust, seizing 15 tons of pure tweak with a US street value of $4 billion.

Somebody attacked Mexican army troops in Monterrey with a car last week, and that's just the tip of the iceberg in the ongoing wave of prohibition-related violence in Mexico.