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TABLE OF CONTENTS

	Needle exchange clients and providers stood up to Rep. Mark Souder by turning out for his hearing.

1. SOUDER CIRCUS: COMMITTEE HEAD ATTACKS HARM REDUCTION AND ITS ADVOCATES IN HEARING, HINTS AT INTERNATIONAL CRACKDOWN -- REFORMERS MAKE STRONG SHOWING
   Leading congressional drug warrior Rep. Mark Souder has been waging his own war against harm reduction programs like needle exchange. But reformers made an unexpectedly strong showing during a four-hour hearing he had hoped would discredit them.
2. BUSH DRUG BUDGET PLACES DRUG CZAR IN HOT SEAT BEFORE CONGRESS
   With a deficit-riddled budget geared to national defense and homeland security, even the war on drugs is no longer sacrosanct.
3. ILLINOIS MEDICAL MARIJUANA BILL STYMIED BY DRUG CZAR APPEARANCE -- FOR NOW
   A bruising battle over medical marijuana legislation in the Illinois House took a surprise -- and disappointing -- turn Thursday. But the setback may be only temporary.
4. BASEBALL ON DRUGS: BATTERED BY SCANDAL, THE MAJOR LEAGUES EMBRACE DRUG TESTING
   Under media and government pressure, Major League Baseball is preparing to announce a new drug testing agreement by March 1.
5. BLOGGING: REUTERS PIECE QUESTIONS VALIDITY OF MEXICAN DRUG WAR BUT FAILS TO POINT OUT THE LOGICAL CONCLUSION OF LEGALIZATION
   A growing chorus of Mexican drug trafficking experts have pointed out how the Fox administration's war against the cartels has increased violence.
6. NEWSBRIEF: THIS WEEK'S CORRUPT COP STORIES
   A relatively slow week by recent standards, with only three cases worthy of mention -- from Texas, Kentucky and Iowa, two of them unresolved.
7. NEWSBRIEF: BUSH ADMINISTRATION APPEALS RULING ALLOWING RELIGIOUS AYAHUASCA USE
   In one of his first acts as US Attorney General, Alberto Gonzales has asked the US Supreme Court to overturn a series of federal court rulings allowing a New Mexico church to use an hallucinogenic tea known as ayahuasca in its rituals.
8. NEWSBRIEF: CALIFORNIA MEDICAL MARIJUANA PATIENTS SUE SCHWARZENEGGER, HIGHWAY PATROL OVER POT SEIZURES
   A medical marijuana defense group has filed a lawsuit against Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and the California Highway Patrol on behalf on medical marijuana patients in the Golden State. Their target: a CHP policy of confiscating even medical marijuana found during traffic stops.
9. NEWSBRIEF: MEDICAL MARIJUANA BILLS DOA IN IOWA, SOUTH DAKOTA -- IOWA SUPREME COURT ADDS INSULT TO INJURY
   Iowa and South Dakota have quickly become the first states to reject medical marijuana this year. Similar legislation will soon be put to the test in as many as 20 states.
10. NEWSBRIEF: ILLINOIS BILL WOULD REQUIRE DRUG TESTS FOR TEEN DRIVERS, TOUTED AS ANTI-METHAMPHETAMINE MEASURE
    Illinois state Rep. Roger Eddy (R-Hutsonville) this week introduced a bill that would require all Illinois high school students to pass a drug test before they could receive their drivers' permits. Though Eddy touted it as a means of squelching methamphetamine use, the measure is much more likely to ensnare teenager marijuana smokers.
11. NEWSBRIEF: DEA HEAD URGES FATWAS AGAINST DRUGS IN PAKISTAN
    Who knew that DEA administrator Karen Tandy was an Islamic religious scholar?
12. NEWSBRIEF: NEW RESEARCH SUGGESTS STUDENT DRUG USE SURVEYS MISS THE MARK
    A review of three decades of youth drug use surveys suggests they are not an efficacious measure of student well-being.
13. NEWSBRIEF: HEARTLAND HYSTERIA -- BAG OF DIRT GETS FIRST GRADER PUNISHED AS DOPER
    When implemented robotically by overzealous police and school officials entranced by the doctrine of "zero tolerance," drug prohibition's totalitarian tendencies produce results that would be laughable if they were not such a sad reflection on the society that produced them.
14. THIS WEEK IN HISTORY
    Events and quotes of note from this week's drug policy events of years past.
15. SSDP SEEKING CONTACTS IN MAINE FOR MARCH CAMPAIGN
    Students for Sensible Drug Policy is seeking contacts in the state of Maine to help repeal the first federal drug law in 35 years.
16. THE REFORMER'S CALENDAR
    Showing up at an event can be the best way to get involved! Check out this week's listings for events from today through next year, across the US and around the world!

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