Phillip S. Smith, Editor
David Borden, Executive Director

cut the bikers some slack...

• 1. Editorial: It's Everybody Else Who's Crazy

  A former State Department official who fought the Afghan drug war has taken to the New York Times to tell why the failure of the program is everybody else's fault not his.

• 2. Feature: The Vultures Circle Sturgis, But One Man Fights Back

  With South Dakota's annual Sturgis Motorcyle Rally just a few days away, state law enforcement is gearing up for unwary travelers. Eric Sage was one of their victims last year. He's not going this year, but he just filed a civil suit over his mistreatment.

• 3. Feature: Going After Congressional Drug Warrior #1

  Rep. Mark Souder (R-IN) has made a political career out of being "tough on drugs." Now, in an election year where Obamamania has already swept his district, a newly-formed political action committee wants to make him pay for it.

• 4. Students: Intern at DRCNet and Help Stop the Drug War!

  Apply for an internship at DRCNet for this fall (or spring), and you could spend the semester fighting the good fight!

• 5. Media: David Borden in Televised Drug Legalization Debate

  StoptheDrugWar.org's executive director recently did a 25-minute debate on drug legalization on a network that airs across Europe and the Middle East. Video is online here.

• 6. Law Enforcement: This Week's Corrupt Cops Stories

  Three cases of crooked cops in Florida this week, and a pair of asset forfeiture abuse situations in St, Louis and Muncie, Indiana.

• 7. Drug Testing: Hawaii Teachers Back Away from Random Testing Provisions of New Contract

  Last year, Hawaiian teachers agreed to a labor contract that included random drug testing. Now, with one eye on costs and the other on the Constitution, they are balking, and the Republican governor is most unhappy.

• 8. Probable Cause: Washington Supreme Court Rules Marijuana Smell in Vehicle Not Enough to Arrest All Occupants

  If a police officer smells marijuana coming from a car, that's not enough evidence to arrest everyone in it, the Washington state Supreme Court has ruled.

• 9. Medical Marijuana: Whole Plant Better Than Isolated Components in Pain Relief, Italian Study Finds

  Research from Italy suggesting that whole-plant marijuana extracts provide more effective pain relief than isolated compounds from the plant should be welcome news for medical marijuana supporters.

• 10. Southwest Asia: Former US Anti-Drug Official Accuses Afghan Government of Complicity in Drug Trade -- US and NATO Not Doing Much Either, He Complains

  The man who until last month was in charge of US anti-drug efforts in Afghanistan accuses the Karzai government of involvement in the drug trade. He's not too happy with the US military and NATO, either.

• 11. Death Penalty: More Executions in China, Saudi Arabia

  The resort to the ultimate sanction for drug offenders continues apace in China and Saudi Arabia.

• 12. Canada: Quebec to Open Series of Safe Injection Sites

  Health officials in Quebec are planning to open a safe injection site in Montreal, then Quebec City, and maybe more.

• 13. Australia: Grow Lights Now Illegal in South Australia

  South Australia has now criminalized the possession of high intensity lights, reflectors, and anything else that might be used to grow marijuana. You now have to prove you weren't going to grow pot to avoid prosecution instead of the state having to prove you were.

• 14. Weekly: This Week in History

  Events and quotes of note from this week's drug policy events of years past.

• 15. Weekly: Blogging @ the Speakeasy

  "Needle Exchange Saves Lives. Why Are We Still Arguing About It?," "A Revealing Remark From the Deputy Drug Czar," "The Drug War Doesn't Reduce Drug Use. Drug Users Reduce Drug Use.," "In New Orleans, You Can Get 5 Years in Prison for a Joint of Marijuana," "Police Kill Dog During Drug Raid, Find No Drugs," "Barack Obama Proposes 'Shifting the Model' on the Drug War," "Video Highlights from Vienna Drug Policy NGO Forum," "Drug Smugglers Use Hurricane for Cover."

• 16. Help Needed: Drug War Chronicle Seeking Cases of Informant Abuse

  Drug War Chronicle is seeking information on serious police misconduct or misjudgments in the treatment of informants. Confidentiality will be protected.

• 17. Feedback: Do You Read Drug War Chronicle?

  Do you read Drug War Chronicle? If so, we need your feedback to evaluate our work and make the case for Drug War Chronicle to funders. We need donations too.

• 18. Webmasters: Help the Movement by Running DRCNet Syndication Feeds on Your Web Site!

  Support the cause by featuring automatically-updating Drug War Chronicle and other DRCNet content links on your web site!

• 19. Resource: DRCNet Web Site Offers Wide Array of RSS Feeds for Your Reader

  A new way for you to receive DRCNet articles -- Drug War Chronicle and more -- is now available.

• 20. Resource: Reformer's Calendar Accessible Through DRCNet Web Site

  Visit our new web site each day to see a running countdown to the events coming up the soonest, and more.