Phillip S. Smith, Editor
David Borden, Executive Director

And what happens next?

• 1. Feature: Beyond 2008 -- Looking Past the November US Elections

  Right now, all eyes are on November 4, but leading drug reform groups are already looking down the road to 2010 and beyond.

• 2. Feature: NORML Does Berkeley

  The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) held its 37th annual national conference in Berkeley, California. Here's a report.

• 3. Volunteers Needed: Phone Campaign in DC, Writers from Anywhere

  StoptheDrugWar.org (DRCNet) is seeking volunteers in the DC area to help with our membership drive; and from anywhere to help with a writing-based project starting next month.

• 4. Your Feedback: What Readers Have to Say About Drug War Chronicle

  Thank you to the many Drug War Chronicle readers who have submitted feedback. Here is what a few of you have had to say.

• 5. Offer: Unique and Important New Book on Medical Marijuana

  "Dying to Get High," by sociologists Wendy Chapkis and Richard Webb, is a groundbreaking work that provides an in-depth portrait of one of the country's most well-known medical marijuana collectives.

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

  Cops dealing drugs, cops stealing money. More of the same old same old.

• 7. Initiatives: Drug Czar, Prison Guards Gang Up on California's Treatment-Not-Jail Proposition 5

  With election day less than two weeks away, the drug czar and California's prison guard union are trying to defeat California's groundbreaking treatment-not-jail Nonviolent Offender Rehabiliation Act (NORA) initiative.

• 8. Prevention: Drug Czar's Billion Dollar Anti-Drug Media Campaign a Waste of Money, Study Finds

  The drug czar's National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign is an expensive failure, a new study has found.

• 9. Marijuana: Florida State Students Approve Marijuana-Alcohol Penalty Equalization Initiative

  For the second time in three years, students at Florida State University have approved an initiative calling on administrators to equalize penalties for marijuana possession and underage alcohol consumption on campus.

• 10. South Pacific: DEA Mass Body Search of Plane Passengers Spurs Angry Reaction in Marianas

  Earlier this month, DEA agents strip-searched 147 Chinese nationals arriving in Saipan on vacation. The government of the Northern Mariana Islands is most unhappy.

• 11. Addiction Treatment: Canadian NAOMI Study Finds Heroin Maintenance Safe, Cheap, Effective

  Research results from the North American Opiate Maintenance Initiative (NAOMI) are in, and the researchers say heroin maintenance is safe, effective, and economical.

• 12. Europe: Dutch Marijuana Export Industry Generates $2.7 Billion a Year, Prohibition-Related Violence

  Four out of every five pounds of pot grown in the Netherlands is destined for export, says a top Dutch cop, and the black market trade is generating violent crime as well as big profits.

• 13. Death Penalty: Iran Bars Executions of Minors for Drug Offenses, Continues to Execute Adults

  Iran has announced it will not execute drug offenders who are minors. Meanwhile, it continues to execute drug offenders who are adults.

• 14. Weekly: This Week in History

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

• 15. Web Scan

  Mexico Violence, Jail or Not to Jail for Relapse, Drug War for Budget Cutting, the Marijuana War on Young People, by Talvi, Newman, Conason and Armentano on Alternet, Huffington Post and Salon.

• 16. Job Opportunities: Marijuana Policy Project, Arizona and Nevada

  The Marijuana Policy Project is hiring for six exciting positions -- one in Arizona, five in Nevada preparing for a 2012 ballot initiative.

• 17. Weekly: Blogging @ the Speakeasy

  "Smoking Pot Won't Make You Stupid, But Stupid People Do Smoke Pot," "Parents Are Using Drug Dogs on Their Own Children," "Wow, I Almost Forgot It Was Drug Free Work Week," "Why Do Prison and Alcohol Lobbies Oppose Drug Treatment?," "Giuliani Robocall Attacks Obama on Drug Sentencing," "The Drug War is Destroying Mexico Right Before Our Eyes," "Could Mexico City Become the Next Amsterdam?," "The Drug War Sends White People Into Treatment, While Black People Get Felonies," "Drug Czar Tells Cartels to Surrender or Die," "More Drug War = More Violence," "Further Evidence That the Drug War Doesn't Protect Children," "DEA Thrills Schoolchildren With Awesome Drug War Parade."

• 18. 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.

• 19. 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!

• 20. 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.

• 21. 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.