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Drug War Chronicle #730 - April 19, 2012

Phillip S. Smith, Editor - David Borden, Executive Director
Pres. Obama with Colombian Pres. Juan Manuel Santos, Brazilian Pres. Dilma Rouseff, and MSNBC's Chris Matthews (whitehouse.gov)
Pres. Obama with Colombian Pres. Juan Manuel Santos, Brazilian Pres. Dilma Rouseff, and MSNBC's Chris Matthews (whitehouse.gov)

Obama Addresses Drug Legalization at Cartagena Summit [FEATURE]

The Cartagena summit saw an historic discussion of drug legalization this weekend, with President Obama conceding that the topic is a legitimate one even as he reiterated US opposition to legalization.
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federal_drug_control_spending_2012.jpg

Obama Releases 2012 National Drug Control Strategy

The new national drug strategy is out and it looks very much like the old national drug strategy, retaining the seemingly eternal 60:40 split between law enforcement and interdiction on one hand and treatment and prevention on the other.
MMJ leaf and stethoscope KY ODCP_28.jpg
MMJ leaf and stethoscope KY ODCP_28.jpg

Medical Marijuana Update

It's taken ever so long, but it now looks like dispensaries will soon be operating in New Jersey and Washington, DC. Meanwhile, the battles over medical marijuana continue across the country.
Some cocaine is still more equal than other under a Missouri bill, but there is less of a sentencing disparity. (wikimedia.org)
Some cocaine is still more equal than other under a Missouri bill, but there is less of a sentencing disparity. (wikimedia.org)

Missouri House Approves Crack Cocaine Sentencing Reform

Missouri has the most extreme crack vs. powder cocaine sentencing disparity in the nation, but a bill that passed the House Thursday would reduce it. The bill still has to get through the Senate.
City Hall, Greenville (wikimedia.org)
City Hall, Greenville (wikimedia.org)

Most of North Carolina Grand Jury's Cases Are Drugs

If grand jury indictments earlier this month are any indication, there's not enough real crime in Pitt County, North Carolina, to keep cops and prosecutors busy. The most common grand jury charge: possessing marijuana with intent.
Clouds of smoke hover over the crowd estimated at 10,000 at last year's rally. (NORML)
Clouds of smoke hover over the crowd estimated at 10,000 at last year's rally. (NORML)

UC-Boulder Moves to Quash 4/20 Marijuana Rally

University of Colorado Boulder officials are pulling out all the stops in a bid to squash the school's unofficial annual 4/20 rally. The ACLU is objecting, and the performer the school hired to divert students with a concert says pot ought to be legalized.
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pile-of-cash_63.jpg

This Week's Corrupt Cops Stories

This week, we have a grab bag of crooked law enforcement types, including a big city cop, a probation officer, a prosecutor, and a TSA agent.
Greenland, NH, Police Chief Michael Maloney (Greenland PD)
Greenland, NH, Police Chief Michael Maloney (Greenland PD)

New Hampshire Police Chief Killed in Drug Raid

A drug raid gone bad has left a New Hampshire police chief dead, four other members of a drug task force wounded, and, early Friday morning, the suspect still holed up in his home with a woman, surrounded by a SWAT team.
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parthenon_73.gif

This Week in History

Events and quotes of note from this week's drug policy events of years past.
Permission to Reprint: This content is licensed under a modified Creative Commons Attribution license. Content of a purely educational nature in Drug War Chronicle appear courtesy of DRCNet Foundation, unless otherwise noted.