News Brief

Medical marijuana bills have now been introduced this year in New York state.

Medical marijuana legislation is moving in Maryland. A bill passed the House Monday and now heads to the Senate.

An attempted drug arrest turned deadly at a Motel 6 in Carlsbad, New Mexico, Monday. It's the eighth drug war killing by police so far this year.

Dirty cops go down in Miami and New York, so does a jail guard in DC, and a Long Island dope squad's problems continue to mount.

A drug dog's sniff of a home's front door is a search under the meaning of the Fourth Amendment and police must thus first obtain a search warrant, the US Supreme Court ruled Tuesday.

A Missouri technical college wanted to drug test all incoming students, but for a second time, a federal district court judge has said no, and she is likely to make it permanent when the case goes to trial in July.

The discussion about legalizing marijuana commerce and cultivation is about to get underway in Uruguay. The president wanted to legalize it last fall, but backed off in the face of public opposition. Now, there will be an educational process to win support.

As politicians dither, New Yorkers hoping to end New York City's reign as marijuana arrest capital of the world will have to wait. In the meantime, another thousand people are getting popped for pot in the Big Apple every week.

Washington state has selected a consulting firm led by drug policy scholar Mark Kleiman to be its marijuana consultant. Reformers have reacted with caution.

Medical marijuana action was concentrated in state legislatures this week, although there was also news from the Massachusetts attorney general's office.