Mexican Drug War

Remember Bernie Goetz? He made the news again over the weekend, and so did Florida's medical marijuana initiative. There's also drug policy news from around the world.

State level marijuana legalization activists look ahead, Colorado announces hemp farming rules, Denver backs away from a backyard pot-smoking ban, and strife continues in Mexico.

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.

Voters in Colorado and Michigan approve marijuana measures (and so do voters in Portland, Maine--see our news brief), another New Mexico anal drug search victim emerges and the Mexican military moves into Lazaro Cardenas.

Here's our first try at altering our format to continue to bring you comprehensive coverage of what's going on in the war on drugs and the world of drug reform. Look for this or something similar on a daily basis from now on.

Mexico's drug wars continue to take a thousand lives a month, the army is still deeply involved, and the high-profile busts of cartel capos continue apace. What's new about Mexico's drug wars under Pena Nieto?

Two new books on Mexico's drug war shine much needed light on the human costs of the prohibition-related violence, as well as the struggle for Juarez.

Another Mexican drug cartel myth has been demolished. Add "the cartels operate in 1,000 US cities" to the trash heap along with "the cartels are growing marijuana in the national forests."

Citing the failure of the US and Mexican governments to respond to requests to elaborate a strategic vision for Mexican drug war assistance, Sen. Patrick Leahy has put a hold on $95 million in Plan Merida spending.

The Western Mexican state of Michoacan is becoming the latest hotspot in Mexico's drug wars, and now, a high-ranking Mexican Navy officer has been killed.