Our ally Senator Trillanes is facing possible jailing, maybe as soon as tomorrow, for opposing Duterte's drug war killing campaign. 9 comments
ON THE SPEAKEASY BLOG
Philippine Democracy and Human Rights Face a Critical Test This Week
Our ally Senator Trillanes is facing possible jailing, maybe as soon as tomorrow, for opposing Duterte's drug war killing campaign. 9 comments Trillanes Gets Reprieve, for Now
One of the few outspoken leaders opposing Rodrigo Duterte's mass murder campaign in the Philippine drug war, Senator Antonio Trillanes, is likely be jailed tomorrow. He will be the second opposition senator and Duterte critic suffering this fate. 1 comment EVENT: Human Rights Challenge: Judicial and Extrajudicial Drug War Killings, in a Time of Authoritarianism
The rise of authoritarian or authoritarian political figures has been accompanied by calls for both sanctioned and extra-legal government violence in their crime and drug policies. This event, held in association with the UN High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development in New York, will focus primarily but not exclusively on the situation in the Philippines. We will also examine the ramifications of President Trump's call to administer the death penalty for drug trafficking. 6 comments VIDEO: Our Protest at the Philippine Embassy Today
There are nearly 40,000 v 0 comments Statement of ICC Prosecutor on Opening Preliminary Investigations in the Philippines and in Venezuela
The ICC is a long and uncertain road. But this is an important first step for stopping the drug war killings, restoring rule of law, and seeking justice. 12 comments Save Marijuana Legalization
Jeff Sessions is trying to turn back marijuana legalization and medical marijuana. Don't let him do it. 3 comments Action Alerts, #GivingTuesday, Issue 1000, Remembering Rep. Hinchey
As issue #1000 of the Drug War Chronicle newsletter approaches, we ask you to take advocacy actions, we ask for your financial support, and we stop to remember one of reform's best allies. 1 comment ALERT: Medical Marijuana Is Under Threat -- Tell Congress to Act!
For the first time since becoming law in 2014, the Rohrabacher-Blumenauer amendment (formerly known as the Hinchey-Rohrabacher amendment) is in danger of not being renewed. 0 comments CONGRESS: Pass S. 1055 for Philippines Human Rights Accountability
This bill responds to the Philippines drug war killings, in which well over 10,000 people have been killed extrajudicially without trial by police and vigilantes. The legislation would place human rights conditions on law enforcement assistance to the Philippines. It would also fund positive public health programs for substance use issues, as well as the work of Philippine human rights defenders. 1 comment Against Jeff Sessions for Attorney General
The president-elect's nominee for Attorney General is a big-time drug warrior who could derail both sentencing reform and marijuana legalization. Please write your Senators in opposition to this nomination. 24 comments Massachusetts Legalizes It, Arkansas Okays Medical Marijuana
More marijuana victories tonight. 0 comments
AP: California Legalizes Marijuana!
The Associated Press has called it early. 0 comments
North Dakota Okays Medical Marijuana
With most of the votes counted, Measure 5 is cruising toward victory. 1 comment
Partial Initiative Results: Arkansas, Maine, Massachusetts, North Dakota
Florida has already won. Now returns are coming in from four more initiative states. 0 comments
Florida Passes Medical Marijuana!
First southern state, and a big one. 4 comments
Myths, Moralism, and Hypocrisy Drive the International Drug Control System
Our international drug policies reflect a bias towards the global north, with damaging consequences for the south. 4 comments Will UNGASS 2016 Be the Beginning of the End for the War on Drugs?
Held this April, will the United Nations General Assembly Special Session be the turning point for the international drug control system? 0 comments David Borden -- Remarks at the United Nations, February 10, 2016
Last week the UN held an NGO meeting in New York, as part of a series events leading up to this April's major drug session. 3 comments BREAKING: Another Senate Pro-Medical Marijuana Vote
The Senate Appropriations Committee just voted to extend the ban on DOJ spending funds to interfere with state medical marijuana laws. 8 comments New York Medical Marijuana Program Brings in $3 Million from Application Process
New York has closed it application process for those wishing to get one of the state's 5 permits to open a medical cannabis dispensary. Each permit would entitle the holder to open four dipsnsaries. In total, 20 dispensaries would be opened in a state with a population of over 19 million people. 0 comments URGENT: Congressional Vote on Permitting State Marijuana Laws!
Last year's legislation protecting state medical marijuana laws from federal interference is expiring soon. A vote coming as soon as tonight could extend it, while expanding it to include state legalization laws too. 5 comments CT Lawmakers Push to Add Children and Hospital Patients to Medical Marijuana Program
Both houses of the Conneticut legislature are preparing their final votes on a bill that would add children and hospital patients to the state's medical marijuana program. The bill would restrict children from smoking or vaping their medical marijuana. 4 comments Three Marijuana Reform Bills Filed in Louisiana
Three seperate marijuana reform bills have been filed in the Louisiana State Capitol. They include a restrictive medical marijuana bill supported by law enforcement, and two seperate efforts to reform the state's harsh sentencing laws. 5 comments Write and Call Congress TODAY for Vets' Access to Medical Marijuana!
An important amendment is coming up for a vote in the House of Representatives late this afternoon or early evening. Our two web forms will help you to both email and call your member of Congress to support it. 7 comments What Does Congress's Medical Marijuana Legislation Actually Mean?
The controversial "CRomnibus" bill passed by the House and Senate includes language barring the Dept. of Justice from using taxpayer funds to interfere with state medical marijuana laws. 4 comments Washington Sheriff Tells Oregon Voters: Legalization Is Already Working
King County Sheriff John Urquhart has recorded a message letting Oregon voters know that legalization in Washington State has seen wasteful arrests decrease, DUIs decrease, taxes going to schools and police, and drug prevention programs getting funding. 8 comments Summer Reading Assignment for Congress
Dean Becker of the Drug Truth Network is in Washington today to give copies of his book, "To End the War on Drugs," to every member of the House and Senate. 1 comment House Votes to Let Banks Take Deposits from Marijuana Businesses
In a historic vote this afternoon, the US House has approved an amendment to the Treasury Department appropriations bill barring the agency from spending any money to punish financial institutions that provide services to marijuana businesses where it is legal. 1 comment Read all Speakeasy Posts
FROM THE CHRONICLE
Here Comes Hemp: Congress Votes to Unleash a Billion-Dollar Industry [FEATURE]
Marijuana’s lanky, straight-laced country cousin is about to get legal. comments Chronicle AM: NJ Pot Legalization Delayed, NM Court Rejects Albuquerque Car Seizures, More.. (12/14/18)
A national coalition of civil rights, labor, and civic groups calls for descheduling marijuana; New Jersey isn't quite there yet, France takes a step toward allowing medical marijuana, and more. comments Chronicle AM: Congress Passes Hemp Bill, CDC Report on Overdose Deaths, More... (12/13/18)
Marijuana Policy
Colorado Senator Seeks to Add Marijuana Amendment to Criminal Justice Bill. Sen. Cory Gardner (R-CO) will try to add an amendment to the pending prison and sentencing reform bill that would effectively end federal marijuana prohibition. Gardner seeks to add his STATES Act (S.3032) as the amendment. That would allow states to implement their own pot laws without fear of federal interference.
California Regulators Issue Final Version of Regulations. California marijuana regulations are now set after regulators issued their third and final version of the rules. Among the highlights: Deliveries will be allowed statewide, contract manufacturing will be allowed (licensed companies make and package products for unlicensed companies), and regulations for childproof packaging have changed to place the burden on retailers.
St. Paul City Council Backs Resolution To Legalize Recreational Marijuana. Minnesota's second largest city now officially supports marijuana legalization. The city council voted 6-1 Wednesday to support a resolution calling for it. Governor-Elect Tim Walz (DFL) is also down with the idea.
Medical Marijuana
Nebraska Medical Marijuana Initiative Campaign Gets Underway. Two state senators, Anna Wishart and Adam Morfeld, both Democrats from Lincoln, announced Thursday that they had created a campaign committee to put a medical marijuana constitutional amendment on the 2020 ballot. The committee is Nebraskans for Sensible Marijuana Laws.
Industrial Hemp
Congress Approves Industrial Hemp Legalization. With a final vote in the House on Wednesday, the 2018 Farm Bill, complete with a provision legalizing domestic hemp production, was approved by Congress and now heads for the president's desk. The bill clears the way for American farmers to participate in what is already a billion-dollar domestic hemp industry that is currently reliant on foreign imports.
Opioids
Fentanyl Now the Most Common Drug in Fatal Overdoses, CDC Reports. Fentanyl is now the most commonly used drug involved in drug overdoses, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Fentanyl was involved in more than 30,000 overdose deaths, while second place heroin was implicated in more than 27,000 deaths. There were some 63,000 overdose deaths in 2016, many of them involving multiple substances.
International
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Pass Medicinal Marijuana Bill. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) has become the first Organization of Eastern Caribbean States Member State to decriminalize marijuana for medical purposes and scientific research. "There is broad recognition and buy-in of the economic benefits this tightly controlled and regulated industry is expected to bring in terms of direct employment, the creation of support industries and foreign investment," said Agriculture Minister Saboto Ceaser. 2 comments Errata: No, You Don't Just Get a Ticket for Driving High in Michigan; You Go to Jail
Getting caught driving high in Michigan is NOT a ticketable offense. You will go to jail and face either misdemeanor or felony charges. comments
Trump's Ghoulish Call for Even More Chinese Drug Executions [FEATURE]
It may or may not be good politics for the president, but it's definitely not good policy. 3 comments Medical Marijuana Update
The battle over medical marijuana in Utah continues, the battle over medical marijuana in Florida may be ending, and more. comments Chronicle AM: Senate Approves Legal Hemp, NJ ACLU Asset Forfeiture Abuse Report, More... (12/12/18)
Industrial hemp takes a big step toward legalization, New York's governor is planning on legalizing weed next year, the ACLU of New Jersey has a disturbing new report out on civil asset forfeiture, and more. 1 comment Chronicle AM: Fed Criminal Justice Bill Will Get Senate Vote, Hemp is in Farm Bill, More... (12/11/18)
Mitch McConnell changes course and okays a Senate vote on the First Step Act, McConnell ensures the hemp provision remains in the farm bill, a Moscow court ruling could run the city's only harm reduction NGO out of business, and more. comments Chronicle AM: Bill Barr's Drug Warrior Past, Iran Warns Sanction Could Bring "Deluge of Drugs," More... (12/10/18)
Trump's sanctions could come back to bite us, Iran warns; Trump's new attorney general pick has some solid drug warrior credentials, the WHO postpones a recommendation on marijuana scheduling, and more. comments Oregon Initiative Would Decriminalize Psilocybin [FEATURE]
Signature-gathering for 2020 is about to get underway. 1 comment Study: Crackdowns on Heroin, Pain Pills Gave Rise to Fentanyl Overdose Epidemic [FEATURE]
The black market always has an answer. Too bad this one is so deadly. 1 comment Chronicle AM: Prospects Dim for First Step Act, UT MedMJ Advocates File Suit, More.... (12/7/18)
The surgeon general suggests it's time to revise federal drug schedules, the First Step Act is being held hostage by Mitch McConnell, Utah patient advocates sue to block a legislative gutting of the voter-approved medical marijuana law, and more. comments Chronicle AM: Feds Warn on Denver Safe Injection Site, It's J-Day in Michigan, More... (12/6/18)
Michigan became the first legal marijuana state in the Midwest today, the feds send a shot across the bow of an effort to get a safe injection site up and running in Denver, cartel violence challenges Mexico's new president, and more. 1 comment Medical Marijuana Update
Dispensaries come to Iowa, Utah's voter-approved medical marijuana law gets modified in the legislature, and more. comments Chronicle AM: Denver to Expunge Pot Convictions, Columnist Calls for Prescription Heroin, More... (12/5/18)
A Washington Post columnist calls for prescription heroin, the federal hemp bill will apparently ban the participation of people with drug felonies, Denver joins the movement to expunge old pot convictions, and more. 1 comment Chronicle AM: Trump's Chinese Fentanyl Flub, UT MedMJ Law Amended, More... (12/4/18)
There's a bunch of medical marijuana news today, and President Trump misstates a Chinese position on fentanyl. 2 comments Chronicle AM: Dark Web Dealers Banning Fentanyl, Luxembourg Moves to Legalize Weed, More... (12/3/18)
China agrees to make fentanyl a controlled substance, Dark Web dealers begin banning fentanyl sales, Luxembourg could become the first European country to legalize marijuana, and more. comments Chronicle AM: Harborside Loses Pot Tax Case, Hemp in Final Version of Farm Bill, More... (11/30/18)
The US Tax Court has ruled against Harborside being able to deduct standard business expenses, a hemp provision is in the final version of the farm bill, Mexico and the US disagree over Mexican heroin production levels, and more. comments Chronicle AM: Supreme Court Hears IN Seizure Case, Filipino Cops Jailed for Drug War Crimes, More... (11/29/18)
The Supreme Court heard oral arguments in an Indiana asset forfeiture case, outgoing marijuana reform roadblock Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX) has done it again, a North Carolina "decrim" bill gets filed, and more. comments Watch: Undercover Detroit Narc Squads Brawl As They Try to Arrest Each Other
It's laughable, but somebody could have gotten killed. 3 comments Medical Marijuana Update
Michigan's unlicensed dispensaries get a break, New Jersey is set to expand its medical marijuana program, and more. comments Chronicle AM: First Step Act Fight Continues, MI Gets Legal Marijuana December 6, More... (11/28/18)
Senate Republicans are trying to find a way to keep the First Step Act alive, marijuana use and possession becomes legal in Michigan next week, and more. 1 comment Georgia Nightmare: Jailed Four Months for Possession of Cotton Candy [FEATURE]
Cops said their roadside drug test said it was meth. It's far from the only time the cops or the test has been wrong. 1 comment Chronicle AM: NJ Legalization Bill Advances, NYC Times Square Ads Target Governor Over Overdoses, More... (11/27/18)
New Jersey's marijuana legalization bill is finally moving, activists in New York City target the governor over safe injection sites, South Korea becomes the first East Asian nation to approve medical marijuana, and more. comments Chronicle AM: Trump Pressures McConnell on Sentencing Reform, NJ Marijuana Bill Gets Hearing, More... (11/26/18)
The president wants to see criminal justice reform move in the Senate, New Jersey lawmakers take up marijuana legalization today, and more. 14 comments Chronicle AM: NJ Legalization Bill Unveiled, UT MedMJ Fight Continues, More... (11/23/18)
New Jersey embraces industrial hemp and moves toward passing a marijuana legalization bill, New York's governor says a legalization bill will likely pass there next year, and more. 1 comment This Week's Corrupt Cops Stories
Two California cops go down for faking drug buys that never happened, a former Memphis cop heads to prison for offering to escort a load of drugs, and more. comments Medical Marijuana Update
A Pennsylvania patient challenges the federal gun ban, an Ohio court has thrown out the state's law requiring racial justice in licensing, and more. comments Chronicle AM: MA First Day MJ Sales Draws Crowds, Afghan Opium Crop Down, More... (11/21/18)
People lined up to buy legal marijuana in Massachusetts Tuesday, Connecticut's governor says legalization is a priority for him, Afghan opium production is down, but still at high levels, and more. comments Chronicle AM: NJ Legalization Bill Hearings, Anti-Marijuana Rep Sees the Light, More... (11/20/18)
New Jersey will finally start moving on a marijuana legalization bill, a leading congressional foe of legalization changes his tune, and more. comments 