Due to a combination of critical work projects, staff travel, and some sick time, we fell behind on sending out the email edition of Drug War Chronicle the last few weeks. Please accept our apology for the lapse.
Mucho medical marijuana, a Connecticut legalization bill gets a hearing, the DEA is deploying 250 agents to fight opioids, Louisiana could get a full-fledged needle exchange program, and more.
Treasurers from a handful of marijuana-friendly states ask for a meeting with Attorney General Sessions, Massachusetts pot shops can seek licenses beginning next week, Indonesia's latest draft criminal code reform is not exactly progressive on drug policy, and more.
Two new studies find that opioid prescriptions and daily doses decline in legal marijuana states, the Swiss are on the verge of a legal marijuana sales pilot program, and more.
A legalization bill fails in Arizona, another one sputters in Connecticut, a bad batch of synthetic cannabinoids is wreaking havoc in Illinois, and more.
Alaska regulators return to the issue of social use, a Tennessee medical marijuana bill dies, New Jersey's governor outlines a plan to fight opioid abuse, and more.
A Connecticut legalization bill advances, Michigan GOP lawmakers are worried a legalization initiative there will drive turnout and drive them from office, Tennessee lawmakers pass a bill to end civil asset forfeiture, and more.
The American activists couldn't wrap their heads around it. Sitting in a dingy office in a nondescript building in central Lisbon, they were being provided a fine-grained explanation of what happens to people caught with small amounts of drugs in Portugal, which decriminalized the possession of personal use amounts of drugs 17 years ago.
partial view of Lisbon, looking toward the Tagus River (Wikimedia)
The activists, having lived the American experience, wanted desperately to know when and how the coercive power of the state kicked in, how the drug users were to be punished for their transgressions, even if they had only been hit with an administrative citation, which is what happens to people caught with small quantities of drugs there.
Nuno Capaz was trying to explain. He is Vice Chairman of the Lisbon Dissuasion Commission, the three-member tribunal set up to handle people caught with drugs. He had to struggle mightily to convince the Americans that it wasn't about punishment, but about personal and public health.
"The first question," he explained, "is whether this person is a recreational user or an addict."
If the person is deemed only a recreational user, he may face a fine or a call to community service. If he is deemed an addict, treatment is recommended -- but not required.
"But what if they don't comply?" one of the activists demanded. "Don't they go to jail then?"
No, they do not. Instead, Capaz patiently explained, they may face sanctions for non-compliance, but those sanctions may be little more than a demand that they regularly present themselves to a hospital or health center for monitoring.
In a later hallway conversation, I asked Capaz about drug users who simply refused to go along or to participate at all. What happens then? I wanted to know.
Capaz shrugged his shoulders. "Nothing," he said. "I tell them to try not to get caught again."
Welcome to Portugal. The country's low-key, non-headline-generating drug policy, based on compassion, public health, and public safety, is a stark contrast with the US, as the mind-boggled response of the activists suggests.
Organized by the Drug Policy Alliance and consisting of members of local and national groups that work with the organization, as well as a handful of journalists, the group spent three days in-country last month seeing what an enlightened drug policy looks like. They met with high government officials directly involved in creating and implementing drug decriminalization, toured drug treatment, harm reduction, and mobile methadone maintenance facilities, and heard from Portuguese drug users and harm reduction workers as well.
The Portuguese Model and Its Accomplishments
They had good reason to go to Portugal. After nearly two decades of drug decriminalization, there is ample evidence that the Portuguese model is working well. Treating drug users like citizens who could possibly use some help instead of like criminals to be locked up is paying off by all the standard metrics -- as well as by not replicating the thuggish and brutal American-style war on drugs, with all the deleterious and corrosive impacts that has on the communities particularly targeted for American drug law enforcement.
Here, according to independent academic researchers, as well as the UN Office on Drugs and Crime and the European Monitoring Center of Drugs and Drug Abuse, is what the Portuguese have accomplished:
Drug use has not dramatically increased. Rates of past year and past month drug use have not changed significantly or have actually declined since 2001. And Portugal's drug use rates remain among the lowest in Europe, and well below those in the United States.
Both teen drug use and "problematic" drug use (people who are dependent or who inject drugs) have declined.
Drug arrests and incarceration are way down. Drug arrests have dropped by 60% (selling drugs remains illegal) and the percentage of prisoners doing time for drug offenses has dropped from 44% to 24%. Meanwhile, the number of people referred to the Dissuasion Commission has remained steady, indicating that no "net-widening" has taken place. And the vast majority of cases that go before the commission are found to be non-problematic drug users and are dismissed without sanction.
More people are receiving drug treatment -- and on demand, not by court order. The number of people receiving drug treatment increased by 60% by 2011, with most of them receiving opiate-substitution therapy (methadone). Treatment is voluntary and largely paid for by the national health system.
Drug overdose deaths are greatly reduced. Some 80 people died of drug overdoses in 2001; that number shrunk to just 16 by 2012. That's an 80% reduction in drug overdose deaths.
Drug injection-related HIV/AIDS infections are greatly reduced. Between 2000 and 2013, the number of new HIV cases shrank from nearly 1,600 to only 78. The number of new AIDS cases declined from 626 to 74.
"We came to the conclusion that the criminal system was not the best suited to deal with this situation," explained Capaz. "The best option should be referring them to treatment, but we do not force or coerce anyone. If they are willing to go, it's because they actually want to, so the success rate is really high. We can surely say that decriminalization does not increase drug usage, and that it does not mean legalizing drugs. It's still illegal to use drugs in Portugal, it's just not considered a crime. It's possible to deal with these users outside the criminal system."
Dr. Joao Goulao, who largely authored the decriminalization law and who is still General Director for Intervention on Addictive Behaviors -- the Portuguese "drug czar" -- pointed to unquantifiable positives resulting from the move: "The biggest effect," he said, "has been to allow the stigma of drug addiction to fall, to let people speak clearly and to pursue professional help without fear."
They Take the Kids! (with them to treatment)
The American activists know all about fear and stigma. And the cultural disconnect -- between a country that treats drug users with compassion and one that seeks to punish them -- was on display again when a smaller group of the activists met with Dr. Miguel Vasconcelos, the head psychologist at the Centro Taipa, a former mental hospital that now serves as the country's largest drug treatment center.
As Dr.Vasconcelos explained the history and practice of drug treatment in Portugal, one of his listeners asked what happened to drug users who were pregnant or had children.
"They take the kids," Vasconcelos said, smiling. But his smile turned to puzzlement as he saw his listeners react with resignation and dismay.
For the Americans, "they take the kids" meant child protective services swooping in to seize custody of the children of drug-using parents while the parents go to jail.
But that's not what Vasconcelos meant. After some back and forth, came clarity: "No, I mean they take the kids with them to treatment."
Once again, the Americans, caught firmly in the mind set of their own punishing society, expected only the worst of the state. But once again, light bulbs came on as they realized it doesn't have to be like that.
Now that cadre of activists is back home, and they are going to begin to try to apply the lessons they learned in their own states and communities. And although they had some abstract understanding of Portuguese drug decriminalization before they came, their experiences with the concrete reality of it should only serve to strengthen their desire to make our own country a little less like a punitive authoritarian state and bit more like Portugal.
Do you want to know Europe's true party capitals? The European Monitoring Commission on Drugs and Drug Abuse (EMCDDA) is here to help. Last month it released its latest annual report on drug use levels in 56 European cities in 19 countries.
Raving in Vienna (Wikimedia)
The report relied not on survey results or extrapolations from drug seizures, but a much more direct method: an analysis of daily wastewater samples in the catchment areas of wastewater treatment plants over a one-week period. Researchers analyzed the wastewater from approximately 43 million people, looking for traces of four illicit drugs: amphetamine, methamphetamine, cocaine, and MDMA (ecstasy).
The epidemiological analysis of wastewater is "a rapidly developing scientific discipline with the potential for monitoring close to real-time, population-driven trends in illicit drug use," the EMCDDA points out. Their researchers can now use it to estimate levels of drug use by measuring the levels of drugs and their metabolites excreted into the sewers by urine.
So, which cities are doing the most drugs? We'll give you the top five for each drug, as well as a bit of discussion below:
Amphetamines (milligrams/1,000 people/day)
Eindhoven (Netherlands) 271.7
Antwerp Zuid (Belgium) 268.8
Saarbrucken (Germany) 242.0
Oostende (Belgium) 236.4
Mainz (Germany) 226.9
The loads of amphetamine detected varied considerably across study locations, with cities in the north and east of Europe reporting much higher levels than in the south. Amphetamine, a working man's drug, was also found more evenly throughout the week than the party drugs, which tend to show up more in weekend samples. Of the top 15 cities, nine were in Germany, three each in Belgium and the Netherlands, and one in Iceland. Berlin came in 10th, Amsterdam 11th.
Cocaine (milligrams/1,000 people/day)
Barcelona (Spain) 965.2
Zurich (Switzerland) 934.4
Antwerp Zuid (Belgium) 822.9
St. Gallen Hofen (Switzerland) 821.7
Geneva (Switzerland) 794.8
Cocaine use is highest in western and southern European cities, particularly in Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain, and the UK, but Switzerland, with three of the top five and five of the top 10 cokiest cities, certainly deserves mention. Year-to-year figures show that an upward trend first reported in 2016 continues.
MDMA (Ecstasy)(milligrams/1,000 people/day)
Amsterdam (Netherlands) 230.3
Eindhoven (Netherlands) 165.1
Antwerp Zuid (Belgium) 95.3
Zurich (Switzerland) 85.2
Utretcht (Netherlands) 59.8
The Dutch really love their E, taking three of the top five spots, and nearby Antwerp is really starting to look like an unsung drug hotspot, appearing in all three top fives so far. Berlin, Barcelona, Geneva, and Paris are all in the top 10, but at use levels only about one-fifth of Amsterdam.
Methamphetamine (milligrams/1,000 people/day)
Chemnitz (Germany) 240.6
Erfurt (Germany) 211.2
Budweis (Czech Republic) 200.2
Brno (Czech Republic) 105.7
Dresden (Germany) 180.2
Like plain old amphetamine, meth use generally concentrated in northwest Europe, although the Czech Republic is certainly cranking, too, as it traditionally has. It is most popular in eastern Germany, Finland, and Norway.
One city worth mentioning is notable for its absence from these top fives: Lisbon. Portugal is the only country in Europe to have decriminalized the use and possession of all drugs, but its capital and largest city consistently ranked low-to-middling in drug use levels: The wastewater in Lisbon contained zero methamphetamine, came in 11th for Ecstasy use, 45th for amphetamine use, and 28th for cocaine use.
Those figures from Lisbon strongly suggest that other countries can decriminalize drug use and possession without seeing their populations turned into deranged party animals. In the meantime, the real party animals might want to head to Antwerp.
The club kids have found a new high. According to a new study from electronic dance music (EDM) drug use watcher Dr. Joseph Palamar, opioids are becoming increasingly popular among people in the throbbing beat scene.
Nearly 10% of them reported using opioids in the past year, a rate 2 ½ times the national average, and 5% reported using them in the past month.
Oxycontin was the most commonly used opioid in the EDM scene, followed by Vicodin, Percocet, codeine, and Purple Drank (also known as Sizzurp or Leans), which also contains codeine.
In the study, researchers surveyed nearly a thousand fans (ages 18 to 40) as they were about to enter EDM parties at nightclubs and festivals in New York City. Attendees were asked about their nonmedical use of 18 different opioids, from prescription pain pills to black market heroin and fentanyl.
The EDM scene has long been known for drug use, but the researchers warned that the turn to opioids is a dangerous trend that should not be ignored.
"'We've always known that electronic dance music party attendees are at high risk for use of club drugs such as ecstasy or Molly, but we wanted to know the extent of opioid use in this population," said Dr. Palamar, the study's lead author and an associate professor of population health at NYU School of Medicine.
The most popular prescription opioid reported in this scene was OxyContin, which, like many prescription opioids, is used to relieve pain, but also produces euphoric effects, inducing relaxation and happiness. Following close behind were Vicodin, Percocet, codeine, and Purple Drank. About 15% of opioid users reported snorting them, while 11% reported injecting them, both forms of ingestion more likely to result in dependence.
People who had already used opioids reported a much higher propensity for using them again than did people who had never used them. Among previous users, nearly three-quarters (73.4%) said they would do them again, while only about 6% of non-users said they would try them if offered.
'This population of experienced drug users needs to be reached to prevent initiation and continued use, which can lead to riskier and more frequent use, dependence, and deleterious outcomes such as overdose - particularly if opioids are combined with other drugs,"Palamar warned. "Many individuals in this population are experienced with drugs such as ecstasy, but due to their experience with various drugs, they may underestimate the addictive potential of opioids, which are typically not used as 'club drugs,' Palamar added.
The study comes as the US finds itself in the midst of an opioid crisis where nearly two million people are dependent and more than a hundred are dying of overdoses every day.
'The population in general needs better education about opioids," said Palamar. 'Taking opioid pills is much different from taking ecstasy and it needs to be understood that opioids are not party drugs."
Widespread workplace drug testing -- a uniquely American phenomenon -- has generated controversy ever since Ronald Reagan pushed hard for it back in the 1980s. On the one hand, opponents see it as an invasion of workers' privacy protections; on the other, advocates believe it is the best means of preventing injuries that might occur when a worker is intoxicated.
Although workplace drug testing was rare prior to Reagan, 56% of all employers now require pre-employment drug tests, according to Statistic Brain. Some of this is mandated by law: Truck drivers, airline pilots and some other public transport positions face federal drug-testing requirements. But much pre-employment drug testing and random, suspicionless drug testing is not required by law; it is instead the employers' choice.
High levels of drug testing are to be found in industries such as health care, heavy manufacturing and construction, where being impaired on the job can lead to loss of life or limb or endanger the health and well-being of others. But drug testing is also popular in industries with no such apparent risk, such as retail. Whether that guy at the camera counter at Walmart smoked a joint over the weekend probably has no discernible impact on public safety.
Speaking of smoking joints, marijuana is by far the most commonly used illicit drug (though it's now legal in nine states). Positive workplace drug tests for marijuana are on the rise, reflecting broader popular acceptance of the drug, which is also leading some companies to quit testing for pot. In a low unemployment economy, employers may be increasingly reluctant to lose potential workers over a positive test for marijuana.
And some potential workers are reluctant to seek employment at places that are going to subject them to drug testing. Fortunately for them, there are some economic sectors where facing a pre-employment or random at-work drug test is not a real risk -- in fact, it's a rarity. But most of these jobs require a university degree. Like so many things in America, drug testing is a class thing.
That said, if you want to work in a field where you don't have to worry about peeing in a bottle to get or keep a job, here, thanks to Insider Monkey, are some options.
1. Management Positions
These relatively well-paying professional gigs tend to have drug testing levels approaching absolute zero. On the high end, if you can call it that, were general managers (1.8%) and project managers (1.6%), but office managers, business managers, and retail managers all came in under 1%, with event managers besting them all at a minuscule 0.01%. Average pay for these positions ranged from the mid-40s for retail and office managers to more than $70,000 for project managers. Ironically, the administrative assistant position, which can be an excellent entry-level job for people seeking careers as managers, is more likely to be subject to drug testing than any managerial position. Still, it's only 1.9% of administrative assistants.
2. Personal Services
You're not going to get rich in these jobs, but you're not likely to get drug tested, either. Because of the transient nature of jobs in these careers or because many people in these fields are self-employed, gig economy workers just don't get that drug test scrutiny. Cosmetologists, hairstylists and fitness trainers all face testing less than 1% of the time, while pet groomers and massage therapists come in under 3%. These jobs have median pay ranging from around $25,000 to $30,000.
3. Information Technology
These are the fields that are stereotypically the domain of the nerdy stoner. You wouldn't expect employers in the industry to turn down a budding genius because he gets high at home, and you would be right. Only 3% of web designers and IT consultants face the empty cup, and fewer than 3% of Java developers and front-end developers do. While not quite as drug testing-free as cosmetologists or pet groomers, IT workers make a lot more money. On the low end, web designers are pulling in a median $48,000, while pay is around $70,000 for the other positions listed.
4. Marketing
Those bright, shiny people trying to make us buy stuff are also largely exempt from drug testing, especially on the bottom rungs. Only 0.3% of marketing assistants are subject to pre-employment drug screens, and only 3.8% of marketing coordinators. The former positions average $36,000 a year, while the latter average $41,500.
5. Real Estate, Insurance and Financial Services
These white-collar jobs are all unlikely to see drug testing requirements. Fewer than 3% of loan processors and insurance agents face the prospect of peeing in a cup to win a job, while a minuscule 0.5% of real estate agents do. Real estate agents are also the highest paid in this group, averaging $47,000, while both loan processors and insurance agents come in at under $40,000.
6. Bartender
People whose job it is to mix and sell legal psychoactive substances are very unlikely to be tested for illegal ones. With only 3.2% of employers demanding pre-employment drug tests, bartenders are the least likely of restaurant and bar workers to be tested. Chefs face testing at a rate of 6.2%, while 4% of hostesses are likely to face it. The median salary for bartenders is $29,240.
7. Creative White Collar
Neither graphic designers nor copywriters are likely to face a pre-employment drug test. A big reason is that many of these are freelance gigs: No boss = no drug test. But even when working for employers, drug testing is unlikely in these fields. Copywriters came in at 3.2%, while graphic designers were at 3.9%.
Busy, busy, busy. Legislatures across the land grapple with medical marijuana, an Arkansas judge puts that state's program on hold, and more.
Arkansas
Last Wednesday, an Arkansas judge put a hold on the state medical marijuana program. A state judge put the state's program on hold because of objections to the licensing process, but was apologetic for imposing the delay. "Amendment 98 to the Constitution of Arkansas, an initiative by the people, exists because Arkansans want to provide medical marijuana to persons who suffer from chronic, debilitating, and life-threatening health challenges," Pulaski County Circuit Judge Wendell Griffen wrote in his order last week. "The prospect that Arkansans must now endure more delay before gaining much needed access to locally grown medical marijuana should be unpleasant to anyone concerned about providing relief to people who suffer from serious illnesses."
Last Wednesday, the House voted down medical marijuana. As they debated changes to the state's drug laws, lawmakers in the House voted down an amendment that would have allowed the use of medical marijuana. The amendment was offered by Rep. Cindy Holscher (D-Lenexa), who said her own daughter, who suffers from juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, could benefit from access to the medicine. "Please don't make us lawbreakers," Holscher said. "Give us an option for something that has been proven to work." But the underlying bill contains a provision that allows for the limited use of CBD cannabis oil.
Louisiana
Last Wednesday, a House committee approved medical marijuana for autism. The House Health and Welfare Committee on Wednesday approved a bill that would add certain types of autism to the list of qualifying conditions for medical marijuana. The move comes as dispensaries are set to open in the state just four months from now. The measure, House Bill 627, now goes to the full House.
Maryland
Last Friday, a Senate committee approved a medical marijuana expansion bill. The Senate Finance Committee voted last Friday to approve a bill that would increase the number of licenses for medical marijuana growers from 15 to 20 and the number of licenses for processors from 15 to 25 -- largely in a bid to increase minority business ownership in the industry. None of the companies licensed so far has a black owner. House Bill 0002 has already passed the House and now heads for a Senate floor vote.
Michigan
Last Thursday, the state ordered more than 200 dispensaries to close their doors. State regulators said Thursday they had ordered 210 medical marijuana dispensaries to shut down in the past two weeks largely because they failed to apply for a state license by mid-February or because they were not authorized by local authorities. More than 150 of the shops are in Detroit.
New Hampshire
Last Wednesday, thee Senate approved a bill to add more dispensaries. The state Senate last week approved a bill that would allow for two additional dispensaries in the state. The state currently has four medical marijuana outlets. The bill now goes to the House.
South Carolina
Last Thursday, a Senate committee advanced a medical marijuana bill. The Senate Medical Affairs Committee approved a medical marijuana bill on Thursday. The measure, Senate Bill 212, now heads for a Senate floor vote. But advocates worry the bill will die for lack of action in the House. The House has declined to hear its own medical marijuana bill so far this year, and the deadline for doing so is April 10.
On Tuesday, the effort to pass a medical marijuana bill died for the year. The sponsor of a medical marijuana bill has pulled it, saying he didn't have the support to move it in the Senate. Senate Bill 1710 sponsor Sen. Steve Dickerson (R-Nashville) was blunt: "Unfortunately, I do not have the votes." A companion measure is still alive in the House, but there will be no medical marijuana in the Volunteer State this year.
Utah
Last Thursday, another poll showed enduring strong support for medical marijuana. More than three-quarters (77%) of Utahns "strongly" or "somewhat" favor legalizing medical marijuana, according to a new poll from Dan Jones & Associates. The poll is in line with other recent state polls show high levels of support, undaunted by the legislature's passage of a bill that allows for a "right to try" medical marijuana for terminally ill patients. An initiative that would create a full-blown medical marijuana system in the state will likely be on the ballot in November.
Mucho medical marijuana, a Connecticut legalization bill gets a hearing, the DEA is deploying 250 agents to fight opioids, Louisiana could get a full-fledged needle exchange program, and more.
The DEA is ready to fight some more drug war.
Marijuana Policy
Third Connecticut Legalization Bill Gets Hearing. A marijuana legalization bill that also includes funding for drug treatment and prevention got a hearing in the House Appropriations Committee Wednesday. House Bill 5394 calls for drafting a plan to legalize and regulate weed by October 1, as well as requiring a treatment and prevention plan by the same date. The bill did not get a vote. Two other legalization bills before the legislature do not contain the treatment and prevention funding provisions.
Medical Marijuana
Arkansas Judge Puts Hold on State Medical Marijuana Program. A state judge last week put the state's program on hold because of objections to the licensing process, but was apologetic for imposing the delay. "Amendment 98 to the Constitution of Arkansas, an initiative by the people, exists because Arkansans want to provide medical marijuana to persons who suffer from chronic, debilitating, and life-threatening health challenges," Pulaski County Circuit Judge Wendell Griffen wrote in his order last week. "The prospect that Arkansans must now endure more delay before gaining much needed access to locally grown medical marijuana should be unpleasant to anyone concerned about providing relief to people who suffer from serious illnesses."
Kansas House Votes Down Medical Marijuana. As they debated changes to the state's drug laws, lawmakers in the House voted down an amendment that would have allowed the use of medical marijuana. The amendment was offered by Rep. Cindy Holscher (D-Lenexa), who said her own daughter, who suffers from juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, could benefit from access to the medicine. "Please don’t make us lawbreakers," Holscher said. "Give us an option for something that has been proven to work." But the underlying bill contains a provision that allows for the limited use of CBD cannabis oil.
Louisiana House Committee Approves Medical Marijuana for Autism. The House Health and Welfare Committee on Wednesday approved a bill that would add certain types of autism to the list of qualifying conditions for medical marijuana. The move comes as dispensaries are set to open in the state just four months from now. The measure, House Bill 627, now goes to the full House.
New Hampshire Senate Approves Bill to Add More Dispensaries. The state Senate last week approved a bill that would allow for two additional dispensaries in the state. The state currently has four medical marijuana outlets. The bill now goes to the House.
South Carolina Senate Committee Advances Medical Marijuana Bill. The Senate Medical Affairs Committee approved a medical marijuana bill on Thursday. The measure, Senate Bill 212, now heads for a Senate floor vote. But advocates worry the bill will die for lack of action in the House. The House has declined to hear its own medical marijuana bill so far this year, and the deadline for doing so is April 10.
Utah Poll Shows Enduring Strong Support for Medical Marijuana. More than three-quarters (77%) of Utahns "strongly" or "somewhat" favor legalizing medical marijuana, according to a new poll from Dan Jones & Associates. The poll is in line with other recent state polls show high levels of support, undaunted by the legislature's passage of a bill that allows for a "right to try" medical marijuana for terminally ill patients. An initiative that would create a full-blown medical marijuana system in the state will likely be on the ballot in November.
Heroin and Prescription Opioids
Federal Spending Plan Has Nearly $5 Billion to Deal With Opioid Crisis. The omnibus spending bill signed into law by President Trump last week contains some $4.6 billion. The biggest chunk of the money will go to states and tribes, especially those with the highest overdose mortality rates. Some 63,000 Americans died of drug overdoses last year. The funding is less than the $7 billion for fighting AIDS, which killed 42,000 Americans last year.
DEA Deploying 250 Additional Agents to Fight Opioid Crisis. The DEA announced Tuesday that it is deploying 250 additional task force officers and dozens of analysts across the country in a bid to crack down on opioids. The additional agents and analysts will go to areas hardest hit by the epidemic.
Oregon Governor Signs Opioid Bills into Law. Gov. Kate Brown (D) on Tuesday signed into law two bills and an order setting deadlines for a drug policy commission that has been plagued with staffing and other issues. The order declares addiction a public health crisis in the state. Two bills, House Bill 4137 and House Bill 4143, cover similar ground and require studying barriers to addiction treatment.
Criminal Justice
New York Governor Launches Campaign to Overhaul Criminal Justice System. Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) on Monday launched a "Campaign to Restore Fairness in New York’s Criminal Justice System." The governor's package would eliminate cash bail for misdemeanor and non-violent felony offenses, ensure access to speedy trials, improve the disclosure of evidence, reform asset forfeiture, and improve reentry programs for people leaving prison.
Harm Reduction
Louisiana House Approves Needle Exchange Bill. A bill that would expand needle exchange programs by allowing them without seeking approval from local governments was approved by the House Committee on Administration of Criminal Justice on Wednesday. House Bill 661 also expands the types of materials and programs a needle exchange can offer, including access to naloxone. The bill now heads for a House floor debate and vote next week.
International
Colombia Coca Growers Threaten to Suspend Cooperation With Peace Process. The federation that represents coca growers, COCCAM, said in a statement on Tuesday it is consulting its members "to define whether to suspend our participation" with the government program that seeks to substitute legal crops for coca. The federation cited continuing violence, noting that more than 200 coca farmers have been killed since the beginning of the peace process in December 2016. The growers are also unhappy with the government's response to their complaints with Justice Minister Enrique Gil for proposing a law shielding coca growers from criminal prosecution, but which excludes families that have already signed up for the program. The bill also more than halved the amount of land to be considered a small grower, changes the federation called a "flagrant betrayal of the peasants, Afro-descendants and indigenous people who put their trust in the peace process by joining the program."
Georgia Drug Decriminalization Bill on Hold After Controversial Rewrite. A bill that would decriminalize drug use and possession has been held up after an interagency commission expressed support for a new draft drug policy law that activists say no longer talks about decriminalization. The new draft also fails to differentiate quantities of drugs for personal use from those for distribution except in eight cases, meaning people caught with any amount of other drugs face years in prison. "Nobody mentioned decriminalisation at today’s hearing, which is alarming," Guram Imnadze, a lawyer from local rights group the Human Rights Education and Monitoring Centre (EMC) said after it was over. The current draft doesn't address the key problem with the country's drug policy, which, he said, was that "people spend years in prison for drugs they intended for personal use."
Treasurers from a handful of marijuana-friendly states ask for a meeting with Attorney General Sessions, Massachusetts pot shops can seek licenses beginning next week, Indonesia's latest draft criminal code reform is not exactly progressive on drug policy, and more.
Marijuana Policy
Marijuana-Friendly States Want Meeting With Sessions. State treasurers from California, Illinois, Oregon, and Pennsylvania sent a letter to Attorney General Jeff Sessions Thursday seeking a meeting in hopes of resolving conflicts between state and federal marijuana laws. The state treasurers are particularly concerned with the lack of clarity for businesses and banks. The absence of federal rules "leaves the industry and financial institutions in the dark," the treasurers said.
Massachusetts Pot Shops Can Start Applying for Licenses on Monday. The state Cannabis Control Commission made it official Thursday: Prospective marijuana purveyors can begin the process of applying for state licenses as of next Monday. "Starting on April 2, prospective licensees may begin applying for Priority Certification as Registered Marijuana Dispensaries (RMD) or Economic Empowerment Applicants, which provides eligibility to apply for a marijuana establishment license on April 17. All other license types will start the application process on May 1 or June 1, depending on the category," the commission announced Thursday. Retail stores will be able to open starting July 1, depending on whether local regulatory ordinances have been finalized.
Michigan Orders More Than 200 Dispensaries to Close Their Doors. State regulators said Thursday they had ordered 210 medical marijuana dispensaries to shut down in the past two weeks largely because they failed to apply for a state license by mid-February or because they were not authorized by local authorities. More than 150 of the shops are in Detroit.
Utah Governor Announces Opposition to Medical Marijuana Initiative. Gov. Gary Herbert (R) has come out against a medical marijuana initiative that has broad popular support and is likely to be on the November ballot. Herbert argued that a limited bill he signed this year was "an important first step," but that the initiative could "potentially open the door to recreational use."
International
Indonesia Moving Firmly Backwards on Drug Policy. The country is revising its criminal code, and in doing so, is continuing to embrace drug war dogma, with proposed revisions that promote harsh penalties for drug use and possession, up to and including the death penalty for some drug offenses. The draft bill contains 22 articles on the use, possession, couriering, and smuggling of narcotics, all of which are treated as criminal offenses punishable with jail time, or in severe cases, death by firing squad. This isn't new for Indonesia, but it's not progressive change, either.
Two new studies find that opioid prescriptions and daily doses decline in legal marijuana states, the Swiss are on the verge of a legal marijuana sales pilot program, and more.
Southern California's Coachella music festival will have to allow marijuana, a state judge has ruled. (Flickr/Feverblue)
Marijuana Policy
After States Legalize Weed, Opioid Prescriptions Decline, Studies Find. Two papers published Monday in the JAMA Internal Medicine that analyzed more than five years of Medicare Part D and Medicaid prescription data found that the number of opioid prescription and the daily dose of opioids declined after states legalized marijuana. "In this time when we are so concerned -- rightly so -- about opiate misuse and abuse and the mortality that's occurring, we need to be clear-eyed and use evidence to drive our policies," said W. David Bradford, an economist at the University of Georgia and an author of one of the studies. "If you're interested in giving people options for pain management that don't bring the particular risks that opiates do, states should contemplate turning on dispensary-based cannabis policies."
A legalization bill fails in Arizona, another one sputters in Connecticut, a bad batch of synthetic cannabinoids is wreaking havoc in Illinois, and more.
Apparently contaminated synthetic cannabinoids in Illinois have left two dead, dozens injured. (Wikimedia)
Marijuana Policy
Arizona Legalization Fails Dies in Statehouse. There will be no legalization via the legislature in Phoenix this year after lawmakers refused to act on a measure that would have put the issue before the voters. HCR 2037 had been assigned to three different committees, but never got any action in any of them. Sponsors Reps. Todd Clodfelter (R-Phoenix) and Mark Cardenas (D-Phoenix) vow to try again next year.
Connecticut Legalization Bill Gets Committee Hearing.
The House Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee held a hearing on a legalization bill, House Bill 5582, on Monday, making it the fourth committee to hold a hearing on marijuana legalization this session. But the bill is unlikely to pass this year since one committee has already rejected it and another will not be voting on whether to advance it. At the hearing, the Office of Fiscal Analysis reported that the state could expect tax revenues from pot at between $30 million and $63 million, depending on the tax model used.
Albuquerque City Council Votes to Decriminalize Marijuana Possession. City council members voted Monday night on a party line vote to decriminalize the possession of up to an ounce of marijuana. Offenders would be hit with a $25 fine on a first offense. A similar measure passed in 2015, only to be vetoed by the mayor. But now there's a new mayor, so stay tuned.
New Psychoactive Substances
Illinois Sees Bad Synthetic Cannabinoids Kill Two, Leave Dozens Bleeding. Synthetic cannabinoids apparently cut with rat poison have killed two people in Illinois and left 56 others experiencing severe bleeding. The bad dope has shown up in Chicago and the central part of the state, the Department of Public Health said Monday.
Asset Forfeiture
Kansas Governor Signs Minor Asset Forfeiture Reform Bill. Gov. Jeff Colyer (R) has signed into law House Bill 2459, which would make small reforms in the state's civil asset forfeiture law. Under the bill, police who seize property will have to report on what they took and how they used the seized property.
Alaska regulators return to the issue of social use, a Tennessee medical marijuana bill dies, New Jersey's governor outlines a plan to fight opioid abuse, and more.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) outlines a plan to take on the opioid crisis. (Wikimedia)
Marijuana Policy
Alaska Regulators Take Up Social Clubs Again. The state's Marijuana Control Board will be meeting the rest of this week to discuss whether to allow on-site marijuana use at authorized retail stores. The board adopted rules in 2015 to allow for such use, but never finalized them. Under the current proposal, use could only take place in a designated area of the store, and people could only use marijuana purchased at the store.
New Jersey Poll Shows Residents Evenly Split on Legalization. A new poll from the Stockton Polling Institute of the William J. Hughes Center for Public Policy has Garden Staters split nearly down the middle on pot legalization. The poll had 49% in favor, with 44% opposed. The poll also found that one out of four respondents would try the herb if it were legal, or continue to use it if they currently do.
Medical Marijuana
Tennessee Medical Marijuana Bill Dies. The sponsor of a medical marijuana bill has pulled it, saying he didn't have the support to move it in the Senate. Senate Bill 1710 sponsor Sen. Steve Dickerson (R-Nashville) was blunt: "Unfortunately, I do not have the votes." A companion measure is still alive in the House, but there will be no medical marijuana in the Volunteer State this year.
Heroin and Prescription Opioids
New Jersey Governor Outlines Plan to Fight Opioids. Gov. Phil Murphy (D) announced a plan to spend $100 million on a range of anti-addiction programs, including new funding for community-based treatment providers, as well as more housing and job training for residents with -- or without -- drug dependency problems. In terms of dollars, the proposal includes $56 million for front-line prevention, treatment and recovery programs; $31 million for job training and to address social risk factors like homelessness; and $13 million to improve data collection and other state infrastructure.
Asset Forfeiture
Wisconsin Governor Signs Asset Forfeiture Reform Bill into Law. Gov. Scott Walker on Wednesday signed into law Senate Bill 61, which does not end civil asset forfeiture, but puts limits on how long police can hold property before someone is charged and reduce the amount of money police can keep when they sell seized property.
A Connecticut legalization bill advances, Michigan GOP lawmakers are worried a legalization initiative there will drive turnout and drive them from office, Tennessee lawmakers pass a bill to end civil asset forfeiture, and more.
In a historic first, a marijuana legalization bill wins a committee vote in Connecticut. (Wikimedia)
Marijuana Policy
Connecticut Legalization Bill Advances in Historic Committee Vote. For the first time, a marijuana legalization bill has won a committee vote in Hartford. The Assembly Appropriations Committee voted 27-24 Thursday to approve House Bill 5394, which calls for a developing a plan for legalization and regulation of sales, along with funding for drug prevention and treatment programs. The bill will now go before the full General Assembly.
Michigan's Looming Initiative Prompts GOP Lawmakers to Ponder Passing Preemptive Legalization Bill. There is a specter haunting the state's Republican lawmakers: The fear that a legalization initiative likely to appear on the ballot will encourage voter turnout and depress their chances of retaining control of the legislature. So now, GOP lawmakers are muttering about the possibility of approving marijuana legalization before the November election to thwart that possibility. Stay tuned.
Oregon County Sues State to Invalidate Legalization Law. Josephine County filed a lawsuit in US district court in Medford Tuesday challenging the state's marijuana legalization laws. The county seeks to invalidate the laws on the grounds they conflict with strict federal drug laws.
Medical Marijuana
Missouri Medical Marijuana Bill Killed in Committee. The Legislative Oversight Committee voted Wednesday to kill a medical marijuana bill, House Bill 1554. The bill would only have allowed some people suffering from terminal illnesses to use medical marijuana, but even that was too much for the committee. Show Me State residents will likely be able to vote directly on medical marijuana come November; a medical marijuana initiative campaign is now in the final stages of signature gathering and should qualify for the ballot.
Asset Forfeiture
Tennessee Legislature Passes Bill to End Civil Asset Forfeiture. The House on Wednesday and the Senate on Thursday have approved an asset forfeiture reform bill, Senate Bill 316. The bill ends civil asset forfeiture, requires "clear and convincing evidence" the asset is linked to a crime, and provides that all forfeited goods go into the state general fund. The bill now goes to the governor's desk.
Families
Arizona Legislature Passes Bill to Cut Off Parental Rights for Drug-Exposed Babies After One Year. The legislature has approved Senate Bill 1473, which would allow babies born exposed to drugs and whose parents have substance abuse problems to be put up for adoption by the first birthday. The bill would also let courts consider foster parents who have cared for an infant or toddler for at least nine months as equal to the child's family members when deciding who gets custody. Current law only allows adoption to take place after they are two years old. The bill is now on the desk of Gov. Doug Ducey (R).
