Drug policy should be based on evidence, and the evidence calls for an end to drug prohibition, the British Medical Journal opined last week.
If past experience is any guide, don't hold your breath waiting for justice.
Medical marijuana could expand in Louisiana and New Jersey, CBD cannabis oil gets regulated in Michigan, and more.
Michigan marijuana stories abound, another Democratic presidential contender signs on to the federal legalization bill, Mexico's probable next president says he wants a debate on drug legalization, and more.
One of the world's most prestigious medical journals comes out for drug legalization, an Ohio marijuana legalization initiative aimed at 2019 gets initial approval, Quebec will take a look at festival pill testing, and more.
New York City has yet to escape from racially disproportionate marijuana arrests, the Mormon Church picks a fight with medical marijuana, nursing homes can't discriminate against people taking addiction medications, protests rock the capital of Georgia after a massive weekend drug bust, and more.
Marijuana policy is front and center in New York, Missouri cops are doing an end run around a state law requiring seized cash go the the state's schools, Britain sees its first permanent pill testing center for recreational drug users, and more.
Marijuana policy continues to roil New York, a US territory is on the verge of legalizing it, marchers protesting the killing of Keeven Robinson by Louisiana narcs demand justice, and more.
Embracing a harm reduction and public health perspective, one of the world's most prestigious medical journals has released a signed editorial calling for the legalization, taxation, and regulation of currently illegal drugs.
In a editorial last Thursday entitled
Drugs Should Be Legalised, Regulated, and Taxed, Fiona Godlee, editor in chief of the British Medical Journal, notes that under drug prohibition, the global trade "fuels organized crime and human misery," and asks, "Why should it not instead fund public services?"
Citing an opinion piece in the same issue of the BMJ from British members of the Law Enforcement Action Partnership (LEAP, formerly known as Law Enforcement Against Prohibition) Jason Reed and Paul Whitehouse, Godlee notes that in the United Kingdom (as in the United States) "vast sums are spent prosecuting individuals and trying vainly to interrupt the flow of drugs into cities" while that money would be much better "spent on quality control, education, treatment for drug users, and child protection." Under legalization, "revenues could be diverted from criminal gangs into government coffers," she writes.
Godlee notes that the global drug prohibition consensus is fraying around the edges, and points to the example of Portugal, which decriminalized the possession of all drugs in 2001. There, drug use remains in line with levels in other European countries, but the harms associated with drug use under prohibition have decreased dramatically, particularly in terms of fatal drug overdoses and the spread of injection drug-related infectious disease.
Godlee also pointed to the Netherlands, the United States, and soon, Canada, where "regulated markets for the sale of cannabis generate substantial tax revenues."
Again returning to the opinion piece by Reed and Whitehouse, Godlee writes that "when law enforcement officers call for drugs to be legalized, we have to listen." Ditto for when doctors speak up, she adds, noting that just last month, the Royal College of Physicians came out in favor of drug decriminalization, joining the British Medical Association, the Faculty of Public Health, and the Royal Society of Public Health in supporting drug policy reform.
"This is not about whether you think drugs are good or bad," Godlee concludes. "It is an evidence based position entirely in line with the public health approach to violent crime… The BMJ is firmly behind efforts to legalize, regulate, and tax the sale of drugs for recreational and medicinal use. This is an issue on which doctors can and should make their voices heard."
Unfortunately for the BMJ and the other public health advocates, as in the United States, the political class in the United Kingdom isn't yet on board with evidence-based best practices on drug policy. But this editorial loosens another brick in the wall -- on both sides of the Atlantic.
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New Orleans resident Keeven Robinson, 22, died after being arrested by Jefferson Parish narcotics officers last week. Police originally tried to blame his death on asthma, but now the Jefferson Parish coroner is telling a very different tale.
Keeven Robinson (Demone Robinson)
At a press conference Monday, Coroner Gerry Cvitanovich laid out what initial autopsy results uncovered: "Our initial autopsy findings reveal significant traumatic injuries to the neck, the soft tissue of the neck," he said. "These findings are consistent with compressional asphyxia. We are confident that at the end of our process, this is going to be the cause of death. Regarding manner of death, at this point, manner of death is homicide."
Cvitanovich was quick to point out that when he said "homicide," he did not mean in the legal sense, but in the sense that Robinson died as a result of the actions of others.
According to the sheriff's office, four undercover narcotics deputies, who Sheriff Joe Lopinto did not name but identified as white, were surveilling Robinson, a black man, as part of a drug dealing investigation and followed him to a gas station on Jefferson Highway late last Thursday morning.
When Robinson noticed the agents, who wore badges, approaching him, he attempted to drive off, but jumped from his car about a block away after running into two sheriff's vehicles. The narcs pursued Robinson in a foot chase as he leaped over fences before catching him in the back yard of a residence.
Again, according to the sheriff's office, the deputies then struggled with Robinson, who was carrying what they suspected to be heroin, before they managed to handcuff him. At that point, he stopped breathing. He was rushed to Oshsner Medical Center nearby, but died there.
Jefferson Parish sheriff's deputies do not wear body cams.
Robinson was not armed, though Sheriff Lopinto said a gun was found in his car.
Lopinto originally said investigators were looking into whether Robinson's history of asthma contributed to his death, but his family immediately expressed skepticism about that possibility. They said they feared the narcs had either beaten or strangled him to death.
And the coroner's report is proving them correct. Jefferson Parish NAACP President Gaylor Spiller said she was pleased the coroner's office issued a ruling on Robinson's death so quickly and that "there was no cover up."
But Spiller was speaking prematurely. The investigation into the killing of Keeven Robinson is just getting started, and the inevitable finding that no one is criminally responsible is still months away. Call me cynical , or call me a student of what happens when police kill people.
In this case, an unarmed black drug suspect was choked to death by four white narcs. Who wants to bet on any of them being charged with a crime?
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Medical marijuana could expand in Louisiana and New Jersey, CBD cannabis oil gets regulated in Michigan, and more.
Louisiana
Last Wednesday, the Senate approved adding qualifying conditions for medical marijuana. The Senate voted 25-9 to approve House Bill 579, which adds glaucoma, severe muscle spasms, intractable pain, PTSD, and Parkinson's Disease to the state's list of qualifying conditions for the use of medical marijuana. It also voted 21-10 to approve House Bill 627, which adds autism spectrum disorders to the list. The bills have already passed the House, but must be approved there again after changes were made in the Senate.
Michigan
Last Thursday, the state announced it will regulate CBD cannabis oil as marijuana. State regulators announced that CBD cannabis oil products will be covered by the state's medical marijuana laws. The Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs declared that state law allows for the use of CBD cannabis oil -- if it comes from marijuana plants, not hemp plants. "We received lots of questions about if CBD was going to be regulated along with marijuana and how hemp plays into that," said department spokesman David Harns. "Now is the right time to send out an advisory bulletin."
New Jersey
On Tuesday, a bill was filed to expand the state's medical marijuana system. Responding to Gov. Phil Murphy's (D) call to reform the state's medical marijuana program, a trio of state senators has filed a bill that would allow more dispensaries and grows to open, as well as permitting more medical professionals to recommend the drug to their patients. The bill, Senate Bill 10, is not yet available on the legislative web site.
Pennsylvania
On Monday, the governor approved university research on medical marijuana. Gov. Tom Wolf (D) has given the go-ahead for eight universities in the state to start studying medical marijuana. It would be the commonwealth's "first step towards clinical research" on the drug. He formally declared them to be "Certified Academic Clinical Research Centers."
Utah
Last Friday, the Mormon Church ups the ante in fight against medical marijuana initiative. The church last Friday doubled down on its opposition to the medical marijuana initiative set for the November ballot. The church released a seven-page memorandum raising dozens of complaints it says "raises grave concerns about this initiative and the serious adverse consequences that could follow if it were adopted."
[For extensive information about the medical marijuana debate, presented in a neutral format, visit MedicalMarijuana.ProCon.org.]
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Michigan marijuana stories abound, another Democratic presidential contender signs on to the federal legalization bill, Mexico's probable next president says he wants a debate on drug legalization, and more.
It's increasingly looking like Michigan will legalize weed come November.
Kamala Harris Signs On to Cory Booker's Legalization Bill. Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA), oft mentioned as a potential Democratic presidential contender, is the latest senator to cosponsor Sen. Cory Booker's (D-NJ) marijuana legalization bill, S. 1689. Booker is also a potential Democratic presidential contender, as are two of the other three cosponsors, Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY). The only non-presidential contender cosponsor is Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR).
Michigan Poll Finds Voters Ready to Legalize Marijuana.A new Michigan State University Institute for Public Policy and Social Research poll strongly suggests the marijuana legalization initiative will cruise to victory in November. The poll found 61% saying they want to legalize marijuana, with 34% opposed. Only 5% were undecided. "Marijuana legalization is the only issue with fewer than 15% undecided. Since the marijuana initiative has a large lead with relatively few undecideds, it appears likely that it will pass," said MSU economics professor Charles Ballard, the director of SOSS.
Michigan GOP Gubernatorial Contenders Reject Marijuana Legalization. All of the Republican candidates for the state governorship are united on at least two things: Support for President Trump, and opposition to marijuana legalization. But at least one, Attorney General Bill Schuette, recognized the handwriting on the wall. "But I think citizens of the state will have a chance to vote, and democracy will prevail," he said.
Michigan Senate Panel Votes to Ban Marijuana-Infused Beer and Wine. Trying to get ahead of a potential "disaster," the Senate Regulatory Reform Committee on Wednesday voted unanimously to approve Senate Bill 969, which bans the sale and use of marijuana-infused beer, wine, and spirits. "This is happening in Colorado and should the ballot proposal pass in November, we're going to end up with it here," argued bill sponsor Sen. Rick Jones (R-Grand Lodge). "It's a recipe for disaster." The bill now goes before the full Senate.
Wisconsin's Milwaukee County Could See Advisory Referendum on Legalizing Marijuana. The Board of Supervisors' Committee on Judiciary, Safety and General Services on Thursday unanimously passed a resolution to put a non-binding advisory referendum on the November ballot. Voters would be asked: "Do you favor allowing adults 21 years of age and older to engage in the personal use of marijuana, while also regulating commercial marijuana-related activities, and imposing a tax on the sale of marijuana?" The full board will take up the resolution at its May 24 meeting.
Medical Marijuana
Louisiana Senate Approves Adding Qualifying Conditions for Medical Marijuana. The Senate voted 25-9 Wednesday to approve House Bill 579, which adds glaucoma, severe muscle spasms, intractable pain, PTSD, and Parkinson's Disease to the state's list of qualifying conditions for the use of medical marijuana. It also voted 21-10 to approve House Bill 627, which adds autism spectrum disorders to the list. The bills have already passed the House, but must be approved there again after changes were made in the Senate.
International
Mexico's Leading Presidential Candidate Calls for Debate on Drug Legalization. Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO), the left-leaning front-runner in the country's presidential election, has saiad he is open to debating drug legalization to reduce violence and criminality in the country. "All topics should be analyzed. Health is affected more by alcohol and tobacco than other drugs, and prohibiting these drugs creates more violence. Why not talk about it? And why not -- if it's what's best for the country -- approve it and implement it, listening to everyone's input?" he said,during an event titled "Dialogue for Peace and Justice," organized by several non-governmental organizations. AMLO also mentioned a general strategy to counter violence in the country, including a national peace dialog. "If there's crime, an activity will be done, and they will change it, criminals will do other things and my concern is that, by opening the market to drugs, other kinds of crimes will surge. The best thing would be to address the causes, the structure, reach the bottom of things without forgetting these measures (legalization)."
Mexican Soldiers Killed in Guerrero Gun Battle. Three Mexican Army soldiers were killed and three more wounded in a shootout with suspected drug gang members at a ranch outside Coyuca de Benitez, Guerrero. The ranch belonged to a former mayor of the town, who had resigned to run for state congress, but was killed Tuesday. At least 18 politicians have been killed in the state since September. Guerrero is one of Mexico's prime opium growing regions.
(This article was prepared by StoptheDrugWar.org's 501(c)(4) lobbying nonprofit, the Drug Reform Coordination Network, which also pays the cost of maintaining this web site. DRCNet Foundation takes no positions on candidates for public office, in compliance with section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, and does not pay for reporting that could be interpreted or misinterpreted as doing so.)
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One of the world's most prestigious medical journals comes out for drug legalization, an Ohio legalization initiative aimed at 2019 gets initial approval, Quebec will take a look at festival pill testing, and more.
What's in those Ecstasy pills? Quebec may start a pilot pill testing program at festivals to help users find out. (Erowid)
New Jersey Has Final Public Hearing on Marijuana Legalization Saturday. A meeting tomorrow in Paramus will be the last chance for members of the public to get their opinions on marijuana legalization heard by legislators. The Assembly Oversight, Reform, and Federal Relations Committee will take testimony from invited speakers and the public on the impact at the meeting at Bergen Community College at 10:00am.
Ohio Attorney General Okays Legalization Initiative. State Attorney General Mike DeWine (R) has certified a marijuana legalization as being "fair and truthful," the first step in putting the measure before voters. The Marijuana Rights and Regulations Act now goes to the Ohio Ballot Board, which will determine if it constitutes one or multiple ballot questions. If approved by the board, campaigners would then have to gather nearly 306,000 valid voter signatures to qualify for the ballot. But because the deadline for signatures for initiatives appearing on the 2018 ballot is July, campaigners are instead aiming for the 2019 ballot.
Medical Marijuana
Michigan to Now Regulate CBD Oil as Marijuana. State regulators announced Thursday that CBD cannabis oil products will be covered by the state's medical marijuana laws. The Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs declared that state law allows for the use of CBD cannabis oil -- if it comes from marijuana plants, not hemp plants. "We received lots of questions about if CBD was going to be regulated along with marijuana and how hemp plays into that," said department spokesman David Harns. "Now is the right time to send out an advisory bulletin."
Heroin and Prescription Opioids
Minnesota Senate Approves Bill to Fund Opioid Treatment With Drug Company Fees. The Senate voted 60-6 Thursday to approve Senate File 730, which would raise $20 million a year from licensing fees on drug distributors and manufacturers to fund opioid treatment. A companion measure in the House awaits a final committee vote before heading to the House floor.
International
British Medical Journal Calls for Drug Legalization. The BMJ, one of the world's most prestigious medical journals, on Thursday published an editorial calling for illegal drugs to be legalized, taxed, and regulated. The editorial cited a BMJ opinion piece by Law Enforcement Action Partnership (LEAP) UK members, as well as the recent call by the Royal Academy of Physicians for drug decriminalization. "This is not about whether you think drugs are good or bad. It is an evidence based position entirely in line with the public health approach to violent crime… The BMJ is firmly behind efforts to legalize, regulate, and tax the sale of drugs for recreational and medicinal use. This is an issue on which doctors can and should make their voices heard."
Canada's Quebec Authorizes Research into Allowing Festival Pill Testing. The Quebec Health Ministry has announced that it has authorized a $100,000 study to examine the potential outcomes of allowing people to have their drugs tested at festivals, night clubs, and LBGT venues. The study will end in 2020 and then make recommendations to the provincial government about going ahead with a pilot pill testing program. The practice is currently illegal under Canadian law unless the federal government grants an exemption.
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New York City has yet to escape from racially disproportionate marijuana arrests, the Mormon Church picks a fight with medical marijuana, nursing homes can't discriminate against people taking addiction medications, protests rock the capital of Georgia after a massive weekend drug bust, and more.
NYPD seems to think marijuana users only come in the colors black and brown. (IRIN)
Oklahoma Legalization Initiative Campaign Getting Underway. A Tulsa-based group calling itself Green the Vote is now collecting signatures for a constitutional amendment to legalize marijuana. Campaigners will need nearly 124,000 valid voter signatures by September 8 to qualify for the November ballot. A medical marijuana initiative is already set to go before the voters next month.
New York City Pot Bust Racial Disparities Aren't Going Away. A major investigation by the New York Times has found continued racial disparities in marijuana enforcement and arrests in every neighborhood in the City. "Across the city, black people were arrested on low-level marijuana charges at eight times the rate of white, non-Hispanic people over the past three years. Hispanic people were arrested at five times the rate of white people. In Manhattan, the gap is even starker: Black people there were arrested at 15 times the rate of white people."
Medical Marijuana
Mormon Church Ups the Ante in Fight Against Utah Medical Marijuana Initiative. The church last Friday doubled down on its opposition to the medical marijuana initiative set for the November ballot. The church released a seven-page memorandum raising dozens of complaints it says "raises grave concerns about this initiative and the serious adverse consequences that could follow if it were adopted."
Drug Treatment
Justice Department: Nursing Facilities Can't Exclude Patients Using Addiction Medication. The Justice Department has reached a settlement with a skilled nursing facility in which the facility agreed to pay a fine for excluding a patient because the patient was being treated for opioid use disorder with suboxone and agreed not to discriminate in the future. "Our office is committed to protecting the rights of people with disabilities, which includes those in treatment for an Opioid Use Disorder," United States Attorney for Massachusetts Andrew Lelling said. "As Massachusetts faces this overdose epidemic, now more than ever, individuals in recovery must not face discriminatory barriers to treatment."
International
Taliban Kill Dozens of Afghan Police in Opium Trafficking Areas. In attacks late last week, Taliban fighters attacking Afghan police bases in Farah province, killing more than 30 police. The province, in the west of the country, contains vital opium smuggling routes into neighboring Iran. Opium from Afghanistan's primary opium province, Helmand, moves north into Farah before heading for the Iranian border.
Georgia Sees Mass Protests After Weekend Mass-Arrest Drug Raids. The capital, Tbilisi, was rocked by mass protests all weekend long after interior ministry police raided two popular nightclubs and arrested more than 60 people on drug charges. Protesters were demanding the freedom of those arrested and a liberalization of the country's drug policies, and were only persuaded to stop -- at least until next weekend -- after Interior Minister Giorgi Gakharia promised the government would start working on drug reforms today. The protests also saw the emergence of ultra-rightist thugs who came out to counter-demonstrate.
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Marijuana policy is front and center in New York, Missouri cops are doing an end run around a state law requiring seized cash go the the state's schools, Britain sees its first permanent pill testing center for recreational drug users, and more.
Missouri cops hand seized cash off to the feds rather than let the state's schools get their hands on it. (Wikimedia)
New York Democratic Party About to Endorse Marijuana Legalization. The state Democratic Party is expected to pass a resolution in support of marijuana legalization at its convention next week, a party document says. The move comes as Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) faces a primary challenge from actress Cynthia Nixon, who has embraced legalization.
New York Governor Says Marijuana Legalization Report Coming Any Day Now. A long-awaited report on the impact of marijuana legalization in other states and how New York might be effected will be released "within days," Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) said Monday. "That report should be done shortly," Cuomo said. "How do you define shortly? It is supposed to be done by calendar, it should be done within days." Cuomo had opposed legalization, but has lately been shifting his ground. "To say well, it won't be in New York I think is to avoid reality at that point," Cuomo added. "The facts changed on this issue and the facts changed quickly."
New York City Mayor Says NYPD Will Change How It Enforces Marijuana Laws. Two days after the New York Times reported on continuing vast racial disparities in marijuana arrests in the city, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Tuesday that the NYPD will be changing how it enforces the pot laws. "The NYPD will overhaul and reform its policies related to marijuana enforcement in the next 30 days," de Blasio said. "We must and we will end unnecessary arrests and end disparity in enforcement. It's time for those to be a thing of the past in New York City and all over this country.
Medical Marijuana
Pennsylvania Governor Okays University Research on Medical Marijuana. Gov. Tom Wolf (D) has given the go-ahead for eight universities in the state to start studying medical marijuana. It would be the commonwealth's "first step towards clinical research" on the drug. He formally declared them to be "Certified Academic Clinical Research Centers."
Asset Forfeiture
Missouri Cops Steal Money From School Kids. Under state law, money seized as asset forfeitures by police is supposed to go to the state's schools, but that's not what's happening. Missouri law enforcement agencies seized more than $19 million in the last three years, but only $340,000, or about 2%, actually made it to schools. That's because law enforcement agencies instead turn asset forfeiture cases to the federal government under an arrangement that allows 80% of the seizure to go back to the seizing law enforcement agency. A bill to limit the practice was defeated last year, but is back again this year.
International
Britain Sees First Pill Testing Center. The first pill testing center for recreational drug users in Britain has opened in Bristol. Pill testing has gone on at a number of British music festivals, but the new pop-up lab is the first permanent installation. It will be run by a charity, which will also provide drug counseling sessions.
Georgian Government Promises New Drug Policy by June. In the wake of a weekend of drug busts and mass demonstrations against them, Parliament Speaker Irakli Kobakhidze said Monday the government will adopt a new, more liberal drug policy by the end of June. He said the ruling Georgian Dream Party was split on the issue, but added that he thought an agreement could be reached. "Even though there are different positions in the ruling party, we also have the resources to achieve an agreement. We want to draft a bill and submit it in the next two weeks, which will be a precondition for adopting a law by the end of June," he said, adding the main aim of the draft is to reduce drug consumption in the country and adoption of a more humane policy.
(This article was prepared by StoptheDrugWar.org's 501(c)(4) lobbying nonprofit, the Drug Reform Coordination Network, which also pays the cost of maintaining this web site. DRCNet Foundation takes no positions on candidates for public office, in compliance with section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, and does not pay for reporting that could be interpreted or misinterpreted as doing so.)
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Marijuana policy continues to roil New York, a US territory is on the verge of legalizing it, marchers protesting the killing of Keeven Robinson by Louisiana narcs demand justice, and more.
That's 55% supporting marijuana legalization -- in Georgia. (11 Alive screen grab)
Georgia Poll Has Solid Majority for Marijuana Legalization. A new Survey USA/11 Alive News poll has a solid majority for legalization. The poll found 55% in favor, with 35% opposed and 10% undecided. The level of support for legalization is up seven points over the last time the question was polled two years ago.
New York Legal Marijuana Could Generate $3 Billion in Revenues, Report Finds. New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer released an analysis Tuesday estimating that the adult legal market for marijuana in the state could be roughly $3.1 billion. Sales at that level would net as much as $436 million in tax revenues annually, including up to $335 million for New York City alone.
Manhattan DA Announces Plan to End Small-Time Marijuana Prosecutions. Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance, Jr. said Tuesday that his office would stop prosecuting people for smoking or possessing marijuana as of August 1. There would be an exception for cases where there is a clear public safety concern. Vance said the move was part of a broader effort to end the city's wide racial disparity in marijuana arrests and prosecutions.
Northern Marianas Senate Approves Marijuana Legalization Bill. A bill that would legalize marijuana and allow for legal, regulated, and taxed marijuana commerce passed the Senate of the Pacific US territory on Wednesday. The bill now goes to the House. If approved there, it would then go to the desk of Gov. Ralph Torres (R).
Medical Marijuana
New Jersey Bill Would Expand Medical Marijuana System. Responding to Gov. Phil Murphy's (D) call to reform the state's medical marijuana program, a trio of state senators has filed a bill that would allow more dispensaries and grows to open, as well as permitting more medical professionals to recommend the drug to their patients. The bill, Senate Bill 10, is not yet available on the legislative web site.
Law Enforcement
Louisiana's Jefferson Parish NAACP Calls for Arrest of White Narcs Who Choked Black Drug Suspect to Death. As hundreds of protestors marched Monday night through East Jefferson to demand justice in the death of Keeven Robinson, 22, local NAACP head Gaylor Spiller called for the four white undercover officers involved to arrested on murder charges -- and not be placed on paid vacation while awaiting resolution of their cases. Four Jefferson Parish narcs chased Robinson through back yards and over fences before subduing him and leaving him dead. The parish coroner reported Monday that Robinson's death was a homicide caused by compression of his neck during his arrest. He was unarmed.
International
British Nurses Call for Legalizing Medical Marijuana. Members of the Royal College of Nursing have voted overwhelmingly in favor of lobbying the government to legalize medical marijuana. The nurses argued that if drugs such as morphine and fentanyl are legal, medical marijuana should be, too.
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