Drug War Chronicle #461 - November 10, 2006

DRCNet's executive director offers a brief analysis of the new political dynamic in Washington as it affects drug policy.

Two marijuana legalization initiatives went down to defeat in Colorado and Nevada, but by relatively narrow margins. Organizers are vowing to try again.

Statewide marijuana initiatives may have had a tough time this year, but it was a clean sweep for local lowest priority initiatives, which went five for five, plus a local medical marijuana measure.

In a close vote, South Dakota voters became the first in the nation to turn back a medical marijuana initiative, but organizers vow to try again.

A drug reformer won a state house seat as a Democrat this week, but third-party reformers got largely ignored at the polls.

Arizona voters took a step backward by allowing first- and second-time methamphetamine offenders to be sentenced to jail or prison -- unlike any other Arizona drug possession offenders.

Four more Massachusetts representative districts have voted to ask their reps to support either marijuana decriminalization or medical marijuana bills in the state legislature.

A Kentucky deputy gets caught stealing from the office stash, so does a Cleveland court employee, and a Cleveland cop's husband's activities is raising eyebrows.

Events and quotes of note from this week's drug policy events of years past.

Federal authorities had not prosecuted a California medical marijuana patient or provider since the Ed Rosenthal trial blew up in their face three years ago, but that changed Wednesday.

Last year's Supreme Court decision making federal sentencing guidelines only advisory has led to confusion in the federal courts. Now the high court has agreed to hear two cases that could help stop the head-scratching--and maybe get some drug offenders some shorter sentences.

Public hearings on an Illinois bill that would divert first-time drug possession offenders into "drug schools" instead of prison are now underway across the state, and if the crowd in Chicago is any indication, public interest is high.