Drug War Chronicle #519 - January 18, 2008

The case of Canada's famed marijuana advocate Marc Emery raises issues of basic fairness and illuminates the darkness in today's criminal justice system.

Police deaths in the line of duty were up last year, and so was the number of cops killed by gunfire. But only handful died enforcing the drug laws, and policing remains safer than a good number of other professions.

An outline of DRCNet's plans and recent accomplishments and an appeal for your support to make it all happen.

"DEA Agents Sue NBC Universal Over the Film American Gangster," "Press Coverage of the Drug War is So Flawed it Actually Encourages People to Sell Marijuana," "Banning Cylindrical Objects Won't Stop People from Smoking Crack," "Philadelphia Police Say Marijuana Costs $100 Per Joint," "The Truth About Driving When You're High on Marijuana," "No Wonder They 'Went in Shooting' -- SWAT Team Had Violent Animated Gif on Web Site Before Killing Tarika Wilson," "A Grand Total of Five Cops Died Fighting the Drug War Last Year."

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Marc Emery, Canada's "Prince of Pot," announced this week that he has accepted a plea deal with US federal prosecutors that will spare his associates jail time but will see him do at least five years in prison -- mostly in Canada -- for selling marijuana seeds to customers in the US. The trio had faced mandatory minimums of 10 years and the possibility of life.

The Detroit drug squad is under investigation, a Pennsylvania police chief is accused of stealing money from drug busts, and a Wisconsin prison has a problem with pill-stealing guards.

Joining a handful of other states, Illinois made salvia divinorum illegal as of January 1. Now, Virginia wants to be next. A bill to ban it has already passed the House of Delegates and is headed to the state Senate.

Because small-time marijuana possession is decriminalized in California, a state appeals court has ruled that even if police see you smoking a joint in your living room, they still can't search your place without a warrant -- unless you let them.

A debate on drug policy is gathering steam in Vermont, where the legislature is set to ponder both marijuana decriminalization and harsher sentencing for some hard drug offenses.

For 30 years, Nebraska has lived with marijuana decriminalization. Now, a state legislator wants to take the state back to the bad old days.

Giving or selling any amount of marijuana to a minor can get you 10 years in South Dakota, but now the state attorney general wants to increase those penalties for all but small amounts, and his bill is moving in the legislature.

Caught in the middle of Iraq's simmering violence, Iraqi farmers are turning to the opium poppy to make a living. Militias and warlords are behind it, says British journalist Patrick Cockburn.

Nigeria's top narc warns of the evils of marijuana as he burns tons of the stuff, but it looks like he's fighting a losing battle.

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

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The Open Society Institute is hiring a Deputy Director for its International Harm Reduction Development Program.

Blue Mountain Heart to Heart, a nonprofit HIV/AIDS education, harm reduction and case work organization for Washington’s Walla Walla valley, is seeking applications for Executive Director.

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