Drug War Chronicle #574 - February 27, 2009

US Attorney General Eric Holder announced Wednesday that there would be no more DEA raids on medical marijuana dispensaries in states where it is legal. That is a huge victory, but the victory will not be complete as long as a single person remains in or threatened with federal prison for helping sick patients.

For the first time since California criminalized marijuana in 1913, a bill has been introduced to regulate and tax its legal sale and production.

The three Atlanta narcs whose phony drug raid ended with the death of a 92-year-old woman were sentenced to prison Tuesday. Has the Atlanta Police Department learned its lesson? The sentencing judge certainly hopes so.

A pair of cops turned thugs in St. Louis are jeopardizing a pile of drug convictions, a cop turned thug in Dallas will stay behind bars until trial, a Customs and Border Patrol officer heads to prison, and a Massachusetts town still can't find pot that went missing from its police department half a decade ago -- but it's trying.

Just a couple of weeks after dishing out a few billion dollars more for the drug war in the emergency stimulus bill, Congress is at it again in the 2009 omnibus appropriations bill. More money for Byrne JAG grants, more money for Plan Mexico, and just a tiny bit less for Plan Colombia.

The New Jersey senate passed a medical marijuana bill Monday, and the governor said Wednesday he would "absolutely" sign it. But it has to get through the Assembly first.

Salvia divinorum must be some pretty potent stuff. It's driving legislators loco all across the country as they insist on banning it simply because somebody, somewhere might get high on it.

Heroin maintenance programs in Switzerland and Germany have produced positive results there. Can it work in the US? Drug policy expert Peter Reuter looked at the prospects for Baltimore.

Kellogg may have miscalculated when it dumped Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps after the infamous bong photo surfaced. Not only did it stir up a boycott from marijuana activists, it now looks like it's hurting the food giant's reputation.

India's health minister wants to ban a dangerous drug... alcohol.

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

"Medical Marijuana Raids are Officially Over," "NJ Senate President Embarrasses Himself With Bad Pot Joke," "Colombia Threatens Obama With Cocaine Crisis if he Doesn't Give Them Money," "Kellogg's Stock Takes Big Hit After Phelps Bong Controversy," "Cops Going to Prison for Botched Drug Raid That Killed Elderly Woman," "Disabled Iraq Vet Loses Home Because of Marijuana Arrest," "Is a "Grow Your Own" Marijuana Policy Better Than Legalization?," "New Jersey Senate Approves Medical Marijuana Bill," "California Legislator Files 'Tax and Regulate' Marijuana Legalization Bill in Wake of Poll Showing Majority West Coast Support."

The Marijuana Policy Project is seeking a Communications Director for its office in Las Vegas.

The Rhode Island Patient Advocacy Coalition (RIPAC), a grassroots medical marijuana community of patients, caregivers, and advocates, is seeking an executive director to head its office in Providence.

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