Drug War Chronicle #691 - July 7, 2011

Issue #691, Phillip S. Smith, Editor - David Borden, Executive Director

marijuana reform in Congress needs your support!

1. Administration Medical Marijuana Memo Causes Dismay, Anger [FEATURE]

The Obama Justice Department's "clarification" of its approach to medical marijuana is causing reactions ranging from dismay and disgust to confusion among advocates. Battle lines are being drawn.

2. Federal Crack Prisoners Will Get Sentence Cuts [FEATURE]

A lot of federal crack prisoners are going to get out early after the US Sentencing Commission made sentencing guideline amendments reducing crack sentences retroactive. That's a big deal.

3. ALERT: Support the End Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act in Congress!

A bipartisan group of US Representatives has introduced Congress's first bill to end the federal prohibition of marijuana. Please visit our action alert web site to take action in support.

4. Montana Judge Blocks Restrictive Medical Marijuana Provisions

A judge's ruling Thursday is a "partial victory" for medical marijuana in Montana, advocates said. But this is by no means the end of the fight.

5. Mexico Drug War Update

The Mexican government appears to be going after the Zetas, which must please the cartel's rivals.

6. This Week's Corrupt Cops Stories

A Florida 2010 Officer of the Year goes down, so does a Georgia police officer and a Georgia jail guard.

7. Indiana Lawmakers to Study Marijuana Legalization

A legislative commission with a broad mandate is set to reexamine Indiana's marijuana laws, and everything is on the table.

8. Mississippi Tea Partiers Push Welfare Drug Testing Initiative

The Mississippi Tea Party and some of its affiliates claim to want to impose a welfare drug testing program of a type already found unconstitutional by the federal judiciary.

9. Marijuana "Lowest Priority" Initiative Advances in Maine City

An initiative making adult pot possession the lowest law enforcement priority in Portland, Maine, has handed in more than enough signatures to qualify for the November ballot.

10. Chicago Man Killed in Drug Bust Gone Bad

An undercover drug operation in suburban Chicago gone "out of control" led to a shoot-out and car chase in a strip mall parking lot and generated the 31st drug law enforcement killing of the year.

11. Italian Top Court Says Balcony Marijuana Grows Okay

It's no longer a crime to grow a pot plant on your balcony in Italy, that country's high court has ruled.

12. This Week in History

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

Permission to Reprint: This issue of Drug War Chronicle is licensed under a modified Creative Commons Attribution license. Articles of a purely educational nature in Drug War Chronicle appear courtesy of DRCNet Foundation, unless otherwise noted.