Drug War Chronicle #755 - October 18, 2012

The US Court of Appeals in DC heard oral arguments Tuesday in medical marijuana advocates' bid to overturn the DEA's decision to not reschedule the plant.

An effort to reform California's draconian Three Strikes law was foiled at the last minute in 2004, but this year, Proposition 36 appears set to cruise to victory. No more 25-to-life for getting caught with drugs after two previous felonies if it passes.

With marijuana legalization initiatives heading to the ballot, some with a good chance of passage, and with growing international support for a real debate on prohibition, people are talking about drug policy like they never have before. Our new book offers will help you be part of that conversation, while our new video offer will remind you why we should be angry too.

That 10-point or so lead that Colorado's Amendment 64 has been holding onto has begun to shrink, according to a new poll, and the measure is now just under 50% with 9% undecided.

With less than three weeks to go until election day, there is a lot of activity on the state-level initiative front -- but not everywhere. Some campaigns are staying mighty quiet, and that's a strategy that could work for them.

The federal rescheduling petition got a day in court, the feds keep up the pressure in California, a dispensary may actually open in New Jersey, and those are just the headlines. There's much more going on, too.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has conditionally vetoed a 911 Good Samaritan law aimed at avoiding fatal drug overdoses. He's afraid it might let drug dealers "off the hook" and wants the legislature to study the issue for another year-and-a-half instead.

The UK Drug Policy Commission has issued a report calling for the decriminalization of drug possession, among other reforms.

Allegations of torture and mistreatment by Mexican soldiers and police have increased dramatically as President Calderon wages his drug war, Amnesty International says in a new report.

A case with First Amendment implications has emerged in Texas, where a Mesquite woman was arrested and charged with a felony for outing a Mesquite police officer as an undercover narc.

A Louisiana man fleeing a drug bust crashed and died. He becomes the 50th person to die in US domestic drug law enforcement operations so far this year.

A St. Louis cop is headed for federal prison for re-selling seized pot, a Camden cop is heading there, too, for running amok in the drug war, a Miami cop awaits sentencing for transporting what he thought was cocaine, and a Baltimore jail guard gets popped for smuggling weed and psychedelics into the jail.