Drug War Chronicle #764 - December 20, 2012

In some ways, 2012 has been a year of dramatic, exciting change in drug policy, as the edifice of global drug prohibition appears to crumble before our eyes. In other ways it's still business as usual in the drug war. Here, we look at the biggest drug policy stories of the year.

With a new president taking over, Mexico has a chance to rethink its disastrous war on the cartels. Two new books on the Mexican drug wars have a few thoughts about where it's been and where it should go next.

We print a few of the testimonials received this year about what Drug War Chronicle does for the work of all the organizations in the movement.

Nonprofits including those in drug policy reform face continuing challenges in the tough economic environment. That means StoptheDrugWar.org and Drug War Chronicle need your support to do our job in 2013.

The number of prisoners in America is declining ever so slightly, but there are still 330,000 drug offenders doing time in state and federal prisons.

Pressure is mounting on the Obama administration to say how it will respond to the marijuana legalization votes in Colorado and Washington. Now, the head of the Senate Judiciary Committee is calling for hearings on the issue.

President Obama said Friday that going after marijuana users in states where it is legal is not a "top priority," but did not address what the federal government will do about taxation and regulation of marijuana commerce.

Dispensary wars continue in California, a package of restrictive bills passes in Michigan, and DC's long-awaited dispensaries are a step closer to opening.

A new Quinnipiac poll has support for marijuana legalization at 51% in New York state.

Detroit voted to legalize possession of up to an ounce by adults on private property, but local law enforcement is either ignoring the vote or still trying to figure out how to respond.

A female Memphis police officer was killed in a raid on a marijuana dealer, and a Dallas man died in an altercation with police investigating a report of drug activity. They are the 63rd and 64th to be killed in the US domestic drug war so far this year.

A small-town Florida department run amok loses its chief -- at least temporarily -- an Alabama cop gets caught delivering weed, four South Texas cops get caught running cocaine, and a Camden, New Jersey, sergeant goes down for a dope squad run amok there.