Drug War Chronicle #884 - April 30, 2015

Oregon Drug Fugitive Killed After SWAT Standoff

A Eugene man wanted for failure to appear on drug charges was shot and killed by Salem Police SWAT officers last Friday after repeatedly refusing to surrender. Mark Cecil Hawkins, 49, becomes the 21^st person to die in US domestic drug law enforcement operations so far this year.

According to the Salem Statesman-Journal, citing law enforcement sources, Salem police officers approached Hawkins, whom they correctly believed had an outstanding warrant, in the parking lot of a Walmart store, where his bus turned recreational vehicle was parked. Hawkins fled into the bus and refused commands to come out.

When more officers and a police dog arrived, Hawkins came out of the vehicle, and he and the officers exchanged fire. No one was hit, but the police dog was slightly wounded. Hawkins then retreated back into the bus.

At this point, the Salem SWAT team was called in and spent several hours attempting to negotiate a surrender with Hawkins. During this time, Hawkins again opened fire.

More than six hours into the negotiations, SWAT officers used armored vehicles equipped with battering rams to rip open the walls of the vehicle. That exposed Hawkins, who was holding a handgun and who refused to comply with demands he surrender.

Officers then opened fire on Hawkins, striking him nine times. He fell out of the bus and was transferred to Salem Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Hawkins had originally been charged with meth distribution in Lane County and had been sought on a failure to appear warrant since he didn't show up in court last December.

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California Game Warden Kills Armed Marijuana Grower

A California game warden shot and killed a suspected marijuana grower during a raid early this morning at a federal wildlife refuge near Elk Grove. The as-yet-unidentified man becomes the 22^nd person to die in US domestic drug law enforcement operations so far this year.

According to the Sacramento Bee, citing law enforcement sources, a team composed of agents from the state Department of Justice Mountain and Valley Marijuana Investigation team, the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office, and the Department of Fish and Wildlife game warden hit a suspected marijuana grow just after sunrise.

Raiders approached the patch from several different angles, and one of the teams confronted the grower, who police said was armed.

"The man was armed and pointed his weapon at the officers," said state Department of Justice spokeswoman Michelle Gregory. "He was told to lower that weapon but did not comply."

"There was a mortal threat to one of the officers by the armed suspect," said Fish and Wildlife spokesman Captain Patrick Foy.

The man was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics.

There's no word on whether any of the law enforcement personnel were wearing body cameras that could verify their accounts. There were apparently no other witnesses.

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Medical Marijuana Update

Bills to fold medical marijuana into the legal marijuana system advance in Oregon and become law in Washington, Florida gears up for another initiative campaign after the legislature fails to act, the Oklahoma legislature passes a CBD cannabis oil bill, and more.

Alabama

Last Wednesday, a medical marijuana bill won a committee vote. The Senate Judiciary Committee approved the bill on a 4-3 vote. The measure is Senate Bill 326, sponsored by Sen. Bobby Singleton (D-Greensboro).

California

On Monday, opponents of Yuba County's new cultivation ordinance rallied in Marysville. The ordinance approved last month banned outdoor grows and limited indoor ones to a dozen plants in an accessory building.

On Tuesday, a proposed Vacaville ordinance to ban medical marijuana grows died on a tie vote. The council had unanimously approved a draft ordinance banning grows last November, but relented in the face of opposition from local citizens.

Colorado

On Monday a bill allowing probationers and parolees to use medical marijuana passed the legislature. The bill, House Bill 1267, passed the Senate on a 34-1 vote Monday and has already passed the House.

Florida

On Tuesday, the legislative session ended and the 2016 medical marijuana initiative campaign began. The session ended Tuesday without any action on pending medical marijuana legislation, and the United for Care campaign, which led the defeated 2014 initiative (it got 58% of the vote, but needed 60% because it was a constitutional amendment), immediately announced it was aiming to get back on the ballot next year.

Iowa

On Monday, the House speaker reitereated that he will block a medical marijuana bill. House Speaker Kraig Paulsen (R-Hiawatha) has repeated that he will not allow a medical marijuana bill to be considered this year. Sen. Joe Bolkcom (D-Iowa City), the sponsor of Senate File 484, had said Monday that the House had a "moral obligation" to consider the bill, which has already passed the Senate. But Paulsen said he didn't understand what Bolkcom meant and that the carefully drawn bill was "virtually a recreational use bill." The session ends May 1.

New York

Last Thursday the state began accepting applications for medical marijuana licenses. The state Department of Health announced that it is accepting applications from entities that want to register to grow or distribute medical marijuana. The state expects to announce the companies selected by July.

On Wednesday, a bill to expedite the state's medical marijuana program was filed. Assemblymen Richard Gottfried (D) and Brian Kolb (R) today filed Assembly Bill 7060, which would direct the state to establish a program to help patients get access to medical marijuana as soon as possible. Gottfried is head of the Assembly Health Committee and Kolb is the Assembly Minority Leader. The bill comes 10 months after Gov. Cuomo signed the state's limited medical marijuana bill into law, but no Empire State patient has yet to receive legal medical marijuana.

Oklahoma

On Monday, a CBD cannabis oil study bill passed the legislature. The bill, House Bill 2154, passed the House 85-5 today for final approval after it had been modified in the Senate. Now, it's up to Gov. Mary Fallin (R) to sign it.

Oregon

On Monday, a bill to regulate medical marijuana advanced. A bill that puts new limits on medical marijuana growers is moving. The measure, an amendment to Senate Bill 844, is expected to be approved a House-Senate marijuana committee tomorrow. It would limit current growers to 96 plants, new growers to 48 plants. It would limit current residential growers to 24 plants and new ones to 12 plants. But it would also bar cities and counties from banning dispensaries and growing and processing operations.

Texas

On Tuesday, a trio of medical marijuana bills got a hearing, but no action. The House Committee on Public Health heard emotional testimony Tuesday night from patients, parents, and veterans seeking access to medical marijuana or CBD cannabis oil. Despite the hours of testimony, the committee took no action on any of the bills. Click on the link to read testimony details.

Washington

Last Friday, the governor signed a bill folding medical marijuana into the legal marijuana system. Gov. Jay Inslee (D) last Friday signed into law Senate Bill 5052, which attempts to regulate the state's previously unregulated medical marijuana system and bring it into harmony with its legal marijuana system. The bill creates a voluntary registry system for patients that would allow them to possess more marijuana than others and face lower taxes. It will also eliminate the "collective gardens" that currently supply thousands of patients, although it will allow "cooperative gardens" for no more than four patients. Some collective gardens will be allowed to continue; they will be given priority in licensing if they have been good citizens.

[For extensive information about the medical marijuana debate, presented in a neutral format, visit MedicalMarijuana.ProCon.org.]

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This Week's Corrupt Cops Stories

More jail guards get greedy, an Oklahoma deputy self-medicates with meth from the evidence room, and a San Jose cop gets popped with a storage locker of pot. Let's get to it.

In Texarkana, Texas, a Bowie county jail guard was arrested last Wednesday after getting caught trying to smuggle marijuana into the jail inside a bag of Cheetos Puffs. The unnamed 19-year-old guard went for a break and was searched upon returning to the jail. He has been charged with possession of prohibited substances inside a correctional facility.

In Wilburton, Oklahoma, a former Latimer County sheriff's deputy was arrested last Wednesday for stealing drugs from the evidence room. Bobby Joe Eubanks went down after the sheriff asked the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation to look into missing drug evidence. Eubanks had been in charge of the evidence room before he was fired earlier this year, and the sheriff said he had found drugs in Eubanks' official vehicle while cleaning it. Eubanks admitted to twice stealing meth evidence and said he used it to cope with PTSD from his service in Afghanistan.

In Little Rock, Arkansas, a Pulaski County jail deputy was arrested last Thursday after jailers intercepted a call saying contraband would be left in his vehicle in the jail parking lot, then caught him trying to bring it into the jail. Deputy Kyle Guyer, 24, got caught with one package in hand containing money, candy, and tobacco. A second package containing meth and marijuana was recovered from his car. He is charged with using a communication device to facilitate crimes, criminal attempt to furnish prohibited articles that include marijuana and methamphetamines, furnishing prohibited articles, and unauthorized use of another's property.

In San Jose, California, a San Jose police officer was arrested last Friday on felony marijuana charges nearly a year after fellow officers found more than a dozen pounds of weed in a storage locker rented in his name. Son Vu, 44, is now charged with possession of marijuana with intent to distribute and "maintaining an illegal stash location."

In West Chester, Pennsylvania, a Chester County Prison guard was arrested Tuesday on charges he smuggled drugs to inmates. Guard Douglas Keck, 45, now faces three to six years in prison on introducing contraband charges. Oh, he has been fired, too.

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Chronicle AM: Another CA Init Filed, AL MedMJ Advances, Irish Ponder Decrim, More (4/23/15)

The legalization initiatives are piling up in California, and we're still waiting for the big one; Rick Perry talks states' rights on pot, an Alabama medical marijuana bill is actually moving, so is a California asset forfeiture reform bill, and more.

Marijuana Policy

Third California Legalization Initiative Filed. And then there were three, when two previously unknown activists filed The Responsible Use Act of 2016 with state officials. It would allow for the personal possession of up to 24 ounces and the cultivation of up to 12 mature plants. The initiative also envisions marijuana commerce regulated by a Cannabis Control Board. If qualified for signature-gathering, the initiative would need slightly more than half a million valid voter signatures to qualify for the ballot.

Rick Perry Says Marijuana Legalization is a States' Rights Issue. The former Texas governor and potential GOP presidential contender told conservative talk radio host Hugh Hewitt Tuesday that legalization should be up to the states. "Well, I'm a big believer in the 10th Amendment," he said. "I don't agree with those decisions that were made by... the state of Colorado or Washington, but I will defend it to my death, if you will, to allow them to make those decisions. So you know, I think I'm closer to Ted [Cruz] there than I am to Chris [Christie]. I just happen to think that that's one of those that maybe the federal government got wrong to begin with from the standpoint of you've got to have some, you've got to have, you either believe in the 10th Amendment or you don't, is kind of where I come down on it."

Pacific Northwest Voters Still Happy With Legalization. A new Oregon poll has 53% of voters still supporting legalization, while a Washington poll has support at 51%. In both states, support has declined slightly from Election Day (56% in Oregon and 54% in Washington), but is still above 50%.

Medical Marijuana

Alabama Medical Marijuana Bill Wins Committee Vote. The Senate Judiciary Committee approved a medical marijuana bill Wednesday on a 4-3 vote. The measure is Senate Bill 326, sponsored by Sen. Bobby Singleton (D-Greensboro).

Florida Medical Marijuana Effort Dead for This Session. Sunshine State patients will get no relief from Tallahassee this year. Sen. Jeff Brandes (R-St. Petersburg), who has been pushing to quicken the implementation of last year's CBD cannabis oil law, said Wednesday that even that effort is dead. The Senate postponed Senate Bill 7066 Wednesday, and Brandes said he didn't think either chamber would take it up again this year.

Asset Forfeiture

California Asset Forfeiture Reform Bill Wins Committee Vote. The Assembly Public Safety Committee Tuesday approved Senate Bill 443, which would rein in civil asset forfeiture abuses. It now goes to the Assembly Appropriations Committee. The sponsor is Sen. Holly Mitchell (D-Los Angeles).

International

Ireland to Consider Marijuana Decriminalization. Incoming Minister of State with Responsibility for the Drug Strategy Aodhan O'Riordain will examine the possibility of decriminalizing marijuana, he said today. "I think people -- guards, the prison service -- will probably agree with me on that," he said. "We have an opportunity through the legislation that is forthcoming the Misuse of Drugs Act to investigate that. I am going to make any hard calls on that but the difference between decriminalization and legalization is quite different. We need to have a proper discussion before we set up alarm bells in people's heads."

(This article was prepared by StoptheDrugWar.org's lobbying arm, Drug Reform Coordination Network, which also pays the cost of maintaining this web site. DRCNet Foundation takes no positions on candidates for public office, in compliance with section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, and does not pay for reporting that could be interpreted or misinterpreted as doing so.)

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Chronicle AM: MT Forfeiture Reform Passes Legislature, IL Pot Decrim Passes House, More (4/24/15)

Decrim advances in Illinois, an Ohio legalization initiative is rolling along, asset forfeiture reform passes in Montana and is now under consideration in Michigan, Vancouver will regulate its dispensaries, and more.

Marijuana Policy

Illinois House Passes Decriminalization Bill. The House Thursday approved House Bill 218, sponsored by Rep. Kathy Cassidy (D-Chicago). The bill would make possession of 15 grams or less an infraction punishable only by a fine of no more than $125. Under current law, people face up to a year in jail for simple possession. The bill now goes to the state Senate.

Ohio Legalization Initiative Making Progress on Signature-Gathering. The Responsible Ohio legalization initiative campaign has gathered more than 180,000 signatures in its effort to put its initiative before voters in November. Buckeye State initiatives need 305,000 valid voter signatures to qualify for the ballot, so the group probably needs to gather something like 400,000 signatures to ensure that disqualifications don't knock it off the ballot. Responsible Ohio says it is aiming even higher -- for 700,000 signatures. They have until July to gather them. A second legalization initiative, aiming at 2016, Ohioans To End Prohibition, is just in the initial phase of its campaign, while a third effort, led by the Ohio Rights Group, says it will not manage to qualify this year and has filed Election Commission complaints claiming that people associated with Responsible Ohio have interfered with its efforts.

Heroin

Heroin Use Up Sharply in Past Decade, SAMSHA Says. The number of heroin users in the country was stable at around 400,000 between 2002 and 2007, but began increasing in 2008 and reached 681,000 by 2013, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA). But that's still less than one-third of 1% of the population. Another 11 million people, or 4% of the population, used prescription pills for off-label reasons.

Asset Forfeiture

Michigan Asset Forfeiture Reform Bill Package Filed. A bipartisan package of eight asset forfeiture reform bills was filed Wednesday with support from the legislature's Republican leadership. One bill would create uniform, mandatory reporting requirements and raise the standard of evidence needed for a seizure from "a preponderance" to "clear and convincing." Another bill would bar seizures of vehicles used by someone buying an ounce of pot or less. The package doesn't include a bill to ban civil asset forfeiture outright, but it's a start.

Montana Legislature Passes Bill Ending Civil Asset Forfeiture. A bill that would end civil asset forfeiture passed the House Thursday. House Bill 463 had already passed the Senate and now heads for the governor's desk. New Mexico and Wyoming have both passed similar laws this year; the New Mexico governor signed hers, but the Wyoming governor vetoed his.

Drug Testing

Florida ACLU Targets Police Field Drug Tests. The ACLU of Florida is investigating the presumptive field test kits police use to make drug arrests. The move comes just a day after Hillsborough County Public Defender called them "faulty" and "inaccurate." Scientists have reported that kits like the Nark 2 are unreliable, but thousands of people have been arrested on the basis of their field test results.

Louisiana Bill Would Let Employers Drug Test Hair. The House Health Committee Wednesday approved House Bill 379, which would allow employers to use hair drug tests on potential hires. Hair drug tests can detect use going back as far as three months. The bill now heads for a House floor vote.

Law Enforcement

Seattle Doing Mass Arrests to Clean Up Downtown Drug Dealing Police in Seattle have arrested more than a hundred people in two days in a push to clean up open-air drug dealing downtown. The arrests involved undercover officers making marijuana, heroin, meth, and cocaine buys. Prosecutors said they would seek judicial orders barring those people from returning to the area, but that they would seek diversion programs in other cases.

International

Vancouver Moves to Regulate Marijuana Stores; Ottawa Not Happy. Vancouver has announced plans to regulate the more than 80 unlicensed medical marijuana dispensaries operating in the city, making it the first city in Canada to do so. But the federal Health Minister is warning the city not to do it, saying it would "normalize" marijuana sales.

Drug Cartel Violence Flares in Mexican Border State. Gun battles and arson attacks flared for the second time in a week in Tamaulipas, just across the Rio Grande River from Texas border towns such as Harlingen and Brownsville. The brouhaha broke out after police captured four alleged Gulf Cartel members and included blockades in the town of Altamira. At least two people were killed. Earlier this month, major violence broke out in Reynosa after the arrest of a Gulf Cartel leader. More than 100,000 people are estimated to have been killed in prohibition-related violence since 2006.

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Chronicle AM: WA MedMJ Regulation Bill Signed, National, MI, RI Pot Polls, More (4/27/15)

A national poll and two state polls have majorities for marijuana legalization, a South Dakota initiative would treat alcohol and tobacco like marijuana, Indonesia appears set to execute three foreign drug offenders, and more.

Marijuana Policy

Fox News Poll Has Majority Support for Legalization Nationwide For First Time. Some 51% of Americans now support legalizing marijuana, according to a new Fox News Poll. This marks the first time a Fox News poll has reported a majority for legalization, but is up just one point from last year's Fox News poll, which had 50% support.

Michigan Poll Has Bare Majority for Legalization. A new Marketing Resource Group poll has support for legalization at 51%, with 45% opposed. The poll comes as several state groups are laying plans for a 2016 legalization initiative.

Ohio Attorney General Rejects Legalization Initiative Summary. Attorney General Mike DeWine last Friday rejected the ballot summary for a proposed 2016 legalization initiative backed by former Libertarian gubernatorial candidate Charlie Earl. The initiative is a response to the Responsible Ohio initiative, which would set up a 10-grower monopoly on commercial marijuana growing.

Rhode Island Poll Has 57% for Legalization. A New Public Policy Polling survey has support for legalization at 57%. The poll comes as the legislature considers bills that would legalize or decriminalize the herb.

South Dakota Initiatives Would Regulate Alcohol and Tobacco Like Marijuana. A pair of activists calling themselves Consistent South Dakota have crafted two initiatives that would criminalize the sale of alcohol and tobacco. "The state should not benefit from the transfer of two deadly drugs, while punishing the transfer of benign herbs," the group said. Legislators in Vermont have pulled a similar form of political ju-jitsu by introducing a bill to that effect.

Medical Marijuana

New York Now Accepting Applications for Medical Marijuana Licenses. The state Department of Health announced today that it is accepting applications from entities that want to register to grow or distribute medical marijuana. The state expects to announce the companies selected by July.

Washington Governor Signs Bill Folding Medical Marijuana Into Legal Marijuana System. Gov. Jay Inslee (D) last Friday signed into law Senate Bill 5052, which attempts to regulate the state's previously unregulated medical marijuana system and bring it into harmony with its legal marijuana system. The bill creates a voluntary registry system for patients that would allow them to possess more marijuana than others and face lower taxes. It will also eliminate the "collective gardens" that currently supply thousands of patients, although it will allow "cooperative gardens" for no more than four patients. Some collective gardens will be allowed to continue; they will be given priority in licensing if they have been good citizens.

Synthetic Drugs

Illinois Senate Approves Bill Targeting Synthetic Drugs. The Senate last Friday approved Senate Bill 1129, which attempts to go after synthetic drugs by targeting whole classes of synthetic cannabinoids and stimulants instead of individual formulations. The bill now heads to the House.

International

British Cannabis is Safer Than Alcohol Party Issues Manifesto. CISTA is running 32 candidates in the forthcoming elections on a pro-marijuana legalization platform. Its manifesto calls for a regulated marijuana market and a fundamental review of British drug policy.

Indonesia Announces Looming Execution of Three Foreign Drug Offenders. The Indonesian government announced Saturday that it will shortly execute two Australians and a Filipina for drug trafficking offenses. Six other foreigners are also on death row for drug offenses. The pending executions are moving forward despite intense international efforts to get the Indonesian government to reconsider.

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Chronicle AM: Indonesia Executes Eight Drug Smugglers, OR MedMJ Regulation Bill Advances, More (4/28/15)

A Maine legalization initiative is moving, an Iowa medical marijuana bill is not, Indiana prosecutors oppose needle exchanges, Indonesia ignores world opinion to execute eight drug smugglers, and more.

Marijuana Policy

Maine Legalization Initiative Campaign Getting Underway. State officials signed off today on an initiative petition from Legalize Maine, one of two groups planning a 2016 legalization initiative there. Another group backed by the Marijuana Policy Project is also planning on seeking approval for a petition drive.

Medical Marijuana

Colorado Bill Allowing Probationers, Parolees to Use Medical Marijuana Heads to Governor's Desk. The bill, House Bill 1267, passed the Senate on a 34-1 vote Monday and has already passed the House.

Iowa House Speaker Reiterates He Will Block Medical Marijuana Bill. House Speaker Kraig Paulsen (R-Hiawatha) has repeated that he will not allow a medical marijuana bill to be considered this year. Sen. Joe Bolkcom (D-Iowa City), the sponsor of Senate File 484, had said Monday that the House had a "moral obligation" to consider the bill, which has already passed the Senate. But Paulsen said he didn't understand what Bolkcom meant and that the carefully drawn bill was "virtually a recreational use bill." The session ends May 1.

Oklahoma CBD Cannabis Oil Study Bill Heads to Governor's Desk. The bill, House Bill 2154, passed the House 85-5 today for final approval after it had been modified in the Senate. Now, it's up to Gov. Mary Fallin (R) to sign it.

Oregon Bill to Regulate Medical Marijuana Advances. A bill that puts new limits on medical marijuana growers is moving. The measure, an amendment to Senate Bill 844, is expected to be approved a House-Senate marijuana committee tomorrow. It would limit current growers to 96 plants, new growers to 48 plants. It would limit current residential growers to 24 plants and new ones to 12 plants. But it would also bar cities and counties from banning dispensaries and growing and processing operations.

Harm Reduction

Faced With HIV Epidemic, Indiana Prosecutors Still Say Needle Exchanges are Bad Public Policy. The Association of Indiana Prosecuting Attorneys today told the legislature that needle exchanges are bad public policy because "hard core drug addicts don't care enough to get clean needles" and because such programs "would keep many users out of the criminal justice system," where they could be forced to seek drug treatment. Gov. Mike Pence (R) has instituted an emergency needle exchange program in Scott County, where HIV cases have been popping up on a daily basis, and the legislature is considering whether to allow them statewide.

International

Indonesia Executes Eight Drug Smugglers By Firing Squad. Ignoring international protests, Indonesian authorities today (Wednesday Indonesian time) executed eight convicted drug smugglers at Besi Prison on Nusakambangan Island. Among them were Australian, Brazilian, and Nigerian nationals and one Indonesian citizen. A Filipina woman, Mary Jane Fiesta Veloso, was spared at the last minute.

Colombia Health Ministry Calls for Suspension of Coca Crop Spraying. The ministry is recommending that the country quit using the herbicide glyphosate to spray coca groups. It cites a recent report from the World Health Organization that reclassified glyphosate as "probably carcinogenic to humans." Nearly three million acres of land in the country have been sprayed with the stuff in the past three decades. No word yet on whether President Santos will heed the recommendation.

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Chronicle AM: Hillary Clinton on Mass Incarceration, Indonesia Drug Executions Reaction, More (4/29/15)

Hillary Clinton calls for drug and sentencing reforms, the Florida 2016 medical marijuana initiative campaign gears up, Jamaica sees its first legal pot plant, Indonesia stands firm in the face of international criticism over drug executions, and more.

Marijuana Policy

New Hampshire Legislator Toked Up for 4/20. For the sixth year in a row, activists celebrated 4/20 by toking up in front of the state house. But this year, they were joined by one of their elected representatives, Rep. Kyle Trasker (R-Rockingham), who inhaled for the crowd. No arrests were made. "The message sent by law enforcement and heard loud and clear by protesters was police have more important things to do than harass otherwise law abiding citizens over marijuana possession and public use even when it was clear there were amounts present at the protest that could be charged as a felony," Trasker said. "The New Hampshire senate needs to consider how productive it is to keep an unenforced, indeed nearly unenforceable law on the books with which the public disagrees."

Medical Marijuana

Florida Legislative Session Ends, 2016 Medical Marijuana Initiative Campaign Begins. The session ended Tuesday without any action on pending medical marijuana legislation, and the United for Care campaign, which led the defeated 2014 initiative (it got 58% of the vote, but needed 60% because it was a constitutional amendment), immediately announced it was aiming to get back on the ballot next year.

New York Bill to Expedite Medical Marijuana Program Filed. Assemblymen Richard Gottfried (D) and Brian Kolb (R) today filed Assembly Bill 7060, which would direct the state to establish a program to help patients get access to medical marijuana as soon as possible. Gottfried is head of the Assembly Health Committee and Kolb is the Assembly Minority Leader. The bill comes 10 months after Gov. Cuomo signed the state's limited medical marijuana bill into law, but no Empire State patient has yet to receive legal medical marijuana.

Texas Medical Marijuana Bills Get Hearing, But No Action. The House Committee on Public Health heard emotional testimony Tuesday night from patients, parents, and veterans seeking access to medical marijuana or CBD cannabis oil. Despite the hours of testimony, the committee took no action on any of the bills. Click on the link to read testimony details.

Drug Policy

Hillary Clinton Calls for "An End to the Era of Mass Incarceration," Alternative Punishments for Drug Offenders. In her first major issue speech since announcing her candidacy for the Democratic presidential nomination, Hillary Clinton addressed the country's festering race relations and called for "an end to the era of mass incarceration." There is something "profoundly wrong" when 1.5 million black men are "missing" from their communities, she said. "We have allowed our criminal justice system to get out of balance." Among other proposals, she called for alternative punishments for petty drug crimes.

International

Indonesia Defends Drug Executions in Face of International Protests. Indonesia today defended its execution of eight convicted drug smugglers, saying the action was vital to its war on drugs, even as international reaction deepened. "We are fighting a war against horrible drug crimes that threaten our nation's survival," said Attorney General Muhammad Prasetyo. Australia, which saw two of its citizens executed, withdrew its ambassador, while Brazil, which saw one citizen executed, expressed "strong regret." France said it would wage a diplomatic battle to save one of its citizens on Indonesia's drug death row. Also, more than two dozen human rights and criminal justice reform groups from around the globe circulated a letter condemning the executions and calling on governments and international bodies to rethink anti-drug assistance to countries with the death penalty. That letter campaign was coordinated by Stopthedrugwar.org and its executive director, David Borden.

First Legal Ganja Planted in Jamaica. The county's justice minister patted a pot seedling into the soil at the University of the West Indies Mona campus Monday, marking the first legal cultivation of marijuana on an island inextricably linked to it in the popular imagination. The plant is being grown for research purposes under the country's Dangerous Drugs (Amendment) Act of 2015, which allows for cultivation for research, medical, and spiritual purposes. It also decriminalizes the possession of small amounts of the drug.

(This article was prepared by StoptheDrugWar.org's lobbying arm, Drug Reform Coordination Network, which also pays the cost of maintaining this web site. DRCNet Foundation takes no positions on candidates for public office, in compliance with section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, and does not pay for reporting that could be interpreted or misinterpreted as doing so.)

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Telephone TownHall Meeting on Drug Education, with Dr. Carl Hart and the Drug Policy Alliance

Protecting Our Children: How Drug Education Is Failing Our Kids and What We Need To Do About It

A Telephone TownHall Meeting Hosted by the Drug Policy Alliance, Thursday, May 14, 1:00-2:00pm EST

Featuring: Dr. Carl Hart, Associated Professor, Columbia University and Research Scientist, New York State Psychiatric Institute, in conversation with asha bandele, Director Advocacy Grants Program, Drug Policy Alliance.

Visit http://bit.ly/DrCarlHart to RSVP. Space is limited. Audience participation is encouraged.

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Organizational Participation Sought for the UNGASS 2016 Global Civil Society Survey

The Harm Reduction Coalition invites organizations to fill out the UNGASS 2016 (UN General Assembly Special Session on Drugs) Global Civil Society Survey, designed to provide an initial assessment on community work in the field of drugs, as well as to measure the awareness and level of knowledge and interest in participating actively in the UNGASS 2016 initiative at the regional and global levels. The results will provide an overview of the work of community-based organizations active in the drug field, areas of expertise, key priorities and concerns to be addressed, as well as best practices.

It's important to get a good set of responses from organizations in the US, especially harm reduction and reform groups, as we too infrequently are involved in UN matters. Harm Reduction Coalition has been heavily involved in the formation of the Civil Society Task Force (CSTF) and the New York NGO Committee on Drugs (NYNGOC).

Click here to complete the survey. It should take no longer than 30 minutes. Please submit only one response per organization, and please note that the survey is only for organizations. Completion of the survey will provide the CSTF with invaluable information to that is essential for UNGASS preparation and beyond, so please forward widely.

Survey responses are due by July 31st. Input is confidential and any identifying information is solely for the CSTF's record keeping. (HRC notes that if you get stuck on question 6, check NYNGOC.)

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Scholarships Available for 2015 International Drug Policy Reform Conference

Financial assistance is available for individuals wishing to attend the 2015 International Drug Policy Reform Conference, taking place in the Washington, DC metro area from November 18-21. Visit http://www.reformconference.org/registration/scholarships to apply -- deadline is May 22. Note that the page has separate sections for applicants from the US, and applicants from other countries.

The International Drug Policy Reform Conference is a biennial event that brings together people from around the world who believe that the war on drugs is doing more harm than good. It brings together over 1,000 attendees representing 30 different countries.

This year attendees will have the opportunity to spend three days interacting with people committed to finding alternatives to the war on drugs while participating in sessions given by leading experts from around the world. Don't miss the opportunity to be a part of this event.

Visit http://www.reformconference.org to learn more about the Reform Conference.

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