Drug War Chronicle

Uruguay legalizes the marijuana trade (and the usual suspects object), Denver provides a helpful guide to legalization there, Human Rights Watch scorches Louisiana for its AIDS-enhancing policies, and more.

In an historic vote, the Uruguayan Senate gave final approval Tuesday night to the government's marijuana legalization bill. Once President Mujica signs it, Uruguay is 120 days away from legal marijuana commerce.

African-American faith leaders observe International Human Rights Day by calling for an end to the drug war and mass incarceration, Texans are ready for criminal justice reform, and Mexico's prohibition-related violence continues apace. And more.

Human Rights Watch has issued another scathing report on the abuse of drug users and other "undesirables" in Cambodian drug detention camps. Drug treatment isn't on offer, but torture, sexual abuse, and forced labor are.

A West Virginia man gets a first degree murder charge in his wife's accidental drug death, a Utah "Good Samaritan" overdose bill is moving, some US senators grumble about Zohydro ER, and we have a pair of stories about opiates in India. And more.

Tuesday is going to be historic. Tomorrow, the Uruguayan Senate will vote on a bill that would make their country the first in the world to legally regulate the production, distribution and sale of marijuana for adults. The bill was approved in the House of Representatives in July with 50 out of 96 votes.

The Drug Policy Alliance has filed a marijuana legalization initiative with authorities in California, but the group says it hasn't decided whether it will actually move forward for 2014. Two other initiatives have also been filed, but others are counseling patience.

A new marijuana legalization has been filed in California, the Florida medical marijuana initiative faces a pair of challenges, the British Columbia decriminalization initiative is struggling, and more.

Missouri activists have filed a series of marijuana legalizaiton initiatives with state officials, laying the groundwork for taking the issue to the voters next November.

Busy, busy on the marijuana policy front today, and there is also medical marijuana news, a new report on coerced federal plea bargains, a call for call-ins to the Senate on mandatory minimums next week, and more.