Drug War Chronicle

Comprehensive coverage of the War on Drugs since 1997

A peaceful scene in Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexican. Things are not so peaceful these days. (Creative Commons)

Japan to Punish Pot Use with Up to Seven Years in Prison, NE MedMJ Inits Certified for Ballot, More... (9/13/24)

A bipartisan group of lawmakers has filed a marijuana legalization bill in Pennsylvania, the Mexican city of Culiacan is at a standstill amid fears of intra-cartel clashes, and more.
Bipartisan Senate Bill Takes Aim at Shein and Temu -- and Fentanyl, Too [FEATURE]

A billion "low-value" packages skate past Customs each year. Some contain cheap clothing from China; others contain fentanyl, and a new Senate bill aims to do something about both. But will it actually help?
Zurich, Switzerland. The city seems happy with its year-old pilot program of legal marijuana sales. (Pixabay)

Usual Suspects Oppose North Dakota Legalization Init, Fears Rise of Sinaloa Cartel Civil War, More... (9/12/24)

Massachusetts psychedelic initiative analyzed, Zurich legal weed pilot program evaluated at the one-year mark, and more.
This Week's Corrupt Cops Stories

A small-town Utah police chief develops a bad habit, a small-town Texas police chief and her fellow cop partner had a side business slinging meth, and more.
Iran human rights display, courtyard of the United Nations Office at Vienna building (David Borden)

FL GOP At Odds Over Marijuana Init, Federal Fentanyl Bill Filed, More... (9/11/24)

Rhode Island marijuana regulators are moving toward a hybrid licensing process, Iran's new president says his country needs new drug policies, and more.
Kamala Harris (Creative Commons)

Harris Campaign Accuses Trump of Lying About Pot Policy, Houston Narc Goes on Trial for Murder, More... (9/10/24)

The Colombia government and a dissident FARC faction are headed back to the table for peace talks in Havana, and more.
Delta-8 THC joint (Elsa Olofsson via Wikimedia)

NC Tribe Opens MJ Sales to Adult, Trump Supports Biden Rescheduling Move, More... (9/9/24)

Nebraska's Republican attorney general is leading a crackdown on shops selling delta-8 THC products, Texas voters strongly support marijuana decriminalization, and more.
Leftist Colombian President Gustavo Petro's peace talks with a FARC dissident rebel front have hit an obstacle. (Creative Commons)

2026 Idaho Legalization Init Planned, KY Sees Strong MedMJ Business Interest, More... (9/6/24)

From its coca-growing fiefdom in the country's southwest, Colombia's second-largest dissident FARC faction says peace talks with the government are stalled, and more.
The Tennessee Supreme Court upholds a search based on a drug dog's hit on a backpack, even though the dog can't tell weed from hemp. (Creative Commons)

FDA Approves Early-Stage Trials of Psychelic "Moxy," Oregon Study on Decrim and Overdoses, More... (9/5/24)

Wisconsin tribes are mobilizing for medical marijuana, the Tennessee Supreme Court rules that even though drug dogs can't distinguish hemp from weed, a sniff can still be probable cause for a search, and more.
A new day dawns in Oregon, but it's a return to the drug policies that have failed for the past century. (Creative Commons)

OR Law Recriminalizing Drug Possession Now in Effect [FEATURE]

The country's first experiment with state-level decriminalization of drug possession is over, but what will change -- other than more drug arrests?

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