Drug War Chronicle

A signature gathering campaign underway in Washington state to put a marijuana legalization initiative on the November ballot should get a boost from a new poll. It uses the same language as the initiative and finds 52% of registered voters say "Legalize it!"

You know times are tough when even GOP-dominated legislatures in the Deep South are passing sentencing reform bills. It's not so much bleeding hearts as bleeding wallets.

This week we have three cops whose drug habits got them into trouble. It is Chronicle policy not to include police officers whose only offense is drug possession in this column. Dope-snorting cops may be hypocrites -- depending on whether they personally do drug possession arrests -- but that doesn't make them corrupt. But in all three cases below, officers who used drugs also did something crooked.

Detroit led the way in approving medical marijuana in Michigan. Now, it's poised to lead the way in legalizing the possession of up to an ounce by adults.

For years, the annual Bureau of Justice Statistics jail population report has had the same bottom line: The jail population is up again. Not this year.

Arizona voters have already approved medical marijuana twice, only to have it taken away by the legislature in 1996 and shot down by bad drafting language in 1998. Now, they have a third shot at it, and organizers say they've gotten everything right.

A coalition of organizations -- StoptheDrugWar.org is a partner in it -- is presenting the first full-day conference on drug policy reform on Capitol Hill. And it's free.

Apply for an internship at DRCNet and you could spend a semester fighting the good fight!

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"Jamaica Says It Can Win Its Drug War for $1 Billion," "Margaret Polovchak Wants to Put Cancer Patients in Jail," "Paul Armentano Talks Legalization on FOX News," "Aaron Houston is a Patriot and a Hero," "Mall Security Freaks Out Over Guy Wearing Marijuana T-Shirt," "Teachers Suspended for Showing Flex Your Rights Video," "WARNING: Recent Claims That the Drug War Is Over Are False."