Drug War Chronicle

“Agentes de la DEA demandan a NBC Universal por la película American Gangster”, “La cobertura mediática de la guerra a las drogas es tan defectuosa que en realidad incentiva a la gente a vender marihuana”, “Prohibir objetos cilíndricos no va a impedir que la gente fume crack”, “Policía de Filadelfia dice que marihuana cuesta $100 por porro”, “La verdad sobre manejar cuando se está flipado con marihuana”, “Por eso ‘entraron disparando’ – Equipo de la SWAT tenía animación violenta en página web antes de matar a Tarika Wilson”, “Una suma total de cinco policías murieron trabando la guerra a las drogas el año pasado”.

Un resumen de los planes y recientes logros de la DRCNet y una solicitud de su apoyo para posibilitarlo.

Las muertes de policías en el cumplimiento del deber sufrieron un alza el año pasado, así como la cifra de policías muertos por herida de bala. Pero apenas un puñado murió imponiendo las leyes contra las drogas y ser policía continúa siendo más seguro que un bueno número de otras profesiones.

El caso de Marc Emery, el famoso defensor de la marihuana de Canadá, plantea cuestiones de equidad básica e ilumina la oscuridad del sistema de justicia penal actual.

Marc Emery, Canada's "Prince of Pot," announced this week that he has accepted a plea deal with US federal prosecutors that will spare his associates jail time but will see him do at least five years in prison -- mostly in Canada -- for selling marijuana seeds to customers in the US. The trio had faced mandatory minimums of 10 years and the possibility of life.

Caught in the middle of Iraq's simmering violence, Iraqi farmers are turning to the opium poppy to make a living. Militias and warlords are behind it, says British journalist Patrick Cockburn.

Police deaths in the line of duty were up last year, and so was the number of cops killed by gunfire. But only handful died enforcing the drug laws, and policing remains safer than a good number of other professions.

Joining a handful of other states, Illinois made salvia divinorum illegal as of January 1. Now, Virginia wants to be next. A bill to ban it has already passed the House of Delegates and is headed to the state Senate.

Events and quotes of note from this week's drug policy events of years past.

The Open Society Institute is hiring a Deputy Director for its International Harm Reduction Development Program.