Drug War Chronicle

A drug dog's sniff of a home's front door is a search under the meaning of the Fourth Amendment and police must thus first obtain a search warrant, the US Supreme Court ruled Tuesday.

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A Missouri technical college wanted to drug test all incoming students, but for a second time, a federal district court judge has said no, and she is likely to make it permanent when the case goes to trial in July.

The discussion about legalizing marijuana commerce and cultivation is about to get underway in Uruguay. The president wanted to legalize it last fall, but backed off in the face of public opposition. Now, there will be an educational process to win support.

Medical marijuana legislation is moving in Maryland. A bill passed the House Monday and now heads to the Senate.

As politicians dither, New Yorkers hoping to end New York City's reign as marijuana arrest capital of the world will have to wait. In the meantime, another thousand people are getting popped for pot in the Big Apple every week.

Sens. Pat Leahy (D) and Rand Paul (R) have joined together to introduce a mandatory minimum sentence reform bill. The bill would expand the "safety valve" to all federal offenses, not just selected drug offenses.

Last year we began to offer the book "Marijuana Legalization: What Everyone Needs to Know" as an option for donating members. Authors of it are now consulting for Washington State on implementing legalization there. You can support us and get some insights into what they might do, by ordering it here.

Washington state has selected a consulting firm led by drug policy scholar Mark Kleiman to be its marijuana consultant. Reformers have reacted with caution.

New York City and the NYPD are under fire this week for both their stop-and-frisk policing program and their massive number of marijuana possession busts in a state where it is supposed to be decriminalized.