Drug War Chronicle

An attempt to take down a small-time crack dealer in Jacksonville has left one man dead after allegedly refusing to drop his weapon after police ordered him to do so.

A Denver man is dead of an apparent overdose after scuffling with police and a Kentucky man was shot and killed by police after fleeing from a meth lab. Those are the 20th and 21st drug war deaths of 2012.

We continue our newest offer for donating members, the drug policy classic reprint: "The Marijuana Conviction: A History of Marijuana Prohibition in the United States." This one is available for donations of just $22 or more.

Monday's federal raid on Oaksterdam University in Oakland has ignited a firestorm of criticism of heavy-handed federal efforts to clamp down on medical marijuana distribution. Meanwhile, battles continue to be fought from Washington, DC, to local city halls.

Hoo-boy! Institutionalized misconduct and corruption in Florida and New Jersey, more jail guards in trouble, a pill-peddling cop, and a former Colorado sheriff goes down for trading meth for sex.

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

A San Francisco medical marijuana community already unhappy with federal raids on dispensaries was outraged and energized by Monday's raid on Oaksterdam. Hundreds of protestors went to the federal building to let the US Attorney know it.

Some prominent Australians are on-board with a new campaign to end drug prohibition, including the current foreign minister, Bob Carr.

The feds hit the iconic Oaksterdam University and associated businesses in a Monday morning raid. No word yet on any arrests. Patients are mobilizing. An already scheduled protest set for Tuesday in San Francisco should be even more energized now.

Some Colombian congressmen want to decriminalize coca and marijuana production in a bid to drive down prices and encourage farmers to plant other crops.