Drug War Chronicle

Saturday saw the planet's cannabis nation hit the streets for part one of this year's bifurcated Global Marijuana Marches. Here's a report, with more to come next week.

Bent on flexing their "tough on crime" muscles and impervious to polls showing a majority of Canadians want to legalize pot, Canada's Conservatives have reintroduced a bill creating mandatory minimum prison sentences for growing as few as 6 pot plants or making any amount of hash. That's so last century, Ottawa!

Calderon's war on drugs is closing in on the 20,000 dead figure, according to a running tally by the Mexico City newspaper El Universal. And the prohibition-related killing continues unabated.

It must be silly season already in Baton Rouge. A House committee there has deliberated on and passed a bill that would allow legislators and state officials to take voluntary drug tests and mental health evaluations and post the results on the Internet.

Another SWAT raid over pot, another dead dog, another traumatized family. But this one was caught on videotape, and now the outrage is spreading across the land.

"Is Medical Marijuana a Step Towards Full Legalization?," "A Small Bag of Marijuana = Police Shooting Your Dogs in Front of Your Child," "Cop Accidentally Argues for Marijuana Legalization," "'This Administration Firmly Opposes the Legalization of Marijuana'," "Weird Drama at the Drug Czar's Office."

2010 is a critical year in the effort to end prohibition and the war on drugs. The StoptheDrugWar.org (DRCNet) "Changing Minds, Changing Laws, Changing Lives" campaign is asking for you to pitch in -- your support is more important now than it has ever been before!

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

San Francisco has become only the second city in America to host a drug user union, after New York City. But the movement is spreading internationally.

"A New Marijuana Legalization Campaign," "Florida Cops Repeatedly Arrest Quadriplegic for Medical Marijuana," "If You Kids Don't Quit Partying, We'll Prosecute Your College," "Banning Pot Didn't Work, So Let's Try Banning Bongs," "DC's Medical Marijuana Law Needs Your Support Now," "Will Medical Marijuana Lead to Full Legalization?," "How to Build a Movement," "Will DEA Help States Implement Medical Marijuana Laws?"