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"The Drug War is Lost" interview with Milton Friedman
As we go forward with our war on the drug war, I think it's important that we keep it clear that this is an issue that everyone can agree on, regardless of where they lie on the political spectrum.
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Joe Biden's Daughter Allegedly Caught on Video Snorting Cocaine
The New York Post dropped a bombshell over the weekend:
Thus far, no media outlet has purchased the video, and Huffington Post is reporting that it was filmed without consent. As to whether the tape is authentic, we'll have to wait and see, but my gut tells me the Biden family would be making noise right now if this were all a big hoax. They havenât said anything.
Despite the greed and nastiness that brought this matter to our attention, we're now confronted with yet another major celebrity drug use scandal that is far from typical. If, in fact, Joe Biden's daughter is a cocaine user, there will be a very public conversation in which the vice president's history of aggressive drug war posturing will be juxtaposed against the drug use taking place in his own family. As the administration pushes a hardline response to the drug war violence in Mexico, Ashley Biden could easily become symbolic of the American drug user whose disposable income subsidizes the cartels and renders our enforcement efforts impotent.
Like the Michael Phelps saga, it's a story that tells itself and requires little to no narration from advocates for drug policy reform. Ashley will rightly be perceived as the victim of an unscrupulous associate who violated her privacy for personal gain. Her alleged drug use shouldn't (and hopefully won't) ruin her career. Who knows, maybe she could become president some day. So long as the vast and infinitely clumsy arm of the law doesnât get involved here, no one's life needs to be ruined. Stay tuned.
A "friend" of Vice President Joseph Biden's daughter, Ashley, is attempting to hawk a videotape that he claims shows her snorting cocaine at a house party this month in Delaware.
â¦
The video, which the shooter initially hoped to sell for $2 million before scaling back his price to $400,000, shows a 20-something woman with light skin and long brown hair taking a red straw from her mouth, bending over a desk, inserting the straw into her nostril and snorting lines of white powder.
Thus far, no media outlet has purchased the video, and Huffington Post is reporting that it was filmed without consent. As to whether the tape is authentic, we'll have to wait and see, but my gut tells me the Biden family would be making noise right now if this were all a big hoax. They havenât said anything.
Despite the greed and nastiness that brought this matter to our attention, we're now confronted with yet another major celebrity drug use scandal that is far from typical. If, in fact, Joe Biden's daughter is a cocaine user, there will be a very public conversation in which the vice president's history of aggressive drug war posturing will be juxtaposed against the drug use taking place in his own family. As the administration pushes a hardline response to the drug war violence in Mexico, Ashley Biden could easily become symbolic of the American drug user whose disposable income subsidizes the cartels and renders our enforcement efforts impotent.
Like the Michael Phelps saga, it's a story that tells itself and requires little to no narration from advocates for drug policy reform. Ashley will rightly be perceived as the victim of an unscrupulous associate who violated her privacy for personal gain. Her alleged drug use shouldn't (and hopefully won't) ruin her career. Who knows, maybe she could become president some day. So long as the vast and infinitely clumsy arm of the law doesnât get involved here, no one's life needs to be ruined. Stay tuned.
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Policial: Las historias de policÃas corruptos de esta semana
Esta semana, hay algunos policÃas cuya mala conducta puede no llegar al estándar de corrupción, pero seguramente es digna de nota. También hay los policÃas corruptos de siempre.
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Maryland House Passes Bill to Monitor Use of SWAT Teams
Cheye Calvo's efforts to bring transparency to the use of aggressive SWAT raids in Maryland are moving forward:
The bill doesnât actually reform anything, but it aims to create a record of how, when, and why SWAT teams are deployed in Maryland. This effort has the potential to reveal a great deal about the reckless over-reliance on aggressive drug raid tactics. That's exactly why police opposed it, despite utterly lacking any compelling arguments against such oversight.
Good work by Maryland's legislators and another big moment for Berwyn Heights Mayor Cheye Calvo, who has become a valiant champion of justice following the tragic killing of his two dogs during a botched drug raid last summer.
Delegates adopted a bill, on a 126 to 9 vote, that would require law enforcement agencies to report every six months on their use of SWAT teams, including what kinds of warrants the teams serve and whether any animals are killed during raids. The bill was prompted by the case of Berwyn Heights Mayor Cheye Calvo, whose two black Labrador retrievers were shot and killed during a botched raid by a Prince George's County Sheriff's Office SWAT team in July.
Calvo has said he was surprised to learn that police departments use the heavily armed units far more routinely than they once did but that it is difficult to get reliable statistics about SWAT raids. The Senate has passed a similar measure. [Washington Post]
The bill doesnât actually reform anything, but it aims to create a record of how, when, and why SWAT teams are deployed in Maryland. This effort has the potential to reveal a great deal about the reckless over-reliance on aggressive drug raid tactics. That's exactly why police opposed it, despite utterly lacking any compelling arguments against such oversight.
Good work by Maryland's legislators and another big moment for Berwyn Heights Mayor Cheye Calvo, who has become a valiant champion of justice following the tragic killing of his two dogs during a botched drug raid last summer.
Blog
There are Many Different Kinds of Marijuana, But They're All Illegal
Mark Kleiman, who we've often criticized for generally supporting drug prohibition, deserves credit for his recent discussion of the merits of a "grow-your-own" marijuana policy. Kleiman's main concern with legalization is that a legitimate marijuana industry will be incentivized to market their products and work to sustain high usage levels within the population. His solution is to let people form co-ops and grow their own pot.
In response, Pete Guither has an ingenious post noting that marijuana genetics are remarkably diverse, thus creating inevitable consumer demand for a variety of options. Indeed, the war on marijuana and the exhausting, often redundant debate surrounding it have largely obscured the fascinating psychopharmacological diversity of the plant itself.
Experienced marijuana consumers delight in exploring the unique psychoactive properties of particular strains and individual users often develop preferences for certain varieties when they're available. This is especially true with regards to medical use, wherein it's widely understood that some strains are better for specific symptoms than others. Potency is just one of many factors that impact the popularity of a given strain. Sativa strains, for example, are known for being more energetic and stimulating, while indicas are typically more relaxing.
Explaining all of this to people who hate marijuana will surely just freak them out even more, but it still bothers me that the discussion of marijuana tends to present the drug as a one-dimensional substance when, in fact, it is anything but. There are many things worth knowing about this plant that won't fully be revealed and understood until we end the vicious war against it.
In response, Pete Guither has an ingenious post noting that marijuana genetics are remarkably diverse, thus creating inevitable consumer demand for a variety of options. Indeed, the war on marijuana and the exhausting, often redundant debate surrounding it have largely obscured the fascinating psychopharmacological diversity of the plant itself.
Experienced marijuana consumers delight in exploring the unique psychoactive properties of particular strains and individual users often develop preferences for certain varieties when they're available. This is especially true with regards to medical use, wherein it's widely understood that some strains are better for specific symptoms than others. Potency is just one of many factors that impact the popularity of a given strain. Sativa strains, for example, are known for being more energetic and stimulating, while indicas are typically more relaxing.
Explaining all of this to people who hate marijuana will surely just freak them out even more, but it still bothers me that the discussion of marijuana tends to present the drug as a one-dimensional substance when, in fact, it is anything but. There are many things worth knowing about this plant that won't fully be revealed and understood until we end the vicious war against it.
In The Trenches
Police shoot unarmed student over marijuana, campuses erupt
Friend,
What's the most dangerous consequence of using marijuana?
Under our current laws, it can be a bullet in the chest.
Earlier this month, Derek Copp, a Michigan college student, heard a noise at the back door of his apartment. As he went to investigate, his eyes were blinded by a flashlight and a gunshot rang out. The next think he knew, he was in a hospital fighting for his life.
The intruders were police. They had a warrant for drugs, but all they found was "a few tablespoons" of marijuana. Derek had no weapons.
Thankfully, the bullet that tore through Derek's lungs and liver didn't take his life. And every day since that incident, local Students for Sensible Drug Policy members have been standing up for Derek and opposing the polices that made this shooting possible.
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It's during moments like these that I'm as inspired as I am outraged. I'm outraged for the same reason that you probably are: peaceful people like Derek are constantly being put in the line of fire as our government blindly pursues a mythical "drug free" society. But to see why I'm also inspired, you'll need to check out this two minute video of SSDP members taking a stand for Derek: http://www.ssdp.org/derek
In a world without SSDP, this could have simply been a sad news story about police making a terrible mistake. But because a strong network of student drug policy advocates had already been established in Michigan, the media couldn't ignore the fact that Derek is one of many casualties in the destructive War on Drugs.
Please join us in continuing to spread this message by making a contribution today. The first $500 we raise will go straight to Derek for his medical and legal expenses. Anything beyond that will help SSDP expand our outreach staff so we can continue to build the movement to end the War on Drugs. http://www.ssdp.org/derek
Looking forward to the day when good people no longer need to fear the police,
Micah Daigle
Associate Director
Students for Sensible Drug Policy
P.S. When making a donation, you'll have the option to leave Derek a personal note. I'm sure he'll appreciate any supportive words you have to offer. http://www.ssdp.org/derek
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Legislative Deal Made on Rockefeller Drug Laws
In yesterday's Drug War Chronicle we reported that a deal seemed to be near for reform of New York State's infamous Rockefeller Drug Laws -- reform that appeared likely to eliminate mandatory minimum sentencing for many (though not all) of the state's drug defendants while allowing current Rockefeller prisoners to apply for commutations.
The deal now reportedly has been reached. Click here for the latest from the New York Times, and here for the NYT archive on the topic.
Tony Papa sent out the link for the following NYPost.com video about it too:
The legislation is not perfect, and it doesn't help everybody -- check back for details -- but we are optimistic that this will help a lot of people and that we are at an historical turning point in the issue.
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