Cut the crap and the bill will pass
I don't mean to bring the whole political gambit to this site..... but . I just saw the news tonight and part of this incentive bill is 400 mill to the prevention of STD's... 400 mill...
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The Drug Czarâs Blog Should be Used for Good Instead of Evil
I noted last week that the drug czarâs blog deleted all of its old posts, essentially destroying the single best record of former drug czar John Waltersâs "achievements" during the Bush Administration. Only three items have been posted since, none of which are particularly noteworthy.
Meanwhile, the Obama Administration is pushing a handful of notable criminal justice and drug policy reforms, including racial profiling legislation, sentencing reform, needle exchange and an end to medical marijuana raids. We donât know yet who Obama will select to fill John Waltersâs stinky boots, but wouldnât it be nice if that person used the blog to keep us updated on efforts we can actually support? Iâd cherish any opportunity to link approvingly to that site.
Having already been bombarded by drug policy reformâs vast web-based army, itâs only logical for the new administration to now reach out to us through a familiar medium and spark positive discussion of the changes we all agree are needed.
Meanwhile, the Obama Administration is pushing a handful of notable criminal justice and drug policy reforms, including racial profiling legislation, sentencing reform, needle exchange and an end to medical marijuana raids. We donât know yet who Obama will select to fill John Waltersâs stinky boots, but wouldnât it be nice if that person used the blog to keep us updated on efforts we can actually support? Iâd cherish any opportunity to link approvingly to that site.
Having already been bombarded by drug policy reformâs vast web-based army, itâs only logical for the new administration to now reach out to us through a familiar medium and spark positive discussion of the changes we all agree are needed.
In The Trenches
Yes you did - Obama vows to end raids
Dear friends:
More than 10,000 of you have written President Obama and Congress to ask that the president send a clear signal to Bush holdovers at the DEA about their continuing raids against medical marijuana dispensaries in California.
It worked:
On the front page of the Washington Times today, a White House spokesman said:
âThe president believes that federal resources should not be used to circumvent state laws, and as he continues to appoint senior leadership to fill out the ranks of the federal government, he expects them to review their policies with that in mind."
Your letters paid off. Would you take one minute to use MPP's easy online system to e-mail the president and thank him for his commitment to protecting medical marijuana patients?
Change is happening, and you're a part of it.
Sincerely,
Rob Kampia
Executive Director
Marijuana Policy Project
Washington, D.C.
P.S. As I've mentioned in previous alerts, a major philanthropist has committed to match the first $2.35 million that MPP can raise from the rest of the planet in 2009. This means that your donation today will be doubled.
In The Trenches
The Sentencing Project: Disenfranchisement News 2/5/09
Virginia: Disenfranchisement Bill Condensed, Compromised
The House Privileges and Elections Committee has reviewed at least six bills that would streamline restoring voting rights to individuals with felony offenses, according to the Progress-Index. Currently, individuals are permanently banned from voting unless their rights are restored by the governor. One proposal, submitted by Del. Rosalyn R. Dance, would amend Virginia's constitution by adding, "In addition, the General Assembly may provide by law for the restoration of civil rights to persons who have been convicted of felonies and who have completed service of their sentences, subject to the conditions, requirements, and classifications set forth in that law." A second proposal, by Del. Onzlee Ware, which the committee has recommended for approval, mimics Dance's bill, but restricts the restoration of rights to nonviolent offenders. The main committee now must consider whether to forward that bill for debate by the full House. "Half a loaf is better than none," said Dance who is now backing Ware's bill. "The fact that we've got colleagues on both sides of the aisle to look at this is a big step forward."
Arizona: Amicus Brief Questions 'Poll Tax'
The Brennan Center for Justice submitted an amicus brief in support of appellants in Coronado v. Napolitano, a case that challenges Arizona's statutory requirement that everyone with a felony conviction must pay all court-imposed fines and restitution before being eligible to vote. The brief questions whether Arizona's law violates the Twenty-Fourth Amendment. Visit the Brennan Center's web site to view the amicus brief.
Washington: Lawmaker Takes a Stand for Reenfranchisement
State Rep. Jeannie Darneille is pushing a bill that would change the state's law that currently bans individuals with felony offenses from voting if they have outstanding court ordered fines and fees, according to a Spokesman-Review blog. "It's not real freedom if you're excluded from any say in decisions that govern your life," Darneille said. "Basing anyone's voting right on how quickly they can pay a financial debt is unfair and un-American." In July 2007, the state's high court upheld the law banning voting until individuals have completed all the terms of their sentence, including payments.
International: Journalist Votes in Iraqi Prison
Iraqi television journalist, Muntazer al-Zaidi, who threw his shoes at President George W. Bush in Baghdad in December, cast his vote in his country's provincial election, the Herald Sun reported. Unlike the varied disenfranchisement laws in the United States, all individuals incarcerated in Iraq are eligible to vote - even if charged with high-profile crimes.
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Help The Sentencing Project continue to bring you news and updates on disenfranchisement! Make a contribution today.
Contact Information: e-mail -- [email protected], web: http://www.sentencingproject.org.
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White House Says Medical Marijuana Raids Will End
Friends, this is a moment weâve been anticipating for a long time:
It looks like weâre on the verge of a major victory for state medical marijuana laws. For over a decade, this battle has raged from the hills of California to the Nationâs Capital. It has been a defining cause, not only for the medical marijuana community, but for drug policy reform as a whole.
There is no question that a great many challenges remain in our path, but letâs all take a moment to reflect on the fact that our president is poised to order the DEA to stand down. That is not something that happens easily or often. Todayâs news suggests the pending culmination of a substantial effort by a broad coalition that is frequently perceived to lack meaningful political leverage. The political landscape is changing before our eyes and I believe we have much to look forward to.
(Please participate in our online action alert and our Facebook petition on this issue.)
The White House said it expects those kinds of raids to end once Mr. Obama nominates someone to take charge of DEA, which is still run by Bush administration holdovers.
"The president believes that federal resources should not be used to circumvent state laws, and as he continues to appoint senior leadership to fill out the ranks of the federal government, he expects them to review their policies with that in mind," White House spokesman Nick Shapiro said. [Washington Times]
It looks like weâre on the verge of a major victory for state medical marijuana laws. For over a decade, this battle has raged from the hills of California to the Nationâs Capital. It has been a defining cause, not only for the medical marijuana community, but for drug policy reform as a whole.
There is no question that a great many challenges remain in our path, but letâs all take a moment to reflect on the fact that our president is poised to order the DEA to stand down. That is not something that happens easily or often. Todayâs news suggests the pending culmination of a substantial effort by a broad coalition that is frequently perceived to lack meaningful political leverage. The political landscape is changing before our eyes and I believe we have much to look forward to.
(Please participate in our online action alert and our Facebook petition on this issue.)
Event
Protest Rally Against DEA Raids
While the DEA continues to stage medical marijuana raids in California, nearly three-quarters (72%) of voters think President Obama should honor his campaign pledge to end the raids, according to a po
In The Trenches
Press Release: Poll -- 72% Want Obama to End DEA Medical MJ Raids
For Immediate Release: February 4, 2009
Contact: Dale Gieringer, Coordinator, California NORML (415) 563-5858
Zogby Poll: 72% of Voters Want Obama to End DEA Medical Marijuana Raids
Los Angeles Protest Rally - Thurs. Feb 5th, Noon, Federal Courthouse
While the DEA continues to stage medical marijuana raids in California, nearly three-quarters of voters think President Obama should honor his campaign pledge to end the raids, according to a poll of 1,053 likely voters by Zogby International.
In a question sponsored by NORML, voters were asked: During the presidential campaign, Barack Obama said he would stop federal raids against medical marijuana providers in the 13 states where medical marijuana has become legal. Should President Obama keep his word to end such raids?
Response: Yes - 72%, No - 21%, Not sure - 7%.
Yes votes outnumbered No by over 2 to 1 in all geographic, political, and demographic groups. The poll, conducted January 29-31, had a margin error of +/-3.1%.
In view of Obama's pledge to end federal medical marijuana raids, advocates have been disappointed by the fact that they have continued since Jan. 20th. Yesterday, the DEA raided four LA-area medical marijuana dispensaries: Venice Alternative Healing, Marina Caregivers, Alternative Caregivers Discount Dispensary, and the Beach Center Collective (contrary to initial reports, a fifth dispensary wasn't raided). The raids were all "smash and grab" operations, in which agents took medicine and cash, destroyed surveillance cameras, and grabbed computers, but did not arrest anyone.
California NORML coordinator Dale Gieringer denounced the DEA for "unprofessional and piratical conduct" and is calling on supporters to urge President Obama to end the raids.
A rally to protest the DEA raids will be held on Thursday, Feb 5th at noon at the LA federal building, 255 E. Temple St.
--
Dale Gieringer - [email protected]
California NORML, 2215-R Market St. #278, San Francisco CA 94114
-(415) 563- 5858 - www.canorml.org
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20 Texas students test positive for marijuana at $4400 each.
More student drug testing results to speak for themselves.Â
"Since the program began last April, 2,254 students in the district have been randomly tested. Of those, 1 percent of them tested positive for a drug that is on the list of banned substances, said Regina Bennett, the districtâs Safe and Drug Free Schools and Communities (SDFSC) coordinator.""The program, which costs about $100,000 per year, allows the districtâs high schools to randomly test students for illegal drugs and the overuse of prescription drugs if they have a parking sticker and/or are involved in extra-curricular activities. Also, parents who have students that donât fall into either category can voluntarily ask for their children to be included in the group"[Star Community Newspapers]
The way the numbers work out is staggering, from the article it's safe to presume roughly 22.54 students tested positive for a banned substance. Of those, 90% were for marijuana. A small percentage tested positive for amphetamines, Adderall is a safe bet.. We are talking about spending around $4400 to catch each person who tested positive, and even worse these students are denied access to school resources after we've already wasted all this money just to pick them out of 55,000 other pupils.
Regina Bennett, the districtâs Safe and Drug Free Schools and Communities coordinator, really smashed the nail on the head.Â
âThatâs good because hopefully it was a deterrent.âÂ
 Yes, a deterrent to students using after school programs that actually keep them off drugs.Â
In the end they tested 4% of the school district and only 1% tested positive. Another $100,000 in education funding flushed down the drain by the drug war.
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20 Texas students test positive for marijuana at $4400 each.
More student drug testing results to speak for themselves.Â
"Since the program began last April, 2,254 students in the district have been randomly tested. Of those, 1 percent of them tested positive for a drug that is on the list of banned substances, said Regina Bennett, the districtâs Safe and Drug Free Schools and Communities (SDFSC) coordinator.""The program, which costs about $100,000 per year, allows the districtâs high schools to randomly test students for illegal drugs and the overuse of prescription drugs if they have a parking sticker and/or are involved in extra-curricular activities. Also, parents who have students that donât fall into either category can voluntarily ask for their children to be included in the group"[Star Community Newspapers]
The way the numbers work out is staggering, from the article its safe to presume roughly 22.54 students tested positive for a banned substance. Of those, 90% were for marijuana. A small percentage tested positive for anphetimines, Adderall is a safe bet.. We are talking about spending around $4400 to catch each of the people that tested positive, and even worse these students are denied access to school resources after we've already wasted all this money just to pick them out of 55,000 other pupils.
Regina Bennett, the districtâs Safe and Drug Free Schools and Communities coordinator, really smashed the nail on the head.Â
âThatâs good because hopefully it was a deterrent.âÂ
 Yes, a deterrent to students using after school programs that actually keep them off drugs.Â
In the end they tested 4% of the school district and only 1% tested positive. Another $100,000 in education funding flushed down the drain by the drug war.
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Michael Phelps Faces Possible Prosecution for Bong Hit
I swear, if you give these drug war idiots enough ropeâ¦
Yeah, right. Because Iâm so sure that if a picture of some random dude taking a bong hit showed up on the sheriffâs desk, heâd put his best detectives on the case immediately. The rank stupidity of this was summed up nicely by Whoopi Goldberg of all people:
As if the ritualistic public shaming of Michael Phelps werenât sufficiently and self-evidently brainless to begin with, we must now watch in complete bewilderment as law-enforcement willfully exposes its arbitrary application of our drug laws. Putting aside my sympathy for Phelps, itâs more than a little delightful to observe such a public exhibit in the frivolity of marijuana enforcement.
They canât prove anything and they know it, thus this is really just another pitifully ill-conceived attention grab by a frustrated sheriff who canât stand not being at the center of a story unfolding in his backyard. Seldom has the war on drugs produced a more ironic moment than when the healthiest person on the planet is targeted for taking one bong hit.
Authorities will file criminal charges if the investigation determines that they are warranted, a spokesman said Tuesday.
"If someone breaks the law in Richland County, we have an obligation as law enforcement to investigate and to bring charges," Sheriff Leon Lott said in a statement.
"The Richland County Sheriff's Department is making an effort to determine if Mr. Phelps broke the law. If he did, he will be charged in the same manner as anyone else. The sheriff has a responsibility to be fair, to enforce the law and to not turn a blind eye because someone is a celebrity." [CNN]
Yeah, right. Because Iâm so sure that if a picture of some random dude taking a bong hit showed up on the sheriffâs desk, heâd put his best detectives on the case immediately. The rank stupidity of this was summed up nicely by Whoopi Goldberg of all people:
Elisabeth Hasselbeck is turning Michael Phelps into her own personal crusade: This morning on The View, she started hammering away at the alleged-bong-hitting Olympic star for his "illegal action," saying his example "takes the wind out of any mom trying to teach her children" good values.
"If he wasn't Michael Phelps, wouldn't he be in jail?" she added.
"No," said Whoopi Goldberg, "because [if he wasn't Phelps], his picture wouldn't have been in the newspapers!"
As if the ritualistic public shaming of Michael Phelps werenât sufficiently and self-evidently brainless to begin with, we must now watch in complete bewilderment as law-enforcement willfully exposes its arbitrary application of our drug laws. Putting aside my sympathy for Phelps, itâs more than a little delightful to observe such a public exhibit in the frivolity of marijuana enforcement.
They canât prove anything and they know it, thus this is really just another pitifully ill-conceived attention grab by a frustrated sheriff who canât stand not being at the center of a story unfolding in his backyard. Seldom has the war on drugs produced a more ironic moment than when the healthiest person on the planet is targeted for taking one bong hit.
In The Trenches
DEA Raids Again! Call Obama Now!
What Part of âChangeâ Does DEA not Understand?
For the Second Time, DEA Ignores Obama's Statements, Raids Four L.A. Dispensaries
Dear ASA Supporter,
They must think weâre just going to sit back and take it.
Yesterday, the DEA simultaneously raided four medical cannabis dispensing collectives in Los Angeles. This is the second time, in as many weeks, that the DEA has defied President Obamaâs campaign pledges to not use federal resources to undermine state medical cannabis laws.
Our community is in an uproar and we are not going to take this lying down! We need you to ACT!.
The L.A. Times even published an article suggesting that maybe DEA hadnât gotten the memo that Bush is out?
The U.S. Senate just confirmed Attorney General Eric Holder to lead the Department of Justice under the Obama Administration. We expect this to be the FIRST and LAST of the DEA raids under Eric Holderâs leadership. President Obama said he would stop the raids, and we aim to hold him to his word.
Enough is enough! Please make two short phone calls so that both the President and the Attorney General know that people are sick and tired of DEA interference and intimidation in medical cannabis states. Tell your federal government that you will not tolerate wasteful spending by having DEA harass innocent civilians with smash and grab tactics.
First call President Obama at (202) 456-1111, and then call Attorney General Eric Holder at (202) 353-1555. Be sure to call during office hours, Monday â Friday, 9am -5pm.
Use this script for both:
"Hi, my name is ___________. For the second time under President Obama, the DEA conducted raids on multiple medical marijuana dispensaries in California, despite the Presidentâs pledge to end federal threats, intimidation, and interference in states that have medical marijuana laws. Patients and providers should not have to live in fear of the DEA. Please help us and stop these raids now!."
This is our chance under President Obama. We have to get his attention, and we need your help.
Sincerely,
George Pappas
Field Coordinator
Americans for Safe Access
P.S. For more information, visit www.AmericansForSafeAccess.org/DEARaidObama.
In The Trenches
More Medical Marijuana Raids in California
You Can Make a Difference |
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Dear friends, Who's really in charge here? While on the campaign trail, President Obama promised to end medical marijuana raids in places like California where the right to use marijuana on a doctor's recommendation is protected. And now, the DEA has raided not one, but at least four medical marijuana dispensaries in California. Either those were hollow promises or President Obama's Department of Justice is not respecting his stated positions. Sick patients who use medical marijuana in states like California are in grave danger from these wasteful abuses of federal power. You can do something to help. Last week, thousands of DPA Network supporters like you faxed the White House imploring President Obama to end these raids. He has yet to respond -- so now is the time to take the next step.
By taking just a few moments to call the White House now and urge President Obama to honor his campaign promise to end these raids, you can protect sick and dying patients. There are detailed instructions on the website. DPA Network is already working behind the scenes with our allies in Congress to pressure the new administration to stand up for justice. Together, we can ensure the safety of patients across the country, but only if you take action. I'll be sure to keep you posted as the situation continues to develop. Sincerely, Bill Piper P.S. Did you miss my note last week regarding Obama and Medical Marijuana? It's not too late to join the more then 3,100 people who've faxed the White House on this issue. You can also read the news about the most recent raid, and I've pasted below the phone number for the White House, but it's most helpful for coordination efforts if you use the take action button above and log your call. Who to Contact: The White House, at (202) 456 - 1414. What to Say: "I just read that the DEA made several raids recently on medical marijuana patients and providers in California. Iâm calling to urge President Obama to put a stop to this." Additional Talking Points (choose one):
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In The Trenches
NEW CATO PAPER: Troubled Neighbor: Mexico's Drug Violence Poses a Threat to the United States
Troubled Neighbor: Mexico's Drug Violence Poses a Threat to the United States
by Ted Galen Carpenter
Policy Analysis no. 631
February 2, 2009
Executive Summary
While U.S. leaders have focused on actual or illusory security threats in distant regions, there is a troubling security problem brewing much closer to home. Violence in Mexico, mostly related to the trade in illegal drugs, has risen sharply in recent years and shows signs of becoming even worse. That violence involves turf fights among the various drug-trafficking organizations as they seek to control access to the lucrative U.S. market. To an increasing extent, the violence also entails fighting between drug traffickers and Mexican military and police forces.
The carnage has already reached the point that the U.S. State Department has issued travel alerts for Americans traveling in Mexico. U.S. tourism to cities on Mexicoâs border with the United States, where the bloodshed has been the worst, has dropped sharply. Even more troubling, the violence is spilling across the border into communities in the southwestern United States.
U.S. officials, alarmed at the growing power of the Mexican drug cartels, have pressured the government of Felipe Calderón to wage a more vigorous anti-drug campaign. Calderón has responded by giving the army the lead role in efforts to eliminate the drug traffickers instead of relying on federal and local police forces, which have been thoroughly corrupted by drug money. Washington has rewarded Calderónâs government by implementing the initial stage of the so-called Mérida Initiative. In June 2008, Congress approved a $400 million installment modeled on Plan Colombia, the anti-drug assistance measure for Colombia and other drug-source countries in the Andean region. That program, now in its ninth year, has already cost more than $5 billion, without significantly reducing the flow of drugs coming out of South America. The Mérida Initiative will likely cost billions and be equally ineffectual.
Abandoning the prohibitionist model of dealing with the drug problem is the only effective way to stem the violence in Mexico and its spillover into the United States. Other proposed solutions, including preventing the flow of guns from the U.S. to Mexico, establishing tighter control over the border, and (somehow) winning the war on drugs are futile. As long as the prohibitionist strategy is in place, the huge black market premium in illegal drugs will continue, and the lure of that profit, together with the illegality, guarantees that the most ruthless, violence-prone elements will dominate the trade. Ending drug prohibition would de-fund the criminal trafficking organizations and reduce their power.
The full text of this paper is available here.
Ted Galen Carpenter, vice president for defense and foreign policy studies at the Cato Institute, is the author of eight books, including Bad Neighbor Policy: Washington's Futile War on Drugs in Latin America.
Cato Institute1000 Massachusetts Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20001
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Ryan Frederick Found Guilty of Voluntary Manslaughter
Well, it could have been a lot worse:
I imagine this is one of those cases where both the defense and the prosecution breathed a sigh of relief. It could have turned out much differently and this outcome enables each side to claim that they did their job.
Itâs hard to know what to make of this. Frederick was the victim here, no less so than the officer whose life was lost. This young man deserves no punishment and will now serve at least a couple years, Iâd bet. He went down hard in whatâs rapidly becoming a classic botched drug raid scenario wherein a suspect believes police are burglars and uses a firearm to defend their home with fatal consequences.
The staggering magnitude of police incompetence and corruption at stake here deserves considerable investigation and I hope todayâs outcome wonât close the door on that. In the meantime, letâs keep Ryan in our hearts as he heads to the sentencing phase.
A jury convicted Ryan Frederick of voluntary manslaughter this afternoon in the January 2008 death of Chesapeake police Detective Jarrod Shivers.
It also convicted him of simple possession of marijuana.
In the process, the group opted against the two most serious charges filed against the 29-year-old â capital murder and manufacturing marijuana. Voluntary manslaughter carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. Marijuana possession is a misdemeanor, with a maximum sentence of 12 months in jail and a $2,500 fine. [Virginian-Pilot]
I imagine this is one of those cases where both the defense and the prosecution breathed a sigh of relief. It could have turned out much differently and this outcome enables each side to claim that they did their job.
Itâs hard to know what to make of this. Frederick was the victim here, no less so than the officer whose life was lost. This young man deserves no punishment and will now serve at least a couple years, Iâd bet. He went down hard in whatâs rapidly becoming a classic botched drug raid scenario wherein a suspect believes police are burglars and uses a firearm to defend their home with fatal consequences.
The staggering magnitude of police incompetence and corruption at stake here deserves considerable investigation and I hope todayâs outcome wonât close the door on that. In the meantime, letâs keep Ryan in our hearts as he heads to the sentencing phase.