Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) (senate.gov)
Sentencing Bills Before Senate Judiciary Committee
The Senate Judiciary will be marking up three sentencing reform bills Thursday. They are significant ones.
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Welfare Drug Testing Bill Passes Michigan Senate
The Michigan Senate wound up its 2013 session by a passing a welfare drug testing bill. The House already passed one. Both will be alive when the legislative session starts up next year.
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NIDA press conference announcing MTF results
Teen Drug Use Survey Figures Spark Marijuana Debate [FEATURE]
The latest Monitoring the Future numbers on teen drug use are out. Most drug use is down or stable, and teen marijuana use is well withing historic levels, but that isn't stopping some from sounding alarms.
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Medical Marijuana Update
Oregon's plan to regulate dispensaries statewide moves ahead, Washington state looks like it will let medical marijuana patients keep their personal grows, a new national certification program is announced, and more.
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Aerial spraying of coca plants is on hold in Colombia after the FARC shot down two planes this fall. (wikimedia.org)
Chronicle AM -- December 18, 2013
They may be smoking more pot in Washington state than anyone thought, the Florida medical marijuana signature-gathering campaign is going down to the wire, opium production is up in the Golden Triangle, and aerial eradication is paused in Colombia (after planes get blown out of the sky). And more.
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Marijuana Use Fairly Stable, Annual Survey Finds
[image:1 align:right]The annual Monitoring the Future survey of teen drug use is out, and anyon
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This Week's Corrupt Cops Stories
More cops with pain pill problems, one who seemed like he was headed to (or from) a party, and a Texas parole officer gets too tight with a parolee.
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Matthew Perry (l) squares off against Peter Hitchens (r) in fiery BBC Newsnight drug debate.
Chronicle AM -- December 17, 2013
Seattle and Denver get down to the nitty-gritty of dealing with the details of marijuana legalization, a conservative Southern congressman comes out for medical marijuana, Detroit cops go on mass raids, and a British TV debate over drug policy gets heated. And more.
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Uruguayan President Mujica strikes back at critics, and so does his wife. (gob.uy)
Uruguay's Mujica, Wife in Diplomatic Spat with INCB
Uruguayan President Mujica is not standing quietly by in the face of criticism from UN drug bureaucrats. Neither is his wife, an Uruguayan senator.
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Uruguayan President Jose Mujica has some harsh words for his critics and finds some support, too.
Chronicle AM -- December 16, 2013
Uruguay's president defends marijuana legalization there and finds an ally, marijuana bills are popping up in some surprising countries, the Justice Department says we have a federal prison crisis, and much more.
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Two More Drug War Deaths
A Minnesota man is dead of an apparent overdose after swallowing drugs during an arrest, and a Washington state man was shot and killed by police as they attempted to arrest him after an undercover drug buy. They are the 37th and 38th domestic drug war fatalities of the year.
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India's Maoist Naxalities -- profiting from prohibition. (wikimedia.org)
Chronicle AM -- December 13, 2013
It looks like Washington state medical marijuana patients will continue to be able to grow their own, Seattle City Attorney Pete Holmes wants to welcome pot tourists, the Michigan Senate takes aim at welfare drug users, Indian Maoists are profiting from prohibition, and more.
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Scrooge goes to Lansing. Bah, humbug! (wikimedia.org)
Michigan Senate Republicans Scapegoat Poor With Welfare Drug Test Bill
In one of its last acts of the legislative session, the Michigan Senate passed a bill mandating drug testing for selected welfare applicants and recipients. It was a straight party-line vote.
Chronicle
A move is on to end the federal ban on funding needle exchanges.
Chronicle AM -- December 12, 2013
A push is on to end the federal ban on needle exchange funding, a secret federal panel meets to discuss marijuana banking issues, UN anti-drug bureaucrats are still unhappy with Uruguay, more bodies show up in Mexico, and more.
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Medical Marijuana Update
A busy Tuesday in California, herbal medicine experts make a call, New Jersey's third dispensary opens, Florida's Supreme Court hears a challenge to an initiative, and more.
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This Week's Corrupt Cops Stories
Busy, busy. Cops on pain pills, crooked drug task force commanders, and more.
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55% Say Legalize Marijuana in New California Field Poll
California's Field Poll reports a majority for marijuana legalization. That's in line with other recent polls suggesting Californians are ready to free the weed.
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Chronicle AM -- December 11, 2013
Uruguay legalizes the marijuana trade (and the usual suspects object), Denver provides a helpful guide to legalization there, Human Rights Watch scorches Louisiana for its AIDS-enhancing policies, and more.
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Call Judiciary Committee Senators TODAY to End Harsh Drug Sentencing!
Update: The committee markup has been postponed until next week -- that means there's still time to call!
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Uruguay Legalizes Marijuana! [FEATURE]
In an historic vote, the Uruguayan Senate gave final approval Tuesday night to the government's marijuana legalization bill. Once President Mujica signs it, Uruguay is 120 days away from legal marijuana commerce.