Weekly: This Week in History
Events and quotes of note from this week's drug policy events of years past.
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Job Opportunity: Harm Reduction Specialist, Community Access, Inc., New York, NY
Community Access, Inc. is seeking a Harm Reduction Specialist for its New York City office.
Chronicle
Feature: Washington Marijuana Legalization Initiative Aims for November Ballot
There is a chance that the entire West Coast could be voting on legalizing marijuana in November. We've already reported on California and Oregon -- see below -- and this week, we take a look at the legalization initiative campaign in Washington state.
Chronicle
Latin America: Mexico Drug War Update
The prohibition-related violence in Mexico took an ominous turn this week as supposed cartel armies attacked military bases in the north. And then there's the typical toll of dead cops, dead narcos, and dead civilians.
Chronicle
Public Opinion: Poll Finds Support for Marijuana Legalization Still Rising, Medical Marijuana Overwhelming
Support for medical marijuana is broad and deep among the American public, and support for general pot legalization continues to trend upward, although we're not quite over the top nationally, a new poll finds.
Chronicle
Legalization: Drug Czar Avoids Answering Question on Fed Response to California Initiative
The drug czar doesn't want to talk about what the federal response to marijuana legalization in California might be. Let's hope he has to talk about it come November 3.
Chronicle
Students: Intern at StoptheDrugWar.org (DRCNet) and Help Stop the Drug War!
Apply for an internship at DRCNet and you could spend a semester fighting the good fight!
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Feedback: Do You Read Drug War Chronicle?
Do you read Drug War Chronicle? If so, we need your feedback to evaluate our work and make the case for Drug War Chronicle to funders. We need donations too.
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Weekly: Blogging @ the Speakeasy
"Embarrassing Typo on Anti-Legalization Site," "Drug Czar Doesn't Want to Discuss California's Legalization Effort," "Sting Says End the Drug War," "Medical Marijuana on South Park Tonight," "Drug Cartels Are Terrified of Marijuana Legalization," "Illegal Growers Are Terrified of Marijuana Legalization," "An Argument to Avoid Making, Part 2."
Chronicle
Drug War Chronicle Video Review: "10 Rules for Dealing With Police," from Flex Your Rights
Millions of people have viewed -- and benefited from -- the film "Busted: The Citizen's Guide to Surviving Police Encounters." The new Flex Your Rights film, "10 Rules for Dealing with Police," has taken things to the next level, in more ways than one.
Chronicle
Offer and Appeal: Order "10 Rules for Dealing with Police" -- Free With a Donation to StoptheDrugWar.org
StoptheDrugWar.org is pleased to be the first drug policy organization to offer this important new video to our members -- your donations will support our work of building the movement and fueling public debate, too.
Blog
Drug Czar Doesn't Want to Discuss California's Legalization Effort
California could legalize marijuana this November and the drug czar isnât sure exactly what to say about it:
There's not much here to try to interpret, but it's certainly an improvement from the hysterical response I'm sure we'd have seen under the Bush Administration. Isn't it incredible that the nation's top anti-drug official -- the man whose primary responsibility is to serve as head cheerleader for the war on drugs â can't think of anything more interesting to say about the country's most populous state attempting to legalize marijuana for recreational use? You could get as much insight from a random guy on the street.
This comment from the article is helpful in explaining what's going on with marijuana policy at the White House:
This is exactly right, and it's vitally important to understand this concept even as we condemn the Obama Administration for upholding the status quo in most aspects of drug policy. We've reached a point where it's no longer politically wise for the Administration, particularly a Democratic one, to be visibly associated with aggressive reefer madness. They've appeared to understand this so far, thus the Administration's tone regarding the California legalization effort will speak volumes, regardless of whether or not they actually say anything.
The Obama administration's top drug enforcement official sidestepped a question Thursday on how the federal government would react if California voters legalize pot this fall.
Drug czar Gil Kerlikowske said he wouldn't speculate on what the Obama administration would do if California voters approve a ballot initiative that would make marijuana legal for consumption but subject it to regulation.
"Since it hasn't passed, right now it would be improper to speculate on what the federal government's role is," Kerlikowske said during an appearance on ABC's "Top Line" webcast. [The Hill]
There's not much here to try to interpret, but it's certainly an improvement from the hysterical response I'm sure we'd have seen under the Bush Administration. Isn't it incredible that the nation's top anti-drug official -- the man whose primary responsibility is to serve as head cheerleader for the war on drugs â can't think of anything more interesting to say about the country's most populous state attempting to legalize marijuana for recreational use? You could get as much insight from a random guy on the street.
This comment from the article is helpful in explaining what's going on with marijuana policy at the White House:
Obama has played the medical marijuana issue perfectly, allowing MM states to push the envelope and creating acceptance for cannabis in the general population while expending no political capital of his ownâ¦
This is exactly right, and it's vitally important to understand this concept even as we condemn the Obama Administration for upholding the status quo in most aspects of drug policy. We've reached a point where it's no longer politically wise for the Administration, particularly a Democratic one, to be visibly associated with aggressive reefer madness. They've appeared to understand this so far, thus the Administration's tone regarding the California legalization effort will speak volumes, regardless of whether or not they actually say anything.
In The Trenches
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Sting Says End the Drug War
Our friends at the Drug Policy Alliance have persuaded A-list rockstar Sting to join the drug policy reform movement. I'm not exactly gonna leap out of my seat every time a celebrity says the drug war sucks, but Sting is a big name and it was fun getting a mass email from him today telling me lots of things I agree with.
Hopefully we'll be seeing some more press on this, or better yet a wave of rockstars joining the cause and rocking out for justice. And can we please do one of those PSA-type ads where like 8 famous people take turns looking concerned and saying why some issue is important, except this time the issue is legalizing marijuana in California and the famous people are all super famous and not just cast members from various shows on whatever network you're watching?
If we can get Bono and Bill Clinton, we'll win with leaflets left over.
Hopefully we'll be seeing some more press on this, or better yet a wave of rockstars joining the cause and rocking out for justice. And can we please do one of those PSA-type ads where like 8 famous people take turns looking concerned and saying why some issue is important, except this time the issue is legalizing marijuana in California and the famous people are all super famous and not just cast members from various shows on whatever network you're watching?
If we can get Bono and Bill Clinton, we'll win with leaflets left over.
Blog
Medical Marijuana on South Park Tonight
Oh no, something tells me this is going to boil my blood. Or maybe not. From one episode to the next, South Park either speaks directly to my soul, or makes me wanna puke.
In any case, I'll be tuning in tonight to see where they're going with this:
Feel free to come back and discuss the episode in comments.