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Chronicle
Southeast Asia: Human Rights Watch Charges Torture, Rape, Illegal Detentions at Cambodian Drug "Rehab" Centers, Demands Shutdown
Cambodia's "drug treatment" centers are the scene of torture, rape, and abuse, said Human Rights Watch in a scathing report Monday calling for them to be shut down. Oh, and they don't do much drug treatment, either.
Chronicle
Feature: Hundreds of Los Angeles Medical Marijuana Dispensaries Face Closure Under New Rules Passed by Council
America's second largest city has adopted regulations for medical marijuana dispensaries. But while medical marijuana advocates want the industry regulated, the new Los Angeles ordinance is being seen as unduly restrictive. This battle isn't over just yet.
Chronicle
Weekly: This Week in History
Events and quotes of note from this week's drug policy events of years past.
Chronicle
Feature: Obama Nominates Drug Warrior Michele Leonhart to Head DEA -- Reformers Gird for Battle
The Obama administration has nominated the acting DEA administrator to be permanent DEA administrator. But this veteran DEA agent carries some baggage with her, and drug reformers are looking for ways to challenge the nomination.
Chronicle
Legalization: California Tax and Regulate Marijuana Initiative Hands in Signatures
Whee! It sure looks like marijuana legalization is going to be on the ballot in California this year. Richard Lee and his Tax and Regulate Cannabis 2010 initiative just handed in 700,000 signatures. They need 434,000 valid ones.
Chronicle
South Pacific: Leading Tahiti Political Figure Says Legalize Weed and Sell It to Tourists
The South Pacific breezes could grow balmier, the mai-tais yummier, and tourists' dispositions sunnier, if a leading Tahiti political figure gets his way.
Chronicle
Law Enforcement: This Week's Corrupt Cops Stories
Cops punching drug suspects, deputies smuggling dope to a jailed gang leader, a probation officer trading clean drug tests for sexual favors, a cop who got in trouble when he overdosed on the dope he stole, a cop whose Oxycontin habit got the best of him, and, of course, more crooked prison and jail guards.
Chronicle
Latin America: Mexico Drug War Update
Prohibition-related violence takes no breaks in Mexico. Another 162 people were killed in that country's drug wars in the past week.
Chronicle
Law Enforcement: Maryland Bill Would Ban SWAT Teams for Misdemeanors
Those SWAT cops really shouldn't have shot the mayor's dogs. Last year, a raid gone bad led to ground-breaking Maryland legislation to begin reining-in aggressive SWAT teams. Now, the author of that bill is back with another. It's about time.
Chronicle
Latin America: Mexico Proposes Banning Narcocorridos (Drug Ballads)
Los Tigres del Norte, Los Tucanes de Tijuana, and dozens of other narcocorrido performers better watch out. The Mexican government wants to throw them in jail over the contents of their songs.
Chronicle
Prohibition: Ban on Spice, BZP Passes Kansas Senate
The Kansas Senate acted in fine prohibitionist form last week when it moved to ban a pair of synthetic cannabinoids and a synthetic stimulant without any evidence there was any problem with them.
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!
Chronicle
Weekly: Blogging @ the Speakeasy
"Obama Launches YouTube Forum on Legalizing Marijuana," "Cannabis Cups Causing Controversy in Medical Marijuana States," "Ruining Young Lives for Marijuana Possession," "Obama Chooses Terrible Nominee to Head the DEA," "When Police Mistake Candy for Crack...," "The Irrationality of Banning Marijuana Offenders from Working at Dispensaries."
Blog
Obama Launches YouTube Forum on Legalizing Marijuana
Once again, the President wants to know what you think about marijuana policy. His latest online voting forum is sponsored by YouTube, and you can submit your questions about marijuana legalization either on video or in writing.
Participants are asked to focus their questions on how legalization will impact the following areas:
Jobs & the Economy
Health care
Energy & Environment
Foreign Policy & National Security
Education
Financial Reform
Government Reform
After looking around a bit, I've noticed that some internet trolls have been attempting to disrupt the dialogue by submitting questions that have nothing to do with the legalization of marijuana. Some of the categories include a number of non-marijuana-related questions, so please click over there and use your up and down votes to keep the conversation focused by making sure the marijuana questions stay at the top in each section.
With all the problems facing our nation, obsessively discussing marijuana legalization on the internet is more important than ever. After all, if people get sick of hearing about this, there's only one way to shut us up.
Update: Just kidding. I'm pretty sure the forum isn't intended to discuss marijuana legalization exclusively. But you'd almost think it was, considering how many people have questions for the President about why our marijuana laws haven't been fixed yet. I wonder how many more of these online votes we have to dominate before we get a straight answer.
In The Trenches
Attack ad unleashed in Nevada
Dear friends:
A couple of weeks ago, we told you about a district attorney in Nevada who obnoxiously said that making marijuana legal in Nevada would turn the state into Sodom and Gomorra. When we said the MPP-supported campaign in the state, Nevadans for Sensible Marijuana Laws, wasn't going to let that attack go unanswered, we weren't kidding.
Yesterday, in the lobby of the building where district attorney Richard Gammick has his office, MPP's Dave Schwartz, who serves as NSML's campaign manager, unveiled a TV ad attacking Gammick for his irrational stance. We really love the ad and wanted to share it with you. Take a look:
 This is just an opening salvo in what will be an ongoing campaign to highlight the hypocrisy of law enforcement officials who know that alcohol causes more societal problems than marijuana, yet advocate for the continued persecution of anyone who chooses to use marijuana instead of alcohol.
We're mad as hell, and we're not going to take it any more. If you feel the same and want to see more ads like this â in Nevada or in other parts of the country â would you please make a contribution today? We're 100% dependant on contributions from people like you, and we really need your help today.
Sincerely,
Steve Fox
Director of State Campaigns
Marijuana Policy Project
Washington, D.C.
Event
First Annual Cannapalooza
Cannapalooza is the international marketplace for all things cannabis. The first event of its kind to be held in Las Vegas... that's right, Sin City!