Weekly: This Week in History
Events and quotes of note from this week's drug policy events of years past.
Latest
Chronicle
Chronicle
Weekly: Blogging @ the Speakeasy
"Prominent Drug Warrior Admits Anti-Drug Propaganda is Exaggerated," "How Much More Proof Do You Need That Lying About Marijuana Doesn't Work?," "Insane Hospital Worker Punishes Medical Marijuana Patient," "Bison Will Eat Marijuana Grown on Contaminated Chemical Weapons Site," "Confused Drug Warrior Predicts 'The End of Medical Marijuana,'" "Confused Drug Warrior Thinks Drugs Are Legal in Mexico," "What Would You Do If You Found a Giant Bag of Weed at the Beach?," "Will Foster is Back in Prison in Oklahoma and Needs Your Help," "Resignation of Mexico's Attorney General Won't Change Much," "Pain Activist Facing Fines in Free Speech Case," "10 Rules for Dealing with Police."
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
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.
Chronicle
Announcement: The 2009 International Drug Policy Reform Conference, Albuquerque, New Mexico, November 12-14
Every two years drug policy reformers from across the United States and around the world come to the International Drug Policy Reform Conference to listen, learn, network and strategize together for change. This year the conference is in Albuquerque, in November, and StoptheDrugWar.org is a partner.
Chronicle
Marijuana: Arizona Supreme Court Rejects Religious Freedom Claim
It was strike two Monday for the Church of Cognizance and its argument that its members have a religious right to use marijuana. The Arizona Supreme Court rejected that claim from a church member. Last year, a federal court rejected a similar claim from church founders Dan and Mary Quaintance, who are currently in federal prison.
Chronicle
Europe: Dutch Government Wants "Members Only" Cannabis Coffee Shops
Holland's conservative coalition government can't find the political will to kill the famous cannabis coffee houses, but it is set to try to turn them into "members only" establishments in a bid to thwart "drug tourism."
Chronicle
Latin America: Mexico Drug War Update
This year's Mexican drug wars body count is closing in on 5,000, with more than 200 added to the death toll last week.
Chronicle
Law Enforcement: Georgia Narcs Gun Down Young Pastor
A young Georgia pastor who gave a ride to a woman drug suspect being tailed by undercover narcs is dead. There are many questions.
Chronicle
Law Enforcement: This Week's Corrupt Cops Stories
Man, the Chronicle takes a week off and look what happens: We've got more corrupt cops, sheriffs, ICE agents, and prison guards than you can shake a stick at. And a state prison mental health counselor, too.
Chronicle
Feature: Will Foster Back in Prison in Oklahoma, Supporters Mount Campaign to Free Him
Medical marijuana patient Will Foster's nightmarish odyssey in the American gulag continues. Now the one-time poster boy for sentencing reform is back behind bars in Oklahoma, where parole officials are using some funny numbers to try to extend his sentence.
Chronicle
Job Opportunity: Director of Development, Law Enforcement Against Prohibition, Medford, Massachusetts
LEAP is seeking a Director of Development who will manage and grow all aspects of its philanthropic support and outreach, and guide the advancement team and the organization through its next stage of development.
Chronicle
Feature: Tainted Cocaine Sickening, Killing People, But Feds Slow to Act
An Associated Press story at the end of August raised the alarm about levasimole-tainted cocaine, but the problem has been emerging for years. Now, while waiting for the feds to act, harm reductionists and public health workers grapple with how to respond.
Chronicle
Law Enforcement: Minneapolis Pays For Drug Raid Cop's Attack on Bystander
If you're a cop and you slug an innocent bystander in the face for no reason during a drug raid, it's going to cost your employer big time. At least that's what happened a couple of weeks ago in Minneapolis.
Chronicle
Medical Marijuana: More Than a Dozen Dispensaries Hit, 31 Arrested in Coordinated San Diego Police Raids
Anti-medical marijuana zealot San Diego DA Bonnie Dumanis has struck again. A series of raids yesterday resulted in 31 arrests and 14 dispensaries shuttered. The DEA was there, too.
Chronicle
Latin America: Colombian Supreme Court Rules Drug Possession Not a Crime
More than a decade ago, Colombia's Constitutional Court ruled that drug possession was not a prosecutable offense. Now, President Uribe is moving to undo that, but the country's Supreme Court has put a roadblock in his path by upholding that ruling.
Chronicle
New Book Offer: "Marijuana is Safer -- So Why Are We Driving People to Drink?"
To kick off our autumn fundraising drive, StoptheDrugWar.org is pleased to offer the exciting new book, "Marijuana is Safer -- So Why Are We Driving People to Drink?," as our latest membership premium -- donate $36 or more and we'll send you a copy for free! Things are happening, and the importance of your support at this time could not be greater.
Blog
Prominent Drug Warrior Admits Anti-Drug Propaganda is Exaggerated
I donât know what to make of this quote from NIDA Director Nora Volkow:
At first glance, it's nice that she at least admits that there's a lot of nonsense being passed around by anti-drug crusaders. It's not exactly news to anyone, but hearing this from Nora Volkow still surprised me. Anything resembling candor coming from a longtime prohibitionist like her is worthy of recognition.
Unfortunately, it's hard to take any of this seriously given Volkow's extensive track record of making crazy exaggerations. After the encounter I had with her, she really shouldn't be lecturing anyone about not crying wolf.
More likely, Volkow simply appreciates that being associated with crazy and excessive propaganda has done immeasurable harm to the credibility of the drug warrior elite and their prohibitionist agenda. If there's one lesson worth taking away from the drug war politics of the Bush era, it's that nobody wants to hear that crap anymore. Distancing herself from the excesses of her fallen peers is a smooth move for Volkow, but it won't work unless she actually stops trying to scare and manipulate everyone about the harms of drugs.
"One of the issues that's happened is that we've sent out all these messages; we've cried wolf too many times," Volkow said. "We don't need to exaggerate; the data speaks for itself. Armed with this knowledge, kids can make decisions." [San Diego Union-Tribune]
At first glance, it's nice that she at least admits that there's a lot of nonsense being passed around by anti-drug crusaders. It's not exactly news to anyone, but hearing this from Nora Volkow still surprised me. Anything resembling candor coming from a longtime prohibitionist like her is worthy of recognition.
Unfortunately, it's hard to take any of this seriously given Volkow's extensive track record of making crazy exaggerations. After the encounter I had with her, she really shouldn't be lecturing anyone about not crying wolf.
More likely, Volkow simply appreciates that being associated with crazy and excessive propaganda has done immeasurable harm to the credibility of the drug warrior elite and their prohibitionist agenda. If there's one lesson worth taking away from the drug war politics of the Bush era, it's that nobody wants to hear that crap anymore. Distancing herself from the excesses of her fallen peers is a smooth move for Volkow, but it won't work unless she actually stops trying to scare and manipulate everyone about the harms of drugs.
Blog
How Much More Proof Do You Need That Lying About Marijuana Doesnât Work?
No matter how many lies they tell, no matter how many lives they rip apart, the brave soldiers in the war on drugs wake up everyday in a country where marijuana is part of a healthy lifestyle for millions of responsible adults:
For all the insulting, outlandish, and just plain stupid propaganda that the drug czar's office has been shoving down our throats, nothing has changed. Nothing, that is, except public support for legalization, which continues to climb.
The drug czar hasn't said a word about the latest data on drug use rates, and it's fitting that the smartest strategic move to come from that office in a long time was the decision to just keep their mouths shut for once.
In 2002, 94.9 million Americans admitted having used marijuana at some point in their lives. In 2008, that figure had grown to 102.4 million. In percentage terms, thatâs an increase from 40.4 percent in 2002 to 40.6 percent in 2008 â unchanged, statistically speaking. [MPP]
For all the insulting, outlandish, and just plain stupid propaganda that the drug czar's office has been shoving down our throats, nothing has changed. Nothing, that is, except public support for legalization, which continues to climb.
The drug czar hasn't said a word about the latest data on drug use rates, and it's fitting that the smartest strategic move to come from that office in a long time was the decision to just keep their mouths shut for once.