The leader of the Amethyst Initiative, John McCardell Jr., president emeritus of Vermont's Middlebury College, says there's a big difference between the two debates.
"The fact is marijuana is prohibited across the board. It's not a matter of age discrimination, as where alcohol is concerned," he said. [AP]
Mexico City - A convoy of cars carrying more than two dozen suspected drug cartel members disguised as Mexican police officers arrives at the Zacatécas state prison before dawn. Their helicopter hovers overhead. Minutes later, the men help more than 50 inmates â many of them suspected drug traffickers â flee the prison. A countrywide manhunt ensues.
No, this is not a script for a B movie. It's just another day in Mexico's high-stakes war on drug trafficking â Saturday, in fact. [Christian Science Monitor]
Rather than hiding in remote mountain redoubts, Mexico's most wanted traffickers â some with prices of 30 million pesos ($2.1 million) on their heads â are partying openly. In April, police arrested the alleged top recruiter of another cartel, La Familia, at another baptism party held by capos at a resort in the western state of Michoacan.
"This indicates, along with another famous wedding that happened, that they don't have any fear at all of the authorities, none at all," said Samuel Gonzalez, Mexico's former top anti-drug prosecutor. "They are sending a message that they aren't afraid." [AP]
Riding the Information Superhighway into the Oval Office This winter, President Obama and his staff encouraged the public to contact the White House with their ideas and to vote on those ideas at their website, www.whitehouse.gov. With help from the thousands of organizations and individuals that are supported by DrugSense, the top suggestions were about how cannabis legalization could help the economy, create jobs, address global warming, and meet the health care crisis. DrugSense - the Internet home of the drug policy reform movement - had long been ready for the inevitable democratic approach to governing that has been pressing on Washington since the last election in 2004. Almost one hundred thousand people, using the viral tools for advocacy and communication pioneered by DrugSense, practically took over the Oval Office and overwhelmed the usually cool Barack Obama. The flustered President, when asked if legalizing cannabis could boost the economy, could only sputter "no, I don't think that is a good strategy . [laughter] . to grow our economy." |
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