Having failed to mention that I was going on vacation, I now announce my triumphant return. I attended the always inspiring SSDP national conference in San Francisco and then drove out to Yosemite with my girlfriend for some hiking, skiing and photography. Fortunately, the drug cartels have yet to completely ruin the Sierra Nevadas with their massive outdoor marijuana grows, but the beauty of Yosemite was a stark reminder of what we have to lose if our marijuana policy isn't fixed quickly.

What a strange feeling it is to gaze upon our nation's most precious wilderness and know that even the ancient Sequoia forests aren't safe from the drug war's destructive clutches. Thankfully, I managed not to spend the entire time thinking about that.