Drug War Chronicle #627 - April 9, 2010
Major Video Release: "10 Rules for Dealing with Police" -- from the creators of "Busted"
"10 Rules" is available from StoptheDrugWar.org as our gift with your donation.
Feature: The Clock is Ticking on Canadian "Prince of Pot" Marc Emery's Extradition
Will Marc Emery really be sent to prison in the US for five years for selling pot seeds over the Internet? The decision is now in the hands of Canada's justice minister, and Emery and his allies are campaigning to block his extradition.
Feature: Philadelphia to Not Quite Decriminalize Marijuana
Facing a severely clogged criminal court system, the city of Philadelphia will no longer prosecute small-time pot possession cases as criminal misdemeanors, but as summary offenses. But the cops will still arrest you anyway.
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.
Latin America: Mexico Drug War Update
The body count in Mexico's prohibition related violence this week topped 19,000, as President Felipe Calderon's war on the so-called cartels continues to reap high levels of bloodshed.
Medical Marijuana: Maine Legislature Approves Dispensaries
Maine is about to become the latest state to set up a medical marijuana dispensary system. The measure has passed the legislature and the governor is expected to sign it.
Medical Marijuana: Maryland Bill Passes Senate Committee, But Is Bottled Up in House
A Maryland medical marijuana bill won an important Senate committee vote this week, but with time running out for the legislative session, it looks to be stalled in the House.
Law Enforcement: This Week's Corrupt Cops Stories
A meth dealing Texas deputy and a pill-peddling Missouri jail guard head for the big house.
Marijuana: Another Colorado Town Votes to Legalize It
Nederland now joins Denver and Breckenridge on the list of Colorado communities that have voted to remove penalties for adult marijuana possession. Durango could be next, and the whole state could vote on the issue in 2012.
Medical Marijuana: Alabama Bill Wins House Committee Vote, But Unlikely to Pass This Year
At least some legislators in the Heart of Dixie are showing they have hearts. The Alabama House Judiciary Committee approved a medical marijuana bill this week.
Europe: More British Drug Policy Experts Resign in Protest from Government Advisory Board
It's science vs. politics in British drug policy, and the scientists are growing tired of having evidence-based policies trumped by political considerations. Two more members of the government's Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs have resigned in recent days over the spat.
India: Maoist Rebels Find Funding Source in Poppies, Pot Plants
What's an insurgent guerrilla movement to do when it needs funds to sustain its war? India's Naxalites are doing what so many have done before: Turning to the black market in illegal drugs and drug crops.
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.
Weekly: This Week in History
Events and quotes of note from this week's drug policy events of years past.
Feedback: Do You Read Drug War Chronicle?
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Weekly: Blogging @ the Speakeasy
"Confusing Legalization With Prohibition," "Drug Cartels Are Terrified of Marijuana Legalization, Part 2," "Refusing a Search Doesn't Give Police the Right to Detain You," "Has Jay Leno Ever Heard of Medical Marijuana Dispensaries?," "Since When do Rockstars Know Anything About Drugs?"
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Permission to Reprint: This content is licensed under a modified Creative Commons Attribution license. Content of a purely educational nature in Drug War Chronicle appear courtesy of DRCNet Foundation, unless otherwise noted.