New England has emerged as a hotbed of marijuana law reform. Why is that?

We review two books on marijuana -- one a comprehensive anthology, the other, a studious work on changing pot policy.

Medical marijuana is a big business and only getting bigger, according to a new study produced by a financial analysis firm.

Honduras's first cocaine lab is discovered, a New Mexico town's mayor and police chief are arrested for alleged gun running, a former Juarez Cartel boss will stand trial, and Ciudad Juarez suffers from the continued nightmare of drug trade violence (as do many other places).

It was a relatively quiet week on the crooked cop front -- not including officers who've gone astray but haven't been caught -- but we've still got us a trio of law enforcement miscreants.

ProCon.org is a series of in-depth web sites presenting information and views on controversial issues, several of which relate to drug policy. The Chronicle is running a six-part series of info items from ProCon.org, and we encourage you to check it out.

A bill that would allow medical marijuana patients to present an affirmative defense in court has passed the Maryland Senate.

An Illinois medical marijuana bill is heading for a House floor vote. Last year, it passed the Senate, only to fail in the House. Let's hope we get a better outcome this year.

Add Kentucky to the short list of states that have banned the synthetic stimulant mephedrone, typically marketed as "bath salts."

A member of a Southern California drug task force shot and killed a man armed with a shotgun during a Friday morning drug raid. That makes 20 dead in the US drug war so far this year.

Long Island cops moved in to make a small-time drug bust, the suspect apparently swallowed the drugs, and now he's dead. That makes 21 dead in US domestic drug law enforcement operations so far this year.

Events and quotes of note from this week's drug policy events of years past.