Drug War Chronicle #740 - June 28, 2012
Making Sure Drugs Kill: Commission Blames Drug War for Spreading AIDS [FEATURE]
When it comes to slowing the spread of HIV/AIDS, the imperatives of the drug war are a hindrance, not a help, a new report from the Global Commission on Drugs finds. There is a better way, the group says.
Supreme Court Grants Lesser Sentences in "Pipeline" Crack Cocaine Cases
The Supreme Court has held that people "in the pipeline" -- convicted but not yet sentenced when Fair Sentencing Act reforms took effect -- on federal crack cocaine charges are entitled to be sentenced under the lesser penalties created by the act. Thousands could get sentence cuts.
Chicago Decriminalizes Marijuana Possession
Following the lead of some of its suburbs, Chicago has decriminalized the possession of less than 15 grams of marijuana for adults.
NYPD Sued Over Stop and Frisk Marijuana Arrests
NYPD refuses to stop charging people with misdemeanor marijuana possession after stopping and frisking them and forcing them to empty their pockets so they can be charged with "public possession," so now the Legal Aid Society is suing to make them knock it off.
Uruguayan Government May Sell Marijuana in Proposed Legalization System
The left-leaning Uruguayan government says it will introduce a bill that would give it a monopoly on legal marijuana sales.
Danish Parliament Okays Drug Consumption Rooms
Supervised injection sites are coming to Denmark, and so are broader "drug consumption rooms" where heroin and cocaine can be smoked or snorted. A new law takes effect July 1.
Did You Know? Portugal's Decriminalization Record, on DrugWarFacts.org
DrugWarFacts.org, a publication of Common Sense for Drug Policy, is an in-depth compilation of key facts, stats and quotes on the full range of drug policy issues, excerpted from expert publications on the subjects. The Chronicle is running a series of info items from DrugWarFacts.org, and we encourage you to check it out.
New Hampshire Governor Vetoes Medical Marijuana Bill
New Hampshire Gov. John Lynch has vetoed a medical marijuana bill--again. Now, it's up to the legislature to see if it can muster the votes to override the veto.
New Hampshire Medical Marijuana Veto Stands
An effort to override Gov. John Lynch's veto of a medical marijuana bill succeeded in the House but fell short in the Senate.
Medical Marijuana Update
The feds continue to play hardball in California and local elected officials across the state are grappling with the issues. Meanwhile, Vermont moves ahead on dispensaries while New Hampshire's medical marijuana bill can't overcome a gubernatorial veto, and that's not all.
New Jersey Assembly Passes Marijuana Decriminalization Bill
A decriminalization bill has passed the New Jersey Assembly, but faces an uphill battle to overcome a veto threat from Gov. Christie.
This Week's Corrupt Cops Stories
A scandal that keeps on giving in Florida, a pair of bad apple deputies in LA get their just rewards, a crooked NYPD cop gets his, too, and much, much more.
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.