Drug War Chronicle #1213 - June 3, 2024
A .50 caliber rifle seized at the Port of Nogales. (CBP)
Federal Bill Would Restrict .50 Caliber Rifles in Bid to Block Cartel Access [FEATURE]
.50 caliber sniper rifles can take down a chopper, penetrate armor, and hit a target from a mile away. For $9,000 one can be yours. The Mexican cartels say "yes, please."
Chronicle Book Review: The Suburban Crisis
Trying to deal with car culture kids in the post-World War II Los Angeles suburbs laid the groundwork for the war on drugs.
Chronicle Book Review: Smoke and Ashes
Amitav Ghosh creates a rich, provocative, and eye-opening portrait of the rise of the opium trade.
This Week's Corrupt Cops Stories
An Arkansas cop gets caught slinging dope in uniform and a West Virginia federal prison guard breaks bad.
Harvesting opium poppies. There is not a lot of that going on in Afghanistan anymore. (UNODC)
MN Lawmakers Set Stage for Legal Weed Industry, Afghans Eradicate Miles of Opium Poppies, More... (5/24/24)
The DEA releases its annual drug threat assessment, a new poll finds Texans are ready to legalize weed even if their political leaders are not, and more.
The abortion drug mifeprestone. It is now a controlled substance in Louisiana. (Genbiopro)
LA First State to Make Abortion Drugs Controlled Substances, NH Senate Approves Marijuana Legalization Bill, More... (5/28/24)
South Korea threatens to arrest its citizens if they smoke pot in countries where it is legal, Ireland wields harm reduction services as summer festival season arrives, and more.
Methamphetamine. The UN reports that production and trafficking is rampant in East and Southeast Asia. (Creative Commons)
South Africa Legalizes Marijuana, DE Governor Signs MedMJ Expansion Bill, More... (5/29/24)
The UN Office on Drugs and Crime issues a new report on East and Southeast Asian drug trafficking, California psychedelic reform proponents ponder a 2026 initiative, and more.
A police bust in the Tenderloin. There have been a lot of them in the last year. (AdamChandler86)
CA Cops Now Support Marijuana Legalization, One-Year Anniversary of San Francisco Drug Crackdown, More... (5/30/24)
A dangerous new substance is entering the nation's illicit powder drug supply, the New Hampshire marijuana legalization bill is now going to conference committee, and more.
Rogue opium plants beware! Inspector Kawamura Yuki, 3, is on the job.
One-Third of Americans Know Someone Who Died of an Overdose, LA Bans "Gas Station Heroin," More... (5/31/24)
A new Tennessee poll has a strong majority for marijuana legalization, a Japanese three-year-old is honored for spotting an opium poppy, and more.
Kratom. The state of California is moving to regulate -- not prohibit -- it. (Project CBD)
CA Kratom Regulation Bill Advances, VT Governor Vetoes Safe Injection Site Bill, More... (6/3/24)
Customs and Border Patrol has cut the period of acceptable last marijuana use for recruits from two years to 90 days, the federal defense bill is the locus of several drug policy-related amendments, and more.
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