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The Jamaican government just might give this Rastaman something else to smile about. (Image via Wikimedia)
The Jamaican government just might give this Rastaman something else to smile about. (Image via Wikimedia)

Jamaica to Look Again at Decriminalizing Marijuana

A decade ago, the Jamaican government quietly shelved a National Ganja Commission report calling for decriminalization. This week, it decided to take it up again.
medical marijuana (courtesy Coaster420 and wikimedia.org)
medical marijuana (courtesy Coaster420 and wikimedia.org)

Washington House Passes Medical Marijuana Dispensary Bill

A bill that would authorize medical marijuana dispensaries and increase patient protections in Washington state has passed both houses, but faces a reconciliation vote in the Senate and a less-than-committed governor.

Mexico, Just Say No to America's Prohibitionist War on Drugs (Opinion)

Gwynne Dyer, an independent journalist based in London, opines on the state of Mexico's drug prohibition war against the backdrop of a remarkable event that occurred in Mexico last week. Tens of thousands of Mexicans gathered in the main squares of cities across the country to demand an end to the "war on drugs". In the Zocalo, in the heart of Mexico City, they chanted "no more blood" and many called for the resignation of President Felipe Calderon, who began the war by using the army against the drug trafficking organizations in late 2006.

Mexican Mass Grave Complex Reveals 88 Bodies

At least 88 bodies have been found in a complex of mass graves in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas, security officials say, likely victims of the country's ongoing drug prohibition war. The graves are the largest concentration ever found in one area in Mexico.

Maryland Legislature Passes Medical Marijuana Defense Bill (Press Release)

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                 April 11, 2011

Maryland Legislature Passes Medical Marijuana Defense Bill

Senate approval sends measure to desk of Governor Martin O’Malley

CONTACT: Morgan Fox, communications manager………………………….202-905-2031 or [email protected]

ANNAPOLIS – In all likelihood, Maryland will soon become the 16th state to remove criminal penalties for the use of marijuana for medical purposes. The Maryland Senate passed an affirmative defense bill last month removing criminal penalties from patients who use marijuana to relieve the effects of debilitating medical conditions. After the House of Delegates approved an amended version of the bill over the weekend, the Senate today approved those amendments, sending the bill to Governor Martin O’Malley. Aides to the governor have indicated publicly he would sign a medical marijuana defense bill. 

“With the passage of this bill, the General Assembly has let seriously ill patients know they are not criminals for seeking relief from their pain and suffering,” said Senator David Brinkley, the primary sponsor of the Senate bill.” It will also establish a framework to build on in moving forward with more comprehensive solutions so that some day soon patients will be able to obtain their medicine in dignity and not on street corners. I thank my colleagues in both chambers for today’s compassionate vote.”

In its current form, the bill, SB 308, allows individuals diagnosed with debilitating medical conditions, such as cancer or multiple sclerosis, to avoid conviction if charged with the non-public use or possession of one ounce or less of marijuana. An existing sentencing mitigation would remain part of the law, meaning patients who don’t qualify for the full affirmative defense would still have the opportunity to present evidence of medical necessity and have their sentence reduced to a $100 fine. In addition, a work group consisting of medical, legal, and law enforcement experts would be convened to recommend more comprehensive legislation next year. The bill represents a compromise after the Secretary of the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene objected to a more robust proposal calling for state-regulated dispensaries due to the cost of implementation.

“Today’s vote is a move toward compassion for those who might benefit from this drug,” said Delegate Dan Morhaim, the bill’s House sponsor and the General Assembly’s only licensed physician. “A growing body of evidence suggests marijuana is helpful in treating certain conditions, and seriously ill people who use marijuana to treat such conditions on the advice of their physician should not be considered criminals.”

“Under current law, patients using medical marijuana in Maryland face criminal arrest, prosecution and conviction,” said Sen. Jamie Raskin, one of the sponsors in the Senate. “Although judges can reduce the penalty to $100 in these cases, we heard testimony from patients who said they have lost their jobs and were haunted for life by being branded as criminals. This legislation declares that severely ill people using medical marijuana are not criminals and will have the opportunity to establish medical necessity as a defense to a possession charge.  The removal of this threat and the creation of a work group to develop a Maryland model for a comprehensive medical marijuana regime moves us closer to the broader goal of giving patients in Maryland a legal way to obtain doctor-recommended medicine.” 

Advocates were also encouraged by the compromise. “This isn’t a permanent solution, and it’s not everything that patients need, but it allows people suffering from debilitating conditions to sleep a little easier tonight while they wait for full protections,” said Dan Riffle, a legislative analyst with the Marijuana Policy Project.

With more than 124,000 members and supporters nationwide, the Marijuana Policy Project is the largest

marijuana policy reform organization in the United States. For more information, please visit www.mpp.org.

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Californians appear ready to reduce drug possession to misdemeanor. (Image courtesy Aaron Logan via Wikimedia.org)
Californians appear ready to reduce drug possession to misdemeanor. (Image courtesy Aaron Logan via Wikimedia.org)

Californians Favor Lessening Drug Possession Penalties [FEATURE]

A new poll in California shows strong support for reducing drug possession from a felony to a misdemeanor and lesser, but still substantial, support for decriminalization.
druglordscelebratedrugwar.png
druglordscelebratedrugwar.png

Drug Lords Celebrate the Drug War at the UN

This video is typical of the clever work I've come to expect from the HCLU. It deserves more exposure, so whoever's in charge of making things go viral, I hereby nominate this for consideration:

Drug Trafficking Organizations Seek to Exploit Corrupt Federal Agents

As the Homeland Security Department's Customs and Border Protection (CBP) bureau has ratcheted up efforts to cope with the tide of crime sweeping across the Southwest border, Mexican drug trafficking organizations have stepped up efforts to infiltrate CBP and other federal, state and local agencies responsible for policing the border.
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