This Week's Corrupt Cops Stories
No cops got arrested this week for drug prohibition-related corruption, but a few got convicted, and one got sentenced.
America's Third War: Fears Emerge That Mexican Drug Violence Could Spill Into U.S.
A series of high-profile murders of U.S. citizens along the border with Mexico has raised fears about drug prohibition violence spilling over into the United States.
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Man Smokes Medical Marijuana at Taxpayers' Expense
On a recent chilly morning, Fort Lauderdale stockbroker Irvin Rosenfeld interrupted his client calls for a quick medical marijuana cigarette in the company parking lot. Then he went back to work. The cigarette perfectly legal for him was one of about 120,000 the federal government has provided to him at taxpayer expense for the past 29 years. He's one of only four people who remain in a now-closed compassionate drug program.
Black market profits fuel deadly violence. Who could ever have predicted that? (Image via Wikimedia)
Mexico Drug War Update
It was a relatively quiet week in Mexico's drug wars -- only a hundred people killed -- but Ciudad Juarez continues to live up to its reputation as one of the world's deadliest cities.
Sheriff: Drug Trafficking Organization Showdown in Arizona Desert Imminent
Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu said that a showdown with drug trafficking organizations is just around the corner. "We're going out to directly meet these cartels. We're saying this is coming through our county and we've had enough," he said. The sheriff has recently purchased 130 new semi-automatic rifles and night vision goggles. In Pinal County, they're holding an offensive position to counter the members of drug trafficking organizations and the bandits looking to steal drugs in the desert.
Oakland Could Have A New Medical Marijuana Policy in Two Weeks
The Oakland City Council is talking about sanctioned medical marijuana cultivation again after some legal scares put the issue on ice late last year, and a new policy could be in place within two weeks. The council voted in December to hold off implementing its program to permit and tax industrial-sized medical marijuana cultivation businesses. The proposal, which would also double the number of permitted dispensaries, was delayed until the new cultivation law could be revised to address some legal concerns that local prosecutors said could land the council members in jail.
Indiana's Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels wants sentencing reforms...(Image via Wikipedia)
Conservatives Board Sentencing Reform Bandwagon [FEATURE]
Conservatives for sentencing reform? Who woulda thunk it? But that's what's happening.
Drug Prohibition Gang Gunbattles, Street Blockades in Mexico's Second-Largest City
Suspected drug trafficking organization gunmen hurled grenades, burned vehicles and blocked streets in a rapid series of attacks in Mexico's second-largest city. The seven attacks within two hours appear to have been coordinated. A policeman and two transportation workers were injured in the attacks.
New Jersey DHSS Mum About Medicinal Marijuana Program Conflicts (Press Release)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 2, 2011
CONTACT: Ken Wolski at (609) 394-2137
DHSS Mum About Medicinal Marijuana Program Conflicts
WHO: New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services
WHAT: Refuses repeated attempts to clarify conflicting Medicinal Marijuana Program statements
WHEN: January and February 2011
WHERE: Trenton, New Jersey
WHY: DHSS has not responded to requests for clarification
The New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) has published conflicting statements about its Request for Applications (RFA) by which non-profit entities may become Alternative Treatment Centers as part of the Medicinal Marijuana Program. The DHSS has refused repeated attempts to clarify the issue.
The RFA to become medical marijuana providers in the state was published on the official DHSS web site: http://www.state.nj.us/health/med_marijuana.shtml. This RFA has an announced closing date of 2/14/11. However, the proposed regulations, published on the very same web site, at "8:64-6.1 Notice of request for applications" note that the DHSS "shall announce a request for applications…for a permit to operate an alternative treatment center by publishing a notice of request for applications in the New Jersey Register." The soonest this notice of RFA could be published in the Register is 2/22/11, or after the final day of open application period noted on the DHSS web site.
It is an expensive and cumbersome process to apply to become an ATC and applicants do not want to submit an application for a process that was given improper notification. On the other hand, they do not want to be excluded either because they misinterpreted the rules or because the DHSS changed the rules when it publishes the official version. Yet the DHSS refuses to clarify whether the RFA deadline is appropriate as noted on its web site or whether a new, initial application period will be forthcoming in an upcoming New Jersey Register announcement.
For more information, contact:
Ken Wolski, RN, MPA, Executive Director
Coalition for Medical Marijuana--New Jersey, Inc. www.cmmnj.org
219 Woodside Ave., Trenton, NJ 08618
609.394.2137 [email protected]
CMMNJ, a 501(c)(3) public charity, is a non-profit organization whose mission is to educate the public about the benefits of safe and legal access to medical marijuana.