smorgan

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Membro desde: 17 years 22 weeks
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Stories by smorgan

What's the Point of Asking Obama to Legalize Marijuana? I'll Explain.

by smorgan, February 09, 2010, 08:55pm

In comments, Giordano questions the value of constantly confronting the President about mariju

Why Do We Even Have a Drug Czar?

by smorgan, February 08, 2010, 06:31pm

Tim Lynch at the Cato Institute has a nice piece in The Washington Times calling for the total elimination of the drug czar's office.

Police Put Warning Signs in Front of Drug Houses (Um, Isn't That Free Advertising?)

by smorgan, February 04, 2010, 11:40pm

If you thought the cops had run out of dumb drug war ideas, you were so wrong:

Obama's Drug War Budget Destroys the Myth of Change

by smorgan, February 04, 2010, 12:14am

For a whole year now, the new administration has been proudly insisting over and over again that th

Obama, YouTube, and Marijuana Legalization

by smorgan, February 02, 2010, 09:55pm

As I discussed last night, yesterday's

Legalize Willie Nelson's Tour Bus

by smorgan, February 02, 2010, 05:43pm

I don't usually cover celebrity pot-bust stories, but the repeated harassment of Willie Nelson's tour bus is ridiculous an

Obama Avoids Questions About Legalizing Marijuana (Again)

by smorgan, February 02, 2010, 03:25am

Another online Q&A contest concluded Monday without any straight answers from the President about why marijuan

Obama Launches YouTube Forum on Legalizing Marijuana

by smorgan, January 28, 2010, 10:25pm

Once again, the President wants to know what you think about marijuana policy.

Cannabis Cups Causing Controversy in Medical Marijuana States

by smorgan, January 28, 2010, 12:56am

Predictably, the trajectory towards more compassionate marijuana policies brings people out of the shadows to celebrate this unique and infinitely useful plant.

Ruining Young Lives for Marijuana Possession

by smorgan, January 27, 2010, 09:27pm

Marijuana undermines academic performance, they claim, so the punishment for marijuana is that you're not allowed to go to school anymore:

Obama Chooses Terrible Nominee to Head the DEA

by smorgan, January 26, 2010, 11:05pm

After stalling for a whole year, the White House has finally announced Obama's choice to head the DEA. And there isn’t anything good to be said about it:

When Police Mistake Candy for Crack…

by smorgan, January 26, 2010, 12:33am

Everyone's talking about this wild story from New York City, in w

The Irrationality of Banning Marijuana Offenders From Working at Dispensaries

by smorgan, January 25, 2010, 11:36pm

As the Nation's Capital moves quickly towards implementing our very long-awaited

The Government Conspiracy to Prevent Medical Marijuana Research

by smorgan, January 21, 2010, 09:32pm

It's impossible to rank in order of severity the numerous lies that have long formed the foundation of the federal government's position on medical marijuana.

Marijuana and the Massachusetts Senate Race

by smorgan, January 21, 2010, 12:22am

Ben Morris at MPP makes an interesting observation

Medical Marijuana Dispensaries Don't Attract Crime, They Prevent it

by smorgan, January 20, 2010, 01:48am

Much like every other bad thing that's ever been said about marijuana, complaints about the role of medical dispensaries in creating crime have turned out to be wild exaggerations.

New Poll: 8 in 10 Americans Support Medical Marijuana

by smorgan, January 18, 2010, 11:09pm

Each time we ask the question, more people get it right:

It's Official: Gov. Corzine Signs New Jersey's Medical Marijuana Law

by smorgan, January 18, 2010, 10:32pm

That makes 14 states, with several more to come in the next couple years.

Good News: Marijuana Won't Make You Kill Yourself

by smorgan, January 15, 2010, 11:58pm

What a relief:

The New Argument Against Marijuana Legalization: It Will Kill Everyone

by smorgan, January 13, 2010, 05:17pm

Having apparently run out of other ideas, opponents of marijuana legalization are now arguing that people are going to die. Seriously:

New York Post Can't Write About Marijuana Without Laughing

by smorgan, January 13, 2010, 12:31am

Even as medical marijuana's cascading political momentum becomes undeniable, there nevertheless remain a few aspiring comedians in the press who just can't talk about it with a straight face:

If We're Gonna Incarcerate Millions of People, We Should Do More to Stop Prison Rape

by smorgan, January 12, 2010, 12:18am

For a nation that leads the world in putting people behind bars, we're doing an absolutely horrible job of looking after the poor folks we keep tossing in there:

Botched Drug Raid Death Leads to $2.5 Million Settlement

by smorgan, January 11, 2010, 10:03pm

Looks like this is as close as we'll ever get to seeing justice for the family of Tarika Wilson:

It's Time to Legalize Medical Marijuana in Professional Sports

by smorgan, January 07, 2010, 11:58pm

Andrew Sullivan points to this

Cocaine Vaccine Backfires Horribly

by smorgan, January 07, 2010, 10:44pm

I wonder if any of the researchers saw this coming:

Former Drug Czar Invents Awesome New Drug

by smorgan, January 06, 2010, 10:04pm

It's becoming more and more apparent that former UK drug policy advisor David Nutt is a really cool guy.

Consider the Possibility That People Do Drugs Because They Enjoy It

by smorgan, January 06, 2010, 09:17pm

Pete Guither has a great post mocking the bizarre, yet common, observation that the drug problem w

States Don't Need Federal Permission to Legalize Medical Marijuana

by smorgan, January 06, 2010, 12:10am

We've been over this before, but apparently it still hasn’t sunk in.

Cop Wants His Job Back After Planning the Sting That Killed Rachel Hoffman

by smorgan, January 05, 2010, 06:15pm

The death of Rachel Hoffman in a botched drug sting was one of the most disturbing drug war outrages of 2008,

Why is DEA Condemning Efforts to Prevent Heroin Deaths?

by smorgan, January 04, 2010, 11:43pm

There are many ways for drug warriors to sound heartless and cruel in the drug policy debate, but one of the worst is certainly the objection to life-saving harm reduction programs.

Judge Reprimanded for Illegally Drug Testing Random Guy

by smorgan, January 04, 2010, 10:21pm

Imagine you're in court quietly observing someone else's trial, when suddenly, the judge starts pointing at you:

Romantic Comedy "It's Complicated" Gets R Rating for Depicting Casual Marijuana Use

by smorgan, December 29, 2009, 11:28pm

I try really hard to avoid name-calling on this blog, but the morons at MPAA just broke my streak:

Wall Street Journal Says Marijuana Legalization Could Save Mexico

by smorgan, December 28, 2009, 09:18pm

You know things have changed when mainstream media coverage of the war on drugs increasingly looks like this:

The Most Insane Anti-Marijuana Argument Ever

by smorgan, December 23, 2009, 10:52pm

Anyone can dream up dumb reasons for keeping marijuana illegal, but it takes guts to equate pot prohibition with the survival of Western civilization.

Are There Any Good Guys in the Mexican Drug War?

by smorgan, December 22, 2009, 11:37pm

Once again, what passes for a victory in the Mexican drug war is really just another bloody mess:

How Come White People Never Get Arrested for Marijuana in NYC?

by smorgan, December 22, 2009, 11:05pm

No matter how you frame it, most people still struggle with the concept that marijuana laws are enforced unfairly. I don't see what's so complicated about this:

Drug Reform Groups Win $25,000 Facebook Contest, Get Rejected by Chase Bank

by smorgan, December 22, 2009, 02:25am

When Chase Bank announced a vote-based $5 million charitable give-away on Facebook, you can imagine the excitement that erupted among cash-strapped non-profits and their supporters.

NJ Medical Marijuana Patient Convicted, Faces 5-10 Years in Prison

by smorgan, December 18, 2009, 12:08am

The jury has returned its verdict in the case of multiple sclerosis patient John Wilson, who was brought up on serious marijuana charges for growing his medicine:

There's No Economic Crisis for the Drug Cartels

by smorgan, December 17, 2009, 10:49pm

No matter how many people are captured, killed, or incarcerated, the drugs just keep flowing.

Another Crazy Medical Marijuana Lie From the Drug Czar

by smorgan, December 16, 2009, 11:44pm

Our friends at MPP just caught the drug czar literally editing out the m

NJ Medical Marijuana Trial Takes an Interesting Turn

by smorgan, December 16, 2009, 10:30pm

Prosecutors in the trial of multiple sclerosis patient John Wilson probably aren’t too happy about this:

"No one threw bong water at me, but it came pretty close"

by smorgan, December 16, 2009, 10:01pm

I enjoyed this story about Colorado State Senator Chris Romer's visit to the Cannabis

Latest Drug War Lie: Debating Medical Marijuana Causes More Kids to Smoke Pot

by smorgan, December 15, 2009, 06:43pm

New data on youth drug use was released today and, as we've come to expect, the drug warriors would rather lie about it than learn from it.

Man Gets Tased and Dies After Trying to Swallow Marijuana During Police Encounter

by smorgan, December 15, 2009, 12:51am

I just can't possibly tell you emphatically enough, if you're approached by police, DO NOT AT

Good Stuff to Read

by smorgan, December 10, 2009, 11:25pm

An Alternet story about the

Washington Post Writer Gets Tricked by the Drug Czar, Refuses to Accept Responsibility

by smorgan, December 10, 2009, 12:10am

It all started when Washington Post's Ashley III Halsey claimed that 11-16% of weekend motorists are on drugs:

10 Rules for Dealing With Police (Film Preview)

by smorgan, December 09, 2009, 12:34am

If you've ever wondered why I only blog at night, it's because I've been spending the daylight hours at Flex Your Rights help

Deputy Drug Czar: "I hate this job"

by smorgan, December 08, 2009, 11:03pm

The New York Times has a rather strange visit with Deputy Drug Czar Tom McClellan in

No Marijuana Smoking at the Dog-Sled Races

by smorgan, December 07, 2009, 11:24pm

Apparently, there's no climate so inhospitable that the drug testers won't show up to collect everyone's urine:

A Magical Day in Mexico

by smorgan, December 07, 2009, 09:31pm

This is what passes for good news in the Mexican drug war:

No Drug Bust is Worth the Life of a Good Cop

by smorgan, December 07, 2009, 09:15pm

Peter Moskos at the LEAP blog discusses the anniversary of the murder of police officer Marc

Not Guilty: How Juries Can Destroy the War on Drugs

by smorgan, December 04, 2009, 12:12am

A seldom-discussed but significant weak link in the drug war infrastructure is the ability of any defendant to have their fate decided by a jury.

Proof that the Drug War Sucks: Mexico

by smorgan, December 02, 2009, 08:49pm

No seriously, just look at Mexico and tell me that the drug war isn't a complete disaster:

Why Legalizing Marijuana Will Reduce Violent Crime

by smorgan, December 02, 2009, 07:59pm

Miami Herald has the story of a pot deal that went horribly wrong:

BBC News Says Hash is Safer Than Marijuana

by smorgan, December 02, 2009, 01:32am

Having apparently missed the memo that the alleged causal link between marijuana and psychosis is demonstrabl

Study Shows Marijuana Reduces Other Drug Use

by smorgan, December 01, 2009, 11:24pm

They call this a gateway drug?

Attorney General Promises Aggressive Marijuana Enforcement

by smorgan, November 30, 2009, 09:28pm

I know, I've been getting a little smug lately about all the progress that's been made this ye

Deputy Drug Czar Asks: Why is Everyone Talking About Legalizing Marijuana?

by smorgan, November 30, 2009, 08:34pm

This New Republic interview with deput

Legal Marijuana: It's Coming, Whether You Like it or Not

by smorgan, November 25, 2009, 09:09pm

Paul Armentano has an exciting summary of various marijuana

The Difference Between Drug War Violence and "Drug-Related" Violence

by smorgan, November 25, 2009, 07:57am

This article in the New Hampshire Union Leader

The Staggering Incoherence of Drug Warrior Charles Grassley

by smorgan, November 23, 2009, 11:29pm

Earlier this month, notorious drug war cheerleader Sen.

Cory Maye: Drug War Victim Gets a New Trial

by smorgan, November 23, 2009, 10:48pm

The battle over the fate of drug war victim Cory Maye has been fought quietly in court for the last several months, but Radley Balko brings the long-awaited & exciting news that Maye