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Angry Cop Insults Voters for Supporting Marijuana Reform

Jim Carnell of the Boston Police Patrolmenâs Association has come completely unhinged in the aftermath of the decisive victory for marijuana decrim in Massachusetts. Just listen to him trashing Massachusetts voters in The Boston Herald:Many starry-eyed nitwits wearing rose-colored glasses, who obviously comprise the majority of our electorate, fell hook, line and sinker for this.Sir, you work for these people. If you hate the community, then quit your job as a public servant. Seriously, it is not everyday that one sees police in the newspaper just talking shit about everybody. Itâs ugly and inappropriate, but perfectly illustrative of the enemy mentality our marijuana laws have nurtured between police and almost everyone else.Carnell goes on to claim that the new law effectively legalizes smoking pot in the streets, because the rules of search and seizure will be turned on their head (and everyone knows police would never circumvent those rules). And he concludes by urging the people of Massachusetts to choke on the miserable smoldering hell theyâve built for themselves.The great irony of all this is that, while Jim Carnell insists that itâs now legal to smoke marijuana in the streets of Massachusetts, he sounds more than a little inclined to punch you in the face if he sees you doing it.

The People Have Spoken

The people have spoken in the 2008 election, and they have stated loudly that marijuana use is to be accepted and not to be treated as a crime.

Prescription Drug Overdose

I lost my only son in August of this year, as a result of multi-drug toxicity.

MSNBC Notices Popular Support for Marijuana Reform

MSNBC's Rachel Maddow gave a nod to the smashing success of marijuana reform initiatives in Tuesdayâs election, observing on her show tonight that "smoking weed is getting more respect from our citizens." As images of shiny nugs sprawled across the screen, Maddow acknowledged the passage of 9 out of 10 marijuana reform initiatives this year. So while I didnât particularly care for her delivery, this is really the exact impression we need to make on the mainstream media. The antiquated notion that marijuana reform is politically suicidal cannot possibly be permanently sustained amidst the constant accumulation of evidence to the contrary. Reading me blog about the evolution of drug war politics is one thing, hearing Rachel Maddow snark about it on MSNBC is quite another. Our mission remains the same, but the landscape is changing all the time.

Will Obama End the Medical Marijuana Raids?

When Barack Obama enters the White House in January, will he make good on his promise to end federal interference with state medical marijuana laws? Reformers have not easily forgotten the broken promise of George Bush, who spoke of "state's rights" regarding medical marijuana on the campaign trail only to subsequently declare war on patients and providers in states that protect medical use.While the terms of engagement between DEA and the medical marijuana community under an Obama administration wonât be fleshed out for many months, Iâd like to remind everyone what exactly weâve been told to expect. This is the Obama campaignâs response to emails about medical marijuana:Dear Friend,Thank you for contacting Obama for America to inquire about the Senator's position on allowing severely ill patients to use marijuana for medical purposes.Many states have laws that condone medical marijuana, but the Bush Administration is using federal drug enforcement agents to raid these facilities and arrest seriously ill people.Â Focusing scarce law enforcement resources on these patients who pose no threat while many violent and highly dangerous drug traffickers are at large makes no sense.Â Senator Obama will not continue the Bush policy when he is president.Thank you again for contacting us.Sincerely,Obama for AmericaAs I've argued previously, it's really quite silly to argue that arresting patients is a "poor use of resources" as though we'd persecute the sick if only we could afford to. The hysteria about "many violent and highly dangerous drug traffickers" is also utterly irrelevant and distracting, a frivolous pander to law & order types who may or may not require constant reassurance that Obama doesn't plan to end enforcement of all criminal laws on day 1. And yet, despite the almost complete incoherence of Obama's position on medical marijuana, it somehow arrives at the conclusion that we must stop arresting medical marijuana patients and providers. Is there any ambiguity about that? If nothing else, the above statement insists convincingly that Obama has every intention of promptly discontinuing one of the worst excesses of the modern war on drugs. If this happens, it will be the functional equivalent of the chronically doomed Hinchey Amendment, and one could scarcely overstate the significance of such an event.

Drug Czar Appointment Watch: William Bratton Says 'No Thanks'

Iâve noted speculation that LA Police Chief William Bratton could be the next drug czar, but it looks like that isnât exactly set in stone:Los Angeles Police Chief Bill Bratton said that he is not seeking a position in Washington, D.C., and has no intention of leaving the LAPD. "That is not something I am seeking, itâs not something I have been approached about," Bratton said. "No reason to leave Los Angeles â they pay me very well." [LA Times]Of course, Joe Biden said the same thing days before his nomination for VP, so such denials donât mean so much. But Iâd prefer to believe this because Iâm hopeful we can do better than Bratton.Regardless, anyone interested in the appointment process with regards to drug policy should read this helpful post from Eric Sterling, which indirectly highlights the absurdity of expecting the next drug czar to be revealed anytime soon. I agree, but Iâll continue tracking rumors because Iâm obsessive and impatient. And so are you.

A Mandate For Marijuana Reform

Bruce Mirken at MPP points out that marijuana reform initiatives in Massachusetts and Michigan pulled higher percentages than Obama. The numbers really are incredible:Consider this: As I write this, with 67% of precincts reporting, marijuana decriminalization is passing in Massachusetts with 65% of the vote. Obama, who is carrying the state handily, is getting 62%.In Michigan itâs similar. With 40% of the vote in, medical marijuana is passing with 63% while Obama is carrying the state with 55%.These victories were expected, but the margins are just staggering. This is testament to the apparent impotence of the typical scare tactics brought to bare by our opposition. On many levels, this election left "tough on crime" politics in the dust, as a host of new issues, ideas and concerns took their place. But the significance of that would be much harder to articulate without scoring towering victories for marijuana reform. The results in Massachusetts and Michigan are the exclamation point on an electoral season that ought to entirely reshape the way crime politics are perceived by public officials.As Iâve argued at length, the future of reform relies heavily on our ability to depict a popular mandate for changes in our drug policy. Indeed, it seems we are increasingly able to meet that challenge. A new administration brings new obstacles and new opportunities, but enter into the next stage with considerable momentum.

Good Try on Prop 5

Sadly, California's Prop 5, the Nonviolent Offender Rehabilitation Act, lost yesterday, felled by a massive last-minute infusion of cash by California's prison guard union in opposition. Also by the scandalous opposition by several former governors and other unenlightened pols. Good try by our friends the organizers, though, they were fighting to the end. Maybe next time. On the bright side, Sensible Fayetteville passed a lowest priority marijuana enforcement initiative in Arkansas, one more victory to add to those already mentioned here last night. I'm sure Scott will be writing more later, and of course look for Friday's Chronicle to read Phil's comprehensive post-election drug policy reporting.

Medical Marijuana Wins in Michigan

Michigan voters have approved Prop. 1 to protect medical marijuana patients from arrest. We now have 13 medical marijuana states. For any politicians still struggling with these concepts, Iâll be providing free tutoring sessions on remedial contemporary drug war politics.

Mark Souder Re-elected in Indiana

Drug war hall-of-famer Mark Souder (R-IN) will be with us for another two years at least.

Early Results Have Medical Marijuana Well Ahead in Michigan

Michigan's medical marijuana initiative, Proposal 1, is ahead 60-40%, with 10% of the vote counted. Click here to see the latest update at Michigan Live. We await word on California's Prop. 5...

Huge Win for Marijuana Decriminalization in Massachusetts

Question 2 has passed, currently polling at 65% to 35%. This is a resounding victory and a colossal rebuke of the tired, desperate propaganda spewed forth by the drug war establishment.

Denver's First Ever Marijuana Activist and Reform Training Boot Camp

Visit WWW.MARIJUANABOOTCAMP.COM for more information!!. Save the Date! Marijuana Reform Seminar & Activist Boot Camp Presented by Sensible Colorado & SAFER November 15, 2008

Drug Czar Mixes Cannabis, Caffeine, and Cartography With Catastrophic Results

The Drug Czar claimed today that San Francisco has more medical marijuana dispensaries than Starbucks coffee shops.As we've noted previously, state "medical" marijuana laws breed confusion, abuse, and violence in neighborhoods and communities.Here's our latest analysis of this phenomenon. In downtown San Francisco alone, there are 98 marijuana dispensaries, compared to 71 Starbucks Coffee shopsAs is typical considering the source, this is just totally wrong. There are 25 medical marijuana dispensaries in San Francisco, not 98. I contacted Americans for Safe Access today and they had no idea whatâs up with this crazy map. Most of the "dispensaries" on the map simply donât exist. Itâs incomprehensible. My best guess is that theyâre including doctors' offices, which might write prescriptions, but certainly donât provide medicine. It might be something even crazier and more dishonest than that.The thing is, everyone in San Francisco knows where the dispensaries are. Theyâre only allowed in certain areas. Itâs not a secret. This page includes a list of addresses for all of them and, believe me, a lot of people wish it were longer. So if "marijuana laws breed confusion" as the drug czar claims, it would appear that the confusion remains confined to his office. Regardless of how many Starbucks and medical marijuana dispensaries there are, there is only one place to go if youâre looking for worldclass bullshit drug war propaganda maps. ONDCP's fake marijuana dispensary map

Could the Next Drug Czar be William Bratton?

The Politico looks at rumored cabinet selections if Obama is elected and identifies Los Angeles Police Chief William Bratton as a possible choice for drug czar. Of course, the election isnât over yet and this is just a rumor, the origins of which we know nothing about. So I donât want to go too far here, but if true, this could become big news and a source of concern for reformers.Bratton is a proponent of the "broken windows" theory of policing which prioritizes enforcement of minor offenses in pursuit of a trickle-up effect on crime control. He served as New York City police commissioner in the 1990âs, overseeing a dramatic increase in petty marijuana arrests. On medical marijuana, Bratton has claimed to be "totally supportive," but has shown concern about profiteering by dispensary operators. While his views on medical marijuana would appear to be an improvement over previous drug czars, the question is whether heâd retain his respect for Californiaâs laws after moving to Washington, D.C. to lead the federal drug war.Having said all that, I believe itâs quite likely that other names will emerge if Obama wins tomorrow and Iâm hopeful that his call for "shifting the model" in our drug policy would mean looking beyond law-enforcement circles when it comes to managing our national approach to drug abuse. In fact, it's really kind of hard to understand what he meant if not that.(This blog post was published by StoptheDrugWar.org's lobbying arm, the Drug Reform Coordination Network, which also shares the cost of maintaining this web site. DRCNet Foundation takes no positions on candidates for public office, in compliance with section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, and does not pay for reporting that could be interpreted or misinterpreted as doing so.)

Mexicoâs Top Drug Cop Resigns Amidst Corruption Controversy

For the hundredth time, why the hell are we giving these people hundreds of millions in U.S. tax dollars to fight the war on drugs? To say they cannot be trusted is an epic understatement:Mexico's efforts to get to grips with spiralling drug crime and corruption suffered a blow at the weekend when one of the country's top police officers resigned amid allegations that drugs cartels had infiltrated his department.Gerardo Garay, the head of Mexico's military-style federal police force, stepped down to head off suspicion that he was working for a major drugs cartel. "I am resigning because the bloody fight against organised crime makes it our duty to strengthen institutions, which means it is essential to eliminate any shadows of doubt regarding me," Garay told a press conference. "I will put myself at the disposal of the judicial authorities." [Guardian]The best evidence that heâs corrupt may be the fact that, unlike his predecessor, he wasnât shot to death. Thatâs how bad this has gotten. Q: How do you tell if a Mexican anti-drug official is corrupt?A: Heâs alive.Is that even an exaggeration? Iâm beginning to wonder. Which brings us back to the mindblowing fact that our government is investing huge sums of our money in the deeply corrupted Mexican drug war. We cannot possibly possess any vague assurance that we can trust anyone on the receiving end of these enormous drug war donations, but we do it anyway. During an economic crisis, weâre pouring hundreds of millions into Mexicoâs cauldron of drug war corruption and you can bet weâll get nothing in return. Nothing, that is, except an endless supply of cocaine on our streets.