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Alberta Human Rights and Citizenship Commission
These are the addresses for petitioning the agency responsible for the appeal of the pot firing case: Alberta Human Rights and citizenship commission, 800 Standard Life center, 10405 Jasper Avenue,
Major Media Dodges Precedent Setting Drug Case
The story appeared in the same issue of The Vancouver Province, newspaper as did the crack pipe story. It appeared on page A24, which is about as buried as a story can be. In 2002, one John Chiasson (I think I did time with this guy), was fired from his job at the Alberta tar sands project for the crime of being exposed to pot smoke sometime in the past 45 days.
Public Outraged
Vancouver Coastal Health Authority announced today that they would begin handing out mouth pieces for crack pipes in an effort to prevent the spread of blood borne diseases, mainly Hep-C. Every-where I went today, people were bitching and whining about the waste of taxpayers' money.
Traffickers Are Hiring Flat-chested Women to Smuggle Drugs in Their Bras
You can't make this stuff up. Unfortunately, you don't have to because the drug war brings to life new and unfathomable absurdities each and every day:Customs officials on the other side of the Pond are on the lookout for curvy drug mules after customs officers arrested a woman for attempting to smuggle £50,000 worth of cocaine in concealed pouches built into her bra. Criminals are now being said to favor "tall, flat-chested women who don't arouse suspicion when they have fuller figures." [Radar]So now we can add both flat and full-chested women to the drug courier profile. We shall search women's underwear high and low because Victoria's got a new secret now and we don't want those fun bags getting into the hands of children.
Texas Cop Says "Put Addicts in Jail Where They Belong"
Usually, drug warriors at least pay lip service to the idea that we're supposed to be helping people recover from addiction. Drug war supporters frequently feign compassion by touting their support for drug treatment, all the while defending policies that trash the lives of users and make recovery that much harder.But today, I found a drug warrior that's willing to say what the rest are probably thinking. His name is Wayne C. Williams and he's been putting drug users in jail for 32 years. Williams was so disturbed by an op-ed from former cop/drug policy reformer Howard Wooldridge that he wrote a crazy letter to the Amarillo Globe News complaining that drug addicts don't get punished enough: Too many people use rehabilitation as a way to stay out of jail or prison.A person hooked on drugs won't get clean for his family, but only when he hits rock bottom and wants help for himself.Put addicts in jail where they belong and ease up on the probation, which usually is a joke in itself. [Amarillo.com]Rarely does one find the sheer cruelty of the drug war expressed with such unabashed self-righteousness. This man is literally insisting that we must smash victims of drug addiction in order to demonstrate the harms of drug use. It just tells you everything you need to know about the drug war and the people who carry it out on a daily basis.In the war on drugs, one can be diagnosed with the disease of drug addiction merely by being found in possession of drugs. At that point, one is then broken down and stripped of their family and property. They are removed from their job and their home, banished into a dark brutal hole amongst violent thugs and sociopaths, and once every last thing they have has been taken away, they are asked to start acting normal.It's really a perfect mess as far as public policies go, which is why it's so damned hard to find a defender of the drug war who isn't paid to participate in it.
Happy New Year
I was just listening to The Fox in Vancouver.They keep playing this idiot that thinks that a raise in the minimum wage will hurt his bottom line and "only help the guy that's making $8.50 hr." It reminded me that there are always two sides to an issue and it's really hard to break through to "them." What I do know is I was on the other side.
New Deputy Drug Czar: "We Have One Year Left"
Last week, Scott M. Burns was promoted to the #2 position at the Office of National Drug Control Policy. He celebrated the occasion with a candid acknowledgment of the office's blatant political partisanship:It has been quite a journey from Cedar City to the White House. All I can say is it's a great country that someone like me can have that opportunity," Burns said. "We have one year left and, as the president says, we're going to sprint to the finish." [Salt Lake Tribune]Sure, the Drug Czar's office is part of the president's cabinet. And it's already been exposed for illegally campaigning on behalf of republicans. But couldn't Burns at least pretend he's here to serve the people and not just the Bush Administration?Either way, he hits the nail on the head when he acknowledges that the partisan political propagandists at the helm of the ONDCP will not be reinstated by the next administration. They have "one year left," indeed. They've bucked congressional oversight at every turn, forcing ONDCP creator Joe Biden to complain that the drug czar's office is operating "like an ivory tower."Not even a petty formality like Burns's nomination itself could proceed without the wrath of congress being entered into the record. Here's what Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy had to say:We will also hear from one nominee for a high-level position in the Executive Office of the President â Scott M. Burns to be Deputy Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy. We consider his nomination on the heels of decisions by the Supreme Court and the U.S. Sentencing Commission that represent moderate but powerful steps to reform the unfair disparity that exists in Federal crack cocaine sentencing laws.Yet, the Administration continues to be silent on any reform in this area. For more than 20 years, we have tolerated a Federal cocaine sentencing policy that treats crack offenders more harshly than cocaine offenders. This policy has unacceptably had a disparate impact on people of color and the poor â without any empirical justification. The Administrationâs failure to support even the slightest modification of crack penalties is both a surprise and a deep disappointment.Ironically, had there been more than "one year left," one wonders if Congress would have made more of an effort to disrupt ONDCP's power structure than to simply promote a long-time insider who shares responsibility for the perpetual controversy and incompetence that we've all come to expect from President Bush's drug war experts.
Check out Wikipedia
I was just perusing my back editions of The Georgia Straight, Vancouver's lone voice that's not controlled by Canwest Global Media. I found a letter to the paper that claims that: "The prohibition of cannabis/hemp/marijuana began with the prohibition of opium, which itself began with the Anti-Asian Riot in Vancouver, British Columbia in 1907.
FOX News Bars Drug Policy Discussion From the Republican Debates by Excluding Ron Paul
Looks like FOX News is trying to put a lid on Ron Paul:ABC and Fox News Channel are narrowing the field of presidential candidates invited to debates this weekend just before the New Hampshire primary, in Fox's case infuriating supporters of Republican Rep. Ron Paul.â¦The network said it had limited space in its studio -- a souped-up bus -- and that it invited candidates who had received double-digit support in recent polls. [CNN]Notwithstanding the arbitrary decision to use a bus that doesn't fit everyone, their selective use of polling data doesn't tell the whole story either. Paul is at least as popular as Fred Thompson in New Hampshire, where the debate is to take place:Paul was tied with Thompson for fifth in New Hampshire in the most recent Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg poll, each with the support of 4 percent of likely voters. Among all New Hampshire voters, Paul led Thompson 6 percent to 4 percent, but that was within the poll's margin of error.One effect of keeping Ron Paul out of the debate will be to ensure that drug policy is not discussed at all during the event. Paul is surely the only republican candidate that would ever voluntarily mention drug policy during the debate. He wants to end the drug war, while the others want to keep the lights turned off and pretend that everything is going splendidly. I'm not saying FOX News is trying to stifle the drug policy debate specifically. Paul's views on drug policy arenât the only reason his candidacy is controversial. But to whatever extent his unique views on this issue contribute to his frequent designation as a "fringe" candidate, that's a shame. Whether or not Paul's views on drug policy are a primary source of concern among his critics, this is certainly one issue that is attracting supporters to his campaign. All of this stands to demonstrate that opposition to the drug war is energizing voters on the right as well as the left, and that's why it's disturbing to see the appearance of bias against him in the media. If anything, Paul's fundraising success should demonstrate that many republicans want more discussion of drug policy, not less.Growing support for Paul's campaign may ensure that his views can't be censored as easily as some would prefer. If he bests any of the FOX Five in Iowa or New Hampshire, it will become that much harder to deny him a place at the podium. And the odds of a top five showing aren't looking too bad. As the comment section of this post will soon reveal, people really like Ron Paul.Update: It wasn't my intention to start a debate over Ron Paul's candidacy in the comment section. We donât endorse or oppose candidates. We just report on their drug policy positions and reflect on the implications of presidential politics for our movement. This isn't the best place to debate the rest of Ron Paul's platform.But it is interesting to note the intensity of sentiments both for and against Paul. He's generated a significant buzz, which will hopefully help to illustrate the viability of drug policy reform as an asset on the campaign trail. Update: FOX News pundits question their own network's decision to exclude Ron Paul in light of his strong showing in Iowa.
You Can't Protect the Children's Futures by Putting Them in Jail for Marijuana
Fed up with prison overcrowding, the Texas legislature passes a law encouraging police to ticket rather than arrest people for small amounts of marijuana. And, wouldnât you know it, police and prosecutors are ignoring it and fidgeting around rationalizing their determination to haul every pot smoker off to jail. Why? They consider it their job to overcrowd the prisons.And as you might expect, we're told this is all necessary to protect the children:For Greg Davis, Collin County's first assistant district attorney, one of his qualms with the new law is the perception created by ticketing for a drug offense, instead of making an arrest."It may... lead some people to believe that drug use is no more serious than double parking," Mr. Davis said. "We don't want to send that message to potential drug users, particularly young people." [Dallas Morning News]It's not enough for Mr. Davis to brand them with criminal records that could haunt them for the rest of their lives. They must also suffer the indignity of being handcuffed and tossed in an overcrowded steel box full of dangerous thugs the moment they're found with marijuana. Surely, that will show them how much we care.And while we're at it, double-parking really is a vastly more serious crime than having marijuana. If Americans double-parked at the same rate that they smoke pot, we'd be living a parking lot. Pizzas would be undeliverable. Productivity would generally suffer considerably. At least the police in Austin are following the new policy, and for innovative reasons you might never even think of:With the high price of gasoline, Mr. Wade said, writing citations also saves money because officers don't have to drive into Austin from the county's outskirts to put a suspect in jail.Is that what these people care about? Do we have to start talking about trivial crap like gas mileage to stop marijuana arrests? I will if I have to, but damnâ¦
The 10% Crow
The Canadian border services agency and the RCMP are crowing about their latest seizure: 61.5 kilos of cocaine were seized around the 23 of Dec. 2007. There's the usual back slapping and congratulatory praises from agency to agency.
60 minutes
I hope every one watched 60 minutes tonite.Their story on the big mess that the feds have created in California over medical marijuana was a major eye opener.The minister(methodist,I think),that spons
The Years Best
I guess newspapers can't resist the urge to one up them selves.The Vancouver,Province Newspaper,in it's years most watched stories named the drug war as the star in three;The Picton Murders,The Drug Trade Gang War Murders(19 to date),and the Whole Justice System.The paper decries the lax sentencing and revolving door justice in B.C.
Darwinian Theory
I received my Google Alert today and found myself being relegated to the shallow end of the gene pool.It seems my many arrests were due to my stupidity.I was not flattered.Enough said.The Vancouver po
New Hope For Eradicating Drugs
ABC Television has aired a major special on the drug war in Bolivia which, according to the Bush Administration, is our "best hope" for winning the drug war in South America. Glad to hear that. What was the ABC editorial comment on the Bush plan?
The Years Top Ten
The Vancouver Province newspaper listed it's years top ten stories today.Fri.Dec.28,2007.#3 dealt with a teacher that shared his stash with a couple of concert goers.We had to jump all the way to#10 to find the drug war that's been in the news all year and has the gunfire and death toll of a world class gang scene.The top ten news makers started with serial killer and self appointed drug eradicator;Robert"Willie"Picton.The B.C.
LEAPing On McCain
John McCain is confronted by a LEAP officer on the campaign trail. You can read the transcript and watch the video at Classical Values.
Thurs.Dec.27,2007
The big story of the day is the murder in Nanaimo on Christmas day.Amongst claims that the house was a known drug spot and was on a list that is kept by local politicians so they can bill homeowners for services required.I think that means they have to cover the cost of their own busts.Every time a neighbor calls the man,the homeowner gets the bill.Police reported that they know who the shooter is and that he poses no danger to the public.That's not the way they used to handle these things and I can say that with intimate knowledge.You haven't lived until you've been labeled as armed and dangerous.It's good to see the cops are a little more discerning with that particular label.11 men were arrested in Prince George in what is being called a turf battle by coke dealers.I remember when P.G.
Journalism 101: Everything the Drug Czar Says is Wrong
Josh Burnett at NPR has a strong article debunking the absurd cocaine shortage rumor started by the Drug Czar's office. Burnett explains that increased cocaine prices are temporary and that the Drug Czar's claims of "unprecedented" progress are just false.Burnett reached these conclusions through an increasingly rare journalism technique known as "research." Rather than mindlessly regurgitating the government's claims of drug war success, he called police chiefs in cities with supposed cocaine shortages and asked them if anything had changed. He also spoke with ONDCP veteran John Carnevale, who, despite his extensive drug warrior credentials, conceded that the real trend in cocaine prices is a downward spiral.Of course, the inevitable consequence of researching the Drug Czar's ridiculous claims is that the Drug Czar will accuse you of bad research:When asked about the conflicting information found by NPR, Drug Czar John Walters dismissed it. He said his information is drawn from nationwide data collected by the Drug Enforcement Administration, which is based on undercover buys, wiretaps, informants, and local police reports."Now we can do it that way or we can do it where you call somebody somewhere and they say something else," Walters said. "That's not data. That's a guy."It's cute how pissed he gets when someone starts fact-checking his outrageous statements. And it's just priceless to hear the master of argument-by-anecdote accuse someone else of missing the big picture.The results of Burnett's investigation are inevitable anytime a reporter deliberately researches claims from the Drug Czar's office. The information disseminated by that organization is always false, usually to a dramatic extent, so subjecting them to even minimal scrutiny will reveal that they are wrong 100% of the time. Reporters need to learn this. It must be understood that press releases from the Office of National Drug Control Policy are a true or false quiz and the correct answer is always "F." If you simply cut and paste their claims into a story you fail the test.