BLOG
CU-Boulder Reminds Students to Have a Massive Pot Party on 4/20
If you don't want 10,000 people to smoke pot on your campus on 4/20, the last thing you should do is send them a note ahead of time encouraging them not to do that:TO: All CU-Boulder StudentsFROM: Office of the ChancellorDATE: April 15, 2009SUBJECT: A statement from the CU-Boulder leadership to CU Students on the 4-20 gatheringDear Students:As another April 20 approaches, we are faced with concerns from students, parents, alumni, Regents, and community members about a repeat of last yearâs 4/20 âevent.âLet us start by saying that we share their concerns. A gathering of thousands on our campus for the sole purpose of engaging in unlawful activity is contrary to everything that CU-Boulder stands for and is in no way condoned. This event only serves to harm the reputation of this great university and is comprised in large part of individuals with no investment in the university at all.The increasingly large crowds that have gathered in recent years present safety risks for participants, whether students or people not affiliated with the campus. This activity violates a number of campus regulations designed to provide for the well-being of our campus and neighboring community.On April 20, 2009, we hope that you will choose not to participate in unlawful activity that debases the reputation of your University and degreeâ¦[CelebStoner]Oh, you are so screwed now. Whose idea was this? The administration should have just been thankful that 4/20 lands on a Monday this year and left it at that. You just had to challenge them, didn't you? Well, bring a gas mask to work on Monday, you genius.
Obama Declares War on American Drug Users
Speaking in Mexico today, President Obama embraced the exact hard-line drug war philosophy he rejected on the campaign trail:Obama acknowledged that the United States shares responsibility for bloodshed and kidnappings in Mexico that have spilled across the border into the United States. Acknowledging that U.S. drug use fuels the cartels, Obama said, "I will not pretend this is Mexico's responsibility alone.""We have a responsibility as well, we have to do our part," Obama said. He said the U.S. must crack down on drug use and the flow of weapons into Mexico. [AP]Specifically, he said, "We have to crack down on drug use in our cities and towns," and while I've been accused at times of giving Obama too much credit when it comes to drug policy, there's just no silver lining in any of this. A crackdown is a crackdown. Anyone who talks that way is a full-blown drug warrior. He's always talked tough when it comes to Mexico, but this flat-out endorsement of busting drug users here at home is a new low.Thus, Obama becomes a rather peculiar specimen as far as drug war politics are concerned. This is a guy who's talked about decriminalizing marijuana and "shifting the model" in the war on drugs, only to then take a step backwards after achieving enough to power to actually move those ideals forward in a meaningful way. Some have questioned his sincerity all along, but I don't. Drug policy reform just makes sense, so when I hear someone talking about it, I assume they understand the words coming out of their own mouth.â¦which brings me to the tragic conclusion that Obama is doing all of this even though he knows it's wrong. Lives are being lost in a brutal and escalating war, while billions are being wasted away during an escalating economic meltdown, and he's opting to fan the flames rather than show real leadership. It's arguably even more disgraceful than what we've seen from our opponents in the past, because Obama bears the burden of knowing the truth.Regardless of whatever the hell is going on in the President's head, it is just a fact that the American people have never been so sick of the war on drugs as they are this exact moment. There is a national dialogue about our drug policy taking place in the press on a daily basis, fueled to no small extent by Obama's own hypocrisy and intransigence. Determined though he may be to repeat the mistakes of his predecessors, Obama will not escape scrutiny as they did. That much is already clear.
Obama Creates New "Border Czar" Position, Cartel Leaders Laugh in Unison
In case America's fixation with "czars" hadn't already become enough of a national embarrassment:EL PASO, Texas (AP) â A former Justice Department official who led a 1990s crackdown on illegal border crossings was named to the new U.S. post of "border czar" Wednesday to oversee efforts to end drug-cartel violence along the U.S.-Mexico border and to slow the tide of illegal immigration.â¦The Obama administration has promised to target border violence and work with Mexican authorities to curb drug and arms trafficking. Hundreds of federal agents, along with high-tech surveillance gear and drug-sniffing dogs, are being deployed to the Southwest.Sounds like fun. And when it fails spectacularly, what then? Perhaps we'll appoint a Czar Czar to coordinate the efforts of our various Czars and make sure their collaborations are fruitful. I guarantee you there are a disturbingly high number of people working in our government who would not think that is stupid.Would you watch a reality show where the Czars all live in a house together and perform feats of prowess in exchange for prizes while Joe Rogan makes fun of them? What would that show be called?
We'll Pay You $14 billion to Legalize Marijuana
Our friends at NORML paid a visit to the Treasury Department today:Earlier this morning, the organization presented a mock check to the U.S Treasury Department in the sum of $14 billion dollars. The check total represents the combined savings and tax revenues that would be generated by regulating the sale and production of cannabis like alcohol."We represent the millions of otherwise law-abiding cannabis consumers who are ready, willing, vocal and able to contribute needed tax revenue to Americaâs struggling economy," NORML Executive Director Allen St. Pierre said at a press conference at the steps of the general post office in New York City. "All we ask in exchange for our $14 billion is that our government respects our decision to use marijuana privately and responsibly." [The Hill]Is anyone still confused about why marijuana reform is an economics issue? Mr. President?Anyway, assuming the desperate folks at the treasury didn't attempt to cash it, let me be the first to offer a home for that large novelty check which would surely just take up space around the NORML office. It will make a sweet conversation piece. Give me that giant check, you hippies.Allen St. Pierre, photo from The Hill Blog
Video: Revolutionizing Global Drug Policy
The Hungarian Civil Liberties Union has released another video from their footage of the UN's anti-drug summit in Vienna earlier this year. While UN drug chief Antonio Maria Costa has described the drug war debate as a "tempest in a teacup," signs are that the movement toward harm reduction, while gradual, is a revolution that will change everything. HCLU also won a landmark decision this week at the European Court of Human Rights. The issue was one of freedom of information in a drug-related case at the Hungarian Constitutional Court. The decision comes after a five year legal battle for the right to read a complaint submitted by a member of Hungary's Parliament, seeking to restrict some drug-related parts of the nation's criminal code, in order to be able to submit an opinion to the court prior to its ruling.
In the Future, Opposing Legalization Will be Political Suicide
Check out this sweet attack ad Pete Guither came up with:It's time for a change from the failed policies of Senator Incumbent. He voted 24 times in favor of drug laws that increase the profits for black-market criminals -- from the gangs that roam the streets of our town to the drug cartels causing death and destruction in Mexico.Senator Incumbent is actually opposed to setting age limits for drugs like marijuana -- even cocaine or heroin! He actually prefers that criminals decide at what age kids can buy drugs.Senator Incumbent refuses to even discuss policy options that have been proven to reduce violence. What is he afraid of? Does he have a reason to keep drug profits high?It's time for a change. Vote Challenger for Senate. For smart drug regulation that reduces violence -- protecting children, families, and our community. [DrugWarRant]If we haven't already reached a point where this kind of thing could work, I think we'll be there soon. I've pitched some of my better-funded colleagues in drug policy reform on exactly this type of concept and it's something I think we'll be seeing before long.The key is to drop a drug reform attack ad in the right race at the right time. We'd probably stick to an issue like medical marijuana, where the polling is so strongly in favor of reform. Even if the ad doesnât do the trick by itself, it becomes part of the narrative of how a seemingly invincible incumbent got slaughtered. Visibly injuring a big name politician for opposing reform would be game-changing.
Mexican Ambassador Says Marijuana Legalization Should be Seriously Discussed
Here's Mexican Ambassador Arturo Sarukhan on CBS' Face the Nation:As I watched this, I just kept wondering why our president couldn't say something so sensible. Ambassador Sarukhan didn't endorse legalization, but he acknowledged that it's an important topic of discussion. People are getting killed in Mexico while our President makes jokes about the popularity of pot. It's not funny. It's deadly serious.Anyone who tries to turn the marijuana debate into a frivolous punch-line is making a mockery of the human lives that are being lost or destroyed everyday in this brutal war. It isnât about bong hits or hippies, and anybody who tries to make it about that is obstructing the process of implementing reforms that will save lives.
CNN dropping the ball with guest selections for drug debate
CNN 's American Morning is devoting a week of reporting on the drug war with debates and blogging on their website.
"911 Amensty" for Drug Users In Florida - Response From Sen.Pres. Atwater
From: ATWATER.JEFF.WEB [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Monday, April 13, 2009 12:39 PM To: Gus Kein Subject: RE: "Good Samaritan" & "911 Amnesty" Laws For Drug Users Gus,
FOX News Says Marijuana Activists are "Internet Trolls"
Recent months have brought an unprecedented level of positive mainstream discussion about reforming our marijuana laws. To those who've been working for decades to create a national dialogue surrounding marijuana policy, it's a sign of hope and progress. To the folks at FOX News, it's a f#$king internet prank:President Obama's pledge to open the White House up to the public through online forums faces an irksome challenge: a plague of Internet "trolls" -- troublemakers who work to derail cyber-conversations through harassing and inflammatory posts.The problem became immediately apparent last month when Obama held an online "town hall" forum on the economy and invited the public to post questions on the White House Web site. Those questions, in turn, were voted on by users to determine which ones the president would answer.Three and a half million people participated in the event, but the "trolls" had their way: Following a coordinated campaign by marijuana advocates to vote their topic to the top of the list, questions on the future of the U.S. dollar and the rising unemployment rate were superseded by questions about legalizing pot as an economic remedy.Really, FOX News? You are so incapable of understanding our argument that you would dismiss us as saboteurs? If the mere mention of reforming marijuana laws is such a grand affront to civil discourse, let me introduce you to a few more "trolls" out there on the internet spreading crazy ideas about not arresting people for marijuana:There's Joe Klein at Time, David Sirota at The Nation, Kathleen Parker at the Washington Post, Paul Jacob at TownHall.com, Hendrik Hertzberg at The New Yorker, Andrew Sullivan at The Atlantic, Glenn Greenwald at Salon, Debra Saunders at the San Francisco Chronicle, Leonard Pitts at Miami Herald, John Richardson at Esquire, Margery Eagan at Boston Herald and many more. If these names sound familiar to you, it's becaue they aren't trolls at all, rather they are respected journalists who are joining the national conversation about the harms of our vicious marijuana laws. In one of Obama's recent online forums, I saw this question: "How many donuts can I fit on my dong?" That was a troll, and it got deleted. This is a movement, and it isn't going away. Our issue is bigger than the organizations backing it. It didn't win Obama's forum because marijuana reformers know something about online organizing that other interest groups don't. It won because it is this defining question that quickly separates petty hypocrites from bold leaders, that distinguishes self-evident truths from antiquated propaganda, and that pits common sense against the mindless drug war hysteria that maintains a frigid stranglehold on our political culture, rendering impotent the promise of change that inspired so many hopeful Americans to lay their hopes and dreams at the steps of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. It won because millions among us have been arrested and abused at the expense of our own precious tax dollars, with no credible explanation and no honorable conclusion on the horizon. And it won because President Obama himself once spoke of the "utter failure" of these laws, only to then embrace the endless drug war death march that destroys everything it was meant to preserve. So no, FOX News, we are not "troublemakers" at all. We are here to solve a problem and anyone who thinks there are more important things to worry about would be well advised to stop making this take longer than it has to.
Is the Obama Administration Planning a Federal Marijuana Crackdown?
In discussing strategies to reduce drug war violence in Mexico, Attorney General Eric Holder made this troubling remark:In the interview, Mr. Holder said he was sending an additional 100 agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to the southern border to crack down on the so-called straw gun purchases â in which one person submits to the federal background checks to obtain guns for someone else â that fuel much of the southbound smuggling. And with marijuana sales central to the drug trade, Mr. Holder said he was exploring ways to lower the minimum amount required for the federal prosecution of possession cases. [New York Times]It's a disturbing comment that provoked curiosity from Pete Guither and Eric Sterling, but the back-story helps to qualify exactly which type of marijuana offenders we're talking about. From a meeting with prosecutors in Baltimore: Â The officials who met with Holder today quizzed him on a variety of local concerns. For example, Barbara LaWall, the Pima County, Ariz., attorney, said that federal prosecutors in her state were refusing to take cases involving cross-border marijuana seizures of 500 pounds or less.The result, she said, has been no convictions for hundreds of smugglers caught with about 490 pounds of marijuana. [Baltimore Sun]So when Holder says he's "exploring ways to lower the minimum amount required for the federal prosecution of possession cases," he's responding to complaints that major traffickers are currently being allowed to walk. Obviously, he's dreaming if he thinks lowering the threshold will intimidate traffickers who've already made it clear that they fear nothing. Our failure to prosecute cases under 500 pounds just shows how ridiculously outmatched we are and any attempt to rectify the situation will only serve to further prove that point.Regardless, Holder's comment shouldnât be read as a declaration of war against American marijuana users. He's not saying there will be an effort to increase arrests. They are aiming to put more people in prison for pot, however, rather than continuing to systematically pass on cases involving hundreds of pounds. If Holder wants to reduce Mexican drug war violence, he needs to reduce the drug war itself, not the thresholds for marijuana prosecutions. Believe me, Americans would be happy to grow their pot at home and defund the marijuana cartels entirely.
Cheye Calvo Comments on the Passage of SWAT Monitoring Legislation in Maryland
Berwyn Heights Mayor Cheye Calvo sent us his terrific statement in response to the new SWAT reporting law passed by the Maryland legislature: "Although the botched raid of my home and killing of our dogs, Payton and Chase, have received considerable attention in the media, it is important to underscore that this bill is about much more than an isolated, high-profile mistake. It is about a growing and troubling trend where law enforcement agencies are using SWAT teams to perform ordinary police work. Prince George's County police acknowledges deploying SWAT teams between 400 and 700 a year -- that's twice a day -- and other counties in the state have said that they also deploy their special tactical units hundreds of times a year. The hearings on these bills have brought to light numerous botched and ill-advised raids in Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll, Howard, Montgomery, and Prince George's counties that also have had devastating effects on the lives of innocent people and undermined faith in law enforcement. HB 1267 will shine this light, provide oversight, and demand accountability as a matter of course."It's about time. No matter how many of these stories I cover, the scope of the problem continues to send shivers down my spine. Calvo's own story is troubling enough before one considers that there are so many more that follow a disturbingly similar plotline.Calvo also comments on the fact that law-enforcement interests directly opposed his efforts to increase oversight and accountability:"Although I applaud lawmakers for passing this bill over the objections of law enforcement, I was disappointed that state law enforcement groups decided to oppose this measure rather than embrace it as an opportunity to restore the public trust. I remain especially concerned with the argument put forward that only law enforcement should police itself and that it is somehow inappropriate for elected leaders to legislate oversight and accountability. I cannot disagree with this argument more. As an elected officials, we must take full responsibility for the law enforcement departments that we fund and authorize, and we must hold our law enforcement officials to the highest standards and ideals. I strongly support law enforcement and believe that so many of our officers are heroes. However, it is perfectly consistent to support them, provide oversight, and demand accountability -- just as our constituents support, oversee, and demand accountability from us."Well said. Still, I'm honestly appalled that such arguments even have to be raised. After everything that's happened, how dare they object to basic oversight? When law enforcement directly lobbies against accountability, that is just an affront to the public interest. It's outrageous and although the right result was reached, there remain serious questions to be asked about the agenda of those in law-enforcement who took a leadership role in opposing this bill.With their hands stained in innocent blood, they arrogantly insist that we avert our eyes. Thanks to Cheye Calvo and Maryland's legislators, we'll do exactly the opposite.
Even Cops Are Getting Screwed by Inaccurate Drug Tests
Via Radley Balko, this one is hard to believe:A decorated ex-cop who claimed he tested positive for cocaine because he ingested the drug during oral sex with his girlfriend can't have his job back, a Manhattan judge has ruled.Supreme Court Justice Eileen Rakower last month shot down helicopter pilot Jon Goldin's attempt to overturn his April 2008 dismissal from the NYPD.Goldin, a 15-year veteran, tested positive for cocaine in October 2006 in a random drug test using hairs from his arm....Goldin's lawsuit said the cocaine in his system was the product of "passive ingestion" from performing oral sex on girlfriend Coreen McCarthy, who, once he tested positive, admitted to him that she was a regular cocaine user. [New York Daily News]Needless to say, this cocaine-ingested-through-oral-sex line sounds like the laugh-out-loud lame excuse of the century. I'm highly inclined to doubt that such a thing is even remotely possible, but as to the question of whether or not the officer was actually using cocaine, I donât know what to think. If his colleagues are to be believed, the story on this guy is that he's well known for not doing drugs. Supposedly, he's an "adherent of the 'straight edge' lifestyle that rejects substance use" and everyone knows he doesn't get high:More than 70 friends went to bat for the ex-cop, saying they had never seen him take even a sip of coffee and that he abstained at bars while others drank booze.I don't know these people, but I trust them more than I trust the drug test itself, because drug tests are bullshit. They're just not accurate. If a bunch of people come forward complaining that someone got railroaded by a drug test, I'm going to assume that's exactly what happened. It's happened before.Notwithstanding the absurdity of the officer's crazy oral sex explanation, I wouldnât be at all surprised if he's the innocent victim of a false positive drug test result. If officer Goldin is telling the truth, then it's worth taking a moment to contemplate the irony that a cop who lives by a vehement anti-drug philosophy ended up getting screwed over by one of the numerous fraudulent technologies designed to ruin the lives of drug users.I wonder what he thinks of the drug war now, after finding himself on the receiving end of its virtually infinite incompetence.
What are we going to do?
I do not profess to be very smart, nor do I have the ability to understand this "War on Drugs".
Another Reason the Marijuana Debate is Moving Forward
Nate Silver at the very cool polling blog FiveThirtyEight has another angle on the growing support for marijuana legalization. Put simply, the percentage of Americans who've ever tried marijuana is getting bigger. There are steadily fewer voters out there who grew up before the 60's and 70's. Naturally, people who have experience with marijuana are less likely to be fearful of it and support harsh penalties for users. Interesting. In other words, support for marijuana reform is likely to increase over time regardless of anything we say or do. That doesn't mean we donât have our work cut out for us, but it's another factor to keep in mind when we run into new obstacles. The fight is exhausting, but time is on our side in a very real way.from fivethirtyeight.com
Breaking News: Massachusetts Has Not Been Taken Over by Drug Maniacs
I visited Boston this weekend for the Northeast Regional SSDP Conference and was curious to observe that no one was smoking marijuana on the sidewalks. Weird, huh? It's been months now since Massachusetts decriminalized small-time marijuana possession and yet it almost felt as though I wasn't surrounded by hippies in a skunky smoldering ashtray from hell. Good thing I kept the receipt for that gasmask. This is great news for everyone, especially all the police officials who were genuinely concerned that life in Massachusetts would be at least partially destroyed if the punishment for marijuana was reduced slightly. Those cops must really be glad that no one listened to them and everything worked out this way, because now we've got the best of both worlds: 1) fewer people have their lives messed up by getting a criminal record for pot, and 2) nobody blows bong hits in your face when you're trying to hail a taxicab.It's really beautiful to see that the collective goodness of mankind can somehow prevent an intoxicating plant from utterly destroying the world.
Idiotic Drug Policy Reporting Remains a Problem
This post from Pete Guither made me laugh twice. Just because a story is about drugs doesnât mean you can get away with mind-blowing factual errors or unnecessary slang. The news is supposed to make people smart, not turn us into morons.
Flex Your Rights
I've posted a couple new items in the Flex Your Rights blog recently that are worth checking out. We've got an awesome site upgrade coming out soon, so I'm trying to get back into the habit of doing at least a couple posts a week.The focus is on 4th Amendment and police misconduct issues rather than drug policy specifically, but I'd love to see some of you commenting over there if you're interested.
A Drug-Free World -- Reloaded
The matrix of global drug prohibition was reloaded in Vienna last month -- the only change being a new target date for making the world drug free. Video from the Hungarian Civil Liberties Union:
5 blocks from here
Vancouver police are cleaning up the third homicide since the "Huge"gang arrests that was the beginning of the end of the gang war.I have found that SFU criminology dept criminologists have a realisti