Last year, the Justice Department encouraged federal drug prisoners to apply for clemency and commutations. More than 30,000 have, and now they are starting to trickle out of prison.
The Supreme Court clarifies that criminal intent matters. (supremecourt.gov)
The marijuana reform bandwagon rolls through Delaware, federal bills on opiates and racial profiling get filed, the Supreme Court issues an interesting decision on synthetic drug sales, and more.
The high court is considering that lawsuit against Colorado. (wikimedia.org)
The Supreme Court wants to know what the Obama administration thinks about that lawsuit over Colorado's marijuana law, a Hawaii dispensary bill is back from the dead and being considered today, a Nevada harm reduction bill advances, a federal drug defelonization bill is introduced, and more.
President Obama commuted 22 drug sentences today. (whitehouse.gov)
In one fell swoop, President Obama has doubled the number of drug offenders whose sentences he has commuted. He cut the sentences for 22 of them today.
A Justice Department OIG report criticizes the DEA's "cold consent" seaches. (justice.gov)
A controversial Ohio legalization initiative heads for signature-gathering, the NYC city council calls for decrim and legalization, the DEA's "cold consent" searches get critiqued, Kentucky pols can't agree on how to deal with heroin, and more.
DC's mayor will fight for legalization, a Montana judge blocks most of a restrictive medical marijuana law, a New York county's misdemeanor drug bust asset forfeiture law gets vetoed, Thailand will review drug sentences, and more.
Iran says drug traffickers deserve to be executed. (iranhr.net)
Oregon cities will fight to be allowed to tax marijuana, the CRS says state-level legalization leaves the US vulnerable to criticism on international drug treaties, federal reform bills pick up more sponsors, Hawaii medical marijuana patients get some rental protections, Iran is fine with executing drug traffickers, and more.
Federal drug sentencing reforms adopted by the US Sentencing Commission went into effect today. Not only will new offenders face less time, but people already serving time will be able to seek sentence reductions.
CA state Sen. Holly Mitchell's bill to eliminate the crack/powder cocaine sentencing disparity has been signed into law.
Marijuana politics is popping up in some US Senate races, pot arrests are still going up in some states, the Guam medical marijuana initiative faces a legal challenge, Stanton Peele takes on the disease model of addiction and liberals who love it, Jerry Brown signs the California Fair Sentencing Act, and more.