psmith
Stories by psmith
US Curtails Anti-Cocaine Effort in Colombia
from Associated Press, October 12, 2006Location:
Hippie-Hating and -Baiting
from Colorado Springs Independent, October 12, 2006Location:
Paraphernalia: Florida County Approves Tough New Ordinance
by psmith, October 12, 2006, 12:20am, (Issue #457)
Florida's Pinellas County has passed a tough new paraphernalia ordinance that lowers the standard of proof necessary to win a sales conviction.
Pain Medicine: Dr. Hurwitz Denied Bail, to Sit in Prison Pending New Trial
by psmith, October 11, 2006, 11:26pm, (Issue #457)
Dr. William Hurwitz will remain in prison pending a new trial after a federal judge decided he was a flight risk.
Latin America: Tijuana Mayor Vows to Investigate Entire Police Force for Links to Drug Trade
by psmith, October 11, 2006, 11:21pm, (Issue #457)
The mayor of the Mexican border city of Tijuana has ordered an investigation of all 2,300 city police for links to the drug trade, but there is more to the mayor's move than meets the eye.
Methamphetamine: Georgia Governor Makes It Campaign Issue, Seeks to Double State Task Force
by psmith, October 11, 2006, 11:16pm, (Issue #457)
Locked in a tight race, Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue is making methamphetamine a campaign issue.
South Pacific: New Zealand Sports Drug Tests Snag Mainly Marijuana Smokers
by psmith, October 11, 2006, 11:11pm, (Issue #457)
New Zealand's drug testing in sports regime is catching hardly anyone using banned substances, and most of those it does catch were just smoking marijuana.
Law Enforcement: This Week's Corrupt Cops Stories
by psmith, October 11, 2006, 11:04pm, (Issue #457)
A tawdry tale out of Tulsa tops the corrupt cops stories this week.
CSU law students take on 'Cocaine' in trademark case
from Cleveland Plain Dealer, October 11, 2006Location:
Ghajar: Drugs for terror and intelligence--Internal Security Minister Dichter arrives in half Israeli-half Lebanese village, hears security briefing about dangers posed by village's location
from Ynet News, October 11, 2006Location:
Indian Kids to Get Sex, Drugs Education--Report
from Reuters, October 11, 2006Location:
The Chronicle plans a trip to the Andes
by psmith, October 11, 2006, 01:09pm
Snowflakes are falling in the Dakotas today.
From SAFER Colorado: Marijuana Initiative Campaign to Unveil Billboard Highlighting Drug Czar's Ad Calling Marijuana Use the "Safest Thing in the World"
by psmith, October 10, 2006, 02:44pm
MEDIA ADVISORY
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - October 10, 2006
On the same day the nation's Drug Czar is in town...
Marijuana Initiative Campaign to Unveil Billboard Highlighting Drug Czar's Ad Calling
Marijuana Initiative Backers Huff, Puff After Campus Voters
from Rocky Mountain News, October 10, 2006Location:
Medical Marijuana Turns 10: New Report to Examine Impact of California's Landmark Proposition 215
by psmith, October 10, 2006, 12:25pm
First Comprehensive Analysis of Medical Marijuana's Impact to Feature New Polling From All 11 Medical Marijuana States
CONTACT: Bruce Mirken, MPP director of communications, 202-215-4205 or 415-668-
Finally, A Local Newspaper Drug Bust Story That Asks the Right Question
by psmith, October 09, 2006, 03:38pm
My job requires me to look at countless drug-related newspaper articles every day in search of drug policy news.
Regulating Heroin Trade Suggested
from Connecticut Post, October 09, 2006Location:
Arizona Couple Steps Down as Leaders of Marijuana-Using Church
from KVOA-TV, October 09, 2006Location:
Hundreds Rally to Legalize Marijuana
from Wisconsin State Journal, October 09, 2006Location:
US Worries Opium From Afghanistan Will Enter US Market
from Voice of America, October 09, 2006Location:
Drug Use Big Challenge for US Child Welfare: Study
from Reuters, October 09, 2006Location:
Mexican Police 'Probed on Drugs'--The entire police force in the Mexican city of Tijuana is to be investigated on suspicion of being involved in drug trafficking and organized crime
from BBC News, October 07, 2006Location:
Motorists Who Take Drugs Face 'Zero Tolerance' Policy
from The Independent (UK), October 07, 2006Location:
Drug Abusing Mothers Targeted
from Cincinnati Post, October 06, 2006Location:
Review of Cannabis Laws as Drug-Fueled Violence Spirals
from This Is London, October 06, 2006Location:
Marijuana May Help Stave Off Alzheimer's; Active Ingredient in Pot May Help Preserve Brain Function
from Reuters, October 06, 2006Location:
Book Review: "De los Maras a los Zetas: Los secretos del narcotrafico, de Colombia a Chicago" by Jorge Fernandez Menendez and Victor Ronquillo (Mexico City: Editorial Grijalbo, 2006, 290 pp. PB)
by psmith, October 05, 2006, 10:13pm, (Issue #456)
Two veteran Mexican journalists take us on a tour of the murky world of the Mexican drug trade.
Feature: More California Medical Marijuana Raids: The New Status Quo?
by psmith, October 05, 2006, 09:19pm, (Issue #456)
DEA and local police agents have raided five California medical marijuana dispensaries in the past 10 days, but that leaves over 200 still in operation.
Feature: Cases of Immigrants Deported for Minor Drug Offenses Heard at US Supreme Court This Week
by psmith, October 05, 2006, 07:53pm, (Issue #456)
The US Supreme Court heard oral arguments Tuesday in a pair of cases involving the deportation of immigrants for minor drug offenses.
What's up with these "pain contracts"?
by psmith, October 05, 2006, 01:08pm
Spurred by the federal government's crackdown on prescription drug abuse, doctors around the country are resorting to "pain contracts" with patients in an attempt to protect themselves from charges th
Deadly Heroin Overdoses Could Soar With Surge in Afghan Opium Production, UN Warns
from UN Office on Drugs and Crime, October 05, 2006Location:
Feds Raid Medical Marijuana Dispensary (This one in Palm Springs)
from Desert Sun, October 05, 2006Location:
Attorney for City of Newburgh, Other Man Face Marijuana Charges
from Poughkeepsie Journal, October 05, 2006Location:
WADA Defends Stance on Cannabis
from China Daily, October 05, 2006Location:
Joint Study By Two Groups Finds Pot Use Higher in BC Than Rest of Country
from Canadian Press, October 05, 2006Location:
Sentencing: California Governor Signs Bill To Shorten Parole for Offenders Who Take Drug Treatment
by psmith, October 04, 2006, 09:45pm, (Issue #456)
California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has quietly signed legislation that will allow nonviolent offenders to get off parole if they undergo five months of residential treatment upon their release.
Hemp: California Governor Vetoes Industrial Hemp Bill
by psmith, October 04, 2006, 09:39pm, (Issue #456)
California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has vetoed a bill that would have allowed California farmers to grow industrial hemp.
Drug Survey: More Teens Smoke Marijuana Than Cigarettes--Prohibition Bars the Controls that Work for Tobacco, Reformers Argue
by psmith, October 04, 2006, 08:01pm
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
OCTOBER 4, 2006
Drug Survey: More Teens Smoke Marijuana Than Cigarettes
Prohibition Bars the Controls that Work for Tobacco, Reformers Argue
CONTACT: Bruce Mirken, MPP dire
Mexico's Mounting Drug Trade
from Council on Foreign Relations, October 04, 2006Location:
Baltimore to Train Doctors in Addiction Treatment
from Baltimore Examiner, October 04, 2006Location:
Law Enforcement: This Week's Corrupt Cops Stories
by psmith, October 04, 2006, 12:49am, (Issue #456)
We've got cops getting arrested, cops copping pleas, cops getting sentenced this week. It's like a tour of the criminal justice process. Let's get to it.
Sentencing: Federal Bill to Create Criminal Drug Dealer Registry Introduced
by psmith, October 04, 2006, 12:45am, (Issue #456)
With sex offender and meth cook registries becoming all the rage in the states, it was only a matter of time before some congressman tried it at the national level for more people.
Sentencing: Arizona Legislative Initiative Would Roll Back Reforms When It Comes to Methamphetamine Offenders
by psmith, October 04, 2006, 12:40am, (Issue #456)
Ten years ago, Arizona voters enacted a sentencing reform initiative that stopped judges from sending first- and second-time drug possession offenders to jail or prison. Now, the state legislature has crafted an initiative that would make an exception for methamphetamine offenders.
Marijuana: Idaho High Court Rules Officials Can't Block Legalization Initiative Just Because They Don't Like It
by psmith, October 04, 2006, 12:34am, (Issue #456)
When Ryan Davidson wanted to start a marijuana legalization initiative in Sun Valley, Idaho, local officials said no. Now, the Idaho Supreme Court says they were wrong.
A Capacious Body Cavity and Some Questions
by psmith, October 03, 2006, 02:20pm
A small story from the Columbia Tribune in Missouri caught my attention this morning.
Detroit Deaths From Fentanyl-Laced Heroin Could Be Reduced By Medical Treatment
by psmith, October 03, 2006, 01:55pm
Press Release Source: Reckitt Benckiser Pharmaceuticals Inc.
Religious Leaders Unite on Marijuana Initiative (Nevada)
from Reno Gazette-Journal, October 03, 2006Location:
Transform (UK) Creates Drug Policy Timeline
by psmith, October 03, 2006, 01:11pm
From Transform:
Transform have produced a historical timeline, presented in tabular format, tracing the history of drug policy from 1800, to the present day.
Who's Profiting From Afghan Opium Trade?
from Al Jazeera, October 02, 2006Location:
From the Maras to the Zetas
by psmith, October 02, 2006, 01:26pm
UPDATE: Check out Phil's book review of De los Maras a los Zetas here.
Despite the daily toll of arrests and busts i
Psychedelic Research 'Promotes Well-Being'
from In the News (UK), October 02, 2006Location:
Spray Plan Sparks Fear (Afghanistan)
from Edmonton Sun, October 02, 2006Location:
Marijuana Initiative Gets Idaho High Court's Go Ahead
from The Oregonian, October 02, 2006Location:
Book Review: "Pot Politics: Marijuana and the Costs of Prohibition," Mitchell Earleywine, ed. (Oxford University Press, $45.00 HB)
by psmith, September 28, 2006, 09:37pm, (Issue #455)
"Pot Politics" is an important new addition to the marijuana policy knowledge base and the reformer's arsenal.
Feature: Colorado Marijuana Legalization Initiative Trails, But the Fight Is On
by psmith, September 28, 2006, 08:31pm, (Issue #455)
A Colorado initiative that would legalize the possession of up to an ounce of marijuana is in a tough battle to win in November.
Is it my breath? or the travails of alternative advocacy journalism.
by psmith, September 28, 2006, 02:25am
Sometimes I feel like the Rodney Dangerfield of alternative advocacy journalism. I just don’t get no respect, especially from drug reform foes (for some reason).
Feature: Nevada Marijuana Initiative Organizers See Tight But Winnable Race Going Into Final Stretch
by psmith, September 27, 2006, 11:12pm, (Issue #455)
Will Nevada be the first state to vote to end marijuana prohibition? It's a very tight race.
Southwest Asia: Leading Scholar Takes Senate Foreign Relations Committee to School on Afghan Drug Trade
by psmith, September 27, 2006, 05:29pm, (Issue #455)
Professor Barnett Rubin gives the Senate Foreign Relations Committee a tutorial on the economic and political consequences of prohibition when it comes to Afghan opium.
Hemp: North Carolina Governor Signs Bill to Study Industrial Use
by psmith, September 27, 2006, 04:02pm, (Issue #455)
North Carolina has become the latest state to lay the groundwork for industrial hemp farming.
New Intervention: Novel Police Tactic Puts Drug Markets Out of Business
from Wall Street Journal, September 27, 2006Location:
Welcome to the New Drug Scare of 2007
from Stats, September 27, 2006Location:
Riverside County Bans Medical Marijuana Centers
from San Jose Mercury News, September 27, 2006Location:
Guilty Plea in Pot Snacks Case
from Tri-Valley Herald, September 27, 2006Location:
Sentencing: No Retroactive Relief for Rockefeller Drug Law Prisoners, New York Appeals Court Rules
by psmith, September 27, 2006, 01:14am, (Issue #455)
Mid-level Rockefeller drug law prisoners arrested before January 2005 will not be able to seek retroactive sentence cuts, New York's highest court has ruled.
Marijuana: Arkansas Town Joins List of Locales With Lowest Law Enforcement Priority Initiatives This November
by psmith, September 27, 2006, 01:08am, (Issue #455)
Eureka Springs, Arkansas, now joins Missoula, Montana, and three California cities as locales with initiatives on the November ballot making marijuana the lowest law enforcement priority.
Law Enforcement: This Week's Corrupt Cops Stories
by psmith, September 27, 2006, 01:03am, (Issue #455)
The lucrative cross-border drug traffic draws another Border Patrol agent into trouble, a New Jersey cop's forgetfulness gets him in trouble, and two more greedy prison guards get themselves in trouble.
Taking a cue from marketing guru, peddlars now "package" drugs--Meant for foreign clients, these "packaged products" are smuggled outside India
from Mumbai Newsline/Expressindia, September 26, 2006Location:
Guatemalan troops storm prison with jacuzzi, drugs
from Reuters, September 26, 2006Location:
Pot Politics
by psmith, September 26, 2006, 01:40pmIt's going to be a lot of pot politics in the Drug War Chronicle this week.
ENCOD Press Release on Transparency in Setting European Drug Policy
by psmith, September 26, 2006, 12:05pm
A TESTCASE FOR TRANSPARENCY
CITIZENS' PLATFORM CALLS FOR OPEN DIALOGUE ON DRUGS
26 September 2006
The European Coalition for Just and Effective Drug Policies, ENCOD, today
presented its comments t
Medical marijuana takes hit as Tories announce $1 billion in cuts
from Canada Press, September 26, 2006Location:
Possible 40-year term debated for teen accused of drug smuggling
from Houston Chronicle, September 25, 2006Location:
Hilarious Video: The Hazards of Covering the Drug Beat
by psmith, September 25, 2006, 12:59pm
Now, I don't know if this is real or not, but it is quite amusing.
Barnett Rubin Lectures the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Afghan Opium
by psmith, September 25, 2006, 12:23pm
On Thursday, I crossed back into the US from British Columbia and spent the day listening to all the back and forth over Chavez's "devil" comments as I drove across Washington, Idaho, and Montana.
Feature: Drug Arrests Hit Another Record High, More than 786,000 Marijuana Arrests Alone in 2005
by psmith, September 21, 2006, 02:58am, (Issue #454)
Drug arrests in general and marijuana arrests in particular continue to rise.
Feature: US Uses Annual Drug Certification Report to Attack Bolivia, Venezuela
by psmith, September 21, 2006, 02:07am, (Issue #454)
The Bush administration used its annual drug certification exercise to lash out at Bolivia and Venezuela, and those two countries returned the favor.
Feature: House Votes to Require School Districts to Allow Random, Warrantless Mass Search Policies
by psmith, September 20, 2006, 07:11pm, (Issue #454)
The House voted Tuesday to force local school districts to gut student privacy protections.
Children Handcuffed in Police Drug Raid; Dog Also Killed During Bust, 18-Year-Old Charged With Misdemeanors, Violation
from Albany Times-Union, September 20, 2006Location:
Spying on Rock Festivals: High-Tech Hidden Surveillance at Wakarusa
by psmith, September 20, 2006, 02:31pm
UPDATE: Drug War Chronicle story about this incident online now.
We wrot
Call for Papers--International Journal of Drug Policy
by psmith, September 20, 2006, 01:09pm
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DRUG POLICY
Call for Papers
Special Issue
Women and Harm Reduction: Spanning the Globe
Guest editors:
Susan Sherman, Adeeba bte Kamarulzaman and Patti Spittal<
Pot-Growing Busts Continue To Climb (California)
from Napa Valley Register, September 20, 2006Location:
Medical Marijuana: Rhode Island Program Begins to Kick In
by psmith, September 20, 2006, 03:09am, (Issue #454)
Rhode Island passed its medical marijuana law in January, the program went into effect in April, and now more than 250 patients and caregivers are registered.
Southwest Asia: Proposal for Turning Afghan Opium Into Legal Morphine Gains Support
by psmith, September 19, 2006, 11:53pm, (Issue #454)
A proposal to turn Afghanistan's burgeoning opium crop into morphine for the legal medicinal market is gaining more support.
Europe: London Police More Likely to Arrest Blacks Than Whites for Marijuana Possession
by psmith, September 19, 2006, 11:47pm, (Issue #454)
A new report from Scotland Yard finds racial profiling in marijuana enforcement, but the police won't say it's racism.
Law Enforcement: This Week's Corrupt Cops Stories
by psmith, September 19, 2006, 11:41pm, (Issue #454)
A pair of crooked prison guards and an emerging scandal in Baltimore make the radar this week.
Law Enforcement: Jackson, Mississippi's Mad Mayor Melton Indicted for Drug Enforcement Crimes
by psmith, September 19, 2006, 11:37pm, (Issue #454)
Jackson, Mississippi, Mayor Frank Melton has been playing drug warrior since day one. Now he finds himself on the other side of the law.
Law Enforcement: Cops Used Hidden High-Tech Surveillance on Kansas Rock Festival-Goers
by psmith, September 19, 2006, 11:31pm, (Issue #454)
A hi-tech surveillance company's bragging about its secret demonstration during a music festival has drawn criticism for police about the operation.
US Raps Venezuela, Myanmar on Illegal Drug Trade
from Reuters, September 19, 2006Location:
Bolivia Drug Fight Faulted: The White House Cited Concerns About Contributions to the Illegal Drug Trade By Bolivia
from Associated Press, September 19, 2006Location:
On the Thai Coup Attempt
by psmith, September 19, 2006, 02:31pm
The mass media today are full of reports about the slow-motion military coup attempt taking place in Thailand.
Willie Nelson Cited for Drug Possession (Again)
from Associated Press, September 18, 2006Location:
Legalize All Drugs, Say Lib Dems (UK)
from BBC, September 18, 2006Location:
Media Regularly Misreport Marijuana/Drug Stories, New Book Charges
by psmith, September 18, 2006, 01:57pm
Press Release from the Marijuana Policy Project:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SEPTEMBER 18, 2006
Media Regularly Misreport Marijuana/Drug Stories, New Book Charges
Other Chapters in "Pot Politics: Mar
Marijuana Debate Still Smoking
from Daytona Beach News-Journal, September 18, 2006Location:
A Look Inside Brazil's Drug "Commands"
by psmith, September 18, 2006, 01:16pm
Brazil, Latin America's largest and most populous nation gets surprisingly little press in the US.
Doctor Convicted of Drug Conspiracy to Be Retried (Dr. William Hurwitz)
from Washington Post, September 17, 2006Location:
50 Arrested at Marijuana Rally (Boston Freedom Rally)
from WCBV-TV 5, September 17, 2006Location:
San Deigo Leading Backlash Against California Medical Marijuana Law
from Associated Press, September 16, 2006Location:
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