Chronicle AM -- March 19, 2014

Fewer people are getting arrested for marijuana possession in Washington state after legalization -- imagine that! -- Kansas legislators want to drug test teachers, a New Jersey heroin and opiates panel has recommendations, Russell Brand goes to Vienna, and more. Let's get to it:

Russell Brand speaks out for drug decriminalization at the CND in Vienna. (wikimedia.org)

Oregon GOP Gubernatorial Candidate Says Legalize It. Republican gubernatorial candidate Tim Carr says he favors legalizing and taxing recreational marijuana use and would spend the proceeds on helping the homeless and others in need. Carr is one of six Republicans running in the primary to determine who takes on incumbent Democrat John Kitzhaber. He's not the front-runner; that distinction goes to state Rep. Dennis Richardson.

Massachusetts Poll Has Near Majority for Legalization.A new WBUR TV poll shows increased support for marijuana legalization, with 48% in favor and 41% opposed. A Boston Herald/Suffolk University poll showed majority support for the first time. These two polls suggest that attitudes toward legalization in the Bay State have moved in a positive direction in the past year.

Washington State ACLU Reports Big Drop in Pot Arrests. Misdemeanor marijuana possession arrests plummeted last year, the ACLU of Washington reported today. There were just 120 such arrests last year after legalization went into effect, compared to 5,531 the year before. But black people are still getting arrested for pot possession more often. They're getting popped at a rate three times that of whites, the ACLU said.

National Cannabis Industry Association to Host Marijuana Business Summit. The NCIA will hold its first national conference, the Cannabis Business Summit, June 24-25 in Denver. Click on the links for more details.

Medical Marijuana

Alabama CBD Medical Marijuana Bill Advances. A bill that would study the impact of using a marijuana derivative to treat seizures is one step closer to becoming state law. Senate Bill 174 passed the House Judiciary Committee after it was amended in the Senate last week.

Drug Testing

Kansas School Teacher Drug Testing Bill Passes Senate. A bill that requires drug testing of school employees and affirms the firing of educators convicted of DUI, drug crimes, and other offenses passed the state Senate Tuesday. Senate Bill 335 was approved after Senate Democrats successfully offered an amendment that would subject members of the House and Senate to treatment requirements and financial sanctions mirroring those in state law for the unemployed or those on cash aid. The welfare drug testing law passed last year also included elected representatives, but contained no provisions for sanctioning them or requiring they seek help. The bill now goes to the House.

Heroin

Kentucky Omnibus Heroin Bill Stuck in House. A bill that would both enact harm reduction measures and crack down on heroin-selling offenses is stuck in the House Judiciary Committee. Senate Bill 5 would let drug dealers be charged with murder if the sale of Schedule I drugs results in death and increases penalties for high-volume heroin dealers. It also seeks increased Medicare funds for drug treatment, access to the overdose reversal drug naloxone, and a 911 Good Samaritan provision. The Senate passed the bill in January.

New Jersey Heroin Task Force Calls for Broad Reforms. A governor's task force on heroin and opiate use called for a wide array of reforms, saying it is "time to confront our demons." According to The Newark Star-Ledger, which obtained an advance copy, the panel's report calls for tighter prescription pill monitoring laws, changes in the state's insurance system to make treatment more available, and expanded use of drug treatment recovery communities.

Sentencing

California Bill Would Equalize Crack and Powder Cocaine Sentences. A bill filed by state Sen. Holly Mitchell (D-Culver City) would cut prison sentences for people convicted of selling crack to bring them in line with sentences for people convicted of selling powder cocaine. Senate Bill 1010 was introduced last month, but amended Monday. It is before the Senate Rules Committee.

International

In Vienna, Russell Brand Joins "Support, Don't Punish" Campaign. British actor and comedian Russell Brand spoke at the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs in Vienna today and publicly joined forces with the Support, Don't Punish campaign to decriminalize drug possession and end the imprisonment and punishment of people who use drugs.

Senior Mexican Anti-Drug Official Resigns. Manuel Mondragón y Kalb, Mexico's national security commissioner and one of the most senior officials in charge of the country's counternarcotics fight, has resigned "for personal reasons." The National Security Commission (CNS), which falls under the Interior Ministry, was created by President Enrique Peña Nieto in January 2013 to replace the Secretariat of Public Security. The CNS, which is in charge of the Federal Police, is behind schedule in its task to create a National Gendarmerie to bolster the country's counter-narcotics fight, which is one of Peña Nieto's campaign promises.

(This article 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.)