Drug War Roundup - Where to Build a Wall

Last spring, Mexico's congress passed a bill that would have decriminalized the personal use of drugs.  The bill was similar to what had been done in Portugal five years before (and much of Europe has already decriminalized the possession and use of softer drugs like marijuana).  President Vicente Fox promised to sign the bill, but after a complete freakout by American officials over the perceived consequences of such a move, Fox vetoed it.  The legislature made an effort to override his veto, but nothing came about before the summer elections, when Felipe Calderon was elected in a close, controversial election.

After taking office, Calderon announced an effort to combat drug traffickers in several parts of the country where the traffickers have been particularly violent.  Ethan Nadelmann from the Drug Policy Alliance writes recently in The Huffington Post about Calderon's crackdown:

Mexico's new president, Felipe Calderon, seems to be doing all the right things in cracking down on Mexico's drug traffickers. He's appointed new people to key military and criminal justice positions, deployed troops to quell drug violence, reasserted federal police power, extradited a few major traffickers to the United States, and given a green light to legislation clarifying Mexico's drug laws.

But all this provides little reason to hope that Mexico has really turned a corner in its efforts to control the illegal drug trade. For a guide to what's in store, one need only look at past sexenios (the six year terms of Mexican presidents).

What President Calderon is doing now differs little from what his predecessors did at the start of their terms. But the results are always the same -- encouraging at first but then it all starts up again. Drug trafficking gangs re-group with new leaders and new connections. Previously incorruptible officers are newly corrupted. Police of all ranks, and all shades of probity, tremble in fear of assassins' bullets. And Mexicans once again wonder why the cycle never really stops.

It's very clear that Felipe Calderon knows all of this very well.  In fact, he even reintroduced a toned down decriminalization bill to the new Congress.  But the power of the drug cartels in Mexico is the immovable object, something that the Mexican president will never be able to defeat without help - real help - from the United States.  

President Bush travelled through Latin America last week, meeting with Calderon for two days at the end of his trip.  Of course, the problem of the drug cartels is only part of the headache the Bush Administration has in dealing with Mexico right now.  Another problem is the immigration issue, as roughly 12 million Mexicans have fled the violence and the lack of opportunity to work illegally in the United States.  America's response to this problem has been to focus on border security, and President Bush signed a bill to create a high-tech fence along the border.  Many Americans see the border fence as the solution to the problems of drug trafficking and immigration.  Felipe Calderon does not, and he made that very clear to George Bush last week:

Calderon has lambasted the U.S. decision to build the new border fence — a mix of physical barriers and high-tech virtual fencing. He likens it to the Berlin Wall, and argues that both countries need to improve Mexico's economy to lessen the desire to seek work in the United States.

Calderon also is critical of the Bush administration's efforts to stem the flow of drugs into the United States. The Mexican president says threats his administration has received from drug traffickers will not stop the government's nearly nationwide military crackdown, and he is calling on the United States to do more to help.

"We are, at the end of the day, putting our lives on the line in this battle, and the United States has to come up with something that is more than symbolic gestures, much more," Calderon said in an interview Saturday with The Associated Press.

"Mexico can't diminish the availability of drugs while the U.S. hasn't reduced its demand."

And with that, Calderon makes it very clear that he understands the root of all of these problems.  Americans demand drugs.  Lots of them.  And as long as American consumers drive that multi-billion dollar industry, the drug cartels in Mexico will continue to subvert political forces in Mexico City.  And as long as drug cartels hold that kind of power and influence, the violence that it spawns and the lack of opportunity that it creates will continue to drive more and more people north in search of a way to make a living.

When it comes to the American media, however, these issues are rarely presented accurately.  The primary offender here is Lou Dobbs.  Dobbs is considered to be the authority on these matters, but it's really hard to find anyone who has a poorer understanding of what's going on.  He continues to argue in support of a border fence as a way to stop drug trafficking, even though much of the drugs that come into this country make it through after bribes are paid to border agents.  A fence won't stop that.  He continues to believe that NAFTA is the main reason for the flow of illegal immigrants to the United States and he frequently talks about illegal immigration in terms of national security, pandering to xenophobes who believe that there's a more sinister agenda behind those who come here to make a living.

Dobbs appeared on Anderson Cooper's show on Monday night for a short appearance.  This should give you a good idea of how clueless he is when it comes to the issues of U.S.-Mexico relation, the drug war, and illegal immigration.

COOPER: Lou, the new Mexican president, Felipe Calderon, promised that he would get tough on drug traffickers. Thus far, he's seized, destroyed thousands of pounds of drugs, extradited a couple of drug lords to the country.

How's he doing?

LOU DOBBS, CNN ANCHOR: You know, I think, Anderson, this may surprise some people. I think he may be doing pretty darn well, certainly in his early two months in office.

This -- this president, Calderon, has already done since taking office on December 2nd of last year -- so we're really at three months -- he has really done more than Vicente Fox in his entire five-year term as head of Mexico. Whether this is public relations posturing, it is a great beginning and something that could be built upon if the Bush -- and I have less problem, frankly, with the Mexican president than I do the U.S. president.

If they could work together, then sensibly they can actually create border security, they could actually go after the drug cartels that are shipping, you know, up to $100 billion worth of illegal drugs into the country. I think it's very encouraging, frankly.

As Nadelmann explained above, what Calderon is doing is no different than what Fox did when he was into office.  Considering that Calderon also strongly opposes Dobbs' idea of building a border fence, I'm not sure I even understand what it is that has endeared him to Calderon.  But it gets worse as Cooper asks even more pointed questions.

COOPER: You've argued in the past the U.S. hasn't really had the will to win the war on drugs. What are they doing wrong?

DOBBS: Well, a number of things that they are doing wrong. They're acting like this border, which is -- Mexico is the principal source of heroin, cocaine, marijuana and methamphetamines into this country. The numbers rise to $125 billion, that's the highest estimate. It's low is $25 billion going across that border.

But the fact is, a million lives are at stake every year in the country. And if for no other reason, forget there's a small item called a war on terror that we're waging, forget that there are issues with illegal immigration, to stop the drug traffic alone is all that should be required of this government to insist on securing that border and securing our ports.

I originally watched this exchange on TV, and the transcript really doesn't do it justice.  Dobbs was completely unable to come up with anything.  The only answer he ever has to this question is to "secure the border," a solution that has never worked - and never will work - for stopping drug trafficking.  It's not a matter of will, just as it's not a matter of will for us to succeed in Iraq.  It's a matter of practicality.  Instead, he talks about how "a million lives are at stake," a statistic that comes directly from his own ass, but is perfect for scaring people into not realizing that he doesn't have a clue what he's talking about.

COOPER: Last year, Mexico, Vicente Fox, basically legalized small amounts of some narcotics.

DOBBS: Right.

Um, no, he vetoed the bill.  How is it that Dobbs doesn't even know basic facts like this?  Why is he still considered an expert?

COOPER: What kind of impact has that had? I know you were very critical about it at the time.

DOBBS: I'm very critical then, I'm very critical of it now. The idea that he would -- just another example of him rolling over for the drug cartels, which as you know are dominating northern Mexico and now are in a very violent struggle for control of those drug trafficking routes into the United States for distribution.

Despite the absurdity of Dobbs commenting on the impact of something that never actually happened, this isn't even a good reading of what the impact would have been.  Decriminalizing the personal use of illegal drugs would have had absolutely no effect on the power of the cartels.  Selling drugs, even marijuana, would have remained illegal, and in fact, the bill would have made it even easier for lower ranking Mexican officials to go after the cartels.  But again, Lou Dobbs has the same mentality about waging the war on drugs that many neocons have about waging the war on terror.  Anything that deviates from the hardest line possible is seen as a weakness and helps the bad guys.  That's not a strategy, it's a paranoid psychosis.

COOPER: For all of the attention that's been paid to the immigration issue, and I guess some would argue lack of attention from Washington, but at least attention in the media, has -- have things on the border really changed?

DOBBS: No, they have not. As a matter of fact, they've worsened in many respects, whether we're looking at Nuevo Laredo or whether we're looking down to Mexicali, to the western part of northern Mexico. The violence is unending. The police in Tijuana, 2,100 of them, disarmed because of suspected complicity in the assassination, the brutal assassination of other police officers, as well as drug cartel rivals.

Calderon has a great deal to do, and one hopes he can be successful and one hopes he has the true will and support of what has been an incompetent and corrupt government. I wish Felipe Calderon nothing but the best of luck. He has the opportunity to be historic in his achievements.

Recently, Terry Nelson from Law Enforcement Against Prohibition appeared on Lou Dobbs' show.  Dobbs introduced the segment by referring to Nelson's viewpoint as 'idiocy'.  Law Enforcement Against Prohibition is an organization of current and retired law enforcement officials who have figured out that the war on drugs is unwinnable and are advocating an end to the incarceration strategy for combatting drugs.  They have figured out what prominent voices on both the left and the right figured out a long time ago; that trying to stop drugs by criminalizing the behavior of adults is a counterproductive strategy that only leads to greater violence and more drug use among young people.  

The progressive movement that's building in this country does share some of the middle class angst that Dobbs occasionally targets when it comes to health care and other economic issues.  But it's very clear that he doesn't understand the war on drugs, and his continued status as an 'expert' on both that and illegal immigration continues to paint a very misleading picture for America about how to deal with these issues.  Progressives do need to look into building a wall.  We need to build one between ourselves and Lou Dobbs.

Over the past two weeks...

Major News

• NATO forces in Afghanistan are launching a spring offensive against the Taliban and drug traffickers in the Helmand province area.  UN officials expect another record opium harvest this year.  Terrorism expert Peter Bergen responded to a question from the Drug War Chronicle's David Borden indicating that he favors a program of licensing opium farming.  A recent study by a Canadian think tank echoed that call, a number of British MPs are pushing for it, but the Karzai government will not implement any plan like it.  Rob Wood at Rehabology points to a multimedia page set up by the Sydney Morning Herald to chronicle what's going on in the country.
• Jesse Hyde writes in the Dallas Observer about the Juarez House of Death case, including new details on why Lalo, the government informant who participated in the killings of over a dozen people, was kept on the payroll of the Department of Homeland Security for so long - along with some evidence that one of the victims, Luis Padilla, was actually an informer, unbeknownst to his own wife.
• The American Academy of Pediatrics opposes student drug testing in the United States.  Jacob Sullum has more.  So do Libby Spencer and Justin Holmes.  To get an idea of the disasters that can ensue from drug testing students, look no further than the cases of traumatized kids in the UK.
• Richard Paey, the disabled Florida man who is serving a 25-year-sentence for trying to obtain his own pain medication, was denied an appeal by the Florida Supreme Court.  Jacob Sullum has more.  It's up to Florida Governor Crist to take action.
• A federal appeals court in California ruled that medical marijuana patient Angel Raich is not immune from prosecution.  Radley Balko discusses how this is the culmination of what has always been a political football run all the way towards the wrong end zone.  The Drug War Chronicle has a report.  Kos diarist xxdr zombiexx has more.
• Tyrone Brown, the Texas man who'd been given a life sentence for testing positive for marijuana use, was given a conditional pardon by Governor Perry.  Radical Russ has a very informative post on how justice works in Texas.
• New Mexico governor Bill Richardson made it clear that he supports the medical marijuana bill in his state's legislature.  After the House initially voted down the bill, some modifications were made and the bill passed and Nex Mexico is set to become the 12th state to allow medical marijuana use as soon as Governor Richardson signs it.
• A federal district court judge threw out the money-laundering and tax evasion charges against medical marijuana activist Ed Rosenthal.  Jeralyn Merritt wrote about the new charges before the dismissal and wondered if the US Attorney brought the charges in order to avoid being dismissed.  Jon Katz has a number of links from the court proceedings and Alex Coolman gives his perspective.
• A police officer in the Montreal suburb of Laval was shot and killed during a drug raid.  The shooter, Basile Parasiris, claims that he thought the invading police officers were burglars.  Police claim to have found cocaine in the residence.
• Antonio Maria Costa, the UN's chief drug warrior, opened up the Commission on Narcotic Drugs in Vienna by criticizing how illicit drug use is glamorized by celebrities.  Also at the conference, Japanese officials accused North Korea of being a source of illegal drug production.

Opinions and Blogposts

• Adam Isacson looks at the real numbers after the Bush Administration claimed to have doubled their aid to Latin America.
• Todd Gillman writes in the Dallas Morning News about the disastrous effects of our drug war in Colombia.
• Allison Margolin has a powerful short YouTube film on the war between the DEA and the medical marijuana dispensaries in California.
• Charles Mudede writes about the khat trade and notes how the way we've treated khat among the East African community in Seattle and other cities is similar to how the Islamic radicals in Somalia treated it when they briefly took over their country last year.
• The Daily Telegraph in the UK writes that it's time for drug policy to change.
• Pete Guither talks about Bush's very short trip to Colombia, how completely incoherent John Walters has become, and why David Murray of the ONDCP has blood on his hands.
• Paul Armentano discusses the failure of the government's anti-marijuana ad campaigns.
• Dale Gieringer talks about 100 years of drug prohibition in the state of California.
• Radley Balko writes about how justice was denied to a woman who lost her son after he was shot and killed during a drug raid.
• Mark Walsh writes about the upcoming U.S. Supreme Court case of the Alaska student suspended for displaying a 'Bong Hits 4 Jesus' sign.
• Alan Bock writes in the OC Register that California will have no choice but to reform its prison system and stop sending everyone to jail.
• Scott Henson talks about bills in the Texas legislature, including two that will reduce sentences for drug possession.
• Michael J.W. Stickings writes about an ecstasy bust in Toronto.
• Tanya at Blame the Drug War talks about schizophrenia and genetics and pro-pot books.
• Kos Diarist xxdr zombiexx writes about the value of mairjuana as both a medicine and good politics.
• David Borden talks about strategy in taking on the large numbers of drug war issues.
• Jamie Spencer talks about an abandoned truckload of marijuana and how it demonstrates the absurdity of marijuana prohibition.
• Alex Coolman breaks down the ONDCP's ridiculous claims that violence results from legalizing medical marijuana.  Scott Morgan also weighs in.
• Coolman also discusses the question of having the FDA regulate tobacco and finds a book review on alcohol prohibition.
• Jacob Sullum can't comprehend the cluelessness of people who want to put people in jail for smoking around their own children.  He also discusses Jeff Sessions' effort to fix the crack/powder sentencing disparity by lengthening the penalty for cocaine possession.
• Jim at Vice Squad notes that federal prosecutions for drug crimes are down by 1/5 from five years ago, but still way more than many other types of crimes.  He also talks about the patterns of drinking in Finland related to how much of an incentive it is for Finns to bring back cheap alcohol from Estonia
(which was something I did when I lived in Helsinki for a summer).
• Peter Christ of LEAP talks about the neverending war.
• Tony Ryan of LEAP is wintering in Arizona and seeing numerous "success" stories in the war on drugs, like this one.
• Terry Nelson of LEAP talks about distinguishing between drug use and drug abuse.
• Pat Rogers questions Barack Obama's commitment to racial justice by noting Obama's silence on the issue of how minorities are disproportionately sent to jail for drug crimes.  He also adds on to my last roundup on Afghanistan.
• The Drug War Chronicle notes that freshman Senator Jim Webb spoke out about the need to reform our criminal justice system.
• Rob at To The People criticizes the State Department's annual report on the countries who support and don't support America's drug war.
• Diarist Lukery at Daily Kos gives more background on the Sibel Edmonds case, which hints at links between high ranking associates of the Bush Administration and foreign drug traffickers.  What Lukery mentions about Turkey remaining a major hub for drug trafficking is very much backed up by the fact that I see drug busts like this at the rate of 1-2 per week.
• Jonathan Perri writes about the rise in SWAT tactics when executing drug warrants.
• Tom Angell introduces a podcast discussing the DEA's monopoly on marijuana grown for research purposes.
• Tony Newman discusses the subject of Iraq War veterans, PTSD, and the inevitable self-medication with both legal and illegal drugs.  Fred Gardner talks about using cannabis to treat Iraq War veterans with PTSD.
• The Santa Cruz Sentinel criticizes the way California's system of medical marijuana dispensaries was set up.
• Scott Morgan has a quiz to test whether you know your rights.
• Dallie Howerton writes in the Carthage (MO) Press about the medical benefits of marijuana.
• Les Minor of the Texarkana Gazette talks about how the sacrifice of cold sufferers in order to combat meth has been all for naught.
• Eve Byron writes about a former Washington state prosecutor who believes the war on drugs should end.

Regional News - U.S. and Canada

• The Coast Guard, over a recent three month period, intercepted just under 100,000 pounds of cocaine with no noticeable affect on the street price.
• A study out of Columbia University showed that binge drinking and recreational prescription pill use has gone up sharply among college students.  Libby Spencer adds her thoughts.
• The Drug War Chronicle has a roundup of medical marijuana legislation efforts.
• Tacoma, Washington police seized 55 pounds of heroin and arrested two Mexican nationals.
• A monthly meeting in Spokane, WA allows prospective medical marijuana patients to receive authorization and guidance.
• A medical marijuana user from Pullman, Washington convicted of growing marijuana is trying to prove that the state's medical marijuana laws should have protected him from prosecution.
• A woman with a history of drug use and a criminal record has been registered as a child care provider near Boise.
• Bills to ban salvia divinorum have been introduced in Oregon, California, and Illinois.
• A parole supervisor in Portland, OR resigned after stealing marijuana from the department's property room and smoking it in front of co-workers.
• An Oregon mailman was arrested for distributing marijuana.
• A California man who made various food products containing marijuana was sentenced to 70 months in prison.
• The Salinas (CA) City Council imposed a 45-day moratorium on the opening of medical marijuana dispensaries.
• Ridgecrest, California is debating how to regulate medical marijuana dispensaries.
• A judge in Riverside County, California shut down a medical marijuana dispensary in Norco.
• Los Angeles mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is trying to be more aggressive about combatting drug gangs.
• The Los Angeles County Supervisors approved a needle-exchange program.
• The DEA raided another medical marijuana dispensary in West Hollywood, CA.
• Two San Diego high school students who were busted for being high on marijuana at school showed school administrators their medical marijuana cards.
• Drug dogs will be used to search for drugs in several Palm Springs area high schools.
• Arizona's Attorney General is launching an anti-meth ad campaign modeled on Montana's efforts.  Seven pounds of meth were found in a car in Arizona on its way to Kansas.
• The Utah Supreme Court ruled that police can not enter a residence without a warrant solely because they smell marijuana.
• A Utah man is not allowed to renew his personalized license plate that says "MERLOT".
• The Colorado legislature wants to make sure kids are protected from the words in a John Denver song.  They're concerned they might be encouraged to get high together.
• The Boulder, Colorado area is seeing a rise in heroin deaths.
• A survey indicates that the efforts of the Montana Meth Project are working to educate people about the dangers of meth addiction.  David Schmader of The Stranger reviews the ads.  HBO is planning to air a documentary in collaboration with the Project that looks at the effects of meth on real users across Montana.  It will be part of HBO's larger series on addiction.
• North Dakota's Agriculture Commissioner Roger Johnson is upset at the delays in having the DEA register the state's first hemp farmers.
• A woman in Oklahoma was arrested after calling a police officer when trying to find a cocaine dealer.
• Police in Lubbock, Texas found over a ton of marijuana in a semi that was pulled over for a missing mud flap.
• A Texas legislator introduced a bill to have tougher penalties for drunk drivers who kill a police officer or firefighter.
• Police in Austin, Texas broke up a large heroin trafficking ring.
• In Houston, a Texas Department of Public Safety technician was arrested for stealing cocaine from the crime lab and selling it.
• A drug bust in Cleburne, Texas turned up a U.S. Border Patrol uniform.
• A 17-year-old near Fort Worth, Texas was arrested after police found a videotape where his 2-year-old and 5-year-old nephews were smoking marijuana.  Rusty White asks if there would be as much outrage if the teens were giving them the more dangerous drug, alcohol.  Scott Morgan discusses why drug prohibition makes this sad occurrences more likely.  The accused teen says that the whole thing, which was covered by all the major networks, has been blown out of proportion.
• An ambulance making a cross-country journey with 400 pounds of marijuana was pulled over in Arkansas.
• A developmentally disabled 15-year-old in Minnesota was interrogated by teachers because his father testified in support of the medical marijuana bill introduced in the state legislature.
• A group of young people in Stevens Point, Wisconsin protested a drug sweep that mostly netted other young people involved in minor drug sales.
• Dane County, Wisconsin (Madison) officials will no longer be prosecuting people for marijuana possession or possession of drug paraphernalia.
• Students in Janesville, Wisconsin were treated to a new program attempting to scare students with misinformation about marijuana.
• Hearings began in Illinois for a bill to legalize medical marijuana in the state.  Dr. David Ostrow of the Howard Brown Health Center of Chicago says that the science is in and Illinois medical marijuana patient Jim Bingenheimer credits marijuana for saving his eyesight.  The bill passed out of the Senate Public Health Committee on a 6-4 vote.
• An Indiana elementary school was closed after a mobile meth lab was found in the parking lot.
• An 8-year-old in Saginaw, Michigan was caught trying to sell pot to other kids.
• The ACLU of Michigan filed a lawsuit against the city of Flint and the city and county police departments for a massive drug raid at a nightclub in Flint where innocent people were strip searched.
• An Ohio woman can no longer be a foster mother any more because she was caught smoking pot around two infants.
• A Chattanooga judge says that we're losing the war on drugs, but blames it on irresponsible parenting.
• Former Libertarian candidate for Alabama governor, Loretta Nall, appeared in court last week to seek a dismissal of marijuana possession charges.
• Some teenagers cleaning a roadside in Pensacola, Florida found 28 pounds of abandoned marijuana.
• Officers in Hollywood, Florida were arrested after agreeing to protect a hypothetical shipment of drugs.
• Georgia lawmakers are putting together a bill to limit no-knock raids like the one that ended up with the death of 88-year-old Kathryn Johnston.
• A man was arrested in South Carolina after he crashed into a police car with 43 pounds of marijuana in his trunk.
• A North Carolina man whose job was to teach juvenile delinquents about the dangers of drugs was busted for selling cocaine to an undercover cop.
• Radley Balko finds an old incident in Seattle where police staged drug busts at a targeted establishment that's similar to the more recent David Ruttenberg case from Manassas Park, Virginia.
• Alexandria, Virginia is trying to deny permits to bars and restaurants that allow smoking in their establishments.
• Maryland lawmakers are considering a medical marijuana bill.  University of Maryland students are a big part of the drug law reform push in that state.
• The Beaver County (PA) Jail recently had half of its longer term prisoners test positive for illegal drug use.
• A Scranton, PA police officer was busted for selling drugs while on duty.
• Minorities make up a disproportionate number of marijuana possession arrests in New York City.
• A jail guard in New York State was busted for cocaine possession.
• A man and a woman in Connecticut face first-degree manslaughter charges for giving heroin to 13-year-old who overdosed.
• The Yale Political Union overwhelmingly gave their support for the legalization of marijuana.
• The top narcotics agent in New Haven, CT was arrested for stealing money from the department.
• A recent survey showed broad support in New Hampshire for a medical marijuana bill.
• Canada is believed to be a source for ecstasy production.
• The UN is pressuring Canadian Health Minister Tony Clement to rein in Vancouver's drug policy reforms.
• A Hawaii middle school teacher pleaded no contest to smoking marijuana.

Regional News - International

• Cuba claims some success in their drug interdiction efforts.
• Cuba and Bolivia are collaborating on an effort by Cuban scientists to discover a medical use for coca leaves.
• Mexican police found 68 pounds of heroin in the bathroom of a bus headed from Mexico into the United States.
• Central America remains a major transshipment point for cocaine heading to the United States.  Gunman allegedly linked to drug traffickers killed a high ranking police official in Honduras.
• The Drug War Chronicle writes about the situation of coca growers in Peru.  A week later, coca growers are striking back at the government's eradication plans.
• A Bolivian commission wants the word 'coca' removed from the Coca-Cola brand name.
• The governor of Rio de Janiero in Brazil strongly criticized U.S. drug policy and blamed drug prohibition for the high crime rates in his region.
• A Dublin man is being held after €80,000 of heroin was found in the city centre.
• The Britain-based Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures, and Commerce says that the use of illegal drugs is inherently no more harmful than alcohol use and endorsed harm reduction approaches to drug policy.  The Telegraph UK serves up this pathetic rebuttal.  Pete Guither has a number of thoughts and links.
• Sarah Ferguson and her daughter Princess Beatrice are caught up in the stupidest scandal ever, involving being seen around people smoking pot in Jamaica.
• The number of British soldiers testing positive for drugs is on the rise, possibly because of a desire to avoid serving overseas.
• A British organization is trying to encourage the government to reclassify drugs based upon their harmfulness.
• There's been an increase the number of houses in the London area being used as marijuana grow-homes.
• Police in Yorkshire, England are investigating how and why a gifted 15-year-old student died of an apparent ecstasy overdose.
• A 68-year-old woman in Humshaugh, England appeared in court and claimed that medical marijuana has saved her life.  Here's a news report on BBC.
• A Scottish Labour Party member is advocating the decriminalization of cannabis and the licensing of heroin.
• Snoop Dogg was arrested in Sweden after being allegedly under the influence of drugs.
• A left wing Dutch party set up a pro-cannabis website to counter a propaganda site put up by the Christian Democrats.
• The Italian government is looking to endorse a licensing plan for dealing with Afghanistan's opium.
• Agencies in the US and the UN have commended Morocco for reducing cannabis production.
• Officials in Kenya are considering a crackdown on khat production.
• A parliament member in Kyrgyzstan suggested planting opium as a way to alleviate the country's foreign debt.
• The Green Party of New South Wales in Australia is publicly advocating the decriminalization of all drugs.
• Two Australian soldiers were busted for selling ecstasy to an undercover police officer.
• A woman from suburban Sydney died after taking a pill that she thought was ecstasy but was actually paramethoxyamphetamine (PMA).
• A New Zealand woman called police to report her stolen marijuana plants.

Fun Stuff and Pop Culture

• Halle Berry will play Vanita Gupta in a movie about the Tulia drug raids that sent over 40 innocent black men to prison from a small Texas town.  Billy Bob Thornton will also be involved.
• Actress Sienna Miller considers non-addictive mushrooms her drug of choice.  Naomi Campbell's drug of choice was cocaine, and is battling addiction.
• Gregory Solman talks about the animated ONDCP ads with a talking dog.
• A theatre troupe in Philadelphia has a new stage production looking at the world of gay sex and meth use.
• Tanya wants you to test your reefer madness.

•  March Madness

  Time to check the scores now...

  by thehim on Sun Mar 18, 2007 at 12:30:59 PM PDT

  •  Awesome job, as usual

    Thanks for continuing to beat the drug reform drum.  It amazes me that this issue doesn't generate more support among progressives here.

    We could do so much good with the time, energy, and money we spend arresting 800,000 pot smokers every year.  The war on drugs is destroying our society in so many ways, and most people just say "Huh?"

    Keep up the excellent work!

    by Red no more on Sun Mar 18, 2007 at 01:20:38 PM PDT

    •  Thanks

      I'm going to keep beating this drum until people recognize the damage this war is causing and how important it is to address this.

      by thehim on Sun Mar 18, 2007 at 01:29:46 PM PDT

      •  I was happy to see

        xxdr.zombiexx's "Wonder drug" diary make a big hit on the rec list.  There were three drug war diaries up at once Friday a.m. too, so maybe it's getting more traction.

        I think my next diary will be about finding a coupon for free sleeping pills in my "Food and Wine" magazine.  Wine and sleeping pills.  Good combination.  War on Drugs?  Not!  War on competitors to the alcohol and pharmaceutical industry, more like...

        by Red no more on Sun Mar 18, 2007 at 01:40:43 PM PDT

        •  Good catch

          Drinking half a bottle of wine and then taking some Ambien is clearly a better way to get a good night's sleep and a puff or two of marijuana in the evening.  :)

          Bill Maher had a great joke on Friday night about Ambien and how people who take it sleepwalk, talking about how there aren't enough hours in the day for Americans to stuff their face, Ambien lets them cook in their sleep.

          And yeah, zombie has been posted some excellent diaries.  I've only been recommended once, but made diary rescue twice.

          by thehim on Sun Mar 18, 2007 at 01:54:51 PM PDT

  •  Yep..Excellent as usual

    Awesome round-up of news.

    by xxdr zombiexx on Sun Mar 18, 2007 at 01:48:34 PM PDT

    •  Speaking of the devil

      Thanks!

      by thehim on Sun Mar 18, 2007 at 01:55:34 PM PDT

•  Fences are always the solution for right wing

  loonies, who for some reason never see the need to push legislation prohibiting the manufacture of ladders higher than the fence. Since it would never happen anyway, and such fences will be scaled eventually, they also end up wasting taxpayer dollars convincing other right wing people they are doing their jobs.

  by smerfish on Sun Mar 18, 2007 at 03:07:48 PM PDT