As predicted in this space three years ago, a North Carolina "crack tax" which imposed taxes on those caught with illegal drugs, has been decisively declared unconstitutional. In Ohio, a legislator wants to further criminalize khat, a drug popular with the Somali immigrant community. Some Somalis seem to support the crackdown, while others understand that the move is likely to turn friends and neighbors into outlaws.
Also last week, Presidential hopeful John McCain continues to show no understanding of prohibition or his own personal experience (his wife had a drug problem, but nobody tried to send her or the person who sold her the drugs to prison) as he calls for a more aggressive drug war; and an Idaho man continues to push for a local cannabis legalization referendum.
]]>And as the drug war rolls on with huge amounts spent to fight drugs, police report record seizures at local, state and federal levels. And yet there appears to be no shortage of drugs on the street. Once again, nothing succeeds like failure in the drug war.
]]>From Rhode Island's major newspaper comes an in depth article about their medicinal marijuana program, and the experiences of some of the patients. The efforts to pass their law by Rhonda O'Donnell, Tom Angell's mom is covered, but the paper does not make clear that Tom was the President of his university SSDP chapter at the time, while also serving as a MAP volunteer editor. Today Tom is the Government Relations Director for the national SSDP organization.
Canada's major medical journal takes Health Canada's bureaucrats to task for claiming they know how much marijuana approved patients need as medicine.
Governor Schwarzenegger has a new industrial hemp bill on his desk. Californians may wish to encourage the Governor to sign it.
]]>A thought-provoking piece from the Sunday Mail in Australia this week ("Time For A Reality Check") didn't make any bones about it. They just came right out and said it. "The stereotype of a user is someone whose life is out of control but the truth is they are probably in the minority." Blasphemy! "The police officer admitted that some drug users, particularly those on marijuana or ecstasy, were often less trouble than alcohol or amphetamine abusers." How dare he admit that? Well, they have some political cover, in the form of a Queensland Drug Strategy report which has "uncomfortable facts for those who argue drug use is inherently 'wrong' while alcohol and tobacco use are acceptable."
And finally this week, compare and contrast (as only the Mapinc archives will let you do) the approaches two places are taking to two hallucinogens. One place, Hamilton Ontario, isn't having a problem with salvia divinorum, But this isn't stopping officials from trying to ban the 5-minute trip-producing plant. In Holland, where magic mushrooms are openly sold, officials have to react to the death of a 17-year-old tourist. A blanket ban for everyone, you know, to save the children? Let's go jail some adults? Hardly. Amsterdam mayor Job Cohen is proposing the following: a three-day waiting period, so that buyers don't impulsively take the powerful and long-lasting mushrooms, without some idea of what they are bargaining for.
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