Monthly Archives: May 2005

Marco wrote in to tell me about his experience being one of the chosen. Yes, he was selected to participate in a paid survey — the kind that ends up part of the government’s statistics in the war on drugs. … Continue reading →

USA Today gave a fairly scathing editorial against our approach to marijuana enforcement, drawing upon the Sentencing Project study. Definitely worth a read. The conclusion? It’s time for a serious debate on whether massive arrests of low-level users are worth … Continue reading →

From today’s Roll Call: Potheads vs. Narcs by Mary Ann Akers It would have been the zaniest game of the softball season. But it seems the Narcs are too chicken to play a bunch of stoners. The One Hitters, the … Continue reading →

Regarding my post yesterday about Hugh O’Shaughnessy’s article claiming that Condoleezza Rice had announced that the U.S. was “abandoning” Plan Colombia… I just talked with a spokesman for the State Department and he says that is incorrect, and that he … Continue reading →

Want to read a great take-down of the DEA’s Karen Tandy? Radley Balko’s got it.

Let’s recycle some speculation. It’s fun, and helps pass the 14,515,200 seconds that have slipped by while waiting for the Supreme Court to rule on Raich (that’s 168 days for the rest of you). Larry wrote today and asked “Kennedy … Continue reading →

This just in from Hugh O’Shaughnessy in The Independent: Washington’s “war on drugs” in Colombia is collapsing in chaos and corruption, and the drug producers are winning. The so-called Plan Colombia, which has cost the US more than $3bn (£1.6bn) … Continue reading →

Still no Raich v. Ashcroft decision (next opportunity is next Monday). However, the Justices did rule on the other commerce clause case (although it’s the Dormant Commerce Clause) in a 5-4 decision stating that states could not prevent out-of-state wineries … Continue reading →

It’s time to talk, once again, about one of the worst bills around — H.R.1528: Defending America’s Most Vulnerable: Safe Access to Drug Treatment and Child Protection Act of 2005, sponsored by James F. Sensenbrenner (WI-5). TalkLeft and Last One … Continue reading →

Citizens Against Government Waste just released a powerful special report: Up In Smoke: ONDCP’s Wasted Efforts In the War on Drugs, by Angela French. The report covers the Drug Czar’s agency since its beginning, and the cumulative waste and corruption … Continue reading →