Open Thread

Lots of important stuff to catch up with…
“bullet” It’s great having thehim back in action. Check out this fantastic visual guide to the U.S. drug war in Mexico.
“bullet” This is truly sick.
“bullet” Transform has a post up about a Lord’s debate in the UK, where members not only ripped into the government’s status quo drug policy, but debated prohibition itself.
Lord Mancroft:

In other words, government policy has created a free-for-all in drugs, where only criminals benefit and the whole communityÖyoung people in particularÖsuffers as a consequence. Nothing in the current proposals leads one to conclude that this Government either understand this or have the courage to address it.”

Lord Errol:

“I want to start with the old saying that laws seldom prevent what they seek to forbid. The real problem is the politicians’ public posturing to try to get headlines that they are being tough on things, without thinking of the effect. That means that changes can be very tricky, because I can imagine the newspaper headlines screaming out the moment someone wants to take one of the more sensible approaches that have been recommended by several noble Lords

“bullet” Random drug testing does little to deter student athletes from using drugs. This, according to a federally funded $3.6 million study.
“bullet” Hypocritical Governments Ignore Alcohol’s Dangers — Dan Gardner is always an enjoyable read

I once attended a dinner in Ottawa that brought together RCMP officers, DEA agents, politicians and civil servants in honour of a visit by the United Nations’ top anti-drug official. There was an open bar. And so, as speakers denounced the evils of drugs and vowed to continue the fight for “a drug-free world” — an official goal of the UN — most of the people nodding their heads and applauding vigorously were buzzed on a drug that has killed far more people than all the illicit drugs combined.
Bizarre juxtapositions like this abound, but they don’t come any stranger than a government spending large sums of money suppressing drug use while a corporation owned by that same government spends large sums of money encouraging drug use.
That happens every day in Canada. And no one sees anything amiss.

“bullet” Fund drug treatment rather than Mexican anti-drugs operations by Ethan Nadelmann

Leaders in both countries would do well to provoke a discussion about the failures of drug prohibition and the damage it is causing. […]
Our experience with the prohibition of drugs is a replay of our experience with the prohibition of alcoholic beverages.”
Until policymakers start rethinking failed drug-war policies, the violence and corruption inherent in prohibition will continue.

“bullet” NDSU Files Amicus in Support of Hemp Farming Lawsuit, DEA Makes Feeble Argument that Hemp Can be Turned into Drugs. That’s right, North Dakota State University — a government entity — has filed a brief opposing the DEA. I wish I could hear the oral arguments on November 14 in this case. Should be fun.
“bullet” Why not pump up the idea of legalizing marijuana? by Debra J. Saunders. Saunders takes on the known-for-toking Governor, and elicits some interesting observations:

“Ask any cop if they’d rather arrest somebody who is drunk or somebody who is stoned,” Mirken had asked rhetorically.
For Delagnes, the answer was easy. Tell someone who’s stoned to put his hands against the wall, “he’ll probably say, ‘That’s cool.’ “

“bullet” Keeping us safe by taking cocaine off the streets… one .001 gram at a time. Arresting this lawyer? What an over-reaction!
“bullet” “drcnet”