Open Thread

“bullet” Jacob Sullum dismantles the Birth of a Cocaine Factoid — the supposed 5,000 cocaine deaths in 1912 — a figure often used to show how much better off we are with prohibition.
“bullet” Ryan Grim at Huffington Post: Drug Czar’s Pot-Potency Claims Go Up In Smoke. Turns out the media didn’t examine that report very closely before reporting on it. Gee, what a surprise.
“bullet” Scott Morgan rips into the “Marinol doesn’t get you high” lie: If Pure THC Pills are FDA-Approved, What’s the Big Deal About Marijuana Potency?

We’re actually supposed to be intrigued and perhaps alarmed by the fact that domestic marijuana potency now averages 10% THC, meanwhile the FDA has long approved a 100% THC pill that’s proven to be completely safe in every way, except that some people think it’s a little too strong and want weed instead.
It’s amazing the lengths some people will take to rationalize the mindless paradox of arresting medical marijuana patients while simultaneously trying to sell them potent THC pills.

Also read Scott’s excellent article at AlterNet: Don’t Blame Pot — There’s No Such Thing as a “Gateway Drug”
“bullet” NYCLU stands up for students

The New York Civil Liberties Union has called on the Red Creek Central School District in upstate New York to publicly apologize to high school students subjected to illegal, humiliating and invasive searches by state police and school officials.

“bullet” Canada’s ‘Prince of Pot’ at war with US drug war.

Emery smiled, unrepentant.
“I had a very good reason for selling those seeds,” he said. “I wanted to defeat the U.S. war on drugs.”

“bullet” DrugSense Weekly
“bullet” “drcnet”