Open Thread

“bullet” Needled to Death Excellent editorial in the Houston Chronicle slams District Attorney Susan Reed for prosecuting health workers.

That’s an abusive use of her prosecutorial office. Reed might not care for needle exchange programs and all the good they can do in a community to reduce the spread of infectious disease. But overzealous prosecution of three people who clearly had no intention of profiting from the sale of drug paraphernalia is a gross misapplication of the law.

More here
“bullet” I’m with Alec on this one:

Okay, I have basically zero interest in this story, but that just shows how poor I am at tapping into the public zeitgeist, because the media has gone crazy with the thrilling tale of a vending machine that sells medical marijuana. As far as I can see, it raises absolutely no important issues, legal, moral, or otherwise. But it’s something new and different.

“bullet” The ONDCP won’t be satisfied until they make every part of the world a mess. America educates Europe on drug policy (via Jennifer Kern).
“bullet” Good luck to Jerry Paradis, representing LEAP at a U.N. sponsored international drug policy conference in Vancouver next week. Update: LEAP’s Hunter McDonald and Jack Cole will be there as well, and they’ll be doing some media events in conjunction with it.
“bullet” The administration does one thing right, and then we can count on Congress to step up to try to undo it: Senators’ plan would restore funding for anti-drug effort.
“bullet” Phillip Smith gives us a good story about justice perverted, and how Eric Sage Fights Back
“bullet” Quotable

The thing that makes the war on drugs so insidious to me as a black man is not the fact that it has increased the number of black felons or that it has turned our neighborhoods into war zones. No, to me the one factor that has caused the most damage to us as a people is how it has removed us from the process of democracy.

“bullet” Sometimes the internet can be the source of incredibly useful information. Then there’s WikiAnswers. Here’s their answer to the question “Why is Marijuana Illegal?”

Marijuana has affected many lives. Take mine for example. My ex spouse used marijuana habitually, and contrary to remarks stating that it makes you relaxed and peaceful, it made my spouse violent. He also could not drive well and put himself, me, and others on the road at great risk. Many people who are high think they drive fine. But it is an illusion to them because they are high. Also, I have yet to meet anyone who has tried hard drugs who did not start off with marijuana. Although I have never met anyone who has smoked marijuana before cigarettes. And many people drink alcohol before they try anything else. Therefore, I have a very hard time believing that it is not a gateway drug. I agree that alcohol is just as bad. However, I don’t think marijuna should be legal just because alcohol is. Two wrongs don’t make a right. Marijuana severally affects your motor functions, awareness of surroundings, and sensory perceptions. How can that not be dangerous to you and those around you? So why dont we prohibit alcohol, cigarettes and driving? Driving is dangerous, it kills many people every single year. Not only that but we should also prohibit cancer, its a leading cause of death.

My head hurts.
“bullet” “drcnet”