Archive for the ‘New Prohibition’ Category

Newman: “Top UK Officials: UN-Inspired War on Drugs Failed”

Thursday, March 24th, 2011

“On the 50th anniversary of the United Nations treaty that led to the global “War on Drugs,” a group of prominent officials and legislators from the United Kingdom declared the battle a failure and formed a commission calling for new policies to deal with problems associated with drugs.”

“Among the heavyweights promoting changes in national drug laws are the former heads of the U.K. internal security agency MI5, the Crown Prosecution Service, the government news service BBC, the British Medical Association and even the General Medical Council. Top British legislators from various parties in Parliament and the House of Lords are involved too.”

“The newly created “All-Party Parliamentary Group on Drug Policy Reform” is calling for policies “based on scientific evidence.” Members said that despite governments pouring enormous sums of money into prohibition, availability and abuse of drugs have only increased. On top of that, the war has served to enrich terrorists and crime bosses while destabilizing entire countries like Mexico.”

“The chairwoman of the group, Baroness Meacher, has already come out with strong statements against the current prohibition model. “Criminalizing drug users has been an expensive catastrophe for individuals and communities,” Meacher told The Daily Telegraph in an interview. “In the U.K. the time has come for a review of our 1971 Misuse of Drugs Act, [the law that criminalized drugs to comply with the UN Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs treaty].” ”

Full Report by Alex Newman @ The New American http://www.thenewamerican.com/index.php/world-mainmenu-26/europe-mainmenu-35/6827-top-uk-officials-un-inspired-war-on-drugs-failed

Jacob Sullum: “Mitch Daniels’ Pot Luck”

Wednesday, March 2nd, 2011

“Last week Mitch Daniels, Indiana’s governor, told The Daily Princetonian that “justice was served” when he was arrested for marijuana possession during his junior year at Princeton. But like many pot smokers who became politicians, Daniels, a potential contender for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination, seems to have two standards of justice: one for him and one for anyone else who does what he did.”

“Although Daniels was caught with enough marijuana to trigger a prison sentence, he got off with a $350 fine. Yet he has advocated “jail time” for “casual users”—a stark illustration of the schizophrenic attitudes that help perpetuate drug policies widely recognized as unjust.”

“According to the Princetonian, “officers found enough marijuana in [Daniels'] room to fill two size 12 shoe boxes.” Under current New Jersey law, possessing more than 50 grams (about 1.8 ounces) of marijuana is a felony punishable by up to 18 months in prison. Given the amount of pot Daniels had, he easily could have been charged with intent to distribute, which under current law triggers a penalty of three to five years.”

Full column by Jacob Sullum from Reason Magazine @ http://reason.com/archives/2011/03/02/mitch-daniels-pot-luck

New High of 46% of Americans Support Legalizing Marijuana

Friday, October 29th, 2010

WASHINGTON, D.C. — “While California’s marijuana ballot initiative is garnering a lot of attention this election cycle, Gallup finds that nationally, a new high of 46% of Americans are in favor of legalizing use of the drug, and a new low of 50% are opposed. The increase in support this year from 44% in 2009 is not statistically significant, but is a continuation of the upward trend seen since 2000.”

Full details of Gallup Poll, including demographic divides @ http://www.gallup.com/poll/144086/New-High-Americans-Support-Legalizing-Marijuana.aspx

Ex Police Chief says Vote Yes on 19!

Monday, October 25th, 2010

Legal pot means big savings on law enforcement

Thursday, October 21st, 2010

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — “Cash-strapped California would get some relief by legalizing pot, but the biggest boost would be thanks to massive law enforcement cuts, not new tax revenue, experts say.”

“The state’s marijuana legalization initiative known as Proposition 19 goes to the polls on Nov. 2. And there’s been a lot of talk about taxing it to rescue the state from its budget woes….”

CNN Money looks at California’s bid to legalize & regulate Marijuana @ http://money.cnn.com/2010/10/21/news/economy/marijuana_california/index.htm

End the Drug War

Thursday, June 17th, 2010

“When I walk around busy midtown Manhattan, I often smell marijuana. Despite the crowds, some people smoke weed in public. Usually the police leave them alone, and yet other times they act like a military force engaged in urban combat. This February, cops stormed a Columbia, Mo., home, killed the family dog and terrorized a 7-year-old boy—for what? A tiny quantity of marijuana.”

“Two years ago, in Prince George’s County, Md., cops raided Cheye Calvo’s home—all because a box of marijuana was randomly shipped to his wife as part of a smuggling operation. Only later did the police learn that Calvo was innocent—and the mayor of that town.”

Full column on the Drug War vs Freedom by John Stossel @ http://reason.com/archives/2010/06/17/end-the-drug-war

AP IMPACT: US drug war has met none of its goals

Saturday, May 15th, 2010

MEXICO CITY — After 40 years, the United States’ war on drugs has cost $1 trillion and hundreds of thousands of lives, and for what? Drug use is rampant and violence even more brutal and widespread.

Even U.S. drug czar Gil Kerlikowske concedes the strategy hasn’t worked.

“In the grand scheme, it has not been successful,” Kerlikowske told The Associated Press. “Forty years later, the concern about drugs and drug problems is, if anything, magnified, intensified.”

Full story from Associated Press @ http://tinyurl.com/29esxgb