AlterNet.org: DrugReporter

Letting the Science, Not the Politicians, Decide About Marijuana

Jag Davies, AlterNet — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 10:00:01 PST

The federal govt. is still blocking the process that would allow the marijuana plant to be brought to market as a prescription medicine.

Pot Is More Mainstream Than Ever, So Why Is Legalization Still Taboo?

Steven Wishnia, AlterNet — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 00:00:01 PDT

Obama's drug czar has said "legalization" isn't in his vocabulary. Here's why it should be.

The Case for Marijuana Legalization and Regulation

Paul Armentano, AlterNet — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:00:01 PDT

An exclusive look at the historic testimony prepared for a special hearing on legalizing marijuana to the California Assembly.

Busted for Handing Out Clean Needles? Courageous Activists Pushed for Safe Access Despite Jail Time Risks

Phillip S. Smith, Drug War Chronicle — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 12:00:01 PDT

Two passionate drug reformers are looking at serious jail time for trying to save lives.

President Obama And Gov. Paterson Get Love For Recent Drug Policy Reforms

Tony Newman, AlterNet — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 00:00:01 PDT

We are obviously a long way from elected officials being honest and principled when it comes to dismantling the disastrous drug war. But the tides seem to be turning.

What Two Super-Jocks Can Tell Us About the Disastrous War on Pot

David Sirota, Creators Syndicate — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 00:00:01 PDT

We have a double standard -- promoting the recreational use of alcohol and banning the similar use of marijuana.

New Crack-Cocaine Sentencing Reform Bill Leaves Thousands Behind Bars

Earl Ofari Hutchinson, New America Media — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 13:00:01 PDT

The Fairness in Sentencing Act 2009 is anything but fair to the thousands of inmates serving time for drug crimes in federal prisons.

Is the Military Ignoring Its Heroin Problem in the Ranks?

Megan Carpentier, Air America Media — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 09:00:01 PDT

Occupy the world's largest heroin producer in Afghanistan and it's no wonder the methadone clinics are overpacked -- but the military is mum on the subject.

How Are Some Middle-Class Families Coping with the Recession? Growing Pot

Susan Kuchinskas, Miller-McCune.com — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 08:00:01 PDT

A financial stimulus for the recession-battered middle class: pot farming.

Major Blow to 'War on Drugs': Obama Tells Fed Prosecutors, Don't Waste Your Time with Medical Marijuana Arrests

Allen St. Pierre, NORML — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 09:00:01 PDT

Department of Justice memo formalizes what marijuana advocates had been pushing Obama to do for some time.

Got Pot? It's Legal to Take It on the Plane in Oakland

Josh Richman, Oakland Tribune — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 00:00:01 PDT

Oakland International Airport may be the nation's only airport with a specific policy letting users of medical marijuana travel with the drug.

Unprecedented Civil Disobedience For Hemp Legalization

Phillip S. Smith, Drug War Chronicle — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 14:00:01 PDT

Hoping to focus the attention of the Obama administration on the DEA's bad policies, leading activists were willing to get arrested to make their point.

Why Is L.A.'s District Attorney Aiding and Abetting Mexican Drug Cartels?

Bruce Mirken, Daily News — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 15:00:01 PDT

Attorney Cooley has sweeping plans to boost the profits of drug cartels, and increasing the slaughter these vicious gangs perpetrate on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border.

Possible Major Speed Bump on the Way to Legal Marijuana

Stephen Webster, Raw Story — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 08:00:01 PDT

In spite of a law on California books for over a decade allowing sales of pot, L.A. DA Steve Cooley suddenly announces, "The time is right to deal with this problem."

Change We Can Believe in: NY's Rockefeller Drug Law Reform Takes Effect

Gabriel Sayegh, AlterNet — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 01:00:01 PDT

Jail for drug offenses is no longer mandatory in New York: judges can send people suffering from addiction into a range of programs, such as treatment and mental health services.

New Maryland 'Good Samaritan' Law Falls Short: It Should Never Be a Crime to Call 911

Irina Alexander, AlterNet — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 11:00:01 PDT

Two people die almost every day in Md. of a drug-related overdose. Witnesses frequently cite fear of police involvement as the primary reason for hesitating to call 9/11.

Pot Crusader Marc Emery Jailed in Canada Pending Extradition to US

Phillip S. Smith, Drug War Chronicle — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 16:00:01 PDT

Emery is in jail in Vancouver, awaiting extradition to the US to accept a five-year plea bargain for selling marijuana seeds to US customers.

The Drug War Has Failed -- What Comes Next?

Sanho Tree, AlterNet — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 07:00:01 PDT

Talking sensibly about drug policy begins with smashing the radioactive rhetoric of "legal/illegal."

Marijuana in America: More Mainstream Than Ever, More Arrests Than Ever

Tony Newman, AlterNet — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 00:00:01 PDT

Marijuana's coming-out party is kicking into high gear across America -- but way to many people still are getting cuffed for it.

Ketamine Isn't Just for Pets and Ravers Anymore; People Living in Extreme Pain Are Trying It as a Remedy

Janice Arenofsky, Miller-McCune.com — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 13:00:01 PDT

Infusions of ketamine now represent last-resort therapy for those with the intractable disease known as complex regional pain syndrome.