How to Grow Marijuana (Dec. 31, 2002)
Here are some simple step by step instructions on how to grow marijuana both indoors and out.

Christmas Cheer for Drug War POWs (Dec. 31, 2002)
"Imagine for a moment that you ... or one of your loved ones ... could take no part in the holiday season, because you or they were a prisoner of the unjust War on Drugs, spending this Christmas behind bars. Not able to even see your families or talk to your loved ones, perhaps for many, many years."

None of us had a Clue in '02 (Dec. 31, 2002)
"Perhaps at that point a little medical marijuana will come in handy for the mourners. But as lawyer Harvey Frankel warned in Ontario Superior Court this fall, if its use in illness is legalized, 'there's going to be something wrong with everybody — from warts to hemorrhoids.' Plus, the U.S. won't like it. And we know what that means."

NEWSMAKER OF THE YEAR: CHRISTOPHER KROHN S.C. mayor made national splash about Iraq and pot (Dec. 31, 2002)
"Every time he faced the TV cameras — and millions of viewers — his City Hall answering machine lit up. People cheered and sneered. One national pundit, replying to Krohn’s comments, snapped back: 'Don’t smoke pot. Smoke Saddam.'"

Colorado's Failure to Fund Drug Treatment Programs Takes Toll (Dec. 31, 2002)
"Her death highlights two serious problems, critics say. The first is the ease with which illegal drugs are smuggled into prison. It's a problem common to prisons across the country, one corrections personnel nationwide struggle to resolve. But the second has a more local flavor: Colorado's failure to fund drug-treatment programs adequately inside and outside the prison system."

Marijuana harmless? Hardly (Dec. 31, 2002)
The onslaught against marijuana policy reform is in full swing, the prohibitionists realizing their grasp on control is now tenuous at best. Hence the sheer number of articles like this one being published hirther and thither as of late.

Prosecutors are urged to fight against legalizing drugs like marijuana (Dec. 31, 2002)
Were cops and district attorneys urged to fight the repeal of alcohol prohibition?

Administrator Accused of Returning Marijuana To Inmate (Dec. 31, 2002)
"An administrator at the Haskell County Jail will appear in court to answer to charges that he returned marijuana to a man who was being released from jail."

Marijuana bill ready for session (Dec. 31, 2002)
"State Rep. James Abrams, D-Meriden, said he will again propose legislation that would allow doctors to issue certificates recommending marijuana for their patients' medical conditions."

Tyco admits it manipulated numbers for years (Dec. 31, 2002)
More signs of the White Collar Mafiosi sitting at the very top of so many US corporations.

Youth targeted in fight against marijuana use (Dec. 31, 2002)
Australian kids in New South Wales get their own does of anti-reform propaganda.

American professor fined for marijuana (Dec. 31, 2002)
"Retired American professor Barbara O'Conner, was sentenced in the Montego Bay Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday to 30 days in prison and fined $12,000 for attempting to export half-a-pound of ganja out of the island."

Diana Ross cited for drunken driving in Tucson (Dec. 31, 2002)
"A breath test showed Ross with a blood-alcohol level of 0.20 percent, which is more than twice the legal limit of 0.08, Tucson police Sgt. Judy Altieri told the Arizona Daily Star."

Buddy, Buddy (Dec. 30, 2002)
"Two media activists & artists from C-Supreme Studios in NY, have created a hip-hop-rock song dealing with the unanswered questions concerning the Sept. 11 attacks." These songs rock, and come highly recommended by the editor of DrugWar.com. They are a most creative and brilliant use of music to demonstrate there are still disturbing unanswered questions surrounding the September 11 terrorist attacks. There is another song called Evolution linked here, as well as the lyrics for both, and more songs are on the way, so remember to watch this space for further future links.

420Station Online (Dec. 30, 2002)
"Every two weeks 420station will post 20 megabytes of marijuana and cannabis mp3's, Pictures, Games, Documents, and Flash Movies. All mp3's will be songs about ganja, all pictures will be of the herb or related. All files are pure Hemp!" Sign up for your bi-weekly updates today.

The John Poindexter Awareness Office - JPAO (Dec. 30, 2002)
"The JPAO is an important anti-fascist operation of the Resistance."

America needs soul-searching (Dec. 30, 2002)
"We spend billions of dollars trying to keep our kids off mind-altering drugs, then turn right around and dose them up with Ritalin when they act like children and get on our nerves. While the police are fighting a war on drugs, doctors are prescribing Prozac and other anti-depressants to anyone who ever had a sad day, and psychiatrists are busy inventing mental disorders for some who seek the easy road."

Detroit becomes popular destination for people looking for illegal drugs (Dec. 30, 2002)
So prohibition still isn't working, unless one is trying to empower cartels and bloodthirsty drug gangs.

War's Toll Paid Close to Home (Dec. 30, 2002)
"There is no war without bloodshed." Well said.

Program helps teen quit drugs, change life (Dec. 30, 2002)
This is a pro-drug war, drug treatment advertisement disguised as news.

Schools can call up policy (Dec. 30, 2002)
"On public school campuses around California, the war on drugs has taken a back seat to concern for student safety. At least when it comes to the use of cell phones."

High Style (Dec. 30, 2002)
The art of writing while stoned, inebriated, messed up and illuminated, and more.

News Of US Victory In Afghanistan Premature (Dec. 30, 2002)
America's ally, the Northern Alliance, has revived the illicit trade. Since the U.S. overthrew the Taliban, opium cultivation has soared from 185 tons a year to 2,700. The Northern Alliance, which dominates the Kabul regime, finances its arms-buying and field operations with drug money. President George Bush's war on drugs collided with his war on terrorism - and lost. The U.S. is now, in effect, colluding in the heroin trade.

Strength in numbers - Narcotics task force expands its operations in Cherokee County (Dec. 30, 2002)
"People of Cherokee County can rest easier now. Dogwood Trails Narcotics Task Force has expanded its ranks in Cherokee County to three officers."

Pick your fight - terrorism OR drugs (Dec. 30, 2002)
"How many wars can we fight at once? There are at least 2 wars now, the war on terrorism and the war on drugs. In general we can only fight one, so we must pick our fight wisely."

War on crack menace (Dec. 30, 2002)
"Organised criminal gangs have managed to create established trafficking routes from abroad into Britain and the county and are now flooding the streets with the class A narcotic." Apparently, prohibition still isn't working.

Texas' War on Drugs Missing Major Offenders (Dec. 30, 2002)
"Texas is imprisoning thousands of small-time drug offenders rather than major importers and dealers, and a coalition of community leaders is seeking change, the Houston Chronicle reported Dec. 15."

Vice Policy (Dec. 30, 2002)
"The hidden policies of the United States."

Pakistan 'gave nuclear warning' (Dec. 30, 2002)
A US ally admits it was going to use nuclear weapons against its nuclear-armed neighbor earlier this year, 2002, but Iraq is the one in US sights.

The Accidental Imperialist (Dec. 30, 2002)
"As the United States enters the new year facing crises -- and the potential for war -- in Iraq and North Korea simultaneously, an obvious question presents itself: Did the Bush administration bring all this trouble on itself?"

The enemy within is known to some (Dec. 30, 2002)
"A year ago, Defence Minister Chavalit Yongchaiyudh asserted that the military was keeping a close eye on military officers who are involved in the illegal drug trade. So it appears that Gen Chavalit has already identified the enemies. The question is, why hasn't anything been done to arrest and punish these people?" See also Drugs to top Thai-Burma talks. Also, there's the news that Rebel War Zones Threaten Burma's Fight Against Drug Trade, which appears to blame the drug problems on rebels rather than on official troop complicity, as the previous articles note.

The Week Online With DRCNet, issue #269 (Dec. 29, 2002)
An upcoming Latin American international drug conference, a New Zealand MP is cleared in marijuana probe, a British MP wants to piss test 10 year olds, these stories are among the many in this week's Week Online, as well as the ever present and useful Reformers' Calendar.

Get-tough drug law softened (Dec. 29, 2002)
"Michigan, which once sat at No. 1 in the rankings as the toughest state in the nation on drug crimes, has tumbled off the charts with a new law signed Christmas Day by outgoing Gov. John Engler. The new law eliminates Michigan's mandatory minimum sentences, which had sent thousands of drug offenders to prison for 10 or 20 years, and some for life."

Poetic Licence: $1.5 trillion a year being laundered through world’s banking system (Dec. 29, 2002)
"These criminal activities weren’t just taking place under the eye of the US government. They were a government creation, and high-ranking US officials were dedicated to protecting the efforts at any cost."

Tribesmen Take Up Arms to Resist Afghan Drug War (Dec. 29, 2002)
"Authorities were forced to stop destruction of opium poppy fields in parts of an eastern Afghan province after tribesmen took up arms to resist the move, residents said Sunday." More US allies growing drugs.

ACLU opposes proposed drug testing (Dec. 29, 2002)
"Depending on who's talking, the American Civil Liberties Union is either intimidating Mary M. Knight School or protecting the civil liberties of its students."

How Useful Are Sanctions in Pressing Burma to Change? (Dec. 29, 2002)
"Some activists say isolating Burma is making it more difficult to address humanitarian issues - and international drug trafficking."

Newsmaker of the Year Valerie and Mike Corral: Raid reinvigorates WAMM, medical pot debate (Dec. 29, 2002)
"But the raid was hardly the death knell for the group. As 2003 begins, WAMM and its roughly 240 members continue their efforts, albeit with much less marijuana than before the raid, and now the Corrals are even deputized officers of the city of Santa Cruz."

Medical marijuana an election issue (Dec. 29, 2002)
"'In Marion County, they're releasing real bad guys because they have to incarcerate the pot heads,' he said. 'It's nuts. And I'm not the only guy who thinks so.'"

New Chairman of 9/11 Commission had business ties with Osama's Brother in Law (Dec. 29, 2002)
"Now you would think that being a business partner of the brother in law and alleged financier of 'Enemy No. 1' would be considered a bona fide 'conflict of interest', particularly when your mandate --as part of the 9/11 Commission's work-- is to investigate 'Enemy No. 1'."

Rubbish! (Dec. 29, 2002)
"Portland's top brass said it was OK to swipe your garbage--so we grabbed theirs." This is a great article, well worth reading simply for the outraged, indignant shock on the part of these hypocritical public officials.

Tracing the source (Dec. 29, 2002)
Gee, after decades of all out, very expensive and destructive war, Ohio has a drug problem.

Cops wage war on meth (Dec. 29, 2002)
"City cops are in a rush to slow down speed production after a spike this year in methamphetamine lab busts."

The Poindexter Effect (Dec. 28, 2002)
"Digging into the architect of Total Information Awareness unearths good news: Ordinary Americans value civil liberties." Does this mean we'll soon see an end to the War on Some Drugs and Users, or is there a difference between valuing civil liberties and doing something about keeping them?

CIA Interrogations Said Verging on Inhumane (Dec. 28, 2002)
Will we soon be seeing ads like: "Is supporting just a little terroristic CIA torture ok?"

Chaos and Constitution (Dec. 28, 2002)
"With his country teetering on the brink of disaster, Venezuela's Hugo Chávez clings to power -- thanks primarily to the passionate support of the nation's poor."

Consumer challenge: Buying illegal drugs without supporting terrorism (Dec. 28, 2002)
"Still, the violence of narco-terrorism is very real, and no joke. The same was true when alcohol was banned and average citizens were forced to buy booze from illegal sources, or go without. And not many went without. Instead, their money, plopped onto the speakeasy bar or handed over for bootleg bottles of whiskey, helped create and nurture organized crime, and so funded the bribery of cops and judges and the murder of some who wouldn't be or wouldn't stay bribed, and the killing of business competitors and so on."

Candidates lean on gang members to get out the vote (Dec. 28, 2002)
"Just as no politician in Prohibition Chicago ever cracked down on Al Capone after accepting his money, the fear is that no politician today will stand up to a street gang after accepting its manpower." Drug War prohibition has created the very same situation the US faced with the likes of Capone, not only on the local city levels but at all levels of society. Entire countries are subverted by corruption and greed and the need to continue waging War to make mass profits, whether they derive from trafficking drugs, or waging an endless war upon the same.

Parrot imports plan in war on smugglers (Dec. 28, 2002)
"Because of the prohibition, they are creating a black market - it's more profitable than drug smuggling."

"Liberal" Nation Magazine publishes govt anti-pot ad (Dec. 28, 2002)
"The Nation says that it blanketly accepts any advertising that does not impede the use of its editorial columns, unless the ads are "blatantly misleading" or purveying harmful products in which case they fall into the gray area of discretion. But the Nation ran a new ONDCP anti-drug ad and are apparently planning to run more, despite the fact the ads are blatantly misleading.

Marijuana pros and cons (Dec. 28, 2002)
"Decriminalize or just say no? Questions about addiction loom large in debate."

Former judge now helps other addicted lawyers (Dec. 28, 2002)
"Sherrill hopes the story of his downfall and comeback will motivate others with addictions."

Medical pot grower's case a landmark (Dec. 28, 2002)
"Then, in a far-reaching decision welcomed by medicinal marijuana users nationwide, the state's high court justices ruled in July that Mower should have been allowed to use his medical condition as a defense."

Marijuana suspect resigns as head of NKU foundation (Dec. 28, 2002)
"As foundation president and chief executive officer, Alford was praised for having one of the top investment strategies in the nation. He was responsible for managing and investing millions of dollars in donations and endowments."

Police confiscate bail money, claiming it smelled like marijuana (Dec. 28, 2002)
"Police confiscated $50,000 in cash from a Vermont couple who had come to bail their daughter out of jail, because the money smelled like marijuana and was thought to be the proceeds of drug deals."

Court agrees marijuana grower not covered by Proposition 215 (Dec. 28, 2002)
"A state appeals court upheld a lower court ruling Thursday that Proposition 215 does not grant a medical marijuana grower immunity from prosecution if the grower does not have a doctor's recommendation or does not qualify as a primary caregiver for the patients who receive the marijuana."

Ayahuasca Use 2.1- Traditional Use and Preparation (Dec. 28, 2002)
"The Traditional use of ayahuasca is for healing the mind, body and soul. Yage is known as "the great medicine" in northwestern South America, where it is used for healing much as peyote is used in North America."

Hong Kong pop star Alex To arrested for alleged marijuana possession (Dec. 28, 2002)
"Police spokesman Ricky Chong said officers arrested a 40-year-old man surnamed Delfino [aka Alex To] for possession of herbal cannabis."

Controversy envelopes HIV patients using marijuana (Dec. 28, 2002)
At first coming across as a typical prohibitionistic scare article, this piece does examine some of the issues surounding the use of marijuana medical by HIV patients in a fairly comprehensive manner.

Woman pleads not guilty to pot charges (Dec. 28, 2002)
"A 58-year-old woman has pleaded not guilty to charges she participated in a marijuana trafficking ring that spanned four states and Mexico in the 1980s and 1990s."

Punk Legend Joe Strummer Dies at 50 (Dec. 23, 2002)
Strummer died of a heart attack at his home. For more background on the Clash, please read Where's the Clash When We Need Them? and Strummer's lasting culture Clash.

'Undercover' war waged in 2002 (Dec. 23, 2002)
"Even with a drug treatment court now in place and a drug-sniffing dog on duty, members of the Asheboro Drug Task Force are not resting on their laurels."

Close Shave on Burma (Dec. 23, 2002)
"Furious editorials and congressional protests, plus a Time magazine Asian edition story detailing the repressive regime's links to major drug dealers, helped persuade State to reverse course. The department may have been in the process of that course correction Dec. 3, when Martinez praised the regime for 'a good job on counternarcotics efforts.'"

Decline of the Divas (Dec. 23, 2002)
"Yes, Houston has copped to using cocaine, marijuana and pills, but what about her new single?" Well, despite her drug use past and perhaps present, she's sold more than 50 million copies in the US and more than a 100 million world-wide in the last few weeks. Go Whitney.

The grass is always greener (Dec. 23, 2002)
"Green Leaf, the pro-legalization party, looks likely to win two seats in the upcoming Knesset elections - and it could be as high as eight."

Civil Forfeiture Ruling- First of many (Dec. 23, 2002)
"A state Superior Court judge in quiet, rural Salem County, of all places, is being cheered around the country for what is being called the first significant ruling against civil-asset forfeiture in the nation."

Racism reappears with Lott to answer for (Dec. 23, 2002)
"The US program co-ordinator for Human Rights Watch, Jamie Fellner, says the war on drugs that followed the civil rights movement's victories has disproportionately punished blacks. Nearly two-thirds of all drug offenders in state jails are black, although they are only 15 per cent of the US population – and about the same proportion of drug-users. Still, they are jailed 13 times more often that whites."

Canadians can order marijuana online (Dec. 23, 2002)
"Pot in Canada may soon be a click away with the launch of a home-delivery service for medical marijuana over the Internet."

Tip line lets neighbors do part in marijuana fight (Dec. 23, 2002)
While the Canadians are set to decriminalize the wonderful weed, the Americans are setting up phone lines so they can narc out their neighbors for growing pot. Weird world, ain't it?

Spending Christmas in jail was a blessing, a young man reflects (Dec. 23, 2002)
To each their own, but locking people up for doing drugs? How campassionate and Christmas like, eh?

End the Crusade (Dec. 23, 2002)
"Given our failed experiment at alcohol prohibition and the obviously failed 'war on (some) drugs,' I'm perplexed the United States still obsessively insists on prosecuting its citizens for crimes of indulgence."

Report: Bush Administration Plans Mandatory Government Internet Monitoring (Dec. 23, 2002)
Big Brother marches merrily along.

Firm Hails War on Fake Drugs (Dec. 23, 2002)
"Medreich Nigeria Limited, a Lagos based pharmaceutical firm, has announced its support for the current efforts to rid the nation of fake drugs and unwholesome food products."

The Week Online with DRCNet, issue #268 (Dec. 22, 2002)
Some in the EU Parliament call for an end to the War on Some Drugs and Users, Rep. Dan Burton suffers a near epiphany, Michigan repeals mandatory minimum drug sentencing, some Canadians are not exactly thrilled at marijuana decrim plans, the weekly corrupt cops story, a direct actions report and the ever useful Reformers' Calendar can be found among the many reports in this week's issue of the Week Online.

U.S. drug war's target: A new mom (Dec. 22, 2002)
"Gorgeous, guileless and naturally blissed out, Vancouver's Renee Boje, 32, is the perfect poster girl for pot activists; she's also a new mother and martyr for a cause she never dreamed she'd represent, a marijuana madonna with everyone from Noam Chomsky to Woody Harrelson writing letters on her behalf."

US Imperialism in Colombia (Dec. 22, 2002)
"Nonetheless, the US has been a recurrent nightmare for the poor people of this developing Andean nation for over a century."

My country, right and wrong (Dec. 22, 2002)
"The same was true, come the Reagan years, of the choice between the sleazy, CIA-funded Contra operation, with its drug-dealing and deception of the US Congress, its Oliver North and its Otto Reich (now recycled in the Bush administration), and the Sandinista efforts at social justice, soon to be wiped out by the new war with the United States."

Changing channels (Dec. 22, 2002)
It isn't a Leave it to Beaver world out there, and never was.

Plant from Mexico has U.S. drug officials on alert (Dec. 22, 2002)
Better hurry and get your Salvia divinorum soon, before the insane prohibitionists ban this one too.

Weed Watch (Dec. 22, 2002)
"On Dec. 4 the Marijuana Policy Project -- the advocates behind a number of November's failed drug-reform ballot initiatives -- filed a formal complaint with the federal Office of Special Counsel, calling for the ouster of drug czar John Walters, head of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy."

The huge cost of harsh sentences (Dec. 22, 2002)
"This nation has built itself into one of the largest bastilles in the world. Spurred along by politicians pandering to the public's fear of crime, the prison building boom during the last 30 years has resulted in a 500-percent increase in the number of state prisoners."

Man killed in rip-off of marijuana grow-op (Dec. 22, 2002)
The editor of DrugWar.com can't remember the last time he read a story about hoods trying to rip of a beer manufacturer. But beer salepeople get ripped off all the time, so clearly they too "run the risk of losing their life" as one prohibitionist enforcer says in this article.

Smoke and mirrors (Dec. 22, 2002)
"John Grieve on contrasting views of the government's war on drugs from Keith Hellawell and Philip Bean."

A Dirty Sweep (Dec. 21, 2002)
Who cares about upholding laws or even simple honesty when waging a War on Some Drugs and Users? As long as the prohibitionists accrue mad arrest figures and can appear to be doing something, anything, the US Constitution and law abiding behavior on the part of those hired by the citzenry to protect us go right out the window.

Is Canada going to pot? (Dec. 21, 2002)
"Critics charge this is exactly what will happen if we decriminalize marijuana, with dire implications for health, crime and our relationship with the U.S." Then read this other view, that Canada's decriminalization idea has little hope of success, not because of all the opposition from Canadian prohibitionists who depend on waging war to put bread on their own tables, but because the prohibitionists in the US who see their war in serious danger if the Canadians go through with this are making threatening noises about trade.

'Tis The Season For Marijuana Smugglers (Dec. 21, 2002)
"Johnny, a dope-sniffing Belgian Malinois, started barking like mad, pawing and pressing his snout against the driver's door."

Police don't want to call 'www.pot' black (Dec. 21, 2002)
"'If it was brought to our attention we might have to get involved, but I hope we don't have to,' said Det. Clayton Sach. 'Some of those medicinal marijuana users are really suffering - there are plenty of other bad guys out there.'"

Bush's Venezuelan Breakdown (Dec. 19, 2002)
"Now, more than ever, such patience with evolving democracies is essential. Newly elected leaders in countries such as Brazil and Ecuador need assurances that the United States will stand up for democracy regardless of ideological differences."

Coca in the Cola (Dec. 21, 2002)
What in the heck is going on here? One of the companies reported on here has already shipped over 300 tons of coca leaf to the US in recent years. A Bolivian government official claims 159 tons have been bought by the Coca-Cola company for use in their extremely popular drink.

Seymour Hersh Interview- New Trends in Terror War (Dec. 21, 2002)
Hersh discusses the "new" US policy of targeting terror suspects for assassination, leading off with a comparison to "old" policies like the Phoenix Program in Vietnam.

The Bush Empire and the Tentacles of the Brown Brother Harriman's 1818 Fund (Dec. 21, 2002)
"The tentacles of Brown Brothers Harriman (BBH) extended into the pharmaceutical industries, a favorite client of the Bush family."

Bloggers catch what Washington Post missed (Dec. 21, 2002)
"The momentum that ended in Trent Lott's resignation yesterday as the Senate majority leader did not, primarily, come from the traditional behemoths of the US media - the New York Times, the Washington Post and the main TV news networks."

Drug war redux: Bahamas-Fla. ring broken up (Dec. 20, 2002)
"In a throwback to the 1980s when South Florida was a drug traffickers' paradise, authorities recently connected the dots on a major drug ring funneling Colombian cocaine through the Bahamas."

Police raid home of medical marijuana activist; no arrests made (Dec. 20, 2002)
"Police raided the home of a medical marijuana activist and seized about 13 pounds of the drug, more than 100 plants and more than $11,000. However, no arrests were made."

PYRAMID SCHEME- Iran Contra's John Poindexter seeks Total Information Awareness (Dec. 20, 2002)
"Smoking pot does not make me paranoid. Admiral John M. Poindexter does. Best known for his starring turn in the Iran Contra Affair, Poindexter is now the man in charge of the Information Awareness Office—a data-mining/snooping project the Pentagon is developing via The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency," reports David Bienenstock for Hightimes.com.

AP’s One-Sided Venezuela Coverage (Dec. 20, 2002)
Seems the US government and press want a coup to happen.

Canadian Home Delivery of Pot (Dec. 20, 2002)
"Canada allows the use of therapeutic cannabis, but has yet to make it available which complicates matters for those in need, even with a Health-Canada exemption. We are here to answer that need and to provide service to those communities and individuals unable to access Canada’s established compassion clubs." See "One-Click Marijuana Shopping for Sick Canadians" for more information.

Weekend drug busts total nearly two tons of marijuana (Dec. 20, 2002)
"Big Bend law enforcement made seven seizures last weekend totaling 3,769 pounds of marijuana, including a joint effort by U.S. Customs, Brewster County Sheriff’s Officers and Border Patrol agents that netted a 1,608-pound grab on Sunday, according to federal authorities this week."

California orders mass arrests of Muslim foreigners (Dec. 20, 2002)
"Hundreds of Middle Eastern and North African men, some just 16, have been hauled into custody across southern California in the past few days, enraging civil liberties groups and drawing comparisons with the internment of tens of thousands of Japanese Americans during the Second World War."

Santiago questioned by prosecutors in marijuana case (Dec. 20, 2002)
"San Francisco Giants catcher Benito Santiago was questioned by prosecutors Thursday about a seized package of marijuana that had been addressed to a woman he knew, authorities said."

Meth War Called Unwinable (Dec. 20, 2002)
"Erwin acknowledges The sad fact is the war on this drug is unwinable. 'We're trying to keep it knocked down. you know. But what's the reality, can you? No we can't put a stop to it and I won't stand here and tell you we can put a stop to it.'"

Drug Legalization Considered On Capitol Hill (Dec. 19, 2002)
"One of America's staunchest prohibitionists Dan Burton (R-IN), shocked many on Capitol Hill when he came very close to calling for looking at legalizing drugs."

Lab technician drops glass vials of sarin gas at Umatilla depot (Dec. 19, 2002)
The US still manufactures and tests Sarin nerve agent, as well as a whole bunch of other nasty chemical and biological agents.

Iraq Identified Nuclear Program Suppliers (Dec. 19, 2002)
"Dozens of suppliers, most in Europe, the United States and Japan, provided the components and know-how Saddam Hussein needed to build an atomic bomb, according to Iraq's 1996 accounting of its nuclear program."

George Bush- Enron Party Animal (Dec. 19, 2002)
All the Enron brass who take turns joking about their criminal book cooking in this videotape they themselves filmed are under investigation. The Bushes are not, though something like this might lead some to wonder why not.

The No-Doze Soldier (Dec. 19, 2002)
"'Most drugs are developed for clinical diseases,' he says. 'This is not a clinical disease, this is a need. We want to select which effects we want a drug to employ.'" The US military is looking at drugs and more to try and stop the need for sleep in their soldiers.

Nearly One Billion US Drinking And Driving Trips Annually (Dec. 19, 2002)
Seems that a lot of US citizens insist on drinking and driving.

Ethno-Mycology (Dec. 19, 2002)
"The effects Mushrooms have had on the Culture, Religion, and Philosophy of Mankind throughout history."

Cities Say No to Federal Snooping (Dec. 19, 2002)
"On Tuesday, Oakland became the 20th municipality to pass a resolution barring its employees -- from police officer to librarian -- from collaborating with federal officials who may try to use their new power to investigate city residents."

United States: Media principles Killed by friendly fire in US infowar (Dec. 19, 2002)
This sort of disinformation and outright lying to fool sheeple into blindly supporting War has been standard operating procedure for the entire life of the War on Some Drugs and Users.

'Cannabis' Drink On Sale in City (Dec. 19, 2002)
"But although experts agree that drinkers probably cannot get high, there has been criticism that the drug is being used to sell alcohol. The Portman Group, the selfgoverning body of the drinks trade, has attacked the product." Amazingly, these alcohol lobby types are mad that pot is being used to sell alcohol. What a weird perspective, especially as alcohol is ever so much toxic in a body than any amount of pot use.

Justine Timberlake seen smoking pot in NYC with Mom (Dec. 19, 2002)
The editor of DrugWar.com was actually at this bar the same night, but unfortunately missed out on smoking with Justin Timerlake. The editor would have loved to ask him about his ONDCP commercials.

Cannabis for pain relief is still illegal says judge (Dec. 19, 2002)
"A wheelchair-bound man who used cannabis to relieve searing pain he has suffered for the last 12 years has been convicted of growing the drug at his home."

Four arrests in raids on cannabis cafés (Dec. 19, 2002)
"Scotland Yard made the arrests at two cafés in Camden, north London, after keeping them under surveillance for nearly two months."

Greenwood PD gets forfeiture (Dec. 19, 2002)
Who said crime doesn't pay? The prohibitionists make out like bandits.

Police test substance found in Labour MP's car (Dec. 19, 2002)
"The former Treasury minister was yesterday remanded on bail by Walsall magistrates after being charged with failing to provide a breath specimen, driving without insurance and driving otherwise than in accordance with his licence. The unspecified substance seized at the time of his arrest has been sent for laboratory tests."

Press magnate held over child snatching (Dec. 19, 2002)
The US was highly supportive of the Argentinian administration under which this sort of henious activity was taking place.

Ecstasy use among American teens drops for the first time in recent years (Dec. 19, 2002)
"Ecstasy use is finally beginning to decline among adolescents, the proportion using any illicit drug is also down, the proportion drinking alcohol has dropped, and the proportion reporting cigarette smoking continues to drop sharply."

War Against Drugs Far From a Victory (Dec. 19, 2002)
"Even with the decrease, more than half of high school seniors admit to having used illegal drugs. Nearly one-third of them have tried drugs other than marijuana. Ready for some more bad news? Use of cocaine and heroin - among the most dangerous illegal drugs - does not seem to have decreased."

Ed NJWeedman Forchion Gets New Court Date (Dec. 19, 2002)
Please show you support for Ed Forchion, a US political prisoner, currently imprisoned in New Jersey for voicing his opinion about the War on Some Drugs and Users against prohibitionist wishes.

Pot-TV star still growing (Dec. 19, 2002)
The tale of Steve Kubby, another US citizen harried and forced to flee the land of his birth by the repressive, insane, destructive War on Some Drugs and Users.

Man told judge cannabis seeds were for his racing pigeons (Dec. 19, 2002)
"Craig Russell Brand said he wanted to use the 512 seeds to feed his birds because they were superior to other kinds of seeds."

The One-Sided War (Dec. 19, 2002)
"I've been involved in the 'War on Drugs' for some years now -- and I've 'fought' on both sides. The time I spent engaged in counter-narcotics operations for Joint Task Force Six (pun presumably not intended) as a Marine infantry NCO was a major factor in helping me form the convictions which I now hold: That the War on drugs is evil." Knapp has a lot more to say here, so check it out.

Canada: The Commons Committee Report on Cannabis (Dec. 19, 2002)
Read what the Canadian Special Committee on Non-Medical Use of Drugs has to say about the War and possible solutions.

Sturgis School Takes Lead In Battle Against Drug Abuse (Dec. 19, 2002)
"The war against drugs has taken a new twist in one South Dakota school district: Sturgis High School is offering free drug test kits to parents."

Pot backer convicted of tainting jury (Dec. 18, 2002)
Jeff Jones has been convicted of "tampering" with a jury, for handing out information describing jury nullification and medical marijuana outside the federal courthouse in California where his friend Bryan Epis was being tried, convicted, then sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for growing medical marijuana.

Supreme Court halts pot appeals amid debate over law (Dec. 18, 2002)
"In a highly unusual move, the Supreme Court of Canada refused yesterday to proceed with three constitutional appeals to Canada's pot law because Justice Minister Martin Cauchon says he is on the verge of decriminalizing marijuana."

The Entire "new" National Anti-Drug Media Propaganda Campaign of Lies on Display (Dec. 18, 2002)
Here you can view all the madly expensive, made-for-television lies paid for by your tax dollars in support of the endless and ultra-destructive War on Some Drugs and Users. Bring hip-waders though, as it is extremely deep and smelly here.

Drug czar on Canadian marijuana policy (Dec. 18, 2002)
Watch and hear a rant about Canada's moves towards pot sanity by Drug Czar John Walters, who suffers from the increasingly rare brain disorder, Reefer-us Madness-iscus.

Could An Anti-Marijuana Compound Hold The Key To Body Weight And Appetite Control? (Dec. 18, 2002)
"These results suggest that the blockade of the central cannabinoid system may alter the rewarding value of foods and so reduce eating."

Pentagon Debates Propaganda Push in Allied Nations (Dec. 17, 2002)
"The Defense Department is considering issuing a secret directive to the American military to conduct covert operations aimed at influencing public opinion and policy makers in friendly and neutral countries, senior Pentagon and administration officials say."

Tipsy elephants kill six in Assam (Dec. 17, 2002)
"At least six people were trampled to death by wild elephants that went amok after getting drunk on rice beer in Assam, an official said Tuesday."

Young make drugs part of everyday life (Dec. 17, 2002)
"Employed users challenge idea of 'losers' funding habit by crime."

Prison, Race and Drugs in America (Dec. 17, 2002)
"The American gulag is here, it is alive, it is well and it is thriving. America operates the biggest prison system on the planet. At the end of 2001, the U.S. incarcerated 2,001,146 people."

Budget Pressure Putting the Pinch on Prisons (Dec. 17, 2002)
"The budget crisis gripping the states, widely described as the worst since World War II, is beginning to force some of the more punitive states to think about massive early releases of nonviolent prisoners, including drug offenders, as a way of trying to make fiscal ends meet."

Melton MBN appointment good move in war on drugs (Dec. 17, 2002)
It is a "good move" only for prohibtionists who make a lot of money from waging a war on some drugs and users and like to pretend they are morally superior to those who use currently illict drugs.

Another drug war (Dec. 17, 2002)
"Unsatisfied with her video footage of retreating officers as a souvenir of the police helicopter raid, Nall decided to take things a step further. She decided to set up a network designed to publicize the effects of the war on drugs and to promote reforms in American drug policy. Thus, the Alabama Marijuana Party was born."

Ont. cold on decriminalizing marijuana (Dec. 17, 2002)
"Federal Justice Department plans to decriminalize the use of marijuana were met with a decidedly frosty response from the Ontario government Tuesday."

Jury to decide drug case (Dec. 17, 2002)
"Billings resident Jeremiah C. Schoneberg appeared for his drug trial in federal court Monday dressed in a crisp, dark blue Naval uniform and with his hair cropped close."

Patients, deputies left guessing (Dec. 17, 2002)
Some California cops can't stand the idea of their cushy prohibitionist jobs being endangered by the people they work for passing a medical marijuana law, 6 years ago, so continue to lock people up and confiscating their grow equipement.

Decriminalize marijuana now (Dec. 17, 2002)
"It’s easy to joke about politicians and pot heads, but the parliamentary committee that recommended changes to Canada’s drug laws has offered advice that has to be taken seriously."

Wife with DA's office resigns for pot growing (Dec. 17, 2002)
"An unusual marijuana bust has led to the resignation of a 7-year-veteran of the Hamilton County District Attorney's office."

Ex-stockbroker drops medical-marijuana suit (Dec. 17, 2002)
"Stockbroker Irvin Rosenfeld had no option but to drop the suit last week after a federal appeals court in Atlanta ruled that citizens are prohibited from suing airlines under the Air Carrier Access Act. The law put into place in 1986 prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in air travel and requires U.S. air carriers to accommodate the needs of passengers with disabilities."

Marijuana-smoking judge is back on the bench (Dec. 17, 2002)
"A judge who admitted smoking marijuana at a Rolling Stones concert has begun hearing cases again after completing a rehabilitation programme."

Twenty-Four Residents at Nursing Home Test Positive for Marijuana (Dec. 17, 2002)
It's a good thing none of these old folk were seeking employement somewhere that requires drug-free urine, as the test results were false positives.

A drop in teen smoking, drinking and drug use (Dec. 17, 2002)
"Survey's leader suggests 9/11 as reason, but others disagree." Here's a link to the original press release.

Good Americans, by John Judge (Dec. 17, 2002)
This is a blast from the past, (1983) by John Judge, about how the US imported scores of Nazis from Germany after WWII, and even has its own homegrown versions too.

Boy finds marijuana packed in lunch box -- mom and stepdad arrested (Dec. 17, 2002)
"Authorities in Mobile say the six-year-old found about an ounce of pot when he opened his Star Trek lunch box."

Echinacea Capsules May Not Fight Colds: Study (Dec. 17, 2002)
"Echinacea, derived from the purple coneflower, is an herb sold over the counter as an immune-system strengthener and cold remedy."

US Imperialism in Colombia (Dec. 16, 2002)
"Colombia has always been and still is the coveted cornerstone of the US's geopolitical control over the entire Latin American region, and at whatever the cost, the US is determined to make Colombia the jewel in its imperial crown."

Canada Has It Right on Marijuana (Dec. 16, 2002)
"Canadians should understand that on drug policy, the U.S. government is increasingly out of step with Americans. Canadians should use their own good sense, make their own judgments, and disregard U.S. bullying, as most of our drug laws were made on a racist foundation instead of science," writes former US Surgeon General Jocelyn Elders.

Michigan Set to Repeal Mandatory Minimum Drug Sentences (Dec. 16, 2002)
"Michigan is poised to become the latest state to do away with minimum prison terms for drug offenders, a move that's expected to ease rising prison costs."

CIA terror manhunt has Cold War echoes (Dec. 16, 2002)
"Methods allegedly included botulinum-filled capsules and twin plans to impregnate Castro's broadcasting studio and then his cigars with LSD-like drugs in the hope of inducing him to deliver an incoherent speech."

U.S. fears Canada becoming a major pot supplier (Dec. 16, 2002)
"U.S. drug czar John Walters says Ottawa's push towards decriminalizing marijuana could make Canada a major supplier of drugs, a situation he says will 'complicate' efforts to secure the world's longest undefended border."

Firefighters Discover Marijuana Bricks In Burning Home (Dec. 16, 2002)
"Emergency crews discovered about 150 bricks of marijuana in a home that caught fire Thursday morning, KMBC reported."

Marijuana state (Dec. 16, 2002)
"Decriminalizing marijuana will mean taking a currently unregulated -- if illegal -- activity that has developed a sophisticated supply chain and inexorably bringing it under the ambit of the post-modern administrative state. Government means, at minimum, taxation."

A weed by any other name smells the same (Dec. 16, 2002)
Big excitement has hit the drug legalization world. A recent RAND Drug Policy Research Center study reported that marijuana may look, act, and smell like a gateway drug to abuse of harder drugs, but that possibly it is not a gateway drug after all.

Day warns of U.S. backlash on marijuana (Dec. 16, 2002)
"Canada's softening stance on marijuana and hard drugs will provoke a backlash in the U.S."

User of government-provided marijuana drops suit against airline (Dec. 16, 2002)
"A man who legally uses government-provided marijuana for medicinal purposes has dropped a discrimination lawsuit against Delta Air Lines, but will continue pursuing his complaint through another federal agency."

A Traverse City judge who admitted marijuana use to return to bench (Dec. 16, 2002)
"A Traverse City judge who admitted smoking marijuana at a Rolling Stones concert is scheduled to begin hearing cases Monday. District Judge Thomas Gilbert has been on voluntary leave since November sixth. He was in a 28 day alcohol rehabilitation program."

Source: U.S. Firms on List Aided Iraq Arms Development (Dec. 15, 2002)
As an editor at TruthOut.org makes sure to point out, "Remember you are being asked as American citizens to give your blessing to the killing of tens of thousands of Iraqi Men, Women and Children. Oh, and by the way; you are not allowed to know which American companies profited from providing arms and assistance to Iraq. But I'll give you a hint; one of them was Halliburton under then CEO Dick Cheney -- to the tune of Millions."

South America Region Under Watch for Signs of Terrorists (Dec. 15, 2002)
"The Triple Frontier where Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay meet has long been South America's busiest contraband and smuggling center, a corrupt, chaotic place where just about anything from drugs and arms to pirated software and bootleg whisky are available to anyone who can pay the price."

Artistic licencing (Dec. 15, 2002)
"A noticeably different view holds sway in Glasgow, where the city has struggled with curfews and restrictive licensing. Tellingly, Williamson says that he would never try to open a cannabis café in the west. 'Glasgow's living in the Dark Ages,' he says. 'It has that oppressive religious thing.'"

Prince Philip's comment kicks up a storm (Dec. 15, 2002)
"Queen Elizabeth II's husband, Prince Philip, has shocked a Bangladeshi teenager in London after allegedly branding him a drug addict."

Politics and Pathogens (Dec. 15, 2002)
"The 'War on Drugs' greatly increases the homicide rate. It also increases the incarceration rate in our squalid prisons where infectious disease thrives. Law enforcement agents kill hundreds of suspects each year, often by mistake or as part of the pointless drug war. This unnecessary 'war' also accounts for many of the police officers killed in the line of duty each year."

Conyers to seek U.S. probe of police (Dec. 15, 2002)
"U.S. Rep. John Conyers will take a letter to the U.S. Justice Department asking for a federal investigation of the fatal shooting of a handcuffed man and several other alleged brutality cases involving Louisville police in recent years."

Deficit threatens weakest (Dec. 15, 2002)
"With the 'war on drugs,' mandatory minimum sentencing and the three-strikes law, the state-funded prison industry has been growing by leaps and bounds. But a new prison being proposed for Southern California should be re-evaluated, says Chesbro, in view of the current situation."

Ethnic vs. Convert Buddhism (Dec. 15, 2002)
"Americans first flirted with Buddhism in the 1950s, when poets and novelists like Allen Ginsberg, Gary Snyder and Jack Kerouac started delving into Zen meditation and incorporating their experiences into their writings. Later, in the 1960s and 70s, at the height of the Vietnam War, many young people started gravitating toward meditation as a safer alternative to the psychedelic drugs running rampant in the so-called 'counter-culture'."

Health workers fear smallpox plan (Dec. 15, 2002)
"The announcement yesterday that as many as 11 million Americans will soon be vaccinated against a disease that nobody on Earth has contracted in 24 years marks a strange and unique moment in the history of American public health."

Brazilian Gangs Take Turf Wars Out of Slums (Dec. 15, 2002)
"In the middle-class neighborhood just outside the zoo's fence, a fierce gun battle broke out between police and well-armed members of one of the drug-trafficking gangs that control large swaths of this city and many others in Brazil, Latin America's largest country."

Simi police honored for role in drug bust (Dec. 15, 2002)
"Members of the Simi Valley Police Department are in Washington, D.C., today, being recognized by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency for their part in dismantling North America's largest illegal producer and distributor of ketamine, a popular and dangerous drug on the club circuit."

War on drugs nets small-time offenders (Dec. 15, 2002)
"Texas' war on drugs punishes few major importers and dealers but imprisons thousands caught with less than a sugar packet full of cocaine or other illegal drugs."

Race, Class, and the War on Some Drugs (Dec. 15, 2002)
"Up to the 20th century, what’s now labelled illegal narcotics, was a socially accepted phenomenon. Addiction to drugs was considered to be a health issue for phycisians, and not a law matter for police."

Forfeiture decision may not address most unpopular aspects (Dec. 15, 2002)
"One of seven Great Danes bellows in the background as Carol Thomas talks about her own experience with civil forfeiture. Thomas, once a sheriff's officer and member of the Cumberland County Narcotics Task force, runs a dog-grooming business in Millville now."

It's Official: They Aren't Fascists, They're Gods (Dec. 15, 2002)
"First he appointed himself President. Now George W. Bush has declared himself God."

Honduran youths meet a deadly end (Dec. 15, 2002)
"In the last five years, by one count, more than 700 youths 18 or younger have turned up dead in Honduras, a vast majority in two major cities, Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula. The number has grown each year, from 66 in 1998 to a projected 230 this year."

Protesters storm Mexican congress for second time (Dec. 14, 2002)
"The protesters, mostly teachers and farmers, caused less damage than Tuesday when many of the same demonstrators rode horses into the lobby of the building, hurled fire extinguishers at fleeing security guards and disrupted the legislative session for more than an hour."

Bill Maher gets the last word (Dec. 14, 2002)
"Maher is a Libertarian and his attachment for common Libertarian causes-such as ending the drug war, addressing poverty and downsizing the U.S. government-arm him well for each argument."

Bomb blast hurts 30 in Colombian restaurant (Dec. 14, 2002)
"Although Bogota has been traditionally spared the violence of Colombia's mostly rural war, the FARC have intensified their bombing campaign in cities in recent years as part of a push to topple the government and impose a socialist regime. The war, increasingly funded by the drug trade, claims the lives of thousands every year."

Police 'long-war' against drug barons (Dec. 14, 2002)
"Police are engaged in a "war of attrition" with drug barons over the supply of crack cocaine in Norwich, the city's top cop has said."

Anti-narcotics training launched in Afghanistan (Dec. 14, 2002)
"Britain and Germany have launched a programme to help train police in Afghanistan to fight drug-making and trafficking."

Short backs military move to restore order in Afghanistan (Dec. 14, 2002)
"In the Commons yesterday the Foreign Office minister Mike O'Brien conceded the continuing dominance of the warlords means little progress would be made in the short term in reducing the country's dependence on the heroin trade."

'P' is for psychotic - users linked with rising violence (Dec. 14, 2002)
"Drug users call pure methamphetamine "P" and like the clear, long high the burning crystals deliver. Police and drug experts call it a scourge, a drug epidemic behind a surge in meaningless violence."

Police to carry out raids on 'drug rats' (Dec. 14, 2002)
"Police are hoping to give drug pushers cold turkey this Christmas as they launch raids on dealing dens over the festive period."

Injection sites won't solve heroin horror (Dec. 14, 2002)
Bob Friedland, the author of this editorial, doesn't think safe injection sites are a good idea, saying that because heroin addicts have no will power, they shouldn't have a safe place to do their fix. The editor of DrugWar.com doesn't agree one bit with his take on things.

Leaving a Tormented Town Behind (Dec. 14, 2002)
"'It got the federal government's attention. People had to die. Kids had to get high to get the government to listen,' says Tshakapesh, who is now the settlement's chief."

Q&A: DEA boss lauds state efforts (Dec. 14, 2002)
"Asa Hutchinson, the head of the Drug Enforcement Administration, visited Mobile this week to kick off an initiative dubbed IDEA -- Integrated Drug Enforcement Assistance. The Mobile-Prichard area is the fifth site nationally for the program, which is aimed at coordinating existing efforts to stem drug use and crime."

Thailand- Lean, mean machine to fight drugs (Dec. 14, 2002)
"In a move to centralise command and coordination among the country's diverse anti-drugs agencies, a joint command centre for suppression has been set up, to be headed by Gen Chavalit Yongchaiyudh who will direct the nation's war on drugs."

Under the Maple Leaf: Pot politics (Dec. 14, 2002)
"Lawmakers this past week moved quickly past a billion-dollar boondoggle formally known as Canada's federal gun registry and focused on a more pungent issue -- marijuana."

Decriminalizing marijuana: what do you think? (Dec. 14, 2002)
"The committee isn't proposing that pot be legalized. Rather, it recommended that small amounts be sanctioned with something other than the full weight of the criminal justice system -- likely a fine."

Kissinger Quits September 11 Commission (Dec. 14, 2002)
"The appointment of the 79-year-old Nobel Peace Prize winner two weeks ago also stirred controversy because of his foreign-policy role a quarter century ago as assistant for national security affairs and later as secretary of state under Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford, especially during the Vietnam War."

'Canada has committed a grave error' (Dec. 14, 2002)
"Omar El Sayed, 30, a Hezbollah fighter wanted on drug and weapons charges, was caught living in Edmonton under a false identity and considered a danger to the public, but officials can no longer find him."

Computer Sciences to buy DynCorp (Dec. 14, 2002)
"The Reston, Virginia-based company also guarded Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide in the early 1990s, the Washington Post has reported. DynCorp employs about half of the 270 private contractors working for the U.S. government in Colombia on projects to fight illegal drugs."

Grass clippings: Marijuana party head fears a federal ripoff (Dec. 14, 2002)
"Police and the government will milk the proposed decriminalization of pot like a cash cow, warns the leader of the Marijuana party. 'The day that the government realizes there's money to be made by fining marijuana users, I guarantee there's going to be an increase in repression,' said Marc-Boris St-Maurice."

Green MP heading for charts with pro-marijuana song (Dec. 14, 2002)
"Green MP Christian Stroebele, 63, called on authorities to 'legalise hemp' in a public speech. TV Comedian Stefan Raab sampled the quote and features it in a new song, which he co-produced with Shaggy."

Marathon County prosecutors ignore new marijuana law (Dec. 14, 2002)
"'I do not agree with (the county ordinance),' said Marathon County District Attorney Jill Falstad. 'I think first-offenders should be dealt with under the conditional discharge statute.' She and other attorneys in her office have not included the ordinance in their charging or prosecuting decisions, preferring to offer conditional discharges as an alternative to convictions for first-time offenders who are willing to complete a year of treatment and stay on their best behavior."

Pardons for Canadian Marijuana Convictees Now Available (Dec. 14, 2002)
Send for your information now.

Canada- High court marijuana case in limbo (Dec. 14, 2002)
"Justice Department ready to argue cannabis is a dangerous drug as minister seeks decriminalization."

Police seize marijuana plants in raids (Dec. 14, 2002)
"Police made 39 arrests and seized 30,000 pot plants in a series of raids across the province over the past two days."

Curious youths caught dabbling in 'wild' marijuana (Dec. 14, 2002)
"A high school student faces charges of drying hemp at his home based on a formula in a 'growers' guide' book and illegally selling the marijuana to his friends, police said Saturday." Obviously there's a lack of good drug educatino there, or this kid would have known one doesn't pick and smoke wild hemp.

The Week Online with DRCNet, Issue #267 (Dec. 14, 2002)
Illinois limits drug dog use, Eugene Oregon is upset about nija-narc tactics, Massachusetts protects needle exchange participants, the week's corrupt cop story, these stories plus a whole lot more, as well as the Reformers' Calendar.

Court orders Venezuela military to turn over police equipment; Chavez supporters dig in (Dec. 14, 2002)
When will the Bush administration speak out in support of Venezuelan democracy? Or does the Bush administration want Chavez gone? This is a question many are asking both here and in Venezuela itself.

The New Pearl Harbor (Dec. 14, 2002)
The threat posed by US terrorism to the security of nations and individuals was outlined in prophetic detail in a document written more than two years ago and disclosed only recently. What was needed for America to dominate much of humanity and the world's resources, it said, was "some catastrophic and catalysing event - like a new Pearl Harbor."

Sean Penn, Critical of Bush, Visits Baghdad (Dec. 14, 2002)
Sean Penn demonstrates precisely what it means to be a freedom loving American, visiting Iraq despite the incessent beating of the drums of war.

The Iran Contra Affair (Dec. 14, 2002)
"In November of 1986, the nation learned that Vice President George H.W. Bush, CIA Director William Casey, and Lt. Col. Oliver North had been the architects of a scheme to trade arms to Iran." Take a trip through the not so distant past.

Soldier High on Magic Mushrooms Kills Comrades (Dec. 14, 2002)
"Private Denis Soloviev was high on hallucinogenic mushrooms when he opened fire against his fellow-soldiers in the republic of Karachayevo-Cherkessia."

Marijuana charges vs. Moss dropped (Dec. 14, 2002)
"Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Randy Moss pleaded guilty Thursday to two minor traffic charges related to a traffic altercation in September. Two other traffic counts and a marijuana charge were dismissed as part of a plea agreement."

K-9 drug dogs get certified (Dec. 14, 2002)
"Any law enforcement agent who has worked with a K-9 drug dog will tell you that the animals have become a valuable weapon in the continuous war on drugs."

Two Arrested Sunday for Marijuana Possession (Dec. 14, 2002)
"On the night of Sunday, Dec. 1, at approximately 7:54 p.m., Officer Bryan S. Miller arrested Patrice Michelle Miller a/k/a Shelley Miller, 41 and Jeffery Lee Welch, 20, both of Alva for Possession of Marijuana and Possession of Paraphernalia."

Judge: Forfeiture law unconstitutional (Dec. 13, 2002)
"What began with the 1999 seizure of a 1990 sedan by authorities in Cumberland County has led to a Superior Court judge's ruling announced Thursday that civil forfeiture in New Jersey is unconstitutional because it violates due process."

Bang! You're incapacitated (Dec. 13, 2002)
"How do nonlethal weapons work and why aren't we using them?"

U.S. trains Colombians to protect oil pipeline (Dec. 13, 2002)
"Two dozen members of U.S. special forces have arrived in one of Colombia's most dangerous cities to begin the first phase of a $98 million project signaling the escalation of American involvement in this South American nation's 38-year civil war."

The Pain Enforcement Administration (Dec. 13, 2002)
"What does all this have to do with the DEA? It is quite simple. The purpose of the DEA is the enforcement of pain. Or as they would prefer the prevention of the use of drugs to help people feel better. They make this quite clear in the recent series of prosecutions of doctors who treat patients with intractable pain."

Drug users are the same: Liberal MP (Dec. 13, 2002)
"Criminal drug users should be treated no differently from legal drug users, says the Liberal MP who chaired the House of Commons special committee on non-medicinal drug use."

Constable Criticized for Drug Interdiction (Dec. 13, 2002)
"Hearnsberger's boss, Constable Bill Ball, says Hearnsberger does all those duties, plus gets drugs off the roadways. In return, the county benefits from drug-related seizures ball said. 'Through those seizures in the past we've been able to buy patrol cars, outfit the department with cameras,' said Ball."

Afghanistan- UK customs officers join drugs fight (Dec. 13, 2002)
"The battle against drugs in Afghanistan is being stepped up through a training programme being made available to the Afghan Police Academy by experienced British customs officers."

Lilley fights on for legalising cannabis (Dec. 13, 2002)
"Harpenden MP Peter Lilley has called on the Government to rethink its drug policy and again urged it to reconsider legalising cannabis."

Cocaine sold from Burger King (Dec. 13, 2002)
Lake County Metropolitan Enforcement Group Director Terry Lemming expects "to be gainfully employed for a number of years" due to illegal drug use in his community. Who says the War on Some Drugs isn't working?

Teens' consumption of alcohol staggering (Dec. 13, 2002)
"According to the National Institute of Drug Abuse in the year 2000, 66 percent of youth who drink alcohol regularly report past month usage of one or more illicit drugs. Additionally, alcohol kills more people in America than all illegal drugs being consumed combined."

Bush Administration Urged To Do More To Rid Source of Heroin (Dec. 13, 2002)
"A Bush administration official Thursday admitted that efforts to eradicate Colombian poppy fields, the source of illegal heroin, lagged in 2001 and that stopping the current flow of heroin into the United States is made more difficult because of the "unholy alliance" between Colombian terrorist groups and the distributors of illegal drugs."

Canada Panel Pushes 'Safe' Drug Injection Sites (Dec. 13, 2002)
"A parliamentary committee recommended on Monday that Canada establish 'safe' injection sites as a way to cut the spread of diseases such as HIV and AIDS among drug addicts, a proposal that generated immediate criticism from police and opposition politicians."

Top Maryland court limits police right to search car passengers for illegal drugs (Dec. 13, 2002)
"Maryland's highest court ruled that police can't search passengers for drugs solely because a police dog smells drugs in a car."

Drug task force rounding up 41 (Dec. 13, 2002)
"Operation 'Blue Christmas III' could have been dubbed "Operation Secret Santa" after early release of 41 drug-trafficking indictments forced local law enforcement to keep a lower profile."

Records further damage Boston church’s credibility (Dec. 13, 2002)
"Boston archdiocesan leaders during the past two decades overlooked criminal behavior committed by priests, including assault and battery of a 58-year-old woman, sexual abuse by a priest of teenage female postulants and novices, and the exchange of sex for illegal drugs, according to press reports on archdiocesan records recently released to the public."

Interstate police operation targets illegal drugs (Dec. 13, 2002)
"Coffs Harbour police have arrested six members of local bikie gangs as part of an interstate operation to crack down on an illegal drugs ring."

County, DPS to share $80,305 of suspected illegal drug proceeds (Dec. 13, 2002)
"A recent seizure of $80,305 in suspected illicit drug monies has been formally forfeited to the state through a judgment handed down Dec. 3 in the 29th Judicial District. As a result, the Department of Public safety will receive $56,213.50 - 70 percent - while the Palo Pinto County District Attorney's Office will keep 30 percent, or $24,091.50."

Search turns up no illegal drugs; wrongful death lawsuit filed (Dec. 13, 2002)
"No illegal drugs were found in a search of the apartment of a man who was handcuffed and shot to death by a police detective last week, according to court records."

House Committee's report on Illegal Drugs reflects CMA's call for a National Drug Strategy (Dec. 13, 2002)
"The Canadian Medical Association (CMA) is pleased that the Special Committee on Non-Medical Use of Drugs, in its final report to the House of Commons today, recommends a comprehensive, coordinated and integrated national drug strategy to address all aspects of the use of illicit substances including marijuana."

55 homes raided in drugs bust (Dec. 13, 2002)
"More than $125,000 worth of stolen property was recovered along with LSD, methamphetamine, cannabis oil and cannabis."

Agencies see homeland security role for surveillance drones (Dec. 13, 2002)
"In August, the Border Patrol, aided by three Pioneer UAVs operated by the U.S. Marines, nabbed about 100 pounds of high-grade marijuana and several people who were trying to smuggle it across the Canadian border into Idaho."

U.S. fears change in marijuana laws (Dec. 13, 2002)
"The man known as President George W. Bush's 'Drug Czar' in the U.S. war against drugs said Canada will pose a 'dangerous threat' south of the border if it brings in laws to decriminalize marijuana." Loosen pot laws and face tighter border, U.S. warns is another take on Walter's maniacal position. Changes to marijuana law may rankle Washington is also reported.

U.S. takes on two wars in one country (Dec. 13, 2002)
"The U.S. is joining its antiterror fight with the war on drugs in Colombia. It could be a success, or a mess."

Metro Officers Sweep Up Drugs And Prostitution (Dec. 13, 2002)
"The American Civil Liberties Union is criticzizing today's sweep. A spokesman sent this reaction to News 3. 'You would be hard pressed to find a more blatant example of police practices that violate the constitution and are illegal than this sweep.'"

Colombia 'must curb rights abuses' (Dec. 12, 2002)
"The US has reaffirmed support for Colombia's efforts to halt illegal drugs production and its civil war, but has given a warning on human rights abuses."

Simi police honored for role in drug bust (Dec. 12, 2002)
"Members of the Simi Valley Police Department are in Washington, D.C., today, being recognized by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency for their part in dismantling North America's largest illegal producer and distributor of ketamine, a popular and dangerous drug on the club circuit."

Report warns Balkans unstable and dangerous (Dec. 12, 2002)
Despite years of US, UN, and international financiers' involvement in "keeping the peace" in the Balkans, this report asserts that unless there's even more "help" and involvement, "the region will increasingly become a major haven for drug traffickers, people smugglers and Islamic militants, the report says. Without more rapid reconstruction, it adds, the region's poverty levels will continue to rise, fueling mass migration."

Ambassador strikes again (Dec. 12, 2002)
"Well, once again United States Ambassador J. Richard Blankenship has shown that despite whatever criticism comes his way, he will continue to put his foot in his mouth and say whatever he feels."

Police crack Brazilian cocaine ring linked to FARC (Dec. 12, 2002)
Will this report be used as yet one more justification for wasting billions of US tax dollars on the Colombian military's war on FARC?

Cijo stars before N. Daviess students, 100% accuracy for drug detection (Dec. 12, 2002)
"The law enforcement community, as well as courts, look on killing a narcotics dog similarly to killing a human officer." It would be nice if law enforcement officers and courts felt the same way about ninja-narcs busting down doors and shooting innocent US citizens in "oops-wrong-house" drug raids.

All I want for Christmas is rage, change and 3 P's (Dec. 12, 2002)
"Anybody want to jump in here and say, 'You put the lives of four officers in jeopardy for six lousy bags of marijuana, an ounce of cocaine, a scale and a stolen handgun?' Cops could recover more dope on an impromptu walk-through of any college campus in the region."

Holiday Greetings from a Political Prisoner (Dec. 12, 2002)
"If only we could put the money used for military and prisons into housing, what a difference it would make. We could be saving lives instead of destroying or wasting them. Surely that should be in our thoughts as we celebrate the Christmas season and begin a New Year."

The Greatest Debate (Dec. 12, 2002)
Steve Hagar, editor in chief of High Times magazine, has been on a debate tour with a 25 year veteran of the DEA.

Former London hemp activist gets day in court (Dec. 12, 2002)
"A challenge to marijuana laws that began at a store on Richmond Street will be argued tomorrow before the Supreme Court of Canada."

Reform school (Dec. 12, 2002)
"In the same manner in which the Department of Justice quickly used the terrorist attacks to grab long-sought-after powers of surveillance and detention, the ONDCP found a way to turn the war on terror to its advantage."

Changes to marijuana law may rankle Washington (Dec. 12, 2002)
"The United States, already concerned that Canada is becoming a major supplier of Americans' pot, fears the problem is only going to get worse if Canada relaxes legislation." John Walters, the US "Drug czar talks about tightening at border" while alleging that marijuana is too addictive to legalize or decriminalize.

Coleman declares war on drugs (Dec. 12, 2002)
"B.C. Solicitor General Rich Coleman says the federal government's plan to decriminalize marijuana is bad public policy." This Canadian bonehead is also fallaciously claiming today's pot is "20 to 30 times stronger than in the 70s."

MD who prescribed to Ryder has licence revoked (Dec. 12, 2002)
"However, in its report, the board detailed allegations that Lusman catered to the demands of wealthy or famous drug-seekers for prescription narcotics that would otherwise have to be obtained on the street." So, it appears the prohibition reasoning here is that it is better that people score their drugs from hoodlums and criminals on the streets who may cut the drugs with all sorts of poisons rather than from legitimate doctors who prescribe the real deal.

$1.4B 'loan' for Enron was just fiction: hearing (Dec. 12, 2002)
"J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. Inc. engineered a scheme that was designed mainly to generate Canadian tax write-offs for bankrupt Enron Corp. through a complex series of transactions that funneled US$1- billion in a circle in a matter of hours, a U.S. Congressional committee heard yesterday." What's the difference between these corporate criminal cartels and mafias?

Back, But Not By Popular Demand (Dec. 12, 2002)
But the question remains: Why has Bush chosen to resuscitate men with rather unusual résumés? The answer is that he appears not to think they did anything wrong. For all the differences between Watergate and Iran-contra, the scandals shared one key aspect: their perpetrators' belief in the virtue of secrecy and White House prerogative at the expense of democratic rules.

Sen. Lott Defended School's Race Policy (Dec. 12, 2002)
Sen. Lott's comments lauding the retiring racist Strom Thurmond last week were not the first example of Lott publically uttering justifications and praise for racists and racist policies.

The People Rise Up Against Venezuela's Commercial Media (Dec. 12, 2002)
"Just peaceful groups of citizens saying: we've had enough, how about showing a little bit of us now instead of always showing rich folks demonstrating in the east of Caracas and instead of trying by any means possible to make your audiences think that this government is undemocratic, dictatorial, and 'castro-communist.'"

Statement on the Cheney Energy Task Force (Dec. 12, 2002)
Rep. Henry Waxman is not at all happy with the court ruling that allows Vice-President Cheney to continue to hide from the American people exactly what was discussed behind closed doors with energy industry heads while coming up with US energy policies.

On 'patriot'ism (Dec. 12, 2002)
"Eugene, Ore., last week became the most recent city to sign on to the revolt against the USA Patriot Act. In doing so, Eugene joined a growing list of cities and towns, including Northampton, Amherst and Cambridge, Mass., Berkeley, Calif., and Ann Arbor, Mich., to reject the act, which gives law enforcement too much power and threatens civil rights."

Bush's frightening Middle East appointment (Dec. 12, 2002)
"What crook, rogue and hard-line reprobate from the Republicans' glory years will President George W. Bush exhume next? It's hard to say -- he seems to have already hired them all."

Santa Cruz deputizes medicinal pot farmers (Dec. 11, 2002)
"Taking another pot shot at the federal Drug Enforcement Administration, the council voted 7-0 Tuesday to give the Corrals the 'authority to cultivate, distribute and possess medical marijuana.''' So not only has Santa Cruz deputized the Corrals, they've decreed that they are allowed to grow pot.

Pot club may get official status (Dec. 11, 2002)
"In the latest local gesture of defiance to the federal government, three City Council members have requested the city deputize the founders of a local medical marijuana club."

Drug Awareness - Marijuana (Dec. 11, 2002)
"You may hear marijuana called by street names such as pot, herb, weed, grass, boom, Mary Jane, gangster, or chronic. There are more than 200 slang terms for marijuana."

'I smoke marijuana constantly' (Dec. 11, 2002)
"Retired lawyer tackles the law on driving under influence of drugs."

Four-year-old girl brings teacher a gift of marijuana (Dec. 11, 2002)
"Instead of the regular holiday gifts, a Holyoke teacher received a small bag of marijuana from a 4-year-old student."

Two Port St. Lucie third-graders charged with marijuana possession (Dec. 11, 2002)
"Two 9-year-olds were arrested at their elementary school after a lunchroom aide discovered they were carrying 15 plastic bags of marijuana in their pockets, school officials said."

Crew finds railroad car carrying 2,260 pounds of marijuana (Dec. 11, 2002)
"Agents with Metro Narcotics were called in about noon Monday and stumbled onto one of the largest drug confiscations in Ouachita Parish."

Ottawa marijuana plan a diversion, Eves says (Dec. 11, 2002)
"The federal Liberal government is trying to 'change the channel' to divert attention away from its many problems by touting the decriminalization of marijuana, the Premier of Ontario charged yesterday."

Canada to decriminalization Pot (Dec. 11, 2002)
"It is so nice to live in a country where we don't have a DEA that sticks to 50 year old reports on how bad marijuana is."

Keep Big Brother's Hands off the Internet (Dec. 11, 2002)
"Senator Ashcroft takes issue with administration views on the Internet and the use of encryption technology."

100 Celebrities Sign Letter Opposing War in Iraq (Dec. 11, 2002)
"More than 100 celebrities, including Kim Basinger, Matt Damon, Ethan Hawke, Samuel L. Jackson and Jessica Lange, have urged President Bush to avoid a war with Iraq in a letter that will be made public on Tuesday."

Selling The Iraq War To The U.S. (Dec. 11, 2002)
"Politicians have had to sell the public on going to war since Colonial times, but they never had the arsenal of advertising and communications techniques the Bush administration is using to sell a possible war on Iraq. Bob Simon reports on those techniques and those employed by the elder Bush prior to the 1991 Gulf War."

Quiet in Hollywood (Dec. 11, 2002)
"The Quiet American, which recently opened for a two-week run in a couple of theaters in New York and Los Angeles, illustrates just how far Hollywood self-censorship has gone in the year since 9/11."

Hundreds mourn Berrigan (Dec. 11, 2002)
"600 fill church for farewell to fighter in the peace movement."

Marijuana, pills found in I-40 stop (Dec. 11, 2002)
"A Georgia couple was arrested after Metro police said that a police dog sniffed out more than 178 pounds of marijuana along with hundreds of anabolic steroid pills in their vehicle in west Nashville."

Ottawa set to ease pot laws (Dec. 10, 2002)
"The Liberal government is preparing to move ahead in the new year with legislation to decriminalize marijuana, Justice Minister Martin Cauchon said yesterday."

Hartland man referred for mushrooms (Dec. 10, 2002)
"A 21-year-old Hartland man was referred to the District Attorney's Office for possible charges of possession with intent to deliver hallucinogenic mushrooms, marijuana and drug paraphernalia after the items were found in his apartment on Sunnyslope Drive Dec. 4."

Drugs, Guns and Money (Dec. 10, 2002)
Other than for the assertion that Valium causes "hundreds of deaths a year from overdose," this is quite an interesting article. The War keeps getting "bigger and meaner."

One house at a time SWAT uses methodical approach in drug war (Dec. 10, 2002)
These prohibitionists are calling a raid involving 12 SWAT members on one home that netted a whole $100 worth of pot and some guns and "good bust." This is a totally insulting waste of our taxdollars. Which was more dangerous for the 3 children inside the private home, the tiny amount of marijuana or the gun-toting prohibitionist ninja-narcs busting down the door?

Former Cowboys tackle Newton gets five-year sentence (Dec. 10, 2002)
"Former Dallas Cowboys offensive lineman Nate Newton, already serving time in another drug case, was sentenced to five years in prison Monday for possession of 213 pounds of marijuana in Louisiana."

Drug war targets cold medicine (Dec. 10, 2002)
The prohibitionists are getting desperate to justify their outrageous, wasteful War on Some Drugs and Users.

Philip Berrigan, Apostle of Peace, Dies at Age 79 (Dec. 10, 2002)
"Philip Berrigan, the patriarch of the Roman Catholic anti-war movement whose conscience collided with national policy for more than three decades, died last night [Friday] of liver and kidney cancer. He was 79 and had lived at Jonah House on the grounds of a West Baltimore cemetery for much of the past decade."

Venezuelans March in Support of Chavez (Dec. 10, 2002)
"Thousands of people wearing red berets marched Saturday through the capital of oil-rich Venezuela to support embattled President Hugo Chavez a day after three people were fatally shot at an opposition rally."

New Breed of Patriots Speaking Up (Dec. 10, 2002)
"While the law's defenders say average citizens have nothing to fear, civil libertarians like Marston believe the law opens the door for government agents to resume the kind of domestic spying that flourished under J. Edgar Hoover, when affiliation with radical ideas was enough to get someone a place in the FBI's secret files." 15 US Cities Now Oppose Patriot Act By Law.

Man Sentenced for 'Burning Bush' Comment (Dec. 10, 2002)
There's some genuinely scary reperssive trends happening here in the US, which isn't exactly news to anyone who has covered the War on Some Drugs and Users for any length of time.

Return of the Iran-Contra brigade (Dec. 10, 2002)
"[Elliot] Abrams pleaded guilty in 1987 to withholding information from about the Nicaraguan Contra case from Congress, before being pardoned by the first President Bush in 1992. Four officials now in the Bush administration worked for President Reagan in the mid-1980s, when money from arms sales to Iran was diverted to aid the Contra rebels in Nicaragua...."

Pupils suspended over cannabis (Dec. 10, 2002)
These 9 students are obviously going to be helped mightily by being thrown out of school for smoking pot.

BP seizes 4 loads of marijuana (Dec. 10, 2002)
"The United States Border Patrol Station in Sonoita is responsible for 25 percent of marijuana seizures in the entire Tucson sector."

Portrait of a temptress (Dec. 10, 2002)
Errol "Flynn admitted he got high smoking Rivera's home-grown marijuana while the women were hitting the tequila."

Coast Guard and Navy seize three tons of cocaine at sea (Dec. 10, 2002)
"Calm seas greeted the return of a Mayport-based ship and its mission in the war on drugs Sunday. It is typically an unseen but important war at sea using Navy ships and specially-trained Coast Guard crews to board suspected drug-smuggling ships."

Judge Cans GAO Lawsuit Against Veep (Dec. 10, 2002)
"A federal judge Monday dismissed a lawsuit filed by the investigative arm of Congress against Vice President Dick Cheney's energy task force."

Al Qaeda 'envoy' seeks seat in Ukraine parliament (Dec. 9, 2002)
"She is infamous as an advocate of the legalisation of marijuana and prostitution, is running in a Melitopol constituency, in the Zaporizhzhia region."

Trio Loses Medicinal Marijuana Dismissal Bid (Dec. 9, 2002)
"That leaves Dennis Peron, 57, John Entwistle, 38, and Kasey Conder, 19, all of San Francisco, still facing trial on charges of third-degree felony possession with intent to distribute and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia."

Yoko Ono Urges Peace on Lennon Death Anniversary (Dec. 8, 2002)
"'The world situation is tense, but we are a big family. Let's realize a peaceful world,' Ono said, adding that many Americans were opposed to any U.S. military attack on Iraq, which Washington says has weapons of mass destruction. 'Americans also want peace. Building a peaceful future together is the duty for mankind.'"

New role for Guard undefined (Dec. 8, 2002)
Solidifying the National Guard's involvement in waging the destructive and criminal-empowering War on Some Drugs and Users.

Diplomatic pitfalls frustrate Thailand's antidrug fight (Dec. 8, 2002)
"A special US-trained commando force created to block a flood of illegal drugs into Thailand has been sidelined by a delicate diplomatic two-step between Thailand and Burma (Myanmar), its neighbor and the source of the drugs."

Northwest kids' new motto: semper fi (Dec. 8, 2002)
"Despite the youths' willingness to serve their country, Maj. Dennis Larson said the Young Marines is not an early recruitment program. The emphasis is on providing a positive alternative to drugs and crime for young people." In other words, marijuana and other drug use is bad, killing people for the government is good.

A better way? (Dec. 8, 2002)
"'If people are thinking there isn't a drug problem here, they're wrong," [Victoria Police Chief Paul Battershill] says. 'And if they think addicts don't deserve compassion, they're wrong about that, too.'"

Post-election marijuana fight heats up (Dec. 8, 2002)
"Regrouping after state initiatives to relax marijuana laws were defeated last month, some by crushing margins, advocates plan to build on public support for medical marijuana programs and have mounted an aggressive campaign to discredit federal officials who have made opposition to any tolerance of marijuana — even for medical purposes — a cornerstone of national drug policy." One might think "discrediting" federal prohibitionists wouldn't be so difficult, but that's rational thinking, something sorely lacking when it comes to the War on Some Drugs and Users.

Legal drugs can hurt you (Dec. 8, 2002)
"Most drug addicts aren't passed out in a gutter after shooting up with heroin."

CNET records 71 arrests (Dec. 8, 2002)
"Over a two-month span, the Coastal Narcotic Enforcement Team (CNET), which includes Stone, Harrison and Hancock Counties’ law enforcement, has accumulated an impressive 71 felony drug arrests, according to Stone County Sheriff Mike Ballard."

Colombia's Calvary (Dec. 8, 2002)
"U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell paid a quick visit this week to Colombia, hoping to encourage the efforts of the country's new president, Alvaro Uribe, who took office in August."

Four Malaysian men face death over cannabis (Dec. 8, 2002)
Insanity in Malaysia.

Police chiefs drop 'three strikes' cannabis policy (Dec. 8, 2002)
"Chief police officers have dropped plans to introduce a 'three strikes and you're out' policy on cannabis, it is reported."

West losing global war on drugs (Dec. 8, 2002)
"The Western world’s anti-narcotics policy is failing to stem the tide of illegal drugs flowing into the United States and other developed countries, and the time has come to choose new tactics."

JCG says spy ship ran drugs (Dec. 8, 2002)
"The JCG said it was possible the ship had been repainted and smuggled stimulant drugs to Japan after the 1998 incident."

Marijuana Arrests In Bellaire (Dec. 8, 2002)
A very brief newsbrief about two poor guys who got caught recently selling flowers within a thousand feet of a school, a veritable no-no in the prohibitionist-crazed US.

Student suspected of making marijuana-laced treats (Dec. 8, 2002)
"A Westerville North High School student has been suspended for 10 days and could be expelled after being accused of making marijuana-laced Rice Krispies treats for a school fund-raiser."

Winona Ryder's 'medicine chest' on public display (Dec. 8, 2002)
"On the day she was arrested for shoplifting in a Beverly Hills boutique, Hollywood actress Winona Ryder had in her possession a syringe and eight prescription drugs obtained under six different names, court report released on Saturday local time, says."

Separatists groups launch war on drugs in India's northeast (Dec. 8, 2002)
"The penalties for traffickers and drug users are weird and, at times, extremely harsh depending on the militant group's punishment guidelines." Imagine that: prohibitionists loonier and even more destructive than US prohibitionists.

The Week Online with DRCNet, Issue #266 (Dec. 7, 2002)
Saying goodbye to Asa Hutchinson as Drug Czar, Ravers in revolt, criminal and corrupt cops, ex-cop hiting the trail for reform of the War, these stories and many more, plus the Reformers' Calendar are in this week's issue of the Week Online.

Hope, Anxiety Greet Colombian Cease-Fire (Dec. 7, 2002)
"Sunday's declaration of an indefinite cease-fire by members of Colombia's largest paramilitary group the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia, or AUC has brought hope to fighters like the 22-year-old Danilo, who are ready to end the violence tearing apart Colombia."

Meth War Called Unwinable (Dec. 7, 2002)
"What Erwin does know is while he and fellow offciers are committed to their job , the skirmishs they win are outnumbered by those they don't. Erwin acknowledges the sad fact is the war on this drug is unwinable."

Highs and Lows (Dec. 7, 2002)
"The duality of dealing pot: students experience thrills and consequences of marijuana culture."

Melton's Campaign to 'Win the War' (Dec. 7, 2002)
"Melton swears to be open and honest as head of the State Bureau of Narcotics." So, will he be ending the destructive, un-winnable War soon? No such luck. He swears it is winnable, despite the obvious silliness of that statement.

Colombian Drug Lord, 'The Chemist' Extradited to US (Dec. 7, 2002)
"Boarding a U.S. jet under heavy guard, a former Colombian drug lord nicknamed 'the Chemist' on Friday became the first leader of the infamous Cali cocaine cartel to be extradited the United States."

Most who need drug help aren't getting it (Dec. 7, 2002)
"A mistaken notion that the war on drugs could be won by hiring more police and building more prisons means that four of five Northwest Indiana residents in need of addiction treatment don't receive it, according to a group of health and law enforcement officials who deal with the drug issue."

U.S. ambassador's comments on anti-drug efforts draw sharp reaction from Bahamas' government (Dec. 7, 2002)
"The U.S. ambassador drew a sharp response from the Bahamas' foreign minister Friday when he suggested that the country is being too easy on drug traffickers and that its national defense force needs to undergo reform."

UK- Extra Cash to Help Step up War on Drugs (Dec. 7, 2002)
"Drug treatment groups in South Cheshire are to receive an extra £500,000 over the next three years to help combat drug abuse."

Ethics expert addresses mids (Dec. 7, 2002)
"In a separate interview, Walzer talked about the 'drug war,' likening it to the 'war on terror' or the 'war on poverty,' but when it comes to the drug war, he recommended caution. It is complicated, he said, and he would not want to see American troops in large scale in these countries, at least not yet."

Australia- War on crime to lock out flu drug (Dec. 7, 2002)
"The Federal Government and the pharmaceutical industry are developing revolutionary "chemical locks" to prevent criminals converting-over-the-counter flu medicines into illicit drugs," specifically speed.

Roche joins hepatitis C drug war (Dec. 7, 2002)
"Hoffmann-La Roche Inc. is about to begin one of its most important marketing battles -- thanks to regulatory approval received late Tuesday for a hepatitis C treatment."

UK- Hellawell blasts new policy on cannabis (Dec. 7, 2002)
Rabid former UK Drug Czar Keith Hellawell unsurprisingly decries moves towards sane marijuana policies, and other drug policies as well, in Britain.

WAMM Vows To Continue Fight (Dec. 7, 2002)
Although a judge recently rejected a request to have their edical marijuana returned, WAMM is going to continue fighting this decision.

RAND Releases Study on Marijuana "Gateway Effect" (Dec. 7, 2002)
"A new study by the RAND Drug Policy Research Center casts doubt on claims that marijuana acts as a "gateway" to the use of cocaine and heroin, challenging an assumption that has guided U.S. drug policies since the 1950s. However, the study does not argue that marijuana should be legalized or decriminalized."

Marijuana advocate stays in jail (Dec. 7, 2002)
More information about how the state of New Jersey is royally screwing Ed "NJWeedman" Forchion.

The Highest Patriotism Lies in Weaning U.S. From Fossil Fuels (Dec. 7, 2002)
Actor Robert Redford points out the silliness of US over-reliance on fossil fuels.

Woman arrested after allegedly bringing marijuana into MSP (Dec. 7, 2002)
"A Kansas woman has been charged with a felony in Cole County for allegedly trying to take 22 balloons filled with marijuana to a convicted murderer at the Missouri State Penitentiary in Jefferson City."

Far right groups using heroin cash (Dec. 6, 2002)
"Far right political groups in the West Midlands are turning to drug running to fund their activities, it has been claimed."

Dr. Steven Hatfill Plans Suit Against FBI Over Anthrax Leaks (Dec. 6, 2002)
"It was also reported that Hatfill had written an unpublished novel on anthrax letters being sent to Congress—another blueprint of what actually happened. He said that in fact, it dealt with mad cow disease and other emerging infections and the FBI was the hero of the book. He said. 'Well, I’m busy rewriting the book.'" Hatfill also blames the press for how the FBI treated him, which seems odd considering it was apparently the FBI which tipped off the press in the first place.

Cannabis puts chef in a hot soup (Dec. 6, 2002)
"A former prisoner-of-war during the Bosnian conflict who found employment at a leading restaurant in Brunei was acquitted from a drugs charge that carried a penalty of 10 years imprisonment and $20,000 fine or both, but was instead served a $2000 fine and 2 months imprisonment in default by the High Court." This guy was caught with 0.214 grams of pot.

'1984' isn't such a fiction any more (Dec. 6, 2002)
"There is a world in which we are told how to think. Our very words are regulated by the government. The public is bombarded on a daily basis by slanted stories with new, invented words to help the government's agendas along. Sound like a fictitious world, like George Orwell's 1984? Well it's not. This is the world we live in."

I.N.S. Deporting 'Magic Dutch Boy' Rudi Dekkers (Dec. 6, 2002)
"The I.N.S. is acting to place the prime suspect in a wider-ranging 9/11 conspiracy investigation out of the reach of the Independent Investigation." Daniel Hopsicker has been following and reporting closely on disturbing behind-the-scenes spook activity in Florida before, during and after the Sept. 11 terror attacks, activity that seems to be continuing even today.

Spy Novel Lifestyle of the Dapper Pilot who Became Embroiled in Sinister Drugs World (Dec. 6, 2002)
"Devon drug dealer Christopher Barrett-Jolley led a lifestyle straight from the pages of a spy novel. The dapper 56-year-old pilot, who claims to have worked for both the British and American secret services, was yesterday found guilty at Basildon Crown Court of a drug deal conspiracy involving £22 million of cocaine."

From the Bronx, a drug ‘Empire’ (Dec. 6, 2002)
Here's a review of the new film Empire. It is amazing, but anti-drug propaganda seeps into even this type of "news" fare: "How far we can identify with any drug dealer is, hopefully, limited." Heaven forbid we actually consider dealers as human.

Melton's selection amazes experts (Dec. 6, 2002)
"'To be an effective administrator, you have to understand undercover operations, surveillance and the agent's role," [Georgia Bureau of Investigation spokesperson Vicki] Metz said. 'Anybody that deals with narcotics has to have enforcement experience.'" This goes to the heart of the US problem with drugs: prohibitionists have given themselves authority to rule on medical and social matters that should have nothing whatsoever to do with law enforcement.

Forum tackles race and drug use (Dec. 6, 2002)
"Viewing illicit drug use as a problem mainly for inner-city blacks is false and pernicious, participants agreed yesterday during an all-day forum organized by local attorneys. But would legalizing marijuana, heroin and cocaine benefit society and make the criminal justice system truly colorblind?"

U.S.: Homeland Security Renews Drug War (Dec. 6, 2002)
"The Department of Homeland Security's fight against terror will help revitalize the war on drugs, the U.S. drug czar said Thursday during a brief visit to Mexico." It will revitalize the money making potential of waging an endless war Drug Czar Walters means. "We need to stop sending hundreds of millions of dollars to brutal, violent groups in Mexico and Colombia and in our own country," said Walters in Mexico, ignoring the huge amounts of US taxdollars given to groups like the Northern Alliance to name but one group of terror-minded, cut-throat warlords amongst the hundreds over the years, who are now growing mad amounts of poppies in Afghanistan since the US helped them throw out the Taliban.

'Weedman' fails in effort to get out of jail (Dec. 6, 2002)
"The self-proclaimed 'New Jersey Weedman' headed back to jail yesterday after failing to gain approval for readmission into a stringent early parole program."

Drug czar says war on drugs is working (Dec. 6, 2002)
Craig Yaldoo, Michigan's Drug Czar, says the War on Some Drugs and Users is going well, but will never end. That sure is reassuring, if of course one is a narcotics cop or other prohibitionist enforcer whose income depends upon endless War.

Offer of help is music to campaigners’ ears (Dec. 6, 2002)
Viacom boss says he wants to help clean up Camden New Jersey.

Regional Cooperation Credited in War on Drugs (Dec. 6, 2002)
"Countries in the Western Hemisphere credit regional cooperation for recent progress in the Americas' war against illegal drugs. The upbeat assessment was made at a meeting of the Organization of American States' Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission."

Two arrested in marijuana theft (Dec. 6, 2002)
"Two McMinnville men were arrested Monday in connection with the theft last year of marijuana plants used by a registered medical marijuana user. The victim was hit again this fall by two men who shot him several times when he surprised them at his greenhouse."

New drugs mimic marijuana (Dec. 6, 2002)
"Pharmacologists have synthesized new drugs designed to take advantage of the potentially beneficial effects of the active substance in marijuana."

Marijuana Suspects Plead Guilty to Lesser Charges (Dec. 6, 2002)
Cops "missing" lots of the originally seized marijuana still managed to get these two suspects to plead guilty to lesser charges.

UA player arrested with 87 pounds of marijuana (Dec. 6, 2002)
"A University of Arizona football player has been arrested on felony drug trafficking charges after he was stopped in Illinois with 87 pounds of marijuana."

2 Trail Blazers plead innocent to marijuana possession (Dec. 6, 2002)
"Portland Trail Blazers Damon Stoudamire and Rasheed Wallace have pleaded innocent to misdemeanor marijuana possession charges related to a traffic stop in Washington state last month."

The Highest Patriotism Lies in Weaning U.S. From Fossil Fuels (Dec. 6, 2002)
"The Bush White House talks tough on military matters in the Middle East while remaining virtually silent about the long-term problem posed by U.S. dependence on fossil fuels. Failing to rein in our dependence on imported oil gives leverage to undemocratic and unstable regimes." In other words, buying and using oil supports terrorists, a lot more of them than does any buying and using of drugs legal and illegal.

Activists Accuse 'Drug Czar' of Illegal Campaigning (Dec. 6, 2002)
"The complaint, lodged with the US Office of Special Counsel (OSC), accuses Office of National Drug Control Policy Director John Walters with breaking a law preventing federal officials from using their office to campaign for or against state ballot initiatives."

Unabating War (Dec. 6, 2002)
"Originally declared by Richard Nixon on June 17, 1971, the War on Drugs has been an astonishing success. It pumps $600 per second into the economy from the federal government, creating jobs for DEA agents, informants and lawyers. It results in the construction of new prisons, and contributes to the development of new surveillance technologies."

Drug Prohibition Costs More Than It's Worth (Dec. 6, 2002)
"Once there was a terrorist who killed a lot of people and policemen. He was funded by the American prohibition of alcohol. His name was Al Capone. He didn't kill people because he was drunk; he killed them over the massive amounts of money made possible by prohibition."

US Photographer Arrested for Taking Pictures of Cheney's Hotel (Dec. 6, 2002)
The Secret Service told this guy he was a "raghead collaborator" and a "dirty pinko faggot," then told him he may be charged as a terrorist under the US Patriot Act. But don't worry, US citizens will never be targeted by these new laws.

Finding The Answer To Washington's Hottest Whodunit (Dec. 5, 2002)
"Everyone in D.C., it seems, is utterly baffled as to how an ugly little provision shielding pharmaceutical behemoth Eli Lilly from billions in lawsuits filed by the parents of autistic children made its way, in the 12th hour, into, of all things, the 475-page Homeland Security bill," reports Arianna Huffington in this latest broadside at the suspiciously corporate friendly US government.

American al-Qaida operatives can be killed (Dec. 5, 2002)
"American citizens working for al-Qaida overseas can legally be targeted and killed by the CIA under President Bush's rules for the war on terrorism, U.S. officials say."

War Against Illegal Drugs (Dec. 5, 2002)
"The streets of Wheeling Island have been cleared of 31 suspected drug dealers. A major battle in the war against illegal drugs has been won by law enforcement on Wheeling Island." A major battle won? At least until the next people who truly believe in the laws of supply and demand step up to the plate and fill the shoes of these arrested dealers and users.

As long as drugs are illegal the problem won't go away (Dec. 5, 2002)
"Addicts should be given drugs free so they don't have to mug and burgle."

Oakland to Fight Crime in Drug Homes (Dec. 5, 2002)
"Oakland leaders are taking the city's war on drugs from the streets into some houses. Drug houses, that is."

US help urged in Afghan drugs war (Dec. 5, 2002)
"The call came amid rising concern in Whitehall that the continuing activity of Afghan warlords, who control most of the heroin trade into Europe, is hampering government efforts to tackle hard drugs."

Rights groups: Military trying to bury "dirty war" case (Dec. 5, 2002)
"The Army announced in October military courts would prosecute generals Francisco Quirós and Arturo Acosta both recently convicted of drug trafficking - for the murders of 143 leftist activists between 1975 and 1979."

Melton tapped to be Miss. drug czar (Dec. 5, 2002)
"Frank Melton, chief executive officer of the TV-3 Inc. Foundation, was named director of the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics Wednesday."

His Majesty takes aim at drugs (Dec. 5, 2002)
Waging War on Some Drugs and Users are the primary scapegoat used to divert attention from real societal ills, even in Thailand.

Powell to Recommend More Colombian Aid (Dec. 5, 2002)
"Pleased by signs Colombia is making progress spraying cocaine crops, Secretary of State Colin Powell will recommend the United States grant more aid to the war-torn country, a U.S. official said Wednesday."

Time for You to Join the War on Drugs (Dec. 5, 2002)
"The 24-hour line is being manned by Bath police and is a confidential way for people to inform investigators of any drugs-related activity they see or know about." Ratting out, or tattling on one's neighbors is a favorite tactic of prohibitionists.

Local, national groups call for end to ‘war on drugs’ (Dec. 5, 2002)
"After 20 years on opposite sides of a war that has cost over $1 trillion in 30 years, with millions of casualties on both sides, the two men, and many more around the country, are pursuing campaigns to decriminalize illicit drugs."

New hope for the excluded middle (II) (Dec. 5, 2002)
"Oh, yeah: The War on Some Drugs costs a bundle and doesn't work at all."

War on drugs stepped up (Dec. 5, 2002)
"The war on drugs is being stepped up a gear with hard drugs like heroin and crack cocaine the targets. The new strategy will also include tougher penalties for those who supply drugs and more money to help treat addicts."

SF researcher says no to war on drugs (Dec. 5, 2002)
"Patt Denning is director of clinical services and research with the Harm Reduction Therapy Center in San Francisco. In her words -- 'Drug prohibition is what causes the greatest harm, not drugs.'"

Outside View: Marijuana policy fails youth (Dec. 5, 2002)
"The decision to restart the campaign -- which has already spent some $2 billion in taxpayer dollars and matching funds to buy print and television ads demonizing marijuana -- came despite a federal review that found teens were more likely to use pot after seeing the government's public service announcements. Reviewers called the results the worst ever recorded in the history of public health campaigns."

Taking Their Hits (Dec. 5, 2002)
"The NBA is going to pot. But so are the NFL and Major League Baseball. Does a week go by nowadays without an athlete getting busted for marijuana possession?"

Patient receives federal marijuana to quell chronic pain (Dec. 5, 2002)
"Bradley Nowell of the band Sublime sang of smoking two joints in the morning and smoking two joints at night. George Mcmahon, a medicinal marijuana user, smokes 300 pre-rolled joints a month and it is perfectly legal."

Police arrest drug trafficker, confiscate 1.8 kgs of marijuana (Dec. 5, 2002)
"Taipei police arrested an alleged drug dealer and confiscated 1.8 kilograms of marijuana and 6,300 Ecstasy pills from his residence yesterday at Taipei's Yungho City."

Prairie Grove Man Indicted On Marijuana Charge (Dec. 5, 2002)
"A federal grand jury indicted a Prairie Grove man Wednesday for growing more than 100 marijuana plants, the prosecutor for the Western District of Arkansas announced Wednesday."

Colorado man charged after patrol dog finds marijuana (Dec. 5, 2002)
"Relford refused the trooper's request to search the rented 2003 Dodge Intrepid, so patrol dog Max and his handler, trooper Mike Korte, were called, Kolb said."

Uncle Sam Wants Your Kid (Dec. 5, 2002)
"A little-noticed provision in a new federal education law is requiring high schools to hand over to military recruiters some key information about its juniors and seniors: name, address and phone number."

Santa Rosa issues resolution supporting medical pot (Dec. 4, 2002)
"Santa Rosa's City Council on Tuesday joined a small but growing chorus of California cities supporting the medicinal use of marijuana. But the council didn't go as far as Sebastopol, which urged its police force not to cooperate with federal drug agents."

Judge orders police to give back medicinal marijuana (Dec. 4, 2002)
"Hoping to set a precedent for future cases, a judge ruled Tuesday that the San Luis Obispo Police Department must return 8.2 grams of pot it confiscated from a medical marijuana patient."

Kids Deluded by Prohibition Rant Against Supposed Dangers of Pot (Dec. 4, 2002)
"Marijuana should not be viewed as less threatening than drugs such as Ecstasy or cocaine. Today's marijuana is more potent than it was in the late 1970s and early '80s, and it remains the most widely used drug by teens. (Sixty percent of teens in drug-treatment programs are hooked on pot.) It may also be a "gateway" that leads to experimentation with other substances." This Reefer Madness article's last assertion is directly contradicted by a recent RAND report thouroughly debunked the Gateway theory of pot use, as was the fallacious notion that pot is any more potent today than that used in the 70s and 80s by Daniel Forbes recently.

Strict Romanian drug laws snare Czech (Dec. 4, 2002)
"Student caught smoking marijuana cigarette faces three-year prison sentence." The editor of DrugWar.com never thought he's think that US anti-drug laws are liberal, but compared to Romania, US prohibition is almost sane.

Asset forfeiture ass-backwards (Dec. 4, 2002)
"And in other news ... the War on Drugs is ripping up the Constitution, endangering American liberty and encouraging law enforcement officers to act like bandits. The unpleasant ramifications of the War on Drugs are too numerous for one column, but the area of asset forfeiture deserves special consideration."

Military Seeks Student Data From Schools (Dec. 4, 2002)
"A little-noticed provision in a new federal education law is requiring high schools to hand over to military recruiters some key information about its juniors and seniors: name, address and phone number."

Tons of marijuana seized at border bridge (Dec. 4, 2002)
"Monday night's 6,428-pound load was found in 356 bundles, dispersed throughout a load of brake master cylinders and switchboards. A drug-sniffing dog alerted to the scent during a truck inspection, the officials said."

Expos Bullpen Catcher Fined for Marijuana (Dec. 4, 2002)
"Expos bullpen catcher Carlos Luis Perez was fined $5,000 Tuesday after pleading guilty to charges of marijuana possession with intent to export."

Innocent plea entered for Evans on marijuana possession (Dec. 4, 2002)
"Evans, 21, was arrested Nov. 1 in the village of Ridgeway after police stopped him for a traffic violation. Officers found a bag of marijuana and two blunts - hollowed-out cigars refilled with marijuana - in his car, according to a police report."

Prosecutor Recommends Community Service, Counseling for Winona (Dec. 3, 2002)
"Winona Ryder should do community service, get drug and psychiatric counseling and pay $26,000 in fines and restitution for stealing from a Saks Fifth Avenue, a prosecutor said, revealing the actress possessed eight narcotics at the time of her arrest."

Aide to Pennsylvania's Incoming Governor Faces Drug and Endangerment Charges (Dec. 3, 2002)
"Breslin worked for Rendell's election campaign for about a year. Ken Snyder, a spokesman for Rendell, said there were no indications during that time that Breslin was using illegal drugs. 'To the contrary, he was a really model employee,' Snyder said."

Powell Visits Colombia Seeking Counterdrug Support (Dec. 3, 2002)
"With significant support from the United States, Colombia may have turned a corner in its efforts to eradicate coca in the country's principal growing region, U.S. officials said."

Blunkett criticised over cannabis possession law (Dec. 3, 2002)
"David Blunkett has been accused of sending out mixed signals over the law on cannabis after it emerged that despite the drug's downgrading, anyone in possession could still face arrest."

Cannabis test futile says road campaigner (Dec. 3, 2002)
"...Mr Rossiter said it was difficult to prove whether cannabis affected a person's driving."

Marijuana not gateway drug (Dec. 3, 2002)
"Warnings about the danger of marijuana as a gateway drug have been dealt a blow by a new study that concludes that it does not lead to experimentation with harder drugs like heroin and cocaine."

MPP Declares War on Drug Czar's Illegal Campaigning (Dec. 3, 2002)
"MPP's Executive Director Robert Kampia and Director of Government Relations Steve Fox will discuss the complaint at a noon press conference on December 4. At that time, MPP will also release a letter to the Nevada Secretary of State's office alleging that John Walters illegally campaigned against Question 9 without properly reporting his activities to the state, as required by Nevada's campaign finance law."

The Bush dynasty and the Cuban criminals (Dec. 3, 2002)
"The brother of President George Bush, the Florida governor, Jeb Bush, has been instrumental in securing the release from prison of militant Cuban exiles convicted of terrorist offences, according to a new book."

Three Reagan-era hard-liners return to help run Bush's foreign policy team (Dec. 3, 2002)
"They were key figures in the Iran-Contra scandal and U.S.-backed "dirty wars" in Central America in the 1980s. Now Otto Reich, Elliot Abrams and John Negroponte are back, helping run White House policy toward Latin America."

Synthetic Marijuana May Ease Depression (Dec. 3, 2002)
"A distant chemical relative of marijuana may hold the promise of relieving depression and anxiety without the negative side effects of a marijuana high." Negative side effects of a marijuana high? They can't possibly be anywhere near as bad, if they even exist, as the negative side effects of an alcohol high, could they?

Homeland Security Act: The Rise of the American Police State (Part 1 of a Three Part Series) (Dec. 3, 2002)
"The Act, furthermore, promotes the creation of what one senator once called 'a global security system' controlled by the United States, not to mention a budding police state in America."

MIT faces criticism on missile test study (Dec. 3, 2002)
"Though researchers at the university's Lexington-based Lincoln Laboratory said sensors in the missile defense system worked as the manufacturer claimed, investigators later found that the sensors could not have worked properly, and critics have said MIT participated in a coverup."

A new pot of gold (Dec. 3, 2002)
"The number of medicinal marijuana cardholders in The City has skyrocketed in the past year, pumping millions of dollars into a poorly regulated industry and leading to accusations of cutthroat business practices among cannabis clubs." This report makes little sense when taking into account the fact that the GAO reported last week that Few patients use marijuana as medicine.

What price virtue? (Analysis of corporate scandals since Enron collapse) (Dec. 3, 2002)
"Rarely has corporate America been held in such low regard. We now know that books were cooked at Enron, WorldCom, Qwest Communications and others. We have long known that boardroom pay in the Anglo-American world had ballooned regardless of corporate performance. Infectious greed, in the memorable phrase of Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan, has enjoyed free rein."

The Week Online With DRCNet, issue #265 (Dec. 2, 2002)
All sorts of news and updates this week, plus the ever informative Reformers' Calendar.

US bank is fined over dirty money (Broadway National Bank) (Dec. 2, 2002)
"A US district court on Wednesday slapped a $4m (£2.5m) fine on a small New York bank for not alerting the US government to a two-year series of transactions in which more than $123m in drug money was laundered through the bank." A fine? Weren't they profiting off the drug trade? Why'd they not face asset forfeiture proceedings, and why'd they only have to pay a $4 million dollar fine for laundering $123 million in drug profits?

Colombian Reporter Tells All- To US Press (Dec. 2, 2002-4th title down page)
"Colombian journalist Ignacio Gomez told a roomful of America's most influential journalists Tuesday how Washington-supported Colombian president Alvaro Uribe is connected to drug traffickers and how U.S. military trainers helped organize a massacre in his country."

Potent Swiss pot threatens decriminalisation law (Dec. 2, 2002)
"A study conducted by a Swiss consumer watchdog showing Swiss cannabis had up to 28 percent of the euphoria-producing active ingredient tetra-hydro cannabinol (THC) has alarmed politicians and health officials and threatens to derail liberalisation."

Cannabis Blamed for Fatal Stabbing (Dec. 2, 2002)
Yet another article straight from the Reefer Madness handbook.

Pot culture alive and well in the Netherlands (Dec. 2, 2002)
"Pioneers of the Dutch marijuana culture are celebrating what they call decades of progressive drug policies in the Netherlands."

Cannabis in yams led to time in jail (Dec. 2, 2002)
"Defence counsel Paul Casey said Bernard had an IQ of 55 and was an easy target for others to manipulate...Bernard tried to take his own life on remand in Belmarsh Prison and remains a high suicide risk."

Is compassionate use of cannabis on the horizon in Ohio? (Dec. 2, 2002)
"Ohio is not among the group of states -- Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Nevada, Oregon and Washington -- that have similar laws that permit the medical use and cultivation of marijuana."

Trends in drug battle indicate some success (Dec. 2, 2002)
Success is in the eyes of the beholder.

Slaying inquest focuses on marijuana (Dec. 2, 2002)
Cops are seeking any information that may help them catch the murderer of this "kindly" man who sold small amounts of marijuana to friends.

Effects of marijuana not so cut and dry (Dec. 2, 2002)
"It's important to note that punitive marijuana laws have little, if any, deterrent value," writes Robert Sharpe in this letter to the editors at the Colorado State Collegian.

''Medical marijuana'' pioneer fears for future (Dec. 2, 2002)
Not sure why the medical marijuana is in quotations, but that's how it reads at the top of this article about Irvin Rosenfeld, one of 7 legal US medical marijuana users who have their pot supplied by the US government.

Marijuana's Distant Relative May Be The Next Prozac; Chemical Reduces Anxiety Using Novel Nerve System In Body (Dec. 2, 2002)
"While marijuana relieves anxiety by working on the same system, laboratory rats given the new drugs don't seem to suffer the side effects produced by THC, marijuana's active ingredient."

Keeping Track (Dec. 2, 2002)
Russ KIck has gathered together a list of links to all sorts of useful information the curious citizens may want to know about, such as which Fortune 500 companies have laid off workers, when the last bombing of Iraq took place, the amounts of money spent on US Drug Prohibition, and tons more.

Police say man had 14 bags of marijuana (Dec. 2, 2002)
"Police said Johnson's car was heading north on Route 130 when an officer who saw fictitious license plates on the vehicle stopped it at 8:52 p.m.. A search revealed the marijuana, police said."

The New American Freedom Fighters (Dec. 1, 2002)
"Organizing Against General Ashcroft"

Arrests in Hunt For Colombian Killers (Dec. 1, 2002)
"Colombian police say they have captured three alleged rebels accused of murdering three United States Native American rights activists three years ago." At the same time, press reports note that a Colombian Far-Right Militia [the AUC] Declares Truce.

Medical Marijuana's Effect on Crime Discounted (Nov. 30, 2002)
"Law enforcement officials in four of the states that allow medical use of marijuana say the laws have had minimal impact on crime-fighting, although they at times complicate prosecution of drug cases, a congressional report said yesterday," reports the Washington Post. Read the Government Accounting Office report here (Need Adbobe Reader). See Law officers' views mixed on medical marijuana laws for yet more news about the new GAO report about medical marijuana and its effects on law enforcement.