America's Abu Ghraibs (May 31, 2004)
"None of the prisoners named in the lawsuit were accused of any improper behavior during the course of the raid. The suit charged that the inmates' constitutional rights had been violated and sought compensation for the pain, suffering, humiliation and degradation they had been subjected to. Fat chance."

Can Prints Lie? Yes, Man Finds to His Dismay (May 31, 2004-Free NYTimes registration required)
"When the police fingerprinted Mr. Sanchez, then 33, they wrongly placed the prints on a card that bore the name, Social Security number and other data for Leo Rosario, a 21-year-old Manhattan man who had been arrested the night before on charges that he had sold a bag of cocaine to a police informer, Mr. Sillery wrote."

Missing: A Laptop of DEA Informants (May 31, 2004)
"Federal investigators are frantically trying to determine what happened to a missing laptop computer that contains sensitive data on as many as 100 Drug Enforcement Administration investigations around the country, including a wealth of information about many of the agency's confidential informants, Newsweek has learned."

The Great Escape (June 1, 2004-Free NYTimes registration required)
The NYTimes is questioning why the Bush administration allowed flights of Saudi citizens to fly out of the US just after the Sept. 11 attacks, flights which included Bin Laden family members.

The Paper Trail (May 31, 2004)
In case anyone is still wondering at this late date, it appears that Vice President Dick Cheney is a lying dirtbag warmongering greedhead.

Army finds Tillman probably killed by friendly fire (May 29, 2004)
It now appears that "Hero" Pat Tillman wasn't killed by nasty, pesky terrorists at all, but rather but our own US troops. This puts the final insult into the injury of Tillman's giving up the chance to really do some good in the world when he decided to instead take up arms in Bush's lie-based wars.

Banning criticism of government (May 29, 2004)
"This wasn't supposed to happen here...When the first intimation came, over a year ago, that there was a plot afoot by some anti-drug warriors to create laws designed to prosecute and punish groups or individuals who disseminate opinions that oppose official government drug policies, many of us thought it was an exaggeration -- perhaps some misinterpretation by an excessively worried libertarian. Now we learn of the first attempt to limit the public messages of those who support reform of current drug laws and challenge certain strategies of the failed 'War on Drugs.'"

$226 Million in Govt Ads Helped Pave the Way for War (May 29, 2004)
"With $69 million worth of ads, said the Ad Council, the U.S. Army's 'Operation Graduation' came in second, and the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy came in third at $65 million – though it's a misnomer to term its ads 'donated.'"

Report: 1 of Every 75 U.S. Men in Prison (May 29, 2004)
Don't forget kids, this is the land of free brave people. Unfortunately, many of the most free and brave thinkers among them are locked up in prisons and jails, a large proportion of them for drug offenses.

Afghanistan Heading For Record Opium Crops (May 28, 2004)
"The United Nations counter-narcotics chief is heading this weekend to Afghanistan, where concern is growing that the 2004 opium crop may reach record levels, topping last year's 3,600 tons produced."

Anti-drug ads can boomerang, study discovers (May 28, 2004)
"Even worse, the ads may actually prompt some teens to experiment with drugs -- a reaction diametrically opposite of what was intended by the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy."

Drug dealer not guilty in ecstasy-coma trial (May 28, 2004)
"Jurors convicted Cubilette of conspiring to sell the drug. But they were unconvinced that Kathleen Palumbo's life-threatening reaction was caused by the substance known as MDMA."

U.S. Lengthens the List of Diseases Linked to Smoking (May 28, 2004)
Meanwhile, marijuana remains illegal.

History lesson: GOP must stop Bush (May 28, 2004)
"Ultimately, Richard Nixon left office voluntarily because courageous leaders of the Republican Party put principle above party and acted with heroism in defense of the Constitution and rule of law." So where are those heroic Republicans, not to mention Democrats today?

Rights Eroded in War on Terrorism, Amnesty Says (May 27, 2004)
"The Bush administration has 'openly eroded human rights' to win the war on terrorism and sparked a backlash that has made the world more dangerous, Amnesty International charged yesterday." Imagine how much damage has been done by the much longer-running War on Some Drugs and Users.

U.S. war policy 'grave error' (May 27, 2004)
"One of the ideological architects [Richard Perle, adviser to U.S. Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld] of the Iraq war has criticized the U.S.-led occupation of the country as 'a grave error.'"

Ruling Upholds Oregon Law Authorizing Assisted Suicide (May 27, 2004-Free NYTimes registration required)
"A federal appeals court yesterday upheld the only law in the nation authorizing doctors to help their terminally ill patients commit suicide."

Occupation Made World Less Safe, Pro-War Institute Says (May 27, 2004)
Really? This is news?

Abuse of Captives More Widespread, Says Army Survey (May 27, 2004)
It seems those 6 or 7 US National Guard MPs, the ones Ascroft et al were saying were alone in committing these horrific war crimes, were running back and forth from prison to prison committing atrocities and war crimes against prisoners...oh, hold on, that's not right. It seems rather that a whole bunch more US troops were involved in abusing and torturing prisoners than some would like us to believe. Considering how US prisons are run here in the United States, why is anyone surprised at the brutality against foreign prisoners abroad in US-run prisons?

Chalabi 'Boasted of Iranian Spy Link' (May 27, 2004)
"He was Washington's favourite Iraqi, a prized intelligence source and a dream post-Saddam leader. Now his former CIA masters are rubbishing him, saying he helped Iran trick the US into war. No one, says Iraq expert Andrew Cockburn, should be surprised." Chalabi received more than $33 million in U.S. taxpayers' money, still getting paid by the CIA right up to a couple of weeks ago, yet the stories of his shady past and troubling ties to Iran have been known for years. What in the hell has been going on here?

Bush Has Humiliated Us (May 27, 2004)
"How dare the incompetent and willful members of this Bush/Cheney Administration humiliate our nation and our people in the eyes of the world and in the conscience of our own people. How dare they subject us to such dishonor and disgrace. How dare they drag the good name of the United States of America through the mud of Saddam Hussein's torture prison." Boring and completely lackluster during the 2000 Presidential campaign, Al Gore is now on fire over the Bush administration's total lack of morals and intelligence.

California Moves to Reign-In Prison Guards' Union (May 26, 2004)
"California's prison guards union was once one of the most feared forces in state politics, using its money, connections and go-for-the-jugular instincts to reward friends and punish enemies. That may have changed last week."

Cold Turkey (May 26, 2004)
Kurt Vonnegut lets loose with his views on current states of affairs, and addiction.

. . Bring Back the Skeptical Press (May 25, 2004)
To anyone who has spent any time at all reading about the US war on some drugs and users, the idea of a skeptical press is weird, in that the USA mainstream press tends to lap up whatever lies and distortions the prohibitionists dish out. Why is anyone surprised the mainstream press would react in the same lapdog manner to the stated reasons for the Iraq (or insert your own war here) war?

"Just as Every Cop Needs a Criminal" The Secret History of the War on Drugs (May 24, 2004)
"Corruption, addiction and murder on a large and small scale. This is the story that Douglas Valentine chronicles in his new book The Strength of the Wolf: The Secret History of America's War on Drugs (Verso, 2004)."

Michael Moore's Candid Camera (May 23, 2004-Free NYTimes registration required)
The editor of DrugWar.com is not going to bullshit here-he hopes with all his heart that Michael Moore's newest film will help shoot big gaping holes in the hull of Bush's Ship of State and help kick Bush and all his murderous supporters right the hell out of office and our lives-and maybe even into prison somewhere.

So-called "toughest sheriff" meekly turns in badge (May 23, 2004)
"For nearly a decade, Hege made himself the larger-than-life embodiment of law enforcement in Davidson County. He marketed himself as the 'toughest sheriff in America,' requiring inmates in his jail to spend their days in pink jail cells under 24-hour lockdown with no televisions." This tough guy is under house arrest now.

8 Detroit police officers acquitted of corruption charges (May 23, 2004)
"Ron Scott, a spokesman for the Detroit Coalition Against Police Brutality, called the acquittals 'outrageous...These officers have dishonored their oath by falsifying reports, abusing citizens, and disregarding the U.S. Constitution, and by all rights should never have the right to use their power over citizens again,' the coalition said."

Malden police officer charged in drug bust (May 23, 2004)
"Malden Police Officer David Jordan, 43, of Stoneham was arrested and charged with being in possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, according to a federal complaint."

Feds Bust Two Philidelphia Drug Gangs (May 23, 2004)
"Imam Shamsud-Din Ali, a central figure in the city corruption probe, was picked up on an FBI wiretap talking with two alleged cocaine traffickers who were among 27 named in two federal drug indictments yesterday."

Peru blocks British journalist from leaving (May 23, 2004)
"AeroContinente founder Fernando Zevallos has filed a slander suit against [British journalist Sally Bowen] for including in her book, El Espia Imperfecto (The Imperfect Spy), testimony from a witness who said former intelligence chief Vladimiro Montesinos made alliances with drug traffickers, allegedly including the Peruvian businessman."

Report Links U.S. General to Iraq Prison Abuse Case (May 23, 2004)
"A lawyer for a soldier charged in the Abu Ghraib abuse case said a captain at the Iraqi prison has charged that Army Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez was present during some unspecified 'interrogations and/or allegations of the prisoner abuse,' The Washington Post reported on Sunday."

Exporting Abuse? (May 22, 2004)
"A number of former state prison commissioners chosen by the Bush administration to establish a prison system in Iraq left their old posts after allegations of neglect, brutality and inmate deaths, an investigation by ABCNEWS has found."

Exporting America's Prison Problems (May 22, 2004)
Chilling connections between the prison abuse scandal in Iraq and our own horrific, scandalous prison system here in the US.

Fallback strategy for teens who say yes to drugs (May 22, 2004)
"The recent death of a 14-year-old girl from Belmont who had taken the drug ecstasy has shocked and surprised the Bay Area. Especially disturbing is that, in the opinion of San Mateo County coroner Robert Foucrault, Irma Perez's life could have been saved with professional intervention."

Afghan Government Concedes It Includes Traffickers (May 22, 2004)
"As the Afghan opium crop moves toward another record harvest this year, and US officials warn darkly that the trade is filling the coffers of the Taliban and Al Qaeda, a high official of the US-backed Afghan government of Hamid Karzai has admitted that the traffickers and their supporters are part of the regime."

House OKs bill to let U.S. soldiers guard border (May 22, 2004)
"Rep. Silvestre Reyes, D-El Paso, who spent 26 years with the U.S. Border Patrol and opposed the amendment, said it was 'simply the wrong solution to our current problems along the border.'"

Global Marijuana Movement (May 21, 2004)
"Stymied by a Liberal government that dismisses change to Canada's marijuana laws-saying they would be going against UN treaties and 'international obligations'-the national marijuana movement is slowly sowing its own seeds to overgrow the rest of the world."

It's Cool to Get High (May 21, 2004)
"Long gone are the days when smoking dope was limited to an underclass of weedy, patchouli-laden advocates. The city, if not the nation, is now ripe for catching the buzz."

Ex-FBI Lab Worker Guilty, Falsified DNA (May 21, 2004)
"A former biologist in the FBI laboratory pleaded guilty Tuesday to submitting falsified DNA analysis reports in over 100 cases."

Stage Set for Legal Showdown Over Pot (May 19, 2004)
"A pair of medical marijuana patients won legal protection Tuesday against arrest and federal prosecution, setting the stage for a U.S. Supreme Court showdown to determine whether states can allow cannabis to be used as medicine."

Should cowboy Bush ride into the sunset? (May 19, 2004)
"As a former combat infantryman in World War II, I've always believed we must fully support our troops. Reluctantly, I now believe the best way to support troops in Iraq is to bring them home, starting with the 'hand-over' on June 30."

Whistleblower removed from job for talking to the press (May 19, 2004)
"A whistleblower who uncovered evidence that major drug companies sought to influence government officials has been removed from his job and placed on administrative leave."

Enron Tapes Hint Chiefs Knew About Power Ploys (May 19, 2004)
"Enron Corp. employees spoke of "stealing" up to $2 million a day from California during the 2000-01 energy crisis...The evidence of apparent scheming - in one recorded conversation, traders brag about taking money from "Grandma Millie" in California - is in a filing by a utility in Snohomish County, Wash."

The War on Drugs is a War on Doctors (May 18, 2004)
"When we talk about the federal war on drugs, most people conjure up visions of sinister South American drug cartels or violent urban street gangs. The emerging face of the drug war, however, is not a gangster or a junkie: It’s your friendly personal physician in a white coat."

Vermont's top cop says drug war a failure (May 18, 2004)
"Public Safety Commissioner Kerry Sleeper, a 27-year veteran of the Vermont State Police, said the solution to the state's growing drug problem is more education and treatment for people with drug problems."

Federal Judge Sees Little Progress in Drug War (May 18, 2004)
"Fergeson told a San Antonio civic group that the continued war on drugs is spawning disrespect for the law and placing the 'foundations of our democracy' in danger."

Methadone - the best of a bad road? (May 17, 2004)
"Addicts have likened it to liquid handcuffs. Clinicians say if it was a treatment for heart disease there would be no waiting lists. Nikki Macdonald looks at the benefits and pitfalls of the methadone programme. Is it a worthy scheme to prevent drug-related crime or a bottomless pit of state-sponsored addiction?"

Spending soars for kids' behavior drugs (May 17, 2004)
"As more children pop pills for attention deficit and other behavior disorders, new figures show spending on those drugs has for the first time edged out the cost of antibiotics and asthma medications for kids."

Kicking the Habit in New York (May 17, 2004-Free NYTimes registration required)
"After a decade of only limited progress, New York City has just recorded an 11 percent decline in the number of adults who smoke, in little more than a year." This was accomplished without a single person being incarcerated for smoking cigarettes.

The Dark Side of America (May 17, 2004-Free NYTimes registration required)
"The sickening pictures of American troops humiliating Iraqi prisoners have led inevitably to questions about the standards of treatment in the corrections system at home, which has grown tenfold over the last 30 years and now jails people at eight times the rate of France and six times the rate of Canada."

Drug Traffickers Find Haiti a Hospitable Port (May 16, 2004-Free NYTimes registration required)
"...since the departure of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide on Feb. 29, investigators, diplomats and government officials here describe emerging evidence of a state so riddled with drug money that it touched even the presidential palace, through Mr. Aristide's chief of security."

Sri Lanka to Legalise Cannabis (May 15, 2004)
"Sri Lanka plans to lift a ban on growing cannabis and begin government cultivation of the plant, which is a key ingredient in traditional medicine, a minister was quoted saying today."

Search engines take the stand (May 15, 2004)
"Fifteen years after his trial, a convicted drug dealer in New York state belatedly got a chance to clear his name--thanks in part to an Internet search."

Exporting America's Prison Problems (May 14, 2004)
"The Justice Department won't comment on why it chose McCotter, whose company has been hounded by well-publicized and ongoing healthcare, security and personnel problems at many of the thirteen prisons it operates in the United States, Australia and Canada."

Civilian Complaint Review Board Cites Improper Police Strip Searches (May 13, 2004-Free NYTimes registration required)
"The board said it undertook the study because it determined in January that strip search complaints were substantiated roughly twice as often as other complaints it investigates. They include the use of excessive force and offensive language, discourtesy and other types of abuse of authority."

An ugly prison record (May 13, 2004)
"Given the way it treats its own inmates, America shouldn't be shocked at the abuse of Iraqis. For a nation founded on slavery and genocide, Americans retain an astonishingly enduring faith in their continuing righteousness. They are sounding this note again as the prison torture scandal continues in Iraq."

America's Rape Rooms (May 12, 2004)
"Such abuse runs rampant throughout America's prison system, where prisoners are routinely raped, tortured, beaten and humiliated by guards employing brutality to enforce order."

Torture in Iraq and Chile: The US Connection (May 12, 2004)
"Different times, different continents, but one common element though, for it was the United States that trained Latin-American officers to wage a dirty war in the 60’s and 70’s."

Court Hears Arguments on Metro Drug Ads (May 12, 2004)
"Opening arguments were presented in a lawsuit over ads on buses and trains that advocated marijuana reform. The judge's decision in the case could impact the types of advertisements that can be displayed by federally funded transit systems, the Washington Post reported April 29."

Secret World of U.S. Interrogation (May 12, 2004)
"All told, more than 9,000 people are held by U.S. authorities overseas, according to Pentagon figures and estimates by intelligence experts, the vast majority under military control."

Can Rumsfeld Save Torture Lite? (May 11, 2004)
"The hypocrisy is galling, and the rest of us - soldiers and civilians alike - will pay for it should we fall into enemy hands. The Geneva Conventions do not enforce themselves. Americans can expect humane treatment only if our enemies can expect it from us."

Welcome to the Gulag (May 11, 2004)
"Psychiatric professionals have managed to convince us that without pharmaceutical intervention most of us would be sad, depressed, hyperactive, psychotic zombies. With their help, they promise, we can all get through this thing called 'life'." The courts and police are going right along with them, insisting they have the right to forcibly medicate suspects to make them "sane" enough to stand trial.

Liberals prepared to allow marijuana bill to die (May 10, 2004)
"The federal election will kill the bill to decriminalize marijuana, leaving one of Jean Chrýtien's legacy issues out in the cold and pot smokers still facing potential jail terms, government insiders say."

9/11 and the Media - some thoughts (May 10, 2004)
"Many Americans strangely persist in believing that they have a free press. Making matters worse, most Americans get their news from TV." This is an interesting discussion on how the US mainstream media has handled many puzzling questions about the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. With lots of links to further information and news, this site is well worth a visit.

Simulated Prison in '71 Showed a Fine Line Between `Normal' and `Monster' (May 10, 2004-Free NYTimes registration required)
"Within days the 'guards' had become swaggering and sadistic, to the point of placing bags over the prisoners' heads, forcing them to strip naked and encouraging them to perform sexual acts."

A letter to the Peace and Justice movement from Ed Asner (May 10, 2004)
"I would like to suggest to you emphatically that the 9-11 truth movement is the most pressing issue of the peace & justice movement today. Here is why. 9-11 has been used to justify "endless war" and a continual rollback in civil liberties that seems to have no end in sight. Yet, 9-11 remains the least examined tragedy in modern American history."

Greens call for Independent 9/11 Probe led by Family Members (May 10, 2004)
"The number of unanswered questions and the White House's secrecy and obstruction surrounding 9/11 demand a real investigation, not the current compromised inquiry. We owe that to the family members and to all Americans."

A trip to 'Vansterdam' (May 9, 2004)
"The laid-back attitude about marijuana use in Vancouver, B.C., contrasts starkly with the position of U.S. officials, who report a growing problem with drug smuggling from the province."

Grand jury focuses on war against drugs (May 9, 2004)
Christian County, Kentucky wants more stricter war and punishments for its druggies.

The Zapatistas Reject the War on Drugs (May 9, 2004)
"Mexican Police and Army Grow and Smuggle Marijuana, While the Indigenous Rebels Don’t Touch Drugs or Alcohol."

Seattle area revitalized with help from program (May 9, 2004)
"Then, in an episode that has since taken on nearly mythic qualities, police asked the people who lived in Central for advice. Their response: Arrest the drug buyers, said Seattle assistant police chief Harry Bailey, then in charge of the Central operations. In the spring and summer of 1993, police arrested scores of predominantly white, suburban commuters driving or busing to the neighborhood to buy cocaine and other illegal drugs."

Order Favors Group Seeking Nevada Expense Report From Drug Czar (May 9, 2004)
"The Nevada Supreme Court has told Secretary of State Dean Heller to explain why he didn't move against federal drug czar John Walters for failing to file expense reports when campaigning against a 2002 marijuana legalization initiative."

Denial feeds drug scene in suburbs (May 9, 2004)
"Indeed, a recent study by the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research quantified what probation officers and law enforcement officers have long known: The prevalence of drug use in suburban high schools is virtually identical to that in urban schools."

Politicians taking moral high ground? (May 9, 2004)
"L.A., California go overboard on anti-smoking campaigns."

Setback for State, Federal Pain Pill Offensive: Florida Prescription Monitoring Bill Dies in House (May 9, 2004)
"A bill to allow the electronic monitoring of patients' prescriptions championed by Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and the federal drug war establishment as a model for other states was withdrawn from consideration in the Florida House April 30 when it became apparent that it did not have enough votes to pass."

Nation Pays Huge Bill for Criminal Justice System -- $167 Billion a Year, Says Justice Department (May 9, 2004)
"While the BJS report did not address the role of drug prohibition in generating the massive spending, drug law enforcement contributes a sizeable share of that figure with about 1.5 million drug arrests nationwide in 2001 and drug offenders making up roughly one-quarter of all inmates in the nation's jails and prisons."

"We're Talking About Rape and Murder Here" (May 8, 2004)
"'The American public needs to understand, we're talking about rape and murder here,' he said. 'We're not just talking about giving people a humiliating experience; we're talking about rape and murder and some very serious charges.'''

More Mad Cow Mischief (May 8, 2004-Free NYTimes registration required)
"The federal Department of Agriculture is making it hard for anyone to feel confident that the nation is adequately protected against mad cow disease. At a time when the department should be bending over backward to reassure consumers, it keeps taking actions that suggest more concern with protecting the financial interests of the beef industry than with protecting public health."

Private Contractors and Torture at Abu Ghraib, Iraq (May 8, 2004)
"Two private military contractors are being investigated for their role in torture allegations at the Abu Ghraib prison, Iraq: CACI from Arlington, Virginia, and Titan of San Diego, California." As noted previously here at DrugWar.com, the use of torture against prisoners is a time-honored American tradition, as reported today by the NYTimes, particularly against our own drug using population, so the extent of the outrage amongst U.S. media and politicians about the abusive treatment of Iraqi prisoners puzzles the editor, especially considering the U.S. is currently bombing and shooting to death Iraqi citizens in military actions across the country.

My Life as a Guard (May 7, 2004-Free NYTimes registration required)
"The nations of the world, including America, were nearly unanimous that such atrocities should never be allowed to be visited upon anybody again, anywhere. But here we see the faces of the American torturers of wartime prisoners — and they seem to be having a pretty good time. And the victims of this torture, it should not surprise us, are hooded and . . . faceless."

Sketch artist is first defense witness (May 7, 2004)
"Remember 'John Doe Number Two?' That's how an unidentified suspect in the Oklahoma City bombing came to be known. The FBI released a sketch of a muscular, dark-skinned individual who may have been with Timothy McVeigh at the body shop in Kansas where the Ryder truck used in the bombing was leased."

US Sought out ex-CIA for Torture 'interrogations' - 2001 (May 7, 2004)
A variety of news reports concerning whether torture should be used in the War on Terror.

This War and Racism -- Media Denial in Overdrive (May 6, 2004)
Again, for anyone who has any knowlege at all about the US War on Some Drugs and Users, that the US mainstream media completely leaves out the whole racism issue when reporting on the WOSDU is an oft-occuring fact here. Why would it be any different in the War on Iraq and the War on Terorism?

Reality check (May 6, 2004)
"The media are finally showing the war in its full horror. What took them so long?"

Conspiracy Fears (May 6, 2004)
"While participants charge the chief with failing to solve the string of murders in low-income neighbourhoods, the most shocking complaints link the allegations of drug squad corruption and racketeering in the force to crime and shootings in the black community." One person quoted in this article says, ""People in my community believe that the drugs are recycled by corrupt police officers who, after arresting the dealers, have young people resell the drugs for them."

Good Cops Gone Bad (May 6, 2004)
"Police culture fosters corruption by upholding bad laws."

New Prison Images Emerge (May 6, 2004)
As noted yesterday here at DrugWar.com, anyone who has served any time in the United States, land of the free and home of the brave, knows that prison rape happens all the time, and that on occasion, guards even take part in it in one way or another, either actively raping or by knowingly putting prisoners into harm's way. as the Washington Post put it today in the article A Wretched New Picture of America, "Photos from Iraq prison show we are our own worst enemy."

The Red Herrings of 9-11 (May 6, 2004)
Dan Hopsicker is at it again, this time pointing out how many of the theories being promulgated by so-called "researchers" are bologna distracting the public from the real issues at hand and in need of serious investigation. "Any 9/11 'expert' whose revelations don’t frequently use the word 'Saudi' in conjunction with the word 'Florida' is peddling a red herring."

In Brazil, Criminals Are Our Heroes and Saints (May 6, 2004)
"On the day of drug lord Lulu's death, businesses in Rocinha closed as a sign of mourning. Lulu was interred to the applause of a small multitude. The secretary for security in Rio, Anthony Garotinho, in another fit of histrionics, talks about indicting those applauding. Will he indict the whole favela for mourning?"

Feds crack down on drug gear (May 6, 2004)
"U.S. Attorney Jeffrey G. Collins will send letters to 350 Detroit store owners this week warning them that selling drug paraphernalia is against the law — and threatening federal prosecutions if they sell it."

Illegal drugs aren't exempt from taxation (May 6, 2004)
"Drug dealers are required by law to purchase drug tax stamps and place them on the drug containers just like manufacturers must place state tax stamps on alcohol or cigarettes."

Thieves stealing fertilizer to make illegal drugs (May 6, 2004)
"Police are warning farmers about a new pest roaming the Prairies this season: Thieves who steal fertilizer to concoct illegal drugs."

Really Expensive Airfresheners- Keen Eye Nets $1 Million (May 6, 2004)
Yet another tale of cops justifying their theft of money from a private citizen using the War on Some Drugs and Users as their excuse.

Exposing the myth of drug-free rural Ireland (May 6, 2004)
"The National Advisory Committee on Drugs (NACD) has published a new survey which lays bare Ireland’s hidden drug problem."

SCI: Mob's new face still feeds off drugs (May 6, 2004)
"The State Commission of Investigation suggested yesterday that New Jersey fight increasingly diverse organized crime groups by taking aim at two of the mob's traditional profit centers: drugs and gambling."

Marijuana activist asks for dismissal (May 6, 2004)
"Ed Forchion, a marijuana advocate, claims the courts, prosecutor and public defender's office denied his constitutional rights on numerous fronts, including due process and equal protection and illegal search and seizure." Here's a press release Forchion issued a month ago on this topic.

Discovery Pushes Back Date of 'Classic' Maya (May 5, 2004- Free NYTImes registration required)
This has nothing to do with the War on Some Drugs and Users, but it is very interesting food for thought.

Marijuana abuse is up among U.S. adults (May 5, 2004)
What exactly constitutes marijuana "abuse"?

Montel Williams host pushes pot -- for medical relief (May 5, 2004)
"Daytime television talk show host Montel Williams threw his support Tuesday behind legalizing medical marijuana in New York, saying pot helps him cope with multiple sclerosis."

Former human rights minister told Bremer about Iraq detainee abuse (May 5, 2004)
Bremer knew in November, at least.

Contractors Implicated in Prison Abuse Remain on the Job (May 5, 2004)
"More than two months after a classified Army report found that two contract workers were implicated in the abuse of Iraqis at a prison outside Baghdad, the companies that employ them say that they have heard nothing from the Pentagon, and that they have not removed any employees from Iraq."

Utah Co.'s Suit Challenges Ephedra Ban (May 5, 2004)
Nutraceutical Corp. and its subsidiary Solaray have filed a federal court lawsuit challenging the Food and Drug Administration's ban on dietary supplements containing ephedra.

Cannabis in Amsterdam and in San Francisco (May 5, 2004)
"Objectives. We tested the premise that punishment for cannabis use deters use and thereby benefits public health."

Testing, Testing (May 5, 2004)
Dan Forbes lets drug test proponents have a piece of his, and a whole lot of doctors', minds about the whole idea of randomly drug testing US students.

Odd Convergence (May 4, 2004)
"It's a rare day when drug-law-reform activists agree with police unions, but this is one of them."

Prisoners' Dilemma (May 4, 2004)
"As if it were a force of nature, we're often advised, "war is hell," and corporate media spin is designed to hide exactly who puts the hell in war."

Taken to ease pain, opium has villagers hooked (May 4, 2004)
"Trapped by addiction, many farmers in Myanmar fear a looming ban, Geoffrey York finds."

U.S. Army Probe Shows Long-Term GI Abuse in Iraq Jails (May 4, 2004)
As anyone following the US War on Drugs has long known, the maniacs are in control.

Flight School Owners Flew Saudis on "Unsupervised Flights" (May 4, 2004)
"A recent front page review of 'Welcome to TerrorLand' in Hilliard's home-town Green-Bay Press Gazette noticed the same thing about Hilliard which has been on our minds for two years: 'Terrorists, drug runners, cover-ups, CIA, KGB and shady characters are the cloak-and-dagger kinds of elements that make for a riveting spy novel or action thriller. It's hardly the place you'd expect to find retired Green Bay businessman Wally J. Hilliard.'"

'I Want to Know the Ugly Truth' (May 4, 2004)
This wife whose husband was killed September 11 at the WTC wants to ask Bush and Cheney some questions.

Dutch drug policies do not increase marijuana use, first rigorous comparative study finds (May 3, 2004)
"In the first rigorous study comparing marijuana use in the Netherlands and the United States, researchers have found no evidence that decriminalization of marijuana leads to increased drug use. The results suggest that drug policies may have less impact on marijuana use than is currently thought."

Marijuana activist wins NDP nomination (May 3, 2004)
"Marijuana activist Alison Myrden yesterday won the Oakville riding nomination to represent the NDP in the upcoming federal election."

Diebold Facing Ban in California (May 3, 2004)
"The state's top elections official called for a criminal investigation of Diebold Election Systems Inc. as he banned use of the company's newest model touchscreen voting machine, citing concerns about its security and reliability."

GAO Criticizes Feds Over Nuclear Dump (May 3, 2004)
More signs of insanity amongst some US officialdom.

Torture at Abu Ghraid (May 3, 2004)
This is the freedom we're exporting to Iraq? This might win some hearts and minds to the US cause, but not any sane ones unfortunately.

In The Good Ole Days, We Smoked Pot (May 2, 2004)
"I'm all for young people and partying. But I tell you what, that kind of thing didn't happen in my day. No, sir. When I went to college, we smoked pot when we partied. That kept us mellow and quiet. The last thing we wanted to do was go outside, make a lot of noise, annoy the neighbors and have them call the cops."

A Quiet New Tactic In The War On Drugs (May 2, 2004)
"For decades, supporters of the war on drugs have been losing the debate about the policy, even as they continue to lock up hordes of harmless offenders. But prohibitionists have a new tactic to help them get the best of the argument: Don't let the other side speak."