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Gunmen kill 17 people at a drug rehab in Mexico (Sept. 3, 2009)
"Authorities had no immediate suspects or information on the victims. Ciudad Juarez, across the border from El Paso, Texas, is Mexico's most violent city, with at least 1,400 people killed this year alone. Most of the homicides are tied to drug gang violence, which has taken a heavy toll across Mexico. Earlier the same day, gunmen ambushed and killed a senior security official in the home state of President Felipe Calderon."

Burma's Opium Production Back on Rise (Sept. 2, 2009)
"A Feb. 2 report by the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime found that the price of opium in Burma, also known as Myanmar, increased by 15% last year. As a result, Burmese land dedicated to poppy cultivation actually expanded in 2008, despite promises by the country's ruling junta to combat its reputation as one of the world's most notorious narco-states."

Is the Taliban Stockpiling Opium? And If So, Why? (Sept. 2, 2009)
"If international drug- and law-enforcement officials are right, the Taliban might be hiding up to $3.2 billion worth of opium inside Afghanistan, potentially causing huge complications for NATO's decision this month to attack Afghanistan's opium laboratories and smuggling networks. If it exists, the drug stockpile would also have a major bearing on Afghan officials' tentative peace talks with the Taliban, which are favored by U.S. Central Command chief General David Petraeus and both U.S. presidential candidates."

Report: Afghanistan's Opium Boom May Be Over (Sept. 2, 2009)
"But there is a twist. Afghan poppy crops are now high-yield, say U.N. officials, thanks to better irrigation methods and especially good rains over the past year. While acreage devoted to the flowers fell, production of opium itself dropped only 10% in Afghanistan last year, to about 6,900 tons. Each hectare of poppies yielded about 123 lb. (56 kg) of opium — 15% more than last year."

Mexico is safer than in the past, minister says (August 25, 2009)
"Mexico decriminalized the use of small amounts of marijuana, cocaine and heroin [Friday, August 21, 2009]. The move will help focus on major traffickers, officials said."

AP Source: Michael Jackson's death ruled homicide (August 25, 2009)
"While the finding does not necessarily mean a crime was committed, it means more likely that criminal charges will be filed against Dr. Conrad Murray, the Las Vegas cardiologist who was caring for Jackson when he died June 25 in a rented Los Angeles mansion."

Marines assault Taliban town in Afghanistan (August 12, 2009)
"Marines said they killed between seven and 10 militants in Wednesday's push and seized about 66 pounds (30 kilograms) of opium, which the militants use to finance their insurgency. Troops hope to restore control of the town so that residents can vote in the election."

U.S. Military Base Plan Puts Colombia in Hot Water (August 12, 2009)
"As one of the few surviving pro-U.S. conservative heads of state in a continent that has swung left, Colombia's President, Alvaro Uribe, is used to being at odds with his neighbors. But accustomed though he may be to swimming against Latin America's political tide, Uribe is scrambling to explain his less-than-transparent decision to allow the U.S. military to use air bases on Colombian soil to track drug traffickers and even rebels."s

Phony Stats on Cocaine Prices Hide Truth About War on Drugs (July 22, 2009)
"John Walters had some data he wanted to make public, but he also had a credibility problem. Just two years earlier, in 2005, Walters, the country’s drug czar, had cited a hike in the price of cocaine as a battlefield victory in the war on drugs—only to see the price fall just as he was touting the increase. He was ridiculed in some quarters of the press; others decided to stop listening to him. This time around, in the summer of 2007, Walters went looking for the most receptive audience he could find. So he zipped down New York Avenue to the headquarters of The Washington Times, the conservative daily based in the outskirts of Washington, D.C. Walters, according to a staffer present at the briefing, came with a small staff and a stack of glossy pages making the case that the United States had turned a corner in the war on drugs. Prices for cocaine, he said, were rising fast. And that, he explained, can only mean a decline in supply. The Times wouldn’t bite. The data were suspiciously thin."

Foreign Policy Magazine Exposes Folly of Marijuana Ban (July 22, 2009)
"The reason why the editor of Foreign Policy magazine Moises Naim's recent column is significant is because for far too long the foreign policy community has been a willing conduit for exporting America's wrongheaded and failed cannabis prohibition around the globe. But, the American dominance of the drug policy debate has started to wane over the last 8-10 years in quarters like the United Nations, and columns like Mr. Naim's underscore the myriad reasons why America's elected policymakers need to adopt a reform mindset--notably under an Obama administration--not status quo retrenchment into an unyielding, prohibition-centric cannabis policy."

Drug czar: Feds won't support legalized pot (July 22, 2009)
"The federal government is not going to pull back on its efforts to curtail marijuana farming operations, Gil Kerlikowske, director of the White House's Office of National Drug Control Policy, said Wednesday in Fresno. The nation's drug czar, who viewed a foothill marijuana farm on U.S. Forest Service land with state and local officials earlier Wednesday, said the federal government will not support legalizing marijuana. 'Legalization is not in the president's vocabulary, and it's not in mine,' he said. Kerlikowske said he can understand why legislators are talking about taxing marijuana cultivation to help cash-strapped government agencies in California. But the federal government views marijuana as a harmful and addictive drug, he said. 'Marijuana is dangerous and has no medicinal benefit,' Kerlikowske said in downtown Fresno while discussing Operation SOS -- Save Our Sierra -- a multiagency effort to eradicate marijuana in eastern Fresno County."

Who Are the Drug Lords? (July 21, 2009)
"Who are the drug lords? They are every politician who lives and breathes war, drugs, terror or otherwise. They are the corrupt corporate heads, malicious media barons, venomous judges and cretinous cops, who, knowing full well the truth, choose to follow their nose to riches, to embrace a lie, to feed their evil cornucopia with the lives of their fellow man."

Something Is Happening Down There (July 21, 2009)
"The battle against the drug gangs is a complicated one. A lot of money is involved, and the drug lords are pretty smart. They now keep a lot of their processing (opium into morphine or heroin) labs mobile. The vehicles travel with armed guards, but force is a last resort. The security detachment is also armed with a lot of cash, and the first weapon to be deployed is a bribe. That usually works. But the U.S. intelligence troops are after the drug gangs now, and this makes concealment more difficult. The U.S. military isn't releasing any play-by-play of these operations, lest they provide useful information to the enemy. It won't be until the end of August that an initial assessment is possible, and not until the end of the year until one can check the trends in wholesale and retail prices for heroin. As Afghanistan heroin production grew since the 1990s, the world supply has doubled, and prices have come down by about 50 percent. More people are using, and dying from, heroin. And now we can add many of the victims of the fighting in southern Afghanistan to that toll."

Worldwide production of heroin and cocaine falling, says UN drug chief (July 20, 2009)
"Drug use should be treated more as an illness than a crime, the head of the UN's Office on Drugs and Crime said today as the body's annual report announced a worldwide decline in the production of cocaine and heroin. The report for 2009 called for traffickers to be targeted rather than users and announced that there was a worldwide growth in synthetic drugs.""

Chavez Attacks US Report Naming Venezuela a ‘Narcotics State’ (July 20, 2009)
This is a great way of making one's unliked leftist darker-skinned President of a South American country look bad to the US public while simutaneously helping justify the spending of US tax money to maybe, just maybe, do things like, say, destabilize Venezuala, the country Chavez currnetly heads? Chavez has long been a very irritating thorn in the Us' side. How long he will remain as President, well, let's all wish him the best.

Revolutionary Latin America and Today's Nexus of Terror (July 20, 2009)
"The irony of the narcotics scourge alone is how the massive accrued wealth of the narco-terrorist’s hierarchy is at the expense of the citizenry and the victims, as a nation must struggle with the overwhelming massive resources needed to defend their homeland. It has been reported that Mexican drug syndicates “generate more revenue than at least 40% of Fortune 500 companies.” And let’s face it – Mexico remains under siege.

Marijuana Legalization: CBS News Poll Has Support at 41% Nationwide (July 19, 2009)
"A CBS News poll conducted over the weekend has found that 41% of Americans support marijuana legalization, while 52% oppose, and 7% are undecided. The figure matches that of a January CBS News poll. Support dropped to 31% in an April CBS News poll before rebounding this month."

Most ‘Trusted Man In America’, Also Supported Marijuana Law Reform (July 19, 2009)
"RIP Walter Cronkite! In the summer 1992, I was told by an assistant that I had a phone call, and that 'unless the person on the phone was kidding, that it was someone claiming to be Walter Cronkite.'..."Drug war is a war on families By Walter Cronkite Article Published: Sunday, August 08, 2004"
" In the midst of the soaring rhetoric of the recent Democratic National Convention, more than one speaker quoted Abraham Lincoln’s first inaugural address, invoking 'the better angels of our nature.' Well, there is an especially appropriate task awaiting those heavenly creatures - a long-overdue reform of our disastrous war on drugs. We should begin by recognizing its costly and inhumane dimensions."

State helps ease drug offenders’ release (July 19, 2009)
"NEW YORK STATE — In the fall, low-level drug offenders will begin trickling out of state prisons and into treatment programs under the landmark state drug law reforms passed earlier this year. Legislation dismantling most of the state’s strict Rockefeller drug laws was signed into law in April by Gov. David Paterson. The bill repealed many of the state’s mandatory minimum prison sentences for lower-level drug offenders."

World drugs in graphics (July 19, 2009)
"A UN agency has published a comprehensive report on the worldwide illicit drugs market, the World Drug Report 2009. The graphs and maps below show the extent of the problem and measures to tackle it."

DEA boosts its war in Afghanistan (July 19, 2009)
"The move is seen as a recognition that the war in Afghanistan cannot be won with military force alone. Until near the end of its eight years in office, the Bush administration failed to link the drug traffickers in Afghanistan with the rising insurgency, basing its anti-drug campaign primarily on an effort to destroy the vast fields of poppy that produce more than 90 percent of the world's heroin....After Sept. 11, the Bush administration's focus on counterterrorism and, later, the war in Iraq, extensively depleted U.S. global counternarcotics efforts, especially in South Asia, they say. The DEA also suffered from hiring freezes, budget cuts and a lack of political support despite its intelligence showing ever-closer links between drug traffickers and terrorist groups."

La Familia cartel kills 12 federal agents in Mexico drug war attack (Jully 19, 2009)
"A powerful Mexican drug cartel has unleashed a killing spree against the authorities in a challenge to the leadership of the President in his home state....The perception that the war against drugs is being lost is pervasive. A poll published in Milenio said that only 28 per cent of Mexicans believed that the Government was winning, and more than half thought that it was losing."

Law Enforcement: This Week's Corrupt Cops Stories (July 17, 2009)
"It's a corrupt cops twofer for New Jersey, another twofer for Indiana, a two-for-one special on Texas deputies, and a lone prison guard in Florida. Let's get to it...."

Heroin is "Good for Your Health": Occupation Forces support Afghan Narcotics Trade (May 10, 2007)
"The occupation forces in Afghanistan are supporting the drug trade, which brings between 120 and 194 billion dollars of revenues to organized crime, intelligence agencies and Western financial institutions."

U.S., allies seen as losing drug war (May 7, 2007)
"The United States and its Latin American allies are losing a major battle in the war on drugs, according to indicators that show cocaine prices dipped for most of 2006 and U.S. users were getting more bang for their buck."

101-year-old Zambian man nabbed over cannabis cultivation, trafficking (May 3, 2007)
"DEC spokesperson Rosten Chulu confirmed the arrest of Timothy Chilekwa, a peasant farmer of Namembo village in Southern province who was born in 1906. Chulu said the old man was nabbed for alleged unlawful cultivation of cannabis weighing 1.2 tons. He was also found trafficking two sacks of cannabis weighing 6. 95 kg, Chulu said. The spokesperson said the 101-year-old would appear in court soon."

Was Timothy Leary Right? (May 3, 2007)
"Are psychedelics good for you? It's such a hippie relic of a question that it's almost embarrassing to ask. But a quiet psychedelic renaissance is beginning at the highest levels of American science, including the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and Harvard, which is conducting what is thought to be its first research into therapeutic uses of psychedelics (in this case, Ecstasy) since the university fired Timothy Leary in 1963. But should we be prying open the doors of perception again? Wasn't the whole thing a disaster the first time? The answer to both questions is yes."

The Farce of the War on Drugs (May 1, 2007)
"My brother Howard Wooldridge served as a decorated police officer and detective in Lansing, Michigan for 18 years. During that time, he collared killers, drunk drivers, child molesters, rapists, wife beaters and drug dealers. What he learned launched him on a crusade to stop the federal government’s useless 35 year 'War on Drugs.'"

Coca Growers Shake the Andes Once Again (April 27, 2007)
"During the last few days, coca growers, especially in Peru and Colombia, have been in the news again, as their actions have given the media something to talk about."

LSD as Therapy? Write about It, Get Barred from US (April 27, 2007)
"BC psychotherapist denied entry after border guard googled his work."

No Jail for Willie Nelson on Drug Charge (April 25, 2007)
While the editor of DrugWar.com applauds this decision by the judge, I can't help but wonder how hard the judge would have thrown the book at me for the exact same offense.

The War on Salvia Divinorum Heats Up (April 14, 2007)
"Middlebury, Vermont, this week declared a public health emergency to prevent a local business from selling it. It's already illegal in five states -- Louisiana, Missouri, Tennessee, Oklahoma and Delaware -- and a number of towns and cities across the country, and now politicians in at least seven other states have filed bills to make it illegal there. For the DEA, it is a 'drug of concern.'"

Book Offer: Lies, Damn Lies, and Drug War Statistics (April 14, 2007)
"Normally when we publish a book review in our Drug War Chronicle newsletter, it gets readers but is not among the top stories visited on the site. Recently we saw a big exception to that rule when more than 2,700 of you read our review of the new book Lies, Damned Lies, and Drug War Statistics: A Critical Analysis of Claims Made by the Office of National Drug Control Policy."

Plant growers served search warrant (April 11, 2007)
"Three WSU students were surprised when a plant they were growing in their closet was mistaken for marijuana."

California in bid to impose 7.25% sales tax on cannabis (April 10, 2007)
"For decades, smoking marijuana has been an illicit affair, a key anti-establishment ritual for America's counter-culture underground. But the legalisation of the drug for medicinal purposes in California has presented its advocates with a dilemma: to remain firmly on the wrong side of the law or accept a demand to pay taxes on its sale."

The Other War: Democratic Candidates are Deafeningly Silent on the Drug War (April 9, 2007)
"There is a major disconnect in the 2008 Democratic race for the White House. While all the top candidates are vying for the black and Latino vote, they are completely ignoring one of the most pressing issues affecting those constituencies: the failed War on Drugs, a war that has morphed into a war on people of color."

Ex-officer likens drug war to Prohibition (April 8, 2007)
"Retired police officer Peter Christ on Tuesday compared the contemporary war on drugs to National Prohibition of the 1920s."

Minnesota drug laws: Are they too harsh? (April 8, 2007)
Momentum gathers for review of sentencing rules

Drug Czar Blasted for Lack of Leadership (April 8, 2007)
"During the course of research for this series, it became apparent that many prominent players in the war on drugs don't have many compliments for the current drug czar, John Walters."

Is the Drug War Nearing an End? (April 8, 2007)
"Little by little by little there is some hope that the "war" on drugs is becoming a political issue - the first step in undoing a set of policies that make little sense no matter how you look at them."

Law Enforcement Group Visits Maine To Advocate For Legalization Of Drugs (April 8, 2007)
"LEAP, or Law Enforcement Against Prohibition, says it has 5,000 members, made up mostly of retired and active law enforcement professionals. The group tours the country speaking to various civic groups about what they call a $60 billion failed war on drugs."

Afghans pin hopes on a new economy (April 8, 2007)
"As a competitive economy awakens in one of the world's poorest countries, the residents of Kabul are jockeying to get ahead in a city flush with cash from US soldiers, foreign aid workers, new investors, parliamentarians, and drug traffickers."

Salvadoran Murders in Guatemala (April 8, 2007)
"If the trip to Guatemala was a fiasco, Colombia was no better, Bush's arrival in Bogotá couldn't have happened at a worse time as every moment ticked off another scandal, some of them leading in the direction ofo President Uribe's office, and nothing that Bush or Uribe president could say concealed the fact that the Colombia phase of the U.S. anti-drug war was more dead than alive, which was even more certain when it came to extraditing Colombian suspected felons to the U.S."

Analysis: U.S. anti-drug war in Afghanistan (April 8, 2007)
"In a bluntly worded letter to Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, the lawmakers said inter-agency rivalry and U.S. policy failures in Afghanistan risked allowing it to slide back into chaos."

Law Enforcement: This Week's Corrupt Cops Stories (April 7, 2007)
"A Georgia fire captain gets caught peddling coke, a pair of New Haven narcs lose their jobs, a former Mississippi police chief cops a plea, and a former Ohio cop goes back to prison. Let's get to it...."

Methamphetamine: Feds Make First Cold Medicine Bust Under Combat Meth Act (April 7, 2007)
"An Ontario, New York, man last Friday won the dubious distinction of being the first person arrested under the 2005 Combat Meth Epidemic Act. According to a DEA press release, William Fousse was arrested for purchasing cold tablets containing more than nine grams of pseudoephedrine within a one month period."

Harm Reduction: New Mexico Governor Signs Overdose Death Reduction Measure (April 7, 2007)
"New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson (D) Wednesday signed innovative legislation that would protect friends or family members who seek medical attention for drug overdose victims. The law is the first of its kind in the country."

Pot-Growing Takes Root in the Suburbs (April 1, 2007)
"In Coldwater Creek, a middle-class housing development outside Atlanta, the neighbors mind their own business and respect each other's privacy - ideal conditions, it turns out, for growing marijuana in the suburbs."

Bob Barr Flip-Flops on Pot (March 28, 2007)
"Bob Barr, who as a Georgia congressman authored a successful amendment that blocked D.C. from implementing a medical marijuana initiative, has switched sides and become a lobbyist for the Marijuana Policy Project."

What the heck is Sibel Edmonds' Case about? And why should I care? (March 28, 2007)
"Essentially, there is only one investigation – a very big one, an all-inclusive one... But I can tell you there are a lot of people involved, a lot of ranking officials, and a lot of illegal activities that include multi-billion-dollar drug-smuggling operations, black-market nuclear sales to terrorists and unsavory regimes, you name it... You can start from the AIPAC angle. You can start from the Plame case. You can start from my case. They all end up going to the same place, and they revolve around the same nucleus of people."

Mexican Envoy Highly Critical of U.S. Role in Anti-Drug Effort (March 23, 2007)
"The United States has contributed 'zilch' to Mexico's efforts to combat the nations' joint problem with criminal narcotics gangs, Mexico's new ambassador to Washington said yesterday."

Colorado Has Song in Its Heart, and Not Drugs on Its Mind (March 14, 2007- Free NYTimes registration required)
"The Colorado General Assembly wants to be quite clear on this point: When the singer-songwriter John Denver praised the joys of Colorado and sang about 'friends around the campfire, and everybody’s high,' in 1972, he was not referring to illicit drugs. Definitely not. Don’t even think it. The high in question, lawmakers say, is really about nature and the great outdoors — the tingly feeling you get after a nice hike, perhaps."

U.S. faults friends, foes in drug war (March 5, 2007)
"The United States said top anti-terror allies Afghanistan, Pakistan and Colombia had fallen short in the war on drugs despite enhanced counter-narcotics efforts and it criticized perennial foes Iran, North Korea and Venezuela for not cooperating."

Cuba’s War on Drugs (March 5, 2007)
"A review of the main results of the Cuban efforts against illegal drug trafficking as well as prevention during 2006, shows a marked reduction in the presence of drugs on the island, with 1.7 tons of narcotics seized, the lowest figure of the past 11 years and almost four times less than the amount detected in 2003."

Drug War Corrupting Cops In Hawaii and Elsewhere (March 5, 2007)
"Claiming to be the 'world’s leading drug policy newsletter,' the Drug War Chronicle publishes a regular online feature called, 'This Week’s Corrupt Cops Stories.' The typical Hawaii newspaper reader probably comes across these cops-gone-bad stories pretty rarely. But, when hundreds of reports compiled over the past year from around the nation are read at one sitting, they add up to a hidden cost of America’s ill-fated drug war -- widespread corruption inside local police departments, prisons and jails."

Drug war rips apart Mexico (March 5, 2007)
"More than 250 people were executed last year in Acapulco as the sweltering Pacific resort became the latest battleground between rival cartels battling for supremacy of the multibillion-dollar drug trade."

In Guatemala, officers' killings echo dirty war (March 5, 2007)
"The two sets of brazen killings set off a vicious diplomatic conflict between Guatemala and El Salvador — heightened by news reports suggesting that the congressmen were indeed drug dealers — and ignited a political scandal here. It shed light on how corrupt the National Police has become, and raised questions about links between drug dealers and high-level police officials, as well as whether the government can contain drug trafficking without international help."

Collision Course: Bolivia's "Coca, Si; Cocaine, No" Policy Runs Afoul of the International Drug Control Board and, Probably, the United States (March 1, 2007)
"A confrontation is brewing over Bolivian President Evo Morales' effort to rationalize coca production in his country and expand markets for coca-based products....Now, the Morales government is also pushing for expanded legal markets for coca products and, in a joint venture with the Venezuelan government, is preparing to begin coca product exports to that country."

Ga. Reconsiders No - Knock Warrant Rules (March 1, 2007)
"A group of lawmakers wants to make it harder for police to use ''no-knock'' warrants in the wake of a shootout that left an elderly woman dead after plainclothes officers stormed her home unannounced in a search for drugs."

Here we go again (Feb. 22, 2007)
"We're happy we could help with that, Mr. Vice President, but Colombian cocaine is still readily available in U.S. cities, so we have a difficult time thinking we got a good deal for our $4 billion. In fact, we don't believe Americans are getting their money's worth for any of the cash the government has thrown into the bottomless pit of the drug war. Court dockets are packed and prisons are overcrowded, yet illicit drugs are still readily available to anyone who wants them."

Latin America: Mexico Moves to Decriminalize Drug Possession -- So It Can Concentrate on Drug Traffickers (Feb. 22, 2007)
"Legislators from Mexican President Felipe's Calderon's National Action Party (PAN -- Partido de Accion Nacional) have introduced a bill in the Mexican Senate that would decriminalize the possession of small amounts of drugs for 'addicts.'"

DPS officials were told of lax lab security (Feb. 22, 2007)
"Texas Department of Public Safety officials were aware of security breaches in the handling of their drug evidence as recently as 2006 and as far back as at least 2003 — problems such as failure to log evidence out of storage, containers of marijuana left open and the lack of a monitoring system for a high-security drug vault — according to the agency's internal audits."

'Safest city' now has drug war (Feb. 22, 2007)
"From the shopping malls and the fashionable clothes of its residents, this could be any affluent U.S. suburb. Residents pride themselves on their prosperity. But in recent weeks, drug-related violence has shattered the tranquillity."

Mexican president gives soldiers pay hike as drug war intensifies (Feb. 22, 2007)
"Soldiers waging a nationwide offensive against drug traffickers will get a pay hike of nearly 50 percent this year in a bid to insulate them from corruption, Mexican President Felipe Calderon announced Monday."

New Federal Study Shows Methamphetamine Use Decreased Between 2002 and 2005 (Jan. 31, 2007)
"A new analysis of data from The National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) shows that past-year use of methamphetamine, a highly addictive stimulant, declined between 2002 and 2005 among persons age 12 or older....The study also shows that the number of persons who used methamphetamine for the first time in the 12 months before the survey remained stable between 2002 and 2004 but decreased between 2004 and 2005."

Tell Governor Spitzer to Support Rockefeller Drug Law Reform (Jan. 31, 2007)
"The Rockefeller Drug Laws require extremely harsh prison terms for the possession or sale of relatively small amounts of drugs. Most of the people incarcerated under these laws are convicted of low-level, nonviolent offenses, and many of them have no prior criminal records. Today 14,139 people are locked up for drug offenses in NY State prisons, comprising nearly 38% of the prison population. This costs New Yorkers over half a billion dollars a year. Send a message to Governor Spitzer now, urging him to support real reform."

Mexico eyes Colombian experience in drug battle (Jan. 27, 2007)
"Mexico's top prosecutor on Thursday looked to Colombia's experience in counter-narcotics and conflict for lessons to help his government battle drug cartels whose violence has engulfed parts of the country."

Rio gang kills seven as drug war spreads (Jan. 27, 2007)
"The mutilated bodies of seven youths, some with their heads and legs chopped off, have been found in an abandoned car in a notorious Rio de Janeiro slum. They appeared to be the latest victims of a long-running drug war that has made Rio, which depends heavily on tourism, one of the most violent cities in the world."

Drug Policy Reform Group to Partner with State of New Mexico in Federally-Funded Meth Prevention Education Program (Jan. 27, 2007)
"In a first for drug reform organizations, the Drug Policy Alliance (DPA) New Mexico office has been designated to create a statewide methamphetamine education and prevention program directed at high school students, thanks to a $500,000 grant obtained by US Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) as part of a Justice Department appropriations bill. The grant is the result of years of close collaboration between DPA and New Mexico state and local officials dating back to the administration of former Gov. Gary Johnson (R), a prominent voice for drug law reform."

Spot in brain may control smoking urge (Jan. 27, 2007)
"Damage to a silver dollar-sized spot deep in the brain seems to wipe out the urge to smoke, a surprising discovery that may shed important new light on addiction. The research was inspired by a stroke survivor who claimed he simply forgot his two-pack-a-day addiction - no cravings, no nicotine patches, not even a conscious desire to quit."

Case highlights medical-pot dilemma (Jan. 23, 2007)
"'If they didn't arrest me with 1,500, it's not likely they're going to come back and arrest me for 50,' said Sarich, whose advocacy group, CannaCare, says it has provided marijuana plants for 1,200 patients all over the state. Some of his new plants, delivered by patients in Longview, Federal Way and Vancouver, Wash., are descendants of the plants he lost."

Alleged cartel members extradited to Texas (Jan. 23, 2007)
"A suspected Mexican drug lord whose cartel allegedly smuggled more than 4 tons of cocaine a month over the U.S. border will stand trial in Texas. Osiel Cardenas-Guillen, the alleged kingpin of the Gulf Cartel, and three other alleged drug lords appeared in a Houston court Monday. Mexican authorities delivered Cardenas-Guillen and 14 other alleged Mexican drug dealers and criminals to Houston late Friday and early Saturday, the Drug Enforcement Administration said."

Burdened U.S. military cuts role in drug war (Jan. 22, 2007)
"Stretched thin from fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, the U.S. military has sharply reduced its role in the war on drugs, leaving significant gaps in the nation's narcotics interdiction efforts."

S.F. area is No. 1 for regular drug use, study says (Jan. 21, 2007)
"The San Francisco metropolitan area has a higher percentage of people who are regular drug users than any other major metropolitan area in the USA, a study from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration found."

Executive Order 13420 -- Dismantling the DEA (Jan. 21, 2007)
"This is the order I will sign after delivering my inaugural address," says Steve Kubby, who is again running for office this time seeking the nomination from the Libertarian Party as their Presidential candidate.

Cocaine found on 99.9% of UK banknotes (Jan. 21, 2007)
"Pretty well every banknote in the UK shows traces of cocaine, forensic scientists have claimed. According to a report in the Sunday Telegraph, 99.9 per cent of the two billion notes currently in circulation have come into contact with Bolivian marching powder."

A Legacy of Torture: From Cointelpro to the Patriot Act (Jan. 21, 2007)
"In today's world, the US government's use of torture and complicity in its clients' use of it is part of the headlines on a regular basis. Yet very few US citizens believe that methods like waterboarding, beating, and electrical shocks could be -- and have been -- used on US citizens." But the fact that torture is used profusely in US jails and prisons is unsurprising to those who've been inside the US "justice" system.

Reefer Madness (Jan. 21, 2007)
"I was never an activist until I got busted [noted Tommy Chong]. But it ’s not so much my efforts as the substance itself. Pot lives and dies on its own reputation....Years ago, people would do booze jokes. Then they start dying of cirrhosis of the liver and all these alcohol-related car accidents. Alcohol started out as a fun thing and ended up as this evil thing that kills people. Pot is the opposite...."

In the Costly War on Drugs, Who's To Say What Is Right? (Jan. 21, 2007)
"It seems like you lack a certain enthusiasm for the war on drugs, I said. I do lack enthusiasm for the war on drugs, he said. I asked about legalization. He shrugged. 'Monday, Wednesday and Friday I think they should be legalized. Tuesdays and Thursdays I think they should be illegal. I don't like drugs. I strongly disapprove of them. The costs are great. But it's expensive to incarcerate somebody. The costs are enormous either way. I don't know what's right.'"

Democracy and Plan Colombia (Jan. 21, 2007)
Just what effects are the massive spraying in anti-cocaine and poppy efforts that are one of the main tenents of Plan Colombia, not to mention all the arms and training given to the Colombian military and governments to combat Colombian peasents...errr, I mean, dastardly narco-terrorists? No major advancement of democracy it appears.

Drug mafia, CIA blamed for sacking of Afghan governor (Jan. 21, 2007)
"As The Washington Post has plainly summarized, 'corruption and alliances formed by Washington and the Afghan government with anti-Taliban tribal chieftains, some of whom are believed to be deeply involved in the trade, [have] undercut the [counter-narcotics] effort.'"

PAST NEWS ARCHIVE

Sniper 'blamed' for Marijuana shortage (Oct. 26, 2002)
"A marijuana shortage in New York is being partly blamed on the Washington sniper case. Medical groups which use the drug say they are having to seek emergency supplies from across the US."

Police seize more than one thousand hydroponic marijuana plants (Oct. 26, 2002)
Some Americans would say this is not good news at all.

Shortage of marijuana (Oct. 26, 2002)
"Drug Task Force agents in Mitchell County also applaud all local law enforcement for keeping mid level dealers and buyers behind bars. Having them in jail disrupts their network to distribute marijuana."

Two Men Busted For Drying Marijuana, Right Under Cop's Nose (Oct. 26, 2002)

Medical research 'often flawed' (Oct. 26, 2002)
"Clinical trials of many new drugs and treatments are flawed and possibly unethical, a study suggests. Experts in the United States have found that many researchers fail to follow international guidelines when they are carrying out studies funded by the pharmaceutical industry,"reports the BBC. Also see DNN's report, Survey finds drug company research raises suspicion.

Wellstone's death stuns Minn., Senate (Oct. 26, 2002)
"Sen. Paul Wellstone, a passionately liberal Democrat whose re-election campaign was vital to control of the Senate, was killed in a plane crash in northern Minnesota on Friday along with his wife, daughter and five others," reports the Associated Press about the only US Senator to vote against waging war on Iraq.

Marines Ordered into Colombia- February 2003 is Target Date (Oct. 26, 2002)
"Two battalions of US Marine Jungle Expeditionary Forces have recently received deployment orders for insertion into Colombia," reports Peter Gorman.

International A.N.S.W.E.R. [Act Now to Stop War and End Racism] (Oct. 26, 2002)
Mass protests planned world-wide today, Saturday, October 26, 2002. Show the world where you stand today, and everyday.

The Four That Got Away, and Political Kids Arrested for Drugs (Oct. 26, 2002)
Check out the US politicians who support prohibition, but not for themselves and their families.

The Week Online with DRCNet, issue #260 (Oct. 26, 2002)
Smoking pot to counter chemical warfare effects, Virginia drug sweeps underway, a couple commits suicide when facing prosecution and asset forfeiture for pot and mushrooms, these stories and lots more, plus the every useful Reformers' Calendar.

Tri-State Drug Policy Forum- Events Oct. 29, Oct. 30 (Oct. 26, 2002)
Get involved.

Paul Wellstone: America Loses A Bold Leader (Oct. 26, 2002)
"'Something died in America,' said civil rights leader Rep. John Lewis of Robert F. Kennedy's untimely death. 'Something died in all of us.' Paul Wellstone's entire political career was dedicated to bringing that something -- that soul -- back to American politics. From his out-of-nowhere populist election to the Senate in 1990 to his courageous, polls-be-damned vote against the president's Iraq invasion resolution, Wellstone always let his conscience guide the votes he cast and the policies he espoused," writes Arianna Huffington.

Hemp seed: A cure for the common cold? (Oct. 26, 2002)
"MotherHemp, the UK’s leading supplier of hemp oil and food products, announces latest clinical trial results on hempseed oil."

9/11 Relatives Push for Commission (Oct. 26, 2002)
"For months the Bush Administration has worked in the background to thwart the formation of an independent panel to investigate the events leading up to the attacks on September 11th. Now as election day approaches they have 'modified' their public position -- end result, same thing -- they are still blocking the probe. Why?" ask the editors of TruthOut.org.

DEA Steals 1st Known Oregon State-Licensed Medical Marijuana Garden (Oct. 26, 2002)
Watch this most disturbing video interview with one of the latest victims of federal insanity. Read the story here.

Trial Ordered in Case of Hallucinogenic Plants (Oct. 26, 2002)
More prohibitionistic, anti-nature, drug hysteria, this time in Georgia.

MPP/SSDP 2002 Conference (Oct. 26, 2002)
"The Marijuana Policy Project and Students for Sensible Drug Policy will hold a combined conference on Veterans Day Weekend, November 8-10, in Anaheim, California. This is the first weekend after Election Day, and the results of key congressional, gubernatorial, and state legislative races will be a major topic of discussion; as will the results of the drug policy initiatives that will be on the ballot in a handful of states and Washington, D.C."

Judges throw out odor-based drug bust (Oct. 26, 2002)
"Where there's smoke, there may not be fire, the Court of Criminal Appeals concluded Wednesday in ruling that the odor of marijuana didn't give Abilene police officers probable cause to enter a home," reports Janet Elliott about this unusual Texas court ruling.

Radio Free America (Oct. 26, 2002)
"This radio station is my personal contribution to Drug Policy Reform. The music I play here is a mixture of music that I like but all the songs here are cannabis friendly. Since I like many types of music you will find everything here from alternative rock, hip-hop, country and classic rock," notes program host Mary Jane Flores.

Study: Anti-drug coalitions don't work (Oct. 25, 2002)
It took a study to figure this out? All one needs to do is look around and see the endless stream of illegal drugs to know that the decades long war by Anti-Druggies simply isn't working...unless one is trying to insure the cartels remain powerful and rich.

Guatemala probes officers' ties to organized crime (Oct. 24, 2002)
"Guatemala launched an investigation on Wednesday into five high-ranking retired officers, one of whom is considered a close ally of President Alfonso Portillo, following accusations they run an organized crime network with links to the government," reports Greg Brosnan for Reuters.

Colombia investigates rebels for drug trafficking (Oct. 24, 2002)
"Colombia's chief prosecutor has for the first time opened an investigation into senior commanders of the country's largest leftist rebel force for alleged drug trafficking, a judicial source said on Wednesday," according to this report by Luis Jaime Acosta for Reuters.

Urban Anti-Rebel Raid a New Turn in Colombian War (Oct. 24, 2002)
Yet more US supported death and destruction in Colombia.

Feds Pushing Toxic Anthrax Drug? (Oct. 24, 2002)
Remember as you read this that the very same government forcing its servicement to take this toxic vaccine is at the very same time waging a war on pot and other drug users. Hmmm, seems something is not quite right here in the Land of the Free and very expensive vaccination-making drug companies.

Cuba (Oct. 24, 2002)
"The White House has rebuffed Cuban overtures to assist U.S. drug interdiction efforts, most recently fabricating charges that Cuba was obstructing the drug war. It earlier spurned Havana's offer to facilitate the U.S. detention of Al-Qaeda prisoners at Guantánamo, and sheepishly stood behind invented claims that Cuba had exported biological weapons to 'axis of evil' nations," write Morris Morley & Chris McGillion in this opinion piece.

Decriminalize Drugs (Oct. 24, 2002)
"The violence in Mexico is fueled to a large degree by the drug war, like so much of the violence in the United States and other countries that have a military approach to drug use. As described in the Washington Times in September, drug lords will likely spend $500 million this year in bribes and payoffs to the Mexican military and police for their assistance (and often their escort services) in ensuring that illicit drugs reach their destinations. Bribing policemen and turf warfare are minor costs compared to the wealth that traffickers reap as a direct result of drugs being illegal and yielding massively inflated profits," writes Carla Moquin in the Salt Lake Tribune.

Medical marijuana patients sue Ashcroft, federal government (Oct. 24, 2002)
These patients are sick and tired of Ashcroft's prohibitionist War on them, and want it ended, now.

Nolte charged with drug driving (Oct. 24, 2002)
What in the heck was Nolte thinking, getting behind the wheel of a car under the influence of GHB?

Diaries of Nirvana Star Reveal Cobain Felt Tortured by Pain, Drugs (Oct. 24, 2002)
The editor of DrugWar can't help but still feel bad for Kurt Cobaine.

Salvia Divinorum Legal Status Information (Oct. 24, 2002)
Check this site frequently for updates on the legal status of Salvia Divinorum, an herb the Congress, in it's infinite prohibitionist hysteria, is now planning on outlawing.

CIA Is Expanding Domestic Operations- More Offices, More Agents With FBI (Oct. 24, 2002)
These intel folk did such a great job pre-September 11 that they've been given yet more powers to now spy on the very citizens they're supposed to be protecting while propping up drug trafficking despots, fanatical religious extremists, as well as blood thirsty terrorists around the world.

Terror Slight School Owner's Plane Seized for Heroin Trafficking (Oct. 24, 2002)
"Even stranger, both Governor Jeb Bush and Florida Secretary of State Katherine Harris were providing celebrity endorsements to Hilliard's operation well after the company's Lear (N351WB) had been busted by DEA agents armed with machine guns," writes Daniel Hopsicker in this, the most recent installment in this investigative series on the September 11 terror training that took place in various small cities and airports around sunny Florida. Why was Jeb Bush and Katherine Harris giving endorsements to a flop of an airline that had already had a plane seized in a heroin bust by DEA?

Ex-porn star Gannon jailed Receives three months for insider trading (Oct. 24, 2002)
"John Pollok, Gannon's lawyer, asked U.S. District Judge Richard Owen to sentence her to home detention. But Owen refused, saying the punishment should send a message to the investment community," reports the Associated Press. What would that message be, that like Martha Stewart, if one is a woman, and not a rich white good old boy, you'd better expect to do jail time for your financial shenanigans?

Authorities seize large marijuana amounts (Oct. 24, 2002)

Got Oil? (Oct. 23, 2002)
"The Bush team's ridiculous and wildly inflammatory anti-drug ads are still running in heavy rotation. You know the ads I'm talking about -- the ones where innocent-looking, middle-class teens admit their culpability for the consequences of the drug trade. 'I helped blow up buildings,' says one doe-eyed youth. So if that is legitimate logic, and our president says that it is, I wonder if we might turn the tables on him by starting a little ad campaign of our own to sabotage another misguided Bush campaign: the War on Conservation," writes national treasure Arianna Huffington.

A Lesson In Testifying- High Court Hang-Ups (Oct. 23, 2002)
"A most extraordinary trial is going on in the High Court at the moment in which a man named Chrysler is accused of stealing more than 40,000 coat hangers from hotels round the world. He admits his guilt, but in his defence he claims that – well, perhaps it would be simpler just to bring you a brief extract from the trial," writes Miles Kington with obvious pleasure.

'Cocaine smuggler' claims CIA link (Oct. 23, 2002)
This wouldn't be the first guy who got busted shipping CIA cocaine.

Drug war's new front: Ballot box (Oct. 23, 2002)
"So the feds cede nothing. Walters figures that if legalization wins Round One in Nevada, he can still work to defeat it in 2004. And even if it wins twice, he says the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration would move in and shut down any sales operation," reports Dick Polman, a Philadelphia Inquirer staff writer, about John P. Walter's love of the democratic process.

U.S. drug czar critical of State Issue 1 (Oct. 23, 2002)
Head prohibitionist John P. Walters bleats out more insulting, misleading, and very dangerous opinions, this time in Ohio, while making his grand national "anti-democracy" tour.

Pot in Humboldt County: Climate attracts many growers (Oct. 23, 2002)
Believe it or not, Humbolt County, California, USA, is a great place to grow marijuana.

Parents Charged With Smoking Marijuana In Van With Son (Oct. 23, 2002)
"A police report says the couple admitted to smoking marijuana in a van with their nine-month-old son in the back seat."

Guinn against marijuana, same-sex marriage (Oct. 23, 2002)
Pot users and gay people in love aren't "a problem" for the Governor of Nevada, but he's still publically against them.

Comedian, lawmaker in Denver spy files (Oct. 23, 2002)
"The list includes former South Dakota Sen. James Abourezk, who once headed the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs; entertainer George Carlin; Wilma Mankiller, who was awarded the Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor, in 1998 for her work as the principal chief of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma; and historian Vine Deloria, who wrote, 'Custer Died for Your Sins.'"

Salvia Divinorum Action Center - HR 5607 (Oct. 23, 2002)
In a typical prohibitionist move, the US Congress is preparing to outlaw yet another plant. What in the hell is wrong with the people? The Editor here at DrugWar really wants to know.

Yet Another 'Oops, Wrong House' Raid (Oct. 23, 2002)
"Sandy Cohen raised her arms defensively and told the armed cops they were in the wrong house, according to her son. 'That's what everyone says,' one officer scoffed, according to the 55-year-old Cohen, a journalist who was general manager of WCAU-TV from 1983 to 1990." This according to Stu Bykofsky, Philaedlphia Daily News columnist.

Guatemalan anti-drug agency axed (Oct. 22, 2002)
"The authorities in Guatemala have dissolved the country's anti-drug agency, just a week after a senior US official accused the government of involvement in corruption and drug trafficking," reports the BBC. According to the US State Department, in 2001, US taxpayers gave $3 million, in 2002 we will give an estimated $3.5million, and in 2003, $3.4 is the requested amount to be handed over to this US ally in the War on Some Drugs and Users, which disbanded in disgrace last week. How many more times is this going to happen before it sinks into the heads of US Congressfolk who keep appropriating ever more money to these allies that this War is not only not working, it will never work?

Can Elections End U.S-Ecuador Frustration? (Oct. 22, 2002)
"High-ranking Ecuadorian officials insist their country is most threatened by the spread of Colombia's civil war and regional drug problems. U. S. officials say they don't see the evidence. Instead, early this year, the State Department's anti-terrorism report pointed the finger at Ecuador, urging it to tighten its own borders, and to deal with its reputation as a 'strategic corridor' for munitions 'destined for Colombian terrorist groups.'" So reports Marcela Sanchez in this special report for the WashingtonPost.com. This paragraph raises the ugly spector of Cambodia, and the pretexts used by Nixon and Kissinger to secretly and illegally send US troops to invade that country during the Vietnam travesty.

Indonesian forces' corruption exposed (Oct. 22, 2002)
More US allies in the War on Some Drugs and Users struggling with corruption and worse, directly engendered by prohibition.

Russia afloat in heroin (Oct. 22, 2002)
"Hidden inside cabbages, hollowed walnuts, even the bellies of desperately poor pregnant women, Afghan heroin steadily flows into Russia, joining a stream of illegal drugs that officials warn is a growing threat to the nation's stability," reports Judith Ingram for the Washington Times.

Rebels' grip on Medellin loosens (Oct. 22, 2002)
An update on the War in Colombia.

Spending may boom: Military industry ready for growth (Oct. 22, 2002)
"Atlantic Marine Holding Company temporary leadman Ruby Cook stands under the belly of the U.S.S. Samuel B. Roberts. She ensures co-workers have prime painting conditions. They're prepping the frigate to work with South American naval forces fighting drug operations," reports Jessica Gellady for the Business Journal.

A Reporter Scrutinizes War and Its Myths (Oct. 22, 2002- Free New York Times registration required)
"Despite a profound abhorrence of war, Mr. Hedges also acknowledges a strange attraction. 'The rush of battle is a potent and often lethal addiction,' he writes, 'for war is a drug, one I ingested for many years,'" writes Robert Mann for the NYTimes.

US Diplomat Discusses Trade, War on Drugs with Bolivian President (Oct. 22, 2002)
"Speaking after their meeting Wednesday, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for the Western Hemisphere, Otto Reich denied reports the purpose of his visit was to pressure the Bolivian government to continue its policy of eradication of illegal coca plants; the raw material from which cocaine is derived. But Mr. Reich said the elimination of the coca plants is extremely important and that the United States would continue helping Bolivia destroy the crop." So reports the Voice of America. Under Reagan, Reich ran the pro-Contra Office of Public Diplomacy for Latin America and the Caribbean, which was shoveling propaganda by the bucketload for US public consumption. The OPD was found to be an illegal operation in 1987 after an investigation by the U.S. Comptroller General.

Teach-in at C.U. on Guerrilla War Informs (Oct. 22, 2002)
"Roldan argued that the organization of paramilitaries is no different from American Pentagon outsourcing in Afghanistan and Vietnam," writes Melissa Korn in this report for the Cornell Daily Sun on a teach-in at Cornell University.

US drugs budget is cut to fight war on terror (Oct. 22, 2002)
"The Pentagon is to scale back its £800m-a-year war on the narcotics trade to free up special forces troops, reconnaissance aircraft and satellites for the battle against international terrorism," reports Ian Bruce for The Herald UK. The US military apparently has not been paying attention to the ONDCP advertisements tying illegal drug taking to terrorism.

Nevada takes up referendum on pot (Oct. 22, 2002)
"Federal drug czar John Walters, who is making marijuana a major target because of its widespread use, has made his position on Western reefer referendums clear. During a swing through Arizona and Nevada this month, Walters called the Arizona ballot initiative a 'stupid, insulting con.' In Nevada, he chastised proponents of pot legalization, saying that he didn't think Nevada should become a 'center for drug tourism,'" reports Bob Keefe COX News Service. In other words, nuclear waste shipped from all over the US into Nevada is good, but legalizing pot smoking is bad. What a "stupid and insulting con" prohibitionistic feds such as Walters are trying to pull.

Investigation takes down marijuana, cocaine network (Oct. 22, 2002)
"'98 tip led to years-long multi-agency probe with wiretaps, high-tech surveillance," reports David Doege for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

'Marijuana factory' targeted by New West (Oct. 22, 2002)
"A legal marijuana grow operation operating out of a two-storey home in Queensborough is fighting efforts by the city of New Westminster to shut it down," reports Canada Now.

7 pounds of marijuana found on Texas woman (Oct. 22, 2002)
This 20-year old woman apparently said "yes" to these cops' request to search her belongings, which lead to them finding one heck of a lot of pot.

Cocaine, Marijuana Found On Kid Rock's Tour Bus (Oct. 22, 2002)
Prohibitionist cops in Florida have momentarily gotten one oh so dangerous pot head coke sniffer of the streets while acting on a tip that there were drugs on Kid Rock's tour bus.

Trio charged after police seize cannabis (Oct. 21, 2002)
Police steal...uh, confiscate, $2 million worth of marijuana.

Pot in Humboldt County: Both sides of the story (Oct. 21, 2002)
"'Humboldt is the nexus point of the whole growing movement,' said Steve Bloom, senior editor of High Times Magazine, a New York City-based publication distributed worldwide and dedicated to the complete coverage of marijuana," writes Chris Durant for the Eureka Times.

San Francisco may explore growing medical marijuana (Oct. 21, 2002)
"Will San Francisco soon start growing and distributing its own marijuana for medical purposes? An initiative on an upcoming ballot is asking local voters to decide whether the city should explore the idea," reports the Associated Press.

'NY Times' Takes Hit On Marijuana Booklet (Oct. 21, 2002)
"Times officials declined to address the allegation that the booklet distorted facts. But, in a statement sent to E&P Friday, the paper defended its practice of providing such educational materials, which are used in conjunction with the daily paper. 'Our main goal ... is to foster development of critical thinking skills through newspaper reading,' the statement read. 'We are able to do this in part by helping teachers to integrate newspapers into their curriculum," which has exactly nothing to do with their passing off propaganda and lies as educational material. Read more of this report by Joe Strupp for Editor and Publisher. Then download and read the propaganda...I mean, handbook, at the New York Times.

Meet the most potent natural hallucinogen -- and it's legal (Oct. 21, 2002)
A shrill, prohibitionist-slanted article about Salvia Divinorum, beating the fears drums loudly.

US Military Is Easing Its War on Drugs (Oct. 21, 2002)
The very expensive taxpayer-funded ONDCP television ads equating Drugs with Terrorism don't seem to have convinced the US military, which wants to scale back its anti-drug operations, to the consternation of some in Congress.

When the Bullet Meets the Bone- Ari Fleischer's Single Bullet Doctrine (Oct. 21, 2002)
"Unpalatable to most Americans is the fact that in promoting and marketing the US 'way of life' here and abroad, painful side effects include extraordinary violence, mayhem and suffering," writes John Stanton in this editorial for the News Insider.

N. Korea Issue Irks Congress (Oct. 21, 2002)
"Key Democrats Kept in Dark On Admission Before Iraq Vote" report Mike Allen and Karen DeYoung for the Washington Post. The Bush administration will even lie to Congress, so what hope do we regular citizens have of getting the truth out of this administration, or any US administration for that matter? Oh, hold on, these administrations have been lying about their War on Some Drugs and Users for decades, so the fact the Bush administration lied about North Korea isn't exactly surprising news.

War plans under fire as even Bush heartland talks peace (Oct. 21, 2002)
"Dissent is coming from all quarters - even in Bush's own church," Ed Vulliamy reports from Washington for the Guardian Unlimited Observer.

Ex-officials accused of corruption (Oct. 21, 2002)
"Two former high-ranking Pentagon officials in the Clinton administration were arrested yesterday on charges of extortion, bribery, money-laundering and witness tampering in a suspected scheme involving the awarding of contracts to minority firms," writes Jerry Seper for the Washington Times.

Czechs retract terror link (Oct. 20, 2002)
What Iraqi terrorist link was that again?

Spy planes used to hunt drug suspects enter search for sniper (Oct. 20, 2002)
"RC-7 surveillance planes, based in far West Texas and South Korea and used primarily to hunt drug smugglers in South and Central America, is now being recruited into the hunt for the Washington-area sniper," reports Dave Montgomery for Knight Ridder Newspapers.

The THC Foundation (Oct. 20, 2002)
"THC-Foundation is working to educate the public about the truth concerning hemp and cannabis, and helping medical marijuana patients. Our mission is to promote justice, freedom, and peace with political action and education. Our goal is to restore hemp and end adult cannabis prohibition."

Big Kick, Plain Scrap: History of the Drugs in the War on Stronger pot, upgraded 'speedballs,' purer heroin: all victories for ... somebody (Oct. 19, 2002)
"We're just beginning this lexicographic and chemical mindfuck. First, let's get the 'war on drugs,' as this particular war is called, out of the way. It's about money. Just like all wars. As politically incorrect (and still alive) comedian Bill Maher once noted, after denouncing the war on drugs for going on too long and containing too many hidden agendas: 'Prozac versus marijuana? Prozac's going to lose.''' So writes Greg Baker in this often funny yet quite honest appraisal of the War on Some Drugs and Users.

Officers Say U.S. Aided Iraq in War Despite Use of Gas (Oct. 19, 2002)
Hiding knowlege of North Korean nuclear capabilites for at least the last 2 years, and assisting Saddam Hussein acquire chemical and biological agents, one US administration after another has engaged in murderous hypocricy around the world, and expect the young US men and women who pay taxes and vote them into office to support and even sometimes die as a result of their criminal insanity.

Mary Jane's Army Raising Awareness (Oct. 19, 2002)
Letter writers urging marijuana law reforms sent letters across four time zones to this small paper, impressing Tait Simpson, the Opinions Editor at The Gazette in London, Ontario.

Homeland effort may have beneficial side effects (Oct. 19, 2002)
"The homeland-security push could result in a tighter border that keeps out not only terrorists, but more illegal drugs and many foreigners with criminal backgrounds. At all levels, law enforcement is likely to be more coordinated as police and federal agents work jointly to piece together the clues terrorists left behind. That will mean cooperation in solving nonterrorist crime cases as well," write Tamara Lytle and Jim Leusner for the Orlando Sentinel. We all know how well the War on Some Drugs has worked in stopping drug trafficking and abuse, so imagining the benefits of the War on Terror sends chills of anticipation through the editor of DrugWar.com.

Actor Sean Penn Lashes Bush over Iraq War Drums (Oct. 19, 2002)
In an open letter to Bush taking up most of a page in the main section of the daily newspaper, the Oscar-nominated star of "I Am Sam" and "Dead Man Walking," urged the president to stop a cycle where 'bombing is answered by bombing, mutilation by mutilation, killing by killing,'" reports Reuters. Penn is but one more unhappy US actor voicing his concerns as Hollywood takes on White House.

Inmate freed by governor does ad for Pataki foe (Oct. 19, 2002)
Joel Stashenko, as Associated Press writer, seems to be implying that Anthony Papa should be more grateful to Governor Pataki since he granted him amnesty after Papa served 12 years of a 15 year-to-life sentence for a single drug offence.

War Worries- Support for Attacking Iraq Begins to Wane Across the U.S. (Oct. 19, 2002)
"As the administration prepares for war with Iraq, a new mantra has emerged in the campaign to win the hearts and minds of Americans and, in effect, put Saddam Hussein on notice. 'America speaks with one voice,' says President Bush. In Washington, Bush, having been empowered by both houses of Congress to use force, seems to face very little opposition on Iraq. On the streets of America, nothing could be further from the truth," reports Bill Redeker for ABCNews.

War on drugs that may be fuelling terror (Oct. 19, 2002)
"The enormity of the 2002 [poppy] crop as well as Afghanistan’s porous borders may well provide further funding for groups with links to terrorist organisations, particularly as al-Qaeda is thought still to be operating within the region. But now even more damaging facts about the compensation scheme have come to light as it seems that British money could have been diverted directly to al-Qaeda," writes Lucy Morgan-Edwards in Kabul for the Scotsman.

Explosive 'linked to CIA' (Oct. 19, 2002)
"The explosive used in the Bali bomb attack could have come from supplies handed over to the Mujahideen by the CIA during the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan," reports Michael Smith, Defence Correspondent for The Telegraph. "The same plastic explosive, known as C4, was used in the attack on the USS Cole off Yemen in October 2000 in which 17 people died, suggesting a possible link to al-Qa'eda."

Australians turn on government over US alliance (Oct. 19, 2002)
"Next in the line of fire were the intelligence services, which appear to have deliberately buried warnings of a possible terrorist attack on Bali. Such debate, part and parcel of Australian political life, seems refreshingly frank and a little disorientating when compared with the reaction in the United States after the September 11 attacks," writes Andrew Gumbel in Sydney, for The Independent.

LISD celebrates Red Ribbon Week (Oct. 19, 2002)
"Red Ribbon Week is an annual, nationwide event commemorating the life and sacrifice of Drug Enforcement Administration agent Enrique 'KiKi' Camerena who was murdered in 1985 while working undercover in Mexico," reports David A. Smith. The prohibitionists quoted in this article are missing the point that it is their War that directly lead to murderous, powerful cartels such as the one that killed Camerena, not drug use as they imply here.

Proposition 203 requires state to give away marijuana (Oct. 19, 2002)
Arizona is just one among many states with a common sense drug war reform initiative on the ballot this November, 2002.

Medical pot not guaranteed under charter, court told (Oct. 19, 2002)
"The right to smoke marijuana for medicinal reasons is no more enshrined in the Charter of Rights than the right to smoke crack cocaine, lawyers for the federal government argued yesterday." That's according to this report by James McCarten, CP, for the London Free Press, on Canadian prohibitionist arguments against marijuana law reform.

The Week Online With DCRNet, issue# 259 (Oct. 19, 2002)
MADD sues DAMMADD over the remarkable similarities in names, election updates, California medical marijuana guidline info online, election updates, the Journey for Justice, Colombian, Mexican and US Drug War corruption, and more election updates are among the many topics covered in this week's issue. Be sure to check the Reformers' Calendar for events happening near you.

Police make a record seizure of marijuana (chamba) (Oct. 19, 2002)
"The dangerous drugs section of the police service has seized 7,589.5 kilograms of chamba from January to September this year," reports Muyanga Ziba for Malawihere.com.

More lies about marijuana (Oct. 19, 2002)
"Regarding DEA Director Asa Hutchinson's column last Saturday, "Legalizing drugs is simply surrender": Methamphetamine use is at epidemic levels throughout the United States. If "drug warriors" like Hutchinson and drug czar John Walters want to know the reason why, tell them to look in a mirror," writes Kirk Muse in this letter fo the editors at The Arizona Republic.

Medical marijuana provider arrested (Oct. 19, 2002)
This guy is facing up to 17 years in prison for possessing a bunch of flowers.

Marijuana received in mail; man arrested (Oct. 19, 2002)
"The marijuana had been shipped up from Texas, and the suspect received it through a parcel service at his apartment building on the south side of Two Rivers," reports the Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter.

S.D. city panel OKs medical pot rules (Oct. 19, 2002)
"Medical marijuana guidelines that would allow sick people to keep up to 3 pounds of the drug and grow up to 72 plants for their own use was approved by a San Diego City Council committee yesterday," writes Ray Huard for the San Diego Union-Tribune.

Drug Czar (Oct. 19, 2002)
"Virtually everybody believes we need to protect children from dangerous addictive substances. If we do that, we'll have fewer people who we have to treat, and we'll have a kind of realization of the opportunities in this country that we all want for everyone, and our children especially," said US Drug Czar John P. Walters in this interview with D. Brian Burghart for the Reno News and Review. Fewer people we need to treat? How about fewer people we have to jail?

Government lawyers say they haven't read all Cheney documents they argued should be kept secret (Oct. 19, 2002)
"U.S. District Court Judge Emmet Sullivan ordered task force documents to be made public by Nov. 5 and said he was shocked the Justice Department attorneys had not examined all the documents after asserting for more than a year that each of them involved confidential information," reports John Heilprin for the Associated Press. Also see this notice from Judicial Watch, currently suing to force disclosure of Cheney's secret meetings, Judge orders White House to turn over energy task force documents.

Police Admit Lying in Dallas Drug Convictions (Oct. 18, 2002)
Anti-Drug Warriors running amok in Dallas. Texas. "NPR's Wade Goodwyn reports on the FBI investigation into allegations that the Dallas Police Department wrongfully arrested and charged Mexican immigrants with drug trafficking. As a result, many spent years in jail on drug convictions. Police informants have admitted to lying, and several new trials have been ordered, and a judge has ordered another man released. (7:26)"

Fire victims told of checks (Oct. 18, 2002)
"The Drug Enforcement Administration on Wednesday tried to reassure victims of the 62,000-acre Pines fire that restitution checks will not be delayed by the agency taking over the handling of claims from the California National Guard," notes the Union-Tribune.

Drug Traffickers Pose Threat to National Security, Says White House (Oct. 18, 2002)
Drug traffickers are scary and threatening, but US and British arms merchants showing off their death wares in Jordan, to such countries as Syria, Libya, Iran and yes, Iraq, these warpigs pose no threat to US National Security or the Bush regime, nor to the US citizenry and soldiers who will die in attacks utilizing US weaponry, not at all. Something about these priorities seems off somehow to the editor here at DrugWar.com.

Canadian pot plan a trade risk (Oct. 18, 2002)
Exporting US cigerettes and threatening sanctions against those countries who don't want them is fine with official US prohibitionists, but God forbid some country like, say, Canada decides that anti-marijuana prohibition is idiotic, wasteful and destructive. These very same officials are now threatening Canada for contemplating liberalizing their anti-pot laws.

U.S. Drug Czar: Policy could hurt state efforts (Oct. 18, 2002)
"The U.S. Drug Czar said a statewide ballot initiative meant to reform Ohio drug policy could actually hurt the state's efforts to curb drug addiction. In Columbus Wednesday, John Walters, director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, joined what he called growing opposition in Ohio to the proposed constitutional amendment on the November ballot. If Issue 1 succeeds, it would force judges to send thousands of eligible non-violent drug offenders to treatment instead of jail," reports Nathan Leaf for the Gannett News Service.

Florida-Based Researchers Receive $5.85 Million Federal Contract to Study Drug Addiction (Oct. 18, 2002)
"Imagine a day when taking a pill cures or prevents drug addiction. That goal is what drives research by The Roskamp Institute and James A. Haley VA Hospital scientists who have just received sponsorship for their project from the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy's research unit, the Counterdrug Technology Assessment Center (CTAC)." In other words, the way our brains are wired isn't right, God must have made a drastic mistake that only the prohibitionists can fix by altering the very makeup of those brains that won't buy into the prohibitionist hysteria.

Hollis: Drug-Free Troops Key to All Military Success (Oct. 18, 2002)
"It's paramount to mission success that service members remain drug-free –- especially as America continues the war against global terrorism, DoD's senior anti-drug official said here," writes Gerry J. Gilmore for the American Forces Press Service. Is he serious? Can the US military really be printing fatuous articles like this one, when it came out just a few months ago that the US military is pumping pilots full of methamphetamines and downers too?

Cannabis society planning downtown rally (Oct. 18, 2002)
"Calling it a rally and march to "stop the casualites of the marijuana war," the Ohio Cannabis Society will hold a downtown rally and march beginning noon Saturday at Dave Hall Plaza, Main and Fifth streets. The march will begin at 4 p.m. at the plaza and proceed to the Montgomery County Courthouse. An after-party will be from 6 to 9 p.m. at El Diablo Lounge, 135 E. Second St.," reports Cathy Mong for the Dayton Daily News.

Family's death sends chilling signal (Oct. 18, 2002)
It begins with Angela Dawson, a neighborhood crusader and mother of six, taking a stand against drugs. It ends with Dawson and her five youngest children burning to death in an engulfed bedroom and a young man from down the street in jail," reports Jeffrey Gettleman for the New York Times.

Art students chalk out war protest (Oct. 18, 2002)
"It is the second time in three weeks that anti-war sentiments have been drawn on Capitol grounds."

Bush Co-Chair Blasts McBride for Refusing to Condemn Remarks From Supporter Who Compared the Bush Family to Bin Laden and Called the Bush’s “Godless” and “Neo-Nazis” (Oct. 18, 2002)
A shrill official press release from the Jeb For Governor website. Does this press release protest too much?

Marijuana Petition (Oct. 18, 2002)
"A petition by some University of Missouri students wants the City Council to lower marijuana possession charges from criminal to misdemeanor. That way if students are caught with marijuana, they won't lose their financial aid," reports Jodie Shpritz.

A parent asks: Why was Jeb not at hearing? (Oct. 18, 2002)
"So why wasn't Jeb Bush standing with his daughter when the bailiffs slapped the cuffs on her and led her off to prison? Couldn't he have set aside his campaign for at least a morning?" That's what Mike Thomas of the Olando Sentinel wants to know.

Golisono Blows Smoke at Medical Marijuana (Oct. 18, 2002)
Tom Leighton, running for NY Governor as the Marijuana Reform Party candidate, is not impressed with Golisano's pro-medical marijuana position. Find out why, and see the recent NY gubernatorial debate with all 7 leading candidates. Would would the elections look like were our Presidential debates this inclusive?

Tom Golisano for New York Governor (Oct. 18, 2002)
The editor of DrugWar.com is NOT endorsing Golisano's candidacy by posting this, but does find Golisano's pro-medical marijuana commercial, which can be viewed here, refreshing and worth posting simply for its uniqueness. US politicians publically coming out in favor of marijuana use in any form is something the editor has dreamed up, but is still pleasantly surprised to see it become a reality.

Gov. Jeb Bush's daughter ordered to jail (Oct. 17, 2002)
There she goes again to jail, poor woman. But at least she's only facing 10 days rather than the years others less fortunate than she often get for their piddly drug offenses.

I'm an American tired of American lies (Oct. 17, 2002)
"I give in to Woodman, and we stop for a few beers. He asks me what I'd do in Bush's shoes. Easy: I'd honour Kyoto. Join the world court. I'd stop subsidising earth rapers like Monsanto, Dupont and Exxon. I'd shut down the nuclear power plants. So I already have $200bn saved from corporate welfare. I'd save another $100bn by stopping the war on non-corporate drugs. And I'd cut the defence budget in half so they'd have to get by on a measly $200bn a year. I've already saved half a billion bucks by saying no to polluters and warmongers," writes Woody Harrelson in this editorial for the Guardian Unlimited.

Red Tape Delays Payments To Pines Fire Victims New Government Agency Takes Over Claims Process (Oct. 17, 2002)
"Victims of a summer wildfire that was sparked by a National Guard helicopter will have to wait longer than expected for damage payments because the Drug Enforcement Administration is taking over the claims process," reports NBCSanDiego.com "The helicopter was on a drug-surveillance patrol when it clipped a power line on July 29 and started a fire that burned 62,000 acres near the town of Julian. The Guard took responsibility for the fire and has been in the process of approving damage claims for people who suffered property and financial losses. But victims were told this week that the DEA is taking over the handling of claims because it, too, was involved in the patrol."

Journey for Justice- The Law Made You a Criminal- Reflections on the First Stop (Oct. 17, 2002)
Nora Callahan, Executive Director of the November Coalition, sends us a report on the first stop on the Journey for Justice, adding much to Kevin Zeese's initial report. These people deserves all the kudos and support they can get, or so that's the opinion of the editor here at DrugWar.

Barbara Starr: Military joins sniper probe (Oct. 17, 2002)
"Under the posse comitatus law, which dates back originally to 1878, no military involvement [is allowed] in law enforcement. And that means they can't pursue, they can't target, they have no powers of arrest. But in recent years, what has come to happen is the military can provide assistance, and of course, the best example is the drug enforcement issue, drug interdiction. Military aircraft, military assets are often regularly used to conduct surveillance and reconnaissance and look for suspected drug flights into the United States, especially across the southern border," according to this CNN report. Does the fact that the military is often used in drug operations make it right? This was something the editor heard other says, and said many times himself, that the War on Some Drugs was the foot-in-the-door for the eventual shredding of the Constitution and our basic rights as US citizens. The War on Terror is simply the next (il)logical step.

Police Chief Appointed To International Drug Committee (Oct. 17, 2002)
"The committee is chaired by Hutchinson, who nominated Keck at the association's convention last week in Minneapolis. DEA spokeswoman Tara DeGarmo said Keck will serve a three-year term on the committee. She said the position will allow Keck to keep informed on national and international drug issues. He will then advise the association on drug-enforcement policies."

Mexico- Military's Role in Drug War Questioned (Oct. 17, 2002)
Things are looking bleak for the corrupt military stooges taking their cut from the drug trade in Mexico.

Panhandle Losing Ground in Drug War (Oct. 17, 2002)
Not only can Florida Governor Jeb Bush NOT keep illegal drug abuse out of his own family, he cannot keep them out his state either, no matter how many lives and however much money he wastes on the War on Some Drugs and Users.

Frightful risk for medical pot users (Oct. 17, 2002)
"A bold, daytime home-invasion robbery targeting a marijuana garden in El Dorado County has alarmed law-enforcement officials and highlighted risks for growers of medicinal pot. Four gunmen dressed as FBI and ATF agents forced their way into a family's rural Lotus home last week and took 20 plants -- which the homeowner told authorities were for medicinal purposes -- and about $300 in cash," report Sacramento Bee staff writers Ralph Montaño and Niesha Gates. It's getting more and more difficult to tell the narcotics cops from the criminals these days.

Pot use brings red tape (Oct. 17, 2002)
"User of medical marijuana can't regain his driver's license," reports Doug Mattson for the Union.

City Leaders Push Action On Medical Marijuana (Oct. 17, 2002)
"A plan to regulate the use of marijuana for medical purposes is a first step in resolving a dispute over implementation of Proposition 215, two San Diego City Council members said Wednesday."

Partnership for Drug-Policy Facts and Alternatives (Oct. 17, 2002)
The Partnership for a Drug Free america was apparently not too happy with this site when it came out, and it is easy to see why.

Press Release from the White Men's Public Relations Department to DrugWar.com (Oct. 17, 2002)
So can the White Men really be stopped, or is it too late? Are they really in total control while hiding from public scrutiny from behind closed doors? The White Men seem to think so, and thank us here at DrugWar for adding to their deceptive smokescreen.

Cannabis Study is Full (Oct. 17, 2002)
"Recruitment began in January 2001 and on Monday, consultant neurologist Dr John Zajicek will announce the study now has its quota of 667 patients."

Colombia Asks Neighbors to Join Drug War (Oct. 17, 2002)
"Colombian President Alvaro Uribe called on fellow South American nations on Tuesday to join his twin wars on drugs and terrorism, warning cocaine-fueled violence could spread throughout the region," apparently missing the point that his war is driving that exact same violence. Why is this so difficult for voters all over the world to understand, that these warmongering Drug Warriors are the root cause of the drug violence, and that as long as the voters keep putting these maniacs in office, the violence will continue?

Ryder Drug Count Dropped (Oct. 17, 2002)
"But she'll go to trial on three felony charges in shoplifting," notes this report from the Associated Press.

As Bush Marshals America for War Against the Axis of Evil, American and British Arms Companies are Showing Them Our Weapons (Oct. 16, 2002)
Ah, the pleasures and profits of having warmongers and warpigs leading the most free nation on Earth. This is one hell of a shock to the editor of DrugWar.com, who perhaps naively wonders why this event isn't getting much airplay on US television news. Iraq is one of the 46 countries with a delegation attending this "exceptional and comprehensive" military and law enforcement arms show, along with Syria, Jordan, and yep, the United States. Also see Outrage as Iraq views UK arms from the Guardian Unlimited Observer.

"Shallow Throat" Savages Dem Leaders and Reveals Bush Strategy (Oct. 16, 2002)
You remember the flap when the German justice minister compared Bush's tactics with those of Hitler -- of mesmerizing the population with war-talk while the real issues are swept under the rug? The Bushies got enraged because she hit too close to the mark. The administration's propaganda policy is, who said it?, a weapon of mass distraction -- and it's working. Look at how the Congress caved, look at the absence of major coverage on the shaky economy and the various Bush&Co. scandals." So writes Bernard Weiner of his interview with GOP stalwart "Shallow Throat".

Enron's legacy lives on (Oct. 16, 2002)
"'The executives have yet to be disgorged of their ill-gotten gains,' he says. 'That broad sense that there will be some level of holding them accountable no longer exists.' Unsurprisingly, America's investors are more than a little reluctant to get their fingers burnt again. 'It's akin to terrorism,' says Alan Reynolds, an expert on corporate governance at the Cato Institute. 'One set of people deliberately plotted to break all the rules and commit a terrible crime.'"

An 'out-of-state' campaign- Federal drug czar meddles in an issue Nevadans must decide (Oct. 16, 2002)
The Las Vegas Review Journal is not buying US Drug Czar John P. Walters' scare tactics and lies, going so far as to call him on his duplicity and empty promises in this editorial. Saying that Nevadans are adults, the paper notes they do not need help from their "betters" from Washington DC, like Walters, flying into Nevada more than once at taxpayers' expense to fight against Question 9, a citizens' initiative that will legalize responsible marijuana use in their state if it passes.

Nearly 80 Percent Of Coast Guard Cocaine Seizures In Pacific (Oct. 16, 2002)
"The Coast Guard seized 93,417 pounds of cocaine in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. The total amount seized was 117,280 pounds, officials said in a statement."

What Bombing People Really Does to Them (Oct. 16, 2002)
For all the folks calling for bombings in Iraq, take a quick visit to this site, and see exactly what happens to people when just one bomb (so far as is known at this time) goes off in their vicinity. This site is NOT for the weak at heart or stomach, so be forewarned. Catch the terrorists, don't bomb indiscriminately in relatiatory terror attacks, as in say, Iraq, where it will do no good and will only maim, anger, and murder, instilling more anti-West hatred. DrugWar's editor does not necessarily subscribe to the theory promoted at this site, but feel the photos should be viewed by everyone calling for bombings.

Pickens students below state average in marijuana usage survey (Oct. 16, 2002)
Greg Oliver reports that despite having the lowest marijuana use rates in the state, the prohibitionists in Pickens County are insisting that more prohibition is needed. "We go in and do drug lessons with students in all classes and do teacher in-service, where we do risk and protective factors for teachers to demonstrate to students who are high-risk," said Reese. "We talk about the things we can do to protect students."

Task Force Recommends 3-Pound Limit For Medical Marijuana (Oct. 16, 2002)
"Patients Should Be Able To Grow 72 Plants, Group Says"

Men charged with marijuana possession (Oct. 16, 2002)
"Antonio O. Ramirez, 39, of Los Angeles and Jose O. Ramirez, 27, of Hollywood, Calif., were each charged with possessing marijuana with the intent to distribute and not having a drug tax stamp, Nebraska State Patrol Lt. Chris Kolb said." So reports Sarah Schulz for Independent.com. A Drug Tax stamp? If they'd had one, would that have helped them?

Canada's marijuana laws worry U.S. (Oct. 16, 2002)
CNN reports on the 800 legal pot smokers in Canada, and on Canada's proposed reforms of anti-pot laws.

Anti-War Protests Get Louder In California (Oct. 16, 2002)
"Most Americans -- about 61 percent, according to a recent Washington Post-ABC News poll -- support using force to remove Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, but anti-war activists contend that is true only when people are asked the question in the broadest terms. When voters in the Post-ABC poll were asked whether the United States should launch an attack over the opposition of its allies, for example, support dropped to 46 percent," writes Evelyn Nieves, a Washington Post Staff Writer.

The Akha Weekly Journal- Subscribe Today (Oct. 16, 2002)
The Journal is up and running. Get your subscription today.

Man faces drug charges over South American jungle vines (Oct. 16, 2002)
"'This is a very dangerous hallucinogen,' he said. 'We will do whatever we can to keep it out of our district and prosecute anyone who tries to bring it in.'" So said U.S. Attorney Bill Duffey, according to this ASsociated PRess report, who wouldn't know a genuine religious experience if it bit him right on the....

America's For-Profit Secret Army (Oct. 16, 2002)
"With the war on terror already a year old and the possibility of war against Iraq growing by the day, a modern version of an ancient practice -- one as old as warfare itself -- is reasserting itself at the Pentagon. Mercenaries, as they were once known, are thriving -- only this time they are called private military contractors, and some are even subsidiaries of Fortune 500 companies. The Pentagon cannot go to war without them," reports Leslie Wayne for the New York Times. These same killers for hire are hard at work in South America, and all sorts of other corners of the globe.

Fla. Gov. Daughter's Hearing Opened (Oct. 16, 2002)
"'Drug court status hearings must be open to all participants so that all participants can observe each other's successes and failures,' the judge wrote." So Noelle and her family cannot hide behind privacy.

Colombians flee campaign of terror- Survivors describe bloody massacres by paramilitaries (Oct. 15, 2002)
Mike Ceaser reports for the Globe and Mail on the harrowing situation facing the peasant inhabitants along the Venezuela/Colombia border, with robbery, kidnapping and murders of the most horrific sort being perpetrated upon the campesinos by right-wing paramilitaries alleged to be allied with the Colombian military.

No: Addictive drug has no medical value (Oct. 15, 2002)
As the sharp-eyed reader who pointed out this article to the Editor here at DrugWar.com notes, "This DEA loon must have just dropped off the turnip truck, he seems well fastened to 1938. You gotta read this." So, the editor passes on the link to this incredible editorial. Let the Seattle Times know what you think of this guy's opinion.

War Cry (Oct. 15, 2002)
"Making the case for United Nations intervention against the United States, Iranian President Mohammad Khatami told the organization yesterday that military action will be "unavoidable" unless the U.S. agrees to destroy its weapons of mass destruction. In a much-anticipated speech to a special session of the U.N. General Assembly held in Brussels, Khatami launched a blistering attack against American leader George W. Bush, accusing him of defying U.N. resolutions and using his country's wealth to line the pockets of wealthy cronies at a time when the people of his country make do without such basic social programs as national health insurance." So wrote Ted Rall in this disturbingly funny but hitting ever too close to home spoof of the Bush warmongers and their plans for world dominance.

Mexican army 'torturing' soldiers (Oct. 15, 2002)
"A human rights group in Mexico says more than 600 soldiers have been detained at their barracks for the past 11 days and subjected to torture in an investigation into drug trafficking," reports the BBC.

Drugmakers' gifts to doctors finally get needed scrutiny (Oct. 15, 2002)
What about drugmakers' gifts to lawmakers and government regulators? Will this topic also be covered by this scrutinizing?

Censorship In Paradise: New Zealand Thought Police Seize Books From Loompanics (Oct. 15, 2002)
"Let's emphasize one of the lessons we've learned about New Zealand: If you get caught with three marijuana plants, you will pay a $350 fine. If you get caught with three books about marijuana, you will pay a $6,000 fine. Kiwi tokers, if they're prudent, may want to stick to just smoking the stuff rather than reading about it. As if all this weren't twisted enough, it should be noted that although the magazines High Times, Cannabis Culture, and Heads are all legally on sale in New Zealand, books about illegal drugs are verboten. (It was through ads in these magazines that the Setters found out about Loompanics and Dope Fiends.)" So notes Russ Kick in this scathing report about New Zealand's thought police and their victims.

UR hears Bennett, Rushdie (Oct. 15, 2002)
"In his travels as drug czar, Bennett met a Charleston, S.C., police chief -- Rubin Greenberg -- who reduced drug crime by evicting public housing tenants who fed or sheltered drug dealers. “That’s what a great leader can do,” he said. 'Change the whole psychology of what’s going on.'" Bennett is the guy who really gets credit for inspiring in the editor of DrugWar.com thoughts that all was not right in the Land of the Free, way back when the editor was attending a Florida Junior High School and heard then-US Education Secretary Bennett spouting what were even to his young mind and ears obvious idiocies and falsehoods. Bennett certainly helped change the editor's psychology.

Canada's Pot Proposal Worries U.S. (Oct. 15, 2002)
"U.S. drug policy experts say decriminalizing marijuana in Canada will increase drug use in America and trafficking by organized crime elements on both sides of the border. Washington would respond with tighter border checks that could hinder trade crucial to the Canadian economy. 'We intend to protect our citizens. We would have no choice,' said John P. Walters, director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy." So reports the Associated Press. What Walters probably meant to say was "Boy, these Canadians are so far ahead of us in terms of smarts and compassion, not to mention common sense, that we are looking like the evil meanies we are." Or maybe he didn't mean to say that, but that's the reality of the situation regardless.

Wasted: the Drought That Drugs Made (Oct. 15, 2002)
The drought problems in Afghanistan are the direct result of marijuana farming, at least according to this report from Time magazine.

Golisano calls for repeal of Rockefeller drug laws (Oct. 15, 2002)
"'To take young people and incarcerate them for 15 to 20 years or longer for this type of offense in my opinion is almost unconstitutional,' Golisano said at a Harlem news conference," reports Karen Matthews for the Associated Press. What does he mean, "almost?"

Nevada's Question 9 (Oct. 15, 2002)
Check out these commercials in favor of Nevada's marijuana legalization initiative to be voted on this coming November 2002.

Hatch Hails Anti-Addiction Drug (Oct. 15, 2002)
"Two new buprenorphine preparations, marketed as Subutex and Suboxone, will now be available to Drug Enforcement Agency-certified physicians treating heroin addicts. Under development and U.S. study for more than a decade, buprenorphine already is being administered in France, where it is credited with reducing heroin arrests by 57 percent and heroin overdose deaths by 80 percent," writes Christopher Smith for the Salt Lake Tribune.

5 years in jail for marijuana dealers (Oct. 15, 2002)
Not the most cheerful news, but when reporting on a War, how often is the news really cheerful news?

Cheney: Investigators, Keep Out (Oct. 14, 2002)
"Dick Cheney played a behind-the-scenes role last week in derailing an agreement to create an independent commission to investigate the 9-11 attacks. Last month the White House endorsed the formation of the panel. But on Thursday, hours after congressional negotiators hailed a final deal over the scope and powers of a 9-11 panel, Cheney called House Intelligence Committee chairman Rep. Porter Goss, sources told NEWSWEEK." So report Michael Isikoff and Tamara Lipper for Newsweek.

UK- Campbell privacy case thrown out (Oct. 14, 2002)
"Naomi Campbell was dealt a body blow today after the Daily Mirror succeeded in its appeal against a high court ruling over reports about her drug addiction, leaving her with a £750,000 bill in costs," report Claire Cozens and Dan Milmo for the Guardian Unlimited.

Colombia Top Cop to Fight Corruption (Oct. 14, 2002)
Ho-hum, yet another Colombian prohibitionist insists he will fight the bad apples amongst the good prohibitionist enforcers in the various Colombian police departments. How many more times are we going to read this exact same story? This is a really old story that gets repeated every so often every few years or so, only some of the names change with each new telling. On September 26, 2002, 71 Colombian cops, including the general formerly in charge of anti-drug operations, were accussed of stealing millions in US-supplied anti-narcotics aid money.

Why the CIA thinks Bush is wrong (Oct. 14, 2002)
"The president says the US has to act now against Iraq. The trouble is, his own security services don't agree." Neil Mackay reports for the Sunday Herald.

Drug Forfitures Going To Local Agencies (Oct. 14, 2002)
"Clearing the streets of drug operations is now paying off for local law enforcement agencies. The Drug Enforcement Administration is sharing the wealth of assets taken in local drug raids handing out money to the agencies that help them fight the war on drugs." No wonder it is often the police and feds who insist that the War is going great guns and should continue not only unabated, but at ever increasing speed and destructive power. They're pulling in great money to further fund their agencies and buy more cop toys. Why would they want to give all that free money up? For an example of this "more War" stance on the part of prohibitionist cops, see US Drug Officials Support 'Rave' Crackdown Law.

Ritalin on the rise (Oct. 14, 2002)
Tomhas Caywood reports for the Daily News Tribune that "While the controversy over medicating disruptive children may have slacked off in recent years, psychotropic drugs such as Ritalin continue to fly off pharmacy shelves, according to U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration statistics and a recent study."

Man says the snack caused a positive result on drug test (OCt. 14, 2002)
This fired US Border Patrol agent is most likely full of malarkey, not hemp bars, food he claims caused a false positive drug test leading to his firing. For lots more information on the federal war against hemp-based food products, see DEA Hemp Ban Put on Hold.

Federal Contracts (Oct. 14, 2002)
"Computer & Hi-tech Management of McLean won an $11.7 million contract from the Drug Enforcement Administration for records management support for the narcotics and dangerous drugs information system." The Washington Post has published this list of incredibly expensive fedearl contracts, many of which are military, and not one of which seem to be to assist in stabilizing US civilian domestic infrastructure. For more background info on pork spending, please see Warpigs Gorge on Military Pork.

Hospitalized border agent returns home (Oct. 14, 2002)
So when does the War on Prohibition begin? This is just one more example of harms associated not with drug use, but drug prohibition. As gang and police violence are the main damages engendered by marijuana trafficking, the drug discussed here, the solution would logically be legalizing the flowers instead of waging war and handing sundry cartels ever more reasons to traffick in drugs and shoot prohibitionist enforcers.

House may make rave promoters liable for Ecstacy use (Oct. 14, 2002)
Jesse J. Holland of the Associated Press writes about yet more zany and outright un-American activities by federal prohibitionist lawmakers. "Lawmakers want to go after organizers and hosts of dance parties called "raves" in an attempt to halt the fast-rising use of the drug Ecstasy, which has been linked to damage to the brain, heart and kidneys in American teen-agers."

Drug Lord Files UN Complaint Over Prison Treatment (Oct. 14, 2002)
"Benjamin Arellano Felix, an alleged member of one of Mexico's most ruthless drug gangs, has filed a complaint with the UN Human Rights Commission alleging abuse at Mexico's maximum security La Palma prison, a newspaper reported Sunday," notes the Associated Press.

Drugs: Recipe for An Arrest (OCt. 14, 2002)
"The U.S. Attorney General isn’t the only one who wants citizens to keep a closer eye on their neighbors. In John Ashcroft’s home state of Missouri, a local drug task force announced plans to get store clerks to turn in customers they suspect of buying the raw ingredients to make the stimulant methamphetamine—everyday substances like nail-polish remover, cold medicine, coffee filters and matches." This according to a report in Newsweek.

Security is priority at new drug enforcement building (Oct. 14, 2002)
"The $23 million-plus building replaces the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration's 16-year-old digs in the UMB Bank Building on Forsyth Boulevard in Clayton, giving the agency double the space and an environment where security is much tighter," reports Bill Bryan for the Post-Dispatch. What else could that 23 million dollars in taxpayer money have been used for?

Ed Thompson: I Just Want People To Know Who I Am (Oct. 14, 2002)
"It's insanity! The 'drug war' is supporting terrorism. There are more drugs on the streets than ever. The "drug war" is not working. It's taking up our courts and prisons. We can do something about it! And it's time we had the courage to do it." So declares Ed Thompson, the Libertarian candidate for Governor of Wisconson.

Daily urges int'l community to be more supportive of Iran's anti-drug war (Oct. 14, 2002)
"A morning daily on Monday focused on the 37th annual gathering of the Middle East coalition against illicit drugs due to open in Tehran today, and urged more support from the international community to Iran as the vanguard of efforts to eliminate the traffick in drugs. Drug trafficking is the fourth largest and most lucrative business in the world run by a powerful global mafia, the English-Language daily `Iran News' pointed out." So notes this report for the Islamic Republic News Agency.

Nigeria does not produce or consume hard drugs -NDLEA boss (Oct. 14, 2002)
Is this true or wishful thinking? What is the definition of hard drugs noted in this claim? This prohibition claims that Nigeria's main "problem" drug is cannabis.

Smith and O'Connell disagree about drug war (Oct. 14, 2002)
"Smith was one of the 21 original signers of the resolution. Others included prominent national figures who have called for the legalization of drugs, including economist Milton Friedman, Orange County Superior Court Judge James Gray and former Secretary of State George Shultz," notes Timm Herdt for InsideVC.

Drug czar blasts marijuana issue on Nev. ballot (Oct. 14, 2002)
"The nation's drug czar said that Nevada's ballot issue to legalize possession of marijuana is ludicrous and that the measure's supporters are relying on distortions and voter naivete," reports Tom Gardner for the Associated Press. The Drug Czar and his ilk are getting more desperate, bleating out hysterical yet increasingly dangerous prohibitionist rhetoric as election day draws nigh.

National drug control director talks about marijuana initiative (Oct. 14, 2002)
Organized and well-funded campaigns lobbying for the legalization of marijuana pose one of the biggest threats to the safety and health of the nation’s teenagers, said the nation’s drug czar said Thursday night in Reno," writes Redro Morales for the Reno Gazette-Journal while reporting on Drug Czar Asa Hutchinson's most recent brainless statements to the voters of Nevada.

Village police officer says teens traded berries for marijuana (Oct. 14, 2002)
A glimpse into exciting and adventurous small-town life, as well as petty crime, in Alaska.

Debate's Lighter Moments (Oct. 14, 2002)
Thomas Leighton, candidate for New York Governor on the NY Marijuana Reform Party ticket, suggested a logical alternative to NYC cops arresting pot smokers.

Slovakia- Drum full of marijuana (Oct. 14, 2002)
The planned smoking and enjoyment will not be taking place, as more than a kilo of hashish was discovered in two handmade drums before reaching their intended recipient.

Glaucoma patient calls for legalizing marijuana (Oct. 14, 2002)
"Elvy Musikka, 63, says she's one of only seven people in the nation to receive legally prescribed medicinal marijuana from the federal government. She earned that distinction after being arrested for growing pot at her Hollywood, Fla., home in the late 1980s." This is a fascinating conversation with Musikka, well worth reading and sending those who support marijuana prohibition to read as well.

Sammy Sosa's former business partner arrested (Oct. 14, 2002)
"Sammy Sosa's agent says the slugger no longer has any business relationship with a man who's charged with conspiring to sell drugs and launder money," reports ABC7Chicago.com.

FDA Approves New Drugs to Treat Heroin Addiction (Oct. 14, 2002)
Some pharmaceutical companies stand to make yet more money off of prohibition by selling these newly approved anti-addiction drugs.

The Week Online with DRCNet #258 (Oct. 13, 2002)
More bad news on the War on Pain Relief front, a couple in Wisconson commits suicide after being busted for pot and shrooms, then being served with a forfeiture notice, and lots more horrific news on the War front.

DrugSense Weekly, issue #271 (Oct. 13, 2002)
This is a publication well worth checking out on a weekly basis for all kinds of news and updates related to the War on Some Drugs.

McWilliams out on bail after federal charges (Oct. 13, 2002)
In a truly insane move on the part of federal officials, "Medical-marijuana activist Steven McWilliams was arrested on federal drug charges yesterday [Friday, Oct. 11] morning, with law enforcement officers quietly taking him into custody outside his Normal Heights home as he walked his dogs," write Jeff McDonald and Marisa Taylor for the Union-Tribune. According to Dale Gieringer of California NORML in an email alert sent out after the arrest, "This is the smallest known marijuana case [20 plants] to be criminally prosecuted by the federal government in its crackdown on medical marijuana in California."

San Jose officers pulled off federal drug task force (Oct. 13, 2002)
"Citing a 'clear conflict between federal and state law,' San Jose Police Chief William Lansdowne has pulled his officers from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration task force that raided a medicinal marijuana farm in Santa Cruz County last month. 'It's an issue of priority,' Lansdowne said. 'The problem in California and in San Jose is clearly methamphetamine, and that's where we intend to put our resources.''' So reports Roxanne Stites for the San Jose Mercury News.

Colombia drug-spraying 'hits weakest' (Oct. 13, 2002)
"The top human rights official in Colombia has urged the government to suspend the US-backed aerial fumigation of illegal coca crops in the south of the country," reports Jeremey McDermott for the BBC.

U.S. secretly tested bioweapons (Oct. 10, 2002)
Not only did they test these poisons and bioagents on US soil, they tested them on US citizens both in and out of the military. Remember, doing drugs on your own is bad for you, but having your government secretly spray you with chemical and biological agents as they simultaneously lock up bad druggies is good for you.

DA's Drug Cartel Remark Angers Pot-Initiative Official (Oct. 10, 2002)
"A chief deputy district attorney in Clark County has suggested a drug cartel is behind the effort to legalize possession of up to 3 ounces of marijuana in Nevada. But a spokesman who is pushing approval of the constitutional amendment called the statement of prosecutor Gary Booker 'an outright lie, slanderous and libelous,'" reports Cy Ryan for the Las Vegas Sun. The source for this assertion was Lyndon LaRouche's Executive Intelligence Review, a hysterical and demented shill for increased War on Drugs and Users is ever there was one. Turns out that because of these idiotic comments, Booker has been put to pasture. See Nevada marijuana legalization foes replace spokesman.

Rewards reap tips about pot growers (Oct. 10, 2002)
"It's high season for New Jersey's pot growers, and a marijuana tip line run by the state police is ringing off the hook. A daughter turns in her mother. A suspicious neighbor tattles on the guy next door. One grower rats out another," reports Amy Klein for the North Jersey News. That these people are turning in friends and family for a measly thousand dollars obviously means that money is more corrupting that any drugs are.

Medical marijuana users sue federal officials (Oct. 10, 2002)
"Two medical marijuana users filed suit Wednesday against federal authorities in an effort to try to stop government raids on pot used by sick patients," reports the Associated Press. See also, Lawsuit claims U.S. government blocks use of medical marijuana.

New Anti-Marijuana Campaign Launched by Drug Czar (Oct. 10, 2002)
What in the hell is wrong with these people? "The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) is launching a new multi-media advertising campaign to better inform teenagers about the dangers of marijuana use, according to an October 7 press release from the ONDCP." They just spent more than a billion on a very similar campaign that Drug Czar John Walters said was not only not effective in keeping kids away from drugs, but very well could be driving more kids to experiment with illegal drugs. Again, what in the hell is wrong with these people?

Report: Manhattan DA to appeal ruling in marijuana case (Oct. 10, 2002)
"The Manhattan district attorney said he plans to appeal a judge's decision to bar evidence in the case of a man who was found with a mouthful of marijuana after a police officer pinched his cheeks," reports Newsday.

Australia- Group wants marijuana rethink (Oct. 10, 2002)
"A national parliamentary group on drug reform has urged the South Australian Government to rethink its proposed ban on hydroponically-grown cannabis. Federal Labor MP Duncan Kerr said it again would create a situation where the courts were clogged with minor offenders," writes Chief political reporter for the Herald Sun in Canberra.

No Marijuana Charges Against British Officer Behind No-Arrest Strategy (Oct. 10, 2002)
"A police commander who pioneered a program to end arrests of those possessing a small amount of marijuana will not be prosecuted for allegedly smoking the drug himself, prosecutors said Wednesday," reports the Associated Press.

Australia- Aust cannabis use highest in Arnhem Land: report (Oct. 10, 2002)
"A new report shows that Aboriginal communities in Arnhem Land have the highest rate of cannabis use in the country."

Canada's first marijuana study to begin (Oct. 10, 2002)
One can only say, it is about time.

OverExposed: Youth a Target of Alcohol Advertising in Magazines (Oct. 10, 2002)
"America's youth saw far more alcoholic beverage ads in magazines in 2001 than did people of legal drinking age. This pattern of the alcohol industry exposing youth to more advertising than adults cut across beverage types and brands, with the notable exception of wine. In effect, young people under the legal drinking age of 21 were a major target audience for the industry's magazine advertising in 2001, despite the industry's claims to the contrary."

Chemical Warfare: The RAVE Act (Oct. 10, 2002)
"It's a scene partygoers have become familiar with. Searches, pat-downs, and confiscations of 'paraphernalia' have become SOP at many venues, courtesy of the War on Drugs. And the pressure put on promoters to keep their events substance-free is about to ratchet up a notch, as congress ponders the controversial Reducing Americans' Vulnerability to Ecstasy Act, adorably nicknamed the RAVE Act," writes Will Doig, Metro Weekly.

AVAM exhibit takes on addiction 'High on Life' art thought-provoking (Oct. 10, 2002)
"In such a situation, art may have as much to teach about our inability to extricate ourselves from a disastrous state of affairs as all the official policy studies and political sloganeering. And, so, in a city where one out of six inhabitants is addicted to alcohol or drugs, it is entirely fitting that this season's show at Baltimore's American Visionary Art Museum should focus on the age-old problem of addiction and humanity's tragic thrall to the temptations of substance abuse," writes art critic Glenn McNatt for the Sun.

The Article Salon Won't Run About a Film PBS Won't Air (Oct. 10, 2002)
"In a typical understatement, The New York Times called the 2000 vote in Florida the most “flawed and fouled up election in American history.” Everyone knows who won, but few realize that a whopping 175,000 ballots went uncounted in balloting, which turned on 537 votes when the Supreme Court stepped in. Even fewer know about purges from the voter rolls or how the recount in key counties was undermined, if not deliberately delayed, and, in effect, sabotaged," reports Danny Schecter, Editor for MediaChannel.org.

FBI memo details surveillance lapses in terror, spy cases (Oct. 10, 2002)
Hmmm, really?

The Madness Of America (Oct. 10, 2002)
"Since September 11th - no, since Election Day 2000 -- people are not thinking clearly. The world is turned upside-down and we still think things are right-side-up. This fuzzy thinking is being capitalized on by our current leaders, who are so good at drumming up enemies that one wonders who their friends are -- other than themselves. Think about what our leaders are saying. More and more of the world is being designated a dark force by our leaders. Does anyone wonder where all these dark forces suddenly came from?" So ponders Jennifer Van Bergen in this editorial for TruthOut.org.

10-year sentence in medical pot case (Oct. 9, 2002)
"Bryan James Epis, the first person associated with a California medical marijuana dispensary to be tried in federal court for growing pot, was sentenced Monday in Sacramento to a mandatory 10 years in prison," reports Denny Welsh for the Sacramento Bee.

Snoop Dogg Stops Smoking Marijuana (Oct. 9, 2002)
"In the Access Hollywood interview, Snoop says every minute you smoke marijuana, you're "taking a minute off your life that you could have been here doing something special." More power to him, but this last sentence here is straight out of the prohibitionist handbook of stupid comments. The editor of DrugWar.com is curious just what it is that Snoop Dog thinks he could be doing that's more special than what he's already accomplished, beyond turning into a prohibitionist mouthpiece, but as noted, that's his business.

Couple raises money for medical marijuana defense (Oct. 9, 2002)
"Martin and Lavonne Victor and a few of their friends made about $50 in 20 minutes as they stood along the offramp at the Highway 79 South exit of Interstate 15. They all held signs detailing the couple's arrest and need for money to pay their attorney," writes Teri Figueroa for the North County Times.

After chase, suspect ditches tractor-trailer, 1 ton of marijuana near Douglas (Oct. 9, 2002)
This title says it all.

Ex-BSU student sentenced for selling marijuana (Oct. 9, 2002)
This kid only got 90 days in jail for 6 pounds of pot and two sales to undercover cops. Are the prohibitionist judges coming slowly to their senses? Any jail for marijuana offenses seems offensive to some, including the editor of DrugWar.com, but 90 days seems like good luck in this day and age, or the work of a damn good lawyer.

New Zealand- Cannabis law reform could ease police crisis (Oct. 9, 2002)
"The Green MP says it is crazy to spend 280,000 sworn police hours investigating cannabis offences when burglary response times are increasing."

Wales- Ill man can smoke cannabis, says bench (Oct. 9, 2002)
Welsh magistrates have made legal history by acquitting a man who smoked cannabis for medicinal purposes.

Mistaking okra plants for marijuana leads to internal affairs investigation (Oct. 9, 2002)
"While the officers seized a pipe, catalogs and High Times magazines, they found no marijuana. The plants the officer identified in the backyard turned out to be okra in Hensley's garden," reports Robert Crowe for the Houston Chronicle.

Chicoan gets 10 years for growing marijuana (Oct. 8, 2002)
Bryan Epis was put in prison MOnday, for 10 years, for growing medical marijuana where it is LEGALIZED by a vote of the citizens of California, 6 years ago.

MP dobs in cannabis-smoking colleague (Oct. 8, 2002)
A member of Winston Peters' anti-immigration New Zealand First party, Mr McNair took it upon himself to put a stop to his fellow MP's dope smoking and reported him to the police. 'The reality of the situation is that a member of parliament has openly said he used drugs and broke the law,' said the 27-year-old MP after making his written complaint." This prohibitionist is an asshole, no two ways about it.

Marijuana factory to sue paper for publishing grow-op street name (Oct. 8, 2002)
"A group of people licensed by Health Canada to grow marijuana for medicinal purposes plans to sue a newspaper for publishing the street name of the home where the pot is being cultivated."

Major Marijuana Bust Lands Teen in Jail (Oct. 8, 2002)
"Jeffrey Jones is charged with manufacturing a controlled substance and police say Jones claimed some else must have been growing marijuana in his garage."

NZ soft on cannabis says addiction expert (Oct. 8, 2002)
"A woman giving cannabis to two teenagers in her care reflects New Zealand's soft attitude to the drug, an addiction expert says."

1.5 Million Take to the Streets in Italy to Protest Bush War Plans (Oct. 7, 2002)
"More than 1.5 million Italians took to the streets of dozens of cities Saturday afternoon and evening to protest possible U.S. military action against Iraq -- a surprise show of discord that could be fervent enough for the Italian government to re-think its support of Washington," writes Eric J. Lyman for UPI International.

CIA- Support to Law Enforcement- Director of Central Intelligence Annual Report of the United States Intelligence Community (Oct. 7, 2002)
"Organized crime, drug trafficking, and terrorist acts are no longer insular, distinct activities that can be contained and eradicated through traditional enforcement. Instead, they are integrated activities which through their very commission have a reverberating impact on our national interests," testified Steven C. McCraw, Deputy Assistant Director, Investigative Service Division, FBI, before the House Judiciary Committee way back in December 2000.

Increase the Harm says Daft Hope Taft- Ohio's first lady against Issue 1 Taft against drug treatment instead of jail (Oct. 7, 2002)
We all know that drugs, and even drug trreatment, are a lot worse for one's health than a good jail sentence. Right? That's apparently what Ohio's first lady thinks. She wants to insure there's even more harm resulting from drug abuse than any possible harms actually engendered by drug abuse.

Drug abusers are not the enemy (Oct. 7, 2002)
"The political response to drug abuse in America has for too long been characterized as a matter of war, and this case helps illustrate the limitations of that military model. Drugs are produced because a market exists for them, and the people who abuse drugs in their lives are not the enemy. Most of them are people who live and work among us, people like Noelle Bush, a young woman who needs help and compassion," notes this St. Petersburg Times article. It's too bad that it took a well known politician's daughter having troubles with drugs to bring this issue to such national attention, seeing as how the war has been waged on and destroyed less known, less powerful people around the world for decades.

Thousands protest against war with Iraq (Oct. 7, 2002)
"Thousands of Americans opposed to war gathered at protest rallies where they demanded that the White House abandon its military plans for Iraq." Never let anyone tell you all Americans are happy with War plans.

America's pot penalties need a second look (Oct. 7, 2002)
"The Bush administration and other U.S. officials are concerned with good reason: If pot smoking is no longer a crime in Canada, it will make America's war on drugs substantially more difficult. That said, Canada's pending marijuana review has value," notes the Times Herald in this article, an article that still perpetuates DrugWar myths and hysteria, even while pointing out that Canada's idea to decriminalize, or even legalize marijuana is a good one.

Ex-Soviet Leaders Agree on Crime (Oct. 7, 2002)
Yet more leaders deciding that waging war on thier own citizens is a good idea, one that needs more money and necessitates the use of myriad weaponry, not to mention propaganda and corruption.

Teach-ins question U.S. policy (Oct. 7, 2002)
"During the teach-in scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 16, Blain, along with Louis Simon, a BSU professor of English, will host a panel on the drug war and its relationship to the war on terrorism. Blain said the U.S. is already deeply involved in chemical warfare on Columbia and will soon pursue Columbia in the war on terrorism."

Brazil- Ex-labor leader has big lead in Brazil presidential race (Oct. 7, 2002)
"Lula's opposition to U.S. policy in Latin America, from U.S. aid in Colombia's drug war to the embargo against Fidel Castro's Cuba, has also set off alarms in Washington. His populist campaign and promises to defend domestic industry from foreign competition echoed widespread frustrations here over high unemployment and lingering social inequality after a decade of U.S.-backed free market reforms," writes Anthony Faiola for the Washington Post.

Scotland- Executive is Accused of Losing Drugs War in Courts (Oct. 7, 2002)
"There were calls last night for urgent funding in Scotland's justice system after Government figures revealed drug crime is soaring while convictions continue to fall. Up to one in five cases fails to even reach the courts according to Scottish Executive statistics," reports Caroline Page for the Press and Journal.

DEA Speaks Out Against Legalization (Oct. 7, 2002)
Be sure to periodically check in here to read what the prohibitionists are doing to counter Drug War reform movements around the US and world.

Vote to Keep DARE Out of Onondaga Country, New York (Oct. 7, 2002)
Actually, this NY sheriff is appealing for votes to keep the ineffective for anything but turning kids into snitches and enticing them into trying drugs DARE program alive and funded by the citizenry of his community. Hopefully his citizenry will be smart enough to vote NO.

Going out with a bong (Oct. 7, 2002)
"In considering the decriminalisation of marijuana, Canada's outgoing prime minister may make a hash of US relations, writes Anne McIlroy" in the Guardian Unlimited.

Statement on Agenda Items 100 and 101: Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice and International Drug Control, UN Third Committee (OCt. 7, 2002)
"The international community has responded with concrete initiatives and visible cooperation against specific threats. Successful international counternarcotics and anti-crime efforts have gradually narrowed the field of action for illicit syndicates that once operated with impunity. Efforts in response to specific threats such as the drug cartels and terrorism have helped to build the foundations for long-term international law enforcement cooperation. Collectively, we can take some pride in how far we have come together, with the realization of how important our continued and united effort will be to getting to where we need to go."

Harvest Festival allows voice for marijuana defenders (Oct. 7, 2002)
"The annual Great Midwest Marijuana Harvest Festival was held Saturday and Sunday, attracting thousands of people to downtown Madison to inform the public about why marijuana should be legalized," reportsAdam Edelman for the Badger Herald Online.

Latin American Diplomats Ponder a Regional Military Force (Oct. 7, 2002)
"The latest debate in Latin American diplomatic circles is whether to step up regional military cooperation -- and perhaps even create a South American military force -- to help defeat Colombia's drug-funded rebel groups and deal with similar internal threats in the future," reports Andres Oppenheimer for the Knight Ridder News Service.

Aggressive Colombian Drug Spraying Pleases U.S. (Oct. 7, 2002)
"Colombia's new government is stepping up its U.S.-backed campaign to spray cocaine crops, pleasing U.S. officials previously frustrated by delays caused by fears of peasant unrest," reports Jason Webb for Reuters. It appears those worries over pesky peasant unrest weren't important enough to permanently stop this destructive and incredibly nasty drug warrior practice. See also this Progess Report from Ohio University's The Post, giving a failing grade to US spraying efforts in Colombia.

U.S. Forces to Train Colombia Army (Oct. 7, 2002)
"The U.S. officials insisted that the training of the new commando battalion is part of the war on drugs, known as Plan Colombia. They said approval from U.S. Congress for the training of the commando battalion was not needed," notes Andrew Selsky for Newsday.

Drug abuse key ingredient in violence (Oct. 7, 2002)
Alcohol is one of the leading causes of domestic violence, which is pointed out in this otherwise illegal drug-scare piece.

Actor Jude Law's Daughter, 2, in Ecstasy Scare (Oct. 7, 2002)
She apparently picked up a tab of ecstasy off a club floor during a childrens' party.

Iraq Has a Lot of Nerve! - Part I (Oct. 6, 2002)
"Will Congress Permit Bush 43 to Place Soldiers in Harm’s Way, With Questionable Protective Equipment, Against Same Chemical Weapons that Bush 41 Officials Allowed to be Shipped Illegally to Iraq?" That is the burning question posed by Tom Flocco.

Global Sunday Poll- Should Marijuana be Legalized in Canada (Oct. 6, 2002)
"Just say yes to marijuana... that's the message from Canada's Senate, legalize it and tax it. The Chretien government says they'll consider decriminalization, making possession the equivalent of getting a parking ticket. Meanwhile, the White House wonders what Canadian politicians are smoking. Join in this week's debate, with Toronto law professor Allan Young and John P. Walters, Director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy." Join in voicing your opinion today.

Wanted: More corrupt cops behind bars (Oct. 6, 2002)
"It is not just a coincidence that despite the government’s all-out war on drugs, the illegal drug trade is de­fying concerted efforts to stamp it out. Police corruption is a big part of this problem. The illegal drug trade is one of the few growth industries the Philippines has right now, and a lot of police officers just can’t resist the temptation to siphon off a share of the loot for themselves."

With Friends Like These (Oct. 6, 2002)
"The war on drugs has many victims. Few in my opinion were as undeserving as Ruth Wyner. She ran a hostel for the homeless in Cambridge and was jailed along with a colleague for failing to prevent heroin dealing on her premises," writes Nick Cohen for the Guardian Unlimited Observer.

How to be a Republican (Oct. 6, 2002)
This list could just as easily apply to Democrats too. The two-party system's political leaders in the US all belong to one party- the Greedhead Party. So keep in mind while reading this that Republican and Democrat are readily interchangeable appellations. Otherwise, this is a great list.

Brauchli: Unhealthy weapons in the war on drugs (Oct. 6, 2002)
"The antinarcotics director for the Colombian National Police said: 'We did not spray on the people or on the senator.' When contradicted by someone who observed the episode he said: "What hit him was because of the wind, not because they had the intention." So writes Christopher Brouchli for the Daily Camera when writing about US spraying Colombians and their crops with glyphosate, a nasty herbicide.

4th National Harm Reduction Conference Agenda Day 1: Sunday, December 1, 2002 4th National Conference Agenda (Oct. 6, 2002)
Find out what plans are being laid, and what steps are being taken to impliment harm reduction strategies in the US War on Some Drugs.

The Emperor Within The Empire (Oct. 6, 2002)
"On Iraq, the Pentagon has waged a quiet war against the State Department and the CIA for months over the role of the Iraqi National Congress (INC), an opposition group long championed by Perle and the neo-cons, in any effort to oust Iraq's Saddam Hussein. Despite the two agencies' long-standing view that the INC is corrupt, incoherent and unreliable, Rumsfeld managed to pry loose millions of dollars from the State Department for the group, even as the two other agencies work with other rival dissident groups," writes Jim Lobe for The Black World Today.

Hmong set up drug network via post office (Oct. 6, 2002)
"A post office at Wat Tham Krabok in Phra Phutthabat district has been used by Hmong drug traffickers to send illicit drugs hidden in parcels to customers overseas," reports Anucha Charoenpo for the Bangkok Post.

Police raid 'magic' mushrooms, marijuana farm (Oct. 6, 2002)
One of these poor arrested Americans is the brother of murdered actor Phil Hartman. Do you suppose he was supporting terrorism by growing magic mushrooms?

Sanchez Admits Smoking Marijuana (Oct. 6, 2002)
Yet another lying, hypocritical US political candidate who admits he used marijuana "as a youth" but apparently still thinks waging War on the rest of the marijuana experimenters is a good idea.

Court Reverses Marijuana Ruling (Oct. 6, 2002)
"Congress had the right to block District of Columbia residents from voting on whether to legalize marijuana for medical use, a federal appeals court ruled Friday," reports the Associated Press.

Health board opposes Nevada marijuana question (Oct. 6, 2002)
"Board members said Friday that a 'clear and present danger' to the health and safety of Nevadans would exist if voters approved Question 9," completely ignoring the 'clear and present dangers to the health and safety of Nevadans' as long as prohibition continues its destructive path. What is worse for pot smokers and society at large, capricious jailing for use of a flower, or the simple use of said flower by adults? These idiots also allege that marijuana will be "more available" to children if Nevada's legalization initiative passes, as though marijuana is not already widely available to children.

Marijuana activist runs for seat in Ohio House (Oct. 6, 2002)
"An outspoken advocate of lessening criminal sanctions for marijuana says a vote for him in his race for an Ohio House seat is a vote for legalizing the drug for medical use," reports the Associated Press.

Noelle Bush's lawyers request closed hearings (Oct. 6, 2002)
"Noelle Bush's attorneys have asked a judge to bar the public from court hearings on their client's drug treatment, saying media attention violates her right to privacy, according to court records," notes CNN.

The Drug War Goes Prime Time (Oct. 5, 2002)
"While most such series allude to the broader politics that drive law enforcement, Wire takes the next step. Here the agencies are portrayed not as zealous guardians of the public good, but rather as political entities pursuing their vested interests - whose actions often have unjust and cruel consequences," reports Bobbi Murray for AlterNet.org.

Survey indicates juvenile drug use down in Florida (Oct. 5, 2002)
Randolph Pendleton writes for the Associated Press that, "Bush did not mention his 25-year-old daughter's problems at Friday's news conference, but said the state has good rehabilitation facilities. 'It's hard to get that addiction out of you,' he said."

Nevada Not the Fertile Ground Pot Pushers Were Seeking (Oct. 5, 2002)
"Yes, Nevada still has the gambling, the prostitution, the smoking and, soon, the nuclear waste. But it also has a growing and increasingly powerful right-wing movement. And that is why the marijuana legalization effort will almost surely be voted down come November," writes Jimmy Boegle for Newsday..

Who Mailed the Anthrax? (Oct. 5, 2002)
Check out this incredibly scary advertisement that ran in the Washington Times, detailing the advertiser's suspicions as to who it may have been that mailed those killing letters.

The Forever War How long can an emergency last? (Oct. 5, 2002)
"What was left looked less like World War II, and more like the war on drugs: an intermittently violent campaign against an amorphous enemy that can never be decisively vanquished," writes Jacob Sullum for Reason while discussing the latest endless war for the US, this one on terror.

Madison students may see drug tests (Oct. 5, 2002)
"The Madison County School District is considering random drug testing of students involved in extra-curricular activities," reports Peggy Matthews for Mississippi's Clarion-Ledger.

Philip Morris Told to Pay Smoker $28B (Oct. 5, 2002)
Amazing is all that can be said about this jury's decision.

NATO Soldiers from Europe to Sue USA (Oct. 5, 2002)
"NATO soldiers from Europe suffering from cancer are going to open a court case next week against US firms, which did not warn them that the equipment they were handling was dangerously radioactive," reports Pravda. And it is not about Depleted Uranium, it is about radar systems made by Raytheon Company, General Electric, ITT-Gilfillan Inc, and Lucent Technologies.

Controversial book asks the 'hard questions' about 9/11 (Oct. 5, 2002)
The title here pretty much says it all.

Police arrest seven more on drug charges (Oct. 5, 2002)
"Beckley police arrested seven more people on drug-related charges Friday, continuing a citywide series of raids that began Thursday," writes Jessica Shifflett for the Register-Herald.

Rush to War Ignores U.S. Constitution (Oct. 5, 2002)
Senator Robert C. Byrd is not happy with the Bush push for yet more war on and in Iraq.

NSA to Upgrade Monitoring Abilities (Oct. 5, 2002)
Keep in mind, "it can never happen here," as you read this report by Seth Hettena for the Associated Press, about how "The largest U.S. intelligence agency will spend millions to upgrade the technology it uses to sift through the huge volume of telephone conversations, e-mail and other worldwide communications chatter it monitors, under a new contract."

Senators Say CIA Withholding Info (Oct. 5, 2002)
"In the latest dispute between intelligence agencies and Congress, members of the Senate Intelligence Committee said Thursday the CIA has been withholding information it requested on U.S. military action in Iraq," reports the Associated Press.

Student Drug Tests (Oct. 5, 2002- Free NYTimes registration may be required)
This is a short and to the point letter to the editors at the New York Times.

Project Censored 2003 (Oct. 5, 2002)
Get the new book now.

The Week Online With DRCNet (Oct. 5, 2002)
The head of the DEA tell California patients to drop dead, a new ecstasy study is full of holes, a MOntana Drug Task force calls for more treatment and prevention, Colombia's President Uribe wants to recriminalize personal drug possession, and a lot more stories can be read in this week's issue. Be sure to check the Reformers' Calendar for events and actions near you.

DrugSense Weekly (Oct. 5, 2002)
A lot of information on marijuana, incarceration and law enforcement, meth, and the War on Some Drugs in general. You can also listen to an audio version of the newsletter here.

Crash victim had Vermont ties (Oct. 3, 2002)
Wesley J. Liebeler, 71, was counsel to the Warren Commission which "investigated" the assassination of President Kennedy. He was killed during a training flight last week, Sept. 25, 2002, crashing into a lake in New Hampshire along with his instructor.

DEA Busts Alleged 'Club Drug' Ring (Oct. 3, 2002)
"A federal grand jury in Miami indicted 10 people Wednesday on charges related to the importation and distribution of a popular club drug. The international drug trafficking ring allegedly distributed the drug Ketamine, which is also known as 'Special K,' across the United States," notes this report by the NBC 6 News team.

Sheriffs, police chiefs oppose marijuana question (Oct. 3, 2002)
It really shouldn't be surprising to anyone that folk whose livelihood and even much of their police budget depends on arresting druggies, particularly marijuana users, and forfeiting their cash and property. It seems logical if more than a wee bit wrong-headed to this editor that most police are not happy with drug law reform.

FBI investigates deputy's teen arrest (Oct. 3, 2002)
"At the hospital, the teen-ager whispered to his father that Henderson had pistol-whipped him, according to Christopher Grant's attorney, Patrick Geraghty. The FBI launched its investigation after another narcotics agent tipped the agency off to the alleged abuse, according to the boy's attorney, Geraghty said," according to this report in the Florida's Sun-Herald.

Man who opened marijuana cafe found guilty of drugs offenses (Oct. 3, 2002)
"Colin Davies, 44, a multiple sclerosis sufferer who uses marijuana, or hemp, to ease his symptoms, was arrested after smoking a joint during a launch party at his store, The Dutch Experience, on Sept. 15, 2001," reports AP News.

Poll: Majority of voters say they favor medical marijuana proposition (Oct. 3, 2002)
"Fifty-three percent of likely voters polled said they will vote in favor of [Arizona's] Proposition 203, while 33 percent said they would cast ballots against it. About 15 percent said they were undecided on the issue."

Key player in Scott case admits role (Oct. 3, 2002)
"A 28-year-old Norristown man on Wednesday became the first of 10 suspects arrested as part of a former Norristown councilman's alleged drug and fraud ring to plead guilty in Montgomery County court," reports Stephen O'toole for the Times Herald.

Officers Accused of Taking Aid Money (Oct. 3, 2002)
"Prosecutors [in Bogota, Colombia] Thursday accused 71 police officers, including a former top anti-drug official, of taking more than $2 million in U.S. aid," reports Sushannah A. Nesmith for the Associated Press.

The mayor, the addict and the filmmaker (Oct. 3, 2002)
"There's a revolution brewing in Vancouver and it's the subject of a controversial documentary, Alexandra Gill reports" for the Globe and Mail.

War On Blacks Never Ends! (OCt. 3, 2002)
"We do not need another war. We still haven't overcome the war waged against our communities by the drug king-pins, and members of the U.S. Government, a war who's weapon was Crack Cocaine," writes Joe Williams III for The Black World Today.

How To Know You Are Brainwashed (Oct. 3, 2002)
"Serial liar Drug czar John Walters is readying another billion dollar campaign aimed at teenagers to convince them that the pot they buy is funding narco killers. This will backfire. Even teenagers are logical enough to understand that it is the black market in illegal drugs that provides terrorist profits and guarantees violent turf wars just as alcohol prohibition did," says a small portion of this editorial.

Orphaned By the Drug War (Oct. 3, 2002)
"Reform advocates see Tulia as a high-relief example of the way the war on drugs is prosecuted nationally," notes Bobbi Murray for Boston's WeeklyDig.com.

U.S., Colombia to Track Drug Flights (Oct. 3, 2002)
"Eighteen months after an American missionary plane was accidentally shot down, the United States will resume a campaign to help Colombia track and force down drug flights, officials from both countries said Wednesday." Read more of this report at the Guardian Unlimited.

Colombia seeks Europe's help in war against drug terrorism (Oct. 3, 2002)
"Colombia's foreign minister on Wednesday stressed the need for a more active European role in the nation's decades-old struggle against guerrillas," writes Tal Abbady for the Associated Press.

Iran- Police seize 12 tons of drugs in Khorassan province in six months (Oct. 3, 2002)
The police commander in charge of this area said for this article for the Islamic News Service that "the haul has increased by three tons over the figures for the same period last year. He added that haul included 6.329 kg of opium, 4.189 tons of hashish, 132 kg of heroin, 512 kg of morphine with the remaining opium residue. Over 3,804 smugglers have also been arrested in the same period, the police commander remarked." Be sure to also read Heroin trade gets boost from US invasion, from the Independent Online.

Opium glut in Hamid Karzai’s Afghanistan (Oct. 3, 2002)
"Europe is about to be inundated by a tidal wave of cheap heroin from Afghanistan, which will reach the cities of the Old Continent via Turkey and Albania. Since the Taleban regime was ousted and the US-backed regime of Hamid Karzai was installed in Kabul, opium production has risen by one thousand, five hundred tonnes. In one year." So reports Russia's Pravda.

'Drug czar' promises no end to war (OCt. 3, 2002)
"There will be no letup in the country's battle against drug abuse, 'drug czar' John P. Walters said Tuesday in Denver," reports Mike Patty for the Rocky Mountain News.

DEA chief tells state to expect more pot raids (Oct. 2, 2002)
Standing on his rooftop in lower Manhattan while watching the WTC burn and fall down on Sept. 11, 2001, for just a fleeting moment the editor of DrugWar.com entertained thoughts that perhaps the prohibitionists would see the error of their ways, and realize their priorities were in need of drastic shift in focus. Alas, these thoughts were merely pipe dreams, as the feds propose, nay, threaten yet more raids on sick people and not so sick people too in California, simply for using and growing marijuana.

Peru FM Backs Anti-Drug Flights (Oct. 2, 2002)
Foreign Minister Allan Wagner said Tuesday that Peru's war on drugs will not succeed without U.S.-backed interdiction efforts including renewing a program to shoot down planes used for drug smuggling," reports the Associated Press.

DEA denies sanctuary for family of drug informant (Oct. 2, 2002)
"The Drug Enforcement Administration has formally rejected a request by prosecutors to protect the family of a key informant in the U.S. war on drugs from attacks by vengeful drug dealers in Colombia," writes Tom Hays for the Associated Press.

UK-The spy who loved me (Oct. 2, 2002)
"But then came George's last posting. A big British anti-narcotics operation had been running in Colombia since 1993. Teams of British customs drug liaison officers, backed up by SAS and SBS soldiers, had worked with MI6 to infiltrate the cocaine barons, set up smuggling runs to Europe, follow the fast boats with sophisticated tracking devices, and arrest the smugglers." Read more of this Guardian Unlimited report detailing the travails of this spy's wife getting proper medical care from an ungrateful government. After reading this article, be sure to read a letter from Cristin McCauley, the wife of an Irishman this now-dead British spy put into a Colombian jail in august 2001, where he languishes still awaiting trial.

Substance prevention grant given to local club Teens, youths target of national program (Oct. 2, 2002)
"The Boys and Girls Club of Greater Gardiner was awarded a nearly $100,000 grant to prevent substance abuse among teenagers and other area youths," reports Keith Edwards. This club stands to receive the same amount for the next two years as well, as long as they stick to the government's rules.

Editorial Reinforcements always welcome in war on drugs (Oct. 2, 2002)
This editorial is calling for more federal involvement and local law enforcement cooperation at all levels in the War on Drugs.

Citizens dig pot plants (Oct. 2, 2002)
Get your shovel and help the local authorities harvest illegal pot! Of course, it is doubtful that the authorities will allow the citizenry to keep what they reap.

BERARDINO: Marlins' McRae foils pot plot (Oct. 2, 2002)
A pot smuggling try by jocks is stopped in its tracks by other jocks.

County Goes Against City's Pot Plans City Of San Diego Developing Medical Marijuana Guidelines (Oct. 2, 2002)
More destructive silliness from public officials.

U.S. warns against liberalizing laws on pot (Oct. 2, 2002)
"A move toward possibly decriminalizing marijuana brought warnings yesterday from U.S. officials and lawmakers, who cautioned that Canada should not succumb to "myths" and warned of new disruptions to border trade," reports Campbell Clark for Canada's Globe and Mail.

Alcohol is leading 'date rape' drug: world forum (Oct. 2, 2002)
"A world forum on drugs and addiction has been told alcohol is by far the leading 'date rape' drug. At the forum, in the Canadian city of Montreal, experts have stressed that alcohol is the primary substance involved in rape, not the spiking of drinks with the drug, GHB," reports the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

Life during Wartime Our man in D.C. How Dubya's making the world safe for biowarfare (Oct. 2, 2002)
The US appears to have been breaking international treaties governing research and developement of biowar and chemical agents for years, under both Republican and Democratic Presidents. Certain circles are aching to bring back the bad old days of MK-ULTRA, testing out dangerous pharmaceuticals to be used "to temporarily incapacitate enemy combatants," or perhaps even protestors.

Small town jots: Pot spots too hot (Oct. 2, 2002)
When asked back in September why her newspaper pulled these pro-medical marijuana ads in a state "with a bill to legalize medical marijuana coming up for discussion in an interim legislative committee... Daily Independent publisher Suzanne Reed, wasn't forthcoming as to why her paper refused to run the ads. "I don't think you can assume anything [about why the ads were refused] unless you know the facts, and I'm not going to tell you them,' Reed said. 'We rejected it, and I don't have to tell you why we rejected it. … I'm telling you that we're not going to tell you why, and you'd better not jump to conclusions about why we did or did not.'" So reports David Koon for the Arkansas Times.

Moss charged with possession of pot (Oct. 2, 2002)
This NFL player, already apparently mandated into treatment for his pot use, has now been charged for possessing one joint, just under one gram of pot, as well as wracking up some other misdemeanor charges including driving his car into a traffic cop. He could end up being suspended and/or fined by the NFL. For his pot use, not apparently for striking the officer.

A Letter from Cristín McCauley (Oct. 2, 2002)
"Since August 11, 2001, three Irish citizens have been languishing in the prisons of the narco-state of Colombia. On October 4, they will begin a long trial that may end in decades-long prison sentences for each." Get the background on this disturbing case here.

Drug enforcement receives federal funding (Oct. 2, 2002)
"The Office of National Drug Control Policy announced six Oklahoma counties as High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas. The new designation will grant more money for curbing the drug problem in Cleveland, Comanche, Muskogee, Oklahoma, Sequoyah and Oklahoma counties," reports Justin Noel Shimko for the Oklahoma Daily.

Privacy laws apply in rehab, judge in Noelle Bush case rules (Oct. 1, 2002)
"In a case that has captured the attention of legal scholars across the nation, a judge ruled Monday that Noelle Bush's drug therapists won't have to testify in court about the crack cocaine found in her shoe," report Peter Wallsten and Phil Long for the Miami Herald.

Growing epidemic (Oct. 1, 2002)
This small US town in New Hampshire has seen a "huge" increase in the amount of heroin seized in the last year, coincidentally during the exact same time US troops have gone into Afghanistan and Afghan farmers have reaped a 1400 percent increase in poppies. Is there a correlation here? Are other US cities and town seeing similar increases in heroin on their streets?

Marijuana Factory opens (Oct. 1, 2002)
"There are many houses in British Columbia home to marijuana grow operations. Few of them offer media tours. But the people behind the Marijuana Factory, which officially opened yesterday on a quiet suburban Vancouver street, say they are doing nothing wrong growing marijuana and processing it into potent pot pellets." So writes CP for the London Free Press News.

Northern Command Ready For Homeland Role (Oct. 1, 2002)
Northcom, which will be officially launched Tuesday at Peterson Air Force Base, was created to provide command and control of the military's homeland defense and to coordinate military support for natural disasters and the drug war.

Ottawa considers decriminalizing marijuana (Oct. 1, 2002)
"Ottawa — The federal government signalled in yesterday's Throne Speech that it will move toward decriminalizing marijuana, but left enough wiggle room to elude controversy," reports Campbell Clark for the Globe and Mail.The fact that Relaxed marijuana laws [are] to be 'explored' by government officials in Canada illustrates the increasing isolation of Washington, DC which continues to insist that marijuana users deserve jail time and/or drug treatment.

Fresh evidence that cannabis reduces pain (Oct. 1, 2002)
"The prospects for for a cannabis-based medicine to help patients with multiple sclerosis and other neurological conditions has improved with the publication of new evidence that the drug helps to reduce pain," writes Jeremy Laurance, Health Editor for the Independent UK.

The making of an American quagmire (Oct. 1, 2002)
"On the drug-war front, Britain's Independent reported that production of opium has grown from 185 tons in 2001 to more than 2,700 tons this year, a 1,400 percent increase. According to the Independent, Afghanistan's drug growers are back in business big time - the country is the source of 75 per cent of the world's heroin and 90 per cent of Britain's supply," notes Bill Berkowitz for WorkingForChange.com when reporting on Bush, Afghanistan and other related news.

Political activism group addresses global, local issues (Oct. 1, 2002)
"When professor David Andrus mentioned in class that he planned to attend a joint American and Colombian conference on the effects of the drug war, several students asked if they could join," writes Didier Diels in this report on Peace and Conflict Scholars, a new political activist group at the University of Southern California.

My Turn: Random drug tests undermine trust (Oct. 1, 2002)
Hayden Kaden is not at all happy with recent moves by schools to randomly test students for drug use.

Peru Changes Tack in Drug War, Says Coca on Rise (Oct. 1, 2002)
"Peru, the world's No. 2 cocaine producer, has changed tack in its war on drugs, offering farmers cash and job benefits to eradicate crops voluntarily, but officials admit illicit cultivation still is on the rise," reported Jude Webber for ABCNews last week. In other news, Peru's rebel army Shining Path [is] on [the] prowl but a shadow of [its] former self.

Student group waiting to see OU's next step on pot rules (Oct. 1, 2002)
"The committee is in the midst of reviewing proposed amendments to OU's Student Code of Conduct, including a controversial stiffening of penalties for student possession of small amounts of marijuana," reports Athens News Senior Writer Jim Phillips.

Group Works To Legalize Medicinal Marijuana (Oct. 1, 2002)
Jeff Niese reports in the Morning News that "A Nevada ballot initiative legalizing the use of marijuana could help efforts to legalize medical marijuana in Arkansas, said a local legalization proponent."

Drug-ring suspect may avoid prison (Oct. 1, 2002)
"One of the five defendants in a central Wisconsin cocaine and marijuana trafficking case may avoid prison time after reaching a plea bargain with prosecutors," writes Paul Chronis for the Stevens Point Journal.

6 Scholarships in Authentic Journalism (Oct. 1, 2002)
Take a 10-day journey studying revolutionary journalism in Merida Yucatan, and the Mexican Caribbean, this coming February, 2003. There are partial scholarships available as well.
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