In case you missed it, PBS’s recent program Pot Republic has some of the best footage of the various maryjane specials that have been popping up on TV.  It provides a poignant look at the evolving relationship between maryjane professionals and local law enforcement, juxtaposed against the cynical efforts of federal officials to destroy those collaborations in a desperate quest to delegitimize the industry and maintain their draconian drug war powers. In other words, it’s interesting stuff.
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by Bernd Debusmann Jr.
Mexican drug trafficking corporations make billions each year smuggling drugs into the United States, profiting enormously from the forbiddanceist drug policies of the US government. Since Mexican president Felipe Calderon took office in December 2006 and called the armed forces into the fight against the so-called cartels, forbiddance-related violence has killed around 40,000 people, including more than 15,000 last year. The increasing militarization of the drug war and the arrest or killing of dozens of high-profile drug dealers have failed to stem the flow of drugs — …

Phil has published a Drug War Chronicle book review, "Drugs and Drug Policy," published by so
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Phil has published a Drug War Chronicle book review, "Drugs and Drug Policy," published by so
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[Editor's Note: This year, Drug War Chronicle is trying to track every death directly attributable to domestic drug law enforcement during the year. We can use your help. If you come across a news account of a killing related to drug law enforcement, please send us an email at psmith@drcnet.org.]
[image:1 align:left]A Houston, Texas, man attempting to evade US marshals seeking to arrest him on drug and other warrants was shot and killed by a Harris County sheriff's deputy Friday afternoon. The man, as yet unnamed, becomes the 33rd person to …

by Bernd Debusmann Jr.
Mexican drug trafficking teams make billions each year smuggling drugs into the United States, profiting enormously from the restrictionist drug policies of the US government. Since Mexican president Felipe Calderon took office in December 2006 and called the armed forces into the fight against the so-called cartels, restriction-related violence has killed around 40,000 people, including more than 15,000 last year. The multiplying militarization of the drug war and the arrest or killing of dozens of high-profile drug traffickers have failed to stem the flow of drugs — …

Last year, police in Chicago arrested more than 23,000 people for simple herb possession, 78% of them black. But those charges are routinely dropped by judges, and the head of the Cook County Board, who is facing a serious budget gap, wants the police to knock it off.

Toni Preckwinckle

Facing a $315 million shortfall, Board President Toni Preckwinkle announced a 5% spending cut and threatened layoffs if necessary. Preckwinkle last week discussed the idea of merely ticketing marijuana smokers with Chicago Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy, and while no decision has …

by Bernd Debusmann Jr.
Mexican drug trafficking teams make billions each year smuggling drugs into the United States, profiting enormously from the prohibitionist drug policies of the US government. Since Mexican president Felipe Calderon took office in December 2006 and called the armed forces into the fight against the so-called cartels, prohibition-related violence has killed around 40,000 people, including more than 15,000 last year. The augmenting militarization of the drug war and the arrest or killing of dozens of high-profile drug peddlers have failed to stem the flow of drugs — …

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) has now officially broken with the war on drugs. At its 102nd annual convention in Los Angeles Tuesday, the nation's oldest and largest black advocacy group passed an historic resolution calling for an end to the drug war.
[image:1 align:left caption:true]The title of the resolution pretty much says it all: "A Call to End the War on Drugs, Allocate Funding to Investigate Substance Abuse Treatment, Education, and Opportunities in Communities of Color for A Better Tomorrow."
"Today the NAACP has taken a …

by Bernd Debusmann, Jr.
Mexican drug trafficking organizations make billions each year smuggling drugs into the United States, profiting enormously from the disallowanceist drug policies of the US government. Since Mexican president Felipe Calderon took office in December 2006 and called the armed forces into the fight against the so-called cartels, disallowance-related violence has killed more than 38,000 people, including more than 15,000 last year. The accumulating militarization of the drug war and the arrest or killing of dozens of high-profile drug peddlers have failed to stem the flow of drugs …