by Bernd Debusmann, Jr.
Mexican drug trafficking consortiums 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 more than 38,000 people, including more than 15,000 last year. The enlarging 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 …

In a New York Times editorial, Sylvia Longmire attempts to generate interest in her upcoming book on drug cartels by arguing that herb legalization wouldn't actually do much to damage their profits:
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The 40th anniversary of Richard Nixon's declaration of the drug war continues.
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[Editor's Note: This year, Drug War Chronicle is trying to track every death directly attributable to 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.]
Police in Hampton, Virginia, executing a search warrant for prescription pain pills shot and killed a 69-year-old homeowner after he fired on them inside the house. William Cooper becomes the 30th person killed in US domestic law enforcement operations so far this …

Today's New York Times features an op-ed by Jimmy Carter, Call Off the Global Drug War.
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Forty years ago Friday, President Richard Nixon officially declared "war on drugs," citing drug abuse as "public enemy No. 1." Now, forty years, a trillion dollars, and millions of ruined lives later, drug reformers are mobilizing for a day of rallies, vigils, and other actions in towns and cities across the country. Most of the actions are set for Friday and are being organized by the Drug Policy Alliance (DPA) in conjunction with other national and local drug reform and social justice groups.
[image:1 align:left caption:true]"Some anniversaries provide an occasion for …

Dear Drug War Chronicle Reader:

Drug policy reform faces challenges and opportunities.

States continue to enact medical marijuana laws, most recently Delaware, the 16th medical marijuana state; Vermont, a new medical marijuana dispensary state; and Maryland, with a new necessity defense bill that will study medical marijuana dispensaries.
Nationwide support for legalizing marijuana is nearing 50 percent, and Congress will take up a legalization bill this year.
States including Georgia, Oklahoma, Florida, Kentucky, Delaware, Ohio and many others are reducing drug sentences or considering it.

But the forces of forbiddance aren't sitting still.

US Attorneys and Montana's …

by Bernd Debusmann, Jr.
Mexican drug trafficking corporations 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 more than 38,000 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 dealers have failed to stem the flow of drugs …

This week marks the 40th anniversary of America's contemporary war on drugs, and the country's largest anti-disallowanceist law enforcement aggregation is commemorating — not celebrating — the occasion with the release of report detailing the damage done. Members of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP) hand-delivered a copy of the report, Ending the Drug War: A Dream Deferred, to the Office of National Drug Control Policy (the drug czar's office) Tuesday after holding a press conference in Washington, DC.
[image:1 align:left caption:true][Editor's Note: This is merely the first commemoration of 40 years ...

Not all of them just yet, but it's a start:
On Thursday the former presidents of several countries, former UN secretary general Kofi Annan, former U.S. secretary of state George Shultz, former U.S. Fed chairman Paul Volcker and other luminaries will release a report calling the global "war on drugs" a failure and encouraging nations to pursue legalizing and regulating drugs as a way to put a stop the violence inherent in the illegal drug market. (LEAP)
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