Monthly Archives: November 2009

Fixing the Criminal Justice system, and avoiding pitfalls

As noted in comments, Opposing Views has the info on the Senate Judiciary Committee plans this week: This Thursday, December 3, members of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee will debate Senate Bill 714, The National Criminal Justice Commission Act of … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | 19 Comments

The bizarre limbo of medical marijuana

I’m one of those who believes that it’s best to have recreational marijuana use legal, but that it’s better to have only medical marijuana legal than no marijuana legal, and that medical marijuana legalization can help the rest of the … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | 8 Comments

When political sites discover the drug war

Here at Drug WarRant, we don’t get a fraction of the kind of traffic that the major political blogs do, so I’m always pleased when they “discover” that drug policy is an actual, you know, issue. Part of the problem … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | 40 Comments

Open Thread

It’s still a holiday week, but I’m back home now after a wonderful visit with my parents. I have internet access again, and am working to catch up (along with enjoying the weekend). I’m noticing a lot of tension in … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | 25 Comments

Tom McLellan wants us to stop our silly discussions

Allen St. Pierre, over at NORML blog, reports on an interview with Deputy Drug Czar Tom McLellan that is uniquely… absurd. This has already been discussed briefly in comments here, but I wanted to have a post devoted to it. … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | 31 Comments

Chart of the Day

From Sloshspot via the Daily Dish.

Posted in Uncategorized | 10 Comments

Open Thread

I’ve been on the road visiting family, and now I’m going to my Dad’s where there’s usually only dial-up available, so posting may be light for a few days. Support for legalizing marijuana grows rapidly around U.S The “Drug War” … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | 66 Comments

The new default position. Start with the ban.

Both Jacob Sullum and Scott Morgan Phil Smith catch a continuing disturbing trend in political circles. It’s kind of a shoot-first and ask-questions-later approach, except this is a ban-first and study-it-later philosophy. Sullum (in a good report on Salvia): A … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | 16 Comments

More of this, please

Travis Erbacher writes a letter. Bill C-15’s biggest supporters are criminal gangs and drug kingpins. After struggling to find anybody who could provide evidence that mandatory minimums work, or that tougher sentences will catch high-level dealers, they gave up and … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | 9 Comments

Yes, there needs to be more research, and No, there doesn’t

The Los Angeles Times lauds the American Medical Association’s reversal, but fails to understand basic facts. For all the debate over whether marijuana has medicinal value, arguments that the drug has significant palliative properties or that it has none suffer … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | 22 Comments