Monthly Archives: August 2009

Froma Harrop: Pot Could be Gold for California A bill to “tax and regulate” marijuana like alcohol now before the California legislature has strong support. But it’s not going anywhere as long as “legalization” is not in Obama’s vocabulary. The … Continue reading →

I often run into people who have been so conditioned into believing that prohibition is the only option, they cannot even conceive of (or listen to) any alternative. They’re the ones who believe legalization is surrender. I was thinking about … Continue reading →

This is already been pretty well picked up elsewhere while I was busy converting the blog: see How New York’s Finest Get the Weed Out at Reason and Scott Morgan’s Police Will Do Anything to Arrest People for Marijuana, but … Continue reading →

Link The United States and Mexico are “winning” an often brutal war against drug cartels that operate across the border separating the two countries, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said Tuesday. “We are not only fighting this fight, but we … Continue reading →

Although 75 minutes is way too short for this panel at the progressive netroots on Friday, it definitely looks interesting. Ryan Brim, Radley Balko, Mark Kleiman, and LEAP’s David Bratzer. I’d love to get a report on it from anyone … Continue reading →

This is really a follow-up to the previous post, and I already added the link as an update there, but I can’t resist commenting on these points, reported quite well from El Paso by Sito Negron at Newspaper Tree. Talk … Continue reading →

In the Christian Science Monitor former Colombian Senator and Defense Minister Rafael Pardo and Professor Juan Gabriel Tokatlian (from Argentina) call for a timeout. Before Washington ramps up yet another losing war on drugs, it should take a clear-eyed look … Continue reading →

In El Paso “Some think legalization will reduce the violence,” Kerlikowske said. “It will not. If drugs were to become legal, I doubt very seriously that (the criminals) would take up jobs at Microsoft or Intel. Criminals are not going … Continue reading →

The North American Leaders Summit concluded today. Naturally, it would seem that the drug war in Mexico would be a major item of discussion. If it was, solutions were not part of the conversation. Obama’s remarks were remarkably lacking in … Continue reading →

Mark Kleiman and Jon Caulkins get it — that any of the solutions the U.S. comes up with regarding the business of poppies in Afghanistan are doomed to failure. See Careful what you wish for, and Targeting the Taliban’s Drug … Continue reading →