Author Archives: Pete

On the basis of the video we saw alone, that drug bust and killing was unsupportable. Turns out it was even worse. Unbelievable stuff in the Salt Lake Tribune. Investigators gathered evidence that it was Blair’s roommate, Melanie Chournos, buying … Continue reading →

Now the Washington Post has picked up on it. The article gives a pretty good background on the subject and covers the issues without the U.S. parochialism that often biases media drug war coverage. And here we see the problem … Continue reading →

Russia has been complaining that the U.S. hasn’t been fighting the drug war hard enough. Harm reduction organizations complain that Russia focuses solely on punitive enforcement measures and forcing sudden abstinence, to the detriment of the health and lives of … Continue reading →

Via Scott Morgan The drug czar has gone to great rhetorical lengths to convince the American people that our drug policy isn’t a war any longer, but you don’t have to look very hard to see the violence that still … Continue reading →

The coca leaf has been an important part of the culture of Andean indigenous people for thousands of years (at least 5,000 years, in fact). It improves metabolism at high altitude, relieves feelings of hunger and provides energy, and also … Continue reading →

Anthony Papa Civil rights advocates are honoring Dr. King’s legacy by standing up against the “new Jim Crow” – mass incarceration and the racially disproportionate war on drugs. It is impossible to talk frankly and honestly about racism without talking … Continue reading →

Packets of Reefer Madness wrapped up in a caricature called Peter Hitchens. The crazed smile that says: It’s the little packets of madness that we really need to fear There is another aspect of this case that the smug media … Continue reading →

Editorial: After Marijuana, The Cold from The Bulletin (Bend, OR) Those really don’t look like such tough questions, do they? They may not be tough, but the truth of the matter is that there are no definitive answers to them. … Continue reading →

In yet another wrong-address drug raid. Radley Balko passed it on Thursday Spring Valley, New York David McKay said he, his wife, 13-year-old daughter and his brother-in-law were sleeping at 5:30 a.m. when they heard banging on the door of … Continue reading →

I used to think that each country had its own laws and those laws affected the people in that country. How naive I was. I also used to think that to break a law you actually had to, you know, … Continue reading →