Drug WarRant

Presidential election today in Mexico.

Jury Nullification Law Signed by New Hampshire Governor

Here’s the new language that has been passed:

519:23-a Right of Accused. In all criminal proceedings the court shall permit the defense to inform the jury of its right to judge the facts and the application of the law in relation to the facts in controversy.

As Tim Lynch notes in the article, it doesn’t go far enough, but it’s a very positive development. Read the entire article for a good background on jury nullification and how it might be presented in an enlightened court.

Via Glenn Greenwald…

‘Marijuana changed us from Nazis to peace-loving hippies’: Twin sisters who sparked outrage with pop band named after gas used to kill Jews claim they’ve grown up

Now, however, at the age of 20, the twins have radically transformed themselves from hate-spouting extremists to peace-loving hippies.

And the reason for their change? Marijuana.

Who knows — this may be yet another reason why some people oppose marijuana — they’re afraid that it’ll wipe out the bigotry and hatred they love so much.

Via Radley Balko…

NHP Troopers Sue Department Over K-9 Program

LAS VEGAS — A group of Nevada Highway Patrol troopers and a retired police sergeant have filed a racketeering complaint against the NHP and Las Vegas Metro Police in U.S. District Court. […]

The complaint alleges that the drug-sniffing dogs used by troopers in the program were intentionally being trained to operate as so-called trick ponies, or dogs that provide officers false alerts for the presence of drugs.

The dogs were being trained to alert their handlers by cues, instead of by picking up a drug’s scent by sniffing, the complaint said. When a dog gives a false alert, this resulted in illegal searches and seizures, including money and property, the complaint said.

The 103-page complaint alleges that Perry, along with others, used the K-9s to undermine the program to systematically conduct illegal searches and seizures for financial benefit.

The complaint also alleges the defendants, which also includes the state’s Public Safety Department and individuals in NHP and Metro, were involved in a Federal RICO conspiracy, also known as the Federal Racketeer Influence and Corrupt Organizations Act.

Of course, we’re very much aware that drug-sniffing dogs often falsely alert to please their handler, which is one of the problems of using the dog sniff as the basis for a search anyway. But to have this level of conspiracy and to actually have state troopers file a racketeering complaint against their own agencies… that’s unheard of!

Kudos to those troopers. We need honest officers like them to step forward, or it’s almost impossible to stop the corrupt ones from destroying the rule of law.

Billboard on carding children:

Dear Dad:

Here’s their website.

Nice piece on The Daily Show

One in five young people…
Continue reading →

Chicago to Decriminalize Marijuana

The Chicago City Council passed — by a vote of 43 to 2 — an ordinance today that will decriminalize small amounts of marijuana. People caught with less than half an ounce of marijuana may now be given a ticket rather than be arrested. The fine will be $250 at first, and more for subsequent tickets. People caught smoking on school grounds or in public will still be arrested, as will those without an ID or under age 17.

This is a positive move. Although, as Ethan says:

But the devil is very much in the details as to whether the new ordinance will ultimately do more good than harm. The fine of $250, and possibly more, is excessive — and may result in undue hardship for young and poor people without the resources to pay. Police will retain the legal authority to arrest rather than ticket people for marijuana possession, thereby allowing for the perpetuation of racial bias in enforcing the state’s marijuana laws. More people may be stopped and charged with marijuana possession offenses than before. And the mayor and police chief’s insistence that their proposal “is not decriminalization” is less than reassuring.

Remember that NYC is also decriminalized for possession of small amounts not in public view…

I think the one positive thing in all of this is that the Mayor and the City Council felt that they could enact a provision that would at least seem to lessen the penalties for marijuana without fear of political fallout. That bodes well for the future.

Tech week for my show in Chicago, which opens on Friday. It’s going great, but keeping me busy. I’ll be posting more about it later, but in case you’re interested, it’s The Living Canvas: Eureka! running June 29 – August 11 at National Pastime Theater.

The Alternative World Drug Report

The Alternative World Drug Report, launched to coincide with publication of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime’s 2012 World Drug Report, exposes the failure of governments and the UN to assess the extraordinary costs of pursuing a global war on drugs, and calls for UN member states to meaningfully count these costs and explore all the alternatives.

After 50 years of the current enforcement-led international drug control system, the war on drugs is coming under unparalleled scrutiny. Its goal was to create a “drug-free world”. Instead, despite more than a trillion dollars spent fighting the war, according to the UNODC, illegal drugs are used by an estimated 270 million people and organised crime profits from a trade with an estimated turnover of over $330 billion a year – the world’s largest illegal commodity market.

In its 2008 World Drug Report, the UNODC acknowledged that choosing an enforcement-based approach was having a range of negative “unintended consequences”, including: the creation of a vast criminal market, displacement of the illegal drugs trade to new areas, diversion of funding from health, and the stigmatisation of users.

It is unacceptable that neither the UN or its member governments have meaningfully assessed these unintended consequences to establish whether they outweigh the intended consequences of the current global drug control system, and that they are not documented in the UNODC’s flagship annual World Drug Report.

This groundbreaking Alternative World Drug Report fills this gap in government and UN evaluations by detailing the full range of negative impacts resulting from choosing an enforcement-led approach.

Legal Aid Society Sues New York City over Bogus Pot Arrests

The lawsuit filed against the city and the Police Department Friday seeks the court to declare the practice illegal under state law and forbid officers from making the bogus arrests for which they should already be punished.

UAE death sentence for British man on ‘drugs charge’.

21-year-old man sentenced to death for selling 20 grams of pot.

The DEA head’s performance in the House hearings has been getting play all over.

Chart: What The DEA Refuses To Admit About Drugs in U.S. News and World Report is just one example.

Having it as the top story on the Huffington Post with the huge headline “Is She High?” was priceless.

Politico: DEA chief deflects pols’ pot questions

And the comments at all these places is overwhelmingly… unsupportive of Michele Leonhart.

All it takes is some members of Congress willing to do the right thing and stand up and ask for the truth. Of course, Leonhart can’t answer the question truthfully, because if she did, she’d negate the reason for much of her budget while also undermining many of the unscientific and self-serving administrative rulings made by the DEA. And so she has to answer as an ignoramus, because looking stupid is less of political suicide than telling the truth.

It’s another step toward the ultimate dismantling of this destructive agency.