Drug WarRant

For an interesting view on how the U.S. government often uses the drug war as a pretext to cover its real political foreign affairs agenda, read Washington’s Searching for a Smoking Gun on Chavez
I’m guessing they’re not going to be using “child molester.”

I had missed this when it came out, but it seems Joe Lieberman has taken up with child abuser Mel Sembler, the founder of Straight, Inc.

Given the actions of Foley, the cover-up by House leadership, and bizarre moments like this, I think it’s fair to say that politicians have also lost any moral footing to claim that the drug war laws (or any other laws) they pass are… “for the children.”

And from now on, any time a politician suggests that having school children pee in a cup is a good idea, someone needs to ask if they’re pulling a Mark Foley.

Great post from TalkLeft

What is it with members of Congress that they think entering alcohol rehab is an appropriate response to whatever misdeeds they are accused of? Mark Foley is the latest:

Foley has said nothing since announcing his resignation. Yesterday, a statement purportedly sent by Foley to news organizations, including The Washington Post, said he has entered an alcohol-treatment facility in Florida.

[…] Can anyone think of a pot-smoker who blamed pot for inappropriate sexual contact with juveniles? I can’t.

Olivier Rabin, World Anti Doping Agency’s director of science, on the reason for keeping marijuana a banned substance in sports:

“We know full well that cannabis can alleviate feelings of fear which can help performance in some sports.”

If only my gym teacher had been aware of this when I was young and afraid.

The drug czar’s “blog” seems to think it’s cool these days. More light commentary, but the same amount of absolute clueless stupidity.
Check out this item…

Governor Schwarzenegger vetoed an industrial hemp bill in California over the weekend. He probably saw the issue for what it is: a sideshow promoted by pro-drug groups who want to legalize marijuana.

Yeah, that’s gotta be it……..

Of course, the Governor’s stated reason (pdf) doesn’t make any more sense.

Unfortunately, I am very concerned that this bill would give legitimate growers a false sense of security and a belief that production of “industrial hemp” is somehow a legal activity under federal law.

Right.

For something closer to the true story, I’d look here:

“Governor Schwarzenegger’s veto is a let down for thousands of farmers, business people, and consumers that want to bring back industrial hemp to California to create jobs, new tax income and to benefit the environment,” says Eric Steenstra founder and president of Vote Hemp, the nation’s leading industrial hemp farming advocacy group. “The veto was not based on facts but instead an irrational fear he would look soft on drugs in an election year. His veto message shows he knew industrial hemp is an economic development and agriculture issue, but he instead allowed himself to be cowed by confused drug war lobbyists. AB 1147 would have reigned in the over reach by federal authorities that has prevented non-drug industrial hemp varieties of cannabis from be being grown on US soil for fiber and seed. It is disingenuous to cite federal restrictions when drug war lobbyists refuse to sit down with the large coalition of farmers, business people and environmentalists who crafted the industrial hemp legislation. Industrial hemp will continue to be the only crop that is legal to import, sell and consume, but illegal to grow, in California.”

Kris Krane, Executive Director of Students for Sensible Drug Policy, did a great job on Fox news debating the issue of home drug testing.
SSDP’s 2006 International Conference is being held at the Georgetown Law Center in D.C. — should be a great weekend of activist training. I may be there as well.

In Fayetteville, NC:

The widening investigation has revealed deputies stealing hundreds of- thousands of dollars from drug stops on Interstate 95, beating and robbing people in their homes, swindling money from county coffers and working with drug dealers to steal money and drugs from other dealers.

Some deputies are accused of kidnapping drug dealers and holding them for ransom. One is accused of giving someone two trash bags full of marijuana to burn a pawnshop to settle a personal vendetta. The home of a man who was set to testify against that deputy was firebombed shortly before trial.

Sinclair is accused of trying to extort money from a man he suspected of selling drugs by pouring lighter fluid on the man’s arm and setting him on fire. Prosecutors say Sinclair had gone to the wrong house and terrorized the wrong man. Court records say the man was seriously injured.

In Chicago, IL:

Prosecutors have alleged the men stole hundreds of thousands of dollars and falsely arrested many people. Although the Police Department had been investigating numerous misconduct claims against the men for years, the criminal case against them did not gain traction until prosecutors became suspicious because the officers consistently failed to show up in court to testify on significant drug arrests they had made, officials said.

Authorities said they now believe many of those arrests were bogus, and any cases the officers handled are suspect.

The memo links Herrera to 67 cases. Finnigan, accused of being the ringleader of the schemes, is linked to 10 cases. Sherry is linked to 29 cases and Suchocki is linked to three cases. Some cases were linked to more than one of the officers.

This is just one of the many destructive influences of the drug war. Just as it attracts criminals to the profits of drug trafficking, it attracts and feeds the corruptible in public service. And both prey upon the citizens whose hard-earned tax money pays for the war.

Study Finds No [Causal] Link Between Marijuana Use And Depression

Yeah, we knew that already.

And yet, we must celebrate that another study has confirmed what we already know, because our opponents — the drug warriors — use every means at their disposal to mislead the public, and we need these moments to remind the public that they’ve been fed bullshit (although we, of course, do it more politely than that). Now this is the most comprehensive study to date, and should put the nail in the coffin on that little bit of ignorance, but I’m sure someone will still try to promote that discredited link. God, that depresses me.

I’m waiting for someone to promote a link between marijuana use and ingrown toenails. And sure enough, NIDA will fund a study trying to find this link (denying possible research that could save people’s lives), and years later the study will confirm that no, there is no link between marijuana and ingrown toenails, but we’ll be on to the next manufactured scare.

It’s time for the people and the press to stand up and say:

We’re not going to listen to you anymore! You have no legitimate authority to tell us about the dangers of marijuana. For almost a century, you and your predecessors have lied and misled the public non-stop, from saying that it will turn you into a bat or cause you to cut up your family with a chainsaw, to the outrageous claims about marijuana addiction and potency today. You have no moral credibility left.

Show us the bodies. Close to half the American population has tried marijuana with no ill effects. Marijuana has been used for thousands of years with no evidence of significant harm. If you’ve got something to say about the dangers of marijuana, then you’re going to have to show us the bodies. No more implied statements. No more hypotheses. Incontrovertible, airtight, watertight, triple confirmed documented proof with bodies is all we’ll believe from you.

You no longer have the right to tell us of the dangers of marijuana. You must make your case now by talking about the real reasons for marijuana prohibition — the political, racist, classist, corporate and government job-protecting, profit-protecting pressures that make marijuana your boogie man, not ours.

We’re not listening to you, any more.

For a strangely convoluted, yet fascinating take on the drug war in Colombia, be sure to read Danna Harman’s three part series in the Christian Science Monitor that concludes today:

1. The War On Drugs: Ambushed In Jamundi
2. Plan Colombia: Big gains, but cocaine still flows
3. Rethinking Plan Colombia: some ways to fix it

At times, you think may that Harman is cheerleading for the drug warriors, who are fighting a difficult, but successful battle. Yet if you read the entirety of the series and see how all the brush strokes create a bigger picture, you can’t help but come away with the image that Plan Colombia has been an absolute failure and a disaster to both Colombian and American citizens.

One of my favorite quotes:

“We’re making first downs,” US Ambassador to Colombia William Wood is fond of saying, “…but we’re not sure how long the football field is.”

Here’s William Wood making first downs…