Drug WarRant

Chong Bong Gone Wrong

Thanks to Tim Cavanaugh at Hit and Run, I learned that Tommy Chong has been sentenced today to nine months for selling bongs online.
This is the first sentencing coming out of the federal government’s Operation Pipe Dreams and Operation Headhunter in February, which involved over 2,000 law enforcement officers, plus multiple federal, state, and local agencies.
Through their intensive investigation, they were actually able to discover companies that manufactured and sold glass pipes and other devices that were being sold online.
Of course, they could have also found these companies by spending 5 minutes with Google. You see, paraphernalia has always been a bit of a grey area, in that many items can be used for multiple purposes. A pipe can be used to smoke tobacco. In the past, those who manufactured and sold these items got along fine as long as they didn’t promote drug use with their products.

However, the administration decided to change the interpretation — not through a public information campaign, but through a massive bust involving over 50 arrests, seizures of glass art and websites, and loss of jobs (including Chong’s business). If you’d like to know more about Operation Pipe Dreams and Operation Headhunter, check out Jesse Katz’s July article in Rolling Stone: “White House Tries to Ban Bongs”. It’s a very good piece on the subject.
A recent study showed that over 19 million Americans used illegal drugs last year. Clearly, this major effort by the government is another attempt to stop drug use.
So I asked my friend George how this affected him:

“Well, you know, I like to toke up a little on the weekends, particularly when I’m watching the Sci-fi channel. But now that you can’t buy bongs, I guess I won’t be able to anymore. It really sucks, ’cause I’ve got a whole ounce of BC Bud that I’m going to have to throw out.
“But hey, I understand. They’ve gotta fight those terrorists, and I heard there’s some kind of connection there. I guess the terrorists use the bongs for, uh, something.”

The government’s plan must be working! I then asked George to say the title of this post four times fast, but he refused.
Perhaps the definitive quote on this subject comes from “One War Or Another – It’s Bongs Over Baghdad” in the Toronto Star:

At the end of the day, “Operation Pipe Dreams,” as the crackdown was creatively named, did nothing more than screw up the lives and livelihoods of several dozen entrepreneurs and provide the authorities with an elaborate media stunt to disguise the fact that they’re not doing their real job.

To help all those drug users who no longer can smoke their pot, I am going to break the law and offer special marijuana pipes online. DEA, come and get me.

These pot paraphernalia pipes are pictured at right. Now, some people say that these items can be used for bizarre purposes like eating, making pies, or target practice for expert archers. But I’m here to tell you that their purpose is for smoking pot.
So, here is the link to purchase your own Apple Pipes.

(Note: some assembly required, pen shaft and aluminum foil screen not included)

Welcome, M.A.S.H.

Tonight was the first meeting this year of M.A.S.H. (Mobilizing Students and Activists for Hemp), a student group at Illinois State University (I am their advisor).
Organizations like this are extremely important for spreading the word about the travesties in the war on (some) drugs, and it looks like we’ve got a good group this year. If you’re in the area and want to get involved, let me know and I’ll get you connected with the officers (the group’s a bit web-impaired right now, although we hope that will change).
So I’d like to welcome all the members of M.A.S.H. to Drug WarRant. Good to have you here. Add a comment or drop me a line. A few things you might be interested in checking out:

• The economic report I prepared last year with the help of M.A.S.H. is available here.
• The July action in Congress regarding medical marijuana is reported here.
• The hemp bars we had tonight at the meeting were from Ruth’s Hemp Foods.
• The information I mentioned about marijuana being legal for private possession in the home in Alaska is available here.
• For an great national organization for student activists in the war on drugs, check out Students for a Sensible Drug Policy.
• Some excellent reference material on Cannabis is available at Vaults of Erowid.
• For historical background on Hemp, there are a ton of interesting articles at The Schaffer Library of Drug Policy

Drug War Tragedies, Drug War Economics, and Naked, Pot-smoking Reverends

TULIA DEFENDANTS EAGER TO BUILD LIVES ANEW

Hog farmer Joe Moore was wrongly convicted of selling cocaine and sent to prison for 90 years.
He lost more than his freedom.æ He lost his livelihood and he lost his health, as his diabetes worsened while he was behind bars.
A high-profile legal battle discredited the accusing police officer and led to pardons for Moore and 34 others this summer.æ Some found bitterness in their return to Tulia.æ Many still struggle to rebuild.

There’s still a lot to do in the Tulia case. Every day, we hear about arrests in the drug war, with jubilant drug warriors holding up the spoils. But we don’t hear enough about how the drug war ruins lives. It’s a juggernaut that destroys everything in its path — from those who choose to use (some) drugs to those who just happened to get in the way.
BU professor takes pot shots at marijuana laws

Legalizing pot would save the Bay State as much as $138 million a year, a Boston University economics professor claims in a study released yesterday.
The report, written by Professor Jeffrey A.æ Miron for the pro- marijuana group Change the Climate, says that eliminating enforcement costs and taxing marijuana sales could save the salary equivalent of 2,300 cops, teachers and firefighters.

This Change the Climate report once again points out the economic cost of this failed war. If you consider the fact that any legalization scheme would likely include some kind of tax on the product, the figures underestimate the financial benefit to Massachusetts of legalization. (see also the report I prepared last year: Cannabis Plant, Drug Prohibition, and Illinois Economic Development)
And now for something completely different… Pot religion earns legal merit: Hey, as far as I’m concerned, you shouldn’t need a religion to get naked and smoke pot. (Or am I just trolling for search engine traffic?)

Stupid Drug War Tricks
Jeff at RandomActOfKindness is much more alert to local Illinois news than I am and he found these gems/outrages. Check them out.
Sorry, we didn’t mean to include ourselves. Officials in Colfax, Illinois voted to drug test all city employees. When they realized that would include the board members, they voted to exempt themselves. What few consider is that, except in safety critical occupations, drug testing is ineffective, often counter-productive, and insulting. And drug testing schemes do not test for workplace impairment. If I was a Colfax city employee, I would deliver my clean urine sample to each of the board members individually, along with my resignation.
Sorry, we need some more cars. A drug sting in Chicago netted 205 arrests and 81 impounded vehicles. If police have nothing better to do than go around selling pot, they should at least tell the customers how expensive it is. “40 bucks, a misdemeanor and my car? Hmmm, I think I’ll keep shopping, thanks.”
Sorry, wrong address. This one is just too funny, horrible, stupid and sad. Read it.

Safe Haven for Junkies

Salon.com has an in-depth feature tomorrow on Canada’s plans for safe-injection sites for addicts. “Canada’s Safe Haven for Junkies” is a strong, balanced piece which shows the realities of the world of the addict, along with the challenges of reducing the death, destruction and cost through methods other than failed supply-side interdiction and criminal prosecution. It’s an excellent balanced piece and is definitely worth a read.
The article points out successful programs of this type which have been conducted in other countries, and also reports on the fear with which our drug warriors in the United States view any attempt to find a new solution.

As soon as Vancouver’s planned site gained Canadian federal approval in late June, U.S. drug czar John Walters went off. “It’s immoral to allow people to suffer and die from a disease we know how to treat,” he told the Associated Press. “There are no safe-injection sites,” he added, calling the policy “a lie” and “state-sponsored personal suicide.” David Murray, special assistant in the U.S. Office of National Drug Control Policy, told the Vancouver Sun on May 2 that likely “unintended consequences” of the safe-injection site could force the U.S. to tighten border controls to prevent increased drug trafficking. That could, of course, negatively impact trade of all sorts…

UCLA’s Kleiman offers a bit more tempered advice for a displeased Bush administration. “A really sensible U.S. government might say to Canada, ‘We think this is a really dangerous experiment, but if you’re crazy enough to try it in your neighborhood, God bless you, and we’ll watch,'” he says. “A scientific view of drug policy would say, ‘Here’s an opportunity for us to learn something.’ Of course, that’s not what I expect to see from Washington.”

For another personal view, check out this post by Last One Speaks (scroll down to “How Did I Get Here?”), which wrestles with the challenges many in the drug reform community must face when taking on the horrors of Heroin addiction.

Another Drug Task Force Run Amuck
From today’s Sequin Gazette-Enterprise in Texas, “Task force comes under fire”

The 24th and 25th Judicial District Narcotics Task Force was described as a maverick law enforcement operation by state officials who for more than a year were thwarted repeatedly in their attempts to reign in the Seguin-based drug interdiction force, according to the Department of Public Safety….

Inspections of the narcotics task force (NTF) drug vault in Seguin conducted in early 2002 by task force and DPS officials, and an earlier audit ordered by City Manager Jack Hamlett all indicated that evidence in the custody of the NTF was missing, according to DPS records…

In addition to discovering inaccurate logbooks and missing evidence, DPS officials inquired about a Seguin narcotics task force agent who had been assigned to the Drug Enforcement Administration in San Antonio. The Seguin task force had “little contact or supervisory control” over its agent, who was said to have participated in the seizure of 1,200 pounds of marijuana in Laredo several weeks before, “but had only informed Commander Majors of the seizure within the last few days,” Walker said…

A March 2002 review of Seguin confidential informant files indicated the files were not in compliance with established policy, reports were missing from some of the files, and that, “there were no letters from prosecutors authorizing the utilization of current defendants,” Walker said…

DPS officials discovered during further inquiries in the spring of 2002 that the Seguin NTF had been asked to stay out of Goliad and DeWitt counties by law enforcement officials there because of the task force’s reputation for “unprofessional police activities,” according to DPS documents…

These drug task forces have been developed all over the country, and are a major source of corruption and violence in the drug war. Often it is task forces like these that circumvent state laws regarding asset forfeiture by working with the feds to add seized assets to their budgets. They are also often responsible for many of the tragedies of the drug war (see Drug War Victims).

More on Prosecutorial Abuse

I’ve already ranted a bit on prosecutorial misconduct on this blog – one of my pet peeves. Via MAP, there is an interesting article at the Orange County Register: “The other destructive trial lawyers: Rogue prosecutors with a big bag of dirty tricks take huge toll around U.S.” (free registration required) by Michael Arnold Glueck, M.D., and Robert J. Cihak, M.D.

We hear a lot about the excesses of private practice trial lawyers. But another group of trial lawyers has been left alone to go about their dirty work with few restrictions – and all at taxpayers’ expense. And their abuse isn’t just a taxpayer issue; it should also be seen as a justice issue, a privacy issue and a civil liberties issue.

We refer to government prosecutors who abuse their positions to further their careers and power while spending your money. They use high-publicity cases, such as those involving the hot “drug du jour” such as OxyContin, as career steppingstones on the backs of the defendants, instead of serving the public or justice.

A recent study by the Center for Public Integrity found that prosecutors stretched, bent or broke rules so badly that appeals court judges have dismissed criminal charges, reversed convictions or reduced sentences in more than 2,000 cases since 1970.

(note: The Center for Public Integrity study referenced is Harmful Error: Investigating America’s Local Prosecutors.)
The article also mentions that a new group is being formed called the Coalition Against Prosecutorial Abuse. I’ll report more on their activities as I get information.

More Fun with Numbers…
A new report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (released yesterday) is being reported in the news today: New U.S. survey finds millions of new drug abusers (The Washington Times touts: “22 million Americans are addicts”),
This study involved extensive interviews with individuals who were paid $30 each for their time. The report showed that there are 22 million substance abusers in the United States.
Now the SAMHSA study also reported that “Over 94 percent of people with substance use disorders who did not receive treatment did not believe they needed treatment.”
Naturally, our drug czar immediately jumped in to promote his agenda:

“A denial gap of over 94 percent is intolerable,” said John Walters, director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy. “People need to understand the addictive nature of drugs and not presume that they are all right when everyone around them knows better.”

Now, first of all, over 2/3 of that 94% were categorized in the study for alcohol abuse. Second, some of the definitions that the government uses for substance abuse border are ridiculous. For example, someone having a problem with their marijuana use is classified as a substance abuser, even if that problem is the fact that the drug is illegal. (Here’s a great idea — we could reduce levels of substance abuse by legalizing marijuana!)
Naturally, the drug czar sees a “94% denial gap.” He wants to convince people that all use of certain arbitrarily determined drugs is harmful. However, a 94% denial gap tells me that there’s a problem with the data. Certainly, there are some people who need treatment for alcohol or other drugs who aren’t getting it. We need to focus on those. Not arbitrarily create inflated numbers through poor methodologies and junk science in government studies.

(See also Drug Czar on Continuing Campaign of Lies and Debunking the ONDCP’s Scott Burns.)

Propaganda and Terrorism: Brought to you by the DEA
The Drug Enforcement Agency has a museum (check out the bizarre opening flash sequence!) The entire concept is an outrageous glorification of DEA propaganda and abuse.

Their recent exhibit is the most disturbing: “Target America: Traffickers, Terrorists and You.”
Now there are a lot of people who have taken advantage of all those who died in 9/11, and used the tragedy for their own self-promotion, but none are as crass and insulting as the DEA.
The exhibit has been running for some time at the main DEA museum location and at their online version (this photo of the main exhibit has been unavailable at their site recently). The exhibit is now moving to The Science Place in Dallas, Texas, where it opens on Tuesday (the exhibit was going to open next Thursday — that’s right, on September 11 — but they decided to start it a couple of days early).
In one of the descriptions of the exhibit in Dallas, you realize just how far the DEA has gone in their exhibit:

“We worked closely with the New York Police Department and the Port Authority to go to Ground Zero and the Fresh Kills landfill for artifacts,” Mr. Fearns said. “That’s where the exhibit starts, with this reconstruction of elements from New York and the Pentagon and photos from Pennsylvania.”

That’s right. Children’s toys and twisted I-beams. Death and destruction to glorify the DEA.
If you’re in the Dallas area, consider joining one of the protests against this exhibit at The Science Place (Saturday, September 13 and Saturday, September 20, 11am to 3pm at Fair Park at The Science Place).

According to Craig Johnson, a student at UTD and leader of Students For a Sensible Drug Policy [University of Texas at Dallas chapter], the demonstrators are a group of concerned citizens who believe that “it is shocking for the DEA to exploit Americans’ grief and anger over the tragic events of 9/11.”
“I am appalled that The Science Place is lending its prestige and spending its funds on an exhibit by the Drug Enforcement Administration,” says Suzanne Wills of Dallas, a member of the Drug Policy Form of Texas, another of the groups represented. “In all its policies the DEA is the antithesis of science. The most glaring, inhumane, and disingenuous example is its refusal to allow researchers a supply of cannabis for medical trials approved by the Food and Drug Administration.”
Johnson added “while this crude exhibit remains in Dallas, it is our intention to counteract it with a campaign to show the public what little respect the DEA has for actual science, and the unintended but disastrous consequences of drug prohibition. Because of our government and the DEA huge profits go to the underworld, kids sell drugs to kids, diseases are spread by non-sterile syringes, and burglaries for money to buy drugs are epidemic.”

Note: A former DEA agent (Celerino Castillo) will be speaking out against the DEA at the September 20th protest.
OK, let’s look at the title of that exhibit again:

“Target America.” Yep, that’s exactly what the DEA has been doing for decades — destroying lives, filling prisons, eviscerating rights, stifling research, and spreading lies.
“Traffickers, Terrorists and You.” Mostly “You.” Remember that traffickers profit because of the war on drugs. And to the extend that terrorists benefit from drug profits it is also because of the profitability caused by the war on drugs. So that leaves… The DEA is targeting You.
And you’re paying for it.

• The Drug War Chronicle
• Drug Sense

This just in…

• Journal retracts Ecstacy study; wrong drug had been tested

Prohibition is an awful flop.
We like it.
It can’t stop what it’s meant to stop.
We like it.
It’s left a trail of graft and slime,
It don’t prohibit worth a dime,
It’s filled our land with vice and crime.
Nevertheless, we’re for it.

– Franklin P. Adams (1931)

---

Every friend of freedom . . .
must be as revolted as I am
by the prospect of turning the U.S. into an armed camp,
by the vision of jails filled with casual drug users
and of an army of enforcers empowered to invade the liberty of citizens on slight evidence.

– Milton Friedman