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U.S. officials tell Tories war on drugs has failed
Letter suggests decriminalization
The Ottawa Citizen (Canada)
Wednesday, February 22, 2012A high-profile group of current and former U.S. law enforcement officials has written to the Conservative government with a surprising message: Take it from us, the war on drugs has been a “costly failure.” The officials are urging Canada to reconsider mandatory minimum sentences for “minor” marijuana offences under its “tough-on-crime bill” and say a better approach would be to legalize marijuana under a policy of taxation and regulation.
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Why a former B.C. attorney-general is supporting the pro-pot movement
Globe and Mail (Canada)
Sunday, February 19, 2012Geoff Plant has felt for years that the prohibition of marijuana is wrong. Now that the former B.C. attorney-general is out of government, he has decided it's time to push for the legalization of the drug. “I have always had a problem with the idea that the state should criminalize an act which is essentially no more complex than putting a couple of seeds in your back yard, waiting a while and then, when something grows, you put it in your pocket, you chew it or you smoke it,” Mr. Plant said.
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Legalize weed, yes, but the demon's in the details
The Globe and Mail (Canada)
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Marijuana will be legal in Canada one day. It may not be for eons – or at least until the federal Liberals or New Democrats gain power, which could be longer than eons. But it’s inevitable. Although polls suggest Canadians support the idea of legalizing marijuana in general, they’ll want to see a detailed plan before backing the idea unreservedly. That’s where the work needs to be done now by drug reform proponents. -
Opinion | Is it okay if we sell joints?
The author urges the justice minister to listen to the arguments in favour of legalising cannabis
Peter ThieleThe Copenhagen Post (Denmark)
Thursday, February 16, 2012
The City Council will soon be sending a letter to the justice minister, Morten Bødskov (Socialdemokraterne). It might be formulated a little more formally than the question above, but that question is, in essence, what we will be asking. A majority on the council support a Socialistisk Folkeparti initiative to request that the justice minister do what he can to help make it legal to launch a pilot project regulating the sale of cannabis in Copenhagen. -
Interview: Guatemala president says drug war can’t be fought with arms
The Washington Post (US)
Wednesday, February 15, 2012Guatemala’s first president with a military background in 25 years said Tuesday the drug war can’t be won with arms alone, and pledged that his administration will focus on fighting hunger, which he called a security problem. In an interview with The Associated Press one day after he promised to propose legalizing drugs in Guatemala, President Otto Perez Molina said the Central American country isn’t following U.S. orders, despite American opposition to legalization.
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Guatemala president weighs drug legalization, blames US for not reducing consumption
The Washington Post (US)
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
U.S. inability to cut illegal drug consumption leaves Guatemala with no option but to consider legalizing the use and transport of drugs, President Otto Perez Molina said, a remarkable turnaround for an ex-general elected on a platform of crushing organized crime with an iron fist. Perez said he will try to win regional support for drug legalization at an upcoming summit of Central American leaders next month.
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Former B.C. attorneys-general call for legalization of marijuana
The Globe and Mail (Canada)
Tuesday, February 14, 2012Spurred in part by the point-blank shooting of a known gangster in an upscale Vancouver hotel, four former attorneys-general of British Columbia have added their voices to a chorus calling for the legalization of marijuana, saying current laws are resulting in a worsening spiral of violence and crime. (See also: Timely letter from ex-attorneys-general in B.C. about need to legalize marijuana)
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Medical marijuana distributors subject to federal prosecution despite state law
Montana voters approved a medical cannabis measure in 2004, but some provisions remain in limbo after a recent court ruling
American Medical News (US)
Monday, February 13, 2012A Montana medical marijuana law does not shield cannabis dispensers from federal prosecution, a district court has ruled. The ruling will decrease the number of doctors willing to recommend medical marijuana to patients, as well as the number of entities that distribute medical cannabis, said Timothy Baldwin, an attorney for the plaintiffs. "The way the federal government has treated the industry in Montana and other states, it has caused people to become scared of being targeted [for prosecution]. That would include doctors," he said.
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Legalizing drugs gains ground in Latin America
The Christian Science Monitor (US)
Monday, February 13, 2012Guatemalan President Otto Perez Molina has repeated his suggestion that Guatemala and the other nations of Central America should consider decriminalizing drugs in order to help reduce violence. The president said he will propose legalizing drugs in Central America in an upcoming meeting with the region's leaders. Maybe Otto Perez Molina does not believe that decriminalization is a viable option, but instead is raising the stakes of the game in order to get the US's attention and getting the US to contribute more resources to battling narcotrafficking in Central America.
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Legal highs evade being banned as scientists run out of cash to test them
Funding cuts mean crime networks can flood Britain with new drugs
The Observer (UK)
Sunday, February 12, 2012Scientists studying Britain's rapidly increasing number of synthetic recreational drugs are struggling to assess the risks they pose because money for testing is being cut. Legal highs are flourishing as their manufacturers seek to stay ahead of drug classification laws by tweaking the chemical composition of their legal products to replicate the effects of illegal ones.
