US: Web: Can California's Legalization Battle Kick-Start a Movement for Change?
AlterNet, 06 Sep 2010 - Prohibition has failed -- again. Drug prohibition has proven remarkably ineffective, costly and counter-productive. 500,000 people are behind bars today for violating a drug law - and hundreds of thousands more are incarcerated for other prohibition-related violations. There is a smarter approach usually called harm reduction. Reducing the number of people who use drugs is not nearly as important as reducing the death, disease, crime, and suffering associated with both drug misuse and failed policies of prohibition. Ethan Nadelmann is the founder and executive director of the DRUG POLICY ALLIANCE, the leading organizations in the United States promoting alternatives to the war on drugs, grounded in science, compassion, health and human rights. He received his BA, JD, and PhD from Harvard, and a Master's degree in international relations from the London School of Economics. He authored COPS ACROSS BORDERS and co-authored POLICING THE GLOBE: Criminalization and Crime Control in International Relations.
The Daily Journal, 04 Sep 2010 - Opponents of Proposition 19, the Nov. 2 state ballot initiative which would legalize marijuana for recreational use, claim it will have negative effects on youth and question proponents' claim it will increase tax revenue, reduce community violence and the cost of enforcing laws prohibiting marijuana. Those who support the act say it would provide much needed funding to local schools, parks and other public spaces. However, San Mateo Mayor John Lee is appalled at the possibility of the proposition being voted into law.
US CA: OPED: California's Marijuana Legalization Initiative is Already a Winner
Santa Cruz Sentinel, 29 Aug 2010 - Californians have a chance to make history in November when they vote on Proposition 19, which would legalize marijuana for adults over 21. Polls collectively show voters split but leaning toward this momentous stand against failed marijuana prohibition. Ten weeks from Election Day, it's clear how much Prop. 19 has already accomplished for the drug policy reform movement. Prop. 19 is arguably the highest profile voter initiative in the nation and has unleashed a torrent of global interest. The initiative has generated thousands of international stories, explicitly discussing this alternative to our disastrous policies. In particular, Prop. 19 has radically accelerated the public's understanding of the relative harms of marijuana, tobacco and alcohol, validating the widespread suspicion that a fundamental hypocrisy lies at the heart of the outright ban on marijuana -- as evidenced by the endorsement of former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Joycelyn Elders.
US: Web: California's Marijuana Legalization Initiative is Already a Winner
AlterNet, 24 Aug 2010 - Ten Weeks From Election Day, It's Clear How Much Prop. 19 Has Already Accomplished for the Drug Policy Reform Movement. Californians have a chance to make history in November when they vote on Proposition 19, which would legalize marijuana for adults over 21. Polls collectively show voters split but leaning toward this momentous stand against failed marijuana prohibition. Ten weeks from Election Day, it's clear how much Prop. 19 has already accomplished for the drug policy reform movement.
Boston Globe, 27 Aug 2010 - Government Balks at Covering Treatment for Painkiller Dependency BRAINTREE - In the space of a few hours, on bomb-clearing patrol near Balad, Iraq, US Army Corporal Eric Small and his unit were rocked by three separate roadside explosions. He sustained serious injuries to his head, back, neck, and hip. Small's combat days were over.
East Bay Express, 25 Aug 2010 - Just who intends to puff, puff, pass on Proposition 19? Jennifer Soares came out of the closet on April 17, 2010, but not in a gay way. She's a drug lawyer against legalization. Sitting on a legal panel at the International Cannabis & Hemp Expo at the Cow Palace, Soares was asked by an audience member her thoughts about Proposition 19, the Regulate, Control and Tax Cannabis Act of 2010, which will appear on the ballot November 2. With the pungent smell of pot wafting through the endless rows of booths advertising everything from hemp clothing to THC lollipops, Soares nervously spoke into the microphone.
US NY: Web: Corrupt Prison-Based Gerrymandering Ends in New York State
Huffington Post, 17 Aug 2010 - This month legislation was signed into law by Governor Paterson that would bar legislative districts from counting imprisoned individuals in state prisons as part of their population. New York became the second state, following Maryland, to end the practice. For years New York activists called for the dismantling of prison-based gerrymandering (PBG) that allowed mostly rural counties to inflate their population numbers. This resulted in financial rewards for those communities that utilized it. Brent Staples of the NY Times colorfully described PBG when he once said, "There are many ways to hijack political power. One of them is to draw state or city legislative districts around large prisons -- and pretend that the inmates are legitimate constituents." The new change could dramatically change the state's political dynamics.
Los Angeles Daily News, 13 Aug 2010 - THE question of whether legalizing drugs would help reduce the killings in Mexico has made front page news this week and is causing unprecedented debate around the world. Last week, former Mexican President Vicente Fox called on his country "to legalize the production, distribution and sale of drugs" as the best way to weaken the drug cartels.
US CA: Column: Citizens Outspending Cops On Prop 19
East Bay Express, 11 Aug 2010 - The campaign to legalize marijuana is attracting much more money than opponents, but Tax Cannabis 2010 backer Richard Lee worries that it might not be enough. Hundreds of California citizens allied with the state's medical cannabis industry outspent law enforcement establishment by a ratio of five to one on the effort to roll back eighty years of pot prohibition in the now-broke Golden State. Campaign finance reports released last week show Tax Cannabis 2010 received $176,430 in monetary contributions from this period, which covers April 1 to June 30, 2010, and also received $37,609 in non-monetary contributions for a total of $214,040. The drug law reform group has an ending cash balance of $61,933 after expenditures.