Sunday, September 14, 2003

Signs of Hope in Drug War Destruction Despite the moralizing and iron fist of the U.S. drug war cheerleaders (led by Drug Czar John Walters), marijuana is emerging as a chink in the warriors' armor in a variety of places. Canada: Senate recommends complete legalization. Administration and legislature dithers. Courts step in. Marijuana is legal (temporarily, kind of, some places). Sky doesn't fall. Confused? Still confused? Even more confused? Netherlands: Pot already available in coffee shops, now sold in pharmacies. Alaska: Privacy rules. Possession of up to four ounces in your home is ruled a constitutional right. Seattle, Washington: Citizens prepare to vote on Initiative 75, which would make marijuana arrests the lowest priority. Drug Czar has a fit (using tax funds). England: Along with reclassifying marijuana, police are given new guidelines on marijuana to take effect in January, involving a "presumption against arrest." Check out the Media Awareness Project focus alert. In a Zogby poll conducted last month in New Hampshire, 84 percent of voters said they supported changing federal law to allow patients to use medicinal marijuana without fear of arrest. Interesting times. I can't wait to see what's next. 11:01:43 PM | drug policy | Related  | permalink | comment []