Monday, September 12, 2005

He certainly is an entertaining 'conspirator' It's easy to see why Emery pisses off the DEA so much... Marc Emery took a hit from a joint as his fans smoked and screamed for his freedom in front of the U.S. consulate. 11:21:48 PM | drug policy | Related  | permalink | comment []

The czar is stark naked Silja J.A. Talvi of In These Times gives us an outstanding article at Alternet: Smoked Out. Although the author stumbles slightly with an unsupported lung cancer reference (which I correct in the comments there), this is an outstanding indictment of the war on marijuana (and a delightful read). A couple of highlights: In many ways, modern-day government hysteria about the dangers of marijuana is far more distorted and far-fetched than the scare tactics that were employed under Harry J. Anslinger's reign at the Federal Bureau of Narcotics.[...] With all of this knowledge available to the federal government, the extremist position of the ONDCP isn't just nonsensical, it actually sounds more and more like the product of truly paranoid, delusional thinking. Whatever the reasons behind this kind of thinking, we do know that the ONDCP and successive presidential administrations since Nixon's reign have been deadly serious about supporting this agenda, leaving no room for debate, much less any form of dissent. The extreme extent to which pot (and pot smokers) have been criminalized over the last few decades has had the effect of skewing what marijuana really is and isn't capable of doing to a person. [...] In an interview with Seattle Post-Intelligencer columnist Joel Connelly, Mayor Campbell put it as matter-of-frankly as possible: Drug czars are the most ill-informed people in government ... [John Walters] is pushing an agenda that doesn't fit in the real world. He's in denial." He's right, and the U.S. war on marijuana (and on illicit substances in general) is an abject failure. The emperor is wearing no clothes whatsoever; we should be willing to call his bluff. Go read the whole thing. 8:53:39 PM | drug policy | Related  | permalink | comment []

Supreme Court chatter As John Roberts' confirmation hearings begin, here are a few Supreme tidbits: Jack Shafer discusses the late Chief Justice Rehnquist's drug addiction to placidyl. From Grits for Breakfast, a reminder that Roberts appears to not be much of a friend to the Fourth Amendment. ...during his brief tenure on the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals. He upheld the government's search or seizure every time.... On the other hand, I found this particular section of John Roberts' opening statement intriguing, although I can't say how much it means to us: Mr. Chairman, when I worked in the Department of Justice, in the office of the solicitor general, it was my job to argue cases for the United States before the Supreme court. I always found it very moving to stand before the justices and say, "I speak for my country." But it was after I left the department and began arguing cases against the United States that I fully appreciated the importance of the Supreme Court and our constitutional system. Here was the United States, the most powerful entity in the world, aligned against my client. And yet, all I had to do was convince the court that I was right on the law and the government was wrong and all that power and might would recede in deference to the rule of law. That is a remarkable thing. It is what we mean when we say that we are a government of laws and not of men. It is that rule of law that protects the rights and liberties of all Americans. It is the envy of the world. Because without the rule of law, any rights are meaningless. Fascinating. 7:31:27 PM | drug policy | Related  | permalink | comment []