Thursday, May 4, 2006

What a mess in Mexico All this uproar over the supposed legalization of drugs in Mexico! The media has jumped all over it and it has sparked a lot of stupid talk about dangers to our borders. As those who have read over the bill in more detail have noted, the bill does very little in a practical matter to liberalize drug use from current policy. It merely adds some defined amounts and actually increases penalties for many drug charges, along with expanding the ability of police to arrest people on drug charges. Yet this little thing -- the fact that they won't throw you in jail for possessing under 5 grams of marijuana (something that's true anyway in much of the U.S.) -- has caused a firestorm. And it startles me. It seems to me that we would get less violent a reaction if a state passed the same law. Is this more of our historic racist reefer madness in play? (Just curious.) Anyway... MEXICO CITY -- After intense pressure from the United States, President Vicente Fox has asked Congress to reconsider a law it passed last week that would decriminalize the possession of small amounts of drugs as part of a larger effort to crack down on street-level dealing. In a statement issued late Wednesday, Mr. Fox said the law should be changed "to make it absolutely clear that in our country the possession of drugs and their consumption are and continue to be crimes." 8:30:37 AM |  drug policy | Links | permalink | comment []

Bong Hits for Jesus to the Supreme Court? You may remember this story in Alaska: The case arose in January 2002, when a torch relay for the Winter Olympics was passing by the Juneau-Douglas High School campus and students were let out of class to watch it. Joseph Frederick, an 18-year-old senior, stood on the sidewalk and unfurled his banner as TV camera crews approached. Principal Deborah Morse crossed the street, grabbed and crumpled the banner, and told Frederick he was suspended for promoting illegal drug use. The boy successfully took his 10-day suspension to the 9th Circuit Court: "A school cannot censor or punish students' speech merely because the students advocate a position contrary to government policy,'' Judge Andrew Kleinfeld said in the 3-0 ruling. Well, now the school wants to appeal the decision to the Supreme Court! And they've lined up a big gun -- Kenneth Starr has agreed to represent the school and principal pro-bono (yes, that Kenneth Starr. "The 9th Circuit's decision has left the Board and school administrators with no guidance as to where and when we can enforce our policy against messages promoting illegal drug use," said Phyllis Carlson, president of the School Board. "Federal law requires us to maintain a consistent message that use of drugs like marijuana is harmful and illegal. Yet, when we try to enforce our policies, our administrators are sued and exposed to damage awards." Sorry, but Federal law does not require you to enforce what other people say. I wonder what takes precedence. Your petty desire to stomp on contrary points of view? Or the First Amendment? My prediction is in agreement with the boy's attorney: the Supreme Court won't even take this case. 8:16:13 AM |  drug policy | Links | permalink | comment []