Monday, October 22, 2007

Goodbye, Karen. We knew you well. Karen P. Tandy is stepping down as head of the DEA, in order to take a lucrative job with Motorola. Her ignorance, her fostering of drug war corruption, and her slavish devotion to all that is evil about the drug war will be... missed quickly replaced with someone else just as bad. One of my very first full-length posts as a blogger was about Karen P Tandy's confirmation process (it still is the #1 Google response for Karen P Tandy and one of the top five for Karen Tandy). So, once again, as with Andrea Barthwell, I outlast a drug warrior -- an accomplishment that is not without its downside, since both of them probably make more money in the time it takes you to read this, than I make in a week. From her press release: Reflecting on her 30 year career, with the last 4 years as the DEA Administrator, Ms. Tandy stated, "It just doesn't get any better than this [...]" Hmmm... maybe not for her. But what about the poor farmers in Colombia? What about the thousands of non-violent drug offenders in federal prisons? What about the medical marijuana patients who have been denied their medicine by the DEA? What about these people? Does it ever get better for them? 4:52:13 PM |  drug policy | Links | permalink | comment []

Bong hits for the big screen Principal Morse's decision to tear down Joseph Frederick's Bong Hits 4 Jesus banner in an effort to prevent people from seeing that simple message, resulted in the greatest backfire imaginable. Because of that action, everyone in the world knows the phrase "Bong Hits 4 Jesus." Despite the Supreme Court loss, Joseph Frederick won beyond his wildest dreams -- he was trying to use nonsense to make a statement about free speech and student rights. And he was heard. Now, it seems that Bong Hits will get even more coverage... Paramount, MTV take 'Bong Hits' -- True story inspires free-speech tale 9:22:39 AM |  drug policy | Links | permalink | comment []

Oddities Apparently Malaysia is going to be drug free by 2015. 'Bout time. The United States has been drug free since 1995... 2001... 2008... But wait! The people of Carlsbad, New Mexico apparently know the secret to becoming drug free... CARLSBAD -- A group of approximately 40 persons gathered Saturday morning for the Fourth Annual Prayer Walk in downtown Carlsbad, walking one mile to the Beach Park and praying for the city. The walk was sponsored by the Carlsbad Community Anti-Drug/Gang Coalition. Coalition Preventionist Alison Bryant said the prayer walk is one of the strategies the Coalition uses to help the community work toward becoming drug free. I wonder if they really mean drug free, or if they have a specific list of drugs in their prayers, and whether they exempt caffeine, aspirin, alcohol, ritalin, vicodin, viagra... And what do they hope their prayers will do? Houghton said that every year after the prayer walk takes place there are several major drug busts in Carlsbad. Ah, I see. They're praying for war. Contractors may train Mexican drug forces My prediction: this will not end well. Agents find marijuana in tour bus "It tells us that the drug-trafficking organizations are trying to use a variety of ways to do this," [Customs and Border Protection spokesman Brian] Levin said. "They are looking for the appearance of normalcy and legitimacy. They are trying not to stand out." Is this your first day on the job, Brian? 9:09:27 AM |  drug policy | Links | permalink | comment []