Friday, February 6, 2009

Drug Tourism in the Netherlands Drug Reporter: Smoking without Borders -- a 10-minute film by the Hungarian Civil Liberties Union about drug tourism in the Netherlands. Smoking without Borders from Hungarian Civil Liberties Union on Vimeo. Their conclusions: 1) The problem of drug tourism is not caused by cannabis use or coffee shops. The real problem is the illegality of cannabis in neighboring countries. 2) The problem cannot be solved by closing down coffee shops: the supply won't be reduced but it will go undeground to cause more problems. 3) The real solution to the problem is in the hands of the neighboring countries: to regulate and control the cannabis market. [Thanks to Transform Miniblog] 10:28:56 PM | drug policy | Related  | permalink | comment []

Open Thread It's nice to know that we're not the only place that does really stupid drug war stuff. In Manila, authorities were spray-painting warnings on the houses of suspected drug "personalities." This generated some criticism from human rights advocates (you think?). So... Rosales explained that instead of spray-painting warnings on the houses of the suspected drug personalities, authorities will instead mark the words "This is a drug-free home" on the houses of residents proven to be free from substance abuse. What are they trying to do? Recreate Exodus 12 and passover? BC Court rules medical marijuana program unconstitutional Justice Marvyn Koenigsberg gave Ottawa a year to fix the medical-marijuana access regulations so compassion clubs or producers can get together and run a common marijuana-growing operation. At the moment, the federal government restricts any licensed grower to supplying only one licensed user and prohibits more than three growers from pooling resources. Both those restrictions are unconstitutional, Koenigsberg said. Kellogg is dropping Michael Phelps. There are a lot of good cereals available from General Mills and Post (plus, in this economy, generic and store brand substitutes are a great idea). Oh, and you know that Sheriff Lott who wants to prosecute Phelps for being in a picture with a glass tube? This is him. Phelps given meaningless 3 month suspension "This is not a situation where any anti-doping rule was violated, but we decided to send a strong message to Michael because he disappointed so many people" Sumo wrestler kicked out for marijuana use [Hat Tip] Atrios Watching a reporter make Michael Phelps grovel it occurs to me that the media really are about 10 years behind the country on so many issues. New York Sentencing Commission released a report calling for reforms to New York's notoriously harsh Rockefeller drug laws. The fact that reforms are being called for is a good thing. But indications are that it's a pretty weak effort: [Drug Policy Alliance's Gabriel Sayegh rejected the report as a "damn paperweight" that basically "rearranges the deck chairs on the Titanic at a cost of half a billion dollars to New Yorkers." [...] "Not only does it not include real reforms to the Rockefeller Drug Laws, but it takes a step backward," Sayegh continued. "The commission acted as though the political climate we're in is not happening. It's like they drafted this thing from a cave." 8:56:34 AM | drug policy | Related  | permalink | comment []