Drug War Chronicle, Issue #530 -- 4/4/08
Phillip S. Smith, Editor, http://stopthedrugwar.org/user/psmith
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/530
A Publication of Stop the Drug War (DRCNet)
David Borden, Executive Director,
http://stopthedrugwar.org/user/borden
"Raising Awareness of the Consequences of Drug Prohibition"
Spring Special: "Stop the Drug War" Knapsacks from
StoptheDrugWar.org
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/530/spring_special_new_stop_the_drug_war_knapsacks
Students: Intern at DRCNet to help stop the drug war now!
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/530/drcnet_intern****ps_to_stop_the_drug_war
Enough is Enough: Stop the Deadly SWAT Raids:
http://stopthedrugwar.org/raidpetition
Table of Contents:
1. EDITORIAL: SHOULD PHILADELPHIA BE EXCITED ABOUT ITS BIG DRUG
BUST?
Three police agencies in Philadelphia teamed up to nab the
largest stash of cocaine ever found there. But all impact on the
market from the bust is bound to be gone in a matter or weeks if
not less. Should we be excited?
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/530/not_excited_about_philadelphias_record_cocaine_bust
2. MASSACHUSETTS AIMS FOR MARIJUANA DECRIMINALIZATION IN
NOVEMBER
An initiative that would decriminalize marijuana possession in
Massachusetts has passed a number of hurdles and appears to be
headed for the November ballot, where the prospects are good.
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/530/massachusetts_marijuana_decriminalization_initiative
3. MICHIGAN MEDICAL MARIJUANA INITIATIVE WELL-POSITIONED FOR
NOVEMBER
A Michigan medical marijuana initiative is now before the
legislature, which will not act on it, clearing the way for a
popular vote in November. The poll numbers are good.
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/530/michigan_medical_marijuana_initiative
4. SPRING SPECIAL: "STOP THE DRUG WAR" KNAPSACKS FROM
STOPTHEDRUGWAR.ORG
Help promote the Stop the Drug War cause by buying this new
DRCNet member****p premium and using it to carry around your
books or other belongings for work, school, or wherever life
takes you!
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/530/spring_special_new_stop_the_drug_war_knapsacks
5. LAW ENFORCEMENT: DETROIT PROSECUTOR CHARGED WITH MISCONDUCT
FOR ALLOWING FALSE TESTIMONY IN DRUG CASE, MISLEADING JURY
Last week, Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy was loudly
pursuing criminal perjury charges against the mayor and his
one-time paramour. This week, her chief drug prosecutor is
accused of abetting perjury by cops and an informant in a drug
case, but there's no talk yet of any criminal charges.
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/530/detroit_prosecutor_perjury_karen_plants
6. LAW ENFORCEMENT: THIS WEEK'S CORRUPT COP STORIES
A Pittsburgh cop rips off the evidence locker, and four Metro
Detroit cops get indicted for slinging steroids, helping a biker
gang, and lying to the feds.
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/530/police_drug_corruption
7. SEARCH AND SEIZURE: VERMONT SUPREME COURT THROWS OUT
MARIJUANA CONVICTION BASED ON WARRANTLESS AERIAL SURVEILLANCE
The Vermont Supreme Court has thrown a marijuana conviction
based on a warrantless overflight by a military helicopter,
saying the state constitution's privacy provisions protect
residents and "the airspace above their homes and property."
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/530/vermont_supreme_court_warrantless_aerial_search_bryant_marijuana
8. EUROPE: BRITISH DRUG ADVISORS SAY LEAVE MARIJUANA WHERE IT
IS, BUT PM BROWN IS SET TO IGNORE THEM
According to the BBC, the British government's drug advisory
panel will recommend that marijuana remain a Class C drug. But
Prime Minister Gordon Brown is signaling he may overrule it in a
move that would take British marijuana policy boldly backward.
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/530/british_drug_panel_gordon_brown_marijuana_reclassification
9. EUROPE: DUTCH COURT THROWS OUT MAASTRICHT COFFEE SHOP BAN ON
FOREIGNERS
The Dutch border city of Maastricht cannot bar foreigners from
its coffee shops, a district court has ruled.
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/530/maastricht_coffee_shop_ban_foreigners
10. SOUTHEAST ASIA: THAILAND LAUNCHES NEW "WAR ON DRUGS," BUT
PROMISES NO KILLINGS (MAYBE)
Five years ago, a bloody Thai "war on drugs" left an estimated
2,500 people dead at the hands of police and soldiers. Now, the
Thai government has declared a new "war on drugs," but vows no
killings... maybe.
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/530/new_thailand_drug_war
11. LATIN AMERICA: ECUADOR FILES COMPLAINT AGAINST COLOMBIA FOR
SPRAYING COCA FIELDS NEAR BORDER
The government of Ecuador has asked the World Court to order
Colombia to stop spraying herbicides on coca fields within 6
miles of the border, saying the spraying harms crops, livestock,
and people on the Ecuadorian side. The move comes as tensions
with Colombia remain high in the wake of a Colombian raid on
Ecuadorian territory that left 25 people dead.
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/520/ecuador_colombia_world_court_coca_spraying
12. MIDDLE EAST: ISRAELI ANTI-DRUG CAMPAIGN LINKS MARIJUANA USE
TO TERRORISM
American drug czar John Walters tried it a few years ago. Now,
the Israelis are tearing a page from his playbook: If you smoke
pot, a new campaign warns, you're helping out the terrorists.
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/530/israel_marijuana_nasrallah_terrorism_anti_drug_ad
13. THIS WEEK IN HISTORY
Events and quotes of note from this week's drug policy events of
years past.
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/530/drug_war_history
14. WEEKLY: BLOGGING @[EMAIL PROTECTED]
THE SPEAKEASY
"New Study: Pot Smokers Aren't Drug Addicts, They Just Like
Pot," "Even if We Succeed, The Drug Warriors Will Take All the
Credit," "South Park Takes on Drug Prohibition," "Winning 'Em
Over One at a Time," "Looking for a New Boogie Man," "Southpark:
11 Years of Exposing Drug War Fallacies."
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/530/blogging_at_the_speakeasy
15. FEEDBACK: DO YOU READ DRUG WAR CHRONICLE?
Do you read Drug War Chronicle? If so, we need your feedback to
evaluate our work and make the case for Drug War Chronicle to
funders. We need donations too.
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/530/do_you_read_drug_war_chronicle
16. STUDENTS: INTERN AT DRCNET AND HELP STOP THE DRUG WAR!
Apply for an intern****p at DRCNet for this fall (or spring), and
you could spend the semester fighting the good fight!
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/530/drcnet_intern****ps_to_stop_the_drug_war
17. WEBMASTERS: HELP THE MOVEMENT BY RUNNING DRCNET SYNDICATION
FEEDS ON YOUR WEB SITE!
Sup****t the cause by featuring automatically-updating Drug War
Chronicle and other DRCNet content links on your web site!
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/530/drug_policy_content_syndication_feeds_now_available
18. RESOURCE: DRCNET WEB SITE OFFERS WIDE ARRAY OF RSS FEEDS FOR
YOUR READER
A new way for you to receive DRCNet articles -- Drug War
Chronicle and more -- is now available.
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/530/drug_policy_RSS_feeds_now_available
19. RESOURCE: REFORMER'S CALENDAR ACCESSIBLE THROUGH DRCNET WEB
SITE
Visit our new web site each day to see a running countdown to
the events coming up the soonest, and more.
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/530/drug_reform_calendar
(Not subscribed? Visit http://stopthedrugwar.org
to sign up
today!)
================
1. Editorial: Should Philadelphia Be Excited About Its Big Drug
Bust?
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/530/not_excited_about_philadelphias_record_cocaine_bust
David Borden, Executive Director,
http://stopthedrugwar.org/user/borden
Should we be excited? Police agencies in Philadelphia have
announced a record drug bust for the city. According to the
press conference, held Wednesday by the Philadelphia Police
Department, the US Attorney's Office and the FBI, the stash they
nabbed consisted of 274 kilos of cocaine worth about 28 million
dollars
(http://cbs3.com/topstories/Cocaine.philadelphia.police.2.690355.html).
An FBI spokesperson told the press, "This significant seizure
prevented these drugs from entering our community." But doesn't
that depend on how one defines the term "these drugs"? If the
term is meant to refer to that particular ****pment, then yes,
that specific pile of cocaine will (probably) not enter the
Philadelphia community.
If, however, the term is meant to refer to cocaine itself, the
type of drug, it's doubtful -- no, impossible -- that the
seizure could reduce the amount of it in Philadelphia, at least
not for very long. The problem is that drug traffickers are
clever and industrious people, and they expect that some of the
stuff that they ****p to any given region is going to get
intercepted. On any given day, they probably don't expect a
record to get set, on that particular day. But that doesn't mean
they aren't prepared if it does. Doubtless one or more batches
are now moving up I-95 or some other artery, or are headed to
Philly through some other means of trans****t, if they're not
already there.
The truth is that there probably won't be a shortage of cocaine
in Philadelphia for even a week, if there is any shortage of it
even now. By the end of two weeks, there will be little evidence
left at all that a record-sized drug bust ever occurred, other
than the police records and the past media re****ts. Of course
the authorities won't be particularly eager to inform the press
that their record-sized drug bust has been completely undone by
the force of the market. Ironically, media would probably not
consider the lack of long-term impact from the bust to be
newsworthy, because that's literally what has happened on every
previous occasion.
Ultimately, the bust itself is the best proof that the bust
won't make any difference. Arrests and seizures and prosecutions
for drugs are the norm for the United States, in Philadelphia
and everywhere else. Yet for all that effort, sustained and
conducted aggressively for decades, the demand for cocaine is
still so strong that the quantities in which it is found
continue to set records. And that is a record of failure by any
reasonable definition of the word.
So while I'm sure the press conference was exciting for the
people involved in it, I'm not excited, and I don't see why I
should be. When people decide that it's time to try something
different, because they realize how much they've been throwing
away in money and manpower and lives, that will be much more
exciting than a pile of powder and a group of law enforcement
brass behind a podium ever could be.
================
___________________
It's time to correct the mistake:
truth:the Anti-drugwar
<http://www.briancbennett.com>
Cops say legalize drugs--find out why:
<http://www.leap.cc>
Stoners are people too:
<http://www.cannabisconsumers.org>
___________________
later
bliss -- C O C O A Powered... (at california dot com)
--
bobbie sellers - a retired nurse in San Francisco
"It is by will alone I set my mind in motion.
It is by the beans of cocoa that the thoughts acquire speed,
the thighs acquire girth, the girth become a warning.
It is by theobromine alone I set my mind in motion."
--from Someone else's Dune spoof ripped to my taste.
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