| AlterNet

U.S. Ranks #1 in Consumption of Pot, Cocaine, Smokes

Jordan Smith, Austin Chronicle. July 23, 2008.
Just in time for the Olympics, the U.S. takes the gold medal in several drug use categories, according to a recent WHO report.

From the blogs

McCain Jokes About Killing Iranians With American Tobacco Exports

by Satyam Khanna, Think Progress

"Joke" earns candidate a poke in the back from Mrs. McCain.

NYC Cops Harass Club Owner Whose CCTV Footage Overturned Drug Conviction

by , bOING bOING

Talk about shooting the messenger.

Is the Department of Justice Tracking Your Mobile Phone Without a Warrant?

by Lindsay Beyerstein, AlterNet

The ACLU sues the DOJ to learn more about warrantless triangulation.

Fake Federal Agent Fought Own Private Drug War

by Lindsay Beyerstein, Majikthise

Sgt. Bill said he didn't need a warrant because he worked for the federal government. Turns out, he was just some random guy.

Pentagon Ramps Up Drug War in West Africa

by Lindsay Beyerstein, AlterNet

Schools of the Africas to replace School of the Americas?

Cops and Teachers Hoax Drunk Driving Deaths to Scare Teens

by Lindsay Beyerstein, Majikthise

Your friends are dead. Psych! By the way, don't drink and drive...

Soldiers Increasingly Take to Pill Popping to Cope with Fighting Bush's Wars

by Jan Frel

12% of combat troops in Iraq and 17% of those in Afghanistan are taking prescription antidepressants or sleeping pills.

Synthetic Pot as a Military Weapon? Meet the Man Who Ran the Secret Program

Martin A. Lee, AlterNet. July 19, 2008.
Dr. James Ketchum tested a potent form of synthetic marijuana on soldiers to develop a secret weapon in the '60s. Now he's telling the tale.

Reborn MLB Slugger Josh Hamilton Is One Lucky Former Drug Addict

Anthony Papa, AlterNet. July 17, 2008.
Hamilton was lucky enough to be able to afford treatment and get access right away. Most people cannot afford it.

Jim Hightower on Pot -- Sharing His Thoughts on Pot, That Is

Marijuana Policy Project. July 14, 2008.
"The powers that be like to play games, and Marijuana is a nice diversion." (Video)

Emerging from the Drug War Dark Age: LSD and Other Psychedelic Medicines Make a Comeback

Charles Shaw, AlterNet. July 11, 2008.
After a 40-year moratorium, credible research for treating illnesses and addictions with psychedelic compounds has made a miraculous comeback.

Don't Let Old Stigmas Prevent Medical Research on Hallucinogens

The Baltimore Sun. July 8, 2008.
Scientists should be encouraged to pursue legitimate study of halucinogens -- lest we miss out on a valuable medicinal tool.

Big Pharma Is in a Frenzy to Bring Cannabis-Based Medicines to Market

Paul Armentano, AlterNet. July 5, 2008.
While the the American Medical Association claims pot has no medical value, Big Pharma is busy getting patents for marijuana products.

The World Health Organization Documents Failure of U.S. Drug Policies

Bruce Mirken, AlterNet. July 2, 2008.
WHO survey of 17 countries finds that we have the highest rates of marijuana and cocaine use.

How Long Does Drug Prohibition Need to Continue Before It's Declared a Failure?

David Borden, Drug War Chronicle. June 30, 2008.
The day we legalize drugs is the day we can begin to clean up the mess that the drug prohibition experiment has created.

Ecstasy Is the Key to Treating PTSD

Amy Turner, The Times of London UK. June 27, 2008.
At last the incurably traumatized may be seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. And controversially, ecstasy may be key to taming their demons.

It's Time To Get Rid of the Good-People-vs.-Bad-People View of Drug Use

Maggie Mahar, Niko Karvounis, Health Beat. June 25, 2008.
When discussing treatments for drug addiction, instead of arguing about ideology, let's look at science.

School Uses Fake Drunk Driving Tragedy to Scare Students

Jennifer Kern, AlterNet. June 19, 2008.
A San Diego high school tried a ruse aimed at teaching a lesson about the consequences of drunk driving -- but scare tactics just don't work.

Obama's Drug Past Isn't Hurting Him -- But Thousands Aren't So Lucky

Vince Beiser, Huffington Post. June 17, 2008.
If only we could forgive the thousands of imprisoned casual drug users in the way we've forgiven Barack Obama.

A Grandfather Looks Back on 40 Years of Happy Pot Smoking

George Rohrbacher, NORML. June 15, 2008.
A Father's Day message to young pot smokers: "My mind still finds cannabis fun and enlightening after decades of inter-cranial adventures."

The White House Returns to Stoking Fears About Potent Pot

Bruce Mirken, AlterNet. June 13, 2008.
In what is becoming a nearly annual ritual, the ONDCP has released yet another report filled with dire warnings about rising marijuana potency.

I Was Wrong About the War on Drugs -- It's a Failure

Bob Barr, Huffington Post. June 11, 2008.
America's drug problem is larger today than it was when Richard Nixon first coined the phrase, "War on Drugs," in 1972.

Smoking Pot All Day, Every Day Might Not Be Good For You

Paul Armentano, NORML. June 10, 2008.
Yet another marijuana study on health risks that relies on subjects who smoke pot 24 hours a day, seven days a week?

Sex and Drugs -- Are You Interested?

AlterNet. June 7, 2008.
Want to know why enforcement of pot laws is finally easing up, and learn about the war on our sexual freedoms? Check out AlterNet's coverage.

Summer's Here and the Time is Right for ... Getting Busted Going to the Festival (If You're Not Careful)

Phillip S. Smith, Drug War Chronicle. June 5, 2008.
Music lovers this summer should be prepared to encounter drug checkpoints and undercover cops working inside the festival grounds.

All Indicators Point to a Softening of America's Harsh Marijuana Laws

Alexander Zaitchik, AlterNet. June 3, 2008.
With key medical marijuana ballot initiatives likely to pass, and a more pot-friendly majority in Congress, there is room for optimism.

Smoke a Joint and Your Whole Family Could End Up Homeless

Tony Newman, Huffington Post. May 28, 2008.
For 40 years, we have been waging a "war on drugs." Families are kicked out of housing when many have done nothing wrong.

New Mexico's Medical Marijuana Law Is Working, But Still Has Some Kinks

Phillip S. Smith, Drug War Chronicle. May 26, 2008.
Issues remain over production and distribution.

Can Pot Extend Ted Kennedy's Life? Too Bad It's Illegal

Paul Armentano, NORML. May 23, 2008.
Scientific studies indicate that marijuana can halt the spread of numerous cancer cells, including the type that Kennedy suffers from.

CNN's Lou Dobbs Is Clueless When It Comes to the Drug War

Tony Newman, AlterNet. May 16, 2008.
Lou Dobbs talks nonsense to explain Mexican drug violence. Face it: Drug prohibition creates a profit motive that people are willing to kill for.

How Pot Became Demonized: the Fine Line Between Good Medicine and 'Dangerous Drugs'

Wendy Chapkis, Richard J. Webb, NYU Press. May 13, 2008.
A history of the battle between politics and science over the use of marijuana as a medicine.

Drug Czar's Latest B.S. Claim: Pot Makes Teens Crazy and Suicidal

Paul Armentano, NORML. May 13, 2008.
How can you tell if the drug czar is lying? If his lips are moving.

NYC's Staggering Arrest Rate for Pot Achieved By Police Deception and Scams

Steven Wishnia, AlterNet. May 9, 2008.
New study says New York's cannabis crackdown is both racist and fraudulent -- and that more have been arrested under Bloomberg than Giuliani.

Psst... Government-Supplied Marijuana Program Turns 30

Bruce Mirken, AlterNet. May 7, 2008.
That's right, our government has been supplying medical marijuana to some patients for three full decades.

North Dakota Man Facing Years in Prison After Buying Salvia Divinorum on eBay

Phillip S. Smith, Drug War Chronicle. May 1, 2008.
A North Dakota man with an interest in herbalism and spirituality faces years in prison for $32 worth of salvia leaves he bought on eBay.

Will Pot Ever Be Legal in This Schizoid Country?

Steven Wishnia, AlterNet. May 1, 2008.
Five signs that pot might become legal soon -- and five reasons why it probably won't.

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DPA

The Drug Policy Alliance Network is the nation's leading organization promoting policy alternatives to the drug war that are grounded in science, compassion, health and human rights.

NORML

The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws aims to achieve the repeal of marijuana prohibition so that the responsible use of cannabis by adults is no longer subject to penalty.

MPP

Marijuana Policy Project is a nonprofit working to minimize the harm associated with the use and prohibition of marijuana.

DRC Net

Drug Reform Coordination Network is a national network of activists and concerned citizens working for drug policy reform.

MAPS

The Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) assists scientists to design, fund, obtain approval for and report on studies into the risks and benefits of MDMA, psychedelic drugs and marijuana.

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A comprehensive drug information resource providing access to reliable, non-judgmental information about psychoactive plants and chemicals and related issues.