Drug War Chronicle, Issue #485 -- 5/11/07

A Publication of Stop the Drug War (DRCNet)
David Borden, Executive Director, borden [at] drcnet.org
"Raising Awareness of the Consequences of Drug Prohibition"

DRCNet Book Offer: The Trebach Trilogy:
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/485/trebach_trilogy_new_book_offer_from_drcnet

Alert: Write Congress to End the Crack/Powder Cocaine Sentencing
Disparity!
http://ga0.org/campaign/crack_sentencing

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Table of Contents:

1. CRIMINAL JUSTICE: SNAPSHOTS OF THE DRUG WAR
In courthouses across the country, enforcing the drug laws is
big business. We look at courthouse action in three separate
locations to get a snapshot of the drug war.
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/485/drug_war_snapshot_grayson_escambia_licking

2. FEATURE: TURNING UP THE HEAT ON NEW YORK'S ROCKEFELLER DRUG
LAWS (AND THE POLITICIANS WHO FAIL TO FIX THEM)
New York's draconian Rockefeller drug laws turned 34 this week,
and the reform movement is doing all it can to see that they
don't make it to 35.
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/485/turning_up_pressure_rockefeller_drug_law_reform_new_york

3. FEATURE: GLOBAL MARIJUANA MARCHES TAKE PLACE IN MORE THAN 200
CITIES WORLDWIDE
Supporters of marijuana legalization took to the streets around
the world in this year's Global Marijuana March. Here's a
report.
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/485/global_marijuana_march_2007

4. BOOK OFFER: THE TREBACH TRILOGY (UPDATED SINCE LAST E-MAIL)
Two re-released classics and one new volume by drug reform
pioneer Arnold Trebach make up DRCNet's latest premium offer for
our members.
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/485/trebach_trilogy_new_book_offer_from_drcnet

5. WEEKLY: BLOGGING @ THE SPEAKEASY
In addition to the weekly reporting you see here in the
Chronicle, DRCNet also features daily content in the way of
blogging, news links, redistributed press releases and
announcements from our allies and more.
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/485/blogging_at_the_speakeasy_every_day

6. LAW ENFORCEMENT: THIS WEEK'S CORRUPT COPS STORIES
A Boston cop gets busted, a Tacoma probation officer peddles
meth, two former Memphis cops cop pleas, so does a former NYPD
officer, and a small-town Texas lawman heads for federal prison.
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/485/drug_police_corruption

7. PUBLIC HEALTH: DEA PUTS FENTANYL OD DEATH TOLL AT MORE THAN A
THOUSAND
The death toll from a deadly combination of heroin and fentanyl
rose all through last year. Now, the DEA says more than a
thousand people died.
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/485/fentanyl_overdose_death_thousand_dea

8. MEDICAL MARIJUANA: ILLINOIS BILL KILLED IN SENATE
A medical marijuana bill has gone down in defeat in Illinois
despite broad support from the medical community.
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/485/medical_marijuana_bill_killed_illinois

9. MEDICAL MARIJUANA: MINNESOTA BILL HEADED FOR FINAL VOTE IN
HOUSE, FACING VETO
The Minnesota legislature is one House floor vote from passing a
medical marijuana bill, but the Republican governor is vowing a
veto.
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/485/minnesota_medical_marijuana_bill_passes_house_committee

10. MARIJUANA: WISCONSIN TOWNS JOIN DECRIMINALIZATION TREND
The far north Wisconsin resort town of Washburn has
decriminalized marijuana possession, and the town of Two Rivers
is right behind it. They're only the latest Cheesehead State
locales to go in that direction.
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/485/washburn_and_two_rivers_wisconsin_decriminalize_marijuana

11. LATIN AMERICA: COLOMBIA BANS COCA PRODUCTS -- EXCEPT
COCA-COLA
For years, the Colombian government has allowed indigenous
traditional coca growers to market coca products nationwide, but
now it has changed course, and some are pointing the finger at
Coca-Cola.
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/485/colombia_bans_coca_products_not_cola

12. EUROPE: VATICAN REGISTERS FIRST DRUG CONVICTION
For the first time, someone has been convicted of a drug charge
in the Vatican.
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/485/vatican_first_drug_conviction

13. WEB SCAN
Turning up the heat on Albany, media painkillers hype, drug
researcher barred from US, random drug testing, vaporization
research, Houston City Council candidates, Marc Emery, "Shocking
Pot Video," Cannabinoid Chronicles, Suboxone Assisted Treatment
web site, more.
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/485/drug_policy_links

14. WEEKLY: THIS WEEK IN HISTORY
Events and quotes of note from this week's drug policy events of
years past.
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/485/drug_war_history

15. ANNOUNCEMENT: DRUG POLICY ALLIANCE GRANTS PROGRAM DEADLINE
COMING UP NEXT MONTH
The Drug Policy Alliance seeks applicants to apply for $1.2
million in grants for drug policy reform efforts.
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/485/drug_policy_reform_grants_program_deadline_next_month

16. JOB OPPORTUNITY AT THE HARM REDUCTION COALITION, OAKLAND
The Harm Reduction Coalition is hiring a Project Manager for its
Drug Overdose Prevention and Education (DOPE) Project in
Oakland, California.
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/485/job_listing_drug_overdose_prevention_and_education_project

17. ANNOUNCEMENT: DRCNET CONTENT SYNDICATION FEEDS NOW AVAILABLE
FOR YOUR WEB SITE!
Support the cause by featuring automatically-updating Drug War
Chronicle and other DRCNet content links on your web site!
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/485/drug_policy_content_syndication_feeds_now_available

18. ANNOUNCEMENT: DRCNET RSS FEEDS NOW AVAILABLE
A new way for you to receive DRCNet articles -- Drug War
Chronicle and more -- is now available.
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/485/drug_policy_RSS_feeds_now_available

19. ANNOUNCEMENT: NEW FORMAT FOR THE REFORMER'S CALENDAR
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/485/drug_reform_calendar

(Not subscribed? Visit http://stopthedrugwar.org to sign up
today!)

================

1. Criminal Justice: Snapshots of the Drug War
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/485/drug_war_snapshot_grayson_escambia_licking

Day after day, week after week, year after year, the war on
drugs in the US is filling court dockets across the land. This
week, we visit three different jurisdictions to get a snapshot
of the role of the drug war down at the local courthouse.

In April, district court judges in Grayson County, Texas, about
an hour north of Dallas, sentenced 95 people on felony charges
(http://www.kten.com/Global/story.asp?S=6472155). Of the 95
cases, the most serious charges in 16 were for simple
methamphetamine possession, making that charge by far the most
common of any before the court. Most people convicted of meth
possession were given probation. One person was charged with
enhanced meth possession and sentenced to 14 years, while two
were charged with possession with intent to distribute. One got
20 years, the other got 10 years probation.

Seven people were sentenced for simple cocaine possession, with
sentences ranging from probation to a month in jail to 10 years
in prison. One person was sentenced for enhanced cocaine
possession and got 6 years, while one other was sentenced for
possession with intent to distribute and got 15 years. Four
people were sentenced for possession of more than four ounces
but less than five pounds of marijuana; two got probation, one
got one year, and one got two years. One person was sentenced to
two years in prison for possession of more than 50 pounds of
marijuana.

Probation violators made up a sizeable contingent, with 13 being
sentenced in April. Drug offenders accounted for nine of the
violators, with meth, cocaine, and marijuana each accounting for
three violators. Every drug-related probation violator was sent
to prison, as were all other probation violators.

The rest of the cases where sentences were handed out were your
typical array of assaults, aggravated and otherwise, burglaries,
DWIs, frauds, robberies, and sexual assaults. In only two cases,
aggravated sexual assaults on a child, were the sentences as
long as the 20-year meth distribution sentence mentioned above.

All in all, persons charged under the drug laws accounted for 41
of the 95 cases adjudicated in Grayson County last month. That's
more than 43% of the court's business being taken up with the
drug war.

Meanwhile, down in the Pensacola, Florida, area, Tuesday was a
typical day for felony arrests in Escambia and Santa Rosa
counties
(http://www.pensacolanewsjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070509/NEWS01/70509023).
In Escambia County, there were five arrests for probation
violation (original offense unspecified), four arrests for
narcotics violations, three for aggravated assault, two for
aggravated child abuse, and one for introducing contraband into
a jail. All in all, 29 people were arrested on felony charges
Tuesday, with only six directly linked to drug prohibition.

In neighboring Santa Rosa County, there were a total of nine
felony arrests Tuesday. One was for drug possession, one for
possession with intent to distribute. Three were for unspecified
probation violations. Throw in an aggravated assault, a failure
to appear, a DWI, and "throwing/shooting deadly missiles," and
there's your daily docket.

If the drug war seems mellow in the Florida Panhandle, that's
definitely not the case in Licking County, Ohio. Last Thursday,
five people had bond hearings in Licking County Municipal Court
in Newark
(http://www.newarkadvocate.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070508/NEWS01/70508009/1002).
All five were on drug charges, and every case seems to be an
example of over-charging. Three people were charged with drug
trafficking offenses for buying drugs. As the local paper noted
in the case of a woman charged with crack cocaine trafficking: "
On April 11, she allegedly was observed by Central Ohio Drug
Enforcement Task Force buying less than one gram of crack
cocaine, according to court reports."

One woman was charged with aggravated drug possession for having
a methadone tablet without a prescription. But most bizarre was
the charge facing a Newark woman. She was charged with
"permitting drug abuse, a fifth-degree felony." As the local
paper noted: "Between March 29 and 30, [she] allegedly allowed
an associate to buy about seven grams of methamphetamine on two
occasions. Both alleged purchases were made in the vicinity of a
Newark City school, according to court reports."

In Licking County, Ohio, the drug war accounted for all the
court's business one day last week. In Grayson County, Texas,
the drug war accounted for nearly half of the court's business
last month. In the Florida Panhandle, the proportion was much
lower. But all across the country, drug prohibition is taking up
the time of police, prosecutors, judges, and prison guards. But
then again, that's their choice because policing and prosecuting
drug offenses is a matter of deliberate policy.

================

2. Feature: Turning Up the Heat on New York's Rockefeller Drug
Laws (and the Politicians Who Fail to Fix Them)
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/485/turning_up_pressure_rockefeller_drug_law_reform_new_york

On Tuesday, New York marked an ugly anniversary -- 34 years
since the state's draconian Rockefeller drug laws were enacted.
Now, three years after the legislature enacted the first, timid
reforms of those harsh drug laws and one month after the State
Assembly voted to broaden them, drug reform activists are
seeking to heighten the pressure on Gov. Eliot Spitzer (D), Lt.
Gov. David Paterson (D), Attorney General Andrew Cuomo (D), and
the Republican-led state Senate to act.

Prisoners sentenced under mandatory minimum Rockefeller drug
laws now number more than 13,000, and an astonishing 91% of them
are black or brown. The reforms enacted in 2004 have resulted in
the release of only 300, leaving thousands of prisoners serving
mid-level mandatory minimum sentences still in purgatory.

Spitzer, Paterson, and Cuomo campaigned on Rockefeller law
reform, but since they took office the silence has been
deafening. In 2003, the hip-hop community, led by empresario
Russell Simmons, put tens of thousands people on the street to
rally for reform. Now, once again, the hip-hop community is
calling out the politicians.

Working with Real Reform New York (http://www.realreformny.org),
a coalition coordinated by the Drug Policy Alliance
(http://www.drugpolicy.org), hip-hop superstar Jim Jones Tuesday
released a new rap single, "Lockdown, USA," a powerful call to
reform the Rockefeller laws which has so far run on dozens of
radio stations around the country
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obvduEttees).

A Harlem native, Jones has seen the impact of the Rockefeller
drug laws firsthand. Conversely, the politicians in Albany have
seen the impact of a mobilized hip-hop nation first hand, too,
and reformers report that the prospect of a new call to arms
from the hip-hop community has them nervous.

"We're kicking up the pressure now, trying to revive the Russell
Simmons coalition approach to Albany, and I'm hearing that
they're starting to sweat," said Anthony Papa, a former
Rockefeller law prisoner turned author and painter
(http://www.15yearstolife.com) who now works to undo those laws.
"They're getting flashbacks of 100,000 people on the street [for
the 2003 Russell Simmons Countdown to Fairness
(http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle-old/290/tensofthousands.shtml)],
and it's good if that makes them nervous," Papa told the
Chronicle.

He isn't just speculating. After publishing an op-ed in the
widely-read Huffington Post blog last weekend, titled "Spitzer,
Cuomo and Paterson: Where Did You Go?
(http://www.huffingtonpost.com/anthony-papa/spitzer-cuomo-and-paters_b_47750.html),"
Papa received a personal call from Paterson's office. "Not too
happy," Papa characterized their feelings about it in an e-mail
to DRCNet yesterday. And word is that the chatter in Albany
about it all is far more extensive than that.

"These guys campaigned on Rockefeller law reform, and now
Spitzer has been in office for more than 100 days, and it is
nowhere in sight," Papa complained. "Hip-hop is now calling you
out, Spitzer!"

It's time for change, said one prisoner's mother. "Small changes
to the Rockefeller Drug Laws were clearly not enough. My son
Ashley is a prime example of this, because he is serving a 7- to
21-year sentence for a first-time, nonviolent offense," said
Cheri O'Donoghue, an advocate for Real Reform New York. "These
inhumane, racist laws have been around for nearly 34 years.
Enough is enough."

New York's Drug Law Reform Act of 2004 (DLRA) lowered some drug
sentences but it fell far short of allowing most people serving
under the more punitive sentences to apply for shorter terms,
and it did nothing to increase the power of judges to place
addicts into treatment programs. While advocates and family
members are encouraged by these modest reforms, it is clear that
the recent reforms have had a negligible impact on the majority
of people behind bars. Most people behind bars on Rockefeller
charges are charged with nonviolent lower-level or class-B
felonies.

"Given the extraordinary racism associated with these laws, it's
unbelievable they've been around for 34 years," said Gabriel
Sayegh, project director at Drug Policy Alliance. "We hope that
this powerful song will inspire the thousands who attended the
2003 Lockdown, USA rally -- and all outraged New Yorkers -- to
pick up the phone and step into the streets to put heat on
Governor Spitzer and State Senator Joe Bruno -- to make them
keep their word and reform these inhumane laws."

But even if the Democratic administration starts moving on real
reform, a huge political obstacle remains in the
Republican-dominated Senate, with its strongholds in the prison
country of upstate New York. Seven upstate Senate districts held
by Republicans depend on prisoner numbers to reach their
required population size and would have to be redrawn if large
numbers of prisoners were released or the US Census Bureau
counted them as residents of their home towns.

Prisons are also a growth industry in Republican-dominated
upstate, which has seen dozens of new prisons in the past two
decades. It is no surprise that two of the most vocal reform
opponents, Sens. Dale Volker (R) of suburban Buffalo and Michael
Nozzolio (R) of Finger Lakes have 17% of the state's prison
population in their districts.

Spitzer ran on his record as a crusader against waste and
corruption. Now, he has the opportunity to undo the Rockefeller
drug laws. But will he, or will he bow to political pressure
from powerful special interests who benefit directly from the
mass incarceration of their nonviolent fellow citizens? The
reform community is now turning up the heat to help him do the
right thing.

================

3. Feature: Global Marijuana Marches Take Place in More Than 200
Cities Worldwide
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/485/global_marijuana_march_2007

From Albuquerque to Antwerp to Auckland, from Bakersfield to
Berlin to Buenos Aires, in some 232 towns and cities across the
globe, tens -- if not hundreds -- of thousands of members of the
international cannabis culture took to the streets in the annual
Global Marijuana March (http://www.globalmarijuanamarch.org) to
demand an end to marijuana prohibition. Demonstrations ranged
from handfuls or dozens of people in small American towns to
more than 20,000 in Toronto.

Now into their fourth decade, the Global Marijuana Marches
(formerly known as the Million Marijuana Marches) have become a
worldwide phenomenon, a chance for the herb's aficionados to
come out and be counted. Long coordinated by veteran marijuana
and ibogaine activist Dana Beale and his group Cures Not Wars
(http://www.cures-not-wars.org), the Global Marijuana March is
now receiving assistance from Vancouver-based Cannabis Culture
(http://www.cannabisculture.com) magazine and its publisher,
Canadian "Prince of Pot" Marc Emery.

Marches now take place on every inhabited continent and in small
towns and large cities across the United States, which accounted
for 118 of the 232 cities listed by organizers. Marchers hit the
streets in 66 European cities, a surprising 21 Latin American
cities, and 11 Canadian cities, as well as in Australia, New
Zealand, Ireland, Israel and Japan.

The vast majority of Global Marijuana March actions came off
peacefully and non-controversially, but there were dozens of
arrests at the Nimbin Mardi Grass celebration in Australia, more
arrests in Buenos Aires, and in Eastern Europe, both the Russian
and Bulgarian authorities cracked down on marchers, although in
Prague, thousands marched and smoked without significant hassle
from the police.

The ugliest scene was in Moscow, where police waded into the
crowd, beating demonstrators and arresting around 30 people,
with four organizers being immediately tried, convicted, and
sentenced to 10 or 15 days in jail for holding an illegal rally
-- Moscow authorities refused to issue a permit at the behest of
the Federal Service for Control of Drugs and Psychotropic
Substances -- and "promoting drug use," a crime in Russia.

Official attitudes in Russia, where the federal drug warriors
called for a "tough response" to the rallies, was reflected in
press coverage. "Marijuana Addicts Willing to Rally in Moscow
(http://www.kommersant.com/p-10661/marijuana_march)" read one newspaper
headline the day before the rally.

Similarly, if less brutally, police in Sofia, Bulgaria
(http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=80267) broke up a
crowd of 400 marijuana marchers gathered in the city center in
support of marijuana legalization. The marchers lacked a permit,
police said. But in Prague
(http://www.radio.cz/en/article/91090), some 1,500 people held a
march and pot party without police harassment.

But it was the march in Toronto that drew the largest reported
crowds. Some 20,000 people, many openly smoking pot, marched and
rallied in Canada's largest city. That's about 8,000 more than
marched in Toronto last year. Led by Emery, Canada's "Prince of
Pot," speaker after speaker denounced marijuana prohibition to
the cheers and applause of the good-natured crowd.

"So far Canada has the gold medal for attendance," laughed
Emery. "Toronto was the world's largest Global Marijuana March,
and a couple of weeks ago I spoke at the 4/20 rally in
Vancouver, which was also the largest in the world. I'm a real
magnet for large crowds," he crowed.

For Emery, the marches send an empowering message to people
around the world. "The Toronto march got huge coverage, probably
more than any other single event," he told the Chronicle. Emery
was especially thrilled that the official Chinese news agency
Xinhua picked up the story
(http://english.people.com.cn/200705/06/eng20070506_372373.html)
and quoted him saying: "It's incredible that 20,000 people are
meeting only 100 yards from the legislature to demand that
marijuana be legalized, to celebrate our culture and to defy the
law with almost open sanction of the entire City of Toronto."

"If you're reading this in China and thinking, hmmm, Tiananmen
Square was a mass action defying the government -- to me, that's
the biggest accomplishment of all," he said. "Hundreds of
millions of Chinese can read about us, and that's really
inspiring. I'm happy that message got all around the world.
People are seeing that they can defy the government and get away
with it. I really don't understand how the press in a censored
nation like China ended up printing that line, but I'll take
it."

In Australia, the Nimbin Mardi Grass festival, a three-day
event, drew 10,000 people, with police "arresting" 109 people,
although 60 of those were busted for marijuana, which results in
a ticket, not an arrest. Police also set up roadside drug tests
and irritated festival goers by riding their horses among the
crowd. But while police complained of the festival's "sinister
side," festival organizers reacted with ridicule. In a National
Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Law
(http://www.norml.org) founder Keith Stroup. Although officially
retired, Stroup can still be found most days at NORML's downtown
Washington, DC, office. "There have been years in which we have
ignored the marches. The thinking was if they're not
well-promoted and you don't get large numbers of people, you can
leave the impression that only a handful of hippies care about
this issue. We didn't want to reinforce negative stereotypes,"
he told the Chronicle.

"On the other hand, there is something impressive about this
kind of grassroots activism," Stroup continued. "We certainly
are no longer discouraging our folks from participating. In
fact, part of the reason we changed our annual conference from
the spring to the fall was to avoid conflict with state and
local activists, many of whom wanted to celebrate 4/20 or the
global march. Having our conference in the spring forced them to
choose between the conference or the local events. This year,
with the changed schedule, we probably had more state and local
affiliates participating than ever before."

NORML associate director Paul Armentano told the Chronicle a
dozen or so NORML chapters organized and coordinated local
marches. "Our Bakersfield chapter had a big march, and we've
also heard from Indianapolis and Boston and six or eight other
chapters," he said.

Students for Sensible Drug Policy (http://www.ssdp.org), the
student drug reform group with chapters on more than 100
campuses, does not take a position on the marches, but its field
director, Micah Daigle, is not particularly enthused by them.
"The Global Marijuana March was not even on my radar screen," he
told the Chronicle. "I'm working with the chapters to try to
change campus policies, and I've never found these marches to be
too helpful," he said.

But SSDP won't get in the way of chapters that do want to
participate, Daigle said. "Our chapters are autonomous, and we
like them to take the initiative. If they want to organize
around a march like that, then great. But I've always thought
rallies and protests should be part of a larger campaign, and
these loosely organized marches I've never found very helpful.
We're also not a purely marijuana-focused organization, but if
our chapters want to do something with this I encourage them to
do so."

Joep Oomen heads ENCOD (http://www.encod.org), the European drug
reform umbrella group, and helped organize the Global Marijuana
March in Antwerp. For Oomen, such events are part of a toolkit
of tactics for activists. "Nobody can claim to have the single
best way to make reform work," he told the Chronicle. "It is a
combination of things, and the Global Marijuana Marches are an
important factor because they can show people there is more to
be afraid of from prohibition than from a tolerant alternative."

See you on the streets next year.

================

4. Book Offer: The Trebach Trilogy (updated since last e-mail)
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/485/trebach_trilogy_new_book_offer_from_drcnet

[Update to original offer: Trebach has agreed to sign all copies
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too! (Make a note in the comment box to let us know you're
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We are pleased to announce that our latest premium book offer
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================

5. Weekly: Blogging @ the Speakeasy
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/485/blogging_at_the_speakeasy_every_day

Along with our weekly in-depth Chronicle reporting, DRCNet has
since late summer also been providing daily content in the way
of blogging in the "Stop the Drug War Speakeasy," as well as
Latest News links (upper right-hand corner of most web pages),
event listings (lower right-hand corner) and other info. Check
out DRCNet every day to stay on top of the drug reform game!

This week:

David Borden opines on "Is it Bad Cop vs. Cop, or Bad Cop vs.
Good Cop?"; "We Made Brownies and I Think We're Dead," the
police officer told the 9-1-1 operator; "Drugs to Vaccinate You
-- Against Drugs!"; and "Coordinated Drug War Raids as
Taxpayer-Funded Lobbying; reports that "One of the Worst Drug
Warriors is Back, Under Mysterious Circumstances"; "Marijuana
Activists Brutalized by Moscow Police During Annual
Demonstration"; and "Atlanta Police Nearly Killed 80-Year-Old
Woman Two Months Before Killing Kathryn Johnston; and links to
stories on pain, soap and drug field tests, Joe Califano,
overdose prevention and the Rockefeller drug laws, plus a
Maryland action alert.

Scott Morgan brings us "This is Not Your Parents' Cocaine"; "The
Boy Who Cried Meth"; and a thorough debunking of a racial
profiling skeptic's editorial.

Phil Smith contributes "Initial Reports on the Global Marijuana
Marches" -- with pictures from the San Francisco march -- and
asks "What the Heck is Going On in Licking County, Ohio?"

David Guard has been busy too, posting a plethora of press
releases, action alerts, job listings and other interesting
items reposted from many allied organizations around the world
in our "In the Trenches" activist feed
(http://stopthedrugwar.org/speakeasy/trenches). DRCNet's Reader
Blogs (http://stopthedrugwar.org/speakeasy/reader) have been
going too -- we invite you to join them and become an author in
the DRCNet community too. And we urge you to comment on any or
all of the above.

Thanks for reading, and writing...

================

6. Law Enforcement: This Week's Corrupt Cops Stories
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/485/drug_police_corruption

A Boston cop gets busted, a Tacoma probation officer peddles
meth, two former Memphis cops cop pleas, so does a former NYPD
officer, and a small-town Texas lawman heads for federal prison.
Let's get to it:

In Boston, a Boston police officer was arrested May 2 for acting
as a debt collector for major drug dealers
(http://www.boston.com/news/globe/city_region/breaking_news/2007/05/affidavit_bosto.html).
Jose Ortiz, a 21-year veteran of the force, faces federal
attempted extortion and cocaine conspiracy charges for allegedly
showing up in uniform at the workplace of his target and
threatening to kill him and his family if he did not pay a pair
of drug dealers $260,000 for a deal gone bad. Ortiz accepted
partial payments and agreed to take cocaine in payment, although
he did not want to touch it himself. Ortiz was arrested in
Revere as he met with his target, who was cooperating with
authorities. He was fired last week.

In Tacoma, Washington, a Washington Department of Corrections
probation officer was arrested May 5 for selling meth
(http://www.thenewstribune.com/441/story/57678.html). Cheri Lynn
Cantrell, 38, went down after a former neighbor reported to
Tacoma police that the pair used to do meth together and she
bought meth from Cantrell. The former neighbor and speed sharer
turned informant then set up a recorded buy from Cantrell. After
the drugs tested positive for meth, Cantrell was arrested at the
Department of Corrections office where she worked.

In Memphis, two former Memphis police officers pleaded guilty
May 3 to conspiring with other officers to shake down drug
dealers (http://www.usdoj.gov/opa/pr/2007/May/07_crt_326.html).
Former officers Harold McCall, 35, and Trennis Swims, 34,
acknowledged targeting drivers of older cars with expensive
hubcaps and taking money from them during traffic stops. McCall
pleaded to violating civil rights and faces up to 10 years in
prison. Swims pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor counts and faces
up to two years behind bars. At least four other Memphis police
officers have been charged or convicted in the conspiracy, which
continues to be investigated by the FBI and the Memphis Police
Department Security Squad.

In New York City, a former NYPD officer pleaded guilty to
conspiring to steal cocaine from drug houses
(http://www.empirestatenews.net/News/20070503-9.html). Former
officer Kirsix De La Cruz admitted introducing two
co-conspirators in a scheme to hit stash houses while she was an
active NYPD officer in April 2005. De La Cruz pleaded to
conspiracy to distribute cocaine and conspiracy to commit
robbery. She was set to take the NYPD sergeant's exam when
arrested, but now she is looking at a minimum of 10 years in
federal prison.

In McAllen, Texas, a former Elsa police officer was sentenced to
eight years in federal prison May 2 for taking bribes to protect
drug shipments
(http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/tx/4769601.html). Ismael
Gomez, 27, pleaded guilty in December to pocketing $2,500 in
return for protecting a vehicle he believed contained 22
kilograms of cocaine. It was actually an FBI sting. Gomez is the
second Elsa police officer to go down for taking bribes to
protect drug traffickers. Last August, Herman Carr pleaded
guilty to taking a $5,000 bribe to protect a vehicle. He will
be sentenced May 31. Gomez, meanwhile, is already in prison and
serving his sentence.

================

7. Public Health: DEA Puts Fentanyl OD Death Toll at More Than a
Thousand
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/485/fentanyl_overdose_death_thousand_dea

Last year's wave of overdose deaths from heroin cut with
fentanyl
(http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/466/experts_call_for_urgent_action_as_fentanyl_related_overdose_toll_rises),
a powerful synthetic opioid pain reliever, killed more than a
thousand people, according to the US Drug Enforcement
Administration (DEA). The deaths began early in the year in the
Mid-Atlantic states before spreading to the Midwest, with
significant clusters in Chicago and Detroit.

Early official responses to the wave of deaths was slow and
spotty, but concern spread as the death toll mounted. By
December, more than 120 public health experts signed an open
letter
(http://harmreduction.org/news/pressreleases/leavitt_overdose_letter.pdf)
to Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt calling for
a more aggressive response. The deaths have continued, but not
at the torrid pace of last fall and summer.

The DEA estimate of the death toll came in an interim rule
regulating a fentanyl precursor chemical,
N-phenethyl-4-piperidone (NPP), published in
Monday's federal register
(http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2007/pdf/07-1953.pdf).
"The recent distribution of illicitly manufactured fentanyl has
caused an unprecedented outbreak of hundreds of suspected
fentanyl-related overdoses, at least 972 confirmed
fentanyl-related deaths, and 162 suspected fentanyl-related
deaths occurring mostly in Delaware, Illinois, Maryland,
Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania," the agency
reported.

Noting that fentanyl is 30 to 50 times more powerful than
heroin, the DEA went on to warn of its dangers. "The legitimate
medical use of fentanyl is for anesthesia and analgesia, but
fentanyl's euphoric effects are highly sought after by narcotic
addicts," the agency explained. "Fentanyl can serve as a direct
pharmacological substitute for heroin in opioid dependent
individuals. However, fentanyl is a very dangerous substitute
for heroin because the amount that produces a euphoric effect
also induces respiratory depression. Furthermore, due to
fentanyl's increased potency over heroin, illicit drug dealers
have trouble adjusting ("cutting") pure fentanyl into proper
dosage concentrations. As a result, unsuspecting heroin users or
heroin users who know the substance contains fentanyl have
difficulty determining how much to take to get their "high" and
mistakenly take a lethal quantity of the fentanyl.
Unfortunately, only a slight excess in the amount of fentanyl
taken can be, and is often, lethal because the resulting level
of respiratory depression is sufficient to cause the user to
stop breathing."

The death toll suggests the DEA is not exaggerating in this
instance. Let's be careful out there, kids.

================

8. Medical Marijuana: Illinois Bill Killed in Senate
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/485/medical_marijuana_bill_killed_illinois

A bill that would have allowed for the use of medical marijuana
in Illinois died Thursday, failing by a vote of 22-29 in the
state Senate, with four senators voting "present." The vote came
despite support from the Illinois Nurses Association, the AIDS
Foundation of Chicago, nearly a thousand Illinois doctors, 300
nurses, and 50 clergy members.

Sponsored by Sen. John Cullerton (D-Chicago), the bill, SB 650
(http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocNum=650&GAID=9&DocTypeID=SB&LegId=28507&SessionID=51&GA=95),
would have allowed people diagnosed by a physician as having a
debilitating physical condition to register with the Department
of Public Health to be permitted to use marijuana. Patients or
caregivers could possess up to 12 plants and 2 1/2 ounces of
smokeable marijuana.

"I am saddened to hear that the bill did not make it out of the
Senate," said Gretchen Steele of Coulterville. "As a registered
nurse, I know that research and science support this
legislation. As a multiple sclerosis patient, I feel slighted
and have to wonder where our legislators' hearts are on this
day."

"There is no logical reason to not have an implementable
medical marijuana law in this state," said Dr. David Ostrow,
Chicago physician, HIV/AIDS researcher and founder/director of
the Medical Marijuana Advocacy Project. "The medical community
strongly supported this bill, but our lawmakers unfortunately
did not listen to the scientific evidence for medical
marijuana's safety and efficacy this time around. I hope that
someday soon, medicine, not politics, will prevail in Illinois
and at the national level as well."

"We are not going to abandon the patients, doctors and nurses
who have worked so hard to protect the sick and suffering," said
Ray Warren, director of state policies for the Marijuana Policy
Project (http://www.mpp.org), which had backed the Illinois
effort. "Science, compassion and simple common sense say this is
the right thing to do. We'll be back."

Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Montana, New
Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington
have all passed medical marijuana laws. Now, the best shot this
year looks like Minnesota, but even there, the governor is
threatening a veto. The heartland remains resistant.

================

9. Medical Marijuana: Minnesota Bill Headed For Final Vote in
House, Facing Veto
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/485/minnesota_medical_marijuana_bill_passes_house_committee

The Minnesota medical marijuana bill is one floor vote away from
passing the legislature, as the House Ways & Means Committee
approved it on a 14-9 vote Monday. The bill, HF 655
(http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/bills/billnum.asp?Billnumber=hf655&ls_year=85&session_number=0&session_year=2007&Go.x=8&Go.y=5)
is a companion measure to SF 345, which passed the state Senate
last week.

"I hope the House follows the Senate's lead and, for the sake of
Minnesota's seriously ill patients, passes this compassionate
bill quickly," said Rep. Tom Huntley (DFL-Duluth).

Under the proposed law, patients with specified chronic
debilitating conditions would be able to possess up to 12 plants
and 2.5 ounces of marijuana. Patients can designate caregivers
to grow for them. Patients must register with the state after
obtaining a written recommendation from a physician, registered
nurse, or physician's assistant.

But Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) is vowing to veto the measure if it
passes, a position that has drawn the scorn of the Minneapolis
alternative weekly, the City Pages. In an article referring to
Pawlenty as Governor Buzzkill
(http://www.citypages.com/databank/28/1379/article15401.asp),
the weekly called on him to "puff, puff, pass" the bill and
chided him for "protecting cancer patients from 'the munchies.'"

The City Pages' scorn notwithstanding, the bill passed the
Senate by a narrow margin, and it appears unlikely proponents
can muster the numbers to overcome a veto. Still, there remains
a chance that Minnesota will this year become the 13th state to
embrace medical marijuana, joining Alaska, California, Colorado,
Hawaii, Maine, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode
Island, Vermont and Washington.

================

10. Marijuana: Wisconsin Towns Join Decriminalization Trend
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/485/washburn_and_two_rivers_wisconsin_decriminalize_marijuana

Small town Washburn, Wisconsin, may cling to the shores of Lake
Superior at the northernmost tip of the state, but it's not
clinging to tough marijuana law enforcement. Last week, the
Washburn City Council passed an ordinance allowing city police
to issue tickets to people caught with small amounts of
marijuana instead of arresting and booking them.

That made Washburn only the latest Cheesehead State locality to
pass a decrim ordinance -- and that distinction was short-lived.
On Monday, the Two Rivers City Council passed an ordinance
making possession of less than eight grams of marijuana a
municipal offense.

The move to municipal decrim began in the 1970s, when 15 cities,
mostly college towns, adopted ordinances, according to veteran
Wisconsin marijuana and civil liberties activist Ben Masel.
Milwaukee moved to the scheme in the early 1990s. Also in the
early 1990s, counties were given similar authority, and Walworth
County, home of the Alpine Valley Music Theater, which hosted
Grateful Dead tours, notoriously turned a nice profit on $454
marijuana possession citations.

This year, Dane County (Madison) and Eau County prosecutors
announced they would charge offenders exclusively under county
ordinances rather than state law. But in other locales, that
decision is left to local prosecutors. Being prosecuted under
local ordinances has the benefit of leaving no criminal
conviction and no loss of student aid or other benefits. But
there can still be hefty penalties, and, Masel noted, a lower
burden of proof for a civil infraction and no right to a jury
trial.

It's all good with Washburn Assistant Police Chief Jeremy
Clapero, who told a local radio station
(http://www.businessnorth.com/kuws.asp?RID=1882) the ordinance
would give police flexibility in dealing with pot users. Under
Wisconsin law, simple marijuana possession is a misdemeanor
punishable by up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine.
Previously lacking a municipal ordinance, police had to put
marijuana possessors in jail.

"They were arrested on the spot and brought to jail -- they were
booked into the jail and then they would be at some point
released and appear in court on that charge," said Clapero. "Now
there's a situation where they can get a ticket with the fine
amount and released. It's not on their criminal record at that
point."

While Clapero said people could still be arrested under the
state law, the ordinance will save police time and resources. "A
situation where a person has a small or a very small amount of
marijuana in their possession or in their car, this may be used
instead of bringing that person to criminal court and having a
criminal offense on their record for something would he be
issued a city ordinance citation which is a forfeiture offense
-- similar to like a speeding ticket."

But don't think this means Washburn police have seen the light
regarding the war on drugs. "It's not intended to say that we're
not tough on drugs. We're still tough on drugs it's just gives
us another avenue. We're behind just what every other agency has
done, so we just kind of stepped up and did what they did."
Clapero said.

================

11. Latin America: Colombia Bans Coca Products -- Except
Coca-Cola
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/485/colombia_bans_coca_products_not_cola

While Bolivia's Evo Morales and Venezuela's Hugo Chavez, along
with hundreds of thousands of Andean coca growers, are seeking
to expand legal markets for the venerable leaf, the Colombian
government is moving in the opposite direction. For years,
Bogota has allowed indigenous coca farmers to sell coca
products, promoting the enterprise as one of the few successful
commercial opportunities available to recognized tribes like the
Nasa, who have grown it for years and regard it as sacred. But
in February, the Colombian government quietly imposed a ban on
the sale of products outside indigenous reserves.

The Nasa are pointing the finger at Coca-Cola, which last fall
lost a lengthy legal effort against Coca Sek, the Nasa's energy
drink popular among the Colombian young. Coca Sek infringed on
its copyright, the American soft drink giant argued. With the
Colombian food safety agency, Invima, decision restricting coca
sales coming scant months after Coca-Cola lost its battle
against Coca Sek, the suspicions are natural.

But Invima said it is merely heeding the wishes of the
International Narcotics Control Board (INCB). While Colombia
formally adheres to the 1961 United Nations Single Convention on
Narcotic Drugs, which considers coca a drug to be eradicated,
Colombian indigenous communities grow coca legally under
indigenous autonomy provisions of the 1991 constitution, and
have been selling coca products throughout Colombia. But last
year, the INCB sent the Colombian foreign ministry a letter
asking whether the "refreshing drink made from coca and produced
by an Indian community" didn't violate the 1961 treaty.

While the treaty considers the coca plant a drug to be
suppressed and eradicated, it also contains a provision allowing
coca products to be used if the cocaine alkaloid has been
extracted. That is Coca-Cola's loophole, and the Nasa call it
hypocrisy.

"They lose their fight in October and then in February the
government decides to prohibit Coca Sek," said David Curtidor, a
Nasa in charge of the company that produces the drink. He is
leading a legal challenge to the ban. In the meantime, the
community is losing $15,000 a month from lost sales of Coca Sek
and other coca products. "Why don't they also ban Coca-Cola?
It's also made of coca leaves," he complained to the Associated
Press
(http://www.accessnorthga.com/news/ap_newfullstory.asp?ID=91725).

Coca-Cola wouldn't confirm or deny to the AP that it even uses a
cocaine-free coca extract, as is widely believed. It did deny
having anything to do with Invima's decision. Invima told the AP
Coca-Cola had no role.

But the Nasa are suspicious, and they're not the only ones who
think Coca-Cola gets special treatment. Last year, Bolivia's
Morales, a former coca grower union leader himself, complained
to the UN General Assembly that "the coca leaf is legal for Coca
Cola and illegal for medicinal purposes in our country and in
the whole world."

And now, whether at the bidding of the INCB or Coca-Cola,
Colombia is moving to strangle the legal market for coca, even
as it leads the world in coca production despite $4 billion in
US aid this decade and the widespread aerial spraying of
herbicides. In so doing, it places itself directly against the
current in a region where coca is increasingly gaining the
respect it deserves and the power of the coca growers is on the
increase.

================

12. Europe: Vatican Registers First Drug Conviction
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/485/vatican_first_drug_conviction

For the first time ever, a Vatican court has issued a drug
conviction and it did so despite not having any drug laws on its
books. According to Italian news reports cited by the Associated
Press
(http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/world/20070506-0618-vatican-cocaineconviction.html),
the court imposed a suspended four-month sentence for cocaine
possession on a former employee of the Holy See.

The ex-employee was convicted of cocaine possession after
cocaine was found in a drawer in the room where he worked. He
had been fired because he had recently been convicted of other
criminal offenses in Italian courts.

While the Vatican legal code does not address illegal drug use
or possession, the creative minds on the Vatican tribunal relied
on the international anti-drug conventions to which it is a
signatory. In addition, they cited a 1929 law which allows
verdicts in cases not covered specifically by its laws but which
involve injury to ?health, morality and religion."

Now there is probably no political entity on earth that can
stand proudly and say it never persecuted anyone for his choice
of substances.

================

13. Web Scan
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/485/drug_policy_links

"The Futility of Random Drug Testing," Marsha Rosenbaum in USA
Today, via Alternet:
http://www.alternet.org/drugreporter/51668/

"New Studies Destroy the Last Objection to Medical Marijuana,"
MPP's Bruce Mirken on vaporization research, for Alternet:
http://www.alternet.org/drugreporter/51277/

"Media Hype About Painkillers Shot Down," Dani McClain for
WireTap, via Alternet:
http://www.alternet.org/drugreporter/51582/

"US Border Patrol Bars Canadian Psychotherapist with Drug
Research Far in His Past," Linda Solomon in The Tyee, via
Alternet:
http://www.alternet.org/drugreporter/50948/

DrugTruth Network:
Cultural Baggage for 05/04/07 -- five Houston City Council
candidates discuss the drug laws --
http://www.drugtruth.net/007DTNaudio/FDBCB_050407.mp3
Century of Lies for 05/04/07 -- Marc Emery of Cannabis Culture
magazine discusses potential life sentence in US prison for
selling pot seeds, Black Perspective & Drug War Facts --
http://www.drugtruth.net/007DTNaudio/COL_050407.mp3

"Shocking Pot Video," by Jeff Meyers for SAFER:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2J4Tcj57TE

May 2007 issue of Cannabinoid Chronicles:
http://www.thevics.com/publications/vol4/VICSNews4_8.pdf

new Suboxone Assisted Treatment web site:
http://www.suboxoneassistedtreatment.org

================

14. Weekly: This Week in History
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/485/drug_war_history

May 15, 1928: Birth of Arnold Trebach, father of the modern drug
policy reform movement.

May 14, 1932: "We Want Beer" marches against alcohol prohibition
are held in cities across America -- 15,000 union workers
demonstrate in Detroit alone.

May 15, 1988: Baltimore Mayor Kurt Schmoke calls for a national
debate on decriminalization of illicit drugs. Schmoke is quoted
in the Washington Post: "Decriminalization would take the profit
out of drugs and greatly reduce, if not eliminate, the
drug-related violence that is currently plaguing our streets."

May 14, 1993: The New York Times reports that Judge Whitman
Knapp said, "After 20 years on the bench I have concluded that
federal drug laws are a disaster. It is time to get the
government out of drug enforcement."

May 13, 1996: The Weekly Standard reports: "Coast Guard cocaine
and marijuana seizures are down 45 and 90 percent, respectively,
since 1991. In 1994, the Customs Service let two million
commercial trucks pass through three of the busiest
ports-of-entry on the Mexican border without seizing a single
kilogram of cocaine. Between 1993 and early 1995, the estimated
smuggling 'disruption rate' achieved by federal interdiction
agencies fell 53 percent -- the equivalent of 84 more metric
tons of cocaine and marijuana arriving unimpeded in the United
States each year."

May 15, 1997: Conclusions from a comprehensive, long-term study
by Kaiser Permanente (Oakland, CA) show no substantial link
between regular marijuana smoking and death, but suggest that
marijuana prohibition may itself pose a health hazard to the
user.

May 12, 1998: The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) places
an ad in the New York Times Op-Ed section headlined, "Let me ask
you something? If you had a choice, what would it be, Marijuana
or Martinis?" Note: The ACLU has opposed marijuana prohibition
since 1968, and overall drug prohibition since 1994
(http://www.drcnet.org/guide8-94/aclu.html).

May 11, 2000: The Arellano-Felix brothers are charged with 10
counts of drug trafficking, conspiracy, money laundering and
aiding and abetting violent crimes. The US State Department
offers a $2 million reward for information leading to their
arrest and conviction.

May 15, 2001: Governor of Hawaii Ben Cayetano is quoted by the
Associated Press: "I just think that it's a matter of time that
Congress finally gets around to understanding that the states
should be allowed to provide this kind of relief [medical
marijuana] to the people. Congress is way, way behind in their
thinking."

May 16, 2001: Regina McKnight is convicted and sentenced to 12
years in South Carolina for using crack during a pregnancy that
resulted in a stillbirth. It is the first time in US history
that a woman is convicted of homicide for using drugs during a
pregnancy.

May 17, 2001: Canada's House of Commons passes a unanimous
motion to create a committee to examine the issue of non-medical
drugs in Canada. Members of all five parties say they intend to
discuss legalization, or at least decriminalization, of
marijuana as part of a sweeping look at the country's drug
strategy.

================

15. Announcement: Drug Policy Alliance Grants Program Deadline
Coming Up Next Month
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/485/drug_policy_reform_grants_program_deadline_next_month

Through its annual Promoting Policy Change grant cycle, the Drug
Policy Alliance seeks to broaden public support for drug policy
reform. Policy Change grants fund strategic and innovative
approaches to increase such support, including public education
campaigns and organizing efforts.

If this sounds like your organization, make sure to apply after
you've read the guidelines at:
http://www.drugpolicy.org/news/050307grants.cfm .

The program provides both general operating support and project
specific grants. Virtually all grant making is directed toward
organizations working within the United States, with particular
emphasis on state-based activity. Strategic, geographic or
thematic collaborations are strongly encouraged.

Generally, the cap on grants awarded during the Promoting Policy
Change cycle is $50,000 although most awards are closer to
$20-25,000. As well, applicants should be aware that the
process is very competitive. DPA receives somewhere in the
neighborhood of 3.5 million dollars in worthy requests but the
fund has only 1.2 million to allocate. As a result, DPA will
show some preference toward those groups with whom they have a
pre-existing relationship and groups who demonstrate a clear
understanding and application of broader drug policy reform.

Grant applications are available now on the website and are due
by 8:00pm EDT, Monday, June 18, 2007. Only proposals submitted
by e-mail will be considered. If you have any questions, please
contact asha bandele at abandele [at] drugpolicy.org.

================

16. Job Opportunity at the Harm Reduction Coalition, Oakland
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/485/job_listing_drug_overdose_prevention_and_education_project

The Harm Reduction Coalition (HRC), a progressive advocacy and
training organization at the forefront of national health and
drug policy, is seeking a highly motivated Project Manager to
coordinate and supervise all aspects of the DOPE Project in its
Oakland, CA office. This includes grant writing; budgeting;
hiring, training and supervision of Overdose Educators;
coordinating and conducting trainings; establishing and
maintaining relationships with community based collaborators;
engaging in policy advocacy, strategic planning and evaluation
activities; and other duties as needed.

The right candidate will be very comfortable with public
speaking, familiar with the issues faced by injection drug using
populations and supportive of harm reduction practices. The
person must also be organized, self-motivated, able to read and
write articulately in college level English, and able to work
with little supervision. Willingness to travel within the Bay
Area counties and, on a more limited basis, throughout
California. Minimum two years working with injection drug users
desired.

This is a full-time position (40 hours/week, limited evening and
weekend hours as needed) and the salary is $45,000 annually,
with health/dental benefits and paid time off.

To apply, send a detailed cover letter describing your interest
in the position, resume, and writing sample by e-mail to
mcquie [at] harmreduction.org (mailto:mcquie [at] harmreduction.org). This
position will be hired quickly, please apply as soon as
possible.

HRC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. People of color, women,
people living with HIV and history of drug use are encouraged to
apply.

================

17. Announcement: DRCNet Content Syndication Feeds Now Available
for YOUR Web Site!
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/485/drug_policy_content_syndication_feeds_now_available

Are you a fan of DRCNet, and do you have a web site you'd like
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For example, if you're a big fan of Drug War Chronicle and you
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If your site is devoted to marijuana policy, you can run our
topical archive, featuring links to every item we post to our
site about marijuana -- Chronicle articles, blog posts, event
listings, outside news links, more. The same for harm reduction,
asset forfeiture, drug trade violence, needle exchange programs,
Canada, ballot initiatives, roughly a hundred different topics
we are now tracking on an ongoing basis. (Visit the Chronicle
main page -- http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle -- right-hand
column, to see the complete current list.)

If you're especially into our new Speakeasy blog section, new
content coming out every day dealing with all the issues, you
can run links to those posts or to subsections of the Speakeasy.

Visit http://stopthedrugwar.org/feeds to view a sample of what
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Please also note that we will be happy to make additional
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http://stopthedrugwar.org/feed2js/build.php online.

Contact us for assistance (http://stopthedrugwar.org/contact) or
to let us know what you are running and where. And thank you in
advance for your support.

================

18. Announcement: DRCNet RSS Feeds Now Available
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/485/drug_policy_RSS_feeds_now_available

RSS feeds are the wave of the future -- and DRCNet now offers
them! The latest Drug War Chronicle issue is now available using
RSS at http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/feed online.

We have many other RSS feeds available as well, following about
a hundred different drug policy subtopics that we began tracking
since the relaunch of our web site this summer -- indexing not
only Drug War Chronicle articles but also Speakeasy blog posts,
event listings, outside news links and more -- and for our daily
blog postings and the different subtracks of them. Visit our
Site Map (http://stopthedrugwar.org/sitemap) page to peruse the
full set.

Thank you for tuning in to DRCNet and drug policy reform!

================

19. Announcement: New Format for the Reformer's Calendar
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/485/drug_reform_calendar

With the launch of our new web site, The Reformer's Calendar no
longer appears as part of the Drug War Chronicle newsletter but
is instead maintained as a section of our new web site:

* Visit http://stopthedrugwar.org each day and you'll see a
listing of upcoming events in the page's righthand column with
the number of days remaining until the next several events
coming up and a link to more.

* Check our new online calendar section to view all of them by
month, week or a range of different views
(http://stopthedrugwar.org/event).

* We request and invite you to submit your event listings
directly (http://stopthedrugwar.org/node/add/event) on our web
site. Note that our new system allows you to post not only a
short description as we currently do, but also the entire text
of your announcement.

The Reformer's Calendar publishes events large and small of
interest to drug policy reformers around the world. Whether it's
a major international conference, a demonstration bringing
together people from around the region or a forum at the local
college, we want to know so we can let others know, too.

But we need your help to keep the calendar current, so please
make sure to contact us and don't assume that we already know
about the event or that we'll hear about it from someone else,
because that doesn't always happen.

We look forward to apprising you of more new features on our web
site as they become available.

-----------------------------------------------------------

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PERMISSION to reprint or redistribute any or all of the contents
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these materials include proper credit and, where appropriate, a
link to one or more of our web sites. If your publication
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physical copies where material has appeared in print. Contact:
Drug Reform Coordination Network, P.O. Box 18402, Washington, DC
20036, (202) 293-8340 (voice), (202) 293-8344 (fax), e-mail
drcnet [at] drcnet.org.

Articles of a purely educational nature in Drug War Chronicle
appear courtesy of DRCNet Foundation, unless otherwise noted.

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