William Jones

New polls show strong support for marijuana legalization in New York and Wisconsin, Michael Bloomberg opines against legalization, and more.

[image:1 align:left caption:true]Marijuana Policy

Possible Presidential Candidate Michael Bloomberg Calls Legalization Nonsensical. Former New York City mayor and potential 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg has set himself apart from most of the field by suggesting he would oppose marijuana legalization. He said that "to make it easier for people to engage in a behavior that has a significant possibility of damaging peoples health" is just nonsensical.

New York Poll Has Strong Support for Legalization. A new Quinnipiac poll has two out of every three New Yorkers supporting marijuana legalization. The poll comes as Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) and the legislature are pushing for legalization in Albany. Every racial, age, sex, political and regional demographic favored legalization, with 65% in favor statewide and 31% opposed.

Wisconsin Poll Has Strong Support for Legalization. A new Marquette Law School poll has nearly three out of five residents in favor of marijuana legalization. The poll found support at 59% statewide, with 35% opposed. That's up dramatically from September 2014, when Marquette last polled the question. Back then, support was at only 46%, with 51% opposed.

Asset Forfeiture

Michigan Asset Forfeiture Reform Bill Advances. A bill that would require a criminal conviction before police can permanently seize property or cash valued at less than $50,000 is now headed for a Senate floor vote. Senate Bill 2 passed out of the Senate Judiciary and Public Safety Committee on Thursday.

(This article was prepared by StoptheDrugWar.org's 501(c)(4) lobbying nonprofit, the Drug Reform Coordination Network, which also pays the cost of maintaining this website. DRCNet Foundation takes no positions on candidates for public office, in compliance with section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, and does not pay for reporting that could be interpreted or misinterpreted as doing so.)

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Thursday, 24 January 2019

The 6 Worst Governors When it Comes to Marijuana Policy [FEATURE]

Medical Marijuana Update

One company is offering free medical marijuana to federal workers impacted by the shutdown, a federal medical marijuana research bill has been filed, Florida's new governor looks to loosen the state's medical marijuana law, and more.

[image:1 align:right]National

Federal Medical Marijuana Research Bill Reintroduced. Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) last Wednesday refiled the Medical Cannabis Research Act. It is not yet available on the congressional website. The bill would require the Justice Department to approve more producers of research-grade marijuana, allow the Department of Veterans Affairs to inform patients about medical marijuana studies they can participate in, and protect medical marijuana research institutions. A provision in last year's version that barred people with drug convictions from growing research marijuana has been removed after Democrats complained about it last year.

Medical Marijuana Provider Offering Free Product to Government Workers Affected by Shutdown. BudTrader.com, which describes itself as “the largest online cannabis marketplace,” is offering free medical marijuana to federal workers who can't pay because of the shutdown. “I don’t think federal employees are getting enough love and support, in these tough times, we want to extend the offer of a donation of medical cannabis to any federal worker affected by the shutdown,” BudTrader CEO Brad McLaughlin said in a Tuesday news release. The company said it will donate “the maximum legal allowable amount of cannabis” to any affected government employees.

CBS Rejects Medical Marijuana Superbowl Ad. CBS has refused to air a Superbowl ad submitted by Acreage Holdings, an American marijuana company whose board of directors includes former House Speaker John Boehner. The ad would have focused on how medical marijuana helped people cope with pain. Acreage said it may sue over the issue.

Arizona

Arizona Bill Would Clarify That Hash is Medical Marijuana. Rep. Tony Rivero (R-Peoria) has introduced HB 2149 to remove a provision of the state's criminal code that treats hashish differently than marijuana. The bill is in response to a state appeals court ruling that hashish is not considered to be medical marijuana under state law. That issue is currently before the state Supreme Court, but Rivero's bill would settle the matter once and for all.

Florida

Florida Governor Will End Fight to Block Smoking Buds. New Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) said last Thursday that if the legislature doesn't move to allow the smoking of medical marijuana by March, he will drop the state's appeal to keep the ban in place. A state court had blocked the ban, but DeSantis' predecessor, former Gov. Rick Scott, ordered the appeal.

Michigan

Michigan Will Allow Unlicensed Dispensaries to Reopen. The Medical Marihuana Licensing Board agreed last Wednesday to allow dispensaries that are in the process of applying for a license and who have local approval to stay open until March 31. The move comes amidst a medical marijuana shortage caused in part by the board's closure of 72 unlicensed dispensaries on January 1.

New Mexico

Federal Court Upholds First Amendment Rights of New Mexico Medical Marijuana Company. US District Court Judge James Parker has found in favor of Ultra Health, the state's largest medical marijuana provider, in a case that pitted it against the New Mexico State Fair. Fair officials had blocked the company from displaying an educational booth at the fair in 2017, and Ultra Health sued. The judge found that fair staff had infringed on Ultra Health's free speech and civil rights: “The State Fair’s restrictions ... as applied to Ultra Health’s 2017 State Fair application were unreasonable in light of the purpose of the forum and the surrounding circumstances and therefore violated Ultra Health’s First Amendment right to free speech,” Judge Parker wrote in his ruling.

US Virgin Islands

Virgin Islands Governor Signs Medical Marijuana Bill into Law. US Virgin Islands Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. signed the Medical Cannabis Patient Care Act into law last Tuesday, making the territory the latest U.S. jurisdiction to adopt an effective medical marijuana law. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Positive T.A. Nelson, received final approval from the Legislature on December 28.

Washington

Washington State Bill Would Allow Medical Marijuana Use in Schools. Rep. Brian Blake (D-Aberdeen) has filed HB 1060, which would make it legal for students to use medical marijuana on school campuses. Under the bill, schools would be able to decide whether to allow the use.

Wisconsin

Wisconsin Governor Ready to Move on Medical Marijuana. New Gov. Tony Evers (D) said he will include a “first step” toward legalizing medical marijuana in his state budget proposal. “I just want to make sure we do it correctly,” he said. He will face a tough fight in the legislature, where Republicans control both houses. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos has said she is open to addressing medical marijuana, but Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald has said he doesn't support it.

[For extensive information about the medical marijuana debate, presented in a neutral format, visit MedicalMarijuana.ProCon.org.]

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Chronicle AM: Mexico Murders Hit Record High, Free MedMJ for Federal Workers, More... (1/24/19)

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After work this evening, I went directly to my local Guitar Center and bought some strings (for me, they’re Ernie Ball Slinky Cobalts). After I wrote my previous article on the guitar yesterday, I couldn’t stop thinking about the guitar. I spent the entire day today dreaming of working on it when I got home!

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Wednesday, 23 January 2019

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Tuesday, 22 January 2019

Chronicle AM: CT Pot Legalization Bill Filed, MI Moving to Rein in Civil Asset Forfeiture, More... (1/22/19)

Marijuana reform bills are starting to pop in state legislatures, a federal court judge rules in favor of a New Mexico medical marijuana provider in a free speech case, and more.

[image:1 align:left caption:true]

Marijuana Policy

Connecticut Legalization Bill Filed. A legalization bill cosponsored by 40 Democrat legislators has been filed. HB 5595 would allow for legal sales to adults, home cultivation of up to six plants, and give priority in licensing to existing medical marijuana businesses. The bill also contains a provision for the expungement of previous pot convictions, and it would make it illegal for anyone to drive with more than 5 nanograms of THC per milliliter of blood.

Kentucky Decriminalization Bill Filed. State Sen. Jimmy Higdon (R-Lebanon) has filed a bill to decriminalize small-time pot possession. The measure, SB 82, would define less than an ounce of marijuana as a “personal use quantity” punishable only by a fine. The bill would also exempt “personal use marijuana accessories” from the state's drug paraphernalia law. Under current law, possession of eight ounces or less is a misdemeanor.

Medical Marijuana

Asset Forfeiture

Michigan Legislature Takes Up Ending Civil Asset Forfeiture. The Senate Judiciary and Public Safety Committee will on Thursday take up SB 002, a measure that would require police and prosecutors to win a criminal conviction before permanently seizing someone's property. Similar bills have failed in the past, but now Democrats control both the legislature and the governor's mansion, and both House Speaker Lee Chatfield and Attorney General Dana Nessel support the effort.

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Though I’ve been actively writing in the guitar gear space for well over a decade now, I’ve actually never been to NAMM. I get offered passes and interview opportunities galore, but I’ve never taken up the reps on their offers. It’s not that NAMM isn’t interesting to me; it is because it is a time

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Monday, 21 January 2019

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get top-quality seeds for your next grow

Personally, I dig the stock speaker in my BOSS Katana 50, BUT I also dig Jensen speakers, especially the Jet series speakers, which are installed in all my cabinets. So when I got a press release from Jensen today announcing the new addition to the Jet family specifically designed for digital amps, I had to

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…or maybe the more apt title should be: I finally figured out how to use this pedal. As I mentioned in my previous Gig Report on the Katana 50, I used the Abunai 2 as my overdrive machine, going for max clean-headroom on the amp. I did this mainly because the way our stage was

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Chronicle AM: Trump Repeats Border Wall Drug Falsehoods, Malaysia Drug Policy Shift, More... (1/21/19)

Friday, 18 January 2019

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Chronicle AM: US Virgin Island Approves MMJ, Portugal Parliament Debates Legal Pot, More... (1/18/19)

Thursday, 17 January 2019

Chronicle AM: Federal MedMJ Research Bill Re-Filed, VA Marijuana Reform Bills Killed, More... (1/17/19)

Wednesday, 16 January 2019

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I was on a forum the other day where someone had just gotten a Katana 50 and were singing its praises. Most comments were supportive, but one person said, “It’s paid shilling is what it is.” It’s easy to see why people might think the praise is over the top or, that the praise this

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Chronicle AM: AG Nominee Addresses Sentencing, OH Sees First MMJ Dispensary, More... (1/16/19)

William Barr addresses concerns about his sentencing policy history, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) reiterates his call to pass a legalization bill, Ohio sees its first medical marijuana dispensary, and more.

[image:1 align:left caption:true]Marijuana Policy

New Jersey Governor Renews Call for Marijuana Legalization. Gov. Phil Murphy (D) used his State of the State address Tuesday to renew his call for marijuana legalization. “By legalizing adult-use marijuana – first and foremost – we can reverse the inequality and unfairness left from years of failed drug policies and shift public safety resources to where they can do the most good,” he said. He also called for the expungement of past pot possession arrests. “We must ensure that those with a past mark on their records because of a low-level offense can have that stain removed, so they can move forward to get a stable job or an education,” he said. A legalization bill is already very near the finish line, but Murphy and legislators are still haggling over issues such as tax rates.

Medical Marijuana

Ohio Dispensary Sales Begin Today. A Sandusky dispensary initiated the era of legal medical marijuana sales in the Buckeye State on Wednesday, making its first sale to a card-carrying woman who suffers from multiple sclerosis. Four other dispensaries have received their final licenses but have not opened yet. Eventually, there should be 56 dispensaries statewide.

South Carolina Legislators Unveil Medical Marijuana Bill. A pair of Republican legislators, state Sen. Tom Davis and Rep. Peter McCoy, on Tuesday filed a medical marijuana, the Compassionate Care Act (S 366). “This is South Carolina, not California or Colorado, and what the vast majority of people in our state want is a socially conservative medical marijuana law, one that provides medical patients truly in need with relief but draws a bright line against recreational use by imposing strict penalties,” Davis said.

Sentencing

Attorney General Nominee Defends Harsh Sentencing But Says He is Open to Sentencing Reform. During his Senate confirmation hearing Tuesday, Trump's nominee for attorney general, William Barr, defended his role in harsh mandatory minimum sentencing practices in the 1980s and 1990s but said he is now open to sentencing reforms, such as the Fair Sentencing Act, which passed Congress last month. "From my perspective, the very draconian penalties on crack were put in place initially because when the crack epidemic first hit, it was like nuclear weapons going off in inner cities," Barr told Sen. Dick Durbin (D–Ill.). "The initial reaction was actually trying to help those communities. Over time, those same leaders are now saying to us, 'This is devastating. Generations of us have been incarcerated.' And we should listen to the same people we were listening to before."

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Medical Marijuana Update

The Arizona Supreme Court will take up the vexing question of whether hashish should be considered medical marijuana, Ohio's first dispensary opens, a South Carolina medical marijuana bill has been filed, and more.

[image:1 align:right]Arizona

Arizona Supreme Court Will Hear Appeal on Lower Court Ruling Hash Isn't Medical Marijuana. The state Supreme Court has agreed to hear the appeal of Rodney Jones, who was arrested, convicted, and imprisoned for possessing hash even though he was a registered medical marijuana patient. An appeals court upheld his conviction, saying the state's voter-approved medical marijuana law is “silent” on the issue.

Arkansas

Arkansas Regulators Approve 32 Companies to Sell Medical Marijuana, The state Medical Marijuana Commission voted unanimously last Thursday to approve 32 companies to sell medical marijuana. The commission has divided the state into eight zones, with each zone getting four dispensaries.

Ohio

South Carolina

South Carolina Panel Advances Resolution Calling for Medical Marijuana Research. A legislative panel has advanced a resolution urging Congress to allow more research on medical marijuana. The measure asks Congress to "take immediate and additional steps to promote and actively pursue scientific research and testing into the potential use of cannabis to treat other medical conditions and illness by removing the federal statutory and regulatory barriers that prevent these scientific endeavors." The resolution now advances to the full Senate Medical Affairs Committee for consideration.

South Carolina Legislators Unveil Medical Marijuana Bill. A pair of Republican legislators, state Sen. Tom Davis and Rep. Peter McCoy, on Tuesday filed a medical marijuana bill, the Compassionate Care Act (S 366). “This is South Carolina, not California or Colorado, and what the vast majority of people in our state want is a socially conservative medical marijuana law, one that provides medical patients truly in need with relief but draws a bright line against recreational use by imposing strict penalties,” Davis said.

Tennessee

Tennessee Medical Marijuana Bill Coming Soon. State Sen. Janice Bowling (R-Tullahoma) and Rep. Ron Travis (R-Dayton) announced Thursday that they are working on a final draft of a bill to legalize medical marijuana in the state. The bill would create a new government commission to regulate the industry and allow qualifying patients to buy medical marijuana at state-licensed dispensaries.

[For extensive information about the medical marijuana debate, presented in a neutral format, visit MedicalMarijuana.ProCon.org.]

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5 Things We Now Know After 5 Years of Legal Marijuana in Colorado [FEATURE]

It's been five years since the era of legal marijuana sales began in Colorado, and that's been enough time to begin to be able to see what sorts of impact the freeing of the weed has had on the Rocky Mountain State. From the economy and the fiscal health of the state government to law enforcement and public safety, legalizing marijuana has consequences.

[image:1 align:right caption:true]Thanks to marijuana sales reports and tax revenue reports from the state Department of Revenue, as well as a legislatively mandated biennial report from the Division of Criminal Justice, we can see what some of those consequences are.

1. They sure buy a lot of weed in Colorado, and the state's coffers are filling up with marijuana tax revenues. Total marijuana sales in the state were more than $683 million in 2014—the year legal sales began—and have since more than doubled to more than $1.4 billion last year. Since legalization, the amount of legal weed sold in the state has now topped $6 billion. That's created nearly 20,000 jobs, and it has also generated more than $900 million for the state government in marijuana taxes, licenses, and fees. Tax revenues have increased every year since legalization and those dollars help fund public school projects, as well as human services, public affairs, agriculture, labor and employment, judicial affairs, health care policy, transportation and regulatory affairs. Pot revenues still only account for one percent of state revenues, but every $900 million helps.

2. Marijuana arrests are way down, but black people are still getting busted disproportionately. Even though pot is legalized, there are still ways to get arrested on a marijuana charge, such as possessing more than an ounce or selling or growing unlicensed weed. Still, arrests have declined dramatically, dropping by 56 percent during the legalization era. Both possession and sales offenses declined, but arrests for unlawful production were up markedly, reflecting the state's continuing fight to eliminate the black market. The age group most likely to get busted was 18-20-year-olds, who can only legally use or possess marijuana if they have a medical card. They are getting busted at a rate 30 times that of adults. Arrests are way down among all ethnic/racial groups, but black people are still getting arrested for pot at a rate nearly twice that of whites.

3. Legalization has not led to more traffic fatalities. While the number of car drivers in fatal wrecks had marijuana in their systems has increased dramatically, the report notes that “detection of cannabinoid in blood is not an indicator of impairment but only indicates presence in the system.” Marijuana DUIs were up three percent, but fatal traffic accidents involving marijuana-impaired drivers actually decreased by five percent.

4. Use rates are up slightly among adults, but not among teens. The number of adults who reported using marijuana in the past 30 days has increased by 2 percent, with nearly one-fifth of men reporting past month use. That's almost double the number of women reporting past month use. These are high rates of use compared to the nation as a whole, but the state has always had relatively high use rates, even dating back before legalization. (There is a chicken and egg question here: Do Coloradans like to smoke pot because weed is legal or is weed legal because Coloradans like to smoke pot?) But what about the kids? Well, the kids are alright. Marijuana use rates among middle and high school students have been unchanged since legalization, and so have graduation rates.

5. Emergency room visits linked to marijuana increased. Some 575 people presented to hospitals with marijuana-related problems back in 2000, but that number jumped to more than 3,500 by 2016. Emergency room visits and calls to poison control centers were both up. It's important to note, however, that the vast majority of marijuana-related ER visits are related to panic or anxiety reactions and end with the patient eventually calming down and going home. Marijuana ER visits are not life-The rise is also likely a function of new, naive users, especially of edibles, biting off more than they can chew.

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Friday, 11 January 2019

Chronicle AM: WA Sees First Pot Pardons, AZ Supreme Court to Hear Hash Case, More... (1/11/19)

Thursday, 10 January 2019

Chronicle AM: Blumenauer Files HB 420 to Legalize Weed, MI Civil Asset Forfeiture Bills Filed, More... (1/10/19)

The head of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus has been busy, a Massachusetts panel recommends allowing pot cafes, a bipartisan Kentucky medical marijuana is filed, bipartisan Michigan asset forfeiture reform bills get filed, and more.

[image:1 align:left caption:true]Marijuana Policy

Blumenauer Announces Co-Chairs of Congressional Cannabis Caucus for 116th Congress. Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), a leading advocate for cannabis policy reform and founder and co-chair of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus, today announced the launch of the Caucus for the 116th Congress. The Caucus leadership team includes Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA), who will become the first woman of color to Co-Chair the Caucus; Rep. Dave Joyce (R-OH), who newly joins the leadership team; and returning Co-Chair, Rep. Don Young (R-AK-At-Large). The bipartisan Caucus provides a forum for members of the U.S. House of Representatives to discuss, learn, and work together to establish a better and more rational approach to federal cannabis policy.

Blumenauer Files Bill to Treat Marijuana Like Alcohol—House Bill 420. Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) has filed a bill to treat marijuana like alcohol by removing it from the list of controlled substances. Although it is not yet up on the congressional website, the bill will be numbered HB 420 in a nod to cannabis culture. The bill would put the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives in charge of regulating marijuana.

Massachusetts Panel Recommends Marijuana Social Consumption Sites. The Cannabis Advisory Board's public safety subcommittee voted Wednesday to allow on-site consumption of marijuana at designated cafes. The subcommittee also voted to allow delivery services. The Advisory Board is just that: it makes recommendations to the Cannabis Control Commission, but the Commission is not bound by its decisions.

Virginia Marijuana Legalization Bill Filed. Delegate Steve Heretick (D-Norfolk) has filed a marijuana legalization bill, HB 2371. It would legalize the possession and sale of marijuana by adults and would decriminalize pot possession for minors. The bill would also allow for limited home cultivation. Marijuana would be regulated by the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

Medical Marijuana

Kentucky Medical Marijuana Bill Filed. A bill with bipartisan support to legalize medical marijuana was filed Wednesday. SB 80 would set up a fully functioning production and distribution system and allow for home cultivation, but its prospects for passage this year are dim. House Majority Floor Leader John Carney has said he would not call for a vote on it if the Senate didn't support it, and Republican Senate President Robert Stivers is still calling marijuana “a gateway drug” that has no medicinal value other than "it makes you feel good."

Asset Forfeiture

Michigan Bills to End Civil Asset Forfeiture Filed. A pair of bills to end civil asset forfeiture in the state, HB 4001 and HB 4002, were filed with bipartisan support Wednesday. The bills would require a criminal conviction before property valued at less than $50,000 could be permanently seized. Laws would also be tightened for seizures involving larger sums of money. The bills were rolled out with Republican House Speaker Lee Chatfield joining Democrats, including Attorney General Dana Nessel, to back the bills.

International

Canada's Black Market Weed is Cheaper, More Prevalent Than Legal Weed. Stats Canada has reported that Canadians bought twice as much black market marijuana last year as legal marijuana, and paid less for it. The average price for a gram of legal pot last year was $9.70 per gram, while black market grams were going for $6.51. Stats Canada blamed legal pot shortages, delivery delays, and issues with delivery websites.

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Did I just say that? A gear slut saying to get rid of gear? Okay, I have to admit that the title was mostly meant to be an attention-getter. BUT… There really is a serious side to this, and no, it has nothing to do with evaluating an emotional response to gear. What the subject

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Wednesday, 9 January 2019

Does Kratom Kill? [FEATURE]

Medical Marijuana Update

A new year and state legislatures are getting back to work. Medical marijuana is on the agenda.

[image:1 align:right]New Hampshire Lawmaker Files Pair of Medical Marijuana Bills. Rep. Renny Cushing (D) has filed two bills related to medical marijuana. HB 366 would add opioid addiction as a qualifying condition, while HB 364 would allow patients and caregivers to grow their own medicine.

New York Bills Would Allow Medical Marijuana Smoking, Use at Schools. Sen. Gustavo Rivera (D) has pre-filed SB 490, which would allow patients to smoke their medicine, but bar smoking anyplace where tobacco smoking is banned, while Sen. Brian Benjamin (D) has pre-filed SB 219, which would allow designated caregivers to administer medical marijuana to patients on school grounds or school-sponsored events.

South Carolina Medical Marijuana Bill Prefiled. State Rep. Rosalyn Henderson-Myers (D-Spartanburg) has prefiled a medical marijuana bill, HB 3081. The bill would allow patients to possess and consume—but not grow—marijuana. It would also allow licensed shops to cultivate and sell medical marijuana and require them to use laboratories for testing.

Texas Sees a Dozen Medical Marijuana Bills Filed. The session hasn't even opened yet, and there are 12 medical marijuana bills already prefiled. Two to watch are SB 90, a standard medical marijuana bill, and SB 209 , which would allow for the home cultivation of medical marijuana.

[For extensive information about the medical marijuana debate, presented in a neutral format, visit MedicalMarijuana.ProCon.org.]

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Chronicle AM: Drug Czar's Office Shuttered in Shutdown, DC Full Pot Legalization Bill Filed, More... (1/9/19)

The federal government shutdown shutters the drug czar's office, Trump again mischaracterizes the nature of border drug smuggling, New Jersey's highest court lends a hand to drug court graduates seeking expungement, and more.

[image:1 align:right caption:true]Marijuana Policy

New Hampshire Lawmaker Files Expungement Bill. Rep Renny Cushing (D) has filed a bill, HB 399, that would let people with convictions for possessing less than three-fourths of an ounce of weed before September 2017 have their records cleared. That date is when the state law decriminalizing pot possession went into effect.

DC Lawmaker Files Full Legalization Bill. Councilmember David Grosso (I) has reintroduced the Marijuana Legalization and Regulation Act, which would allow the city to establish a system of retail marijuana sales. Such a move has been blocked by House Republicans, and its prospects this year remain uncertain, but Grosso is moving ahead anyway.

Medical Marijuana

New Hampshire Lawmaker Files Pair of Medical Marijuana Bills. Rep. Renny Cushing (D) has filed two bills related to medical marijuana. HB 366 would add opioid addiction as a qualifying condition, while HB 364 would allow patients and caregivers to grow their own medicine.

Asset Forfeiture

North Dakota Lawmaker Files Bill to End Civil Asset Forfeiture. Rep. Rick Becker (R-Bismarck) has filed House Bill 1286, which would end civil asset forfeiture in the state. He filed a similar bill in 2017 that passed the House, but got zero votes in the Senate after it was opposed by Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem, who remains in office but has refused so far to comment on this year's bill.

Drug Policy

Trump Once Again Misstates How Drugs Cross the Border With Mexico. In his oval office speech Tuesday night making his case for a border wall, President Trump once again mischaracterized the nature of drug smuggling across the Mexican border. While he was correct in stating that the vast majority of drugs coming into the country come through Mexico, his own DEA reported in November that "only a small percentage" of heroin and other drugs comes through areas outside of ports of entry.

Federal Government Shutdown Shutters Drug Czar's Office. Among the casualties of the shutdown is the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP -- the drug czar's office). If the shutdown continues up to the end of the month, funding for important grant programs involving law enforcement and prevention could be jeopardized.

Expungement

New Jersey Supreme Court Eases Requirements for Drug Court Graduates. The state Supreme Court ruled 7-0 Tuesday that drug offenders who have successfully completed a court-ordered treatment program do not have to prove that expunging their criminal records of those offenses is in the public interest. Instead, the high court ruled, the burden to demonstrate that the public interest requirement was not met should fall on the state. "In light of the rigorous monitoring that is the hallmark of drug court, as well as the new law's overall policy in favor of expungement for successful graduates, we find that participants are entitled to a rebuttable presumption that expungement is consistent with the public interest," the court held.

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Tuesday, 8 January 2019

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I was reading a thread in a forum today entitled, “Help on choosing a high-end guitar.” I was going to reply that the guitar chooses the player, but someone beat me to it. After a chuckle, I recalled the scene from the very first Harry Potter movie where Harry went to Olivander’s to get his

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Of All People: The DEA Demolishes One of Trump's Main Claims About the Border Wall

As the president attempts to make his case for a wall on the US-Mexico border, one of his main selling points is that the wall would reduce the flow of illicit drugs into the country. Of all people, it's not our favorite agency that has rebutted the claim.

That agency is the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), which in its 2018 National Drug Threat Assessment released just two months ago makes clear that at best Trump is uninformed and at worst that he is lying to the American people.

[image:1 align:left caption:true]"Remember drugs. The drugs are pouring into this country. They don't go through the ports of entry. When they do, they sometimes get caught," Trump claimed at a Rose Garden news conference last Friday.

It's not a new claim for the president; it has been a pillar of his claim that there is a "crisis" on the border. But repeating a false claim doesn't make it any less false. What is true, as the DEA reports, is that the southwest border "remains the primary entry point for heroin into the United States," but it is not being lugged across the desert via a wall-less border.

According to the DEA, "the majority of the flow is through POVs [privately owned vehicles] entering the United States at legal ports of entry, followed by tractor-trailers, where the heroin is co-mingled with legal goods. Body carriers represent a smaller percentage of heroin movement and they typically smuggle amounts ranging from three to six pounds taped to their torso, or in shoes and backpacks."

To be clear, the body carriers the DEA is talking about are people coming through ports of entry -- not across an open border. The agency reported that only "a small percentage of all heroin seized" along the border was seized between ports of entry.

It's the same thing with fentanyl. According to the DEA, which says fentanyl imports are split between China and Mexico, Mexican drug traffickers "most commonly smuggle multi-kilogram loads of fentanyl concealed in POVs before trafficking the drugs through Southwest Border ports of entry." In the San Diego sector, which saw the biggest fentanyl seizures, 74 percent off seizures were from cars at ports of entry. In the Tucson sector, which had the next highest fentanyl seizure numbers, that figure was 91 percent.

Claiming that building a border wall would reduce the flow of drugs into the country is probably not the biggest lie Trump and his allies have told about the wall, but it is patently false.

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Chronicle AM: FL Formerly Incarcerated Can Now Register to Vote, NY MMJ Bills, More... (1/8/19)

It's a landmark day for voting rights in Florida, New York sees a pair of bills filed to expand medical marijuana access, and more.

[image:1 align:left caption:true]Medical Marijuana

South Carolina Medical Marijuana Bill Prefiled. State Rep. Rosalyn Henderson-Myers (D-Spartanburg) has prefiled a medical marijuana bill, HB 3081. The bill would allow patients to possess and consume -- but not grow -- marijuana. It would also allow licensed shops to cultivate and sell medical marijuana and require them to use laboratories for testing.

Voting Rights

Florida Formerly Incarcerated Can Now Sign Up to Vote. As of today, Floridians with felony convictions who have served their sentences can now register to vote. This is the result of state voters' November approval of Amendment 4, which passed with 64% of the vote. "This is a historic moment," said Melba Pearson, deputy director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida.

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goofydawg

And the answer is… whatever you f-in’ want to use! <woof> I’ve been on a roll lately with my snarky commentaries probably because after a very long hiatus, I started lurking and participating in guitar forums. 99.9% of the time, it’s quite enjoyable, but there’s always that minuscule amount where I run across utter nonsense.

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Monday, 7 January 2019

Chronicle AM: Denver Psilocybin Init Advances, WA Governor to Pardon Pot People, More... (1/7/19)

Friday, 4 January 2019

Chronicle AM: Federal Marijuana Bill Filed, Ciudad Juarez Drug War Killings Surge, More... (1/4/19)