Category — Uncategorized

The resignations keep piling on in Britain, weeks after that nation’s chief drug adviser, Prof. David Nutt, was fired for publicly criticizing several UK government drug policies, including a recent decision to strengthen marijuana penalties.

Today, three more members of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs were reported to have resigned in protest after they were unhappy with explanations offered by Home Secretary Alan Johnson, the man who demanded Nutt’s resignation. The resignations of Simon Campbell, Dr. Ian Ragan and John Marsden now bring to five the number of people on the once 31-member board who have left in protest since this saga began.

Argentina is expected to remove criminal penalties for marijuana possession today, according to the Buenos Aires Herald:

Supreme Court Justice Carlos Fayt said the court has reached a unanimous position on an expected ruling that would decriminalize the possession of drugs for personal consumption, which would be announced analyzed today.

If the court rules as expected, Argentina will become the second Latin American country in the last four days to allow the personal use of marijuana.

I’ve been absent from this blog for a couple weeks, taking a much needed vacation and trying my best not to think about marijuana policy. While away, I did what I usually do when I need to clear my head: I read some Mark Twain — in this case a collection of his topical writings, some too incendiary to be published during his lifetime.

And Twain, damn him, got me thinking about marijuana policy. [Read more →]

For years prohibitionists, including our own Drug Enforcement Administration, have claimed — falsely — that the tolerant marijuana policies of the Netherlands have made that nation a nest of crime and drug abuse. They may have trouble wrapping their little brains around this:

The Dutch government is getting ready to close eight prisons because they don’t have enough criminals to fill them. Officials attribute the shortage of prisoners to a declining crime rate.

Just for fun, let’s compare the Netherlands to California. With a population of 16.6 million, the Dutch prison population is about 12,000. With its population of 36.7 million, California should have a bit more than double the Dutch prison population. California’s actual prison population is 171,000.

So, whose drug policies are keeping the streets safer?

This blog doesn’t often stray from the nuts and bolts of marijuana policy, but Alison Green, MPP’s chief of staff, has co-authored what we think is a pretty important book. In an effort to help nonprofits be effective in addition to being well-intentioned, Alison joined forces with Jerry Hauser of The Management Center to write, “Managing to Change the World: The Nonprofit Leader’s Guide to Getting Results”. The book is a manual to help nonprofit managers get better results by equipping them with hands-on, practical advice, from delegating tasks, to setting clear goals and holding people accountable to them, to hiring and firing, to staying organized and using your time effectively, to managing your boss.

Alison also writes an online management/career advice column for U.S. News and World Report.

Earlier today, MPP announced the launch of a TV ad campaign in New Hampshire. The ad features Sandy Drew, a retired nurse and multiple sclerosis sufferer, and calls on Gov. John Lynch (D) to sign the medical marijuana bill.

The Senate passed the bill yesterday by a 14-10 vote. It now heads back to the House (which easily passed it last month) to accept the minor changes the Senate made to the bill. Gov. Lynch could then either sign it, veto it, or let it become law without his signature.

Sandy’s ad is airing on WMUR and major cable stations including CNN, Fox, and MSNBC throughout the state. You can watch it here now:

Gov. Lynch has expressed concerns about the bill, but has not said what he will do once the bill reaches his desk. If you live in New Hampshire, please join with the courageous patients like Sandy and urge Gov. Lynch to sign the medical marijuana bill.

More and more mainstream commentators are questioning marijuana and drug policies. Now CNN’s Jack Cafferty  weighs in.

MPP executive director Rob Kampia will appear on CNBC’s “Power Lunch” to discuss U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder’s recent statements about medical marijuana and the economic benefits of changing our marijuana laws. The segment featuring Rob should begin shortly after 1:30 p.m. Eastern time.