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For years federal officials have been trying to scare Americans, especially parents, into believing that marijuana is dangerously addictive. Former drug czar John Walters loved to deploy frightening statistics, as when he told the Cincinnati Post in 2005,  “Nationwide, the number of teens seeking treatment for marijuana abuse or dependency was higher than for all illegal drugs combined.”

But the latest federal report on drug treatment admissions, released this week, shows that the majority of those in treatment for alleged marijuana abuse or dependence didn’t seek treatment at all: They were forced into it. [Read more →]

Last week the Washington Times reported that the Obama administration had reaffirmed the president’s position that federal resources should not be used to circumvent state medical marijuana laws and expected departments to reevaluate their policies in light of that position — signaling a death knell for Drug Enforcement Administration medical marijuana raids.

A particularly antediluvian group of prohibitionists called “Save Our Society From Drugs” is now sounding the alarm, urging their supporters to write President Obama in support of continued arrests. As usual with such groups, they never let mere facts get in the way of their argument, lacing their appeal which such whoppers as the claim that “no credible and replicable scientific evidence exists as to the medical efficacy” of marijuana.

Interestingly, SOS doesn’t trust its people enough to let them modify the prewritten e-mail text they provide. If you want to support President Obama’s stand, the White House Web site  provides both a link to send e-mail messages as well as phone numbers.

David Murray, the alleged “chief scientist” at the White House drug czar’s office, seems determined to end his tenure in a blaze of dishonesty. In a just-published article in New Scientist that examines the excellent Beckley Foundation Global Cannabis Commission report, Murray touts recent declines in U.S. teen marijuana use and claims, “In the absence of prohibition, it would have been difficult to achieve that.”

That’s nonsense, as we’ve already pointed out. As many U.S. teens currently smoke marijuana as smoke cigarettes, which are legal for adults. Since 1991, teen marijuana use has increased while teen cigarette smoking has dropped by nearly half. [Read more →]

The Washington Post and others reported today on the marked increase in violence along the Mexican border, part of a drug war that has reached terrifying proportions over the last few months. This violent swell has stimulated debate on U.S. drug policies abroad, yet little has been said here at home.

The Bush administration’s response took the form of a $400 million aid package focused on police and military involvement in the troubled regions. While the Mexican government surely appreciates this help, President Felipe Calderón and others have been asking for something more, something that gets right to the heart of the problem. They’re asking, quite simply, for Americans to stop buying the cartels’ products. Calderón believes that changes on our side of the border could fix the problems on his side – and he is right. [Read more →]

The forces that have been working to undermine California’s Compassionate Use Act suffered another legal defeat today – this time from the U.S. Supreme Court.

The nation’s highest court refused to hear an appeal in the case of Garden Grove v. Superior Court of California, et al. In this case, the police department for the City of Garden Grove – in defiance of a court order – refused to return marijuana that an officer had seized from a state-legal medical marijuana patient. In October 2005, the city appealed the court order, arguing that it couldn’t obey state law by returning the marijuana because doing so would amount to a federal crime. The state’s Fourth District Court of Appeals sided with the lower court and ruled that “it is not the job of local police to enforce federal drug laws.”

The city was unhappy with the landmark ruling and took its case all the way to the Supreme Court, which has now officially denied that request for review.

It looks like the debate over whether state and local law enforcement officers (who conduct about 99% of marijuana arrests) need to enforce state-level medical marijuana laws has finally been put to rest.

A news story from a Bend, Oregon TV station bears the alarming headline, “Medical Marijuana’s Link to Crime.” As this is becoming a recurring subgenre of local news stories, it bears some comment.

The gist of this and similar stories is that sometimes people who possess or grow medical marijuana get robbed. Well, sure. So do people who possess other items of value — jewelry, cars, high-end electronics, etc.

For example, 1995 Honda Civics were the most-stolen vehicle in 2007 according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, but we have yet to see any news stories shouting, “Honda Civics Linked to Crime!”

What’s happening, of course, is that some in law enforcement are trying to blame the victim in order to discredit medical marijuana, and some in the media are acting as their unwitting accomplices.

We’ll have more on this soon, but voters in Massachusetts and Michigan appear to have passed both MPP ballot initiatives, making this one of the biggest nights for marijuana policy reform ever.

Massachusetts is now the 12th state to decriminalize small amounts of marijuana — and the first to do so by voter initiative in the world! — and Michigan is now the 13th medical marijuana state and the first in the Midwest. That means that one in four Americans now live in a state that protects patients who use doctor-recommended medical marijuana from arrest.

Like I said, it’s a big night. Congratulations and thanks to everybody who worked so hard to pass these important reforms and to all the voters who saw past the fear-mongering and distortions from opponents of these sensible policies. Check out our complete list of marijuana policy-related ballot initiatives and their results here.

White House Drug Czar John Walters told the press last month that “people don’t go to jail for the possession of marijuana” and challenged MPP to prove him wrong.  In his words, “if you find the unicorn … I’ll buy you a steak dinner.”   Well Mr. Walters, it took nearly three minutes on Google, but I found your unicorn.  Seven of them, actually.

On August 13, 2008, the Clinton County Municipal Court near Jackson, Mississippi sentenced seven people, in unrelated cases, to jail for simple possession of marijuana.   That’s seven in one day – an eighth person was sentenced to jail for paraphernalia.  And guess what?  A quick spot check of the county’s court dockets revealed that this happens all the time.

Jonathan L. Brister – 45 days in jail, $749.50 fine
Michael A. Bryant – 45 days in jail, $769.50 fine
Dwayne B. Thompson – 50 days in jail, $834.51 fine
Alexander Mack Watson – 45 days in jail, $749.50 fine
William P. Lancaster – 45 days in jail, $749.50 fine
Jacob Falcon – 45 days in jail, $749.50 fine
James A. Dugas – 45 days in jail, $769.50 fine
Sharon A. Watson was sentenced to 30 days in jail and a $769.50 fine for possession of paraphernalia.
(Source)

These individuals were arrested with between 1 and 30 grams of marijuana and were not suspected of selling the drug – which is Mississippi’s definition of simple possession.  They were sentenced based on an obscure law that calls for jail time when marijuana is found in a motor vehicle (§ 41-29-139(c)(2)(B)).  The law has nothing to do with operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of the drug (DWI is a separate charge that these folks did not receive); it is just a straightforward example of people going to to jail for marijuana possession.

Mississippi is considered one of the 11 states with “decriminalized” marijuana laws.  In the other 39 states, the courts don’t even need an obscure motor vehicle law to sentence someone to jail for possession.  However, Mr. Walters still claims that jail sentences are reserved for drug dealers.  It’s not the case.

I found the unicorn(s) … Now where’s my steak dinner?