A recent study published by the Royal Economic Society shows that there may be a link between some states passing medical marijuana laws and decreased violence associated with Mexican drug cartels. This appears to be especially stronger in border states. The Free Beacon reports: To determine the effect of medical marijuana laws on violent crime rates, the study authors performed three comparisons: They studied crime rates in counties before and after the introduction of medical marijuana; then between…

Marijuana arrests continued at near record levels in 2012, and the vast majority of them were for simple possession. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s annual Uniform Crime Report, an estimated 749,824 arrests were made nationwide for marijuana, more than 87% of which were for possession. This is a slight decrease from 2011. Marijuana arrests accounted for nearly half of all drug arrests last year. The report also noted that 59.9% of rapes, 53.2% of all violent crimes, and 81% of…

Robin Room, the director of Australia’s leading alcohol research center, has released a statement calling for the legalization of marijuana for adults. His support is based on research showing that marijuana is a less harmful alternative to alcohol. [caption id="attachment_6702" align="alignleft" width="240"] Prof. Robin Room[/caption] Professor Room said that if teenagers chose to use a substance in excess, they would be much safer after consuming marijuana than after binging on alcohol. “Cannabis…

In another example of drug war excess, officers raided and vandalized the home of Beach Park, Illinois resident Paul Brown on Friday afternoon of last week. The apparent impetus for the raid was a mysterious package delivered to the house 10 minutes earlier. Brown’s son-in-law, Wilmer Aries, received the package and noted that it was not addressed to any of the house’s residents. Instead, it bore the name “Oscar” and an unfamiliar last name. Brown, a 58-year-old architect, explained that the officers…

In the aftermath of the recently release video showing a family terrorized and their pets shot by a SWAT team in Columbia, Missouri, that city's police chief is now saying he supports efforts to change marijuana laws so officers will no longer need to spend time and resources enforcing them. During a press conference yesterday, Columbia Police Chief Ken Burton went out of his way to state his support for ending marijuana prohibition. "I applaud your efforts," he told a reporter who asked about campaigns…