Special Coverage: DrugReporter

Jill Harris, AlterNet. June 29, 2009.
We must learn how to reduce the harms associated with our drug use, including reducing easily preventable deaths from overdose.

Are Mind-Enhancing Drugs a Dangerous Fad or a Great Way to Get Ahead?

Jeremy Laurance, Independent UK. June 23, 2009.
Advocates say they are an irresistible way of improving students' performance. Critics argue they are a dangerous fad.

Rhode Island Will License Medical Marijuana Shops

Ryan Grim, Huffington Post. June 22, 2009.
Once the law takes effect, the state will be the first in the nation to have one officially licensed nonprofit center selling marijuana.

25 Years in Prison for Pot? Drug Warrior Congressman's Idea Is Way Obsolete

Paul Armentano, NORML. June 15, 2009.
Rep. Mark Kirk thinks that the magic number of 15% THC concentration in marijuana should lead to a 25-year prison penalty.

Legal Pot in California in 2010? "Oaksterdam" Provides the Model

Don Hazen, AlterNet. June 15, 2009.
Pot entrepreneur Richard Lee envisions a professional marijuana industry much like the one that exists in Amsterdam.

No One Deserves to Die by Overdose

Jill Harris, AlterNet. June 12, 2009.
We must learn how to reduce the harms from drug use, including reducing the unconscionable and unnecessary number of deaths from overdose.

Hey Progressives: Why Don't you Care About the "Drug War" Like You Care About Other Issues?

Ethan Nadelmann, AlterNet. June 12, 2009.
If the 500,000 nonviolent drug offenders in jail had white faces, would society allow it?

Khat vs. Coffee: Taxi Drivers' Wake-Me-Up or Terrorist Drug Threat?

Phillip S. Smith, DRCNet. June 10, 2009.
E. African taxi drivers in Washington, DC may see their stimulant of choice outlawed because, well, it's not American -- or something.

Can THC Help Some Schizophrenics?

Bruce Mirken, Marijuana Policy Project. June 5, 2009.
Report cites "grossly psychotic, assaultive," schizophrenic "became calm, logical, nonviolent and cooperative within days" after taking THC.

Last Minute Effort by NY Republicans, Prosecutors to Block Rockefeller Reform Is Dead in the Water

Phillip S. Smith, DRCNet. June 5, 2009.
How the mighty have fallen! Until recently, opponents of drug law reform in New York were successful using fear-mongering and demagoguery.

Do You Know About the Narcotic Effects of Nutmeg?

Ibo Nagano, Entheogen Review. June 5, 2009.
Humanity has used nutmeg as a medicine, narcotic, aphrodisiac, dream enhancer and inebriant.

The Dark Side of Plan Colombia: How the U.S. is Subsidizing Death and Drug Trafficking on Stolen Lands

Teo Ballvé, The Nation. June 2, 2009.
As Congress prepares to debate new Plan Colombia funding, it's time to investigate how money for biofuels is linked to violence and bloodshed.

There's No Drug Crime Wave at the Border, Just a Lot of Media Hype

Gabriel Arana, The Nation. May 29, 2009.
The national media have invented a drug-related rise of border violence that officials and local journalists say just isn't happening.

Don't Blame Pot -- There's No Such Thing as a "Gateway Drug"

Scott Morgan, DRCNet. May 29, 2009.
Anti-drug zealots created the "gateway" theory from thin air. And it's easily refuted: most marijuana users just don't use other drugs.

Marijuana and Cocaine Should Be Legalized, Says Latin American Drugs Commission

Duncan Campbell, The Guardian. May 28, 2009.
The "war on drugs" has been a disaster say some of Latin America's most powerful politicians and writers.

The California Supreme Court Upheld Prop. 8, So Now What Do We Do?

Isaac Fitzgerald, AlterNet. May 27, 2009.
Yesterday's Supreme Court ruling was a big disappointment, but there's no time to mourn: We must turn this anger into momentum.

Supervised Drug-Injection Facilities in New York? Yes We Should (and Can)!

Tony Newman, AlterNet. May 23, 2009.
If we're serious about real drug reform, let's create a space where users can take their drugs in a sterile, safe environment.

Have You Ever Taken Ayahuasca in the Peruvian Amazon?

Alexander Zaitchik, Killing the Buddha. May 22, 2009.
My account of a night high on the "Ayahuasca madre" with the Ashaninka tribe deep in the Amazon rainforest.

How a White Powder from the Bolivian Andes Became a Global Phenomenon

Phillip S. Smith, DRCNet. May 22, 2009.
A new book traces the history of how just under 150 years, cocaine went from unknown to the multi-billion dollar illicit commodity it is today.

Drug Eradication in Afghanistan a Complete Failure: Top US Military Officer

Agence France Presse. May 21, 2009.
NATO has failed to stem the vast opium trade in Afghanistan that helps finance Taliban insurgents despite an eight-year effort.

Will Obama End the War on Drugs?

Arianna Huffington, Huffington Post. May 18, 2009.
Is Obama really committed to a fundamental shift in America's approach to drug policy or is this about serving up a kinder, gentler drug war?

The Media Doesn't Get That Hyping Potent Pot Makes More People Want to Smoke It

Paul Armentano, NORML. May 16, 2009.
The govt. "warns" us that our pot is stronger than anything Jerry Garcia ever smoked in his heyday. What do they expect?

Obama's Drug Czar Calls for End to 'War on Drugs'

Tony Newman, Drug Policy Alliance. May 15, 2009.
Drug Czar reaffirms support for clean syringes to reduce HIV and ending raids on marijuana dispensaries.

Pot Continues to Climb in Public Opinion Polls -- Zogby Goes Over 50%

DRCNet. May 14, 2009.
Support for marijuana legalization or decriminalization among the American public continues to climb.

Fighting Rich Lobbyists to Save Health Care Reform Is AlterNet's Top Take-Action Campaign of the Week

AlterNet. May 11, 2009.
Powerful medical lobbyists stand in the way of health care progress in the name of profits. We must put an end to it.

Obama Bans Funding for Needle Exchange

Ryan Grim, Huffington Post. May 9, 2009.
Obama's budget goes back on a position he had taken during the campaign.

Nabbing the Drug Lords in Monterey, Mexico -- Are They Squealing on Each Other?

Pancho Montana, eXiled Online. May 8, 2009.
A dispatch on the high profile drug arrests going on south of the border.

Whaddya Know, Bush's Old Drug Czar Is Still a Major BS Artist

Paul Armentano, NORML. May 7, 2009.
John Walters uses classic anti-drug logic to pave over Schwarzenegger's call to legalize marijuana.

Yankees Pitcher's Mom Arrested for Meth: Should She Get Treatment or Prison?

Tony Newman, AlterNet. May 6, 2009.
Joba Chamberlain’s mom faces 50 years behind bars for selling a small amount of meth; should we offer compassion or jail time?

Marijuana at the Tipping Point: Is a Tidal Wave of Reason About to Change Our Pot Laws?

Phillip S. Smith, DRCNet. May 1, 2009.
Sometime in the last few months, the notion of legalizing marijuana crossed a major threshold.

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DPA

The Drug Policy Alliance Network is the nation's leading organization promoting policy alternatives to the drug war that are grounded in science, compassion, health and human rights.

NORML

The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws aims to achieve the repeal of marijuana prohibition so that the responsible use of cannabis by adults is no longer subject to penalty.

MPP

Marijuana Policy Project is a nonprofit working to minimize the harm associated with the use and prohibition of marijuana.

DRC Net

Drug Reform Coordination Network is a national network of activists and concerned citizens working for drug policy reform.

MAPS

The Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) assists scientists to design, fund, obtain approval for and report on studies into the risks and benefits of MDMA, psychedelic drugs and marijuana.

Erowid

A comprehensive drug information resource providing access to reliable, non-judgmental information about psychoactive plants and chemicals and related issues.

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