2011 was a busy year in drug policy. Here is our selection of the biggest stories of the year here at home. 5 comments
ON THE SPEAKEASY BLOG
What's So Funny About the War on Drugs?
For all the progress that's been made towards bringing the drug policy debate into the political mainstream, there remains a tragic tendency among many in the press to burst out laughing at the idea of fixing our disastrous drug laws. The latest 4 comments
Saying "Ron Paul Can't Legalize Marijuana" Is Stupid and Misses the Point of his Candidacy
I don't know how else to describe my reaction to this piece by Chris Roberts in SF Weekly. It's truly a first-rate hack job that must be seen to be believed. 29 comments Drug Policy Reform Gets Standing Ovation in New Jersey Statehouse
Something amazing happened in New Jersey yesterday. It's not the kind of news that's likely to make national headlines, but I think it says a lot about where our nation is heading when it comes to our attitudes about drug use and the criminal... 2 comments Police Refuse to Release Description of Toxic Ecstasy Pills, Increasing the Danger of More Deaths
A string of recent overdose deaths in British Columbia has a lot of people deeply concerned. But this reaction by law enforcement is certain to make the problem worse. 6 comments
How to Write a Clichéd, Unpersuasive Argument Against Drug Legalization
The American Spectator ran an anti-legalization editorial last week that was so over-the-top, I turned it into an instructional guide on bad drug policy writing. I couldn't help myself. The whole thing is over at Huffington Post. Enjoy. 0 comments
Ron Paul Explains Why Other Candidates Won't Discuss the Drug War
If you've been following our coverage of the presidential candidates in New Hampshire, you'll find this to be a refreshing change in tone. 11 comments Major Study Finds No Lung Damage for Marijuana Smokers
Among the most frequent words to fall from the lips of your typical anti-pot propagandist are almost always some sort of insistence that the stuff destroys your lungs. According to them, you hippies are all gonna choke on your bongs, and probably... 15 comments Mitt Romney Promises "A Full Answer" About the Drug War
At least, I hope that's what he meant by this response. 4 comments Ron Paul's Least Controversial Idea: Legalizing Drugs
I've been so busy marveling at the disturbingly idiotic drug policy positions of various republican presidential candidates that I've largely failed to comment on the candidate who is actually fighting for drug policy reform. Iowa doesn't even... 21 comments Rick Santorum on Imprisoning Non-Violent Drug Offenders: "The federal government doesn't do that."
From the same presidential candidate who brought you, "I don't know my medical marijuana laws very well," comes yet another mind-bending morsel of jaw-dropping ignorance. 15 comments Recreational Drug User Asks Newt Gingrich if She Should Be Arrested
…And for like the first time ever, the most notorious blowhard in the GOP has very little to say. 9 comments Mitt Romney Doesn't Know What Industrial Hemp Is
This is…I mean, what can I even…oh whatever, just watch. 5 comments Rick Santorum: "I don't know my medical marijuana laws very well."
An instant classic on the campaign trail in New Hampshire. 2 comments Who Are the Extremists in the Drug War Debate?
This piece has already been cremated by Pete Guither and its ashes thrown from a mountaintop by David Sirota, but in case you missed Kevin Sabet's lament in the New York Times about his lonesome quest to find reasonable voices in the drug war... 1 comment
Strange New Website Attacks Marijuana Legalization… and Vegans
When I arrived randomly at Thoughtful-Living.org, it appeared at first glance to be a website literally created for the dual purposes of opposing marijuana legalization and condemning the practice of eating a vegan diet. And, as crazy as this... 10 comments Newt Gingrich Says George Washington Would Have Punished Pot Growers
Pot growers such as…George Washington? This gem comes courtesy of our friends at SSDP who are on the ground in New Hampshire confronting candidates about the War on Drugs. 0 comments Marc Emery Christmas Prison Blog
Marc Emery is approaching the halfway mark of his prison term. 0 comments
Pain Patients Lose a Leading Advocate, Siobhan Reynolds, 1961-2011
Siobhan Reynolds, founder of the Pain Relief Network and opponents of the "war on drugs," died in a plane crash in Ohio Christmas Eve. 2 comments Jurors Can (and Should) Refuse to Convict in Marijuana Cases
Paul Butler has an important piece in the New York Times reminding all of us that we don’t have to enforce unjust laws when we serve on a jury. 6 comments What if Legalizing Marijuana Turns Our Kids Into A Bunch of Bong-Mongering Hippies?
That's what Sue Rusche wants to know, and someone better give her an answer, because Sue Rusche is one of the nation's leading experts at being afraid of drugs. 16 comments Barney Frank's Awesome Marijuana Legalization Rant
If you haven't seen this yet, please click away my friends, for it is glorious. 6 comments Opponents of Medical Marijuana Get Humiliated in New York Times
Last week's NYT editorial from fanatical anti-pot crusader David Evans generated some powerful responses from readers. Here's my favorite. 12 comments
Breaking: Congress Votes to Kill People
Congressional drug warriors knowingly pushed through legislation this week that won't save taxpayers any money, but which scientifically cannot fail to kill large numbers of people in cruel ways. 7 comments Obama's Drug Czar Blames YOU for Increased Teen Marijuana Use
Just when you thought the medical marijuana debate couldn’t get any uglier, the Drug Czar shows up at your doorstep demanding to know why you want to drug the children. 21 comments Obama's Attack on Medical Marijuana Wins Endorsement from Crazy Person
Last month, I questioned an absurd claim from the White House that President Obama has been "clear and consistent" in his approach to medical marijuana, rather than erratic and hostile. The facts of the matter are so plain that it feels silly to... 6 comments Sheriff Will Pay You $100 to Wear a Wire and Ask People to Sell You Drugs
Stupid silver-bullet strategies to win the war on drugs are as common as the reckless zealots who dream them up, but rarely does one find an example so deeply absurd and irresponsible as this. 28 comments Fixing Our Drug Policy Will Require a Hatchet, Not a Scalpel
I have a new piece at Huffington Post discussing recent claims from the Drug Czar's office that the Obama Administration is working hard to "reform" our drug policy. We've reached an interesting moment in the debate when both sides are wrapping... 10 comments New Jersey Governor Chris Christie Slams the War on Drugs
Last week’s joint statement from two state governors calling for the rescheduling of marijuana overshadowed another big story: NJ Gov. Chris Christie’s call for an end to the War on Drugs. 8 comments You Can’t Fire Cops for Supporting Drug Legalization
New York Times has a fantastic story on the fate of a few law enforcement officials who’ve been fired for questioning the wisdom of the war on drugs, and are now likely to win big settlements from their former employers. 6 comments Bill O’Reilly Thinks Medical Marijuana is a Sneaky Plot to Give People Medicine, Or Something
On the eve of their cable TV debut, Steve and Andrew DeAngelo of Harborside Health Center appeared on O’Reilly. He wasn’t very nice to them. 10 comments Read all Speakeasy Posts
FROM THE CHRONICLE
WA Marijuana Legalization Initiative Makes Ballot
Voters in Washington state will have the chance to legalize marijuana this November, after Initiative 502 was certified for the ballot Friday. 0 comments State Employee Drug Test Bills Moving in Florida
First, Florida's Republican legislature approved drug testing of poor people. Now it wants to do the same to state workers, and remove some of their collective bargaining rights along the way. 1 comment Missouri Drive to End Marijuana Prohibition Gets Going [FEATURE]
The "Show-Me Cannabis Regulation" campaign to put a marijuana legalization initiative on the November ballot in the Show-Me State is in the signature-gathering stage. 9 comments Medical Marijuana Initiative Campaign Rolling Out in California [FEATURE]
Some big players in California's medical marijuana community are behind a new initiative that would create a uniform statewide system of regulations for legal production and sales. 7 comments This Week in History
Events and quotes of note from this week's drug policy events of years past. 0 comments Medical Marijuana Update
Medical marijuana is an active issue around the country, and especially so these days in California. Here's the latest. 0 comments Virginia Welfare Drug Test Bill Passes Committee
A bill that would subject welfare recipients to drug abuse assessments and possible drug testing if probable cause is found has passed a committee vote in the Virginia House of Delegates. 4 comments Mexico Drug War Update
Ciudad Juarez continues to be a hot spot, with five police officers killed there already this year. But it's not alone. 0 comments This Week's Corrupt Cops Stories
Lead us not into temptation with seized cash, nearby evidence rooms, and the perks of police powers, amen. A few law enforcement officers haven't heard the prayer. 2 comments Police Need Warrant for GPS Tracking, Supreme Court Rules
If the cops want to attach a GPS device to your car and track your movements, they need to get a warrant, the Supreme Court ruled unanimously Monday. 2 comments Nevada Man Dies Eating Cocaine to Avoid Arrest
Another person has died by eating drugs to try to avoid arrest. This time it happened in Las Vegas. 1 comment Hemp Farming Bill Filed in Kentucky
For the fourth year in a row, a hemp production bill has been filed in Kentucky. 4 comments Guatemalan Leader Wants Decriminalization Talks
Guatemala's new president vowed an "iron fist" against the drug cartels and called out the army to fight them, but now he wants to talk decriminalization. 3 comments Arizona Governor Must Implement Medical Marijuana Law, Judge Rules
Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer's battle to block dispensaries from opening in the state is just about at the end of the road. After losing in state court, she announced she wouldn't appeal. 3 comments California High Court Takes Up Medical Marijuana Cases
The California Supreme Court has agreed to hear four medical marijuana dispensary cases. It's eventual decisions could bring some clarity to the murky realm of what is and is not legal in the state. 1 comment Mexico Drug War Update
Although it was a relatively quiet week in Mexico's drug wars, it's probably now safe to say that 50,000 people have been killed in prohibition-related violence there since President Calderon sent in the army in December 2006. 0 comments Medical Marijuana Update
Here's our weekly look at medical marijuana news from around the country. There's plenty going on--and late breaking news from California Wednesday afternoon. 4 comments This Week's Corrupt Cops Stories
Jailers smuggling drugs in burritos, cops planting drugs, cops doing security for drug deals, and evidence walking out of the evidence room. It's just another week of police misconduct in the drug war. 3 comments Drug Testing for Public Assistance Bills Proliferate in New Year [FEATURE]
Bills targeting welfare recipients or people on unemployment insurance for drug testing are all the rage again this year. 9 comments This Week in History
Events and quotes of note from this week's drug policy events of years past. 0 comments Marijuana Reform Polls Strongly (Again) in Canada
Two-thirds of Canadians want marijuana legalized or decriminalized, according to a new Forum Research poll. 0 comments Two More US Drug War Deaths This Week
We're only halfway through January, and we already have four dead in drug war incidents so far this year. This week, two allegedly armed men were shot and killed by police in separate incidents in Arkansas and California. 0 comments Family of Slain Informant Sues WA Authorities
Another small-time drug offender gets intimidated into being a snitch and pays with his life. Another family sues for damages. And another set of taxpayers gets ready to pay for letting their police do such things. 0 comments Canada's Liberals Endorse Marijuana Legalization
The Canadian Liberal Party has passed a non-binding resolution calling for marijuana legalization, regulation, and taxation. 5 comments Revised New Jersey Pharmacy Syringe Sales Bill Passes
The New Jersey Assembly and Senate have revised a pharmacy syringe sales bill after Gov. Christie conditionally vetoed the original version and, on Tuesday, Christie signed the new bill into law. 2 comments Suburban Seattle Cop Kills Man in Drug Deal
A Washington state shopping mall parking lot drug deal turned fatal for one of the participants when a police officer witnessed it. 11 comments Arizona Governor Gives Up Medical Marijuana Fight
Arizona's governor has decided against re-filing a lawsuit that had blocked medical marijuana dispensaries from opening in the state. 2 comments Tainted Ecstasy Linked to Western Canada Deaths
Ecstasy adulterated with PMMA is killing people in western Canada. 5 comments Feds Threaten Colorado Medical Marijuana Dispensaries
Threat letters from federal prosecutors have gone out to 23 Colorado medical marijuana dispensaries that are within 1,000 feet of schools. They have 45 days to shut down or face forfeiture and possible prosecution. 6 comments Mexico Drug War Update
The murders, raids, and arrests continue, without making any apparent difference in anything. 1 comment 
