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Drug War Chronicle #544 - July 25, 2008

Phillip S. Smith, Editor - David Borden, Executive Director

Editorial: It's Everybody Else Who's Crazy

A former State Department official who fought the Afghan drug war has taken to the New York Times to tell why the failure of the program is everybody else's fault not his.

Feature: The Vultures Circle Sturgis, But One Man Fights Back

With South Dakota's annual Sturgis Motorcyle Rally just a few days away, state law enforcement is gearing up for unwary travelers. Eric Sage was one of their victims last year. He's not going this year, but he just filed a civil suit over his mistreatment.

Feature: Going After Congressional Drug Warrior #1

Rep. Mark Souder (R-IN) has made a political career out of being "tough on drugs." Now, in an election year where Obamamania has already swept his district, a newly-formed political action committee wants to make him pay for it.

Australia: Grow Lights Now Illegal in South Australia

South Australia has now criminalized the possession of high intensity lights, reflectors, and anything else that might be used to grow marijuana. You now have to prove you weren't going to grow pot to avoid prosecution instead of the state having to prove you were.

Weekly: Blogging @ the Speakeasy

"Needle Exchange Saves Lives. Why Are We Still Arguing About It?," "A Revealing Remark From the Deputy Drug Czar," "The Drug War Doesn't Reduce Drug Use. Drug Users Reduce Drug Use.," "In New Orleans, You Can Get 5 Years in Prison for a Joint of Marijuana," "Police Kill Dog During Drug Raid, Find No Drugs," "Barack Obama Proposes 'Shifting the Model' on the Drug War," "Video Highlights from Vienna Drug Policy NGO Forum," "Drug Smugglers Use Hurricane for Cover."
Permission to Reprint: This content is licensed under a modified Creative Commons Attribution license. Content of a purely educational nature in Drug War Chronicle appear courtesy of DRCNet Foundation, unless otherwise noted.