Prof. Carl Hart on modern reefer madness: Harry J. Anslinger, commissioner of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics (predecessor of the Drug Enforcement Administration) declared, “Marijuana is the most violence-causing drug in the history of mankind.” Seven decades and hundreds of studies later, we no longer have an excuse for indulging the myth of “reefer madness.” It has no place in…
Tag: war on drugs
Two great things…
LEAP and Vice. Together at last.
Give Peace a Chance
“The years between 2000 and 2010 do not simply constitute a war on marijuana, but a war on black people who use marijuana.” Well said, Ta-Nehisi Coates.
Tic-Toc Like Clockwork
Jeanmarie Evelly of DNAInfo.com writes about a “massive drug sweep” in the Queensbridge* and Ravenswood Homes in Astoria/Long Island City. 28 people indicted; 23 others arrested for selling drugs to undercover cops on “hundreds of separate occasions over an eight month span from 2012-2013.” Well, slap my back and declare victory. Just like we I wrote about in 2009. And…
The War on Drugs is (Not) Over
Despite the false promises of White House Drug Czar Gil Kerlikowske, it’s the same old same old. This from LEAP’s Sean Dunagan: If you haven’t seen it, the National Drug Control Strategy and accompanying budget and performance summaries are out. Requested funding for 2013 totals $25.6 billion, a $415 million increase over last year. The allocation is 58.8% for law…
Dog Bites Man
“Ex-DEA heads: Feds should nullify state pot laws” Now there’s a headline that doesn’t exactly scream, “Extra, extra, read all about it!”
“A system that is dishonest and fundamentally flawed”
I often (and sincerely) defend Vice Magazine as (on a good day, mind you) the best source of journalism in our fine republic. Last night a friend sent me this link called, “Testilying: Cops Are Liars Who Get Away with Perjury.” OK… so I’m not expecting this to be pro-police. But before I read it, I wrote back saying: “I…
Breaking the Taboo
The documentary is out: Breaking the Taboo. Directed by Cosmo Feilding Mellen and Fernando Grostein Andrade, it stars Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, Morgan Freeman, leaders of Brazil, Mexico, Switzerland, Colombia, and an additional cast of dozens (including me): My favorite parts? Other than the guy who appears before Bill Clinton at 17:15, it would be the former President of Brazil,…
Law Enforcement Againt the Drug War
SafeKeepersis a video series profiling law enforcement officials who’ve been on the front lines of the drug war and mass incarceration. (in partnership with LEAP)