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Drug War Chronicle, Issue #1026 -- 6/29/18
Phillip S. Smith, Editor,psmith@drcnet.org https://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/1026

A Publication of StoptheDrugWar.org
David Borden, Executive Director,borden@drcnet.org
"Raising Awareness of the Consequences of Drug Prohibition"

Table of Contents:

1. 150 ORGANIZATIONS CONDEMN TRUMP'S CALL FOR DRUGS DEATH PENALTY, WHILE REFORMERS RALLY
A growing coalition with over 150 organizations as of this writing has condemned President Trump's call to institute the death penalty for drug offenses as premised on falsehoods and violating human rights.
https://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2018/jun/27/150_organizations_condemn_trumps

2. OKLAHOMA PASSES MOST PROGRESSIVE MEDICAL MARIJUANA INITIATIVE SINCE CALIFORNIA’S PROP 215
The voters defied conservative political and religious leaders by approving a law with no restrictive qualifying conditions.
https://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2018/jun/27/oklahoma_passes_most_progressive

3. TRUMP COUNTRY IS OPIOID COUNTRY
Study finds counties with highest opioid prescription rates were more likely to favor Donald Trump during the 2016 elections.
https://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2018/jun/23/trump_country_opioid_country

4. IN DRUG CASE, SUPREME COURT HOLDS THAT UNAUTHORIZED RENTAL CAR DRIVERS HAVE RIGHTS, TOO
The 4th Amendment applies to rental car drivers -- even if they're not listed on the rental form.
https://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2018/jun/27/drug_case_supreme_court_holds

5. MEDICAL MARIJUANA UPDATE
The first marijuana-based drug wins FDA approval, Oklahoma legalizes medical marijuana, the Maine legislature approves an overhaul of that state's medical marijuana program, and more.
https://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2018/jun/27/medical_marijuana_update

6. THIS WEEK'S CORRUPT COPS STORIES
It's a special Northeast edition of corrupt cops this week, with bad apples being harvested from the Big Apple, Albany, and upstate, as well as New Jersey and Connecticut.
https://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2018/jun/27/weeks_corrupt_cops_stories_0

7. CHRONICLE AM: RECORD MARIJUANA POLL, CANADA LEGALIZATION 10/17, RUSSIA DRUG CENSORSHIP, MORE... (6/21/18)
A new marijuana poll has the highest support yet for legalization -- and expungement -- a key House GOP chair blocks another reform measure, Canada's marijuana legalization will go into effect October 17, and more.
https://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2018/jun/21/chronicle_am_record_marijuana

8. CHRONICLE AM: NFL PLAYERS CHALLENGE TRUMP ON SENTENCING, FIRST MA MJ LICENSE, MORE... (6/22/18)
NFL players respond to a challenge from President Trump with one of their own, Massachusetts gets its first licensed marijuana cultivator, a US watchdog notes that Afghan opium production is at record highs despite the billions we've spent to suppress it,
and more. https://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2018/jun/22/chronicle_am_nfl_players

9. CHRONICLE AM: FDA APPROVES FIRST MARIJUANA DRUG, MEXICAN IRE OVER BORDER POLICY, MORE... (6/25/18)
The first marijuana-based drug is approved by the FDA, Oklahoma votes on medical marijuana tomorrow, Trump's border politics are raising ire and threatening cooperation in Mexico, and more.
https://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2018/jun/25/chronicle_am_fda_approves_first

10. CHRONICLE AM: SUPPORT NOT PUNISH RALLIES AT UN & WORLDWIDE, NH DEMS ENDORSE MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION... (6/26/18)
The UN's global anti-drug day sees anti-drug war rallies in dozens of cities worldwide, the Senate approves letting VA docs recommend medical marijuana for vets, New Hampshire Democrats endorse marijuana legalization, and more.
https://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2018/jun/26/chronicle_am_support_not_punish

11. CHRONICLE AM: OK LEGALIZES MEDMJ, COLOMBIA DRUG WAR COULD BE GEARING UP, MORE... (6/27/18)
Oklahoma voters pass a very progressive medical marijuana initiative, legalizers win the Democratic gubernatorial nominations in Colorado and Maryland, Maine passes a major medical marijuana overhaul, and, with rightists now in power in Washington and
Bogotá, it looks like a new drug war is looming in Colombia. https://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2018/jun/27/chronicle_am_ok_legalizes_medmj

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1. 150 ORGANIZATIONS CONDEMN TRUMP'S CALL FOR DRUGS DEATH PENALTY, WHILE REFORMERS RALLY
https://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2018/jun/27/150_organizations_condemn_trumps

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 26, 2018

CONTACT: David Borden, Executive Director, StoptheDrugWar.org,borden@drcnet.org

More Than 150 Organizations Condemn President Trump's Call to Execute People for Nonviolent Drug Offenses

UN to Release Annual "World Drug Report" While Reformers Rally Worldwide

Groups Accuse Singapore of Using False Drug Use Data to Justify Death Penalty

A growing coalition with over 150 organizations as of this writing (140 when release was first done) has condemned President Trump's call to institute the death penalty for drug offenses. A copy of the statement, which was organized by the US-based NGO
StoptheDrugWar.org, is online here (https://stopthedrugwar.org/files/trump-death-penalty.pdf).

The statement was submitted to the UN Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights, to be considered for inclusion in a report on the death penalty being presented to the General Assembly next fall. David Borden, executive director of StoptheDrugWar.
org (https://stopthedrugwar.org)and the statement's author, explained, "We decided to release the statement at this time because of the immigrant family separations and the US's withdrawal from the Human Rights Council, as another example of President
Trump's assault on human rights."

The statement also coincides with the June 26 release of the annual UN World Drug Report, and with the annual Support Don't Punish (http://supportdontpunish.org/day-of-action-2018/)Global Day of Action for health- and human rights-based approaches to
drug policy.

Among the statement's signatories are the National Organization for Women (NOW), the Latino Commission on AIDS, the William C. Velasquez Institute, Death Penalty Focus, the National Association of Social Workers, and Housing Works.

The US has never brought a death penalty case for a drug offense, but following the president's call for executions last spring, Attorney General Sessions sent a memo to prosecutors urging them to consider seeking the death penalty in some cases.

The statement argues, with references, that the president's claims of success for drug death penalty approaches in other countries is "premised on falsehoods." It notes that the world's leading executors for drug offenses, China and Iran, have scaled
back their use of executions for drug offenses; and accuses Singapore's government of using "faked data" to justify their drugs death penalty.

The statement also makes note of President Trump's suggestion that police officers should bash suspects' heads on car door frames when arresting them, made during a police officers' convention in July 2017; and his repeated calls for violence against
protesters at his rallies during the presidential campaign, recorded on video on seven different occasions.

The statement also notes Trump's praise for Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's brutal campaign of extrajudicial drug war killings, which Duterte administration figures suggest has claimed 20,000 lives to date. The statement has strong representation
in the Philippines as well as the Filipino American community, with more than ten endorsing organizations including the iDEFEND human rights coalition, the Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG), the Philippine Jesuit Prison Service Foundation, and the
Filipino American Human Rights Alliance (FAHRA).

The statement calls on Congress to repeal the US's never-used drugs death penalty statutes; to enact bipartisan sentencing reform legislation that is pending in Congress; and to pass legislation sponsored by Senators Ben Cardin (D-MD) and Marco Rubio (R-
FL) to impose human rights conditions on some aid to the Philippines while funding public health work and human rights advocacy.

Borden said, "We are committed to recognizing if and when the Trump administration takes good steps in drug policy or criminal justice. Recently the president released Alice Johnson, a 63-year old grandmother who had been imprisoned since 1996 on a drug
offense, and he suggested there could be many more pardons. He has offered tentative support for legislation to give formal federal permission to states enacting marijuana legalization, though Republican leadership has blocked the bill from moving. We
hope the president follows through on both these promises. In the meanwhile, however, the overall Trump administration record in the drug war is a horrific one."

The full text of the statement and signatory list is online at:https://stopthedrugwar.org/files/trump-death-penalty.pdf (https://stopthedrugwar.org/files/trump-death-penalty.pdf).



================  ...


                                         ___________________

                                          It's time to correct the mistake:
                                        Truth:the Anti-drugwar
<http://www.briancbennett.com>

                                      Cops say legalize drugs--find out
why:
<http://www.leap.cc>

                                       Stoners are people too:
<http://www.cannabisconsumers.org>
                                       ___________________

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      It is by theobromine alone I set my mind in motion."
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