• Drug War Chronicle, Issue #1092 -- 4/3/20 Table of Contents plus Lead A

    From Bobbie Sellers@21:1/5 to All on Fri Apr 3 12:46:00 2020
    XPost: alt.drugs.psychedelics, alt.drugs.pot, alt.hemp.politics

    Drug War Chronicle, Issue #1092 -- 4/3/20
    Phillip S. Smith, Editor, psmith@drcnet.org https://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/1092

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

    Table of Contents:

    1. FACED WITH CORONAVIRUS, BIG CITIES BEGIN TO FOREGO DRUG ARRESTS, PROSECUTIONS [FEATURE]
    The coronavirus pandemic is pushing police and prosecutors to forego
    small-time drug busts and prosecutions as a means of preserving the
    public health. https://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2020/mar/30/faced_coronavirus_big_cities

    2. DENVER POT SHOP CLOSURE REVERSED, AMSTERDAM CANNABIS CAFES REOPEN,
    MEDMJ BUSINESSES ESSENTIAL MORE... (3/25/20)
    Marijuana retail outlets stay open in Denver and Amsterdam after pandemic-inspired efforts to shut them down inspire long lines, drug
    reform and public health groups urge governors to keep medical marijuana dispensaries open, and more. https://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2020/mar/25/chronicle_am_denver_pot_shop_ban

    3. US INDICTS VENEZUELA'S MADURO FOR "NARCO-TERRORISM," A CALL TO END
    MARIJUANA ARRESTS, JAILINGS, MORE... (3/26/20)
    The US indicts a leftist Latin American leader for drug trafficking (but
    not a rightist one), a Michigan prosecutor gets nailed for embezzling
    asset forfeiture funds, and more. https://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2020/mar/26/us_indicts_venezuelas_maduro

    4. OR INITS SEEK SIGNATURES ONLINE, FRENCH CANNABIS PRICES RISE FAST,
    MORE... (3/27/20)
    Mexico is unlikely to meet an April 30 deadline to legalize marijuana as
    its Senate is suspended due to the COVID-19 crisis, Oregon drug decriminalization and therapeutic psilocybin initiatives now are seeking signatures online, and more. https://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2020/mar/27/or_inits_seek_signatures_online

    5. MO AND OK INITS COULD FALL VICTIM TO PANDEMIC, COVID-19 SPREADS
    BEHIND BARS, MORE... (3/30/20)
    The coronavirus pandemic is taking a toll on state-level marijuana
    legalization initiatives, Pennsylvania says needle exchanges are "life-sustaining" during the pandemic, Vancouver moves to allow "safe
    supply" of regulated drugs during the crisis, and more. https://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2020/mar/30/mo_and_ok_inits_could_fall

    6. NY LEGALIZATION BID COULD FALL VICTIM TO COVID, DUTCH CANNABIS CAFES
    OPEN FOR CARRYOUT, MORE... (3/31/20)
    Marijuana legalization didn't make into New York's draft budget
    proposal, Netherlands cannabis cafes reopen for carryout, DC psychedelic decriminalization activists find creative ways to seek signatures, and more. https://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2020/mar/31/ny_legalization_bid_could_fall

    7. NY GOVERNOR SAYS NO LEGALIZATION IN STATE BUDGET, FIRST FEDERAL
    PRISONER COVID-19 DEATH, MORE... (4/1/20)
    It looks like coronavirus has killed marijuana legalization in New York
    this year, a new nonprofit focused on psychedelic education has emerged,
    a nonviolent drug offender is the first federal prisoner to die of
    COVID-19, and more. https://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2020/apr/01/ny_governor_says_no_legalization

    8. PHILIPPINE DRUG WAR RAGES DESPITE PANDEMIC, NORML ISSUES MARIJUANA
    POLICY CRISIS GUIDANCE, MORE... (4/2/20)
    President Trump showily announces a ramping up of the drug war in the Caribbean, NORML issues pot policy guidance for lawmakers during the coronavirus pandemic, the Philippines' drug war continues despite the
    pandemic, and more. https://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2020/apr/02/philippine_drug_war_rages

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    ================

    1. FACED WITH CORONAVIRUS, BIG CITIES BEGIN TO FOREGO DRUG ARRESTS, PROSECUTIONS [FEATURE] https://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2020/mar/30/faced_coronavirus_big_cities

    Editor's Note: This is the first of a series of pieces we will be doing
    that will focus on the coronavirus pandemic and its various
    intersections with drug policy, criminal justice, drug use, and the drug
    trade.

    Arresting and imprisoning people for drug offenses is a luxury America's biggest cities are finding they can no longer afford as they struggle
    with the coronavirus pandemic. Now several of them are leading the way
    in jettisoning the long-entrenched but totally discretionary policing
    and prosecutorial practice.

    Concerns over officer safety, public safety, and keeping jail
    populations down in a time of social distancing are driving the moves,
    which are only temporary. But perhaps politicians, police and
    prosecutors will have a chance to break their addiction to punishing
    drug users and sellers by going cold turkey amidst the pandemic. That
    would be a silver lining to the current crisis.

    As the pandemic morphed from looming threat to ongoing crisis in
    mid-March, forward-looking police departments and prosecutors' offices
    began to act. In Philadelphia, progressive District Attorney Larry
    Krasner cited public health concerns as he called for police to revise
    their arrest policies (https://whyy.org/articles/philly-da-krasner-curb-low-level-arrests-to-slow-spread-of-coronavirus/).
    The following day, Police Chief Danielle Outlaw issued an internal memo (https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/6811943-Outlaw-Memo.html)
    telling police not to arrest people for drug and other low-level
    non-violent offenses -- at least for now.

    Instead, those who would have been arrested are being briefly detained
    to be identified and while officers gather evidence and then released.
    Their actual arrests somewhere down the road would be "effectuated by
    arrest warrant," according to the memo.

    In a statement released the following day (https://billypenn.com/2020/03/17/philly-police-to-halt-narcotics-arrests-other-charges-during-covid-outbreak/),
    Outlaw laid out a public health and police officer safety rationale for
    the move: "Our mission is to protect and promote the health and safety
    of our officers and the community we serve to the best of our ability
    while continuing to discharge every aspect of our core duties," she wrote.

    Philadelphia isn't "turning a blind eye to crime," Outlaw told local
    media (https://billypenn.com/2020/03/17/philly-police-to-halt-narcotics-arrests-other-charges-during-covid-outbreak/)
    as she tried to assuage fears of criminals run amok. "This is similar to
    the 'summons process' that is utilized in many other counties throughout
    the Commonwealth. To reiterate, criminal offenders will be held
    accountable for the crimes they commit," she said.

    But that's only if prosecutors in Krasner's office decide to pursue
    those cases after the fact. And Krasner is not a big fan (https://www.alternet.org/2019/05/philadelphias-maverick-prosecutor-takes-aim-at-the-war-on-drugs/)
    of the war on drugs. He applauded Outlaw's move in an interview with
    local media (https://billypenn.com/2020/03/17/philly-police-to-halt-narcotics-arrests-other-charges-during-covid-outbreak/)
    the same day: "It's clear to me that the police commissioner is trying
    to be thoughtful and creative as we move into uncharted territory,"
    Krasner said, "We commend her for putting the safety of the public's
    health first."

    It's not just Philadelphia. Just days later, Krasner joined DAs from 30
    other cities in signing on to an open letter urging local governments to
    make change in the face of COVID-19 (https://fairandjustprosecution.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Coronavirus-Sign-On-Letter.pdf).
    The prosecutors, including those from Baltimore, New York, San
    Francisco, and St. Louis, called for police to adopt "cite and release
    policies for offenses which pose no immediate physical threat to the
    community, including simple possession of controlled substances." They
    also called for the release of people being held solely because they
    can't come up with cash bail and for reducing jail and prison
    populations "to promote the health safety, staff, those incarcerated,
    and visitors."

    Baltimore State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby cited the Philadelphia
    no-arrest policy (https://www.baltimoresun.com/coronavirus/bs-md-ci-cr-mosby-prisoner-release-20200318-u7knneb6o5gqvnqmtpejftavia-story.html)
    when she ordered her prosecutors to dismiss any pending charges for drug possession and attempted drug distribution, as well as such offenses as urinating in public, open container, prostitution and minor traffic
    offenses.

    In a memo to prosecutors, she wrote (https://www.baltimoresun.com/coronavirus/bs-md-ci-cr-mosby-prisoner-release-20200318-u7knneb6o5gqvnqmtpejftavia-story.html)
    that such crimes pose no risk to public safety and arrestees would
    normally be released before trial anyway, so it made sense to take that
    action to limit the threat of a coronavirus outbreak behind bars. "An
    outbreak in prison or jails could potentially be catastrophic," she
    wrote. "Now is not the time for a piecemeal approach where we go into
    court and argue one by one for the release of at-risk individuals."

    Baltimore Police have not adopted a no-arrest policy for such offenses,
    but a day after Mosby announced her moratorium on new prosecutions, the department said it had given officers guidance to use their own
    discretion in making low-level arrests to limit their exposure to the virus.

    "For the safety of our residents and officers, the Baltimore Police
    Department is assessing and evaluating what calls-for-service our
    officers will be responding to in order to minimize the potential for
    exposure to COVID-19," the department said in a statement (https://www.baltimoresun.com/coronavirus/bs-md-police-coronavirus-policy-20200319-7iz2zuwmnbdz5pnrkbiq2r4dre-story.html).
    "This includes giving guidance to officers in using their discretion to
    further minimize arrests on low-level and non-violent offenses,
    especially those outlined in the State's Attorney letter."

    "We are very encouraged to see some policymakers, like Marilyn Mosby,
    putting public health first and freeing up important public safety
    resources at this critical time," said Matt Sutton, director of media
    relations for the Drug Policy Alliance. "Drug use does not pose any risk
    to public safety, so it makes sense that we would not arrest or
    prosecute people for that alone. Doing so is contrary to public health interests, subjecting them to incarceration where they would be put at
    greater risk of contracting COVID-19 or spreading it within an already unshielded population that is incapable of practicing the kind of social distancing and increased hygiene measures the rest of us are taking."

    Meanwhile, in Chicago, Cook County State''s Attorney Kim Foxx announced
    that her office was putting a moratorium on prosecuting low-level,
    non-violent drug offenses (https://news.wttw.com/2020/03/20/kim-foxx-s-office-won-t-prosecute-low-level-drug-offenses-during-covid-19-pandemic)
    while the pandemic rages. "Out of an abundance of caution for the health
    of law enforcement and the community at large, the State's Attorney's
    Office will not be pursuing cases which pose little to no risk to public
    safety at this time," Foxx said.

    She added that the move was also necessitated by staffing reductions at
    the Illinois State Police lab. Even if police seized drugs, there is for
    now no way to test them, thwarting moving forward with prosecutions.

    Chicago Police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said (https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/criminal-justice/ct-coronavirus-state-crime-lab-impact-20200320-pwcpakrajrbujhuzygoy2yy5ki-story.html)
    officers won't stop making arrests for "large amounts" of drugs and
    downplayed the effect of the staffing reductions at the state crime lab.
    He also implied many drug arrestees are not being booked into jails.

    "We can make an arrest," he said. "An individual could be released
    pending further investigation. So just because the drugs aren't being
    tested right away, it doesn't prohibit our ability to do our job. It
    will prolong it. But we can certainly conduct narcotics investigations
    that extend when the state lab reopens."

    But in New York City, the current epicenter of the pandemic in the US,
    where dozens of NYPD officers have already contracted COVID-19, the
    department said it "won't slow arrests (https://www.kqed.org/news/11807632/from-arrests-to-trials-and-jails-bay-areas-criminal-justice-system-reels-in-age-of-coronavirus)."
    If the NYPD is being stubbornly recalcitrant, at least one of the city's borough prosecutors is getting on board with using discretion. Brooklyn
    DA Eric Gonzalez announced (https://twitter.com/BrooklynDA/status/1239906541182111744) that his prosecutors wouldn't be going after "low-level offenses that don't
    jeopardize public safety."

    The NYPD's stance is hard to fathom, especially as the city is being
    swamped by a deluge of new coronavirus cases, and the department may by
    forced to shift its positions as the crisis deepens. At this point,
    though, it seems to be suffering from a sort of institutional inertia,
    blindly valuing the arrest of small-time drug offenders and other
    scofflaws over the health and safety of its own officers and the city's residents. In the midst of the current crisis, it would behoove police
    and prosecutors everywhere to knock off the rote drug busts and
    concentrate on the threat staring them in the face.

    (The Drug Policy Alliance is a funder of StoptheDrugWar.org.)

    ================ ...
    ___________________

    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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