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Drug War Chronicle, Issue #907 -- 10/23/15
Phillip S. Smith, Editor, psmith@drcnet.org http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/907

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

Table of Contents:

1. CANADA'S LIBERALS SWEEP TO VICTORY -- WITH A LEGALIZATION PLATFORM
A Liberal victory in Canada's elections Monday means marijuana
legalization should be coming soon to the Great White North. http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2015/oct/20/canadas_liberals_sweep_victory_l


2. WILL OHIO LEGALIZE MARIJUANA NEXT MONTH? [FEATURE]
The ResponsibleOhio initiative doesn't have a lot of friends, but it has
a lot of money, and it looks like a lot of voter support. http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2015/oct/17/will_ohio_legalize_marijuana_nex


3. NEW GALLUP POLL HAS SUPPORT FOR MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION AT 58%
The trend toward support for marijuana legalization continues. http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2015/oct/21/new_gallup_poll_has_support_mari


4. MEDICAL MARIJUANA UPDATE
A California federal judge has told the Justice Department to butt out
of state-legal marijuana businesses in a case involving the Marin
Alliance for Medical Marijuana, the Brookings Institution has a new
report on the feds stifling research, ASA has a new report on the
beneficial impacts of dispensaries, and more. http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2015/oct/23/medical_marijuana_update

5. THIS WEEK'S CORRUPT COPS STORIES
It's a twofer of tarnished badges in Baltimore, and an LAX TSA agent was
a bit too helpful for his own good. http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2015/oct/21/weeks_corrupt_cops_stories

6. CHRONICLE AM: PORTLAND NIXES "GREEN LIGHT DISTRICT," AFGHAN OPIUM
DECLINE, MORE (10/15/15)
No pot tourism district for Portland -- at least for now -- New Jersey
gets a fifth dispensary, Croatia legalizes medical marijuana, Afghan
opium production fell by nearly half last year, and more. http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2015/oct/15/chronicle_am_portland_nixes_gree


7. CHRONICLE AM: AUSTRALIA OKAYS MEDICAL MARIJUANA, NJ LEGALIZATION
RALLY TOMORROW, MORE (10/16/15)
There's a legalization rally in Trenton tomorrow, ASA has a new report
on the impact of dispensaries, Mexico cartel violence flares at a
Pacific port, Australia okays medical marijuana, and more. http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2015/oct/16/chronicle_am_australia_okays_med


8. CHRONICLE AM: UN DECRIMINALIZATION DRAMA, GLOBAL UNDERTREATMENT OF
PAIN REPORT, MORE (10/19/15)
A thousand march for marijuana in Dallas, a few dozen in Montgomery; a
UNODC document calling for drug decriminalization gets leaked and then
yanked, the Global Commission on Drug Policy issues a report on pain,
and more. http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2015/oct/19/chronicle_am_un_decriminalizatio


9. CHRONICLE AM: CANADA ELECTION SHOULD BRING MJ LEGALIZATION, OHIO INIT
IN DEAD HEAT, MORE (10/20/15)
Canada's Liberals have vowed to legalize marijuana, and now they've just
won the election; the Ohio legalization initiative looks like it will be
a squeaker, a federal judge rules in favor of marijuana businesses in
legal states, and more. http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2015/oct/20/chronicle_am_canada_election_sho


10. CHRONICLE AM: GALLUP POLL: 58% FOR MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION, MI
FORFEITURE REFORMS SIGNED, MORE (10/21/15)
The trend toward supporting marijuana legalization is becoming ever more apparent, asset forfeiture reforms become law in Michigan, but get
attacked by law enforcement in Tennessee, harm reductionists call on the
UN to officially release a drug decriminalization document, and more. http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2015/oct/21/chronicle_am_gallup_poll_58_mari


11. CHRONICLE AM: FEDERAL SENTENCING REFORM ADVANCES, OH LEGALIZATION
INIT IN DEAD HEAT, MORE (10/22/15)
It's nail-biting time for pot legalizers in Ohio -- and in
California--the Obama administration rolls out new measures to deal with
heroin and prescription opiates, a federal sentencing reform bill
advances, and more. http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2015/oct/22/chronicle_am_federal_sentencing


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

1. CANADA'S LIBERALS SWEEP TO VICTORY -- WITH A LEGALIZATION PLATFORM http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2015/oct/20/canadas_liberals_sweep_victory_l


Led by Justin Trudeau, Canada's Liberal Party swept to a strong victory
in Monday's elections.

While results were still being tallied Monday night, it looks as if the
party has won enough seats to form a majority government by itself. The Liberals won 184 seats in the lower house of parliament. They only need
170 seats to form a majority in the 338-seat lower chamber.

The Liberal platform included, among other things, marijuana
legalization (https://www.liberal.ca/realchange/marijuana/):

"We will legalize, regulate, and restrict access to marijuana," the
platform states. Marijuana prohibition doesn't prevent youth use, causes socially disruptive and expensive arrests, and supports organized crime,
the statement adds. "We will remove marijuana consumption and incidental possession from the Criminal Code, and create new, stronger laws to
punish more severely those who provide it to minors, those who operate a
motor vehicle while under its influence, and those who sell it outside
of the new regulatory framework."

But don't expect it to happen overnight. The Liberals said they would
create a task force with input from experts in public health, substance
use, and law enforcement to design a new system of taxed and regulated marijuana sales. Once the task force has done its work, a bill will have
to be crafted and then passed in Ottawa.

While marijuana was not the issue in the campaign, it was an issue. The Conservatives, who have resisted liberalizing drug laws throughout their nine-year run in power, attempted drug war-style scare ads, and outgoing
Prime Minister Stephen Harper said marijuana was "infinitely worse than
tobacco (http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/canadian-politics/harper-says-pot-is-infinitely-worse-than-tobacco-experts-say-theres-simply-no-evidence-thats-true)."


But the Tories' anti-pot stance didn't fare too well in a country that
is ready to leave marijuana prohibition behind. In a CBC Vote Compass
poll last month (http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canada-election-2015-marijuana-1.3248969),
56% of respondents wanted legalization, another 30% wanted
decriminalization, and only 14% wanted the prohibitionist status quo.

Now, the voters should be about to get their wish.

Tom Angell of Marijuana Majority (http://www.marijuanamajority.com)
reacted from south of the border:

"While US states led the way by becoming the first places in the world
to legalize and regulate marijuana in 2012, it looks like Canada could
soon leapfrog ahead of us and become the first country in North America
to legalize cannabis nationwide," he said. "If that happens, it's not
only good news for Canadians who will be able to purchase marijuana from
legal and regulated storefronts instead of being treated like criminals.
It's also likely to give reform efforts in the US a bit of a boost --
not that we really needed it, but a little friendly competition is
always a good motivator."


================ ...


___________________

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 will alone I set my mind in motion.
It is by the beans of cacao that the thoughts acquire speed,
the thighs acquire girth, the girth become a warning.
It is by theobromine alone I set my mind in motion."
--from Someone else's Dune spoof ripped to my taste.

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