CLibertyC

Scientist calls for caffeine to be a regulated substance

"Jack E. James argued in an editorial published Monday that researchers and lawmakers alike need to take a look at caffeine-related deaths and near-deaths. 'Armed with improved knowledge of caffeine toxicity and faced with extensive evidence of substantial harm to public health, today’s authorities appear more perplexed and less decisive than their counterparts of more than a century earlier,' James continued. 'In light of current international befuddlement and inaction, legislators, policy makers, and regulators of today confront a stark question — how many caffeine-related fatalities and near-misses must there be before we regulate?'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingScientist calls for caffeine to be a regulated substance

Lawmakers ‘unjustifiably focus’ on illicit drugs rather than alcohol: report

"Alcohol is at least as harmful as illicit drugs, according to Jan van Amsterdam of the Laboratory for Health Protection Research in the Netherlands and psychiatrist Wim van den Brink at the University of Amsterdam. In their report, van Amsterdam and van den Brink call for a 'more balanced drug policy' that focuses on harm reduction and doesn’t neglect alcohol abuse. Significant discrepancies exist between the scientifically-established harms associated with recreational drugs and their legal status. Two of the most harmful drugs, tobacco and alcohol, are legal, but less harmful drugs like marijuana and LSD are prohibited." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingLawmakers ‘unjustifiably focus’ on illicit drugs rather than alcohol: report

Study: Depenalizing Drug Possession Associated With Lower Youth Drug Consumption

"An investigator from Purdue University in Indiana assessed the association between drug laws and drug consumption patterns in a representative survey of 15,191 adolescents aged 15-24 years from various European nations. The study reports, '[R]emoving criminal penalties [for controlled substances] does not necessitate a higher number of users compared to countries with penalties, and the former actually have comparatively lower usage. In fact, higher possession offenses are associated with greater drug use.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingStudy: Depenalizing Drug Possession Associated With Lower Youth Drug Consumption

One More Life Ruined By The Drug War

"Let’s recap what Gerson did not do. He didn’t murder, rob, burglarize, steal, or initiate any other type of force against other people. That is, he didn’t do anything to violate anyone else’s rights. If he were an alcoholic, there wouldn’t a problem. The hive masters say that while alcoholism is harmful, they’re not going to punish people for it. The reason is because mainstream Americans, including plenty of lawyers and judges, love their booze. The punishment of Marc Gerson illustrates the complete horror story that the drug war has become. Gerson no more belongs in jail than, say, President Obama, who himself has admitted to ingesting illicit drugs." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingOne More Life Ruined By The Drug War

In Fight Over Marijuana’s Scheduling, Appeals Court Rules in Favor of DEA and Schedule I

"The U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for Washington, D.C. ruled today in favor of the DEA's decision to keep marijuana a Schedule I drug--a classification for substances that are highly addictive and have no widely accepted medical benefits. 'On the merits, the question before the court is not whether marijuana could have some medical benefits,' reads the court's ruling in Americans for Safe Access v. Drug Enforcement Administration. Rather, the court was tasked with deciding whether the DEA was following its own rules in refusing to initiate reschedule proceedings for marijuana." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingIn Fight Over Marijuana’s Scheduling, Appeals Court Rules in Favor of DEA and Schedule I

Marijuana Legalization’s Biggest Enemies

"Before marijuana legalization spreads from Washington and Colorado to other states, it will have to get past a group of hardened drug warriors, many of whom have developed a personal interest in maintaining prohibition. While most of these ideologues lack the authority to actually change laws, their larger purpose is to maintain the marijuana propaganda machine and push back against pro-legalization rhetoric. Here are the top five people threatening to halt the state-by-state legalization domino effect that many pot activists hope is coming soon." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingMarijuana Legalization’s Biggest Enemies

Must-read letter to the President

"Dear Mr. President: I am writing to you as a wife and mother of two young daughters, whose 34-year old husband, Matthew Davies, faces 10 years or more in federal prison for providing medical marijuana to sick people in California, even though he complied with state law concerning medicinal cannabis. My questions to you are simple: What has my husband done that would justify the federal government forcing my young daughters to grow up without a father? How can your Administration ignore the will of the California people and prosecute this good, law-abiding man for doing exactly what state law permits?" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingMust-read letter to the President

U.N. development chief slams War on Drugs

"Helen Clark, the head of the United Nations Development Program, has publicly slammed global strategies to combat drugs, claiming there is increasing evidence that 'the war on drugs' has failed. The former prime minister of New Zealand urged Latin American leaders to develop new policies to tackle drugs, which she says should be addressed as a public health problem rather than criminalized." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingU.N. development chief slams War on Drugs

Feds Give Up Trying to Seize a Motel Based on Drug Offenses by a Few Guests

"Today the U.S. Attorney's Office in Boston said it will not appeal a ruling that blocked the federal government's attempt to seize and sell a family-owned motel in Tewksbury, Massachusetts, based on drug offenses committed by a tiny fraction of the people who stayed there. The government conceded that the owner, Russell Caswell, did not participate in those crimes and was not aware of them at the time, but it argued that he was 'willfully blind' to them." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingFeds Give Up Trying to Seize a Motel Based on Drug Offenses by a Few Guests

California lieutenant governor: ‘Do the damn right thing’ and legalize marijuana

"California Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom on Tuesday called on politicians to be honest about legalizing marijuana, claiming many lawmakers and officials secretly opposed the drug’s outlaw status. He noted that drug prohibition had been particularly harmful to racial minorities, who are imprisoned at a disproportionately high rate for drug offenses. Newsom opposed Proposition 19 in 2010, which would have legalized the recreational use of marijuana in California. Last December, however, he declared he no longer supported the prohibition of cannabis." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingCalifornia lieutenant governor: ‘Do the damn right thing’ and legalize marijuana