Topic: Drug Policy

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Sixth Summit of the Americas: 8 things to watch

Yes, the Summit of the Americas in Cartagena will debate drug policy and Cuba. Here are eight other topics to be discussed at the Summit.
Election 101: Who is Gary Johnson?

Gary Johnson, who has already scaled Mt. Everest, has chosen the presidency as his next summit.
In Pictures: Top Dominican-born baseball players
How much do you know about marijuana?

How much do you know about marijuana? Take our quiz and find out:
In Pictures: Legalize marijuana?

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In heartland of legal marijuana movement, doubts linger, poll suggests

A poll of California voters found that a majority do not want legal marijuana – mirroring the result of Proposition 19 in 2010. Advocates had hoped that views were changing.
President Obama smoked pot in high school. Why is he against legalizing marijuana?

A new biography details Barack Obama's use of marijuana in high school and college, not unusual for a young man at that time. As president, Obama has taken a tougher line on drug use, including marijuana for medical reasons.
Poll shows strong support for legal marijuana: Is it inevitable?

A national Rasmussen Reports poll found that 56 percent of Americans back legal marijuana regulated like tobacco or alcohol. Trends show support on the upswing.
Bigger scandal in Latin America than US secret service: US drug hunger

The secret service prostitution scandal overshadows renewed calls at the Summit of the Americas for the US to stanch its drug consumption. A viral 'Drug Violence 2012' video (think 'Kony 2012') would help young Americans connect US drug use to violence in Central and South America.
Drug policy and Cuba headline Summit of the Americas (+video)

The Sixth Summit of the Americas saw what Mexico's Calderón called a 'radical' change: candid conversation about differences over drug policy and Cuba.
Sixth Summit of the Americas: 8 things to watch

Yes, the Summit of the Americas in Cartagena will debate drug policy and Cuba. Here are eight other topics to be discussed at the Summit.
Modesto cop killing highlights spike in violence against police

The number of cops killed on the beat had been declining since the 1970s and was bound to end, say experts. But the killing of cops in Modesto, Calif., and Greenland, N.H., Thursday could point to other trends.
Latin America Monitor
Summit of the Americas mum on drug policy

Drug policy isn't on the agenda for this weekends Summit of the Americas in Colombia, but it's a topic on everyone's mind, writes guest blogger Steven Dudley.
Setback for legal marijuana? Pot raid rattles top cannabis crusader.

A federal raid on the marijuana businesses of Richard Lee has convinced the legal-marijuana leader to take a step back. It could mark an important moment for the movement.
Pat Robertson backs legal marijuana. Will other conservatives follow?

Christian broadcaster Pat Robertson has called for legal marijuana, saying the US incarceration rate is taking a social toll. Advocates call it an important moment, but critics dismiss it.
Marijuana legalization: Obama opposition too selective

When Latin America talks of legalizing drugs, Obama officials speak up. What about ballot measures in Colorado and Washington Sate to approve marijuana legalization?
Biden in Honduras: US drug policy under scrutiny

Even staunch US allies in the Americas are urging a debate on drug policy – including legalization – amid spiraling violence in their countries.
GOP candidates need to debate legalizing marijuana

As GOP candidates debate values, I have not heard them address legalizing marijuana. The words of a narcotics agent ring in my ears: 'I can’t say every pot smoker goes on to get hooked on the hard stuff. But I can say every addict I know on the hard stuff got started on pot.'
As violent Puerto Rican drug trade seeps into mainland US, Washington must act

Drug trafficking is at the root of most of the 1,136 homicides perpetrated in Puerto Rico in 2011, the highest number ever recorded, exceeding even Mexico's murder rate. The Puerto Rican government cannot manage this crisis alone. Washington must intervene.
Why military hawks are leading drug legalization debate in Latin America

Mexico, Colombia, and Guatemala want to decriminalize drugs, but with a military approach. This means going after criminals and gangs with military and police force before they can regroup.
'Racist newsletter' timeline: What Ron Paul has said

Ron Paul has had to explain racially charged statements and other controversial comments in newsletters published in his name in the 1980s and 1990s. Here's what he's said over the years.
Why teens need to know risks of marijuana

Teen use of pot is at its highest in 30 years, with 10th graders more likely to smoke a joint than a cigarette. With the spread of 'medical' marijuana, they perceive less risk – despite the evidence.
Confusion reigns over medical marijuana as states and Feds clash

Sixteen states allow medical marijuana for patients with prescriptions. But the Feds have lately cracked down on what they say are abuses by the burgeoning industry. Will 'pot wars' ensue?
The smokescreen of reclassifying pot for health

Two governors have asked the DEA to reclassify marijuana for medical use. But their real problem is in not opposing the backdoor ruse for legalization of cannabis.
Relief in California over federal crackdown on medical marijuana

Community leaders from the San Diego area applaud last week's announcement of a widespread federal crackdown on sham medical marijuana dispensaries: 'We’ve heard youths often ask why marijuana is such a big deal when, after all, it is 'medicine'. '
Fed crackdown on California medical marijuana: Does Obama mean it?

The Obama Justice Department last week began to rein in California's out-of-control medical marijuana industry. How sustainable is this new federal enforcement of the state's pot shops?
Showdown in California over medical marijuana, as feds crack down

Four US Attorneys in California said Friday they are targeting growers and distributors who use California's medical marijuana law as a cover to engage in illegal drug trafficking.
California marijuana street fair fuels debate over legalization

The International Cannabis & Hemp Expo outside Oakland City Hall this weekend includes a spot where medical marijuana cardholders can light up – another round in the fight over legalization.
'Dramatic change' to marijuana laws? What bill before Congress would do.

A new bipartisan bill would remove marijuana from the company of heroin and cocaine in federal regulations, leaving it to the states to legalize pot – or not. Inter-state trafficking would remain a federal crime.
Peru set to surpass Colombia as world's top coca producer

A UN report released Thursday shows Peru is just shy of overtaking Colombia in coca cultivation, demonstrating the 'balloon effect' that drug war watchers always warn about: when pressure is applied in one area, production 'balloons' in another.