Some solid reporting from the Sacramento Bee on
California's Prop 36:

"Five years ago, Proposition 36 supporters hailed its approval as a resounding rejection of the nation's war on drugs and a harbinger for similar laws around the country.

Since then, only one state—Hawaii—has adopted a comparable law mandating treatment instead of jail for drug offenders.

"We would like to see it picked up in other states, but we don't necessarily have millions on hand to run voter initiatives, and not every state has voter initiatives," said Glenn Backes, who founded the Drug Policy Alliance's capital office and recently left the organization.

After the California victory, voters in three other states either rejected measures similar to Proposition 36 or legal problems kept the proposals off the ballot. By 2004, the next election cycle, the initiative's wealthy backers had switched their focus from the war on drugs to the war in Iraq and the defeat of President Bush.

Billionaires George Soros and Peter Lewis—two of the three who financed the Proposition 36 campaign—donated about $23 million each in 2004 to unsuccessful campaigns to unseat Bush, according to the Center for Responsive Politics."

Read the rest here

"An Illinois Catholic school has begun discussing mandatory drug testing for its students, a month after Christian Brothers College high school introduced the idea.

Principal Mike Slaughter at Marquette Catholic High in Alton is pushing to start a testing program next school year for its 280 students.

CBC in Town and Country presented a proposal in January to parents of its 1,100 students.

Slaughter said he began looking into the CBC plan as soon as the story hit the paper last month. He has now also talked with school administrators in Chicago and Memphis, Tenn."

Read the whole story here

Photo of recently shut down drug house. Click here for larger image.

"SHEBOYGAN, Wis. A group of neighbors in a Sheboygan suburb are claiming victory in the community's war on drugs after it says it closed down drug houses where dealers operated."

Read the whole story here

From the Jackson Hole Star Tribune in Wyoming:

"RAWLINS, Wyo. (AP)—A pair of local radio stations has pulled a set of public service announcements advocating medical marijuana use after receiving complaints from the police chief and others.

Scott Freeman, a salesman for Mount Rushmore Broadcasting in Casper, which owns KIQZ-FM and KRAL-AM in Rawlins, said he pulled the PSAs as soon as he learned about them.

A disc jockey at the stations, Jack Morgan, had run the 30-second PSAs.

"I told him it was not the practice of this station to promote that type of thing because it was illegal," Freeman said."

The North County Times runs a great piece from a doctor who argues that so-called "medical marijuana" has not been proven to be safe or effective:

"I seriously question the efficacy of utilizing marijuana for certain medical conditions: The medical facts are clear and straightforward:

• Nausea: In studies, marijuana was found to be no more effective than an old anti-nausea prescription medicine called Compazine. Newer more effective anti-nausea medicines have been produced with fewer side effects.

• Weight loss prevention: Studies show that marijuana can increase appetite but has not been proven effective in increasing weight gain. Contemporary practitioners commonly use an inexpensive drug called megestrol, which better stimulates appetite and weight gain in 80 percent of patients treated.

• Spasticity: Studies have shown that patients with spasticity diseases, e.g. multiple sclerosis, perceived a decline in spasticity when, in fact, the spasticity was made worse.

• Glaucoma: Marijuana has never been shown to be equal or better than existing drugs to treat glaucoma, yet has significantly more side effects.

THC has been concentrated in capsular form and is sold in pharmacies under the trade name Marinol. Via prescription, a physician can monitor the use and can quantify the dose for each patient under their care. The pharmacist can ensure compliance to the doctor's orders, can educate the patient on side effects, drug interactions, and warn patients about the potent pharmacological effects of the drug which may impair the patient's cognitive and or motor functions."

Read his whole piece here