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Written by Martin Williams
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Monday, 11 April 2005 |
Black legislators seek Drug War reforms
The National Black Caucus of State Legislators passed a resolution at
its annual meeting in Philadelphia, PA, condemning the Drug War while
supporting repeal of mandatory minimum sentences and treatment for
nonviolent drug offenders.
The resolution calls for “a drug policy agenda that
prioritizes a public health — not a criminal justice approach — to drug
policy.
“The War on Drugs has failed, and while states have
continually increased their expenditures to wage the War on Drugs,
policies which rely heavily on arrest and incarceration, have proven
costly and ineffective at addressing these issues.”
Texas state legislator Harold Dutton told the
December meeting that he had already filed a bill (HB 254) to
decriminalize small amounts of cannabis and reduce sentences for larger
amounts. “Lets never make the cure worse than the disease,” he said.
Statistics show that people of color have always
borne the brunt of Drug War arrests and prosecutions, a fact of concern
to Caucus members.
Patients take cops to court over abuses, seizures
More than three dozen California patients turned the tables on law
enforcement and local governments by suing them to get back nearly a
million dollars worth of their medicine. A number have been successful
so far, resulting in the return of dozens of plants and multiple pounds
of dried medical marijuana. Others are awaiting hearing dates to have
their chance at regaining what is rightfully theirs.
Before filing the cases, Americans for Safe Access
did a study that found violations of patients’ rights to be routine
across the state, including by the Highway Patrol .
O'dam News: Cannabis safety tips
Be careful with edibles, they have a delayed effect. Don’t smoke in a
vehicle. Keep your cannabis away from where children can get into it.
No public nuisance consumption, please — and no street sales.
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Martin Williams |
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Last Updated ( Friday, 04 August 2006 )
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