News: The Drug War Shrinks in Some Places, Expands in Others [#130]

This Week in Drugs

This week, Sam and Sarah talk about the latest drug news. In some ways, the drug war is shrinking, as the Trump Administration considers gutting the ONDCP, women were set to re-gain the right to purchase alcohol in Sri Lanka, police dogs who sniff out marijuana are becoming less useful to state police, and Massachusetts legislators are trying to make it a marijuana “sanctuary state.” But some of those gains were very short-lived, as the Sri Lankan president quickly re-instated the ban, and those police dogs are now being used to enforce prohibition for federal agencies. Tune in to hear more about the latest news in drugs & drug policy.

News Updates:

• Trump administration plans to gut drug prevention office, eliminate budgetary authority
• Sri Lanka reimposes ban on women buying alcohol – days after it was lifted
  • Al Jazeera coverage
  • Craig v. Boren, the U.S. Supreme Court case on gender discrimination
• Pueblo police obtain new K-9 after court decision
• Will Massachusetts become the first marijuana ‘sanctuary state’?
  • HD.4492 – An Act relative to refusal of complicity

Headlines:

• Oklahomans for Criminal Justice Reform found felony filings in the state dropped 26% since July 1 when the provisions of SQ 780 took effect. However, drug distribution charges (which are still a felony) grew by 18% over the same period.
• A study by a professor at the University of Georgia has found that in Denver, single-family homes that were close to marijuana dispensaries increased in value 8% more than homes that were further away.
• The Icelandic Red Cross wants to work with the Ministry of Health to establish a drug consumption room in the country. Officials said about 13 PWUD die each year, beating out car accident deaths in the country.
• The Washington Post’s investigative team published a really interesting article & video, “Meet the 24-year-old Trump campaign worker appointed to help lead the government’s drug policy office.”

Forecast:

• Thursday, 1/25 in New York: Drugs and the Darknet: Challenges and Opportunities, a free event hosted by Open Society Foundations. The event sounds like a great one regardless of your previous knowledge of cryptocurrency and the darknet. The event page states it will provide a framework for how these things impact the global drug trade, while also examining how harm reduction fits into the equation.
• Saturday, 2/3 in Tulum, Mexico: CryptoPsychedelic, which says it “will bring together leaders in blockchain and psychedelic science to discuss new possibilities in research, innovation, and community building.”

Sponsor:

• Listeners like you! Check out our new levels & rewards on Patreon.

Music Credits:

Intro: Dance for Sport by the2ba

Like what we do? Help pay our bills.

Facebook Twitter Google+ LinkedIn

The post News: The Drug War Shrinks in Some Places, Expands in Others [#130] appeared first on This Week in Drugs.