Dallas Criminal Defense Lawyer Blog

From the Drug Policy Foundation-

A recent World Health Organization study on cocaine came back with these findings, inter alia,

By far the most popular use of coca products worldwide is the snorting of cocaine hydrochloride. Most participating countries and sites did not report significant cocaine-related problems among this group of users.

and

Health problem; from the use of legal substances, particularly alcohol and tobacco, are greater than health problems from cocaine use. Few experts describe cocaine as invariably harmful to health. Cocaine-related problems are widely perceived to be more common and more severe for intensive, high-dosage users and very rare and much less severe for occasional, low-dosage users.

This isn't that surprising. Coca cola anyone? Barack Obama and countless other successful individuals have used a little blow at some point in their lives (W can't remember). Most users do not end up like Chris Rock in New Jack City. The WHO report adovcates a harm reducation approach instead of the American lock em up by the thousands approach.

Anyone care to guess how our US government reacted to this WHO report? Basically, the feds threatened to pack up their toys and leave unless WHO distances themselves from the findings and adopts our country's cocaine hysteria propaganda.

"The United States Government considered that, if WHO activities relating to drugs failed to reinforce proven drug control approaches, funds for the relevant programmes should be curtailed. In view of the gravity of the matter, he asked the Director-General for an assurance that WHO would dissociate itself from the conclusions of the study and that, in substance abuse activities, an approach would not be adopted that could be used to justify the continued production of coca."

The War on Drugs, where Ignorance is Strength.

Polka Fest 09-
This weekend is the annual Ennis Polka Festival. I'll be at the KJT (Katolická Jednota Texaská) Saturday night (around 8ish) to see the Czechaholics and Brave Combo.

Come to Ennis and experience this one of a kind polkapalooza. Most of the polka dances can be accomplished with a slight variation of the country two step (quick, quick, slow, or something like that). No problem for most people to pick up. However, I largely rely on my wife to count the steps out loud while we are dancing. If NHTSA ever adopts the two step as a field sobriety test I"ll quit driving because I would fail every time.

DMN on DWI-
I'm not surprised that the various DMN "blogs" take a less objective journalism tone and adopt the informal blogger style. However, this DWI blood draw post seems to have been written by MADD. I've never seen such enthusiasm for blood tyranny before outside of MADD.

If you get pulled over for drunken driving this Memorial Day weekend, don't bother refusing to blow. Dallas police are gonna get a warrant for bulletproof evidence - your alcohol-laced blood. And they'll take it whether you like it or not.

First, "don't bother refusing to blow" is some pretty blunt legal advise. The decision to blow or not is complicated with legal and factual considerations. The kind of decision we used to allow defendants to make with counsel.

For example, in deciding to blow or not you should be aware that we still don't know what kind of software the Texas breath machine uses. Should we believe that our breath machine software is any less flawed than the Alcotest? Certain medical conditions can affect a breath score, as well as breath temperature. Should you blow or not? Depends, ask a lawyer, not a journalist.

Second, blood is only "bulletproof evidence" if you don't know anything about blood testing, or evidence. Blood tests are complicated and require precision in every step or the results will be corrupted. Precise scientific evidence and law enforcement don't always mix.

Also, just because a blood result is over .08 does not mean that the driver was over .08 when driving. We allow the make believe science of retrograde extrapolation to make that leap, but it's far from "bulletproof."

Finally, "take your blood whether you like it or not"? That sentence says a lot about the current state of DWI hysteria. We've gone GITMO on DWI suspects. You have no rights, and DPD has their needles ready.

Pot leads to crack and death says FBI director
Forcing our bureaucrats to advocate such ridiculous positions in public makes us all look bad. I'm sure this Robert Mueller guy is embarrassed and having to promote this idiocy. We should legalize pot if for no other reason than to end the public humiliation of our bureaucrats.

This must be some kind of secret federal government hazing ritual. Mr. Mueller is the pledge and before he gets a cabinet level position he has to get "punk'd" in front of Congress to show his loyalty. That makes more sense than his idea that we should treat pot like crack.

Thank you sir, may I have another!

I have discovered the precise formula to measure the outrage felt by liberty minded individuals over a news event regarding government malfeasance.

EA x SOL= $#@!

EA= the enforcement action taken by the government. Basically, what means are used to achieve the government's goal. The lower end would of this scale would be public service announcements, at the higher end waterboarding at GITMO.

SOL= Stupidity of law. How stupid is the law being enforced? My feelings about consensual crimes are well known. At the low end of this scale would be crimes with actual victims, the higher end would include malum prohibitum offenses. The highest score would probably be revenue generation "crimes" like truancy enforcement.

$#@! is the outrage felt by people who value liberty, privacy, freedom etc.

This video would probably achieve one of the highest values possible (until we send a DISD truant to GITMO).

Visit SWATReform.org to find out how to help.

Kaufman is the county east of Dallas. Kaufman county is served by three major east-west highways; I-20, 175, and I-80. These highways see a steady flow of Dallas commuters, locals driving to Dallas and back for entertainment, Shreveport gamblers, and drug couriers. Basically, money comes from the east to Dallas, drugs flow out of Dallas towards Atlanta.

Kaufman law enforcement officers (LEO) dutifully carry on the futile sysiphean quest of highway drug interdiction. KC LEOs regularly intercept drug couriers and most of the cases shape up the same way. Let's look at the similarities.

Dirty license plates and out of state plates
LEO only needs reasonable suspicion of any traffic violation before pulling a driver over. The pretext stop classic in KC is the dirty license plate light. If you are driving with Louisiana plates I'd suggest you check your license plate light before entering Kaufman county.

What were you doing in Dallas?
Kaufman LEOs know that Dallas is the the Sam's Wholesale club of narcotics. If you are on a quick one or two day trip to Dallas the cops are going to assume you are riding dirty.

In Texas you are under no obligation to share travel plans with police. It's always better to shut up than ramble on. If the driver has any criminal history LEO won't believe the story anyway. Popular reasons for Dallas travel are job interviews and family functions. If you are going to tell the police you went to a family reunion over the weekend but you don't have any luggage in the car that raises a red flag.

Sit down and shut up
LEO can smell fear. Cops equate nervousness with guilt. If a suspect is over talking, has shaking hands, or gets out of the car before the police walk up it's usually downhill from there.

The Consent Search
Once LEO hears your lame ass trip to Dallas story and sees your hands shaking he will move in for the kill- the consent search request. I've written about this ad naseum. Here is the cliffs notes version- never, ever, give LEO permission to search your car.

Fresh angles are hard to come by in the blogging era. Just when I thought there weren't any new ways to comment on the legalization debate, this video came out.

Everything does sounds better auto tuned. Wait for the second segment in this video, after gay marriage, before Angry Gorilla.

Brilliant. H/T to The Agitator.

Here is a shocking video from MPP. The field drug tests used by police around the country are wildly inaccurate leading to false arrests. I can't say I was shocked by these results.

An open records request I filed last year found over 500 cases over a two year period in Dallas county in which a suspected was arrested for drug possession and lab tests proved the substance was not drugs. Undoubtedly, these cheap field tests were used in some of these cases.

Here is an idea. How about a presumption that a substance is not drugs until proven in a quality controlled run by real scientists (not cops) using real equipment? Or maybe a presumption that a suspect is innocent? Nah, those measures would "send the wrong message" to kids. Onward Prohibition!

Dallas law enforcement is concerned about border/Phoenix levels of drug cartel violence coming to the Metroplex. I'm usually one to knock law enforcement fear mongering, especially when it comes to drugs. However, the rash of kidnappings in Phoenix shows that Mexican drug cartels will fight for turf in the US.

From DMN-

So far, the only thing that has kept the Gulf cartel from using its brazen tactics in Texas is a fear of attracting too much attention, said James Capra, special agent in charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration office in Dallas.

"The propensity for violence in dealing with these trafficking groups is huge," he said. "We hear daily about things like beheadings, heinous torture, that we are not used to seeing domestically. Are we going to start seeing that here? That's the fear."

Also of concern was the November discovery of the largest cache of drug cartel weaponry ever seized in Mexico – just south of the border. In Reynosa, across the river from McAllen and Pharr, Mexican authorities found 540 assault rifles, more than 500,000 rounds of ammunition, 14 cartridges of dynamite, 98 fragmentation grenades, 67 bullet-proof vests, seven .50-caliber sniper rifles and an anti-tank rocket.

I'm hoping the DMN editorial board reads this story. For too long they have engaged in knee jerk Prohibition apologetics, and a Pollyannish quest to shame each user into giving up drugs (how's that working?). I would implore DMN to consider a new approach.

Mexican drug cartels can only afford to wage a bloody turf war because our government has given them a multi billion dollar monopoly to fight with, and to fight over. It's time to quit blaming drug users for the problems caused by drug suppliers. Instead, we should accept that our government has chosen the wrong supplier.

Only three entities can provide the drugs Americans want- government, business, or organized crime. We've stuck with the third option for nearly 100 years now.Instead of admitting failure and rectifying a policy mistake, we have watched Mexico become a narco state.

Albert Einstein opined that insanity was "doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”

You don't have to be Einstein to realize our government's drug war is a grand delusion perpetuated by histrionics, vested interests, and wanton hubris. If this is really the time for Change, let's start by changing suppliers.

Two great stories from DMN. First, the number of executions in Texas decreased from 27 in 2007 to 18 in 2008. What's the cause of the 30% reduction in government killing? DMN attributes the enormous cost of death cases, a zealous defense bar, new sentencing options, and the decreasing number of murders.

From DMN-

Executions nationwide and in Texas were down in 2008. So were death sentences. The numbers don't lie – but not everyone agrees on what they say. Defense attorneys think the statistics indicate a waning enthusiasm in the Lone Star State, the death penalty capital of the country, for the ultimate sanction. Also Online Link: Texas Department of Criminal Justice schedule of executions "It has taken a little longer for the transformation to be felt here," said Rob Owen, co-director of the Capital Punishment Clinic at the University of Texas at Austin. "I think we are seeing the leading edge of that national transformation." "> Executions nationwide and in Texas were down in 2008. So were death sentences.

The numbers don't lie – but not everyone agrees on what they say.

Defense attorneys think the statistics indicate a waning enthusiasm in the Lone Star State, the death penalty capital of the country, for the ultimate sanction.

"It has taken a little longer for the transformation to be felt here," said Rob Owen, co-director of the Capital Punishment Clinic at the University of Texas at Austin. "I think we are seeing the leading edge of that national transformation."...

The 18 executions that took place in Texas in 2008 occurred in the last half of the year, following a decision by the U.S. Supreme Court that had temporarily halted capital punishment. And 13 executions have been scheduled in the next nine weeks.

Some sad comments follow including calls for speedy public executions. I'll got out on a limb and assume the execution zealots have limited contact with the criminal justice system.

Why should you oppose the death penalty? I'll skip the religious/moral debate on killing defendants. Our government is too corrupt and incompetent to administer something so permanent. The DNA exoneration parade confirms that our criminal justice is not only fallible, but that wrongful convictions are a certainty. Until we provide some basic protections for all criminal defendants, say some sort of bill providing rights for the accused, the state has no business killing anyone.

Politicians of the Year- El Paso City Council
No doubt inspired by my Einstein quote, the El Paso city council passed a bold resolution this week. The unanimous measure calls for a discussion on the possibility of changing federal drg policy. El Paso is hardly a fringe libertarian hotbed. The narco civil war at their doorstep, including 1,600 murders in Juarez in 2008, is the inspiration for change.

Luckily for drug warriors, the asshat mayor vetoed the measure. Status quo protected. Our federal government continues to fiddle while Mexico burns. Supplying American drug demand is so profitable, that drug cartels have billions to spend on a bloody power struggle. Demand creates supply. We can choose a new supplier (government, free market, Pfizer, CVS, Canada) at any time.

From DMN

Concerns about the bloody drug war being fought just across the Mexican border led to a short-lived resolution Tuesday asking the federal government to consider legalizing drugs.

Mayor John Cook vetoed the resolution hours after it was unanimously approved by the City Council.

Beto O'Rourke, an El Paso city councilman, pushed the resolution that asked the U.S. government to start an "open, honest, national dialogue on ending the prohibition of narcotics."

"We think it should at least be on the table and so far it hasn't," O'Rourke said.

Stuff White People Like
I have to admit I'm guilty as charged on a few of these.

Via the Agitator via nevergetbusted.com.
Regardless of how you view the drug war, we should all applaud efforts to rid the criminal justice system of corrupt law enforcement. That's what makes this story so significant. Until now the libertarian/anti drug war movement has been reactionary; waiting for news to happen and responding. Now those who value freedom have the tools to set up traps for the police. This should make great reality television.

From nevergetbusted.com-

It's called an informant plant. The Odessa narcotics unit illegally compelled an informant to plant drugs on Yolanda Madden. The informant testified in federal court he planted the drugs on her and he passed a polygraph confirming the same. Yolanda also passed a polygraph along with a hair follicle and urine test. Our broken criminal justice system ignored the evidence and railroaded her through court sentencing her to 8 years in prison.

Her father hired KopBusters, a new reality show produced by NeverGetBusted, whereby Barry and Candi along with their detectives set up stings across America to catch crooked Kops.

KopBusters rented a house in Odessa, Texas and began growing two small Christmas trees under a grow light similar to those used for growing marijuana. When faced with a suspected marijuana grow, the police usually use illegal FLIR cameras and/or lie on the search warrant affidavit claiming they have probable cause to raid the house. Instead of conducting a proper investigation which usually leads to no probable cause, the Kops lie on the affidavit claiming a confidential informant saw the plants and/or the police could smell marijuana coming from the suspected house.

The trap was set and less than 24 hours later, the Odessa narcotics unit raided the house only to find KopBuster's attorney waiting under a system of complex gadgetry and spy cameras that streamed online to the KopBuster's secret mobile office nearby.

The attorney was handcuffed and later released when eleven KopBuster detectives arrived with the media in tow to question the illegal raid. The police refused to give KopBusters the search warrant affidavit which is suspected to contain the lies regarding the probable cause.

The team of eleven freedom fighters wore red "Free Yolanda" shirts as they clashed with the police demanding answers for the illegal raid and the drug plant. The police would not comment but later stated they were trying to charge KopBusters with a crime.

I've met Barry Cooper. He is one of the most interesting and entertaining personalities in marijuana reform. Whereas some view his self promotion as detrimental to his credibility, I believe he is sincere about changing our nation's obscene marijuana laws.

His Never Get Busted videos generated a lot of media coverage and presented an easy to digest media story (Ex Cop Shows How To Hide Drugs!! Story at Nine!!). Unfortunately, this undercover work is a bit more complicated and therefore has not generated as much media attention. I couldn't find a story on the Odessa newspaper's website.

Finally, without more information there's no reason to believe that there must be dishonesty or corruption behind this search. It could be old fashioned incompetence. I hope the media pays attention and stays with this story. The police can only keep this search warrant hidden for so long. Eventually, the truth has to come out.

DCDLA Christmas Party
The Dallas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association Xmas party was tonight at Pappadeux on Oak Lawn. My only complaint was that there were only two food options; fried and dessert. I pitched my open records project to more people than probably wanted to hear about it. One more time- If you are a defense lawyer with a collection of useful open records let me know. I'm working on a database of open records for TCDLA.

Happy Prohibition Day!
75 years ago our forefathers were wise enough to end the disaster of alcohol Prohibition. LEAP is celebrating, The Agitator has noted the holiday.

To celebrate I had court today for a state jail felony possession drug case. If Texas law had a monument to the drug war it would be the state jail felony.

State jail felony drug cases are used for possession less than a gram of meth, crack, etc. Years ago the lege decided we should get tough on drugs and create a special jail for small time dope cases. State jail cases carried a minimum sentence of 6 months with no possibility of parole.

Guess what happened? State jails quickly filled up with addicts and costs spiraled out of control. The lege should have accepted defeat and made these misdemeanor offenses. In a small nod to reality most state jail felony defendants today are required to be put on probation. Prosecutors are also allowed to sentence these defendants to misdemeanor punishment (county jail time, saves the state money).

The police pull you over and find a suspicious white powder in your car. You swear this powder is for your athlete's foot. The police believe this powder is cocaine.

You are booked into jail. Bail is set at $25,000. The powder is sent to the DPS lab for further testing. You spend two weeks in jail but the DPS lab report comes back negative. Vindicated, you leave jail, short two weeks of life you will never get back.

Think that never happens? You must not practice criminal defense in Texas.

A similar situation with a client led me to file an open records request with DPS. I asked for documentation of cases in which "drugs" were sent to the DPS lab, tested, and found not to be drugs. Here is a copy of my email I sent to the DPS Public Information Office. (To learn how to send your own Open Records Request, click here).

Please accept this email as an open records requests.

Please send all documentation of DPS lab drug testing in which a substance turned out not to be a controlled substance (including marijuana). Please send all offense/arrest reports for these cases.

Please include Dallas and Kaufman County. Please limit this request to cases from 1/1/2006.

I would also like any training manual for testing controlled substances in the field, and DPS lab testing of substances.

I received 62 cases from Kaufman County, and over 500 from Dallas County!! I am still awaiting the police reports on these cases.

Questions I have-
Were these substances all field tested? Were those field tests positive?
Did the suspects tell the police these were not drugs? Did the cops ignore these pleas?
How long did these suspects sit in jail? What was bail set at?
How many of these tests were for marijuana? In Texas, the police can testify that a substance is marijuana. For other drugs, a lab test is required to confirm the substance is narcotics.

Finally, whenever Dallasnews.com does a story on the horrible conditions in the Dallas jail, there are always a few comments on the lines of "Don't break the law, and you won't go to jail!" I wonder what these people would say to the 500 people arrested in these cases?

I'll update as the story progresses.

Texas' Drug Free Zone (DFZ) law is a testament to the failure of Prohibition. If our drug war worked special laws to keep drugs out of certain areas wouldn't be necessary. But I digress.

So what is a Drug Free Zone?
Basically in, on, or within 1,000 feet of premises owned, rented, or leased by an institution of higher learning, the premises of a public or private youth center, or a playground; or in, on, or within 300 feet of the premises of a public swimming pool or video arcade facility or on a school bus.

The DFZ fantasy is that cops are busting drug dealers who prey on innocent school children. In my experience most DFZ charges are brought against adults with a joint in their car 900 feet away from a prohibited area. Local cops quickly learn which roads are in a DFZ, and adjust their traffic stop/fishing for drugs activity accordingly.

What happens to a DFZ case?
This is fairly complicated. Basically, the punishments are increased. More jail time, probation can be denied, sentences can be stacked. Read this great article from TDCAA for more info.

Wait a minute, this law would make every college a drug free zone. I've been to college and it's no drug free zone.
Good observation. Since most legislators went to college, and/or have kids in college, some DFZ provisions don't apply to college campuses. For example, simple marijuana possession on a college campus doesn't fall under the DFZ law.

Cindy McCain is speaking tonite at the Republican Convention. Her husband John is the GOP presidential nominee. John is anadvocate for federal prosecution of medical marijuana patients.

Cindy is an ex addict who allegedly stole prescription drugs from a charity she worked at. Fortunately for Cindy she had an excellent defense to federal prosecution; her husband is John McCain.

Unfortunately thousands of other addicts who are not John McCain's wife are arrested and incarcerated every year.

I just got back from Mexico. It was a wonderful week in beautiful Quintana Roo. I spent two days wandering Playa Del Carmen, a small port city near Cozumel. Commerce is a contact sport is most Mexican markets, Playa is no different. Most shopkeepers sit in front of their store inviting you in with various pitches. For some reason I felt obligated to acknowledge each offer to visit a certain store.

Inevitably, visitors to the market are offered contraband for sale. This wasn't my first trip to a market in Mexico and I wasn't surprised at the advertisement. This behavior is not limited to Mexico. I experienced similar salesman working in New Orleans on Bourbon Street.

If you had to decide what laws in a society were important and which were foolish political fabrications one must only look at which laws are enforced against tourists. Shopkeepers were not offering murder or arson for sale. Laws that mattered were still enforced. Tourist dollars are a powerful force, capable of repealing malum prohibitum laws.

In Mexico and New Orleans I have no doubt that the local dealers operated with the approval of the local police. These were hardly clandestine operations and could have easily been shut down with a few undercover busts. Instead of fighting these markets, it seems that law enforcement often choose to merely take their cut.

On a side note- I intended to post the Mexican drug laws, however I can't find a good English translation, does anyone have one available?

For those new to the blog I am a member of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Law's (NORML) legal comittee. I used to prosecute pot cases, now I defend them. My goal is for a future in which lawyers will do neither.

That being said, here is This Week In Federal Marijuana Prohibition

Marijuana Is Grown By Illegal Immigrants!!!
CNN reports that Mexican Drug Cartels are using illegal immigrants to grow pot in national forests. Lou Dobb's network manages to hit all the xeno panic without asking the simple question- Wouldn't legalization end this practice?

Last time I checked Mexican drug cartels were not using illegal immigrants to grow tobacco, or run moonshine stills. If you are really want to end these drug cartel pot farms in national parks, legalize pot.

Deadly Addictive Substance
Here is a video of prohibition's Colonel Klink, John Walters. John makes a few statements while chopping down pot plants. Among them is that
1. Hollywood must quit glamorizing pot, this is their fault
2.This isn't "Cheech and Chong" marijuana.
3. Marijuana is a deadly addictive substance

Let's break down these three statements.
1. Hollywood is a typical scapegoat for lost conservative causes. Why should prohibition be any different?
2 shows the need for legalization. When marijuana is legal, I'm sure Cheech and Chong brand pot will be trademarked and consumers will know for sure if certain plants are CNC brand. Mr. Walters is right, we need better labeling of marijuana products (thc level etc) so consumers can make informed decisions.
3 is 100% false, no one can overdose on marijuana and addiction potential is extremely low. However, Mr. Walters salary, power, and benefits are built on that lie so he isn't really in a position to question it.

Notice all those federal para millitary forces chopping down pot plants (are the masks really necessary?) Is that the best use of your tax dollars? You employ 200 full time federal agents who do nothing but chop down pot plants all year. Do you like watching John Walters use your tax dollars on a federal para military gardening operation?

The Charlie Lynch Mushroom Jury
Here is why we need to fire the John Walters of the world. These petty tyrants joyfully incarcerate decent hard working Americans for marijuana crimes. Charlie Lynch is only the most recent victim of federal medical marijuana prosecutions.

Mr. Lynch was found guilty of violating federal marijuana laws despite the fact he operated a state licensed and legal in California marijuana dispensary, and despite the fact he sought DEA advise and approval for his operation.

Mr. Lynch opted for a jury trial. Unfortunately this was a typical mushroom jury (kept in the dark and fed shit). The jurors were not allowed to hear important defense evidence. And of course, all jury nullification arguments and evidence were prohibited.

For a sobering, if not scary insight into how the federal criminal justice system,"> watch this great video by reason.tv.

New Fiction Novel By Federal Government
Finally, the federal government released their annual marijuana "factbook". There are many websites devoted to debunking this information. I was happy to list them for USNews readers.

If you were to believe this "factbook" marijuana is a deadly addictive substance, and the only way to control this threat is by banning pot, and arresting users.

Unfortunately, many Americans believe this fear based propaganda. Then again, many Americans will sign up to ban water if you describe it the same way our federal goverment describes pot.

Ban Water? Really, watch this video by Penn and Teller, then you will understand why histrionics and fear mongering is a favorite among the Prohibition crowd.

DMN reports that a Collin County Sheriff Deputy, Robert Benavidez, has been charged with abuse of official capacity. Allegedly, Mr. Benavidez has been working for a Mexican Drug Cartel, the Zetas. Let's look at this story from a two angles.

Prohibition=Corruption
Only 3 entities can supply drugs to the American drug consumer- the free market, the government, and organized crime. We have chosen organized crime. Prohibition gives Mexican drug cartels multi billion dollar monopoly. Drug cartels use these profits to, inter alia, corrupt law enforcement so they can sell more drugs.

If you think this is an isolated case, check out StopTheDrugWar.org
They have a weekly list of corrupt cop stories.

Can I Search Your Car?
I wrote a post last week on automobile consent searches. A few commenters noted that they were happy to let the police search because they weren't criminals. They would have had no problem with Officer Benavidez searching their car.

Most cops are not on the drug cartel payroll. However, the ones that are don't tell you. The freedoms we have given up to fight DWI/drugs are the freedoms we need to protect against criminal governments actors.

Whenever I feel short of inspiration for blogging I can always turn to pushingback.com. If you have never read my blog before PB is the official government "blog" for Prohibition propaganda.

Here is a recent story-

Violent Pharmacy Crime If only we legalized, taxed, and regulated prescription drugs, this kind of thing wouldn't happen, right?

Oh wait.

First I want to congratulate ONDCP for adopting a less formal blogging approach. It's curt, almost pithy and could be mistaken for a real blog post if not for the doltish proposition.

Let's examine the logic, or complete lack thereof, in this post. ONDCP assumes that prescription drugs are legalized, taxed, and regulated. That is true to an extent. You pay taxes on these pills, they are highly regulated, and in some ways their use are legal.

What the post ignores is that the market for addicts/casual users is still illegal. There is no legalized, taxed, or regulated market for these consumers. Ergo, black markets (criminals) fill this demand.

Combine the war on pain doctors, huge demand by addicts/users, Prohibition, and a supply of narcotics at every CVS/Walgreens across America and you get.... Pharmacy Robberies. Prohibition causes crime (including pharmacy robberies). ONDCP frequently argues for Prohibition by complaining about the negative externalities caused by Prohibition.

When adults have a legal supply available pharmacies will not be robbed for pills anymore than liquor stores are robbed for beer.

UPDATE- I sent these comments to ONDCP and asked if they would post and respond. I won't hold my breath. Unlike real blogs, ONDCP doesn't allow users to post comments. I look forward to the debate that will never happen.

Scott McClelland, the former White House press secretary, has written a new book about his time serving the Bush regime. As most of you know, President Bush is a former alcoholic who was rumored to have used cocaine in his earlier days. However, since Bush is well connected neither his drug use or DWI arrest were allowed to ruin his future.

Here is an an expert from an Atlanta Journal Constitution story on the book-

McClellan tracks Bush's penchant for self-deception back to an overheard incident on the campaign trail in 1999 when the then-governor was dogged by reports of possible cocaine use in his younger days.

The book recounts an evening in a hotel suite "somewhere in the Midwest." Bush was on the phone with a supporter and motioned for McClellan to have a seat.

"'The media won't let go of these ridiculous cocaine rumors,' I heard Bush say. 'You know, the truth is I honestly don't remember whether I tried it or not. We had some pretty wild parties back in the day, and I just don't remember.'"

"I remember thinking to myself, How can that be?" McClellan wrote. "How can someone simply not remember whether or not they used an illegal substance like cocaine? It didn't make a lot of sense."

Bush, according to McClellan, "isn't the kind of person to flat-out lie."

"So I think he meant what he said in that conversation about cocaine. It's the first time when I felt I was witnessing Bush convincing himself to believe something that probably was not true, and that, deep down, he knew was not true," McClellan wrote. "And his reason for doing so is fairly obvious — political convenience."

So many drug war lies exist for political convenience. The commander in chief of our War on Drugs is finally being exposed for the full range of his hypocrisy. Whereas Mr. Bush can claim blackout party moments to conveniently forget his coke use, thousands upon thousands of Americans are imprisoned for the same behavior.

If Mr. Obama wins then we will have two successive president who can not deny using cocaine. Maybe, just maybe, we should quit arresting those who make the same choice. After all, they could be POTUS some day.

The story of Cory Maye encapsulates the worst of our drug war- racism, injustice, loss of civil liberties, and needless death. Drew Carey produces another must see Reason.TV episode.

DEA managed to bust some San Diego State students who were allegedly selling drugs. Since when does the SDSU party scene warrant federal intervention? The investigation started when SDSU lost a student to an overdose. The DEA loves piggybacking on tragedy to try and legitimize their existence.

From the DEA-

“Our children are our biggest asset and absent a safe, drug free learning environment, their chances of succeeding are greatly diminished. The San Diego State University Police and SDSU administration are to be commended for their swift actions in confronting the drug use problem on campus,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Ralph W. Partridge. “This investigation spotlights two tragedies. The tragic drug overdose deaths of two college students and secondly, the shattered futures of those students who choose to continue to engage in the illicit sale and usage of a myriad of controlled substances. A drug free learning environment for our children should be the norm, not the exception.”

Notice the instant invocation of "the children." Drug warriors love to talk about children. One of the easiest way to influence an argument is to use fear. It's a cheap motivator, yet highly effective.

Pathos aside, college students are not children. College is the time when young adults learn to operate in the real world- a world that is not drug free. The last thing college students need is to be arrested by the same DEA flunkies whose propaganda they have rejected.

DEA agent Patridge talks about the "two tragedies" of this investigation. Self awareness is in critical supply at the DEA. Prohibition causes overdose deaths and the DEA chose to shatter these futures.

Barack Obama and George W Bush were fortunate that the DEA did not decide to shatter their future. Obama and Bush both experimented with drugs as young adults and went on to live productive lives. Why do these students deserve any less?

A great quote to finish on.

"Cocaine was banned in 1914, and marijuana in 1937," said David Borden, executive director of StoptheDrugWar.org, "and yet these drugs are so widely available almost a century later that college students can be hauled away 75 at a time for them. That is the very definition of policy failure.. Instead of throwing away money and law enforcement time on a policy that doesn't work, ruining lives in the process, Congress should repeal drug prohibition and allow states to create sensible regulations to govern drugs' lawful distribution and use. At a minimum, the focus should be taken off enforcement," said Borden.

I've just finished the John Stuart Mill classic On Liberty. JSM was a 19th century philosopher and political economist. Inter alia, JSM is famous for his refinement of the harm principle. The harm principle is a foundation of modern libertarian (or classical liberal) thought. The HP as explained by JSM-

The only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilized community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others. His own good, either physical or moral, is not sufficient warrant... The only part of the conduct of anyone, for which he is amenable to society, is that which concerns others. In the part which merely concerns himself, his independence is, of right, absolute. Over himself, over his own body and mind, the individual is sovereign.

Well, what about drug abuse? People do bad things on drugs. Shouldn't we just ban drugs so people won't harm others while high? JSM offers a radically simple solution. Instead of banning substances, we should only hold men responsible for actions that harm others. JSM explains-

In the frequent case of a man who causes grief to his family by addiction to bad habits he deserves reproach for his unkindness... but so may he [with] habits not in themselves considered vicious. No person ought to punished for being drunk; but a soldier or policeman should be punished for being drunk on duty. With regard to the merely contingent or... constructive injury which a person causes to society, by conduct which neither violates any specific duty to the public... or to any individual except himself, the inconvenience is one society can afford to bear for the sake of the greater good of human freedom.

Compare Mill's view with these Prohibition apologetics by John McCain. Mr. McCain believes that drugs always cause intoxication and must be outlawed. The fact that we have hundreds of criminal laws that forbid every bad thing an intoxicated (or sober) individual could do does not matter.

Unlike Mr. Mill, John McCain does not believe that individuals are sovereign over their body and mind. The GOP presidential nominee believes that your sobriety, mind, and body are merely property of the federal government. (McCain also ignoresthe obvious hypocrisy of his wife's criminal acts as a drug addict).

Remember my Kaufman County Opportunity Costs story? Half of a felony court docket was there for possession drugs, the other half was there for violating the harm principle. Which group do you want to spend tax dollars to prosecute? Those who possess a substance, or those who harm others? On Liberty may be 150 years old, however it offers some fresh ideas for our tired drug war.
I look forward to the day when our country embraces the greater good of human freedom.

No one saves a drug search like our Supreme Court. It seems that few Constitutional protections apply if the police find drugs. . The latest example is Virginia vs. Moore.

SCOTUS in their own words

Held: The police did not violate the Fourth Amendment when they made an arrest that was based on probable cause but prohibited by state law, or when they performed a search incident to the arrest.

Here are the facts- Moore was pulled over and found to have a suspended license. Virginia law does not allow the police to make an arrest for this offense. Virginia police arrested Moore anyway. A search incident to the arrest produced 16 ounces of crack cocaine.

Moore filed a motion to suppress the search and the crack. Moore's Motion was denied and he was convicted. Moore appealed and claimed that the 4th Amendment protects the public from illegal police conduct. Put simply- Moore's argument was that when police break the law and search a citizen, the search is unreasonable.

Now we have what Drug Warriors have longed for, an end run around the pesky requirement of a warrant, probable cause, and/or actually viewing an arrestable offense to search for drugs.

The War on Drugs always leads to police corruption. Now it has led to a sanction for illegal police conduct. I never thought I would see the day that judges would ok illegal police activity. In hindsight, this decision is merely the cumulation of decades of bad decisions designed to save drug searches.

There are only two ways to advance Prohibition- More Cops/Jails or Less Freedom. We have more prisoners than any other country, and less 4th Amendment protections than ever. We are still losing the Drug War.

Is it too much to ask that police follow the law? Is 16 ounces of crack worth repealing the 4th Amendment?

Recently, the 6th Court of Appeals (Texarkana) released an opinion in.39 acres vs. the State of Texas . In Texas, asset forfeiture cases list the property as the defendant. For example, The State of Texas vs. Ford F-150, or The State of Texas vs. $24,762 are potential forfeiture case names.

.39 acres was actually about Henry Doke, the owner of the Dew Drop Inn in Marion County. The Dew Drop Inn was a commercial space rented out on a month to month basis.

A search warrant was issued for suspected drug activity at the DDI. The police show up and find cocaine and make a few arrests. The State moves to seize the DDI and the land (.39 acres).

Despite the search and arrests no evidence was found against Mr. Doke. Henry Doke was never convicted of any crime. Henry Doke was never charged with any crime. Still the State moved to steal his property, claiming that the Dew Drop Inn had become "contraband".

Prior to the raid Mr. Doke had been informed by a local NARC that there was drug activity at the DDI. Based on that, the trial court allowed the State to seize the DDI.

The Court of Appeals for the State finding that Mr. Doke "should have known" of the illegal drug activity. Mr. Doke raised a factual sufficiency review for appeal. Those are hard to win. However, the court of appeals in Texarkana is setting a precedent- private citizens have been drafted into the Drug War. Ignore NARCs at your own peril.

If you disagree with a NARC, if you don't believe a NARC, if you don't care to be an agent for law enforcement, or simply choose not to further the perpetual failure of Prohibition- the State can and will steal your property.

Own any property in Texas? Care to keep it? Congratulations, you are now a full time drug warrior.

DMN reports that Dallas County Criminal courts have a growing backlog of felony cases.. Even with the addition of two new felony courts in 2005 the number of pending cases is still growing each year. DMN estimates there are 24,126 pending felony cases in Dallas.

What could possibly cause such a huge growing backlog of felony cases? Hmmm.... DMN explores.

The reasons given for this vary, depending on whom you ask. The local criminal justice system has many parts, and defense lawyers and prosecutors can contribute to slow-moving cases. Some cases are more complex and difficult than others, and thus take longer to try. But judges play a big role, too – for example, in the speed with which they hear motions and make decisions.

All the statements in that paragraph are true. However, the real reason cases are backed up in Dallas is.... you guessed it- PROHIBITION!

From 1998 to 2001, Dallas County felony judges disposed of more cases than were filed. But that trend reversed in 2002, the same year former District Attorney Bill Hill's new policy began requiring testing of drug evidence before cases are filed.

Here is how the War on Drugs makes Dallas less safe.
1. First, Making Drugs Illegal Corrupts Law Enforcement. In 2001, Dallas Police were caught using fake drugs and snitches to convict the innocent. Ergo, now all drugs are tested in Dallas County. This testing takes substantial time and resources.
2. Second, Making Drugs Illegal Does Not Eliminate Demand. Despite years of "Just Say No" propaganda Dallasites still want to get high. Drug users are not very hard to arrest. Those arrests lead to hundreds of useless prosecutions annually.
3.Finally, Opportunity Costs Exist. Prosecutors working on possession cases can not work on murders, rapes, assault, theft, burglary of a residence etc.

The Result- Drug cases clog the criminal justice system while real crimes go without justice. Expanding capacity with more courts is not slowing the tide. The real tragedy is that not all felonies are created equal. Drug Possession/Distribution and Sexual Assault are both serious felony offenses in Texas. Both require substantial resources, tax dollars, and court time. Which do you want prosecuted in Dallas? Both? Then you better be prepared to wait for justice.

Here are some other posts on the Opportunity Costs of Prohibition-

Kaufman County Opportunity Costs-
Opportunity Costs and Crime Clearance

Opportunity Costs and Child Molesters

Yesterday, I had two cases on the docket in the 422nd District Court in Kaufman. I quickly browsed through the courts docket and noticed that around 15 criminal cases were set to be heard that afternoon. A quick glance at the State's file bucket showed that roughly 8 of those cases were for drugs.

Plea Negotiation Conferences
In the 422nd a common court setting is a Plea Negotiation Conference, or PNC. I had two of those today. I spent time talking to a prosecutor on the various aspects of my cases. Both cases were reset.

After my cases were reset I looked around the courtroom and noted the 4 prisoners, 2 sheriff's deputies, 5 defense lawyers, and 2 prosecutors and of course, the judge.

Opportunity Costs
Opportunity costs are a term I've used before. For those new to the blog Opportunity Costs put the cost of any choice as the value of forgone choices.

Again, 50% of the cases that day were for drugs. Possession of various controlled substances, in various amounts, all requiring the full attention of the criminal justice system.

Kaufman has some great felony prosecutors. The prosecutor I spoke to had years of experience and education. If my dead body is found in Kaufman County I would have little doubt these prosecutors would do a great job convicting my killer.

Besides the two prosecutors there were a half dozen others with law degrees, various law enforcement professionals with years of training, an elected judge, citizens fighting for their freedom and the family members who care about them, and finally the poor taxpayer funding this production. 50% of that courtroom was there for drugs. To keep people from getting high. To uphold Prohibition.

The amount of human potential we incarcerate for Prohibition is monumental. Not to mention the resources spent to train prosecutors, judges, defense lawyers, police etc. All the time, energy, and money we spend on Prohibition is staggering. It keeps a lot of people busy (myself included). However, it also keeps a lot of people from doing other productive work.

Without the War on Drugs the market would support less prosecutors and defense lawyers. These talents could be used to start businesses, become teachers, or fight other legal injustice (Patriot Act perhaps). The law enforcement agents in the room (bailiffs) could be out looking for real criminals. The inmates could be working to support their family or drug habit. The families wouldn't have to drive to Kaufman to watch their loved ones sit in chains. Finally the judge could focus on murder cases or other civil cases. Lawsuits would be resolved quicker, real criminals would face justice sooner.

I have to admit that when this Drug War is over the criminal market may dry up. However, I will gladly sacrifice this career fighting dope cases and do something else. Have you been injured in a car wreck?

One reason I prefer freedom over government is accountability. If a business does not provide the goods and services the public wants customers take their money elsewhere and the business fails.

Government is the opposite. Failing programs see their budgets increased and almost never close. DARE is one such program. By all accounts DARE HAS BEEN A COMPLETE FAILURE. DARE has shown no efficacy in keeping kids from using drugs, alcohol, or cigarettes. Yet the government continues to waste over a billion dollars a year on DARE.

This week, President Bush issued a proclamation declaring DARE day. Do we really need a day to celebrate government propaganda? Really? Surprisingly,Pushingback.com is the only place I could find this moving declaration from our Commander in Chief.

I know that you don't want to read it. I'm pretty sure George didn't write it. In the interest of brevity I will post one paragraph from the DARE day speech. My links provide the truth to Bush's sad statist platitudes.

All Americans have a responsibility to encourage others to turn away from drug abuse and to make good choices in life. During National D.A.R.E Day, we renew our commitment to providing our youth the knowledge and encouragement they need to resist the pressures that can lead them to experiment with drugs and violent activities. By working together, we can help our children build lives of purpose and strengthen our communities, one heart and one soul at a time.

Happy DARE day!

Pushingback.com is the "blog" for ONDCP, the Office of National Drug Control Policy. They are a full time propaganda outlet for the War on Drugs. Unlike real blogs PB does not allow user comments. PB also rarely creates any original content. They mostly link and post to articles they see as supporting Prohibition.

I have a fairly low of opinion of Prohibition propagandists. They are humorless moral busybodies with a skill set that makes them only fit for government work.

PB reinforces my beliefs almost daily. Today's post is a classic. Here it is, verbatim

Not much is funny about drug abuse, but Stephen Colbert takes a shot:

PB then links to this Colbert Report video with the a spokeman from the Drug Policy Alliance.

Watch the video for yourself. Then marvel at how PB thinks Colbert supports their position. Irony and humor are completely lost among bureaucratic stooges.

It is said that life is a tragedy for those who feel, and a comedy for those who think. Prohibition would have to be included in that definition. Unfortunately for America ONDCP does neither well.

American Drug War is a briliant documentary now playing on Showtime. ADW exposes the history and hyprocrisy of the drug war. It is a much see for any drug war supporter, or opponent.

CIA/Cocaine
I have always taken CIA/Cocaine conspiracy theories with a grain of salt. I believe that government power is almost certain to be corrupted, and the drug war is morally bankrupt. However, the idea that the CIA would actually work with drug cartels struck me as impropable if not incredulous. ADW investigates this dark alliance. Here is a clip where former DEA chief Robert Bonner admits to CIA drug smuggling. From ADW.....

ADW implies that there was a pattern of CIA/drug cartel cooperation to fight communism, support friendly regimes in South America, and/or Iran-Contra. ">The CIA claimed they allowed one shipment of coke to be imported for the sole purpose of "intelligence gathering" on Columbian drug cartels.

Watch ADW and make up your own mind.

The Dallas Morning News Editorial board has a troubling history of drug war cheer leading. Today's editorial calls for supporting Bush's new Plan Meridia. Plan Meridia aims to fight the drug cartels in Mexcio by sending billions in cash and equipment to the Mexican government. Bush foreign policy combined with billions in federal giveaways- how could that not work?

Seriously, this editorial is such drivel that Pushingback.com has proudly linked to it. ( is there not a law that prevents federal agencies from lobbying for specific bills etc?)

Bush foreign policy combined with billions in federal giveaways- how could that not work?

Being a consistent Morning News reader I have discovered the DMN War on Drugs editorial formula.

1. State Problem caused by War on Drugs
2. Blame everything but War on Drugs for Problem
3. Call for more government to fix Problem

If DMN wants to write editorials about the War on Drugs they should take a little time to study the issue before shooting off poilcy recommendations. Until that happens we can expect more support for proposals designed to fail.

Let''s analyze the logic of Plan Meridia. The American government is going to send billions to Mexico to fight the drug cartels. Meanwhile American consumers send billions to drug cartels to supply drugs.

Before we begin another foreign policy disaster can we consider choosing a new supplier for drugs in America? Only legalizing drugs will put the drug cartels out of business.

A wonderful discovery by DrugWarRant. Just watch the video. I can not add anything to the thoughtful discussion.

My wife is sick, so no new material until tomorrow. Until then go to the FWST and comment on this story. It is a typical federal drug bust. ATF and the Arlington Police waste time busting drug dealers who are going to be instantly replace. One of the defendants gets a 17 year sentence. Great use of tax dollars. I guess the DEA couldn't find an medical marijuana patients or pain doctors to harass.

Make sure and comment below the story. There are some typical "tough on crime" knee jerk comments. Make your voice heard.

From the Economist- An amazing story from Texas on the Prison Entrepreneurship Program. PEP teachers prisoners how to be successful business leaders and entrepreneurs. The War on Drugs is a tragedy for many reasons. One is the incarceration of human potential for consensual crime.

Why would drug dealing felon convicts make good businessmen? Let's ask today's hero Catherine Rohr, a venture capitalist who founded PEP after visiting several Texas prisons. From the Economist

Ms. Rohr's premise is that criminals are intelligent people with good heads for business and healthy appetites for risk, and that these traits can be put to productive use. She is particularly interested in people who have already demonstrated these skills—for example by running a successful drug business or achieving a high rank in a gang

The rigorous program has a 50% dropout rate. The students in PEP meet MBA students and business leaders to develop business plans. 40 graduates already have businesses up and running. PEP also slashes recidivism (5% among graduates) and produces qualified applicants for employment.

Supplying illegal drugs is a business. The skills learned are fungible for legal commercial activity. Until we take drug dealing away from organized crime, we can at least take back some of the talent.

The Drug Free America Foundation is a non profit group that advocates for the War on Drugs. I actually support this group financially because they are a recipient of large annual grants from the federal government. It's not bad enough the feds arrest and incarcerate millions of Americans, they also waste tax dollars on redundant propaganda.

Survey Says- Drug Use Is Victimless
DFAF has an online survey on drug use. Here are the results

Question: Drug use is a victimless crime.

Agree. It only hurts the user.: 22.6% Disagree. Individual drug use affects society.: 6.2% Somewhat disagree. It may affect those closest to the user, but not society.: 8.1% Strongly agree. What a user chooses to do themselves is no one's business.: 43.1% Strongly disagree. A drug user endangers every person they come in contact with.: 20.0%

860 individuals have responded to poll.

It is wonderful to see that 2/3 of all readers agree that drug use is a victimless crime. Let's explore those who got the answer wrong.

6.2% chose Disagree- affects society. I guess this depends on your definition of society. However, by defining society so broadly there is really no activity that is victimless."

20% chose Strongly Disagree- A drug user endangers every person they come in contact with.

I guess 20% of the readers are 2nd graders who just finished a DARE class, or DFAF employees. A person smoking a joint is not a land mine. I would suggest those who chose this answer spend some time with a Medical Marijuana patient, or Willie Nelson. SWAT teamsnot drug users, endanger every person they come in contact with.

This poll is not scientific. But it shows that the anti-Prohibition message is getting out. Prohibition is a national disgrace. Take the time to vote and show the DFAF how you feel about their War on Drugs.

The President released the National Drug Control Strategy today. I don't have time to read 80 pages of garbage propaganda. Instead, let us focus on the intro by George W. Bush.

From George W's introduction-

My Administration published its first National Drug Control Strategy in 2002, inspired by a great moral imperative: we must reduce illegal drug use because, over time, drugs rob men, women, and children of their dignity and of their character.

When did dignity and character become property of the federal government? Those properties seem to be in short supply in DC. Is Mr. Bush really saying that we incarcerate thousands of Americans to help protect their "character."

Every flawed ideology starts off with a flawed premise. For the drug war, it's the idea that all drug use is morally wrong. Saying Yes has a great breakdown of the hypocrisy that follows all "morality" claims about drug/alcohol use. Most religions adopt the view that the substance is not evil, but the actions that arise from use. Substances, even drugs, are morally neutral. Only actions can destroy dignity and character.

Lie About Winning- More from W

Prevention programs are reaching Americans in their communities, schools, workplaces, and through the media, contributing to a 24 percent decline in youth drug use since 2001

What George doesn't tell you is that youth drug use is still 50% higher than in 1990. George does get propaganda points for mentioning children. Americans will suffer almost anything to "protect children." What is not mentioned is how many children have lost parents to prison. We incarcerate more people per capita than ANY country on Earth. Protecting children is great. But the fact that children exist does not require us to incarcerate thousands for consensual crime.

Mention Terrorists

We have seized unprecedented amounts of illegal drugs and have denied drug traffickers and terrorists the profits they need to conduct their deadly work.

If terrorists make money off of drugs, it is because of federal drug policy. I would like to see a drug cartel or terrorist group sell anything available at Wal Mart. They would be bankrupt. Do terrorists profit off of beer, digital cameras, or health insurance? Corporations would put drug cartels and terrorists out of the narcotics business if we only let them.

The National Drug Control Strategy is a tale told by a fool, full of the sound and fury, that signifies nothing.

ABC news has a compelling and tragic story of Iraq War veterans struggling with drug addiction. The stress of combat, failure of prescription meds, and easy access to controlled substances (despite 70 years of prohibition) has turned some veterans into addicts.

I hope we treat the soldiers better than the average drug defendant. I challenge any drug warrior to argue for the arrest of these brave soldiers.

Not every American who is an addict is overcoming the stress of war. This story highlights that addiction is a disease with different causes. These soldiers deserve help and treatment, not jail.
Someday all addicts will be treated the same way.

Here's a quote from an injured hero-

Combat engineer William Swenson was injured on what
was to be his final mission in Iraq when his vehicle drove over a 200-pound
improvised explosive device. The blast injured Swenson's spine, and he developed
syringomyelia -- a condition in which cysts form on the spinal cord.

Swenson said a laundry list of prescribed painkillers was ineffective
so he turned to marijuana, the only substance that he said would numb his
physical and emotional pain. Swenson failed a drug test after testing positive
for marijuana as well as cocaine.

Godspeed to all soldiers fighting overseas, or battling addiction at home.

Obama gave a fairly candid account of his past "experimentation" with illegal drugs.

ABC News' Sunlen Miller Reports: Democratic candidate Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., spoke candidly Tuesday about experimenting with drugs while he was in high school at surprise stop at Manchester Central High School in New Hampshire. "I made some bad decisions ... You know, got into drinking and experimenting with drugs, there was a whole stretch of time where I didn't apply myself," Obama confessed to the study hall class.

This story is buried on the ABC news site which is pretty amazing. Barack is admitting to the commission of multiple felonious acts. The lack of media attention shows how the public knows that drug crimes and or drug use does not make one unfit for public office. So why is possession still a felony?

It is time we told the truth about drug use. Many Americans use drugs at some point in their lives and..... nothing happens. They move on and lead productive ordinary lives. Why do we continue a policy that would have made Barack Obama a felon at an early age?

The only thing that separates Barack and George W. Bush from your typical drug felon is that they did not get caught. It is time we saw Prohibition for what it is, as "unlucky lottery" too often "won" by the poor and politically powerless.

DMN has a story on how Mexican drug cartles are using teenage hitmen to further their drug trade interests in the United States. Drug war violence, so long associated with Mexico, is coming to the USA, brought to you by the DEA. Grits For Breakfast does an excellent job breaking the story down (do you ever sleep Scott?).

The only way to stop these teenage hitmen is to put their bosses out of business. The DEA has had 35 years to put Mexican drug cartels out of business. They have wasted billions, incarerated thousands, and failed miserably to stop organized crime from selling drugs. When will we let the free market put these gangs out of business?