Phillip Smith
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Articles by Phillip Smith
Study finds CBD drinks can substitute for alcohol
In a study published last month in the Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, researchers at the University of Buffalo School of Public Health and Health Professions found that people who drank cannabis-infused beverages cut their consumption of alcohol nearly in half.
Study finds CBD drinks can substitute for alcohol
In a study published last month in the Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, researchers at the University of Buffalo School of Public Health and Health Professions found that people who drank cannabis-infused beverages cut their consumption of alcohol nearly in half.
A CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER: ASBESTOS AWARENESS WEEK TAKES AIM AT A DEADLY HIDDEN THREAT
With asbestos recently detected in play sand, and Australian parents fearful for their children's health, the Asbestos Education Committee (AEC) has issued a hard-hitting warning that children could be at greater risk of exposure to asbestos fibres if asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) are disturbed and not managed safely during renovations and maintenance.
Philly Mayor Nixes Opioid Settlement Funds for Needle Exchanges, MD Bill Would Hike Fentanyl OD Sentences, More... (3/7/24)
A federal court in Vermont rules that the ADA does not protect medical marijuana patients, the drug czar says the cocaine trade remains a US priority, and more. Medical Marijuana Federal Court Rules Vermont Medical Marijuana Patient Not Protected Under Americans with Disabilities Act.
TO BE OR NOT TO BE A MOOK
In Martin Scorsese’s breakout movie “Mean Streets” (1973), Johnny Boy (Robert De Niro) tries to duck out of paying his bar bill at the local pool hall; not his first time. After being called a “mook” by the debt collector, everything slows down as the confused guys don’t know what a mook means. Then they fight over the insinuation, and even though they don’t know if it’s good or bad, they figure it is worth a fight. Most of us did not know the definition or the word’s usage in 1973.
A Dozen Senators Call for Descheduling Marijuana, Bolivia Coca Grower Blockades, More... (1/30/24)
Mandatory minimum sentencing remains in fashion in Boise, an Arkansas medical marijuana expansion initiative has been rejected by the state attorney general, and more. Marijuana Policy A Dozen Senate Democrats Urge Biden Administration to Deschedule Marijuana.
HHS Issues Rule to Ease Methadone Access, Texas AG Sues Pot Reform Cities, More... (2/1/24)
Drug War Issues Politics & Advocacy Rhode Island's first safe injection site is likely to be open by this summer, the FDA renews its warning on "gas station heroin," and more. Marijuana Policy Texas Attorney General Sues Cities That Relaxed Marijuana Laws, Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) on Wednesday sued five cities that have moved in recent years to soften laws against small-time marijuana possession.
Chronicle AM: Yang on Safe Injection Sites, Bloomberg on Marijuana, More... (12/5/19)
Submitted by Phillip Smith on Thu, 12/05/2019 - 6:18pm (Issue #1085) Drug War Issues Politics & Advocacy Michigan pot shops see high demand on opening day, Democratic contenders stake out drug policy positions, Maine finally has all pot business applications ready, and more. Marijuana Policy Michael Bloomberg Backs Decriminalization as Marijuana Views Evolve Amid Presidential Run.
Chronicle Book Review: Reefer Movie Madness
Submitted by Phillip Smith on Wed, 10/13/2010 - 6:47pm (Issue #653) Consequences of Prohibition Politics & Advocacy Reefer Movie Madness: The Ultimate Stoner Film Guide, by Steven Bloom and Shirley Halperin (2010, Abrams Image Press, 336 pp., $18.95 PB) Even the wonkiest of drug policy reformers can't spend all their time reading policy proposals, research results, and desert-dry academic treatises, but Reefer Movie Madness is much more than a mere guilty pleasure.
HI Legal Marijuana Bill Advances, San Francisco Voters Ready for Crime Crackdown, More... (2/14/24)
Marijuana-related legislation is popping up at statehouses around the country, North Carolina lawmakers ponder banning "gas station heroin," and more. Marijuana Policy Hawaii Marijuana Reform Bills Are Moving. Lawmakers in the Aloha State are taking up marijuana with alacrity.
OR Drug Recriminalization Debate, AR MedMJ Advocates Resubmit Ballot Initiative, More... (2/8/24)
A South Carolina medical marijuana bill is back, an eighth Massachusetts municipality endorses psychedelic reform, and more. Marijuana Policy Florida Bill to Cap THC Potency of Recreational Marijuana Advances. The Senate Health Committee voted Tuesday to approve a bill that would cap THC content in smokeable marijuana at 30 percent, Senate Bill 7050.
ID Lawmakers Move to Ban Weed Advertising, CA Therapeutic Psychedelic Bill Filed, More... (2/7/24)
The DEA settles with another opioid distributor, Oklahoma's Republican governor calls for civil asset forfeiture reform, and more. Marijuana Policy Idaho Lawmakers Move to Ban Marijuana Advertising. Rep. Judy Boyle (R) and Sen. Chris Trakel (R) on Wednesday introduced a bill to criminalize the advertising of products or services that are illegal in the state—like marijuana.
Magic Mushroom Busts Jump, "Gas Station Heroin" Brand Recalled, More... (2/6/24)
Fifty members of Congress are worried that the Chinese Communist Party is profiting from illegal weed grows, Pennsylvania's governor calls (again) for marijuana legalization, and more. Marijuana Policy Fifty Members of Congress Demand DOJ Address Growing Number of Chinese-Run Illegal Marijuana Grow Operations.
Germany Pot Legalization One Vote Away, SD Bill to Hike Sentences in Fatal ODs Advances, More...(2/5/24)
The US and China form an official counternarcotics working group to deal with fentanyl and its analogs, a Virginia bill to clear the way for retail marijuana sales advances, and more. Marijuana Policy Florida Bill to Cap THC Limits in Event of Legalization Wins Committee Vote.
Chronicle Book Review: The Silver Bullet Solution
The Silver Bullet Solution: Is It Time to End the War on Drugs? by James E. Gierach (2023, Histria Books, 341 pp., $29.99 HB) Jim Gierach is a former Cook County, Illinois, prosecutor, occasional failed political candidate, and long-time fighter in the trenches taking on the war on drugs.
Portland Drug Emergency Declared, WA Home Grow Bill Advances, More... (1/31/24)
Marijuana legalization bills get filed in Hawaii and Kentucky, a Czech economic council calls for a legal, regulated market in marijuana, and more. Marijuana Policy Hawaii Attorney General's Marijuana Legalization Bill Formally Filed. A marijuana legalization bill grudgingly drafted last year by Attorney General Anne Lopez (D) has now been formally filed at the legislature. In the House, Rep. David Tarnas (D) filed House Bill 2600, and in the Senate, Sen.
The Lives Beyond the Life Sentences
Life in prison without the possibility of parole was deemed too lenient a sentence for Howard Christensen, despite the fact it was the most severe punishment under South Dakota law in 1937. To the chagrin of the state and the posse of vigilantes who would rather have seen him executed, 17-year-old Christensen and his co-defendant were instead sentenced to life behind bars.
5 Reasons to Be Careful When Consuming Marijuana Edibles
Smoking pot is starting to seem old-school. Vaping is on the rise, but the real competition for smoked buds is marijuana edibles. Edibles make up an ever-increasing proportion of marijuana sales in legal states and medical marijuana states, and at this point, the market appears insatiable. And these aren't your father's edibles. Back in the day, edibles basically meant creating marijuana butter and using it in your recipes, and your pot cookies tasted like weed.
How Oregon is turning the page on America’s disastrous drug war
In a groundbreaking move, in 2020, Oregon voters approved the decriminalization of personal use amounts of all illicit drugs, with Measure 110 passing with a healthy 59 percent of the vote. That made Oregon the first state in the U.S. to make this dramatic break after decades of the war on drugs.
How Oregon Is Turning the Page on America’s Disastrous Drug War
In a groundbreaking move, in 2020, Oregon voters approved the decriminalization of personal use amounts of all illicit drugs, with Measure 110 passing with a healthy 59 percent of the vote. That made Oregon the first state in the U.S. to make this dramatic break after decades of the war on drugs.
How Oregon is turning the page on America’s disastrous drug war
In a groundbreaking move, in 2020, Oregon voters approved the decriminalization of personal use amounts of all illicit drugs, with Measure 110 passing with a healthy 59 percent of the vote. That made Oregon the first state in the U.S. to make this dramatic break after decades of the war on drugs.
US Congress votes to kill racist crack and powder cocaine sentencing disparity
This article was produced by Drug Reporter, a project of the Independent Media Institute. Watching the gigantic logjam on Capitol Hill as Democrats attempt to pass both the infrastructure bill and a multitrillion-dollar social spending bill through Congress while Republicans do their best to obstruct it, observers could be forgiven for thinking that Congress has devolved into a do-nothing partisan circus.
House votes to kill the racist crack and powder cocaine sentencing disparity
Representative Nancy Pelosi gives President of the United States Joseph R. Biden Jr. gifts from congress after the 59th Presidential Inauguration at the U.S. Capitol, Washington, D.C., Jan. 20, 2021. Military personnel assigned to Joint Task Force - National Capital Region provided military ceremonial support during the inaugural period.
How the global drug war’s victims are fighting back
U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Despite significant advances made by governments around the world in humanizing drug control systems since the turn of the century, human rights abuses still seem to be taking place in the course of enforcing drug prohibitions in recent years and, in some cases, have only gotten worse.
Letter: McGirt decision took rights away from tribal nation citizens
Letter: McGirt decision took rights away from tribal nation citizens McGirt decision took rights away from tribal nation citizens The McGirt U.S. Supreme Court decision strips away rights from Native Americans as citizens of Oklahoma. There is no federal Castle Doctrine or Stand Your Ground law. That means it’s possible that if you shoot a home invader, you could be charged with murder. Tribal courts don’t prosecute major felony crimes.
Taking issue with McGirt decision
Taking issue with McGirt decision Dear Editor, Osiyo. The McGirt decision strips away rights from Native Americans in Oklahoma. There is no federal Castle Doctrine or Stand Your Ground law. If you shoot a home invader you could be charged with murder. Tribal courts don't prosecute major felony crimes. You will be tried by a federal court under the 1885 Major Crimes Act.
Rethinking Punishing Drug Use in Murder Cases
A woman who bought heroin with her sister and a friend, who suffered a fatal overdose on the drug later that night, is not a murderer, according to the U.S. 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals. That was the June 1 ruling in USA v. Semler, a case that may not set binding precedent, but does send a signal to the prosecutors and the judiciary that the federal courts do not want to see a federal law aimed at so-called drug kingpins applied to mere drug users.
Drug Overdose and the Punishment for Tragedy
Illustration by Nate Beeler on Cagle Cartoons. Federal Court Starting to Rethink Punishing for Drug Use in Homicide Sentencing A woman who bought heroin with her sister and a friend whom suffered a fatal overdose on the drug later that night, is not a murderer, according to the U.S. 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals. That was the June 1st ruling in USA v.
A federal court rethinks the practice of punishing drug use as murder
A woman who bought heroin with her sister and a friend, who suffered a fatal overdose on the drug later that night, is not a murderer, according to the U.S. 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals. That was the June 1 ruling in USA v. Semler, a case that may not set binding precedent, but does send a signal to the prosecutors and the judiciary that the federal courts do not want to see a federal law aimed at so-called drug kingpins applied to mere drug users.
The surprising environmental costs of marijuana
Your cannabis consumption has a carbon footprint, and when everybody's cannabis consumption is added up, that carbon footprint gets mighty big. The resulting greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that impact climate change the most are from consuming indoor cultivated marijuana, which is grown under lights indoors with extensive heating, air conditioning and other electrical equipment.
Biden’s Drug Policy a Small Step in the Right Direction
Illustration by John Cole on Cagle Cartoons.
Biden takes a step in the right direction on drug policy - but sends worrying signals too
President Joe Biden, joined by Vice President Kamala Harris, signs H.R. 1319, the "American Rescue Plan Act of 2021" Thursday, March 11, 2021, in the Oval Office of the White House.
Another win for marijuana: New Mexico embraces legalization
man in black and green camouflage hat holding black and white smartphone On March 31, New Mexico became the second state in as many days to see lawmakers approve marijuana legalization. New York had signed legislation to legalize adult-use recreational marijuana one day earlier. The legislators in Santa Fe, New Mexico, approved the Cannabis Regulation Act (House Bill 2) and the Expungement of Certain Criminal Records (Senate Bill 2).
'This is a historic day': Legal marijuana arrives in New York
On March 31, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo (D) signed legislation that would immediately legalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana for persons 21 and older and set the stage for a taxed and regulated legal marijuana market in New York State. In a tweet posted soon after signing the legislation, Cuomo said, "This is a historic day.
Drug Decriminalization in Canada Signals Change
Photo by Jason Hafso on Unsplash Ending the War on Drugs On February 18, Canada’s governing Liberal Party finally moved to enact long-promised reforms in its criminal justice system by introducing a sweeping new bill that “would require police and prosecutors to consider alternative measures for cases of simple possession of drugs,” other than making arrests.
Why Canada Is Pulling the Plug on Its War on Drugs
On February 18, Canada’s governing Liberal Party finally moved to enact long-promised reforms in its criminal justice system by introducing a sweeping new bill that “would require police and prosecutors to consider alternative measures for cases of simple possession of drugs,” other than making arrests. The legislation would also end all mandatory minimum sentences for drug offenses and some “gun-related crimes,” and open the way for conditional (probationary) sentences for a variety of offenses.
Why Canada is pulling the plug on its war on drugs
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, center, and Army Maj. Gen. Bradley A. Becker approach the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va., March 11, 2016.
Community, alumni voice their opinions in changing name of Robert E. Lee High School
It wasn’t until 1968 that Duval County Public Schools integrated its faculty and staff members. JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Alumni and community members continued to express their concerns about the renaming of their once beloved high school at the Duval County Public Schools meeting Thursday night. History of DCPS’ Robert E. Lee High School “Now is the time to change its name," said a community member. “I’m an alumni of this school.
These 5 states are the most well-placed to legalize marijuana in 2021
In 2020, the number of states that ended pot prohibition reached 15 (and the District of Columbia), as voters in four states—Arizona, Montana, New Jersey, and South Dakota—legalized marijuana through the initiative process. Since 2021 is not an election year, any states that attempt to legalize marijuana this year will have to go through the much more cumbersome legislative process, but at least a handful of them are poised to do so.
The Top 10 Drug Policy Stories of 2020
By Phillip Smith 01/12/21 While drug use increased in 2020 due to pandemic-related layoffs, shutdowns, and isolation, drug policy had a good year, with several drug reform initiatives getting approved. Marijuana for adult use is now legal in 15 states and medical marijuana is now legal in 35 (plus D.C.). A pandemic, civil unrest, national elections—2020 has been a year of tumult that couldn’t be done with soon enough.
From psychedelics to asset forfeiture reforms: Here are the top 10 drug policy stories of 2020
Royalty-free stock photo ID: 1036386907 Secretive woman holding an opiod pill - Image A pandemic, civil unrest, national elections—2020 has been a year of tumult that couldn't be done with soon enough. But when it comes to drug policy, it wasn't all bad; in fact, it was a pretty good year, with several drug reform initiatives getting approved. Here's a roundup of the biggest drug policy stories of 2020. This article was produced by Drug Reporter, a project of the Independent Media Institute. 1.
Here are 10 ways the world of drug policy changed in the year of the pandemic
A pandemic, civil unrest, national elections—2020 has been a year of tumult that couldn't be done with soon enough. But when it comes to drug policy, it wasn't all bad; in fact, it was a pretty good year, with several drug reform initiatives getting approved. Here's a roundup of the biggest drug policy stories of 2020. 1.
In historic vote, the UN no longer considers cannabis one of the most dangerous drugs
The removal of cannabis from the Schedule IV list signifies the UN’s recognition that cannabis has therapeutic uses Mike Lewis and Shelby Floyd in a hemp field in Kentucky. (Photo credit: ) (Anna Carson Dewitt Photography, courtesy of Third Wave Farms) This article originally appeared on Independent Media Institute. In a historic vote on December 2, the 53 member states of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) voted to remove cannabis from during a meeting in Vienna.
Federal Pot Prohibition Ends with Historic House Decision
Cartoon by Bruce Plante on Cagle Cartoons Breaking almost entirely along party lines, the House on December 4 voted to approve the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act of 2019 (H.R. 3884).
House votes to end federal marijuana prohibition
Breaking almost entirely along party lines, the House on December 4 voted to approve the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act of 2019 (H.R. 3884).
The United Nations just held a historic vote on marijuana
In a historic vote on December 2, the 53 member states of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) voted to remove cannabis from during a meeting in Vienna. The CND is a United Nations body charged with supervising the application of the international drug control treaties that form the legal backbone for global drug prohibition.
Drug reform won a clean sweep in the 2020 election
In the days between Election Day and the announcement of Joe Biden as the projected winner of the presidential race, even as national election results remained muddy, one thing was crystal clear: the American public is ready for drug reforms. Drug reform initiatives went nine for nine on Election Day.
Drug reforms won a stunning victory in the 2020 election
In the days between Election Day and the announcement of Joe Biden as the projected winner of the presidential race, even as national election results remained muddy, one thing was crystal clear: the American public is ready for drug reforms. Drug reform initiatives went nine for nine on Election Day.
Oregon Is On The Cusp Of Decriminalizing Everything
In an unprecedented decision, Oregon could set a major precedent in National Drug Reform. November 5, 2020 9 min read This story originally appeared on Lucid News Come November 3, Oregon residents will have a chance to approve the most far-reaching drug reform measure ever to make a state ballot when they vote on Measure 110, the Drug Addiction Treatment and Recovery Act.
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