San Diego Union Tribune, 10 Jun 2010 - LEGALIZING AND TAXING MARIJUANA WOULD BENEFIT SOCIETY California's budget turmoil is the worst in the nation. Sacramento closed a $42 billion deficit this summer only to face tens of billions more red ink already. Most expect another round of tortured budget balancing that further slashes aid to the most vulnerable, raises taxes and fees and kicks the can down the road with billions more in borrowing.

The Eagle-Tribune, 11 Mar 2010 - But Not Enough Votes to Override Veto A bill to decriminalize possession of a quarter-ounce or less of marijuana won convincing support yesterday in the House with a 214-137 vote. But the tally is about 17 votes short of the two-thirds majority needed to override a veto promised by Gov. John Lynch.

Dallas Morning News, 11 Mar 2010 - Taxpayers Foot the Bill for Unreasonable Drug Sentences It's usually not anyone's place in Dallas to tell Tyler jurors what to do or not to do in dealing with felons in their community. Smith County's law-enforcement officials are not accountable to outsiders on how they prosecute cases.

Sacramento News & Review, 11 Mar 2010 - Possession of Hashish Is Legal for State's Medical-Marijuana Patients, Not That Law Enforcement Seems to Know American puffers have always had to deal with the fact that law-enforcement officials traditionally make a distinction between marijuana in plant form and concentrated derivatives such as hash and kief. Now that California has legalized marijuana for medicinal use, that distinction continues to send innocent patients to jail for possession of hash and other concentrates, despite the fact that they are clearly authorized by Proposition 215, according to former state Attorney General Bill Lockyer.

Chattanooga Times Free Press, 10 Mar 2010 - Testing students for drug use is tricky business, so while some local school systems recently have adopted policies, others have experimented and stopped testing altogether. In December, Bradley County Schools began using a new policy that allows officials to test students if there is reasonable cause -- the student smells of alcohol or marijuana or if officials find evidence or hear reports of drug or alcohol use by teachers or other students.

Honolulu Advertiser, 10 Mar 2010 - As if this state wasn't swimming in a sea of troubles already, some lawmakers are seriously contemplating various strategies for loosening state curbs on marijuana use, beyond the current allowances for medical purposes. Have none of them been paying attention to what has happened in other communities once this particular Pandora's box has been opened?

Toronto Star, 10 Mar 2010 - Says 'I'm sure you can recognize a break when you see one' after drunk driving, cocaine charges withdrawn Staff Reporter Justice advocates and opposition politicians are demanding an explanation after former Conservative MP Rahim Jaffer received a $500 slap on the wrist for careless driving, a muted conclusion to his highly publicized drunk-driving and cocaine-possession charges.

Eagle Valley News, 10 Mar 2010 - Special Report: Colin Martin Talks About Life Choices. Colin Hugh Martin considers himself an honest, responsible, God-fearing man. Martin was labeled the ringleader of a Canada-U.S. marijuana smuggling operation between 1997 and 1999. It ended following a 13-month RCMP investigation. Of the 17 arrested, including his father Donald and brother Damyen. Colin was the only one to face a major conviction.

Salmon Arm Observer, 10 Mar 2010 - Notorious: Colin Martin Talks About His Life Choices. Colin Hugh Martin considers himself an honest, responsible, God-fearing man. Martin is the man who was labeled the ringleader of a Canada-U.S. marijuana smuggling operation between 1997 and 1999. It ended following a 13-month RCMP investigation. Of the 17 arrested, including his father Donald and brother Damyen, Colin was the only one to face a major conviction.

The Peterborough Examiner, 10 Mar 2010 - Parent says she also spent nearly $10,000 battling school board over expulsion of son for marijuana use Fighting her son's expulsion from PCVS has cost Jean Grant close to $10,000. The Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board's decision to expel him ended up costing taxpayers nearly four times as much.

The Peterborough Examiner, 10 Mar 2010 - 'We just need to once again be clear on what the process is and make sure we're following it correctly' Losing a crucial appeal at the Superior Court of Justice level was a learning experience for the Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board, says its chairwoman.

The Gazette, 10 Mar 2010 - Dear Attorney General Holder: The Colorado Springs Gazette, Colorado's second largest daily newspaper, respectfully joins four Colorado politicians who wrote to ask that you rein in your Drug Enforcement Administration officers in Colorado. They've acted with disrespect for the voters of Colorado to undermine our state's constitutional right to buy, sell, produce and consume medical marijuana. Their actions have undermined sincere efforts by state and local politicians to achieve responsible medical marijuana regulation

Grand Rapids Press, 10 Mar 2010 - GRAND RAPIDS -- City commissioners adopted an ordinance Tuesday requiring medical marijuana caregivers to register as a home occupation. Before the vote, the commission amended the plan to remove a provision that would have required the caregiver's premises to be open for inspection upon request without a warrant, saying warrants would always be issued for any searches.

The Albany Herald, 09 Mar 2010 - ALBANY -- For drug unit commander Bill Berry, drug investigations are really a matter of quality over quantity. Giving his annual report to the Dougherty County Commission Monday, Berry gave numbers that -- on the surface -- seem to suggest a slow down in the department's drug eradication efforts.

Daily Targum, 09 Mar 2010 - Harvard University economics Professor Jeffrey Miron spoke to more than 200 people Monday night about drug prohibition in the United States and the effects legalizing drugs could have on the economy and society. Located in the Busch Campus Center, the lecture, titled "The Economics of Drug Legalization," focused on a positive and normative analysis of drug prohibition and the effects it has on the black market, while including comparisons between today's drug prohibition and the 1920s and early 1930s alcohol prohibition.

El Paso Times, 09 Mar 2010 - EL PASO -- Thirty-one female drug smugglers are among the fugitives being sought by the DEA and FBI in U.S. border states. They are among 385 people in border regions wanted by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. Federal agents described five of the women as "armed and dangerous."

The Peterborough Examiner, 09 Mar 2010 - Jean Grant says her son was a test case for a new school rule - and her battle with the Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board was a test case for parents who refuse to back down. "I want other parents to know what school boards can do, what principals and vice-principals have the power to do," Grant said Monday.

Times Argus, 09 Mar 2010 - MONTPELIER - A legislative effort to provide eligible patients with safe and legal access to medical marijuana could inch forward this week when a Senate committee decides whether to create state-sanctioned dispensaries for the drug. The Senate Committee on Government Operations is scheduled to vote Thursday on a bill that would establish up to five so-called "compassion centers" at which patients could obtain medical marijuana.

USA Today, 09 Mar 2010 - States' Moves Reflect 'New Era' of Acceptance LOS ANGELES -- James Gray once saw himself as a drug warrior, a former federal prosecutor and county judge who sent people to prison for dealing pot and other drug offenses. Gradually, though, he became convinced that the ban on marijuana was making it more accessible to young people, not less.

Asheville Citizen-Times, 08 Mar 2010 - Our children are challenged enough to master reading and writing, math and science in the classroom without the added anxiety of drug abuse, guns and weapons, and the threat of violence out in the school hallways and playgrounds. It's never good news when students carry loaded guns to school or bring in marijuana or physically assault their classmates or even their teachers. The latest report from the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction shows that such incidents aren't everyday occurrences at school, with a statewide decrease in such acts from last year, along with a welcome decline in drop-out rates for most school systems.