UN Backs Off Hard Line on Drug Crimes

(NEWSER) - Portugal decriminalized drug possession 8 years ago, so it must have high abuse rates, right? Not according to a new study from the Cato Institute, Time reports. Teen drug use and HIV infection from needles have declined, and more addicts now enter treatment programs. "Judging by every metric, decriminalization in Portugal has been a resounding success," one researcher says. More»

Berlin's not getting the bigger picture, writes Roger Cohen

(NEWSER) - Is the euro the new League of Nations—a grand experiment that eventually gets abandoned and left to waste away? With bailouts in Greece and Ireland and threats to Portugal and Spain, the currency “can no longer take its survival for granted just because its collapse would be unthinkable,” writes Roger Cohen in the New York Times . German chancellor Angela Merkel is right that something’s got to give, and a "eurozone 2.0" may be needed. "But how shallow, paltry and mean-spirited has this German reaction to the euro crisis been!" More»

Change in terminology signals shift in drug policy towards treatment instead of jail

(NEWSER) - The Obama administration's newly confirmed drug czar wants to ditch the term "War on Drugs," the Wall Street Journal reports. The combative term is a barrier to dealing with the issue properly, said Gil Kerlikowske, highlighting the administration's plans to deal with drug abuse as a public health issue and focus on treatment instead of incarceration. More»

Soon-to-be grandma arrested in Wasilla

(NEWSER) - Cops in Wasilla have arrested Sherry Johnston, the soon-to-be grandmother of Bristol Palin's baby, on felony drug charges, the Anchorage Daily News reports. Johnston is the mother of 18-year-old Levi, the boyfriend of Bristol. The two gained the spotlight when it emerged during Sarah Palin's campaign that they were expecting. It's not clear what kind of drugs were involved, but the charges suggest she was manufacturing or dealing them. More»

Brazil, Argentina say use is rising as supply grows

(NEWSER) - Mexico holds the distinction of being the world's biggest marijuana producer—no big surprise there. But little landlocked Paraguay is turning heads after hitting No. 2 on the UN's list of top pot-growing countries, CNN reports. Paraguayan officials aren't surprised: Raids are difficult to orchestrate, marijuana fetches 500% the selling price of a traditional crop, and great soil means everything grows like, well, weeds. More»