drug laws

Woman Granted Clemency by Obama Is Back in Prison

Carol Denise Richardson was among 1.7K inmates freed during Obama's tenure

(Newser) - A Texas woman serving a life sentence for a relatively minor drug offense and given a second chance by President Obama is headed back to prison. Carol Denise Richardson, 49, was among hundreds of non-violent drug offenders granted clemency by Obama, who was persuaded by arguments from activists that drug... More »

Our Stupid Drug Laws Killed Philip Seymour Hoffman

Russell Brand: We know they don't work, yet we make addicts suffer

(Newser) - Philip Seymour Hoffman may have been an acclaimed actor, but he died alone, as so many addicts do, writes Russell Brand in the Guardian . It shouldn't be this way, for Hoffman or anyone else. He is yet another victim of drug laws that only worsen the problem they'... More »

Obama, Make These 5 Tweaks to SOTU

Ian Bassin lists 5 'bold' moves president could make at State of the Union

(Newser) - President Obama will announce a number of executive actions at tonight's State of the Union Address—but though the writing and planning of the speech likely started months ago, there are probably a number of aides considering last-minute additions even now. Ian Bassin should know: He used to be... More »

Obama Commutes 8 Crack Cocaine Sentences

They were unfairly sentenced under harsh laws, says the president

(Newser) - Eight people who have been imprisoned for at least 15 years over non-violent crack cocaine offenses got welcome news from President Obama today: He's commuting their sentences, reports NBC News . The move is part of the Obama administration's push to correct what it sees as unfair federal drug... More »

Pot Busts Racially Biased in 'Every County in the US'

Pot Busts Are Racially Biased in Every US County

Black people 8 times as likely to be arrested in some states

(Newser) - Police forces all across America are singling out black people for marijuana arrests, according to an ACLU study using arrest data from all 50 states. Black people use marijuana at the same rate as white people, the study found, but they are nearly four times as likely to be arrested... More »

America's Stupidest Drug Laws

'Reason' breaks down the most ridiculous laws the drug war has produced

(Newser) - What's more ridiculous than the war on drugs itself? The plethora of strange draconian laws that have cropped up to support it. Don't believe it? Well, Mike Riggs of the libertarian Reason Magazine has come up with a list of the five most ridiculous ones. Judge for yourself:... More »

RI Becomes 15th State to Decriminalize Pot

Possession of under an ounce to become civil violation

(Newser) - Good news for Rhode Island tokers: A bill decriminalizing small amounts of marijuana has been signed into law by Gov. Lincoln Chafee, reports the Providence Journal . The law makes possession of less than an ounce of marijuana a civil violation with a $150 fine, although three violations in 18 months... More »

Map Shows Pot Laws Don't Affect Price

Price of weed across US charted

(Newser) - The number crunchers at Floating Sheep , using data from thousands of reports on the Price of Weed website, have produced a map showing how the retail price of marijuana differs across the USA. Price are unsurprisingly low in pot-growing areas like northern California, but the map also shows that the... More »

War on Drugs Has Been '40 Years of Folly'

It's been an 'unmitigated disaster,' especially for black America: Charles Blow

(Newser) - Next week marks the 40th anniversary of President Nixon's launch of the war on drugs, writes Charles Blow in the New York Times . It is most definitely not a celebratory column. It is "a war that has waxed and waned, sputtered and sprinted, until it became an unmitigated... More »

Mom Gets 10-Year Sentence for Selling $31 of Pot

Patricia Marilyn Spottedcrow's kids were involved, judge says

(Newser) - When Patricia Marilyn Spottedcrow sold $31 worth of marijuana to a police informant, she never expected to find herself in prison at all—let alone for 10 years. Spottedcrow and her mother, Delita Starr, were caught selling to the same informant from Starr’s house on two separate occasions. Though... More »

Senate Bill Threatens Double Time for Hash Brownies

Politicians not so sweet on edible dope

(Newser) - The nation might appear to be easing up on smoking dope, but that's not the case when it comes to eating pot—at least in the form of sweet munchies like hash brownies. The Senate plans to "harsh your buzz" bigtime, as Gawker puts it, by introducing a bill... More »

Backers Push Good Samaritan Law to Save Drug Users

911 callers don't risk arrest themselves

(Newser) - Good Samaritan laws are designed to make sure people who OD on drugs get help. The idea is to shield callers to 911 who report someone in trouble from getting arrested themselves, Newsweek reports in a look at the push for the laws. So far, Washington state and New Mexico... More »