The U.S. Needs to Decriminalize Drug Possession Now

Ethan Nadelmann, writing for Rolling Stone:

Imagine what would happen if drug possession were no longer treated as a crime. People would still be arrested for committing crimes under the influence of drugs, including driving, but police would no longer spend millions of hours, and billions of taxpayer dollars, arresting people in possession of small amounts of drugs for their own use. The 4.5 million people under parole and probation in the country would no longer need to be at risk of losing their freedom simply for failing a drug test. The stigma of problematic drug use would likely persist but not all the devastating consequences of a criminal conviction.

Our society is not ready to shift its mindset toward drug policy quite yet, but we’re getting closer each and every day.

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High Court Orders Thousands More Drug Cases Dismissed

Wheeler Cowperthwaite, writing for Cape Code Times:

The state Supreme Judicial Court on Thursday ordered that thousands of tainted drug cases be dismissed because a chemist tampered with samples at the state’s Amherest [sic] testing lab and prosecutors with the attorney general’s office withheld evidence. […]

The case is a result of multiple lawsuits over testing by former chemist Sonja Farak, who stole and tampered with drug samples for her personal use and covered up her misconduct in the lab’s computer system.

She pleaded guilty in 2014 to charges of tampering with evidence, stealing cocaine from the lab and unlawful possession.

She also had testified in court cases between 2005 and 2013 while intoxicated on cocaine, LSD, ketamine and other drugs.

A drug sample testing lab that offers easy access to high quality psychoactives must be an incredibly difficult place for some chemists to work. This particular chemist ended up giving into temptation and broke the rules. Even though she’ll be punished for her actions, the bright side in this case is that a lot of other drug users are going to get off scot-free.

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DOJ Affirms Free Water and Drug Education Not a Violation of the RAVE Act

Dede, writing for Amend the RAVE Act!:

Dear friends and other steadfast supporters,

I am thrilled to bring you two important updates about our work to amend the RAVE Act.

First, earlier this year, I received a letter from the Department of Justice (DOJ) informing me that free water should absolutely be provided at dance music festivals and concerts!

Then, last week the Justice Department added that fact-based drug education material may be distributed at events! In fact, they said that both of these measures have been deemed to be ‘reasonable and appropriate safety measures.’

Free water at music festivals is an absolute no-brainer, and educating drug users about how to use drugs in the safest manner possible can have a huge impact. Lives will definitely be saved because of these changes. This is excellent news for the harm reduction movement.

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The Overdose Crisis: Beyond Opioids

Sheila P. Vakharia, writing for New York Daily News:

Although opioids dominate the headlines, stimulant drugs like cocaine and methamphetamine never went away.

In fact, more Americans use illegal stimulant drugs like cocaine and methamphetamine than use all opioids combined, and recent data suggests they’re contributing to our skyrocketing drug overdose deaths. The latest estimates from the Centers of Disease Control suggest that the number of cocaine-involved deaths across the nation more than doubled between December 2015 and December 2017, while methamphetamine-involved deaths increased by 82% during that period.

Given the prevalence of stimulant use and the growing role of these drugs in our overdose crisis, it is time to broaden our public health interventions beyond a singular focus on opioids to address the unique risks associated with stimulants and poly-drug use.

Amen. People can love their uppers (and benzos, for that matter) too much too.

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What is Monkey Dust?

Alex Matthews-King, writing for The Independent:

Police officers in the West Midlands are warning of a “public health crisis” over a new synthetic drug known as monkey dust that can be bought for as little as £2.

The drug causes hallucinations and paranoia, and users have been known to climb trees and buildings and will lash out at members of the emergency services who approach them. [...]

Monkey dust is also known as MDPV and comes as an off-white powder which can be swallowed, injected or snorted.

I can't say that I know much about MDPV, but I did enjoy Steve Rolles' tweet thread takedown of this article published by The Independent. 

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