opiates

Wonks bash Mexico's Fox over legalization proposal

Posted on August 10th, 2010 by Global Ganja Report and tagged , , , , , , , , .

MexicoMexico's former president Vicente Fox wrote on his blog Aug. 8 that "we should consider legalizing the production, distribution and sale of drugs"—the most far-reaching stand for legalization yet in Mexico, where more than 28,000 people have died during the current administration's war against drug cartels. The proposal is sparking the predictable backlash from hardliners, as AP reports...

DEA boosts Afghan anti-opium force

Posted on July 23rd, 2010 by Global Ganja Report and tagged , , , .

opiumBy the end of 2011, 81 US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) special agents will be deployed in Afghanistan, up from 13 just three years ago, according to the agency's chief of operations Tom Harrigan. "Afghanistan is the most prolific producer of opium," said Harrigan. "We are working very closely with our Afghan counterparts. We're there to extend the rule of law." (Federal News Radio, July 23)

Ghana emerges as West Africa's ganja hub

Posted on June 26th, 2010 by Global Ganja Report and tagged , , , , , , .

Ghanians cheering their national team to victory in the World Cup match in South Africa may have been imbibing in more than just beer. Earlier this month, agents of Ghana's National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) discovered 70 acres of land under illegal cannabis cultivation at Omuaran, Ekiti state. The plantations were burned and seven farmworkers arrested. (The Daily Sun, Accra, June 3)

US biological warfare against Afghan opium crops?

Posted on May 18th, 2010 by Global Ganja Report and tagged , , , .

A "mysterious" fungus that has damaged opium poppy crops in Afghanistan is sparking fears of US biological warfare. Helmand farmers interviewed by BBC Pashto service were convinced that "they" had deliberately destroyed the crops—the pronoun "they" being a euphemism for US secret agents, believed by the farmers to have sprayed the crops with the fungus. The UN drug control office in Afghanistan is conducting an investigation into the outbreak.

Colombia to go Green in May 30 presidential race?

Posted on May 17th, 2010 by Global Ganja Report and tagged , , , , .

ColombiaColombia's presidential election on May 30 is developing into an unexpectedly tight race between Juan Manuel Santos—incumbent hardliner Alvaro Uribe's former defense minister who pledges to continue the current aggressive military campaign against drugs and guerillas—and Antanas Mockus, reformist, anti-corruption candidate of the Green Party (Partido Verde). In February, President Uribe was constitutionally barred from running for a third term, leaving Santos as his heir-apparent and presumed shoe-in. But polls are showing Mockus' potential as an upset victor.

New York state to get drug convict "register"?

Posted on May 14th, 2010 by Global Ganja Report and tagged , , , , , , .

New York State Sen. George H. Winner Jr. (R-Elmira) plans to renew efforts to pass legislation creating a state-level drug dealer registry that would require convicted felony drug convicts to register with the state Division of Criminal Justice Services for up to 10 years. The effort was prompted by several high profile felony drug arrests across the state's Southern Tier, along with input from local law enforcement officials, Winner said. The registry would be similar to one that is already in place for convicted sex offenders.

2010 National Drug Control Strategy: limited progress

Posted on May 11th, 2010 by Global Ganja Report and tagged , , , , , .

On May 11, the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP, or "Drug Czar" office) released its 2010 National Drug Control Strategy, marking a shift of emphasis from law enforcement to treatment and prevention—compared to the enforcement-centered strategy of the Bush administration.

Indonesia: prisoner serves three years for typographical error

Posted on April 10th, 2010 by Global Ganja Report and tagged , , , .

South East AsiaA Thai man was released from an Indonesian prison this week after spending an extra three years behind bars due to a typographical error in his paperwork. Kamjai Khong Thavorn, 53, was to be released in 2007 after completing a 20-year term for heroin possession, but the typo wrongly recorded his sentence as starting in 1997 rather than 1987.

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