Jury Nullification in the Drug War

7 03 2008

The lead writers for HBO’s show The Wire wrote a great piece in TIME this week railing against the War on Drugs. Their suggested approach: jury nullification. They say,

“If asked to serve on a jury deliberating a violation of state or federal drug laws, we will vote to acquit, regardless of the evidence presented. Save for a prosecution in which acts of violence or intended violence are alleged, we will — to borrow Justice Harry Blackmun’s manifesto against the death penalty — no longer tinker with the machinery of the drug war. No longer can we collaborate with a government that uses nonviolent drug offenses to fill prisons with its poorest, most damaged and most desperate citizens.

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War On Drugs Has Unlikely Foe

28 12 2007

Article in LA Daily News about David and Jean Fleming and the War on Some Drugs.  While I hate the sycophantic tone about what a “big shot” he is – clearly Brent Hopkins felt he wasn’t worthy – it’s obvious that Fleming has had a great deal of time to reflect on the issue.



MDMA: The Peace Drug?

20 12 2007

The Washington Post’s Tom Shroder wrote a beautiful piece about MDMA trials that have been underway since the FDA approved my friend Rick Doblin’s research protocol in 2004. This is the first time a journalist was permitted to interview a participant in this groundbreaking study.



San Antonio For Sex?

19 12 2007

Forbes has the list of America’s most lustful cities. Cincinnati? San Antonio? I’m not convinced.



Eco-Boat Powered By Human Fat

19 12 2007

Now here‘s a fuel source we’re not likely to run out of.



Rapid Acceleration in Human Evolution Described

13 12 2007

This Reuters article is interesting for many reasons. One of them is the apparent evolution regarding diet – because many arguments for low-carbohydrate diets have (as one of their bases anyway) the idea that humans have not evolved to accommodate the relatively new arrival of agriculture. I’ll have more to say about this later – I’m reading Good Calories, Bad Calories by science journalist Gary Taubes after being extremely impressed by him on NPR.



Feeling Faint? Have No Fear, GlucoBoy Is Here!

7 12 2007

Check it.



It’s A Fat World

10 11 2007

In January, Disney will close and renovate their psychedelic “It’s A Small World” ride because Americans just can’t keep their hands off the Häagen-Dazs.



Obesity Risks

16 10 2007

Pros say it’s deadlier than smoking; majority of Britons could be obese by 2050 (I’m sure we Americans will beat them to it – we’re already about 35% obese and 2/3 overweight.)



Redneck Rash?

11 10 2007

Officials advised to immunize before visiting NASCAR track in Alabama.