Tomato Gardeners: The Latest Victim in the Government’s War on Drugs

Merely growing a vegetable garden on your own property, or in a greenhouse on your property, or shopping at a gardening store for gardening supplies—incredibly enough—could set you up for a drug raid sanctioned by the courts.

John Whitehead
By John Whitehead
backyard marijuana garden Feature photo

A journal entry from a California resident describes the government’s aerial searches for marijuana plants:  They came again this morning at about 8:00 o’clock. A large cargo-type helicopter flew low over the cabin, shaking it on its very foundations. It shook all of us inside, too. I feel frightened … I see how helpless and tormented I am

Read Full Article

The Lawlessness of William Barr, America’s New Top Law Enforcement Official

The relatively small amount of scrutiny William Barr fell under from Congress and Beltway thought leaders speaks to a conformity of their ideologies. But to understand what America’s new top law enforcement official really signifies as a veteran swamp creature, it is necessary to revisit Cold War history.

Alexander Rubinstein
By Alexander Rubinstein
Attorney General | William Bar

WASHINGTON -- Congress’ confirmation of William Barr as Attorney General for the United States on Thursday has come and gone with comparatively little commotion compared to that attending his predecessor, Jeff Sessions, or Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. Most media attention fixated on the potential for Barr to undermine the work of his

Read Full Article

New Study Highlights Devastating Global Effects of War on Drugs

An International group has called for a major rethink of global policy on narcotics and an end to the failed efforts that governments refuse to relinquish

Jon Queally
By Jon Queally
MARJAH, Helmand province, Afghanistan - Corporal Mark Hickok, a 23-year-old combat engineer from North Olmstead, Ohio, patrols through a poppy field during a clearing mission April 9. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. John M. McCall)

Another major study designed to assess how national governments wage their so-called "war on drugs" shows that the last ten years of such policies have not only failed to put a dent in the illegal drug trade, the tactics have had serious negative impacts for global health, human rights, public safety and economic progress. As a result, the

Read Full Article

America’s Drug Wars in Africa: Missing Money, and a Phantom $500 Million

Both AFRICOM and CENTCOM seem intent on pouring money into Africa’s Drug War, an effort that had produced few successes.

Nick Turse
By Nick Turse
A U.S. Special Forces soldier trains troops from Senegal combat techniques in Kati, Mali, during a joint training exercise with units from several African armies. (AP/Alfred de Montesquiou)

2017 was a year of investigations for U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM).  There was the investigation of the two-star commander of U.S. Army Africa who allegedly sent racy texts to an enlisted man’s wife.  There was the investigation into the alleged killing of a Special Forces soldier by Navy SEALs in Mali. There was the inquiry into reports of

Read Full Article

Prosecuted Then, Prioritized Now: LA Brings Social Equity to Marijuana Sellers

For decades, the War on Drugs has operated disproportionately to undercut the economic and citizenship status of U.S. minorities. In giving priority to that war’s victims when it comes to applying for licenses to sell now-legalized marijuana, the LA City Council is helping to right a long-standing wrong.

Thandisizwe Chimurenga
By Thandisizwe Chimurenga

LOS ANGELES – Beginning in January in Los Angeles, individuals who are low-income and/or have had a conviction for a marijuana-related offense will enjoy priority status when it comes to applying for a license to legally sell the herb. Cultivators or manufacturers will also have such status, thanks to the Los Angeles City Council.  On Wednesday

Read Full Article

In Ongoing Drug War, US-Trained Mexican Troops go Unpunished for Human Rights Violations

When pursuing their various “wars” on drugs and “wars” on terror, the U.S. and the governments it supports in these “wars” are apt to overlook human rights abuses committed by the militaries and police forces upon which they rely. A new report details how this has played out in the Mexican military.

Whitney Webb
By Whitney Webb
A Mexican marine stands by the body of a gunman after shots were exchanged in the city of Culiacan on Feb. 7, 2017. The Sinaloa state prosecutor's office said the men attacked the marines, leaving one of them dead. (Rashide Frias/Associated Press)

MEXICO CITY – A study published Tuesday by the advocacy group Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA) has revealed the woeful inadequacy of the Mexican government in pursuing cases of human rights violations committed by soldiers against civilians -- in spite of recent reforms that allow such cases to be heard by civilian, rather than military,

Read Full Article