University of Florida / Smart Approaches to Marijuana
Kevin Sabet is Director of the Drug Policy Institute at the University of Florida and President and CEO of Project SAM (Smart Approached to Marijuana). He is the author of Reefer Sanity: Seven Great Myths about Marijuana. A former senior policy advisor to President Obama's Drug Czar from 2009-2011, he also served in the Bush and Clinton Administrations.
The post-Trump 411 on 420 "Good people don't smoke marijuana," according to Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions. He's Donald Trump's pick for Attorney General. What will that mean for California?
The Global War on Drugs Is Dead This week the United Nations General Assembly took on global drug policy . The widespread consensus is that the hardline policies of the 1990’s war on drugs have failed. In the past decade 25 countries have passed some kind of decriminalization for drug possession. Here in the US the original architect of the global war on drugs four states have legal marijuana markets, and 20 others are considering some form of legalization this year. Now the global conversation about drugs focuses on reducing harm to individuals and communities, and decreasing the ranks of users, but nations remain divided on whether to pursue decriminalization or outright legalization.
Uruguay Opts Out of the War on Drugs Marijuana use has been legal in Uruguay since 1974. But now, that South American country of just three million people has caught the eye of the world as the first to permit and regulate cultivation and sale, establishing a legitimate marijuana business. Uruguay's President, José Mujica, says, it's "not about being free and open," it's because illegal drug traffic is "more destructive socially than the drug itself." Most people in his own country do not agree, and the action violates a 50-year old international treaty. But many world leaders call the War on Drugs a vastly expensive failure and they're watching to see if Uruguay can build a viable alternative.
The Crackdown on Medical Marijuana: Prohibition Revisited? Sixteen states and the District of Columbia have legalized medical marijuana, but it's still an illegal, "Schedule 1" drug under federal law. Now the Obama Administration is cracking down , insisting that medical marijuana is a front for recreational use, and generating huge, illicit profits. The poster child is California, which started the movement in 1996 and where medical marijuana reportedly is a multi-billion-dollar business. Is the federal government blind to “compassionate use" by needy patients? Is medical marijuana a scam? What are the parallels to the era of Prohibition?
The Crackdown on Medical Marijuana: Prohibition Revisited? Early in the Obama administration, Attorney General Eric Holder said that even though marijuana use is against federal law, medical marijuana would be no problem in states where it was legalized by the voters. But there was a qualification — as long as growers and others obeyed state law. That seems to be the rationale behind what many perceive as a complete about-face: last week's announcement of a crackdown on medical marijuana in California, where voters approved it in 1996. Now, a federal crackdown on medical marijuana.
The Trump agenda: where's the beef? President Trump says big things are happening. After celebrating a House bill on health care, he doesn’t yet have Senate agreement. With James Comey’s public testimony scheduled tomorrow, the President today tweeted his selection of a new FBI Director. Is the Chief Executive all style and no substance? Later, terror attacks in Iran and conflicting claims about who’s behind them.
Trump's 'America First' goes missing abroad In the Middle East, President Trump is changing some policies of the Obama Administration—and reversing his own campaign attacks on Islam as a religion that "hates us." We hear about his visit to Saudi Arabia and what's at stake for the rest of his foreign excursion.
The longest US war: Will Trump send more troops to Afghanistan? The Trump White House is divided over the Pentagon's request for more troops in Afghanistan—where the US has been fighting for the past 16 years. Is there a formula -- either for "victory" or a political settlement? Is there an end in sight for America's longest war?
Ex-FBI Director Comey tells his side of the story Today, former FBI Director James Comey came close to calling the President who fired him a liar. The White House denied the claim and called it insulting, but Republican Senators did not challenge Comey’s truthfulness. Many questions remain: did the President try to obstruct a federal investigation? Later, we’ll go behind the “velvet rope” for a look at 5-Star health care for the richest Americans.
