Is the Glass One-Tenth Full or Nine-Tenths Empty?

Today the Drug Policy Alliance released a detailed, state-by-state catalog of drug policy reform measures adopted since 1996. Depending upon your mood, it is either encouraging or depressing.

Comments

[dime]

Well I'm depressed. I was hoping to make a move to Wyoming at some point. Sad to see they still like putting grass smokers in prison out there.

[joe]

Can't even look. Sorry.

[Pete Guither]

There are additional signs of hope -- sometimes you may need to look more recently than the years covered in the Drug Policy Alliance report or outside the U.S. (and outside the U.S. does affect us -- as evidenced by the howling of our drug czar each time).

- Texas possession laws (under 4 oz. in the home) ruled unconstitutional
- Canadian laws for pot possession ruled invalid in British Columbia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia.
- England re-classifying pot with new guidelines involving "presumption against arrest."
- Seattle's new Initiative 75, if it's passes, making marijuana arrests lowest priority.
- Netherlands making pot available in pharmacies
- Case being argued in the U.S. district court this Wednesday on medical marijuana calls into question several constitutional issues, including commerce clause, state sovereignty, and 5th and 9th amendment rights
- New safe-injection site opened in Vancouver on Monday

In fact, it's quite possible that the extreme rhetoric of John Walters, et al. could end up actually speeding up the positive progress in some areas.

[Kevin]

Good thing there are substances to alter said mood. If only they weren't so expensive...