If you are interested in helping us out with the new blog, whether as a story/idea contributor or as a post author, please drop me a line at freethedrugs@gmail.com with your WordPress username and we can get you set up as a contributor! Thanks for all the clicks and support over this past year, and I look forward to your continued support!

-Spencer Pearson

Michigan Medical Marijuana Magazine's offices and partner businesses were raided Wednesday by the Oakland County Sheriff's Department.

Yes, I’m afraid you did read that headline correctly. Yesterday eight Oakland County Sheriff’s Deputies served a search warrant on the offices of Michigan Medical Marijuana Magazine, Big Daddy’s Compassion Club and Big Daddy’s Hydro shop in Oak Park, MI. No arrests were made. However, the gun-toting cowboys did take something with them when they left: $20,000 in cash. This cash was seized from receipts, registers and even the wallets of the employees on site. Let me repeat that last one: THE COPS TOOK THE MONEY FROM EVERYONE’S WALLETS. This is a plain old-fashioned stick-up. Witnesses say that one of the officers was even wearing a mask! So what happens to this money? If no one was arrested, why do they get to take cash?

The answer of course is civil asset forfeiture. If you’ve never heard the term before, here’s a catch-up post from earlier, but basically if the government suspects your property was involved in a crime or your money came from a crime, they can seize it. The burden of proof then lies on your shoulders because property doesn’t have the same rights as a person. Nevermind that it’s ridiculous to charge property with a crime. So we end up with cases like “The United States v. 1999 Ford Taurus” and such silliness.

Now about the money. In all states it’s different depending on state laws where the money goes, but almost everywhere cops can use a federal loophole to keep most of the spoils. In our case from Michigan yesterday, the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office gets to keep 80% of the assets seized and the other 20% will go to the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office. Consider it a “robbery legitimization fee.”

So basically Oakland County’s government has taken to wild west tactics to fund their law enforcement branch. Their $20,000 haul means $16,000 for the Sheriff and $4,000 for the prosecutor. Not bad for a Wednesday.

First of all, our problem with the ordinance isn’t that police shouldn’t be pursuing misdemeanor marijuana charges. It’s that they shouldn’t be going out of their way to chase down ANY marijuana case, from 12 grams to 12 pounds. The ballot language passed by 61% of voters in Columbia in 2004 read: “The limited resources of law enforcement should be directed primarily toward crimes of violence or property loss.  The enforcement of laws against marijuana shall be the lowest law enforcement priority.” The current ordinance reads almost exactly the same (Sec. 16-255.2., subsection f; you’ll have to scroll way down): “The limited resources of law enforcement should be directed primarily toward crimes of violence or property loss. The enforcement of laws against marijuana shall be among the lower priorities of law enforcement.” No part of the subsection mentions misdemeanor amounts of marijuana. When the ordinance passed, 61% of Columbia voters were saying they wanted enforcement of ALL marijuana crimes to be THE LOWEST law enforcement priority. Which means no search warrants for pot, no overtime pay for SWAT officers to try to find pot, and no pot-only cases while there are still plenty of unsolved serious crimes in the area.

Second point: The simple fact remains that CPD HAS obtained search warrants and executed SWAT raids on offenders who were later charged with simple misdemeanor possession. Anyone remember the Kinloch Court incident? Misdemeanor possession. Of course, they were going for more pot than what they found, but the fact that faulty intelligence can and does happen means maybe we should rethink pursuing marijuana cases with these violent tactics.

Well, after the two prosecutors and Chief Burton had their say, Dan Viets requested that the board continue discussion on the lower priority ordinance at their next monthly meeting when more students are in town to weigh in with their opinions. This was quickly shot down, and the board moved on. The discussion of how to better enforce the lowest priority ordinance was over without even having happened.

At the end of the CPRB meetings they allow time for general public comment. I stood and expressed my disappointment that the board for not even allowing a variety of opinions to be heard. “If you think that you can get a full range of opinions by inviting two prosecutors and the Police Chief here tonight, then you have no understanding of this issue,” I told them. I urged that they take the issue up again in the future when a fair discussion might be had. After I had spoken, Chairwoman Ellen LoCurto-Martinez seemed to understand my point and realize they had not looked at the picture quite as fully. In a compromise, she moved to table time at next month’s meeting to discuss whether it is wise police policy to serve search warrants in connection with non-violent crimes.

Here’s where you all come in. The next CPRB meeting is on February 9 at 7:00 p.m. at City Hall. Come and let the Citizens Police Review Board know your opinion: Should police be serving search warrants, which are inherently violent, to investigate crimes where no violence was committed and no property was damaged or stolen? If you’re interested in speaking to the Board please drop me an email at freethedrugs@gmail.com by February 1 so I can guarantee you some time to address the board at that meeting. I hope to see many students and citizens there!

We made some pretty big strides in 2010, and I’m confident that as we win more victories in the next few years, public support will grow as we continue to spread the truth about cannabis and adopt policies that protect our citizens, not exploit them.

On a happier note, the first MU NORML meeting of the year kicked off rather successfully this year with around 80 students and citizens coming out and showing their interest in fighting back against the Drug War. Our next meeting will be help at 7:00 p.m. in Arts & Sciences room 103, where we’ll be presenting a recap of the National NORML conference.

Speaking of said conference, MU NORML president Lyndsey Garza I have the extreme privilege of traveling to Portland, ORfor NORML’s 39th annual National Conference! I’m leaving town at 3 a.m. tonight and flying out of KCI around 6:30 tomorrow morning. I’ll be a bit late to the beginning of the conference, but follow along for updates throughout the conference. You can also follow the fun at our Twitter page or watch the conference streaming on NORML’s website!

Since I last wrote about the escalating violence in Mexico, things have taken a turn for the worst. With 12 journalists murdered and another 8 disappearing so far this year, freedom of the Mexican press is being threatened in an enormous way. Cartels also hurled grenades at one of the most powerful broadcasting companies in Mexico, Televisa, . In fact, the UN sent a mission to Mexico to examine these threats to the freedom of the press, and the Inter-American Press Association is asking Mexico to make crimes against journalists a federal offense. Cartels are infiltrating newsrooms through extortion and threats of violence against journalists and their families. Last Friday in the city of Tampico, cartels and law enforcement officers had a shootout on the main boulevard of the city, the governor-elect canceled a planned trip to the city, and a prominent business leader was kidnapped. Tampico news agencies didn’t report a single one of those incidents. In fact, most of the news on the drug war in Mexico is being posted anonymously on El Blog del Narco, because it’s dangerous to put a byline on a drug war story in Mexico. Any journalist who covers the drug war is a target, and make no mistake: the cartels are fighting legalization harder than anyone in the DEA, ONDCP, CIA or FBI. And when you look at the big picture, it’s a stomach-churning blend of funny and terrifying: Both the cartels and the members of many of these agencies depend on prohibition to make profits and keep their jobs.

The Late Mayor of Santiago, Edelmiro Cavazos

Mexico has become as dangerous as other countries that are in war zones, such as Iraq and Afghanistan. Last Sunday the cartels kidnapped 38-year-old mayor Edelmiro Cavazos of Santiago, a suburb of the industrial city of Monterrey. His body was discovered on the side of a road Wednesday, bound, gagged and displaying signs of torture. Mexican officials believe that this mayor was disposed of because he refused to take bribes and did not respond to threats by the cartels. And guess who’s been arrested in connection with his death? SIX CITY POLICEMEN. The corruption of the drug war is bleeding into and compromising every institution in Mexico.

It’s common practice now for drug cartels to invade private parties and open fire on guests. This happens several times each week, especially in towns where cartels are struggling to control turf. Last Sunday, a group of gunmen in the industrial town of Torreón showed up to a party hall, blocked the exits and opened fire on the crowd. 17 partygoers were killed and another 18 were injured, and the party as of yet has not been linked to any organized crime or drug gangs. The cartels are now just slaying people to create a state of fear and terror. Anyone can be a target, and this is what Mexico’s drug war looks like now:

Slain partygoers at the site of the Torreón massacre. Photo courtesy of El Blog del Narco.

This was the tamest photo of the bunch, which can be found on El Blog del Narco (WARNING: EXTREME GRAPHIC CONTENT). I’d apologize for showing such a gory photo, but I’m not sorry. This is what’s happening every single day in Mexico. People need to see this. This is the price of a War on Drugs. And here is my message, loud and clear: ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. How many need to die? How many cities must be compromised? What is it going to take before leaders of the Americas collectively end this needless violence with a stroke of the pen? Legalize drugs! That’s the answer, plain and simple. Take the cartels’ money and power, and they will not have a single reason left to slay journalists and politicians and innocent bystanders. Refuse to act, or worse, send in more soldiers and police in another “crackdown” effort, and the bodies will continue to pile up, the heads will continue to roll.

http://www.opposingviews.com/i/first-person-going-after-columbia-swat-for-drug-raid

Since then I’ve been able to work with Dan more often through our shared interest in civil liberties and drug policy reform. Dan, in addition to being on the NORML Legal Committee, is on the Board of Directors for NORML. In the 2004 Columbia elections, Dan had a key role in helping to pass both a decriminalization law which included a ”Lowest Priority” provision for marijuana law enforcement (subsection f) and a medical marijuana ordinance, both ballot initiatives supported by high majorities. To top it all off, Dan hosts an excellent radio show on 89.5 FM KOPN, Columbia’s community NPR affiliate radio station. His show is called “Sex, Drugs and Civil Liberties” and you can listen in for it every Tuesday from 7 to 8 p.m. or listen online at KOPN.org. You can also listen to previous shows here.

Thanks, Dan, for all the work you’ve done in Columbia and all the work you continue to do in the community!

The big issue last night (besides discussing the 2011 budget proposals) was the pending taser ban brought about by petitions from the People for a Taser-Free Columbia. The ban would prevent anyone, citizens or police, from using or threatening to use a taser or other conducted electrical devices. The council heard public comment on the issue from many citizens, most in support of the ban. One man claimed the ban was unconstitutional, citing the second amendment, but of course not only are there limits on the scope of the second amendment, but the right to bear arms applies to firearms, and a taser is not a firearm. One of the city council members expressed worry that by banning “other conducted electrical devices” we would in fact be making it a misdemeanor to use medical defibrillators. Let me address this absurd statement right now: First off, no one in their right mind would arrest an EMT for using a defibrillator to save a life. Secondly, the language in the taser ban is very clear that it would be unlawful to “use or threaten to use a taser or other conducted electrical device against a person.” I add the emphasis to the word “against” because I believe it is important in ruling out defibrillators from the ban. A defibrillator is never used against someone, it’s used for someone in a medical setting. Tasers, however, are designed to be used against people to control or subdue or otherwise hurt them. This argument is an idiotic scare tactic that sadly might lose some voters who are unable to see past it. The most common argument against the taser ban was an interesting one, namely that there are officers who are smaller than the criminals they must sometimes subdue, so they deserve this taser tool because they’re small. This seems at first a legitimate argument, until you realize that there have been small police officers for centuries, but tasers have only been used by Columbia police for 5 years. In that 5 years, officers have proven multiple times that they are incapable of following protocol, including giving citizens mandatory warnings before firing. Officers have pepper spray, night sticks, handcuffs and handguns. They don’t need another torture device in their arsenal, and the main reason I support the taser ban is this: Tasers have been branded as non-lethal, yet tasers can and do kill people. Cops find it too easy to tase tomeone, but they’re forced to think twice before pulling the trigger of a gun. Since City Council defeated the ballot measure, it’s up to Columbia’s voters to decide whether to ban taser use in our town. This means that this November, you have no excuse not to vote. Vote yes on the taser ban this November!

For video of the taser issue being discussed, including the public comment, visit the link above and scroll down to “4. B191-10 Amending Chapter 16 of the City Code to add a new section pertaining to tasers and other conducted electrical devices.”

These statements are obviously incredibly offensive for a number of reasons, but the main one is also the most obvious: Prohibition funds terrorism. Directly. Drug cartels in Mexico rely on cannabis sales for their main source of income and many middle-eastern terrorist organizations rely on the opium trade. These plants are only profitable because they are illegal. What’s more, someone who grows marijuana domestically for profit would actually be in direct competition with terrorist organizations, and therefore would be actually fighting terrorists economically. You might also have noticed Smith claimed there were two pit bulls at the Whitworth residence, but of course numerous reports have clarified that there was one pit and one corgi when the home was invaded. Susan, if you are interested in keeping your seat on this board, I’d suggest you actually read the facts before you make a complete fool out of yourself. Again.

By the way, this is the same woman who wouldn’t give Ed or Angela a chance to address the board that night nor let any of the public speak until after a vote had been reached. Something must be done; if this is really a citizen’s board, the citizens need to take action.