War on drugs News

Italy's constitutional court has declared a law that tripled sentences for selling, cultivating and possessing cannabis "illegitimate" and has overturned it. Antigone, a prison rights group, say the law has caused prison overcrowding.

Apatzingan - A combined force of Mexican security forces, army and federal police, Tuesday, launched a major operation in the Mexican state of Michoacan aimed at ending violent clashes between armed vigilantes and members of the Knights Templar drug cartel.

Detroit - Speaking at the opening of the Republican Party office in Detroit, Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) stressed the need for the GOP to infiltrate markets the party has largely ignored.

Everett - A young Washington man who turned himself in to authorities because of an outstanding marijuana possession warrant died last year in a county jail from a severe food allergy.

The International Centre for Science in Drug Policy reported this week the war on illegal drugs has failed, with worldwide illegal drugs supplies cheaper and purer now than 20 years ago. This raises questions on government abilities to cut drug supplies.

Paris - Venezuelan authorities moved swiftly to make a number of arrests associated with a seizure by French police of a huge illicit stash of cocaine aboard an Air France flight from the Venezuelan capital, Caracas, bound for a Paris airport.

With money from the United States, the Honduran military has built one navy base and plans to build two more in an effort to curb drug trafficking.

One of the authors of the Reagan-era law that instituted minimum mandatory prison sentences for non-violent drug offenders now says Congress may have "overreacted."

San Francisco - US Attorney General Eric Holder announced on Monday that the Justice Department will seek to reduce "draconian" minimum mandatory prison sentencing for certain non-violent drug offenders.

Portland - Medical marijuana is supposed to be legal and available to patients, according to laws of 20 states, however distributors are caught in the conflict between the Federal regulations and state laws in the war on drugs.