Important issues go unaddressed because political donors don’t care about them 0 By George W. Liebmann1:46 p.m. EDT, April 5, 2012 If the Obama administration proceeds to electoral doom, blame rests on its surrender to its financiers and campaign organizers: Wall Street and public employee and construction unions. A Democratic administration […]
baltimoresun.com Reefer madness: Reform our crazy marijuana laws 750,000 marijuana arrests a year have gotten our society nowhere By George W. Liebmann 7:00 AM EDT, August 15, 2011 The militarization of the Mexican border is a new phenomenon for two nations whose militaries have traditionally been made to stay out of politics. There are constant […]
Change is in the offing for U.S. drug policy. More than a dozen states, including Maryland, have adopted medical marijuana laws. Attorney General Eric Holder, a decisive member of a sometimes indecisive administration, stated that federal laws against marijuana possession would not be enforced against persons immune under such state laws. Various jurisdictions in California […]
The Drug Symposium Summarized The Calvert symposium on drugs on May 18 did not produce complete agreement among all speakers on all subjects: few discussions do so. However, there was general agreement on some major themes: 1. Treating marijuana possession as an arrestable offense, rather than one leading to a summons and fines or mandated […]
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to a symposium on the war on drugs, a reconsideration after 40 years, sponsored by the Calvert Institute. It seemed to us that the time was opportune for a more detached look at drug policy issues than that which is usually presented.
And it seemed to us that one way of obtaining such a detached look would be by asking some of the people who were present at the start of our national drug agencies to review the developments of the last 40 years.
We also are honored to have as our kick-off speaker former Governor Gary Johnson ofNew Mexico. His participation is explained by the fact that he has invested more of himself in seeking to foster change in national drug policy than any other public official participating in the frequently unenlightening controversies over this subject.
Before we begin with his remarks, I would like to introduce Alan Friedman of Governor Ehrlich’s office to present some greetings on behalf of the Governor.
Beginning in 1985, nearly five million members of the American military underwent routine drug testing, a program which continues, and which is credited with having virtually eliminated from the military the serious problems of drug abuse which afflicted it following the Vietnam war.1 That program is generally adjudged a successful one, though it has inspired […]
It is by now well known that the General Assembly’s Joint Committee on Welfare Reform has recommended that legislation be crafted allowing the state to screen welfare applicants for drug use. The task force is co-chaired by Senator Martin G. Madden (R-Howard and Price George’s) and Delegate Samuel I. Rosenberg (D-Baltimore City/County). There are a […]