Six directors of the Office of National Drug Control Policy over the previous 3 administrations penned a cooperative op-ed Wednesday in opposition to California's Proposition 19 ballot proposal to legalize marijuana.

The editorial, written by Gil Kerlikowske, John Walters, Barry McCaffrey, Lee Brown, Bob Martinez and William Bennett -- that's every United States "drug czar," including the current one -- was published in the Los Angeles Times Wednesday, and argues primarily that social costs incurred by legalizing marijuana would outweigh the potential revenue streams gained by taxing drug sales.

huffingtonpost.com
Why California should just say no to Prop. 19

Authorities say narcotics task force agents have seized an estimated 25,000 marijuana plants worth up to $100 million on a Southern California farm believed to be run by Mexican drug traffickers.

Sheriff's Deputy Steve Reed, a member of the San Diego County Integrated Narcotics Task Force, was on helicopter patrol looking for marijuana farms Tuesday when he spotted the plants growing on the Santa Ysabel Indian Reservation.

sfgate.com

An electric car made of hemp is being developed by a group of Canadian companies in collaboration with an Alberta Crown corporation.

The Kestrel will be prototyped and tested later in August by Calgary-based Motive Industries Inc., a vehicle development firm focused on advanced materials and technologies, the company announced

cbc.ca

Whatever they're smoking at Facebook HQ, it's not marijuana.

The social networking website reportedly told the Just Say Now campaign, a group getting out the vote for Prop. 19, the November ballot measure that could legalize non-medical pot use, sales and production in California, that "the image of a marijuana leaf" was "no longer acceptable" for its Facebook advertising, according to Wired.

wired.com
Group complains when Facebook blocks image of pot leaf

While Pakalanalani dressed as a purple cannabis fairy with elf ears and handed out weed leis, doctors spoke at the Hemposium about patient use of medical marijuana.

Hempfest spanned the serious to the stoned on Seattle's waterfront Saturday.

Crowds packed Myrtle Edwards Park, Elliott Bay Park and Olympic Sculpture Park to listen to music, browse more than 100 vendor booths and shop for bongs.

celebstoner.com
seattletimes.nwsource.com
old zack

Die bisher "legale Droge" Mephedron (MMC), die als Pflanzendünger oder Badesalz verkauft worden war, ist seit Samstag in Österreich verboten. Sigrid Rosenberger, die Sprecherin von Gesundheitsminister Alois Stöger (SPÖ) bestätigte heute, Sonntag, entsprechende Medienberichte.

Das Ressort hatte eine Verordnung ausgearbeitet, die den Stoff als illegales Suchtmittel deklariert und damit Verkauf und Besitz untersagt. Der Konsum hat in Großbritannien schon Todesopfer gefordert, in Österreich hatte es zuletzt in Tirol und der Steiermark Probleme gegeben.

derstandard.at
Düngemittel Mephedron ist nun illegale Droge
"Legale Droge" Mephedron in Österreich verboten
old zack

Mexican authorities have arrested six police officers in connection with the kidnap and murder of a town mayor.

The officers have reportedly confessed to killing Edelmiro Cavazos, prosecutors said.

Mr Cavazos' body was found, bound and gagged, outside the northern town of Santiago on Wednesday.

His police bodyguard, who was kidnapped with the mayor on Sunday and released by the kidnappers unharmed, has also now been arrested.

Mr Cavazos' bodyguard was the only witness to the kidnapping.

bbc.co.uk
Zetas gang ordered killing of mayor
old zack

Die mexikanische Polizei hat zwei Jahre Zeit, um sich für den Kampf gegen die Drogenmafia im Land zu rüsten. Bis dahin, so sieht es das neue Konzept von Präsident Calderón vor, bleiben Zehntausende Soldaten im Einsatz. Den USA gibt er eine Mitschuld an der Eskalation der Gewalt.

Mexiko-Stadt - Mexikos Präsident Felipe Calderón will bis zum Ende seiner Amtszeit 2012 das Militär im Kampf gegen die Drogenmafia einsetzen. Das sagte der Staatschef und Oberbefehlshaber am Donnerstagabend zum Abschluss dreiwöchiger Gespräche über die schwierige Sicherheitslage mit führenden Repräsentanten aus Politik, Gesellschaft und Kirche. In dieser Zeit solle eine professionelle und schlagkräftige Polizei geschaffen werden. Derzeit sind mehrere zehntausend Soldaten vor allem im Norden Mexikos im Einsatz.

spiegel.de