Drug Law Blog

This blawg "concentrates on evolving areas of law related to the policing and regulation of drugs and cases that deal with civil liability around drug safety. In particular, this blog explores the boundary between the criminal law and the civil/administrative structure of drug regulation, and argues that regulatory mechanisms may offer solutions to some of the most troubling consequences of America's war on drugs."

Author: Alex Coolman is a San Francisco-based attorney.

Blawg Related Categories: Administrative Law • Criminal Justice • Criminal Procedure • Legal Theory • 9th Circuit Court • States • California

Recent Posts from Drug Law Blog

On "Growing Your Own" - Is That Really the Important Battle?
Pete of Drug WarRant referred yesterday to a post from NORML arguing that any proposals around marijuana legalization must include provisions to allow people to grow their own marijuana, and that "those of us who…
We Stopped Afghan Eradication. So What About Our Domestic Eradication Programs?
Now that we've admitted that opium eradication in Afghanistan was simply a massive "waste of money," shouldn't the next logical step be to take a look at the eradication campaigns we have going on right…
FDA Weighs Pulling Nyquil off Shelves to Address Acetaminophen Overdose
The Wall Street Journal's Health Blog notes that the FDA is mulling whether to pull Nyquil off the pharmacy shelf to address the problem of acetaminophen overdose. Acetaminophen (which is called paracetamol by folks in…
Frat Kid Convicted of Running Cocaine Ring Gets Probation
Some folks get 55 years in prison for dealing marijuana, and some folks run a cocaine ring out of their frat house and end up getting probation because they were merely "naive." Nothing to see…
On Sweden's Drug Policy
Another in a series of very interesting short films from the Hungarian Civil Liberties Union, this one looking at the drug policy of Sweden, which is regarding by the UNODC as a "successful" model of…
U.S. to Scrap Afghan Opium Eradication: "A Waste of Money"
Via the NYT: TRIESTE, Italy (AP) -- The United States has announced a new drug policy for opium-rich Afghanistan, saying it was phasing out funding for eradication programs while significantly increasing its funding for alternate…
Prescription Drugs a Factor in Jackson Death?
The NYT raises that concern, but doesn't give any details. The Times (UK) reports the following: The list of prescription drugs that Michael Jackson was reported to have taken includes drugs from three main chemical…
Kids These Days versus SCOTUS: The High Court's Jurisprudence Around Drugs is Looking a Little Out of Touch
Back in June of 2007, when the Supreme Court decided the "Bong Hits 4 Jesus" case (Morse v. Frederick), I noted that the Court's use of the term "illegal drug use" did not seem sensitive…
A Big Day at SCOTUS: Wins in Safford v. Redding and Melendez-Diaz v. Massachusetts
The U.S. Supreme Court today held that school officials violated the Fourth Amendment when they strip-searched a 13-year-old student based purely on the uncorroborated allegation that she possessed ibuprofen and an over-the-counter anti-inflammatory drug. That…
A Call for "A Conversation About the War on Drugs" From Solano County
Solano County Supervisor Barbara Kondylis is quoted today as follows in an article about Solano County's plans to begin issuing medical marijuana ID cards: "This is too long in coming. (Marijuana) does nothing compared to…