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The new Drug War Facts newsletter (Sept. 2013) is now online.

Issue In Focus: Marijuana Legalization

Senate Judiciary Committee to Discuss Marijuana Legalization Sept. 10

US Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) is chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Sen. Leahy has scheduled a hearing on "Conflicts between State and Federal Marijuana Laws" for Sept. 10, 2013. The witness list and other details are available via the Committee website at:
http://www.judiciary.senate.gov/hearings/hearing.cfm?id=094c28995d1f5bc…

Issue In Focus: New Psychoactive Substances

K2, spice, bath salts, kratom, khat, salvia, ketamine, mephedrone – what all these have in common is that they are lumped into a category of drugs called New Psychoactive Substances.

In the US, the National Alliance for Model State Laws has for the past few years been promoting and tracking state and local legislation prohibiting synthetic cannabinoids and other New Psychoactive Substances. The UN Office on Drugs and Crime devoted almost half of its most recent annual World Drug Report to New Psychoactive Substances.

What actually are NPS? According to the UNODC, quote:

The United Nations declared June 26th to be the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking. Leaving aside the fact that they define "drugs" to exclude alcohol and tobacco, their slogan "Make health your new high in life, not drugs" is a good one.

June 26th also marks the day on which the UN Office on Drugs and Crime will release its annual World Drug Report. According to the UNODC's news release: