Free Republic

<p>Bryan James Epis, the first person associated with a California medical marijuana dispensary to be tried in federal court for growing pot, was sentenced Monday in Sacramento to a mandatory 10 years in prison.</p> <p>Epis, 35, insists the crop in his Chico house was only for himself and four other seriously ill people whose physicians had recommended the drug in conformance with California's 1996 Compassionate Use Act. But he ran head-on into federal law that makes no allowance for medical necessity.</p>

The “worst Drug Warrior in Congress” has lost his seat -- and the Libertarian Party appears to have played a small role in making it happen. U.S. Rep. Bob Barr, an outspoken opponent of medical marijuana, was defeated by Rep. John Linder in a Republican primary election in Georgia on August 20. With 82% of precincts reporting, Linder had 67% of the vote to Barr’s 33%, prompting Barr’s concession. Over the past two weeks, Barr had been the target of a barrage of television ads produced by the Libertarian Party. The ads were run by Carole Ann Rand, the LP...

New Frontier in Random Drug Testing: Checking High Schoolers for Tobacco Breath mints won't cut it anymore for students who have been smoking in the bathroom -- some schools around the country are administering urine tests to teenagers to find out whether they have been using tobacco. Opponents say such testing violates students' rights and can keep them out of the extracurricular activities they need to stay on track. But some advocates say smoking in the boys' room is a ticket to more serious drug use. "Some addicted drug users look back to cigarettes as the start of it all,"...

CARSON CITY -- Assemblywoman Chris Giunchigliani demanded Monday that Sen. Joe Neal, D-North Las Vegas, and a deputy district attorney apologize for saying the drive to legalize marijuana in Nevada is financed by an investor with ties to the South American drug cartel. Giunchigliani, D-Las Vegas, said Nevadans for Responsible Law Enforcement has never accepted and never will accept money from drug cartels. The group is pushing for passage of Question 9, which would amend the state constitution and allow adult Nevadans to possess up to 3 ounces of marijuana. Giunchigliani authored the bill last year that reduced the penalty...

"Our goal is not to cope with the drug problem, but to actively reduce substance abuse in our society," Walters said in an address to the National Treatment Accountability for Safer Communities conference. [...] "We have a responsibility - as family members, employers, physicians, educators, religious leaders, neighbors, colleagues and friends - to reach out to help these people," Walters said. "We must find ways to lead them back to drug-free lives."