No One is Safe

No one is safe. Last month's case involving Berwyn Heights mayor Cheye Calvo is one of perhaps 40,000 (yes, forty thousand) such raids each year. What has made it so widely covered is simply the (white, class) privilege and power of the victims. Many, many lives are lost or ruined by these paramilitary operations. You're in extra danger if you happen to be poor and/or a person of color.

> Psychedelic Drugs Could Heal Thousands

There is a horrible sense of meaninglessness and chaos that comes from the extreme loneliness of being cut off. Trauma, whether sustained in the family, or in the military during combat, renders millions feeling unsafe, insecure, mistrustful, and in the end isolated, lonely and desperate. Judith Lewis Herman, who wrote the definitive book on trauma and recovery, stated that all so-called mental illness and suffering could be seen as a person's misguided attempt to survive trauma. Fear separates, love unites. We all wish to grow to freedom, to belong, to participate. Hatred is like gangrene, shame is deadly. Forgiveness is but a faint hope.

> The Chambers Case: Publicity Gimmick or True Justice?

How do you get sentenced to less prison time for committing a brutal murder than for a run-of-the-mill nonviolent drug offense? Just ask Robert Chambers, the infamous "preppy killer." He's agreed to a plea deal that will land him in prison for the next 19 years. That's four more years than the 15 he served for the brutal 1986 Central Park murder of Jennifer Levin.

2008 Global Conference on Methamphetamine

The first global conference on methamphetamine is coming up in Prague this September. As the first methamphetamine-focused event to gather global experts from varied fields, with diverse and even sometimes divergent perspectives, it's assured to be an unparalleled event. Session topics and speakers are now being announced! Check the conference website  to get more information and register.

September 15-17, 2008
Prague, Czech Republic

Horizons: Perspectives on Psychedelics

Horizons is a forum for learning about psychedelics. It seeks to open a fresh dialogue about psychedelics and challenges society to rethink their role in history, culture, medicine, spirituality and art. After a successful debut in 2007, it is now an annual event. Its dates for 2008 are September 19-21. Speakers have been announced and tickets are on sale!

September 19-21, 2008
New York, NY

Ethan Nadelmann Speaking Engagement: The 8th International Conference on Pain and Chemical Dependency (ICPCD)

The 8th International Conference on Pain and Chemical Dependency is a learning experience directed toward anyone in health care whose aim is to help alleviate pain in others.

October 29 - November 1, 2008
Philadelphia, PA

>  Drug War Madness
    Los Angeles Times (CA) [08/11/08]    

>  Mayor's Dogs Gunned Down by Cops in Improper Drug Raid
    Huffington Post (US Web) [08/08/08] 

>  A Kinder, Smarter War on Drugs
    Times, The (Trenton, NJ) [07/28/08]