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December 5, 2002 - Arizona Teens’ Drug Use Higher Than Teens Nationwide

A new Arizona survey finds that more adolescents in Arizona use drugs, compared to their national counterparts. More.

November 22, 2002 – New Studies Link Marijuana Use with Serious Mental Illness

Today's edition of the British Medical Journal includes several reports of new studies linking marijuana use to serious mental illness, including schizophrenia and depression. More.

November 1, 2002 – Soros, Lewis, and Sperling Not Going to "Win Every Time in 2002"

George Soros, Peter Lewis, and John Sperling have financed some 26 "drug reform" ballot initiatives since 1996. Fifteen passed. Seven either failed to make the ballot or were defeated by voters. Polls show at least two of four in this year's election will be defeated. More.

September 10, 2002 – Drug Use Up Sharply

The 2001 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse, just released, shows sharp increases in the use of nearly all drugs. More.

September 3, 2002 - Join National Families in Action's Public Education Campaign

National Families in Action announces a new campaign to educate the public that three ounces of marijuana is not a "small amount." An initiative in the state of Nevada would legalize three ounces of pot for sale in retail stores. More.

July 22, 2002 – Questions Nevada Citizens Should Ask About the Ballot Question That Will Legalize Marijuana In Your State

Nevadans may want to ask the following questions about an initiative on the November ballot. If passed, it will legalize possession of up to 3 ounces of marijuana. The state will be required to grow, tax, and distribute marijuana to retail stores. More.

June 21, 2002 - Group Collects 107,000 Signatures to Legalize Marijuana in Nevada

The march to legalize drugs pushes on. Nevadans for Responsible Law Enforcement has turned in 107,000 petition signatures for a ballot initiative that will legalize possession of up to 3 ounces of marijuana for recreational use for everyone over age 21. More.

June 17, 2002 – They Finally Admit It: Medical Marijuana Advocates Want Legal Pot

A new political action committee, Nevadans for Responsible Law Enforcement, filed a petition in Nevada in mid-May to legalize possession of up to 3 ounces of marijuana for recreational use. The group is funded by the Washington D.C.-based Marijuana Policy Project (MMP), which has long advocated for medical marijuana. More.

May 31, 2002 – Cadbury Schweppes Marketing Candy Ecstasy to Australian Teenagers

An Australian subsidiary of Cadbury Schweppes has produced a new candy that looks like the illegal drug ecstasy. More.

May 12, 2002 - More From the Folks Who Insist They Don't Want to Legalize Drugs

The following article from High Times, the magazine of the drug culture, was posted by the Media Awareness Project on its website (http://www.mapinc.org) this weekend. More.

May 8 - From the Folks Who Insist They Don't Want to Legalize Drugs: Remarks of Peter Lewis and Ethan Nadelmann at the Lindesmith Center-Drug Policy Foundation 2001 International Conference

"...these laws that we're fighting against are so idiotic it almost deserves no attention, and yet they're screwing up the country and the world..." More.

May 3, 2002 – Oregon Faces Second Medical Marijuana Initiative

Advocates are preparing a new medical marijuana initiative for Oregon's November 2002 ballot. This one, Oregon Medical Marijuana Initiative II, will "improve" existing law by allowing a doctor, nurse practitioner, or naturopath to say anyone can benefit from marijuana. No diagnosis will be required. Patients will be allowed to process up to 1 pound of marijuana, in special cases up to 6 pounds, grow 10 plants at a time, or obtain marijuana from "licensed dispensaries," according to an article by Chris Lydgate in Willamette Week, April 4, 2002. More.

April 20, 2002 – Soros Group Ends Initiative Effort in Florida

The Campaign for New Drug Policies, the organization behind the initiative drive to weaken and ultimately repeal state drug laws, pulled out of Florida Thursday, ending its campaign to place an initiative on the Florida ballot this November. More.

March 25, 2002 - Do Efforts to Legalize Marijuana for Medical Use Encourage Teen Drug Use?

A commentary in the current edition of CD Researcher cites data from two studies tracking an increase in drug use among California adolescents since 1996, the year the state passed the nation's first medical marijuana initiative. More.

March 17, 2002 – Harm Reduction Reaches Its Illogical Conclusion

Those who advocate harm reduction as a valid approach to treating drug addiction have crossed over the line, according to two stories in the press this week. More.

February 27, 2002 – AMA to NBC-TV on Liquor Ads: "Don't Trade Our Kids for Cash."

Today, the American Medical Association (AMA) ran a full-page ad in the New York Times protesting NBC's decision to air liquor ads on TV. More.

January 30, 2002 – Nothing Funny About Comic Strip Character's Wasted Life

By Ed Gogek and Jim Gogek
The Baltimore Sun

You got pretty testy defending marijuana in a recent Doonesbury comic strip. Over the years, you've made jokes about your own pot-smoking in several panels, but we think your problem may be worse than you've let on. We'll put it to you straight, Zonk: You're in denial. More.

January 29, 2002 – Marijuana's Effects: More Than Munchies

By Linda Carroll
From today's New York Times

Dawn was 12 when she started smoking marijuana with her friends. It was just something the cool kids did to relax and forget their problems, she says. More.

January 27, 2002 - Support for Legal Pot in Australia Diminishes for First Time in Years

Article from The Age, Australia, January 27, 2002 – Australians have become more conservative over the legalisation of marijuana, according to a national survey by Morgan Research. "A clear majority (60 per cent) believe marijuana should remain 'illegal'," pollster Gary Morgan said. More.

January 25, 2002 – Physicians Call for End to Canada's Medical Marijuana Program

A Canadian physicians' group, Physicians for A Smoke-Free Canada, has called upon the Canadian government to end its new policy on medical marijuana. More.

January 25, 2002 – Our Apologies

RE: DRUG ABUSE UPDATES FROM NATIONAL FAMILIES IN ACTION Dear Subscribers: We have learned this week that many of you have been sending replies to National Families in Action's Email Updates. Due to technical problems, we did not receive any of your replies. More.

January 23, 2002 – Smoking, Pregnancy Tied To Crime In Sons

Study: women who smoke during pregnancy have sons who are more likely to be arrested than sons born to nonsmoking mothers. More.

January 21, 2002 – Medical Journals Publish Debates on Cannabis Legalization, Opioid Maintenance

The January 12, 2002 issue of the British Medical Journal has published a debate on the legalization of marijuana and published several e-mail responses. More.