Chronicle AM: Gallup: Pot Use "Morally Acceptable," Bangladeshi Drug War Killings, More… (6/4/18)

Two polls illustrate the rising social acceptability of marijuana, Louisiana's medical marijuana program expands, the Bangladeshi drug war could be a cover for political assassinations, and more.

Marijuana Policy

Gallup Poll: Two-Thirds Say Consuming Marijuana "Morally Acceptable." A large majority of Americans — 65% — say consuming marijuana is "morally acceptable." An even larger majority — 78% — say drinking alcohol is "morally acceptable." This is the first time Gallup has asked the question.

Youth Support for Marijuana Legalization at All-Time High, Poll Finds. The annual Monitoring the Future survey of secondary school students finds that 49% of 12th graders supported marijuana legalization last year, a figure the survey called a "historic high." Just a decade earlier, only 29% favored legalization, but support has grown every year since then, except for a one-point downward blip in 2015.

Medical Marijuana

Louisiana Governor Signs Second Medical Marijuana Expansion Bill. Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) has signed into law House Bill 579, which adds Parkinson's, glaucoma, severe muscle spasms, chronic pain and post-traumatic stress disorder to the 10 conditions currently qualifying for medical marijuana. Days earlier, he signed into law a second bill that added autism to the list of qualifying disorders.

International

Bangladeshi Drug War Used to Hide Political Assassinations. The death toll from the Bangladeshi government's bloody drug crackdown has risen to 120, and claims are coming that some of the victims are not drug users or dealers at all, but political opponents of the government. One case is that of Habibur Rahman, who police said had been killed in a gunfight with officers, but his family said Rahman, an activist with the leading opposition party, was last seen being taken away from a local mosque by men thought to be plainclothes police officers. "He was neither a drug seller nor a drug addict. It was because he was involved in politics against the government and protested about land affairs," said a relative who declined to be named for fear of retaliation.

British Home Office Scotches Plans for Glasgow Safe Injection Site. The British Home Office has refused to approve a safe injection site in Glasgow — even though it acknowledges they are an effective harm reduction intervention. The Home Office said there is no legal framework for setting up safe injection sites and there are no plans to amend the law to do so.