“About 2,000 newly trained federal agents arrived in this embattled border city this week to join Mexican troops and local police in an effort to curtail spiraling violence.” http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/world/mexico/stories/DN-juarez_15int.ART.State.Edition1.4bd38e9.html

“Deputies with the Perry County Sheriff’s Department arrested two people on meth charges after performing a welfare check.” http://www.kfvs12.com/Global/story.asp?S=11828889

“Marijuana advocates packed a public hearing Wednesday calling for changes to Washington state’s drug laws. Lawmakers are considering two bills. One would legalize marijuana for those 21 and older, and regulate it like alcohol. Another would decriminalize possession of small amounts of pot for adults.” http://www.seattlepi.com/local/6420ap_wa_xgr_legalizing_marijuana.html

“Still, for California to purport to legalize marijuana unilaterally raises several serious concerns. For one thing, to do so simply because the state faces a budget crisis would be a rash and reckless way to make public policy. More important, California does not have the authority to take such a step. Cannabis may be the…

“More than three percent of “sudden deaths” in a region of Spain — and probably across much of Europe — are related to cocaine use, according to a study released on Wednesday. Even modest amounts of the illegal drug cannot be considered safe for so-called “recreational use,” the authors warned, noting that cocaine consumption has…

“The lucrative drug trade is already having a deleterious impact on West African nations. Local authorities told Reuters they are increasingly outgunned and unable to stop the smugglers. And significantly, many experts say, the drug trafficking is bringing in huge revenues to groups that say they are part of al-Qaida.” http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34840622/ns/us_news-security/

“Lawton Boy, 11, Said Man Was Dealing Drugs From Home” http://www.koco.com/news/22227334/detail.html

“The body of 36-year-old Hugo Hernandez was left on the streets of Los Mochis in seven pieces as a chilling threat to members of the Juarez drug cartel. A note read: ”Happy New Year, because this will be your last.” To drive home the point, the assailants skinned Hernandez’s face and stitched it onto a…

“A clue to explain how cocaine becomes addictive has emerged and may lead to new ways to treat the addiction.” http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/booster_shots/2010/01/cocaine-research-epigenetics.html

“More than 5 million Americans currently use pain-relieving medications like Vicodin, OxyContin and Percocet for nonmedical reasons, according to the 2007 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The problem is particularly high widespread among adolescents. A survey performed by the National Institute on Drug…