Today marks the 35th anniversary of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the enforcement arm in the federal government's war on marijuana and marijuana users. President Richard Nixon created the DEA by Executive Order in 1973, to carry out "an all-out global war on the drug menace." Of course this includes campaigning against legitimate marijuana reform ballot initiatives.

The DEA started with 1,470 Special Agents, a budget of less than $75 million, and a presence in 31 countries. Today, it has 5,235 special agents, a budget of $2.4 billion, and 87 foreign offices in 63 countries. 

Apparently very little of that $2.4 billion is going toward gun safety training.

Happy Birthday DEA! 

Had this poor guy smoked 23 joints in 30 minutes instead of taking 23 shots of vodka, he'd still be alive. That's right: he sat down at a bar and drank shot after shot until alcohol poisoning set in and he dropped dead while stumbling out of the establishment. Good thing they cut him off when they did...

And get this (as ABC News reports):

And while police say there is no legal limit to how much liquor a bar can serve a patron, Morris' sister is certain he was overserved.

So, it's perfectly legal to serve someone enough alcohol that they die, but completely illegal possess less than enough marijuana to catch a buzz...

Just one day after SAFER called for airport marijuana lounges, yet another in-flight alcohol-related problem occurred. This time, an American Airlines passenger become irrate when denied a fourth drink, inappropriately groped the flight attendant, and began throwing ice at the other passengers. 

One major travel Web site made the link to SAFER's suggestion that adults be allowed to make the safer choice to use marijuana instead of alcohol at airports prior to boarding their flights. 

This latest incident will no doubt bolster the zany idea of a Denver group that is trying to petition the nation's airports to install special smoking sections for marijuana enthusiasts, thinking that if you allow passengers to get high there will be less of a chance that they will become disruptive on a flight.