Pubdate: Mon, 25 Jul 2005 Source: Register-Herald, The (Beckley, WV) Copyright: 2005 The Register-Herald Contact: http://www.register-herald.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1441 Author: Mannix Porterfield Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Cannabis) STATE'S MARIJUANA LAWS RANGE FROM MISDEMEANOR TO FELONIES Marijuana can get you in a heap of trouble in West Virginia. Simple possession is a misdemeanor, but it can net an offender a jail term of 90 days to six months, along with a $1,000 fine. Drug paraphernalia constitutes a separate offense, but the punishment is a bit steeper -- jail time of six months to a full year and a maximum fine of $5,000. >From there on, the crimes are considered worse, and, hence, the punishment grows tougher. For instance, the sale or cultivation -- any amount, mind you -- can produce a prison term of one to five years, saddled with a $15,000 fine. Peddling pot to a minor, or within 1,000 feet of a school, likewise is a felony, and this offense carries a mandatory minimum sentence of two years with a variable fine. Hauling marijuana across the state line with intent to deliver it to West Virginians is another felony, with a prison sentence of 1 to 5 years and a $15,000 fine. While some are pressing for legalization of marijuana, the National Institute on Drug Abuse provided some sobering statistics. "The use of marijuana can produce adverse physical, mental, emotional and behavioral changes, and -- contrary to popular belief -- it can be addictive," the NIDA says on its Web site. As with the smoke from nicotine, it can damage the lungs, but marijuana's harm extends well beyond that. NIDA says it can impair short-term memory, verbal skills and judgment, distort perception and weaken the body's immune system, possibly rendering a smoker more vulnerable to cancer. "Finally," says NIDA, "the increasing use of marijuana by very young teens may have a profoundly negative effect upon their development." As the baby boomers came of age in the 1970s, marijuana was the drug of choice. More than 60 percent of high school seniors had used it at least once by 1979. This figure fell for a decade, dropping to 33 percent in 1992. One year later, NIDA reports, first-time users rose again, hitting the 50 percent mark by 1997. NIDA estimates 2.6 million Americans used the drug for the first time in 2002, and about two-thirds were under 18. "Furthermore," it adds, "the marijuana that is available today can be five times more potent than the marijuana of the 1970s." - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin