Pubdate: Sat, 21 Apr 2007 Source: Tribune Chronicle, The (OH) Copyright: 2007 Tribune Chronicle Contact: http://www.tribune-chronicle.com Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1436 Author: Bill Rodgers, staff writer Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/raids.htm (Drug Raids) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?237 (Drug Dogs) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?225 (Students - United States) POT REPORTS PROVE TO BE UNFOUNDED IN FALLS NEWTON FALLS -- School officials decided to try a bit of strategy to expose drug use in the high school Friday, but their efforts went to pot. Principal John Crowder requested that officer Mike Laswell and his police dog, Gator, sweep the school Friday morning after employees heard students talking about Friday as a sort of drug holiday. Friday's date was April 20 -- 4/20 -- which is a number of some significance to marijuana culture. Pro-marijuana groups called for April 20 to be a day of celebration as a ''reminder of the absurdity of cannabis prohibition.'' This was news to Laswell, who said he saw similar fads come and go in his 15 years with the city police. ''I had no idea what he was talking about,'' Laswell said. ''Crowder keeps in touch with what's going on and what the students are saying. That was the first time I've heard about it being a national pot smokers' day.'' Laswell and Gator arrived at 9:47 a.m. as the school was locked down for the search. The dog indicated that he smelled narcotics on four lockers, but a search of the lockers turned up nothing. Laswell said this wasn't unusual as drug sniffing dogs can pick up on small trace scents of narcotics. Crowder said it was an educator's responsibility to keep in mind the day's significance. ''We do what we can so students know and understand that we will not have drugs in the school,'' Crowder said. Calls for celebration were posted on the Web sites for High Times Magazine and the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws. Allen St. Pierre, NORML's executive director, urged people to ''celebrate responsibly. ... and enjoy '420.''' If Friday was some sort of ''pot smoker's Christmas,'' Laswell said he doubted it would be more dangerous than any other day in Newton Falls. ''Your typical pothead ... they keep to themselves,'' Laswell said. ''They're not like a crack or meth-head where they're out and robbing people. They're likely to smoke and go, 'Cool dude,' and turn on some Pink Floyd.'' - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin