Cape Town - The abuse of illegal and over-the-counter drugs was seemingly growing and needed to be dealt with urgently, said the chairperson of the SA Medical Association, Mzukisi Grootboom. He added that South Africa continued to be the regional hub for drug trafficking in and out of the country. "Drug dependency, in all its forms, is a massive problem that creates serious health, social, legal, and economic problems for the country. We need to stand together to deal with this and say enough is enough." [continues 287 words]
Most Drug Dealers Don't Live in Some Fine Pad on the Costa Del Sol, They Actually Live With Their Mammies. THE news that another man has been killed in a war fuelled by money made from drug dealing, begs the question how long are we going to tolerate the illegality of drugs. Yes, the word used is tolerate! How long are we going to tolerate a situation where drug money is fuelling the murderous activity of drug gangs, while the use of drugs is not decreasing, but increasing. [continues 1062 words]
The Willits City Council medical marijuana regulation ad hoc committee comprised of Mayor Bruce Burton and Councilman Larry Stranske recommended a total ban on marijuana cultivation and other pot-related businesses inside the Willits city limits. The recommendation came at Monday's special meeting of the council. Following extensive public comments and an opportunity for each member of the council to speak, no action was taken and no future date was set for any further action on either a ban or to discuss potential opportunities opened up by the Medical Marijuana Regulation and Safety Act. [continues 580 words]
There is a crystal ball to look into regarding marijuana legalization and commercialization, and it is Colorado - not Washington. Ballot Measure 2 is almost identical to the initiative Colorado passed and far different than the one Washington passed. Colorado has fully implemented its initiative, and now there are more marijuana stores in Denver than Starbucks and McDonald's stores combined. Washington has only started to implement its law, and only 19 percent of its stores have been approved. Alaskans need to know about what is going on in Colorado and ask is this what we want in Alaska? In Colorado, there's increased homelessness, increased overall crime, increased alcohol use, increased marijuana DUIs, increased marijuana disciplinary actions in schools, increased public consumption and second-hand marijuana smoke, several marijuana-related deaths, child-friendly marijuana edibles, commercialized marijuana concentrates (like shatter and crumble), increased butane hash oil explosions and extensive marijuana advertising. [continues 51 words]
Colonial Heights Man Accused of Accepting Bribe, Smuggling Contraband into Federal Prison A former federal corrections officer could spend years behind bars for accepting a bribe and smuggling marijuana and cigarettes into a federal prison in Prince George County. The former correctional officer, Jeffery T. Jones, 53, of Colonial Heights pleaded guilty Tuesday in federal court in Richmond to two of nine counts in an indictment against him. He admitted to accepting money to provide marijuana and cigarettes to two prisoners at the Federal Correctional Complex Petersburg in Prince George. [continues 192 words]
A California Appeals Court ruled Oct. 16 neither the Compassionate Use Act nor the Medical Marijuana Program Act allows retail sale of marijuana to consumers. The judges overruled a San Luis Obispo judge's pretrial finding which included the premise that "Providing money in exchange for harvested marijuana may, in itself, constitute 'associating for the purpose of collectively cultivating marijuana.'" The panel of three judges also stated, "The Legislature did not intend such immunity [under the Compassionate Use Act] to apply where the purchaser simply signs a paper stating she is a member of the seller's collective or naming the seller as her caregiver." [continues 489 words]
Families Helpless Amid Concerns About Legitimate Operations A North Shore resident says he has nowhere to turn with concerns about a neighbour's medicinal marijuana grow-op - a federally licensed operation he believes is hurting his grandson. Darryl Janzen has lived in a duplex on Kenora Road for six years. Soon after moving in, he noticed the smell from his neighbour's legal grow-op was so powerful that it spread through the shared cinderblock wall between their homes. Janzen has taken his concerns to his landlord multiple times and also contacted RCMP. [continues 501 words]
Richmond Police Say 4 of 2012' S Homicides Had Robberies Involving Drug Marijuana might seem like a harmless drug to some, but local authorities in Richmond say marijuana deals and the large amounts of money involved in such transactions too often lead to violence. Richmond police investigators believe that four of the city's 42 homicides in 2012 were motivated by robberies involving marijuana, and about a dozen other shootings - maybe more - involved the drug. And that doesn't count the innumerable other robberies in which no one was shot, many of which never are reported because the victim doesn't want to tell the police he was selling pot or trying to buy some. [continues 898 words]
A tersely worded press release signed by Mendocino County Counsel Thomas Parker advised the county had filed a motion on December 21 to quash the federal grand jury subpoenas. "The motion is based on the grounds that the scope of the subpoenas is overbroad and burdensone, oppressive and constitutes an improper intrusion into the ability of state and local government to administer programs for the health and welfare of their residents. No court date has been set to hear the motion in US Federal Court. [continues 235 words]
A growing number of studies are concluding that teen and preteen use of marijuana leads to lower intelligence and the increased potential for psychotic behavior. Binge alcohol use also has been linked to irreversible changes in brain development. The findings are particularly troubling for the Willits area, where school surveys show local students begin marijuana use and binge drinking earlier than the California average. Biologists have known for decades there was a link between early marijuana use and psychotic behavior. There have also been well-established links between early marijuana use and poor educational achievement. [continues 612 words]
Ann Arbor- Thousands of marijuana supporters rallied Saturday in support of legalization of the drug at the University of Michigan Diag. The 41st annual Hash Bash began at high noon and featured medicinal users, caregivers and supporters of marijuana. Charmie Gholson, communications director for Safer Michigan Repeal Marijuana Prohibition 2012, and Charles Ream, coordinator for the Safer Michigan Coalition, were emcees for the event. This year activists collected signatures to amend the Michigan Constitution to allow for marijuana use for all reasons for adults at least 21 years old. The group has about 15,000 signatures so far of the 323,000 needed to get the issue on the November ballot, officials said. [continues 256 words]
Last month the California Second Appellate District threw out the city of Long Beach ordinance regulating medical marijuana dispensaries. If allowed to stand this ruling could disallow the Mendocino County zip tie program. The October 4 ruling determined the City of Long Beach ordinance regulating medical marijuana dispensaries exceeded the intent of the state's compassionate use act to protect medical users from state and local prosecution. The basis for the ruling concluded since Long Beach imposed fees and issued permits for dispensaries to operate it had gone "beyond decriminalization into authorization." This puts the ordinance into violation of federal law by obstructing federal enforcement efforts. The court stated "the CUA simply decriminalizes (under state law) the possession and cultivation of medical marijuana; it does not attempt to authorize the possession and cultivation of the drug." [continues 240 words]
I am writing in response to the recent shutdown of the Metrotown Medicinal Marijuana Dispensary. There has been a new wave of these shutdowns by the RCMP in B.C. since June. Unless someone needs to use medical marijuana dispensaries for their medicine, they may not understand the importance of having them available to us, the patients. Unless they have been prescribed opiates for long term usage, they cannot understand the anxiety of waking up in the morning and not knowing what day it is or where they are. Sure, these moments are momentary but they cause great anxiety and stress. [continues 494 words]
Outgoing Mendocino County District Attorney Meredith Lintott has ruled the August 18 shooting of Mariano Lopez-Fernandez, 31, of Boonville, by the Mendocino County SWAT Team was justified. The district attorney's office conducted an on-scene investigation following the shooting, interviewing witnesses and gathering forensic evidence. The district attorney concluded Lopez-Fernandez died after he "took a position of cover behind a large group of trees and pointed a loaded semi-automatic rifle at the SWAT team. The three deputies on the SWAT team fired at Lopez-Fernandez from a distance of 10 to 15 feet" with their rifles. Lopez-Fernandez was struck several times, and although deputies stopped shooting once he dropped his weapon and "immediately rendered first aid," he was pronounced dead at the scene. [continues 234 words]
Mendocino National Forest will become the place for the latest showdown between growers on public lands and law enforcement with the debut of Full Court Press last week by representatives of local, state and federal agencies. The new effort to take back the public lands from drug cartels and prevent or reduce the environmental damage the indiscriminate growing of marijuana causes is scheduled to be in place by the next growing season. While full details are still being worked out, including how it will be funded, representatives from all six counties involved, as well as state and federal agencies, met last Thursday and Friday to kick off the coordinated effort. [continues 425 words]
One Sacramento man is dead and three others are in custody following an apparent home invasion robbery attempt in Laytonville Saturday morning. One of the occupants at the home was also shot in the leg. The investigation is still in its early phases and the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office have released few details. When deputies responded to the Laytonville residence following the 7:21 a.m. 9-1-1 call, they found the masked body of Timothy Burger, 21, of Sacramento, lying just outside. [continues 656 words]
Why the DEA targeted the 99-pot plant collective farm owned by Joy Greenfield in a Covelo raid earlier this month remains a mystery that is unlikely to be enlightened soon. Until an arrest is made, the DEA and US Attorney's office are not required to share any information while it remains "under court seal." Greenfield followed the Mendocino County rules; registering her grow as a collective supplying the Light the Way dispensary in San Diego; paying her $1,050 registration fee; buying zip ties for each plan; and having the site inspected by Mendocino County Sheriff's deputies prior to the raid. She was the first to take advantage of the new Mendocino County pot-growing ordinance approved in March. [continues 246 words]
To the Editor: I find it tragically ironic that after so many years of cannabis prohibition - with the last 40 or so being especially intense - governments have decided to try to recoup some of their wasted billions on that effort via various regulatory schemes involving legalized medical marijuana. Government once vilified and hunted down users of marijuana as if they were dogs. Now it is trying to make money off of the same plant, with a perverse twist on the old saying, "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em." Daniel Williams Bonita Springs, Fla. [end]
More And More Children Are Testing Positive For Opium Addiction In Afghanistan, Some From Second-hand Smoke And Some Because Their Parents Give It To Them, Dan Williams Reports. Look closer at the drawings on the wall of the Sanga Amaj clinic, and a wrenching motif emerges. One 11-year-old's family tableau shows father and mother huddled over heroin kits as their sons watch helplessly. Another sketch is of smiling youngsters around a poppy plant that has been crossed out in red, like a traffic no-go sign. [continues 810 words]
Goodness. I just love living in a state totally controlled by Republicans. "Is price too high for punishment?" (News, May 23) pointed out that Georgia should be looking to Texas, and model a program here like theirs. The idea of modeling anything after Texas got my attention really quick (I hope we don't copy their textbook commission). The take-away message here is that changing the lives of nonviolent offenders is all about saving money. It's never about doing the right thing for nonviolent citizens. It's never about the human capital absolutely wasted, if not destroyed, in our prison system. It's never about perpetuating a permanent underclass that will never be able to productively contribute to society. I won't even delve into the issue of how harsh and inflexible our sentencing is. [continues 69 words]
I was unaware that District Attorney Brian Rickman was on the board of the Narcotics Criminal Investigations and Suppression team (NCIS) that was involved in the Ayers shooting. While I do not doubt Mr. Rickman's integrity I do believe that there should be a special prosecutor appointed in the Ayers case. Any appearance of impropriety must be avoided. While I understand and applaud the sensitivity being show to Rev. Ayers' family I do not believe that the appointment of a special prosecutor is relevant to his families feelings. This is a criminal matter, not a civil one. [continues 124 words]
The California Supreme Court heard oral arguments in a live televised broadcast Tuesday morning for the pivotal medical marijuana case of People vs. Kelly. The special session was held at the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law. The landmark case could decide whether any limits on possession of marijuana for medical purposes can be legally imposed by the Legislature. A ruling on the constitutionality of the limits could end the hodgepodge of interpretations currently in place. The Supreme Court agreed to hear the case in August 2008, leaving in place the California Attorney General's guidelines also issued in August 2008. A ruling in December 2008 by Mendocino County Superior Court Judge John Behnke allowed the Measure B limits approved by Mendocino County voters in June 2008 to take effect. [continues 124 words]
I will suspend my judgment in regards to the justification, motive or legality of the shooting of Reverend Ayers as best I can and until I am satisfied that I have all the evidence I can gather. That being said I respectfully request that Sheriff Shirley perform an immediate and complete review of all departmental policy regarding the use of force and the apprehension and detainment of suspects, particularly where the public and other innocents may be endangered. I also ask for the immediate disbandment of the NCIS team. Please let uniformed officers deal with the low-level dealers and street criminals! [continues 638 words]
Re: Mike McIntyre's City man convicted in bid to toss drugs into prison yard (Sept. 18). One of his statements is misleading at best, and utterly ridiculous at worst. McIntyre was discussing the resale value of pot within the prison system when he claimed "a single gram could make up to 28 individual joints which could be sold among inmates for about $5 each." If he were assuming this gram of pot would be watered down with tobacco, that condition may have been helpful in attempting to make sense of this line. Even 28 joints, each rolled with one-twenty-eighth of a gram of marijuana among tobacco leaves is a stretch. Dylan Williams Winnipeg [end]
A civil lawsuit filed September 11 in Ukiah against the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors and Sheriff Tom Allman challenges the nuisance ordinance limiting parcels to no more than 25 marijuana plants. The suit contends the 25 plant per parcel rule contradicts state law, which places no limit on the number of plants a qualified patient or caregiver may cultivate. It also claims Mendocino County Code Section 9.31 sets an arbitrary limit to the number of plants a medical marijuana cooperative or collective may grow. [continues 327 words]
The Mendocino County Sheriff's Department eradicated more than 401,000 marijuana plants in 2008. Most large county seizures involve multiple local agencies and frequently state, federal and resources from other counties as well. The County of Mendocino Marijuana Eradication Team accounted for 363,000 plants, with the state program Campaign Against Marijuana Planting contributing 231,802 to the total. The Mendocino Major Crimes Task Force accounted for 17,000 plants; other sheriff's groups accounted for 21,000 plants. The July 2008 federal raid of several northern Mendocino County properties seized an estimated 10,000 plants not included in the sheriff's totals. [continues 500 words]
With the traditional April 20 start of the outdoor marijuana growing season approaching, Mendocino County Sheriff Tom Allman has issued a series of guidelines for his officers and for potential growers based on guidance from the California Attorney General. Allman met Friday with a group of defense attorneys as part of his efforts to bring clarity to this season's marijuana growing rules. Attorney General Edmond G. Brown Jr. issued an 11-page guideline in August intended to clarify the medical marijuana laws for both law enforcement and patients and caregivers. A copy of thie guideline is available from the Mendocino County Sheriff's Department website: www.mendocinosheriff.com. [continues 344 words]
Part 1 appeared in the November 12 TWN and covered the recent action by the California Supreme Court and the specific protections provided to valid state medical marijuana cardholders. The court is currently reviewing the three medical marijuana cases of the People vs. Kelly; Phomphakdy; and Wood and is expected to eventually rule on whether the current medical marijuana Health and Safety Code violates the state constitution and/or whether there was an alternative to invalidating the entire section. In August 2008, the California Attorney General issued a comprehensive set of "guidelines to ensure the security and non-diversion of marijuana grown for medical use." The guidelines reinforce specific protections to medical marijuana patients holding a valid state issued card against arrest and seizure. For those claiming medical marijuana protection without a card, the issue may be left up to the courts to resolve. For co-ops, collectives and dispensaries, implementation of the newly issued guidelines will likely change how medical marijuana is grown and distributed to patients in California. [continues 415 words]
On the last week of October, the California Supreme Court agreed to review the most recent case (People vs. Phomphakdy) which had set aside, for about two months, the state medical marijuana possession limits. This action restores the statewide limits set by the legislature in 2003, which are now part of the state Health and Safety Code. The following minimum limits apply statewide, unless counties have approved greater quantities: "Qualified patients and primary caregivers who possess a state issued identification card may possess eight ounces of dried marijuana, and may maintain no more than six mature or 12 immature plants per qualified patient." It also allows patients to possess more marijuana if specifically authorized by a doctor's recommendation. [continues 690 words]
To the editor: Daily reports of gang violence, people with mental health issues causing problems &/or living in the streets, drug gangs and drug additcts - when will it all end? With a conservative government which believes in the hard line (put them all in jail) we'll likely just continue with more of the same. How many people even know that the Correctional Facility in Kamloops which is meant to house 160 inmates now has over 350? Most of these are living in tents. What will happen this winter? Riots? [continues 123 words]
While methamphetamine labs peaked in California in 1999, evidence suggests usage rates have remained flat with local demand now supplied nearly exclusively with high quality ice methamphetamines from Mexico. Meth remains the top drug-related concern of law enforcement in California, according to a 2007 U.S. Department of Justice poll. Mendocino County Sheriff Tom Allman also considers it his top drug priority. With few labs remaining in California, law enforcement resources up and down the state have been refocused on the Mexican drug trafficking organizations, which have taken over the wholesale distribution of nearly all illicit drugs throughout the state. [continues 818 words]
The harsh rhetoric and vocal accusations, which characterized the recent Measure B campaign, show little sign of fading away. In August, an effort to introduce a "new" Measure G initiative failed in court. At the same time, proponents of Measure B are trying to raise the penalty for growing more than 25 plants on any parcel in the county. The stark divisions on the issue are clear from an analysis of the recent vote. Measure B passed in June on a countywide basis by 14,577 (52.16 percent) to 13,369 votes (47.84 percent). The vote was quite polarized by location. Only two of the five Mendocino County supervisor districts supported Measure B, District 1 (Ukiah) at 64 percent and District 2 (Potter Valley/Redwood Valley) at 66 percent. [continues 320 words]
The amount of marijuana seized by law enforcement in 2007 was up in Mendocino County with both the Campaign Against Marijuana Planting and County of Mendocino Marijuana Eradication Team reporting increased numbers. With the outdoor harvest season coming up starting in September, there is no word yet on whether the cooler spring and smoky weather has cut this year's outdoor production. The 2007 total seizures through COMMET (which includes the CAMP numbers) was 320,809 plants, of those CAMP removed 220,436 plants. This compares to the 2006 seizures of 232,231 plants through COMMET including the CAMP share of 135,736 plants. [continues 201 words]
Last Wednesday the California Supreme Court unanimously agreed to hear the case of California vs Patrick Kelly to determine whether any limits imposed by the legislature to the Compassionate Use Act is constitutional. While the California Supreme Court takes up the issue, the existing limits in the California Health and Safety Code remain in effect throughout much of California. For Mendocino County, the limits are a bit murkier as the ongoing legal challenge to the portion of Measure B, which had the county adopt the state limits may await the final Supreme Court decision. [continues 739 words]
With a room full of Measure B supporters, the Willits City Council listened to about 20 "Yes on B" proponents and one "No on B" speaker before unanimously endorsing the measure that would repeal Measure G and limit the number of medical marijuana plants an individual can grow from 25 to six. The sole "No on B" supporter was thanked by the council for having the courage to speak. Councilmen Jere Melo from Fort Bragg and Benj Thomas from Ukiah both spoke, urging the Willits council to support "B." Fort Bragg has already endorsed the measure by a 4-1 vote and the Ukiah council will vote on the issue at its next meeting. [continues 547 words]
It remains unclear why the U.S. Food and Drug Administration continues to classify marijuana as a Schedule 1 drug, the most dangerous classification available along with heroin, PCP (angel dust) and LSD, while in 1998 classifying Marinol, a synthetic THC (the main psychoactive ingredient in marijuana), as a Schedule 3 drug. This despite polls showing most Americans would support reclassification. Even a reclassification of marijuana to a Schedule 2 category such as cocaine and coca leaves, raw opium and poppy straw, morphine and methamphetamines, would allow physicians to prescribe it for medical patients and pharmacies to dispense it. [continues 576 words]
President Bush wants to put billions of dollars back into taxpayers' hands? I have a suggestion where that money might come from. Consider a long-running program that wastes billions of dollars a year and causes much bigger problems - the war on drugs. From the late economist Milton Friedman to William F. Buckley Jr. to the Cato Institute and the RAND Corp., all agree that U.S. drug policy is in need of serious reform. Bush is in search of a legacy; maybe he should start by opening a reasonable dialogue looking into what is arguably the worst ongoing domestic and foreign policy this country has ever embarked upon. Wait, Bush being practical or reasonable? Forget it. How about a little courage from "change"-chanting 2008 presidential hopefuls? Anyone? Dripping Springs [end]
When the Mendocino County sheriff's deputies moved in on the 2,000 plant indoor pot grow and hashish manufacturing site at Longvale along the Eel River, they were concerned about possible hazardous materials found at the site. Further investigation determined while there was some oil spillage and some used motor oil, there is likely no long term environmental damage at the site, although the final determination awaits test results, says Jim Harrison an environmental investigator with the Mendocino County Department of Environmental Health. [continues 418 words]
At a special meeting, the Willits City Council voted to send a letter to the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors urging them to place a measure on the June 2008 ballot to repeal Measure G and in support of the recently passed county ordinance restricting marijuana cultivation. Few members of the public attended the Thursday, December 20 evening meeting and only Vice Mayor Larry Stranske, Councilman Greg Kanne and Councilwoman Tami Jorgensen were present representing the council. The vote was unanimous. [continues 137 words]
While most think of cancer and AIDS when hearing of medical marijuana, in recent years most marijuana recommendations have been issued for far less serious illnesses by a small cadre of "pot docs." Medical marijuana recommendations seem to be evolving into Get Out of Jail Free cards rather than treatment for serious medical conditions. An estimated 95 percent of patients visiting "pot docs" are already significant pot users seeking approval for their drug use, and a small group of physicians are willing to fulfill their request. [continues 680 words]
The rhetoric surrounding marijuana, or cannabis sativa, as medicine ranges from calling it everything from "the killer weed" to "the miracle drug." Each side in the debate pulls snippets from scientific studies to confirm or rebut their point of view. One need only review information provided by groups like the National Organization for Reform of Marijuana Laws or the White House policy room to see this effect. The most comprehensive look at the issue to date is Marijuana and Medicine: Assessing the Science Base, conducted by the U.S. Institute of Medicine and published in 1999. With minimal research being conducted in the U.S. on marijuana as medicine, in 2000, the California Legislature created the University of California's Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research in San Diego. The center was tasked to assess the use of cannabis as an alternative for treating specific medical conditions. [continues 1712 words]
Mexican drug trafficking organizations have expanded the marijuana cultivation in public lands in Mendocino County in a major way since 2000. Based primarily on the number of plants eradicated by the County of Mendocino Marijuana Eradication Team, 2007 appears to have been a bumper marijuana crop year with more than 320,000 plants eradicated this season. Mexican DTOs find it cost effective to grow pot in this and other rural Northern California counties for a number of reasons. The penalty for growing pot continues to be substantially lower than for drugs of other varieties. Personnel apprehended for marijuana grows do not typically face long jail sentences, and one needs only look at arrest logs to determine Mendocino County arrests do not appear to discourage many from repetitively participating in the business. [continues 648 words]
Mexican drug trafficking organizations considered by the US Department of Justice to be responsible for the large marijuana grows on public lands in Mendocino County are now the main supplier of illegal drugs in the United States. These organizations do not limit themselves to the cultivation and distribution of marijuana; they are leaders in nearly every form of illegal drug distribution, especially in the Western states. The biggest Mexican drug cartels continue to be run by four main families and are known as the Tijuana, Gulf and Juarez cartels and the Federation. These groups have their roots in the early days of prohibition and the heroin trade. For many years, growing opium poppies was legal within Mexico although illegal in the United States. [continues 406 words]
If Suzette Evans lived in North Carolina, where marijuana possession is decriminalized, it's unlikely she'd have gotten more than a $50 citation when police found a pipe in her home. In Grainger County, however, like most of Tennessee, possession of a marijuana pipe can cost nearly $1,000 - and your children. Evans' 15-year-old son was taken away from her the night of Aug. 10, to remain in protective custody for 34 days. They are reunited now, after a special meeting with the Department of Children's Services, but a hearing set for Nov. 16 will determine whether Evans' medicinal use of marijuana constitutes child abuse, neglect or endangerment. [continues 773 words]
The Mexican drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) now growing marijuana in Northern California have changed their cultivation practices to yield a higher potency pot as measured by the active ingredient tetrahydrocannabinol. The percentage of THC in the marijuana seized by law enforcement in the United States continues to climb. In 1986, the seized pot averaged 2.8 percent THC. By 2005, it had risen to 8.14 percent. In Northern California, law enforcement has noted a dramatic shift in the way pot is being cultivated in many of the larger grows. Before 2006, most outdoor marijuana grown in the region was closer to 2-3 percent THC. In 2006, many different sites had THC concentrations closer to 8-12 percent. Law enforcement officers attribute this shift to the higher prices stronger cannabis commands and the improving horticultural practices of the Mexican DTOs. [continues 203 words]
Starting in 2000, Mexican drug trafficking organizations (DTO) began moving much of their pot growing operations from Mexico into remote regions within the United States. This dramatic change is easily recognized by the ever-larger pot grows eradicated within Mendocino County by the Campaign Against Marijuana Planting. In 2000, the number of plants seized by law enforcement across the United States was about 2.8 million plants. In 2006, there were nearly 4.5 million plants seized across the country of those 256,000 came from Mendocino County. This season there have already been nearly 240,000 plants removed from 211 sites in Mendocino County. [continues 407 words]
Americans are disgusted with light punishment of criminals. Only really bad murderers are sometimes executed after years of waiting, and everyone else gets tasty food, air conditioning, exercise, television, and other amenities in prison. Why? Liberal interpretation about what "cruel and unusual" punishment means, plus ignorant interpretation of Jesus' teachings by religious activists. Swift, severe punishment controls crime but lawyers and judges might lose their jobs. The Founding Fathers would turn in their graves if they could see what liberal judges and lawmakers have done for "justice." Horse thieves were once hanged and inmates had few of the "constitutional rights" that today's lawyer's demand. [continues 109 words]
I am writing in response to the April 24 letter arguing that God approves of marijuana misuse. The fact that God created all plants and that they are all good in no way justifies the perverted use of them. Do you honestly believe that smoking marijuana is God's intended purpose for cannabis? Some studies have shown that there are more cancer-causing agents in marijuana smoke than in tobacco smoke. How can you say that permanently damaging your lungs is biblically correct? See 1 Corinthians 6:19. [continues 69 words]
You say that cannabis used to be a benign substance, which a policy of prohibition has spent 30-odd years trying to eradicate. This programme of eradication has, according to you, resulted in a new and massively more damaging version of the drug coming into existence. How, then, do you conclude that prohibition is the right policy when clearly it has created the very problem you now seek to highlight? Derek Williams, By Email [end]
Harm reduction is the method we use to limit harm in just about everything humans do, from seatbelts in cars to childproof locks on jars containing dangerous chemicals. It's only with some drugs that we try using prohibition. And, in doing so, we work hard to prevent the most basic of harm-reduction measures. Illegal drugs aren't controlled drugs. There's no control over the market, no regulation of doses or purity or regulation of sellers. Prohibition is harm-maximization writ large, all in a futile attempt to prevent drug use. [continues 72 words]
