Yes on Issue 1 We strongly support Issue 1 on the Ohio ballot this Tuesday. It sets up a much fairer process for drawing district lines for Ohio House of Representative and Senate seats. Under the current corrupt system, maps for state legislative and congressional districts are redrawn every 10 years, after updated Census numbers are released. A five-member state Apportionment Board, whose members include the governor, secretary of state, state auditor and a legislator from each major party, draws the legislative districts. A simple majority wins any vote on the board, so the party that controls the board (Republican in recent years) has absolute control over how the legislative lines are drawn. [continues 1267 words]
To the Editor: Issue 3 should be passed in the state of Ohio because marijuana arrests distract police from real issues such as heroin users or gun violence. Fifty-two percent of all drug arrests in 2010 were for marijuana use. With marijuana currently being illegal, it is still widely used for medical and recreational uses. The fact that it is illegal does not stop a majority of users. Making it legal will help medical users obtain it more easily and not have to pay a high price. Yes, with the legalization of weed it will be easier for recreational users to get their hands on it, but that may not be as bad as people think. [continues 167 words]
To the Editor: This is a plea for a rational and compassionate perspective on the issue of medical marijuana. I must be honest. It is personal for me as I suffer from multiple sclerosis. The opinions expressed here, however, were formed long before it became a personal issue. My objectivity has not changed, but my compassion has deepened. Many years after Congress passed laws criminalizing the use of any marijuana, it once again is recognized as a legitimate medicine. To continue to argue that marijuana has no known medical use is an erroneous argument. The May 25 issue of TIME and the June 15 issue of National Geographic, for example, cite some of the research establishing the medical usefulness of marijuana and the hopes researchers have for it. [continues 415 words]
This is the fourth article in a series that's focusing on heroin and related drugs' growth, prevention, treatment, distribution, law enforcement and policy in Athens County and southeast Ohio. For law enforcement, the battle against heroin is a battle against supply. Even illicit drugs follow the economic law of supply and demand. So while law enforcement in Athens County supports efforts to combat addiction and decrease the heroin customer base, the main task at hand is to cut off supply by going after heroin dealers. [continues 1045 words]
To the Editor: If Ohio and American citizens honestly want to lower heroin addiction rates ("Heroin Scourge Mainly Hitting the Young," The NEWS, May 7), end cannabis (marijuana) prohibition. An important reason to end cannabis prohibition that doesn't get mentioned is because it increases hard drug addiction rates. It puts citizen who choose to use the relatively safe plant into contact with people who often also sell hard drugs. Further, government claims that heroin is no worse than cannabis and methamphetamine and cocaine is less harmful by insisting that cannabis is a Schedule I substance alongside heroin, while methamphetamine and cocaine are only Schedule II substances. [continues 53 words]
This is the third article in a series that's focusing on heroin and related drugs' growth, prevention, treatment, distribution, law enforcement and policy in Athens County and southeast Ohio. One of the more unsettling trends to emerge as the use of heroin has grown throughout the state, especially in rural Ohio, is that problems now involve a much younger group of individuals than was the case 10 years ago. Health Recovery Services Executive Director Dr. Joe Gay called the shift a "shocking pattern" in a 2012 report. [continues 785 words]
To the Editor: Dr. Joe Gay, executive director of Health Recovery Services, falsely claims in The Athens NEWS' March 13 article "SRO Crowd Inhales Controversy at Marijuana Panel Discussion," that Colorado has an "increase in violence" due to legalizing marijuana. Colorado crime rates have decreased since re-legalizing marijuana for the sick over a decade ago and fully re-legalizing marijuana over a year ago. In fact, the crime of caging responsible adults for using a God-given plant has completely vanished. And make no mistake, caging humans for using what God says He created and is good on literally the very first page of the Bible, is a crime. Stan White Dillon, Colo. [end]
At Ohio University's Baker Center Theater Tuesday, a panel discussing the potential legalization of medical marijuana in Ohio aired opinions from both sides of the debate. The Health Promotion department of OU's Campus Involvement Center presented "The Amazing Blazing Marijuana Debate," a 90-minute conversation about the merits and problems of medical marijuana. Even after additional chairs were imported, attendees lined the wings of the theater, signifying either heavy student extra-credit involvement or an unanticipated level of interest in the topic. [continues 999 words]
It used to be that cannabis was legal in Ohio. Here and everywhere in the U.S, you could walk into a drug store and buy the processed plant to treat what ailed you. Don Wirtshafter has proof - a collection of cannabis bottles, jars and boxes. It fills two display cases in his home in Guysville. Wirtshafter says he assembled the collection over the years to document that cannabis was accepted in pharmacies before it was outlawed in 1937. "I've spent years trying to explain to people that cannabis used to be considered an important pharmaceutical," he said. [continues 682 words]
Representatives from across the state came to Ohio University to discuss the logistics behind the legalization of medical marijuana in Ohio Tuesday evening. The four-person panel included representatives from the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention Association of Ohio, the Ohio Medical Cannabis Association (OMCA) and OU Community Standards (formerly Judiciaries). All agreed that marijuana could be beneficial as medicine, but some of the panelists stressed that additional research is needed before it is legalized for medicinal use. [continues 1044 words]
Retired Cincinnati Police Capt. Howard Rahtz on Thursday presented his theory and proposed solutions for the War on Drugs - one of which is legalizing marijuana - during a visit to Ohio University. Speaking on behalf of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition, Rahtz suggested to an audience in Bentley Hall that the legalization of marijuana is the solution to ending drug-related violence, and shared three facts to support his conclusion. Approximately 50 students showed up for the speech which was hosted by Students For Liberty, a campus organization that "promotes individual liberty and fostering discussion on the role of government in society." [continues 372 words]
Students for a Sensible Drug Policy could be seen on campus last week running a "bake sale"; pun intended; to help raise money for their trip to Washington, D.C., for the 10th annual SSDP conference. Nov. 21-23, about 20 Ohio University SSDP members are planning to attend the national event, lobbying congressional and senate leaders in an attempt to open up the discussion of drug policies in the country and their respective states, explained Erin Dame, president of OU's chapter of SSDP. [continues 744 words]
OU Associate Director of Health Promotion Terry Koons' assertion that "smoking marijuana is more physically harmful than smoking cigarettes" is discredited ("Depending on Whom You Ask, Pot's Harmless or Hazardous," The NEWS, Feb. 21) since nobody has died due to cannabis in over 5,000 years of documented use compared to over 1,000 Americans who die daily due to cigarette use. When citizens actually ask knowledgeable and honest people, we find out that cannabis is a relatively safe God-given plant that should be re-legalized for responsible adults. So, why doesn't Terry Koons speak the truth about marijuana's effects? Stan White Dillon, Colo. [end]
This is a letter of support for C. David Warren for Athens County prosecutor. During the establishment of Bridge Builders in Trimble Township, we had requested someone to come to our meetings and listen to our concerns about the growing drug problem that we witnessed in the Trimble Township area and Athens County. We love our families and care about our community, school district and our youth. We are very concerned about the unnecessary deaths, crime and suffering that have been occurring. [continues 184 words]
(Pseudonyms were used for every source in this piece, since they're talking about and engaging in illegal activities.) Ohio University students say that potent marijuana is easy to find in Athens, but it's not always cheap. "It's just really easy to get good weed here," OU undergrad Chester Copperfield said while using marijuana with three friends during an interview on Tuesday. Copperfield and his friends estimated that 75 to 80 percent of OU students use marijuana at least occasionally. [continues 513 words]
A lack of scientific consensus on the possible medical benefits and health risks of marijuana may contribute to the public's wildly different perspectives on the drug. Nearly a third of students at Ohio University report using marijuana at some level, and many see it as less harmful than other recreational drugs, despite contradictory medical evidence, according to the OU Department of Health Promotion. Terry Koons, associate director of Health Promotion, said that marijuana, like alcohol (and increasingly unlike tobacco), is viewed by many as socially acceptable, despite its health risks. Despite popular opinion, however, smoking marijuana is more physically harmful than smoking cigarettes, he said. Marijuana smokers tend to hold the smoke in their lungs longer, exposing them to more carcinogens, and marijuana is also generally unfiltered when smoked, again increasing the carcinogen exposure. [continues 731 words]
So, you've been busted for using marijuana at Ohio University. Take a deep breath and look at the facts before you get too paranoid. If you're just a recreational user, your predicament may not be as bad as you think. You're going to have to keep your head straight and know your rights, so here's a simple rundown of what you can expect to happen after being caught with pot at OU. Possessing and using pot is illegal and against OU's Code of Student Conduct, but the penalties that most recreational users face when they're caught aren't as harsh as they would be on many campuses or in most other states. [continues 825 words]
I'm writing about: "Marijuana legalization debate turns heads on campus" (Jan. 28th). It seems to me that the wrong question was asked. The question should be: Should marijuana remain completely untaxed, unregulated and controlled by criminals? Because marijuana is now illegal, it is sold only by criminals (criminals who often sell other, much more dangerous drugs like cocaine and methamphetamine). And they often offer free samples of the more dangerous drugs to their marijuana customers. Thus creating the so-called "gateway effect." [continues 63 words]
Hundreds of Ohio University students packed into Baker Center Theater to see the "Heads vs. Feds" debate Thursday night, and the size of the crowd alone was proof that the legalization of marijuana, four decades after the '60s, remains an issue of students' concern. The debate pitted former High Times Editor Steve Hager against the former head of New York City's Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). The spirited presentation inspired some students to create a pro-cannabis group on campus. "It's fun and empowering to be an activist, and it's fun and empowering to change bad laws," Hager told the audience during his closing statement. He suggested that students who are interested in legalizing marijuana should get serious and start a chapter of the National Organization to Reform Marijuana Laws (NORML) or Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) on campus. [continues 614 words]
Attorneys for a former employee of the Athens County Prosecutor's office and her husband, who are facing felony drug charges, have filed some creative defense motions on their behalf. One motion questions whether a Washington County Sheriff's deputy knows marijuana when he sees it. Another argues that the wife could not grant permission to police to search the couple's home, because a pre-nuptial agreement puts its ownership solely in her husband's name. Yet another suggests that the severity of marijuana cultivation charges should be based, not on the weight of marijuana plants allegedly found at their home, but on their weight after they are cleaned of seeds and stems, and dried out as if for sale. [continues 800 words]
Ohio University's vice president for student affairs said recently that while plans to revise OU discipline rules for student drug offenses are still a work in progress, he's pretty sure that when a draft of the new policy is unveiled next spring, it will include stronger penalties for marijuana violations. "Yes, and I think I need to be honest about that," Kent Smith told The Athens NEWS in a mid-December interview. "I'll put it to you this way -- I would be very surprised if we ended up with the same policy we have right now, as far as sanctions." [continues 895 words]
Which side of reality is Tim Vonville's assertion ("OU Student Senate Injects 2 Cents Into Planned Drug," The Athens NEWS, Nov. 13, 2006) that "There is a distinct difference between marijuana and alcohol?" Alcohol's harmfulness to society and individuals is incomparable to that of cannabis (marijuana). One of the greatest harms associated with cannabis is being caged for using the God-given plant. Punishment for cannabis use should be less than punishment for alcohol, and anything harsher should be viewed as discriminatory. [continues 110 words]
Ohio University's policy on marijuana and other drug use should have consistent sanctions and be more focused on education than the current policy, according to a Student Senate resolution passed Wednesday. In approving the resolution, Student Senate took advantage of a request from the OU administration to offer its input on how the university should deal with marijuana and other drug offenses before the administration unveils a new policy after winter break. While arguing for change, Tim Vonville, off-campus life commissioner and sponsor of the resolution, said many students are confused by the complexities of the current policy and feel that the policy is not applied consistently. [continues 953 words]
Athens County Prosecutor C. David Warren said last week that a secretary in his office, arrested Thursday with her husband in Atlanta for alleged drug smuggling, did not pose any risk of compromising ongoing criminal investigations while she worked in his office. Members of a multi-county crime task force had informed Warren over the summer that [Name redacted], 33, and her husband [Name redacted], 42, were under investigation for possible drug offenses. When he learned this, Warren said Friday, he immediately directed the task force officers to report their progress to a special prosecutor, David L. Landefeld of Fairfield County. [continues 324 words]
In June 2003, an Athens County jury acquitted an Athens area woman of aggravated vehicular homicide in connection with a car crash that killed a Shade man. A blood test allegedly showed that Farah Holter had chemical byproducts of recent cocaine use in her system at the time of the crash. Her attorney, however, using expert medical testimony, persuaded the jury that those byproducts, or "metabolites," were not impairing Holter's ability to drive. Holter was convicted of only a misdemeanor charge of negligent manslaughter. If her case came up today, however, the outcome might be different. [continues 848 words]
In regard to your Aug. 24 story about Ohio's new drugged-driving law, does this mean we get to test our politicians for drug use as well? I mean, they are in control of something far more dangerous than drugs! Why can't we have a law like that? Better yet, how about extensive lie-detector tests for them? Where is this erosion of our civil rights going to end? Royal Lake Circle Orlando, Fla. [end]
When the Alexander Local School Board adopted a new student drug-testing policy last summer, it ran into a firestorm of opposition from some district families. Those speaking against the new rules included some Alexander students, who argued that board members were out of touch and were overstating the level of student drug use in the district. Now, with the policy rescinded, two school board members who supported it voted off the board in November, and a third having resigned, Alexander Supt. Bob Bray wants to make sure future board decisions aren't made without hearing from students. [continues 540 words]
Lack of initial student input, parental notification, choice of counselors and stiffer penalties are concerns that Student Senate has with the Alcohol Response Task Force's proposed changes to Ohio University's alcohol policy. Student Senate passed a resolution last Wednesday that "condemned" the lack of student input in the task force's recommended changes. The resolution asks for the task force's proposal to be sent back to committee, with the addition of five student representatives. "Enabling Student Senators to question the policy after its creation is no substitute for inclusion in the initial development of such a plan," the resolution declared. [continues 1576 words]
Cocaine's Use Has Declined on Campus, Though It's Still Being Used Editor's note: The stories on this page represent the final installment of a series about drug use on and around the Ohio University campus. The ancient Inca civilization of Peru considered it a "gift from the gods." Centuries later, it made the list of ingredients in various wines and Coca-Cola. Author Robert Lewis Stevenson wrote "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" on a six-day binge. And even Sigmund Freud, one of its most famous fans, conducted studies on it, declaring it good for fighting depression, asthma and digestive disorders, among other ailments. [continues 644 words]
When looking at the illegal drug culture of Athens, one can look deeper at the population to find a subculture of people who look for drugs to possibly do more than make them "high" for a few hours. Some Ohio University students and community members use drugs that they say expand their consciousness and perception of reality, though they acknowledge the potential for a "bad trip," not to mention the serious legal repercussions of getting caught with these drugs. The aforementioned illegal drugs include such psychedelics as LSD (acid), MDMA (Ecstasy) and psilocybin mushrooms. While all three of these drugs can have dramatically different effects on the body, users typically use them for similar purposes or desired outcomes. [continues 1613 words]
Some Students Pop Pills for Studying, Stamina or Recreation Editor's note: This is the second installment in a three-part series examining the use and sale of illegal drugs on and around the Ohio University campus. The final installment will be published on Monday. Along with the more well-known drugs of abuse, such as alcohol, marijuana and cocaine, some Ohio University students use an assortment of other illegal drugs. They include prescription and "study" drugs, as well as methamphetamines and "date-rape drugs." [continues 1198 words]
Most users of illegal drugs know about their dangers hypothetically, but they don't think they themselves will ever get hurt. The fact is, though, that people do get hurt and some people even die from misusing drugs, including right here in Athens County. Last year, according to local officials, around 10-12 people died from drug or alcohol overdoses in Athens County, in addition to others who may have died while driving under the influence or who had drugs or alcohol in their system when they officially died from other causes. [continues 856 words]
In the next several issues, The Athens NEWS will delve into the secret life of drugs, drug users and drug dealers on and around the Ohio University campus. From the legal to the forbidden, from one-time users to hardcore addicts, from all angles of this underground community, we will explore what it means to be a part of the subversive world of drugs in Athens. Due to the illicit nature of the topic, we have protected the identities of many of our sources by withholding their names from this series. In return, they have given us a candid look at what it's like to be a part of the OU drug culture. [continues 617 words]
Ask any "pothead" and he likely will confirm that weed is expensive. Yet the real cost of marijuana is not the price of a bag but the potential cost to students' futures. While marijuana usually isn't as dangerous as other illegal drugs, and many users are able to use it safely and moderately, its misuse can adversely affect students' educations, their federal financial aid, their health and their freedom. "I used to go to class high all the time. That was probably not such a good idea," said an Ohio University senior, who requested that his name be withheld for fear of legal repercussions. [continues 1920 words]
When we were children, television and movies taught us that drug deals typically follow a standard, impersonal formula: an order placed by anonymous phone call, a trip to the bank to withdraw exact cash, and finally, a wordless exchange on some dark corner. But then we all grew up, came to Athens and realized that obtaining drugs is quite a bit easier than we had ever imagined. Many Ohio University students aren't only using illegal drugs, in this case, predominately marijuana, but are selling them as well. [continues 1023 words]
After advising his board of education Thursday to put a controversial student drug-testing policy into cold storage, Alexander Local School Supt. Bob Bray acknowledged that being more open with the public about the policy's adoption from the outset might have saved the district a lot of grief. "Sure," Bray admitted. "That's probably the biggest thing we've learned from this." The school board voted to suspend the drug-testing policy for the rest of 2005, in hopes of avoiding a lawsuit over possible violation of the state's open-meetings law prior to its adoption. [continues 1146 words]
Controversy over a student drug-testing policy in the Alexander Local School District probably played a part in the outcome of the Nov. 8 election, in which voters replaced two school-board incumbents who supported the policy, and re-elected a third incumbent who did not. However, the two new board members both told The Athens NEWS this week that they didn't run on the issue of ditching the drug testing, and probably won't be in a big hurry to address the topic once they take their seats in January. [continues 691 words]
The formation of a new citizens group in the Alexander Local School District may have been triggered by a school board decision to institute drug testing of certain students, but group members say their agenda is wider than that. Doug Keiter, one of the members of the newly formed Alexander Citizens for a Responsive School Board (ACRSB), said the group's main concern is "a lack of communication between the board and the community." ACRSB announced its formation earlier this month with a press release, in which it suggested that it would be working toward putting new members on the Alexander School Board in the upcoming general election. [continues 838 words]
I would like to respond to some of the statements made by Mr. Hayburn in his Sept. 5 letter to the editor regarding the drug-testing policy recently implemented by the Alexander School District. Mr. Hayburn begins by stating, "Everyone has said his or her piece on the student drug-testing policy at Alexander." I have actually seen relatively few public statements about the policy, considering the number of people living in the Alexander School District. Based on the actions taken by the school board, I would have expected an outpouring of support from members of the community. Also conspicuously absent are any public statements from any Alexander school district administrator in support of the policy. [continues 442 words]
Everyone has said his or her piece on the student drug-testing policy at the Alexander School District except for me. I have read both sides of the argument carefully, and I have not seen one person ask the following question. What are you going to do when OHSAA mandates drug-testing policies in the state? I believe in the next several years OHSAA will adopt a drug-testing policy (if they have not already) with regards to performance-enhancing drug use in athletes. I must say that I support this action if and when it takes place. [continues 286 words]
I am appalled at the actions and words of David Kasler, Alexander Local School Board president, at the Aug. 25 school board meeting. Shelby Williams' mother came to the board meeting to ask why Shelby was being punished for not drug testing with the other students on Aug. 13 and 19. Shelby and her parents were only informed of the drug testing on Aug. 4 at the student/parent sports meeting by Larry Herges. The Williamses spoke to Herges at that meeting and informed him that their daughters would be unable to drug test as they would be on a previously planned vacation. [continues 453 words]
U.S. tanks didn't need to roll into Vansterdam to snatch our beloved Prince of Pot, Marc Emery, on Friday, July 29. All the Yanks had to do was whisper to the B.C. Supreme Court, and the RCMP, the Vancouver Police Department and Minister of Justice Irwin Cotler fell in line. Emery was detained in Halifax for extradition on U.S. charges of conspiracy to launder money and distribute marijuana seeds and marijuana. At their press conference, Seattle DEA (Drug Enforcement Agency) special agent Rod Benson gloated like he'd bagged himself a big Mafia don. But the crimes Emery is charged with have all been dealt with in Canadian courts. And he won: Canada tolerates seed peddling in yet another complex pot gray zone. Yet Benson said Emery showed "overwhelming arrogance and abuse of the rule of law." Now whose law would that be? [continues 930 words]
An area eighth-grade student who was banned from playing volleyball because she had missed a mandatory drug test will reportedly be reinstated to the team once she gets a clean result from a drug test she submitted to on Friday. The larger issue of student drug testing in the Alexander Local School District is still raising the hackles of some district parents, however, and a handful of them raised further concerns about the new policy at Thursday's school board meeting. [continues 981 words]
I'm writing about Steve Lind's thoughful letter: "Why Don't Alex School Board Members Submit to Drug Tests" (The NEWS, Aug. 9). Perhaps in addition to drug testing students, the school board should install hidden cameras in all hallways, locker rooms and rest rooms. In addition, perhaps all students, teachers, school board members and parents should be subject to full body searches, including, of course, body-cavity searches. That's what they do at all of our high-security prisons. And we all know how completely drug-free all of our prisons and jails are. Obviously, only those guilty of using or selling illegal drugs will object. Kirk Muse Mesa, Ariz. [end]
I am writing in response to Alex Traxler's July 28 letter concerning drug testing at Alexander High School. My class president is correct in stating that students are basically "owned" by the school from the time that they enter the building until they leave and that student drug testing is therefore legal. What he fails to realize, however, is that the argument against Alexander drug testing is not about its legality. It is about whether or not the proposed rules are just and how well the students and parents of the Alexander School District are being represented by the district's school board officials. [continues 155 words]
If your child tests positive for drugs more than once in a given school year, I feel it is the school's job to ensure that that student isn't representing our school on a football field, soccer field, or while jumping over hurdles. I believe drug testing is a great idea and should have been enforced when I was in high school. No one says your child has to play sports, and last time I was informed, sports were optional. [continues 148 words]
Alexander High School officials explained the school's new drug-testing policy to affected parents last Thursday evening, while outside the school some parents passed around a petition opposing the drug testing. The meeting was intended for parents and students involved with athletics, and was a regular session that the school district holds before the beginning of every school year. The school also holds meetings with parents and students before the winter sports season. Larry Herges, athletic director for Alexander High School, led the meeting and explained the philosophies and rules behind the school's athletic program. Drug testing was part of the discussion, but Herges stressed that he was only there to discuss the policy the school board put into place, not to discuss whether people agreed or disagreed with the policy. [continues 780 words]
We live in a time when people feel the need to watch and be watched. Whether it's our fear of terrorists or our fear of 16-year-old cheerleaders, never has this nation's pervasive paranoia felt closer to home than when I read in a recent Athens NEWS that Alexander Local School District is instituting drug testing for all athletes, cheerleaders and students who drive to school. This is happening despite the fact that drug testing will be costly, despite the fact that most parents do not want their children to be treated like suspects, and despite the fact that we supposedly live in a democratic society where the input of citizens is (supposed to be) genuinely considered -- and debate encouraged -- the Alexander School Board has acted against all reason in the face of a Constitution that guarantees certain rights. [continues 133 words]
I am writing in response to David Kasler's Reader's Forum about the Alexander Schools' drug-testing policy in the July 21 edition of The Athens NEWS and the follow-up story about the Alexander School Board meeting in the July 25 edition of the newspaper. Lest my address identify me as an "outsider," I should point out that I lived in the Alexander School District for over 20 years, and all three of my children attended school in the district. [continues 185 words]
This letter is written in response to the "Students Should Quit Their Whining About Alex Drug Testing" letter in the July 28 edition of The Athens NEWS. While you are a student of public schools, the school DOES NOT own you or your "little feet." Getting an education isn't just about books and grades. We are also learning how to participate fully in the life of our nation. In order to participate, we need to know our rights or we might lose them. [continues 319 words]
