To put to rest any misperceptions that may result from a July 23 article, my compensation for serving as a Rock In Prevention Board member is zero ("Anti-Drug Charity Gave $315,732 to Its Boss").

I am just one of 18 board members. Seventeen are volunteers; one board member is the program's executive director. As most of us are drawn to volunteer for the causes that are the most meaningful to our lives and those of our loved ones, my reward is recognizing that prevention is the solution for healthy and wholesome kids in Iowa.

[continues 121 words]

Fran Koontz's article regarding her son's imprisonment for alcohol-related offenses is a masterpiece of denial. John is serving a sentence for drug and weapons charges. He began his destructive alcoholic behavior at 18, graduating to meth at 40. [He also had] multiple DUIs.

Despite her repeated protestations that he is a nonviolent offender, hurting only himself and those who love him, he has shown no concern for others who may be on the receiving end of his drunken driving.

[continues 92 words]

What Is SMART Moves?

SMART Moves (for Skills Mastery and Resistance Training) is a research-based program that teaches youngsters skills to avoid high-risk behaviors, such as drug use, said Sam Carrell, executive director of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Central Iowa.

A Boys & Girls Clubs of America Web page describes SMART Moves this way:

"More than simply emphasizing a 'Say No' message, the program teaches young people ages 6-15 how to say no by involving them in discussion and role-playing, practicing resistance and refusal skills, developing assertiveness, strengthening decision-making skills and analyzing media and peer influence. The ultimate goal: to promote abstinence from substance abuse and adolescent sexual involvement through the practice of responsible behavior."

[continues 269 words]

Time to cull the hemp. The annual destruction of wild cannabis a.k.a. ditch weed is your tax dollars at waste. Again county resources are used to hunt down and destroy a plant that brought our fathers to America, provided clothing, food and the paper that propagated liberty. Cannabis hemp was a most important resource for life in the 18th and 19th centuries.

I was told the funding for this activity comes from the state. Regardless of where the money comes from, does this activity really justify the cost on the environment? Using harmful chemicals to kill a plant that is non-toxic to humans, resists soil erosion and provides food for small animals and birds is not wise. Pollution from the fuel used and exposure of workers to motor traffic hazards add to the cost of hemp eradication.

[continues 111 words]

A community presentation entitled "Prime for Life" will be conducted Tuesday, Aug. 8 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the second-floor meeting room at the Osage Municipal Utilities building.

Hosted by Jay Pedelty, a prevention specialist for Prairie Ridge Treatment Services in Mason City, "Prime for Life" is a series of alcohol and drug prevention programs developed by Prevention Research Institute for young people and adults.

Pedelty says the presentation is intended for local health officials, human resource directors, social workers, clergy, educators, court professionals and community leaders.

[continues 130 words]

It's shocking that another taxpayer-funded director would get caught funneling hundreds of thousands of dollars into his wallet. But, according to Clark Kauffman's July 23 article, "Anti-Drug Charity Gave $315,732 to Its Boss," that's exactly what is happening. Rock In Prevention (RIP), a taxpayer-funded, nonprofit organization, gave its director, Pat McManus, more than $315,000, $123,000 of which was salary; the remaining $192,000 McManus used to pay his own for-profit company for CDs produced for RIP last year.

[continues 179 words]

What Is The Real Story On The Threat Of Methamphetamine

Methamphetamine has ravaged communities throughout our nation. Meth users suffer devastating mental and physical effects, and they often endanger others. Paranoia, violence, family abuse and child neglect are behaviors associated with meth use.

Equally devastating are meth labs, where toxic chemicals, mixed together by people with no regard for safety, jeopardize neighborhoods. The results have been explosions, fires, toxic waste and poisonous vapors that harm children and first responders.

This drug has been a national nightmare, entrapping addicts and overwhelming community resources. Meth is uniquely threatening because its impact is so disproportionate to the actual number of users.

[continues 577 words]

Rock In Prevention's spending and effectiveness have been questioned.

Des Moines' controversial anti-drug program Rock In Prevention may soon receive an additional $50,000 in taxpayer money.

U.S. Rep. Leonard Boswell, a Des Moines Democrat, acknowledged last week that he is responsible for a federal earmark that would route $50,000 in taxpayer money to Rock In Prevention Inc. The organization hopes to receive final approval for the money in the next few months.

Boswell's communications director, Susan McAvoy, issued a statement last week that said, "Over the years, Congressman Boswell has consistently supported efforts to keep kids away from drugs, and he is greatly disturbed and disappointed by recent reports concerning Rock In Prevention. Taxpayers have an expectation that public funds will be used in a legal and reasonable manner."

[continues 718 words]

A university review finds no improprieties in the $298,000 examination of Rock In Prevention.

Iowa State University officials say there is no evidence to support "any allegations of improprieties" pertaining to the university's study of Rock In Prevention.

That conclusion is contained in a 2005 report from the university's Internal Review Board. The university publicly disclosed a portion of the report last week but kept most of the document confidential.

The board investigated the school's handling of a $298,000 taxpayer-financed study of Rock In Prevention after an August 2005 Des Moines Register article raised questions about ties between Rock In Prevention and the university researchers who were being paid to study the program's effectiveness.

[continues 241 words]

DES MOINES, IA - The amount of illegal seized by Iowa enforcement officers in the past year was enough to keep every resident of the state high for nearly two days, the state drug czar said today.

The 25 drug enforcement task forces operating in Iowa confiscated an estimated 11,000 pounds of illegal drugs valued at more than $43 million, and each officer averaged about 50 drug-related arrests during the last 12 months, according to data released by Marvin Van Haaften, Iowa's drug policy coordinator.

[continues 303 words]

On Father's Day this year, I thought it might be fun to pop our old home movies into the VCR. Everyone except our son John would be coming to our house to honor their dad, grandpa and great-grandpa. Many of the grandchildren and all of the great-grandchildren had not seen the movies, showing what their parents and grandma looked like, from infancy through high school.

I watched my sweet babies on the screen, first with amusement and then nostalgia. The scenes of John, especially, tugged at my heart. What a sweet, happy little boy he was - loving baseball and his neighborhood buddies, shooting pool as he got into high school, still enjoying going out to eat with Mom and Dad on Friday nights through high school graduation.

[continues 919 words]

Target Big Cartels; Step Up Treatment

When Iowa's two U.S. senators - Republican Charles Grassley and Democrat Tom Harkin - this spring called on President Bush to fire his drug czar, John Walters, they spoke for many people frustrated with the lack of success in the war on drugs. But Walters' performance is mixed, and firing bureaucrats won't make our failed drug policies work any better. Systematic change is needed.

Despite spending hundreds of billions of dollars and arresting millions of Americans, illegal drugs remain cheap, potent and widely available in every community. Meanwhile, the harms associated with drug abuse - addiction, overdose, the spread of AIDS/HIV and hepatitis - continue to mount. Add to this record of failure the collateral damage of the war on drugs - broken families, racial disparities, wasted tax dollars and the erosion of civil liberties - and it's easy to see why so many Americans want major change.

[continues 594 words]

Perhaps this has happened to you: You are relaxing at home, nursing an adult beverage after a hard day at work.

A grade-schooler wanders into the room. The grade-schooler notices you are kicking back with an adult beverage. He suddenly becomes a hostile substance-abuse counselor.

The grade-schooler has completed his CARE, DARE or SCARE program. Maybe he has even read a pledge or an essay aloud to the class.

He is a new convert, a true believer who is convinced that street drugs, tobacco and alcohol are weapons of mass destruction.

[continues 640 words]

Erich O. Newton was sentenced to 25 years in prison Monday on federal drug charges stemming from the death of his girlfriend in 2004.

Newton, 31, of North Liberty pleaded guilty last year to conspiracy to distribute cocaine resulting in death and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.

Newton's girlfriend, Sara Palumbo, died Jan. 14, 2004, at Mercy Hospital shortly after a man dropped her off there. Police said Palumbo was unconscious when she arrived at the hospital. She died from a cocaine overdose, investigators said.

[continues 75 words]

Taxpayer-Funded Rock In Prevention's Pat McManus Received Compensation For Making Cds, Plus A Salary

A controversial, publicly financed Des Moines charity routed $315,732 to its executive director last year - an amount that represents almost 39 percent of the agency's total spending.

The money was paid after state lawmakers agreed to directly finance Rock In Prevention Inc. with $600,000 in Iowa taxpayers' money. The Legislature's action enabled the charity to bypass the normal, grant-application process through which private organizations typically must compete for public money.

[continues 1131 words]

A decision in the Charter Amendments case has been filed at the courthouse by Judge Thomas. This decision is in favor of the plaintiffs and against Iowa City. If the city appeals the decision, the argument will go all the way to the state Supreme Court for final determination.

However, if the city does not appeal, then the City Council is obligated by the decision to place on the ballot the three proposed amendments to the City Charter that were petitioned by over 1,600 qualified voters of Iowa City.

[continues 56 words]

The Register's June 27 editorial regarding Dallas County seizures has one good point ("Dallas Seizures Call for Stronger Oversight").

If there are not statewide procedures for all law-enforcement jurisdictions to use in these situations, at least some guidelines for officer conduct and confiscation are needed.

However, I strongly disagree with the content and insinuations in the rest of the editorial. The subheading, "Law Officers Shouldn't Profit From Crime," is an allegation that, in fact, they are doing so. The citizens and taxpayers of Dallas County are the profiteers. The editorial suggests more oversight.

[continues 157 words]

Shift Means Aging Inmates Will Require More Medical Care

Rockwell City, Ia. -- The baby boomer generation is making its mark again, this time inside Iowa's prison system.

The number of Iowa convicts age 51 and older has increased more than sixfold over the past 20 years and will undoubtedly continue to grow in the coming decades, a researcher told the Iowa Board of Corrections on Friday.

Iowa had 686 inmates ages 51-plus last year, representing 8 percent of the state's overall prison population of 8,578 offenders. That compares with 105 convicts, or 4 percent, in the same age category in 1985.

[continues 462 words]

Heroin deaths, which had risen sharply in eastern Iowa in recent years, are down because of a multi-agency police task force, law enforcement officers said today.

Further, a dangerous combination of heroin and fentanyl, called "Drop Dead," has not yet appeared in eastern Iowa, drug officers said during a news conference in Cedar Rapids.

"Most of the heroin trade comes out of gangs from Chicago," said Rick LaMere, a federal Drug Enforcement Agency agent. "We have not seen fentanyl yet."

[continues 124 words]

CEDAR RAPIDS -- A purer and more potent form of heroin is spreading across eastern Iowa and leaving a trail of bodies in its path, said state and federal officials.

The resurgence of the opiate is to blame for six deaths in Linn County in the last 19 months, and 25 deaths across Iowa's eastern half in the last five years, U.S. Attorney Charles Larson said Thursday.

Arrests and convictions are up as well, as more than 20 cases have been filed in the federal Northern District court in Iowa since August, Larson said.

[continues 385 words]

Legality Of Amendments At Issue

A recent district court ruling allowing Iowa City petitioners to put city government changes up for a public vote now is being opposed by the city.

Filed June 21, the ruling aids a 2001 petition effort to make amendments to the city's Home Rule Charter.

The amendments include subjecting the city manager and police chief to retention votes every four years; increasing powers of the Police Citizen's Review Board; and mandating changes in police practices and procedures, including allowing police to issue citations, rather than arrests, for non-violent, misdemeanor offenses such as "personal use amounts of marijuana."

[continues 469 words]

There Have Been No Fatalities Tied To The Drug In The Past Five Months

Cedar Rapids, Ia. -- Heroin deaths, which had skyrocketed in eastern Iowa in recent years, are down because of a multi-agency police task force, law enforcement officers said Thursday.

Heroin overdoses caused the deaths of 25 people in eastern Iowa in the last five years, U.S. Attorney Charles Larson Sr. said at a news conference in Cedar Rapids. There have been no heroin deaths in eastern Iowa in the last five months, a decline he attributed to a task force formed in August.

[continues 253 words]

Iowa's drug czar and the author of a new study on methamphetamine use nationally hope Iowans and policy-makers don't misunderstand new findings on the rates of meth abuse.

The study released this month by the Sentencing Project, a nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C., said rates of meth abuse have been stable nationally since 1999 and have dropped significantly among teenagers. It also says meth's portrayal as an epidemic nationally has been exaggerated, and cites 2004 government statistics showing fewer than 1 percent of Americans had used the highly addictive drug in the past month, or roughly 583,000 people.

[continues 479 words]

Oversight Scarce in Dallas County's Interstate Seizures of $1.75 Million

Jesus Quinonez-Jimenez's first encounter with the Dallas County sheriff's department was bathed in flashing red lights as he drove along Interstate Highway 80 in March. His last came a short time later, after he denied ownership of the Illinois-registered 2000 Audi and more than $781,000 was found wrapped in plastic and hidden in secret compartments behind the car's rear wheels.

Quinonez, who gave deputies a California address, was allowed to leave - without the cash; without the car.

[continues 2820 words]

I'd planned to visit Ray Lakers in the Polk County Jail. But when it was time to make arrangements, he was already gone.

The place was overbooked, so they shipped him to Bethany, Mo., an hour and a half away.

A week later they slipped the shackles on Lakers again, put him in a van, shipped him back to Des Moines and let him loose.

Not that Bethany isn't a wonderful place. It's just a long way to go to pay your debt to society for a crime that isn't against the law in at least a dozen other states.

[continues 686 words]

A Mexican citizen is facing life in prison for his role in a methamphetamine deal in Waterloo.

Andres Hernandez-Carrillo, 34, who was living in Waterloo, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of pure methamphetamine in U.S. District Court in Cedar Rapids.

Sentencing will be set at a later date, but Hernandez-Carrillo will have to serve a minimum of 10 years without parole -- and could face life in prison and a fine of as much as $4 million.

[continues 146 words]

A federal judge ruled yesterday that Charles Colson's Prison Fellowship Ministries and the state of Iowa violated the Constitution by setting up a government-funded program to rehabilitate prison inmates by immersing them in Christianity.

The case, brought by the Washington-based advocacy group Americans United for Separation of Church and State, has been widely viewed as a major challenge to President Bush's faith-based initiative, the White House's effort to deliver more government funding to religious groups that provide social services, particularly in prisons.

[continues 413 words]

InnerChange Freedom Initiative Will Continue At The Correctional Center In Newton During An Appeal

A faith-based Iowa prison treatment program in which inmates immerse themselves in evangelical Christianity is unconstitutional and must be shut down, a federal judge said Friday.

U.S. District Judge Robert Pratt of Des Moines, in a 140-page ruling with national implications, said the Innerchange Freedom Initiative at the Newton Correctional Facility violates the First Amendment's clause barring government from the establishment of religion.

[continues 557 words]

The United States of America is under the impression that we can control the entire world or at least North America. Mexico's Presidente Vicente Fox was set to sign a bill decriminalizing the personal use and possession of illegal drugs. The U.S. Embassy spokeswoman, Judith Bryan, says that the U.S. doesn't want American tourists to go to Mexico to use illegal drugs.

Mexico was about to make an important step in the war on drugs. They were about to face the true facts of this unjust and unnecessary war: that by prohibiting the use of anything you create more crime than you reduce. Just look the prohibition of alcohol.

[continues 132 words]

Brian Gilbert has been under investigation since March, when some of the money seized during a traffic stop disappeared.

Dallas County Sheriff Brian Gilbert stood in front of four dozen friends and co-workers Friday and announced plans to resume his duties, despite a criminal investigation into a packet of money missing from a March 15 traffic stop.

"We're at a point where I am ready to return to work," said Gilbert, who has been on a self-imposed vacation since the state investigation began. "I have sworn to uphold a duty ... and it's time that I got back to work to do that."

[continues 452 words]

Mitchellville, Ia. -- A couple of years ago, Laurie Reyes was in trouble.

Her drug addiction had taken hold of her life. She started forging checks. The Marshalltown woman was caught, ending up at the Iowa Correctional Institution for Women in Mitchellville.

Now, with two weeks left in her yearlong prison stint, the 33-year-old is starting to look for companies willing to hire felons. She yearns for a job with good benefits for her and her four daughters.

At a prison job fair on Friday, Reyes' fears about re-entering society were eased a bit after talking with Firestone about a job that would pay $13.64 an hour.

[continues 525 words]

The association wants the property owner to address area crimes, but he says he's taken corrective steps and works with police.

A Des Moines neighborhood group has filed what is believed to be an unprecedented lawsuit against a landlord who allegedly ignored its pleas to stop crime in an apartment he owns on the city's near-north side.

Police have been called more than 200 times since December 2003 to Gary and Suzanne Oeth's five-unit apartment at 319 Franklin Ave. in the River Bend neighborhood. The problems have ranged from barking dogs and fights to prostitution, robbery and at least one shooting.

[continues 700 words]

I have worked as a legal intern with Nick Maybanks in Linn County. I have worked as a legal intern at Student Legal Services in Johnson County. I have witnessed Nick Maybanks as a prosecutor and as a trial attorney. Nick possesses the skills, talent and dedication to make an excellent Johnson County Attorney.

Nick is a resident of Johnson County. He knows the challenges facing the criminal justice system in Johnson County. He has reached out to law enforcement and social services agencies in Johnson County. As a resident of Johnson County, a prosecutor and a new voice in our criminal justice system, he is the best choice to spearhead our criminal justice system.

[continues 93 words]

For the first time in 24 years voters are able to choose between two primary candidates for Johnson County Attorney. After due consideration, I have decided to cast my vote for Nick Maybanks for the following reasons.

As opposed to his opponent, Nick's Web site (www.nickmaybanks.com) discusses his views on court diversion programs, jail overcrowding, protecting dependent adults from abuse, human rights and other issues important to me as a resident of the county. In addition, Nick's literature, rather than being simply requests for money and a citation of experience, state positions on other important matters such as the need for a sex offender registry and protecting our children from drug, sexual and physical abuse. Nick has a strong focus on victims of crime and his prosecutorial background is a strong one.

[continues 73 words]

I have known Janet Lyness for more than 25 years. I first met her when we were both working for the passage of the Iowa Equal Rights Amendment in 1979. Since that time she has dedicated her life to a fair and just society for all, both in her personal life and her work in the law.

As an Assistant County Attorney in Johnson County for the past 15 years, she has worked to protect the rights of citizens, been an advocate for victims' rights and vigorously prosecuted all levels of felony and misdemeanor crimes, including murder cases. She also has had extensive experience representing Johnson County in all types of civil legal matters which comprise a large part of a county attorney's duties.

[continues 77 words]

Look At Alternatives To Building Prison

Iowa legislators think long and hard before spending additional money on public schools and universities or cleanup of lakes and rivers. But when it comes to prisons, well, that's another story. Sky's the limit. No amount will be spared. Even if that means building new prisons that add nothing to the state's economy, quality of life or public safety.

Case in point: At the current rate of growth in sex offenders being sentenced to prison, the state will need to build a 750-bed prison within the next decade at an estimated cost of $50 million, a report last week to the Iowa Board of Corrections projected. The price tag for construction, however, is only the beginning: It costs an estimated $28 million a year to run a prison that size. Figure on those being minimum numbers.

[continues 308 words]

I have met Nick Maybanks, Democratic candidate for county attorney, and I am convinced he is the best choice for county attorney in the upcoming Democratic primary. Nick has reached out to college students and young people in his campaign. The county attorney is the chief law-enforcement officer for Johnson County. Nick has a vast amount of experience prosecuting all types of crimes, including domestic abuse, child abuse, and other violent crimes. He has also prosecuted drug and alcohol offenses.

[continues 120 words]

I read "Drug Convictions Cost Students" (April 17). It related that a federal law disqualifies students from federal financial aid for college for a drug conviction, although there is some reprieve if the student completes drug rehabilitation, which includes random drug testing. Wow. This is epic small-mindedness.

First, it is classed-based. It does not affect the well-to-do. They do not need student aid, while it throws one more hurdle in front of the economically underprivileged attempting to upgrade their lives through education.

[continues 201 words]

A recent article in the journal, Psychopharmacology, states that "No evidence was found for long-term deficits in working memory and selective attention in frequent cannabis users after one week of abstinence." It also states that "cannabis users did not differ from controls in terms of overall patterns of brain activity in the region involved in the cognitive functions."

Previous reports of other clinical trials have reported similar results (Psychological Medicine, 2004; International Neuropsychological Society, 2003; and Canadian Medical Association Journal, 2002.)

[continues 152 words]

During the past week Sen. Charles Grassley with the support of Sen. Tom Harkin called for President Bush to fire John Walters, the director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy.

The ONDCP and John Walters have made marijuana use their primary focus in spite of the proliferation of methamphetamine.

The agency, under his leadership, has not effectively addressed the more dangerous drugs in our society.

Though I do not advocate the use of marijuana, it does not seem to be the dangerous drug that the ONDCP makes it out to be. To my knowledge, there has never been a single death directly attributed to someone smoking marijuana. Many report medicinal benefits from its usage.

Why has the ONDCP continued its crusade against marijuana and not effectively addressed other more dangerous drugs available in our community? It's time for John Walters to go.

Thomas O'Connor

Coralville

[end]

Rush Limbaugh has reached a pretty favorable plea bargain (his lawyer calls it an "agreement") regarding prescription abuses relating to his drug dependency.

He is paying a $30,000 fine (his lawyer calls it a payment to defray the public cost of the investigation) which represents something like two hours' income for the radio host.

What do you want to bet that if it had been a Democrat or liberal in exactly the same situation, Rush would be on the radio proclaiming that a bleeding-heart, weak-kneed prosecutor had given a dangerous, immoral criminal a slap on the wrist instead of throwing the slime in prison where he belongs?

I'm not saying that would have been the proper punishment for Limbaugh. But that's most likely what he would have said.

Herb Brant

Coralville

[end]

Recently released data from the U.S. Department of Education shows that, since 2000, nearly 2,400 Iowans have been denied the financial aid they need for college. A little known provision of the Higher Education Act of 2000 declared anyone with a drug conviction to be ineligible for federal aid for education -- whether the conviction was for possession or selling.

We're pleased that Congress recently decided to narrow the scope of this law to apply only to those convicted while actively receiving federal funds. But the policy, as written, remains inconsistent and unhelpful.

[continues 187 words]

I object to the scare tactics in the April 23 story about marijuana. We need to see a side-by-side comparison with other abused substances, such as alcohol or cigarettes, to truly understand its impact.

Marijuana may be a gateway to illegal drug use the way beer is a gateway to alcoholism. Most alcoholics probably started with beer, but most beer drinkers do not become alcoholics.

We know that alcoholism and nicotine addiction cost billions in health care and lost lives every year. Studies have shown that nicotine is addictive in the same range as narcotics, but cigarette use in young children is almost shrugged off. And parents are not encouraged to turn their children in to the police if beer is used illegally.

[continues 57 words]

In regard to the April 23 story, "A More Wicked Weed": I am wondering what the reporter's source is that determined that weed is Iowa youth's drug of choice? The terminology "drug of choice" indicates that this would be the drug they most often use.

However, based on the Iowa Youth Survey from 2002-2005, the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration survey of all states from 2002-2004, marijuana is far from the drug of choice for Iowa youth.

[continues 168 words]

The problem with marijuana is an unregulated market. Remember alcohol prohibition in the 1930s? You had high-potency forms of alcohol being made in people's bathtubs, only bathtub gin was often toxic. Even at today's higher standards of potency, marijuana still hasn't produced a single death in recorded history.

If you want to have any kind of control you have to legalize and regulate the commercial production and sale [of marijuana].

All the exaggerated scare stories have only increased interest in, and experimentation with, marijuana. I'm sure all the pot dealers want to thank the Register for the free advertising.

[continues 80 words]

Regarding "A More Wicked Weed" (April 23): The Iowa crime-lab officials who stated that marijuana today is 10 times more potent than it was 30 years ago are mistaken.

The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy made this claim in 2002, but retreated sharply in 2005, when it stated in a newspaper advertisement that today's marijuana is, on average, only twice as strong as that of decades past.

Claims of vastly increased potency are based on research from the 1970s using a small number of poorly stored samples in which THC had degraded before testing.

[continues 139 words]

Marijuana today is 10 times stronger than that of previous generations?

Having smoked the "wicked weed" of the '70s and today myself, I can assure you this is not true. The super high-potency strains that came from places like Thailand and Panama were much more potent than any of today's marijuana.

The reason teens prefer marijuana over alcohol is because it is easier to get than beer. Most pot dealers don't check IDs like liquor and convenience stores do. As long as marijuana continues to be illegal, this trend will continue.

[continues 61 words]

Organizers Hope Rally Gains Support For Legal Marijuana In The State Of Iowa

A thick bass line pounds through the dim basement, giving off a vibrant, confusing pulse as smoke curls around the yellowed murals covering the walls. In the corner sits a lanky man armed with a smile and a joint.

That man, who goes by the alias Reverend Ray Green, part-time author, artist and activist for all things dope, could be the future of legalized medical marijuana in Iowa.

[continues 372 words]

The two Democratic candidates vying to become the next Johnson County attorney are interested in diversion programs for non-violent offenders. Both want to bring change to the office, and both support legalizing marijuana for medicinal use.

However, Janet Lyness and Nick Maybanks differ when it comes to why they think voters should choose them in the June 6 primary election. The two squared off at a candidate forum Wednesday at the Iowa City Public Library.

Lyness, who has worked as an assistant Johnson County attorney for 16 years, touts her experience and "commitment to the community."

[continues 364 words]

The drug of choice among children in Iowa isn't what most parents might expect, or even fear.

It isn't alcohol. Methamphetamine? Not even close.

Marijuana - more than all other drugs combined, including alcohol - is what juveniles want most. It is the state's No. 1 illicit drug problem among people of all ages, and is catching on among children as young as 11. Yet parents, many of whom think back to their own days of "casual" marijuana use, tend to be less concerned about their child's experimentation with a joint than a drink.

[continues 3522 words]