Everything has to change.

From the clothes she wears to the food she eats, even when she uses the restroom - it is all dictated by counselors at the center.

They tell her what to talk about and correct the way she walks.

In return, she learns how to understand her feelings, to recognize what thoughts lead to which behaviors.

Before she leaves on June 27, she makes a list of positive peers and those who will be destructive.

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'WHY CAN'T THEY JUST LET ME GET HIGH?'

Editor's note Carson City has identified the battle with methamphetamine as its No. 1 priority. Throughout the year, the Nevada Appeal will run stories highlighting addicts' struggles, as well as the struggles of family, friends and the community.

This is the second installment of a three-part series which follows a girl through three years, beginning with her addiction to heroin and cocaine in Dallas and following her through her transition to Carson City and introduction to methamphetamine.

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Good intentions are no substitute for effective drug education. Independent evaluations of Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) have found the program to be either ineffective or counterproductive. The scare tactics used do more harm than good. Students who realize they've been lied to about marijuana may make the mistake of assuming that harder drugs like methamphetamine are relatively harmless as well. This is a recipe for disaster. Drug education programs must be reality-based or they may backfire when kids are inevitably exposed to drug use among their peers.

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In 2005, more than 11 percent of Washoe County high school students said they experimented with marijuana by the time they were 13, according to a recent Youth Risk Behavior Survey published by the county. This statistic was up 3 percent from 2003 when only 9 percent of 13-year-olds said that had tried marijuana.

"This is a reason for concern, if not alarm - which is why we are here tonight," said Steven Boyd, a drug and alcohol counselor with Bristlecone Family Resources to parents who had gathered at the IHS theater Wednesday night for a drug awareness presentation.

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CARSON CITY - The head of the committee calling for legalization of marijuana in Nevada says the group does not support use of the drug but rather believes the current prohibition is bad policy and "a miserable failure."

Neal Levine, of the Committee to Regulate and Control Marijuana, said instead of banning pot, the proposed statute on Nevada's 2006 ballot would set up a system of manufacture and sales for small amounts of marijuana in Nevada. It would allow possession and use of an ounce or less of marijuana by adults in their own homes but would double the penalties for selling to minors and prohibit use by those under 21. It would also provide for creation and licensing of retail stores to sell small amounts of pot and tax those sales. Half the revenue would go to the state treasury and the other half to drug and alcohol programs.

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CARSON CITY - The head of the committee calling for legalization of marijuana in Nevada says the group does not support use of the drug but rather believes the current prohibition is bad policy and "a miserable failure."

Neal Levine, of the Committee to Regulate and Control Marijuana, said instead of banning pot, the proposed statute on Nevada's 2006 ballot would set up a system of manufacture and sales for small amounts of marijuana in Nevada. It would allow possession and use of an ounce or less of marijuana by adults in their own homes but would double the penalties for selling to minors and prohibit use by those under 21. It would also provide for creation and licensing of retail stores to sell small amounts of pot and tax those sales. Half the revenue would go to the state treasury and the other half to drug and alcohol programs.

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There is little doubt that the original intent of Nevada's initiatives and referendum process has been perverted by politicians and monied interests.

This process was created in the first half of the 20th century to help common citizens reform their government, which at that time was characterized by corruption, business influence and cronyism.

Last week, as outlined in our news story ("Just say no," Jan. 26), the Nevada Taxpayers Association found technical problems with the language of some of the initiatives for November's election and has taken a stand on the broader issue of over-use of these processes.

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More than 250 people - schoolchildren to senior citizens - packed the fellowship hall at Carson Valley United Methodist Church on Thursday to learn just how invasive methamphetamine is in Carson Valley.

"We need to link our hands together to protect our children from this dangerously addictive drug," said Frank Grayshield, representing the Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California.

"We're really involved in an effort to create healthier, safer communities and we can't do it alone," he said.

"Let's Talk About Methamphetamine, An Evening for Family and Friends," was sponsored by the Partnership of Community Resources, the Douglas County Sheriff's Office and the Washoe Tribe.

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Denver, Colo. has proclaimed itself the nation's forerunner for dealing with domestic violence. Billboards previously pasted up in the city showed the image of an abused woman, promoting support of Initiative 100 to "Reduce family & community violence in Denver," and, earlier this month, voters successfully willed it into action. Marijuana possession for recreational purposes is now legal for the first time in an American city. Mason Tvert, the leading proponent of the Alcohol Marijuana Equalization Initiative, was involved in the "Make Denver Safer" campaign. Of Initiative 100, he said: "If this passes, it will make the city of Denver safer by allowing adults over 21 to use marijuana as an alternative to alcohol." In January, Tvert also started an organization, SAFER (Safer Alternatives for Enjoyable Recreation), as a response to alcohol-related deaths at Colorado universities. He added, "There's no doubt that if people choose to use marijuana instead of alcohol we would not have the same number of problems."

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Regarding Denver's passage of an initiative that will take away criminal penalties for adults who possess marijuana:

Although I'll be the first to admit that it appears obvious that both individual citizens and various organizations having joined this campaign to legalize medicinal and recreational use of marijuana, each has their various motives.

It appears nonetheless that there is a wealth of experiential data from countries that have preceded us in this matter supporting the logic of this approach. That is, reduced teen use, monetary and organizational resources being made available for higher priority matters, such as domestic security, prosecution of violent crimes and the issue of abuse of prescription medications that are often more addictive and have more serious social effects than the whole herb use of marijuana.

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Belgica Senn, her husband and seven children huddle together in a 600-square foot, one-bedroom apartment. They live with Senn's sister after moving to Reno to find a better life.

What they found were low wages and high rents.

Finding subsidized housing that allows nine people has been difficult, Senn said. The American dream of home ownership, especially in the ever-expensive Washoe County market, is beyond the reach of near-minimum wage workers.

Senn's sister is violating her lease by allowing them to live there, 10 in the room. If caught, they'll be evicted. A cloud of fear hangs over their heads. They feel they have no place else to go.

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METH MADNESS, PART 1

Drug Abuse Boosts Local Crime Rate

Whether it's called crank, ice, crystal meth or one of its many other names, methamphetamine is a life-ruining drug that is gaining momentum not only nationally but here in Elko County.

One of the easiest ways to see this drug's impact on our county is by reading the police blotter and other stories about crimes that occur in the community. This drug will be mentioned in many, if not most, of them.

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ELKO - Despite the recent increase in use, methamphetamine has a long history going back to the late 1800s.

Amphetamine, from which meth is derived, was first synthesized in Germany in 1887, according to Narconon's Web site, www.stopaddiction.com.

Nothing was done with the drug until the late 1920s when people experimented with it as a cure or treatment for everything from depression to decongestion. By the 1930s, the drug was marketed as Benzedrine in an over-the-counter inhaler to treat nasal congestion, and it began to be abused by non-asthmatics.

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Pinon Hills Elementary School students wore red and pledged to be drug free by wearing wrist bands that read "Drug use is life abuse."

This was the first year that Pinon Hills students participated in Red Ribbon Week. The students were presented information about the prevention of unhealthy behavior, were made aware of drugs and the negative consequences of their abuse.

Erick Barros, 11, learned that alcohol use has consequences.

"If you're a teenager, alcohol affects you more than adults."

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Sheriff's offices in Douglas County and Carson City as well as the Washoe tribe are joining forces in the war against methamphetamine and other illegal drugs.

Douglas County Sheriff Ron Pierini, Carson City Sheriff Kenny Furlong and tribal officer J.C. Leonard announced the new partnership last week at a news conference in Minden.

A legal agreement between the Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California police and the counties could be finalized by next week, and would allow for the law enforcement officials to assist during emergencies on tribal lands.

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The potheads are back. Or should I call them the Committee to Regulate and Control Marijuana? This month, campaign boss Neal Levine sent out a letter announcing the Nevada campaign to legalize pot. Or should I say to regulate and control it? And tax it? If you are over 21, smoke 'em if you got 'em. But not near schools or churches can you sell it. And the taxes will be used for education and road projects. And there will be double penalties if you smoke and drive and kill. Why do it? Levine says two-thirds of Nevada teens smoke weed. Really? No more gangs and criminals selling.

No more wasted police time going after users.

Wow. Fix roads.

Fund education.

No more gangs with drugs.

Tougher penalties.

Where's my lighter?

[end]

At least Jack Carter didn't bogart the information. Former President Jimmy Carter's son openly disclosed last week, in a story in the Reno Gazette-Journal that followed a blog report, that he smoked marijuana. Granted, Carter The Younger isn't the first candidate ever to admit to smoking pot. But it's the rest of the story, as Paul Harvey says, that could be more problematic. Seems Carter used his drug use to get booted out of the Navy -- and said he also used LSD and THC to make sure he was eighty-sixed. Being a pothead is one thing. But being a pothead who uses marijuana and other drugs to get out of the Navy? That could sink his ship, as if the prohibitive underdog could afford to take on any water.

[end]

Accusing Boulder City of legalized extortion, the state's American Civil Liberties Union has offered to help a 56-year-old woman convicted of misdemeanor pot possession fight the city's threat to seize her $400,000 home or force her to pay to keep it.

Although Boulder City, which accused Warren of selling marijuana out of her home, filed a lawsuit in April to confiscate her house, it also is discussing a deal that would allow her to keep it for a payment of up to $100,000.

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Thank you for exposing how the cost of cannabis prohibition (Who're The Real Dopes In The War On Drugs? PVT Oct. 5) is higher than the buzz itself. Education will end the historically discredited, anti-Christian practice of caging humans for using the plant cannabis.

Another reason to re-legalize cannabis that doesn't get mentioned is because it's biblically correct. Christ God Our Father, The Ecologician, indicated He created all the seed-bearing plants and said they are all good on literally the very first page of the Bible. The only biblical restriction placed on cannabis is that it be used with thanksgiving (1 Timothy 4:1-5).

Truthfully,

THE GREEN COLLAR WORKER

[end]

A 56-year-old woman convicted of misdemeanor possession of marijuana may get to keep her Boulder City home without a court fight despite the city's lawsuit to seize the property.

She apparently may pay the city to drop the lawsuit.

Boulder City Attorney Dave Olsen said he's optimistic a settlement will be reached with Cynthia Warren that would have her pay in exchange for the city dropping its effort to confiscate her home, which city officials say would fetch $400,000 in an auction.

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