WOODSTOCK - A former substitute Shenandoah County judge, accused of growing marijuana plants on his property, pleaded guilty this morning in the county's circuit court. James H. Allamong Jr. accepted a plea agreement that amended the charges against him. He was charged with felony possession with intent to distribute, and felony manufacturing of marijuana. He was convicted of two misdemeanors: possession and possession of drug paraphernalia. Retired Arlington County Judge Paul Sheridan sentenced Allamong to 30 days in jail beginning Oct. 5 and to pay a $500 fine. The sentence includes 12 months suspended jail time, two years probation and 200 community service hours. [continues 111 words]
Boone offers advice on tackling substance abuse issues in area Just because someone is a former felon or an addict doesn't mean that their life will never be anything, Delbert Boone said at a Recovery Day gathering Saturday. Anyone can recover, he said, adding, "I'm living proof." Boone, a motivational speaker who travels across the country talking about overcoming addiction, spoke at Patrick Henry Community College on Saturday as part of Recovery Day. Recovery Day was hosted by the Community Recovery Program of Piedmont Community Services and Drug Free Martinsville Henry County to mark September as National Recovery Month. The day also celebrates those recovering from alcohol and drug abuse and mental illness. [continues 870 words]
RICHMOND- Cigarette smuggling has become so lucrative that organized crime is getting involved, and many former drug dealers have switched to peddling contraband smokes instead of narcotics, the Virginia State Crime Commission was told Wednesday. The General Assembly last winter directed the commission to study illegal cigarette trafficking and make recommendations before the 2013 legislative session, which begins in January. The commission's staff conducted the investigation and will present its recommendations at the next meeting in November. G. Stewart Petoe, the commission's legal affairs director, said the amount of money cigarette smugglers can make is staggering. That's because they can buy a pack of premium cigarettes for about $5.55 in Virginia and sell it for a big profit on the black market in New York City, where a higher cigarette excise tax pushes the retail price to about $14 a pack. [continues 484 words]
NEWPORT NEWS -- When Quwanisha Hines was arrested numerous times as a juvenile for crimes related to abusing alcohol and drugs, she could see her life going down the wrong path. One day, she said, she started imagining her future, and it wasn't pretty. In addition to smoking marijuana, she was drinking a six-pack of beer every day, or two large malt liquors --and more on the weekends. Normally a "B" student, her grades slipped to "Ds" and "Fs." "I saw my life flash before my eyes," said Hines, now 21. [continues 372 words]
Re: Your July 23 editorial ("Synthetic drug manufactures concern"): The use of synthetic marijuana is an unintended side effect of the war on natural marijuana. Consumers are turning to potentially toxic drugs made in China and sold as research chemicals before being repackaged as legal incense. Expanding the drug war will do little other than add to what is already the highest incarceration rate in the world. Chinese chemists will tweak formulas to stay one step ahead of the law and two steps ahead of the drug tests. New versions won't be safer. Misguided efforts to protect children from drugs are putting children at risk. [continues 99 words]
Wanna buy some drugs? How about some drugz? Years ago, law enforcement had to worry about a handful of illegal intoxicants, primarily marijuana, cocaine, heroin and a few natural and chemical hallucinogens. There were also pills, diverted from the pharmacy or cooked in a kitchen. But, for the most part, the composition of the various intoxicants was settled and well known by law enforcement and by regulators if not by users. Today, the drug universe is as broad as the human imagination. [continues 313 words]
The latest front in the war on drugs is found as near as a neighborhood store. If synthetic drugs are the latest battle in the war on drugs, the front can be found at the neighborhood convenience store. There, merchants stock a product deceptively marketed as something else. The problem with synthetic drugs is that as quickly as lawmakers vote to ban one particular substance, "chemists" concoct a slightly different brew. Then packets of stuff labeled as bath salts, plant food or some other innocent-sounding concoction end up on store shelves. This isn't the Epsom salts of Grandma's day or the fertilizer your philodendron soaks up. And because it's sold in stores, naive kids mistakenly think, "If it's legal, it mustn't be bad." [continues 164 words]
Re: the May 16 letter to the editor "Don't sweep [marijuana] resolution aside" (The Daily Progress): The General Assembly just passed another budget that fails to adequately fund transportation. Virginia apparently has money to burn on other priorities though. More than 21,000 Virginians were arrested for marijuana offenses in 2010. That amounts to 6 percent of all arrests. Police time spent arresting marijuana offenders is police time not spent arresting child molesters, rapists and murderers. Pot smokers busted after the age of 18 are branded as criminals for life. The drug war is largely a war on marijuana smokers. In 2010, there were 853,839 marijuana arrests in the United States, almost 90 percent for simple possession. At a time when state and local governments are laying off police, firefighters and teachers, this country continues to spend enormous public resources criminalizing Americans who prefer marijuana to martinis. [continues 108 words]
On May 7, the Charlottesville City Council boldly recast the debate about marijuana policy in Virginia. The council adopted a resolution urging the General Assembly to give due consideration to decriminalizing, legalizing or regulating marijuana like alcohol. The council signaled that there is substantial support for changing marijuana laws in our community. This development undermines claims that marijuana legalization is a marginal issue in the commonwealth. When future sessions of the General Assembly debate this issue, our elected officials will need to give the issue a fair hearing. [continues 271 words]
In the Weeds A resolution that would have marked a shift in city policy toward prosecuting marijuana possession was ultimately passed by City Council last week as a watered-down request for the state to re-examine its drug policy, but that didn't keep the debate over legalization from raging on. At the May 7 council meeting, the chambers overflowed with citizens ready to argue for or against marijuana decriminalization. After hearing from recovering drug addicts, attorneys, students, and parents, council members discussed the resolution at length. The original draft consisted of two parts, the first encouraging the Charlottesville Police Department to deprioritize by reducing punishment for possession and focusing on other crimes. The final paragraph proposed that the city address the Virginia General Assembly about a statewide decriminalization. It was the only portion that passed. [continues 929 words]
Still, Two-Thirds Don't Smoke Pot, Say Results of Survey in County The percentage of Henry County Schools high school students who say they smoke marijuana every day has increased dramatically in the last few years, and some other measures of marijuana use also have increased significantly, all mirroring national trends. But Katie Connelly, community organizer for prevention for Piedmont Community Services, said it's important to point out that when the drug survey was most recently done early this school year, about two-thirds of students said they did not smoke marijuana. [continues 1178 words]
The Charlottesville City Council has shown its willingness to push the envelope on marijuana policy, but Central Virginia's representatives in Richmond seem uneager to follow suit. The City Council broke new ground last week by calling on state lawmakers to rethink penalties for pot possession and give "due consideration" to legislation that would decriminalize, legalize or regulate marijuana like alcohol. Pro-legalization activists believe it's the first resolution of its kind in the state, but because marijuana is illegal under state law, nothing will change unless the General Assembly decides to act. [continues 759 words]
RICHMOND - After months of an undercover investigation in 2008, a York County sheriff's deputy finally had enough evidence to charge Brandon Gomez, then 18, with intent to distribute marijuana. "I had actually been just basically the middleman," Gomez said, describing himself as an intermediary between a dealer and users in marijuana sales. During the investigation, the undercover officer bought 4 ounces of marijuana. After Gomez spent a few nights in jail, the officer offered him a deal: If he turned in his dealer and buyers, the felony charges would be reduced to misdemeanors. Gomez reluctantly agreed, and spent the next six months betraying the people who trusted him most. [continues 1282 words]
CHARLOTTESVILLE - After a wide-ranging, hourlong discussion of marijuana policy, the City Council voted Monday night to approve a resolution calling on the state to revisit its pot possession policies. Councilors were split on the issue, with some voicing concerns about whether a broader resolution that defined marijuana possession as a low priority for police would send the wrong message to children. At least two councilors supported the stronger resolution, but they picked up the third vote needed by narrowing the resolution down to a single paragraph. [continues 399 words]
After a wide-ranging, hour-long discussion of marijuana policy, the Charlottesville City Council voted Monday night to approve a resolution calling on the state of Virginia to revisit its pot possession policies. Councilors were split on the issue, with some voicing concerns about whether a broader resolution that defined marijuana possession as a low priority for police would send the wrong message to children. At least two councilors supported the stronger resolution, but they picked up the third vote needed by narrowing the resolution down to a single paragraph. [continues 990 words]
CHESAPEAKE - When it comes to marijuana, the nose knows. Even in a moving car. Even with the windows up. Police officers in Chesapeake have been pulling over cars on the grounds that they smelled marijuana while cruising down local roadways, defense attorneys say. And according to the testimony of one officer, it's become common practice to try to sniff out pot from behind the wheel. "We drive our patrol car with the vents on, pulling air from the outside in, directly into our faces," Officer Barrett C. Ring said late last year in court during a preliminary hearing, according to a transcript of the proceedings. "Commonly, we'll be behind vehicles that somebody in the vehicle is smoking marijuana, and we can smell it clear as day." [continues 643 words]
Americans' Experience With Marketing's Power Inclines Them to Favor Prohibition and Enforcement Over Legalization and Marketing of Drugs. but This Choice Has Consequences. WASHINGTON - Amelioration of today's drug problem requires Americans to understand the significance of the 80/20 ratio. Twenty percent of American drinkers consume 80 percent of the alcohol sold here. The same 80-20 split obtains among users of illicit drugs. About 3 million people - less than 1 percent of America's population - - consume 80 percent of illegal hard drugs. Drug trafficking organizations can be most efficiently injured by changing the behavior of the 20 percent of heavy users, and we are learning how to do so. Reducing consumption by the 80 percent of casual users will not substantially reduce the northward flow of drugs or the southward flow of money. [continues 662 words]
Televangelist Pat Robertson has never been my go-to guy for proof that there is a God, but last week he made me believe in miracles. The Virginia Beach-based Southern Baptist and public scold announced we should stop criminalizing marijuana and treat it like beverage alcohol because our endless war on drugs is bankrupting us, spiritually and financially. "We here in America make up 5 percent of the world's population, but we make up 25 percent of jailed prisoners," Robertson said on a recent broadcast of The 700 Club. [continues 664 words]
A recent national survey conducted among 8th-10th grade public school students indicated that kids within that age group are smoking marijuana more but consuming alcohol less. I was a bit skeptical of the findings, due perhaps not so much to the results, but because I questioned the need to survey children that young to begin with. Seemed a little superfluous to me. So I conducted a small survey of my own recently among kids I know and much to my disappointed surprise it turns out I was wrong and the survey was right: Apparently even seventh-graders are smoking pot in abundance these days. That's 12-year olds getting their hands on either imported or home-grown bud and toking it up like it's no big deal. [continues 487 words]
More than 75 percent of Virginians think welfare recipients should be required to pass a drug test to receive benefits, according to a poll released Thursday. Overall, voters support testing for public assistance by 76 percent to 21 percent with strong support across race, gender, party, income, religious and age groups. A measure to require the testing was carried over to 2013 by the House Appropriations Committee on Wednesday to give lawmakers more time to study the potential costs. A fiscal impact analysis attached to the bill introduced in the House of Delegates estimated the cost of drug screening some recipients at $1.3 million in the first year and $1 million annually after that. [continues 490 words]
One of the most progressive marijuana resolutions in the nation was recently introduced in the 2012 Virginia General Assembly session. Sponsored by Del. David Englin, D-Alexandria, HJ 140 would establish a subcommittee to study the revenue impact of legalizing and selling marijuana through Virginia ABC stores. Virginia's state-run liquor stores generated $121million in profits last year. How much revenue would legalizing marijuana generate? Who stands to lose and who stands to gain? These are questions worth answering. Crunching the numbers is easily done. Legalizing marijuana would generate at least $208 million in net revenue annually. That's a conservative estimate. It's based on 6.5 percent of Virginia adults admitting to past-month use in the most recent federal survey. That amounts to 520,000 regular users out of an 8million population. Assumptions include negligible start-up costs for existing ABC stores, no advertising, no out-of-state sales and users generating an average $400 in revenue. Total revenue could be much higher. Government surveys undercount illicit drug use; many people won't admit to criminal behavior. [continues 459 words]
A very interesting and important piece of legislation is soon to be heard in the Rules Committee of the Virginia House of Delegates. House Joint Resolution 139 calls for our Virginia governor to contact the United States federal Drug Enforcement Administration to officially request cannabis, aka marijuana, be removed from Schedule1 and placed in Schedule2. H.J.139 is proposed by Virginia Del. David Englin and very much deserves our support. Cannabis has been recognized by Virginia law as a legal medicine since 1979 with the passage of state law 18.2-251.1, which allows for cannabis as a treatment of glaucoma and cancer. In 1999, a disabled veteran named Brian Murphy attempted to use the state law as a defense for his use of cannabis for his neurological-based medical conditions. [continues 433 words]
The University Should Embrace Del. Englin's Proposal to Consider The Evidence for Marijuana Legalization Before Making Policy Decisions Del. David Englin, D-Alexandria, recently proposed legislation which would call for a study to evaluate the revenue impact of regulating and selling marijuana through Virginia's Alcoholic Beverage Control stores. Seeing as 14 states have decriminalized medicinal marijuana, this is a fairly modest proposal. Englin said his bill merely "asks the question of if we sold marijuana through ABC stores, how much money would we get?" It is easy to imagine the budgetary boon that would come from the state's profit off the ever-persistent demand for marijuana, but it is also worth thinking about how decriminalizing the drug may benefit the University community, as well. [continues 780 words]
A bill proposed by Del. David Englin, D-Alexandria, requesting Gov. Bob McDonnell to petition the federal Drug Enforcement Agency to allow the use of marijuana for legitimate medical reasons failed in the House Rules Committee Tuesday evening. "Legalizing marijuana is probably not supported by 99 percent of the people here," said Del. Dave Albo, R-Springfield, who did not vote on the resolution. "Del. Englin is a self-described ultra-liberal, and that's the kind of stuff he believes in." [continues 140 words]
A proposal in the Virginia General Assembly might bring something unexpected to ABC stores: marijuana. Virginia Delegate David Englin, a Democrat from House District 45, introduced House Joint Resolution No. 140, which proposes a study to examine the economic impact of legalizing marijuana and selling it in Virginia ABC stores. However, it is not the first bill of its kind to reach the floor. "It's hard for me to believe that even a study will get passed," said Karen Hult, a Virginia Tech political science professor. "I think there is going to be some concern about whether it's studying something that legislators would ever agree to, and I think many of them will say, 'No, we wouldn't.'" [continues 711 words]
One of the most progressive marijuana resolutions in the nation was recently introduced in the 2012 Virginia General Assembly. Sponsored by Del. David Englin, D-Alexandria, HJ140 would establish a subcommittee to study the revenue impact of legalizing and selling marijuana through Virginia ABC stores. Virginia's state-run liquor stores generated $121 million in profits last year. How much revenue would legalizing marijuana generate? Who stands to lose and who stands to gain? These are questions worth answering. Crunching the numbers is easily done. Legalizing marijuana would generate at least $208 million in net revenue annually. That's a conservative estimate. It's based on 6.5 percent of Virginia adults admitting to use during the past month in the most recent federal survey. That amounts to 520,000 regular users out of an 8 million population. Assumptions include negligible startup costs for existing ABC stores, no advertising, no out-of-state sales, and users generating an average $400 in revenue. Total revenue could be much higher. Government surveys undercount illicit drug use; many people won't admit to criminal behavior. [continues 582 words]
A Weekly Roundup of Short Opinions Offered by the Daily Press Editorial Board Stop and smell the Mozart What do a professional third baseman and an orchestral percussionist have in common? To some legislators, it's not just that they're both five-tool players. Del. G. Manoli Loupassi, R-Richmond argues symphony musicians should be treated like sports team members when it comes to unemployment claims. He's sponsoring a bill that would deny symphony members benefits during the months they aren't under contract. [continues 462 words]
It wouldn't be wintertime in Virginia unless at least one politician arrived in Richmond carrying a bill so wacky that it's guaranteed to garner headlines. And almost no support. Meet Del. David Englin, from Alexandria, who's cooked up this session's juiciest slice of crazy. If you think it's odd that the state is in the business of selling booze, just wait. Englin is noodling with something else for the ABC shelves. Marijuana. His joint resolution, HJ140, calls for the commonwealth to study the revenue it would rake in if pot were legalized and sold in ABC stores. [continues 509 words]
RICHMOND - Del. David L. Englin wants you to know that he's no pothead. The husband, father and Air Force veteran said he has never smoked marijuana - let alone inhaled - but he still wants to study the possibility of legalizing the drug in Virginia. Englin (D-Alexandria) has introduced a bill this legislative session that would create a group to figure out how much money the state could reap if it legalized marijuana and sold it in more than 300 Virginia liquor stores. [continues 608 words]
Government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth" - Abraham Lincoln in the Gettysburg Address. We live in a democracy, one which many people say is the greatest on earth, including myself. In a democracy, the will of the people is paramount, and the majority rules, provided that it does not oppress the minority. But today the minority is oppressing the majority, spearheaded by the federal government. In the beginning of October, four United States prosecutors announced they would be increasing their "enforcement" of federal law in California. This increased enforcement was outlined as the use of new tactics, which include threatening property owners with civil forfeiture of their properties and any assets derived from them, such as rent payments. [continues 784 words]
Gov. Also Looks to Expand Drug Courts As Part of Public Safety Agenda RICHMOND -- Gov. Bob McDonnell announced his public safety agenda for the General Assembly session Thursday which includes increased sentences for repeat drug dealers, expansion of local drug courts and an alternative program for non-violent offenders who violate probation. "Public safety really is the first and foremost duty of government at every level," McDonnell said. "People must feel safe in their homes, their neighborhoods, their church, their synagogue if they are going to really get access to the American dream." [continues 621 words]
Federal authorities' efforts in recent months to crack down on state-regulated marijuana dispensaries in California have increased tensions over which level of government should take the lead in defining the legal boundaries for drug use and possession. Marijuana, under the federal Controlled Substances Act, is classified as a Schedule I drug, the same as LSD and ecstasy. The designation means none is recognized as having any medicinal value. But that view runs counter to the positions of numerous doctors and scientists who've found the plant does, indeed, offer some medicinal benefits to individuals dealing with certain health conditions. More than a dozen states, and the District of Columbia, have been convinced and approved their own laws that either decriminalize marijuana or allow for its medicinal use. [continues 269 words]
Re: "Briefly put," Sept. 27 editorial: Speaking as a retired detective and student of history, your idea (have pharmacies participate in tracking sales of meth ingredients) to improve the meth problem is doomed to failure. We in law enforcement have been trying such ideas for the past 40 years. The results of those ideas and a trillion tax dollars spent? According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, "Drugs are readily available to America's youth." The meth lab, whether "shake and bake" or the table-sized variety, is the moonshine still of the 21st century. We can make 99 percent go away if we would repeal the prohibition of amphetamines. Allow adults legal access to the same amphetamines we give Air Force and Navy pilots to fly long missions. This is not complicated. Detective/Officer (retired) [end]
Speaking as a retired detective, I heartily agree with the thoughts of Donnie Johnston ["Is it time for a truce in the war on drugs?" July 22]. My profession has spent just over a trillion tax dollars on the war on drugs. The results? Drugs are cheaper, stronger, and more readily available to our teens. Prohibition is the prime driver of felony crime in the U.S. Millions of good citizens have been made victims because a crackhead needs $200 a day. [continues 72 words]
LET'S WAX philo-sophical. Should those who kill and maim in wars be prosecuted for murder or attempted murder? After all, they are killing or trying to kill other people. The conventional answer, of course, would be: "Absolutely not! When war is declared, there is no penalty for killing or maiming in battle." But what if people are engaged in an undeclared war? Remember that the Vietnam conflict was never a declared war. The fighting in Libya is not a declared war. [continues 509 words]
For all the talk of government inefficiency, wasteful spending and ruinous debt, the political class continues to dismiss any effort to reform a failed, decades-old campaign: the war on drugs. That point was highlighted this month in a report by the Global Commission on Drug Policy, which noted billions of dollars were being funneled into a circular system that jailed thousands of low-level offenders but failed to get drugs off the street. "Apparent victories in eliminating one source or trafficking organization are negated almost instantly by the emergence of other sources and traffickers." [continues 372 words]
Re: "Police weed out 500 plants in Fincastle marijuana bust," March 19 news story: I'm sure that many marijuana growers and sellers are thankful to the Virginia State Police for this latest marijuana bust and others like it. Without operations like this, marijuana would be worth what other easy-to-grow weeds are worth -- very little. Thanks to the Drug Enforcement Administration and other so-called drug warriors, the easy-to-grow weed is worth almost as much as pure gold - -- and completely tax free. Any marijuana growers, sellers or traffickers arrested will soon be replaced. They always are. Kirk Muse Mesa, Ariz. [end]
Re: Robert Sharpe's outstanding commentary, "Another wrong turn in the war on drugs" (Feb. 10): I'd like to add that marijuana is relatively safe in that it has never caused a documented death from its use. However, marijuana prohibition is very dangerous because it then is sold only by criminals -- criminals who often sell other, much more dangerous drugs and who offer free samples to their marijuana customers. For the sake of our children, we need to regulate and control the sale of marijuana. Only legal products can be regulated by our government. Only legal products can be controlled by our government. And only legal products can be taxed by our government. It seems to me that nonmarijuana users would be very much in favor of taxing a product they don't use. Around here, taxing someone else's vice is very popular. Kirk Muse Mesa, Ariz. [end]
Del. William Cleaveland, R-Botetourt County, sponsored one of a slew of bipartisan bills in the 2011 Virginia General Assembly to outlaw the sale and use of synthetic marijuana. His was one incorporated into H.B. 1434, which passed the House without a dissenting vote. The Senate passed a similar bill, also without a "no" vote. In a year when the entire General Assembly is up for re-election, banning synthetic marijuana is one thing risk-averse legislators can agree on. [continues 583 words]
No fewer than 17 bipartisan bills to outlaw the sale and use of synthetic marijuana have been filed in the 2011 Virginia General Assembly session. In a year when the entire assembly is up for re-election, banning synthetic marijuana is one thing risk-averse legislators can agree on. Synthetic marijuana is made from chemicals related to mothballs. The effects may be similar to those of pot, but the chemicals are nothing like marijuana. The synthetics contain carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in amounts large enough to make tobacco look like health food in comparison. The comparative safety of organic marijuana is well-established. [continues 535 words]
Local Del. Glenn Oder (R - Newport News) has sponsored one of 17 bi-partisan bills to outlaw the sale and use of "synthetic marijuana" in the 2011 Virginia General Assembly session. In a year when the entire General Assembly is up for re-election, banning synthetic marijuana is one thing risk-averse legislators can agree on. Synthetic marijuana is made from chemicals related to mothballs. The effects may be similar, but the chemicals are nothing like marijuana. The synthetics contain carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in amounts large enough to make tobacco look like health food in comparison. The comparative safety of organic marijuana is well established. [continues 534 words]
No fewer than 17 bipartisan bills to outlaw the sale and use of "synthetic marijuana" have been filed in the current General Assembly session. In a year when the entire General Assembly is up for re-election, banning synthetic marijuana is one thing risk-averse legislators can agree on. Synthetic marijuana is made from chemicals related to mothballs. The chemicals are nothing like marijuana, although the effects may be similar. The synthetics contain carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in amounts large enough to make tobacco look like health food in comparison. [continues 546 words]
Criminalizing Marijuana (Real or Synthetic) Is a Waste of Law Enforcement Resources In the state legislature's short sessions -- just 45 days to take care of a year's worth of business -- some good bills meet an untimely death. One of this year's early casualties was a sensible bill that would have decriminalized marijuana. Its demise wasn't unexpected. What is unexpected is who was behind it: not a liberal but a Virginia gentleman of the Republican persuasion, Del. Harvey Morgan of Gloucester. [continues 582 words]
The new 2009 Fairfax County Youth Survey released in late October revealed a serious increase in teen marijuana use from the baseline low rates reported in the 2005 survey. Overall "recent-use" (past 30-day) rates for all students rose from 9.2 percent in 2005 to 11.6 percent in 2009, meaning a 26 percent increase. Especially alarming was the rate for boys, which increased 36 percent. Page 54 of the survey reads, "Usage ... increased from 2005 to 2009, for all grades, genders and race/ethnicities." This increase is consistent with national teen marijuana use trends. Experts say it is mainly attributable to two primary influences: Massive publicity about "medical marijuana" initiatives, which persuade teens that marijuana must be harmless if it's OK for medicine, and the proliferation of high-tech cell phones among students, giving local pushers direct access to students in the market for drugs and alcohol. [continues 394 words]
Commentator Robert Sharpe hit the bull's-eye in exposing cannabis (marijuana) prohibition ("Conservative Republican leads effort to decriminalize marijuana," The Daily Progress, Nov. 28). Caging responsible adults for using the extremely popular God-given plant cannabis is just plain wrong on every facet. I'm surprised more Republicans are not fighting for credible drug-law reform, since it coincides with so many conservative values such as freedom, states rights, lower government spending, the free market and honoring the U.S. Constitution, etc. [continues 73 words]
Re: "God thinks well of marijuana," Dec. 2 letter: Letter writer Stan White is correct that the God of the Bible approves marijuana, but there is more to consider. Punishing people where no injury to another person has been done goes against the law of God commanding that criminal punishment must equal the injury done and no more: Exodus says, "But if there is serious injury, you are to take life for life." Leviticus says, "fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth; as he has disfigured a man, he shall be disfigured." [continues 94 words]
Re: "Virginia should legalize pot," Nov. 26 commentary: Robert Sharpe hit the bull's-eye exposing cannabis (marijuana) prohibition; caging responsible adults for using the God-given plant cannabis is just plain wrong on every facet. Another reason to pass HB 1443 that he doesn't mention is that legalization is biblically correct, since God, the Ecologician, indicates he created all the seed-bearing plants, saying they are all good, on the first page of the Bible. The only biblical restriction placed on cannabis is to accept it with thankfulness (1 Timothy). What kind of government cages people for using what God says is good? DILLON, COLO. [end]
Virginia is one of 18 states where the government operates a monopoly on the distribution and sale of hard liquor. Virginia's Alcohol Beverage Control stores are a holdover from alcohol prohibition. Lasting from 1920 to 1933, alcohol prohibition was repealed when it became clear that prohibition was financing organized crime while failing miserably at preventing alcohol use. Making the case for ABC privatization, Gov. Bob McDonnell has argued that selling alcohol is not a core government responsibility. Neither is criminalizing people who use marijuana. [continues 556 words]
Virginia is one of 18 states where the government operates a monopoly on the distribution and sale of hard liquor. Virginia's Alcohol Beverage Control stores are a holdover from alcohol prohibition. Lasting from 1920 to 1933, alcohol prohibition was repealed when it became clear that prohibition was financing organized crime while failing miserably at preventing alcohol use. Making the case for ABC privatization, Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell has argued that selling alcohol is not a core government responsibility. Neither is criminalizing people who use marijuana. [continues 615 words]
Virginia is one of 18 states where government operates a monopoly on the distribution and sale of hard liquor. Virginia's Alcohol Beverage Control stores are a holdover from alcohol Prohibition. Lasting from 1920 to 1933, Prohibition was repealed when it became clear that it was financing organized crime while failing miserably at preventing alcohol use. Making the case for ABC privatization, Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell has argued that selling alcohol is not a core government responsibility. Neither is criminalizing people who use marijuana. [continues 551 words]
Virginia
