GREEN VALLEY - A proposal to allow the legal cultivation of medicinal marijuana in West Virginia received mixed reviews Friday when area residents voiced their opinions.

House Bill 2230, now before the West Virginia Legislature, would allow the cultivation and use of medicinal marijuana. Introduced by Delegate Mike Manypenny, D-Taylor, the bill has some support from fellow legislators. Delegate Clif Moore, D-McDowell, said a close relative could have benefited from access to medicinal marijuana.

"That's a personal issue for me," Moore said. "My oldest sister died of lupus. I know she was in constant pain, and the research I've been able to do says it would sort of soothed their pain, ease her pain, and allow her to function on a daily basis. She couldn't do the normal, simple things everybody else does if she had an episode. If she had an episode, she was rendered immobile."

[continues 308 words]

KENOVA -- Advocates for drug prevention made the case against marijuana legalization at a town hall meeting Thursday evening at the Kenova Municipal Building.

Tim White, Wayne County Anti-Drug Coalition and Region 5 Prevention coordinator, led a roughly hour-long presentation on marijuana -- examining what it is, what it does to its users and why it should not be legalized as is being proposed to the West Virginia Legislature.

Last month, the legislature's Joint Health Committee was told a bill allowing the use of medical marijuana was being drafted for consideration in the upcoming legislative session. The bill would allow people with certain illnesses like cancer and glaucoma to possess up to six ounces of marijuana. Registered patients would also be allowed to have no more than 12 marijuana plants.

[continues 573 words]

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- The time has come to legalize marijuana for those that can benefit from it.

I am 72 years old and have never touched marijuana or any of the other illegal junk drugs peddled on our streets. But, I have difficulty understanding the opposition to legalizing medical marijuana. If a doctor says it is a substance that will help out many in pain, it should be treated like any other prescription medication. As we are finding out every day many of the prescription and nonprescription drugs now approved for use are more deadly and addictive than that claimed for marijuana.

[continues 162 words]

CHARLESTON, W.Va.--Lawmakers received a draft of a bill Wednesday that, if passed, would legalize the use of medical marijuana in West Virginia.

Nearly identical bills were introduced in the House the previous two legislative sessions, but died in committee.

That will have to change this time around for there to be any discussions in the state Senate, said Senate Health Committee Chairman Ron Stollings, D-Boone.

"Unless it comes out of the House, I can't really imagine us handling it De novo (anew) on the Senate side," Stollings said.

[continues 776 words]

Federal Resources to Help County in Ongoing Battle

PINEVILLE - Wyoming County will now be included in the Appalachia High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA), which will enable the county to receive additional federal resources to help further drug control efforts.

"The added federal muscle that this new HIDTA designation brings to Wyoming County, and which I pressed hard to secure, will help our state and local law enforcement authorities in their tireless fight against drug abuse," Congressman Nick Rahall said.

He said the crime that accompanies drug trafficking and abuse requires a coordinated response across all levels of government.

[continues 482 words]

Even though Delegate Mike Manypenny, D-Taylor, says he hopes to have medical marijuana legalized by 2015, some state officials say it could be longer, especially depending on what the public thinks.

"I would say the earliest that we're going to vote on something like that is 2015," Sen. Daniel Hall, D-Wyoming, said. "I can't imagine that we'd vote on an issue like that during an election year. I get mixed opinions in our district. My job is to represent the people of Raleigh, Wyoming and part of McDowell.

[continues 738 words]

Right now there is at least a "faint hint" that the 2014 West Virginia Legislature may consider a bill to authorize the legalization of medical marijuana. Advocates and some physicians now claim marijuana can alleviate some illnesses or other medical conditions.

But the federal government doesn't condone it, so an anticipated debate about the issue looms during the next 60-day regular legislative session that begins in just a little more than three months. A legislative interim committee discussed the issue at a hearing last month and watched a CNN report about how medical marijuana helped one child with her severe epilepsy.

[continues 814 words]

Once again, legislators are pondering whether to legalize medicinal marijuana to relieve pain, nausea and other miseries of sick West Virginians. We hope this humane effort finally passes, simply because it's merciful. Further, it could provide additional state revenue.

Gradually, Americans are becoming tolerant of pot, which is no more harmful than beer or whisky, which are legal -- and is much less harmful than tobacco, also legal.

Back in 1969, a whopping 84 percent of Americans opposed legalization of pot. But this year, a Pew survey found that 52 percent now want marijuana to be legal. The same poll found that three-fourths think police efforts to exterminate pot cost more than they're worth.

[continues 413 words]

One of the biggest factors looming over our area is drug abuse.

It threatens every community in southern West Virginia. It seems no neighborhood is immune to the ills of drugs.

That's why we support the effort that Raleigh County Schools is attempting to help prevent abuse among its students.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, drug abuse and addiction cost taxpayers nearly $534 billion each year in preventable health care, law enforcement, crime and other costs in the United States. The organization goes on to say the assessment is "preventable: The best approach to reducing the tremendous toll substance abuse exacts from individuals, families and communities is to prevent the damage before it occurs."

[continues 474 words]

BECKLEY - A drug policy proposed for Raleigh County students was placed on a 30-day comment period at the monthly meeting of the Raleigh County Board of Education.

If approved, the policy will mandate that every student in grades 6-12 who wants to participate in school-related competitive activities, including academic activities, or drive to school and park on the property, to submit to random drug testing.

The sole speaker during a discussion on the proposed policy, Raleigh County Education Association Co-President Marie Hamrick, opposed it.

[continues 786 words]

Illegal drugs from the murderous Mexican cartels already can be found throughout the United States. But now, authorities across the nation say, the cartels have sent their operatives to several U.S. cities, including Columbus.

That is not acceptable. Home-grown drug gangs are bad enough, using violence frequently to settle their squabbles. But the Mexican cartels are on another, much more brutal level of violence.

U.S. authorities, including those in Ohio, should make it a top priority to send the cartel operatives packing. The illegal drug crisis is bad enough without their presence.

[end]

Sen. Joe Manchin Looks to Re-Introduce the 'Safe Prescribing Act of 2013'

WASHINGTON - When he met with children at a small Wyoming County middle school in late 2011, U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin was moved by the stories of families ruined by prescription drug addiction.

"They lost everything - they lost their home. They lost their families," Manchin, D-W. Va., said of the stories that emerged from the Oceana Middle School meeting. "These were 11-and 12-yearold boys and girls begging for help. They were asking for help. They were basically saying we've lost our community and our town due to this epidemic of drug abuse. Yes it (the visit) impacted me."

[continues 1246 words]

CHARLESTON - Legislation was proposed Tuesday that could add West Virginia to the list of 18 other states and the District of Columbia that have legalized the use of marijuana for medical reasons.

The Compassionate Medical Marijuana Act of 2013 would impact patients suffering from debilitating diseases such as cancer, glaucoma and those that produce severe pain, according to the bill.

Delegate Mike Manypenny, D-Taylor, has introduced this legislation twice before. This year is the first he has had co-sponsors, which he suggests is due to medicinal marijuana becoming a less controversial topic.

[continues 509 words]

PARKERSBURG - Not only is there a new sheriff in town, the Wood County Sheriff's Department will welcome in the new chief and chief tax deputies today.

Chief Deputy Shawn Graham said he and the Sheriff Ken Merritt plan on meeting with Wood County deputies in the first week of taking office.

"We have ideas on what's working and what's not," said Graham. "I have my own ideas."

Graham said he would like to make a bigger commitment to the drug problem in the Mid-Ohio Valley. He said it is "much worse than people realize."

[continues 202 words]

Supporters Argue Financial, Medical Benefits of Halting Prohibition

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Legislation to legalize marijuana use, especially for medical purposes, is being discussed again in West Virginia.

Today, sale of medical marijuana is legal in 18 states and Washington, D.C. Today, 30 percent of Americans live in states where marijuana is legal in some form.

On Nov. 6, popular votes in Colorado and Washington state legalized the recreational use of marijuana.

Supporters of marijuana legislation in West Virginia back various reform laws they say could offer people medical help, create new state tax revenues, cut prison costs and enhance an industry already booming underground.

[continues 1085 words]

A group advocating the legal use of marijuana to ease the suffering of cancer victims and others mired in severe pain has been active in West Virginia for more than a year now.

Formed in August 2011, WV-NORML is a state chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws.

On its website, the group says its mission is to educate West Virginians about the benefits of using marijuana for medical purposes and "the relative safety" of smoking pot for recreation.

[continues 297 words]

Sarah tied her honey-blonde hair into a disheveled bun. She caught the blue and tan swirled glass pipe in her fragile hands and sharply, yet smoothly inhaled the smoke, as if it were instinct. Her face slightly ballooned; she held in the smoke for about five seconds and then let it out with a soft hiss. She let out a sigh, and then loosened the grip on the back of her neck the pain was leaving.

Sarah is one of approximately 136,000 marijuana users in West Virginia, according to a 2009 report by DrugScience.org. Of the sampled population, 81,000 reported marijuana use in the past month.

[continues 1168 words]

The issue of criminal penalties for the use of marijuana is one of the most sensitive issues that we face in our state. There are no easy answers that satisfy all sides and opinions on this issue, but there are some compelling facts that we should all consider in proposing decriminalization of marijuana.

First, marijuana is a naturally growing plant almost everywhere. Except for the drying process, it is primarily a natural substance in our nation. Current laws which make possession and use of marijuana illegal fly in the face of its natural presence in our environment.

[continues 586 words]

BECKLEY - A now former employee of the Beckley City Police Department has agreed to plead guilty to a federal charge of taking prescription pills that were being stored as evidence in drug cases and investigations.

With pills taken from what was thought to be a secured environment, the acts of this evidence room technician not only shake the foundation of law enforcement, but also deliver us with a steely-eyed look into just how deep, how serious the prescription drug crisis really is.

[continues 273 words]

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Fighting the epidemic of prescription drug abuse is the top priority for both candidates running for sheriff in Putnam County. They told Gazette editors Monday that's what most crimes can be traced back to.

Steve Deweese, a Republican, and Bud Lett, a Democrat, would increase the size of the county's drug task force, which has three officers.

"I'd draw from some local departments inside the county and build back the task force like it was when I was supervisor," said Lett, a former federal Drug Enforcement Administration officer and State Police trooper who is now chief of the Kenova Police Department. "We had six men, at one time."

[continues 417 words]