Granite State cops are bracing for a potential influx of doped-up drivers and pot-smoking teens - even without a marijuana legalization question on the New Hampshire ballot - as Massachusetts and Maine voters could legalize the herb in November. "You're going to have more instances of drugged driving, and it's going to cost the state more money because of the increase in law enforcement and prosecution," said Dalton, N.H., police Chief John Tholl, who is also a state representative opposed to marijuana legalization. "It's just going to be a burden on the legal system." [continues 325 words]
Undermines State's Opioid Crackdown Several Bay State sheriffs are blasting an ongoing push to legalize marijuana amid a raging opiate epidemic - accusing some lawmakers and those behind pot legalization ballot initiatives of undercutting Gov. Charlie Baker's bipartisan opioid crackdown. "It makes no sense," said Barnstable County Sheriff James M. Cummings. "We're here fighting opiates and now we're going to legalize another mindaltering substance?" Baker is set to testify in support of his legislation on Beacon Hill today. The bill, which would limit prescriptions and give doctors the ability to send patients to addiction treatment, has high-profile backers like Mayor Martin J. Walsh and eight of the state's sheriffs. [continues 369 words]
A state lawmaker opposed to legalizing marijuana vowed to fight pro-pot ballot initiatives expected to be filed today, saying she'll join others taking on state Senate President Stanley C. Rosenberg, who backs legalizing pot and already has an advance copy of one of the questions. "We all see what opioids do. I don't think we should be adding fuel to the already raging drug issues in Massachusetts," said state Rep. Colleen M. Garry (D-Dracut), who joins high-profile pols such as Gov. Charlie Baker, House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo and Hub Mayor Martin J. Walsh in opposing marijuana legalization. [continues 278 words]
Research has yet to show that marijuana cures a single disease. In fact, it is a disease of addiction that is deceiving America's youth, who, without intervention, will likely end up with poor grades, lack of motivation and, as research clearly shows, significant mental illnesses. Today's marijuana is not your daddy's pot. THC, the intoxicant in marijuana, was roughly 2 percent to 3 percent a generation ago. Not today. New forms of marijuana on the market have skyrocketed to levels reaching 80 percent THC potency. [continues 443 words]
Gov Hopefuls Say They Won't Push Full Legalization It's a question of toke as I say, not as I did for the majority of the candidates for Massachusetts governor. While four of the candidates vying for the state's top job - including Republican Charlie Baker and Democrat Steve Grossman - admitted to previously inhaling yesterday, none of them would support a push to fully legalize marijuana in the Bay State. "Legalizing marijuana is not a priority of mine," said Democratic candidate Juliette Kayyem yesterday during an in-studio interview on Herald Radio. She went on to admit she has smoked marijuana. [continues 332 words]
William Delahunt - who once vowed as a lawman to hit pot peddlers "where it hurts" - is looking to enter the multi-million dollar medical marijuana business by opening three dispensaries, saying he changed his tune after hearing testimony from pain sufferers who get relief from weed. "No one has ever died of a marijuana overdose," said Delahunt, a former Norfolk County district attorney and congressman who joined a team of doctors to create the nonprofit Medical Marijuana of Massachusetts. The group is seeking three of the 35 licenses set to be handed out by the Department of Public Health by Jan. 31. [continues 313 words]
Assemblywoman Norma Torres has it right, and we thank her for paying attention to an issue affecting every single community in California - - drugged driving. We have more people driving "high" on our highways than we do driving drunk. While great strides have been made for decades to reduce drunken driving, virtually nothing has been done to address "drugged driving." With the explosion of domestic marijuana cartels in California selling pot out of storefronts, Californians are largely not surprised to learn that an ever-increasing number of traffic incidents involve people under the influence of marijuana - especially those driving to and from marijuana dispensaries. [continues 575 words]
Thank you for publishing Leonard Pitts Jr.'s column "Legalize Marijuana, Treat, Don't Punish" on July 20. In our failed "War on Drugs" we have indeed spent billions, ruined millions of lives, jailed a very unequal number of blacks and, most important of all, given the criminal world an enormous source of revenue. All because human nature wants what it wants and no amount of punishment will change that reality, as we should have learned by the failure of Prohibition. [continues 84 words]
A lawyer representing former Alberta Conservative MP Rahim Jaffer, who was charged with drunk driving and cocaine possession last September, said the case should come to a resolution on March 9. Jaffer is the husband of Simcoe-Grey Conservative MP and Minister of State (Status of Women), Helena Guergis Howard Rubel, appearing in Orangeville court Feb. 18 on behalf of his client, had met with the judge earlier in the morning in advance of a scheduled judicial pre-trial at 10:30 a.m. [continues 164 words]
Rahim Jaffer, husband of Simcoe-Grey MP Helena Guergis, has been charged with drunk driving and possession of cocaine. Police stopped Jaffer, a 37-year-old Angus resident, on Sept. 11 on Regional Road 50 in Palgrave. Caledon OPP say he was speeding through the village. Jaffer will be in Orangeville criminal court on Oct. 19 to answer the charges. His license was suspended for 90 days. Jaffer did not respond to several requests for comment. Guergis, a junior minister responsible for women's issues, issued a brief statement saying "I take this very seriously. I love my husband. I will wait for further information before I make any comment." [continues 397 words]
The Inland Valley Drug Free Community Coalition has received a number of recent calls from worried parents in the region concerning "rave parties" held at a former theme park in Redlands. The upcoming Rave in Redlands is being broadcasted over the Internet to youth as a celebration of 420, also known as April 20 (a day recognized by drug users). However, because April 20 does not fall on a traditional weekend evening, the upcoming rave has been moved forward a few days. The flier for the event contains images of marijuana leaves and describes the event as "open to all ages," and lasting until 8 a.m. with up to 10,000 attendees. Tickets can be purchased from a number of Southern California distributors for $45. [continues 520 words]
EMBRUN - This spring, Prescott-Russell could be home to Eastern Ontario's first major summit tackling drugs. The Prescott-Russell Anti-Drug Task Force (ADTF) met last Wednesday morning at the Russell Township town hall (the group's third official meeting) to discuss the terms of reference and organize several sub-committees. During discussions, the ADTF also began the first stages of planning a massive summit that would see citizens of not just Prescott-Russell but all of Eastern Ontario addressed by experts about drugs and drug abuse. [continues 444 words]
In recent months, our coalition has received more than a dozen phone calls and e-mails from youths and parents in the region inquiring about rave parties and the club drug Ecstasy. It's pretty clear that parents are concerned about these events and the club drugs that are popular among today's youth. One parent left a message asking what to look for in order to tell if her son was using Ecstasy. And a high school student e-mailed to tell us the location of raves occurring in our region and expressed concerns for friends who were planning on attending. [continues 838 words]
On Friday, I had the honor of celebrating the life of a fellow officer who was killed in the line of duty. Officer Sergio Carrera, of the Rialto Police Department, was gunned down during a drug raid by an alleged suspect with a criminal past. Nothing cuts closer to your heart than to lose one of your own. Officer Carrera was a dedicated and professional officer who helped to better the world around him. Shortly after joining the police force, he became a member of the California Narcotics Officers Association. One of his passions was taking drug dealers off the streets to help protect our communities. [continues 546 words]
The Inland Valley Drug Free Community Coalition stands firmly against medical-marijuana dispensaries. We have a tough fight in front of us, but one that we are winning - and it's due in large part to the efforts of political leaders, community volunteers and parents who are standing up against the plight of medical-marijuana dispensaries. Leadership in this community has helped to expose the dangers of smoked marijuana and the dangers of allowing marijuana shops to operate in our communities. We applaud Ontario and Norco, just to name a few, who have had the courage to stand up and ban these dispensaries outright from their cities. We want other cities to do the same, especially those who continue to sit on the fence with a moratorium. [continues 557 words]
L.A. city officials who agree with allowing marijuana shops should be voted out of office. A legal product called Marinol can be prescribed with federal government approval. Take a long, hard look at those getting prescriptions. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see how unethical this has become. Those who support marijuana shops want nothing less than to legalize drugs in this country. Paul and Brenda Chabot Rancho Cucamonga [end]
IT SEEMS Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte has become a staunch critic of the US. After lambasting the US government before thousands of delegates of the Asean Tourism Forum (ATF), Duterte again criticized them in his television program Sunday. In his program "Gikan sa Masa, Para sa Masa," Duterte said he is willing to bet his one-year salary in proving that Davao City is much better than US. Duterte said contrary to what many believe, US is far behind compared to Davao City in terms of cleanliness and security of the people. [continues 186 words]
AN ESTIMATED 1,500 hills and 10,000 seedlings of marijuana worth P700,000 went up in smoke as Compostela Valley officials intensified their anti-illegal drugs campaign. On December 12, at the Manat National High School in Nabunturan, Governor Jose Caballero and daughter Kristine Mae led the ceremonial burning of marijuana recovered by authorities in New Bataan on November 23. Also attending the burning were Col. Antonio Amodia, of the Army's 404th Brigade, and Senior Superintendent Nestor Quinsay, of the provincial police. [continues 140 words]
THE foreigners who are suspected to be operating another shabu laboratory here in Mindanao had reportedly gone into hiding after Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte divulged their activity to the public two Sundays ago. In his television program "Gikan sa Masa, Para sa Masa" on Sunday, Duterte said the foreigners could have taken notice of the authorities' surveillance on their activity thus their sudden disappearance from the shabu laboratory. "Murag nakabantay ang mga amaw," Duterte said. The mayor however assured that they are continuously monitoring the laboratory and would pounce on the suspects once they come back. [continues 335 words]
Michael F. Martin Says He Didn't Intend To Shoot A Suspected Drug Dealer Outside His Fitchburg Home In November 03 The 57-year-old Vietnam veteran says the shooting was an accident. But he acknowledges he was fed up with the constant drug-related traffic on his narrow, quiet street before the shooting occurred. "I went out there with a handgun, just for my own protection," Martin said. The driver, Carlos Cruz, began to pull away as Martin approached him. Martin said he fell back onto the street, and his gun discharged, hitting Cruz in the hip. [continues 3211 words]
