I'm a 30-year retired cop. I'm also the father of a lifelong drug addict. I've witnessed the bane of the drug world on the inside and the outside, from a professional standpoint, as well as a personal one. On its merit, I support Amendment 2, concerning the legalization of medical marijuana, on the November ballot. There are worthwhile uses for people with symptoms of nausea, glaucoma, seizure disorders and more. But we cannot be dismissive. There's much more to the issue of using marijuana for medical reasons, or debating the pros and cons of pot in general. [continues 592 words]
Treatment Clinics In Some Countries Yield 'Amazing Results' It's sad that society rises to a level of sympathy and understanding only when death by drug addiction strikes the rich and famous. When poor Willie Smith is found behind the convenience store Dumpster at 5 a.m., lying dead with a needle in his arm, it gets zero attention by the news media. But when movie stars like Whitney Houston and Phillip Seymour Hoffman die by the needle, it's big news, bringing a spurt of awareness until the story dies down. [continues 473 words]
No one likes to admit being a loser. But we better face up to one grim fact: the war on drugs is lost. And it's not going to get better, unless we alter our way of thinking. Millions of people in this nation still subscribe to the notion that anyone who engages in immoral and/or distasteful acts, even if there are no victims, should be locked in cages for long chunks of time, punished, castigated and disenfranchised from society. Archaic mentality such as that has become our own worst enemy. Rather than solving problems, we exacerbate them. [continues 1339 words]
This is for all you folks who think criminal statutes are a deterrent to drug use. The annual teen survey conducted by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, at Columbia University, released their findings, most of which surprised no one. Sixty-one percent of kids 12 to 17 are at moderate to high risk of drug abuse. More than 60 percent say that drugs are readily available in schools. Ho hum. Thirty-one percent said the reason they do not use drugs is because they "can ruin your life and cause harm." [continues 634 words]
