LIBERAL Democrats say there's a case for setting up cannabis shops allowing people to buy the drug in their local high street. But how many people in the West Midlands take cannabis or other drugs - - and is drug use rising or falling? Here's what the official figures tell us about drug use in the West Midlands. In the West Midlands, 6.9 per cent of the population aged 16 to 59 say they have taken cannabis at least once last year. That's about one in 15 people. It's about the same as the national average. [continues 791 words]
Ethan A. Nadelmann tries to justify drug legalization by comparing it to the end of Prohibition (Let's End Drug Prohibition," op-ed, Dec. 5). In doing so he ignores two fundamental differences between alcohol and drugs: Alcohol is entwined in the fabric of our culture and most people use it responsibly. Drinking alcohol has been part of Western civilization since time immemorial, and consequently it is not surprising that Prohibition did not work (and is not a realistic option in the future). Wine is imbedded in the culture depicted in works going back to the Odyssey and the Torah. Marijuana, crack and heroin do not share this distinguished pedigree. [continues 71 words]
Pot Violations Now Outstrip Those for Alcohol The suspension of four Lincoln High School students Tuesday for breaking rules on controlled substances continues a pattern showing more violations for marijuana than alcohol. Of the 23 alcohol and drug arrests involving Sioux Falls public schoolchildren this fall, 21 have related to possessing marijuana or paraphernalia. "There's been a shift. It was more alcohol. Now more kids use marijuana," said Bill Smith, the school district's director of instructional support services. "It's easier to get than it used to be, and it's easier to conceal." [continues 219 words]
