As we win the war in Iraq, we should take a moment to consider another war here at home, a war we are losing and will always lose: the drug war. The number of people incarcerated in America passed the 2 million mark last year and continues to climb even as violent crime rates go down. Almost 60 percent of prisoners serving time in federal facilities are there for drug violations -- often minor ones. This is a sorry situation that we have brought upon ourselves in a puritanical quest to control personal behavior, albeit a behavior we abhor. [continues 563 words]
To the Editor: On March 22, 2001, the news media reported two disturbing stories: first, that the Federal Government is losing the "war on drugs" and second that the Tecumseh School District's drug testing policy has been declared unconstitutional. I fear that most people will regard these as just news stories and that they have forgotten that we, the citizens of this community, state and nation, are the federal government and that it is we who are losing the war. [continues 245 words]
WASHINGTON - Perhaps the greatest impediment in the quest for a constitutionally mandated right to privacy is the issue of drugs, and that issue is now on the front burner. Marijuana has become the primary test. The debate over marijuana focuses not only on legalization but also on medical benefits. In this past election, the ballot in Alaska had a petition to legalize the "possession, cultivation, distribution or consumption" of marijuana. For many proponents of legalization, it is more a question of privacy than anything else. Al Anders, chairman of the Free Hemp in Alaska group, considers it" a states-rights issue. It's a right to privacy and the right to privacy is not being respected by the federal government." [continues 475 words]
WASHINGTON - Ecstasy (3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine or MDMA) works by targeting cells in the brain that release serotonin. The drug causes cells to release all of their supply of the chemical into the bloodstream, creating a powerful high. The street price for MDMA is between $20 and $30 per dosage unit. The main supply of MDMA comes from Europe, particularly from the Netherlands and Belgium. There is also a small amount being produced domestically. The Drug Enforcement Agency also reports that "Israeli organized crime syndicates - some composed of Russian emigres associated with Russian organized crime syndicates - have forged relationships with Western European traffickers and gained control over a significant share of the European market." [continues 408 words]
Washington - Perhaps the greatest impediment in the quest for a constitutionally mandated right to privacy is the issue of drugs, and that issue is now on the front burner. Marijuana has become the primary test. The debate over marijuana focuses not only on legalization but also on medical benefits. In this past election, the ballot in Alaska had a petition to legalize the "possession, cultivation, distribution or consumption" of marijuana. For many proponents of legalization, it is more a question of privacy than anything else. Al Anders, chairman of the Free Hemp in Alaska group, considers it "a states-rights issue. [continues 493 words]
Perhaps the greatest impediment in the quest for a constitutionally mandated right to privacy is the issue of drugs, and that issue is now on the front burner. Marijuana has become the primary test. The debate over marijuana focuses not only on legalization but also on medical benefits. In this past election, the ballot in Alaska had a petition to legalize the "possession, cultivation, distribution or consumption" of marijuana. For many proponents of legalization, it is more a question of privacy than anything else. Al Anders, chairman of the Free Hemp in Alaska group, considers it "a states-rights issue. It's a right to privacy and the right to privacy is not being respected by the federal government." [continues 496 words]
WASHINGTON — While teen use of marijuana has decreased, continuing a three-year trend, teen use of a drug called "ecstasy" has increased dramatically. MDMA or 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine is the scientific name for the drug more commonly known as ecstasy, XTC, X, the love drug, or Adam. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency classifies the drug as a "Schedule I synthetic, psychoactive drug possessing stimulant and hallucinogenic properties." Similar in structure to amphetamine and methamphetamine, MDMA was first produced by a German company, Merck, in 1912 to serve as an appetite suppressant. The United States Army also tested it in the 1950s as a potential weapon. [continues 312 words]
WASHINGTON -- Methamphetamine, a stimulant drug that has been used since the 1960s, is also known as ice, crank and speed. In fact, there are actually more than 10 street names for the product. The drug is cheaper and easier to produce than cocaine. The Office of National Drug Control Policy reports that methamphetamine is "a highly addictive central nervous system stimulant that can be injected, snorted, smoked or ingested orally," and that users experience "a short yet intense 'rush' ... increased activity, decreased appetite and a sense of well being that can last 6 to 8 hours." Further, use of the drug can result in "addiction, psychotic behavior and brain damage." [continues 493 words]
WASHINGTON -- We must fight the Drug War or surrender. Surrender would be the legalization of drugs, which is simply the acknowledgement by government that individuals are responsible for what they consume or inject into their own bodies. On the other hand, drugs are poison, and if it is a poison we wish to eliminate, then we had better accept the idea that we are fighting a losing war. And make no mistake, the Drug War is here, not in the endless jungles of South America. The front lines of the Drug War are in America's inner cities. It is an urban war, not a jungle war, and our resources should be allocated accordingly. [continues 420 words]
WASHINGTON -- We must fight the drug war or surrender. Surrender would be the legalization of drugs, which is simply the acknowledgement by government that individuals are responsible for what they consume or inject into their own bodies. On the other hand, drugs are poison, and if it is a poison we wish to eliminate, then we had better accept the idea that we are fighting a losing war. And make no mistake, the drug war is here, not in the endless jungles of South America. The front lines of the drug war are in America's inner cities. It is an urban war, not a jungle war, and our resources should be allocated accordingly. [continues 420 words]
We must fight the Drug War or surrender. Surrender would be the legalization of drugs, which is simply the acknowledgement by government that individuals are responsible for what they consume or inject into their own bodies. On the other hand, drugs are poison, and if it is a poison we wish to eliminate, then we had better accept the idea that we are fighting a losing war. And make no mistake, the Drug War is here, not in the endless jungles of South America. [continues 450 words]
