In reply to Colin Mayes' Drug use a concern, I read with interest your comments on drug use. Yes, the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse states, in a study released April 2006, that the cost of substance abuse to be $3.8 billion. But you conveniently left out the breakdown. Tobacco is $17 billion (42.7 per cent), alcohol is $14.6 billion (36.6 per cent) and all illegal drugs are $8.2 billion (20.7 per cent). That tells me that 89.3 per cent of that cost is taken up by alcohol and tobacco, whereas you make it seem like illegal drug abuse is the main cost. [continues 214 words]
There are numerous criminal justice statistics cited in support of and in opposition to Ballot Measure 2 (An Act to Tax and Regulate the Production, Sale, and Use of Marijuana). Recently, arrest numbers, prosecution outcomes, criminal sentencing practices, and incarceration rates, have all been referenced in ads, op-eds, and at debates. Each of these statistics provides valuable information, but each represents only one aspect of the effect of marijuana on criminal justice in Alaska. The criminal justice system itself is comprised of multiple agencies (law enforcement, courts, corrections, each at local, state, tribal, and federal levels) which, while often working together, ultimately focus on separate tasks, then record, track, and monitor their progress differently and independently. [continues 941 words]
Re. "Pot should remain illegal" by Xander Vinogradov, letters, May 12 At the risk of sounding condescending, I'm proud of you, Mr. Vinogradov for standing ground in your support for keeping marijuana illegal, despite the influence of your "rasta-wearing blunt smoking" peers! I'm a local middle school mom (probably old enough to be your mother) who shares your concerns about the impact of hastily drafted and difficult-to-enforce regulations regarding marijuana cultivation and use. Three years ago, as a Michigan resident, I was among the minority who voted against legalizing medical marijuana. At the time, Colorado and California were leading the charge, and the people of Michigan followed. Having lived here for two years now, my warnings to out-of-state friends about the unintended consequences of their decisions at the ballot box are data based. [continues 278 words]
A local justice group will be exploring the issue of secure care - incarcerating at-risk youth - at a debate next week. Under the Secure Care Act, authorities would be able to arrest young people involved in prostitution or extreme drug use and place them in a secured facility until they can be stabilized. The Tri-Cities Joint Family Court and Youth Justice Committee is hosting the event tonight (Wednesday) to gauge public opinion on the matter before endorsing the efforts of the South Fraser committee to get it back on the provincial government's radar. [continues 193 words]
I am surprised that state Rep. Sherry Appleton would be ready to legalize marijuana when all she has are "ifs." "If it is commonly used, if billions of dollars are changing hands, if it isn't as harmful as the public's been led to believe, and a handful of otherwise law-abiding people are being prosecuted compared to the many who get away with it, marijuana should be legalized." First of all, since when are the first two "ifs" an appropriate rationale for legalizing a drug? Maybe we should make oxycontin an over-the-counter drug? [continues 222 words]
Editor, Daily News: May columnist Ben Bova's clear-eyed vision be extended. The drug war is not stopping drugs. What is it doing? Growing ever-more brutal organized crime, giving us the biggest prison population in the world, clogging our courts, corrupting and distracting our police, spending many billions of tax dollars without results. And the biggest drug problem we have -- alcohol -- runs rampant. We need treatment, we need education, we need to free our police for real work. We need to decriminalize drugs. Charles Payne Jr. Naples [end]
A Port Coquitlam home was broken into Thursday afternoon in an apparent grow rip attempt. The property, which is surrounded by a high chain link fence topped with barbed wire, has two outbuildings that are monitored with surveillance cameras and motion detector lighting. Several long stacks of black plastic planters could be seen through the side gate, which had been made from two wooden fences stacked on top of each other. The home's front door is protected by a metal front gate. [continues 132 words]
Remediation Work Needs To Get Done, City Tells Owners Council agreed to place a notice on land title for three Port Coquitlam homes that housed marijuana grow operations. In each case, the Coquitlam RCMP notified the city that a grow op had been found in the properties and, despite at least two subsequent letters from the city warning each owner of the bylaw infractions, no remediation work had occurred. Photographs from the building inspector showed each property had undergone major structural, mechanical and electrical alterations, without permits, to establish the grow ops. [continues 162 words]
(Re: "Polk hits pothole," Stew's Views, Oct. 5.) The issue of a Boulder City Council member's arrest for marijuana possession and driving under the influence brings several important points to the forefront. Firstly, no one should drive while under the influence of a substance, which can alter your perceptions. Even if some people can "maintain," as Stewart suggests, under the influence, these laws must be abided by-for the overall safety of our community and society as a whole. [continues 196 words]
Re: "Driver shoots up, dies," Oct. 8. Will someone please help me to get my head around the incident in which David Smelts died? In his 20s, Smelts knowingly and deliberately flouted the criminal laws of Canada, laws under which the possession and recreational use of cocaine is prohibited. Predictably becoming addicted, he continued flouting our criminal laws until his death at the age of 45 years. On Friday, while seriously jeopardizing public safety by driving a vehicle in the wrong direction on the Trans-Canada Highway, he crashed into a concrete barrier. Still seated in his damaged vehicle, he injected himself with cocaine, then threatened police officers who had come to his assistance. [continues 52 words]
A pensioner who is believed to be Britain's oldest convicted drug dealer was jailed for 18 months yesterday after a court heard that he had more than 400 cannabis plants in his greenhouse. George Axton, 70, was found guilty of cultivating and conspiracy to supply the drug at an earlier trial and was sentenced at Winchester Crown Court yesterday. The court heard that the drugs were worth UKP150,000. Axton, who runs a care home for young adults in Fordingbridge, Hants, was in court with Richard Kershaw, 29, who was sentenced to 15 months and Gavin Harries, 30, who helped tend the crop and was jailed for a year. Both were convicted of the same charges as Axton. David Stone, 32, admitted cultivating cannabis and possession of the Class C drug and was jailed for 18 months. [end]
A judge issued a warning about what he believes to be a clear link between cannabis and crime when jailing a drug user. Judge Anthony Niblett told an arsonist who had set fire to his former girlfriend's house while under the influence of the drug: "Those whose minds are steeped in cannabis are capable of quite extraordinary criminality." Sentencing Peter West, 33, a habitual drug user, at Hove Crown Court, East Sussex, he added: "Your brain has been steeped in cannabis for most of your adult life." [continues 281 words]
Your editorial against Measure 33 (Oct. 4) was about as weak as Stormy Ray's opinion piece a week earlier (Sept. 28). You admitted in the first paragraph that The Oregonian editorialized against the Oregon Medical Marijuana Act in 1998 before Oregonians voted for it and against decriminalization. What readers do you represent, I wonder? All I see are weak arguments and a lack of compassion for more than 10,000 registered patients who use medical marijuana. How dare The Oregonian question the validity of a patient's need! Patients need safe medicine and safe access, period. Vote "yes" on Measure 33. Statewide field director Yes on 33 Southeast Portland [end]
It's nice to know where the Liberals, Tories, and Alliance stand on this issue. Find it strange that the Marijuana Party of Canada is never approached for their opinion. Robert Payne, Member, Marijuana Party of Canada (Shucks, we just naturally assumed you'd be against any and all use of marijuana) [end]
If Mr Straw were to think the measure through, he would surely come to the conclusion that it would be much more efficient if convictions could proceed automatically on the word of a single police officer. Dr Chris Payne, Uxbridge, Middlesex [end]
Editor -- Having caught the headline, ``CIA Knew of Contra Plan to Sell Drugs in U.S.,'' I was intrigued to find that, yes, the CIA was made aware that the Nicaraguan Revolutionary Democratic Alliance (Contras) was planing to sell drugs in the U.S. Also cables were circulated to the departments of State, Justice, Treasury and Defense and nothing was done. So now we know, from the CIA's own inspector general. I have been made to believe that a free press is the backbone of a democracy. The world over journalists are harassed, imprisoned and often worse for reporting the news as they see it. Their coverage is almost always a precious resource. Here we are supposed to have a free press. But Gary Webb was harassed from several directions for his reporting on this subject, don't you agree? I think it would be appropriate for San Jose Mercury News to apologize to and even ask or beg Gary to come back to work. Sausalito - --- Checked-by: Patrick Henry [end]
