There is no doubt that methamphetamine is a highly addictive drug that has serious health effects for the user and the community. This year's proposal to combat meth is SB 14, a bill requiring persons convicted of manufacturing meth (as well as growing marijuana) to register on the KBI's offender Web site. It's oddly similar to pending legislation in 14 other states. This bill is a feel-good initiative for legislators and a poor use of taxpayer dollars. It will do nothing to educate the public about the dangers of meth, and it won't deter anyone from trying it. [continues 156 words]
Many of you may be surprised to learn that students with drug convictions have been blocked access to federal financial aid as a result of a little known provision of the Higher Education Act (HEA) called the Aid Elimination Penalty, or Drug Provision. To date, nearly 200,000 students have been denied or had their federal loans, grants and work-study delayed because of the HEA Aid Elimination Penalty. Until early in 2006, this penalty was applied to any drug conviction a person had received whether or not they were in school when the offense occurred. Due to the efforts of the organization Students for Sensible Drug Policy (www.ssdp.org), who worked with Congress to scale back the law, now only people who are convicted while in college and receiving financial aid can have their eligibility taken away. [continues 459 words]
Many of you may be surprised to learn students with drug convictions have been blocked access to federal financial aid as a result of a little known provision of the Higher Education Act (HEA) called the Aid Elimination Penalty, or Drug Provision. To date, nearly 200,000 students have been denied or had their federal loans, grants and work-study delayed because of the HEA Aid Elimination Penalty. Until early 2006, this penalty was applied to any drug conviction a person had received, whether or not they were in school when the offense occurred. Due to the efforts of the organization Students for Sensible Drug Policy (ssdp.org) who worked with Congress to scale back the law, now only people who are convicted while in college and receiving financial aid can have their eligibility taken away. [continues 421 words]
All New Employees, Regardless Of Position, Will Be Tested SARASOTA COUNTY -- Starting today, anyone who applies for a job with the county school district, whether they are a candidate for superintendent or custodian, must pass a drug test before being hired. Until now, only employees who have direct contact with students -- teachers, aides, bus drivers -- were tested as a condition of employment. School Board members approved the policy change Tuesday night in a unanimous vote. "We as a district need to do everything we possibly can to ensure that our children are safe," said School Board Chairwoman Carol Todd. [continues 347 words]
The FDA's claim that there are no scientific studies documenting the medical benefit of cannabis is false. Dr. Eric Voth, who recently rehashed the government's long-standing political position in his letter to this paper, knows this is true because in 1999, the Institute of Medicine declared, "Nausea, appetite loss, pain and anxiety are all afflictions of wasting and all can be mitigated (with marijuana)." IOM report co-author Dr. John Benson told the New York Times last month that the government "loves to ignore our report. ... They would rather it never happened." [continues 100 words]
As the debate rages over whether or not marijuana is medicine, innocent people continue to get caught in the crossfire. In Douglas County recently, a medical marijuana patient was charged with felony cultivation for attempting to cultivate a few marijuana plants in their backyard last September, to allieviate constant nausea and vomiting. When the Drug Unit arrived at their home they found a few plants, ranging in size from 3 inches to a few feet. The five drug unit officers brought with them two Kansas Division of Revenue employees who took thousands of dollars worth of musical equipment to satisfy the Kansas drug tax ($1500, payable at the time of arrest). [continues 192 words]
