Drug courts sound like "no brainers" ("Positive verdict on drug courts," Metro, Jan. 23). They help rehabilitate rather than incarcerate. They may save people and families. They have saved the state millions. Those sent to prison (rather than drug courts) were more than four times as likely to commit future felonies. Drug courts are saving both people and money. Who can argue against that?? William Elsea, Atlanta [end]
To the editor: This letter is in response to the article "Recurring theme" posted on tbnewswatch.com on Jan. 20. "Nicholson said while critics of the bill say it targets the individuals who have become addicted or someone who has a few marijuana plants in their kitchen, he said it is solely about traffickers and is aimed specifically at organized crime." One pot plant in a rented unit will get you nine months mandatory jail time and making pot brownies will get you six months. Look it up. That is aimed at your kids, Canada, not organized crime. [continues 306 words]
As Afghan President Hamid Karzai works to overturn a parliamentary election that did not turn out the way he wanted, the United States continues to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on "good governance" initiatives. This $760 million program, to strengthen government agencies, was America's single largest nonmilitary expense in Afghanistan over the past year. All of it was money thrown away. The mind dulls when confronted with large numbers like that. But $760 million spent another way would allow Washington to give every single public school in the nation's 25 largest cities almost $200,000 extra this year. [continues 683 words]
Canada's response to the escalation of drug violence in Central America, now the most lawless region in the hemisphere, with the world's highest murder rates, has failed to match the scale of the problem. The federal government has made various gestures of goodwill in reply to the urgent requests for police training and judicial reform from Guatemala and Mexico. But it has not done enough to combat the transnational criminal organizations that are turning these countries into narco-states. [continues 348 words]
MARQUETTE - A Marquette County assistant prosecutor briefed the Marquette City Commission about the Michigan Medical Marihuana Act at a special meeting last week. Commissioners said they had the meeting to develop a better understanding of how the law affects the community. Matt Wiese, chief assistant prosecuting attorney for the county, explained who is entitled to a medical marijuana card, how they can get it and other elements of the act such as how it affects someone within a drug free school zone. [continues 397 words]
Oakland's dream of licensing some of the largest marijuana farms in the world was crushed by both a failed November ballot measure to legalize recreational pot and the threat of prosecution. But the city's hope remains. Councilwoman Desley Brooks has drafted a plan that would permit five new dispensaries with off-site farms. The proposal does not spell it out, but Brooks has said she would like to give farms to the existing four dispensaries. Under the previous plan, farms operated independently and could have sold to any dispensary they chose. [continues 535 words]
The veteran sitting across the table from me looked weary after delivering yet another speech against a war that has neither a point nor, apparently, an end. It was started years ago by a Republican president, long since discredited, the veteran noted. Yet the Democrats who until a few weeks ago controlled both the White House and Congress didn't raise a finger to stop it. "I don't understand how much more money has to be wasted or how many more lives have to be ruined before we admit it's been a huge mistake," Kyle Vogt told me. "We can end this thing with the stroke of a pen." [continues 740 words]
Marijuana prohibition has failed, and in the never-ending quest for excuses, the medical marijuana movement appears to be the latest scapegoat. In a column that ran in this space on Jan. 11, "Ho hum attitude toward pot has more teens lighting up," Dr. Joel Kaufman attempted to prop up this rationalization. At one point, he claimed that "data shows (sic) that in almost every state that has passed a medical marijuana law, youth have increased the frequency of marijuana use in the past 30 days." That might be true, but the National Household Survey on Drug Use and Health, on which the claim is based, doesn't actually track frequency of use within a 30-day period, so I would have no way of knowing. More importantly, though, it doesn't tell you anything about what effect, if any, state medical marijuana laws have had on teen marijuana use trends in those states. To understand that, you would have to compare use rates before and after a medical marijuana law took effect in each of those states. [continues 441 words]
As you walk around Tufts, it is likely that you will overhear several conversations regarding drugs. For some, it may be regaling tales of shots taken and beers "shotgun'd." Others may be doting praise upon the stimulants that kept them trucking through finals. And, of course, conversations on the artistic merit of glassware and the dankness of a particular plant are a constant in certain circles. Affecting one's mental state through mind-altering substances is embedded in the human experience, being particularly prominent among college students. This enthusiasm suggests the potential for more comprehensive dialogue, one that critically examines the United States' war on drugs and the complementary, unsustainable growth of the American prison-industrial complex. If we are to create a more perfect union, one that is both just and cost-effective, we must reform the broken institution of the American prison system. For the sake of our wallets and our souls, something needs to be done. [continues 937 words]
I read recently where Gov. Nathan Deal is looking at reforming our prison system. It seems all the tough talk and tight sentences are now costing us taxpayers a pretty penny. I applaud Deal for addressing this situation, but I find it interesting that it took a budget crisis to bring action on what many have been saying for years about sentencing non-violent offenders. It's also worth noting that if this were a Democratic proposal, folks like Mr. Deal would be first out with press releases calling such policies "soft on crime." Chris Morgan, Gainesville [end]
