Twenty states and the District of Columbia have passed medical marijuana laws legalizing the use and production of medical marijuana for qualifying patients under state law. Some states have legalized marijuana for public use with across-the-counter purchases. Approximately 50 years ago, Switzerland legalized drugs. The result was the drug users took over all public facilities like parks and swimming pools. Used needles were strewn on lawns, sidewalks and overflowing trashcans. My wife and I witnessed that mess in Lucerne in the early 1960s. [continues 226 words]
I'm writing about the not-so-thoughtful letter from Quentin Johnson, Jr. titled "Marijuana logic faulty" on Jan. 25. The cannabis legalization issue is not whether or not cannabis is completely safe for everybody, including children, it is not. But rather freedom of choice for adults. Children have died from eating peanuts but we don't cage peanut growers, sellers or consumers. And the voters of Colorado and Washington state have decided that we should not cage cannabis growers, sellers or consumers. I submit that all adults should have the same freedom of choice that they have in Colorado and Washington. Kirk Muse Mesa, Ariz. [end]
It has been well documented by many organizations, including the American Medical Association, American Cancer Society and the surgeon general of the United States that tobacco smoke is harmful to your health. It contributes to more than 400,000 deaths a year in the U.S. and about $90 billion a year in medical costs. It is a major contributor to lung diseases, cancer, coronary artery disease as well as other health issues. And, according to the American Theoretic Society, marijuana contains most of the same chemicals as tobacco and therefore just as harmful. [continues 87 words]
With reference to the upcoming statewide march for rights concerning marijuana, there has been a lot of talk and debate about the "terms of use." There is a bit of a straw man afoot which appears to purport outlandish doomsday scenarios if the state were to decriminalize this rather harmless plant. In discussions with like-minded advocates, I have yet to find any individual who supports legalization without reasonable regulations. There is virtually unanimous agreement that responsible use ought to be enforced, in much the same way alcohol and even cigarettes are regulated in their recreational use. The latter two are examples of legal substances which are not only harmful, but indisputably deadly. [continues 150 words]
After reading the letter about the disposal of drugs confiscated by the law, I want to express my desire to see these drugs legalized, taxed and regulated just as liquor is and probably by the same government branch. There is no reason whatsoever to prohibit the use of these drugs. There is a reason to enforce the misbehavior of individuals under the influence of drugs, just as individuals under the influence of alcohol. Now don't give me the sad story about the person that has sunk to such a terrible state that we see occasionally. We see those that are in this same predicament from the use of alcohol. [continues 143 words]
NORML Louisiana will have its second Medical Cannabis Rally in Monroe on Saturday. The rally will be at Tsunami on Olive Street. NORML is the acronym for the National Organization for the Reformation of Marijuana Laws. There will be guest speakers and live music. The event is for those age 18 and above and there is a $5 cover that will be donated to the cause. The event will be from 7 p.m. to 2 a.m. Four bands will be at the event ready to entertain. Electric Sermon, Hunter and the 3D Glasses, The Navigator and Sixty Cycle will all be at the rally playing some coveted local tunes. [continues 476 words]
BATON ROUGE - If drug dealers want to stay in business after being arrested more than once, they should have to let the world know what they are, says a Lafayette lawmaker who says he's tired of seeing drug deals and their effects in his neighborhood. Rep. Rickey Hardy, D-Lafayette, has pre-filed HB11, that seeks to require second-offense drug dealers to carry special driver's licenses and put brightly colored license plates on their cars. I'm pushing for it to be bright orange," said Hardy, who envisions that if dealers know they could face such a stigma, they might get out of the trade. [continues 407 words]
Police reports tell the story time and again. A driver is stopped for a traffic violation and winds up in jail for carrying illegal drugs, alcohol or weapons. A common subplot: Officers ask the suspects for permission to search their vehicles, and the suspects consent, even though the thumbs up almost guarantee their arrest. A fact that poses the question: If guilty suspects are so willing to forgo their rights and submit to optional searches and seizures, how many law abiding citizens do the same? [continues 388 words]
Law enforcement and citizens face a common challenge. Violent crime and drugs are real concerns for both and tough to tackle. An initiative is under way in northeastern Louisiana that seeks to help make a dent in both drugs and violent crime. Some local agencies and the FBI are pooling their resources to combat the problem through the Northeast Louisiana Gang Task Force, part of a national safe streets endeavor. It's an interesting collaboration of FBI expertise and information and local manpower - funded with federal dollars. [continues 223 words]
The Steve Hoyle Rehabilitation Center in Tallulah is the latest example of the shift in the direction of the state Department of Public Safety and Corrections. Dedicated this week, the former Swanson Youth Correctional Center is a long-term treatment facility for offenders with substance-abuse issues. It focuses particular attention on those with multiple DWI convictions. "This new facility is a fairly unique concept in corrections, and one that we think will lead to lower recidivism rates and increased savings for the state," said Department of Public Safety and Corrections Secretary Richard Stalder. [continues 438 words]
A 10-member team working with 4th Judicial District Court Judge Sharon I. Marchman hopes to open a juvenile drug court by September or October. Marchman already serves as judge for the adult drug court and is the juvenile court judge. "One of the issues I campaigned on was the drug problem," Marchman said. "I really had no idea at that time the extent of the problem." State Sen. Robert Barham, R-Oak Ridge, met with the group Thursday at Green Oaks Juvenile Detention Center in Monroe. Barham said the Legislature would rather fund drug courts than to pay for incarcerating people addicted to drugs. [continues 418 words]
An 18-year-veteran with Louisiana State Police Troop F on Friday was fired and then arrested on allegations he obtained prescription drugs by fraud. State police and Metro Narcotics started investigating Master Trooper Michael Evans after receiving information the trooper had received prescription drugs by fraud. "Metro Narcotics and LSP personnel worked jointly in the investigation and found evidence to substantiate the allegations," a news release from Trooper Julie Lewis, Troop F public affairs officer, stated. Based on the findings, Evans was placed on administrative leave with pay on Tuesday pending the final disposition of the case. [continues 83 words]
For decades, cocaine reigned in northeastern Louisiana as the most hazardous drug. Some of its dominance as the choice of drug in Ouachita Parish has waned in recent years - only slightly though, according one of the top narcotics enforcement agents. Law enforcement continues to see an increase in methamphetamine use, but that doesn't mean that cocaine use has dropped. "I wouldn't say cocaine is no longer king," said Capt. Hank Smith, head of Metro Narcotics Unit, which investigates drug distribution in the parish. "It is a mix - about 40 percent use cocaine and 40 percent use methamphetamine. Everything else accounts for the other 20 percent." [continues 712 words]
Participants scheduled for last week's 4th District Drug Court session ran the gamut of emotions. One accepted both the praise of Drug Court Judge Sharon Marchman for entering the fourth and last phase of his treatment program and congratulations for an upcoming wedding. Another participant sat crying in the corner of the courtroom. She'd "messed up" - strayed far enough from the program to be sentenced to jail time. She'll spend the next six months of her drug treatment incarcerated, participating in an in-patient program. [continues 508 words]
Two northern Louisiana lawmakers took a turn Thursday afternoon on the bench in 4th District Judge Sharon I. Marchman's courtroom. State Rep. Mike Walsworth, R-West Monroe, and Sen. Robert Barham, R-Oak Ridge, sat in on a session of 4th District Drug Court, a program that targets crimes driven by addiction to drugs or alcohol. The visit was part of a Louisiana Supreme Court program called the Judicial Ride-Along, created in 1997 to improve communication between these two branches of government. [continues 224 words]
Undercover narcotics agents have arrested an 11-year veteran of the Monroe Police Department on a drug accusation. Metro Narcotics agents arrested Todd D. Crockett, a corporal in Monroe's patrol division, Sunday on one count of possession of a Schedule II controlled dangerous substance. Crockett was released from the Ouachita Correctional Center after posting $5,000 bond. Monroe Chief of Police Ron Schleuter said Monday that Crockett immediately resigned from the police department. "It's really disturbing," Schleuter said. "He was highly regarded by his fellow officers. To lose that experience is devastating to the city of Monroe and the police department." [continues 121 words]
I never have and never will use "recreational" drugs like marijuana, heroin, opium, cocaine, methamphetamines, etc. I've long agreed these should be outlawed, but I've changed my mind because such drugs remain readily available despite drug busts, fines and jail time. It's a modern failed prohibition like the Volstead Act which tried in vain to eliminate alcohol use, and like banning tobacco advertising which, by and large, has failed to curb smoking. In fact, the federal government is scared to death of losing tobacco and alcohol revenues from overtaxation of both. [continues 103 words]
In response to the article on parish schools drug testing students that participate in extracurricular activities, the most comprehensive test of its kind has just been completed by the University of Michigan. Briefly, "The new federally financed study of 76,000 students nationwide, by far the largest to date, found that drug use is just as common in schools with testing as in those without it.' The Michigan study was financed through grants from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, part of the National Institutes of Health, as well as the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, which supports drug testing in schools. [continues 157 words]
The Ouachita Parish School System has one of the more progressive drug testing programs of students participating in extracurricular activities in the state. The School Board, however, decided it needed improvement. The School Board recently approved moving scheduling responsibilities from coaches, sponsors and advisers to the labs performing the tests. It also made random testing a mandatory part of the program. Both measures go into effect with the 2003-04 school year. The change in scheduling makes testing more confidential for students, and that's important. It also makes the process more objective, taking it out of the hands of school personnel and taking away the lengthy advance notice. The possibility of invalidating tests with advance knowledge is greatly reduced by the new approach. [continues 255 words]
"Just Say No" is a phrase used to discourage kids from taking drugs. However, the widespread use of drugs, not only by the general population but kids in their preteens, suggest we, as a society, need a more determined approach to our society's drug abuse. As an athlete, I feel all athletes should be subject to random drug testing, not only during the school year but also in the off-season. In order to play sports, an athlete should maintain a clean lifestyle in the off-season as well as during the season. [continues 484 words]
