Area legislators haven't made medical marijuana a key issue, and their responses generally fall along party lines. Sen. Kathy Sheran, D-Mankato: She voted for medical marijuana in 2009 and predicted before the session that the state Senate would support "some prescription option to give relief to people." "I am cautious about it," she said, saying she wants a bill tailored to medical use with controls about the safety of the drug. Rep. Clark Johnson, D-North Mankato: He said he's open-minded about the topic and wants to learn more about it. He hopes law-enforcement officers can understand the drug has medical value. [continues 180 words]
Medicinal Marijuana Debate Continues in Legislature Rachael Nelson is 11 years old, and her Mankato family has tried everything to stop the seizures. Diets, medication, even a nerve stimulator implanted in her chest. Not only did the drugs not stop her seizures, they had nasty side effects, like vomiting and drowsiness so bad she couldn't go to school. One drug made her seizures worse and another stopped her breathing. Rachael has Rett syndrome, a rare brain disorder that overwhelmingly affects girls. She started having seizures at about 18 months and has had "hundreds and thousands" since then, said her mother, MaryAnn. [continues 2373 words]
NEW ULM -- A New Ulm man is challenging his February arrest for a marijuana growing operation that was discovered in his house. He filed a motion to dismiss his case Wednesday in Brown County District Court. Jon Hansen II, 33, of New Ulm is charged with felony fourth-degree and fifth-degree controlled substance sale, felony fifth-degree controlled substance possession and petty misdemeanor drug paraphernalia possession. At the time of his arrest, police reportedly found fifteen different marijuana plants that were being grown in Hansen's mobile home. [continues 120 words]
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) -- A key Minnesota lawmaker said Tuesday she doesn't see a path forward for legalizing medical marijuana after talks with law enforcement hit a standstill. Rep. Carly Melin said she had conceded to virtually all demands from law enforcement over the weekend but was still unable to get their support for her bill. Melin said she had no choice but to postpone a House committee hearing that would have been lawmakers' second look at the issue. "Law enforcement won't support any bill that would result in helping any patients," Melin, DFL-Hibbing, said in an interview with The Associated Press. "The governor has to get involved." [continues 224 words]
MANKATO - A Mankato head shop has pulled incense products that also contained intoxicating chemicals after federal and state agents raided a similar store in Duluth Wednesday. An employee at Smokes 4 Less said owner Omar Wazwaz decided to take that type of incense off store shelves Thursday after hearing reports of the raids in Duluth and elsewhere. The incense was going to be available at the store through the end of the month, but Wazwaz changed his mind after the raids, she said. [continues 626 words]
- - Six decades ago, the Supreme Court ruled that police could not enter a residence without a warrant just because they smelled burning drugs - in that case, opium. Today, the high court is revisiting the issue and its decision could have profound implications for personal privacy and police power. In Kentucky, in 2005, police went to an apartment looking for a suspect, knocked loudly on the door, shouting "This is the police." They had no warrant. The officers said they smelled marijuana and heard noises inside that led them to believe someone may be preparing to destroy evidence. They kicked in the door. Police didn't find their suspect - he was in another apartment - but did arrest a man for possessing marijuana. [continues 247 words]
State Supreme Court Upholds B.E. County Arrest A Minnesota State Patrol trooper had legal grounds to search the passenger in a car after smelling marijuana and finding a dollar bill that tested positive for cocaine, according to a Minnesota Supreme Court ruling issued last week. Trooper Chad Mills searched 43-year-old Danny Ortega of Claremont after telling him to get out of a car and wait while Mills' police dog, Rex, searched it. Mills had stopped the car's driver, 47-year-old Lorna Sorg of Dodge Center, in Blue Earth County on Aug. 7, 2004. [continues 366 words]
MANKATO -- A United States District Court judge has ruled evidence from a 2007 drug search can be used against a Mankato man facing a federal firearms charge. The federal charge of being a felon in possession of firearms was filed against Marcus Devon Smith, 30, in May. After his arrest on Nov. 4, 2007, Smith was charged with felony drug possession and firearm possession in Blue Earth County. Those charges were dismissed after the case was shifted to federal court. About nine ounces of cocaine and three handguns were found in Smith's apartment in the 1200 block of Eastport Drive the day of his arrest, the Minnesota River Valley Drug Task Force reported. Agents with the task force searched the apartment after receiving a tip that Smith had a large amount of crack cocaine and was packaging it. [continues 396 words]
Michelle Rae Sanford Was Sentenced To 48 Months A 40-year-old St. Peter woman sentenced to prison in 2007 after a jury found her guilty of felony methamphetamine possession has been granted a new trial by the Minnesota Court of Appeals. Michelle Rae Sanford should have been allowed to call an expert witness to testify that she has post-traumatic stress disorder, the appeals court justices ruled. The testimony could have explained her erratic behavior, which prosecutors used to argue she was under the influence of drugs, the ruling said. [continues 367 words]
The Madness Of Meth - Part 5 of 5 Finding a methamphetamine lab often requires months of detailed police work, but cleaning it up requires fast action and a lot of physical labor. The officers take samples of all unknown liquids and find their pH levels so they know what they're working with. Then they record what and how much of each meth-related substance they've found. "Essentially all the chemicals are caustic or flammable," said Ben Rittmiller, commander of the Minnesota River Valley Drug Task Force. [continues 609 words]
The problem of repeat drug and alcohol offenders in the court system is bigger than most people can imagine. But Blue Earth County is working to do something about it, and is to be commended for its plan to start a drug court. Drug court works much like intensive probation. Eligible drug and alcohol offenders enrolled in the program will meet weekly with Judge Kurt Johnson and a drug court team. Johnson will measure their progress and they will have to meet certain requirements. [continues 180 words]
KASOTA -- As the only police officer in Kasota, Mike Carson has a tough job. It's even tougher the days he finds methamphetamine labs in the town of 680, which he said is well known for its drugs. Those days haven't been so rare for him the last few months. Carson was following what he thought was a drunken driver early on Oct. 24. When he stopped the car, he could smell ammonia. Coffee filters, aluminum foil and a box with hoses coming out of it were found on the front seat. [continues 387 words]
MANKATO -- People can monitor what's going on in their own neighborhoods by knowing what items and behaviors often indicate a meth lab is in operation. From the outside, neighbors may notice blacked-out windows, according to the Minnesota Department of Health. Neighbors should be aware of unusual traffic patterns, especially excessive traffic at night. Certain items in the trash are drug-making giveaways if found together. Packaging from cold pills containing ephedrine or pseudoephedrine, antifreeze, ether, starting fluids, paint thinners, drain openers, epsom salts and rock salt are some to watch for. [continues 173 words]
The Madness Of Meth - Part 4 of 5 NORTH MANKATO -- It happened in Mary Barnett's neighborhood. On Robin Court, a normally quiet cul-de-sac in upper North Mankato, Barnett's next-door neighbors moved and couldn't sell their old house right away. In November 2001 they rented it to three men who seemed nice enough, but neighbors could tell "they weren't normal," she said. Shortly after they moved in, Barnett and other neighbors started noticing strange things. They never had any garbage, they parked on their lawn, and they blacked out some of their windows. [continues 702 words]
The Madness Of Meth - Part 3 of 5 The Martin County jail is overflowing, and people convicted of meth-related crimes make up much of its population. "The jail's full. It's reached capacity," Fairmont Police Chief Greg Brolsma said. "We've got people in other jails." He estimated 40 percent to 60 percent of people in the 32-bed Martin County jail are there on meth-related crimes, whether it be for manufacture, intent to manufacture, possession, child endangerment, driving under the influence, assault or burglary charges. [continues 625 words]
The Madness Of Meth - Part 2 of 5 If it seems like cops are busting methamphetamine labs every week in south-central Minnesota, it's not just a perception. The Le Sueur County Sheriff's Office collected a little meth and lots of paraphernalia in the last year. Cold pill blister packs, boxes of matches, coffee filters, glass jars and tanks of anhydrous ammonia are among the items commonly found at meth lab sites. The Le Sueur County Sheriff's Department found 22 meth labs and made 25 arrests in connection with meth manufacturing last year. A total of 104 arrests were made for drug-related crimes. [continues 868 words]
The Madness of Meth MANKATO -- Even after he accidentally started himself on fire, he didn't realize he had a problem. Dan was cooking methamphetamine one night in a barn when the chemical mixture exploded, igniting him and the barn. He escaped and extinguished himself outside. Then he watched the barn burn down. "That scared me for about a month. Then I was right back at it." Matt, 22, started doing meth at age 13. He smoked it heavily by the time he was 16 and started injecting it at 17. He always had easy access to the drug. His mother cooked it. "That's who I first started using with." [continues 1287 words]
