Sarah tied her honey-blonde hair into a disheveled bun. She caught the blue and tan swirled glass pipe in her fragile hands and sharply, yet smoothly inhaled the smoke, as if it were instinct. Her face slightly ballooned; she held in the smoke for about five seconds and then let it out with a soft hiss. She let out a sigh, and then loosened the grip on the back of her neck the pain was leaving. Sarah is one of approximately 136,000 marijuana users in West Virginia, according to a 2009 report by DrugScience.org. Of the sampled population, 81,000 reported marijuana use in the past month. [continues 1168 words]
The issue of criminal penalties for the use of marijuana is one of the most sensitive issues that we face in our state. There are no easy answers that satisfy all sides and opinions on this issue, but there are some compelling facts that we should all consider in proposing decriminalization of marijuana. First, marijuana is a naturally growing plant almost everywhere. Except for the drying process, it is primarily a natural substance in our nation. Current laws which make possession and use of marijuana illegal fly in the face of its natural presence in our environment. [continues 586 words]
For the second consecutive year, some West Virginia officials will attempt to legalize the medical use of marijuana. After an abrupt dismissal of the proposal last year, Delegate Mike Manypenny of Taylor County has introduced a new bill in the West Virginia House of Delegates. House Bill 4498 seeks to legalize physician-supervised use of marijuana by patients suffering from diseases such as cancer, HIV and Glaucoma. Why does this continue to be an issue? If a substance has a unique medical application that can't be replaced by a medication already on the market, it should be exploited to the fullest extent. Especially one that is virtually harmless when compared to other treatments. [continues 677 words]
A West Virginia University student organization is collecting signatures for a petition in support of legalizing marijuana in the country. The Students for Sensible Drug Policy have joined in a movement across college campuses in support of Proposition 19, California's legalization measure being voted on in November. Drew Stromberg, president of WVU's SSDP chapter, said his group has joined a challenge called, "Just Say Now Campus Challenge: Legalize Marijuana." The aim of the challenge is to collect signatures in support of legalization of marijuana, Stromberg said. [continues 297 words]
The decades-long war on drugs in the U.S. continues while prisons are becoming overcrowded, the number of drug users is on the rise, and the dollars needed to sustain it are draining federal and state treasuries. It is high time that the nation's drug policies be given a serious look. The most recent data collected by the Office of National Drug Control Policy indicates that more than 20 million Americans were users of illicit drugs in 2008. This statistic alone is a bit troubling, but it appears far worse if one considers that the number is up from 12 million users in 1992. [continues 716 words]
California has the chance to become the first state to legalize the recreational use of marijuana this November, allowing Californians to possess up to an ounce or harvest their own garden of marijuana measuring up to 25 square feet. According to a recent poll issued by SurveyUSA, 56 percent of Californians support the legalization of marijuana. Supporters collected nearly 700,000 signatures, far surpassing the 433,971 needed to petition for the bill. The recent legislation is being spearheaded by Richard Lee, founder of Oaksterdam University in Oakland, America's first college dedicated to cannabis trade, which opened its doors in 2007. [continues 708 words]
Thousands of potential college students will not be heading off to universities this year because of a little known federal law. A law that can strip them of their financial aid if they are convicted of a drug offense. Students for Sensible Drug Policy is an organization that was started in 1998 to work on overturning the penalties that young people with drug convictions face in college. "This organization is concerned with the war on drugs. It causes more harm than it does to prevent it with young people," said Tom Angell, the Campaign Director for SSDP. [continues 468 words]
