Chamber Group Accepted Money, Then Turned Them Away From Meeting Local marijuana advocate Sandee Burbank got the bum's rush at an event described as a drug-free workplace forum. Burbank, who lives in rural The Dalles, founded Mothers Against Misuse and Abuse (MAMA) 26 years ago and chairs the state's Advisory Committee on Medical Marijuana in the Department of Human Services, described the Workplace Legislative Work Group as a "moral crusade" against Oregon's Medical Marijuana Act, which was approved by voters 10 years ago this month. MAMA operates a medical marijuana clinic in Portland. [continues 540 words]
The faces of meth are not pretty. A near-capacity audience at The Dalles Wahtonka High School saw a number of examples of that Tuesday night as part of a town hall presentation by Multnomah County Deputy Bret King. King has put together a video showing the effect prolonged use of methamphetamine has on people. His pictorial subjects were inmates at the Multnomah County Jail where he works. The film also includes interviews with some of these inmates talking about the impact meth had on their lives. King said it was while working at jails that he noticed the physical changes that took place with meth users, and he felt shooting a video showing this might be a way to get the attention of young people, who desire to look good and make good first impressions on other young people. The mugs he uses show the before and after of meth use. He has found that the reaction of young people is that "no one wants to look like that." He said in showing the video he did not want to make anyone look bad, but said the people shown in the video were glad to be able to help others avoid taking the route they had chosen. The people shown in the video had lost their families, friends, their looks and their very lives, he said. He sees young people in the jail with their whole lives ahead of them who are throwing it away on garbage. Part of the video was a series of mug shots, showing jail inmates over different time periods, some as short as two weeks and some as long as 10 years. [continues 722 words]
