ASHEVILLE -- Twenty years from now, Jennifer Foster thinks that the marijuana prohibition will be relegated to the history books.

And if this happens, some of the early steps toward decriminalization in this state can be traced to the North Carolina National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (Norml) inaugural meeting Sunday evening at The French Broad Brewing Co.

Norml is a national nonprofit organization supporting the removal of all criminal penalties for the private possession and responsible use of marijuana by adults.

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The state Supreme Court has ruled that an expert witnesses' visual identification of prescription drugs was insufficient to prove their substance and should not have been allowed in a New Hanover County man's trial.

But the court's ruling on Thursday was not unanimous, and in a dissenting opinion, Justice Paul Newby writes that the decision changes the law significantly as it pertains to witness testimony.

The opinion, which affirms an appellate court's decision, stems from the case of Jimmy Waylon Ward, who was convicted on Jan. 14, 2008, of drug-related felony offenses, including opium trafficking, after an SBI agent testified that out of hundreds of pills seized from Ward's home and car, only about half of them were actually tested by the crime lab.

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In spite of opposition from the Drug Enforcement Administration and other "drug warriors," marijuana can bring relief to a variety of medical conditions, especially migraines and cancer chemo nausea. I had to resort to synthetic THC, but it was not helpful in dealing with my reactions to the chemo I had to take for my brain tumor.

In 1989, the DEA's administrative judge, Francis L. Young, ruled in favor of moving marijuana to Schedule II, where it could be used under a doctor's care. He wrote: "Marijuana, in its natural form, is one of the safest therapeutically active substances known to man. By any measure of rational analysis marijuana can be safely used within a supervised routine of medical care. . It would be unreasoning, arbitrary and capricious for DEA to continue to stand between those sufferers and the benefit of this substance in light of the evidence on record."

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Of all the big-government abuses of Americans' constitutional rights, the war on marijuana perpetrates some of the worst. "Asset forfeitures" such as the Oakview Road resident suffered are, in my opinion, little more than official looting, since they allow police (and informants, who get a percentage) to seize growers' homes and cash prior to a trial, with practically no oversight.

No wonder law enforcement lobbyists oppose every effort in North Carolina to legalize industrial hemp or medical marijuana, despite the abundant evidence of hemp's utility and environmental benefits, marijuana's lifesaving medicinal qualities for many patients, and the millions of dollars that the state would save and collect if either form of cannabis were licensed or taxed.

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GREENVILLE - Another plea has been entered in a case involving the embezzlement of drug investigation funds by former members of the Carteret County Sheriff's Office.

Thomas "Mark" Farlow, a former narcotics detective with the sheriff's office, pleaded guilty in federal court this week to count six of the indictment, misprision of a felony, according to Robin Zier, spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney's Office.

The offense indicates Farlow knew about the embezzlement activities but did not report it.

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Swansboro Police Chief Ed Parrish is concerned about a legal form of synthetic marijuana that has been wrinkling the brows of police departments across the country.

"It's being sold as potpourri," Parrish said of the synthetic marijuana, now available for sale in the community. However, its effects when smoked are similar to the real thing, and it's also priced a lot like the real thing.

"This stuff sells for about $30 an ounce," Parrish said.

The "potpourri" is a blend of various spices and herbs that have been sprayed with a synthetic chemical similar to THC, the psychoactive compound found in marijuana. Though most packages are marked with the disclaimer "not for human consumption," the spice blends are not generally sought for their aromatic appeal.

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To the editor: I have the perfect solution to the world's drug problem. It would eradicate the need to incarcerate traffickers, saving tens of thousands of dollars by not having to prosecute them or confine them in prison. It would make possible the return of our military from Colombia and other places. It would cut down on robberies.

It is so easy that I'm surprised no one else has thought about it. All the government has to do is legalize all drugs. Let them have as much as they want. They'll all get too much and be dead in a week. End of users and pushers. If they want to kill themselves - let them. Society is fed up with paying for their foolishness. We all have choices of how we live. If they want it they can get it - all they want. Thanks for reading this letter. I know others won't agree, but it's worth thinking about.

Patricia A. Jones

Jacksonville

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The April 24 article "Pot profession has no room for hippies" gave no details of the multitude of cannabis' medical applications. Duke doctors have told me there is no drug as effective for treating nausea, yet they are legally forbidden even to recommend it to their patients in misery. Harvard researchers found THC to reduce tumor growth in lung cancer by 50 percent. Madrid scientists found chemicals in cannabis to promote death of brain cancer cells.

Studies show its promise to treat breast and colorectal cancer. Who knows what cancer cures would have been discovered years ago had people not been frozen in a 1930s prohibitionist mentality in which cannabis is defined not by its chemical makeup but by the stereotype of people who used it. We all need to ask our representatives to stop needless suffering and open wide the door for research and medical application of cannabis.

Catherine Lyle, Raleigh

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In response to "Decades-long U.S. drug war lags on goals" (May 16 The Big Picture):

The U.S. war on drugs has failed to eliminate the importation and use of recreational drugs, just as Prohibition failed to stop the importation and use of alcohol. It's time for a new strategy.

We legalized alcohol and control its use today, even with the problems still associated with it. Society has learned to accept it and deal with it. Why wouldn't the same strategy work for recreational drugs?

Ronald McCraw

Salisbury

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DA's Office Seeks Funds From Wilmington to Keep Federal Program

A program that law enforcement officials say has targeted the area's worst drug dealers for federal prosecution and helped ease crowding at the New Hanover County jail will end either this year or next, officials said.

At a Wilmington City Council work session on Monday, District Attorney Ben David asked the city for $27,421 to help support the program for one more year. Without the money, the program would end this summer, David said, but even with the 25 percent local match, the upcoming 2010-11 fiscal year would be the last of local funding.

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The former sheriff of Carteret County is facing up to five years in prison after pleading guilty this week to misusing drug funds.

Former Sheriff Ralph Thomas, 60, of Beaufort, pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit an offense against the United States, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney General's Office.

Former deputy Christopher Cozart, 35, of Morehead City, pleaded guilty to misprision of a felony, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 4, according to the release.

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Three members of Willie Nelson's band cited in January for possession of marijuana and moonshine were sentenced Wednesday to a $25 fine.

Thomas Hawkins, Kenneth Koepke and Dudley Prewitt, via their lawyer, Sampson County attorney Doug Parsons, pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct in a Duplin County court. In exchange, Onslow County District Attorney Dewey Hudson dismissed the possession of marijuana charges.

In response to concerns about special treatment, Hudson insisted that this case was handled the same as any other would be.

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Greenville - The former sheriff of Carteret County admitted Monday in federal court to pocketing thousands of dollars from the sheriff's department over a 10-year period.

Ralph L. Thomas Jr., 60, who served as sheriff for 20 years, pleaded guilty to one charge of conspiring to commit an offense against the United States.

One of his former drug detectives, Chris Cozart, 35, also pleaded guilty Monday to imprision of a felony, as he knew about the illegal activity of his superiors and failed to report it to authorities.

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Is the "poor, white man's crack" poised for a comeback?

When a new law took effect in 2006 restricting sales of pseudoephedrine, the common cold medicine used to make methamphetamine, meth lab seizures declined in North Carolina by about 40 percent. Those statistics haven't changed much since.

"We are holding steady at this point," said state Attorney General Roy Cooper, who described the methamphetamine problem as an "epidemic" in early 2004. "Obviously North Carolina continues to grow in population, and any lab is one meth lab too many."

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The drug culture among teens continues to grow and the elixirs of choice are becoming as varied as they are dangerous.

All it takes is a quick glance at local crime stories to see that many teens and young adults find these drugs tempting.

Where there was once marijuana use and the occasional teen experimenting with cocaine or crack, now grows the use - and production - of methamphetamine and a litany of prescription drugs that are as deadly as they are addictive.

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Regarding the business end of medical marijuana, North Carolina needs the thousands of jobs passage of HB 1380, the N.C. Medical Marijuana Act, would create. Our state needs the millions of dollars in tax revenue and licensing fees, and the patients and researchers need safe, legal access to medical marijuana. HB 1380 is win/win legislation for everyone. Let's get this bill passed this year.

Jean Marlowe

Mill Spring

The writer is executive director of the North Carolina Cannabis Patients Network.

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MOREHEAD CITY - County hospital officials are taking steps to stem the rising use of narcotics among patients, which ranks highest among counties in this part of the state and double the state rate for youth.

In an effort to address the potential for abuse of narcotics, Carteret General Hospital is changing the chronic pain management protocol in the Emergency Department.

Hospital officials said that because of increased concerns about the abuse of narcotics in the community, the hospital emergency department will discourage the use of narcotics except when absolutely necessary. The hospital is also implementing a review panel to monitor narcotic usage.

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I usually write about lighthearted things, but this week I want to address some of what we've been reading about the mess surrounding the Carteret County Sheriff's Department.

I won't comment on the allegations against the individuals who have been indicted or are still under investigation. I know some of them and honestly can't say I saw this coming. I've been out of law enforcement for a long time now and, although I had occasion to deal professionally with that department, it wasn't a frequent interaction.

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Last week, Gov. Bev Perdue announced a new research initiative, so we're here to help her. Perdue is faced with the budget from hell, and a prison population that's stretching the state's resources, and, through overcrowding, its sense of human decency.

Perdue's new initiative, shared by the state, the federal Justice Department, the Council of State Governments, and the Pew Center on the States, is supposed to figure out how to cut costs while still keeping the public safe. Specifically, the initiative will study the reasons why many young people wind up in prison and recommend new programs to get at the root causes of crime and repeat offenders.

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Marijuana, Cocaine Use Contrast Dominant Alcohol Culture

Whether it is shotgunned in the Blue Zone before a football game or mixed with soda at a section party, alcohol appears to be a dietary staple for most of the student body.

For some students, however, partying hard entails far more than liquid intoxication. At Duke, illicit drug users constitute an active minority that operates largely unnoticed.

Approximately 68 percent of Duke undergraduates reported drinking in the 30 days before they completed last Spring's National College Health Assessment Survey. Just less than 10 percent said they had used marijuana in that time period.

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