Pubdate: Thu, 08 April 1999 Source: Belleville News-Democrat (IL) Copyright: Knight Ridder Newspapers 1999 Contact: P.O. Box 427, Belleville, IL 62222 Page: 4A Author: J. W. 'Skip' Bennett VIGILANCE IN DRUG WAR Americans tend to be compassionate citizens. Vigilance, however, is needed to ensure that there is a buffer against fuzzy-headed liberal compassion. There is mounting evidence that pot lovers and fellow travelers will attempt to legalize so-called medical marijuana by placing this issue on the ballot in Illinois in November 2000. There are a plethora of solid, established, medical alternatives that do, will and can offer superior pain and suffering relief to those with cancer, AIDS, glaucoma, etc. Don't be fooled by this pied piper scheme - its ultimate goal is to legalize all marijuana use. The THC in pot during the 1970's gave all to many schools "potheads" who fell behind and in many cases fell out. Extant THC potency is significantly higher - and in Western Canada hydroponic marijuana is so potent that a pound of it is going for the same price as cocaine. We're losing the drug war because we've never fought it with the sustained will and resources with which won World War II. Pot is a gateway drug. In 36 years in law enforcement I've never met a doper who didn't first toke up. I have long advocated that officers who have reasonable grounds to believe that a driver is impaired by alcohol should be able to call for a "BATmobile" (Breath Alcohol Testing van) equipped with a team consisting of a paramedic and a sworn officer. Said impaired driver would be requested by the paramedic, in the privacy of the van's restroom, to provide a urine sample. Noncompliance would be followed up by a telephone call to a judge to ask for a search warrant for the paramedic to draw blood. WE would have the best evidence (much of it also video recorded) to establish blood alcohol and other legal or illicit drugs in the impaired suspect's system. - --- MAP posted-by: Don Beck