He was a friendless high school loner struggling with autism. So why did an undercover cop target him as a drug dealer? Jesse Snodgrass plodded around yet another stucco corner, searching for Room 254 in time for the second-period bell, only to find he was lost yet again. Jesse felt a familiar surge of panic. He was new to Chaparral High School and still hadn't figured out how to navigate the sprawling Southern California campus with its outdoor maze of identical courtyards studded with baby palm trees. [continues 6985 words]
WASHINGTON - The growing national debate over legalizing marijuana made its way to a congressional hearing Tuesday as lawmakers sparred over what role the government should take in reconciling divergent state and federal laws on the issue. The House Government Operations Subcommittee hearing was convened by the Republican chairman to address inconsistencies in federal law enforcement efforts and what he called "mixed signals" sent by the Obama administration in the wake of legalization of marijuana in Colorado and Washington. But several Democratic representatives quickly seized control of the hearing and used it to grill Drug Enforcement Administration Deputy Administrator Thomas Harrigan on his agency's policies, calling his approach on marijuana outdated. [continues 380 words]
SANDY KAERCHER of Chester County has a hope shared by a majority of Pennsylvanians. For Kaercher, however, the hope is very personal. Kaercher wants to see marijuana legalized for medical purposes as a last resort to control seizures that disrupt the life of her 15-year-old daughter, Grace. Kaercher is part of a group of parents advocating for legalization of medical marijuana. The group took their wishes directly to the state House of Representatives in January, asking for legislation that would give children with seizure disorders hope for some relief. [continues 471 words]
Revenue From Legalized Pot May Not Meet Expectations. MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION was a hot topic at the recent meeting of the National Governors Association in Washington, for obvious reasons - among them the prospect of raising much-needed revenue by taxing pot sales. "With all the bad weather we've had back home and all the potholes, we ought to have the revenue go to infrastructure - 'pot for potholes,' " Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee (I) said. Such an experiment is underway in Washington and Colorado, so it's noteworthy that John Hickenlooper, the latter state's Democratic governor, did not echo Mr. Chafee's enthusiasm about the tax bonanza. "Going out and getting tax revenue is absolutely the wrong reason to even think about legalizing recreational marijuana," he said, since it puts a state in the position of benefiting from use of a harmful substance - even if it's not the most harmful. [continues 380 words]
The public hearing into proposed changes to Mountain View County's Land Use Bylaw was held last week, with several members of the public at large voicing opinions on new provisions related to the future cultivation of medical marijuana in the county. The hearing took place Feb. 26 as a requirement of proposed changes to the bylaw, which sets out rules and regulations for all variety of land use in the municipality. The bylaw is being changed to streamline and update the legislation, as well as to bring it into line with the overriding municipal development plan. Work on the changes has been underway for several months. [continues 671 words]
Expert Says Communication Between Parents, Children Is Best Education Against Abuse I dropped by my son's elementary school the other morning for D.A.R.E. graduation, a ceremony that capped weeks of anti-drug lessons taught by a local police officer. There were awards, speeches and a printed program for which each kid had penned a few sentences about why he or she would stay away from drugs. As part of their Drug Abuse Resistance Education, the kids wrote mostly about their visions of adult life, and how drugs would derail their dreams of becoming scientists, singers or professional athletes. As a dad, I was glad to hear their confidence. But as a journalist who has written a lot about substance abuse, I was a little uneasy. [continues 637 words]
To the Editor: "Pivotal Point Is Seen on Legalizing Marijuana" (front page, Feb. 27) plots the political present and future of marijuana legalization without a major data point: Americans' growing intolerance for the racial injustice embedded in the enforcement of marijuana prohibition. Last June, we reported that a black person in this country is 3.73 times more likely to be arrested for marijuana possession than a white person, despite similar rates of use. The media has seized on appalling facts like these, pushing racial justice to the center of the debate over marijuana reform in Washington, D.C.; Portland, Me.; and elsewhere. Director, Criminal Law Reform Project American Civil Liberties Union New York, Feb. 27, 2014 [end]
A week after the ballot measure to legalize, tax and regulate marijuana in Alaska was officially certified, five speakers debated issues surrounding the initiative to hundreds who had gathered at the Wendy Williamson Auditorium at the University of Alaska Anchorage Wednesday evening. The event, sponsored by the UAA Justice Center and Justice Club, began with keynote speaker Ethan Nadelmann, executive director of the Drug Policy Alliance, giving an impassioned speech about drug policy in the United States. Calling the war on drugs a "rat hole of waste," Nadelmann paced the stage, microphone in hand, to the applause of several hundred audience members, many of whom were in their 20s and 30s. [continues 1382 words]
Club accountant An old south-side Boost Mobile is now home to another entrant in the Springs' medical-marijuana scene: the three-month-old Club 5280 (1629 S. Nevada Ave., #120, clinic5280.com), which, among other things, houses 41-year-old owner Jonathan Cho's new life. "I've always truly believed in medical marijuana as a viable remedy for a lot of ailments out there," he says. "In my previous life, I was basically an investment accountant, for the most part. After doing that for the past decade, the job satisfaction wasn't there and I wanted to really move into something that I truly believed in." [continues 356 words]
To the editor: The manner in which districts and municipalities have chosen to deal with the issue of commercial medical marijuana only demonstrates an almost wilful perpetuation of the fear-based, ill-informed policies that have proven to be absolute failures, to this point. The laws governing how medical marijuana grower/users must operate, are changing. It was a flawed system, to be sure, but, the changes being inflicted upon both patients and communities will not fix anything and, if the Supreme Court challenges prove successful-as I strongly believe they will-they'll be meaningless. [continues 242 words]
"This bill is no way intended to be a gateway to recreational use" of marijuana, said State Sen. Norm Wallman, who introduced the measure. "This bill is about agriculture. It's really that simple." Lincoln, Nebraska - Thirteen years ago, industrial hemp's resemblance to marijuana sank legislation to legalize growing of hemp in Nebraska. On Tuesday, a bill to allow production and marketing of industrial hemp sailed through first-round debate in the Nebraska Legislature. Legislative Bill 1001, introduced by State Sen. Norm Wallman of Cortland, advanced on a 32-1 vote. [continues 402 words]
RAYMOND Yans is president of the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB), the UN agency charged with monitoring the implementation of antidrug treaties. It is therefore not surprising that Yans takes a dim view of marijuana legalization in Colorado and Washington, which he says poses "a grave danger to public health and well-being." But according to the INCB, legalization isn't just dangerous; legalization is illegal. Even Americans who support marijuana prohibition should be troubled by the implications of that argument, which suggests that international treaties trump the Constitution. [continues 509 words]
But We're Evenly Split on Whether Weed Should Be Legal for Recreational Use. HARRISBURG (AP) - A large majority of Pennsylvania voters favor legalizing marijuana for medical purposes, but they are divided over whether possession of even small amounts for recreational use should be legalized, according to a poll released Monday. The poll from Connecticut's Quinnipiac University focused on an issue being debated in the Pennsylvania Legislature and among the Democrats hoping to challenge Republican Gov. Tom Corbett's re-election bid. [continues 327 words]
Sandy Kaercher of East Coventry has a hope shared by a majority of Pennsylvanians. For Kaercher, however, the hope is very personal. Kaercher wants to see marijuana legalized for medical purposes as a last resort to control seizures that disrupt the life of her 15-year-old daughter, Grace. Kaercher is part of a group of parents advocating for legalization of medical marijuana. The group took their wishes directly to the state House of Representatives in January, asking for legislation that would give children with seizure disorders hope for some relief. [continues 439 words]
Lawmakers Press White House, Again, on Pot Rules WASHINGTON (AP) - A senior U.S. drug enforcement official urged Congress and others Tuesday not to abandon scientific concerns over marijuana in favor of public opinion to legalize it, even as the Obama administration takes a hands-off approach in states where voters have made legal its sale and use. The deputy administrator for the Drug Enforcement Administration, Thomas Harrigan, testified Tuesday before a House oversight panel that easing laws governing marijuana threatens U.S. institutions. [continues 496 words]
WASHINGTON (AP) - A senior U.S. drug enforcement official urged Congress and others Tuesday not to abandon scientific concerns over marijuana in favor of public opinion to legalize it, even as the Obama administration takes a hands-off approach in states where voters have made legal its sale and use. The deputy administrator for the Drug Enforcement Administration, Thomas Harrigan, testified Tuesday before a House oversight panel that easing laws governing marijuana threatens U.S. institutions. "We should not abandon science and fact in favor of public opinion," Harrigan said. He echoed previous testimony from James Capra, DEA's chief of operations, who told a Senate panel in January that "going down the path to legalization in this country is reckless and irresponsible." [continues 448 words]
With new federal regulations cracking down on exactly who can grow medical marijuana taking place April 1, the Vancouver Police Department says it won't change how they enforce the law. "The new laws that are coming into play April 1 have nothing to do with the sale of medical marijuana," said Cst. Brian Montague. "It has to do with the growing of medical marijuana. So many of the current growers will no longer be allowed to do that. That's where the law is changing." [continues 85 words]
21,000-Square-Foot Spokane Facility State Board to Issue Dozen More Licenses Soon Washington's first legal pot grower was introduced by state officials Wednesday as an entrepreneur who followed the rules and out-hustled other applicants to the finish line. Sean Green, 32, now runs medical-marijuana dispensaries in Spokane and Shoreline. He plans to open a 21,000-square-foot growing and processing facility in Spokane. Officials at the state Liquor Control Board (LCB) said Green was one of the first to apply, and hurdled each step of the vetting process without hang-ups. [continues 814 words]
WASHINGTON - The growing national debate over legalizing marijuana made its way to a congressional hearing Tuesday as lawmakers sparred over what role the government should take in reconciling divergent state and federal laws on the issue. The House Government Operations Subcommittee hearing was convened by the Republican chairman to address inconsistencies in federal law enforcement efforts and what he called "mixed signals" sent by the Obama administration in the wake of legalization of marijuana in Colorado and Washington. But several Democratic representatives quickly seized control of the hearing and used it to grill Drug Enforcement Administration Deputy Administrator Thomas Harrigan on his agency's policies, calling his approach on marijuana outdated. [continues 439 words]
Regarding Kristine Lessard's March 2 Local Opinions commentary, "This addiction doesn't follow any rules": It is a gift to all parents that Ms. Lessard was able to pen the story of her son Derek's life and heroin overdose. Many parents may believe that their child's marijuana experimentation is harmless and is perhaps even part of normal social development. They may also believe that, because they have provided so much to their children in terms of academic, social, recreational and material opportunities, this experimentation cannot possibly progress to heroin. Both of these beliefs are wrong. Also, in their desire to foster appropriate independence, they may miss the need for firmer intervention. I am grateful to Ms. Lessard for sharing Derek's story as she grieves. Janis W. Gold, McLean [end]
