I was fortunate to attend the Silver Haired Legislature at the Capitol recently as an observer. The first speaker was Jack Cole, a retired New Jersey narcotics detective, who spoke passionately and with statistics to about his belief that the drug war is a total and complete failure and a whole new approach is needed. The next speaker was Gov. Sam Brownback. He neither recognized, thanked or commented about Cole's speech. Brownback spoke about the accomplishments of his administration. When he mentioned Kansas had a $400 million surplus in state coffers, there was no applause. I believe most everyone in the chamber knew Kansas schoolchildren were being deprived of a first-class education so the governor could brag about his budget. It was nothing to brag about or applaud. As Brownback left the chamber after speaking, a lady from western Kansas approached him with a petition to legalize industrial hemp so she could grow it on her farm. She asked the governor to take the petition, but he declined. Brownback claims to be compassionate, but I feel his actions speak much louder than his words. Topeka [end]
TOPEKA - The Kansas Silver-Haired Legislature, a senior-citizen advisory group, has approved a resolution in support of medical marijuana. Jim Snyder, 80, president of the Kansas Silver-Haired Legislature, seated in the Kansas House chamber after the group's meeting. The Silver-Haired Legislature approved a resolution supporting medical marijuana. Jim Snyder, 80, president of the Kansas Silver-Haired Legislature, seated in the Kansas House chamber after the group's meeting. The Silver-Haired Legislature approved a resolution supporting medical marijuana. [continues 294 words]
When Jack Cole, executive director of the Law Enforcement Against Prohibition, or LEAP, spoke several years ago in Salina, he claimed the nation's drug laws were based on racism. Cole should know. He started as a police officer in 1970, the year the war on drugs was started by the Nixon administration. Cole, who spent years as a drug agent, said the drug war gave Nixon a way to target blacks to win over frightened white voters. Forty-three years later, an ACLU analysis of crime data would seem to support Cole's contention. An Associated Press story in the June 5 Journal on the ACLU study showed that, nationwide, blacks are arrested at a higher rate than whites, even though marijuana use by both races is about the same. [continues 223 words]
To the editor: The most compelling points in your four-part story on the recent marijuana sweep were: (1) the sweep's huge cost, (2) the minimal effect it had on the supply, and (3) what was not discussed. One question is what will be the cost to prosecute and imprison these people. I have read it costs between $24,000 to $50,000 a year to imprison someone. What part do our marijuana laws play in our country imprisoning a larger percentage of people than any other country? Are the effects of marijuana so terrible that we should waste money like this? And how will the confiscated property and cash be used? [continues 155 words]
LEAWOOD, Kan. - Two former CIA employees whose Kansas home was fruitlessly searched for marijuana during a two-state drug sweep claim they were illegally targeted, possibly because they had bought indoor growing supplies to raise vegetables. Adlynn and Robert Harte sued this week to get more information about why sheriff's deputies searched their home in the upscale Kansas City suburb of Leawood last April 20 as part of Operation Constant Gardener - a sweep conducted by agencies in Kansas and Missouri that netted marijuana plants, processed marijuana, guns, growing paraphernalia and cash from several other locations. [continues 605 words]
An oft-touted solution to many national problems is to legalize drugs and regulate them, thus providing a new source of revenue. People wouldn't be put in jail for drugs, so they could get on with their lives and get jobs. It's supposedly a win-win situation. However, the legalization of drugs would have several bad consequences that do not get mentioned because of how appealing the potential revenue sounds. Regulation would still cost money. Take methamphetamine, for example - the cost of police enforcement would not disappear just because citizens aren't being arrested for possession. Decriminalization could never make it legal or safe for a meth lab to be running in a residential area. The chemicals used to cook meth are at great risk of exploding in the process. Even if meth was legal, the dangers of someone wanting homemade instead of store-bought meth would continue. The police would still have to find and shut down meth labs. [continues 531 words]
I've enjoyed debating about public policy for nearly half as long as I've been alive. During that time, I've had impassioned and engaging arguments about almost every conceivable political issue. The War on Drugs, however, is an exception. Frankly, the topic is kind of boring. Nearly everyone in America learned about the prohibition of alcohol during their middle school history class and/or from watching mob films. We all know it was a calamitous failure that made the problem enormously worse at everyone's expense. As John D. Rockefeller Jr. wrote in 1932, "a vast army of lawbreakers has been recruited and financed on a colossal scale." [continues 538 words]
They Say Their Family Was Growing Vegetables in the Basement. LEAWOOD, Kan. - Two former CIA employees whose Kansas home was fruitlessly searched for marijuana during a two-state drug sweep claim they were illegally targeted, possibly because they had bought indoor growing supplies to raise vegetables. Adlynn and Robert Harte sued this week to get more information about why sheriff's deputies searched their home in the upscale Kansas City suburb of Leawood last April 20 as part of Operation Constant Gardener - - a sweep conducted by agencies in Kansas and Missouri that netted marijuana plants, processed marijuana, guns, growing paraphernalia and cash from several other locations. [continues 634 words]
Sen. Jeff King, R-Independence, has introduced a bill that would require drug testing of the poor and jobless in order for them to receive state benefits. He claims it's not punitive. It is typical Republican thinking. Sen. Anthony Hensley, D-Topeka, had it partially right when he said such a mandate should be extended to CEOs of companies receiving tax dollars. But a drug testing mandate would not be truly fair unless it was extended to all persons whose employment is paid for by the taxpayers. [continues 98 words]
I am very displeased with Sen. Mary Pilcher-Cook, R-Shawnee, and the Senate Health and Welfare Committee. The decision to again try to sweep medical marijuana under the rug and hope it goes away is bad policy. Colorado has legalized marijuana completely and Nebraska has partially decriminalized it, but Kansas still maintains its ineffective and very expensive charade of prohibition. A number of us have attempted to contact the committee and its chair and have received absolutely no reply. More than $14 million of Kansas taxpayer money was spent in 2009 to arrest, prosecute and punish about 5,157 of the 277,000 Kansans who used marijuana that year. [continues 98 words]
A motion made by Rep. Gail Finney, D-Wichita, was accepted for a medical marijuana bill similar to HB2330, with revisions, Wednesday morning, according to Kansas for Change Inc.'s Esau Freeman. Senate Bill 9, or the Cannabis Compassion and Care Act, would allow the prescription and use of cannabis for medical purposes in the state of Kansas as well as decriminalize possession of marijuana up to six ounces. SB 9 would also allow up to six cannabis plants to be grown in the home. [continues 127 words]
The Kansas state legislature doesn't care to hear about medical marijuana. After two weeks of review, the "Cannabis Compassion and Care Act" was introduced to the House yesterday by Rep. Gail Finney (D-Wichita). The bill, originally introduced by Sen. David Haley (D-Kansas City, Kan.) would legalize medical marijuana in the state of Kansas and decriminalize possession of up to six ounces and home growing of up to 12 plants. By current Kansas law, possession of marijuana can result in up to a year in prison. Growing marijuana can lead to 17 years of jail time. A bill proposing a similar solution died in committee last year. [continues 790 words]
Haley Seeks to Make Kansas 19th State to Join Pot Club There isn't much Capitol buzz in support of Kansas taking part in the medicinal marijuana craze. Sen. David Haley, a Democrat from Kansas City, Kan., introduced a bill that would allow Kansas to join 18 states and the District of Columbia in granting permission for qualified patients to consume pot with endorsement of a physician and without fear of arrest. Haley, who said he was no fan of recreational marijuana consumption, can rattle off a series of public policy advantages of the THC-laced plant, but the chairwoman of the Senate Health and Welfare Committee intends to use her influence to snuff out the bill that allows patients to possess up to six ounces of pot and grow up to a dozen pot plants in their residence. [continues 624 words]
I was surprised to read there are people locally who support the use of marijuana for medical and recreational purposes. Many articles have said it leads to other drug use. I read an article that written by a man who used marijuana regularly. He was a mathematician but because of his marijuana use became unable to solve math problems. It was a heartbreaking story. Marijuana also has the same rate of cancer-causing problems as other smoking. I can't imagine driving while under the influence of marijuana as it does alter the mind. TOPEKA [end]
This year, Kansas will again face the introduction of legislation seeking to legalize marijuana for medical purposes. Despite recent attempts to generate public support for these efforts, such a softening of the restrictions on marijuana use continues to be a seriously flawed concept. These initiatives bypass the Food and Drug Administration processes that protect the public from harmful medications and treatments. Smoked marijuana has a high addictive potential and lacks any acceptable safety date for its use, even under medical supervision. It is a crude delivery system, which exposes users to a host of harmful substances. Authentic research is still needed to identify valid uses for inhaled marijuana. Until that research is available and until new and safer delivery systems are devised and approved, Kansas shouldn't bypass the FDA safeguards with regard to any form marijuana. [continues 112 words]
Almost every year, attempts are made to get medical-excuse marijuana laws passed in Kansas. These attempts tend to drive public perception of marijuana as being less harmful than it is and as an acceptable drug for use. The weakening of medical marijuana laws, laws that violate the FDA approval process in the first place, facilitate abuse. The overall atmosphere with the softening of marijuana laws does put young people at greater risk as a result of diminished perception of risk or harm of using marijuana. [continues 204 words]
I take strong exception to the assertions by Dr. Jon Hauxwell, reported Sept. 30 in The Topeka Capital-Journal, that marijuana for medicinal purposes is essentially harmless. Such comments reflect either ignorance of the medical literature or malignant disregard of it. More concerning is that The Capital-Journal did not challenge these assertions nor provide a contrary point of view. While it is true that marijuana does not cause overdose deaths because it does not suppress respiration, there exists a host of new data demonstrating significant problems with acute psychosis and difficulty with long-term use causing diminished cognitive brain function, as well as mental decline in HIV and multiple sclerosis patients who use it medically. Recent reports have also emerged tying marijuana use to testicular cancer and problems with pregnancy. [continues 115 words]
Experts, Advocates Tout Benefits of Cannabis Topeka City Councilman Andrew Gray sees benefits to legalizing cannabis. For instance, he said, a wonderful revenue source for governments would be created if marijuana were regulated and taxed. Gray also cited potential quality of life gains to be had from medical weed - more diverse treatment and pain management options would be available outside of pharmaceutical drugs. Gray was among several speakers Saturday afternoon during a rally on the south side of the Statehouse in support of cannabis. Experts and advocates stood behind a lectern in turn to tout marijuana and stump for its legalization. [continues 501 words]
Leavenworth, Kan. - With the approaching retirement of its Drug Abuse Resistance Education officer, the Leavenworth Police Department is going to put the D.A.R.E. program on hold, a department official said. Leavenworth Police Chief Pat Kitchens said he doesn't anticipate the program, which is taught by police to school children, will be reinstated before the next school year. "It's not a simple task to replace a D.A.R.E. officer," Kitchens said. He said the position requires training. And manpower issues also may have an impact. [continues 155 words]
State and local law enforcement have recently taken on a larger role in seeking out manufacturers and distributors of synthetic drugs. On July 25, acting in accordance with a provision in federal drug laws, the Drug Enforcement Administration, conducted Operation Logjam, a nationwide action aimed at synthetic drug manufacturers. Arrests and drug seizures were made in more than 100 locations in the U.S., including Garden City. Scott Collier, a DEA spokesman, who couldn't comment specifically about the Garden City raid, said the operation was a reaction to what local law enforcement have been reporting. [continues 490 words]
TEWKSBURY, Mass. - Russ Caswell, 68, is bewildered. He and his wife, Pat, are ensnared in a Kafkaesque nightmare unfolding in Orwellian language. This town's police department is conniving with the federal government to circumvent Massachusetts law - which is less permissive than federal law - to seize his livelihood and retirement asset. In the lawsuit titled "United States of America vs. 434 Main Street, Tewksbury, Massachusetts" the government is suing an inanimate object, the motel Caswell's father built in 1955. The U.S. Department of Justice intends to seize it, sell it for perhaps $1.5 million and give up to 80 percent of that to the Tewksbury Police Department. The Caswells have not been charged with a crime. They are being persecuted by two governments eager to profit from what is antiseptically called the "equitable sharing" of the fruits of civil forfeiture, a process of government enrichment often indistinguishable from robbery. [continues 460 words]
When the recent Summit of the Americas in Colombia decided to commission a study on whether to decriminalize drugs, many thought that would be the end of it, and the whole thing would be quickly forgotten. Well, maybe not. For starters, it was the first time that such a large group of heads of state ventured into that once taboo area. And there are several other non-related factors that may contribute to put decriminalization in the front burner later this year, or in early 2013. [continues 619 words]
For the first time since the United States launched its "war on drugs" four decades ago, there are signs that the forces supporting legalization or de-criminalization of illegal drugs are gaining momentum across the hemisphere. Granted, this is a debate that is just starting at government levels, and that will take years to produce concrete results. But there are several new factors, including a reduction of U.S. anti-narcotic aid to Latin America proposed by the Obama Administration in its 2013 budget announced last week, that are beginning to pose an increasingly serious challenge to the traditional interdiction-based U.S. anti-drug strategies. [continues 649 words]
For the first time since the United States launched its "war on drugs" four decades ago, there are signs that the forces supporting legalization or de-criminalization of illegal drugs are gaining momentum across the hemisphere. Granted, this is a debate that is just starting at government levels, and that will take years to produce concrete results. But there are several new factors, including a reduction of U.S. anti-narcotic aid to Latin America proposed by the Obama administration in its 2013 budget announced last week, that are beginning to pose an increasingly serious challenge to the traditional interdiction-based U.S. anti-drug strategies. [continues 650 words]
Much has been made of Gov. Sam Brownback's Christianity, and Kansas is widely recognized as a conservative state with a foundation grounded on Christian principles. This ideology plays a vital role in making our beautiful state what it is. Kansans are recognized for our strong moral ethics and family values. The majority of us also consider ourselves to be Christians. One of the primary virtues of Christianity is compassion. We feel compassion for any of our fellow citizens who struggle and suffer for any reason, and try to help them in any way we can. Hundreds of Kansans struggle and suffer, day in and day out, with chronic, painful medical conditions that have proved to respond well to cannabis (marijuana) therapy. [continues 254 words]
Due to numerous scientific studies from around the world, the AIDS Action Council, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Nurses Association, the American Preventive Medical Association, the American Public Health Association, the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care, the California Academy of Family Physicians, the California Medical Association, the California Pharmacists Association, Cure AIDS Now, the Florida Medical Association, the Los Angeles County AIDS Commission, the Lymphoma Foundation of America and too many more to list have endorsed medical cannabis (marijuana). [continues 90 words]
Topeka -- Even though a bill legalizing the medical use of marijuana is now in both sides of the Kansas Legislature, officials have shown little interest in making it a law. Sen. David Haley, D-Kansas City, introduced Senate Bill 354, the Cannabis Compassion and Care Act, during Monday's session. It was referred to the Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee, where it will likely sit without a hearing. "I have no interest on hearing the bill," said Sen. Vicki Schmidt, R-Topeka, who leads the committee. [continues 170 words]
After an hour-and-a-half of testimony in which medical marijuana was alternately painted as a pain-killing panacea and a youth-destroying gateway drug, Rep. Ed Trimmer had one simple request: a little more science. "Do we have any evidence on either side from sources like the National Cancer Institute, the American Medical Association, the New England Journal of Medicine, the American Opthamological Association Journal?" Trimmer asked. "... I would hope that we have something in the medical profession that tells us whether these things work or not. I like to base policy on sound research." [continues 601 words]
TOPEKA -- About 25 people rallied Tuesday in support of a bill that would legalize marijuana for medical reasons. Jason Selmon, chairman of the Kannabis Project, said he hoped the Legislature would vote on House Bill 2330, the Cannabis Compassion and Care Act. "That's what Kansans deserve. Popular opinion is overwhelmingly in support for medical marijuana," Selmon said. The measure would legalize marijuana use for people with debilitating conditions, such as cancer. In addition, it would provide for the registration and operations of not-for-profit "compassion centers," which would have the authority to possess, cultivate, manufacture and dispense marijuana. Buyers would have to have a doctor's prescription and a license from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. [continues 245 words]
TOPEKA - The prospects for a formal debate on medical marijuana in the Statehouse all but died after a hearing Tuesday. "They didn't bring anything that we haven't heard or seen," said Rep. Brenda Landwehr, a Wichita Republican and chair of the Health and Human Services Committee that heard the proposed medical marijuana bill. Several other lawmakers on the committee said they don't think there's enough support to warrant more discussion, at least during the 2012 session. But about 20 supporters were poised to press on and told lawmakers about the relief marijuana has provided for a wide range of diseases and aliments. That was contrasted by a few opponents who said medical marijuana has caused problems in other states and is ripe for abuse. [continues 414 words]
TOPEKA - Dani, a 21-year-old from Wichita, suffers with depression, anxiety and stomach problems. Marijuana helps her calm down, focus on important aspects of her life, and keep food down. She said it costs her about $20 every two weeks and is more effective than some of the prescription medications that she can't afford to maintain on a waitress' wage. She recognizes that, in Kansas, smoking marijuana could create expensive legal problems, but she said she has found relatively safe ways to get weed without dealing with stereotypical drug dealers. [continues 324 words]
It must be spring, because the pro-pot forces again have come out of hibernation and started to advance medical-excuse pot to the Legislature. We now have the benefit of seeing the problems that arise in other medical pot states. A striking finding is that about 70 percent of registered medical-excuse pot smokers are young, but they use the excuse of pain in about 70 percent of their cases to obtain pot. Chronic pain outside of the pot community is typically rare in patients under 35. [continues 351 words]
I'm troubled about recent articles regarding legalizing marijuana. Wake up and smell the ink on your reality check. If you ingest marijuana, the bill of self-destruction will come due. Marijuana is the third most common recreational drug in America, second to alcohol and tobacco, and is the most commonly abused illicit drug. Its strength has increased 10 times since the 1970s. One form, cannabis, contains 400 chemicals. Nicotine and carcinogens, key components that cause cancer, are found in marijuana. Its ingestion leads to distorted perception, impaired coordination, lowered intelligence, and difficulties with memory, learning, thinking, concentration and problem solving. It also reduces reaction time while driving. Family, work and school times are affected. [continues 167 words]
To the editor: Guatemala is one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere. Drug dealers, chiefly the especially nasty Zeta cartel, more and more are dominating both the economy and the political structure of the country. The drug trade and inter-cartel battles, infiltration of the governments, etc., are destroying Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras and is a serious danger to other Latin American countries. We have spent billions attempting to keep illegal drugs out of the U.S. and we have failed. So what else can we do? When asked how we could help, President Colom of Guatemala suggested Americans could stop buying cocaine. [continues 155 words]
I'm responding the the outstanding letter from Sherrod Greene, headlined "Pain solution." I'd like to add that one of the medications prescribed by my personal physician for my arthritis pain and inflammation has the rare potential side effect of death. In other words, if I take this medication as prescribed, I can die as a result. On the other hand, marijuana has never been documented to kill a single person in the 5,000-year history of its use. [continues 74 words]
A bill that would allow people suffering from debilitating illnesses to use marijuana as part of their treatment was introduced in the state House this year, but didn't get out of committee. Supporters said they will try again next year. "If we regulate it and provide oversight, I think we can do it in a very controlled manner, and it would be beneficial for Kansas," said the bill's sponsor, Rep. Gail Finney, D-Wichita, who suffers from lupus. Finney's bill, HB 2330, is in the Health and Human Services Committee and not expected to be considered in the wrap-up session that starts next week. [continues 320 words]
I attend Baker University School of Nursing. The laws against medical marijuana and the complicated rigmarole that lobbyists have had to deal with has always baffled me, yet has become even more compelling since I began my nursing endeavors. One primary responsibility of a nurse is to ensure that his or her patients' pain is minimized or eliminated. Therefore, why should we or the state and federal government deny those chronically and terminally ill patients with any treatment they desire to minimize their agony? [continues 198 words]
Support for the drug war would end overnight if whites were incarcerated for drug offenses at the same rate as minorities ("War on drugs has been a disaster," Aug. 1 Opinion). Racially disproportionate incarceration rates are not the only cause for alarm. Children of inmates are at risk of educational failure, joblessness, addiction and delinquency. Incarcerating nonviolent drug offenders with hardened criminals is the equivalent of providing them with a taxpayer-funded education in anti-social behavior. Declare peace in the failed drug war and begin treating all substance abuse, legal or otherwise, as the public health problem it is. Thanks to public education efforts, legal tobacco use has steadily declined, without any need to criminalize smokers. Mandatory minimum prison sentences, civil asset forfeiture, random drug testing and racial profiling are not the most cost-effective means of discouraging unhealthy choices. ROBERT SHARPE Policy analyst Common Sense for Drug Policy Washington, D.C. [end]
To the editor: I attend Baker University School of Nursing. The laws against medical marijuana and the complicated rigmarole that lobbyists have had to deal with have always baffled me, yet has become even more compelling since I began my nursing endeavors. One primary responsibility of a nurse is to ensure their patients' pain is minimized or eliminated. Why should we or the state/federal government deny chronically and terminally ill patients any treatment they desire to minimize their agony? Simply put, medical marijuana should be changed from a Schedule I substance to a Schedule II substance, thereby authorizing physicians to prescribe the drug in certain medical situations. [continues 161 words]
In the background of a state-wide debate over legalization, about 50 students gathered Wednesday evening to hear about the effects and possibilities of medical marijuana. Wichita doctor Jon Hauxwell spoke to students at Stauffer-Flint Hall about the benefits and drawbacks of medical pot. "Any substance that is capable of altering human physiology in a good way is usually capable of altering it in a bad way," Hauxwell said. Hauxwell, who kept his comments exclusively about medical marijuana use, spoke about two common ways of consuming marijuana -- by inhalation or eating. Inhaling marijuana, which is usally done by smoking it, helps individuals quickly determine their optimal dosage for relieving pain, he said. [continues 205 words]
After being shot down several times in the past, legislation to legalize medical marijuana was filed again Feb. 15 in the Kansas House of Representatives. The new bill, known as the Cannabis Compassion and Care Act, calls for the legalization of owning and using marijuana plants for those with "debilitating medical conditions," such as cancer, glaucoma, AIDS, hepatitis C and Crohn's disease. The bill was referred to the House Committee on Health and Human Services for debate. Fifty-eight percent of adults in Kansas support the legalization of medical marijuana, according to a poll conducted last year by SurveryUSA and sponsored by KWCH, a Wichita-based TV station. [continues 333 words]
If the Mexican government spent as much time and energy protecting its citizens from human traffickers and drug dealers as they do race-baiting the United States, maybe a lot of suffering could be avoided. If you are worried about the Mexican people, ask the Mexican government what they are doing to protect their citizens. The answer is zero. The fact is the Mexican government is selling its citizens out for cold hard U.S. cash. That's it in a nutshell - money. Mexican men, women and children are being abused, degraded and murdered by fellow Mexicans, all done with the complicity of the Calderon administration. [continues 54 words]
Dear Editor, Jillian Aramowicz hit the bull's-eye with her Dec. 2 column entitled, "Marijuana not as dangerous as most legal drugs." Marijuana should be legalized. One way to legalize the relatively safe, extremely popular, God-given plant cannabis is to remove it from being a Schedule I substance alongside heroin, while meth and cocaine are only Schedule II substances. Another reason to stop caging responsible adults who use cannabis that doesn't get mentioned is because it's biblically correct. God, the ecologician, indicates he created all the seed-bearing plants saying they are all good on literally the very first page (see Genesis 1:11-12 and 29-30). The only Biblical restriction placed on cannabis is to accept it with thankfulness (1 Timothy 4:1-5). Truthfully, Stan White Dillon, Colorado [end]
I sat on my couch for more than 30 minutes, trying to come up with a great introduction to segue into my actual argument for this column, but I really have no other way to start this than to just come out and say what I think: the federal government needs to legalize pot. There. Now that I can officially be branded a stoner, a hippie, young liberal trash or a drug advocate -- none of which I actually am -- I can present a few reasonable, mature points as to why marijuana should be made legal for the good will and sake of American society, not because it just sounds like a fun thing to do. [continues 682 words]
Imagine a society where marijuana, cocaine or heroin are free to ingest at any person's own discretion -- a country where all drugs are made legal. "It would give us more personal freedom and personal choice on what we do with our bodies and our minds," said James Jacobs, a law professor at New York University. Jacobs told audience members during a debate on the issue Wednesday night at Washburn University that the legalization of drugs would reduce racism, lower prison populations, slash organized crime and create a less intrusive government. [continues 412 words]
It's been a long time since Nancy Reagan first spearheaded the first battle in the War on Drugs. We've learned a lot of things since then. Like Paris Hilton being a celebrity for, well, being a celebrity -- marijuana is bad, because it JUST IS, OKAY? And until America (and especially Lawrence -- yeah, that's right, I'm looking at you, Bloodshot Eyes) realizes this, puts down their hilariously named bongs and pipes, and picks up a brewsky instead, I will not stop. [continues 472 words]
WICHITA, Kan. - A federal jury Thursday found a Kansas doctor and his wife guilty of conspiring to profit from illegally prescribing painkillers to dozens of patients who later died, in a case highlighting medical treatment of chronic pain sufferers and prescription drug abuse. Dr. Stephen Schneider and his wife, Linda, were charged in a 34-count indictment with unlawful dispensing of drugs, health care fraud and money laundering. Jurors convicted them of a moneymaking conspiracy that prosecutors linked to 68 overdose deaths. They were directly charged in 21 of the deaths. [continues 661 words]
"If it helps people, it should be legal. I don't believe it causes as much harm as people say it does." - Alexis Filippo, freshman in secondary education "I would say yes, if it can help." - Matt Bane, senior in fine arts "Yes, I do think it should be legalized for medicinal purposes. I've seen it first hand; my grandmother had cancer. I think there's overwhelming studies showing the benefits outweigh the negative impacts." - Brittany Smith, senior in social work [continues 503 words]
The push for legalization of marijuana is becoming more of an issue lately with many states potentially having questions on their ballots this November regarding the legalization of the illegal drug. If you see a question about legalizing marijuana on your ballot this November or any other time, you should vote against it without a second thought. Those who support legalizing the drug argue two points: first, that the extra taxes collected from sales revenue will help the U.S. economy, and second, that marijuana is not addictive or harmful. However, these notions are far from the truth. [continues 570 words]
I never thought I would say this, but it is high time for the state of Kansas to consider legalizing marijuana. Since graduating from the D.A.R.E. program in elementary school, my train of thought has always been this: drugs are bad, marijuana is a drug, marijuana ought to be illegal. End of story. My right-of-center political ideology, which developed as I matured, closed my mind further. I saw marijuana users as hippie, peace-loving liberals. Reggae fans. Potheads. [continues 537 words]
Inside Kansas
