Dear Editor: The East Tennessean published an article on marijuana that contained a dangerous piece of misinformation. The article claimed that there were no automobile accident deaths due to marijuana. In fact, for up to three days after smoking marijuana a person's reflexes are slowed, and driving while stoned causes roughly the same number of automobile deaths as alcohol or talking on cell phones. Also, all smoke is bad for the lungs. Smoking pot is not more dangerous than alcohol or tobacco, but neither is it less dangerous. Rick Norwood [end]
Growing up, most college students attended some form of D.A.R.E (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) program. D.A.R.E defines a gateway drug as "a drug that can potentially open the door to the use of other harder drugs." That is according to "The Official Parent Guide," constructed by Glenn Levant and actively used and promoted by the D.A.R.E program. Marijuana is considered one of the gateway drugs. It does recognize that both cigarettes and alcohol are part of that theory as well. [continues 468 words]
We hear so many times, especially from tongue-clicking politicians, that a certain person is a "true hero." April Leatherwood is a first-rate example, one who was not in the limelight and who probably put her life on the line every day (Aug. 30 article, "Year of living dangerously takes its toll / Undercover Memphis police officer 'was always on edge' in her role as a junkie"). Memphians should be proud, and should also hang their heads at the pitiful salary. Charles Green Somerville, Tenn. [end]
Police work can be a thankless, dangerous and stressful job. The public too often is unaware of the many heroic sacrifices by officers who do their jobs well out of the media spotlight. Unfortunately, it's the corrupt cops -- of which there have been far too many in Memphis -- who make the headlines. The compelling story of Memphis Police Det. April Leatherwood, however, is one that should make all residents appreciate the commitment that officers make to protect and serve the public. [continues 129 words]
She 'Was Always on Edge' In Her Role As a Junkie April Leatherwood no longer goes by the name Summer Smith. Summer's brown, greasy hair has been cut and bleached, highlighted to April's honey blond. Summer's glasses have been removed to reveal April's 20/20 vision. And Summer's feet -- once covered by the same filthy pair of socks for an entire year -- now slide into April's black flip-flops with a fresh pedicure and red toenail polish. [continues 1275 words]
Smuggling of both drugs and weapons is increasingly becoming a problem from Texas to California and appears to be gradually spreading northward. In Imperial, Calif., 16 were indicted and hundreds of pounds of Cocaine seized in a sting against the notorious Sinaloa drug cartel this week. The drugs were often smuggled to Calexico, Calif., in hidden vehicle compartments from the sprawling, nearby industrial border city of Mexicali, Mexico. They were then allegedly distributed in large shipments throughout the United States and Canada, in cities that include Atlanta, Chicago and New York. Four persons were in custody and 12 are still at large. [continues 406 words]
I respectfully disagree with your Aug. 6 editorial on the proposed reforms of the Higher Education Act denial of student loans to youth convicted of drug offenses. According to the Monitoring the Future survey, over 47 percent of U.S. high school seniors have tried an illicit drug. Can America really afford to disenfranchise half the nation's youth? Most students outgrow their youthful indiscretions involving illicit drugs. An arrest and criminal record, on the other hand, can be life-shattering. [continues 130 words]
The violence that has spread through Mexico since President Felipe Calderon launched a national crackdown against the drug cartels in 2006 and the current economy has had unintended consequences closer to home. A group of Whitfield County Schools students set to travel to the northern Mexican city of Monterrey in the fall as part of a student exchange program had to suspend the trip this year due to safety and financial concerns. "There's so much going on, there's just a lot with the economy and travel alerts, so the (Whitfield County Schools) system decided not to participate this year," said Amy Haynes, school improvement coordinator for the school district. [continues 403 words]
The recent ruling that a 5-year-old law commonly called the "crack tax" is unconstitutional hits different people different ways. Some see it as a step backward in anti-drug work and others say the law was unnecessary from the start. "What I liked about it more than just the money was the principle of it," said Mike Hall, director of the Tennessee 10th Judicial Drug Task Force. "You're out here selling dope because you're greedy." Bradley County Public Defender Richard Hughes said the crack tax was unnecessary because there are many laws already in place that let police take money and property from drug traffickers. [continues 354 words]
We've seen what happened when banks, under pressure from Congress, lent money to home buyers who were poor credit risks: Lots of those buyers are in default, and the mortgage crisis spawned by bad lending practices helped cause the recession. But Congress hasn't learned. Liberals in the House of Representatives now want to start offering federal financial aid to college students even if they have been convicted of illegal drug use or possession. Backers of a bill to do that say helping students go to college could aid their rehabilitation. [continues 186 words]
NASHVILLE -- The Tennessee Supreme Court ruled today that a state law that taxes illegal drugs is unconstitutional. The court found in a 3-2 decision that the law, sometimes called the "crack tax," exceeds the state's taxing power because it isn't a tax on "merchants, peddlers and privileges." But the court also ruled that the law didn't violate constitutional protections against self-incrimination, leaving open the possibility that the General Assembly could develop a new tax on drugs that would be constitutional. [continues 578 words]
Surveys Suggest That Substance Abuse Is Lower Here Than Elsewhere FRANKLIN - Eleven Ravenwood High School students were caught smoking pot in March at a YMCA Youth in Government Conference in Nashville. Nine of those kids were suspended and sent to the district's Alternative Learning Center for up to a year, a penalty that is in accordance with board policy and state zero tolerance laws. Parents of a few of the offenders have appealed the punishment, saying the students are being denied a proper education. Others questioned how the students came to admit the deed since there wasn't any evidence that the kids had actually smoked marijuana. The school board tomorrow will vote on whether to schedule an appeal hearing. [continues 898 words]
New Ingredients And Methods Speed Production Of Drug Tennessee drug agents are witnessing an alarming comeback in the production of methamphetamine. Police call it the poor man's drug, appealing because it is cheap to make with household ingredients and turns a lucrative profit on the streets. Also, the drug elicits an almost immediate, long-term high that outlasts more expensive drugs. But it can destroy the human body in a matter of months. "If we stay on course with the seizures this year, we'll be at about 1,300 labs, which brings us back to 2004 figures," said Tommy Farmer, director of the TBI's Methamphetamine Task Force. "It would be the highest number since 2004." [continues 1396 words]
To the Editor: Recently, a former American sailor was convicted of informing al-Qaida of secret U.S ship movements. This could result in future attacks on American naval vessels by our enemies. For this traitorous act, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison. A few months ago in California, two operators of a medical marijuana dispensary each received 20-year prison sentences for violating the law with regard to marijuana. What's wrong with this picture? Bob Hamlett, NASHVILLE 37221 [end]
Today's Topic: Drugs, Guns Flow In Cartel War While authorities on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border wring their hands over complicated ways of quelling the violence among Mexican drug cartels, some of the factors in the issue are not complicated at all. What is the violence about? Money. What is the money for? Drugs. Where is the demand for drugs? The United States. How is the violence committed? Guns. Where are the guns coming from? The United States. [continues 712 words]
Does anyone recall the "War on Drugs" declared by President Nixon in 1971? The War on Drugs, like the War on Iraq, has been costly but futile (not to mention Afghanistan). The former has faded from our corporate memory, and the latter is well on its way to the same fate. We know the demand begins in our heartland, but the addiction is fed at our borders to the south, largely Mexico, which has cultivated opium poppy since before the 1900s and has been an important transit route for South American cocaine for decades. [continues 449 words]
As if they were drug dealers in training, citizens learned Tuesday how to correctly weigh and package a QP, an OZ and an 8-ball of a certain white powdery substance. Though since this was a hands-on exercise for a class of the 19th Judicial District Drug Tasks Force's Narcotic Awareness and Resident Counterdrug Training, the powder was merely baking soda. Those in the class, beforehand, learned from Task Force agents about various types of street drugs, including the signs that someone may be using -- they might be disrespectful to others, depressed, angry, secretive, they may be stealing, have lots of money or be asking for money or may withdraw from friends and family. [continues 220 words]
For most of his four years as a Memphis police officer, Arthur Sease IV financed his dream of becoming a record producer by stealing large sums of money and drugs from dealers whose reward was not being arrested, a federal court jury was told Thursday. Federal prosecutors said Sease got greedy, however, taking $32,000 in one stop and on another occasion robbing a particularly dangerous dealer in a white BMW who was so angry he chased Sease's squad car through the streets of Whitehaven. [continues 434 words]
The new student at Millington Central High School was freaking out in study hall. She'd just been talking to a boy about scoring some drugs one late September day when she turned to get her purse and couldn't find her cell phone inside. The slight, pretty girl with dark blonde hair and a darker secret went nuts. She jumped up and dumped the purse out onto the table, demanding, "Who took my cell phone!?" The phone's loss itself was of no importance. [continues 265 words]
To the Editor: In Phil Valentine's weekly rant against government intervention in our lives, I'd like to ask him to join me in extending his protestations beyond the "If people want to be stupid and fat, it's their business" to "If people want to do anything that doesn't affect me, it's their business." So, along with the things that Mr. Valentine says is none of the government's business, such as telling restaurant owners they can't allow smoking, (since I can go to another restaurant) and not letting McDonalds build where they want (I don't have to eat a burger and fries), let me suggest the following for Mr. Valentine to rant about: [continues 135 words]
Inside Tennessee
