As 2006 draws to a close, drug-enforcement officials in Washington say they have destroyed more than 130,000 marijuana plants this year as part of a joint state and federal eradication effort. That's nearly the same as last year, when a record 135,000 plants were destroyed under the Washington Domestic Cannabis Eradication/Suppression Program, the federal Drug Enforcement Administration said in a news release. This year's seizures have led to more than 340 arrests and 190 weapons seizures. [continues 94 words]
CLATSKANIE - Oregon State Police, following up on a tip from the Washington State Patrol, seized approximately 105 marijuana plants Friday afternoon from a Clatskanie-area residence. No arrests were made but the case is being referred to the Columbia County District Attorney's Office for review. According to a news release from OSP, on Friday WSP troopers stopped a 2006 Dodge Ram pickup driven by Darrel R. Lundeen, 58, of Clatskanie, for speeding on Interstate 205 southbound near milepost 35. During the stop, WSP troopers arrested Lundeen after finding individual packages of marijuana totaling 175 grams, as well as drug paraphernalia, in Lundeen's vehicle, the news release said [continues 217 words]
Pick your week or month, the evidence keeps rolling in to show this country's vaunted "war on drugs" is as destructively misguided as our cataclysmic error in invading Iraq. There are 2.2 million Americans behind bars, another 5 million on probation or parole, the Justice Department reported on Nov. 30. We exceed Russia and Cuba in incarcerations per 100,000 people; in fact, no other nation comes close. The biggest single reason for the expanding numbers? Our war on drugs -- a quarter of all sentences are for drug offenses, mostly nonviolent. [continues 671 words]
I used to think that I wanted to be famous. Really famous. I wanted to be so famous that kids dressed up as me for Halloween. I wanted to be so famous that Dale Chihuly would beg me for permission to create a life-sized ornate art-bong in my likeness. Not that I would know anything about that sort of thing, of course. Well, that's not fully true. I know a bit about the marijuana thing. I know, or rather, I believe that the stuff should be undemonized, decriminalized and, yes, even fully legalized. If marijuana were legal, about a billion Christmas present dilemmas would be solved. [continues 585 words]
This is about me, my mugger and Milton Friedman. I was alone on a New York subway platform, when a man started toward me. His glassy eyes foretold what was to happen. He pointed at the flute case I was carrying and said, "Give it to me." Pulling the case back, I said "no," at which point he snapped open a knife and pointed it at my ribs. I then held out the flute, squeaking, "Take it." He grabbed the instrument and ran off. [continues 550 words]
The 84-Month Jail Term Is Due to a Law That Allows Drug Dealers to Be Punished When Their Clients Die. Shane Jesmer was an expert snowboarder who dreamed of someday competing in the Olympics. When he broke a collarbone in 2004, he made the mistake of seeking out a drug dealer to help him cope with the pain. The dealer, Raoul Mahon Keith, sold him a lethal amount of methadone and on Wednesday was sentenced to 84 months in prison under a seldom-used state charge, "controlled substance homicide." [continues 348 words]
OLYMPIA -- A voter-approved initiative allowing doctors to recommend medicinal marijuana does not apply to cases where the doctor is licensed outside of the state of Washington, the state Supreme Court ruled Wednesday. "The initiative could have, but did not, define a qualifying doctor as one with a valid license from any state," Justice Tom Chambers wrote in the 6-3 majority decision. Initiative 692 passed in 1998 with 59 percent of the vote. It gives doctors the right to recommend -- but not prescribe -- marijuana for people suffering from cancer, AIDS, multiple sclerosis, glaucoma and other conditions that cause "intractable pain." [continues 507 words]
Doctor Approval - Washington's Top Court Rules on Who Can Give Recommendations for Use OLYMPIA -- A voter-approved initiative allowing doctors to recommend medicinal marijuana does not apply to cases where the doctor is licensed outside the state of Washington, the Washington Supreme Court ruled Wednesday. "The initiative could have, but did not, define a qualifying doctor as one with a valid license from any state," Justice Tom Chambers wrote in the 6-3 majority decision. Initiative 692 passed in 1998 with 59 percent of the vote. It gives doctors the right to recommend -- but not prescribe -- marijuana for people suffering from cancer, AIDS, multiple sclerosis, glaucoma and other conditions that cause "intractable pain." [continues 381 words]
As a representative of the Drug Policy Forum of Oregon, I can attest to the fact that as cannabis research continues, we find more medically viable uses for this ancient friend of humanity. This research is carried out mostly on foreign soil because the U.S. government will not fund studies looking for positive aspects to cannabis. There are many medical uses for cannabis. Recent findings show cannabis may be effective in stopping or slowing memory loss in Alzheimer's patients. Cannabis is useful in treating multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, in treating the nausea of cancer and HIV patients who rely on heavy toxic pharmaceutical regimens and many other conditions. Even the Drug Enforcement Administration's own administrative law judge, Francis Young, stated in 1988 that cannabis "in its natural form, is one of the safest therapeutically active substances known to man." Allan Erickson Eugene, Ore. [end]
Regarding Lea Palleria Cox's Nov. 14 letter, "Marijuana is not 'medicine,'" if Cox thinks marijuana is not medicine, she is certainly free to not use it. Hopefully Cox will not become a victim of multiple sclerosis, AIDS, glaucoma, arthritis or have cancer and need chemotherapy treatments that cause acute nausea and total loss of appetite. Because marijuana treats all of these diseases and many more. Marijuana is a natural herb. Like many other natural herbs, it has medicinal qualities, but because it's a natural product it cannot be patented. So the pharmaceutical industry cannot profit from it. [continues 65 words]
Having been actively involved in drug prevention and against the movement to legalize drugs for about 25 years, I commend Sandra S. Bennett on her Oct. 16 letter, "Marijuana is dangerous," highlighting the dangers of marijuana and those who exploit the sick by claiming it to be a "medicine." Those who wish to smoke "pot" without having to look over their shoulders are part of a well-organized, well-financed movement pursuing legalization. George Soros, John Sperling and Peter Lewis obviously share this wish and provide funds to help accomplish it. The various "joints-as-medicine" petitions/initiatives they sponsor popping up around the country seek to change how a drug becomes a medicine; not by rigorous scientific research but rather by popular vote and legislative proclamation. [continues 61 words]
State Regulation Criticized On Both Sides Of Drug Divide In her spacious suburban home, Robin DeBow cleans countertops until they gleam, vacuums the carpets to plush perfection and then turns toward her most pressing chore -- tending the large pot plant budding in her sunny front room. It's a job DeBow has fought for years to perform. Though not a marijuana user herself, the 44-year-old Lewis County woman has been authorized to provide the potent herb to her son, Chris Chastain, a 27-year-old paraplegic. [continues 1819 words]
Students at Truman High School were shocked into attentiveness Monday during a methamphetamine presentation from the Partnership for a Drug Free America. The Meth 360 presentation featured images of open sores and rotting teeth, illustrating the physical effects of meth abuse. "Oh that's disgusting," and "ewww yuck" echoed through the crowd of Truman students. Rich Palladino from the Partnership for a Drug Free America showed before and after pictures of meth users and explained the long-term effects of meth abuse. [continues 1203 words]
A Presentation in Milton-Freewater Opened the Eyes of Many Teen-Agers - It Could Also Save Their Lives. Methamphetamine addiction - it's something that happens in other places to other people. Right? That's what we would like to believe, but it's not even close to reality. The fact is that meth addiction is becoming an epidemic, particularly in rural communities in the Pacific Northwest. And that's not something we in the Walla Walla Valley can ignore. Last week students at Milton-Freewater's McLoughlin High School had an opportunity to meet two young women from Beaverton who are recovering crystal meth addicts. [continues 239 words]
Since the 1960s, my life has been plagued with the effects of drugs and alcohol. I was drunk the first time I was arrested and each time after. I became a number in the system, perhaps a statistic. Meth use is an epidemic that has spread throughout Clark County and our nation. The war on drugs is a losing battle. Fighting must be a personal assault against addiction. The addict needs help, not longer prison sentences. Recovering addicts can become willing assets to the community. Being stuck in addiction is costly to each member of a community. [continues 83 words]
SEATTLE - A U.S. border guard accused of accepting cash and sexual favors from a female drug smuggler was released Tuesday on a $20,000 bond, against the wishes of prosecutors. Federal Magistrate Judge Mary Alice Theiler also agreed to let the guard, Desmone Bastian, continue living in Surrey, British Columbia, where he will be monitored pending trial, scheduled for Jan. 2. Bastian has pleaded not guilty to one count of accepting a bribe and another of importing controlled substances. Bastian is accused of accepting an undisclosed amount of money as well as sexual favors from a female smuggler who told federal agents that she is also a madam. According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Susan Roe, the smuggler claimed that Bastian sometimes showed up at her house of prostitution wearing his U.S. Customs and Border Protection uniform. [continues 123 words]
I enjoyed reading the Oct. 26 story, "County told meth war could use ammo," on the methamphetamine problem facing this nation. Having prosecuted drug crimes for two years, I was constantly impressed with the fact that most of the people I incarcerated were good, intelligent and pleasant people. In contrast to these people's incredible potential was their hopeless dependence on methamphetamine as their only source of joy or self-assurance. On many occasions, it pained me that I was forced to send young men and women to prison because that was the only option available to me. I have long thought that a better approach would be to build secure college campuses throughout the state where drug and alcohol addicted offenders could live, study and recover. [continues 85 words]
Sandra S. Bennett's assertion in her Oct. 16 letter, "Marijuana is dangerous," that marijuana is now a leading cause of drug-related emergency room episodes, is just patently false. A recently released and widely reported study by the government's own Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration finds that the vast majority of drug abuse cases reported by the 417 emergency rooms surveyed across the country was from over-the-counter and prescription drugs. Marijuana wasn't even close to being the leading cause, and there wasn't a single reported death. [continues 88 words]
I'm writing about Sandra S. Bennett's not-so-thoughtful Oct. 16 letter: "Marijuana is dangerous." If Bennett thinks marijuana is so dangerous, why do she and other drug war cheerleaders want marijuana to remain completely unregulated, untaxed and controlled by criminals? Only legal products of any kind can be regulated, taxed and controlled by any government. Because marijuana is now illegal, it is sold only by criminals (criminals who often sell other much more dangerous drugs like cocaine and methamphetamine). And they often offer free samples of the more dangerous drugs to their marijuana customers, creating the so-called "gateway effect." [continues 63 words]
Federal law lets the cops pocket anything seized in a drug bust--cars, boats, cash--and use it to fund the war on drugs. But when Jane Gerth found a half-million dollars in the Okanogan woods, the rules got more complicated. The white ford pickup truck rolled onto a gravelly pullout next to Highway 97, about 15 minutes south of the Canadian border, and stopped, motor running. It was 7:20 p.m. on Friday, March 5, 2004, in the orchard-lined Okanogan Valley of north Central Washington, an expanse rimmed by pine-dotted hills and rocky ridges. [continues 3017 words]
Freedom of speech was fought for and safeguarded by hundreds of thousands of American soldiers. And that freedom is enjoyed even by those who encourage our children to use psychoactive and addictive substances and who would have us abandon efforts to stop the use and spread of these debilitating substances. The U.S. loses more than 50,000 lives to illicit drugs each year and 16,000-plus are children. Society remains ignorant of the death toll and is lulled into thinking that marijuana is innocuous because the media ignore these numbers. [continues 111 words]
RAINIER - A common cause drew people to the Red Ribbon Run on Saturday - to run hard, or stand fast, or maybe even make a big splash for the right reason -- keeping youth drug-free. A total of 76 runners and walkers, whose entry fees help support Rainier Together Coalition's anti-drug programs, took part in the Red Ribbon Run. Participants, who were from all around Northwest Oregon, could go on a 5K run, a 3K walk/run or a 1K walk/run. About 50 more community members and representatives from various organizations participated and supported the even. [continues 453 words]
Fancy Facilities Are Used For Drugs, Prostitution Jack Gray and the other homeless men who sat in Pioneer Square's Occidental Park say they go to the mission when nature calls. Or to the Starbucks. Anywhere, they say, besides one of the city's fancy automated public toilets -- two years old and just on the other side of the park. "The crack heads are always in there," Gray said. The decadelong debate over giving people public toilets downtown appeared to be over when the Seattle City Council decided in 2004 to spend nearly $700,000 a year to maintain five high-tech toilets downtown and on Broadway in Capitol Hill. [continues 920 words]
Justices Hear Arguments Over How State, Federal Laws Conflict On Severity WASHINGTON - Supreme Court justices wrestled Tuesday with the question of whether convictions for minor crimes should force immigrants' deportation, the first case in a term expected to make clearer the court's direction under Chief Justice John Roberts. Thousands of immigrants who have run afoul of the law, some for possessing small amounts of drugs, could be affected by the court's ruling. The second year of Roberts' tenure began with little drama, just a brief welcome to visiting jurists from India. [continues 403 words]
Rainier's third annual Red Ribbon Run to support drug and alcohol abuse programs is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 14 at Rainier Junior/Senior High School. [Correction: due to an error in the press release, a prior version of this story misstated the date of the run.] This year's run, sponsored by the Rainier Together Coalition, occurs at the track in conjunction with school cross country event, offering an opportunity for participants to run with the teams from five area schools. Runners and walkers can choose a slower pace or a shorter distance. [continues 170 words]
Still Smokin'. Good ol' Willie Nelson and his band got nabbed last week with a pound and a half of ganja and some hallucinogenic mushrooms after being pulled over for a "routine" traffic stop by a Louisiana state trooper. While we'd expect nothing less from our Rasta-man Willie (not to mention a Bloody Mary Mornin'), it does serve as a nice reminder never to tour in Louisiana or other Southern states. Country crooner Nelson, of course, has long been an advocate for the legalization of marijuana (along with organic farming and the ability to grow a long-ass double ponytail without being called a geriatric silly-goat). Sure, at the age of 73, he could have claimed the sack of weed was for glaucoma or a host of other ailments, but he took it like a Ramblin' Man, got his ticket for possession, and was On the Road Again. [continues 178 words]
The WSU Board of Regents passed a temporary rule Monday to allow police, fire and emergency crews unrestricted access to residence halls. The change to a Washington Administrative Code came on the heels of a May decision by Whitman County Superior Court Judge David Frazier that barred police patrols in WSU dorms. That ruling was based on the university's definition of "guests" to residence halls, which the regents changed at an emergency phone meeting at 9:30 a.m. Monday. [continues 706 words]
It Could Soon Be A Crime To Sell Pipes, Bongs, Hookahs And Other Drug Paraphernalia In Gig Harbor. The city Police Department is proposing new laws aimed at stopping the over-the-counter sale of those items. Parents began complaining last year that their kids were buying them fairly easily. The proposal won't stop grandpa from buying a corncob pipe, but it prohibits anything else used for marijuana, methamphetamine, cocaine and other drugs. Owners argue those items are used strictly for tobacco, but police aren't buying it. [continues 238 words]
A U.S. sting operation named after Vietnamese noodle soup has netted 22 people allegedly growing pot and trafficking ecstasy in and around Seattle. Authorities said the project was dubbed "This Bud's Pho You" because Vietnamese ring members referred to marijuana as "pho" while talking to each other on the phone. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency said the bust was linked to a past operation that resulted in arrests of members of a transborder drug gang that dealt in shipments of B.C. bud. [end]
New Prisons Secretary Proposes Job Training, Treatment Programs OLYMPIA -- Paroled in 2003 after 20 years in prison for murder, Willie Robinson emerged from Pine Lodge Pre-Release clutching a $100 check, some legal papers and hopes of making it in a world he barely recognized. Cars were tiny -- and insanely fast, after his decades of occasional rides in lumbering prison buses. He was befuddled by gas station pumps, stunned at prices, and surprised at how little neighbors talk to each other these days. It took weeks, he said, before he really believed he was free. [continues 946 words]
Speakers Disagree On Where It Should Park The Point Defiance AIDS Project's needle exchange van is a good thing, Tacoma residents agreed Wednesday night. Where that free service should operate, however, is a matter of intense debate. About 15 community members aired impassioned opinions about the program during a meeting of the Tacoma-Pierce County Board of Health. Among those who spoke were a police officer, a businessman, a City Council member, a religious leader, a college student, a former heroin junkie and a parent -- all with a stake in the van that often sits at South 14th and South G streets. [continues 359 words]
Why I Took Illegal Drugs And A Gun Down to City Hall On A Lovely Summer Day Mayor Greg Nickels has proposed a host of new regulations for clubs in Seattle. The proposed ordinance would establish the nightclub advisory board--or NAB--and institute regulations that are as onerous as they are impractical. According to stunned club owners, the mayor's proposals would lead to the closure of every nightclub in Seattle ["Unhappy Customers," Erica C. Barnett, Aug 24]. One provision in Nickels's draft ordinance really caught my eye. In the Nightclub Operating Standards section, listed under Security Standards, you can find this gem: "Nightclubs shall prevent patrons from entering a nightclub premises with any illegal drugs." [continues 1356 words]
Police Learn Latest Techniques In Drug's Manufacture EVERETT - Men in protective suits huddled around a smoking jar in the middle of the tarmac at Paine Field. One, two and finally three from the group raised their thumbs in the direction of the people watching from outside the "hot" zone. Wednesday morning's science project was cooking. On the menu - methamphetamine. Members of the Snohomish Regional Drug Task Force and a forensic chemist from the Washington State Patrol transformed a laundry list of household items into a batch of meth in less than two hours. [continues 397 words]
Alcohol is a widely used recreational drug, consumed by most Americans at some point in their lives ["Club Pot Med," Aug. 16]. While some people drink alcohol in moderation, alcohol use is a problem for many, placing a tremendous burden on them and society. The direct and indirect costs are estimated at $150 billion per year in the United States. About 200,000 deaths annually are directly related to the effects of alcohol. More than half of all fatal car accidents involve alcohol 150 billion and 200,000 deaths annually . . . and it's legal. Legalize cannabis now, you twits. Give us the choice. Darral Good Seattle [end]
Cannabis is not just a plant ["Club Pot Med," Aug. 16]. It's a God-given plant, as in Christ God Our Father indicated He created all the seed-bearing plants saying they are all good on literally the very first page of the Bible (see Genesis 1:11-12 and 29-30). Often, failed clergy and the "Christian right" influence opposition and persecution of cannabis (kaneh bosm/ marijuana) and its potential to heal gets denied. Ironically, many people believe cannabis is the tree of life and the very last page of the Bible (Revelation 22) indicates the leaves of the tree of life are for the healing of the nations; thus cannabis was and is created to heal and end war. Stan White Dillon, CO [end]
I agree with the various letter writers and others who argue for legalization or at least regulated use of marijuana, especially for medical uses ["Club Pot Med," Aug. 16]. However, the "pot's just a plant" argument is really silly. Peyote is "just a plant." Opium is "just a plant," and heroin is not far removed. Same with cocaine. There are many other plants that will kill you if you eat them, or take too much of it. And then there's alcohol, which is "just fermented plants"; it's one of the most destructive drugs in our society. [continues 66 words]
A dispute over the location of the Point Defiance AIDS Project's needle exchange van will move to the Tacoma-Pierce County Board of Health on Sept. 6, where the issue will get a public airing. The controversy over the van's presence on the Hilltop continues after a mediation attempt fell through. The Hilltop Action Coalition facilitated a series of community meetings in an attempt to find a compromise. But the community group recently "stepped away" from the process in frustration, said volunteer Herman Diers. [continues 531 words]
SEATTLE -- Is it time to forge an "exit strategy" for our prolonged "war on drugs"? That question -- normally considered a "no-no" in legal circles, especially among prosecutors and police -- has been raised by the prestigious King County Bar Association since 2000. And the results have been impressive. King County is sending minor street drug users and sellers through drug courts instead of incarcerating them; its average daily jail count is down from 2,800 to 2,000. The Washington Legislature was persuaded to cut back drastically on mandatory drug-possession sentences, apportioning funds to adult and juvenile drug courts, and family "dependency" courts. Tens of millions of dollars have been saved. [continues 610 words]
Combating drugs in Island County will be a priority for the next sheriff, although the four candidates' respective perceived means to an end slightly differ. Island County Prosecutor Greg Banks asked the final question on Thursday night at the League of Women Votes Candidates' Forum in Oak Harbor, stating that in many cases drugs are found on people initially arrested for a different crime. "Do you think you can find the resources in your budget to put together and have a proactive drug unit for the sheriff's office?" he asked. [continues 1665 words]
Thank you so much for Philip Dawdy's well-researched and well-written article ["Club Pot Med," Aug. 16]. Hopefully, the straightforward quotes from Douglas Hiatt and Dawdy's presentation of some positive response toward medical marijuana from the medical community will open some minds and get people thinking about who is impacted by the busts: people who are very ill. Then perhaps they'll ask themselves how society is benefiting by arresting and incarcerating sick people--many or most on their deathbed. What is the point? [continues 208 words]
Bravo to Philip Dawdy, giving a voice to the Seattle Weekly with an excellent article regarding the medical use of marijuana ["Club Pot Med," Aug. 16]. "The Pacific Yew Act" was signed in 1992 by George Bush Sr. to ensure that federal lands would be available for harvest and long-term conservation of the Pacific yew tree. The bark is a reliable source of Taxol, which has saved countless lives. It is used primarily in cancer patients, commonly for breast cancer. The Pacific yew tree is native to the Pacific Northwest. [continues 136 words]
I am a 61-year-old stage IV metastatic melanoma patient. I have tumors in my chest, spine, liver, and back. I can get all the morphine I want, but the side effects are horrendous. I much prefer to use marijuana to help with some of the pain. I smoke frequently and am appalled at the way this drug is treated. Kudos to attorney Douglas Hiatt, reporter Philip Dawdy, and Seattle Weekly for bringing up this important topic ["Club Pot Med," Aug. 16]. Frankly, at this stage of my life and the short time left of it, I find it ludicrous that anyone would refuse to allow me to purchase and indulge in any drug I wanted. What's it gonna do? KILL ME! Dan VanderKolk Seattle [end]
Now that the notorious drug trafficker Francisco Javier Arellano Felix is under lock and key, I can't help but think of Al Capone, a monster who rose out of the warped designs of Prohibition. If Prohibition had never been legislated, Capone's criminal legacy would likely have been relegated to Chicago. But the Volstead Act was made law, and the price of booze went sky high; and arrogant scofflaws like Capone came into their murderous and lucrative heyday. Hard to believe that at one time there was a constitutional amendment - - the 18th, to be exact - banning the sale of booze in these United States - the only constitutional amendment ever to be repealed. [continues 151 words]
Every week, the ad runs on the front page of the Little Nickel: If you have: Medical Marijuana may help. Call the number in the ad and you'll find a local clinic where, for a fee, a doctor will write a note saying he believes the illegal plant will help what ails you. Not long ago, such a business plan likely would have the cops asking a lot of questions. But for two years, The Hemp and Cannabis Foundation has been operating the Bellevue clinic completely aboveground, seeing thousands of patients. [continues 1545 words]
Former Seattle police Chief Norm Stamper doesn't have dreadlocks, a Zig-Zag T-shirt or a single Phish album. He just sounds like it. "It's laughable when people say we are winning the drug war," said Stamper, who had just finished a main-stage speech to the crowd gathered Sunday at the Seattle Hempfest in Myrtle Edwards Park. "The people who are prosecuting the drug war are invested psychically and financially. It's a holy war for them. "We should legalize all drugs." [continues 471 words]
Fast-forward 20 years. The fondest dream of Seattle Hempfesters has come true: Pot is legal. But what of the iconic "protestival," with its swirl of tie-dye, aroma of patchouli and counterculture chic? It could well morph into the kind of mainstream affair many of today's adherents abhor, concedes the man who launched the legalization movement nationwide more than 35 years ago. If people are able to buy weed like liquor and beer, it will probably come with the same kind of corporate trappings, said Keith Stroup, founder of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws. [continues 582 words]
I want to thank the writer of the Sunday letter "Education need for school board" for his truthful letter about drug testing. I have been against drug testing in the job world for years. The only people who stand to lose their jobs are the good, hard-working, morally and ethically sound pot smokers of my generation (the baby boomers). Pot shows up even if they haven't smoked in weeks or days (it stays in your fat). All the people on the really harsh, dangerous, drugs are keeping their jobs and putting all their co-workers at risk. How safe is someone who hasn't slept in a week? [continues 208 words]
The focus at this weekend's Seattle Hempfest will be marijuana policy reform, plus plenty of vendors will be selling their wares. Attendees are cautioned that city, state and federal laws will be enforced. Learn while celebrating at Seattle Hempfest, a "protestival" for industrial hemp and marijuana law reform at Myrtle Edwards Park this weekend. Part political rally, with speakers and information advocating the decriminalization of marijuana for adults, legal access to medical marijuana and legal domestic hemp production; and part festival, with music, arts and crafts, vendors and food, the annual event expects more than 100,000 attendees over its two-day run. [continues 250 words]
The war against methamphetamine has shifted focus. Five years ago, meth labs were a scourge on the Thurston County landscape, popping up in rental homes, motel rooms and rural properties across the county. A five-member law enforcement team that formed in 2001 to track down and dismantle meth labs and the criminals behind them has been a big success, as has a ban on over-the-counter sales of cold medicine used to make meth. The team took down 69 meth labs that first year, knocked off 221 illicit operations through 2005 and has yet to find one in Thurston County this year. [continues 405 words]
Dr. M. Ward Hinds Has Supervised The Snohomish Health District Since 1986. EVERETT - Dr. M. Ward Hinds, the county's top public health official for nearly two decades, announced Tuesday that he will retire in January. His tenure has spanned the height of the AIDS epidemic, threats from bioterrorism following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and preparing the county for a possible worldwide flu outbreak. "There's no perfect time," Hinds said of the timing of his decision to step down as the Snohomish Health District's chief administrator. "There's always something going on - anthrax, smallpox, pandemic flu." [continues 342 words]
Inside Washington
