Terrebonne and Lafourche public schools enroll more than 32,000 students combined, but so far this year, fewer than three dozen have been arrested for bringing drugs onto campuses. Education officials and police readily acknowledge that more students are involved in drugs and that more can always be done to keep them out of schools. But one reason such a relative few arrests are made is that schools -- with teachers and principals and in some cases police constantly on alert -- appeals to common sense, one officer says. [continues 855 words]
Marijuana is bad. On this most auspicious of days, the calls for legalizing marijuana reach their wheezing, coughing climax. And year after year, these calls go unanswered for good reason. As much as we want to think our parents are over-protective and paranoid, there's a reason they always told us not to smoke pot, and there's a reason pot is still illegal. Marijuana smoke contains 20 times more ammonia and five times more hydrogen cyanide and nitrogen oxide than tobacco smoke, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. [continues 460 words]
Thanks in large part to big money, Americans at least had a chance to vote on marijuana laws. For this, pro-pot activists George Soros, John Sperling and Peter Lewis should be applauded. But the opportunity to vote on legalizing pot is a painful reminder that the democratic process is intricately connected to the almighty dollar. As for drug czar John Walters and the rest of the Federal Government, they would be wise to listen to the people and stop stepping on the states. That would be democracy! MATTHEW ALBRIGHT, Toronto [end]
