Carroll County Times _MD_ 1/1/1997 - 31/12/2024
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1 US MD: PUB LTE: Less Reefer Madness, More Reefer GladnessSun, 28 Aug 2016
Source:Carroll County Times (MD) Author:Fuhrman, Jonathan Area:Maryland Lines:48 Added:08/29/2016

Its frustrating to see our County Commissioners' behavior toward Maryland's Medical Cannabis Program. They seem to be operating with a Reefer Madness mentality, allowing their policymaking to be guided by distress and superstition rather than established facts and evidence. As a regulatory professional, I was fortunate enough to attend a Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission meeting at Johns Hopkins last year. One of the biggest takeaways for me was the seriousness and professionalism with which the individuals involved in designing this policy (almost all MDs and lawyers) treated the subject. This isn't about Jeff Spicoli, 420, some gateway drug or the Grateful Dead. This is about medicine, plain and simple. A much-needed, effective therapy for helping our most vulnerable patients - folks with chronic illnesses and terminal diseases including all forms of cancer, Parkinson's, MS, epilepsy, etc. Who in our community hasn't felt the impact of one of these devastating conditions?

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2 US MD: Sheriff Candidates Discuss Marijuana DecriminalizationSun, 18 May 2014
Source:Carroll County Times (MD) Author:Cobun, Heather Area:Maryland Lines:93 Added:05/19/2014

On April 14, Gov. Martin O'Malley signed a bill which decriminalizes marijuana possession effective Oct. 1.

The new law makes possession of small amounts of marijuana, less than 10 grams, a civil rather than a criminal offense, and prosecutors and law enforcement from around the state have raised concerns about how the policy can be effectively enforced as well as questioning the wisdom of decriminalizing possession of what can currently get someone 90 days in jail or a $500 fine.

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3 US MD: Column: Arguments For Legalization Of PotSat, 01 Mar 2014
Source:Carroll County Times (MD) Author:Edelman, Mitch Area:Maryland Lines:96 Added:03/03/2014

Last Tuesday, the Maryland General Assembly held hearings on SB 658, the Marijuana Taxation and Regulation Act of 2014. If enacted, most forms of possession or sale of small amounts of marijuana would be decriminalized.

The bill's provisions state that adults at least 21 years old may cultivate up to six plants for personal use. Personal possession of up to one ounce and smoking paraphernalia would also be made legal.

Each county would be allowed at least two retail outlets for pot. The bill sets regulations for cultivation, safety and manufacturing facilities, and no marijuana business would be allowed within 1,000 feet of any schools. There would be a tax of $50 per ounce, plus sales taxes, and it mandates a $5 million set-aside for treating drug, alcohol or tobacco abuse.

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4 US MD: Editorial: Downside To Legalized MarijuanaMon, 08 Jul 2013
Source:Carroll County Times (MD)          Area:Maryland Lines:58 Added:07/10/2013

States that have enacted or considered enacting laws decriminalizing marijuana use should also consider the impact that will come from more people using the drug, and the problems that may come with that.

Maryland has essentially decriminalized the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes, but usually there are efforts each year to totally decriminalize it, such as was done in Colorado or Washington state.

According to a survey report from the University of Maryland's Center for Substance Abuse Research, among high school students surveyed, 16 percent who said they didn't use marijuana said they would be likely to try it if the drug was legalized.

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5 US MD: Legislators Ponder Medical Marijuana LawSun, 17 Oct 2010
Source:Carroll County Times (MD) Author:Marshall, Ryan Area:Maryland Lines:100 Added:10/17/2010

Will this be the year a medical marijuana bill passes the Maryland General Assembly?

Sen. David Brinkley, R-District 4, said that if re-elected, he plans to introduce a bill similar to the one that passed the Senate during the last session that would legalize the use of marijuana for medical purposes. A version of the bill failed in the House of Delegates.

Brinkley said the bill, which would license producers, distributors and users, would address the important issue of providing a reliable source for the product as an alternative to buying it on the black market.

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6 US MD: State Police To Take Over Drug TestingThu, 10 Dec 2009
Source:Carroll County Times (MD) Author:Marshall, Ryan Area:Maryland Lines:68 Added:12/10/2009

PIKESVILLE -- Police and law enforcement officials hope that a new arrangement for testing blood samples of people suspected of driving under the influence of drugs will make it easier and cheaper to charge and prosecute those cases.

Testing for police departments around the state will now be done by the toxicology unit of the State Police Forensic Sciences Laboratory in Pikesville, Col. Terrence Sheridan, superintendant of the Maryland State Police, said at a press conference Wednesday.

The state had run into a problem because there were only two labs on the East Coast that could perform the tests, and those labs had become reluctant to send their experts to testify in Maryland courts because of the cost and time involved, Sheridan said.

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7 US MD: Conference To Focus On Dangerous Teenage BehaviorMon, 16 Jun 2008
Source:Carroll County Times (MD) Author:Kritt, Erica Area:Maryland Lines:66 Added:06/18/2008

The effects of substance abuse on the developing brain will be the main topic at this year's Risky Business Prevention Conference.

The conference, which will be held Tuesday at the St. John's Portico in Westminster, was started in 1997 as a way to educate the community about dangerous teenage behavior such as drug and alcohol abuse, unprotected sex and depression.

According to Kim Spangler, director of health education at the Carroll County Health Department, the event offers education on trends and statistics, and also provides information on prevention.

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8 US MD: Experts - Salvia Divinorum Not Prominent In CarrollWed, 12 Mar 2008
Source:Carroll County Times (MD) Author:Marshall, Ryan Area:Maryland Lines:46 Added:03/12/2008

Since several incidents in 2005, Salvia divinorum hasn't been prominent in Carroll County, according to drug professionals.

In October 2005, a store on Bond Street in Westminster called Heads N Threads was raided and the owner and an employee were arrested on charges of selling and possessing drug paraphernalia.

The raid was prompted by publicity surrounding Salvia and after several suspects in drug cases were reported to have bought drug paraphernalia at the store.

Salvia divinorum was banned in county schools in May 2005.

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9 US MD: Multidrug Overdoses On The RiseSat, 24 Mar 2007
Source:Carroll County Times (MD) Author:Natter, Ari Area:Maryland Lines:63 Added:03/25/2007

An increase in drug overdose deaths involving the use of multiple drugs at the same time has authorities concerned.

"It's not something new, but it's something we are tracking and seeing more of," said George Butler, a drug investigator from the Carroll County State's Attorney's Office.

Of 13 people who died of drug overdoses in Carroll County during 2006, seven had traces of multiple drugs in their systems, according to data from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner provided by the state's attorney's office.

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10 US MD: Counselors Say They Don't Have Timely Drug-UseSun, 21 May 2006
Source:Carroll County Times (MD) Author:Natter, Ari Area:Maryland Lines:130 Added:05/23/2006

Substance-abuse counselors and others interested in tracking drug use have long considered a periodic report hospitals generate about drug use to be a valuable tool.

Then last summer, substance-abuse counselors in the program's Baltimore region, which includes Carroll Hospital Center, noticed that the reports stopped coming in.

"We are not getting up-to-date information," said Mark Yount, substance-abuse prevention coordinator for the drug treatment facility Junction Inc. "Trying to get up-to-date information is really hard these days, so we are kinda behind."

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11 US MD: Carroll Law Enforcement Preparing For Camp COPSTue, 27 May 2003
Source:Carroll County Times (MD) Author:Kelly, Jamie Area:Maryland Lines:75 Added:05/27/2003

Police are looking for people in Carroll County who fit a certain description: children between the ages of 10 and 13. They want the youngsters to attend Camp COPS, which will run from July 7 through 11 at the Carroll County Farm Museum. COPS stands for Courage to be Outstanding with Pride and Self-confidence. The camp is run by the Maryland State Police, with help from the Carroll County sheriff's office and the Westminster Police. The goal, according to Trooper First Class Mark Rauser, is to give young people an inside view of what law enforcement officers do.

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12 US MD: Youths Learn Drug DangersMon, 19 May 2003
Source:Carroll County Times (MD) Author:Kelly, Jamie Area:Maryland Lines:69 Added:05/19/2003

Teens who talk to an adult when they are troubled are less likely to use alcohol, and local police are doing what they can to make themselves available to teens. The National Household Survey on Drug Abuse released a study showing that youngsters who were willing to go to their parents or another adult with concerns about a serious problem were 10 percent less likely to have drunk alcohol recently.

But police can't force parents to get involved, so law enforcement does its part to reach out to youths who might be in danger of falling prey to alcohol or drug abuse, said Sgt. Mike Bible, community education officer for the Westminster city police.

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13 US MD: Medical Marijuana Supporters Expect Easier Road This YearThu, 27 Feb 2003
Source:Carroll County Times (MD) Author:King, Lauren Area:Maryland Lines:112 Added:02/27/2003

ANNAPOLIS - Medical marijuana proponents are optimistic about their chances of passing legislation that would give chronically ill or terminal patients the legal opportunity to use marijuana without fear of prosecution.

On Wednesday, the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee and members of the Education, Health and Environmental Affairs Committee held a public hearing on a bill sponsored by EHEA Chairwoman Paula C. Hollinger, Del. Dan K. Morhaim, D-Baltimore, and Sen. David R. Brinkley, R-Carroll/Frederick.

The bill would create a research program through the Board of Physicians Quality Assurance for the medical use of marijuana that would regularly report to the legislature about the basic safety, efficacy and nature of its medical use. The bill would also allow patients suffering from specific serious illnesses, their doctors and, in some instances, the patient's primary caregiver to apply to participate in the research program with protection from arrest and prosecution for the medical use of marijuana.

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14 US MD: Law Enforcement Officials Split On BillSat, 01 Feb 2003
Source:Carroll County Times (MD) Author:Kelly, Jamie Area:Maryland Lines:86 Added:02/01/2003

A medical marijuana bill in the General Assembly this session is sparking concern among some in Carroll County law enforcement.

The bill is designed to let doctors prescribe marijuana to specific patients who are participating in a program. An oversight board would keep tabs on patients' progress and the health benefits and risks. Using the drug would continue to be a criminal offense in Maryland for those who do not qualify for the program.

But Jerry Barnes, Carroll County state's attorney, said the problem with the bill is that marijuana is still federally illegal. And since the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency regulates prescriptions, doctors cannot prescribe the drug legally.

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15 US MD: New Push For Medical Marijuana BillMon, 27 Jan 2003
Source:Carroll County Times (MD) Author:King, Lauren Area:Maryland Lines:111 Added:01/28/2003

ANNAPOLIS - Legislators who want to revisit the battle over legalizing medical marijuana are teaming up to draft a bill that will pass the General Assembly this year.

Sen. David R. Brinkley, R-Carroll/Frederick, was one sponsor of a medical marijuana bill that gained passage in the House of Delegates, but then died in the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee last year.

The bill, a compromise constructed in the House Judiciary Committee, created a medical defense for people who are arrested for possession of marijuana. The medical defense would still allow state's attorneys to prosecute people for possessing marijuana, but if the defendant can establish that there was a medical necessity, the maximum penalty would be a $100 fine.

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16 US MD: LTE: Many Valid Reasons To Stay Away From DrugsMon, 29 Jul 2002
Source:Carroll County Times (MD) Author:Sheets, Charles K. Area:Maryland Lines:54 Added:07/30/2002

Editor:

To the young people of Carroll County, including the college students here; recently I received news of the death of a third cousin of mine, a 24-year-old woman, due to a drug overdose.

Perhaps she was one of the "lucky ones," She could have survived this overdose with brain damage, which would have left her a vegetable. Or, she could have lived through this ordeal as a quadriplegic, unable to walk or feed herself.

I have read that some young people say, "Well, my parents drink alcohol, which is a drug, so what is the difference if I take drugs?"

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17 US MD: Marijuana Bill Passes HouseTue, 26 Mar 2002
Source:Carroll County Times (MD)          Area:Maryland Lines:31 Added:03/26/2002

ANNAPOLIS - The compromised version of the medical marijuana defense bill successfully passed the House of Delegates Monday night after an impassioned debate.

Last week, a change of heart by Del. Carmen Amedori, R-Carroll, forced a compromise in the House Judiciary Committee, which had been poised to kill the bill.

The original bill would have given patients who use medical marijuana protection from arrest . The compromise maintained that possession of marijuana is a still a criminal act, worthy of prosecution and punishment, but gives people the option of trying to prove a medical defense.

If the courts determine that there is evidence of possession for medical use, the judge can do no more than fine the person up to $100.

The compromised bill, which passed by a vote of 80-56, will now head to the Senate for approval.

[end]

18 US MD: Activist Group Distributes Packets In Fight AgainstSat, 09 Feb 2002
Source:Carroll County Times (MD) Author:Wessell, Megen Area:Maryland Lines:53 Added:02/11/2002

Physicians in Carroll County will now have one more tool to help them diagnose and recognize the signs and symptoms of drug abuse thanks to one local organization. Members of the Heroin Action Coalition of Carroll County sent close to 200 packets of materials to all physicians in Carroll County last week to help fight substance abuse here. "We sent them to all physicians, from geriatric to surgeons, because substance abuse impacts everyone," said Leslie Hinebaugh, past president of the coalition and mother of two children who have been addicted to drugs.

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19 US MD: Editorial: Sex And Drugs And InhibitionsSun, 10 Feb 2002
Source:Carroll County Times (MD)          Area:Maryland Lines:61 Added:02/11/2002

Many adolescents and young adults think that drinking or drugs often is a prelude to sex among others their age, but few think drinking or drugs would increase their chances of having sex.

In other words: It probably happens to other people, but it won't happen to me.

A national survey of 998 adolescents and adults ages 15 to 24 that was taken in November and January asked respondents how often they thought people their age drank or used drugs before having sex. Eighty-eight percent answered either a lot or sometimes.

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20 US MD: Marijuana Bill Gains SupportersFri, 08 Feb 2002
Source:Carroll County Times (MD) Author:King, Lauren Area:Maryland Lines:106 Added:02/09/2002

ANNAPOLIS - In a great show of bi-partisan support, Del. Donald E. Murphy, R-Baltimore/Howard, introduced a medical marijuana bill that would protect patients who use marijuana for medical purposes from arrest and imprisonment.

This is the third year Murphy introduced the legislation, but this year the bill has 47 co-sponsors, setting a national record for the most co-sponsors of any medical marijuana bill.

Murphy said he's hoping the bi-partisan sponsorship, which includes the House majority and minority leadership, will give the bill some momentum, especially if the bill is passed in the House and sent to the Senate.

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