Columbus Dispatch _OH_ 1/1/1997 - 31/12/2024
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151 US OH: Proposal To Legalize Marijuana RejectedTue, 13 Aug 2013
Source:Columbus Dispatch (OH) Author:Johnson, Alan Area:Ohio Lines:57 Added:08/13/2013

A proposed constitutional amendment to legalize marijuana in Ohio was rejected yesterday by Attorney General Mike DeWine.

DeWine turned down petitioners for the End Ohio Cannabis Prohibition Act of 2012, citing four reasons that the submitted summary was not "fair and truthful" as required by state law.

The petition was submitted on Aug. 2 by three Ohio residents, including Tonya Davis, of Kettering, a suburb of Dayton, who has been involved in several previous marijuana issues. Proponents submitted 2,304 signatures of registered Ohio voters, more than double the 1,000 required.

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152 US VT: Conflicting Laws Put A Hold On Farmers' Plans For HempMon, 22 Jul 2013
Source:Columbus Dispatch (OH) Author:Rathke, Lisa Area:Vermont Lines:86 Added:07/23/2013

WAITSFIELD, Vt. (AP)- Some Vermont farmers want to plant hemp now that the state has a law setting up rules to grow the plant, a cousin of marijuana that's more suitable for making sandals than getting high.

But federal law forbids growing hemp without a permit, so farmers could be risking the farm if they decide to grow the plant that the Drug Enforcement Agency basically considers marijuana.

Hemp and marijuana share the same species - cannabis sativa - but hemp has a negligible content of THC, the psychoactive compound in marijuana. Under federal law, all cannabis plants are marijuana, regardless of THC content.

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153 US OH: Fake Drug Checkpoints Spook DriversSun, 30 Jun 2013
Source:Columbus Dispatch (OH) Author:Gillespie, Mark Area:Ohio Lines:86 Added:07/03/2013

MAYFIELD HEIGHTS, Ohio - Police are not allowed to use checkpoints to search motorists and their vehicles for drugs. So in Mayfield Heights, officers are trying the next best thing - fake drug checkpoints.

Police gathered in the express lanes of I-271 on Monday after placing signs along the freeway warning motorists that a drug checkpoint lay ahead.

There was no checkpoint, only police waiting for motorists to react suspiciously after seeing the signs. A Mayfield Heights assistant prosecutor says it's a lawful and legitimate tactic in his city's war on drugs.

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154 US OH: OPED: Nonviolent Offenders Regaining the Right to VoteSat, 29 Jun 2013
Source:Columbus Dispatch (OH) Author:Johnson, Jessica A. Area:Ohio Lines:91 Added:06/30/2013

Toward the end of May, Virginia Gov. Robert McDonnell took another momentous step in his valiant efforts to restore the right to vote for nonviolent felons in his state. Effective July 15, his administration will remove the two-year waiting period and the application process for nonviolent felons in good standing.

McDonnell, a Republican, has been praised by the NAACP and African-American leaders for his diligence in working to reinstate the franchise to those who have served their time. Although McDonnell's proposals have bipartisan support, they been harshly contested by some members of his own party. When he attempted to amend Virginia's constitution so voting rights could be restored immediately to nonviolent offenders after they've completed their sentences, it was rejected by Republicans in the House of Delegates.

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155 US: Blacks More Likely to Get Busted for MarijuanaSun, 09 Jun 2013
Source:Columbus Dispatch (OH) Author:Gamboa, Suzanne Area:United States Lines:59 Added:06/10/2013

WASHINGTON (AP)- Black people are arrested for possessing marijuana at a higher rate than white people, even though marijuana use by both races is about the same, the American Civil Liberties Union reports in a new study.

The ACLU's analysis of federal crime data, released last week, found that marijuana-arrest rates for blacks were 3.73 times greater than those for whites nationally in 2010. In some counties, the arrest rate was 10 to 30 times greater for blacks. In two Alabama counties, everyone arrested for marijuana possession was black, the ACLU said.

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156 US OH: LTE: Arguments For Legalizing Pot Full Of HolesWed, 29 May 2013
Source:Columbus Dispatch (OH) Author:Sauer, Carmen Area:Ohio Lines:47 Added:05/30/2013

In his Saturday letter "Don't put limits on healthcare choices," Dan Riffle said, "Nationwide, 3 out of 4 Americans recognize the medical benefits of marijuana" but fails to say exactly how many were asked. Four? Were they all members of the Marijuana Policy Project, and who, exactly, funds that?

The May 3 Dispatch article "Proposals would legalize marijuana in Ohio" indicated a recent poll that shows more than 1,000 Ohioans want to legalize marijuana for both medical and recreational use.

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157 US OH: PUB LTE: Don't Put Limits On Health-Care ChoicesSat, 25 May 2013
Source:Columbus Dispatch (OH) Author:Riffle, Dan Area:Ohio Lines:79 Added:05/27/2013

The headline of Dr. Ed Gogek's column in Thursday's Dispatch, "Voters becoming wise to medical-marijuana ruse," could not have been more appropriate. Despite his and others' efforts to convince people that medical marijuana is a "ruse," support for allowing medical marijuana is greater than ever.

Eighteen states and Washington, D.C. have adopted medical-marijuana laws, and two more - Illinois and New Hampshire - are expected to enact them within the next couple of months.

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158 US OH: OPED: Voters Becoming Wise To Medical-marijuana RuseThu, 23 May 2013
Source:Columbus Dispatch (OH) Author:Gogek, Ed Area:Ohio Lines:103 Added:05/24/2013

California voters passed the country's first medical-marijuana law in 1996, but many are having second thoughts. Last year, five California cities voted on initiatives to allow marijuana dispensaries, and all five voted no. Oregon also voted down dispensaries. These liberal West Coast states have seen medical marijuana up close, and learned it's barely medical at all.

That shouldn't surprise anyone. The idea that smoking pot is medicine didn't come from doctors or groups representing the seriously ill. Neither the American Cancer Society nor the National Multiple Sclerosis Society supports it, and the American Medical Association and American Academy of Pediatrics strongly oppose it.

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159 US OH: Proposals Would Legalize Marijuana In OhioFri, 03 May 2013
Source:Columbus Dispatch (OH) Author:Siegel, Jim Area:Ohio Lines:63 Added:05/06/2013

As poll numbers show Ohioans are growing increasingly comfortable with the idea of marijuana use, a Youngstown Democrat wants to give people the chance to make the drug fully legal in Ohio.

Rep. Robert F. Hagan has made a few attempts over the years to persuade his colleagues to allow for the use of medical marijuana in Ohio, and each effort has died a quiet death.

A spokesman for Speaker William G. Batchelder, R-Medina, declined to comment on the pair of proposals Hagan introduced yesterday.

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160 US OH: LTE: Stoned Drivers As Dangerous As Drunk OnesThu, 02 May 2013
Source:Columbus Dispatch (OH) Author:Leithart, P. W. Area:Ohio Lines:38 Added:05/05/2013

The Bloomberg News article "Some teen drivers say pot 'helps' " in the Friday Dispatch, suggesting pot use improves driving skills, is no surprise. Ask pot users and they'll say that everything is better when they are high. Ask the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws and it will agree.

The problem is that users are not competent to judge their driving skills. Do not expect intoxicated people to be aware of their impairments.

Scientific studies have shown that pot users are 41 percent impaired after one joint and 63 percent impaired after two. There have been many studies of pot use and driving; the evidence shows that even hours after the high wears off, the user still is impaired. This involves motor skills, visual perception, attention, ignoring signals, etc

Alcohol and pot use end up in tragic accidents, as happened only a few days ago in Columbus. Too many things are settled by public opinion. Let's look at the facts.

Columbus

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161 US OH: Portman: Fighting Drug Addiction Not A 'War'Wed, 01 May 2013
Source:Columbus Dispatch (OH) Author:Vardon, Joe Area:Ohio Lines:65 Added:05/02/2013

The United States has been fighting a "war on drugs" since the Nixon era.

Yesterday, Republican U.S. Sen. Rob Portman said the fight probably will never end in Ohio and now is the time to start calling it something else.

"A lot of people talk about the reference to end drug abuse as an armed conflict because it's a war on drugs," Portman said during his keynote speech at the 2013 Ohio Opiate Conference. "I think it's the wrong way to think of it. I think that in part because millions of our co-workers, our families and others suffer from addiction disorder, and it's not really a war, it's more a public-safety, public-health issue."

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162 US OH: PUB LTE: Drug Prohibition Is True Source Of ViolenceSat, 13 Apr 2013
Source:Columbus Dispatch (OH) Author:Spring, Steven H. Area:Ohio Lines:63 Added:04/14/2013

While reading the April 5 letter "Make life tougher for the lawbreakers" from Jeff Rickel, I laughed when I read his conclusion, "Stop the drug flow and most of the gun violence will end."

Rickel placed blame for America's love affair with guns and their associated violence on illegal drugs, which is like blaming a child's teacher for the failing grade.

Every day in America, on average, 289 people are shot. Eighty-six of those people die. Of these, 30 are murdered, 53 commit suicide, two are shot accidentally and one person dies after being shot by the police.

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163 US: Majority In U.S. Favor Legalizing PotFri, 05 Apr 2013
Source:Columbus Dispatch (OH) Author:Hotakainen, Rob Area:United States Lines:49 Added:04/06/2013

WASHINGTON - Only five months after Washington state and Colorado voted to legalize marijuana for recreational use, a poll released yesterday found that a majority of Americans now agree and say it should be legal to smoke the drug.

And, as Attorney General Eric Holder tries to figure out how to respond to the new laws, the poll had more good news for voters in the two states: Sixty percent of Americans say the U.S. government should not enforce federal drug laws in any state that has voted to legalize pot.

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164 US OH: Advocates Debate Medical Marijuana For OhioThu, 28 Feb 2013
Source:Columbus Dispatch (OH) Author:Johnson, Alan Area:Ohio Lines:70 Added:03/01/2013

Medical marijuana isn't a bad idea, a former Obama administration drug official said today, but it's wrong to use "smoked marijuana under the pretense of medicine."

Kevin Sabet, a senior advisor to national drug czar Gil Kerlikowske from 2009 to 2011, spoke at a Statehouse press conference where anti-drug groups blasted two proposed medical marijuana constitutional amendments being circulated in Ohio, potentially for the November ballot.

Nationally known as a crusader against medical marijuana in the traditional form, Sabet said existing drugs, and others in the testing stage, contain the key chemical components of marijuana but are dispensed in pill form. One such drug is Marinol, often prescribed for cancer and AIDS patients.

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165 US OH: Anti-Drug Groups Lining Up Against Medical-Marijuana AmendmentThu, 28 Feb 2013
Source:Columbus Dispatch (OH) Author:Johnson, Alan Area:Ohio Lines:56 Added:03/01/2013

A medical-marijuana amendment might or might not be on the ballot in Ohio this fall, but opponents are already spoiling for a fight.

Representatives of several anti-drug groups spoke at a Statehouse news conference yesterday, blasting the idea of putting legalization of marijuana for medical use to a public vote.

Kevin Sabet, a senior adviser to national drug czar Gil Kerlikowske from 2009 to 2011, said prescribing marijuana for medical purposes isn't a bad idea if it is in pill form, but it's wrong to use "smoked marijuana under the pretense of medicine."

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166 US OH: Anti-drug Groups Lining Up Against AmendmentThu, 28 Feb 2013
Source:Columbus Dispatch (OH) Author:Johnson, Alan Area:Ohio Lines:56 Added:03/01/2013

A medical-marijuana amendment might or might not be on the ballot in Ohio this fall, but opponents are already spoiling for a fight.

Representatives of several anti-drug groups spoke at a Statehouse news conference yesterday, blasting the idea of putting legalization of marijuana for medical use to a public vote.

Kevin Sabet, a senior adviser to national drug czar Gil Kerlikowske from 2009 to 2011, said prescribing marijuana for medical purposes isn't a bad idea if it is in pill form, but it's wrong to use "smoked marijuana under the pretense of medicine."

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167 US OH: Schools Say No To Old Drug ProgramsMon, 14 Jan 2013
Source:Columbus Dispatch (OH) Author:Friedman, Lindsay Area:Ohio Lines:112 Added:01/14/2013

Realizing that more young people are no longer "just saying no" to drugs, local schools are changing their approaches to drugprevention programs.

Districts such as Westerville, Pickerington, Bexley, Dublin and Hamilton now offer drug counseling as an alternative to suspension or expulsion for students caught using drugs.

Since the loss of federal funding for schools' prevention efforts in 2009, officials are discovering that DARE and zero-tolerance policies are no longer enough, said Greg Viebranz, the spokesman for Westerville schools.

Westerville is building relationships with anti-drug groups and referring students who use drugs to counselors. Pickerington also is offering counseling.

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168 US CO: Growing Like A WeedSun, 13 Jan 2013
Source:Columbus Dispatch (OH) Author:Martin, Jonathan Area:Colorado Lines:185 Added:01/13/2013

DENVER - Inside the industrial-scale marijuana farms that dot Denver's low-rise warehouse districts, it is perpetual summer - 78 degrees, with moderate humidity and fields of shoulder-high plants with fat, sticky buds swaying in the breeze.

These unmarked THC factories are easy to miss from the street, except for the casino-style security cameras perched on each corner. But inside the world's only fully regulated, for-profit marijuana market, there are few secrets.

Colorado has approved 739 of these indoor farms over the past two-plus years after vetting their owners' finances and requiring the buds be tracked on high-definition video and bar-coded every moment from seed to sale. Local building inspectors have signed off, and cops - city, state and federal - can drop in at any time.

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169 US OH: Medical-Marijuana Backers Seek FundsSat, 31 Mar 2012
Source:Columbus Dispatch (OH) Author:Conley, Justin Area:Ohio Lines:90 Added:04/01/2012

Initiative Would Create 9-Member Panel to Set Rules

The Ohio Medical Cannabis Association has planted the seed for a ballot initiative that would put the question of medical marijuana to Ohio voters this November, and now it is working to ensure those efforts bear fruit.

The Ohio Medical Cannabis Amendment would make Ohio the 17th state to legalize marijuana for treatment of patients with a variety of diseases that cause chronic pain, including cancer, rheumatoid arthritis and spinal-cord injuries.

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170 US OH: 2 Groups Push Medical MarijuanaThu, 26 Jan 2012
Source:Columbus Dispatch (OH) Author:Johnson, Alan Area:Ohio Lines:85 Added:01/27/2012

Two proposed medical-marijuana issues potentially headed for Ohio's Nov. 6 ballot seem similar at first glance but are quite different in terms of specifics and supporters.

The Ohio Medical Cannabis Amendment of 2012 was approved yesterday by the Ohio Ballot Board, clearing the way for supporters to begin gathering the 385,245 signatures of registered voters needed to qualify the issue for the ballot. The group has until July 6 to submit names.

Mary Jane Borden of Westerville, a committee member for the Cannabis Amendment, said medical marijuana can be an effective, natural way to ease chronic pain without relying on addictive narcotic medications.

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171 US OH: Medical-Marijuana Effort AdvancesSat, 21 Jan 2012
Source:Columbus Dispatch (OH) Author:Johnson, Alan Area:Ohio Lines:66 Added:01/22/2012

Ohio's second proposed medical-marijuana statewide ballot issue took a step forward yesterday when it was certified by Attorney General Mike DeWine.

The Ohio Medical Cannabis Amendment to the Ohio Constitution contains a "fair and truthful" summary and has the necessary 1,000 signatures of Ohio registered voters, DeWine determined.

The issue next heads to the Ohio Ballot Board, which will determine whether it should appear on the Nov. 6 general-election ballot as a single issue or multiple issues. Secretary of State Jon Husted set a board meeting for 10:30 a.m. Wednesday. If the board approves, supporters will be allowed to begin collecting the 385,245 valid signatures of registered voters necessary to qualify for the ballot.

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172 US OH: Group Seeks Second Medical-marijuana Issue For BallotThu, 12 Jan 2012
Source:Columbus Dispatch (OH) Author:Johnson, Alan Area:Ohio Lines:75 Added:01/12/2012

Backers of a second medical-marijuana amendment will file language with Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine today, hoping to get their issue on the November statewide ballot.

The Ohio Medical Cannabis Amendment of 2012, accompanied by nearly 3,000 signatures, will be submitted to DeWine to review the language summarizing the proposal, said Theresa Daniello, a supporter of the nonpartisan group that includes many patients seeking pain relief for medical conditions.

The proposed language argues that Ohioans have "inalienable rights" under the Ohio Constitution, including the right to "be eligible to use cannabis as medicine as a result of a diagnosed debilitating medical condition." The issue would establish an Ohio Commission of Cannabis Control to regulate medical cannabis in Ohio.

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173 US OH: Medical Marijuana Backers To Gather SignaturesSat, 22 Oct 2011
Source:Columbus Dispatch (OH) Author:Johnson, Alan Area:Ohio Lines:47 Added:10/22/2011

The Ohio Ballot Board approved a medical-marijuana ballot issue yesterday, clearing the way for supporters to begin gathering signatures to place it on the statewide ballot in November 2012.

The backers of the bill must now gather at least 385,000 valid signatures of Ohio registered voters to submit to the secretary of state in order to qualify for next year's fall ballot.

The Ohio Alternative Treatment Amendment would allow qualified practitioners to prescribe marijuana for patients at least 18 years old with a "qualifying medical condition." Patients could obtain up to 3.5?ounces of marijuana at a time.

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174 US OH: Second Group Seeks A Vote On Medical MarijuanaThu, 14 Jul 2011
Source:Columbus Dispatch (OH) Author:Johnson, Alan Area:Ohio Lines:96 Added:07/14/2011

Two different groups are moving ahead with plans to put medical-marijuana issues to a statewide vote in Ohio next year.

While Cleveland billionaire Peter Lewis already had sent up smoke signals about organizing and funding a medical-marijuana ballot issue, another group quietly has been laying the groundwork for a constitutional amendment.

If approved by voters, the Ohio Medical Cannabis Act of 2012 would establish a regulatory system modeled after the Ohio State Liquor Control system. There would be an Ohio Commission of Cannabis Control, plus a state division and superintendent to run it. Marijuana purchases would require a doctor's prescription and would be subject to state and local sales taxes.

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175 US: Weed Spreads Wealth: Medical Marijuana Grows into HugeSun, 03 Apr 2011
Source:Columbus Dispatch (OH) Author:Pugh, Tony Area:United States Lines:158 Added:04/03/2011

ASHINGTON - The medical marijuana industry is beginning to show its age.

After humble California beginnings in 1996, 15 states and the District of Columbia now have legalized marijuana use for ill patients who have a doctor's recommendation.

Medical marijuana has been found to help with chronic pain, nausea and other symptoms of diseases including cancer, muscular dystrophy and AIDS. Nearly 25 million Americans are medically eligible to buy marijuana.

Sales are expected to hit $1.7 billion this year. Just last month, a San Francisco-based outfit, the ArcView Group, formed the industry's first investment network to link cannabis entrepreneurs to qualified investors with "seed" money.

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176 US OH: Village On Drug-War FrontSun, 29 Aug 2010
Source:Columbus Dispatch (OH) Author:Jarman, Josh Area:Ohio Lines:115 Added:08/29/2010

Mexican Cartels Turn to Rural Ohio for Marijuana Operations

LATHAM, Ohio -- At Thelma Jean's diner, patrons can pour their own cups of coffee before taking a seat under the faded photographs of the town's military service members lining the red-white-and-blue wallpaper.

The restaurant is one of a handful of houses and businesses clinging to the sides of two-lane Rt. 124 as it wends through western Pike County, about 65 miles south of Columbus. Yet this sleepy village is on the front lines of the state's effort to combat the encroachment of Mexican drug cartels that are increasingly using rural Ohio as cropland for large, outdoor marijuana operations.

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177 US OH: Son Helps Convict Father In Drug TheftsSat, 21 Aug 2010
Source:Columbus Dispatch (OH) Author:Futty, John Area:Ohio Lines:63 Added:08/21/2010

A father who teamed up with his son to steal OxyContin and Percocet in a string of robberies of Columbus pharmacies was convicted yesterday by a Franklin County jury.

Ricky R. Taylor, 49, faces up to 39 years in prison when he is sentenced Aug. 30 by Common Pleas Judge Patrick E. Sheeran.

Taylor's son, who pleaded guilty a year ago and is serving a 10-year prison sentence, testified that he and his father robbed five CVS stores in September and October 2008.

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178 US OH: Review: Longtime Master Of Thrillers Takes On CocaineSun, 15 Aug 2010
Source:Columbus Dispatch (OH) Author:Marrison, Matt Area:Ohio Lines:69 Added:08/15/2010

In Frederick Forsyth's new political thriller, The Cobra, due out Tuesday, the American president throws down a gauntlet: Extinguish the international scourge of cocaine trafficking.

Here he is in conversation with a Drug Enforcement Administration official:

"Are you serious, Mr. President?"

"Yes, I believe I am. What do you advise?"

"Well, if you are going to try to destroy the cocaine industry, you will be taking on some of the most vicious, violent and ruthless men in the world."

"Then I guess we are going to need someone even better."

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179 US OH: Bill Proposes Legalizing Medical MarijuanaTue, 06 Apr 2010
Source:Columbus Dispatch (OH) Author:Johnson, Alan Area:Ohio Lines:37 Added:04/06/2010

Legislation to legalize dispensing, growing and using marijuana for medical purposes has been introduced in the Ohio House. Passage is unlikely, but if that happens, Ohio would become the 15th state to make medical marijuana legal.

The primary sponsor is Rep. Kenny Yuko, D-Richmond Heights, but there are five other sponsors. The Drug Policy Alliance in Ohio worked with Yuko in drafting the bill, which is similar to Senate Bill 343 from the last session but has significant changes, backers said.

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180 US OH: D.A.R.E. Program Cut Back StatewideSun, 30 Aug 2009
Source:Columbus Dispatch (OH) Author:Wilson, Dana Area:Ohio Lines:101 Added:09/01/2009

Anti-Drug Lessons Trimmed As Budget Cuts Move Officers Back To The Road

Two deputies who taught anti-drug lessons in Knox County schools are absent this academic year because they've moved from the classroom to the road.

Sheriff David Barber wrote a letter to district superintendents this month, saying he regrets ending the D.A.R.E. program for the 2009-10 school year. Barber explained that he has reassigned Deputies Scott Baker and Chuck Statler because of unexpected budget cuts by county commissioners.

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181 US OH: Prosecutors Seek Elimination of Mandatory Prison for Some Drug OffendersTue, 24 Mar 2009
Source:Columbus Dispatch (OH)          Area:Ohio Lines:100 Added:03/25/2009

Ohio's county prosecutors are recommending major changes to state drug laws, including the elimination of mandatory prison sentences for trafficking and possession of chemicals for the manufacture of drugs, except in the most serious cases.

The prosecutors also want to reduce several other non-drug crimes to misdemeanors from felonies, including assaulting a school teacher, administrator or school bus operator without physical harm; injuring a police dog or horse; illegal use of food stamps; and unauthorized use of a cable television or telecommunication device.

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182 US OH: Drug Sweeps At Schools Applauded As DeterrentSat, 28 Feb 2009
Source:Columbus Dispatch (OH) Author:Wilson, Dana Area:Ohio Lines:93 Added:03/02/2009

No-Cost Searches By Authorities Help Budget, Curb Abuse, Officials Say

Before police officers with drug-sniffing dogs scoured the halls at Mount Vernon High School on Tuesday, students were given a five-minute warning to come clean.

A few handed over prescription and over-the-counter medications hidden in their backpacks or lockers.

The hourlong building sweep that followed netted no illegal drugs, but that doesn't mean it wasn't a success, said detective Cpl. Matt Dailey of the Mount Vernon Police Department, who helped organize the search. "We want them to know that we're out there; we're watching."

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183 US OH: Column: Drug Czar Might Bring Better Insight To The BattleMon, 16 Feb 2009
Source:Columbus Dispatch (OH) Author:Blumner, Robyn Area:Ohio Lines:93 Added:02/17/2009

We've come a long way from "I didn't inhale," Bill Clinton's rather lame attempt to explain away a marijuana toke years before he became president. President Barack Obama has been candid about his use of marijuana and cocaine as a young man, when he was grappling with his identity. In his autobiographical Dreams From My Father, he wrote, "I got high (to) push questions of who I was out of my mind."

The revelation barely caused a ripple during the campaign.

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184 US OH: Prisons Director Demands ReformsFri, 13 Feb 2009
Source:Columbus Dispatch (OH) Author:Johnson, Alan Area:Ohio Lines:77 Added:02/14/2009

State Lawmakers Urged to Alter Sentencing Laws to Help With Crowding

The head of Ohio's prison system gave state legislators a no-nonsense budget talk yesterday, saying, "We've lost the war on drugs, yet we keep sending people to state prisons."

Terry Collins, director of the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, made an impassioned plea for sentencing reforms to divert more offenders from overcrowded state prisons and ease the burden on the financially strapped system.

The alternative: closing another prison in 2011, Collins told a House committee reviewing the state budget.

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185 US OH: Prisons, Drugs: A Daily WarSun, 18 Jan 2009
Source:Columbus Dispatch (OH) Author:Ludlow, Randy Area:Ohio Lines:124 Added:01/19/2009

Despite Penalties, Scores Are Caught Each Year Trying To Smuggle Them In

The contraband was lobbed over the fence in tennis balls, swapped and swallowed from a shared cup of coffee, and tucked into gutted TV converters and hollowed-out books.

Some Ohio prison inmates with a craving for drugs regularly succeed in recruiting friends and family in hopes of scoring an illicit high behind the confines of the razor wire.

The methods used to smuggle narcotics into state prisons last year ranged from the ingenious to the obvious, but at least 115 attempts met the same fate: They failed.

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186 US OH: Mexican Plant Banished By BillThu, 18 Dec 2008
Source:Columbus Dispatch (OH) Author:Johnson, Alan Area:Ohio Lines:55 Added:12/22/2008

If you haven't heard of the potent psychedelic plant Salvia divinorum, don't bother looking for it: It's on the verge of being declared illegal in Ohio.

The Ohio House yesterday voted 90-4 to pass legislation making the plant from the mint family a controlled substance. Ohio will become the sixth state to make it illegal.

The bill now goes to Gov. Ted Strickland for his signature.

The Ohio Board of Pharmacy is directed by the bill to develop chemical standards for the amount of the drug in the bloodstream that would trigger a driving-under-the-influence charge.

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187 US OH: Potent Pot Worries OfficialsFri, 13 Jun 2008
Source:Columbus Dispatch (OH) Author:Dolasinski, Amanda Area:Ohio Lines:80 Added:06/12/2008

Marijuana is more potent now than at any point during the past 30 years, fueling concerns about how it's affecting users.

"It's very scary when you see adolescents smoking especially potent marijuana because they're going through a developmental period for parts of the brain," said Brad Lander, a psychologist at Ohio State University Medical Center. "It's unlikely they're going to catch up with that development."

A study by the University of Mississippi's Potency Monitoring Project found that the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, called THC, is at 9.6 percent in samples from 2007. Ten years earlier, it was at 5 percent.

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188 US OH: Informant Lied in Zanesville Police Drug Case, FBI SaysWed, 27 Feb 2008
Source:Columbus Dispatch (OH) Author:Zachariah, Holly Area:Ohio Lines:40 Added:03/01/2008

A woman who was the key to a federal drug case against a Zanesville police officer has been charged with lying to investigators.

The Cincinnati Division of the FBI released a statement today saying that Amanda Novaria, 26, of Roseville, is in custody of the Guernsey County sheriff's office on other charges, and is to go before a judge in U.S. District Court in Columbus this afternoon to face the federal charges.

Novaria had previously said she exchanged phone calls and text messages with Donald Peterson, 33, who was then a Zanesville police officer. Peterson, his wife and three others were, as a result of Novaria's statements, all federally charged with distributing a controlled substance and conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.

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189 US OH: Crack Releases May DoubleSun, 24 Feb 2008
Source:Columbus Dispatch (OH) Author:Andes, Jodi Area:Ohio Lines:85 Added:02/27/2008

Several Convicts Might Be Let Out Soon Under New Cocaine-Sentencing Rules

The number of crack-cocaine dealers and users who could be released early from federal prison has nearly doubled from initial estimates, local officials now say.

Last year, the U.S. Sentencing Commission announced new, retroactive sentencing guidelines for the drug offenders that could mean early release for 224 federal inmates who were sentenced in the U.S. District Court for southern Ohio, which includes Columbus, Dayton and Cincinnati.

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190 US OH: Students Ask School To Sweep For DrugsSat, 16 Feb 2008
Source:Columbus Dispatch (OH) Author:Doulin, Tim Area:Ohio Lines:60 Added:02/17/2008

Marijuana Found In Worthington Police'S Search Of Cars In Parking Lot

Drug-sniffing dogs helped police confiscate marijuana and related paraphernalia yesterday morning from a handful of student vehicles at Thomas Worthington High School.

The drug sweep was conducted at the request of the administration and students, Worthington police said.

"We had had several drug-related incidents over at the school," Sgt. John Slaughter said. "The school thought it was a good idea. They discussed it apparently with the student council, had meetings with them and came to the conclusion this might be a good idea."

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191 US OH: With Evidence, Landlords Can Kick Out Drug DealersFri, 15 Feb 2008
Source:Columbus Dispatch (OH) Author:Ferenchik, Mark Area:Ohio Lines:99 Added:02/17/2008

Landlords can move quickly to get rid of tenants they suspect are dealing drugs or breaking the law in other ways.

The difficult part is proving it to a judge during an eviction hearing.

Police and the landlord had long suspected drugs were being sold at 1766 S. 8th St. before Wednesday, when neighbor Matthew Edblom was fatally stabbed confronting people at the duplex. A man was shot dead outside the same South Side address in December.

The landlord, Philip Reynolds of Orient, told The Dispatch it would have been difficult to evict the several occupants because the tenant on the lease, one woman, always paid the rent on time.

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192 US OH : Small-Town ScourgeSun, 27 Jan 2008
Source:Columbus Dispatch (OH) Author:Zachariah, Holly        Lines:182 Added:01/27/2008

Hard Times Help Fuel Violent Drug Warfare In Towns That Aren't Used To It

ARION, Ohio -- Even from across the street, the tiny black hole is visible beneath the big bay window. Through it passed the bullet that changed a family forever.

Now, 4-year-old Ricardo Glover Jr., Little Ricky, lies in a bed in Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus and fights to recover from the gunshot wound to his head.

Police say he nearly died because two groups are shooting up the city as they battle over drugs, fight over territory and retaliate for previous clashes. Little Ricky, sitting on his family's couch watching television in the middle of the night, got caught in the crossfire.

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193 US OH: Ohio University Takes Down Link To Myspace Page With AdSat, 29 Dec 2007
Source:Columbus Dispatch (OH) Author:Tobias, Andrew Area:Ohio Lines:60 Added:12/30/2007

A MySpace page for Ohio University's student center included an ad for a Web site that appears at first glance to sell marijuana.

A student employee of the center created the MySpace page to promote concerts at the Athens university's Baker Center, but the official university Web site for the student center included a link to it.

After being notified of the ad, which was posted on Dec. 6, the university took the link to the MySpace page down, said George Mauzy, an OU spokesman.

[continues 260 words]

194 US OH: Khat Legislation Worries Somali CommunityFri, 07 Sep 2007
Source:Columbus Dispatch (OH) Author:Williams, Sherri Area:Ohio Lines:86 Added:09/09/2007

Efforts to further criminalize khat, an illegal stimulant used here by some Somalis, should wait until East Africans are more educated about its penalties.

That's what immigrants told a state senator who's trying to make its prosecution easier last night.

Though some Somalis gathered at the meeting said the leafy substance is not harmful and has been used socially for centuries, others said it has an adverse impact on families.

More than 150 Somali immigrants and community leaders attended a forum held at the Global Mall on the North Side to discuss khat's presence in Columbus.

[continues 424 words]

195 US OH: PUB LTE: Voters Should Back Cannabis As MedicineTue, 04 Sep 2007
Source:Columbus Dispatch (OH) Author:Borden, Mary Jane Area:Ohio Lines:40 Added:09/04/2007

The Aug. 18 Dispatch article "Medical marijuana may go on Ohio ballot" mentions that Michigan voters soon may vote on allowing medicinal use of marijuana. A dozen states already allow this, for one fundamental reason: Cannabis is medicine. Documented medicinal use of the plant goes back more than 6,000 years and the plant was a widely recognized remedy until politics took control of it in the 1930s and led to bans on research and patient use.

But opinion polls show the public gets it.

So, in November 2008, I will be cheering for Ohio and Michigan, for successful initiatives would make them big winners in the game of common sense and compassion.

President

Ohio Patient Network

Westerville

[end]

196 US OH: Medical Marijuana May Go on Ohio BallotSat, 18 Aug 2007
Source:Columbus Dispatch (OH) Author:Johnson, Alan Area:Ohio Lines:101 Added:08/18/2007

Michigan's Vote of Interest to Proponents Here

A statewide issue to legalize medical marijuana is headed for the ballot in Michigan next year -- and could swing south to Ohio shortly thereafter.

The nonprofit Drug Policy Alliance, which backed an unsuccessful 2002 Ohio constitutional amendment to require treatment instead of imprisonment for nonviolent drug offenders, is watching Michigan closely, a spokesman said.

A dozen states already have some form of medical marijuana law on the books.

"Ohio would be a state worth considering, certainly a high priority. It would be a question of timing," said Edward J. Orlett, a former Democratic state legislator who represents the Drug Policy Alliance in Ohio.

[continues 454 words]

197 US OH: Hempfest a Low-Key Lobbying EventSun, 03 Jun 2007
Source:Columbus Dispatch (OH) Author:Off, Gavin Area:Ohio Lines:73 Added:06/03/2007

To legalize or not? That was the question at the rock 'n' roll-jamming, Hacky Sack-playing, tie-dye-wearing Hempfest on Ohio State University's South Oval yesterday.

The 21st annual Ohio event kicked off at noon with 36 vendors, 30-plus bands, scores of dreadlocks and a lot of pro-marijuana talk.

Zach Germaniuk, a 19-year-old OSU English major and president of Students for Sensible Drug Policy, said he logged some 600 hours of work in preparation for the event.

[continues 373 words]

198 US OH: Fewer Students SmokingThu, 19 Apr 2007
Source:Columbus Dispatch (OH) Author:Bush, Bill Area:Ohio Lines:91 Added:04/19/2007

More Franklin County students report regularly using marijuana than smoking cigarettes for the first time in the nearly 20-year history of a local drug-use survey.

But it's not that marijuana use is up; it's actually down from a peak in 1997, according to the Primary Prevention Awareness, Attitude & Use Survey of about 78,000 public- and private-school students released yesterday.

Rather, tobacco use has plunged.

"In high school, cigarette use has been about cut in half," said Paul Weener, chief executive officer of DiagnosticsPlus, the Pennsylvania company that conducted the survey for the local Education Council.

[continues 522 words]

199 US OH: Anti-Meth Laws Add To Misery of Many Cold, AllergyMon, 09 Apr 2007
Source:Columbus Dispatch (OH) Author:Heagney, Meredith Area:Ohio Lines:122 Added:04/09/2007

Registry Rules Wrap Ailing Patients, Pharmacists In Red Tape

Pharmacist Jim Ricket used to frequently recommend cough medicine containing pseudoephedrine.

Now, bottles of the stuff are expiring at his Kenstar Pharmacy in Grove City.

That's likely because Ohio lawmakers put the over-the-counter drug behind the counters of pharmacies and other retailers nearly a year ago. A federal law doing the same took effect last fall.

Many people don't want to go through the hassle of waiting in line, filling out a form and showing ID, Ricket said.

[continues 713 words]

200 US OH: Healing The WholeMon, 19 Feb 2007
Source:Columbus Dispatch (OH) Author:Johnson, Alan Area:Ohio Lines:225 Added:02/19/2007

State Will Broaden Its Approach To Treating Addiction, Gov. Strickland Says

As she stumbled to the Netcare crisis center on Central Avenue, tears streamed down Erica Smith's cheeks. Years of heavy partying, drinking and smoking crack -- along with selling blood plasma and even trying prostitution to get money for drugs -- had taken a cruel toll. Smith could go no lower -- and survive. "As I walked it was like I could feel pieces of my body falling off," she said. "I was so broken up."

[continues 1514 words]


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