Damn, I could've told them this!! I always love these studies that they pay so much money for and when the results come out you just look and them and think, "Well duh!" They could have just conducted a survey to potheads...we're too couch-locked to be violent! :) But since so many still think Reefer Madness is actually a legitimate interpretation of what people do after smoking, I guess a study like this might be worthwhile somehow...
Alcohol And Cocaine – But Not Cannabis – Linked To Violent Behavior, Study Says
Victoria, British Columbia:
Cannabis use is not independently associated with causing violence, according to the results of a multivariate analysis to be published in the journal Addictive Behaviors.
Investigators at the University of Victoria, Centre for Addictions Research assessed how frequently subjects in a substance abuse treatment facility reported using cocaine, alcohol, and/or cannabis in the hours immediately prior to committing a violent act. Researchers also evaluated subjects’ personality for characteristics associated with violent behavior, such as risk-taking, impulsivity, and/or disrespect for the law.
Investigators concluded: "When analyses were conducted controlling for covariates, the frequency of alcohol and cocaine use was significantly related to violence, suggesting that pharmacological effects [of the drugs] may play a role in violence. Frequency of cannabis use, however, was not significantly related to violence when controlling for other factors."
The study’s conclusions are similar to the findings of a pair of recent government reports refuting allegations that cannabis use triggers violent behavior. The first, published by the Canadian Senate in 2002, determined: "Cannabis use does not induce users to commit other forms of crime. Cannabis use does not increase aggressiveness or anti-social behavior."
The second review, published by the British Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, reported: "Cannabis differs from alcohol in one major respect. It does not seem to increase risk-taking behavior. This means that cannabis rarely contributes to violence either to others or to oneself, whereas alcohol use is a major factor in deliberate self-harm, domestic accidents and violence."
Most recently, a logistical regression analysis of approximately 900 trauma patients published in the Journal of TRAUMA Injury, Infection, and Critical Care, determined that the use of cannabis is not independently associated with either violent or non-violent injuries requiring hospitalization. By contrast, alcohol and cocaine use are associated with violence-related injuries, the study found.
For more information, please contact Paul Armentano, NORML Senior Policy Analyst, at: paul@norml.org. Full text of the study, "Predicting violence among cocaine, cannabis, and alcohol treatment clients," will appear in the journal Addictive Behaviors. Additional audio commentary regarding this study is available on the August 15, 2007 broadcast of the NORML Audio Stash at: http://audio.norml.org/audio_stash/NORML_Daily_AudioStash_08_15_2007.mp3.
Showing posts with label news. Show all posts
Showing posts with label news. Show all posts
Friday, August 24, 2007
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
"I think we're dying!" Stupid cop calls 911
"We made brownies and I think we're dead."
"Time is going by really, really, really slow!"
These are just a couple of the brilliant remarks made by office Edward Sanchez when he called into 911 to report an overdose of marijuana by himself and his wife Stacey. Apparently Stacey decided to make some brownies post 4/20 and lifted a bag of weed from his cop car. Or perhaps he brought in the grass himself...we may never know the whole truth. Either way the weed had been confiscated from someone else and Officer Sanchez was supposed to be delivering it to evidence. Read the full news story here.
Here is the complete 911 call made by Sanchez.
Edward Sanchez Calls 911
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And here are a series of follow up calls made by DJ Frane who was just trying to get his hands on this stellar brownie recipe. They claim it was probably a 1/4 oz in the brownies...but if he only had one and she ate the rest of the batch it's no wonder she was on the floor passing out.
DJ Frane calls the Sanchezes Parts 1-3
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Personally I'd say this was just karma catching up with him and his wife who apparently has a bit of a substance abuse problem as it is. Maybe next time they'll leave the weed to those who can handle it or stock up one some munchies before they chow down on pot brownies. Almost everyone knows that eating something will help start breaking down the grass you've ingested.
"Time is going by really, really, really slow!"
These are just a couple of the brilliant remarks made by office Edward Sanchez when he called into 911 to report an overdose of marijuana by himself and his wife Stacey. Apparently Stacey decided to make some brownies post 4/20 and lifted a bag of weed from his cop car. Or perhaps he brought in the grass himself...we may never know the whole truth. Either way the weed had been confiscated from someone else and Officer Sanchez was supposed to be delivering it to evidence. Read the full news story here.
Here is the complete 911 call made by Sanchez.
Edward Sanchez Calls 911
Add to My Profile More Videos
And here are a series of follow up calls made by DJ Frane who was just trying to get his hands on this stellar brownie recipe. They claim it was probably a 1/4 oz in the brownies...but if he only had one and she ate the rest of the batch it's no wonder she was on the floor passing out.
DJ Frane calls the Sanchezes Parts 1-3
Add to My Profile More Videos
Personally I'd say this was just karma catching up with him and his wife who apparently has a bit of a substance abuse problem as it is. Maybe next time they'll leave the weed to those who can handle it or stock up one some munchies before they chow down on pot brownies. Almost everyone knows that eating something will help start breaking down the grass you've ingested.
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
Weed it & weep! Granny's busted
Seriously - don't the cops have something better to do??
Weed it & weep! Granny's busted
She is 71 years old, a great-grandmother - hardly the type of person you would expect to see in Bronx Criminal Court to answer charges of buying two dime bags of pot.
Yet at the appointed time today, Barbara Jackson will make her way to the courthouse, a colorectal cancer survivor ready to plead her case.
"I smoke it to live," the feisty granny told the Daily News. "I don't think I should have been arrested."
Jackson said she started smoking the green, leafy drug eight years ago - a year after being diagnosed with cancer - to restore her appetite after chemotherapy and radiation treatments.
"After cancer treatments, I was very sick," she said. "I couldn't eat and could not stand the smell of food."
Even though her cancer is in remission, she lost her appetite, Jackson said.
On March 13, she set out to find some more of the illegal drug shehas grown dependent on. She found some close to her house on E.179th St. and began walking down Walton Ave.
Plainclothes cops suddenly descended on her and found the two bags of marijuana on her.
"I am looking for a dismissal in the interest of justice," said Ron Kuby, one of two lawyers representing Jackson. "I would hope the Bronx district attorney's office has more important cases than prosecuting a great-granny for medicinal marijuana."
After her arrest, Jackson was handcuffed and brought to jail. She was taken to the 46th Precinct stationhouse, photographed, fingerprinted and issued a desk appearance ticket that she must answer today.
Her other lawyer, David Pressman, said it's heartbreaking to see a senior citizen who was "just trying to survive" handcuffed and held in police custody for five hours.
Steven Reed, a spokesman for the Bronx district attorney's office, said his office is not aware of the case because it hasn't come into the the DA's office.
Jackson hopes to get a chance to tell her story.
She weighed 99 pounds when she entered Lincoln Hospital in 1998. After surgery and treatments she lost even more weight. Jackson said her doctor prescribed an appetite enhancer, but it made her sick.
"The medicine gave me a terrible headache," said Jackson, who was raising three great-grandchildren at the time. "I was very weak and sick after treatments. I had diarrhea and was vomiting all the time.
"The smell of food made me sick and I was nauseous," she said. "The marijuana calmed me down and gave me back my appetite. My taste buds are gone, but the marijuana helps me get the food down."
Jackson said she puffed marijuana twice a day in the privacy of her home. Jackson, who now weighs 124 pounds, credits the marijuana with saving her life.
"The marijuana has kept me alive; I wouldn't be here if I didn't smoke," Jackson said. "I know it's illegal, but I did what I had to do to make myself comfortable and restore my quality of life."
Weed it & weep! Granny's busted
She is 71 years old, a great-grandmother - hardly the type of person you would expect to see in Bronx Criminal Court to answer charges of buying two dime bags of pot.
Yet at the appointed time today, Barbara Jackson will make her way to the courthouse, a colorectal cancer survivor ready to plead her case.
"I smoke it to live," the feisty granny told the Daily News. "I don't think I should have been arrested."
Jackson said she started smoking the green, leafy drug eight years ago - a year after being diagnosed with cancer - to restore her appetite after chemotherapy and radiation treatments.
"After cancer treatments, I was very sick," she said. "I couldn't eat and could not stand the smell of food."
Even though her cancer is in remission, she lost her appetite, Jackson said.
On March 13, she set out to find some more of the illegal drug shehas grown dependent on. She found some close to her house on E.179th St. and began walking down Walton Ave.
Plainclothes cops suddenly descended on her and found the two bags of marijuana on her.
"I am looking for a dismissal in the interest of justice," said Ron Kuby, one of two lawyers representing Jackson. "I would hope the Bronx district attorney's office has more important cases than prosecuting a great-granny for medicinal marijuana."
After her arrest, Jackson was handcuffed and brought to jail. She was taken to the 46th Precinct stationhouse, photographed, fingerprinted and issued a desk appearance ticket that she must answer today.
Her other lawyer, David Pressman, said it's heartbreaking to see a senior citizen who was "just trying to survive" handcuffed and held in police custody for five hours.
Steven Reed, a spokesman for the Bronx district attorney's office, said his office is not aware of the case because it hasn't come into the the DA's office.
Jackson hopes to get a chance to tell her story.
She weighed 99 pounds when she entered Lincoln Hospital in 1998. After surgery and treatments she lost even more weight. Jackson said her doctor prescribed an appetite enhancer, but it made her sick.
"The medicine gave me a terrible headache," said Jackson, who was raising three great-grandchildren at the time. "I was very weak and sick after treatments. I had diarrhea and was vomiting all the time.
"The smell of food made me sick and I was nauseous," she said. "The marijuana calmed me down and gave me back my appetite. My taste buds are gone, but the marijuana helps me get the food down."
Jackson said she puffed marijuana twice a day in the privacy of her home. Jackson, who now weighs 124 pounds, credits the marijuana with saving her life.
"The marijuana has kept me alive; I wouldn't be here if I didn't smoke," Jackson said. "I know it's illegal, but I did what I had to do to make myself comfortable and restore my quality of life."
Sunday, April 29, 2007
That's a lot of weed
We used to live in Miami...and every time we would see headlines like this, it usually meant that another even more massive shipment of drugs was going unseen. You know, take down something sorta big as a decoy for the massive one that the goverment has agreed to let through. I mean we all have our own thoughts about the corruption of the governments of the world and the drug trade that has been going on... But Miami is another world so I have to wonder if AZ is also in on the game... :)
With any luck they'll burn what the officers don't take home for themselves & the neighbors will be having a hell of a party lol
BODY FOUND; 2,798 POUNDS OF POT SEIZED
A large drug seizure in Green Valley and the discovery of a body believed to be an illegal border crosser in Cochise County marked a busy early week for the Border Patrol.
On Tuesday, a ranch owner near Skeleton Ranch about 30 miles east of Douglas called authorities after a worker on the ranch discovered a man's body, said Gustavo Soto, Border Patrol Tucson Sector spokesman. The agency didn't know his name or age.
Through the end of March, the latest figures available, the agency has reported 49 border deaths in the Tucson Sector, down slightly from the 55 at the same time last year, figures show.
On Monday, Border Patrol agents found nearly 2,800 pounds of marijuana inside a van in Green Valley. A helicopter spotted two vehicles that appeared to be preparing to load illegal entrants. When agents arrived at West Continental Road and South Camino de Sol, they found the van and a white pickup truck, Soto said.
Agents arrested two Mexican citizens, ages 24 and 25, Soto said. Both vehicles were reported stolen.
The 2,798 pounds has an estimated value of $2.798 million, according to figures from the National Drug Intelligence Center.
Through the end of March, agents in the Tucson Sector had seized 498,815 pounds of marijuana, a 38 percent increase from the same time last year.
With any luck they'll burn what the officers don't take home for themselves & the neighbors will be having a hell of a party lol
BODY FOUND; 2,798 POUNDS OF POT SEIZED
A large drug seizure in Green Valley and the discovery of a body believed to be an illegal border crosser in Cochise County marked a busy early week for the Border Patrol.
On Tuesday, a ranch owner near Skeleton Ranch about 30 miles east of Douglas called authorities after a worker on the ranch discovered a man's body, said Gustavo Soto, Border Patrol Tucson Sector spokesman. The agency didn't know his name or age.
Through the end of March, the latest figures available, the agency has reported 49 border deaths in the Tucson Sector, down slightly from the 55 at the same time last year, figures show.
On Monday, Border Patrol agents found nearly 2,800 pounds of marijuana inside a van in Green Valley. A helicopter spotted two vehicles that appeared to be preparing to load illegal entrants. When agents arrived at West Continental Road and South Camino de Sol, they found the van and a white pickup truck, Soto said.
Agents arrested two Mexican citizens, ages 24 and 25, Soto said. Both vehicles were reported stolen.
The 2,798 pounds has an estimated value of $2.798 million, according to figures from the National Drug Intelligence Center.
Through the end of March, agents in the Tucson Sector had seized 498,815 pounds of marijuana, a 38 percent increase from the same time last year.
No there's something useful!
So we've got the economists on board with decriminalization...and many of the law enforcement officers...so just what sort of logic do we have to use to convince the goverment they could be making a fortune with weed??
According to the report, lifting prohibition and allowing for the taxation of marijuana would save the government approximately $7.7 billion per year in enforcement costs. Of these savings, $5.3 billion would be accumulated at the state and local levels from such expenditures and $2.4 billion at the federal level.
Maybe that's the problem? The states will benefit more than the feds & this is what they have a problem with? ;)
COLLEGE PROFESSOR SAYS THERE MAY BE HOPE, THE FINANCIAL KIND, IN DOPE
College economics professor Carl Moody has endorsed a report advocating the legalization of marijuana, which, according to research done by a Harvard University professor, would create savings and tax revenues resulting in a net gain of approximately $10 to $14 billion annually.
Harvard economics professor Jeffrey Miron's report, published in June 2005, is called "The Budgetary Implications of Marijuana Prohibition," and has garnered the support of over 530 economists from colleges and universities across the nation.
Focusing on federal budgets, Miron's report notes that "prohibition entails direct enforcement costs and prevents taxation of marijuana production and sale."
Moody decided to express his support for the matter because he has long agreed with Miron's argument, despite the controversy surrounding the issue.
"It just makes so much sense. I've done lots of research, never published it, but I looked into it, and the cost of drug prohibition is just enormous," Moody said in a phone interview. "It is controversial, but look who else supports it. I'm with Nobel Laureate winners. If [Nobel Laureate recipients Dr.] Milton Friedman and [Dr.] Vernon Smith can take the heat, so can I. It's just so sensible, why wouldn't people agree?"
According to the report, lifting prohibition and allowing for the taxation of marijuana would save the government approximately $7.7 billion per year in enforcement costs. Of these savings, $5.3 billion would be accumulated at the state and local levels from such expenditures and $2.4 billion at the federal level.
In Virginia, the police, judicial and corrections budget combined is $2,935 million, of which $99.46 million is attributed to expenditures related to marijuana prohibition, the report says.
In addition to these savings, the report says that the tax revenue gains would be considerable. Depending on the method of taxation, anywhere between $2.4 billion ( if marijuana were taxed like an ordinary product ) and $6.2 billion ( if it were taxed like alcohol or tobacco ) would be accrued annually.
Many of the esteemed endorsers of the report, however, think that the economics are only part of the problem about marijuana prohibition.
"Look at the factual consequences: the harm done and the corruption created by these laws," Friedman said in an interview with Forbes magazine. "The costs are one of the lesser evils."
Although the report espouses the view that legalizing marijuana would have many economic benefits, it acknowledges that the social impacts and consequences of eradicating prohibition were not considered.
Moody, however, feels that the social impacts of lifting prohibition would all be positive.
"It's an unnecessary infringement on rights as a person and the right to do what you want with your body. It's not anybody else's body; it's not the government's. I support [legalization] on philosophical grounds," he said.
His support for the issue of legalization also stems from his view of the negative impacts of prohibition on society and individual freedoms.
"Prohibition leads to empowerment of the law enforcement and police side of government. We're not a police state, but if you stop people from doing what they want it reduces freedom overall. [In situations like this,] police are forced to go undercover or rely on snitches or break into houses [to seek out the criminals.] If prohibition were lifted, there would be a significant shift of usage from alcohol to marijuana, and also from more intense drugs to marijuana, which [in comparison] is pharmacologically mild," Moody said.
Prohibition, in Moody's opinion, is the reason that harder drugs have become more popular.
"[During prohibition in the 1920s,] beer wasn't smuggled in, they took in hard alcohol. Essentially the same thing holds true now. Dangerous, designer drugs are popular because they're easier to smuggle in. You can't fly a plane of marijuana leaves," Moody said.
The report has been summarized in a letter to President George W. Bush, requesting "an open and honest debate about marijuana prohibition" and advocating reform that would allow a system of regulation and taxation similar to that used for the distribution and sale of alcoholic beverages.
"I don't expect significant movement [to change marijuana policy as a result of] the report," Moody said. "This is essentially one drop in a Chinese water torture method to change [the current] policy. Our one drop says 'your policy is stupid.' Sooner or later, reason will win out."
According to the report, lifting prohibition and allowing for the taxation of marijuana would save the government approximately $7.7 billion per year in enforcement costs. Of these savings, $5.3 billion would be accumulated at the state and local levels from such expenditures and $2.4 billion at the federal level.
Maybe that's the problem? The states will benefit more than the feds & this is what they have a problem with? ;)
COLLEGE PROFESSOR SAYS THERE MAY BE HOPE, THE FINANCIAL KIND, IN DOPE
College economics professor Carl Moody has endorsed a report advocating the legalization of marijuana, which, according to research done by a Harvard University professor, would create savings and tax revenues resulting in a net gain of approximately $10 to $14 billion annually.
Harvard economics professor Jeffrey Miron's report, published in June 2005, is called "The Budgetary Implications of Marijuana Prohibition," and has garnered the support of over 530 economists from colleges and universities across the nation.
Focusing on federal budgets, Miron's report notes that "prohibition entails direct enforcement costs and prevents taxation of marijuana production and sale."
Moody decided to express his support for the matter because he has long agreed with Miron's argument, despite the controversy surrounding the issue.
"It just makes so much sense. I've done lots of research, never published it, but I looked into it, and the cost of drug prohibition is just enormous," Moody said in a phone interview. "It is controversial, but look who else supports it. I'm with Nobel Laureate winners. If [Nobel Laureate recipients Dr.] Milton Friedman and [Dr.] Vernon Smith can take the heat, so can I. It's just so sensible, why wouldn't people agree?"
According to the report, lifting prohibition and allowing for the taxation of marijuana would save the government approximately $7.7 billion per year in enforcement costs. Of these savings, $5.3 billion would be accumulated at the state and local levels from such expenditures and $2.4 billion at the federal level.
In Virginia, the police, judicial and corrections budget combined is $2,935 million, of which $99.46 million is attributed to expenditures related to marijuana prohibition, the report says.
In addition to these savings, the report says that the tax revenue gains would be considerable. Depending on the method of taxation, anywhere between $2.4 billion ( if marijuana were taxed like an ordinary product ) and $6.2 billion ( if it were taxed like alcohol or tobacco ) would be accrued annually.
Many of the esteemed endorsers of the report, however, think that the economics are only part of the problem about marijuana prohibition.
"Look at the factual consequences: the harm done and the corruption created by these laws," Friedman said in an interview with Forbes magazine. "The costs are one of the lesser evils."
Although the report espouses the view that legalizing marijuana would have many economic benefits, it acknowledges that the social impacts and consequences of eradicating prohibition were not considered.
Moody, however, feels that the social impacts of lifting prohibition would all be positive.
"It's an unnecessary infringement on rights as a person and the right to do what you want with your body. It's not anybody else's body; it's not the government's. I support [legalization] on philosophical grounds," he said.
His support for the issue of legalization also stems from his view of the negative impacts of prohibition on society and individual freedoms.
"Prohibition leads to empowerment of the law enforcement and police side of government. We're not a police state, but if you stop people from doing what they want it reduces freedom overall. [In situations like this,] police are forced to go undercover or rely on snitches or break into houses [to seek out the criminals.] If prohibition were lifted, there would be a significant shift of usage from alcohol to marijuana, and also from more intense drugs to marijuana, which [in comparison] is pharmacologically mild," Moody said.
Prohibition, in Moody's opinion, is the reason that harder drugs have become more popular.
"[During prohibition in the 1920s,] beer wasn't smuggled in, they took in hard alcohol. Essentially the same thing holds true now. Dangerous, designer drugs are popular because they're easier to smuggle in. You can't fly a plane of marijuana leaves," Moody said.
The report has been summarized in a letter to President George W. Bush, requesting "an open and honest debate about marijuana prohibition" and advocating reform that would allow a system of regulation and taxation similar to that used for the distribution and sale of alcoholic beverages.
"I don't expect significant movement [to change marijuana policy as a result of] the report," Moody said. "This is essentially one drop in a Chinese water torture method to change [the current] policy. Our one drop says 'your policy is stupid.' Sooner or later, reason will win out."
Step away from the cheese kids
I'm sorry, but what the hell is wrong with these kids & people in general who do this crap? I just can't understand why it seems like a good idea to put this sort of thing in your body?? Heroin & Tylenol PM...and then they end up dying? Well duh!
I mean really. Come on kids - weed, it's the healthy choice!! Although at age 11...or even 15 - you still shouldn't be doing it. Can't you find something to amuse yourselves with instead of thinking, "Hey, why don't we go huff some spray paint? Doesn't that sound like fun??" NOOOOO! Maybe it's just survival of the fittest...I apologize for the rant. It just makes me angry at the stupidity!
POLICE KEEP EYE ON DALLAS AS HEROIN MIX SPREADS, DEATHS RISE
Olga Sanchez thought her 15-year-old son had stopped using "cheese," a heroin mixture making its way across the Dallas area.
But this spring, Oscar Gutierrez's brother found him dead in bed.
"He was very purple. He was very cold, cold," said Sanchez, who had been attending drug counseling with her son since discovering his cheese habit last fall.
The deaths of at least 18 teenagers, ranging from ages 15 to 18, have been linked to the mixture of black tar heroin -- a less refined form of the drug -- and Tylenol PM tablets ground into a powder.
The spread of cheese in schools has parents and law enforcement officials worried. Children as young as 11 have been caught with the concoction.
Right now, cheese heroin seems to be a Dallas phenomenon. But experts note that drug dealers are always eager to expand into new areas. Dallas school district police first spotted the trend in 2005.
"Cheese is just a different makeup for mixing with heroin, but it's still heroin," said Dr. Jeffrey Barnard, chief medical examiner for Dallas County. "It's the heroin that's the problem."
Several factors appear to be driving the popularity of cheese. Kids often buy the drug from other kids. It's affordable, selling for about $2 a dosage. And it is usually snorted rather than injected.
"Hopefully we can try to contain it," said Dr. Sing-Yi Feng, a toxicologist at Children's Medical Center Dallas. "The concern is that the stuff is pretty cheap, it's easy to use."
During the 2005-2006 school year, the Dallas school district police arrested 90 students for possession of the heroin/Tylenol PM mixture. The number has soared during the current school year. Through February, 122 have been arrested. The average age of those arrested is 14.
"From an overall perspective, the numbers are very high," said Julian Bernal, deputy chief of narcotics for the Dallas police, who make 6-12 arrests a month for possession of cheese heroin. "The number of heroin users is going up dramatically in the school system."
"The resurgence of heroin in society in 11 to 16 years olds -- that's unprecedented," Bernal said.
Experts say that calling the drug "cheese" is a marketing ploy by drug dealers, along the lines of dying methamphetamine different colors and putting marijuana in candy.
"It becomes much more appealing to younger kids because it doesn't have the stigma, they're not as afraid to get started," said Dr. Collin Goto, a toxicologist at Children's Medical Center Dallas. "They're calling it cheese, they're not calling it heroin."
Experts say cheese usually has about 2 to 8 percent heroin mixed with the Tylenol PM -- which contains acetaminophen and diphenhydramine -- or similar over-the-counter drugs.
As their tolerance increases, some kids may use the drug 10-15 times a day. Others turn from snorting cheese to injecting it with needles.
Gary Hodges, deputy chief of the Dallas school district police, said cheese arrests in the district have nearly equaled those for marijuana, still the leading substance involved in drug arrests.
The deaths have been reported throughout the county. Most of the victims are male, and involve equal numbers of white and Hispanic youth. One girl who died was found with the phrase "Cheese Please" scrawled on her body with a marker.
Authorities say they are just now beginning to understand how widespread the mixture has become and the toll it is taking on Dallas area youth. Even the exact number of cheese heroin related deaths was not known until The Dallas Morning News analyzed medical examiner records and published the results earlier this month.
"Basically, it flew under the radar screen," said Zachary Thompson, director of Dallas County Health and Human Services and a member of the Dallas County task force on cheese.
This isn't the first time the Dallas area has seen an outbreak of drug deaths in teens. In the mid-1990s, black tar heroin had a deadly run in the affluent Dallas suburb of Plano, with as many as 17 fatal overdoses and three more near-fatal.
Young people often don't understand the potential for an accidental overdose, said Carol Falkowski, director of research communications at Hazelden Foundation, an addiction treatment, education and research center based in Minnesota.
"There's no way of knowing ahead of time what the purity of the drug is and even experienced users can get fatal overdoses," Falkowski said.
Dave Cannata's son, Nick, died June 5, 2005, with heroin and diphenhydramine in his system. Nick Cannata, who had been in rehab for a drug problem the summer before, was found dead in his bed in Coppell, a bedroom community just outside of Dallas.
The 16-year-old with a talent for music and drawing had spent the day building a deck with his father before going to a friend's house. Dave Cannata said he knew something was wrong when his son returned home that night, but he decided to delay a confrontation.
"If I had to do it over again, I wouldn't hesitate to pickup the phone and call 911," said Cannata. "It's alarming the epidemic proportion of kids that are messing with this stuff."
Olga Sanchez agrees. She knew her son Oscar, an 8th grader at a Dallas middle school, sometimes hung out with kids who used drugs, but remembers him as a respectful boy who didn't get into trouble.
She and Cannata want others to understand how deadly heroin can be.
"I would like for kids to realize that lots of other kids have died, that they should look for help, that they could lose their life," Sanchez said.
Cannata said, "At this point in my life, my objective is to save a life."
I mean really. Come on kids - weed, it's the healthy choice!! Although at age 11...or even 15 - you still shouldn't be doing it. Can't you find something to amuse yourselves with instead of thinking, "Hey, why don't we go huff some spray paint? Doesn't that sound like fun??" NOOOOO! Maybe it's just survival of the fittest...I apologize for the rant. It just makes me angry at the stupidity!
POLICE KEEP EYE ON DALLAS AS HEROIN MIX SPREADS, DEATHS RISE
Olga Sanchez thought her 15-year-old son had stopped using "cheese," a heroin mixture making its way across the Dallas area.
But this spring, Oscar Gutierrez's brother found him dead in bed.
"He was very purple. He was very cold, cold," said Sanchez, who had been attending drug counseling with her son since discovering his cheese habit last fall.
The deaths of at least 18 teenagers, ranging from ages 15 to 18, have been linked to the mixture of black tar heroin -- a less refined form of the drug -- and Tylenol PM tablets ground into a powder.
The spread of cheese in schools has parents and law enforcement officials worried. Children as young as 11 have been caught with the concoction.
Right now, cheese heroin seems to be a Dallas phenomenon. But experts note that drug dealers are always eager to expand into new areas. Dallas school district police first spotted the trend in 2005.
"Cheese is just a different makeup for mixing with heroin, but it's still heroin," said Dr. Jeffrey Barnard, chief medical examiner for Dallas County. "It's the heroin that's the problem."
Several factors appear to be driving the popularity of cheese. Kids often buy the drug from other kids. It's affordable, selling for about $2 a dosage. And it is usually snorted rather than injected.
"Hopefully we can try to contain it," said Dr. Sing-Yi Feng, a toxicologist at Children's Medical Center Dallas. "The concern is that the stuff is pretty cheap, it's easy to use."
During the 2005-2006 school year, the Dallas school district police arrested 90 students for possession of the heroin/Tylenol PM mixture. The number has soared during the current school year. Through February, 122 have been arrested. The average age of those arrested is 14.
"From an overall perspective, the numbers are very high," said Julian Bernal, deputy chief of narcotics for the Dallas police, who make 6-12 arrests a month for possession of cheese heroin. "The number of heroin users is going up dramatically in the school system."
"The resurgence of heroin in society in 11 to 16 years olds -- that's unprecedented," Bernal said.
Experts say that calling the drug "cheese" is a marketing ploy by drug dealers, along the lines of dying methamphetamine different colors and putting marijuana in candy.
"It becomes much more appealing to younger kids because it doesn't have the stigma, they're not as afraid to get started," said Dr. Collin Goto, a toxicologist at Children's Medical Center Dallas. "They're calling it cheese, they're not calling it heroin."
Experts say cheese usually has about 2 to 8 percent heroin mixed with the Tylenol PM -- which contains acetaminophen and diphenhydramine -- or similar over-the-counter drugs.
As their tolerance increases, some kids may use the drug 10-15 times a day. Others turn from snorting cheese to injecting it with needles.
Gary Hodges, deputy chief of the Dallas school district police, said cheese arrests in the district have nearly equaled those for marijuana, still the leading substance involved in drug arrests.
The deaths have been reported throughout the county. Most of the victims are male, and involve equal numbers of white and Hispanic youth. One girl who died was found with the phrase "Cheese Please" scrawled on her body with a marker.
Authorities say they are just now beginning to understand how widespread the mixture has become and the toll it is taking on Dallas area youth. Even the exact number of cheese heroin related deaths was not known until The Dallas Morning News analyzed medical examiner records and published the results earlier this month.
"Basically, it flew under the radar screen," said Zachary Thompson, director of Dallas County Health and Human Services and a member of the Dallas County task force on cheese.
This isn't the first time the Dallas area has seen an outbreak of drug deaths in teens. In the mid-1990s, black tar heroin had a deadly run in the affluent Dallas suburb of Plano, with as many as 17 fatal overdoses and three more near-fatal.
Young people often don't understand the potential for an accidental overdose, said Carol Falkowski, director of research communications at Hazelden Foundation, an addiction treatment, education and research center based in Minnesota.
"There's no way of knowing ahead of time what the purity of the drug is and even experienced users can get fatal overdoses," Falkowski said.
Dave Cannata's son, Nick, died June 5, 2005, with heroin and diphenhydramine in his system. Nick Cannata, who had been in rehab for a drug problem the summer before, was found dead in his bed in Coppell, a bedroom community just outside of Dallas.
The 16-year-old with a talent for music and drawing had spent the day building a deck with his father before going to a friend's house. Dave Cannata said he knew something was wrong when his son returned home that night, but he decided to delay a confrontation.
"If I had to do it over again, I wouldn't hesitate to pickup the phone and call 911," said Cannata. "It's alarming the epidemic proportion of kids that are messing with this stuff."
Olga Sanchez agrees. She knew her son Oscar, an 8th grader at a Dallas middle school, sometimes hung out with kids who used drugs, but remembers him as a respectful boy who didn't get into trouble.
She and Cannata want others to understand how deadly heroin can be.
"I would like for kids to realize that lots of other kids have died, that they should look for help, that they could lose their life," Sanchez said.
Cannata said, "At this point in my life, my objective is to save a life."
Friday, April 27, 2007
Willie gets busted
Is it really any surprise? I mean who doesn't know that he smokes? Unfortunately that makes him a prime target...but I'd say the sentencing was VERY fair. Rock on Louisiana!
Willie Nelson pleads guilty to weed
Willie Nelson and his tour manager were spared jail time Tuesday after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor count of marijuana possession.
Nelson and tour manager David Anderson, along with Nelson's sister, Bobbie Nelson, and two drivers, were issued citations on Sept. 18 after Louisiana state troopers said they found marijuana and hallucinogenic mushrooms on the country legend's tour bus during a commercial-vehicle inspection on Interstate 10.
State District Judge Paul deMahy fined Nelson and Anderson $1,024 each and put both on probation for six months. As part of a plea agreement, the citation against Bobbie Nelson was dismissed.
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Kirsten Dunst Praises Pot
I always knew there was a reason I liked that girl :)
She might have an angelic appearance on the outside, but Kirsten Dunst says “Bring it On” when it comes to marijuana.
"I drink moderately, I've tried drugs. I do like weed. I have a different outlook on marijuana than America does,” Dunst told a British paper, as reported by U.K’s The Sun.
"My best friend Sasha’s dad was Carl Sagan, the astronomer. He was the biggest pot smoker in the world and he was a genius.”
The “Spider-Man” star also believes that the world would be a “better place” if everyone followed her lead in weaving a web of weed smokers.
"I've never been a major smoker, but I think America's view on weed is ridiculous. I mean — are you kidding me?” Dunst added. “If everyone smoked weed, the world would be a better place.”
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
This kid I know...Droopy Cock
Drew Peacock...wow. I mean his last name is going to suck regardless but yikes. I actually didn't really realize it either until I saw them write it out...Droopy Cock...sad, sad, sad. And now they're saying they don't intend to change his name either. That poor kid is going to be scarred for life and teased for eternity. Of course, if they do change his name, it's still going to take a while for people to forget what his original name was...but hopefully by the time he reaches elementary school, the world will have forgotten. Kids can be cruel...
By ANTHONY FRANCE
A COUPLE have just realised their howler — after naming their baby son Drew Peacock.
Shocked dad Russell only twigged when he put it in an internet search engine looking for famous namesakes, and was asked: Do you mean Droopy C**k?
A COUPLE have just realised their howler — after naming their baby son Drew Peacock.
Shocked dad Russell only twigged when he put it in an internet search engine looking for famous namesakes, and was asked: Do you mean Droopy C**k?
The environmental health officer, 31, said: “It was as if I’d been smacked with a right hook.
“I can’t believe we’ve named our son ‘Droopy C**k’.
“I started repeating ‘Drew Peacock’ over and over again. Then I thought — what have we done?
“I went numb and couldn’t speak for two minutes. Then I couldn’t stop laughing.”
Mum Shetal Patel, 28, had also failed to spot the blunder over two-month-old Drew — despite being a registrar’s assistant.
She said: “I thought Russell had seen a ghost when he came away from the computer. We decided on the name a month before he was born — we both loved it straight away.”
The couple, from Bedford, are now concerned Drew’s name will cause him problems in later life.
Russell said: “People at work are already saying, ‘Hey, look there’s Droopy’s dad’.
“But we don’t want to change his name. It is on his birth certificate and other documents.”
DO you have a more embarrassing name? Call The Sun Newsdesk on 020 7782 4105.
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
How Gross Is This?!?!?
All I'm saying is that a) this is totally whacked out and b) if I was that guy that paid all that money for a first class ticket, I would be raising hell also. I'm pretty grossed out by the fact that if someone dies on a plane they just keep going and move them off somewhere. I can understand moving the body to an area with less people so the entire plane doesn't get freaked out...but first class isn't cool. And then those people had to wait at the end until the body was removed from the plane. That is just not fair by any means. Singapore Airlines' policy with their body locker is pretty smooth I guess...but still creepy. I guess the moral of the story is don't die on a long-haul flight. Ick.
British Airways Moves Dead Passenger to First Class Seat
Monday , March 19, 2007
AP
LONDON — A first-class passenger on a flight from Delhi to London awoke to find the body of a woman who had died in the economy cabin placed in a seat near him, British Airways said Monday.
The economy section of the flight was full, and the cabin crew needed to move the woman and her grieving family out of that compartment to give them some privacy, the airline said.
The first-class passenger, Paul Trinder, told the Sunday Times newspaper that he was sleeping during a February flight from India and woke up when the crew placed the dead woman in a seat at the end of his row.
"I didn't have a clue what was going on. The stewards just plonked the body down without saying a thing. I remember looking at this frail, sparrow-like woman and thinking she was very ill," the newspaper quoted Trinder as saying. "When I asked what was going on, I was shocked to hear she was dead."
Click here to read the Sunday Times story.
British Airways said in a statement that about 10 passengers die each year in flight and that while each situation is dealt with on an individual basis, safety is paramount.
"The deceased must not be placed in the galley or blocking aisles or exits, and there should be clear space around the deceased," the statement said. "The wishes of family or friends traveling with the deceased will always be considered, and account taken of the reactions of other passengers."
Because there was space in the first class cabin, that "allowed the family members traveling with the deceased some level of privacy in their grief," the airline said.
"We apologize to passengers in the first cabin who were distressed by the situation -- our cabin crew were working in difficult circumstances and chose the option that they believed would cause the least disruption," the statement said.
David Learmount, a former pilot and cabin crew member who now writes about the aviation industry for Flight International magazine, said that each airline has to deal with the relatively rare situation on an individual basis. He said that diverting the flight would be an unusual move, and that the captain would be consulted before the crew acted.
"Personally, I think they did the thing that was the best thing to do," he said. "Really, you want as much as possible to isolate the person.
"It's an isolated incident. It's not as if it happens every day, but you do have to take in people's sensibilities when it does happen."
British Airways Moves Dead Passenger to First Class Seat
Monday , March 19, 2007
AP
LONDON — A first-class passenger on a flight from Delhi to London awoke to find the body of a woman who had died in the economy cabin placed in a seat near him, British Airways said Monday.
The economy section of the flight was full, and the cabin crew needed to move the woman and her grieving family out of that compartment to give them some privacy, the airline said.
The first-class passenger, Paul Trinder, told the Sunday Times newspaper that he was sleeping during a February flight from India and woke up when the crew placed the dead woman in a seat at the end of his row.
"I didn't have a clue what was going on. The stewards just plonked the body down without saying a thing. I remember looking at this frail, sparrow-like woman and thinking she was very ill," the newspaper quoted Trinder as saying. "When I asked what was going on, I was shocked to hear she was dead."
Click here to read the Sunday Times story.
British Airways said in a statement that about 10 passengers die each year in flight and that while each situation is dealt with on an individual basis, safety is paramount.
"The deceased must not be placed in the galley or blocking aisles or exits, and there should be clear space around the deceased," the statement said. "The wishes of family or friends traveling with the deceased will always be considered, and account taken of the reactions of other passengers."
Because there was space in the first class cabin, that "allowed the family members traveling with the deceased some level of privacy in their grief," the airline said.
"We apologize to passengers in the first cabin who were distressed by the situation -- our cabin crew were working in difficult circumstances and chose the option that they believed would cause the least disruption," the statement said.
David Learmount, a former pilot and cabin crew member who now writes about the aviation industry for Flight International magazine, said that each airline has to deal with the relatively rare situation on an individual basis. He said that diverting the flight would be an unusual move, and that the captain would be consulted before the crew acted.
"Personally, I think they did the thing that was the best thing to do," he said. "Really, you want as much as possible to isolate the person.
"It's an isolated incident. It's not as if it happens every day, but you do have to take in people's sensibilities when it does happen."
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