Kind Regards,
Aaron Neumann
Holland
http://www.startribune.com/stories/562/3960019.html
Mark Berkson: Lots of smoke but no fire
Mark Berkson
Published June 28, 2003 MBCP28
The June 21 Star Tribune article "Marijuana use tied to 54% of men arrested
in [Hennepin] county," was highly irresponsible, both in its headline and
its content, and contributes to an atmosphere of ignorance regarding the
cannabis plant.
There is no evidence that marijuana use was "tied" to these arrests. Rather,
the men were first arrested, and then marijuana was found in their
bloodstream.
The statement of Lt. Dan Grout, who concluded, "obviously [the men's]
lifestyle of using marijuana had an effect on their being arrested," is
simply an example of the kind of stereotyping all too common when dealing
with cannabis in America. When the article states that Hennepin County has
"a marijuana problem," it provides absolutely no evidence that marijuana use
is responsible for any problems at all, thus presenting the author's own
biased assumption as fact.
One reason that so many people tested positive for marijuana is that large
numbers of Americans enjoy marijuana. More than 83 million have smoked or
eaten it. If a random group of law-abiding citizens had been tested, a
decent percentage would have marijuana in their bloodstream, which would
tell you nothing about these people other than that they use marijuana.
To suggest any link with crime is to use innuendo rather than reason,
particularly misleading in this case given how long marijuana stays in the
blood (and thus could have nothing to do with the acts for which they were
arrested) and that -- unlike alcohol -- marijuana is not tied to violence
and aggression.
Additionally, if you tested men arrested in Hennepin for signs of alcohol,
cigarettes or even coffee use, you'd find evidence of those three in a large
percentage of those tested. It would tell you nothing about the substances
or the people. But if the Star Tribune ran a headline saying "85% of men
arrested had coffee in their systems," it would insinuate a link.
Furthermore, the argument that marijuana is a "gateway" drug, irresponsibly
repeated by inspector Nick O'Hara of the Ramsey County sheriff's office, is
false. The National Institute on Drug Abuse's own study showed that only 17
percent of marijuana users ever used cocaine.
Even among this small percentage, the "gateway" is more likely tobacco or
alcohol, according to the Journal of the American Medical Association. The
Institute of Medicines study in 1999 further disproved the gateway theory,
stating, "There is no conclusive evidence that the drug effects of marijuana
are causally linked to the subsequent abuse of other illicit drugs."
It is unfortunate that people in law enforcement are unacquainted with the
evidence on this issue and perpetuate falsehoods that have been thoroughly
debunked.
It is hard to find comparable examples of the demonization of such a
relatively benign, and often remarkably helpful, plant in American history.
The national blind spot regarding cannabis has resulted in harmful,
misguided policies, including the cruel denial of plant medicine to people
with serious illnesses and the banning of nonpsychoactive industrial hemp.
Of course cannabis, like any substance, can be misused with negative
consequences. But the truth is that the overwhelming majority of adult
cannabis users, like alcohol drinkers, are responsible citizens who cause no
serious harm to themselves or others through their consumption. In fact,
many find that it enhances their lives in significant ways.
Therefore the biggest threat to people who use cannabis is not cannabis, but
cannabis laws.
Mark Berkson, an assistant professor of religion at Hamline University,
teaches a course entitled "Just Say Know: Drugs and Drug Policy in America."
http://www.startribune.com/stories/462/3948920.html
Marijuana use tied to more than half of men in Hennepin County jail
Jill Burcum, Star TribunePublished June 21, 2003 MARI21
According to a study by the National Institute of Justice, more than half of adult males held at the Hennepin County jail after arrest tested positive for marijuana in 2002 -- putting the county near the top of a list of 36 U.S. urban areas studied.
However, relatively few of the Hennepin County arrestees tested positive for drugs such as cocaine, methamphetamine or heroin compared with the other cities.
Last year, 54.2 percent of adult men arrested and then held at the downtown Minneapolis jail were found to have marijuana in their systems, according to the study's author, Carol Falkowski of the Hazelden Foundation
The report's findings didn't come as a surprise to many Twin Cities law enforcement officials, who say they've been concerned for some time about marijuana's possible link to crime.
"Obviously [the men's] lifestyle of using marijuana had an effect on their being arrested," said Lt. Dan Grout, commander of the Minneapolis Police Department's narcotics unit. "You can't ignore that. It's a real problem here."
Falkowski cautioned that the study doesn't mean the men tested were high on marijuana when they committed their crimes. The drug can stay in the system for some time after it's used, she said. In addition, there can be a lag between the time when the crime is committed and an arrest is made.
Part of a national program to track drug use, the study did not include Ramsey County and other parts of the metro area. However, a small number of arrestees taken to Bloomington's holding facility were included and tested in the program. The study included arrests for all types of crimes.
Nationally, only Albany, N.Y., had a higher percentage of arrestees testing positive for marijuana: 54.5 percent of men arrested had the drug in their systems last year.
In contrast, 40.7 percent of men arrested in Washington, D.C., had used pot. In Los Angeles, just 36.4 percent were found to have the drug in their systems.
Grout, of the Minneapolis Police Department, said that in his experience, marijuana is present 90 percent of the time when officers make an arrest or conduct a search.
"It's part of that culture. It's just used by those people who are involved in illegal activities," Grout said.
Nick O'Hara, an inspector for the Ramsey County Sheriff's Office, said it's not clear how many people held at the Ramsey County jail have used marijuana or other drugs. "I'd suppose we probably have a similar situation here in Ramsey County," he said.
Permissive attitudes
Why Hennepin County would have more of a marijuana problem than other metropolitan areas is unclear, said law enforcement officials and the report's author.
Falkowski said that marijuana is easily available in Minnesota and has been for some time. She noted that the study has reflected this for several years and that having such a high percentage of those arrested test positive for the drug is nothing new.
Since 2000, more than half of arrestees at the Minneapolis jail have had marijuana in their systems, according to the report. Marijuana also sent more people in the state into addiction treatment programs than any other drug, Falkowski's report said.
O'Hara, of Ramsey County, said he believes one factor driving marijuana use in Minnesota is the state's more permissive attitude toward the drug.
Activists seeking to legalize the drug for medical reasons have been visible in the state for the past few years, O'Hara said. In addition, he said, former Gov. Jesse Ventura also took a more relaxed view of the drug than other recent governors.
Unfortunately, O'Hara said, many experts believe marijuana leads to other kinds of drug use.
"It's a gateway drug, no question about it," he said.
Although many people believe marijuana isn't a hard-core drug, "It is an illegal drug and we should be concerned about any drug usage in Minneapolis," said Skip Van Patten. Van Patten is the assistant special agent in charge of the Drug Enforcement Agency's Minneapolis office.
Falkowski's report also delivered some good news about the prevalence of other drug use among adult male arrestees.
In 2002, 5.1 percent of men arrested tested positive for opiate drugs such as heroin. About 26 percent of men arrested in Chicago had the drug in their systems.
Just 3.9 percent of adult men held at the Hennepin County jail tested positive for methamphetamine. The city with the highest rate was Honolulu, with 44.8 percent, followed by Sacramento at 33.5 percent and San Diego at 31.7 percent.
"Even the two closest locations [to Minneapolis] in neighboring Iowa had rates four to five times greater," Falkowski said.
Jill Burcum is at [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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