marijuana

Bill would regulate 'glass roses'

ryanteaguebeckwith — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 09:25:41 -0400

A House bill would attempt to curb sales of drug paraphernalia.

The bill would require anyone buying a short glass vial often used to smoke crack to provide a name, address, signature and photo ID.

"You walk in these stores, and it kind of slaps you in the face," said Rep. Mark Hilton, a Catawba County Republican who sponsored the bill. "It's obvious what they're used for."

So-called "glass roses" are often sold next to plastic tubes equipped with a blade for slicing open small cigars, which are then refilled with marijuana.

The bill would also require pipes of a certain length be kept behind the counter, which is already the custom in most stores. But Hilton hopes the register will be a deterrent and help probation officers. (N&O)

Just saying no to pot

janestancill — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 18:18:46 -0500

Gov. Beverly Perdue is not in favor of legalizing the use of marijuana for medical purposes.

Perdue was asked about it Friday at a forum for nonprofits held in Raleigh, reports Rob Christensen. The questioner said medical marijuana could produce jobs, tax income, and provide relief to sick people.

“Right now,” Perdue said, “I don’t see any way I would support medical marijuana.

“Right now, every child I look at who’s had a problem getting off pot,” Perdue said, “I worry about things like that.”

How N.C. drug schedules work

ryanteaguebeckwith — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 16:25:29 -0500

North Carolina's drug schedules generally mimic the federal rules.

However, there are some differences.

The federal government has five classifications, ranging from heroin and LSD in Schedule I to over-the-counter cough syrup in Schedule V. North Carolina has an additional class, Schedule VI, which includes marijuana and some prescription drugs.

The use and effects of the drug are supposed to determine which schedule it goes into.

At the federal level, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Food and Drug Administration determine which substances are in the different schedules.

In North Carolina, the make-up of each schedule is written into state law or determined by the Commission for Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance Abuse Services, whose members are appointed.

Only a handful of drugs have been added administratively, however. (See Schedules I, II, III, IV, V and VI.) Most are listed in state law. (See Schedules I, II, III, IV, V and VI.)

Correction: An earlier version of this post misstated cocaine's classification. It is a Schedule II drug.

Previously: Bill would add Salvia divinorum to Schedule I.

After the jump, a list of the schedules.

Study: Salvia in use at colleges

ryanteaguebeckwith — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 12:15:55 -0500

Salvia has been tried by a significant number of college students.

According to a 2007 study published in the scientific journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 4.4 percent of 1,516 college students surveyed in the Southwest had used Salvia divinorum at least once in the previous year.

That was comparable to the number of students who reported using ecstasy (5 percent) and cocaine (7.1 percent), but more than heroin (less than 1 percent) and methamphetamine (1.2 percent). Nearly 35 percent reported using marijuana.

Those most likely to have tried it were students most at risk for drug use, including "whites, males, fraternity members, (and) heavy episodic drinkers," the study found. More than 10 percent of drug users surveyed had tried the herb.

The article also says that there have been no large-scale studies of the use of Salvia, which is also known as Magic Mint, Sally D and Diviners Sage.

It also notes that the herb is still legal in the state where the study took place.

The study did not address whether students used the herb or other drugs more than once in the previous year.

Previously: Bill would outlaw Salvia use; professor says ban would hurt research.

Let's talk about weed

bniolet — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 15:34:35 -0400

Former U.S. Surgeon General Joycelyn Elders is going to be in Raleigh this week to talk about state Rep. Earl Jones' bill on "alternative methods of pain management in medicine."

By "alternative methods," Jones, a Greensboro Democrat, means medical marijuana or its chemical equivalent. He wants a legislative research commission to study its use, Lynn Bonner reports.

This is the latest of Jones' heat-seeking bills. Last year, he pushed state support for stem cell research.

Elders and Jones could be political twins when it comes to raising blood pressures. Former President Bill Clinton fired her when she said that masturbation "perhaps should be taught" as part of comprehensive sex education.

Jones' office bills Elders' appearance Wednesday as an education and information session.

Boseman faces revelations

ryanteaguebeckwith — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 08:27:56 -0400

State Sen. Julia Boseman stuck to business Tuesday.

The New Hanover Democrat declined to talk about disclosures that she defaulted on a $1.3 million loan on her former home and smoked marijuana the year before she was elected to the legislature.

Duringa child custody hearing in December, Boseman testified that she had problems with drugs at the tail end of her relationship with her then-domestic partner in 2003. Details of her financial troubles surfaced at a different court hearing last week. (AP)

Boseman, the first openly gay legislator in North Carolina, said that she willingly testified in order to keep access to her adopted son.

"Some time ago, I was faced with a choice of losing my son or having the most intimate details of my private life exposed to the public," she said. "Like any good parent, I put my son before everything else in my life and will continue to fight for him and my family."

Her Republican opponent, attorney Michael Lee, said he would focus on political differences in his campaign. (WS-N)

Day 2: Roundup

ryanteaguebeckwith — Wed, 23 May 2007 08:39:02 -0400

A total of 173 bills competed in the second qualifying round of Speed Week.

Among the 23 that passed a third reading in either the House or the Senate yesterday:

Mega Millions High: A House bill would ban the lottery from advertising at high school sporting events. Not that they were, but a college ban died.

HPV FYI: A Senate bill would require schools tell parents that a vaccine can help prevent human papillomavirus, which causes cervical cancer.

Smoked out: A Senate bill would add blunts, a type of cigar often used to smoke marijuana, to the list of prohibited drug paraphernalia.

In other news, a Senate bill would allow terriers to compete in digging contests known as "earthdog trials," two House bills would let teachers receive their pension even if they're elected to the school board or go back to work and a House bill would let Morrisville regulate golf carts driven on town roads.