News

Governor Creates Panels to Focus More on Prevention and Treatment of Addiction "We're not just reacting to the sudden surge of overdoses and overdoses deaths. We're taking a holistic approach."

BOCA RATON, Fla. - Even in this city full of absent-minded drivers, it's a wonder Irvin Rosenfeld doesn't stand out as a menace.

TALLAHASSEE - The case against Tadrae McKenzie looked like an easy win for prosecutors. He and two buddies robbed a small-time marijuana dealer of $130 worth of pot using a BB gun. Under Florida law, that was robbery with a deadly weapon, with a sentence of at least four years in prison.

Representatives Attend Forum on Regulatory, Social Issues TULALIP, Wash. (AP) - The Justice Department's announcement in December that it would allow the nation's Indian tribes to legalize and regulate marijuana on their reservations brought notes of caution if not silence or opposition from many tribes.

Opinions

The mind-altering-substance market got a little more crowded in Washington this past week when the District joined three states in allowing residents to possess and consume marijuana for recreational purposes.

In Baltimore City, approximately 20,000 people were arrested for drug-related offenses annually in 2012 and 2013; nearly three quarters for simple possession. And while there has been a great deal of discussion over the last few years regarding the incarceration of individuals for drug crimes, particularly in minority communities, the fact is that most drug cases in Baltimore do not result in confinement, except for those unfortunate enough not to have the funds to post bail while awaiting trial.

Today, a rare consensus has emerged in favor of reforming our federal drug sentencing laws. This presents a historic opportunity to improve the fairness of our criminal justice system. But unless we act quickly, we risk letting the moment pass.

Sometimes it's hard to choose your poison, especially when all the options are horrible. That's what it's like when the District decides to take on Congress over an issue of self-government.

Letters

I find it amusing that the Hogan administration is proposing a "study" to combat heroin addiction in Maryland ("The new face of Md.'s fight against heroin," Feb. 26).

Gov. Larry Hogan's focus on addressing the heroin epidemic ("Hogan creates two panels for fight against heroin," Feb. 25) is a testimony that the scourge of heroin and other substance addictions has garnered bipartisan concern. The next public policy strategy should translate this realization in to greater access to treatment, more targeted public awareness campaigns and increased cooperation between law enforcement, health care and mental health care providers and community leaders.

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan's (R) emotional disclosure that his cousin died of a heroin overdose shows that the tragedy of addiction is not restricted to any income class, ethnic group or geographic area ["For Hogan, the heroin crisis hit in the heart," Metro, Feb. 25]. Addiction afflicts individuals and families from all walks of life, in Maryland and across the United States.

Editor: The marijuana industry brings in around $7 billion a year. That money goes to criminals and drug dealers.

The problem with making alcohol, THC, etc. verboten to people under 21 or even 18 years old is that it causes our youths to obtain these goods illegally, consume them in secret, and abuse them irresponsibly to excess. In Argentina, Germany, France, Greece, Spain, and every other country in which I have lived, children are given half a glass of wine or beer with meals under supervision by their parents. In this way they learn how to enjoy alcohol responsibly with moderation, and they do not have the huge social addiction problems that Alaska has. Many Alaska villages have made their social addiction problems even worse by creating dry districts where alcohol is not allowed to be sold at all. We call all see the results of that mistake on the streets and shelters in all of our cities in Alaska. Think of how much money and how many lives go to waste due to our ignorance.

Opioid overdose and dependence are enormous public health problems in the U.S. As The Sun reported this week, Gov. Larry Hogan has rolled out a strategy to fight heroin ("Hogan unveils plan to fight heroin," Feb. 24). A Baltimore task force is considering the city's heroin-related treatment needs. And City Health Commissioner Dr. Leana Wen has written recently in The Sun that naloxone is the key to preventing overdose deaths. Studies show that medications like Suboxone, a combination of buprenorphine and naloxone, can reduce opioid overdoses, drug use, disease transmission and criminal activity while increasing the number of patients who remain in treatment. Still, there continues to be a limited number of physicians offering buprenorphine treatment. We believe pharmacists could play a key role in providing patients access to life-saving treatment.

Re "Catch and release," Feb. 22 It's unfortunate to see law enforcement leaders take the line that locking up problem drug users or threatening them with felony jail time is the way to get them straightened out. Law enforcement never liked Proposition 47 and actively tried to kill it, but its pique doesn't justify misrepresenting what the evidence tells us about addiction and recovery.