cannabisnews.com: Investigator Says Marijuana Socially Acceptable Investigator Says Marijuana Socially Acceptable Posted by CN Staff on February 20, 2006 at 22:14:27 PT By Jeff Dankert, Winona Daily News Source: Winona Daily News Minnesota -- Marijuana is as common and socially acceptable as alcohol, according to a Winona County sheriff’s investigator talking Monday about local drug and alcohol problems and a recent marijuana bust.Kraig Glover said marijuana remains a popular recreational drug with a wide belief among young adults that pot is harmless. “It’s quite a bit like alcohol,” Glover said. “It’s socially acceptable.” Marijuana also is more statutorily acceptable in Minnesota. While possession of even the smallest fragment of cocaine, methamphetamine or heroin is a felony, 42.5 grams or less of marijuana constitutes only a petty misdemeanor punishable by a fine up to $200.Glover pointed to an epidemic of drug-related traffic deaths of Lewiston-Altura students in the past five years as a sign of the growing drug problem. However, when asked what drugs caused these accidents, Glover said alcohol was the main cause.Glover questioned the effectiveness of the war on drugs and said local investigators may start focusing more on users. Most busts focus on dealers with a philosophy this will cut off the flow and drug use will drop.It hasn’t. This was the admission last year from Winona Police Chief Frank Pomeroy and one of the city’s drug investigators, who said a broad user base attracts other dealers to replace those arrested.In late January and early February, Glover, other officers and police informants made three undercover buys of 16 grams of marijuana at a Goodview apartment.On Feb. 7, officers used a search warrant to enter the apartment, recovered marijuana, questioned two women and released them. One suspect is a 33-year-old Goodview resident and the other is a 19-year-old graduate of Lewiston-Altura High School.Glover recommends the county attorney’s office charge them with selling marijuana and possession with intent to sell, as well as child endangerment because a child was in the apartment during one undercover buy, he said.Complete Title: Investigator Says Marijuana as Socially Acceptable as AlcoholSource: Winona Daily News (MN)Author: Jeff Dankert, Winona Daily NewsPublished: Tuesday, February 21, 2006Copyright: 2006 Winona Daily NewsContact: letters winonadailynews.comWebsite: http://www.winonadailynews.com/CannabisNews -- Cannabis Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/cannabis.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #10 posted by Rainbow on February 22, 2006 at 18:18:01 PT I agree but Actually a company can make a lot of money. Look at the coffee shops in Amsterdam.Not everyone is inclined to grow a plant. It is easier to go to the store.Example you can brew beer and wine for yourself but how many actually do?Cheers, R [ Post Comment ] Comment #9 posted by legalizeit on February 21, 2006 at 13:00:22 PT MikeEEEEE My take on it is, "Big business cannot make money on a plant THAT IS EASY FOR PEOPLE TO GROW THEMSELVES."Big tobacco shows that it is possible to make huge profits off a (highly addictive, govt-sanctioned) plant. The trouble is, growing and making tobacco is a very complicated process and the average Joe would rather just go buy a pack than go through all that.Pot, on the other hand, is easy to grow and prepare, so pot users have the option of sticking it to The Man - trouble is, The Man doesn't like being stuck and retaliates by sticking peaceful cannabis users in cages! One of the other big problems: The gov't just can't sheepishly admit it's been wrong these past 70+ years! If they'd just have some humility once in a while, less people would be wronged and we could be as free a nation as the founding fathers envisioned. [ Post Comment ] Comment #8 posted by whig on February 21, 2006 at 08:48:50 PT Jose, Can you SEE!? By the Dawn's Early Light!What so Proudly We've HailedSince the Twilight's Last GleamingCannabis is SACRAMENT. [ Post Comment ] Comment #7 posted by jose melendez on February 21, 2006 at 08:39:51 PT socially acceptable sincere religious practicehttp://tinyurl.com/lcr4xmarijuanamission.com [ Post Comment ] Comment #6 posted by FoM on February 21, 2006 at 07:35:17 PT goneposthole It's really good to see you. [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by goneposthole on February 21, 2006 at 06:02:17 PT Marijuana! My God, Good Lord, they were selling MARIJUANA!Lemme think. Oh yeah, there was that high school student in Red Lake Falls, Minnesota that was using what drug? Prozac?How many did he kill while under the influence of that prescription drug?Who is endangering a child's life? The pharmaceutical companies maybe?Somebody needs to re-evaluate their priorities.Have a good day and stay away from prescription medications like Prozac. They have a poor record.Smoke cannabis in its stead. It works and you feel better. [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by MikeEEEEE on February 21, 2006 at 05:53:22 PT The Problem Big business cannot make money on a plant, and is not accepted by govt. [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by potpal on February 21, 2006 at 05:22:04 PT endangerment The true child endangerment takes place when they stick the 19 year old in jail with real criminals. And if they're gonna start concentrating on users, they best get back to building prisons and pee testing security guards to stand guard over the millions of users who continue to use it regardless what the government has to say about it. Get a clue. Get back to protecting the people from each other, not from themselves.Legalize it. [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by OverwhelmSam on February 21, 2006 at 04:24:05 PT The Black Market is the Danger It's not child endangerment if you have a house full of perscription drugs, but Cannabis is bought and sold on the black market, which can be dangerous. If the government would regulate cannabis for adult use, there would be no child endangerment, at least not anymoe than having a fifth of Tequila in the house. [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by lombar on February 20, 2006 at 22:43:21 PT And just what danger is that? "Glover recommends the county attorney’s office charge them with selling marijuana and possession with intent to sell, as well as child endangerment because a child was in the apartment during one undercover buy, he said."Yes, they were exposed to a narc. I would not want to expose my children(if I had any) to people who make a job out of betraying peoples confidence. That kind of character trait is not one I would like to see emulated. I think Dante wrote something about betrayers and the ninth circle of hades... [ Post Comment ] Post Comment