Ron Strider
Well-Known Member
With a growing operation expected to open here by year's end, medical marijuana may be the latest cannabis conversation around Lawrence County.
However, recreational marijuana use remains a burning issue and it likely won't be snuffed out anytime soon.
According to District Attorney Joshua Lamancusa and Lt. John Rand of the Neshannock police department, incidents involving recreational marijuana are not decreasing amid the opioid epidemic.
Rand makes marijuana arrests nearly every day and Lamancusa's office is prosecuting recreational marijuana cases at the same rate the two law agencies have become accustomed to over the years.
Despite the current popularity of street drugs including heroin and prescription pills, recreational marijuana is still commonly found during traffic stops around Lawrence County.
"It really feels like nothing has changed," Lamancusa said of the number of cases his office handles. "It is about the same. (Recreational pot cases) have remained fairly constant throughout the years."
For Rand, crossing paths with offenders who are under the influence or in possession of recreational marijuana has become routine.
"I'd say (I encounter recreational marijuana) at least once a week during traffic stops," Rand said. "I have seen in the past two years the increase in DUIs related to marijuana and not alcohol increases. It is on the rise. It is almost 50-50 now, DUI-wise."
Rand said age is noticeable with offenders.
"We do see it a lot more with the younger offenders than we do with the older offenders," Rand said.
Lamancusa dispelled belief that heroin usage is on the rise because it is much more inexpensive that recreational marijuana. The veteran prosecutor cited sale prices as being between $8 to $12 for a stamp bag of heroin, which contains about 0.3 grams of the illegal substance. Marijuana, according to Lamancusa, is still being sold in $5 and $10 bags, but higher grade marijuana sells for as much as $3,000 per pound.
"No one turns to heroin because marijuana is too expensive," Lamancusa said dispelling the myth of marijuana being a gateway drug. "You don't say I can't get weed so I am going to shoot up. It is a different evolution that gets you there."
While medical marijuana was recently made legal by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, recreational use remains illegal.
The difference between the two drugs lies in genetic engineering. Medical marijuana is cultivated to contain cannabinoids that aid in the healing process while the THC is removed. Recreational marijuana is genetically engineered so that THC levels are higher and the drug is more potent.
"I think it is important for people to understand that (marijuana) is going to be legal for medical purposes," Lamancusa said. "Even within the medical content, (medical marijuana) will be controlled. You can't smoke medical marijuana. You have to have a prescription, and there are certain criteria that must be met for a patient to get a prescription."
Both Lamancusa and Rand have experienced conversations with the young and old alike pertaining to marijuana being of little harm.
"The marijuana that was in the United States back in the 1960s and 1970s is almost unrecognizable to marijuana today," Lamancusa said. "Most of what we are seeing on the street has been engineered where the THC is double, triple what it used to be.
"What they are saying now is because of the higher THC levels, it is now a drug that you can become addicted to."
The drug epidemic isn't just affecting Lawrence County, according to Lamancusa.
"It continues to be a problem, not just in our county," Lamancusa said. "A lot of times people think it is just happening here. It is in every county in Pennsylvania and across the entire United States."
News Moderator: Ron Strider 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Recreation marijuana use still strong in county | News | ncnewsonline.com
Author: Brent Addleman
Contact: Contact Us | Site | ncnewsonline.com
Photo Credit: Reuters
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However, recreational marijuana use remains a burning issue and it likely won't be snuffed out anytime soon.
According to District Attorney Joshua Lamancusa and Lt. John Rand of the Neshannock police department, incidents involving recreational marijuana are not decreasing amid the opioid epidemic.
Rand makes marijuana arrests nearly every day and Lamancusa's office is prosecuting recreational marijuana cases at the same rate the two law agencies have become accustomed to over the years.
Despite the current popularity of street drugs including heroin and prescription pills, recreational marijuana is still commonly found during traffic stops around Lawrence County.
"It really feels like nothing has changed," Lamancusa said of the number of cases his office handles. "It is about the same. (Recreational pot cases) have remained fairly constant throughout the years."
For Rand, crossing paths with offenders who are under the influence or in possession of recreational marijuana has become routine.
"I'd say (I encounter recreational marijuana) at least once a week during traffic stops," Rand said. "I have seen in the past two years the increase in DUIs related to marijuana and not alcohol increases. It is on the rise. It is almost 50-50 now, DUI-wise."
Rand said age is noticeable with offenders.
"We do see it a lot more with the younger offenders than we do with the older offenders," Rand said.
Lamancusa dispelled belief that heroin usage is on the rise because it is much more inexpensive that recreational marijuana. The veteran prosecutor cited sale prices as being between $8 to $12 for a stamp bag of heroin, which contains about 0.3 grams of the illegal substance. Marijuana, according to Lamancusa, is still being sold in $5 and $10 bags, but higher grade marijuana sells for as much as $3,000 per pound.
"No one turns to heroin because marijuana is too expensive," Lamancusa said dispelling the myth of marijuana being a gateway drug. "You don't say I can't get weed so I am going to shoot up. It is a different evolution that gets you there."
While medical marijuana was recently made legal by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, recreational use remains illegal.
The difference between the two drugs lies in genetic engineering. Medical marijuana is cultivated to contain cannabinoids that aid in the healing process while the THC is removed. Recreational marijuana is genetically engineered so that THC levels are higher and the drug is more potent.
"I think it is important for people to understand that (marijuana) is going to be legal for medical purposes," Lamancusa said. "Even within the medical content, (medical marijuana) will be controlled. You can't smoke medical marijuana. You have to have a prescription, and there are certain criteria that must be met for a patient to get a prescription."
Both Lamancusa and Rand have experienced conversations with the young and old alike pertaining to marijuana being of little harm.
"The marijuana that was in the United States back in the 1960s and 1970s is almost unrecognizable to marijuana today," Lamancusa said. "Most of what we are seeing on the street has been engineered where the THC is double, triple what it used to be.
"What they are saying now is because of the higher THC levels, it is now a drug that you can become addicted to."
The drug epidemic isn't just affecting Lawrence County, according to Lamancusa.
"It continues to be a problem, not just in our county," Lamancusa said. "A lot of times people think it is just happening here. It is in every county in Pennsylvania and across the entire United States."
News Moderator: Ron Strider 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Recreation marijuana use still strong in county | News | ncnewsonline.com
Author: Brent Addleman
Contact: Contact Us | Site | ncnewsonline.com
Photo Credit: Reuters
Website: ncnewsonline.com | Where our community clicks