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Open letter to readers: Today and tomorrow

By Lynda Waddington | 11.17.11

Wednesday was a difficult day for The American Independent News Network, which is the larger entity that operates The Iowa Independent. Our chief executive and founder announced two of our sister sites would close and their content would be moved to The American Independent.

ACS lockout continues; plan emerges to repeal sugar protections

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By Virginia Chamlee | 11.15.11

A recently introduced bill could have far-reaching impact on the U.S. sugar industry, including American Crystal Sugar, a farmer-owned cooperative that locked out 1,300 Midwest workers on Aug. 1.

Cain campaign: Farmers know more about regulations than EPA

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By Andrew Duffelmeyer | 11.15.11

The chairman for Herman Cain’s Iowa effort says the campaign “relied more on the word of farmers than Washington regulators” in deciding to run an ad containing claims the Environmental Protection Agency says are false.

Mathis wins, Democrats maintain Senate control

Liz Mathis
By Lynda Waddington | 11.08.11

The Iowa Senate will remain under the control of a slim 26-25 Democratic majority when it reconvenes in January 2012.

Press Release

PR: Nation should work to address veterans’ challenges

By Press Release Reprints | 11.11.11

BRUCE BRALEY RELEASE — As US involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan ends, it’s more important than ever that our nation works to address the challenges faced by the men and women who fought there.

PR: Honoring veterans, help in hiring

By Press Release Reprints | 11.11.11

CHUCK GRASSLEY RELEASE — A difficult job market is challenging the soldiers, sailors and airmen who have protected America’s interests by serving in the Armed Forces.

PR: In honor of America’s veterans

By Press Release Reprints | 11.11.11

TOM LATHAM RELEASE — No one has done more to secure the freedom enjoyed by every single American than our veterans and those currently serving in the armed services.

PR: Honoring and supporting our nation’s veterans

By Press Release Reprints | 11.11.11

DAVE LOEBSACK RELEASE — Veterans Day is an opportunity to reflect on the service of generations of veterans and to honor the sacrifices they and their families have made so that we may live in peace and freedom here at home.

Iowa’s drugs of choice: marijuana, meth

By Jason Hancock | 11.02.09 | 2:32 pm

While alcohol is still Iowa’s No. 1 intoxicant, the two most abused illicit drugs in the Hawkeye State are marijuana and methamphetamine, according to a report released Monday by the Iowa Office of Drug Control Policy.

“Based on primary substance abuse treatment admission data from the Iowa Department of Public Health, alcohol accounts for about 61 percent of all clients, followed by 23 percent who are there primarily for marijuana and almost 8 percent mainly for meth,” said Gary Kendell, Iowa’s drug policy coordinator and director of the Governor’s Office of Drug Control Policy.

In addition to being the most popular illicit drug for all age groups, marijuana was the drug of choice for 56 percent of juvenile substance abuse clients.

Methamphetamine activity in Iowa, after trending downward over the last five years, has turned upward again, according to the report.

Prescription drug abuse continues to emerge as Iowa’s fastest growing form of substance abuse. The Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement opened 243 percent more pharmaceutical cases and seized 412 percent more pharmaceutical units last year, the third year in a row that has seen an increase.

Follow Jason Hancock on Twitter


Comments

  • revraygreen

    95% of non-violent ADULT marijuana users are HEALTHY.

    5% of us use it to stay healthy……2% live in medical states.

    Why are people worried about healthy ADULTS using marijuana ?

    http://macsworldlive.com/des-moines-local-live/…

    Archive episodes also……­­…….se­e­/call me live I am a co-host on the show

    Iowa Board of Pharmacy Medical Marijuana Public Hearings promo-video

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XorlUPNQqq8

  • revraygreen

    UK Drugs Advisor Nutt sacked for being honest about marijuana-
    http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/11/02/2…

    Drug War Not Just American, UK Fires Prof After Pot Comments

    A row has broken out in Britain, after the chief drugs adviser to the government was sacked when he said alcohol and cigarettes were more dangerous than cannabis.

    Other scientists on the drugs advisory council have resigned in protest, complaining the government is ignoring science in favour of popular myths.

    When Professor David Nutt made his statements on marijuana, he thought he was simply telling the truth.
    He said the drug was reclassified from class C to the more dangerous category B against scientific evidence, simply on the whim of Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

    The reaction from the government was swift and unforgiving. Home Secretary Alan Johnson sacked him by email.
    “You cannot have a chief adviser at the same time stepping into the political field and campaigning against government decisions,” he said.

    “You can do one or the other. You can't do both.”

    But Professor Nutt is not going quietly. He insists his views are supported by science and experts in the field, while the government is guided by populist misinformation.

  • jsknow

    Substance abuse treatment admission data is not even worthy of considering because most of the marijuana “clients” are there because they got caught with marijuana and were given a choice of being forced into “treatment” or going to jail. No one in all of recorded history has ever died from the ingredients in marijuana.

    If you want to see the number of people using drugs go down, then you need to regulate drugs not prohibit them, this is especially true among the young: http://www.alternet.org/drugreporter/90295/

    Now take a look at the way the Swiss have dealt with their heroin problem. You can watch a lot about this in the video titled “Jack Cole Interview” on the Just Say Know website (link below). In Switzerland they set up government run clinics where heroin addicts can go and get pharmaceutical grade heroin. If you don’t have the money to pay for the drug it’s free. That instantly put every illegal heroin dealer in that country out of business… they can’t compete with free. Anyone that wants heroin can go into a government run clinic up to 3 times a day and inject it. There are medical personnel on hand and anyone that wants to kick their habit is given counseling and help toward that goal. The results are that there has not been a single heroin overdose there in more than 13 years. Switzerland has the lowest AIDS and Hepatitis infection in all of Europe. Crime fell by 60% because no one is stealing or prostituting their self to pay for their heroin and after a 10 year study, they documented that there has been an 82% decline in new heroin users. Now please tell me why our drug war seems like better policy than that. No one went to jail and no one got killed. This program is far less expensive than what we are doing and far less harmful.

    More information about drug laws from Just Say Know:
    Using Internet Explorer web browser: http://jsknow.angelfire.com/home
    With All Other Browsers: http://jsknow.angelfire.com/index.html

  • revraygreen

    “Kerlikowske, the former police chief in Seattle, reported better results for the medical marijuana law in Washington State.”

    Washington-

    Senate Bill 6032, mandated the Department of Health to “adopt rules defining the quantity of marijuana that could reasonably be presumed to be a sixty-day supply for qualifying patients.” In October 2008, the department finalized guidelines allowing patients to cultivate up to 15 cannabis plants and/or possess up to 24 ounces of usable marijuana. The new limits took effect on November 2, 2008.

    Patients who possess larger quantities of cannabis than those approved by the Department will continue to receive legal protection under the law if they present evidence indicating that they require such amounts to adequately treat their qualifying medical condition. “

  • jjnosmoke

    Why aren't the numbers for tobacco abuse used in this group? Let's not ignore the most deadly killer of our substance addicted public. It's hard for the adults to portray much credibility advising their kids to not use “drugs” when they have been shackled to the real “evil weed” since childhood. Not to mention the glorification of tobacco in the media and movies. Tobacco is the number 1 abused substance by people in the 14-22 age group and has been proven to be the most common “Gateway Drug”. We have to start from the bottom and stop children from starting a habit that will certainly kill them, albeit slowly.
    I recommend regular mandatory tobacco screens in schools for all kids beginning at age 12. Three time offenders are enrolled in TA classes to help them recover.
    This may help eliminate the 2nd most problematic substance for teens, Alcohol.
    This generation of clean kids wouldn't entertain the thought of using hard drugs like meth, herion, and pills.

  • jjnosmoke

    Why aren't the numbers for tobacco abuse used in this group? Let's not ignore the most deadly killer of our substance addicted public. It's hard for the adults to portray much credibility advising their kids to not use “drugs” when they have been shackled to the real “evil weed” since childhood. Not to mention the glorification of tobacco in the media and movies. Tobacco is the number 1 abused substance by people in the 14-22 age group and has been proven to be the most common “Gateway Drug”. We have to start from the bottom and stop children from starting a habit that will certainly kill them, albeit slowly.
    I recommend regular mandatory tobacco screens in schools for all kids beginning at age 12. Three time offenders are enrolled in TA classes to help them recover.
    This may help eliminate the 2nd most problematic substance for teens, Alcohol.
    This generation of clean kids wouldn't entertain the thought of using hard drugs like meth, herion, and pills.

  • inception42

    jjnosmoke is right; even if tobacco is legal, it's still one of the most deadly substances.

  • FaronLoren

    I think many of the people who start using drugs don't do it just because they have money and don't know what else to do with them. The main reason so many take up drugs is because they aren't happy with what they have, anymore. There are many issues in their lives and they are frightened because they aren't ready to face them.
    ______________________
    Faron Loren – Bulimia Treatment

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