Posts tagged "marijuana"

Last week, police arrested three individuals from Lake County after allegedly witnessing a drug deal in McHenry County. The local residents are between the ages of 22 and 39.

According to reports, felony drug charges have been filed against all three individuals. The Chicago Daily Herald reported that these serious charges could result in 15-year prison sentences.

Being accused of a crime can have serious consequences that many teens may not be aware of. Some may think because they are a juvenile the consequences will be minimal and their record will not follow them into adulthood. The fact is that if you are convicted of a crime that conviction can impact a multitude of events in your life, including educational and employment opportunities. One North Chicago teen may have learned this the hard way after being arrested on drug charges by Waukegan police.

The arrest came about after a traffic stop near Lincoln Avenue and 8th Street that was initiated by a K-9, according to reports. The juvenile was a passenger in a vehicle being driven by an older sibling who was not charged in the case. Police said officers searched the juvenile and found eight bags of marijuana or cannabis that appeared to be individually packed for distribution or sale. Police say the teen told them he was selling the drugs for $5 per bag. Perhaps that wasn't the teen's first mistake.

After a new government study was published last week, teenagers in the Lake County area might be thinking that since more teens appear to be smoking marijuana in the U.S., they have all the more reason to do so as well. However, like any other drug crime in Illinois, a conviction for marijuana possession could result is serious legal and social consequences, even for a juvenile.

The study was conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Last year, about 15,000 high school students participated in the CDC's study. Students from all across the nation were asked whether or not they had smoked marijuana or cigarettes within the past month.

Earlier this month, TIME reported that a new study is suggesting that states that have legalized medical marijuana experience fewer fatal car crashes each year compared to states that have not legalized the use of medical marijuana. Researchers suggest that there may be fewer fatal drunk driving accidents in those jurisdictions because more people may be choosing to smoke marijuana instead of consuming liquor.

The researchers examined statistics on traffic fatalities and the legalization and use of marijuana in the 13 U.S. states that adopted legal status for the medical use of marijuana between 1990 and 2009. (Three additional states and the District of Columbia have legalized medical marijuana since then).

The number of car accidents involving fatalities dropped by approximately 9 percent in those states with medical marijuana laws, accompanied by less drunk driving accidents. The study did account for other contributing factors regarding the decrease in traffic deaths such as changes in the number of miles traveled each year by motorists and new traffic laws.