Published: June 13, 2009 11:46 pm      

Drug use only temporary fix for problems

Garrett council discusses attitudes of youth, parents, accessibility to marijuana

OAKLAND — Pinpointing the local conditions that contribute to youth use of marijuana in Garrett County was one of the keys to finding solutions and ways to treat the problem for the Drug and Alcohol Abuse Council.

“I don’t think youth realize that merely having a record is a bad thing,” Lisa Thayer Welch, Garrett County state’s attorney, said.

As part of the Drug Free Communities grant that the county has received, the council was looking at various drug abuse problems in the county as well as their causes and treatments. On Wednesday, the council discussed the attitudes of youth and parents as well as the accessibility to the drug.

Welch added that she felt some of the problem is a lack of coping skills in the younger population, who are using the drug as a way to escape rather than deal with their problems.

In the end, Madonna Poole, contract drug counselor and local business owner, said that the youth are avoiding problems only temporarily and finding situations much worse after they come down from their high.

Welch added that marijuana has proven to be a generational drug, with parents and even grandparents who may have used it.

Les McDaniel of the health department said that many parents don’t realize it really is a gateway drug for other drugs that the parents might take more seriously. Even those parents who realize the serious nature of using marijuana, Welch said, don’t always seem to realize the drug’s prevalence in Garrett County.

“People think Garrett County is safe and secure, so they don’t need to be as on top of kids as in other places,” Welch said. “Do we have parents who know what a plant looks like?”

Anna Bishop, chairwoman for the council, questioned if the resort atmosphere might contribute to the accessibility, but Welch said that there isn’t much mingling between locals and those who come in to vacation in the county.

There was also discussion of the accessibility and perceptions of the drug because it is one that can be grown. Some might perceive the drug as being good for you simply because you can grow it yourself as opposed to using a lab to do so.

Some might also think that having a plant is not a serious crime, but Welch said that having just one plant counts as manufacturing, which is a felony offense with a 10-year maximum sentence.

Nancy Brady, prevention coordinator for the health department, said they’ve already seen some progress in curbing the use of alcohol when local organizations and fire departments distribute wristbands to people who have reached the legal age to drink when they have an event.

On July 1, the council will meet to further discuss this issue before Brady and Kendra Todd give a presentation on their efforts with the Drug Free Communities grant.

Sarah Moses can be reached at smoses@times-news.com.