High ... and Not on Life It, Which Is Much Purer
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March 15, 2010 WWW.UNEWS.COM Vol. 77, Issue 25 How does UMKC measure up Cocaine, Coke, Crack, with other area colleges? Blow, Snow, Eightball, Pages 10 & 11 Rainbow Cocaine is usually sold in a white, powder form, INSIDE but can be steam-pressed into a ball for easier selling. While it is typically about 80 percent impurities, a refining process can make crack (rock) cocaine out of High ... and not on life it, which is much purer. As a schedule II drug, Jill Schleiden Staff Writer the legal repercussions for 90 use typically include a fine nd coming into up to $10,000, though jail the home stretch, time and higher fines may it’s Mary Jane and 80 be assigned. Eightball fighting Heroin, H, Smack, Junk, for the win. Rain- 70 bow’sA closing in behind and Brown Brown Sugar Sugar has collapsed at the turn. 60 Heroin is sold in either In the search for the drug most white or brown chunks of used by UMKC students, marijuana grainy, sand-like substance and prescription drugs came in by a 50 or in “black tar” form, nose before cocaine and psilocybin, UMKC which is often sticky and or hallucinogenic mushrooms, and 40 dark like roofing tar. few were willing to take the gamble Nationwide The variations in color on heroin. 30 signify variations in pu- U-News conducted a non-sci- rity. It is usually cut with entific survey of 200 randomly se- 20 baking powder, and some- lected students to determine the il- times gunpowder or fen- legal drugs most commonly used by tanyl, both of which can be UMKC students. 10 deadly. The poll was anonymous and As a schedule I drug, a students were able to indicate if they 0 $10,000 fine is usually as- sessed but up to 40 years in had ever used marijuana, cocaine, Marijuana Cocaine Shrooms Heroin Prescriptions shrooms, heroin, non-prescribed jail and $1 million in fines prescription drugs or other. The in- may be given depending on dividuals were also able to write in the amount in possession. comments. U-News conducted a non-scientific survey of 200 randomly selected Psilcybin, Shrooms, While marijuana is traditionally UMKC students. The findings of the non-scientific survey were compared Magic Mushrooms, touted as the most common illegal Godflesh, Trippers drug, some students said more dan- with national statistics of college students who use illegal drugs. The dosage for shrooms gerous drugs have gained in popular- UMKC statistics represent the percentage of students who answered is extremely low so over-in- ity at UMKC. yes to using the substances and the national percentages are from gestion and strong “trips” “Smoking weed’s just coasting,” are common. With white said Sarah, a junior who wished to http://yesican.gov/drugfree/alcabuse.html. caps and black stems and only use her first name. “It’s nice, gills, hallucinogenic mush- but there are more fun things to do.” rooms look like several va- In the survey, 162 students said rieties of toxic mushrooms. they have smoked weed. Several “I’ll leave the needles to the nurs- drug use, especially amongst medi- continued use and no criminal con- es,” she said. cal students, doesn’t surprise him. viction is recorded provided all re- As a schedule I drug, a noted they considered the drug com- $10,000 fine is usually as- pletely harmless, even when used on Nursing students also had a “A lot of rich kids, a lot of the pre- quirements are fulfilled. chance to weigh in on the survey. med kids, will do harder drugs,” he Fines are based on the offender’s sessed, though the legality a regular basis. of the use of spores for re- “It’s not even as bad as cigs,” one Of 22 nursing students polled, said. “They have more money and financial assets and income, accord- four had tried intravenous heroin at more access to it. When I was at the ing to NIDA.gov. search makes controlling student said. sales more difficult. An additional 102 reported to least once. hospital, they’d grab whatever pills After the third personal use of- have snorted cocaine or smoked About 18 percent of all students they could get ahold of, crush them fense, jail time and fines up to Marijuana, Mary Jane, crack cocaine at least once and 92 polled had tried the drug. This is up and snort them. It’s a long shift.” $500,000 can be given and a crimi- Weed, Pot, Grass had taken hallucinogenics. about nine times the national aver- Von Roue also said med students nal record is unavoidable. Marijuana is considered Most said they were unconcerned age, according the Web site for the are much more likely to take Ad- Medical repercussions by the USDEA to be the with possible addiction or negative National Institute of Drug Abuse. derall and other prescription drugs, Illegal drugs are typically banned most commonly trafficked side effects. UMKC student especially those known to help stu- or restricted because of potential illegal drug in the United Sarah said she has in- Curtis Von Roue dents study. dangers to society or individuals. States. Potency varies, so gested cocaine and said the prev- Although many polled students Schedule I drugs are those too the amount needed for a shrooms on several alence of reported using prescription drugs, dangerous for medical use or with no “high” varies correspond- occasions, but few indicated a preference for drugs practical application, such as heroin ingly. plans to steer like adderall. and LSD. The fines for possession clear of hero- Legal repercussions Schedule II drugs are also a vary based on amount in in. Many illegal drug offenses re- threat to individuals but have useful possession and intent to sult in heavy fines and potential applications. Cocaine, for example, sell/share. jail time. “Dealers” and “trans- still functions as a local anesthetic in Prescription Drugs, Blue porters” are much more head surgeries. Footballs, Downers, Fo- heavily punished. Drug However, recreational use often cus Pills, Teachers offenders are often sen- bears extra risks because the drugs Any prescription not tenced to between five are unregulated. Heroin and cocaine written for you or used in and 40 years of jail time are “cut” with baking soda or gun a different dosage or pur- and fines up to powder and range from 2-97 per- pose than prescribed is il- $1 million. cent purity. Interactions with other legal. This can include an- T h e substances add to the problem. This tibiotics and birth control. p u n i s h - makes overdose, even the first time However, anti-anxiety pills, ments for trying a drug, easy, according to the anti-depressants and pain- “personal Drug Enforcement Administration killers are most commonly use” (drug (DEA). illegally sold. ownership where Heroin and cocaine are both Buying or selling pre- the amount and circumstances euphoria-inducing stimulants. They scriptions illegally can re- indicate nothing is possibly being can cause permanent liver, lung and sult in a one to five year sold) carry the lightest penalties. A prison sentence and a fine fine up to $10,000 will be assessed, See DRUGS I page 20 up to $500,000. dates for drug testing set to prevent 2 News March 15, 2010 www.unews.com From mixed martial arts to politics Fighting for better health care and loving the fight Lydia Strong to do something to make sure he Staff Writer got elected.” From taking punches in the In his days of amateur mixed ring, he switched to going door- martial arts fighting, Roosevelt to-door and fighting to make a Lyons learned two things – to love difference. a good fight and to fight to win. “I volunteered,” he said. “We These lessons proved to be knocked on the doors, we phone very valuable when he decided to banked, we donated whatever lit- get involved in politics and fight a tle money we had to the campaign. different kind of fight. ... We did anything we could.” “A job in politics can be very Roosevelt did not stop volun- pressing and very overwhelming teering once Obama won the elec- if you let it be,” Lyons said. “One tion. of the things that martial arts “After the election, a lot of taught me was people thought to always keep “One of the things that that the work my head and martial arts taught me was w a s a l r e a d y keep calm, even done,” he said. when somebody to always keep my head “But I already is punching me and keep calm, even when knew there was in the face.” a lot more work In 2008, somebody is punching me in to do.” Lyons juggled the face.” His insight, family life, a hard work and personal train- ROOSEVELT LYONS passion for the ing business, Organizing for America issues at hand college, amateur landed him a fighting and vol- paid position unteering with Obama for Ameri- with Organizing for America, ca. Back then, his wife thought he where he could continue to fight was way too busy. for what he believed in while earn- Photo LYDIA STRONG This February, Lyons joined ing a living. Roosevelt and Amanda Lyons. the staff of Organizing for Amer- Today, Roosevelt is a regional ica and launched a career in poli- field director for Kansas City tics. He is now busier than ever. Metro area. But this time, it is a sacrifice he “It is a fancy way to say that with volunteers to call democratic about their kid, their wife or who- and he started working toward a and his wife are willing to make in I am a community organizer,” he constituents, keeping them up-to- ever else gets sick in the family master’s degree in Social Work.