A Colorado measure to impose sales and excise taxes of 25 percent on newly legalized recreational marijuana and earmark the first $ 40 million in revenue for public schools was approved by voters on Tuesday, Governor John Hickenlooper said.
The move showed a willingness on the part of Colorado voters to tax marijuana for the public benefit……
Canines are known for helping fight the war on drugs in police searches and investigations, but as early as 1997 our furry friends have been hitting the hallways in schools across the country to help prevent illegal drug possession and abuse by teenagers. Illegal drug smuggling and supply in the U.S. has skyrocketed and our schools are a fresh target point for dealers to infiltrate. Drug sniffing dogs serve as a deterrent to students considering bringing drugs on to school premises.
Drug dealers and smugglers have become very inventive when finding ways to hide drugs; they seal drugs inside furniture, vacuum-pack them in cans, stuff them into fruit, pepper, coffee and even submerge them in automobile gas tanks. K9 units are moving to the head of the class for helping police officers sniff out illegal drugs in high school lockers, parking lots and other common areas.
Drug sniffing dogs are every (police) man's best friend and are our biggest allies in the escalating fight against illegal drugs and protecting our children. The percentage of the dog's brain devoted to analyzing smells is actually 40 times larger than that of a human! It's been estimated that dogs can identify smells somewhere between 1,000 to 10,000 times better than humans can.
Drug dogs are trained to find illegal drugs, whether it's large or small amounts. Dogs really have no idea they are providing a valuable service by searching out drugs; instead dogs think they're looking for their favorite toy.
It's common knowledge in the animal world that dogs love to play tug-of-war with a towel. A handler plays with the dog and a scent-free towel as a fun toy; next a bag of marijuana (or narcotics) is rolled up inside the towel. After playing for a while, the dog connects the smell of marijuana with the smell of his favorite new toy. The handler then hides the towel, with the drugs, in various places and the dog sniffs it out alerting the handler.
Sniffing Our Way to Drug Free Schools!
Every parent wants their child to go to school to learn, and not worry about a child being confronted with drugs and pushers. Securing your child's safety from drugs requires a drug free school. First, school officials must decide whether to use drug dogs at all, next they decide whether to use police dogs or hire a private company.
Random searches around school lockers and cars in parking lots by drug sniffing dogs can be a very effective deterrent, sending a strong message that drugs won't be tolerated at school. If requested, searches in classrooms and other areas can be checked. A favorite breed that most private companies chose is the Golden Retriever; they don't appear so intimidating and threatening to kids.
Education is the key in the debate on the drugs and parents need to educate teenagers on the effects of drugs in an open and honest way. But if the cat's got your tongue when it's time for the talk, you can breathe easy with a little help from Hollywood.
Sam Branson, founder of Sundog Pictures and son of furtastic entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson, released his first documentary today, "Breaking the Taboo." The film takes a look at how the war on drugs around the world can be fixed and interviews several top dog dignitaries, including four former U.S. Presidents. Sam, the documentary's executive producer, barked, "Having spent two years working on 'Breaking the Taboo', I am convinced, now more than ever, that this is a debate that has to happen. Not just on a local level, in our own communities, but on the global stage." Viewers can watch the entire film online and sign the petition to bark their opinion in the global debate on drug policy.
For more information on security and drug dogs visit: www.flhsmv.gov and www.napwda.com.
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