New reports have surfaced indicating a startling rise in heroin use throughout central Minnesota. According to DEA agent Brent Fair, heroin has replaced methamphetamine as the most troubling drug of choice. In the last month alone, there have been 5 overdoses and 2 deaths in the St. Cloud metro. Minnesota-wide, there was a 68% increase […]
The Politics of Medical Marijuana
Since the mid-1990s, the U.S. has had numerous opportunities to discuss marijuana’s value as a medicine. In 1996, California and Arizona passed voter initiatives authorizing marijuana for medicinal purposes. Around the same time, Barry McCaffrey, the director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, stated his agency’s position that marijuana is a dangerous drug […]
Prescription Drug DWI Part 3: The Defenses
We’ve already covered the laws and procedures of a Prescription Drug DWI charge. Now let’s take a look at the possible defenses to a Prescription Drug DWI. A DWI charge carries the same consequences whether the driver is under the influence of alcohol or a prescription drug. However, because of the tentative legal status of […]
Prescription Drug DWI Part 2: The Procedures
Oxycontin doesn’t register on a breathalyzer, so how does law enforcement test for drug impairment? While the penalties are the same as for an alcohol DWI offense, the testing procedure for a drug DWI is far different. When a drug DWI is suspected, the officer on duty will call a DRE expert to complete a […]
Prescription Drug DWI Part 1: The Laws
Alcohol and hard drugs aren’t the only substances that can land you a DWI conviction. Driving under the influence of many prescription drugs can also carry the same penalties. Minnesota Statute 169A.20 defines “driving while impaired” to include driving under the influence of… Any amount of controlled substance classified as Schedule I or II; A […]
