hello Everyone,
Evelyn here,
Below is a important news release from the office of the Attorney General about a meeting of the Attorney General Bill McCollum and Colonel Bill Janes, Director of the Florida Office of Drug Control, where the two announced that they will jointly host a December presentation on the current state of the drug trade in Florida.
----------
Bill McCollum
Attorney General
News Release
November 14, 2007
Attorney General, Florida Drug Czar to Host Presentation
on Threat of Drugs to State of Florida
Workshop will seek to inform, educate Florida’s leaders
on growing threat of illegal drugs
TALLAHASSEE, FL – Attorney General Bill McCollum and Colonel Bill Janes, Director of the Florida Office of Drug Control, today announced they will be jointly hosting a December presentation on the current state of the drug trade in Florida and the significance of the drug quantities seen today. The program will be presented to the Governor and members of the Florida Cabinet and will include speakers from the Office of Drug Control and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration as well as Gerald Bailey, Commissioner of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. The workshop is designed to provide Florida’s leaders with new information and insight into the growing threat of illegal drugs in the state today.
"We are not seeing simple cases of small quantities of narcotics or a couple of extra pills. We are seeing organized, state and nationwide operations that are using drugs to fund criminal activity, retain strongholds in communities, and destroy our way of living," said Attorney General McCollum. "Drugs are a real and constant threat. We must renew the war on drugs and fight for the safety of our families, our citizens and our state."
Authorities, including state and local law enforcement, have voiced strong opinions that the illegal drug trade is not only growing in the state of Florida, but that it is also being used more frequently to fund other more dangerous activities, such as violent and organized gangs throughout the state.
"Despite the strong response across Florida, drugs continue to destroy lives and devastate families and communities. Drug trafficking is an international, multi-billion dollar business transacted on our local street corners," said Colonel Janes, Florida’s Drug Czar and the Director of the Florida Office of Drug Control. "I welcome the opportunity to join our law enforcement officers during this important session of the Florida Cabinet."
An important focus of the presentation will be on the growth of hydroponic marijuana and the increase in the drug’s potency, as well as the phenomenal spread of commercial marijuana grow houses. In addition to hydroponic marijuana, presenters will address the explosion of prescription medications in the illegal drug market and how internet pharmacies and doctors who write prescriptions without seeing patients as well as patients who are "doctor shopping" are contributing to the problem.
The workshop is scheduled to follow the December 4th meeting of the Florida Cabinet and will encompass reports from federal, state and local law enforcement. Additional information will be available at a later date.
--------
Evelyn out
