Illegal Drugs

The federal investigation into horse doping and illegal betting that hit the racing industry hard last week shows no sign of spreading to Maryland, said Mike Hopkins, executive director of the Maryland Racing Commission. "Maryland has an excellent program," Hopkins said yesterday, referring to strict testing for illegal drugs in racehorses. "I'm very comfortable with how races are conducted here, that they're conducted on a level playing field." Dale Capuano, a leading trainer, concurred.

Ion scans and nanograms played a key role yesterday in the arrest of a Colorado trucker and his companion after a high-tech drug sniffer caught a whiff of illegal substances in their 18-wheeler at a Maryland State Police weigh station."

THE LAND OF THE FREE abuses civil liberties to get drugs off the street. That fact of life was harshly revealed to Jamaican musician Peter "Galaxy P" Jackson last week at Baltimore-Washington International Airport. He was threatened, strip-searched and hauled off to a hospital for X-rays that might reveal hidden drugs; all because he appeared nervous during questioning by U.S. customs agents. They found nothing.A presumption of guilt has become standard procedure for law enforcement officials trying to guess who is carrying illegal drugs.

Baltimore Mayor Kurt L. Schmoke's proposal to discuss the decriminalization of drugs as a way of reducing violent, drug-related crime fell on deaf ears when it was first broached in 1988. But with Baltimore experiencing a record homicide epidemic, and the in-coming Clinton administration planning to shift the federal focus away from catching drug smugglers and dealers to treating those who use drugs, the idea may merit a second look.Mr. Schmoke's concept was to treat drug abuse as a public health problem rather than a criminal justice issue.

Two men accused of transporting illegal drugs, and a father alleged to have beaten his daughter because she would not go running with him were among more than two dozen people indicted by an Anne Arundel County grand jury yesterday. Ronald L. Seldon, 25, of the 1500 block of West Road in Salisbury faces a five-count indictment that includes possession with intent to distribute cocaine and marijuana. County prosecutors said a Maryland State Police sergeant stopped a minivan July 13 on U.S. 50 for what the officer described as erratic driving.

The Baltimore man who prosecutors say served as the eyes and ears for two city police officers charged with dealing drugs pleaded not guilty to federal charges in a court hearing this week and was released by a magistrate. Court documents filed in the case say that Antonio Mosby, 39, was ordered to refrain from using alcohol or illegal drugs and must obtain a medical evaluation to test for withdrawal symptoms from heroin. Release conditions also include Mosby's entering an "inpatient drug treatment program and any necessary residential aftercare as approved in advance by pretrial services."

IF A CANDIDATE for political office flunked a drug test, voters would likely take a dim view of his suitability for office. But do voters care more about drug test results or basic constitutional rights? Last month, the Supreme Court heard arguments in a Georgia case in which three candidates for office challenged a state law that requires candidates to take a urine test and certify that it did not show the presence of illegal drugs.The plaintiffs argued that the law violates the Fourth Amendment prohibition of unreasonable searches, and questions from the justices suggested that they are inclined to agree.

ANNAPOLIS -- Gov. William Donald Schaefer has issued a public warning about the street drug "China White," a potent synthetic narcotic that has killed at least 23 Marylanders since Jan. 25.Fentanyl citrate, which is 100 times stronger than heroin, took 17 lives in Baltimore, three in Baltimore County, and one each in Carroll, Montgomery and Prince George's counties, according to the latest report from the state medical examiner, Dr. John Smialek."

WASHINGTON -- A White House ceremony is set for this morning to nominate Florida Gov. Bob Martinez to lead the nation's crusade against illegal drugs.In choosing Mr. Martinez, President Bush rejected advice to pick "a Washington insider" as his next "drug czar." Instead, the president turned to a political ally with 12 years of government experience in a state that has grappled with the drug problem.Some members of Congress and drug policy analysts say that because Mr. Martinez was Mr. Bush's first choice for the job, the governor should command cooperation among the nearly three dozen agencies involved in the government's war against drugs.

Here is an excerpt of an editorial from the Boston Globe, which was published Monday.THE SAME lobby that killed a proposal last year to standardize blood alcohol levels for drunken driving is now trying to keep underage drinking out of a youth education campaign sponsored by the nation's drug czar, General Barry McCaffrey.The National Beer Wholesalers Association opposes the inclusion of underage drinking in the $195 million media campaign, claiming that alcohol is a legal substance and should not be lumped with marijuana, cocaine and other illegal drugs.