State of West Virginia secondary Archives: on Drugs
Ben Salango:
For medical marijuana; roadside test for recreational use
Both men said they would support medical marijuana but wouldn't immediately support recreational marijuana use in West Virginia.
Salango said he would support legalizing recreational marijuana use in the state if a roadside test for marijuana is developed, similar to that of a breathalyzer test for alcohol.
Source: Charleston Gazette-Mail: 2020 West Virginia Governor debate
Oct 13, 2020
Bill Cole:
Supports combating our growing drug epidemic
A mass endorsement from Republican lawmakers has given West Virginia Senate President Bill Cole a commanding lead in rallying political backers for his gubernatorial bid. The Bill Cole for Governor campaign announced that Cole has been
endorsed by every state Senate Republican as well as 49 Republican members of the House of Delegates.In response to the 67 endorsements,
to combating our growing drug epidemic," he said. "I look forward to working with them to reform our tax code, improve our education system and strengthen our transportation network."
Source: Charleston Daily Mail: 2016 West Virginia gubernatorial race
Jun 23, 2015
Bill Cole:
People who sell drugs belong in jail
It is incumbent upon state government to step up to the challenge and be a partner in combatting our state's growing drug epidemic. It is killing our children, tearing apart families and destroying communities.
Bill Cole is committed to helping those addicted get the help they need, but for anyone who sells drugs, he is just as determined to make sure they are put in jail where they belong.
Source: 2016 West Virginia governor campaign website BillColeWV.com
May 2, 2016
Don Blankenship:
Mandatory drug testing for all teachers
Republican U.S. Senate candidate Don Blankenship suggested drug tests for West Virginia teachers during a town hall. "I think West Virginia teachers are underpaid, and I don't want to get in trouble with teachers, but there are also a lot of teachers
who underperform," said Blankenship "That's what a business would do," he said. "The first thing they would do is make sure the people that are teaching their children are drug free and that they are capable of doing the job."
Source: TheDAOnline.com on 2018 West Virginia Senatorial race
Mar 2, 2018
Earl Ray Tomblin:
Not just criminal penalties: use technology for enforcement
Illegal drug use and the abuse of prescription drugs affect all of us. It is an equal opportunity destroyer of dreams and lives. It affects the poor, the affluent, the educated, and everyone in between. That is why this past year I formed the Governor's
Substance Abuse Advisory Council and six Regional Task Forces. They have been collecting the facts, working with prevention, detection, and treatment experts in order to increase the access and effectiveness of our substance abuse programs.
Solving our drug problems is not just about increasing criminal penalties. I have learned that we must use technology to fight our drug problems and enhance enforcement. We must use our prescription monitoring program so that when an abuser tries to
doctor or pharmacy shop, we stop it.
I will require that individuals pass a drug screening prior to enrolling in our state's taxpayer funded workforce training programs. Now is the time to get serious about ending drug abuse and addiction.
Source: West Virginia 2012 State of the State Address
Jan 11, 2012
Earl Ray Tomblin:
Prioritize combating substance abuse from many angles
We must continue to make the fight against substance abuse a top priority. In 2011, I established my Advisory Council on Substance Abuse to help us find more localized ways to combat this epidemic.
Since then, we have updated our prescription drug monitoring program, cracked down on the sale of drugs used to make meth and put an end to doctor shopping. We have shut down pill mills for irresponsible prescription practices,
and my administration is committed to continuing the fight against drug companies that oversupply pain medication without proper orders.
Last year, we invested significant state funding to expand critical substance abuse treatment and recovery services. This September, we launched 844-HELP-4-W-V, the state's first 24-hour substance abuse help line.
Source: 2016 State of the State speech to West Virginia legislature
Jan 13, 2016
Earl Ray Tomblin:
Behavioral therapies MUST accompany anti-addiction meds
Tonight, I'm introducing legislation to establish licensing requirements for medication-assisted treatment facilities. Research shows us that the use of Suboxone and Methadone alone does not support long-term recovery.
This legislation requires counseling and behavioral therapies be used in conjunction with these medications to make sure those seeking treatment have the support they need to begin the recovery process.
Source: 2016 State of the State speech to West Virginia legislature
Jan 13, 2016
Jay Wolfe:
Treat addiction, but mandatory jail sentences for selling
Wolfe indicates support of the following principles regarding crime. - Support mandatory jail sentences for selling illegal drugs.
- Support programs to provide prison inmates with drug and alcohol addiction treatment.
Source: West Virginia Congressional 2008 Political Courage Test
Aug 8, 2008
Jim Justice:
We have to have stiffer laws to fix the drug problem
I want to fix the drug problem. If we don't fix the drug problem in this state, it will cannibalize you. We have to have stiffer laws. There's no question whatsoever, a drug pusher that rolls in here from Detroit and selling drugs, he ought to know that
this is not going to be a fun program if we catch him. We absolutely have to have a pathway to get our people that are hooked on these terrible drugs back into the community of the workforce. We have to do something with all the prescription drugs.
No question whatsoever about that. But we have to have treatment facilities too.I would propose today if we do this, and those dollars flow, I would propose immediately building a facility in Charleston, one in the Eastern Panhandle, and
I know the veterans are waiting on the dollars to come from the fireworks tax and everything to build their facility in Beckley. And I would like to skim off some of this money to help them be able to get that facility built.
Source: 2017 West Virginia State of the State address
Feb 8, 2017
Jim Justice:
Jim's Dream: job training program for drug addicts
We've got to fix the drug problem. The very number one thing you had to have to get the drug problem halfway under control is jobs. But you know what? We're losing the battle. We're losing. So I'm going to ask you tonight to trust me. I'm going to
propose a program called "Jim's Dream." because I want it to be just that. I want it to be a dream that we can take our people off this terrible drug trail, and we can put them in a job, and we can give them real live hope.Why don't we some way,
somehow, let our people that are struggling on drugs beyond belief go get treatment for free, provided that they'll come out of treatment and go into some level of training and provided they'll take constant drug tests?
If I'm an addict, and
I go to treatment and I get better and then I go into some level of training and I get a certificate, that I will be able to take that to a court and get immediate expungement of a misdemeanor that I have. Not felonies, but a misdemeanor.
Source: 2019 State of the State address to West Virginia legislature
Jan 9, 2019
Jim Justice:
Jim's Dream: $10M for equipment at vo-tech training centers
I'm going to call this "Jim's Dream," because I want it to be just that. I want it to be a dream that we can take our people off this terrible drug trail, and we can put them in a job, and we can give them real live hope.It's going to take some money
to do this. Not all the money in the world.
The "J" is going to stand for "jobs." The "I" is going to be "in." The "M" is going to be "making." And the little apostrophe is upside down, and we twisted it around to make a "U." "Succeed." Now, looks a
little funny, doesn't it? But it looks pretty much like I'd probably write.
But here's what I think we need to do: I think our best alternative today is the adult training in the education department. And here's the problem: Nobody's really going
today. The reason nobody's really going is it's not real training that they can go get a real job. But what I'm going to ask you for is $10,000,000 for staffing and replacement and maintenance of equipment at the training centers, at the vo-tech centers.
Source: 2019 State of the State address to West Virginia legislature
Jan 9, 2019
Jim Justice:
Adamantly opposed to recreational marijuana, but medical ok
As far as medical cannabis, we need to solve the riddle, guys. We're running out of time. There's a lot of people out there that are hurting, and they could probably very well use medical cannabis.
I want everyone here to understand -- I am adamantly, adamantly, etched in stone, adamantly against recreational marijuana.
Source: 2019 State of the State address to West Virginia legislature
Jan 9, 2019
Jim Justice:
Jobs & Hope: $29.7 million to guide people in recovery
Gov. Jim Justice, who is running for re-election last week kicked off the Jobs & Hope program that combines recovery efforts with workforce training. The concept previously had been called "Jim's Dream.""This started with just a dream," Justice said
last week. "We've got drugs affecting every family in this state, one way or another. We have to do something about it."
Jobs & Hope includes $29.7 million in funding for its first year and employs transition agents to guide people in recovery as
they overcome obstacles such as transportation and move toward job training.
[Democratic opponent Woody] Thrasher, speaking on MetroNews "Talkline," said the Justice administration has dealt too inconsistently with a pervasive problem. "There
is no concerted effort and plan to deal with this problem in West Virginia," Thrasher said. "We have to do better than we're doing.
Source: W.V. MetroNews on 2020 West Virginia Gubernatorial race
Oct 24, 2019
Jim Justice:
Create Narcotics Intelligence Unit strike force
I am ordering Secretary Jeff Sandy to form a new unit called a Narcotics Intelligence Unit. A new unit at the Fusion Center. It will be a strike force.
I'm going to ask you for $1.9 million. And I'm going to ask you to give us that to stop this terrible effort. I want to look right in the camera and tell anybody that is trying to come into our state with drugs: We are going to bust your ass.
Source: 2020 West Virginia State of the State address
Jan 8, 2020
Jim Justice:
Partnership to bring prevention programs to all schools
In conjunction with the West Virginia Drug Intervention Institute has established a partnership, now get this, with the world renowned
Hazelden-Betty Ford Foundation to bring evidence based prevention programs for opioid and substance abuse to all students in West Virginia schools. It is unbelievable.
Source: 2021 State of the State Address to West Virginia legislature
Feb 10, 2021
Joe Manchin III:
Declare war on meth & dangerous make-shift labs
It is long past time for us to put an end to the creation and use of meth labs. Not only do these volatile and often crude labs create illegal and highly addictive drugs, they endanger our towns and put at risk the lives of all law enforcement personnel.
They are also impacting the lives of our children with disastrous results. Therefore, I will propose legislation that will limit access to key ingredients used in the production of methamphetamines.
Similar legislation in Oklahoma has already reduced the number of meth labs in that state by over 60 percent. For the sake of our families and our children,
I am putting meth users on notice tonight that we are going to declare war on this drug and the dangerous, make-shift meth labs that are too often leading to tragedy. Enough is enough.
Source: 2005 State of the State Address to West Virginia legislature
Feb 9, 2005
John Buckley:
Democrats are afraid to touch the failed War on Drugs
While politics is usually portrayed as a contest of Republican v. Democrat, conservative v. liberal, red v. blue, that's narrow, old-fashioned thinking. It's "analog" politics in a digital age. I'm more "conservative" than the Republican candidate; and
I'm also tackling issues like NSA spying, reduced foreign policy meddling around the world, and the failed "War on Drugs" that my Democrat opponent is apparently afraid to touch.
Source: Charleston Daily Mail on 2014 West Virginia Senate race
Aug 12, 2014
Michael Folk:
Decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana
Q: Do you support decriminalizing the possession of small amounts of marijuana?A: Yes.
Q: Do you support alternatives to incarceration for certain non-violent offenders, such as mandatory counseling or substance abuse treatment?
A: Yes.
Source: West Virginia State 2012 Political Courage Test
Nov 1, 2012
Michael Folk:
Government can't solve drug problem; only community can
Woody Thrasher says the opioid problem is such a crisis that the state should have the option of executing drug dealers whose sales result in death. "I think it should be considered when you look at the havoc they wreak on society,"
Thrasher said on MetroNews' "Talkline."Republican candidate Mike Folk, a former state delegate, says government won't solve the problem. "People and the community will," Folk said.
Source: W.V. MetroNews on 2020 West Virginia Gubernatorial race
Oct 24, 2019
Michael Folk:
Led push to force vote to legalize medical marijuana
Folk said previously, "There's never a wrong time to do the right thing."
Months earlier, Folk led a successful move to defy House Republican leaders and force a vote on a bill, which ultimately became law, to legalize the use of marijuana to treat some medical conditions.
Source: Herald-Mail on 2020 West Virginia Governor race
Feb 5, 2019
Natalie Tennant:
It costs us less to rehabilitate than to jail someone
Q: What will you do as governor to address the drug epidemic?A: You know, this one is a huge concern of mine. I worry about the drug epidemic. This is a scary thought: It does not discriminate. It's all across the board.
No matter who you are, you could become addicted to prescription medication. It's killing people. It tears families apart. It's driving up our crime.
And it's overcrowding our jails as well. And what I'm going to do is bring together the medical community, the pharmacists, the educators, the judicial community, in terms of law enforcement, as well, and we address it with programs to make sure
we get the illegal drugs off the street, that we also educate folks and that we have rehabilitation in place. Because it's another do-it-now or do-it-later aspect, that it costs us less to rehabilitate than it does to house someone.
Source: The Register-Herald: West Virginia gubernatorial profiles
Apr 25, 2011
Natalie Tennant:
Federal registry to prevent "doctor shopping
Tennant acknowledges that one issue currently hindering the growth of industry is the state's prevailing drug issue, and she said that addressing that problem has been a large part of her push for Senate. She mentioned ideas like establishing a federal
registry to address people going across borders and "doctor shopping," assisting doctors to ensure they're policing themselves, increasing prevention and treatment programs and creating more treatment facilities. "We have to do prevention first."
Source: Beckley Register-Herald on 2014 West Virginia Senate race
Mar 2, 2014
Pat McGeehan:
Decriminalize marijuana possession
Q: Do you support reducing prison sentences for those who commit non-violent crimes?A: Yes.
Q: Do you support alternatives to incarceration for certain non-violent offenders, such as mandatory counseling or substance abuse treatment?
A: Yes.
Q: Do you support decriminalizing the possession of small amounts of marijuana?
A: Yes.
Source: West Virginia Election 2012 Political Courage Test
Nov 1, 2012
Patrick Morrisey:
Fight opioid epidemic with criminal prosecutions & education
West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey announced the rollout of his second "Kids Kick Opioids" public service announcement contest."Our last contest was a reminder that some of the youngest victims of the opioid epidemic can be found in
classrooms across West Virginia," Attorney General Morrisey said. "By addressing the negative consequences of drug use now, we hope to deter the continued growth of this crisis and provide a better future for these children."
Nearly 900 West Virginians lost their lives to a drug overdose in 2016, many of which were opioid related. Reversing this trend has been a top priority for Attorney General Patrick Morrisey. He has fought the epidemic on multiple fronts with criminal
prosecutions, increased funding, civil litigation, multi-state initiatives, new technology, engagement with the faith-based community and education.
Source: Mineral Daily News Tribune on 2018 West Virginia Senate race
Feb 16, 2018
Patrick Morrisey:
Opioids: we're losing a generation of people to despair
The battle against opioids in West Virginia -- the state with the country's highest rate of fatal overdoses -- is being fought on many fronts."What's happening in West Virginia right now is that we're losing a generation of people to despair," said
Patrick Morrisey, West Virginia's attorney general.
In the last five months Morrisey has implemented new statewide prescription guidelines. He's moved forward with a lawsuit he inherited from his predecessor against eleven major drug distributors.
But the fight against opioids in West Virginia is complex, as one look at
Morrisey's career path makes plain [because as a private lawyer, he lobbied for pharmaceutical distributors].
Source: CBS News on 2018 West Virginia Senate race
Jun 2, 2016
Paula Jean Swearengin:
Hemp & cannabis can be cash crops for West Virginia
Kentucky has fostered a burgeoning hemp and marijuana industry. Hemp and cannabis can once again be a cash crop for
West Virginia but in order to see real success we must decriminalize cannabis on a federal level and legalize production within our state.
Source: 2020 West Virginia Senate campaign website PaulaJean.com
Jul 6, 2020
Paula Jean Swearengin:
End the wasteful, harmful, war on drugs
Invest all that saved money in drug diversion and mental health programs which have proven to be successful at slashing drug use.
The time has come to stop the government from wasting money and fix the drug problem once and for all. Legalize and tax marijuana just like we do alcohol and tobacco, which will save us over $13 billion per year.
Source: 2018 West Virginia Senate campaign website PaulaJean2018.com
Jul 17, 2017
Paula Jean Swearengin:
Address the causes of addiction; not severe punishments
Q: What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about? A: Addiction and the horrific deaths related to it are consuming our citizens and destroying families at an alarming rate. This is a public health crisis that cannot be met solely
with severe punishments for street dealers. Congress must listen to the professionals who advocate for long term care, comprehensive cannabis policy, more strict regulation of pill mills, proper oversight of pharmaceuticals, and more resources to
disrupt the fentanyl black market. We need to address the causes of addiction and the entrenched systems that feed it for profit. Congress can immediately act on removing federal roadblocks to legal medical and recreational cannabis. This would allow
states to continue to reap the rewards of the economic boom and permit states like West Virginia to create jobs and join in the prosperity. Every effort should be made at both the state and federal level to accomplish this goal.
Source: Ballotpedia statement for 2020 West Virginia Senate race
Apr 10, 2018
Paula Jean Swearengin:
Hold pharmaceutical companies accountable for opioid crisis
One of the most tragic developments in West Virginia has been the devastating effects of opioid addiction. Paula Jean is fighting to allocate more money for local hospitals and provide access to quality health care for every West Virginian. We
must hold pharmaceutical companies accountable for their role in creating this national crisis and this includes federal legislation that pushes pharmaceutical companies to front a chunk of the bill in helping individuals acquire treatment and recovery.
Source: 2020 West Virginia Senate campaign website PaulaJean.com
Jul 6, 2020
Richard Ojeda:
An advocate for medical marijuana
Ojeda is an advocate for medical marijuana and it should be noted that he does
have a business interest with a CBD oil company as a co-founder.
Source: 2020 West Virginia Senate campaign website VoteOjeda.com
Mar 5, 2020
Richard Ojeda:
Marijuana can be used for clinical, medical purposes
Marijuana is one of the most popular crop around the world. Use and sell of marijuana has been prohibited in many countries due to vast notions associated with Cannabis.
Marijuana can be used for clinical purposes as well as for medical purposes. The clinical use of marijuana entails prescribing the drug to patients of cancer or those who have undergone chemotherapy.
Source: 2020 West Virginia Senate campaign website VoteOjeda.com
Mar 5, 2020
Richard Ojeda:
Supports medical marijuana, co-founded CBD oil company
Cannabis: Ojeda is an advocate for medical marijuana and it should be noted that he does have a
business interest with a CBD oil company as a co-founder.
Source: 2020 West Virginia Senate campaign website VoteOjeda.com
Jun 1, 2020
Ron Stollings:
Establish the Governor's Office of Substance Abuse
Stollings, a medical doctor, said he would establish the Governor's Office of Substance Abuse to focus on the impact of the opioid crisis. "How do we know how much we should receive in settlement dollars if we don't know how much prevention
and treatment programs will cost? This should be an effort coordinated by the Governor, in the Governor's Office," Stollings said in a news release.Stollings said, during an appearance on
MetroNews "Talkline," the state will continue to struggle to move forward until the opioid crisis is brought under control. "I do have potential input to right the ship here in
West Virginia," Stollings said. "I'm uniquely qualified with regard to the substance use disorder and its impact on businesses, the economy and the education system."
Source: W.V. MetroNews on 2020 West Virginia Gubernatorial race
Sep 23, 2019
Ron Stollings:
Addiction is a disease; integrate recovery into primary care
Woody Thrasher's suggestion of applying capital punishment to drug deals that result in fatalities drew a swift rebuke from state Senator Ron Stollings, a Democrat and doctor who is also running for governor. "I just think it's ridiculous," Stolling
said. "We don't have a death penalty in West Virginia. I don't think it would curb a drug deal. These drug dealers are not fazed by punishment or anything like that. A lot of them are addicted also. The definition of addiction means you do crazy stuff.
Everybody wants to criminalize addiction and you can't. You have to treat addiction or substance use disorder as a chronic illness."Stollings and Thrasher each attended a public hearing to roll out a West Virginia Substance Use Response Plan.
Stollings emphasized integrating recovery programs into primary care, as well as strengthening services to support children affected by family drug addiction in the first few years of their lives. He also wants to focus on how settlement money is used.
Source: W.V. MetroNews on 2020 West Virginia Gubernatorial race
Oct 24, 2019
Shelley Moore Capito:
Fund advertisements intended to reduce methamphetamine use
As part of the debate on the reauthorization of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), Capito offered an amendment to improve awareness of the methamphetamine epidemic.The amendment ensures that no less than ten percent of the national
media campaign funds will be expended on advertisements specifically intended to reduce methamphetamine use. The Director of ONDCP will also have the authority to award grants to private entities producing research-based public service messages, with
the goal of reducing first-time meth use among young people.
"Meth addiction is an epidemic that has unfortunately spread quickly across communities in West Virginia and the entire country, said Capito. We need to do a better job of reaching out
to young people and educating them about the dangers of meth before it's too late. The amendment I joined in offering today is a step in that direction, and will hopefully help keep our communities and families safe from the dangers of meth."
Source: Vote-USA.org on 2010 West Virginia Senate incumbents
Oct 4, 2008
Stephen Noble Smith:
Rapidly expand access to drug treatment services
Stephen Smith, a community organizer running as a Democrat, proposes on his website to rapidly expand access to drug treatment services and to focus on providing better access to jobs, housing and food for those facing addiction.
"We are the state that started the American revolution and powered the industrial revolution--we can lead our nation in showing how to solve the opioid and addiction epidemic too," Smith states on his website.
Source: W.V. MetroNews on 2020 West Virginia Gubernatorial race
Oct 24, 2019
Woody Thrasher:
Execute drug dealers whose sales result in death
Woody Thrasher says the opioid problem is such a crisis that the state should have the option of executing drug dealers whose sales result in death. "I think it should be considered when you look at the havoc they wreak on society; we should consider
the sternest of all measures," Thrasher said on MetroNews' "Talkline."The wording in Thrasher's platform is: "In drug crimes that result in death, including the sale of tainted drugs, when the guilt of a person is established beyond a reasonable
doubt, we should consider the death penalty." West Virginia abolished capital punishment in 1965.
Thrasher, speaking on "Talkline," said the Justice administration has dealt too inconsistently with a pervasive problem. "Those folks who are selling
fentanyl-based things, we've got to come down hard on them, Thrasher said. "We've got to come down with a hammer. There is no concerted effort and plan to deal with this problem in West Virginia," Thrasher said. "We have to do better than we're doing.
Source: W.V. MetroNews on 2020 West Virginia Gubernatorial race
Oct 24, 2019
Woody Thrasher:
Addiction is a disease; but no compassion for dealers
Capital punishment for fatal drug deals is only part of the broader set of proposals Thrasher released. Other proposals include increasing availability of treatment for people who need more than 90 days, providing more support for grandparents raising
children and breaking up the Department of Health and Human Resources.Thrasher emphasized that he believes addiction is a disease that needs to be treated with compassion. But the death penalty proposal stood out as one likely to stir debate.
Source: W.V. MetroNews on 2020 West Virginia Gubernatorial race
Oct 24, 2019
Woody Thrasher:
Focus on treatment, prevention, helping families
Q: What do you see as the role of the legislature in addressing the opioid crisis?Thrasher: I would work directly with the Legislature to lead efforts to recovery, including focused strategies for treatment, prevention, supporting law enforcement,
workforce training and helping families. We will add treatment centers, increase long-term treatment beds, ensure prosecution of dealers to the fullest extent of the law and partner with the private and nonprofit sectors to help solve this crisis.
Source: Williamson Daily News on 2020 West Virginia governor race
Mar 24, 2020
Page last updated: Feb 18, 2023