Madison County Democrat. (London, Ohio) 19??-1958, 1951-08-03
BOSS TOOK HIS BROOM SO
HE STABBED HIM TO DEATH
by Travis Walsh

COLUMBUS, O.,-6Pl "A It.
year-old department store worker
started smoking Marijuana to re-
lieve the drudgery of sweeping
floors.
Jazzed up in REFERS cloud,
he imagined the broom was
beautiful girl and danced it
around the floor.
Harmless, you say?
His boss tried TO take away
the broom. TIE youth stabbed him
to death.
This actually happened. Til e
setting was not in Ohio. But it's
an example of what may come
from the increase in Mariiuana
smoking among Ohio's teen ayers,
says Narcotics Agent AL Cook.
Recent reports indicate use of
all types of narcotics is on an
alarming increase across the ma
tion. But to agents of the u. S.
Bureau of Narcotics, like Cook,
Marijuana is the big profile m
among teen ayers.
The idea that Marijuana is
not habit forming and therefore
harmless is nonsense" said Cook
as he showed a reporter a box
of harmless looking cigarettes on
his desk in the federal building
They look just like ordinary
roll-your-ownS. Inside the white
paper, the grain resembled tobac-
CO.
Cook explained that people don't
become addicted to Marijuana
like heroin, cocaine. morphine or
opium. But the beginner, who
smokes one cigarette the frs t
night, soon uses as many as 20
a day.
Some of our most heinouS crimes
are committed by people hoped
UP on REFERS (Marijuana cigaret-
test" Cook said.
And Mariiuana often is only a
step toward use of the stronger
narcotics.
Well, where do you find REFERS
in Ohio?
Other narcotics must be snug
gled or stolen, Marijuana is easy
to get The weed grows wild, in
fields. along river banks some
times in your own back yard.
Few people realize Marijuana
Is just plain hemp weed used to
make rope.
Once you have the weed, h G
rest is a snap. An ordinary window
screen is placed over lar g e
tub. and the weed scraped over
the screen. The resulting grain is
rolled III tobacco paper available
at any cigar stand.
Peddling it is T little harder.
Teen age hangouts like bee bop
music places. bars. pool halls and
even the school yards of Ohio
are good sources.
Some peddlers crop up in the
least expected places. Cook cited
the case of a Columbus man who
professed to be a preacher. He
travelled around to Vario S
churches. he used his contacts
with young people to peddle reef
ers. First a free one. Then three
for 81 That's the market price
in Columbus.
The man is behind bars n w.
But he left behind a trail of Mari
juana smokers. And, just like dope
addicts, every smoker convert S
at least one other person.
Some peddlerS even provide a
smoking room like recently
padlocked bar on the outskirts of
Columbus, said Cook.
1t used to be a late-hour hang
out for musicians. Teen ayers
flocked there for jazz sessions.
There We're drinks at the b ar,
prostitutes upstairs and the al
was thick with REFER smoke.
Marijuana is not smoked Ii k e
an ordinary cigarette. The US r
cups his hands around the Gig
arctic and inhales deeply. T h e
smoke is never exhaled.
Some teen ayers roll up til e
windows in a car and all inhale
at once. The sickeningly sweet
smoke soon fills the car and
and everyone breathes the thick
fumes. This speeds up the intoxi-
eating effects.