MARIJUANA STILL DRUG OF CHOICE

The Olathe Police Department reported a 19 percent decrease in the number
of drug cases last year.

In the year-end report, Olathe Police Sgt. Scott Russell, drug unit
supervisor, said the department handled 400 drug cases in 2000, compared
with 492 in 1999.

"What we're seeing the most in Olathe is marijuana usage," Russell said.

Barbara Burks, director of substance abuse services for Johnson County
Mental Health, said marijuana usage is a common problem throughout the county.

"What we're seeing in our youth treatment program is that alcohol and
marijuana are the drugs of choice," she said.

In an Olathe narcotics report, alcohol and nicotine aren't listed because
it is legal to possess them.

"All the people that work with kids need to realize that some drugs come
and go, but alcohol, marijuana and nicotine always stay up there," Burks said.

Through arrests and seizures, Olathe police collected 171.5 pounds of
marijuana with a street value estimated around $69,000.

Police filed 247 reports of marijuana possession, 24 reports of the sale of
marijuana and no reports of marijuana cultivation - all down from the
previous year.

In 1999, the department filed 342 reports of possession, 29 reports of the
sale of marijuana and four reports of marijuana cultivation.

Burks said that although marijuana remains the most common drug found in
Johnson County, other drugs are on the rise.

"We have seen the steady increase of designer, 'club' drugs like ecstasy,"
she said.

The Olathe Police reported one case of ecstasy possession in 1999 and no
cases of the sale of ecstasy. Although the number of ecstasy possession
cases dropped to zero, the number of ecstasy sales jumped to seven,
resulting in the seizure of 341 ecstasy tablets.

Russell said that although the number of cases is down, that doesn't mean
drug use is on the decline.

"We obviously don't know what everybody is using or taking, but this is
what we're coming across," Russell said.

There is a possibility that the number of drug cases can decrease as the
number of drug users increases if the users are more covert in their practices.

To catch drug criminals, the Olathe Police Department works in conjunction
with other area law enforcement agencies such as the Johnson County
Sheriff's Department and the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.

"We've had several cases this past year that involved outside assistance,"
Russell said.