SUMMER SEES INCREASE IN MARIJUANA USE

ACTON-The number of marijuana-related arrests and complaints in town
has jumped somewhat over the past several weeks, but police put the
spike down to the onset of summer.

"The weather is better, so people are outside more," said Lt. Don
Palma, a spokesman for the Acton Police Department. "Kids are also
out of school, so they have more time and less supervision."

Palma said he doesn't believe that the recent incidents constitute a
significant trend. "This happens pretty much every year," he said.
One area youth, who wished to remain anonymous, agreed that the
increase in marijuana-related incidents is probably just a seasonal
phenomenon, but said that the drug is readily available to students
in town. "If you want to get it, you can get it," he said. "It's
pretty easy to find. Some of it is kids selling to other kids, but
I've also heard about people dealing in larger quantities as well.
You wouldn't have to go far to find that. There's a variety, too.
You can get really good weed, or you can get bad weed." Another area
teenager who spoke on condition of anonymity said that he could think
of more than 10 people in town from whom he could buy marijuana.
"It's kind of everywhere," he said.

Lt. Palma said that while the major highways running through and
around Acton serve as trafficking corridors to bring drugs out of
Boston, little of that movement spills over into Acton itself.

While he declined to speak in detail about ongoing investigations
for fear of compromising them, Palma said that Acton police are
collaborating with state police on long-term investigations into
what he called "mid-level dealers" in town. "We're working towards
some arrests on that front," Palma said. "Both to shut the operation
down and hopefully to find out more about the distribution and move
up the ladder."

In the meantime, though, Palma said, the situation is under control.
"There isn't really anything unusual or alarming about the last
couple of weeks," he said. "I think it's just that it's summer, so
we're seeing it more."