Zero Tolerance

As if I needed further evidence that evidence that people in this country are childish on the subject of drugs, I see this story, via Hit & Run:

Sikeston, Missouri - Police and school leaders in Sikeston say the case
involving a 6-year-old girl and a bag of dirt needs to be taken
seriously.
"If she would have been 14, we would have been arrested her and
taken her to jail.” Sgt. Shirley Porter said.
It's a story you saw only on
Heartland News. One that generated an incredible response from you. More than a
1,000 of you logged onto our web site to voice your opinion on the Sikeston
first grade student disciplined for giving a bag of dirt and grass to a
classmate.
Police and school leaders felt it looked like a bag of marijuana.
The girl's mother tells Heartland News that her child did not realize the
difference between a bag of weed and the illegal kind. But, passing even a fake
drug is illegal and had the child been older, she could have been arrested.

Yes people do need to take it seriously when the police and school officials are so terrified of pot that they make a big deal out of a bag of dirt. At least they didn't call in a SWAT team.