Presence of marijuana, other drugs on the rise in county

The effects of marijuana legalization in Colorado reach far beyond its borders.

“Our proximity to Colorado and the availability of marijuana has certainly had an impact on us here,” said Sidney Chief of police B.J. Wilkinson. “Marijuana availability is relatively prolific in Sidney right now and lots of people we didn’t suspect a year ago, two years ago are now using today.”

Police find personal use quantities and paraphernalia on a regular basis. The number of cases submitted by the police in the last six months for misdemeanor marijuana possession and paraphernalia has grown by 50 percent, W...