Clerk Convicted Of Selling Meth Ingredient (10 Bottles of Cold Medicine Could Bring 10 Years)

The Oklahoman ^ | Oct. 2, 2003

[Wolfie]

CLERK CONVICTED OF SELLING METH INGREDIENT

ENID -- A convenience store clerk has been convicted of selling an over-the-counter decongestant used to make methamphetamine. Claude Allen McFalls, 70, sold 10 bottles of cold medicine to an undercover police officer at Mac's Mart No. 1 in Enid. He was convicted Wednesday of unlawful sale of precursor substances.

McFalls could face up to 10 years in prison.

McFalls testified that he did not hear most of what Sgt. Kevin Morris said to him during the sale last August. The clerk said he would not have sold the pills if he understood the officer intended to use them to manufacture methamphetamine.

Morris said McFalls initially refused to sell him more than five bottles of pseudoephedrine tablets, even though he complained he could not cook up much dope with that many pills.

"I said, 'It's kind of hard to make meth when you can only get five bottles at a time,'" Morris said.

McFalls eventually consented to sell Morris another five bottles if he went out to his car for a few minutes then re-entered the store, the narcotics officer said.

Selling pseudoephedrine is not illegal unless the seller knows it is intended to be used for manufacturing methamphetamine.

McFalls was one of seven people arrested Aug. 22, 2002, on charges of illegally selling pseudoephedrine.

McFalls' sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 2.

[robertpaulsen]

Definition of "an irrational emotional appeal trying to pass itself off as an argument"......

"The DEA SWAT team shot my dog"

[tacticalogic]

Everybody but you, right?

[robertpaulsen]

Why did he say go out and come back, then?

[WillowyDame]

"If only he had sold the cold medicine to Rush, the "clowns around here" would give him a pass.

"no one has given rush a pass

rush has yet to tell us anything!

no one knows what is going on.

[robertpaulsen]

Not at all.

I'm not above countering with a little emotionalism of my own.

[tacticalogic]

As long as you're not making any pretense of being objective.

[Rifleman]

Better yet, legalize the crud and let Father Darwin sort it out. In a generation or so the susceptables would be winnowed out and the rest of us could have the Bill of Rights back without all the drug law exceptions.

[Almondjoy]

Oh please... Kids are driven by peer pressure.. everyone knows that's the driving force behind drug usage. When it's there.. use it. That will always be the golden rule. The whole point of being a teenager is rebel. Laws don't matter at that stage.

[TaxRelief]

One day you will be in tremendous pain and you may or may not consider buying painkillers on the black market. We may never know, huh? We'll just pray you live a blessed and pain-free life.

[Jonathon Spectre]

The only thing to do to these Drug Warriors is to show them the black flag.

[Jonathon Spectre]

The only thing to do to these Drug Warriors is to show them the black flag.

[ChemistCat]

I just realized that I own water, chlorine bleach, sodium chloride, gosh, all sorts of precursors.

I am trying to give up actual cursing, so hopefully I can stop with merely precursing.

Though stories like this make it a challenge.

[auggy]

They must think they are getting the drugies off the street. Putting away this old man,,is NOT going to benefit no one. If, he broke a law by selling this product, which I guess he did, make him find a new job not being a clerk. To say he should be locked up, is assinign.

[Frank_2001]

Any non-police witnesses to this alleged conversation?

[Wolfie]

Unless you're extending the same compassion to the average non-radio-show-hosting-junkie on the street, then I don't wanna hear about it.

[robertpaulsen]

"Laws don't matter at that stage."

Look at any survey and you'll find teens saying that marijuana is easier to get than alcohol -- yet twice as many teens use alcohol as marijuana.

Why? Both drugs are illegal to those under 21, so legality is not the issue. IMO, teens use alcohol because alcohol is legal (for adults).

This legality gives alcohol a legitimacy that marijuana does not have. It says, basically, society has determined that alcohol is OK, only you must be an adult to drink it. Certainly, if alcohol was really bad, it wouldn't be legal for anyone, would it?

So, teens use alcohol, despite the easy availability of marijuana, thinking that it's safe and that it makes them an adult in the eyes of their peers.

Legalizing marijuana runs the risk that teens will get a similar message, and their usage will increase.

[Wolfie]

Any non-police witnesses to this alleged conversation?

When has that ever mattered? Since the guy's already convicted , it hardly matters.

[Almondjoy]

You miss the point. Kids often use alcohol because of the same reason as adults.. it reduces inhibition. Kids who use marijuana are often the lazy ones. Not really the "drug" of choice for a party enviroment. Obviously you don't understand the effects or the difference between the two or you wouldn't of made such an off base statement.

[robertpaulsen]

Oh man. If you're looking for "it reduces inhibition", there's cocaine, crack, methamphetamine, GHB, Ecstasy, Rohypnol, and many others. Yet the #1 drug of choice (by 2:1 over marijuana), alcohol.

Alcohol in a party environment? Like a rave?

And this is the only time kids do alcohol -- at a party? Nope, I still say they do it because it's approved for adults. They use anything else and they're loser dopers.