Police Groups Furiously Protest Eric Holder's Marijuana Policy Announcement

[Logical]

LOL, the police are more upset about not being able to cease assets down the road from illegal pot as more and more states legalize it.

WASHINGTON -- A broad coalition of law enforcement officers who have spent the past three decades waging an increasingly militarized drug war that has failed to reduce drug use doesn't want to give up the fight.

Organizations that include sheriffs, narcotics officers and big-city police chiefs slammed Attorney General Eric Holder in a joint letter Friday, expressing "extreme disappointment" at his announcement that the Department of Justice would allow Colorado and Washington to implement state laws that legalized recreational marijuana for adults.

If there had been doubt about how meaningful Holder's move was, the fury reflected in the police response eliminates it. The role of law enforcement is traditionally understood to be limited to enforcing laws, but police organizations have become increasingly powerful political actors, and lashed out at Holder for not consulting sufficiently before adopting the new policy.

"It is unacceptable that the Department of Justice did not consult our organizations -- whose members will be directly impacted -- for meaningful input ahead of this important decision," the letter reads. "Our organizations were given notice just thirty minutes before the official announcement was made public and were not given the adequate forum ahead of time to express our concerns with the Department’s conclusion on this matter. Simply 'checking the box' by alerting law enforcement officials right before a decision is announced is not enough and certainly does not show an understanding of the value the Federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement partnerships bring to the Department of Justice and the public safety discussion."

More at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/30/police-eric-holder-marijuana-_n_3846518.html

[Scuba]

1. "... our organizations -- whose members will be directly impacted ..."

Yep, they're going to lose a ton of assets, but then if they quit trying to enforce the stupid law they'll have less to do, so fuck 'em.

[Logical]

2. On this topic, the police have no credibility. n-t

[Link Speed]

3. They might have to deal with actual criminals

You should see the vehicles that are assigned to the local cops.

And then there is the Private Prison Industry.

[Royal777]

4. Jail

So maybe we can stop filling our jail with minor offenders.

[Dawson Leery]

5. Perhaps these organizations should not exist.

Coolidge and Roosevelt did not want law enforcement lobbying for business at the expense of the populace.

[Scuba]

6. Excellent point.

[Dawson Leery]

12. In many second and third world countries, it is common practice

for law enforcement to introduce laws into the legislatures. Armenia is a prime example of this act.

[NightWatcher]

7. Ah, go smoke a bowl and chill

You've had more time than enough to wage your drug war and you've failed, so we're pulling out.

[Politicalboi]

8. FU Pigs

Why don't you go after "real" criminals. Because now, those "real" criminals may be armed legally. And the pigs support that. Fuck you assholes. This is one more reason we need to legalize it for ALL 50 states. And if not legal, then stop them from being able to steal your homes even if they made a mistake. Or be able to sue the pigs personally for their mistakes, and take their homes away from them.

[davidn3600]

9. Someone needs to tell the police that it's not their decision...they have no say

That is why their opinion was not sought.

Police do not make or interpret laws and policies of the government. Period. That's not their job.

[mick063]

10. The day that law enforcement actually believes they are a political entity.

Is the day that they believe they are no longer employed by citizens.

Time to reinforce the message that they are employed by citizens.

The "spoils of war" mentality must go. Property seizure to fund police departments was a very bad idea to begin with.

Law enforcement should not be funded by plundering. It creates an undesired independence from fiscal accountability to citizens.

If money and property is confiscated, it should be specifically decided upon by a judge, unique to each specific case, and the assets placed into the general fund to be spent as legislators see fit.

Conditioning law enforcement to plunder creates many possibilities for opportunistic abuse. It nurtures profiteering as a goal and potentially diverts resources from more important work.

[Dawson Leery]

14. +1

Oregon gives civil forfeiture funds to drug rehab and education. Of course, LEO groups oppose this.

[libdem4life]

11. Northern California growers and local economy could go into depression

In the Emerald Triangle, pot is the main crop and the primary source of income for a large number of families. Not much you can grow in deep forests. Pot income buys houses, groceries, utilities, etc.
It also funds governmental organizations such as civil, judicial, penal, educational and pays very good salaries and pensions, etc.

Many were shocked when the Feds shut down Oaksterdam just a few months ago...a university in Oakland that taught everything marijuana...growth, propagating, sales and marketing.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/03/oaksterdam-university-raid_n_1397255.html

Now, if the government controls it, taxes it, determines the profit...significantly less than the black market value...there could be a regional depression. It's some of the highest value real estate, government property, the Park Services/Sequoias, tourism, and much more. The 60's hippies who "dropped out" now have grandchildren and the old saying is ...don't trust anyone over 70...LOL

"So many people who live here are just different," she said. "They don't fit in regular society. They couldn't work 9-to-5 jobs. But they've gotten used to raising their kids on middle-class incomes. What are they going to do?"

http://articles.latimes.com/2012/sep/29/local/la-me-north-coast-pot-20120930

[dreamnightwind]

15. I sympathize, but so what?

I'm literally one of those kinds of people you describe myself (lol, I'm unemployed, but have nothing to do with their line of work, just to clarify), so I totally get the desire to find a niche for such people.

But, much of their success is built on prohibition.

To the extent that they can raise a crop and bring it to market just like any other crop, I support them (very much so).

But when their situation depends on prohibition creating artificially high prices and keeping potential competitors out of the business because the potential competitors don't like the idea of their income being on the shady side of the law, that is something they will have to deal with but it is nothing I will concern myself about, at all.

In that way, their needs and interests are similar to those of the cops who have come to depend on wrongful gains through confiscation and drug war grants. Neither of those groups' interests should be considered as legitimate voices in coming up with a rational cannabis policy, they are both benefiting from the insanity of prohibition, and both groups are now obstacles to ending it. They need to adapt to legalization, and get out of the way of it.

[libdem4life]

16. Wasn't written for sympathy...couldn't find the "irony" button...Hippies and Cops agree !!

Should have never been made illegal in the first place.

Stated differently, it's not just the cops who are terrified of legalized pot and have built a structure around the issue. We have known for a long time that the major tobacco companies, stinging from the blows of those who quit cigarettes, have legalization dialed in just about the time they have all their massive fields ready to go. Also, standing by with their gratuitous, financial gestures of thanks to their again to be elected representatives. Pot will be pork...politically speaking.

Also, agreed, it's just Prohibition 2.0

[dreamnightwind]

17. Great

Sorry I didn't know where you were coming from. Believe it or not, I've seen some anti-legalization stuff coming from people who know people in the triangle, and they like things the way they are. Decided to finally speak out about it, after giving it some thought.

I would hope they could carve out a niche as higher-end farmers, no doubt better than the stuff big tobacco will offer us. Also I hope it becomes legal for anyone to grow their own rather than having to purchase government-corporate-approved product.

[libdem4life]

19. Absolutely agree. Lived in Northern California since 1988.

They used to stalk the horticulture supply stores along with the "smoke" stores just to get some busts...probably to keep their jobs. To give an example of how mainstream pot has become, there is a medical marijuana store across the highway from a senior community with home values around $500,000 to over $1 million. They don't buy pot to get high...they buy it to help with their respective medical conditions. The doctors here don't discourage it...probably smoke themselves.

After a few high profile busts...and they still do one here and there just because they can (could)...the feds wised up as per the local government officials and backed off...it went quietly into the night, more or less. Haven't heard of a bust for personal use or a grower for quite a while. Most people got the medical cards. There are huge billboards on Highway 101 for doctors who will ascertain your "medical needs" for a fee, of course.

I think they will have to do something if the prices drop significantly...it's the only arable crop for the local economy and it's really high-end stuff. My (medicinal) friends say this weed is off the charts for potency. Really helps them...even those who actually have a medical need...LOL. They all "feel better"...what can I say?

One benefit for the growers will be that there is no financial incentive for new growers to spend the start-up capital...at least in this area. And you can bet that California won't let the region/home values/government employees in the Emerald Triangle go down the tubes.

The pot grown by newbies, i.e. tobacco corporates, probably won't bring the same price. Who knows?

"CAMP (Campaign Against Marijuana Planting)

February 15, 2013 - Requiem for CAMP: The life and death of a domestic U.S. drug war institution International Journal of Drug Policy

August 2, 2012 - Last year, it was announced that Gov. Brown was terminating the CAMP program for budgetary reasons. The CAMP budget was only around a couple of million dollars. According to the report below, however, the feds are putting far more money into MJ eradication in California:"


http://www.canorml.org/camp.html

[dreamnightwind]

20. I didn't know Brown had terminated CAMP

That's wonderful. I used to live in the Santa Cruz mountains and during certain times of the year their helicopters constantly whirred overhead. It felt like living in an occupied territory. Also read some horrific stories over the years about CAMP's abuses. I doubt CAMP ever needed much of a budget, they probably paid for themselves through confiscation of personal property. Glad Brown pulled the plug!

I've been in norcal all my life, but mostly bay area, now in Sonoma county, where things are pretty chill but it isn't the same situation as up in Mendo/Humboldt.

I wouldn't be too sure the state will lift a finger to protect the economy up there, they did nothing for us here when our homes suddenly were worth one-third of what they had been worth (this literally happened to my home), many families here lost everything with no help whatsoever. I'm still fighting to keep mine, long odds though without work. Anyway good luck up there, the times they are a changin'.

[backscatter712]

13. The piggies can suck it.

As the OP stated, they're butthurt because they can't rake in the bucks from civil asset forfeiture. Also, they won't be able to continue to justify all their militarization - the next step is for them to be asked to trim their budgets and get rid of the army toys.

Watch them squeal!

[Rex]

18. That is because 90% of militant shows like COPS

are marijuana stops and arrests or warnings. Which is stupid since you can still give someone a DUI no matter what they are impaired on.