Majority of Law Enforcement Officers Support Marijuana Policy Reform

[madokie]

I'm not so sure this is true with the local cops around these parts. They seem to take a lot of satisfaction in busting pot smokers. 30 years ago that wasn't the case, back then If you weren't doing something really stupid they'd just look the other way, now they're looking to find the weed first thing, seems like from what I read in the local papers and hear on the streets.

Former cop: the war on drugs changed the very nature of policing for the worse.


Though not conducted with the methodological rigor of the Pew poll that came out yesterday showing 54% of Americans support the legalization of marijuana and two-thirds believe drug policy should focus on treatment rather than prosecuting drug users, Law Officer magazine has provided LEAP a poll of its own showing an even more surprising finding: a majority of law enforcement officers also support marijuana policy reform.

Though some of the provided answers seemed to overlap, the overall effect is one indicating broad support for change among the readership of the publication, 97% of whom indicated they are or had been in law enforcement. Some of the most surprising results include 66% saying marijuana possession should be legalized, decriminalized, legalized for medical reasons or illegal but only punished with fines, with the largest plurality (37%) supporting legalization. Even more surprising, almost 27% supported legalizing “the sale of marijuana in large quantities” with 36% calling for some form of change from the current model. While support for decriminalizing possession of other drugs was significantly lower, 14% of this population (generally thought to be the most opposed to reform) supported changes in policy.

http://www.alternet.org/drugs/majority-law-enforcement-officers-support-marijuana-policy-reform

[pipoman]

1. We find this often

Rank and file police have one view, usually a populist view. Cop bureaucrats have another view, usually based on funding or power. I am cautious about the motivation when I hear, 'the chiefs of police support. ..', I don't believe their interest is in the best interest of the people often.