"Violence follows drugs, regardless of whether they are legal or not," he added. "The drugs have value ... and human lives don't to those who operate in the drug world."
This statement by Phoenix Police Department Commander Brent Vermeer must win some kind of prize for silliness.
This obvious, common sense, factual approach has long been ignored in favor of misinformation and paranoia about all things cannabis. Some in law enforcement recognize the stupidity of marijuana prohibition, but resistance is still strong, and giving up this fundamental source of funding and federal support for police departments will not be easy, but it can and must be done.
Political pressure is growing to reclassify or remove marijuana from the DEA's drug schedule as real world experiments with legalization are proving the official stance to be irrational. When reclassification happens, Federal marijuana prohibition is over.
Hopefully, as time goes on without the dire outcomes feared by legislators, the concept of "non-toxic" will sink in. There's no need to severely restrict or deny anyone the right to use a non-toxic herb just because they might enjoy it.
Officialdom has still not accepted the concept that cannabis is non-toxic and a lot less harmful than alcohol or tobacco. It's not surprising that liquor license rules still reflect that bias.
It would be nice if the campaign was more accurately named. It's actually about regulating marijuana much more strictly than alcohol or tobacco. Adults can buy all the beer, wine and cigarettes they want at any corner market at rational prices even though those products are more harmful to users than cannabis.
I don't see this law having a huge effect. The police have no reason to stop anyone who's driving doesn't attract attention. Roadside check points are an exception, but they are announced in advance and can be avoided. So, if you're driving normally and safely you should be fine...unless you're black or Hispanic, of course. Then, no telling when you'll be stopped.
"—that combined with the fact the shop has bulletproof glass, numerous security cameras, and several alarm panels."
This level of security will not be necessary as legalization spreads, prices drop dramatically and legislators finally understand that this is a non-toxic plant. Marijuana is only attractive to criminals because of the inflated prices the black market fetches and the legal market still imitates.
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This statement by Phoenix Police Department Commander Brent Vermeer must win some kind of prize for silliness.
Political pressure is growing to reclassify or remove marijuana from the DEA's drug schedule as real world experiments with legalization are proving the official stance to be irrational. When reclassification happens, Federal marijuana prohibition is over.
It would be nice if the campaign was more accurately named. It's actually about regulating marijuana much more strictly than alcohol or tobacco. Adults can buy all the beer, wine and cigarettes they want at any corner market at rational prices even though those products are more harmful to users than cannabis.
This level of security will not be necessary as legalization spreads, prices drop dramatically and legislators finally understand that this is a non-toxic plant. Marijuana is only attractive to criminals because of the inflated prices the black market fetches and the legal market still imitates.