Marijuana: Does you care?

[gsosa]

So, the UN released some statements yesterday stating that the current war on drugs has been a failure and that it's time we considered alternatives. Of course this got people talking and it got me thinking. I've already talked to a few friends who are police officers in person and surprisingly got replies that suggested that they really didn't care about marijuana so much. They DO, as it's their job, but they told me that oftentimes if the person has only a little bit and are polite, they let it go.

I was wanting to get some more opinions from "professionals" on this one. I think it's safe to say that science has come a long way and dispelled a lot of myths concerning this substance that used to be a big deal in past decades. Plus it's recently gaining a lot of medicinal acceptance.

I know this is a cliched question somewhat, but whatever. I wanna know.. Do you care? If you, as a police officer, encounter somebody with marijuana.. Are you more inclined to shrug and think "well, it's not terribly bad" or do you promptly arrest them and consider the streets a significantly cleaner place?

The last thing I wanna do is start an argument though.. So let's keep arguments reasonable and respectable =D

[gsosa]

Oops, sorry, accidentally put "does" instead of "do" in the thread title without thinking and now I dunno how to change it =\

[Citicop]

Marijuana is against the law in the US.

The job of the police is to enforce the law.

Do I think that people who use drugs are automatically terrible people? Not at all.

Do I routinely charge people criminally who violate drug laws? Yes.

Do I *always* charge EVERYONE who I find with drugs? No.

But it's a crime, and breaks for dope are rare for me.

-Citicop.

[kels]

The UN would know about failures.

It comes in second after the IMF.

(edited to add, you got weed, congrats, I got your ride and jewelry.)

[MikeG]

So, the UN released some statements yesterday stating that the current war on drugs has been a failure and that it's time we considered alternatives..

Actually I think they said the War on Drugs globally has gotten worse. That's the net effect as they note that countries that enforce the law, WoD was a success and that it was offset globally by drug use in lawless. Which basically means, it worked where it was implemented and failed where it wasn't.

Second, the UN has morphed into one basic function. Take money from "wealthy" nations and give it to "poor" nations. Therefore, what they want to do is move money used in the WoD and give it to the lawless countries despite the fact that they acknowledge the current system actually reduces drugs in the nations that do it. The UN manufactures quite a few problems to justify their single purpose.

[gsosa]

Actually I think they said the War on Drugs globally has gotten worse. That's the net effect as they note that countries that enforce the law, WoD was a success and that it was offset globally by drug use in lawless. Which basically means, it worked where it was implemented and failed where it wasn't.

Second, the UN has morphed into one basic function. Take money from "wealthy" nations and give it to "poor" nations. Therefore, what they want to do is move money used in the WoD and give it to the lawless countries despite the fact that they acknowledge the current system actually reduces drugs in the nations that do it. The UN manufactures quite a few problems to justify their single purpose.

Pretty sure their direct words were that is has been a failure. Either way though, I do agree somewhat that the UN isn't what they're supposed to be. Not entirely sure if this is really for the sake of giving money to poorer nations, as I think America would benefit well also. And on the note of money, I've become convinced that it's the only reason America chooses to leave marijuana in the legal condition it's currently in.

But I guess I'm getting off topic. I'm not wanting for this to be another legalization thread, I just wanna hear the opinions from the people who have to deal with almost everyday. The whole UN thing really sparked interest in me for some reason

[sparrow803]

I think this is the story he is referring to.


NEW YORK (Reuters) - A high-profile group of global leaders declared the "war on drugs" a failure on Thursday and urged governments to consider decriminalizing drugs in a bid to cut consumption and weaken the power of organized crime gangs.

The Global Commission on Drug Policy, which includes former presidents of Brazil, Colombia, Mexico and Switzerland, said a decades-long strategy of outlawing drugs and jailing drug users while battling cartels that control the trade had not worked.

"It's not peace instead of war, it's a more intelligent way to fight ... the use of drugs," former Brazilian President Fernando Henrique Cardoso, chair of the commission, told a news conference in New York. "Stop the war on drugs and let's be more constructive in trying to reduce consumption."

"We cannot have one recipe. It's not so easy to say stop the war on drugs and let's legalize, it's more complicated than that," he said. "Between prohibition and legalization there is an enormous variety of solutions in between."

The commission recommended that governments experiment with the legal regulation of drugs, especially cannabis, referring to the success in countries such as Portugal, Switzerland and the Netherlands where drug consumption had been reduced.

In 2001, Portugal decriminalized all drug consumption and users now face fines and treatment instead of jail time, while in Holland heroin can be medically prescribed and in Switzerland addicts get free methadone and clean needles.

But the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy said in a statement that making drugs more available would make it harder to keep communities healthy and safe. The United States is the biggest market for illegal drugs.

Ruth Dreifuss, former President of Switzerland, told reporters: "Drugs can be sexy when they are underground ... If you medicalize, it's no longer sexy."

Users "know now that they are ill persons and not rebels in society. It's no longer sexy and it's no longer attractive for future rebels," she said.

The commission, which also includes former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, former U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker and British billionaire Richard Branson, said drug users should be offered health and treatment services instead of being treated like criminals.

There are 250 million users of illicit drugs worldwide, with less than a tenth classified as dependent, and millions are involved in cultivation, production and distribution, according to U.N. estimates quoted in the commission's report.

'UNWINNABLE BATTLE'

The commission recommended countries continuing to invest in a mostly law enforcement approach should focus on violent organized crime and drug traffickers and that reduced sentences should be promoted for people at the low-end of the trade, such as farmers, couriers and petty dealers.

"In Europe it's easy to treat the question as just a health problem," Cardoso said.

"In Latin America it's not just a health problem, it's also a problem of gangs and ... violence and the control of local power by drug lords, so it's more complicated and the government has to be much more active in fighting," he said.

The commission said that money spent by governments on futile drug war efforts could be better spent on different ways to reduce drug demand and the harm caused by drug abuse.

The full report is available at Global Commission on Drug Policy | Report.

(Additional reporting by Will Dunham in Washington and Olesya Dmitracova in London; editing by Mohammad Zargham)

[retdetsgt]

Why don't you take this to a legislative forum instead of an enforcement forum? As explained to you, we don't give a rat's @ss what the UN says about this or anything else. When our legislative bodies decide to legalize drugs, you get stoned all you want and not worry about us. Until then..............

[mcsap]

We will also NEVER eradicate drunk driving either , should we legalize that as well ?? To legalize any drug means we will have MORE people high. More doctors, dentists , truck drivers, KIDS , etc. That WILL be the byproduct of any such legalization.

SO do we want MORE people in the world stoned or less ?

[Safety Steve]

I arrest for any amount of marijuana! And by arrest I mean: Your vehicle gets towed and you get taken to jail.

With my 9 years of interviewing people about drug use, It has been my experience that marijuana is the stepping stone to more drugs. I can count on one hand how many times I interviewed someone who did not use marijuana first before using other drugs.


Be Safe.

[gsosa]

We will also NEVER eradicate drunk driving either , should we legalize that as well ?? To legalize any drug means we will have MORE people high. More doctors, dentists , truck drivers, KIDS , etc. That WILL be the byproduct of any such legalization.

SO do we want MORE people in the world stoned or less ?

I don't think the point is that it's suggested simply because we can't eradicate it. I think it's more of a product of science and understanding (personal opinion), and people being upset that drug laws often give criminals more and more power. If a drug is going to be out there, I'd rather people be buying it in a safe and regulate way than giving money to a drug dealer on the streets.

Of course driving while drunk shouldn't be legal. Neither should be driving when you've taken your pain prescription, or driving when you've taken some sleep aid. I don't think there's much stopping it (I'm not a cop, again, so I dunno much about stopping DUIs though). Being 21 I know people who smoke and I know people that drive when they do it. I usually protest it but in the end it's not my decision. I would hope regulating it would educate and further deter people like it has in other cases.

[Gutwrench]

I frankly don't care about it. I'd cite for weed or make them stomp it into the sidewalk. Actually the latter was more entertaining. Personal amounts of weed isn't the crime of the century and not much more serious than drinking a 40 ouncer in public.

[ChesCopPodz]

I work in Colorado, which allows medical marijuana. It's a complete sham. At least half of the "patients" simply paid a crooked doctor a couple hundred bucks for a recommendation.

One argument that is COMPLETELY false is that "crime doesn't go up with medical marijuana". Burglaries and personal robberies have skyrocketed from people breaking into marijuana distributers and robbing card holders. I honestly don't know of a single dispensary in the area where I work that hasn't been broken into, or at least had an attempted burglary.

I honestly couldn't care less if it was legal or not. I enforce laws, I don't write them.

[Gutwrench]

I arrest for any amount of marijuana! And by arrest I mean: Your vehicle gets towed and you get taken to jail.

You can book for weed? (You have time?) I've been Californicated working the left coast, I think.

[PathosLogos]

If a drug is going to be out there, I'd rather people be buying it in a safe and regulate way than giving money to a drug dealer on the streets.

...because "government-regulated" means it's going to run at optimum efficiency, of course.