Hailey decriminalizes Pot (crime, felony, home)

[jufrbo]

Hailey voters passed a inniative for medical marijuana and also one to make it the lowest law enforcment priority. This means little because of state laws. But it is a step in the right direction.

[Sage of Sagle]

Absolutely the right way to go. As a retired veteran cop from LA, I never liked that I was cleaning up horrific DUI collisions just about every night, or dealing with drunken bar brawls and wife beaters, but the guy smoking a doobie got treated like a drug kingpin if he had enough for him and his buddies.

Folks, MJ is something that (like other vices) should be a social issue and regulated like cigarettes, NOT a law enforcement issue. Give law enforcement in your community the ability to focus on real crime....and yes, I can give you plenty of anecdotal instances in my career that underscore this issue...

[powderyeti]

Well said Sage...our energy should be spent on life's real emergency's

[California Carl]

Dude... where are my keys?

[Skytripper]

One SMALL step for man......one GIANT leap for ALL........if they would JUST completely LEGALIZE it......at the Federal level....right on down!
Should've been legalized way back in '75......like I thought it was going to be.... but nope, HAD to kick it up a notch and turn it into our "modern day witchunt" instead. Thank Ron & Nancy, William Bennet, and so on.
Come ON, America.......it's a far BETTER alternative to drinking.....ANYDAY!
That IS REALITY!

[Anchorless]

I wholly approve - I've never done the sh-t, but I have plenty of friends that do and it doesn't affect them in the slightest.

Small steps, these recent events, towards focusing our law enforcement and judicial system on things more deserving.

[SergeantL]

Oh, I love this. Everyone is throwing a party, because they think this law is a step in the right direction. Before you all pop the cork on the champagne, you better call some of your friends in Kalifornia and find out how conflicting marijuana laws in that state have created huge problems for law enforcement and the population in general.

Oh, and just wait until your neighbor starts growing dope in his or her backyard as a “registered caregiver” with his or her legally allowable 99 plants, and you are granted the privilege of smelling the odor of fetid moldy gym socks every morning. You will also enjoy the ambience of your neighbor’s punk friends hanging out and smoking dope all day and noticing items from your garage and yard mysteriously disappearing. My favorite side effect of legalized marijuana is the occasional garden raid where you notice strangers jumping fences through your yard to get to the green leafy substance patch next door. Oh, Oh, I almost forgot; that occasional raid occasionally turns out to be a murder or residential robbery wherein the strangers want the “registered caregivers” profits. Having had a murder occur next to you is very comforting to your family and does a bunch for the resale value of your property. Potential buyers love the excitement of moving next door to a murder scene. I particularly loved the fact that my neighbor's teenaged kid, not ten doors down the street, had his brains blown out with a 9mm when he came home during a raid. The fact that my patrol car was parked in my driveway at the time seemed to have no deterrent effect.

I don’t know when Sage was in law enforcement in California, but possession of less than an ounce in California has been handled as an infraction since 1975 and felony drunk driving has always been handled severely, and the penalties grow every year. In short, I do not agree with his statement.

Go right ahead, Idaho. Allow your state to become a cesspool in the California fashion. This is a perfect example of importing California mores to Idaho, and I thought this was one of the primary reasons Idahoans disliked Californians.

[CosmicWizard]

SergeantL you raise some good points, but I think you're missing the big picture.

I haven't given this alot of thought....just thinking off the top of my head so to speak. I'm thinking that if MJ was legalized at the federal level, that it would be more readily and easily available, which would make the so-called street value go way down, eliminating the financial incentive for many of the crimes you describe.

As a law enfoircement officer, you could spend your time dealing with more important issues than hassling someone smoking an herb they choose to smoke. EG, I'd rather see you out there dealing far more harshly with drunken drivers. I'd feel like my taxes were being used more wisely, and I'd be strongly in favor of giving law enforcement a B-I-G raise too!

blessings...Franco

[Anchorless]

Originally Posted by SergeantL

Oh, I love this. Everyone is throwing a party, because they think this law is a step in the right direction. Before you all pop the cork on the champagne, you better call some of your friends in Kalifornia and find out how conflicting marijuana laws in that state have created huge problems for law enforcement and the population in general.

I don’t know when Sage was in law enforcement in California, but possession of less than an ounce in California has been handled as an infraction since 1975 and felony drunk driving has always been handled severely, and the penalties grow every year. In short, I do not agree with his statement.

Go right ahead, Idaho. Allow your state to become a cesspool in the California fashion. This is a perfect example of importing California mores to Idaho, and I thought this was one of the primary reasons Idahoans disliked Californians.

Aren't you from California? [MOD CUT]

Either way, it was a ridiculous post.

[FreeMarketSlave]

Alaska in the 70's had real liberal laws, grow so many, posses so much, etc. I knew of no one that was killed over any of it. I believe Calif. would have the crime and murder regardless, hasn't it always? I lived in Humboldt county in the late 60's, there was dope, Hells Angels, "hippies", you name it.
I think it should be legalized, but, I also really believe the kids shouldn't be able to get a hold of it easily. Kids are lazy enough these days without throwing pot into the mix. I don't smoke anymore, but I don't see that it is as dangerous as alcohol in its effects.