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Blue Byline » Posts tagged "marijuana legalization"

Blue Byline

A cop's perspective of the news and South Sound matters

Tag: marijuana legalization

Jan.
17th

Some facts to consider in the marijuana legalization discussion

 

Several times over the last few months I have written columns on the controversial topic of marijuana. There’s been a lot to discuss. Legalization. Medical marijuana permits. Enforcement. I-502.

I based much of the writing on both my experiences as a police officer enforcing drug statutes as well as a few recent Trib articles. These stories ranged from status updates on marijuana legislation, a review of both Tacoma and Seattle’s stance on marijuana enforcement, and the results of an investigative piece wherein a reporter successfully applied for a medical marijuana permit.

The comments I

…

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Jan.
8th

Current marijuana statute lacks clarity, adds danger

The woman was a mess. Because she was shaking and crying so hard, she was barely coherent enough to answer questions about the events of the last hour. And it had been a pretty nasty one.

As the details finally emerged, I learned that four armed men had entered her residence and threatened harm to the woman and her sleeping children. They took cash, property and, she added almost as an afterthought, her marijuana. Specifically, they had taken her medicinal marijuana grow operation, about fifteen plants in all. It soon became plain that the home invasion had occurred because the …

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Dec.
11th

The legalization discussion across the border

When I walk through the streets of Vancouver, B.C., where the skyscrapers are more numerous, the waterfront more inviting and the mountains appear to rise right above me, it is easy to imagine that I am wandering the landscape of an amped up, Super-Tacoma. Then I’ll have a chat with one of my brethren in Canadian law enforcement and realize that, despite the visual similarities (mountains, water, umm… marijuana), our American society holds several distinctions from that which exists in the Great White North.

Starting with the cops. Canadian police, I have observed, have less oversight …

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June
28th

The hurdles of marijuana legalization include Hempfest behavior

In a previous column on marijuana I discussed the legalization turmoil in Olympia, Hempfest, and the subsequent arrests that somehow came as a surprise to those in attendance. I received quite a kickback from readers, many of whom were critical of my views against legalization.

The only problem with that argument is that I’m not against legalization. Truly.

But before anyone considers sending me a link to LEAP (Law Enforcement Against Prohibition), my own opinion on this topic is the following: I don’t care.

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June
25th

Hempfest arrests not surprising–pot is still illegal

In all the smoky confusion coming out of Olympia’s chronic attempt at definitive medical marijuana legislation, it would seem that something fairly basic was lost on those attending this year’s Hempfest at Wright Park.

It’s still illegal to smoke marijuana.

The Trib article describing police arrests at Tacoma’s Hempfest also suggested that many of those given citations were also people deeply involved in the, pardon the pun, grassroots effort to legalize pot. People with that much information on the current state of marijuana legislation should have been the least surprise by the police response, which amounted to citations for possession of drug paraphernalia and marijuana. One such person commented that “I was dumbfounded” after being cited for having drug pipes.

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