Yesterday the WSJ ran a front-page article highlighting how federal funding skews prioritization of marijuana busts for local law enforcement. From the article:
“IGO, Calif.—Shasta County Sheriff Tom Bosenko, his budget under pressure in a weak economy, has laid off staff, reduced patrols and even released jail inmates. But there’s one mission on which he’s spending more than in recent years: pot busts.
“The reason is simple: If he steps up his pursuit of marijuana growers, his department is eligible for roughly half a million dollars a year in federal anti-drug funding, helping save some jobs. The majority of the funding would have to be used to fight pot. Marijuana may not be the county’s most pressing crime problem, the sheriff says, but “it’s where the money is.”
“…To save still more, Mr. Bosenko closed a floor of the county jail and gave early release to 185 inmates, among them 30 convicted drunk drivers. “Those people will probably go out and drink and drive again and hurt people,” the sheriff says.
“…While freeing inmates, the sheriff still had several hundred thousand dollars of federal money to spend on pot patrols, such as an operation that began at 4:30 one morning in May.”
Strapped Police Run on Fumes, and Federal Pot-Fighting Cash
I have an idea…….. if the caregivers who are charging $350/ounce would give a portion to our local LEO’s, maybe we could get them to actively pursue REAL criminals???? (or at least buy them off so they leave pot heads alone–they said they were strapped for cash)
green card holder, marijuana is a huge black market industry, kids with glass pipes should be busted and their parents to….I feel for law enforcement they have to enforce a ethically wrong law. This bad law now has veg new laws attached to it. The war on marijuana right now between law and drug lords is a stale mate..Law enforcement spends $50 Billion a year to fight the war, black market profits come to $50 Billion…the war wont get won on marijuana and making it the gate way drug sealed the fate of loosing the war. Marijuana has helped to many good people and also destroyed way to many good people. We need police busting pot growers if they are not doing it according to the law and care givers who are not taking care of their parients….I welcome every one of thoes bust…thats the laws job!!! Now if they are busting people who are not breaking the law then be concerned…..for now bust the illegal growers… you have to pick your battles….law enforcement cant re-right the law they just enforcement it, if you dont like it vote to change it…thats how it is done….It wont be easy getting all thoes non-conformest to play by the rules….I care about the welfare of the patients ( the real ones)……