Pubdate: Sat, 11 Apr 2015
Source: Amarillo Globe-News (TX)
Copyright: 2015 Amarillo Globe-News
Contact:  http://amarillonet.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/13
Author: Larry Talley

NOT ALL COPS FAVOR MARIJUANA PROHIBITION

There's even an organized group of us who are fighting to end the 
drug war every day. Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP) is an 
organization of criminal justice professionals who want to end 
marijuana prohibition for the same reasons that alcohol prohibition 
failed us in the 1920s - violent criminal enterprises become 
obscenely wealthy, and corruption is bred into the ranks of even the 
most honorable police departments.

"Controlled substance"  is a bit of a misnomer. Prohibiting marijuana 
is simply living under the impression that prohibiting a drug, and 
creating ever-increasing punishments for it, will deter people from using it.

We've been at this more than 40 years, and we don't have a single 
positive result - not a single benchmark by which to measure any 
shred of progress. As a result of the prohibition of marijuana, there 
is not less marijuana, but more. There is not less crime, but more. 
Respect for law enforcement has not increased, but diminished.

Prohibiting marijuana gives control of distribution to street gangs 
and cartels.

It is time that we put our law enforcement resources toward violent 
crimes and more important matters. You don't have to have ever used 
the substance to agree we need a change in our public health and 
safety policies.

If you're concerned there are no cops on your side, visit LEAP.cc to 
find out more.

Larry Talley

Flower Mound

Editor's note: Larry Talley, a Borger native, is a retired U.S. Navy 
intelligence specialist who once worked with drug eradication task 
forces. He is now a speaker for Law Enforcement Against Prohibition, 
a group of criminal justice professionals opposed to the war on drugs.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom