News » Yet Another Police Chief Proves That Cops Should Be IQ Tested





The Police Chief of Mesa, Arizona, Frank Milstead, is no Einstein. In fact, his statements recently about medical marijuana coming to his town prove beyond any doubt that he’s not the sharpest knife in the drawer, the brightest candle on the cake, the fastest horse on the track and that he’s got the whole six pack but no plastic thing to hold it together.

Here’s some of the genius that spewed forth from Chief Milstead recently:

“I just look at other states that have legalized marijuana. Their collisions are up, their fatals are up, addictions are up – it just creates more issues for law enforcement.”

Really, Chief? You sure about that?

California passed medical marijuana in 1996. That same year, 3,559 people died in car wrecks state wide. In 2009, they had 3,081 fatalities due to car accidents. That number looks smaller, Chief. Colorado had 743 fatal crashes in 2002 (two years after MMJ) and 465 fatal crashes in 2009. That number looks smaller too. Someone better tell him that marijuana use amongst teenagers (age 12 to 18) hasn’t gone up in the past five years and was on the decline before that.

But hey, since when did anyone in law enforcement let reality get in the way? This is pot we’re talking about here. Right? This same police chief prefers to use air quotes whenever he talks about “medical” marijuana.

Here’s some more Einstein moments from Chief Milstead:

“If you have something that somebody else wants, somebody will try and break in to steal it.”

Really? Is that so? Isn’t it your job to stop that from happening, Chief? Do you plan to shut down all businesses that have stuff people want? You know, like banks (they have money, most people want that), coin shops (they have gold and silver, most people want that), pharmacies (addictions to prescription meds are up, so people obviously want that), and Walmart (they have all kinds of stuff people want)?

“Every state that has dispensaries has got criminals who will prey on those who grow, dispense or buy medical marijuana,” he warns.

You think so, Chief? Really? Just like every state that has liquor stores, cigarettes, gas pumps, etc. also has criminals who prey on those who drink, smoke, or dispense gas?

Finally, our esteemed Jeopardy finalist says, “An ounce of medical marijuana is like $200, $230. An ounce of marijuana on the street is like $50. Is it better to get your marijuana from a cartel which is going to sell it to you at $500 or is it better to get it from some sort of legitimate grower who is going to sell you the same amount for $2,500?”

I note how you snuck the word “cartel” in there, Chief. Nice work. Politics are definitely in your blood. Otherwise, your argument is a little dubious.

First, patients tend to buy specific strains and potencies – something their local “cartel” can’t provide consistently. Second, medical grade marijuana is very different than street bud. Finally, and most obviously, the reason the legal medical marijuana is so expensive is because not only is it higher quality, but state bureaucrats like yourself require a lot more overhead out of that grower (registrations, paperwork, inspections, etc.) while the street grower only has to hide it from you. It requires a lot less overhead for someone to hide plants in their closet with a lamp than it does to openly, legally grow it and face all of the jurisdictional paperwork and to keep the lawyer on tap so that when some bureaucrat decides some T didn’t get crossed, the grower is shut down, raided, and arrested.

So there you have it. More proof that they should have minimum IQ requirements before hiring cops. Of course, I’d hate to see Chief Milstead out on the street looking for work because he’s too brainless to keep his job as a law enforcer.

Update 3/15/2011: Corrected medical marijuana legalization in California to 1996.

[source AZ Central]

Tags: Arizona, frank milstead, medical, mesa, MMJ, police, police chief