It’s marijuana Friday here at Lions of Liberty! In today’s edition of The Morning Roar, I talked about the recent proposal in Ohio that could lead to legalization of weed this year. And in Felony Friday we’ll examine a recent story out of North Dakota, which reported that the police are terrified at the prospect of marijuana becoming legal in the state.

It’s not difficult to understand why the police would be against marijuana decriminalization or legalization. Ending prohibition would result in a huge loss of revenue. Hey, at least they’re being honest!

The current marijuana laws in North Dakota are pretty darn draconian. If the cops catch you with less than an ounce of weed, you could face felony charges. Felony charges, for possessing a plant that could grow on its own under the right conditions! How insane is that?

Senator Carolyn Nelson thinks that penalty is too harsh, but isn’t willing to legalize marijuana just yet. She would like to pass legislation that eases the penalties, by enforcing a small fine rather than locking a person in a cage for possessing a plant.

West Fargo Police Chief Mike Riten doesn’t agree with Senator Nelson.

Valley News Live reports:

“Marijuana is one of those drugs that abused in our communities, and there are certain social problems that come from that. Whether it’s people being impaired while they are driving, or at work, just a number of issues that are health related.” Riten says he fears this could lead to legalizing pot. But, Nelson disagrees, saying big penalties don’t make people quit doing drugs. “For many of these people who get picked up for small amounts they are juveniles, and the purpose of juvenile court is to educate, and retrain or explain to them why what they are doing is bad for their health,” says Nelson. Riten says he’s willing to come to a compromise over the bill. If passed in the house, it still needs to get through the senate. The bill would also get rid of laws that bring harsher penalties for getting caught with weed near schools.

Let’s break down the police chief’s comments. First he claims that marijuana shouldn’t be legal because “it’s one of those drugs” that causes social problems – impaired driving, impaired working, and a number of health related issues. It’s funny that he considers marijuana “one of those drugs” but he’s probably perfectly fine with legal alcohol, tobacco, and prescription drugs. All of which are worse for you, more addictive than marijuana, and impair your ability to drive or work.

Police chief Riten then says he’s “willing to compromise” over the content of the bill to decriminalize marijuana. Riten has the bargaining power to negotiate because, like most police unions, his union probably donates significant amounts of money to political campaigns. There are legislators, like Senator Nelson, who are forced to cater to special interests like police chief Riten because they rely on that money to be re-elected. Riten’s job is to enforce the law, but the current process allows him to influence the laws he’s paid to enforce. It is not surprising that he has the influence; rather it is surprising that he openly flaunts the power that he has in the legislative process.

Circumstances like this make it very difficult to make significant changes in the current political climate. Those that enforce rights infringing laws have the capability to extend those same rights infringing laws. It’s a vicious cycle.

For more on the War on Drugs check out Thursday’s episode of the Lions of Liberty Podcast featuring Raeford Davis, a former police officer who is a libertarian and a vocal opponent of the War on Drugs. Mr. Davis explains what drove him to first pursue a career in law enforcement, and how his experiences serving on the police force in North Charleston, South Carolina – one of the most violent cities in the country – began to make him rethink the role of law enforcement.

Check out the full archive of Felony Friday!

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