(POLICE DOGS) Dusty, a Washington state drug-sniffing dog, won’t nark you out for just a little herb. In November 2012, the state’s laws changed in support of marijuana legalization, and subsequently, the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission began training their canines to ignore the scent of marijuana, and instead focus their efforts on busting those in possession of dangerous narcotics. Continue reading below to find out more on how Washington state law is handling their K-9 units. — Global Animal

Huffington Post

Dusty the narcotics dog has one refined snout, but unlike other K-9s, it won’t go off when he smells a little marijuana.

The 18-month-old black lab has been trained to sniff out heroin, cocaine and meth, but not pot — which is legal under Washington state law after Initiative 502 was passed last year.

Dusty is part of the Bremerton, Wash. police force and was originally bred to be a birding dog, but was too restless, according to a report by The Columbian.

The outlet reports that a few other state agencies plan to train their K-9 units to ignore marijuana, including the Washington State Patrol and tribal police departments. KOMO news reported earlier this year that the drug was removed from police dog guidelines set by the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission.

In a split decision made earlier this year, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that law enforcement officers cannot bring narcotics dogs onto private property without first obtaining a search warrant.

More Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/07/drug-dog-ignores-marijuana-washington-narcotics_n_3224994.html?utm_hp_ref=animals