Posted on 10/21/2016 8:59:49 PM PDT by LouAvul
BENTON, Ark. (KATV) - Medical marijuana is now legal in 25 states and Arkansas could potentially be added to the list.
Two major law enforcement officials from Colorado are urging from their experience that voters say no to legalization in Arkansas.
Former president and current vice president of the Colorado Drug Investigators Association spoke exclusively to Channel 7 on Friday about how marijuana has changed their state and how it could affect ours.
"It's not a good thing for a community to do something like this," Jerry Peters, former president of the the Colorado Drug Investigators Association, said.
Peters said legalizing medical marijuana will only lead to legalization for recreational use like it did in Colorado and other states.
"This has brought an impact to the state of Colorado that's going to be hard to reverse," Peters said.
"I don't see anything that's been positive about legalizing marijuana, whether it's for recreational or for medicinal purposes," Jim Gerhardt, vice president of the Colorado Drug Investigators Association, said.
Gerhardt said it has become an unpredictable industry that has led to major problems in public safety and public health.
He also said they've seen an increase in homelessness, underage use, crime and death. There's also been a 62 percent increase in car fatalities involving marijuana.
"It has not been properly studied by the FDA to be able to say it's safe and effective," Gerhardt said.
Gerhardt said they've also seen more home invasions because of home growing, which is something that one initiative, ballot issue 7, in Arkansas would allow.
"A week ago we had a 14-year-old shot and killed when he jumped into the backyard of a man's house trying to take marijuana out of the backyard," Gerhardt said.
Both Gerhardt and Peters blame the potency of marijuana today. They said in the sixties and seventies marijuana had 3-5 percent THC and now it has 15-30 percent THC.
Plus, marijuana edibles and concentrates can have up to 95 percent THC.
So what's your plan? Illegalization of all intoxicating substances? A general prohibition? Or only a selective "War on [Certain] Drugs?"
Tens of billions of dollars spent, civil rights trampled on, millions imprisoned (incl. for simple possession). How has that been working for you?
Regards,
My plan is a modest one, which is to have you read the thread title to see what this is all about. So far though, my plan has failed.
That statistic about “car fatalities involving marijuana” is meaningless. It just relates to the number of drivers with any amount in their systems. Since the high lasts a few hours, but traces of THC remain in the blood for weeks, it only means since more people are smoking after legalization and it’s showing up in more accident victims blood. Duh! If traces of alcohol stayed in the blood a month, and they weren’t measuring amounts, about 98% of traffic deaths would probably be “alcohol related”.
Anyone who doesn’t agree with him is a druggie.
Yes, there are dangers to legalizing marijuana.
There are also dangers to allowing people to leave their homes without the written permission of their Block Warden.
There, I've directly addressed the title of this article (which is hardly a coherent syllogism, but whatever!)
Now would you like to retract your multiple ad hominems and explain why you think that the State should illegalize intoxicating substances (marijuana, alcohol, etc.) or how the "War on [Certain] Drugs" has been an unmitigated success?
Regards,
Great. You can go away now.
Some people don't really like druggies, drug advocates, drug libertarians, drug dealers or drug culture weirdos telling them what to do or what to think. Maybe it's just a pet peeve. I suppose they feel the same way about 500+lb Walmart fat f*cks telling them how to work out, eat right and live life.
Still waiting for you to retract your multiple unfounded ad hominems.
Then you can go away.
Regards,
And unemployed.
Seriously: ?!
Regards,
I did not know Arkansas was considering legalization but told someone just this week they would be next.
Arkansas is fast becoming a haven for left wing nut jobs. The closer to NW Arkansas and Fayetville you get the more you find.
“”It has not been properly studied by the FDA to be able to say it’s safe and effective,” Gerhardt said.”
IIRC this is so because current federal law prevents the FDA from doing proper studies. To this person I would point out the stats showing where cannabis is legal prescription opiate use is down.
Vote Trump 2016
“No, because I don’t need some crazed effing drooling druggie crawling through my window at night to get away from all the scary looking trees.”
If this ever happens I hope you take pictures lololololol!!!
Vote Trump 2016
“They vote Dem too.”
This conservative who uses cannabis as medicine is voting for Trump & non-GOPe Republican candidates. I NEVER vote for RATs. Your declaration is a fallacy.
Vote Trump 2016
“There was no marijuana prohibition in the US from Colonial times onward - until the nanny-state Progressives took control.”
Absolutely correct!!!
Vote Trump 2016
So, a kid trespasses and tries to steal something that doesn't belong to him and gets himself killed. In this case, it was marijuana plants, but that doesn't mean it's the fault of the legalization.
Cars are legal, and get stolen all the time. Same for jewelery, TVs, tools, etc. Should we be making all this stuff illegal to own so people don't get themselves killed trying to steal them?
In your case, it’s an obsession and a deeply personal problem.
And you’re the one that’s trying to tell people what to do.
No one cares what you don’t like.
Deal with it, snowflake.
Weed users-losers bump for later...
>>”It’s not a good thing for a community to do something like this,” Jerry Peters, former president of the the Colorado Drug Investigators Association, said.
Peters said legalizing medical marijuana will only lead to legalization for recreational use like it did in Colorado and other states.
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I have no experience with MJ, wouldn’t even recognize it if I saw it.
That said, Jerry Peters and his ilk make me vomit. They represent the establishment Gov’t Nanny State that thinks they know better than people themselves how best to live their life. They are the arrogant elite that Jefferson wrote about so long ago.
In a Free Republic, NO ONE should have the legal right to restrict another person with regard to whatever they wish to do with a plant: Plant it, Grow it, Harvest it, Smoke it, Make oil from it, Eat it, whatever.
It’s a plant. God made it. If we are a free people, (which we aren’t, thanks to arrogant power people like Jerry), we have a right to do with a plant as we wish.
Alcohol has killed millions if people since the repeal of prohibition. Terrible. But does that mean we should add to the tragedy with marijuana??? Methinks not. Medical...okay. Recreational...not a good idea. What possible good could come from having more people living their lives stoned???
Individual Liberty. “Allow” adults to make their own personal choices for themselves and keep government out of people’s personal lives.
Many people choose to believe that recreational use can be very advantageous/healing for the body in the same manner as “a little wine is good for the belly” (Bible). They shouldn’t need the permission of a doctor or a gov’t to do whatever they wish to do with a plant. It is an inalienable right.
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