Police think cannabis legalization will cost more money. So of course, they’re psyched for it.
Police should fear budget cuts since legalization (in a perfect world) means focusing less on non-violent crime and imagined aggressions.
But we are far from a perfect world. Legalization is costing taxpayers money before any revenue is realized.
Only modern mercantilist states can screw-up a cash-cow like legal cannabis.
Chief of the Fredericton Police thinks cannabis legalization will “absolutely” have an impact on budget.
“Everything from training costs, the acquisition of technical equipment — these added responsibilities will create more staffing demands.”
Regina Police Chief Evan Bray said only 10 cops on his crew have “drug training.”
“If we are expecting the legalization of marijuana and if we’re expecting this to potentially have a fairly significant impact on roadway safety, we need many more than 10. I would say we need five, six times that many.”
Meanwhile, possession charges in Saskatchewan have gone down.
In fact, in all of Canada cannabis charges have dropped.
Training more officers isn’t in demand, these aren’t market services. Taxpayers have to finance larger deficits and a larger public sector. This can’t go on forever and won’t.
Yet, these “added responsibilities” that come with cannabis legalization require funding and training. Police will have to recognize when someone is using cannabis.
Why? Isn’t cannabis supposed to be legal? What would be the point of — oh right, the “impaired driving” meme.
On April 13, the federal Liberals introduced Bill C-46 to impose more layers of rules on existing impaired driving laws. This bill creates new offences and authorizes mandatory drug screenings at roadside checkpoints. It increases minimum fines and maximum penalties.
Only fascist states masquerading as civil governments take issues intended to increase one’s liberty and completely undermine it and subvert it for their own power-hungry purposes.
Does a police officer really need new training in order to spot impaired driving? If cannabis did impair one’s ability to drive, shouldn’t the cops notice the swaying car that’s either driving too fast or too slow?
If cannabis impairs your driving, it will be evident, it won’t require special training or new equipment.
But as one Toronto cop echoes the sentiment of law enforcement across the country: “We are gearing up for the possibility of more offences being committed involving impairment by drugs.”
Cannabis legalization is merely a redrawing of battles lines in the drug war.