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Police chiefs want Rauner to veto hemp bill

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Illinois

* Imagine being so anti-marijuana that you oppose allowing farmers to grow a totally non-psychoactive crop…

For years, Illinois lawmakers have tried to pass legislation that would allow farmers to grow industrial hemp as an alternative crop, but those efforts failed to earn enough support in the legislature. But this push might finally be bringing the issue near a finish line. This spring, legislation passed through both chambers with overwhelming support and will soon head to Gov. Bruce Rauner’s desk. However, the measure still has critics. The Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police opposes legislation.

“We’re opposed to the legalization of recreational marijuana,” said Executive Director Ed Wojcicki. “We just see this bill as creeping into that issue so we’ve decided we’re taking a firm position against any bills that would move the needle toward the legalization of marijuana.”

Is the drug-related property seizure business really that lucrative for cop shops?

OK, maybe I’m being too cynical. But I was just in the San Francisco area and I didn’t notice it was collapsing from the perils of legalized pot. Just the opposite.

Indeed, during a fact-finding visit to a local dispensary, I asked the “bud-tender” what the consequences were for smoking the vile weed in public. The bud-tender noted that even though he is an African-American, he is never hassled by the cops for puffing the green stuff.

Now, try to imagine such a world here.

posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Jun 22, 18 @ 9:20 am

Comments

“Is the drug-related property seizure business really that lucrative for cop shops?”

Yes.

Comment by Actual Red Friday, Jun 22, 18 @ 9:21 am
I am sure it will work out fine in the end.

https://globalnews.ca/news/4257292/canadian-students-who-use-marijuana-end-up-with-poor-health-grades-study/

Comment by Saluki Friday, Jun 22, 18 @ 9:27 am
Saluki, as far as I know, nobody in California or Illinois are talking about legalizing marijuana for 12-year-olds.

Wanna guess the first thing that happens in a bud shop? They check your ID to make sure you’re old enough to be there.

Unregulated dealers don’t usually do that.

So, you’re arguing against yourself.

Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Jun 22, 18 @ 9:37 am
==Unregulated dealers don’t usually do that==

And my guess is there aren’t enough 12 year olds to keep the illegal dealers in business once it’s legalized. I could be wrong, though…

Comment by HangingOn Friday, Jun 22, 18 @ 9:43 am
According to ICIJA statewide, misdemeanor cannabis arrests accounted for only 1% of all misdemeanor arrests in 2017. Those arrested necessarily possessed more than 30gr. Not a whole lot of hasstlin’ going on for smoking a single joint.

Comment by Wavy Gravy’s child Friday, Jun 22, 18 @ 9:46 am
Rich, you are not cynical you are spot on.

Just to recap 2nd amendment they love.

4th amendment they hate.

Renewable crops, they hate.

Comment by JS Mill Friday, Jun 22, 18 @ 9:47 am
Just more reefer madness from law enforcement. I agree it is about control and money.

Comment by Illinois Resident Friday, Jun 22, 18 @ 9:55 am
“Police chiefs want Rauner to veto hemp bill”

Illinois police know that the magic phrase ‘the smell of marijuana’ is all it takes to turn an illegal search into no biggie.

Police chiefs can’t risk the possibility of legalized hemp making the Fourth Amendment meaningful in the Land of Lincoln.

– MrJM

Comment by @misterjayem Friday, Jun 22, 18 @ 10:27 am
The forfeiture laws need to be rewritten. They have turned police departments into legalized theft operations.

Industrial hemp is a good crop for marginal land. Right now it yields more profit per acre than soybeans, but that is due to artificial scarcity. Still it would be nice to have another crop in the mix.

Comment by Last Bull Moose Friday, Jun 22, 18 @ 10:30 am
==Not a whole lot of hasstlin’ going on for smoking a single joint. ==

Is it only “hasstlin” if it ends in an arrest?

Comment by supplied_demand Friday, Jun 22, 18 @ 10:32 am
Is it only “puffing green stuff” if you have more than the ticketable amount?

Comment by Anonymous Friday, Jun 22, 18 @ 10:36 am
Hemp? That’s not even Illinois ditchweed. You don’t get a buzz, you get a headache.

Try smoking hemp, and it will keep you off marijuana for life.

Back in the day, there were plenty of police chiefs who backed the Volstead Act to the hilt.

They were on the payroll for the likes of Al Capone. Gangsters couldn’t have stayed in business without their help and protection.

Saluki, I bet you were a big supporter of old Sheriff Martin down in Gallatin County. He definitely was against any sort of legal weed.

Bad for business.

http://www.nbcnews.com/id/30830360/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/t/ill-sheriff-arrested-drug-dealing/#.Wy0Vt6dKjrc

Comment by wordslinger Friday, Jun 22, 18 @ 10:36 am
What do you expect? Dinosaurs are gonna dinosaur…

Comment by NotMe Friday, Jun 22, 18 @ 10:44 am
–The forfeiture laws need to be rewritten. They have turned police departments into legalized theft operations.–

It’s astounding to me that hasn’t happened. The un-American abuse of forfeiture laws is well-documented. Politicians across the sprectrum have yelled about it, loud and clear, for years.

What’s the holdup? It reeks of bad faith.

Comment by wordslinger Friday, Jun 22, 18 @ 10:52 am
Ok, well - there’s that.
Thanks for bringing it to our attention.
Ok, sign it.

Comment by VanillaMan Friday, Jun 22, 18 @ 11:20 am
The use of industrial hemp is good for cleaning toxins from the soil. After Chernobyl it was found hemp removed heavy metals from the ground. It is also a good rotation crop to help soil heal between other crops.

I bet there are several areas in Illinois that would benefit just in the environmental aspects.

Comment by FormerParatrooper Friday, Jun 22, 18 @ 11:20 am
==What’s the holdup? It reeks of bad faith.==

I think it is incredibly hard to be a politician and do anything that can be construed as pro-crime. I, and probably every person in this comment section, is in favor of limiting or just removing civil forfeiture, but the status quo is hard to change and people don’t want to be blasted come election time for tying up the hands of law enforcement.

Comment by Chris Widger Friday, Jun 22, 18 @ 11:32 am
Please Please Please do not mix these two crops. I mean both as an issue and literally. hemp ruins the other thing some call hemp. You cannot hide marijuana by growing it inside a hemp field. it will ruin your marijuana. so stop using that argument, police. hemp, the plant grown by the founding fathers, is useful in beauty products, you can make things from it, it helps the soil, it helps farmers. Please do not veto this gov. Rauner.

Comment by Amalia Friday, Jun 22, 18 @ 11:33 am
== What do you expect? Dinosaurs are gonna dinosaur… ==

That’s both funny and sad at the same time.

Comment by James Knell Friday, Jun 22, 18 @ 12:05 pm
I wonder what other laws the Chiefs of Police, acronym COP, in support of their industry pursue. They are in corrupt pursuit of there phony balonies.

Comment by wondering Friday, Jun 22, 18 @ 12:25 pm
“during a fact-finding visit to a local dispensary”

I’ve been on quite a few of those myself, lol. I’ve seen very few problems. I’ve seen booming economic growth, not as an effect necessarily, but happening concurrently with legalization

Please, let’s legalize hemp for farmers and the economy. Let’s legalize marijuana, for many reasons, especially for criminal justice reform and law-abiding hippies to be free to enjoy responsibly.

Comment by Grandson of Man Friday, Jun 22, 18 @ 12:30 pm
My observation is hemp has been widely promoted with industrial uses, but those promoting it, also as an aside promote the recreational side of marijuana. Legislatively we are trying to distinguish the two, but it is the same group which makes law enforcement uneasy.

On recreational side of things, it is a serious logistical problem regulating marijuana as long as the feds ban it. Any major industry that is required to run on a most cash basis tends to create law enforcement problems.

Comment by the Patriot Friday, Jun 22, 18 @ 1:10 pm
–My observation is hemp has been widely promoted with industrial uses, but those promoting it, also as an aside promote the recreational side of marijuana.–

How?

Like I said, if you want to turn people off of marijuana, pretend hemp is the same thing and let them try smoking it.

It’s like saying legal ethanol will make you want some Johnnie Walker.

Comment by wordslinger Friday, Jun 22, 18 @ 1:34 pm
Legalize and tax hemp and marijuana. Can’t believe people under 80 years old still fall for Reefer Madness propaganda.
Cigarettes surely more harmful.

Comment by cc Friday, Jun 22, 18 @ 2:05 pm
It’s the slippery slope argument, but two completely different slopes.

Comment by Idontcaredou Friday, Jun 22, 18 @ 2:16 pm
==how==

Article on the industrial uses for hemp also often toss in an aside to promote recreation marijuana as well. Sort of like this post. We did not stick to just Hemp-industrial-good, we had to add there is no real harm to recreational.

Comment by the Patriot Friday, Jun 22, 18 @ 3:25 pm
I can pull a Wojcicki too. It’s fun. “We just see that legalizing people owning cats as creeping into people owning mountain lions.”

Comment by Da Big Bad Wolf Tuesday, Jun 26, 18 @ 6:25 am