Police chief calls for lift of cannabis ban, won’t prosecute people growing plants for own use
A police chief has called for cannabis to be legalized, arguing that the ban puts lives in danger and gives millions to criminals. He added that those in his jurisdiction growing plants for personal use would not be raided.
Durham Police Chief Constable Mike Barton said his decades of experience trying to enforce the cannabis ban led him to believe the drug ban was damaging public safety, instead of protecting it. “Yes, it should be legal,” he said. “That’s what I think based on my experience.“When I joined the police in Blackpool 38 years ago there was one drug squad detective; now everybody is on it. I’ve seen a remarkable deterioration in drugs in society over the last 38 years. What we are doing is not working.“The status quo is not tenable. It’s getting worse. Drugs are getting cheaper, stronger, more readily available and more dangerous. I have come reluctantly over the years to the conclusion that we need to regulate the market. If you can regulate the market you can mak…
Durham Police Chief Constable Mike Barton said his decades of experience trying to enforce the cannabis ban led him to believe the drug ban was damaging public safety, instead of protecting it. “Yes, it should be legal,” he said. “That’s what I think based on my experience.“When I joined the police in Blackpool 38 years ago there was one drug squad detective; now everybody is on it. I’ve seen a remarkable deterioration in drugs in society over the last 38 years. What we are doing is not working.“The status quo is not tenable. It’s getting worse. Drugs are getting cheaper, stronger, more readily available and more dangerous. I have come reluctantly over the years to the conclusion that we need to regulate the market. If you can regulate the market you can mak…