More Than Half Of Police Chiefs Oppose Legalizing Medicinal Marijuana, Survey Says

Discussion in 'Marijuana Legalization' started by IndianaToker, Dec 13, 2004.

  1. December 9, 2004 - Washington, DC, USA

    Washington, DC: Fewer than one in two police chiefs support the use of medicinal cannabis by authorized patients, according to the results of a survey of more than 300 police chiefs nationwide conducted by the Police Foundation and the think-tank Drug Strategies.

    Fifty-one percent of respondents said that local laws permitting "medical marijuana to be used for seriously ill individuals" are a "step in the wrong direction." Only 38 percent of respondents favored such a policy.

    The result sharply contrasts with national opinion polls, which demonstrate that 80 percent of Americans believe that it should be legal to dispense medical cannabis to qualified patients. However, the finding is similar to a previous 2004 survey conducted by the National Association of Chiefs of Police, in which 60 percent of respondents answered "no" to the question: "Should marijuana be legalized in the United States for those who have a legitimate medical need for the drug."

    Commenting on the survey, NORML Foundation Executive Director Allen St. Pierre said: "It's a shame that law enforcement continue to hold seriously ill patients hostage by their opinions and actions opposing the therapeutic use of medicinal cannabis. Equally troubling is that law enforcement's views on this issue are so completely out-of-step with the opinion of the American public."

    In other findings, the Police Foundation/Drug Strategies survey found that 67 percent of respondents believe that police and other law enforcement agencies have been "unsuccessful ... in reducing the drug problem in the United States," and more than 80 percent said there needs to be "major changes "or a "fundamental overhaul" in the government's anti-drug strategies.

    Nevertheless, when asked their opinion on "reducing mandatory minimum sentences for low-level, nonviolent drug offenders," 64 percent of police chiefs polled called the idea "a step in the wrong direction." Ironically, only 22 percent of respondents said that mandatory sentences are "fairly effective" or "very effective" at reducing drug trafficking or use.

    For more information, please contact either Allen St. Pierre or Paul Armentano of the NORML Foundation at (202) 483-5500. Full results of the survey are available online at:
    http://www.drugstrategies.org
     

Share This Page