Police Chief Refuses To Enforce New Marijuana Laws

[Ganjarden]

A new year, and a new law taking effect in Massachusetts today. Now people possessing an ounce or less of marijuana will no longer face jail time. Tonight the police chief in Auburn, says he's against the law, and will not be enforcing it.

The state's new law which decriminalizes small amounts of marijuana went into effect at noon time Friday. but some who enforce the law are not happy about it.

Auburn police chief Andrew Sluckis is a critic of the changes. He says the new law which makes possession of less than an ounce of marijuana a civil offense is too lenient.

Violators will now face a 100 dollar fine. Sluckis says that under the law there is not a way to make offenders pay the fine, so he wont make his department issue them.

Director of the Worcester county chapter of the ACLU, Ronald Madnick is a supporter of the law.

Madnick says that even if there are a few kinks in the law....the advantages out weigh the disadvantages.


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Website: Police Chief Refuses To Enforce New Marijuana Laws

 

[Worldly Man]

Green power!

 

[wordsworm]

"Violators will now face a 100 dollar fine. Sluckis says that under the law there is not a way to make offenders pay the fine, so he wont make his department issue them."

Let me get this straight - he's against the law, but he won't be enforcing it? Does that mean people possessing less than an ounce will have nothing done to them at all? If that's what it means, then that's the best news one could hope for.

 

[McBudz]

"Violators will now face a 100 dollar fine. Sluckis says that under the law there is not a way to make offenders pay the fine, so he wont make his department issue them."

Let me get this straight - he's against the law, but he won't be enforcing it? Does that mean people possessing less than an ounce will have nothing done to them at all? If that's what it means, then that's the best news one could hope for.

Yeah he says that but all fines go to the municipality who issued the citation. I see more civil rights being infringed in illegal search due to suspicion of one possessing MJ in any quantity to help bring money back to that town/city/county.

 

[wordsworm]

This guy is the head oinker. What he oinks is usually oink policy in a given city or district. Since he's not supposed to go after possession of under an ounce, he seems ready to give up altogether. That means that if he does catch you with, say, 14 grams, he's not going to even give you the ticket. At least, that's my interpretation of the story.

For an oinker, I have to say I like his policy.

 

[hood1]

My suggestion fire this guy and hire one that listens and follows the instruction of those who pay his salary.

 

[Dr. 215]

It doesnt matter what the police chief thinks, he is there to enforce the laws set forth by us, the people of this country. He should be an unbiased party in the matter simply following our orders.

The point of police officers is to PROTECT AND SERVE, not pick and choose which laws they want or dont want to inforce.

 

[FreakNature]

It's obvious that Cannabis possession and use was never really a big public safety concern. Now that it won't be easy pickin's in rounding up all of the Marihuana Junkies, it's not worth the effort. Just shows that consumption, possession, cultivation of Cannabis is not so scary for LEO's...just easy work.

 

[wordsworm]

"The point of police officers is to PROTECT AND SERVE, not pick and choose which laws they want or dont want to inforce."

Do you have any idea how many retarded laws there are? Check this out: Crazytopics: Craziest Laws in America

So, are you saying that oinkers should enforce all laws? This guy is ready to walk away from penalizing small possession. This is great news. I can't figure out why folks who want to see it legalized are objecting to this oinker. He oinked that he's not going to enforce it, not that he's going to try to go further. If all the police throughout the state had the same attitude, you'd be laughing with a joint in your hand, sitting on the front porch. Nonetheless, I hope folks remain discreet. If you don't, you'll be arming all the prohibitionists with the tools they need to attack the lifting of criminal penalties.

 

[merickson]

If there was a accident, I'd want this guy directing traffic around the ambulance.
If my kid was missing, I'd want him (and his friends with the good radios) to be looking for him.

Someone has to be hall monitor, so could we stop using insult words (for the moment) when they do something nice?
Like not ticketing folks for < 1 Oz.

 

[Keith Lake]

Violators will now face a 100 dollar fine. Sluckis says that under the law there is not a way to make offenders pay the fine, so he wont make his department issue them.

This is pretty pragmatic.

It really is a waste of time bothering people over small personal use amounts.

Hopefully his officers fall into line

[he didn't say he wouldn't let them, just that he wouldn't make them; which leads me to believe he's going to allow the people in the street to use their own judgement.]

Fair enough start in my opinion