Pubdate: Thu, 29 Sep 2011 Source: Grand Rapids Press (MI) Copyright: 2011 Grand Rapids Press Contact: http://www.mlive.com/grand-rapids/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/171 Author: Greg Francisco Note: Greg Francisco resides in Paw Paw. MARIJUANA PROPOSAL, IF APPROVED, WILL ALLOW KALAMAZOO TO STOP WASTING FUNDS ON ENFORCEMENT Congratulations are in order to the Kalamazoo Coalition for Pragmatic Cannabis Laws. Their Lowest Law Enforcement Priority proposal will now appear on the November city ballot. Following expected passage at the polls, the measure will direct the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety to regard simple, adult possession of small, personal use quantities of marijuana as their lowest priority. Campaign organizer Louis Stocking was recently quoted in a Gazette article as hoping this measure will signal that the city of Kalamazoo is somehow, "pot friendly," and that it will attract people from outside of Kalamazoo to the city because, "they'll know we're liberal when it comes to marijuana." Well maybe, but surely the benefits of this proposal go far, far beyond simply giving a bunch of raggedy stoners a green light to party, party, party. I was disappointed to see the proposal framed in such frivolous terms. Making simple, adult possession of marijuana the Lowest Law Enforcement Priority frees the KDPS to allocate limited resources to more serious crime. Crimes where there is an actual victim, for example. It will direct the Kalamazoo city attorney to focus on true criminals who are intent on doing things that harm the rest of us, not prosecuting otherwise law-abiding adults who are intent on doing things we just don't happen to approve of. It helps clear the backlog clogging up city court rooms - no more putting rapists on the back burner to make room for the daily parade of misdemeanor marijuana cases that now take up 20 percent of the docket. Time and resources spent arresting, prosecuting and adjudicating petty marijuana offenses is time lost to thwarting child molesters, impaired drivers and armed robbers. It is no secret that many in the Michigan cannabis law reform community regard the upcoming city of Kalamazoo Lowest Law Enforcement Priority proposal as the opening salvo in a series of local initiatives that will ultimately lead to a statewide ballot initiative to regulate, control and tax adult use of cannabis. Reforms that are long overdue. Marijuana prohibition has utterly failed to properly regulate or adequately control cannabis, much less capture significant potential tax revenues on a commerce that generates $55 million annually statewide in untaxed sales. Add to that the $40 million spent in Michigan every year in a vain attempt to enforce cannabis prohibition and you're starting to talk about some real money. The city of Kalamazoo Lowest Law Enforcement Priority proposal is a good first step in staunching the flow of dollars now being wasted trying to protect adults from their own folly. How much longer will it be before the state takes the next logical step and finally starts regulating, controlling and reaping cannabis tax revenues? How much longer will it be before we show the courage of our grandparents and face reality? Good intentions are not enough, results count. Prohibition just makes the problem worse. Lowest Law Enforcement Priority proposals are about a lot more than just the right to party unmolested. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom