Pubdate: Sun, 18 May 2014
Source: Carroll County Times (MD)
Copyright: 2014 Carroll County Times
Contact:  http://www.carrollcountytimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1524
Author: Heather Cobun

SHERIFF CANDIDATES DISCUSS MARIJUANA DECRIMINALIZATION, DRUG ENFORCEMENT

On April 14, Gov. Martin O'Malley signed a bill which decriminalizes 
marijuana possession effective Oct. 1.

The new law makes possession of small amounts of marijuana, less than 
10 grams, a civil rather than a criminal offense, and prosecutors and 
law enforcement from around the state have raised concerns about how 
the policy can be effectively enforced as well as questioning the 
wisdom of decriminalizing possession of what can currently get 
someone 90 days in jail or a $500 fine.

In the June 24 primary, three Republican candidates will vie for 
election as Carroll County Sheriff to replace retiring Sheriff Ken 
Tregoning. One Democratic candidate is unopposed in the primary. The 
Republican candidates are Jim DeWees, Chris Fiora and Phillip Kasten. 
The Democratic candidate is Vince Pacelli.

We asked the candidates: Do you support the policy of 
decriminalization of marijuana? If not, why, and if so, in what 
amount? What policies do you believe need to be in place to combat 
more serious drug issues, such as heroin and prescription pill abuse?

DeWees: I don't support the policy and believe that marijuana is a 
gateway drug to more dangerous drugs. It would be another substance 
children can aspire to do legally and unfortunately lead to 
developing stronger addictions. I certainly don't think we should 
throw people in jail for possessing small amounts of marijuana, but I 
do believe we need to educate people on the true effects of using 
marijuana. This can be done effectively in our schools and through 
drug abuse prevention programs. Law enforcement resources would be 
more effectively used to focus on the more serious issue in Carroll 
County; heroin addiction and prescription pill abuse. I was a part of 
the Heroin Kills initiative during the late 1990s and worked with RAD 
informing our community about the serious heroin problem in our 
county. It's my plan to work with these resources to attack the 
rising drug abuse in our county.

Fiora: I do not support the decriminalization of marijuana primarily 
because I feel it sends mixed messages to our children. As a parent, 
I always taught my children to avoid alcohol and cigarettes and as a 
society, we have passed laws to enforce this notion. By 
decriminalizing marijuana, we are saying cigarettes and alcohol are 
bad but a joint is okay, which I believe is a double standard that 
will only confuse our kids. To combat serious drug issues, in 
addition to the anti-drug programs I mentioned earlier, I also want 
to work with the State's Attorney's Office to enforce the full 
penalty of law on repeat drug offenders. I also want to see what can 
be done to make our drug rehabilitation efforts more effective. 
Combating drugs requires a multifaceted approach and I believe 
education, enforcement, and effective rehabilitation are crucial in 
this endeavor.

Kasten: I do not support the decriminalization of marijuana. 
Marijuana is the most prevalent illicit drug in Carroll County, with 
our Drug Task Force seizing over 700 marijuana plants, 38 pounds of 
packaged marijuana, and representing half their total arrests during 
2013. Marijuana is proven to be a gateway drug to the abuse of more 
serious drugs like heroin. This fact is supported by incarceration 
patterns, with 75-80 percent of offenders incarcerated for substance 
abuse, theft or burglary committed to support a substance abuse 
habit. Those states having decriminalized marijuana have not 
experienced decreases in addiction, rather the occurrences of drug 
related crashes have increased. In addition to the School Resource 
Officer Partnership's community based prevention efforts, 
implementation of treatment court at the District and Juvenile Court 
levels would initiate treatment and intensive monitoring earlier in a 
user's career, increasing the success of treating abuse before! it 
becomes an addiction.

Pacelli: At the present time I am truly conflicted on the policy of 
decriminalization of marijuana. With just a little research one can 
find reports, statistics and data that support both sides of the 
issue. What I can commit to is that I do not agree with putting 
non-violent drug offenders in already overcrowded prisons and jails. 
However, with the dramatic increase in substance abuse we are 
experiencing, it is time Carroll County has its own dedicated drug 
task force. This will allow us to prioritize, and put command and 
control in the hands of local law enforcement.

Along with our own drug task force, Social Media Analysis may give us 
the ability to disrupt substance abuse and drug trafficking.
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