Pubdate: Wed, 25 Jun 2014 Source: Capital Times, The (WI) Copyright: 2014 The Capital Times Contact: http://host.madison.com/ct/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/73 Author: Jack Craver HIGH TIMES? WHILE PARTS OF THE COUNTRY LEGALIZE POT, DANE COUNTY KEEPS ITS FOCUS ON DEALERS Live music fans gathered near the stage at the Marquette Waterfront Festival in Yahara Place Park a few weeks ago barely took notice of the smell of marijuana smoke in the air. The unmistakable odor is as ubiquitous at east side festivals as ethnic food, jewelry vendors and men with beards. Along with Colorado, Washington state a=C2=80" which both recently legalized marijuana a=C2=80" and California, where a crick in the neck or sleeping problems can qualify for a medical permit to buy marijuana, Madison is well known for being lenient on casual pot smokers. The maximum penalty imposed by city ordinance on simple possession of marijuana is a $114 fine, which is less harsh than the maximum penalty imposed on those found guilty of spray-painting graffiti, smoking a cigarette in a bar or harassing zoo animals. Possessing less than 28 grams (1 oz.) of pot results in a civil forfeiture, like a parking ticket. "The City Council has deliberately kept the possession of marijuana one of the lowest forfeitures on our books," says Madison Ald. Mike Verveer, a former assistant district attorney who favors marijuana legalization. Mike Verveer Even as other city fines and fees have increased in recent years, Verveer says, he and others on the council have insisted on keeping the pot fine as low as possible, in part to demonstrate the city's view that smoking pot shouldn't be treated much differently than jaywalki ng. "It's almost like a sacred cow," he says. Dane County prosecutors could charge pot possession criminally, meaning that, in accordance with state statutes, a first offense would be a misdemeanor and subsequent offenses would be charged as felonies. But since 2007, when former District Attorney Brian Blanchard announced his staff would not pursue criminal charges for small possession, cops have largely issued civil forfeiture citations for casual possession. But even as they tolerate recreational weed, Madison cops take much more seriously those who have large amounts of marijuana with the intent of selling it, and prosecutors are far less hesitant about working to put those offenders behind bars. Last year, the Dane County Narcotics Task Force, a joint effort of the Madison Police, UW Police and Dane County sheriff's office that goes after major drug trafficking, reported issuing 55 charges that were specifically marijuana-related, compared to 70 charges tied to heroin, the devastatingly addictive drug that has attracted increasing amounts of attention from policy makers and law enforcement. Madison Police Lt. Jason Freedman, the head of the task force, is quick to highlight that harder drugs earn far more felony charges than marijuana, but felony charges for pot are certainly not rare. Since July 2013, the agency has conducted investigations that led to 25 felony charges for marijuana-related activity, or 9 percent of all of the felony charges the task force made during that time. Mike DeVries/THE CAPITAL TIMES Buy Now Lt. Jason Freedman, with the Dane County Narcotic Task Force, reported issuing 55 charges specifically marijuana-related, compared to 70 charges tied to heroin last year. While harder drugs earn far more felony charges than marijuana, felony charges for pot are certainly not rare. That pot remains on law enforcement's radar has less to do with concerns about the effect of the drug on users as with perceptions about violence associated with the business of selling pot. For a number of reasons, including the high demand for the popular drug, marijuana is expensive, making it a coveted commodity for anybody looking to make quick money. According to the task force's estimate, the marijuana it seized in 2013 was worth roughly $1.8 million. In contrast, the heroin it confiscated had a street value of $30,000. - --- MAP posted-by: Matt