Police Officers For Marijuana Legalization

Law Enforcement Against Prohibition. To some, that might seem an oxymoron. To others, like former Providence police officer Beth Comery, it makes perfect sense. Those tasked with enforcing drug laws are an indispensable voice in advocating for the full legalization of marijuana. Recently, Motif spoke with Comery, a Rhode Island speaker for LEAP, about why current and former law enforcement officers like her are against prohibition.

Stephen Beale: What is LEAP and why was this group formed?

Beth Comery: LEAP has a saying, “Drugs are bad. The War on Drugs is worse.” Addiction is a public health problem that is not amenable to law enforcement solutions. And by criminalizing addicts we have created an illegal market with enormous profits.

For us, this advocacy is not a referendum on marijuana, but an issue of social justice. What motivates us is the racially inequitable application of the drug laws, mass incarceration and the evils of a privatized prison system, and the millions of people whose lives have been ruined due to criminal convictions.

LEAP was founded in 2002 by Jack Cole, who retired as a Detective Lieutenant from the NJ State Police after years working undercover narcotics. Jack organized a handful of other like-minded retired cops who all had regrets about their role in the futile drug war and complete skepticism concerning its efficacy. They knew first-hand that the drug war was not accomplishing any of its stated goals and was ruining lives.

LEAP now includes more than 150,000 supporters including police, judges, prosecutors, prison wardens, FBI and DEA agents, and civilian supporters of drug policy reform. LEAP has a bureau of more than 150 speakers in over 20 countries.

SB: Does LEAP represent a minority opinion among the law enforcement community, or do you speak for a silent majority?

BC: I would have no way of knowing.

I was in the Patrol Division in the Providence Police Department from 1976 to 1982 and even then busting someone for marijuana was considered a waste of time. It wasn’t why we joined the Police Department. Besides, we had undercover narcotics units devoted entirely to drug enforcement. I observed during my years on the force that these undercover officers worked almost exclusively in the disadvantaged, low-income neighborhoods, while the affluent East Side and college campuses had little to worry about.

SB: From a law enforcement perspective, what are the chief benefits to legalizing marijuana?

BC: Since the start of the War on Drugs, the percentage of homicides solved has plummeted. I’d rather lock up the murderers and let the non-violent drug offenders go home. Legalizing marijuana would free up the cop on the street for more important police work. People in Rhode Island already smoke marijuana; the Regulation and Taxation Act would just insure that what they are smoking is safe, that it is kept out of the hands of kids, and that the profits from its sale go to the state rather than the criminal organizations currently controlling the market.

SB: Possession of small amounts of marijuana has been de-criminalized here. How far away are we from full legalization?

BC: There is support for marijuana reform on both sides of the aisle — small government conservatives, libertarians, progressive liberals, and let’s face it, the impressive revenue being generated in Colorado and Washington state has not escaped anybody’s notice. I hope we can convince the general assembly next session that there are advantages to being the first state in this region to go this route.

SB: Are we on the cusp of a sea change in public opinion on marijuana legalization?

BC: I’ve seen a huge change in just the last five years. Now when I speak to people, they already know what I’m talking about. They’ve read about our prison overcrowding, seen the reports of beheadings on the Mexican border. El Chapo and his air-conditioned tunnels were recently all over the news — the most wanted man in the world just ambled out of prison. And The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander really helped expose the havoc being wreaked on the black community by the drug war. I absolutely think people are ready to try something different, and these changes can occur with surprising speed.

SB: What are the biggest obstacles to drug legalization? Some might see it as the law enforcement community itself. What do you think about that?

BC: In general, police chiefs tend to be tough-on-crime old-timers, who like to tally numbers to prove they are fighting crime and making you safer. But look at what just happened in Gloucester, Massachusetts. In response to the enormous drug overdose problem, Chief Campanello issued a public invitation to addicts: Come into the police station and we will get you help, and you will not be arrested. How great is that?

But unfortunately, the drug war has created several perverse incentives for police departments. There’s asset forfeiture and federal grant money linked to the number of drug arrests. And those armored personnel carriers and grenade launchers must be used or they go back to the store. Happily, after public outcry, the federal government is ending programs that have turned our municipal police departments into standing armies.

This may come as a surprise to younger people, but being a cop used to be fun. And frequently rewarding. They need to get back to that.