Former narc gives advice on avoiding drug arrest — baltimoresun.com
[Barry] Cooper, 38, a fast-talking former narcotics cop, is best known for changing sides in the war on drugs in December 2006, when he released Never Get Busted Again. In the DVD, he offered marijuana users advice on how to avoid arrest during traffic stops.

Now Cooper has begun shipping a new title, Never Get Raided, which teaches viewers how to buy, sell and grow pot without going to jail. He also gives tips for identifying undercover officers.

Cooper turned in his badge and grew his hair long about 10 years ago, after souring on U.S. drug laws and being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Agency for smuggling drugs out of Mexico.

“The last three months of my law enforcement career, I had started smoking pot,” he said recently…. “And I noticed the people I had been arresting were nice people. They had a balanced checkbook, their kids made straight A’s, and I was like, ‘This drug is not making people crazy.’”

He advocates the legalization of all drugs. If the laws changed, he said, addicts would receive better treatment, drug-fueled crime would plummet and illegal drug empires would collapse.

I’ve seen Cooper’s video and certainly, he provides a fascinating cop’s-eye view of the drug war. However, he gives some tips to cannabis consumers that I would consider big mistakes - like consenting to a search by an officer without a warrant. Never give up your rights. Never consent to a search. You have a right to remain silent. Use it. Call a lawyer. You can always check for an attorney familiar with the cannabis laws in your area by consulting the NORML Legal Committee at the “Find a Lawyer” link on our website, NORML.org.

Tags: Barry Cooper, police search

This entry was posted on Sunday, March 9th, 2008 at 8:09 pm and is filed under 4:20 NewsHour. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a trackback from your own site.