Massachusetts police scramble to codify new marijuana bust procedures

Police scramble to codify new marijuana bust procedures – Clinton, MA – The Times & Courier

Voters elected last November to remove the criminal penalty for possession of less than an ounce of marijuana. Since the law went into effect Jan. 1, offenders are now subject to a civil fine. That fine, like a parking ticket, can be appealed in court.

[Lancaster Police Chief Kevin] Lamb said last week that he still has questions and concerns over the new law.“There’s going to be problems if you issue a $100 ticket and they don’t pay it. Who is going to chase them around for it?” he said. “There are all kinds of issues that are going to come up in the next few months.”

Lamb also referenced a hypothetical situation in which one of his officers could sit in a police cruiser, smoking a joint, and the only thing the chief could do is have a citation issued. No further disciplinary action could be taken because the new law classifies the possession of less than one ounce as a civil offense. Conversely, Lamb noted, an officer could be fired if found smoking a regular cigarette in that same cruiser.

“That just doesn’t make sense,” Lamb said.

It’s nice to see that Massachusetts has gone to such great lengths to employ the mentally handicapped.  Really, are you guys that bummed out about not being able to just cuff and stuff pot smokers that you’ve lost all sense?

Chief Lamb, the new law makes marijuana possession like a parking ticket.  Who is chasing around the folks who don’t pay parking tickets?  Nobody!  But if you have an unpaid ticket, then what?  You get cited for contempt, you get a bench warrant, and the next time you interface with a police officer, you’re going to jail.

And you really think you have no grounds to fire a police officer smoking cannabis in a police cruiser?  First off, is this a huge problem in Massachusetts?  Do you not have the standard human resources-approved legal mumbo-jumbo in your employment contracts about “conduct unbecoming an officer” or a “morality clause” or something?

Geez, the way you guys whine you’d think that we haven’t seen twelve other states deal with exactly this same situation!