Cops Who Smoke Dope

[jusprof]

I was reading some discussion posts over at High Times magazine's site last night (don't normally peruse such liberal sites, but wanted to check out pics of stoner chicks, and ended up finding stuff on the NJ Weedman more interesting). Anyway, the posting said that the author knew dozens of cops (officers) who buy and use marijuana. I've heard this several times myself over the years and in several places, vague references to the "secret high command" or something. I wonder how prevalent it is. I know there's a group of LE against prohibition, and some famous ex-chiefs who have spoken out. I also wonder how regular drug use affects officers in their job, as I would imagine some wacko (or maybe creative is a better word) ideas get in their heads, but all one hears about are bad guys caught up in corruption and so forth. It is even hypothetically possible, I further imagine, that such pot-smoking cops might have some "big thoughts" on the role of LE today. On the other hand, it might possibly impair them. I'm not sure I want stoned LEOs in some contexts, certainly not around weapons, etc... (Don't take the brown acid Cointelpro passes out at rock concerts).
jusprof
faculty.ncwc.edu/toconnor

[hadenuff]

It's hard enough to deal with some cops in their right mind, let alone stoned. Well, I suppose for some it might be an improvement. I am actually more horrified by the cops who protect the drug operations, at a price. That's why certain local drug houses go unmolested while others get busted rather quickly. If someone called in to complain, the crooked cops might not appreciate that. Somehow, the cops know when others are passing through our area with large amounts of drugs. A local small town last weekend made 20-something drug arrests against strangers who were passing through. Call me a conspiracy theorist, but I doubt that this was a combination of good police work and good luck. I think somebody knocked out the competition.

[jusprof]

The pot smoking makes for an "improvement" thesis I find quite interesting. Probably donning my lecture hat here (not my intent, I'm just at a stage of reflection), but, as I see it, most of the academic literature, at least, going back quite a while, has been directed, or semi-directed, toward something that might be called the "liberalization" of the police personality. In the field of criminal justice, one of the common research findings is that police are mostly authoritarians and Machiavellians. They're predisposed that way from birth, it appears, with fairly hardened denial systems once they see something as black and white. I don't consider myself a liberal, but I think one of the things we're missing today is liberalization of thought, too often bypassed by the spectre of radicalization. Now, this is where the pot smoking thing is relevant. If thought is mostly chemically induced anyway, and personal pot smoking makes you "cool" (not really sure if I want to characterize the effect as this - lots of wacko things happen with any addictive substance - but pot does put someone in a "big picture" state), then it stands to reason that police-inspired insights would be all that more inspired the more pot-inspired they were. At least that's where my thinking was going, admittedly, not all that well thought out.

[WaTcHeR]

I really don't care what a cop does on his own time.

If that cop just worked 10-12 hour shift, chasing bad guys, pulling little old ladies out of burning buildings, being yelled and cussed at, standing on the side of the road all day with cars passing by at 85mph, with a chance of being hit. I say if that cop wants to go home and light a joint up and watch tv, then so freaking what? Not any difference than any other cop getting off work and downing a few beers before heading home. Lets not forget those pill cops, that get prescriptions from the doctor to ease and calm the officers nerves after a long day at a stressful job.

But doing drugs while on the job, I say NO! Just for the simply fact that the cop has a gun and is suppose to make life and death decisions.

What I dislike is when officers working undercover and are allowed to "partake" in the drugs to prove that he might not be a cop, I think what happens sometimes is sad. Some of these good cops get hooked on the drugs and turn into bad cops. Then usually end up losing their job as well as their family.

[hadenuff]

I'm more libertarian on the subject of marijuana. I think it is less destructive than alchohol, certainly not more so. I do not use illegal drugs; I drink but very little, and then only with a meal. I may have had six beers and three glasses of wine in the last year. I did have some spiked eggnog the other day, but certainly not much. Despite my status as an "arch-conservative" I am for legalization of marijuana. Prohibition didn't work for alchohol, either. Of course, I wouldn't want to deal with a cop on dope--some are bad enough sober. Also, I really don't want my surgeon toking up to be the last thing I see before the anesthesia takes me down. As far as I'm concerned, I don't see why weed is taboo, but whiskey, which I consider deadly, is legal.

[KC]

Seems like a lot of police departments these days are having trouble getting candidates that haven't used drugs in their past. Some departments now require a bachelor's degree to work as a officer.

So what happens in a society where police departments can't find applicants that haven't used drugs before?

[LM]

kc said:

So what happens in a society where police departments can't find applicants that haven't used drugs before?

More bad cops!

[streetsweeper]

I've known plenty of cops that did drugs as the result of an exuberant youth. However, I have not known any that have admitted doing drugs since becoming a cop.

I've never smoked MJ simply because it's always given me a headache. However since becoming a cop I have smelled it more and more and so I don't get a headache as bad unless I am around it for a while.

[freedomfighter423]

streetsweeper, you never smoked it becuase it gave you a headache? how would one know it gave them a headache untill one smoked it? Also potsmokers dont "admit" that they smoke pot to non smokers a general rule, regardless of thier vocation. It is illegal after all and most pot smokers get paranoid about going to jail when around nonsmokers who may or may not be snitches...or in the case of cops...well common sense tells you that, unless that cop is passing the doob to you you, its probably not a good idea to advertise that you partake. factory workers dont tell other factory workerswho dont smoke because they dont wont to get fired, so why would your police buddies "admit" to headacheboy that they smoke. the fact is drug use is rampant in law enforcemet...alcohol being the most abused, followed by prescription pills( hydrocodone,oxycotin,xanax,valium,etc) then cocaine and meth rounding out the list.the fact is, you will be hard pressed to find someone born after 1975 who hasent smoked pot at least once or twice and the majority have used it habitualy at some point in thier life, usualy in thier adolesence.