News West By Kevin Reece | March 9, 2019
“Just because it’s been passed and other states have legalized it, it doesn’t mean that it’s right for our state,†Grand Prairie police Chief Steve Dye said.
GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas — As more than 50 bills are under consideration in the Texas Legislature this session to change the state’s approach to policing marijuana production and use, the Texas Police Chiefs Association is urging lawmakers to proceed with caution and to recognize what they believe is a harmful drug, legalized or not.
In a report prepared by the Texas Police Chiefs Association called "The Impact of Marijuana Legalization on State and Local Governments and Communities, TPCA proposes to "address the myths vs. the facts" on marijuana production, cannabis use, legalization and long-term effects on a community's quality of life.
Citing research by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Oregon State Police-Drug Enforcement, the Centers for Disease Control and other independent surveys, the TPCA fact sheet details property crime increases in Oregon, a crime rate rising in Colorado 11 times faster than the rest of the nation, increases in youth usage of marijuana, and increased health care costs in states that have legalized marijuana.
"The modern day marijuana is a very potent drug that has now become addictive and damaging," said Grand Prairie Police Chief Steve Dye, who is on the committee coordinating marijuana legislation for the Texas Police Chief's Association. "Let's do objective research on the legalized states and that's where we've come up with our opinion."
Their research of states like Colorado, Washington, and California leaves the TPCA with the firm belief that legalizing marijuana in Texas will not stop the crime they are dealing with now: where marijuana busts also often lead to seizure of illegal weapons and other dangerous drugs.
More:
http://www.newswest9.com/2019/03/09/texas-police-chiefs-marijuana-legalization-would-only-make-things-worse/
