Since the House "compromise" bill was introduced, there's been nothing on Twin Cities media like the Valley News Live interview about "the cannabis question" with Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association Executive Director Dennis Flaherty that aired on the Fargo television channel on May 2, 2014.
The interview was broadcast one day after Representative Carly Melin offered a "compromise" bill for a clinical study of cannabis. The delate-all amendment to a school technology bill essentially retreated from HF1818, her earlier bill that would have legalized and tightly regulated medical marijuana and allowed non-profit dispensaries to grow and sell the drug to approved patients.
SF1641, a companion bill for HF1818, continues to gambol like a lively spring lamb in the Minnesota Senate, shepherded from committee to committee under the thoughtful watch of Senator Scott Dibble.
Melin had received widespread adulation earlier this year when she called out Flaherty and law enforcement for financially benefiting from pot busts, asserting that the financial rewards of drug enforcement created law enforcement's fierce opposition to legalizing medical marijuana.
As recently as April 21, MPR's Tom Scheck reported in Medical marijuana debate puts spotlight on law enforcement's political influence:
Some Minnesota legislators, frustrated with their inability to make any headway against law enforcement objections to a medical marijuana bill, are expressing concern that police and prosecutors are spending too much time at the Capitol protecting and serving their own interests.
Among them is state Rep. Carly Melin, who has made headlines for taking on police and prosecutors with her push to legalize medical marijuana. Melin, DFL-Hibbing, is frustrated that Gov. Mark Dayton won't support a medical marijuana bill unless it has the support of law enforcement.
"I'm starting to wonder who makes the laws around here," she said. "It seems like we take their opinion into pretty heavy consideration whenever we're passing legislation." . . .
Politics in Minnesota's Mike Mosedale reported in February in Melin challenges cops on pot opposition:
The second-term DFLer from Hibbing said she was particularly frustrated after she met in November with representatives of the powerful Minnesota Law Enforcement Coalition, a group that includes the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association, Minnesota Chiefs of Police Association, Minnesota Sheriffs Association, Minnesota County Attorneys Association, and Minnesota State Association of Narcotics Investigators.
“They wouldn’t discuss any specific provisions and said they had a blanket opposition to medical marijuana,” Melin recalled. She took note of one objection voiced at the meeting but not mentioned in the coalition’s 10-page, bullet-point laden white paper: concern about the impact the measure might have on police budgets.
According to Melin, Dennis Flaherty, the executive director of the MPPOA, explicitly told her that he was worried that legalization — in any form — could lead to harmful reductions in the federal grants that are an important funding source for many police agencies. . . .
Having scored Melin's capitulation the day before, in the May 2 interview Flaherty calls claims like Melin's--without naming her specifically--"myth." The lobbyist says:
[Reporter Hope Hansen] So we wanted to know if enforcing illegal marijuana was benefiting them.
"Absolutely not. That is a myth and a total--actually very irresponsible that anybody would suggest that law enforcement profits out of marijuana busts."
Flaherty says that Minnesota police departments have used a tactic called asset forfeiture since the 1980s. That's where police can auction off or keep the firearms and items seized in drug busts.
"It has been a very effective tool--not the only tool that law enforcement has--but an important one to deal with people heavily involved with drug trafficking, drug sales, that sort of thing. "
Even so, Flaherty denies forfeiture had anything to do with their opposition to the bill [HF1818].
"The number of marijuana busts that are done in the scheme of all drug enforcement is very small."
The number of busts may be small, but the amount of money involved can be huge. Last summer Minnesota law enforcement made one of their biggest seizures in years, a $4.1 million pot growing operation near Hinckley. But state data doesn't differentiate marijuana busts from others so it's not clear what impact they would have on departments.
"Any moneys, revenues that maybe generated through forfeiture are just used to pay the salaries or getting further tools to focus on the problem."
[Rewind sound effect]. But wait: didn't he just say the opposite:
. . . actually very irresponsible that anybody would suggest that law enforcement profits out of marijuana busts." . . .
Here's the feature:
Valley News Live - KVLY/KXJB - Fargo/Grand Forks
Pioneer Press compares the bills
In Medical marijuana: Here's a look at differing approaches in Minnesota House, Senate, Pioneer Press, staff writer Christopher Snowbeck contrasts the bills. One particular item of interest:
Q. Why might studies not get off the ground?
A. Heather Azzi of Minnesotans for Compassionate Care said Thursday that she believes the House bill would have doctors distribute marijuana to patients, which she said isn't allowed under federal law. That's why similar bills in other states haven't gotten off the ground, Azzi added.
During a Friday hearing in a House committee, Melin said: "There are some issues with physicians ... directly dispensing medication to patients." So, the bill would let doctors explain to patients how to obtain medical cannabis from a qualified employee of the study's principal investigator.
Oh.
Meme: Dennis Flaherty holds Dayton's veto pen on medical cannabis question. The Governor has vowed to veto any bill Flaherty and other law enforcement lobbyist don't like. Via Brandan Borgos on twitter.
If you enjoyed reading this post, consider giving a donation via mail (payable to Sally Jo Sorensen, P.O. Box 108, Maynard MN 56260) or paypal:
Is it just me, or has Flaherty not heard ANYTHING about Colorado and Washington?
Millions of dollars!
Tons of Jobs!
A general decrease in crime!
The compromise bill is stupid! We need something that is more inclusive of other people experiencing mental and physical illnesses. What is defined in the bill only helps a select number of people!
This bill sucks! Give the people what they want!
A non addictive substance that is less harmful than alcohol and tobacco.
Come on now, vitamins and supplements aren't regulated as harshly as marijuana!
This bill is so terrible.
Posted by: Matthew | May 22, 2014 at 11:01 AM