Police Chiefs from across the Nation Met in Colorado to Discuss Cannabis

n Jan. 14, police chiefs from all across the nation came to
Lone Tree, Colorado to have a closed-door discussion about cannabis reform and
how to deal with new legal regulations in a way that is fair for everyone. 

The conference discussed how to enforce regulations without
persecuting legal grows, businesses or patients, but without allowing
criminals to profit from legal cannabis. It also focused on keeping cannabis
out of the hands of children and minors.

According to Major Neill Franklin, the executive director of
Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP), the conference was intended both as
a way to protect the rights of citizens in legal states, and also brief
officers on how to persecute the elements of cannabis that are still illegal. This
is important on both sides, since there have been instances of grows and
dispensaries being persecuted for no reason, and it is equally imperative that
criminal activity and underage use be acknowledged.

“This conference is the result of smart regulation,” Franklin
stated. “Now that marijuana is sold in a visible, transparent market,
enforcement and regulatory bodies can start making recommendations about how to
further public safety surrounding the drug. Instead of arresting people for
minor marijuana offenses, cops are now ensuring operations are running safely
and legally.” 

The conference featured over 500 members of the law
enforcement community, including some from the recently-legalized state of
Alaska. The conference was put on by LEAP, which is committed to ending
prohibition, but also strongly opposed to gang activity and the criminal
underground. It is their hope that in this new and enlightened era of legal
cannabis, more events like this can take place, and law enforcement can learn
to work peacefully with the cannabis industry.