Citizens Opposing Prohibition » Published Editorials

Published LTE: Washington Times (July 19) –MARIJUANA BAN KEEPS US LESS SAFE

hiwayhowie — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 11:33:27 +0000

As a street cop who worked the trenches of the drug war spanning three decades, I heartily agree with the observations of Sutton Stokes ( “Is marijuana legalization finally on the march in the U.S.?” Communities, Tuesday ). The prohibition of marijuana and the subsequent arrest of 800,000 citizens, mostly for personal use, means less time for deadly DUI offenders. When detectives are flying around in helicopters trying to find green plants, they are missing the pedophiles who are in the Internet chat rooms making contact with our young teens. We have all seen NBC’s “To Catch a Predator.” Police labs are not opening 400,000 rape kits and putting the DNA in the computer because proving the green stuff is marijuana is more of a priority.

This is insane. We are doing a poor job of protecting our little boys and girls and women in order to make the safe, easy and lucrative bust of a peaceful pot smoker. Will we ever become as wise as our grandparents and repeal this prohibition?

Howard J Wooldridge

Published LTE: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette – Pot’s a Distraction

hiwayhowie — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 11:24:10 +0000

As a retired police officer, I heartily agree with PG columnist Tony Norman (“Legalized Pot? Like Getting Bonged in the Head,” July 13) that marijuana should be treated like alcohol, i.e., legal, regulated and taxed.

My profession will arrest more deadly DUIs and more child molesters when we stop arresting 800,000 marijuana users and suppliers each year. The police can once again focus on our original mission: public safety.

HOWARD J. WOOLDRIDGE
Adamstown, Md.

The writer co-founded Law Enforcement Against Prohibition.

Published LTE: Culpeper Star-Exponent (VA) -DRUG PROHIBITION A BAD POLICY

hiwayhowie — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 18:18:26 +0000

Pubdate: Thu, 24 Jun 2010
Author: Howard Wooldridge

Mr. Jim Bayne’s column Sunday ( “Mexico has a legitimate gripe when it comes to our drug habit” ) refused to mention the elephant in the room; namely, drug prohibition. As he exhorts us to only use legal drugs, he and the prohibition crowd force us to use alcohol, a much more dangerous drug than marijuana, to take the edge off the day at 6 p.m. He is flat wrong that marijuana is a gateway drug. Every government research in five countries has concluded it is not ( the last was our Institute of Medicine in 1999 ).

Mankind has been taking mind-altering, intoxicating, addictive drugs for thousands of years. Drug prohibition – a self-inflicted wound – continues to be the most destructive, dysfunctional and immoral policy since slavery and Jim Crow. As a retired police officer, I am baffled why this country continues to cling to the notion that drug prohibition is worth keeping.

Howard Wooldridge

Adamstown, Md.

Published LTE: New Times (San Luis Obispo, CA)-MARIJUANA ENFORCEMENT WASTES POLICE RESOURCES

hiwayhowie — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 20:18:58 +0000

Pubdate: Thu, 24 Jun 2010
Author: Howard Wooldridge

MARIJUANA ENFORCEMENT WASTES POLICE RESOURCES

Speaking as a retired police detective with more than 18 years of experience in the trenches enforcing marijuana prohibition, I say Norm Jackson’s commentary ( “Legalizing marijuana makes no sense,” June 17 ) missed many key points on the issue of prohibition. I responded to about 1300 calls generated by the use of alcohol, including homicide, suicide, and rape. Marijuana, which does not provoke violence, produced zero calls in those 18 years. Anyone who switches from alcohol to marijuana will make for a safer world.

Public safety is dramatically reduced by every hour we chase a non-problem-causing cannabis smoker, which means we miss such deadly DUIs as the driver who killed Jackson’s sister. Chasing pot smokers and their suppliers is a horrific waste of our time. The police cannot stop bad choices; only family and friends can.

Howard Wooldridge, CitizensOpposingProhibition.org

Washington, D.C.

Published LTE: Frederick News Post -Lost war on drugs and its casualties

hiwayhowie — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 19:38:05 +0000

Originally published June 21, 2010

When you lie down with dogs, often you will get up with fleas. Yet another in my profession (Megan Mattingly) has been tainted by the enforcement of drug prohibition. Add her to the many, many thousands who have been corrupted or killed, or who have committed suicide after being corrupted. And for what?

We in law enforcement know that every drug dealer arrested is replaced within days. The nine suspects released (or even if they had gone to prison) are meaningless.

A trillion tax dollars spent and 40 years of serious effort have resulted in a Maryland free of drugs? No. Quite the contrary. Drugs are cheaper, stronger and readily available to our teens.

Please tell this reader again why you support this Bridge to Nowhere policy.

HOWARD WOOLDRIDGE

retired detective/officer

Buckeystown

Independent (UK): Published LTE:A DESTRUCTIVE AND IMMORAL POLICY

hiwayhowie — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 15:46:53 +0000

Pubdate: Tue, 15 Jun 2010
Author: Howard Wooldridge

Perspectives on Drug Prohibition

As a retired police detective from the USA, I thank you for publishing Johann Hari’s analysis of drug prohibition ( 11 June ).

During my 18 years in the trenches of this destructive, dysfunctional and immoral policy, I witnessed part of the one trillion dollars spent so far to make my country “drug-free”. As my colleagues spent their shifts in pursuit of a baggie of cannabis, drunk drivers were freer to slaughter tens of thousands of innocents. When detectives are flying around in helicopters looking for green plants, the paedophiles in the chat room have an easier time of making contact with our 13-year-olds.

Privately many police officers will admit that drug prohibition increases crime and reduces public safety. Scotland Yard’s Detective Chief Superintendent Eddie Ellison ( RIP ) was among the first UK “top cops” to speak plainly in public. It is past time for them to follow his courageous lead.

Howard Wooldridge

Washington DC

Published LTE: LEGAL POT = MORE SAFETY – Chico News and Review – May 20, 2010

hiwayhowie — Sun, 30 May 2010 18:15:23 +0000

Re “Fear into law” ( From the Edge, by Anthony Peyton Porter, May 13 ):

Mr. Porter’s column touched some issues, but not public safety–the primary mission of law enforcement. There is no doubt in my mind that when my California colleagues stop chasing the green plant, public safety will improve. From my perspective as a retired police detective, road patrol will arrest more DUI and reckless drivers, and detectives will arrest more pedophiles and rapists.

Cannabis is a drug and no play toy. My college roommate flunked out because of it and went to Vietnam. However, during my 18 years of police service I did not go to one call generated by its use. Legalizing and regulating marijuana is a no-brainer.

Howard Wooldridge

Citizens Opposing Prohibition

Washington, D.C.

Dallas Morning News – Published LTE: PROHIBITION FAILS AGAIN

hiwayhowie — Mon, 24 May 2010 02:15:38 +0000

Re: “No end in sight in Mexico cartel war — Turf battle in Juarez may take years to play out, authorities say,” Monday news story.

During my 18 years as a police officer, I saw drugs become cheaper, stronger and readily available to our youth. My profession went from “protect and serve” to “search and arrest” those who chose marijuana instead of alcohol. Public safety took a back seat to making a drug arrest on all the Willie Nelsons of the world.

This sobering report on the agony of Mexico should wake up those citizens who cling to the idea that this modern prohibition will one day become effective. Prohibition has failed, again. Solution? Same as 1933 — repeal and then legalize, regulate, tax.

Howard Wooldridge, Dallas

Published LTE: Reason Magazine – The Forfeiture Racket

hiwayhowie — Tue, 11 May 2010 21:27:59 +0000

As a police officer and property room manager at a small Michigan police department, I can heartily agree with Radley Balko’s excellent essay on the forfeiture issue (“The Forfeiture Racket,” February). When we went to a seminar around 1986 on how to seize money, cars, and houses, the instructor heavily emphasized that the presence of drugs was not needed, just cash. When command and our local prosecutor in Clinton County figured out this was a cash cow, officers were encouraged to spend more time looking for drugs—which meant less time for the deadly DUI and reckless drivers.

The last 25 years of police action enforcing drug prohibition has undermined public safety and left a large stain on our professional image. Despite that, money talks and we continue to steal from citizens who deserve better. Please urge your politicians to repeal all drug prohibition laws.

Det. Howard Wooldridge (retired)

Published LTE: ‘MARIJUANA LAWS OPPRESS US ALL’ –Oklahoma Daily, The (U of Oklahoma, OK Edu)

hiwayhowie — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 11:33:10 +0000

Regarding marijuana prohibition, the government has an interest, nay a duty, to protect its citizens from harmful subtances they might put in their body. Thus that government imposes punishment for doing so, in the name of protecting the citizen. This is a rational course of action, if that country is run by nanny-state liberals who believe the government is the solution to all problems.

Prohibition is a policy whereby the government threatens its citizens with punishment, backed up by the police, prosecutors and prisons, for anyone who steps outside the box of alcohol, tobacco, Prozac and Valium. Yes, in regards to our bodies, they are owned by the Big Brother.

Detective/Officer Howard Wooldridge ( retired )

Drug Policy Specialist, COP