Have Boston Potheads Gone Wild or Are Cops Full of Crap?

Earlier today...

I read this article, Pot law leaves cops high & dry, at the Boston Herald website. I had to admit that it sent a chill up my spine in a good way. At first I thought, finally, we're seeing marijuana smokers light up like they would any typical tobacco user - no violence, no killing, no nonsense, no arrests.

But, the article began to sink in.

It was written from the point of view of Boston police - not exactly a group noted for being honest especially when it comes to marijuana users. Although the main point of the article speaks to the law specifically, there are some "stories" within it that I find are complete nonsense.

In short, the article is about the current marijuana laws on the books in Massachusetts. They bring the "crime" of smoking marijuana down from a sick-and-twisted arrestable "offense" to a near-common sense minor misdemeanor. The police complained from the first day that they wouldn't be able to enforce the law as it is on the books.

If caught smoking marijuana in public, you get a $100 fine. You don't even have to give your name so the citations aren't even enforceable, as I understand it. So, the current statistics reflect exactly that concern.

"...83 percent of 415 tokers cited in Boston since the law took effect in January have refused to pony up the $100, a Herald review shows."

I can believe that. But, it's not the statistics that bother me at all. Honestly and obviously, I believe marijuana should be legal and taxed, not illegal and fined. So, that result, in my view, upsets me only because 17% of the people actually bothered to pay this twisted fine.

What bothers me are the anecdotes of police encounters which is obviously full of pure unadulterated lies. I'll break em all down so we can see the sensationalism and outright arrogance of stupidity of the Boston Police Department.

#LiesCopsTell

• In Arlington, a public works employee was cited by the local police chief for smoking a pot pipe as he stood next to his town-issued tractor.
  

  When you read this, you're to think: "Oh no! You shouldn't be operating that tractor - paid for by tax payers - while you're high on marijuana!" And, we can't know if this is true or not because the cops couldn't get his info. However, they knew he was a "public works employee" standing next to a "town-issued tractor". I guess his employers can't do anything to stop him all because the cops can't enforce a citation. Give us all a break!

• At bustling Park Street Station, a pair of nonchalant lovers out on the town openly lit up a joint and continued toking even after confronted by off-duty Milton Chief Richard Wells.
  

  I love this one just for the "nonchalant lovers" part. Makes me think of good ol' Harry Anslinger when he said, "This marijuana causes white women to seek sexual relations with Negroes, entertainers and any others." What were they doing to make them nonchalant lovers? Smoking marijuana? I find it kind of hard to nonchalantly love a woman with a joint in my mouth. It kinda gets in the way of the whole nonchalant loving part, don't you think?

• In East Boston, four teens spotted in a “smoke-filled vehicle” unabashedly told a cop they were “just smoking marijuana.”
  

  This lie is hilarious just because they used the word unabashedly. They must have dug deep in the thesaurus for that one. Nevermind the potential DUI situation. I guess the police couldn't address it without giving a citation.

• A man caught near a Dorchester playground laughed when police said he faced a $100 fine - and then taunted the cops with an expletive-laced tirade.
  

  This is my favorite lie, yet! It's similar to the whole tractor crap above. You're made to think: "Oh no! They're smoking in the playground where our children play!" And, to make matters worse, he taunts the police with an "expletive-laced tirade". So, he's not just a pothead at a playground around children, he's a violent pothead at a playground around children. HILARIOUS!

Boston Potheads Haven't Gone Wild

Granted some people are quite uncouth. Arrogance, entitlement, privilege all drive folks to do things that are generally pretty stupid and uncalled for. Most police know exactly what I am talking about as they are guilty of it most of the time. The worst of stories I've heard is where people are generally rude to others that don't smoke much like tobacco smokers do regularly. It's my only pet peeve. Ask those around you that may be affected before you light up. It's called courtesy and respect.

But potheads in general are quite courteous, at least the ones I've met. And, I highly doubt Boston potheads would be as stupid or arrogant as Boston police would have us believe. The cops want their revenue stream back. They want to be able to arrest potheads so they come up with this sensationalist nonsense about marijuana smokers. I don't believe and I'll be on Boston soon enough to see for myself.

At the end of the day, Boston police are just trying to save their jobs. Without the ability to arrest marijuana smokers, the city will find that Boston police are generally ineffective and crime along with the cost of enforcing the old laws will fall dramatically - lower jail costs, court costs, and no more cops padding their pockets with overtime pay by spending hours long after their shift is over tending to potheads. The people of Boston win more than they realize.

The next step for Massachusetts is to eliminate the jobs of police isntead of teachers and counselors. They had the courage to pass this law. I hope they have the courage to address the state's police burden.