The "Big and the Small" of it.

Big and Small.

The “Big” comes with our new Attorney General Jeff Sessions and his fast and early movement in changing the Justice Department. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_PIVOTING_JUSTICE_DEPARTMENT?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2017-03-04-09-13-22

The article points out Sessions self-recusal may clear his path for what he wants to accomplish and the reshaping of a bureaucracy he must do to accomplish those goals. The article talks of Sessions being tougher on violent crime, immigration and drugs. I’m focusing on his marijuana stance in this blog post.

In another article linked below

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/jeff-sessions-marijuana-comments_us_58b4b189e4b0780bac2c9fd8

Sessions is quoted as saying 2/27/2017 -

“I don’t think America is going to be a better place when people of all ages, and particularly young people, are smoking pot,” Sessions said to reporters Monday at the Department of Justice. “I believe it’s an unhealthy practice, and current levels of THC in marijuana are very high compared to what they were a few years ago, and we’re seeing real violence around that.”

That brings me to the “Small” in the title of my blog.

Those almost exact thoughts were expressed at a Michigan Township Association (MTA) meeting I attended Friday night in my Township of Newfield. I had a Republican meeting in Fremont earlier so I was late getting to the MTA meeting. The highlighted topic of the meeting was about the effects of marijuana dispensaries upon townships. Luckily I was not overly late for that.

Guest speakers were Oceana County Sheriff Craig Mast and two members of the State Police Drug team. As I walked in Craig Mast took the stage and talked about how opposed he was to marijuana use. While this could have turned into a moral type of thing it didn’t. Craig backed up everything he said with facts. He talked about all the crimes that currently occurs at the places that legally grow marijuana here in Oceana County. Whether it is grown indoors or out. He said if you grow it you will have someone breaking into your house or cutting/digging through/under your fencing to steal it and then the Sheriff will have to send an officer out to write a report on it. He has already had many calls to investigate these crimes.

The thrust of the meeting was informational. It focused on facts relevant to whether Townships would be better off - or not - passing ordinances allowing dispensaries into their areas. Sheriff Mast thought creating dispensaries would only escalate the theft problem into more violent acts.

He and the State Police talked about how younger kids were getting involved and the widespread corruption of the doctors and the over production of the home growers and in general how hard it was to try to police this activity along with all the added expenses.

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I have been torn on the marijuana use question for a long time. All I seem to hear is pro-legalization talk from the media and most politicians. Even Jeff Sessions had to walk back some of what he said about being against “medical marijuana”.

To tell the truth it was actually refreshing to hear the facts against its use at this meeting. I got up quick after the talk and shook Craig’s hand and thanked him for saying what he said. I told him it needed to be said. (I didn't vote for him but I will admit he is growing into the job well).  Unlike Sheriff Mast I have done more than my share of drugs including marijuana and have seen the effects it has on me and upon my friends especially after prolonged use. After 20 some years of abstinence I occasionally meet friends I had back in the day that are still using and I’m shocked at how “burnt out” they seem. Trying to talk to them about anything current is a struggle. They seem stuck in time.

I’m still on the fence about medical marijuana but am definitely against recreational legalization of it.

So there you have the big and the small of it.

Believe me, I have a lot of libertarian friends and I hear all the time about the arguments for “de-criminalizing” marijuana. How it is an individual choice and doesn’t hurt others, how it would get rid of the overcrowding in our jails and on and on.

It was nice to hear some common sense based on facts for a change refuting those arguments at the MTA meeting. I know most politicians are seeing a “new revenue source” and are in favor of it. Some of them are conservatives and I ask them if you are a conservative why do we need more money for the government? 

Well this argument will not go away no matter what the Sec. of Justice, the Oceana County Sheriff or the Mi. State Police does. But it was refreshing to hear the other side of the story. Being a “Rule of Law” guy I think you know where I stand. I also sit on the Newfield Township Planning Commission and I will have my say – at least on the “Small” of it.

Come next election I’ll have my say on the “Big” of it.

Regards, Bob Carr
Live Dangerously, Tell the Truth
glhotdogs513@gmail.com
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