Latino And Black Law Enforcement Groups Endorse Colorado Marijuana Initiative

Source: Think Progress

Two national law enforcement organizations representing black and Latino police officers announced their support yesterday for the ballot initiative to legalize marijuana in Colorado.

The endorsements by Blacks in Law Enforcement of America and the National Latino Officers Association of Amendment 64, which proposes to regulate marijuana like alcohol, were accompanied by a letter signed by law enforcement officials from around Colorado:


As police officers, judges, prosecutors, corrections officials and others who have labored to enforce the laws that seek to prohibit marijuana use, and who have witnessed the abysmal failure of this current criminalization approach, we stand together in calling for new laws that will effectively regulate marijuana in a manner similar to alcohol.

As law enforcement professionals, we especially want voters to understand that responsible regulation will allow us to do our jobs more effectively and safely. When we change our marijuana laws, police officers will no longer have to waste time on low-level marijuana arrests. As public safety is our primary concern, we look forward to the passage of this initiative, which will allow our criminal justice system to focus on protecting the public from violent crime.


Read more: http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2012/09/21/891181/latino-and-black-law-enforcement-groups-endorse-colorado-marijuana-bill/