Barry Cooper used to be a drug-enforcement officer for police departments in Gladewater, Big Sandy, and for the Permian Basin Drug Task Force. He made over 800 drug arrests, seized more than 50 vehicles, and confiscated over $500,000 in cash and assets.
Cooper was an excellent officer -- some believe he was as good as they come. His ex-boss on the drug task force says, "He was even better than he says he was. He was probably the best narcotics officer in the state and maybe the country during his time with the task force."
But Cooper has become disillusioned with the failed War on Drugs. He has made a new video titled Never Get Busted Again. Cooper says the video will show drug users how to:
- "conceal their stash"
- "avoid narcotics profiling"
- "fool canines every time"
Cooper now favors the legalization of marijuana, and believes the War on Drugs is simply wasting our resources and filling our prisons with non-violent offenders. He told the Tyler Morning Telegraph, "My main motivation in all of this is to teach Americans their civil liberties and what drives me in this is injustice and unfairness in our system."
Cooper is creating a web site to promote his video which he says should be up by next Tuesday [sorry, I don't have the URL], and is ready to start selling the video. He also plans to buy space in at least one national publication to promote the video.
Barry Cooper is right. The War on Drugs has been a miserable failure. It is draining the resources of our country without so much as putting a dent in drug production and sales. It has created new and dangerous gangs, who are willing to kill for control of the lucrative new black-market [just as prohibition did in the 1920's].
The huge amounts of money the black-market in drugs generates is a corrupting influence on law enforcement, and distracts them from their primary job of protecting the people. It is filling our prisons with non-violent offenders, and forcing the early release of many violent criminals because of overcrowding. The War on Drugs has made our country a more dangerous place for everyone.
I applaud Barry Cooper for the brave stand he has taken. It is time to legalize marijuana, tax the hell out of it to ease the burden on ordinary citizens, and remove the lucrative profits from the hands of the criminal element.
The War on Drugs is an abject failure. Let's admit it and move on.
Barry Cooper is a speaker for Law Enforcement Against Prohibition or "LEAP", an org of cops, judges, prosecutors and others in the criminal justice system who call for an end to the Drug War.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.leap.cc
Thanks for the info, Mike.
ReplyDeleteLEAP is a great organization, and they have been on our blogroll for several months now.
1.If you tax the hell out of pot then the "black market" price will become lower and people will just get it from their buddies and connections like they always did. Doesnt make much sense unless its offered at a reduced price.Money will be made cuz its already way too expensive as is so dropping the price 20 bucks wont hurt anything and will probably lure more costumers anyway.
ReplyDeleteOn a seperate issue:
2.I dont trust it wont have all sorts of chemicals added just like cigarettes(stuff to make it burn quicker,elements added for flavor/texture,addictive chemicals,ETC ). Why would it be any different for marijuana? I know they wouldnt say whats in it(they dont for cigarettes in the U.S.) but potheads(at least the ones who smoke the good stuff)would figure it out anyway and tell everybody and never buy it from a store again. This would drive away a HUGE market base.
Im sure the government would find some way to screw it up and people would just continue with their current methods. I could easily see them trying to put a limit on the THC concentration so that you can only get strains up to a certain potency. Theyll say because its more potent now it has to be regulated and any real from back-in-the-day hippy would know that is utter BS. I could come up with many viable scenarios that would make legalization pointless from a financial standpoint.
Im all for Legalization but I want the governments hands out. Theyll just screw it up for everyone involved. Please Respond.
I really take offense to the "ordinary citizens" comment.
ReplyDeleteThe ordinary citizen is an idiot. You have to realize that at this point. Mindless sheep eating up the BS that is slopped forth from their TV. The "ordinary citizen" doesnt even think anymore. The "ordinary citizen" went along with the Iraq War at the beginning. Many people (not nearly enough)saw through the propaganda. I did and I'm proud to be not "ordinary"
Besides all that why isnt smoking pot ordinary? If you had a magic power that could show you all the pot smokers in the US you would realize that its very common, very ordinary.
Also you sound very condescending towards pot users. I would like to know what makes them so strange and you so "ordinary"?
I doubt youll put up my comments and thats OK I suppose. I have to say I truly agree with everything you said except :
ReplyDelete"It is time to legalize marijuana, tax the hell out of it to ease the burden on ordinary citizens, and remove the lucrative profits from the hands of the criminal element."
I would appreciate a reply to my comments--- my email is matt.bird@comcast.net
thank you!