NYPD Commissioner Says Most Drug Violence Due to Cannabis, Entirely Missing the Point of Legalization

October 7th, 2017

Awake Goy

Isaac Davis, Staff Writer
Waking Times

As cannabis legalization gains ground in the United States and other nations, more evidence emerges to confirm that society can benefit from not outlawing a plant. In legal states, more people are turning to cannabis as natural alternative to dangerous pharmaceutical painkillers, the judicial system is no longer being burdened by frivolous possession cases, SWAT teams are no longer being dispatched to raid potheads, and there is big money to be made in tax revenue.

But old habits die hard, as do outdated modes of thinking.

In a recent hit piece on cannabis by the Daily Mail, which makes the claim that smoking marijuana makes people more violent, journalist Steve Doughty ends with a clip of New York City police commissioner Bill Bratton speaking on a podcast about the nature of drug violence in the Big Apple.

Bratton’s comments are quoted here:

“Here in New York, the violence we see associated with drugs, the vast majority of it, is around the issue of marijuana, which is ironic considering the explosion in use of heroin now in the city.

Interestingly enough, here in New York City most of the violence we see – violence around drug trafficking – is involving marijuana and I have to scratch my head as we are seeing many states wanting to legalize marijuana, and more liberalization of policies.” [Source]

The NYPD is the largest police force in the world, better resembling a standing national army with almost 35,000 employees and foot soldiers. The commissioner’s comments echo those of U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions earlier this year:

“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. Experts are telling me there’s more violence around marijuana than one would think and there’s big money involved.”

Regarding Bratton’s comments, the New York Post noted:

“His comments came two years after Mayor de Blasio introduced an NYPD policy mandating that a person possessing less than 25 grams of marijuana get a ticket instead of being arrested, as long as they have ID and no outstanding warrants.” [Source]

In other words, while cannabis is outlawed, the force is having to manage and mitigate the predictable negative side effects of government prohibition. Is this kind of violence associated with the alcohol industry? No.

Commissioner Bratton is missing the biggest point of cannabis legalization. It moves the production and trade of the drug from the black market to the legitimate market. What once was an industry whereby in its very nature participants had to be criminals, becomes an economy for creative entrepreneurship and fair trade practices. Deals are no longer made in back alleys, and gangs lose a whole lot of turf.

If most drug related violent crime involves marijuana and you replace the criminal element in this sector with legit business people, then you may actually end up stopping most drug related violent crimes.