TAUBE: The myth of the mellow pothead

[mahatmakanejeeves]

He's not opposed to decriminalization. He just questions the arguments in this case.

TAUBE: The myth of the mellow pothead

Correlation between marijuana use and cutting crime is cloudy

By Michael Taube Tuesday, June 3, 2014

Do you think there’s a correlation between marijuana legalization and lower crime levels?

I certainly don’t. However, some individuals and groups are attempting to creatively connect the dots using some local data collected in Denver.
....

As I’ve written in the past, I support marijuana decriminalization because I don’t feel people should have permanent criminal records for possessing a few joints. The push for marijuana legalization has always worried me for a number of reasons, however.

Unscientific assumptions such as a correlation between pot use and reduced crime levels is certainly one of them.

Michael Taube is a contributor to The Washington Times.

[arcane1]

1. Leave it to the Moonie Times to completely miss the point.

The only crimes marijuana was ever associated with were the crimes of marijuana possession and sale.

[MADem]

2. Well....... what has been happening in Colorado?

........However, recent data released by the city of Denver indicates that property crime fell 14.6 percent in the first two months of 2014 compared to the same period in 2013. Violent crime is also down but only by 2.4 percent.

- See more at: http://www.opposingviews.com/i/society/drug-law/colorado-tax-revenues-and-crime-down-after-3-months-legal-pot-sales#sthash.j9jbPNzz.dpuf

[RainDog]

6. We're seeing PROPAGANDA pushback

Here on DU and in the wider press.

But the claims are worthless since, as I noted, it was law enforcement agencies that made the claim crime would soar with legal marijuana. When the reverse showed up, advocates noted this.

Now jerkoffs are lying to claim advocates said this, when the reality is advocates noted, once again, lies from law enforcement that demonstrate yet more reefer madness in this nation.

[tridim]

3. Artificial crimes will likely rise.

"crimes" like forgetting about the gram in your pocket as you drive home from your Colorado ski weekend.

Perfectly legal in CO, but step one foot over the state line and you're an instant felon. CRIME IS UP!!!!!11

[RainDog]

4. Law Enforcement claimed crime would increase

This guy has it ass backwards, iow, and REPEATS the very same assumptions of law enforcement to argue against legalization, here:

What if we legalized marijuana in some of America’s most violent cities, such as Detroit, Oakland and Milwaukee? Would we see the same result that Denver is experiencing? I strongly doubt it. If anything, wider availability of drugs such as marijuana could increase overall crime levels in these cities. That’s hardly something most Americans would welcome.

So, the joke is that this person, acting as if he is responding to a claim made by legalization proponents, is repeating (racist) claims made by opponents.

People noted the decrease in crime to indicate the law enforcement scare warnings against legalization have not happened - they, again, made the initial correlation, not supporters of legalization.

There's no reason to think greater availability through legal routes, limited to adults, would increase crime, but this is exactly the sort of thinking this person engages in, and also elides marijuana legalization with "availability of drugs such as" when bills have all addressed marijuana, not "other drugs."

iow, this is just another example of why the Washington Times has nothing worthwhile to say about this issue.

Reefer Madness as the status quo, iow. Nothing new here. Same old same old.

[RainDog]

5. LOL

...and of course, this post is rec'd by a member of the Reefer Madness club here.

To repeat: the UNSCIENTIFIC CLAIMS were made by LAW ENFORCEMENT, not legalization supporters.

But this is how propaganda works - you lie about what others have said when your statements are invalid.