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Example research essay topic: Police Departments Medical Marijuana - 1,451 words

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... criminal-defense lawyer who advocates drug-policy reform. "But the real word is 'confiscation. ' Current law goes way too far. " In 1992, for instance, state troopers grabbed $ 38, 000 from the briefcase of Tom Russo (not his real name) after stopping him and then charging him with drunk driving, among other violations. Although a state judge ordered the cash returned because of an illegal search, police had already transferred it to the federal government, essentially leaving the money -- profits, it turned out, from a family-owned gas station -- lost forever. A jury later acquitted Russo of all charges. Petition P aims to correct such injustices.

First, the proposed law would raise the standard for confiscating property, forcing police to provide clear evidence that forfeited assets relate to drug crimes and shifting the onus back onto the government. More important, though, Petition P would eliminate a potential motive for abuse -- namely, that law-enforcement agencies benefit financially from seized cash. By redirecting such revenue into a drug-treatment trust fund, the ballot initiative would make court-sanctioned treatment available to first- and second-time drug offenders whom judges see fit to sentence to rehabilitation instead of prison. To supporters, using forfeiture funds this way is reasonable. "Drug proceeds would get people off drugs, " says Rob Stewart, communications director for the Coalition for Fair Treatment. "It makes perfect sense to me. " Opponents of Petition P charge that the coalition has "duped" Massachusetts residents, and that the ballot initiative is little more than "a wolf in sheep's clothes. " Worcester activist Billy Breault, who's crisscrossed the state to fight medical-marijuana and needle-exchange efforts, sums up the sentiment best: "They delivered us an initiative under the guise of treatment, but this will devastate our drug laws. " Opponents claim that Petition P would permit not only those charged with buying drugs, but also those charged with selling up to 28 grams of a drug, to claim themselves at risk of dependency. That means that dealers, as well as addicts, could request treatment in lieu of prosecution. (It should be noted that the initiative would merely give judges the discretion to decide which offenders would benefit from treatment instead of jail. ) Plymouth County district attorney Michael Sullivan, who describes the ballot initiative as "ill-conceived at best, " insists that the current system is a success. Violent crime continues to decline, he says, partly because of all the dealers in jail today. "Mandatory minimums are important public-safety tools, especially in urban neighborhoods, " he says.

Another vital public-safety device, opponents say, is the forfeited money that's funneled back to police departments and district attorneys' offices for sting operations, drug busts, and equipment. Undercover operations, in particular, carry hefty price tags, quickly exhausting the normal budgets of local police departments. Police have come to count on state forfeiture funds, which, it's estimated, range from $ 1 million to $ 3 million each year. Taking away the entire pool, initiative opponents assert, would hamper the ability of police to defend neighborhoods from drug activity. Perhaps what irritates opponents more, though, is the money behind Petition P. Three rich out-of-state philanthropists have contributed nearly $ 400, 000 to jump-start the campaign.

The trio includes John Sperling of Phoenix and Peter Clark of Cleveland, but the most famous, or infamous, is New York billionaire George Soros, who helped finance medical-marijuana propositions in California and Arizona. Soros also funds the Lindesmith Center in New York, a drug-policy think tank viewed as the leading voice among those who want to legalize drugs. That Soros would be connected to a ballot question here is enough to spark suspicion among opponents. Some, in fact, are convinced that Petition P is designed to be the first step in a long, carefully plotted crusade to decriminalize drugs. "Soros is king of kings in the legalization movement, " Breault warns, "and this petition is his Trojan horse. " There's no doubt that Petition P proponents fundamentally disagree with America's relentless, ever-intensifying drug war. Many are tied to progressive national institutions pushing for drug reform, including the Drug Policy Foundation, the American Civil Liberties Union, and the Voluntary Committee of Lawyers.

But challenging the country's drug policy isn't necessarily the same as championing legalization. And because Petition P boasts such mainstream backers as former attorneys general Scott Harshbarger, James Shannon, and Frank Bellotti, Coalition for Fair Treatment members cannot easily be dismissed as people on the fringe. This isn't to say that the more conservative types will make the coalition's task any easier. Now that the state's 11 district attorneys have submitted their own legislative alternative -- which, however sudden, looks to be a legitimate attempt to fund drug treatment -- coalition members expect state legislators to look favorably on that language instead, especially since it affords them the chance to bow out of a politically risky debate. "DAs and police hold a lot of sway on Beacon Hill, " Saloon says, "and they " ll try to make the lives of allies miserable. It's easier for politicians not to act on our petition. " But even if legislators flat-out reject Petition P, the coalition plans to press forward. Members will crisscross the state, collecting another 9500 signatures to secure a ballot slot. (The added signatures must be supplied if legislators fail to take action on the proposal. ) And if their "hunch" about Massachusetts public opinion turns out to be incorrect, and voters reject the proposal, members have already pledged to try again next year.

Until then, though, they find promise in the fact that, at the federal level, civil-asset-forfeiture reform has enjoyed rare, far-reaching support -- so much so that fiercely conservative, tough-on-crime politicians such as Henry Hyde, Jesse Helms, and Bob Barr favor it. A bill that tightens federal law in ways similar to Petition P has passed Congress, and Bill Clinton has vowed to sign it. "Forfeiture reform is one of the few issues where liberals and conservatives actually agree, " notes Ron Madnick, who heads the ACLU office in Worcester and backs Petition P. "I don't know how Massachusetts could buck the trend. " Whether the state becomes a national leader in drug-policy reform remains to be seen, of course. But the ballot initiative, if anything, is sure to prompt people to rethink conventional thought about America's ongoing drug war. And those seeking a rational, effective approach may find Petition P to be the long-sought solution. As veteran reformer Cutler puts it, "If people really want to do something about drug abuse -- and not just say they do -- this proposition is a step in the right direction. " Hubbardston Police plan to use Imager to Trap Pot Growers in Home. (Story by Ernie King of the Gardner News) June 2. Hubbardston.

A new high tech device that is going to be used primarily for search and rescue is also going to be a thorn in the side for local clandestine marijuana farmers. Office Chris Giglio and Officer Paul Swartz have recently returned from Phoenix, AZ, where they completed four days of extensive training in the use of a thermal imaging device. The course was offered by the Law Enforcement Demographic Association (LEDA). The Hubbardston and Templeton police departments received grants which included the cost of the units and the related travel and training expenses. "The primary use of the thermal imaging device will be for search and rescue operations at night, " Giglio said. "The device has an effective range of a mile and half in total darkness. " Giglio said the device cannot read a reflective surface such as glass or water because they reflect rather than emit heat. " Giglio said the thermal imaging device can also be used against marijuana farmers. "They can't grow outdoors because we " ll catch them, " he said. "Now they can't grow indoors, because they device will pick up any unusual heat. " Giglio said that people growing marijuana indoors need intense lights that give off heat which has to be vented. He said the thermal imager is able to see that escaping heat.

He said the device would be used as a last resort to catch anyone growing the illegal weed. Giglio said the device can also be used to find things that are buried in the ground. The thermal imager can see the changes in soil temperature if the soil has been disturbed. "It can detect changes in the temperature of the soil for up to 60 days, " he said. One of the things Giglio said you don't do with a thermal imaging device is drop it. "It cost approximately $ 50, 000, " Giglio said. Bibliography:


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Research essay sample on Police Departments Medical Marijuana

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