Posted January 27th, 2011 by hiwayhowie
| Editor:
My colleague Chief DiPino supports marijuana prohibition but never explained why. I know our profession is given $13 billion per year to pursue and arrest the Willie Nelsons and Michael Phelps of our country. This prohibition generates good job security and overtime which are even more important in our recession economy. The Mexican drug cartels and thousands of teen dealers also support marijuana prohibition for the same reason as Chief DiPino; namely the money.
Certainly it was my police experience that marijuana is a much safer drug than alcohol for both the user and those around them. Chief DiPino and others in the prohibition crowd essentially drive many people to drink which everyone knows is much more dangerous than marijuana. Sad that money trumps common sense.
Howard Wooldridge
Adamstown. Md.
( The writer is a retired detective/officer. ) |
Posted January 2nd, 2011 by hiwayhowie
TREAT ADDICTS LIKE PATIENTS, NOT CRIMINALS
Regarding Wednesday’s article “Heroin abuse, deaths on the rise,” as a retired police officer, I am familiar with drug overdose and death.
As a traveler, I have met with doctors and officials in Switzerland to see first-hand the success of their method of handling heroin.
Since 1994 they have treated heroin use as a medical issue and have been rewarded with dramatic decreases in crime, and no one in the program has died of an overdose in 16 years. This model has been adopted by Germany, Denmark and Holland because it works.
The American model of treating drug addicts as criminals ( except for those addicted to alcohol and cigarettes ) has not worked in decades, despite a trillion tax dollars spent.
Know that my colleagues, such as Madison Police Chief Noble Wray, will always advocate locking abusers up as it provides solid job security and overtime for his officers.
Howard Wooldridge – drug policy specialist
Citizens Opposing Prohibition
Posted December 28th, 2010 by hiwayhowie
Legalize, regulate, tax
As a retired police detective, I heartily agree with the proponents cited in community columnist John Ridley’s Dec. 21 column that we should legalize, regulate and tax marijuana. My street experience showed that marijuana, though certainly no play toy of a drug, is much, much safer than alcohol for both the user and those around him.
My profession – the thin blue line – is getting much thinner all across Wisconsin. Do you want us to keep wasting time on a green plant? We are missing child predators even now.
Howard Wooldridge
Posted November 25th, 2010 by hiwayhowie
BUSTING CRIME
As a retired police detective, I heartily agree with Harmish McKenzie that ending our drug prohibition is the path to reducing crime, death, disease and, probably, drug use and abuse. I can certainly attest to the fact that after 40 years of efforts and the wasting of a trillion dollars, drugs are cheaper, stronger and readily available to Texas youths.
– – Howard Wooldridge, Dallas
Posted November 8th, 2010 by hiwayhowie
Pubdate: Tue, 02 Nov 2010
LEGALIZE IT
I am surprised that as a journalist you have no clue why people use meth. According to my news sources like the Denver Post, a majority of people use meth to stay awake or more alert. Another sizeable portion use methamphetamine to lose weight. These groups you rarely hear about because they do not become addicted as much as those who use it recreationally.
If Georgia really wants to become serious about the meth problems, it should legalize the sale to adults of the same amphetamines we give our Air Force and Navy pilots to go on long missions. Since a pilot can have legal amphetamines to stay awake, why not my waitress who is working a 12-hour shift to make ends meet? My understanding is that would eliminate about 90 percent of the illegal meth market.
Howard Wooldridge
Albany, Ga.
