Ohio Police Chief’s Facebook Slur: Cannabis Decrim Will Create A Downhill Tumble In Society

By Nina Zdinjak

As cannabis legalization has spread across the country in recent years, more and more small jurisdictions are welcoming the decriminalization of the plant. So far, 22 jurisdictions in the state of Ohio have passed local laws to decriminalize cannabis possession.

Even so, there are people who disapprove of the legalization trend and will do whatever they can to sabotage it. Just last week, an Ohio Police Department shared a post on Facebook opposing a proposal to decriminalize cannabis and removed it hours later, Marijuana Moment reported.

Photo by Sven Mieke via Unsplash

“Downhill Tumble” for society

According to the published and later deleted press release from McArthur Police Chief Thomas Heaton, the initiative to decriminalize cannabis, which the city’s adults will decide on in the coming months, could spark a “downturn” for society.

Heaton stressed that the proposed measure would reduce penalties for possession of small cannabis to a fine of zero dollars.

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“The McArthur Police are unwilling to endorse or recommend the passing of this levy,” said the chief. “Society’s views may think this isn’t a big deal because it’s just marijuana. However, this is only the beginning of a slide in terms of illicit drug use. If penalties are further reduced over time, what chance does society have of tackling the ever-growing drug problem that our village and our country are facing. “

Ohio’s NORML Appalachia responded with a press release stating that Heaton was “risking his own employment” by participating in taxpayer surveys, pointing out that the police chief violated federal Hatch and Ohio laws violated because he used the voice of the police department to “disseminate outdated information in order to influence and intimidate voters”.

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“This shows that there is an ugly, uneducated side to small town politics,” Don Keeney, a NORML activist, told Marijuana Moment. “That’s why we’re continuing to fight, also at the local level. Change comes from the ground up. “

In addition, proponents also emphasized that Heaton mistakenly labeled the initiative a “levy,” which means it would include taxes, which it doesn’t.

This article originally appeared on Benzinga and was republished with permission.