BU Daily Free Press "Mass. marijuana reform activists protest Brown bill" and Brown Still Refuses Comment

BU Daily Free Press

Excerpt:

(Wellesley Deputy Police Chief) Brooks said driving under the influence of marijuana is a problem, but it is difficult to judge the impairment of someone who has been using marijuana compared to someone who has been drinking.

There is also misconception about Question 2 and how it affects a person’s record, Brooks said. Before November’s legislation if a newspaper asked police for a list of those charged with marijuana possession the police department could not have legally disclosed it, he said.

“Once Question 2 goes into effect, a police department will be required to disclose such information because it will become a public record under Massachusetts law,” he said. “So now we are left with a law that makes no sense.”

Brown was unavailable for comment after multiple attempts.

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Notice how the deputy police chief spins with more half truths and disinfo. Nice try Mr. Brooks. If a person passes a field sobriety test, that's a problem? It appears to be a problem for Mr. Brooks. Funny how they never have that problem when using the same test to get people to have to take the breathalizer. His point only backs up the fact that cannnabis is hardly a big issue with driving. If somebody is messed up, a field test will show that. But Brooks doesn't like when his test used to arrest tens of thousands only shows that marijuana users are not a problem causing accidents?

And then the half truths about past arrests vs. decrim today and criminals records. He's sidestepping CORI and jobs and talking newspapers but it's an obvious bait and switch, trying to kill that real positive aspect of decrim. No arrest, NO criminal CORI for life, available to any future employer that wants to check it.

Since when did any employer call a police station to do a CORI (criminal records) check? Never happened! But that's exactly what he is attempting to float, spin, disinfo by talking about the press, which leads to another problem for Mr. Brooks.

And then the big lie. Local newspapers in the past, published arrests for marijuana! The Daily News and other newspapers routinely report on arrests directly quoting crime logs and police officers. A complete lie, easy to see for anybody that reads the local newspapers.

Notice he never mentions that many employers have access to CORI and punished people in the past for an arrest for cannabis?

But he counters with everybody will find out now.

How many employers are checking the civil citations to deny people jobs? ZERO! I don't even think that's legal. If Mr. Brooks can find one person denied a job for getting a civil citation, he might want to let us know about it. Because we fight for the rights of marijuana users. We could help him expose this travesty. Not expecting a call from Mr. Brooks. So far not one report of a person losing a job over the civil fine. Mr. Brooks didn't care about people losing jobs for a marijuana arrest but now he's concerned with our rights?

I've read the decrim law, it states that no record shall be kept of the civil fines given out. Meaning if his police department actually does release the names, they just broke the law! No list shall be kept beyond the collection for paying the fine by the town clerk and once it is paid, you are off that list. No list by the police is to be kept. That's the law, right now. A deputy police chief this guy is? And he's passing out bad info that presents illegal actions by police as standard operating procedure? Sounds like a lawsuit waiting to happen there. If you pay taxes in Wellesley you might ask that the Police Department brush up on the new civil law, these folks are just asking for a lawsuit. This guy must think we are as mixed up as his words.

Does this police department respect the will of 65% of voters? Do they acknowledge that vote? Do they recognize that they are unelected public servants being paid by those who voted to change the law? Arrogance on display, Wellesley, MA Police Department.(Mike Cann)