Lieutenant General Jeffery Buchanan is the deputy leader of the Capitol Attack Review Task Force. Recently, he spoke before the House Administration Committee to discuss the Capitol Police short-comings that led to the insurrection on January 6, 2021.
“I mean, if our officers are busting teenagers for smoking marijuana over at the train station—I know that’s against the law, but if that doesn’t have anything to do with protecting the Capitol or its members—it’s probably wasted time and energy,” Lt. General Buchanan addressed. “It requires a cultural change. It has to start at the top, but more importantly it has to be driven by our actions every day.”
Lawmaker Response
However, Lt. General Buchanan isn’t the only one who says that the laws and enforcement policies regarding cannabis need to change. Representative Rodney Davis (R-IL) says he agrees “100 percent”. Most recently, Representative Davis introduced a bill to the US House. It would protect the second amendment rights of cannabis users in legal states.
Even further, the new Attorney General, Merrick Garland, said arresting and prosecuting individuals over simple cannabis possession is a waste of limited resources. During the questioning of Attorney General Garland, he wrote a statement on his position on cannabis possession pursuits.
“As I testified at my hearing, it is important to focus our attention on violent crimes and other crimes that greatly endanger our society, and prosecutions for simple marijuana possession are not an effective use of limited resources,” Judge Garland replied. “As I testified, we have seen disparate treatment in these prosecutions that has had a harmful impact on people and communities of color, including stymied employment opportunities and social and economic instability.”
Future
It will take time for changes to come to the Capitol Police. Both leaders and lawmakers have expressed the need for these changes. As more information becomes available, we will update you with the latest.
Make sure to check back for more cannabis and hemp related news.