cannabisnews.com: Cutting Supply Only One Battle in Drug War Cutting Supply Only One Battle in Drug War Posted by CN Staff on June 16, 2002 at 11:34:18 PT By Tom Perry Source: Green Bay Press-Gazette They’ve done the math. It’s historic. It’s mind-boggling. It says a lot about the demand for illegal substances in Brown County. The 1,355 pounds of marijuana seized in Green Bay last weekend would fetch $2.2 million on the street, police say. They’re not exaggerating. They’ve had enough undercover agents in the field to know what the stuff costs. Ask Lt. Tom Molitor, Green Bay’s top drug enforcement officer, who’s buying all this marijuana. He answers with one word, “Everybody.’’ The big pictureIf that seems far-fetched, think about it. Do the math. More than a half-ton of marijuana was trucked here. It wasn’t sent to make rope.“I’ve been in the police department for about 22 years,’’ Molitor said. “Even as a detective, I never had an awareness of how much dope was out here.’’For 3½ years, Molitor has been assigned to the Brown County Drug Task Force. He uses the words “absolutely shocked’’ to describe what he’s seen of the local illegal substance culture. He admits that looking at the big picture can be frustrating.Clearly, if the so-called war on drugs is being lost or fought to a stalemate it’s not because law enforcement is losing a lot of battles around here.The investigation that led to the largest marijuana bust ever in Brown County began in February. That’s quick work. Some operations can last for years before shutting down dealers who would have access to 1,355 pounds of marijuana.The intensity level of police work seems to do little to deter people willing to sell illegal substances.“We got information just last night that somebody’s bringing 70 pounds in tonight,’’ Molitor said on Friday.If there weren’t a market for these substances, there’d be little reward for the risk taken by sellers.“You have to take a look at this whole issue of drugs in the community as one of supply and demand,’’ Molitor said. “You have a tremendous demand base here.’’This is where frustration can set in. Police can do their job. They can knock over vendors left and right. Yet there are still thousands of would-be buyers.It’s simple, as the lieutenant sees it: “If you didn’t have this tremendous amount of demand, these people wouldn’t be able to sell this crap around here.’’For this reason, Molitor is not convinced that it makes sense to place sole responsibility for winning the war on drugs on law enforcement.Social responsibility “Half of the mission, obviously, is to attack the supply side,’’ he said. “But equally as important is what we do on the demand reduction side.’’Social tolerance of drug use is a fundamental obstacle to shutting down dealers from what Molitor has seen.“Those thoughts about people just saying no has to permeate every place of employment, every business, every school and every family,’’ he said. “It’s not happening now. I mean, it’s a total failure on the demand side.’’Such a stark pronouncement might seem overly pessimistic to some. But realists would have to agree the demand is out there, especially if they do the math.Source: Green Bay Press-Gazette (WI)Author: Tom PerryPublished: June 16, 2002 Copyright: 2002 Green Bay Press-GazetteContact: forum greenbaypressgazette.comWebsite: http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/CannabisNews - Cannabis Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/cannabis.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #5 posted by krutch on June 17, 2002 at 14:47:35 PT: The Demand exists because pot is benign This is what these well meaning but misguided drug warriors fail to understand. They just want to say drugs are evil and lump MJ right in with heroin, coke, and meth. But pot is much less harmful and less debilitating than these drugs. In fact it is much less harmful and less debilitating than legal alcohol. This is why social tolerance exists, and this is why many people enjoy smoking pot. All of police work on busting dealers is wasted. The demand for MJ will still be there no matter what dealer they bust. Someone will always be willing to take the dealers place, and reap the harvest of cash. [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by John Tyler on June 17, 2002 at 09:49:16 PT The people of Green Bay ... have spoken (everybody wants it). They want to be able to use weed. It's time for the government to get on the right side of this issue. [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by Zero_G on June 16, 2002 at 12:39:58 PT Everybody's Doin' It... Ask Lt. Tom Molitor, Green Bay’s top drug enforcement officer, who’s buying all this marijuana. He answers with one word, “Everybody.’’ [...]Social tolerance of drug use is a fundamental obstacle to shutting down dealers from what Molitor has seen.“Those thoughts about people just saying no has to permeate every place of employment, every business, every school and every family,’’ he said. “It’s not happening now. I mean, it’s a total failure on the demand side.’’"Who are the brain police?" FZSo, let me get this straight, everybody is doing it (rhetorically) and it is socially tolerated. Does not Lt. Molitor realize that this discription does not define a criminal act? Or, perhaps he is looking for job security...Certainly, he isn't interested in democracy. [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by JR Bob Dobbs on June 16, 2002 at 12:13:09 PT Demand isn't the problem. THE MAN is the problem! >>It’s simple, as the lieutenant sees it: “If you didn’t have this tremendous amount of demand, these people wouldn’t be able to sell this crap around here.’’ Does "this crap" include all the beer consumed in Cheese Country? All the chewing tobacco? How about all the stupid hats that look like a wedge of cheese? There's demand for a lot of crap in America today, to be sure. Luckily, Wisconsonites get to make a choice very soon. Vote Libertarian Ed Thompson for governor of Wisconsin if you want to see someone in office who isn't anoter auto-pilot drug-warrior. http://www.edthompson.com/ [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by Dankhank on June 16, 2002 at 11:55:18 PT: I get it ....... “Those thoughts about people just saying no has to permeate every place of employment, every business, every school and every family,’’ he said. “It’s not happening now. I mean, it’s a total failure on the demand side.’’Piss tests to get a job at 7-11, piss test in most businesses if you are in an accident, Supreme Court says high schoolers can be pissed at will, college students can/WILL lose a year's scholarship if busted for a doob, DARE asks kids to NARC on parents, Super Bowl ads say tokers support terror, SWAT teams (the REAL terror in America)kill innocents during 3AM no-knock raids of the wrong places ...I could go on, but ... you get the picture ...Fight for sanity ... Hemp N Stuff ... [ Post Comment ] Post Comment