As the legalization of marijuana progresses across the county I’ve been seeing more & more articles about DEA agents and other such law enforcement employees switching sides. Leaving their positions as anti-drug enforcers and entering the world of marijuana sales. To be perfectly honest … I find it absolute infuriating.
For example … Patrick Moen worked for the Drug Enforcement Administration for 10 years. Rising in the ranks busting drug offenders in Oregon, he recently quit his job to go to work for a marijuana industry investment firm. Now he spends his time helping his new employer maneuver around the legal hazards of working in an industry that he once swore to dismantle. (read more here: Yahoo! News)
My Two Cents …
Exactly who do these people think they are?!
While I do appreciate that they have started to see the light so to speak, I have serious problems with idea of people being allowed to profit from an industry they spent the first part of their careers trying to shut down. That they are now coming in to reap the financial benefits of a burgeoning industry after getting paid to arrest and imprison countless individuals non-violent drug related offenses. Unbelievable!
Did you know that, as of the end of December 2012, there were 196,574 sentenced prisoners under federal jurisdiction … 99,426 of which were serving time for drug offenses. (read more here: Drug War Facts)
How many people have these johnny-come-latelies put in jail for non-violent marijuana related crimes during their law enforcement careers and exactly what have they done to rectify that situation now that they’ve had a “change of heart”? Where is the restitution to the lives that were altered or even dismantled as a result of their previous positions?
It is my opinion that, until they can positively answer those questions, they should be kept on the sidelines.
