Local law enforcement agencies respond to survey on Colorado marijuana - Topeka Capital Journal

Since Colorado legalized recreational marijuana in January 2014, 14 cases of Colorado marijuana seizures have been reported in Topeka and Shawnee County.

There also have been 14 arrests for impairment related to Colorado marijuana.

A survey of law enforcement agencies and district attorneys by the Kansas Attorney General’s Office reveals that Colorado marijuana has “permeated nearly all parts of Kansas,” the office said.

A total of 320 law enforcement agencies and 70 prosecutors’ offices responded to the survey, according to a news release.

“We believe most of our high-grade marijuana is coming from the state of Colorado,” the Topeka Police Department said in its survey response.

They also reported that edible marijuana products have been found in a couple of searches, but have “not been a huge problem.”

While TPD said high-grade marijuana is a profitable option for many dealers, the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office went a step further, saying it also brings violence. They cited the November 2014 murder of Dustin McKinney. Detectives found a safe with large amounts of marijuana and $44,000 inside McKinney’s residence and believe the homicide was drug-related, according to court testimony.

The sheriff’s office said it included the McKinney case in its survey response “due to the public having the opinion that marijuana is not a dangerous drug.”

Crime associated with black market marijuana sales would decline if marijuana was legalized and regulated in the state, said Lisa Sublett with Bleeding Kansas, a nonprofit patient advocacy group. The problem isn’t Colorado — the problem is prohibition in Kansas, she said.

The sheriff’s office reported “users and dealers will drive to Colorado to pick up marijuana ranging from a pound of marijuana to multiple pounds.” They have also encountered four cases of edibles including THC candy, chocolates and brownies.

Both agencies said verifying where drugs originated presents a challenge, though some information can be gleaned from packaging and interviews with subjects.

The Shawnee County District Attorney’s Office didn’t participate in the attorney general’s survey and didn’t respond to a request for comment on the topic.

Police departments with Topeka USD 501, Seaman USD 345, Washburn Rural USD 437 and Washburn University reported no Colorado marijuana-related seizures or arrests. The Silver Lake Police Department and the Metropolitan Topeka Airport Authority Police Department also reported no cases, though the Silver Lake Police Department said it gets many questions from teenagers and younger kids about why marijuana is illegal in Kansas.

“Our DARE officer is questioned all the time about this,” the department reported.

Legalization would benefit the state in a multitude of ways, Sublett said. It would create new revenue streams that could help address the budget deficits Kansas is experiencing. The state wouldn’t have to increase taxes or make further cuts to services.

If there was a surplus, money could be used for medical research, education and homelessness, Sublett said. The legalization of marijuana for medical purposes would greatly benefit patients who suffer from seizures and neurological diseases, among other ailments, she said.

Legalization does come with challenges. Sublett said lock boxes could be sold along with edibles so they don’t get in the wrong hands. A discussion on impaired driving is worth having, she said.