Is weed consumption prevalent in PA, or what?

lookout123 · 10-07-2004, 11:02 PM

This is from Fox news, but i didn't figure anyone would mind for this story.

Top Cop Smokes Pot
Thursday, October 07, 2004

Cops in the small eastern Pennsylvania town of Weatherly had been complaining for months about the smell of marijuana smoke in the office, the pot pipes lying around, the seized drugs that disappeared.

On Wednesday, their chief of 10 years, Brian S. Cara, was arrested by state troopers, reports The Morning Call of Allentown.

"I was really shocked to find out everything he was supposed to have done," Weatherly Mayor Joseph E. D'Andrea told the newspaper. "If he has had problems and needed help, we could have helped him."

The borough of 2,600 people, about midway between Wilkes-Barre and Allentown, has three full-time and six part-time police officers.

Cara, 38, did not immediately return a phone message left at his home.

State Attorney General Jerry Pappert said the probe started in Sept. 2003 when Weatherly cops told state authorities suspicious things had been disappearing for months.

There were the plastic envelopes of cocaine that mysteriously "exploded" after having been placed in the evidence locker — an unlocked drawer.

There were the times when cops showed up unexpectedly at the station only to find Cara there alone and the place reeking of pot smoke.

There were the joints and pot pipes cops noticed in Cara's desk drawer.

Finally, a "reverse sting" was set up this summer. On Aug. 2, one of Weatherly's officers told Cara that two ounces of pot had been seized and were in the office.

Also new to the office was a hidden video camera.

State drug agents told a grand jury they watched Cara smoke some of the pot later that same day, then go back for more no less than eight times on Aug. 3. All of it was caught on videotape.

On Aug. 4, it all came down. Cara was seen smoking pot five times before 9:15 a.m. Then he packed a pipe, tucked it into his pocket and went out on patrol.

Later that day, state agents with a warrant searched his desk and found drugs and drug paraphernalia.

Cara was made to undergo a blood test, which came back positive for marijuana, and he allegedly admitted smoking pot from the evidence locker.

He was immediately placed on paid suspension, but the paychecks may end following his formal arrest.

"We're not his judge and jury, but we can't continue paying him and filling in for him at his salary," D'Andrea said.

Cara was charged with four misdemeanors: obstructing justice, criminal attempt to obstruct justice, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

He was booked and released on his own recognizance. His first preliminary hearing was scheduled for Nov. 17.

404Error · 10-07-2004, 11:13 PM

Guess the adage is true: Cops got the best dope.

wolf · 10-08-2004, 12:17 AM

I've heard that some officers dispose of smaller amounts (defined as enough to see, but not enough to justify the paperwork, but possibly enough to get some youngin' to give up the name of his supplier) by tossing it into a river that they have handy.

Cyber Wolf · 10-08-2004, 06:33 AM

Let's see how long it takes for one of those cop drama show ala Law And Order to pick up this story and work it into one of their episodes...if they haven't already. Sounds like some good TV drama fodder to me.

LabRat · 10-08-2004, 08:45 AM

When my husband was a department manager for a local grocery chain, he caught one of his employees with a joint, which he confiscated but kept. That was the first time I smoked pot, and was so terrified of getting caught and kicked out of grad school

it wasn't even any fun. Damn conscience.

York · 10-08-2004, 11:42 AM

well, i can tell you, over here in Belgium its like nowhere else! About 10 years ago i was rollin a good one, in a private boys-club , and police came in, it was a guy ive known a bit before he was a cop...well he took the jay before the other cop was in and told me " thanks" Well, at least i didnt get a ticket! haha

Radar · 10-08-2004, 12:27 PM

Using drugs is not a crime. Creating laws against using drugs is a crime. Police, judges, politicians, and everyone else knows the drug war is a miserable failure, because you can't legislate appetite, and you any laws that try to ban a peaceful activity like drug use only undermine any respect the legal system might still have.

This cop should not be in trouble at all.

wolf · 10-08-2004, 12:30 PM

There's a disconnect between what the laws are now, and what you think the laws should be ... work to get the laws changed, if that's what you feel is appropriate.

Until then, the top cop shouldn't be bogeyin' the doob on the county's dime.

York · 10-08-2004, 12:49 PM

Radar, using drugs is a crime! Like almost everywhere in the word, it still is illegal! In Netherlands u can just smoke some pot without being arrested, and jamaica maybe! I think that any kind off drug or other stuff that can harm u , should be illegal! Cause in the end, there were study' s enough to proove that it aint healthy and u can get serious problems because of it! I smoke a long time without any side-effects but ive seen people go crazy! And i wouldnt wanna be like that! I dont know if any sane person would wanna be sick! With the harder drugs it is even wurse...paranoia, suicide etc. Some people do need it , and for those people i wish it was legal... And than u have the users-for-pleasure...it can make u smile, make u eat, make u experience music differently....but overdo it , and all off that goes away and your left with misery!

tw · 10-08-2004, 01:09 PM

Heroine is probably the most destructive recreational drug. Since heroine addicts most often are not 'cured' in their first drug therapy, then we make the victim into a criminal. Extremist conservative then say rehabilitation cannot work. One successful program for heroine addicts is heroine maintenance. They get a small daily dose which is usually enough to keep them productive and alive. But this is contrary to a political right wing agenda that says all drugs (except those who make campaign contributions) are evil. So yes, there is a major disconnect between drug laws and reality. When a mariguana user can get mandatory sentences equivalent to murder. Yes, there is a major disconnect between those making the laws and reality.

Trilby · 10-08-2004, 02:24 PM

drugs are neither evil nor good. They just are what they are. The most destructive drug is alcohol and it's perfectly legal to buy and use that-providing you are of legal age.

Griff · 10-08-2004, 04:37 PM

Is weed consumption prevalent in PA, or what?

um... duh

Happy Monkey · 10-08-2004, 06:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wolf

Until then, the top cop shouldn't be bogeyin' the doob on the county's dime.

Until then?

DanaC · 10-08-2004, 06:25 PM

Dont know about PA, but back in Bolton in the North of England my Ex was once offered a joint during his driving lesson by his driving instructor.

xoxoxoBruce · 10-08-2004, 06:56 PM

Quote:

Later that day, state agents with a warrant searched his desk and found drugs and drug paraphernalia.

There's always a good apple in every barrel.

10-07-2004, 11:02 PM	#1
lookout123 changed his status to single Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Right behind you. No, the other side. Posts: 10,308	Is weed consumption prevalent in PA, or what? This is from Fox news, but i didn't figure anyone would mind for this story. Top Cop Smokes Pot Thursday, October 07, 2004 Cops in the small eastern Pennsylvania town of Weatherly had been complaining for months about the smell of marijuana smoke in the office, the pot pipes lying around, the seized drugs that disappeared. On Wednesday, their chief of 10 years, Brian S. Cara, was arrested by state troopers, reports The Morning Call of Allentown. "I was really shocked to find out everything he was supposed to have done," Weatherly Mayor Joseph E. D'Andrea told the newspaper. "If he has had problems and needed help, we could have helped him." The borough of 2,600 people, about midway between Wilkes-Barre and Allentown, has three full-time and six part-time police officers. Cara, 38, did not immediately return a phone message left at his home. State Attorney General Jerry Pappert said the probe started in Sept. 2003 when Weatherly cops told state authorities suspicious things had been disappearing for months. There were the plastic envelopes of cocaine that mysteriously "exploded" after having been placed in the evidence locker — an unlocked drawer. There were the times when cops showed up unexpectedly at the station only to find Cara there alone and the place reeking of pot smoke. There were the joints and pot pipes cops noticed in Cara's desk drawer. Finally, a "reverse sting" was set up this summer. On Aug. 2, one of Weatherly's officers told Cara that two ounces of pot had been seized and were in the office. Also new to the office was a hidden video camera. State drug agents told a grand jury they watched Cara smoke some of the pot later that same day, then go back for more no less than eight times on Aug. 3. All of it was caught on videotape. On Aug. 4, it all came down. Cara was seen smoking pot five times before 9:15 a.m. Then he packed a pipe, tucked it into his pocket and went out on patrol. Later that day, state agents with a warrant searched his desk and found drugs and drug paraphernalia. Cara was made to undergo a blood test, which came back positive for marijuana, and he allegedly admitted smoking pot from the evidence locker. He was immediately placed on paid suspension, but the paychecks may end following his formal arrest. "We're not his judge and jury, but we can't continue paying him and filling in for him at his salary," D'Andrea said. Cara was charged with four misdemeanors: obstructing justice, criminal attempt to obstruct justice, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was booked and released on his own recognizance. His first preliminary hearing was scheduled for Nov. 17. __________________ Getting knocked down is no sin, it's not getting back up that's the sin

10-07-2004, 11:13 PM	#2
404Error Lecturer Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: CT USA Posts: 826	Guess the adage is true: Cops got the best dope. __________________ "To disarm the people is the most effectual way to enslave them." ~George Mason~

10-08-2004, 12:17 AM	#3
wolf lobber of scimitars Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Phila Burbs Posts: 20,774	I've heard that some officers dispose of smaller amounts (defined as enough to see, but not enough to justify the paperwork, but possibly enough to get some youngin' to give up the name of his supplier) by tossing it into a river that they have handy. __________________ wolf eht htiw og "Conspiracies are the norm, not the exception." --G. Edward Griffin The Creature from Jekyll Island High Priestess of the Church of the Whale Penis

10-08-2004, 06:33 AM	#4
Cyber Wolf As stable as a ring of PU-239 Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: On a huge rock covered in water, highly advanced moss and 7 billion parasites Posts: 1,264	Let's see how long it takes for one of those cop drama show ala Law And Order to pick up this story and work it into one of their episodes...if they haven't already. Sounds like some good TV drama fodder to me. __________________ "I don't see what's so triffic about creating people as people and then getting' upset 'cos they act like people." ~Adam Young, Good Omens "I don't see why it matters what is written. Not when it's about people. It can always be crossed out." ~Adam Young, Good Omens

10-08-2004, 08:45 AM	#5
LabRat twatfaced two legged bumhole Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 3,143	When my husband was a department manager for a local grocery chain, he caught one of his employees with a joint, which he confiscated but kept. That was the first time I smoked pot, and was so terrified of getting caught and kicked out of grad school it wasn't even any fun. Damn conscience. __________________ Strength does not come from how much weight you can lift, or how many miles you can run. It comes from knowing that you set a goal, and rose to the challenge. Strength comes from within.

10-08-2004, 11:42 AM	#6
York Operations Operative Join Date: May 2004 Location: Tienen , Belgium Posts: 537	well, i can tell you, over here in Belgium its like nowhere else! About 10 years ago i was rollin a good one, in a private boys-club , and police came in, it was a guy ive known a bit before he was a cop...well he took the jay before the other cop was in and told me " thanks" Well, at least i didnt get a ticket! haha

10-08-2004, 12:27 PM	#7
Radar Constitutional Scholar Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Ocala, FL Posts: 4,006	Using drugs is not a crime. Creating laws against using drugs is a crime. Police, judges, politicians, and everyone else knows the drug war is a miserable failure, because you can't legislate appetite, and you any laws that try to ban a peaceful activity like drug use only undermine any respect the legal system might still have. This cop should not be in trouble at all. __________________ "I'm completely in favor of the separation of Church and State. My idea is that these two institutions screw us up enough on their own, so both of them together is certain death." - George Carlin

10-08-2004, 12:30 PM	#8
wolf lobber of scimitars Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Phila Burbs Posts: 20,774	There's a disconnect between what the laws are now, and what you think the laws should be ... work to get the laws changed, if that's what you feel is appropriate. Until then, the top cop shouldn't be bogeyin' the doob on the county's dime. __________________ wolf eht htiw og "Conspiracies are the norm, not the exception." --G. Edward Griffin The Creature from Jekyll Island High Priestess of the Church of the Whale Penis

10-08-2004, 12:49 PM	#9
York Operations Operative Join Date: May 2004 Location: Tienen , Belgium Posts: 537	Radar, using drugs is a crime! Like almost everywhere in the word, it still is illegal! In Netherlands u can just smoke some pot without being arrested, and jamaica maybe! I think that any kind off drug or other stuff that can harm u , should be illegal! Cause in the end, there were study' s enough to proove that it aint healthy and u can get serious problems because of it! I smoke a long time without any side-effects but ive seen people go crazy! And i wouldnt wanna be like that! I dont know if any sane person would wanna be sick! With the harder drugs it is even wurse...paranoia, suicide etc. Some people do need it , and for those people i wish it was legal... And than u have the users-for-pleasure...it can make u smile, make u eat, make u experience music differently....but overdo it , and all off that goes away and your left with misery! Last edited by York; 10-08-2004 at 12:52 PM.

10-08-2004, 01:09 PM	#10
tw Read? I only know how to write. Join Date: Jan 2001 Posts: 11,933	Heroine is probably the most destructive recreational drug. Since heroine addicts most often are not 'cured' in their first drug therapy, then we make the victim into a criminal. Extremist conservative then say rehabilitation cannot work. One successful program for heroine addicts is heroine maintenance. They get a small daily dose which is usually enough to keep them productive and alive. But this is contrary to a political right wing agenda that says all drugs (except those who make campaign contributions) are evil. So yes, there is a major disconnect between drug laws and reality. When a mariguana user can get mandatory sentences equivalent to murder. Yes, there is a major disconnect between those making the laws and reality.

10-08-2004, 02:24 PM	#11
Trilby Slattern of the Swail Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 15,654	drugs are neither evil nor good. They just are what they are. The most destructive drug is alcohol and it's perfectly legal to buy and use that-providing you are of legal age. __________________ In Barrie's play and novel, the roles of fairies are brief: they are allies to the Lost Boys, the source of fairy dust and ...They are portrayed as dangerous, whimsical and extremely clever but quite hedonistic. "Shall I give you a kiss?" Peter asked and, jerking an acorn button off his coat, solemnly presented it to her. —James Barrie Wimminfolk they be tricksy. - ZenGum

10-08-2004, 04:37 PM	#12
Griff still says videotape Join Date: Feb 2001 Posts: 26,813	Is weed consumption prevalent in PA, or what? um... duh __________________ If you would only recognize that life is hard, things would be so much easier for you. - Louis D. Brandeis

10-08-2004, 06:25 PM	#14
DanaC We have to go back, Kate! Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Yorkshire Posts: 25,964	Dont know about PA, but back in Bolton in the North of England my Ex was once offered a joint during his driving lesson by his driving instructor.

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