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NEW ULM -- As a legislative conference committee tweaks Minnesota's marijuana legalization bills prior to final approval this session, local law enforcement officials are concerned about the changes and costs that this legislation will bring.
Brown County Sheriff Jason Seidl, speaking at a Rotary Club meeting on Tuesday, outlined some of the experiences other states have gone through, and some of the extra expenses his department may incur when recreational marijuana is legalized in Minnesota.
Seidl emphasized that his department will enforce the law, and if the law says people may possess and use marijuana, that's what they will enforce.
But people may be surprised by some of the consequences that change will make, Seidl said.
Seidl has been in contact with three counties in Colorado, which have about the same population as Brown County to ask about their experiences since marijuana was legalized there in 2012.
Initially, those counties received about $80,000 from the state of Colorado as their share of increased revenue from marijuana sales to cover extra enforcement. That number has dwindled over the years to about $7,000, Seidl said. In the meantime, the cost of extra enforcement has far outstripped the allotments from the state.
Staffing costs have escalated. Legalizing marijuana has led to more of other drugs being present in the Colorado communities. Organized criminal activities have increased. There is a need for more staff to conduct compliance checks to make sure no one is selling to underage users, or to make sure no one is growing more than the allowable limit of plants. There are now complaints when people are smoking marijuana in public places where they should not be, and these complaints must be responded to.
Seidl said the Colorado counties have averaged adding four new patrol officers. In Brown County that would add about $294,808 to his budget to cover cost of salaries, uniforms, equipment. Four more quad cars would be about $54,000 each.
Local law enforcement organizations don't allow their officers to have alcohol or drugs in their systems when on duty. Legalized marijuana would require more staff drug testing. The cost of the testing at New Ulm Medical Center would be $114 per test for the testing, the blood draw and observation, or about $30,096 per year for 44 employees to be tested six times a year. The paid time involved in the testing would be another $29,700 annually, Seidl said.
All in all the extra cost of enforcing and administering marijuana laws far outstrip the allotments coming from the state in Colorado.
Law enforcement officials are concerned as well about the social impact of legalized marijuana. In 2006, Colorado ranked 4th in the nation in underage marijuana use among kids aged 12 to 17. Right now, it ranks number one. Children would have access to others who could legally purchase marijuana.
Human Services can be expected to be busier with parents using marijuana in the presence of their children.
Traffic patrol would become more difficult. Enforcing Driving While Intoxicated laws because there is no quick, definitive test for marijuana intoxication, and the state doesn't have a specific limit for intoxication, like the .08 blood alcohol limit for driving under the influence of alcohol. Officers would have to become trained in recognizing signs of drug influence and be able to document those signs in making the case for intoxicaiton investigations.
Employers will face increased problems with OSHA regulations, workplace injuries and testing, Seidl said.
All told, Seidl expects that whatever income the state derives from sale of legalized marijuana will be more than eclipsed by the cost of administering and enforcing the new marijuana law.