| Denver Westword |
| Tony Ryan, left, and Richard Frieling of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP). Ryan is a retired lieutenant from the Denver Police force; Frieling is a former municipal court judge and practicing criminal defense attorney |
Colorado-based and national representatives of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP) on Monday sent a stern letter to U.S. Attorney John Walsh, pushing back against his recent threats to medical marijuana centers that operate legally under state and local law.
The letter, signed by 26-year veteran Denver cop Tony Ryan and former Lafayette Judge Richard Frieling, along with LEAP Executive Director Neill Franklin, says Walsh’s actions are “a disservice to the state of Colorado” and “undermine state and local regulations in a manner that will likely increase the underground distribution of marijuana.”
The law enforcers urge Walsh to “recognize that the longstanding policy of prohibition itself — which we, like you, were once charged with enforcing — has made schools and parks the focal point for drug distribution, drug information and drug requisition.”
They tell Walsh that “going out of your way to short-circuit the will of the people and their elected representatives and to place obstacles between patients and their medicine is short-sighted and inimical to the public health, safety and welfare.”
Walsh’s original threat letter gives the medical marijuana centers (which is how Colorado officially refers to its dispensaries) 45 days to either close down or face legal action.
The anti-prohibition law enforcers are urging Walsh not to follow through on the threats and instead respect the will of the people and lawmakers of Colorado.
The full text of the letter is available at the LEAP website by clicking here.