Group calls for police chief to resign after anti-medical marijuana testimony
Montanans for Responsible Legislation called yesterday in a Missoula City Council committee meeting for Missoula police chief Mark Muir to resign.
“It is the apex of inappropriate behavior for Missoula chief of police Mark Muir to use Missoula money, Missoula city resources, and the uniform of the Missoula Police Department to oppose a concept our citizens have, time and time again, overwhelmingly voted to support,” said founder and president Doug Chyatte in a prepared statement he read to councilors.
After the meeting, I asked Chyatte if he actually expected the chief to step down. He said no, but he also noted the board of Montanans for Responsible Legislation voted unanimously to call for the resignation.
Yesterday while under fire, Muir stood by his earlier testimony in Helena in favor of repealing the Medical Marijuana Act — but Councilwoman Lyn Hellegaard said if anyone should be blamed, it’s Mayor John Engen.
After all, she said he’s the one who gave the chief the nod to go to Helena and support the repeal of the Medical Marijuana Act: “Our beef should be with the mayor, who authorized the police chief to go over there.”
Engen has said he should have sent Muir as an informational witness instead.
In other pot news, some person I’m alleging is a dingdong is accused of offering pot butter to a kid who made cookies for SCHOOL CHILDREN. Well, people in 8th grade.
Hey, toss ‘em keys so they can take the bigrigs for a spin, too, right? Good grief. The teacher said the students looked “spaced out.”
But back to Montanans for Responsible Legislation: Here’s the full prepared statement made to the committee:
Over the past year Missoula has enjoyed a period of unprecedented freedom, peace, and prosperity. We have seen our downtown revitalized, and hundreds of good Missoulians go back to work. Beyond this, thousands of our citizens have been spared the indignity of pharmaceutical side effects, analgesic opiate addiction, fear and despair.
Until now.
Until recent attacks on Montana democracy by the federal government, by our county attorney, by a part time legislator from Roundup, by representative Mike Milburn, and most recently Missoula’s own chief of police.
It is the apex of inappropriate behavior for Missoula chief of police Mark Muir to use Missoula money, Missoula city resources, and the uniform of the Missoula Police Department to oppose a concept our citizens have, time and time again, overwhelmingly voted to support.
In our opinion any feelings of bigotry held by a public official are at best voiced at his or her own expense, in their own clothing, and on their own time.
Because of Mr. Muir’s unethical behavior in acting as an unauthorized Missoula city representative, and in so using municipal resources, we at MRL call for Mr. Muir’s immediate resignation.
These recent acts of terrorism will not intimidate the cannabis community, and I am sure there will be further attempts to discredit the movement as this debate continues. To Mr. Muir, and the federal government, I say strike down one of us and ten more will rise in their place. This community has had enough – enough of the fear, and enough of the hate mongering. Listen to the facts, listen to your hearts, listen to your constituents and please, do the right thing.
–
Doug Chyatte
Montanans for Responsible Legislation
– Keila Szpaller
March 18th, 2011 at 9:00 am
I understand that the article about my caplets may cause a stir. I do support the law as they investigate legitimate crimes and those that have placed our medicine at risk. I believe that cannabis, as a medicine, needs to be treated as such. Importing, using unlicensed grow operations and other illegal behavior placed medical cannabis in jeopardy.
While we can argue statistics about medical cannabis and crime its hard to argue that industry provides a safe, regulated medicine. My goal is to have a system where science is the foundation and would drive future changes in the industry and law. The fix of today is to revamp the system, learn, adapt and progress over time. As we show the communities that the industry is functional we will gain their support and be able to address changes in future sessions. We have to take the argument away from the republicans. Acting as though medical cannabis is a step towards the objective of legalization is minimizing the importance of the medical field and the commitment to ensure that an inhaled medicine is safe. Evin if marijuana were legalized, medical cannabis should meet clear standards and be treated as a medicine.
The current law is exclusionary by definition and we only escape prosecution if we fall within the limits of the statute. Somehow it got to be seen as ‘inclusionary’ and everything not specifically addressed is allowed. Had there been clarification and case law we probably wouldn’t be in this mess.
I’ll fight to keep cannabis as a legitimate option and i need it as well. I won’t support a system that lowers medical cannabis to the black market. I watched the judiciary hearing as well. Many of the supporters of the repeal talked as though they were for a repeal as a method to change the system…even the high-power guy from California. The house has no intention of a change other than repeal which would then force another vote by the people. The repeal can’t go through…and i wish the governor would make a clear statement that he would veto a bill to repeal unless it included a new, acceptable law within it. We may disagree on what acceptable would be. There are many patients that agree with my opinion and a plethora of patients still out there that would benefit from a regulated system.
I know this is an emotionally charged issue and i believe that the best chance to keep cannabis as a viable option is to convince the governor and the communities that we can make real, functional changes in the manner in which the industry operates. The initiative by rep sands isn’t nearly enough now. In my opinion.
Roger Dowty, medicalcannabismt.com
March 18th, 2011 at 9:02 am
moderator…comment ended up in wrong area???
thanks
March 18th, 2011 at 9:27 am
When I was growing up, kids were smoking pot and drinking in 4th and 5th grades. While I’d agree that the person you, Keila, is a dingdong, I think generally society needs to get a reality check. Sex, drugs, booze, or whatever hit kids at an early age. Prevention efforts are so important. But about that pot butter, brownies anyone?
March 18th, 2011 at 9:28 am
ack! sorry! “person you {insert: you refer to}” I’m not calling you a dingdong! Ack! Blame it on me not having enough coffee.
March 19th, 2011 at 11:42 am
Watch primetime TV, “Sex, drugs, booze, or whatever hit kids at an early age” couldn’t be more true. Our children watch commercials 10 times a day about medicine to make their penis hard.
March 22nd, 2011 at 8:50 am
One of my ex’s said he knew he was in Missoula because everyone’s home and car smelled like pot. I always thought that was funny. He lives in Chicago now.
March 23rd, 2011 at 1:00 pm
http://helenair.com/news/article_5e737c1c-557c-11e0-ba6a-001cc4c03286.html
Middle Schoolers with Meth… Time we stop being so naive about our young people.
March 25th, 2011 at 11:02 am
Work Comp (my field) and Pot (this post). Good times.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/03/24/brock-hopkins-bear-maul-marijuana_n_840374.html