OPINION: Highly Questionable – New Bedford Police Chief Joseph Cordeiro’s Stance on Cannabis

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Opinions are like… ‘tailpipes’; everybody has got one, and they usually stink. We are all entitled to formulate our own opinions, just as we are also entitled to either adhere to or refute the opinions of others. The important thing is that collectively we continue to work towards a more fruitful existence as a society. Our disagreements are ultimately the beginning of our work towards a better life. And so I believe we owe it to ourselves to constantly be seeking new perspectives to expand our understanding of the world and humankind. We owe it to ourselves to ask questions.

And for those in positions of ‘extended influence’-our societal decision makers-there is an added importance to understanding all points of view. For our medical professionals, politicians, legislators, and law enforcement, there is an added importance to not only asking questions-but to also be seeking new answers to those questions. Our decision makers must understand all points of views to the best of their ability.

And so, it is of vital importance that people such as New Bedford Police Chief Joseph Cordeiro seek new and more valid perspectives; specifically in regards to his highly questionable stance on cannabis and recreational cannabis regulation.

A couple of months ago, New Bedford Police Chief Joseph Cordeiro spoke with New Bedford Guide to address various city-wide issues. During the 30 minute interview, Chief Cordeiro was asked to address legal cannabis (medical and recreational) as a potential solution to the city’s opioid problem. You can check out the full interview here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbsNeCdRRCI (cannabis is brought up at the 19:30 mark in the video).

While acknowledging medical cannabis would be more ‘frugal’ for the city, Chief Cordeiro had a much different opinion when it came to recreational cannabis in New Bedford:

“I think the medicinal piece would probably be more frugal. But the recreational-I believe is going to compound our drug issues as a whole…It seems that the timing is off by throwing more gasoline into the fire when we are already struggling with an addiction issue across the country.”

Chief Cordeiro also referenced Colorado as having 4x more “cannabis-driven” ER visits and an uptick in motor vehicle accidents since legalization of recreational marijuana. Additionally, when it comes to cannabis edibles, Cordeiro fears that a lack of being able to detect THC like alcohol in a person’s system would make it harder to keep our streets safe. Recreational cannabis in New Bedford would also contribute towards the city’s “social problems” according to Cordeiro, as he feels landlords and unsuspecting citizens would be subjected to being around a smoker’s environment unwillingly.

Therefore, as a cannabis advocate, I wanted to take some time to address Chief Cordeiro’s seemingly misguided stance on cannabis.

Here are 5 questions for New Bedford Police Chief Joseph Cordeiro (and citizens) to consider:

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