Leo Laurence, former Deputy Sheriff, testifies at San Diego's Planning Commission Meeting

Leo Laurence, former Deputy Sheriff and representative from Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP), testifies at San Diego's Planning Commission Meeting on January 20, 2011. Courtesy of http://www.mjdispensaries.com

LEO E. LAURENCE, J.D.
Former Deputy Sheriff

"California's prisons, ruled unconstitutionally overcrowded, are graduate schools in crime."

Leo E. Laurence, J.D. is a former deputy sheriff, and once served on the Biker Enforcement Task Force in the District Attorney's office in San Diego. He still has his badge. He holds a law degree and completed an unprecedented, four-year, post-doctoral study in appellate law at the California Court of Appeal in San Diego.

"We are sending more and more people into our already overcrowded prisons, but a panel of federal judges ruled that reducing prison crowding is the only way to change unconstitutional prison conditions. The prisons are serving as graduate schools in crime," Laurence said.

"People of all ages are smoking marijuana, and have been for decades. But all the billions involved have gone into illicit activities. If we regulate and tax it, the revenue would go a long way to resolving our chronic fiscal problems from state to local levels.

"There is no credible evidence that smoking marijuana inevitably leads to the abuse of heavy drugs, like cocaine and heroin.

"People in law enforcement are NOT universally opposed to regulating and taxing marijuana.

"As more young people are getting involved in election campaigns, the probability of passing marijuana reform now is stronger than ever," Laurence believes.

While Laurence continues to work on confidential law enforcement matters, he currently serves as editor of San Diego News Service, and is active on the National Committee on Diversity of the Society of Professional Journalists.

To book a LEAP speaker contact Shaleen Title, Speakers Bureau Director, speakers@leap.cc, cell (617) 955-9638 or fax (781) 393-2964

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• leap
• san diego
• planning commission
• meeting
• medical marijuana
• dispensaries
• leo laurence
• sheriff

[drherbalst]

And the beauty of LEAP is they have NO PERSONAL GAINS asides from public safety and ending a senseless war on prohibition which destroys more lives than it saves.

[matcotech]

These men are honorable. I am proud to have men like this patrolling our streets.

[olympic66power]

VERY GOOD AND SMART MAN

[casualtySR]

good man