The decision to legalize recreational marijuana rests with the state General Assembly.

But it will have local impacts – especially on the criminal justice system.

The Times Observer solicited the views of many in the law enforcement community, and District Attorney Rob Greene and Youngsville Police Chief Todd Mineweaser weighed in.

“I one-hundred-percent agree with medical marijuana and I think the federal government needs to make marijuana a Schedule III controlled substance,” Greene said. “Currently, marijuana is a Schedule I controlled substance, which means the feds say marijuana has no medical use and listed among the ‘most dangerous’ drugs.”

Greene said that way of thinking means the “federal government is basically saying that marijuana is more dangerous than meth, cocaine and heroin; this is not only wrong, but confusing.”

On the recreational side, Greene was adamant that limiting use at age 21 or above is “a no brainer.

“As for adults, the genie is already out of the bottle and marijuana use will no doubt be on the rise,” he said. “Enforcement of the law as it relates to marijuana use is going to soon be a nightmare for police and prosecution. Are we going to arrest the 80-year-old cancer patient for letting her 60-year-old son use her medical marijuana while sitting around a fire?

“There is no one who can intelligently argue that the effects of marijuana are worse than alcohol or narcotics, especially as it relates to violence, addiction and overdose; just ask any police officer, especially as it relates to violence.”

Greene added, “there are many separate and unique arguments in favor of recreational use of marijuana,” citing “less dangerous than alcohol, reduction in the use of hard drugs like opiates, meth and crack, reduction of overdose deaths, frees up law enforcement for serious crime, freedom, etc., just to name a few.”

However, he noted that “there are many issues that need to be addressed and solid arguments against the use of recreational marijuana. How do we keep our children safe from the use of marijuana? How do we prevent unsafe driving?

He said a Schedule III designation would mean that “the states that have legalized medical or recreational marijuana use would not have to worry about federal punishment, the federally insured banks could be utilized and, most importantly, marijuana could be legally researched so the true facts as it pertains to marijuana use could materialize.” He alleges that “most, if not all, of our ‘facts’ about marijuana come from Big Pharma studies approved” by the federal government.

“Our nation has an opiate epidemic that is being fueled by Big Pharma,” he continued. “Now Big Pharma and your government has decided to attack this epidemic with ‘new and improved’ highly addictive drugs” like suboxone and methadone. “Now, addicts are craving these ‘new and improved’ drugs more than what they were originally addicted to. What is going on here?”

Greene said that there “have been cases that marijuana has helped people with those addictions.”

“So, do I think that recreational use of marijuana should be legalized? I think I need to do some more research and keep an open mind. Maybe we all should?”

Youngsville Police Chief Todd Mineweaser said he is “100 percent opposed to recreational marijuana, for a lot of reasons.”

Mineweaser said drugs “are not a healthy choice” and should only be prescribed for illness as as a means of last resort.

“I am truly afraid for our country to be heading down a very dark path,” he said. “Americans know we have an epidemic with opiates, they have seen nothing yet compared to what will happen to our economy if we legalize a drug such as marijuana.”

Mineweaser argued that 21st century marijuana is much more potent than what was produced in the 1960s to 1980s.

“The government and legislators are only looking at the tax money they will see up front,” he explained. “Believe me when I say this, it’s not worth what is going to happen to our country. You will see an increase in homeless people, unemployment, broken homes, DUIs, fatal crashes, high school dropouts, addicts, thefts, burglaries, robberies and lower grades in school from regular marijuana users. You can’t hold a job if you’re high all the time…. I know a lot of drug addicts today that started on marijuana. Yes, it is another gateway drug, not for everyone, but it truly is.

“I hear people in my line of work say we should just legalize it so we wouldn’t have to deal with all the court proceedings. I say we should educate our youth and adults so they teach their children not to use this harmful drug. I personally will never agree with legalizing something that I know is very harmful to others.

“Educate yourself before just going along with the popular vote,” said Mineweaser. “If I am the last man standing, I would never support this bill and I pray to God our legislators don’t, either. If it costs any of them from getting reelected, then so be it. Do the right thing for our children and future of America… Some of their answers are ‘Just tax the heck out of it.’ Then what? Let the cartel, drug dealers go underground, grow their own and sell it cheaper. So they get richer? Taxing it doesn’t solve the problem people. The government gets richer and we get dumber. To those that support the legalization of recreational marijuana, just think about this: ‘Your innocent loved one is killed in a crash by an highly-impaired marijuana driver — Where do you lay the blame? Because once this becomes legal to use for recreation, we will have more crashes and people dying on our roadways from many more impaired drivers.”