526: Marijuana and the Democratic national convention

Plain Talk

"Every law enforcement officer I've spoken to has said this has been hard on our state and hard on law enforcement."

That's what Burleigh County Sheriff Kelly Leben had to say on this episode of Plain Talk. He's referring to Measure 5 on North Dakota's November ballot which, if passed, would legalize the recreational use of marijuana.

"I'm very big on personal freedom," Sheriff Leben told co-host Chad Oban and I, but added that those liberties have to be balanced with the needs of public safety. He rejected the oft-made argument from marijuana supporters that legalization will make less work for law enforcement, arguing that "prices" for illicit marijuana will still "entice the black market."

Leben did credit the backers of Measure 5 with taking a thoughtful approach to the issue. "I would have to concede that they're trying to get it right," he said, but added that the costs of legalization outweigh the benefits.

Also on this episode, Jamie Selzler, a North Dakota delegate to the Democratic National Committee, spoke to us from his party's national convention in Chicago. He reflected on the speeches, the security and protests, and the heartbreak he felt when actor Mark Hamil, of Luke Skywalker fame, was too tired to pose with him for a selfie.

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