Pot smoking mountie hands in dress uniform

[core_upt]

Originally Posted by Rerun

I believe he was only placed on administrative leave and his weapon and uniforms taken away from him, after the pic was taken. Prior to this, I believe he was performing his regular duties (in uniform and armed) and lighting up whenever he felt the need to.

Since he received his prescription, he has not driven nor handled an RCMP weapon. That is not really up for debate.

[Rerun]

nm

[Rerun]

Originally Posted by core_upt

Since he received his prescription, he has not driven nor handled an RCMP weapon. That is not really up for debate.

link?

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by Rerun

I made the assumption (and maybe I'm wrong) that he was placed on Admin duty after this story hit the news. Prior to the story I assumed he was on regular duty... again, maybe I'm wrong.



He is a regular RCMP corporal (as in not a member of the RCMP band (Musical Ride) or any other type of RCMP that does not require a weapon for the performance of his duties)
The picture clearly shows he was out in public in his dress uniform and when in public, as far as I know, full dress uniform includes wearing a firearm if you have one.

... again this is all on the assumption that when the pic was taken he was not in Admin.

unless you have given it up because you are now in Administrative support.

[Rerun]

Originally Posted by core_upt

Since he received his prescription, he has not driven nor handled an RCMP weapon. That is not really up for debate.

Originally Posted by undercoverbrother

unless you have given it up because you are now in Administrative support.

You could be right... core_upt says you are.

Edit : Found what I was looking for.

He has been on administrative duties since January.

Q. So to be clear, you’re on administrative duty right now?
A. That’s right. I do not have a firearm. I’m still a police officer, but I’m in administrative support, so I work behind a desk. I’ve seen some of the comments about handling a firearm while on marijuana — if if I did [have a gun] it wouldn’t affect my ability to carry out my duties.

http://news.nationalpost.com/2013/11...his-red-serge/



.......

So I take everything back that I said previously. When all this went down he was on Administrative Support and did not have a firearm.

With this knowledge I'm definitely willing to cut this guy a lot more slack and have a lot more sympathy for his predicament. I think the RCMP brass might be going a bit overboard on this.

[Daradon]

I really don`t know how to feel about this situation. I mean, I do agree with this guys right to take his medicine, even while at work. Especially if as people say, he isn't driving while on it.

But I feel like the whole thing might have been avoided if there was just a little common sense. Could he have done it in a less conspicuous fashion? It kinda feels like he could have. One has to admit, it is extremely bad optics. Is there a way he could have cleared it with his superiors, or set up 'safe' times with which to take his medicine?

I'm just asking out loud cause I really don't know. It feels like there while there is definitely some compassion and understanding lacking on the RCMP's side, there may be a little common sense lacking from his side.

It's a sad situation to be sure though, and I hope after things cool down, they bring him back with some sort of permanent understanding.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by Rerun

You could be right... core_upt says you are.

If someone could point me to a link that says this...

Sadly, it appears i have to quote The Sun.........

http://www.torontosun.com/2013/11/28...nties-dont-mix

RCMP Cpl. Ronald Francis has a medical script to smoke medical marijuana to treat his job-related post-traumatic stress disorder. Unusual? Sure. But the 20-year veteran officer is not on the road or carrying a gun — he’s currently assigned to desk duties — and he’s not smoking pot to get high, but because he needs a medicinal grade to help reduce the PTSD symptoms he’s suffered for eight years.

To me this reads that at the time of his usage he was assigned to a desk and not carrying a gun.

[Rerun]

Originally Posted by undercoverbrother

Sadly, it appears i have to quote The Sun.........

http://www.torontosun.com/2013/11/28...nties-dont-mix




To me this reads that at the time of his usage he was assigned to a desk and not carrying a gun.

You are correct. I found in the National Post that he's been in Admin Support since January....

although he does seem to feel that his pot usage would not hamper him in the performance of his duties if he did have a gun too...

I’ve seen some of the comments about handling a firearm while on marijuana — if if I did [have a gun] it wouldn’t affect my ability to carry out my duties.

The gun comment bothers me a bit.... particularly when he has a prescription that allows him to smoke up to 15 joints per day.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by Rerun

You are correct. I found in the National Post that he's been in Admin Support since January....

although he does seem to feel that his pot usage would not hamper him in the performance of his duties if he did have a gun too...



The gun comment bothers me a bit.... particularly when he has a prescription that allows him to smoke up to 15 joints per day.

BTW, I agree with you comments regarding his ability to properly use a firearm post pot usage.

[kipperfan]

We need the facts. If the guy indeed has not operated a vehicle nor carried a firearm since being prescribed the pot I really fail to where an issue exists here.

To those that said he shouldn't have "disrespected the uniform" by smoking while it, I really hope you were joking. This guy was prescribed his medicine by a doctor as he is a very sick man, would swallowing a couple of antidepressants also be "disrespecting the uniform"? How about taking a Tylenol? Because if he was not operating dangerous/large machinery after use, there really is no discernable difference. I would say the personal health and well being of any RCMP member (hell, any Canadian period) is much, much more important than whatever respect you feel a red shirt and pants deserves.

One thing is for sure, the cop made a huge PR mistake by trying to liken his use to drinking a beer, in fact it is nothing at all like that, it was a very poor comparison and feeds into what many anti-marijuana people believe pot is all about….getting wasted. He could have named basically any prescription medication and made the same point, tolerance goes up over time and impairment goes down – that isn’t a controversial or debatable point, that is how the human body works.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by undercoverbrother

BTW, I agree with you comments regarding his ability to properly use a firearm post pot usage.

That would be my concern as well.

Personally, I think marijuana has numerous benefits (both medicinal and recreational), but it is a pretty strong drug with side-effects that shouldn't be ignored especially when safety is a concern.

[Temporary_User]

You know something is wrong when people are more for people having access to guns without medicine than they are for when people are.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by kipperfan

To those that said he shouldn't have "disrespected the uniform" by smoking while it, I really hope you were joking. This guy was prescribed his medicine by a doctor as he is a very sick man, would swallowing a couple of antidepressants also be "disrespecting the uniform"? How about taking a Tylenol? Because if he was not operating dangerous/large machinery after use, there really is no discernable difference. I would say the personal health and well being of any RCMP member (hell, any Canadian period) is much, much more important than whatever respect you feel a red shirt and pants deserves.

.

Did you just compare Tylenol and Pot?

[core_upt]

Originally Posted by kipperfan

To those that said he shouldn't have "disrespected the uniform" by smoking while it, I really hope you were joking. This guy was prescribed his medicine by a doctor as he is a very sick man, would swallowing a couple of antidepressants also be "disrespecting the uniform"? How about taking a Tylenol?

I whole-heartedly support his need to take his medicine, and to do so on while at work, during office hours and the office uniform he is required to wear.
However, to wear the iconic red serge, which he would not have been required to wear when the photo/video was taken, and smoke a joint which would be an illegal offence if done by most Canadians, and something that the RCMP is responsible for enforcing, is disrespectful. It's an a$$hole move on his part, but he is well within in his rights to be an a$$hole.

[kipperfan]

Originally Posted by undercoverbrother

Did you just compare Tylenol and Pot?

I compared medicine to medicine, yes.

[kipperfan]

Originally Posted by core_upt

I whole-heartedly support his need to take his medicine, and to do so on while at work, during office hours and the office uniform he is required to wear.
However, to wear the iconic red serge, which he would not have been required to wear when the photo/video was taken, and smoke a joint which would be an illegal offence if done by most Canadians, and something that the RCMP is responsible for enforcing, is disrespectful. It's an a$$hole move on his part, but he is well within in his rights to be an a$$hole.

That's your opinion, and I coudn't possibly disagree with it more. Clothing does not deserve respect, people do.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by kipperfan

I compared prescription medicine to non-prescription medicine, yes.

They are not equal.

[Rerun]

Originally Posted by kipperfan

That's your opinion, and I coudn't possibly disagree with it more. Clothing does not deserve respect, people do.

I disagree. A cop, a fireman, a soldier, sailor, or an airman, all have my respect due to the uniform they wear, until that person proves to me that they are not worthy of it.

[Daradon]

Originally Posted by kipperfan

That's your opinion, and I coudn't possibly disagree with it more. Clothing does not deserve respect, people do.

Well the clothing is a symbol of an organization, which was built, and run by people, and the morals they try to live up to. So it's a bit more complicated than clothing, and I understand how people think that.

I would tend to think the same, except that the name of the RCMP really doesn't mean what it used to. It's just been scandal after scandal, problem after problem. They really need to clean it up and bring back some of the honor that uniform used to mean.

For me, it's the optics of a law officer doing something that is easily mistaken as breaking the law, and you know, rightly or wrongly, is just going to rile people up. Like I said, I do believe this officer had the right to take his medicine while on the job, however, it does appear he could have made better decisions on where and when he did, and who might be watching him.

I'll admit, I don't really know about PTSD. I'm assuming he could perhaps wait a few moments until he got to a less conspicuous place, or away from people. I will also admit, that maybe I'm wrong on that. Maybe you have to smoke, as soon as you feel that panic attack coming.

However, that just brings up another question. If the situation was truly that bad, and he needed to smoke at a moments notice, than perhaps it was time to hang up the uniform?

We all want to accommodate people, and there are plenty of examples of workplaces not understanding the issues of people with disabilities or illnesses. However, it does go both ways, and I can say this as a person with disability. There is always a point, with whatever problem, and whatever job, where the two simply cannot mix. And that obviously varies from job to job, disability to disability. Sometimes the onus is on the person with the problem to say, I can't do this anymore.

This is all just thinking out loud. Like I said, I don't know the specifics, and it does seem this situation could have been avoided with compassion on one end, and common sense on the other. I'm just saying, there is a level of complication to the story.

[Flames Draft Watcher]

Originally Posted by undercoverbrother

They are not equal.

Did you know that the active ingredient in cough syrup (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dextromethorphan) is a very powerful dissociative very similar to ketamine? One is legal because it has a beneficial side effect that we haven't found a good substitute for. The other is illegal. Both drugs are in the same class and have very similar power levels.

The line that has been drawn is very arbitrary. There are some very powerful non-prescription drugs out there, with the potential to mess you up as much or moreso than even some illegal drugs.

This story makes me wonder how many people work on powerful prescription meds like xanax, etc and how much those really mess people up. I've tried addoral which they give people for ADD and that stuff is pretty powerful.

A lot of people think drugs are black and white. Prescription drugs are safe. Non-prescription drugs aren't that powerful. Illegal drugs are bad. All three of those statements are far from the truth. You can't really generalize about drugs. Each drug has a history of why it is available over the counter, prescribe-able, or illegal. Not all these reasons make sense.

I suspect a lot of issues around drugs will become big debates in the next 100 years as people are able to educate themselves and not just take pro or anti-drug propaganda to heart. We see it already with the dangerousness of alcohol vs weed debate. The dangers of certain over the counter medications and prescription medications are going to be highlighted now that people can share their experiences so easily these days.