Kentucky’s Medical Marijuana Program Sparks Changes for Police K9 Teams
As Kentucky prepares to launch its medical marijuana program in January, law enforcement agencies are reevaluating their K9 teams to avoid potential legal conflicts. In response, some police departments are replacing dogs trained to detect cannabis with ones that don’t possess this skill.
Stryker, a K9 officer with the Covington Police Department, is a prime example of this shift. Trained to detect illegal drugs, Stryker is a valuable asset to the department. However, unlike many other police dogs in the state, he is not trained to detect marijuana.
According to Kenton County Commonwealth’s Attorney Rob Sanders, some police dogs trained to find marijuana are being taken off patrol to avoid potential legal issues. This decision is a result of Kentucky’s new medical marijuana program, which is set to begin in January.
Covington police Capt. Justin Bradbury acknowledges that this change presents a challenge for the department. “Like anything else in police work, there’s always going to be challenges,” he said. “We always have to adjust the way we’re doing things and adapt.”
The goal of this transition is to ensure that legitimate medical marijuana patients in the city do not face unwanted legal consequences. The process of replacing dogs trained to find marijuana with ones that don’t possess this skill will come at a significant cost, with the average cost of a police dog being at least $10,000.
As the state prepares for its medical marijuana program, law enforcement agencies are working to adapt to the changing landscape. The transition may be costly, but it is a necessary step to ensure that police departments can effectively serve and protect their communities while also respecting the rights of medical marijuana patients.
